Using apps to simplify maintenance management

If you’re looking for ways to stay on top of your maintenance schedule, streamline your processes, and cut costs, there’s probably an app for that! Building managers are juggling so many responsibilities that finding simpler ways to manage it all has made way for technology to help.

Maintenance apps give you the tools you need to plan, analyze, monitor, and document. There are all sorts of apps to help tackle all aspects of your job, so you can focus on the big picture. Apps provide organization, the convenience of having all the information in one place, and the ability to get the data you need to make important decisions.

Scheduling

From the most basic to more advanced, scheduling is a component offered by most of these apps. Manage your maintenance schedule better with quick access to information about recent and upcoming repairs and get reminders when your equipment will be down or needs scheduled servicing. Add weekly, monthly or seasonal checklists to customize a schedule that works for you. Getting everything in one schedule will make your life easy and make big budget surprises few and far between.

Reporting

Whether you’re interested in a broad overview or getting granular, financials can become simpler with the help of technology. Apps allow you to generate reports addressing asset management, document life cycle, and budget for future expenses.

Some of the higher-end apps offer tools to monitor performance as specific as noise, vibration, corrosion, temperature, flow, lubrication, and wear. Once you set your thresholds, you will always know exactly how your equipment is performing.

Workflow

Looking to make your workflow more efficient? Apps can help you create custom work orders for your specific needs with templates and suggestions to get you started. With more advanced technology, you can be notified of low inventory levels, get work order updates, and automatically assign tasks to technicians or team members to optimize workflow.

Adding technology to your maintenance and building management can improve speed, cut costs, and increase production. Using apps can help you stay on top of scheduling, get specific insights, and optimize your workflow to save time and money.

ULI releases Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2023

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) released its annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report highlighting what’s shaping the sector as we head into 2023. In its 44th edition, the report includes proprietary data and insights from more than 2,000 leading real estate experts, exploring shifts in the property sector since the pandemic, changing investor sentiment toward climate risks, the emergence of impact investing, and other current and pending issues within the United States and Canada.

Insights from the report reconfirm two bifurcated market trends: aspects of the real estate industry are “normalizing” and reverting to pre-covid patterns while others have permanently shifted to the “new normal” that was adopted during the pandemic.

“As we enter 2023, the pandemic-driven factors that upended the global economy for more than two years are starting to fade,” said Anita Kramer, senior vice president of ULI’s Center for Real Estate Economics and Capital Markets. “At the same time, structural changes like the widespread adoption of remote work will likely continue to inform investor behaviour. A series of long-term factors such as the rising cost of housing, increased climate risk, and declining socio-economic mobility, pose continued uncertainty for the private and public sectors alike. There are also opportunities – the increase in federal infrastructure spending provides the chance to create greener and more equitable communities that can adapt to these challenges.”

This year’s report also highlights the real estate industry’s move to look beyond cyclical headwinds and focus on a long-term approach to real estate assets. In an environment with rising interest rates, declining GDP, and minimized deal activity, the industry is opting to ride out the slump and position itself for sustained growth and strong returns.

“The past few years have been historic territory for the real estate industry, and the pandemic has permanently changed how and where we use different types of properties,” said Byron Carlock, US real estate leader for PwC. “There are several factors at play determining both the near and long-term future of the industry. Although real estate capital markets are constricting, they are still open for business, investors are still buying high-quality properties, lenders will continue to lend, and companies should move forward with cautious optimism through this current cycle and prepare to adapt to quick market changes. The industry should also work closely with stakeholders to help assess they are addressing demands and shifting sentiments while building trust.”

Additional key insights:

Economic forecasts remain cautiously optimistic. Despite the first half of 2022 seeing negative economic growth, incomes continue to increase, and consumer spending—which now accounts for two-thirds of the economy—remains steady. Around half of the experts surveyed expressed a positive outlook as we head into the new year.
Inflation remains a top concern, and it likely won’t abate soon. With the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, investors and developers are wary of the risk of future recession.
Hybrid work is here to stay. Since last year, the average worker has only been working from the office three days a week—a trend that will continue to inform investor behaviour. However, a future recession has the potential to shift the dynamic.
The housing affordability crisis is worsening. Rents are soaring even in more affordable metros. Without intervention from the government and private sector, socio-economic and racial housing gaps will widen even further.
Investors are growing concerned about extreme weather. Climate risk will be a key factor when deciding where to invest in real estate across a wide swath of cities.

Read the full Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2023 on ULI’s Knowledge Finder platform.

Commercial ratepayers confront widening tax gap

Commercial ratepayers saw rising property tax rates this year in eight of the 11 major Canadian cities Altus Group surveys for its annual benchmark report, while commercial-to-residential tax ratios widened in all but two of those markets. On average across all the cities, commercial properties were taxed at 2.8 times the rate applied to residential properties, with commercial ratepayers in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Quebec City and Halifax taxed at more than three times the rate for residential householders.

Altus analysts note a general trend of falling commercial values in the markets where reassessments have occurred since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with municipal governments’ conventional reluctance to shift more of the tax burden to residential ratepayers. Meanwhile, ratepayers in Toronto and Ottawa are still locked into assessments that reflect 2016 market values.

“The post pandemic market is incredibly volatile and governments need to be proactive to address the value shifts without increasing inequities between commercial and residential taxpayers,” urges Kyle Fletcher, president of Altus Group’s Canadian property tax division. “To achieve equitable taxation and to support economic recovery, governments like Ontario’s need to embrace more frequent reassessment to keep up with market changes, and municipalities need to move away from policies that shift a greater portion of the tax burden to commercial properties.”

Nationally, commercial taxes averaged $24.23 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax all surpassing that average. The average residential tax rate was $9.11 per $1,000 of assessed value. However, the tax rate was higher than the average in a majority of cities, ranging from $9.39 per $1,000 of assessed value in Edmonton to $11.54 per $1,000 of assessed value in Halifax.

This year, the tax shift onto the commercial base was most notable in Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax, which took on an extra 6.5 to 10 per cent share of the tax load compared to 2021. Among the 11 cities, the widest tax gap occurs in Montreal, where the commercial-to-residential ratio stretched to 4:21 to 1 in 2022. The narrowest ratios continue to be found in Saskatchewan, where Regina’s commercial ratepayers are taxed at 1.51 times the residential rate and Saskatoon’s are taxed at 1.61 times the residential rate.

Winnipeg was the sole city to see both a slight narrowing of the commercial-to-residential tax ratio and a nominal dip in the commercial tax rate. For 2022, commercial ratepayers were taxed at 1.92 times the residential rate. A tax rate of $23 per $1,000 of assessed value was down from $23.05 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2021. At the same time, Manitoba’s residential ratepayers were rebated 37.5 per cent of their education property taxes this year, which, Altus analysts calculate, reduced Winnipeg homeonwers’ overall property tax rate to $9.08 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Toronto’s tax ratio tightened 2.42 per cent in commercial ratepayers’ favour — to rest at 3:36 to 1 — but the tax rate nudged up by 0.92 per cent. This year, that translated into $21.22 per $1,000 assessed value, up from $21.03 in 2021. This is the 18th consecutive year the commercial-to-residential tax gap has narrowed, as part of an extended campaign to eventually hit the threshold of 2.5 to 1.

Commercial ratepayers in Ottawa saw a 3.51 per cent increase in the tax rate and a widening of the commercial-residential tax gap to 2.39 to 1. However, the residential tax rate also rose by 2.54 per cent. Meanwhile, Quebec City adjusted the commercial tax rate 0.9 per cent upward and the residential tax rate 0.4 per cent downward, stretching the tax gap to 3.51 to 1.

There was a 4.35 per cent year-over-year decrease in Montreal’s commercial tax rate, pushing it down to $34.66 per $1,000 of assessed value. However, the residential tax rate dropped 5.37 per cent to widen the tax ratio. This is the last year of the city’s three-year assessment cycle so Altus analysts project greater shifts between property classes next year when the new 2023-25 cycle begins.

Alberta’s annual reassessment is deemed a significant factor in this year’s tax landscape in Calgary and Edmonton. Notably, Calgary’s downtown assessment base has shrunk steadily in recent years due to falling office values, and the city has adjusted the commercial tax rate upward to adjust for the loss of revenue. In contrast, there was an 8 per cent year-over-year gain in residential assessment attributed to the city’s strong single-family housing market.

Calgary’s commercial tax rate rose by 6.44 per cent from 2021, for the steepest increase of the 11 cities, while the residential tax rate fell by 3.47 per cent. That translated to commercial tax at $21.93 per $1,000 of assessed value and a residential tax rate of $7.15 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Priorities in healthcare property restorations

There’s zero room for error in healthcare facility restorations. When a fire, flood, or other disaster occurs, quick and comprehensive action is required to bring critical services back online, and with minimal impact on patients and staff. Here’s where calling on a restoration partner with specialized healthcare experience, equipment, and strategies counts.

“It is an understatement to say that healthcare environments are complex, so when an incident disrupts patient care, you need a contractor who knows what they’re walking into and what needs to be done to keep everyone safe,” says Jim Mandeville, senior project manager, large loss, North America, for First Onsite Property Restoration.

Healthcare-related restorations carry several priorities. For Mandeville and the First Onsite team, they include:

Infection control and prevention: The key to healthcare-related restorations is protecting all facility occupants from potential infections during the restoration and construction process. For First Onsite, doing so involves employing a broad range of prevention measures, including HEPA air scrubbing and negative air pressurization, indoor air quality (IAQ) and airborne particulate control, biomass reduction (e.g., top- down cleaning, decontamination, and sterilization), proper waste and debris disposal, and ongoing project monitoring and documentation. Importantly, these actions adhere to all infection control policies and procedures.
Ongoing biocontainment support: Care must be taken to mitigate the risk of biocontainment during a restoration and prevent biocontainment risks through ongoing risk assessments and the development of hazard mitigation response plans.
HVAC: Fresh and hygienic indoor air quality (IAQ) is critical in a healthcare environment. Herein, says Mandeville, “Restoration efforts must focus on fostering and ensuring healthy IAQ, and we do that by following all national and provincial regulations for Infection Control and Prevention, in addition to industry standards for HVAC cleanliness.”
Emergency planning and training: Part of healthcare-related restorations is mitigating future incidents. As such, First Onsite’s strategy includes helping healthcare staff prepare for the next incident by providing emergency preparedness planning and training, performing annual inspections and hazard surveys, and conducting facility assessments.

Experience matters

Keeping patients and staff safe is job one during a hospital restoration. Doing so effectively means working with a restoration partner that recognizes the risks and understands the steps necessary to quickly and safely mitigate damage and minimize exposure to areas of the facility not affected by damage. For First Onsite, that means in depth training of staff and adherence to strict protocols that ensure restoration work meets the strict standards of a healthcare setting. The company has structured its teams to help healthcare facilities across Canada bounce back from disasters.

“We’ve worked with healthcare clients across Canada over the years, and it’s given our teams the specific skills and insights they need to tackle these uniquely challenging situations,” adds Mandeville.

FIRST ONSITE is a leader in emergency response planning, disaster remediation, property restoration, and reconstruction services, helping North America restore, rebuild, and rise after catastrophic events of every kind. Learn more at www.firstonsite.ca.

Driving change in the built environment

Mass timber buildings are continuing to increase in size, height and complexity around the world. In B.C., legislation now allows for mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys. With climate change at the forefront of conversations, the provincial government is driving change in the built environment by mandating mass timber construction for new buildings in public procurements.

“We know that in order to drive the type of change we want to see in our built environment we have to take leadership in government. What we’ve done is created one of the only office of mass timber implementation offices in the world,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of jobs, economic recovery and innovation.

The minister spoke at the Building Transformation’s Timber in the Digital Environment: Spotlight on DFMA in Vancouver. The event brought together mass timber experts with technology innovators from across the globe to discuss the interface between design in the digital environment and the innovations happening within the design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA).

According to Kahlon, mass timber is a triple-word score. It allows us to reduce our carbon footprint from construction, it adds value to our forestry sector, and it provides new opportunities for jobs, growth and innovation in every corner of the province.”

The government launched the Mass Timber Action Plan in early 2022, which focuses on people, the economy and the climate. B.C. is demonstrating leadership by using mass timber in public-sector buildings.

“Now new buildings like the Royal BC Museum, student housing, care homes will be using mass timber in them. We’re using public procurement to drive that demand so that we can see more manufacturing come online to create pathways for the private sector,” he said. “We’re building the first post-disaster fire hall in Saanich, in mass timber – one of the first in world.”

The goals include sharing lessons learned to overcome barriers to the development of mass timber expertise and construction, and ultimately expand the use of mass timber in B.C.,

“Another key initiative that we have is to partner with FII to fund private sector developments – providing some dollars to address premiums many developers to face,” said Kahlon. We also know training people will be very important. We have to have skilled workers so that as we transform, we have the workforce to support it.”

Mass timber education is getting a boost at BCIT through a new program and the new BCIT Trades and Technology Complex under construction. The complex will include a campus services building built of mass timber, a carpentry pavilion with a mass timber roof structure and a covered marine workshop, which will provide a structure fitted for the assembly of mass timber projects.

“We’re super excited. We have 307 buildings that are either completed or in process of being built out of mass timber. B.C. has more projects than the US combined. We’re taking advantage that we have early on to drive this,” said Kahlon.

Cheryl Mah is managing editor of Construction Business.

VRCA celebrates best in construction

The best and brightest of B.C.’s construction industry were honoured at the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s (VRCA) 33rd annual Awards of Excellence gala on October 26.

This year’s General Contractor over $50 million Award went to Graham Infrastructure LP in Joint Venture with Aecon Water Infrastructure Inc. for the Annacis Island WWTP. Graham also earned a special Environmental and Sustainability Award for the Sortation Centre Buildout – YVR7 Rover project.

The association received 140 nominations, representing 84 projects and a total construction value that exceeds $2.8 billion. A total of 51 awards were presented, including 17 Gold Awards for projects, nine Outstanding Achievement Awards, and 10 additional Special Recognition Awards in the categories of Environment and Sustainability, and Heritage.

Standout projects included the Heritage Hall Roof Replacement and Partial Seismic Upgrade project, which received two Gold Awards and two Heritage Awards; Sortation Centre Buildout ‐ YVR7 Rover, which earned one Gold Award and two Environment & Sustainability Awards; and 155 Water Street, which received three Heritage Awards.

Other Gold Award winners included Penticton Regional Hospital– Phase 2; Pyrrha Headquarters; Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower ‐ Phase 1; and The Post.

Peter Hrdlitschka, who played a pivotal role in the Canadian construction industry over the past 43 years, was awarded the VRCA Lifetime Achievement Award. Before retiring he was long time president of Ledcor’s construction division. He has been instrumental in championing sustainability in construction and oversaw many of the industry’s LEED firsts including the BC Cancer Research Centre.

The winners in the General Contractor category were:

General Contractors – Over $50 Million
Graham Infrastructure LP in Joint Venture with Aecon Water Infrastructure Inc. – Annacis Island WWTP

General Contractors – $20 Million to $50 Million
NAC Constructors Ltd – Sapperton Pump Station Replacement

General Contractors – Up to $20 Million
Jacob Bros. Construction Inc. – Centerm Container Operations Facility (COF) Building

General Contractors – Tenant Improvement – Up to $15 Million
Scott Special Projects Ltd. – Heritage Hall Roof Replacement and Partial Seismic Upgrade

General Contractors – Tenant Improvement – Over $15 Million
EllisDon Corporation – Penticton Regional Hospital – Phase 2

The full list of winners can be found here.

Look for coverage of all the winners in the November/December edition of Construction Business, which marks our 20th anniversary.

Real estate dip expected to continue into 2023

The Bank of Canada is attempting to rein in inflation again, raising its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.75 per cent.

A pool of economists predict the cycle of rate hikes will continue through the year, with another increase coming in December. But the pace should wind down. In Finder’s BoC Overnight Rate Survey, only 18 per cent of expert economists believe Canada’s central bank will forge ahead with rate hike policy at its January 2023 meeting, although a small minority of 6 per cent think another hike could happen next March.

Ahead of last night’s hike, CIBC’s Chief Economist Avery Shenfeld was among the majority who foresee one more small increase coming in December. “But we are close to levels needed to slow growth and inflation in 2023,” he said.

Impact on real estate

Rising interest rates are one factor affecting Canada’s housing market and contributing to the decline in home sales. All economists on the Finder expert panel agreed that the downturn will continue into the first part of 2023 during the colder winter season.

Before the end of 2022, a third (33 per cent) of experts believe the housing market price declines will fall between 7.5 and 9.99 per cent. Another 25 per cent believe housing prices would drop between 2.5 and 4.99 per cent.

Moshe Lander, professor at Concordia University, predicts price declines before the end of 2022 to fall between 5 and 7.49 per cent. “The rapid increase in interest rates raised the mortgage payment necessary to buy a home—the market’s demand-side,” he explained. “Rising interest rates also increased how much interest now had to be paid on existing mortgages. This pressure will prompt the most leveraged to sell their homes.”

CoStar Canada Chief Economist Carl Gomez forecasts a smaller price decline— below 2.59 per cent by year-end. “Big price increases at the beginning of the year will leave the year-over-year changes barely positive despite the monthly declines seen over the second half of the year.”

Will Dunning, economist and independent housing analyst and CEO of Will Dunning Inc, was the only voice among the panel calling for rate cuts. He’s concerned the economic impacts of excessive rates have “barely started to develop,” let alone with looming future hikes. “There is a possibility that employment could fall by a half million by the middle of next year, which will have long-lasting economic effects,” he predicts.

Rising rates could particularly affect newer homeowners who bought at record-high prices over the past couple of years, especially if the value of their home drops below what they owe in their mortgage. For 62 per cent of Finder’s economics panel this could prompt recent homeowners with high loan-to-value mortgages into a negative equity position.

The Finder BoC Overnight Rate Survey can be accessed here.

Dynamic approach to apartment pest management

In the world of pest control, no two multi-residential buildings are the same. Every apartment is home to unique communities, living spaces, public areas, and environmental factors that require tailored and sustainable solutions.

Paolo Bossio with Advantage Pest Control has been working with multifamily managers and owners for years to create and execute bespoke pest management strategies. Ahead, he shares insights into what it takes to keep the pests at bay.

First, what makes pest control in an apartment such a unique challenge?

One of the biggest reasons multi-residential properties pose a unique challenge for us is the fact that there are so many shared walls and vents, which makes it easy for roaches, bedbugs, and all manner of crawling insects to move from one unit to the next.

In fact, we’ll often find that the unit we’ve been called in to tackle isn’t even “Ground Zero” for the infestation and that they are actually getting invaded by pests who have traveled from neighbours who are units down the hall.

That’s another factor, too: Infestations in an apartment may originate in units with people who either don’t know they have an issue, have a cognitive disability and can’t express their issue, or are maybe too embarrassed to say something. Some of the
worst infestations we have seen have been from units that have a zero history of complaints.

And that’s the crux of the challenge; the fact that apartments are home to different people living right next to each other, each with their own unique factors that need to be considered. This is why we will start by doing block treatments and inspections to assess each issue in a more comprehensive manner and hone in on everything that may be contributing to the infestation.

Has the pandemic been a factor in multifamily infestations?

It has, in its own way. Due to the pandemic, many restaurants, plazas, bakeries, and food providers like that shut down and transferred solely to delivery through services like Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes. That increased delivery traffic played a part in relocating roaches, mice, and rats from commercial buildings to residential properties. There is also the fact that people were working from home and eating more inside their units, which caused a huge rise in pest control-related issues in residential properties.

What is a “dynamic, integrated approach” to pest management, and why is it more effective for multi-residential buildings?

A dynamic approach simply means that it takes all factors into consideration and that you need a tailored and ongoing strategy based on the building’s specific issues, requirements, and populations. It is an approach that recognizes the fact that insects and people are very dynamic and that, because of this, a dynamic integrated pest management technique is best practice for multi-residential, which we know to be true through experience. For example, we can’t treat an apartment where the tenant is bedridden the same way we would treat an apartment that has a newborn baby.

Take us through a typical multi-residential engagement.

We always like to start with an inspection and generate well-documented notes on problematic units. By doing this, we can design and conduct the appropriate remediation strategy, as well as follow up as necessary. Again, the idea is to do that upfront assessment and legwork to figure out exactly what’s going on and how we can stop it using our integrated services and technologies.

What are common questions/concerns clients typically have during this process?

There are always questions, and that’s part of the process. Property managers, owners, and residents alike will naturally want to know the extent of their issue, what we’re doing in terms of remediation, and how it will impact the building.

That’s why communication is key with building staff, tenants, and homeowners. It’s also why we always provide reports and preparation documents so that there are no surprises and everyone has confidence in what we’re doing. That’s the thing with pest control; proper preparation is 80% of the program.

How does Advantage Pest Control help clients prepare for the winter?

We self-audit at Advantage Pest Control. What this means is we hire a specific technician to visit all of our accounts in the fall to make sure that stations are being placed correctly and filled properly as well as check for structural issues on the properties to ensure points of entry are addressed before insects and rodents look for access.

Sustainable ice and snow management for your building

As the weather gets cooler and winter creeps closer, it’s time to think about ice and snow management for your building.

In the past, many building managers have relied on the heavy use of products like rock salt, but studies are emerging that expose the negative environmental impact of over-using some of these traditional methods and products.

Following a two-year study at Harvard, a set of policies and practices were put into place for sustainable winter management (known as SWiM) to help building operators better manage snow and ice, mitigate risk, save money, and reduce environmental impact.

This method includes six sections where managers can adjust their practices for better sustainability:

Measure

Measure square footage, salt output (if using a machine), as well as the average time required for plowing to get an idea of the amount of salt you’ll need.

Calibrate

Your equipment needs to be calibrated to confirm and optimize flow rates. This should be completed pre-season, mid-season, and after any repairs to the equipment.

Prevent

Applying small amounts of salt before a storm may deter the build-up of snow and ice, limiting the need to overuse salt once the ground is covered.

Analyze

Inconsistencies in performance can lead to overuse which costs you money and could cause environmental damage. Look at the specific needs of each area like walkways, parking lot, road, and equipment to maximize efficiency and lower cost.

Improve

Use the beginning of the season to test out using smaller amounts of salt until you reach the threshold necessary for effective removal with the lowest volume.

Optimize

If you’re looking to upgrade your equipment, consider plow technology that makes it easier to get down to the bare pavement without using salt. This will increase performance, save time, lessen the cost of your salt, and minimize your environmental impact.

Without proper ice and snow management, you risk increased slip and fall incidents, restricted access to your property, interruption to your business, and more.

By using the SWiM method to manage ice and snow, you can limit your salt use to become more sustainable and save money during the winter months.

New UCalgary bachelor design degree is a first

Tackling society’s most pressing issues is what the first-ever bachelor’s degree offered by the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) is designed to do.

The Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI), which will host its first students in the fall of 2023, applies a design-thinking lens and a hands-on multidisciplinary approach to finding solutions to society’s most urgent challenges, says Dr. John Brown, SAPL dean.

“If we look at the big problems and challenges in the world today — climate change and social injustice — they are grounded in the built environment, in the relation between people, and how they interact with the environment, their cities, their spaces and each other. This program came about because we identified that there’s a significant knowledge and skills gap to address these critical challenges,” says Brown.

The BDCI educates students to be literate in the relationship between people and the constructed environment of cities, buildings, and landscapes, and who can then apply those skills to address the social justice and climate change challenges that society is facing today.

“Now more than ever, our cities require bold leaders trained in 21st-century transdisciplinary urban design,” says Mary Rowe, president of the Canadian Urban Institute. “As governments, civil society, and private industry struggle to improve the vibrancy, livability, economic health, and sustainability of cities, these skills will be prerequisites for the success of Canada’s cities.”

The BDCI is the first undergraduate degree of its kind in Western Canada, and it’s one that’s badly needed, says Kate Thompson, president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. The expanded thinking and interdisciplinary approach the BDCI will deliver is a critical educational option that is currently missing in Alberta, she adds.

“The wide-reaching inputs to city building (physical, social, political, economic, historical) must be studied so that together our city can emerge as a leader in the world of urban design,” she says.

Feds invest $10M in Science World upgrades

The federal government will invest $10 million in Vancouver’s Science World for building upgrades and new exhibits through Pacific Economic Development Canada.

Science World, built in 1984 for Expo ‘86, has educated and entertained Vancouverites and visitors but was significantly impacted by the pandemic and was forced to close to the public for months before opening at reduced capacity to ensure visitor and staff safety.

The funding will support critical infrastructure and gallery renovations, including structural improvements to the dome, new energy efficient lighting and mechanical upgrades as well as accessibility features. The PacifiCan funding will also support the creation of a new creative technology gallery.

“We are very grateful to receive this funding from the federal government. The dome was originally constructed for Expo ‘86 as a temporary structure. As a result, critical infrastructure updates are needed for Science World to continue to thrive. We look forward to working together with all levels of government to ensure the iconic dome is here to support the learners of today and in the future,” said Science World president and CEO Tracy Redies.

In 2023 Science World will also launch a new exhibit called the Creative Technology Gallery in partnership with DigiBC to immerse visitors in an exploration of the relationship between science, technology and art.

According to the government, PacifiCan’s investment in Science World will help create and maintain more than 150 jobs, including many for youth, women and Indigenous workers.

“Our government is committed to ensuring that tourism attractions can once again reach their full potential and with this partnership, Science World will be able to renovate and revitalize critical infrastructure providing many more years of impact.,” said The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada.

Ontario’s new “More Homes Built Faster” Act

On October 25, 2002, the Ontario government introduced the More Homes Built Faster Act, which promises to advance the province’s plan to address the housing crisis by building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. If passed, the province says the new measures will enable the construction of a greater mix of housing types throughout cities, towns, and rural communities, from single-family homes to townhomes and mid-rise apartments.

“For too many Ontarians, including young people, newcomers, and seniors, finding the right home is still too challenging,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This is not just a big-city crisis; the housing supply shortage affects all Ontarians, including rural, urban and suburban, north and south, young and old. Our Housing Supply Action Plan is creating a strong foundation on which 1.5 million homes can be built over the next 10 years. Our government is following through on our commitment to Ontarians by cutting delays and red tape to get more homes built faster.”

The plan puts in place actions to support the development of “gentle density” – housing like triplexes and garden suites that bridge the gap between single-family homes and high-rise apartments. For example, it would remove exclusionary zoning that only permits one single detached home per lot, allowing property owners the right to build three units without lengthy approvals and development charges.

In all, the plan contains roughly 50 actions, including steps to “promote fairness to support affordable and other rental housing.” Currently, property tax assessments for affordable rental housing are established using the same basis as regular market rental properties. Ontario will explore potential refinements to the assessment methodology used to assess affordable rental housing so that it better reflects the reduced rents that are received by these housing providers. In addition, it will consult with municipalities on potential approaches to reduce the current property tax burden on multi-residential apartment buildings in the province.

Other measures include:

Creating a new attainable housing program to drive the development of housing;
Increasing the Non-Resident Speculation Tax rate from 20 per cent to 25 per cent to deter non-resident investors from speculating on the province’s housing market and help make home ownership more attainable for Ontario residents;
Freezing and reducing government charges to spur new home construction and reduce the costs of housing;
Building more density near transit, unlocking innovative approaches to design and construction, and removing red tape to get shovels in the ground faster.

The government says it will also consult with the public, stakeholders and municipalities while engaging with Indigenous communities to review provincial housing and land use planning policies to find ways to remove more barriers to getting homes built.

“Ontario’s housing supply crisis is a problem which has been decades in the making,” said Michael Parsa, Associate Minister of Housing. “It will take both short-term strategies and long-term commitment from all levels of government, the private sector and not-for-profits to drive change.”

In a press release issued shortly after the announcement, the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) said it approves of the measures outlined in the new act.

“RCCAO welcomes the Government of Ontario’s leadership to bring the much needed reforms to address Ontario’s housing crisis,” said Nadia Todorova, Executive Director of RCCAO. “Minister Clark’s bold proposals are strong next-steps to build momentum for more development to meet the critical infrastructure demands of a growing province and will enable more people to get to work to end Ontario’s housing crisis.”

For more on the More Homes Built Faster Act, click here: More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 | Ontario Newsroom

Creating a career path for condo managers

If you take a moment to research job fairs or review the career paths that guidance counselors share with high-school students, you would be hard-pressed to find much on the topic of property management. Instead, it’s often described as an addition to the “main event,” such as real estate agent or asset manager.

Condos across Ontario need more property managers in the field. Unfortunately, there are not enough to effectively support the current number of corporations and the constantly growing market.

Property management can be a very rewarding career. As a growth industry, the sky’s the limit, from property administration to vice president of operations.

But in an industry that doesn’t necessarily promote itself as a career path, getting people to join the profession, including young professionals, requires a great deal of awareness, which is currently lacking. How can the industry collectively evolve and bring more attention to property management as a rewarding choice?

Condo managers oversee homes and communities to ensure they are in good working order— compliant, clean, and safe. Thinking of such responsibilities spotlights the critical aspect of this role, one that is often misunderstood.

Often, the perception is that condo managers work exclusively for the board of directors. The role can be seen as a bit of a “paper pushing” role when, in fact, there are various facets that shape the everyday reality of a condo manager—one that is far from dull. Knowing one is a trusted member of a community, invited into people’s homes, brings a sense of appreciation and accomplishment. Perhaps more people should understand this when considering joining the field.

To attract new hires, those in leadership roles can collectively share success stories, promotions, and their personal growth journeys within the industry. Social media is a great start, and one way to track views is to include meaningful hashtags, such as #wearehiring and #joinourteam.

Try and get front-and-centre at career fairs, held in regions across Ontario, including post-secondary institutions. When property management firms participate in them, this helps create awareness. Also focus on hiring co-op students from both high-school and post-secondary school. Posting a job as a property administrator in an institution’s job bank may help bring forward interesting candidates.

Another option is to hold virtual career sessions. Ideally, it will attract talent to your firm. However, looking at the larger picture, it may also help shine a light on the career. When sharing with participants the process of becoming licensed, growth potential and salary expectations would be interesting topics to include.

Property management companies looking to attract the best talent should also focus on mentorship opportunities to promote the profession and help young people gain experience.

In fact, younger people entering the workforce crave mentorship opportunities. In the Colliers Post Pandemic Student Workplace Preferences Report this past summer, post-secondary students surveyed in Canada expressed what they value about the office. Strong bonds with mentor relationships and professional development figured highly into their preferences. The Deloitte Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, which offers insight to attract and retain this talent, found the exact same sentiment, with additional insight into reverse-mentoring where young voices want to be listened to as well.

There are also many organizations looking for speakers to share perspectives on the industries they work within. They are a great place to connect with young professionals and those looking to make a career change. The Dream It – Be It program, for instance, from an organization called Soroptimist, partners business owners with secondary school female students to help them navigate career options. This group also holds a fair where students can learn about each mentor’s business.

Mentorship is also a great way to transfer skills and knowledge in an industry where skilled condo managers are becoming more scarce, and the generations that follow are keenly interested in upping their skills. Reaching out to vendors and partners and asking them to hold educational sessions or lunch-and-learns can help new hires better understand the many facets of property management and gain confidence to thrive and grow internally. Likewise, various organizations offer free or paid hybrid sessions for this same reason.

Finally, tapping into what drives future condo managers is key. As the Deloitte survey revealed, Gen Z and millennials are “deeply worried” about the state of the world and such issues like climate change, of which buildings are large contributors. As one example, the property management sector can empower this socially-minded group to become a part of driving change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment. Since this group also wants to work for an organization with purpose, one that cares about making a difference, try promoting those green initiatives and charitable events.

Collectively celebrating those who are currently in the condominium property management industry and welcoming with open arms those who are looking to join has never been a more crucial pursuit.

Angel-Marie Reiner is the President of Onyx Condo Management, based in Kitchener, Ontario.

Governing condos in Alberta

Condos are ideally designed to operate with relative simplicity and in a well-managed complex there is a measure of security and community. But this doesn’t happen organically.

Good governance is truly the life blood of successful condo corporations and requires effective and enforceable provincial and jurisdictional legislation, a thoughtful and transparent board of directors, an active ownership group and a well-informed professional management company.

Condos can face devastating circumstances from serious construction deficiencies going unseen for years and insufficient annual contributions to the reserve fund, to a board of directors reluctant to share the results of engineering investigations and make difficult decisions. It only takes a couple circumstances to attract the attention of major mortgage lenders and mortgage insurers, who are increasingly raising red flags and declining to participate in purchase transactions.

A number of commercial condo insurers have dropped out of Alberta’s market due to huge losses, largely related to relatively recent natural disasters and the staggering number of water damage insurance claims. Commercial insurance premiums have increased as much as 400 per cent over the last few years, triggering cash calls and/or devastating monthly contribution increases.

Mortgage lenders and commercial insurers are increasingly concerned about the renter-to-owner ratio, external financing/loans being necessary to complete major repairs and conversions. In response, an increasing number of private/specialist lenders have popped up and are waiting in the wings for a condo to fail and need a large cash infusion.

In addition to hands-on governance/management, condo owners should be well protected in provincial legislation over condominiums’ standards and practices. Some jurisdictions do much better than others in this regard.

Here in Alberta, there are few industry or community-based organizations to guide new board members or new condo owners in their rights and/or their responsibilities.

Only recently has a system been implemented to regulate condominium managers (who can hold an enormous amount of money in trust), provide ongoing education, issue or withhold licensing and keep them accountable to some form of legislation. Government or community-based resources are increasingly online and if you are of a generation that wasn’t born into our current technological landscape, you can feel left behind. The best approach is multifaceted.

Owners need to be inspired to be interested in the corporation’s documents and its business generally. There’s a lot of information if you want to go and look for it, but how to motivate owners and buyers remains a struggle. Most jurisdictions have implemented some type of dispute resolution/conflict tribunal for easier and less expensive access to justice and settling disputes. Owners in Alberta are crying out for this type of tribunal because their only option is to file a court case.

Court cases can be very expensive, time consuming and difficult to win because judges ultimately determine that a board of directors “made up of volunteers is doing the best they can”. Conflict resolution tribunals can be made up of a combination of lawyers steeped in the legislation, members of homeowners’ associations (HOA’s) and owner/buyer advocates. A modest $2 to $5 annual contribution from every condominium door in the province would fund this tribunal, but Alberta has yet to respond to the dire need from the ground level.

Condos are hot; they are always going to buy and sell fairly quickly and will remain a very popular option but they will always require a measure of pro-advocacy and proactiveness.In order to protect homeowners from a blind side cash call or major construction project, a few simple rules can be very helpful:

Turn up at annual general meetings and information/townhall meetings when convened;
Vote your opinion on various condo matters that require input;
Insist on clear and transparent communication from the board;
Read meeting minutes as they come out;
Familiarize yourself with cash flow projections in reserve fund studies (which present a long-term view of the corporation’s needs with regard to current and future natural repairs/replacements);
Volunteer for a term on the board of directors and see the business from the other side of the table;
Understand your jurisdiction’s legislation and/or an individual condo corporation’s bylaws with regard to the owners’ ability to convene special or extraordinary general meetings to hold a board accountable; and
When necessary, gather information from provincial legislation over the condominium industry and understand that provincial legislation supersedes bylaws

Confidence is in the details, but only rises to the level in which you are invested and participatory. Harmonious community living is enhanced by a relatively shallow dive into the business of the corporation, supportive legislation and an understanding that when you take your hands off the wheel, you can end up in a ditch.

Good management and governance is key in group ownership endeavours. Recommendations from a study of best practices by the University of Alberta highlight easy accessibility to information, implementation of dispute resolution services, working across all available platforms to engage and communicate with both owners and consumers and providing clear and transparent information in plain language and targeted to the appropriate groups.

For potential condo buyers, the best protection might be a comprehensive review of the corporation’s required disclosure documentation and candid opinions and discussions with appropriate professionals about the state of affairs from both financial and physical perspectives.

Owner apathy and lack of participation can devastate a condo and its owners.

Sharon Blondin is the President and Owner of CondoQuest and a director of the Condo Owners Council of Alberta.

Review of Canada’s National Model Codes begins

The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) is inviting code users, stakeholders, and the broader public to take part in the public review of the first set of proposed changes to the 2020 editions of Canada’s National Model Codes, including the National Building Code of Canada, the National Fire Code of Canada, the National Plumbing Code of Canada, and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings.

The first set of proposed changes to the 2020 codes can be viewed on the CCBFC’s website. Participants can provide their feedback on proposed changes from October 24 to December 23, 2022.

“The public review is incredibly important because construction codes affect all Canadians,” says CCBFC chair Kevin Griffiths. “The National Model Codes are regularly reviewed in an effort to keep Canadian homes and buildings safe, make them more accessible, and respond to climate change. This is an opportunity for Canadians to get involved in the code development process.”

The review period will provide the public with a detailed look at the first set of code changes being considered and will provide an opportunity for participants to express whether proposed changes should be approved, modified or withdrawn. Comments received can also inform improvements to the proposed changes being considered.

Following the public review, all comments received will be considered by the relevant code development committees, and recommendations on the proposed changes will be made. If approved, the changes will be included in the 2025 editions of the National Model Codes.

Canada’s National Model Codes are developed on a five-year cycle. The 2020 editions of the codes were released in March 2022. The next editions are currently expected to be published in 2025.

Numbers don’t lie: Industry predictions for 2022

In 2016, I wrote an article for a well-known property management company on what I believed the future held for the building restoration industry and its clients. It was my “best guess” after a 40- year career, and now, after the last six years, my concerns have only multiplied.

Six years ago, the future issues I predicted were on-site labour shortages, a major shift in overhead costs, and a trend of contractors not understanding the financial risks associated with the restoration Industry. All these issues have added dimensions in 2022, and they have all been amplified by the pandemic, surging inflation, fast-rising interest rates, and supply chain issues causing delays and unprecedented price hikes in all sectors.

Back then, I also thought uneducated contractors would still be prevalent. Now, I am happy to report that most contractors now understand that the restoration industry is not for the “financial faint of heart.” However, for owners, property managers and condominium corporations, the days of getting a “cheap” price due to a financially uneducated contractor are over. During the pandemic, all companies focused on survival and were forced to be more attentive to finances. Due to the tightening of bonding and insurance requirements, banking facilities, and the rising complexity of the safety, labour, and tax laws, those companies had no choice but to get with the program as these issues have very real costs and have to be addressed in their pricing.

In 2016, it was also easy to predict that there would be a labour shortage. At the time, I thought the labour shortage in the future would be for “on-site” skilled labour, but now we’re seeing increased demand for employees needed off-site or in the office. Project management, accounting, estimating, HR, and all administration positions have competition like never before. In the past, employees could double up on responsibilities to run a company. Now, the expertise needed in each position makes it near impossible for these responsibilities to be completed by one person. As companies have more in-office employees, and are paying more for those employees due to competition, the cost of overhead surges.

This, again, adds to the overall costs of all projects. Of course, finding on-site skilled labour in construction is still an issue today. That said, it is exacerbated in the restoration industry by the fact that many people may be skilled workers, but
asking them to apply their skills on a swing stage 300 feet in the air is a non-starter for them. As a side note: 99 of 100 people who respond to a help wanted ad say “no” once they find out they will be working on the side of a building.

“Time to know,” no time to “think you know”

After 46 years (not 40) in the restoration industry, I’ll give those predictions another shot!

For one, as we advance, I believe many people do not yet understand the speed and extent that costs are increasing and how it will affect contractors, owners, property managers and their clients. As front-end buyers, the restoration industry has seen increases in labour, materials, and supplies that are unprecedented. We have also seen what the result of competition has done to the labour pool, and why the supply chain issues are so costly. As a contractor, we have to adjust quickly to this reality and, at the same time, try to predict what all of this means to our future.

No doubt, economic headwinds will continue to impact the industry. The condominium sector may be the area that needs the most focus, specifically at the Board of Directors level. Although keeping costs under control should be top of mind for everyone, there is a big difference between controlling everyday costs and reducing funding in a reserve fund to control costs. Controlling the daily, monthly, and yearly costs of a building is important and always top of the list since we see them constantly. Yet, in the past 20 years, with inflation at 2% or less and low-interest rates, reserve funds could be set up quite easily for future costs.

This isn’t the case anymore. Inflation isn’t around 2%; it’s 8% or more. And borrowing rates aren’t 2%; they’re triple. There are dramatic price increases for “out of sight, out of mind” services that are not seen by most people in the general public. Since mid2021, we have witnessed supplier price increases of 8, 10, 30, and 50% overnight. Even some reserve funds that appear well-funded for future projects are not keeping up with the reality of 2022. I fear that many condominium corporations don’t even realize they’re getting further and further behind the curve; and since major restoration projects happen infrequently, the realization will come too late.

My concern is not a guess. Some reserve fund studies I’ve seen recently are based on 2% or 3% increases. While this would suffice in the past, any corporation with a reserve based on these numbers or had their studies completed before 2022 should have those studies updated to present conditions. Moreover, their board should scrutinize the results thoroughly for their corporation’s long-term financial health.

As in 2016, my prediction is that many will ignore my advice and many will be fine. Even still, how much will it cost to take a good look? I predict – no, guarantee – the cost of being sure will be far less than being blindsided.

GTA rental construction stalls in Q3 as demand soars

According to Urbanation’s Q3 rental market report, purpose-built rental construction in the GTA has stalled as demand for rental apartments continues to surge.

A hot GTA rental market boiled over during the summer months as students flocked back to the city and homebuying activity plunged amid further interest rate increases. While third quarter condominium lease activity was down 11 per cent annually to 12,447 transactions from a record high in 2021, this was a function of supply rather than demand. Active listings at quarter-end fell 20 per cent year-over-year to 2,311 units — 6 per cent below the 10-year average.

In fact, the rental market became so unbalanced during the third quarter that units were on the market for a record low average of 10 days. Furthermore, a record high 36 per cent share of condo rentals leased for above asking in Q2. These units also rented for a record high premium as the average amount paid over asking rent reached $129 per month.

This led to an 8.1 per cent quarter-over-quarter increase in average condo rents to a record high $2,733 ($3.86 per sf), bringing average rents up 14.5 per cent over the past six months, up 16.6 per cent over the past year, and 11.9 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic high in Q3-2019.

“It’s clear that rental demand and new construction are moving in very different directions, which is going to continue placing strong upward pressure on rents over the long term,” said Shaun Hildebrand, president of Urbanation. “While a more moderate pace of rent increases may be in store in the coming months as the economy slows, record high levels of immigration and low ownership affordability should keep the rental market undersupplied.”

Consistent with recent quarters, the strongest annual rent increases were recorded for the smallest unit types. Studio rents increased 21 per cent annually to an average of $2,123 ($5.18 psf) and one-bedroom rents increased 19 per cent annually to $2,463 ($4.07 psf). This compares to 15 per cent annual growth in average two-bedroom rents to $3,122 ($3.61 psf) and 12 per cent annual growth in average three-bedroom-plus rents to $3,955 ($3.41 psf).

The average vacancy rate in purpose-built rental projects completed in the GTA since 2005 dropped to 1.2 per cent in Q3-2022 from 3.2 per cent a year ago in Q3-2021 and the pandemic high of 6.4 per cent reached in Q1-2021, effectively returning to pre-pandemic lows.

Rental development activity stalled for the second consecutive quarter as only one project (227 units) started construction in Q3-2022. Total year-to-date starts fell to 1,709 units, a 72 per cent plunge from the same period in 2021. This caused the inventory of total rentals under construction in the GTA to decline to 19,011 units in Q3-2022 from a recent high of 20,215 units in Q1-2022, a by-product of the sharp increases in interest rates, construction costs and development charges that developers are experiencing.

For more on this report, visit: Urbanation |

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