Quebec updates rules for handling asbestos

Enhanced ventilation standards and other heightened safety protocols are now mandated for handling asbestos on Quebec construction sites. New updates to the provincial construction safety code also reclassify the removal of drywall with asbestos compounds in the joint-filler from a low-risk to moderate-risk activity.

Regulations now more precisely specify that, where required, exhaust ventilation systems must have high-efficiency filters and provide at least four air exchanges per hour. A new definition has also been added for “wetting agent” — as a surfactant or detergent additive to improve water’s penetrability of asbestos-containing materials — and this is now prescribed where asbestos-containing materials are kept wet to immobilize friable particles during indoor abatement procedures and the removal of debris.

Other new rules address: the decontamination, storage and discarding of work clothes and protective equipment; the cleaning of tools; and containers used to store and transport debris.

Stratus opening new master location in Vancouver

Los Angeles-headquartered international franchise company Stratus Building Solutions has announced that it is opening a new master franchise location in Vancouver.

The branch, Stratus’ first master franchise location in the west-coast city, will be run by Angela Le, a former pharmaceutical sales representative, and her husband, Jenson Leung. The couple is hoping the new location serves the needs of the people in the region by creating opportunities for those who would like to join the team as unit franchise owners.

“We are privileged to welcome Angela and Jenson to the Stratus family,” said Doug Flaig, Stratus president, in a news release. “We are impressed by their determination and drive to develop opportunities for countless others in the community. As the first master franchise location in Vancouver, we have no doubt it will be an exceptional addition to our brand. We are eager to see Angela and Jenson succeed in this region.”

Stratus focuses on green commercial cleaning using state-of-the-art cleaning equipment, sustainable processes, and biodegradable and non-toxic branded cleaning chemicals.

The company offers regional master franchise opportunities that enable owners to operate as local sales and support centres across the United States and Canada. It is currently present in approximately 57 U.S. and Canadian metropolitan locations, providing eco-friendly, customizable commercial cleaning and janitorial services to a wide range of clients, including offices, medical facilities, warehouses, schools, religious centres, gyms, retailers, and more.

Building beneficial partnerships

Lori Simcox is passionate about Indigenous economic development. As CEO of SPAL General Constructors, her focus is on building relationships with partners in the construction industry to create a strong economic future for North Vancouver’s Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN).

Owned by TWN, SPAL participates in Aboriginal procurement opportunities with joint venture partners across the Lower Mainland and has been successfully winning large contracts since its inception in 2009.

“What makes this nation a little bit different is they are very economic progressive. They’ve been building condominiums – the Raven Woods development – for the past three decades,” says Simcox. “The nation is also a large land purchaser and has a lot of land development in different industries.”

Indigenous engagement in the industry has seen significant growth in recent years with construction companies creating Indigenous relations departments to help improve how they work with communities to capitalize on opportunities.

“The amount of work that we’ve been doing has been exponential. We did more than $80 million worth of contracts in 2019 and close to double that in 2020. We have over 30 different partnerships in the construction industry and I talk with our group of partners almost on a daily basis,” says Simcox, a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in native from the Yukon.

Born and raised in Whitehorse, Simcox obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1999. She then completed her Master of Business Administration at Royal Roads University in 2005, followed by earning her Certified Management Consultant with the Canadian Association of Management Consultants.

After graduating from SFU, she became involved with the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation through a summer contract project. From there, she began working in different capacities before taking on the role of senior project manager for the economic development department for the nation in 2001. She became CEO of SPAL General Constructors in 2012.

SPAL is one of the many businesses the nation owns, says Simcox, and was originally formed in partnership with the Tsawwassen First Nation to take advantage of construction opportunities from the 2010 Winter Olympics. The company is now wholly owned by TWN, a small nation of 600 members with its traditional territory along Burrard Inlet.

While Simcox wears many hats, her four main focus areas are: joint venture development, partnership advancement, policy development and implementation and industry presentations.

“We take a lot of time when we’re creating partnerships in industry to ensure it’s the right fit for the nation. Our goal is to create relationships with prime bidders in industry and go after opportunities that have Indigenous preference priority and/or policy,” says Simcox, who works with a team of six.

She explains each agreement is slightly different, but the partnerships fundamentally create an economic revenue source for the nation and may involve mentoring, training and employing members of the community.

“We really look hard at risks and rewards and mutual benefits. It’s important that we’re doing business with companies that have the same values and ethics as the nation,” she says, adding that before the pandemic, the First Nation regularly hosted networking events to bring its partnered businesses together.

Through partnerships with public and private organizations, SPAL is able to actively compete in industry bid opportunities within the Tsleil- Waututh traditional territory and beyond. SPAL services are focused on project management for large public construction and development projects.

Projects have included winning bids tendered by companies such as BC Hydro, Fortis, Port of Vancouver and Seaspan.

Seapan’s $170 million shipyard modernization project completed in 2014 was one of the company’s biggest successes where more than 25 per cent of the construction work went to TWN-partnered businesses, says Simcox.

The company is currently involved in two of the biggest infrastructure projects in the Lower Mainland – the Broadway Subway project and the Pattullo Bridge replacement.

“We have great leadership. Our late director Leonard George and current director Matt Thomas have been key to leading TWN,” says Simcox. “The fact that we have strong business relationships with companies that are likeminded has been very successful for us.”

While there is greater interest and understanding of partnering with Indigenous groups, stereotypes still exist today.

“Some people think it’s more difficult and more expensive to work with First Nations. All First Nations are not the same. We work hard to move past those stereotypes and show that there can be a lot of success working with us,” she says.

Procurement of federal contracts that now require five per cent to be held by Indigenous businesses is also spurring engagement. The policy is intended to boost employment opportunities for First Nation-owned businesses as well as companies that have partnered with First Nations.

“SPAL provides a foot in the door for our partners and a competitive advantage. It’s important to note it’s not just a monetary transaction,” says Simcox. “Indigenous engagement can be key to the skilled labour shortage. We have had many job opportunities come through and the nation has a low unemployment rate – one per cent.”

Another important part of her role is to help companies, who want to be more involved with Indigenous engagement, by working with them to develop procurement policies or agreements that work within their organizations.

“Relationship development with local communities is huge and important to project success, especially with the need for consultation now, meeting corporate responsibility goals and public relations,” says Simcox.

She also shares her time on a variety of industry boards including the BC Construction Roundtable, Indigenous Tourism BC, Destination BC and Royal Roads University. She sits on the board of Northern Vision Development on behalf of her community.

“I think SPAL is showing what is possible through partnerships and collaboration with First Nations,” says Simcox. “And my focus is to ensure that each project supports the well-being and economic viability of the nation into the future. We’ve had huge successes and I expect more growth.”

Cheryl Mah is managing editor of Construction Business.

Graham awarded design build hospital contract

Graham Design Builders LP has signed a design build agreement for the new Stuart Lake Hospital in Fort St. James, B.C. This is Infrastructure BC’s first progressive design build contract and the hospital will be constructed for the Northern Health Authority.

“The selection of the team that will build the new hospital means another important milestone has been reached for people in Fort St. James and surrounding communities,” said Minister of Health Adrian Dix. “Residents have been waiting for years to see their hospital replaced, and we will soon see shovels go in the ground for a new, bigger, state-of-the-art facility that will deliver public health-care services for decades to come.”

The facility will be three times larger than the current hospital. It will have 27 beds, including 18 long-term care beds. There will be an expanded emergency department with two treatment rooms, a trauma bay and ambulance bay. A laboratory and diagnostic imaging will also be part of the new facility.

“The new hospital is a great investment in health care for a large region,” said Colleen Nyce, board chair, Northern Health. “Not only will the people of Fort St. James and Nak’azdli benefit from a modern facility with a network of services, but so will those whose homes are in Takla, Binche, Yekooche and Tl’azt’en as well. This much larger hospital means people can access more health services closer to home, which is good for communities in the North and good for families.”

The hospital will also have a primary care centre that will consolidate services currently being offered around Fort St. James. It will include physicians, visiting specialists, substance-use supports, home and community care, and public health.

Construction is slated to start in June 2022. The new hospital will be built on the same site as the existing one. Once complete, the existing facility will be demolished to make way for parking.

The current hospital opened in 1972 and is outdated in terms of space, functionality and technology. The hospital has 12 beds and offers emergency, acute and complex care, as well as residential care, laboratory and X-ray services, as well as mental-health and addictions counselling.

5 tried and tested recruitment strategies

Every business owner will tell you they are having problems hiring workers. Because of this, employers must get creative with their recruitment strategies.

AlturaSolutions Communications’ Robert Kravitz, a former owner of three contract cleaning companies, notes that many companies are still recruiting workers the way they did years ago, despite how much the janitorial has evolved.

So, how should we be recruiting workers today?

Kravitz offers five core recruitment strategies that are proving effective:

Think green

Sustainability and green cleaning pioneer Steve Ashkin says that when recruiting younger workers, remember this is the most environmentally conscious generation in the nation’s history. “Younger workers will be more interested in working for a company when they know it is green and sustainability-focused.”

Have a clear mission statement

Traditionally, a mission statement is designed to help current workers understand a company’s goals and purpose. However, mission statements also help when recruiting new workers. The potential hire wants to know the goals and values of the company they may be working for. A mission statement expresses those values.

Encourage employee-generated social media

Ask current staffers to like company posts and post their own company posts on different social media platforms. Potential hires check out a company’s social media to learn more about the company, and positive posts encourage them to join the team. And by the way, LinkedIn offers tips on recruiting workers using social media.

Create a “what it’s like to work here” video

Companies such as Apple create videos discussing their company culture, what the company expects of their employees, and what the company looks for when hiring new people. Creating a video helps weed out those that have second thoughts about your company while encouraging others to join you. These videos can prove amazingly effective when recruiting workers.

Look for workers from niche sources

Try recruiting workers from organizations that support veterans or people with disabilities, to name just two. Without these people, Kravitz says his three contract cleaning businesses would have never succeeded.

Protecting your facility from pandemic-hardened pests

For more than two years now through the COVID-19 crisis, humans have continually engaged in social distancing behaviours. That has resulted in extreme changes to everyday life. Public spaces such as restaurants, grocery stores, and entertainments venues set lower capacity limits and businesses even separated employees into alternating shifts in an effort to “flatten the curve.” The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has found that these changes have given pests an increased opportunity to roam unfettered, gaining access to new environments, and in turn, creating additional challenges for businesses.

Pest control professionals found that during the pandemic, pests no longer had daily foot traffic deterring them from staying out of sight. They saw this issue affect rodents most of all, as their usual food supplies such as dumpsters were not as full as usual. Because of this, they have become even more desperate – pestering patrons dining outdoors, chewing through electrical wiring in buildings, and invading storage areas that have gone untouched.

Increased pest activity is a concern for commercial facility managers as pests can transmit a variety of diseases including E. coli and Salmonella as well as cause significant property damage.

To aid businesses in deterring pests from entering their facility, the National Pest Management Association recommends the following pest-prevention tips:

Conduct regular inspections of the building, paying close attention to any dark or damp areas as these are particularly attractive to pests. Also, be on the lookout for signs of various infestations, including droppings, gnaw marks, nests, debris, and actual pests themselves.
Properly store or dispose of empty containers, as these can serve as harborage sites for pests.
Ensure there is no condensation buildup on any equipment or appliances that could accumulate moisture and attract pests.
When unpacking new inventory or receiving shipments, carefully inspect all items and packaging for any signs of damage.
Seal any cracks or gaps on the exterior of the building, paying close attention to areas where pipes and utilities enter.
Ensure gutters are free of debris and be sure to direct water away from the building through properly functioning downspouts to prevent water collection.
Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair any screens to prevent pests from gaining entry.
Ensure the grounds surrounding the facility are properly maintained, as overgrown vegetation can attract pests to the property.
Install a gravel perimeter around the building to help discourage vegetation growth that could harbour pests.
Ensure any dumpsters on-site have a closeable lid and are located as far away from the building as possible.

In addition to utilizing the tips shared above, NPMA recommends that commercial businesses partner with a licensed pest control company to address any pest issues. Professional pest control was deemed an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic by the United States Department of Homeland Security. They can assist in implementing an integrated pest management plan (IPM), a pest control practice that focuses on eliminating pests’ needs like food, water and shelter, to ensure pests are managed properly as they quickly adapt to the current changes in their living environment.

Working with a pest control professional during these times will help to protect our food supply and our critical infrastructure, while also continuing to decrease the threat of pest-borne disease.

With businesses turning to resume normal day-to-day operations, it is imperative that pest prevention stay top of mind for facility managers and their employees. Following these tips and regularly working with pest control professionals can help protect businesses from the ongoing threats pests pose.

Cindy Mannes is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Pest Management Association.

RESCON observes National Day of Mourning

On this National Day of Mourning, workplaces across Canada are encouraged to remember those who have lost their lives, suffered injury or illness on the job, or experienced a work-related tragedy.

The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) is one association commemorating the event, which was made official in 1991 with passage of the Workers Mourning Day Act by the Parliament of Canada. The day is marked annually on April 28.

“The commitment to health and safety in Ontario’s construction industry has never been higher and government, labour and management have never been more engaged,” says RESCON VP Andrew Pariser, chair of the organization’s health and safety committee. “We need to continue to build on this momentum to address and eliminate hazards before they cause an injury or worse.

“Those who work in Ontario’s construction industry understand that it is no longer acceptable to look the other way and ignore health and safety issues before they arise. This applies to both physical and mental health issues and includes racism and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) matters. Everyone in Ontario has the right to a workplace that is safe and free from harassment and violence, including racism.”

RESCON president Richard Lyall says improvements have been made in the industry, but there is still work that needs to be done.

“During the pandemic, government, employers and unions worked in unison to ensure Ontario’s construction industry was able to continue working and build much-needed housing and infrastructure,” says Lyall. “As we reflect on those who have died or suffered an injury or illness due to work, it is critical that we keep that momentum going and continue to work together on ways to better identify and eliminate safety hazards in the future.”

To help commemorate the National Day of Mourning with a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m., the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has made a video available for workplaces to share or watch whether they’re working onsite or remotely.

Broadway tunnel boring equipment arrives

The first shipment of parts for the tunnel-boring machines that will dig the Broadway subway project tunnels in Vancouver has arrived.

The tunnel-boring machine components left Germany on Feb. 25, 2022, and sailed through the Panama Canal before arriving at Fraser Surrey Docks on April 15, 2022. The second and final shipment of equipment is expected to follow in the coming weeks. The pieces are being transported to a staging area in Vancouver where they will be assembled in preparation for the machines’ launch this summer.

The two six-metre-wide machines, to be named later this spring, will be launched separately from the Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station and will bore new tunnels to Cypress Street near the line’s terminus at Arbutus Station. The tunnels will connect all six new stations along the new line.

An official ceremony is planned for the start of tunnelling, which will take about one year to complete. Manufactured by Herrenknecht, the tunnel-boring machines are custom-built to unique specifications for the type of construction as well as the underground conditions from Great Northern Way to Arbutus.

The 5.7-kilometre extension to the Millennium Line is due to open in 2025.

Tunnel-boring machine facts:

Each tunnel-boring machine (TBM) is six metres wide, 150 metres long (about the length of a football field), and weighs nearly one million kilograms (or approximately 333 elephants).
The TBMs will each have a staff of eight to 12 controlling them and monitoring the operation’s vital signs.
The TBMs will bore approximately 18 metres of new tunnel per day.
The excavation of both tunnels will generate approximately 200,000 cubic metres of soil that will be removed through a conveyor system.
The tunnels will be approximately 15 metres below ground, down to a maximum of 20 metres at Broadway-City Hall Station.
Once the machines arrive at Cypress Street, they will be disassembled and removed through an excavation shaft.

Ontario adds jobsite safety oversight options

Several new regulations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act eliminate requirements for licensed professional engineers to provide jobsite safety oversight for many construction and maintenance activities. The new rules were filed last week to flesh out various amendments the Ontario government adopted in December 2021 via the Supporting People and Businesses Act.

When introduced last fall, the measure was presented in a list of initiatives meant to enhance business competitiveness. “The Ministry is updating references to engineers in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations to give other qualified engineers the ability to provide advice and certification as required under the Act and regulations,” the government’s accompanying backgrounder stated.

The previous definition of a professional engineer as “a person who is a professional engineer within the meaning of the Professional Engineers Act” has now been removed from the regulation setting out health and safety parameters for construction projects. Numerous references to “professional engineers” have also been replaced solely with the word “engineers” within nine separate health and safety regulations pertaining to various industry sectors.

This expanded group of engineering practitioners is now authorized to oversee the design and performance of scaffolding, safety riggings, elevated platforms, structures to prevent machine rollovers, drill holes for explosives, and shoring and bracing of shafts. In addition to construction projects, the new regulations cover: healthcare and residential facilities; window cleaning; firefighters’ protective equipment; mining; oil and gas; and industrial facilities.

ZAS Architects + Interiors promotes Leigh Collyer

The Vancouver studio of ZAS Architects + Interiors has promoted Leigh Collyer, B. Arts, LEED ID+C AP to principal. As interior design director, Collyer has played an integral role in the growth and development of the firm’s Vancouver office.

Through building a talented and collaborative team, Collyer has successfully won long-term contracts with major financial institutions including HSBC, Bank of Montreal, and other credit unions. Her flexible and strategic approach to interiors has been pivotal in supporting clients with the recent acceleration of shifting demands and behaviours in the workplace, particularly as Canadians cross-country prepare to return to the office with the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

“Workplace design has reached an exciting and crucial moment, accelerated by the pandemic and ubiquity of remote work across many sectors. There has been a significant shift in the way we think about our offices and how we collaborate and connect. Gone-are-the-days of static cubicles or workstations – it’s time now that we continue to develop new strategies for vibrant and healthy workspaces that produce results through our interior design,” says Collyer. “It has been so rewarding to work closely with our clients to create amazing spaces that support new ways of working.”

Collyer has nearly 20 years of design and project management experience, servicing numerous long-time clients from Canada’s leading financial institutions. In 2022, Collyer has been focused on supporting HSBC’s new head office design, representing an entirely new way of working for bank employees through a hub-and-spoke workplace model. Another recent project includes directing the successful completion of new corporate offices for Microsoft, one of the largest adaptive re-use projects in the office’s history.

“Leigh has always been an extremely valuable and celebrated part of the ZAS team. Her leadership and results speak for themselves, having built our interior design studio from the ground up, maintaining and growing relationships with some of Canada’s top financial institutions for many years. It was important for us to recognize her work, tenure, and many contributions to ZAS’ practice. Congratulations from the entire ZAS team Leigh, we look forward to many more years of success together,” says Paul Stevens, senior principal, ZAS.

Fighting off flea infestations

A recent edition of ISSA’s Straight Talk! with Jeff Cross looked at how facility operators and janitorial staff can deal with flea infestations.

Jennifer Gordon, an urban and medical entomologist with Bug Lessons Consulting, talked to Cross about how fleas negatively impact public health and what the cleaning industry can do to address them. One reason that flea infestations are so stubborn is that fleas undergo complete metamorphosis, transforming from an egg to a larva to a pupa to an adult flea. As a result, to fully eradicate fleas, you must address each stage of the flea’s development to prevent a new wave of adult fleas from simply emerging at a later time.

According to Gordon, fleas can infest a structure in numerous ways. Most often, fleas enter facilities via pets that live in the home or on rodents that have accessed the building. But, because fleas can jump so high, occasionally a flea may hitchhike into a building on a person. “If left untreated, flea infestations can get really bad,” said Gordon.

For professional cleaners who find themselves in an environment where they are at risk of picking up fleas, Gordon advises getting to an isolated area after the job, such as a garage, then removing your clothes and sealing them in plastic bags until you are able to wash and dry them. This will help prevent the fleas from traveling with you to infest your own home.

Gordon explains that “getting rid of fleas may require collaboration from a bunch of different groups of people, including homeowners/pet owners, pest management professionals, and cleaning professionals.”

In particular, cleaning professionals will need to thoroughly vacuum all carpet and upholstery, moving all furniture and paying special attention to baseboards and areas where pets sleep. Hard surfaces should also be swept and cleaned, and the vacuum bags must be immediately sealed and disposed of far away from the building. A pest control specialist should also treat the facility with appropriate pesticides to kill any remaining fleas and prevent reinfestation.

Flea infestations must be addressed because they are more than just a nuisance. Fleas impact public health in a number of ways, including by leaving itchy welts that can become infected with scratching. More rarely, fleas can also spread diseases such as plague, cause tapeworms in people and animals, and impact mental health. “Eliminating a flea infestation is best done through teamwork, and cleaning professionals can play a huge role,” said Gordon.

Survey takes deep dive into neurodiverse workplaces

A global survey has identified crucial sensory issues in office environments among neurodiverse employees in Canada, the U.S. and UK., with ideas on how to adapt and design workplaces for these individuals, many of whom are ‘out of the box’ thinkers.

Neurodiversity refers to variations in human neurocognitive functioning – the different ways we think, process information, and relate to others. One in seven people worldwide are estimated to have a neurodiverse condition such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome.

In the Sensory Processing, Neurodiversity and Workplace Design report, design firm HOK and flooring manufacturer Tarkett collected feedback from 202 neurodiverse individuals, with a focus on women and workers older than 30, two groups that have been largely underrepresented in other studies on neurodiversity.

“This latest study continues to show that, to allow all employees to thrive, office designs need to remain fluid and adaptable,” says Kay Sargent, director of workplace for HOK. “Employers can improve employee wellness and productivity by offering a wide range of choices, allowing people to continually select the best space for their individual needs and the task at hand.”

Differences between gender, age and neurological profile

The survey found several challenges these individuals face when it comes to workplaces. The majority of respondents (77 per cent) reported being hypersensitive to noise and sound in the workplace, while 62 per cent were hypersensitive to visual distractions, such as movement, colour, and light.

Neurodiverse women reported greater overall sensory sensitivity challenges in the workplace compared to men, particularly when it came to temperature and light (62 per cent and 59 per cent compared to 46 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively).

Tips for an inclusive workplace

Genius Within, an organization dedicated to helping neuro-minorities maximize their potential, provided advisory services as the team built on in-depth research and insights by HOK and the commercial interiors colour specification guide developed by Tarkett to help businesses design for inclusion.

Insights from the survey can help workplace designers and product manufacturers create spaces that are more supportive and inclusive for neurodiverse employees. Survey respondents specifically identified the following workplace strategy and design solutions employers could consider:

Offer training and education about neurodiversity to all staff.
Offer all employees (neurodiverse and neurotypical) a variety of workplace choices, from open office environments to private, to address various sensory stimulations.
Provide spaces that support and encourage physical movement and access to natural light.
Create flexible work policies that give people autonomy over their schedule and work environment, including work-from-home opportunities when feasible.

While the pandemic has normalized hybrid work and encouraged a wider conversation around employee wellbeing, the HOK/Tarkett survey suggests opportunities still exist for organizations to do more.

“Neurodiverse employees bring valuable diversity of thought and competitive advantage to their organizations,” said Leslie Thompson, director of workplace for Tarkett North America. “Optimizing the work environment to support each individual isn’t just the right thing to do for our people; it’s simply good business.”

City of Toronto launches Deep Retrofit Challenge

The City of Toronto announced it has launched the Deep Retrofit Challenge aimed at accelerating the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing buildings. Ultimately, 10 to 16 privately-owned buildings will qualify to receive funding to support “deeper-than-planned” energy retrofits. with the goal of accelerating emissions reductions and identifying pathways to net zero that can be replicated in other buildings.

Funded through a $5 million investment provided by Natural Resources Canada’s Green Infrastructure – Energy Efficient Buildings Program, projects will be selected through a competition-style process. A design charrette organized by the City will bring together a variety of building specialists to identify energy and environmental improvements that may be achieved, and opportunities to advance the design to maximize emissions reductions. Selected projects will receive a grant equal to 25 per cent of their total project costs up to a maximum of $500,000 (depending on gross floor area) to offset the incremental design and construction costs required to achieve maximum emissions reductions.

Participants may also apply to the City’s Energy Retrofit Loan program and High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support program to assist in funding their projects, and may also use incentives available from other sources.

Eligible buildings include:

Multi-unit residential (more than six units or three storeys)
Residential condominiums (more than six units or three storeys)
Commercial office buildings
Mixed-use buildings
Residential over commercial (more than six units)

Eligible projects must involve a deep retrofit of an existing, occupied building in Toronto and be aligned with the objectives of the City’s Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy. Additionally, all projects must reduce GHG emissions and energy by at least 50 per cent; use a replicable approach that could be adapated by other similar buildings; provide a whole-building energy model for pre- and post-retrofit case studies; meet a 20 year payback period (or better); and aim to be operational by January 1, 2025.

“Our city has a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040 – 10 years earlier than anticipated,” said Mayor John Tory. “In order to do that, we must accelerate and introduce programs and initiatives that aim to help reduce our carbon footprint and work to make Toronto cleaner and greener. We know buildings omit some of the highest emissions and we need to work together along with the other governments and the private sector to address this issue. The retrofits funded through this Challenge will go a long way to proving that we can reduce building emissions using existing technologies. I encourage building owners across Toronto to take up the Challenge and help lead the way to cleaner, greener, more sustainable buildings. Thank you to the federal government for their support of this important initiative.”

The retrofits funded through the Deep Retrofit Challenge are expected to result in approximately 1,750 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) per year in emissions reductions starting in 2025, once the projects are complete. They will demonstrate deep retrofit pathways that building owners across Toronto can undertake to reduce emissions from their own buildings.

More information is available at the City’s Better Buildings Partnership webpage.

Alliance targets women for cooling sector jobs

A global alliance of industry associations has joined with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction and the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat in an effort to steer more women into cooling sector jobs. The International Network for Women in Cooling (INWIC) plans to provide mentoring and promote role models to encourage career candidates, and their potential employers, to consider opportunities related to refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps.

“We enthusiastically support efforts to expand the landscape for women to participate fully in the research and development of emerging cooling technologies,” affirms Mick Schwedler, 2021-22 president of ASHRAE, one of the 11 industry organizations involved.

The initiative aligns with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals for: equality of opportunity for women; quality of life improvements thorough job creation and more sustainable urban environments; and climate change adaptation and mitigation. INWIC is also envisioned as a forum for promoting environmental best practices for refrigerant management.

Participating organizations will begin rolling out programs throughout 2022. That includes increasing the visibility of women already holding cooling sector jobs through videos and other reporting on their experiences and aspirations.

“Women represent a tremendous, largely untapped source of innovation and skills for this sector, and they need to be actively engaged if we are to solve the great environmental challenges of our time,” observes James Curlin, head of UNEP OzonAction. “INWIC seeks to do just that.”

Avoiding a special assessment nightmare

A condo in Toronto recently made the news after levying a $14-million special assessment. The corporation gave owners 15 days to pay for repairs. Claudia Pedrero, associate in the Real Estate Group at Robins Appleby LLP, explains how other condo corporations can avoid this predicament.

York Condominium Corporation (YCC) No. 82, which operates a 10-storey, 321-unit building in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood, is facing the proverbial ‘perfect storm’ in condo operations, maintenance, and governance, with unit owners footing the bill.

In September 2021, YCC No. 82 sent letters to all owners announcing an $11,235,000 special assessment. This translated to $30,000 to $42,500 per unit, depending on unit size.

After the special assessment was issued, a unit owner brought a court application seeking an order to compel YCC No. 82 to hold a requisition meeting to remove the condominium’s board of directors.

The decision from Justice William D. Black of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, released mid-January 2022, goes to great length to describe the state of the building and the many difficulties faced by the condominium.

The engineering report described by the court illustrates a building fallen into a state of significant disrepair. A recent engineering report advised immediately installing shoring to maintain the structural integrity of the building. There are also defects in the underground parking garage roof and cracks in the foundation. The report describes loose concrete on many balconies and recommends that residents and children avoid them. The City of Toronto has commenced proceedings against the condominium for fire code violations.

The estimated cost of repairs to the building within the next year alone would exceed $14 million.

But YCC No. 82 couldn’t pay. According to the financial material presented to the court, YCC No. 82 had only $1.75 in its reserve fund and just over $5,000 in its operating fund. It pays $80,000 a month in interest to service existing debts for repairs. These debts relay a history of difficulty. The court noted that the loans were entered into when the condominium was facing insolvency and put under the control of a court-ordered administrator. Like all condo corporations, YCC No. 82 is overseen by a group of owners elected to a board of directors. Under Ontario’s Condominium Act, the board has the power to require that all owners pay for common expenses and can levy a special assessment if the condo does not have an adequate reserve fund to cover the cost of repairs or unexpected projects.

Unit owners who fail to pay a special assessment run the risk of a lien being placed on their unit. If the lien is not discharged, the condominium can sell the unit to recover the amount owing.

How can other condo corporations avoid this nightmare? Here are three lessons for condo boards and owners.

Professional accredited property management and engaged directors

Even though the condominium is led by a board of directors, it needs to rely on the advice of professionals for the proper management and budgeting for a building. The property manager plays a key role. At the same time, condominium directors should have some knowledge of condominium governance and funding while being committed to staying on top of their condo’s operations.

Follow the advice of reserve fund studies

Condominium boards and management should follow the advice of each reserve fund study to determine how much needs to be in the fund to ensure the condominium can afford necessary repairs in the future.

Raise common expense fees when needed

Older buildings require more maintenance and repair as they age. In condominiums, these costs are borne by unit owners through their monthly

common expenses and contributions to the reserve fund. Increasing monthly expenses is unpopular among unit owners and condominium boards may be hesitant to do so, but inevitably someone needs to pay for the repairs. A healthier reserve fund makes a condominium better equipped to respond when faced with major repairs or unexpected expenses.

Claudia Pedrero is an associate in the Real Estate Group at Robins Appleby LLP, where she practices in the areas of affordable housing, condominium and real estate development.

P.Eng registrar impels professional development

Continuing professional development (CPD) will be a condition of holding a licence to practice engineering in Ontario as of 2023. A recently filed provincial regulation provides authority for Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) to mandate a CDP program, which is expected to be based on the optional exercises for practice evaluation, ethics training and reporting of continuing education that the governing body for the profession already sponsors.

The new requirement will bring Ontario’s professional engineers (P.Eng) in line with those licensed to practice in all other Canadian provinces. Mandatory CPD is considered a regulatory best practice, and has also been adopted by governing bodies for several other regulated professions.

“Implementing a mandatory CPD program is an important part of upholding PEO’s regulatory mandate and affirms to the profession, our stakeholders and the public that PEO is committed to establishing, maintaining and enhancing standards of engineering practice in Ontario,” says Christian Bellini, PEO’s chief executive officer and registrar.

As laid out in the new regulation, professional engineers will be required to complete designated CPD activities and provide proof to the PEO by January 31 each year. The registrar will have authority to suspend the licence of those who do not comply. As well, non-compliance will be reported through PEO’s online directory of engineering practitioners.

“The program aims to guide engineers to develop and maintain their professional knowledge, skills, competence and professionalism,” advises Arden Heerah the PEO’s lead on professional development. “In line with PEO’s public interest mandate, the online directory of practitioners will continue to indicate whether an engineer is in compliance with regulatory obligations, including the new CPD requirement, and is permitted to practice.”

The essentials of facility spring cleaning

Facility spring cleaning can be a daunting prospect for facility managers and cleaning staff, especially large-scale buildings or complexes

Leading service provider ServiceMaster Clean has outlined several tips for building an effective spring cleaning procedure.

Inspect the area

Before the spring cleaning begins, ServiceMaster advocates for identifying your facility’s biggest problem areas. Small problems can quickly become big and expensive issues if not addressed immediately, so be thorough in your examination and ask the janitorial team or your work partners to take a tour of the facilities with you. Trusted experts are excellent at pointing out problems you might not have noticed otherwise.

After a long winter, several areas of a facility are prime candidates for wear and tear. Cold temperatures, excess moisture, and salt tracked inside from the street can damage many different surfaces and materials. ServiceMaster recommends paying special attention to the following trouble spots:

Ceilings
Corner guards
Doors and cabinets
Fire extinguishers
Flooring tiles
Light switches
Storage shelves
Tiles and grout

Deep clean the problem spots

Since winter often takes its heaviest toll on flooring, it’s vital to shampoo carpets and properly clean hardwood, tile, and concrete floors on at least an annual basis, and more often in high-traffic spots such as entryways, hallways, and washrooms.

Working with a professional janitorial team can often be the most convenient and efficient method of deep cleaning a commercial property’s floors and carpets. Winter boots bring the season’s road salt, dirt, and snow into all these spaces and can cause damage to surfaces and fixtures, and professionals can often help you identify areas in need of additional care or repair, as well.

Don’t neglect the exterior

During winter, wood and cement work are particularly vulnerable to damage, especially around main entrances and other areas with heavy foot traffic. Beyond structural repairs, sweeping or spraying down exterior walkways, washing windows, and other basic commercial building maintenance can go a long way toward improving the impression your business makes on the outside world. Don’t forget to clean off and inspect your roof for damage, as well.

Prioritize air quality

Once the summer’s heat arrives, a faulty A/C unit is the last thing your business needs. Since these cooling systems often go unused all winter, they are susceptible to dust and dirt buildup, which could lead to lower efficiency, unpleasant smells, increased allergens, and even unit failure. Test them before you need them.