Habits persist ahead of Global Handwashing Day

Ahead of Global Handwashing Day on Friday, October 15, a new survey from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) has found that handwashing will be the habit that most Americans say they will continue over the next few months.

Handwashing outranks other pandemic-related measures such as wearing masks and social distancing when it comes to Americans’ vigilance, according to the survey.

In particular, 93 per cent of respondents are more likely to continue their pandemic hand-hygiene habits than the other referenced health measures.

However, the ACI survey findings show a 19 percentage point decline in frequent handwashing since the start of the pandemic. Fewer people now also say they are more mindful about washing their hands for 20 seconds, compared to March 2020.

So, while respondents are likely to continue pandemic hand-hygiene practices, the survey indicates they are not washing as frequently or for as long when they do wash. As Americans prepare for a potentially severe cold and flu season, due to an underexposed population last year combined with less COVID-19 restrictions this year, this decline in handwashing can put people at risk.

“Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is one of the most simple and effective measures to take in the fight against COVID-19 and other easily transmittable diseases,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI President & CEO. “As we gear up for the coming cold and flu season, we hope to equip everyone with the knowledge and tools they need to practice proper handwashing.”

The survey also found that most Americans are still washing their hands (59 per cent) and using hand sanitizer (55 per cent) more frequently now than they did prior to COVID-19, nine in 10 still report some type of change in their handwashing habits since the pandemic started, and 83 per cent of Americans plan to continue using hand sanitizer.

Meanwhile, the Bradley Corporation’s Healthy Handwashing Survey found that 86 per cent of Americans say they are now more conscious about coming into contact with germs than prior to the pandemic, and nearly 90 per cent report the virus led them to step up their diligence by washing their hands more frequently or more thoroughly. Among that group, approximately two-thirds indicate they’ve maintained their increased habits throughout the pandemic. 67 per cent say they wash their hands for 20 seconds or longer.

“Handwashing is such a simple action yet it’s a powerful defence against the spread of germs,” says Jon Dommisse, vice president of marketing and corporate communication for Bradley Corp. “This Global Handwashing Day, we’re encouraging everyone to continue to keep their guard up and wash their hands frequently and thoroughly throughout the day.”

Global Handwashing Day is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

This year’s theme, “Our Future is at Hand —Let’s Move Forward Together,” highlights the critical role hand hygiene plays in disease transmission.

Important handwashing tips and best practices include:

Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, being sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Taking note of the following key times to wash your hands:
- Before, during and after preparing food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
- After handling garbage
- After directly handling dirty laundry
If soap and water are not available, using hand sanitizer as an alternative. For use against COVID-19, look for an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol.
Drying hands after every wash with a clean towel or disposable paper towel to avoid germs latching onto wet hands. After drying, using a disposable paper towel to grab the restroom door handle to avoid transmitting germs onto clean hands.
Selecting a soap with a mild preservative to reduce the risk of skin irritation and looking for products that have been dermatologist tested to verify they have low allergenic potential and are designed for people with sensitive skin.
In addition to using a hand wash containing skin conditioners that are designed to moisturize while cleansing, applying moisturizer after frequent handwashing.

Women promised more leadership roles at BGO

BentallGreenOak is pledging to elevate women into at least 30 per cent of its leadership roles within the near term. The initiative is one of five action steps that the property and real estate investment management company has embraced as part of its newly announced alignment with the Paradigm for Parity movement.

In joining the a coalition of United States business leaders pushing for increased female representation in executive level ranks and on boards of directors, BentallGreenOak has also committed to:

Eliminate or minimize unconscious bias in the workplace;
Measure targets and provide regular progress reports;
Base career progress on business results and performance, rather than physical presence in the office; and
Provide sponsors, not just mentors, for women well positioned for long term success.

“We look forward to learning from the coalition of companies that have joined this movement to create pathways towards gender-balanced leadership teams that will be poised to deliver stronger, more well-informed decisions on behalf of our clients,” says Amy Price, president of BentallGreenOak.

“With the Paradigm for Parity toolkit and our 5-point action plan, companies like BGO are able to accelerate the advancement of women of all races, cultures and backgrounds into leadership positions,” asserts Sandra Quince, chief executive officer of the not-for-profit organization.

The move complements BentallGreenOak’s involvement with Canada’s CREED Council to promote equity and diversity within the commercial real estate sector.

Thriving in a time of crisis

The pandemic has had devastating consequences for many Canadian industries, the rental housing sector being one of them. Faced with higher operating costs, unprecedented vacancies, and prolonged periods of lower monthly income, smaller landlords in particular were heavily tested by COVID, and many continue to claw their way back to profitability. Then there are companies like Calgary-based Avenue Living, a thriving asset management firm that not only survived the onerous conditions of the pandemic, but emerged all the stronger for them. The reason? A sound investment strategy that favours Class B and C assets catering to what it calls “Canada’s stable and tenacious” workforce.

“We have built an operating platform that focuses on serving our residents first,” says Anthony Giuffre, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman at Avenue Living Group of Companies. “For over 16 years we have focused on assets and markets that serve the workforce housing demographic made-up of residents who earn between $15 and $50 an hour.”

This demographic includes essential workers and frontline employees from the service and health care sectors, as well as supply and logistics, and infrastructure workers—a segment Giuffre refers to as one of the most stable populous bases in Canada.

“From the beginning, we have seen the potential in Class B and C assets,” he says. “We’ve always invested in the fundamentals, and we’ve made sure we built a nimble team that can respond to new opportunities as they come up. What we recognized early, and what we still live by, is that our business must put operations first to make any investment successful. The ability to pivot when necessary, along with the 10,000 mistakes we’ve made on our journey, has helped us formulate the Avenue Living platform into one I would consider best-in-class—a platform filled with the best and the brightest continuously seeking a better way through investment in its people, technology, and assets.”

And those are not empty words, as the last two years have illustrated. Like all successful businesses, Avenue Living had to pivot quickly to remote operations while responding to federal and provincial health measures. Having a strong technological backbone allowed it to implement urgent new steps quickly and seamlessly, shifting to virtual viewings and digital communications without the upfront challenges other property management teams faced.

Moreover, it never once deviated from its strategy. “We stuck to the fundamentals and continued to seek out Class B and C assets in markets that showed potential for stability and growth,” says Giuffre. “Our platform has been key to our growth. It has allowed us to bring almost everything in-house, increasing our efficiency and effectiveness. We have teams that provide accounting, finance, human resources, marketing and legal services, as well as a group of underwriters, analysts, and customer service specialists. We even have our own engineering and project management teams. These are services most operators don’t have at their disposal—and having them in-house allows us to capture a majority of the value chain and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.”

Market trends and opportunities

Most major rental markets took a nose-dive in 2020, and Alberta markets were no different. According to CMHC’s 2021 Housing Outlook Report, Calgary was hit especially hard due to its exposure to the energy sector and significant job losses incurred by the pandemic, all things contributing to high apartment vacancies not seen since 2017. Like elsewhere in Canada, tenants who suddenly found themselves working from home began leaving the downtown core in droves in seek of cheaper rent and more space—a trend that worked in Avenue Living’s favour.

“We’ve seen a lot of reverse urbanization,” says Giuffre. “People are moving to smaller centres, and they’re placing more value on space because they’ve been spending more time at home. The buildings we invest in are often older and have larger floorplans than new builds. We find there’s more occupancy pressure in the older stock, and we’ve seen a shift in focus and expectations, as well. Residents expect to have a more complete experience now. They’re home more and they’re expecting more from their property manager. They expect quick response times and open lines of communication.”

They also expect more bang for their buck when it comes to the units themselves. In that respect, Avenue Living says it is ahead of the game — the majority of its rental portfolio consists of older properties, which often offer more space and established community amenities like transit, schools, and shopping.

“We choose assets for which capital investment makes sense,” Giuffre explains. “That is, whatever will get us the most value for our investment dollar. The assets we often choose are in great locations but may be older buildings that require some maintenance upgrades like roofing or heating systems.”

With each building upgrade driven by three main goals—to make residents’ homes safer, more comfortable, and to provide value to investors—Giuffre says every capital investment is the result of careful analysis: “We primarily look for assets where we can add investment into the common spaces and outdoor areas. For example, we put in a playground at one of our properties in Lethbridge. This gives residents a safe, comfortable place to gather and our investors an incremental return through rent accretion.”

Opportunities in a fragmented market

While COVID has created a challenging landscape for many, Avenue Living is in a great position to forge ahead and sees plenty of opportunity for growth within the market and demographics it serves.

“Over 70 per cent of the rental universe is fragmented under various management styles, and there’s a massive changing of the guard happening in multifamily residential real estate,” says Giuffre. “There is a big difference between passive ownership and active ownership. Antiquated methods of managing low-density property, including mom-and-pop and the live-in caretaker model, are being phased out.”

A lot of small operators are ready to pass their assets down to the next generation—but, as Giuffre points out, the next generation is not necessarily interested in the headache of managing a property. At the same time, the older generation is not interested in making the necessary investment in the buildings or the tech needed to compete in today’s operating environment. “So we’re moving forward,” he says, “consolidating this fragmented industry and bringing best-in-class operations with it. Our pipeline for potential new purchases across our five mandates is over $1 billion across Canada and the United States.”

Opportunities in proptech & ESG

Meanwhile, Avenue Living also has its sights set on disruptive technologies that will help it improve and build customer relations.

“We’re interested in how proptech can help us improve operations and the resident experience,” says Giuffre. “In the past, the real estate industry has been slow to adopt new technology, but we feel that with the generational shift and pressure from value-conscious residents, proptech is really going to present value-add opportunity. Our investment in that area is going to be a long-term differentiator for us.”

Additionally, Giuffre says Environmental, Social & Governance has become a big part of Avenue Living’s “go-forward” strategy, with the company having recently executed some exciting pilot projects around energy and water conservation. “We’re looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” he says. “We’re excited to explore the possibilities of renewables, for example, implementing solar panels on our rooflines.”

And while there continues to be significant opportunity for growth here in Canada, the group also has its eye on the U.S. where it currently owns properties in Cincinnati, OH, Colorado Springs, CO, Kansas City, KS and Madison, WI. Excited at the prospect of expanding further south of the border, Giuffre concludes: “We are proud of the accretive growth we have experienced from all our funds. Furthermore, the demand we’re seeing from the capital markets shows that our business strategy is striking the right tone with investors. Ultimately, I’d like us to continue to expand the size of our portfolio and continuously improve how we operate, both of which are highly correlated. That’s our commitment to our residents and investors.”

About Avenue Living

Since 2006, Avenue Living has grown from a single investment to managing over $3.0 billion in assets, including workforce housing, commercial real estate, farmland, and self-storage. As of September 2021, the Calgary-based firm owns and operates over 13,000 residential rental units in Western Canada and the United States.

Allied acquires Vancouver’s Dominion Building

Allied Properties has acquired the Dominion Building in Vancouver from Army & Navy Properties.

The Dominion Building is designated as a Class A heritage structure, visually distinct with its flat-iron form that is a product of its trapezoidal-shaped lot. Completed in 1910, the 53-metre-tall, 13-storey tower was briefly the tallest commercial building in the British Empire.

Allied also owns the Sun Tower, which is to the southeast of the Dominion Building and is also a heritage building. The 82-meter-tall Sun Tower was completed in 1912, superseding the Dominion Building as the tallest building in Vancouver.

Army & Navy Department Stores founder Samuel Cohen acquired the Dominion Building in 1943, and the family’s Army & Navy Properties has operated it since.

“We’ll be a worthy successor owner to Army & Navy Properties in terms of both sensitivity and commitment to Downtown Vancouver,” said Michael Emory, Allied’s president and CEO. “Because of its location, building attributes and operating history over many decades, the Dominion Building will enable us to accommodate smaller users who need more flexible lease terms. This will be particularly helpful as we reconfigure other buildings with larger floorplates to accommodate larger users with longer-term requirements.”

Allied expects the acquisition of the Dominion Building to close in mid-November of 2021, subject to customary conditions.

Landlords must certify requisite vaccinations

Commercial landlords will be expected to verify requisite vaccinations of any building personnel, including contractors and subcontractors, who enter into premises that the Canadian government leases. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has instructed subject landlords to submit attestations by October 29, approximately two weeks before the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for the federal public service comes into force on November 15.

As outlined, all workers who are directly or contractually under a commercial landlord’s oversight must confirm that they have received two doses of recognized valid vaccine in order to gain access to tenant space the federal government occupies. Landlords must certify that all such personnel comply and then continue monitoring and ensuring adherence. These obligations will also be included in all new leases that the federal government negotiates.

“This approach will ensure that federal workplaces and the buildings in which they are located are kept safe, and that all personnel who work in them are protected,” the PSPC advisory states.

There will be leeway for allowable exemptions, but commercial landlords will have to report the circumstances to federal facility managers as soon as they become known and receive approval. PSPC is pledging to post notices within its tenant spaces to reiterate requirements for building personnel, and it has promised to provide landlords with more details about how and where to submit attestations.

“PSPC’s landlords who do not provide the required attestation, or who are subsequently discovered to have provided a false attestation, may be subject to additional measures,” the advisory warns.

Royal Roads University opens new auditorium

A new multi-purpose 500-seat auditorium and academic space has opened at Royal Roads University (RRU). The Dogwood Auditorium is the largest conference space on the Westshore and is available for public event bookings, starting in January 2022.

“This building is a fantastic example of our government working with post-secondary institutions to invest in infrastructure that supports students and communities,” said Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang. “Renovating this historic space for a modern purpose creates a place for students to learn and for RRU to engage with the community, lean into partnerships and welcome everyone to their beautiful campus.”

The multi-purpose academic and presentation space was a swimming pool that was used by the former Royal Roads Military College. The pool, built in 1959, was decommissioned in the early 2000s. Prior to the renovation, the building was used for the university’s squash courts and locker rooms.

The front entrance features a new art piece titled All My Relations designed by Kwakwak’awakw artist Carey Newman, inspired by conversations with Asma-na-hi Antoine, RRU’s director of Indigenous engagement. The heritage facade of the building was preserved where possible in the design of the new auditorium.

Environmental sustainability and innovation are key aspects of the Dogwood Auditorium. The transformed building has an environmentally innovative geo-exchange energy system, which will help the university meet its targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions. Design features will increase the energy efficiency of the building, reducing its reliance on traditional heating sources.

In addition to the auditorium, which has retractable seating and a partition that can split the room in two, the building also features a smaller multi-purpose room, media services room and a meeting room.

Construction of the 415.2 million project was delivered by Durwest Construction Management. The auditorium was named Project of the Year by the Project Management Institute of Vancouver Island.

RAIC submission call for Governor General’s Medals

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts invite architects to participate in the competition for the 2022 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture.

Awarded every two years, the 12 medals recognize and celebrate outstanding design in recently completed built projects, big or small, by Canadian architects. The Medals are among this country’s most prestigious and coveted architectural awards.

Recipients receive an exceptional opportunity to:

celebrate achievement with their team and clients.
reach new markets.
attract new business and talent.
gain exposure across Canada and internationally.

The call for submissions is open to all architects or teams of architects who were the lead design architects. They must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, and licensed or registered with a Canadian provincial or territorial jurisdiction.

The 2022 jury members are: Dr. Izabel Fraga Do Amaral E Silva, Director-School of Architecture, University of Montreal; Anik Shooner, FIRAC, President and co-founder of Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes, Montreal; Dr. Patrick Stewart, MRAIC, Principal-Patrick Stewart Architecture, Chilliwack; Christian Benimana, RA, Senior Principal MASS Design Group & Director of the African Design Centre, Kigali, Rwanda; and Dr. Lígia Nunes, Chair, architecture sans frontières International, Lisboa, Portugal.

Eligible projects are those that were built in and outside of Canada and completed between January 1, 2014, and September 1, 2021.

The submission deadline is December 10, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants can use the RAIC’s new online submission platform.

Dream announces closing of multifamily assets in Toronto

Dream announced it has acquired 912 apartment units located in the City of Toronto for an aggregate purchase price of $378 million. The properties were acquired in a joint venture between Dream Unlimited Corp, Dream Impact Trust, and the Dream Impact Fund, with each entity holding a one-third interest in the portfolio.

Weston Common is a two-tower, 841-unit mixed-use apartment complex located on John Street that includes 42,000 square feet of fully leased commercial space, and an 8,800 square-foot community hub occupied and programmed by the non-profit group, Artscape. Weston Common currently includes 53 affordable housing units and 26 live/work artist studios; however, Dream’s intention is to increase the number of affordable units provided on site as per CMHC’s definition of affordable rent for the area.

The Trust also acquired an interest in 262 Jarvis, a 71-unit, Art Deco style apartment building located near Ryerson University.

“The successful acquisition of these apartments accelerates the growth of our income property portfolio and increases the proportion of our assets that generate recurring income,” said Michael Cooper, Chief Responsible Officer of Dream Unlimited and Portfolio Manager of Dream Impact.

Dream Unlimited and the Trust are also pleased to announce that they have a 228-unit, multi-building portfolio of multi-family assets located in Toronto under contract. The ownership structure is expected to mirror Weston Common and 262 Jarvis.

Moving forward, Dream said it intends to implement specific initiatives from each of its three impact verticals—Affordable & Attainable Housing, Environmental Sustainability & Resilience, and Inclusive Communities—at each property. More specifically, it will pursue decarbonization and building modernization retrofits at each building to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent within the first three-years of ownership.

Dream also intends to implement social programming to provide tangible support for the community and its residents.

More information can be found at: www.dreamimpacttrust.ca

Canadian buildings atop TOBY international field

Canadian buildings have topped the international field in seven of 17 categories of The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) awards for 2021. The honours were conferred late last week at the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International annual conference and expo in Boston.

“Canada’s commercial real estate industry continues to set new industry benchmarks, building on their growing reputation as industry leaders,” says Benjamin Shinewald, president and chief executive officer of BOMA Canada.

Northam Realty Advisors captured International TOBYs in two categories. Queens Quay Terminal in Toronto was the winning historical building, while the SouthCreek Corporate Centre in Markham, Ontario, was named best mid-rise suburban office park. Northam manages both facilities, which its Canadian commercial property funds own.

Five other commercial real estate companies are represented among the remaining Canadian winners. These include:

Medical office building, 1128 Hornby, Vancouver, B.C., owned and managed by Wesgroup Properties;
Enclosed Retail, 10 Dundas East, Toronto, owned by 10 Dundas Street Ltd., managed by BentallGreenOak;
Open-air Retail, Shops of Oakville South, Oakville, Ontario, owned by Shops of Oakville South Inc., managed by FCR Management Services;
Low-Rise Suburban Office Park, 1-8 Prologis Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario, owned by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) Realty, managed by Triovest Realty Advisors; and
Office 250,000 to 499,999 square feet, 745 Thurlow, Vancouver, owned by 2748355 Canada Inc. and 45 Thurlow Street Holdings Inc., managed by QuadReal Property Group.

The International TOBYs are the third stage of accolades for the seven Canadian winners, which received 2020 BOMA Canada national awards after first capturing regional TOBYs. “BOMA Canada could not be more proud of all those who worked so hard and dedicated so much time to their buildings,” Shinewald says.

Along with the TOBY presentations, Anne Marie Guèvremont, senior property manager with Realterm Logistics based in Dorval, Quebec, was officially inducted as a BOMA Fellow at this year’s BOMA International conference. That honour, placing her among just 58 BOMA members worldwide to have attained the designation during the past decade, was announced earlier this year.

ARIDO honours interior designers at 2021 awards

The Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) announced the winners of its annual awards program during a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, October 6.

The ARIDO Awards is one of the most highly regarded honours in the interior design community. In 2020, ARIDO halted the existing awards program to undertake a review and improve the program for 2021 and beyond. Among the changes, ARIDO now incorporates criteria that recognize projects designed by members that support or address equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.

Interior design firm Figure3 earned the most accolades on Wednesday. Two awards in the Work category were for reimagining the head offices of the Ontario Power Generation (pictured up top) and First Gulf.

Brian Harrison, executive vice president of First Gulf, had previously commended on the workplace transformation. “We entrusted them to push boundaries and execute our vision to elevate our workplace experience,” he said. “What they delivered was beyond our expectations, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s been transformative for us as a business, and employees feel more connected to our impact on our community.”

The firm also won in the Craft category for its 411 Lobby Sculpture at the 411 Church condominium in Toronto. A Craft Award that night also went to Johnson Chou Inc. for The Selby – Still Light.

At 411 Church, a striking custom metal sculpture suspended over the reception desk completes the space, accenting the height of the lobby. Viewed from the double story window outside, the Figure3-designed interior captures attention. Photo by Steve Tsai Photography.

Also in the Work category, IBI Group won for Smart City Sandbox and Richardson Wealth Vancouver, while Interior Architects earned an honour for Innovation Hub. iN STUDIO won for the design of the Red Bull Canada office and Spin Master (Floor 1-6). Gensler won for Spin Master (7th Floor). Lastly, B+H Architects received this honour for Uber Canada headquarters, while HOK was lauded for The Co-operators Regina office.

In the LEARN category, Gow Hastings won for both Niagara College Welland Student Commons and Fleming College A-Wing, Sutherland Campus. Other awards went to Perkins&Will for Centre for Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, and Moriyama & Teshima Architects for St. Francis Xavier University – Brian Mulroney Institute of Government.

In the EAT + STAY category, accolades went to Denizens of Design for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Cafe and stré studio for Nando’s Woodmore Towne Centre.

A DISTINCT award went to Zeidler Architecture for McCrum’s Office Furnishings.

The Impact Award was also handed out for the first time. Replacing Project of the Year, it celebrates a “significant impact on an occupant or end user, neighbourhood, community, or project team etc.” This year’s winner was DEXD (Danaie Experience Design Inc.) for DS-09 Subway Station Design Standard

IMPACT AWARD: DS-09 Subway Station Design Standard

Interior Designer: Greg Parsons, ARIDO
Design Firm: DEXD (Danaie Experience Design Inc.) pic.twitter.com/PMoMVLAgkY

— ARIDO (@ARIDOntario) October 6, 2021

GBAC STAR launches Destination program

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) has launched the GBAC STAR Destination program, enabling municipalities, tourism bureaus, and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to demonstrate their destination’s dedication to building healthier, safer, and more confident communities through widespread adoption of GBAC STAR accreditations.

The Destination program encourages greater participation in GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation, designed for facilities of all types and sizes, and GBAC STAR Service Accreditation, which is reserved for building service contractors responsible for cleaning and maintaining these facilities.

The Destination designation for municipalities, tourism bureaus, and DMOs enables them to play a key role in identifying businesses, public facilities, and other organizations that can pursue their respective accreditation. In turn, these facilities and cleaning service providers create and uphold a system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention that benefits their employees, customers, and community members.

“GBAC STAR Destination is yet another step toward making our world cleaner, healthier, and safer for everyone,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Participating destinations are advocates for continuous improvement, compliance, and risk mitigation best practices that enable communities to thrive, especially during challenging periods such as pandemics.”

Destination offers pricing options for destinations with populations less than and greater than 500,000. Compliance with the program’s requirements enables organizations to use the official GBAC STAR seal to promote commitment to public health and safety. Accreditation also offers numerous other benefits, like access to GBAC Scientific Advisory Board resources and the GBAC Online Fundamentals Course, Complimentary ISSA Associate Membership, and more.

“Safe communities start with a pledge to encourage proper cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention in local businesses and public facilities,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “With GBAC STAR Destination, we are helping to not only protect the people who live and work in these places, but also those who visit these destinations for business or pleasure.”

Learn more and apply.

Accelerator program not as Canadian as touted

Canadian proptech companies comprise just half of the slate newly named to the 2022 REACH Canada accelerator program. The other five participants chosen through a competitive process sponsored by the U.S. National Association of Realtors (NAR) are based in the United States, Australia and Israel.

In announcing the new inductees to the program, Lynette Keyowski, managing partner of REACH Canada, implied that not enough Canadian applicants could make the cut. “When making the final selection, we felt the need to focus on technology and founding teams that are quality dominant,” she explained.

NAR’s efforts to identify and nurture promising technologies for the commercial and residential real estate sectors are aligned with its global technology fund, Second Century Ventures. The REACH program was launched in the U.S. in 2013 to offer accelerator services, building on NAR’s extensive membership and reach in the global real estate industry. Offshoot programs have subsequently been introduced in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Companies selected through all REACH streams are promised direct mentorship from a range of real estate, mortgage, venture capital and technology influencers, along with NAR’s guidance and access to prominent real estate industry conferences, tradeshows and networking events.

Keyowski describes the proptech companies selected through the REACH Canada process as “led by both men and women founders, representing multiple cultures and diverse ideologies”. One of the companies was also selected to NAR’s 2021 REACH Australia cohort earlier this year.

“These 10 companies are poised to make a significant impact on real estate in North America and well beyond,” predicts Dave Garland, managing partner with Second Century Ventures. “We are eager to accelerate their growth and share their unique and progressive solutions with Realtors around the world.”

The five Canadian companies include:

Perch, an analytics platform for prospective homebuyers, offering a range of information related to securing mortgages and other aspects of real estate transactions
Simplicity Global Solutions, a mortgage application platform for buyers and brokers
Urbanimmersive, a 3D marketing platform for real estate professionals
Loft47, a commission management platform for real estate brokerages
Rise, a platform for purchasing sustainable home products and finding related information about products and materials

“The 2022 Canada cohort offers an impressive range of diverse solutions, demonstrating that technology truly has no borders,” Keyowski asserted.

Vancouver’s Legionella program earns award

The City of Vancouver, along with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), has received the 2021 Innovation Award for Legionella prevention from the Environmental Operators Certification Program (EOCP). The EOCP is responsible for certifying the thousands of water and wastewater operators across B.C. and the Yukon.

Over the last year in Vancouver, half a dozen instances of high Legionella concentrations in building mechanical systems were detected and immediately remediated. In each instance, VCH was notified and used this information to verify they were not linked to any lab-confirmed illness.

Vancouver’s Water System Operating Permit Program helps protect the public from waterborne health risks like Legionella. With a focus on compliance with safety standards and preventative maintenance and monitoring, these operating permits help health authorities and city staff rapidly identify and respond to incidents of concern. Since the program’s launch, it has gained much support from both building owners and the tourism industry with more than 1,100 systems registered.

Equipment owners are required to complete regular water quality testing and reporting, and obtain a water systems operating permit for the following systems: cooling towers; decorative water features; rainwater harvesting and other alternative water systems; and building water treatment systems.

Recognized by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network as a leader in Legionella prevention, the city has been contacted by jurisdictions across North America for guidance on responding to and preventing outbreaks.

Affordable rental townhome community coming to Edmonton

Q4 Architects has unveiled the design of a new rental townhome community coming soon to the Creekwood Chappelle neighbourhood of Soutwest Edmonton. Marking one of the first purpose-built rental communities in the neighbourhood, over 30 per cent of the rental suites planned for the site will be designated as affordable.

Q4A designed the communty on behalf of Saskatchewan-based real estate company Avana. When complete, it will deliver 134 rental townhomes to an area flourishing with green space, wetlands, trails and public amenities.

“Designing this rental townhome community provided the perfect opportunity to show the power of design to create quality and secure spaces that enhance residents’ dignity and well-being,” said Frances Martin-DiGiuseppe, Founder and President of Q4A. “It’s been so rewarding to work with another like-minded firm who shares common goals and values. Well-designed rental housing can meet everybody’s needs, and we look forward to seeing individuals and families, especially women, prosper in this new community.”

With expertise designing townhomes and detached homes in Alberta, including the award-winning Stillwater Community in Edmonton and Carrington in Calgary, Q4A envisioned three-storey stacked rental townhomes for the Creekwood Chappelle site to increase the number of affordable suites.

A mix of floorplans will be available consisting of one, two and three-bedroom suites ranging from 550 sq. ft. to 1,300 sq. ft. Each townhome will include a private balcony and modern interior finishes. Some townhome blocks will feature rear-lane access garages in addition to front attached garages. Overall, Q4A says the pedestrian-friendly community will have a “modern farmhouse aesthetic, with varying yet complementary designs.”

As a purpose-led company, Avana helps subsidize housing for women and children escaping intimate partner violence through their non-profit arm, Avana Foundation.

“In every one of Avana’s projects, we look to reduce as many barriers for women and children affected by intimate partner violence as possible,” said Jenn Denouden, CEO of Avana. “In particular, what makes the Chappelle development an exciting milestone for our company is the opportunity to build affordable options in a community with a less than 5 per cent affordability rating, while breaking the mould for what affordable housing can be. These attainable, safe, and beautiful homes will create a steady foothold for survivors to rebuild, and we at Avana are incredibly excited to be a part of that journey,”

Find out more about this and other Avana projects at: Avana Builds. Residential & Commercial Property in Regina & Edmonton.

Accessibility carries a simple business case

The premise of accessibility is the simple right to equal opportunity. From that impetus, many commercial real estate operators are making the simple business case for buildings that are functional for all potential users.

It’s a quest that can begin with simple investigations, simple low-cost measures and simple mindfulness, whether at the design stage of new developments or in re-evaluating routine property management practices. A recent REALPAC-sponsored webinar exploring efforts to identify and alleviate barriers in the built environment touched on all those themes.

“Since 80 per cent of disabilities are acquired between the age of 16 and 64, it’s important to remember that anyone can become a person with a disability at any time,” noted Kris Kolenc, REALPAC’s research and sustainability manager. “As commercial real estate owners and managers, we have a unique and crucial role to play in supporting accessibility within our buildings and our organizations, both for our employees and for our customers.”

Discussion focused on strategies for assuming that role and some of the resources available to help facilitate it. In the latter category, Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) is emerging as an industry standard for gauging how buildings perform for users with mobility, vision or hearing impairments, while Pedesting is a navigational app that guides users to their destinations along the most convenient possible barrier-free pedestrian routes and, as a by-product, delivers telling analytics to property managers.

“You can start to see where the barriers and problems are. In a shopping mall, for instance, maybe there’s a whole wing where people with disabilities are not going. There must be a reason why,” advised Erin Shilliday, a Calgary-based architect and co-founder of Pedesting. “We can rate the pedestrian experience through their spaces, of what is working and what’s not. That is fantastic information for a building owner.”

His business colleague, Pedesting co-founder Nabeel Ramji, who relies on a power wheelchair for mobility, tallied the many daily challenges he encounters in urban spaces and buildings, and the degree of advance planning that entails. It all infringes on the independence and impromptu experiences that able-bodied people unthinkingly enjoy.

“As a result of this lack of independence, sometimes I feel isolated or having missed out on opportunity that change may offer,” Ramji said.

The navigational app is principally a tool to provide users with some certainty in terrain that remains fraught with inadvertent or purposeful obstacles. Similarly, QuadReal Property Group sought the informed insight of RHFAC professionals in an effort to fill some gaps in the company’s stated agenda to embrace responsibility and reflect excellence.

Assessment lens applies perspective of people with disabilities

“We identified that we didn’t know much about accessibility in our portfolio,” recounted Meirav Even-Har, QuadReal’s national manager, wellness and healthy buildings. “We know we follow code, but how much universal design do we integrate into our existing stock? And how do we future-proof buildings in order to make sure, that as a company that also values inclusivity, our buildings are inclusive for everyone?”

To begin, 19 buildings, including multifamily high-rise, office towers and a shopping centre, were registered for RHFAC assessments. They’re now enrolled in the Buildings Without Barriers Challenge — a joint initiative of the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada, which encourages commercial real estate operators to undertake RHFAC assessments in at least three buildings — in addition to serving as a pilot for the rollout of accessibility improvements throughout the portfolio.

Even-Har commended the RHFAC assessment process for its ease, particularly at a time when building managers are taxed with pandemic response obligations, and for the revelatory perspective she gained. Credentialed RHFAC professionals evaluate building performance in eight different aspects of built space — vehicular access; exterior approach and entrance; interior circulation; interior services and environment; sanitary facilities; signage, wayfinding and communications; emergency systems; and additional use of space — to derive a score for meaningful accessibility.

That’s meant to give an indication of how people with a range of mobility, vision and hearing abilities might be expected to navigate, interact with structural and design features, and comprehend and respond to emergency signals and evacuation procedures in a building and its related site. RHFAC professionals also explain their scoring decisions while touring the property with management staff and provide recommendations for improvement.

“In this industry we are just so accustomed to certification programs that feel like you are cramming for a horrible exam. It’s nerve wracking; there are consultants involved; it’s a huge thing. With this (RHFAC) process, there was no pressure,” Even-Har observed. “Going through the process was actually a really pleasant surprise because of what we’ve been conditioned to and because of the wonderful learning experience of participating on the tour.”

Doable improvements and credible returns on upfront investments

All 19 properties have attained RHFAC Accessibility Certified status, meaning they scored in the 60 to 79 per cent range. Beyond this, QuadReal has re-engaged the RHFAC professionals for follow-up virtual meetings with property management teams to discuss their findings and view photos from the assessment process, as well as for on-site tours with select team members to help them set priorities for required work

“There’s lots to learn, but it has been absolutely fascinating because you rediscover your buildings. You realize there is so much to do, and a lot of it is things that are doable, that can go into operational budgets,” Even-Har said.

“Very often we tend to think about the built environment in terms of fixing, designing and making changes to it, but it can be something as easy as standardized training for building staff,” concurred Kevin Ng, acting director, accessibility certification, with the Rick Hansen Foundation.

That said, the program does focus on the development stage with a target that all new construction should ultimately be RHFAC Accessibility Certified Gold, indicating it has achieved a score of at least 80 per cent. Toward that end, the pre-construction rating stream is aimed at finding and correcting design issues before they are committed to less easily reversible forms.

“It can help avoid creating any new barriers. It helps you reduce the need for costly retrofits in the future,” Ng said.

Meanwhile, Shilliday, who is also a certified RHFAC professional, enumerated a fairly modest premium for getting it right in the first place. “If it’s thought through early in the design, the delta in the construction cost is 1 or 2 per cent. It’s not a money thing. It just needs to be thought through in the beginning,” he maintained.

Self-directed agenda for commercial real estate leaders

The still embryonic stage of the federal Accessible Canada Act, which was adopted in 2019, and long timelines for compliance in various provincial accessibility statutes have largely ceded the way for self-directed leadership in commercial real estate. Accessibility champions look to parallels with the green building and climate action movements as a model for how to proceed, suggesting that momentum could build in the same way through collaborative learning, competitive drive and growing recognition of the paybacks.

Webinar sponsor, REALPAC, counts many of Canada’s largest commercial real estate companies and investment managers among its membership. Prominent companies that have been leaders in green certification and environmental performance benchmarking exercises like LEED, BOMA BEST and GRESB are already signed on to the Barrier-free Buildings Challenge, bringing a total of 61 properties to vie for the 2021 awards due to be announced October 21 at BOMA Canada’s upcoming online annual conference, BOMEX Virtual.

“ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager peaked in Canada in part through industry associations like REALPAC really having helped push the agenda. So let’s make this our agenda,” Even-Har urged. “I have been so inspired by some of the work that we’ve been doing as an industry when it comes to sustainability. I really think we can get together and create a way to push ourselves and share some learning, share some best practices.”

Shilliday underscored the potential returns in market share and human capital. Both have been a tangible reality for him through his product and his alliance with Ramji.

“You are missing out on 20 per cent of the market ostensibly by not having accessibility,” he said. “I am wondering how many Nabeels we’re missing out on. Would we not be a better, stronger, more interesting society if all those people, who I know are out there, are represented and part of our everyday lives?”

Barbara Carss is editor-in-chief of Canadian Property Management.

Blockchain-based EV charging pilot launches

A ground-breaking electric vehicle charging pilot launched this week in Toronto at the home of Smart City Sandbox, an innovation hub for the next generation of smart buildings and urban infrastructure. The three-year project will allow EV owners to charge their vehicles at low demand times throughout the day and ‘lend’ electricity to the building during high demand periods.

The overall goal is to improve EV charging accessibility in North America, address barriers to EV adoption and create an energy distribution model that benefits both building and EV owners. The clean energy pilot is a partnership between SWTCH Energy Inc. (SWTCH), tenant IBI Group, and Slate Asset Management, which owns the building at 55 St. Clair Avenue West.

“Our goal is to create places where our people and tenants thrive, and to contribute to our communities and the environment,” says Katie Fong, vice president of asset management at Slate. “Driving innovation in clean technology and finding ways to make our properties more resource-efficient is key to that objective and benefits all of our stakeholders.”

As electric vehicles gain popularity and adoption, the question of how to accommodate a rise in EV charging infrastructure without additional strain on the electrical grid becomes increasingly relevant. Vehicle-to-grid technology allows buildings to draw energy from parked EVs during on-peak hours rather than the grid. During the pilot, SWTCH operators will study its V2G charger’s ability to store energy through a parked Nissan Leaf during off-peak hours, and redistribute that energy to the building and the Level 2 EV chargers during on-peak hours.

The technology and model developed by SWTCH is unique as it includes a financial incentive for EV owners to participate in the program which leverages the blockchain. The SWTCH app tracks when energy is being drawn from a car’s battery and when it’s being charged, creating a history of credits and debits securely managed through blockchain technology that participants can monitor on their phones.

SWTCH CEO Carter Li says they aim to prove the innovative charging and energy management solution to “significantly reduce the cost of EV charging infrastructure and materially enhance grid efficiency.”

Pandemic is fast tracking adoption of automation

While the building industry has been slower to embrace technology, the pandemic has accelerated the automation push for many companies.

The benefits and challenges of automating procurement and vendor management were the discussion points for a panel of leading real estate companies at Buildex Vancouver.

Going paperless, faster payment, improved communication and better tracking of information were cited as some of the main benefits when moving to automation.

Sandeep Manak, chief financial officer for Wesgroup properties, explained the pandemic required them to move to a digital solution because nothing was operating as normal especially Canada Post which impacted the payment process.

Wesgroup had to begin a big educational push to get vendors, who were used to picking up cheques at the office, to provide electronic funds transfer (EFT) instructions and to change payment mechanisms.

“We’ve gone through a big education process with some vendors to bring them into the digital realm. We’re also doing education internally…bringing people to a paperless environment,” said Manak, noting leadership is key to a successful rollout of new software.

A big advantage of automation is vendors get paid faster. “Every vendor wants to get paid fast ….and when it is digital, it means it can move faster,” said Manak, noting digitalization has also improved speed of communication and resolution of conflicts. He cited as an example of how instead of digging through files for information, a digital PDF is available to everyone.

Similarly, Christine Williams, vice-president of operations and administration of QuadReal Property, said her company was quick to adopt electronic payment when COVID hit.

“We said our preferred payment to vendors is electronic. Cheques will be phased out by end of 2021,” she said. “They were quick to adopt to this method of payment.”

Since then, QuadReal has migrated to a new platform where a third-party software vendor is handling vendor compliance and working with vendors and helping them to keep the vendor list current. “We’re piloting vendor cafe to give part of the responsibility back to the vendor. They will be able to directly influence the digital information that is shared with us and we can connect electronically faster,” said Williams, noting the bigger vendors have anticipated the change while mom and pop types are struggling a bit.

When implementing new software with the team, all the speakers said there were some growing pains but overall, it went relatively smoothly. Ravi Pandarinath, controller for Ronmor Holdings, stressed that patience was key.

“Because we are a small company, we said that we don’t care how many times you ask a question,” he said. “We prefer that to stumbling through it to figure out the software. It took a lot of pressure off everyone.”

Manak advised not going too fast with implementation and making sure teams are ready to digest the changes or it could be a recipe for disaster.

“When going digital, understand technology is a tool – only as good as the person who holds that tool,” he said. “Not easy sometimes, but can be if you have right people.”

Cheryl Mah is managing editor of Construction Business.

Assessment lens applies perspective of people with disabilities

Doable improvements and credible returns on upfront investments

Self-directed agenda for commercial real estate leaders

IDS Vancouver

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