$88M federal loan for Vancouver affordable housing

The Government of Canada has announced $88-million to help construct 173 new housing units at Lelem Village on the University Endowment Lands in Vancouver.

Lelem Village will be developed by Musqueam Capital Corporation on behalf of the Musqueam Indian Band and consists of a four-storey, a five-storey and a 12-storey building within walking distance of the University of British Columbia, the University Golf Course and Acadia Park.

Sixty-two units will have affordable rents in accordance with the terms of the Housing Agreement with the province. Ten per cent of the units will meet municipal accessibility requirements. The project is designed to achieve a minimum of 19.8 per cent decrease in energy intensity and 64.1 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions relative to the requirements of the 2015 National Energy Code for Buildings.

Located at the southeast corner of the intersection of University Boulevard and Toronto Road, the first phase of Lelem Village, in partnership with local developer Polygon, is expected to reach completion by 2022.

Lelem Village will be built over four phases through the end of this decade, creating 1.2 million square feet of residential space for 1,250 homes for roughly 2,500 people, including condominiums and rentals.

“Our goal at Musqueam Capital Corp is to provide a quality living experience at affordable rents. Lelem Village will have a significant impact for the community. We know we have work to do when it comes to supplying rental housing in our city, and we would like to thank the federal government for their ongoing support and commitment,” said Stephen Lee, CEO, Musqueam Capital Corp.

The project received funding through CMHC’s Rental Construction Financing initiative (RCFi), a National Housing Strategy program that supports rental housing construction projects to encourage a stable supply of rental housing for middle-class families in expensive housing markets.

Stantec honoured with IES Illumination Awards

Four projects by design firm Stantec were recently honoured with five lighting awards from the Illuminating Engineering Society.

The IES Illumination Awards, an international awards program, recognized the University of Lethbridge Science Commons, the Denver Water Complex Redevelopment, JLL’s Denver Office and Walgreens Chicago Office for their excellence in lighting design, ingenuity, and originality.

The University of Lethbridge Science Commons in Alberta, Canada was honoured with a Merit Award for Interior Lighting Design. In collaboration with SMP Engineering and KPMB Architects, the design team ensured a cohesive lighting strategy that was fully integrated with the architecture. Floor to ceiling windows and full height interior glazing maximize the visibility of science, while also allowing daylight penetration deep into the building floorplate. Suspended direct-indirect rectilinear luminaires landmarked both informal and formal meeting space with concealed cove lighting wall-washing vertical feature surfaces throughout the design.

Denver Water Complex Redevelopment earned a Merit Award for Energy & Environmental Lighting Design. The six-storey, 186,000-square-foot administration building, the central focus of its 35-acre operations complex, is long and thin in its form to maximize daylighting and views. Lighting systems were designed for efficiency, user comfort and to be minimalistic, complementing the ebb and flow of the architectural elements. Control strategies include perimeter- and skylight-daylight harvesting, occupancy and vacancy sensors, local dimming, and task tuning.

JLL’s Denver Office received a Merit Award for Interior Lighting Design. Finishes for the 30,000-square-foot office space were chosen with high reflectance values, curtain walls were utilized to allow for the spill of ambient light between spaces, and lighting layouts were optimized to provide ample ambient lighting.

Two Merit Awards were given to the Walgreens Chicago Office for Interior Lighting Design and Energy & Environmental Lighting Design. For this 200,000-square-foot technology hub, the lighting was inspired by Chicago’s local neighborhoods with each area defined by wall murals and furnishings that are highlighted with decorative luminaires and linear lighting. In open offices and meeting rooms, lighting is thoughtfully placed to provide the highest output on desktops. Lower levels in-between modulate the light over large areas by reducing light levels in areas without visual tasks, like hallways and circulation areas.

Vaughan pilots garbage bin sensors to combat litter

The City of Vaughan’s public works department is currently testing garbage bin sensors to reduce overflowing waste bins that often lead to litter on streets and in parks.

Garbage bin sensors have been placed under the lids of select waste bins in Wards 4 and 5, allowing parks staff to monitor the fill-levels remotely and receive notifications when they need to be emptied.

The sensors use real-time and historical data to optimize waste collection schedules along routes, allowing staff to save on fuel, labour and fleet maintenance. The route optimization within this tool also means fewer trucks out driving, which translates to fewer carbon emissions, less noise, less traffic and less wear and tear on roads.

The garbage bin sensor pilot project is a branch of the city’s Quick Response (QR) Code pilot project, launched in September 2020. It allows residents to scan the code found on a city waste bin using their smartphone to notify city staff when it is full and needs to be emptied. The program resulted in quicker service to bins that required emptying, which reduced litter in parks. This project continues in select parks.

On the facility management end, concerns around sanitation, sustainability and efficiency are prompting the adoption of new technologies in the industry overall. Tasked with eliminating garbage from facilities, waste equipment services are increasingly using digital technology to reduce the volume of physical waste and help make facilities management operations more sustainable.

LaSalle purchases GTA logistics portfolio

LaSalle Investment Management has acquired three industrial buildings in the Greater Toronto Area through its core real estate fund in Canada. This logistics portfolio brings the fund’s industrial allocation up to 18.6 per cent, reducing its overall exposure to the office market.

The fully occupied space totals nearly 610,000 square feet of rentable area. Tenants are mainly investment-grade credit tenants, including a leading global e-commerce and logistics firm, Lear Corporation and Canada’s largest pallet supplier Paramount Pallet.

The largest building is located at 2300 North Park Drive in Brampton, part of the GTA West industrial submarket, which saw its net rent grow by 13 per cent in 2020. This property includes a 40-foot clear height, 42 trailer parking positions, secured yard and LEED design. The remaining two properties are located in the GTA East submarket, at 1652 and 1672 Tricont in Whitby on an infill site.

Newly constructed, the portfolio’s weighted average lease term is 8.8 years. Leases include annual rent escalations of at least 2.5 percent.

“Our conviction in the industrial sector remains strong, and we believe this acquisition will continue to support the strong relative performance of the fund and the sustained interest from multinational and domestic investors,” said LaSalle Canada CEO John McKinlay.

The urgent need for change in construction

Buildings and construction are the number one causes of the climate crisis, accounting for 39 per cent of global emissions. The industry is continuing to grow at an alarming rate; by 2060 the world will be adding the equivalent of New York City monthly – in new construction. With the magnitude of impact the industry has on the world there is an immediate and urgent need to make a fundamental change to how we design and build everything. We don’t have a choice but to move to a place of disruption in the industry.

The recent extreme weather events around the world – heat waves and increasing forest fires, rising sea levels and global droughts – is proof of the now, evident runaway climate effects of the way we have been living our lives for the past century. We must realize these crises are no longer in the future for other generations to solve. We need to disrupt the industry and look to deep green construction methods to make positive changes through innovation and technology.

Compared to other industries, the construction industry has been slow to change. There have been incredible innovations in the airline, automobile, telecommunications and computer industries over the past 50 years, but the building and construction industry has stayed largely the same. We are still mainly building buildings using the same on-site processes that we have used for the past 100 years.

If we really want to make significant change and combat the damaging effects the industry has on the planet, we need to start doing things differently and push back on the resistance coming from within the industry – from typical developer mind-sets and from individual attitudes that have resulted in the industry being hugely risk averse and preferring to stick to established minimum codes rather than looking at innovative new approaches.

Companies such as Nexii, a green construction technology company, have to prove that it is ok to do things differently. They have started their journey, but there is still a way to go to break down the attitudinal resistance and convince the industry that we need to design and build with the end goal of creating a truly sustainable building.

The pandemic allowed us to have more clarity on the big issues going on in the world. It gave us time to pause and think differently about everything. Many issues that were not being properly addressed in the world started to get a lot of attention such as social justice, political issues, and climate change. Hopefully, while the world starts to go back to a new kind of normal, people will not forget the importance of addressing these key issues and we will still be able to see significant changes in industries around the world. In 2006, I created the Living Building Challenge Program and a few years later launched the Living Future Institute to provide a vision and direction to the design and building community and hopefully inspire them to move towards a healthier, greener future. We have seen some progress in this space, but we need to do much more to make a real difference.

This is where my collaboration with Nexii comes in, creating buildings that are more resource and energy-efficient with less waste, less embodied carbon, and a smaller carbon footprint. Often innovation is impacted by the price of a project because each building is essentially a bespoke process, even when it does not make sense to be. If you treat a building more like a product in terms of how it is built and its build components, you can take out a lot of the risk while enhancing performance.

My vision is to transform the world to support the health and well-being of every person and all living things. And I’m doing that by instigating and implementing new models in design and construction. By working with Nexii as their impact architect, I will be able to provide advice on ways to maximize the environmental benefits of Nexii architecture, using its breakthrough proprietary material, Nexiite, which has comparable properties to concrete, but contains no Portland cement or lime, significantly reducing end-to-end carbon emissions.

This work with Nexii is critical. However, it will take substantial innovations from many entities to truly disrupt the construction industry. If it were just one thing we would have already changed our direction. It’s a lot of things – some little and some immense. Certainly, building standards are important and regulations can help. And the market is slowly starting to shift to make it economically easier for builders to justify making substantive changes. Things that used to be expensive are now cheaper, and when something is cost-competitive, it is easier for people to adopt them. For example, the economics of scale for products such as photovoltaics, LED lighting, batteries, and advanced window systems are now more substantial, so these items are being used more frequently due to cost-effectiveness.

There’s also familiarity and habits to change. The more buildings that are made using leading-edge technologies, the more likely they are to be adopted.

Jason F McLennan is CEO of McLennan Design and founder of the International Living Future Institute. He is also impact architect at Nexii.

A cybersafe return to the workplace

As the world is getting COVID-19 under control, every executive team and facilities department is—or should be—accommodating for a new era of work where flexibility and mobility are staples.

Our workplaces will need to be more open, transparent, and adapt to various modes of work, interactions, and collaboration. We will have to revisit ‘old’ concepts such as hoteling and open floorplans to meet new expectations. We have to prioritize the health and safety of our employees, from continued social distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols to upgraded ventilation and filtration (i.e., ensuring the air inside the workplace is being completely refreshed every 10 to 15 minutes). We will need to further embrace digital technologies to reduce physical boundaries and enhance seamless remote collaboration with the virtual world. And we have to be equitable and inclusive as we redefine our future.

The only sustainable way to create spaces that can absorb change and adjust to evolving expectations is to leverage converging and exponential technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). Already, more than 30 billion smart objects are connected to the IoT, adding conveniences and value-added services to our built environment, and the smart building market is growing at a double-digit rate annually, from $43 billion in 2018 to a forecasted $110 billion by 2026. The emergence of technology-enabled smart buildings already has proven to reduce energy consumption, increase performance, improve safety, health and security, and transform user experiences.

At last, our buildings are ready to catch up with the conveniences and expectations that future users have come to expect in the 21st century—and COVID has been the much-needed accelerant for this transformation in the building industry. As Winston Churchill famously said, “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Unfortunately, however, the introduction of intelligent and connected systems leaves us exposed to one of the greatest threats of our century: the rise of cybercrime. What if a ransomware cyberattack prevented you from opening the doors in the morning? Or turning on and off the air handling system, causing discomfort for the occupants? What if you can’t control the lights or electricity in your building? What if hackers get onto tenant networks through backdoors in building system infrastructure? Do you know who has remote access to your current HVAC or security systems? Have you reset the factory passwords that came at installation?

Ransomware, phishing, spyware, man-in-the-middle attack (MitM), and distributed-denial-of-service (DDos) attack, are all forms of malware. Malware is a software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer or computer network, one that encrypts your files or effectively holds your systems or data for ransom. Access and control can be regained after paying the hackers a ransom. IBM suggests that the average price tag of such ransom is almost $4 million, and as high as $7 million in healthcare. In recent months, Colonial Pipeline paid US $4.4 million to regain control of its pipelines, and JBA Meat paid US $11 million to the hackers that broke into their computer system. How much are you willing to pay to get control of your own building systems and data?

There is no doubt that facility professionals need to prioritize cybersafe buildings. There are lots of ways to go about this, but here are three initial simple steps:

Audit and assess

First, do an audit and cyber assessment of your building today. Understand what is connected; how vulnerable and exposed your building systems are; what backdoor entrances you are not aware of; who is supporting and accessing your systems from afar, and what the magnitude of the risk is.

Crown jewels

Simultaneously, determine your “crown jewels”. What are your most mission-critical and valuable (information) assets that would cause the greatest harm and impact to your business if compromised. Consider all your systems and contemplate what would happen if you had no more access or control. Define your “crown jewels” not in isolation, but rather with the key stakeholders in your organization. Although we may have control over our building systems and facility’s assets, the implications of a breach will reach far and wide, well beyond your domain of control. What if you lose your company’s customer data due to an attack from within your HVAC network? How long will it take before disgruntled and frustrated occupants call you when they lose control over comfort and climate?

Strategize

Last but not least, design and implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. This strategy should comply with standards (e.g. ISO) and frameworks (e.g. NIST) to leverage established best-practices. Your strategy will articulate data and process governance and detailed procedures on how to identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from inevitable security breaches. Be sure not to hold back putting some serious resources behind this—get some expert assistance and build out your own cybersecurity capabilities. Implement leading-edge tools and work with world-class vendors. It only takes one data breach or cyberattack to make this worth every penny.

These three steps require business, building, and IT professionals to come together and collaborate. Only an interdisciplinary approach will lead to sustainable success: cybersecurity is not the job of the IT department alone—it concerns us all.

This suggests an even more important preceding step: invest in the digital literacy and capabilities of your facilities team. Not only is basic digital behaviour our first-line defence against cyberattacks (e.g. changing and managing passwords, not opening unknown or unexpected email attachments, managing authorized access and privileges of service providers; asking the appropriate questions to vendors and suppliers, etc.), but also, our facilities teams will have to have a fundamental understanding of the role of their internet-connected devices and systems in the digital world.

Digital disruption and connecting the Internet of Things is still a people business. Training and education are at the core of the transformation. Now, let’s get prepared for a safe return to a more intelligent built environment, one that is connected, protected, and ready for whatever your new normal is.

Dr. Rick Huijbregts is an industry fellow at Intelligent Buildings LLC, which is the only company focused on smart building advisory, assessment, and managed services at scale for both new projects and existing portfolios. Intelligent Buildings helps customers manage risk, enhance occupant well-being, and continually improve performance by providing unmatched expertise, practical recommendations, and targeted services.

Dr. Huijbregts is also vice president of strategy & innovation at George Brown College in Toronto.

Blackstone offers premium on WPT REIT units

Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) has entered into an agreement to acquire WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust at a rate of USD $22 (CAD $27.50) per unit, representing a 19.5 per cent premium on WPT REIT’s most recent 30-day average unit price on the TSX. The proposed transaction, which is subject to unitholder approval, has a total value of USD $3.1 billion (CAD $3.86 billion) and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.

WPT REIT’s board of trustees unanimously endorsed the deal, underscoring that unitholders would be in line for a more than 32 per cent premium on the current research consensus of the net asset value per unit, pegged at USD $16.66 (CAD $20.83) per unit. If approved, it would add about 37.5 million square feet of U.S.-based distribution and logistics facilities to BREIT’s holdings.

The real estate investment platform, which is externally managed by a subsidiary of Blackstone, has approximately USD $208 billion in investment capital under management and is focused primarily on income-generating properties in select property sectors in the United States.

“Logistics remains one of our highest conviction themes as the sector continues to benefit from strong tailwinds driven by e-commerce,” notes David Levine, senior managing director at Blackstone. “We look forward to expanding our logistics presence across key U.S. markets with the acquisition of this high-quality portfolio that WPT has built.”

Established as an open-ended REIT in Ontario and traded on the TSX, WPT’s portfolio encompasses 109 properties scattered through 19 U.S. states.

“We are very proud to enter into a transaction that delivers unitholders a compelling premium to net asset value per unit and our all-time high unit price,” submits Scott Frederiksen, WPT REIT’s chief executive officer. “Blackstone’s interest in acquiring and investing in the WPT platform is a testament to the quality of our portfolio and capabilities of our team.”

8 things to know about ATP monitors

In a post-COVID-19 world, hygienic cleaning is here to stay. ATP monitors certainly have their place in ensuring that standards are met.

Hygienic cleaning removes the maximum amount of potentially contaminated soils and bio-pollutants from a surface, but it also goes one step further.

“With hygienic cleaning, we not only remove pathogens, we prove it,” says Kaivac‘s Matt Morrison. “And the most scientific way to ‘prove it’ is by the proper use of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) rapid monitoring systems.”

Morrison emphasizes the word “proper” because he believes many cleaning professionals are not using these monitors correctly, most likely because they do not fully understand ATP monitors and technology.

To rectify this, Morrison suggests some key points we should know about ATP:

ATP is found in all living cells, those that are harmless as well as those that can be health-risking.
ATP monitors measure the concentration of ATP as relative light units The more light units, the greater the ATP, and the greater potential pathogens are on the surface.
An ATP meter typically determines test results in about 15 seconds.
“Do not perform just one test on one surface,” adds Morrison. “Test at least five areas on a surface, then divide the results by five. This will give you the ‘average’ ATP [reading] on that surface.”
Be aware that chemical residue on a surface can impact the results of an ATP test.
When conducting tests, sunlight can also distort results.
Ambient temperature of 70-72 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for best results.
With some systems, an ATP reading of 0-10 is pass, meaning the surface is clean and safe; 11-30 is caution, the surface should be recleaned; 31 or above is fail, the surface is likely contaminated.

As we move further through the pandemic and, ultimately, out the other side, we should eliminate the caution zone. “At least for now, cleaning professionals should not consider any surface clean and healthy unless it gets a pass score. This may even become the norm from now on,” concludes Morrison.

New design revealed for West Island at Ontario Place

Diamond Schmitt is leading the design for the West Island at Ontario Place alongside Vienna-based wellbeing organization Therme Group.

Marking the 50th anniversary of Ontario Place, the provincial government announced its plan in late July to redevelop the destination into three attractions. This includes Therme Canada | Ontario Place, a family-friendly, all-season spot with botanical gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming facilities, more than eight acres of public space, and public beaches.

“We designed the West Island of Ontario Place to connect people to the water year-round,” said Gary McCluskie, principal Diamond Schmitt. “Our design weaves three themes, expressed through architecture: exhibition pavilions; natural forms; and greenhouse architecture.”

The new aspects of the facilities are comprised of four main components: a new entrance pavilion, a new bridge to the West Island, new parkland and beach areas, and the main Therme Canada | Ontario Place building. The Therme building transforms the West Island and is designed to combine the restorative environment of a botanical garden with the physical and sensory experience of an aquatic environment.

Rendering of West Island at Ontario Place. Courtesy Diamond Schmitt.

The entrance pavilion establishes a new public presence along Lake Shore Boulevard West with an open and welcoming form with three transparent vaults inspired by a trillium flower. A double height, wood-lined entry hall defines the pavilion’s natural character.

Entrance pavillion. Courtesy Diamond Schmitt.

The Therme facility preserves and honours the heritage of the West Island site with a scale and spirit inspired by the neighbouring Ontario Place Pavilions and Cinesphere, which will be protected.

Neighboring Cinesphere and exhibition. Courtesy Diamond Schmitt.

A bridge will connects the mainland to the West Island, with year-round public access to the island park and a new public beach. The bridge integrates an interior passage for visitors and open access for pedestrians and cyclists, and is clad with glass and copper. Open space on the bridge offers improved vantage points for dragon boat racing and other waterway activities.

The restorative value of outdoor green spaces for recreation, community gathering, and overall quality of life will coincide with free, public swimming areas, a new significantly expanded beach area, improved access to the lake edge, beach, wetlands; and an extension of the William G Davis trail across the entire site.

Southeast view. Courtesy Diamond Schmitt.

The exterior envelope of the main Therme Canada | Ontario Place building is clad in energy efficient, triple-layer bird-friendly glass on a steel structure, building on the tradition of public botanical greenhouses and glazed exhibition halls.

The curvilinear roof is formed by a series of layers. Visitors will arrive at a belvedere overlooking the aquatic halls that house the botanical gardens and pools. The largest spaces are located on the ground floor, and interior and exterior experiences are woven together throughout the levels of the building.

The glass greenhouse architecture supports the integration of landscape inside the building with indoor pools and a transparent envelope allowing vistas of Lake Ontario and abundant daylight for the planted interior environment. A series of landscaped roofs extends the planted environment to the form. In summer, rooftop pools, adjustable by season, provide a transition between the exterior and interior.

The design team includes: landscape architects, STUDIO tla; shoreline engineers, Baird; civil engineers, ARUP; transportation consultants, BA Group and building code consultants, LMDG. Future Ontario-based team members will include structural engineers, heritage consultants, and aquatic habitat consultants.

The importance of an exterior building maintenance plan

Exterior building maintenance serves many purposes for facility owners and operators.

Not only does a clean and well-cared-for exterior provide appeal and confidence for visitors and residents but fixing problems at the root cause as they surface prevents financial and operational headaches down the line. This is particularly important for aging properties.

But regardless of their age or condition, all commercial and industrial properties need to be maintained in order to stay in good working condition, retain their value, and provide a safe workspace for all occupants.

These days, particularly during the pandemic, when enhanced cleaning and disinfection has become the primary focus, interior cleaning and maintenance tends to get the most attention. But while things like infection prevention and HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems are vital, neglecting a building’s shell can have dire consequences ranging from financial burdens to safety issues.

Placing focus on structures like the roof of buildings is vital as structural components are often closely interrelated. If roofing isn’t sealed properly, existing problems can easily and quickly spread to windows, doors, and other areas. Addressing basement leaks is another critical component and a further example of an area where negligence can lead to serious issues.

These kinds of things should be inspected at least once a year to ensure you stay on top of any current or emerging problems. High-traffic areas like entryways usually need the most attention.

Develop a well-thought-out plan

Indeed, regular exterior building maintenance is one of the most cost-effective ways to extend an ageing building’s lifespan. Developing and following a solid and considered exterior building maintenance plan is vital to keep facilities in fresh working order.

Here are five core tips to remember:

Regularly inspect your building’s outer shell

Either you or a third-party professional should look for any potential defect, including cracks, water intrusion, or issues with windows and doors. Then, come up with a plan for addressing them. A commercial building that has a flat roof, for instance, may be prone to pooling water and potential damage that would not be visible except for in a thorough inspection. This inspection will also help you detect early signs of a problem and make the fixes before the water impacts other areas of your building, window frames, doors and ceilings. During the inspection, have the provider clean out any gutters and downspouts of leaves or debris to enable continual water drainage.

Look out for leaks

Water intrusion is one of the biggest issues that owners of commercial and industrial properties deal with, it can escalate into more serious problems like a flooded basement or mould. Keep a constant eye out for leaks, train your employees to do the same, and maintain an operating budget for fixing those problems as soon as they start.

Don’t skip the small stuff

Even a minor leak or a small crack can turn into a big headache down the road. Do not skip these small problems; address them promptly to avoid bigger issues at a later date. For example, small cracks in a building’s exterior can quickly become big ones unless they are swiftly identified, sealed, and/or fixed.

Hire help when needed

It’s no failure to recognize that some tasks are best left to the experts in the name of both safety and efficiency. When it’s warranted, hire experienced professionals to help with monitoring, inspections, or maintenance of your building’s shell.

Keep your property looking good

It’s easy to fall into the habit of not keeping up the appearances of an ageing building, and this can deter potential new visitors, partners, customers. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way, as do new windows and other external upgrades, towards creating a more professional and inviting appearance.

Keep these tips in mind when deciding whether to put off new paint jobs or roof repairs for another year. It’s crucial to continuously evaluate the condition of building exteriors and take steps to either repair damage or prevent small issues from becoming major problems. Dedicating time to exterior maintenance will pay off in the long run.

Lynn Creek Bridge rehabilitation complete

Rehabilitation work on the Lynn Creek Bridge in North Vancouver is complete. Renewal work included a new concrete deck, bridge impact protection, bearing replacement and a fresh paint recoat with the iconic “Lions Gate green” colour. The paint will help preserve the steel truss bridge and hide discolouration to keep it looking vibrant.

“People who live or work in North Vancouver have long been frustrated with their commutes,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of State for Infrastructure. “These upgrades to the Lynn Creek Bridge are an important complement to the Lower Lynn Improvements Project and will help improve safety and reliability for people travelling to and from the North Shore, especially during peak times.”

With improvements to the Lynn Creek Bridge complete, four lanes of Highway 1 traffic will shift back onto the structure.

This traffic shift allows crews working on the Lower Lynn Improvements Project to complete the Seymour Parkway westbound on-ramp’s final highway merge location and the tie-in for the third westbound lane under the Mountain Highway Underpass. Construction of the adjoining ramps and connections to Highway 1 will be ongoing with final project completion expected this fall.

“It’s a good day for North Shore commuters with the opening of the reconditioned Lynn Creek Bridge,” said Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour. “The traffic shift will provide better traffic flow and shorten time spent in traffic for people living and working in the area, which is always a welcome relief.”

The $200 million Lower Lynn Improvements Project will improve travel experiences for people and provide better links between municipalities. New merge lanes offer safety improvements reducing the risk of crashes in the area by one-third and increasing travel-time reliability for commuters along the highway. The project also benefits North Shore residents by helping separate regional traffic from local traffic.

The province provided the $6.7-million rehabilitation cost of the Lynn Creek Bridge, which is about one-third the cost of replacing the structure.

Funding for all four phases of the Lower Lynn Improvements Project is being provided by the province ($76.7 million), Government of Canada ($55 million), District of North Vancouver ($57 million) and third parties ($9.2 million), for a total investment of $198 million.

New home regulator charges Ontario developer

Ontario’s Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) has charged Ideal BC Developments Inc. with 10 counts under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act and one count under the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017. This is the first such action by the HCRA, which began operations in February of this year.

Ideal BC Developments is not licensed to sell new homes in Ontario, and the HCRA investigated after receiving complaints that the company had illegally entered into sales agreements.

“Selling new homes without a licence is a serious offence,” says Wendy Moir Acheson, the HCRA’s Chief Executive Officer and Registrar. “Illegal activities can represent high risks – obviously hurting consumers, and also creating an unfair marketplace.”

Ideal BC Developments is charged with 10 counts of alleged illegal vending – entering into an agreement of purchase and sale without a licence and without being registered with Tarion Warranty Corporation. The 11th count is for allegedly failing to produce evidence during a search warrant. The charges relate to freehold properties on Bostwick Crescent in Richmond Hill.

“The HCRA is determined to protect Ontario consumers from illegal and unethical conduct,” Moir Acheson explains. “At the same time, our message to new home buyers is: make sure your builder is licensed with the HCRA before you sign an agreement of purchase and sale.”

To support continuous enhancement of consumer protection and home buyer confidence, the HCRA discloses any charges laid by the registrar. This is an improvement from previous versions of the Ontario Builder Directory, which only displayed convictions. Furthermore, all regulatory activities and enforcement are disclosed on HCRA’s website.

“The Ontario Builder Directory – hosted by the HCRA – is a vital resource for confirming that a builder or vendor is operating legally, as well as providing other background detail to help people make these important decisions”, says Moir Acheson. “We strongly believe that transparency regarding charges is important and helpful for consumers when evaluating and researching a builder.”

BentallGreenOak and RioCan enter new joint venture

BentallGreenOak and RioCan REIT announced they have expanded their strategic partnership with a new joint venture in a three-property portfolio based in Thornhill, Ontario. Comprised of a multifamily rental property (“Pivot”) and two grocery-anchored retail assets, the total sale price of $151.2 million represents a blended cap rate of 4.1 per cent based on in-place, net operating income (“NOI”) for the income-producing retail properties, and stabilized NOI for the residential property.

The joint venture was attained using new investment capital from BentallGreenOak client Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, and the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

“Through our relationship with BentallGreenOak, we are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Sun Life, particularly at this juncture as we accelerate our growth trajectory while market activity rebounds,” said Jonathan Gitlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of RioCan. “The quality of our assets and our established management expertise have laid a strong foundation for our partnership with BentallGreenOak to thrive. We will continue to capitalize on new opportunities as they arise to attract institutional investment and monetize the value that we have created in our portfolio. RioCan’s capital recycling activity provides an extremely effective source of capital to fund value creation initiatives, including future mixed-used developments that generate additional fee income and fortify our balance sheet to set us up for sustainable growth.”

“BentallGreenOak, on behalf of Sun Life, is pleased to have creatively structured a complimentary portfolio deal, in two highly-favoured asset classes, with a likeminded and highly-respected investment manager like RioCan, where outstanding growth, income generation, and sustainable investment performance will be the common pursuit of our partnership,” said Christina Iacoucci, Managing Partner and Canadian Chief Investment Officer for BentallGreenOak. “We are leveraging the strength of our relationships to immediately add high-quality multifamily rental stock in a top market, and two well-positioned, needs-based retail assets to our portfolio, to deliver valuable income-producing assets that are rare finds in today’s real estate market.”

About Pivot

Pivot is RioCan Living’s newly constructed 36-storey residential tower, which is connected to the redeveloped Yonge Sheppard Centre. Featuring 237,000 square feet of retail and 395,000 square feet of office space, residents can shop and work in one well-constructed development. Retail and food service offerings include Longo’s, Winners, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Pivot commenced leasing in December 2020 and is currently around 45 per cent occupied.

Read the official release here: RioCan and BentallGreenOak expand on strategic partnership with agreement to co-invest in a GTA-based portfolio

Investment performance expectations rally in Q2

Multifamily assets are central to improving investment performance expectations during the second quarter of 2021. Recently released results of the REALPAC/Ferguson Partners Canadian Real Estate Sentiment Survey show industry executives in a more upbeat mood than in the spring of 2020, with 70 per cent of respondents indicating market conditions were somewhat or much better than 12 months earlier and 40 per cent suggesting asset values were somewhat or much higher.

Survey respondents plotted their overall level of confidence at 72 on a scale of 100. That’s up significantly from Q2 2020 when the index score was 46. The gap between reality and possible prospects also narrowed dramatically, as respondents gauged their confidence in current (Q2) conditions at 71, versus 73 for future conditions. One year earlier, there was a 29-point spread in the two assessments.

Looking to the future, 73 per cent of respondents expect market conditions will be even better by Q2 2022; 51 per cent foresee an increase in asset values; 30 per cent anticipate greater availability of debt capital; and 60 per cent expect greater availability of equity capital. Only 9 per cent of respondents predict real estate values will be somewhat lower by Q2 2022, while 40 per cent foresee values will remain relatively constant.

That’s a more optimistic perspective than in Q4 2020 when 35 per cent of survey respondents foresaw somewhat or much lower real estate values by year-end 2021. Nearly three quarters of respondents are looking forward to somewhat or much better market conditions over the next 12 months, while only 1 per cent perceive market conditions will be somewhat worse.

Even so, additional insight from more than 50 commercial real estate executives reveals a more uneven assessment. Select unattributed quotes typically convey more favourable endorsements for industrial and multifamily assets than for office and retail, along with projections for a slower post-pandemic rebound in the latter two sectors.

While real estate insiders note that multifamily income yield had slipped over the previous 12 months, investors remain focused on strong market fundamentals. The spectre of renewed immigration activity, college and university students returning to the renters’ marketplace and continued financial barriers to home ownership bolster the mid- to longer-term outlook.

“The apartment sector feels like a tale of two markets. The apartment valuation market is reaching new heights and, at the same time, market apartment earnings are falling. Buyers are seeing a clear path to the under 30-35 cohort returning to the rental market as vaccines roll out. Current weakness is simply attributed to young people waiting out the pandemic at their family’s home. Canada remains in a housing crisis driven by a lack of supply,” one insider observed.

“The resiliency of apartment income, strong fundamentals and favorable borrowing costs all are leading the market to the safety of apartment REIT investments. A demand wave in Q4 is expected to re-energize revenue lines as millennials return to independent living,” another concurred.

Designs for Calgary disability arts venue revealed

Designs for a new $12 million multidisciplinary disability arts venue in Calgary have been unveiled by the National accessArts Centre (NaAC).

Conceptual drawings and plans have been developed by Dialog, a previous collaborator with NaAC. The facility will include an art gallery, cafe, performance venues, and outdoor gathering spaces. A multidisciplinary studio space makes up the heart of the building that will also feature a protected roof terrace, open office administration space for the 46-year-old organization, and a lower terrace that extends the building into an existing plaza ideal for small-scale public gatherings.

“This is a groundbreaking project for Calgary and puts our city on the map for yet another spectacular reason,” said Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu, president and CEO of the NaAC. “Every city has a performing arts centre, a museum, or an art gallery – but Calgary will be the only city with infrastructure dedicated to the needs and talents of artists living with disabilities. Now, Calgary will truly become the national capital of this important, much celebrated element of our arts and culture sector.”

NaAC hopes to secure support through the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program, which can potentially unlock 60 per cent of the project’s eligible costs. When green-lit, the project will move into subsequent phases of development, including the approval process through the City of Calgary which owns the land.

“We are optimistic that the federal government will come on board. This project will not only add jobs through the construction process, but it aligns so perfectly with the sought-after outcomes around green and inclusive infrastructure outlined in this particular funding program,” added Ryu.

According to NaAC, the new building, in addition to the former Scouts Canada building, will realize a vision for a disability arts training and presentation campus – the first of its kind in the world.

Construction is slated to begin later this year.

Planning for Stollery Children’s Hospital begins

Alberta is planning a new stand-alone Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton with more beds and increased access to quality care for kids.

The province announced that Budget 2021 provides up to $1 million to launch capital planning for a potentially larger, dedicated children’s hospital and care space for children and families from the Edmonton area, northern and central Alberta, as well as children from across Western Canada.

A matching $1 million from the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation will help develop the needs assessment, capital cost estimate and business case.

“This project is part of Budget 2021’s historic investment in health care to build smart health infrastructure based on the needs of Albertans and families. I look forward to seeing how a new stand-alone hospital in Edmonton and northern Alberta would offer children the best, most modern health care possible, now and into the future,” said Tyler Shandro, minister of health.

Alberta Health Services will begin by developing a needs assessment for a new children’s hospital, which will review what services the Stollery currently provides and if there are any gaps in services or care. It will also explore options for construction sites around the University of Alberta Hospital and the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences site.

Once the needs assessment is complete, Alberta Infrastructure will hire a consultant to begin developing a business case for the project, which will include how many beds are needed to serve Alberta families into the future and what other services and programs should be included in a new children’s hospital. A high-level cost estimate will also be completed.

The current Stollery Children’s Hospital was built in 2001, with the majority of services and beds located within the University of Alberta Hospital and the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre in Edmonton. More than 40 per cent of children treated at the Stollery are from outside the Edmonton area, with patients coming from northern British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories.

Mandatory COVID-19 vaccines on university campuses: An obvious solution or a problem?

In the United States, more than 600 institutions of higher education are requiring students to be vaccinated to return to campus this fall. In Canada, Seneca College in Ontario is making vaccination mandatory for anyone attending campus. The University of Ottawa and others will require students living on campus to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

The University of Toronto has announced that in addition to requiring vaccination for students living in residence, it will “require students, faculty, staff and librarians who participate in activities that carry a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission to be vaccinated — and require all community members to self-declare their vaccination status” on an online platform. The university will use “anonymous, aggregate data on vaccination status, by campus,” to inform health and safety measures.

As September approaches, more post-secondary institutions will announce how they are managing COVID-19-related decisions.

We are two researchers with an interest in social and structural determinants of health who have been discussing and writing about the pandemic for the last 16 months.

We are involved in research about increasing COVID-19 knowledge and protective behaviours, and reducing pandemic stress among diverse LGBTQ+ and racialized people, and how harm-reduction programs for people who use drugs, and other addiction services and HIV prevention have changed in response to COVID-19.

While one of us is more supportive of mandatory vaccination on campuses — given voluminous evidence for COVID-19 vaccines’ safety and effectiveness — we are both nevertheless concerned about mandatory vaccination.

Avoid “battleground” scenario

Our shared experience in social work, public health and ethics, including sexual health and HIV research, leads us to believe that mandating vaccination can risk turning a highly effective and routine public health intervention into a contentious battleground.

What otherwise might be an everyday health behaviour becomes increasingly loaded with stereotypes and assumptions about political motivations that can divide communities and marginalize individuals and their lived experiences.

Our research has shown us that reasons for engaging in practices often not condoned by health researchers and public health officials — such as sharing drug-using equipment — are often complex. And they often make sense in the context of people’s daily realities.

In the case of people living with HIV and people who use drugs, they often have sophisticated understandings and complex interactions with the healthcare system. These communities often have innovative ideas about how to better meet the needs of their peers.

Mandatory in public sectors?

The great success of COVID-19 vaccines has led to calls to make them mandatory for healthcare workers, for elementary and high-school staff, and in other public sectors.

We have personally followed public health requirements and have been vaccinated. We also recognize that vaccines have been the most impactful public health intervention of the last century. Vaccines save millions of lives every year.

But we also understand that while everyone who lacks antibodies to new coronavirus strains is at risk, the risks of infection, morbidity and mortality are influenced by broader socio-political and economic systems. In this way, COVID-19, like many other infectious diseases that concern public health experts, is rooted in inequity.

Social contexts, inequities

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities among racialized (“visible minority”) communities because of systemic racism in the healthcare system, workplaces, and living conditions.

Communities that experience the brunt of systemic racism and ongoing colonization, including in the healthcare system, may be understandably reluctant or hesitant to get vaccinated. Black and Indigenous communities are navigating especially painful histories with harmful state-sponsored medical interventions.

Engaging these communities about vaccination requires cultural humility and respect.

Some people have medical reasons to not get vaccinated, such as allergies. Others may have religious reasons.

Then there are those considered “anti-vaxxers,” who reject vaccinations despite the evidence for their safety and efficacy.

In Canada, 70 per cent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose. Fifty-six per cent are fully vaccinated.

Risk of infection on campus

We share concerns about the risk of infection on campus and the importance of students getting vaccinated.

We also see rates of vaccination among young people ages 19 to 29 (69 per cent at least one dose, and 46 per cent fully vaccinated) in a positive light, considering they only became eligible recently, and with challenges in the availability of COVID-19 vaccines across Canada. Assuming single doses translate into fully vaccinated, we are left with questions about the remaining 31 per cent.

We consider two possible stances: mandatory vaccination and vaccine promotion.

Mandatory vaccination

In scenario one, post-secondary institutions view the nearly one-third unvaccinated as a threat — to the health and safety of themselves, other students, faculty and staff on campuses.

Putting aside the small subset unable to be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons, we are left with young persons who may be vaccine-hesitant. Or possibly anti-vaccination.

With the rapidly spreading Delta variant, the unvaccinated are at considerable risk for infection, and transmission to others. Clusters of infection increase risks of further mutations. Mandatory vaccinations might be necessary in this case. But is anything owed to the unvaccinated?

As many people return to workplaces, they want flexibility. Many universities adopted online learning platforms. If the unvaccinated are not permitted to attend in-person classes, they should be offered online alternatives.

Concerns that this will breach students’ privacy and open them up to shaming from instructors and classmates need to be addressed. Shaming people for health choices often backfires, sometimes intensifying their beliefs. We imagine online options being extended to all students during this transition period.

Vaccine promotion

Scenario two, vaccine promotion, considers the role our respective universities have played during the pandemic.

Both the University of Toronto and the University of Windsor host vaccine clinics and offer expert advice.

The University of Windsor (UW) does not require students to be vaccinated to return to campus at this time. It is partnering with UW Students’ Alliance and WE-Spark Health Institute to promote vaccination through peer-engagement and accessible information.

The approach means vaccination is made readily available, including on-campus clinics, and students are given time to make the decision about vaccination.

Incentive-based approaches are another option; they may lead some students “on the fence” to be vaccinated, but are unlikely to sway the truly hesitant.

Scenario two creates options for diverse students from across Canada, with different levels of access to COVID-19 vaccines, to return to campus. This approach may be in keeping with the role of universities as bastions of critical debate. As COVID-19 continues to evolve, it will require ongoing vigilance.

Moving forward

In considering a highly consequential policy, we both support dialogue and community engagement, for which our research in Canada and globally has afforded ample evidence. An important way forward is for higher education leaders to consult with students, faculty and staff.

Universities have a short window to be proactive about the fall and winter semesters. They need to consider what a gentler return home for students might look like this time compared to 2020.

Significantly, they should also be considering how they can meaningfully support students, faculty and staff to return and recover from this exceptionally challenging period — one that is not yet over.

Peter A. Newman is a professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. Adrian Guta is an associate professor at the School of Social Work, University of Windsor.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.