B.C. sets up fast lane for construction vaccinations

B.C.’s first COVID-19 vaccine “fast lane” for construction workers are setting up in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health Regions.

“Our workforce has done a phenomenal job of keeping safe during pandemic, and that after a long day on the jobsite it can be hard to prioritize getting your vaccine scheduled when you get home” says Chris Atchison, president of BC Construction Association (BCCA). “We want to make it as easy as possible for workers to keep themselves, their families and their sites safe, and are appreciative of the efforts made by the Fraser and Vancouver Coast Health to accommodate our essential workforce.”

The clinic locations are The Italian Cultural Center (Vancouver), The Christine Sinclair Community Centre (Burnaby), and Abbotsford Ag Rec. No pre-registration is needed. Workers can show up between 1:30 and 4:30pm to get their first dose of vaccine. The dates will be June 24, 25 and 30 as well as July 8 and 9.

BCCA has partnered with the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA), the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), BCCA Employee Benefits Trust (EBT) and the Council of Construction Associations (COCA) to get the word out about the fast-track clinics.

The late-in-the-day, end-of-week timeslots were chosen to make it easier for workers to head from the site to the clinic before they go home, and so they can rest and relax in case of any temporary side effects. The locations in this pilot were selected by the VRCA for their proximity to a high density of workers and work sites.

“We have enormous respect for our workforce and the essential contribution they’ve made to B.C.’s economy by working throughout the pandemic. We want to help them stay healthy and hope that workers who haven’t had the chance to get their first dose yet will take advantage of this fast-track opportunity. We’re making it as easy as we can – just head from your worksite to a participating clinic and get it done,” said Atchison.

Scientists developing LED bulb that emits less blue light

LED lightbulbs offer considerable advantages over other types of lighting, but questions linger over suspected links between health concerns such as fatigue, mood disorders, and insomnia from overexposure to the blue-tinted light produced by standard LED bulbs.

A University of Houston research team led by Jakoah Brgoch, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and principal investigator in the Texas Center for Superconductivity, is developing a LED bulb that emits most of its energy from the safer violet segment of the visible light spectrum.

Instead of just masking the blue light, they are developing a unique class of luminescent materials called phosphors that absorb a violet LED’s single-colour emission and convert the light to cover the majority of the visible spectrum.

“Our group is creating phosphors that operate, not with the conventional blue LED chip that nearly every LED light bulb uses today, but with a violet LED chip. This basically moves away from blue to violet as the base source and then converts the violet LED light into the broad-spectrum white light that we see,” Brgoch explained in a news release. “Our ultimate goal is for this new violet-based bulb to be as energy efficient as possible and also cheap, eventually making new lighting technology marketable to consumers.”

Results of their research were recently published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, a journal of the American Chemical Society.

According to the research team, lamp light looks white because your eyes and brain work together to blend human perception of those separate bands of colour into a white light that may at this moment be illuminating the words you read. Different types of lightbulbs emphasize different parts of the visible spectrum of light.

Engineers at lighting companies manipulate the balance to create a specific ambiance. A little more red yields a warm, mellow white light that is nice in a living room, while cool blue tones give off crisp white light better for office lighting. But outside the laboratory, the LEDs’ tendency toward blue has been hard to avoid.

“Sometimes you recognize it – those are the cheapest LED lightbulbs,” the professor explained. “And then sometimes it looks like a nice warm white light. But even in the most expensive lightbulbs, if it’s based on a blue LED, there is still a significant component of blue light sneaking through.”

Lately scientists have been focusing on how light frequencies affect health.

“With the advent of LED lighting, companies have started trying to understand how humans interact with light and, more importantly, how light interacts with humans,” Brgoch said. “As you sit in your office, the blue hues in your light are a great thing because they help you stay alert. But that same light at night might keep you awake. This is the balance you have to strike. It’s about following a natural circadian cycle without disruption.”

Sleep studies reveal that nighttime overexposure to blue frequencies can alter hormones like melatonin, sometimes leading to insomnia, disturbed sleep cycles, and other problems. Too much blue-light exposure also is suspected in cataract formation. Urban dwellers living amid LED-based street lights, traffic lights, and lighted commercial signs are exposed to more day-and-night LED exposure than suburbanites.

“That’s not to say we should just remove all the blue light from your lightbulbs,” said graduate research assistant Shruti Hariyani, an author of the paper. “You need some of the blue spectrum. It’s not about eliminating the blue, it’s about keeping it to a reasonable level. That’s what we’re seeking with our work.”

Ontario sets 2022 rent increase guideline at 1.2 per cent

Ontario has released its rent increase guideline for 2022, setting it at 1.2 per cent on the heels of the 2021 rent freeze. This number represents the maximum most landlords can raise their tenants’ rent between January 1 and December 31, 2022, without the approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

The rent increase guideline was determined using the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation calculated monthly by Statistics Canada using data that reflects economic conditions over the past year. The guideline applies to most residential rental accommodations covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, and excludes rental units in buildings occupied for the first time after November 15, 2018, social housing units, long-term care homes and commercial properties.

Rent increases are not automatic or mandatory. Landlords may only raise rent if their tenants were given at least 90 days’ written notice using the correct form. In most cases, the rent increase cannot be more than the rent increase guideline. In addition, at least 12 months must have passed since the first day of the tenancy or the last rent increase.

Last year, Ontario passed legislation to freeze rent at the 2020 level for the vast majority of rented units covered under the Residential Tenancies Act as a way to help give Ontarians financial relief from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rent increase freeze will end on December 31, 2021, and landlords wishing to raise rents must send a notice to tenants before the freeze is lifted.

Landlords can also apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for above-guideline rent increases for certain circumstances, including after conducting and paying for major capital work.

More information on the rent increase guideline is available at Ontario’s 2022 Rent Increase Guideline | Ontario Newsroom.

Engineers and Geoscientists B.C. names new CEO

Heidi Yang is the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Engineers and Geoscientists B.C. (EGBC). She succeeds Ann English, who is retiring following eight years with the organization.

Yang has broad-based experience in the regulatory, forestry, and manufacturing sectors. Throughout her 26-year career, she has provided strategic leadership that has enabled her teams to implement effective systems to support innovative and sustainable operations — experience that will be an asset to EGBC as it begins to implement new regulatory processes and obligations introduced by the Professional Governance Act.

“I feel very honoured to be given this opportunity to serve the public in this capacity,” said Yang. “Engineers and Geoscientists BC is embarking on an exciting and important journey towards stronger regulation for a safer British Columbia, and I look forward to continuing to build on its successes in the future.”

Prior to joining the organization, she led engineering operations—including research, project management, product engineering, manufacturing process engineering, and facilities and maintenance engineering—for one of the largest privately-owned window and door manufacturers in Canada. She also held several senior executive roles with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), including one year as their interim CEO, where she led a rigorous business planning process that enhanced APEGA’s ability to deliver on its regulatory mandate and strengthened internal operations. Prior to her time with APEGA, Yang spent 20 years at Weyerhaeuser, providing leadership for the quality management, customer strategies, and operations processes at the Grande Prairie, Alberta plant.

“On behalf of Council, we’re extremely pleased to be welcoming Heidi to our organization,” said Larry Spence, EGBC president. “She is a collaborative leader with a record of building positive workplaces, developing value-added programs, engaging stakeholders, and leading organizations through times of change. I know she will bring forward a strong vision for the future of engineering and geoscience regulation and our collective goal of enhanced public protection.”

B+H Architects grows residential design team

B+H Architects has bolstered its growing residential presence with the recent additions of Macquinn Victoria and Soheil Khosravi Kermani, two senior residential design experts with an extensive portfolio of work across Canada.

Victoria joins B+H’s Toronto studio as a senior associate, bringing with him more than 18 years of cross-sector experience including high and mid-rise residential, hospitality, retail, mixed-use, and office towers. At his previous firm, he collaborated on the design and delivery of several iconic residential developments in Toronto including No.55 Mercer Condos, 8 Wellesley Condos, INDX Condos, and Grid Condos, among many others. Victoria brings leadership in project delivery and technical expertise in the high-rise residential sector.

“I always strive to design and deliver not just residential buildings but spaces where people and communities can thrive,” said Victoria. “I’m extremely excited to join B+H, a team of experts who share the same goal and whose approach to design is grounded in solutions that are thoughtful and built around elevating the human experience.”

Kermani joins B+H’s Vancouver studio as a senior architect with more than 17 years of international experience in planning and design across a broad range of sectors and building typologies including mixed-use developments, residential towers, industrial complexes, and commercial buildings. Kermani’s experience extends to projects throughout British Columbia, including the 603,200 ft² Whalley Gateway mixed-use development in Surrey, the Millennium Northmount mixed-use development in North Vancouver, and the 100 Braid mixed-use development in New Westminster.

“I was drawn to B+H Vancouver’s tailored approach to residential design, one that blends the service of a boutique, locally-rooted design studio supported by the resources of a global practice,” said Kermani. “Working with B+H’s architecture teams, while also leveraging CHIL’s extensive interiors portfolio, provides tremendous opportunity to bring value to the residential market through our integrated offering.”

Indigenous voices hushed in planning processes

Among the estimated 634 First Nation communities across Canada, many continue to be sidelined or completely excluded from initial planning phases of new developments and renovation projects. Other instances of community engagement can be far from authentic, where Indigenous people are often approached with a blanket notion of public consultation.

As every community has their own story to tell and knowledge to share, a one-size-fits-all view can have negative impacts. A group of experts on the topic gathered recently to talk about the future of engagement and creating inclusive spaces. In May, a virtual session at the Interior Design Show’s Spring Conference brought together Indigenous advisors and designers who discussed how to meaningfully include Indigenous voices in the built environment.

“One of the biggest protocol violations is to come to a place that isn’t yours and assume that it is,” says Guy Freedman, president of First People’s Group, adding, “whether you’re Indigenous or not, we still have a duty to consult respectfully with the people whose land we’re going to build on.”

Brian Porter, principal of Two Row Architect, a firm headquartered on Six Nations of the Grand River, south of Hamilton, spoke about oral traditions. “Storytelling is a huge part of what defines our cultures,” he says.

His advice for consultants is, “if you don’t take the time to listen to the stories, you’re really short-changing yourselves; you’re really denying yourself the opportunity to understand the culture—to hear the way it was intended to be passed down, which is orally. You’re denying yourself the richness and diversity and potential that is there with each project.”

As a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Indigenous Task Force, formed in 2016, Porter has been working to promote the idea, “nothing about us without us,” as a way of advancing with capital projects. “The last 200 years, as Indigenous communities, we’ve had little say in what our institutions have looked like,” he says, adding there are few capital projects constructed in communities.

“It’s very, very rare for a school to get built so it’s important to engage the community because, oftentimes, they have aspirations for that structure that might not be apparent to someone who is coming from somewhere else.”

Thinking about remote Indigenous communities, he sees schools as community centres—the funeral home, assembly hall and banquet hall.

“The way for a consultant to understand is to really budget a lot of time in the early process, to hear the community, to understand what their aspirations are for the structure,” he says. “You can’t just go in with a status quo viewpoint. The biggest risk is the structure of a project not reaching its full potential because you haven’t taken the time.”

Building time into the project

Due diligence is often neglected when it comes to involving the right people from the get-go. As Freedman says, “The storytelling has to come from the people who have the stories.” Sometimes, figuring out who needs to “be at the table” happens over longer periods of time.

When setting up early consultation strategies, Porter’s team aims to speak for only five per cent of the meeting and listen to community responses for the remaining time. Reflecting on his experiences, he says sometimes “mainstream consultants” wanting to show their empathy interrupt pauses during the conversations, not appreciating the “cadence and timing” that goes into the process. “They don’t understand those gaps are meaningful, that you have to be patient and you have to wait sometimes,” he says. “They are trained to keep things moving, and everything has to stop and start, and time is valuable, and you have to fill it up with verbiage.”

Ongoing engagement with Indigenous communities

To effectively engage with Indigenous communities, strategies must be continuous—beginning at project conception and following through to schematic design, contract and documents—void of foregone conclusions, says Porter, who “likes nothing better” than taking a group from the community to visit a construction site where they can see their initial ideas that were incorporated into a design, being executed in built form.

“There’s a responsibility,” he says. “You have to be responsive, you have to be transparent, you have to be prepared for the community to not necessarily agree with everything you’re saying, you have to demonstrate sincerity and a willingness to incorporate their ideas and wishes. There’s nothing worse than having an engagement session where there’s really no sincerity on the other side.”

Engaging on multiple platforms

Some people will be more eager to be involved than others. Either way, says Freedman, it is important that somebody is always invited, whether it’s a representative from an urban Indigenous organization or First Nations.

Social media platforms can be an inclusive and effective means of reaching out to communities to see how they’d like to be involved with a project. This could involve a multi-layered approach, such as online, through the community newsletter and a flyer. The key is creating various platforms that suit different comfort levels, being able to “read a room” and listening closely for real information that isn’t always expressed in obvious spaces.

“I’ve been involved in talking circles and sometimes the people aren’t comfortable in those forums,” says Porter. “Sometimes you can get a sense of someone who has an idea, but isn’t comfortable in that platform.”

Beyond tokenism

As new institutions rise, constructing them also means committing to an authentic representation when incorporating interiors that reflect Indigenous culture. “Circles and medicine wheels are important, but they’ve almost kind of become iconic, and they get applied fairly liberally as a way of indigenating,” says Porter. “I would encourage consultants to think more about values than representation.”

A few values are sustainability, biodiversity, stewardship of the land and planning for the seventh generation. “These are world views we’ve had for 30,000 years, so it’s nice to see mainstream architecture and design inch closer to the world view we’ve had for so long.”

Projects are becoming more interdisciplinary, he adds — with early involvement from landscape architects, arborists and civil engineers who, together, bring a more “holistic” view to a project. The mass timber movement, underway province-wide, spotlights an inherently sustainable material that also speaks to Indigenous values. “When you think about our brothers and sisters on the West Coast who, when they felled a cedar tree, used every piece of that cedar tree,” he says, calling on firms to approach resource extraction from a similar perspective and more broadly defining indigenization.

System shifts

Talking with people upon whose territory a building will rise will guide the design of a structure more deeply than just adding “Indigenous flavour,” Freedman says.

He works on three principles: symbolism, substantive and systemic. “Reconciliation is about changing the way universities operate, changing the way hospitals operate, changing the way government operates,” he says. “You can’t have systems change if you don’t have substantive changes that go along with symbolism.”

Looking at the educational system, Porter stresses that post-secondary schools and architectural programs also need to step up and do a better job at teaching traditional Indigenous values. “The way I was trained in university was very foreign from the way that I thought,” says Porter, thinking back to his time as a student when ideas about devising space were more hierarchical, compared to the Indigenous view where “everyone is on an equal footing.”

For anyone planning a project, Porter’s advice is to be unafraid and honest. “I remember at one time I was doing some work in Northern Ontario and we were going into a community consultation and I was with some suits and ties from Toronto,” he says. “They stopped at a gas station about 10 miles from the community and changed into work boots, blue jeans and red plaid shirts—trying to fit in.

“I was really offended that they chose to put on this costume, and the consultation didn’t go very well; the group could sense this was kind of staged. It’s not the way to do it.”

The best consultations, he says, are “comprehensive, well-staged, well-communicated.” This makes for a more successful and cost-effective project that ends up being a “complete representation of the community—more beautiful, less toxic.”

Nova Scotia invests in tourism recovery

Operators of tourist-friendly spaces across Nova Scotia will be on the receiving end of a $18.2-million restart package as part of the province’s phased reopening strategy.

The tourism industry lost $1.6 billion in revenue in 2020. The government relief, announced yesterday, features two new grant programs, marketing support, more outdoor public attractions, and free admission to 28 sites, including provincial museums and art galleries.

“We want Nova Scotians and visitors to choose to spend their vacation time and dollars here,” said Labi Kousoulis, minister of inclusive economic growth and minister responsible for Tourism Nova Scotia. “We’ve worked with the sector and developed a restart package that will re-energize communities and help our operators prepare to open their doors and attract customers to the many unique experiences that Nova Scotia has to offer.”

Grant programs for Nova Scotia operators

The Tourism Accommodations Restart Customer Attraction Program will help registered tourism accommodations develop and implement tailored marketing activities to encourage overnight stays. Eligible operators will receive a grant of $1,000 per room for the first 10 rooms and $500 per room for each additional room.

The Small Tourism Operators Restart Program will offer a one-time grant payment of $5,000 to help tourism businesses that were affected by COVID-19 restrictions but were not eligible for earlier provincial programs. The grant will help operators with advertising and other restart expenses such as purchasing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies.

Applications for both programs open June 23.

The province will also invest $3 million this year in its marketing campaigns, designed to attract visitors through television advertising, videos, radio spots, social media, billboards, display ads and search marketing tactics.

Photo by Matt Williams from Pexels

Facilities get COVID funding boost across eastern Ontario

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing more than $22.2 million into public infrastructure upgrades across eastern Ontario to protect the health and well-being of residents in 130 municipalities.

Funding will improve and protect municipal buildings such as town centres and emergency and healthcare facilities. Additional investments will rehabilitate recreational and community infrastructure, and include improvements to local trail and pedestrian path systems. These investments will provide thousands of residents with access to modern recreational infrastructure where they can safely maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

In Kingston, upgrades at the Rideaucrest Long-term Care Facility will improve building accessibility and resident safety by revamping the facility’s washrooms and elevators. Funding will also support the replacement of play structures in four city parks for safe and reliable recreational infrastructure.

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson said the investments will be “super important” as the city considers how it will recover from the pandemic.

Canada is investing more than $17.7 million through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. Ontario is contributing more than $4.4 million.

Jesta Group unveils massive mixed-use development in Old Montreal

A new one-million-square-foot mixed-use development is coming to Old Montréal from the family-owned developer, Jesta Group. The project will be transformational for the neighbourhood, featuring modern rental housing, vibrant retail, a Hyatt Centric hotel, and state-of-the-art office space with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada already on board with a ten-year lease. At thw heart of the new development will be a 36,000 square-foot pedestrian courtyard anchored by the iconic Château Viger.

Jesta Group acquired Gare Viger in 2012 and has been working closely with government authorities, local stakeholders and industry leading specialists to create an architectural landmark that celebrates the rich history of the site and promotes its future as a hub for innovation and creativity.

Place Gare Viger is being built with a focus on health, access to nature and strength of community. From indoor air quality to touchless entries, to abundant vegetation and enhanced amenities for both work-from-home residents and office tenants, the project has been designed to deliver on post-pandemic needs.

“We are very excited to build the next chapter of our growth in Canada in this progressive mixed-use project at the heart of Old Montréal,” says Christian Macher, President, Novartis, Canada. “This location will position us closer to our partners, potential collaborators of all kinds, as well as new talent in a space that will be conducive to entrepreneurial thinking, inspiring innovation and co-creating solutions-oriented ideas with patients and customers in mind.”

Meanwhile, Jesta Group plans to open Hyatt Centric Montréal, which will be the first of its kind in Canada. “We are very pleased to announce the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Canada in this iconic development in the heart of Old Montréal,” said Scott Richer, Hyatt’s vice president of development, Canada. “The Hyatt Centric brand is perfectly aligned with the forward-thinking vision of Place Gare Viger.”

The hotel will include 177 guest rooms, 4,500 square feet of banquet space, a rooftop pool and bar with unobstructed 360° views and a destination restaurant that will be run by a pillar from the local restaurant industry, the Burgundy Lion Group.

“Our vision at Jesta Group has always been to create a fully integrated urban campus for the future of work, live and play. We are ecstatic that our vision has resonated so strongly with the business community. We look forward to welcoming Novartis, supporting Lightspeed’s continued growth and delivering an exceptional hotel experience with Hyatt at Place Gare Viger,” said Anthony O’Brien, Jesta Group’s Senior Managing Director.

Alectra to open new 400-employee operations centre in Brampton

Canada’s largest municipally-owned electric utility, Alectra Utilities, has chosen Brampton, Ont., as the location of their new sustainable operations centre.

Within one kilometre of Alectra’s new location, at 200 Kennedy Road South, are 78 businesses in the retail sector and 55 in accommodation and food services.

In bringing 400 employees to the area – two and a half times the number of jobs at the current site – Brampton’s retail and food businesses near the operations centre will get an economic boost, supporting the city’s local recovery and growth in the future. Ground will break this August, with the project completed by August 2023.

“This new building will not only improve our service levels for customers across the Region of Peel, it will also help us along our journey to become net-zero by 2050,” says James Macumber, vice president, supply chain, Alectra Utilities.

The new facility will be built to LEED Gold. Proposed features include:

upgraded dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) – reducing GHG emissions by approximately 43 per cent beyond LEED Gold standards;
500KW in rooftop solar power generation – over 800 MWh/year of renewable energy will help meet building power requirements;
more than 30 electric vehicle charging stations to be installed and used by Alectra fleet vehicles, employees, and the general public.

Brampton celebrated its first LEED-certified facility back in 2015 with DHL, a global logistics company, achieving the designation at its DHL Express Headquarters.

Selecting workstations for post-COVID re-entry

One invaluable lesson from COVID-19 is to seek out workplace solutions that meet multiple needs. Another is to make sure those solutions empower workers to work how they want in order to be most productive and happy. With this in mind, here are three considerations for selecting and specifying the right workstations for today.

Allow for safety, personal space and collaboration

Designing a workplace today is a balancing act. It must effectively account for social distancing requirements while also recognizing the need for interaction and collaboration. Zoom and videoconferencing can keep teams connected and on-task. That said, nothing can replace the creativity, innovation and organizational culture that springs from in-person interactions. Providing spaces that allow for that activity is inherently important.

For instance, reimagine the traditional conference room. Removing the big executive table and replacing it with mobile, individual tables easily achieves social distancing and enables teammates to fully connect with one another in an in-person setting.

In environments where workers sit side-by-side, dividers are a great solution to increase worker confidence in an open office. For ultimate flexibility and safety, portable slide dividers can be an excellent option. These products easily slip on or off a desk surface, offering privacy and protection between co-workers when needed. Lightweight and portable, they can be carried to other office spaces, such as conference rooms, break rooms or eating areas. This is a simple solution when people need to come together in a common area, but also adhere to safety measures.

Another consideration: Mobile, single-person workstations. This solution enables workers to “grab and go,” – taking their desks where they need it, when they need it. Workers can easily move to a safe or isolated area, creating separation from their co-workers.

Allow for standard and customization options

Standard workstation products still have their place in today’s modern office. But safety modifications are now essential for providing enhanced confidence for workers. For workers consigned to a fixed workstation and unable to choose their own work location, it’s important to provide them with the power of choice. Workers who have the ability to choose or customize their workstations the way they want are often happier and more productive. An example of a customized option is a height-adjustable table and an adjustable monitor arm.

This dual solution provides better ergonomics. Research shows that standing and changing posture throughout the day brings multiple health benefits, including increased cognitive stimulation.

Many height-adjustable tables have memory-setting features and are available in custom sizes and finish options. These customization features can provide a greater level of personalization and empowerment. Accessory items, such as ambient lighting and personal storage units, can also be added to further help workers utilize the products that work best for them.

Creating personal workspace “enclaves” or “phone booths” is another option. These semi-private, individual spaces can be an exceptional alternative for workers who need a place to retreat from their assigned stationary workstation for either safety or uninterrupted work.

Allow for individual home work environment needs

Employers have had to adapt to their employees working from home during the pandemic. Numerous organizations are now embracing a flexible workforce schedule to manage the number of employees in the office at one time. Additionally, many employees are requesting to work on a hybrid schedule – they want a balance between working at home and having a presence in the office.

Employers seeking to accommodate this new reality need to equip their staff with the appropriate workplace resources to support and optimize their work. Providing employees with a variety of workstation options that best suit their unique, individual home-based workplace environment is key. For example, a worker in an apartment with limited space might benefit from a mobile, highly durable table. Alternatively, a worker with a dedicated home office, which may have ample space available, might benefit from a slightly larger height-adjustable desk. Allowing at-home workers to choose what works best for them in their own home is ideal – whether that’s a mobile, adaptable or fixed workplace solution.

Libby Ferin is the vice-president of marketing for Innovative Ergonomic Solutions, a collection of workspace furnishings companies. Committed to growth and excellence, IES is making a lasting impact on the global landscape of ergonomics. More information is SISErgo.com and HATContract.com.

Photo by Marc Mueller from Pexels

Toronto office workers inform recovery plans

Survey results indicate downtown Toronto office workers primarily rely on public health advisories to guide their pandemic-related workplace choices and commuting decisions. Respondents overwhelmingly ranked public health authorities as their preferred source of information on when and how to return to their offices, but employers, the City of Toronto and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) also emerged as influencers among 12 identified resources.

The Toronto Region Board of Trade commissioned the Nanos survey as part of its ongoing research into COVID-19’s impact on various business districts and sectors. The Board’s data and research arm has released a series of reports tracking and analyzing economic performance throughout the past 16 months and particularly focusing on three zones — the financial district, the Pearson employment area and Scarborough centre — to draw lessons about functioning through a crisis.

“Understanding how we survived — and in some cases thrived — during the pandemic is key to understanding how we will recover,” says Jan De Silva, president and chief executive officer of the Toronto Board of Trade. “What we are about to experience is not a single recovery. It is going to be a series of recoveries. And each requires a different plan to lift up businesses, its workers, and acknowledge the very different challenges that each has faced.”

Based on survey findings, downtown commercial landlords are beginning that process with a tenant base that generally looks favourably on the area and their experiences within it. Just 76 or 15 per cent of the 506 workers who were surveyed during the week of Jan. 29 to Feb. 5 stated that the prospect of returning downtown made them uncomfortable. A greater share, 64 per cent, reported that they were comfortable with the idea, while 19 per cent were neutral on the question.

At the time, when the Greater Toronto Area was in the throes of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, 24 per cent of respondents were working downtime fulltime and another 15 per cent were splitting work hours between remote and downtown locations. Only about 45 of the survey participants (9 per cent) were temporarily laid off due to the pandemic, while 268 (53 per cent) were working fulltime from remote locations.

Retail workers made up the smallest quotient of survey respondents, at just 5 per cent, while the unspecified “other” category actually accounted for as many downtown workers as retail and hospitality combined. Hospitality workers, representing about 7 per cent of respondents, recorded the highest level of comfort with downtown environs — at an average of 8.4 out of 10. A much larger group of office workers, accounting for more than three quarters of respondents, scored their comfort level at an average of 6.8 out of 10.

Millennials and Gen-Xers aged 35 to 54 were somewhat more comfortable with the downtown milieu — reporting an average comfort level of 7.4 — than their younger or older confreres. Results also differentiated along gender lines, with women delivering an average score of 6.6 and men pegging their comfort level at 7.2.

Clear messaging on public health safeguards and risks required

Across the entire survey base, respondents were more likely to cite traffic (13.1 per cent) than COVID-19 (11.8 per cent) as a negative aspect of working downtown. That’s even though only 17 per cent travel to work via automobile. The vast majority, 57 per cent, commutes on public transit, but 24 per cent walk or cycle.

However, within the cohort voicing discomfort with the downtown, COVID-19 was the overwhelming major factor. More than 56 per cent expressed concern about exposure, with a lower tally of complaints about crowds (14.6 per cent) and commuting issues (12.2 per cent).

“Downtown Toronto workers who feel comfortable working downtown most often say they enjoy the area and like big cities, or they live downtown and find it convenient. Those who do not feel comfortable most often say it’s because they are concerned about COVID-19 and catching the virus,” Nanos analysts observe.

More than 80 per cent of respondents tied their current or eventual return downtown to having confidence that health risks are low and under control in their workplaces and points along the way. Notably, nearly 60 per cent of surveyed office workers typically travel on public transit — an even larger percentage than in the overall survey base. In addition, they want employers to convey information and assurances about newly implemented public health measures, as well as clarity about rules and consequences for breaking them.

“Downtown Toronto workers most often say they want to know that it is safe and what safety measures are put in place when they return to work downtown, followed by what protocols to follow and the COVID-19 case counts,” Nanos analysts reiterate.

Public health authorities are resoundingly regarded as apt purveyors of guidance on returning to downtown workplaces. Nearly 75 per cent of respondent ranked public health officials as one of their top two sources of information, and more than 88 per cent placed them in their top three.

Interestingly, although just 1.2 per cent of respondents viewed BOMA as their top source of information on the topic, nearly 93 per cent ranked it second to fourth among the options. In contrast, 2.6 per cent of respondents included the federal/provincial governments in their lists of the four most preferred sources of information and 1.3 per cent named the media.

GBAC Fundamentals course enhanced for 2021

The GBAC Fundamentals online course 2.0 is now available via GBAC Academy, an online learning portal for cleaning professionals from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™, (GBAC), a Division of ISSA.

The GBAC Fundamentals course is specifically designed for cleaning workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus fight.

The course includes three new learning objectives: understanding how to clean and disinfect for infectious diseases in the workplace, identifying tools and processes for successful cleaning and disinfection, and applying the proper procedures. New modules include COVID-19 Updates, Risk Assessment Basics, Cleaning, Disinfecting, and New Tools and Equipment. ISSA members enjoy a discounted rate of US$150 while nonmembers can purchase the course for $300.

Those who complete the course within 30 days of enrolment will receive a Certificate of Completion from GBAC and be able to use the title GBAC-Trained Technician to promote their expertise.

RELATED: Celebrating one year of GBAC STAR accreditation

“This course gives attendees the necessary knowledge and tools help facilities adequately prepare for, respond to, and recover from biohazards,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “With more GBAC-Trained Technicians supporting organizations around the world, we can better handle today’s and tomorrow’s contamination threats and uphold public health and safety.”

“With more than a year of learning and cleaning and disinfecting against SARS-CoV-2 under our instructors’ belts, we are excited to share best practices that will help participants effectively manage infectious disease risks,” said GBAC Academy Education Manager Melissa Wernersbach. “GBAC-Trained Technicians are essential during an outbreak or pandemic and can differentiate themselves through completion of this essential course.”

MediaEdge is a proud reseller of the GBAC STAR and GBAC fundamentals online course.

Commercial facility owners looking for GBAC STAR accreditation can follow the link here.
Please click here to register for the GBAC fundamentals online course and receive a discount off normal prices.

For additional program details and information, please email [email protected] or contact him at (416) 803-4653.

Pending registration lien frustration

A new land titles registration process is causing grief for all those involved with builders’ liens.

Effective April 1, 2021 the process for all land titles registrations in Alberta underwent significant changes as part of Provincial government efforts at Red Tape Reduction. Section 14.1 of the Land Titles Act creates a “pending registration queue.” Builders’ liens are no longer registered on the day they are submitted (contrary to past practice). However, registrations are guaranteed priority based on the date of submission; i.e. a lien will apparently be accepted for registration based on the date of submission, even if the lien period expires between submission and registration.

Searches of title show any pending registrations. The Registrar no longer provides confirmation of registration; repeated searches of title are required to determine when registration is completed. There are various publications from the Law Society of Alberta and Service Alberta that provide more detailed background and explanation.

At the time of writing, there is a lag of about a month between submission and registration of an instrument in the queue. The implementation of the pending registration queue is causing unintended problems for lien claimants and those affected by lien claims alike.

A lien submitted for registration on time might still be “pending” when the lien period expires, leaving lien claimants uncertain if their lien will be accepted for registration. (All those who deal with liens a lot know that rejections occur unexpectedly from time-to-time, for various reasons.)

In place of a notice of rejection, the Registrar may now issue a notice of deficiency. The lien claimant who receives such a notice has 30 days to correct the deficiency and resubmit the document to retain their priority based on the original date of submission. Sounds good, right? But the Registrar will still reject an instrument submitted for registration if the “defects are such that they cannot reasonably be corrected.” It remains to be seen how this will be interpreted by the Registrar. Will an error in the land description, for example, be considered correctible? We used to get notices of rejection on the same day the lien was submitted, allowing time (in most cases) for a statement of lien to be corrected and resubmitted before the expiry of the lien period.

These changes undermine our ability to discharge liens on an expedited basis, as required to prevent disruptions in project financing. The normal process to discharge liens quickly is to apply to court pursuant to s. 48 of the Builders’ Lien Act, often with the consent of the lien claimant, for an order permitting alternate security to be paid into court. However, there is no mechanism to discharge a lien while it is in the pending registration queue. Cautious construction owners and lenders may suspend payment based on the fact that a lien is submitted, and now the parties have to await registration before they can apply to court for an expeditious(?) discharge. This has the potential to significantly disrupt timely payments on construction projects (quite contrary to other Alberta government initiatives to promote prompt payment in the construction industry).

The above are some of the more obvious problems, but the “pending registration queue” is incompatible with the Builders’ Lien Act in other ways. There are various procedures and requirements – not to mention legal rights – triggered by the registration of a lien. For example, section 21 allows the owner to release the major lien holdback 45 days after a certificate of substantial performance is issued, provided that no lien has been registered. But what if a lien is in the queue?

The recent amendments to the Land Titles Act do not contemplate or integrate with the Builder’s Lien Act. Differing interpretations of the legislative gaps are bound to lead to disputes.

Corbin Devlin is partner at McLennan Ross LLP in Edmonton.

This article is reprinted with permission. It was originally published in the Alberta Construction Law Blog.

Herman Miller acquires Knoll for $1.8 billion

Herman Miller will acquire Knoll for $1.8 billion. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the the companies’ boards of directors, is expected to close by the end of 2021.

Upon completion of the transaction, Herman Miller shareholders will own approximately 78 per cent of the combined company and Knoll shareholders will own approximately 22 per cent.

“This transaction brings together two pioneering icons of design with strong businesses, attractive portfolios and long histories of innovation,” said Andi Owen, president and CEO of Herman Miller. “As distributed working models become the new normal for companies, businesses are reimagining the office to foster collaboration, culture and focused work, while supporting a growing remote employee base. At the same time, consumers are making significant investments in their homes. With a broad portfolio, global footprint and advanced digital capabilities, we will be poised to meet our customers everywhere they live and work.”

The merger of the two office furniture leaders will create a broader product portfolio, and will enhance scale and capabilities to drive growth and profitability.

Following the close of the transaction, Owen will serve as president and CEO of the combined company. Andrew Cogan, Knoll chairman and CEO, plans to depart the combined company upon closing of the transaction after a successful 30-year career with Knoll, during which time Knoll received the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

“I want to thank Andrew for his partnership in reaching this agreement and recognize his outstanding dedication to Knoll during its many years of success,” said Owen. “Knoll thrives today as a result of Andrew’s dedication to its founders’ commitment to good design. We look forward to welcoming Knoll’s incredibly talented team.”

Cleaning product prices on the rise

The cleaning industry may need to brace itself for increases in a variety of cleaning product prices.

That’s according to Gretchen Friedrich of large-scale distributor-membership organization AFFLINK, who notes that “we are already starting to see the costs of some products used in professional cleaning going up.”

Friedrich explains that a key reason is the fact that resin, used to make the plastics involved in many a cleaning product, is in short supply around the world. That shortage is due in part to the February freeze earlier this year in Texas which brought the world’s largest petrochemical complex to a standstill, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As the economy looks to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic, there is greater demand for products made from resin.

Friedrich suggests that as a result of the shortened supply and increased demand, the price of certain types of cleaning product and associated items may increase significantly, including trash liners and trash cans, one- and five-gallon containers used to package cleaning solutions, plastic spray bottles, and cleaning equipment encased in plastic.

“Polyethylene, polypropylene, and other resin-based compounds are used as casing on lots of cleaning equipment. This means these machines may go up in price,” Friedrich says.

To combat any such price increases, Friedrich encourages companies and service providers to maintain a good working relationship with distributors who may be able to suggest ways to cut costs, purchase in bulk, and hold their nerve as some initial price increases may fall again in the months to come.

WiredScore introduces multifamily certification

WiredScore, a third-party certifier of digital connectivity in commercial buildings, is launching a similar program for the North American multifamily sector. This follows an earlier rollout in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where more than 30,000 units of housing are now WiredScore rated.

Starlight Investments and KingSett Capital are identified as two Canadian landlords that have signed on, along with some prominent American players such as Hines, GreyStar, John Buck and Rabina. The North American launch occurs in tandem with release of a tenants’ sentiment survey, which finds that renters increasingly view internet services as a utility comparable in importance to gas or electricity.

Nearly half of survey respondents affirm that access to high-speed internet is essential to enable them to work from home. Meanwhile, 80 per cent of respondents report frequent issues with WiFi connection and 48 per cent say they would not have rented their current apartment if they had been aware of the poor connectivity.