Vacant dwellings yield revenue gains for B.C.

Nearly 7,600 British Columbia property owners were tapped to pay a tax surcharge on vacant dwellings in 2019, garnering more than $88 million that the provincial government has pledged to invest in affordable housing. Recently released data for the second year of speculation and vacancy tax (SVT) collection shows a 32 per cent drop in mandated SVT ratepayers since the inaugural 2018 levy, but a 29 per cent gain in revenue with the implementation of a higher tax rate, of 2 per cent, on foreign property owners and so-called satellite families that earn the greatest share of their annual income outside Canada.

More than 1.4 million property holders in five designated regions — Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Central Okanagan, Fraser Valley and Nanaimo — submitted required information about the occupancy status of their residential properties. Just 0.1 per cent of those declarants were levied the SVT surcharge on vacant properties that did not meet any of the more than ten criteria for exemption.

“The 2019 declaration data and reports from organizations like the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation show an increasing number of properties are being repurposed as long-term rentals. This change in behaviour, and the tax continuing to capture speculators while exempting almost all British Columbians, shows this tax is working for the people of our province,” submits Selina Robinson, B.C. Minister of Finance.

Nearly 360,000 property owners reported tenants in their residential dwellings — an increase of more than 5,000 from 2018. Another 3,496 vacant dwellings were new inventory about to come onto the market for the first time — an increase from the 2,993 properties receiving SVT exemptions for that reason in 2018.

Together, foreign owners and satellite families paid nearly $61 million in SVT, contributing almost 69 per cent of collected revenue. They were most likely to be levied on condominiums located in Metro Vancouver and pay a SVT surcharge upwards of six times greater than resident British Columbians who were charged SVT at a rate of 0.5 per cent of the assessed value of their vacant residential properties.

Resident British Columbians own the largest share of vacant dwellings subject to the SVT surcharge, at 30 per cent, but account for just 6.6 per cent of collected revenue. Corporations, trusts and partnerships — lumped into the “other” category of ownership — own 1.9 per cent of vacant dwellings, but paid 5 per cent of collected SVT. Nearly 14 per cent of those liable, collectively paying $12.3 million, are categorized as undeclared owners.

About 3,600 fewer property owners paid the SVT surcharge in 2019 than in the previous year, with the most significant decrease was seen among foreign owners and satellite families. Notably, 1,413 foreign owners sold their vacant properties, while 1,205 installed tenants.

In 2019, satellite families paid an average of $16,879 per 1,579 properties; foreign owners paid an average of $16,192 per 2,104 properties; and resident British Columbians paid an average of $2,515 per 2,287 vacant dwellings. The “other” category of ownership paid the highest average SVT at $30,859 per 142 properties.

Like resident British Columbians, resident Canadians based in other provinces/territories were taxed at a rate of 0.5 per cent of assessed value. That averaged $3,442 per 1,483 properties, resulting in $5.8 million of SVT.

SVT was levied on 3,145 condominium units, 1,863 detached homes, 726 townhouses and 118 other dwelling types, including duplexes and semi-detached homes. Resident British Columbians typically hold lower-valued properties, pegged at an average of $983,000, while satellite families and foreign owners paid SVT on vacant dwellings with an average value in the $1.18- to $1.2-million range.

Vacant dwellings in Metro Vancouver generated $63 million or more than 71 per cent of SVT revenue, with foreign owners and satellite families in the five municipalities of Vancouver, Richmond, West Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey paying $44.5 million or more than half of all SVT collected in 2019. In contrast, Nanaimo accounted for just $802,426 or 0.9 per cent of SVT levied.

Meanwhile, Kelowna and West Kelowna stand out for the number of resident Canadians from outside B.C. absorbing the SVT surcharge. They outnumbered foreign owners’ and satellite families’ share of vacant residential properties by more than four to one in the Central Okanagan region. Canadian citizens and permanent residents from other provinces paid $1.3 million of the roughly $2.7 million of SVT collected Kelowna and $741,000 of $1.4 million of SVT collected in West Kelowna.

2021 video surveillance and security trends

Eagle Eye Networks, a leader in smart cloud video security, has identified the trends that will have the biggest impact on video surveillance, security, and use of analytics to drive business intelligence and improvement in 2021.

“A number of factors are driving the video surveillance trends in 2021,” said Hans Kahler, vice president of Operations at Eagle Eye Networks. “Combine the promise of AI and cloud video surveillance with the volatility, instability, and remote work environment of 2020 and we have an environment where people are looking for their video surveillance and security systems to deliver more business value than ever before. The acceleration of cloud adoption and use of analytics to provide improved security and drive business improvement will make 2021 a transformative year for the industry.”

Video Surveillance and Security Trends for 2021:

Customers are Asking for Cloud: The shift to the benefits of cloud in the video surveillance space are powerful and undeniable, including major cost savings, heightened data security, remote access and maintenance, flexible storage and retention, scalability, increased stability, and disaster recovery.
Analytics and AI Turn Security Systems into Business Solutions: Video surveillance systems are not just for security anymore, they’re also a valuable tool for business intelligence (BI). While AI has been talked about for several years, its deployment has lagged. This year, we’ll see AI move from the lab to practical adoption.
Compliance Requirements are Constantly Evolving: As video surveillance becomes a more widely adopted tool across industries and continents and more industries are using video for compliance purposes, regulating its use is becoming more prevalent.
IT Departments More Engaged and Owning Video Surveillance: IT leaders have not only gotten involved in the video management system, they’re actually owning it. As part of their IT strategy, corporations are leveraging video for business process improvement while reducing unnecessary operational overhead.
Demand for Open, Integrated Systems: An open and connected ecosystem makes it possible for businesses and developers to integrate any number of applications on a single video management system (VMS) platform. The platform handles all the heavy lifting of interfacing with the cameras, recording video, securely transmitting and storing video to the cloud, and making video available for use in the integrated applications. The days of vendors “locking” users into their cameras or touting “hybrid” systems (which require upgrades to vendor hardware to get new features) will not be accepted.

InterRent and Crestpoint acquire large Vancouver portfolio

InterRent REIT and Crestpoint Real Estate Investments Ltd. announced that they have entered into agreements to acquire a large Vancouver portfolio consisting of 15 properties for a purchase price of $292.5 million.

Under the arrangements, InterRent and Crestpoint will each own a 50 per cent interest in the portfolio. InterRent will oversee property management services at the buildings and collect industry standard fees. The acquisition will be financed with a combination of cash and new short-term debt of approximately $190.1 million.

“We are thrilled to enter the Vancouver market, with scale, through the acquisition of this institutional-quality portfolio that is extremely well-located,” said Mike McGahan, CEO of InterRent. “The Vancouver rental market continues to exhibit strong, sustainable market fundamentals, with exposure to a growing tech sector. We look forward to enhancing these properties with our best-in-class management platform, customer service and community-focused approach. This is a market we have targeted for a long time. We are very pleased to partner with a best-in-class team like Crestpoint for this portfolio.”

In addition to the expanding tech sector and its associated demand for multifamily housing in Vancouver, the Canadian government announced increases to the national immigration targets on October 30, 2020. These updated targets represent an increase of 50,000 additional permanent residents per year for 2021 and 2022. InterRent Management believes that Vancouver will continue to receive a disproportionately large share of immigrants moving to Canada.

The newly acquired Vancouver portfolio consists of 15 properties from six vendors, comprising a total of 614 residential suites. Nine of the properties are concrete mid-rise apartments and six are wood frame. The properties are in premium locations in the Metro Vancouver submarkets of the West End, Kitsilano/Point Grey, Marpole, and South Granville, offering superior walkability, access to transit, major employment, recreational amenities, universities, and downtown Vancouver (see map of properties on following page).

“The multifamily space has been an area of interest for Crestpoint and to enter this sector for the first time through a well diversified portfolio in one of the most sought after cities in the world is a tremendous opportunity,” added Kevin Leon, President and founder of Crestpoint. “There is a real benefit to combining forces with a highly reputable, experienced operator like InterRent, and the addition of these assets should provide long term benefits to Crestpoint’s growing portfolio while providing a springboard to accumulate numerous properties in the multifamily sector, across Canada.”

EllisDon selected for Royal Columbian Hospital

Fraser Health and EllisDon have signed a design build agreement for phase two and a construction management agreement for phase three of the Royal Columbian Hospital redevelopment project.

“This next important step in the redevelopment project ensures that the region’s fast-growing population is closer to accessing an expanded and upgraded Royal Columbian Hospital,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The hospital is the oldest and one of the busiest in B.C., and our government is committed to making sure people can access the health-care services they need in a state-of-the-art facility.”

Design, geotechnical work, pre-construction work and abatement work in preparation for the demolition of several older hospital buildings at the site is underway at Royal Columbian Hospital. Excavation will begin for an interim support building that will house the hospital’s support services during construction, with excavation for a new acute care tower to begin in early 2021. Phase two construction is expected to complete in early 2025.

The Royal Columbian Hospital redevelopment is a multi-year project occurring in three phases which will transform almost every part of the hospital.

Phase one delivered a new 75-bed Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre which opened in summer 2020, and prepared the hospital’s infrastructure for the expansion in bed capacity coming in phase two.

Phase two will create a new acute care tower with more beds for intensive care, cardiac intensive care, medicine and surgical patients, with most in single-patient private rooms. There will also be a new, larger emergency department with a medical imaging unit. In addition, phase two will provide more maternity beds and maternity operating rooms. The new acute care tower also includes a two-level underground parkade, a new main entrance and a rooftop helipad.

Phase three of the redevelopment project will upgrade and expand areas in the existing Health Care Centre and Columbia tower to support the beds and services added in phase two. Phase three is projected to start in 2023 and complete in 2026.

By the end of the redevelopment project, the hospital will have added 50 per cent more beds to 675 from 446.

Protecting outdoor maintenance employees in the cold

The days might be getting longer again, but for much of Canada and the United States, the winter weather is only just getting started. The cold temperatures often reach their most intense in January and February, and that poses a real threat to outdoor maintenance workers, whether that is construction workers, exterior cleaners, snow removal, or any other of the numerous roles required in building maintenance.

Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers tips on how employers can protect their outdoor maintenance staff during the coldest months of the year.

Preparedness

Outdoor maintenance work requires proper preparation, especially in severe winter weather conditions. Although OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers working in cold environments, employers have a responsibility to provide workers with employment and a place of employment that are free from recognized hazards, including winter weather-related hazards, which are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to them. Employers should, therefore, train workers on the hazards of the job and safety measures to use, such as engineering controls and safe work practices, that will protect workers’ safety and health.

Employers should:

Train workers
Provide engineering controls
Implement safe work practices
Consider protective clothing that provides warmth
Dressing properly for the cold
Safety tips for workers

Employers must train workers

At a minimum, employers should train outdoor maintenance workers on:

How to recognize the symptoms of cold stress, prevent cold stress injuries and illnesses; the importance of self-monitoring and monitoring coworkers for symptoms
First aid and how to call for additional medical assistance in an emergency
How to select proper clothing for cold, wet, and windy conditions
Other winter weather-related hazards that workers may be exposed to, for example, slippery roads and surfaces, windy conditions, and downed power lines; and how to recognize these hazards
Protect workers via engineering controls, safe work practices, and proper selection of equipment, including personal protective equipment

Employers should provide engineering controls

Engineering controls can be effective in reducing the risk of cold stress. For example, radiant heaters may be used to warm workplaces like outdoor security stations. If possible, employers should shield work areas from drafts or wind to reduce wind chill.

Employers should use engineering controls to protect workers from other winter weather-related hazards, for example, aerial lifts or ladders can be used for safely applying de-icing materials to roofs, to protect workers from the hazard of falling through skylights.

Employers must implement safe work practices

Safe work practices that employers can implement to protect workers from injuries, illnesses and fatalities include:

Providing workers with the proper tools and equipment to do their jobs
Developing work plans that identify potential hazards and the safety measures that will be used to protect workers
Scheduling maintenance and repair jobs for warmer months or at least the warmest part of the day
Avoiding exposure to extremely cold temperatures when possible and limiting the amount of time spent outdoors on extremely cold days
Using relief workers to assign extra workers for long, demanding jobs
Providing warm areas for use during break periods, as well as warm liquids (no alcohol) to workers
Monitoring workers who are at risk of cold stress
Monitoring the weather conditions during a winter storm, having a reliable means of communicating with workers and being able to stop work or evacuate when necessary
Acclimatizing new workers and those returning after time away from work by gradually increasing their workload, and allowing more frequent breaks in warm areas, as they build up a tolerance for working in the cold environment
Having a means of communicating with workers, especially in remote areas
Knowing how the community warns the public about severe weather: outdoor sirens, radio, and television

Employers should consider providing protective clothing that offers warmth

Employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE), for example, fall protection, when required by OSHA standards to protect workers’ safety, and health. However, in limited cases, there are exceptions to the requirement for employers to provide PPE to workers. For instance, there is no OSHA requirement for employers to provide workers with ordinary clothing, skin creams, or other items, used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Regardless of this, many employers provide their workers with winter weather gear such as winter coats/jackets and gloves.

Dressing properly for the cold

Dressing properly is extremely important in preventing cold stress. When cold environments or temperatures cannot be avoided, the following would help protect workers from cold stress:

Wear at least three layers of loose-fitting clothing, bearing in mind that layering provides better insulation.
Wearing an inner layer of wool, silk or synthetic (polypropylene) to keep moisture away from the body. Thermal wear, wool, silk or polypropylene, inner layers of clothing that will hold more body heat than cotton.
Wearing a middle layer of wool or synthetic to provide insulation even when wet.
Wearing an outer wind and rain protection layer that allows some ventilation to prevent overheating.
Avoiding tight clothing which reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities. Insulated coat/jacket (water-resistant if necessary)
Wearing a knit mask to cover face and mouth (if needed)
Wearing a hat that will cover your ears as well. A hat will help keep your whole body warmer. Hats reduce the amount of body heat that escapes from your head.
Insulated gloves (water resistant if necessary), to protect the hands
Insulated and waterproof boots to protect the feet

Safety tips for workers

Your employer should ensure that you know the symptoms of cold stress
Monitor your physical condition and that of your coworkers
Dress appropriately for the cold
Stay dry in the cold because moisture or dampness, e.g. from sweating, can increase the rate of heat loss from the body
Keep extra clothing (including underwear) handy in case you get wet and need to change
Drink warm sweetened fluids (no alcohol)
Use proper engineering controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by your employer

Colliers Canada: rising office vacancy rates in Q4

As COVID-19 continues to impact the Canadian commercial real estate industry, Colliers Canada’s 2020 Q4 National Market Snapshot shows that the Canadian office market continues to experience rising vacancy rates – reaching a high of 10.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of the year. However, the data shows that while office vacancy rates continue to rise, Canada’s industrial market vacancy rate remained flat at 2.2 per cent – indicating that strong demand in this market drove vacancy down and kept rents stable.

The report also revealed that the average net asking office rent in the fourth quarter in 2020 was the highest since the same period in 2019, reaching $17.72 per square foot, and that the asking rent for industrial space was $9.38 per square foot – comparable to third quarter prices in 2020.

In addition to national stats, the report also provided regional market insights, including vacancy rates and average net asking rents, in 11 key markets across Canada (Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Waterloo, Montreal, Halifax, Victoria). Among them, Calgary indicated the highest office vacancy rate (25.7 per cent) while Vancouver had the lowest (4.9 per cent). For industrial space, Edmonton’s indicated the highest vacancy rate (7.6 per cent) while Toronto’s was the lowest (0.6 per cent).

Rising downtown sublet space resulting in high office vacancies

The rising vacancies in the office market were predominantly due to rising downtown sublet space, according to Colliers Canada. The report extrapolates that office attendance is trending below 15 per cent in downtown cores and around 30 per cent in the suburbs, and as a result, tenants appeared to be adopting the “use it or lose it” strategy.

For industrial spaces, despite some weakness in bricks and mortar and restaurant distribution as well as in experiential users, strong demand from e-commerce and grocery users have driven vacancies down and stabilized rents.

“Although Q4 2020 has brought good news on the vaccine front and removed some of the overall economic uncertainty, we are not in the clear yet and some asset types like office space and hotels will take longer to rebound than others,” said Roelof van Dijk, senior director for National Research & Analytics at Colliers Canada.

van Dijk foresees that the first half of 2021 will remain challenging for many businesses, but as summer 2021 approaches, the economy is expected to thaw and this economic rebound will pick up steam as the vaccine rollout reaches completion.

“Colliers Canada will continue to work with property owners and tenants to provide the support they need as well as information and insights on the economy to help them through the transition smoothly as we trend toward economic recovery,” said van Dijk.

For more specific market snapshots, the full report is available here.

SFU will launch LC3 Innovation Centre in Vancouver

Simon Fraser University (SFU) has been selected to establish an urban climate centre in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, through a $22-million federal investment.

Simon Fraser University’s Renewable Cities program will launch the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) Innovation Centre in Vancouver — one of seven centres across Canada that will help unlock the full emissions reduction potential of low-carbon innovations while improving public health and creating local jobs.

“There has never been a more important time to accelerate urban climate action. Through the LC3 Centre, our local communities will have a venue for developing, testing and implementing innovative solutions that can be broadly rolled out and scaled across our region. Metro Vancouver looks forward to working with the LC3 and SFU toward helping us meet our ambitious climate goals and creating a carbon neutral region by 2050,” said Sav Dhaliwal, chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund is serving as the national office for the LC3 centres. Announced in Budget 2019, LC3 is part of Canada’s $1.01-billion plan to make communities more energy-efficient. This initiative is using federal investments in partnership with private investors, public agencies, utilities, non-profit organizations and other levels of government to build long-term, low-carbon solutions. It is creating a network across Canada that supports local community action to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“In November, Vancouver City Council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan, which provides a roadmap to scale-up local climate action and reduce our carbon pollution by 50 per cent by 2030. The Federal funding to create an LC3 centre will boost our ability to develop and invest in new local solutions and support innovation as we continue to reduce carbon emissions from buildings and transportation, which are key priorities of our accelerated climate work,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart, City of Vancouver.

Funds allocated for Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment

The Ontario government is investing $2.5 million into the redevelopment of Lakeridge Health’s hospital site in Bowmanville to offset the costs of planning its renewal and expansion.

As promised in Ontario’s 2020 budget, the government plans on investing $351 million into health care and long-term care, including the addition of 2,250 new beds at 57 hospitals and alternate health facilities across the province.

The current Bowmanville Hospital will be redeveloped through a mix of new construction as well as renovations to the existing facility. Another development will be an interim helipad to improve how Lakeridge Health safely transfers critical patients to and from hospital while the redevelopment project is being completed.

“Durham is one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario and Bowmanville Hospital had its last major expansion over 30 years ago,” said Lindsey Park, Member of Provincial Parliament for Durham and Parliamentary Assistant to the Attorney General on behalf of Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Survey reveals need for BIM industry standard

Results from the third annual Building Information Modeling (BIM) survey have been published, exploring views about BIM from more than 800 Canadian respondents – primarily BIM users – over the past three years.

The survey is a collaborative effort between academia and industry to capture and illustrate the state of BIM implementation within the architecture, engineering, construction and facility management industries (AEC/FM) in Canada.

The survey was conducted by the Building Innovation Research Centre at University of Toronto in collaboration with Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), Toronto BIM Community (tBIMc) and AECO Innovation Lab.

The survey was motivated by the lack of, and thus need for, an industry benchmark for BIM practices in Canada.

Key findings from the report include:

Ninety-four per cent of participants acknowledged that BIM is the future of project information and design practices.
Ninety per cent of participant organizations have adopted some level of BIM in their current operational workflow, and 80 per cent of the remainder indicated that they have plans to implement BIM in the next few years.
Eighty-eight per cent of the participants shared their BIM files with at least one external organization, with one-third of participants engaging five or more parties.
Nearly half of survey participants encountered interoperability obstacles in their projects. Despite the potential of OpenBIM to address this, 43 per cent of participants were not aware of OpenBIM.

According to Claudia Cozzitorto, architect and founder and chair of the Toronto BIM Community (tBIMc), “the use of innovative BIM-based processes and analyses can bring significant productivity improvements to the architecture, engineering and construction industry. However, steps need to be taken to remove barriers that hinder a broader implementation. This report sheds light on those barriers, which include the need for an industry standard.”

Arash Shahi, CEO of AECO Innovation Lab and Research Chair of Toronto BIM Community adds, “while governments and regulators are beginning to recognize the potential of BIM to reduce time and red tape, and improve process transparency, Canada remains the only G7 country without a national BIM mandate. Momentum is being driven by the design community and industry organizations such as RESCON, who have been avid supporters of the annual BIM survey. RESCON has also taken a leadership position with the One Ontario initiative (oneontario.ca), which among other priorities aims to create a framework for establishing a BIM standard for municipal use across the province.”

The 2020 BIM report research team includes Brenda Y. McCabe, Arash Shahi and Hossein Nasrazadani. The report was made possible by assistance from the tBIMc board, and funding from RESCON and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. The complete report is available to download via the AECO Innovation Lab.

Feared flu-COVID “twindemic” not materializing

You’ve probably heard the term “twindemic” in recent months, and it doesn’t take much deciphering to get to the crux of its meaning. Heading into winter at the end of 2020, there were prominent fears that COVID-19 and flu could launch a double assault on people’s health across the world.

Much was made of what could be done to prevent that nightmarish scenario, from robust uptake of the influenza vaccine to enhanced cleaning and disinfection, strict use of PPE, and myriad other factors.

Whatever is being done to safeguard against the situation appears to be working.

Indeed, data from recent weeks from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the seasonal flu has all but vanished so far in winter 2020-21.

Far lower numbers

During the 2019 flu season from Sept. 29 to Dec. 28, the CDC reported more than 65,000 cases of influenza nationwide. During the same period in 2020, the agency reported just 1,016 cases.

During a typical flu season, the number of people getting the flu would just be starting to rise, with the peak typically coming in February. Yet so far, only 0.2 per cent of 400,000 swabs for the flu have been positive, according to CDC data; down 12.8 per cent from the positivity rate this time last year.

North of the border in Canada, the latest Public Health Agency of Canada influenza “FluWatch” from Dec. 13, 2020, to Jan. 2, 2021, found “no evidence of community circulation of influenza”.

“All indicators of influenza activity remain exceptionally low for this time of year, despite continued monitoring for influenza across Canada,” the report states.

To date this flu season, the FluWatch reports have tallied 92 “flu-like illness” outbreaks that were reported in schools and daycares.

And these figures are despite huge rises in testing. In the U.S., there is thought to have been a sixfold increase in testing at public health labs, most of which checked for influenza A and B along with the coronavirus.

There have been far more vaccinations than usual, too, as many of the people who may have previously been unconcerned by the threat of flu rushed to protect themselves in light of COVID-19’s alarming spread. According to the CDC, about 53 per cent of American adults have received the flu vaccines, up from 42 per cent at around the same time last year. By the end of the 2019-20 flu season, in fact, that figure was only at 48 per cent. It’s a hugely significant rise.

Public health measures working

Health experts say that those high vaccination rates are just one factor in the hugely reduced transmission rates, though. The lower numbers are largely down to a combination of intensified public health measures, as well as heightened public awareness of the way of stopping the spread of respiratory illnesses. Just as important as influenza inoculation has been social distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing, stay-at-home advice, and the closure of many schools, offices, and other multi-resident buildings.

For example, educational institutions like schools undertaking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has likely been vital. Children shed the flu virus more than adults do and for longer periods of time, making it easy to spread to family members and teachers who can spread it to other adults. “Children have been much more isolated, so this distribution mechanism has been effectively shut down,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University.

Boiled down, the biggest difference is that people have been far less exposed to illness than usual. They are not seeing anywhere near the same number of other people in their day-to-day lives and they are interacting with far fewer high-touch surfaces with schools, campuses, offices, and numerous other public buildings either closed or seeing far lower capacities than in the pre-pandemic world.

Not only that, of course, but the standards of cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention have soared. Air travel, too, is down by an unprecedented amount, meaning flu-type are not being spread in the typical 21st-century fashion. The southern hemisphere, which experienced the first “COVID winter” several months before the northern hemisphere, had a virtually non-existent flu season.

It’s undoubtedly a relief to see public health measures working well in stopping the usual spread of flu.

However, some experts have admitted that the numbers speak volumes about the comparative transmissibility of COVID-19. We already know the coronavirus spreads like wildfire, at rates far above that of influenza or other similar respiratory illnesses. There are multiple factors in that, including the fact that many positive cases of COVID-19 exhibit symptoms either very late in the day or, in many cases, not at all.

A welcome relief

All in all, though, it’s appropriate to be hugely grateful for the fractional flu numbers.

New Abbotsford Law Courts set to open

The new state-of-the-art Abbotsford Law Courts that houses both the Provincial Court of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia is ready to open in January.

Provincial court operations will commence at the new building in Abbotsford, B.C. on January 18, 2021, followed by Supreme Court operations on February 1, 2021. The new courthouse will also be able to accommodate proceedings of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia.

“This long-awaited facility will offer a wider range of justice programs and services, making it more convenient for the residents of Abbotsford and surrounding region,” said David Eby, Attorney General. “The new courthouse will expand from five to 14 courtrooms, increasing access to justice.”

The 16,723 square-metre (180,000 square-foot), four-storey building houses 14 courtrooms – eight provincial, three supreme and three initial appearance/conference rooms. PCL Constructors West Coast was the builder with design by WZMH Architects (part of the Plenary PCL Justice consortium).

The facility includes a law library and state-of-the-art technology to support the delivery of justice services well into the future. Best-practice building design was used to respond to the evolving needs for access to justice services.

The new courthouse also houses the BC Prosecution Service, Community Corrections and a Justice Access Centre to help people with their family and civil law issues.

The Abbotsford Law Courts building is located at 32375 Veterans Way (Trethewey Street and Veterans Way). It replaces the existing courthouse at 32203 South Fraser Way.

“The completion of the new Abbotsford Law Courts is welcome and exciting news for the project partners and community,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “This modern and fully accessible building was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards and will provide safe, secure and effective justice services to the local community and region for years to come.”

PCL wins $48M contract for Calgary bridge

PCL Construction has won the $48 million contract to replace the eastbound bridge over the Bow River on southeast Stoney Trail in Calgary.

The total project cost, which includes engineering and utility relocations, is estimated at $60 million – significantly less than the anticipated cost of $70 million.

“With the next step in this strategic project complete, we are creating hundreds of jobs to drive Alberta’s recovery and saving taxpayer dollars at a time of fiscal restraint. Calgarians can look forward to safer and faster rides on an even more complete Calgary Ring Road,” said Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation.

Stoney Trail is a major trade corridor for the movement of people in Calgary, and goods throughout southern Alberta. About 53,000 vehicles use the existing South Bow River Bridge daily.

The project includes:

Widening the existing westbound bridge to add a fourth lane.
Replacing the existing eastbound Stoney Trail bridge with a new, wider bridge over the Bow River.
A new pedestrian bridge south of the existing bridge that will connect to the existing pathway networks.
Improvements to interchanges between Sun Valley Boulevard/Chaparral Boulevard and Cranston Boulevard /Mckenzie Lake Boulevard.

“PCL is excited to work with Alberta Transportation on this component of the Stoney Trail Calgary Ring Road, a key project to connect Calgarians. Once complete, this segment will be safer for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians,” said Ankur Talwar, manager, civil operations, PCL Calgary.

The South Bow River Bridge project also includes widening the westbound bridge and building a new, stand-alone pedestrian bridge.

Designed to improve congestion and improve traffic flow, the South Bow River Bridge project is part of the more than $10 billion in infrastructure spending announced as part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan.

Construction on the new bridge is anticipated to get underway in spring 2021 and be completed in late 2023.

More low-income renters qualify for Sask benefit

Low-income renters in Saskatchewan’s private housing market are newly eligible for the same subsidy introduced in April 2020 for tenants in not-for-profit accommodations. Through the jointly funded federal-provincial program, renters paying more than 50 per cent of their incomes on housing may receive a monthly benefit of $150 to $250 depending on the size of their households.

The Saskatchewan Housing Benefit is an initiative of Canada’s National Housing Strategy with a $6.8 billion program budget for 2020-21. With the recent expanded eligibility, qualifying recipients can retain the benefit if they move from non-profit to private accommodations or vice-versa. Housing costs are defined as rent and utilities.

“I encourage Saskatchewan people who are eligible to apply for the program so they can have an easier time making ends meet,” urges Lori Carr, Saskatchewan Minister of Social Services.

The allowable annual income ceiling is: $28,000 for singles or couples with no children; $35,000 for parents with one dependent; and $42,000 for parents with two or more dependents. Tenants will not qualify if they hold assets worth more than $100,000 and/or receive any other federal or provincial income or housing assistance, or are sponsored newcomers to Canada or fulltime post-secondary students.

“Many renters need long-term, predictable assistance to pay their rent and we are providing that through the Saskatchewan Housing Benefit,” says Ahmed Hussen, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

Nexus REIT to acquire eight industrial buildings

Nexus Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is set to add eight industrial buildings to its portfolio. Two newly announced conditional agreements with vendors in London, Ontario and Edmonton include a $103.5 million deal for six London assets encompassing about 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable area, and a $14-million outlay for two Edmonton buildings totalling about 108,000 square feet.

Both deals will be partly funded with the issuance of Class B LP units at a unit price of $1.91 for the London properties and $2.05 for the Edmonton assets. The vendor will continue to manage the London properties on Nexus REIT’s behalf. The Edmonton facilities are fully leased to tenants outside the oil and gas industry.

“We’re very excited about announcing these acquisitions and the prospects for the REIT’s near-term growth,” says Nexus chief executive officer Kelly Hanczyk.

This follows the December 31 acquisition of a 50 per cent interest in a 500,00-square-foot industrial facility in the Greater Toronto Area’s eastern end. The $28.5-million purchase price includes a planned 95,000-square-foot addition to accommodate a major tenant, for which the vendor will cover the costs and oversee the construction.

Upon completion of the two new deals — slated for early March and early April — 67 per cent of Nexus REIT’s net rental income will be derived from its industrial holdings. That’s up from the 61 per cent quotient in the current mix of 75 industrial, office and retail assets comprising about 4.4 million square feet of rental space.

“2021 is looking to be a breakout year for the REIT,” Hanczyk asserts. “We will continue to focus on the acquisition of industrial properties and believe that increasing the industrial weighting of the REIT’s portfolio will have a very positive impact on the valuation of the REIT’s units. We are also still very much committed to graduating to the TSX, combined with a 4-to-1-unit consolidation, and hope to provide an update on that front very shortly.”

Considering ergonomics of the hybrid office

COVID-19 has created one of the most revolutionary changes to office design and human resources—the migration of employees away from the office to working from home.

This shift to the home office has created opportunities for improved productivity and employee satisfaction, as well as potential risks for musculoskeletal injuries. As many individuals are currently working both at home and in the office, this hybrid working situation requires a focus on comfort, productivity and health to enhance employee performance.

Comfort

There are many benefits of a hybrid office model, including increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, decreased commuting time, flexibility of work location and schedule and a reduced need for commercial office space. To support a hybrid office model, it is important to take employee health and safety into account as the risk of ergonomic injury can be even higher for hybrid workers than those who work only in the office, due to workstation designs that do not support the body.

There should be a hybrid office policy to set expectations and ground rules for these types of arrangements upfront. The policy can include communication practices, the number of hours required within the office (and at what times) and employee health and safety provisions. The employee health and safety section of the policy can include standards for office equipment and overall safety requirements for the home office.

There should be a dedicated place for computer-based work in the home office, either as a sit-down workstation, standing workstation or both. How the home office is furnished can vary by organization. At one end of the spectrum, all of the office equipment can be purchased for the employee, similar to a corporate setting. On the other end, organizations might provide only a secure Internet connection and a laptop.

The workstation set up should be similar in both the office and at home. This includes having a chair with adjustability to fit the body and other equipment that minimizes awkward postures that can lead to musculoskeletal injury, such as a keyboard and mouse rest to reduce contact pressure on the wrist and forearms and, where possible, height-adjustable monitors to prevent awkward neck postures. In the home office environment, there are many different options to create an ideal workspace, but seating and using a task chair is one of the fundamental pieces of equipment to reduce risks for musculoskeletal injury.

Productivity

The hybrid office working arrangement brings benefits of working in an office and at home. With the rise of video conferencing, many hours are spent at home, interacting through a computer, but face-to-face communication is typically only available when in the office.

To make the most of hybrid working, it is important to schedule office days when there is the opportunity to interact with and strengthen relationships face to face with colleagues and clients, whereas home office days can be allocated for concentration with minimal distractions.

By proactively planning how to use office days and home work days, there is the opportunity to take advantage of increasing productivity. Nothing beats bumping into someone in the office to problem solve a difficult task, which is not always possible when working from home. Yet, the home offers uninterrupted time to complete tasks without the distractions inherent to an office setting.

Health

Working from home can create a struggle to disconnect from work when the day is done and to find balance. There are not the same time constraints at home as there are in an office, with scheduling commutes to meet family and personal commitments.

Perks of working from home include dressing more casually and creating scheduling flexibility, but there is also the challenge of stopping the work day. Even more important when working in a hybrid environment is to understand your work style and ability to stay connected, while maintaining time for activities.

Across Canada, many fitness centres and other types of sporting leagues have shut down, and it is important to maintain physical activity and the social connections that sport provides. When working in a hybrid office, look for opportunities to maintain physical exercise. This can include a walking meeting with a colleague, walking to the mailbox or taking the time to step away from the computer to have lunch in the kitchen. Taking the time for physical activity, even moderate activity, will provide many health benefits and reduced feelings of stress.

Aaron Miller is an ergonomics consultant based in Kelowna, B.C. As a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE), Aaron specializes in leading design and corporate initiatives to improve organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and opportunities for change. Aaron can reached at [email protected]

Ontario officially launches condo buyer’s guide

The Ontario government officially launched the new residential condominium buyers’ guide to help condo buyers make informed purchasing decisions.

Developers across the province are now required to provide purchasers of new or pre-construction residential condos with a copy of the guide and the current disclosure statement. The new guide will include up-to-date information on a variety of aspects of condo ownership, such as the condo purchasing process, moving into a pre-construction residential condo unit, condo living and governance and resources for resolving issues with condo living.

As it stands, there are about 900,000 condo units and more than 11,000 condo corporations across Ontario. Condominiums account for 55 per cent of homes currently under construction in Ontario, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

“Our government’s new plain-language condo guide contains up-to-date information about condo ownership and the condo purchasing process,” Minister of Government and Consumer Services Lisa Thompson, said in a press release. “We are committed to making sure condo purchasers have the information they need to make the right decision for themselves and their families, and I am very proud of our efforts to further strengthen consumer protection in Ontario.”

In 2019, Ontario tabled the Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, which aims to strengthen consumer protection and ensure stronger oversight of several administrative authorities, including the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO). Regulations related to the condo guide is just one area impacting condominium communities.

Evicting tenants during a pandemic

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge and ICU beds fill up across the nation, the dispute over whether evicting tenants is ethical has reached fever pitch. Tenant advocacy groups, fearing a rise in homelessness and the rampant spread of the virus, are seeking a second ban on evictions to keep vulnerable citizens safe. On the flipside, landlords in the throes of another lockdown worry that such a ban will leave them exposed to a multitude of risks—financial ruin being one of them.

Risk of infection, rising utility costs, rigorous cleaning measures and knee-jerk legislation are just some of the challenges small landlords say they have been contending with throughout this pandemic.

“Landlords are at a loss for words. They can’t get someone out of their home, whether it’s someone damaging their property or preventing them from selling it,” said Kayla Andrade of Ontario Landlords Watch, a landlord advocacy group. “The current backlog at the Landlord and Tenant Board is a mess. The situation went from crisis to chaos as landlords are struggling to gain access to justice.”

Emphasizing this struggle, Ontario landlord Chris Seepe says his rental business has incurred its share of income loss as a result the first eviction ban, with six out of 81 tenants still owing six months’ back rent. Although these individuals are the minority, Seepe believes they are “playing the system”— and that conflicts and arrears will only escalate under the weight of a second moratorium.

“When you remove the consequence of eviction, the tenant no longer feels any obligation to pay rent,” he asserts. “Without law, society quickly devolves to a mob mentality. The tenant retaliates because the law is on their side by running up utility costs, damaging property, or resorting to abusive behaviour.”

Seepe adds that in recent months, he’s seen a distinct rise in tenant applications submitted with false paystubs and IDs—the kind that can be found on the Internet for $50 to $150 dollars. “I suspect many marginalized and desperate tenants are being forced to commit these fraudulent acts because landlords have been forced by provincial laws to become more cautious. It’s classic escalation in a new market.”

Canada’s COVID response plan: looking back

In March 2020, several provinces placed a temporary moratorium on evictions, including Ontario, B.C., New Brunswick and Alberta. All were lifted by summer’s end, at which point landlords were encouraged to work with impacted tenants to establish fair repayment arrangements so that they could continue living in their rental units without fear of eviction.

In B.C, the government created a Rent Repayment Plan framework giving tenants until July 10th, 2021, to pay back all money owed from the initial lockdown period. David Hutniak, CEO of LandlordBC, says his membership supported the move, but recognizes it “wasn’t a perfect solution” given that many landlords will likely never recoup some, or all, of those back-payments.

“Our members have worked collaboratively with their tenants since the beginning of the pandemic and continue to do so, and that includes demonstrating consideration with regards to the application of the repayment plan,” he said. “We are hearing anecdotally of situations where some of them have reduced the amount repayable and/or extended the repayment period.”

And now, as COVID numbers reach record-high levels, and the threat of a second eviction ban looms, small landlords are questioning what the future holds. Aside from fearing a state of “lawlessness,” Seepe says he worries that any legislation banning landlords from evicting tenants is guaranteed to wipe out the forward progress government has made in encouraging the development of new purpose-built rental properties: “Who in their right mind would build any kind of housing where the government tells tenants, “If you don’t have the money, don’t worry. There won’t be any consequence if you don’t pay?”

Offering his perspective, lawyer Joe Hoffer of Cohen Highley LLP, adds that this legislation also has an adverse effect on tenants, given discretionary costs like repairs and maintenance, are often the first obligations to be cut when funds are low. After that, it’s mortgage payments and vital service obligations.

“For large multi-res landlords, the losses can be absorbed and bankruptcy avoided,” he says. “But again, where numbers of tenants opportunistically withhold rent, the losses will ultimately be recovered through cuts in building operations, and this affects all residents.”

Then there’s the matter of the increasing bottleneck at the Landlord and Tenant Board. “An eviction moratorium will once again put the dispute resolution processes at the LTB into abeyance for all but “urgent” cases, triggering an even bigger backlog,” Hoffer says. “The failure of the adjudicative processes at the LTB has deeply tarnished its efforts to be a fair and expeditious venue for resolution of landlord and tenant disputes. Another moratorium on evictions will only exacerbate the problem.”

Meanwhile in B.C., Hutniak worries a second ban will create unnecessary harm to an already strained industry. “Our sector is still operating under the negative impacts of the earlier eviction ban and a rent increase freeze, all while experiencing significant cost increases related to the management of COVID, property taxes, general operating expenses, and a huge shock in the form of significant insurance cost increases,” he says. “This has created meaningful financial challenges for many landlords, and most certainly has impeded investment in existing rental buildings. It’s also worth noting that since the first wave of the pandemic we’ve seen increased vacancies and tempering of rents, which creates further challenges. There’s definitely uncertainty within the broader sector.”

In conclusion, Hutniak notes that while the rental housing industry has not been left unscathed, they have been more fortunate than other B.C. sectors like hospitality and tourism. “The provincial and federal government have committed to assisting British Columbians and Canadians, and we’ll all get through this sooner than later,” he says.

For a look at pandemic response plans by province, and the dos and don’t of evicting tenants, click here: COVID-19: Eviction Bans and Suspensions to Support Renters (cmhc-schl.gc.ca)

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