Class A apartments hit hardest by pandemic

As COVID-19 continues to put pressure on the commercial real estate sector, some asset types are fairing better than others. In terms of multi-residential properties, Class A apartments in large downtown centres are feeling the strain more than their Class B and Class C counterparts.

“Multifamily has faired better than we all expected through this [pandemic], certainly compared to previous recessions,” observed Jeanette Rice, Americas head of multifamily research at CBRE. “The suburbs are outperforming urban cores right now, with housing starts down overall, but not dramatically.”

Speaking at an Urban Land Institute (ULI) webinar in late October, Rice and her fellow panelists largely concurred with the findings presented in ULI’s recent economic forecast. Incorporating the opinions of more than 40 leading economists and industry analysts, the survey looked at several real estate indicators—including employment, GDP, housing prices, inflation, REIT returns, vacancy/occupancy rates and rents for five property types, and housing starts.

Richard Kleinman, managing director of research strategy, LaSalle Investment Management, referred to the findings as “middle of the road, with a fair balance of upside and downside.” Calling our current economic situation worse than the recession of 2001, but slightly better than the Great Depression, the panelists agreed that the beleaguered GDP should recover in as little as two years, and that labour markets will take longer to recover, likely in about three to four years.

“We’re in a blue-collar recession,” Kleinman said, noting that lower paying jobs have been hit the hardest. “Employment will lag—it always does. But hospitality, retail, and jobs associated with the restaurants and beverage sector will need more time to come back.”

Impact on vacancies

In terms of housing, rent collections on Class C apartments have been the most challenged compared to As and Bs, but Class A apartments are seeing more vacancies as students and young professionals return home to save money, or reduce their exposure to COVID-19. Landlords are finding it harder to turnover these more expensive units compared to those in Class C buildings, which are typically occupied by lower income tenants and families dependent on their rental housing.

Will this exodus continue once the threat of COVID lifts?

Rice predicts many residents will want to remain in suburban markets or seek out homes in more affordable neighborhoods long after the advent of a vaccine. With technology making remote work seamless, and less requirement to suffer the daily commute, satellite communities may have a lot to offer in terms of affordability and space well into the future.

Remote work

Supporting this notion are key findings from the first global report to look at the impact of the “Future of Work” on buildings and cities over the next three to five years. The recent survey of 555 real estate professionals, including investors, developers, architects, planners and other service providers, found that “a strong focus on flexibility”— not only in terms of work activity but also the space and location — is the direction we’re heading in a post-pandemic world.

Increased remote working (96%) and more use of satellite offices at the edge of cities (67%) are trends expected to develop and continue. The resulting ecosystem of workplaces will “accelerate a blending of uses between residential, hospitality and office spaces, and a shift in language from ‘office’ to ‘workspace’.”

Anticipated impacts on the real estate industry include increased demand for flexible office footprints (96%), flexible lease contracts (66%) and more widespread use of co-working facilities by large corporate occupiers (60%).

53% of respondents said they anticipate a decrease in the office space needed by their organization, while only 37% envisage no change.

“Flexibility is the consistent demand we are hearing,” said Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe. “Employees expect it from their employers and corporates from their landlords. Especially over the shorter term this focus is accompanied with a drive by corporates to save costs, as many try to cope with the negative economic impacts deriving from the pandemic.”

According to EY Consulting Associate Partner Vincent Raufast, remote work makes real estate more critical. “While the total office space is likely to decrease, the quality of real estate will be even more critical,” he said. “The physical office space will play a key role in preventing a loss of corporate culture, less effective talent management, a higher staff turnover and a loss of creativity. It will need to meet new demands including healthy building amenities and more space designed for collaborative work, as well as formal and informal meetings with colleagues.”

The report also notes how these things will broadly affect communities and cities. Expected changes include improved access to online public services (93%), the need to develop more efficient local supply chains (92%), less need to commute (91%) and an increasing pressure to focus on social impact, inclusiveness and health for businesses and people (91%).

For more emerging trends in real estate, visit: https://uli.org/

School washrooms are receiving failing grades from students

High schools and other educational institutions stepped up their cleaning game since students returned this fall. However, it sounds like those measures aren’t necessarily inspiring the confidence that would be hoped, particularly when it comes to school washrooms.

Bradley Corp’s latest Healthy Handwashing Survey, a back-to-school edition, quizzed high school students on how they feel about COVID-19 and returning to class. It found that the majority of respondents feel nervous about being back and that there is particular fear when it comes to washrooms.

Heightened concerns

For a start, 58 per cent of the students asked admitted they felt nervous about returning in the pandemic. But most of the results focused on washrooms, which have been a key concern throughout the pandemic when it comes to cleanliness.

The survey notes that high school students worry mostly about exposure to coronavirus in their school’s washrooms. 63 per cent, in fact, have active concerns about germs in washrooms. That hesitance is perhaps best shown in how facilities were rated. 50 per cent of respondents considered their school washrooms to be “poor” or “fair” and only 6 per cent described them as “excellent”.

Generally speaking, handwashing habits have improved and seem to be sticking. 55 per cent now wash their hands six or more times a day compared to just 25 percent prior to the outbreak. Going forward, though, the majority (76 per cent) of students think it’s important that their washroom facilities are equipped with touchless technology.

MASI Design Awards celebrate interior design

The Interior Designers of Alberta hosted the Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan Interior (MASI) Design Awards virtually on Oct 22, 2020. The awards drew 70 entries in the various categories. The MASI awards recognize talented professionals in the interior design industry from across the three provinces.

Twenty-three projects were honoured this year with nine winning Gold and seven winning silver and seven winning bronze.

GOLD WINNERS

Office Design Over $80 Per Square Foot
Number Ten Architectural Group Office Renovation
Genevieve Bergman, Number Ten Architectural Group

Office Design Under $80 Per Square Foot
Avanti Software
Scott McBain, MAK Interior Design

Retail Design
Pharm Drugstore
Clare Mackey, Mackey Design Group

Hospitality and/or Restaurant
JW Marriot Hotel Edmonton
Courtney Barrett, Dialog Design

Single Dwelling, Renovation: Under $300 Per Square Foot
Perreault Residence
Adrienne Federowich, Studio 2.0 Interior Design + Photography + Construction

Single Dwelling, Renovation: Under $300 Per Square Foot
Mid Century Modern House Renovation
Rob Everitt, Everitt Design Associates Limited

Institutional & Health Care
Centennial Planetarium Renovation
Dedre Toker, Lemay

Single Dwelling: New Construction Over $200 Per Square Foot
Estate Residence
Doris Martin, Davignon Martin Architecture + Interior Design

Special Projects
U of A Central Academic Food Hall
Chris Karaniotis, CK Design Ltd.

SILVER WINNERS

Office Design Over $80 Per Square Foot
Lawson Lundell LLP
Jerilyn Wright, Jerilyn Wright & Associates Interior Design Consultants Ltd

Office Design Under $80 Per Square Foot
BASF Canadian Headquarters
Scott Pennock, Riddell Kurczaba Architecture Engineering Interior Design Ltd

Retail Design
Cannabis Retail
Doris Martin, Davignon Martin Architecture + Interior Design

Institutional & Health Care
Rejuvenation
Scott McBain, MAK Interior Design

Hospitality and/or Restaurant
Buffo Restaurant
Christine Perry, Dialog Design

Single Dwelling: New Construction Over $200 Per Square Foot
Private Residence
Kara Bergmann, Prairie Architects

Special Projects
Bonjour Lounge
Scott McBain, MAK Interior Design

BRONZE WINNERS

Office Design Over $80 Per Square Foot
Smart City Sandbox Project
Jane Juranek, IBI Group

Office Design Under $80 Per Square Foot
Scalar Decisions
Tricia MClaflin, Blue Graphite Interior Design Inc

Retail Design
Onyx & Ivory Hair Salon
Megan Chwiecko, Block Interior Design Inc

Hospitality and/or Restaurant
Braven Restaurant
Courtney Barrett, Dialog Design

Single Dwelling: New Construction Over $200 Per Square Foot
Imperial Way Residence
Amanda Hamilton, Amanda Hamilton Interior Design

Institutional & Health Care
Floss Dentistry
Troy Dashney, Bold Interior Design Inc.

Apprenticeship forum chair goes to union rep

Lionel Railton has assumed the chair of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s board of directors. The national, not-for-profit organization brings together employers, labour unions, training agencies and other stakeholder groups involved in developing the skilled trades workforce.

Railton is the Canadian director of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), responsible for 17 IUOE locals representing 55,000 skilled tradespeople working in construction, building maintenance and other industrial and institutional sectors. He’ll lead a 17-member board reflective of the many trades, industries and policy makers with a role in apprentice recruitment, training and mentorship.

“We are incredibly fortunate to secure the leadership of someone with more than forty years of on-the-ground experience in the skilled trades,” says France Daviault, executive director of Canadian Apprenticeship Forum/Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA). “Having served his union in many capacities, Lionel has a full understanding of the strengths and opportunities that exist and how apprenticeship can play a key role in fueling Canada’s economic growth.”

Among its initiatives, CAF-FCA is: spearheading a national strategy to support women in the trades; developing recruitment programs and practices to increase intake from diverse and currently underrepresented groups; and producing labour market reports and materials focused on apprenticeship.

“Government agendas around apprenticeship are continually expanding and CAF-FCA is well-positioned as the national voice through its research, discussion and collaboration with stakeholders across the country,” Railton says.

Five new directors have also been elected for four-year terms: J’Amey Bevan, Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training; Cordell Cole, IBEW; Joann Greeley, Office to Advance Women Apprentices; Rebecca Kragnes, Bird Construction; and Frank Rossi, College of New Caledonia.

CCA launches Construction R&D Portal

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and Cognit.ca have launched the Construction R&D Portal and the Construction R&D Showcase speaker series.

The goal of this initiative is to advance innovation and to help Canada’s $141 billion construction industry capitalize on the $14 billion of research performed by universities annually.

The Construction R&D Portal will give construction leaders unprecedented visibility into world-class expertise, research, facilities and intellectual property that exist at post-secondary institutions across Canada. The Construction R&D Showcase will link industry executives and researchers with cutting-edge discoveries that can help the industry explore and adopt new innovations.

“One of the key challenges for the industry has been to learn about cutting-edge innovation that is undertaken by academia and the talent behind it. It can be equally difficult for researchers to showcase their research to industry executives or even gain funding for new research,” said Mary Van Buren, president of CCA. “This new single access portal will overcome that challenge by helping our members accelerate innovation by exposing them to the most up to date research available on construction.”

The Construction R&D Portal leverages Cognit.ca’s extensive database of research activities undertaken by Canada’s post-secondary education institutions. The portal will give industry leaders a window into the latest research and discoveries as well as the ability to search Cognit.ca’s database of more than 225,000 research grants, more than 100,000 experts, thousands of pieces of intellectual property, thousands of pieces of research infrastructure and hundreds of research facilities from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Research Facilities Navigator.

“Cognit.ca was designed to help businesses access expertise, research, facilities and intellectual property at post-secondary institutions across the country,” said Mike Matheson, managing director of Cognit.ca. “We are thrilled to work with the CCA to bring these resources directly to Canada’s construction industry.”

A First Look at Alberta’s prompt payment legislation

The Government of Alberta has introduced Bill 37, which proposes new rules relating to issues such as builders’ liens, payment terms, invoicing, and dispute resolution in the construction industry. Below, we highlight the key changes that are proposed in Bill 37.

Payment & Invoicing

Bill 37 is intended to implement a regime providing prompt payment for construction work performed in Alberta. In this regard, Bill 37 introduces new deadlines for payment of invoices and new restrictions on payment terms in construction contracts. The key changes relating to payment and invoicing are as follows:

Owners, contractors and subcontractors will be required to pay “proper invoices” within 28 days after receipt.
Bill 37 defines a “proper invoice” for the construction industry, and sets out the minimum requirements for the content of a proper invoice.
- For example, under Bill 37, proper invoices will need to include specific information such as (i) a description of the work or materials provided, (ii) the period of time during which the work or materials were provided, and (iii) the authority (whether in a written or verbal contract or otherwise) for the work or materials to be provided.
Construction contracts will be prohibited from including ‘pay-when-paid’ clauses (clauses stating that a person is not obligated to pay a subcontractor until after that person receives payment).
Construction contracts will be prohibited from requiring certification from a person or approval from an owner before a proper invoice can be issued. However, prior certification or approval will be permitted in contracts for testing and commissioning.
With respect to the mandatory 10% holdback currently required under the Builders’ Lien Act, Bill 37 expands on existing provisions regarding progressive release of the holdback over the course of a project (under current rules, a progressive release is permitted through certificates of substantial performance) by providing an additional mechanism for progressively releasing the holdback.
- Pursuant to the new mechanism, a progressive release of the holdback will be allowed when specific requirements are met. For example, such requirements include that (i) the contract price would need to exceed a certain amount (that amount is not yet prescribed by the Government of Alberta), and (ii) the construction contract would need to include certain terms expressly permitting the progressive release of the holdback.

Disputes & Adjudication

Bill 37 provides new rules relating to dispute resolution, including a new dispute adjudication regime. The key changes relating to dispute resolution are as follows:

Owners, contractors and subcontractors have 14 days to issue a notice disputing a proper invoice.
With respect to partially disputed invoices, Bill 37 will require owners, contractors and subcontractors to release payment of the undisputed portion of a proper invoice.
Bill 37 will establish a new dispute adjudication system intended to provide an alternative to resolving disputes through the Courts. Some details of the adjudication system are as follows:
- A party to a contract or subcontract may refer a dispute to adjudication.
- A party may only refer to adjudication a dispute with the other party to their contract or subcontract. Therefore, entities involved in a project but not contracted with each other will be unable to adjudicate with each other (for example, a subcontractor and the owner’s consultant will be unable to adjudicate).
- The adjudication procedures in Bill 37 override any contrary adjudication procedures in a construction contract.
- An adjudication must be performed by a qualified adjudicator, appointed by a Nominating Authority that will be established by the Minister of Service Alberta.
- The determination of a matter by an adjudicator is final and binding on the parties, except that it may be reviewed by the Court on certain grounds through an Application for judicial review.
Further rules for the dispute adjudication system, such as the procedures for conducting an adjudication, will be provided in regulations established by the Government of Alberta and in procedures established by the Nominating Authority.

Builders Lien

Bill 37 mostly leaves the current builders’ lien procedures unchanged. However, Bill 37 does modify lien deadlines and the minimum amount of a lien claim:

The deadline for registering liens for the concrete industry is extended from 45 days to 90 days. Oil and gas well projects will also have a deadline of 90 days, which is consistent with the current rules in Alberta.
The deadline for registering liens for the rest of the construction industry is extended from 45 days to 60 days.
The minimum dollar value of a lien claim is increased from $300 to $700.

Other Information and Changes

In addition to the changes outlined above, the following information and changes are noteworthy:

Alberta’s Builders’ Lien Act will be renamed to the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act.
Bill 37 expands the availability of information requests relating to a construction project. Specifically, additional people involved with a project (not just the lienholder, as is the case under Alberta’s current rules) will be allowed to request information such as statements of accounts, contracts and mortgage terms.
The new rules proposed in Bill 37 will not apply retroactively. They will only apply to contracts entered into after the rules come into force.
The proposed changes do not apply to projects that would not have been governed by the Builders’ Lien Act.

If Bill 37 passes, then the next step will be for the Government of Alberta to develop regulations associated with Bill 37. Service Alberta currently intends to bring the new rules into force in July 2021.

Graham Henderson is associate at McLennan Ross LLP in Edmonton.

Starlight, Kinsett complete $4.9 billion Northview portfolio acquisition

Starlight Investments and KingSett Capital announced that they have completed the acquisition of the Northview portfolio for $4.9 billion, a transaction previously announced in February 2020. The transaction represents the largest acquisition in Canadian multi-residential history.

“We are delighted to see this transaction come to its conclusion,” said Rob Kumer, KingSett’s Chief Investment Officer. “Since we announced the deal in February of this year, Northview has been a solid, steady performer in an otherwise extraordinary time, proving itself to be a markedly resilient portfolio of residential properties. We are pleased to be aligned with Starlight, an industry leader, and look forward to working together to create value in the years to come. We are grateful for the support from our stakeholders, which of course is fundamental to executing a transaction of this nature and scale.”

A newly-formed, three-year closed end fund will be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol “NHF.UN”.

Properties within the Northview portfolio are located mostly in the secondary markets of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Québec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Assets include approximately 10,900 multi-residential suites, 1,100,000 square feet of commercial real estate and 340 execusuites, of which a significant number of leases are with federal, provincial and territorial governments, and credit-rated corporations.

“We are very proud to have worked closely with KingSett to complete the largest ever Canadian multi-residential REIT transaction during these unprecedented times,” said Starlight’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Drimmer. “While we are extremely pleased to be acquiring Northview’s high-quality portfolio, we are excited that investors can continue to participate in a portion of the Northview portfolio through the Fund with an expected market capitalization of approximately $430 million. We also welcome all the exceptional talent from Northview who are joining Starlight and the Fund, as they will help continue to build on our tenant focus by maintaining high-quality, well-operated and sustainable buildings.”

Airline cleaning methods can be effective elsewhere during COVID-19

In the year of the pandemic, perhaps we can learn something from airplanes and airline cleaning.

Though air travel rates have understandably dropped during 2020, the work has continued behind the scenes. Airlines and airports have been trying and testing new and enhanced cleaning and disinfection strategies with a focus on infection control, and it seems they work pretty well, at least according to a recent study.

Hand-on testing

Researchers conducting a test for Boeing recently released a live virus, MS2, into a 737 aircraft in Seattle and made sure to account for factors like altitude, humidity, or airflow changes. The virus, which is harmless to humans, was spread onto “touchpoint” surfaces like seats, armrests, tray tables, overhead stow bins, windows, and washrooms and disinfected with tools like chemical disinfectants, electrostatic sprayers, and antimicrobial coating.

Results showed that the staff’s airline cleaning methods effectively eliminated 99.9% of the virus. Scientists also brought parts of the aircraft into a lab and applied the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the coronavirus was also largely eliminated by these cleaning methods.

Reduced risk

While this study took a hands-on approach, others have backed it up. A new study from Aviation Public Health Initiative (APHI) Harvard University suggests that flying during the pandemic is certainly less risky than routine activities like eating at restaurants or going grocery shopping. It notes that current safety measures including ventilation, increased disinfection, mask enforcement, and physical distancing during boarding and deplaning have significantly reduced the risk of contracting the coronavirus while flying.

That study, sponsored by various U.S. airline operators, manufacturers, and airports, says ventilation systems in plane cabins “effectively counter the proximity travellers are subject to during flights.”

Due to the frequent exchange of air and HEPA filters on planes, the study says “over 99 per cent of the particles containing the virus are removed from cabin air,” bringing the risk of COVID-19 transmission to below the level seen in stores and restaurants.

Real estate makes space for climate capitalism

Tom Rand sees the commercial real estate sector as a well placed ally in his envisioned strategy to counter climate disruption effectively, profitably and amiably. The clean-tech venture capitalist and author of the recently released book, The Case for Climate Capitalism, Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis, will host the third annual commercial real estate sustainability trailblazers (CREST) awards, Nov. 5., to recognize the achievements of collaborative landlord-tenant teams in pursuit of energy savings.

“The ability for buildings to play a role as urban-centred power points and as urban-centred focuses of efficiency is profound,” he says. “I think that sector has figured out: This is really low-hanging fruit. We can be a hero of the climate story, and make money being a hero of the climate story.”

The online CREST awards ceremony will cap the third year of the race2reduce corporate challenge, sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Toronto, which pits participating buildings in a friendly competition aimed at collectively reducing energy consumption by 10 per cent compared to 2017. CREST awards are bestowed for energy management leadership in five categories of building size from less than 50,000 to more than 500,000 square feet, along with two additional awards to recognize innovation and collaborative excellence across the entire field of participants.

This year that field boasts more than 1,730 buildings encompassing 248 million square feet of space in common areas and tenant premises — an increase from 650 buildings covering 95 million square feet in 2019. All enrollees in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager within BOMA Toronto’s jurisdiction are automatically signed up for the race2reduce, but participating owners/managers are further encouraged to engage tenants through communications and activities and/or to reach out to a third-party energy management service provider on the list of designated race2reduce ambassadors.

“The impact of the race continues to deepen across the electricity, natural gas, water and waste performance areas,” says Susan Allen, BOMA Toronto’s president and chief executive officer. “Over the three years, we have seen our member commitment continue to grow with even more determination to win one of these coveted awards. We are thrilled this year that Tom Rand, climate change expert, author, clean-technology venture capitalist and fellow Canadian will be joining us to host the 2020 CREST Awards.”

Proactive role garners economic gains

For his part, Rand commends race2reduce for energy-saving results — estimated at 19 gigawatt-hours or 19 million kilowatt-hours over the first two years of the three-year race — and for advancing the notion that energy-saving behaviour is simple, collegial and perhaps even fun. That’s in keeping with his new book’s thesis that there is much common ground to be staked and common good to be reaped in a non-combative, multi-sectoral approach to climate risk.

“It’s a perfect example of enabling and empowering people to play a role, directly and positively, in a problem that is normally too big to think about,” Rand submits. “Race2reduce normalizes a certain kind of activity, a certain kind of relationship between landlords and tenants. The whole trick is you have to give the average person, who may or may not care or know much about this stuff, a way to act. That’s what these kinds of programs do.”

Turning to that big, often inscrutable problem of climate change, Rand characterizes commercial real estate among the sectors that could be set for a happier transition to a low-carbon economy. In his book, he sketches out his own experience as co-developer of Toronto’s Planet Traveler Hostel, a renovation and retrofit of an early 20th century commercial building undertaken in 2008.

His targeted 75 per cent reduction in energy consumption was achieved with the installation of geothermal heating and cooling, solar thermal pre-heating for domestic hot water, heat recovery from shower drains, LED lighting and smart thermostats at a cost of approximately 5 per cent of the value of the building. Collectively, these energy efficiency upgrades came with about a three-year payback, but the development partners opted to fund them by borrowing against the value of the building.

“The loan payments are less than the energy savings. That’s the kicker: we were making more money from day one and are wealthier as hoteliers for making the decision to massively reduce energy,” Rand recounts in his book. “That’s better than free. It’s a no-brainer.”

It’s also a lesson, he acknowledges, in which many of the landlord players in race2reduce are already well versed. Sophisticated capital budgeters have long since gone form merely justifying to embracing the business case for reducing GHG emissions.

“It’s easy for the commercial real estate side, and increasingly the residential side, to play a very proactive role. They can do it without sacrificing their profits and I think that’s a wonderful thing to see,” Rand reflects. “The interesting thing now to see is the deployment of next-generation technologies across that portfolio. Whether it’s analytics or next-generation heat pumps or windows or building-integrated photovoltaics, there is a whole plethora of technologies that are moving forward.”

Rationale to loosen entrenched positions

Meanwhile, steady technological advances bring more upheaval for other industries, particularly those he labels “energy incumbents” producing fossil fuels. They’re part of the block of interests his book tags as hostile to acknowledging or acting to address climate risk. Rand urges them to re-evaluate entrenched positions and get onboard with the possibilities as the price of renewable energy becomes ever more competitive. Failing that, he suggests they contemplate their exposure to economic loss and plan some contingencies.

The COVID-19 pandemic may actually have helped the latter exercise along, he contends, making it easier for senior executives of large oil and gas corporations to acknowledge that they will be writing down their assets. It has also created a scenario similar to the 2008 financial crisis where the public sector has been called on to shore up the economy.

“There is a very significant obligation owed by the private sector to the public sector, which includes citizens, because the public sector just bailed out the private sector again,” Rand asserts. “It is absolutely incumbent upon the private sector to step up and be a legitimate and earnest partner in reducing climate risk.”

He likewise chides those who view capitalism as a monolith, disregard its role in driving innovation that benefits society at large or look solely to utopian visions of a new cooperative order to solve an imminently looming climate threat. Competitive forces, he maintains, are neither inherently evil nor good. Rather, it’s the goal of the competition that matters.

“If the competition is set up to solve climate disruption, then those powerful forces would switch to work on the side of the angels,” his book reasons. “It was cutthroat global competition that brought the price of solar panels down 90 per cent over the past few years (a price cut now available to communes and corporations alike). Companies that provide low-cost clean solutions dominate; those that don’t, wither.”

For now, he’s waiting with interest for more details about the Canadian government’s recently announced efforts to spur that kind of green investment and job growth through a $2 billion allocation for large-scale building retrofits and matching $2 billion for clean energy.

“It’s great to see a focus on it. It’s great to see capital moving into that sector,” Rand affirms. “But it’s important that capital plays an accretive role such that more than what would normally happen under market conditions occurs.”

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

Cleaning for health in the year 2020

Cleaning for health: This is the motto that the American Cleaning Institute has pounded out for several decades, practically since its foundation in 1926. This same message is also relayed by the ISSA and its GBAC division, which constantly reminds us of the importance of forensic cleaning (diligent and thorough cleaning followed by disinfection) to guarantee safe environments for any establishment’s occupants.

Not only has this year’s pandemic allowed them to get their message across, but it also serves as the ultimate argument to convince anyone of the importance of cleaning and disinfecting public spaces to curb the spread of infectious diseases and ensure the public’s health.

Recently, we are noticing a growing interest among building managers to add additional resources to their building maintenance department and to consider maintenance operations as part of the overall company’s management. Managers are being bombarded by sales representatives from various companies who offer them a multitude of disinfecting solutions. Several innovations are appearing on the market and it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate through them. The cleaning industry is in turmoil.

Action is better than reaction

There is a big difference between an action and a reaction. The former implies a reflective and analytical approach to make the decisions that will allow the achievement of an objective. A reaction refers to a response to someone else’s action or to external stimuli, like a pandemic. To maintain control and implement good, profitable, and sustainable practices, it is imperative to act rather than react!

Currently, the urgency of the situation is compelling people to react. Everyone wants to do better and do it faster than their neighbour or competitor. People want to improve current cleaning practices by adding a disinfection step to cleaning tasks, increasing cleaning-disinfection frequencies, opting for better-performing chemical products, changing the tools, investing in sophisticated disinfection equipment (misters, sprayers, foggers), or calling on professional cleaning teams, to name just a few examples.

If we consider that this rise in user expectations now defines the new standard of cleanliness, how many facilities will be able to maintain this work pace and level of cleanliness daily? This new reality involves a fair number of constraints.

Office buildings are deserted, but cleaning crews must be kept on-site to ensure cleanliness. Worse, in some cases, more work is required.
Work practices or tools are being modified, but the staff is not always trained accordingly.
If, initially, the staff does not follow good work practices and is asked to do more, they could further contaminate surfaces rather than clean up and disinfect.
In some cases, cleaning frequencies are being systematically added to attendants’ work routes (and quickly billed extra) even though the client was already paying for tasks that were never performed. It can become difficult to keep track.

Take the right actions

There is no point in increasing frequencies of poor practices. The first step is to validate the techniques and products used.
Analyze your operating costs, make sure you pay for a rendered service and not just an invoice.
Think about offering training adapted to your cleaning teams. Their role has always been significant, but now that it has been brought to light, they need to understand the scope of their actions and the reasons for changes in practices, if applicable.
Before adding additional tasks, validate those already defined.
The decrease in traffic in your buildings or the change in your employees’ work habits towards teleworking must be considered in your action plan.
Electrostatic sprayers and other sophisticated disinfection devices are not suitable for all environments. They often require the use of a specific chemical that may not be appropriate for the surface you are disinfecting. Seek third party advice.
IT solutions and biotechnology are at our service, you need to do some research and find the right tools.

A new reality calls for different priorities

Many of these new cleaning and disinfecting protocols, as well as health and safety practices, will need to be adopted over a long-term period. The virulence of SARS-CoV2 and its major global impact has affected us all. We were suddenly confronted with our cohabitation with germs, bacteria, and viruses.

Henceforth, we are aware that we are contributing to the spread of infectious diseases that can generate further epidemics or pandemics. Fortunately, we now know a little more about what to do to limit the spread of disease and we have more resources to deal with it. We are much less vulnerable because today we understand the importance of cleaning for health.

Building HM is a Canadian consulting firm that guides, supports, and advises its clients on ways to optimize the operational performance of their organizations in terms of building hygiene and sanitation. For more information, or to benefit from experts’ services, email [email protected], visit https://www.buildinghm.com/ or call Derek Oliveira at 514.316.6723.

Nanaimo water program wins innovation award

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has won the Environmental Operators Certification Program (EOCP)’s Innovation Award for 2020 for its Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have applied new ways of thinking that positively transform the water industry.

For over a decade the RDN’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection (DWWP) program has enabled and facilitated high levels of collaboration across the water operators and purveyors in the region, as well as within the community and with senior government.

Program initiatives include providing public outreach, educational resources and rebates in support of water conservation; offering professional development and networking sessions for small water system operators; and collecting monitoring data and supporting regional studies to better understand the watersheds and aquifers that provide the source waters for community drinking water. The key innovation has been streamlining communications across agencies and using watershed boundaries as a lens to implement and enable sustainable and collaborative water management in the region.

“We are honoured that the EOCP committee was unanimous in its decision to present the Innovation Award to the RDN. The DWWP Program has excelled at coordinating efforts between the many water providers in the region, united by the common goal of water sustainability,” said RDN chair Ian Thorpe.

This recognition is timely, as the Regional District of Nanaimo board earlier this year adopted an updated 10-Year Action Plan for the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection service. Region-wide initiatives in water awareness and stewardship; water information and science; and water-centric planning and policy support will continue to be delivered in support of healthy, safe and resilient water resources in the region.

Time to pick up the pace on building retrofits

With election day in the rear-view mirror, many British Columbians are looking to the government to take strong leadership on urgent economic and social priorities in concert with bold action on climate change. Building retrofits ticks all of these boxes by:
(1) reducing carbon pollution,
(2) increasing safety, public health and housing affordability, and
(3) aiding in economic recovery by creating thousands of local jobs using mostly local materials.

Property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing can help achieve this vision by kickstarting a thriving retrofit economy.

What is PACE?

PACE financing is an innovative “green” loan instrument developed in California in 2008 that overcomes the capital constraints that many buildings owners face when contemplating upgrades. The concept is simple: building owners borrow funds to complete retrofits, such as replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps, upgrading windows, adding solar panels, or even making seismic improvements.

What makes these loans different is they are registered on the property title, not to the owner, so they are transferable with the property’s sale and are repaid in installments added to property taxes over the retrofit’s lifespan. PACE programs are now active in 37 U.S. states, resulting in almost 300,000 retrofit projects and $16.5 billion US in economic impacts.

PACE, which enjoys cross-sector support, is attractive to commercial and residential property owners because they can fund projects with no out-of-pocket costs. PACE’s transferability from one owner to the next with the sale of the property means that building owners are only on the hook for the cost of retrofits during the period they are benefitting from it.

With flexible financing terms and repayment periods up to 30 years, it’s possible to take on deep, whole-building retrofits with substantial energy and carbon savings. The annual utility bill savings for a PACE project sometimes surpass the yearly repayments (levied on property tax bills) so that property owners can be cash-flow positive immediately. That means building owners have more money to spend on other capital projects, expenses, or business expansion.

Can PACE work in B.C.?

PACE requires provincial legislation allowing municipalities to establish PACE programs. The most successful U.S. models use third-party administrators to implement state-wide programs. We can do the same here. Local governments have expressed growing interest via Union of B.C. Municipalities resolutions. Adopting a province-wide program would help cities meet climate goals without saddling cities with debt.

In September, the government committed to investing $2 million in a PACE roadmap and pilot program through its Economic Recovery Plan. This investment is welcome, but sound policies can fail through poor execution. Without scale and continuity, a pilot program would likely not achieve the desired outcome. The U.S. experience shows that it takes time and scale to create a PACE ecosystem where property owners, underwriters, appraisers, financiers, and contractors understand PACE and are comfortable with its promotion and use.

How can we get to implementation?

PACE BC — an alliance of city councillors, business owners, and environmental organizations — is asking the provincial government to unlock PACE for British Columbians through enabling legislation. To help the government move quickly, we’ve consulted with industry and experts and drafted legislation that would allow any municipality to opt into a province-wide PACE program.

The government will need to move quickly to grow the retrofit economy. PACE financing will be a game-changer for owners looking to invest in protecting the homes and buildings we live, work, and play in. Unlocking PACE early in the government’s new mandate is critical for building on the economic recovery investments expected to flow to retrofits.

Muneesh Sharma is the director of government affairs for the Building Owners and Managers Association of B.C. Madi Kennedy is an analyst with the Pembina Institute. Both are members of the PACE BC coalition.

BOMA Canada awards industry’s best for 2020

The Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada (BOMA Canada) hosted its annual—and first ever virtual—National Awards Gala on October 29, 2020, marking a successful and challenging year for the commercial real estate industry.

The event topped off another important virtual gathering—the thirtieth anniversary of BOMEX, Canada’s Building Excellence Summit. The evening began with emcees joining from afar: President and CEO of BOMA Canada, Benjamin Shinewald from Toronto; and Chair of BOMA Canada’s National Awards Committee and Senior Property Manager at Aeroterm, Anne Marie Guevremont, from Montreal.

The Outstanding Building of the Year Awards

Top honours for Outstanding Building of the Year went to 15 properties that best demonstrated overall quality and excellence. Judging criteria included: building standards, community impact, tenant relations, energy conservation, environmental performance, regulatory compliance, sustainability, emergency preparedness, security standards, and personnel training. Only BOMA BEST certified buildings were eligible to enter.

In the Office category, QuadReal Property Group was the recipient of two awards for Vancouver-based buildings—the first for 745 Thurlow (250,000 – 499,999 Sq. Ft.) and the second for Park Place (500,000 – 1 Million Sq. Ft.). Other award recipients in the Office category included: Wesgroup Properties for 1669 East Broadway in Vancouver (Under 100,000 Sq. Ft.); Northam Realty Advisors Limited for 235 Yorkland Boulevard in North York, Ontario (100,000 – 249,999 Sq. Ft.) and Triovest Realty Advisors Inc. for 700 University in Toronto (Over 1 Million Sq. Ft. category).

In the Suburban Office (Low Rise) category, Triovest Realty Advisors Inc. snapped up the award for 1-8 Prologis Boulevard in Mississauga. Northam Realty Advisors Limited was the recipient in the Suburban Office (Mid Rise) category for Southcreek Corporate Centre in Markham, Ontario.

Wesgroup Properties scooped up two other TOBY awards—one for 287 Nelsons Court in New Westminster, B.C. in the Corporate Facility category and the second in the Medical Official Building category for its Vancouver-based 1128 Hornby – Three Bridges Community Health Centre.

Northam Realty Advisors Limited won another award in the Historical Building category for Queen’s Quay Terminal in Toronto, while Nearctic Property Group got top honours in the Industrial Building category for Vantage Business Park in Edmonton.

In the Public Assembly category, the winner was Alberta Infrastructure for Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre in Fort Macleod, which it both owns and manages, while BentallGreenOak won in the Renovated Building category for 25 Watline Avenue in Mississauga.

On the retail front, BentallGreenOak also earned an award in the Retail – Enclosed (Under 1 Million Sq. Ft.) category for 10 Dundas Street East in Toronto. FCR Management Services LP scooped up the award in the Retail – Open Air category for Shops of Oakville South in Oakville, Ontario.

Rick Hansen Accessibility Challenge Award

Rick Hansen personally presented his namesake award, one of the newest in the CRE industry. The top honour went to East Calgary Health Centre in Calgary, Alberta, for earning the highest Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification score. The building is owned by Beacon Hills Apartment Ltd. and managed by BentallGreenOak. In partnership with BOMA Canada, Hansen also launched the Building Without Barriers challenge during his appearance, encouraging building owners and managers to make their space accessible for everyone, everywhere.

Pinnacle Awards

BOMA Canada’s Pinnacle awards recognize role model companies that demonstrate standards of excellence while acknowledging innovation, teamwork, outstanding customer service and commitment to clients. This year’s Above & Beyond award went to Edmonton-based Matco Moving Solutions, while Pinchin Ltd., in Calgary, Alberta, won in the Customer Service category. Paladin Security Group Ltd. (Edmonton City Centre) in Edmonton won the award for Innovation.

Earth Awards

BOMA Canada’s two Earth awards recognized excellence in resource preservation and environmentally sound commercial building management. Entrants for both the Earth and The Outstanding Building of the Year awards must also be BOMA BEST Certified. In the Universal category, Dexterra won for the Forensics Services & Coroners Complex in North York, Ontario. Epic Investment Services (Alberta) Inc. won in the Office category for 205 Quarry Park in Calgary.

Net Zero Challenge Awards

Now in its third year, and supported by Natural Resources Canada, the BOMA Canada Net Zero Challenge awards recognize owners, developers, designers, and/or managers of buildings that demonstrate significant progress along the path towards net-zero energy and/or carbon. The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources, addressed the virtual audience prior to Sean Drygas, CEO of Net Zero Challenge sponsor Bullfrog Power, a Spark Power Company, who announced the winners across three categories: Most Improved, Innovation and Best in Class.

In the Most Improved category, top honours went to Warrington PCI for Royal Centre in Vancouver, which achieved an impressive 37 per cent energy consumption reduction. The Innovation award went to BentallGreenOak for Sun Life Financial Centre in Ottawa, which successfully reduced its greenhouse gas emissions across a two-tower complex. In the Best in Class category, Triovest Realty Advisors Inc. won for Mississauga Gateway Centre, which demonstrated outstanding energy efficiency and low carbon intensity.

New Awards for 2021

BOMA Canada introduced three new awards that will begin in 2021.

The first two awards will begin at the local level and local winners will then compete for a national award at BOMEX 2021 in Vancouver.

First, BOMA Canada’s new national Emerging Leader Award will recognize leadership, initiative, and/or service to the commercial real estate community by BOMA members who are 35 or younger. Second, a new Member of the Year Award will recognize a BOMA member who has demonstrated leadership, initiative, and/or service to the commercial real estate community. The Member of the Year will also be recognized internationally at BOMA International’s 2021 Conference in Boston.

BOMA also announced a third new award that will be awarded next year, this one only at the national level. The Elaina Tattersdale Sustainability Champion Award will honour the late memory of Elaina Tattersdale, an enterprise project manager for Morguard Investment. Elaina passed away last year, leaving behind two young daughters, a husband, and a devoted family including her mother and past BOMA Canada Chair’s Award Winner, Cheryl Gray of QuadReal Property Group.

As Cheryl Gray noted at the ceremony, Elaina wanted nothing more than to improve the impact buildings have on our environment. To honour that dream, the Gray family has generously funded the The Elaina Tattersdale Sustainability Champion Award to acknowledge an “unsung hero” in the BOMA Canada membership who is championing sustainability at any level within the commercial real estate community.

Frontline Heroes

Before announcing the Chair’s Award, BOMA Canada paused to recognize and thank the front line BOMA members who have served selflessly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gala attendees viewed a special video tribute and more information on celebrating the heroism of our front line workers will follow in the coming weeks.

Chair’s Award

To cap off the evening, BOMA Canada Chair Ken Dixon presented the BOMA Canada Chair’s Award to Don Fairgrieve-Park, founding executive and currently executive vice-president of operational excellence at QuadReal. Presented annually, the BOMA Canada Chair’s Award recognizes an individual who has made valuable and long-lasting contributions to BOMA while supporting the industry in a meaningful way.

Fairgrieve-Park accepted the night’s highest honour from Vancouver after Dixon listed his mentor and friend’s many achievements in multiple roles and companies, in addition to serving as Chair of both BOMA Calgary and BOMA Canada.

The gala closed with the official introduction of new BOMA Canada Chair, Stephen Nicoletti, managing director, eastern Canada, Manulife Investment Management, along with an announcement of the BOMA International conference in Boston in July, and BOMEX 2021 taking place in Vancouver in September.

View all of 2020 BOMA Canada National Award winners here.

Combatting Cold-Weather Condensation

The cold winter weather can bring all manner of property maintenance issues, but few can cause as many headaches (or large repair bills) as unchecked condensation.

“You’d be surprised at what condensation can do if it isn’t looked after,” says Jack Albert, Associate at RJC Engineers (RJC). “Once that moisture is present, it can damage finishes, drywall, flooring, and even lead to air quality and health concerns.”

According to Albert, condensation occurs when interior humidity levels combine with colder surface temperatures, usually at windows and doors, leading to moisture in the air condensing on those surfaces. The quality of the windows, as well as the details at the perimeters where windows transition to adjacent systems (e.g. precast, concrete or brick), are often major contributing factors. Air barriers and thermal control layers are used to protect these connecting points but can fail over time or be improperly installed.

Although condensation can happen all year round, it is especially pronounced in colder seasons. One reason is that air conditioning equipment is no longer removing humidity from the environment; another is that condo owners will often use humidifiers to combat cold and dry air, and enhance comfort. Additionally, in the shoulder season (particularly, the fall), condensation often shows up as nighttime temperatures drop but interior humidity levels remain high, especially with ERV mechanical systems.

Fungus and dampness near window

Condensation can be a common issue in older buildings with less thermally efficient windows and walls. It can also show up in newer buildings due to poor building envelope detailing or lack of dehumidification.

“It is something that we address all through the year, but typically more calls about condensation come in the winter when the conditions are more extreme, such as fogged up windows,” notes Albert.

Preventative ways to control condensation

Appropriate window detailing will often prevent condensation; however, in the absence of that, residents do have a few techniques at their disposal. These include:

opening blinds to allow heat to get to the windows
using exhaust fans when cooking and washing
and, generally monitoring and controlling humidity levels throughout the season.

In cases where condensation has taken root over long periods of time, or if the above steps are not sufficient to eliminate the problem, Albert says it pays to call on professionals: “This isn’t something you want to leave unchecked over a long period, because the repairs will add up.”

To that end, building envelope professionals like Albert will work with mechanical engineers to evaluate those HVAC systems and make sure they’re both working properly and in concert with the building envelope system. They can also perform infrared thermography scans, conduct air leakage tests, carry out thermal analysis, and review building designs to find the root cause of the issue.

“There’s always the possibility that the walls or windows weren’t constructed properly to begin with, in which case we’d move to a repair or retrofit,” Albert notes, adding, “Of course, being proactive about condensation is a better bet. That’s why we also work with developers in the early stages of a development to assist in design detailing and specification during the design phase to reduce the risk of condensation in the first place.”

Condensation may not look like much of a problem at first glance, but like all building performance issues, it pays to take notice before it becomes serious.

Jack Albert is an Associate with RJC Engineers’ Building Science and Restoration. To find out more about what RJC can do for you, please visit rjc.ca or contact Jack Albert directly.

How facility managers can secure a new standard of hygiene

It’s time to get back to business safely and responsibly. Part of this responsibility is practicing good hygiene, which has never been more critical. The pandemic has had a significant impact across various industries, introducing challenges and opportunities for businesses operating in a new environment where hygiene standards are being scrutinized more than ever before.

Heightened levels of hygienic awareness require new ways of working. Facilities can create a safer workplace by implementing new methods of cleaning to reduce the risk of infection, ensure employees and visitors feel safer, and meet enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

Help your guests feel safer

COVID-19 is shaping behaviours and attitudes toward public spaces and creating increased awareness of hygiene. In a recent survey by Tork, 77% of survey respondents said they feel more unsafe going to facilities with unhygienic public washrooms due to COVID-19 and 70% wish that more facilities offered paper hand towels as an alternative to air dryers.^[1]

For facility managers, this change in perception presents an opportunity to rethink hand drying solutions. While facilities may have considered air dryers before the pandemic, a change in consumer perceptions has led many facility managers to make the switch to paper hand towels.

According to CDC guidelines, facility managers can contribute to a healthy public space by ensuring their washrooms are fully stocked with hand hygiene products, including paper hand towels.^[2] Products such as the award-winning Tork PeakServe® Continuous™ Hand Towel System help improve visitor hygiene thanks to high-capacity, one-at-a-time hand towel dispensing that ensures guests only touch the towel they use.

Supplying hygiene resources

It’s important to clearly communicate hygiene protocols across facilities so visitors and staff can do their part to minimize contagion. Facility managers can integrate good hygiene practices into their reopening plans by instituting washroom cleaning checklists to ensure hygiene compliance, creating posters to encourage handwashing, and using floor decals to space out guests and emphasize social distancing. You can access free resources from Tork by downloading this Back to Business toolkit.

Hygiene can also be improved by rethinking washroom design. In hygiene-critical environments, paper towels have long been the recommended alternative for hand drying.^[3]Facility managers should consider installing paper hand towel dispensers by the entrance of rooms, near sinks, and in breakrooms to help prevent the spread of bacteria that can cause illness.

Upgrading cleaning solutions

In order to create clean and hygienic spaces while abiding by safety protocols, facility managers must be equipped with proper cleaning solutions.

Digital cleaning solutions can transform cleaning operations thanks to real-time data. Tork EasyCube is a data-driven cleaning solution that improves cleaning operations via connected devices. The system allows cleaners to track visitor numbers and measure refill levels, optimize resources for greater efficiency, and send messages to coworkers in real-time to alert them of cleaning needs. As a result, staff members can focus their time and attention on where and when it’s needed most.

As society returns to work and facility managers seek ways to secure a new standard of hygiene, creating safer spaces, supplying checklists and signage to promote hygiene practices, and modernizing cleaning solutions can help transform business operations. To learn how you can secure a new standard of hygiene in your facility, visit TorkUSA.com/safeatwork.

Rachel Olasvicky is the Regional Marketing Manager – Commercial and Public Interest at Essity Professional Hygiene, a leading global hygiene and health company.

^{[1] 2020 Survey conducted by United Minds in cooperation with CINT in April 2020. The survey covered the U.S., with a total of 1012 respondents.}

^{[2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html}

^{[3] Snelling A.M., 2010.}

ACEC-BC Brian McAskill is set to retire

Brian McAskill, policy and governance leader, at the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia (ACEC-BC) is set to retire at the end of October, 2020.

The ACEC-BC board of directors express their appreciation and gratitude for his tireless service to the association and consulting engineering industry.

McAskill has been a valued member of the ACEC-BC team since January 1997, when he joined the association as communications and policy analyst. He took on the role of policy and governance leader in 2019. He has served with four association CEOs and 24 board chairs. Over the term of his employment with ACEC-BC, he contributed to countless advocacy campaigns, led association communications, provided direct support to the board, managed IT, and supported the association rebranding from CEBC to ACEC-BC.

Over the past year McAskill led member consultation and response to the BC Law Institute’s Builders’ Lien Act consultation and supported member understanding of the new BC Environmental Assessment Office.

Unofficially, he has been the “association archive”. He regularly responds to unusual member queries, can recall discourse leading to decisions of the board or committees, and remembers the issues faced by each of the 24 boards he supported.

“As a long-standing member of the ACEC-BC team, Brian is well known to our members who will undoubtedly miss his kindness, consistency and experience,” says Caroline Andrewes, ACEC-BC president and CEO.

$107 million announced for Alberta water projects

More than $107.5 million has been announced by government officials to complete eight water infrastructure projects in northern and southern Alberta as approved through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

These projects will upgrade or build new water/wastewater treatment systems, stormwater management systems and flood barriers.

In Calgary, the downtown flood barrier project will create a new barrier along the south bank of the Bow River to improve flood control. This barrier will be connected to the West Eau Claire and Centre Street Bridge lower deck flood barriers to form a continuous barrier along the Bow River. A second project in Calgary will add a stormwater trunk in the upper plateau to direct stormwater runoff directly into the Bow River and reduce the risk and magnitude of stormwater flooding.

“The funding announced is a major step to fully protecting downtown Calgary businesses and residences from another devastating flood,” said Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “Completing the downtown flood barrier will create 100 needed jobs, but it will also create peace of mind for so many Calgarians who worry every spring about what could happen. The resilience we’re building together in projects like these will protect our economy, our people, and our way of life.”

Projects also include two new drinking water wells for the Siksika Nation. The wells will help provide a stable source of feed water for the Arthur A. Youngman treatment facility that will meet growing community needs and reduce environmental impacts.

“Investing in essential services like drinking water treatment and flood barriers is key to building resilient communities. The downtown flood barrier project in Calgary and the drinking water wells in Siksika Nation are just two of eight new Alberta projects that will help keep communities safe and healthy while protecting essential public infrastructure. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds stronger communities,” said Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.