DIRTT promotes pre-fabricated construction

DIRTT Environmental Solutions has launched Make Space for Possibilities. The advocacy campaign demonstrates how pre-fabricated construction meets the evolving needs of individuals, teams and organizations seeking greater adaptability within their workplaces.

The Calgary based interior construction company uses proprietary software to design, manufacture and install fully-customizable environments.

“The optimal space allows people and organizations to be their best by connecting and collaborating safely. How this is accomplished will continue to evolve over time,” said Kevin O’Meara, President and CEO of DIRTT. “Construction doesn’t need to be an exercise in predicting the future. By employing prefabricated, modular construction to design and build, you can drive better outcomes, positively impacting the human experience and the bottom line.”

Believing that spaces should be relevant, resilient and respectful, DIRTT wants organizations to reset and rethink, and to create spaces that are adaptable, sustainable and intentionally designed to manage the unknown.

The campaign encourages organizations to imagine the infinite value of permanent spaces that can quickly and economically change to meet evolving needs, and calls for adaptable, modular solutions that are intentionally engineered to fit together instead of the conventional, one-and-done approach to building.

The campaign is driven by research and takes inspiration both from mother nature’s best inventions, like the honeycomb, and everyday items, such as zippers, while also integrating easy-to-clean materials and approaches used by medical facilities.

Through Make Space for Possibilities, DIRTT wants to provoke discussion and stimulate ideas about how to keep people connected even while they have to remain apart. Enabling connection by accommodating technology, implementing behavioral protocols and creating new organizational neighborhoods where people can safely gather.

“The idea starters profiled in this campaign reflect emerging trends and integrate with DIRTT’s virtual reality technology so users can experience their future space in real time and with real dimensions,” says Jennifer Warawa, DIRTT’s chief commercial officer. “Clients throughout North America are telling us they need space constructed in a way that makes people feel calm, connected and protected while also maintaining business continuity and minimizing disruption.”

Working with architects, designers and general contractors, DIRTT’s idea starters demonstrate how to reconfigure any environment so people can isolate or collaborate and feel safe doing it.

“This campaign demonstrates the multitude of ways DIRTT can help any organization provide the best spaces for the way people work, learn and heal,” added O’Meara.

Dawson Civil awarded contract to widen Highway 1

Dawson Civil Limited of Kamloops has been awarded the $25.9-million contract for the Chase Creek Road to Chase West project. Dawson will begin work this summer to expand the Trans-Canada Highway near the Village of Chase from two to four lanes, making travel safer for people and more efficient for trade.

“Now is the right time to build infrastructure that hires local workers and improves our communities who are struggling with the impacts of COVID-19,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

A 3.3-kilometre section of Highway 1 will be widened to four lanes with a centre median barrier, improving safety. The project also includes:

at-grade protected T-intersections with lighting at both Chase Creek Road and Shuswap Avenue;
a grade-separated pedestrian crossing and multi-use pathway to link the Neskonlith Indian Band and the Village of Chase communities;
a cattle underpass to comply with Agricultural Land Commission requirements; and
conversion of the existing highway to frontage road to consolidate access.

During construction, every effort will be made to minimize disruption and impacts to local traffic, and updates will be provided via DriveBC.

“This project will help diversify and grow B.C.’s skilled workforce,” said Trevena. “Apprentices will also get the opportunity to work on site and gain the experience they need to launch life-long careers.”

Under the Community Benefits Agreement, the project will prioritize hiring local workers, Indigenous peoples, women, people with disabilities and other under-represented groups who are qualified to do the work in a safe, welcoming environment. Additionally, this project will provide opportunities for Red Seal apprentices to work on site and gain the experience they need to launch careers in the trades.

Facility hygiene and preventing the spread of germs

COVID-19 has created a growing awareness about hygiene, particularly in public spaces. As buildings begin to reopen and stay-at-home orders are relaxed, facility managers are faced with navigating the complexities of a new normal as society returns to work. This includes reassuring employees and visitors of proper hygiene practices and managing their perception of hygiene, minimizing the spread of germs within a facility, and complying with stringent cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

People are holding the public places they visit, such as restrooms, to a much higher hygiene standard than ever before. In fact, according to a new survey conducted by Tork, 86 per cent of North American survey respondents say they expect public restrooms will provide a safer hygiene environment now than before the COVID-19 crisis.

Making your visitors feel safe

With COVID-19 rates varying across different cities, people are undoubtedly worried about their safety in public spaces. The study from Tork revealed that 77 per cent of people surveyed agree or strongly agree they feel more unsafe using facilities with unhygienic public restrooms due to COVID-19.

The increased concern for hygiene in public restrooms has led to an increased demand for paper hand towels, which are perceived as more hygienic than air dryers. According to the Tork study, 70 per cent of people in North America wish more facilities offered paper hand towels as an alternative to air dryers, and 33 per cent of people surveyed agree or strongly agree they feel unsafe entering a restroom with air dryers.

What’s behind this shift in preference? Some of the common reasons among survey respondents include the perceptions that:

Paper hand towels are more hygienic to the user (71 per cent)
Paper hand towels do not spread virus and bacteria in the air (43 per cent), and
Paper hand towels dry hands more quickly (53 per cent)

This shift in consumer perception means facility managers must think twice about the hand dryer solutions in their facilities. While some managers might have previously chosen air dryers because they believed they were more convenient to use, a shift in consumer preference due to the pandemic has given many managers the push they need to make the switch to paper hand towels.

As facility managers continue to navigate what a safe and reassuring return to work looks like, they must also ensure they have the right protocols and products in place to maintain a new hygiene standard. By reinforcing hand hygiene rules as well as cleaning and disinfecting routinely, facility managers can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in their facility and make employees and visitors feel safer.

Minimizing germ spread in your facility

While most experts agree COVID-19 is mainly spread through respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, the virus can also spread through close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands, or touching an object or surface with the virus and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Promoting good hand hygiene is critical to preventing the spread of germs in any given environment. Facility managers can reinforce hygiene standards in their facility by ensuring hand sanitizer and hand washing stations are easily accessible to employees and visitors in all parts of buildings and by keeping them fully stocked throughout the day. They should also consider posting signs near sinks, restrooms, and other high-traffic areas to remind people to wash their hands. These signs should stress the importance of frequent and thorough hand washing, especially after coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, or touching the trash.

In addition, facilities can limit contact between workers by making operational adjustments, such as extending or staggering working hours, staggering employee arrival and departure times, alternating days between working onsite and remotely, and instituting one-way foot traffic plans through office hallways and spacing out workstations so workers can physically distance while on the job.

Protective equipment should also be encouraged to promote workplace hygiene. While guidance on the use of face masks varies between localities, facility managers should ensure that protective equipment is available to employees and make sure to follow the guidance of local health authorities and government officials. Cleaning staff should always have easy access to personal protective equipment (PPE).

Creating cleaner spaces for employees

Because it is believed that employees can contract COVID-19 through contaminated surfaces, it is important to frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces to reduce the spread of the virus, as well as other types of germs. This includes commonly-touched surfaces such as desks, tables, door handles, and elevator buttons, as well as shared objects including printers, keyboards, and phones. Disposable wipes should be easily available to employees so they can clean such surfaces and objects when needed.

Optimizing hand hygiene dispenser placement is another way to reinforce proper hand hygiene. When discussing facility floor plans, managers should make sure to place hygiene equipment in areas where there is a natural flow of traffic, including reception areas, restrooms, conference rooms, and break rooms. While each office is unique, the ultimate goal is ensuring that employees do not have to go out of their way to access a paper hand towel dispenser or hand sanitizer.

In the restroom, cleaners should begin with cleaning less-dirty surfaces before cleaning toilets and floors. Because mops and sponges can carry microorganisms, facilities should consider using disposable cleaning solutions, which help to reduce cross-contamination.

Rachel Olsavicky is the regional marketing manager – commercial and public interest at Essity Professional Hygiene. For more information, visit TorkUSA.com/saferchoice and TorkUSA.com/safeatwork.

Manitoba stretches property assessment cycle

Manitoba’s property assessment cycle will switch from even to odd years with a recently enacted one-year delay before the next reassessment. The new regulation under the provincial Municipal Assessment Act pushes the start-date for next cycle to 2023, to be based on property values as of April 1, 2021. The current base date — April 1, 2018 — will remain in place for 2021 and 2022.

Ontario has also delayed a new four-year assessment cycle that had been scheduled to begin in 2021, based on property values as on January 1, 2019. However, in contrast to the commercial real estate industry’s general support for that move, critics in Manitoba warn an extra year of tax apportionment based on pre-pandemic values could be a harsh postponement for some property owners. The scheduling adjustment is expected to hurt the most in the retail and hospitality sectors.

“Prior to the new regulation, a reassessment of all properties in Manitoba with a valuation date of April 1, 2020 would have been required in 2022. Although the full impact of the pandemic on commercial properties was not fully known as of April 1, 2020, the economic conditions that were known by that date would arguably have reduced the values of many asset classes, possibly resulting in tax relief for 2022,” maintains Rod Slaughter, vice president, property tax, with Altus Group in Winnipeg. “Due to the delay, property assessments in Manitoba will not reflect any negative impact of the pandemic known by April 1, 2020 until the 2023 assessment.”

Nor is there much optimism that Manitoba’s local governments will be providing general property tax abatement beyond short-term payment deferrals that many Canadian municipalities offered earlier this year. However, Slaughter notes that “certain building closures”, along with property damage and/or changes to the physical characteristics of the property could be grounds to apply for tax relief.

“We are engaged with industry organizations such as REALPAC, NAIOP and the International Council of Shopping Centers and following advocacy efforts for measures such as tax deferral, abatement, or waiver,” he adds.

After this unexpected three-year interval, Manitoba will revert to a two-year cycle. The subsequent reassessment is set for 2025, based on property values as of April 1, 2023.

Finalists announced for Canada’s best restroom

Canadians are invited to vote for one of the five finalists in Cintas’ 2020 Best Restroom Award which recognizes outstanding public washrooms across the country.

Each facility was selected for its excellence in five categories: cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality, and unique design elements. The washroom that collects the most votes by the August 14 deadline will win a Cintas UltraClean restroom cleaning service and $2,500 in facility services from Cintas.

“We’re excited to share these fantastic finalists from coast-to-coast with the public,” said Sonia Mendes, senior marketing manager for Cintas Canada. “How a business maintains its facilities reflects their commitment to customer service. This contest recognizes the growing number of companies that are going the extra mile to provide clean, well-maintained washrooms. We hope the public shows its support for each of the five finalists.”

The five finalists include:

Bicycle Thief – Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Bicycle Thief restrooms feature fully enclosed, well-stocked stalls with artwork and scented candles. Large, decorative mirrors cover the adjacent marble walls, and fresh flowers are changed daily and placed along the granite countertops. Other features include touchless soap dispensers, hand sanitizer, porcelain sinks, chrome faucets, and touchless towel dispensers.

Hawthorn Dining Room – Calgary, Alberta

Designed with Frank Architecture, Hawthorn’s washrooms feature wallpaper with oversized flowers, complementing the modern vintage décor in the dining room. Instead of regular lighting, light rose diffusers give the space a soft warm glow. Hawthorn also partnered with local company Lowen’s Natural Skincare to make exclusive lines of soaps and lotions for spring/summer and fall/winter. Last, the design focuses on inclusivity with a separate gender-neutral space.

Leña Restaurante – Toronto, Ontario

The hallway leading to the restrooms of Leña Restaurante features animal wallpaper in the same pattern Chef Anthony Walsh has in his family home, and the floors are adorned with zebra herringbone tiles. The walls feature two luminous fisheye mirrors, and the private stalls feature a spacious washbasins with brass accents.

Westview RV Park – Wetaskiwin, Alberta

Westview’s newly renovated epoxy floors are textured for less slips and rounded corners were created for ease of cleaning. Meanwhile, concrete countertops and fancy tile help elevate the experience.

Yorkdale Shopping Centre – Toronto, Ontario

Yorkdale’s gender inclusive washrooms feature a frosted glass sink with waterfall edge, bright blue tile, and a large seating area near the entrance. The mall also includes six women’s and six men’s washrooms, two family washrooms, three nursing rooms, and 12 single washrooms.

To place your vote and to see images of each facility, visit the Canada’s Best Restroom Award website.

Saying goodbye to Ignat Kaneff

Ontario real estate developer and beloved philanthropist Ignat Kaneff passed away peacefully Sunday July 12, 2020, at the age of 93.

Known affectionately to all who knew him as “Iggy”, Mr. Kaneff founded Kaneff Corporation more than 60 years ago after immigrating to Canada from Bulgaria in 1951. Through hard work and dedication, he rose the ranks to becoming one of the Brampton area’s most respected businessmen, community leaders and visionaries with a long legacy of giving back.

Kaneff’s first housing development consisted of 27 homes in the Erindale Woodlands area of Mississauga. Since then, his company has built countless homes, high rise apartments, plazas, office towers and golf courses, and has served as a major driver of economic growth in the Peel Region. Kaneff himself was seen as the catalyst for several important initiatives in education, health care, the arts and social services. His generous philanthropy has enriched the lives of residents in his city, as well as his home country of Bulgaria.

Among his numerous accolades, Kaneff was the recipient of the FRPO Lifetime Achievement award in 2016, and in 2017, he was invested into the Order of Canada.

“We are saddened to hear of the passing of Ignat “Iggy” Kaneff,” FRPO tweeted on behalf of members. “He was a generous philanthropist and an outstanding community builder. Our deepest condolences to the Kaneff family.”

Mr. Kaneff’s contributions to the Ontario rental-housing sector will not be forgotten.

BCRPA presents awards for recreation excellence

BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA) has presented two projects with Facility Excellence Awards. A restoration of a century-old cottage and a new multi-use recreational facility were recognized for outstanding innovation in facility concept, design development, maintenance or operation in a facility.

The Edwardian Cottage at Terra Nova Rural Park in Richmond won for a project with a capital cost of less than $1 million. The Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre (ACUCC) in Langley won for a project over $1 million.

The cottage is an iconic 1920s heritage building that was rehabilitated, restored, and retrofitted with a wheelchair ramp in 2014. It is now the new home of the Terra Nova Nature School for children from preschool to 13 years old. The facility’s design emphasizes conservation, optimizing building performance, continued improvement in energy use, water efficiency, and a high indoor environmental quality.

“The outstanding work at the Edwardian Cottage is just one example of our commitment to creating one community together to celebrate Richmond’s unique and diverse heritage.” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “The building is a heritage asset not only for the City of Richmond, but for the entire country. It reflects the industry and socio-economic realities of the early twentieth century which are significant not just to Richmond, but to all Canadians.”

The ACUCC facility was created with the goal of supporting the inclusion of all genders, ages, and cultures, bringing together four key recreation components into one central location: an arena, community spaces, aquatics waterpark, and a playground.

The establishment of ACUCC in its central downtown location not only allows it to be accessible by multiple forms of transportation (walking, cycling, transit and driving), but it supports the overall revitalization of business activity in the Township’s core.

The design of the ACUCC utilizes reclaimed brick and beams from an old school, showcasing a historical reference within its structure. The facility also includes an important energy conservation focus, with waste heat from the high efficiency refrigeration being utilized through the pool’s water heating system. In addition to the solar thermal system, LED lighting and water harvesting recovery system, the facility also provides electric vehicle charging stations.

Occupational cancer risk goes largely undetected

Despite the estimated 3,000 Ontarians diagnosed with occupational cancer each year, only 400 cancer claims are submitted to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), and about 170 of these receive compensation.

A new 67-page, Ministry of Labour report, headed by Paul Demers, director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre, lays out 11 recommendations that would improve decisions around workplace cancer claims and boost better prevention overall.

Workplace carcinogens are largely attributed to solar radiation, asbestos, diesel engine exhaust and crystalline silica. Diagnosing and compensating them is getting more difficult to do. Primary health-care providers are inadequately trained to diagnose these cancers, so many claims are never filed. Determining whether the disease is due to the nature of a worker’s employment also pose challenges, especially in jobs where multiple exposures are common. Construction workers are exposed to asbestos, crystalline silica, and diesel exhaust and nurses are exposed to night shift work, antineoplastic drugs, and radiation. Information on exposure in workplaces is also lacking.

Typically, workplace carcinogens have been identified due to small groups of people sharing the same potential exposure, but these clusters are getting harder to pin down. As the report states, there is currently no agency in Ontario with the responsibility to investigate these clusters, and neither the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board nor the Ministry of Labour have enough capacity to do so.

Expanding the number of trained staff to go out and investigate these clusters stands out as a key item among the many recommendations, along with the creation of an independent Scientific Review Panel composed of experts who review and update WSIB policies.

Designing for wellbeing in residential healthcare

Creating healthcare environments that promote the safety of patients and staff while facilitating treatment is a universally accepted priority of modern design. Every detail from a facility’s lighting to its colour palette can directly influence the quality and effectiveness of care. One area where cohesive design is becoming increasingly important is residential healthcare, which encompasses not only senior living but also rehabilitation, behavioural health, memory care and mental health.

These communities, although healthcare environments, are residential in nature, and the people who live there must feel safe and secure. The built environment can support this as long as there is an understanding of the underlying human need and appropriate finishes are selected that promote wellness, support independence, and foster safety and security.

The human need in residential healthcare is influenced by a variety of factors but one of the most significant is North America’s rapidly growing 65-plus population. With aging comes a natural decline in eyesight, hearing and motor skills, which impairs the ability to perceive surroundings. In addition to natural aging, there are a growing number of residents with cognitive impairment, chronic illness, behavioural issues and mental illness, not to mention medication, sleep deprivation and a host of other elements that can create disorientation. These factors result in an environment that is more difficult to understand and navigate, making everyday tasks stressful and frustrating. In response, healthcare design has shifted focus from traditional sterile-looking aesthetics toward creating calm, welcoming residential environments.

One of the key objectives in residential healthcare is to promote wellness. This is more than having a healthy physical body. It also includes social, spiritual, emotional and intellectual well-being. There is an increasing trend toward the use of brighter, more saturated and optimistic colour palettes compared to traditional neutral options, as it is easier for the aging eye to perceive and appreciate the effects colour has on emotion. Colour, selected to enhance the purpose of an area, has been shown to alter psychology and physiology, enhancing the wellness of residents. For example, green may be used in a resident room to contribute to calmness and rest, while yellow may be employed in the kitchen and living areas to infuse energy and optimism.

Biophilic design, the strategy of implementing nature into the environment, can also create a sense of serenity and well-being in these spaces. Evidence-based design studies support the concept of using realistic and natural art as a means of providing a positive distraction, which can have a therapeutic effect as well as reduce anxiety and agitation. Experience has shown that closeup imagery of natural pictures is better in these environments than scenic landscapes.

Understanding that residents engage all of their senses to sort through disorientation and navigate their environments, acoustical properties need to be considered in material selection. Materials with sound-reducing qualities that contribute to more peaceful spaces help create a built environment that fosters relaxation and connection. For example, when residents can sit in a quiet dining area and engage in conversation, it creates connection and combats the perception of being isolated.

While colour palettes and acoustics are key components of residential healthcare design, other design elements can contribute not only to wellness but also to a resident’s ability to remain independent. The Facilities Guidelines Institute’s (FGI) Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health, Care and Support Facilities touches on a number of these elements in selecting flooring and wall protection materials. To prevent visual misperception, FGI recommends non-glare finishes with small, low-contrast patterns. Try to avoid medium-size patterns approximately one-inch by six-inch, as these have been associated with an increased incident of falls. Visual perception is a complex process with one very important component being how edges and boundaries are perceived, so this needs to be considered when designing elements that contribute to orientation and wayfinding. Contrasting colours may create visual changes that help distinguish one space from another but the amount of light reflected from surfaces plays a major role in keeping residents safe and secure.

The best way to measure contrast between surfaces is to understand the light reflectance value (LRV) of the material being used. Every material has a LRV marked on a scale of 1-100, with one absorbing light (black) and 100 reflecting it (white). To meet requirements set by FGI, different categories of adjacent flooring that are level and even call for similar LRVs (10-point variance or less) must be used to avoid the illusion of a nonexistent step. Conversely, FGI states there should be at least a 30-point variance in LRVs between adjacent surfaces like floors and walls. If the difference between floors and walls, floors and furniture and steps is too subtle, it can result in potential injuries. However, when properly combined, sufficient colour contrast and LRVs allow residents to navigate their environment with confidence, supporting their independence.

Residential healthcare design must not only take into consideration environments that promote wellness and independence but also foster safety and security. Many factors can influence a resident’s sense of security but the most prevalent in the built environment is preventing injury due to slips/falls, trips/falls or self-harm. FGI recommends slip-resistant surfaces on ramps/entries, in bathing areas and in kitchens. The appropriate choice of flooring to prevent slips/falls depends on a number of factors, such as demographics (residents, care providers or support staff), surface contamination (water or grease) and pressures on the finishes (wheel chairs, heat and moisture).

Transitions between different flooring materials as well as between floors and wall protection, if not done properly, can have a high potential for injury and accordingly require special attention. Although accessibility standards allow varying floor heights, this has been found to be potentially detrimental to these fragile populations, so FGI recommends transitions between adjacent materials be level and even. Proper detailing is necessary to ensure residents can safely navigate without tripping on flooring or scraping their hands on walls and corner guards. In order to reduce the risk of injury due to fall incidents, user fatigue or musculoskeletal injury, FGI recommends reviewing softer materials with insulated backings that ‘give.’ This, of course, must be balanced with the need for durable materials that remain intact and functional in heavy weight-bearing, high-traffic and impact-susceptible areas. Examining the activities occurring in a space and the underlying human need is key to appropriate material recommendation and a safe and secure community design.

Understanding the increasing fragility of people in residential healthcare and selecting the appropriate finishes to not only promote wellness and support independence but also foster safety and security is key to creating households, neighbourhoods and communities that encourage connection and inclusivity. Residential healthcare design, when done well, can provide homes to residents regardless of level of fragility or disability that are safe and secure and contribute to that sense of belonging that is central to health and well-being.

Susan Drew is the market segment manager, senior living and residential care, for Altro Americas. With more than 15 years’ experience in the flooring/walling industry and a marketing background, Susan brings a wealth of knowledge to the unique challenges of the residential healthcare/senior living care environment.

Handling daily challenges in facility management

Facility management is delicate balance that includes managing people, the place, and the processes that make up the typical modern facility. Understanding this is key to identifying the most efficient and effective ways to stay on top of all that’s required.

The situation becomes even more complicated when facility managers have to plan for external circumstances beyond their immediate control—such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Stakeholder management

Facility managers lead the direction of the estate under their care. As a result, their leadership skills are tested daily. The impact of their soft skills on the success of the facility is almost equal to their technical skills because they must manage different sets of people: the people that directly help them run the property (the maintenance team), manage the expectations of everyone else that uses the facility (clients, vendors, etc), and communicate effectively with all these parties.

In view of the pandemic, it’s essential to have fast, effective, and trusted means of communicating with staff, occupants, and other stakeholders so that everyone is updated about any decisions you may make and if they need to take any actions as well. Consider a variety of channels such as intranet or internet information pages with Q&A sections and informative posters within the premises.

This is important now more than ever because there’s a lot of fear and misinformation out there about COVID-19. Facility managers need to be proactive to keep negative and harmful information out.

Asset maintenance

Regardless of the size and type of structure that they manage, the pressure that facility managers face when important assets breakdown can be overwhelming. Because of this challenge, experienced FMs have learned to take proactive steps to minimize equipment failure by continually monitoring equipment maintenance through annual and monthly maintenance plans and looking to follow best building maintenance practices.

On top of this pressure, the COVID-19 situation has added more layers of challenges. For one thing, the highly contagious nature of this virus means that the watchword for FMs now is prevention—they have to do everything necessary to avoid this infection from getting in their premises in the first place. A significant part of that prevention requires that FMs focus on cleaning and disinfecting, safety management and controlling costs.

Proper upkeep of all cleaning and disinfecting equipment

Thoroughly clean and disinfect, especially in high-traffic areas like reception and front desk areas and other shared spaces (bathrooms, common areas) All cleaning equipment should be regularly inspected, kept in optimum condition, and ready to use at a moment’s notice. For larger facilities like schools, hotels, and hospitals, this equipment may include mist disinfection machines, disinfecting robots, automatic hand sanitizer dispensers, etc.

All this may sound daunting considering there are still other categories of equipment (e.g. HVAC and electrical systems) to maintain in the facility. One tool is a CMMS for scheduling maintenance tasks, even for hundreds of machines. This makes it easier to centralize, extract, and analyze maintenance information, automate routine tasks like preparing checklists, monitor daily work and track repair and servicing times and work orders, while also minimizing emergency repairs.

However, even with the best laid-out maintenance plans, things will often go wrong. FMs need to develop the calmness and mental acuity to promptly handle new or urgent situations that may crop up.

Safety management

Safety is a multifaceted responsibility in facility management because they need to ensure their personal safety, the safety of the maintenance team, and everyone else that uses the facility. FMs now have to contend with additional safety measures to avoid the pandemic. Some particular areas that they need to be mindful of are:

Identifying contamination hazards: They need to continually check that common areas are clean and disinfected every day; that cleaners adhere to PPE guidelines and are continually informed about safe cleaning methods. FMs need to check and enforce compliance with social distancing guidelines. For very large and busy facilities, in addition to the usual cleaning staff, facility managers can consider introducing ‘roving’ cleaners dedicated to cleaning high-touch surfaces like door handles, staircase handrails, elevator buttons, etc.
Overall safe operation and maintenance of the premises: Depending on the kind of facility they are managing, facility management teams may be working fully remotely or they may be running flexible working arrangements. Therefore, It’s likely that the facility manager still has to get the same level of work done, but with a smaller team. This creates a unique challenge but it can be managed by being more proactive, for example, avoiding maintenance backlog and deploying automation tools.

For FMs who must keep working through the pandemic, there is extensive information out there to help them assess the risks and make the best decisions for their facilities and people during this period. Nevertheless, it’s important to still emphasize the need for continuous education and awareness for all stakeholders, compliance with strict cleaning and disinfection practices, and prompt maintenance.

Controlling Costs

FMs are expected to monitor cost, keep their expenditure within an approved budget, and yet maintain operational efficiency in all the services offered in their facility. If they can’t do this, their organizations will likely not be competitive in today’s economy. There will be some cost implications for protecting facilities from COVID-19, for example, acquiring better cleaning/disinfecting equipment or purchasing the necessary PPE on time.

Making decisions to spend money or not is a common source of pressure. But, being resourceful and proactive can help manage this. For instance, one of the first things that FMs need to do as facilities gradually reopen is to conduct audits to catch any loopholes in their preparedness using the tips mentioned above. Again, you don’t necessarily have to buy every safety gadget out there, just ensure that you have the essentials, that every purchase is well-planned, and that assets are not left idle.

Now more than ever, facility management seems to be quite challenging. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. FMs can handle these challenges and still deliver safe and efficient facilities that are protected from the pandemic if they can take ownership of the critical areas discussed above.

Bryan Christiansen is the founder and CEO at Limble CMMS. Limble is a modern, easy to use mobile CMMS software that takes the stress and chaos out of maintenance by helping managers organize, automate, and streamline their maintenance operations.

University of Lethbridge to receive $20M in upgrades

The University of Lethbridge will receive $20 million in government-funded upgrades to its district heating and cooling centre, creating about 112 jobs in the Lethbridge area.

First opened in 1971, the district heating and cooling centre is located in the institution’s University Hall building. The upgrades to the centre will create a more efficient and functional system that will positively impact student residences, academic spaces, and research labs.

Funding for the University of Lethbridge heating and cooling project is part of an additional $98-million commitment to post-secondary institutions for accelerated capital maintenance and renewal. It is expected to create about 533 fulltime jobs around the province.

“The University of Lethbridge is one of the top research universities of its kind, and it’s also a strong pillar of the regional economy,” Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education, commented in a statement announcing the upgrades. “This funding will not only guarantee a high-quality campus experience for years to come, it will also help many Albertans in the Lethbridge area find gainful employment and provide for their families.”

Prasad Panda, Minister of Infrastructure, added, “Alberta’s Recovery Plan focuses on infrastructure as a critical component for supporting economic growth and jobs for Albertans. This includes investing in shovel-ready projects to upgrade and maintain public facilities, like this post-secondary institution, that help keep Albertans working and stimulate local economies where it matters most.”

The province’s 2020 budget already includes $118.5 million for capital maintenance and renewal at colleges, universities, and polytechnics. In April, the Alberta government announced it was accelerating the capital plan and increasing capital maintenance and renewal spending in 2020-21 to almost $2 billion.

Sodexo signs five-year agreement with Holland Bloorview

Sodexo Canada and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital have signed a new five-year agreement for a range of integrated management services.

The companies have been partners for more than 30 years during which Sodexo has provided the hospital with foodservice and environmental services such as cleaning and disinfection.

Sodexo and Holland Bloorview worked closely together over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to introduce enhanced cleaning procedures and protocols at the hospital. Sodexo also supported the facility’s frontline healthcare workers and building employees with a program called “Grocery to Go” through which the company provided meal and grocery options for staff to purchase during shifts.

“Looking back at our history, we are proud to celebrate our 31 years together and very much look forward to five more,” said Bohodar Rubashewsky, vice president – people, corporate innovation and services at Holland Bloorview, in an announcement of the new Sodexo agreement. “The Sodexo Canada team is an extension of ours and we look forward to building on the strength of this partnership and the opportunity to co-create more successful examples of program, service, and care innovation.”

In 2018, Sodexo Canada was honoured by WEConnect International for its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and gender equality. The award is presented to a corporation that has demonstrated exemplary support for the inclusion of women-owned businesses in their supply chains and innovative approaches to creating new opportunities for inclusion in Canada.

TOBY International acclaim for Toronto properties

Canadian owners and managers can once again claim title to The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) in an international forum. Three Toronto properties are among winners in 16 categories announced in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International’s 2020 virtual awards ceremony yesterday.

MaRS West Tower, a 780,000-square-foot venue for research, innovation and STEM networking that has been key to Toronto’s emergence as a global technology hot spot, earns 2020 TOBY International acclaim in the mixed-use building category. The LEED Gold tower draws ambitious and high-calibre players driving the transition to a low-carbon economy to its office, laboratory, meeting and event space. The BOMA International honours go to the owner, MaRS Phase II Investment Trust Inc., and the manager, MaRS Real Estate.

One of Canada’s longest standing and most modern enclosed super-regional malls, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, is the TOBY recipient in the retail category. Now encompassing 1.85 million square feet of leasable space, the facility has been evolving with the times since first opening in 1964 — currently as an early adopter of experiential retail, digital applications for shoppers and efforts to forge a bricks-and-mortar presence for e-commerce activity. The TOBY is bestowed to joint owners, Oxford Properties Group and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), and the manager, Oxford Properties Group.

Perhaps hovering somewhat under the radar as a 53-year-old, Class B office building in Toronto’s midtown market, 95 St. Clair West has leveraged strong environmental performance, tenant services and low vacancy into the International TOBY in the 250,000 to 499,999 square-foot category. The 16-storey tower boasts BOMA BEST Platinum certification, Gold level for 3R Certified Recycling, Energy Star certification for green power and a Wired Score of 91. The TOBY goes to the owner, Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company, and manager, Colliers International.

The three buildings were honoured with Canadian national TOBYs at BOMA Canada’s annual exposition and conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in September 2019, and were previously BOMA Toronto TOBY winners. Judging in all cases is based on criteria that includes community impact, tenant and employee relations programs, energy management, accessibility, emergency evacuation procedures, building personnel training programs and overall quality indicators. A team of industry experts also conducts comprehensive on-site inspections as part of the evaluation process.

WELL Health Safety Rating enrollment opens

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has opened enrollment for the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management.

More than 100 organizations and real estate portfolios across the globe already enrolled. Organizations across a wide range of industries and geographic locations have responded swiftly to implement the program’s science-backed guidance as they seek to instill confidence and trust among their staff, stakeholders and the broader community.

The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder engagement strategies to help organizations prepare their spaces for re-entry in a post COVID-19 environment.

Adapted from features in the WELL Building Standard (WELL) that focus on facilities, maintenance and operations, the WELL Health-Safety Rating is designed to guide and empower the actions of large and small businesses alike in taking the necessary steps to prioritize the health and safety of their staff, visitors and stakeholders. It also serves as an annual process that supports efforts to promote the long-term health and safety of people.

“We’re all eager to get back to our workplaces, back to school, back to traveling, dining, and cheering on our favorite teams and performers,” said IWBI chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “As organizations across the globe respond to the COVID-19 crisis through changes in policies and protocols, the WELL Health-Safety Rating delivers the evidence-based health strategies required to help them safely reopen with the confidence and integrity provided by third-party verification.”

Created by IWBI, the WELL Health-Safety Rating is informed by guidance developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), global disease control and prevention centers and emergency management agencies, recognized standard-making bodies, such as ASTM International and ASHRAE, and leading academic and research institutions.

IWBI has leveraged insights from its Task Force on COVID-19, established at the outset of the pandemic to help business and building leaders integrate actionable insights and proven strategies in the fight against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.

“This moment has highlighted the critical role that buildings, and those that own and operate them, can play in supporting people’s health, safety and well-being,” said IWBI president Rachel Gutter.

“This new rating aims to meet the urgent need to deliver high health and safety standards in all of the spaces we occupy. While longer term design strategies are important in reducing the risks of infectious disease spread, this rating focuses on strategies that can be implemented immediately to address acute threats, using our buildings and spaces as a first line of defense in the fight against COVID-19.”

Concert Properties acquires first green loan for B.C. development

Vancouver-based Concert Properties is the first to gain access to a new lending product that supports sustainable projects with strong environmental benefits, including combatting climate change.

The company announced that the $71.5 million construction loan it had acquired for the Tapestry at Victoria Harbour development was converted to a green loan based on the strong green attributes of the project, including its expected lower carbon and energy footprint versus a comparable building.

Tapestry at Victoria Harbour is an active living community comprising for-sale condominiums and residential rental suites, along with supporting amenity and service space, and a small retail component. The development is projected to use 33 per cent less energy than a comparable building and have an overall energy use intensity of 118 Kwh/sqm/yr. This intensity is commensurate with ‘Step Three’ of the ‘BC Energy Step Code’. Concert is also targeting certification under the Canada Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at the ‘Gold’ level for this building.

Concert recently developed a Sustainability Framework that lays out its plan for the next 30 years to make the company a leader in sustainable buildings, including aggressive carbon emissions reductions. The company has more than 20 buildings that have achieved LEED certification and/or Tier-2 under the Toronto Green Standard, or Step-3 under the Province of B.C. Energy Step Code.

“Tapestry at Victoria Harbour demonstrates our commitment to quality, sustainability and creating communities that inspire and enhance the wellness of an active aging resident,” says Brian McCauley, President and CEO, Concert Properties. “We are dedicated to making a positive contribution to the economy, society and the environment. We are pleased to be selected for HSBC’s Green Loan program. It recognizes Concert’s commitment to achieving greater sustainability in our portfolio.”

This first Green Loan Principles-aligned green loan in Canada follows HSBC Bank Canada’s launch of a green finance proposition in late 2019. It demonstrates the bank’s continued leadership in sustainable finance, and the value that its sustainability expertise can bring to its clients.

HSBC has been at the forefront of sustainable financing and is the top underwriter of green, social and sustainable bonds globally. In 2017, the bank committed to provide and facilitate $100bn of sustainable financing by 2025 to clients to develop or install clean energy and lower-carbon technologies. HSBC Bank Canada’s contribution to HSBC’s $100bn sustainable finance commitment was over $1bn in 2019 and included participating in $6.4bn of green and sustainable bond transactions for Canadian clients.

“We are proud to help our long-standing client, Concert Properties, extend their sustainability leadership into the area of finance and pioneer the first green loan in Canada,” said Linda Seymour, Head of Commercial Banking, HSBC Bank Canada. “Our customers are becoming increasingly focused on ESG issues, and we are committed to offering them products that help them invest in creating a lower carbon economy.”

New infrastructure funding for Lower Mainland

The governments of Canada and British Columbia have announced new infrastructure investments for Lower Mainland communities.

Funding for 21 projects in the Lower Mainland under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan will support economic recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic by getting projects underway and meeting communities’ needs as they restart their economies.

Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

In North Delta, the funding will support a new track facility featuring an eight-lane track with a synthetic surface, and an infield made of natural turf. The new venue will also include field lighting, bleachers, additional parking as well as multi-purpose outdoor courts. This community-focused facility will open up new opportunities for residents to stay healthy, come together, train local athletes, and host athletic events.

In the District of Squamish, a new sea dyke will be built in Xwu’nekw Park on the Mamquam Blind Channel to address increasing flooding due to rising sea levels. This will help keep people’s homes safe, protect local businesses, and preserve other essential infrastructure communities rely on daily. The work also includes enhancing the site with a new walkway, landscaping, lighting, trees and benches.

Among the other projects receiving this funding are improvements to community centres, health centres, storm water management, drinking water and wastewater facilities, cultural facilities and social support hubs.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $44.5 million, the Government of British Columbia is contributing over $19.2 million, and the applicants (municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profits) are contributing more than $22.3 million to these projects through the Community, Culture, and Recreation Infrastructure Stream (CCRIS), and the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNIS) of the Investing in Canada Plan.

More than $19.4 million of the federal and provincial funding is going to nine projects in Indigenous communities.

Feds suggest CECRA sets Canada apart from peers

About $221 million in Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) had been disbursed as of July 3, Finance Minister Bill Morneau reported in the 2020 Economic and Fiscal Snapshot he released today. That flowed to more than 29,000 business and non-profit tenants that collectively employ about 209,000 workers.

Yet, many commercial landlords are still in the queue for required approval from the CECRA administrator, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Last week, the government announced a one-month extension to the program to include rent relief for July. Landlords have until August 31 to apply for the joint federal-provincial funds to cover up to 50 per cent of qualified businesses’ rent.

“In addition to thousands of applications by property owners in progress or being processed, CMHC is working closely with large property owners to complete applications to provide rent support to a further 25,000 small businesses,” states the federal government’s report on its actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CECRA allocations thus far amount to a tiny fraction of the $212-billion spending package recapped in the 168-page Snapshot, along with details of how individuals and businesses have absorbed COVID-19’s sudden hit, responded to relief measures and may possibly be positioned to recover. In his accompanying speech to the House of Commons, Morneau stressed both the sudden shock to the Canadian and global economy and the precariousness of projections while the major health threat hovers.

“With this Snapshot, we are providing our best prediction of the economic situation in Canada to the end of the current fiscal year, to March 31st, 2021. Trying to predict further would be potentially misleading,” he said. “The possibility of further outbreaks looms on the horizon, and accurate long-term forecasting is impossible in such a volatile environment.”

He also maintained that Canada is easily able to carry the new debt it has amassed, comparing it favourably to more burdensome deficits in the 20th century.

“If we think back to the ‘90s, when Canada’s debt needed to be reined in, interest rates were high and public debt was extremely expensive. At that time, our public debt charges were close to 6 per cent of GDP,” he recounted. “But now, Canada’s public debt charges are only around 1 per cent of GDP. And even after all the investments we have made to support Canadians, the cost of servicing our debt is expected to go lower this year.”

Looking back over the past four months, the Snapshot presents somewhat different views of real estate as an employer versus a business service. Lumped with finance, it’s the sector that experienced the least job loss since February, at less than 5 per cent, and its uptake of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy was also slightly below the national average with applications submitted to cover about 20 per cent of its workforce.

However, as the sector that literally houses the workings of the economy, it is far from insulated from harder hits elsewhere. Notably, accommodations and food services suffered the highest job loss of 17 identified sectors, shedding 44 per cent of its pre-pandemic employment. A 22 per cent drop in employment in the information, culture and recreation sector, and the loss of 15 per cent of retail and wholesale jobs also casts an ominous shadow on office and retail space demand.

In contrast to the slower pace of CECRA allocations, the Snapshot reports that 688,000 applicants had obtained $27.4 billion in relief through the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), which provides interest-free partially forgivable loans of up $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, as of July 3. For its part, the government notes that commercial rent assistance is not a common element in national COVID-19 response packages — not offered in the United States, the United Kingdom or Germany, for example — and credits itself with “covering a broader range of measures than most plans announced in peer countries.”

Stakeholder management

Asset maintenance

Proper upkeep of all cleaning and disinfecting equipment

Safety management

Controlling Costs

Heat Happens: Lessons on Cooling and Comfort

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