Brookfield investing $5B to help struggling retailers

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. plans to invest US$5 billion to help struggling retailers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through its retail revitalization program, Brookfield and its institutional partners will provide capital and assist with the recapitalization of retail businesses with operations in the major markets in which the company operates globally. The program will focus on non-control investments in retail businesses to assist with their capital needs.

This program will be led by Ron Bloom, managing partner and vice chairman of Brookfield’s Private Equity Group. He was a principal architect of the restructuring and rejuvenation of the automobile industry on behalf of the U.S. government during the 2008 financial crisis.

“This initiative is being designed to assist medium sized enterprises in getting back on their feet. We believe this is a critical component to getting the economy moving again, and we would like to partner with companies and entrepreneurs that can draw on our capital and expertise to stabilize and grow their business,” stated Bloom.

In addition to capital, Brookfield intends to make available its resources and expertise with a focus on supporting long-term business performance. “We look forward to contributing capital and expertise to support the retail sector through this time and position businesses for long-term success,” added Bloom.

The retail revitalization program will focus on retail businesses that have $250 million or greater in normalized revenues and have been operating for at least two years.

Utility bills deferred for distressed Albertans

Small businesses and residential electricity and natural gas customers in Alberta may be eligible for interest-free deferral of utility bills coming due over the three-month period ending June 18. The Alberta government has introduced enabling legislation for the COVID-19-related relief measure, which will provide up to $223 million, or about two-thirds of projected late payments, to stabilize provincial utilities’ cash flow and allow for the deferrals.

“Our government appreciates the cooperation and flexibility shown by utility providers to help their fellow Albertans through these challenging times. We recognize industry has also been greatly impacted by COVID-19,” announced Dale Nally, Alberta’s Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity, as the Utility Bill Deferral Program Act was tabled.

Thus far, larger commercial customers have been left out of the relief measure.

“We would encourage all orders of government to work with industry towards a solution that serves our shared interests in providing relief to those who need it and positioning our economy for recovery,” urges Lloyd Suchet, executive director of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Calgary.

The program is open to account holders who consume no more than 250,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity or 2,500 gigajoules of natural gas annually, and are: unemployed; caring for an ill family member; or have been personally diagnosed with COVID-19 or ordered to self-isolate. However, even eligible participants are “strongly encouraged” to pay their bills on schedule if they have the ability to do so.

Suchet maintains some small businesses will need more than deferrals in any case.

“While deferral of utilities and property tax may work for those business that have had to delay work, there are many that have experienced financial loss that will not be recouped later,” he observes. “The local café or fitness facility that has been closed for the past two months will not be able to sell that coffee or that gym fee at a later date. So deferral likely doesn’t solve the problem for them.”

Qualifying customers must directly negotiate deferral agreements with their electricity and natural gas providers, and begin repayment on June 19, 2020. Full repayment is expected by June 18, 2021. Customers who were in arrears prior to the March 18 start-date of the deferral program can still qualify.

GBAC releases accreditation program for infectious disease prevention

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, introduced its GBAC STAR facility accreditation program on cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention. It is the industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation.

GBAC STAR establishes requirements to assist facilities with work practices, protocols, procedures, and systems to control risks associated with infectious agents, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

“GBAC STAR is the gold standard of safe facilities, providing third-party validation that ensures fafacilities implement strict protocols for biorisk situations,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers, and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to deliver clean and healthy environments that are safe for business.”

Ideal for facilities like offices, restaurants, hotels, airports, convention centers, stadiums, and other public venues of all sizes, the GBAC STAR program assesses a facility’s preparedness and provides staff with training for biorisk prevention and containment. The program also establishes a framework for communication and awareness best practices.

Accreditation criteria and process

The performance-based GBAC STAR program enables facilities to create and maintain an effective cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program. To achieve GBAC STAR accreditation, facilities must demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures. Facilities will apply online and provide all documentation and supporting evidence with their application. The GBAC STAR Accreditation Council determines the status of all GBAC STAR facilities.

“In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the GBAC STAR accreditation program is exactly what facilities need to confidently reopen and keep staff, customers, and communities safe,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “The way the world views cleaning has changed overnight. To effectively recover from this crisis and prepare for the next, it’s essential that businesses take these necessary steps—and we’re thrilled to have a stable of top organizations that have already committed to the program.”

Accreditation criteria and facility applications are now available at www.gbac.org.

Shutdowns can factor in Legionnaires’ disease

Lengthy building shutdowns to help stop the spread of COVID-19 could create friendlier conditions for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, new guidance from ASHRAE warns. The Society’s Epidemic Task Force has developed a checklist of measures commercial and institutional building operators should undertake before welcoming back occupants, which includes a recommended brush up on ASHRAE standard 188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.

“A decrease in water usage in buildings closed or with limited access during the pandemic can increase the risk of bacteria growth in building plumbing and associated equipment,” an ASHRAE advisory states.

HVAC system maintenance, including filter replacement and complete flushing of indoor air, is also recommended prior to facility reopening. Operators are advised to run exhaust fans and open outdoor air dampers for at least two hours before re-occupancy or, alternatively for buildings that don’t have programmed controls, open all windows for at least two hours.

In turn, tenants should be informed of all measures implemented to prepare for their return. Along with the overview of air quality vigilance, it can include communication about cleaning protocol and instructions about personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary.

“We have reached a time where planning for a safe return to normal activities has become a priority,” affirms Darryl Boyce, 2019-20 ASHRAE president. “Safe operation of HVAC and building water management systems are critical components of building readiness and reopening, and ASHRAE’s resources provide a framework for developing plans in a variety of building types.”

HRAI survey reveals COVID-19 impacts on sector

A recent industry survey by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) found drastic impacts on the heating, refrigeration, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The HVACR industry has been deemed an essential service by both the federal government and provincial governments across the country,” said Sandy MacLeod, president and CEO of HRAI. “The sector has been responding as needed to the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing to service important equipment in both residential and commercial buildings.”

Despite their status as an essential service, the survey found 67 per cent of HVACR companies in Canada have seen a reduction of more than 30 per cent in year-over-year revenues since March 15 and 27 per cent have experienced a greater than 60 per cent decline.

Most contractors, however, have not substantially reduced their workforce. More than 60 per cent of businesses have seen layoffs of less than 30 per cent and almost 30 per cent of them have done no layoffs at all.

“The majority of companies in the sector have kept their employees on board, despite losing a significant portion of their revenues. This is due in part to the need for companies to continue servicing Canadians and businesses and also due to the availability of federal government programs that have helped companies make ends meet, for which the sector is grateful,l” continued MacLeod.

The industry has begun discussions with different levels of government regarding the rollout of targeted programs that would stimulate economic growth and job creation by supporting energy efficiency and low-carbon upgrades to homes and buildings. Strategic programs of this type will not only provide assistance to small businesses and homeowners across the country but will also help Canada to meet its ambitious carbon reduction goals.

“Programs that incentivize Canadians and businesses to acquire more energy-efficient equipment will help to lower costs for energy consumers and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Skilled trades development will be more important than ever once we begin recovering from the pandemic,” said MacLeod.

CaGBC study highlights gaps in zero carbon training

A new study by Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) shows that the building industry still has work to do to ensure professionals have access to the skills and knowledge required to deliver zero carbon buildings at scale.

Accelerating to Zero: Upskilling for Engineers, Architects, and Renewable Energy Specialists defines the core competencies and sub-competencies needed to support zero carbon building by building industry professions.

“Transitioning to zero carbon buildings offers significant emissions reductions, but it also requires a shift in thinking and practice across the building sector,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC. “Skilled job training is a critical element in shifting the industry toward a knowledgeable and prepared application of zero carbon building practices which will make a positive impact on Canada’s climate goals.”

Zero carbon buildings provide a proven pathway to achieve much-needed carbon reductions. However, the successful transition to zero carbon requires specific skills and knowledge. Building to a zero carbon standard can be more complex and demands that project teams work more collaboratively, from design through to completion and operation.

The report establishes an industry baseline of zero carbon building skills and knowledge among engineers, architects, and renewable energy specialists. This was achieved as a result of 318 survey respondents who self-reported their perceived knowledge and practical experience for the competencies, helping to identify knowledge and skills gaps.

In addition, CaGBC tracked preferred learning approaches and available training and education to better understand what opportunities exist for upskilling around these zero carbon competencies.

The study found that barriers to zero carbon skills acquisition still exist. Further, it suggests that the building sector needs to prioritize the development of zero carbon building competencies – especially given that early decisions in the building process play a significant role in achieving a zero carbon building.

The study also highlights key considerations for education and training providers, accreditation and professional bodies, and policy decision-makers.

To review the detailed list of considerations, visit cagbc.org/upskill to access the report.

UV light injurious to microorganisms and humans

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) into the public eye — and those eyes are vulnerable to injury. The Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute (HRAI) of Canada is reinforcing the timely message that UV disinfection procedures are highly technical and the light, itself, is hazardous.

“It will burn the skin and eyes very seriously in a matter of seconds, and could cause skin cancer and cataracts,” HRAI’s recent newsletter warns.

Indoor air quality specialists are among the skilled technicians trained to use a range of UVGI technologies to disinfect air and air handling fixtures. UVGI is also commonly used to purify water, and disinfect surgical instruments, food manufacturing equipment and other objects with sensitive applications.

Shortwave UV light damages nucleic acids and disrupts the DNA of various microorganisms, rendering them inactive. While it has not yet been conclusively proven that UVGI destroys COVID-19, it has been effective in battling other threatening strains of coronavirus, including SARS and MERS, and is believed to arrest COVID-19.

“The effectiveness of disinfection using UVC light is a function of three variables: the nature of the contaminant; the intensity of the UV light; and the time of exposure,” Tom Wilson, air purification manager for CGF Products in Toronto and a contributor to HRAI’s IAQ training materials, explains in the HRAI newsletter.

Disinfection also comes with risk management requirements. “It’s like an arc weld flash — very unsafe,” Wilson says.

Far-UVC technology, now in the prototype and commercialization stage, could lead to disinfection procedures with less or no risk for harmful exposure. However, HRAI supports a cautious approach to its release, with a priority on safety.

“Let’s not be hurrying and careless,” it urges.

Outbreak accelerates role of cobotics in cleaning

COVID-19 is expected to push cleaning automation to the forefront as facilities prioritize health and safety more than ever. When offices and non-essential businesses eventually reopen, the anticipated frequency of cleaning equates to additional labour, and some industry professionals believe that cobotics, the collaboration between workers and machines or robots, will support staff in meeting the demands of the pandemic.

Companies that make automated cleaning and sanitizing products are already reporting increased demand because of the outbreak. San Diego-based Brain Corp, a software developer of autonomous cleaning robots, with clients in Canada, saw a 13.6 per cent jump in usage in March, compared to the same month last year.

Patty Olinger, executive director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, says implementing automation will alleviate pressure from frontline workers, especially if tasks have not decreased and more cleaning is needed. In a recent series of webinars hosted by ISSA she, along with others in the cleaning industry, spoke about automation and the growing requirements for cleaning staff.

“Our cleaning and disinfection industry is an art. There is a science behind it; there are definite skills associated with different work practices and competencies,” she says. “It is now becoming not just a third shift activity, but a first shift activity—everyone is starting to become more educated about it.”

Expectations shift for cleaning staff

The industry has shifted quite rapidly from cleaning for appearance to cleaning for health, says Mark Warner, education manager at ISSA. Cleaning for health, which he calls the “new front line of defence,” now requires compliance with industry quality standards and effective training and certification of cleaning service workers, all to help stop the spread of infectious diseases.

“When it comes to the value of cleaning, it’s often a question of whether it will be a return on investment or just an expense,” he says. “The reality is there is an excellent return on investment. Proper cleaning procedures actually have the ability to reduce costs, protect people’s health and improve their productivity.”

At least 30 new diseases have emerged in the last 20 years, including SARS and Ebola, according to the World Health Organization.

“We really could have learned from these previous infectious diseases to be able to better deal with what’s happening to us now,” says Warner. “The bottom line is that people who don’t know how to clean and disinfect properly have the ability to actually spread disease over a greater area.”

Someone with the best disinfectant who doesn’t know how to use it will fail at proper disinfection; likewise, a person with advanced knowledge, but not the right disinfectant will also fail.

“It is a marriage of procedural knowledge and disinfectant chemistry that makes it all work,” he says. “Some people with great procedural knowledge know there are reservoirs of microorganisms on high touch points. What we don’t often think about are above-floor horizontal surfaces.”

These include desktops, counters and tables, all which have very high counts of infectious materials. The largest horizontal surface is the floor, or what Warner calls the “catch-all of all microorganisms.”

As the single largest reservoir of pathogenic microorganisms in a building, the floor is also a superhighway for these microorganisms that are transported on the soles of shoes, wheels and carts. From a purse to a pen dropped on the floor, these “secondary vehicles” help bring microorganisms to surfaces that are readily accessible to hands. This is also known as incidental floor contact, and according to Warner, the average person has more than 50 of these floor contacts in one day.

Disease-causing elements are not removed by making a space look clean. For this reason, he stresses how important it is to follow best practices for disinfection procedures: pre-clean a surface, apply disinfectants with the correct rating and allow for dwell time, recover wet, spent disinfection solution and rinse. Procedures must focus on floors, above-floor surfaces and touch points, and cleanliness and sanitation are most impacted by cleaning task frequencies.

“Right now, with COVID-19, extreme cleanliness is what we need and that requires increased frequencies,” says Warner. “How do we increase frequencies without worrying about the fact we’re being a part of spreading this disease?”

Automation as a support system

To get more help with the increasing need for frequent cleaning due to COVID-19, proponents of cleaning automation stress how cobotics will actually create more jobs rather than eliminate them.

“If frequency needs to increase, that means we need more people or devices, and automation delivers an ability to automate the menial repetitive tasks and allows cleaning staff to focus on more important disinfecting tasks,” according to Kass Dawson, head of strategy and marketing communications at Softbank Robotics, adding that automation was already happening before the pandemic began.

Higher and increased frequency allows for deeper cleaning and reduces risk of missing areas. Meanwhile, spot cleaning, often prevalent in the industry, is no longer acceptable. Cobotics allows for better documentation of cleaning tasks, including location, a timestamp, effectiveness and data that can be shared with companies to make them feel comfortable in their space.

For facilities interested in cobotics, he suggests that it be approached in a series of steps, rather than one single leap, trying to solve all the issues at once.

“In trying to implement automation, try to find people who are going to help you focus on that simple repetitive task first, vacuuming, for example. Once that is proven, you keep moving forward until you are able to address all the different tasks, step by step, your staff feels comfortable working alongside those cobotics and you can figure out the best way of dealing with workloading.”

U of Calgary breaks ground on Mathison Hall

Construction has begun on the new four-storey 10,000-square-metre Mathison Hall building for the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. The project includes renovations to Scurfield Hall.

Diamond Schmitt Architects In association with Gibbs Gage Architects designed the innovative learning environment. Targeting LEED Platinum, the project is set to be completed for September 2022.

“The technologically enhanced state-of-the-art spaces will add a dozen new classrooms ranging in size from 40 to 100 seats as well as new spaces for study, group work, student advising, food services and events,” said David Dow, principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects.

The project has been a university priority since 2014 and is proceeding to address a significant space crunch. When Haskayne’s Scurfield Hall opened in 1986, the school had approximately 1,000 students taking courses in traditional lecture halls.

By 2022, the school is projecting to have 4,000 students across Bachelor of Commerce, MBA, Master of Management, PhD and DBA programs who will learn in technologically enhanced state-of-the-art spaces that facilitate learning by lecture, group work and experiential learning.

“This is a critical time for the school to expand in support of our strategic growth and bold vision and will add significant capacity for unparalleled learning, innovative research and meaningful community engagement,” says Haskayne Dean Jim Dewald. “We are creating a home for our students and bringing all business classes back to the business school with new places to collaborate, study and learn.”

Since the University of Calgary announced the project in 2018, generous donors have contributed more than $28 million of its $40 million philanthropic goal. Calgary business leader Ronald P. Mathison donated a gift of $20 million.

“The Haskayne Capital Expansion project is an investment in the future of business education in Calgary and will bring immeasurable benefits to our students, province and economy,” says University of Calgary president Ed McCauley.

CUI starts “Bring Back Main Street” campaign to help businesses

The Canadian Urban Institute, along with a growing coalition of partners, has launched a national research and advocacy campaign to ensure the people, businesses and organizations on Canada’s main streets can recover and emerge from the COVID-19 crisis more resilient than ever.

The campaign is working with policymakers to shape policies that can provide immediate relief for businesses, residents and communities, while also building tools for their full recovery as drivers of community wealth and neighbourhood vibrancy.

The partnership includes main street business leaders, academic research partners, industry and professional associations, BIAs/BIDs across Canada, government stakeholders and municipal recovery working groups, corporate endorsers, developers, industry and professional associations, and advocacy groups across Canada.

Issues to be tackled include the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA), an emergency benefit designed to lower rent by 75 per cent for small businesses affected by the pandemic.

Over the past two weeks, members of the Main Street Action Network, a coalition of participants in the initiative, have contributed research and analysis, or advocated directly to policymakers for program changes to address these concerns:

Commercial landlords may choose not to take up the program, resulting in many eligible small businesses losing out on urgently needed support.
The program design is too restrictive, with regards to factors like eligible rental arrangements and financial thresholds for revenue decline.
The mid-May launch timing may be too late for many small businesses, who could be evicted before that date for failure to make May rent.

COVID-19 lets loose work-from-home preference

COVID-19’s work-from-home imperative could be evolving into a work-from-home preference for a growing percentage of office-based staff. Findings from a recent JLL survey reveal that the number employees who want to work from home at least two days a week has doubled from the pre-pandemic period. Nearly two-thirds of respondents who previously worked in the office full-time now want to work at home at least one day a week.

Although fewer than 18 per cent of 1,000 respondents — all based in the United States — judge they have been more productive in home workspaces during the COVID-19 lockdown, a small majority (51 per cent) conclude they are at least 80 per cent as productive as in a formal office setting. A majority also report that they have everything or almost everything they need to function efficiently at home, but about one-third of the surveyed at-home workforce report missing a few or many key resources. Still, that translates into fewer than 4 per cent who self-assess their productivity level at 40 per cent or lower.

Most frequently expressed concerns about returning to the office relate to employees’ potential vulnerability during the commute, sanitation and infection control within the office building, and exposure to other workers. The latter is further split into fears about coworkers in the office when they are ill, and reservations about the proximity of other desks or workstations.

Previously, two-thirds of respondents drove to work in personal vehicles. Of the approximately 270 workers who previously commuted to their offices on public transportation, 29 per cent are now interested in finding an alternative — possibly augmenting the 5 per cent minority who were walking or cycling prior to the pandemic.

Results also suggest that many workers will be happy to be among their colleagues again. Survey respondents report that collaborating with coworkers, socializing and supporting the work of others are what they most miss in the confines of their home workspaces.

Airbnb lays off 25 per cent of employees

With the global lockdown profoundly affecting the travel and tourism industry, Airbnb has reportedly laid off 25 per cent of its workforce.

This comes as no surprise given the intense battering the short-term rental sector has taken since the pandemic was declared in mid-March. According to a recent survey conducted by Guesty, a property management software used by organizations with listings across Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Agoda and TripAdvisor, more than 76 per cent of reservations for the upcoming spring and summer months have been cancelled. The study surveyed nearly 400 rental businesses with 3-to-200+ properties in their portfolios around the world.

The Airbnb announcement that nearly 1,900 of its 7,500 employees would be let go worldwide is a grave indication of just how hard hit the short-term rental industry has become. Revenue for the company is expected to be cut by half of what it was in 2019 ($4.8 billion).

“We are collectively living through the most harrowing crisis of our lifetime,” wrote CEO and cofounder Brian Chesky, in a letter to employees.

But there is a glimmer of hope, as many European nations begin to ease lockdown restrictions and citizens begin to rethink their holiday plans. According to Guesty, the fall season looks promising. To date, less than 10 per cent of bookings between September and November have been cancelled.

Edmonton plaza wins global planning award

The Sustainability Plaza in The Hills at Charlesworth, an Edmonton-based project developed by Beaverbrook Communities in association with Stantec Consulting Ltd., has won the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) International Award for Planning Excellence.

The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are among the most highly regarded awards in the industry. With nominees from all over the globe, the awards champion the very best examples of planning and planners.

Projects nominated represent the world’s best in sustainable development and planning excellence. The Hills at Charlesworth showed the judges how the project benefited the community, and how the work of the planning team exemplified leading practices in the industry.

“Sustainable design and resiliency are at the core of our planning practices, and something we aim for on every project. The Hills at Charlesworth takes a creative and practical approach to building a vibrant, year-round space that’s also the pride of the community,” said Scott Cole, principal at Stantec.

The Sustainability Plaza is an eco-friendly recreation hub that serves as the focal point and gathering place for The Hills at Charlesworth community, located in southeast Edmonton. The Sustainability Plaza achieved its sustainable, low impact environmental status by incorporating green living concepts into the design, such as solar and wind powered hybrid lights, solar powered wi-fi, a solar powered playground, incorporating repurposed sea-can containers into their construction, and building a 200-metre ice ribbon for winter ice skating.

“We are truly honoured to have won this award. This year’s finalists included projects from Dubai, China and India. As a business whose core value is innovation, it is rewarding to have been recognized for our cutting-edge approach amongst such a high caliber of international projects that are setting the bar for the future,” said George Cantalini, CEO of Beaverbrook Group of Companies.

Toronto real estate industry raises funds for Yonge Street Mission

Toronto’s real estate industry has spearheaded a relay that’s raising funds for the Yonge Street Mission (YSM). The initiative has already raised more than $200,000 since it launched at the end of April.

As the largest food bank on the downtown east side, YSM saw demand for services increase by 205 per cent in just a few weeks after the outbreak. They are currently operating on a weekly shortfall upwards of $30,000, and need a minimum of $330,000 to cover the next 11 weeks of operation, according to Todd Cowan, co-founder and managing partner of Capital Developments.

“Like many non-profits and agencies right now, they face unimaginable challenges as they experience skyrocketing demand, and shift operations to safeguard the health and safety of their own staff,” says Cowan. “We are so impressed with how they have responded and what they are doing during these very challenging times.”

Capital Developments launched the #YSMRelay to raise money, then passed the baton to Woodbourne Capital Management, who then passed it to Ellis Don. Other donors include Baker Real Estate, St. Thomas Developments and Sobeys.

“This is the time where we, as a city, can make a real difference in our communities and support these essential agencies who need our help more than ever,” says Cowan. “Toronto’s real estate and construction industries are very rooted in our local communities, and we’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response from our peers and partners to support this massive need.”

Photos by Andrew Williamson

Fieldwork underway in Kicking Horse Canyon

Crews are doing investigative fieldwork in the Kicking Horse Canyon over the next several weeks as part of the preparation for major highway improvements to begin late this year.

Crews have started collecting physical data in the Dart Creek area, as well as other locations near the highway alignment. This fieldwork will help to inform the ongoing engineering design of the four-laning improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway through the canyon.

Workers will practise safe physical distancing and use personal protective equipment. Every effort will be made to minimize any environmental disturbance to the local area. Minimal traffic impacts are anticipated as this work is carried out.

B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO) has directed employers to take all necessary precautions to minimize the risks of COVID-19 transmission and illness to themselves and their employees. This includes ensuring workers maintain physical distance with a minimum of two metres (6.5 feet) apart from each other, both in the course of their duties, as well as during breaks. Anyone exhibiting COVID-19 like symptoms will be directed to self-isolate at home for at least 10 days.

While highways and roads remain open, the PHO recommends people stay close to home and avoid any non-essential travel.

A design-build contract for the fourth and final phase of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project is expected to be awarded in late summer or early fall 2020, with initial construction to begin in the fall. It will bring the last remaining 4.8 kilometres of narrow, winding two-lane highway up to a modern four-lane, 100 km/h standard.

The project is being delivered under the province’s Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). It prioritizes hiring local workers, Indigenous peoples, women and other under-represented groups, and provides more training opportunities for apprentices, so they can complete their certification.

The CBA ensures competitive, transparent wages with fair working conditions that foster a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and honours the cultural differences of all involved on the project.

Emergency response centre opening in Victoria

The B.C. government is opening a 45-bed emergency response centre with wraparound supports and services at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, the first site in B.C. to feature pop-up pods that provide privacy for people staying there.

The new temporary accommodation site will house people living in encampments on the Pandora Avenue corridor and Topaz Park in Victoria.

“This is a challenging time for everyone, especially for people experiencing homelessness. In Victoria, we have seen encampments at Topaz Park and the Pandora corridor grow into unsafe, dense encampments that are compounding existing health, well-being and safety challenges,” said Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “The centre offers a temporary and secure place with wraparound support services to help people stay safe during this time.”

The temporary emergency response centre is scheduled to open in the coming days, once all staff are in place. GSL Group, the developer and operator of the facility, is extending the use of the arena to BC Housing to provide shelter to vulnerable people in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“From the beginning of the crisis, we’ve said we could make our arenas throughout B.C. available for medical purposes, if needed,” said Graham Lee, president and CEO of GSL Group. “We are pleased to support the province’s effort to provide an emergency response centre and the ongoing efforts from the province and the City of Victoria to support those in need.”

BC Housing is partnering with PHS Community Services Society to operate the emergency response centre, which will receive people referred by Island Health and BC Housing. The centre will accommodate couples and groups of people who wish to stay together, where possible.

BC Housing is partnering with Staples Business Advantage to provide pop-up pods that are being rapidly installed in the arena to provide privacy. The advantage of this pop-up solution is the speed at which the pods can be assembled. The Province has plans to expand their use at other emergency response centres.

BC Housing has also partnered with the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness to open 12 temporary shelter spaces at a different location to provide culturally supportive services to Indigenous peoples who are experiencing homelessness in the community.

Fossil-fuel-fired generators tumble offline

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects an 8 per cent decrease in global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions this year as fossil-fuel-fired generators tumble offline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newly released analysis highlights April’s dramatic drop in energy consumption as nations accounting for more than 50 per cent of global demand went into partial or full lockdown.

Coal, natural gas and oil are all currently losing significant market share due to Sunday-level energy loads throughout North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Weekly energy demand has dropped an estimated 17 per cent in partially locked down regions and 25 per cent in regions under full lockdown.

IEA analysts forecast a 400 per cent drop in global oil demand and a nearly 300 per cent decline in global coal demand for 2020. Demand for nuclear fuel is expected to dip marginally, while demand for renewables climbs to about the same degree.

Renewable energy advocates see opportunities to accelerate 2019 trends, when, for the first time ever, low-carbon options surpassed coal as a source of electricity. Yet, historical evidence from past post-crisis recoveries continues to make them nervous. Energy-related CO₂ emissions also dipped following the 2008 financial crisis and then surged again in step with rebounding economies.

In contrast, IEA executive director Fatih Birol urges global governments to make energy efficiency and renewable energy central to their post-pandemic economic stimulus strategies. It’s a message he conveyed in tandem with the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jørgensen, at a recent virtual roundtable of government ministers and business leaders. With Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan, also participating, the high-profile group contemplated infrastructure and retrofit investments that could underpin green jobs, economic competitiveness and climate change resiliency.

“Putting clean energy at the heart of stimulus plans is an excellent strategy for revitalising economies while building a more secure and sustainable energy future,” Birol asserted.

“In the face of human tragedy and the plethora of consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also been handed an opportunity to rebuild society in a manner that makes it more resilient to future crises,” Jørgensen reflected. “Renewable energy and energy efficiency are both cornerstones in our fight against climate change, and at the same time both sectors have massive job potential.”

Accreditation criteria and process

Expectations shift for cleaning staff

Automation as a support system

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