Award winning interiors

Since launching Project 22 Design, Vancouver interior designer Denise Ashmore has been creating stunning and thoughtful residential interiors that enhance the quality of life for clients.

“Working with homeowners and understanding what their needs are is really a great joy. It’s rewarding to make a difference in people’s lives,” she says.

The firm’s first significant project and first new build was her own home. Set high on a hill above Douglas Park in Vancouver, the property was purchased in 2010 with the goal to build a custom home. The project was completed in 2015 in collaboration with Measured Architecture and includes a 360-square-foot laneway house, which serves as the firm’s studio. The strong cohesive design earned the project a 2016 Interior Designers Institute of BC (IDIBC) Award of Excellence.

“Designing my own house was really the launch point of Project 22 and kick started everything. One project turned into another and we’ve seen steady growth ever since,” says Ashmore, who currently has a staff of two.

Born in Toronto, Ashmore had an early interest in architecture and design. After exploring architecture initially, she decided interior design was the right creative path and attended Ryerson University where she obtained a Bachelor of Applied Arts, Interior Design in 1994.

She began her career focusing on retail and commercial design at Shikantani Lacroix, a multi-disciplinary firm in Toronto. In 1996, she relocated to Sydney, Australia for a year before settling in Vancouver where she joined Karo Design as senior designer for six years.

But after almost a decade in commercial design, what Ashmore really wanted to do was residential interiors.

“I knew I wanted to work for Bob Ledingham. I waited for a job opening and begged him to give me a job,” recalls Ashmore with a laugh. It worked and she spent the next seven years at Ledingham Design learning from the legendary designer.

In 2010, she launched Project 22. “I’ve always wanted to start my own business and with the slowdown in 2008-09, I figured it was a good time and Bob was very supportive,” she says.

Having built a strong portfolio of projects located across the Lower Mainland and Whistler, Project 22 is marking its 10th anniversary this year.

“I’d always dreamed of having an award winning firm and I feel very fortunate that clients have given us their trust and freedom to do great projects. We’ve worked hard for it,” says Ashmore.

The boutique firm is selective about which projects they take on, normally managing about 10-15 at a time. Projects range from luxury mountain homes and new builds to small and major renovations.

Some highlight completed projects include a mountain home in Kadenwood, a new 4,400 square foot new build in Kitsilano, Vancouver and White Gold residence, a 6,025-square-foot vacation home in Whistler.

While each project is unique, designs focus on contemporary material palettes and an overall sophisticated coastal aesthetic that is winning the firm many repeat clients.

Ashmore explains they have developed a linear design approach to projects that walks clients through five phases from concept to construction.

“We try to break down the process so it’s manageable and understandable and easy for them to make decisions,” she explains. “It can be super overwhelming and that’s why someone hires an interior designer.”

With construction being allowed to continue during the global coronavirus pandemic, Ashmore says they have not seen any major impacts yet. A couple of smaller renovation projects have been delayed and the overall speed of construction work has slowed, but the firm has a number of large projects on the go including a family cabin, new builds and a major renovation.

“We are seeing steady work and expect growth once everything is back to normal,” says Ashmore, crediting good clients and a strong referral base for the firm’s success. “We put a lot of thought and energy into our work. We try to be unique and be approachable to clients. The designs are tailored to our clients’ needs.”

Her advice for someone contemplating a career in interior design?

“I think everyone wants to start their own business but you have to start slow – lots to be learned about design and business,” says Ashmore, who has volunteered on various boards over the years including IDIBC and Interior Designers of Canada.

Outside of work, Ashmore is an avid tennis player, finds time to cook and travel and strives for work-life balance. She is married with two teenagers and a dog.

Cheryl Mah is managing editor of Design Quarterly.

Rigorous cleaning protocols now big safety priority

Cleaning, and more precisely keeping apartment buildings safe, have taken on a new meaning since the words coronavirus and COVID-19 became part of our daily language. But specifically, how have cleaning protocols changed? According to recent findings from Rentals.ca, property managers have been taking serious precautions throughout this pandemic while also heeding guidelines from public health officials.

“Cleanliness has always been a priority for Greenwin Property Management,” says Robert Weiman, vice-president, quality assurance and compliance, Greenwin Corp. “So when the COVID-19 pandemic reached Canada, we were well-positioned to act fast. One major thing we did was to contract with a company to apply a bonding antimicrobial treatment to all high-traffic areas and heavily touched surfaces. This treatment is effective for up to six months.”

The company is also cleaning its buildings three times a day.

Weiman acknowledges that the use of more products and the heightened cleaning schedule can come at a cost, “but it’s worth it to keep our residents safe,” he says. “We’ll definitely be following the guidance of Canadian and local health authorities.”

Similarly, Greenrock Real Estate Advisors has implemented specific disease-mitigating measures, according to Justin Taylor, COO. After researching the top cleaning programs in Canada, Greenrock selected the GermGuard Treat and Protect Program, which is said to kill up to 99 per cent of germs on contact.

Securing personal protective equipment and its cleaning product supply chain have been the biggest challenges both property managers have faced regarding new cleaning measures.

“Even prior to this crisis, we already had standardized protocols to ensure a high level of cleanliness across all of our buildings, so when it came to increasing these measures, the framework was already in place,” Weiman says.

Cleaning recommendations by Public Health Officials

Health Canada, Toronto Public Health and The Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations have all issued cleaning recommendations for property managers, which include upgrading cleaning schedules, and cleaning high-touch surfaces, such as door knobs, door handles, key pads, mail boxes, handrails and elevator buttons, more frequently and at a minimum of twice a day.

Toronto Public Health has also advised building operators to use only disinfectants that have a drug identification number (DIN). Health Canada provides this number, which confirms the product is approved for use in Canada.

Greenwin is using hospital-grade disinfecting products, such as Oxivir Tb Wipes and Sanicare Quat, which are on Health Canada’s list of products.

Other products on the list, which are available in stores, include Lysol Multi-Surface Cleaner, Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and Clorox Disinfecting Liquid Bleach.

Over in midtown Toronto, in the lobby of a building run by Colonia Treuhand, a bottle of hand sanitizer sits on a table alongside printouts about COVID-19 from government websites. A notice by the elevator, which has also been distributed to residents, reveals the building is undergoing additional daytime cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.

“Please be assured that we are and have been closely following the instructions and guidelines issued by national and regional health authorities,” the notice says.

Rhapsody Property Management is also putting in extra effort, by extending the cleaning hours of common areas until 11 p.m., besides cleaning its high-touch surfaces twice a day.

Cleaning companies adopt new COVID-19 measures

The task of cleaning could be in the hands of the superintendent or a cleaning company. For these companies, COVID-19 has also resulted in new protocols.

Michal Lewandowski, CEO of Life Maid Easy, told customers that cleaning staff will enter properties wearing fresh masks and gloves, that the interior and handles of its vehicles will be disinfected daily, and that the outside of all cleaning supply and product containers will be disinfected between each property.

“We recognize the ongoing and increased uncertainty that COVID-19 is causing, and our highest priority is the health and well-being of all of our employees and customers,” he says.

Greenrock has a team of regular cleaning staff for each of its residential and commercial properties, says Taylor: “(They) have been doing an amazing job before and during the pandemic. While we have increased cleaning overall with additional third-party cleaners, our cleaning team continues to take care of the people and families in our buildings.”

And the buildings’ residents are noticing the extra effort.

“They added a hand sanitizer dispenser by the elevator on the first floor,” observes Debbie C., who lives in a Toronto apartment. “I feel like they’re putting in some effort, and that they’re doing the best they can.”

Weiman says Greenwin has also received compliments on its staff.

“(They) really are the heroes in this situation for showing time and time again how committed they are to making our residents feel safe in their homes,” he says.

Tina Costanza is a journalist who has worked at daily print and online publications in Toronto, Ottawa and Dublin, Ireland, including nearly three years as an editor of the real estate sections of the Toronto Star and Metro.

New model supports social distancing until September

A new mathematical model, called Distancing-SEIRD, shows that continuing social distancing at the current levels in Ontario and Quebec for six months (until mid-September), could save about 100,000 lives, according to University of Waterloo researchers

The machine learning-enabled model was recently the subject of a study that is pending peer review.

“I think we need to wait to ease the social distancing restrictions,” said Mohammad Kohandel, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Applied Mathematics. “People are tired of the social distancing restrictions, but they need to be patient as we need to continue this a little bit longer and then start to remove things gradually as that seems to be the best approach. To keep the number of patients who need the treatments below the number of resources available, we need to go four to six months with social distancing from the time it started.”

The researchers modified a standard mathematical model that is used in epidemiology to simulate the spread of infections, called an SEIRD model. They used a machine-learning algorithm to feed the model data collated by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering collected from 184 countries between January 22, 2020, and April 13, 2020. The data includes daily counts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths, and daily counts of people who have recovered from the disease.

The researchers also used the cellphone tracking data that was collected by Google for North America but explored the results for Canada to find the ranges of people who were adhering to social distancing. The data showed that approximately 60 per cent of people are practicing social distancing in Ontario, and 70 per cent in Quebec.

The Distancing-SEIRD model then predicted that the total number of deaths over six months in Ontario with no social distancing would be as high as over 100,000 people. In contrast, a more strict case of social distancing, with 60 per cent adherence, would result in a drastic reduction in the death toll – reducing fatalities by more than 50 per cent over the first six months.

With Quebec having experienced higher numbers of COVID-19 cases, the model indicates that strict social distancing measures could save tens of thousands of lives over six months, compared to no social distancing.

Our model parameters are all fixed assuming that everything remains the same,” said Michelle Przedborski, a Research Assistant Professor in Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics. “The model shows that if we have a strict social distancing policy and then we stop social distancing all at once the tendency is that we don’t actually flatten the curve, we just shift the infection peak. And effectively, we risk having the same peak numbers of infections as we would if we hadn’t social distanced.”

The mathematicians are currently working on an extension of the model to include the effects of other factors, such as sex and age. They are keen to work on the model further with public health officials to aid in the making of policy decisions.

The study, Mathematical modeling of COVID-19 containment strategies with considerations for limited medical resources, authored by Kohandel, Przedborski, and Waterloo’s PhD candidates Brydon Eastman and Cameron Meaney, has been submitted for publication.

2020 Governor General’s Medal winners announced

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) have announced the recipients of the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. 

The biennial awards recognize and celebrate excellence in recently built—and designed—projects by Canadian architects. The 2020 competition continues a tradition initiated by the Massey Medals in 1950, providing an important source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture and the regional, cultural, and historic forces expressed in the built environment.

“The 2020 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture represent the best in contemporary Canadian architecture—and the projects explore unique aspects of culture, context, and materiality across the vast expanse of our country,” said RAIC president John Brown, FRAIC. “They are a testament to the skill of the award-winning architectural firms and the tenacity of their clients who helped bring the poetic vision into reality. The RAIC is proud to advocate for the quality of Canada’s built environment by celebrating the work of these talented architects.”

The 12 projects represent a variety of building types and sizes—from a natural swimming pool to a performance hall. They include a Baha’i temple, a waterfront art gallery, libraries, and a centre for remembrance.

Winning projects come from across the country—with an international recipient as well—and they include Vancouver, BC, Edmonton, AB, Saskatoon, SK, Brampton, ON, Lake Kawagama, ON, Drummondville, QC, St. Jérôme, QC, and Santiago, Chile.

The 2020 winners:

Remai Modern, Saskatoon, SK, KPMB Architects and Architecture49
South Haven Centre for Remembrance, Edmonton, AB, SHAPE Architecture with PETCHET Studio and Group 2 Architects
The Dock Building, Vancouver, BC, MGA | Michael Green Architecture
Polygon Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Patkau Architects

Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool, Edmonton, AB, gh3 architecture
Bahá’íTemple of South America, Santiago, Chile, Hariri Pontarini Architects
Drummondville Library, Drummondville, QC, Chevalier Morales in consortium with DMA architects
University of British Columbia Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, BC, MJMA and Acton Ostry Architects
The Springdale Library & Komagata Maru Park, Brampton, ON, RDH Architects (RDHA)

Gilles-Vigneault Performance Hall, St. Jérôme, QC, Atelier TAG  in consortium with Jodoin Lamarre Pratte Architects
Lake Kawagama Retreat, Kawagama Lake, ON, Shim-Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
RTC 03, Edmonton, AB, gh3 architecture

“On behalf of everyone at the Canada Council, I salute this year’s recipients of the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture,” said Simon Brault, director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “Even more so than ever before, the excellence of these winning projects is a necessary inspiration and important reminder of the unifying nature of architecture to our daily lives in 2020 and beyond.”

Ontario to temporarily offset electricity costs

Electricity costs will be partially deferred for Ontario commercial and industrial customers in April, May and June to temporarily offset a sharp rise in the global adjustment (GA). The envelope of fixed costs for contracted supply, nuclear facility refurbishment programs and conservation and demand management initiatives accounted for about 89.5 per cent of the commodity cost of electricity in March, but has since soared upward as province-wide energy demand declines due to COVID-19-related business shutdowns.

“There is a monthly settlement that has to be paid and it’s a lot of money. It’s almost $1 billon monthly,” observes Adam White, chief executive officer of the energy forecast and management advisory firm, Powerconsumer Inc.

In fact, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) estimates the total GA price tag will be nearly $1.25 billion in April. However, late last week, Ontario Energy Minister Greg Rickford announced a new fixed rate of $115 per megawatt-hour (MWh) or 11.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) will be in effect until at least June 30.

The move addresses the estimated 15 per cent increase in GA costs that smaller commercial and industrial customers would have encountered on their April bills. Instead, they’ll pay the differential above 11.5 cents/kWh in added monthly increments beginning in January 2021.

“Ontario’s industrial and commercial electricity consumers are being impacted by COVID-19. We know this is a challenging time for them,” Rickford acknowledged. “This would provide immediate financial support for more than 50,000 companies when they need it most: as they do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and as they prepare to help get our economy moving again.”

While the Ontario government’s announcement focuses primarily on customers paying the GA on a volumetric per-kWh basis — smaller and mid-sized commercial buildings with monthly peak demand less than 1 megawatt, defined as Class B for the purposes of GA allocation — it indicates that larger commercial customers and small manufacturers will “receive the same percentage reduction” on top of their formula for calculating GA allocations.

Some of these customers — defined as Class A for the purposes of GA allocation — also face significant electricity cost increases if their normal energy loads have dropped. That’s because their current share of the GA is prorated to their energy use during the five hours with highest system-wide peak demand in the period between May 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019.

That’s not a dilemma for designated essential industries that have continued to operate and consume a somewhat consistent amount of power throughout the COVID-19 crisis. However, the commercial buildings that qualify for Class A — typically office towers and retail malls of at least 350,000 square feet — have been largely empty since mid to late March. Manufacturers qualify for Class A at a lower monthly peak demand threshold of 500 kilowatts, and many such smaller enterprises have also been shut down.

“They are going to have to keep paying every month according to their peak demand factor whether they are running or not,” White says.

“Their consumption has dropped, but their GA costs have been increasing, resulting in a blended rate that, for some, will be more than 25 cents/kWh,” reports Neal Bach, president of the energy analytics firm, Energy Profiles Limited. “This reduction is especially important for them.”

Prolonged shutdowns and the associated drop in energy use could have other consequences for customers who would normally be just above the required threshold for Class A status. They now risk falling into Class B, which conventionally pays a disproportionately greater share of the GA.

“What we want is a solution for keeping companies in Class A on the other side of this pandemic,” White submits.

Even customers retaining Class A status will likely garner more modest savings through Ontario’s Industrial Conservation Initiative. Their demand during the five hours of system-wide highest demand between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021 will set Class A customers’ apportionment of the GA for the period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. With a new cycle of chasing those five peaks now underway, it’s still unclear when the province will be fully back in business.

“The summer peaks this year are going to be low and every customer that is Class A is going to have a higher peak demand factor,” White projects.

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Toronto will host its annual workshop May 12, via webinar, to discuss possible strategies for both Class A and Class B consumers.

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

Bird awarded design-build high school contract

Bird Construction has been awarded the Eric Hamber Secondary School Replacement Project in Vancouver, B.C. for approximately $92 million, under a design-build contract. As part of the Provincial Seismic Mitigation Program, it is the Ministry of Education’s top priority to ensure all students in B.C. attend seismically safe schools as soon as possible.

The new school will be built to LEED gold standards. Design and permitting begins in early 2020 and the new Eric Hamber Secondary School is expected to welcome students in the fall of 2023.

The project will also include the construction of a City of Vancouver funded 69-space childcare centre on the school roof, in a unique partnership between the Vancouver School Board and the city. In addition to the importance of ensuring seismic safety for all students and staff, this project also helps to further the city’s commitment to creating quality childcare and creating complete communities for all families in the city.

“When completed in 2023, the new school will be a modern, LEED Gold certified facility that is energy-efficient, sustainable, and seismically sound,” said Teri McKibbon, president and CEO of Bird.

“The innovative, contemporary design for the new school will provide a safe environment for students and educators that inspires learning and creativity.”

Alberta uses technology in COVID-19 response

As part of its relaunch strategy to reopen the economy, the Government of Alberta has launched a voluntary, secure mobile contact tracing application to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Quick tracing and containment of outbreaks is critical as the province works to gradually relaunch the economy. The ABTraceTogether app will enhance the current manual tracing process and help Albertans protect themselves and their loved ones.

“ABTraceTogether was designed to help protect Albertans and prevent community spread by quickly alerting people who may be at risk. The more Albertans who use it, the better we will be able to protect individuals from being unknowingly exposed and possibly spreading the disease. By working together, we can tackle this pandemic,” says Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Contact tracing is currently performed by interviewing patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, which is resource intensive and has limitations on its effectiveness as it relies on the patient’s memory.

Through wireless Bluetooth technology, mobile contact tracing will complement the work of health-care workers and drastically speed up the current manual tracing process. This means Albertans will be contacted more quickly if they are at risk.

Protecting Albertans’ privacy is paramount. Use of the app is voluntary, and users must opt-in. Only phone numbers are collected at the time of registering the app. The application does not track the user’s location and does not use GPS. Data is only stored on the user’s phone in an encrypted format for 21 days only.

Users must consent to sharing their data if they have tested positive for COVID-19. The only information shared with contact tracers is a random ID of those identified as close contacts after a user is diagnosed with COVID-19 – nothing identifiable is exchanged between phones. Users must be within two metres from each other for a total duration of 15 minutes in a 24-hour period in order to be notified as a close contact.

The app is now available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play.

Ontario permits more construction activities

A range of construction activities will resume in Ontario on Monday, approximately one month after COVID-19 forced shutdowns of many jobsites in the province. That includes site preparation, excavation and servicing for ICI and residential projects, along with work on infrastructure and public sector facilities such as schools, childcare centres, municipal buildings and buildings for colleges and universities. Health care construction projects are designated essential and have continued throughout Ontario’s state of emergency.

Landscaping and lawn care are also on a shortlist of businesses the provincial government will permit to offer services if they adhere to public health protocol. However, Premier Doug Ford and other Ministers on hand for the announcement earlier this afternoon stressed that it’s a very early and limited step.

“We are allowing certain businesses to reopen under strict guidelines because we are confident they can operate safely and adapt to the current environment,” Ford said.

“To be clear ― we haven’t moved into the reopening phase of our response to COVID-19. Not yet,” added Finance Minister Rod Phillips.

Building industry representatives are welcoming the news. They say operators involved in site preparation will be easily able to comply with social distancing requirements inside the confines of their machine cabs, and endorse other measures set out in recently released provincial guidelines.

“We all want safe jobsites. We can keep each other safe while delivering housing supply across Ontario,” maintains Joe Vaccaro, chief executive officer of the Ontario Home Builders Association (OHBA).

“Given Canada’s climate, much of the work is seasonally dependent and the construction season for foundational activities is short. Extending the prohibition of critical work for much longer threatens the entire construction year,” notes Dave Wilkes, president and chief executive officer of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) of Greater Toronto.

Landscapers are also ready to get back to work. “In the last few weeks, our professional members have been preparing their companies to work safely,” reports Tony DiGiovanni, executive director of Landscape Ontario, the industry association representing the horticulture trades. “We look forward to providing our customers and the public with life-enhancing gardens and green spaces so necessary for mental, physical and environmental health.”

European landlords pursue longer term leases

Landlords in major European cities are attempting to convert short-term rental accommodations into longer term leases as COVID-19 hobbles tourism and the globetrotting habits of young professionals. First quarter 2020 results from the online rental listings platform, HousingAnywhere, reveal a recent brake on what had been steadily climbing rents since January 2019. However, that’s only a glimpse of the fallout projected to come.

“Italy, the first hard-hit European country by COVID-19 showed a relatively stable Q1 in terms of rental prices, as the majority of rental properties were already booked for Q1,” the accompanying commentary from HousingAnywhere notes. “The country, which has a large percentage of international renters, is likely to see the effects of the crisis in Q2 reflected in its rental prices.”

The survey analyzes more than 100,300 units in 17 cities posted as short-, mid- or long-term availabilities in the 15 months from January 2019 to March 2020. Although average Q1 2020 rents for one-bedroom units were higher than Q4 2019 in 16 of 17 markets, it was generally a modest increment when compared with year-over-year jumps. Barcelona was alone in recording a slip, but the 0.1 decline for the quarter is largely masked in 1.6 per cent gain since March 2019.

London remained the priciest of the 17 markets as of March 2020, with an average one-bedroom rent of €1,756 (CAD $2,669), followed by Amsterdam at €1,685 (CAD $2,561) and Munich at €1,530 (CAD $2,325). For London, a 0.5 per cent increase in average rents since Q4 2019 was the most lacklustre growth since 2015. Upward trajectories in Amsterdam (0.1 per cent) and Munich (0.4 per cent) were even less pronounced.

Vienna enjoyed the largest surge, with average rent for one-bedroom apartments jumping 4.6 per cent to €1,016 (CAD $1,544). Yet, that’s well off the double-digit pace of the 11.5 per cent year-over-year increase since Q1 2019.

In addition to COVID-19, first quarter sluggishness in some markets is attributed to politics — notably the Catalonian separation movement creating uneasiness in Barcelona; and the February imposition of a five-year rent freeze in Berlin. Average rents for one bedroom apartments in the latter city crept up by 0.1 per cent since Q4 2019 in contrast to the 4.3 per cent year-over-year increase since March 2019.

Listings across the HousingAnywhere platform are now shifting away from short-term — defined as one-night to one-month — with a corresponding 170 per cent jump in mid-term listings for one-month to one-year. Djordy Seelmann, chief executive officer of HousingAnywhere, reports more landlords are looking to local markets to find tenants and advertising mid- and longer term availabilities as a hedge against slumping international travel.

“Landlords are freezing their rental prices and, in some cases, even lowering them,” he observes. “The question remains how long this trend will last once the COVID-19 crisis is over and international travel and mobility starts returning.”

That’s not anticipated until at least the third quarter of 2020. In the interim, some landlords are bracing for possible government intervention in the rental housing marketplace.

“If the 2008 economic crisis can serve as an indication, homeownership will decrease and the demand for rentals will increase in the coming years,” Seelmann says. “It’s important to keep in mind during these uncertain times that in the past, government initiatives focused on applying stricter control of the domestic real estate market. For instance, rent caps have been proven to be successful short-term solutions to housing affordability.”

Vancouver property taxes deferred until September

The City of Vancouver has pushed the deadline for both residential and commercial property taxes back by more than two months to help homeowners and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new tax payment deadline is September 30, 2020, moved from July 3.

The deferral was approved by city council this week. The decision follows measures announced by the province on April 16, including a mandated delay in the penalty date for commercial tax payers to October 1, 2020, along with a reduction in school tax payments for these property owners (which includes industrial, business, recreation, and non-profit properties).

Under the Vancouver Charter, Vancouver’s tax payment and penalty dates must be aligned; under the Community Charter, some municipalities may choose to maintain the existing July payment date while extending their penalty dates.

“COVID-19 has put a lot of strain on the finances of residents and business owners as well as the city itself. That’s why I’m glad council supported offering a delayed property tax payment deadline,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart. “Combined with a business tax cut made possible by lower provincial school taxes, these measures will help reduce financial stress while helping us maintain essential public services we all need to help propel Vancouver into recovery.”

Vancouver’s property tax statements for 2020 will be mailed out by June and taxes can be paid at any time once the statement has been received. Late payment penalties will take effect on October 1 for any property taxes not paid by September 30.

More challenges in store for rental-housing sector

Challenges due to COVID-19 continue to rock the commercial real estate sector at a fast and furious pace. Since the state of emergency was declared in mid-March, no one could have predicted the severity of the situation, nor that May would arrive and all non-essential services would remain closed, forcing millions into unemployment and in need of government support.

For multi-residential rental property owners, times are taxing to say the least. From the threat of rising rent arrears, to exhaustive cleaning processes and delayed spring building maintenance, everyone’s hands are tied as the risk of infection persists. Smaller landlords in particularly have reason to fear the future.

According to LandlordBC, the vast majority of rental-housing providers in B.C. are small “mom and pop” shops facing huge financial consequences. Without a backing of cash or credit to cover carrying costs in times of crisis, many are fearing insolvency. Even with the province’s rent supplement program offering $500 per month to eligible tenants, David Hutniak, CEO of LandlordBC, says it’s not enough: “We are calling for immediate action from the B.C. government, asking that effective May 1, the current rent supplement benefit amount be increased to $750 per month for renters with no dependents, and $1,000 per month for renters with dependents.”

Hutniak also took issue with the federal government’s failure to put a rental program in place at the national level. “When the pandemic originally struck Canada, the government should have immediately launched a robust rent supplement program for all Canadian renters,” he said. “They knew very quickly that social isolation was key to containing COVID-19, and that meant ensuring folks had a home to stay in. Renters represent in the order of one-third of all Canadian households, and this ratio is relatively consistent province-by-province. Furthermore, they know that a significant proportion of renters are spending 30 to 50 per cent or more of their household income on rent and utilities, especially in major urban centres.”

Meanwhile over in Ontario, local landlord Chris Seepe is bracing for another month of tough income loss. As the owner and manager of a medium-sized rental portfolio located throughout the GTA, Seepe says he received 82 per cent of rental payments in April, while 10 per cent required re-payment plans due to COVID-related financial struggles. As for the remaining 8 per cent, Seepe refers to them as “the usual suspects” – the segment of tenants he believes is exploiting the crisis for their own personal gain. “I expect this May, I might see the COVID-affected tenants increase possibly to 20 per cent, with the same 8 per cent continuing to exploit the situation,” he said.

But looking ahead toward summer, what can small- to medium-sized landlords expect as the economy slowly reopens? According to Seepe, it doesn’t look good. “Rental operators who have a mortgage greater than 50 per cent of their lender’s assessed property value typically earn net profit (cash flow before taxes) of 10 per cent to 15 per cent of gross income after financing and operational costs,” he said. “If COVID-19 measures continue past August, then we may see the start of a repeat of the 2009 U.S. subprime disaster, where tens of thousands of U.S. single-family homes, condos and small multi-residential rental properties defaulted, leading to the failure of about 525 U.S. banks between 2009 and 2015.”

Adding to that stark outlook, Seepe notes that lenders and CMHC appear to be dramatically reducing property values, while insurance companies have sometimes doubled premiums to account for anticipated rental income losses. “While these losses are temporary and will probably last less than one year, the artificial (and unwarranted) rapid shrinkage in equity and increased costs could make it very tough for small-to-medium operators to refinance for the next twelve months, or to possibly even stay in business,” he said. “Deferred mortgage payments with additional interest and no penalty is a modest, though hardly magnanimous gesture on the part of Canadian financial institutions, which have left residential landlords shouldering the full brunt of the financial losses from the COVID pandemic.”

Larger rental operators faring better

On the other end of the spectrum, larger companies, like Calgary-based Avenue Living Communities, appear to be weathering the uncertainty without too much difficulty. For the month of April, the company announced it was able to collect 95 per cent of rent revenue from across its vast rental portfolio.

“We have been actively working with residents to help limit the impact of job loss due to COVID-19, offering flexibility with regards to rent payment timing in addition to ensuring they are aware of government support,” said Louise Elsey, COO. “We feel this greatly helped our residents during the month of April, and our revenue at Avenue Living Communities was not impacted. We are speaking with government bodies routinely to better understand funding programs that are available, so that we may inform our residents of up-to-date, timely information for applications going forward – for May and beyond.”

Similarly, Morguard issued a corporate update on April 28, stating that it too had collected approximately 95 per cent of April rent revenue for its Canadian and U.S. portfolios, a number it says is in line with its historical collection rates. To help those financially impacted by the pandemic, the REIT implemented a rent deferral program and is “actively working with residents on a case-by-case basis.” It also waived the collection of recent rental increases and late fees for existing tenants and says it will suspend collection of further rental increases during this period of crisis.

“The unprecedented COVID-19 global event has demonstrated our strength and resilience as an organization,” said K. Rai Sahi, CEO of Morguard North American Residential REIT. “By activating our Crisis Management Team and allocating appropriate resources, we have coordinated efforts across our portfolios and taken definitive action to ensure the health and well-being of those around us. At this unique time, we celebrate our employees and service partners who continue to provide exceptional service to Morguard communities across North America by upholding our core values.”

Industry-wide challenges

Aside from managing monthly income loss, some of the bigger struggles impacting rental-housing providers come from not being able to maintain service quality or make building repairs due to physical distancing requirements. With health and safety being the top priority at all professionally-run buildings, some key operational tasks have been temporarily sidelined.

According to one industry source (who has asked to remain anonymous), regular communication has been central to management efforts, with technology playing a critical role in how day-to-day business has been maintained. “We provide our tenants with regular updates on preventive initiatives and COVID-19 related notifications using a central repository of communication through an icon on our website,” he said.

Virtual showings have replaced in-person tours, while staff meetings via “Zoom” have become the new norm. Postponement of non-essential work has also impacted operations. This includes things like annual suite inspections; the planting of flowers; pool repairs; changing HVAC filters; cosmetic work for suite turnovers and common areas, and other spring maintenance. In addition, the company has had to implement new work-around procedures essentially on the fly—from how to conduct annual fire alarms in tenant suites, to establishing PPE protocols and implementing hyper-vigilant cleaning practices using hospital grade disinfectant. There is also the matter of increased deliveries for tenants, and the all-important action plan needed for if, and when, a tenant or staff member becomes infected with COVID-19.

As for rent deferrals, the source tells us: “We have capitulated to accommodate tenants who have been impacted financially by coming-up with liberal deferral/repayment plans for April and May rent and holding off on issuing N4s (Termination Notices) and N1s (Notice of Rent Increases). We have also been proactive in providing our tenants with government resources for benefits and financial support.”

But all that said, there’s little doubt that each new day will bring new challenges as stay-at-home orders persist and the threat of infection continues. “We’re seeing tenants who committed to leases no longer wanting (or able) to move into the buildings, as well as those providing short notice to move in with parents or relatives,” he said.

Condo budgeting concerns afoot

Financial uncertainty prevails for condo corporations anxious about continuing operations in the wake of rising unemployment and state of emergencies. Statistics Canada reported about 3.1 million Canadians either lost their jobs or had their hours reduced at the start of the COVID-19 crisis in March and the national unemployment rate jumped to the highest it’s been since October 2010, largely due to temporary layoffs.

Eric Plant, director at Brilliant Property Management, says some concerns have somewhat stabilized in the last few weeks; there are fewer residents calling this month asking for maintenance fee deferrals compared to March.

“We suspect that many homeowners have applied for and received the emergency government money or have been able to maintain a higher income than they thought possible last month,” he says. “Still, all will depend on how long the lockdown remains and when people can go back to work.”

Stay-at-home orders are also placing more stress on buildings, including higher costs of consuming utilities. Although Ontario announced a flat electricity rate of 10.1 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 45 days, this applies only to time-of-use billing—many condos in the province have bulk bills. Another uncertainty is that the actual usage might far outweigh the decrease in cost. How this will affect budgeting remains unclear.

“With so many people staying in and working from home, we are expecting an increase in consumption of water and electricity,” says Plant. “What we don’t yet know is by how much and how the reduction in hydro rates will affect the total cost.”

This uncertainty over hydro costs makes it difficult to revise a budget mid-year as utilities must be considered in any amendment.

Delayed maintenance within units is also raising questions about the potential cost of backlog work when the crisis subsides. Many contractors are working on an “urgency-only-basis” and most in-unit repairs are cancelled. Urgent cases such as a leak often mean visiting multiple units to understand where the source is coming from.

“Doing that now has become really difficult because some people won’t let you in, some will, but are anxious and nervous, others are in total lockdown,” Plant says. “There are thousands of buildings in the city; something like that happens every day, especially in older buildings.”

Jobs normally attended to—broken window seals, water stains on a ceiling—are being shelved. He predicts costs could increase if higher loads of outstanding work pile up.

“We don’t know how big that backlog is going to be, but when you have a lot of work and not a lot of workers, it becomes harder to get people to your site,” he says. “What the workers also tend to do is raise their prices because they are in high demand; so while that is speculation, it’s very possible the backlog of work is going to raise prices.”

In a webinar last week hosted by Rod Escoyola, partner at Gowling WLG., industry discussed additional costs due to essential worker pay and sanitation. Katherine Gow, regional manager at Crossbridge Condominium Services Ltd., said corporations might want to look closely at both their PICs (periodic information certificates) and status certificates to outline any concerns about extra costs to the budget.

“As the essential worker list continues to change, there may be some projects that just don’t happen this year; it’s difficult to tell whether all of those increased costs and all of that delayed work is going to end up with balance or a negative or positive,” she said. “It is also necessary for us to make people aware who might be purchasing condos or refinancing that we could have some extra costs.”

Corporations’ ability to borrow

Legal and financial professionals also shared insights into managing money and budget concerns. Denise Lash, founder and principal of Lash Condo Law, pointed out lines of credit are available to condo corporations facing cash-flow problems.

“They may not require a borrowing bylaw—a lot of corporations think they need a borrowing bylaw to get a line of credit,” she says. “What you need to check is if your general operating bylaw applies and if the lender offering the credit line requires a specific borrowing byline.”

She says if a borrowing bylaw isn’t required, money can be borrowed, as long as there are no restrictions in a general operating bylaw and expenditures are added to the budget.

In a previous webinar at the end of March. David Plotkin, associate lawyer at Gowling WLG, said while rates may be low right now, it is “extremely unadvisable” for corporations to be borrowing for anything not already set aside in the budget.

“It’s actually prohibited under the Condo Act in Section 563. It is very clearly stated that a corporation shall not borrow money for expenditures not listed in the budget unless it passes a bylaw,” he said. “You have to be extremely careful with the use of funds now, where the source of funds is coming from, what has already been earmarked, and not creating new headaches for the corporation down the road.”

Even in cases where a corporation does have authority to borrow, said Lash, it is not recommended.

Revising the budget

Brian Antman, partner at accounting firm Adams Miles LLP, reminded boards to be cautious about their obligations to maintain common elements. Boards do have authority to change a budget mid-stream, but he advises this should happen under specific circumstances.

“There may be some corporations that have a large accumulated surplus or a contingency fund,” he said. “What the revised budget would do is reflect a deferral or reduction in monthly fees, consider increasing certain expenditures in light of the pandemic, and essentially create a deficit in the current year. There are circumstances, as in normal times, where people have to realize that expenses do come in greater than budget and create a deficit.”

He says items to consider when revising a budget include adding new measures like security, special cleaning and utilities, knowing what variable costs can be deferred without affecting the marketability and health and safety of owners and knowing if vendors will offer some deferral of payment so costs can be reduced. A new PIC has to be issued and the new budget sent to owners, which generates additional costs.

Reserve fund contributions

Corporations have been inquiring about using reserve fund contributions to fund operating costs or potential losses.

“Common expenses in the budget allocate a certain portion toward the reserve fund,” said Lash. “Allocating it to operating expenses is going to cause a whole host of problems. If you want to change your reserve fund contributions, then you need a new reserve fund plan.”

Corporations should also look at any established contingency funds they set aside for unusual expenditures, says Antman. “This is a perfect time, if contingency funds are available and corporations are starting to run short on cash, to start using those funds.”

Navigating the unknown in communal living

At the start of the pandemic, hurdles instantly arose with a rock-solid hardness that hit condominium managers and their clients like brick walls.

The Annual General Meeting schedules fell apart like shifting sand with no tangible boundaries within which to schedule revised meeting dates. Six months post fiscal year end for the AGM meeting as a hard deadline established by The Condominium Act, 1998, vanished amidst emergency orders and social distancing.

The recommendation was made by the legal minds of our industry, and remains now, that all condominium corporations should hold off on hosting their AGMs until the state of emergency in Ontario has been lifted and public health officials are no longer recommending social distancing measures. The potential risk for danger associated with hosting an in-person meeting remains much higher than any assumed punishment that failure to hold the AGM within the prescribed timeline may result in. The government only recently issued directives to support these initial recommendations, such that the mandated timeline for owner meetings be formally extended to permit the delay of these meetings.

Condominium managers, generally the corporation’s agents for proactive thinking, now find themselves asking new questions. Can an AGM be postponed indefinitely? What if the board has lost quorum and there is no one to direct the management company and a meeting cannot be held? Cruel and unusual punishment terms left some managers with no board and over-budget expenses that caused angst. Defining an emergency in a pandemic is a completely new scenario that even seasoned managers were unprepared for, let alone the newbies.

Another challenge is customizing social distancing protocols relating to shared living spaces. A new code of appropriate conduct was quickly ushered in. Thou shalt not board thine elevator alongside other humans other than those with whom thou permanently resides. And thou shalt cease using the hallways for exercising. Many new directives were instantly assumed in our shared living environments and have remained in place since the state of emergency was ordered.

How can managers restrict condo dwellers who do not want to bother with social distancing and will do as they choose? Keeping visitors away is a challenge, alongside objections from lonely residents coupled with the demands of their neighbours who want protection from the outside world.

There is a conflict in directives here that managers must now navigate very cautiously. On one side, the corporation is the deemed occupier of the common elements and could therefore be held liable for inaction if they had knowledge of any dangerous circumstance on the common elements and made no move to address it. On the other side, if the corporation acts and is seen as acting too severely (for example, closing access to gym and pool facilities that owners pay for in their condo fees, laundry rooms, parkette areas, libraries, guest suites), it could face resentment from owners when the dust of this global pandemic eventually settles.

To add fuel to the fire, boards are suddenly divided when responding to management recommendations. Many directors are quick to agree with their managers and use recommended safety measures. Others are concerned about enticing underlying levels of fear in the community by posting signs and sending notices. Managers typically have time to mediate these different opinions into a mostly collective decision, but time isn’t readily available—there is a labour shortage as trades and staff self-isolate, owners inundate the management office with inquiries about the situation as it progresses by the hour, and managers struggle to find available resources to protect residents. Stocking a 300-unit building with hand sanitizer isn’t easy; healthcare facilities are prioritized for shipments, while dispenser stations are impossible to find.

Residents often feel entitled to monitor, track and report on the self-isolators. Once the word is out that a resident has been tested and is awaiting results, all semblance of reason seems to dissipate.

So what can we possibly agree are best practices right now? The experts seem, thus far, to agree with these tips:

If you have communal spaces such as hot tubs, gyms, change rooms, meeting rooms or party rooms, etc., leave them closed until further notice. Thank your residents for their support in advance with a notice to advise of the closure and suggest a party when the social-distancing protocols are lifted to enjoy each other’s company once more. The provincial government’s emergency order issued March 17th mandated the closure of these facilities, and this order remains in place until at least May 6. Even then, if lifted, each corporation will have a requirement to ensure their facilities are re-opened in a manner which ensures the safety and health of users, staff and contractors.
Similarly, leave washrooms closed entirely or reserve them for the sole and exclusive use of the corporation’s staff.
If you have an on-site management office, it should remain closed to residents and owners and require they communicate with the office over the phone or by email.
Load up Zoom or GoToMeeting to make board meetings virtual and maintain staff work flows. Consent is no longer required from all directors to host a virtual meeting (during the emergency declaration period).
Managers can refer to their spending authority limits as defined by most management service agreements. If you have resources for obtaining hand sanitizer and it’s within your means to buy it before supplies further dwindle, most boards will forgive the unanticipated expenditure from the budget’s contingency account.
Provide a translated version of notices to residents who do not speak English as their first language. Make sure it is accurate; this is more important than ever before.
Advise residents that non-essential visitors should be discouraged. This includes family, friends and non-essential service trades. Hanging those new curtains should really wait.
Notify residents that if they have tested positive for COVID-19 to notify property management immediately on a strictly confidential basis and to self-isolate in their unit for 14 days as required by government directives.
If any resident does test positive for COVID-19 and you can confirm the diagnosis is true, notify residents without disclosing the person’s name or any other personal information, and strongly urge residents to self-isolate in their units for 14 days.
Implement a virtual buddy system to assist vulnerable members of the condominium community and to combat the sense of growing social isolation. It is advised that all condo corporations send out an immediate notice to residents advising them of the same, and asking those who would like to participate to notify property management.
Be forward thinking as to how to maintain infection control in areas that have just been cleaned.
Offer available resources to your residents. Prepare a list of local grocery delivery and pick-up options or resources your community has put together for vulnerable individuals at this time.
On April 24, 2020, the Ontario government enacted additional measures to support condominium corporations during the COVID-19 pandemic with amendments to Emergency Order O. Reg. 107/20. The emergency order is in effect province-wide and retroactive to March 17, 2020 (the day the order came into effect) and now includes amendments to:
1. Permit corporations governed under the Condo Act to hold meetings virtually, notwithstanding current requirements or restrictions;
2. Extend the time period in which corporations governed under the Condo Act must hold annual meetings (if your last day to hold your AGM falls within the period of emergency declaration, your AGM may be held up to 90 days following the termination of the emergency order, and if your last date to hold your AGM falls within 30 days of the termination of the emergency order, your AGM may be held up to 120 days following the termination of the emergency order); and
3. Address additional matters related to meetings for corporations under the Condo Act such as re-issuing of notices to hold meetings virtually as well as certain requirements pertaining to issuance of financial statements.

Kirsten Dale is a registered condominium manager (ACMO) with MCRS Property Management, based in Huntsville, Ontario providing condominium management services in Simcoe, Muskoka, Parry Sound and Haliburton. Debbie Dale is president of MCRS Property Management. They can be reached at (866) 280-8309, [email protected], or at www.mymcrs.com

Fort McMurray flood swamps 1,230 buildings

Flood water has damaged an estimated 1,230 buildings in Fort McMurray, Alberta, including more than 1,000 homes and businesses in the city’s lower core fronting onto the Clearwater River, and 49 structures in the Taiga Nova industrial park bordering the Athabasca River. Officials with the Region of Wood Buffalo are warning approximately 13,000 evacuees from affected areas not to return to check on their properties.

“The risk in areas under mandatory evacuation orders remains high as water can become electrically charged or ice can shift, causing further flooding and water and debris to begin moving very quickly,” asserts Scott Davis, director of emergency management for the municipality. “Members of the public travelling into these locations are putting themselves, first responders and others at risk of a serious incident.”

Massive ice jams on the Peace and Athabasca Rivers are pushing up water levels in the constrained channels behind them, causing an up to 6-metre rise in Athabasca River water levels and the one-metre rise in the Clearwater River that spilled into downtown Fort McMurray. Beyond flooded areas, a boil-water advisory is in place for the entire city and several outlying hamlets.

Evacuees have been instructed to abide by COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Thus far, approximately 6,000 of the 13,000 have registered, as requested. A smaller number, estimated at 1,700 yesterday, have been accommodated in hotel rooms or oil sands workers’ quarters for stays of up to seven days.

“If you secured your own accommodations upon evacuation, you won’t be refunded by the Municipality,” today’s communique from the Region of Wood Buffalo states. “You can still register to receive accommodations. You may be eligible for reimbursement through your insurance provider.”

Initial building damage estimates were developed via ground, air and boat reconnaissance, but more details will follow. “It is important to understand that re-entry isn’t possible until it is safe to be in these areas. It’s anticipated that it will be a phased re-entry.” the municipal communique states.

“No one can envy the emergency response teams working to respond to the pandemic and the flood at the same time,” observes Natalia Moudrak, director, climate resilience, at the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation.

While this scenario was actually on crisis preparedness planners’ radar given the relatively consistent annual potential for ice jam formation on the northern Alberta rivers, a flash flood might occur anywhere, presenting other communities with the same dilemma. “It’s imperative for homeowners and businesses to prepare proactively,” Moudrak reiterates.

The Fort McMurray flood comes almost exactly four years after forest fires triggered a citywide evacuation.

Report helps FMs manage climate change effects

A new report helps facility managers reduce the effects of climate change for the organizations they support.

Adapting to Climate Change for Facility Management Professionals is a follow-up to the 2019 report, Climate Change Fundamentals for Facility Management Professionals. It was written by facility managers and published in a partnership between IFMA’s Environmental Stewardship, Utilities and Sustainability Community (ESUS) and the FM Research and Benchmarking Institute, sponsored by BGIS.

FMs will need to address two aspects of climate change—impacts to the business and reduction of their business’ impacts on the planet. In some cases, these two may overlap, but it is important to look at both aspects since assessments and action plans may differ for each.

“Failing to prepare for environmental extremes can become an expensive and disastrous oversight,” said author Kathy Roper. This new report presents tools and resources for performing climate change risk assessments and developing solid plans for resilience. It also contains specific risk scenarios to help you build focused plans for varying climate change realities.”

The report also helps FMs learn the language and skills associated with risk management and adaptation. A focus is provided on assessing climate risk for a specific property or geography; then providing resources to learn about potential adaptations for the assessed risk.

“Our first report provided FMs with meaningful insight into the impact of climate change on their roles as stewards of the built environment. ‘Adapting to Climate Change’ is a proactive guide to safeguarding facilities against environmental risks,” said Dean Stanberry, chair, IFMA Environmental Stewardship, Utilities and Sustainability Community. “We all need to brace for the unprecedented threat that climate change poses to the built environment and our roles as FMs. Be aware and be prepared.”

The report covers the major topics of risk management, how to conduct a climate change risk assessment, relevant climate change components, mitigation techniques associated with components, factors that impact mitigation, and supplemental resources available to the reader.

Adapting to Climate Change for Facility Management Professionals is available as a free download in IFMA’s Knowledge Library.

Global construction output to shrink in 2020

As a result of the severe economic shock caused by the lockdown measures imposed by governments around the world to contain the spread of COVID-19, global construction output is expected to contract by 1.4 per cent in 2020, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

“Although the construction industry has in some cases been exempt from restrictions on business activity, few major markets will manage to record an increase in construction output in 2020,” said Danny Richards, lead economist at GlobalData.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the global construction industry had been expected to grow by 3.1 per cent. This was initially revised down to just 0.5 per cent in late March based on a review of the impact of COVID-19 at that point in time. However, in view of the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic and the more drastic measures being taken to contain the spread, GlobalData has further adjusted the outlook for the 91 countries covered.

“In the short term, there is a high risk of projects in execution being halted because of lockdowns, a lack of materials, and other supply chain disruption. Projects at pre-construction stages will be severely delayed, given likely disruption in processing building permits, tendering, and awarding contracts,” said Richards.

Based on the latest updates of mega projects being tracked by GlobalData, global construction momentum has slowed considerably – GlobalData’s Global Construction Projects Momentum Index (CPMI) score (adjusted) dropped to 0.39, from 0.46 in Q4 2019. The unadjusted score plummeted to a low of 0.22, reflecting the severity of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on construction projects.

Ontario amends emergency order for condo meetings

Last week, the Ontario government took further action to support corporations, including condominium corporations, co-operative corporations, business corporations, and not-for-profit corporations during the COVID-19 outbreak with amendments to Ontario Regulation 107/20 (the “Emergency Order”).

According to the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO), the emergency order is in effect province-wide and retroactive to March 17, 2020 (for example, the day the Declaration of Emergency came into effect) and can be accessed by clicking here.

Regarding the effect on condo corporations, the emergency order was amended to add clarity and assist the condo community during the COVID-19 pandemic by:

Permitting corporations governed under the Co-operative Corporations Act (CCA) and the Condominium Act (Condo Act) to hold meetings virtually, notwithstanding current requirements or restrictions;
Extending the time period in which corporations governed under the CCA and Condo Act must hold annual meetings; and
Addressing additional matters related to meetings for corporations under the Corporations Act (CA), Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA), Condo Act, and CCA, such as the re-issuing of notices to hold a meeting virtually after a notice of meeting has already been sent, in certain circumstances, and, as applicable, the requirement to present financial statements at annual meetings within a specified period.

This includes annual general meetings, turn-over meetings, owner requisitioned meetings, or any other owners’ meeting.

“I would like to emphasize that the CMRAO understands that these are exceptional circumstances and will support condominium managers who act in accordance with current government directives (including emergency orders) regarding the decisions they make and the advice they give to condominium boards during the declared emergency period,”Ali Arlani, CEO and registrar at CMRAO, added in a press release.

Any questions related to the emergency order can be directed to the CAO by dialing 1-844-880-5341 or emailing them at [email protected].