Scott Construction launches lunchbox challenge

Scott Construction Group and ITC Construction Group have partnered to launch the #LunchBoxChallenge to recognize workers on their jobsites and help struggling restaurants during COVID-19.

The idea of the #LunchBoxChallenge is simple: construction companies buy lunches locally for their sites and nominate another company to do the same.

“Our mental health committee has been brainstorming ways to support three important groups during COVID: staff, their families, and the communities where they work,” said Darin Hughes, president of Scott Construction. “The #LunchBoxChallenge does a great job with two out of three!

“To keep our communities’ small local restaurants in business, we need to support them however we can.”

Last week, the Scott Construction crew working on the District of West Vancouver’s municipal hall and fire hall projects dined on halibut burgers from Nell’s Kitchen, a local, family-owned-and-operated fish market and sandwich kitchen. The company then challenged ITC Construction to join in.

“ITC is excited to accept the Lunchbox Challenge to acknowledge our work force and especially support our local community businesses and restaurants that are impacted by our current global challenges,” said Harold Barisoff, vice president construction, ITC.

While Scott Construction started the challenge with a single site, both Scott and ITC say they will buy lunches once a week until they’ve bought lunch for every one of their construction sites.

The #LunchBoxChallenge helps promote physical distancing on construction sites and in the community. By having lunches delivered to site, companies limit the need for individuals to leave site and line-up to order food. It also mitigates contact exposure for the restaurant, which can prepare one large order for the site versus serving those individuals in their storefront.

The construction industry responded quickly to guidance from B.C.’s provincial health officer on how to implement enhanced safety protocols on site. Still, there are additional measures to consider with ordering lunches for sites.

The measures shared by both Scott Construction and ITC include:

Ordering lunches that can be individually wrapped – do not order family-style meals that require individuals to serve themselves from large containers;
Asking the restaurants to include any condiments, cutlery and napkins in the individually packed lunches – do not share condiment bottles;
Maintaining physical distancing while individuals collect their meals – six feet apart at all times; and
Sanitizing common surfaces before food is delivered and as needed during distribution to reduce potential cross-contamination.

“We at ITC feel it is our responsibility to guide our teams in maintaining social distancing protocols to protect the continuity of a strong construction industry that we all rely on,” said Barisoff. “Our sites are fully committed to managing the organized distribution of individually wrapped lunches avoiding exposure risk. Protecting our workforce continues to be our focus.”

New report shows alarming rate of infection in senior care facilities

The Ontario Health Coalition released a 70-page report tracking 1,127 confirmed staff, 1,936 residents and 720 unspecified individuals for a total of 3,783 positive COVID-19 cases within senior care facilities across the province. The tracking began on March 19 when the first outbreaks in Ontario long-term care homes first became public.

According to the dire new findings, 3,783 confirmed cases in healthcare settings represent almost a third (30.9 per cent) of the total reported for Ontario up to the afternoon of April 21. Sadly, 435 deaths have occurred among residents and staff at these facilities.

“The spread in healthcare and congregate care settings continues to widen at an alarming pace,” said Natalie Mehra, Executive Director at the Coalition. “The outbreaks in hospitals continue to increase in number but, according to publicly available information, they appear to be contained more quickly and effectively than those in long-term care, retirement homes and congregate care/living settings. Since our last tracking report on April 7, while the number of outbreaks has risen significantly, the number of patients/residents in healthcare settings and the number of healthcare workers infected have increased exponentially. Tragically, the number of deaths that we have been able to find from outbreaks in healthcare settings has increased almost five-fold since April 7.”

Retirement residences, home to more able-bodied seniors, are also seeing infections rise at an alarming rate. The report cites 562 confirmed cases in 69 retirement homes: 367 among residents; 131 among staff; and 64 unspecified.

“We are tracking the outbreaks to ensure that there is public scrutiny and the clearest possible picture of the extent of the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare settings even as public health measures and access to PPE improve. Clearly, measures have been too slow and continue to be inadequate, particularly in long-term care and other congregate living and senior care settings,” she reported. “We can create a picture of the spread with the numbers, but the real human toll of these outbreaks is beyond words.”

The Ontario Health Coalition represents more than 500,000 Ontarians and more than 400 organizations who are concerned citizens, patient advocates, seniors, unions, family councils, residents, patients, doctors, nurses and health professions. Its mandate is to protect and improve public health care for all under the principles of the Canada Health Act.

The full report can be found here.

Real estate gains allure as migration portal

Wealthy investors could be looking even more intently at real estate as a migration portal once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, analysts with a global relocation and citizenship advisory firm speculate. Already, Henley & Partners has charted a first quarter pickup in investment programs that offer a gateway to residence in Portugal, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, and projects there will be a growing appetite for similar opportunities elsewhere in the European Union.

“High-net-worth individuals favour European real estate-linked programs as they offer a unique hybrid investment opportunity that includes multiple yields from real estate, with all its traditional upside, as well as an alternative residence and/or citizenship with the option to relocate if they need to,” says Juerg Steffen, chief executive officer of Henley & Partners. “As a tried-and-tested hedge against volatility, securing alternative residence or citizenship through property purchase is one of the safest, smartest, most sustainable investments you can make right now.”

Parag Khanna, founder of the Singapore-based data mining and scenario modelling firm, FutureMap, likewise predicts COVID-19 will prompt two relocation trends: an international movement toward perceived safe havens; and domestic outflows from dense urban metropolises to smaller cities and rural areas. Canada is unnamed but vaguely identified among possible non-European destinations for those seeking a new national address.

“People will seek to move from poorly governed and ill-prepared places to more proactive countries with better medical care or where involuntary quarantine, whenever it strikes next, is less torturous,” Khanna theorizes in a recent Henley & Partners report. “It is clear that COVID-19 is spreading more rapidly in places that are roughly 27 degrees north latitude, where much of the world’s population is concentrated. It is worth exploring whether countries with colder or warmer temperatures, lower population densities, or less intensive participation in global supply chains are safer.”

Marc Boutin wins 2020 Architectural Firm Award

The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative (MBAC), a Calgary-based multi-scale firm, is the recipient of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s 2020 Architectural Firm Award.

“MBAC’s collective body of work, framed as the Landscape of Memory, adeptly traverses across scales,” said the 2020 Jury in a collective comment. “The studio itself operates uniquely within an integrated practice model. Marc and his team embody a true commitment to architectural education, mentorship, public awareness, and the growth of architects.”

The RAIC Architectural Firm Award recognizes the achievements of a firm for its quality of architecture, service to clients and innovations in practice. It also takes into account the firm’s contribution to architectural education and professional organizations, as well as public recognition.

Notable projects from MBAC include:

Courtyard House, Calgary AB
Calgary Public Building Restoration, Calgary AB
The Fourth Street SW Underpass Enhancement, Calgary AB
Varsity Multi-Service Redevelopment, Calgary AB
Ambelside Integrated Site, Edmonton AB
The Sunalta Community Hub, Calgary AB

Since its inception in 1997, MBAC has operated at the boundary between design disciplines—seeking a density of meaning that emerges through the synthesis of art, architecture, urban design, and landscape design. This characteristic interdisciplinarity both characterizes and enriches the quality of the firm’s work by the emphasis it places on the relationships between scales of design.

Over the past 20-plus years, MBAC has been recognized for design excellence for both unrealized and built projects across a broad spectrum of project types—from custom houses to large cultural buildings and recreation centers to public plazas. This recognition has come in the form of local, regional, national awards, and international awards including numerous Mayor’s Urban Design Awards in Calgary and Edmonton, several Prairie Design Awards, nine Canadian Architect Awards, a Progressive Architecture Award, a Canadian Society of Landscape Architecture National Honour, National Urban Design Awards, and a Landscape Network Award ‘Top 10 Public Space Award’.

As a design firm that champions the importance of public space in a northern climate, MBAC continues to frame sustainability as a design driver that ought to be considered pluralistically, and in the interest of social equity. MBAC is proud to pursue accreditation programs such as LEED and WELL—but also prides itself on engaging in architectural issues that impact the broader conceptual and environmental boundaries of social justice and the built environment. To that end, MBAC is proud of the Calgary Public Building Restoration being the first LEED Platinum accredited project for the City of Calgary, introducing food security as a design driver for the upcoming Sunalta Community Hub.

As the firm continues to evolve and engage new design territories, it remains dedicated to the proposition that the best design ideas are the product of intensive, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preoccupied with a desire to leverage architecture’s capacity to materially enrich where and how we live.

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Conference because of the COVID-19 pandemic, MBAC will be honoured as award recipients at the RAIC 2021 Conference on Architecture in Montreal, QC.

Resurfacing of Vancouver Island highways underway

Portions of three Vancouver Island highways will be resurfaced this spring and summer as part of an $8.5-million project to improve conditions for people who travel on these routes.

Work is underway to resurface a 40-kilometre section of Highway 19 between Parksville and Bowser. Due to reduced traffic volumes as a result of COVID-19, work is happening during the day and overnight with minimal impact on essential travel. Drivers can expect single-lane traffic through the work zone.

Near Victoria, Highway 1 will be resurfaced between the new McKenzie Interchange and Leigh Road – a distance of eight kilometres. All on- and off-ramps in the work zone will also be resurfaced. This resurfacing work will happen overnight to minimize delays for drivers.

Approximately 2.5 kilometres of Highway 14 near the Westshore Parkway will also be resurfaced. Drivers can expect lane closures during the work. Resurfacing sections of Highway 14 and Highway 1 is expected to begin in spring 2020.

A contract for the work has been awarded to Peters Brothers Construction Ltd. of Penticton.

The ministry is working closely with the contractor and WorkSafeBC to ensure health and safety are maintained for all workers on site.

B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO) has directed construction 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 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.

GTA home sales to plunge through spring

Greater Toronto Area homes sales have dropped and are expected to further fall before the end of June.

State of emergency measures and social distancing have already caused sales to dive 69 per cent during the first 17 days of April compared to the same time last year, according to early statistics the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board has released.

“Home buyers and sellers have concerns about the economy and indeed their own employment situations,” says TRREB President Michael Collins. “On top of this, many buyers and sellers are avoiding any type of in-person interaction. In the condo market in particular, individual condo corporations have curtailed entry for non-residents.”

Condos and high-end detached single-family homes in Toronto experienced the greatest decline. Realtors are reporting 1,654 home sales so far, while the number of listings has dropped 63.7 per cent to 3,843.

The average price for a home also dropped 1.5 per cent. It currently stands at $819,665. The changing composition of home sales played a role in price growth. In Toronto, for example, the number of homes sold for more than two-million dollars declined more than overall sales. This had an impact on the average selling prices.

Numbers could start improving in the summer if distancing measures are relaxed and people return to work from furlough.

TRREB says year-over-year declines in home prices could be reported during some months in the second and third quarters, but these declines will have less of an effect on the overall price for 2020 because the annual share of sales will also be much lower than normal.

As home buyers return to the market, Jason Mercer, TRREB’s chief market analyst predicts they will continue to face a lack of listings inventory that was already an issue pre-pandemic.

“As the different levels of government look toward recovery, it will be important for them to resume and build upon initiatives to bring a greater diversity of housing supply on line,” he says.

Boardwalk REIT issues operational update

Boardwalk REIT provided an update addressing ongoing pandemic measures and April rental revenue, noting that as of April 13th, it had received 92 per cent of rental payments, which is only a 3 per cent dip from typical months.

In addition to heightened cleaning practices and requiring staff to wear personal protective equipment, Boardwalk says it recently launched a virtual showings platform to further maintain physical distancing. Meanwhile, over 50 per cent of Boardwalk residents are now using the online self-service Resident Member Portal powered by Yuhu.

“Together, our communities are adapting to this pandemic environment where we are all responsible for each other’s health, safety and well-being,” commented Sam Kolias, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Boardwalk REIT. “We continue to work closely with our industry peers to self-regulate and exercise care and compassion with any of our Residents who may require assistance. In addition, Boardwalk continues to collaborate with all levels of government to ensure that housing remains both available and sustainable for all Canadians.”

More highlights from the release:

Boardwalk received 92% of its rental revenue due in April. Historically, by the 13th of the month, the Trust collects 95% of its rental revenue. Boardwalk is actively following-up with any of its Resident Members in arrears or in need of a payment plan;
Boardwalk’s payment plan application for those facing financial hardship was made available to all its Resident Members. Less than 2% of Boardwalks Residents submitted an application for payment plan, many of which provided partial payments on the 1st of the month;
Boardwalk’s occupancy within its stabilized portfolio at the end of March 2020 was 96.5%;
Turnover (notices for move out) in the month of April have decreased by approximately 33%. Boardwalk continues to serve new residents looking for a safe place to call home;
For rent payments received to date in April, 51% were made through pre-authorized payment, 27% were made in-person at Boardwalk community offices, and 22% were paid online through Boardwalk’s Resident Member Portal;
In light of the current environment, Roberto Geremia extends his previously planned retirement from April 30, 2020 on a month to month basis to support our team through these extenuating circumstances.

Liquidity Update (Unless otherwise noted, as of April 13, 2020)

Current liquidity of $260.4 million, comprised of $36.5 million of cash, $23.9 million of CMHC-insured financing to be funded in mid-April, and an undrawn $200 million line of credit;
Boardwalk has renewed or forward locked the interest rate on its 2020 mortgage maturities through the end of May (~$105 million or 34% of total 2020 mortgage maturities) at a weighted average interest rate of 2.12% for an average term of 7 years;
With approximately 99% of Boardwalk’s mortgage portfolio backed by CMHC Insurance, the Trust continues to execute on its 2020 mortgage program for both mortgage up-financing and renewals. Current estimated 5-year CMHC-insured mortgage rates range from 1.80% to 2.30%.

Pandemic spurs case for workplace technology

Organizations may consider more flexible working conditions once employees return to the workplace. Some researchers believe the pandemic is accelerating expectations that were already percolating—for instance, remote working. Facility managers, in turn, will need to shepherd in new and supportive technologies if this does occur.

Remote working is one sector poised to be fundamentally changed as the crisis unfolds, according to a new report from BMO Capital Markets Economic Research. As the report states, people are realizing they can learn new technologies that can enhance productivity and save money for both employees and companies. Employers are being forced to reimagine roles never thought suitable for telecommuting. Flexibility might also keep them competitive.

“We are now starting to see companies not only wanting to weather the storm, but thinking about what the opportunities are to make a change and rethink how they work, ” says Karen Plum, director of research and development at Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA). “I think there could be more demand for flexibility—for people to have more choices where and when they work, but many will still desire to come into the office to be with other colleagues.”

Technology is a tool to help support agile workplaces. She says tools like Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts allow people to have the sort of conversations they want to have in the office in the best way possible, without interruptions. Connecting with others should be seamless as possible.

“The delivery of the tool is one thing; the training and implementation has to be part of the same package,” she notes. “Engage with teams on how the tools might better support them and how they can help.”

Key takeaways from a recent AWA online workshop on managing agile workers included notes on technology and tech support. Managers should be asking if they have sufficient network capability to support the number of staff regularly working from home, regarding the data processing requirements of the types of applications they will be using. Managers should also have support in place to log and resolve technology issues, replace or fix faulty equipment, address service or access issues, and update remote workers about service issues and fault resolution.

Occupancy analytics will take on new relevance

A greater acceptance of remote work may leave managers with emptier spaces to operate. Facilities will also need to be more productive and healthy, and occupancy metrics to optimize the usage of space will take on new relevance. The global occupancy analytics market is already growing within commercial real estate; new statistics forecast it will rise to $5.7 billion by 2024.

Before the pandemic hit, tenants and landlords were already beginning to track office usage with sensors that determine if the space is being occupied efficiently, according to Lisa Fulford Roy, senior vice-president and head of CBRE’s Canadian Workplace Strategy Practice, who adds, this same technology can identify which heavily trafficked areas need deep cleaning, where density is too high, and which workstations are both free and sanitized.

“The sudden change and adaptation to remote working conditions surely has employers thinking about what the future of office environments will look like,” muses Hugo Lafontaine, vice-president of digital energy at Schneider Electric Canada.

For employers wanting to optimize how current space is used, he suggests they analyze the types of active roles in their company and combine that information with the current utilization of their workspace.

“Detailed occupancy data combined with strong analytics will provide invaluable data in order to confirm certain assumptions of current utilization, and very importantly offer the ability to measure and quantify the results of such shifts in utilization,” he says. “A clear understanding of space utilization could potentially lead companies to lower the amount of square footage needed for their workforce.”

The future workplace model he envisions is a hybrid approach between working full time at home and full time in the office.

“This will be a complex matter to manage for certain employers; having the ability to leverage workspace management platforms will be key to enact it,” he says. “Such platforms would not only be comprised of your typical ceiling occupancy sensors, but also use sensors such as desk/chair motion sensors, sound (DB) level monitors, air quality monitors, and light level sensors. All of these sensors would need to be connected to analytics software to provide meaningful information with a clear user interface that an employer could leverage to garner actionable insights to inform and drive changes.”

Workplace flexibility is already top of mind for occupants and building service providers. As Bill Argeropoulos, principal and practice leader of research at Avison Young, points out, our world is in the early stages of a technological revolution; technology is already a part of how we work.

“COVID-19 is just accelerating that transition,” he says. “For example, take robotic process automation (RPA). There will be some physical automation, akin to the robots we already see in warehousing and manufacturing facilities. But for workers who focus on knowledge rather than products, most RPA is likely to be software or app based, enabling you to automate workflows across multiple interfaces. Ultimately, this may result in the need for less office space or for work to become more distributed across multiple locations, including your home.”

This automation process is fast-emerging trend, he notes. Functions like routine information processing within the banking, insurance and accounting sectors will be greatly impacted, but the influence on companies and individual jobs with more face-to-face tasks, like real estate, is less obvious.

“Before the real estate sector can benefit from the transformative efficiencies and profitability improvements technology can deliver, there must be a change in mindset,” he says. “As it relates to more relevance in occupancy sensors or other technology in mining data about who is using the space and when – if that wasn’t already happening in the workplace, it probably will, going forward.”

The vast amount of data collected can be combined with other smart building technology to help facility management teams make fact-based decisions when looking at space requirements, he muses.

“I anticipate that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead toward a rise in a mobile workforce around the globe and accelerate the expectations of today’s multi-generational workforce already present in the marketplace,” he says. “In fact, we are embarking on an unprecedented global experiment in flexible and mobile working. Though it remains to be seen what impact this will have on productivity and output, I believe it will accelerate the adoption of new technology and flexible working practices.”

Medium-term rental agreements plunge across EU

The European rental accommodation platform, HousingAnywhere, is experiencing a modest resurgence in activity after a 90 per cent decline in transactions in March. To support that trend, the administrator of the online brokerage for medium-term rental agreements will waive service fees and commission for landlords and tenants posting availabilities and/or booking move-ins up until June 30.

“We want to help landlords stay afloat in these difficult times, while also making renting a little bit easier for tenants who could undoubtedly use a financial break,” says Djordy Seelmann, chief executive officer HousingAnywhere, headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. “We want to support the businesses of our landlords by removing barriers preventing them from securing new bookings.”

The platform typically boasts about 50,000 active listings for rental accommodations, stretching across several European markets that have suffered high rates of COVID-19, including Spain, Italy and the city of London. Its targeted renter base — young professionals and international students — have also pulled back on travel and relocating for work or school during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“In the past two weeks the trend broke and we saw a slight recovery in interest, both on a national and international level,” Seelmann reports. “When international travel restrictions will be lifted is something we’ll have to see. In the meantime, we want to contribute to keeping our landlords’ businesses afloat and get their properties booked as easily as possible.”

IDA offers COVID-19 design innovation grant

The International Design Awards (IDA) and European Product Design Awards (ePDA) are introducing a special COVID-19 Design Innovation Grant in support of global efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

IDA and ePDA invite designers and innovators around the world to put their talents to work to find new solutions to combat this global crisis. Grants will be awarded in four categories:

$5,000 Grant for Product Design
Product designers are invited to design ventilators or other life-saving equipment that can be produced at a cost of less than $1000. The winner will receive a $5,000 grant to produce their prototype.

$5,000 Grant for a collaboration between Architecture and Interior Design
This grant will be awarded for an innovative solution for an in-home isolation pod that would allow those with COVID-19 symptoms and others to safely co-habit without transmitting the virus.

$2,000 Grant for Graphic Design
Graphic designers and illustrators are invited to submit their designs for a resource to help the public protect themselves, prevent spreading the virus to others, or deal with the psychological effects of isolation.

$2,000 Grant for Fashion Design
This grant will be awarded for the best design of a fashionable and reusable mask or other protective gear to help stop the spread of the virus.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for creatives and designers. But it also provides a unique opportunity to come together as a community and use our talents and skills to make a positive impact”, says IDA.

More info can be found at: https://idesignawards.com/indexGrant.html

District-wide energy upgrade for Alberta schools

A district-wide infrastructure and building systems energy upgrade across 21 central Alberta schools will reduce Wolf Creek Public Schools greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by about 210.6 tonnes and help generate more than $55,000 in annual savings in the first year.

Johnson Controls is implementing the $3-million initiative that will include the installation of intelligent LED lighting fixtures, efficient boiler upgrades, rooftop unit replacements and piping insulation upgrades. The end result is aimed around creating energy and operational savings and improving the environment for students and staff.

“By improving operational efficiencies, we’re helping Wolf Creek Public Schools create a more comfortable, sustainable and productive environment for students to learn and excel,” said Andrew Nartey, performance infrastructure account executive at Johnson Controls. “The project has also supported the economic prosperity of the surrounding communities through our work with qualified local talent in Ponoka, Red Deer and Alberta.”

The first of three initial project phases was completed in January 2020. The Energy Performance Contract will help Wolf Creek Public Schools use guaranteed savings to offset the cost of the project while creating more space within its budget for additional upgrades and student resources.

Recognizing the power of design amid COVID-19

The impacts of COVID-19 have transcended all borders and boundaries. There are very few people, industries, or businesses that will be left untouched when the crisis subsides. While we don’t have much control over the situation, we do have the ability to reflect on what has shifted and what will change going forward in both our personal and professional lives.

This pandemic has been tragic on so many levels, but has also yielded an unexpected appreciation for things in life that we took for granted or failed to fully appreciate. For design leaders, the global health crisis has highlighted the real power of workplace design. This collective experience will have lasting impacts on how we design and perceive our workspaces outside the home.

Working remotely highlights the value of human interaction

The design of a space has the potential to determine the productivity and engagement levels of its occupants. It affects how people feel, behave, connect and collaborate, and provides people with opportunities to do their best work.

In many cases, in-person interactions and brainstorming with teams are critical to success. Remote work has placed a major spotlight on our innate yearning for connection. We were once oblivious to the significance of face time with colleagues, friends, and family, but most of us are now yearning for human interaction during isolation. At M Moser, we stay engaged and productive by collaborating, reviewing plans, piecing things together, and moving through projects as a collective. But in this historical moment, the absence of in-person socializing has brought to light the value of expression and working tangibly with others.

While much of the world’s workforce is working from home, we are also recognizing the significance of initiating those impromptu encounters we previously had in the hallways and collaboration areas of offices, which helped stimulate thought processes. In the absence of those chance encounters, we are making an extra effort to find opportunities to interact, and are seeing the value of setting up virtual coffee and lunch meetings, or joining a video chat, simply to say hi. When life returns to a version of normal, we will have a newfound appreciation for those brief conversations throughout our day.

Strategic design is key to a company’s success

As we have an increased understanding of human interaction as a catalyst for productivity and engagement at work, leaders are beginning to see that human interaction is facilitated by space. Notably, interactions are managed in the workplace with strategic design and distribution of different areas, contrived to suit different work styles and needs. Points of interaction and collaboration, as well as amenities, change of scenery, settings that minimize distractions, additional resources and supplies, and advanced technologies all have the capacity to elevate employee performance.

Using space as a tool to design ways to take breaks, increase productivity, encourage interactions, and compartmentalize certain areas for specific functions is essential for employee health. However, not all homes are equipped to contain home offices, as layouts, number of people, technology, and other resources vary. Restricted to our home offices (or living rooms), the impacts of these elements are emphasized to us, more so now than ever, and this will continue to unfold for us as we finally see an end to the pandemic.

Leaders will change their workplace design approach after COVID-19

Now that we are disconnected from the spaces that often inspire us at work, there is a stronger appreciation and longing for a well-designed workplace. As a result, leaders will place a greater emphasis on the strategic component of workplace design – real estate, design planning, and advanced technology will be top priorities. Restructuring office components like leases and spatial functions will better support workplace needs while offering a more agile set-up for employees.

In addition, leadership teams will strive to empower employees by focusing on positivity and potential learning opportunities from their experiences during COVID-19. They may prompt employees to reflect on how much they’ve improved, what they’ve achieved, and how they’ve adapted during the crisis. Overall, there will be a greater appreciation for one another, as well as support from the workplace, once we are back at the office.

For most of us working remotely, going to the office provides us with a designated place to do our work, and offers us a separation and balance between our work and home life. But when we are removed from our typical work settings for an extended period of time, we will recognize the role design plays in our lives, and how it contributes to our wellbeing as employees. Going forward, leaders will have a heightened awareness for the power of design and how it helps people excel at work.

Lisa Mackenzie is associate director at M Moser Associates in Vancouver.

Almost half of closed B.C. businesses may not reopen

Almost half of B.C. businesses may not or will not re-open once the restrictions are eased on workplace operations, according to a new business survey.

The COVID-19 crisis is deepening for British Columbia businesses with four-in-ten (43 per cent) of those surveyed stating they can only continue to operate for up to three months under current restrictions.

For businesses temporarily closed, the future is similarly dire, with only half (53 per cent) expecting to reopen once the restrictions are eased on workplace operations, while 38 per cent are unsure, and 8 per cent will not reopen.

The survey by the BC Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, the Business Council of British Columbia, and other partners, with the assistance of the Mustel Group, represents 1,284 member-businesses.

“Businesses are doing everything possible to remain viable, but an increasing number are reaching the point of no return. There is a small window to support the survival and eventual recovery of a significant number of businesses and it is, to a great extent, reliant on the scale and speed of government support,” said Bridgitte Anderson, president and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

The pandemic caused immediate steep revenue declines but conditions continue to worsen, as respondents monitor their cash flows and operational expenses.

Approximately half of all businesses (54% up from 48% in the first survey) state they have experienced revenue decreases of 75% or more while two-thirds (66%) have had revenues drop by 50% or more.
The top operating cost or expenses were wages (64%) followed by rent (54%), taxes (34%), and goods and supplies (32%).
The majority of businesses (58%) are spending 10% or more of operating expenses on rent, with 42% spending 20% or more. The proportion of wages or rent as a function of overall costs vary depending on firm size, sector, geography, and other factors.

While businesses surveyed are positive about government measures for employees and ensuring supply chains remain open, they are concerned about the speed and scope of programs that support cash flow.

Just over half of businesses believe the federal government programs announced to date will be helpful once implemented, but they are not helpful for 33% of businesses, primarily because they do not qualify for any programs or provide enough/timely cash flow relief.
Similarly, one-third of businesses (35%) do not find the provincial programs helpful, for the same reasons as federal programs.
Businesses with under five employees are least likely (49%) to find federal programs helpful, primarily because they do not qualify.
Only one-third of businesses (34%) are confident they will qualify for the 75% wage subsidy program, while 21% are unsure.
Reasons for not qualifying include: do not have employees on payroll (46%), revenue has not declined enough (28%), employees laid off (13%), business shut down (11%), seasonal revenue (11%) and start-up or pre-revenue company (10%).

Many businesses are not confident in their ability to restart or whether consumers will return. Attracting customers and revenue (79%), cashflow (55%) and rehiring staff (28%) are among the business community’s top concerns.

“Government programs are helping businesses but more supports are still needed. How government listens and responds to the business community in the coming weeks will be the game-changer in terms of economic recovery.” Val Litwin, president and CEO, BC Chamber of Commerce.

Technology gets smart about waste management

2019 was a year where climate concern and action hit a critical mass with an entire generation. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old climate activist, tapped into the zeitgeist and helped rally millions worldwide. Meanwhile, young climate strikers urged the Canadian delegation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to ‘act now.’

But where to start? As human rights activist Desmond Tutu once wisely said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.”

Despite the massive scale of the climate movement, it is smaller efforts focused on sustainability that are required to enact change. A good example is facility management.

Modern facilities are complex ecosystems with countless moving parts that must operate in harmony to work effectively. Concerns around sanitation, sustainability and efficiency are prompting the adoption of new processes.

Contemporary facility management involves a delicate balance of labour, materials, resources and technology. One piece of this puzzle is waste management, specifically waste equipment. Tasked with eliminating garbage from facilities, waste equipment services are increasingly using digital technology to optimize processes, reduce the volume of physical waste and help make facilities management operations more sustainable.

IoT Approach To Garbage

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a series of interconnected devices that use shared data to provide insights and increase efficiency. The rise of IoT over the past two decades has been significant, with a projected 25 billion connected devices by 2021. For waste equipment services, technology enables remote monitoring of equipment, which has numerous benefits for a sustainable business, including reduced frequency of maintenance and waste collection, and extended life cycle for equipment.

Facility managers across North America face some common challenges, and a wide variety of industry-specific ones as well. Retail facilities, for example, must manage highly varied, seasonal volumes and use patterns. Accordingly, they require equipment that uses data to optimize changing workloads. Facility managers in the restaurant and grocery space have the added strain of managing organic materials and their impact on the longevity of equipment.

The latest IoT-enabled waste equipment has the ability to provide insights into the condition and performance of compactors. It can identify issues remotely, often before they are detectable by other means, thereby avoiding unscheduled downtime and optimizing waste equipment performance. By effectively monitoring compactor and bin fullness, managers can decrease the number of bin pickups, ultimately reducing overall costs and carbon emissions.

IoT technology brings remote diagnostics to today’s waste equipment, allowing service providers to troubleshoot without ever being on-site. The ability to identify an issue before dispatching technicians eliminates some trips entirely and makes others shorter. This is a rare instance where costs and carbon emissions can be lowered in one stroke.

In Canada, extreme weather conditions and shifts in seasons are often a common cause of damage to equipment. In some cases, such as the freezing of hydraulic fluid, damage is immediately apparent. In others, like complications from the thermal expansion of equipment, faults are harder to detect, worsening over time and causing disruptions across the board. With historic data and trends collected with the use of IoT technology, it is possible to identify relatively small shifts early on and address any issues before they turn into an emergency.

Facility managers are facing sustainability mandates that are part of core business plans. In fact, facilities are often at the forefront of change and managers are having to constantly evolve with requirements to reduce negative effects on the environment, through reduced water and energy use, streamlined building systems and decreased negative effects of transportation. Technology must be an enabler in this regard, working alongside existing waste equipment, especially for smaller facilities where flexibility is essential.

These challenges faced by facility managers require a reimagined approach to service. Waste equipment and services that can process and organize vast amounts of data help inform sustainable practices throughout the facility. This is a powerful way to bring efficiency to facilities, encouraging sustainability to extend upward to the rest of the organization.

For facility managers and waste equipment, the bottom line is simple: less time and resources devoted to dealing with garbage leads to a reduction in the overall carbon footprint of waste management. That includes fewer trucks, fewer bins, less downtime and longer equipment life.

Danny Mauti is CEO and president of Metro Group, which includes Metro Compactor Service, a Canadian company focused on sales and service of waste and recycling equipment. Its new IoT-enabled compactor and bin technology, iSMART, helps customers reach their sustainability goals, minimize downtime and extend equipment life.

Some hotels transitioning to COVID-19 frontlines

With many governments, health and social agencies now procuring space for COVID-19 related treatment or quarantine quarters, hotel operators are advised to assess and contractually account for risk before signing any agreements. A recent advisory memo from the insurer, HUB, sets out several considerations for hotels transitioning to the provision of emergency housing or alternate care facilities.

The information — covering issues such as assignment of obligations and liability, service provision and employee safety, maintenance and restoration, hazardous waste handling and reputational factors — is included among resource documents on the Canadian Hotel Advisor Collective’s (CHAC) website. The website also prominently flags the Canadian government’s procurement activities and portal.

“Hotel owners and operators should be aware that the Government of Canada is seeking, on a priority basis, a number of services that hotel owners may be uniquely positioned to provide. These include food services, laundry services and accommodation maintenance services. This could provide an important revenue enhancement opportunity for owners who are experiencing a loss of revenue due to the current situation,” a posting on the CHAC homepage states.

While acknowledging the risk that a hotel property could later be stigmatized for its stint on the COVID-19 frontlines, HUB’s advisory memo also underscores the potential marketing upside of supporting the community response to the crisis. Notably, hotel operators can point to their role in: providing safe, comfortable accommodations for vulnerable groups and/or health care workers and other frontline responders; alleviating pressure on conventional health care and shelter space; and protecting the wider community from exposure to infection.

“Due to the current perception of COVID-19, any hotel owner would be concerned with the impact this may have on their reputation, as well as future revenue and potential vacancy. Weighing these implications against the short-term revenue gain is a difficult decision,” the HUB memo declares. “From a public relations standpoint, there may be a few items that the hotel owner has to address in order to reduce concerns for future guests and the local community.”

Both public education and the contractual agreement with the short-term occupiers are critical to this strategy. That will reinforce the message that COVID-19 infectiousness will not linger once temporary quarantine or health care services have vacated the property, and ensure that short-term occupiers restore the property to its previous condition.

Temporary new homes in Squamish amid pandemic

The Government of B.C. is partnering with the District of Squamish and Squamish Helping Hands Society to provide 49 new temporary homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the community.

“The need for safe, secure housing has never been more important,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This partnership with the District of Squamish and Helping Hands Society will make sure people in need have a safe place to call their own during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”

Located at Xwu’nekw Park on Loggers Lane between Victoria Street and Main Street, the development will consist of repurposed modular units that can be put in place within a few weeks. The building will include self-contained bedrooms and shared washrooms. Residents will be provided with two meals a day, delivered to their rooms to support social distancing. There will be at least two staff on site at all times who will offer supports to residents, such as access to addiction and mental-health referrals.

The temporary housing is expected to open by mid-May 2020 and will be in place until the end of October when Under One Roof, a new permanent shelter and housing project, is anticipated to open on Third Avenue. Under One Roof will provide 45 new spaces, including 15 units of low-barrier dormitory housing, 15 units of transitional housing and 15 affordable homes.

“In the face of this global pandemic, we must ensure that everyone in our community can safely distance themselves from others in order to protect themselves and the broader community, and help stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Karen Elliott, mayor, District of Squamish. “I am very grateful for the quick action of everyone involved to make this project happen. This project will ensure that there are no barriers for residents to access shelter and space to physically distance during COVID-19.”

The province is providing approximately $325,000 to lease the modular units from LandSea, as well as operating funding of more than $152,000. BC Housing will work with Helping Hands Society to develop the operating model. The district is providing the land for this project.

In addition to this new project, the province has also secured a total of 18 rooms across two Squamish hotels that will be reserved for people who do not have a safe place to self-isolate during the pandemic. The locations of the hotels will remain private so staff can focus on helping people in need.

Airbnb shifts towards longer-term rental strategy

With the pandemic putting an abrupt halt to travel and tourism, short-term vacation rentals have seen a sharp decline in bookings. As a result, changes are afoot at Airbnb with a longer-term rental strategy now underway.

These changes come shortly after the company announced it had raised $1 billion in funds to be used towards three core products: hosts, long-term stays and Airbnb online experiences. As more Airbnb hosts are unable to fill units to vacationing travellers due to COVID-19, a series of new tools have been launched by the company to entice those seeking extended accommodations – including a new alert and on-boarding process to make their listings more widely available to long-term guests.

According to Airbnb, around 80 per cent of hosts now accept longer-term stays and about half of the company’s active listings now provide discounts for stays of one month or longer. It is now seeing more people, including students, doctors and nurses in residency, or those in long-term work assignment turning to Airbnb to find housing for stays of six- to nine-months.

In late March, Airbnb also announced a new global initiative to help connect those responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with safe and convenient places to stay while carrying out their critical work. According to a recent press release, the company’s goal is to help house 100,000 healthcare professionals, relief workers, and first responders around the world and will waive all fees for stays arranged through this initiative.

“Medical workers and first responders are providing lifesaving support during the coronavirus outbreak and we want to help,” said Airbnb’s Co-founder Joe Gebbia. “We’ve heard from countless hosts around the world who want to provide a comforting home to heroic first responders. We are connecting our nonprofit partners, government agencies and others with our incredible host community to work together in these extraordinary times.”

More highlights from the release:

Liquidity Update (Unless otherwise noted, as of April 13, 2020)

Occupancy analytics will take on new relevance

IoT Approach To Garbage

Canadian Asset & Facility Conference

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