Retail facilities managers address COVID-19

Connex, the facilities management network for multi-site retailers, has joined the growing number of industry organizations to provide its members with online guidance related to COVID-19. A dedicated news and resources page on the Connex website promises updates on emerging issues and guidance for ongoing concerns for retail facilities managers. Additionally, two new online forums allow members to asks questions and share experiences.

“The best information comes from retailers and suppliers who have successfully managed programs addressing similar issues. We provide the conduit where retailers and suppliers engaged in this battle can share critical information and ask important questions,” says Connex chief executive officer, Bill Yanek. “Factual, useful information about how to protect shoppers and employees is the best weapon we can provide our multi-site facilities management members.

CBRE a pioneer of WELL standard adoption

It has been almost 25 years since CBRE expanded to Alberta’s capital. Known as Coldwell Banker Commercial at the time (as it was prior to the acquisition of REI Ltd., the international arm of Richard Ellis), the growing real estate services company opened its newest location in Manulife Place. Until now, CBRE has called the iconic building home, changing spaces thrice to accommodate the Edmonton office’s continued growth. The most recent move from the 12th to the 19th floor in January 2019 will be its last, given the sizeable investment made to enhance employees’ wellness through the built environment. Extensive renovations have transformed the 8,900-square-foot space into the healthiest office in the province, garnering it WELL certification at the silver level for new and existing interiors under version 1 of the standard. CBRE Edmonton is Alberta’s first to achieve this prestigious distinction, which the firm considers to be the next frontier in workplace design.

“The office is evolving from simply being a hub where staff congregate to complete tasks to a place that can and should add to the well-being of employees,” says David Young, executive vice-president and managing director of CBRE Edmonton. “Our decision to pursue this pioneering certification speaks volumes about how much we value our people.”

Launched in 2014, WELL is an architectural benchmark focused exclusively on human health and wellness to improve sustainability. It marries best practices in design and construction to medical and scientific research.

The Edmonton office, which Young originally opened in 1995, is CBRE’s fifth in Canada to be certified to the standard by the International WELL Building Institute. Three others can be found in Toronto, where the Canadian arm of the firm is headquartered, and the fourth in Vancouver. CBRE now has a total of nine WELL certified offices globally (the most of any company), with an additional three registered for certification, and is connected to 89 WELL projects, acting as either owner or consultant, representing a total of more than 16 million square feet.

CBRE’s office on the 19th floor of Manulife Place includes a mix of focus rooms for more concentrated work and clusters of low panel workstations in an open plan environment.

To receive the designation, CBRE Edmonton was assessed, monitored and tested across seven wellness categories: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. A WELL certified space is one that excels and improves its users experience in all these categories, while exceeding industry averages in performance and sustainability.

The revamped office that the company once called home – it originally occupied the premises from 1996 to 2018 – incorporates more than 100 wellness strategies. Local interior design firm edgewise Inc. worked with WELL consultant Delos on the people-centric project, creating a world-class space for CBRE’s 36 Edmonton employees.

“Most people spend half their waking hours in the office, so we wanted it to be forward-thinking and engaging – a place where employees want to come to work,” says Young, who expects the investment will have a positive effect on CBRE’s bottom line by way of increased productivity, reduced employee absenteeism through sick days, and improved staff retention and recruitment.

“Differentiating ourselves from our competitors puts us in a better position in the war on talent,” he continues. “We’ve had multiple people say they leave the office with just as much as energy as when they arrived.”

Young credits this to the improved internal air quality; acoustic comfort features that reduce stress-inducing and distracting background noise; specialized lighting system that operates according to people’s circadian rhythms, automatically adjusting to brighten or dim lighting levels based on the natural light outside; and universal access to daylight. (All employee workstations are within 25-feet of windows.) A Northwestern University study has shown that office workers with access to natural light sleep better and for longer, and report markedly improved results in quality of life assessments.

Unlike CBRE’s old office on the 12th floor, the new one also incorporates clusters of low panel workstations to provide employees a better line of sight, greater access to light and encourage teamwork. Desks are height adjustable to allow staff to easily change postures from sitting to standing throughout the day, reducing sedentary behaviour and incidents of back pain, and are located within 30 metres of a carbon-filtered water dispenser to encourage better hydration. There’s a mix of focus rooms for more concentrated work and open collaboration areas for informal meetings. The entire open-plan area is surrounded by a perimeter work ledge that overlooks the exterior windows, offering another opportunity for impromptu gatherings.

“We strategically included dedicated desks instead of creating free address stations to give people personal space, and then put the tools around them to foster relationships,” explains lead designer and edgewise principal, Laurie Snider.

Perhaps the most important collaboration ‘tool’ is the RISE café. The 26-seat central lunchroom whose name represents the company’s values – respect, integrity, service and excellence – has become the heart of the office where staff can take a break to eat while socializing. Employee amenities and refreshments, including healthy food options to encourage mindful eating behaviours, are purposefully concentrated in the café to drive foot traffic and create chance encounters among colleagues.

“You cannot walk into the office without seeing 10 people in the RISE café at any given time during the day,” says Snider, who admits it’s one of her favourite features of the new space.

Others are the moss walls that bring the outside-in; felt-clad acoustic crisscrossing beams that increase speech privacy and serve as a design motif, linking the individual spaces within the open concept environment; and custom upholstered bench that runs the perimeter of the office’s angled front end.

“Every single component that went into that bench had to meet stringent requirements to satisfy the WELL standard,” notes Snider, who became a WELL Accredited Professional (AP) specifically for this project.

For Young, one of the biggest highlights (besides the smooth move over a single weekend with no hours lost to business downtime) has been the digitization of the office’s filing system, which has significantly reduced paper use and enabled employees to work effectively beyond their desks.

“It’s another example of CBRE being an early adopter,” he says. “Thirty years ago, we brought the open concept office to our industry in Canada. Now, we are breaking ground again by creating some of the most sustainable and healthiest workplaces in the country, placing us in the unique position to counsel our clients through the process.”

ISSA standard instructs school cleaning practices

Children are probably the most valuable persons on the planet, so it’s overwhelmingly important to make sure they’re in an environment that is healthy and safe, while enhancing their performance and productivity. This led to the creation of ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 Schools in 2013.

The goal of the standard is to provide schools, both private and public, with a tool that will help them measure and monitor the effectiveness of the cleaning processes at their facilities thereby contributing to the quality of the indoor environment for the benefit of students, staff and other building occupants. It focuses on the desired levels of cleanliness that can be reasonably achieved, recommended monitoring and inspection procedures to measure cleaning effectiveness, and how results can be used to assess and improve cleaning processes and products, ultimately resulting in a clean, healthy and safe learning environment.

These elements are intended to be used in a systematic process to determine the background condition and cleanliness of a school, and also provide for periodic measurement of cleaning effectiveness at a facility. In this regard, the standard empowers schools to select a cleaning process that is the most effective and economical.

This is especially important in light of the growing body of studies that indicate effective cleaning has a positive impact on the health and productivity of students. It has been established that level of cleanliness is a key factor involved in the spread of viral disease in crowded indoor establishments, including schools. In addition, improved cleaning of floors and desks in schools has been shown to reduce upper respiratory symptoms.

Further, the exposure and health benefits associated with a reduction of airborne pollutants, achieved through effective cleaning practices, have been demonstrated in a long-term cleaning effectiveness study, while recent studies collectively indicate the targeted cleaning of high-touch points in schools result in reduced illnesses related to bacterial contamination, reduced sick building syndrome symptoms and reduced absenteeism due to infectious illness.

Setting (and meeting) the bar

The standard sets a bar for schools to aspire to in terms of the cleanliness of their facilities. By integrating measurement into the cleaning process, a school can be sure the bar is being met. Without an objective goal, schools have a very difficult time validating their service and quality is living up to expectations.

Along the same lines, the standard allows schools to easily demonstrate the effectiveness of products, processes and systems. This is especially important as new and innovative products are introduced. The unfortunate truth is one’s first inclination is often to be skeptical of new products, yet the standard can immediately show the new product (or process) works, and probably even better. In this respect, the standard fosters innovation and can further set a school’s cleaning program apart.

In addition, the standard allows a school to compare products and processes to ensure the most effective ones are being used. Even if products and processes are effective, there is always the possibility that workers are not using them correctly. The standard should be used to ensure workers are performing their tasks as expected and therefore be a key component of an internal training program.

The standard also works in concert with the ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) and CIMS-Green Building criteria to help schools operate as efficiently and successfully as possible. By combining the management and sustainability elements of CIMS/CIMS-GB with the measurement and monitoring protocols of the standard, schools are prepared to deliver a healthy, productive environment.

The standard should be used as part of a comprehensive training program to help cleaning workers understand the connection between cleaning and health, the importance of their jobs, and, ultimately, why cleaning is important.

The standard can help justify budgets and lead to an increase in cleaning to the benefit of all building occupants. By basing staffing levels on well-defined expectations and key performance outcomes, schools can demonstrate the true value of clean and show the benefits associated with an increased cleaning regimen. The standard, therefore, helps those who are responsible for cleaning to connect with administrators, business managers and principals to demonstrate how cleaning has a positive impact on the bottom line.

The standard also helps alleviate parents’ apprehension over the condition of schools. Many parents are understandably concerned their children are not being taught in an environment that is optimal for learning and advancement. Implementation of the standard demonstrates to parents the school is providing a desired setting.

Most schools perform audits to ensure their facilities are being cleaned as required by the scope of work. The standard helps schools and their service/product suppliers perform a site-based assessment of current cleanliness levels and overall conditions. Specifically, a school can use the standard and its sample audit forms to more easily perform assessments, identifying areas (especially high-touch points) that may need attention.

Building bonds with suppliers

Most schools are no longer looking for a service provider that simply cleans the facility; they want a one that is a true partner. The ultimate goal should be to find providers that are capable of serving as a true business advisor and can help schools meet their bottom line goals. The standard provides a ‘partnership platform’ that is scientifically based and focuses on products, procedures, training and measurement. This helps solidify and create long-term relationships.

Schools are also looking for information on the latest innovations and processes. In that regard, an understanding of the standard helps school representatives better understand effective cleaning processes and products, and the most promising ways to increase efficiency and improve operations. In addition, schools can work directly with their service and product providers to jointly ensure the delivery of optimal service.

In today’s market, it can be very difficult for a school cleaning program to set itself apart and demonstrate its commitment to excellence. By investing in standardization and striving to be the best it can be, a school can create a foundation of distinction and set itself apart.

Mark Warner is the Cleaning Management Institute education manager for ISSA. Mark has more than 30 years’ cleaning industry experience, is a past member of the ISSA board of directors and has been an ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) certified expert since the program’s inception. He is currently involved with the ANSI S400 standard for commercial cleaning principles, which is being developed through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), with support and active contributions from ISSA, and other associations and individuals. Mark can be reached at [email protected].

Roundup herbicide causing loss of biodiversity

A new study adds to the woes surrounding the popular weed killer Roundup.

New research from scientists at McGill University reveals that the glyphosate-based herbicide is triggering loss of biodiversity, making ecosystems more vulnerable to pollution and climate change. Its widespread use on farms has been ongoing since the 1990s when genetically modified crop seeds resistant to the herbicide were introduced.

“Farmers spray their corn and soy fields to eliminate weeds and boost production, but this has led to glyphosate leaching into the surrounding environment,” says Andrew Gonzalez, a McGill biology professor and Liber Ero Chair in Conservation Biology. “In Quebec, for example, traces of glyphosate have been found in Montérégie rivers,”

Researchers found that freshwater ecosystems that experience moderate contamination from the herbicide became more resistant when later exposed to a very high level of it – working as a form of “evolutionary vaccination.”

Previous experiments by the Gonzalez group had shown that evolutionary rescue can prevent the extinction of an entire population when exposed to severe environmental contamination by a pesticide thanks to the rapid evolution. It was also noted that resistance to the herbicide came at a cost of plankton diversity.

“We observed significant loss of biodiversity in communities contaminated with glyphosate.” says Gonzalez. “This could have a profound impact on the proper functioning of ecosystems and lower the chance that they can adapt to new pollutants or stressors. This is particularly concerning as many ecosystems are grappling with the increasing threat of pollution and climate change.”

The study point outs that it is still unclear how rapid evolution contributes to herbicide resistance in these aquatic ecosystems. Scientists already know that some plants have acquired genetic resistance to glyphosate in crop fields that are sprayed heavily with the herbicide. Finding out more will require genetic analyses that are currently under way by the team.

Feds invest in new Toronto rental development at Weston Rd.

The federal government announced plans to invest $147 million through its RCFi initiative toward the construction of 514 residential units located at 3415 Weston Road in Toronto. RCFi, CMHC’s Rental Construction Financing Initiative, supports the construction of new rental housing aimed at middle class and low-income families.

“Canada’s middle class and those looking to join them will benefit from the construction of new rental housing,” said the Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister responsible for CMHC. “Through new investments, our government is taking action to increase the supply of new rental developments, providing housing options that are closer to services hard-working Canadian families need.”

This project by Medallion Corporation entails the construction of two high-rise buildings featuring 514 residential units: a 30-storey tower with 276 residential units and a 26-storey tower with 238 residential units. Construction commenced in January 2019, with substantial completion expected by spring 2023.

“I want to thank the federal government for providing a $147 million financing commitment towards the creation of new rental housing for our residents,” said John Tory, Mayor, City of Toronto.” This funding will help us build up the newly anticipated Casa at Emery Village and ensure that part of the plan includes affordable housing options. [This] announcement is a reflection of the importance of private and public partnerships and the impactful work that can be done.”

At least 15 per cent of the development’s units (77 units) will meet municipal accessibility requirements. The building is designed to achieve energy-efficiency savings of 22.8 per cent and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 21.4 per cent relative to the 2015 National Energy Code for Buildings.

Of the 514 units, 324 will have rents below 30 per cent of median household income in the area. The affordable rent levels for at least 114 units will be maintained for a minimum of 10 years.

Since launching in April 2017, the RCFi has generated a lot of interest and a high number of quality applications. given this, in 2018, the government increased the amount of low-cost loans provided by this initiative from $2.5 billion to $3.75 billion and further increased to $13.75 billion with budget 2019. In total, the RCFi will encourage the construction of 42,500 new rental housing units across Canada.

IICRC seeks comments on flooring inspection standard

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) ) has opened public review for the draft of its BSR/IICRC S220 Standard for Professional Inspection for Hard Surface Floor Coverings.

The IICRC S220 Standard details the procedures, methods and systems to follow when inspecting light commercial and residential hard surface floor coverings.

The floor coverings described include stone, laminate, prefinished wood, ceramic, and resilient. The institute is inviting public comments on its latest draft through April 20. Cleaning professionals are encouraged to download the standard and submit comments online via the IICRC website.

CEA recognizes engineering excellence

The Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) presented 12 awards of excellence and 14 awards of merit at its 24th annual showcase gala at the Edmonton Convention Centre. A total of 51 projects were submitted this year from a cross section of Alberta’s consulting engineering firms.

“These awards recognize the best-of-the best in engineering design and innovation,” says CEA president Sean Snowden. “The winners this year are exceptional examples of what can be done by Alberta’s consulting engineering community.”

The 12 award of excellence winners are:

Building engineering, commercial: Stantec Consulting for Stantec Tower (photo).
Building engineering, institutional: SMP Engineering for New Central Library.
Community development: Klohn Crippen Berger for Harvie Passage Rehabilitation.
Environmental: Stantec Consulting for Aurum Energy Park – Aurum Road Wildlife/Creek Crossing.
Community outreach and in-house initiatives: Arrow Engineering for Continuous Improvement Program.
Transportation infrastructure (roads, interchanges, airports, mass transit): Stantec Consulting for WestJet Wide Body Hangar at Calgary International Airport.
Transportation infrastructure – transportation structures: AECOM for Highway 15 Twinning – North Saskatchewan River Bridge.
Project management: SMA Consulting for Tunnelling Towards the Future – Edmonton’s Downtown Intensification Storm Tunnel Project.
Small firm, big impact: M2 Engineering for Big Lakes County’s Joussard Water Treatment Plant.
Water resources: Kerr Wood Leidal Associates for Bow River Bioengineering Demonstration and Education Project.
Natural resource production: Arrow Engineering for Destiny Organics Worm Farm.

CEA also presented the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service to Bob Gomes, P. Eng., who served as CEA president from 2003 to 2004. The Harold L. Morrison Award, which recognizes young professionals, was presented to Andrew Lischuk, P. Eng., a buildings engineer with Stantec Consulting.

Brownfield cleanup in Manitoba’s green spending

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has pledged nearly $8 million for brownfield cleanup, but few other details are yet available. The funding was announced last month as part of a package of green initiatives aligned with Manitoba’s climate change strategy, and is expected to be further clarified in the 2020 provincial budget when it’s released next week.

“With this additional $150 million for new green initiatives, we are showing that our plan is better for the environment, better for the economy and better for our children and grandchildren,” Pallister said. “These additional investments will help us achieve our vision of making Manitoba Canada’s cleanest, greenest and most climate-resilient province.”

As outlined in the Manitoba government’s announcement, the allocation is “to clean up contaminated sites, like abandoned gas stations”. A substantially larger pot of funds in excess of $103 million is earmarked for “the cleanup of and monitoring of contaminated orphan and abandoned mine sites throughout the province”. Other promised funds include $50 million for wetland preservation and $3 million for lead mitigation.

Diamond Schmitt names directors and associates

Diamond Schmitt has expanded its design and management teams with the appointment of 14 associates and two new directors.

“These promotions acknowledge the talent, breadth of experience and design depth in our studio across a wide range of projects,” said Donald Schmitt, principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects.

Rod Maas is the new technical director at the Vancouver studio, bringing a background in highly sustainable design on international projects to oversee technological implementation.

New associates in Vancouver are Elena Chernyshov, Wen-Ying Lu and Fernanda Rubin. Chernyshov is working on a rezoning project in Vancouver, a commercial project in Victoria, the Cameron Community Centre and Library in Burnaby and Oakridge Presentation Centre.

Lu relocated to the Vancouver practice in 2017 where she is project architect on four residential towers at Oakridge Centre. Rubin is currently working on Bristol Court, a residential tower in Mississauga and a cultural project in Calgary.

In Toronto, four architects were promoted to senior associates: Walton Chan, Cecily Eckhart, Eric Lucassen, and Jessica Shifman. The new design technologies director in Toronto is Claudia Cozzitorto.

Cozzitorto applies her architectural background to building information modelling (BIM) implementation at the firm. She has held national and local roles for the advocacy of BIM in architectural practice.

New associates in Toronto include Jessica Cheung, Chris Hughes, Dieter Janssen, Giuseppe Mandarino, Judith Martin, Arne Suraga, and Jose Trinidad.

Diamond Schmitt Architects is based in Toronto with studios in Vancouver and New York City. The firm is a team of 282 with 19 principals, nine senior associates, 28 associates, and architectural and support staff.

Energy efficiency powers condo to LEED Platinum

Perched on the edge of the waterfront, south of the Distillery District near Sugar Beach, Toronto’s first LEED Platinum high-rise condo stands in the Bayside Toronto Community, a 13-acre mixed-use development that includes four residential buildings and two proposed mass timber commercial towers.

Completed in 2017 by developers Hines and Tridel, Aqualina at Bayside sought LEED Platinum certification well before the first inklings of construction began. Already a rare designation to achieve, LEED Platinum is often an easier feat for commercial office buildings.

“It’s very difficult to achieve LEED Platinum, let alone for a condo,” says Adrian Wang, director of innovation and sustainability at Tridel. “In a condo, there are less incentives for a developer to actually target those levels of LEED certification. Once the condo is sold, the utility savings go directly into the pockets of the homeowners who are paying utility costs from month to month.”

A significant up-front investment in technology was funneled in to lower energy costs for the project. Solar panels for renewable energy, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and lower-emitting materials were acquired. There was also a push for behavioural changes to lower residents’ heating profiles. Compared to other condos in the city, units were sub-metered to a much higher degree for hot and cold water, electricity and British Thermal Unit (BTUs), which represent an owner’s heating and cooling cost.

Sub-metering allows property owners and condo boards to reduce operating expenses and save residents money, along with all the energy efficiency benefits.

“We found that when you bury a utility cost or any sort of cost within a maintenance fee, people are less cognizant of how much electricity or gas they are using,” Wang adds. “Hopefully it will lower the utility cost throughout the lifetime of the building, which translates to more stable condo fees.”

With a few years into the lifecycle of many new condos in the city, fees are escalating, Wang points out. People just aren’t aware of how much electricity and gas they’re using.

“When residents aren’t being sub-metered or incentivised, they’re paying for everyone else and it becomes a lose-lose proposition,” he adds.

As with any green building initiative, there are challenges. For Aqualina, this meant teaching new construction practices that aren’t as apparent to the Toronto construction industry as they are in more progressive countries. Educating the trades on how to work with new equipment and technology was also key. Variable flow refrigerant (VFR) systems, for instance, were used in the net-zero dwelling unit at Aqualina.

“VFR systems are a totally different way of heating and cooling a building,” Wang notes. “They haven’t quite arrived in Toronto, but are largely adopted across Asia and Europe and Vancouver.”

From the beginning, Tridel took a more integrated design approach, making sure it had “buy-in” from all collaborators on the project from the trades to consultants, not only its customers. It was also important to have a long-term vision for the brand and its core values, rather than feeling constrained by fiscal reports.

“We’re creating a product that resonates with customers and carries more long-term profitability and sustainability,” says Wang. “The designation really speaks to the fact we care about the living environment, as well as the environment we’re constructing in.”

Photo: Aqualina at Bayside Lobby

Resident vehicle damages: Are you liable?

Condominium corporations often face claims for damages that have occurred when an owner or resident’s car is damaged either upon entry into the underground parking from the garage door, when the vehicle is vandalized, or when items are stolen.

The common response by the car owner is that the condominium corporation should be responsible for the damage to the vehicle. People seem to think that if a loss occurs to someone’s goods or a motor vehicle while on condominium property that the condominium corporation is “strictly liable” for the loss suffered and must pay for the damages.

This is not the case. The law in Ontario is that the condominium corporation will only be responsible for the damage that may have occurred from a garage door hitting a vehicle, theft, or vandalism if the owner/resident can show that the condominium failed to exercise reasonable care.

When claims have been brought against condominiums in Ontario on the grounds mentioned above, the courts have found that if the condominium has regularly serviced its garage door and is not aware of any failures in its operations, then the owner/resident must seek recovery from his or her own insurance company. A condominium corporation would only be responsible for damage to the motor vehicle it if was aware of a problem, did not address its correction, and a loss was suffered as a result.

Case in point

The previously described outcome occurred when a unit owner claimed against the condominium corporation for the loss he suffered due to vandalism to his vehicle, which was parked in the underground garage. The owner was unsuccessful at trial and on appeal. The corporation had made a business decision to switch its entry system to the parking garage from a phone entry system to a monitored CCTV system with 24- hour licensed security, including rounds by concierge/security staff every two hours.

The court found there was no evidence presented by the owner that the corporation’s decision to change the entry system was unreasonable. In keeping with the case law in Ontario, the courts gave deference to the business decision made by directors.

The fact that vandalism occurred does not in and of itself establish the unit owner’s case against the corporation. In addition, the fact that the security did not devote full-time attention to the security cameras does not mean that they breached the standard of care. To prove this, the owner would have had to provide evidence that there was a failure on security’s part that was unreasonable and that resulted in his loss.

Audrey Loeb is a senior partner in the Condominium Law Group at Shibley Righton LLP.

The REMI Show to Address Condo Industry Concerns

Returning to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre June 10 and 11, the 2020 REMI Show will address the impact of technology on management, building staffing and operations Held alongside the tradeshow floor will be a series of educational sessions addressing fours streams: new technologies; professional development and leadership; building performance; and energy efficiency and sustainability.

There will also be eight sessions addressing critical issues in the condo sector. The condominium sector advisory committee for the 2020 REMI Show recently gathered for the first time to discuss new realities and challenges the property management industry is facing, along with the condos they oversee. The members will guide the development of the condo segment and help advise on topics most pertinent to the industry to ensure topical and unique perspectives.

During the first committee meeting, a hot topic of discussion involved changes stemming from the new Condominium Act, which include mandatory training for condo directors, compulsory education and licensing of condo managers, streamlining of dispute resolution and consumer-protection. Many planned changes are not yet in effect, leaving the condo sector in limbo.

“The biggest thing in our industry right now are the changes that have gone on in the last few years with the new Condominium Act,” notes Eric Plant, a director with Brilliant Property Management.

Beyond the Condo Act, changing demographics are shaping the design and operational aspects of condos. Catherine Murdock, district manager with DEL Property Management, says Toronto’s condo sector has flourished for three decades, thanks to the influx of 100,000 newcomers to the city every year. Families are also feeding the demand for high-rise homes. But as new condos rise, are they truly serving the needs of the very demographics they target?

“People can’t afford to spend a million bucks plus for a single-family dwelling, so they are going to move into condos,” Murdock says. “But you have to make these vertical villages attractive to families.”

The increasing number of young people moving into condos is another factor fueling the demographic shift of condo dwellers. As Plant adds, this is “changing the dynamic in a big way – everything from the decoration of the lobby to how the building is being run.”

Technology was also a trending topic, with the advent of the 5G network driving change in the condo sector.

“Tenants are going to be demanding 5G,” advises Randal Froebelius, a member of the advisory committee for the condominium sector. “Rising tenant expectations for the 5G network aside, there is also the logistical challenge of making that wireless technology available. Because 5G requires 10 times as many antennas as 4G, there is going to be a wave of buildings being approached by carriers to put antennas up. This is going to affect the condo industry.”

On the topic of technology, Elena Schneider, vice-president of operations with ICON Property Management, pointed out that Ontario condo corporations’ ability to conduct owner voting by electronic means is another change made possible by the Condo Act.

“Electronic voting allows condominium owners to vote online, using a secure web-based platform in advance of a condominium meeting. The votes are tabulated securely by a third party, eliminating the need for scrutineers, paper ballots and ballot storage,” Schneider says.

Apart from helping condos achieve quorum in advance of a meeting, electronic voting also encourages owners to cast their votes online, eliminating the need for proxies and having to complete proxy forms, she adds.

Among other pertinent issues is the condo insurance crisis. As Liron Daniels, president of Nadlan-Harris Property Management says, rising insurance premiums are creeping up on the radar, and people need to be educated “about standard-unit bylaw and maintaining insurance claims to a minimum.”

On the human resources side, Daniels also stressed the difficulty in attracting and retaining building managers.

Murdock says this challenge could be exacerbated by the looming Jun 30, 2021 deadline—the date by which Transitional General licensees must complete the educational requirements to obtain a General Licence. Those who are unable to do so by the cut-off date would not be able to renew their licence.

“A lot of them are saying, ‘Look, I’m too old to go back to school, and they do know their job,” Murdock says. “We may lose over 600 managers.”

The industry risks losing these people who have decades of experience, she adds, and “that is not helpful for the new people coming in who need those mentors.”

John Wannamaker, director of condominiums with Berkley Property Management Inc., says the changes in legislations, such as the Condominium Authority of Ontario, the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario and City and legislative bylaws have placed high expectations on the performance of today’s condominium-property managers.

In order for condo managers to be successful in this challenging industry, Wannamaker says they need to be leaders and possess a customer-service-oriented attitude. Being educated in the management of condominium living, having a clear understanding of building mechanicals and prior experience with customer relations are also important attributes of a condo manager.

“The future is bright and wide open for the right individuals who want to enter, or are currently in this industry, and have developed the skill set to continue,” Wannamaker adds.

Given the myriad changes and emerging trends radically shaking up the condo sector, the 2020 REMI Show’s high-calibre education program will address many of these issues. Industry newcomers and veterans alike will have the opportunity to hear from and meet with front-line professionals who are responding to these challenges, solving problems and driving innovation.

The overall educational program is designed with input from prominent players in Canada’s property management industry. It will also draw on North American and globally-sourced presenters, well-vetted case studies and effective management strategies to deliver critical insight into real issues that building owners and property/facility/operations managers face today.

We would like to thank our advisory committee members from the condo sector for sharing their time and insight.

Pesticide classification scale scopes out risk

Research scientists have developed a user-friendly pesticide classification scale to support integrated pest management (IPM) and help farmers and groundskeepers make more informed comparisons of risks posed to human and environmental health. A resulting list of 659 pesticides — categorized as highly hazardous, high-risk or lower-risk — was published in the research journal, Lancet Planetary Health, earlier this winter.

“Our guideline provides a mechanism to shift towards lower risk pesticides and limit environmental risks during a period when regulatory systems catch up with current scientific knowledge about pesticide effects,” the lead researchers state in an accompanying article outlining the steps and rationale of their multi-year project. “Decision support for pesticide hazard and risk reduction can be incorporated within IPM programs to reduce use of pesticides and effects of these compounds while also managing pests.”

Researchers applied a range of filtering criteria to delineate the 243 lower-risk pesticides, addressing substances that are: toxic to humans and/or wildlife, aquatic species and pollinators; pose risks of cancer, birth defects or DNA mutation; magnify as they advance through the food chain; or deplete atmospheric ozone. They also considered the degree of training and personal protective equipment (PPE) required for safe handling.

Near the final stages of review and refinement, the list was tested in a practical application during a 2018 fall armyworm infestation in Africa.

“Of the 11 lower-risk compounds that only require single-layer PPE, at least seven had good to excellent efficacy against fall armyworm,” the researchers report. “The diversity of modes of action for these lower-risk pesticides is such that selection pressure for resistance could be limited by rotating between them.”

The list is envisioned as a guide for similar kinds of decision-making worldwide. A combination of government agencies and non-governmental organizations, including the US Department of Agriculture, the Sustainable Agriculture Network and the Rainforest Alliance, provided funding for the work. Lead researchers are affiliated with the Integrated Plant Protection Center at Oregon State University, the Sustainable Agriculture Network and the Rainforest Alliance.

“As far as we are aware, our analysis is the first to propose a method for implementing the idea of a minimum pesticide list and is the first to outline lower-risk candidate compounds,” they observe.

ASHRAE opens COVID-19 technical guidance portal

Technical guidance for building engineers, managers and operators preparing for and responding to COVID-19 can be found on a recently launched ASHRAE webpage, which opens a portal to applicable standards and supporting resource documents. This particularly targets how HVAC systems circulate airborne particles that could transmit disease and highlights infection control protocols, many of which are already ingrained standards in health care facilities.

“The Society’s position is that facilities of all types should follow, as a minimum, the latest practical standards and guidelines,” a statement from ASHRAE reiterates. “Owners, operators and engineers are encouraged to collaborate with infection prevention specialists knowledgeable about transmission of infection in the community and the workplace, and about strategies for prevention and risk mitigation.”

Cited resources include ASHRAE standards for indoor air quality in a range of occupancies, including residential buildings and health care facilities, as well as standards for testing air-cleaning devices and ultraviolet lamps used for germicidal irradiation (UVGI). Health care intake areas and waiting rooms, shelters and other facilities where crowds may assemble are identified as vulnerable occupancies where a heightened level of controls is recommended.

“While ASHRAE supports expanded research to fully understand how coronavirus is transmitted, we know that healthy buildings are part of the solution,” maintains Darryl Boyce, ASHRAE president for 2019-20. “ASHRAE’s COVID-19 preparedness resources are available as guidance to building owners, operators and engineers on how best to protect occupants from exposure to the virus.”

Rapid transit routes identified for Vancouver to North Shore

The technical feasibility study for a potential high-capacity transit crossing from Vancouver to the North Shore has completed its first phase, with six options shortlisted for the study’s second phase.

The first phase, led by Mott MacDonald Canada, involved a brainstorm and preliminary screening of possible crossing points that could support a more transit-oriented North Shore with better connections to Vancouver and the rest of the region. It also considered the compatibility of a transit crossing with existing and future land use and the potential for affordable housing.

This work resulted in six general routes that will be further explored in Phase 2 (type of crossing in parentheses):

downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via First Narrows (tunnel crossing)
downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Brockton Point (tunnel crossing)
downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver via Lonsdale (tunnel crossing)
downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (new bridge crossing)
Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (new bridge crossing)
Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (existing bridge crossing)

“We know that people living and working on the North Shore are frustrated with traffic congestion that has been increasing for years,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “By investing in this study, our government is helping to take a serious look at solutions that expand our public transportation network to better connect communities and to help people move around freely. The results from this study will support the North Shore and surrounding communities with their long-term transportation planning.”

Connecting Lonsdale City Centre with Vancouver’s metropolitan core and the regional rapid transit network is one of the recommendations put forward by the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project (INSTPP), led by Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, in 2018.

Work on the remaining recommendations of INSTPP continues through Next Step (NXSTPP), a working group that includes all levels of government on the North Shore that work in partnership to improve mobility both in and around the region. This study is one way that the province and the City of Vancouver are helping support the NXSTPP working group.

“This technical feasibility study to find a rapid transit solution across the Burrard Inlet is an important step toward a third fixed-link crossing to the North Shore,” said Ma.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the districts of North Vancouver and West Vancouver, and the cities of Vancouver and North Vancouver are contributing to fund the study. TransLink led the procurement process for this study. The results will be used to inform the development of Transport 2050, TransLink’s updated regional transportation strategy.

Parking space pressure spikes at Regina hospital

Third-party service providers could be tapped to relieve parking space pressure at Regina General Hospital. Saskatchewan Minister of Health Jim Reiter has called for a feasibility study into a new parkade that would be privately built, owned and managed.

“Parking is a support service, not a direct health care service, so we believe it could be more appropriately provided through the private sector,” he says. “We know that parking at Regina General Hospital has been an issue for a long time and we are committed to finding a long-term solution.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is tasked with the exploratory step, which will determine if a request for proposals (RFP) for design and construction of a new parkade is warranted. The “market sounding” and information gathering exercise is to be completed later this spring.

“While we have taken actions like expansion of the Park and Ride and Safe Walk programs, we know more needs to be done,” reports Andrew Will, vice president, infrastructure, information and support, with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. “That is why we are analyzing the feasibility of new parkade at Regina General Hospital.”

AMA designed Slate Block approved

A new six-storey market residential building on the Cambie Street Corridor has been approved by the City of Vancouver.

Designed by Arno Matis Architecture, the project named Slate Block (4238-4338 Cambie Street) features 68 strata condominium units, including six townhouses on the laneway.

The architectural vision behind the Slate Block is a structure formed by stacked layers “that shift and slide like a fine-grained metamorphic rock” to help accommodate and preserve several large, significant trees on the property.

The project is inspired by the layered volcanic rocks in and around the nearby Queen Elizabeth Park area. The expression of the project is forward-looking, utilizing contemporary geometries, materials and building systems. It is this dialectic interplay of historic reference and optimism in the future that create a powerful tension within the architectural expression.

The focus on the retention of trees has shaped the building; the massing is pushed and pulled around the foliage to create a residual form that pays homage to the neighbourhood’s unique greenery. Much like metamorphic rock layers that build up a topography over time, the massing of the proposal is divided into a series of clearly defined horizontal layers, sliding to accommodate historic trees and protruding to create residential decks.

These horizontal components are distinctly articulated through the use of varying materials and detailing. Proposed as glass, stone and concrete, the exterior envelope enhances the scale and proportion of the composition. Material selection reflects a contemporary ‘west coast’ design aesthetic.

The project will be built to Low Emissions standard, to follow Vancouver’s Green Building Policy for rezoning.

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