MUHC celebrates second LEED Gold certification

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the McGill Healthcare Infrastructure Group (MHIG) are celebrating a second LEED Gold certification, a first in Quebec.

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) awarded the LEED Gold for Existing Building (EB) certification to the new MUHC Glen site, which opened in 2015 in Montreal. The site previously obtained a LEED Gold for New Construction (NC) certification in February 2016.

“The CaGBC congratulates McGill University Health Centre on this achievement, made even more impressive given how complex and significant the energy, ventilation and patient care requirements are for a 24-hour medical care centre,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC and GBCI Canada. “The Health Centre leveraged LEED Coach Canada to assist them throughout the project to determine optimal strategies to achieve their sustainability goals and to create the healthiest environment for their patients.”

Some of the ways in which the facilities at the MUHC Glen site were designed to be as eco-friendly as possible include:

Implementation of energy-efficient initiatives resulting in less energy consumption than for the average standard Canadian hospital, resulting in savings of approximately $2.5 million per year;
Reduced light pollution as a result of adapted lighting fixtures and an emphasis on natural light;
Low-flow faucets that decrease potable water consumption by at least 40% in relation to comparable buildings;
A bicycle path linked to the City of Montreal’s network and more than 400 parking spaces for cyclists;
Showers for cyclists;
79 charging stations for electric vehicles;
A waste management centre to recycle paper, cardboard, electronic waste, glass and plastic;
Decreased heat island effect thanks in large part to the maintenance of green spaces consisting of trees, perennials and shrubs that do not require any watering, and to the presence of highly reflective materials.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of an accomplished team of employees from Johnson Controls Quebec Ltd. and SNC-Lavalin, we have reduced the structure’s environmental footprint by 3,365 tonnes of equivalent CO2 per year, which could be compared to 20 million kilometres driven by a car,” said Jean-Pierre Dumont, President of MHIG. “We’ve also succeeded in building a hospital complex that ranks among the greenest in North America.”

A new Sustainable Development Committee has also been created, according to Pierre-Marc Legris, director of technical services of the MUHC, with the goal of improving the hospital’s sustainable operations for the future.

Finding the right facility maintenance partner

Facility services is far more than a one-person job. And when it comes to maintaining and optimizing a facility’s critical mechanical systems, it pays to align with the right professionals.

What defines the “right professional”? One facility team’s answers will vary depending on their objectives, but there are a few key considerations to guide your search.

Look for a partner, not a product
There is a tendency to view the selection of facility service professionals as a “purchasing” decision instead of a “hiring” decision. Approaching facility services from an employer-contracted employee perspective, however, establishes a more meaningful, measurable, and ultimately more valuable partnership from the start.

“If I could offer one piece of advice for facility managers, it would be to hire facility service professionals the same way they would hire any other employee,” suggests Paul O’Connor, National Director of Services Sales with Black & McDonald, a leading provider of facility services. “You want someone who is going to effectively communicate on their work and progress on meeting their and your measures of success and to contribute valuable analysis to you and your organization’s decision-making.”

“If you treat hiring a facility service professional like you’re ordering a box of pencils, you’re going to miss out on finding the right partner,” he adds.

Take the long view
Like any other significant hire, there is a benefit to working with a facility service team that can deliver tangible, long-term value to your operations. Doing so means setting key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics that can be used to gauge the long-term impacts of their work.

Similarly, O’Connor adds, there are advantages to aligning with facility service professionals who understand the value of collecting and synthesizing building data that can be used to design long-term strategies and drive sustainable outcomes: “You can get someone with a license to come in and perform some tasks for you, like changing a filter or fixing a boiler component, but there’s a massive amount of building information that can be gathered during that exercise which can help facility managers with important decision making. “

Therefore, he adds, it’s important to seek facility service teams that can capture that information at the source and help property owners and managers apply it to good use: “When we demonstrate to our clients that we’re using this data effectively, identifying alternative actions with alternative returns, it demonstrates that we’re actively contributing to their business, not just an expense.”

Who will help you grow?
A good partnership in facility services is one that contributes to the facility’s success. That may seem like common sense, but it is easier said than done. When looking for a partner to care for your vital mechanical systems, look for those who understand what you’re priorities are and can work towards them collaboratively and adaptively.

“Everyone should have metrics when it comes to a partnership with professionals like us. At the end of the day, we are hired to improve or optimize the cost of operating our client’s facility. Measurements like; reduced downtime, repair, energy and administration, extended capital life, and increased productivity. We need to demonstrate return, and that it is financially measurable,” says O’Connor.

Communication
It bears repeating that strong communication is the foundation of any good relationship. When considering your options for facility service professionals, consider who is willing and able to stay in contact throughout their work to ensure your KPIs are being hit, your goals are being met, and that any surprises are dealt with at the source.

“It all goes back to viewing facility service professionals like you would your employees, not a product you would purchase,” insists O’Connor. “At the end of the day, you want someone who will report to you and provide some measurable demonstration of their production, so that you know they’re doing the job you want them to do and you don’t have to micromanage them. When providers attempt to meet the goal of a purchasing exercise, they will feel driven to minimize the delivery.”

It’s an old saying, but it’s true…
What are the deliverables? How is the work managed and reported on? How can we measure the outcomes and not just the input?

Ultimately, the adage is true: you really do get what you pay for. If the lowest price is your priority, you will get labour and materials; however, you may be missing out on deliverables that save you money and contribute to your need to make good decisions and avoid major disruption and cost. Interview your potential hires and ensure they make a financial case for their hire rather than just how little they are willing to be paid for their work.

Learn more about Black & McDonald Limited’s Facility services.

Trans Mountain expansion pipeline moves forward

Trans Mountain’s CEO Ian Anderson and officials were in in Acheson, Alberta to mark the start of pipeline construction for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Expansion Project pipe will be in the ground before Christmas.

“Getting shovels in the ground in Alberta and kicking off pipeline construction is a pivotal moment for Trans Mountain,” said Anderson. “We are proud of the Project we have designed and the innovative measures we are implementing that demonstrate the kind of rigour and detail that will go into every stage of this Project to mitigate risks, respect the rights of those directly affected and operate safely.”

The event marked pipeline construction in Edmonton, dubbed ‘Spread 1’ which includes approximately 50 kilometres of pipeline running from Trans Mountain’s Edmonton Terminal in Sherwood Park to Acheson, Alberta. SA Energy Group, the general pipeline construction contractor for Spread 1, has begun pipe transport, stringing and other preparation work that is necessary before pipeline installation.

Construction officially restarted on August 22, 2019, with work underway at the Westridge Marine Terminal, Burnaby Terminal and at pump stations in Alberta. The work includes site preparation activities, in-water construction of new shipping berths, foreshore extension work and facility upgrades.

Construction is expected to begin shortly in Spread 2 (Yellowhead), as crews are finishing up pre-construction activoities and environmental surveys in that area.

Condos face crisis in property management

In the past few years, we have all seen the growing shortage of condominium property managers. And as mentioned at the October 5^th session of the annual Condominium Conference, many believe we are already at the crisis stage. But how did this shortage arise? Will it get better or worse?

There are several reasons this has arisen, all of which have come to a head at the same time.

By the numbers

Ontario has more than 11,700 condominium corporations. While a good number are self-managed – which, of course, is a very acceptable way of managing a building – most are managed by professional management.

That said, there are currently about 2,500 licensed managers, 1,500 of which are General Licensees, and an estimated 300 of these which are in upper management and do not manage specific buildings. This then means that there are only about 1,200 General Licensees for thousands of existing corporations. And with more condos coming on stream at a fast pace – the talent crunch is only intensifying.

Industry barriers

Historically, experienced managers have not been considered “professionals” when, in fact, they have provided high quality, experienced, professional management services. In other words, they often were not given the respect they deserved.

After pushing hard by the industry, the Condominium Management Services Act came into force on November 1, 2017, mandating the licensing of condominium property managers. At the same time, the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO) was created to deal with all aspects of the licensing, training, governance, and discipline of property managers.

As a result of these initiatives, all condominium property managers, or anyone who derives income from providing management services, must be licensed. Someone new to the industry would be a “Limited Licensee,” and once the four mandatory courses have been completed and the manager acquired two years of experience, they would become a General Licensee.

Seasoned managers who did not have the required educational courses as of November 1, 2017, became “Transitional General Licensees” and are required to complete the courses by June 30, 2021. Those who do not, become Limited Licensees who are supervised by a General Licensee. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for managers to not take these courses and retire from the industry.

Lastly, managers must now pay an annual licensing fee. Although some management companies pay the licensing fee for their managers, many managers pay it themselves. As a result of this fee and the required courses, the general view in the industry is that there probably will be many Transitional General Licensees who will not renew their licence once the transitional period has expired, resulting in a further reduction in the number of experienced managers.

A matter of compensation

Although condo property management can (and should) be a rewarding career, it is stressful. Managers are always on the front lines and dealing with day-to-day problems and, in the writer’s view, salaries have historically not been commensurate with the work involved.

This is not to criticize condominium boards of directors or management companies. No doubt, boards are under enormous pressure from their owners to keep common expenses as low as possible; and in this sense, owner expectations can sometimes be unreasonable.

Consequently, in fulfilling their duties, boards work hard to keep the corporation’s costs as low as reasonably possible. This can result in professional services being forced to be too low. And while condo boards rightfully expect the best quality management services, sometimes the demand is for a General Licensee when their building could be managed by a Limited Licensee (under the supervision of a General Licensee). This expectation adds pressure on finding experienced General Licensees.

Sometimes, the situation above can be self-defeating in the sense that driving the costs artificially low or demanding a higher level of management (and thus costs) means that a corporation may have difficulty obtaining an experienced, qualified manager. This is another contributing factor to the shortage of managers.

Same job, more work

To complicate matters, the workload of managers has increased significantly with the reforms to the Condominium Act, 1998 (November 1, 2017). And, in many cases, there was not a reciprocating increase in management fees. These new duties include revised procedures for calling annual general meetings, the Periodic Information Certificate, Information Certificate Update, filing requirements with the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO), and more. Some new management contracts reflect the increased workload and, in many cases, the board works with management to ensure they are adequately compensated. However, in other cases, they do not.

As a result, despite significant work by community colleges and the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO) to encourage people to join the industry, there has not been a noticeable increase of people becoming managers.

An aging field

Adding to the issue is the fact that the industry is somewhat weighted in the older manager category. This means there are managers who are retiring and many who soon will be doing the same, including Transitional Licensees. Therefore, the supply of managers is reducing at both ends of the cycle.

As a result of all these forces and the shortage of qualified managers, manager poaching between companies is on the rise. While the movement of people to different companies is normal in every industry, the issue has become particularly acute in this industry given the current shortage. Anecdotally, the author has heard that there are also significant signing bonuses and other incentives being offered to entice experienced managers to change companies.

Filling the property management talent pool

We know this problem is here and that it is growing. So what can be done to reduce and eventually avert this problem?

Here are some preliminary suggestions:

Educate the condo industry of the need for qualified, licensed managers (recognizing that there will always be self-managed corporations), their role in protecting the building, enhancing the market value of units, and in helping in improving the condominium community.
Improve public awareness and promote the fact that property managers are, indeed, professionals.
Educate unit owners that managers and management companies are to be properly compensated (and some of their costs covered, such as licensing fees), which will attract people to the industry. Owners have to remember that you get what you pay for.
Find additional ways to entice people to join the industry, such as younger people looking to start a career or those thinking of changing their career.
Find ways to slow down the retirement or withdrawal from the industry.

The property management talent shortage will grow, and the problem will become more acute. It is not all doom and gloom, however, but rather an urgent wake-up call. With a concerted effort by all of us in the industry, we will weather this storm and become an even stronger and more vibrant industry making for healthier condominium communities.

Armand Conant is a partner and head of the condominium law group at Shibley Righton LLP. He is past-president of the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI), Toronto chapter, and chairman of the joint committee that prepared the legislative brief to the Ontario government regarding suggested amendments to the Condominium Act.

Vancouver fire hall with affordable housing opens

Vancouver’s newly-redeveloped Fire Hall No. 5 and YWCA Pacific Spirit Terrace has opened, providing a unique partnership opportunity to address the lack of affordable housing for single mothers and their children.

Located at East 54th and Kerr Street, the 31 new homes will provide housing for between 65 and 90 women and children. The first two floors of the six-storey building replace the previous Fire Hall No. 5, built in 1952, which no longer met the needs of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

“Thanks to a new and creative approach, we’re taking city-owned land and transforming it into not only a much needed new Fire Hall, but also 31 safe new homes for dozens of women and children,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart. “YWCA Pacific Spirit Terrace is an example of what government and non-profit organizations can do together when we partner to address the housing crisis.”

Designed by Johnston Davidson Architecture + Planning Inc, the project features four floors above the Fire Hall containing two and three bedroom homes for single mothers and their children, along with a rooftop patio. The fire hall is approximately 13,000 sq. ft. and the YWCA housing component is 33,000 sq. ft

“We’re pleased to see the opening of this newly upgraded Fire Hall, which has been constructed to meet current and future needs as its community grows,” said Vancouver fire chief Darrell Reid. “The hall has living facilities that are ideal for our diverse workforce, a dedicated facility for filling and servicing breathing apparatus, and has been designed with minimal environmental impacts in mind.”

The city has invested almost $11 million for the replacement of Fire Hall No. 5 and $6.66 million for building the housing. More than 400 units of social housing are anticipated to open in the first half of 2020.

Alberta cracks down on criminal trespass

New concepts of criminal trespass and corporate accountability for unauthorized entry onto a property will soon be enshrined in Alberta law. Bill 27, the Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-Abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act, awaits royal assent after passing third reading in the provincial legislative assembly last week. Along with measures to discourage spurious lawsuits, the legislation has implications for commercial real estate operators and any organization with potential scofflaws among its employees or membership.

“When they were drafting this, the focus might have been on rural Alberta, but the consequences of this legislation are going to go beyond rural Alberta and will apply just as much in a retail mall as they will in ranch land,” says Patrick Heinsen, a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s insurance and tort liability practice group in Calgary. “It’s an interesting piece of legislation. I guess we’ll see how it gets interpreted.”

Changes to the provincial Occupiers’ Liability Act will close most opportunities for criminal trespassers or their estates to claim damages for injury or death, while amendments to the Petty Trespass Act introduce penalties for corporations deemed to have “directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence”. The latter is labelled “a first for Canada” and further extends liability to officers, directors and agents of a subject corporation.

Harsher fines and the spectre of imprisonment have also been added to what’s presented as an effort to combat rural crime. For individuals, the fee schedule will jump fivefold with first-time offences set at a maximum of $10,000 and subsequent convictions at a maximum of $25,000 — up from the current $2,000 and $5,000 thresholds for first-time and subsequent offences. The new corporate offence comes with a maximum fine of $200,000.

“The proposed changes in Bill 27 came directly from listening to rural residents whose lives have been affected by crime,” reported Doug Schweitzer, Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, as he introduced the legislation on November 19. “This legislation will not only protect property owners and help law-abiding Albertans feel safe in their communities, but also will ensure trespassers face the proper consequences for their actions.”

One of the more attention-getting elements of the legislation is generally perceived as a response to a much publicized 2018 incident in which a rural property owner injured an unlawful transgressor. Although that transgressor was later convicted of trespassing and criminal charges against the property owner were dropped, the trespasser launched a civil claim for personal injuries in September 2019.

The new rules, which will be retroactive to January 1, 2018, exempt property occupiers from liability in almost all such scenarios unless actions causing injury to trespassers are found to be “wilful and grossly disproportionate in the circumstances” and lead to a criminal conviction. The Act also gives occupiers scope to determine and respond to a perceived threat, stating: “a trespasser is a criminal trespasser if the occupier has reasonable grounds to believe that the trespasser is committing or about to commit an offence under the Criminal Code (Canada).”

“It’s not like any nefarious character was going to be successful (in a lawsuit) but property owners were left to deal with it. The new legislation really removes any basis for a lawsuit so the good farmers of Alberta don’t have that distress,” Heinsen says. “In order to be able to bring a claim for a personal injury suffered by a criminal trespasser, there would be two hurdles to crest.”

Nevertheless, some testing of the law is anticipated. “One interpretation the Courts will be called on to make is whether it was reasonable for the person trespassing to be deemed a criminal,” he speculates.

Little public discussion or controversy was evident in the nine-day period from the tabling of the legislation to third reading — “There has not been a major fanfare about it,” Heinsen observes — but opposition members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) raised concerns about the new fine schedule and the potential to cast a chill on public dissent.

NDP MLA Lorne Dach called proposed fines of up to $200,000 for organizations and corporations “a sledgehammer” during the legislative debate. “Is it something that is put into this legislation in an effort to once again stifle dissent or perhaps an effort to disassociate organizations from certain causes for fear of reprisal?” he asked.

Heinsen notes that it could be difficult for corporate or organizational officers and directors to prove that they did not assent or acquiesce to a trespassing offence unless they have somehow stated their dissent on the record at a board meeting.

“This would typically be prosecuted by the Crown and it would be interesting to see who they decide to use this against,” Heinsen says. “It certainly opens the door to some prosecutions that they may not have been confident in prosecuting otherwise.”

The new rules will come into force with royal assent of the legislation.

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

Tarion CEO to retire this year

Howard Bogach, president and chief executive officer of Tarion Warranty Corporation, announced he will be retiring on December 31, 2019.

Tarion listed the many achievements he oversaw since his tenure started in 2008.

These include the introduction of the new home buyer ombudsperson, coverage for radon, the establishment of an annual public meeting to enhance transparency of the organization, increases in deposit protection coverage, development of enhanced dispute resolution processes and the introduction of new education requirements for registered builders.

Tarion says the CEO transition process is underway and the board of directors will be announcing a replacement in the coming weeks.

Cement facility explores carbon reduction tech

An Edmonton manufacturer will be the first cement facility in North America to examine the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to reduce emissions.

The Government of Alberta is investing $1.4 million through Emissions Reduction Alberta to support a $3-million feasibility study, which will look at capturing and storing emissions from Lehigh Cement’s Edmonton plant. If the project goes forward, Lehigh could avoid up to 90 per cent of its current emissions per year and create about 20 full-time jobs.

The project aligns with Alberta’s new Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) system, taking effect on Jan. 1, 2020. TIER will help industries deploy pioneering, emissions-reducing technologies that will keep businesses competitive. The system will also support research and investment in clean, Alberta-based technologies like CCS.

CCS is a technology that can capture and store more than 90 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions produced from the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation and industrial processes, preventing the emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Alberta is a leader in CCS development, having taken considerable steps with commercial-scale funding, regulatory enhancements and knowledge sharing over the past decade. The Alberta-based Quest project, for example, is the first application of CCS in the world at an oilsands upgrader. The facility has captured and safely injected more than four million tonnes of emissions since 2015.

“Reducing emissions in energy-intensive industries like cement requires going beyond incremental improvement to accelerating the development and market introduction of new and emerging low-carbon technologies. Emissions Reduction Alberta’s funding allows industry to learn by doing projects of the right scale, scope and effectiveness. This work will help advance the actions Alberta and the world need to meet their economic and environmental ambitions,” said Steve MacDonald, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta.

Lehigh Cement Edmonton estimates a capture rate of 600,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. If 90 per cent of those emissions were captured, Lehigh would avoid 540,000 tonnes of emissions annually – the same as taking 104,000 cars off the road for one year.

Spaces to open two co-working facilities at Zibi

Spaces is opening two new co-working facilities next year in the Zibi development, a 34-acre commercial, leisure, and residential space in the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau.

“These two new co-working spaces uniquely bridge creative entrepreneurs from both sides of the Ottawa River, making way for distinctive regional innovation, and a new way of working in the national capital region,” said Michael J. Cooper, president and chief responsible officer of Dream Unlimited.

Spaces, along with Regus, are part of the International Workplace Group (IWG) network of flexible workspaces. Regus currently has three locations in Ottawa, which has the second-highest concentration of tech talent next to San Francisco. IWG is expecting the Zibi development to be in high demand as it continues to provide versatile workspace to businesses in a region where office vacancy has dipped this past year.

“It has everything that a monumental new development should have: bold vision, historical roots, unbelievable location, cutting-edge sustainability, and the potential to redefine an entire region,” said Wayne Berger, CEO, IWG Canada and Latin America (IWG owns Spaces). “Zibi is an exceptional community for our co-working brand, Spaces, to be a part of.”

Spaces Zibi Gatineau will bring 29,000 square feet of vibrant flexible workspace to Gatineau’s downtown. Housed in former turn of the century industrial buildings, the new co-working facility will feature rehabilitated and repurposed retail and office spaces – including design elements that honour the site’s historic and fascinating past.

Spaces Zibi Ottawa will house 26,000 square feet of co-working space in a revitalized four-storey former paper mill building located on Chaudière Island on the west side of Booth Street. To maintain the building’s industrial appeal, the existing south and east walls, as well as their first structural bays, will be retained. The Spaces offices will open onto the new Head Street Square, a vibrant public space designed to celebrate the industrial heritage of the site.

As part of Zibi, these new offices will exemplify the highest green building standards for materials, water, energy and indoor air quality — an example of zero-carbon sustainability.

Spaces, the Amsterdam-born creative workspace pioneer, expanded into Canada in the fall of 2017 with its first location in Toronto. It continues to expand in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

Vancouver to phase in 75% hike on empty homes tax

Vancouver will be phasing in an empty homes tax rate hike of 25 per cent for each of the next three years in order to decrease the number of homes sitting empty and create more long-term rental stock.

Mayor Kennedy Stewart also asked city staff to use additional revenue created by the increase to focus on enforcement efforts and provide affordable housing for households earning less than $50,000 a year.

“While the ultimate goal is to add more pressure on empty homes to be filled, any additional revenues will now be used to provide housing for Vancouver’s most vulnerable residents,” he said.

The city says the empty homes tax program has created $39.7 million to fund affordable housing projects across the city since it launched in 2016.

An annual report shows that 70 per cent of properties paying the empty homes tax are condos worth $1.4 million. In 2018, there were 6,245 vacant properties overall, a reduction of 1,676 units since 2017.

The by-law change to confirm the new rate for 2020 will be brought to council at a future meeting.

Calgary mental health centre breaks ground

A new Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health is one step closer to reality with the project breaking ground in the northwest community of Hounsfield Heights in Calgary.

Being built in partnership between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the centre will provide young people with new and enhanced services, including a walk-in clinic with specialized triage and the opportunity for immediate referrals to onsite programs.

The centre is expected to open in the fall of 2021. In addition to the walk-in clinic, the three-storey, 3,200-sq.-m facility will also offer an intensive treatment program and a day hospital. The facility’s services will augment and integrate with existing services provided by AHS and community-based agencies.

“Our government is committed to ensuring healthy futures for children and youth with mental health challenges, as well as their families,” says Premier Jason Kenney. “This centre is a great example of how innovative care can be delivered in the community. We believe it will be a tremendous source of hope and help for young people.

The centre will be one of the most robust research-intensive, community-based mental healthcare facilities for young people in Canada. In partnership with AHS, the research initiatives involve several faculties at the University of Calgary, led by experts from the Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Mathison Centre at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

“Beyond serving as an innovative clinical care facility, this new centre represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop and implement a world-leading mental health research program with a direct pipeline from discovery to care – all in one setting,” says Deborah Yedlin, Chancellor of the University of Calgary. “Through this centre, we will be enabling research that has never before been possible in our community.”

With design and planning work well underway, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Build Them Up campaign has already raised $47.2 million of its $50-million goal to fund construction of the centre, along with program and research enhancements. AHS will provide operational funding to staff and manage the new facility.

Hallmark Housekeeping Services goes “Above and Beyond” for BOMA Awards

For Hallmark Housekeeping Services Inc., going “above and beyond” means more than exceeding day-to-day expectations. In August of 2018, the company put its ability (and willingness) to step up for its clients on full display when it rallied its entire team to respond to an extreme rain event.

“Building emergencies are always a challenge, particularly when the stakes are high,” recalls Christopher King, Vice President, GTA, for Hallmark Housekeeping Services Inc. “Flooding, in particular, can be operationally and financially debilitating, which is why it was so important that our response was immediate and effective.”

Although many on Hallmark’s team were attending an industry event on the evening of the storm, they immediately cut their night short to set up an “ops centre” at a nearby site and got to work.

Over the next hour, over 150 Hallmark operators and technicians joined regularly-scheduled staff to respond to urgent requests from key commercial properties throughout the city. Together, the teams used wet-vacuums and extractors to remove water from lobbies and common areas, set up blowers and fans to dry carpets and other floorings, deployed trucks to pump out water from parking garages, cut drywall to remediate mold, and in some cases, closed and secured entire building areas to tackle major restoration activities.

“We worked quickly with our client partners at each site to determine the best actions and solutions based on the specific needs of the building,” says King.

No doubt, it was all hands-on-deck the night of Toronto’s big storm. As such, virtually everyone on Hallmark’s roster joined in the restoration efforts, from top-level executives to operations personnel, technicians, cleaners, equipment experts, and everyone in between. Their quick work helped some of Toronto’s most important commercial properties mitigate floodwater damage to critical systems and assets, saving them thousands of dollars in potential damages.

“As the water began entering the building, Hallmark was able to expeditiously dispatch external operators and equipment, while many of their on-site staff voluntarily worked all through the night,” recalls Gregory Brent, Senior Director, Property Management, Downtown Office Portfolio for Menkes.

Hallmark’s timely response also enabled many of their clients to return to “business-as-usual” the following day, with minimal impact on their tenants and their operations.

“Our team has an unbridled commitment to serving our customers, which was evidenced during the flood event by their willingness to work tirelessly through the night, without reservation,” notes King.

Of course, he adds, preparedness was also a factor: “Hallmark has a deep operational structure and numerous resources available to support our sites on any day, and at all hours. It’s our extensive resources that allow us to provide our customers with the quickest and most reliable service, delivered with the highest level of quality.”

Hallmark’s quick and coordinated response during the landmark storm echoes its overall service philosophy. In many ways, the company encourages its teams to apply the same willingness to push past expectations on a daily basis. This is accomplished through a broad range of employee recognition and incentive programs such as its “Kudos!” initiative, Scholarship Program, staff appreciation events, and regular perks and engagement initiatives.

“Service is everything to us, and our ability to deliver service at the highest level comes down to the efforts of our people,” says King. “By fostering an organizational culture that empowers, engages, and motivates its employees, we are able to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that we not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers.”

These efforts and more made Hallmark a deserving recipient of the 2019 BOMA Canada “Above and Beyond” Pinnacle Award, which King says has given the team a good reason to celebrate: “This award gave us an opportunity to tell a great story about the dedication of our team, and when we won, it gave us an opportunity to show them how much they are appreciated.”

Alberta overhauls condo regulations

Alberta is modernizing several condo regulations to remove administrative burdens on condo boards and corporations.

Adjustments set for January 1, 2020, include everything from disclosure of information to how annual general meetings are organized (Minutes can now be disclosed 60 days after AGM), sanctions, fees for documents, and broadening the list of those who can conduct reserve fund studies.

The changes clarify that owners are responsible when an occupant commits a malicious act inside their unit. Through their bylaws, owners will be able to self-determine the needs of the community and change specific default regulations. Another key change is a more clear and concise form of voting for condo owners and boards.

Deductibles will also be defined as contributions, allowing condo corporations to have more options to collect them.

“These changes will help simplify condominium governance for volunteer boards especially regarding voting procedures, conducting AGMs efficiently, and clarifying the insurance claims process,” said CCI North Alberta Chapter President, Anand Sharma. “Prior to the red tape reduction review the regulations created more financial and administrative burdens for the condominium community”.

Amendments to the Condominium Property Amendment Act were meant to come into effect in July 2019, but were put on hold in June so Service Alberta could find ways of reducing more red tape from governance.

Changes to Toronto’s RentSafeTO bylaw

On November 26th, Toronto City Council voted in favour of amending the RentsafeTO bylaw, based on recommendations from the Planning and Housing Committee to beef up landlord responsibilities.

While tenant advocacy groups are in favour of any amendment that would effectively hold landlords more accountable for building maintenance and repairs, some of the new rules are not sitting well with GTA rental-housing providers.

The Federation of Rental Housing Providers (FRPO) issued a response to the changes, stating that it opposes this kind of “overregulation” and takes specific issue with the new tenant “re-housing” fees in instances where a building is damaged, or rendered uninhabitable, due to fire, flood or another occurrence.

“What makes this so problematic is that these changes include no consideration as to the cause and fault of an incident,” said Asquith Allen, Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, in the statement. “Essentially, if a building becomes uninhabitable due to the actions of one or more tenants, the landlord may foot the bill for temporary accommodations and city staff time.”

The RentSafeTO bylaw, which was passed by city council in 2017, allows city staff to enforce property standards across buildings in Toronto. But since its introduction, tenants have complained that landlords haven’t been adhering to all the rules.

In addition to the new fees and charges, landlords will now be required to post pest-control timelines and publicly share any fire code violations. They will also be required to adhere to a new standard timeline for repairs.

The rules will apply to all rental properties with three or more storeys and 10 units or more, but all apartments, including single basement apartments, are covered by property standards. The full list of recommendations can be found here.

Ontario presents bill to toughen real estate ethics

Ontario has introduced a long-awaited bill that would make significant changes to the way brokers, brokerages and realtors conduct their business, thereby improving real estate ethics.

If passed, the Trust in Real Estate Services Act will also give consumers more choice in the transaction process and require realtors to reveal the prices and conditions of offers in bidding wars. Currently, all parties must agree before any competing offers are shared.

To encourage compliance, The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) would have power to fine realtors and suspend their licenses.

There would also be changes to how real estate professionals are treated, creating a more fair environment and allowing them to operate better by incorporating.

This legislation comes twenty years after the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act was last updated and is a result of much review and consultation by real estate boards and associations across the province, including The Ontario Real Estate Association.

“This bill will modernize the rules governing real estate practices and ensure that the realtor at your side during the biggest transaction of your life has the highest professional standards, training and modern tools in North America,” said CEO Tim Hudak.

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) also worked with thousands of its members to initiate the proposal. In a press release, the board applauded what it considers a milestone in the industry.

“We always made sure that preserving consumer choice and consent, along with enhanced industry professionalism, remained central when proposing and discussing legislative improvements with the government,” said TREB CEO John DiMichele. “Furthermore, we are pleased to see business fairness being addressed by allowing all realtors to run their businesses more efficiently by forming personal real estate corporations, if they so choose—a tool that’s available to realtors in six other provinces and many industries in Ontario. TREB’s board of directors started to formally tackle the ability to form personal corporations as a business fairness issue dating back to 2005, and is pleased to see our efforts come to fruition with the help of OREA.”

Canada’s first 10 Zero Carbon buildings certified

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is helping Canada eliminate carbon emissions with 10 projects certifying under its Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard. These pioneering projects include new and existing offices, schools and warehouses, each demonstrating that buildings of all types and age can achieve zero carbon emissions.

Introduced two years ago, the ZCB Standard was designed to guide the industry in building to zero and help Canada meet its international emissions targets by 2030. Since its launch, CaGBC’s made-in-Canada standard has shifted the green building conversation to focus on carbon as its key performance metric.

A carbon metric recognizes the true climatic impact of a building and brings to light aspects not considered by energy efficiency, including the importance of selecting low-carbon construction materials and energy sources for building operations. The market response has been encouraging, with more than 20 projects (including 10 certifications) now registered under the ZCB Standard.

“These projects spur innovation in design, building materials and technology while creating new skills and expertise for tradespeople and professionals,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO, CaGBC and CEO, GBCI Canada. “Owners are also recognizing the benefits a zero-carbon building can bring, including increased resiliency to extreme weather events, meeting occupant expectations for comfort and corporate leadership, and future-proofing against rising carbon costs.”

One of the first Zero Carbon pilot projects, The Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation at Mohawk College (photo above) is the first building to achieve both ZCB Design and Performance certifications. Design certification assures a project has been designed according to zero carbon building requirements while Performance certification demonstrates the project has achieved zero carbon emissions over one year of operation as required by annual verification.

The Joyce Centre design reflects a strong focus on zero-carbon, with an innovative high-performance building envelope that minimizes heating and cooling demand, an all-electric geoexchange system, and a striking rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system.

The careful, integrated design and construction process paid off and building operations have demonstrated better-than-expected performance – enabling the project to achieve ZCB-Performance certification.

“The Joyce Centre is a beautiful and functional example of what a sustainable learning space can offer. We are proud to provide our students, and the community, with a successful model of climate action at work while setting a new benchmark for green building operations in Canada,” said Mohawk College president Ron McKerlie. “This Canada Green Building Council Performance certification confirms that we have been operating The Joyce Centre effectively and that we are meeting the goals we set out in the building’s design.”

The CaGBC will be updating the ZCB Standard early in 2020 with the release of ZCB v2 to the market. Updates will include feedback from the ZCB pilot projects, and will feature more stringent requirements for energy use and embodied carbon.

Peter & Adelaide tower breaks ground in Toronto

Construction has started on Peter & Adelaide, a 47-storey, mixed-use tower that combines condo suites and retail.

The Graywood Developments project will rise in Toronto’s Entertainment District near a slew of amenities like restaurants and transit. The architecture incorporates the intersection’s existing historic properties, weaving a tapestry of brick, metal, concrete, and glass into its façade, crafted by BBB Architects. U31 Inc. and MBTW will oversee the interior design and landscape architecture, respectively.

“The vision was to create a new landmark residence in Toronto that celebrates those who have come from all over the world yet call this incredible city home.” says Stephen Price, President and CEO of Graywood Developments. “Peter & Adelaide offers a universal connection through location, identity, culture, experience – a place for people who are made in Toronto, as we say, to call home.”

Outdoor amenity space on the 17th floor comes with a sleek rooftop swimming pool, while a large gym has views over Adelaide Street to the south and an internal courtyard to the north. Features like a demonstration kitchen, yoga studio and communal workspace highlight the neighbourhood’s diverse population with an emphasis on the balance of work, play, and relaxation.

“For Graywood, it was important that we created a product that reflects Toronto’s rich heritage, while also encapsulating Toronto’s diverse and unique identity,” says Adidharma Purnomo, vice-president development at Graywood Developments. “Through the architecture and interior design of Peter & Adelaide, you’ll notice the city’s distinct thumbprint on every element of the building.”

Photo: Geoff Fitzgerald/Graywood Developments