Fiera Capital acquires Integrated Asset Management for $74M

Fiera Capital Corporation has strengthened its private alternatives lending platform with a $74m deal to purchase Integrated Asset Management (IAM).

“This acquisition further strengthens and diversifies Fiera Capital’s private alternatives lending platform, bringing significant capabilities in private debt in addition to expanding our real estate platform,” said John Valentini, president and CEO, Private Alternative Investments, Fiera Capital in the press release.

“We are excited to offer a leading private lending platform that is truly national and further develop our real estate investment strategies, while simultaneously driving the growth and distribution of an enhanced suite of private markets strategies.”

According to Jean Gamache, president, Fiera Private Lending, with this acquisition, Fiera Private Lending becomes one of the leading pan-Canadian non-bank lending platforms in the country.

“We are acquiring a real estate business with a unique investment strategy that is complementary to Fiera Properties’ existing business. For our clients, this means further investment opportunities into an asset class with stable and recurring cash flows and a unique level portfolio diversification,” said Peter Cuthbert, president, Fiera Properties.

The transaction is subject to approvals by IAM shareholders at a special meeting to be called in May. In addition to IAM shareholder and court approvals, the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019.

“Joining forces with Fiera Capital creates an opportunity for IAM shareholders to realize immediate value and liquidity as well as the opportunity to participate in a larger combined company well-positioned for future growth. We believe this is also a great opportunity for IAM employees to join the team at Fiera Capital,” said John Robertson, president and CEO of IAM.

CSLA honours landscape architecture excellence

Canadian landscape architecture excellence was honoured with the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) announcing the winners of its 2019 Awards of Excellence. The annual awards recognize projects that are pre-eminent examples of Canadian landscape architecture.

Rooted in Clay – WY Garden in Winnipeg by Straub Thurmayr Landscape Architects was selected for the Jury’s Award of Excellence, which is given to one project annually which best demonstrates the CSLA’s vision – that of advancing the art, science and practice of landscape architecture. The firm also was recognized for a second project, Vibrant Daring Ephemeral – Casa Montessori & Orff School.

Winners were selected by a national jury of landscape architects. According to the jury, this year’s awards demonstrate that project excellence doesn’t always have to come from big bucks and be of huge scale to make an impact. Projects such as the Jury’s Award of Excellence, Rooted in Clay or the outdoor play space of Winnipeg’s Casa Montessori clearly demonstrate that in many cases, simple approaches can be extremely effective.

This year, 15 projects received a national award out of a total of 75 submissions. Winners include:

Grange Park Revitalizaiton (Toronto), PFS Studio
Foot of Lonsdale Plaza (North Vancouver), Hapa Collaborative Landscape Architecture and Urban Design
High Level Line (Edmonton), High Level Line Society
Escales decouvertes (Montreal), civility + julie margot design with Vlan paysages and LN Paysages.

The awards will be presented at a gala during the CSLA Congress to be held in Vancouver on May 7, 2019.

For a full list of winners, visit CSLA

Does your workplace pass the Gen Z test?

2017 marked the first full year with Generation Z in the workforce — a cohort typically defined as being born between 1995 and 2012.

Gen Z is a distinct generation and not to be grouped in with their Millennial counterparts. From their expectations around technology to their preference for work–life blend over balance, these employees are already reshaping the workplace in new and exciting ways. By understanding a few core characteristics, organizations can learn how to engage Gen Z employees more authentically and harness their talents to the fullest.

In particular, Gen Zers need an environment where they can invent, create and get the job done — and there are some strong generational preferences for managers, workspace designers and service providers to consider.

Tech is the breath of life

The brightest talent will beat a path to strong digital brands that not only connect with Gen Z through a compelling employee promise, but who can also make this a lived experience in the workplace. Smart tech is a must-have. Research carried out by leading generational demographer Claire Madden with Australian Gen Zers mirrors a demand that is echoed globally among their peers. They will not accept anything less than a fast network and a functional workplace. Top of the least-favorite list? Slow Wi-Fi, of course.

Gen Z guru David Stillman also sees binary code embedded in Gen Z’s DNA, noting that the distinction between the physical and the digital worlds has completely disappeared for the members of what he refers to as the “Phigital Generation” — with implications for how they live, work and play.

Nevertheless, Stillman also finds that these tech innates continue to put a premium on face time offline. Eighty-four percent of those he surveyed in the U.S. said they would prefer to communicate in person with their boss.[1]

New expectations for space design

Employers should not assume that Gen Z’s compulsive social networking, both online and off, equates to always wanting to cohabit the workspace. According to David Stillman, this group would sooner share socks than share an office. Fiercely independent, focused on the task in hand, and sensitized to privacy concerns, only eight per cent in Stillman’s studies favour open plan workplaces.[2]

In the war for talent, live–work–play amenities, from onsite banks and food stores to gyms, hold strong appeal for a generation that doesn’t differentiate between work time and life outside of work. Facebook, for instance, has plans to create a mixed-use village in California that will include a grocery store, a pharmacy and 1,500 housing units for employees at below-market rates.

“Third space” is another idea that’s gaining traction. If home is the first space and work is the second, “third space” combines the best of both. Think non-corporate, distinctively designed spaces that reflect the organization’s culture and encourage social interaction. As one example, WeWork’s Shanghai office offers cozy booths overlooking a sun-filled atrium, and a tropical-themed retro kitchen where employees can take a break over coffee.

A health-conscious generation

From workplace wellness programs with smart mobile apps that incentivize healthy behaviors to a variety of well-designed workspaces, organizations should be supportive of Gen Z’s ambition to work and live at a fast pace, without compromising health and well-being.

The good news is that Gen Z has a better understanding than previous generations of the link between nutrition and health. And with the average life expectancy now well into the nineties, members of this cohort won’t expect to retire at age 65. They know that staying healthy will be paramount to their quality of life and to their long-term career success.

Gen Z is highly tuned into the global foodsphere and is the most well-traveled generation when it comes to ingredients. Add the strong driver to do no harm and it’s no surprise that almost three-quarters are willing to pay more for products and services that come from ethical brands.[3] This is a preference that businesses would do well to attend to when it comes to on-site amenities.

The outlook for organizations

It’s clear that Gen Z brings a unique set of expectations to the workplace — around what they need to be effective, and more importantly, what they need to be happy and healthy. Understanding what makes Gen Z tick is key to tapping into a positive energy that can motivate the wider team and help keep the organization relevant.

The preceding article is excerpted with permission from Sodexo’s 2018 Global Workplace Trends Report. Getting Ready for Gen Z is one of seven trend reports, which can be accessed at https://www.sodexo.com/2018-workplace-trends.

Experts consulted by Sodexo

Claire Madden is a leading social researcher, keynote speaker and media commentator interpreting social trends and implications of generational change. As Australia’s foremost social researcher on generational engagement, she provides intriguing insights into the minds and motivations of Generation Z in her latest book, Hello Gen Z: Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials.

For nearly 20 years, generational expert David Stillman has been researching, writing, consulting and speaking about the generations for a wide variety of leading organizations. Co-authored with his Gen Z son, Jonah Stillman, David’s most recent study—Gen Z @ Work—is an insightful, mythbusting exploration of how this next generation is transforming the workplace.

References

http://www.genzguru.com/
https://tuco.ac.uk/images/zoo/uploads/documents/TUCO_Global_Food.pdf
http://www.genzguru.com/
David Stillman, original interview conducted October 2017

Jobs foreseen from energy efficiency spending

The 2019 federal budget allocates $950 million to underwrite retrofits and energy-efficient new development in the municipal, not-for-profit, private homeownership and affordable housing sectors. The investment is to be channelled into three streams of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, which now has a 19-year track record as a delivery agent of funds for infrastructure and community-building projects that support clean air, clean water, waste reduction and brownfield rehabilitation.

The federal energy efficiency spending will be divvied three ways with a pot of $350 million earmarked for upgrades in “large community buildings” owned by municipalities or not-for-profit operators. The $600 million remainder will be split evenly between municipally sponsored programs to offer grants and incentives to homeowners, and programs targeting affordable housing. Local governments will use existing mechanisms for applying to the Green Municipal Fund to tap into the new funds.

The budget document cites on-site energy generation for multi-residential affordable housing complexes as one example of a potential qualifying project, and suggests some municipalities may use the money to demonstrate innovative technology or launch pilot projects. Targeting homeowners, municipalities are urged to leverage a funding model that Toronto is already using, which allows property owners to repay retrofit loans via a surcharge on their property tax bills.

An additional $60 million, to be disbursed over five years, will go into FCM’s Municipal Asset Management Capacity Fund, which provides smaller municipalities, in particular, with training and guidance to establish and maintain asset management programs. “This program has proven to be popular and has demonstrated results to assist communities in developing accurate data around local infrastructure for budgetary and investment decisions,” the budget document states.

Meanwhile, the funding announcement is proving popular with energy efficiency advocates. “This is money that will be invested to help cities cut energy waste and reduce costs for households, schools, hospitals and social housing,” projects Corey Diamond, executive director of Efficiency Canada, a national organization that promotes the economic development potential inherent in fostering energy efficiency and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

FCM calculates that the 1,250 projects thus far undertaken with Green Municipal Fund support have created 9,905 person-years of employment and spurred $3 billion in spinoff investment in the host municipalities, while also resulting in 2.5 million tonnes of avoided greenhouse gas emissions — all from $862 million of seed capital.

“Energy efficiency is a job creation powerhouse, capable of creating more than 118,000 jobs annually,” Diamond asserts. “Investment like this directly leads to strong, local job creation for small businesses in cities across Canada.”

How to develop a maintenance plan for your facility’s floors

Maintenance protects your investment, plain and simple. As any facility manager knows, renovations are expensive. And proper maintenance pays dividends when compared to ripping and replacing every five years.

Flooring is no exception. Your floor endures foot traffic, spills and the weight of equipment and furniture on a daily basis. You need to have a flooring maintenance plan in place to extend the life of the flooring system and keep the manufacturer’s warranty intact.

Developing your facility’s flooring maintenance plan

The key to any flooring maintenance plan is to take a proactive, holistic approach instead of a reactive, as-needed one. This means implementing a plan right after a flooring system is installed — not waiting until the flooring is damaged to schedule a restorative cleaning.

It typically doesn’t cost anything to have a flooring contractor build a custom maintenance plan for your facility because their contract is for the actual maintenance work. So there’s no reason not to enlist the experts. And a flooring contractor will add value by tailoring your daily cleaning and periodic maintenance procedures to your facility’s budget — and how your facility is actually used.

They’ll begin by sitting down with the building owner or facility manager to read the floorplan, asking:

• What’s your maintenance budget?
• How is each area of your facility used?
• What are the manufacturer-recommended maintenance procedures for each product in your facility?

The answers to each will affect your maintenance plan. Consider a flooring product with manufacturer guidelines that call for weekly deep cleans. That frequency level might be cost-prohibitive for a facility with a lower maintenance budget. To maximize the power of your budget and prevent premature flooring failure, it makes sense to break out maintenance frequency by traffic patterns.

Break out your facility floorplan by product and traffic level
Armed with your facility floorplan and the answers to the above questions, your contractor will get to work. They’ll label each room on your floorplan by product and traffic level (low, medium, high). Working within the constraints of your budget, they’ll develop frequencies for routine (vacuuming, spot cleaning) and periodic (interim deep cleaning) maintenance based on each traffic level.

You might, for instance, have your in-house janitorial staff take care of routine maintenance once a day for high-traffic areas (e.g., lobbies, copy rooms, main hallways) and only three times a week for low-traffic areas (e.g., conference rooms, offices). And your flooring contractor might take care of periodic maintenance activities monthly for high-traffic areas and semi-annually for low-traffic areas.

The specific maintenance activities required will vary widely by product category and manufacturer. For example, a luxury vinyl tile (LVT) product from one manufacturer might have slightly different manufacturer-recommended maintenance instructions than a similar product from another manufacturer. The differences tend to lie in the proprietary cleaning chemicals and equipment recommended, not the general process.

The importance of taking a holistic look at flooring maintenance
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to facility flooring maintenance. There are dozens of manufacturers, hundreds of products and scores of facility types — which is why every maintenance program needs to be designed on a case by case basis.

A myriad of factors —flooring product, budget, traffic level, facility environment— affect your facility’s maintenance needs. Something as simple as buying walk-off mats to place near sinks and coffee pots in your breakroom or cleaning the sidewalks right outside your front door can prevent damage to your flooring and save thousands in the long run.

That’s why it’s important to work with a maintenance professional with a thorough understanding of flooring to create your program. They’ll look at all factors collectively, stretching your maintenance budget as far as possible while still protecting your flooring system from failure.

Aaron Hartung is the marketing manager at Spectra Contract Flooring, the largest commercial flooring contractor in the U.S. The preceding article is excerpted with permission from the company’s resource centre, which can be accessed in full at Spectracf.com/developing-maintenance-plan-carpet-LVT-VCT-ceramic-flooring/.

New student residence opens near McGill University

A new student residence – Campus1 Montreal – designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects close to McGill University has officially opened.

According to the press release, the former 19-storey hotel has been transformed to support a student residence and learning environments with a range of amenities and fully furnished suites.

“The design integrates programmed and unprogrammed space, which allows students to make the residence their own,” said Bryan Chartier, director of interior design at Diamond Schmitt in the release. In addition to a collaborative media module, study room and classroom, the main floor also has a café and games room, setting the stage for work and play. Recreational amenities on the second floor include a basketball court, weight and cardio room, and yoga studio.

“As workplace environments become more like university campuses and universities become more like workplace environments, student housing can play a big role in preparing students with the tools and environments they need for ‘real world’ conditions,” Chartier added.

The spacious entry features a comfortable seating niche defined by bold colour patterns and strong linear ceiling treatment. Two main routes encourage maximum interaction among students with casual “touch down” areas interspersed with active space and study areas.

A multi-tiered “mountain” casual gathering space pulls the entire ground floor together and takes inspiration from Mount Royal, which rises above the downtown campus. Student services are located at the crossroads between the main circulation and elevator banks. The dining hall is positioned at the rear and acts as an anchor, drawing students from the entrance, lounges and tower elevators.

The new residence is the latest project developed by Knightstone Capital Management for the fast-growing sector of privately run student living on campuses across Canada.

Vancouver Island sets record building permits

For the second year in a row, construction on Vancouver Island set records with building permits increasing nine per cent to $2.45 billion in 2018 and construction employment increasing 3.8 per cent to 35,700 workers.

“Population and income growth, low interest rates and consumer confidence spurred demand for homes and buildings across Vancouver Island last year,” said Rory Kulmala, CEO, Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA). “In turn, construction continued to help drive regional economies.”

The fourth quarter of 2018, however, was a different story. Fewer building permits were issued in all regional districts, except in the Comox Valley, which saw no change from the prior quarter. Total building permits declined across all categories, dropping 16 per cent from the third quarter to $481.2 million. This drop was led by a 38 per cent decline in non-residential permits and an eight per cent decline in residential permits.

Major projects in the Capital Regional District include renovations to the high-profile office building at 2975 Jutland Road at Selkirk Waterfront, valued at $5.8M, a 56-unit condo building at 1588 North Dairy, valued at $13.75 million, and construction of a three-story, 11-suite rental apartment for workforce housing at 2732 Doncaster Drive, valued at $1.1 million.

In the City of Langford, VICA member Verity Construction led building permits issued for single family dwellings with suites but the most notable construction start in the fourth quarter was the six-storey, 78-unit ‘Orono at Jacklin’ apartment building valued at $7 million. In the City of Colwood, a foundation permit was issued for the City Centre Park Stadium Expansion; the contract was awarded to Verity.

Major projects in the Nanaimo Regional District in the fourth quarter of 2018 include construction of a three-storey commercial building in the second phase of University Village, valued at $2.19 million, and construction of a five-storey, multi-family development on Island Highway valued at $7.5 million.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, total investment spending at $140.9 million was 11 per cent lower than one year earlier; however, total spending on non-residential buildings during 2018 was nine per cent higher than in 2017. Non-residential building construction costs crept up five per cent in 2018.

“With the island’s economy expected to expand at a slower pace in 2019 and the housing market to slow in response to tighter mortgage credit conditions, construction activity will likely follow with dampened activity,” said Kulmala. “However, population growth is expected to remain elevated, which will help fuel the market for construction.”

For 2019, the industry is optimistic that activity will continue, although at a slower pace.

Are public washrooms reservoirs of drug-resistant bacteria?

A recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), revealed that hand-drying facilities in public washrooms can act as reservoirs of drug-resistant bacteria.

The study found that washrooms provide an ideal setting for the survival of microorganisms, given their “warm and humid environment” – many pathogens, including Shigella spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanii, Staphylococcus aureus and norovirus can survive on environmental surfaces for weeks or months.

The study was performed between April and August 2017 to examine overall cleanliness and bacterial contamination levels of 55 public washrooms in Hong Kong.

Fifty-two bacterial species were identified from the 55 investigated washrooms. A considerable number of bacteria were present on the paper towel dispensers, hand dryers and door handles tested.

The observational study’s authors raised concerns about the planning and design and emphasised the importance of frequent cleaning and maintenance of public washrooms to promote safe hand hygiene practices for the public because of potential sites for transmitting disease-causing bacteria.

Over 85 per cent of the washrooms provided no handwashing signage/reminders for hand washing.

Furthermore, rubbish bins in the washrooms investigated were frequently uncovered and garbage was exposed to the washroom environment. Almost 20 per cent of such bins were positioned immediately underneath warm air hand dryers and therefore at risk of dispersal of rubbish during operation of hand dryers.

Visit aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-019-0500-z for the full results of the study.

Ontario announces infrastructure funding program

The Ontario government recently announced plans for a new funding program to provide $30 billion over 10 years towards infrastructure projects across the province. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program will be cost-shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments. Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33 per cent, or $10.2 billion.

Funding will be spread across four streams: Rural and Northern, Public Transit, Green and Community, Culture and Recreation. The first stream, Rural and Northern, is open to cities and Indigenous communities with populations under 100,000 citizens. There are currently approximately 500 communities that fall under that classification. Those communities have eight weeks, beginning March 18, to nominate road, bridge, air or marine infrastructure projects.

Nominations can be filed on the Grants Ontario website, which provides a portal to access information for applicants, handling application intake, review, nomination, reporting and transfer payment management processes.

“The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) welcomes this federal and provincial commitment to infrastructure funding across our province,” said Jamie McGarvey, AMO president and Mayor of Parry Sound, in a news release. “Rural and northern communities depend on safe and reliable roads and bridges. They are essential to local quality of life and prosperity. Importantly, the ‘one-window’ approach that Ontario and the federal government have put in place will offer Ontario’s municipal governments an efficient means to access infrastructure funding.”

Langley’s first mass timber development set to rise

Langley, British Columbia is set to become the home of the Fraser Valley’s first ever residential mass timber development. Legacy on Park Avenue is a six storey mid-rise project that uses mass timber in the form of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). The Canadian Wood Council has confirmed this is also the very first application in Canada for a CLT Firewall.

Legacy on Park Avenue features two and three bedroom condominiums that set the standard for architecture in the Fraser Valley. The eye-catching project combines state of the art advanced building systems with CLT panels to create a building unlike anything the Fraser Valley has seen before.

Built by MDM Construction, the project showcases an extremely unique architectural design by Keystone Architecture, and made possible by the CLT panels used in its construction. The project’s curved “flying” balconies were a key element of the design that could only be brought to fruition with the use of CLT panels.

Steve Rempel, partner at MDM Construction describes the superiority of CLT, “The speed, fit, and finish of the CLT panels cannot be matched in conventional framing. The material’s ability to span in two directions at the same time has opened up new structural framing possibilities, allowing us to bring projects like Legacy to life.”

Beyond the superior design capabilities, the prefabricated engineered wood panels in the form of CLT, are a sustainable alternative to traditional materials. The innovative building material supports the environment, reducing the carbon footprint of the structure, creating healthier homes for the community. In addition to the seismic resilience and positive environmental impact, the CLT Panels work to reduce the transfer of heat and noise by approximately 35 per cent the rate of a concrete system.

Construction at Legacy is well underway with its completion slated for July, 2020.

Rental rates rise in Canada for third straight month

Average and median rental rates for all property types in Canada have risen for a third consecutive month as demand increases with the arrival of the prime spring leasing season, reports Rentals.ca and Bullpen Research & Consulting.

The average property listed on Rentals.ca in February was offered for rent at $1,888 per month in Canada overall, an increase of 1.8 per cent monthly from $1,854 in January. The median rent was $1,800 per month, up from $1,747 in January.

Ontario continues to hold on to the top spot for average and medium asking rents by province with an average rent at $2,197 per month and a median price at $2,100. Average and median asking rents for Ontario are about $1,000 more than the provinces of Quebec ($1,209 and $1,020), Manitoba ($1,159 and $1,076) and Saskatchewan ($1,168 and $1,150).

Newfoundland remains the only province in the three-figure range for average and median rents at $883 and $840.

Other takeaways from the February rent report:

Average rental rates continue to climb in Toronto, despite affordability concerns. A number factors have contributed to the increase in rental demand including: Rising resale condo prices, tighter mortgage credit availability, expanded rent control, reduced-unit turnover, and high population growth.

More than 10,000 apartments have been built in the Toronto CMA over the past six months (condo and rental), which has not dampened rent growth yet. The metro area likely needs closer to 30,000 units annually to satisfy demand, and that level of growth isn’t likely to happen in 2019.

In Ottawa, nearly 65 per cent of Rentals.ca listings in February were available from $1,000 to $1,999 per month. About 22 per cent of the rental apartment market is comprised of one-bedroom units available from $1,000 to $1,999 per month and 20 per cent of the market is made up of two-bedroom units available in the same rent range.

Landlords are asking $2,430 per month on average for condos in Canada, which are smaller on average than the older rental apartments at 758 square feet. Leasing of condo apartments is much more prevalent in Toronto, which contributes to the high national rental rate for these smaller units.

To rent a one-bedroom condo in Toronto ($2,416), a tenant will need to shell out about $350 more than in North York and Etobicoke on average. For a two-bedroom unit, a tenant looking in Toronto ($2,934) will need about $400 more on average than in North York and Etobicoke. The biggest difference is in the asking rents for three-bedroom units, where North York and Etobicoke suites are larger than Toronto by over 150 square feet, but the asking rental rates for the Toronto units are over $1,000 per month more on average.

“Less than stellar national economic data will likely put any interest rate hikes on hold for the remainder of the year, and several lenders are reducing their mortgage rates, which may induce some prospective buyers to purchase a home and relieve some pressure on the rental market,” said Ben Myers, president of Bullpen Research & Consulting.

“The pause in interest rate hikes is good news for tenants, as rent growth nationally in 2018 was the highest since 1991 according to CMHC figures,” Myers added, “And listings on Rentals.ca over the past several months show that rental rates continue to rise rapidly in 2019.”

Helio sets new standard for energy performance

With aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets spurring the world’s building sector to embrace new technologies and high efficiency systems, “net-zero” and “zero carbon” designs are driving green real estate development around the world. But given the fiscal, regulatory and tenant-related challenges already facing the apartment sector here in Canada, net-zero rental buildings have been notably slow to the party.

“As stated by the World Green Building Council and supported by the United Nations, all buildings need to be net-zero energy by 2050 for us to stop the critical two-degree temperature rise in our planet,” said Albert Bicol, P.Eng, Principal at Albert Bicol Consulting. “That means we need to look at all building types, including apartments, to be designed to this standard. We already have the technology, now we need the urgency among the people and companies that influence the built environment to embrace it.”

One reason for this lack of urgency, according to Bicol, is that many residential developers are still using an older business model of trying to maximize their profit in the short-term. “This makes it difficult to produce net-zero multi-res buildings,” he said. “There needs to be a bridge between short-term and long-term cost benefits. For rental apartments, the long-term benefits can certainly be realized provided more value is placed on the future standard of living. Essentially we need to stop reacting and start acting if we want to prevent climate change. Unless this happens then I don’t see how we will meet the 2050 challenge.”

Thankfully, there are a few trailblazers in the purpose-built rental sector who are taking what Bicol calls an “urgent leap forward.” In February, hot on the heels of opening Ontario’s first net-zero energy commercial building and launching phase one of its net-zero townhomes, London-based Sifton Properties announced it had broken ground on two new projects: 1305 Riverbend, a 40,000 square-foot office retail building, and Helio, a 10 storey, 115-unit mixed-use apartment tower. When complete in April of 2020, Helio is slated to be the most energy-efficient residential high-rise in Ontario.

“This project will demonstrate first-of-its-kind net-zero energy construction in high-rise residential buildings, making it a model for the future,” said Minister of Natural Resources Amarjeet Sohi at the groundbreaking ceremony in February.

Funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program, $3.9 million will go towards Helio’s innovative construction, a design that includes a monitoring system to optimize energy-efficient performance and to provide the industry with an important benchmarking tool. The greater goal of Helio is to demonstrate that by using proven and available technology to aggressively pursue net-zero, remarkable efficacies are possible even for large-scale multi-residential towers. The lessons learned and achievements realized will help inspire and inform widespread change across Canada’s construction industry.

“Helio will be the most energy-efficient high-rise in Canada, designed and constructed to be 77 per cent more efficient than a similar building built under the current Ontario Building Code,” said Richard Sifton, president of Sifton Properties. “This is quite an accomplishment, and there is no doubt that the Energy Innovation Program has enabled us to push Helio further than we ever thought possible.”

Located in the city of London, Helio will be part of Sifton’s award-winning West 5 community, a fully connected, energy-efficient neighbourhood comprised of urban condos, rental townhomes, apartments and retirement suites overlooking retail spaces and a vibrant central park. Currently 80 families call the West 5 community home—but with the coming addition of Helio’s 115 units, the community will densify considerably.

Publicized plans for the 10-storey building include an exterior wrapped in solar panels for power generation and suites individually metered for hydro. In-suite thermostat and wireless lighting controls will allow tenants to regulate their own usage. Sensored corridor lighting, electric car charging stations and ample bicycle storage will appeal to today’s environmentally conscious residents who also prioritize health, walkability and “the greater good.” Legacy Square, a large outdoor meeting space, will draw residents looking for social opportunities while the retail shops, restaurants and numerous on-site services will provide convenience—all connected by a network of trails, walking paths and open green spaces.

“There really is something for everyone,” said Dale Pineau, Executive Vice President of Residential and Commercial Experiences with Sifton Properties. “The active, socially-aware community of West 5 offers diverse programming, and the future Legacy Square will surround the new building with innovative social opportunities for children, families, singles and more.”

As the industry and the province await the completion of this leading-edge new property, energy-attuned designers and consultants like Bicol are urging other Canadian developers to follow suit. “To meet the 2050 Challenge, we need to work together toward achieving a net-zero energy standard across all our buildings moving forward. While more owners and developers like Sifton are striving for this goal, it should be ubiquitous,” he maintained.

Helio’s energy-efficient features:

• Building wrapped in solar panels to generate power from the sun
• Individual hydro metering
• In-suite thermostat controlled heating and air conditioning
• Electric car charging stations
• Garbage chutes to facilitate recycling
• Bicycle storage
• ENERGY STAR appliances
• Sensored corridor lighting
• In-suite “all off” lighting switch
• Walkable, pedestrian-centric community connected to trails, paths and open green spaces

Find out more: http://www.sifton.com

Ontario touts public-private partnership savvy

The Ontario government is looking to market public-private partnership savvy beyond provincial borders. Minister of Infrastructure Monte McNaughton has announced plans to test the global appetite for consulting services, leveraging the expertise of the crown agency that has overseen the development of dozens of major institutional construction projects.

“Infrastructure Ontario is known around the world for developing public-private partnerships that deliver complex infrastructure for the people of Ontario,” says McNaughton, who is attending the 2019 Infrastructure Investor Global Summit in Berlin.

That includes completion of 40 new or expanded health care facilities and 10 courthouses with associated detention centres. Currently 25 construction projects, collectively valued at $18.4 billion, are in progress under Infrastructure Ontario’s auspices, while 12 additional projects, worth $7 billion, are in the planning stages.

McNaughton promised forthcoming legislation to expand the agency’s mandate and two pilot projects to gauge potential market interest. Infrastructure Ontario already has experience responding to outside requests for guidance.

“We have hosted delegations from dozens of jurisdictions from around the world looking to learn from our exemplary track record,” reports Ehren Cory, the crown agency’s president and chief executive officer. “We look forward to this opportunity to continue to support others as they develop their own markets.”

Under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Canadian entities will be able to bid on government contracts, such as infrastructure projects, in EU nations. The envisioned advisory role for Infrastructure Ontario might help open more doors.

“This initiative will undoubtedly provide Ontario-based businesses with a competitive edge in key international markets,” predicts John M. Beck, executive chairman of Aecon Group.

Inscape opens flagship Toronto showroom

Workplace furniture and wall system provider Inscape recently opened its flagship showroom and Engagement Centre in the heart of Toronto’s financial district.

Designed by Toronto-based architecture firm figure 3, the 6,000-square-foot showroom provides users with a hands-on experience that encourages exploration of the company’s brand experience and workplace solutions. The showroom demonstrates Inscape’s adaptable workspaces in action, using products such as benching, systems, storage and wall products, which are able to evolve as customers’ needs change over time.

The space not only hosts customers and events, but also serves as workspace for Inscape’s team. The showroom features biophilic design elements, including plenty of natural daylight and views, natural analogues such as wood and stone, leafy green plants and a meditation room surrounded by a colour-shifting dichroic glass film.

Acoustics and customer experience were carefully selected to allow visitors to easily move through the showroom while experiencing each product and collection.

Inscape’s showroom is located on the 13^th floor of 220 Bay Street in Toronto. Guests can book a tour by contacting [email protected].

Rent sticker shock awaits Canadians in the U.S.

Residential landlords in the largest cities of the United States are commanding rents well above the average rates in Canada’s major urban centres. Apartment Guide, a U.S. based rental property listing service, cites a national average price of USD $1,354 (CAD $1,800) for available two-bedroom units in 2018.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) annual rental market report reflects average rents for all supply within surveyed markets and can’t be directly compared to Apartment Guide’s scoped snapshot of the rates asked for new leases. Nevertheless, significant price gaps in the two datasets suggest Canadians might suffer rent sticker shock searching for accommodations in American cities that tend to draw the most cross-border migrants. On the plus side, there should be more options available given that the national vacancy rate hovers around 7 per cent in the U.S., well above the 2.4 per cent national vacancy rate recorded in Canada last fall.

Variance in currency values complicates cross-border rent comparisons since using one country’s dollar as the yardstick appears to skew values up or down in the other country. However, any measure of housing cost impact should be tied to the incomes tenants actually earn in their own countries, not their neighbours’ theoretical purchasing power.

Regardless of the exchange rate, CMHC’s 2018 national average rent for two-bedroom purpose-built rental apartments — CAD $1,059 or USD $794 — trails the Apartment Guide average for the U.S. The Canada-wide average for rental stock within private condominium buildings — CAD $1,515 or USD $1,136 — is more open to interpretation. When viewed in U.S. funds, it’s lower than average rates for available two-bedroom units in the 15 most populous U.S. cities.

With the exception of New York, which boasts more than 8.6 million inhabitants, Canada’s five largest urban centres are roughly the same size as their American counterparts. The 2016 Census counted a collective population of about 15 million in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa/Gatineau, ranging from nearly 6 million residents in the Greater Toronto Area to 1.3 million in Ottawa/Gatineau. Yet, asking rents in the five largest American cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix appear moderately to dramatically steeper than Canadian tenants typically pay. So, too, are rents in San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and Washington, DC.

CMHC reports a 19 per cent turnover rate in purpose-built rental units Canada-wide last year, meaning that a relatively small portion of newly negotiated leases are reflected in the national 3.4 per cent increase in average rent. In contrast, Apartment Guide’s figures are only for new leases so rising rents are not surprising. Even so, rents for two-bedroom units actually dropped in 29 per cent of the surveyed U.S. cities, while increasing in every major market CMHC monitors.

CMHC also reports that more than 40,000 new purpose-built rental units were added to Canadian housing supply between July 2017 to June 2018. On a per capita basis, that outpaces the 287,000 units that came onto the U.S. market last year. Meanwhile, demand continues to surge in Canada’s largest cities — attributed to immigration, employment growth and seniors moving from home ownership to rental accommodations.

Big city trends and anomalies

Based on CMHC’s two-bedroom benchmark, rented condo units in Toronto and Vancouver garner the highest rates in Canada — an average of USD $1,795 (CAD $2,393) in Toronto and USD $1,525 (CAD $2,034) in Vancouver. That would be a bargain in the top-three American cities, where the 2018 average listed price for two-bedroom units was: USD $6,078 (CAD $8,083) in New York; USD $4,054 (CAD $5,390) in L.A.; and USD $2,795 (CAD $3,717) in Chicago.

Phoenix, with a population of 1.6 million, is the low-rent standout in the U.S. top five. Apartment Guide pegs the average asking rent for two-bedroom units at USD 1,209 (CAD $1,608) last year. Meanwhile, the average asking rate for two-bedroom units in Houston, at USD $1,616 (CAD $2,149), stands out for trending downward — dropping 8.4 per cent from the previous year.

Canada’s most affordable big city is arguably much more of an anomaly. Montreal has about two million fewer residents than Toronto and nearly 1.5 million more than Vancouver, but tenants in purpose-built rental buildings pay an average of 45 per cent less for two-bedroom units than renters in Toronto and nearly 51 per cent less than renters in Vancouver.

CMHC pegs the average rent for a two-bedroom unit in a purpose-built rental building in Montreal at CAD $809 (USD $606.75) or nearly 24 per cent lower than the national average. Average rent for two-bedroom condo rental units is a still-competitive CAD $1,208 (USD $906) or 20 per cent lower than the national average for this pricier stock.

More plus-$3,000 than sub-$900 markets

Landlords in Toledo, Ohio, had the lowest expectations in the 100 American cities Apartment Guide surveys. However, the average asking rate of USD $823 (CAD $1,094) for two-bedroom units was also nearly 16 per cent high than in 2017.

Average rents for available two-bedroom units dipped under USD $900 (CAD $1,197) in only six cities: Tucson, Arizona; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Greensboro, North Carolina; Lubbock and El Paso, Texas. They surpassed USD $3,000 (CAD $3,990) in nine cities: New York; Jersey City; Boston; Seattle; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, California.

Among the 100 most populous U.S. cities, the sharpest spike in two-bedroom rents was the 25.3 per cent increase in Plano, Texas, (population: 287,000), taking the average rent up to USD $1,808 (CAD $2,404). Three cities in Arizona — Chandler, Scottsdale and Glendale — saw asking rents jump by 10.8 to 15.2 per cent. Double-digit increases also occurred in: Los Angeles; San Diego; Atlanta; Oakland; Cleveland; Riverside, California; Anchorage; Newark; Orlando; Toledo; Norfolk; Boise; and Des Moines.

Average asking rents for two-bedroom units plummeted most dramatically in New Orleans, falling nearly 18 per cent to USD $1,968 (CAD $2,617). Declines of more than 5 per cent were registered in: Houston; Fort Worth; Detroit; Nashville; Virginia Beach; Stockton, California; and Laredo, Texas.

3XN unveils plans for Bayside Toronto office tower

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was in Toronto earlier this month to help announce plans for a 10-storey timber-constructed office tower set to rise at Bayside Toronto. The tower, T3 Bayside, was designed by Danish architectural firm 3XN and will be constructed by master developer Hines.

3XN was selected to design T3 Bayside after the studio won a design competition set up for the commercial component of Bayside Toronto’s master plan. T3 Bayside is still in its planning stages, and will have a scheduled appearance before the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel later this month.

“We are very excited about the continuous collaboration and value creation among Danish and Canadian companies in respect to creating sustainable and livable cities,” said Niels Tanderup Kristensen, Danish Consul General, in a press release.

The Crown Prince also helped unveil the opening of a new architecture exhibit by 3XN. Waterfront Architecture: Placemaking and Context explores harbour cities and the dynamics between buildings, public spaces, urban circulation and the water’s edge. The architecture exhibit highlights 11 completed and in-progress waterfront projects by 3XN in Toronto, Sydney and Denmark.

A new scale model of T3 Bayside is on display as part of the exhibit, which is located inside the Hines Tridel Bayside Toronto Presentation Centre at 261 Queens Quay East. The exhibit is free to attend and will run until late spring.

Photo (left to right): Mark Bromiley, Rockwool; Meg Davis, Waterfront Toronto; MPP Hon. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Kim Herforth Nielsen, 3XN; Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark; Avi Tesciuba, Hines; Lars Christian Lilleholt, Danish Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate; Thomas Winkler, Danish Ambassador to Canada; Niels Tanderup Kristensen, Danish Consul General.

Shelley Gray named ITA chief executive officer

The B.C. Industry Training Authority (ITA) board of directors has named Shelley Gray its new chief executive officer (CEO). Gray had been serving as interim CEO.

“Shelley brings a unique blend of private and public-sector acumen to the CEO position,” said Roberta Ellis, ITA board chair. “The selection of Shelley was a unanimous decision by the board. She impressed the search committee with the breadth of her experience and depth of understanding of trades training and its importance to the B.C. economy.”

The ITA’s renewed mandate focuses on growing apprenticeships and championing trades diversity and its strategic plan aligns with the government priorities of affordability, service and building a strong and sustainable economy that supports jobs throughout the province.

“Our government is committed to a strong economy strengthened by a diverse workforce that represents all of B.C.,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.

Many opportunities are available for a career in the skilled trades that build and maintain our communities. Over the decade, 900,000 job openings are projected, with 71,000 of those in the trades. From building roads and bridges, creating artisan masterpieces, or maintaining machinery there are more than 100 trades to choose from.

LNG Canada CEO and ITA board member Andy Calitz: “Patience, respect, and building healthy relationships are fundamental to the success of any project and our new CEO exemplifies these fundamental leadership characteristics. I am very pleased to welcome Shelley to her new role.”

ITA board member and BC Federation of Labour board member Laird Cronk: “A key element of the ITA’s strategic plan is to focus on the demand for highly paid skilled jobs and support and build the supply of apprentices and qualified tradespeople. I am confident that Shelley’s commitment to this fundamental goal will serve trades training well.”

ITA leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. ITA works with apprentices, employers, industry, labour,