Design revealed for U of T’s new building

Designed by New York-based architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the new University of Toronto building is a nine-storey development located at 90 Queen’s Park Crescent. The new U of T landmark will be built on the site of the McLaughlin Planetarium, which was closed in 1995.

According to a press release, the building will adhere to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE) standards as part of U of T’s commitment to sustainability.

“It will use roughly 40 per cent less energy than a conventional building of this type,” says Gilbert Delgado, U of T’s chief of university planning, design and construction. “The dominant issue right now in terms of sustainability is minimizing the carbon footprint of our buildings and our facilities.”

The building features a music recital hall, with a large window serving as a backdrop to the stage and providing the audience with south-facing views of the Toronto skyline. Above the hall will be a 400-seat event space with similar skyline views. There will also be a café on the ground floor and a multi-storey atrium leading up to the recital hall.

In addition to the School of Cities, the building will house a number of academic units from the Faculty of Arts & Science, including history, Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, as well as the Institute of Islamic Studies, an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies and the Archaeology Centre. It will also provide facilities for the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Music and there will be space designated for classrooms and public spaces, as well as for the Royal Ontario Museum.

Delgado says Diller Scofidio + Renfro (in consultation with Toronto’s ERA Architects) will draw on their experience designing cultural and academic spaces to create a building that will inevitably become a Toronto landmark as building’s location will serve as a gateway that connects Toronto’s cultural corridor with the university. The building will also honour U of T’s history and heritage, carefully incorporating the 118-year-old Falconer Hall, part of the Faculty of Law, into its design.

Charles Renfro, partner-in-charge at Diller Scofidio + Renfro, says the building is designed to encourage individual scholarship while fostering collaborative discourse and public engagement.

Ontario to introduce new home warranty regulator

The Ontario government has announced plans to transform Tarion Warranty Corporation and implement initiatives to better inform and protect new home buyers, including purchasers of cancelled pre-construction condominium projects.

The Ontario government plans to:

Work with the Home Construction Regulatory Authority to establish a separate regulator for new home builders and vendors to address any concerns about the conflict of interest with Tarion performing both functions;
Introduce legislative amendments that, if passed, will require Tarion to publicly disclose compensations for its board and executives and move to a more balanced skills-based board composition;
Explore the possibility of introducing a multi-provider insurance model for new home warranties and protections in the province, with a decision coming later this year; and
Introduce new initiatives through work with the Condominium Authority of Ontario that will better inform and protect purchasers of cancelled condominium projects.

The changes follow the release of a 2016 independent report from the Honourable Justice Douglas Cunningham featuring several recommendations on transforming Tarion. The report noted an inherent conflict of interest in the current structure of Tarion that leaves new home owners vulnerable.

“Establishing a separate regulator for new home builders and vendors addresses the current conflict of interest with Tarion,” said Bill Walker, Minister of Government and Consumer Services, in a news release. “[This] announcement will help make Tarion more accountable and transparent and provide quality service for the people of Ontario.”

Tarion has been responsible for administering the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act since 1976. New homes built for resale or under contract with an owner must be enrolled in Tarion’s statutory home warranty program and builders must be registered. Tarion is expected to continue to provide services to new home owners, builders and vendors during the transformation, while operating under greater government oversight.

B.C. affirms uneven split of hydro system costs

Commercial electricity customers in British Columbia will continue to pay disproportionately for the power they use. The B.C. government confirmed it will entrench an uneven split of hydro system costs among the residential, commercial and industrial consumer classes — which currently redistributes about 9 per cent of the residential burden to commercial ratepayers — when it unveiled a slate of new directions for BC Hydro and the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) late last week.

“A near-term rebalancing of BC Hydro’s rates could conflict with the government’s commitment to keep life affordable for British Columbians. The decision to prohibit rate rebalancing is a matter of public policy,” reiterates a report released Feb. 14 to wrap up the first phase of a planned two-part review of BC Hydro.

Many of the points highlighted in the government’s associated communications relate to independent reviewer Ken Davidson’s critique of existing provincial contracts with third-party electricity producers, issued one day earlier on Feb. 13. However, it’s the latter document that outlines pending policies and actions.

Those include: a cumulative 8.1 per cent increase to electricity bills over the next five years; cancellation of BC Hydro’s standing offer program, which contracted with independent producers for biomass or clean energy generation; and returning some authority to the BCUC that the previous government had assumed for itself.

“Following this review, it’s our government’s job to fix what’s broken, put BC Hydro onto a sustainable path and make sure rates stay as affordable as possible for customers,” asserts Michelle Mungall, B.C.’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Touting Davidson’s conclusions that the previous government overpaid for much of the power contracted from independent producers and purchased too much of it, Mungall links rising electricity prices to those decisions. Even so, she notes that the 8.1 per cent increase, proposed to begin with a 1.8 per cent escalation this spring, is nearly 40 per cent lower than the 13.7 per cent increase the previous government had projected for the same five-year period.

Commercial electricity customers will experience climbing costs more keenly. As the report reveals, their allocation of overall costs is roughly 23.5 per cent greater than the cost of providing services to them, while 1.8 million residential accounts collectively contribute about 91 per cent of the cost of their service. Industrial customers pay a share that’s largely equivalent to their actual cost of service.

Prohibition on rate rebalancing and retail contracts

Thus far, the B.C. government has enacted regulations to prevent the BCUC from more evenly reapportioning the burden for the fiscal years of 2017, 2018 and 2019. It has now promised similar regulatory intervention for 2020 and 2021 and an amendment to the provincial Utilities Commission Act “to permanently prevent the BCUC from rebalancing rates unless otherwise requested to do so by a public utility.”

It’s estimated that equitable apportionment could push residential rates 2.2 per cent higher than the proposed 1.8 per cent increase for fiscal year 2020, stretching from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. “At the same time, rates for commercial customers would decrease and industrial rates would remain approximately the same,” the report advises.

Nor will there be an opportunity to look for better deals elsewhere since a prohibition on retail contracts with third-party electricity distributors will remain in place. That decision is linked to BC Hydro’s surplus energy supply, which is projected to continue into the 2030s, and which the current government attributes largely to the previous government’s procurement from independent power producers.

“In a surplus situation, allowing retail access increases the amount of surplus that BC Hydro must export, possibly at a loss, increasing costs borne by ratepayers who do not or cannot opt for retail access,” the report maintains. “The prohibition will continue until or unless a public utility, in this case BC Hydro, requests otherwise.”

In contrast, industrial customers may get an opportunity to purchase discounted power — aligned with a priority to increase domestic demand that could take up some of the surplus generation typically sold for export. “BC Hydro is exploring the option to offer current industrial customers year-round access to real-time, market-based pricing for incremental energy purchases,” the report states.

Five tips for implementing organizational change

Most people have seen it. They’ve lived through it. (Hopefully they haven’t been tempted to do it.) That is: charging ahead of one’s team, making changes that leave team members dumb-founded.

There are sensitivities, to be sure. Organizational change has many fragile layers. Rarely will a whole team cheerlead a plan to success. There may even be wisdom to dispensing information slowly and strategically.

But over and over again, leaders, leadership teams and boards of directors announce significant change with little or no detail.

Here’s a typical announcement (it may sound familiar): “The leadership team is excited about the upcoming changes. We look forward to new opportunities. We are confident that these changes are critical for long-term growth.”

With assurances that the leadership team is on it and “has discussed this at length with the board” or “this has been in the works for months,” the rest of the organization is left totally in the dark.

The following code of conduct for leading change comes from 30 years of experience working alongside leaders and implementing changes:

1. Share complete information

Humans are naturally inclined to fill in the blanks. It’s in their DNA. When it appears that only part of the information or the real reason for the change is not public, people immediately form small groups in an attempt to find the reasons. That means the imagination of the team is unleashed to develop multiple scenarios of the upcoming change, inserting stuff from their own life experiences or worse.

If it’s not possible to share upcoming changes, keep mum. Don’t hint. Don’t allude. Don’t give people content that is filled with holes.

As change is integrated, strategically plan the communication. Give as much information as possible — but don’t just give random information. Strategically position the information that is released to augment the positive impact of the upcoming change.

2. Connect with influencers

In the popular TV show “BULL,” Dr. Jason Bull calls these influencers “sneezers.” What they say spreads like an uncontrolled sneeze.

Reach out to the influencers and arm them with facts and information. They can be supportive if they’re allowed to do so.

These individuals are key. When they know they are trusted with critical and ‘insider’ information, they use their influence circles to spread it. Since they enjoy being influencers, they will also correct miss-information as soon as they encounter it, which is what change leaders want.

3. Connect with opinion leaders

Know one’s team. There are people who don’t stand at the front lines or even speak up in public settings, but they influence the team. Their success, education, experience, networks and even their personality gives them their status. Their opinions become the opinions of others.

Engage these individuals in the discussion and possibly the decision process. That way, they will influence with facts and content that is reliable, not simply add to the rumour mill. They could influence how many early adopters there are.

4. Communicate strategically

Avoid asking people what they think, especially if they won’t be listened to. Ask any questions wisely, making sure the person, team or group is able to reflect on the situation objectively.

Ask better questions. Understand that the most important information they are looking for is how the change will impact them personally. How will this impact their team? Is there something they believe should be considered? What recommendations do they have that will lead to success? What impact will this have on those the organization serves, its clients or customers?

5. Take advice seriously

If someone has the courage to stand up and answer good questions, respect them and the advice. Avoid giving immediate feedback. Take time to consider their advice.

Don’t brush them off or answer superficially. Acknowledge the individual and the advice directly and be sure to give feedback as to why their advice was used or not. Experience suggests this is very powerful and empowering to this person and those watching.

Bottom line: build an engagement and communication plan.

Remember that this isn’t a personal plan. Critique isn’t of the change leader, it’s a healthy part of collaborative excellence.

The ultimate goal of both the change leader and the people affected by the change is to achieve the vision set for the organization. If the plan doesn’t get the organization closer to its goal, adjust the plan.

Arnie Wohlgemut is the senior coach and president of KP Mylene | Building to Lead, a facilities management and leadership development consulting company.

The preceding article has been adapted and reprinted with permission from the KP Mylene blog: http://www.kpmylene.com/blog/.

ICBA survey: construction wages to increase

B.C. construction workers should see pay raises of more than 10 per cent over the next two years, according to the results of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association’s (ICBA) 2019 Wage and Benefits Survey.

ICBA president Chris Gardner released the results of the annual survey of 1,000 construction companies at ICBA’s 22nd annual CEO Breakfast, which kicked off the Buildex Vancouver tradeshow on February 13th.

“The state of construction in B.C. is strong with just over half our companies expecting more work in 2019 than the year before,” said Gardner. “The industry is firing on all cylinders and then some.”

Construction in B.C. now employs nearly 250,000 people and contributes almost nine per cent of the provincial GDP. This year, survey respondents said they expect to give their workers a 4.8 per cent raise; in 2020, they expect another 5.3 per cent increase. That’s more than double the rate of inflation.

The survey also noted:

Interior: 37 per cent of contractors expect more work in 2019 than last year; 78 per cent say they are short of workers, especially labourers, carpenters and framers.
North: 64 per cent of contractors expect more work in 2019 than last year; 68 per cent say they are short of workers, especially carpenters, labourers and welders.
Vancouver Island: 29 per cent of contractors expect more work in 2019 than last year; 82 per cent say they are short of workers, especially carpenters, labourers and plumbers.
Lower Mainland: 54 per cent of contractors expect more work in 2019 than last year; 78 per cent say they are short of workers, especially carpenters, labourers and plumbers.

“Worker shortages are not a problem unique to construction – retail, food, tourism and many other industries are experiencing things as the B.C. workforce ages,” said Gardner. “This demographic cliff is partly why construction continues to be an exciting and appealing career for a quarter million British Columbians – there is plenty of work, and good workers are being well-paid, well-trained and well-rewarded.”

But construction company owners are worried about the direction the B.C. government is taking the economy. Of those surveyed, only eight per cent said John Horgan’s NDP government was on the right track in dealing with businesses like theirs. More than half – 51 per cent – said Horgan was on the wrong track, while another 41 per cent said they didn’t know.

“The NDP government is actively discriminating against 85 per cent of construction workers in B.C. by forcing them to join a specially-selected union if they want to work on projects like the new Pattullo Bridge,” said Gardner. “Add in the NDP’s opposition to project likes Trans Mountain and the Massey Tunnel replacement; reams of new red tape; and $5.5 billion in tax hikes, and it’s no wonder so many job creators are worried about the direction B.C. is headed.”

St. Paul’s Hospital given green light in Vancouver

The new St. Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver has been given the green light. It is expected to open in 2026 and will be located at 1002 Station St.

The first phase of the $1.9 billion St. Paul’s redevelopment project is building a new core hospital. Phase 2 is expected to include a clinical support and research centre. Future development opportunities will be confirmed upon completion of the Station Street rezoning.

The hospital’s main building will be an 11-storey, state-of-the-art acute care hospital with capacity for up to 548 beds, which includes 115 net new beds. The site will be the home of several leading provincial programs and referral centres, including for heart and lung care, renal, eating disorders and specialty surgeries and transplants.

The hospital will also offer a diverse and long list of general and specialized care, including HIV/AIDS, chronic disease management services, emergency and critical care, mental health and addictions beds and programs, ambulatory services and outpatient clinics, end-of-life care, Indigenous health, maternity, colorectal and gastrointestinal services, and community care and community outreach programs.

The project will be delivered using a design-build finance procurement model and will be cost-shared between the provincial government and Providence Health Care. The St. Paul’s Foundation campaign fundraising goal for Providence Health Care is anticipated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars with a portion allocated to the new core hospital. Jim Pattison, chairman and CEO of the Jim Pattison Group, has already donated $75 million to the future of St. Paul’s, a historic contribution in Canadian health-care philanthropy.

The current St. Paul’s Hospital land at 1081 Burrard Street will be sold with funds going toward the project.

Elad Canada takes over Agellan Commercial REIT

Elad Canada, has completed a takeover bid of Agellan Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) for over CAD $400 million.

Agellan’s portfolio of 44 properties are distributed throughout 11 high growth urban markets in the United States. The portfolio constitutes approximately 6 million sq. ft. of industrial and office properties, with an annual NOI of approximately CAD $53 million and an asset value of approximately CAD $680 million, reflecting a 7.8 per cent cap rate on the overall transaction.

“The acquisition is an important milestone for Elad Canada and a strategic step toward a continued increase of our footprint in the income-producing properties segment,” said Elad Canada CEO Rafael Lazer in a press release.

Before the acquisition, Elad Canada was the largest unit holder of the REIT holding approximately 19 per cent of the units.

Approximately 85 per cent of the REIT’s assets are classified as light industrial properties, which include, flex and show room, logistics and distribution centres. The remainder of the portfolio are office buildings. The current occupancy rate for the properties is approximately 97 per cent.

Okanagan College building certified LEED Platinum

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) recently awarded Okanagan College its second LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Platinum certification, this time for its new trades building in Kelowna.

LEED Platinum certification is the highest certification level awarded for green building. For a building to achieve Platinum-level certification, it must demonstrate a variety of green building initiatives, such as incorporating sustainable building materials in its construction, demonstrating water and energy-efficiency and providing recycling programs for building occupants, to name a few.

“You don’t have to look hard to find advances in sustainability across all the trades, from automotive to welding, so in expanding and re-invigorating our Kelowna trades training facilities, we set out to provide our students and employees with a world-class learning environment that would celebrate them, their chosen career paths and the future of the trades,” said Jim Hamilton, president of Okanagan College, in a press release. “Our institution has a reputation as a leader in sustainable building. We are proud of being able to raise the bar in sustainability and wouldn’t have been able to create spaces such as this without the help of forward-thinking builders like PCL (PCL Constructors Westcoast Ltd.), our industry partners, and the incredible community support and donations that made the project possible.”

The provincial government provided $28 million towards the $35-million, 10,000-square-metre Trades Complex project, which required new construction and extensive upgrades to existing facilities. The new building accounts for approximately 5,200 square metres of the overall project.

“We’ve had feedback from many people who have taken tours and asked about how we were able to incorporate certain technologies and sustainability features, and what it meant for the training environment,” added Steve Moores, Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship at the College. “One of the other benefits of the building is that has already proved itself as a wonderful model for others in terms of what can be achieved.”

Okanagan College is now home to two of the 14 Canadian post-secondary buildings that have earned LEED Platinum certification. The College’s first Platinum certification was awarded to the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence at the college’s Penticton campus.

Rent across Canada continues to rise: Report

The median monthly rent across Canada increased nearly 6 per cent in January over December to $1,747, according to the February National Rent Report created by Rentals.ca and Bullpen Research & Consulting. The National Rent Report charts and analyzes national, provincial and municipal monthly rental rates and market trends across all listings on Rentals.ca for Canada.

As per the report’s findings, the median rent in Ontario was $2,091 in January, a full $1,000 per month higher than neighbouring Manitoba ($1,070) and Quebec ($1,039). Newfoundland remains the least expensive province in Canada, with a median rental rate of $843 per month, a slight increase from $830 in December.

Other takeaways from the February rent report include:

Toronto had the highest one-bedroom rents in Canada at $2,149 per month on average in January, an increase of 0.6% from a month earlier. A number of GTA suburban markets were among the most expensive cities for rents in Canada, with one-bedroom units going for $2,050 per month on average in Thornhill, $2,042 in Vaughan (includes Woodbridge and Concord), and $1,999 in Oakville. There have been about 10,000 apartments completed over the last five months in the GTA, and this increase in supply could keep rents stable.
The vacancy rate in Winnipeg has been 3% or lower for 20 years, and rental rates have increased by 2% or more for 19 consecutive years (per Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data). Developers have taken notice, building about 1,400 rental apartments in each of the last three years, the highest levels of annual rental apartment construction over the past 30 years. Despite the consistent rental increases, rates are still very affordable in relation to other Canadian cities.
Rental rates have been increasing over the past four months in the combined area of Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Spruce Grove and St. Albert from $1,207 per month to $1,255 per month.
On a provincial level, Ontario had the highest average rental rates in January, with landlords seeking $2,164 per month on average, an increase of 2% from December ($2,123).
In British Columbia, the average asking rent was $1,583 per month, an increase of 4% from December ($1,520).
Alberta was also up month over month by 2%, rising from $1,257 in December to $1,285 in January.

“The resale housing markets in several major cities in western Canada have slumped over the last six months, however, rental rates continue to increase in many of those municipalities,” said Ben Myers, president of Bullpen Research & Consulting. “Edmonton, Red Deer, Saskatoon, Regina, and Vancouver all experienced month-over-month increases in average rents for one bedroom units in January.”

“With rising rents across the country, it is important when searching for a rental home to give yourself plenty of time to score a good deal — Rentals.ca recommends starting your rental search three months in advance,” said Matt Danison, CEO of Rentals.ca. “A lot of people begin the process too late, and unless they get lucky they might be forced to go with something either out of their budget or in an undesirable location.”

The report suggests rent across Canada could increase further if credit availability remains tight, other economic data such as employment growth remain positive, and the stress test continues to delay first-time buyers from entering the real estate market.

Managing building information better

Perhaps it is time that we consider replacing the word “modeling” in Building Information Modeling (BIM) with the word “management”. By now, we can all agree that BIM is not only modeling, but a management of that modeled information, and what we do with it. With the reality that projects are still being constructed and maintained off 2D documentation, Revit models (or any other 3D modeled program) are largely best considered as a 3D database of information. For those adventurous enough, that 3D database can be further enhanced and utilized as a maintainable asset database which can support building operations and maintenance upon completion of the project.

Reality or not, that 3D model is still only the basis of that information management.

Harvesting the power of this 3D database is a no-brainer, yet many companies still struggle with this, if they are working with 2D computer aided drafting programs or believing that Revit equals BIM. If they are using a program such as Revit, there is often a lack of understanding in how to populate and extrapolate useful information, what to do with it, and how to properly manage it between consultants, clients and contractors. A lot of information results in being left behind, usually because there are not enough resources to have someone appointed to manage it and coordinate that information with the project team.

Simply having a model (or several, if you have other consultants working in 3D with you on the project), and even a BIM execution plan, does not make a project “BIM”. It is how a team uses those models, and how well they stick to the BIM execution plans throughout the life of a project, which contribute to it being BIM. Many projects start off with solid intentions of utilizing BIM, even capturing the process in a BIM execution plan, yet the design team slips back into the familiar foxholes of their disciplines, working exclusively, not collaboratively. Teams tacitly expect that working in Revit means they are coordinating and collaborating, because the software is doing the work for them. No one is there to keep the team on track with the BIM execution plan, or to modify it as the project changes, and so the BIM process is left behind.

Ultimately, what makes these projects fail at BIM is a lack of dedicated management of the BIM process. Many times, projects expect the modellers to be the BIM managers, relying on them to produce 2D contracts and drawings while managing the BIM. One of those two roles will eventually suffer, and the typical result is for the model and information management to be reduced. When the project reaches 90 per cent and experiences a major design change (such as levels dropping by 500mm), the Revit models break and consultants are left furiously trying to fix what they can to make the deadline. Additional hours are now lost because of poor model management, which likely could have been mitigated through the foresight and planning of a dedicated BIM manager.

Often, the value of a BIM manager is not fully understood, because their efforts can easily be hidden by a successfully running project. What BIM managers are doing in the background are multitudes of tasks, be they small or large that translate into a well-oiled machine of a project. Just as one might frequent the gym to become more fit and strong, they will attend regularly, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour a day. After two days of this, they see no result, but after several months, the benefits begin to show. Likewise, by a certain period within a project, a team has developed their daily best practices through the guidance of their BIM manager, and the long-term benefits are proven through the team’s ability to utilize the information within their models with little effort. The ability to coordinate that information with the rest of the consultants is a more effective process because the framework has been laid out through the project’s BIM execution plan, which has been properly followed by the design team.

At the rate in which technology within the AEC industry is moving, BIM will either be left behind (if it is not already) or grow into something more complex than what most firms are ready for in the industry. This is a concept that has been looming over our companies for over a decade now, and yet many still believe that Revit equals BIM. Schools not only need to educate students on how to design and construct buildings, they need to educate students on how to understand the power of the metadata within their projects.

Soon, the days of 2D deliverables will be gone and projects will solely be delivering 3D databases that can connect to other mediums that will collect and sort the information for a more sophisticated method of constructing and maintaining projects. While modeling remains an important aspect of BIM, it is the power of the information within those models and how it is utilized that will set a project apart from the others.

Melonie Beskowiney is BIM coordinator at Dialog Design in Edmonton, Alberta. @meloniebeskowin

Mayor Tory announces new apartment tower safety measures

On February 13th, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced plans to implement new apartment tower safety measures after hundreds of families were displaced due to electrical failures at two high-rise buidlings in Toronto’s St. James Town neighbourhood.

In August, a fire broke out in the electrical room at 650 Parliament Street resulting in 1,500 residents being displaced for upwards of six months. In January, a burst water pipe in a neighbouring building on Wellesley St. caused power outages and the evacuation of some 550 residents. Though heat and water were restored after just a few days in this case, the financial and emotional strain to both the residents and the city are what spurred Tory to relook how building inspections were being handled.

Moving forward, the mayor is proposing that a comprehensive series of inspections be carried out in apartment buildings in St. James Town and other areas around the city where older apartments are prevalent. These inspections would be executed by a team of workers from the Electrical Safety Authority, Toronto Fire and City of Toronto bylaw enforcement officers.

“This lack of preventative maintenance is unacceptable and it needs to stop,” Tory told reporters. “There is simply too much safety risk involved and it simply can’t be the standard we accept when it comes to the daily lives of hard working tenants in these buildings around the city.”

This newly-created group will review building stock to identify which other buildings in the city have some of the same risks as those damaged in the St. James Town instances, and need to be subjected to the same comprehensive inspection process.

“Once this review of the building stock across the city is complete, a detailed risk-based inspection process will then be utilized to prioritize the buildings and the order in which they will be inspected and then, of course, the inspections will proceed,” he said.

CIBC Mellon’s One York Street certified LEED Gold

CIBC Mellon’s office at One York Street, located in Toronto’s South Core financial district, has achieved LEED Gold certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

“By certifying their office to LEED, CIBC Mellon enables a healthy and environmentally responsible workplace,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC in a press release. “LEED certified interior spaces have superior indoor air quality through healthy material and furniture choices along with better temperature and ventilation controls. These strategies should be applied to all offices for employees to have comfortable and productive places to work.”

“Environmental health and sustainability is a priority at CIBC Mellon,” said Johnny Fong, assistant vice-president, corporate real estate and administration, CIBC Mellon in a press release.

“This certification represents our ongoing commitment to implementing green efficiencies that are good for both our employees and the environment, and it is a testament to our ongoing efforts to conduct business in an increasingly sustainable manner.”

The company’s office space features floor-to-ceiling windows that provide ample natural light, increased ventilation and energy efficient lighting, helping to further enhance its employee experience. With a strong focus on sustainability, CIBC Mellon’s recycling and compost program and its paperless initiative divert waste away from landfills, and the company continues to seek solutions that minimize its environmental footprint and enhance employee comfort and energy efficiency.

BGIS receives ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award

Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions (BGIS) has been revealed as the recipient of the 2018 ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award.

The award was presented at the BGIS Leadership Kick-Off Meeting in Markham, Ont., on Feb. 6, 2019.

“BGIS is truly a pioneer in the environmental movement,” said ISSA Canada executive director, Mike Nosko, during the award presentation. “The company’s continued focus has been to drive efficiency improvement for its customers through the provision of sustainable and innovative real estate solutions.”

“When it comes to greener, cleaner and more sustainable facilities, BGIS understands the meaning of ‘building wellness’ and the importance it plays in today’s changing world,” Nosko said.

According to a press release “sustainability is at the heart of BGIS’ business.”

The company continues to use its span of influence and expertise to reduce energy use in buildings, as well as promote conservation and sustainable business practices in its own offices, within its clients’ portfolios, and with its suppliers and team members.

The ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes and honours organizations committed to environmental management and dedication to the value of clean. For more information on the ISSA Environmental Stewardship Award and its past recipients, visit https://issa-canada.com/en/issa-canada-en/awards-of-recognition-en/stewardship-awards.

Photo Courtesy of ISSA Canada. From left, executive director Mike Nosko presents the 2018 Environmental Stewardship Award to John Castelhano, AVP Strategic Sourcing, North America at BGIS, and Gord Hicks, CEO of BGIS.

New website to tackle occupational disease prevention

The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) have collaborated to create Prevent Occupational Disease, an online repository of current and credible occupational disease resources.

The website, aimed at reducing illness and fatalities associated with occupational sources, is intended to help employers, supervisors, safety and health practitioners, and workers alike increase their understanding of occupational diseases and ways they may be prevented.

The resources provided relate to the science and mechanics of prevention; common hazards and their identification, exposure assessment and control; specific occupations and industries where the risk of developing occupational diseases is higher; and internationally recognized occupational diseases including cancer, respiratory and skin diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders.

“Occupational disease is a serious and poorly understood issue in Canada,” said Valerie Wolfe, Regional ED, OHCOW & Chair, Ontario Occupational Disease Action Plan Implementation Team in a press release. “Incidence numbers are high. Impact is delayed, debilitating and frequently fatal. This website is a critical step in raising awareness of health risks in the workplace and, most importantly, provides evidence-based knowledge that can drive prevention.”

Prevent Occupational Disease will be continually updated with new content and welcomes relevant submissions of free, accessible, non-commercial resources from around the world through its online form.

B.C. pre-qualifies three teams for Pattullo Bridge

The B.C. government has pre-qualified three teams to participate in the competitive selection process to design and construct the new toll-free $1.377 billion Pattullo Bridge.

The three bidding teams are:

1. Fraser Community Connectors:

Respondent: Kiewit Canada Development Corp.
Design-build contractor: Kiewit Infrastructure BC ULC
Long-span bridge design contractor: T.Y. Lin International and International Bridge Technologies, Inc.

2. Flatiron / Dragados / Carlson Pattullo JV:

Respondent: Flatiron / Dragados / Carlson Pattullo JV (a joint venture of Flatiron Constructors Canada Limited, Dragados Canada Inc. and Carlson Construction Group, Inc.), ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc., Hochtieff PPP Solutions North America, LLC and COWI North America, Ltd.
Design-build contractor: Flatiron / Dragados / Carlson Pattullo JV (a joint venture of Flatiron Constructors Canada Limited, Dragados Canada Inc. and Carlson Construction Group, Inc.)
Long-span bridge design contractor: COWI North America, Ltd.

3. Fraser Crossing Partners

Respondent: SNC-Lavalin Capital Inc. and Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc.
Design-build contractor: SNC-Lavalin Constructors (Pacific) Inc. and Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc.
Long-span bridge design contractor: SNC-Lavalin Inc., Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner Beratende Ingenieure VBI AG, Hatch Corporation, EXP Services Inc. and Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc.

The approved budget represents the full cost to complete the project, including procurement, project management, construction, removal of the existing bridge and interest during construction.

Construction of the new Pattullo Bridge will be facilitated by the province’s controversial Community Benefits Agreement. The goal of the CBA is to include job and training opportunities for people in the local area and the increased participation of apprentices and workers traditionally under-represented in the construction trades.

“The existing Pattullo Bridge is nearing the end of its useful life,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The selection of the three teams gets us closer to breaking ground on this project that will improve safety and reliability for residents, commercial vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.”

The new four-lane crossing will replace the existing Pattullo Bridge and will have wider lanes and better connections to road networks on either side of the bridge, which will help traffic flow more efficiently. It will provide safer connections for commuters, commercial vehicles and first responders. The new bridge also features dedicated pedestrian and cyclist lanes separated from traffic by a barrier on both sides of the bridge.

The province will use a design-build-finance model to build the Pattullo Bridge replacement. The bridge is expected to open in 2023.

Stephen Johnson to retire from Choice Properties

Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties) announced Stephen Johnson, president and chief executive officer, will retire on May 1, 2019.

Johnson will be succeeded by Rael Diamond, the current chief operating officer of Choice Properties.

Johnson has spent approximately 40 years in the real estate industry, including more than two decades leading Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT). Johnson and Diamond were appointed to their current roles following Choice Properties‘ acquisition of CREIT in May 2018.

Galen G. Weston, chairman and CEO of George Weston Limited, the majority unitholder of Choice Properties, said in a press release that the real estate investment trust has “benefited from Stephen’s leadership, which was instrumental in cementing the powerful combination of two strong Canadian real estate businesses last year.

“We are grateful for the legacy of Stephen’s vision, deep knowledge, and sound management during his tenure and wish him well. This transition from one of Canada’s finest real estate executives to another keeps Choice Properties on a very strong course.”

Until Johnson’s retirement, he will transition the role of CEO to Diamond, following which he will act as an advisor to Choice Properties for a year.

Diamond brings with him nearly two decades of experience in asset management and real estate operations as a senior executive, including seven years with CREIT and Choice Properties.

Canada ranked second for LEED certified projects

For the second year running, Canada ranked second in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED list. Canada has a total of 3,254 LEED certified projects totalling 46.81 million gross square metres. That’s more than twice as many LEED certified projects as Mainland China that topped the list with more than 68 million gross square metres of certified space.

“Canada’s top ranking in the world recognizes the leadership of the Canadian green building industry. The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), our stakeholders and members are committed to pushing the market forward and continuing to advocate for green buildings as carbon, energy, water, waste and health solutions,” says Thomas Mueller, president and chief executive officer of CaGBC in a press release. “With climate change on everyone’s mind, the newly launched version of LEED makes it easier than ever before to achieve high performance and scale-up market adoption to reduce carbon emissions and increase the resiliency of buildings.”

According to CaGBC, Canadian LEED certifications and registrations broken down by provinces, to date, are as follows:

Ontario: 3,015
Quebec: 1,643
British Columbia: 1,571
Alberta: 1,194
Atlantic Canada: 378
Manitoba: 282
Saskatchewan: 129
Territories: 24

LEED is currently used in 167 countries around the world. The list recognizes markets outside of the U.S. that use LEED green building program, created by USGBC.

Visit for the full list of rankings here.