Nova Scotia Province House marks bicentennial

Province House, home to the Nova Scotia Legislature, has marked its bicentennial. The sandstone Palladian style structure is Canada’s oldest legislative building, originally serving as the seat of Nova Scotia’s colonial government prior to Confederation.

“So much of Nova Scotia as we know it today was shaped through the debates and legislation within these walls over the last 200 years. Province House is a central piece of our heritage, where history will continue to be made for many years to come,” Premier Stephen McNeil said during a commemorative ceremony earlier this week.

Architectural historian Harold Kalman suggests Nova Scotia Province House could be the closest example to “classic Palladian-Georgian design, particularly the version of the Palladianism seen in England in the second half of the eighteenth century” that can be found in Canada — making it a notable legacy for the relatively novice designers: the painting contractor, John Merrick; and masonry contractor, Richard Scott. “Neither had prior experience on a building of this scale,” Kalman reports in his mammoth compendium, A History of Canadian Architecture.

Charles Dickens was reportedly among the admirers of Province House, said to have called it “a gem of Georgian architecture” when he visited Halifax in 1842. Georgian influence is also reflected in the coat of arms of George III carved above the main entrance. The sandstone masonry was quarried in Nova Scotia, while other notable design features such as the interior iron staircase, doors, window surrounds and plaster mantels are believed to have been imported from Scotland.

Not atypical for large infrastructure projects, construction was delayed and went over-budget. About seven and half years elapsed between laying of the cornerstone in August 1811 and the official opening February 11, 1819. According to the Nova Scotia Legislature’s historical account, capital costs soared from the initial £20,000 estimate to £52,000.

Reasons cited for the overruns remain common in the 21st century, with one notable exception. Construction delays were attributed to a shortage of skilled trades, labour disputes and the war with the United States.

To mark the milestone anniversary, a free public concert series will be held in the Province House Red Chamber on four evenings this winter and spring. Space is limited to 60 attendees, with tickets distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“As Speaker and elected member of the House of Assembly, the 200th anniversary of Province House is especially impactful,” asserted Speaker of the House of Assembly Kevin Murphy. “This occasion is the perfect opportunity for residents and visitors to Nova Scotia alike to feel more connected to this province, much of it which was built in this historic building.”

The role of surface disinfection in outbreak management

Wintertime is the busiest for most healthcare workers, as the beginning of the year often sees an influx of patients during the peak of the cold and flu season which lasts from October to March. Alongside overtired and overworked staff, everyone becomes more vulnerable during this time.

In hospitals, the cleaning protocols are clearly established but in addition to infection prevention strategies such as antimicrobial stewardship, promoting personal hygiene and providing environmental hygiene and barriers, surface disinfection plays a key role in outbreak management in healthcare facilities.

“It’s critical to ramp up surface disinfection in your facility during the winter months to help prevent cold and flu outbreak,” says Barley Chironda, an infection control specialist at Clorox. There is added pressure that comes from flu season as pathogens can spread more aggressively in the winter months, it becomes the cleaning staff’s biggest responsibility to reduce the burden of infection.

Training

Staff should receive ongoing training and education on surface-specific cleaning procedures. Make sure the necessary training accompanies whatever tools or products are provided.

“Having an evaluation component is something you want to prioritize as it adds a continuous improvement layer to your disinfection process,” Chironda says. With this evaluation process, there is an opportunity for re-education or re-training, allowing for a good standard of practice to be in place at all times.

Don’t neglect floor care

In the past, hospital floors were not considered an important source for pathogen transmission because they are rarely touched, however, studies have shown they are often heavily contaminated. According to a study published in 2018 by the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) hospital privacy curtains may harbour dangerous germs, another study published in AJIC in 2017 revealed: “medical devices and other items that touch the floor within a hospital can quickly transmit disease-causing bacteria to other high-touch surfaces and hands.”

It has become necessary to observe floor care as more than just an aesthetics issue.

Promote education and technology

Chironda says managers and staff can clean healthcare facilities without cutting corners by continually seeking out innovative ways to keep up with the higher burden of infection during the wintertime. He urges facility managers to rely on innovation and technology to do a thorough cleaning and cover more areas faster, without the risk of compromising patient and healthcare workers safety.

Chironda adds that one of the most effective ways to reduce the transmission of bacteria is to have the necessary concentration of effective disinfection products near the point of view so that anybody that needs to wipe a surface can do so readily and easily, including non-custodial staff.

Zandile Chiwanza is the online editor of Facility Cleaning and Maintenance and Canadian Property Management.

Barley Chironda is an infection control specialist at Clorox. You can email him at [email protected]. Photo courtesy of Clorox Professional Products Company.

Ontario cues agenda for industrial properties

Details of how the Ontario government might fulfill its promise to protect industrial properties from inflated valuations are still scarce, but it wouldn’t necessarily require new legislation. Section 10 of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Act allows the Minister of Finance to issue “general or specific” directives related to MPAC’s activities — authority last exercised in 2015 when the then Minister of Finance, Charles Sousa, called for policies, procedures and standards to guide the assessment of seven specific types of manufacturing and mill facilities.

Property tax and assessment specialists theorize that’s why the action is included in a list of initiatives associated with Bill 66, the proposed Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, even though none of the bill’s dozens of legislative amendments pertain to the Assessment Act. The government’s associated Dec. 6 backgrounder makes the promise, under a heading that reads “Protect industrial lands”, and focuses on communications with MPAC.

“The government will confirm with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) that industrial properties will be assessed based on current permitted uses, not speculative uses,” it states. A brief accompanying explanation calls this a “measure under the Assessment Act” and reiterates it “would confirm that the methodology MPAC uses to assess business properties is based on permitted land uses only.”

Highest-and-best-use considerations skew values

Instructions to MPAC would presumably address the application of highest-and-best- use considerations when assessing properties deemed to be in transition. Assessed values of some properties rose sharply during the most recent province-wide reassessment exercise in 2016 because they were pegged to land uses that could theoretically exist on the site. That was most notable in the case of small commercial properties, which were assessed based on the potential for high-rise residential, and industrial properties in areas facing redevelopment pressure.

The Ontario government’s Dec. 6 pledge focuses on the latter. “This would protect businesses on employment lands where land values have jumped because of new residential developments nearby from steep property tax increases,” it maintains.

“If the government wants to make an impact and do something quickly, a directive can be effective,” advises Jack Walker, a partner with Walker Longo & Associates LLP and co-author of the Ontario Property Tax Assessment Handbook. “The notification (in the Bill 66 backgrounder) got a lot of positive feedback from large industrial property owners.”

Otherwise, reaction has been muted. MPAC has not acknowledged the government’s statement on its own website, but AMCTO, an association for municipal managers and administrators, posted this comment on December 17, 2018: “In a follow-up to AMCTO, MPAC confirms that it will continue to value industrial properties, including those on employment lands, based on permitted uses only, as determined by land use policy set by the province and municipalities.”

Recently released amendments to the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan, now open for public comment, include a proposed new policy for employment lands that also hints at the government’s agenda for industrial properties. “The development of sensitive land uses, major retail uses or major office will avoid, or where avoidance is not possible, minimize and mitigate adverse impacts on industrial, manufacturing or other uses that are particularly vulnerable to encroachment,” it states.

Closures undermine tax base

Meanwhile, the closure of industrial enterprises triggers other issues for property owners and host municipalities. Property tax liability could be a factor in an owner’s ability to sell the site to another industrial user or return scaled-down operations to full production, while concerns about the assessment base can sway municipal decisions to either retain or rezone employment lands.

“The big industrial manufacturing properties are essentially the antithesis of the downtown office properties,” Walker observes. “With big industry, the sales value (of the land) is low. The value is when they are operational. When they are not, the diminution in value is huge.”

David Gibson, a director with Yeoman & Company Paralegal and Professional Corporation, cites the example of the closure of a 1.5-million-square-foot auto parts plant. “The value came down from $38 million to $2.8 million,” he reports.

The fallout is likely be multiple times greater when the General Motors automotive assembly plant in Oshawa is shuttered. “The facility is about 14 million square feet so the impact is very significant on Oshawa’s tax base,” Gibson affirms.

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

Addressing common complaints for condo gyms

When it comes to condominium amenities, one of the first things residents expect is a gym. Not just any gym, but a well-equipped, spacious, well-maintained gym. According to a RentShare study, the biggest pet peeve of the modern resident is not having access to quality services.

Nearly 15 years ago, developers didn’t deem it necessary to lay out a gym in a condo’s building plan. Gyms were a second-thought in a building. If there was space left over or room to fill on a floor, the space would be converted into a gym.

However, there is great value in providing a gym facility for residents so they don’t have to spend additional money and leave the property to go to another gym. And now more than ever, health-conscious individuals are constantly looking to improve their well-being by eating well and exercising.

As the demand for a gym as a basic amenity within a condo building grows, developers must make sure they’re equipping buildings with fitness facilities. While developers are responding to the immediate demand for fitness facilities in condo buildings, sometimes it’s not quite enough.

Condo buildings may now have gyms, but residents still have numerous complaints about the size, availability of equipment, hours and maintenance of these facilities. What follows are some of the most common complaints condo management companies receive about gyms and tips on how to overcome these issues.

Limited equipment and overcrowded gyms

Topping the list of complaints that condo residents have about their fitness facilities is that they are too crowded.

The busiest times for gyms are 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. That leaves a narrow window — between noon and 4 p.m. — for health enthusiasts to peacefully enjoy gym facilities, without worrying about waiting for the elliptical or a treadmill, although this isn’t very convenient for the many people who work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gyms are often too small and overcrowded during the hours that most people aren’t working, making it extremely hard for residents to beat gym traffic and use the facilities as well as they would like.

On average, each condo building had around 200 units up until 2006, according to Altus Group. This number has increased, and by 2012, most condo buildings had closer to 400 units per building. For a building of at least 400 or more inhabitants, even if a condo gym had three treadmills, three elliptical machines and additional equipment, each resident would be entitled to only one per cent of a single machine.

These figures suggest that even gyms that are better equipped with four or five of each machine are still not meeting the demands of gym-goers. There is a shortage of equipment, regardless of how nice the gym may be within a condo building.

Tip: Look at the logistics of potentially making more machines and exercise equipment available as well as expanding the size of the building’s gym or exercise room. Consider re-allocating another common area to a gym or exercise room to offer increased facilities. Or, if possible, dedicate an entire floor to exercise facilities.

But be sure to do the math and keep in mind the number of total units in the building when deciding on how much more equipment to purchase and by how much to expand the size of the gym. Also remember that it’s better to focus on offering fewer facilities (such as a well-equipped gym, a well-maintained pool or a yoga studio) rather than offering multiple, poorly managed facilities.

Limited gym hours

Another common complaint that is connected to the shortage of equipment or limited capacity of fitness facilities is gym hours. Most condo gyms are open anywhere between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. But for 60 per cent of the 17 hours the gym is open, it is an extremely busy place.

As a result, residents complain about restrictions on hours. Rather than specific hours, residents believe that gyms in condo buildings should be open 24 hours. Because it is a facility that can remain open with little supervision from the condo board, residents think that perhaps they should have greater access to the gym. Schedules vary, and gyms are busy for greater parts of the day, so from a condo board’s perspective, couldn’t a gym be open 24 hours?

Tip: A gym can be noisy, so condo corporations may receive noise complaints from residents who live directly above and below the gym. However, corporations can potentially address both complaints by reviewing noise-reduction solutions and making sure the gym is sound-proof. These solutions can help accommodate those who wish to exercise on their own schedule as well as those who were previously disrupted by noise from the gym, provided that the sound-proofing is effective.

Poorly maintained gyms

Needless to say, residents expect well-maintained gyms and exercise rooms. However, as a result of the constant use of equipment and machinery in exercise facilities, things often stop working or aren’t kept up.

Proper maintenance of machines is a given, but it’s also important to ensure that, overall, the space is clean and fresh. Common maintenance complaints about condo gyms are poor ventilation and intolerable smells. The two go hand-in-hand. If a gym room has poor ventilation, it won’t air out the smell within the space.

Tip: It is extremely important that modern, durable, and high-quality equipment serve as the foundation for any fitness centre in a condo building.

Ensure that equipment is regularly maintained and schedule routine checks to confirm that there is good lighting and ventilation, and that the space is kept clean and healthy for residents. Also ensure that residents are taking care of the space by leaving sanitization and cleaning supplies, towels and cloths so that they can clean up after themselves. The gym is a shared space within the condo building so the responsibility falls on both residents and the condo corporation for its upkeep.

Complaints about overcrowding, limited hours and lack of maintenance in condo gyms are common, but there are ways to condo corporations can address these concerns. The biggest thing a corporation can do is listen to their residents’ concerns in order to facilitate healthier exercise facilities within condo communities.

Steven Christodoulou, RCM, is chief visionary officer at ICC^® Property Management. ICC^® Property Management has been assisting condo corporations in creating community and ensuring property is being well maintained since 1992. With a focus on transparency, communication and community-building, ICC^® offers property management services to buildings across the Greater Toronto Area.

The preceding article has been adapted and reprinted with permission from the ICC^® Property Management blog: https://iccpropertymanagement.com/blog/.

Affordable housing set for surplus federal properties

Surplus federal properties in Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland are set to be repurposed into affordable housing as part of the Federal Lands Initiative. Housing developers may now submit proposals for five properties located across these three provinces, with the goal to create affordable, sustainable, accessible and socially-inclusive housing.

Surplus properties are evaluated based on location, suitability, availability, proximity to amenities and through a cost/benefit analysis. Once approved, the properties selected for affordable housing development are listed for sale on Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s National Housing Strategy website. Social and affordable housing providers are then able to submit applications to acquire these properties following a competitive process.

The properties are Wateridge Village – Block 21 in Ottawa; 12 390 Avenue Saint-Jacques in Montreal; 1455-1465 Place du Dauphin and 1148-1162 rue Jogues in Sherbrooke; and Pleasantville – Lots 5-8, 13-17 in St. John’s; and Pleasantville – Block 14 in St. John’s. As a result of the sale of these properties, the Federal Lands Initiative will create or preserve at least 257 housing units.

“Increasing the availability of affordable housing is the cornerstone of ensuring all Canadians have a place to call home,” said The Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, in a news release. “Being able to leverage surplus federal properties and lands is an effective way to create new housing and also breathe new life into properties that have been untouched for years or decades.”

As part of the Federal Lands Initiative, the Government of Canada is allocating $200 million over the next 10 years through the National Housing Strategy to support the transfer of surplus, underused properties to eligible proponents at either no cost or heavily discounted rates, in an effort to encourage the development of affordable housing.

The Federal Lands Initiative is led by CMHC, in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada and Canada Lands Company CLC Limited, as well as other federal partners with surplus lands.

The dos and don’ts of winter floor care

Floor care is an important part of maintaining a facility’s image and safety. It’s a big task year-round, but it can be a challenge particularly in the winter. Slush and salt can make for an unpleasant walkway, turn people away, lead to slips and falls, and cause significant damage to your floors.

To make winter floor maintenance more productive and improve the life and safety of your floors, here are some Dos and don’ts to keep in mind.

Outdoors (for the sake of this article, sidewalks and parking lots count as flooring.)

DO use ice melt to prevent slips and falls.
DON’T just throw ice melt down. You have to spread it evenly. Consider using a push or hand spreader.
DO use the right size and type of ice melt. Using a coloured ice melt like Clean & Green™’s green pellets allows you to see it better on the ground and not overuse it, and if the pellets are too small or big, they won’t work properly.
DON’T use ice melt in place of shovelling properly. Having clear paths is important for safety.
DO err on the side of caution. It pays to be prepared and aware. You may not think it’s that slippery outside, but someone may be wearing worn shoes and slip easily. Putting ice melt out just in case can save you from hefty lawsuit fees.

Entranceways

DO have entrance matting. 80 per cent of dirt, dust, and moisture can be trapped in matting so it doesn’t get tracked further into your facility.
DO use entrance matting as floor protection. It’s a lot easier and cheaper to replace a carpet than it is to strip, recoat, or replace flooring.
DON’T just use any sized mat. 15 feet lengthwise is the recommended size to capture most of the debris/moisture, but the bigger the better.
DO customize your entrance matting to enhance your facility’s appearance. You can get colours, logos, or messaging made into matting so your dedication to floor care and safety is on brand while you make an impactful impression.
DON’T use a regular vacuum to clean your dirty/wet mats and entrance ways. Due to snow or slush, you’ll need a wet vac. And having an air blower to dry carpets/floors faster is also a good idea.
DO tend to that area several times a day to ensure that the facility always looks its best and that there are no opportunities for accidents to occur.

Inside your facility

DO use the correct products to safely remove any white salt reside from floors, carpets, and metal frames. Winterinse™ or Haze Away are great products for eliminating this and restoring floors to a state of cleanliness.
DON’T leave floors/carpets wet, no matter how close to the doorway. This could damage the floors or lead to slip and fall accidents.
DO use the right tools (double cavity mop bucket, wet floor sign…) when dealing with wet floors so you remove the hazard quickly, safely, and without spreading dirt and contaminants around unknowingly.
DO use a floor scrubber instead of a mop/bucket (assuming you have the space) to increase productivity.

Victoria Donovan is the digital marketing coordinator at Swish Maintenance Ltd, a leading distributor of sanitation product solutions, equipment and service in Canada and the U.S.

National housing starts trend held steady in January

In January 2019, the trend in housing starts was 208,131 units, compared to December 2018’s 207,171 units, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts.

“After recent declines, the national trend in housing starts held steady in January and remained above [the] historical average,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist, in a news release. “While single-detached starts continued to trend lower in January, this was offset by an uptick in the trend for multi-unit dwellings in urban centres.”

In the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), the trend measure for housing starts held steady in January after trending lower during the second half of 2018. Most housing starts in the region were in the condominium segment in Vancouver and Burnaby, which accounted for over half of new construction activity for the month, when combined.

In Kelowna, total starts saw a sharp uptick in January. Condominium units in the region accounted for the largest share of the increase with larger projects breaking ground in January. This continued a trend of increased multi-family construction in the region, however single detached starts also saw a slight increase.

The Lethbridge region saw total housing starts trend higher in January 2019 on a monthly basis, mainly due to the increase in single-detached housing starts. Multi-family starts saw an insignificant decline as the decrease in both row and apartment starts was partially offset by the increase in semi-detached starts.

Saskatoon’s trend measure of housing starts rose slightly in January 2019, but actual total housing starts for the month of January fell 15 per cent year-over-year. According to CMHC, slowing building activity is due to a steep decline in multi-family construction in the region, while the number of single-detached starts increased on an annual basis.

In the Toronto CMA, the total housing starts trend remained unchanged between December 2018 and January 2019. Starts for single and semi-detached homes and condominium units trended lower. For row homes, starts trended significantly higher as strong pre-construction sales in late 2018 transitioned into housing starts. Increased borrowing costs kept pre-construction sales of new homes, especially low-rise, low in 2018. CMHC believes that in 2019, even fewer units will break ground in Toronto.

Total housing starts in London trended higher due to apartment construction ramping up as single detached and row home starts continued to trend lower. A rising number of completed, yet unsold, new single-detached homes led to fewer single-detached starts, since any demand was satisfied with existing stock.

The Ottawa region saw housing starts trend lower across all home types in January 2019, with starts reaching their lowest level for the month in over two decades. The number of units under construction in January was historically high, resulting in homebuilders having fewer resources to commit to new construction.

January 2019 saw Gatineau starts trend lower for the second month in a row. However, the number of new rental units remains elevated, as the aging population and low vacancy rates continue to lead to starts for this home type.

In Quebec, housing starts activity started off slowly in January 2019, due to a decrease in the multi-unit segment. Despite this, multi-unit starts, especially rentals, are expected to remain relatively strong this year. Activity in this market segment is largely due to migration and an aging population.

The New Brunswick CMA saw total housing starts climb 33 per cent year-over-year in January 2019. This increase was due to the number of multi-unit housing starts in 2019 doubling January 2018 levels. For single-detached homes, construction has been trending down, and the number of starts in January 2019 was the lowest for the month in 20 years.

CMHC uses the trend measure to complement the monthly SAAR of housing starts to account for considerable swings in monthly estimates and form a more complete picture of the national housing market.

The standalone monthly SAAR of starts for all regions of Canada was 207,968 units in January, a decline from 213,630 units in December 2018. The SAAR of urban starts fell by 2.1 per cent in January to 190,912 units. Multiple starts in urban regions rose 0.7 per cent to 146,353 units in January, while single-detached urban starts dropped 10.4 per cent to 44,559 units. Meanwhile, rural starts were estimated at a SAAR of 17,056 units.

OptiSolve awarded grant to help reduce HAIs

OptiSolve, a division of Charlotte Products Ltd., and the Kelley Lab at the University of Toronto have been awarded a $4.5 million grant from Genome Canada to focus on the detection and identification of surface microbial contamination in high-risk facilities.

The partners will combine novel nanomaterials with a genomics-based approach to allow for precise identification of pathogens that cause hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

OptiSolve has developed an environmental monitoring system and optical sensor technology, called Pathfinder, which is used to image and assess surfaces for microbial contamination.

Left side of photo shows actual OptiSolve Pathfinder environmental monitoring system and optical sensor technology imaging and assessing surfaces for microbial contamination, right side of photo is how the “clean” door handle looks to the eye.

According to a press release, the second phase development of this technology will let hospitals, long-term care facilities, and retirement homes rapidly detect and identify harmful agents, such as MRSA, C. difficile, and influenza, with the resultant benefits of proactive prevention and quick interventions.

“The current OptiSolve offering already provides breakthrough precision cleaning capabilities to improve environmental health and safety in all types of facilities – from hospitals to food manufacturing plants to educational facilities and offices – just to name a few. However, this grant takes us to the next level because we will be able to identify deadly pathogens such as C. diff and listeria on surfaces, in real time. We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Tony Ambler, chairman of Charlotte Products Ltd., in a press release.

Photo courtesy of OptiSolve, a division of Charlotte Products Ltd.

Avidbots brings floor scrubbing robot to South Korea

Avidbots is pleased to announce a partnership with Daeduck International to bring Neo – an autonomous floor-scrubbing robot – to South Korea.

According to a press release demand for Neo across Asia is accelerating. South Korea becomes the fourth Asian market to adopt Neo. Following a successful launch in Singapore, Neo is deployed at Changi Airport plus a range of healthcare, education and retail locations there, while in Japan, travellers will see the robot supporting operations at Kansai Airport. In 2018, Avidbots opened a regional office in Hong Kong with a focus on direct sales and support entry into mainland China.

Established in 1995, Daeduck International is a leading South Korean distributor of commercial hardware, including sweepers, floor-scrubbers and construction equipment. The company will provide sales and service for Neo from its headquarters in Pohang-si.

“Asia is an important market for Avidbots and we’re delighted to add South Korea to the growing list of countries in which Neo is available,” said Faizan Sheikh, Avidbots CEO. “Daeduck International shares our commitment to maximizing human potential through world-class robotics. We look forward to seeing Neo support facility operations teams throughout South Korea.”

Avidbots is the maker of Neo, a purpose-built commercial floor-cleaning robot that integrates navigation technology with hardware designed for ease of use, longevity, serviceability, safety, and high productivity.

CWC recognizes excellence in wood architecture

The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) has announced the 2018 Wood Design & Building Award winners. Submissions to the awards program were thoughtful in design and highlighted wood’s aesthetic and structurally diverse capabilities.

The Wood Design & Building Awards program is a unique opportunity to recognize exceptional wood buildings and celebrate design teams that continually challenge the possibilities for wood in construction.

A revered architectural jury hand-selected the winning projects at the end of December 2018. The jury consisted of: Shelley Craig, principal at Urban Arts Architecture; Paul Masi, principal at Bates Masi Architects; and Andrew Frontini, principal at Perkins + Will.

“The longevity of our prestigious Wood Design & Building Awards program is a testament to the innovation that exists for the wood products industry,” explained Etienne Lalonde, vice-president of CWC Market Development. “The quality of submissions received is paramount and a true reflection of the sophistication and refinement that is forever evolving for the wood industry.”

The award recipients for the 2018 Wood Design & Building Awards program are:

HONOUR

The Marine Education Center at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Lake|Flato Architects with Associate Architect unabridged Architecture
Calgary Central Library (and Wood Soffit), Calgary, Alberta , Dialog Design with Snohetta
Henry David Thoreau Footbridge, Washington Depot, Connecticut, Gray Organschi Architecture
Chile Pavilion Expo Milan 2015 – Second Life, Temuco, Chile, Undurraga Deves Arquitectos
New headquarters FINSA, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, mrm+a architects
Forest Home, Helsinki, Finland, ORTRAUM architects

MERIT

Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury, Quebec City, Quebec, A49 / DFS / STGM, architects in consortium
Backyard House, Seattle, Washington, Robert Hutchison Architecture
Common Ground High School, New Haven, Connecticut, Gray Organschi Architecture
Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse, Tsuruoka City, Japan, Shigeru Ban Architects
Collège Simone Veil, Lamballe, France, Dietrich | Untertrifaller with Colas Durand

CITATION

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Formline Architecture
High Horse Ranch, Willits, California , Kieran Timberlake
First Tech Federal Credit Union, Hillsboro, Oregon, Hacker
Harbour building WVIjburg, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Margulis Moormaan Architects

CANADIAN WOOD COUNCIL AWARDS

Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge, Calgary, Alberta, GEC Architecture
John W. Olver Design Building, Amherst, Massachusetts, Leers Weinzapfel Associates
House on Ancaster Creek, Ancaster, Ontario, Williamson Williamson Inc.
Lake Rosseau Boathouse, Muskoka, Ontario, Atelier Kastelic Buffey

For full list of winners, visit Canadian Wood Council

Construction begins on Surrey elementary school

Construction has officially begun on the new Edgewood Drive-area elementary school in Surrey. The new $33-million Edgewood Drive-area elementary school will add 655 new student seats to Grandview Heights when it opens in September 2021.

“After years of underinvestment in Surrey, families are finally beginning to see what a properly resourced education system looks like with thousands of new student seats coming to Grandview Heights,” said Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Education. “This is a great example of how our strong relationship with the Surrey Board of Education and the City of Surrey is providing better support for Surrey students.”

In addition, Grandview Heights families can look forward to a new 1,500-seat secondary school in 2021 and a 300-seat addition to Pacific Heights Elementary in 2020. In April 2018, government also approved $28.95 million for the Surrey School District to purchase land for a new elementary school in the nearby Sunnyside neighbourhood.

Work has also begun on the new Maddaugh Road elementary school, a $34.1-million project that will be open to 605 Clayton-area students in 2021.

“We’re on a roll now with school construction in Surrey and it’s great to see,” said Surrey Board of Education chairperson Laurie Larsen. “Besides the Edgewood Drive area elementary, work is under way on the 12-classroom addition at neighbouring Pacific Heights Elementary, as well as the 605-seat Maddaugh Road Elementary school in Clayton Heights. We also expect construction to start this spring on two more South Surrey schools.”

While there are about 7,000 Surrey students in portables, there are also about 7,000 new student seats that will be open by September 2021 throughout the district.

The OMNI project receives development approval

The OMNI commercial project lands, located near the intersection of Stoney Trail and Airport Trail in Rocky View County, has been approved for commercial uses by Alberta’s Municipal Government board.

The OMNI by Genesis Land Development Corp. is a 185-acre master-planned multi-use commercial destination strategically located adjacent to the burgeoning north east side of the City of Calgary.

The proposed mixed-use development will include 600,000 square feet of retail, a 325,000 square foot outlet centre, 3 boutique hotels, 250 senior active living units, 500,000 square feet of office space, a children’s creativity zone, restaurants and more.

“Branded as The OMNI, this new generation town centre destination is envisioned to be comprised of various retail, commercial and leisure concepts and elements that are intended to be constructed over the next several years,” said Arnie Stefaniuk, VP, land development with Genesis.

The approval is the culmination of an intensive planning and consultation process between Rocky View County, the City of Calgary and Genesis.

“Genesis is excited to be able to move the planning process forward for these 185 acres and to make this multi-faceted and unique master planned destination a reality,” Iain Stewart, president and chief executive officer of Genesis.

Genesis Land Development Corp. is a land developer and residential home builder in the Calgary Metropolitan Area.

Feds invest $41.7 million in Montreal rental project

The federal government announced it is contributing $41.7 million toward the construction of a new Montreal rental project called Apero Phase 3, a 10-storey building in LaSalle. All units will have rents at or lower than 30 per cent of median household income in the area and 10 per cent of the units will be accessible.

The funding was made available through CMHC’s Rental Construction Financing initiative (RCFi) and will help finance the construction of the 199 rental housing units located close to public transit, schools and services for middle-income families.

“Through the National Housing Strategy, more middle class Canadians—and those working hard to join it—will find safe, accessible and affordable homes in communities where their families can thrive and children learn and grow,” said The Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Children, Families and Social Development and the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “This investment is wonderful news for the Montreal middle-income families that will move into these new affordable rental housing units. Our Government is committed to increasing the supply of rental units for Canadians through projects like the one we are announcing today.”

The RCFi, a National Housing Strategy initiative delivered by CMHC, supports affordable rental housing construction projects to encourage a stable supply of affordable rental housing across the country for middle-class families struggling in expensive housing markets.

Launched in April 2017, the program has generated a lot of interest and a high number of quality applications. In addition to filling the affordability need, Apero Phase 3 will be highly energy efficient, achieving energy savings of 45 per cent and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 22 per cent.

Brookfield initiates substantial issuer bids

Brookfield Property Partners has initiated substantial issuer bids to purchase up to USD $405 million of its limited partnership units and up to USD $95 million in Brookfield Property REIT shares. This comes in conjunction with a 5 per cent increase in quarterly distributions to Brookfield Property Partners L.P. (BPY) unitholders.

Both initiatives were announced last week with the release of Brookfield’s 2018 year-end results and a reported fifth consecutive year of increased funds from operations (FFO) per unit. “2018 was a transformational year for BPY as we grew our earnings, continued our capital recycling initiatives, completed the acquisition of GGP and launched BRP, our new U.S. REIT,” said Brookfield’s chief executive officer, Brian Kingston.

Substantial issuer bids are facilitated through what’s known as a Dutch auction, in which the issuer states the total planned expenditure, sets a ceiling and floor price and invites prospective vendors to submit their chosen volume of shares/units and acceptable price. All vendors ultimately receive the same price, but the auction serves to establish the benchmark for the number or shares/units to be acquired for the cash available. Shares/units proffered at prices above the benchmark remain with investors.

The rules governing substantial issuer bids allow for a greater volume of trading in a shorter period of time than more prevalent normal-course issuer bids. Analysts characterize them as a means to distribute excess cash with fewer potential negative tax implications than the payout of special dividends. The optional offer to investors ultimately reduces the number of outstanding shares/units and boosts per share/unit earnings, thus benefiting both those who sell and those who do not cash out.

The Brookfield offer contemplates a price in the range of $19 to $21 per unit/share and will be open to tenders for the next six weeks, until March 25. “None of BPY nor its board of directors makes any recommendation to unitholders as to whether to tender or refrain from tendering any or all of their units in offer, or as to the purchase price or prices at which unitholders may choose to tender units,” a Brookfield communiqué states.

CREC Commercial acquires industrial asset interest

Concert’s CREC Commercial Fund LP has entered into an agreement to purchase a 90 per cent interest in a one million square foot distribution facility in Ottawa – the largest in the National Capital Region – which is currently under construction and fully-leased to Amazon on a long-term basis. The Fund will be partnering with high-profile developer, Broccolini, which retains an interest in the project. CBRE Canada facilitated the deal in its role as advisor.

Situated in the City of Ottawa on an expansive 96.2-acre site, the distribution facility located at 5225 Boundary Road will be a best-in-class industrial facility serving as one of Amazon’s fulfillment centres in Canada.

The single-tenanted facility, which also includes 35,000 square feet of office and training space, features a 36-foot clear ceiling height, 99 truck-level doors and parking for more than 1,000 vehicles. Strategically located near a major interchange on the Trans-Canada highway, the flexibly-designed facility provides efficient access to major cities and population centres. The planned facility will support 600 full-time employees and will serve key markets in eastern Canada, including Ottawa and Montreal, which represent a population base of over five million.

“This is an exciting acquisition as it represents an excellent opportunity for the Fund to establish a foothold in the Ottawa region with a high-quality e-commerce industrial facility, while supporting Concert’s continued national growth and expansion,” says Brian McCauley, Concert’s president and CEO.

Upon completion of the construction of the project by Broccolini, Concert will enter into a co-ownership with Broccolini. Broccolini is currently overseeing the facility’s construction, which is scheduled to be complete in the second half of 2019.

“This deal represents a rare opportunity to strengthen our commercial income-producing property portfolio through the addition of an exceptional property and to partner with best-in-class, well-aligned groups in Broccolini and CBRE,” says Andrew Tong, managing director of CREC Commercial Fund LP.

With the acquisition of this unique facility, the Fund’s value will increase to approximately $1.6 billion and will include more than 9.3 million square feet of industrial and office properties.

GTA new home sales fell to 18-year low in 2018

Last year, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) new home market saw its lowest total sales in nearly two decades, according to the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD).

In 2018, there were 25,161 new homes sold in the GTA, according to Altus Group, BILD’s official source for new home market intelligence. This figure made 2018 the year with the lowest number of new home sales recorded in the GTA since 2000, when Altus Group began tracking new home data.

There were 21,330 condominium apartments sold in 2018, including units in low, medium and high-rise buildings, stacked townhouses and loft units, a decline of 38 per cent year-over-year, but only four per cent below the 10-year average. Meanwhile, 2018 only saw the sale of 3,831 single-family homes, including detached, linked and semi-detached houses and townhouses. This figure is 50 per cent below year-ago levels, and 74 per cent below the 10-year average.

“A number of factors combined to produce the drop in GTA new home sales in 2018,” said Patricia Arsenault, Altus Group’s executive vice president of data solutions, in a press release. “More stringent mortgage stress testing, rising interest rates and lack of single-family product affordable to a broader range of buyers all played a role. As well, the record new condo apartment sales in 2017 brought forward some demand that would otherwise have occurred in 2018.”

In December, the benchmark price for a new condominium apartment was $796,815, an increase of 11.2 per cent year-over-year, while the benchmark price for a single-family home was $1,143,505, down 6.7 per cent annually.

“From our point of view, the market is out of balance,” said David Wilkes, BILD’s president and CEO. “We must continue to work with all levels of government to ensure that policies don’t artificially price consumers out of the market.”

“We commend the provincial government for taking action toward increasing housing supply in Ontario,” added Wilkes. “We join other industry groups in calling on the federal government to revisit the stress test and allow a longer amortization period for first-time buyers. And we look forward to working with our municipal partners on removing barriers to development such as excessive red tape and outdated bylaws.”

At the end of December, there were 15,768 new homes available for purchase, broken down into 10,687 condo units and 5,081 single-family homes. These numbers include units in pre-construction projects, in projects currently under construction and in completed buildings.

LNG Canada approves $937M in contracts

LNG Canada announced it has approved more than $937 million in contracts and subcontracts with First Nations and other businesses across Canada as of December 2018, following the first three months of the construction phase of the large-scale LNG export project near Kitimat, British Columbia.

This includes $175 million to local First Nations businesses and, with the addition of contracts awarded to local Kitimat area businesses, including First Nations businesses, that total increases to $330 million and $530 million with the addition of B.C. businesses outside the local area.

“What these contracts and subcontracts represent, is tremendous opportunity for individuals to find employment on the LNG Canada project through our contractors and subcontractors,” says Susannah Pierce, LNG Canada’s director external relations.

“For First Nations communities, it is delivering on the opportunities we have committed to that will assist the Nations address issues of poverty, unemployment and skills development. For local communities, it is the opportunity for young people to find employment that allows them to remain living in the North.”

The economic benefits of the project extend far beyond British Columbia, with nearly $400 million in contracts and subcontracts approved for businesses across Canada. As the project progresses, more contracts will be awarded to benefit Canadian communities.

During the month of October 2018, the first month in the construction phase of the project, 249 workers from the local area, including First Nations, were employed by LNG Canada or one of its contractors.

By the end of construction, LNG Canada and the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that is needed to transport natural gas from northeastern B.C. to the LNG export facility near Kitimat, expects to employ approximately 10,000 Canadian workers. Coastal GasLink had earlier announced the award of $620 million in contracts to First Nations, with an additional $400 million to be awarded during the remainder of construction.

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