Office vacancy rates drop across Canada in Q3

Total office vacancy has dropped across Canada’s six largest urban markets, Colliers reports. Newly released results for the third quarter of 2018 suggest pre-leasing commitments from banks and tech companies for new premises in the Toronto and Vancouver markets underlie the growth.

The Canadian market saw more than 2.8 million square feet of positive absorption and a 32 per cent increase in new construction, bringing the tally of new space in progress to more than 14.6 million square feet. Some market highlights include:

Toronto
Toronto retains its title as the tightest major metropolitan market in North America. Total vacancy across all office nodes has dropped from 9.3 to 8.9 per cent. Colliers analysts report tenants are now starting their search for space at least two years in advance — a shift from the traditional 12 to 18 month time frame. In major Q3 deals: Microsoft announced it will relocate its Canadian headquarters to CIBC Square, now being developed by Ivanhoe Cambridge and Hines; and three tenants — Index Exchange, Shopify and Spaces — committed to The Well, the 1.6 million-square-foot multi-use project RioCan and Allied Properties REIT are jointly developing.

Vancouver
Greater Vancouver recorded positive absorption for the sixth straight quarter. Of the new supply in downtown 30 per cent has been pre-leased, including The Stack office project at 1133 Melville Street and Amazon at the Post South Tower and 401 West Georgia.

Montreal
The office vacancy rate dropped from 10.8 per cent in Q2 to 9.3 per cent at the end of Q3., as more than 1.3 million square feet of space was leased.

Edmonton
Declining asset values are prompting developers to consider major retrofits or conversions to residential uses. Meanwhile, several infrastructure projects are planned, underway or nearing completion in downtown Edmonton, including the Royal Alberta Museum, Stanley Milner Library and Winspear Centre Completion Project.

Calgary
Nearly 280,000 square feet of absorption occurred in the downtown market during the quarter, while completion of the TELUS Sky tower brought another 462,000 square feet onto the office market. Suburban tenants are now considering downtown options due to attractive lease rates.

Ottawa
The downtown core saw the largest decrease in availability making it increasingly more difficult for tenants to find new space Ottawa’s citywide vacancy rate is now is 7.7 per cent, and an even lower 5.8 per cent downtown.

EllisDon, Kinetic awarded $135m UVic facility

EllisDon Corporation and Kinetic Construction have been selected to provide construction management Services for the $135 million new Student Housing and Dining Facility at the University of Victoria (UVic), following a competitive bid process. The phased project will provide much needed on-campus housing for approximately 780 students.

“The new Student Housing and Dining Facility is the first significant capital project since the Campus Plan was renewed in 2016. This project is important, not only serving as a benchmark for future growth, but because it supports the commitments to environmental stewardship and sustainability that are so widely shared in our community and our culture,” said Daniel Murphy, vice president, pre-construction, EllisDon.

The university has selected two sites, “Phase 1 – Ring Road” and “Phase 2 – Cadboro Commons” to accommodate the two new building for student housing. The new buildings will provide:

• approximately 780 student housing beds,

• academic and social programming,

• dining hall and servery programming,

• extension of the “Grand Promenade” between the new buildings.

Pre-construction is already under way with substantial completion of Phase 1 expected to be reached in July 2022 followed by Phase 2 in July, 2024.

“This marks a new era for the UVic campus as they move forward with the largest project they have undertaken. It is gratifying as a local company to help build and strengthen such a hallmark university which also adds great value to the community at large,” said Tom Plumb, president & CEO of Kinetic Construction.

EllisDon and Kinetic (EDK) have been working together since 2006, partnering for the pursuit and construction of several large scale, complex projects in Victoria. EDK is currently completing the multi-phase expansion of the Fleet Maintenance Facility at CFB Esquimalt. They also worked together on the Hillside Shopping Centre Redevelopment.

“We look forward to working again as EDK on a project which represents our third joint venture together by building on the great success of the past two,” continued Plumb. “Our shared values and culture along with cutting edge processes and technology will lead to a truly value based delivery for the University.”

The new student housing on campus will respond to a broad range of student needs, including people with a wide range of physical abilities. A variety of room types and layouts are being considered including traditional dorm rooms and “pod” style living which includes single rooms with a shared kitchen and living areas.

In line with UVic’s Sustainability Action Plan, EDK is assisting the university with exploring a number of sustainable processes and systems including: Passive House Certification, LEED Certification, and BC Energy Step Code.

Investment green light for massive LNG facility

LNG Canada has announced that its joint venture participants – Shell, PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and KOGAS – have taken a Final Investment Decision (FID) to build the $40 billion LNG Canada export facility in Kitimat, B.C., in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.

“The Final Investment Decision taken by our joint venture participants shows that British Columbia and Canada, working with First Nations and local communities, can deliver competitive energy projects,” said Andy Calitz, CEO of LNG Canada. “This decision showcases how industrial development can co-exist with environmental stewardship and Indigenous interests.”

The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada said, “LNG Canada represents the single largest private sector investment project in Canadian history. It is a vote of confidence in a country that recognizes the need to develop our energy in way that takes the environment into account, and that works in meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities.”

Each joint venture participant will be responsible to provide its own natural gas supply and will individually offtake and market its share of LNG. The FID is for two processing units or “trains,” with first LNG expected before the middle of the next decade.

“The project LNG Canada is bringing to northern B.C. symbolizes the kind of balanced and sustainable path forward British Columbians are looking for,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan.

LNG Canada has worked towards FID since it first identified Kitimat from a list of 500 potential sites in British Columbia as the ideal location for an LNG export facility.

LNG Canada’s export plant has been designed to achieve the lowest carbon intensity of any large-scale LNG plant operating in the world today. LNG Canada achieved this through a combination of using renewable hydropower from BC Hydro and highly-efficient gas turbine engines. With demand for LNG expected to double by 2035 compared with today as a result of global commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, LNG Canada will provide natural gas to countries where imported gas could displace more carbon intensive energy sources and help to address global climate change and air pollution.

Fluor’s joint venture with JGC Corporation will provide the engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction on the project.

Rooftop garden opens at Vancouver Public Library

The new public rooftop garden at the Vancouver Central Public Library is officially open. The expansion adds almost 4,000 square metres (42,000 ft2) of new interior space, as well as an additional 1,560 square metres (approximately 16,800 ft2) of outdoor space.

Working with the Vancouver Public Library, Moshe Safdie, the internationally renowned architect of the original 1995 building, conceived of a sky-lit double-height atrium with a grand stair leading the public from level 8 to level 9 to the roof garden.

“We are delighted that after 23 years, the original concept of an accessible rooftop garden is being delivered to the public,” said Safdie, from his office in Somerville, Massachusetts. “We compliment the Library Board and the City of Vancouver for their perseverance and gathering the resources together to make this long-awaited vision a reality.”

“The public has embraced the library as one of the most important civic spaces in the city,” Safdie added.

The library turned to the original design team for the library to realize the project — Safdie Architects as design architects and interior designers, with DA Architects of Vancouver, the original associate architects and current Architect of Record.

The noted Canadian landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander conceived of both the original roof garden and the expanded public roof garden. She has designed such iconic public spaces such as Robson Square in Vancouver and the gardens of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

The Vancouver Library Square building occupies an entire city block of downtown Vancouver. The upper two floors were leased to the provincial government for 20 years as part of the financing for the building. When this lease expired, the upper two-stories were able to be reclaimed to expand library functions—a grand stair and seating feature which can be used for lectures, receptions, and other gatherings, as well as a new reading room, staff offices, and a board room. Multi-purpose rooms, an auditorium and a series of display areas afford those visiting the library the opportunity to study and explore Vancouver’s rich history.

At Level 9, nearly one third of the existing building enclosure was removed to make way for a thoroughly landscaped garden terrace with panoramic views of the city skyline. This garden is open to the public for daily use and can be reserved for special events.

The remaining interior spaces at Level 9 feature general meeting and event rooms for public use that benefit from the visual transparency between indoors and outdoors.

During the day, when the library is open, the new floors are seamlessly integrated with the rest of the library by extending the existing elevators and escalators up to the upper floors. In the evening or when the library is closed, the upper two floors can be accessed by way of the private elevator bank at the ground level plaza, which connects directly up to these floors.

Financing the future: $3.75 billion in loans to build rental housing

Canada is overdue for a new generation of affordable rental housing.

Currently, around 1.7 million Canadian families don’t have a home that meets their basic needs and that they can afford. Renting can be a good option, but only if there are units available in the right places and price ranges.

Experts agree that having a stable supply of rental housing is critical to our nation’s housing future. That’s where the Rental Construction Financing Initiative (RCFI) comes in.

Part of the National Housing Strategy (NHS), the RCFI provides low-cost loans to encourage the construction of rental housing which is affordable to middle class Canadians across the country. The initiative has a total of $3.75 billion in loans available to encourage the construction of more than 14,000 new rental housing units.

“Canada’s middle class will benefit from the construction of new rental housing,” states David Charron, National Director, Multi-Unit Affordable Rental at Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation.

“As part of Canada’s first-ever National Housing Strategy, this initiative provides low-cost loans to support new construction projects, relieving pressure in rental markets that are experiencing low vacancy rates and high rents,” he continues. “It will allow more middle-class Canadians to spend more time with their children by living closer to public transit, schools and services.”

By supporting construction and early operations with low-cost loans, the initiative will help expand the number of housing developers, non-profit organizations and municipalities able to access financing for rental housing projects. The focus is on supporting sustainable apartment projects in areas where there is an acute need for additional rental supply.

Prioritizing the housing needs of Canadians

These new rentals are one part of the 100,000 total new housing units the $40-billion National Housing Strategy aims to help create over the next 10 years.

Through a variety of construction and research funding and social programs, the NHS is designed to address a wide range of housing challenges and find solutions across the entire housing continuum – including the rental market. It aims to promote diverse, accessible, sustainable and livable communities while, among other objectives, cutting chronic homelessness in half.

The RCFI, specifically, will prioritize standard apartment projects that meet or exceed certain requirements for financial viability, affordability, energy efficiency and accessibility, and those that support vibrant, socially inclusive neighbourhoods, are close to public transit, and are developed through partnerships or collaboration. Projects that are closer to breaking ground are also more likely to be prioritized.

To be eligible, projects must include at least 5 rental units, respond to a demonstrable need for rental supply, and have zoning in place, a site plan in process and a building permit available.

Projects must decrease energy use and greenhouse gas emissions at a level at least 15% below requirements in the 2015 National Energy Code for Buildings or the 2015 National Building Code. In addition, at least 10% of the project’s units must meet or exceed accessibility standards and have barrier-free common areas as regulated by local codes.

Loans for projects that meet the eligibility requirements are offered on a 10-year term at a favourable, fixed interest rate that is locked in at first advance for greater cost certainty. They can be amortized up to 50 years, and are insured by CMHC at first advance.

You can learn more about the RCFI, eligibility requirements, and how to apply online at cmhc-nhs.ca/financinginitiative. Loan commitments are available through December 2020.

Reducing risk factors for workplace injuries

There are many reasons companies start ergonomics programs. It could be due to one serious injury, or it could be due to a series of minor injuries or staff absences in the workplace.

An ergonomics program is about identifying and minimizing or eliminating the risk factors for injury in the workplace. Ergonomic risk factors in the workplace include tasks that are highly repetitive, require forceful exertion, or require awkward postures to complete.

Every company is different, and so are the ergonomic risk factors for injury. In an office environment, risk factors for injuries to the wrist, forearm, and low back can include sitting at a computer all day. By contrast, consider the facilities management team that maintains building operating systems, completing tasks that require forceful exertions and awkward postures.

There are many benefits to ergonomics programs, including reducing injury and absenteeism, saving on workers’ compensation costs, improving job satisfaction, and creating an organizational culture of safety to ultimately improve staff performance.

Developing a successful ergonomics program involves five critical steps: collecting injury statistics, understanding work tasks and identifying risk factors for injury, and then implementing, communicating and evaluating the plan.

1. Collecting injury statistics

Step one is to examine the causes of employee injuries and determine whether there are any common injury trends, working with the Human Resources, Workplace Health and Safety, or Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) committee.

For example, do specific jobs or tasks that have a higher injury rate compared to others? If so, these are the areas to target for risk reduction with the ergonomics program.

2. Understanding work tasks, risks for injury

Step two is to talk to the staff who work in the focus areas identified in step one to better understand the work tasks and how employees may be getting injured. These interviews should also involve the JOHS committee.

Next consider how the risk factors that have been identified can either be eliminated or reduced. (Some risk factors can never be completely eliminated.)

There are three ways to reduce or eliminate ergonomic risk factors.

Engineering changes are the most effective at eliminating ergonomic risk factors and can include automating manual processes, redesigning work areas, using carts rather than carrying items, and purchasing height-adjustable chairs and work surfaces. Each of these engineering controls physically change how the tasks are completed.

Administrative changes focus on policies and procedures in the workplace. This can include limiting the amount of weight that people can lift at a time, establishing standards for how to store items, and changing staffing levels for certain jobs or shifts. Another example of an administrative control is to create a purchasing policy recommending certain types of products. This will not only reduce costs, but also ensure that all employees who sit at a computer all day have office equipment such as height-adjustable chairs, keyboard trays, and even height-adjustable desks that minimize the ergonomic risk factors associated with that work.

Changes relating to personal protective equipment are designed to help ensure that employees have task-appropriate safety equipment, such as safety googles and gloves.

3. Implementation

Ergonomics programs can include just one type of control — engineering, administrative or personal protective — or all three, depending on the tasks and the risk factors for injury. The most successful programs eliminate the risk factors for injury by either automating manual tasks, redesigning work areas, or changing how the work is completed. The most important part of step three is to identify what types of risk factors are being eliminated and how the ergonomics program will be evaluated.

4. Communication

Step four is to communicate the ergonomics plan across the organization. This generally involves ensuring everyone knows about the program and why the changes are occurring, so they can participate fully, as well as training staff in any new tasks, policies, and procedures.

Getting management and the executive team to endorse, support, and lead the plan is important. Leaders that have a strong commitment to health and safety will improve the organizational culture and will encourage employees to commit to making changes and support the ergonomics program.

While these strategies typically remain internal, some companies externally communicate their ergonomics program to demonstrate their commitment to their employees and promote their organization as a safe place to work.

5. Evaluation

Step five involves the continuous monitoring of metrics agreed upon during the development of the ergonomics program. It’s also important to analyze the work area to confirm that the ergonomic risk factors have been eliminated or reduced and that the intervention has not introduced new risk factors.

If the ergonomics program has not reduced the risk factors for injury, are there opportunities for other workplace changes? If so, the review the entire program and again involve staff working in the area in looking at what further modifications can be made.

An unsuccessful program can waste resources, increase employee injuries, cause staff to disengage from the process and even increase staff turnover. Program evaluation helps to not only ensure success of the program, but to also ensure its sustainability in making continuous improvements to reduce injury in the workplace.

In addition to reducing workplace injuries and absenteeism, ergonomics programs improve employee engagement, job satisfaction, and reduce turnover. Successful ergonomics programs involve frontline staff during every step of the process, from understanding the tasks involved and identifying the risk factors for injury, right through to evaluating the program and looking at how the program can be sustained and spread throughout the organization. The five steps to a successful ergonomics program must be followed in order, with a focus on eliminating or reducing the risk factors for injury, in order to demonstrate how the plan has improved the workplace. Key markers of success include injury reduction, cost savings, employee satisfaction, and improved organizational performance.

Aaron Miller is a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE) and an ergonomic consultant based in Kelowna, B.C. He can be reached at [email protected].

Reference

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2018). Ergonomics. Retrieved from https://www.ccohs.ca/topics/programs/programs/ergonomics/

GTA new home market slows in August: BILD

The GTA new home market was quiet in August as potential home buyers waited on the sidelines, according to the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD).

There were a total of 974 new home sales in August, according to Altus Group, BILD’s official source for new home market intelligence. There were 171 single-family homes sold during the month, including detached, linked and semi-detached houses and townhouses (excluding stacked townhouses), an increase of 50 per cent in this category compared to last August, but down 80 per cent from the 10-year average.

Condominium apartments in low, medium and high-rise buildings, stacked townhouses and loft units accounted for 803 new home sales, a decline of one per cent year-over-year and 28 per cent below the 10-year average.

According to Patricia Arsenault, Altus Group’s executive vice-president, data solutions, August’s slow sales should not be interpreted as a sign of low buying interest in the GTA. “Pent-up demand is forming, which suggests we should see sales start to firm up this fall,” she said, in a press release.

Many potential new home buyers are choosing to wait and see what happens following government interventions to cool the housing market and concerns about the future direction of the economy, according to David Wilkes, BILD president and CEO.

“Once the market adjusts and more people start looking for homes, our region’s short supply of housing will mean that affordability will continue to be a challenge for many new home buyers,” said Wilkes.

In August, the benchmark price of a new condominium apartment climbed 21.8 per cent year-over-year to $784,512. The benchmark price of new single-family homes was $1,129,129, a decline of 12.4 per cent year-over-year.

Since only two projects opened in August, the remaining new home inventory fell to 13,619 units, comprised of 8,842 condominium apartment units and 4,777 single-family units. Remaining inventory includes units in preconstruction projects, in projects currently under construction, and in completed buildings.

According to Wilkes, to solve the challenges facing the GTA housing market, governments must address housing supply. “Municipal governments, in particular, can make a big difference. Ahead of the municipal elections in the GTA, BILD has been talking to municipal leaders and residents about straightforward steps that municipalities can take to increase housing supply, including making sure that government charges on new homes are fair, funding and building critical infrastructure, cutting red tape and speeding up building permits and inspections,” he said.

Innovation grant to fund solar-powered medical aid in conflict zones

The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) has been awarded a $250,000 innovation grant by the Humanitarian Grand Challenge for their Health Integrated Resilience System (HIRS) project that provides medical aid in conflict zones.

The project’s goal is to plan, develop and deploy an integrated system which combines three components; solar energy, electric vehicles, and telemedicine. Over the next two years, HIRS will launch a pilot electronic vehicle (EV) ambulance system and work on integrating remote telemedicine services in solar-powered hospitals and clinics in Syria in order to address the human resources gap in conflict zones.

The HIRS project is an extension of the Syria Solar initiative, a solar project where UOSSM (and supporting partners) installed 480 solar panels in the largest hospital in northern Syria in May 2017.

“In north Syria, we are expecting that over 40 health facilities will be equipped with solar power systems by the summer of 2019,” wrote Talal Kanaan the founder of the HIRS project. “Beyond the conscious decision of transitioning towards renewable-energy to mitigate the irreversible consequences of climate change that we can avoid, the speedy transition can provide communities with the resilience needed to deal with the present consequences.”

UOSSM works to strengthen the resilience of health systems in Yemen and Syria — while diminishing reliance on diesel fuel. The HIRS project was one of 23 applicants out of 615 to be awarded $5 million in funding collectively.

“We are really excited to bring this idea into a reality, and test its application and implication,” Kanaan said.

IEHA launches new sustainability certification

IEHA, a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, announced the launch of its new Sustainability Professional (SP) credential. The sustainability certification includes three modules, The Sustainability Advantage, Making a Business Case for Sustainability and Selling Sustainability to Stakeholders.

“In analyzing how best to assist our constituents, we determined there is a need for sustainability credentialing to help members stand out,” said IEHA executive director Michael Patterson.

“As the concept goes mainstream, certified members can drive internal sustainability programs and integrate with corporate sustainability management systems.”

The one-day workshop can be taken online or in the classroom. IEHA will conduct the inaugural class in November, with additional opportunities scheduled for 2019. Recertification as a Sustainability Professional is required every two years, on the even year.

To enroll or for more information, visit www.ieha.org

Trafalgar Park Community Centre opens in Oakville

Trafalgar Park Community Centre, a revitalized and expanded recreational facility, has opened in Oakville, Ont. The 65,000 square foot, $37 million project was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to revitalize the Oakville Arena, which has been a community hub for over 60 years.

The Oakville Arena’s distinctive wood truss roof system was preserved and enlarged, and now connects to an adjacent recreational facility. New additions to the space include a full-size gymnasium, running track, seniors’ centre with amenities, fitness centre and public meeting spaces. Meanwhile, the arena’s ice surface was expanded to NHL size, and now features additional seating, new dressing rooms and an enclosed warm viewing area.

“Originally, the community centre addition was to have gone behind the rink and we pulled it to the street to activate the urban landscape and preserve the park setting,” said David Dow, principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects, in a press release. “With the new building almost equal in size to the arena, we established a design dialogue between the two by emphasizing the mass of each – the large scale existing roof is balanced against the mass of the cantilevered upper floor of the new building.”

The Community Centre also features a new fire station, which is located at the corner of the site and includes interactive displays and historical artifacts in a Fire Education and Heritage Room. The Community Centre’s colour palette of whites and dark grey accents has been inversed to adorn the fire station.

This project is one of the first in Canada for a municipal client using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model. This arrangement allows the client, architect and contractor to work in close collaboration and operate as a team to apply LEAN principles to design, fabrication and construction. Diamond Schmitt announced that the Trafalgar Park Community Centre opened on time and on budget.

Diamond Schmitt and Graham Construction & Engineering are working on a second IPD recreational facility in partnership with the Town of Oakville. The South East Community Centre is set to break ground this week, and is scheduled to open in Fall 2020. This recreational centre will feature a 25-metre lap pool, a double gymnasium, a fitness centre with running track, multipurpose meeting rooms and space for intergenerational programming.

Q Management acquires 12 Skyline apartment properties

Skyline Group of Companies announced it has sold a large portfolio of apartments to Toronto-based Q Management LP for $213.5 million. The portfolio consists of 12 buildings (totaling 1,157 apartment units) located in the city of St. Catharines.

Skyline Apartment REIT acquired the buildings and has owned and managed them since 2007. The disposition of these assets was completed on Friday, September 28^th, 2018.

“We believe we have found a very strong partner in Q,” said Matthew Organ, President of Skyline Apartment Asset Management Inc. “The sale of these 12 buildings in St. Catharines, allows Q to establish itself in the city and provide ceding for its newly opened fund. For Skyline, it allows our Apartment REIT to redeploy the capital from the sale toward other accretive acquisitions and new-build properties in strong secondary and tertiary markets.”

“This transaction marks one of the largest multi-residential deals in the country this year and is the fourth large-scale deal we have partnered with Q on over the last six years,” Organ continued.

“For nearly 20 years, Skyline has maintained its focus of acquiring properties in secondary and tertiary markets,” added Jason Castellan, Co-Founder, and CEO of the Skyline Group of Companies. “When we entered the St. Catharines market in 2007, it was considered more of a secondary market and was priced accordingly. Over the last number of years, the market has changed, and it is now generally being recognized as a more primary centre. Partnering with Q on this transaction will allow us to take capital out of this market and redeploy it in other opportunities.”

Skyline Apartment REIT is part of the Skyline Group of Companies, a full-service real estate investment and management company based in Guelph, ON. The Skyline Group has more than $3.5 billion in real estate assets under management across its three private REITs: Skyline Commercial REIT, Skyline Retail REIT, and Skyline Apartment REIT.

Stantec opens new tower as its global headquarters

Stantec Tower, Canada’s tallest west of Toronto, has opened its doors in downtown Edmonton. Stantec’s new global headquarters stands at 69-storeys in height (66 functional floors) and serves as one of the key pillars in Edmonton’s vibrant ICE District.

The structure will house 29 floors of commercial workspace for Stantec’s 1,500 Edmonton-based employees, Dentons Canada LLP, DLA Piper, and PwC Canada, as well as SKY Residences — 483 premium condominium suites that includes more than 20,000 square feet of premium amenity space.

Since the project’s inception, 343 Stantec employees have worked more thanr 145,000 hours on the Stantec Tower. Stantec provided full architecture and engineering services for the company headquarters, which is targeting LEED Gold certification (exterior), LEED Silver certification (interior), and FitWel certification.

Stantec Tower introduces a number of unique features for office space in Edmonton, including a dedicated multi-faith prayer room, lactation room, and gender-neutral washrooms. The office features an open community staircase that looks onto ICE District and Roger’s Place, and the floorplates are modeled as open concept workspaces with minimal offices to encourage collaboration. Stantec also provided interior design support for SKY Residences.

“It is exciting to see one of ICE District’s most iconic landmarks officially open,” says Glen Scott, president of Katz Group Real Estate. “We are proud to welcome Stantec employees to their official new home in the heart of downtown Edmonton and continue to showcase how ICE District is shaping the future of our city.”

Stantec employees will begin moving into the commercial space of Stantec Tower in October 2018. Stantec Tower is expected to reach its final height of 251 metres by the end of 2018 and SKY Residences will be completed in Fall 2019. ICE District continues to evolve, with Edmonton Tower already complete and JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District well underway with an expected completion in spring 2019.

The Realities of Healthcare Retrofits

No two retrofits are ever the same. This is particularly true in healthcare where patient comfort, staff schedules, health and safety standards, and critical equipment needs demand a tailored approach to every project.

“It’s a living environment,” says Michael Blackman, Regional Manager with RJC Engineers in Kelowna, BC. “Whether you’re going in to conduct renovations or a replacement of essential medical equipment, you have to do so with an understanding of how that project is going to impact critical operations at every phase.”

That understanding begins by collaborating with owners, contractors, and facility stakeholders to clearly define project expectations. This includes disruptive factors such as contractor schedules, noise mitigation, and even dust control, which in itself is a significant factor in controlling the spread of infection.

“Vibration levels are also something you have to take into account,” notes Blackman. “We recently did work very close to a medical operating room that uses lasers during surgery so there couldn’t be vibrations of any kind. We had to coordinate with hospital staff to ensure whatever we were doing nearby wasn’t adversely affecting their highly detailed work and then communicate that to the contractor.”

Equipment upgrades or replacements can also face unique challenges in a healthcare environment. There’s rarely a “good time” to take a critical medical device offline. Elevator repairs or upgrades, for example, must be conducted in phases to ensure hospital staff has access to a working elevator in case of a Code Blue (heart attack) or other immediate emergencies.

As for maintaining the ebb and flow of a hospital throughout a typical day, Blackman adds, “Wayfinding is an important consideration during construction. Going to the hospital is already a stressful experience; you’re in a relatively unfamiliar place and a heightened emotional state so if the path to where you need to go for treatment is confusing or disrupted due to ongoing work, that will have a real impact on your wellbeing.”

Elements of Success

As challenging as they can be, the technical and logistical hurdles that often accompany hospital retrofits and renovations can be met. In his experience, Blackman says the following factors have proven vital to success:

The right team: Working with healthcare providers, engineers and contractors who have experience carrying out sophisticated projects in a healthcare environment and a track record for working in large teams. This is especially important in healthcare facilities where it’s common to have several projects occurring at the same time.
A full perspective: Ensuring the right people are involved in the decision-making process (e.g., nursing staff, department reps, owners, contractor team, engineers, etc.)
Open communication: Establishing and maintaining open dialogue throughout the construction. This includes communication with other on-site teams as well, says Blackman: “We had one project where we were working on the elevators while another team was conducting an emergency generator system replacement, so it was essential that we kept talking and coordinated our respective projects.”
Flexibility: Making peace with the fact that the unexpected will happen. You can make educated guesses in the planning, but there will always be changes on-site and a need to walk through those changes with everyone.

These factors for success also apply both the current challenges as they are for emerging ones.

As with all healthcare strategies, however, the best approach is the one that puts the patient first.

“The healthcare landscape is always evolving and there will always be new factors to consider going into a project. At the end of the day, as long as we’re putting the patient experience at the forefront, we’re on the right path,” says Blackman.

Michael Blackman is a Regional Manager with RJC Engineers. Learn more at www.rjc.ca.

No shortcuts to electrical safety

On April 5, 2014 faulty electrical work by Pro-Teck Electric, a former electrical contractor business in Niagara Falls, Ont., left an elderly man dead. Following an investigation by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) it was found that the floor system’s heat sensor had not been installed and the heating system was wired to an incorrect voltage level. The defendant pleaded guilty to multiple charges and was fined $537,500.

This is the largest fine in the history of electrical contractor licensing in Ontario.

Over the course of the trial and sentence hearing, the defendant tried to shield himself from the fines by transferring the corporation’s assets into a newly created corporation. Normand Breton, registrar and director of contractor licensing at ESA said the recent successful appeal to recover fines from the owner sends a strong message that an individual can be held personally liable for fines imposed against a corporation and prosecution cannot be dodged in this way.

Fines are just one of the potential penalties for someone who’s doing electrical work unsafely or illegally. The courts have also given out jail time. When hiring someone to conduct electrical work, businesses are reminded to take the following steps.

Get informed

“As it relates to the facility industry, owners and management should know what the law says so they can follow it for their own protection as well as the protection of the people that may be working or living in that facility,” Breton said. “If something does go wrong there’s a lot of risks associated with that.”

Contractors arriving at a work site are obligated to have a permit in order to do the work. They should display their license numbers on their trucks, quotations and business cards, making them easily identifiable.

When the work is complete it should be subject to inspection. Facility managers have the right to ask for or a certificate of inspection.

The underground economy

Breton warns that the ESA takes the “underground economy very seriously” and pursues charges against people who are undertaking work without a license.

“Often the work [done] is unsafe and there are consumer protection issues to consider,” he said.

Facility managers should also ensure that it the holder of the valid electrical contractor licence who undertakes the work, not an unaccredited employee or subcontractor.

“If a facility manager is having trouble locating a contractor in his area, ESA does have a lookup tool on its website,” Breton added.

You can also use this lookup tool to look up a contractor by licence number.

Meeting all safety standards

Facility managers will also need to comply with insurance and WSIB requirements and other regulations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.

“Be aware of all the regulations, beyond just contractor ones,” Breton advised. “All of these things are part of our process so that a facility manager ensures he’s hired the right professional and done the job correctly.”

Zandile Chiwanza is the online editor of Facility Cleaning and Maintenance

Amazon to open new facility in Metro Vancouver

Amazon will be opening a new 450,000 sq. ft. fulfillment facility within Delta iPort, a new industrial park being developed by GWL Realty Advisors on behalf of project owner, the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), on lands leased from the Tsawwassen First Nation.

Amazon’s facility will be for the first phase of the 57-acre Delta iPort industrial park. When complete, the campus will offer nearly one million sq. ft. of modern distribution space across two separate buildings. Delta iPort has been tailored to the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex logistics and e-commerce markets. Given Delta iPort’s close proximity to Deltaport and major arterials, the site will provide Amazon with a critical logistics solution for the Vancouver market.

“We are pleased that Amazon has chosen Delta iPort as its newest Metro Vancouver distribution facility,” said Paul Finkbeiner, president, GWL Realty Advisors. “In an industrial real estate market as constrained as Vancouver, meeting the needs of Amazon for facility size and location requires creative thinking.”

The facility will be Amazon’s third fulfillment centre in the province and its 10th in Canada. Wales McLelland is general contractor for the project.

“We are excited to continue growing in British Columbia and especially in the Lower Mainland community known for its talented and diverse workforce dedicated to innovation,” said Glenn Sommerville, director of Amazon Operations in Canada. “Our ability to create hundreds of good-paying jobs with great benefits is thanks to the network of support we’ve received from community leaders, project partners, and fantastic customers.”

The campus is adjacent to Port of Vancouver’s Deltaport, within 30 kilometers of both downtown Vancouver and the U.S. border, and is adjacent to several key transportation routes, including the South Fraser Perimeter Road. The facility will open in 2019, and will be managed by GWL Realty Advisors on behalf of facility owner, HOOPP.

Canada’s greenest school named for 2018

As part of World Green Building Week, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Canada Coalition for Green Schools recognize Canadian schools that promote sustainability and offer programs that encourage awareness of environmental issues.

This year it’s a tie! Both Lacombe Composite High School in Lacombe, Alta., and Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont., have been named this year’s Greenest School in Canada. The winning schools split the $2,000 cash award to put toward a new or ongoing sustainability project.

“Both schools had impressive submissions that set them apart this year, incorporating both physical green building and curriculum changes,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC.

At Lacombe High School sustainability is weaved throughout the school’s programming in a variety of ways including a 32 solar panel array and portable solar for classrooms and their 42-foot energy efficient greenhouse that the school uses as a learning lab for students in how to grow sustainable, healthy food.

Lacombe Composite High School in Lacombe, Alta.

At Trinity College School, sustainability is at the forefront of everything they do. Including a five-year sustainability plan focused on reducing environmental footprint and significant efforts to manage its annual energy consumption through regular electricity audits, a major lighting retrofit and a 220kW solar PV installation with another 180kW planned. Trinity College has also diverted 70 per cent of its annual waste.

Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont.

The runners-up of the 2018 Greenest School in Canada competition were Westwood Community High School in Fort McMurray, Alta., in second place and an honourable mention to Churchill Community High School in La Ronge, Sask.

For a closer look at the schools and their many initiatives including, visit the CaGBC’s website.

IDC celebrates Value of Design Award winners

The Interior Designers of Canada celebrated the value of design and top interior designers who have pushed new boundaries with its inaugural Value of Design Awards (VODA). The awards were presented at IDC’s Design Symposium held in Toronto.

Focused around this year’s theme of design thinking, the VODA recognized interior designers from across Canada who are at the forefront of design thinking. These interior designers have implemented an empathetic, inventive and iterative process, focused on the human experience into their projects; creating sustainable and functional designs for the present and future.

“The Value of Design Awards set a new, higher bar for the evaluation of design work in Canada. This is done by designers identifying human needs, business drivers and the resultant inspirations to clarify and demonstrate how design can change the human experience.” says VODA judge, Theo West-Parks.

The 2018 winners are:

Award of Excellence

Innovation in Hospitality Design: Studio Munge – Bisha (Alessandro Munge)
Innovation in Workplace Design: Figure3 – OMERS Project One (Allan Guinan, Suzanne Bettencourt, Daniel Norwood, Susan Jefferson)
Innovation in Residential Single Family: Casey Design l Planning Group Inc. – Pear Tree Farm (Theresa Casey, Craig Crane)
Innovation in Design Thinking: Figure3 – Freedom 55 Financial Centre Redesign (Suzanne Bettencourt, Carly Block-Marcus, Vanessa Tantalo)
Innovation in Institutional/Educational/Civic Design: Gow Hastings Architects – Ryerson University Student ServiceHub (Valerie Gow)
Innovation in Retail Design: Ruscio Studio Inc. – Crave (Siavash Madani)

Award of Merit

Innovation in Design Thinking: Quadrangle – 100 Broadview Lobby (Caroline Robbie, Julie Mroczkowski)
Innovation in Workplace Design: HOK, Inc. – EY Toronto Client Experience Centre (Daniela Barbon, Lori Urwin)
Innovation in Workplace Design: Figure3 – Freedom 55 – Financial Centre Redesign (Suzanne Bettencourt, Carly Block-Marcus, Vaness Tantalo)
Innovation in Residential Single Family: Geralynne Mitschke Design – Modern View Home (Geralynne Mitschke)
Innovation in Institutional/Educational/Civic Design: Kearns Mancini Architects – Ryerson University REAL Institute (Donna Dolan)
Innovation in Workplace Design: B+H Architects – TMX – 100 Adelaide (Peter Heys, David Zhou, Adrian Berry, Edward Tsang, Leanne Washuta, Stephanie Holyoke)
Innovation in Institutional/Educational/Civic Design: MJMA – University of British Columbia Aquatic Centre (Tarisha Dolyniuk)