GTA home sales rose 8.5 per cent in August

Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) increased 8.5 per cent year-over-year to 6,839 units in August 2018, reports the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB).

The average selling price also increased last month, climbing 4.7 per cent on an annual basis to $765,270, while the MLS Home Price Index Composite Benchmark for August 2018 increased by 1.5 per cent. The average selling price increased by a larger percentage at least partly due to a change in the mix of sales, compared to 2017. Detached home sales increased by double digits on a year-over-year percentage basis, which is substantially more than many other less expensive home types.

“It is encouraging to see a continued resurgence in the demand for ownership housing,” said Garry Bhaura, TREB president, in a press release. “Many home buyers who had initially moved to the sidelines due to the Ontario Fair Housing Plan and new mortgage lending guidelines have renewed their search for a home and are getting deals done much more so than last year. In a region where the economy remains strong and the population continues to grow, ownership housing remains a solid long-term investment.”

Month-over-month sales and price growth also continued in August 2018. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, August 2018 sales climbed two per cent, compared to July 2018. The seasonally adjusted August 2018 average selling price fell by 0.2 per cent month-over-month, following strong monthly increases in May, June and July.

“Market conditions in the summer of 2018, including this past August, were tighter than what was experienced in the summer of 2017,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s director of market analysis. “In August, the annual rate of sales growth outpaced the annual rate of new listings growth. We only have slightly more than two-and-a-half months of inventory in the TREB market area as a whole and less than two months of inventory in the City of Toronto. This means that despite the fact that sales remain off the record highs from 2016 and 2017, many GTA neighbourhoods continue to suffer from a lack of inventory. This could present a problem if demand continues to accelerate over the next year, which is expected.”

Minto’s new Oakville rental property now LEED registered

Minto Capital announced that its new purpose-built rental tower, 1235 Marlborough in Oakville, Ontario, is now LEED registered. The 14-storey building comprised of 144 units and state-of-the-art amenities is currently pre-leasing units with occupancy targeted for fall 2018.

“At Minto, we’re focused on building ‘better’, and sustainability has always been a big part of that,” said Ben Mullen, Vice President of Asset Management for Minto Properties. “By continuing to stay ahead with programs such as LEED, we’re creating buildings that are responsible investments. LEED certified buildings are a more valuable asset through reduced operating costs both during construction and throughout the lifetime of the building.”

The LEED program focuses on five key categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Designed to achieve LEED certification, 1235 Marlborough will provide utility cost savings to renters, enhanced comfort, health and wellness and reduce the building’s impact on the environment. These features make LEED certified apartment buildings a strong investment that can yield higher rental prices versus non-certified buildings with higher occupancy rates.

Key features of the Minto property include:

Distributed in-suite heating, cooling and ventilation.
In-suite HRV filters fresh air from the outside directly into unit.
In-suite programmable thermostat for enhanced control of heating and cooling.
Low VOC paints, sealants, and adhesives for improved indoor air quality.
Enhanced flooring system certified to have reduced VOC emissions.
Air sealing between units and corridors to reduce sound and odour migration.
Enhanced energy efficiency – high-performance mechanical equipment, LED lighting and occupancy sensors, programmable thermostats, and more.
High-performance water fixtures and toilets to reduce consumption and cost of water.
Individual metering – allowing customers to control utility costs.

1235 Marlborough has now achieved the first step in a three-stage LEED certification process, and anticipates full certification by 2019. To date, The Minto Group has LEED certified over 5,000 residential units in Ontario.

RHF accessibility assessor course set for Vanc.

The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) is calling all interested building professionals to register for the upcoming RHF accessibility assessor course in Vancouver.

Given the huge demand for the certification – which coincides with the federal government’s impending Accessible Canada Act – RHF is expanding the program into more provinces across the country and facilitating a number of courses where people can train to become accessibility assessors.

The next accessibility assessor training program will take place at the Vancouver Community College (VCC). The 10 day, 60-hour course starts Monday September 24th and runs until Friday October 5.

Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) is a LEED-style rating system that evaluates the accessibility of commercial, institutional, multi-unit residential buildings and sites.

The system is the first of its kind in Canada to bring a standardized rating system to help owners and tenants rate the accessibility of their spaces from a holistic user-centric perspective. And with almost half of Canadian adults living with or who have someone in their household living with a temporary or permanent disability, improving access is becoming more critical than ever.

The course will provide participants with the knowledge and practical skills needed to rate a building for its overall accessibility under the RHFAC program, and once the RHFAC professional designation is obtained, assessors will be publicly listed on the RHFAC Registry, hosted by CSA Group.

Participants in this course will learn about:

The impact of the social and physical environment on people with disabilities;
The relevant legislation, regulations, and standards needed when planning and executing an assessment;
The Universal Design principles and standards when planning and executing an assessment;
How to interpret and navigate a set of construction drawings; and
How to communicate and support assessment findings to clients, and prepare a recommendation report of the assessment findings, reflecting compliance and gaps related to relevant human rights and accessibility legislation, regulations, and Universal Design standards.

Prerequisites for the course include:

You have a diploma of technology in architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design or a related program; or
You have a Journeyman Certificate of Qualification in a designated trade related to building construction; or
You are an engineer or are eligible for registration as an engineer; or
You are an architect or are eligible for registration as an architect; or
You have a minimum of five year’s of experience related to building construction.

Interested applicants can learn more about the course here and register directly with VCC.

Ground broken for North Shore treatment plant

Ground has been broken on the North Shore Waste Water Treatment Plant (NSWTP), a new facility that will replace the existing 50 year old plus Lions Gate Wastewater treatment Plant. New federal regulations require that all Canadian wastewater treatment plants provide primary and secondary treatment to improve water quality and safety.

The $700 million project is being undertaken by ADAPT consortium, who was the successful proponent in April 2017. The consortium consists of Acciona Construction, Dialog Design, Amec Foster Wheeler (now Wood), and TetraTech. The project is using a Design Build Finance procurement approach.

The contract includes the design, build and construction financing for the NSWWTP, which will have a state-of-the-art secondary treatment and energy recovery facilities. The new plant will be built to LEED standards on a very compact site. Much of it will be buried underground. Its design incorporates energy efficiency and recovery solutions, water conservation and reuse, on-site storm water management and measures to minimize waste generation.

“The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant is a win-win on all fronts. Not only will it provide a critical utility service, but it will use advanced technology to contribute renewable energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The new plant’s clean architectural design will integrate well into the neighbourhood and will bring new amenities to enhance the local community,” said Darrell Mussatto, Mayor of the City of North Vancouver.

Upon completion, key features will include:

Capable of treating 102 million litres/day under normal conditions and up to 320 million litre/day when storm water enters the sewer system in wet weather.
The plant will be built to LEED and Envision Gold Standards.
The design of the plant will incorporate energy efficiency and recovery solutions water conservation and reuse, on-site storm water management and measures to minimize waste generation. The biogas generated from the treatment of the wastewater will be used to generate electricity to run the plant and heat the facility.
The heat recovery facility is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7,200 tonnes per year.
Rigorous heating, ventilation and odour control system that will capture air from the processes inside the building and clean it prior to releasing it into the atmosphere. Odour will be virtually undectable.
Integration of interpretive elements, flexible community spaces and amenities
Working towards returning all elements of liquid waste to the environment in a way that is protective of our waterways.
The plant has been designed to include integrated resource recovery using sustainable principles

The project is expected to be completed in December 2020. The existing waste-water treatment plant will be decommissioned beginning in 2021 and the land, which is leased, turned over to the Squamish Nation.

Antonio Bellano joins Avison Young in Vancouver

Antonio Bellano has joined Avison Young as a principal and practice leader, BC, project management. He will focus on expanding the firm’s project management service line offering throughout B.C. and beyond. He brings more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as vice-president of property development with Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd.

During his career, Bellano has overseen the project management, development, planning and delivery of resort, hotel, restaurant, retail and casino properties in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, including tenant-improvement and new-construction projects. Prior to joining Gateway, he held executive, construction, project management, asset management and real estate development management and consultant positions in Metro Vancouver and Washington state with SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts, Joey Restaurant Group, Wyndham Worldwide, New Generation Construction Ltd. and Intrawest Resort Club Group. Before entering the commercial real estate industry, he was a principal with his family’s ceramic-tile importing and wholesale sales business.

“We are excited to have Antonio on board as he will help strengthen our project and property management service lines across our Western Canadian markets, enhance our offerings for national portfolio clients, and add scale to our growing BC project management operations,” said Mark Fieder, Avison Young principal and COO, Canadian Operations.

Bellano holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in construction management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and a Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management Certificate from Cornell University.

“I look forward to the exciting opportunity to work with a great team to further develop Avison Young’s B.C. project management practice, build it into an industry leader, and offer our clients and business partners unparalleled attention and service that will contribute to their overall success,” said Bellano.

B.C. Professional Reliance Review raises concerns

Regulated professions in the province of British Columbia are under intense scrutiny right now by the government, according to Mark Vernon, chief executive officer, Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC).

The British Columbia government undertook a review of the province’s professional reliance model last fall to ensure the highest professional, technical and ethical standards are being applied to resource management in B.C.

The B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change released its final report on the review of professional reliance in the natural resource sector in June 2018. The review looked at five professional regulators involved in upholding the public interest in the natural resource sector which included the Engineers and Geoscientist BC, regulators of agrology, applied science technology, applied biology and professional forestry.

The report will not only affect these five professions, but could impact other self-regulated professions in the province such as AIBC.

The profession of architecture is regulated in Canada by provincial and territorial bodies that set the qualifications for entry, set the standards to which members must adhere and oversee the conduct of members.

These are the three pillars of regulation which are common in all regulated professions, not just architecture, said Vernon.

“Architects throughout Canada – those who are registered – have a privilege, and with that comes an obligation within the confines of the Architects Act and the bylaws within each jurisdiction,” said Vernon, going on to provide an overview of AIBC’s mandate and how the institute carries out the three pillars and more. He stressed the institute’s primary duty is to the public.

Vernon was a speaker at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s (RAIC) national forum held in Vancouver. The forum was the first in a series with RAIC travelling to several stops across Canada to hear from members of the architectural community.

In discussing the report, Vernon said while it contains some positive recommendations such as improving ministry staffing levels and resources, there are two proposed major changes to professional regulation that are concerning.

“The five regulators underwent a detailed review and examination by government which listed 121 recommendations in the final report,” noted Vernon. “You’ll say what does this have to do with architects? There are two recommendations that have impact on all regulated professions within B.C.”

The first is to establish an Office of Professional Regulation and Oversight, and the second is to legislate critical elements of professional governance.

“This includes up to 50 per cent of council should be public representatives,” explained Vernon, “not sure how this will be achieved…by increasing the number of public representatives on existing councils or reducing the number of non-public representatives.”

In addition, the legislation would specify new rules for composition of councils and committees.

“The second key item of concern is that at least 50 per cent of council should be appointed from members in the register. In other words, no more elections. The government would decide which of the members will serve on council,” said Vernon, adding the report also proposes that someone other than the professional regulator should assume the advocacy role.

Other industry associations as well as the Business Council of B.C. have expressed similar concerns.

The government is currently undertaking further consultations, with new legislation expected to be passed this fall and implementation by next year.

Read the final report.

Cheryl Mah is managing editor of Design Quarterly.

Hillcrest Mall unveils $90-million glow up

Oxford Properties Group’s $90-million makeover of Hillcrest Mall, a BOMA Best gold certified regional shopping centre in Richmond Hill, Ont., is now complete.

Hillcrest’s transformation includes store expansions, modernized flooring and lighting, repainted all-white ceilings and a bigger food court — capacity has grown to 500 seats from just 277. In addition to renovations, new amenities like baby bottle warming services, a text-messaging concierge, complimentary diaper kits, portable cell phone chargers and Wi-Fi access will now be available at the shopping centre.

“Our trade area is expanding with new shoppers visiting from Markham, Woodbridge, Kleinburg and North York. With 6,500 nearby condo and townhouse units planned for development, Hillcrest is set to grow as a destination,” said the shopping centre’s general manager Ryan Da Silva in a press release.

Hillcrest is celebrating its transformation with events giving back to the Richmond Hill community.

“In addition to functioning as an emergency shelter, Sandgate is great at connecting women to affordable housing in the community. But, when they finally leave the shelter, women have little money to make their new, empty apartment a home. This is where we come in,” said Hillcrest’s marketing director, Lisa Resnic in a press release.

A donation drive collecting housewares, toiletries, clothing, toys, and books for domestic abuse survivors will be set up at the centre court display between Sept. 22 and Oct. 5. Donations will be accepted at the Guest Experience Kiosk afterward.

The mall will also host coding workshops benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of York Region. Children aged five to 10 can learn skills in coding, video game design and problem-solving in the brand new Old Navy location later this fall.

Canada invests in Yarmouth ferry terminal upgrades

The Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia are each investing up to $3 million towards the phase one redevelopment of the Yarmouth International Ferry Terminal. The money is being provided through the Small Communities Fund. Additional funding provided by the Town of Yarmouth, the Municipality of Yarmouth and the Municipality of Argyle will bring the total joint investment in the ferry terminal to over $9.7 million.

The redevelopment of the ferry terminal include upgrading and relocating passenger inspection line booths, replacing the pontoon and transfer bridge, and improving terminal facilities including external lighting and passenger waiting areas.

Once work has been completed, the redeveloped ferry terminal will establish the port of Yarmouth as an international tourist destination, improve the experience for visitors, and provide new economic opportunities for businesses in the region and across Nova Scotia.

“The Government of Canada understands that strategic investments in infrastructure are crucial to increasing tourism and driving economic growth,” said Colin Fraser, Member of Parliament for West Nova, in a press release. “These essential upgrades to the Yarmouth International Ferry Terminal will position Nova Scotia as a more welcoming and accessible destination for tourists, while helping local businesses to create jobs, grow and prosper.”

Canadian REITs mark 25 years on the TSX

Leading players in Canada’s commercial real estate industry were at the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) opening this morning to mark 25 years since the first real estate investment trusts (REITs) were listed. Michael Brooks, chief executive officer of the industry association REALPAC, shared buzzer pressing duties with Loui Anastasopoulos, the TMX Group’s president, capital formation, to launch the day’s trading and celebrate the milestone anniversary.

“Out of the depths of the early 1990s recession, Canadian REITs have emerged as a preferred way for many investors to participate in commercial real estate,” Brooks says. “Canadian REITs have a stellar track record of increasing distributions and growing asset values over this period.”

From the circa 1993 listings of Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT) and RealFund, which has since merged with RioCan, investors can now look to 44 REITs with a collective market capitalization of $62 billion. That translates to 60 per cent of the market capitalization of all real estate equities traded on the TSX and TSX Venture Exchange.

Together, REITs and other real estate equities have achieved nearly 350 per cent growth in market capitalization during the past 10 years. More than 80 real estate companies have completed an initial public offering over the past 25 years, with BSR REIT and Minto Apartment REIT being the most recent.

“Today, we salute that proud history together with our partners in the industry and affirm our commitment to supporting the continued growth of the real estate sector on our equity markets into the future,” Anastasopoulos says.

“The growth of the Canadian REIT vehicle has been nothing short of remarkable,” Brooks concurs. “The leaders of the these REITs deserve great credit for continuously expanding their investment base and evolving to meet changing investor needs.”

Canada invests in Ancaster Arts Centre development

The Government of Canada is providing $1,500,000 to support the development of the new Ancaster Arts Centre through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.

The creative hub will be designed to provide artists, arts organizations, cultural entrepreneurs and other members of the Hamilton community with an affordable space dedicated to the arts, where they can collaborate and encourage creative growth. The Ancaster Arts Centre will support various artistic mediums, including theatre, visual arts and dance, among others.

It will be designed to include a 450-seat theatre, a smaller studio theatre, two visual arts studios, a dance studio, two rehearsal halls, an artifact vault and a multipurpose common room. The Arts Centre will also offer professional performing arts programming, as well as visual arts exhibitions in its gallery, in order to support the region’s growing arts community.

The Ancaster Arts Centre will be located at the unused Ancaster Memorial School, which was recently purchased by the City of Hamilton. The site of the upcoming Arts Centre is located in the heart of Ancaster’s original downtown region, Ancaster Heritage Village, near several historically important sites.

“We are delighted to receive the federal support for the adaptive reuse of an iconic building right in the middle of our Heritage Village,” said City of Hamilton councillor Lloyd Ferguson, in a press release. “The federal contribution is the final piece of a four-way partnership to fund the Arts Centre.”

Edmonton takes action on climate change

The City of Edmonton has launched the Corporate Climate Leaders Program, a new initiative for businesses concerned about climate change and those that want to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, reduce and conserve energy and promote local generation of energy.

Corporations registered in the program will take inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions, then develop a plan to reduce them through active greenhouse gas (GHG) management. So far, 18 local businesses have registered for the program including, Enbridge Inc., Alberta Health Services, IKEA Edmonton, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), University of Alberta, and West Edmonton Mall.

“Energy sustainability is a key component of the global climate change challenge,” said Linda Coady, chief sustainability officer at Enbridge in a statement.
“That’s why we are diversifying our business and focusing on energy efficiency initiatives across our operations. We believe that we all have a role to play in achieving a lower carbon future.”

Businesses can register in the program until Oct. 12, 2018.

Corporate Climate Leaders will share best practices with respect to emission reduction strategies and advancing low carbon business opportunities. Another purpose of the initiative is to inspire all Edmontonians to help make the city a more energy sustainable one.

According to the annual Climate Change & Energy Perceptions Survey conducted by the City more than 7 out of 10 Edmontonians are concerned about climate change. The survey also found that 72 per cent of the respondents agree that the time to take action is now.

Andrea Soler, senior community strategist, at the City of Edmonton said the survey is an “important tool to gauge citizen attitudes toward climate resilience, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and more.”

On an encouraging note, this year’s survey found a decrease in the gap between how concerned individual Edmontonians are about climate change (73%) and how concerned they believe other Edmonton residents are as a whole (47%). Although the gap is still wide, it was reduced by 8 per cent from 2017 when only 39 per cent believed other Edmontonians were concerned about climate change.

FRPO appoints new president and CEO

The Federation of Rental Housing Providers (FRPO) announced it has appointed Tony Irwin as its new President and CEO. Daryl Chong of the Greater Toronto Apartment Association has been the interim president since Jim Murphy left the position in February 2018.

Irwin was formerly President and CEO at Canadian Consumer Finance Association (CCFA), a national trade association representing businesses that provide a range of financial products to Canadians (including payday loans, installment loans, lines of credit, cheque cashing, wire transfer services, bill payment services and currency exchange). The association advocates for regulations that balance the need for strong consumer protection with a viable industry.

Prior to that, Irwin was Vice President, North American Government Affairs, with Dollar Financial Group, Inc. based in Toronto, where he directed government affairs initiatives across Canada and the United States to influence the public policy environment and enhance the company’s profile and position as an industry leader. Irwin served as Chairman of the Canadian Payday Loan Association, and was active with the Community Financial Services Association of America.

From March 2009 to July 2012, Irwin was Manager of External Affairs & Consumer Relations with Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, where he implemented a national government relations strategy and served as official company spokesperson.

Prior to joining Allstate, Tony served as Executive Director of the Justin Eves Foundation, a non-profit organization granting scholarships and bursaries to learning-disabled and disadvantaged young people to assist them to achieve a post-secondary education.

Irwin has also held key political roles, and was Senior Advisor to an Ontario Premier and Executive Assistant to the Leader of the Official Opposition. He attended Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario where he obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

FRPO looks forward to welcoming him into his new role on September 24th.

Ontario utilities to stop collecting carbon tax

Natural gas bills are expected to reflect the dismantling of Ontario’s cap and trade system beginning in October. For now, major utilities such as Enbridge and Union Gas still have communiques on their websites explaining that they are awaiting required direction from the Ontario Energy Board before they can stop collecting carbon tax, but Premier Doug Ford confirms that protocol is in progress.

“By removing the carbon tax from natural gas bills, we’re saving families about $80 a year and small businesses about $285 a year,” he announced last week.

The levy, which had been set at approximately 3.3 cents per cubic metre of consumption, represented about 12 per cent of the natural gas costs under current prices. However, budgeters aren’t necessarily counting on a straightforward 12 per cent saving on heating costs for the coming year.

“The natural gas rate is only one factor. Colder than normal temperatures mean higher consumption, which might translate to the actual dollar-spend staying the same,” says Rob Detta Colli, manager of energy and sustainability with Crossbridge Condominium Services. “We will be changing our budget templates to reflect the reduction now that we know the effective date. What will likely happen is savings from natural gas will offset other budget lines that might be increasing.”

Theresa Jang joins Stantec as CFO

Theresa Jang will join Stantec on September 10, 2018 as executive vice president and take over the CFO role effective January 1, 2019. Dan Lefaivre will retire from the CFO role, effective December 31, 2018 as part of a planned executive leadership succession strategy.

Jang will report to Gord Johnston, Stantec president and chief executive officer. To ensure a smooth transition, Lefaivre will remain with the firm until the end of Q1, 2019.

“I’m delighted to join the Stantec team and I look forward to contributing to the company’s ongoing success,” said Jang. “I also look forward to building on Dan’s considerable legacy of creating value for shareholders, clients, and employees.”

With more than 25 years of experience, Jang has an extensive background in the areas of finance, corporate governance and people leadership. She has performed and led a wide range of roles including audit, controllership, long-range planning, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. She also brings considerable experience in capital markets, compliance, financial reporting, and enterprise risk management.

Jang was previously the CFO of Veresen Inc., a publicly traded energy infrastructure company based in Calgary, Alberta. During her tenure at Veresen, she played a key role in the development and execution of corporate strategy that saw Veresen’s enterprise value grow from $3 billion in 2006 to almost $10 billion in 2017. As CFO, she led the raising of over $4 billion through the bank, debt, and equity capital markets to fund Veresen’s growth activities.

“We are very pleased that Theresa has agreed to join Stantec,” said Johnston. “Her appointment and this CFO transition are timely milestones in an executive leadership succession strategy we’ve been working on for several years.”

Canada’s big three cities affirm net zero goal

The mayors of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are among leaders of 19 major world cities aspiring for net zero carbon emissions across their urban building portfolios by 2050. John Tory, Valérie Plante and Gregor Robertson signed the declaration last month, ahead of the upcoming Global Climate Action Summit, set for September 12-14 in San Francisco.

The pledge is an initiative of the global coalition, C40 cities, and aligned with the World Green Building Council’s call for businesses, local, regional and state governments to commit to the same net zero goal by 2050. The envisioned role of cities will be to establish policy and a regulatory framework to ensure that all new development attains net zero carbon performance by 2030, and to provide incentives and other programs to help transform the existing building stock. They are also expected to demonstrate this commitment in their own holdings and report annually on their progress.

“This commitment includes a pledge to work together with state and regional governments and the private sector to drive this transformation, and calls on national governments for equal action,” a joint release from the signatories state. Along with Canada’s big three cities, participants include Copenhagen; Johannesburg; London; Los Angeles; New York; Newburyport, Massachusetts; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; San Jose; Santa Monica; Stockholm; Sydney; Tokyo; Tshwane, South Africa; and Washington, D.C.

For some, the declaration is a reiteration of existing policies. Notably, Vancouver adopted its Zero Emissions Building Plan in 2016. Toronto followed with TransformTO in 2017.

“We are excited to be signing the C40 Net Zero Carbon Emissions Declaration,” Gregor Robertson says. “Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Building Plan will not only reduce GHG emissions from new buildings by over 60 per cent, but is also driving our green economy with a 53 per cent increase in green building jobs since 2010.”

C40 has become something of a misnomer since the coalition now boasts 96 members, collectively representing more than 700 million residents and wielding clout as the base for one quarter of the global economy.

“As mayors of the world’s great cities, we recognize our responsibility to ensure every building, whether historic or brand new, helps delivers a sustainable future for our citizens,” notes Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, chair of C40. “With this commitment, cities are getting the job done, concretely delivering on the Paris Agreement and building better cities for generations to come.”

Keeping the Flames at Bay: Wildfire Prevention Tips for Property Managers

Wildfires in British Columbia, the US capital – and, indeed, around the world – have turned a red-hot spotlight on the risks of fire and smoke damage for commercial and residential properties. And while there’s much that property owners/managers can do to address fire damage after the fact, there are key preventive measures they can take to protect their tenants and assets.

Surely, says Erik Hecht, Director of Operations, B.C, for FirstOnSite Restoration, “As weather becomes more unpredictable and extreme, it’s more important than ever to be ready for an emergency.”

Here’s a few tips to help prepare:

Create space: Fire needs fuel to burn. Clear highly-combustible materials (e.g., branches, twigs, garbage, debris, etc.) within 10 metres of your property to remove materials that can help the flames spread.
Fire-proof your roof: Keep your roofing free from debris and consider applying a metal mesh screen to prevent additional debris from piling up. Wood shingles are very flammable, so also consider replacing your cover with non-flammable roofing materials such as asphalt, metal, slate, or tile.
Keep embers at bay. Sparks can enter a building through openings of any size. Prevent fire from getting in by repairing loose shingles, applying wire mesh to screening vents, and using soffits made with fire-resistant materials to protect eaves. If your building allows pets, consider closing pet doors during wildfire seasons.
Maintain your landscape: Coniferous trees are extremely flammable (as opposed to deciduous trees, which are naturally fire-resistant). Remove any coniferous tree within 10 metres of your property and, beyond that, space them within at least three metres of each other. Additionally, prune the lower branches from all your trees regularly and ensure the lawn is regularly mowed and watered (water restrictions notwithstanding).
Assign a “fire-resistant zone”. This could be a cleared part of the property (far away from the fire), an adjacent property, or a large paved area that is free of vegetation. This spot should be well known to property staff and tenants as a place to meet when disaster strikes and regular routes are not viable.
Create a partner network: If a nearby property ignites, your property is under threat (and vice-versa). Therefore, it is important to consider all neighbouring properties in your disaster planning and include them, emergency responders, and restoration partners in your disaster response planning. “If you have taken all the planning and preventative steps you can, but your neighbour hasn’t, you both remain at risk,” says

Having a plan is paramount to disaster prevention. That means having both an evacuation plan with pre-planned evacuation routes, emergency meeting locations, and key contacts; and a business continuity plan that will detail the steps (and people) required to get your operation back up and running.

Adds Hecht: “Knowing the risk profile of your commercial property is critical for warding off damage and choosing the right insurance products. The average midsize company loses $70,000 per hour for every hour that they’re not in operation”.

FirstOnSite Restoration is a leading Canadian-based disaster restoration company providing remediation, restoration, and reconstruction services nationwide, as well as for the US large loss and commercial market. For more information, visit www.firstonsite.ca.

Key features of the Minto property include:

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