$50,000 endowment fund honours Concert founder

Concert has announced a $50,000 endowment fund that will provide bursaries to students in the Bachelor of Commerce Program at the UBC Sauder School of Business who demonstrate financial need. The David Podmore Bursary in Commerce, will help to shape the careers of tomorrow’s business leaders. The generous contribution will be matched by UBC’s Blue & Gold Campaign, which UBC president Santa J. Ono launched to help remove financial barriers for talented students.

Concert’s donation was made to celebrate Podmore’s remarkable career, which has included leadership roles with Expo ’86, the Vancouver Convention Centre expansion, the bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the BC Place roof replacement project. The UBC alumnus has also been active in countless community initiatives and has served on many boards, including the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association and the BC Progress Board. He is also a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Podmore stepped down as Concert’s CEO in 2017, but he remains the company’s chair, as well as chair and chief executive officer of Concert Infrastructure — an independent long-term investor, developer and manager of public infrastructure.

Podmore says he is touched by the donation, which will help business students at his alma mater. “As a proud graduate of the University of British Columbia, I appreciate this meaningful gesture and am particularly gratified that funds will support students who require financial assistance to access quality post-secondary education,” he said.

Over the past two decades, Concert has made multiple donations to the University of British Columbia, including a $100,000 gift that established the Concert Properties Leaders’ Award — an honour granted to an outstanding undergraduate student entering fourth year in the Bachelor of Commerce Program’s Real Estate division.

The award marked Concert’s 20^th anniversary, and was established to recognize founding members and investors.

“Concert’s generosity has had a significant impact on UBC Sauder School of Business students — both financially and through the professional opportunities they continue to create and support,” says Robert Helsley, Dean of the UBC Sauder School of Business. “This endowment will continue David Podmore’s remarkable legacy and will make an enormous difference in the lives of tomorrow’s leaders who need a helping hand today.”

Since Concert’s inception in 1989, Podmore has grown the company into one of Canada’s most respected real estate enterprises. However, his greatest legacy for future generations of British Columbians will be his tireless efforts to contribute to some of the province’s largest projects like BC Place, the Vancouver Convention Centre and BC Children’s Hospital to name a few.

New mid-rise condo by TAS set for Downsview Park

A new mid-rise development from TAS is set to rise between North York’s Downsview Park and an extensive forested ravine system. The Keeley, located on Keele Street, just south of Sheppard Avenue, was designed by Teeple Architects to bring an energy-efficient contemporary urban design to Downsview Park.

The 12-storey condominium will feature a red and white brick façade with punched windows, which reference the 1960s-era architecture of the surrounding homes. Highlighting the building’s unique connection to green space, The Keeley will feature a transparent lobby with glazing on all sides to provide sightlines to Downsview Park. It will also feature a landscaped private courtyard, 6,650 square feet of amenity space and street level retail stores, which TAS believes is essential to community building.

The development will have access to over 15 km of ravine trails just outside the building to the west, with Downsview Park, a major civic park, across the street to the east.

“The Keeley is a piece of a bigger vision of what a new urban mixed-use community around Downsview Park could look like,” said Mazyar Mortazavi, president and CEO of TAS, in a press release. “It’s not hard to imagine five years out, Downsview Park emerging as one of the top destinations in the entire city. It’s ideally located along a pivotal spine in North York that connects the 401 to Steeles. The area has incredible social and physical infrastructure, including the new Downsview TTC and GO stations, York University and Centennial College campuses and Humber River Hospital.”

The Keeley will feature homes ranging from 500 to 1,500 square feet, in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, with prices starting in the mid $300,000s.

What will make T.O. condo investors less bullish?

A study released this year by CIBC and Urbanation revealed that a significant portion of investors who are renting out their new condominium apartment units in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are cash-flow negative, and people are questioning whether investing in new condos still makes sense. With unprecedented new condo price growth, a record number of new high-rise apartments under construction, rising interest rates, a foreign buyers’ tax, rent control, and a higher minimum wage putting upward pressure on monthly condo fees, what will be the straw that breaks the condo investor’s back?

First, some context. Condo investment activity in the GTA has been on the rise for well over a decade. In 2006, it was estimated that about 20 per cent of units in many new projects were being purchased for investment purposes, and not by buyers looking to live in the suites themselves.

The reasons that developers, sales and marketing managers, on-site presentation centre staff, and VIP brokers gave then for why condo investment activity was increasing are very similar to the ones given today: the Greenbelt and Places to Grow Act will restrict single-family development, pushing buyers and tenants into ownership and rental apartments; longer commutes will force people downtown; a desire to be more environmentally friendly, coupled with high automobile-related costs, will cause young people to ditch their cars and live closer to work; the downtown’s revitalization will bring new restaurants, bars, cultural institutions, and entertainment venues, which are all attractive amenities that people want to be close to.

Many investors simply viewed themselves as middle men, willing to tie up their money for several years, accept the pre-construction risk, and take advantage of real estate market appreciation (without having a mortgage). The younger generation, with its desire for instant gratification, didn’t want to put 15 per cent to 20 per cent down on a new condo and wait three to four years to take occupancy, they’d rather buy a resale condo with five per cent down and move in less than 60 days.

A major correction in the financial markets in 2008 and 2009 was another catalyst that impacted the market. Private investors, upset with stock market volatility, doubled down on hard assets. With low interest rates, a lack of purpose-built rental apartment construction, and high tenant demand, the “private landlord” market exploded, with many investors purchasing with the intent of renting the units out at completion.

By 2011, investors were purchasing 60 per cent to 70 per cent of all new condos in the GTA, and up to 90 per cent of units in many prime downtown locations. Nearly 28,000 new condo suites sold that year, more than double the total from two years earlier.

However, by the middle of 2012, investor sentiment had soured due to the constant media focus on the sector, the ubiquitous talk of oversupply, overvaluation, and foreign money, plus the habitually repeated theory that investors would all cash out at the same time and crash the market. As a result, new condo sales were very slow in 2013 and 2014 (and the market felt the delayed impact of fewer pre-construction sales in those years with a major lack of supply in 2017).

The 2015 market showed that the GTA could survive a major increase in new condo supply, as prices still increased (albeit more moderately), condo rents went up slightly, and the forecasted major speculative sell-off was avoided. Investors have not looked back since that time, setting new condo sales records in both 2016 and 2017.

Although a significant portion of investors who are renting out new condo units in the GTA are cash-flow negative as of 2018, it will likely take a major decline in resale condo prices to halt condo investors’ bullish outlook on Toronto real estate. Given that average GTA resale condo prices are even higher in 2018 in comparison to values in the bubbly 2017 market, this real estate consultant is willing to guess that major downward price pressure won’t be felt until at least late 2020, when investors start closing on the higher-priced suites bought in 2016.

By 2021, it will be clear whether the condo investor window has closed. When it does, it could mark the end of the unique set of circumstances that led to one of the longest and most successful high-rise markets in the history of North American real estate.

Ben Myers is the president of Bullpen Research & Consulting Inc. He produces market demand reports and residential pricing recommendation studies for builders, lenders and landowners in Toronto and Ottawa. He assists in the underwriting and due diligence of real estate development opportunities from a revenue and land value perspective. Find him on Twitter at @BullpenConsult

New fines for turning away canvassers take effect

With the writ due to drop in Ontario’s provincial election this week, apartment landlords and condo corporations that turn canvassers away from multi-residential buildings risk fines under recently changed rules. Ontario’s Election Act has been updated since the last provincial election to establish administrative penalties starting at $500 for first-time infractions and escalating up to $1,000 and $2,000 for second and third infractions, respectively.

Elections Ontario, the non-partisan office that oversees provincial elections, issued a reminder to apartment landlords and condo corporations that the new rules are now in effect. During the upcoming provincial election, which officially runs from May 9 to June 7, political candidates and their volunteers have the right to canvass door to door and in common areas in multi-residential buildings that have seven or more units.

There are limitations to this right, including when access can occur (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends); who must be present (a minimum of one adult, 18 or older); and what documentation canvassers must produce on request (valid identification as well as a valid Canvasser Authorization form if they aren’t candidates themselves). There are also exemptions for post-secondary residences, buildings where residents rely on assisted living and buildings where allowing access could jeopardize the emotional or physical well-being of residents.

Section 118 of the Condominium Act has forbidden condo corporations of all types from turning away canvassers for some time, as Michael Clifton, head of Clifton Kok LLP’s condo management law practice, recently pointed out. However, he added, the changes to the Election Act help clarify what reasonable access to these properties looks like.

The administrative penalties laid out in the changes to the Election Act pale in comparison to the fines associated with breaches of the Condominium Act, which max out at $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations. However, despite reports of political candidates and their volunteers running into difficulties accessing condo properties in the last provincial election, legal commentary at the time suggested violations of Section 118 had not been tested in court.

Whether the administrative penalties established through changes to the Election Act will need to be exercised to enforce the right of candidates and their volunteers to canvass in multi-residential buildings remains to be seen.

“Elections Ontario has taken steps to ensure that owners and condominium associations are aware of this change in law to ensure voluntary compliance,” a media spokesperson for Elections Ontario said via email. “Certainly, we will respond to complaints that allege that access is not being granted. Complainants will find all required information and forms on our website.”

Canvassers who believe they’ve been wrongfully prevented from accessing a multi-residential building must first leave a Notice of Denied Access form at the property. Then, the apartment landlord or condo corporation generally has 24 hours to provide access to the property in question (less if it’s polling day) before the canvasser can proceed to file a Report of Denied Access form with the returning officer. At that point, the returning officer has to determine whether the access requirements apply and either issue an Order of Administrative Penalty or let the canvasser know the property is exempt.

Rebuilding the rental housing industry

Despite the silent majority of satisfied tenants living in quality accommodations across Canada, often it’s the ugly side of the rental housing industry that fills our news feeds. Unforeseen rent hikes, squalid conditions, lax security, wrongful evictions, gentrification, and the tyranny of money-hungry management.

The real story, of course, is the lack of available rental stock and the demand that just keeps growing. With vacancy rates at all-time lows and Urbanation reporting a shortfall of 6,000 rental units in Ontario annually, it’s no wonder prospective renters are disgruntled.

Arguably, all sides are vying for the same outcomes: more supply to fill the demand; a healthy, thriving rental industry run by capable professionals; and a steady, satisfied tenant base. So what’s causing the slow-down, and what can be done to stimulate an industry caught up in red-tape and tarnished with a bad reputation?

“In most provinces, the lack of rental housing is hindering the ability of tenants to have a broad range of choice, services, and well-maintained rental units at a fair cost,” says Joe Hoffer, Partner at Cohen Highley LLP Lawyers. “This means that market rents are driven higher and deficiencies in service are overlooked by tenants who are afraid to move out, especially in Ontario and other provinces where rent controls restrict rent increases.”

Hoffer suggests that municipal fees and development charges inadvertently deter new construction, contributing to this supply shortage. “In Ontario, the recent removal of the new construction exemption from rent controls has increased the cost of lease-up—meaning, apartment building owners have to go straight to the top of the market with rental pricing in order to fill the building and make it financially viable. Because of the cost to build, risk and rent uncertainty, there is simply not much incentive to build new rental.”

David Hutniak, CEO at LandlordBC, sees similar stagnation on the west coast where the risk/reward imbalance in the multi-res sector continues to favour condos over rental housing, particularly in Vancouver. “This imbalance, combined with zoning and excessively long timelines for purpose-built rental approvals in many jurisdictions further exacerbates the problem,” he notes. “We need more rental in medium and lower density neighbourhoods, but the economics generally don’t work, and then you add in zoning issues and NIMBYs, and those projects are dead in the water.”

Politicians reacting to “hot-button” issues also complicate the process. When new regulations are hastily implemented to solve one problem and/or appease a wide demographic, they often create other unforeseen and unfavourable outcomes—and no one has been more rankled by the negative effects of new legislation than those in the business of rental housing.

Last spring in Ontario, the Wynne government announced its new Fair Housing Plan—a set of 16 measures intended to bolster affordable rental housing development and protect tenants from exorbitant rent hikes. But reportedly those measures have served less to bolster and more to waylay new development, with FRPO reporting upwards of 1,000 cancelled or postponed rental units since Bill 124 was introduced.

“For the vast majority of landlords in Ontario, the loss of the new construction exemption from rent controls will badly affect development,” asserts Hoffer. “It means the loss of the ability to pass on ‘extraordinary operating cost increases’ for vital services, such as electricity, heat, water (the pricing of which is beyond the landlord’s control) as those costs continue to escalate. In addition, the carbon taxes that are being introduced are specifically excluded from recovery as a cost. The result is that cuts must occur in other budget lines if the business is to operate and generate a modest return. These limitations are another reason why investors are wary of investing in new purpose-built rentals.”

Randy Daiter, Vice President, Residential Properties at M&R Property Management adds that the Promoting Affordable Housing Act of 2016, aimed at increasing access to mandatory affordable housing through inclusionary zoning, will likely undermine the feasibility of building new housing stock. “Then there’s Bill 139, which significantly overhauls the way local planning decisions are reviewed in Ontario,” he says. “With the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) to replace the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), it will ultimately put greater decision-making and authority in the hands of elected municipal councils, creating more unknown consequences.”

Meanwhile, Hutniak believes anything that adds costs to an already prohibitive process is a deterrent: “We need more supports and incentives to make the numbers work. For instance, it would be great if the federal government waived GST. If you’re a landlord who’s intending to build a rental property to own and manage forever, you are essentially stuck paying GST on an “artificial transaction” that will not occur. Landlords in this situation will need to recoup that cost in higher rent. If all levels of government are truly serious about affordable rental housing, then they need to find ways to help, not hinder, new apartment construction.”

The landlord-tenant rapport

Aside from the supply shortage, there’s also the reputation of the landlords themselves—people often characterized as unfeeling tyrants who are poised and ready to evict vulnerable renters without just cause. While friction is natural in a “vertical community”, most professional property managers favour conflict resolution ahead of extreme action.

Daiter, who has been in the business of rental housing long enough to have witnessed every type of squabble imaginable, maintains that the landlord-tenant relationship will be more harmonious if rules are clearly defined and communication channels are open.

“Noise complaints are a common operational issue in high-rise residential buildings,” he says. “They usually stem from one or two tenants living above or below each other. Mitigation measures can be simple, like installing area rugs with a rubber under-padding, or advising tenants to wear slippers in lieu of loud shoes when walking on hardwood floors.”

Odours, he says, can also be cause for bickering. But by all accounts, the number one trigger for conflict leading to litigation, is missed rent payment.

“For most professional landlords, real conflict comes when a tenant doesn’t pay rent,” says Hoffer. “Then that tenant, in an effort to defend against non-payment proceedings, alleges the landlord failed to maintain the property. Tenants are less likely to raise issues, such as lack of maintenance, if the landlord uses a professional lease document compliant with applicable provincial legislation.”

Of course, with the new standard lease now mandatory in Ontario, all landlords will be bound to the same template. However additional clauses pertaining to each unique rental agreement will be at the discretion of the individual landlord.

Hoffer maintains care and due-diligence during the screening process is the single best thing landlords can do to reduce this type of conflict with tenants. “Many small landlords, in particular, are so anxious to fill a vacant unit that they often overlook red flags, such as the unexplained need for the tenant to have a quick move-in date, a bad credit history, or questionable references. By spotting inconsistencies, or adhering to a “bad vibe” from an interview, a lot of future suffering can be avoided.”

The knowledge gap: mitigating risk through education

Second to poor screening tactics, landlords who aren’t familiar with the law are only setting themselves up for conflict. Hoffer warns: “Tenants who know how to manipulate the system will have the upper hand. It puts them in the position where they can challenge any missteps taken by the landlord, and unless the landlord knows the law, the tenant will succeed, and animosity will flow unabated between the parties for the balance of the tenancy.”

In British Columbia where small landlords make up a disproportionate share of the industry, Hutniak also recommends rental housing providers educate themselves to the best of their ability. In fact, in January 2017, LandordBC launched the Landlord Registry to address the knowledge gap and give landlords and tenants a tool to mitigate risk.

“In B.C. we have a bureaucracy that is struggling to provide landlords and renters with access to timely justice,” he says. “The new government has provided meaningful funding, but it will take time. Unfortunately, with the near-zero vacancy rate, a cohort of our industry took advantage of the situation by acting irresponsibly. LandlordBC supported the government with some legislative changes and, now, through the very positive relationship we have with the provincial government and other stakeholders, we are working hard to prevent that behaviour from happening again.”

Conflict prevention strategies for small landlords:

Ensure your lease includes any additional clauses pertaining to your unique rental agreement
Know the law (i.e. your rights and your tenants’ rights)
Thoroughly screen prospective tenants
Communicate often and respond rapidly
Follow-through
Be knowledgeable, professional and deliver top-quality housing backed by a strong service model

Ontario invests in Toronto vaccine manufacturing facility

The governments of Canada and Ontario recently announced plans to invest up to $70 million towards Sanofi Pasteur Limited’s $500-million project to establish one of the most advanced vaccine manufacturing facilities in the world. The investment consists of $20 million from FedDev Ontario’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund, and $50 million through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund.

The 150,000-square-foot Bulk Biologics Facility, to be located at the Connaught Campus in Toronto, will be the first of its kind. The company will double the output of its vaccines by 2023 and launch the Canadian researched and developed pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine into over 30 new international markets. The facility is expected to be operational in 2023.

“Canada has a strong legacy in the research and development of vaccines. With this investment, Sanofi is renewing our longstanding commitment to making Canada central in our effort to protect and improve human health across the globe,” said David Loew, president and head of Sanofi Pasteur, in a press release. “Vaccines save three million lives every year and this new facility will take us one step closer to a world where no one suffers or dies from a vaccine-preventable disease.”

Sanofi Pasteur is the vaccines division of Sanofi, one of the world’s leading healthcare companies and vaccine manufacturers. The company produces critical vaccines to prevent infection diseases.

This project will create or maintain nearly 1,250 jobs.

2018 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture

The 2018 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture celebrate outstanding projects that span the country from rural Nova Scotia to Whistler, B.C.

The 12 projects represent many types and sizes of buildings – from an international airport and sports complexes to a park pavilion and small hospital. They include a visitor centre at a national historic site, a library in a 170-year-old church, art museums, and houses.

The biennial awards by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts celebrate outstanding design in recently completed projects by Canadian architects.

“The recipients of the 2018 Governor General’s Medal’s in Architecture demonstrate excellence of design and diversity of purpose,” said RAIC president Michael Cox, FRAIC. “In each project, it’s clear that the site is important, with the architects drawing inspiration from cultural and natural history. The RAIC is proud to advocate for the quality of our environments by recognizing these examples of the best contemporary architecture in Canada.”

The 2018 winners:

Audain Art Museum, Whistler, B.C., Patkau Architects
Fort McMurray International Airport, Fort McMurray, AB, Office of mcfarlane biggar architects + designers (omb). The project commenced as predecessor firm mcfarlane green biggar Architecture + Design
Stade de Soccer de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Saucier+Perrotte Architectes and HCMA
Borden Park Pavilion, Edmonton, AB, gh3
Casey House, Toronto, ON, Hariri Pontarini Architects
Complexe Sportif Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC, Saucier+Perrotte Architectes and HCMA
Fort York Visitor Centre, Toronto, ON, a joint venture between Patkau Architects and Kearns Mancini Architects
Maison de la littérature, Quebec City, QC, Chevalier Morales Architectes
Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, Montreal, QC, Atelier TAG and Jodoin Lamarre Pratte Architectes in consortium
Parallelogram House, East St. Paul, MB, 5468796 Architecture
Rabbit Snare Gorge, Inverness, NS, Omar Gandhi Architect and Design Base 8 (NYC)
Two Hulls House, Port Mouton, NS, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects

The awards will be presented during a ceremony in Ottawa in the fall.

Photo: Fort McMurray International Airport by Ema Peter

Commercial buildings stuck at GHG status quo

Commercial buildings aren’t making much contribution to Canada’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The most recent National Inventory Report, filed with the United Nations in April, finds commercial buildings stuck at GHG status quo — registering the same output of 40 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent in 2016 as in 2005. However, that is an improvement from the first half of this decade when annual emissions wavered from 41 to 42 Mt.

Nationally, Canada is making somewhat better progress as total GHG emissions dropped to 704 Mt of CO₂e in 2016, representing a 28 Mt reduction from 11 years earlier. Arguably, too, growth cloaks some of the achievement thus far. Emissions fell from 22.7 tonnes per capita in 2005 to 19.4 tonnes in 2016. From a GDP perspective, the GHG intensity dropped from 0.49 Mt per $1 billion of GDP to 0.39 Mt per $1 billion of GDP in 2016. Nevertheless, Canada’s reduction commitment is volumetric and GHG levels will have to drop to roughly 510 Mt over the next 14 years to meet the target.

The second warmest winter in 70 years factors into residential GHG emissions for 2016. They dropped to 41 Mt CO₂e — down from 45 Mt in 2015 and 47 Mt in 2014. Even so, heating accounts for the overwhelming share of residential emissions, with fully 39.3 Mt attributed to combustion of fossil fuels.

The emissions profile for the commercial building sector is more varied. Fossil fuel combustion produced 29.3 Mt of emissions with another 0.7 Mt from cogeneration. Processes involving halocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride added another 5.6 Mt, while non-energy products and solvents produced from fossil fuels contributed 4.5 Mt.

Together, commercial and residential buildings are deemed responsible for 12 per cent of the total emissions in 2016. Of the seven economic sectors where GHGs are apportioned, oil and gas was the biggest emitter in 2016 at 183 Mt CO₂e, followed closely by transportation with 173 Mt of CO₂e. Those two sectors account for more than half of the year’s emissions. The remainder arose from: electricity (11 per cent); heavy industry (11 per cent); agriculture (10 per cent); and waste and others (6 per cent).

Although emissions related to electricity generation are categorized separately, Canada’s report to the UN draws a connection between the two sectors when it outlines how further GHG reductions may be achieved in the buildings sector. “Measures in the Pan-Canadian Framework that are expected to impact future trends in this sector include developing net-zero-energy-ready building codes that can be adopted by 2030 for new buildings; retrofitting existing buildings and providing businesses and consumers with information on energy performance; and improving the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment. The development of a clean fuel standard will also influence future trends in this sector,” it states.

The report’s breakdown of provincial electricity supply and resulting GHG output draws attention to Canadian regions where efforts to save energy will have a proportionally greater impact on emissions. Generation intensity, measuring grams of CO₂e per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity consumption, varies dramatically in Canada’s four most populous provinces.

In Quebec, where 99.5 per cent of the electric supply comes from hydroelectric and renewable generation, the generation intensity is 1.3 grams CO₂e/kWh. Quebec’s greater reliance on electric heating similarly results in a lower GHG output relative to other provinces — 10.9 Mt in a province with about 8.2 million inhabitants versus 17.7 Mt in Alberta, which has roughly half that population.

In 2016, Alberta’s generation intensity was 760 grams CO₂e/kWh, largely attributable to the coal-fired generating plants producing nearly 62 per cent of the province’s electricity supply. British Columbia’s energy intensity was 11.1 CO₂e/kWh and Ontario’s was 36 CO₂e/kWh.

Looking outside Canada, the U.S. GHG inventory report draws clearer connections between electricity generation and its end-users. It identifies the electric power sector as the source of 28 per cent of national GHG emissions in 2016, but then apportions that 1,809 Mt of CO₂e among the three major sectors — commercial, residential and industrial — consuming power.

Nearly 664 Mt of commercial emissions and more than 684 Mt of residential emissions are attributed to “indirect fossil fuel combustion” related to electricity use. This, in turn, reflects the predominant sources of power generation, as nearly two-thirds of the U.S. power supply is coal or natural-gas fired. In contrast, less than 19 per cent of Canada’s power supply is fossil-fuel fired.

On the flipside, Canadian buildings proportionately emit far more GHGs from direct combustion. U.S. commercial building emitted 231.3 Mt of CO₂e and residential buildings emitted 292.5 Mt of CO₂e across a population approximately ten times greater than Canada’s. This reflects the Canadian climate and reliance on fossil-fuel fired heating.

Combined direct and indirect emissions from U.S. commercial and residential buildings appear to have dropped more notably from 2005 levels, with a 16 per cent reduction in the commercial sector and a 22 per cent reduction in the residential sector. However, commercial improvement is solely related to indirect emissions and the changing electricity supply. Direct emissions have risen by 4.3 Mt.

“Recently, a decrease in the carbon intensity of the mix of fuels consumed to generate electricity has occurred due to a decrease in coal consumption, increased natural gas consumption, and increased reliance on non-fossil generation sources,” the U.S. report observes. “While emissions from the electric power sector have decreased by approximately 0.1 per cent since 1990, the carbon intensity of the electric power sector, in terms of CO₂ equivalent per QBtu (quadrillion British thermal units), input has significantly decreased — by 12 percent — during that same time frame.”

Smart phone innovation speeds up infection testing

Researchers at Washington State University have developed a portable laboratory on a phone that works almost as well as clinical laboratories in detecting common viral and bacterial infections.

The revolutionary equipment could lead to faster, cost-effective lab results for fast-moving viral and bacterial epidemics. It is thought the device could prove to be particularly effective in rural and lower-resource regions where medical equipment and personnel may not be on hand all the time.

“This smartphone reader has the potential to improve access and speed up healthcare delivery,” said Dr Lei Li, lead researcher and assistant professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. “If we find out about infections, we can treat them more quickly, which makes a difference especially in low-resource, remote areas.”

Doctors in these areas must sometimes rely on a patient’s symptoms or use their own judgement in looking at test sample colour results to determine whether a patient has an infection. As expected, this process is often inaccurate. If they send results off to a lab in a distant city, the doctors sometimes must wait for days — by which time the infection may have become widespread. Most existing mobile health diagnostic devices, meanwhile, can only analyze one sample at a time.

The WSU researchers found that their portable smartphone reader worked nearly as well as standard lab testing in detecting 12 common viral and bacterial infectious diseases, such as mumps, measles, herpes, and Lyme Disease. The researchers tested the device, which is about the size of a hand, with 771 patient samples at Hospital of University of Pennsylvania and found that it provided false positives only about one per cent of the time.

The smartphone reader, which includes a portable device, takes a photo of 96 sample wells at once and uses a computer program to carefully analyze color to determine positive or negative results.

The research team was able to build the device for about $50 (US), but they believe the manufacturing cost would be even less. They have filed a patent and hope to move forward with clinical trials that could lead to commercialization.

Led by Dr Li, the team have published their work in the journal, Clinica Chimica Acta. Collaboration with Ping Wang, associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, enabled the design and implementation of the key clinical validation study.

The work was supported by a WSU fund to support entrepreneurial endeavors.

Visitor management on the modern campus

Many campuses are vast in size — the University of British Columbia, for example, occupies more than four square kilometres of land. Within these campuses are research facilities, student housing, private housing, event centres, theatres and a myriad of other specialized buildings.

Managing visitors within these spaces can be challenging. Contractors, guest lecturers, event attendees, and other unfamiliar individuals enter the doors every day.

Universities are expected to offer a great visitor experience all while tracking guests and ensuring safety on campus. Compounding these expectations are the rigorous standards of data management that universities are required to uphold.

With the size and population of today’s campuses, post-secondary institutions are turning to technology, specifically cloud-based visitor management software (VMS), to meet these requirements.

Making guests feel welcome

Providing a great visitor experience relies on making the guest feel welcome. Hosts should know who visitors are, why they’re visiting and any other critical pieces of information.

In its guide to hosting international visitors, Virginia Commonwealth University urges staff to “be aware of religious considerations and dietary restrictions.” This is a great example of the kind of detail that is needed to demonstrate to visitors that their presence is valued and that can be made available to staff within a centralized platform through VMS.

Providing a personalized experience is the most sure-fire way for post-secondary institutions to demonstrate that visitors matter to them. Post-secondary institutions can use VMS to deliver personalization in a number of ways:

Create a sign-in process that is relevant to each visitor, implementing different processes for guest lecturers versus contractors.
Remember important facts about visitors by customizing the data captured on sign-in forms, which is valuable for other communication and operational purposes.
Store check-in data so repeat visitors don’t have to re-enter their details on subsequent visits.
Invite event attendees to pre-register so they can quickly check-in with a QR code.
Look for VMS platforms that offer multilingual service to accommodate international visitors in their native language when they sign in.

Securing the campus

While visitors deliver a lot of value to universities, they also bring inherent risks alongside them. Universities are obliged to protect students, faculty and any other concerned parties from potentially harmful activities by visitors. They also need to provide that same level of security to the visitors themselves. Understanding who visitors are at every stage of their visit is a critical success factor in maintaining campus-wide safety and security.

Protecting campus residents requires thorough identification of visitors and clear parameters that define the spaces they are permitted to access, which can be denoted using colour-coded badges produced using VMS systems. It’s also possible to integrate VMS systems with criminal watch lists and government databases to screen guests in real time. This particular use case is especially relevant to university campuses, which have a multitude of access points and a decentralized staff working across campus.

In the event of an emergency, visitors need to be kept informed and accounted for. VMS systems can be used to send emergency alerts directly to visitors and view roll-call, which allows security and administrative staff to quickly visualize which visitors are on campus.

Protecting and managing data

The other piece of the security puzzle pertains to protecting sensitive information such as intellectual property. VMS can be used to help streamline processes that protect sensitive data such as material held within research facilities. During the initial visitor sign-in process, universities can require an e-signature to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or other legal documents.

Universities are also expected to comply with government policies that regulate data management. For example, some provincial governments in Canada require organizations to use local data centres to secure and protect customer/constituent data. There is a current shortage of data centres in Canada, but that is changing as VMS companies launch new data centres to help organizations comply with data residency regulations.

Equally important, organizations need robust data governance systems as data privacy regulations become more rigorous. Post-secondary institutions can use VMS to consolidate and configure the data they collect to adhere to compliance standards. Keeping that data within a centralized platform makes it possible to export a full report in the event of a data audit.

Visitor management software on today’s campus

The challenges of visitor management in modern universities and colleges are going to grow more pronounced over time. Unlike physical guestbooks and other manual processes, VMS will scale alongside campuses, remaining viable even as new facilities are built and more visitors and students appear on campus.

Carolin Wolf is the product marketing manager at Traction Guest, a developer of cloud-based visitor management systems (VMS). She has shaped business and brand strategies for large enterprises and smaller ventures, with a focus on the tech sector. She can be reached at [email protected].

Construction starts on Michael Garron Hospital expansion

Construction recently began on the new patient care tower at Michael Garron Hospital, formerly Toronto East General Hospital. This is the largest construction project in the hospital’s history.

The project, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and B + H Architects, includes a new eight-storey patient care tower and a three-storey building that will connect to the existing structure, adding approximately 550,000 square feet of new space. Renovations will also be made to the existing facility.

The Ontario government is investing up to $436.2 million in the redevelopment project. The project is being funded using Infrastructure Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement model.

When the LEED Silver-targeting project is complete, it will feature 215 larger, safer inpatient beds, including 15 new beds; more single-patient rooms, improving privacy, safety and infection control; redeveloped mental health inpatient units for adult, child and youth care; new co-located renal, cardiac and chest care clinics; increased use of natural light, green rooftops and lush community landscaping; state-of-the-art equipment and technology to enhance patient care and workplace efficiency; and a new four-level parking structure.

“Michael Garron Hospital has been providing first-class care to east Toronto for nearly 90 years,” said Dr. Helena Jaczek, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, in a press release. “These renovations will enable the hospital to continue to deliver efficient, accessible, high-quality services to meet the changing needs of the local community.”

Construction on the new patient care tower at Michael Garron Hospital is expected to be completed in fall 2023.

Q&A: The value of accurate floor measurements

For property valuation and leasing, every square foot matters. In order to maximize lease areas or to receive full value when a building is sold, building owners and managers need to ensure that all floor areas are accounted for and the latest floor measurement standards considered. Knowing what to calculate and how is critical.

For more insights, here’s Adam Fingret, BOMA Floor Measurement Standards Expert and CEO of Extreme Measures Inc.

Property owners and managers already have a lot on their plates. Why is it important to add area measurement to the list?

Square footage is a vital metric because it’s directly tied to leasing figures and building value. If your area calculations are old and haven’t been reviewed in the last 5 or 10 years – which is very common – you probably aren’t taking advantage of new ways that space can be calculated or benefiting from potential increases to your square footage as a result of building renovations, retrofits, or other changes.

By bringing your area calculations up-to-date, it isn’t uncommon to pick up a couple of hundred square feet or more depending on the building. That might not seem like much; but leased at $20 per square foot over 10 years, it adds up both in terms of lease revenue and the building’s perceived value.

You mentioned there are brand new ways to calculate office area due to the new 2017 BOMA Office Standard. What changed?

BOMA floor measurement standards have been around since 1915 and there have been several re-issues over the years since. The latest BOMA 2017 Office Standard introduces a number of significant changes. For one, it allows for a wider variety of architectural features (e.g. outdoor promenades, finished rooftop spaces, tenant balconies, etc.) and it clears up questions around what can and cannot be factored into tenant rentable area. A new way to calculate major vertical penetrations will also have a growth effect on rentable areas in most office buildings.

Another thing the new standard does is align itself with the International Property Measurement Standard, which has gained a lot of traction in the last few years. BOMA was really determined to be on board with IPMS because of its popularity among international real-estate owners and investors.

You and your brother were heavily involved with producing the BOMA 2017 Office Standard, correct?

Yes. My brother David and I started getting formally involved with BOMA International around 2006 when our company, Extreme Measures, joined the BOMA Floor Measurements Standards Committee. At the time, BOMA was updating their popular 1996 office standard to the 2010 version. Because we were using BOMA floor measurement standards so much in our day-to-day work, we brought a lot of ideas to the table about how they could be improved, clarified, and made more beneficial to building stakeholders.

Later, in 2015, we won a contract to help BOMA International write, edit, and illustrate the next generation of BOMA floor measurement standards. We recently put out the latest flagship Office Standard in October 2017 and are currently working on the new Gross Area Standard. Updates to the industrial, retail, mixed-use, and multi-unit residential standards are scheduled to follow over the next couple of years.

The BOMA Office Standard has never been more approachable than it is today and we’re proud to have played a big part in making that happen. So far, it’s being well received by industry.

What role does technology play in building area measurements?

All area calculations depend on good source information. Like any other process that relies on data, it’s a “garbage in, garbage out” situation – especially if you’re feeding your calculations with old or inaccurate architectural documents, or not accounting for changes that have occurred at your property over the years due to tenant activity, renovations, and expansions.

That’s where technology comes into play. By using advanced 3D laser scanners and precision distance meters, we can capture as-built conditions quickly and accurately. We transfer this information directly to CAD/BIM software and then our area analysis technicians use custom software to extract area data and produce up-to-date BOMA calculations and area certificates. When you combine these technologies with the right expertise, that’s when you unlock the true value of your property.

Adam Fingret is CEO and co-owner of Extreme Measures Inc, a leader in building measurement and BOMA Floor Measurement Standards. For more, visit www.xmeasures.com.

New board members for Industry Training Authority

The Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training has appointed six new board members to the Industry Training Authority (ITA). The new members bring diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to skilled trades training.

The demand for skilled workers continues to grow provincially, nationally and globally. ITA’s board of directors is committed to working closely and collaboratively with industry, labour, training institutions and government to ensure world-class apprenticeship and training opportunities that support sustainable careers in our growing economy.

“I’d like to welcome the new board members and thank past members for their contributions,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “We’re assembling a strong leadership team to help make sure British Columbians have the skills to create the best BC. A diversity of perspectives is important to ensure the Industry Training Authority’s actions work for people.”

Former WorkSafeBC senior vice president, Corporate Services and Human Resources Roberta Ellis was appointed as board chair on December 14, 2017, by the B.C. government.

The six new Board members are: Bob Davis, president, Kwantlen Faculty Association at Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Cynthia Oliver, served 13 years as the president of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FPSE); Laird Cronk, international representative for the BC/Yukon Region to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) – 1st District Canada; Lisa Langevin, assistant business manager for the Local 213 Branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); Peter Baker, development and employment partnership negotiator with the Squamish Nation Trades Centre; and Thomas Nyce, Indigenous Affairs Representative for Ledcor Industries Inc.

Andries Calitz, chief executive officer, LNG Canada, has been re-appointed and Jonathan Whitworth, former chief executive officer of Seaspan, will continue serving on the board.

ITA leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. ITA works with apprentices, employers, industry, labour, training providers and government to fund training, issue credentials, support apprenticeships, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades.

Vancouver SeaBus terminal gets major upgrade

The SeaBus terminal at the Waterfront Station transit hub in downtown Vancouver will be seismically upgraded and expanded as part of TransLink’s maintenance and repair program. The upgrades are estimated to cost about $17 million, its largest retrofit in its 42-year history.

Improvements for the SeaBus Waterfront Terminal include:

Four replacement escalators, one replacement elevator and a new elevator.
A new staircase to make it easier to transfer to SkyTrain at Waterfront Station and improve passenger flow during peak times.
An extension with a new entrance and Compass Vending Machine for customers accessing SeaBus from HeliJet or Waterfront Road.

“Our system is aging and it is absolutely imperative that we make significant investments in maintaining a state of good repair. These upgrades to the SeaBus terminal will provide a much needed refresh that will improve safety and accessibility for the more than 17,000 people who ride SeaBus each day,” said Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink.

The project kicks off this year’s TransLink Maintenance and Repair Program, TransLink’s annual investment in repairing, replacing and improving aging infrastructure across the system to keep customers safe, comfortable and moving across a reliable transit network every day.

The SeaBus terminal was built in 1976. In 2017 alone, 5.84 million passengers passed through on their travels between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore – a 7.3 per cent increase over 2016.

Work will begin at the end of this month and is expected to be complete in 15 months.

Measure by Measure to Cut Costs and Keep Property Owners Happy

Keeping tenants happy, buildings occupied, and property values high are top priorities for property management firms. In reality, that’s easier said than done – especially in an era where “plugged-in” lifestyles, rising labour costs, and rental regulations are making it increasingly difficult for property stakeholders to find financial breathing room.

“The rental market is inundated with not just energy-related concerns, but also rent control, new building evaluations and regulations, and lower vacancy rates,” agrees George Hantzis, Large Commercial Energy Solutions Manager with Enbridge, adding, “all of those things intensify the challenges to keep tenants satisfied while continuing to grow a business.”

They also emphasize the need to partake in energy retrofits and smart cost-saving measures to lean out operating costs and free up money for their core business: delivering quality rental supply.

“There’s no one thing that will improve your bottom line. That’s why, when people like us go into a facility to help property owners or managers find ways to save energy, we are always looking at the issue from a holistic approach,” says Dominic DiMuzio, Enbridge Multi-Residential Energy Solutions Consultant.

Enbridge’s team of technical experts collectively work with hundreds of multi-residential buildings annually to help stakeholders optimize their energy usage and save money. It’s that hands-on experience that has equipped them with cost-saving insights and proven energy smart measures. Here are just a few:

Make smarter retrofits

When it comes time to replace or upgrade critical building components, consider that an ideal opportunity to not only seek a more energy-efficient solution, but to upgrade connected systems.

“When a customer is changing their boiler, for instance, that’s an ideal time to also take a look at changing the way they pump those boilers or control them,” offers DiMuzio.

As for what jobs to prioritize, Hantzis adds: “We’ve had a lot of success working with property managers on boiler efficiency upgrades, as well as installing Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) on ventilation systems. If those have not been done, I would recommend doing those first.”

Do more with what you have

There are several ways to optimize savings with existing equipment. For example, one is to introduce an advanced building automation system (BAS) that monitors, manages, and reduces energy usage on an interval level. Another is to install pipe insulation across all hot water systems. And pipe insulation typically delivers a quick return on investment.

“It’s all about sustained savings,” says Chinmayee Rindani, Multi-Residential Energy Solutions Consultant. “When your building is monitored, you can track if there are any manual adjustments made on site that are pushing your energy costs up. Understanding your property’s energy consumption through monitoring can provide a roadmap to future opportunities and sustained energy savings.”

Tweak your controls

A few system tweaks can go a long way. Energy Consultants can play a big role in identifying energy-wasting procedures and make small – yet impactful – changes that will result in long-term savings.

For example Carmine Faiella, Multi-Residential Energy Solutions Consultant offers this advice: “When you reduce your set point temperatures the savings are automatic. That said, you need to be careful and considerate of tenant comfort.”

Get with the program

A number of energy-saving consultation programs are available to property stakeholders at no cost. In some cases, such as Enbridge’s Commercial Custom Retrofit Incentives programs, participants can receive financial rewards for implementing energy-saving measures.

“We’ll work with customers, free of charge, to identify energy efficiency opportunities that save natural gas and in return save them money. And if they implement any of our recommendations, we will cover up to 50 per cent of the project cost,” explains Hantzis.

“These programs are available and they’ve been proven to work – so there’s no downside to trying them,” adds DiMuzio

Good tenants plus stable occupancy rates equal high property values (and happy owners). It’s a simple formula that’s becoming harder to apply. With some smart energy measures and assistance from those in the know, property managers can find a friendly balance.

For more information on Enbridge’s efficiency programs, or to learn about how Enbridge’s Energy Solutions Consultants have helped multi-residential customers in the past, visit www.enbridgesmartsavings.com/business.

Hand sanitizer market set to boom for next five years

Just in time for World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5, a new report has revealed that the global hand sanitizer market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.59 per cent for the next five years.

The report from Research and Markets said increasing awareness of health and hygiene among consumers is one of the primary factors that has caused the expansion of the market for these products since 2017. This boom is predicted to continue into 2022.

“The awareness regarding the importance of health and hygiene among the consumers across the world has increased exponentially, primarily among consumers in developed countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, and others,” the report reads. “The leading vendors and marketers in these countries constantly focus on digital marketing and promotional activities to spread the awareness of personal hygiene and hand sanitizer products. Moreover, various regulatory bodies are motivating the use of hand sanitizers among the consumers.”

The emerging use of hand sanitizer through touch-free dispenser is one of the key trends in the hand sanitizer market. Hand sanitizer has an edge over soap and water as they can clean hands which are not ‘visibly’ dirty. The touch-free hand sanitizers are becoming the state-of-the-art among all industries which can be extensively used to prevent the spread of unwanted germs. These touch-free sanitizers are being used across the commercial sector in office spaces, hospitals, and hotels.

The report has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

Ontario targeting high-risk workplace sectors in inspection blitzes

Ontario is conducting more than two dozen workplace inspection blitzes in 2018 and 2019 to ensure employers are meeting health, safety and employment standards at workplaces across the province. Inspection blitzes and initiatives are part of the province’s enforcement strategy to increase compliance with the Employment Standards Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act and their regulations.

Enforcement staff will visit workplaces including warehouses, “big box” retail stores, grocery stores, chemical manufacturing plants, pulp and paper mills, hotels, golf courses, health care organizations, mines and construction projects. The blitzes will target sectors that often employ new and young workers, temporary help, vulnerable workers and workplaces with a history of low compliance.

Occupational health and safety inspectors will look for workplace health and safety violations involving issues such as working at heights, ergonomics, falls, hazardous materials, machine guarding, conveyors, mobile equipment and violence. The goal of these inspection blitzes is to raise safety awareness, enhance workplace health and safety and to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.

“Every worker has the right to return home safe and sound at the end of each work day and to receive their employment standards entitlements,” said Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour, in a press release. “We want to raise awareness of hazards and other violations at workplaces across the province to ensure employers are complying with Ontario laws and that workers are protected.”

Since June 2008, occupational health and safety inspectors with the Ministry of Labour have conducted over 792,400 field visits, and 100 provincial inspection blitzes. Inspectors have issued over 1,297,500 compliance orders for safety issues across all sectors in Ontario since that time.