Morguard buys Oakville’s Argus Corporate Centre

Morguard Corporation has purchased the Argus Corporate Centre for $18.5 million. The five-storey Class A suburban office building is located at 586 Argus Road in Oakville, Ontario.

“An excellent location and a solid existing tenant base make the Argus Corporate Centre a valuable acquisition for Morguard,” said Morguard Chairman and CEO K. Rai Sahi. “This acquisition supports our long-term strategy of investing in diversified, high-quality assets in North America that will provide a steady cash flow and a solid return on investment.”

The property is within 200 metres of the Oakville GO and VIA Rail transit hub and has high visual exposure being close to the QEW/403, 410, 407 and 401 highways.

It’s also in the heart of midtown, which is designated urban growth centre under the development plan of the Province of Ontario. The City of Oakville is targeting residential and commercial intensification as well as significant transit and infrastructure investment in the neighbourhood immediately surrounding the property. Under the plan, the Argus Corporate Centre will be re-zoned to have the highest commercial density within the development area.

“Investment from the City of Oakville and the Province of Ontario in the infrastructure and transit surrounding the property makes the Argus Corporate Centre a key strategic acquisition,” said Sahi. “The property’s central location within the Midtown Oakville development zone provides excellent long-term growth and development potential for Morguard.”

The 74,600-square-foot building is currently 100 per cent occupied by seven tenants in diverse industries including video game development, independent medical services, software development and legal services.

CF Sherway Gardens completes $550-mil redevelopment

The new south wing at CF Sherway Gardens is now complete, topping off a $550 million redevelopment and expansion of the mall, which began in 2013.

The 250,000-square-foot addition, officially opening on August 29, follows the north expansion of the mall, which Cadillac Fairview celebrated in 2015.

This latest phase features significant aesthetic and design upgrades, the full restoration of the mall’s iconic white tent roof and a re-merchandising of 90,000 square feet of existing retail space.

Via the new expansion, Nordstrom and Zara will debut at the centre’s south wing, which will also welcome Saje, Nike, MAC, Loding, Squish, BonLook, L’Intervalle and The Danish Pastry House. Saks Fifth Avenue, Kate Spade and Indigo’s new concept store are a few stores that have already set up shop.

“Along with a revitalized merchandise mix, CF Sherway Gardens is demonstrating an intensified commitment to delivering a unique shopping experience,” said Finley McEwen, Cadillac Fairview’s Senior Vice President of Development. “We started with interior enhancements, introduced new lighting and public amenities, and are now providing a range of upscale dining options and new digital offerings – delivering on our commitment to providing guests with an immersive, premium shopping environment.”

General Manager Andy Traynor says Cadillac Fairview is the only Canadian shopping mall operator with two properties housing both Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

“Beyond the physical expansion and upgrades, our revitalization is about adjusting our retail mix to mirror the expectations of our shoppers,” he says. “This means building on our roster of best-in-class brands, which includes much sought-after premium and luxury retailers.”

Retailers who opened in the first phase of the project have had generally successful openings, even with ongoing construction and a significant amount of parking being offline.

For the south wing, renovations and retrofits within individual store spaces are also planned and will continue as additional retail brands are introduced, along with new consumer experiences.

“We’re constantly improving our properties,” says McEwen. “This phase of construction concludes the major redevelopment and means parking facilities and the mall are 100 per cent open for business. Even as we speak now, there are continued studies underway for future phases.”

Cadillac Fairview will be turning over another 15,000 square feet of retail space to new clients just after Christmas.

Canadians spent a total of $532 billion on retail goods in 2016, McEwen notes. Out of that, about $344 billion, or 65 per cent, could be considered sales of categories or goods found in shopping centres, and of that $10 billion were luxury sales.

“In this competitive and ever-evolving marketplace, we’ll maintain a dynamic approach to constantly adjusting our thinking to anticipate and stay ahead of trends in retail,” he adds.

Forest fires pose indoor air quality challenge

Outdoor air has been far from fresh in some areas of British Columbia and Alberta this summer. Smoke from a series of tenacious forest fires has prompted public health authorities in both provinces to issue recommendations for avoiding undue exposure.

B.C.’s aptly named Smoky Skies Bulletin, which provides a regularly updated list of regions of concern, also directs affected residents to potential relief. “Consider visiting a location like a shopping mall with cooler filtered air,” it suggests.

Indoor air quality specialists concur that larger commercial buildings are among the better places to be when outdoor conditions are compromised since HVAC systems typically incorporate air filtration. Depending on the filter’s efficiency level — known as MERV, an acronym for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value — that could capture airborne particulate smaller than a micron. Nevertheless, prolonged poor air quality creates challenges for any kind of ventilation system.

“We rely on fresh air to flush out carbon dioxide. In the ideal situation, we’re bringing in lots of fresh air and we’re dissipating it around and flushing it outside,” says Curt LaMontagne, principal indoor environmentalist with C5 Plus Limited in Calgary. “In a situation like we’ve got now, you really don’t have good choices.”

Earlier this week, the air quality index climbed toward higher health risk readings in the Calgary and Edmonton regions. “The smoke smells like a campfire. Sunday night it was noticeable. By Monday morning, you could feel it on the back of your throat,” reports Julien Poirier, a project manager with the engineering consulting firm, WSP Group, also based in Calgary.

Although conditions later improved, Alberta Health Services recommends residential and automobile windows and vents should be kept closed when smoke can be smelled or tasted in the air. Closer to the source of the flames, air quality readings in the B.C. interior have more consistently hit high health risk levels throughout the summer, whereas the lower mainland has experienced occasional peaks interspersed with moderate and low-risk results.

Unlike gases, which can be mitigated via biofilters like aesthetically pleasing living walls, the contamination from forest fires is primarily fine particulate matter that humans and animals can inhale deeply into their lungs. Filtration or outright avoidance are the basic and really only operational strategies for controlling its presence indoors.

Filtration

Buildings certified under the WELL Standard or that have attained LEED credits for enhanced indoor air quality may be better placed to do this since both compliance paths specify MERV 13 or higher filters on intake units for outdoor air supply. That effectively traps particles as small as the nuclei of a sneeze droplet and up to 90 per cent of larger particles.

The MERV rating chart categorizes this as an attribute of “superior commercial buildings”, but it’s a plausible retrofit for a broader range of office stock. “Typically, most air handling systems can accommodate up to a MERV 13 filter,” Poirier affirms.

MERV 15 filters can be found in some high-performance commercial buildings. However, filters with higher ratings are generally used in more specialized applications such as health care facilities or pharmaceuticals manufacturing, and can be beyond the engineered capacity of fan systems found in many office buildings. Even moving up a few gradients from the more standard MERV 8 or 11 filters will increase energy loads since fans must work harder to draw air, but building owners may see the added energy costs as a reasonable trade-off in parts of the country where forest fires are common and/or increasingly frequent.

“Going from a MERV 8 to a MERV 15 is not going to double the energy load on the fans. It probably amounts to a fraction of a percentage in increased loads across the whole building,” Poirier says.

“Buildings should plan for accommodating potential future increases in air pollutants,” concurs Barbara Ciesla, senior vice president, strategic consulting, with JLL.

For example, the WELL Standard’s requirement that HVAC systems have the ability to accommodate carbon or combination particle/carbon filters creates manoeuvring room if outdoor air quality decline in the future. More broadly, the standard embeds the discipline of ongoing quality control and preventative maintenance.

“We design HVAC systems to perform to a certain level, but they must be consistently tested to make sure the actual performance — in this case, air filtration — is meeting intended performance,” Ciesla adds.

Monitoring intake

Regardless of filters, higher levels of pollutants outdoors inevitably become an indoor air quality issue. “Even if you’re filtering out 80 per cent of the particles, 20 per cent are getting through,” LaMontagne observes.

Adjusting air intake is a more delicate part of the response strategy since it requires a balancing of two less than desirable outcomes. “If you close the dampers or shut down the fans, carbon dioxide will build up; volatile organic compounds will build up. People with sensitivities will start to feel the exposure to these contaminants,” he warns.

Poirier also reminds building operators that building automation systems aren’t programmed for atypical times and will continue to draw air based on temperature triggers.

“You may want to disable your air-side economizer,” he says. “Otherwise, if the temperature drops to around 15 to 17 C, the BAS could start bringing in 100 per cent outside air. You want to minimize the outside air.”

British Columbia has announced that this is the province’s worst season for forest fires since records were first kept, with nearly 895,000 hectares already destroyed. A provincial website lists 28 “wildfires of note” as of August 17, defined as “highly visible or which a pose a potential threat to public safety.” Meanwhile, Alberta’s woes may not be so conspicuous, but the province’s extensive coal-fired electricity supply contributes to something of a poor air quality double whammy.

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

Canadian home sales fall 2.1 per cent in July

National home sales fell 2.1 per cent from June to July, marking the fourth consecutive month of declining sales activity, according to statistics released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Although the decline was about one-third of those felt in May and June, it leaves sales activity 15.3 per cent below March’s record-setting levels. Sales were down from the previous month in nearly two-thirds of all local markets, led by the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Calgary, Halifax-Dartmouth and Ottawa.

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity fell 11.9 per cent year-over-year in July 2017. Sales were down from year-ago levels in about 60 per cent of all local markets, led by markets in the GTA and surrounding areas. National sales net of activity in the Greater Golden Horseshoe remained little changed from one year ago.

“July’s interest rate hike may have motivated some homebuyers with pre-approved mortgages to make an offer,” said Andrew Peck, CREA president, in a press release. “Even so, sales activity continued to soften in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. Meanwhile, sales and prices in Montreal continue to strengthen.”

“July marked the smallest monthly decline in Greater Golden Horseshoe home sales since Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan was announced in April,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s chief economist. “This suggests sales may be starting to bottom out amid stabilizing housing market sentiment. Time will tell whether that’s indeed the case once the transitory boost by buyers with pre-approved mortgages fades.”

The number of newly listed homes in the GTA dipped by 1.8 per cent. Many markets in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region also saw new supply decline recently after the increases felt immediately following the Ontario government’s announcement of its Fair Housing Plan in April. New listings also dropped in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and northern British Columbia.

With sales down by about the same amount as new listings in July, the national sales-to-new listings ratio changed very little, sitting at 53.5 per cent, indicating a balanced market. In the first quarter of 2017, the ratio was in the high 60 per cent range. Balanced market conditions are present in over 60 per cent of all local markets. There were 5.2 months of inventory on a national basis at the end of July 2017, the highest level since January 2016, further indicating a balanced market.

The Aggregate Composite MLS Home Price Index (HPI) climbed 12.9 per cent year-over-year in July 2017, representing a further deceleration in year-over-year gains since April. The slowing growth from June to July was a result of softening prices in the Greater Golden Horseshoe markets tracked by the index.

Price gains slowed in all benchmark categories, led by single family homes. Apartment units posted the largest year-over-year gains in July (20 per cent), following by townhomes/row units (15.9 per cent), two storey single family homes (10.7 per cent) and one-storey single family homes (9.7 per cent). Benchmark home prices were up compared to year-ago levels in 12 out of 13 housing markets tracked by the MLS HPI, although price trends continued to vary significantly by region.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes in July 2017 was $478,696, a 0.3 per cent decline compared to year-ago levels, marking the first annual decline in national average price since February 2013, reflecting fewer sales in the GTA and Greater Vancouver on a year-over-year basis. When excluding these two regions from calculations, the national average price sat at $381,297.

The case for clean desk policies in the workplace

Despite a shift towards online storage and the growing popularity of the “paperless office,” paper documents continue to be prevalent in Canadian workplaces. More than half of Canadian C-suite leaders and small business owners (58 per cent and 59 per cent, respectively) believe that the volume of paper they use in their organization will either stay the same or increase in the next year, according to the Shred-it 2017 Security Tracker Survey.

The survey also found that the majority of Canadian businesses have policies in place to ensure formal business documents — such as legal, financial and tax records — are securely stored and destroyed. But all too often organizations overlook everyday paper items in their data protection strategies. These seemingly harmless sheets and slips of paper that accumulate on desks, in open recycling bins and by the printers can contain highly confidential and sensitive information that could subject an organization to fraud.

A simple and cost-effective fraud prevention technique is to implement a clean desk policy, which requires all documents to be stored in locked filing cabinets when employees are away from their desks. This policy not only reduces an organization’s risk of fraud, but also encourages employees to declutter often and fosters an appreciation for the importance of information security.

In order to have a truly effective fraud mitigation strategy, business leaders need to understand all points of vulnerability within their organization. It’s key for businesses of all sizes to establish information security policies that apply to all sources of fraud or identity theft — including unexpected, everyday paper documents.

Points of vulnerability

Consider this: An employee receives a package at the office, removes the contents, breaks down the shipping box and tosses it into the recycling bin. But what about that shipping label still stuck on the box that’s now in an unsecured bin? Beyond the company address, shipping labels can potentially include tracking codes or account numbers. This information — especially if it’s combined with other information a fraudster may have gathered about the organization — presents a “hidden” security concern that can expose employees or the company to risk.

PowerPoint presentations are another commonly encountered example of risky everyday documents. While presentation decks are typically developed and delivered digitally, there’s still a tendency to print and distribute hard copies to clients, customers or colleagues. Slide decks can be a prime source of sensitive information about an organization’s finances or intellectual property and there is no way to monitor these printed decks once distributed.

Receipts, resumes and boarding passes are other examples of unexpected — and often overlooked — sources of sensitive information that can leave employees or an organization vulnerable to fraud if misplaced.

Deployment and enforcement

Consider the following questions when rolling out a clean desk policy in the workplace:

What does a clean desk policy look like in practice?

On a daily basis, employees should follow the “three p’s of office organization”: plan, protect and pick up. Employees should start each day with a few minutes of planning to organize the documents needed and file the documents not needed. Then, whenever employees step away from their desk, they should take a look to see if any of the papers left out contain sensitive information. If so, they should place the documents inside a folder out of sight. Lastly, when employees leave in the evening, they should file all documents or lock them up. As an added benefit, the office will be tidy first thing in the morning!

How does an organization roll out a clean desk policy?

Start at the top, by having senior managers follow and promote the policy. Also put it in writing, making clear instructions available to employees on how to follow the policy and why it’s important. Recognize too that an organization simply can’t have a clean desk policy if employees have nowhere to securely store documents. Consider purchasing small, lockable storage boxes that fit under desks.

How does an organization enforce a clean desk policy?

Post signs in key areas of the office reminding employees to follow the policy and appoint a manager from each department as monitors to check everyone’s desk at the end of the day. Keep track of employees who don’t follow the policy, creating and using a desk tent or a door hanger with a reminder that they left sensitive documents on their desk. Come up with creative rewards for employees who follow the clean desk policy — for example, a contest between departments.

To complement a clean desk policy, organizations should consider implementing a shred-it all policy. This policy eliminates the guesswork of what is and isn’t considered confidential by requiring employees to shred all documents. All shredded paper is then recycled, adding an important environmental benefit.

Canadian organizations must remember to be vigilant about document security and keep in mind that everyday paper documents — if disposed of improperly — can put individuals and businesses at risk of fraud. Deploying a few simple, yet effective, information security policies can go a long way towards ensuring businesses protect their customers, their reputation and their people.

Kevin Pollack is senior vice president of Shred it. In his role, Kevin focuses on excellence in sales, marketing and customer experience. He has a passion for service line enhancement, driving growth and commercial strategy.

Saskatoon ponders city-wide organics program

The City of Saskatoon is considering a city-wide organics program to divert food and yard waste from landfill.

Brenda Wallace, the city’s director of environmental and corporate initiatives, says 32 per cent of all material added to regional landfills is organics. This includes 36,600 tonnes from residential sources and 41,700 tonnes from industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors.

“If we want to reach our target of diverting 70 per cent of our waste from the landfill, organics represents our single biggest opportunity,” she says.

The city set this diversion target for 2023, which includes a four-year priority to promote and facilitate city-wide composting and recycling and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Organics was flagged in a recent Waste Diversion Opportunities report as a key way to reach this goal.

While a larger volume of organic waste is generated by ICI sources, the report recommends that organics programming focus first on the curbside residential sector. Currently, organics collected in black carts at the curbside, make up 58 per cent of single-family residential garbage. Residential waste management is considered an essential service that Saskatoon delivers: this is not the case for the ICI sector.

As it stands, Saskatoon is one of only two Canadian cities with no city-wide Curbside Collection Program for yard waste and one of only five cities without a Food Waste Collection Program.

Outcomes from the report will be the focus of community discussions this fall. Preliminary results from a recent Waste and Recycling Survey completed by Insightrix in July 2017 indicate that 79 per cent of residents strongly or somewhat support city-wide food and yard waste (green cart) collection for all households.

Survey finds majority opposes home-sharing services ban

With short-term rental rules on the horizon in at least two major Canadian cities, a group that monitors regulatory trends is touting the recent survey finding that a majority of Canucks oppose a ban on home-sharing services such as Airbnb.

Thirty-seven per cent of Canadians oppose a ban on home-sharing services, according to a survey conducted by Nanos Research on behalf of Consumer Choice Center. Another 23 per cent of Canadians reached by the survey said they somewhat oppose such a ban.

The survey, conducted in June and released in July, comes as Toronto and Vancouver move to regulate the burgeoning markets for short-term rentals in their jurisdictions.

“The poll demonstrates that legislators should be wary when proposing legislation that would seek to over-regulate, or ban, these services,” said David Clement, North American affairs manager, Consumer Choice Center. “When it comes to temporary accommodation, legislators should embrace home-sharing and avoid heavy-handed regulation and bans.”

Neither Toronto nor Vancouver are proposing to ban home-sharing services. They are, however, looking at limiting the practice to principal residences and introducing licensing and registration requirements.

The municipalities have acknowledged that the rise of home-sharing services has come with both benefits and drawbacks. A key concern has been that home-sharing, when done outside of principal residences, may be displacing units from the rental market, which is tight in both cities, where the cost of housing has also soared in recent years.

The Nanos Research survey found that eight per cent of Canadians support a ban on home-sharing services. Another 18 per cent of Canadians reached by the survey said they somewhat support such a ban.

Thirteen per cent of respondents said they weren’t sure either way.

Regionally speaking, a ban on home-sharing services was least popular Ontario, with 62.6 per cent saying they oppose or somewhat oppose such a ban. Opposition to this type of restriction was weakest in B.C., at 57.1 per cent.

A ban on home-sharing services decreased in popularity the older the age group, with 67.4 per cent of 18 to 39-year-olds opposing or somewhat opposing such a ban and 51.5 per cent of the 60-plus set saying the same.

The hybrid survey, conducted online and by phone, reached 1,000 Canadians and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

OHBA names 2017 Awards of Distinction finalists

The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) has announced the finalists for its 2017 Awards of Distinction. Winners of the OHBA 2017 Awards of Distinction will be announced on September 26^th at the OHBA Conference, which will be held at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls.

Judged by a panel of industry professionals from across the country, entries from across Ontario were submitted under 39 categories focusing on building, design, sales and marketing.

In addition to the individual category awards, OHBA will also announce the winner of the 2017 Ontario Home Builder of the Year award. Finalists in this category are Great Gulf, Losani Homes and Tridel. In the category of the 2017 Ontario Renovator of the Year, finalists are Amsted Design-Build, Eurodale Developments and OakWood.

OHBA also invites the general public to visit www.ohbaaod.ca/peopleschoice.php until August 25^th to vote for the 2017 People’s Choice Award. Finalists in this category include the top finalists in Project of the Year Low-Rise and Project of the Year High or Mid-Rise categories. They are:

Adi Development Group Inc., Stationwest, Burlington
Aspen Ridge Homes, The Jack, Toronto
Collecdev, Westwood Gardens, Richmond Hill
Doug Tarry Homes, HOPE, St. Thomas
Losani Homes, Central Park, Hamilton
Lucchetta Homes, The Residences At Hunters Pointe, Welland
Spallacci Homes, 101 LOCKE, Hamilton

“The Awards of Distinction continually celebrates excellence in homebuilding, professional renovation, and sales and marketing in Ontario. The outstanding talent of awards finalists pushes the envelope in Ontario housing design, as demonstrated throughout single-family homes, mid-rise or high-rise projects,” said Neil Rodgers, OHBA president, in a press release. “As we’ve seen a great need for more housing supply in Ontario, OHBA proudly celebrates the achievements of our members and the great communities they build for Ontarians.”

The complete list of finalists is available at www.ohbaaod.ca.

New 47-storey condo to rise in downtown Toronto

A new residential tower by Graywood Developments will rise at Peter Street and Adelaide Street in downtown Toronto’s Entertainment District. The condominium, called Peter & Adelaide, will wrap in and around three historic properties and tightly knit together adjoining surface parking lots in the neighbourhood.

Designed by BBB Architects as a contemporary interpretation of the city’s old warehouses that remain present in the district, the 47-storey development will be constructed of brick, metal, concrete and glass with frontages on both sides of the intersection. A new pedestrian mews will be located by the project on Adelaide, offering public space that connects with the midblock behind 401 Richmond.

A podium that steps up from three to six to 16 storeys will be located on Adelaide Street. On Peter, the podium is pulled back at grade with the use of angled columns, providing better sightlines on the historic buildings that bookend the property. Framed openings made of brick, concrete and bronze mass up from the podium at different volumes and extend beyond the roofline to create a unique skyline presence, especially after dark when they are illuminated.

“This is a great neighbourhood and the epitome of what urban living has come to mean in Toronto,” said Adidharma Purnormo, Graywood’s vice president of development, in a press release. “We named the project Peter & Adelaide because we aspire to embody the spirit and liveliness of the intersection and add to the quality of life that is already here.”

For interiors and landscaping, Graywood brought on U31 Inc. and MBTW, respectively. Amenities include an outdoor space on the 17^th floor that features a swimming pool and reflection pool complete with cabanas and lounges. Additional common areas on the third floor offer two more outdoor spaces. A large gym features views over Adelaide Street to the south and an internal courtyard to the north, while a demonstration kitchen, dining room and lounge offer space for entertaining. To appeal to freelance workers and entrepreneurs that work remotely, U31 Inc. added a communal workspace and recreational hub to their design.

“The workspace is reminiscent of a creative hub you might find in Silicon Valley with bright colours and playful pieces such as foosball and billiards tables,” says U31 Inc.’s Kelly Cray, lead designer on the project. “By contrast, the lounge will be neutral and glam, comprising sophisticated Eurocentric furniture, a double-sided fireplace and metallic objects.”

Peter & Adelaide will offer suites ranging from studios to three bedrooms, with prices starting in the $300s. The design of the suites was inspired by the modernist functionalism of boutique hotels in Scandinavia, and will feature quartz counters and backsplash, integrated appliances and custom designed bathroom vanities.

Better infection prevention needed in schools

Infection prevention and control, while taken seriously in healthcare settings, isn’t always a priority in educational facilities, where appearance sometimes takes precedence over cleaning and disinfecting high touch points.

Using proper chemicals, materials and cleaning practices, along with ongoing custodial education, is fundamental in preventing the spread of pathogens, according to Brad Fedyk, manager of custodial services at Upper Grand District School Board in Ontario.

“There are many things to touch, with multiple people touching them throughout the day,” he says. “Sometimes, there’s not enough focus on infection prevention.”

He utilizes his background working in hospitals to promote such practices in school systems, and flags a few issues that may currently affect infection prevention methods.

While it depends on the school board, more children, staff and teachers are becoming environmentally sensitive to the environment, with some boards oversimplifying chemicals to the point where they are not effective. Windex, for instance, creates a false sense of infection control as it’s often perceived to be a disinfectant because of the ammonia it contains. Vinegar and water, which has no real disinfectant properties, is also used quite often.

Some boards even have students clean their own desks due to cleaning cut-backs and declining enrollments, but children cannot use products that will be a risk and they won’t be able to fully understand label instructions. Students may learn social responsibility and basic skills, but it’s in the absence of a truly healthy environment.

Meanwhile, many smaller schools employ a custodian first thing in the morning and after school, with no one there during the day except for teachers and principals who clean only as needed.

Common Disinfectants Vs Virucidals

Disinfectants containing Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (quats), typically used in schools, may not necessarily kill all bacteria or viruses like norovirus and influenza.

“Custodians need to understand what types of disinfectants to use for certain outbreaks. If dealing with a norovirus outbreak, custodians must use a disinfectant with a virucidal claim. If it’s not a virucidal disinfectant, they are wasting their time as the disinfectant won’t kill a virus,” says Keith Sopha, president of the Canadian Association for Environmental Management and founder of CleanLearning.

It is also essential to understand the disinfectant dwell time—the time required for disinfectants to kill the bacteria they claim.

Some dwell time can be as high as ten minutes, meaning the surface has to be completely wet for ten minutes to meet the kill factor of the disinfectant claim, which may be an unrealistic feat.

Education and Training

On the bright side, more schools are educating their teams on best practices for cleaning and disinfection. Twenty-eight managers at the University of Alberta recently became certified through CAEM’s Clean Learning program, which uses the guiding principles of hospital cleaning in a non-clinical environment. The managers are currently rolling out training to front-line custodial staff.

Cases of community-acquired infections spreading within schools are making headlines across Canada. It’s important to understand the potential for cross contamination on environmental surfaces in all types of facilities where people congregate and where infections, like norovirus, can quickly spread and cause sickness and resulting absenteeism.

“There has to be a formal training program for educational facilities,” says Sopha. “Schools should also continue to respect the importance of the custodial team and the importance of applying best practices of cleaning and disinfection.”

During professional development days, Fedyk brings in speakers and plans demos from vendors and educational sessions and encourages self-training through online modules during down time. He sees infection prevention training growing alongside mandated training, such as working from heights and other occupational health and safety guidelines.

“I’m currently working on developing an infection prevention module for the custodial training we provide to head caretakers who are shift supervisors in the school,” he notes. “They’re the first responders to messes and accidents and potential blood-born pathogens.”

He uses a combination of standards from the ISSA and the APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities. He also uses Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Canada standards and processes approved by the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC) to guide his cleaning protocol and outbreak response.

“We also encourage teachers to let us know about cases, so we can up the cleaning use and high-level disinfectants and localize outbreaks, rather than allow them to spread through a whole school.”

Environmental Surface Selection

An infusion of infrastructure funds are pouring into educational facilities across Ontario and other provinces, with some boards overseeing millions of dollars in construction projects. This brings an opportunity for better environmental surface selection. Surface materials must be scrutinized, Sopha says, not far different from surfaces found in healthcare systems.

“They have to be cleanable, but also stand up to disinfectants. This will make a custodial team’s job easier.”

Selecting environmental surfaces, including furnishings that are seamless and fluid-resistant, will also improve cleanability. Bacteria harbour within porous surfaces with seams, crevices and cracks. If these areas are not properly scrubbed out, the residual will remain and there is risk of transmission.

Auditing Systems

Proper infection prevention training is important, but once a custodial team is educated, efficient auditing systems must be in place to ensure the lessons learned are continuously applied.

“Supervisors need a process in place to ensure school systems are being cleaned and that in- house or contract cleaners are applying the principles they’ve been taught,” says Sopha. “Some people fall back to bad habits really quickly. Routine observation audits is one great process to ensure staff continue to follow best practices as taught.”

Making an impressive stand

In 2018, one of the most significant and distinctive cultural institutions in Calgary will open its doors for the first time. The striking 23,000 square metres (278,000 square-foot) New Central Library, located in the vibrant East Village, will be four-storeys tall and sit over Calgary’s busiest LRT line.

Building the $245-million structure presented many unique challenges, including achieving its distinctive shape and developing constructible and cost-effective structural solutions to allow for a soaring, four-storey tall, column-free atrium. The building will consist of large bays measuring approximately nine metres by 12 metres (30 feet x 40 feet) that will house extensive collections of books, modern public meeting and conference space and other amenities.

The challenging project required working with a very geometrically-complex structure with many curves. The architect envisioned a wide, open and spacious entrance without a forest of columns, requiring a structural solution that provided the best approach and materials to support that vision.

Structural steel was the optimal solution and it played a pivotal role in executing the design of the building. Since this is a library, the load of the books, along with over 12-metre (40 ft) spans, meant that the columns supporting the steel trusses of this four-storey building would actually need to carry the weight of a building equivalent to five times its height.

Supporting the library’s unique design. The Library’s entryway is designed to resemble the ‘chinook’ arch cloud formations. The main entrance incorporates a series of trusses, with the longest measuring 18 metres (60 feet) high by 55-metres (180 feet) long to achieve a column-free space. Within the heart of the building lies a large oculus with a roof skylight that allows natural light to permeate through the soaring atrium. A truss on the north end of the building cantilevers out over the LRT tracks and, once completed, will feature a cafe that will provide a unique view of the trains exiting from the tunnel underneath.

Each truss was too long, too tall and too heavy to ship as one piece. Each of the four diagonal web members, three vertical hanger web members, three bottom chord members and two top chord members were individually shipped and erected 10 metres above grade and temporarily braced back to the concrete cores that were advanced first and the structural steel back-of-house office space.

The nodes of the largest 55-metre spanning truss consist of five plies of 100 mm thick plate; in other words, five layers of solid steel were built to have a total thickness of 500 mm. The largest node weighs the same as some battle tanks at 12 metric tonnes. The two-end diagonal web members, which support the largest compression forces of 33 and 38.5 meganewtons, are composed of four plies of 100 mm solid plate and weigh approximately 70 metric tonnes when shipped with a node welded to each of their ends. These were welded using partial joint penetration welding in the shop along the long edges, requiring the necessary preheating and careful post-heating to minimize potential weld induced stress concentrations and cracking in the steel.

Given that each truss is integrated with the floor systems, a carefully-planned temporary bracing system was required to stabilize the truss as additional floors were cast. The temporary bracing system consisted of horizontal temporary trusses. Some of the temporary bracing members will be cast permanently into the reinforced concrete beams. Others were offset slightly above the floor system so that they could be cut from above the concrete slab. It was critical that none of the temporary bracing members crossed through the plane of the architecturally exposed concrete slabs.

The application of structural steel in this case was an elegant and constructible solution that allowed the architects and building owners to realize a beautiful design that provides an inviting and collaborative learning and community space.

The right material for the project. Structural steel was the optimal material to help support the building’s unique geometry and to enable large column-free spans, as well as to provide adequate strength for the load-bearing elements.

An incredible amount of collaboration between Entuitive, the architects, steel fabricators, and the construction manager made this possible. The New Central Library is truly a civic site, a place that is open to every Calgarian and anyone who chooses to visit this fantastic building.

Ian Washbrook, P.Eng, is an associate at Entuitive, the structural engineering and building envelope consulting firm selected for the project.

Canada’s first diverging diamond interchange opens

After two years of construction, Canada’s first diverging diamond interchange (DDI) opens to traffic at Macleod Trail and 162 Avenue in south Calgary.

The unique interchange is the second of four major interchange projects to open in Calgary this summer. The cost for all four projects is $255 million.

“Now is exactly the right time to be building. With the downturn in the economy and accelerated funding for projects like this, we’re creating jobs, taking advantage of lower prices and building critical transportation infrastructure that will reduce congestion on our roads,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

The new interchange, along with the 20 other projects to be finished this year, is expected to improve commuting around south Calgary.

“An interchange was needed at this location because of the traffic congestion from people moving along Macleod Trail, into the adjacent business and service area, and for people getting to their homes in the nearby communities,” said Ward 14 Councillor Peter Demong. “This area has had massive growth in the last 20 years.”

The DDI is designed in such a way that the two directions of traffic on 162 Avenue will briefly cross to the opposite side of the bridges over Macleod Trail. This allows more effective traffic flow at the traffic signals within the interchange and for left turning vehicles to move forward without crossing oncoming traffic.

Sidewalks and pathways in the area are also being improved to allow safer, more direct movements for people walking and cycling.

Additional closures and road construction will continue to take place through the remainder of August and into September in order to complete the roadway. This will be the last major stage of road construction for this project.

The $78 million project is expected to be fully complete this fall. The speed limit in the construction zone will remain at 50 km/hr until project completion.

JLL Canada appoints Adam Kilburn as senior VP

JLL Canada has appointed Adam D. Kilburn as senior vice president to lead its Capital Markets platform in Edmonton. In this capacity, Kilburn will be responsible for providing advisory and transaction services in the Edmonton market and across Western Canada, while strengthening JLL’s presence in the region.

Kilburn brings 12 years of commercial real estate brokerage experience to JLL and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta. He has been involved in valuing, marketing and selling income producing properties, and has extensive experience in selling retail centres, office buildings and industrial properties.

“Adam’s expertise and experience in investment transactions will be a great asset to our Capital Markets team in Western Canada,” says Peter Zorbas, executive vice president, Capital Markets, Prairie Region practice lead.

“In growing our business, it is essential that we bring value to every transaction through our client-centric approach. Adam has the right combination of skills and experience to help us continue to deliver results for our clients,” adds Zorbas.

Prior to joining JLL, Kilburn held the position of senior vice president for Capital Markets in Edmonton for a leading national brokerage firm. He has concluded over $1.5 billion in sales transactions to date, acting for both sell and buy sides of the transaction. Additionally, Kilburn is skilled in all asset classes and has worked with a variety of clients from Pension Funds and their advisors to REIT’s, REOC’s and numerous private equity and private investors.

“We are thrilled to have Adam join our national Capital Markets team,” comments Brett Miller, CEO, JLL Canada. “I am confident that his professionalism and breadth of knowledge and experience in the investment and asset management sector will push our business even further in Canada’s prairie region.”

Loss of a Canadian apartment icon

The Canadian apartment industry has lost a leader, visionary and icon. Tom Schwartz, President and Chief Executive Officer of CAPREIT has passed away following an intense battle with prostate cancer. He was 68 years old.

Mr. Schwartz founded CAPREIT, along with Michael Stein, in 1996 and went on to serve as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Schwartz, who was widely praised for his leadership skills and industry expertise, helped lead the company to the forefront of the industry, growing it into one of Canada’s largest multifamily residential REITs with nearly 50,000 units situated across Canada and the Netherlands.

“We are greatly saddened by Tom’s passing,” said Stein, Chair of CAPREIT. “I, along with the rest of the CAPREIT family, will greatly miss his friendship, thoughtful leadership and ability to connect with employees. While Tom was extraordinarily passionate about his work and CAPREIT, his greatest pride was his family. We extend our sympathies to his family, who meant the world to him.”

Mr. Schwartz expressed optimism when he revealed his diagnosis to employees and unitholders in a letter last April, telling them that the disease had been caught early and that his doctors expected him to respond well to treatment.

“I appreciate the support I have received and want to thank our employees for the amazing work they do day-in and day-out,” he wrote. “We have proven our ability to capitalize on continuing strong fundamentals in the Canadian apartment business through all economic cycles. CAPREIT has a deep bench of outstanding and experienced leaders who, together with the support of Mr. Stein and the board of trustees, will continue CAPREIT’s success during my treatment and recovery.”

As news of his sudden passing circulates, friends, colleagues and industry peers are mourning the immeasurable loss while reflecting on the numerous contributions he made to the field he was so passionate about.

“The passing of Tom Schwartz is a great loss for the Canadian real estate industry,” said Michael Brooks, Chief Executive Officer at REALPAC. “He was a pleasure to work with over the years. A gentleman. A brilliant operator. A pioneer. A caring and loyal man. I will personally miss his warmth and intelligence.”

“A man of integrity, kindness and creativity,” said Kris Boyce, CEO, Greenwin. “It was such an honour to know Tom and work for him. Miss you already, you will never be forgotten.”

Rise to success

After graduating as a Chartered Accountant in 1975, Schwartz kick-started his career in real estate development by co-founding Intraurban Projects the following year. Since its launch, Intraurban has built and developed more than 2,500 housing units, serving all market segments, from luxury to affordable.

Through York Heritage Properties and Intraurban Projects, Schwartz participated in the development, construction, and management of over 600,000 square feet of office, commercial and retail space. He was active in industry and government affairs, serving on several Boards, including: the Greater Toronto Home Builders Association; the Ontario New Home Warranty Program; the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario; and Chartwell Seniors Housing REIT.

CAPREIT’s board of trustees announced it will begin the process of appointing a new Chief Executive Officer, but in the meantime, Mr. Stein will continue to coordinate CAPREIT’s management team.

Tom Schwartz will be sorely missed, but through the continued success of CAPREIT, his legacy will live on. He was a magnetic personality and a frequent contributor to Canadian Apartment Magazine’s features and video reports, as well as the focus of our Industry Influencer profile in spring, 2013.

Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Tarion coverage for condo conversions anticipated in 2018

Tarion coverage for eligible residential condo conversion projects is expected to become available at the beginning of 2018, according to a regulatory proposal posted online by the Ontario government for public comment.

The move to extend new home warranty coverage to condo projects that incorporate pre-existing elements, such as churches or schools-turned-lofts, comes as part of a package of comprehensive legislative reforms contained in the Protecting Condominium Owners Act. The coverage will be limited to conversions from non-residential uses.

Under this change, builders will have to contribute to a fund set up to cover the cost of repairs associated with pre-existing elements anticipated in the first several years after the condo corporation is registered.

The province is considering setting a seven-year timeframe for anticipated repairs to be covered by this pre-existing elements fund in a regulation under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act. As proposed, the clock would start ticking on this initial period from the date the condo corporation is registered through to its seventh anniversary. In phased condos with pre-existing elements, the clock would start ticking on this initial period from the date the phase is registered through to its seventh anniversary.

The province is also proposing to mandate that pre-existing elements funds be held in a trust account until registration and in a segregated account after registration, when the funds remaining for common elements repairs, along with any interest, would be released to the condo corporation.

The funds remaining for repairs to the pre-existing elements of a unit or proposed unit would be released differently depending on their amount. Funds of less than $10,000 would be released to the respective unit owner after registration, while funds of $10,000 or more would have to be held in a trust account for seven years before any remaining funds would be released to the respective unit owner.

Lastly, the province is proposing to amend the Building Code to require building officials to verify that residential condo conversion projects are enrolled in the warranty plan, and that their builders and vendors are registered with Tarion, before releasing permits.

These draft regulations are open to public comment until Sept. 25. Also out for comment, until Sept. 11, is a related bylaw proposed by Tarion which, if adopted, will appear as a regulation under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act. The proposed bylaw includes eligibility requirements for residential condo conversion projects, as well as for their builders and vendors, and information about the relationship between the pre-existing elements fund and warranty coverage.

Why window walls are favoured for condos

A new report aims to shatter what it suggests are lingering misperceptions about the performance of Toronto’s so-called “glass towers.”

The window walls commonly used to enclose condos have improved, addressing some of the issues associated with past generations of the glazed cladding, say the authors of Window Wall and Curtain Wall: An objective review. The comparative analysis, conducted in collaboration by the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) and the University of Toronto’s (U of T) Building Tall Research Centre, found that window walls can compete with, and even best, the performance of curtain wall.

If comparable performance can be achieved with either system, then the question isn’t which system is superior, but rather which system is preferable for the application. Its authors conclude that in the case of high-rise residential construction projects, window wall systems are the way to go, arguing that they are easier to customize, install and maintain; typically cost less as a result; and help to isolate smells and sounds in units.

“As long as systems are properly designed and installed, it (the report) shows that a window wall can perform equally to a curtain wall, and the benefits of a window wall are tailored to residential construction,” said Paul De Berardis, director of building science and innovation at RESCON.

Cladding based on application

The report specifically compares window wall systems with the unitized curtain wall systems typically used in high-rise construction. This kind of curtain wall system is structurally engineered and anchored by crane to building exteriors in prefabricated panels that can span multiple units and floors, while window wall systems are inserted between slabs from building interiors in panels that span single storeys.

At around twice the price of window wall systems, aesthetically pleasing curtain wall systems give architects more design freedom with their sweeping, uninterrupted spans of glazed cladding, said Dr. Arash Shahi, associate director of Building Tall and a post-doctoral fellow at U of T’s department of civil engineering.

“That’s why a lot of commercial buildings are using curtain wall — because you don’t have balconies, you don’t want people opening their windows and you want them to have a sleek look,” he said.

“Plus, in a commercial building, you don’t have occupants 24 hours a day, and nobody sleeps in the building at night, so the use-case is inherently very different. Also, there’s generally no cooking and no smoking in the units, so you’re not worried about the odours passing through units.”

Window walls help to compartmentalize units, preventing the transfer of smells and sounds that can cause quarrels between neighbours in residential buildings. Cost aside, that — and the ease with which the system can integrate balconies and windows — explains why it has become the preferred option for residential applications, according to the report.

Stigmas persist despite improvements

The Building Tall Research Centre was established to undertake research relevant to the residential construction industry that might otherwise get overlooked.

The group zeroed in on a comparison of curtain walls and window walls due to what De Berardis characterized as the stigmas surrounding window wall systems. Earlier versions may have had their challenges, he acknowledged, but the cladding type has matured with experience and time.

“Condo buildings nowadays definitely are different from condo buildings which may have used window wall 20 years ago, so some of the issues that may have existed back then are not commonplace anymore,” said De Berardis. “It’s just like any product out there; a modern car will likely have better fuel efficiency than a car which was produced 20 or 30 years ago.”

Along with industry innovation, building code changes and energy efficiency requirements have driven improvements to window wall systems by updating minimum standards, he said.

De Berardis pointed to balcony slabs as an example. Their concrete edges, which used to be exposed to the elements, are now insulated with covers, increasing their resistance to heat loss.

Dr. Shahi added that frames in window wall systems are now being formed from less conductive materials, with vinyl and fiberglass starting to take the place of aluminum, in another move that has advanced the thermal performance of window walls.

And water-draining rain screens have helped to address problems with moisture penetration, which, according to the report, were observed in both curtain and window wall systems when exterior face sealing was the main defence against leaks.

Performance hinges on installation

The report underscores that, if these performance improvements are to be realized, these systems must be installed properly.

Accordingly, it prescribes the use of field mock-ups of the systems so workers can get familiar with their assembly, among other things, and cautions against applying sealant in inappropriate weather in the final push to get the job done, as subpar workmanship can compromise its integrity. Some of the sealant used to give window walls air tightness and water resistance is now applied in factory, adding a measure of quality control.

The work isn’t done after installation, as maintenance is integral to ensuring that perimeter sealants reach their expected service life of 10 to 15 years, the report notes. It recommends inspecting and repairing exterior sealant every three to five years.

And when it comes time to replace panels, the difference in the way the two systems are installed makes window walls easier to maintain than curtain walls, the report asserts. Work on a window wall panel is limited to a single unit, while swapping out the sweeping spans of curtain wall can disrupt multiple floors and tenants.

“If a window wall panel needs to be replaced, it’s a lot easier because you can access it from inside the unit,” Dr. Shahi added. “When it comes to curtain wall, you actually have to access it from outside, so you need to have a crane in place.”

Outside expert questions conclusion

Dale Kerr, senior principal at Pretium GRG Building Engineers, who was not involved in the report, said it provided a good overview of the two systems, but she wasn’t convinced that window walls could outperform curtain walls. She suggested the way curtain walls are sealed is superior to the way window walls are sealed.

The report acknowledges the shortcomings of the sealant commonly used in window walls compared to the gaskets commonly used in curtain walls, but adds that gaskets are starting to be used in window walls.

Unfortunately, whichever type of sealant is used, it will generally fail before the aluminum and glass components of the system, said Kerr, and so the ability to replace the sealant easily is important. Window walls may have an advantage here, since some of this work can be completed from the interior.

“If you’ve got heel beads around the perimeter of the insulated glass unit, you could replace that from the inside of the unit, and it is true: that would be easier to do than a curtain wall, which you’d have to repair totally from the exterior,” said Kerr.

However, she pointed out that some of this work would have to be completed from the exterior for window walls too, citing the slab edge spandrel panels as an example.

Kerr recognized that window walls are likely the preferable choice for residential construction, but mainly from a cost perspective. Indeed, the report concludes that window walls are not only less expensive than curtain walls, but also provide an economical way to compartmentalize units. However, Kerr noted that, because of the way fresh air is supplied to apartment building units via corridors, there is a more important factor in compartmentalization.

“The big thing with compartmentalization is not as much what you’re doing with the window wall, or curtain wall, or whatever it is, it’s more what you do inside the unit to seal one unit off from another,” she maintained.

Cladding research to continue

The recent release of the report by RESCON and U of T’s Building Tall Research Centre marks the end of phase one of a two-phase study. Phase two, the results of which are due to be published before the end of the year, will shed light on the discrepancy in the way window-to-wall ratios are measured for high-rise versus low-rise homes.

For high-rise buildings the ratio is measured by dividing the total window area by the overall building area, whereas for single-family and town homes the ratio is measured by dividing the area of the windows by the area around the unit. Dr. Shahi said early findings show that when the window-to-wall ratio for high-rise residential buildings is measured on a unit basis, condo and home owners enjoy roughly equivalent proportions of glazing.

“The building might look all-glass from outside, but from an occupant perspective, living in a unit in a condo, they may only have one wall to the outside,” he said.

With unit sizes on the decline, the research will also look at alternatives to lowering window-to-wall ratios to improve the energy efficiency of residential buildings with glazed cladding. Some of the other options available to raise the thermal performance of these buildings include the use of low-emissivity coating and triple glazing.

Michelle Ervin is the editor of CondoBusiness.

U.S. court ruling sidetracks HFC prohibition

Efforts to limit the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in cooling, refrigeration and foam blowing have encountered a legal setback in the United States. An August 8 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals blocks the scheduled phase-out of HFC-based products with high global warming potential (GWP), ruling that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacks statutory authority for the regulatory approach it has taken. However, the presiding justices pointed to other potential paths to invoke an HFC prohibition.

Manufacturers of HFC-134a — a refrigerant and blowing agent with GWP 1,300 times greater than carbon dioxide — filed the legal challenge after the EPA designated it as an unacceptable substitute for ozone-depleting substances and established various deadlines for its elimination from newly manufactured products. This was in line with President Barack Obama’s 2013 climate action plan.

Arguments on both sides largely focused on the wording of the section of the U.S. Clean Air Act that governs the EPA’s listing or delisting of allowable products, known as the Significant New Alternatives Policy or SNAP program. Since the SNAP list’s original purpose was to target ozone-depleting substances, the challengers, Mexichem Fluor Inc. and Arkema Group, argued that they had replaced ozone-depleting substances with HFCs at a time when it was legal to do so and should not be retroactively compelled to replace them with a different non ozone-depleting substance. Two of the three presiding judges agreed with this interpretation.

“EPA’s authority to regulate ozone-depleting substances under Section 612 (of the Clean Air Act) and other statutes does not give EPA authority to order the replacement of substances that are not ozone depleting, but that contribute to climate change. Congress has not yet enacted general climate change legislation,” they state in their majority decision. “Under the Constitution, congressional inaction does not license an agency to take matters into its own hands, even to solve a pressing policy issue such as climate change…climate change is not a blank check for the President.”

Rather, the decision postulates the EPA could accomplish much the same ends if it undertakes the due process to retroactively disapprove HFCs or enacts a regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which is within its statutory authority. “Of course, even if EPA concludes that it has cleared those hurdles, EPA’s conclusion many be subject to review in this Court in another case,” it notes.

Other prominent refrigerant manufacturers were on side with the EPA when the case was argued in February 2017. Honeywell and Chemours (formerly DuPont) were intervenors in the case, while representatives from the current U.S. administration also made presentations in favour of its predecessor’s initiative.

The United States continues to be a party to the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which establishes a target for developed countries to reduce current levels of HFCs by 85 per cent by 2036.