Infection control market could reach $300-billion-plus by 2025

The global infection control market is expected to reach more than $258 billion (U.S.) by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research.

Concern regarding the surge in hospital acquired infections is driving the market, making room for more infection control products. The resulting demand for sterilized formulations and new biologics are key growth factors.

Healthcare organizations are implementing strategies for early recognition, reporting, isolation and surveillance of disease incidents that are a public health concern.

Additionally, more intensive training modules for nurses and other medical staff on infection prevention and control is expected to add a high potential for more usage of infection control products.

For example, the College of Nurses of Ontario released guidelines concerning standard practices for maintaining hand hygiene to reduce contamination and the spread of infection. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidelines for disinfection and sterilization for efficient use of infection control products by healthcare personnel in wide array of healthcare settings.

A higher penetration rate of these products is anticipated to fuel market demand and revenue. North America has already captured a dominant share of the overall infection control market owing to extensive infection prevention activities being implemented in hospitals, medical device and pharmaceutical companies.

Meanwhile, the market in Asia Pacific is projected to see exponential growth during the forecast period as a result of increasing awareness of the spread of infections within healthcare settings and measures for prevention.

New member named to Waterfront Toronto Board

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, has announced the appointment of a new federal representative to the Waterfront Toronto Board of Directors. Jeanhy Shim was named a member of the Board for a three year period, effective June 7.

Shim has years of experience providing strategic advice and innovative solutions for the real estate development industry. She has held roles including vice president and consultant on over 100 major residential projects in Toronto, as well as on other projects in Canada and the United States. Shim is currently the president of Housing Lab Toronto, an independent housing research and consulting company. She is also the Associate Director at the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure at Schulich School of Business.

“I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Jeanhy Shim to the Toronto Waterfront Board of Directors. With her leadership and expertise on city building and the real estate development industry in the Toronto area, she will have an important contribution to the Toronto Waterfront Board of Directors,” said Minister Sohi in a press release. “The Toronto Waterfront initiative is revitalizing Toronto’s waterfront into a beautiful, vibrant place where Canadians want to live, work and play. We are proud of the leadership, talent and expertise that federal representatives bring to this initiative, while working together with provincial and municipal Board members.”

Waterfront Toronto is a partner corporation that was established in 2001 by the Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto to oversee, lead and deliver the renewal and revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront. It has a 25-year mandate and $30 billion long-term plan to transform 800 hectares of brownfield lands on Toronto’s waterfront into accessible, sustainable and dynamic public spaces.

The Board consists of representatives from all three levels of government. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities is responsible for selecting federal representatives to sit on the Waterfront Toronto Board.

Infrastructure Canada would like to thank David Johnson for his significant contributions to the Waterfront Toronto Board of Directors as a member since 2008.

Sleep deprivation in the workplace

Employers often ignore a serious issue in the workplace — sleep-deprived employees. Recent research and analysis has shown that employees who are not getting enough sleep or are not getting proper sleep are at greater risk of accidents, long-term health complications and can have poor work productivity.

Consider this from the National Post, April 3, 2017 — Crying Baby Could Cut Income by 11 per cent: Study: ” …Just one hour less sleep each night can reduce household income by up to 11 per cent, researchers from the London School of Economics found. Joan Costa-i-Font, associate professor of political economy at the school, said lack of sleep led to fatigue, which could ‘undermine economic performance’. He presented the research at the Royal Society of Economics’ annual conference in Bristol Wednesday, saying: ‘Sleep is often overlooked in economics models despite its obvious restorative effects on human health.'”

It has been shown that sleep deprivation significantly reduces performance and alertness, memory and cognitive ability.

Quoted from Vicki Bell — How Sleep Deprivation Affects Work Performance: “The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy drivers are responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.”

Sleep disorders can also result in many serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, stroke and psychiatric problems.

Why should employers be concerned?

Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders can affect the bottom line of an employer because of poor productivity, increased accidents and cognitive impairment.
Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders can result in preventable accidents. All employers need to be concerned about that and, of course, high accident rates result in high costs for employers.
High-profile, significant accidents have been traced back in part to sleep deprivation. For example, it was reported that in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in which a nuclear plant in Ukraine exploded, the two engineers involved had been working for 13 hours or more at the time of the explosion. Another severe example is the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which caused the second-largest oil spill in the United States’ history. In that accident, the evidence was that the third mate, who was operating the ship, may have been awake for up to 18 hours before the oil tanker struck Bligh Reef at just past midnight.
Difficulty sleeping or improper sleep can especially be a problem for shift workers and can influence long-term health, resulting in worker illness, disability claims and absenteeism.

What should an employer do?

Because every employer is interested in better productivity, long-term health of employees and preventing accidents, every employer should be concerned about employees who have sleep deprivation or sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, etc.

An employer can help address these issues by doing the following:

provide education to your employees about the importance of sufficient and effective sleep including videos, guest lectures and informative articles;
provide counselling (such as EAP or extended health benefits counselling) for employees with sleep issues such as sleep apnea, insomnia or difficulty with shift work;
encourage a nap or meditation on lunch breaks rather than discouraging sleeping at work. This may require appropriate facilities, but if they exist, a short nap in the middle of the work day can help refresh an employee, improving productivity and reducing accidents;
in post-accident investigations, you should investigate employees’ sleep issues if they are relevant; and
consider using some form of “impairment testing” in the workplace, particularly after accidents or for employees working in safety-sensitive positions. You may prevent accidents before they happen and also help identify employees with sleep issues so that they can be assisted.

It is an important consideration for every employer — don’t sleep on it!

Gabriel Somjen is senior counsel in Borden Ladner Gervais’ Labour and Employment Group. He is experienced in all areas of labour and employment law, including labour board matters (provincial and federal), Employment Standards claims, human rights claims, wrongful dismissal claims, and negotiating and drafting employment contracts and collective agreements.

This article was originally published on June 1, 2017, on the Borden Ladner Gervais website.

Time-saving tips for better board meetings

How can boards run more efficient meetings?

In the condominium world, meetings take place several times a year — often monthly, but sometimes more frequently if there are contentious or pressing items that require a decision. Most board members have probably attended meetings slated to last one hour and have watched, with a sinking feeling, the clock tick past the three- or four-hour mark, with no decision or next steps in sight.

Sometimes, run-on meetings merit the time it takes to prudently discuss each topic, ensuring that everyone can share their piece and hopefully come to an agreement. However, other times, lengthy meetings are strictly the result of poor organization or an inattentive or inexperienced chair.

Inefficient meetings can be costly if the corporation is paying an hourly rate for minute-takers and meeting room rentals. On top of that, there is the opportunity cost of participants’ time. Most condo board members are volunteers and often busy people: the longer the meeting, the less time they can allocate to other matters, whether personal or professional.

If organized and executed correctly, condo meetings can be effectively conducted to achieve everything on the agenda. Missteps often come down to the conduct of the board, disorganization and the inability to zero in on the salient topics.

This is where guidelines on facilitating organized meetings can help tremendously. Here are a few things to consider:

Send the meeting package in advance

Distribute the meeting package ahead of time so board members can prepare for what is to be reviewed, discussed or approved. Include the agenda and/or management report, financial statements, previous minutes and quotes from potential vendors.

A well-outlined agenda will go a long way toward cutting down meeting times by setting a regimented course. Topics of discussion and amendments may arise from previous minutes; however, reviewing items in advance of the meeting allows board members to quickly discuss potential changes and promptly issue approvals.

Communicate before the meeting

Send a list of approvals by email before meetings to save time when the board gathers. If everyone agrees to the approvals in advance, they can be confirmed via resolution at the meeting and adopted into the minutes. This will significantly limit conversation about motions and topics on which most board members already agree.

Also reconfirm the meeting with members and guests 24 hours before its start time to reduce the potential to fall short of quorum. It’s common for a board member’s availability to change right before a meeting and he or she may overlook the need to notify the rest of the board. It’s good practice to schedule board meetings at the start of the year, for the following 12 months, as this helps to reduce scrambling and rescheduling.

Define start and end times

Everybody’s time is valuable. Although discussions may go longer than anticipated, putting a conscious timeline on the meeting encourages participants to respect the clock. Announce when there are 30 minutes left on the schedule to remind participants that a limited amount of time remains to complete any outstanding agenda items.

Appoint a strong chair

The chairperson is essentially the quarterback of a meeting and should possess the ability to mediate conflict and prevent dialogue from getting off course. A good chair will effectively manage the agenda, take control when necessary and steer the meeting away from potential tangents.

Sometimes subsidiary topics are relevant; however, it’s up to the chair to allocate time to discuss these additional items as opposed to opening the door to a free-for-all. Anything newly posited should be put on the agenda of a subsequent meeting so that these topics can be addressed in an organized manner.

After motions are passed, sometimes discussions continue due to a lack of clarity. A good chair will repeat and summarize motions to clear up confusion and to help the minute taker accurately record decisions.

Avoid table talk

It is human nature for people to socialize and talk about everyday topics such as the weather, family, sports, etc. However, for the sake of efficiency, these conversations should be saved for before or after the meeting.

Respect fellow board members

Opinions and ambitions often differ in a meeting — that is the beauty of a democracy. However, board members should respect the time and views of others and acknowledge the current tasks at hand.

Stay on track with minutes and action items

A good set of minutes will set boards up for success at their next meeting with clear action items that hold members accountable for any tasks they have been assigned.

If members forget what their tasks are for the next meeting, they can always consult the previous minutes to see what needs to be accomplished. Showing up to a meeting without having tasks completed, or even acknowledged, can cause the meeting to veer off course before it even begins.

Boards that follow these steps will achieve a more professional discourse at their meetings and control debates in a tactful and time-effective manner.

Marko Lindhe and Noah Maislin are partners at Minutes Solutions, a Canadian third-party minute-taking company established in 2014. Marko can be reached at [email protected] or (647) 389-1568.

Trends favour Barrie rental housing market

Barrie’s rental housing market looks promising for investors, a new report contends. Steady population growth, expanding employment and postsecondary education opportunities and the ripple effect of Toronto’s soaring housing costs are highlighted among favourable trends.

As the urban anchor of one of Ontario’s predominant tourism and recreational regions, Barrie boasts a population of about 146,000 and is projected to reach 210,000 within the next 15 years. It is a service centre for rapidly growing Simcoe County, which now numbers about 480,000 residents. Two of the city’s largest employers, Georgian College and the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, are also identified as drivers of the rental and seniors housing markets.

Don Campbell, senior analyst with the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) Canada, points to the narrowing gap between rents for one-bedroom and larger units as one sign of the market upswing. The city’s overall rental vacancy rate is projected to climb from the current rate of less than 2 per cent as new purpose-built supply comes onto the market, but then stabilize at a still landlord-friendly 2 per cent for 2018.

Tenants looking to move to homeownership may have fewer options, as the average sales price jumped 37 per cent between the first quarters of 2016 and 2017, to just slightly more than $520,000. They also face more competition as prospective homebuyers migrate from even pricier markets.

“Barrie has begun to attract a younger population,” the report observes. “This shift is influenced, in part, by an increase in the student cohort as the city experiences a growth in postsecondary education. The city’s ability to attract younger new residents is also influenced by Barrie’s growing reputation as a place for families and young, active professionals. With the reinstitution and subsequent expansion of GO train service from downtown Toronto, professionals can continue to work in downtown Toronto then end the day sitting by the lake (Simcoe) or in a much more affordable backyard.”

For prospective investors, the Barrie rental housing market also offers an even rarer attraction — matching residential and multi-residential property tax rates.

Cost-cutting services for retail maintenance

Before the digital age, facilities managers used manual spreadsheets, old-school calculators and experienced-based estimates to determine the cost of keeping buildings clean and safe. Today, high-tech, web-based tools remove subjectivity from the equation and provide rapid, reliable results that streamline FM projects and help control costs.

Janitorial expenses make up 33 per cent of the average MRO budget. The result of a well-managed janitorial program is clean stores, and studies show that clean stores make customers happy, which translates into increased sales and ultimately larger profits. Customers often decide where they will shop, how long they will remain in a store and even how much they will spend based upon the cleanliness of the facility.

In a survey conducted by The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), 95 per cent of shoppers reported that unclean restrooms and unpleasant odours would influence shopping decisions, along with dirty floors, spills or stains, dirty shopping carts and other factors. “Shoppers want to feel clean,” says Dan Wagner, ISSA’s director of industry standards and training.

Janitorial Workload Tool

The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), based in the U.S., recognizes the importance of cleanliness in retail success and launched its first janitorial workload tool in 2015. The high-tech tool helped facilities professionals generate an accurate scope of work by quantifying cleanliness and removing subjectivity. The tool also assisted in determining and maintaining brand standards (level of cleanliness desired) and gauged staffing requirements and costs.

In 2016, PRSM updated the Janitorial Workload Tool and improved its functionality. The latest, 2.0 version, can convert costs into multiple currencies, including the Canadian dollar. It can also create schedules for janitorial teams in individual store locations. The “Job Card” function can calculate the time needed for employees such as first impression specialists, restroom specialists, sales floor specialists and utility specialists. The tool can also determine the hours per week, frequency per year and hours per frequency of project, such as high dusting, floor polishing and glass cleaning.

PRSM created this tool with direct input from retail facilities managers and suppliers and input from the Simon Institute and Michigan State University. The PRSM Benchmarking Committee provided real-world expertise to ensure the tool would be practical, easy to use and generate useful data. When FMs use the tool, they can customize results based upon unique aspects of each store and even multi-site facilities, as well as the policies and procedures of an individual company.

Facility professionals can create highly targeted reports based upon their company’s level of acceptable clean, the type and size of the facility, as well as the type of cleaning required. These reports are useful when preparing budgets for new or existing stores or when seeking quotes from suppliers.

“PRSM provides professional facilities managers the tools and information they need to do their job most efficiently and effectively,” says Bill Yanek, chief executive officer of PRSM. “We realize our members work in a highly competitive marketplace and we want to ensure they are successful.”

White Paper on cost efficiency

“The Evolution of Cleaning in Retail: The New Normal,” a PRSM White Paper, highlights how FMs and the associated supplier community are grappling with finding cost efficient ways to provide a clean, safe store environment for sales associates and shoppers alike. FMs working in retail and multi-site facilities should carefully consider several issues discussed:

The definition of and the cost of maintaining a level of clean that meets brand standard.
Cleaning health concerns, LEED and green cleaning.
Contractors’ challenges, recent labour laws and changes for janitorial services.
Working with retail procurement and addressing total cost of ownership.

Best Practices

In addition to the Janitorial Workload Tool, PRSM also has the following best practices available:

Adapting Facilities Management Programs to Meet the Needs of Retail Experience Centers.
Vacuuming Using High-Ceilinged Industrial HVAC Systems.
Janitorial Services During Peak Seasons.

Shana Santoni is vice-president of global membership development for the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association. PRSM has more than 1,500 resources in more than 40 different content areas, such as janitorial, building automation systems, corporate facilities, disaster preparedness and HVAC. Please visit www.prsm.com for more information.

Feds scrutinize real estate deals for tax compliance

The federal government is stepping up its scrutiny of real estate deals in a crackdown on tax cheating, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) reported last Friday in a news release.

The enhanced enforcement focused on the Greater Toronto and Greater Vancouver real estate markets, where speculative activity appeared to be on the rise. Auditing that occurred between April, 2015, and March, 2017, saw the CRA review 21,000 files based on non-compliance risk. This uncovered unreported assessed income in excess of $329.4 million and resulted in more than $17 million in penalties that were largely concentrated in the Greater Toronto and Greater Vancouver real estate markets.

“Our Government has committed to protecting the fairness and integrity of the tax system for all Canadians, notably by cracking down on tax cheating in real estate transactions,” Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier said in the news release. “This means that, without exception, every taxpayer abides by the same tax laws.”

The federal government has taken other measures to curb tax cheating in real estate deals. In a change aimed at making sure only eligible home owners claim a principal residence exemption from paying taxes on capital gains, Canadians are now obligated to report the sale of principal residences to the CRA, as of the start of the 2016 tax year.

Builders and purchasers of new residences also face tax obligations. Builders must collect and remit GST/HST at the time of sale, while purchasers must respect the rules when claiming rebates.

The CRA indicated in the news release that its efforts to improve compliance in the real estate sector are ongoing, with plans to work closely with its municipal, provincial and territorial partners to fight tax evasion and avoidance through information gathering and sharing.

Investor demand outstrips multifamily supply

Cap rates in the range of 2 to 3 per cent didn’t deter investors from acquiring approximately $450 million worth of Vancouver apartment buildings in the first quarter of this year. JLL reports differing dynamics in the five major Canadian markets it surveys, but with consistent demand from would-be purchasers of multifamily properties.

Multifamily transactions in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton accounted for about 13 per cent of $9.2 billion of investment tracked in the recently released Capital Markets Insight – Q1 2017. No multifamily deals occurred in Calgary, which drew just $500 million in total investment versus $3.3 billion in Vancouver. However, JLL analysts suggest lack of supply factors into this inactivity.

“Large demand for multifamily assets exists from private investors looking for well-located existing product in the 20-40 unit size range,” the report states. “Large groups including pension funds, REITs and private equity funds are consistently looking for mid to high-rise concrete multifamily assets located in the downtown or beltline areas.”

Calgary’s 7 per cent vacancy rate and cap rates in the range of 4.5 to 5.5 per cent closely align with Edmonton’s 7.1 per vacancy rate and 4.25 to 5.25 cap rates. There, too, private investors are seeking somewhat elusive multifamily properties in good locations, while it’s reported that institutional players have pulled back on new purpose-built projects and are turning more attention to existing high-rise buildings with potential for rent growth.

Looking east, smaller and medium-sized deals are projected to dominate Toronto’s multifamily investment market, primarily because these are the properties most likely to come onto the market. “There is a strong demand for all classes of multifamily product as cap rate gaps narrow between product classes,” the report states.

Toronto’s average cap rate dropped to 3.84 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, while the overall vacancy rate remained at 1.3 per cent. Multifamily investment totalled $155 million or a little less than 10 per cent of $1.6 billion in deals during the quarter.

In Montreal, investors decisively favoured multifamily properties, amounting to $250 million in sales value or 45 per cent of total investment. A dearth of office, retail and industrial opportunities exacerbates the trend.

“We note the surplus of demand in the market amid a lack of good quality product. Even though cap rates remain compressed and are expected to compress further, any high-quality product will be heavily bid on,” the report observes. Cap rates in the range of 4.25 to 4.75 and a vacancy rate of 3.9 per cent have remained consistent since the third quarter of 2016.

Vancouver’s vacancy rate has been consistent at 0.7 per cent, while cap rates are deemed “at an all-time historical low”. Analysts expect North Vancouver, New Westminster and East Vancouver to accommodate many prospective renters now finding it more difficult to settle in the traditionally strong downtown rental markets.

“Sub-markets of Metro Vancouver are set to be big players for 2017 in terms of good investment opportunities,” they predict. “Savvy investors must look to these markets in order to benefit from this shift.”

Fish Creek Exchange to hold Grand Opening

Graywood Developments is celebrating its debut into the Calgary residential market with Fish Creek Exchange, a multiphase community featuring modern condominiums and townhomes, with a Grand Opening on June 17.

The community, located on the edge of Fish Creek Park, Calgary’s largest park and one of the largest urban parks in Canada, will feature quiet residential neighbourhoods, shopping and accessible transit with forested walking paths and views of the park. Located steps from the Fish Creek-Lacombe LRT Station, the development is a short 20-minute commute to downtown Calgary.

“We have confidence in Calgary’s real estate market, so we’re making a major investment with Fish Creek Exchange,” said Stephen Price, Graywood Developments CEO, in a press release. “We wanted to introduce a community that enhances a healthy, active lifestyle, has access to established amenities and is transit-oriented. Fish Creek Exchange offers all of this, and is the perfect vehicle to introduce Graywood to Calgarians.”

Fish Creek Exchange will be located in the east end of the Shawnee Park neighbourhood on a 9.5 hectare site, which will be home to apartment-style condominium suites, conventional and city townhomes, ranging from 600 to 1,650 square feet and starting at the mid-$200,000s. Interiors will feature quartz kitchen countertops, modern cabinetry and Energy Star stainless steel appliances housed under nine-foot ceilings.

The Grand Opening of Fish Creek Exchange is scheduled for Saturday, June 17, from 11 am to 4 pm at the new Fish Creek Exchange Presentation Centre and Show Homes on 99 Shawnee Common SW.

Amazon buying Whole Foods Market for $13.7-bil

Amazon is buying Whole Foods Market for US$13.7 billion in a giant leap of a deal that pushes the Internet retailer further into the grocery business and gives it more of a brick-and-mortar presence.

Whole Foods, which opened its first store in Austin, Texas in 1980, now has 465 stores across North America and the UK. There are now 13 stores in Canada. The grocery chain will continue to operate under its brand and source from its trusted vendors and partners.

“This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, while at the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers,” said co-founder John Mackey, who also will remain as CEO.

Amazon will be paying $42 a share in cash for the organic-food chain, making it the company’s largest transaction to date.

“Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy,” said Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in a statement released earlier this morning.

Approval of the sale is expected by the second half of 2017. No big plans have been announced and it’s still early to determine what changes Amazon may consider, but industry is musing the potential benefits. Currently, Amazon offers grocery-delivery services in five markets, but the move would allow it to expand.

“If we dissect North Americans’ spending patterns, we see one third of all spending is on food and convenience merchandise, one third is on cars and car parts, and the other third is on stuff Amazon sells already,” says James Smerdon, retail consultant and strategic planner with Colliers International Consulting in Vancouver. “I see this as a way to branch out into a category Amazon doesn’t do very well in, by buying one of the best in the industry.

He imagines Amazon will use the Whole Foods acquisition to drive food and convenience spending traffic online, either through delivery or click-and-collect type services.

Canadian grocery retailers are already doing everything they can to maintain competitiveness, he adds, pointing to Loblaw, which has already implemented a click-and-collect model and earlier this year announced its considering home deliveries.

Vaughan’s Transit City Condos substantially sold out

Smart Real Estate Investment Trust (SmartREIT) and Mitchell Goldhar have announced that the first and second condo towers at Transit City, located in SmartCentres Place at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, are substantially sold out. As a result of the actual sales figures, SmartREIT has amended its previously announced guidance by increasing profitability on these two condo towers to an estimated return of 25 to 30 per cent on costs, up from the previously announced 15 to 20 per cent.

Transit City Condos, a joint venture between SmartREIT, Mitchell Goldhar and CentreCourt Developments, is the first residential development at SmartCentres Place. Each of these sold-out residential towers are 55 storeys, making them the tallest buildings in Vaughan. The towers include 1,110 residential units that are located steps from the TTC’s Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station, which will be open soon. The subway station is located in the hub of SmartCentres Place.

Residents of Transit City Condos will enjoy a traffic-free commute from Highways 7 and 400 to all parts of the GTA, including a direct link to downtown Toronto and all neighbourhoods in between through the subway line.

Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, with interiors designed by Figure3 and landscaping by Claude Cormier & Associés, the development’s North Tower will also feature the first BUCA-branded restaurant and BAR BUCA located outside of downtown Toronto.

“Proximity to transit, the unifying green spaces featuring our nine-acre park, has translated into strong demand for these units. This is a people-first, pedestrian city. And the people get that,” said Mitchell Goldhar, Chairman of the Board of SmartREIT. “After years of planning, SmartCentres Place is finally taking shape, and taking shape fast. We anticipate continued, high quality interest for office, retail and residential for the foreseeable future.”

Construction on Transit City Condos is expected to begin in late 2017. Construction is already underway on SmartCentres Place, the 220,000 square foot mixed use building featuring a 100,000 square foot flagship YMCA with child care and health and fitness facilities, and a 20,000 square foot City of Vaughan Library and studio space.

SmartCentres Place has been planned has a pedestrian-oriented community with a mix of uses including office, residential, retail and civic, anchored by a large central park with many connected open spaces throughout its 100 acres.

Planning and design starts for Oakridge site

Planning and design have started for a retail, office and residential redevelopment of the 11.5-hectare (28.5-acre) Oakridge Centre site on West 41st Avenue in Vancouver.

QuadReal, a Vancouver-based real estate investment and management company, purchased Oakridge Centre earlier this year and assumed management of the Centre on June 1, 2017. QuadReal has selected Westbank, a Vancouver-based developer, to partner on the Oakridge redevelopment.

QuadReal and Westbank will move forward on a project that aligns with the rezoning approved in principle by the City of Vancouver in 2014, and delivers to the community all benefits secured as a condition of the rezoning. Benefits include a 3.64-hectare (nine-acre) public park, a 6,503-square-metre (70,000-square-foot) civic centre with a new library, daycare, seniors centre and community centre and 290 affordable homes to be built and transferred to the city.

In addition to the above public benefits, the proposed development includes towers and mid-rise buildings, containing market and social housing, along with expanded office and retail space. The development also contemplates a public high street and enhanced pedestrian access to the Canada Line Station.

“We are in the process of designing an inspiring residential, shopping and business community that abides by the rezoning already approved by the City of Vancouver and enhances the area’s multicultural character and the shopping centre’s flagship status,” said Remco Daal, president of QuadReal’s Canadian real estate division.

Westbank has developed many of Vancouver’s best-known and most transformative projects, including Woodward’s, Fairmont Pacific Rim, TELUS Garden and Vancouver House.

“We are re-thinking every aspect of our daily lives through Oakridge and how this project should both respond and lead for present and future generations,” said Ian Gillespie, founder, Westbank. “Our goals are deservedly very large. We are exploring everything from the future of retail to housing, the work environment, mobility, parks, entertainment, public spaces, energy production and culture in a holistic, mixed-use development. We see this as a defining opportunity to set a new standard for urban living, locally and globally.”

The partnership will work closely with the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board staff during the planning and design process. Plans will be shared with the community and available for public review in fall 2017. In the meantime, updates are available through www.oakridgevancouver.ca.

Ontario supports new Toronto long-term care home

Ontario is supporting the construction of a new long-term care home in downtown Toronto that will provide a comfortable and supportive living environment for residents that require extra care, along with a dedicated unit for residents with dementia. Long-term care homes provide adults with a place to live while receiving help with many or all of their daily activities through 24-hour nursing and personal care.

The new facility will be located in the West Don Lands and will replace Rekai’s current facility at 345 Sherbourne Street in downtown Toronto. It will provide residents with a modern and comfortable environment that supports a higher quality of life for residents, including rooms with more privacy and greater capability to accommodate residents with complex needs. It will also include more space for programs such as rehabilitation, physiotherapy and more accessible living and dining areas.

“The new Rekai Centre is an example of an integrated, multi-service community hub that will provide affordable housing and long-term care programs in a client-centred way, under one roof,” said Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure, in a press release.

Ontario has nearly doubled its funding for long-term care since 2003, when it contributed $2.10 billion. In 2017, funding reached more than $4.14 billion. In addition, since 2003, more than 10,000 long-term care beds have been developed and more than 13,500 older long-term care beds have been redeveloped, through various programs.

“Our parents and grandparents deserve to live in comfort and safety with access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place,” added Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “That’s why our government is committed to redeveloping long-term care beds across Ontario to improve the quality of life for residents. This new centre is exactly what we want to see in redeveloped homes: it will be modern, comfortable and ready to accommodate people with increasingly complex health needs.”

London fatal fire sparks high-rise safety concerns

Update: June 23, 2017 – The London Metropolitan Police announced today it will consider manslaughter, health and safety and fire safety charges in relation to the 79 confirmed deaths at the Grenfell fire, which began in a faulty Whirlpool Hotpoint fridge freezer. Though the model was discontinued in 2009, 64,000 were sold between March 2006 and July 2009 and their whereabouts are unknown. Meanwhile the cladding containing a polyethylene core will continue to undergo an exhaustive investigation, but experts have already deemed it “unsafe and non-compliant” with current building regulations.

The fatal fire that ripped through a 24-storey apartment tower in London, England, on Wednesday, June 14^th, has left the city traumatized. Deemed one of the deadliest apartment fires in recent history, the blaze in the 120-unit Grenfell Tower council housing block has resulted in 79 confirmed deaths and dozens of injuries.

As the building continues to smoulder and structural engineers attempt to secure the charred remnants in order to search for clues and missing bodies, speculation is swirling around what led to the fire spreading so quickly and why fire alarms (reportedly) failed to go off.

For residents and building owners on this side of the ocean, the horrific incident has left many wondering how such a tragedy was even possible given today’s high safety standards and strict Building Code regulations.

“These are early days and there is still a lot to learn about the circumstances of the fire,” says Michele Farley, President & Senior Code Consultant, FCS Fire Consulting Services Ltd. “However, fire separation integrity and compliance levels can’t be ruled out until the investigation is well underway.”

Safety concerns

According to several news outlets, concerns about fire safety at the Grenfell Tower came to light in 2012 when a health and safety review found firefighting equipment outdated, among other potential hazards. At that time the residents’ association, known as the Grenfell Action Group, published a fire risk assessment, which reported that fire extinguishers in the basement boiler room, elevator motor room and ground floor electrical room were more than 12 months past the test date.

Though the official cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed, even more concerning is how quickly the fire was able to spread throughout twenty-four levels. Some experts have pointed to the relatively new exterior cladding, which had been installed as part of a larger renovation in 2016. In video footage, the panels can be seen engulfed in flames, an outcome Farley points out wouldn’t have resulted from concrete or flame-spread rated solid cladding.

“If fire separations failed, it would certainly spread the fire faster,” Farley notes. “However hot weather can result in residents propping open stairwell and suite doors (fire separation doors), which would compromise the containment even where there are compliant fire separations in place. Additionally in hot weather, windows are often opened, which allows fire to escape to the exterior.”

Other experts foresee little possibility of a similar fire in a Canadian residential tower. “With our Building Code regulations and Fire Code, coupled with our proactive municipal fire services, the only way this type of large-scale incident would occur here, would be the result of a breakdown or failure of responsibility somewhere,” asserts Jason Reid, President & Senior Advisor for National Life Safety Group.

But fires do happen often enough, and typically there are common circumstances that contribute to their outcomes—poor communication and the general uncertainty around how to respond being among them. Reid calls an up-to-date Fire Safety Plan the most critical step in preventing fire-related death or injury. The vital document, which is required on-site by law, identifies building construction type, fire alarm procedures, preventative maintenance requirements, and operational details of unique life safety systems in the building.

“This document, approved by the local fire department, clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of both landlord and resident,” says Reid. “It must be current and comprehensive, and residents must familiarize themselves with the procedures outlined in the Plan. The best practice for Canadian residential property managers is to communicate fire safety information from within this plan to residents directly, at least annually.”

During scheduled outages when life safety systems are rendered inoperative due to repair and maintenance projects, it is the landlord’s added responsibility to notify both residents, and at times the fire department of the current vulnerable status. This includes unplanned outages. “Systems impairment procedures are also addressed in the building’s fire safety plan and if there’s a failure in following these procedures, and a fire occurs, the consequences could be devastating,” Reid says.

On the other hand, while it’s the landlord’s job to ensure systems are up-to-date and code-compliant, and communicate fire procedures to residents, residents need to familiarize themselves with those procedures and know what’s expected of them in the event of an incident. “Residential high-rise fire safety is a true partnership between landlord and resident,” Reid asserts. “Residents who are unaware of their roles can make poor decisions that negatively impact the entire building.”

‘Staying in Place’

Another much-discussed aspect of the Grenfell Tower fire has been the ‘Stay in Place’—or ‘Stay Put’—policy, which is commonly used in high-rise residential fire safety procedures.

“It’s an example of something that works really well provided all systems are functioning and the building is code-compliant,” says Reid. “In a typical fire scenario, the compartmentalization of the high-rise will effectively keep smoke and fire contained to the unit of origin and prevent it from spreading next door.”

This works so well, in fact, that never in Ontario’s history has a fatality in a residential high-rise unit resulted from a fire that originated in another unit. All related fatalities were the result of residents trying to evacuate and getting trapped in smoke-filled stairwells and hallways.

That said, according to Reid, still, the best thing to do in a fire is to leave the building immediately. “If residents make the decision to stay, or are unable to leave immediately, they need to protect in place. The longer occupants wait to make this decision, the more significant risk that heavy, toxic smoke will have spread into the stairwells and corridors,” he warns. “Fire Service response times for high-rise fires are estimated at about one minute per floor. If you’re on the fifth floor of the building, it’ll take approximately five minutes for rescuers to get to you. If you’re on the 20^th floor, it will take an estimated 20 minutes. Residents need to be prepared to protect themselves in-suite and know how to do this prior to an emergency.”

“I believe Ontario will be following the Grenfell Tower investigation closely for lessons learned and also to monitor any role the building’s “stay in place” policy may have had on the fire deaths and injuries,” adds Farley. “It is premature to suspect the building management or compliance status until more is known, however all of us fire safety specialists will be awaiting further details to assist our clients with preventative measures from the findings through the investigation. Our hearts go out to the residents.”

Additional Grenfell Tower fire facts:

More than 200 firefighters worked tirelessly through the night to try to contain the blaze
Witness accounts suggest it took less than an hour for the fire to spread across all 24 levels
The renovation project completed in 2016 included installation of insulated exterior cladding, double-glazed windows and a communal heating system
High-rise buildings in France, the United Arab Emirates and Australia with similar cladding have all been hit by fires that spread across the exterior
Up to 600 people lived in the 120 apartments at Grenfell Tower. The death toll currently sits at 79 but is still expected to rise.

Photo source: Wikipedia

City of Toronto appoints first chief resilience officer

Toronto has appointed Elliott Cappell as its first chief resilience officer (CRO). Cappell will lead resilience-building efforts across the city to prepare for catastrophic events and other stresses.

It’s expected the role will “break down barriers in government” and oversee initiatives designed to address major urban challenges.

“Toronto is a diverse, dynamic and growing city,” he said. “I am thrilled to become the City’s first Chief Resilience Officer and am excited to begin working with City Council and staff, residents, businesses and community stakeholders on a strategic action plan for resilience.

Toronto was selected from almost 1,000 cities that applied over the last several years to be part of 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). Cappell will collaborate with other 100RC cities around the globe and access 100RC tools and services. The position is fully funded by 100RC.

“Toronto needs to be ready to meet unexpected challenges, such as the recent flooding caused by rising water levels in Lake Ontario, as well as the everyday stresses facing our growing city, including lack of affordable housing, overtaxed transit systems and the costs associated with aging infrastructures,” said Mayor John Tory.

Toronto’s plan will focus on social issues such as housing and transit and build on work already underway through Toronto’s climate resilience and TransformTO initiatives.

A Toronto native, Cappell was head of climate change strategy at Adam Smith International for the past 12 years. He has also consulted for the World Bank and the United Nations and was the senior advisor on strategic policy to the Government of Ontario.

Metro Vancouver examines mobility pricing

Metro Vancouver will examine mobility pricing with the official launch of the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission.

“Mobility pricing is a key pillar of the Mayors’ Council’s 10-Year Vision that could fix Metro Vancouver’s unfair user pricing regime, significantly reduce congestion, and deliver fair and stable funding for our transit and transportation network,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.

TransLink’s board of directors and the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation announced the chair and vice-chair of the Commission in June.

The committee chair will be Allan Seckel, a former deputy minister and head of the BC Public Service for the Province of British Columbia and the current CEO of Doctors of B.C.

Joy MacPhail will serve as the commission’s vice-chair. MacPhail was a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for 14 years and served as the head of the opposition for four years.

The commission will examine how pricing could potentially solve key transportation challenges in the Metro Vancouver region. The objectives are to reduce traffic congestion on roads and bridges across the region; promote fairness around bridge tolling and support transportation investment.

“It’s crucial that people are able to move efficiently and affordably around our growing region using the route, time and mode that works best for them and for the transportation network overall. I look forward to hearing the Independent Commission’s recommendations on a made-in-Metro Vancouver mobility pricing system that will work for everyone,” said Robertson.

Different approaches to pricing have been successfully applied in a number of jurisdictions around the world, such as Stockholm, Singapore and Oregon. The Independent Commission will examine a variety of models — from minor tweaks of the existing system to a broad reimagining. The Commission is invited to rethink all approaches and explore new ways of doing things that are fair and make the transportation system work better everyone.

A small expert staff team, supported by technical consultants, will support the research, analysis and public engagement. This team will be led by internationally-recognized mobility pricing expert, Daniel Firth, who has been appointed executive director.

The Commission will deliver recommendations to the TransLink Board and the Mayors’ Council by Spring 2018.

Isabelle Jodoin is first woman to chair the AFG

Isabelle Jodoin, Stantec senior vice president, Quebec, has been appointed chairperson of the board of directors of the Quebec Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (AFG), following their General Meeting on June 13, 2017. Jodoin is the first woman appointed to this position since the association was founded in 1974.

As chairperson, Jodoin will carry on AFG’s mission of ensuring the development, prosperity, and visibility of Quebec’s consulting engineering field. The board will support strategic initiatives, reinforce consultant representation within the AFG, promote the consulting engineering role to the public, and mobilize the industry to modernize its practices.

“Isabelle’s appointment is a reflection of her commitment to our industry,” says executive vice president, Canada, Russ Wlad. “Not only does she challenge fellow engineers to keep improving, she’s breaking barriers becoming the first woman chair of the AFG. I have no doubt the Association will benefit from having Isabelle in the chairperson role.”

Jodoin is a civil engineer with more than 30 years of experience. She is responsible for strategic development and operations management for Stantec’s Quebec region. This group includes more than 1,300 employees working in 22 offices across the province specializing in buildings, transportation, community development, environment, water, power, telecommunications, and physical security.

The AFG brings together firms of all sizes, from every region in Quebec, representing the majority of the province’s consulting engineers.