Documents to destroy in (mostly) paperless offices

What documents still need to be destroyed in a paperless office?

With the shift towards online storage and a “paperless office,” the majority of fraud prevention and data protection strategies focus on protecting digital information. Yet, purging the office of all sensitive and unnecessary paper and records is an important component of a successful fraud mitigation strategy and will protect a business’ customers, employees and reputation.

For businesses that want to embed document management best practices into employee behaviour and encourage frequent document destruction, there are five everyday documents that should be shredded to reduce the risk of fraud:

Shipping labels

In an attempt to be environmentally conscious, it is standard practice for businesses to break down delivery boxes for recycling. One step that is often forgotten is to remove the address label from the package, which can potentially include the business address, tracking codes, work orders or account numbers. When breaking down boxes or packages, businesses should remove and securely dispose of the address label.

Receipts

Business professionals often have the opportunity to expense client lunches or business necessities paid for out-of-pocket. The receipts associated with these expenses, which contain personal and/or corporate financial information, are often left on desks and easily accessible to fraudsters. Once submitted to the accounting department or recorded on client invoices, receipts should be shredded.

Printed presentations

While the majority of presentations are developed and delivered digitally, many employees still provide hard copies to clients or colleagues. This tendency can result in an unnecessary number of printed documents floating around the office, which can put an organization at risk if the presentation includes sensitive informative.

Resumes

It is common for Human Resource professionals to print candidates’ resumes during the hiring and interview process. The information found on a resume not only includes personal contact details, but a record of previous employment, academic history and participation in any committees or organizations. All printed resumes should be kept in a secure, locked location or stored digitally in a password-protected file. Once resumes are no longer needed they should be destroyed.

Boarding passes

According to cyber security experts, fraudsters are able to read the bar codes on boarding passes and gain access to passengers’ contact information, future travel plans and frequent flyer accounts. Travelers should be careful not to leave paper versions of their boarding pass in public areas or in their seat pocket. They may want to use an electronic boarding pass on their phone or shred the paper copy following their flight.

In the hands of fraudsters, the personal and professional information found on a wide range of seemingly harmless slips of paper can open up an organization and its employees to fraud. To help mitigate this risk and educate employees on their roles and responsibilities for data protection, business leaders should train employees on how to properly handle paper documents and encourage frequent destruction of documents. Additionally, implementing information security programs like a Shred-It All Policy and a Clean Desk Policy eliminates the guesswork of what is and isn’t confidential and ensures employees don’t accidentally leave confidential information in an insecure bin. As an added environmental benefit, all shredded material is recycled.

Kevin Pollack is senior vice president at Shred-it.

Montreal office availability to climb in 2017

Montreal office availability rates are expected to climb in downtown Montreal this year as construction tops off on three new projects.

Sublease space may open up once larger tenants in the city vacant and move into newer developments, according to a Newmark Knight Frank Devencore report.

“Office development and condo construction in downtown Montreal are at a level not seen in nearly two decades,” said Jean Laurin, president and chief executive officer of Newmark Knight Frank Devencore. “After a number of years of subdued economic growth, the city is regaining much of its cachet and beginning to draw increased attention from both national and international corporate tenants representing a wide range of business sectors.”

At the end of 2016, the availability rate was 11.9 per cent, down nearly 1.0 per cent year-over-year. More than one million square feet of new Class A office space has come online in downtown Montreal over the past three years, and an additional 838,000 square feet is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2017.

Despite the high availability rate, bigger tenants–those seeking spaces larger than 100,000 square feet–have a limited number of options, the report states. Tenants requiring less space, however, have more opportunities.

“The best deals are building specific: landlords losing tenants to the new towers will be increasingly aggressive in marketing their buildings, and tenants with strong covenants will have more leverage in negotiating inducements,” Laurin added.

Current conditions have led some tenants to re-evaluate how they optimize space and productivity in terms of cost, and “greater dynamism and efficiency.”

Dialog creates energetic space for tech firm

Dialog’s Vancouver interior design team recently transformed the new office of Railtown’s newest up-and-coming tech firm, STAT Search Analytics.

Dialog’s revitalization of a 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse located at 704 Alexander Street transformed STAT’s new office space to reflect the young, energetic and non-corporate tech firm. The raw, industrial double-height space provided a clean slate to work with.

The main source of inspiration and concept for the space transpired from STAT’s polygon-based brand graphics, which symbolize a network of ordered information with nodes and points of discovery. These shapes were used as volumes for all the meeting room environments throughout the space, and each form was constructed out of clear finished plywood to match the millwork and keep costs down. STAT also commissioned artwork for their breakout rooms by Vancouver artist Lucien Durey who created works based on historical images sourced from the surrounding East-side neighbourhood.

“Working with Dialog has allowed us to create a space that reflects our vision and work culture, and to attract talented people to join us,” says Rob Bucci, CEO of STAT Search Analytics. “Since the move, we’ve seen major improvements in our ability to attract top talent. We’ve also seen our people really step up their already high standards, with every team showing a new level of sophistication and pride in their work. I believe this is a direct result of having an equally sophisticated workspace that inspires them.”

People can find quiet spaces to work or flock together for informal meetings. The 2,000 sq. ft. second floor mezzanine is home to the communal social space and eatery, which is fully kitted out with a beer and wine taps along with flexible furniture and technology screens. Looking out off the mezzanine provides a vantage point overlooking the office giving one a true respect for the space and interior design.

The new office design has raised the creative energy within the organization, allowing for better collaboration and a higher standard of work. For STAT, not only was the design of the office important to grow their business and energize their employees, but for the space tell their company story.

MCM Interiors transforms iconic Vancouver hotel

MCM Interiors Ltd. was commissioned to re-design the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver’s Pacific Club Guestrooms. Phase 3 of this lengthy hotel guestroom renovation project included the top three floors of this iconic Vancouver hotel, set to debut in spring 2017.

Known as the Pacific Club Guestrooms, the guests who select these rooms to stay in receive upgraded services and amenities, access to the club lounge, and the best views from the property. The rooms on these levels needed to stand above the standard of finishes and details from the other guestroom types offered in the hotel.

The design direction was to create a contemporary look that both captured the urban feel of the hotel’s setting, as well as provide a calming backdrop to the magnificent natural views. All 70 guestrooms were stripped down to the studs for this complete renovation.

A neutral warm grey backdrop with the wall and floor finishes provides a calm base to let the extensive polished wood veneer casegoods take centre stage. To create a unique seamless and upscale feel, dark and glossy wall-to-wall closet, dry bar, dresser, and desk millwork spans from the rooms entry all the way to the window. Special detail to the dry bar and minibar storage drawers allows for neat and tidy display of glassware and snacks.

The bed wall provides a dramatic floor to ceiling wood framed headboard and matching night tables, with built in power. The padded quilted leather headboard insert and bolster pillow adds softer touches to the crisp white bed. A soft lounge chair and matching ottoman offers guests a place to perch and watch tv or take in the view.

In the guest bathroom, tubs were replaced with large walk in spa showers. Opaque glass walls were installed to allow natural light into the room, and LED lit rainshower heads, hand wand spray, and hidden slot drain create the luxurious feel guests expect.

The vanity area again uses clever millwork design to hide all the amenities from the quartz top vanity. A perimeter lit mirror allows for another layer of mood lighting within the space. A separate toilet room was kept from the original design. Nautical artwork prints, and hammered chrome lamps add the finishing touches to the room.

Ema Peter Photography

Vancouver downtown office market tightening

As downtown Vancouver’s current cycle of new development winds down, the office market is gradually tightening and becoming more challenging for tenants. Buildings delivered during this cycle of development are approximately 94% leased, and overall vacancy rates in Vancouver’s downtown core are continuing to tighten. The vacancy rate for all office classes in downtown Vancouver was 7.5% at the end of 2016, down from 9.6% a year earlier, according to the most recent report by Newmark Knight Frank Devencore.

“The market is somewhat fragmented at the moment,” said Jon Bishop, executive vice president and managing principal of Newmark Knight Frank Devencore’s Vancouver office. “Much of the downtown office space with less dated, user-friendly improvements has been absorbed. Many of the remaining opportunities are built out with older improvements or are in shell condition that require more substantial tenant improvement projects and capital budgets. For tenants requiring over 25,000 square feet of contiguous space, The Exchange Building, which will come online later this year, may offer the best new-build alternative.”

The Newmark Knight Frank Devencore report also notes that strata office spaces are attracting heightened interest. At present, there are almost 1,100 commercial strata lots in downtown Vancouver and two strata office developments scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2019. Up to 45,000 square feet is currently being offered at 1575 West Georgia Street during its pre-sale stage and One Burrard Place recently sold out 60,000 square feet of office space in less than two months, indicating substantial interest in strata ownership from investors.

Newmark Knight Frank Devencore recently arranged a pre-sale of 45,000 square feet for a client; this is one of the largest office strata transactions in British Columbia.

“While supply and demand in the downtown Vancouver office market are in relative balance, tenants will likely find the office market more challenging in the quarters ahead as space is steadily absorbed,” Mr. Bishop said. “Opportunities still exist, but they are often building-specific. Some landlords, for example, are beginning to market their properties aggressively, while others are more willing and able to carry vacant space and wait until market conditions turn in their favour. With the next new development cycle likely some years away, space users may want to consider extending a term into the next building cycle underway in 2019/2020.”

Post-occupancy audits in P3 construction projects

Popular in the UK and Canada, the public-private partnership (P3) model for financing construction projects is making inroads into the U.S. market as an alternative to traditional development methods. A P3 can save time, money, and reduce risk to the government by having a single contractor design, build, finance, and operate and maintain a facility over an extended period of time — anywhere from 10 to 40 years. A reserve fund covers the maintenance expenses. When carefully and transparently planned, P3s offer some significant advantages to owners and communities.

Value for money: Taking the long view

A key part of that planning is the value for money (VfM) assessment. Done at the outset of a project, in the design and construction phases, the projections of a building’s performance can provide powerful, persuasive evidence of efficiency. However, these estimates frequently tell only part of the tale. They do not sufficiently examine the property’s operating performance over the long term, compromising their accuracy.

Unlike P3 pre-construction VfM assessments, the analysis of these “legacy” costs can provide crucial data but is often incomplete. This is due in part because P3s are still relatively new to the U.S., but also because North America has not yet implemented a standardized, comprehensive audit and monitoring system. Until one is in place, the P3 contract should clearly outline the processes that contribute to a complete, long-term VfM assessment.

This is especially important for projects that include an operations and maintenance role than lasts 25 years or more. The P3 contract should be worded so that the owner has access to a sufficient amount of operations and maintenance information to ensure the project’s legacy costs also provide value for money.

VfM essentially combines qualitative and quantitative factors. Benchmarking — a system of comparing the measured performance of a facility to itself, its peers, or established norms — is the principal tool used to yield data that inform VfM assessments. The benchmarking process typically accounts for fluctuations in the costs of labour, materials, equipment, and energy.

To capture the most complete picture of a project, the value for money test examines efficiencies on many levels. It evaluates the project as a whole (including equity, cost of debt, etc.), and compares it to a traditionally funded project of equivalent nature. Analyzing the following separate components will enhance the accuracy of the data:

Hard and/or soft facility management
Life-cycle cost/sinking fund/reserve fund
Sufficient equity and appropriate penalties to ensure the private-sector partner performs according to the specifications in the latter years of the project
Appropriate performance/availability mechanisms
The optimal level of risk transfer

Benchmarking: Assessing performance

It’s best to do the first round of benchmarking measurements after the building has been occupied and running for at least six months — depending on the complexity of the facility. As a rule of thumb, the benchmarking should take place after the initial commissioning, troubleshooting processes and fine-tuning of the building have been completed. This early evaluation will confirm that key performance indicators (KPI) can be documented and achieved. In many jurisdictions in Canada and the UK, P3 projects have a five-year benchmarking requirement.

It’s important for both public- and private-sector parties to ensure that critical aspects of the agreements are subject to periodic benchmarking reviews because P3 agreements are usually in place for significant periods of time. To assure an impartial analysis, these reviews should be performed by an independent audit team. If the benchmarking exercise does not yield an acceptable level of comfort for the public-sector party, it may order an enforced market testing of the product or system, if the contract contains provisions permitting such an action.

It’s critical to note that the post-occupancy audit should not be just a tally of the bills paid by the concessionaire; such a superficial accounting provides a one-dimensional view of the project. An audit prepared by a quantity surveyor with experience in building condition and reserve fund studies will establish a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the building’s performance and identify any operational deficiencies.

An analogy: Adding up household utility bills may show a homeowner that he’s spending $200 a month on electricity, but to put that information into context, a homeowner should seek advice from an authority. That authority may be able to tell him that his monthly expenditure on electricity should be only $50, and that there may be a problem with his house.

Quantitative feedback on a building’s performance should be augmented with qualitative information. Among the questions that can add depth to the VfM assessment:

Is the quality level appropriate? In other words, do the service level agreements and/or performance specifications accurately reflect initial and life-cycle client requirements?
Is the operation integrated and efficient?
Does the original purpose — and consequently, the specifications — for the project remain the same? Or has the project brief changed?
Are there current KPIs available for review, and, if so, are they appropriate to the project in its current form?

Once established, the benchmark will enable future audits to examine the efficiency of the systems and operations to see if further improvements can be made, to optimize the benefit to all parties. This may include replacing some of the suppliers, if the value or service levels can be improved by going back out to the competitive marketplace.

This can only be achieved if contract conditions can be formulated and carried out at the procurement stage to allow for the roll out of any proposed efficiencies. One scenario might be to confirm that the contracted KPIs have been achieved, with any optimizations to be completed as a separate exercise.

Another important provision in the paperwork: Both the owner and the concessionaire should be protected if the property is transferred during the period of the agreement. An independent third party should review the legal and economic provisions contained in the transfer agreement. It is quite common for P3 properties to change hands, whether the asset is sold or consumed by a merger.

Banking of performance data

A well-structured P3 contract with clear provisions for determining a building’s legacy costs is not only useful to the immediate partners on the project, but could advance the entire construction industry. Creating a database of audits from various projects would empower government partners to draw on this evidence to inform future contracts, KPIs, and operations and maintenance standards. The potential benefits of the information wouldn’t be limited to P3 jobs, either; such data could be applied to traditionally tendered projects, as well — making it a truly valuable proposition.

Joe Pendlebury is senior vice president of Rider Levett Bucknall’s North American practice and is responsible for leading the Toronto office. Joe is a Professional Quantity Surveyor with nearly 30 years of national and international project experience.

Ontario steps up efforts to divert more waste from landfill

Ontario is working to create a zero-waste future with the launch of a strategy that will divert more waste from landfills, create jobs and help fight climate change.

The province’s Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy includes 15 concrete actions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

These include requiring producers to take full responsibility for the environmental and financial management of their products and packaging, including small appliances, electrical tools, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, carpets and furniture.

Other actions include:

Implementing a framework to reduce the volume of food and organic waste going to landfill.
Requiring industrial, commercial and institutional sectors to divert more of the waste they produce from landfills.
Banning certain materials, such as food waste, beverage containers, corrugated cardboard and fluorescent bulbs and tubes, from disposal and driving creative strategies to reuse and recycle these items.
Improving oversight and accountability in the waste management sector, including by requiring producers to register and report on their waste management activities.

WHO identifies 12 most dangerous pathogens

The World Health Organization (WHO) published its first ever list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens,” identifying 12 bacterial threats and grouping them by priority: high, critical and medium.

Knowledge will guide research and development (R&D) of new antibiotics, as part of WHO’s efforts to address growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines. The also create more conversation around antimicrobial resistance and infection control.

“Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment options,” says Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO’s assistant director-general for Health Systems and Innovation. “If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time.”

The list highlights bacteria have built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and can pass along genetic material that allows other bacteria to become drug-resistant as well.

Critical pathogens were flagged. They include multidrug resistant bacteria and pose a particular threat in hospitals, nursing homes and among patients whose care requires devices such as ventilators and blood catheters. They can cause severe and often deadly infections, such as bloodstream infections and pneumonia. Such bacteria have become resistant to a large number of antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporins – the best available antibiotics for treating multi-drug resistant bacteria.

High and medium priority categories contain other increasingly drug-resistant bacteria that cause more common diseases, such as gonorrhoea and food poisoning caused by salmonella.

WHO priority pathogens list for R&D of new antibiotics:

Priority 1: Critical

Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant, ESBL-producing

Priority 2: High

Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant, vancomycin-intermediate and resistant
Helicobacter pylori, clarithromycin-resistant
Campylobacter spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant
Salmonellae, fluoroquinolone-resistant
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, cephalosporin-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant

Priority 3: Medium

Streptococcus pneumoniae, penicillin-non-susceptible
Haemophilus influenzae, ampicillin-resistant
Shigella spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant

The list was developed by international experts in collaboration with the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Some criteria for selecting pathogens on the list were: how deadly the infections they cause are; whether their treatment requires long hospital stays; how frequently they are resistant to existing antibiotics when people in communities catch them; how easily they spread between animals, from animals to humans, and from person to person; whether they can be prevented (e.g. through good hygiene and vaccination); how many treatment options remain; and whether new antibiotics to treat them are already in the R&D pipeline.

Toronto cracks down on waste contamination

The City of Toronto is cracking down on bylaw infractions concerning the co-mingling of garbage and recycling in bins put out for municipal pick-up at multi-residential properties. Last year, bylaw enforcement officers issued 15 times as many tickets for waste contamination at residential properties that receive municipal pick-up as were issued in the three previous years combined.

Jim McKay, general manager of Solid Waste Management Services, said that some of the increase could be attributed to a new initiative aimed at tackling waste contamination at multi-residential properties across the city. He said Municipal Licensing and Standards, the division responsible for bylaw enforcement, set up a multi-residential team, which is working with leads from his division on the initiative.

Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 844 – 16A(3) makes it an offence for residential property owners to put contaminated waste out for city collection. In this context, contamination refers to the co-mingling of garbage, organics, recycling, prohibited and yard waste.

Bylaw enforcement officers issued single tickets under Chapter 844 – 16A(3) in 2013 and 2014, 10 tickets in 2015 and 184 tickets in 2016. These numbers explain a perceived increase in enforcement activity after a report recently emerged of condo corporations and condo management companies facing charges for waste contamination.

The uptick in ticketing sends a warning to condo corporations that rely on municipal pick-up about complying with waste collection bylaws. As condo lawyer Denise Lash pointed out in a blog post flagging the issue, these bylaw infractions can ultimately attract penalties of up to $50,000 for first-time offences and up to $100,000 for repeat offences. Corporations further run the risk of having the municipality suspend city collection services at their building.

Although these risks exist, data for the last four years show that all charges laid for waste contamination were pursued as less serious Part I offences, which carry a ticket with a set fine of $100. More serious Part III offences are where a ticket is bypassed in favour of an information, which summons the accused to court.

Property owners or managers should get a warning before facing charges based on the process described by Rose Burrows, district manager, parks and waste enforcement. Burrows said that bylaw enforcement officers proceed to issue charges only after representatives of a property have received education and a notice of violation.

Many investigations are triggered by complaints, according to the City of Toronto’s long-term waste management strategy, but investigations can and do occur proactively. Burrows said Municipal Licensing and Standards coordinates with Solid Waste Management Services to dispatch bylaw enforcement officers to locations based on contamination levels in the loads dropped off at transfer stations. When bylaw enforcement officers attend a site, they look for the property manager or superintendent to obtain access to the waste collection bins in order to conduct inspections.

Lash said in a phone interview that she is cautioning condo corporations against providing access to their buildings, as the Toronto Municipal Code only entitles bylaw enforcement officers to access “land” to carry out their work. In her blog post, the condo lawyer documented a case in which a condo management company was charged with a waste collection offence after a staff member of the property let bylaw enforcement officers into the garbage room.

Complicating the matter further, she argued that the condo management company is the wrong party to charge. She reported that in this case the condo management company succeeded in fighting the charge in court on the basis that it was not the property owner.

“Even so, it was really a concern that this is how the City of Toronto is going about dealing with this issue,” Lash said in the phone interview.

Burrows maintained that Municipal Licensing and Standards can charge both owners and operators of properties, and property management companies would be considered operators. Burrows also said that bylaw enforcement officers can access common areas in “multi-residential rental buildings.”

Laura McKeen, a partner at Cohen Highley LLP Lawyers with expertise in condo and municipal law, said that condo corporations may want to ask for requests to access common areas in writing and confer with their legal counsel. But she added that denying access could potentially result in further charges.

McKeen said that condo management companies can get caught in the crosshairs of bylaw enforcement because the Toronto Municipal Code defines property owners to include anyone “in charge or in control of” a property.

“As a management company, it’s always important to know where your potential liability is and making sure that you, in your management contract, have clear responsibilities set out there in terms of indemnification,” she said.

There may be an opportunity to sort out the differences in opinion surrounding whether bylaw enforcement officers have a right to access buildings and whether condo management companies are the correct party to charge with waste contamination offences. A multi-residential waste diversion advisory group is due to be established as Toronto rolls out its long-term waste management strategy, which was adopted by city council last summer.

The strategy puts a big target on multi-residential buildings, where diversion rates are typically worse and where residents will increasingly live. With roughly 50 per cent of Torontonians living in multi-residential buildings, these communities will be expected to play a major role in the city being able to reach its waste diversion goal for the next 10 years. The municipality is aiming to achieve a waste diversion rate of 70 per cent among residential users of city collection services by 2026.

The strategy lays out a number of options for improving waste diversion in multi-residential buildings.

The city will contemplate introducing bylaws that would extend waste diversion requirements to multi-residential buildings that use private collection services. Currently, 420,000 of Toronto’s 621,000 multi-residential units are serviced by city collection.

The city will also contemplate updating multi-residential development standards to require, for example, that space be allocated to common area drop-off depots.

“The planning, policies and enforcement recommendations are expected to elicit the greatest impact to increase diversion from this particular sector,” states a staff report accompanying the strategy.

The strategy acknowledges the success of ongoing promotion and education efforts, but suggests enforcement measures may need to be strategically used in under-performing areas of the system.

As the City of Toronto looks to enforcement as part of its strategy, condo corporations have the daunting task of making sure their communities comply with waste collection bylaws. In other words, corporations are responsible for policing the behaviour of residents, the ones doing the sorting of garbage, recyclables and the like.

Lash said the challenge is particularly great for older condo buildings where there is a single garbage chute, as compared with newer condo buildings where updated development standards have mandated solutions such as tri-sorters that make it easy to comply with waste collection bylaws. She noted that a condo corporation can apply to the municipality to have its garbage chute sealed, forcing residents to walk to a central waste collection facility to place their waste in the appropriate bins.

The condo lawyer also said that condo corporations can incent compliance by educating residents and penalize non-compliance by passing rules. Most compelling may be the fact that corporations have an opportunity to save money by improving their waste diversion rates.

Unrelated to bylaw enforcement, Solid Waste Management Services also put properties on notice last December that it will be visiting sites that receive municipal pick-up to inspect recycling bins for contamination, McKay said. The move, which comes in response to a “substantial increase” in non-recyclable materials arriving at the city’s recycling processing facility, will see contaminated recycling bins collected and charged as garbage bin lifts.

Michelle Ervin is the editor of CondoBusiness.

New AODA updates underscore maintenance

With 2017 underway, Ontario-based companies must now enact specific requirements to ensure accessibility for employees and customers. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) previously rolled out a number of policies under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), and many facilities have yet to comply. But as of January 1, certain organizations must implement another round of requirements related to public spaces, public information and employment practices.

With all this in mind, it’s important to consider how changes affect facilities, as well as the maintenance and cleaning companies who service them. AODA legislation passed in 2005, along with the Ontario Building Code (OBC), has pushed more facilities to accommodate disabilities; however, such achievements are meaningless if the environment is obstructed. Functionality can become lost if there is little training and maintenance supervision.

New requirements effective January 201

Smaller organizations in the province with fewer than 50 employees, including those who provide goods and services or facilities, must now comply with specific standards under the IASR. These include a number of employment practices, such as making public information accessible when asked and making public employment practices accessible, including how companies hire, retain and provide career development opportunities to workers. This includes adding notifications on job postings. Individual accommodation plans and updated workplace emergency response information must also be available.

Second, large private and non-profit organizations (50 or more employees) must now follow policies to make new or redeveloped public spaces accessible. Organizations with less than 50 employees are omitted from certain requirements, but have until January 2018 to do the same. Yet they should already be working towards this goal. The Design for Public Spaces Standard applies to seven areas: parking lots, outdoor public areas, outdoor play spaces, exterior paths of travel, service counters, fixed waiting lines and waiting areas with fixed seating and maintenance. Maintenance of such spaces, therefore, is directly connected to ensuring Ontario reaches its goal of becoming fully accessible by 2025.

Lastly, organizations with 50 or more employees are reminded that they must submit an online compliance report by December 31, 2017, affirming continued compliance with the AODA including your Multi-Year Planning document. Failure to file could result in forced inspections, penalties, prosecutions or fines. This applies to the public sector every two years and a not-for-profit or private business every three years.

Tactile strips outside a facility must be easily accessible and clear of seasonal elements.

Design for public spaces standard heightens maintenance needs

As of January 1, 2017, large non-profit and private organizations of 50 or more employees must adhere to policies for building new public spaces or making planned significant alterations to existing ones. This deadline has already passed for smaller organizations. Along with this, actions to keep spaces in working order, including painting, minor repairs, environmental mitigation and even snow removal, should not interfere with accessibility for any parts of a facility.

Building audits in Toronto during the winter have revealed that snow removal procedures at some facilities with limited exterior space resulted in snow being dumped near accessible entrances and exits. In addition, notification signs, such as disruption of service, should not be placed in walkable areas, as they create obstacles for individuals who are blind or have low vision. In regards to the interior of a building, we often discover that the built environment is fine, but the actual maintenance renders it inaccessible. Patio furniture placed in a Toronto cafe restroom during the winter is just one recent example, and maintenance workers should be mindful of such oversights in exterior public spaces, as well.

There are several requirements within this standard that directly affect facility maintenance workers, including outdoor eating areas and exterior pathways.

Outdoor eating areas

Outdoor public use eating areas could include outdoor food courts or picnic tables on hospital grounds and university campuses. Large organizations that plan to build or renovate these areas need to ensure that 20 per cent of new tables added are accessible and that the ground surface leading to and under the tables is level, firm and stable to accommodate mobility aids. There should also be enough clear space so people can smoothly approach the tables.

Exterior walkways

Yet another section refers to exterior walkways that aren’t regulated by the OBC. Again, large organizations and the public sector are targeted here, as they must ensure that paths of travel which are new, updated or maintained are in compliance. Among the many minimum requirements, clear contrast markings and tactile walking surface indicators on stairs, curb ramps and depressed curbs should be incorporated; visible and preserved, surfaces of ramps and stairs must be firm, stable and slip-resistant; and hand rails and guards must be provided to prevent accidents.

There are also new requirements for maintaining public spaces that apply only to large private organizations and public sector organizations of any size. Multi-year accessibility plans to be submitted by December 31, must include the following:

Preventative and emergency maintenance procedures for all accessible parts of their public spaces, such as planning when regular maintenance occurs. For instance, the frequency of inspecting sidewalks for cracks. Procedures for handling temporary disruptions in service when an accessible part of their public space is not usable. For example, putting up a sign to explain the disruption and outlining an alternative.

Training and the new Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

It’s the facility manager’s job to make sure maintenance staff is trained. Companies were trying to save money by training only employees who come face to face with customers; however, changes to the AODA’s Customer Service Standard, which were enforced July 1, 2016 and apply to all organizations providing goods and services or facilities, now require that all employees undergo accessibility training.

When writing an RFP or contract, facility managers should make sure vendors and contractors submit proof that everyone coming on site has been trained in the AODA. They should also ensure vendors have policies and procedures in place for AODA.

If a cleaning company does not have such training, facility managers could be held liable for not checking. Not only is training now mandatory, but contractors would be wise to have proof readily available for competitive purposes. About 37 per cent of companies in Ontario are in compliance, a low rate, especially since the AODA was launched 11 years ago. Companies need to play catch up or face a human rights complaint—and potentially a tribunal.

Where to find AODA training

Basic training can be found on the AODA website. Facilities whose workers have a great impact on people might also consider securing extra training through e-learning or from outside experts. Overall maintenance and cleaning contractors or staff need to understand how to spot specific issues and understand why it matters where equipment or supplies are placed or why certain cleaning products should be selected or evaluated to protect individuals with environmental sensitivities—a disability under the Human Rights Code.

Accessibility across Canada

Many people may not be aware that there is a significant political interest in having a national standard for accessibility, rather than taking the current piecemeal provincial approach.

Starting in July 2016 and wrapping up in February 2017, Sport and Disability Minister Carla Qualtrough has jumpstarted public discussions across Canada about the proposed Canadians with Disabilities Act (CDA). This was a campaign promise by Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and is now in full swing. Once all the public meetings and consultations wrap up at the end of February, all this information will be reviewed, summarized and available to the public and businesses.

Our best predication as a specialized accessibility firm is that we will see the roll out of national legislation most likely mirroring the unique AODA in Ontario. We will provide further updates about the progress of the CDA as it will impact companies who have a national presence across Canada.

Jane E Sleeth is Principal and Human Factors/Accessibility expert with Optimal Performance Consultants, a national ergonomic and accessibility firm with over 27 years’ experience. OPC Inc provides policy writing, training and e learning as well as human factors and accessible design expertise for property management and CRE companies across Canada. You can reach Jane at [email protected]

United Services Group: An Honest Living

When the clock tolled midnight on Jan. 1, it ushered in a new year with wishes that it be a happy one. For many, 2017 is cause for celebration as Canada marks 150 years since Confederation — a momentous occasion being commemorated with countless events across the country. While no party will come close to the multiday birthday bash in terms of grandeur and participation, many others are being planned with the same heart and soul. At United Services Group, senior management is busy brainstorming how to best celebrate four decades in business with its dedicated team of more than 3,500 employees, and long-time partners and clients.

“We are extremely thankful and grateful to our customers. United wouldn’t be where it is today without their support and trust,” says Milan Kroupa Sr., who founded the company (originally United Cleaning Services Ltd.) in Toronto in 1977, on a shoestring budget. “I started with absolutely nothing. It was just me with one truck.”

Now, United is a multimillion-dollar family enterprise with a national footprint. Headquartered in Brampton, Ont., the single-source janitorial and facility services provider has established regional offices in Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg and Calgary. Each day, United services more than 100 million square feet across approximately 1,500 locations. Its customers span multiple industries, including the retail, office, condominium, healthcare, education, hospitality and industrial markets, and boasts large national clients like Loblaw Companies Ltd., whose relationship with United precedes the company’s founding.

Milan first connected with the grocery giant while working at Gordon A. McEachern Ltd., which, at the time, was one of the biggest janitorial service contractors in Canada. It was here, while serving as the company’s chief manager of operating systems, that Milan decided to branch out on his own, though the entrepreneurial bug had bit him at a much earlier age.

Star Search

Milan was born and raised in the former Czechoslovakia, where he was set to one day inherit the family’s flour mill — a successful business his father built from the ground up. However, Milan’s dreams were dashed at the age of six when, in 1948, the property (along with the family’s sawmill) was confiscated by the occupying communist regime.

“I couldn’t understand because my father had told me that one day I would get a part of that fortune,” says Milan. “He tried to explain that the situation had changed and the flour mill no longer belonged to us, but all I could do was shout, ‘Why did you give it to them? That belongs to me!’”

Sadly, Milan’s father was arrested shortly thereafter on erroneous charges and jailed as a political prisoner for almost two decades.

These harrowing events, along with living years under totalitarian rule, played a pivotal role in Milan’s decision to illegally flee his homeland in pursuit of a better life for his family — one where he’d be free to follow in his father’s entrepreneurial footsteps.

In 1968, Milan immigrated to Canada with his new wife and three-month-old son, armed with little more than his father’s sound advice. He told Milan there are as many opportunities in life as there are stars in the sky, and the secret to success is to seize one and never let it go.

Before long, Milan settled into his new hometown of Toronto, and found work as a lathe operator in a plastics factory. However, he soon found his ‘salary’ was not enough to provide for his family beyond their basic needs. To supplement his income, Milan took a second job with an office cleaning company. It’s here, while working 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. seven days a week, that he made an important discovery.

“I really enjoyed cleaning,” he says with enthusiasm. “After a while, I realized cleaning offered the independence I was looking for and I might make a good business out of it.”

But instead of jumping into the industry full force, Milan decided to bide his time and worked at several firms in the maintenance services sector over the course of the next nine years. Then, at age 35, he made his move.

Growing Out

Within a year of launching United, Milan knew he was on to something big. The company had quickly grown from one client to 30, including Loblaw, thanks in part to his golden rule, “Do to others what you would like them to do to you.”

From the start, United has viewed its customers as family and treated them as such. This involves being open and honest, delivering on promises and providing a quality of service second to none.

“We’ll go above and beyond for our clients,” says Milan’s youngest son, Michael, who is now the CEO after taking over the company’s reins in June 2015, when Milan retired (though he remains on as chairman of the board).

The company’s unwavering commitment to putting customers’ needs first has factored enormously into United’s growth, as has its penchant for flexibility.

“It was a couple existing core clients that aided in our expansion outside Ontario,” notes Michael. “As their businesses flourished, they wanted a reliable, consistent cleaning contractor that operates with integrity to grow with them to ensure the high level of service they’d become accustomed to. We were obviously all too happy to oblige.”

With its move into other regions — Quebec (1998), Atlantic Canada (2005) and Western Canada (2009) — United expanded its customer base and stronghold in specific industry sectors (85 per cent of its business today is from the retail market). Soon came the desire to diversify the company’s service offerings, again at its customers’ request. While United’s core business continues to be janitorial, the company offers a bevy of facility maintenance services, including snow removal and landscaping, parking maintenance and grounds care, as well as supplementary offerings on an as-needed basis.

BACK ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): MICHAEL, CEO; MILAN JR., DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE OPERATIONS, ONTARIO; AND ROBERT, CORPORATE TRAINER. FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): KATHY, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SERVICES; AND MILAN SR., FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD.

Customers First

Last year, the company went a step further in supporting its customers’ needs with the introduction of a line of exclusive products. Of note is the Pod System, a restroom deodourizing system that United has sole rights to in Canada. Comprised of four pods, the system freshens the air with natural fragrances while eliminating odours by cleaning urinals, toilets and drainage pipes.

“It helps remove rust, bacteria and uric acid buildup in the pipes, which is what causes the odour,” explains Michael. “This can potentially save customers plumbing costs as the system, when used over time, fully restores drainage pipes to their original state.”

United happened upon the innovative system while attending a trade show in Europe. The company has made a conscious decision to seek out unique products at industry events worldwide that it can establish in Canada to add value for its customers. But before United launches a product, it’s rigorously tested by the company’s in-house research and development department.

“We’re constantly investing in better products, equipment, technology and processes to offer the best possible service,” notes Michael.

And it has certainly paid off.

In 2016, United adopted Salesforce. The cloud-based software gathers and manages critical client information in one place, which helps every part of the business — from human resources, finance and acquisition to compliance, quality, and health and safety. It also keeps track of tasks and performance, and enables users to generate reports and dashboards to provide clients with complete transparency. Further, mobile integration allows for customer correspondence on the go, which means field operations are more productive and responsive.

Around the same time, United deployed Tennant Company’s IRIS Asset Manager across more than 100 of its automatic floor scrubbers. While the software platform was originally adopted because equipment kept disappearing — the ‘smart’ technology can identify and locate missing machines thanks to geofencing — it allows United to deliver visual and measurable impacts to customers. Managers receive daily and weekly reports of scrubber usage per location, which is used to illustrate “we’re doing what we say we’re going to do,” says COO Larry Ker.

“It guarantees our in-store teams are washing floors as they should,” he continues. “If a machine has not been used for the designated time frame, IRIS sends a critical e-mail alert.”

In addition to establishing high-quality service, machine usage data helps ensure proper maintenance to prevent downtime and extend equipment life.

Family Ties

IRIS has proven so effective in such a short period of time that United is considering deploying the technology more broadly in its business.

Future plans also include investing additional resources in the company’s condominium, office and healthcare cleaning divisions to increase its share in these markets. There’s even talk of possibly expanding into the U.S.

In the short-term, United is focused on its 40th anniversary party, which is slated for June. Not only will it be a celebration of this major milestone; it will be a day of great pride for Milan who launched the business to provide for his family — then, now and always. All of his children are involved in the company, having worked their way up from the bottom into senior management roles. Along with Michael, Milan’s eldest son, Milan Jr., is director of corporate operations in Ontario. His daughter, Kathy, is director of national services, and Robert is the company’s corporate trainer. Even his eldest grandchild, Mike, is involved in the family business, working as a junior business analyst. It’s expected that others will follow-suit in due course, and eventually United will transition to third generation ownership.

“I used to think it would be nice if my children were able to continue what I started,” says Milan, recalling what happened to his father’s properties/businesses when he was a child. “I’m so happy that I was able to complete that cycle and United will live on — and get even bigger and better with time.”

Clare Tattersall is the editor of Facility Cleaning & Maintenance

Five high-touch areas in schools and sanitation tips

Unlike hospitals, people who enter schools, including students, staff and the public, are not screened for infectious agents. Cleaning and maintaining schools involves a careful look at several high-touch areas prone to germs, which could stem from colds, influenza, pneumonia, diarrhea and even leaking wounds. Understanding where these hot spots are and how they contribute to the overall health of a school is key.

Classroom

Frequently touched surfaces will harbour bacteria and viruses. The number of bacteria present will depend on who touched the surface (sick person, healthy person, someone with good hand hygiene or poor hand hygiene). Door knobs, desk tops, light switches, pens and pencils may all have varying amounts of organisms on them.

Tips: Students should be encouraged to sanitize their hands after coughing, sneezing and using the toilet. Proper etiquette involves coughing or sneezing into one’s elbow fold, which helps limit the spread of organisms. At the end of the day or between classes, desk tops could be disinfected with a disinfectant that does not require rinsing, has a fast-acting contact time and has little potential to aggravate conditions like asthma. A San Francisco Department of Environment report, Safer Products and Practices for Disinfecting Surfaces, provides a list of alternative products, information on environmental and health hazards and surface compatibility.

Place signs at school entrances to remind students, staff and visitors that they should not enter a building if they are unwell. Still, schools may want to consider having a “sick room” where ill children can lie down and be supervised until a parent or caregiver can bring the child to a more appropriate space. Some families may not be able to provide alternate space for their children, so schools should consider a formal sick area, with appropriate tissues, cleaning and disinfectant agents and appropriate equipment for hand hygiene, including a sink with warm running water and soap, along with alcohol-based hand rub.

Restroom

Areas around toilets, door pushes or pulls, and taps at the sink all harbour bacteria and viruses. If someone has vomited within a washroom, or their diarrhea is linked to a virus like Norovirus (a winter vomiting disease), many surfaces will be contaminated. A spray of a virus can cover areas up to two metres (six feet away) and survive on surfaces for days.

Tips: After using a restroom, hand hygiene is vital, and washing hands may be superior to alcohol-based hand rubs if hands are visible soiled or if vomiting and diarrhea has occurred. Use paper towels to turn off taps or install taps that automatically turn on when hands are placed beneath them. Having a procedure for reporting soiled washrooms may also be beneficial to help janitorial staff quickly clean up visibly soiled surfaces. Signs within the washroom reminding users of the importance of hand hygiene also help with compliance.

Gymnasium

Any area of a gym used for contact sports, such as wrestling or sports where athletes share equipment, can lead to bacteria being shared.

Tips: Mats should be disinfected and athletes should shower after playing sports. Students and staff should not share towels and bars of soap. If equipment needs to be shared, it should be wiped with a disinfectant or sprayed with a sanitizing agent. Athletes could either be designated to clean used equipment on a rotational basis or schools could designate this function to janitorial staff.

Shared work spaces

Since most students now depend on computers and use shared work spaces in areas like libraries, there are more and more high-touch surfaces that need to be considered. The keyboard and mouse of shared computers will harbour bacteria and viruses.

Tips: Regular cleaning and disinfection may harm some of these components if they become too wet. Try to find keyboards or mice that tolerate such cleaning. Having a safe, effective disinfectant wipe in common areas allows students to clean and disinfect equipment before and/or after use. Mounting hand sanitizer within these areas will also help students sanitize hands after they use common equipment. Also, students should not eat in computer labs, as keeping keyboards and mice clean is very difficult, and eating with bacteria or viruses on their hands can lead to illnesses. School administration needs to address what products janitorial staff use, and what products are available for students and teachers to use within classrooms and other common areas. Alcohol-based hand rubs should be available and monitored so abuse does not occur. Utilizing disinfectant wipes with a safe chemistry that is not an asthmagen can protect both students and staff.

Hallways

Students who congregate and sit in hallways may be prone to picking up bacteria and viruses from the floor. Lockers also carry organisms, but especially on the lock—a high-touch area.

Tips: If students do sit on a floor or carpet, hand hygiene must be emphasized. In large schools, while it may not be practical to disinfect locks on a regular basis, providing an abundance of hand sanitizer before a student enters or leaves a classroom can help reduce infections overall.

Jim Gauthier, MLT, CIC, is the senior clinical advisor of infection prevention at Sealed Air Diversey Care. He is a medical laboratory technologist by training and board-certified in Infection Control

Quebec landlords wary of lifelong tenants

Some landlords report they are more reluctant to rent to older apartment seekers since added protection for long-term, low-income elderly tenants was adopted into Quebec’s civil code last year. After recently surveying members who have potentially lost the ability to claim units in multi-residential buildings for their own use, the province’s largest rental housing association contends the new rules are undermining both landlords’ attitudes toward seniors and the value of smaller properties with two to five apartments.

“For many owners, the law, which has been in effect since June 10, 2016, represents a severe loss of property rights,” says Hans Brouillette, director of public affairs with CORPIQ (Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec).

Owners of rental buildings have traditionally had flexibility to repossess an apartment to expand their own living quarters, subdivide the space or house new tenants who are their family members. To do so, landlords have been required to give the affected tenant six months of notice (except in the case of short-term leases), pay compensation and, if challenged, prove good faith to the provincial Régie du logement.

The new article 1959.1 of the civil code now changes conditions for tenants 70+ years of age. Leaseholders cannot be evicted if they have lived in the unit for at least 10 years and comply with the Société d’habitation du Québec definition of low-income. Younger leaseholders with low incomes and 10 years of occupancy are also protected if their spouse is 70 or older.

Exceptions apply if the property owner is likewise 70+ years of age and wants to repossess a unit as a personal residence, or if an owner aged 70+ is already a resident of the building and wants to repossess a unit so that a younger family member or caretaker can live nearby.

CORPIQ’s survey of 656 owners of small buildings finds these Quebec landlords wary of lifelong tenants and concerned how such lasting tenures could affect resale demand.

“Nearly 30 per cent of owners currently have a tenant who meets the age, income and length of occupation criteria that makes them admissible to the law limiting repossession,” Brouillette observes. “Given that senior tenants have the right to remain in a property for life, with some exceptions, there is a risk that an owner will have trouble selling the building because potential buyers will have limited occupation and management options.”

He suggests the new protection for seniors could backfire on tenants in their 60s — citing an example of a couple who accelerated what had been distant plans to reclaim an apartment in order to be ahead of a tenant’s 70th birthday. In a province where 45 per cent of tenants have lived in the same apartment for more than 10 years, even prospective renters in their 50s could be viewed as a riskier probability.

One third of CORPIQ survey respondents indicated they would be hesitant to rent an apartment to a tenant at or nearing age 70, while another 18 per cent stated they would not rent to prospective tenants in that age range. Among the landlords who already reside in units in their buildings, trepidation about older tenants rose to 64 per cent. However, Brouillette stresses that owners’ dismay and uncertainty relates to the law, not seniors themselves.

“CORPIQ is asking the government of Quebec to restore the right to repossess a unit to house the owner’s immediate family,” he reiterates. “Restrictions in addition to the existing required actions could be included to ensure that the repossession is done in good faith.”

Phase 2 of Hamilton’s Royal Connaught launched

Hamilton’s The Residences of Royal Connaught recently launched its second phase. A former hotel, Phase 2 of The Royal Connaught will be housed in the building’s historic east wing and is buyers’ last chance to reside in the original building.

“The Residences of Royal Connaught marries heritage with a modern interior, plus all the conveniences of living downtown,” said Ted Valeri, co-developer on the project, in a press release. “Not only are you minutes from two GO stations, but you’re right in the core of the city, surrounded by Hamilton’s thriving arts and culinary culture.”

The project includes the restoration of the original three-storey art deco lobby, featuring chandeliers, columns, original limestone flooring and the mezzanine. The model suite features 10-foot ceilings to bring ample light into the units, as well as contemporary finishes. The building will be updated with modern technology such as LED lighting and energy-efficient plumbing and heating systems.

Phase 2 offers 76 luxury condominium units, ranging in size from 624 to 1,164 square feet, starting from $270,000. Occupancy is expected for fall 2018. With the completion of Phase 2, The Residences of Royal Connaught will house a total of 700 condominium units as well as retail space spanning from King Street along Catherine to Main.

New condos have most construction issues: U.S. study

According to a recent study of U.S. homeowners from the Community Associations Institute (CAI), most construction deficiencies occur in new condominium developments, rather than in townhomes and single family homes.

The report, called Protecting Home Buyers and Home Owners from Construction Deficiencies in Condominiums and Preserving Property Values Survey, examines the scale of construction issues, litigation surrounding those claims, and the national impact on U.S. homeowners and community associations.

According to the report, 81 per cent of respondents claim poor workmanship is the most common type of construction deficiency, causing plumbing leaks, electrical or mechanical problems, and cracks in foundation walls, among other issues. In addition, the study found that 35 per cent of those surveyed reported construction deficiencies negatively impacted a homeowner’s property value and their ability to re-sell the home.

The CAI says that for years, community associations have been blamed in state legislatures and municipalities by legislation and ordinances aimed at stripping associations’ ability to seek relief from damages due to legitimate deficiencies found in the construction of homes, units or common areas.

“There exists identifiable trends in the legislation,” said Dawn M. Bauman, CAI senior vice president, Government & Public Affairs, in a press release. “Most of what we see in the declaration or preamble of the bills cite the need for more affordable housing.”

Proponents of these bills say that trivial lawsuits filed by associations and the costs associated with them make building affordable condominiums too risky. The bills create additional obstacles that associations must face before filing a lawsuit or limiting the definition of a construction defect to only those that cause physical, bodily harm.

In the book Construction Defect Litigation, written by Ross Feinberg, Esq. and Ron Perl, Esq. and published by CAI, the authors remark that although homeowners must feel that all defects to the construction of their home is serious, from a practical standpoint, most issues do not require a lawsuit. The 2017 CAI study found that 44 per cent of claims were resolved outside of the courthouse, most being resolved with direct negotiation instead.

“The process for associations to recover damages from a building deficiency is far more complex than filing a lawsuit,” added Bauman. “Associations must determine whether the cost and time to pursue claims outweigh the repair costs.” The report found it took more than a year for nearly two-thirds of the communities to recover damages, and only one-third reported the damages paid were enough to cover the repair.

“Market forces are dictating whether condominiums are being built, not warranties,” continued Bauman. “Laws are present in the states that make associations weigh the breadth of filing a warranty claim before doing so. Reducing consumer protections by watering down the statutory warranties will not reduce purchase prices, but will increase the post-sale cost of home ownership.”

PCL Constructors selected for Valleyview project

PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc has been selected to design and replace the old Valleyview Pavilion with a new building that will provide multi-disciplinary mental health services for British Columbians.

The B.C. government has entered into a design-build agreement with PCL following a competitive selection process. The government is investing $75 million in this new building, which will accommodate the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre for Youth, which includes a complex care unit and a provincial outreach team. The building will also house Community Living BC’s Provincial Assessment Centre for people with developmental disabilities and concurrent mental health and or substance use disorders.

The new Valleyview building will be built adjacent to the Lougheed Highway at Holly Drive. Construction will begin this spring and the building is expected to be occupied in spring 2019.

The construction of the building is one of two projects planned at the site to create a health district, fulfilling government’s commitment to providing mental health care at Riverview. The second building will be a $101-million, 105-bed mental-health facility to replace the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions. The Provincial Health Services Authority currently has a competitive process underway to select a proponent to build it.

The design of both buildings will be consistent with the vision for renewing the Riverview Lands, developed by BC Housing after two years of public consultation. BC Housing is currently undertaking a Riverview Lands Master Planning process that embraces a sustainable, inclusive community that supports mental health and wellness.

EQ Awards presented to Ontario green builders

The recent EnerQuality (EQ) Housing Innovation Forum featured an extensive series of presentations about sustainability in the housing industry, followed by the EQ Awards Gala, an evening of celebration that took place at Universal EventSpace in Vaughan.

“Innovation is ideas brought to life,” said Corey McBurney, EnerQuality president, in his opening remarks at the Gala. “With these awards, we celebrate the change-makers – the innovators and leaders who have put their ideas into practice.”

The theme of the Innovation Forum was New, Now, and Next, and centred on new thinking, new products and new techniques for advancing green building performance. The forum featured presentations by leading individuals in the green building industry, as well as the EQ Innovation Gauntlet (IG), where vendors are asked questions by a panel of Dragon’s Den-style builders, who must approve or deny ideas presented to them.

The Awards Gala honoured winners in 16 categories, including the Impact Award, a new addition this year. The Impact Award recognizes a builder’s significant voluntary progress in reducing carbon emissions and outstanding achievements through energy efficiency and sustainability practices.

Winners of 2016 EQ Awards were:

Building Innovation – Low Rise
Award winner: Arista Homes – Vaughan, Ontario

Building Innovation – Mid/High Rise
Award winner: Times Group – Valleymede Towers, Richmond Hill, Ontario

ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year – Small
Award winner: Castleform Development Inc. – Toronto, Ontario

ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year – Mid
Award winner: Mason Homes – Concord, Ontario

ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year – Large
Award winner: The Minto Group – Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario

Best Green Marketing Campaign
Award winner: Great Gulf Homes – Active House Centennial Park, Toronto, Ontario

Green Renovation Project of the Year
Award winner: RND Construction – 106 Bayswater, Ottawa, Ontario

Ontario Green Builder of the Year
Award winner: Reid’s Heritage Homes – Head Office Cambridge, Ontario

ENERGY STAR Champion of the Year
Award winner: Lisa Bergeron, JELD-WEN – Quebec City, Quebec

R-2000 Builder of the Year
Award winner: Sloot Construction – Guelph (Arkell), Ontario

Net Zero Home Builder of the Year
Award winner: Reid’s Heritage Homes – Head Office Cambridge, Ontario

Evaluator of the Year
Award winner: Jack Zhou – Markham, Ontario

Builder Achievement Award
Award winner: Doug Tarry – St. Thomas, Ontario

Leader of the Year
Award winner: Jennifer Weatherston, Reid’s Heritage Homes – Head Office Cambridge, Ontario

Savings by Design
Award winner: Geranium Homes – Markham, Ontario

Impact Award
Award winner: Mattamy Homes – Toronto, Ontario