Municipal

Taxing debate awaits Toronto commercial parking

Taxing debate awaits Toronto commercial parking

Debate about a proposed surcharge on commercial parking spaces in Toronto has been deferred until City Council begins to consider 2025 budget measures.
State of good repair lags in Toronto

State of good repair lags in City of Toronto

Toronto is backsliding on the upkeep of municipal facilities, with a state of good repair backlog that’s projected to surpass $1 billion this year and then continue accumulating to nearly $1.47 billion by 2033.
standard

New standards for sustainable material use

A new set of standards defines minimum sustainability criteria for high-volume materials used in architecture and interior projects.
healthcare

A new healthcare tower for a diverse community

The new Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre in Toronto’s east end ushers in a new era of healthcare.
waste

Refurbishing waste equipment in a circular era

Recycling tends to take all the glory and centre-stage of sustainability narratives in the media. Garbage, on the other hand, is a significant problem that is rarely discussed.
mould

Minding mould in LTC and hospitals

Air exchanges and mechanical systems that were sufficient when buildings were constructed may be considered undersized today, allowing fertile ground for mould growth.
World Workplace

A recap of IFMA’s World Workplace

In the past, cleaning suppliers, landscapers, and pest control companies dominated FM shows. Not anymore.
Deep Retrofit Challenge

York Region piloting Passive House at new facility

A new men's emergency and transitional housing facility, set to rise in Aurora, Ontario, has opened the door to pilot-testing Passive House in York Region.
inclusive

A path to fully inclusive community hubs

The idea of creating inclusive community hubs—where people of all ages and abilities can gather together—is gaining significant momentum.
campus

Campus high-rise brings health to new heights

Dingy is a word that conjures thoughts of old institutional spaces. Academic buildings with dimly-lit hallways and windowless classrooms punctured with fluorescent glare. Rarely are
Light industrial set for a heavy property tax hit

Light industrial set for heavy property tax hit

Economic fallout from COVID-19 is shifting more of the tax burden to this flourishing group of assets via the mill rate, while also driving up the tax rate, for a double-whammy of consequences in jurisdictions that update valuations annually.
employment

Top employment law issues during COVID-19

Employees may refuse vaccines for reasons such as religious belief or medical reasons, and requiring these employees to undergo inoculation would be a human rights violation.
condo security 

Historic property tax disparity dismantled

As announced in the provincial budget, the Ontario government plans to equalize the business education tax (BET) rate at 0.88 per cent for 2021, equating to a $450-million tax cut province-wide.
Public disclosure of energy use and GHG intensity holds little appeal for building owners concerned about uninformed scrutiny

Public disclosure could foil energy reporting

The City of Winnipeg has invited commercial building owners and institutional facility managers to affix their Energy Star Portfolio Manager results on a publicly accessible map.
Gen Z friendly cities

Gen Z friendly cities foster a rising cohort

The study assesses and scores 110 prominent international cities on 22 indicators deemed to support and/or influence the age cohort born between 1997 and 2012.
scrutiny of accessibility

Ontario aims to relax scrutiny of accessibility

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says the underlying principle of improving accessibility will be maintained, and connects the revisions to the government's commitment to cut red tape that is slowing down the production of new housing.
Water

Change to Toronto sewers bylaw on tap for Jan. 1

One of two sewers bylaw changes that are expected to trickle down to building owners and managers is on tap for the New Year.