A St. Catharines man has been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged defrauding of 13 local condo corporations of $4.1-million.

A majority of local condo investors in Toronto and Vancouver reported plans to hang onto the last secondary condo unit they bought for more than five years.

According to the latest market report from Urbanation Inc., a total of 4,432 new condominium units were sold in the GTA during the first quarter of 2015, a decline of 10 per cent from the year prior. At the same time, unsold condos in pre-construction fell 16 per cent to 8,781 units and condos under construction fell to 7,059 units, a nine per cent year-over-year decline.

Monde, one of the first residential buildings to be built in Toronto’s East Bayfront community, has officially broken ground under the leadership of developer Great Gulf Residential. The 44-storey condominium will be built to Waterfront Toronto’s Mandatory Green Building Requirements, aiming for a LEED Gold certification. It is designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie.

The YOO Montreal vertical village, a 20-storey condominium located in Montreal, Que., has officially entered the first stage of construction. Designed by Philippe Starck and constructed by Montreal firm Constructions Chapman, the 84-unit building will have a community focus aimed at attracting like-minded tenants with similar lifestyles and aspirations.

Property management company C-Era Property Management & Realty Associa (C-Era) has been selected to provide financial, management, communications, record-keeping and administrative services for downtown Calgary’s Drake Condominiums (Drake).

A three-building condominium development, including Ottawa's tallest building to date, was approved by Ottawa City Council last week. The proposed development, which includes an 18-storey tower, a 45-storey tower and a 55-storey tower, will be collectively known as “The Sky.”

The Real Estate Investment Network of Canada (REIN) recently listed Hamilton, Ont. as one of Ontario’s top real estate investment markets and developer Sonorak Corporation (Sonorak) plans to take advantage of that with a new condominium development on the city’s waterfront.

According to the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), sales of new homes and condominiums in the Greater Toronto Area were just above the 10-year average in January. In the high-rise sector, a total of 825 new condo sales were tracked for the month.

Reflections Condominium (Reflections), a 12-storey condo development in Toronto's North York region, has earned a LEED Gold certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). A joint venture project by FRAM Building Group and Cadillac Fairview Corporation, the 106-unit residential development was recently completed and is one of a few condo developments to receive the Gold certification.

A Canadian real estate developer and construction company, Minto Communities (Minto), received 19 awards at the 35th Annual National Association of Home Builders 2015 National Sales and Marketing Awards. Minto was recognized for the marketing efforts and advertising campaigns carried out for several high-rise condominium developments.

Despite a year-over-year decline in residential sales for the month of December, Calgary’s condominium apartment and townhouse sectors set records in 2014. A total of 4,742 condominium sales took place in the region in 2014, an 18 per cent increase from 2013.

Statistics gathered in September marked 2014 as a record-breaking year for condo completions in Toronto, according to an article from the Toronto Star by George Carras, President at RealNet Canada Inc. (RealNet). Completions in the first nine months of the year broke the previous year’s record of 16,668 units. Carras attributes this growth to intensification policies and growth plans introduced in Ontario in 2005.

New home builder Mattamy Homes (Mattamy) has agreed to purchase Monarch Corporation (Monarch), the Canadian division of US homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home Corporation. Monarch is involved in the development of condominiums in Toronto, Ont. Currently, the purchase price for Monarch is set at approximately $330-million.

ONE BLOOR, a 75-storey condominium development located in the heart of downtown Toronto, has received international praise at the International Property Awards in London, U.K. The awards, which strive to recognize the best developers worldwide, are considered one of the most prestigious property competitions in the world. Great Gulf, the developer responsible for ONE BLOOR, earned the International Property Award for Best International High-Rise Residential Development.

The Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) has appointed a new president, Mario Deo, for its Toronto and Area Chapter. Deo, who has been involved with the CCI-Toronto Chapter since 2005, began his leadership role within the organization on November 27. He previously served on the institute’s Board of Directors.

Award-winning developer, Castle Group Developments, recently announced plans for a six and eight-storey terraced luxury condominium, to be known as Insignia, in Toronto’s North York neighbourhood. The project will be located steps from the upscale Bayview Village, a collection of over 100 luxury retailers, gourmet grocers, restaurants and cafes.