For now, residential and small business customers enrolled for either time-of-use (TOU) rates or tiered pricing under the provincial regulated price plan will be charged the off-peak TOU rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for all electricity consumption.

Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) has been advised to place greater priority on the scrutiny of complex installations and adopt technologies to better support efficient, cost-effective service delivery.

The commercial real estate, facilities management and construction/retrofit sectors appear poised to capture a share of the spending announced in the Canadian government’s fall economic statement.

Beyond stores selling essential goods, bricks-and-mortar retail is reeling from COVID-19-triggered public health controls and watching its already gaining competition grow even faster than projected.

CERS will deliver direct rent support to qualifying tenants without the need to work though their landlords. As a direct subsidy, unlike CECRA, no loan agreement is required.

Impacts of the hard insurance market are trickling into condominium corporations across Canada, challenging boards and managers in their wake.

A proposed amendment to the Commercial Tenancies Act, included in Ontario's budget bill, would allow the Minister to impose future COVID-19-related prohibitions on commercial evictions via regulation.

The roughly $433-million annual allocation for the relief measure will cover a small portion of the total global adjustment, which surpassed $1 billion in every month from January to September this year.

The commercial property tax rate is at least double the residential rate in eight of the 11 surveyed cities, with commercial ratepayers in Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City shouldering the most disproportionate shares.

One of the most under addressed issues in aging condos is the fan coil unit. Residents often take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach.

Small business operators could receive up to $5,000 to be used for physical modifications to comply with public health requirements, PPE or upgrading digital/e-commerce capabilities.

Many reserve fund projects have not been able to proceed this year. Even now as construction has “opened up,” contractors have backlogs that will allow them to complete only some of the previously planned projects.

Further details are promised soon on a $300-million fund to help defray property tax and utility costs for businesses forced to curtail or shut down operations due to COVID-19 concerns.

Infrastructure investment and climate risk mitigation are key to the Canadian government’s goal to create one million jobs and rebound from the economic slump of COVID-19.

Condo corporations are facing new budgeting challenges in 2020. Planning for unexpected and increasing expenses is difficult to anticipate.

Proposals address a range of issues that are likely to be of interest to listed real estate entities and their investors, as well as start-up ventures and other publicly traded service providers to the industry.

Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance will be offered for a sixth month. The announcement comes eight days after the portal for new applications for the relief program appeared to be closed.