CONSERVATION AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT

July 2012
LED Feasibility Still a Challenge in Retrofit
With nearly 150 retail centres across Canada, Calloway REIT allots a far from insignificant portion of its yearly operating costs to lighting in its outdoor parking lots. Conventional 400-watt metal halide bulbs consume about 3,440 kilowatts (kW) annually, while maintenance costs are typically higher to replace the outdoor, overhead bulbs. Yet, prudent managers replace bulbs at regular 12-month intervals, even when they are still functioning, for safety and aesthetic reasons.

May 2012
Building Energy Quotient: ASHRAE Introduces Building Labelling
ASHRAE’s new Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) labelling program appears to be the underdog entering markets in Canada and the United States with more established and widely recognized assessment and benchmarking tools.

February 2012
Peer Pressure Underpins Conservation Strategy
Facilities managers and building operators in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools have a new tool for tracking energy consumption – one that will soon allow them to benchmark a school’s performance against any similarly sized school anywhere in the province. Developers of the utility consumption database have now uploaded electricity and natural gas billing information for more than 5,200 individual school properties via an advanced system that receives energy use data directly from the utilities.

July 2011
Diluting Demand
Commercial office buildings in Canada are large consumers of water – using 19% of the total municipal water supply. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is the largest user of water in a typical commercial building, largely due to the operation of cooling towers. Other main sources of water consumption in commercial buildings are domestic use for toilets/sinks and irrigation/landscaping.

June 2011
Opening the Lens on Building Performance
Energy audits on building systems have been a traditional first step to improving energy efficiency. This typically takes the form of a report that indicates potential building improvements, such as replacing all T12 lighting fixtures with efficient T5s.

June 2011
Contrast not Conflict
LEED Canada for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED Canada EB:O&M) and Building Owners and Managers Association’s Building Environmental Standards (BOMA BESt) share the aim of transforming the built environment. Despite some significant differences in approach and objectives, they are often seen to be complementary programs and are sometimes used in tandem for the same building.

May 2011
Daylight Harvesting: Overhaul for Outmoded Technology
Conservation and expansion are intertwined concepts that are fundamental to the Physical Plant & Capital Planning Services at the University of Western Ontario. Physical Plant staff is constantly brainstorming and researching methods to conserve energy by expanding on sustainable initiatives across campus.

May 2010
Curtailing Growth’s Footprint Developers Apply LEED Across a Wider Landscape
Engineers and urban planners are historic, but not necessarily harmonious partners in forging the built environment. The evolution of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program is a good example of how the two disciplines can constructively critique and complement each other.

April 2009
Ontario Pushes Green Energy: Implementation Details Still Missing from Sweeping Legislation
Ontario’s new Green Energy Act is multi-faceted legislation to promote conservation, demand management and the economic viability of renewable energy sources, including the establishment of North America’s first feed-in tariff to set prices and simplify market entry for large and small-scale generators alike.

July 2009
Curtailing Growth’s Footprint Developers Apply LEED Across a Wider Landscape
Engineers and urban planners are historic, but not necessarily harmonious partners in forging the built environment. The evolution of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program is a good example of how the two disciplines can constructively critique and complement each other.

October 2009
Shining Example National Retrofit Program Cuts Costs and GGH Emissions
Lighting plays an important role in any energy conservation strategy. Buildings account for almost half of the country’s annual energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, Natural Resources Canada reports that lighting accounts for the single largest portion of electric bills for commercial users – as much as 30%.

May 2012
ISO 50001: An Exacting Framework for Continuous Improvement
The ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard initially focuses more on commitment to performance than performance itself. Compliance is not tied to achieving a minimum level of energy savings or energy intensity within a facility. Rather, proponents must demonstrate they’ve followed a rigorous process that provides direction for oversight of all aspects of energy use.

January 2012
From Rocky Relations to Common Ground
Several certification programs help guide a greener approach to construction and the resulting footprint of new buildings, but, until recently, one key component was missing. LEED for New Construction looks generally at all materials and jobsite practices, while widely embraced programs like the Forestry Stewardship Council, EcoLogo, Greenguard and WaterSense certify environmentally preferable building products and furnishings.

June 2010
A Scope to Allocate Emission Responsibility
Greenhouse gas accounting, like financial accounting, involves many rules that can be complex to navigate. These rules are also open to interpretation, especially in the commercial building sector where there are infinite combinations of physical and operating characteristics.

April 2008
Benchmarking the Built Environment's Performance Assessment Tools Highlight Needed Actions and Verify Results
In every developed country, and now beginning in developing countries (due to international pressures), the real estate sector is faced with increasing pressure to integrate corporate social responsibility into its core business.

July  2008
LEED Evolves to Capture Broader Base Pilot Project Participants Applaud Process
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has set an ambitious goal for a 50% reduction in energy and water use in 100,000 industrial/commercial/institutional (ICI) buildings and 1 million homes by 2015.

September  2008
Designers Need Broader Base for Crime Prevention Behavioural Study Goes Beyond Eyes on the Street
Behavioural-based design is a strategic design approach that aims to understand the predictable ways that people interact with their environment, and to develop the most appropriate physical settings for inducing desired behaviour. The concept evolves from the longstanding theories of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) but goes beyond the constraints and limitations of CPTED theory and its three main principles of natural surveillance, access control and territorial reinforcement.

October 2008
Industry Standard Adopts New Brand Name-BOMA BESt Streamlined Format for Environmental Performance Certificiation
New refinements to the emerging industry standard for measuring and benchmarking the environmental performance of commercial buildings are expected to make it more accessible and help a broader range of property managers and building operators set targets for improvement. The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada recently launched BOMA BESt - a revamped amalgam of its original Go Green and Go Green Plus certification programs.

April 2007
Smart Energy Management=Reduced Operating Costs Portfolio-Wide Approach Yields Results
A complex and volatile energy commodity market complicates the already delicate balancing act of keeping operational costs low and tenant satisfaction high. Add pension fund ownership into the equation, and risk tolerance becomes particularly low.

July  2007
Construction Growth Continues at a Modrate Pace Dollar Rises, Commodities Prices Expected to Stabilize
There will be no looking back for Ontario's non-residential construction sector according to recent figures released by the Construction Sector Council (CSC) and the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA). One of the key drivers of the construction sector is investment. New commercial construction investment in Ontario is expected to continue to grow at a steady rate, surpassing its growth between 2005 and 2006 (7.2%) and estimated to increase to 7.7% between 2006 and 2007.

October 2007
Heat Response Protocols Can Save Lives Housing Stock Data Identifies Vulnerable Populations
Heat is the deadliest of all atmospheric phenomena. As southern Ontario continues to warm, heat will become more and more a public health concern. Heat watch warning systems combined with intervention strategies have been shown to save lives.

November 2007
Larger Companies Tolerate Longer Paybacks Energy Efficiency Investments Widely Anticipated in Upcoming Months
The following are highlights from findings of Johnson Controls' survey of 1,250 executives throughout North America. The survey asked what companies are doing in response to rising energy costs, what sort of payback they expect on investments in energy efficiency, and to what extent they are motivated by concerns about the environment versus pure economics. 

November 2007
OPA Plan Sets Priorities for Electricity Infrastructure 20-Year Targets for Conservation, Generation and Transmission
On August 29, 2007 the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced that it had filed its 20-year Integrated Power System Plan (IPSP) with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). The IPSP represents more than two years of industry and public consultations to determine how Ontario should develop, over the long term, electricity infrastructure.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

August 2012
Green Footprints in the Urban Fabric
As hubs of innovation, from green neighbourhoods to green jobs, municipal governments are demonstrating leadership. This trend also provided the theme for the 2012 Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) National Conference and Expo – Beyond Buildings: The Green City. A range of educational sessions offered the approximately 850 delegates both inspiration and pragmatic approaches to sustainability in the building sector, zeroing in on ways to reduce existing buildings’ environmental footprint while enhancing the cityscape.

June 2012
Recommissioning Finds Qualitative Quick Fixes
Traditional approaches to decreasing building energy use and improving operations still tend to overlook low and no-cost improvements. Recommissioning offers another tack to practical, immediate performance improvements.

January 2012
Brownfields Attracting Varied Land Uses
In a volatile economy, plans that are not directly tied to stimulus, economic development or even political gamesmanship often fall by the wayside and lose momentum. Case in point is the development and redevelopment of brownfield parcels of land. These contaminated and often derelict former industrial/commercial tracts of land have risen and fallen out of favour with the economic tides over the last three to four years.

December 2011
Evidence Backs Green Business Case
The commercial real estate industry in Canada has a sizable environmental footprint; it is comprised of roughly 8.2-billion square feet (762 million square metres) of floor space and accounts for more than 14% of end-use energy consumption and 13% of the country’s carbon emissions. A huge opportunity exists to decrease energy consumption, increase water conservation, improve indoor air quality, and improve the industry’s overall sustainability profile; and yet the greening of Canadian commercial and institutional buildings is undeniably slow.

August 2011
Parking is Part of a Sustainable Transportation Network
Technology is projected to be the next big thing in parking. Results from the International Parking Institute’s (IPI) recent survey of emerging industry trends highlight economic and environmental concerns, but also focus on technology’s potential to streamline operations and improve customer service.

June 2011
On Track toward the 20 by '15 Target
In September 2009, the Real Property Association of Canada (REALpac), in collaboration with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada, adopted an energy consumption target for office buildings of 20 equivalent kilowatt-hours of energy use per square footage of building area per year (20 ekWh/ft²/yr) by 2015 – a target to be known as 20 by ’15.

February 2011
Herald of a Sustainable Future
It's hard to ignore the enthusiasm for Lakehead University’s freshly minted LEED Platinum campus in Orillia, Ontario. Depending on who's talking, the campus is trumpeted as a leader in environmental design, a saving grace for southern Ontario's post-secondary education sector, or a catalyst for economic growth in Simcoe County. Truth be told, it's probably all three.

July 2009
Shoreline Surety Coastal Development Under Scrutiny
Changing climatic conditions pose an unprecedented threat to coastlines. Sea level rise, temperature increases, changes in precipitation patterns and other climate-related changes are expected to occur and to become increasingly severe over the coming decades.

March 2009
Toronto Waterfront Update Downturns Factored Into Build-out Schedule
A 2,000-acre revelopment schme can hide activity in plain sight. Toronto's waterfront may appear essentially the same today as it did in 2002 when a federal/provincial/municipal revitalization partnership was first announced, but behind-the-scenes work has prepared the way for an envisioned transformation.

March 2009
Developer/Labour Coalition Pushes for Urban Intensification
A coalition of development companies and construction unions has formed to lobby for urban intensification. The group recently released a discussion paper, Building a Sustainable Toronto, which was co-authored by James McKellar, a Professor in the Schulich School of Business at York University and David Amborski, a Professor in Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning.

April 2009
Energy Innovation Preview for the Building Sector
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is an arm’s length federal agency created to support the development and demonstration of emerging innovative technologies related to climate change, air, water and soil quality and renewable fuels. It administers two funds – the $550-million SD Tech Fund and the $500-million NextGen Biofuels Fund – and has allocated $376 million dollars to 154 research proponents over 13 rounds of funding since 2002.

July, 2009
Demographics Drive Real Estate Prospects Mature but Expanding Economy Supports Canadian Investment
Investing where demographic demand is strong and deep is far more rewarding over time than investing markets with little or no growth. Looking forward, the greatest urban population increases will occur in the worlds three largest countries: China, India and the United States.

March 2008
Sudbury Rocks, Regina Rolls Resource Demand Revives Dormant Real Estate Markets
Boom towns dot the map of Canada these days as worldwide demand for a range of commodities drives resource based economies. Rapid take-up of long vacant office space and serviced industrial land defines the recent real estate market in two of the most striking examples - Regina and Sudbury.

March 2008
Subsidized Housing a Source for Energy Savings Municipalities Mandated to Report Conservation Progress
The Hamilton City Housing has introduced a $1.9 million multi-faceted energy management plan, combining energy-efficient initiatives with renewable energy systems to minimize consumption and reduce environmental impact. 

April  2008
Incentives Support Energy-Efficient New Construction Programs Focus on Reducing Peak Electricity Demand
Two new incentive programs to support energy-efficient design and construction represent a welcome extra perk for developers and building owners.

June 2012
Contrast not Conflict
LEED Canada for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED Canada EB:O&M) and Building Owners and Managers Association’s Building Environmental Standards (BOMA BESt) share the aim of transforming the built environment. Despite some significant differences in approach and objectives, they are often seen to be complementary programs and are sometimes used in tandem for the same building.

 June 2011
A Tight Schedule for Energy Savings
Conservationists will have to pick up the pace and/or cut consumption more deeply to meet the series of energy saving targets that the Ontario government has set for the next 20 years. The Long-Term Energy Plan, released in November 2010, boasts of a 1,700-Megawatt (MW) reduction in peak demand across the province since conservation efforts were launched in 2005. However,  a further 2,850 MW in savings will have to be found to get to the interim target of 4,550 MW that the Ontario government hopes to hit by the end of 2015.

August 2010
Clean-Tech Torpor
Canada ranks sixth on the G8 low-carbon performance index, falling within a tightly grouped second tier that also includes the United States and Japan. France, Germany and the United Kingdom make up the first tier, while Italy and Russian fall into the third tier, which significantly lags the other G8 nations.

March 2009
Repair and Renewal Emerge in Infrastructure Spending Sustainability Incidental to Federal Turnaround Strategy
Federal budget allocations for infrastructure could prove to be less than the $12 billion the Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, pledged in late January since much of the promised spending is contingent on provincial and/or municipal governments kicking in a matching share. Nevertheless, potential beneficiaries commend the budget’s significant and largely novel focus on rehabilitating and upgrading existing infrastructure, as well as funding new construction projects.

March 2009
Incentive Steers Projects Into Hot Water Grant Threshold Raised in Response to Economic Doldrums
Large-scale solar hot water projects now qualify for meaningful funding from Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) incentive program since the recent significant increase in the maximum allowable grant from $80,000 to $400,000.

April 2009
Making the Connection to Incentive Programs Energy Efficiency Contractors Network
In Ontario, an ever increasing number of resources have been devoted to energy efficiency, particularly in the electricity sector. 

May 2008
Minister Meets Conservation Emissaries Commercial Sector Fundamental to Provincial Strategy
Energy retrofit incentives like those now available for commercial electricity customers in Toronto could soon be offered throughout the province. Senior real estate executives heard the pledge at a recent roundtable session with the Minister of Energy, Gerry Phillips, held as part of Ontario's inaugural Energy Conservation Week, May 25-31.

November 2008
Corporate Citizenship Pays Off Demand Response 3 Pursues Commitment to Shed Peak Load
Demand Response 3 (DR3) is one element of the Ontario Power Authority's (OPA's) three-part initiative to reduce demand on Ontario's electricity system during peak periods. Effective management is needed to ensure that Ontario can meet its electricity needs without having to turn to more costly suppliers.

November 2008
Solar Flairs Improve Infrastructure Aesthetics Project Designed to Generate Interest in Renewable Energy
Solar cells designed to resemble sunflowers have bloomed in Mississauga. However, their primary function is not to generate power, but to generate interest in green issues and enhance the landscape where they are placed.

September 2007
Natural Threats in an Urban Scenario Extreme Weather Strains Municipal Resources and Taxpayers
Over the past 20 years, there has been growing evidence that the climate is changing. Its impact is noticeable internationally, nationally and locally.

November 2007
Solar Incentives Compared Canadian Programs Lag Behind U.S. and Europe
Tax treatment of solar equipment and the level of government incentives will likely play a major role in the market breakthrough of solar power. Here are the four most common types of solar power incentives, and how Canada's programs stack up against those in the United States and Europe.

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

June 2012
Recommissioning Finds Qualitative Quick Fixes
Traditional approaches to decreasing building energy use and improving operations still tend to overlook low and no-cost improvements. Recommissioning offers another tack to practical, immediate performance improvements.

May 2012
Building Energy Quotient: ASHRAE Introduces Building Labelling
ASHRAE’s new Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) labelling program appears to be the underdog entering markets in Canada and the United States with more established and widely recognized assessment and benchmarking tools.

June 2011
A Tight Schedule for Energy Savings
Conservationists will have to pick up the pace and/or cut consumption more deeply to meet the series of energy saving targets that the Ontario government has set for the next 20 years. The Long-Term Energy Plan, released in November 2010, boasts of a 1,700-Megawatt (MW) reduction in peak demand across the province since conservation efforts were launched in 2005. However,  a further 2,850 MW in savings will have to be found to get to the interim target of 4,550 MW that the Ontario government hopes to hit by the end of 2015.

June 2011
On Track toward the 20 by '15 Target
In September 2009, the Real Property Association of Canada (REALpac), in collaboration with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada, adopted an energy consumption target for office buildings of 20 equivalent kilowatt-hours of energy use per square footage of building area per year (20 ekWh/ft²/yr) by 2015 – a target to be known as 20 by ’15.

January 2008
Real Estate Reflects Evolving Definitions of Cost and Value Sustainability and Staffing Top Operational Concerns
The spectre of mandatory emission reduction policies isn't necessarily daunting for the senior executives who participated in a recent discussion of current issues in real estate operations. Panelists representing major Canadian property/facilities management firms outlined their companies' pursuit of improved environmental performance and suggested that legislated requirements could simplify the economic case for some investments.

April 2008
Sustainable Building Envelope Applications Improved Performance Reduces Operation Costs
Upgrading the building envelope is often an effective method of achieving better performance while reducing operational costs and ensuring that systems and assemblies surpass their intended service life. Developers seeking to make their buildings more sustainable should select systems that result in low operational and maintenance costs. Using materials with low embodied energy and/or renewable resources is ideal.

April 2008
Charting 25 Years of Conservation Progress New Technologies and Attitudes Deliver Energy Management Results
Remember the mid-1980s: $10,000 bought you a desktop PC with 256 k of ram; receptionists answered telephones; faxes curled into a scroll on the floor. De-lamping, replacing 40 W tubes with energy saving 34s, and manual control systems were ubiquitous.

October 2008
Enabling Work Across the Broader Enterprise Corporate Real Estate Accommodates Evolving Business Dynamic
Rapidly emerging issues like climate change, energy management and carbon footprint reduction have changed the direction of corporate real estate at a pace not foreseen just a few years ago. The inaugural State of the Industry Report, 2007/2008, from the international association of leading corporate real estate and workplace executives, CoreNet Global, takes themes and projections derived from a 2004 CoreNet Global research project and tracks the progress toward and derivation from those earlier assumptions about the industry's goals and its performance in the wider social and economic context. The following is an excerpt from the report - Editor.

November 2008
Toronto Brings Multi-Res Sector into Waste Diversion Program Property Managers to Receive Instructions this Fall
Multi-unit buildings make up about 50% of Toronto's households, but, collectively, apartment and condominium dwellers recycle only about 13% of their waste. Recycling in the multi-residential sector is underdeveloped and falls well short of curbside collections from the single-family residential sector.

November 2008
Waste in its Place Vacuum System Prevents Garbage, Recycling Cross-Contamination
Waste management is a critical issue in cities across the country. The issues of landfill scarcity and lax recycling efforts are often in the press, but despite all this focus on waste, improvements are gradual and time is short.

November 2008
Meteoric Green Movement Takes New Trajectory Existing Buildings a Launch Pad for Initiatives
Change is the only constant in today's business and real estate environment. In the past year oil has peaked at more than $140 a barrel and then dropped to just above $60, global stock market indices have shed 30% to 40% of their value, and the Canadian dollar has slid from near par to the $0.80 US range.

October 2009
20 by '15
An ambitious new goal for energy savings in Canadian office buildings is projected to reduce electricity demand by approximately 1,500 megawatts across the country. The Real Property Association of Canada, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada and the Canada Green Building Council have jointly endorsed 20 by ‘15 – a campaign to reduce annual energy consumption to a maximum of 20 equivalent kilowatt-hours per rentable square foot by 2015.

June 2009
Ontario Releases Options for Cap-and-Trade System Targets and Baselines: Still to be Determined
On May 27, 2009 the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 185, a set of amendments to the Environmental Protection Act  that, if passed, will enable a government authority to implement a provincial cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Ontario government is also seeking comments on a discussion paper entitled Moving Forward: A Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade System for Ontario that explores possible options for the structure and design of the proposed system.

April 2009
Thrifty Energy Savings: A Checklist for Best Maintenance Practices
Many facilities encompass multiple energy conservation opportunities that can save thousands of dollars per year with relatively little capital investment. Tune-ups of HVAC mechanical equipment are an obvious place to start.

FEDERAL

November 2012
Quantifying Commercial Real Estate’s Economic Impact
Few would dispute that the commercial real estate sector is important to Canada’s economy, but now for the first time the numbers exist to prove it. And they are impressive.

February 2012
Practicality Outpaces Protracted Diplomacy
Canada’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol is tantamount to a struggling student dropping a course she is destined to fail. With about one year left in the first commitment period, nationwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions are far from the pledged target of 6% below 1990 levels, which would equate to 2,792 megatonnes (Mt) in the five-year period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012.

May 2011
Arrears Amass With Prolonged Dispute Settlement
Ontario’s lengthy eviction process typically costs rental housing owners about three months of rent income plus additional legal and administrative fees. Critics maintain that unnecessary procedural delays are increasing landlords’ losses and amplifying tenants’ debt loads, which makes it even more difficult for them to pay off arrears and retain their housing.

April 2011
Scheduling Snag for More Workable REIT Rules
An election will delay implementation of proposed new rules that should make it easier for real estate investment trusts (REITs) to meet the requirements of qualifying REIT property and enjoy the tax benefits of that status. However, industry players are cautiously confident that technical amendments to the REIT rules will be adopted in time to retroactively apply to the 2011 tax year.   

March 2011
Building, Fire and Plumbing Codes Updated
The National Research Council’s Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) recently published the 2010 editions of the National Model Construction Codes. These model codes – the National Building Code of Canada (NBC), the National Fire Code of Canada (NFC) and the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC) – are adopted or form the basis for building codes in most of the provinces and territories.

June 2009
PCB Deadline Looms: Electrical Transformers and Capacitors Most Targeted Equipment
Property owners accountable under new federal regulations could fail to meet a looming compliance deadline if they haven’t already begun to decommission or retrofit equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

March 2009
Emissions Soar in Policy Vacuum Early Adopters Need Support, Laggards Need Edicts
A combination of incentives and regulatory measures form a proposed federal policy pathway for greenhouse gas emission reductions in commercial buildings.

PROVINCIAL

March 2012
Ontario Places New Limits on Allowable Rent Increase
Inflation could bring added budgeting woes for Ontario’s rental housing landlords beginning in 2013 when the annual allowable rent increase will be capped at 2.5%. This arises from a new amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act that the recently re-elected provincial government introduced in December 2011, much to the surprise of rental housing industry advocates.

October 2011
Metal Prices Make Recycling Rules Redundant
Canadian and American HVACR industry associations have jointly asked for an exemption from British Columbia’s Recycling Regulation, which would otherwise compel manufacturers, distributors and retailers to set up a product stewardship program by July 2012. The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) and the U.S.-based Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) argue that market demand for scrap metal and the cumbersome logistics of decommissioning large equipment already keep their industry’s products out of landfill.

Feburary 2011
ASHRAE Aims to Codify Green Building Practices
A new standard for high-performance buildings replicates much of the substance of the LEED program, but with the aim of making criteria enforceable in building codes and by-laws. This includes prescriptive or performance-based paths that will also be a compliance option for the International Green Construction Code, which is now in development and anticipated for release in 2012.

July 2009
Murky Market Conceals Electricity Costs: Global Adjustment Hits Contract Holders Hard
Sustained low wholesale prices haven’t translated into significant electricity cost savings for Ontario consumers this summer. In August, they’ll pay a premium that will add an extra 4.33 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to hydro bills. That’s more than double the average market price of electricity, which has hovered around 2.01 to 2.14 cents/kWh for July and August.

March 2009
Proposed Standards Alter Brownfield Cost Equation Downturn Complicates Timing of Enhanced Environmental Vigilance
Many more redevelopment sites will require a specialized, costlier and more time-consuming cleanup approach if the Ontario government adopts proposed new standards for allowable levels of contaminants in soil and groundwater.

March 2009
Governments Navigate the P3 Learning Curve Infrastructure Programs Include Room for Alternative Delivery Models
Public-private partnerships (P3s) were relatively rare in Canada a decade or so ago with the exception of a couple of high-profile projects like the Confederation Bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and Ontario’s first electronic toll highway, Highway 407. More recently, though, government officials at all levels, the design and construction industry, health care and other service providers have shown renewed interest in this delivery method for infrastructure projects.

March 2009
Accessibility Compliance Deadlines Approach Customer Service Standards are First of Five Pending Regulations
Many business operators may be surprised when the full import of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and its related regulations become clear. It would be prudent for businesses to begin planning and budgeting now for the required changes that will come into effect over the next three years.

April 2009
Application Exhaustion Experience Dictates Guarded Approach to Grant Programs
Applicants awaiting a response to proposals they submitted to the Ontario government’s Municipal Eco Challenge Fund (MECF) in early October finally got news in late March – news that the program had been cancelled. That’s less than 12 months after the $14-million program to support infrastructure projects that reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions was first announced..

April 2009
Regulatory Neglect Thwarts Sub-metering Rental Housing Industry Awaits Defensible Rules
Electrical sub-metering is effectively on hold in multi-residential rental buildings following a recent opinion from the Ontario Energy Board’s Chief Compliance Officer, but the seeming setback could be a step toward the clear rules for implementing the technology that landlords, tenants’ groups and energy conservation proponents have long advocated.

June 2009
Speedy Passage for Green Energy Act Amendments Address Concerns and Clarify Intent
Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009, passed third reading in the provincial legislature in mid-May, just 80 days after it was first tabled. The final version contains some amendments, perhaps most notably including a pullback on the originally proposed mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency when prescribed properties were offered for sale and/or lease.

April 2008
Bureaucracy's Electrical Octopus Review Panel Calls for Simplified Chain of Command
A recent advisory report to Ontario's Minister of Energy recommends a mroe streamlined approach delivering conservation and demand management programs. The report also calls for further consolidation of local distribution companies (LDCs) and advises that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) needs a clear determination of its furture role as developer of generation facilities and retailer of electricity.

April 2008
Respite for Multi-Res Electricity Consumers Few Institutional Players Stay with Regulated Price Plan
Most multi-residential electricity customers can look forward to continued discounts on spot market prices thanks to the Ontario government's recent move to indefinitely extend the sectors eligibility for the regulated price plan (RPP).

May 2008
More Certainty for Brownfield Redevelopment Limiting Liability for Innocent Parties
When the Ontario government enacted the Brownfields Statute Law Amendment Act (Brownfields Act) in 2001 more certainty was injected into the process of redeveloping properties known as brownfields that are perceived to have environmental contamination. Parties- including property owners, developers, lenders and receivers- were provided certain protection against regulatory cleanup orders and cost liability.

September  2008
Ontario Reverses Holdout Stance on Sprinklers Mandate for Multi-Res Begins April 2010
Ontario will join every other Canadian province and US state when a requirement for sprinklers in new multi-residential buildings above three storeys goes into force in April 2010. The new Regulation, which amends the Ontario Building Code (OBC), was announced in June 2008. Meanwhile, an earlier private member's bill that would give municipalities the authority to mandate sprinklers in all new residential construction is still before the Ontario legislature and could become law in the future.

October 2008
Rental Housing Providers Embrace Practice Standards Self-Regulation Augments Customer Service
In an industry where bad landlords consistently gain notoriety and good landlords seldom make headlines, the Federtion of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) has launched an effort to distinguish and brand professionally managed buildings. Mandatory standards of practice, training requirements, adn third party audits and verification are the basis of FRPO's first-of-its-kind certification program, which was introduced in Toronto in late June.

November 2008
PCBs Persist Federal Regulations Prompt Storage Site Decommissioning
The Ontario govenment has committed $56 million in funding over two years to remove and destroy PCB- contaminated materials from its Pottersburg PCB storage site in London, Ontario. The 11-acre containment facility is owned and operated by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and consists of four storage cells housing approximately 35,500 cubic metres of PCB- contaminated materials- equal to approximately 2,100 truckloads.

November 2008
Indifference and Bureaucracy Undermine Conservation Efforts Building Code and Energy Efficiency Standards Scrutinized
The number of elecricity conservation initiatives being delivered by organizations throughout Ontario is commendable, given that conservation has emerged as a public policy priority only in the last few years. This alone represents a significant advance in the development of a culture of conservation, as Ontarians from every sector have options to participate.

November 2008
Ontario Needs a Green Energy Act Too Many Barriers For No Logical Reason
Ontario's electricty sector has arguably been pulled back from the brink of disaster, but there is still a risk of setting up the same conditions for failure that gave rise to Ontario Hydro's financial crisis in the early 1990s. There is an incredible largely untapped opportunity to transform Ontario's energy sector into a model of sustainability, an engine for economic growth and rural development, a catalyst for First Nations' particpation and a foundation for consumer empowerment.

March 2007
Tight Schedule for Province-Wide Asbestos Inventory Intensified Scrutiny of Non-Friable Materials Brings New Costs
Workers in full HAZMAT gear turned a recent energy retrofit into a delicate communications exercise for property managers with Peel Region's non-profit housing corporation, Peel Living. The $1.2-million project to convert an electrically heated, 140-unit seniors' housing complex to central natural gas heating began just after Ontario's new asbestos Regulation under the Occupational Health & Safety Act came into effect in November 2005. This compelled more stringent than anticipated controls for the work, which involved drilling through flooring and ceilings that contain asbestos.

September 2007
Revised Timeline for Construction Claims January 2019 the Cutoff for Projects Predating New Act
Like most of the provincial jurisdictions in Canada, certain statutes have been drafted in Ontario that prescribe the time by which a party must commence an action. If a party commences a lawsuit after the expiration of the prescribed time period, it may risk its action being dismissed by the courts.

September 2007
NOVA SCOTIA CONTEMPLATES NEW TECHNICAL SAFETY ACT
Proposed legislation in Nova Scotia would update and harmonize five technical safety Acts and make it easier for rules to be revised in the future. The move follows calls from industry for more flexible legislation that recognizes technological change and allows for innovation.

November 2007
Asbestos Regulation Covers Buildings of Almost All Eras Insurance Premiums Could Reflect Stricter Handling Requirements
Stricter regulation of asbestos in Ontario, found in legislation that came into full effect on November 1, 2007, is likely to squeeze insurance carriers with higher costs for repairing damage after insurable events such as flooding and fires. While the industry may choose to absorb some of these costs, others will likely be passed on to property owners in the form of higher premiums for some properties.

November 2007
Targeting Energy Savings for 2008 2007 Conservation Achievements
The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) delivered programs in 2007 to achieve both short- and long-term electricity savings.

November 2007
Renewable Sources Augment Power Supply Fixed Rates Provide Market Footing for Small Projects
Dozens of small-scale electricity generating facilities are now in development and approximately 23.4 megawatts (MW) of capacity has already come on-line through the Ontario government's pledge to purchase renewable energy at a fixed rate for a 20-year period. The Province aims to add 1,000 MW of power to Ontario's electricity system by 2017 via its Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP), which first began accepting applications in the fall of 2006.

November 2007
New and Pending Safeguards for Species at Risk Compensation for Habitat Protection Still Uncertain
The protection of wild flora and fauna that are considered to be at risk of extinction in Canada - referred to generally as "species at risk" or "endangered species" - occurs under a patchwork of policies and federal/provincial programs that have gradually developed over the last 30 years or so.

MUNICIPAL

July 2009
Development Briefs
New commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-residential buildings greater than 21,500 square feet will soon be required to incorporate green roofs in Toronto. City Council adopted the Green Roof By-law in May, which will make green roofs a stipulation of commercial, institutional and residential building permits issued after January 31, 2010 and industrial building permits issued after January 31, 2011.

January 2008
Pre-Consultation Defines Criteria for Development Applications Oakville Model Streamlines Administration
Municipalities throughout Ontario are establishing new policies for the development approvals process. Planning Act amendments that came into effect in 2007 prescribe information that development proponents must submit to meet provincial requirements.

January 2008
Waning Service Life for Municipal Infrastructure Deferred Maintenance Escalates Renewal Costs
A recent study from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) estimates Canadian municipalities collectively need $123 billion to provide required municipal infrastructure and bring existing assets into a state of good repair.

March 2008
Prosperity Playbooks Experts Weigh in On Toronto's Economic Performance
Two separate specially appointed taskforces have recently released reports and recommendations on Toronto's fiscal outlook and economic competitiveness.

May 2008
Rent Supplements Fit Current Market Dynamics New Construction is Costliest Element of Proposed Strategy
The City of Toronto is currently engaged in a consultation process on housing strategies for 2008-2018. As part of this, it has established several targets to meet housing needs, with the intention of "focusing the action to be undertaken by governments, the non-profit and private sectors and the public, and to measure results."

July 2008
A Foothold for Affordable Housing Brownfields at the Juncture of Prevailing Development Trends
Capital grants coupled with municipal incentives provide the basis for new affordable housing projects on remediated brownfield sites in six Ontario cities. Development proponents have received funding through a special initiative under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.

July 2008
Building Permit Delays Persist Municipalities Urged to Engage Registered Code Agencies
Recent reforms to Ontario's Building Code Act have instituted new procedures and schedules for the building permit process. A study commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario draws the following conclusions.

November 2008
Municipalities Exert Pressure to Protect Water Building Owners Responsible for Safety Installations
Municipalities across Ontario are moving to safeguard the water supply with by-laws that compel building owners to install backflow protection devices on all connections to the municipal water main.

November 2008
Infrastructure Deficit Makes Way for the Deluge Climate Change Elevates Storm Water Management Concerns
Damage from severe weather has been on the rise across Canada, leading insurance industry representatives to urge municipal governments to assess their storm water management systems and begin to plan for unprecedented conditions in the future.

November 2008
Rethinking Ice Control Informed Salt Management Supports Due Diligence
Wintertime can bring safety and environmental interests into conflict on outdoor parking lots, sidewalks and other pedestrian walkways. To prevent slip-and-fall mishaps and guard against liability, property owners/managers and snow removal contractors can be tempted to apply excessive amounts of salt and/or other de-icing products that eventually seep into the soil, water table and watersheds, harming ecosystems and damaging property along the way.

May 2007
Conflict in the Air Second-hand Smoke Rulings Favour Compromise
Drifting smoke may be able to seep throughout multi-residential buildings, passing through open or poorly sealed windows and doors, ventilation systems, ceiling and floor cracks, and even electrical outlets and cable jacks. Air purifiers can dilute drifting smoke, but Health Canada advises that there is no known safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

September 2007
Grow Op Damage Blindsides Unwitting Landlords Municipalities Amassing Derelict Properties
Ontario's legislative response to marijuana grow operations delegates new responsibilities to local governments along with the authority to order a wide range of remediation measures. Buildings could be subject to unsafe building orders, environmental assessments and/or demolition, while building owners, regardless of whether they knew of the illegal activity, face hefty cleanup bills on top of other possible penalties.

September 2007
Toronto Prepares Green Roof By-law Compulsory, Costly Element Could Complicate Integrated Design
Green roofs are an optional and relatively rare element of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified development, but they could soon become mandatory for some new construction projects in Toronto. A draft by-law to establish conditions for requiring and governing green roofs should be ready for the Planning and Growth Management Committee's consideration later this fall.

November 2007
Paint Recovery and Reuse Quebec Exhibits Best Practices for Collection Depots
It has been estimated that as much as 10% of purchased paint is never used. When considering the many millions of gallons sold in Canada in just one year, it amounts to a lot of leftover paint.

OTHER JURISDICTIONS

September 2011
Mid-rise Affordability Boost
Consent for taller wood frame buildings could help developers make more intensive and cost-effective use of pricey urban land and/or infill pockets in existing built-up areas. Industry advocates are waiting to see what happens after the hiatus imposed by this fall’s provincial election, but they are optimistic the next edition of the Ontario Building Code will follow British Columbia’s recent example, where wood frame housing up to six storeys is now allowed provided other life safety conditions are met.

August 2011
Flight Path Peril
Urban skylines embody the dynamism of Canada’s commercial real estate industry. Tall towers maximize density and ensure efficient use of space in an architecturally elegant form. However, they come with negative consequences for other users of airspace, causing bird collisions and fatalities.

May 2011
Benign Refrigerants Remain Elusive
The most widely adopted alternative to ozone-depleting refrigerants containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) or HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) is now increasingly under scrutiny for global warming impact. A joint US/Canada/Mexico proposal for a phased reduction of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) was tabled at the meeting of the Montreal Protocol signatories earlier this fall, aimed at an 85% cut in production and consumption of 20 specified HFCs by 2033. As proposed, the first of six stages of the phase-down would begin in 2013 with a 10% reduction in supply from 2006 levels.

January 2011
Health Risks Below Grade - Radon Accumulation Tied to Lung Cancer
Areas below grade, particularly crawl spaces and mechanical room pits, could hold unhealthy concentrations of radon, a naturally forming radioactive gas identified as a major contributing factor to lung cancer. Health Canada is urging homeowners, landlords and owner/managers of all types of buildings to test for radon and remediate where necessary, while the recently released 2010 National Building Code introduces some new measures to mitigate radon infiltration.

April 2009
Cross-Border Opportunities for Green Technology: US Clean Energy and Security Act
The United States took a bold step forward in the energy and climate discourse with the introduction on March 31, 2009 of the draft American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill. The 648-page draft bill requires U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to be reduced 20% from 2005 levels by 2020.

November 2007
HCFC Phase-Out Schedule Affects Purchasing Decisions Dwindling Amounts of Refrigerant for Industry Use
The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty to protect the earth's ozone layer and phase-out the use of ozone-depleting substances, eliminated the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in developed countries on December 31, 1995.

LEGAL CASES AND COMPLIANCE

April 2012
Attention: ThyssenKrupp Elevator Owners
A class proceeding, Court File No. CV 08-00355006-00CP, was certified by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Canada) Limited and ThyssenKrupp Northern Elevator Corporation carrying on business under the names “ThyssenKrupp Northern Elevator” and “ThyssenKrupp Elevator” on August 18, 2011.  The action is brought by Toronto Community Housing Corporation and First Ontario Realty Corporation Limited on behalf of the following Class...

March 2012
Status Quo for Securities Regulation
A recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling means that publicly traded real estate companies will continue to deal with multiple securities commissions – at least until the federal and provincial/territorial governments can agree on how a single national regulator would operate. The Justices unanimously decreed the proposed Canadian Securities Act unconstitutional, thus derailing the federal government’s unilateral effort to assume the role now carried out by 13 provincial and territorial securities commissions.

January 2011
Asbestos Recompense from U.S. Court
The presence of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), particularly friable ACM, affects the cost of ongoing maintenance, future renovations and, ultimately, the value of a building. In the United States, many owners have successfully sued the manufacturers of ACM to recover this financial loss, but Canada’s different liability laws and shorter time limits on liability mean that owners here have frequently been unable to pursue this remedy.

January 2011
Environmental Game Changer
Relatively minor environmental infractions will soon trigger a rapidly escalating scale of penalties. Bill C-16, the Environmental Enforcement Act, sets out a strict new schedule of repercussions for violations under nine federal statutes that will result in higher fines and more serious consequences for a second offence.

October 2008
Delays in Delivery Seldom Entitle Breaking of Lease: Critical Dates Should be Stipulated in Negotiations
A recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, Spirent Communications of Ottawa Ltd v. Quake Technologies (Canada) Inc., considered issues that arise when a commercial landlord fails to deliver the premises to its tenant within the time periods set out in the lease.

September 2007
Court's Decision Prevents Needless Loss of Profit Lease Termination with Compensation Deemed Allowable Breach
It has been generally thought that a tenant who has a lease for a specific term (without the landlord holding any early termination rights) would be able to have the courts protect that term from any actions by the landlord to end the lease early.

TAX ISSUES

August 2012
Tax Erodes Economics of Third-Party Signage
Industry efforts to overturn Toronto’s billboard tax suffered a setback in Ontario’s Court of Appeal earlier this spring when the Court ruled that the tax can be applied to signs that were erected prior to City Council’s adoption of the levy in April 2010. This reverses an earlier decision and reestablishes municipal revenue-generating estimates as originally envisioned, at about $10.4 million annually.

March 2012
WEB-EXCLUSIVE FEATURE: Austerity Delays Equity
The Ontario government has halted promised property tax relief for commercial/industrial ratepayers in Toronto, Hamilton and several other municipalities with a higher-than-average business education tax (BET) rate. A freeze in the phased seven-year BET reduction plan is one of several austerity measures in the newly released 2012 Ontario budget, which aims to reduce program spending by $17.7 billion over the next three years.

November 2011
HST Havoc
Few observers express surprise at the results of British Columbia’s recent referendum on the fate of the harmonized sales tax (HST). Even supporters acknowledge that it was implemented clumsily after the incumbent government had promised in an election campaign that no such tax would be forthcoming.

July 2011
HST Backtrack Could Create Headache for BC Businesses
Advocates for British Columbia’s commercial real estate and rental housing industries are in agreement that the harmonized sales tax (HST) should be retained even though the tax affects the two sectors very differently. They’ll be onside with the British Columbia government and dozens of other business organizations as voters in the province determine the HST’s fate via mail-in ballot this summer.

July 2009
HST Tax Credits Unevenly Applied: Deferred and Disqualified Contributors Dispute Terms
Large commercial landlords will have to pay more than smaller real estate providers for electricity, gas and telecom services for at least eight years following the adoption of harmonized sales tax (HST) on July 1, 2010. Meanwhile, all rental housing landlords will permanently take on added costs for those commodities, as well as for all professional services that were previously subject to the federal goods and services tax (GST) but not the provincial sales tax (PST).

March 2008
Tax Caps Unbudged After 10 Years Baffling Policy Conceals Entrenched Inequity
Property tax caps first introduced in 1998 to help ease the tax shifts caused by current value assessment (CVA) continue to reward tens of thousands of Ontario's commercial/industrial/multi-residential ratepayers with artificially low taxes. The caps have also become something of an inadvertent obstacle to the provincial government's urban intensification goals since vacant land and surface parking lots are among the major beneficiaries of the policy.

May 2008
Value Volatility Drives Assessment Reforms New Schedules and Appeal Procedures in Ontario and Manitoba
Reassessments now underway in Manitoba and Ontario herald a new schedule for property assessments and a new approach for appeals. The Manitoba government recently introduced legislation to reduce the period between property valuations from four to two years, while the Ontario government has abandoned a previous plan for annual reassessments and is instituting a four-year assessment cycle with a phase-in of value increases over that period.

October 2008
Property Tax Cuts Could Outweigh Incentives Business Group Endorses Simpler Strategy for Economic Development
A report commissioned by the Toronto Office Coalition concludes that a simple reduction in business taxes is the most effective measure a municipality can implement to attract investment and boost economic development. Dr. Enid Slack of the Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance recently conducted an extensive overview of property tax impact studies and analyses of municipal incentive programs to assess the potential outcome of the City of Toronto's newly adopted tax increment equivalent grant program. The following is an excerpt from her findings - Editor.

May 2007
Equity Still Elusive in Property Tax System Reforms Bring Some Cuts and Many Unknowns
Commercial/industrial ratepayers can look forward to some property tax relief from measures introduced in the Ontario budget this spring. Nevertheless, many commercial, industrial and multi-residential property owners will still carry a disproportionate share of the tax burden. Tax caps and clawbacks remain firmly in place, meaning that some taxpayers will continue to pay excessive amounts so that others can be cushioned against tax increases.

May 2007
Toronto Looks for New Revenue Commercial Sector Tagged as Lucrative Source
Business interests are lining up against proposals for new municipal taxes in the City of Toronto. Consultants advise that a slate of nine revenue-raising options that are now allowed under the new City of Toronto Act, 2006 could generate about $339 million annually.

July 2007
Ontario Property Taxpayers Demand New Social Service Funding Formula
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has called on the Ontario government to resume financial responsibility for the social services that now cost municipal property taxpayers approximately $3 billion every year. A resolution adopted at the Chamber's annual conference in May 2007 recommends a three-year phased uploading until the provincial government assumes full funding responsibility in 2010/2011. 

INSTITUTIONAL

September 2011
District Energy Complements Growth Strategy
A steam plant built to power World War II munitions manufacturing is now part of the growth and economic development strategy in a rapidly growing Greater Toronto Area (GTA) community. Earlier this year, Ajax Council approved a proposal to redevelop the 70-year-old plant and convert it to a biomass-fueled cogeneration facility.

May 2011
Instructional Infrastructure - Learning Space for New Generations of Trades and Designers
Infrastructure spending will translate into infrastructure capacity in the case of the new Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The $79-million, 180,000-square-foot facility will bring 20 existing apprenticeship, diploma and baccalaureate programs under one roof, and provide space to increase fulltime enrollment in construction and design related programs by 600 places.

August 2010
Halifax Central Library Joins the 21st Century
Need was long established, studies conducted and an overarching vision in place, but capital funding for a new central library in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) remained elusive until the 2009 federal budget pledged $12 billion for infrastructure construction and renewal via a package of different incentive programs.

October 2008
Solar Reinforces Electricity Supply, Lowers Costs: Grid-Tied System Among Innovative Green Building Features
The new Jean Canfield Building in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, is one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in the portfolio of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

October 2008
Alberta's Surplus Applied to Deferred Asset Renewal $9 Million for Building Envelope Projects at University of Calgary
Recent provincial grants for roof replacement and building envelope upgrades will allow the University of Calgary to address some of its most urgent asset renewal needs, but administrators emphasize that the $30 million infusion from the government of Alberta represents only a fraction of required investment.

May 2007
Remaking an Institution Innovative Design Creates Therapeutic Residential Environment
Many managers of aging Canadian health care facilities are beginning to see the benefits of converting old buildings into innovative and green health care environments. At Ste-Anne's Hospital in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, a long- term psychiatric-geriatric facility has been given the feel of a contemporary home rather than a typical health care institution.

November 2007
Land Use Pressures Arise in UOIT's Wake Interim Development Prohibition While City Reassesses Zoning
Located just 45 minutes east of Toronto, Oshawa is in the heartland of Ontario, well situated, according to the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce CEO and General Manager, Robert Malcolmson, for continued economic development.

November 2007
High Density Higher Learning Downtown Setting Requires Creative Responses to Growth Constraints
Business students at the University of Ottawa can find a case study for maximizing the value of a scarce commodity by looking at their impressive new academic quarters in the Desmarais Building. The 12-storey, 226,000-square-foot building, which opened at the beginning of the school year in September, responds to the challenges and opportunities of the University's compact urban setting.

MULTI-RESIDENTIAL

May 2012
Multi-Residential Largely Untested Territory for Benchmarking
BOMA Canada is the first entrant to the Canadian market with an assessment and benchmarking tool for sustainable operations in the multi-residential sector, but the momentum may lie elsewhere. The Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) also has plans to introduce 14 new green standards later this year to augment its Certified Rental Building (CRB) program and has favourable prospects to sign up 75,000 suites by the fall of 2013.

May 2011
Arrears Amass With Prolonged Dispute Settlement
Ontario’s lengthy eviction process typically costs rental housing owners about three months of rent income plus additional legal and administrative fees. Critics maintain that unnecessary procedural delays are increasing landlords’ losses and amplifying tenants’ debt loads, which makes it even more difficult for them to pay off arrears and retain their housing.

July 2009
Making the Case for Voluntary Quality Assurance: Team Approach Eases Certification Process
A growing number of Ontario’s rental housing landlords have signed on for a voluntary quality assurance program aimed at branding and promoting well-managed and well-maintained rental buildings. More than 275 buildings encompassing 85,000+ suites have met the qualifications for the Certified Rental Housing Building Program since the Federation of Rental-housing Providers Ontario (FRPO) first launched it in Toronto in the summer of 2008.

September 2008
Empty Nesters Resettle in Green Surroundings Retirement Residences New Frontier for Sustainability
As a developer with a recognized reputation for green condominiums, Tridel has recently shifted its focus to a new demographic. The company is evolving in a natural progression from building condominiums for empty nesters to building retirement residences for those empty nesters who are ready for the next stage in their lives.

April 2008
Zero Energy = Urban Vitality Design Based on Creative Use of Renewable Resources
The first North American Zero Energy EcoCondo - the Abondance Montreal Project - is targeted for completion in late 2008 or early 2009. It arises from the national Equilibrium Housing Initiative led by Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CHMC), which brings the private and public sectors together to develop homes that combine resource and energy-efficient technologies in order to reduce development's environmental impact.

May 2007
No Small Spaces Luxury with Flexibility in Midtown Toronto
If Stanley Grossman had the power to look into the future, One12 St. Clair is exactly what he would have envisioned - a 10-storey glistening glass tower, limestone landscaping, private terraces complete with brushed stainless steel planter boxes, natural gas and water outlets for elegant outdoor entertainment and living, and an opportunity for perspective buyers to define and create their own space.

RETAIL

May 2008
Regional Shopping Centres Stake Out Market Turf Reinvestment Cycle in Progress
Retail renovations are covert oeprations in the most public of places. Nighttime work schedules and meticulous daily cleanup are standard for a jobsite that has thousands of people moving through it during regular business hours.

OFFICE

September 2012
Circling for Sublease in Calgary
Calgary’s downtown is home to approximately one in seven Canadian corporate headquarters, by far the highest per-capita concentration of head offices in Canada. Most of these companies are engaged in natural gas exploration and production within the hydrocarbon-rich Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, which spans parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

September 2011
Power Shift
Eyesore and iconic potential were contributing factors to Nova Scotia Power’s new $53-million corporate headquarters. Utility officials saw the opportunity to rejuvenate a derelict site alongside Halifax Harbour and symbolize a shift to more environmentally benign energy sources through the transformation of a former coal-fired generating station into a modern office building.

September 2010
Repositioned to Perform and Compete
A cultural fixation on new trends, technologies and toys often supplants consumers’ preferences for longer standing products and practices. Such fickleness takes a toll on the environment, however, as manufacturers and marketers gobble up resources in pursuit of the next new thing.

March 2007
Intensifying for the Interim Calgary Tenants Adapt to Space Crunch
Space and staffing shortages are creating a particular dilemma for Calgary-based facilities managers. Companies are prospering and growing as Alberta's oil and gas sector drives the economy, but most of them have nowhere to move to in a downtown office market where the vacancy rate now hovers around 0.3%. At the same time, employers are trying to recruit and retain workers in a highly competitive labour market, and office amenities are a seen as an important factor in employee contentment.

LEASING

July 2008
Green Leases Empower Environmental Action Plans: New Template to Guide Canadian Landlords
With increasing concern over environmental sustainability and increasing focus on green buildings, it was inevitable that the actual lease between landlords and tenants would have to take this new operating environment into account.

January 2008
What's in a Name? Building Naming Rights as Part of a Lease Transaction
The granting of building naming rights is an inducement used by landlords to secure a desirable, major or lead tenant in a commercial development. For tenants, the ability to have their corporate moniker on a building is an important brand promotion tool.

November 2007
Conflicts Between Permitted Uses and Exclusivity Rights Landlords May Have to Seek Injunctions
Practically speaking, problems arising from badly drafted exclusive clauses can be one of a landlord's worst nightmares. It almost always creates tension in the landlord and tenant relationship and can sometimes create tension between the affected tenants.

TENANT PROGRAMS/RETENTION

February 2012
Race to Reduce is Team Effort
Leadership, a guiding program with measurable objectives and the opportunity for some friendly competition are building blocks of Toronto’s Race to Reduce – an initiative that already encompasses 120 buildings and 52.5-million square feet of office space in an effort to cut energy consumption by at least 10% over four years.

November 2007
Stress Green When Marketing Building Features: More and More Prospective Renters Care About the Environment
Building upgrades to increase energy efficiency can also be a marketing opportunity. Landlords should find ways to tell both current and prospective tenants about the improvements.

January 2007
High Expectations Shape Service Delivery Tenants Take Much for Granted
In a market where building tenants have come to expect a certain level of service, real estate providers are more likely to draw attention for falling behind their competitors than for outperforming them. In a recent discussion of trends, issues and challenges in real estate operations, senior ranking industry executives reported that it's increasingly difficult to impress their clients.

October  2007
Hedge Against the Market Pendulum Build Tenant Loyalty for the Inevitable Downturn
The commercial real estate industry is booming. Robust economies are driving business expansions and the demand for new and existing office space is on the rise. Real estate markets across Canada are experiencing increased rates and lower vacancies. As a result, tenants are finding fewer space options available and discovering landlords who are reluctant to compromise in a landlord driven market.

November  2007
Increasing Tenant Demand for Environmental Performance Green Buildings Gaining Competitive Advantage
Sustainability has become a key issue for office tenants. Results of a recent survey of medium to large-scale tenants in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver show that decisions to relocate or reconfigure office space are largely driven by the desire for a location that can attract and retain staff and offer flexibility to accommodate an expanded workforce. Sustainability is inherent to an appealing location that provides a quality work environment.

COMMUNICATIONS/MARKETING

October 2012
An Up-to-Speed Asset Enhancement
A growing number of subscribers and mobile devices in use across the country has created a tenfold increase in the capacity requirements for current cellular networks in dense urban areas and retail shopping centres. Heavy demands placed by devices such as Smartphones, tablets, etc. that access a cellular network is driving the trend. At the current rate of growth, it is estimated that network capacity requirements will soon reach 100 to 300 times what they were a decade ago.

July 2008
On the Road to Green and Gold - BOMEX® 2008 in Vancouver
All eyes are focused westward as preparations continue for BOMEX® BOMA Canada's national conference, taking place in Vancouver September 30 - October 2, 2008. The agenda for this exciting three-day event will exemplify this year's chosen theme of "On the Road to Green and Gold," which highlights the significance of environmental initiatives for the continued success of the commercial real estate industry.

May 2007
Exciting Changes Planned for BOMEX 2007 in Toronto
When BOMEX, BOMA Canada's national conference and exposition, opens this September in Canada's largest city, it will feature an exciting agenda of timely and relevant information sessions, key industry events and worthwhile networking opportunities. Taking place September 18 - 21, BOMEX 2007, with the conference theme Power in Partnerships, is sure to draw delegates from coast to coast to coast.

ANCILLARY REVENUE STREAMS

October 2008
Value Lurks in Unused Spaces Identifying Opportunities for Additional Revenue
The current economic crisis is creating more scrutiny and additional pressure for commercial property managers to find other revenue opportunities and maximize the income potential of their managed assets. An increase in asset revenue not only improves the bottom line, but also increases the value of the property.

January 2007
Due Diligence Checklist Advance Preparation Pays Off when Opportunities Arise
Is selling or acquiring a business in your plans for 2007? If your New Year's resolution involves preparing for a sale or acquisition, you need to be ready when opportunity knocks.

BUDGETS/CAPITAL PLANNING

June 2012
Employers Enlisted to Prompt Workers’ Savings
Efforts to spur Canadians to save for retirement may also deliver a new pool of capital for real estate investment. Recently proposed schemes to capture workers not formally enrolled in company pension or group retirement savings plans would presumably also generate more opportunity for various asset classes.

April 2012
Soaring Capital Growth Defines 2011 Market
Total returns on standing investment assets in Canada rose to 15.9% in 2011 from 11.2% in 2010 according to the REALpac/IPD Canada Property Index. The results were taken from IPD Canada’s database of 2,140 properties with a total capital value of $95.2 billion at year-end 2011.

January 2012
Valuation Lags Market
Appraisers have been slower to recognize the value of energy efficiency and other green features that many owners, property managers and investors now factor into the inherent worth of a building. The gap in perception can complicate project financing, make asset managers wary of allocating funds for upgrades and/or effectively understate portfolio performance.

May 2011
Scrutiny Prorated to Risk
Variables in energy auditing create uncertainty. For example, when project proponents received reduced monetary incentives after a lighting efficiency project failed to achieve projected savings, it was later discovered that the original energy audit report relied on lamp nameplate values instead of measured electrical current draws.

July 2009
Pegging Portfolio Priorities: Saskatoon Health Region Evaluates Capital Allocation
Deferred facilities maintenance has been a major and growing issue for the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), an integrated health delivery agency serving nearly 300,000 residents in Saskatchewan’s most populous urban centre. A large number of hospitals and medical facilities of varying ages, sizes and conditions situated throughout a wide geographic area presented a challenge to maintain a clear picture of building conditions across the entire portfolio.

April 2009
Hedging Delivers Cost Certainty with Bonus Potential Commitment to Price Premiums Curbs Spot Market Volatility
Economic uncertainty and stock market volatility can present prudent investors with an opportunity to benefit from falling commodity prices if they’ve got a plan in place to help balance market swings. A long-term hedging strategy can provide stability and protection against dramatic price fluxes.

June 2009
Capital Options Abound Targeted Repairs Can Extend Life Cycle
At the 20 to 30-year mark many building systems begin to wear out and need costly repairs and replacements. Increasingly, stakeholders interested in tenant retention and property value demand capital funds for things such as interior finish updates, as well as sustainable or green initiatives in order to compete with newer, greener buildings, while rising energy costs and tightening compliance issues add to the mounting concerns. At the same time, financiers now scrutinize capital more closely than ever before parting with funds.

June 2009
Commissioning Delivers Performance Assurance Verification a Logical Follow-up to Capital Investment
Building commissioning is steadily gaining momentum as a sustainable construction and management practice that makes obvious economic sense. A design and development approach that emphasizes system integration and premium upfront capital investments to achieve long-term operating savings almost necessarily calls for a due diligence component to ensure the building is performing as envisioned and investors are getting what they’ve paid for.

April 2008
Managing a Volatile Commodity Risk Tolerance Shapes Supply-side Decisions
Talk of energy management tends to bring to mind actions associated with traditional demand-side management (DSM) projects, but energy management also includes supply-side management. That means acting on or reducing cost uncertainty for energy purchased.

November 2008
Expanding Institutions Look for Capital Planning Tools Facility Condition Assessments Support Decisions at Laurier University
Universities and colleges often face difficult choices in deciding what building systems to repair or renew, which renovation projects to complete this year, and when to build new. The institutions' facility managers are responsible for preserving signature buildings and monuments, as well as ensuring all facilities - classrooms, dormitories, libraries, dining halls and student centres - are meeting occupants' needs.

November 2008
Savings Sans Capital Expenditures Purchasing Strategies and Administrative Vigilance Deliver Energy Payoffs
Through the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification process a building can be built extremely well, while taking into account energy efficiency and conservation. With appropriate retrofits, almost any building can incorporate variable speed drives, lowered lighting power density, higher thermal resistance through the roof and walls, and other projects aimed at reducing energy demand and consumption.

November 2007
Green Roots in the Bottom Line Returns on Sustainability Investment Becoming More Evident
Although accounting for less than 1% of the world's population, Canadians consume 3% of the world's energy. In 2006, 75% of that energy came from fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gases, producing 747 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions - an increase of 25% since 1990. Even so, the most energy-efficient businesses already consume 30% less energy than their counterparts and provide an example that others can follow.

STAFFING

November 2011
Respect Triggers Commitment
Evidence clearly shows that Canadian employers are loosening recruitment budgets and hiring staff despite the economic uncertainty in other parts of the world. Recent results from the 2011 BOMA Canada Annual Industry Salary & Compensation Survey reveal that 70% of surveyed employers in the property and real estate sectors are looking to augment their existing staff this year.

July 2011
Performance Personnel
There are a wide range of occupations that contribute to the efficient operation of buildings. Depending on the size of the facility, each position may be filled by one or more individuals. Building operators are part of an operations team that may include a VP of Operations down to custodial staff. These positions may be supported by facilities managers and staff responsible for the administrative side of building operations.

May 2011
Accommodating Change
2010 findings show an overall 3% drop in workstation utilization compared to 2007. This figure is derived by dividing the total number of workspaces used by the total number of workspaces available for use. A workspace can be a private office, cubicle or open seating.

April 2011
Recovery Spurs Hiring
Recruiters have been frontline witnesses to the fallout from the economic crisis of 2008-09, which has taken the form of dramatic spending cuts, shelved capital projects, disposition of assets, restructuring of departments and elimination of positions. This in turn has shaped recruiting and hiring trends, permanent and temporary salaries, client and candidate expectations.

January  2007
Outsourcing in an Unionized Workplace Proving the Case at the Labour Relations Board
From time to time, many organizations decide to shed some of what they consider to be their non-core operations as a means of increasing efficiencies and reducing costs. An organization may contract out these operations to third party contractors - an act also referred to as outsourcing.

March 2007
Human Interaction Helps Seal the Deal Prompt Response Keeps Buyers' Attention
Differentiation in marketing today requires some innovative thinking. Developers are competing for the attention of comparison shoppers who rely on web searches and other media to scope out the market. When not surfing the Web, these same buyers could be checking out billboards on their commute to and from work - a behaviour that is reflected in the fact that phone-in inquiries on properties tend to peak shortly after rush hour.

September  2007
Backup for Emergency and Revenue Generation Required Asset can be a Business Opportunity
It's no secret that Ontario needs more power. The provincial government is looking for new generation capacity and will invest $40 billion over the next 10 years, partially to phase out coal-fired generators, but also to address the growing demand for electricity.

October 2007
Centralization vs. Flexibility Contradictory Imperatives Drive Corporate Real Estate Decisions
Globalization and outsourcing are driving the centralization of corporate operating models and, in turn, the ways that multinational companies are organized. For corporate real estate (CRE), departmental structures to a large degree mirror these overarching enterprise-level shifts.

October 2007
Temptation Beckons Stressed Employees Lax Oversight Enables Workplace Deceit
Street smarts - or office smarts, store smarts or warehouse smarts - are in order for any business owner. Workplace theft ranging from stolen intellectual property downloaded onto electronic devices in a practice known as "podslurping" to office workers slipping a few pens into their pockets to restock the kids' backpacks takes a toll on the bottom line.

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

HVAC

September 2012
Textile Troubleshooting for Under-Floor Air Distribution
Under-floor air distribution (UFAD) works well in theory, but not always in application. Conceptually, air conditioning is distributed through an under-floor cavity and floor-mounted diffusers rather than the conventional array of overhead ducting and diffusers.

April 2009
Combination of Factors Gives Rise to Legionella
Legionnaires' disease arose as a mystery and has retained that status since its initial identification in 1977. Since then, numerous studies and recommendations have focused on how the disease is transmitted and the appropriate means of controlling it. Yet it continues to cause tragic events despite a better understanding of the phenomenon.

January 2008
Commissioning Uncovers Optimization Opportunities HVAC and Air Quality are Prevalent Motivators
Few buildings perform as intended. Numerous pervasive and chronic performance deficiencies stem from design flaws, construction defects, malfunctioning equipment and deferred maintenance.

January 2007
Balancing Exhaust and Air Intake Stack Design and Placement Supports Contaminant Dispersion
The optimal design and placement of exhaust stacks to limit contamination of air intakes and other sensitive locations can be a considerable challenge. Buildings may have several different exhaust types that discharge a variety of contaminants, presenting both health and odour concerns.

October 2007
Automation, Lighting and HVAC Deliver Energy Savings Bonus Temperature Control and Comfort Improvements
TransGlobe Property Management Services is a growing company facing the challenge of the upkeep of aging systems, the rising cost of energy, and the pressure to become a more environmentally sustainable company. With a portfolio that includes 24,000 apartments and more than 5.2 million square feet of commercial space, TransGlobe's management team recognized that a plan to manage its energy needs and consumption was required for all its properties.

November 2007
Long Heating Season Defines Canadian HVAC Start-Up Checklists Support Efficient Operation
Semi-annual system start-up checks are one of the best ways to ensure building or plant operations run more efficiently and avoid service outages. And they can also add to a company's bottom-line. Canada has two seasons when HVAC start-up checks are important - cooling in the spring and heating in the fall. Both are critical for a building's HVAC equipment operation and efficiency and both offer opportunities for energy efficiency. 

November 2007
A Green Strategy for HVAC Audits, Equipment, Service and 3Rs Combine for Better Performance
Increased public interest in the environment is leading tenants to seek out greener developments. Property managers are now interested in developing a more sustainable business plan by understanding how technologically savvy tenants choose office and living space. 

LIGHTING

July 2011
Shedding Light on Mercury Hazards
Canadian consumers will still be able to purchase fluorescent, metal halide and sodium vapour lamps after a pending federal regulation to restrict or outright prohibit mercury-containing products goes into effect, but product prices may be higher. Both commodity and servicing costs are likely to increase as manufacturers comply with new content limits and vendors/distributors take on new responsibilities for recycling.

July 2009
Savings that Stick: Lighting Retrofit Reduces Energy Consumption and Maintenance Costs
A $100,000+ lighting retrofit at a Toronto-area manufacturing facility is expected to provide energy savings of more than $42,000 per year – translating into a payback on investment of less than 2.5 years. Project proponents began with a goal for a 50% reduction in the energy used for lighting.

June 2009
More than a Fluorescent Copycat Rapid Advancement a Hallmark of LED Technology
The incandescent light bulb is becoming obsolete in many parts of the world, including Canada, as regulators introduce energy efficiency standards or outright bans, and simple economics undermine the technology’s ability to compete with fluorescents and other more recent lighting innovations. CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) and LED (light emitting diode) lighting now jockey for market share.

March 2007
HYBRID LIGHTING STILL LIMITED TO SAFETY AND SECURITY PURPOSES
Wind and solar-power light standards aren't likely to be illuminating urban streets and parking lots any time soon, but the City of Barrie has agreed to test the practicality of the emerging technology for remote locations that would otherwise be in darkness. Throughout 2007, the City's engineering department will be monitoring the performance of a light standard powered with a vertical axis wind turbine and photovoltaic solar panel.

April 2007
Load Shed Under the Radar Temperature and Lighting Adjustments can be Largely Imperceptible
When electricity demand has the potential to exceed supply, brownouts or blackouts may occur and utilities may take steps to deliver additional power or to reduce demand. Commercial building operators are often urged to shed electricity load by dimming lights or increasing set-point temperatures during the cooling season.

CONTROLS/AUTOMATION

March, 2012
Harmonized Standards Sought 
The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) is part of a larger group of North American manufacturers and distributors pushing for harmonized energy efficiency standards. HRAI makes its case jointly with the U.S.-based Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), arguing that some jurisdictions are creating barriers by setting standards higher than national or international standards.

November, 2011
Transparency Critical for Green Purchasing
Life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) are emerging tools to allow business owners and their customers to better gauge the long-term environmental performance and impact of products

May, 2011
Covert Consumption
The fastest growing energy load in commercial buildings comes with a phantom. Standard estimates suggest that standby power, which keeps a range of electronic products in readiness to function and/or operates internal clocks, status lights etc., accounts for as much as 10% of household electrical consumption. This is commonly known as a phantom or vampire load because it occurs while the device appears to be turned off.

March, 2011
Standby Power Difficult to Deploy for Demand Response
A requisite capital investment could generate some bonus revenue at Toronto’s Union Station. In 2010, Toronto City Council endorsed a proposal to enroll two new standby generators in Ontario’s Demand Response 3 (DR3) program, which pays contracted participants to divert generation to the grid or shed electricity load during periods of peak demand.

July, 2009
Pool Purge: Multi-Tasking Dehumidifier Combats Air Contaminants
An aging dehumidifier’s replacement schedule proved good timing for the Nottawasaga Inn Resort to introduce new technology to counter one of the most common and challenging eye and lung irritants in indoor pools. The popular year-round convention/resort facility located about 60 kilometres north of Toronto now boasts Canada’s first gas-phase air purification system in its indoor pool facility to combat chemical odours associated with chloramines.

September 2008
Simple Technology Opens the Door for Innovation Pneumatics Support Easy-Maintenance Accessibility
Simple pneumatic technology drives a cost-efficient automatic door opener that four young designers from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) are seeking to patent. Their prototype, which was built with components purchased at a local hardware/automotive store, compresses air as able-bodied pedestrians open the door manually and stores it in a small air tank that is later used to power the automatic opening function.

May 2007
Integration for Cost and Environmental Control Real Time and Flexibility Signal Intelligent Buildings
Intelligent building technologies can enhance the building environment for occupants, while controlling costs. Integrated communication and control systems allow building operators to employ a single interface that can control a network of disparate building automation systems, which typically comprise electronic equipment that automatically performs specific facility functions.

May 2007
Capital Projects with Serious Implications Knowledgeable Contractors a Must in Health Care Settings
Some time ago, health care facility managers recognized the need for construction personnel to have a heightened awareness of the health care environment. Nowhere is this more evident than in those publicized situations where construction work has caused or been a contributing factor in patient deaths, or adverse reactions with the patients in hospitals.

November 2007
Water Rebates Possible for Peel's ICI Sector Indoor Audit Program Aims for Savings
Peel Region is rolling out another water efficiency measure as part of its multi-faceted Water Efficiency Plan. The indoor water audit pilot program for the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors has been launched in Peel's largest facilities, which are being assessed to identify specific water savings. Once the incentive program is fully implemented, any ICI water customer in the Region will be eligible to participate.

BUILDING ENVELOPE/WINDOWS

October 2008
Glass Gains Insulating Capacity Integrated Design Outcomes Can Justify Component Costs
Design choices relating to building envelope components can affect a project's ultimate energy efficiency more than internal systems and components such as lighting and HVAC, but window glass has been the weak link in conservation performance. In an era of R-19 walls and ceilings (R being a measure of insulating performance), standard insulating glass provides an insulating performance of R-2.

July 2007
Collision Control Bird-Friendly Design has Public Art and Energy Efficiency Spinoffs
New development guidelines from the City of Toronto offer a range of solutions for easing migratory birds' flight through urban centres. Most migratory bird species are unable to adapt to living in cities, and during biannual flyovers they become confused and disoriented by a combination of light pollution and the effects of glass in the urban environment.

October 2007
Style with Energy and Cost Savings Fibreglass Doors Often Indistinguishable from Wood
Wooden external doors require regular maintenance, especially in climates with extremes of heat, cold or precipitation. Temperature variations cause swelling and shrinking that can affect the way they open and close. Typically, wooden doors are not well insulated. Nor are they cheap.

October 2007
A Building Envelope Checklist Monitoring and Maintenance can help Defer Replacement
More often than not, property managers get varied opinions from their consultants about how long their building envelope systems should last. A checklist can provide guidance in making decisions.

ROOFING

March 2008
Multiple Roofing Assemblies Present Retrofit Challenge Energy and Waste Reduction Goals Shape Component Choice
The Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada Building at 227 King Street South in Waterloo, Ontario, is an imposing landmark with a low-rise building envelope and associated tower rising some 225 feet above grade. It houses the Canadian head offices of Sun Life Assurance. The original building was constructed in 1912, with numerous additions being constructed until 1986, some of which filled in and joined previously stand-alone buildings.

March 2007
Deck and Drains Present Roof Replacement Challenges Lightweight Insulating Concrete Offers Solution
After performing thousands of roof condition reports and preparing the same amount of roof design drawings and specifications, it's rare to come across a situation that presents a unique problem. However, an evaluation of the roof assembly on a 30+-year-old school building uncovered some particular challenges.

October 2007
Responding to Roof Failure Re-cover has Economic and Environmental Advantages
It is important to understand how roofs fail in service and identify those factors that contribute to their failure. Roofs begin deteriorating shortly after they are applied and continue deteriorating until they are replaced. The rate, severity and extent of deterioration are affected by a wide variety of factors.

ELEVATORS/ESCALATORS

June 2009
Modernization Drivers and Contributors Weigh Factors before Investing in Elevator Upgrades
Age of equipment is a major determinant for elevator modernization, but several other factors also come into play. These can be categorized as drivers or contributors – i.e. concerns that must be addressed and therefore drive the decision to modernize or issues that, in combination with other factors, help to make a case for modernization.

SECURITY/LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS

September 2012
Legislation Gets to the Heart of Health & Safety
Manitoba is the first Canadian province to mandate automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in facilities that attract a high volume of patrons and/or where recreational pursuits occur. Property owners and managers are still awaiting the Regulations that contain the precise instructions, but the general requirements of the Defibrillator Public Access Act are commonly known.

October 2011
Future-Proofing Security System Investments
Few technologies employed in modern buildings change as quickly as the various security systems that protect the building and its occupants. Driven by the fast-paced change in electronics generally and unrestrained by the many codes and standards that govern the fire alarm industry, for example, security systems are constantly being updated by their manufacturers, and new and updated systems are continually entering the marketplace.

October 2011
Articulating Evacuation
Emergency alarms effectively catch listeners’ attention, but convey little else about the risk they may face and how they should respond. New measures in the 2010 National Building Code are meant to provide clearer instructions to people potentially or actually evacuating a large building.

September 2011
Fire Prevention Through Land Use Planning
Hundreds of Canadian towns and cities – and hundreds of thousands of their residents – potentially lie in the path of wildfires. Remote communities surrounded by forest are inherent to a resource based economy, while sprawl and lifestyle choices are increasingly pushing development into woodland areas.

January 2008
Upfront Health and Safety Matting Systems Underlie Green Cleaning
Dirt, soil and contaminants are everywhere. Studies have found that as much as 80% of the floor-damaging soil within a facility arrives via the entryways on the shoes of building workers and visitors.

January 2008
Contractor's Performance is Employer's Responsibility Make Safety and Environmental Requirements Explicit
Working at heights, with hazardous materials, near energy sources and in confined spaces are everyday activities for many contractors' workers. Employers might presume that the contractors they've hired have all of the necessary controls (programs, procedures, training) and insurance coverage (provincial workers' compensation, general liability, automobile, etc.) in place to ensure worker and environmental safety and compliance with applicable legislation.

September 2008
Pressures of Prosperity Saddle Downtown Calgary Safety and Cleanliness Become City Priorities
Vigilance and regular upkeep are key elements of the City of Calgary's efforts to improve safety and boost the dynamism of its downtown. In 2006, the City launched the Clean to the Core initiative - framed as a three-year program to tackle safety, cleanliness and graffiti issues and draw more investors, residents and visitors to the city centre.

September 2008
Ensure Building Code Compliance Life Safety Evaluation Precedes Renovations
Renovations or a planned change in major occupancy often trigger requirements for existing buildings to comply with current building codes. This will depend on the degree of alterations to existing building systems and how they may affect building performance and/or create hazards for occupants in buildings.

September 2008
Building Services Can Include Resuscitation Defibrillators Emerging as Requisite Standard of Care
Across Canada, emergency medical departments, independent paramedic associations and the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation are promoting the idea of  public access defibrillation so that people are trained and ready to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in a variety of public spaces. AEDs can already be found in some residential, commercial and industrial buildings and complexes, and advocates contend that thousands of lives could be saved if AEDs were widely available in the public sphere.

September 2008
Awareness Prevents Accidents Planning and Training Support Workplace Safety
Accidents and emergency situations can happen in any environment, in any industry, at any time. The US National Safety Council reports that someone is killed as a result of a preventable injury every four minutes.

September 2008
Facility Security Checklist Planning and Technology Support Emergency Response
Many facility managers want the expediency of locking down a building with the activation of one button. If a major city is hit with a dirty bomb, for example, a hospital must have the capability of locking down all access doors immediately to minimize interior contamination by panicked incoming infected victims. However a mechanism to allow first responders is needed.

September 2008
Risk Assessment Dictates Access Control Measures Security Options Must Account For Life Safety
Security and fire life-safety priorities often conflict, but they are both critical to the safety of a building's occupants and contents. Risk assessment is a necessary first step in devising a facility security plan to identify competing interests and find ways to balance them.

September 2008
Contemplate Crises When They're Still Theoretical Emergence Response Plans Critical for Business Continuity
Disasters do occur and the impact can be both operationally and financially devastating. Yet, many organizations and business owners are ill prepared or not prepared at all to manage an event that can have a negative impact to the organization.

April 2007
Strategies for Assisted Evacuation Addressing Hindrances for Occupants with Disabilities
Everyone needs to have a plan to evacuate a building regardless of his or her physical condition. It is impossible to plan for every situation that may occur in every type of emergency, but building owners and managers can be as prepared as possible.

April 2007
Flammable Cable Poses Safety and Liability Risk Imminent Regulation Will Mandate Removal
Telephone and other telecommunications companies installed huge amounts of very flammable cable in commercial buildings prior to the late 1990s. Adding to the problem, when these companies installed extra cable to serve customers, they did so without removing the old cables.

September 2007
Life Safety in a Seismic Zone CPVC Supports Post-Earthquake Fire Suppression
A fire sprinkler system offers little or no benefit if it doesn't remain intact when an earthquake strikes. Thus, the International Building Code addresses the installation of fire sprinklers in seismic zones. A new report also reinforces earlier field findings suggesting that a fire sprinkler system made of chlorinated poly vinyl chloride (CPVC) is more likely to perform reliably during and after an earthquake than a steel system.

September 2007
Fire Safety Plans Made Simple Web-based Solution for Development and Coordinated Access
Industry surveys indicate that a disconcerting number of property owners/managers are not complying with Fire Code requirements for fire safety plans. These plans, which outline critical information for emergency responders such as connections to the sprinkler system, people requiring special assistance, hazardous materials, etc, are often outdated or non-existent.

October 2007
RCMP Teams up with BOMA Canada to Bolster National Security
Millions of people pass through Canada's commercial buildings each day, which is why the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is now looking to members of the commercial real estate industry to be valued partners in the ongoing effort to identify and report potential terrorist threats.

November  2007
Negotiating a Toxic Escape Route Smoke Evaders Can Buy Time
What do duct tape, a wet towel, foil wrap, a whistle, a flashlight, bright-coloured cloth, an ink marker, a cotton bed sheet, a washcloth and a plastic pail with a lid have in common? Beyond the typical ingredients for a Red Green Show misadventure, they are part of a list of items that many fire prevention officials suggest occupants have ready at hand as a survival kit in the event of a fire in a high-rise building.

November  2007
A View to Security and Safety Laminates Stall Forced Entries and Contain Shards
Glass is the weakest link in building safety and security. Unprotected windows offer little or no resistance to forced entry or an explosion. Standard annealed glass is used for most windows commercially and residentially for single pane, double pane and triple pane windows, with or without Low E or reflective coatings.

IT/TELECOMMUNICATIONS

April 2011
Data Detours on the Information Highway
The real estate industry’s growing reliance on asset, property and/or facilities management software often hits a labour-intensive and error prone bottleneck when buildings are traded or managers and other service providers take on new clients with different software systems.

October 2009
Spreadsheet Savvy: Strategic Management Hinges on Data Interpretation
Strategic management practices can improve performance for supervisors, staff, systems, suppliers and contractors. All too often, property and facility managers spend their time managing day-to-day issues and focusing on tactical services that their customers rely on. Carving out some time to think ahead, develop ideas and sell both the ideas and the implementation to senior management will yield better results.

January 2007
In Sync at Lakeridge Accurate Timing is Critical for Health Care Provision
Lakeridge Health Corporation is one of the largest hospital networks in Ontario. On an average day, between 3,000 and 5,000 people come through the doors of one Lakeridge's facilities, which include three acute-care hospitals and one specialty hospital. The corporation also manages several construction projects, including a new Cancer Centre, Emergency ICU and CCU, and Central Utility Plant.

SOFTWARE

June 2012
TV Service Providers to Jostle in New Markets
A recent decision from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) puts cable and satellite television providers in a better position to compete in some categories of commercial and institutional buildings where owners/managers still typically have bulk service contracts with one company. CRTC regulation 2011-774, released last December, clarifies that the owners of inside wire in properties such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, seniors’ facilities and student residences cannot deny access to the infrastructure to other licensed service providers.

June 2009
Quality Control for Design and Construction: Modelling Tool Supports Innovation and Risk Management
Small inaccuracies in structural plans and diagrams can create frustrating setbacks for owners, architects, engineers, builders and fabricators and/or lead to major deficiencies and liabilities. Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology can minimize risk and troubleshoot problems, while also improving efficiency and supporting creativity and innovation.

March 2009
Groundwork Converts Potential into Performance Facilities Management Systems Must Fit Organizational Needs
Property and facilities management software systems such as CAFM, CMMS, Work Order management and Help Desk can help to improve service, reduce costs (including future costs) and preserve assets. The range and flexibility of available systems, including stand-alone, integrated or hosted web based systems, put this capability in the hands of even small organizations.

March 2008
Comprehensive, Consolidated Database a Critical Management Tool Smoothing the Transition to a New Software System
 Today's most advanced software packages feature fully integrated solutions that consolidate portfolio, financial, lease, and other information into one database, giving all network users instant, secure access. Companies researching upgrade options will typically be looking for a product that can maximize efficiencies and accuracy, streamline workflow, mitigate risk, create transparency for users and investors, improve communications among stakeholders, and deliver enterprise-wide solutions.

May 2008
Web-based Tool Analyzes Life-Cycle Costs Gauging the Long-term Performance of Intelligent Building Technologies
 Life-cycle costing is a science-based measurement of a project's impact throughout its life. It is an amalgamation of first costs, training costs, operation and maintenance costs, service agreement costs, upgrade/retrofit costs, and may include disposal/deconstruction costs, to give involved parties a realistic understanding of true return on investment (ROI) and return on equity (ROE).

May 2008
Digital Records Become a Must for Design and Engineering Tenant Improvements Present Opportunity to Build Database
 Property managers can relate to the last-minute call from the harried leasing manager looking for drawings of an office suite for a pending lease deal or build-out. Coordinating design and construction drawings can be another time-consuming task for property managers who are increasingly challenged to manage more space with fewer staff and deliver the same or heightened levels of service.

July 2008
Functions Converge Through Portals Flexible Capacity for Transactions and Service Coordination
Secure, seamless conduits between a web site and operating databases - known as portals - offer a means to gaining selective real-time, point-to-point access to crucial business information and transactions. An integrated portal solution delivers numerous marketing and customer functions while simultaneously capturing data directly into a property management system.

October 2008
Seeking the Smooth Software Switchover
Ever-evolving technology and marketplace competition makes the decision to upgrade property management software somewhat inevitable. In doing so, commercial real estate professionals should carefully evaluate suppliers, seek solutions with minimum risk and maximum versatility, consider application service hosting options, and weigh the needs of external stakeholders as well as employees. The following checklist offers some insight for evaluating a proposed software upgrade or implementation.

March 2007
Clutter Costs Document Retrieval Shouldn't be a Paper Chase
Property and facility managers spend as much as 25-30% of their time simply locating and handling paper based office documents. On average, 10% of all documents are misfiled, with 7% becoming lost completely.

April 2007
Software Provides the Big Picture on Energy Consumption System Integrates Tools for Auditing and Regulatory Compliance
Energy is not a trivial cost centre in a real estate portfolio. It's one that needs to be evaluated and controlled continuously.

July 2007
Placed for Success Data Reveals Market Patterns, Risks, Opportunities
Almost all events in life have a location and temporal component. They happen at predictable places and times, and they can often be seen as part of a pattern. If observers understand these patterns, they can adapt to them, anticipate events, make investments to capitalize on predicted events or avoid locations where anticipated events could cause harm.

September 2007
Software for the Big Picture Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Support Property Management
An Integrated system is a unified system that integrates all organizational data and software processes under one software package. An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system tailored for property management can increase the availability of information at all levels of an organization, provide accurate real-time price and cost simulations, reduce workflow and increase internal efficiences.

September 2007
Smooth System Implementation Clarify Scope, Complexity and Required Resources
As the real estate market business continues to become more reliant upon technology, an ever increasing amount of data is managed using software. Today's latest technology solutions have provided a level of automation and integration far surpassing that which ws imagined even five years ago. 

November 2007
Intelligent E-forms Simplify Real Estate Administration On-line Access Bypasses Time-consuming Manual Tasks
Standardized forms are the most common business document that real estate professionals use everyday. From property listing contracts to disclosure statements from sellers or building maintenance requests, real estate and property management professionals rely on many complex forms to complete transactions and projects and work with colleagues, partners and customers in disparate locations.

MATERIALS/FURNISHINGS

March 2008
Uncovering the Hidden Life of Office Furnishings Detection and Clean-up Verification for Contaminants
Germs, bacteria and microorganisms are just about everywhere in the typical office facility. Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist with the University of Arizona, recently found almost half of commonly used office equipment was home to germs that can potentially cause illness.

October 2007
Ceramic, Marble and Hardwood Resonate More than Style Floating Flooring System Muffles Sound Transmission
The problem of sound transmission between floors is most obvious in hard floor areas, which are becoming an increasingly popular feature of condominiums. These areas are commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms, where ceramic tile or even marble is often the floor covering of choice, and in living rooms that have been upgraded to include hardwood floors. With no carpet or cushioned vinyl in these areas to mitigate noise transmission, the problem can become acute.

CLEANING/HOUSEKEEPING

February 2012
Chemical Cautions for Floor Care
Constant foot traffic carries an accumulation of dirt, pollutants and allergens into the indoor environment. New trends in the sustainable cleaning are introducing health and cost benefits to a counterbalancing solution.

January 2012
Asbestos Recompense from U.S. Court
The presence of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), particularly friable ACM, affects the cost of ongoing maintenance, future renovations and, ultimately, the value of a building. In the United States, many owners have successfully sued the manufacturers of ACM to recover this financial loss, but Canada’s different liability laws and shorter time limits on liability mean that owners here have frequently been unable to pursue this remedy.

December 2011
Warm Water Nurtures Airborne Hazard
Regulators are increasingly targeting cooling towers in an effort to arrest the source and propagation of legionella bacteria responsible for serious and sometimes fatal lung infections. At the same time, they face some conflicting pressure to revise longstanding controls on a more common host to legionella – a building’s potable water system.

October 2011
Treacherous Traction
Slip-and-fall accidents are common and costly. Across all age groups, Statistics Canada data reveals that falls are responsible for 38% of severe injuries, ranking only behind automotive accidents. They are the number one cause of accidents in hotels, restaurants and public buildings, and nearly 60% of grocery store operators’ liability insurance claims are for slip and fall accidents.

October 2010
Disinfect Discriminately
The terms disinfection and sanitization are often used interchangeably, but they perform different functions. Disinfectants have a higher kill capability for pathogenic bacteria compared to sanitizers. Very few disinfectants or sanitizers can sterilize or completely eliminate all micro-organisms.

September 2008
Here's the Dirt on Productivity: Innovation, Economics and Cultural Shifts Drive Cleaning Industry
Arguably, more has happened in the last five years to improve the cleaning industry than in the sixty years previous. Low profit margins for cleaning contractors and continual demand to reduce costs in housekeeping departments have forced new innovations in the industry that have increased productivity and resulted in reduced costs or increased profitability.

January 2008
Supporting Hygiene and Productivity New Equipment Reduces Opportunities for Cross Contamination
Infectious diseases, such as colds and the flu, are the leading causes of employee absenteeism due to illness. Lost productivity in the workplace from the flu alone costs employers an estimated $15 billion.

September 2008
Training Essential for Handling Cleaning Chemicals Green-certified Products Now Competitive in Cost and Performance
Cleaning staff should be properly trained on how to use, dilute and avoid mixing certain chemicals, but accidents happen. In Canada, it is estimated that approximately 65 people die each year as a result of cleaning chemicals and the number is growing.

September 2008
Water Damage Recovery Microbiological Contamination Threatens Documents
Water infiltration can cause irreparable damage to paper documents, microfiche, film and other records that become wet, soaked or soiled. The loss of such critical information can severely compromise businesses' records history, operational effectiveness and service levels, and even place some companies in breach of document retention laws.

May 2007
No Masking Indoor Environmental Dilemmas Agitation Key to Odour Elimination
Building managers are becoming more aware of how odours can have an impact on building occupants. If not attended to, odours can increase and spread beyond their original source affecting the productivity and possibly the health of workers, plus presenting a very unfavorable impression to visitors and prospective renters.

September 2007
Unions Target Cleaning Services Industry can Benefit from Stabilized Workforce
Unions, particularly SEIU (Service Employees International Union), have conducted drives to increase membership in major U.S. cities in the last few years, with recent large citywide contracts being obtained in Houston and in Florida. These drives have been different from previous practices, in that the union does not go after just one account or building, but targets an entire cleaning contractor and all of its accounts with hopes of obtaining citywide recognition from that contractor.

September 2007
Warranties May Hinge on Proper Care Seal of Approval Program Provides Carpet Cleaning Guidance
New developments in the carpet cleaning industry could have a significant impact on how carpets are cleaned and the warrantees that come with new carpets. Manufacturers are now specifying industry-approved cleaning solutions and equipment. One major manufacturer recently invalidated warranties if carpet owners do not comply, and other manufacturers could soon follow suit.

September 2007
Getting a Handle on Germ Hotspots Public Judges Overall Cleanliness by Washroom Conditions
Although many people feel that public washrooms are germ ridden, few realize the true risks and hot spots. For instance, hot water taps are more of a danger zone for fecal bacteria than are toilet seats, and flushing the toilet causes bacteria to propel around the washroom.

October 2007
Solutions-based Facility Management Covers Broad Scope Innovations for Cost Savings and Client Satisfaction
It used to be that the corporate warriors logging late night overtime were the only ones on a first name basis with the cleaning staff. Today, however, smart property managers are working closely with their facility management team, bringing this essential service into the 21st century.

SECURITY SERVICES

April 2012
New Laws Aim to Thwart Thievery
Current market prices make scrap metal a lucrative commodity for deliberate thieves or random passersby who see an opportunity. Tales abound of stolen cabling, piping, equipment and decorative fixtures from utility storage yards, unattended worksites, abandoned buildings, temporarily vacant premises and unwatched public venues.

October 2011
Future-Proofing Security System Investments
Few technologies employed in modern buildings change as quickly as the various security systems that protect the building and its occupants. Driven by the fast-paced change in electronics generally and unrestrained by the many codes and standards that govern the fire alarm industry, for example, security systems are constantly being updated by their manufacturers, and new and updated systems are continually entering the marketplace.

April 2011
Accessibility Standards Prioritize Safety
Building owners and employers face a couple of imminent deadlines for complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) even though most requirements for the private sector will be phased in over a longer period. This could also entail some guesswork for building owners who will need to provide public safety information since the guidelines for accessible signage are in a separate regulation that isn’t yet publicly available.

March 2011
Hangouts Hampered
Loitering is a common nuisance that many property managers tend to overlook, particularly when they are focusing valuable time and resources on more serious and pressing problems. Unfortunately, though, unstructured loitering is frequently a cause of those more pressing problems – taking the form of criminality and/or related property damage.

April 2009
Multi-Tasking Milieu: Security Officers Branch Out from Core Functions
Property managers seeking to conserve energy and reduce costs may not view their security provider as a resource in that area but, increasingly it can be just that. The security services industry is evolving and expanding services well beyond core security functions.

September 2008
New Legislation Boosts Security Professionalism Provinces Introducing Training and Licensing Standards
Whether a company employs in-house security personnel, relies exclusively on contract security (guard) service providers, or operates under a mixed model, new provincial security regulations in several Canadian provinces could come into play - and result in a higher level of service performance.

April 2008
Changing of the Guards Countrywide Changes to Security Regulations In Progress
The realm of private security in Canada is undergoing a fundamental shift towards more regulation. Six provinces - British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia - have initiated reform, and there will be significant changes occurring in most provinces on an ongoing basis for the next few years.

PEST MANAGEMENT

May 2007
Warm Weather Brings out Pests Sanitation Program Should Target Food and Water Sources
Just as the real estate market heats up during warm weather, so does pest season. In addition to turning off future tenants and alienating current ones, insects and rodents can cause extensive damage to a property.

LANDSCAPING/GROUNDSCAPING

August 2012
Re-evaluating Storm Water Runoff Costs
Advocates for the commercial real estate industry are united in opposition to a suggested new formula for calculating Toronto’s storm water service charges. The fee is still conceptual and just one of the discussion items in a more wide-ranging public consultation on the City’s need to augment capital funding for its water infrastructure, but is envisioned as a user-pay approach based on a property’s impervious surface area and the resulting volume of storm water runoff.

May 2011
Temperature Dictates Ice Melting Products: Risk Management for Slippery Winter Conditions
Ice risk management to prevent slip-and-fall accidents is an important property management issue since a high percentage of pedestrian incidents and injuries typically occur on icy surfaces. Property managers also need to protect their own liability through due diligence.

May 2008
Sensory Satisfaction for the Workplace Plants Offer Aesthetic, Acoustic and Way-finding Advantages
The five senses, which include sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste, are affected physiologically by everything in their path. Plants can engage all five senses in many ways. They can heighten and satisfy the senses and help make workplace environments happier and healthier.

November 2007
Low-Salt Formula Safeguards the City's Arteries And its Side Streets, Sidewalks and Watersheds Too
The return of cold weather and slippery conditions marks the launch of the City of Toronto's latest pilot project to test alternatives to sodium chloride road salt for de-icing. This year staff in the Transportation Services division is concurrently reviewing the City's winter services program for pedestrian routes such as sidewalks, crosswalks, bus shelters and wheelchair accessible ramps to assess maintenance and service requirements across the city.

DESIGN/RENOVATION

October 2012
Caution Afoot
As an open passage to a vertical drop, stairs are one of the most prominent hazards in a building, yet also the route to safety in an emergency evacuation. Configuration, handrails, step dimensions and surface tread all play a role in how sure-footedly users can descend or ascend.

September 2011
District Energy Complements Growth Strategy
A steam plant built to power World War II munitions manufacturing is now part of the growth and economic development strategy in a rapidly growing Greater Toronto Area (GTA) community. Earlier this year, Ajax Council approved a proposal to redevelop the 70-year-old plant and convert it to a biomass-fueled cogeneration facility.

September 2011
Power Shift
Eyesore and iconic potential were contributing factors to Nova Scotia Power’s new $53-million corporate headquarters. Utility officials saw the opportunity to rejuvenate a derelict site alongside Halifax Harbour and symbolize a shift to more environmentally benign energy sources through the transformation of a former coal-fired generating station into a modern office building.

June 2009
Surface Rewards: Retrofit Competition to Renew Old Towers
The horizon of almost any major city features a collection of aging tower blocks punctuating the skyline. Built largely after World War II to fill an urgent need for housing and office space, the design often paid little heed to aesthetics or energy efficiency.

September 2012
Ask an Expert: Recruiter Rationale

August 2012
Ask an Expert: How to Write a Resumé that Gets Noticed

July 2012
Ask An Expert: Quin Blake, of zenPeak Recruiting

June 2012
Ask An Expert: The Top Three Ways to Spot a Resumé Liar

November 2009
Ask an Expert: Michael Lithgow, P.Eng., LEED AP, Manager of Corporate Energy & Municipal Energy Conservation Officer, Regional Municipality of York