IHM News, Volume 26, Spring 2006 by LS Graphics

IHM news Volume 26, Spring 2006

INSTITUTE OF HOUSING MANAGEMENT

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement # 40739009

E N H A N C I N G T H E K N OW L E D G E A N D S K I L L S O F P RO PE R T Y M A N AG E M E N T P RO F E S S I O N A L S

Inside President’s Message ...........................................................................................2 Flashback – A look back at Headlines Over the Past Thirty Years .........................2 The History of IHM .............................................................................................3

30 Year Anniversary Issue

Fail your roof and your roof will fail you .............................................................5 Press Release issued by the Office of the Fire Marshall ........................................7 IHM Through the Years – Photos ........................................................................8 Colour my work world – employees say ...........................................................10 Member Profile ................................................................................................12 IHM is On The Road Again ...............................................................................13 Should You Replace Your Planner with a PDA...................................................14 30th Anniversary IHM Logo Contest Report......................................................15

President’s Message

An Anniversary of Membership The first thoughts of an anniversary can mean many things to many people, from good to bad and from glad to sad! As our membership celebrates 30 years of excellence in educational and training programs, 2006 as our anniversary, truly signifies Professionalism at is Finest!

It is incumbent upon us as Members to ensure we encourage and support the countless new recruits and graduates from Humber College and our Distance Ed Programs who are our successors who will be celebrating IHM on its 50th anniversary.

For IHM to sustain, endure and evolve speaks to our pride and commitment as members, our integrity as professional property managers, and to the inherent value our programs provide to the property management industry.

I look forward to seeing you in Windsor in May to join our celebration.

Perhaps even more important is the camaraderie amongst our membership that contributes to our strength and for some of us has spanned nearly three decades.

You are the Best of the Best! Warmest Regards, Greg Grange, B.A., F.I.H.M President

Flashback A LOOK BACK AT HEADLINES OVER THE PAST THIRTY YEARS in the WORLD and in the IHM WORLD 1977 Annie Hall won three Academy Awards; Number One TV Show was Laverne and Shirley; Average Cost of a New Home $54,200 And in IHM News…President of United Kingdom Institute Pledges Support 1981 First test tube baby is born; A seven week baseball strike, longest in history causes a “split” season; Walter Cronkite retires as CBS anchor and is replaced by Dan Rather And in IHM News…MTHA Moves to New Location 1983 Cost to purchase RCA VCR: $399 $888; Average Cost of a New Home $89,800; Median Household Income: $20,885.00 And In IHM News… Chapter Guidelines Final 1985 Best Drama: Cagney and Lacey; Best Comedy: The Golden Girls; Video cassette movierental income equals movie theater receipts; Prime rate drops to 10% And in IHM News…Automation and Property Management

1987 Dow one day drop of 508 points becomes known as “Black Monday”; 50,000 gather at “Graceland” on the 10th anniversary of Elvis’s death; Number One Song of the Year: With Or Without You U2. And in IHM News…Seniors Central Registry Aims to Help Seniors, Housing Funders 1989 Frozen yogurt, tetris and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are in; Nolan Ryan at the age of 42 records his 5,000th strikeout; Batman was the top money-making movie at $251,188,924. And in IHM News…Ministry to Investigate Fire Alarm Testing 1992 Johnny Carson’s last show draws a record 55 million viewers; Average cost of a new home: $144,100.000; Milli Vanilli was forced to give back its Grammy after they were found to be fakes by using other singers; And in IHM News…IHM establishes Study curriculum in Eight Community Colleges in the Province of Ontario 1994 The Median Household income was $32,264.00; A jury awards $2.9 million to a woman scalded by McDonald’s coffee; Favourite TV Show is Seinfeld. And In IHM News…IHM Signs Agreement with ACMO

1996 Best Picture of the Year is The English Patient; E-mail exceeds surface mail and computers out sell TVs; Number One Best-selling Non-fiction book is “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” by John Gray. And in IHM News…IHM Enters into a Partnership with HERA, a British Human Resource Company 1998 Fads include: Rugrats, Teletubbies, anything Titanic related, ginkgo, swing and ballroom dancing; First live on line internet birth; Number One Bestselling fiction book is “The Street Lawyer” by John Grisham. And in IHM News…IHM Is On the Move… and Retains the Services of Taylor Enterprises, a Leading Firm in Association Management 2000 The Queen Mother marked her 100th Birthday; We survived the transition into the new millennium without much incident; Finance Minister Paul Martin’s first budget of the millennium is to lower taxes for everyone, and spend billions of dollars on Medicare, the military, and our country’s crumbling highway systems. And in IHM News…IHM Announces new Accreditation Requirements 2003… And in IHM News…A China Chapter in the Making!

IHM News

Feature

The History of IHM by Lola Dudley, F.I.H.M. I was recently asked to write a history of the Institute of Housing Management. Just like being the family historian, if I make a mistake and no one corrects me those details become history! I have spent the weekend reading thirty years’ worth of Annual General Meeting (AGM) minutes. I cannot possibly capture everything in this article, certainly not all of the discussions, analysis and reasons behind the decisions that were made. Once you have read this article, if you would like to add anything, or if I have misconstrued any of the facts, please let me know so this history can be complete. First, a very brief history of Social Housing in Ontario: Following World War II, legislation was passed in Canada aimed at providing citizens with a social safety net of unemployment insurance, pensions, child and medical benefits and social housing. The National Housing Act was revised in 1948 allowing federal-provincial partnerships to assemble lands and build housing for lowincome families. This was the beginning of large-scale public housing in Ontario. Between 1964 and 1979 over 84,000 public housing units were built in Ontario and it was the responsibility the Ontario Housing Corporation to manage and maintain these units. The need to establish an “accepted accrediting body for professional housing management in the Province of Ontario” was quickly realized. A Steering committee was formed with representatives of Provincial Housing Operations, Management Development, Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Housing Authority Managers. The Steering Committee held its first meeting on April 30, 1975 and the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Housing Management was held on January 27, 1976 in Toronto. The Spring 2006

first director to take the Chair was H. E. Stimpson, Director, Housing Operations for the Province.

Membership Membership was open to professional Housing Managers in the private as well as public housing sectors, including those following a career in condominium management. The reference to ‘property management’ does not appear in the minutes until those of the 1982 Annual General Meeting (AGM). 152 members were present at the AGM in 1977 and the four membership designations were: Fellow, Professional Associate, Affiliate and Registered Student. Admission to the ranks of Professional Associate was done by way of examination in a wide field of practical subjects, after a suitable period of on-the-job-experience. Accredited membership dues were $24.00 and the Registered Student fees were reduced to $12.00 in 1977. The designation of Candidate Member was introduced in 1980 and Corporate Memberships were added in 1987. Membership peaked in 1982 with 370 members: currently there are 244 members.

Board of Directors There were eleven Directors in the beginning and meetings were held monthly. As a cost saving measure in 1995 the number of Board Members was reduced to seven plus one Candidate Member.

By 1997 it was found that seven working board members were having difficulty implementing the strategic thrusts established in 1995 and the Institute entered into a management agreement with Taylor Enterprises in 1998. This has proven to be a most productive relationship and with Taylor’s expertise the Institute has seen a growth in both their educational and financial areas over the past eight years. This growth resulted in an increase of two to the number of Board Members for the 2002-2003 year bringing the total to nine plus one Candidate Member.

Chapters In 1978 six chapters were formed across the province. By 1985 the Chapters had become stronger and more active and had finalized operational guidelines. The Northern Chapter struggled to hold Chapter events due to the geographic size and created a partnership with Calgary to provide the Introduction to Property Management Seminar. From 1995 to 1997 the only active Chapter was Metro Toronto and in 1998 Chapter Reports fell from the AGM Agenda. They were, however, redeveloped in 2000 through the Chapter Breakfasts at the annual Conference. These breakfasts have resulted in the election of executives for four Chapters. Chapter Executives are expected to host one annual event for their local members. The President, Greg Grange, in 2001 entered into discussions to establish a Chapter in China.

Education One of the goals during the first year of operation was: The development of a course of study to enable persons following a career in housing

Feature

management to obtain professional standing and eventual accreditation by the Institute. In 1977 the Chair noted “aggravating delays in the production of suitable material to form the basis of a study programme” and the President asked the student membership to be patient. A grant in the amount of $85,000 from the Ministry of Housing assisted in developing educational programs and course material for a Diploma in Housing Management. The International Correspondence School (ICS) was the medium for the course delivery and conducted the examination process for four core courses: Administration, Finance, Building Construction and Building Maintenance. Students were required to complete exams for each core course and have at least five years’ experience in Property Management in order to become accredited in Property Management.

“The Institute of Housing Management is committed to providing education and a recognized designation to individuals interested in achieving professionalism in

Seminar was started as a refresher course for Ministry of Housing staff and was offered to people across Ontario interested in the property management industry. By 1994 nine community colleges in Ontario were offering the IHM Certificate Program for Property Managers. Four new manuals were created: Human Relations, Property and Building Administration, Strategic & Financial Planning for Property Managers and Managing Maintenance Services & Building Systems for use by the colleges. In 1997 thanks to the efforts of Peter Boban, A.I.H.M and Board Member, a Home Study Pilot Project was launched in Thunder Bay and the Institute went international when Georgina Rae, A.I.H.M. became the first Canadian participant in an exchange with the United Kingdom. By 2001 the Institute had acquired ownership of the four core manuals and they were once again updated. Although Humber was the only remaining College providing classroom instruction, the Distance

Education Program had become very popular with an increasing need for instructors. Today there are 60 students enrolled at Humber and 78 students enrolled in the Distance Education Program. Instructors for the Distance Education Program are Accredited Members who volunteer their time to act as mentors. Throughout 30 years of By-Law changes, Strategic Planning Sessions, Annual General Meetings and Conferences the main focus of the Institute of Housing Management has remained the same - education and professionalism in the field of Property Management. The Institute has provided me with a variety of educational tools to become successful in the interesting and demanding industry of Property Management. One of the most important tools has been you, my fellow members. Thank you. Lola Dudley, F.I.H.M Please send your comments to Lola.dudley@county-lambton.on.ca

Institute of Housing Management

the property management field” In 1986, with the assistance of the Ministry of Housing and Ontario Housing Corporation in the form of a $7,500 grant, six Lecture Series were held across the province. In the first year there were 435 participants and the lectures provided a significant educational opportunity for anyone in the property management industry, whether or not they were IHM members. The series promoted a heightened awareness of IHM and generated new membership applications. In 1987 the lecture series continued without OHC funding. In 1991 IHM put together a Property Manager Training Seminar for the Ministry of Housing and in 1994 a two-day Introduction to Property Management

Past Presidents 1976/1979 1979/1981 1981/1982 1982/1985 1985/1987 1987/1988 1988/1989 1989/1990 1990/1992 1992/1995 1995/1996 1996/1998 1998/2000 2000/2002 2002/2005

H.E. Stimpson Peter G. Burns Ernie Hubbard Don Reichheld Susan McCormick Michael McNamara Bob LeBreton John Aubrey David Blumenthal Steve Ryan Jim Steele Richard Lynn Terry McErlean Lola Dudley Greg Grange

IHM News

Fail your roof and your roof will fail you ....and then in a twinkling I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof...I don’t think so. Not On My Roof. By: Glen Vaillancourt, B.Arch

Big fat Santa, toyladen sleigh, and 32 pointy little hooves are a disaster in the making. Unless Santa has some cash to pay for a high-priced roofing consultant and a Glen Vaillancourt Cost-Plus repair contract in hand, he can use the front door like everyone else. Roof maintenance is easy. Follow three rules: Rule 1 - Keep Santa and everyone and everything else off the roof. Rule 2 Allow water to shed/drain from the roof. Rule 3 - Fix or replace the broken stuff. These rules apply to sloped (shingled) roofs and flat roofs. To maintain a roof does not require specialized expertise but Spring 2006

proper maintenance can save thousands of dollars in repairs, extend a roof ’s life, avoid litigation for property damage, and as a result may actually increase the life-span of the affected property manager and the roof in question. Rule 1: STAY OFF THE ROOF Access to a roof should be severely restricted. Despite Hollywood’s best efforts to suggest that a moonlit night rendezvous on a rooftop featuring a card table spread with a linen tablecloth while a bottle of wine is chilled nearby should naturally take place on a rooftop, it should, in fact, be considered bad practice. Equally, unescorted access to a roof should be denied to contractors and others carrying tool boxes, ladders, drills, hammers, and caulking guns. The suggestion here is that, not everyone gives a roof the respect it deserves.

Damaging a roof is easier than damaging any other building component and it has the potential of creating a more immediate and greater impact of damage than damaging any other component of your building envelope. Despite some argument from those in the throes of litigation, non-roofing contractors are people too and they care deeply about their expertise but may not give a rodent’s rear end for the surface they are walking on. They are expert at their respective trades, but may not have the expertise of the roofer, and may not care that the ladder that so sturdily supports them on the ground, with its hardened and pointed metal feet designed to dig into the pliable earth, will also dig through our delicate roof membrane. That screw that drops from their leather pouch and falls to the gravel unseen will, of course, eventually be trod upon by Santa’s big black boot and the resultant 200 psi exerted on our lost screw will penetrate that membrane like the alarm clock penetrates your eardrum on a Monday morning. Controlling who and what goes on a roof is critical to its life-span. Roof maintenance includes having protocols in place for roof access and reviewing any proposed permanent or temporary (think satellite TV, cable, flags, snowmen, fireworks, picnic tables, Christmas trees, signage etc.) installations with a roofing contractor or roofing consultant. Rule 2: GET THE WATER OFF THE ROOF One of the main purposes of a roof, since the beginning of time, is to protect the inhabitants or products contained therein from rain or snow. The most common method of achieving this goal is to shed the rain or snow away, ie: slope the roof. As buildings started to cover more area and steel could span those areas as well as support the snow loads, flat roofs became more commonplace. Most flat roofs contain the water with parapets or gravel stops, and attempt to slope the water to drains located within the area of the roof. Scuppers (perimeter breaks in the roof edge that allow the water to free flow from the roof to the ground) are the exception to this strategy and are generally used on smaller flat roofs.

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Assuming the roof has been properly designed and properly installed (no small assumption), maintenance is simply assuring that the design intent is allowed to take place. A sloped roof should have no impediments to the flow of water from the top of the roof to the ground. The eavestroughs and downpipes on a sloped roof are part of that rainwater management system and, therefore, are part of roof maintenance. These elements are like the runners on a relay team. The baton (rain) is passed with great gusto from the first runner (the sloping roof) to the second runner (the eavestrough) who in turn passes it on to the next runner (the downpipe) who finally passes the baton for the final leg of the race to the extension and splashpad at ground level insuring that the rain is taken away from the building’s foundation walls (but that’s another story). The fourth runner might instead be an underground system of pipes that carry the water to a catch basin or sump pit. The race is won when all of the runners succeed in successfully passing the baton to one another in a timely manner without interruption from twigs, leaves, dirt, tennis balls, construction debris or those sunglasses you’ve been missing since that windy day last fall when you thought it would be a good time to check on the roof and catch some rays at the same time. For the purposes of this discussion the biggest interrupter ICE BUILD UP will not be discussed (because that too is another story). Flat roofs are supposed to be designed so that either the deck itself or the insulation on the deck slopes to drains. There will be varying degrees of success with that strategy. Even a casual observer will note that drains on some roofs are high and dry while ponds big enough to support aquatic life remain undisturbed year round. These are actually design or installation flaws that should be corrected with the help of experts (introduce new drains, or revise the slopes to drain). Assuming the roof drains properly, it is critical then to make sure the drains are clear and free from leaves and other debris. The more often the drains are checked (spring and fall at a minimum) the less likely they will become plugged.

Check that the drain, drains; that it is secure and the grate is in place. If any of these checks reveals a problem - see Rule 3. Rule 3: FIX OR REPLACE THE BROKEN STUFF Again, roofs are delicate creatures that have sensitivities beyond many other building components or systems. There is very little artifice to a conventional sloped or flat roof, they are (for the most part) form following function. The various parts of a roof all have important roles to play, if one part fails another part will suffer and eventually fail as well. Sealants are used on roofs (hopefully sparingly) for a variety of conditions generally associated with metal flashings. Sealants are a first line of defence, maintaining and replacing them as they dry out and separate from the surfaces they are meant to seal is relatively easy and a worthwhile exercise in extending a roof’s life. Pitch pockets settle and dry out from unprotected exposure to the sun. They should be topped up on a regular basis to assist them in actually serving as a pocket for protective pitch rather than as a reservoir for water. Gravel on flat roofs is intended to protect the membrane from the destructive effects of the sun or to provide the necessary ballast to hold the insulation in place. Gravel which has been blown or floated away should be replaced. Metal flashings, fascia, downpipes and eavestroughs must be maintained in their asinstalled condition. Missing fascia, sagging eavestroughs, damaged flashings provide the chink in the armour of the roof. The elements (wind, sun, rain, snow, frost) are relentless in their goal to thwart mankind’s (personkinds?) attempt at controlling their effect on our day to day lives and as such take great advantage of these chinks. Follow these three rules with diligence and your roof will remain the unsung hero it is. Fail your roof and your roof will fail you. Glen Vaillancourt B.Arch. is principal of G V Vaillancourt Consultants a Design and Project Management Consulting firm with a specialization in renovation and retrofit projects. He teaches Principles of Contracts at Algonquin College.

IHM Course Completions Human Relations For Property Managers Mircea Vranceanu Ermira Hoti Building Maintenance for Property Managers Gwen Howarth-Merwin Deborah Nisbett Property and Building Administration Harold Zorn Max Malitski Daniela Nicolescu Gwen Howarth-Merwin Program Completions – Certificate in Property Management Cathe Hoszowski Marianna Molodkova Betty Speer

New Members New Candidate Members Deborah Nisbett Florence Carbray Carlton Griffith Carolyn Roy Michelle Bellavance Patricia Fitzgibbon New Accredited Members Joanne Kennedy

IHM News

We all know the importance of working smoke alarms, they save lives. Recently, the Provincial Government announced changes to the legislation surrounding smoke alarms. As Property Managers it is imperative that we be kept informed of these changes. The following Press Release was released by the Office of the Fire Marshall and has been authorized for distribution in IHM News:

Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law as of March 1, 2006 TORONTO (February 28, 2006) – A new regulation requiring smoke alarms on every storey as well as outside all sleeping areas of every home will make Ontario an even safer place to live, says Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter. “It’s simple – smoke alarms save lives,” says Kwinter. “Even with the lowest fire death rate in Ontario’s history in 2005, we can all do more to protect our loved ones. Installing smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas can ensure your family has the precious seconds needed to escape from a fire. The new regulation that takes effect March 1, 2006 will mean safer homes and safer communities.” Announced in December, the smoke alarm amendment to the Ontario Fire Code applies to all single family, semidetached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented. It was announced in conjunction with the launch of the Office of the Fire Marshal’s public education campaign, Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!, designed to heighten awareness about the importance of working smoke alarms. “Since 1997, the number of fire deaths has declined by 50 per cent,” said Bernard Moyle, Fire Marshal for Ontario. “Although these numbers reflect a milestone in Ontario’s fire history, people are still losing their lives in fires. We expect that having more smoke alarms in homes will mean earlier warning of fire, which will result in faster escape by occupants, earlier arrival by the fire department and ultimately less risk to firefighters and the public.” Smoke alarms can be purchased for as little as $10. Municipal fire departments across Ontario have increased their public education efforts to ensure homeowners are in compliance and will soon be enforcing the new smoke alarm requirements. For homeowners, tenants and individual landlords, non-compliance with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000. For more information on smoke alarms and the new requirements, the public is encouraged to contact their local fire department.

For more information, please contact: Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138 Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3178

Spring 2006

IHM News

Spring 2006

IHM News

Colour my work world employees say

Picking right shade could spark creativity and productivity

By Wallace Immen, reprinted with permission from “Globe & Mail”

The best way to boost creativity and productivity might be to pick up a paint brush and turn up the lights, two new surveys suggest. In the first survey of 250 advertising agency and senior marketing executives across Canada done for the Creative Group, 93 per cent said they believe a company’s office environment, including the colour of walls, lighting and layout of furnishings, greatly or somewhat affects their ability to think creatively at work. Meanwhile, a second study done for Xerox Canada Inc. found that 45 per cent of Canadians said they felt they would be more productive if their workplace were more colourful. The Xerox study of 1,223 office employees across the country by Environics Research Group in Ottawa found that 60 per cent said they would add colour to their work area if they could. The most desirable colour was blue, favoured by 46 per cent of respondents. That was followed by green, chosen by 29 percent, yellow, at 27 per cent, and red, at 17 per cent. (The numbers add up to more than 100 because some people picked two colours.)

As the Toronto headquarters of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. undergoes a renovation, there’s a temporary case of office envy among employees who work in parts of the building that still haven’t been redone. Newly painted gold, copper and applegreen walls, straw-coloured carpet and task lighting on the first floor are a marked contrast to the 20-year-old staid, grey wall coverings, dark wood and low lighting that the renovation is replacing, says Natashia Dunham, Maple Leaf ’s corporate finance manager, who has been co-

ordinating the redesign of the company’s three floors of offices. Since the first floor was completed last month, “I hear people comment on how energized and happy they feel in the new space. The elevator doors open and it’s ‘okay, I’m ready to go.’” Maple Leaf ’s employees are on to something. Drab workplace surroundings can make for dull workers, experts on workplace design say.

There is an important message from these findings for employers facing an increasingly competitive market for creative talent, says Collin Marie Ezzell, division director for the Creative Group, the Toronto-based staffing division of Robert Half International. She says companies whose offices consist of dimly lit, grey cubicles are finding that it is increasingly difficult to entice creative types to work for them. Many of the creative companies she does recruiting for have taken the hint and are redecorating with brighter colours, she says. Adding colour has become a top priority of companies when they redesign office space – and the requests for brighter spaces most

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often come from employees, says Lynn McGregor, president of office design firm McGregor Design Group in Toronto, which planned the Maple Leaf renovations.

For that reason, however, red and its cousins, orange and yellow, can be distracting; he recommends using them sparingly in a workplace.

them to be more productive and to think outside the box.”

It’s a shift in thinking from decades in which grey and taupe reigned in office decor, she notes.

The colours most people can most easily live with in their work environment are pastels and shades found in nature, Mr. Crean advises.

Colour might be just what your office needs to brighten up employees’ thinking, the experts say. Here’s their advice on colours to consider -- and avoid:

“You want a reasonable amount of colour but you don’t want it too strong and saturated.” Fluorescent green or pink are definitely bad choices for large areas in an office, he says.

Blue is a cool, calming colour that can promote contemplative thought in sky or sea shades. But a grey blue can be chilling and depressing, says Lynn McGregor, president of McGregor Design Group in Toronto.

A major reason that neutral shades have been standard for offices for so long is that many managers are hesitant to make colour choices, says Peter Crean, a colour researcher for Xerox Corp. in Rochester, N.Y.

“Colours that aren’t found in nature and very extreme colours send jarring signals to the brain, almost like talking too loud,” he says.

Green can be relaxing and inspiring if it is a grassy or spring green, but a mossy or lime green can be unsettling or depressing, Ms. McGregor says.

“If it isn’t the right shade, it can end up being a negative. Because of that, I think a lot of managers take a pass on it, rather than get it wrong,” he says.

Mr. Crean says that any office can add strong colour highlights easily using fabric, pictures or graphics hung on a more neutral wall.

But he says recent research on how colour affects activity in the brain makes it quite easy to pick a hue that inspires.

“That can give the place a visual activity that is stimulating, and you can replace them a lot easier than you can change all the paint if you don’t like the effect,” he says.

Orange, if it is the colour of a ripe cantaloupe or mango, is warm and appetizing and promotes a happy, sunny disposition that helps people relax and be creative. But go too far and use the colour of an orange peel or emergency sign and the effect can be to raise tension and give people headaches. For years, it has been used in the fast food industry to make sure people eat quickly and leave, she notes.

“Neutral colours for offices were considered sophisticated and inoffensive but people who have to work in them realize that, when you have no colour anywhere, it can be numbing. “There is nothing to focus on,” Ms. McGregor says.

“If done right, colour is very powerful in improving your mood and effectiveness,” Mr. Crean says. However, it’s important to get some advice before pulling out the paint brush. For instance, blue has been found to have a calming effect on the brain; those who chose it in the Xerox poll were probably hoping to reduce stress in their work lives, he says. Blue’s downside: because of how our eyes process colours, the signals that blue sends to the brain are the least stimulating, he says. Red, by contrast, is the most eye-catching and stimulating colour, Mr. Crean says. More signals about red get sent to the brain than about any other colour. Spring 2006

Colours to use, and avoid

The right lighting is also important. A strong trend is toward task lighting with floor or table lamps and overhead fixtures that use incandescent bulbs, Ms. Ezzell says. “A dimly lit office with fluorescent lighting in the ceiling is very unnatural and puts people under stress,” she says. “By using incandescent lighting you create a completely different mood that is more natural and relaxed.”

Red, yellow and magenta are stimulating but best restricted to small areas as accent colours, Ms. McGregor says. Used over big areas, they can promote tension or hostility. Finally, pink is a colour experts don’t recommend for office use because it can have a numbing effect on the brain.

If done sensitively, colour and lighting can transform a dulling environment into a “creatively stimulating world,” Ms. Ezzell says.

In institutions and police lockups, a specific shade known as “drunk tank pink” has been found to calm people who are manic or delirious, says Peter Crean, a colour researcher for Xerox Corp. in Rochester, N.Y.

“Any time you encourage creativity and make employees more relaxed in their environment, the more you will inspire

But if you need this on your walls, you’ve got more of a crisis in your office than paint can fix, he says.

IHM News

Member Profile Jim Steele

The IHM Annual Educational Conference is being held in Windsor from May 10th to 12th, 2006 and we are pleased to profile Jim Steele, C.E.O. of Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation and long-time IHM member. Jim and his colleagues in Windsor are excited to host this year’s Conference and invite you to join them in Windsor in May.

Jim Steele has been Chief Executive Officer of the Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation for 11 years with his housing experience spanning 23 Jim Steele years. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from the University of Western Ontario. He is a member of the City of Windsor Housing Advisory Committee and is directly involved with the Housing Analysis and Recommended Strategies for Windsor-Essex County. Their purpose is to develop a framework document that communicates the area’s vision and plan to deliver affordable housing alternatives for Windsor and Essex County residents on an immediate, short and long term basis.

and David Suzuki. Many of their ideas and inspiration came forth in later programs and still are a majority priority with the Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation. Windsor and Essex County, along with all Ontario housing providers, face some steep challenges over the next 10 to 20 years and Jim hopes to incorporate positive energy and environmental themes throughout the WECHC redevelopment process. Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation is currently entering into some exciting partnerships, including a crime prevention initiative with the University of Windsor. This program in the city centre is producing some positive results and an expansion of the partnership is planned. Jim hopes to continue establishing more of

these partnerships to expand the knowledge base of social housing into the academic and social communities. The IHM Annual Educational Conference is being held in Windsor from May 10th to 12th, 2006 and we are pleased to profile Jim Steele, C.E.O. of Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation and longtime IHM member. Jim and his colleagues in Windsor are excited to host this years’ Conference and invite you to join them in Windsor in May. In his spare time, he loves hockey, the Leafs, and Golf. He has served as President of the Chatham Figure Skating Club and is happily involved with his daughters’ skating careers.

Glengarry community (downtown Windsor)

He has been a member of IHM since 1982, served on the Board of Directors from 1989 to 1997, becoming a Fellow in 1989, and serving as President in 1996/97. He is also an Associate Reserve Planner with the Real Estate Institute of Canada. Jim’s career started with the Kent and Chatham Housing Authority as a property manager. He has also managed the Sarnia & Lambton Housing Authority as well as acted as an administrator with the Ministry of Housing – Southwestern Regional office. Jim has a keen interest in energy and environmental issues. While with IHM, Jim was conference chair that brought in such speakers as Stephen Lewis, Ralph Nader

Windsor

IHM News

IHM is On The Road Again… The IHM Marketing Committee has been busy organizing participation in two upcoming spring housing trade shows, to showcase the many benefits of membership with the IHM. The Waterloo Region Apartment Management Association will present their annual trade fair on Wednesday April 12th at the Schwaben Club at 1668 King St. E. in Kitchener Ont. Our thanks go out to IHM member Irwin Peters and staff from Waterloo Region Housing for helping to staff the booth at this event. Springfest 2006 will be held on Thursday, April 27th at the Metro Toronto Conven-

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tion Centre in Toronto. This annual event draws over 1500 professionals in the Property Management field for a day of educational seminars and trade show. If you are at the show, make sure to stop by the IHM Booth! Also, while at the show be sure to attend the IHM-sponsored seminar on “Insider Strategies for Winning at the Tribunal”. Presented by Harry Fine, a former adjudicator from the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, this session will focus on how important decisions have made it more difficult for landlords to find costeffective justice at the Tribunal, and some of the strategies you can use for returning balance to the system.

Institute of Housing Management presented…

Central Chapter Workshop

Tenant Protection Act

Seminar Speaker: Date: Location:

Henry Verschuren Tuesday, March 7, 2006 IHM Office 2175 Sheppard Ave. E. Suite 310, Toronto, ON

The IHM Central Chapter hosted a oneday seminar on the Tenant Protection Act, on Tuesday March 7th, 2006 at the IHM offices in Toronto. The workshop was presented by Henry Verschuren, a self employed litigation law clerk specializing in tenancy law. Mr. Verschuren has over 17 years of experience in this field and has served on various Committees of the Urban Development Institute and the Fair Rental Policy Organization. In addition, he has instructed the IHM Tenancy Law course at Humber College. Spring 2006

Feedback from the almost 30 people who attended the workshop was extremely positive and it is hoped that another such seminar will be held again in the near future. The session focused on drafting effective N5, N6 and N7 forms as well as on filing combined applications with the Tribunal. The highlight of the session was the Mock Trial, “Tribunal Idol” – a peer assessment exercise which tested the skills learned throughout the day.

CALLING ALL PROPERTY MANAGERS… with stories to share We know that a Property Manager’s job can be both challenging and interesting. How often have you come into work with your day all planned in your head, only to have something unexpected come along…We are looking for some stories to share with your colleagues in the Property Management field. If you have an interesting story that you would be willing to author, please contact the Newsletter Committee: Lee Campbell, lcampbell@cityofkingston.ca Deborah Filice, Deborah.Filice@halton.ca

IHM News

Should You Replace Your Planner with a PDA? Avoid all the bells and whistles if you don’t need noise.

A PDA may be more expensive initially, and be more fragile, but with a protective case and caution, it could serve you until the temptations of even superior technology necessitates a change. It could even be cleared of its information and used by someone else. So the traditional planner, with its finite number of pages, space and time frame is being challenged by this relatively new electronic marvel.

By Harold Taylor As electronic hand-held devices such as Blackberries, Palms and Pocket PCs become more popular and time management training becomes available for PDA users as well, more people are buying these high-tech marvels. There are still a few things that a PDA cannot do, like survive a drop from a three-storey window or make its planner section large and legible. But then again, I have yet to see a hard copy planner that could beam information to another planner or let you plan 30 years into the future or review schedules 90 years into the past. Two obvious advantages of the handheld computers are their portability and capacity. There are paper planners that are smaller and lighter, but their function is limited to little more than revealing the days of the year and room for a few scribbled appointments and events. It is impossible to purchase a hard copy planner that could hold even a fraction of the information provided by a PDA. If one were available, you would need a tractor-trailer to haul it around. The total information contained in a life’s accumulation of planners could be housed

metric conversion tables to flight schedules and medical information. Many PDAs have built-in digital cameras, cell phones, blue tooth technology, and more. You can send and receive e-mail, and print your schedule directly from your PDA. Third party software is being developed daily that makes the PDAs even more versatile.

in a tiny 3 inch by 4 1/2 inch PDA. There is unlimited space for notes and things to do. Only one entry for birthdays, anniversaries and other repeating events is necessary. No need to copy over information from one planner to the next. You don’t even have to turn on your PDA to be reminded; an audible alarm will grab your attention. And when you mention readability, try reading a planner in the dark! I’ve yet to see a planner with a back light. PDAs don’t get smudged and dog-eared, nor worn or torn from too much erasing. They can make changes quickly and cleanly as well as keep confidential information hidden from sight. You can even attach notes to your appointments, scheduled tasks or to do items. You can beam assignments, business cards and other information to fellow PDA users, synchronize with your computer, and install e-books to utilize waiting time or travel time. PDAs eliminate the need to carry a separate watch, calculator, alarm clock or expense forms.With connectivity you can access everything from time zones, area codes and

Before you run out and buy the most expensive PDA you can find, you must ask yourself how committed you are to using it? There’s little sense in buying an expensive Blackberry or Treo 650 or any PDA with all the bells and whistles if you simply want to use it to house your databases. What exactly do you want your device to do for you? Many people buy the top of the line PDA and are all enthused until they are faced with deciphering the instruction manual, assuming there is one, and learning how to use the device. If you have never used a PDA before and are not sure what you really expect from it, why not buy the least expensive Palm Zire that you can get? It’s amazing what the bottom of the line Palms can do. As you become adept at using all its functions and you evolve into a high-tech road warrior, you can upgrade. Palms in general are less expensive than their Pocket PC counterparts but Pocket PCs are great for people who are used to working with Word and Excel files. If your main purpose in buying a PDA is for receiving and sending e-mail while on the road, you might choose between a Blackberry and a Treo 650. But do you really need to access email as you travel from site to site? Don’t buy a Blackberry if all you need is a cell phone and a hard copy planner. And don’t

IHM News

assume that combining all your gadgets is a timesaver. Have you ever tried accessing an annual meeting date during a cell ‘phone conversation when your planner was plastered on your ear? Or been interrupted during a calculation by having to answer your calculator? And how convenient is it to lose or misplace or damage your cell phone and discover that all your data, week’s schedule, to do items and email messages are temporarily unavailable as well? I bought a Blackberry, and for me it was a waste of money. I don’t have to be accessible by email when I’m on the road. And when I travel on business I have my laptop with me. I found that using a device the size of a cigarette package for email was a pain in the neck. I was spending $40 per month for connectivity I didn’t need. If someone needed me when I was on the road they could call me on a cell phone. I didn’t need to use a $700 device to do a $70 job. The point is that the PDA you purchase should not necessarily be the one with the most capabilities, but the one that matches your needs and budget. The best time investment you can make, once you buy the device, is to learn how to use it. When conducting Palm training classes we have discovered that most people are using only a fraction of the device’s capabilities. Most Palm users were not even familiar with the beaming function, didn’t know how to schedule repeating events, and had no idea how to spread their To Do list over the various days of the week. People with top-of-the-line PDAs were only using bottom-of-the-line functions. At least study the user’s guide and talk to other people who use the same PDA. It will save you more time than you think. The author is president of Harold Taylor Time Consultants Ltd., a company that develops and markets time management products and services, including workshops on managing time with Palms and other PDAs. Author of the bestseller, Making Time Work For You, Harold Taylor can be contacted through their website at www.taylorintime.com or by calling 1-800-361-8463. Spring 2006

30th Anniversay IHM Logo Contest Report

The winner of our 30th Anniversary Logo contest is Mila Kolokolnikova, Supervisor of Research and Housing Policy with the Community and Family Services Mila Kolokolnikova Department of the City of Kingston. Mila has been participating in all our Annual Educational Conferences since 2002 and had an insight into IHM activities. She is an architect and a community planner by her educational background and she had several opportunities to be involved in housing management issues during her professional career, including her post-graduate study in sustainable housing management. Mila says she enjoyed designing the logo for such a respected professional organization as IHM: “The main design objective was to create a solid, bright, memorable visual identity that reflects IHM achievements and excellence over three decades, pride for educational services, and organizational integrity. I used an architectural approach during my work: an object should be functional, constructively solid, and visually attractive. The IHM growth during three decades is symbolized by the different sizes of the dates of the institute foundation in 1976 and its 30th anniversary in 2006. The font style

and colour palette of the IHM logo is conservative to a certain extent in order to underline solid organizational values, traditions, and commitment to excellence in housing management and education. The background colour signifies depth of knowledge, freshness of ideas, and innovative spirit. The red circle-shaped motto symbolizes the professional camaraderie of IHM membership that brings together housing management practitioners from public and private sector. To accentuate Canadian roots and nation-wide professional recognition of IHM, a bright red Maple Leaf was added in the centre.” Currently working as the Supervisor of Research and Housing Policy with the Community and Family Services Department of the City of Kingston, Mila has a Honours Bachelor in Architecture, Institute of Civil Engineering, Odessa, Ukraine (Ontario equivalency in architecture from a recognized university in Ontario), a Masters Degree in Community Planning from the School of Planning at the University of Cincinnati, USA , a Post graduate diploma in sustainable housing policy and management from the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has earned her doctorate (Ph.D.) through research, examination and dissertation in architectural typology, Moscow, Russia (Ontario equivalency from a recognized university in Ontario).

MAR K YOU R CALE N DAR N OW!

May 10-12, 2006 E a r l y B i r d D e a d l i n e - A p r. 1 3 , 2 0 0 6 The 2006 IHM Annual Educational Conference will take place at the Hilton Windsor Hotel, in Windsor, ON from May 10th to May 12th, 2006

Hilton Windsor 277 Riverside Drive W., Windsor, ON N9A 5K4 Tel: 519-973-5555 Special Conference Rate: Single/Double Accommodation: $109.00 plus taxes

Watch for exciting program and registration information coming with this mailing or visit the IHM website

www.ihm-canada.com 2005 Board of Directors

PRESIDENT Greg Grange, B.A., F.I.H.M. Mgr., Housing Division City of Kingston 216 Ontario Street Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3 Tel: (613) 546-4291 ext. 1265 Fax: (613) 546-3004 E-mail: ggrange@cityofkingston.ca

TREASURER William J. Corrigan, A.I.H.M. Chair: Finance Committee Williams and McDaniel 31 Irene St. Huntsville, ON P1H 1W3 Tel: (705) 788-7690 Fax: (705) 788-0928 E-mail: billco@cogeco.ca

James Mellor, A.I.H.M. Liaison: Conference Committee Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation 945 McDougall Street P.O. Box 1330 Windsor, ON N9A 6R3 Tel: (519) 776-4631 Ext. 14 Fax: (519) 776-5510 E-mail: jmellor@wechc.com

VICE-PRESIDENT Mary Pinto, A.I.H.M. Chair: Membership Committee Regional Municipality of Waterloo Planning, Housing & Community Services 150 Frederick St.. Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3 Tel: (519) 575-4769 Fax: (519) 743-6527 E-mail: pimary@region.waterloo.on.ca

DIRECTORS Lee Campbell, A.I.H.M. Co-Chair: Communications Committee Kingston Frontenac Housing Corporation Manager, The Social Housing Registry 471 Counter Street, Suite 100 Kingston, ON K7M 8S8 Tel: (613) 546-5591 Fax: (613) 546-9375 E-mail: lcampbell@cityofkingston.ca

Harry Popiluk, F.I.H.M. Chair: Marketing Committee Victoria Park Community Homes 155 Queen Street North Hamilton, ON L8R 2V7 Tel: (905) 527-0221 Ext.215 Fax: (905) 527-3181 E-mail: hpopiluk@vpch.com

SECRETARY Deborah Filice, A.I.H.M. Co-Chair: Communications Committee Halton Community Housing Corp. 690 Dorval Drive, 7th Floor Oakville, ON L6K 3X9 Tel: (905) 825-6000 Ext. 4414 Fax: (905) 849-3568 E-mail: deborah.filice@halton.ca

Joan Cranmer, F.I.H.M. Chair: Education Committee Victoria Park Community Homes 155 Queen Street North Hamilton, ON L8R 2V7 Tel: (905) 527-0221 Fax: (905) 527-3181 E-mail: dcranmer@cogeco.ca

Don White, A.I.H.M. Chair: Nominations Committee Toronto Housing 931 Yonge St. 2nd Floor Toronto, ON M4W 2H2 Tel: (416) 981-4870 Fax: (416) 981-5960 E-mail: Don.White@torontohousing.ca

CANDIDATE REPRESENTATIVE Lynn Alexander Candidate Representative Property Manager The Region of Durham Housing Services P.O. Box 623 Whitby, ON L1N 6A3 Tel: (905) 434-5011 Fax: (905) 434-1943 E-mail: Lynn.alexander@region.durham.on.ca

ADMINISTRATORS: Lynn Morrovat Ext. 254 (Administrator) Josee Lefebvre Ext. 255 (Administrative Assistant)

IHM Office 2175 Sheppard Ave. East Suite #310 Toronto, ON M2J 1W8 Tel: (416) 493-7382 Fax: (416) 491-1670 Email: ihm@taylorenterprises.com