CFMD Summer/Fall 2024

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SEISMIC RENEWAL

HOW ART WILL SURVIVE AN EARTHQUAKE AT UBC’S MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY

IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY TOP 4 COMMON BARRIERS

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The Great Hall was rebuilt on new foundations so it can move freely in the event of an earthquake.

CANADA’S NEW GREEN BUILDING STRATEGY

The federal government released its updated green buildings strategy, but it contains little that is actually new for commercial real estate or public sector facilities.

Easily fixable barriers in the built environment continue to impede accessibility.

A GREAT REVIVAL

At the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology’s Great Hall undergoes a seismic upgrade to protect irreplaceable collections of Indigenous art.

CLEAN LEADERS

Centennial College showcases a first-of-its-kind course in its Healthcare Environmental Services program.

BREWING UP HOSPITALITY

Inside iQ Offices’ newest co-working attraction at 302 Bay Street in Toronto.

[ observations ]

FORCES OF NATURE

Arthur Erickson once said that architecture should blend the build environment with the surrounding natural world. Anyone who has ever visited the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia will likely see his design philosophy set in motion. As the MOA ascended in the 1970s, the acclaimed architect and master planner, along with worldrenowned landscape designer, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, gathered deep insight from local Northwest Coast Indigenous communities about the relevance of the surrounding water, forests, and vegetation.This knowledge was indeed a catalyst for creating unity between nature and various design elements.

Nearly fifty years later, our cover story takes a look at the MOA, particularly the Great Hall, which recently reopened in June after being demolished and rebuilt for seismic resilience. The architectural firm that helmed the renewal project has an interesting connection to the MOA. You can find that story on page 16.

In this issue, we also look at the major barriers people with disabilities are still encountering in the built environment, even those easy fixes.The Rick Hansen Foundation’s National Accessibility Study this year uncovered some important data that may support facility managers in creating more inclusive spaces.

There is much more that we hope you enjoy reading, and wish you all a wonderful fall season.

REBECCA MELNYK

EDITOR, CANADIAN FACILITY MANAGEMENT & DESIGN REBECCAM@MEDIAEDGE.CA

SUMMER 2024 Volume 39, Issue No.2

PUBLISHER: Ron Guerra rong@mediaedge.ca

EDITOR: Rebecca Melnyk rebeccam@mediaedge.ca

ART DIRECTOR: Annette Carlucci annettec@mediaedge.ca

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Thuy Huynh-Guinane roxyh@mediaedge.ca

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Ines Louis Inesl@mediaedge.ca

CONTRIBUTORS: Barbara Carss and Marcia O’Connor.

CIRCULATION: Adrian Holland circulation@mediaedge.ca

PRESIDENT: Kevin Brown kevinb@mediaedge.ca

GROUP PUBLISHER: Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA: Steven Chester stevenc@mediaedge.ca

Canadian Facility Management & Design (CFM&D) magazine is published five times a year by MediaEdge Communications Inc., 2001 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 500 | Toronto, Ontario M2J 4Z8 Tel (416) 512-8186; Fax 416-512-8344 email: circulation@mediaedge.ca

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[ foundations ]

SPORTY RENOVATION

The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in Halifax will undergo significant upgrades to its facility with a provincial investment of $2.5 million. Plans call for a fully accessible building, with an elevator and upgraded washrooms. It will offer more display space, optimal conservation and preservation of its collection with a new HVAC system and other mechanical and electrical infrastructure improvements.

AD HOC FACILITIES

Public gatherings in informal, unlicensed venues are creating risk management headaches for local officials in large and small Ontario communities.

A recent submission from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) tallies health, safety and bylaw enforcement concerns, and urges the provincial government to address the resulting administrative and financial burdens.

Makeshift event spaces in barns, vacant commercial and industrial properties or residential dwellings inherently come with hazards arising from facilities that may not meet appropriate standards for fire alarms, exits and containment, load bearing, food handling, waste disposal and/or adequate bathrooms. Municipal emergency services responders and public health officials are first in line to deal with the fallout of the negative consequences from any of those failings.

Local officials also find themselves juggling complaints about excessive noise and disruptive behaviour emanating from unlicensed venues, and from operators of licensed facilities who have lost business to rogue event spaces. Municipalities likewise lose out financially since licensing is one of the few revenue generators they’re afforded in Canada’s breakdown

DATA CENTRE GUIDANCE

ASHRAE has opened a portal to comprehensive guidance for data centre design and operations. The new special section of its website is a hub for technical resources, including standards, guidelines, research papers and best practices for maintaining optimal temperature and humidity levels.

“With the rapid growth of digital infrastructure, the demand for cloud computing, AI and big data continues to soar. Efficient cooling systems are essential to cutting operational costs and reducing environmental impact,” says Dennis Knight, ASHRAE president for 2025-25. “ASHRAE understands the unique challenges of data centre cooling and is proud to offer this platform, providing professionals with the latest industry knowledge and resources in one place.”

That includes access to the ASHRAE TC 9.9 Encyclopedia, the new digital form of ASHRAE’s Datacom series of printed manuals, and standards such as ASHRAE 90.4 energy standard for data centres, and ASHRAE 127 for air conditioning for data centres and other IT equipment.

of jurisdictional powers. Meanwhile, both large and small municipalities argue that limited resources inhibit their ability to respond.

AMO is now beseeching the Ontario government not to erode municipalities’ control over zoning bylaws so that they can “remain equipped to determine the regulations and actions that make sense to their local contexts” and is further highlighting the need for more financial autonomy and revenue sources to fulfill service delivery obligations. An earlier briefing on the latter topic calculates a roughly $4 billion shortfall between the responsibilities the province has downloaded and its provision of funds.

The submission additionally recommends that the provincial government lower the threshold for imposing fines, making it easier for municipalities to enforce penalties against hosts of unlicensed events. It suggests tax incentives could be used to lure currently unlicensed operators into the legitimate business stream, which would necessarily require health and safety and bylaw compliance. Short-term rental operators like Airbnb are also seen to have a role to play in imposing stricter consequences for sites on their platforms found to be hosting public events.

CAMPUS UPGRADE

Ontario’s Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning has allocated about $400 million for future building renovations, new projects and equipment upgrades. This includes $150 million in upgrades to its Guelph campuses, as well as new housing opportunities to accommodate the student population.

UPSKILLING YOUR WORTH

As facility managers, we all want to feel valued, find opportunities for advancement and showcase our worth. Believing in your potential is foundational for upskilling, which is the process of acquiring new technical and soft skills that are essential for staying competitive and adapting to changing job demands.

Lifelong learning bolsters careers and contributes to personal fulfillment. Staying up-to-date with the latest trends offers a competitive edge and prepares for future obstacles.

Contributing new knowledge and ideas in your daily work and interactions with internal and external stakeholders and the c-suite is imperative to showcase your capabilities. Doing so will help build a reputation that attracts opportunities and respect within your company.

A self-development plan aimed at achieving the goals you set for yourself is essential. Outline your strengths and weaknesses to improve areas that will bring you more recognition and new challenges.

Be honest with yourself and acknowledge what may need some extra attention.

Here are some key areas to gain more recognition:

Communication: Do you have strong interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders? Openly communicate with your team and foster a workspace where everyone wants to work collaboratively and their work is recognized.

Influence: Are you able to influence and create buy-in with the c-suite and all internal and external stakeholders?

Leadership and team management: Do you have the capacity to lead teams and motivate others to drive initiatives forward in a collaborative way toward common goals?

Collaboration and sharing: By sharing knowledge, mentoring, collaborating, and recognizing others, you build a reputation that attracts opportunities and respect.

Continuous learning and adaptability: How efficiently can you adapt to new technologies, changes in regulations, and evolving best practices for the company?

Problem-solving: In order to make improvements in your facility’s operations, do you identify issues, develop solutions, and have the analytical skills to implement these solutions?

Customer service and stakeholder engagement: Do you clearly understand what is needed to enhance satisfaction and retention and anticipate evolving needs?

Negotiation: Have you developed strong skills to negotiate contracts, manage vendor relationships, and achieve cost-effective solutions?

Time management: Can you efficiently manage multiple projects and tasks all while being effective at prioritizing your organization’s goals and deadlines?

Conflict resolution: While not an easy task for many FMs, it is extremely important to address conflicts constructively, all while maintaining positive work relationships. You can upskill your worth by truly understanding what you can offer besides technical knowledge. Not only will this enhance your career opportunities but also contribute significantly to the overall efficiency, sustainability and success of your organization and team. Continuous self-improvement will ensure that you remain a valuable asset in the dynamic field of facility management. | CFM&D

Marcia O’Connor is president of AM FM Consulting Group. She is a strategic-minded leader with more than 20-plus years of progressive experience in corporate real estate, asset management, and integrated facilities management. Marcia has a passion for mentoring young professionals and helping people, teams, and organizations see their potential. She is the lead instructor for the University of Toronto School of Continued Studies, Facility Management Certificate Program.

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CANADA’S NEW GREEN BUILDINGS STRATEGY

The Canadian government’s newly released green buildings strategy contains little that is actually new for commercial real estate or public sector facilities. Rather, it’s an after-the-fact summary of programs and policies that have already been announced and funding initiatives that are mostly in progress. This fulfills the 2022 federal budget promise for an overarching masterplan, and parses out where various envelopes of funds have been channelled or will be directed.

The strategy reiterates three key federal intentions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with national targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and to bolster the built environment’s resilience to climate change. That entails: accelerating the pace of retrofits for existing buildings; ensuring that new construction meets low-carbon, high-performance criteria; and nurturing skills, technologies and financing mechanisms to make both those outcomes possible.

“It is a challenging sector to decarbonize because we must all do it, together. To succeed, close collaboration is needed

between the federal government, provinces, municipalities, Indigenous groups, businesses, financial institutions and industry,” maintains the joint introductory statement from Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “There are 16 million homes and half a million other buildings standing in Canada today and most of these are expected to still be standing in 2050. Each home and building owner has a role to play in this sector to upgrade and retrofit these spaces to significantly reduce emissions in that time.”

Perhaps indicative of the staleness of the messaging, a junior minister with nebulous ties to those three portfolios — Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec — represented the government when the strategy was officially unveiled earlier this month.That’s more than 12 months behind the originally envisioned spring 2023 schedule,which was announced with the government’s consultative discussion paper two summers ago.

EXISTING PROGRAMS PROMOTED FOR COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS

Turning to commercial and institutional buildings, the green buildings strategy tallies the programs through which the government is investing in energy retrofits and other improvements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Funds for the private sector are largely channelled through Canada Infrastructure Bank’s buildings retrofit initiative, which provides low-cost financing either directly to large players that can bring a minimum of $25 million in equity to the deal or to aggregators that are tasked with managing retrofit programs for a slate of smaller property owners. The deep retrofit accelerator initiative is a complementary program, underwritten through a $200 million 2022 federal budget allocation, which also tasks designated organizations (chosen through a competitive process) to “build capacity” for deep retrofits in the commercial, multi-residential and institutional property sectors.

Meanwhile, $1.5 billion is rolling out for upgrades and construction for a range of buildings that serve a community purpose and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities oversees the green municipal infrastructure fund, which subsidizes larger scale retrofits of public facilities. As well, $100 million has been made available for provincial/territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments and national and non-governmental organization to promote the adoption and implementation of the highest tier of national energy code performance criteria or other high-performance building codes.

The Canadian government has also made a commitment to reduce GHG emissions and demonstrate leadership on promoting climate change resilience within its own portfolio of buildings. Most recently, it has introduced new policies to target net-zero emissions in office space leased from private sector landlords and introduce conditions related to climate risk analysis and life cycle assessment for contractors bidding on public contracts.

PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS

Building owners/managers, developers, investors and financiers, industry associations, organized labour and clean tech advocates are tapped to be drivers of the green buildings strategy. It’s envisioned that they will see and respond to economic opportunities and collectively support the demand for and scale of activities that lead to new industry norms.

“The private sector and civil society have a critical role to play in developing awareness of — and adopting and investing in — green buildings,” the text of the strategy urges. “Creating demand by raising awareness of heat loss in buildings, fuel switching technologies and resiliency options will help spur the green buildings transition from the ground up.”

In that vein, almost one quarter of respondents to Altus Group’s most recent quarterly survey of commercial real estate conditions and sentiment predict that environmental and sustainability

requirements will be a high priority in their professional endeavours over the next 12 months. That’s a significant gain from the approximately 15 per cent of respondents who identified those issues as important during the first quarter of 2024, but still lags well behind the top concerns revolving around the cost of capital and interest rates (prioritized by 58 per cent of respondents), development/construction costs (55 per cent), inflation (41 per cent) and operating costs (39 per cent).

A more detailed breakdown suggests that a larger share of the players with greater economic clout are on board. In total, 50 per cent of respondents report that ESG considerations significantly or moderately influence their investment or credit decisions, but that jumps to 76 per cent of firms that have more than $5 billion worth of real estate under management. Conversely, 12 per cent of survey respondents say ESG is a negligible factor in their decision-making, but none of them are with firms that have more than $5 billion worth of real estate under management.

Firms with $500 million to $1 billion worth of real estate under management are most likely to report that ESG considerations are integral to decision-making — 33 per cent versus 18 per cent across the total survey base.

THIRD-PARTY PROJECT MANAGERS DEEMED MORE EFFECTIVE FOR REACHING LOW-INCOME TENANTS

The strategy’s regurgitation of existing initiatives does come with one new incentive program for affordable housing providers. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been assigned to deliver the program, which underwrites deep retrofits that can reduce energy consumption by at least 70 per cent and GHG emissions by at least 80 per cent compared to pre-retrofit performance.

Non-profit housing corporations, public housing agencies, rental cooperatives, Indigenous governments and organizations, and provincial/territorial and municipal governments are eligible for up to $130,000 per project for pre-retrofit preparatory studies and up to

$170,000 per unit in combined low-interest repayable and forgivable loans for retrofit measures. The forgivable portion will max out at $85,000 per unit or 80 per cent of eligible costs, whichever is the lesser amount.

This could apply for community and social housing, Indigenous cultural spaces, mixed-income rental housing or mixed-used developments with an affordable rental housing component, shelters, transitional and supportive housing or single-room occupancy buildings. Qualifying buildings must have at least five dwelling units or single-room occupancies and be at least 20 years old, with some exceptions for newer vintage housing in Nunavut,Yukon and Northwest Territories.

In total, $19.5 million has been earmarked to fund pre-retrofit studies and $1.1 billion will be available to bankroll retrofit measures. Recipients are expected to repay 20 to 50 per cent of their share of the latter amount over a period of up to 40 years, but will be required to cover only the interest on loans until the energy retrofit components of their projects are completed and they begin to realize those cost savings.

This new program replaces previously fully subscribed (and thus terminated) grants for homeowners to undertake energy and emissions-reducing improvements, and is presented in the federal government’s announcement as a more effective instrument for reaching targeted economically stressed households. Project proponents working with qualified energy services companies will handle the administrative, technical and financial aspects and there will be no costs for unit occupants.

“Using a direct-install model, where the retrofits are managed and delivered by third parties, this program could provide participating households with support up to four times more valuable than the former grant program. Recommended retrofits will be determined by experienced energy efficiency professionals, enabling each participant to receive what their home needs and making their homes more affordable and comfortable,” the government release states. | CFM&D

[ operations & maintenance ]

BRAVING RESOLVABLE BARRIERS

Low-cost support measures for people with disabilities are commonly absent in the built environment.

The building features that most commonly impede people with disabilities are not those that are the costliest or most structurally complicated to correct, new survey findings show. Respondents to a recent poll conducted on behalf of the Rick Hansen Foundation ranked the absence of handrails, grab bars, ramps and automatic door openers as the barriers to mobility they most frequently encounter outside their homes.

That’s somewhat discordant with the prevalent perception across the entire survey base, of both the able-bodied and people with disabilities, in which 57 per cent of respondents hypothesized poor accessibility is related to the difficulty of renovating older buildings and 45 per cent identified high cost as a factor. Other results, which the Canadian market research firm, Leger, gathered from 1,500 respondents in February, reveal that 57 per cent rate the accessibility of the public and private spaces they frequent as “fair” or “poor” and 41 per cent have seen no improvement or a decline in the accessibility of those spaces over the past three years.

“People with disabilities continue to face major barriers to participating in everyday activities in their communities,” says Brad McCannell, vice president, access and inclusion, with the Rick Hansen Foundation. “The study shows that Canadians feel the accessibility of buildings and spaces in their city are improving too slowly or haven’t improved at all. Current practices simply aren’t meeting the real needs of the community.”

Although just 14 per cent of survey respondents defined themselves as a person with a disability, their answers to more detailed questions reveals that 35 per cent have a condition that is classified as a disability. As well, 31 per cent have a family member with a disability whom they live with or help to care for, and 40 per cent have friends or close acquaintances who have a disability.

Mobility and/or hearing impairments are most common, cited by 26 per cent of survey respondents, while 8 per cent report vision impairment and 5 per cent have a neurological condition or an acquired brain injury. Nearly 20 per cent of respondents experience chronic pain and more than 20 per cent have another chronic health condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or autoimmunity.

Approximately 900 respondents report they occasionally or frequently encounter barriers to access. Among this group, 36 per cent experienced obstructions in homes that are not their own, 33 per cent flagged festivals/special events and public washrooms, and 32 per cent cited outdoor public places such as sidewalks, pathways and parks. Office/professional buildings, grocery stores, restaurants and other retail/commercial venues have presented impediments for 29 per cent, while 24 per cent confronted barriers in sports and recreation centres.

Public facilities have a moderately better track record, with 23 per cent of respondents reporting they’ve encountered barriers

REFINING ONTARIO’S ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS

Mandatory retrofits to upgrade life safety systems and improve features in accessible public bathrooms are among 127 recommendations recently presented to the Ontario government from the committee it appointed to review provincial accessibility standards for indoor and outdoor public spaces. The sweeping report addresses the objectives and details of guidance and requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Building Code, and calls for new definitions, firmer directives and numerous technical refinements.

“The current regulatory and legislative framework in place to enforce accessibility in Ontario has not evolved fast enough to keep up with the growing needs of persons with disabilities across the province,” the report’s introduction states.

“Recommendations presented by this committee are informed by validated data from academic research, national standards for accessibility and principles of universal design for the built environment.”

The recommendations pertain to many indoor and outdoor attributes of existing commercial properties and public facilities, as well as to building code and other potential regulations for new construction and development.

That includes a recommendation that the Ontario Fire Code be amended to mandate visual alarms and accessible placement of pull stations, fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment in all buildings. For new development, recommendations call for preparation of comprehensive accessibility reports as a condition of site plan approval.

“Calls for easy fixes outnumber those for capitalintensive undertakings.”

in hospitals, libraries and city halls, and 16 per cent facing barriers in schools and/or on post-secondary campuses. However, perhaps particularly notable in the latter case, just 10 per cent of the total survey base is between the ages of 18 and 34, while 57 per cent is 55 or older.

CALLS FOR EASY FIXES OUTNUMBER THOSE FOR CAPITAL-INTENSIVE UNDERTAKINGS

Drilling down to the types of barriers encountered, 579 respondents reported 12 different scenarios outside their homes, with each, on average, experiencing 2.8 of them. Related to relatively low-cost features, 42 per cent of respondents report the absence of hand rails or grab bars; 38 per cent report a lack of ramps or sloped pathways; 36 per cent report lack of automatic door openers; and 18 per cent report lack of appropriate directional signage. Narrowing the focus further to 138 respondents with physical mobilities who are employed in workplaces outside their homes, 19 per cent report their workstation design is unsuitable.

Turning to inadequacies that likely require greater capital investment to resolve, 24 per cent of respondents who have encountered barriers outside their homes report narrow doorways and hallways; 21 per cent report inadequate elevator access; and 21 per cent report unsuitable flooring surfaces.

The overwhelming majority of respondents to the Rick Hansen Foundation/Leger survey agreed it is important for people with disabilities to be able to participate in the community and the economy. They also prioritized accessible housing, initiatives to ensure buildings and public spaces are accessible and efforts to educate Canadians at large about accessibility issues. Concurrently, 28 per cent attributed barriers in the built environment to failure to adequately enforce accessibility regu-

lations, and to neglectful designers and builders. Another 23 per cent suggested existing accessibility standards are too lax.

Respondents were also most inclined to hold designers, developers and building owners/managers to account, with 70 per cent concluding that this group has “significant responsibility” for accessibility. Fewer expressed such high expectations of provincial (64 per cent), municipal (63 per cent) or federal (57 per cent) governments. |

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THIRTY YEARS OF FOREST GROWTH FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP:

When laying the groundwork for his inaugural business, Domenic Gurreri knew choosing the right name was crucial.

It was 1994, and as a civil engineering student, Domenic had secured some contracting completing interlock and soft landscaping work for residential clientele. With the positive responses he received, he soon realized it was something he could build a successful career on. To reflect his vision of rejuvenation and growth, Domenic landed on “Forest Contractors” for his company name, laying the foundation for a growing entrepreneurial pursuit.

Domenic knew owning his own business was going to be tough—at least at first—but he was familiar with commitment. His Italian father had instilled the ethos of dedication and commitment into him from an early age, and his summers were spent working for the family business, a janitorial company. Although Domenic had no direct connection to the construction industry, many of his friends did. He was fascinated by the processes involved with construction and, through some contacts, was able to take his first steps towards working in the industry.

He soon found that much of his profit was eaten up by the cost and delay of using equipment rentals. To be competitive, he knew he needed to own the machinery outright. While still a student at Toronto’s George Brown College, he made arrangements for a bank loan. He was quickly denied—in fact, the bank manager laughed at him—but undeterred, Domenic returned with the backing of his parents who agreed to act as co-signers.

INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION

With the money in his pocket, the company acquired key pieces of machinery including a Combination Roller, a piece of equipment used for compacting asphalt. The machine was not yet being used by competitors in a patch and repair setting and was considered an innovative move in the commercial and industrial sector. Fun fact: you can find the Combination Roller displayed in the second-floor foyer at the Forest Group head o ce. Along with the Combination Roller, Domenic acquired a dump truck, doolies, back hoes, mini excavators, skid steers, rollers, small spreader, and a trailer to move the equipment from one job to another. Just two years into their inception, Forest now could take on a larger volume of jobs and move into the commercial industrial arena. They now had the control over quality needed to ensure seamless project completion.

In those first years, every dollar earned was put back into the business to allow it to establish itself and grow. And it grew considerably.

BEGINNINGS OF FOREST GROUP

In 1997, Forest Contractors Ltd. found its first o ce location with an attached shop. In 2004, he owned his first o ce facility with a yard, and in 2012, Forest opened their own asphalt plant strategically located at the junction of two major highways to conveniently serve customers across the GTA and beyond. With five storage silos for various hot-mix asphalt types and updates made to the acquired asphalt plant facility, Forest Paving Ltd. was born, marking the beginning of the Forest Group! In 2017, Forest winterized the asphalt plant, allowing the plant to produced hot-mix asphalt all year round for our clients.

Now aligned with their own asphalt plant, Forest Group were able to be more competitive on municipal projects. Forest was able to successfully bid and work with municipalities by providing low and competitive pricing to clients and was not only able to supply itself with high quality asphalt but serve as a supplier to other asphalt companies. The asphalt plant also serves as a recycling division, whereby waste concrete is crushed and reused as a gravel base approved by MTO standards.

In 2015, Forest acquired A. Wesley Paving Ltd., further expanding their capabilities in providing high-quality paving and asphalt services.

With over three decades of experience, Forest Group employs over 250 dedicated professionals and maintains a fleet of over 450 machines. Forest Group has headquarters in Vaughan, a paving division in Concord, and equipment yards in both Brampton and Burlington. With an emphasis on sustainability and resource management, Forest has earned the trust of top-tier clients including Canadian Tire, Rogers, CIBC, York University and CN Rail, along with many other satisfied clienteles.

WELCOMING FOREST READY MIX

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It doesn’t stop there. Forest has been recognized as a Platinum Club member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Vaughan Business Achievement Award, ICCO Business Excellence Awards, and the BOMA Canada Pinnacle Award promoting service excellence in the Commercial Real Estate Industry.

Forest Group continues to expand and grow. Recently, the company introduced the SmoothRide solution to Ontario. Originally engineered for large road and highway paving, Forest Contractors Ltd. have adopted the technology for use in parking lot paving. SmoothRide enhances the removal of old asphalt, significantly minimizing the disposal of millings and reducing the use of excess asphalt. This approach extends the asphalt’s lifespan, eliminates deficiencies, and optimizes e ciency, resulting in less overall waste per project. The SmoothRide solution is an environmentally responsible option for property owners who value sustainability and cost savings.

As they did years before by using the Combination Roller, Forest Group have once more proved themselves as initiators of innovative technology in the paving and asphalt industry.

from the past three decades. Domenic and his team recognize that the unwavering support of their employees, clients, partners and community are the backbone of Forest’s continued success. The anniversary celebration was an incredible evening that reignited the flame of future ambitions, and gratitude for past achievements.

THE QUESTION FOR DOMENIC GURRERI IS, WHAT COMES NEXT?

Specializing in asphalt paving and concrete construction, the Forest Group o er extensive and diverse services and solutions for initial construction, maintenance and repair. Results-driven and client-focused, Forest Group builds strong, sustainable foundations to protect our client’s investment for today and for the future.

To book a visit with a site representative, or to find out more, please contact 416-951-2159 or visit www.forestgroup.ca

Forest Ready Mix provides premium concrete mixes direct

the company’s core values

In 2023, the company expanded further with the introduction of Forest Ready Mix to the group of companies. Forest Ready Mix provides premium concrete mixes direct to customers and upholds the company’s core values of excellence and innovation.

CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS

Forest Group recently celebrated their thirty years of service with family, friends, and clients in Vaughan, sharing many success stories

INSIDE THE GREAT HALL. THE OUTSIDE LANDSCAPE IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTORED. PHOTO BY MICHAEL ELKAN, COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC IN VANCOUVER, CANADA.

A GREAT REVIVAL

How can valuable art survive an earthquake? A seismic upgrade at UBC prepares the Museum of Anthropology for the worst.

ALL OBJECTS FROM THE GREAT HALL, INCLUDING MORE THAN 20 MASSIVE CARVINGS, WERE TEMPORARILY RE-LOCATED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE MUSEUM DURING CONSTRUCTION.

As a young architect in the 1970s, Nick Milkovich made original building models of the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) while apprenticing for Arthur Erickson. Little did he know that more than 50 years later he would lead a major renovation that involved tearing down part of that museum and rebuilding it from the ground up.

Located at the University of British Columbia, the MOA has stood upon the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of the Musqueam people since its completion in 1975. Above ground, its concrete

and glass structure blends with its natural environment, between the forest and sea, as it overlooks the Strait of Georgia and North Shore Mountains.

Yet far below ground lies a hotspot for volcanoes and earthquakes. The MOA sits atop the Ring of Fire, a nearly 25,000mile path that curves around the Pacific Ocean, tracing the meeting points of many tectonic plates. As these plates move against one another, causing friction, they can potentially release enough stored-up energy to trigger earthquakes.

Since the museum opened in 1976, knowledge about active faults in the Pacific Northwest has greatly evolved. So

OF THE MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC.

too have earthquake codes that are better equipped to protect properties in case of a catastrophe.

When UBC and global engineering firm Arup began assessing the museum’s resilience through a campus-wide seismic action plan, the Great Hall was flagged as being high priority; it had about 25 per cent of the capacity to resist seismic loads that was required according to the 2018 BC Building Code. Earthquake simulation modelling also predicted the Great Hall would collapse early if an event occurred.

A major earthquake could happen at any time in B.C. and cause significant

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ELKAN, COURTESY

damage. The museum, inspired by the cedar post-and-beam construction of traditional Northwest Coast First Nations villages, was at risk.

So were the valuable collections inside. Over the years, the MOA’s curated displays have created more awareness of Indigenous art, particularly that of the Northwest Coast First Nations. Visitors will find massive carvings, weavings and contemporary pieces. The museum is also home to the world’s largest collection of works by renowned Haida artist Bill Reid.

How could this art, and Erickson’s original design vision, possibly survive an earthquake?

“Museums are about relationships and people.”

THE GREAT FALL

After Nick Milkovich Architects won the contract for the Great Hall, a design team, which included project architect Anne Gingras and project manager Wai Lui, contemplated several strategies alongside Equilibrium Consulting and Arup. They ultimately decided on base isolation technology, which involves placing the structure on flexible bearings or rubber pads. These isolators move and stretch under pressure and absorb much of an earthquake’s impact by reducing sway-

ing and shaking. The technique is more commonly used in Japan and New Zealand. There is only one other building in Canada said to have used base isolation—a school in B.C. made of brick—one of the most vulnerable building materials. Base isolation of the Great Hall wasn’t enough though. The roof would need reinforcing and a site investigation revealed that the concrete columns were hollow, which greatly affected the seismic performance of the existing structure.

NEW CONCRETE COLUMNS AT THE GREAT HALL RESTORE ARTHUR ERICKSON’S ORIGINAL DESIGN. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ELKAN.

FACILITY DESIGN

“Our objective is that when we leave, it should feel as though we were never there.”

“After a lot of deliberation and hesitancy, it was decided to take the Great Hall down and rebuild it from scratch,” explains Milkovich. “That was a difficult decision for the university and everybody, but it seemed like the direction that would make the most sense, especially if you’re trying to keep the building intact visually. It was a bit of a sad day—to watch it come down. It was part of my education in a way.”

Over the next seven years, as the Great Hall gradually re-ascended into a new and movable version of itself, it had to be separated from the ground and adjoining museum structure,

The main floor slab now floats on rubber base isolators located in a new crawl space under the building. Milkovich says when energy is transmitted through the isolators, the building will move laterally, up to about 14 inches in any direction, which will reduce stress on the upper structure.

Isolating the building also impacts connecting elements like the floor, walls and ceiling. In this case, movement plates were discreetly incorporated at the junction of slabs while camouflaging into the building.

Arup was the design consultant for the skylights and glass façade, which was another challenge. The previous system would have failed during an earthquake. Windows needed to be replaced yet replicated. They were previously constructed as one sheet of tempered glass held together with a bronze plate. The tallest glass façade was almost 50 feet.

The new windows are designed as two sheets of tempered glass with an interlayer located in between. “That interlayer is also cutting out all the ultraviolet light, which the building never had before and is damaging to exhibits,” says Milkovich.

Skylights of single-glazed, bronzetinted acrylic were replaced with vaulted double-glazed sealed units that achieve required U-values and shading coefficients. “They were all fabricated and in-

stalled as they were originally, but much more worthy of a museum space that protects the building,” he adds.

Other upgrades include an enhanced fire detection system and new computer controlled track lighting and LED fixtures.

PRESERVING THE PAST WHILE REIMAGINING SPACE

Long before construction, to better understand the cultural significance and history of the land, architects consulted with the MOA, the Musqueam Nation, and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, a pioneering figure in landscape architecture, who before passing away in 2021, helped shape many green spaces across North America, including the grounds of the MOA.

In a statement about the museum’s significance, which included various conservation principles to guide the heritage value associated with the site and building, a prime concern was protecting landscape elements, such as evergreen trees and native plants traditionally used in Musqueam culture, which both provide a naturalistic coastal environment for the museum’s collection.

So too was a pool of water at the base of the building, outside the front entrance, which Erickson had envisioned as an inlet. “Only with the water could you understand the reason behind the siting,” he once said. “It recalled the native coastal villages and their critical relationship to the forest and the sea and the powerful creatures which they would incorporate into their mythic art.”

Erickson, Oberlander and others had spent decades advocating for the inlet’s permanent installation in 2010. “You look out of the Great Hall and there is this waterway and beyond that is the Salish Sea,” says Milkovich today. “That is the connection Arthur wanted, so the building feels like it’s part of that coastline where most of the Indigenous peoples originated and lived for a long time.”

With a sensitive approach, informed by Indigenous knowledge, the landscape

is being restored and enhanced. A working committee, including the Arthur Erickson Foundation, also set out to preserve the character-defining elements of the previous Great Hall. The intricacies of this became quite extensive, even to the point of matching the colour of concrete to the original structure.

The new Great Hall also had to be dimensionally identical to the existing building, with similar precast channel beams, precast columns, and cast-inplace link beams, yet more earthquake resistant.

“In one of our earliest meetings, when we started working on the project, I said our objective is that when we leave, it should feel as though we were never there,” says Milkovich. “And I think it’s close; it feels fresher and lasts much better.”

Thispast June, when the Great Hall re-opened its doors to the public following an almost four-year closure period, the physical architecture appeared largely the same, but new artwork and visitor experiences reverberated throughout the space.

Much has evolved since the museum’s original art installation in 1976, back when Harry Hawthorn was the first director alongside Audrey Hawthorn, the MOA’s first curator.

“Many people who come here from around the world have a vision that there is one Northwest Coast Indigenous people,” says Susan Rowley, MOA’s current director. “There are so many First Nations along what is now B.C.’s coast.”

She says the rebuild was a chance to deeply engage with Indigenous communities, bring their voices into the space, and discuss what messages are important to convey to the public, such as belonging and diversity.

“Museums are about relationships and people,” she explains. “We were heartbroken to close for as long as we did but there was an incredible opportunity for us to really rethink the exhibit spaces, to come up with new themes, working with community members to think about what it is that Indigenous communities are looking to share with the public and how we provide them with that information.” | CFM&D

education

CLEAN LEADERS

Centennial College partners with CloroxPro Canada on a first-of-its-kind course that boosts its environmental services program.

Centennial College is now home to a ground-breaking course that is preparing next generation environmental services professionals to better manage and mentor front-line staff working in healthcare settings.

The school is the first globally to offer CloroxPro Canada’s HealthyClean Trained Specialist Course to its students

in Healthcare Environmental Services Management (HESM). The course was developed two years ago post-pandemic and is designed to enhance lessons in cleaning and infection prevention.

Karen Barnes is the program coordinator and a professor in the school’s HESM program. She says the specialized training course aligns with the program’s mission, to keep people safe, and further equips students to become leaders and

“empower front-line staff,” from housekeeping to maintenance.

“This gives our students the opportunity to learn from an industry giant,” she adds. “They have a chance to reinforce the lessons we provide in cleaning and infection control and build on industry’s best practices.”

By the end, students earn a Certificate of Mastery, boost their resumes and get a digital badge they can add to their on-

line signatures and social media profiles like LinkedIn.

HealthyClean is the only industry-wide certificate program designed for frontline cleaners and managers that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board and recognized by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Bilal Demachkie, business unit director at CloroxPro Canada, says the interactive seven-module course educates people on cleaning for healthy settings by using the right products at the right time, with the best process and techniques. It also complements existing protocols and guidelines.

“If you provide the tools and training to environmental services professionals, they will have more time to focus on front-line workers and improve the workspace,” he says. “How we can help alleviate the stress they face everyday is by providing those tools for them.”

Training is more challenging today as organizations face budget constraints and labour shortages. Burnout is causing high turnover, which, in turn, creates issues for facilities that must properly train cleaning professionals on using cleaning and disinfection products.

“The industry is constantly evolving just like microorganisms,” says Barnes. “We have to be in the forefront of these superbugs that are creating chaos in our healthcare settings.”

Collaborating with CloroxPro is another step in that direction. The new course, which launched at Centennial last year, advances an already unique educational opportunity. The two-year diploma program is the only one of its kind in Canada and recognized and recommended by the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee.

The school places a strong emphasis on providing students with hands-on experience within the program. As part of their training, they learn industry best practices and participate in life-like hospital labs that use the latest job-specific technology.

They also take part in two healthcare field placements. The first might include shadowing front-line staff and conclude with a second placement working alongside leadership teams with various roles and responsibilities. Students ultimately graduate with healthcare jobs on their resumes, but can also apply their learning to other industries, such as hospitality.

More applicants have been drawn to the program in recent years as COVID spread global awareness of the field. Recruitment within the program doubled post-pandemic. Barnes says that many students have transferable skills from other areas of the medical sector. They are also considering environmental services as a more exciting opportunity.

“There is a need for specialists within these areas; you can’t just throw somebody in them,” she says. “We’re really proud our students get jobs upon graduation, by having experiences, but also because it’s unique.”

It’s taken a long time to raise public awareness of the industry— even within other healthcare fields. The HESM students have the chance to collaborate on inter-professional activities with students

in areas such as occupational therapy or physiotherapy. This generates more understanding about what the role entails. “Our students teach them how to clean and maintain and do a safety checklist on mobility devices and they show us how to use them,” says Barnes.

Critical thinking is another key aspect of the program, which is pivotal for on-the-job problem solving. Managers must be ready for any possible risk and form contingency plans and auditing systems. They must constantly observe, train, and research proper equipment, such as ergonomic-friendly tools as productivity has assumed greater importance.

The specialized course is further shaping leadership skills. Since launching at Centennial last year, Demachki is receiving plenty of interest from other post-secondary institutions with similar programs—to foster future environmental service managers who have always been integral to any healthcare setting. “They are an invisible hand that protects people everyday,” he notes. “The pandemic really highlighted that and put them at the forefront.” | CFM&D

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES MANAGEMENT STUDENTS KICK OFF THE HEALTHYCLEAN TRAINED SPECIALIST COURSE WITH CLOROXPRO CANADA.

BREWING UP HOSPITALITY

In Toronto, iQ Offices transforms an historic building into its newest workspace offering, complete with a full-time barista.

At first glance, 302 Bay Street, soon to be the newest co-working space from iQ Offices, looks exactly like a high-end hotel or restaurant inside.A bar extends across one side of the lobby. An aesthetically-designed seating arrangement of couches, lounge chairs, and coffee and pedestal tables conjure London’s Mayfair district with a rich palette complemented by the Art Deco grandeur of the former Bank of Montreal building.

That hospitality feel is precisely what Co-founder and CEO Kane Willmott was hoping to create. In this way, he’s bringing a fairly unique model to the co-working landscape.The renovation eschews the conventional format of hot desks in an open area in favour of private offices and amenities across the 14-storey building.

Stepping inside the PATH-connected workplace, members will hear music playing while a full-time barista prepares hot and cold beverages at the bar in the Bay Street Lounge—originally named the

Grand Banking Hall back in 1917.

“The barista really becomes a big part of creating this vibrant community because the person knows everybody and knows what they drink,” says Willmott, who piloted the complimentary service in Montreal.“What we experienced is that people will come and work at the bar.”

Besides the on-site staff, he says food and beverage is a real connector for people, whether it’s the free snacks offered throughout the day or a catered breakfast for team meetings.

A VIEW OF THE GROUND-FLOOR LOUNGE AND BAR AREA.

Breakout space with bar-height tables, restaurant-style booths, bookshelves and a games room fill the mezzanine level overlooking the lounge. Space subscribers have access to showers and a bookable thermotherapy room with a sauna and tank for cold plunges on the third floor.

Private offices occupy the fourth to 14th floors, while a members’ lounge and rooftop terrace top out amenities on the 15th floor.

Large and abundant meeting rooms are central to Willmott’s strategy for attracting space users with small to mid-sized workforces.These are employers who previously might have leased 7,500 square feet to accommodate about 50 staff.

“We have found, post-COVID, that companies are using them [meeting rooms] more than they ever did. Nowadays, companies are asking:Who is coming into the office and when are they coming into the office? [They’re saying] I don’t need 50 desks; I need 25 desks, but I need the ability to bring 50 people together,” he says. “We really focus on creating these interesting meeting room environments with all of the latest technology, touchscreen TVs and directional mics — to connect people onsite with people virtually, as well.”

Heritage elements of the property—marble, brass,Art Deco motifs—lend to the ambiance.“One of the great things about working with these properties is the natural elements already built into the space,”Willmott adds.“You just need to bring them to life.”

The design team carefully restored the interior to create a cohesive heritage experience from the ground-floor lounge to the

rooftop. Outside, a full-height columned portico still dominates the front entrance. The citation with the building’s 1976 designation from Ontario Heritage Trust calls it a “notable example of the classical temple form considered especially appropriate to banks during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.” The reworked space continues to respect and celebrate those heritage attributes.

While its location may very well cater to banks and the fintech sector, the co-working space isn’t necessarily tailored to a specific industry.

Sometimes, the clientele is surprising. iQ Offices’ first location at 140 Yonge Street, formerly the Dineen Hat and Fur Company, is also a heritage property in the Financial District, featuring exposed brick and vaulted ceilings.“We thought it would be entrepreneurs,” says Willmott. “But we found it’s enterprise companies that are on the leading edge, investing in workspace and their people, recognizing the value of focusing on their core business and creating environments that allow their teams to fly.”

As existing office leases expire,Willmott is seeing more companies move away from traditional offices and into his co-working spaces as a permanent solution.“We’re also seeing a lot of companies that weren’t using co-working to the same extent now shifting a good chunk of their portfolio into co-working space.”

There’s a trend, especially with large enterprises like banks and tech organizations, using co-working strategies for their smaller spaces under 10,000 square feet, he

notes. Companies can offer an experience through scale, amenities, and having enough people in-house to create a vibe that “really earns the commute of their teams.”

Willmott is gambling iQ’s upscale co-working option will be chosen over discounted subleases for a surfeit of space. “It’s the empty restaurant syndrome where there’s this big beautiful place but only 10 people sitting in the corner and it’s not very inspiring,” he submits.

The intention at 302 Bay is to provide a place where people can connect and create, while exemplifying the future of hospitality-infused workspace in North America.

The new workplace officially opens this fall. | CFM&D

LIBORIO’S LEGACY CON TINUES

Remembering Liborio Gurreri, celebrated founder of Tor Can ICI Roofing Inc.

Agreat leader is often described as someone who thrives on embracing challenges, fostering connections, and solving problems in pursuit of progress; someone who isn’t afraid to adapt, learn, and motivate others down the same road to success.

Liborio Gurreri, visionary architect and founder of Tor Can Waste Management and Tor Can ICI Roofing Inc, exemplified these exceptional traits, and more.

All those who knew him, defined Liborio as a kind, committed professional who embodied the true spirit of entrepreneurism, embracing every triumph and defeat with one prevailing philosophy: “Only by exceeding our customers’

expectations can we hope to have the opportunity to earn their business another day.”

Liborio will be remembered as a celebrated member of the construction community in the GTA, and for his leadership and commitment to high-quality service and safety standards in the roofing industry.

Liborio established Tor Can Waste Management in 2000

“Liborio was a friend who was always one to offer words of wisdom, encouragement, and advice. You could always count on him, and he never let you down. The same characteristics were evident in his approach to business. He always did what he said he would. There was no problem he could not solve.”

- Mark Veneziano, Partner at Lenczner Slaght LLP

“Liborio’s legacy cannot be measured by money, success, or material possessions. The relationships he built with his family, friends, and business associates made a profound impact that is rare for most people to experience. He leaves a meaningful and memorable mark on our lives. ”

followed by Tor Can ICI Roofing Inc in 2019. Both wholly owned companies were built on the mantra “service over profit,” which became the guiding ideology that allowed the small enterprises to successfully challenge the corporate Goliaths of the day.

With five successful years in business, Tor Can ICI Roofing Inc’s expertise lies in the installation of commercial, industrial and institutional roofing systems using TPO, EPDM, PVC, metal and traditional 4 ply tar and gravel buildup, always to the manufacturer’s strictly specified applications. The company is also proud to be recognized as a Soprema authorized installer, which is often cited as the best roofing system in the industry.

The team continues to hone its re-roofing expertise in the property

management sector in a manner that would make its founder proud - by exercising sensitivity to the needs of tenants while delivering the highest quality service that it helped garner the business of property management icons. Some of their most notable customer projects include Shoppers World Brampton, Iron Mountain, Yorkdale, McDonalds, and Rogers.

Liborio’s footprint was vast, but so too was his focus on the future and succession plans. This includes the 18year mentorship of Michael Collura, VP, and the accompaniment of a handpicked management team that were all reared for their understanding of good business and a commitment to earning their clients’ trust daily.

“BUILDING

A LEGACY THROUGH LEADERSHIP FIRMLY FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE”

Liborio’s brother, Domenic Gurreri, founder and President of Forest Group, remembers him as a “true gentleman, admired amongst his friends, family and the community alike. His dynamic energy had a remarkable way of filling any room with a sense of warmth. His absence has left a significant void in our lives. He will be forever loved and never forgotten.”

It’s safe to say that all those who knew and worked for Liborio Gurreri are grateful

LIBORIO GURRERI 1968 - 2024

Liborio passed away on June 7, 2024, at the age of 56. Through his work, his family, his businesses and his philanthropic endeavours, Liborio Gurreri will live on, and his contributions to his field will leave a lasting legacy.

for his visionary leadership, commitment to quality, and tireless work ethic that guided him every step of the way, and the industry remembers him fondly.

Liborio also had a great spirit of generosity, which he demonstrated through his support and involvement with several charitable initiatives, including Josie’s Pink Truck Foundation, which the family launched in loving memory of his daughter, Josie.

GROUNDED IN STYLE

New flooring mirrors the subtle beauty of nature. Here’s a look at some award-winning products.

The Lithic Soft Surface collection from Patcraft won a silver award at this year’s NeoCon. It was designed to emulate the artful characteristics of stone. The 18-inch by 36-inch carpet tiles are available in five styles and seven colours. The product has a low embodied carbon footprint and can be entirely recycled.

Liminal Space from Mannington Commercial captures the fluidity and ephemeral nature of the shifts between light and shadow cast through a canopy of trees. The carperting comes available in modular and broadloom, with various backing options. The broadloom version won a silver at NeoCon this year.

Awaken from Shaw Contract is a new hospitality-grade collection of rugs and broadloom carpet with watercolour-like patterns that reflect large-scale abstract florals. The product, which earned a gold award at NeoCon this year, was designed on a new tufted technology and explores the convergence of AI and traditional hands-on processes.

Matter Surfaces recently announced 25 new PURLINE 1500 roll colours for 2024. The refreshed collection spans across six new color palettes: pastel, earth, brights, neutral, and natural and modern wood looks. The bio-polyurethane-based flooring is crafted from renewable raw materials, is free of CMR ingredients, and exceeds ASTM F925 standards.

ADAPTABLE LEARNING

Flexible furniture transforms educational environments with a focus on dynamic movement and creative storage solutions.

Senator’s Contour is a flexible, lightweight work and meeting chair designed for any education, healthcare and corporate environment. It features a highly adaptable platform, generous seat pad and a single-piece backrest with ergonomic support that can be configured with either plastic or upholstery. Interchangeable ancillary parts allow for easy modification, including legs, arms, tablets and an underseat bag tray.

Arcadia’s latest product launch, Flipside, offers a fresh take on traditional benches. The minimalism-inspired product is made of two, three or four-unit modules that can be specified with bench seats or a combination of benches and tables. It comes with or without backrests and optional accessories such as integrated power units. Seat cushions feature built-in suspension webbing, while back cushions have just the right amount of passive-flex.

Steelcase brand Smith System has a new line of products called Constellate Storage. The collection features modular storage units, book displays, lockers and shelving that scale via an intuitive starter-adder system. Custom details include casters or glides, doors, cubbies or shelves, totes or hooks. The units come in three colours and can be stacked vertically or expanded horizontally.

last word ]

SWITCHING OFF FLUORESCENT LIGHTING

Fluorescent lighting will disappear from the Canadian marketplace by the end of this decade.

Following a lengthy development process, an updated version of the federal regulations governing mercury-containing products has now been published, establishing three dates for the phase-out of compact, straight, non-linear and induction fluorescents — at yearend 2025, 2027 and 2029.

Theoretically, these products cannot be manufactured in or imported into Canada after December 31, 2025. However, the regulations include a two-year transition period during which manufacture and import of replacement lamps and parts for existing systems will be allowed. After December 31, 2027, retailers will be given another two years to sell their remaining inventory of fluorescent products.

Manufacture and import of new high-pressure sodium vapour and metal

halide lighting is to halt as of January 1, 2029, but, for now, replacement lamps and parts will be allowed indefinitely into the future. Production and sale of select fluorescent products for which there is no viable mercury-free alternative will also remain permitted, including lamps used for air, water or surface purification, sterilization, sanitization, treatment or disinfectant.

Mercury is a cumulative and lasting toxin that is detrimental to human and wildlife reproductive and neurological health, and it is a transboundary pollutant that can cause harm in areas beyond its country of origin. The updated regulations align with Canada’s commitment as a signatory to the 2017 Minamata Convention on Mercury, a legally binding international agreement under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

“We’ve seen the release of mercury into the air and water decline by half

since 2007,” says Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “It is crucial that we continue to protect the health of Canadians and their environment, while encouraging businesses to transition to safer alternatives.”

The accompanying regulatory analysis estimates the phase-out will result in a 91 per cent or 681 kilogram reduction in mercury released to environment in the 10-year period between 2026 and 2035, along with $3.86 billion in energy savings and a 4.6-megatonne (Mt) drop in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the switchover to more efficient LED lighting. On the cost side, government analysts calculate consumers will pay an extra $208 million on the upfront price of LEDs to replace fluorescent lighting over the 10-year period, but that does not include the cost of replacing fixtures.

Fixture replacement costs could not be accurately pegged because analysts could not determine how widespread that requirement will be. Based on projected savings on energy and avoided GHG emissions, the analysis reiterates that upfront costs would have to be 24 times higher than the estimated $208 million to cancel out the benefit to consumers.

“With advances in technology, many LEDs are simply drop-in replacements for their mercury-containing counterparts,” the analysis states. “To date, industry commentators have suggested that new light fixtures may be needed for some LED replacement lamps, but no data have been provided to support this claim.”

The analysis also looks beyond those who can be expected to voluntarily switch to LEDs. “It may be that some consumers require the ‘nudge’ that the amendments will provide by changing their purchasing habits from cheaper to more expensive lamps that save money over time,” it states. | CFM&D

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