Canadian Property Management * September/October 2019

F O R B U I L D I N G O W N E R S , A S S E T A N D P R O P E RT Y M A N A G E R S

VOL. 34 NO. 4 • OCTOBER 2019

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VOL. 34 NO. 4

OCTOBER 2019

Editor-in-Chief Barbara Carss barbc@mediaedge.ca Publisher Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca Contributors

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editor’snote THE TERRIFYING, the creepy and the insidious all pose threats in the built environment. A scan of recent news stories yields raging fires, surging flood waters, crane-toppling winds, multi-day power outages, random violence, vermin infestations and brazen cyber attacks — presenting a continuum of negative implications from disrupted productivity to damaged reputation to destruction of property to loss of life.

The scope of safety, security and risk management concerns continues to expand. In turn, the likelihood that property, facilities and/or asset managers will have to confront one or more of these scenarios will only increase as the climate becomes more volatile.

At the portfolio level, investors and fund managers are in good company as they grapple with an emergent high-priority risk exposure. Over the approximately 30 months since the initial framework for the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) was released, major global players have steadily signed on to the effort to define the physical, social and transition risks that climate change presents for financial stability and asset value.

GRESB, the global benchmark for the environment, social and governance (ESG) performance of commercial real estate portfolios, is likewise testing indicators to align its reporting with TCFD criteria. In this issue, we highlight some of the drivers of that pilot resilience module and related discussion from Canadian GRESB participants.

Complementary insight from the insurance provider, Aon, outlines trends that have been pushing property insurance premiums upward. A spate of intense weather events and aging infrastructure are among the factors inspiring what's termed "more underwriting discipline".

Concurrently, sophisticated integrated systems are now potentially vulnerable to a single breach in their vast networks. We look at the newly formed Global Cybersecurity Alliance, an industry-based collaboration to promote vigilance and guidance for applying and complying with security protocol. Commercial real estate owners/ managers, facilities managers and investors in infrastructure are identified as key stakeholders who now face a familiar challenge in securing required skilled personnel.

Bad actors abound elsewhere in this issue — with accompanying discussion on how to thwart them — in guidance on money laundering and insider risk. As with cybersecurity, policies, procedures and documentation provide structure and routine so that all prospective monitors know what they're looking for and can take a disciplined approach to catching and reporting anomalies.

In contrast, Chris Seepe notes that property managers and building superintendents can be unwittingly pressed into impromptu duty as first responders to the opioid crisis.

And Robert Kravitz and Zandile Chiwanza chronicle what's known and what's still to be determined about the disconcerting candida auris infection, a still somewhat mysterious phenomenon in health care facilities and long-term care homes.

Barbara Carss barbc@mediaedge.ca @BarbaraCarss

Canadian Property Management | October 2019 3

contents

Focus: Protection, Mitigation & Recovery 6 Climate Risk Profiling: Commercial real estate owners, managers and investors are gauging the potential for non-controllable weather-related threats and the state of controllable response mechanisms.

12 Insurance Market Correction: Events and trends are pushing up premium pricing levels for commercial real estate.

14 Money Laundering Vigilance: Global financial monitors point to dubious activities and troubling patterns.

17 Global Cybersecurity Alliance: Commercial real estate owner/managers and institutional facilities managers figure prominently among stakeholders.

20 Inside Security Breaches: Public Safety Canada offers guidance on safeguarding sensitive materials and proprietary information against in-house malfeasance.

22 Fentanyl Contamination: Deadly street drug also poses threats when it moves inside.

24 Candida Auris: Drug-resistant fungal infection on the watch list for health care facilities.

26 Smart Emergency Lighting: Self-testing LEDs ease the laboriousness of regular system testing.

30 False Alarm Brake: Non-fire, low-heat sources less likely to trigger multi-sensor detectors.

Article: 27 Next Gen Gender Split: CREW Network examines recruitment trends and offers some recommendation for attracting young women to commercial real estate careers.

4 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

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riskmanagement

PORTFOLIOS IN Investors Contemplate Risk Profile of Climate Change

By Barbara Carss DEBUNKING DENIERS is so last decade. Proponents of sustainable, resilient real estate now place more urgency on prodding climate change procrastinators to action. And even conventional push-pull forces are realigning to support the effort.

“Managers are being pulled in the same direction by owners and tenants,” observed Benjamin Shinewald, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Building Owners a nd Ma nagers Association (BOMA) of Canada, as he led a recent panel discussion in Toronto.

“I think there has been a shift in interest in the last five years or so, from mitigation to adaptation.”

The occasion for the gathering — release of the 2019 GRESB results, the global benchmark for the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of commercial real estate portfolios — backs that hypothesis. In its 10th year, the GRESB database now provides a picture 6 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

of 1,005 real estate entities that collectively hold more than 100,000 assets in 64 countries valued at USD $4.1 trillion, including 26 major Canadian players.

They’ve taken on the recognized arduous task of reporting under the assessment’s seven ESG aspects to guide their own decision-making and to meet the expectations of the growing pool of GRESB investor members that subscribe to full access to the data. That group now numbers more than 100 and represents USD $22 trillion in institutional capital.

“Don’t lose sight of the fact that they also have pressures on them,” Dan Winters, GRESB Head for the Americas, reminded the attendees.

When it comes to climate change, those pressures are more commonly called risks.

Accordingly, GRESB administrators tweaked the pilot resilience module — a three-year exercise to identify and refine metrics that will be integrated into the core assessment — this year to line up with the

Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework for gauging physical, social and transition risks to business stability and asset value.

Perhaps tellingly, 316 GRESB participants opted into the voluntary module, a 96% increase from 2018.

NON-PORTABLE ASSETS Derek Billsman, Director of Real Estate Management and Sustainability for the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), noted that TCFD criteria also underpin the deep risk profile HOOPP undertook to assess both potential threats and preparedness to deal with them. That informs an asset-by-asset plotting of controllable and non-controllable risks the non-portable investments face.

“The very, very acute risk is obviously physical,” he said. “The question is: what’s the risk of being at that address?”

The mounting consequences of being stuck fast in the wrong place for an

riskmanagement

N A STORM extended wrong time begin with soaring insurance premiums and end with stranded assets. “ T he r e i s t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r delinquencies as tenants simply walk away f rom ch ron ica lly impacted areas,” warned Natalia Moudrak, Director, Climate Resilience, with University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation.

In contrast, she cited examples of relatively low-tech and cost-effective adaptation measures. The Intact Centre has produced a soon-to-be-released guide for the commercial real estate sector outlining what she terms “highly actionable best practices” such as sensors to detect and redirect elevators away f r o m b elow- g r a d e wa t e r accumulation. In tandem with regular staff and tenant training, that could prevent a repeat of the nightmarish scenario during Toronto’s August 2018 extreme storm when two men were trapped in an elevator filling with water.

“A $5,0 0 0 -per-elevator retrof it eliminates a situation that is potentially a life threat,” Moudrak maintained.

Still, identifying where and how to intervene (or press managers to make interventions) is no simple task in portfolios with dozens or hundreds of properties with multiple functions, scattered around the world. While panellists agreed that data is getting easier to obtain, gaining access to some key resources, such as flood risk mapping, remains a challenge.

“I’m not going to say it’s easy and I’m also not going to say it’s cheap. But the work that we did helped our insurance renewal this year,” Billsman offered. ” If you’re not ready, yes, you may get the insurance payout this time, but you may not get it next time.” (See story, page 12) Deniers and procrastinators figure in other misperceptions Moudrak seeks to quash: 1) that climate change will desist; and 2) that there is plenty of time to respond and adapt. Nor, she stressed, should

locations outside designated flood plains automatically be perceived as low-risk.

HOLISTIC APPROACH Regan Smith, Director of Sustainability with Manulife Investment Management shared her personal mantra — “Done is better than perfect” — in making the case for proactively tackling climate change challenges and, if necessary, figuring out some of the details along the way. She traced the commercial sector’s evolution from a building-level focus on retrofits and certification to a more holistic portfolio-wide approach that integrates sustainability into all business functions.

“It’s becoming a core element; it’s not a siloed element,” Smith said.

That evolution has occurred in step with advancements in data collection and interpretation. “It comes down to the capacity to assess data and make decisions,” submitted Darryl Neate, Director of Sustainability for Oxford Properties.

Canadian Property Management | October 2019 7

riskmanagement RANDOM ACTS OF RESILIENCE GRESB participants report in seven variously weighted environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects — management; policy and disclosure; risk and opportunity assessment; environmental monitoring/management; performance indicators, including energy and water consumption and waste diversion; building certifications; and stakeholder engagement — that create a picture of their strategy-level environmental commitment and oversight, implementation rigour and measurable outcomes.

GRESB is also aligned with other obligations that companies and their investors may face, such as tracking commitment to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals or reporting under the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). This year was the second year of a three-year pilot resilience module, and GRESB administrators tweaked it to glean focused responses about transition, social and physical risks.

“There were 150 distinct things in the module you can measure, and they were categorized by TCFD criteria,” explained Chris Pyke, a Senior Vice President with the GRESB and USGBC affiliated firm, ArcSkoru. The pilot will identify the most

pertinent indicators so they can be integrated into the core GRESB assessment.

“If you do GRESB, you have all the data you need to navigate these other acronyms,” said Dan Winters, GRESB’s Head in the Americas. “We have institutional investors that rely on us to get that data.”

For now, the alignments are perhaps more aspirational than tangible. For example, 80% of GRESB participants have set energy-saving targets as per UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but efforts have been modest in the face of the actual objectives.

“Even if everyone in the ESG universe met their targets, we still wouldn’t meet the SDGs,” advised Neil Pegram, GRESB Director for the Americas.

Pyke likewise affirmed there is much room for improvement on the TCFD front, which is seen in the significant divergence in responses to the pilot resilience module.

“The top 10% of respondents have a very comprehensive program. The bottom 10 to 20% is really just starting out. In between, there is a lot of variance,” he said. “You can’t assume that people are managing climate risk and resilience successfully. You might call it random acts of resilience.”

Regardless of the urgency that directs attention and resources to climate change adaptation, a room full of sustainability practitioners is unlikely to overlook prospects for mitigation. Neate predicted zero-carbon operational footprints will become more common in the coming years.

“It’s such an appealing and simply elegant concept that people can get their heads around it,” he said.

Hugh Molyneux, President of the professional services firm, Refined Data Solutions, suggested emerging or still unforeseen innovations could also play a role, including what might seem like fantastical hopes to take carbon out of the atmosphere. “Human beings always seem to come in just under the wire, but it’s looking a little dicey right now,” he mused.

Arguably, too, Michael Brooks, Chief Executive Officer of REALPAC and a member of the GRESB board of directors, set the tone for those bigpicture aspirations in his introductory remarks.

“We’re all pushing for the same thing in this room: a healthier and more equitable, more inclusive and sustainable planet,” he asserted. zz

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PLUGGING INTO THE “SMART CITY” Q&A with Erica Brabon, Director, Energy and Sustainability, Black & McDonald Limited

T

he push for smarter and more sustainable cities is gaining momentum. From the rise of “smarter” buildings to the expansion of digital infrastructure, forward-thinking asset owners are taking advantage of the latest technologies to create more efficient, advanced, and connected environments.

How can Canada’s commercial property owners and managers “plug in”? Here to examine how facilities new and old can take advantage of the “smart city” revolution, and where to begin, is Erica Brabon,

Director of Energy & Sustainability at Black & McDonald Limited.

How do you define a “smart city”?

First and foremost, a smart city is one that’s designed to increase the quality of life for its citizens. That means a jurisdiction that focuses on sustainable, connected, and resilient assets and infrastructure. It’s also one that makes large-scale investments based on how those initiatives will contribute positively to the lives of its people, be it where they live, work, or go to enjoy themselves.

SPONSORED CONTENT There’s also the connectivity aspect of ‘smart cities.’ What’s the connectivity experience for the citizen and is it integrated with new municipal platforms? Moreover, what kind of conversations are you having with those people in regards to how they feel about some of this digital transformation that’s happening around them? We need to determine the long term capital investment strategy that supports tenant retention and experience while transforming the building into a sustainable connected asset.

There are certainly many advantages for all asset categories within a smart city, but they require some upfront considerations, planning and an open minded approach to innovation and affordability.

What should property owners/ managers consider as they move closer towards becoming part of a smart city?

Whether you’re a public facility or commercial complex, the question is: “Are we ready to exist in a ‘smarter’ environment?” For example, if your retail outlet sits in an area of the city with a micro-grid, are you ready to participate in that grid from an investment and regulatory perspective? If you are an office complex with multiple tenants, are you sub-metering? Moreover, are you able to bill back to the tenants or provide them savings through some of the new technologies and systems that you’re putting in?

How do firms like yours support these “smart” building initiatives?

We can be the partner, the innovator, the implementer and the integrator. Our Energy & Sustainability Team serves as a centralized resource for clients who can bring together different expertise from across our company and the tech community to provide the best and most innovative solutions that are the right fit for your needs. So for an office tower or residential building, that could mean exploring the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations and battery energy storage, which not only contribute to better energy management but are increasingly popular amenities for today’s commuters.

In those cases, we work with asset owners and managers to examine what the energy impacts will be on their property, determine operational implications of new solutions, and help plan for their installation and ongoing monitoring.

That’s just one example, though. When we talk ‘smart buildings,’ we’re talking about any number of technology investments such as automated heating and cooling systems, predictive maintenance systems, advanced lighting controls, energy-saving amenities, or “intelligent” technologies that sense when residents pull into the parking lot and adjust their environment or unit accordingly.

Overall, our role when consulting clients on these “smart” initiatives is to be technology agnostic and outcome focused.

We provide advice on what technologies are out there, formulate a pathway to adopting these technologies, and then deliver insights to help the client make

decisions that best match a building’s profile, its population, and resources.

What are the costs of becoming a “smarter” building or facility?

Like anything, it’s an investment. There again, however, we can help bring funding to the table from the federal government and provincial government, depending on what province you’re in, to decrease the cost of the project. We can also assist with upfront project scoping and having interactions between technology stakeholders.

We have to remember that being a smart building and “plugging” into a smart city has financial and operational benefits.

More and more, asset owners/managers are recognizing that becoming a more sustainable and “smarter” building can create better returns while driving sales through an overall better resident experience.

You mention that becoming a smarter, more sustainable building has promotional benefits as well. Can you expand on that?

People are expecting more out of the places in which they live and work. They’re much more tech-savvy and conscious of their environment.

Industrial tenants are asking about automated peak consumption prediction, building automation, ‘smart’ HVAC controls, and energy-saving amenities; residential unit owners are expecting amenities that will feed into their ‘connected’ lives; and commercial businesses are in search of the tools and services that will create more connected and digital customer experiences. Across the board, there is an increased desire to invest in technologies or at least begin planning to adopt them down the road. As an asset owner or manager, that’s how you’re going to stand out to potential tenants, and position yourself to take advantage of what these current and future smart cities have to offer.

Erica Brabon is Director of Energy & Sustainability at Black & McDonald Limited. For more Smart City Solutions and services, visit www.blackandmcdonald.com/ our-services/smart-city-solutions.aspx.

riskmanagement

NO SIMPLE RENEWALS

Property Insurance Experiencing a Market Correction The following is a perspective from Aon, outlining the evolving dynamics of Canada's commercial property insurance market – Editor.

THE INSURANCE market in Canada can be characterized as currently being in a “market correction” phase for real estate organizations, most notably to their property (and business interruption) insurance. This has led to a return to more underwriting discipline by insurers, resulting in broadbased market increases in property insurance rates.

Even those portfolios that have not experienced significant losses, have implemented strong risk control measures and do not face large natural catastrophe exposures are seeing increases. Portfolios that are not doing these things, do not exhibit these characteristics, and have experienced poor loss histories are seeing significant rate increases.

The overall insurance market sentiment tide began to turn more broadly and most noticeably in late 2018. That’s when poor real estate sector-wide results, aggregated over the last several years, led insurers to realize that current premium pricing levels were not sustainable. This, in turn, has led to underwriting direction whereby insurers are now requiring rate increases, combined with deductible increases, on all accounts, 12 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

especially those that are not profitable or have not been adjusted in many years.

In some cases, these changes have been drastic, notably on risks where losses have been consistently poor over time. The historically ample capacity in the property insurance market and the strong insurer competition for business is no longer sufficient to overcome the recent poor insurer financial results in the commercial real estate sector.

CLAIMS AND UNDERPINNINGS Two types of claims predominate and are driving the changes: water damage and fire.

Several years ago, the Insurance Bureau of Canada reported that water damage losses surpassed fire losses as the leading cause of insurance claims in Canada. One major insurer states its average commercial water damage claim is now $120,000.

Commercial property owners of all asset classes, not just residential, have experienced water damage losses.

The sources are many, including: leaky pipes; improper design/construction; poor maintenance; human error; and sprinkler systems failure. While not catastrophic

from an insurer’s perspective, the frequency and severity of such water damage events has been steadily increasing.

Despite many years of active measures to reduce and mitigate fire risks, such as investments in fire detection, suppression and superior construction materials, fires still happen. Commercial real estate owners continue to experience fire losses and the resulting smoke damage can be extensive and costly.

In many cases, these are caused by tenant activity, but fire losses from other causes continue. Other than wildfire, these losses are generally not deemed catastrophic from an insurance perspective in that they tend to be limited to a single site. Yet, fire losses incurred on a regular basis can still significantly accumulate.

The most common types and size of water damage and fire claims experienced in the real estate sector are usually referred to as attritional losses — meaning non-catastrophic peril losses that occur more frequently, but with only moderate severity. Although not catastrophic to an insurer — versus, for example, a hurricane that covers a broad geographic area — attritional losses can still amount to several times the annual premiums paid, either due to a few relatively large losses or a string of moderate losses.

riskmanagement Some of trends now shaping insurance risks in the real estate sector include: Aging infrastructure In many cases, water damage losses have arisen due to the failure of water and sprinkler systems, in addition to human error. These water systems can be internal to the building, or external via water and sewer mains maintained by the local municipality.

Real estate building stock, especially residential, will continue to age. According to CMHC over 51% of all the high-rise apartment stock in Canada is more than 40 years old, and 23% was built in 1960 or earlier. That supporting infrastructure, both owner and municipal infrastructure, will require substantial investments to replace and upgrade.

Earthquake risks Canadian financial regulators (OSFI) continue to closely monitor the reinsurance taken out by insurers to protect themselves.

In 2018, OSFI placed this sector under a formal review. Its goal is to make sure insurers are properly assessing and setting aside adequate capital reserves to protect themselves from, for example, the risk of a major earthquake happening in Canada.

Also, reinsurance placed with foreign reinsurers by insurers in Canada is being examined to ensure the reinsurance capital is available for insurers to respond adequately in the event of a catastrophic event. Further restriction of earthquake capacity offered by insurers can be expected in the future, along with accompany rising costs for this component of the property insurance premium.

Insurance capacity Beyond earthquake risks, in some cases the overall capacity for all types of losses being offered by insurers is being reduced. This may be the result of the insurers’ modelling being performed on portfolios against various natural catastrophe risks, such as flood, windstorm, etc. In addition, there are also cutbacks in total policy limits being made by some insurers in managing their overall financial exposures against all types of losses.

Climate change/weather patterns More severe storms are predicted, and insurers continue to monitor this trend and its accompanying effects on claims. More intense rainfall in shorter bursts will drive higher the costs of flooding claims, both

overland and riverine flooding. Dryer conditions will also increase the intensity and scale of wildfires. More severe convection storms may increase hail and tornadic events. (See story, page 6) Any resulting increase in claims costs will put additional pressure on insurance premiums and policy coverage provided.

Fortunately, to date within Canada, large scale natural catastrophe losses, such as hurricanes, have not been experienced.

While there have been a couple larger scale flooding events in recent years (Calgary, Toronto) and wildfire events (Slave Lake, Fort McMurray), these have not been catastrophic in terms of total payouts, at least when compared to other parts of the world.

Inflation/deductibles It is important to note that labour, repair and new material costs continue to rise each year, while in many cases property insurance deductible levels have remained constant. According to the Marshall Valuation Service by Marshall and Swift, construction costs have risen on average 30.3% in Canada over the last decade. This would mean a $5,000 deductible in 2008 would be the equivalent of more than $6,500 today, just due to construction inflation costs alone.

During the favourable property insurance market of the past few years, deductibles generally did not increase. So insurers are playing catch-up in some ways just to adjust for inflation. Higher deductibles are being imposed on several types of perils, including water damage, flood and, in some cases, all other perils, dependent upon the specific claims history of a portfolio.

FORCES INTENSIFYING Multifamily high-rise apartments and wood frame buildings are the most affected to date. The inherent risks of owning and insuring buildings occupied 24/7/365 by individuals can be high, and owners have limited control over the actions of tenants within their units. The effects of tenant accidents can go well beyond damaging just the unit where it occurs, and can impact other units and the building itself, especially water damage, fire losses and smoke damage.

These are in addition to the traditional exposures where the cause is outside the control of the owner, such as windstorm, hail, etc. Condominium and strata corporations are also affected and the reduced spread of risk that an individual

condominium or strata has, compared to the owner of many multifamily buildings, makes them more vulnerable to the property insurance market in the event of individual losses.

Office and some industrial/warehouse risks continue to be the most favoured asset class with insurers. Although generally less affected by certain types of claims compared to residential assets, many of the overarching trends discussed here are applicable.

Insurers are looking closely at retail vacancy and/or asset repurposing exposures.

Aging infrastructure is also applicable to these asset classes. While there is more control over tenants in this sector, insurers are now examining more closely the tenant occupancies of industrial buildings.

Many of the forces at play in the real estate sector will not be going away in the near term and, indeed, may only increase over time. The cost of repairs, driven by labour, material and more sophisticated building systems and equipment, will continue to rise.

Infrastructure will age and the need for large investments, certainly those in the public sector, will rise and not be easy to finance and implement.

Climate change producing more intense rainfall events and drought (wildfire) is expected. Financial regulators will continue to evaluate the insurance and reinsurance sector to ensure that capital is available to policyholders in the event of a major catastrophic event.

In light of these trends, to enable the best possible outcome of their insurance program renewal, real estate owners will need to: • invest in effective loss prevention measures on an ongoing basis, especially targeting problem locations; • provide responses to previous risk improvement recommendations; • develop and implement water damage mitigation plans and, wherever possible, invest in water leak detection measures; • gather all pertinent risk information (COPE data) on their portfolio and outline future CapEx plans that will improve the portfolio’s risk profile; • undertake a deep dive analysis of their claims history; and, • begin the renewal process with their broker well ahead of the renewal date. zz The preceding article is derived from Aon's Property Insurance Update Canada, Q1 2019. For more information, see the website at www.aon.com/canada.

Canadian Property Management | October 2019 13

riskmanagement

RED FLAGS OF MONEY LAUNDERING Global Financial Monitor Lists Dubious Activities REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS top a global list of financial activities deemed most likely to provide cover for money laundering or terrorist financing.

Recently released guidance from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — the intergovernmental entity that has developed recognized global standards for anti-crime vigilance in the financial system — focuses on the role legal professionals can play in either enabling or disrupting criminal efforts, and offers advice for interpreting and responding to clues that clients have nefarious intent.

Some of the identified suspicious real estate antics include: cash, crypto currency payments or other unusual means of payment, such as precious 14 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

metals or gems; repayment of mortgages significantly in advance of maturity dates; transfer of assets between parties within a short time period for no discernible reason; or acquiring an asset then rapidly using it as collateral for a loan. However, many other hints of potential malfeasance a re not obvious and/or appear more ominous when they are part of a pattern of questionable conduct.

A representative from Canada’s Department of Finance was among FATF members from nine nations and two multinational organizations involved in drafting the document, which outlines an approach to manage and mitigate risk.

A six-step checklist — recommended as

particularly pertinent for small law firms and sole practitioners — urges legal professionals to: scrutinize their clients; clarify clients’ commercial or p er sona l r e a sons for r e quest i ng action; be aware of actions that have the potential to facilitate money launder ing; look for obvious red flags; have a response protocol if red flags arise; and document everything.

“Due to the nature of services that a legal professional generally provides, automated transaction monitoring systems of the type used by financial institutions will not be appropriate for most legal professionals,” the FATF guidance acknowledges. “Although individual legal professionals are not

CANADA'S ALLURE

By Kevin Comeau International money launderers know that dirty money is considered cleaner — i.e. more easily integrated into the legitimate economy — if it can be made to appear to have originated from a western liberal democracy.

Attempts to clean dirty money by transferring it to a country with a reputation for corruption or with a restricted currency is of little benefit because money transfers coming out of such countries tend to be closely scrutinized by the international banking community and likely will raise a red flag.

Additionally, the rule of law in western liberal democracies provides protection against arbitrary confiscation of assets.

Kleptocrats and criminals from autocratic and developing countries seek such protections because they know that, if they leave their criminally obtained assets at home, they risk arbitrary confiscation from someone better connected to power.

Together, these two benefits — better cleaning and protection from confiscation — provide strong incentives for international money launderers to send a disproportionately high percentage of their proceeds of crime to western liberal democracies. In turn, western democracies with weak anti-moneylaundering protections, like Canada, likely receive a disproportionately high percentage of the dirty money coming to them.

Using the estimate of $3.75 trillion entering the international financial system and assuming 70% of the $3.75 trillion ($2.625 trillion) is laundered in western liberal democracies, Canada’s proportionate GDP share (4% of the total GDP of

western liberal democracies) would be $105 billion. But since Canada’s anti-moneylaundering protections are weaker than those of many other western liberal democracies, it is likely receiving more than its GDP-percentage share of dirty money.

Money laundering in Canadian real estate artificially inflates house prices and rents and increases the number of vacant houses.

International money launderers are likely to leave their houses empty because renting increases their risk of detection.

Tenants will want to pay by cheque or bank transfer, both of which bring the international money launderer into the Canadian banking system and its more rigorous antimoney-laundering detection systems.

Legitimate property managers are not a viable alternative because they are required to withhold 25% non-resident tax, submit that amount to the Canada Revenue Agency and disclose to the agency the identity of the foreign owner, which increases the money launderer’s risk of detection.

As a result, houses sit empty, hollowing out the economy. There are no occupants to buy groceries, clothing or gas, or go to restaurants, hair salons or the theatre, which reduces sales revenues for local merchants and tax revenues for the government.

The preceding is excerpted from the C.D. Howe Institute policy brief, Why We Fail to Catch Money Launderers 99.9 percent of the Time. For more information, see www.cdhowe.org/researchinsights.

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Canadian Property Management | October 2019 15

riskmanagement expected to investigate their client’s affairs, they may be well positioned to identify and detect changes in the type of work or the nature of the client’s activities in the course of the business relationship.”

A shorter list of 23 dubious activities characterized as red flags is annexed to the guidance document, but it follows after extensive chronicling of several dozen potential signals of risk. “Any one of the factors discussed in this Guidance alone may not itself constitute a high-risk circumstance, but the factors should be considered cumulatively and holistically,” it reiterates.

Country/geographic risks relate to the origin and destination of the funds and assets in a transaction. These include: countries credibly believed to provide support for terrorist activities or a haven for corruption and organized crime; countries with notably weak regulatory reg i mes; or cou nt r ies subje ct to international sanctions or embargoes.

Client risks arise when the beneficial owner of an asset is unclear. Legal professionals are advised to be wary of: unusual or irrational instructions; lack of tra nspa rency; deals that seem disproportionate to purchasers’ resources or inconsistent with their stated business

16 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

Client risks arise when the beneficial owner of an asset is unclear. Transaction/service risks are tied to the specifics of the deal. concer ns; rel ia nce on f i na ncia l i nt er me d ia r ies or a lt er nat ive f i na nci ng; a nd dema nds for a n unduly rapid transaction, reluctance to obt a in requi red reg ulator y approvals or other indications of attempts to avoid oversight.

Transaction/service risks are tied to the specifics of the deal. Much of t h is f lagged suspicious act ivit y overlaps with client risks. In both c a s e s , t h e g u id a n c e d o c u m e n t underscores the risk of inadvertently provid i ng a g u ise of propr iet y.

“Legal professionals may in practice represent or assu re t he cl ient’s standing, reputation and credibility to third parties without com mensurate k nowledge of the client’s affairs,” it warns.

The guidance document also provides a breakdown of standard, simplified and enhanced processes for vet t i ng cl ient s. T hat ca l ls for consideration of risks and associated mitigating factors before taking on the client’s business, as well as throughout a continuing business relationship if or when scrutiny is considered necessary.

Each step of the process should be documented and kept in the client’s file.

“Where the legal professional is unable to comply with the applicable client due diligence requirements, they should not carry out the transaction nor commence business relations, or should terminate the business relationship and consider filing a suspicious transaction report in relation to the client,” the guidance document states. zz

security

SMART VULNERABILITIES Supporting a Culture of Cybersecurity Vigilance

THE GLOBAL Cybersecurity Alliance (GCA) is a response to both threats and c o n f u sio n . Fo u nd i ng m emb e r s , representing six major automation and systems integration providers, are aligned with the International Society of Automation (ISA) in an effort to promote vigilance and awareness of the ANSI/ISA 62443 standards for cybersecurity.

The International Electrotechnical Commission has adopted the ISA 62443 series of standards, defining requirements and procedures for implementing electronically secure automation and industrial control systems and security practices, and for assessing electronic security performance. The United Nations has also endorsed the standards, which look holistically at information technology and how it applies in a wide range of operations.

Commercial real estate owners/ managers, facilities managers, operators of and investors in infrastructure and their industry associations are among end-user stakeholders the GCA is targeting. That's because the flipside of smart building potential — i.e. optimized

system performance, enhanced energy and cost savings, productivity levers for building occupants — is vulnerability.

"T h e fa c t t h a t b u i l d i n g s a r e connected means they are hackable," Hugh Molyneux, President of Refined Data Solutions, observed during a recent industry panel discussion. (See story, page 6) The GCA counts facilities and bu i ld i ngs a long wit h cr it ica l manufacturing, utilities and health care on the list of key sectors that have already experienced cyber attacks.

Nefarious players, system vulnerabilities and operators with a lackadaisical approach to security protocols can s e p a r a t ely, o r i n c om bi n a t io n , compromise and destabilize building systems and the safety, security, productivity and well-being of building occupants.

"Cybersecurity is critical to digital transformation," says Blake Moret, Chief E xe cut ive O f f ic er of Ro ck wel l Automation, one of the GCA's founding members. "It's critical not only for the protection and security of information

and intellectual property, but also for the protection of physical assets, the environment and worker safety." " By e s t a b l i s h i n g a n o p e n , collaborative and transparent body with a focus on strengthening people, processes and technology, we can drive true cultural change," maintains Klaus Jaeckle, Chief Product Security Off icer wit h Sch neider Elect r ic, another of the founding members.

The GCA identifies the following priorities for concern and action: IIoT and Digital Transformation The Industrial Internet of Things brings accelerated connectivity, leveraging remote access and cloud resources, translates into a larger attack surface and more oppor tunities for exploited vulnerabilities. A group of autonomous hackers within IBM Security estimates that the number of vulnerabilities exposing control systems has increased 83% since 2011.

OT/IT Convergence IT components, like servers and cloud computing, are driving improved uptime, Canadian Property Management | October 2019 17

security performance, quality and productivity in manufacturing environments. Increased c o n n e c t iv it y m e a n s i n c r e a s e d v ulnerabilities, a nd I T a nd OT (operational technology) must work together to build a more secure enterprise.

Legacy Systems Many legacy systems are used in plants and facilities around the world, but these systems were designed for a different time. While IT systems are designed a round con f identia lity,

integrity and availability, operational t e ch nolog y envi ron ment s a re m i s s i o n - c r i t i c a l a n d t h e r e fo r e prioritize availability and integrity above confidentiality. Instructions b ei ng sent b et we en devices a re trusted and often executed without verification or validation.

Multi-Vendor Environments Most environments are increasingly complex. Distributed control systems, SCADA systems, and components of

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each are built, integrated and managed by different entities. If cybersecurity isn’t built into products by design or verified when products and systems a re connected, vulnerabilities a re heightened. To make matters worse, compa n ies a re slow to pat ch vulnerabilities because they don’t want to impact the system function or increase downtime. Cisco estimates that nearly half of the security risk that organizations face stems from having multiple security vendors and products.

Skill Gaps and Contract Workforces Nearly every industry sector is relying heavily on contracted labour resources to run their enterprises and this trend isn’t likely to change with the pending Baby Boomer generation moving into retirement. Many companies say that finding skilled employees is a critical challenge, and people can make an even bigger difference than technology or devices.

Sixty-two percent of respondents in the SANS 2019 State of OT/ICS Cybersecurity Report identified people, internal and external, as the greatest risk for system compromise. Kapersky Labs research supports that. It found that the number of incidents caused by the unintentional activities of current service providers, consultants and contractors more than doubled in 2018.

Of equal concern, companies need support to comply with developing industry or regulatory guidance. There is confusion about how to apply the ISA 62443 cybersecurity standards or t a i l o r t h e m t o s e c t o r- s p e c i f i c requirements. A majority of surveyed companies (58%) now report they are hiring staff with cybersecurity skills — further heightening the need for cybersecurity workforce development.

"A c c e l e r a t i n g a n d e x p a n d i n g globally relevant standa rds, certification and education programs will increase workforce competence and help end-users identify gaps, reduce risks and ensure they have the tools and systems they need to protect thei r facilities a nd insta llations," a sser t s Ma r y R a m say, Exe cut ive Director of the International Society of Automation. zz For more information, see the website at https://isaautomation.isa.org/ cybersecurity-alliance

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Canadian Property Management | October 2019 19

HAVOC WITH

A FAMILIAR FACE Insiders Often Well Placed to Breach Security

By Imran Ahmad and Darren Reed EARLIER THIS YEAR, Public Safety Canada released Enhancing Canada’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience to Insider Risk, a guide designed to assist Canadian organizations in developing effective programs to mitigate and respond to security threats from insiders. Critical infrastructure is broadly defined as “ p r o c e ss e s, syst em s, fa c i l it ie s, technologies, networks, assets and services essential to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of Canadians and the effective functioning of government.”

Public Safety’s focus, in recent years, has been on the potential disruption of critical infrastructures that could result in loss of life, adverse economic effects and significant harm to public confidence. In this regard, Public Safety has identified the following 10 industries with critical infrastructure that requires security partnerships between governments (federal and provincial) and industry stakeholders: 20 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

health; food; finance; water; information and communication technology; safety; energy and utilities, manufacturing; government; and transportation.

Public Safety has been increasingly focused on cybersecurity of Canada’s critical infrastructures and has published several guidance documents to assist orga n i zat ions w it h t hei r cyb er preparedness. While this guide focuses primarily on insider threats, it does recognize the growing role of cyber threats, and many of the recommendations apply both to physical and cybersecurity.

The Guide defines insider risk as anyone with knowledge or access to an organization’s physical or cyber infrastructure, having the capacity to damage the organization’s employees, customers, assets, reputation or interests.

Risks from insiders arise from an organization’s employees, partners, associates, third-party service providers

and external organizations with access to the internal network, resources, personnel, facilities and digital assets. It provides several “quick wins” that are organized under three broad themes.

ESTABLISHING A CULTURE OF SECURITY The Guide recommends that organizations have policies, procedures and appropriate controls for organizations to create a culture of security that places responsibility on all employees. Senior management’s engagement and accountability is the cornerstone of employee buy-in. Security should be championed by a senior executive responsible for developing a security policy with support from a working group consisting of human resources, legal, privacy, communications, technology and security.

It also recommends developing clear security policies through employee education, training and screening

riskmanagement long-term relationships with key service providers. Prior to entering into these relationships, risk assessments identifying security concerns regarding access to systems and data should be undertaken.

Analyzing the internal security of thirdparty service providers, including background checks of employees and establish ing th i rd-pa r ty secur ity agreements, is recommended.

measures. These should apply to all employees, contractors and subcontractors, and should minimally include: • Pre-employment screening that varies with the level of risk assessed for the position; positions with greater access to sensitive information should be subject to more rigorous security checks; • Employee screening based on position requirements and assignment of appropriate risk levels equal to the critical data and areas that those individuals access; • Periodic position assessments to identify any changes to position responsibilities and adjusting the risk level where necessary; and • Defining clear expectations in the security policies implemented by the organization related to account access management, password control, access to physical and digital areas, personal internet use and downloading/storing of personal data, regular employee training exercises, and corrective actions.

To reduce risks from business partners, it is recommended that organizations build

EMPLOYEES AS SECURITY RESOURCES Employees are an organization’s largest asset in detecting and reporting potential insider risks. Periodic training, tests and employee assistance programs promote security vigilance by raising risk awareness and encouraging proactivity.

The Guide sets out a non-exhaustive list of characteristics and behaviours of insider risks that employees should be trained to recognize, including: • Alcohol/substance abuse or changes in financial situation; • Argumentative/combative personality at work, disregard for policies/procedures or frequent attempts to access unauthorized assets; • Absenteeism, unauthorized travel, termination or unexpected resignation; and • Unauthorized contact with foreign representatives or competitors.

It is also recommended that organizations establish a process for confidentially reporting and tracking unusual behaviour or potential incidents.

CRITICAL ASSETS POLICY The Guide classifies a critical asset as anything that if altered or destroyed would impact the confidentiality or accessibility of essential services. It recommends conducting an organization-wide assessment to identify critical assets and protect them in the following ways: • Monitor system and physical premises usage and what data is being sent to third parties and how it is being sent; • Apply the Principle of Least Privilege, which restricts individuals to the most minimal level of access required for them to effectively perform their duties; and • Divide key functions among several people to make it more difficult for an individual to abuse sensitive information.

Because security breaches often occur through remote access granted by the organization, it is important to establish

procedures for tracking remote access and device endpoints. There should also be restricted access to critical systems to personnel physically located in the workplace, with remote access being g ra nted cautiously a nd documented completely.

Organizations should ensure their critical systems and data are backed up with a recovery plan. This requires controlling access to physical backup documentation and data, with the following recommended security measures: • No single individual should have access to both online data and physical backup media; • Organizations should require full disclosure from third parties of any subcontracted vendors providing services, including offsite storage; and • Backup and recovery processes should be tested regularly.

Organizations should develop and implement policies, procedures and controls regarding access to information and data. Where possible, monitoring and consolidating access points to the internet and transparent policies regarding social networking sites should be enforced, as any information posted on these sites is accessible. Limiting or restricting portable storage devices, particularly when connected to the organization’s network, is recommended.

VIGILANCE FIRST Insider risk is a danger to all organizations, but can be mitigated through implementing policies and actions that emphasize employee engagement, monitoring technology usage and data movement, and having backup and recovery plans in place.

The holistic approach recommended by Public Safety begins before people are granted access to critical infrastructure and continues throughout that employee’s/ third-party’s time with the organization.

Where cost and resources limit full implementation, administering the organization’s most critical policies would be beneficial. zz Imran Ahmad is a Partner in Toronto and Darren Reed is a Partner in Calgary, practicing with the Cybersecurity group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. The preceding article is reprinted from a Blakes Legal Bulletin. For more information, see the website at www.blakes.com.

Canadian Property Management | October 2019 21

health&safety

FENTANYL

HITS HOME Landlords and Property Managers are De Facto First Responders

By Chris Seepe

WHAT DO MURDER 8, Apache, China Girl, China White, Friend, Dance Fever, Goodfella, Jackpot, TNT, and Tango and Cash all have in common? They’re all street names for fentanyl or fentanyl-laced heroin.

Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful synthetic opioid analgesic used as an anesthetic and for the treatment of chronic pain. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, fentanyl is 100 times more powerful than morphine, 50 times more toxic than heroin and 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin, all of which means the risk of an overdose is extremely high. The RCMP states that two milligrams of pure fentanyl — about the size of four grains of salt — can kill the average adult.

Disconcertingly, the prevalence of fentanyl in other street drugs today means the police and fire departments aren’t always the first to arrive at the scene of an overdose.

Regardless of the neighbourhood, it can just as easily be landlords, property managers, realtors or janitors.

According to the Justice Institute of British Columbia, 62% of the province’s known fatal drug overdoses in 2016 involved fentanyl compared to just 4% in 2012. In March 2017, the province recorded 120 fatal overdoses all linked to fentanyl, which is about 3.9 deaths per day.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reported that of the 9,000plus deaths recorded throughout Canada between January 2016 and June 2018, 2,066 were opioid-related. Of these, 94% were accidental and 72% involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues.

22 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

LABS AND COVERT OPERATIONS Fentanyl is synthetic and can be easily and inexpensively made in a lab. Those labs can pop up just about anywhere, including rental apartments.

If a landlord detects an illegal drug operation is underway on his or her property — tip-offs may include boa rded wi ndows, sca les, chem ica ls, baggies a nd discarded pill casings — immediate action is required.

Landlords are advised to evacuate the building at once and call in the authorities.

Tasteless, odourless and difficult to detect, exposure can occur unintentionally simply by touch or inhalation.

Fentanyl poses a huge risk to anyone not wearing the right safety equipment so it is imperative no one enters a contaminated unit or area unless authorized to do so.

Christian Cadieux, President of Toronto-based Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaners Inc., notes it is possible that f lies and other insects could carry fentanyl-laced bodily f lu ids f rom a newly d iscovered cor pse to a f i rst responder. Several RCMP cases have involved officers entering vapour-filled vehicles or rooms, only to become gravely ill and in need of immediate medical attention after only a few minutes of exposure to the fentanyllaced heroin.

In other words, there are no safe steps a landlord can take to verify a drug lab suspicion aside from alerting the police.

health&safety

The police and fire departments aren’t always the first to arrive at the scene of an overdose. It can just as easily be landlords, property managers, realtors or janitors.

OVERDOSE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Similar to morphine or heroin, fentanyl works to bind opioid receptors in the brain to quickly depress the central nervous system and respiratory function while boosting levels of the chemical dopamine, which controls the feelings of pleasure, euphoria, reward and relaxation.

Many overdoses and deaths have occurred because individuals weren’t even aware they were consuming fentanyl, which can be in the form of powder, liquid (injection), skin patch, or pill. It can be mixed with other drugs, such as cocaine, heroin or counterfeit pills made to look like legal prescription opioids.

If an individual has overdosed, signs could include: difficulty walking, talking or staying awake. He or she may have blue lips or fingernails, unusually small ‘pinpoint’ pupils, clammy and cold skin, dizziness and confusion, nausea, extreme drowsiness, gurgling, choking, or snoring sounds, slow, weak or no breathing and the inability to wake up, even when shouted at or shaken.

Anyone exhibiting these symptoms should be encouraged to sit up, or if incapable, positioned sideways while 911 is called.

According to www.fentanylsafety.com, a website for first responders developed by the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Naloxone is a temporary antidote for opioid overdoses that when properly administered in a timely fashion, can restore normal breathing and consciousness to individuals experiencing an overdose. A Naloxone kit is available free to qualified individuals, which could include landlords, from most pharmacies today provided they have a valid provincial health card.

If it was necessary to make physical contact with the victim, http://www.drugabuse.com advises intervenors to thoroughly clean skin with soap and water. Hand sanitizer or bleach should be avoided since they contain alcohol and may aid the absorption of fentanyl.

Executing an emergency response involving fentanyl is not something most rental housing operators signed on for, but like many of the hats they wear today, sadly, it has become a potential part of the job. Being prepared in case it happens is the best way to prevent a tragedy. zz Chris Seepe is a writer and course instructor focusing on issues for multi-residential landlords. He is President of the Landlords Association of Durham, and a commercial real estate broker of record at Aztech Realty in Toronto. For more information see the website at www.drlandlord.ca

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Canadian Property Management | October 2019 23

CANDIDA AURIS RAISES CONCERN

Drug-resistant Fungal Infection Occurring in Health Care Facilities

By Robert Kravitz and Zandile Chiwanza CANDIDA AURIS (C. auris), a drugresistant fungal infection, has infiltrated Canadian hospitals. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has alerted laboratories and healthcare facilities of C. auris being found in laboratories, hospitals, nursing homes a nd o t h e r t y p e s of h e a lt h c a r e environments.

Discovered in 20 09, t he d r ugresistant fungal infection severely sickens patients, typically causing chills and high fever. Nearly 60% of those who contract the disease die from it. Doctors become aware there is a problem when these symptoms persist even after antibiotics have been prescribed.

As of spring 2019, there had been 617 cases recorded in 12 U.S. states, according to the CDC. In Canada, a total of 20 cases occurred from 2012 to June 2019 according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). A new study by researchers at Johns Hopk ins Bloomberg School of Public Health 24 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

Risk factors include recent surgery, diabetes and broad-spectrum antibiotic and antifungal use. suggests that global warming may have played a significant role in the emergence of C. auris. “We think that C. auris may be the first example of a fungal species that has jumped the thermal barrier due to a d a p t i n g t o g lo b a l wa r m i n g,� hypothesized lead author, Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, the Alfred and Jill Sommer Professor and Chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecula r Microbiology a nd Immunology at the Bloomberg School.

People who have recently spent time in nursing homes and have lines and tubes

that go into their body (such as breathing tubes, feeding tubes and central venous catheters) seem to be at highest risk for C. auris infection. Limited data suggests that the risk factors for Candida auris infections are generally similar to risk factors for other types of Candida infections.

These risk factors include recent surgery, diabetes and broad-spectrum antibiotic and antifungal use. Infections have been found in patients of all ages, from preterm infants to the elderly.

Some analysts project that a viable treatment is still a long way off. Thus far,

health&safety

MOULD PREVENTION MEASURES Mostly harmless to human health, mould plays a practical role in the outdoors — breaking down fallen trees and leaves. However, mould growth indoors can have harmful effects on both property and people.

Mould can appear on walls, floor coverings, windows, ventilation systems, and support beams that are likely to be moist or water damaged. It grows in warm and wet areas such as bathroom tubs, between tiles, and window frames. The growth of any visible mould inside spells a risk factor for health problems and is unacceptable.

In general, exposure to most types of moulds does not cause symptoms in healthy people, but some moulds may be hazardous for those with allergies or other health issues. People who have asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, other allergies, uncontrolled diabetes or weakened immune systems, are more likely to react.

The most common symptoms are runny nose, eye irritation, skin rash, cough, congestion and aggravation of asthma. People with serious allergies to moulds may have stronger reactions that include fever and shortness of breath. People with chronic illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mould infections in their lungs.

Prevention is far less daunting than a mould remediation project which involves identifying and correcting the conditions that allowed the mould to grow and taking steps to properly remove mould-damaged materials. Building inspections, timely maintenance and the prompt repair of all plumbing and building structure leaks are key.

Mould prevention tips include: • Keeping the relative humidity between 30% and 50%.

• Venting showers and moisture-generating appliances such as dryers to the outside.

• Using exhaust fans when cooking, dishwashing or laundering (especially in the food service or laundry areas) or when cleaning large areas.

• Controlling humidity with air conditioners and/or dehumidifiers.

• Insulating cold surfaces to prevent condensation on piping, windows, exterior walls, roofs and floors where possible.

• Preventing condensation by increasing surface temperature, through insulation or increased air circulation, or by reducing humidity through repair of leaks, and, depending on the outside air, ventilating or dehumidifying.

• Keeping HVAC drip pans clean, flowing properly and unobstructed.

• Performing regularly scheduled building/HVAC inspections and maintenance, including filter changes.

• For floors and carpets, removing spots or stains immediately.

Reduce the amount of water used when cleaning carpets as much as possible.

• Avoiding carpet installation around fountains, sinks, bathtubs/ showers or directly on top of concrete floors that are prone to leaks or frequent condensation.

• Providing adequate drainage around buildings and sloping the ground away from building foundations.

the infection is drug-resistant. Sufferers can also be misdiagnosed because it is often hard to identify C. auris in lab tests.

Many questions remain unanswered about how best to detect C. auris and limit its spread within and between Canadian healthcare facilities. The fungus colonizes on a patient’s skin where it can transfer to surfaces of equipment, or from person to person.

“If there are no treatments, the only option administrators have is prevention, and that’s where detection and effective cleaning comes in,” suggests Brad Evans, CEO of OptiSolve, an imaging company that helps cleaning staff locate hidden pathogens on surfaces.

A recent study published in The American Society for Microbiology revealed that patients with very high concentrations of the fungus on their skin also had a high level of the pathogen on their beds.

“This is where detection and effective cleaning comes into the picture,” Evans adds. “If C. auris is suspected in a facility, the first thing administrators and cleaning professionals must do is turn to imaging technologies to see if and where pathogens may be hidden on surfaces. With this uncovered, the next step is effective cleaning to remove the fungus.” zz Robert Kravitz is a writer for the professional cleaning industry.

Zandile Chiwanza is the online editor of Facility Cleaning and Maintenance and Canadian Property Management.

From Boiler Room to Boardroom

It is highly recommended that experts be consulted and trained remediators be engaged to handle mould contamination.

The preceding article is reprinted from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety newsletter. For more information, see the website at www.ccohs.ca

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Canadian Property Management | October 2019 25

smartsafety

SAFE AND

EASY

Smart Emergency Lighting is Self-testing

By Alvaro Garcia THE CRITICAL role that emergency lighting plays for fire safety and emergency evacuation is undeniable.

Effective and reliable emergency lighting can provide building occupants with a safe path to egress, guiding them out of danger whether it is caused by a power failure, fire or natural disaster.

However, the installation of emergency lighting is just the first step in ensuring a greater level of safety for building occupants. For property and facilities m a n a ge r s , r eg u l a r t e s t i ng a n d maintenance are equally, or perhaps even more crucial tasks 26 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

Although codes and standards can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the premise remains the same. Self-contained emergency lighting unit equipment should be tested at intervals of no greater than one month to ensure that the emergency lights will function upon failure of the primary power supply.

This can often be a laborious and time-consuming task in large multi-site facilities. In addition to monthly testing, emergency luminaires have to be tested annually under simulated power failure cond it ion s, i nclud i ng op er at i ng emergency lights for the full three-hour

duration to ensure the system and batteries are working properly.

In a large building, performing manual inspections, which require personnel to push and hold a test button on the emergency lighting unit for a 30-second duration, could take a full day every month. In instances where a scissor lift or bucket truck is required, testing can take even longer and be significantly more expensive.

Advancements in built-in self-diagnostics and self-testing functionality, delivered by the latest generation of emergency LED fixtures and drivers with integrated on-board intelligence, are helping to reduce required time and labour. Smart emergency luminaires test themselves and report any identified problems with batteries, chargers and light sources.

Often this is done through the use of an indicator light or lights (LEDs) that illuminate or flash in a specific pattern to signal the specific issue. Selfdiagnostics can indicate a problem with a battery, driver or LED array, as well as charging or discharging in a test or emergency mode. Facilities managers merely have to perform a walkthrough of their premises, checking the indicator lights and documenting the status of each unit at the required test intervals.

The programmable intelligence and wireless connectivity of today’s smart emergency luminaires also has the potential to provide a platform for a building’s wireless infrastructure.

Broader sensor data from other systems including HVAC, security and building autom at ion syst em s ( BAS) ca n piggyback on a connected network of intelligent emergency LED lighting components. In the event of a n emergency, such as a fire, luminaires could support automatic communication with first responders.

It of fer s pot ent ia l ready made communications infrastructure with the ability to remotely test systems from anywhere at any time. That includes real-time centralized remote monitoring and maintenance aler ts and full integration with other emergency and building automation systems. zz Alvaro Garcia is Senior Director of Product Management at Fulham Co., Inc., a global supplier of LED and smart lighting products based in the United Kingdom. For more information, see the website at www.fulham.com.

DIVERSITY

DIVIDENDS Updated Mindsets Open the Way for Higher Returns

By CREW Network Industry Research Committee

THE CURRENT PIPELINE of college graduates in the commercial real estate (CR E) field is ver y na r row and predominately male. According to Canadian census data, approximately 310 un iversity students received bachelor’s degrees in real estate in 2016: 220 men (71%) and 90 women (29%).

Canadian universities also granted a total of 265 graduate degrees that year to 205 men (77%) and 60 women (23%).

Look ing to the United States, approximately 95 institutions offer real estate related programs. In 2017, a total of 811 bachelor’s degrees were conferred in real estate. Of those, 591 recipients were men (73%) and 220 were women

THRESHOLDS & WITHHOLDS Pay parity is not just the responsibility of the government or the employer. Employees must also take action. However, women are much less likely to get more money when they ask for it. According to a 2016 Glassdoor analysis, men come out winners three times as often as women when asking for more money.

Research and studies have uncovered barriers to increasing the representation of women at all level of the leadership pipeline, including: • Hiring manager mindset and bias (conscious or unconscious).

• Higher expectations for women candidates. Men often are promoted on future potential, whereas women often are promoted based on past performance.

• Fewer opportunities to gain experience and advancement in business line and operational roles.

• Lack of mentors, sponsors and champions.

• Insufficient programs to help integrate the demands of work and life and accommodate career interruption, where women are more widely affected.

Canadian Property Management | October 2019 27

corporateculture (27%). The same year, 694 men (72%) and 273 women (28%) obtained graduate degrees in real estate.

The United Kingdom posts the highest number of real estate related degrees, but does not give a gender breakdown for the most recently available statistics. In 2017, 3,220 university-level students graduated and about 64% of them entered employment in the U.K. in the real estate field.

However, the path to a career in commercial real estate may not be as straightforward from education to employment as other traditional career paths. For example, a college student might major in finance and end up in a job at a CRE firm, or go to law school and end up in a real estate practice.

Nevertheless, the number of graduates from real estate programs lags current industry demand. While more specific demographical data, including the race and ethnicity of graduates, could not be found through in the research, the shortage of diverse candidates in the industry is apparent.

The industry is predominately male for a variety of reasons. Many CRE businesses started as family endeavours, often founded by men and taken over by sons. Research also indicates that women may avoid risk-taking and commission-based jobs both early in their careers when they need steady pay cheques and mid-career when they have children. In addition, women tend to be less likely than men to enter and gain experience and exposure to operational roles, which most often lead to the top levels of leadership.

CREATIVE COMPENSATION MODELS Barbi Reuter, President of Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR Commercial Real Estate Services in Tucson, Arizona, suggests more creative compensation models offer a way to widen the pipeline of women into the industry.

“One-hundred percent commission can be a deterrent to many new entrants to the brokerage business,” she says. “The ‘Mommy tax’ and other penalties for offramping that affect compensation and

BEST PRACTICES FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Moving from Mid-Level to Senior Leadership • Provide women with opportunities for advancement into high-level line and operational roles • Challenge women with stretch assignments such as global responsibilities, leading a business line and contributing to a turnaround or expansion • Engage and identify high-potential women early and openly to reinforce the pipeline • Provide high-potential women with more exposure to senior leadership and boards • Develop a sponsorship program for women • Create recognition programs that promote successful women leaders as role models • Develop programs and initiatives to help employees integrate the demands of work and life Gender Equity on Corporate Boards • Expand the size of boards • Avoid filling open board seats with members of existing board's personal/professional networks • Periodically assess the skill sets that are ideal for the board compared with the skill sets currently represented on the board to identify gaps, and use it as an opportunity to build diversity • Create more egalitarian board cultures that integrate contrasting insights and welcome conversations from everyone • Ensure targets and goals to improve gender representation also include racial representation Advancing Women of Colour • Acknowledge that women of colour face a different set of barriers to advancement than white women and aim for all women to experience equal access to opportunities, pay and recognition • Ensure targets/goals to improve gender representation also include racial and ethnic representation • Focus on recruiting women of colour from university programs and professional organizations • Advocate for pay transparency practices, disaggregate pay data by gender and race, and make adjustments if needed • Analyze employee sentiment data by race and gender • Establish unconscious bias training in the company and confront biases

28 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

progress should be eliminated. It took me eight years and one recession to return to my pre-maternity leave income.”

As an example, a handful of independently owned offices of NAI Global, a global commercial real estate brokerage firm, have implemented new initiatives to attract young brokers that focus on their role in new business and the value of mentorship.

NAI Farbman in Southfield, Michigan is offering new commercial agents a one-year USD $25,000 salary plus 10% to 20% of their senior broker/mentor’s share of closed transactions if the new agent plays a significant role in bringing in the new business. The program can be extended beyond the first year upon the agreement of the new agent and mentor. NAI Puget Sound Properties in Seattle offers young professionals USD $30,000 for a one-year program and some benefits from the mentor’s share of the commission splits based on merit.

RECRUITMENT AGENDAS Recruiting diverse talent is one of the oldest and most persistent challenges facing commercial real estate leaders. Only 31% of real estate professionals responding to a recent KPMG survey said that their organizations require a diverse slate to be considered when hiring for open positions.

“As a recruiter, I’d like to see stronger assessment tools to evaluate core competencies and predictors of success in brokerage that could be administered to women in other businesses. Training resources for smaller firms would also help level the playing field,” Reuter says.

Kmeal Winters, Vice President, Asset Management at Dallas-based Spirit Realty, notes that companies could recruit talent from various organizations like CREW Network, the National Black MBA Association, and the National Association of Black Accountants to boost their diversity.

For example, many young professionals and high school/college students contemplating future options are introduced to commercial real estate careers through the CREW Careers program.

Rhonda Holland, Director of Finance and Group Controller with Canada's MasterBUILT Hotels, agrees that educating and guiding high school and college women toward careers in unconventional industries is necessary. However, she stresses that the “transferability of skills at all career levels of a women’s life” should not be overlooked.

“Aptitudes can bridge many industries and the opportunities to have a rewarding career

corporateculture CHERYL GRAY: ROLE MODEL AND INFLUENCER Cheryl Gray is the first President of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) from outside the United States. The Head of Special Projects, Operational Excellence, at QuadReal Property Group launched her term in late September at the 2019 IREM Global Summit in San Francisco.

“This is exciting news for Canadian property and asset managers as well as members of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC), as we see dedicated professionals in our community recognized on a global scale,” Stephen Ashworth, REIC Chief Executive Officer, noted on the occasion.

Earlier this year, Gray was named a Woman of Influence in North American commercial real estate for the second consecutive year — joining designees in a newly introduced category for 2019 to recognize proptech innovation.

“We were looking for individuals who had the forethought and ingenuity to realize how to best make technology work to benefit her career, her company and the industry at large,” advises Natalie Dolce, Executive Editor of GlobeSt.com, the sponsor of the annual awards now in their 26th year.

All of this year’s field of 200+ CRE influencers were nominated by industry peers and evaluated based on professional achievement, contributions to the broader real estate industry and their actions as role models and mentors for other women. Gray is the sole Canadian in the inaugural group of 10 innovators commended as trailblazers in embracing and integrating technology in real estate management, operations, leasing and investment services.

She draws parallels between the industry’s growing comfort with proptech and the emergence, earlier in the 21st century, of the green building movement. Like sustainability, Gray predicts smart buildings and services will simply become mainstream as the evidence of return on investment mounts.

“Women in proptech are starting to realize the power they have to collectively drive technology,” she adds.

Recruited as a core member of QuadReal’s senior management team when the company was formed in 2016, Gray has prioritized the values of communication, collaboration and consistency within her operational excellence group. Throughout a career that has included positions as senior vice president of residential services and senior vice president, national services, at Bentall Kennedy, she has responded as social, economic, environmental and digital upheaval delivers challenges, risks and opportunities to real estate, while simultaneously transforming building occupants’ needs and expectations.

“No matter what happens in the world, those of us who manage real estate are impacted,” Gray reflects. “If you’re good in this industry, you’re constantly reinventing yourself. If you’re open to a variety of things and experiences, you’ll be more adaptable than the person who says: we’ve always done it this way.”

Gray holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Waterloo and earned her Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation in 1990. She is an REIC Emeritus, the highest honour presented to members, and has served as REIC national board director and IREM Regional Vice President for Canada.

She has also been a leading contributor to shared industry resources, such as the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada’s recent Cyber Wellness Guide. She is a past recipient of the BOMA Canada Chairman’s Award and BOMA Toronto President’s Award and has served on BOMA Canada’s board of directors.

– REMI Network

in commercial real estate are abundant,” Holland says. “I think many women do not have the confidence to try to walk over that bridge. I am proof that a company can see past previous jobs on a résumé and see the worth of the candidate for the new life they can bring into their company. As long as the candidate is truly interested in the industry, it can develop into a passion.”

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DEFERENCE DON'TS Meanwhile, women must often navigate the precarious line between the instinct to be helpful and the appearance of subordination.

"Never defer from the conference table. Never offer to run the slides, take the notes, make the coffee or make the copies," Reuter advises.

"Speak up and make your voice heard. I’ve read that if you do not speak in the first 10 minutes of a meeting, you’re forgettable."

“Many of us grow up afraid to toot our own horn," she adds. "You can’t wait for someone to recognize your accomplishments. Selfnominate for awards and opportunities or ask a colleague to do so for you.” zz Accelerating the Advancement of Women in Commercial Real Estate was developed by the CREW Network Research Committee with support from industry partner, Capital One. The complete text of can be found at https://crewnetwork.org/about/research.

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Assessment & Remediation Structural Restoration Due Diligence/PrePurchase Assessment Property Condition Assessment Structural Engineering Roof Consulting

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Canadian Property Management | October 2019 29

lifesafety

TAKING THE TOAST TEST Multi-sensor Detectors Curtail False Alarms

By Raman Chagger A recent study from BRE Group, the United Kingdom's building research and certification institute, examines the performance of multisensor detectors for fire detection proficiency and susceptibility to false alarms. The following is an excerpt – Editor.

THE PRODUCTS generated by a fire depend on the burning material and levels of oxygen present. The types of smoke produced from different types of fires can be very broad in terms of their characteristics — i.e. optical density, buoyancy and colour.

Smoke detectors are expected to respond to all types of smoke. Unfortunately, some of these smoke characteristics overlap with those of airborne particles produced from non-fire sources, such as steam, dust, aerosol sprays etc., the effects of which could be identified by smoke detectors as smoke from fires.

Multi-sensor detectors representative of the range available in the marketplace were tested alongside two reference singletechnology optical smoke detectors. Each detector was subjected to a series of ten test fires to evaluate their fire detection performance, and each detector was exposed to five different tests designed to assess their resistance to known sources of false alarm.

The multi-sensor detectors were categorized as basic, intermediate or advanced based on the complexity of the design to improve their resistance to false operation.

The performance of the multi-sensor detectors and optical smoke detectors in response to test fires was similar. In the course of this study four new test fires were 30 October 2019 | Canadian Property Management

developed, the most consistent of which was the flame retardant polyurethane foam flaming fire. Similar pass rates for the ten test fires were observed for multi-sensor detectors and optical smoke detectors.

The sources of false alarms, in the majority of circumstances, tend to be present for a limited period of time before dispersing — e.g. steam from a shower room. Fires, in contrast, will typically tend to develop with increasing concentrations of smoke and heat and continue to grow over time. During all five false alarm tests the multi-sensors, on average, operated after the single-technology reference optical smoke detectors, demonstrating increased resistance to false alarm sources.

On average, the multi-sensors responded one minute before the toast ignited during the toast test, but forty seconds after the optical detectors responded with an alarm. This demonstrates that the multi-sensors require the alarm source to be present longer before triggering a fire alarm, but they still operate before a fire is created.

During the water mist, dust and aerosol tests, in general the ‘advanced’ category multi-sensors operated a fter the ‘intermediate’ devices, which operated after the ‘basic’ devices. On average, the response from all the multi-sensors was

later than the reference commercial smoke detectors, which in turn was later than the reference domestic smoke alarms.

The development of other false alarm tests — for long-term dust build-up, con d e n s a t io n , c ig a r e t t e s m o k e , synthetic smoke and insect ingress tests — was explored but abandoned due to difficulties with developing repeatable tests.

Common false alarm causes, such as steam, dust or aerosol, produce little if any heat or carbon monoxide. The optical technology within multi-sensor detectors can be configured to be less sensitive when these phenomena are not sensed, but automatically increase their sensitivity to smoke when they are.

Regarding the implication of this research to future product standards and codes of practice, it should be possible and relatively simple to produce a product standard that will enable multi-sensor detectors to be graded according to their resistance to specific, commonly encountered phenomena that result in unwanted alarms. zz The complete text of The performance of multisensors in fire and false fire alarm tests can be found at www.bregroup.com/insights/research

“ I COULD

NEVER LIVE WITH SOMETHING HAPPENING TO MY TENANTS. Ensuring my staff and I always hire Licensed Electrical Contractors for electrical work isn’t only good for business, it’s good for my peace of mind. Hiring a ‘guy’ may seem cheaper, but doing it legally saves my tenants downtime, and saves me from sleepless nights.”

-Mark Levinson Property Manager

Mark manages nine commercial properties and is considering using ESA’s time saving Continuous Safety Services. To learn more about your legal obligations and the benefits of CSS, visit esasafe.com/propertymanagers

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