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VOL. 39 NO. 4
Editor-in-Chief Barbara Carss barbc@mediaedge.ca
Publisher Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca
Art Director Annette Carlucci annettec@mediaedge.ca
Graphic Designer Thuy Huynh-Guinane
Contributing Writers Mona Abadian, Bryan Borzykowski, Jorge Chapa, Hanane El Hayek, James Fisher, Cheryl Mah, Paul Mathew, Rebecca Melnyk, Ani Nersessian, Chris Pyke, Erin Ruddy, Jenniffer Russell, Nathalie Thibault, Benjamin Henry Towell, Jamie Wallis, Sarah Zaleski
Production Coordinator Ines Louis Inesl@mediaedge.ca
National Sales Andrea Almeida andreab@mediaedge.ca Jake Blanchard jakeb@mediaedge.ca Ron Guerra rong@mediaedge.ca
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editor’snote
LIKE THE REST OF US, governments are typically unwitting subjects — not perpetrators — of inflation and rising interest rates. Nevertheless, political leaders rise and fall based on how well or badly they manage the fallout from those global economic forces, and, often, new arrivers to power have benefitted from the good timing of not being the incumbent when the turbulence hit.
So, given unfolding national and world events, it’s worth reiterating that the sloganeering that sways voters doesn’t have the same clout in the market. Sneering skeptics may abound in various legislative assemblies, but the market is demonstrating that there is substance to green capitalism and real risks in failing to disentangle from assets and resources that are destined to lose value.
Analysts identify both opportunities to profit and potential losses to avoid when they project how the national signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change will meet their commitments. Strategic investors are aiming to move to where they can make money and withdraw from the places with questionable prospects. While there’s no political certainty that every signatory will remain on a path to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate volatility is steadily eroding the stability of the status quo. Markets respond to risk and, ultimately, human blowhards won't look so convincing compared to their meteorological counterparts.
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In this issue, we look at some market-driven pieces that are coming together to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon built environment, and some sizable gaps still to fill. The market niche that’s largely the terrain of institutional investors is seeing the payoffs of highperformance, climate-resilient buildings and is making discernible progress toward net-zero targets, but there is still a vast proportion of the existing building inventory that will need more support to make the business case for retrofits.
Private capital, and lots of it, is needed to transform existing industries and to make and commercialize new breakthroughs. Buildings have been flagged as one of Canada’s six priority sectors for investment in decarbonization. We examine Canadian efforts to develop a standardized approach — called a taxonomy — for market participants to identify and verify the credibility of sustainable investments. On a global scale, green building advocates underscore the need for taxonomies that can push investment beyond a current predisposition to trophy buildings and into the mass market. We present their call to action. And, of course, the market is the conveyor of enabling technologies, products and services. We also report on Canada’s burgeoning sustainable proptech sector.
Speaking at a recent event to showcase those companies, James McKellar, a Professor with the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure at York University’s Schulich School of Business, theorized that they exemplify private capital and entrepreneurship solving climate-related challenges. In the process, the sector is attracting new talent into the real estate industry and it’s moving public attention from what can be a contentious political debate into the more practical realm of purposeful products.
“We can’t just rely on government organizations and public policy makers to bring about the necessary changes,” McKellar said. “Proptech represents a relatively simple way to let consumers achieve sustainability through the choices they make. Proptech embodies the power of change.”
CANADA’S STEADILY expanding roster of tech companies aligned with the sustainable and smart buildings market reflects growing demand from end-users and draws capital from increasingly enthusiastic investors. The recently released 2024 Sustainable Proptech Report lists 131 Canadians enterprises with some quotient of institutional backing that provide sustainability-related technologies to real estate or construction.
That’s climbed from 68 companies in 2021 when the venture capital fund, Venturon, inaugurated the report. This year’s edition primarily highlights companies at the early and growth stages, along with a smaller number that predate 2014. Collectively, they operate in four sub-sectors — asset management; analytics/research; sustainable construction; and a broader envelope labelled, smart cities, which includes energy transition, infrastructure and mobility services — and are headquartered in seven different Canadian provinces.
“The map reflects almost $3.5 billion in funding since inception of these companies to date,” Joanna Creed, Director of Operations and General Counsel at Venturon, told attendees of an October event to mark the report’s release. “Since 2023, notwithstanding that the past 12 months haven’t been the best economic environment, we’ve seen almost $823
million in new funding flow into these entities.”
About $495 million of that has been channelled into companies operating in the smart cities niche, partly attributable to what Creed typified as a few “outsized” capital raises. The smart cities and asset management categories each account for roughly a quarter of the companies on the list, with a smaller share (about 14%) tagged as analytics/research specialists. More than 36% offer sustainable construction products or services, including a significant subset of 15 companies focused on some aspect of modular construction and offsite mass fabrication of building components.
Climate volatility, regulatory pressure and construction labour shortages are cited among the key drivers of end-user demand, while the opportunity for lucrative returns and requirements to comply with their own ESG mandates are seen to be luring investors. Creed and Venturon’s Founder and Managing Partner, Deena Pantalone, touched on those themes, with contributing insights from other real estate industry insiders.
“As proptech demonstrates its value, it’s likely to become a standardized practice across the real estate industry. We’re no longer going to see little pilot projects here and there, but more of a widespread adoption,” Pantalone maintained. “But, innovation is difficult. It’s not a linear path.”
CLIMATE-RELATED RISKS
This year’s report was released during the brief interval between Hurricanes Helene and Milton bringing death and destruction to the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States. Braiden Goodchild, who leads PwC Canada’s advisory services for mergers and acquisitions and ESG real estate deals, noted the rising concern about the risks that severe and volatile weather poses for the built environment.
Many owners/managers are now assessing the vulnerability of their portfolios and, in turn, making decisions about resilience upgrades or the sell-off of assets. Regardless of whether they’re actively responding to physical climate risks, owners/managers are also likely to encounter climate-related costs and consequences in their insurance products and can reasonably expect that lenders will soon be making similar demands. For example, Deutsche Bank is among major global financial institutions now requiring borrowers to meet climate risk criteria.
Goodchild shared some findings about sentiment in the Canadian commercial real estate industry gleaned from preparation of this year’s report on emerging trends, which PwC produces in partnership with the Urban Land Institute. That work involves interviews with about 200 senior executives.
“Climate tech convergence with the built environment was massively thematic in the
responses, and this year there was strong sentiment to move from beta-testing to integrating at scale,” Goodchild reported. “With that backdrop, there’s no better time to be speaking about sustainable proptech. We do know climate tech continues to raise a large and outsized share of the VC [venture capital] fundraising pile.”
COUNTERING CONSTRUCTION DELAYS
Meanwhile, weather has always influenced construction productivity, but now it’s being factored into the business case for modular construction (also known as panelization) and offsite assembly technologies. For now, modular components and emerging mass timber options typically come with upfront premiums over conventional development approaches. However, Creed gave the example of a Toronto midrise office developer who gained time savings from an uninterrupted construction schedule to counterbalance the extra costs associated with mass timber structures.
“Eighty construction days were lost due to rain last year — they couldn’t dig basements — so the industry is looking at innovation as a way to solve those delays,” she said. “Panelization costs more upfront, but the ability to centralize labour, order materials in bulk and avoid weather delays allows them to save significant time in construction and therefore reduce interest expense.”
Some of those efficiencies can also offset an already problematic construction trades shortage that’s projected to worsen with a coming wave of retirements. That labour scarcity is likewise motivating innovation, but Creed acknowledges there have also been some hiccups that have made builders wary of embracing what are still relatively nascent technologies. Nor does modular design necessarily fit comfortably with some architectural ethos.
“Designs with boxy shapes are great for panelization, but not every project is going to look good to everybody,” she said. “The thing to emphasize is that less choice doesn’t mean low quality. New concepts require a paradigm shift and we can see that the market is starting to understand that shift.”
REGULATORY AND COMPETITIVE PRESSURES
Regulatory pressures are multi-layered, intertwined and arise from the oversight of capital markets and financial instruments as well as direct government measures. A major policy shift on one level doesn’t necessarily have proportional flow-through impact in the total business case equation. Looking to the United States, for example, state, municipal and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements will continue to hold sway despite a change in the federal administration.
Pantalone identified New York City’s local law 97 as one particularly pertinent example. As of 2024, more than 34,000 commercial and non-rent-controlled multifamily buildings must stay within a maximum threshold for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or pay a penalty of USD $268 (CAD $377) per tonne of emissions exceeding the limit. It’s intended that allowable annual emissions volumes will be adjusted downward as the City aims for a 40% emissions cut from subject buildings by 2025 and a 50% reduction by 2030.
Designated real estate owners will have to submit their inaugural emissions reports by May 1, 2025. It’s estimated that about 5,400 buildings will exceed their 2024 emissions limits, translating into what’s projected to be roughly USD $900 million (CAD $1.27 billion) in fines. That’s also occurring in the context of a citywide average office vacancy rate of 17%.
“We’ve been hearing this conversation more frequently. Regulations are evolving everywhere. You really have to weigh the risk of those compliance costs,” Pantalone submitted.
Competitive pressures are also exerting force, particularly in the office sector where tenancy norms have been upended in recent years. Evidence shows that buildings with superior indoor environmental quality, high-
end amenities, capacity to support tenants’ digital connectivity needs and high performance to minimize operating costs and safeguard against future regulatory penalties are continuing to attract tenants and hold their value — even as the broader market undergoes tumultuous restructuring.
“We’re seeing developers bake sustainability into their projects and proformas to really realize two things: 1) greeniums — i.e. a premium on valuation at exit; or 2) operational efficiency while they hold the asset itself,” Goodchild observed.
“I often wear two hats as an investor and as a developer. It’s obvious to me that, if we think ahead and stay ahead and start planning and adopting innovation, we can build stronger value for our portfolios,” Pantalone concurred.
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
Concurrently, investors in sustainable proptech foresee ever-increasing demand for enabling products and services. That’s also envisioned to flow through to the entire built environment as retrofit momentum builds.
The 2024 Sustainable Proptech Report sketches out the involvement of the big Canadian banks — RBC, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, BMO and CIBC have committed to direct hundreds of billions of dollars toward various forms of climate-related financing by 2030 — and highlights 16 venture capitalists considered to be prominent investors in Canadian proptech. The latter group includes four firms, variously founded between 2014 and 2019, that specifically focus on proptech, six defined as cleantech specialists and six generalist investors.
Joining the presentation via video link, Michael Beckerman, Chief Executive Officer of CREtech, a U.S.-based network that facilitates capital raises for sustainable proptech, drawing on a coalition of major climate-related venture capitalists, enunciated the opportunity as he sees it.
“Decarbonization of the built environment is definitely a moral objective, but it’s also a financial one,” Beckerman asserted. “When we decarbonize the built environment, not only are we going to transform society, we’re going to transform the economy. We are going to drive greater value and resiliency into the built environment.”
“We call this the opportunity of threats,” Creed advised. “Interest rates are coming down, tech valuations have reset and the real estate industry is seeing increasing liquidity. Now is really the time to capitalize on all this.”
More information about the 2024 Sustainable Proptech Report can be found at https://sustainableproptech.com.
COURTING CAPITAL
Market Participants Promised Low-Carbon Clarity
BUILDINGS ARE identified as one of Canada’s six priority sectors for investment in decarbonization and low-carbon activities. Earlier this fall, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland released a framework for proposed new investment guidelines aimed at aligning Canada with international efforts to foster capital for undertakings that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This has been dubbed a made-in-Canada “taxonomy” for financial market participants, which presents a standardized approach for categorizing sustainable investment and verifying its credibility. That’s to be grounded on scientific-based assurance that qualifying investments are compatible with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5º Celsius. They will also be required to meet “do no significant harm” criteria related to environmental, social and Indigenous objectives.
The proposed taxonomy arises from the work of the federal government’s appointed Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) — a 25-member body with representation from Canada’s major banks, insurance companies and pension funds — and related consultations. From here, yet-to-be-named third parties at arm’s length from the government will develop and finalize further details and oversee governance of the framework.
The buildings sector has been designated a priority due to its significance to the Canadian economy, its current contribution of about 13% of national GHG emissions and expectations for a high level of investment opportunity in green and transition-related projects and assets. In addition to categorizing types of investment, it’s also suggested that there could be company-level criteria tied to net-zero targets, transition plans and disclosure practices.
GREEN AND TRANSITION CATEGORIES
“The made-in-Canada sustainable investment guidelines will become an important, voluntary tool for investors, lenders and other stakeholders navigating the global race to netzero by credibly identifying ‘green’ and ‘transition’ economic activities,” the government’s explanatory summary
maintains. “The development of the metricsbased Canadian taxonomy would first focus on the following sectors for the Canadian economy: electricity; transportation; buildings; agriculture and forestry; manufacturing; and extractives, including mineral extraction and processing, and natural gas.”
It’s proposed that investments related to low- or zero-emission outcomes such as renewable power generation, electricity transmission lines and hydrogen pipelines would be classified as green. Transition investments would be those related to replacing existing emission-intensive outputs with low- or zero-carbon alternatives.
Generally, green investments would involve: no direct or indirect emissions related to energy sources (scopes 1 and 2); low to zero emissions related to how consumers use the product (scope 3); and would be deemed to benefit markets that enable transition to net-zero emissions.
Investments in buildings are more likely to fall into the transition category. These are defined as activities that “make significant emissions reductions” and do not face nearterm debilitating market forces and/or lock-in a longer-term carbon dependency. Such investments could continue to register scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions provided there is a significant reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions.
It’s suggested that qualifying investments in the buildings sector would include development or acquisition of highperformance buildings and retrofit activities in the existing building stock.
As well, many products and technologies to help deliver low-carbon performance and retrofits in buildings (see story, page 6) are tapped to be qualifying investments in the manufacturing sector including production of energy-efficient building equipment, batteries and renewable energy technologies and lowcarbon and/or energy-efficient production processes for key structural materials like cement, steel, iron and aluminum.
PREPARING TO SCALE UP
The taxonomy is envisioned as something of a matchmaking service for sustainable
project proponents/enterprises seeking financing and lenders/investors seeking more certainty. It’s also considered instrumental to forge capacity for the wider range and expanded scale of investment that is projected to be coming.
“Financial market participants, including banks, insurers, pension plans and asset managers, have indicated that they need clarity about what economic activities are considered green or transition,” the government’s summary document reiterates. “A taxonomy supports a wide range of use cases. For example, taxonomies can be used to set standards for classifying climate-related financial instruments (e.g., bonds or loans), and/or to evaluate the green or transition credentials of financial instruments and issuers. The aim of the Canadian taxonomy would be to mobilize investment in support of Canada’s net-zero transition by enabling investors to understand and communicate which key activities and investments will deliver a Canadian net-zero economy.”
While the taxonomy will be a voluntary framework, the Canadian government also advises that it is moving ahead with earlier announced intentions to mandate climaterelated disclosure for specified large federally incorporated private companies. Parliamentary approval for authorizing amendments to the Canada Business Corporation Act will be required before any new dictates can be enacted. It’s also promised that regulatory requirements would be harmonized with pending new rules for publicly traded entities from Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA).
“The development of a sustainable investment taxonomy, paired with heightened transparency on climate disclosures, amounts to an important stepping stone for Canada on the path towards that cleaner economy,” says Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “These initiatives will help mobilize needed private sector financial flows to build a cleaner economy and give investors who are looking for the sustainable option the clear direction they seek.”
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ECLIPSING ELITISM
Action Urged to Speed the Brown-to-Green Journey
By Jorge Chapa, Hanane El Hayek, James Fisher, Paul Mathew, Chris Pyke, Jamie Wallis, Benjamin Henry Towell and Sarah Zaleski
Green building organizations from around the world are collaborating to produce and promote sustainable finance options for real estate. This includes a new call to action that underscores the critical need to broaden the investment focus from its current high-performance niche into the mass market. The following is an excerpt – Editor.
INVESTMENTS and coordination between relevant stakeholders — building owners, financial institutions and lawmakers — will be critical to push the global building inventory to a low-carbon, climate-resilient status that’s fit to withstand natural, financial and regulatory pressures. To do that effectively, stakeholders require: better taxonomies to guide sustainable finance; a credible definition of decarbonization; and a clear strategy to address the material risk of climate change.
Currently, sustainable finance skews toward green or high-performance projects. The taxonomies that define eligible investment activities (see story, page 8) need to be broader to direct capital to the building sector’s transition as a whole. Otherwise, there will increasingly be a split between the green echelon and an ever-growing pool of stranded assets.
Taxonomies should, of course, embrace context-specific, performance-oriented criteria, but they must also recognize a more
holistic range of transition activities that focus on brown assets shifting to green. Investing in the mass market requires designing simpler, cheaper and tailored offerings for different business circumstances.
Impact will often be measured through change over time (e.g., before and after) rather than immediately switching to being green. This will require stakeholders to back away from popular concepts such as defining success as a relative Top 15% of the market or requiring expensive services like third-party assurance and second-party opinions.
The latter are important concepts for financing the top of the market, but they are likely incompatible with circumstances of the long tail of poorer performers. Current green financing instruments requiring these mechanisms do not adequately serve the wider transition of the built environment.
DECARBONIZATION
It is important to recognize that decarbonization is not a binary switch that is flipped
overnight. Rather, it is a multi-year, sometimes multi-decade journey that requires thoughtful technical and financial planning around building life cycle milestones. It’s also dependent on a clean, smart electricity grid with the capacity to support higher loads and integrate distributed energy.
Frameworks are needed to guide, reward and direct capital toward decarbonization and build it to scale. If stakeholders can collectively identify and agree on the building blocks, they can chart action-based pathways to reach decarbonization targets over appropriate timelines.
The following fundamental elements forge the decarbonization pathway and provide a gauge for measuring progress.
• Start with energy efficiency, which remains the foundation of reducing building carbon emissions and operational costs. This includes both passive design elements (e.g., insulation, daylighting) and mechanical (e.g., variable speed motors, high-efficiency lighting). No matter how
green the grid gets, lowering demand is the best way to mitigate the costs and conserve the resources needed to build new supply.
• Shift to electrification through phasing out fossil fuel-based technologies in favour of electric-based equipment, including heating, hot water and cooking applications. That means designing new buildings without combustion-based equipment and implementing plans to retrofit existing combustion equipment.
• Switch to renewable energy by considering on-site where possible and then through offsite mechanisms that have clear additionality.
• Enable grid interactivity through energy storage, demand response, and/or building controls that can shift building loads to periods of lower carbon grid power.
• Address refrigeration equipment to remove refrigerants with high climate impact and ensure equipment allows for leak detection and safe disposal of refrigerants at end of life.
• Reduce upfront carbon emissions by selecting responsible and low-carbon materials for new buildings and refurbishments.
• Create and follow decarbonization plans that articulate a schedule of retrofits,
equipment replacement plans and electrification readiness strategies needed to achieve decarbonization, along with budgets and timelines.
RESILIENCE
An inclusive transition would not be complete without considering the wider issues of bringing resilience into the mass market. There are several challenges to this.
Resilience assessments are still a niche area in building design; risk data about geographic locations must be factored in and it can be difficult to obtain; and there are also impacts related to infrastructure and urban planning measures that are outside property owners’ control. Perhaps no challenge is bigger than the need to drive finance at scale to address the assets already severely impacted by extreme weather events and temperature changes.
Lenders, insurers and regulators are paying more attention to property resilience, as failure to address these risks could lead to higher insurance premiums, difficulties obtaining loans or even code-related regulatory hurdles.
For owners/managers, improving resilience can provide a competitive edge, offering benefits such as reduced damages and downtime, lower insurance costs, better insurability in high-risk areas, long-term savings in maintenance and repair, enhanced buyer and investor interest and alignment with ESG goals.
There is an in-built incentive to reward resilience assets and to leave those that aren’t currently fit for purpose stranded. Because of this, there is a risk that sustainable finance taxonomies for real estate drive finance away from those that can be impacted by these risks.
Taxonomies need to promote more consistent, transparent and systematic approaches to defining and identifying resilience investment at both a building scale and an infrastructure level. They must also ensure that their criteria actively drive investment to improve the mass market rather than just recognizing those who are thankfully ahead.
UNLOCKING CAPITAL
Traditionally, the focus on high performance by leading real estate companies, investors and financial institutions has been oriented toward delivering higher financial returns and driving asset value by distinguishing their assets in a competitive landscape. This has been remarkably successful, infusing billions of dollars of capital investment and significantly improving building performance. However, climate and transition risk are not about exclusivity or market leadership per se. It
is about transforming the whole building stock to increase resilience and create positive impact on people and the environment. A narrow focus on investment in high-performance buildings has unnecessarily limited opportunities for impact and contributed to significant business risk (e.g., regulatory pressure).
Transitioning the lower-performing assets to higher performing is the biggest market opportunity that climate change presents to real estate. Targeted investment in currently low-performing assets offers the best opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting vulnerable populations. Opportunities through these brown-to-green strategies are more profound than prevailing green-to-green strategies, nudging already very good performance toward excellence.
Capital must be unlocked to facilitate the broader transition to the harder-to-reach market segments, which can be less experienced and resource-constrained. These are often not risktaking or experimental segments. They are not interested in being at the top of the market or particularly interested in conceptual ideas like 1.5-degree alignment.
They want to improve tangible, real-world performance and outcomes. They need to overcome capital and technical limitations.
For example, public sector investments in credit enhancement or derisking, are linked to integrated offerings of finance and technical assistance. This contrasts with the already green segment often dominated by relatively expensive technical consultants and relatively easy access to low-cost capital.
Market participants need a new generation of investment strategy targeting the wider market not yet engaged with the mainstream green building movement, barring a few nascent and pilot efforts. Transforming this vital market requires an intentional, inclusive effort to create new value propositions using faster, more scalable deployment strategies.
These solutions will be different from prevailing practices, and they will engage new communities and under-represented property types. This will provide bold investors with new opportunities for financial returns tied to unprecedented positive impact on people and the environment.
The authors represent the Green Building Council of Australia, Alliance HQE-GBC France, GRESB, Singapore Green Building Council, the United Kingdom’s BRE Group and the United States Green Building Council. The complete text of their report, Building Transition: Financing Market Transformation can be found at www.usgbc.org/ resources/building-transition-financing-markettransformation.
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Parking garages in Canada are undergoing a major transformation, with paper tickets and clunky machines becoming a thing of the past. As business sectors around the globe embrace AI-driven technology to solve challenges, speed up service, and improve the customer experience, forward-thinking asset owners are shifting into gear and installing improvements at their parking facilities to shift the financial profiles of these spaces. Metropolis has created a “drive in and drive out” payment experience for consumers while increasing transparency, capturing revenue, and reducing costs for real estate owners.
“We have always been committed to creating environments that reduce costs, capture revenue, and deliver the best possible guest experience,” said Michael Giles, Vice President, Canada, Metropolis. “Metropolis bringing their advanced parking platform to Canada is a significant step forward, and we’re excited to deliver a seamless experience for Canadian drivers in 2025.”
A NEW CHECKOUT-FREE SYSTEM FOR Q2 2025
Real estate partners who deploy Metropolis’ tech are amentizing the parking experience for their tenants – creating a preferred customer experience all while optimizing operations for the facilities.
The Metropolis system features proprietary technology that tracks vehicles and automatically charges drivers, emailing receipts as they exit. For the customer, this means no searching for cash, no fumbling for credit cards, and no
Metropolis is an integrated technology, payments, and mobility services company operating the largest parking network in North America. We drive unparalleled revenue outcomes for real estate owners by delivering peak operating performance and remarkable experiences for drivers.
Metropolis is an integrated technology, payments, and mobility services company operating the largest parking network in North America. We drive unparalleled revenue outcomes for real estate owners by delivering peak operating performance and remarkable experiences for drivers.
How computer vision works
How computer vision works
Just drive in. Join once for all locations. Just drive out.
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punching buttons on a ticket machine to leave the parking lot. To use a Metropolis parking facility, customers simply download the app and provide their name, license plate, phone number, and payment method. They can then simply drive in and drive out, getting back their most precious resource: time.
For the facility owner, it means a streamlined operation that provides unprecedented visibility into data and revenue streams. The onsite team is now free to focus on delivering remarkable customer experiences rather than fumbling over clunky and outdated processes. The platform is already deployed in thousands of parking facilities across the U.S.—and Canada is next in line.
“Our technology replaces traditional parking systems at a fraction of the cost, capturing revenue and reducing costs for real estate owners while increasing transparency and promoting a better customer experience,” Giles said. “By handling everything—from tenant management and billing to facility performance and more—Metropolis removes the headache of
parking operations, freeing up property managers to focus on more important aspects of their business.”
As Giles points out, the benefits are varied and include improving safety in the facility, and empowering operational efficiencies—and as the camera technology improves and data sets evolve, the deployed systems can be easily upgraded so the system won’t become obsolete.
“Combining best-in-class operations with cutting-edge technology is what we do best,” he said. “Our Parking Management team provides a streamlined and frictionless customer experience, and we’re only just getting started. We look forward to leading the way to a smoother parking experience for Canadians in the coming months.”
To start the discovery process and determine how AI-powered computer vision technology can improve your facility’s parking operations, visit www.metropolis.io or contact Michael Giles at mgiles@metropolis.io
DELIVERY DILEMMA
Emissions Reduction Measures Lag Projected Pace
CANADA INFRASTRUCTURE
Bank looks like a keener, while federal departments delivering programs to Indigenous communities are lagging performance expectations for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A newly released audit of 20 select initiatives in the Canadian government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan concludes that just nine of them are on track to meet the targets that were set in the circa 2022 document.
There are now about six remaining years to recover lost ground and accomplish some very ambitious objectives in line with Canada’s commitment to cut GHG emissions by 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. The most recently available data, as of 2022, pegs the annual emissions output at about 7% lower than that baseline — or roughly 708 megatonnes (MT) versus 761 MT in 2005.
“Implementation of measures in the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan remains insufficient to meet Canada’s target,” the independent auditor’s report states. “The federal government must pick up the pace in implementing effective measures.”
This is the second annual report since the Auditor General of Canada was tasked with
scrutinizing emissions reduction progress under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The Auditor General’s office, in alliance with the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, also regularly conducts audits on many of the government’s affiliated activities.
In total, six different federal departments or agencies deliver the 20 initiatives, with the largest share assigned to Natural Resources Canada (eight) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (five). The audit report directly links three of these to reducing emissions from buildings, including a package of policies and incentives lumped under the Canada Green Buildings Strategy, model national building and energy codes, and retrofit grants for homeowners.
Some of the other examined measures are also pertinent for commercial real estate, including: Canada Infrastructure Bank’s priority investment in green infrastructure, which encompasses funding for the Building Retrofits Initiative; incentives for zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure; and various programs to support renewable power and a smart electricity grid, which will be
critical for enabling net-zero emissions from buildings.
RATING CONSIDERATIONS
Auditors primarily focused on actions and outcomes in the 12 months from August 2023 to July 2024 and applied nine different criteria to assess timeliness of implementation, environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, quality control, inter-jurisdictional workability and sensitivity to vulnerable groups and Indigenous peoples. From this, they derived ratings to indicate whether implementation of emissionsreducing measures is: on track; experiencing challenges that could hinder ability to attain the targeted reduction; or encountering significant obstacles.
The 20 initiatives are also categorized based on whether they are intended to facilitate reductions in excess of, or less than, 0.5 MT (500,000 tonnes) by 2030. Five of the eight measures projected to curb more than 0.5 MT of emissions are deemed to be on track, but just four of the 12 measures for lowervolume reductions receive that rating.
All three of the programs that Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) delivers are considered to be on track. This involves a total
LARGE GAP TO CLOSE ON ENERGY SAVINGS
The Canadian government has fallen behind on its target to facilitate 600 petajoules of annual energy savings as it advances toward an interim target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. A newly released audit from the federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development concludes that key departments tasked with delivering energy efficiency programs are making progress, but the results can be difficult to express in tangible numbers.
The audit covers the period from June 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023, during which annual energy savings from implemented federal measures are pegged at 99.2 petajoules. The audit finds Natural Resources Canada often doesn’t have the full data to accurately calculate savings arising from its initiatives, and is often unable to realize projected savings.
Notably, plans to realize energy savings through updates to the National Energy Code and drive high-performance via Energy Star Portfolio Manager have slipped the farthest off-target. This was projected to reduce energy consumption by 132.6 petajoules annually by 2030, but had translated into annual savings of just 8.7 petajoules as of 2023.
In this case, the Commissioner notes that the National Research Council is the originator of model national codes, but that energy savings and emission reductions cannot be realized until provincial or municipal governments adopt and enforce them.
Federally regulated products have thus far delivered the largest share of achieved savings, at 49 petajoules annually, but that remains far from the targeted 219.5 petajoules annually by 2030. To date, 23.8 petajoules of annual energy savings have been garnered from homes, while the 2030 target is 132.6 petajoules. Federal efforts to increase energy efficiency in industrial facilities have thus yielded 17.7 petajoules in annual savings versus a 2030 target of 117 petajoules.
“Natural Resources Canada acknowledged to us the slow progress towards energy efficiency and that the 600 petajoules of annual energy savings envisioned by 2030 is unlikely to be met unless more aggressive action is undertaken,” the audit states.
The audit report can be found at www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/docs/parl_cesd_202411_08_e.pdf
funding envelope of $25 billion intended to ultimately allocate $10 billion to finance green infrastructure investments, $10 billion to finance clean power investments and $5 billion to finance low-emission public transit fleets and infrastructure.
Even so, the auditors quibble with how CIB calculates its environmental impact — noting that it claims credit for the total emissions reduction or avoidance from the projects it finances even though it is only a partial contributor of the capital funding. As well, in some cases CIB and Natural Resources Canada provide funding for the same project and auditors found that both entities claimed the total expected reductions.
“This can lead to overestimating the measure’s contribution to emissions reductions,” the report states.
INTER-JURISDICTIONAL DISCONNECT
The auditors found that Canada’s ubiquitous federal-provincial disconnect creates obstacles for implementing both the Canada Green Buildings Strategy and building code requirements to address energy efficiency and carbon emissions. The slow pace of code development is also undermining the objective for model national codes to result in more than 0.5 MT of emissions avoidance by 2030 since updates that were originally foreseen for the 2022 edition have now been delayed until 2025.
Historically, there can be years of lag time between the publication of the model national code and provincial adoption of the document. The auditors acknowledge that “the federal government is supporting adoption through
incentives and training materials”, but characterize this measure as experiencing challenges.
Similarly, the auditors note that provincial and municipal uptake are needed to effectively roll out many of the programs in the Canada Green Buildings Strategy. It is among the audited initiatives that are projected to garner less than 0.5 MT of emissions reduction or avoidance by 2030, but the auditors conclude it is currently experiencing challenges that could further diminish those expectations.
They are also critical of the delayed release of the overarching strategy document, which enunciates three main objectives to:
• motivate retrofits of existing buildings;
• ensure that new construction complies with low-carbon, high-performance criteria; and
• nurture the skills, technologies and financing mechanisms to support the first two objectives.
The strategy was originally promised for 2023, but wasn’t released until July 2024. However, the majority of programs contained in the strategy were already in progress at that time.
Looking at potential clean power sources for the built environment, auditors found that the program for small modular nuclear reactors is behind schedule. Meanwhile, implementation of four proposed new regulations has been delayed.
One of those — related to oil, gas and methane emissions — is considered still on track to achieve targeted emissions reductions by 2030. However, three others — related to clean electricity; methane emissions from landfills; and an oil and gas emissions cap — are categorized as experiencing challenges.
DATA DISCREPANCIES
The auditors recommend a government-wide consistent formula for calculating program cost-effectiveness — dubbed value for money — which can parse out the cost per tonne of the resulting emissions reduction or avoidance. Thus far, delivery agents have applied this type of analysis for just eight of the 20 audited measures.
Although the report concedes that it would be challenging to pin down that metric for capacity-building programs that indirectly lead to emissions reductions, it maintains “a common way of assessing the benefits and value derived is important to understand the effectiveness and the cost to Canadians of a measure”.
The auditors also call on delivery agents to more closely monitor how programming flows through to specified user groups such as Indigenous peoples and economically vulnerable communities and demographics. Just six of 20 audited measures had tracked this data.
As well, program rollout for Indigenous peoples is behind schedule in five of the audited measures. In particular, the initiative to replace diesel-fired power generation in remote Indigenous communities is deemed to be encountering significant obstacles.
“The federal organizations told us that the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the unique circumstances and the remoteness of communities, impacted the timely delivery of projects as planned,” the audit report states.
The audit of the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan can be found at www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/ English/parl_cesd_202411_07_e_44576.html
THE COST CASE for salvaged steel looks promising even with an embryonic supply chain and a raft of logistical complexities to recover, inspect, store and then reuse structural members in new construction projects. The salvaged steel component in the mammoth restoration of Centre Block in Canada’s parliament buildings is projected to be on par with new steel on a simple cost basis, while life cycle assessment confirms more far-reaching paybacks.
“The cost to take the steel out of the building and get it ready to go back in is equal to the procurement of new steel,” Isis Bennet, a structural engineer on the project with the consulting engineering firm, WSP, told seminar attendees earlier this year at the Canada Green Building Council’s annual conference. “That includes the deconstruction, the cleaning of the steel, the inspection and the tagging and tracking process before it goes to the fabricator to get fabricated for reinstallation.”
In its totality, the Centre Block restoration has been characterized as the most complex building rehabilitation project yet undertaken in Canada. Budgeted in the range of $4.5 to $5 billion, the federal government reports about $975 million had been spent as of June 2024 on the multi-year, multi-phase project, which includes: complete interior and exterior
By Barbara Carss
restoration; replacement of the mechanical, electrical and fire safety systems; seismic and accessibility upgrading; installation of digital infrastructure; and newly constructed space to be known as the parliament welcome centre.
The directive to recover and reuse structural steel, where appropriate, aligns with the government’s mandate to show leadership in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its own portfolio of buildings. Reuse of an existing beam or column recovered from the deconstruction of another structure curtails an estimated 97% of the embodied carbon involved in manufacturing a comparable item from virgin steel.
In interior areas of Centre Block where demolition is necessary, crews have been cutting out recoverable lengths of steel — at approximately 50 millimetres or two inches from any bolts or connectors — to be used in subsequent construction stages.
“It is being deconstructed quite delicately. On this project, we know a lot about the steel that’s coming out of the building and we’re also the designers who are specifying the steel that’s going in, so it’s much easier for us to determine what members have the highest potential for reuse,” Bennet observed. “This is steel already owned by the client so it’s a great opportunity to put it to good use.”
EMBODIED CARBON EMPHASIS
She and co-panellist, Jolene Mclaughlin, Vice President, Climate and Sustainability, with the construction contractor, EllisDon, shared their experiences on this element of the Centre Block project as part of a wider discussion on the growing uptake of salvaged building materials in new construction. Ryan Zizzo, a specialist in whole building life cycle assessment and Chief Executive Officer of the consulting firm, Mantle Developments, joined in with insight on market trends, opportunities and challenges.
Among contributing influences, Zizzo tallied: the emergence of salvaged material trading platforms and specialized professional services such as deconstruction audits; the commercial real estate industry’s increasing pursuit of net-zero GHG emissions; and various regulatory prods and/or monetary enticements to curb emissions and waste sent to landfill.
For those on the voluntary track, LEED version 5, which was released in consultative draft form earlier this year, has an intensified emphasis on decarbonization. That comes with a new prerequisite to assess the upfront embodied carbon in “major materials” in a building’s structure, enclosure and hardscape, and a new credit, worth up to six points, for
reducing embodied carbon in construction materials.
“What people may not have realized is that it’s only new material that’s being included in those limits [established in the credit]. If you’re reusing used material, you can count that as zero on your embodied carbon ledger,” Zizzo advised.
For contractors and related service providers bidding and working on federal construction or retrofit projects, new expectations have been outlined in a recent update to the government’s green operations strategy. Federal departments and Crown corporations will be required to consider life cycle cost analysis for GHG reductions in determining project costs, which is to be based on a 40-year period and a shadow carbon price of $300 per tonne.
As well, “recycled and lower-carbon materials, material efficiency and performance-based design” are to be employed, beginning in 2025, to achieve a 30% reduction in the embodied carbon of major construction projects. The total embodied carbon of construction materials will also have to be disclosed.
PROJECT PRACTICALITIES
Heightened reliance on life cycle analysis is
expected to change how project proponents perceive value. Mclaughlin ranks it as a potential key driver of the salvaged materials market, particularly if truer costs for waste disposal are introduced.
“We know when we just look at the capital costs, our sustainability objectives don’t pay out,” she said. “It’s dirt cheap to just throw stuff out in Canada so it costs us far more to put people on the site to deconstruct than to throw it out. If we create more value in keeping that material, that starts to change the conversation.”
Standards and a more robust supply chain are identified as other essential ingredients for wider uptake of salvaged steel. Bennet recounted how the engineering team on the Centre Block project has largely forged its own way in devising specifications for removing steel, determining its suitability for reuse, and storing it in an organized way that’s secure from detrimental weather. Other early adopters have also needed to take a self-directed approach.
Vigilantly developed standardized procedures are prioritized to provide guidance, consistency and assurance for design, quality control and deconstruction/construction. In turn, that could spur more confidence to use salvaged steel and a more efficient rollout of projects.
“If each project goes about it differently, that’s a lot of hoops for someone on the contractor side to jump through. If we have a standards package, we can say: Refer to this standard; go through these steps and we’re happy with it,” Bennet said.
“If steel is tested to a standard and then goes into the materials market, we, as a contractor, know we can trust to buy that,” Mclaughlin concurred.
Bennet notes that project proponents are currently faced with fairly challenging legwork to source salvaged steel. Ideally, she would like to see building owners opening up trade links — citing one such example of University of Toronto, Scarborough acquiring steel recovered from deconstruction at the Royal Ontario Museum — and thinking more strategically about what can be gleaned from their own or their peers’ retrofit and decommissioning projects.
“There is real opportunity for portfolio owners to see the whole portfolio as a material bank,” Zizzo urged. “It’s easier to reuse your own material than buying from someone else. You can take materials from one of your buildings that might be under renovations and find ways to use it in one of your other buildings.”
PLASTIC PERMANENCE
Built Environment Hosts Everlasting Hazards
By Rebecca Melnyk
PLASTIC IN THE BUILT environment can have repercussions for human health and natural biodiversity across its entire life cycle, from manufacture to disposal. Chemical impacts typically stretch far beyond the four walls of a building.
Healthy building experts with the industry research and advocacy organization, Habitable, sponsored a webinar earlier this year to discuss the fallout from an estimated 11 gigatonnes (11 billion tonnes) of plastic currently in circulation worldwide. This intersects with the United Nations Environment Assembly’s ongoing work to implement an international treaty on plastic pollution.
Petrochemicals form the base of 99% of all plastics. European scientists, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, recently found that more than a quarter (4,219 of 16,000) of chemicals commonly found in petroleum-based plastics have known hazardous properties. Meanwhile, the UN Environment Programme estimates that just 1% of chemicals used in plastic are regulated.
Bethanie Carney Almroth, a professor at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, has been working with a group of 300 scientists to produce policy briefs and high-level summaries for delegates involved in the UN proceedings. She tallied the multitude risks that chemicals in plastics present including aquatic toxicity, carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicity and endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with a body’s hormones.
“They’re persistent, bioaccumulative; they’re mobile, they’re toxic, they’re in our environment, they’re not breaking down, and they have impacts on both humans and organisms,” she
said. “Building and construction is the second largest user of plastics and also one of the biggest users of PVC [polyvinyl chloride], which is at the top of the list of hazardous problematic polymers that maybe should be phased out.”
Also joining the discussion, Martha Lewis, senior architect and head of materials with the firm, Henning Larsen, lamented that even development proponents who are seeking certifications often do not properly consider the implications of products and materials they choose. She decries the lack of transparency in building documentation and argues for more rigorous screening for problematic substances.
“It’s really where we should be putting our efforts right now, as opposed to trying to get the top score in a LEED platinum,” Lewis submitted. “The decisions we are making in terms of waste in our projects or the synthetic chemicals in the products we’re selecting also have very clear impacts on the loss of biodiversity.”
She suggests developers, designers and specifiers should have easy access to information that both highlights the chemicals found in building products and cross-references them to related health and environmental impacts. That’s particularly important for commonly used and often highly hazardous materials such as glues in adhesives and binding agents, and fillers, solvents, paints (see story page 22), lacquers and surface treatments.
Veena Singlam, an environmental sciences professor at New York City’s Columbia University, pointed to the sometimes inequitable dynamic between manufacturing facilities and the surrounding population, which, studies have shown, are often low-income households. She
noted, for example, that facilities producing spray foam — a plastic polyurethane (see story, page 24) material with a high concentration of hazardous isocyanates — are generating millions of pounds of toxic chemicals every year in the midst of these neighbourhoods.
Her Columbia faculty has initiated a program, known as Agents of Change in Environmental Justice, aimed at outreach. “If your work touches the built environment, you are impacting people’s health and justice as we move forward into the future,” Singlam observed.
A recent study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society traced four classes of chemicals used in plastics to USD $249 billion in health care costs in the United States in 2018 alone. “We need to look at who is benefitting and who is paying the price and make decisions thereafter,” Almroth asserted.
The next session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is set for late November/ early December 2024. That’s expected to finalize work on a international legally binding instrument.
“There are obligations on the table to address plastics throughout their life cycle, starting with a call for production reduction,” Almroth reported. “We need to bring down the amount of plastic that is being produced. It is unsustainable. Our planet can’t tolerate more; our bodies can’t tolerate more.”
Rebecca Melnyk is the Editor of Canadian Facility Management & Design . For more information about Habitable, see the website at https://habitablefuture.org.
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LIMBERLOST PLACE: Pioneering Net-Zero Timber Construction in Ontario
Rising 10 storeys from George Brown College’s waterfront campus in Toronto, Limberlost Place is the first masstimber institutional building of its kind in Ontario. The award-winning, net-zero carbon emission building has been taking form since construction began in September 2021. Now, as the project nears completion, it’s hard to imagine the waterfront without it.
“Limberlost Place is more than a building; it will contribute significantly to revisions of the building code and allow for more mass timber buildings over six storeys tall,” says Black & McDonald’s Senior Project Manager, Praveen Nirula. “Limberlost Place is designed to achieve Net Zero Carbon, LEED Gold and Toronto Green Standard V3 Tier 4 design, and it has already won multiple design awards.”
Scheduled for completion in 2025, the 200,000+ square foot building will be home to the college’s architectural technology program, a demonstration lab, childcare centre, recreation facilities and dedicated space for Indigenous students.
The striking building plays a key role in the revitalization of Toronto’s burgeoning East Bayfront community and stands as a global example of what can be achieved with mass timber; it also showcases the latest smart technology, features a rooftop solar array and an eight-storey solar chimney for natural ventilation.
“The cooperation between all the partners and trades on this project has been tremendous,” Praveen points out. “Our Building Automation, Electrical and Sheet Metal teams have also been instrumental to getting us to where we are today.” In collaboration with PCL, our team was responsible for delivering key mechanical and automation systems that play a vital role in achieving the building’s sustainability goals.”
WORKING WITH MASS TIMBER
Given the unprecedented scale and design of this project, thoughtful coordination and an integrated approach were necessary from the initial stages between the various trades to minimize any installation challenges. As an example, Praveen points out that no floor penetrations were allowed during construction—meaning all holes had to be drilled in the factory and planned well in advance.
Meanwhile, moisture mitigation is a priority when working with mass timber, requiring the encapsulation of the building before any work could proceed. Moisture creates bulges and
swells in wood, so developing a system to respond to rainfall was critical.
UNIQUE SYSTEMS & FEATURES
Limberlost Place has an intricate control system with many passive and active design features; it also includes renewable energies that were added to achieve the project’s sustainable targets.
“All these features had to be integrated—and work seamlessly— taking advantage of the local climate, microclimate, and reducing building energy use,” Praveen says. “So far, it’s been a great learning experience and an important project for our team.”
“
“ George Brown College has set a benchmark for not only timber construction but also for sustainable construction.
Another unique and critical feature of Limberlost Place is the radiant ceiling system, which will function as the primary source for heating and cooling. Covering upwards of 40 per cent of the ceiling, installing it was no easy feat for the team and involved a steep learning curve.
“The building and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for over 30 per cent of global emissions,” Praveen concludes.
“With its many impressive features, Limberlost Place has set a benchmark, not only for mass timber construction but also for sustainable construction.”
Black & McDonald is an integrated, multi-trade service provider that safely delivers high-quality construction, facilities management, and technical solutions to government, institutional and industry clients. Learn more about its history, services, projects, and news at www.blackandmcdonald.com
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Limberlost Place is years ahead of Toronto’s 2030 goals for sustainable design and performance for new developments and has become a global model for mass timber sustainable construction. Built with made-in-Canada mass-timber components, the design provides generous spaces focused on wellbeing by maximizing access to natural light and fresh air.
• Limberlost Place will be able to operate passively 50 per cent of the year.
• The building will run with no fuelfired systems. Electric systems are more energy efficient and represent a cleaner form of energy consumption than natural gas.
• A roof-mounted solar array will generate 24 per cent of Limberlost Place’s energy consumption to offset GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions generated in the electricity grid.
New Studies Compare Acrylic and Mineral-based Paints CHEMICAL PALETTE
RECENT COMPLEMENTARY studies
reveal some of the contrasting health and environmental implications of paint ingredients. Separate research teams led by the Danish Technological Institute and the firm, Henning Larsen Architects, explored the chemical content and climate impact of the same 30 paint products commonly used on interior walls and wood/metal trim, and concluded that few could be characterized as benign.
Both studies were released in late August 2024. The team investigating chemical content identifies an array of concerning preservatives, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are dispersed into indoor environments at differing intensities depending on the paint’s binding agent. The team investigating climate impact advises that mineral-based paints are generally preferable to those with plastic binding agents, but cautions that consumers are an uncontrolled variable since much depends on the number of coats they choose to apply.
CHEMICAL CONTENT
Analysis of the paints’ chemical content involved researchers from the Danish Technological Institute, the Danish Consumer Council, Denmark’s Aalborg University and Henning Larsen, and focused on 30 products that are commonly available in the Danish market. These included both natural and industrially manufactured formulas and some products participating in certification or labelling schemes such Nordic Swan Ecolabel and Danish Indoor Climate Labelling.
Chemicals were measured within liquid and solid paint and from paint emissions. In addition to the binding agents, hazardous elements can lurk in other paint ingredients, including pigments, solvents and various additives such as surfactants, driers, plasticizers and preservatives. (Notably, lead is a preservative.)
More than half of the tested samples contained the preservative, benzothiazolinone (BIT), with the highest detected concentration
at 360 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). Half the samples contained methylisothiazolinone (MIT) at levels of less than 5 mg/kg and more than one third (11) contained low concentrations of formaldehyde.
Two-thirds of the samples contained ammonia, which exceeded 400 micrograms per cubic metre in eight cases. As well, researchers found heavy metals such as lead, chromium and zinc in some samples.
Three tests for emissions detected 139 different chemical compounds in the air of newly painted rooms. Acrylic paints contributed the greatest quantity and highest concentration of those contaminants — which the research report partly attributes to their disproportionate share (73%) of the sample size — but for a shorter duration.
“VOC levels generally peaked on painting days, especially for acrylic paints, and generally declined to near-background levels within three days,” it states. “In contrast, paint containing linseed oil exhibited a slower reduction, taking 14 to 30 days to reach background levels.”
CLIMATE IMPACT
Researchers from Henning Larsen calculated the climate impact of the 30 paints based on their ingredients, the formulation density, surface coverage achievable from a specified quantity and the manufacturer’s recommended number of coatings. This was cross-tabulated with data from the German government’s ÖKOBAUDAT environmental evaluation platform for construction products to derive a metric for kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per square metre (kgCO2e/m2) of finished painted surface.
On average, CO2e output from mineralbased paints is found to be about 44% lower than emissions from acrylic paints. This is attributed to the binding agents and to performance aspects of the formulations since fewer coatings are typically required with mineral-based paints, which use lime, clay or silicate as the binding agent.
“The amount used has a significant influence on the degree to which the paint
impacts the climate,” the report states. “The number of treatment layers applied is influenced by both the substrate and the consumer’s satisfaction.”
CONSUMER INFORMATION
Both studies decry the general lack of product-specific information available in the marketplace and/or inconsistent data that makes the environmental product declarations (EPDs) that do exist difficult to compare. When it comes to monitoring for chemical content, researchers stress that specifiers, purchasers and contractors should have the ability to easily determine product profiles and the risks associated with different types of paint, and be aware of additional conditions that can heighten or lower those risks.
“It is crucial to emphasize increased ventilation during and after painting to minimize exposure,” the chemical content study states. “Environmental implications include the risk of soil and water contamination from improper disposal of paints containing harmful metals. This underscores the need for sustainable paint manufacturing and proper disposal practices within the paint industry.”
Meanwhile, researchers exploring paint’s climate impact muse on more abstract concepts.
“In certain applications interior paint fulfills a functionality and in many other applications paint fulfills a purely aesthetic need,” they submit. “A desire for a fullcovering, homogeneously painted wall has greater environmental consequences. Perhaps our aesthetic understanding of what constitutes a beautiful wall is outdated?”
Problematic Chemicals in Paint, a report from the Danish Teknologisk Institut can be found at https://taenk.dk/system/files/2024-08/ Problematic%20Chemicals%20in%20Paint.pdf.
Climate Impact of Indoor Paint, a report from Henning Larsen Architects, can be found at https:// henninglarsen.com/news/new-report-what-is-theenvironmental-impact-of-paint.
WHow can property managers practice winter preparedness?
inter brings a unique set of challenges for property managers as they work to keep their buildings performing their best by maintaining the building condition and ensuring safety for residents and tenants. Property managers with a proactive approach can decrease maintenance and repair costs, better allocate labour, and provide a better experience for their tenants. “Knowing that winter poses certain risks to roofs, pipes, HVAC, and more, means that informed property managers can take the necessary steps to mitigate the effects that winter can have on their properties,” says Curtis Azevedo, Director of Operations – Prairies at First Onsite.
Tips to keep your building safe this season from First Onsite
Preventing winter-related property damage starts with knowing what parts of your building are most at risk, so you can avoid interruption to your business, maintain building operations, and keep occupants safe. There are several steps that property managers can take for a practical approach to prevention this fall and winter.
• YOUR PIPES: Pipes and meters can freeze when temperatures drop, so insulate
these areas to keep them warm and safe throughout the winter months. As well, check for corrosion or any signs of deterioration that may need to be addressed. Turn off outside water sources, remove hoses, and drain the pipes to avoid freezing and damage when temperatures drop.
• YOUR ROOF: During winter’s freeze-thaw cycle, rain, snow, and ice can accumulate on your roof, causing leaks or damage. Clean your roof drains and gutters, removing debris before the snow falls to ensure efficient performance through the winter. Also, ensure that downspouts are clear and directed away from your building and walkways to avoid snow and ice accumulating at the base of your building or where they may present a slip-and-fall risk.
• YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS: Lower your heating costs and keep your building dry and warm by making sure your building envelope is air- and water-tight. Check door, vent, and window seals for drafts or air leakage and re-seal any spots necessary with caulking, insulation, and weatherstripping once you locate areas of concern.
• YOUR EQUIPMENT: Generators, boilers, and HVAC systems can present an opportunity for cost savings and better building performance through the winter. Schedule a fall inspection for this equipment to conduct any required repairs and complete any necessary upgrades before winter arrives.
Being proactive this fall gives property managers the knowledge and peace of mind that their building is prepared for winter’s greatest challenges.
Don’t leave yourself unprotected! Develop an emergency plan to avoid unexpected, costly surprises. First Onsite can help you plan ahead with an assessment before winter and their Priority Response Emergency Plan (PREP) means you have a team of professionals on hand when you need them most. Contact info@firstonsite.ca for more information.
CIRCULAR BRAINSTORM
Polyurethane Foam Industry Contemplates New Approaches
CHANGES IN REGULATIONS
and shifting consumer demands have motivated various industries worldwide to embed sustainability and social responsibility into their corporate strategies and operations. Many businesses worldwide are looking for different circular business models to move forward, and the polyurethane foam industry is not an exception.
Polyurethane is a versatile polymer that is extensively used in various industries. It constitutes 5.3% of the global plastic market, with annual production volume exceeding 20 million metric tonnes. Known for its extensive range of applications, it poses unique sustainability challenges.
Items containing polyurethane foam are often bulky (e.g., mattresses and furniture), which results in high transportation costs and requires a lot of space. The intricate chemical composition of polyurethane foam complicates end-of-life management and recycling processes. Polyols, derived from crude oil, is a key element of its production.
The circular economy encompasses various innovations and adaptations ranging from waste management to closed loop material flows to regenerative design. Numerous studies on the circular economy in practice have shown considerable potential to reduce per-unit environmental impacts and
By Mona Abadian and Jenniffer D. Russell
enhance energy and material efficiency, which could improve the sustainability practices of individual organizations within the polyurethane foam industry.
Yet, it would be a complex endeavour to implement circular economy principles for industry-wide transformation. To be effective, it would require cooperation among stakeholders involved in different parts of the value chain — each contributing unique expertise, perspective, insight and capability.
WORKSHOP LEARNINGS
As a step toward that outcome, stakeholders from different parts of the polyurethane foam value chain were invited to take part in a twoday, co-creation strategy workshop that followed a structured backcasting process. This entails a participatory and collaborative process of envisioning the desired future or success, clarifying the current state conditions and then identifying the diverse strategic pathways needed to achieve the desired future.
The ABCD backcasting method is structured into four distinct steps:
• Awareness and vision:
• Baselining the current state;
• Creating the solution; and
• Deciding on priorities.
Over the two-day workshop, facilitators worked with participants with the goal of developing a co-created strategic roadmap for the polyurethane foam industry’s transition to circular economy. Throughout the workshop, participants collaborated to discuss and develop coordinated strategies, inspired by circular economy principles and practices, that would lead to a more sustainable and circular polyurethane foam value chain.
Participants were organized into diverse groups to represent different stages of the product life cycle and were asked to identify requirements necessary for 100% circularity. These were sorted and organized systematically, using inductive analysis, to identify key themes across the six stages of the product life cycle.
These resulting themes are referred to as circular economy pathways, which offer specific scenarios for industry stakeholders, policymakers and researchers. Participants were asked to individually rank the pathways. They then reorganized into diverse groups to engage in collaborative discussion to identify and prioritize the top three pathways recommended to be the future focus areas for each stakeholder group and stage of the product life cycle. These were also categorized into short-term, mid-term, and long-term
the high cost of expanding recovery and recycling facilities and the lack of effective reverse logistics networks. More than 14% of participants cited the cost of virgin feedstock and the absence of standardization, while 9.5% identified policy barriers such as the absence of comprehensive policies that synchronize stakeholders along the entire value chain.
PRIORITIES FOR CHANGE
Drilling down to those various players, they identified the following priorities to facilitate circularity:
Chemical suppliers
timelines to recognize temporal challenges, opportunities and constraints that must be managed as part of a strategic transition.
Participants identified 80 existing enablers that can facilitate and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. The majority emphasized that the growing understanding of the necessity of sustainability in this industry is the most important enabler. Participants claim that new markets are opening for using waste goods, such as carpet bonding.
It is generally agreed that some biomaterials can realistically be substituted for conventional raw materials in the polyurethane foam production process. This substitution is expected to make the shift to a circular economy much easier.
Participants also proposed a new method for creating consistent foams for a range of uses, including mattresses. That standardization is expected to improve products’ recyclability.
At the same time, participants tallied 84 major barriers that prevent it from moving into a circular economy. The most significant challenges are coming under the technological category (47.6%), mostly related to the absence of appropriate product designs and materials required for circular activities.
Almost 18% of the challenges related to infrastructure, which includes obstacles like
Two pathways receive almost equal attention from the participants. The first one involves upstream collaboration with recyclers to enhance material collection system and divert, materials toward recycling to ensure a sustainable supply of recycled materials within the system.
The second pathway focuses on downstream collaboration with manufacturers to find innovative uses for recycled content. A third priority involves promoting innovation in feedstock sourcing and material development. This includes exploring the use of biomaterials and pre-consumer scrap as potential sources for manufacturing.
Manufacturing
The top priority is the coordination between manufacturers and suppliers to establish clear circular material specifications and requirements. Next is the development and implementation of material design requirements for circularity, followed by simplification of material formulations to make end-of-use, end-of-life management and recycling processes easier and more costeffective.
These findings emphasize the importance of implementing material design requirements and streamlining material formulations to improve end-of-life management and recycling processes within the industry.
Distributors and Retailers:
Focusing on collaborative efforts with government and industry stakeholders to establish return and recovery opportunities emerges as the top priority. Next, participants underscore the importance of distributors independently establishing point-of-sale and
other return/recovery consolidation points within the value chain.
They also flag the need to educate consumers about alternative local options, such as donation at the point of sale, and for collaborative efforts with downstream actors like disassemblers and non-profit furniture banks to facilitate circular economy systems.
Customers and consumers:
BRAINSTORM materials&products
The foremost priority is the development and offering of incentives to encourage customers and consumers to actively participate in the end-of-life or end-of-use processes. It is also deemed important to educate customers/ users on how to engage in product recovery and recycling methods to discourage undesirable behaviour. As well, participants emphasize the importance of developing new methods that could alleviate the cost and burden on customers and consumers to manage end-of-life products.
Recyclers and end-of-life managers:
The top priority is establishing local collection infrastructure and consolidation points, and collaborating with other stakeholders to effectively educate and communicate about local end-of-life options. They highlight the need to coordinate with manufacturers and material suppliers to clarify the most important labelling requirements needed for disassembly, recycling and other management options. Development of new by-products from recycling chemicals such as urea, primary amines and isocyanates could also be a driver of circularity.
Stakeholders at every level of the value chain, from chemical suppliers to policymakers and consumers, have crucial roles in leading and collaborating both downstream and upstream. The workshop demonstrates that there are noticeable patterns in the alignment of perspectives among these groups.
Mona Abadian is a Ph.D. candidate in sustainable biomaterials and Jenniffer D. Russell is an Assistant Professor at Virgina Polytechnic Institute and State University. The preceding is excerpted from their paper, Navigating the Circular Economy Pathways for Sustainable Transition in Polyurethane Foam Industry, which was presented at the American Chemistry Council’s 2024 Polyurethanes Technical Conference.
AS THE RIGHTS-HOLDERS to strategic lands, prospective Indigenous proponents of clean energy projects can be at ground zero for net-zero. A new primer from the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) highlights the opportunities and some illustrative generation, storage and transmission projects. The non-profit collective of more than 170 First Nations across Canada provides support for wholly owned ventures or equity partnerships in infrastructure developed within members’ traditional territories.
Collectively, Indigenous peoples are already the third most invested owners in Canadian clean energy assets, after governments and utilities. Strategies to expand that stake can align with self-governance, economic reconciliation and development, environmental stewardship and climate change response.
“Indigenous nations in Canada expect to be full economic beneficiaries of electrification,” the introduction to the primer affirms.
Initially, investment opportunities are expected to be most plentiful in established clean energy technologies like solar, on-shore wind, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric generation, and associated services like energy storage and transmission. Some early examples of wholly owned enterprises include:
• Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal, a 15-megawatt (MW) generating facility in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, which will replace the gas-fired power plant now serving communities of the Fort Nelson First Nation;
• Five Nations Energy, one of Ontario’s five licensed electricity transmission companies and the developer of the 270-kilometre Omushkego Ishkotayo Project, delivering electricity to the communities of Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Kashechewan; and
• Groupe ADL, a company of the Mashteuiatsh First Nation, developing biomass fuel as the owner of Quebec’s largest wood pellet plant, Granules LG.
As well, Saskatchewan-based Cowessess First Nation owns a 95% majority interest in Awasis Solar, a 10-MW solar photovoltaic generating facility with a 20-year agreement to sell power to SaskPower. The arrangement with the minority owner, Elemental Energy, will also give its Indigenous partner the opportunity to acquire full ownership after five years of commercial operations.
Examining the rationale for Indigenous equity stakes in both small and large-scale
clean energy projects, FNMPC reiterates the “legal and socio-economic precedents” that underpin an obligation for any infrastructure proponent to engage in meaningful consultation and obtain informed consent from Indigenous peoples prior to beginning a project on their lands.
Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), while the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action 92 urges the corporate sector to likewise apply UNDRIP principles for respectful business relationships that can convey long-term sustainable economic benefits to the Indigenous communities that host and provide labour and/or a market for outside enterprises. From potential partners’ perspective, receptive communities can enhance a deal’s outcomes with valuable insiders’ connections and an expanded network of potential business opportunities. FNMPC stresses that it is an opportune time as global economies strive to shift to low-carbon production and deliver the capacity for required wide-scale electrification of transportation, manufacturing and building operations. Flawed engagement risks derailing projects, while true collaboration can shave time off that process.
DUAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC GOALS
Chief Sharleen Gale, Chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, has first-hand insight on the environmental and economic benefits of clean energy projects in remote, off-grid communities.
Speaking at an International Energy Agency (IEA) symposium in Paris earlier this year, she shared details of the Tu Deh-Kah geothermal electricity facility under construction in her own Fort Nelson First Nations. The wholly owned venture of the Nation’s economic development arm, Deh Tai Corporation, will replace the gas-fired power plant that currently serves communities in the territory in northern British Columbia.
“Traditionally, we were always getting the low-paying jobs, the seasonal work, so when it was time to wrap up a project, people would be laid off,” Gale recounted. “Now, with the 100% Indigenousowned geothermal facility, we’re seeing our people who have gone away to university come back home, and they are leading this transition. That makes us very proud that we are providing that opportunity to our members and to future generations.”
The Canadian government organized the session exploring the potential synergies of net-zero emissions goals with economic development, job growth and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
“Given that any new net zero project will be hosted or built on Indigenous lands, the centering of Indigenous peoples’ rights and selfdetermination must anchor the now quickly unfolding electrification era in Canada,” the primer states. “Without full participation of Indigenous people, clean energy projects are not likely to be completed in time to meet Canada’s net zero target timelines.”
Henvey Inlet First Nation Wind Energy Centre, a 300-MW wind farm on the northeast shore of Ontario’s Georgian Bay with an associated transmission line, is a prominent example of an equity partnership. Developed with Pattern Energy, it is Canada’s largest Indigenous wind energy project to date.
Parc éolien Apuiat, a 200-MW wind farm on Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam First Nation territory in Quebec is another large-scale wind project. The Innu nation is a 50% joint owner with the Quebec-based energy company, Boralex and, together, they have secured a 30-year contract to sell power to HydroQuébec.
The primer also cites examples of Indigenous co-ventures in energy storage and hydroelectric projects, and examines a range of emerging technologies including nuclear small module reactors, hydrogen, tidal and wave energy and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). As well, it outlines some of the considerations that prospective energy project proponents may choose to apply in assessing the technologies and business models that are most suitable for their resources and ambitions.
FNMPC stresses that the new primer is meant to set out the big picture and does not delve deeply into financial or legal details.
as part of the IEA’s annual Ministerial meeting. This year’s gathering of key political representatives from its 31 member countries also marked the multinational cooperative organization’s 50th anniversary.
In his opening remarks, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, maintained that the majority of people in most countries recognize that climate change is occurring and want governments and businesses to take action to address it. However, he acknowledged that many also have concerns about the economic consequences of those actions, whether that’s fallout from the demise of current energy sector incumbents or the costs of developing, building and retraining for cleaner replacements.
“We simply must offer a thoughtful and compelling economic vision of a low-carbon future if we are to bring the vast majority of citizens with us on this journey,” he submitted. “It requires an environment that is an attractive one for business investment. It requires collaboration amongst governments, industry and labour and, in Canada’s case, with Indigenous peoples.
CLIMATE ACTIVISM COMPLEMENTS CONSERVATION ECONOMY
Noted Inuk activist, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a former chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), maintains that traditional teachings on land and ice contribute to inner resilience, while imparting the technical skills to become providers and conservators of nature. She outlined an approach to stewardship that also complements economic development while speaking on Sept. 30 to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“We are not just our traumas,” she told listeners of a webinar sponsored by the law firm, Gowling WLG. “We want to be teachers of sustainability because we are natural teachers of sustainability.”
The current ICC president, Monica EllKanayuk, agrees that traditional inhabitants should have an inherent role in a conservation-based economy around protected natural areas in the Arctic. That could involve Inuit-led research and monitoring, and stewardship for artisans and harvesters. In a 2021 speech to the Arctic Development Expo, she stressed that Inuit have occupied and been sustained in the Arctic for thousands of years.
However, as the provider of business capacity support to a collective that has 17 projects in progress, representing total Indigenous capital investment of $30 to $40 billion, it has an extensive
“The connection between the economy and a healthy environment is, for us, obvious,” Ell-Kanayuk asserted. “We assume the responsibility to ensure meaningful and equitable roles for Inuit are built into any conservation efforts.”
Watt-Cloutier has approached climate change tactically through the courts, launching the first legal action linking climate change to human rights while at the ICC helm. She also cited the skills and aptitudes that can be developed through traditional practices — patience, endurance, courage, focus, judgement and wisdom — all which can be drawn on to face modern-day stressors.
“Our youth need to be taught that in order to be able not just to survive the modern-day settings and the legacy that they carry on their shoulders, but also to be able to thrive and become the young people and the champions of the Arctic themselves,” she said. “The narrative has to change from one of just ice and polar bears. When it comes to climate change of the Arctic, it has to be the human face.”
– Rebecca Melnyk, REMI
Network
library of guidance on myriad aspects of project development.
More information about the First Nations Major Projects Coalition can be found at https://fnmpc.ca.
– REMI Network
HOMELOK by SALTO
AN ACCESS CONTROL SOLUTION FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS AND TENANTS
As the crowded real estate sector continues to grow and evolve, property managers are competing for tenants looking for top-quality spaces. To attract and retain tenants, many managers are o ering concessions and incentives to help o set rising costs and remain an attractive option.
However, there is another strategy many property managers are turning to - providing added value for prospective tenants and di erentiating themselves from other properties with tech-enabled amenities and smart-living innovations. Salto’s new Homelok smart access solution is one such example, an all-in-one platform that delivers keyless access and advanced security features combined with the convenience and simplicity of modern smart living.
WHAT IS HOMELOK?
Homelok o ers flexible, convenient smart access solutions for multi-unit residential properties, connecting smart door hardware to a cloud-based access control interface to manage any access point, in all types of buildings.
Designed to work in a variety of settings, from large, multibuilding complexes to smaller properties, and ranging from brandnew developments to older buildings, Homelok can be customized to meet the specific needs of any property.
This system o ers property managers and tenants key features to improve the user experience including:
• Cloud-based control: Managers can oversee building access remotely from any device, giving them the ability to issue or revoke digital keys, monitor security, and manage multiple properties all from one system.
• Digital keys: Residents can use their smartphones or smartwatches to unlock doors, eliminating the need for traditional keys. Homelok integrates with Apple Wallet, JustIN Mobile, and third-party apps allowing residents to easily open doors with a tap of their phone.
• Smart living integration: The system’s flexibility and limitless integration make it the ultimate all-in-one smart access experience for residents and property managers.
THE RESIDENT EXPERIENCE
Homelok provides a modern, convenient, keyless way to live, with a simple, streamlined experience. Beyond being able to unlock doors with a smart device, the system also easily grants remote access for guests, repairs, deliveries, and more, allowing residents to manage their home’s access without having to be physically present.
“It’s all about making life easier for residents,” explains Preston Grutzmacher, Residential Business Leader, Salto North America. “Keyless living is convenient, fast, and secure. It’s the kind of modern technology that people are looking for in their homes.”
MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Managing multifamily units can be a complex, time-consuming task, but Homelok can help simplify the day-to-day operations with just a few clicks. The system’s remote building access management allows managers to quickly grant temporary access to contractors, maintenance workers, or delivery personnel without needing to be on-site.
“Being able to control access remotely is a huge advantage for property managers,” Grutzmacher says. “It saves time, reduces security risks, and makes the entire process much more e cient.”
Homelok combines cloud-based technology with wireless, battery-powered hardware to create a system that is easy to install and maintain. These locks don’t require hard wiring, making them a great option for retrofits or older buildings where running new wiring is expensive or impractical. The wireless system is easy to maintain, with battery-powered locks last for years and are simple to replace, meaning fewer disruptions for residents and less maintenance work for facilities teams.
“Homelok simplifies operations for property managers,” says Grutzmacher. “It reduces the time and e ort needed to manage keys and access points. That means less hassle for managers and a more secure, e cient property overall.”
STAYING COMPETITIVE
By streamlining operations and providing a superior living experience, Homelok helps multifamily property owners attract and retain tenants. Properties that o er smart, secure, and keyless access are more appealing to today’s renters, leading to faster lease-ups, higher occupancy rates, and lower turnover.
“Homelok allows property owners to o er modern conveniences that today’s residents expect,” Grutzmacher notes. “It makes properties more competitive in the market, which is a win for owners and managers.”
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Homelok helps provide protection and peace of mind with features like realtime monitoring and security alerts to keep the property secure. The system tracks everyone who comes and goes, allowing managers to respond quickly to any potential security issues. This level of visibility and control greatly enhances the security of the building, limiting access to authorized individuals.
Similarly, the system’s advanced encryption protects residents’ digital keys, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access their homes – and because access can be monitored in real-time, residents can always see who has entered their homes and when.
“With Homelok, residents get a secure, keyless experience that gives them full control over their home’s access,” Grutzmacher explains. “It’s a modern solution that meets today’s security needs.”
The future of property management technology
Homelok future-proofs multifamily properties with flexible technology. The platform leverages Salto’s SVN (Salto
Virtual Network) technology, which allows the system to work both online and o ine, ensuring reliable access even in the event of network outages.
As new access control technologies emerge, the system can be easily updated to support them, ensuring that properties equipped with this system stay ahead of the curve, making it a smart investment for property owners looking to o er cuttingedge amenities.
Beyond providing keyless access, Homelok plays a critical role in the broader smart living ecosystem, delivering on resident expectations for homes that integrate seamlessly with their smart devices. The platform connects with other smart home technologies, allowing residents to control not just their doors, but also their lights, thermostats, and more, all in one place.
“Smart living is the future, and Homelok is at the heart of that experience,” Grutzmacher says. “It’s not just about locks, it’s about creating connected, convenient living environments that work with the technology residents already use.”
Vancouver Project Prioritizes Indigenous Placemaking GATHERING GOOD SPIRITS
By Erin Ruddy
A LANDMARK Indigenous-led, mixed-use housing development is underway in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that’s set to bring 150 rental homes, 25 supportive housing and 80 shelter beds to market by late 2025. Named Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum, which means “to gather, good spirits”, the cojoined towers will prioritize Indigenous residents and include larger family-oriented homes, ceremonial space, support services, and other key amenities.
Construction on the $97-million project kicked off more than a year ago, but the vision originated in 2009, when Susan Tatoosh, Executive Director at Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS), became a force for combatting housing insecurity in the beleaguered Eastside neighbourhood.
Located at 1607 East Hastings Street,
VACFS’s headquarters has long been rooted in the highest concentration of Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver, offering an array of services from the Centre including health and well-being programs, cultural education, human rights advocacy and recreational activities.
While Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum is a huge undertaking for VACFS compared to past housing projects, it’s also a symbol of hope — and a testament to what can be achieved with a strong vision, strong leadership, and a shared commitment to tackling Vancouver’s homeless crisis. The project is the result of a partnership between the Province of British Columbia, the Canadian government, the City of Vancouver, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association and VAFCS, with development support from Western
Canadian Properties Group and M’akola Development Services.
“We are proud to work in partnership to demonstrate reconciliation in action and our shared commitment to upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by providing culturally safe, affordable and accessible housing that is operated by and for Indigenous Peoples,” Tatoosh said at the groundbreaking ceremony in August 2023. “We are excited to welcome community members to an environment where Indigenous placemaking is prioritized and our community members see themselves when they walk through the door.”
OPERATIONS AND FUNDING
When complete, Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum will feature a café and a Klatawa DIY
Images courtesy of
bike shop, both to be operated by VAFCS in addition to the supportive and affordable homes. Residents and visitors will have access to a courtyard, a rooftop multipurpose room and a multi-level day centre offering a library, an art studio, counselling spaces and other services.
Funding-wise, $57.27 million was supplied through BC Housing, including $34 million through the Supportive Housing Fund and $23 million in Affordable Rental Housing grant funding.
The federal government provided $22 million, including $19 million in co-investment funding through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and $3 million from the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund.
The City of Vancouver contributed $4.6 million in combined grants and fee waivers, as well as the land for the project, which was valued at $13.3 million under a nominal-fee leasehold agreement.
M’akola Development Services (MDS) has been working with VAFCS and BC Housing as a development consultant on the project since 2017, helping to guide future programs that will support guests and residents on their journey to wellness,
“We are taking meaningful action to address the critical need for culturally supportive shelter and foster a lasting vision of community and resilience for First Nations.”
stability and independence. The development was designed by Low Hammond Rowe Architects, a Victoria-based partnership specializing in large residential projects throughout BC.
Susan Tatoosh is an Elder of Shuswap ancestry and a member of the Hupacaseth First Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Territory.
MORE PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
In other development news, more than 1,600 new affordable rental homes are coming to
British Columbia for Indigenous people, both on and off reserves. The homes are part of the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund (IHF), a $1.7-billion provincial program, administered by BC Housing to support the government’s target of delivering 3,500 homes for Indigenous families, elders, individuals and people with disabilities.
The new homes will include 41 on- and off-reserve projects that will provide 1,662 affordable rental homes. This includes 667 on-reserve homes for First Nations members and 995 off-reserve homes for Indigenous people.
When the IHF was launched in 2018, B.C. became Canada’s first and only province to invest in First Nations’ housing on reserve, which is a federal jurisdiction. With this latest project selection, more than 3,220 IHF homes are now open or underway.
“With each new home built through the Indigenous Housing Fund, we are taking meaningful action to address the critical need for culturally supportive shelter and foster a lasting vision of community and resilience for First Nations in British Columbia,” said Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the BC Assembly of First Nations.
Through the Indigenous Social Housing Management Agreement, operating agreements with off-reserve Indigenous non-profit housing organizations will be administered by the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). AHMA is the first for Indigenous, by Indigenous housing authority established in Canada. Its members manage more than 95% of all Indigenous-housing units located off reserve in B.C.
Erin Ruddy is Editor of Canadian Apartment.
DISCIPLINED DISCOVERY
Data Strategies Key to Gleaning Pertinent Insights
By Bryan Borzykowski
As part of its ongoing educational mission around the digital transformation of commercial real estate, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada has produced a new guide on how to effectively glean the information that data analytics can provide. The following is an excerpt – Editor.
REAL ESTATE owners/managers are increasingly realizing the value of data and are eager to create data strategies that can help them get more out of their buildings and operations. Data analytics can be the key to understanding past performance, optimizing current operations and predicting future trends, but that also relies on data infrastructure that’s honed to extract the most pertinent insights from an ever-growing mass of inputs.
Data-collecting sensors embedded in building systems coupled with advances in cloud technology now make it easier to parse out information. With an extensive range of possible metrics to track, it’s important for companies to ensure they’re collecting the right data. Typically, owners/managers are focused on: efficient operations; satisfied tenants; and improved decision-making related to those two key areas.
Once companies understand what kind of data they’ve got and have prioritized what
they want to glean from it, they can begin to devise a data strategy. Consider the following steps:
Define Business Objectives
A data strategy must be tied to a company’s overall goals to achieve tangible results. Objectives can be determined by engaging stakeholders from across the organization to gain a better understanding of the company’s mission and priorities.
Assess Data Maturity
Take inventory of the company’s current data assets and assess the quality of that information. Performing a technology audit will provide a better idea of the systems currently used to gather, analyze and store data. If anyone is currently in charge of handling data, it might be a good time to evaluate their ability to move a strategy forward.
Define Data Needs
Identify the data needed to meet business objectives and how it should be acquired, such as through internal systems, thirdparty vendors or Internet of Things devices.
Establish a Data Governance Program
Ensure the data is accurate and trustworthy. Data governance involves setting internal standards for how information will be defined, stored and processed. It also requires determining the roles and responsibilities of the people building out the strategy. This includes assigning ownership of certain datasets to specific individuals or departments within the
organization to ensure the data is accurate, securely stored and ethically used.
Define Data Architecture
Figure out storage logistics for the vast amounts of data soon to be accumulated, and create a plan for integrating new and existing data into a centralized location. This architecture needs to be flexible and capable of scaling as the business grows.
Pick the Tools
Is software in place to analyze the raw data collected or will a third-party vendor supply it?
Identifying key use cases will help to determine analytic needs. Advanced tools that allow for the implementation of machine learning, artificial intelligence and other innovations may be options to consider.
Foster a Data Culture
Train employees involved with the strategy on how to recognize and understand the importance of data and the need to incorporate data-driven insights into all aspects of the business. Promote an environment where different departments collaborate and use data in a consistent manner.
Ensure Data Security and Compliance
Implement protocols to safeguard and encrypt sensitive data and regulations to govern how this data should be handled and stored.
Implement, Monitor and Report
Try to roll out the strategy in phases, in order of priority. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of the strategy and make adjustments as needed. Ensure someone is in charge of producing regular reports that track progress and highlight any insights revealed by the data.
Scale and Adapt
Continually assess and adjust the strategy as the business grows. Incorporate new technologies where appropriate and encourage employees to modify aspects of the strategy as efficiencies are uncovered.
The process of adopting a data strategy can be characterized as a three-stage journey. The first step is developing usable data, when organizations should focus on ensuring data is captured, integrated and clean. Typically, companies can expect to expend about 20% of the effort in analyzing the data it has already collected, while the remaining 80% of is devoted to wrestling more data into a usable form.
Once an organization reaches the systematic stage, the split will be closer to 50-50. This is where a company begins to make real progress and the process picks up steam. Finally, in the differentiating stage, about 80% of efforts involve leveraging the data to make informed decisions and just 20% goes to wrangling new data.
CRITICAL ROLES
A number of key roles must be filled to successfully build a data strategy in-house. That begins with a data leader or a chief data officer who will be accountable for the overall development and implementation of the strategy. A range of technical professionals, including data architects, data engineers, data analysts and system administrators can also help to gain a better understanding of the current data state and the challenges that will come with improving it.
Other departments should be included to ensure all aspects of the organization are represented. Consider starting with the Office of Finance, but additionally look to leaders — vice presidents, directors and managers — who can contribute to the strategy development and help with data governance. Perhaps most importantly, a company needs to have people in place who understand and believe in the value of its data strategy.
For those lacking the means to build a data strategy in-house, data strategy consultants can assess specific needs and help find the most cost-effective way forward. This might involve hiring thirdparty vendors to handle different aspects of data collection or identifying a vendor that provides pre-built data frameworks.
Finding an external solution may be quicker and less expensive in the short term, but costs can add up over time. Some companies opt for a hybrid model that allows them to maintain strict control over sensitive data while outsourcing specific projects to a trusted vendor.
Change management is decisive in getting a data strategy to hold. Employees need to be motivated not to revert to their old routines. Company leaders need to embrace the new standards and champion new ways of doing business. The more involved people feel in the process, the more successful the strategy will likely be.
The complete text of An Introduction to Data Analytics can be found at https://bomacanada.ca/ digital-transformation-report-2024/.
6 things you need to know about gas absorption heat pumps
Gas absorption heat pumps are relatively new to B.C. but have been used in Europe for space and water heating for more than two decades. Here’s what you need to know about this innovative technology:
1 They can operate at more than 100 per cent efficiency.
By using the evaporation and absorption of liquids to transfer heat, a gas absorption heat pump creates more than one unit of heat for every unit of energy it uses.1
2 They can maintain a comfortable space on the coldest days.
Gas absorption heat pumps are designed to operate efficiently in colder climates, even when temperatures drop below -40 °C.
3 They can be used in a variety of buildings.
These heat pumps can be suitable for a wide range of commercial, multi-unit residential and institutional buildings, like offices, hotels, care homes, recreation centres and more.
4 They can reduce GHG emissions2 with fewer upgrades.
Gas absorption heat pumps can use the gas equipment that’s already available in a building, like ductwork and piping.
5 They allow customers to choose their preferred energy source.
Gas absorption heat pumps can help reduce energy use, operating costs and associated GHG emissions for customers who prefer—or need to use—gas for space and water heating.
6 Gas heat pumps allow customers to further reduce emissions with Renewable Natural Gas. 3
These units provide an opportunity for customers to designate up to 100 per cent of their energy as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to help lower overall emissions further.
1Coefficient of performance (COP) and gas usage efficiency (GUE) results of more than 1.0 were achieved in a Robur A gas absorption heat pump system with dynamic controls, as recorded by Building Energy Solutions (BES) Ltd. in its measurement and verification report for the gas absorption heat pump pilot, phase three and four, September 9, 2021.
2When compared to standard-efficiency, 80 per cent annual fuel utilization efficiency, gas furnaces and boilers.
3Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane) is produced in a different manner than conventional natural gas. It is derived from biogas, which is produced from decomposing organic waste from landfills, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities. The biogas is captured and cleaned to create RNG. When RNG is added to North America’s natural gas system, it mixes with conventional natural gas. This means we’re unable to direct RNG to a specific customer. But the more RNG is added to the gas system, the less conventional natural gas is needed, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and overall greenhouse gas emissions.
*When compared to standard-efficiency, 80 per cent annual fuel utilization efficiency, gas furnaces and boilers. FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc. do business as FortisBC. The companies are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. FortisBC uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (24-122.10 10/2024)
(up to 75 per cent of the total project costs) for energy-efficient gas absorption heat pumps in eligible commercial, multi-unit residential or institutional buildings.
Terms and conditions apply.
Not sure how this heat pump will integrate with your building’s existing systems? Eligible commercial customers can additionally receive up to $20,000 in feasibility study funding.
Learn how this innovative technology can help your business save energy and money, and reduce overall emissions.*
fortisbc.com/commercialheatpump Energy for a better B.C. Connect with us @fortisbc Up to $200,000 in
Consultation Explores Surtax on Vacant Residential Land IDLE OPTIONS
THE CANADIAN government is exploring options for a surtax on vacant residential land. Earlier this fall, development industry stakeholders, provincial/territorial and municipal governments and the general public were invited to participate in a consultation on the rationale for, and potential design of, a levy that could be applied on idle lands that have been zoned for residential or mixed-use development.
Plans for the consultation were initially announced in the 2024 federal budget, released on April 16, as part of a package of proposed initiatives aimed at stimulating new housing production. In doing so, the budget document impugns landholders’ business motives and suggests they are falling short of the government’s example and expectations.
“There is a concern that some landowners in Canada may be sitting on developable land, hoping to profit from rising land values when the land could instead be used for immediate residential development,” it states. “The government is taking significant action to resolve Canada’s housing crisis, and the federal government believes owners of vacant land in Canada must also do their part to unlock unused land for homes.”
Development industry advocates counter that the government is voicing an unrealistic
By Barbara Carss
interpretation of how market economies function.
“People are sitting on land that they can’t build on because the costs are too high relative to what the market can bear,” says Richard Lyall, President of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). “I’ve had people ask me why developers can’t just reduce their profits so they can build more housing, and my response is: There are no profits now. Developers are not going to build something and lose money on it intentionally. That’s how you go out of business.”
PROVINCIAL/MUNICIPAL IMPLEMENTATION
The government sets out its premise and some guiding parameters in a brief consultation paper. It proposes that provincial/territorial and municipal governments would be the levying agents with federal funding to support implementation costs. Jurisdictions that indicate interest would be engaged in subsequent consultations.
The surtax is presented as a means to: encourage housing development; discourage “speculative holding” of lands that have been zoned for housing; and generate revenue that “various orders of government” could reinvest in housing. Vacant residential or
mixed-use lands would have to be free from contamination, accommodate suitably sized lots for development and have access to municipal water, sewerage, roads and electricity grids to be subject to the surtax.
Respondents to the consultation are asked to offer reasons why they believe lands zoned for residential development remain vacant and/or to outline any potential negative or unintended consequences that could arise from a new surtax. The consultation paper also seeks input on:
• how to define vacant and/or serviceable land;
• circumstances that would trigger exemptions or lifting of the surtax; and
• the appropriate tax rate.
It’s acknowledged that special rules may be required for certain circumstances and/or certain markets, and that differing tax rates may be needed from region to region.
“Canada is a vast country with differing local needs and land availability,” the consultation paper states. “The federal government recognizes that each jurisdiction in Canada is unique and a one-size-fits-all approach to the taxation of vacant lands in Canada would not be appropriate.”
INSTIGATING INFILL
A combination of financial incentives, new zoning flexibility and innovative construction options could make accessory dwelling units a more common form of rental housing supply.
The Canadian government recently reiterated a promise to release the details of a new low-cost loan fund — first announced in the 2024 federal budget this spring — before the end of the year. That’s expected to make up to $40,000 available for the creation of secondary suites at residences that borrowers or their close family members occupy.
As well, new rules for mortgage insurance will take effect as of January 15, 2025.
This will raise the threshold for mortgage insurance to a maximum of 90% of loan-to-value (LTV), also factoring in the added value that a new secondary unit represents. Borrowers will be eligible for mortgage insurance on up to $2 million of property value, an increase from the previous limit of $1.5 million. The maximum amortization period is set at 30 years.
To qualify, borrowers must already own the existing principal residence, add no more than three additional units and provide assurance that new units will not be offered for short-term rentals. The 90% LTV threshold will be calculated on the total amount of loans secured by the property including other outstanding loans.
The revised mortgage insurance rules and pending loan fund are in keeping with the government’s agenda to promote small-scale residential infill. That’s also seen in the criteria for its Housing Accelerator Fund, which requires participating large urban municipalities to open up zoning to allow four units per residential lot as-of-right in low-density neighbourhoods.
“We think that sort of gentle density is a good way to allow Canadian families to participate in this great national project of increasing housing supply,” Finace Minister Chrystia Freeland said earlier this fall. “I talked to a lot of Canadian families who are keen to add that space to their home, have a family member be able to live with them. This is going to allow them to do that and more generally add that gentle density.”
St. Catharines, a city of roughly 140,000 in Ontario’s Niagara Region, now boasts one of Canada’s most lucrative incentive programs, which is partially supported with funding from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. It underwrites additional residential units on properties currently accommodating single-detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwellings that are at least five years old.
Qualifying project proponents can receive rebates for up to 70% of eligible costs to a maximum of $40,000 for new interior apartments or $80,000 for a new detached structure. That could go toward building materials, labour costs or required upgrades to plumbing or HVAC systems, but would not cover consulting fees, permits or appliances and furnishings. Up to two accessory units per property are allowed, subject to compliance with local planning and zoning rules, but with a per-property grant limit of $80,000.
Project proponents are also allowed to combine the municipal incentive with funding from other government programs, provided the money they obtain does not exceed total eligible costs. There is a 12-month timeline from the issuance of the building permit to complete the new units, and grants will be paid out after a final municipal inspection and the building permit is closed.
To help speed that process along, the City of St. Catharines has recently issued a call for proposals for template modular, prefabricated or conventional construction designs that it can pre-approve as an option for prospective proponents. It is seeking up to eight prototypes with small footprints of less than 540 square feet (50 square metres) or somewhat larger in the range of 540 to 860 square feet (80 square metres).
LEVYING COMPLEXITIES
The federal government has constitutional authority to devise and impose tax, but, in practice, it would be cumbersome to levy this one without the cooperation of provincial/ territorial and municipal governments that control land registration, property assessment and land use planning. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) already calculates the federal underused housing tax based on 1% of a subject property’s current assessed value as determined by the applicable assessment authority, but many more permutations would come into play related to what’s classified as vacant land and/or how the residential portion of vacant mixed-use sites might be determined.
“There are provincial Assessment Acts and/or municipal taxing statutes for the whole country that cover off the treatment of vacant land, and these rules are different in each province. So there would be a whole lot of complexities in terms of actually working this through,” advises Almos Tassonyi, Senior Associate with the Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance at the University of Toronto. “In Ontario, for example, there are vacant land provisions;
there are provisions for farmland pending development; there are optional classes; and there’s also a portion of commercial/ industrial properties that gets treated as excess land. In British Columbia, there are separate tax class rates; you’ve got to look to the specifics of the Assessment Act as to what is covered in the class.”
A new surtax could be expected to trigger an uptick in assessment appeals if it is to be applied on the property’s existing assessed value (as is the case with the underused housing tax). Across Canada, the interval between reassessment exercises typically varies from one to three years depending on the province. However, Ontario has notably fallen far behind schedule, with 2016 market values still in place thus far this decade.
“Most assessing authorities in Canada assess property to the market value standard, and there is an argument to be made that a tax like this would be an impairment on the value of development land,” notes Giselle Kakamousias, Vice President, Property Tax, with the Atlantic Canada based real estate advisory firm, Turner Drake & Partners. “As well, challenges would undoubtedly be launched
based on tax classification, particularly in jurisdictions where vacant lands are taxed at other than residential rates.”
There is also a risk that such a tax would ultimately flow through to consumers. Kakamousias and Lyall lump it with a range of other upfront costs that developers factor into their business calculations and prices. Nor is there much available evidence that other similar punitive instruments have been effective.
“I’d be interested to see a cost-benefit analysis on the underused housing tax. Has it accomplished what it was intended to do?” Kakamousias muses.
“Why is the government’s answer, typically to just about anything, to raise a tax? What we need are incentives to help make the numbers work and get people to go ahead and build on some of these sites,” Lyall asserts. “We tax new housing like we tax alcohol and cigarettes. It’s like a sin tax, and sin taxes are designed to reduce consumption.”
The consultation paper can be found at www. canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/ consultations/2024/consultations-on-the-taxationof-vacant-lands/ctvl.html
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Biofilms Safeguard Pathogens STICKY CONCERNS
BIOFILMS THAT FORM in drains and sinks pose an often underestimated threat as a source of health care associated infections (HAI). Infection prevention specialists, Dan Mueller and John Lell, discussed the risks and some solutions during a recent webinar sponsored by The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS).
Biofilms are micro-organism communities that bind to surfaces and protect themselves through a sticky matrix that renders them extremely resistant to conventional cleaning methods and disinfectants. This resistance to chemicals and to immune system attacks allows them to survive and thrive in hostile environments such as hospital drains.
Biofilms can harbour dreaded pathogens like Pseudomonas and Candida auris, making infections much harder to treat. Once a pathogen becomes embedded in a biofilm, its resistance to antibiotics can increase exponentially, some as much as a thousandfold. For instance, Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is normally susceptible to
By Nathalie Thibault
vancomycin, becomes antibiotic-resistant when it has biofilm protection.
Hospital sink drains, which are often located in high-traffic areas, provide an ideal breeding ground for biofilms. These reservoirs of bacteria and other microorganisms provide prime conditions for their proliferation, given the constant humidity and available nutrients from organic waste.
A study by the American Society for Microbiology documented the ability of biofilms to form and grow in pipes, facilitating the transport of pathogenic bacteria through hospital plumbing systems.
Bacteria in these biofilms can travel up the pipes at a rate of 2.5 centimetres per day, progressively contaminating sinks and surrounding surfaces. This migration introduces pathogens into sensitive clinical areas, significantly increasing the risk of transmitting HAIs. An article published by Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology revealed that surface contamination around sinks by pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii is
frequent and directly contributes to the spread of infections.
In addition to their ability to move through pipes, biofilms are extremely resistant to conventional disinfectants. The protective matrix in which micro-organisms breed shields them from cleaning chemicals commonly used in health care facilities. Studies have shown that bacteria like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus are often found in these biofilms and can survive multiple disinfection cycles.
Consequently, the persistent presence of biofilms in hospital drains calls for specific interventions to eliminate them. Innovative solutions, such as enzyme-based cleaners or high-pressure steam disinfection technologies are emerging to identify, treat and eliminate biofilms in any health care facility, where they pose a constant threat to patient health.
Among innovative solutions, the use of chemical agents that can penetrate the protective matrix of biofilms, such as enzymes and targeted-action disinfectants, has shown
HOSPITALS HARBOUR EGREGIOUS ESCAPE ROUTE
Canadian health care providers will be urged to “nix the nitrous” in a new campaign to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from leaky centralized delivery systems for the anesthetic gas. Audits in some health care facilities have discovered that as little as 5% of purchased nitrous oxide (N2O) actually makes it to patients via this channel, with the much greater portion escaping into the environment.
Proponents of portable tanks for dispensing N2O in the location where it’s needed emphasize that this alternative approach would reduce leakage of a gas that has a global warming potential 273 times greater than carbon dioxide and cut losses of health care supplies, thus saving money. The United Kingdom’s Association of Anaesthetists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ committee on environmental health have already called for a switch away from centralized N2O delivery.
In Canada, the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care will spearhead the campaign as part of an outreach effort tackling prominent sources of GHG emissions in health care facilities. The planned three-year program draws on Canadian government funding to support adoption of low-carbon technologies. It will also raise awareness about the
promising results. These agents break the polysaccharide bonds of the matrix, facilitating access to hidden bacteria for effective eradication.
A study published by the American Society for Microbiology highlights how these products can significantly reduce the resistance of biofilms to antimicrobials by disrupting the protective structure of the biofilm.
Other solutions involve mechanical methods, such as ultrasonic debriding technologies or high-pressure water jets, which help to physically detach biofilms from contaminated surfaces. Additionally, the integration of monitoring sensors into hospital infrastructures enables biofilm formation to be detected and Environmental Service (EVS) workers to be alerted at an early stage to prevent their proliferation. Innovations like these are crucial to containing the spread of resistant pathogens in hospitals.
The threat of biofilms in hospitals is real and growing. A proactive multidisciplinary approach, combining chemistry, mechanics, and intelligent monitoring, represents the future of biofilm management, reducing HAIs and improving the safety of hospitals and health care facilities.
Nathalie Thibault, B.SC, M.SC, MCB.A, is a certified microbiologist and specialist in infection prevention who is Training Director with the hygiene management consulting firm, ValkarTech. For more information, see the website at www.valkartech.com/en. For more information about The Infection Prevention Strategy see the website at https://ic.tips
hydrofluorocarbon content in inhalers prescribed for respiratory treatment, while continuing efforts to reduce fossil fuel-related emissions in facilities operations.
“This is the first major initiative in which the Coalition is addressing both the clinical aspects of health care and the physical infrastructure,” reports Dr. Myles Sergeant, the organization’s executive director. “We believe this effort will help break down the silos between these areas, fostering a better understanding of how each can work to reduce GHGs and contribute to building a more sustainable health system — all while ensuring the highest quality of compassionate patient care.”
The Coalition plans to offer training, resource materials and support for on-site green teams within health care facilities. The effort is now rolling out with endorsement from a range of health care organizations, institutions and practitioners, as well as environmental advocates, community-based groups and technology providers.
NEW REGULATIONS FOR SURFACE SANITIZERS
Canada’s new biocide regulations will consolidate oversight of a range of surface sanitizers that are currently governed through differing regulatory channels, sometimes requiring redundant authorization processes. Once the regulations come into force on May 31, 2025, almost all sanitizers used on nonliving, non-liquid surfaces will be regulated under the federal Food and Drug Act.
That will come with new packaging and labelling requirements and added vigilance for biocides used on food preparation surfaces, but there will be a multi-year transition period for formulations that are already on the Canadian market. The new regulations will also introduce streamlining measures. Notably, registrants will only need to obtain a single market authorization for multiple brand names with similar ingredients within their suite of products — a policy that is already in place in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Canadian officials will also recognize market authorizations granted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and other potentially designated “trusted foreign regulatory authorities”.
Currently, about 60 surface sanitizers, including those applied in institutional, commercial, industrial and residential settings are regulated under the Pest Control and Products Act (PCPA), which requires that they be reviewed and re-certified at five-year intervals. As well, products with essentially the same formulation are regulated under the Food and Drug Act (FDA) if they are used in health care or food-handling facilities, requiring a separate approval process.
Government officials have concluded it’s more appropriate to reclassify biocides as “drugs” because their primary purpose is to prevent disease in humans and/or animals and they generally involve different methods and frequencies of application than other types of pest control products. The new biocides regulations are meant to be a better fit with “the nature of these products”, while eliminating redundant processes, reducing the industry’s costs and getting effective products to the market sooner.
Meanwhile, there has been something of a regulatory vacuum surrounding surface sanitizers in food-handling premises since 2014 when the government of the day repealed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s authority to set conditions for non-food chemicals in federally registered food establishments.
Analysis accompanying the new regulations estimates that Health Canada has assessed about 8% of surface sanitizers for food premises that are now on the market through a voluntary program, but the remainder are considered to “have never been reviewed for food safety by Health Canada”. Although provincial/territorial governments are responsible for health and safety in food-handling facilities, the regulatory analysis argues that the new regulations will provide overarching assurance and vigilance against microbial contamination.
“Surface sanitizers for use in food premises are currently not required to undergo a mandatory pre-market review nor have a licence or market authorization to be sold on the Canadian market,” it states. “The creation of a regulatory framework for surface sanitizers for use in food premises will help ensure they are safe, effective and of high quality.”
Some other biocides employed in property/facilities management will fall outside the new regulations. Pool and spa disinfectants, water/air sanitizers, algaecides, slimicides and odour control products will continue to be regulated under the Pest Control and Products Act. Cleaners that contain biocides will continue to be regulated under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and the Hazardous Product Act.
– REMI Network
Real Estate Industry’s Major Players & Portfolios.
The 30 TH ANNUAL SURVEY of the Canadian
Who’s Who 2025
Whether they’re direct holders, listed companies, owner/operators, investors/investment managers outsourcing their property management functions or third-party managers, the 30TH ANNUAL WHO’S WHO IN CANADIAN REAL ESTATE SURVEY will reflect the gamut of players providing and overseeing the spaces that drive Canada’s economy and house its populace.
Last year, more than 200 respondents reported portfolio data — including more than a dozen with inventories surpassing 50 million square feet and a roughly equivalent complement that maintains less than 500,000 square feet. Big or small, all share similar priorities to enhance asset value, generate optimal income, retain tenants and operate efficiently.
Leading professionals from all real estate disciplines will view the survey through our awardwinning print and online properties: Canadian Property Management; CondoBusiness; and Canadian Apartment Magazine, all part of the REMI Network. It will also highlight the top 10 portfolios of commercial, retail, industrial, apartment, and condominium properties.
To participate in the 30TH ANNUAL WHO’S WHO IN CANADIAN REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY SURVEY, please email Gerald Ngan at geraldn@mediaedge.ca before February 14, 2025.
Thank you in advance for your participation. We appreciate your continued support.
S MA R T
SMART is the future of the built environment. Its success is based on understanding the needs of the owners, managers, and tenants. And realizing the value that technology brings in building performance.
What is a SMART BUILDING:
Benefits of a SMART BUILDING:
Why BOMA BEST:
A smart building uses a responsive digital framework to deliver optimal outcomes for building owners, managers and tenants. This is done through understanding current technology and its ability to deliver human-centric built environments focused on user experience, operational efficiency, and energy and cost optimization A well-managed smart building will provide a sustainable, cost-effective building that is future-proofed and highly responsive to user comfort
A certified Smart Building will deliver six key advantages:
1. Increased Energy Efficiency
2. Improved Air Quality
3. Enhanced Comfort
4. Tenant Satisfaction
5. Increased Asset Value
6. Future-proofing
BOMA BEST Smart Buildings will be the industry benchmark – defining how building owners and managers can leverage technology to realize significant value in their assets. The certification program doubles as a management tool, guiding owners and managers on a digital transformation within the built environment to optimize operations, drive sustainability, create unique user experiences, and deliver financial value to their stakeholders and customers
The BOMA BEST Hub will provide users an easy-to-use and accessible tool, allowing buildings to achieve their smart objectives. The Hub includes:
