Thu, 16 May 2024 03:48:14 -0700WeeblyTue, 08 Dec 2020 03:52:31 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/common-expenses-and-condominium-liens-considerations-during-the-covid-19-pandemicThe Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) is aware that at this time there may be condominium unit owners who are facing difficulties due to COVID-19, including financial pressures that may prevent them from being able to pay their common expense fees. As self-governing communities, condo boards have the challenging task of balancing the collective owners’ interests and an individual unit owner’s particular circumstance. Considering this, the CAO has developed the following materials to assist condo communities in Ontario in trying to strike a balance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Common Expenses
Common expenses represent the financial obligation that is shared among all owners and are therefore crucial in ensuring the effective operation and maintenance of a condo corporation. Common expense fees are used for maintaining the condo’s common elements such as the parking garage, lobby, elevators, walkways and exterior grounds, as well as important services such as cleaning, building maintenance and condo management services. In these difficult times, condo corporations recognize that some owners may be facing challenges paying their common expense fees. At the same time, the board has an obligation to ensure that the condo corporation has enough funds to operate and maintain the corporation. When taken together, the condo corporation must balance the interests of the condo corporation as a whole and the general ownership, while also taking into consideration the financial situation of the specific owner.


Default payments and liens
If a unit owner fails to pay their common expense fees on time, they are considered to have defaulted in their contributions to the common expenses. If this were to happen, according to section 85 of the Condominium Act, 1998 (the “Act”), the condo corporation automatically has a lien against the unit as of the date of the default. The lien resulting from the default of the payment to the common expenses will expire after 3 months unless the condo corporation registers a certificate of lien. Registering the lien ensures that the condo corporation has priority in recovering monies owed. If the lien expires, the condo corporation loses priority amongst other parties who have an interest in recovering monies owed from the unit (e.g., a mortgagee). While the condo corporation can still try to recover the arrears through other legal proceedings without registering a certificate of lien, this will be a more expensive and lengthy process as the condo corporation will now need to compete with other entities to recover the owed amounts.


Default payments and considerations for condo corporations
In the event that an owner defaults on their contribution to the common expenses, the CAO has developed the following 3 step process to assist condo corporations in trying to strike a balance between protecting the interests of the condo corporation and supporting individual owners during this difficult pandemic situation:


Step 1: Proactively Communicating with the Owner throughout
Upon default: As the condo corporation only has 3 months to register the certificate of lien and preserve the interests of the corporation, the board should communicate immediately with any owner who defaults on their contribution to the common expenses. The board should communicate early about the importance of common expense fees and their critical role in maintaining the corporation’s operations. Also, the board should consider advising the owner of potential relief mechanisms, such as mortgage payment deferrals or payment plans, that may provide the owner with the economic assistance to allow them to continue paying the common expense fees and any arrears.


Within the 2nd month after the default: If the first attempt to communicate with the owner has not been successful, the condo corporation should consider sending a reminder in the 2nd month. If the owner does not respond, or if an agreement cannot be reached, the condo corporation should inform the owner of the steps that the corporation must take to protect the interests of all owners of the corporation (i.e., register a certificate of lien).
If the owner has been engaging with the condo board, but is still unable to make any payments towards the common expense fees, the condo corporation should advise the owner that the corporation will have to move forward with registering a certificate of lien to protect the interests of all owners of the corporation. The corporation should tell the owner what the expense of doing so will be and whether and how it will be charged to the owner, such as any applicable interest charges and legal fees.
Note, if the corporation and the owner can reach an agreement in writing on a payment plan, then the 3 month lien period can be extended as the 3 month period begins once the unit is in arrears. For example, if a condo corporation agrees that payment is now due by May 1st and the owner does not make the agreed upon payment on that date, the 3 month lien period will begin to run from May 2nd. If the corporation does not have experience regarding entering into a payment plan with an owner, it is recommended that the corporation seek legal advice before doing so.


Within the 3rd month after the default: If the owner is not responsive to the communications sent by the condo corporation, or if the owner is unable to make any payments towards the common expenses, the corporation will need to issue the Notice of Lien to the owner in the mandatory form at least 10 days before the day a certificate of lien is to be registered. If payment has not been received within 10 days of issuing the Notice of Lien, the condo corporation should consider registering the certificate of lien to protect the interests of all owners in the condo corporation.
Step 2: Registering a Certificate of Lien


If the owner is unable to pay the arrears, or if an agreement cannot be reached between the condo corporation and the owner to pay the arrears, the condo corporation will have to take action to secure its priority over other owed parties by registering a certificate of lien. The Act provides the following steps to register:
A. Written Notice of Lien to the owner(s) of the unit. As indicated in Step 1 above, a condo corporation must provide written notice to the unit owner, or owners if there is more than one owner, at least 10 days before the condo corporation registers a certificate of lien. It is important to ensure that all the owners of the unit are properly identified and provided with written notice using the mandatory form. Additionally, the condo corporation will need to notify any other entities with an encumbrance against the unit (e.g., the mortgagee) before the certificate of lien is registered to ensure the condo corporation maintains priority.
Note: When providing the above notice to owner(s), the CAO also suggests owner(s) be advised of the associated legal costs/expenses of lien registration, as well as any interest charges, that the owners will be expected to pay. This will allow the owner(s) the opportunity to consider the full impact of non-payment, as compared to a payment plan for example.
B. Registering the certificate of lien. Once the 10 days have elapsed and all owners of the unit have been notified in writing, the condo corporation may then register the certificate of lien, using the mandatory form, with the Land Registry Office against the title to the unit.A registered certificate of lien includes the following owed amounts:
• the amounts owed under all the condo corporation’s liens against the unit as long as they have not expired,
• the amount by which the owner defaults in paying the common expenses after the registration of the certificate, and
• all interest and reasonable legal costs/expenses that the corporation incurs while collecting the amounts owed to the corporation (including the costs of preparing and registering the certificate of lien).
Step 3: Once the Certificate of Lien is Registered
While many corporations want to assist owners through difficult situations arising as a result of COVID-19, they must balance the overall financial needs of the condo corporation and assess the potential risks to all owners of the corporation when considering what steps to take after the certificate of lien has been registered.
Depending on the circumstances, the condo corporation may be able to delay enforcing the lien (i.e., power of sale) which will allow the unit owner time to pay the outstanding amounts covered by the lien. Following the registration of the certificate of lien, the corporation can initiate the power of sale process as early as 15 days later, however, it is common practice to wait at least 2 or 3 months before doing so. In the current context, the condo corporation may consider communicating with the condo owner(s)  regarding their specific circumstance, and possibly allowing for a longer period of time to pay, with associated conditions, that is clearly communicated in writing. Note that the enforcement of the lien is subject to a 10 year limitation period, this means that the condo corporation can determine whether it may be feasible to defer some of the payments or enter into a payment plan after the certificate of lien has been registered.
It is important to note that a certificate of lien can be discharged once all amounts covered by the lien have been paid and the discharge of the certificate of lien has been registered with the Land Registry Office by the condo corporation using the mandatory form.


The CAO recognizes that these are challenging times, involving financial and legal considerations. These steps have been developed to help inform owners and other condo community members of the importance of common expenses in maintaining a financially sound condo corporation and possible steps and considerations for the difficult situations that may arise as a result of COVID-19. We encourage condo corporations to seek financial and legal advice, as needed, to assist them in managing these matters as the above information is only meant to provide condo corporations with general guidance and is neither intended to provide nor constitutes legal advice.
]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/covid-19-guidance-for-commercial-and-residential-buildingsThe following guidance is for owners/operators of commercial and residential buildings to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 in multi-residential buildings such as hotels, condominiums, apartment buildings and other similar vertical living spaces. For more information, see COVID-19 Information for Residents in Residential Buildings and visit toronto.ca/COVID19. Owners and operators of commercial and residential buildings should consider the public health guidelines below, as well as City of Toronto and provincial requirements. Owners and operators must ensure that they stay current and comply with the provincial orders (e.g. limits on size of gatherings) and City of Toronto orders, directives, and bylaws (e.g. physical distancing, mask/face coverings). Use of non-medical face masks and coverings  Masks or face coverings are mandatory within enclosed common areas of apartment buildings and condominium buildings as per the City of Toronto bylaw and indoor public spaces as per O. Reg. 82/20. Examples of enclosed common areas include elevators, hallways, lobbies, laundry rooms and other shared facilities.  Building operators are required to create a policy to ensure that everyone wears a mask or face covering while in these shared enclosed spaces. The mask or face covering must cover the wearer’s mouth, nose, and chin. See our website for the proper use of masks and how to safely put on and take off a mask.  Owners and operators should also ensure that: o they post signs that contain the text included in the City of Toronto bylaw at all entrances to enclosed common areas; o all persons working at the apartment building or condominium are trained in the requirements of the policy and the provisions of the bylaw that apply to apartment buildings and condominium buildings; and o they can provide a copy of their policy for inspection by City bylaw enforcement officers.  During a visit into a tenant's unit or guest's room, staff must wear a non-medical mask.  Appropriate personal protective equipment (such as mask, face shield, eye protection) that covers the eyes, nose and mouth must be worn by staff if, while providing service in an indoor area, they: o are required to come within two metres of another person who is not wearing a mask or face covering; and o are not separated by plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier from a person described above. Revised November 30, 2020  Masks are also required in the public and shared spaces of hotels, motels, and premises used for open houses. See more information about the City of Toronto bylaw on our website. Practice physical distancing  Physical distancing means keeping a distance of two meters (six feet) from others.  Property management should assess whether an impending service request is essential, and to postpone the service if it is not urgent.  Property management should provide advanced notification to tenant of impending work.  Staff carrying out essential work should do so in a separate room if the tenant is home, or keeping a physical distance between the staff and guests/tenant.  In-house food services preparing food for room service should use single-use containers and cutlery.  Room service staff should not interact with hotel guests and should leave food orders at the door and be picked up by the guests.  Install plexiglass or other barriers, if possible, where there may be close contact between staff and patrons at service counters or security desks.  Any required meetings such as annual general meetings, condo board meetings, or hearings that typically take place in person should be carried out using alternative methods such as video conferencing.  Ensure residents can receive deliveries of essential goods, like medications and groceries/meals, to their unit if necessary (e.g. those who may be self-isolating, require accessibility supports, or cannot leave due to family care needs). o Residents who are able to should pick up deliveries in the lobby to reduce the number of visitors in the building. Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette  Make hand sanitizer (70-90% alcohol concentration) available at entrances and in common areas, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, gyms, playrooms and other high traffic areas.  Encourage staff, tenants, and visitors to wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, if soap and water are not available. Revised November 30, 2020 Accessing building indoor and outdoor amenities (e.g. gyms, pools, party rooms, communal gardens, barbeque/picnic areas)  Hotels, motels, lodges, cabins, cottages, resorts and other shared rental accommodation, including student residences, must ensure any indoor pools, indoor fitness centres, or other indoor recreational facilities that are part of the operation of these businesses, are closed.  All apartment buildings must close non-essential common areas such as gyms, pools, spas (whirlpool, hot tubs), playrooms and other high traffic areas to be consistent with provincial restrictions, as per Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings.  Toronto Public Health strongly recommends that all condominiums close non-essential common areas such as gyms, pools, spas (whirlpool, hot tubs), playrooms and other high-traffic areas to be consistent with provincial restrictions.  Pools and other aquatic amenities that remain open must comply with Guidance for Recreational Water Facilities.  Available building amenities should be used by one household at a time.  Social gatherings are not permitted except with members of the same household.  Cancel or hold virtually as much as possible all in-person activities that are discretionary.  Implement a scheduling system for use of available amenities, as appropriate: o Schedule access through use of designated timeslots. o Allow extra time between usage for cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces and equipment (e.g. barbeque equipment).  Use floor markings, pylons, or signs to encourage staff/residents/guests to maintain physical distancing while using amenities.  Designate and clearly mark specific, separate entrances and exits for staff, tenants and guests as appropriate, and only permit entry and exit through these doors.  Keep doors and windows open, where possible, to minimize the touching of door handles and increase ventilation, while maintaining the appropriate security. Measures for all Workplaces, Businesses & Organizations Review the Guidance for Employers on Preventing COVID-19 in the Workplace to plan and implement protocols to keep staff and customers safe, including:  Staff attendance and operations  Health screening for staff and customers  Mask/face coverings for staff and customers  Cleaning and disinfection  Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette Revised November 30, 2020  Managing COVID-19 in the workplace Safety Plan The person responsible for a business that is open shall prepare and make available a safety plan. It is strongly recommended that condominiums also prepare a safety plan. The plan must:  Be available on or before November 30, 2020.  Describe measures/procedures that have been or will be implemented in the business, place, facility or establishment to reduce spread of COVID.  Include measures for screening, physical distancing, masks, cleaning, disinfecting and personal protective equipment (PPE).  Be in writing and made available to any person for review, on request.  Be posted in a visible place to come to the attention of those working or attending the location. Maintain heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems  Increase the introduction and circulation of outdoor air by maximizing the outdoor air ratio of the HVAC system settings, or by opening windows and doors, where possible. Avoid recirculating air.  Ensure the HVAC system(s) are properly maintained.  Where provided, use the highest efficiency filters that are compatible with the HVAC system.  Increase air-exchanges if possible.  Keep areas near HVAC inlets and outlets clear. o Seating should be arranged away from areas with high airflow (i.e. not in front of air vents).  Facilities without HVAC systems should increase ventilation by opening windows and doors. However, do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety risk to staff and residents.  Rooms where ceiling fans are used should have an upward airflow rotation.  If portable fans are used, limit the blowing of air across people and surfaces by positioning them to provide an upward movement of air.  There is no evidence for the use of portable air purifiers to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If used, follow the manufacturer’s directions (and possibly the advice of a service professional) to decide where best to place the device. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on maintenance.  For more information, review the COVID-19: Transmission, Aerosols and Ventilation fact sheet. Resources to encourage public health measures  Post information in high-traffic areas such as elevators, lobbies, and shared laundry areas, to increase compliance with public health measures: o COVID-19: Spread the Word Revised November 30, 2020 o COVID-19 Fact Sheet  Encourage staff, tenants and visitors to download the COVID Alert app so they can be notified directly if they have been in close contact with someone who was contagious with COVID-19. Other Resources COVID-19 Information for Residents in Residential Buildings Guidance for Employers on Preventing COVID-19 in the Workplace Guidance for Employers on Managing COVID-19 in the Workplace Laundry Tips during COVID-19 (UNICEF) 4-Step Public Health Planning Guide Reopening Ontario Act Renting: Changes during COVID-19

​Bibliography:
More Information For more information, visit our website at www.toronto.ca/COVID19 or call us at 416-338-7600. References Ministry of Health. Guidance for Industry Operators. Accessed on April 7, 2020. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/2019_operators_guidan ce.pdf New York City Health. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). General Disinfection Guidance for Commercial or Residential Buildings. Accessed on March 12, 2020. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/disinfection-guidance-for-commercialresidential-covid19.pdf Toronto Public Health. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Accessed on March 12, 2020. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/8d59-Fact-Sheet_Novel-Coronavirus.pdf Toronto Public Health. COVID-19: Practising Physical Distancing. Accessed on April 7, 2020. https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-health-advice/covid-19-practicing-physicaldistancing/ Revised November 30, 2020 Government of Canada. Community-based measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Canada. Accessed on March 12, 2020. https://www.canada.ca/en/publichealth/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/public-healthmeasures-mitigate-covid-19.html#appendix Government of Canada. Public health management of cases and contacts associated with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Accessed on March 12, 2020. https://www.canada.ca/en/publichealth/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/interim-guidancecases-contacts.html#app1 Australian Government, Department of Health. Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for hotels and hotel staff. Accessed on March 12, 2020. https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-information-forhotels-and-hotel-staff Public Health England. Guidance, COVID-19: Decontamination in non-healthcare settings. Accessed on March 12, 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-nonhealthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings British Columbia Public Safety & Emergency Services. Tips for residents of apartments and other multiunit buildings. Accessed on May 25, 2020. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/healthsafety/7473_covid-19_apartment_poster_85x11.pdf. National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health. COVID-19 Precautions for Multi-unit Residential Buildings. Accessed on May 25, 2020. https://ncceh.ca/documents/guide/covid-19- precautions-multi-unit-residential-buildingsedit.]]>Sun, 04 Oct 2020 07:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/second-wave-covid-19-condo-corporation-steps​With the second wave of Covid-19 infections upon us, the City of Toronto Health officials have made it clear that imposing further restrictions is the only way to curb the continued spread of  the virus.
Jason Reid from National Life Safety Group and regular Condo Adviser’s Webinar panelist, provides steps for condo managers and directors to put into place right away:

1. All condo staff are required to wear mask at all times inside the building.  Concierge staff using plexiglass as a barrier at front desk should also be wearing a mask.
2. Condo Corporations are required to ask three (3) questions of all visitors / non-residents / trades OR post appropriate /obvious signage.    As of September 26, 2020, all businesses in Ontario, regardless of sector, are required to conduct pre-entry COVID screening of all workers and “essential visitors” to their workplaces.    The recommendations identify three questions to be answered by persons who are going to enter the workplace. Anyone who answers “yes” to any of the questions is to be excluded from the workplace (indoors and outdoors).
3. Gyms can remain open with strict guidelines including having a detailed plan approved by the board.  One strict guideline now required is no group exercise classes.  This includes outside areas on the common elements.
4. Party rooms if opened – should close.
5. Security guards and building staff should consider having a document stating their travel requirements for their job from their employer.  This documentation may be needed in the near future and you want to be prepared for that situation.
6. Remind residents of public health requirements and that masks are required in all common areas inside the building and that physical distancing is a requirement on all parts of the property (outside areas as well).
7. With flu season upon us – Time to review cleaning schedules, enhance if required based on demographics and traffic in the building – and most importantly – audit them.
8. Fire Safety is important.  Remember that last time we saw the restrictions increase – we also saw a spike in fire incidents.  Ensure staff are completing “Supervisory Staff” fire drills every 3 months as required by the Ontario Fire Code and issue a reminder to all residents.

Other than dealing with Covid-19 challenges, a heads up to Condo Corporations about the new expanded authority of the Condo Authority Tribunal as of October 1, 2020-to deal with disputes involving the following:

• Pets
• Parkings
• Vehicles
• Storage
• Chargebacks over these disputes

]]>Fri, 27 Mar 2020 07:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/what-are-the-risk-factors-with-condo-living-amid-covid-19-pandemic
Mariam Matti
By: Mariam Matti
TORONTO -- Living in a condo or apartment building with shared facilities and tight spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic presents its own set of challenges. 
While health officials are telling the public to stay two metres away from each other to curb the spread of the virus, how does one successfully do that in a 25-storey condo building with hundreds of tenants using the same elevators? 
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease specialist at Toronto’s University Health Network, said the key to protecting yourself is washing your hands. 
Rela       “We know the virus can be transmitted through what we call droplets and through contact,”                  he told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday. “If someone coughs in an elevator, and as                               disgusting and rude as this sounds, directly in your face, you can get [COVID-19] that way.” 
However, he said a more likely way of contracting the virus is if someone touches a common surface contaminated with droplets. 
“If you touch the elevator buttons and rub your eyes or touch your mouth or nose, then you could get it that way. So hand hygiene is key,” he said. 
ELEVATOR ETIQUETTE
Jessie Paul, a registered nurse in Toronto, posted a video on Facebook last week sharing tips on elevator etiquette based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. 
“I noticed that most of the tenants in my building were doing a good job of keeping distance until we’d all get on the elevator together and I realized we needed a bit of education,” the mother of two, who is currently on maternity leave, told CTVNews.ca. 
In her video, Paul tells people to push an elevator button with a napkin, the sleeve of their shirt or their elbow. 
The CDC recommends disinfecting high-touch surfaces every 24 hours. “If you want to be kind, feel free to do that in your building or ask management to do so,” she said. 
If the elevator is really crowded, don’t get in, said Paul. But if you’re already in the elevator and people get on, “the best thing to do is to create a barrier from any droplets that could be in the air.” She recommends using a scarf to cover your mouth. 
If you have children with you, Paul said it’s best to put them in a stroller to prevent them from touching surfaces. 
For Paul, it helps her to assume “everything out there is infected” when she leaves her apartment. 
“So if I use the elevator, I have sanitizer on me or when I get home I immediately wash my hands and sanitize my phone,” she said. 
For Toronto condo resident Dan Whidden, his concern stems from the shared garbage disposal area on his floor. He wears gloves as a precaution when he leaves his unit for necessities. 
The gym, pool, party room and movie theatre in his building have all closed, a measure most condo buildings have taken. 
Whidden said he feels safe in his building where they’ve ramped up cleaning of elevator buttons and other commonly touched surfaces. 
“We also got an email from the property manager who said they have a task force in place for anyone who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or gets ill and isn’t able to get groceries or supplies for themselves,” he said in a phone interview on Friday. 
The content creator and writer, who normally works from home, hasn’t felt a disruption to his weekday routine, but it’s the weekends where he feels “cooped up.” So he’s been keeping in touch with friends through online gaming and video apps. 
WHAT MEASURES ARE CONDOS TAKING?
What measures are condos taking to keep residents safe? 
Lyndsey McNally, the director of the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI-N) for Toronto, told CTVNews.ca that the staff normally in charge of maintaining the pools and gyms have now been redirected to disinfect commonly touched areas throughout buildings. 
“Toronto Public Health provided a fact sheet specific to multi-residential environments and that’s being reviewed by building staff to make sure the additional protocols are being done,” she said in a phone interview on Friday. 
Additionally, McNally said that it’s “been agreed in the industry that unit access, unless there’s an emergency, shouldn't be done in this environment.” 
“Our role has really shifted from maintenance and repair of the property to additional sanitization as well as communication to try and make sure residents have the right information to protect themselves,” she added. 
John Dickie, the president of the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations (CFAA), also noted that they’ve postponed non-essential repairs and inspections in an effort to reduce entering tenants’ units and risking transmission of the virus. 
Despite communication about physical distancing and hand washing, there will be some tenants who fall into the category of not taking it seriously, said Dickie, who also works as the chair of the Eastern Ontario Landlord Organization (EOLO). 
Dickie said he is working on language that landlords can use with tenants “who are not playing their part.” 
“There will be two sets of language, one that would be gentle language,” he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “And then there will be more hard hitting language.” 
It’s a tricky balance because he doesn’t want to cause anxiety, but at the same time he wants tenants to be aware of the heightened risk factors of sharing a building, he said. 
]]>Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/slowing-the-spread-of-covid-19-in-condosBy Jason Reid
​
Boards and property managers of condominiums in Ontario play a significant role in protecting residents and building staff, ensuring the continuity of operations within their buildings during emergencies like the COVID-19 outbreak. Quite simply, residential buildings can take some very simple steps based on evidence and best practices, from trustworthy sources to assisting Ontario’s objectives—in slowing the spread. That is it.
Proactive property management firms are already equipped with a business continuity plan—and some with pandemic plans—to ensure they are prepared and resilient within their building operations and also protecting their family of residents. A major component within these plans is defining the role boards and managers play in preventing the spread of COVID-19, preparedness in case of related illness within their buildings, and mitigation and response to the respiratory virus that has impacted thousands worldwide, including the rising number of cases in Canada.
Condo managers should be working with their boards to consider the action items listed below. In addition, leadership at a property management company should also consider these items to ensure their own business continuity considerations.
Have a reliable source of COVID-19 informationYour leadership team should know the direct and indirect risks and impacts of COVID-19 on an individual building basis and as an organization as a whole. Your organization should have already completed a risk assessment with continuity plans updated and corporation action items prioritized as the situation changes. To ensure the most effective plans are in place, use trusted sources for information, including government websites dedicated to COVID-19 updates and public health departments. Assign a single role within the organization to maintain and monitor this information, ensuring timely updates to the leadership team.
Have a robust internal communications planBy now, property management organizations have issued communications to their employees. Employees want and need to know that their organization is up to date on the outbreak and taking steps to prepare, mitigate and respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Ensure your organization has a clear internal communications plan that includes updating employees daily or more frequently, if need be, about COVID-19 and its effects on operations. Effective internal communications provide employees with peace of mind and eliminate the rumour mill at work.
Internal employee communications should remind everyone that you’re monitoring the status of COVID-19 internationally and locally, updating employee safety practices related to COVID-19. This includes reminders about the importance of handwashing and providing other relevant information related to the company’s response. Customer communications are often a focus, but employee communications are just as vital for a healthy workplace.
Know everyone’s role in the COVID-19 crisisEvery business unit within your property management organization, from human resources to accounting, has a role in both business continuity and pandemic planning. It’s essential to have every department at the table when planning and modifying operations in response to COVID- 19. Each unit also has their own unique risks and impacts to consider. For example, security staff who administer first aid or respond to other medical emergencies within your building will need proper personal protective equipment for themselves and the residents they are assisting. Therefore, updates on procedures when responding to such calls are necessary.


Cleanliness keeps everyone safeIncreasing the cleaning of touch points is one of the most basic steps to follow. These are points within a common area that are handled or touched frequently; for example, lobby door handles and elevator buttons. Cleaning staff should spend additional time and care ensuring these areas are sanitized several times a day. During a health crisis, this is the minimum standard of care. Shared workstations such as security desks should receive extra attention, including phones, keyboards, computer mice, communication tools and devices. All should be cleaned regularly to avoid the spread of germs. Cleaning supplies and tools should be distributed to workers to use themselves.
Keep essential supplies well-stockedYour residential building relies on consumables and supplies to run the common areas of your building. Always ensure you have a minimum of two months of consumables and essential supplies on hand and re-stock them monthly. This was the practice during the SARS outbreak in 2003, ensuring building staff always had what they needed to keep everyone safe and bolster the resilience of their people and operations.


Know what your service providers are doing in response to COVID-19Connect with service providers, including security, fire safety, electrical, HVAC and waste management, to discuss their responsibilities and ensure they have established and updated business continuity plans and procedures. Many smaller service providers may not have a pandemic plan or business continuity plan. Remind your service providers and trades, with ongoing service contracts, about their responsibility for employee safety and the requirements of their contractual obligations, to guarantee your building services aren’t interrupted. Ask for a written confirmation and work with your service providers to make sure your objectives are met.
 Here is a sample notification to trades and service providers.Keep the channels of communication open with residentsBy now, there should be two types of communications issued to all residents within your building.
First, hand washing signage should be posted in common washrooms and mixed-use amenities. Such signage is inexpensive but provides a high return on resident and public safety.
Second, ensure residents know that you, as the manager, are aware of COVID-19, its status internationally and locally, and that you are taking steps to minimize the risk and impact to both the building and residents. This is their home and they deserve this reassurance. Your residents will be comforted in knowing that you acknowledge the concern, have taken steps to prepare and/or mitigate risk, and understand what those basic steps are.
 Here is a sample resident/condo owner notificationJason Reid is the senior adviser for National Life Safety Group, which specializes in fire, safety and emergency management. He has worked with international embassies, government, public and private sector critical infrastructure facilities; commercial/residential high-rise buildings; world class shopping centres and mass assembly facilities. He is also recognized throughout Canada for innovative best practices in the fire service and property/facility management industry, in achieving unprecedented due diligence in support of legal compliance and best practice emergency planning – protecting people, assets, reputation and the bottom line. He can be reached at: jason.reid@nationallifesafetygroup.ca Main: 647-794-5505 Toll Free: 1-877-751-0508 www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca

]]>Mon, 09 Dec 2019 08:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/privacy-rights-and-security-cameras-in-condominiums Jennifer Malchuk

In a decision released on December 2, 2019, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has confirmed that condominium corporations cannot allow the police to place hidden cameras in common areas without a warrant.  The case is an interesting read in respect of balancing the privacy expectations of residents with effective property management.

In R. v. Yu, 2019 ONCA 942, the Court of Appeal was tasked with hearing appeals concerning the constitutionality of investigative techniques employed by the police.  At issue were the terms upon which the police entered the common areas of multi-unit buildings, and the installation of hidden cameras in the hallways outside the condominium units of some of the targets of the investigation.

 In the course of the investigation, a judge had issued a warrant allowing the police to enter onto the common areas of a number of condominium buildings, and to install a hallway camera in one of the buildings.  However, prior to the issuance of the warrant, the police had already accessed common areas of the buildings and had installed hidden hallway cameras in some of the buildings, both with and without the consent of condominium management.  The appellants challenged the warrantless entries into the common element areas and the warrantless placement of hidden cameras in the hallways as a violation of their right to be secure from unreasonable search or seizure, pursuant to Section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

 The Court of Appeal held that the vast majority of the pre-consent, warrantless, police entries into the common areas did not violate s. 8 of the Charter.  However, the Court did take issue with the placement of hidden hallway cameras prior to the issuance of the warrant.  The Court drew a distinction between different types of common areas, and specifically the different expectations of privacy within a common space such as a parking garage versus a hallway.  The Court concluded that the appellants did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the parking garages, particularly where observations were made from a space accessible to the general public, but they did have an expectation of privacy (although somewhat diminished) in the hallways of their respective buildings.  The Court noted that once inside an access-controlled condominium building, residents are entitled to a degree of privacy greater than what could be expected when approaching the building from outside, as there is some level of control over who enters the building.  It was recognized, however that there will be a varied expectation of privacy while inside the building, depending upon the area.  While some areas of condominium buildings are routinely accessed by all residents and may be subject to camera surveillance (such as a garage or lobby), the level of expectation of privacy increases, the closer one gets to his/her unit.  The Court stipulated that the expectation of privacy near to one’s unit, while still low, is not as low as in the more commonly used areas.  In discussing the scope of a resident’s expectation of privacy, it is of note that the Court did confirm that the only time a condominium resident should expect complete privacy is when he/she is inside the unit, with the door closed. 

The Court confirmed that in accordance with sections 17(1) and 17(2) of the Condominium Act, the condominium corporation has a statutory duty to administer the common elements and to manage the property of the corporation on behalf of the owners.  This statutory duty was noted to bestow a responsibility and authority on the board to act as the decision maker for the owners as a collective, and further to ensure the security of the building and the residents.  Accordingly, it was found that the appellants, as residents of the building, should have reasonably expected that the property manager would consent to police entry into the building and its hallways, especially if management was informed of the possibility of criminal activity within the building.  However, the Court distinguished the authority to regulate access to the building from the authority to consent to more intrusive police investigative measures, such as entry into a unit or the installation of hidden cameras.  Writing for the majority of the Court, Tulloch J.A. stated: 

“Condominium residents expect the board to reasonably cooperate with the police as part of the board’s duty to manage common areas in the residents’ collective interest.  This expectation does not give the board free reign to consent to all manner of police investigative steps in the common areas of the building, no matter how intrusive”. 

Accordingly, an important take away from this case is that while the board and property management have valid authority to cooperate with the police, said authority is not unlimited.  Condominium management must always operate under a standard of reasonableness.

The Court also distinguished between types of camera surveillance, noting that in this case, the fact that the cameras were both hidden and operated by the police, distinguished it from the security camera surveillance routinely used in condominiums.   The once gray-area of the intersection of privacy and cameras has now been made clear, with Tulloch J.A. noting as follows: 

“A resident or occupant’s reasonable expectations surrounding camera surveillance in a condominium building depend on whether the cameras are visible, and whether the resident has been informed by the condominium management as to the location of any security cameras installed in the building.  If there is no visible camera, and if the resident has been told that there are no security cameras, then residents are entitled to expect their movements are not subject to camera surveillance”.

In line with principles set out in this decision, we recommend that every condominium corporation have a clear policy with respect to the use of surveillance cameras on the premises.  The policy should set out the rationale and purpose of the cameras, and provide a set of guidelines and procedures for the board and the condominium corporation’s staff to follow.  Additionally, the fact that cameras are used in common areas must be clearly communicated to all owners and residents.  A notice should be sent to all owners and residents, and a permanent sign should be placed in the lobby and mail room.  In order to adequately address all issues that may arise, we recommend that the notice clearly state where cameras are located, and also warn that every portion of the common elements may be monitored by a camera.  This will help to ensure that all owners and residents understand that when they exit a closed unit, there is a clearly diminished expectation of privacy.  We do caution that if cameras are installed in areas such as hallways, they must be visible, and be positioned to ensure that the viewing range does not capture the inside of any unit.

]]>Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/hoarding-in-a-condominium Susana Cardoso
​
We all know, or think we know, what hoarding is – the compulsive collection of random items to the point of extreme clutter that disrupts a person’s ability to use their home.
However, hoarding is more than that.
Hoarding is a Disability

• Hoarding has been characterized as an obsessive compulsive disorder that causes a person to store various articles to such a degree that the end result causes danger or damage to others.
• As a recognized disability, how a condominium addresses a hoarding issue must be reasonable and appropriate – simply enforcing the corporation’s governing documents and/or commencing a legal action may not be reasonable and or the appropriate and may lead to a human rights claim.

How to deal with the Hoarding Issue

• How is Hoarding discovered in a Corporation?

• Typically hoarding is discovered as a result of some required inspection or entry into a unit, or when residents complain of odours or pests coming from a unit.

• Should a Corporation care about hoarding? YES/ABSOLUTELY, and these are the reasons why:

1. Hoarding leads to the increased risk of fire, property damage, injury and in extreme cases, death.
2. Pursuant to the Condominium Act, 1998 (the "Act") owners have a duty to maintain their unit and the corporation has a duty to ensure that the owners and occupants comply with their obligations under the Act and the condominium’s declaration, by-laws and rules.
3. Section 117 of the Act provides that no person shall permit a condition to exist or carry on an activity in a unit or in the common elements if the condition or the activity is likely to damage the property or cause injury to an individual.  It is quite apparent that hoarding may be a contravention of section 117 of the Act.
4. Failure to act may affect the availability of insurance coverage where there is a subsequent, otherwise insurable event, such as a fire.

Now that we know what hoarding is and why a corporation should care, how does a corporation deal with it?

• condominiums should act as soon as possible once hoarding is discovered.

• Before any steps are taken towards dealing with a hoarding issue, we always remind the condominium to consider its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code (“OHRC”).

• Pursuant to section 2(1) of the Code, every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to the occupancy of accommodation without discrimination because of a disability. 
• Corporations are, therefore, obligated to reasonably accommodate the resident with hoarding tendencies until the point of undue hardship.
• How a corporation does this is by acting reasonably and working alongside the owner to resolve the hoarding issue, until the point of undue hardship to the corporation.

• Step #1: Inspect the Unit if there is a suspicion of hoarding

• Upon giving reasonable notice, the corporation has the right pursuant to section 19 of the Act to inspect the unit.
• If the corporation is granted access to the unit, it must assess the degree of the hoarding issue to determine the urgency of the situation.

• Step #2: Upon Inspection we would recommend communicating with the Unit Owner:

• Have property management write a letter to the unit owner requiring the unit be cleaned by a set date. 
• That letter will also notify the unit owner that following that deadline the corporation will inspect the unit to ensure that the unit owner has complied with the letter. Such an inspection is usually conducted by 2 agents of the corporation.
• We note that the deadline provided to the unit owner to have their unit cleaned must be a reasonable time-frame.  The corporation must always keep in mind that hoarding is a disability and that the unit owner may require some time to clean their unit and comply with the corporation’s letter.

• If, following the letter, the unit is not cleared from clutter to the corporation’s satisfaction, the next step is to contact the Fire Department and advise them of the potential fire hazard in that unit.

• The Fire Department will usually issue a Fire Inspection Order to remediate the situation. 
• Typically a Fire Inspection Order is addressed to either the board members and/or property management - meaning that the corporation will be held liable for the owner’s non-compliance with the Fire Inspection Order, if the hoarding issue is not remediated. 
• Upon receipt therefore the Corporation must provide the unit owner with another opportunity to address the issue, failing which the corporation may have to exercise its rights under section 92 of the Act and go into the unit to do the work necessary to comply with the Fire Department’s Inspection Order.

• If or when the corporation has been refused access to the unit to address the hoarding issue, the final and only step left for the corporation is:

• to contact their solicitor to commence legal proceeding to seek an order for compliance under section 134 of the Act:
• To succeed in court, the corporation will have to demonstrate that the hoarding is to an extent of actual or potential damage or injury as set out in section 117 of the Act – to do this the corporation will require evidence to document the excessive hoarding such as pictures and affidavits.

• You may be wondering if such legal proceedings are worth it or whether corporations are successful before the courts, well we leave you with two cases that illustrate a corporation’s success:

• The first case is the case of 235 Grandravine Drive Inc. v Tereshko – in 2015 the court held that the corporation had a duty to enforce compliance with its governing documents and, in this case, the Fire Inspection Order.  When the defendant failed to comply there was a posed documented health and safety risk to the other co-owners and the building.

• The court ordered the non-compliant owner to pay the corporation all losses, liabilities and reasonable in house or other costs incurred by the corporation, including all lawyers’ account as the other co-owners should not be responsible for or bear the cost of the defendant’s failure to comply with his obligations.
• In other words, the corporation was awarded its costs on a full indemnity basis in the amount of $33,592.34.

• The second case is the case of MTCC 946 v. J.V.M., which was argued by our very own Jonathan Fine in 2008.

• Over a span of 15 years, there were a number reported fire hazards, odour complaints and pest infestations caused by a unit owner’s hoarding.
• Over the course of those 15 years, the corporation brought in cleaning and pest control companies to remedy the hoarding issue, ultimately without success.
• In this case the court found that the Corporation had accommodated to the point of undue hardship, and ordered the non-compliant unit owner, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, to vacate their unit and list their unit for sale.
• In addition, the court awarded the corporation costs in the amount of $122,094.07.

]]>Fri, 26 Jul 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/litigants-may-only-have-one-kick-at-the-canBy: Francesco Deo
​
The case of Sajadi v. MTCC 648, 2019 HRTO 641, is a good reminder that parties may only have one kick at the can when litigating human rights issues.
A dispute arose when a condominium corporation discovered that a unit owner was running a daycare business out of her unit, which was prohibited under the condominium corporation’s declaration. As a result, the condominium corporation brought the dispute to mediation and arbitration under the Condominium Act, 1998 (the “Condominium Act”).
Mediation with the unit owner failed, and so the dispute proceeded to arbitration. In the arbitration, the arbitrator dismissed the unit owner’s claims of discrimination, and ordered the unit owner to stop using her unit (and the common elements) to operate a daycare business.
Subsequently, the unit owner initiated a Human Rights application (the “HR application”) against the condominium corporation, alleging that she had experienced adverse treatment on the basis of her place of origin and family status.
The condominium corporation’s response was that the HR application should be dismissed, because another proceeding, an arbitration under the Condominium Act, had already dealt with the substance of the unit owner’s HR application.

The Human Rights Tribunal dismissed the unit owner’s HR application on that basis.
Here are three quick takeaways from that case:

1. The Human Rights Tribunal is not the only place where human rights issues (i.e. disputes involving the Human Rights Code) can be heard.
   
   Arbitrators hearing disputes under the Condominium Act, also have jurisdiction to decide on human rights issues.
   
   
2. Under section 45.1 of the Human Rights Code (the “Code”), the Human Rights Tribunal has the power to dismiss an application, if another “proceeding” has appropriately dealt with the substance of that application. An arbitration held under the Condominium Act is a “proceeding” covered within the meaning of section 45.1 of the Code.
   
   Therefore, a human rights issue that has already been decided by an arbitrator under the Condominium Act, cannot be re-heard or re-litigated in the Human Rights Tribunal.
   
   
3. The law recognizes that litigation must bring finality to an issue. The law requires parties to put their best foot forward when called upon to do so.
   
   If you are unsuccessful with respect to a human rights complaint in an arbitration or court proceeding - the Human Rights Tribunal cannot then be used as a second kick at the can.

]]>Thu, 26 Jul 2018 19:06:38 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/beyond-building-securityThis Week's Editor's Pick, Integrated Solutions, Security Services & Risk Management

By Neil Cameron, Johnson Controls area general manager, building efficiency –

​Africa Security, access control, building managements systems (BMS) and workforce convenience: these are not really words you would ordinarily combine in a concept, but they are getting closer together where facility owners are thinking ahead. With a little creativity, human-centred design thinking and great use of available technologies, the capabilities of security technology are being stretched beyond their original intended purposes – and it’s really paying off.

In Ireland’s smartest building, One Albert Quay, Cork, security and building management technology does more than police perimeters and keep the office at the right temperature. With the addition of analytics, big data, integration with backend HR, email calendaring and office management systems, as well as an app or two, it is simplifying life for employees and helping them achieve high-value work.

What does that look like?

Every day at One Albert Quay, one management platform centralises it all. There’s the daily building management capability:

• 2000 lights are managed from one central system, illuminating 12 000 m³ of space.

• 320 people arrive at five access card readers, six smart lifts automatically open, taking staff to their floors securely, saving 11 kWh of energy.

• 150 fire extinguishers, 100 smoke detectors, 15 fire panels and two suppression systems protect the building against the threat of smoke and flame.

• 86 cameras secure the building’s traffic and identity management.

• 100 control points are accessed 3200 times a day.

• 150 vents manage 21 000 litres of conditioned air per second, heated or cooled as needed by BMS software.

However, there’s more as there are also some unexpected value adds.

• Data from access control systems inform two chefs in the building canteen how much food to prepare for the day ahead.

• 17 meeting rooms are booked and secured through the email calendar systems of employees and linked to access control for access.

• 2000 car parking spaces are monitored across five car parks, predicting free spaces over the following week and informing staff as they arrive for work.

• An IoT platform ingests data from 290 data points per second to facilitate logistics.

• 82 live bus routes and 15 train schedules are sent to the cellphones of building occupants as they prepare their journeys home.

By offering concierge-like services that ease them through their workday with a lot less effort and stress, this smart building is driving productivity and maximising the effectiveness of employees as well as the consumption of the facility.

What makes it all hang together so effortlessly? The use of an advanced BMS platform. The Cork building uses Johnson Controls’ Metasys BMS and C-Cure access control systems. Built on open systems, they allow the integration of multiple systems and data streams. For example, to manage lights or access, the systems link to lighting systems as well as HR data via SAP. Data rules ensure that information relevant to staff, security, building administration as well as caterers gets to where it needs to go.

This is the future of security

Financial institutions are already beginning to think beyond building management. In fact, some of this functionality is already being deployed locally by financial institutions. Security and convenience are important for banks in South Africa, especially in large headquarter facilities that are often located in busy, congested areas, with a huge number of people accessing the facilities daily.

As employee experience becomes more important, and AI and IoT data becomes more ubiquitous, expect to see more functionality built into and onto these platforms.]]>Fri, 01 Jun 2018 07:00:00 GMThttp://strategicallyappliedtactics.com/blog-current-security-news-issues/real-estate-vulnerable-to-canada-us-trade-war-high-rise-development-and-warehousedistribution-space-in-line-for-falloutBy Barbara CarssHigh-rise development is expected to be the hardest hit real estate activity in an unfolding Canada-U.S. trade war, but fallout across a wider range of consumer goods has potential negative implications for commercial warehouse and distribution facilities. Industry advocates estimate a 25 per cent surtax on construction steel manufactured in the United States — to match the tariffs the U.S. government has imposed on Canadian steel products as of today — could translate into a double-digit increase in total building costs.
“The Canadian government has to retaliate. There is no question about that,” observes Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). “But it can retaliate on different things that aren’t so damaging to the housing sector.”
​

A list of nearly 130 products that could carry new surcharges as soon as July 1 was posted for public comment on the Department of Finance website yesterday afternoon, following a day of discord in neighbourly relations. That began when U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross confirmed his country would exact a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imported from Canada, Mexico and the European Union.


Justification for the actions, which in most circumstances would contravene international trade rules, was set out in two reports the Department of Commerce released in mid January. They maintain steel and aluminum imports weaken the internal economy of the United States and pose a threat to national security. Canadian officials and at least 25 U.S. industry associations reject that supposition.


Earlier this year, those associations — which represent many major players in the manufacturing, agricultural and food services sectors — voiced their concern in a letter to Commerce Secretary Ross and U.S. President Donald Trump. They noted that “downstream users” of the imported products employ significantly more workers than the steel and aluminum sectors, and argued that tariffs would increase production costs, divert funds away from investment in innovation and likely trigger retaliatory measures that would be hurtful to the U.S. economy.


Flow-through penalty for condo buyersBusiness and consumers’ groups on this side of the border are now contemplating the same scenarios, arising from Canada’s notice of intent for CAD $16.6 billion worth of “surtaxes or similar trade-restrictive countermeasures” on steel, aluminum and “other products”. The list posted yesterday includes 44 steel products subject to a 25 per cent surtax and 84 other products, which would carry a 10 per cent tariff. “The Government is also considering whether additional measures may be required,” it states.
Lyall foresees homebuyers will be the ultimate losers. The flow-through cost penalty will be greatest in the housing type that has, until now, been seen as most affordable. It could also undermine housing supply at a time when the inventory of new units is already trailing demand in cities like Toronto.
“The implications for rebar translates into a huge cost increase, well into the double digits on development,” he projects. “This would push some projects that are on the edge now into the cancellation zone.”
Earlier in the day yesterday, he had been hopeful that retaliatory measures would be similar to the response, last year, when the Canadian International Trade Tribunal concluded that the U.S. was dumping drywall in Canada, but that imposition of punitive tariffs would be damaging to Canadian interests.
“They tempered their response because of the impact that it would have on the housing sector,” Lyall recalls. “This is exactly the same thing.”
Potential damper on light industrial performanceA potential chill in the cross-border trade of consumer goods comes at a time when industrial real estate is delivering impressive returns for investors in both Canada and the United States. MSCI’s recently released summary of 2017 investment results in 25 countries, encompassing 85 regional markets, identifies the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy as the three countries where “outperformance was most notable” for directly held industrial assets.


Companies in the U.S. property index saw a 14 per cent return on industrial properties versus an average total return of 7 per cent across all properties. Industrial properties delivered a 10.2 per cent total return, on average, to the portfolios participating in the Canada Property Index versus an average total return of 6.7 per cent across all properties.
“The industrial sector has benefited from changing consumption patterns and the growth of e-commerce and logistics. Demand for warehousing and distribution solutions has helped drive industrial performance,” Bryan Reid, MSCI’s vice president of global real estate research, concludes.


“Consumer goods distribution is the main driver behind the industrial sector’s recent outperformance in Canada,” concurs Carl Gomez, senior vice president, research and strategy, with QuadReal Property Group. “You can’t help but worry that the spirit of this tariff is a step in the wrong direction for supporting industrial demand’s long-term prospects.”
Notably, Calgary was alone among the 85 global cities that MSCI tracks in suffering an overall loss on value in 2017 — registering a negative total return of 0.3 per cent. Yet, industrial properties helped to pull up that average against the far more significant loss of value for office buildings.


“One of the only positive aspects of the downturn is that we have emerged as a logistics and transportation hub,” says Lloyd Suchet, executive director of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Calgary. “If you drive to the industrial outskirts of Calgary, you really see this surge of brand new facilities.”
Barbara Carss is editor-in-chief of Canadian Property Management.
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