BOMA Calgary Summer 2007

The Building Owners and Managers Association of the Greater Calgary Area News Page 8 - Downtown District | Page 9 - Preserving the Aberta Advantage | Page 10 - Commercial Real Estate Activity | Page 11- Who’s Who in the Zoo?

22007007 BBOMAOMA AAwardswards CCelebratingelebrating PPeopleeople IInn OOurur NNeighborhoodeighborhood Winners of the 2007 Boma Awards

OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR LEASING TEAM OF THE YEAR 1 Colin Yates - BLJC 5 Bentall Real Estate Services Colin has extensive experience on many complex building systems. Over the past couple of years, Bentall Real Estate Services has He manages a large number of BLJC technicians, administrators been very productive and successful. As a result, this group has and contractors. Colin believes strong teamwork is the major con- been unbeaten in leasing the greatest number of square feet of any tributor to the success of this and future contracts. landlord, or landlord’s representative, during 2006. OPERATOR OF THE YEAR 6 Taurus Property Group Inc. 2 Paul Miller - GWL Realty Advisors Inc. The leasing team at Taurus Property Group specializes in the fi eld Paul involves himself with every aspect of the operation of Western of retail real estate leasing and consulting. Over the past fi ve years, Canadian Place and is always willing to lend a hand to fellow team they have achieved an effective tenant mix for Brookfi eld Proper- members. ties that resulted in the highest sales per square foot to date. CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE YEAR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR 3 John Mathewson - GWL Realty Advisors Inc. 7 Brookfi eld Properties John has built an operations team at Fifth & Fifth that has effect- Ninety-eight per cent of the tenants in Bankers Hall have long-term ively worked through signifi cant capital projects. His unrelenting leases. This can be attributed to the motivated and committed prop- commitment to safety at the site has set the standard at GWL erty management team who provide 24/7 availability to their tenants. Realty Advisors. CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS TEAM OF THE YEAR 8 Accounting and Finance Team - GWL Realty Advisors Inc. 4 BLJC Team - TELUS Portfolio One of the cornerstones of a successful property management team A dedicated team of managers, technicians and coordinators make is the ability to provide timely and accurate fi nancial information. up the BLJC team at TELUS. The group has developed effective The accounting team at GWL Realty Advisors Inc. achieves this policies and procedures resulting in a well-run system under chal- on a daily basis. lenging circumstances.

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WWW.ARPIS.COM TELEPHONE: 236-2444 9 Fred McCreath In the role of vice-president of fi nance and controller, Fred provides an exceptional level of customer service. His accounting expertise as well as his enhanced interpersonal skills has made him a very valuable team member of Dome Britannia Properties. 10 Don Nielsen - Oxford Properties Group Inc. Don has earned the trust of the tenants at Bow Valley Square through his attention to detail. His efforts contribute to achieving the goal of “on-time,” “on-budget,” with minimal disruption. BOMA Calgary News SECURITY SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR BOMA Calgary News is a co-publication of BOMA Calgary and Business in Calgary. 11 Tom Bartolini - GWL Realty Advisors Inc. Tom has demonstrated his commitment to service excellence by applying his knowledge Business in Calgary of security and life safety policies and procedures at Fifth & Fifth. His professionalism and 1025, 101 - 6 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 diligence has been exceptional. Tel: 403.264.3270 • Fax: 403.264.3276 Email: [email protected] SECURITY OFFICER OF THE YEAR Web: www.businessincalgary.com 12 Guy Plett - Brookfi eld Properties Guy brings enthusiasm and a keen desire to his role as a security offi cer. His contributions BOMA Calgary have been pivotal to the success of his group. 120, 4954 Richard Road SW, Calgary, AB T3E 6L1 Email: [email protected] • Web: www.boma.ca SERVICE EXCELLENCE (CUSTODIAL SERVICES) Tel: 403.237-0559 • Fax: 403.266-5876 13 Bee-Clean Building Maintenance Marylynn Enmil and her team at Fifth Avenue Place have a proven track record supported CHAIR by independent quality assurance inspections. Completed on a weekly and monthly basis the James Harvie, TELUS Convention Centre team consistently receives ratings above 80 per cent and keeps tenant complaints to an aver- MEMBERS age of one per month. David Holmes, Measure Masters Calgary/Prairies Blair Carbert, Stones Fontaine Carbert SERVICE EXCELLENCE (CONSULTANT) Michael Kehoe, Fairfi eld Commercial 14 Bruce MacKenzie - MacKenzie Management Consulting Inc. Paul Gauthier, Fujitec Bruce has been a pioneer in the industry when it comes to environmental matters. He pro- Miles Durrie, Calgary Herald vides great direction to the team at the Stock Exchange Tower, thereby minimizing the envi- Carol Lewis, Calgary Herald ronmental footprint. MacKenzie Management Consulting Inc. was instrumental in the development of a program that set the groundwork for various initiatives such as BOMA Go Green Offi cers PRESIDENT Wendy Cardell, The Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd. VICE PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT Guy Priddle, RPA, Oxford Properties Group SECRETARY TREASURER Tom Sullivan, GWL Realty Advisors Inc. PAST PRESIDENT, Terry Schmitt, Estancia Investments Inc. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT William G. R. Partridge, CAE Directors Alex Brough, Cushman Wakefi eld LePage Randy Burke, Daylight Cleaning Systems Blair Carbert, Stones Fontaine Carbert Barristers Don Fairgrieve-Park, Bentall Real Estate Services Glen Kitteringham, Brookfield Properties Corporation Peter MacHardy, GWL Realty Advisors Inc. Domenic Mazzocchi, 20 Vic Management Inc. Lee Thiessen, Deloitte Property Tax Services Gail Yahn, RPA, Hopewell Real Estate Services

The Building Owners and Managers Association of Calgary publishes BOMA Calgary News quarterly. For advertising rates and information contact Business in Calgary. Publication of advertising should not be deemed as endorsement by BOMA Calgary. The publisher reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to reject any advertising at any time submitted by any party. Material contained herein does not necessarily refl ect the opinion of BOMA Calgary, its members or its staff. © 2007 by BOMA Calgary. Printed in Canada. and the Earth Award. gineering has repeatedly demonstrated their ability to produce plans that are very accurate in detail and thorough in concept. SERVICE EXCELLENCE (CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS) 15 Flynn Canada SERVICE EXCELLENCE (WASTE MANAGEMENT) During a challenging roof replacement/restoration project, Flynn 20 WasteLess Environmental Services Canada Ltd. ensured minimum disruption to the tenants at Stock Ex- The team at WasteLess Environmental Services has conducted var- change Tower while realizing the importance of completing the job ious initiatives such as waste audits that have been instrumental in on time and on budget. reducing waste overall allowing clients to achieve various Go Green requirements. They also offer comprehensive advice on waste man- SERVICE EXCELLENCE (TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS) agement and recycling services. 16 Otis Canada Inc. This skilled team provides the highest level of elevator maintenance SERVICE EXCELLENCE (PROJECT TEAM) services to a number of downtown offi ce building owners and man- 21 GE Security/Mulvey & Banani/Western Electrical Management Ltd. agers. They are proactive in problem solving, ensuring their clients The team of dedicated individuals responsible for the replacement of are making the right decisions. the fi re alarm system at Bankers Hall is comprised of Western Elec- trical Management Limited, Mulvey and Banani and GE Security. SERVICE EXCELLENCE (LANDSCAPING SERVICES) The project is ongoing and to date the transition has gone smoothly 17 Peter Hughes - Peter the Plantman Inc. and without incident. Beginning as a one-man business supplying plants and plant maintenance to fi rms throughout Calgary, Peter now employs over ABOVE AND BEYOND AND INNOVATION 35 people and provides all aspects of interior and exterior land- 22 Oxford Properties Group Inc. – Shell Centre scaping and maintenance related services. Carl and Kelvin are described as “operations improvement” people. While providing the day-to-day operations of the building, these en- SERVICE EXCELLENCE (PARKADE MANAGEMENT) gineers developed an improvement that resulted in a reduction of Standard Parking of Canada Ltd. 18 66,000 cubic metres of water consumption annually which translated | Standard Parking of Canada Ltd. is a leading national provider of par- to a savings of $69,000 annually in operating costs to building tenants. king facility management services. They provide onsite management for all major markets of the parking industry and have provided serv- INNOVATION ices in Calgary since 2002. 23 Remington Development Corporation - Quarry Park Quarry Park was a 311-acre parcel in the city’s southeast. It had SERVICE EXCELLENCE (MECHANICAL ENGINEERING) been sitting idle as a “brownfi eld” until Remington sought an inn- 19 TYZ Engineering Ltd. ovative solution to development issues like methane management, Mechanical design is a very delicate process and the staff at TYZ En- site elevation and servicing. When completed, Quarry Park will be

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www.labbeleech.com home to a mixed-use development. 24 ARX Engineering John Hudson knows that the critical use of power in large commercial facilities makes continuous electric power extremely important. That is what lead him to develop and install the new 1 2 3 4 25 KV sequence for buildings. If power is lost on the preferred service, the switch allows transfer to alternate service without disruption to the operations of the building. MALCOLM BRYCE AWARD 25 Parnell Lea - CREIT Management Ltd. Volunteer of the Year. 5 6 7 PRESIDENT’S AWARD 26 Rita Ivanco - Brookﬁ eld Properties Exceptional Service for the Awards Committee. 8 9 10 11

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www.medalliondevcorp.com PPresident’sresident’s RReporteport GGreatreat ppeopleeople lleadead ttoo ggreatreat tthingshings By Wendy L. Cardell, CPM, President

OW! What a fabulous time on April 21st at the 24th An- ongoing assistance to ensure the Gala runs smoothly is acknowl- nual BOMA Awards Gala – celebrating the fi rst-class edged and appreciated. Wpeople who work in our industry. A friend of mine says: BOMA promotes excellence in building operations which trans- “It’s just nice to be nominated”; however, it goes beyond “just being lates into higher service standards in the buildings we represent. nominated.” BOMA members operate some of the fi nest buildings BOMA also promotes high standards through the many committees and service companies in Canada. To be nominated by your peers we have such as: is an honour. I’d say our industry is fortunate to have such talented, • Environmental OH&S Committee committed teams. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners! • Codes & Regulations Committee The BOMA Awards recognize outstanding performance in vari- • Education Committee ous categories and it sets a benchmark for all of us to emulate. Many of the functions performed by our nominees are invisible to our cus- • Government Affairs Committee tomers but without their effort, our buildings would not hum along • Public Safety Committee as smoothly as they currently do. BOMA Calgary leads the way, promoting high standards of ser- The Awards Gala does not just happen – many volunteers have put vice not only within the Calgary service area, but nationally through in hundreds of hours of their own time. On behalf of the Board, thank our affi liation with BOMA Canada. you to co-chairpersons Patti Buskas (Brookfi eld Properties) and With the warmer weather now upon us (hopefully), I hope each Dion Chrapko (GWL Realty Advisors), for your leadership and te- of you will make the time to attend an upcoming BOMA lunch. I nacity in this very time-consuming role. We are thankful to everyone also hope you will make the time to enjoy something you love to who has worked on the various committees to ensure its success. do that allows you to enjoy life just a little bit more. I’d also like to thank Donna and Bill in the BOMA offi ce. Your Wendy Cardell, CPM, President. B

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Suite 101, 343 - 11 Avenue SW, Calgary Alberta T2R 0C7 Bay 5, 409 38th Avenue NE Calgary, Alberta T2E 6R9 Fax: 403.515.0027 [email protected] Fax: 403.230.5658 [email protected] EExecutivexecutive VVice-President’sice-President’s RReporteport WWhyhy isis itit soso hardhard toto park?park? By William Partridge, CAE, Executive Vice President

p until recently I took parking for is regulated by the Land Use Bylaw, 2P80 contribution means the City may con- granted. That’s because up until – soon to be replaced by 1P2007, the new struct parking from that cash contribution Unow, I have always had a reserved Land Use Bylaw (LUB). An offi ce building at some other place and time not neces- stall. Parking therefore was no issue. Now is required to provide one stall per 1,500 sarily close to our hypothetical building. that our offi ce is located outside the core, I square feet of space. The potential daily population of a have a new perspective on parking. Let’s consider a hypothetical building of building this size could be between 1,600 There is a lot of parking in the downtown 500,000 square feet. The bylaw requires 334 and 2,000 workers, assuming a space rela- core, about 43,000 stalls. Of that amount, BOMA members, not including the Cal- gary Parking Authority, operate about So parking and public transportation are defi cient for 27,000 of the available parking. Likewise there are about 150,000 people who work the needs of a major city like Calgary. Could we solve in the core each day. Simple math would one problem by better managing another? tell you there is a gap between supply and demand. But, alas, this story is just not that simple. stalls. Of this amount 167 maximum could tionship of one person for every 250 to 300 To better understand the parking issue, be provided on site. The remaining 167 stalls square feet. So, at these levels, there is a one must start from the beginning of the are provided by a direct cash payment to parking stall for one of every 10 people in life of a building. Development in the core the city by the developer. This cash-in-lieu the building. Considering the city’s transit

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CALGARY 500, 530 - 8th Ave SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3S8 Main: 403 263 4444 Fax: 403 269 4202 EDMONTON 1220, 10180 - 101st Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3S4 Main: 780 424 5475 Fax: 780 426 1995 modal split policy outlined above, the city will have to add capac- add capacity by way of additional LRT cars and buses. ity to accommodate an additional 800 to 1,000 people per day on An initiative last fall was to “bonus” new development sites up to transit. 25 per cent of the total required parking provided it was dedicated In theory this should work. There are some other policies which as short stay (up to four hours) parking. Unfortunately, the City tend to intervene against functionality of the theoretical model. The imposed a condition that required the Calgary Parking Authority fi rst is the City’s parking cash in lieu policy, or CIL. For a variety of to operate these stalls, a condition which the industry objected out reasons, it is not always possible to provide all the parking required right as split operations made no sense. by the LUB on a development site. Subsoil conditions, or geotech- The other major constraint on parking in the core is the available land. The CIL funds may not, at present, be used to purchase land, which then re- LRT parking lots are fi lled up early in the morning, quires the City to acquire land for parking structures or lots from public monies. That suggesting a failure on the City’s part to properly parking inventory is then lost and may not forecast use, or relying too heavily on the assumption be returned to the public realm. As a former regular transit user, I now that riders will actually use the feeder busses. intentionally avoid it. Most people enjoy riding on transit that is convenient and reli- able, but their satisfaction tends to diminish nical conditions, and limitations of the road network can preclude rapidly as the system becomes severely crowded. LRT parking lots building 100 per cent of the required parking onsite. Under the CIL are fi lled up early in the morning, suggesting a failure on the City’s program, a developer pays a 50 per cent cash equivalent to the City, part to properly forecast use, or relying too heavily on the assump- and the City then is obligated to build the remaining 50 per cent of tion that riders will actually use the feeder busses. the required parking. So parking and public transportation are defi cient for the needs The second limiting factor is the number of people driving into of a major city like Calgary. Could we solve one problem by better the core. Many do so because they want to, but a signifi cant number, managing another? It would better serve the commuting public if I submit, do so because they perceive they have no better alterna- the City adopted a much more proactive approach to constructing tive. The capacity of public transit is limited, however the current public transportation such that the LRT capacity and bus capacity City Council has recognized this defi ciency and has taken steps to came on-stream in advance of new areas being developed. B CCalgaryalgary DDowntownowntown DDistrictistrict EEnergynergy PProjectroject GGetsets ““Green”Green” LLightight

he City of Calgary con- tinued to demonstrate Tits commitment to develop green energy sources when City Council approved the Calgary District Energy system which will heat and cool downtown buildings. Mayor Dave Bronconnier is also confi dent that a cen- tralized energy system that is close to downtown will pro- Map of the District Energy System vide long-term cost effi cien- thermal distribution system. The CAMRIF cies and energy savings for developments funding allows The City and ENMAX to and will attract new commercial activity to proceed immediately with construction of the area known as the East Village. Phase 1 with Phase 2 expected to be com- “This is an ecologically friendly energy pleted by 2010. generation system,” says Mayor Broncon- The downtown district energy plant and nier. “I believe it will encourage develop- distribution system will service current ment in the East Village because it creates municipally owned buildings and selected a central heating and cooling system that future downtown buildings. The project is makes it convenient for developers to hook also integral to the future development of up to the system.” the East Village, known as The Rivers. The District Energy project was unani- The district energy system is expected mously approved by City Council in March to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- and received a $31.8-million funding com- sions through its overall higher heating mitment from the Government of Canada, effi ciency compared to individual building the Province of Alberta and The City of thermal production. It will reduce GHG Calgary through the Canada-Alberta Mu- emissions from municipal buildings’ heat- nicipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (CAM- ing equipment by approximately 19,000 RIF). tons per year and by up to 235,000 tons per Western Economic Diversifi cation and year when the system is fully subscribed. Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation Approximately 560,000 square metres each pledged $10 million towards the proj- (or about six million square feet) of build- ect while The City will contribute $11.8 ing space can be heated and cooled when million. construction of the downtown district en- “I’m thrilled we’ll be able to move for- ergy plant is completed. ward with this project,” says Alderman Bob The City will benefi t because it adds mo- Hawkesworth who championed the project mentum to redevelopment projects such as with The City’s Infrastructure Services de- The Rivers, supports sustainable develop- partment. “It means reduced greenhouse ment and provides integrated energy plan- gas emissions, it saves on capital, it saves ning while reducing greenhouse gas emis- space, it saves on operating costs.” sions and improving urban air quality. The Calgary Downtown District Energy The Calgary District Energy project was project is a multi-phase project involving also developed using Council’s Triple Bot- the development of a heating and cooling tom Line framework to integrate social, plant located in the downtown core in Phase economic and environmental objectives to 1 together with a combined heat and power maintain high standards of living, social (CHP) co-generation energy plant located harmony and environmental quality. B further from the city centre in Phase 2. The City of Calgary, in partnership Media Contact: Kerry Joyes, with ENMAX, will develop and operate Communications Strategist, Infrastructure Services the thermal and co-generation plants and The City of Calgary Phone: (403) 268-8872 Calgary Downtown District PPreservingreserving tthehe AAlbertalberta AAdvantagedvantage Energy Project Gets “Green” Light here continues to be signifi cant discussion and pride in this the capitalization rate applied to the income stream of certain types province about the “Alberta Advantage.” This marketing of property in arriving at assessed values. Tslogan touts the province as having a high quality of life, “Historically, taxpayers are lucky to get the basic parameters. low overall taxes, strong economy, affordable cost of living and a Municipalities say the capitalization rate we are using is nine per highly competitive business community. There are however sug- cent or the net market rent we are using is $20, but typically you gestions that this edge over the balance of Canada may be erod- wouldn’t know what specifi c sales or leases they’re relying on,” ing; housing prices are skyrocketing, labour shortages abound, and says Brazzell. With the January 30 decision of Alberta’s Informa- business operators are contending with legislative impediments to tion and Privacy Commissioner he is concerned that taxpayers will realizing the benefi ts of the dynamic provincial economy. be offered even less information. One area in which businesses are struggling is disclosure of in- “In effect, if you’re unable to access information from the mu- formation as it pertains to property assessments. On January 30, nicipality due to their strict policies regarding the disclosure of in- 2007, Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner released a formation, and then the assessment appeal boards are not prepared decision confi rming its position that the Freedom of Information to order disclosure it may never be possible to obtain the informa- and Protection of Privacy Act is not applicable to requests made to tion necessary to determine with any certainty whether your prop- municipalities for information relative to property assessments. erty has been appropriately assessed.” “The requirement to provide information found in the Munici- Compounding the problem are the fees frequently charged by the pal Government Act prevails over that Freedom of Information and municipalities to property owners to obtain the limited informa- Protection of Privacy Act and in effect leaves the degree and scope tion which they are prepared to release. Some municipalities are of disclosure at the discretion of the municipalities,” says Robert erecting even more obstacles by disallowing multiple requests for Brazzell, chair of the BOMA Tax Committee. information from one person. Taxpayers now have to initiate these To truly understand a property assessment, taxpayers require a requests on a property-by-property basis. certain level of disclosure from municipalities. But taxpayers are “A property owner who owns 40 properties can’t request the in- largely denied access to the information municipalities are rely- formation on all 40 in one letter. He has to prepare 40 separate ing upon to draw their conclusions and assign property assessment documents. It raises concerns that perhaps some municipalities values. are not interested in cooperating and providing information,” says “It’s very diffi cult to get a clear understanding of the way in Brazzell. which your assessment was calculated and whether or not it is in Most recently property owners have been concerned by support fact equitable or correct,” says Brazzell. of the City of Calgary for provincial legislation which would allow In order to understand and possibly contest an assessment, tax- for a land transfer tax and other taxes and levies directed specifi - payers need access to certain data. Most commercial property is cally at commercial property owners and developers. Considering valued by the income approach so taxpayers require the data that the present and ever increasing challenges faced by the business municipalities are using to calculate the various components ap- community in Alberta we need to be sensitive to adding to the ad- plied in calculating the assessed values. ministrative burden and the costs of conducting business in Alber- By way of example, they need to know which specifi c leases and ta. The Alberta Advantage is being eroded and it is important that buildings are being referenced to determine the net market rent municipal governments seek opportunities to enhance rather then attributed to buildings located in a particular geographic area. Tax- reduce the competitive advantage of Alberta-based businesses. payers would also like to know which sales the municipality con- Anyone interested in these or similar issues can reach Bob Braz- siders to be sales of comparable properties and used to determine zell at 403-503-1338. B

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he sharp edges and challenges of tainable project comes in the form of multi Grounds, will become very accessible and a boom economy can be managed use zoning which the City is encourag- popular. Twith new and clever approaches. ing in an effort to increase the residential Recent transactions – Grosvenor has One of the most recent accommodations density in the downtown/beltline area. The been acquiring the lots to complete its 5th to the problem of retaining workers in a days when you might live above your busi- Avenue site in the West End and has paid hot economic climate with expensive or ness are fond memories for some, but the $403/sq.-ft. for the corner lot in February non-existent housing has been EnCana’s idea is coming back with projects under and $879/sq.-ft. for the lane lot in March. proposal to supply housing to construction construction which would see high rise In February, the railside lot on 10th Avenue workers on its new Bow Building. EnCana blocks of condominium residences built between MacLeod Trail sold to a numbered purchased the old St. Regis Hotel site on in conjunction with commercial and offi ce company for $258/sq.-ft. and Intergulf-Ci- 7th Avenue for $830/sq.-ft. in January 2006. space. Balboa’s Keynote Project, just east dex purchased two apartment blocks and a The Hotel boasts 100 rooms and this will of the old No. 1 Co-op site, will involve house on 12th Avenue across from old Cen- soon become a dormitory for Encana’s two residential condominium towers and tral High School for $333/sq.-ft. Dundeal workers during the construction phase. one offi ce tower. Canada bought four offi ce buildings in Once The Bow is completed, the St. Regis An additional tower to the Palliser the West End with the land values ranging will be wrapped in a cocoon and reappear Square group is on the books for Aspen from $1,850/sq.-ft. to $3,560/sq.-ft. Closer as a boutique hotel for Encana’s out-of- Properties and will see the construction of in, the old #102 Royal Canadian Legion town employees (the same fate has been an 18-storey offi ce building, Palliser South, building sold for $578/sq.-ft. and the old predicted for the old North-West Travelers on the corner of 10th Avenue and 1st Street Indian Friendship Centre was purchased Building, just down from the old No. 1 Fire SE. This project can be seen as part of the for $352/sq.-ft. In the East Village, the Cal- Hall and formerly the Calgary Municipal move southward for offi ce space, and with gary Orthotics site was purchased by the Museum). a +15 connection to projects under con- City for $130/sq.-ft. B Further inventive ways to achieve a sus- struction in East Beltline and the Stampede

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• Grant Champion, Alberta Infrastructure & Transportation • Brad Derwent, Canadian Food Inspection Agency • Ceinwen Lee Toews, Brookﬁ eld Properties • Lorne Toews, Calgary Marriott Retiring BOMA Director, Jim Terry Schmitt, retiring BOMA Presi- Red Deer Mayor, Morris Flew- Strome, Calgary Health Region, is dent is presented with a painting as welling, addressed BOMA members presented with a volunteer service an expression of thanks of member at the March Lunch meeting. award by President Wendy Cardell, by newly elected President Wendy CPM. Cardell, CPM

Alan Bartlett of GWL Realty Advi- sors is presented with Go Green Plus certiﬁ cate on behalf of Western Canadian Place. Past President, Terry Schmitt presents the certiﬁ cate.

President Wendy Cardell, COPM, Terry Schmitt presents certiﬁ cate presents Gloria Von Muhlen of SNS to Irwin Rajesky of GWL Realty Ad- Lavalin ProFac with Go Green Certiﬁ - visors for achieving Go Green Plus cate for the Harry Hays Building. status for First Canadian Centre.

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ot too many teenagers have a good handle on what they Transit Oriented Development will happen eventually but I hope want to achieve in life, where they want to work and live some kind of incentive will encourage developers to build mixed- N– it’s all part of the trials of growing up. And it appears use that supplies a percentage of more affordable housing. At our that this young city of Calgary is still in its formative years as we luncheon discussion I pointed out that the ‘working poor’ we refer struggle to fi nd our identity and worry about what it’s going to take to as those who don’t earn enough to buy a house of their own to become ‘world class’ or to relax and be satisfi ed with being who probably included the nice waiter who had just served us so profes- we are today. sionally. I fi nd it so interesting – and frustrating – that we have individu- There are no current initiatives to help alleviate the problems of als who are deeply concerned, yet see no real positive reaction to creating more affordable housing here yet other cities have come their ideas and concerns. We suffer from those seeking to gobble up with solutions. up more land through the annexation process while others see no I tried to introduce a newcomer to a city department a year ago sense in making the city bigger when high density in the down- who has a masters degree from M.I.T.’s Centre for Real Estate in town core, beltline district and at LRT stations make so much more Boston and was willing to share her experience with Massachu- sense. setts’ affordable housing initiatives that were embraced by afford- Lots of ink has been used up regarding whether there is a need able housing advocates, developers and governments. to spend money on major projects like a new Saddledome, a new Unfortunately it took several months before she was acknowl- Telus World of Science/Creative Kids Museum, new Central Li- edged. brary, Calgary Stampede expansion, a refurbished Heritage Park Yet she has answers to the questions of whether mixed-income, and the exciting changes to the Calgary Zoo, while others are more high-density rental developments negatively impact nearby single- family property values and can demonstrate the value of supporting secondary suites. There are no current initiatives to help alleviate the Would you believe there is a Comprehensive Permit Law and Anti-Snob Zoning Act in problems of creating more affordable housing here suburban Boston communities? I’m encouraged by the urgency of yet other cities have come up with solutions. some members of corporate Calgary who are attacking the problem through the Calgary concerned about the plight of the homeless and those who have Committee to End Homelessness – but unless there is true support gotten less, rather than the more being enjoyed by so many others. from city hall I have a fear it will fi zzle. But I hope they keep up Imagine what it must be like for a person without a place to sleep the pressure despite the fact that there are so many rules and regu- while newspapers and magazines are chock-a-block with adver- lations – city, provincial and federal – that they will have to ram tisements urging people to invest their extra cash in recreational through or steer around. properties that cost more than the average home. Yet time is so important. We look to have serious social as well I was invited to one of a series of luncheon meetings to discuss as economic problems if we cannot fi nd accommodation for the the future of Calgary and found the ideas very interesting, but had hundreds of workers that are needed – and might be on their way to chirp in that before we can dream of what we could be we have here. to solve some of real problems that the city faces today. But I doubt if a new mobile home park would ever get approved Most fall into the laps of our elected aldermen and the city ad- within city limits, even on a temporary basis. Too bad because ministration. they are pre-built – an instant solution. And as Boardwalk says it I hear most complaints about the planning and transportation de- is not economically possible to build rental units at today’s land partments but in their defence the personnel just cannot handle to and construction prices unless a suite can be rented for a minimum amount of increased demand, and I would suggest that they don’t of $1,600 per month. I’m no mathematician but it would seem a get a lot of backing from council on any bright ideas they might person earning $10 an hour for a 40-hour week is never going to have. A good example is the rather obvious (to me and many oth- afford one. ers) direction planners have given in urging the development of There – and I’ve used up all of my allotted space without being high-density residential properties at LRT stations. Yet aldermen, able to comment on the aggravation of developers to the rumour fearful in this election year to upset ward voters, will not decide for that the city is about to buy another huge bank of industrial land to the betterment of the city as a whole, nor will they make a decision develop. Next time. B soon on secondary suites.