The Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada (BOMA Canada) hosted its second virtual National Awards Gala on October 21, 2021, marking another successful and challenging year for the commercial real estate industry.
The evening began with emcees joining in Toronto: President and CEO of BOMA Canada, Benjamin Shinewald from Toronto; and Chair of BOMA Canada’s National Awards Committee and Senior Property Manager at Aeroterm, Anne Marie Guèvremont, from Montreal.
The Outstanding Building of the Year Awards
The Outstanding Building of the Year awards were presented to 10 properties that best demonstrated overall quality and excellence. Judging criteria included: building standards, community impact, tenant relations, energy conservation, environmental performance, regulatory compliance, sustainability, emergency preparedness, security standards, and personnel training. Only BOMA BEST certified buildings were eligible to enter.
Toronto-based buildings took home all the awards in the Office Category. QuadReal Property Group won for Commerce Court (Over 1 Million Sq. Ft.), GWL Realty Advisors Inc. won for the Dynamic Funds Tower (500,000 – 1 Million Sq Ft.), Oxford Properties Group Inc. received accolades for Canada Square (250,000 – 499,999 Sq. Ft.), and Northam Realty Advisors Limited won for 2 Carlton Street (100,000 – 249,999 Sq. Ft).
In the Suburban Office (Mid Rise) category, Crown Property Management Inc. earned an award for Pearson Corporate Centre in Etobicoke, Ont.
On the retail front, Morguard Investments Ltd. was honoured in the Retail – Enclosed (Under 1 Million Sq. Ft.) category for Bramalea City Centre in Brampton, Ont. FCR Management Services LP won in the Retail – Open Air category for Kingston Square in Toronto, Ont.
GWL Realty Advisors Inc. scooped up two more awards. One for 190 Simcoe Street in the Corporate Facility category and one for the Canada Life Building in the Historical Building category. In the Industrial category, QuadReal Property Group won for 6990 Creditview Road in Mississauga, Ont.
Rick Hansen Foundation Awards
On behalf of the Rick Hansen Foundation, BOMA Canada presented the inaugural Rick Hansen Foundation’s Building Without Barriers Challenge. This award recognizes the outstanding work Canada’s commercial real estate developers and property managers are doing to remove physical barriers in their buildings and make them accessible to all people, including those with physical disabilities.
Receiving the Commitment Award was The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited for having 10 sites rated for their level of meaningful accessibility through the Rick Hansen Accessibility Certification Program. Triovest Realty Advisors’ 5050 Satellite Drive building took home the Innovation Award for receiving the most innovation points for its certification.
Lastly, the BOMA Canada Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Challenge Award, now in its third year, is given to a BOMA Canada member whose site has received the highest Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification score. This year’s honour went to Ryerson University for the Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex in Toronto.
Vyetta Sunderland Scholarship Award
The winner of this year’s BOMI Education Canada Vyetta Sunderland Scholarship Award was presented to Lesley Thorpe of GroupHealth Benefit Solutions from Langley, B.C.
Pinnacle Awards
BOMA Canada’s Pinnacle awards recognize role model companies that demonstrate standards of excellence while acknowledging innovation, teamwork, outstanding customer service and commitment to clients. This year’s Above & Beyond award went to Edmonton-based GardaWorld, while Nordic Mechanical Services, in Edmonton, won in the Customer Service category. CAPREIT in Toronto won the award for Innovation.
Earth Awards
BOMA Canada’s Earth awards recognized excellence in resource preservation and environmentally sound commercial building management. Entrants for both the Earth and The Outstanding Building of the Year awards must also be BOMA BEST Certified.
In the Healthcare Facility category, EllisDon Facilities Services was honoured for Oakville Trafalgar Memorial, in Oakville, Ont. Oxford Properties Group won in the Industrial category for 255 Chrysler Drive in Brampton, Ont., and Greenrock Commercial Services won for Toronto’s Postmedia Place in the Office category.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited won for CF Lime Ridge in Hamilton, Ont., and Morguard Investments Ltd. earned the award in the Universal category for Quinte Consolidated Courthouse in Belleville, Ont.
Before these awards were handed out, BOMA Canada President and CEO Benjamin Shinewald updated the audience on BOMA Canada’s 100,000 Trees Program. “Introduced in 2019, for every building certified under BOMA BEST Sustainable Buildings, we plant 25 trees,” he said. “Our goal is for our BOMA community to plant, collectively, at least 20,000 trees per year. While COVID-19 has slowed down the planting rate, we are still in the process of planting at least 20,000 trees this year.”
New Awards for 2021
BOMA Canada introduced three new awards in 2021.
First up was the Elaina Tattersdale Sustainability Champion Award, which recognizes an “unsung hero” in the BOMA Canada membership who champions sustainability at any level within the commercial real estate community.
The award is named in memory of Elaina Tattersdale, an enterprise project manager for Morguard Investments, who sought to improve the impact buildings have on the environment. Elaina’s mother, past BOMA Canada Chair’s Award winner, Cheryl Gray, presented the award to Elena Muto of Menkes Property Management Services.
The BOMA Canada Emerging Leaders Award recognizes leadership, initiative, and/or service to the commercial real estate community by BOMA members who are 35 years or younger. The Co-Chair’s of BOMA Canada’s Emerging Leadership Committee, Talia Purdy of BentallGreenOak and Sean Hamilton of First District Mechanical, presented this honour to Michael Hasko of Dream Unlimited Corp.
Lastly, Laura Sharen, Canderel Management (West) Inc., in Edmonton, Alberta, was honoured with the third new award of the night: The BOMA Canada Member of the Year Award, which recognizes a BOMA member who has demonstrated leadership initiative, and/or service to the commercial real estate community. She will also be recognized at BOMA International’s 2022 Conference next year in Nashville.
“Our first-ever Member of the Year demonstrated tremendous leadership over the past year, driving the rebuild of an important real estate organization in Alberta; pivoting BOMA Edmonton’s educational offering to virtual platforms as Chair of BOMA Edmonton’s Education Committee and being an instrumental member in a BOMA Edmonton-led safety and security initiative in that city’s downtown core,” said Shinewald.
Chair’s Award
To cap off the evening, BOMA Canada Chair Steve Nicoletti presented the BOMA Canada Chair’s Award to Percy Woods, who served two terms as Chair of BOMA Canada’s Chief Staff Officers Council and two terms on the BOMA Canada Board of Directors.
A 23-year tenure at BOMA Edmonton marks one of Woods’ career highlights, during which he championed professional development and grew the organization from 56 corporate members to more than 360 members, with over 550 total member contacts. Among his many achievements, he launched a bottle recycling collection program that employed the homeless in sustainability and raised more than $325,000 for at-risk women and youth through two charity events.
“His impact on the commercial real estate community is expansive,” mused Nicoletti. “Among many other achievements, he persuaded the Real Estate Council of Alberta to introduce a specialty licensing category for property managers and served on various provincial advisory councils.
“So great was his impact that, following his retirement last year, the BOMA Edmonton Board established a new award in his name to recognize the city building activities of an individual, company or organization.”
The gala closed with the official introduction of new BOMA Canada Chair, Adrien Deveau, President of Metergy Solutions Inc.
