Accessibility champions joined the roster of building excellence celebrated last week at BOMEX, the annual conference of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada. Inaugural winners of the Rick Hansen Foundation’s Buildings Without Barriers Challenge included a three-way tie in the commitment category, recognizing the company with the greatest number of buildings or development plans that have obtained a rating through Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC).

Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Choice Properties and GWL Realty Advisors share the 2024 Commitment Award with 13 RHFAC ratings each. Carleton University’s MacOdrum Library is the Innovation Award winner, which recognizes the facility that attains the highest number of innovation points in its RHFAC rating; while the Penticton regional office of the First West Credit Union received the Accessibility Progress Award for achieving the largest gain in points over its previous RHFAC rating.

“We are proud to recognize these organizations for their vision and dedication to becoming industry leaders in accessibility and inclusion,” says Sarah McCarthy, vice president, strategic initiatives, with the Rick Hansen Foundation. “It’s wonderful to see so many well-established developers and organizations go above and beyond to set the bar higher. We hope their leadership will inspire other property owners, managers and municipalities to follow suit.”