The Canadian commercial real estate industry gathered in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto last night for the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada National Awards gala.

BOMA Toronto celebrated its 100th anniversary as proud hosts of this year’s event, which also topped off the twenty-seventh anniversary of BOMEX – Canada’s Building Excellence Summit.

A total of 17 awards were handed out, recognizing industry achievements across the country from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia.

The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) awards were presented to 10 recipients in recognition of quality commercial real estate buildings and excellence in industry and building management. Judging is based on a number of factors ranging from tenant relations and community impact to energy conservation. Entrants must be BOMA BEST certified.

Bentall Kennedy was feted with three TOBY awards, one in the Retail Building category for managing Cloverdale Mall in  Etobicoke, Ontario, one for Bentall 5 in Vancouver, in the 500,000 to million square feet category and the third in the Historical Building category for Edifice Sun Life Building in Montreal, Quebec.

BOMA Canada introduced two new TOBY award categories this year. The first-ever National TOBY in the Mixed Use category was presented to Crombie REIT in recognition of Barrington Place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while Aéroports de Montréal took home a TOBY award in the new Public Assembly building category for Aéroports de Montréal in Montreal.

Other TOBYs went to Northam Realty Advisors Limited for 165 Commerce Valley Drive West, Markham, Ontario in the Under 100,000 Square Feet category; Manulife Financial Real Estate for 980 Howe in Vancouver, in the 100,000 to 249,999 Square Feet category and La Capitale Financial Group Inc. for its corporate facility head office in Quebec City.

Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions also took home the coveted award for managing the John E. Brownlee Government Building in Edmonton, while Colliers International earned one for managing Mississauga Executive Centre 1 in the 250,000 to 499,999 Square Feet category.

Earth Awards, which honour resource preservation and environmentally sound commercial building management, were handed out to four industry members, including Montreal’s CHUM Hopital Notre-Dame, managed by CHUM; Retail Building Place Montreal Trust, also in Montreal, owned and managed by Ivanhoe Cambridge; Oxford Properties Group won two Earth Awards, one for the Nestle Building in Brampton in the Industrial Building category and the other for RBC WaterPark Place, an office complex in downtown Toronto.

BOMA Canada also presented its Pinnacle awards celebrating three organizations and industry service providers. In the Customer Service category, Paladin Security Group in Manitoba won, while Turnleaf Consulting Inc. in B.C. received the award in the Innovation category. Bee-Clean Building Maintenance, based in Edmonton, won in the Above & Beyond category.

Closing out the evening, BOMA Canada Chair Kim Saunders, took to the stage to present the BOMA Canada Chair’s Award for individuals who make valuable and long-lasting contributions to BOMA and support the organization in a meaningful way.

This year, the Chair’s Award honoured the BOMA Canada staff.

“Tonight, I’d like to single out that small team who work tirelessly, day in and day out, to deliver such tremendous value for us all,” Saunders said to the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, BOMA Canada would not be the industry-leading association that it is today without this hard-working, bright, and dedicated group of individuals. They work for you, and they are responsible for our national successes, including executing on the association’s most recent strategic plan in record time, and growing our association and our industry every day.”

BOMA Canada President and CEO Benjamin Shinewald accepted the award on behalf of his team, including John Smiciklas, Hazel Sutton, Linda Larsen, Mike Parker, Nicole Whitehouse who worked with BOMA Canada over the summer, Cindy Baeta, Victoria Papp and Debbie Prince.

“I am sure I speak for the others when I say that we are all both surprised and delighted at the thoughtfulness of your choice,” said Shinewald. “We are really touched and grateful that you have recognized us, and we hope that we continue to live up to the honour that you have bestowed on us.”

Winners of the 2017 BOMA Canada National Awards may be eligible to compete in the BOMA International TOBY Awards presented at the BOMA International Conference and Expo, June 23 to 26, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas.

The gala concluded with an invitation for industry members to join the Association next year in Calgary, Alberta, for BOMEX 2018.

View all of the 2017 BOMA Canada National Award winners here.