ISSA Canada has announced the 2020 winners of the ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award, including Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, Manulife Investment Management in Montréal, and Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB.
“ISSA Canada has long been recognizing the outstanding initiatives that Canadian facilities have implemented to help the environment and reduce their carbon footprint,” said ISSA Canada Executive Director, Mike Nosko. “This year’s recipients are once again a great reflection of how Canadian facilities continue to embrace the environment and help save our planet.”
Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is no stranger to the concept of sustainable practices and environmental initiatives. In fact, the two-million-square-foot shopping centre has consistently embraced green practices from its green roof right down to all facets of the facility’s operations.
“Yorkdale Shopping Centre is extremely honoured to be recognized with this prestigious ISSA Canada Award,” said Joe Rodrigues, Maintenance Manager at Oxford Properties. “Oxford Properties is always seeking ways to proactively address the environmental impacts of our operations and incorporate the principles of our environmental mission statement into our work.
As one of Canada’s first shopping centres to implement a recycling program, Yorkdale has consistently increased its annual waste reduction targets since 1994. Currently equipped with 12 compactors, the facility recycles all cardboard, paper, bottles, cans, and plastics on site.
When it comes to housekeeping, Yorkdale has consistently utilized EcoLogo products and has remained on the leading edge when it comes to implementing the latest technologies for the betterment of the indoor environment. In addition to adopting a flat mopping system for floor care, the facility became a flagship retail space for the introduction of robotic technology, currently having two units in operation within the facility.
“Adopting the latest technologies helps Yorkdale maintain its environmental initiatives through improving efficiencies and resource conservation,” Rodrigues said. “We continuously measure and benchmark our sustainability performance and also effectively implement the technologies to drive us forward. Our industry is evolving, along with the use of these innovative solutions. I see the use of robotic technology increasing for even more cleaning applications such as vacuuming, scrubbing, and disinfecting.”
When it comes to green product usage, Yorkdale Shopping Centre was one of the first in the retail space to purchase their cleaning product in drums, in order to reduce waste. In fact, the facility had a retention wall installed in the back end of the mall to house these drums and meet various compliance codes. By purchasing cleaning products in bulk form and using an automated dispensing system, Oxford has been able to effectively reduce the environmental footprint of this facility.
“By simply using one drum, we are eliminating the use of 44 plastic, 4.73L bottles each time it is refilled,” Rodrigues said. “We are saving on the storage, shipment, packaging, and plastic recycling of each bottle. Waste is further reduced as the chemical drum is refilled by the vendor and can be reused multiple times before being recycled at its end of useful life. Our staff also find it very easy to use, as it properly dispenses the correct chemical dilution, and even saves on time. We lowered our chemical use by approximately 25 per cent using this Quickfill dispenser.”
Manulife Investment Management, Montréal
Céline Laforce, property director at Manulife Investment Management, is a dedicated manager who is engaged in her projects and contributes to the promotion of responsible management practices throughout the industry. She relies on innovative practices to support the energy performance of a group of three downtown Montréal buildings.
Last September, one of the facilities in Laforce’s portfolio was awarded a prize in the energy performance improvement component of BOMA Quebec’s Défi Énergie en immobilier (DÉI). The DÉI is a four-year competition aimed at reducing the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of commercial, institutional, and multi-residential buildings in Quebec.
The winning facility – located at 1001 de Maisonneuve West – was among the 15 recipients which stood out from the 162 candidates submitted for the award. The recognition obtained in this competition demonstrated that the energy management strategy developed by Laforce and her team made it possible for the building to improve energy performance in a concrete and sustainable manner by reducing energy costs, operating budgets and ultimately GHGs.
“Regularly undergoing performance audits, the visual average of three buildings in my portfolio is well above the minimum standard of 85 per cent – and are compliant in terms of visual cleanliness,” Laforce said. “In the early months of the COVID-19 crisis, Manulife Investment Management quickly took action to intervene and restore security in its buildings for the benefit of employees, tenants, partners, clients, and visitors.”
In fact, these three facilities were among the first in the province of Quebec to obtain GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation, through ISSA’s Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) division. To date, Manulife Investment Management has had a total of seven of its facilities GBAC STAR accredited.
In addition to its GBAC STAR accreditation, air filtration units with double HEPA filters and UV lamps were installed in all the elevators of the Manulife Centre, located at 2000 Mansfield St. These high-performance filtration units are specifically designed for elevators and proven to eliminate 99.9 per cent of airborne virus and bacterial particles.
“Manulife takes the environment and the health of its building occupants very seriously, and we have taken steps above and beyond to ensure this is the case,” Laforce said. “In addition to the latest air filtration systems, green housekeeping practices and a host of other environmental initiatives, our fulfillment of the GBAC STAR Accreditation proves that we also care about the health of people. It is an honour to be recognized for all the hard work and diligence our teams have demonstrated to ensure our buildings are safe for the planet and provide assurance to our occupants that they are in a healthy space.”
Rogers Place, Edmonton
“Since opening the venue in 2016, Rogers Place has had a focus on environmentally sustainable practices, especially as it relates to our cleaning program,” said Jay MacDonald, Director of Operations at Rogers Place. “This includes the use of EcoLogo products, electrostatic sprayers to reduce product volumes, and a robust recycling program achieving a 93 per cent landfill diversion rate.”
In addition to its cleaning and waste management programs, the LEED Silver certified facility also features an energy-efficient design that has helped the facility achieve energy cost savings of more than 20 per cent over ASHRAE 90.1-2007. Additionally, the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures is expected to reduce water consumption by more than 5000m3 annually.
Providing exceptional day-lighting capability with its extensive glazing on the exterior of the building, occupants also benefit from improved air quality due to a new, modern and more efficient air handling system.
“It is such an incredible honour to be recognized with the ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award,” MacDonald said. “It truly validates the hard work of so many people here at Rogers Place as we strive to be a leader in the sports and entertainment industry when it comes to sustainability. Environmental initiatives are so crucial for the safety of the planet, and we are thrilled to be able to contribute to awareness of this critical aspect of facility management.”
Recognizing environmental dedication
ISSA Canada’s Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes and honours organizations committed to environmental management and a dedication to the value of clean. Each year, ISSA Canada presents up to six awards (one in each region of Canada), where nominations have been submitted by a current ISSA Canada member company. Winners are selected by the association’s executive staff based on their ability to meet four of the six award criterion.
“Each year we see the dedication of so many facilities as they strive to achieve benchmarks for environmental safety and occupant health,” Nosko said. “This year has been no different. We are extremely pleased to recognize our outstanding recipients for their hard work and commitment to green practices, as well as the safety of their frontline staff and building occupants. Congratulations to each of them.”
For more information on the ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award and its past recipients, please visit www.issa-canada.com.
