Don Wilcox

The Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada (BOMA Canada) held its annual national awards gala to cap off the sold-out BOMEX 2023 conference, announcing 27 award winners in a variety of categories. 

PC Urban Properties and Fiera Real Estate are expanding their Metro Vancouver multifamily investment partnership to develop 141 rental apartments – including 12 townhomes – at a property in South Vancouver.

Urban heat is harming our cities and the people who live in them. A phenomenon called the urban heat island effect is on the rise and local-level decision-makers must act expediently to execute place-based resiliency strategies to mitigate the impacts.

Avenue Living Asset Management was founded in 2006 with the purchase of 24 rental units in Brooks, Alta. for just over $3 million. With its latest acquisitions, the Calgary firm has surpassed $5 billion in assets under management, with continued growth on the horizon.

Rising construction costs, elevated interest rates and a tangle of government-applied costs and restrictions are making it tougher to redevelop Greater Vancouver properties to higher and better uses.

A year after Primaris REIT was spun off as a separate publicly traded entity by its former parent H&R REIT, chief executive officer Alex Avery offered up a long list of accomplishments for his fledgling retail trust.

When it comes to assessing commercial real estate trends in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, “2022 was a sort of ‘tale of two cities,’” according to Doug Pulver, the executive managing director in Colliers’ Vancouver office.

Salaries for executives in top commercial real estate positions in the Greater Toronto Area increased an average of 15 per cent last year as the “candidate-driven market” continues, says Dan McLeod of recruitment firm Hays in Toronto.  

Commercial real estate transaction activity in the Greater Toronto and Greater Golden Horseshoe areas slowed considerably in the second half of 2022 after an initial strong carry-over from 2021.  

Michael Waters will vacate management duties at Minto Apartment REIT to focus on his role as Minto Group’s CEO; Jonathan Li will become president and CEO. We also report on executive moves at PSP Investments, Colliers, Slate Asset Management...

Transaction activity in Montreal’s commercial real estate market was much heavier in the first part of 2022 than the rest of the year, as interest rate increases made a major impact.

A Trez Capital equity fund is showing that U.S. Sunbelt states are popular as more than just tourist destinations for Canadian snowbirds.

Alberta Investment Management Corporation has appointed Marlene Puffer as its chief investment officer. Also chronicled in this report are senior executive moves at Ontario Teachers, Couche-Tard, Altus Group, Avison Young, Melcor and more.

Bluebird Self Storage has acquired what may be the oldest self-storage facility in North America and plans over the coming year to update the Victoria, B.C. property to modern standards.

Regional Group has acquired the three-building, 224,151-square-foot Qualicum Centre office campus in suburban Ottawa from Manulife Investment Management.

The founder of First Capital REIT has joined investor Ewing Morris and Co. in publicly criticizing the trust’s leadership, and in an open letter Dori Segal calls for the resignations or removals of its current CEO and board chair.

The Dream LeBreton partnership has unveiled the design plan for its two-tower-plus-podium residential and commercial development which will kick off a new phase of building at Ottawa’s long-vacant LeBreton Flats.  

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (REI-UN-T) has promoted John Ballantyne to chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1, from his current role as senior vice-president, asset management. Ballantyne will assume oversight for property operations and leasing and will continue to lead

The passing of Labour Day for many means an end to summer and that it’s time for a full-time return to the office – wherever the “office” happens to be right now. For those who’ve been away, and would like

Brookfield Asset Management has announced a major reorganization and is shuffling several top executives as a result, including former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney. The company now known as Brookfield Asset Management is being renamed