Ontario introduces new rent control law

The Government of Ontario has introduced legislation that, if passed, would cap the annual Rent Increase Guideline at 2.5 per cent. The legislation, called Bill 19, Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Rent Increase Guideline), 2011, would also ensure that the annual rent increase never falls below one per cent. The province’s Rent Increase Guideline is a … Continued

New study confirms wind turbines pose no serious health affects

Wind turbines do not cause any direct health effects, a study done for the Government of Ontario by engineering firm Howe Gastmeier Chapnik Ltd has found. The report was a literature review of materials (journal articles, papers presented at conferences, technical reports and guidelines or regulations) related to low frequency noise and infrasound associated with … Continued

Real Estate Executives Outlook Positive for Commercial Real Estate

Canada’s top real estate executives are predicting a brighter future for commercial real estate. The views of 49 leading real estate executives were captured in the third quarter 2011 REALpac/FPL Canadian Real Estate Sentiment Survey. The quarterly survey measures executives’ current and future outlook on three topics: overall real estate conditions, access to capital markets, and … Continued

Inadequate Brownfield Incentive Programs

OREA continues to lobby for fairer property tax treatment of brownfields under redevelopment. Research undertaken by the Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) has indicated that property owners and developers trying to remediate brownfield properties are at a significant tax disadvantage compared to agricultural land. A summary of our proposal to the provincial government including the CBN research … Continued

ORC issues Request for Proposal

The Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) invites interested parties to submit proposals to provide services as detailed in Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 0510-08 – Disposition and Acquisition Brokerage Services and Related Ancillary Consulting Services. Services are to be provided across the province from time to time and are comprised of disposition and acquisition brokerage services for … Continued

Upcoming Commercial Continuing Education Opportunities

Brownfield Workshop Series: Practical Workshop for the Redevelopment in the Region of Waterloo – April 13, 2011. The goal of the series is to build capacity by identifying local issues, connecting stakeholders, and highlighting new approaches, solutions, and ideas for Brownfield redevelopment. Online registration, and a list of all dates andlocations can be found at www.aboutremediation.com. SIOR’s … Continued

Azizali Kanjee Khoja Assumes the Role of OCC Chair

Oakville real estate broker Azizali Kanjee Khoja assumed the role of Commercial Director of the Ontario Real Estate Association’s (OREA) annual conference on March 2. In this capacity, he represents the association’s commercial members on the board of directors. Active in the real estate profession for 36 years, Mr. Khoja is a real estate broker … Continued

Practical Workshop for Redevelopment in the St. Lawrence Corridor

Practical Workshop for Redevelopment in the St. Lawrence Corridor – Kingston , ON March 22, 2011 – Registration Information Build capacity, Identify key issues, Connect with stakeholders, and Discover new approaches and solutions Designed for Brownfield Stakeholders, including Municipal Officials, Planners, Brownfield Coordinators, and Economic Development Officers Property Owners and Developers Federal and Provincial Government … Continued

New Ontario Brownfield Web Resources

The government of Ontario recently launched two new web resources for brownfield development. The first resource is a compendium of Community Improvement Plans (CIPs). Until now, there has been no consolidated source for locating active municipal brownfields financial incentive programs. The compendium includes: Municipal staff contacts and links to municipal websites. PDF copies of CIP policies, … Continued

Province to bring Ontario Realty Corp in house

In an effort to save money, the province is merging the Ontario Realty Corp (ORC) back into the government. The ORC is  the real estate service arm of the government that manages one of the largest portfolios in Canada consisting of nearly 6,400 buildings and structures. The ORC will be folded into Infrastructure Ontario. The … Continued