What Are We?

The National Executive Forum on Public Property founded at Queen’s University is a national non-profit organization for the advancement and sharing of best practices in public land management, use and development, in a policy, market, legislative and community context. The Forum began in 1998 as the Queen’s Land Forum.

Who Are We?

Member organizations are Canada’s most significant public agencies having an interest in the owning and managing of land and real estate. Representatives are at the senior executive level from Federal, Provincial and Municipal departments, agencies, public utilities and Crown corporations.

Associates are also welcome as private individuals or organizations with an interest in the management of public lands and real estate.

Academic Advisors are representatives of disciplines supporting the Forum from universities across Canada.

Forum Advisors are individuals or representatives of organizations whose activities support the Forum and who have an active interest in assisting the Forum's programs.

International Associates are government organizations, individuals and non-governmental businesses with an interest in the mission of the Forum.

Queen's University is the home of the Forum, governing it through pertinent regulations of its Senate, with the Advisory Research Committee approving the Forum’s Constitution and its Annual Reports, including financial statements, programs and budgets. Queen’s also provides the Forum with accounting, banking, mail, computer and legal services. The Forum’s administration is located in Robert Sutherland Hall.

Dr. David L.A. Gordon, Director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning, is currently the Forum’s Faculty Coordinator. His predecessor, Dr. Hok-Lin Leung, was a co-founder of the Forum along with Bill Lye, formerly with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Who are the current Member organizations?

• City of Brampton
• City of Calgary
• City of Edmonton
• City of Mississauga
• City of Montreal
• City of Ottawa
• City of Toronto
• City of Vancouver
• BC Housing
• BC Hydro
• Capital Regional District (BC)
• Shared Services BC - Integrated Workplace Solutions/Real Estate Management
• Infrastructure Ontario
• Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation
• New Brunswick Supply and Services
• Newfoundland and Labrador Transportation and Works
• Northwest Territories Public Works and Services
• Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal
• Société immobilière du Québec
• Yukon Highways and Public Works
• Correctional Service Canada
• Department of National Defence
• Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
• Public Works and Government Services Canada
• Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada

Who are the current Associates?

• Altus Group Limited
• C.B. Richard Ellis
• Cushman & Wakefield Valuation, Advisory & Property Tax Services
• Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance Inc.
• Jones Lang LaSalle
• MHPM Project Managers Inc.
• Praeneste Technologies Inc.
• Stantec Consulting Ltd.
• Tiree
• Toker + Associates
• VFA Canada Corporation

Who are the current Academic Advisors?

• James McKellar, Professor; Director, Program in Real Property, Schulich School of Business, York University
• David Amborski, Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University

Who are the current Forum Advisors?

• Mr. Chris Corps, President, Asset Strategics Ltd., Victoria, BC
• Dr. Olga Kagaonova, Senior Associate, The Urban Institute, Washington, D.C., USA

Who are the current International Associates?

• Virginia Gibson, Department of Real Estate and Planning, University of Reading Business School, UK
• Andrew Smith, Assistant Secretary, Property Branch, Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation
• David Bentley, Head of Asset Management, CIPFA Property, UK
• Ruby Gelderbloem, Director, Property Management Department, City of Cape Town, South Africa
• Andre Human, Manager, Property Development, Property Management Department, City of Cape Town, South Africa

Why have a Forum?

Forum Members are continually impressed by the common issues facing all governments and public bodies arising from the holding and disposal of lands. These issues span all areas of public policy: fiscal and economic, environmental, social, city planning, management and financial. And, in most cases, notwithstanding different geographic and other specific concerns, the challenges to policy makers have a very common foundation. Recognizing that there is only one taxpayer, we have concluded that the ability to address emerging issues within a shared framework can be of immense benefit to all governments and public bodies. We believe that a Member-driven forum, administered in a neutral environment allows for the sharing of visions, problems, experience and best practices.

We also recognize the severe resource constraints on all of our prospective Members and Associates. Our intention is to realize a cost-effective organization and ensure that only value-added activities are undertaken.

A Founding "Sponsors’" meeting was called in January 1998 to adopt a constitution, elect an Executive Committee and appoint a Convenor. The Constitution was amended in 2002, 2005, 2007 and most recently in 2011. Rights and Privileges of Members were also revised at this time.

How is the Forum supported?

The Convenor acts as the Forum’s Executive Director, working with the membership to develop programs, budgets, strategic directions and recruiting. The current Convenor is Cathie Macdonald, who has been a senior manager in the City of Toronto, with responsibility for planning, development, building and property matters. She was the City of Toronto’s representative at the first Sponsor’s meeting in January 1998.

The Office and Events Coordinator operates the Forum Office at Queen’s University and provides administrative and event management services. The current Office and Events Coordinator is Heather Blue.

Why Become a Member or Associate?

The Forum provides a neutral venue and a collegial environment for senior executives of organizations owning public lands to share experience, ideas and insights, and to come to one another’s assistance in solving problems.

As a Member, you are part of the governance of the Forum, you have the commitment of your fellow Members to reciprocal assistance and advice, and you enjoy preferred access to:

• A University managed network of some of Canada’s most respected practitioners and researchers
• Members-only, issues-focused retreats
• Expertise for consultation and problem solving
• Shared Member databases
• Member-driven research
• Professional development

Membership is currently limited to thirty government organizations. It involves the commitment of executive time and an annual fee, currently $5,000. Member organizations are drawn from governments (federal, provincial, regional, municipal) and public bodies (crown corporations, school boards, public utilities, port authorities).

Associates enjoy access to many Forum services, activities and conferences on a full-cost basis, but pay a reduced annual fee of $1,000. Associates are invited from a broader range of organizations, including national, provincial and local associations, having an interest in the management of public lands and real estate. The number of Associates may not be greater than the number of Member Organizations.

International Associates also enjoy access to many Forum services, activities and conferences on a full-cost basis, but pay no annual fee. International Associates are invited from non-Canadian government organizations, individuals and non-governmental businesses, having an interest in the management of public lands and real estate. There are no limits on the number of International Associates.