Links

ORGANIZATIONS

• BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) of Canada
  They are the voice of the Canadian commercial real estate industry with over 2,500 members in regional associations across Canada. On behalf of the building owners, managers, developers, facilities managers, asset managers, leasing agents, brokers, and the product and service providers to over 1.9 billion sq. ft. of commercial real estate in Canada, BOMA Canada addresses issues of national concern, and promotes excellence in the industry through information, education advocacy and recognition.
  
  
• Conference Board of Canada
  The Conference Board of Canada is an independent, not-for-profit applied research organization. Research Topics include: Economics Trends (Canadian, Provincial, Metropolitan, Consumer & Business Confidence, Industry Sector Economics, Travel and Tourism, International); Organizational Performance (Corporate Finance, Human Resources Mgmt., Compensation, Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Organizational Effectiveness, Marketing, Risk Management, Health & Wellness, Training and Development, Leadership); and Public Policy (Health & Health Care, Innovation & Technology, Taxation, Trade & Investment Policy, Education & Learning, Canada's socio-economic performance, Energy, Environment and Transportation Policy, National Security and Public Safety).
  
  
• International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
  IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,000 members in 60 countries. The association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 15 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion sq. ft. of property and annually purchase more than $100 billion in products and services. IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management degree and certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition.
  
  
• Heritage Canada Foundation
  A national, membership-based organization and registered charity. Annual conference. Website has links page, newsletter, articles, featured heritage buildings, discussion forum, heritage-related news.
  
  
• Real Property Association of Canada
  Their mission is to bring together Canada’s real property investment leaders to collectively influence public policy, to educate government and the public, and to ensure stable and beneficial real estate capital and property markets in Canada. Website includes advocacy issues and positions, publications, standards, research, etc.
  
  
• Real Property Institute of Canada (RPIC)
  RPIC’s goal is to develop and foster a high professional standard of real property management within the Federal Public Sector, and to provide a forum for information exchange and continuous improvement.
  
  
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and RICS Americas
  The RICS membership includes many of the world's leading professionals in real estate, construction and related disciplines. Over 85,000 qualified professional in more than 140 countries hold the MRICS (Member), FRICS (Fellow) or TechRICS (Technical) designation.

STANDARDS

• BOMA BESt
  BOMA BESt is a national environmental recognition and certification program for existing commercial buildings. Buildings of any size can participate; application materials are available here or through local BOMA associations. The program is about much more than just certification: the application process will help assess how well your building is performing and includes suggestions for tangible ways to improve environmental practices.
  
  
• Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)
  CaGBC is the leading national industry organization advancing green building practices for liveable communities. It represents 1,800 member organizations involved in the design, construction, and operation of buildings. The Council implements the LEED® Green Building Rating System in Canada. It has embarked upon a multi-year development project to introduce the next generation of LEED in Canada through the LEE Canada Initiative. In parallel to this effort, the CaGBC also launched the Green Building Performance Initiative – a focused effort to develop an affordable and easily accessible tool for energy and environmental management for new and existing buildings.

ACCOMMODATIONS/WORKPLACE

• New Ways of Working Network (New WOW)
  New WOW is an interactive network of organizational innovators – people who are transforming their work environment – or preparing to do so. They take an integrated approach to workplace change, combining corporate real estate, human resources, and information technology. Their members are an intriguing mix of experts from the fields of workspace design, technology and real estate/facilities. Plus, their organization is enriched by the contributions of respected academic researchers and knowledgeable consultants who participate in New WOW events and report preparation, sharing their insights and latest research.
  
  
• Cost-effective Open-Plan Environments (COPE) Project
  To evaluate the effect of open-plan office design on employees, the NRC-IRC formed a consortium of members interested in examining these environments from a multidisciplinary approach. Researchers in engineering, acoustics, psychology, indoor air quality, architecture, and lighting examined the role of environmental satisfaction in the success and cost-effectiveness of office design. COPE's goal is to offer information and software that will help office planners to create cost-effective open-plan offices.

PROCESSES

• Design Montréal
  For 10 years, Montréal organized a very successful contest, known as Commerce Design Montréal, as a way of improving the design quality of Montréal businesses and positioning the city as an up-and-coming design metropolis. The Ville de Montréal, convinced that good design can have strategic benefits for the city’s growth and reputation, created Design Montréal in January 2006 in order to broaden the sphere of action to all disciplines related to design and to the overall field of urban planning. The mission of this new unit is to implement the action plan aimed at improving design throughout the city and positioning Montréal as a city of design. The integrated action plan Montréal, Design of the City/City of Design, made public in September 2005, aims to incorporate the concept of design innovation into the full spectrum of decisions and actions influencing the built environment, to intensify promotional and educational efforts, and to spur the international networking of made-in-Montréal design.
  
  
• Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate (OSCRE)
  The OSCRE Standards are the only open-format and global e-business data exchange Standards for Real Estate. These Standards need a global body to facilitate their development and promote their adoption. That not-for-profit organisation is the Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate International Incorporated, trading as OSCRE International. OSCRE Americas is the organization responsible for the development and adoption of the OSCRE Standards within the U.S., Canada and South America.
  

P3s

• Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP)
  CCPPP is a member-sponsored organization with representatives from both the public and the private sectors. They conduct research, publish findings, facilitate forums for discussion and sponsor an Annual Conference on topics related to PPPs, both domestic and international. National Awards Program held concurrently with annual conference in November. The Forum is a member and has the materials listed on the site.
  
  
• Partnerships British Columbia
  Partnerships BC is a company responsible for bringing together ministries, agencies and the private sector to develop projects through public-private partnerships. Registered under the Business Corporations Act, it is wholly owned by the Province of British Columbia.
  
  
• UBC P3 Project
  The Phelps Centre and the UBC Department of Civil Engineering recently received funding of $496,500 over 3 years for a project titled "Building Public Infrastructure Capacity for Canadian Communities" from Infrastructure Canada. This Project involves the creation of a UBC entity for the purpose of producing and transferring knowledge and experiences of Public-Private Partnerships, in particular as a vehicle for meeting Canada's growing infrastructure needs. The UBC P3 Project is a collaborative, interdisciplinary project aimed at building expertise, generating and supporting research and disseminating knowledge regarding Public-Private Partnerships and infrastructure development. Working papers are available at: http://csgb.ubc.ca/p3_workingpapers.html.