Properties managed by Ivanhoé Cambridge
At our shopping centres and office buildings, the health and safety of our partners, employees and visitors are our number-one priority at all times. We follow all public health requirements to the letter at every site. Our teams have worked hard to develop inclusive action plans and to mitigate risk for our operations. We have also established direct communication with property managers to monitor the circumstances in tandem with them and we continue to work closely with all our key partners.
Shopping centres
To support our tenants in their operations, we have developed a complete set of operational guidelines, recommendations, tools and key performance indicators.
As public health requirements vary from one jurisdiction to the next, the measures outlined below may differ in their implementation. We have had to adapt our properties to meet each province’s standards.
In addition, consecutive, unsynchronized reopenings and closures in the various provinces created coordination challenges in the fall and winter of 2020. We had to be creative and resilient to help retailers maintain a certain business volume, especially during crucial times, such as Black Friday and the holiday season – all in a safe environment. During the closure period, we also ensured complex logistics coordination to facilitate access for retailers who had to work on site to ship products ordered online.
Layout of interior spaces
The way space is arranged in our shopping centres has been completely reconceptualized to ensure compliance with public health requirements and to minimize as much as possible the risk of virus transmission.
Rearranged common area
Furnishings in common-areas have been removed or rearranged to encourage proper physical distancing. Similarly, the number of available sinks and urinals in the washrooms has been reduced.
Prohibit access to play areas
To lower the risk of virus transmission, all drinking fountains have been turned off. Access to play areas is prohibited and access to breastfeeding and family rooms is limited.
Rethink dining areas
Depending on local requirements, dining facilities have been closed or rearranged with reduced seating to ensure adequate physical distancing required by public health.
Facilitate online ordering
Curbside pickup areas in the parking facilities of our shopping centres have been set up to facilitate and control the increased flow of customers looking to retrieve online orders. At the Eaton Centre during the 2020 holiday season, we installed Locketgosmart lockers that merchants use for online and telephone orders. Customers can pick up their purchases outside store hours.
Ensure physical distancing
The number of people allowed per elevator car has been reduced, and signage has been added to remind everyone to practice physical distancing.
Regulate foot traffic
Clear, coherent signage (posters, displays and floor markings) educates visitors about proper physical distancing throughout the centre and discourages people from congregating. We are providing shopping centre management teams with visuals that can be printed out for these purposes. In this way, we help ensure that all such materials are clear and consistent across the portfolio.
Cleaning and hygiene
To comply with the best practices advocated by the Public Health Agency of Canada and to maximize the safety of our visitors, we have adopted a series of enhanced hygiene measures:
Increased cleaning frequency
Cleaning frequency has been increased. High-touch surfaces, such as door handles, railings and mall directories are disinfected multiple times a day, as are public washrooms.
Reminders of the rules
Signs specifically outlining hygiene and distancing rules are posted at strategic locations throughout the property.
Use specialized products
We ensure that we use adequate products to disinfect and clean surfaces in the context of COVID-19.
Be vigilant
Full analysis of fire alarm, air-conditioning, heating, vertical transportation, drinking fountain, waste management and other facilities are regularly completed during off hours.
Increased access to hand sanitizing dispensers
Hand sanitizers have been placed at strategic locations in common areas throughout the property, including all entrances. The dispensers are refilled regularly.
Ensure the safety of all
Customer service areas have been equipped with acrylic panels. We provide all our employees with adequate personal protective equipment, including procedural masks, to ensure their health and safety as well as our customers’. In addition, wearing masks or face coverings is now mandatory in closed spaces accessible to the public, as well as in shopping centres in some provinces.
Additional hygiene and distancing measures
Anticipate risks
Employees’ work schedules are planned in a way that limits the spread of the virus while still providing a level of service that is as close to prepandemic standards as possible.
Increase resources
Extra security guards have been scheduled to ensure distancing rules are followed in higher-traffic areas.
Limit opportunities for contamination
The lending of strollers, walkers, wheelchairs and mobility scooters has been temporarily discontinued, as have other services, such as parcel check and photocopying, in accordance with public health and government guidelines.
Tenant support
In addition to providing signage to tenants, we offer a comprehensive array of support services and we assist tenants at every step in the reopening process. A comprehensive guide has been prepared and distributed to all tenants. It contains a list of measures to be implemented in line with local guidelines, to-do lists, reopening message templates and checklists based on government requirements in each province.
We have also put together a suite of tools to help tenants adapt quickly to this situation:
Support recruitment
We provide free access to the Wirkn app to support them in their recruiting efforts.
Facilitate online shopping
We have developed a centralized door-to-door pickup and delivery program to make customers’ shopping experience easier.
Propose technological solutions
We have established a partnership with Lightspeed to provide free access to an omnichannel retail solution for one year to small and medium-sized retailers and restaurateurs.
Safe shopping environment
To provide a safe shopping environment, we have deployed the Waitwhile virtual line-management system at our shopping centres across Canada.
A food offering respecting health-related measures
To maintain a food offering while respecting health-related measures, we have provided Laurier Québec restaurateurs with the innovative UEAT system for take-out orders and local delivery.
A little magic for the holidays
Fairy-tale decorations
To provide an engaging and safe experience during the holiday season, we installed photo panels at four of our downtown Montreal properties. Instagram filters, free trendy masks and a contest with numerous prizes rounded out this fun activity.
Christmas markets
In provinces where it was possible, we set up outdoor Christmas markets, reducing the number of people inside our shopping centres. This festive activity provided commercial space for small retailers for whom the holiday season is crucial.
Office buildings
The measures we have introduced at our office buildings are designed to maximize the safety of employees and users. We are committed to meeting the requirements of the public health authorities in each jurisdiction.
Beyond the spaces directly under our responsibility, we guide tenants as they set up suitable measures for their own operations. We also provide general contractors working in these buildings with a guide that outlines the requirements they need to follow in common areas.
Layout of interior spaces
To cope with the new context when employees return to the workplace and to comply with health and safety measures that may change frequently, we took advantage of the renovations on the ninth floor of Édifice Jacques-Parizeau to test new workspace configurations, uses and technologies. We have explored flexible space management, in accordance with sanitary measures, and our tenants will be able to benefit from this experience.
Rearranged common areas
All furniture in common areas has been rearranged to meet physical distancing requirements.
Limit opportunities for contamination
Most objects that people may handle, such as trash bin lids, have been removed, as have items distributed or sold at reception counters. The number of parking wickets has also been reduced.
Ensure physical distancing
The number of people allowed per elevator car has been reduced, and signage has been added to remind everyone to practice physical distancing.
Optimize air circulation
On-site ventilation has been adjusted to maximize fresh-air intake. Filter density has been increased where possible, according to ASHRAE standards, to eliminate more particulate matter. We have also increased the frequency of air quality testing in accordance with the highest industry standards.
Regulate foot traffic
Clear, coherent signage (posters, displays and floor markings) indicates the flow of foot traffic to maintain physical distancing and discourage people from congregating.
Cleaning and hygiene
To comply with the best practices advocated by the Public Health Agency of Canada and to maximize the safety of our visitors, we have adopted a series of enhanced hygiene measures:
Increase cleaning frequency
The frequency of cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces (elevator panels, entrance doors, door handles, railings, etc.) has been increased.
Reminders of the rules
Signs specifically outlining hygiene and distancing rules have been posted at strategic locations throughout the property.
Use specialized products
All cleaning and sanitation products used are approved for disinfecting surfaces against the coronavirus.
Be vigilant
Office buildings are cleaned continually. In addition to the usual maintenance operations, we have introduced checks to ensure all systems (e.g., plumbing) are running smoothly, especially in the context of reduced usage.
Encourage use of hand sanitizers
Hand sanitizers have been placed at strategic locations in common areas throughout the property, including all entrances. The dispensers are refilled regularly.
Ensure the safety of all
We provide all our employees with the appropriate personal protective equipment. In addition, wearing masks or face coverings is now mandatory in closed spaces accessible to the public in Quebec, namely in common areas of our office buildings such as entrance halls, reception areas and elevators.
Additional physical distancing measures
Our buildings’ opening and delivery hours have been adjusted to help facilitate distancing. Specific messages to this effect have been sent to service providers, construction contractors and delivery companies to ensure compliance with health and safety standards. A delivery log has been created.
We have also put together a suite of tools to help tenants adapt quickly to this situation.
Support for tenants and contractors
In addition to ensuring compliance in common spaces with the instructions of public health, we offer tenants and contractors a full range of support and assistance services at every stage of the reoccupation process. Clear lines of communication are in place to maintain close ties with all key stakeholders.
A detailed guide is provided to tenants. It contains a number of recommendations, a checklist based on government requirements in each Canadian province and a list of frequently asked questions. The guide includes the following information:
Various messages and recommendations have been prepared for contractors working at our buildings. These include instructions on building access rules, planning considerations for traffic within the property, compliance with physical distancing guidelines, equipment cleaning, personal protective equipment and more. They also feature recommendations for the training of employees who work on the job site.
Provide a checklist
A list of measures to be considered to minimize community transmission of COVID-19, including staggered work schedules, work-from-home arrangements, installation of individual protective items and signs, and provision of disinfectant.
Guarantee safe facilities
A list of measures to be implemented to ensure all facilities are running smoothly after a period of inoccupancy.
Offer a list of resources
A list of contacts for any questions or concerns.
Facilitating the day-to-day routine
To enhance quality of life and connectivity for tenants and occupants of our office buildings, we are the first company in Montreal to introduce a mobile application that offers employees value-added services, whether they are working in the office or remotely.
myProperty
This innovative mobile app provides access to exclusive services, real-time monitoring of the public transit system and content tailored to each building. Examples include updates on health and safety measures deployed at the property, a schedule of ongoing activities and initiatives, and a forum enabling occupants to chat with one another.
The Conciergerie
In addition to the mobile app, we offer employees at our Montreal office buildings a remote concierge service. The Conciergerie allows users, whether they’re working in the office or telecommuting, to free themselves from daily tasks with its multiple features: personalized shopping, housekeeping services, delivery of goods, virtual fitness classes and wellness workshops.
Certifications
In December, after a rigorous audit, Bureau Veritas awarded us SafeGuard certification for all our office buildings in Canada. We have put in place the best prevention and hygiene practices in preparation for a post-COVID resumption of activities. We have also obtained this certification for all our shopping centres.
In addition, we are the first Canadian company to receive a WELL Health-Safety Rating for our PVM business campus. This rating from Green Business Certification Inc. demonstrates that the various measures put in place to address the pandemic meet the industry’s highest standards.