Brivia pauses Montreal Stirlyng condos, may switch to rentals

Faced with a slowdown in condo sales in Montreal, Brivia Group has pressed pause on one of its downtown condo developments but is getting a boost from B.C.-based investors for sales of its other projects in the city. 

Surrey leads Metro Van. in new industrial land projects

Surrey is an increasingly desirable industrial market for companies looking to secure space in Metro Vancouver. Surrey accounted for 18 per cent of the region’s industrial inventory in Q2 2023, according to Avison Young.

Tech industry sees shift away from remote work

A shift is rippling through the tech sector as employers move away from entirely remote roles and toward hybrid and in-person work arrangements. The tech sector's shift is notable because the industry was an early champion of remote work.

Ont. Greenbelt protection could be lifted from more land

The Ontario government, reeling from its decision to open parts of the protected Greenbelt to housing development, pledged to toughen penalties for illegal lobbying and promised that a new review of the environmentally sensitive area would be public and open.

Fengate, Hi-Rise proposes 30-storey Hamilton mixed-use

Hi-Rise Group and Fengate have proposed a 30-storey mixed-use tower at 46 and 48 Ferguson Ave. S. in Hamilton's Corktown neighbourhood. The Graziani + Corazza Architects-designed tower would include 402 residential units in addition to retail and office spaces.

Intracorp proposes 150-unit rental project in Vancouver

Vancouver's Intracorp Homes has proposed a 150-unit purpose-built rental housing project 2325-2377 West 49th Ave. in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood. The project would create a main five-storey, L-shaped building and a 2.5-storey townhouse building.

Domtar to shut northern Ontario paper mill 'indefinitely'

Domtar has announced it is "indefinitely" shutting down its paper mill in Espanola, leading to 450 layoffs in the northern Ontario town. The company said the mill will be left idling to "facilitate a possible sale or future restart." 

Zellers pop-ups to land in all remaining HBC locations

Hudson’s Bay says it is expanding its Zellers brand to even more of its department stores. The Toronto-based retailer says Zellers pop-ups will open within all Hudson’s Bay stores that have not yet featured the discount chain.

Indigo CEO exits in latest shakeup in upper ranks

Amid a tumultuous year, Indigo Books & Music Inc. (IDG-T) is undergoing another leadership shakeup with the resignation of its chief executive officer, Peter Ruis. Indigo announced Ruis’s departure on Thursday, saying it is searching for a new CEO.

Furla abruptly shutters all three Canadian stores

Upscale Italian brand Furla abruptly shut its Canadian stores last week in the middle of the day. The retailer opened its first of three locations in Canada - at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre - prior to the pandemic. 

OHBA lists finalists for 2023 Awards of Distinction

The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) has released the finalists for its 2023 Awards of Distinction, recognizing achievements in building, design, professional renovation and sales and marketing from the province’s residential construction industry.

Calgary council defeats bid to streamline building approvals

A bid to expedite home-building approvals was defeated by council Wednesday as debate over how to solve Calgary’s affordable housing crisis heats up. Mayor Jyoti Gondek has called a special Sept. 16 council meeting on the issue.

Interest rates to come down next year: RBC CEO

Interest rates are likely to come down next year, Royal Bank of Canada chief executive officer Dave McKay said, allowing for the lender’s customers to avoid major pain when the majority of its mortgage book reprices in 2025 and 2026.

Estimated number of buildings destroyed by B.C. blaze 270

The number of structures believed to have been destroyed by B.C.'s Bush Creek East wildfire has risen to 270, officials said Tuesday. The 43,000-hectare blaze went on a 20-kilometre run through the North Shuswap on Aug. 18.

Phoenix Investors acquires 5M-sq.-ft industrial portfolio

Phoenix Investors has purchased a five-million-square-foot industrial portfolio and excess land sites totaling more than 600 acres in North Carolina and Mississippi. The seller is United Furniture Industries, which closed all its business operations in late 2022.

WeWork says it will renegotiate nearly all of its leases

In a bid to lower costs and right-size its business, WeWork said it is embarking on a plan to renegotiate nearly all of its leases with the owners of the buildings in which it rents space. 

Storm clouds gathering over Sun Belt office markets

Sun Belt cities - where developers rushed to build offices speculatively - have seen a drop-off from pandemic-era highs of office leasing activity and migration as they succumb to the same macroeconomic pressures impacting the rest of the U.S.

Roku to reduce office footprint, lay off 10% of staff