Wednesday October 21 9:00 am to 12:30 pm MDT "Read on" for Day 1 Program
Forum Chairs: Rohit Gupta, President, Rohit Group of Companies Matt Rachiele, Managing Director, Calgary, Colliers International
Given the impact of COVID-19, where are GDP, employment growth and other economic fundamentals heading for the remainder of 2020 and beyond in Alberta and across Canada? How are Calgary and Edmonton performing comparatively with other major cities? What impact pandemic had on Alberta’s economy? This presentation will offer insights and perspectives on these and other key trends and issues.
Speaker:
Jean-Francois Perrault, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist, Scotiabank
One of the government’s critical tasks is restoring investor confidence, and showing the world that Alberta is a value opportunity for new investment. A senior Cabinet Minister will discuss a number of important legal victories and policy developments including Alberta’s Recovery Plan that will help promote increased certainty for capital investment in Alberta’s energy sector, and the provincial economy as a whole.
Honourable Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation, Government of Alberta
A brief overview of commercial property tax trends in the City of Edmonton and the City of Calgary. What has happened over the past five years? How does the Edmonton situation compare with Calgary’s? What are the implications for developers, owners and tenants? What steps are being taken to modify the impact?
Speaker: Kyle Fletcher, Executive Vice President, Prairie Region, Property Tax, Altus Group
As stay-at-home orders came into effect in March, so did the closures of buildings and offices across the country, ultimately shutting down workspaces and making kitchen tables the new hub for business. What is changing as companies begin to open back up and create a blended working environment? What are tenants looking for and expecting from landlords from a health and safety perspective within their buildings? What portion of tenants will potentially downsize their spaces? Is this particularly a trend among tech companies? How does this compare with those who may increase their footprints to adhere to social distancing guidelines and less density? This session will look at the wide range of issues and challenges that the Alberta market is facing as a result of COVID-19. What are the long-term implications? What does the future of office space look like?
Moderator: Greg Kwong, Managing Director, Calgary, CBRE Limited Panel: Linda Blair, Managing Director, Ontario and Chief Experience Officer, Deloitte Canada Kim Green, Principal, Interior Design, Kasian Architecture Dianne Wilkins, Chief Executive Officer, Critical Mass
Both Edmonton and Calgary have seen a rush of new product coming to market, where Calgary alone saw seven new purpose-built rental projects coming to market in Q2 of 2020. Looking north, as tech companies begin to take space in the downtown office market, Edmonton’s multi-residential market responded strongly with seven residential projects of their own under development or near completion last year alone. With this new supply, will the market be able to absorb all these new units? To what extent has COVID-19 had an effect on vacancy rates in both markets? This session will examine the multi-residential market in Calgary and Edmonton currently along with the outlook for 2021. The discussion will open with an overview of key supply and demand trends. Discussion will then focus on how landlords have managed through the challenges since March, and what they foresee with respect to major trends and overall performance in 2021.
Moderator: Bradley Gingerich, Senior Managing Director, IPA, Division of Marcus & Millichap
Panel: Thomas Burr, Vice President, Multi-Family Development, ONE Properties Andie Daggett, Manager, Rental Market Data (Alberta & Ontario), Urban Analytics Inc. James Ha, Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations, Boardwalk REIT Kendal Harazny, Co-Founder & Principal, Wexford Developments
This session will examine various communities within proximity of Calgary and Edmonton. What is the level of investor interest in these markets? How much activity is taking place in markets like Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Balzac, Airdrie and Leduc? To what extent are lower taxes, population growth, infrastructure, and favourable municipal planning policies and approval processes attracting developers and investors?
Moderator: Ken Williamson, Principal, Avison Young
Panel: Cindy Casemore-Craig, Vice President, Leasing, Springwood Land Company Daniel Eggert, Vice President, Property Development Division, Melcor Developments Ltd. Jacob Weber, Vice President, Development, Royop Development Corporation Harrison Zivot, Vice President, Investment and Strategy, Ronmor Holdings
The highest rated speaker in 2019 returns with a follow-up to his predictions at last year’s Calgary Real Estate Forum, building upon his extensive insights on the Alberta oil and gas industries. He is an economist, investment strategist, advisor, author podcaster and public speaker on issues vital to the future of energy and Canada’s role in meeting evolving energy demand. He will provide clarity around the common facts and fallacies pertaining to the energy markets in Canada and specifically Alberta. Where are oil and gas prices heading in 2021 and beyond? How has COVID-19 impacted the oil and gas industry? What is the outlook for the construction of new pipelines?
Peter Tertzakian, Executive Director, ARC Energy Research Institute
REAL ESTATE FORUM CLUB (REF Club)