Wednesday, October 28 9:00 am to 12:30 pm CDT "Read on" for Day 1 Program
Forum Chair: Jim Ludlow, President, True North Real Estate Development
Within the Canadian context, Winnipeg has had one of the best economic performances of any large city since the global downturn in 2009. It has maintained a generally stable economy as the city’s GDP has performed above the national average over the past ten years as well. But COVID-19 emerged unexpectedly in March. With widespread retail, business and production shutdowns, declining consumer spending, and accelerating levels of unemployment, the pandemic had an economic impact. Here is an update on where are we now. How has the Manitoba economy fared so far through the pandemic? How much softness has COVID-19 created? Is Manitoba recovering faster than other provinces?
Andrew Grantham, Senior Economist, CIBC World Markets
An overview of leasing and investment activity in Winnipeg over 2019 and the first three quarters of 2020. How did leasing and investment activity change once the pandemic emerged? What is the outlook for the remainder of 2020 and beyond in the office, retail, industrial and multi-unit residential sectors in terms of absorption rates, cap rates and leasing and investment activity? How do the prospective trends for Winnipeg compare with other major Canadian markets? Trevor Clay, Principal, Capital Commercial Real Estate Services Inc.
Two essential elements found in many successful cities are a diversified range of strong economic drivers coupled with a vibrant population and culture that inspires and attracts an intellectual market of residents. How does Winnipeg fare in this regard? What competitive advantage does it offer? The city has a highly educated and productive workforce, low cost energy, a central location with excellent multi-model transportation system for distribution of goods to market, and a diversified manufacturing base that includes agri-business, financial services, aerospace and other industries. Winnipeg offers one of the lowest overall business costs of any major Canadian centre. What are some of the major drivers responsible for this market’s relatively stable economy? How have these factors played a role in helping Winnipeg manage its way through the pandemic so far?
Ryan Kuffner, Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Economic Development Winnipeg
Mayor Brian Bowman, City of Winnipeg In conversation with: Dan Chubey, Managing Director, Winnipeg, Colliers International
Concurrent Sessions (Select A1, A2 or A3)
Prior to the pandemic, the Winnipeg office market had witnessed significant investment and emergence of new commercial districts. Then in March, companies and people had to abandon their offices as governments mandated that employees work remotely from home. How have these protocols affected the office market? This session will begin by examining a wide range of the unprecedented issues and challenges landlords and tenants faced as a result of the pandemic. What has been the impact on leasing activity and NERs? Are there any permanent shifts that may result from the impacts of COVID-19? In a bigger picture, can True North Square and Portage and Main not only co-exist but both thrive? How are Class B and C properties performing compared to Class A space at this time?
Moderator: Ryan Behie, Vice President & Managing Director, CBRE Limited
Panel: Aaron McDougall, Vice President, Leasing, Harvard Developments Inc. Evan Johnston, Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Wawanesa Insurance Fabricio Mendes, Vice President, Acquisitions & Dispositions, Artis REIT Jamie Petch, Senior Vice President, Office, KingSett Capital
With over 80 million square feet of industrial space, Winnipeg is the largest distribution centre between Vancouver and Toronto. The city is at the core of both of Canada’s national intermodal rail systems with direct connections to the United States via Burlington Northern. Winnipeg is also the headquarters for many of the top inter-provincial general freight carriers in Canada and offers access to ocean ports through Churchill and Thunder Bay. How has the industrial real estate market been performing through the pandemic? Has COVID-19 created accelerated demand for more distribution and logistical space? What kind of tenants are propelling growth at this time? Are industrial tenant requirements changing? How are landlords responding? Is growth and development continuing in many areas including the CentrePort Canada area? What is the overall vacancy rate now? What does the future hold?
Moderator: Aaron DeGroot, President, Cushman & Wakefield Winnipeg
Panel: Diane Gray, President & CEO, CentrePort Canada Calvin Polet, President, Neptune Properties Marissa Poseluzney, Vice President, Leasing, QuadReal Property Group Chris Vodrey, Director, Leasing, Morguard
REAL ESTATE FORUM CLUB (REF Club)
Across Canada, there has been an unprecedented amount of urban revitalization and development for the past ten years on a scale that has not been seen for decades. Aside from residential and commercial projects, major public sector and infrastructure projects have also been at the forefront of construction activity. This has been the case in Winnipeg as well. From the ongoing transformation of the downtown core thru CentrePlan and the revitalization of the Exchange District to the Smartpark Innovation Hub and spec commercial development projects. Numerous iconic projects are playing a key role in redefining the city. This session will examine some of the current most significant developments, and how they are impacting Winnipeg. How has the pandemic affected development activity and projects that are in the pipeline? Is uncertainty in construction costs among other issues having an impact on activity as well?
Moderator: Don White, Chief Executive Officer, Private Pension Partners
Panel: Chase Allen, Managing Director, Winnipeg, Canada ICI Wendy Janzen, Vice President, Manitoba, Colliers International Loretta Martin, Director of Development, CentreVenture Development Corporation Greg Rogers, Chief Executive Officer, UM Properties LP