Cadillac Fairview’s Yonge Corporate Centre

Meeting tenants needs a key focus

Cadillac Fairview’s Green at Work program also identifies goals for the five pillars of sustainability: Energy, Waste Management, Environmental Protection (land, air and water), Sustainable Procurement, and Stakeholder Collaboration, which Yonge Corporate Centre has been working steadily to attain.

In order to do this, they’ve established an environmental sustainability program where their goals align with those of their tenants, achieve savings from which they directly benefit, and ultimately deliver better value. Further, they continue to monitor and measure their efforts to ensure that they are consistently meeting the goals that were set and providing the ongoing value their tenants expect. The Yonge Corporate Centre Operations team works closely with tenants to reduce energy use in their spaces. For one tenant, they assisted in making the business case for lighting replacement, acquired the correct lamps and tracked the savings realized. The project cost approximately $3000; however the tenant is now saving $1,750 a year for a simple payback of 1.2 years, including incentives. Even more importantly, the retrofit improved working conditions at the reception desk.

Another way they’ve engaged with tenants is through an “Energy Challenge” they conducted through an evening audit of tenant spaces, and then comparing it with floor-by-floor interval meter results.

“This gave us great insight into where we could improve plug load and lighting efficiency to save energy after regular working hours,” says Poyntz. “To turn these insights into action, we challenged occupants in each building to reduce their office energy use. By shutting off lights, unplugging chargers and turning off monitors, some floors were able to save up to 7% of their energy use. Each floor that was able to save energy was rewarded with a local ice cream treat.”

Additional tenant incentives and sustainability initiatives

Ditching the drive
For nearly 40 per cent of Yonge Corporate Centre tenants and occupants, the TTC is the better way for transportation. Of those who elect to drive, 10 per cent share the ride with at least one other person. To help Yonge Corporate Centre tenants and occupants ditch their drive in favour of a more environmentally friendly alternative, they offer bicycle racks at the entrance of each building and on the second parking level, as well as Zip Car service in the parking lot for attending meetings or running errands.

Experiencing the Outdoors: Counting butterflies
For those who love to walk or sit outside, Yonge Corporate Centre offers year-round outdoor seating, new walkways around the buildings, and access to a number of trails. Occupants can enjoy the fresh air and butterfly-friendly plants throughout the grounds that attract more than 100 species of butterflies living in the Toronto area.

Greening for the Birds
For several years, the Yonge Corporate Centre has been working closely with the Convenience Group to create a more bird-friendly environment. In 2012, they applied a new film technology to the north side of 4120 Yonge that had been developed over 10 years with the help of leading ornithologists. The test film has proven to be 100 per cent successful in reducing migratory bird collisions where it has been applied. The film has been installed on 4100 Yonge Street and 4110 Yonge Street, helping make Yonge Corporate Centre a safer place for migratory birds.

Environmental Scorecard
Yonge Corporate Centre tracks the following performance indicators for each of the buildings in their complex as they work towards improving our environmental performance. Please note energy data includes both electricity and natural gas.

LEED SCORE CARD