Author: Kirsten Nielsen

 

Carbon penalties are an iceberg—and by 2030, they could sink building operating budgets.

What looks like a small fine today is on track to become a new mortgage for many Vancouver office and retail towers.

At BUILDEX Vancouver, Dayne Perry, Senior Manager & Associate in HH Angus’ Commercial Division, brings an integrated engineering and financial perspective to his presentation on de-risking Vancouver portfolios before carbon costs take control. Dayne will use a typical 20,000 m2 mixed-use tower to show how Vancouver’s $350/ton carbon fee rapidly flips the economics in under a decade. Attendees will see the numbers behind the risk—and the tools available to manage it.
Session WP602 - Wednesday February 11, 1pm.

🔍 What you’ll take away:

  • A side-by-side comparison of “pay the tax” vs. “electrify now”, grounded in live Vancouver data

  • A review of the 2026 and 2040 GHGi caps, carbon-tax escalators, and their impact on operating budgets

  • How your building benchmarks against peers—and which no-regrets measures consistently beat 25 kg CO₂e/m2

  • A walkthrough of incentive options from CleanBC tax credits to ESG-linked loans that turn penalties into debt service

⚠️If you own, manage, or advise on commercial buildings, this session delivers a practical, decision-ready toolkit you won’t want to miss.

For more information and to register, go to:
Schedule — Buildex Vancouver Schedule

 

 
 

Lab design is evolving, and
so are the tools to ensure sustainable and energy-efficient labs. 

On February 5, 10:00 EST, Krigh Bachmann, Design Technology Leader at HH Angus, will join industry experts from China and Germany for an SLCan webinar on “System and Ventilation Optimization”.

The session will explore how BIM is evolving into digital twins and how these tools can be leveraged to support decarbonization, operational efficiency, and performance improvements in laboratory and other critical environments.

This session is part of a global education series and is part of the Sustainable Labs international network with I2SL and EGNATION. 2026 International Education Month  

And on February 12, Krigh Bachmann and Akira Jones, Director – Digital Services at HH Angus will be part of a dynamic panel discussion on “Digital Twins, Critical Environments and Sustainability” and how technology can make laboratories more sustainable - SLCan Toronto - Knowledge & Networking Event | SLCan / LÉCan.

 
 

HH Angus’ unique Rotational Program for new graduate training is the focus of the latest episode of Expanding the Possible. This 18-month program gives new graduates in the Toronto office the opportunity to work across multiple teams and divisions, helping them develop a broad skill set and strong business acumen.

At the conclusion of the program, participants are carefully matched to permanent roles that align with their strengths, interests, and passions.

Featured in this episode are Courtney Fleming, Human Resources Facilitator; Tula Mitsakis, Operations Partner and Mentor; and Madeleine Roll, a recent graduate of the Rotational Program, who share insights into the program’s structure, benefits, and impact.

Episode 14, “Rotational Program for New Graduates”

 
 

Annual Release of Holdback under the Ontario Construction Act - 2026 

As the industry prepares for a significant update to Ontario’s Construction Act, it’s essential for project owners, contractors, and consultants to understand how these changes will affect project cash flow and contract administration. The new mandatory annual release of holdback—effective January 1, 2026—introduces processes and timelines that all parties must be ready to implement.

In Ontario, the Construction Act, R.S.O. 1991, ch. C.30 applies to a property Owner and anyone who supplies services or materials to an improvement of the property. Under this Act and its predecessor (the Construction Lien Act), there is a requirement for the Owner to withhold 10% of any amounts to be paid to a contractor – the “holdback” – for the purpose of limiting the Owner’s liability for any liens that could be claimed against the property due to non-payment of subcontractors and suppliers of materials.

Until now, the holdback would be paid by the Owner to the Contractor after the lien preservation period has expired following the date of Substantial Performance of the work, provided no liens had been registered against the property as a result of the work.

Due to changes to the Construction Act that takes effect on 1st January 2026, it will now become mandatory for the Owner to release the accrued holdback after each annual anniversary of the date of execution of the construction contract, with the following milestones:

  • Within 14 calendar days after the contract anniversary date, the Owner (not the Contractor) is required to publish a notice of annual release of holdback in one of three construction trade websites; the notice must use a prescribed form and include the amount of holdback to be released
  • A 60-day lien preservation period runs from the time of posting of the Owner’s notice
  • Provided no liens have been preserved, perfected or otherwise discharged against the property, the Owner must pay to the Contractor the amount of the holdback accrued during the year prior to the contract anniversary date. This payment must be made within 14 days of the end of the lien preservation period.
 
 

While these changes apply to new construction contracts which are executed on or after the 1st January 2026, transition rules will also apply to contracts that were created prior to this date:

  • projects with a contract execution date prior to 1st January 2024 will commence the annual release on their next contract anniversary date after 1st January 2026
  • projects with a contract execution date after 31st December 2023 and before 1st January 2026 will commence the annual release on the 2nd anniversary of their contract date after 1st January 2026.

There is no change with respect to requirements for Substantial Performance nor to the release of the remaining holdback after the date of Substantial Performance, including the release of finishing holdbacks.

The required notice for release of holdback (Form 6) to be prepared by the Owner will be found on the Ontario Courts forms website https://ontariocourtforms.on.ca/en/ under the “Construction Acts Forms” section.

As this is a significant change to the management of holdbacks and their payment compared to prior decades, it can be expected that there will be some confusion in the industry, for owners, designers, contractors, subcontractors and vendors, on how these new requirements function. It can also be expected that there could be some unintended impact leading up to achieving Substantial Performance and final completion of the work.

 
 

Celebrating Our Dedicated Team Members at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 50 Years!

Reaching these significant employment milestones is a great cause for celebration, and our colleagues who achieve these anniversaries deserve every spotlight! Their loyalty, dedication and growing expertise energize our culture and strengthen everything we do.

Each milestone marks years of innovation, teamwork and meaningful contributions that help HH Angus deliver standout results for our clients. These employees inspire those around them, share invaluable experience, and keep our momentum going strong. We’re proud to honour their achievements and grateful for the passion they bring to HH Angus every day.

Here’s to their continued success—and many more milestones ahead!