Welcome back to First Capital’s Climate Action Video and Blog Series. In the third installment of this four-part series, we’ll be discussing transportation, its environmental impact, and what we can do to create a more sustainable future. So, buckle up and get ready to learn how our transportation habits are affecting the world we live in. 

Transportation is an essential part of our daily lives, from driving your car to go visit friends and family to biking along your city’s streets to taking the airplane to your next beach vacation. However, transportation comes at a serious cost to our environment. From the emissions that come from our vehicles to the resources required to produce and dispose of them, transportation is a major contributor to environmental degradation. In fact, the pollutants released by gas fuelled cars and trucks contributes to a fifth of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).  

Transportation Habits 

First, let’s talk about transportation habits. Every day, we make choices about how we get from one place to another, and those choices can have a significant impact on our environment. This can include walking, biking, driving, or taking public transportation.   

Unfortunately, the most popular form of transportation is single-occupancy car trips and there are several reasons why. For one, cars provide a sense of freedom and convenience, allowing people to travel wherever and whenever they want without having to rely on public transportation schedules. Additionally, in many parts of the world, infrastructure and urban planning have been designed to prioritize cars over other forms of transportation, making it difficult or even dangerous to get around by bike or on foot.  

Did you know that light-duty vehicles (cars, SUVs, and trucks) produce more than four times the GHG emissions of all domestic aviation in Canada? They account for nearly half of all GHG emissions from the transportation category. 

So, what can we do to change this? 

To start, the environmental impacts of widespread car use have become increasingly apparent. Many cities and regions are taking steps to promote other forms of transportation, such as biking, walking, and public transit. By promoting these alternatives and creating more walkable and bike-friendly cities, we can reduce our dependence on cars and create a more sustainable future.   

Imagine… a future without sitting in traffic.  

Now, we are not saying to stop driving altogether, but reducing how much you drive is a great place to start. A few ways you can better your transportation habits include: 

• Taking public transportation to and from work when possible  

• Shopping locally to reduce the distance you drive  

• Carpooling 

• Walking or biking to your destination – this not only helps the environment but also promotes a healthier lifestyle. On average, you burn roughly 100 calories (about 8 minutes of running) per 1.6 kms 

We understand that taking public transit isn’t always an option, especially for trips up to your cottage and other more remote areas. To supplement this, we suggest investing in vehicles that produce less GHG emissions including hybrid and fully electric vehicles. 

We know that organizations like ours play a big part in making cities more accessible and making it easier to travel more sustainably. 

Businesses have also begun taking steps to promote other forms of transportation, like upgrading their fleet to electric vehicles, providing proper storage for bikes at offices, and installing EV charging stations at the workplace. In fact, we have installed over 250 EV chargers across our portfolio and are committed to having EV stations across our entire portfolio by 2024. Along with EV chargers, our portfolio has an average walk score of 71 and 99% of our properties are within a 5-minute walking distance of public transportation. We’re committed to fostering a greener future and this is one of the ways we’re doing so. 

Read more about our EV charging station implementation program here. 

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Choosing alternative forms of transportation can significantly reduce an individual’s carbon footprint and have a positive impact on the environment. Studies have shown that shifting from single occupancy car rides to public transportation, biking, or walking can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by an average of 30%.  

So, the next time you’re deciding how to get from point A to point B, consider choosing an alternative form of transportation. Making these important choices can have a significant impact on the environment and help create a better future. Let’s all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint and create a healthier planet for future generations. 

Missed the first two installments of the Climate Action Video and Blog Series? Check it out the first one on Climate Change & Taking Action here and see the second one on Energy Conservation here. 

Customize, Customize, Customize

As a Recruiter, we gravitate right to your relevant experience. The easier we can get to it, the easier it will be for the Recruiter to digest. Essentially, the goal for Recruiters and Hiring Managers is to match candidates’ skills and motivators to specific roles, so a generic resume may cause you to be unsuccessful in your job search. Ensure you are highlighting or rewording certain responsibilities to match the job description.

Adjust for ATS scanning

Just like us, most companies are now utilizing an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to scan and filter through resumes. PDF’s (though not the best format), Word documents, and even plain text files can be scanned by the system much easier. Additionally, if you are using keywords from the job posting, you are more likely to come up at the top of the search.

Formatting

Choosing the best format to highlight your skills and experience sounds easy right? Well, that’s not always the case. Super flashy resumes might put off some recruiters (depending on the role), and even the wrong font size can really put you at a disadvantage. Choose the format that best represents you but is also easy to navigate through. Keep it simple and tasteful.

Adding Social Media

Everyone is on social media these days and your online presence is a common way of representing “your brand”. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and especially LinkedIn, are great resources to help promote yourself. Hiring managers and recruiters often look beyond your resume to get a glimpse of who you are, so be strategic about what you post publicly.

Length

o The saying goes, “Less is more”, and this definitely applies when it comes to your resume. If it starts getting too long, it is time to cut back. As a guideline and depending on the role you are applying for, if you have 1-3 years of experience your resume should be one page, and 5+ years of experience can be two.

Common Mistakes

Spell Check? Adding extra periods? Grammatical errors are common, and this can cause the recruiter to move onto the next resume – especially if the role requires attention to detail!

Going that extra mile and taking these simple things into consideration will only set you up for success and hopefully allow you to land your dream job.

Looking to join First Capital’s dynamic and diverse team? Head to our careers page for all job availabilities and sign up for our recruitment newsletter here.  

Since the start of the pandemic, the Canadian Real Estate industry has gone through significant changes due to government lockdowns and imposed restrictions on tenant operations. As retail and leasing initiatives have had to innovate and shift their focus, we’re adapting to these changes by finding creative ways to utilize our vacant spaces. Some of these include opening COVID-19 pop-up vaccine clinics, temporary ghost kitchens, adding food trucks to development sites, and a renewed focus on short term leases and pop-up concepts to our properties.

COVID-19 Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics

Earlier this year, First Capital, alongside our peers in REALPAC, pledged to provide space to provincial and municipal health agencies to assist in the largest inoculation campaign in Canada’s history.

Throughout August and September, Cedarbrae Mall and Parkway Mall partnered with the Scarborough Health Network and opened pop-up vaccine clinics to help administer COVID-19 vaccines to members of the community. The clinics saw great success and were able to administer over 1,000 vaccines to community members. The turnout at both malls was so significant that Scarborough’s Morningside Crossing welcomed an additional one-day-only mobile clinic that vaccinated over 50 people in a single day.

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Both Scarborough malls will be continuing these pop-up clinics through the fall, with Cedarbae’s closing at the end of November, and Parkway’s ending in late December. In addition, Morningside Crossing will be hosting a mobile vaccine clinic in November.

In doing our part, we were able to utilize the available spaces in these centres for public health units in order to  support our neighbourhoods and help them thrive!

Book your vaccine at Cedarbrae Mall or Parkway Mall here.

Temporary Ghost Kitchens and Food Trucks

Another creative way in which we’ve utilized our available spaces is through temporary and short-term leases with ghost kitchens and food trucks.

Unfamiliar with ghost kitchens? That’s because they’re usually meant to be private and unseen by the public. The burgeoning concept is a food service and meal preparation centre that exists for the sole purpose of providing takeout food in a market currently under served. They generally have no waiters, dining rooms, front counters, nor public-facing signage. Chances are that the Wendy’s burger you most recently enjoyed from Uber Eats was prepared in a nearby Wendy’s ghost kitchen.

Amid the pandemic, online ordering and food delivery apps skyrocketed in popularity. To keep up with the growth, quick service restaurants (QSRs) and small restauranteurs alike turned to ghost kitchens. Their popularity has grown so large and widespread during the pandemic that they have seen five-year’s growth occur within just three months. The industry is now projected to be worth over $1 trillion by 2030 as suggested by Euromonitor.

As restaurants were forced to pivot from the loss of indoor dining, ghost kitchens provided a needed stream of business for many brick-and-mortar restaurants. It allowed them to prepare food for other brands, avoid employee layoffs, and lower costs. In some instances, it offers food and beverage entrepreneurs the ability to test new flavours and concepts without the capital requirements of opening a new restaurant.

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked with our Development team to find locations in our development pipeline that can support interim uses like Food Trucks and Ghost Kitchens. We’ve worked with community partners to create vibrant spaces that serve as gathering places, a prime example being our Yonge and Roselawn site. A visitor to the corner of Yonge and Roselawn today will find Home Appliance Food Co. adjacent to “In n Out”, our mural recently completed by a talented trio of young of local artists.

Pop-Ups in Yorkville

Yorkville is one of our most vibrant and sophisticated neighbourhoods, filled with endless opportunity for patrons, retailers, and businesses alike. Throughout the pandemic, it has welcomed pop-ups that were able to thrive in Yorkville’s unique environment. Some of our most popular creative uses of space have been pop-up art exhibits including Transformative Chic – The Everlasting Cheongsam, CRUSH in support of pride 2021, WABANKI 2021, Anthony Ricciardi, and Rundi Phelan.

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During the 2020 holiday season, BRIKA Virtual Holiday Market temporarily occupied one of our available spaces, selling gifts from over 25 small and local businesses. Its COVID-friendly platform offered customers virtual shopping appointments, delivery of goods, and contactless pick-up.

Promise Supply, a local plant shop, opened a pop-up in one of Yorkville Village’s public shopping spaces. Immediately loved by neighbourhood members and frequent mall patrons, they recently moved into a larger unit and have beautifully revitalized the space. Similarly, STK, one of Toronto’s most exclusive steak houses, opened a pop-up patio concept along the mall’s laneway to increase outdoor dining seating amid indoor restrictions.

The pandemic has impacted the growth of many small businesses, making the opening of brick-and-mortar stores an even tougher endeavour in these precarious times. We hope these new pop-ups opening around Yorkville, and at our other properties, will serve as a gateway for smaller budding businesses to grow, and potentially open a full store in the future.

Head to Yorkville Village to check out all of our pop-ups today!

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Our Objective

In adapting to this new normal, it has become increasingly necessary to creatively fill available spaces to new concepts including COVID-19 vaccine clinics, temporary ghost kitchens, food trucks, pop-up concepts, and others that we may not have in the past. We’re optimistic that these activations and creative uses of space have helped our tenants and neighbourhood members thrive amid these particularly trying times. As one of the largest owners and operators in the Canadian real estate industry, our main focus is, and has always been, to support our tenants and patrons. We’re always looking for new concepts, tenancies, and ideas to meet the evolving needs of the communities we serve, and we’ll continue to do so as we approach our return to the new normal.

Keep an eye out for more of our creative uses of space, and neighbourhood updates on our Instagram and Facebook.

Over the past year and a half, the real estate industry has faced unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19. In our efforts, we’ve worked to protect our employees, tenants, and customers, with a primary focus of maintaining a safe environment.

In a proactive response to making our properties as safe and healthy as possible, First Capital REIT (FCR) is proud to announce that we have achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations & Management from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). This rating has been granted to 35 of our buildings across Canada, comprised of shopping centres, mixed-used properties, and office spaces, totalling 7.1 million sf. As a leader in the Canadian retail REIT sector, achieving this rating is a reflection of First Capital’s implementation of exceptional operational strategies and protocols to support and advance a healthy and safe environment in our public indoor spaces.

What is the WELL Health-Safety Rating?

Developed by IWBI and launched in June 2020, the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all public building types. The rating is given to those who engage in specific cleaning and sanitization procedures, air and water quality management, operational policies, emergency preparedness programs, and health services. By leveraging the insights and guidance from over 600 experts across the globe, the WELL Health-Safety Rating helps building owners prepare their shared spaces for the highest standards of health and safety now and into the future.

Our ESG 2020-2024 Roadmap aligns our efforts and initiatives across our organization, with goals to have positive impacts in our communities and neighbourhoods – this WELL rating is a significant milestone in this commitment. Be sure to keep an eye out for the WELL Health-Safety seal at the FCR properties listed below:

FCR Shopping Centres

Cedarbrae Mall	Toronto, ON
Centre Commercial Beaconsfield	Montreal, QC
Centre Domaine	Montreal, QC
Chartwell Shopping Centre	Toronto, ON
Centre Commercial Cote St. Luc	Montreal, QC
Fairview Mall	St. Catherines, ON
Galeries Normandie	Montreal, QC
Gloucester Shopping Centre	Ottawa, ON
Meadowlark Shopping Centre	Edmonton, AB
Meadowvale Shopping Centre	Mississauga, ON
Merivale Mall	Ottawa, ON
Northgate Centre	Edmonton, AB
Parkway Mall	Toronto, ON
Place Portobello	Brossard, QC
Semiahmoo Shopping Centre	Surrey, BC
Stanley Park Mall	Kitchener, ON
Westmount Shopping Centre	Edmonton, AB
Whitby Mall	Whitby, ON
Yorkville Village	Toronto, ON

FCR Mixed-Use

71 King Street West	Toronto, ON
100 rue Peel	Montreal, QC
101 Yorkville Avenue	Toronto, ON
225 rue Peel	Montreal, QC
The Brewery District	Edmonton, AB
Mount Royal Block	Calgary, AB
Mount Royal Village	Calgary, AB
Mount Royal West	Calgary, AB
Place Viau	Montreal, QC

FCR Office

Victoria Terrace	Toronto, ON
85 Hanna Avenue	Toronto, ON
801 York Mills Road	Toronto, ON
1670 Bayview Avenue	Toronto, ON
3080 Yonge Street	Toronto, ON
Barrymore Building	Toronto, ON
Centre Wilderton	Montreal, QC

One of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is combustion engines. In fact, the pollutants released by gas fuelled cars and trucks contributes to a fifth of the world’s total greenhouse gases. As a leading owner, operator, and developer of mixed-use real estate, First Capital is focused on finding ways to reduce carbon emissions across our portfolio through various initiatives – including electric vehicle charging stations.

In doing our part, First Capital is implementing EV charging stations at every single one of our properties by the end of 2024. So far, we currently have 160 charging stations across 48 properties with 90 more to be installed at 40 properties this summer. By early fall, we’ll bring our total number of EV charging stations up to 250, with plans for additional installations coming soon. We’re working with community partners such as Natural Resources Canada and LeadingAhead Energy to install these stations nationwide. As outlined in our 2020-2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Roadmap, we are committed to furthering and improving our corporate sustainability practices – the implementation of EV charging stations is just one of many.

How are you helping to Restore Our Earth?

Completing Our Lighting Conversion

We have completed our 5-year commitment to convert all our exterior and parking lot lighting to energy-efficient LED. We worked with local contractors to create spaces with reduced maintenance costs, enhanced aesthetics, and improved visibility, and most of all significantly reduced the amount of energy used. For example, one of our latest conversions was at the  Promenade du Parc where we converted all lighting fixtures to LED. This complex will now have an estimated savings of approximately 57,000 kWh annually, which represents a 55% reduction in electricity use.  Click here to learn more about this project.

Wild pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, promote healthy biodiversity and are crucial to human survival. Climate change, development and widespread pesticide use are compromising their habitat, and food sources and populations are in decline. Did you know that we currently have urban beehives at eight properties across the country? Below you will find the My Hive pages for our beehives, where you can keep up-to-date on what is happening at the hives and even see pictures of our fuzzy pollinating friends.

• Centre Domaine
• Meadowvale Town Centre
• Parkway Mall
• Cedarbrae Mall
• 85 Hanna Ave
• McKenzie Towne
• Broadmoor Village 
• Shops at New West

We’re happy to announce that our bee family continues to grow! This Spring, we are installing hives at three more properties (Morningside, Chartwell and Place Portobello) with plans to add five additional in Spring 2022!

What’s more, we are updating our landscape management standards to include native plants and prioritize pollinator species for landscaping at existing properties and in new development projects.

What can you do to help?  As our communities continue to grow, local butterflies and bees are losing natural spaces to eat, sleep and raise their young. You can help make your neighbourhood more bee and butterfly-friendly by adding native wildflowers to your garden, yard or balcony.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Electric vehicles (EV) save on fuel costs, routine maintenance, and most of all, leave a smaller environmental impact. Just imagine a world with less car emissions!

As EV technology continues to develop and becomes more easily accessible to more people, the demand for better infrastructure will continue to increase. At First Capital, we want to be a big contributor to the expansion of EV infrastructure.  At First Capital, we will expand our network of EV charging stations at our properties. We currently have over 160 EV stations installed across 48 properties, and we will be installing 90 more this summer across 40 properties. Our goal is to provide EV Charging at 100% of our properties by the end of 2024.

These are just a handful of examples that are the result of our entire First Capital team being engaged in sustainability.  We have additional initiatives that are underway, and we invite you to learn more about our sustainability strategies and ESG roadmap by clicking here.

Supporting our Neighbourhoods. 
Giving Back to our Communities. 
Partnering with our Tenants. 
Connecting with our Employees. 
Celebrating as One Team with One Purpose.  
We Launched FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation.  

First Capital and its employees have a long history of volunteering and giving back to the local communities in which we live and work. So last year, after a lot of work by many FCR team members, we launched our new charitable foundation called the FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation.   

Aligned with our purpose and brand – with people and community at the centre of our business, the Foundation’s mandate is to support charitable initiatives that are making an impact in the neighbourhoods where we operate. The Foundation is a natural complement to FCR’s business – as we continue to make a long-term sustainable commitment to the communities we serve – to generate and enhance value for all of our stakeholders. 

Even more, as an employee-led, registered charity, the Foundation empowers FCR employees to work together as ‘one team with one purpose’, to engage in a common goal of helping neighbourhoods thrive. 

The structure of the Foundation is comprised of two components: 
– FCR Thriving Neighbourhood Foundation, where monetary donations will be made to registered charities 
– FCR Initiatives, where employees will support non-charity events and causes in Arts & Culture, Innovation and Sustainability 

The Foundation will focus on four pillars selected by employees and aligned with charitable organizations that focus on well-being of the communities in which we operate and neighbouring communities – Social Justice, Mental Health, Youth Initiatives, and Food Insecurity & Poverty.    

This past holiday season, we launched our first initiative focused on Food Insecurity & Poverty in Canada.  Each office selected a local Food Bank to support with a combined goal of 10,000 monetary + food items.  We exceeded our goal and raised over 66,000 donations in the form of food items, monetary contributions from staff + Board of Trustees, Foundation match of dollar-for-dollar monetary donation, and $1 per item donated plus $10,000 personally donated by our CEO, Adam Paul. 

As for what’s next – we have a lot planned! Various campaigns, fundraisers and initiatives are in the works, with much more coming. We hope to build on the great momentum from our holiday food drive. 

Stay tuned! 

For the second consecutive year, First Capital was recognized by The Globe and Mail as one of Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers for 2021. The list is a benchmark published annually that recognizes employers for best practices in the workplace. Organizations are evaluated based on leadership in the areas of employee culture, benefits, communications, training, and community involvement.

First Capital strives to deliver a rewarding, stimulating, and fun place to work, where individuals are treated with respect. First Capital provides employees with competitive remuneration, generous benefits, training, educational opportunities, and career advancement. We provide a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees, including a wellness subsidy.

First Capital is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. As a national company, we recognize the importance and value of a workforce that is inclusive and reflects the diverse communities in which we operate.

This year, First Capital implemented a robust COVID-19 response, including workplace safety & physical distancing upgrades, PPE & signage, work-from-home flexibility, and a list of other safety measures aimed at protecting employees.

First Capital’s commitment to a safe workplace environment, opportunities for growth, and extensive benefits see us consistently ranked high in preferences of new grads, thereby earning us inclusion in the Career Directory 2021.

This latest recognition is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our talented team of over 350 staff.  Our employees are at the core of our success.

 Learn more about First Capital & the other winners here.

Preparing for an interview can be stressful! Figuring out what to wear, how to properly handshake and even finding the right office – all things to consider with meeting someone in person.

With many organizations switching from in-person to virtual interviews, your interview prep will now focus on some things that you might not have thought of!

Here are some tips and things to consider when preparing for a virtual interview:

Still Dress for Success: It is always recommended to dress business casual from head to toe – just in case! You never know when you might have to stand up or even unintentionally leave the camera on.

Test Technology: Technology is great, but it’s even better when it actually works! It takes just a few minutes to test that your speakers, microphone, and camera are in good working order.

Professional Identity: Keep it professional! Make sure you are identified with a simple email and your full name is always preferred.

Backdrop: It is always great to make sure you control what you can, setting yourself up in front of an interesting but not distracting background would be ideal. For example, you wouldn’t want to be set up in a high traffic area in your house where people passing by in the background will distract you or the interviewer. And not to worry, things happen, I am sure we have all seen our fair share! Also, if you really want to stand out, try a virtual background, but preferably nothing crazy like the beach or outer space.

Minimize Distractions: Ensure the notifications are off on all devices, programs that could be running and sounding alerts on your laptop or even text messages coming into your personal phone. Also, we can’t forget about our furry friends. With the potential of crossing the camera at any given moment, it’s best to keep them in a separate room for the meeting. This will ensure you have your eyes on the prize and you will keep consistent eye contact with the interviewer.

Jennifer Cruz is First Capital’s Talent Acquisition Specialist