(12/12/06)

MTCC Wins Coveted BOMA "Go Green" Award

TORONTO, ON - The Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada recently recognized the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) as a national leader in environmental stewardship by awarding the Centre with its highly coveted BOMA “GO Green” designation.

The award was presented to the MTCC’s Vice President, Operations, Vince Quattrociocchi, at BOMA’s annual Christmas luncheon, held Dec. 1^st at the MTCC. More than 450 leaders of Canada’s commercial real estate industry were in attendance. BOMA’s Go Green program is a national environmental recognition and certification program for existing commercial buildings.

Established by BOMA B.C. in 2003, and introduced as a National Program in 2005, this unique new environmental initiative was created specifically for the commercial real estate industry to recognize and reward buildings across Canada that show environmental leadership and environmental best practices. It is BOMA Canada’s hope that the award will lead to healthier workplaces and sustainable building development and management practices by fostering environmental consciousness in the industry.

Criteria for the BOMA Go Green program include ten minimum requirements in the five key areas of environmental responsibility, touching on all aspects of building management and operation. They include:

Resource Consumption, including energy and water use;

Waste Reduction & Recycling;

Building Materials, including materials selection, hazardous materials and ozone depleting substances;

Interior Environment, including HVAC maintenance and indoor air quality; and,

Tenant Awareness.

“BOMA Toronto congratulates the MTCC’s Go Green achievement. The implementation of environmental best practices in its building systems is to be applauded and we are proud to recognize this professionally managed facility for its leadership and stewardship,” said Chuck Stradling, Executive Vice President of BOMA Toronto. “We recognize the importance of saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change,” Mr. Stradling added. “As an industry, we believe we have a duty to reward environmental leadership and stewardship with respect to energy efficiency and other resources.”

Barry Smith, the MTCC’s CEO, and Vince Quattrociocchi said that the MTCC and its staff see the BOMA Go Green award as a validation of all their efforts in making the Centre an environmentally friendly, sustainable facility. “It’s very rewarding to be recognized this way by the industry and all our colleagues. BOMA is a highly respected association in North America. We’re thrilled to receive this award,” said Smith.

Smith added that the BOMA certification is just the latest in a series of environmental kudos received by the Centre. Just last month, the MTCC won the Gold Award in the Ontario Waste Minimization Awards 2006 competition held by the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO). Last year, the MTCC succeeded in mounting a Zero Waste Event, which represented a Canadian first within the facilities industry, according to industry experts. The MTCC is well known for its “green” reputation.

About BOMA

The Building Owners and Managers Association of the Greater Toronto Area (BOMA Toronto) is a diverse network of real estate professionals representing the institutional, commercial and industrial markets. BOMA Toronto serves as a leading voice of advocacy and education for its members.

With more than 730 members comprised of building owners, property and facility managers, developers, leasing professionals and service providers, it is the largest local association in BOMA Canada. BOMA Canada’s local associations represent over 2,500 members who, collectively, own or manage more than one billion square feet of office space nationally.

About the MTCC

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is Canada’s #1 trade and convention facility and one of the finest in North America. With more than 2 million square feet of state-of-the-art space, it is considered a world-class, tier-one facility. The MTCC has welcomed more than 39 million visitors and 12,000 events since its opening in 1984. The Centre hosts more than 700 events annually, ranging in size from large international conventions to small local corporate meetings, for groups of 40 to 40,000, generating more than $3 billion in incremental economic benefits to the local economy each year.

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