Dear Owners at The Laurier,
It is time to start planning for our Annual General Meeting.
The most important events that occur at an AGM are the presentation of the audited financial statements and the election of a new Board of Directors.
This year the latter activity will be especially important. Currently only 4 out of 5 board positions are filled, of which two director’s terms are ending and I will be disqualified due to the sale of my unit. Consequently, only Joanne Kahwa continues on the board and she has previously served twice.
We are asking owners to step up and run for election in a crucial year for the corporation. The building is nearing its twentieth birthday. This is the age when major systems begin to require replacement. In the coming year there will be at least one and possibly two major replacements to the HVAC system, the elevator interiors will be renovated, and the balconies repaired. The current board has laid the groundwork but these major projects require board oversight to ensure our dollars are spent efficiently and productively.
There are also opportunities to implement green initiatives such as charging stations for electric vehicles and further replacement of lighting. Board members may also need to address upgrades in security and accessibility of our building including automatic door opening.
Owners who serve on the board contribute to maintaining the value of their home and their investment by being directly involved in important decisions. Also, serving on the board can be highly gratifying and an opportunity to learn. The Condominium Authority of Ontario provides training to new board members regarding the requisite knowledge to be a director. The time commitment is minimal. The board is required to meet once a month and meetings are held virtually. We have an excellent new property manager to facilitate and implement board decisions.
The building is approximately 57% owner-occupied. We need to recruit at least three new members, all of whom are owners but not necessarily residents. On the current board, both Joanne and I are non-resident owners. Although there are many owners who have already served on the board and who I would be happy to see rejoin, it is important for all owners to step up and contribute by serving at some point. They provide fresh insights and new ideas that can improve our condo community. If you are hesitant to join, both Joanne and I are happy to meet and answer any questions. Contact us through Anna at Apollo.
Please consider responding to our Property Manager, Anna Iordanidi, to say you are willing to serve on your Board of Directors. Thank you in advance!
Sincerely,
Jill de Villafranca, President, OCSCC #678 – The Laurier
To all 570 Laurier residents,
The weather is getting warm, and snow steadily melting. Spring is around the corner and so is an Ontario regulatory change.
The province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced that most COVID-19 requirements will be dropped as of March 21st, including COVID-19 screening requirements, physical distancing, wearing masks (other than for transit, healthcare settings, long-term and retirement homes…). He also closed with "We should all be prepared that we may need to resume mask wearing" adding that he hopes anyone who remains vulnerable will continue to wear a mask.
In line with that direction, as of Monday March 21st, you may choose to no longer wear masks in the building. The choice is based on your individual comfort level and circumstance, and we ask everyone to be respectful of those individual choices.
It is wonderful to progress towards a more normal state.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Your Board"
Building Ventilation System:
As owners and residents know, the main building ventilation system is presently out of service, it has been for the past few weeks now. Our HVAC contractor identified the problem with the ventilation system, and he ordered a part from the manufacturer. He is told that the part will be fabricated and shipped in approximately 2 to 3 weeks time from the date of this note.
While the ventilation system is not working, residents may find stale air in the hallways. Cooking odours may migrate from the units and into the hallways and on windy days, there may be wind whistling noise heard at unit doors and, on very cold night and days, some residents may find drafty windows and their unit cooler than usual. Some residents have reported condensation and ice forming at windows. In very cold outside temperatures, its best to run fan coil fans continuously for air circulation and run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans when bathing, showering and cooking. Keep window coverings open to help with air circulation at windows and patio doors. Pointing a small fan at windows will also help control condensation and ice forming at windows and patio doors.
We sincerely regret the inconvenience that this ventilation breakdown may be causing. We are working with the HVAC contractor to bring the ventilation system back in service as soon as possible. We will update everyone as more information becomes available.
Swimming Pool:
The swimming pool is presently drained and closed. This is because of the building ventilation system is not working. Operating the swimming pool without ventilation causes very high air humidity in the room, which in turn causes damage to finished ceiling and wall surfaces. The swimming pool will re-open when the ventilation system is repaired and returned to service.
Fitness Room:
The Fitness Room will re-open Monday January 31, 2022 starting at 10:00 AM. It will stay
open for the residents only 1 person at a time or 1 or more persons from the same unit. Visitors and non-residents are not permitted. Residents must book their fitness times in advance using the on-line booking provided by The Laurier website https://570laurier.com. Under Amenity Booking – Book Amenity. You need to select ‘Gym” in the resource pull-down box. You can book the Fitness Room for a maximum of one hour.
Guest Suite:
For booking the guest suite you need to complete and sign a Guest Suite Booking
Agreement. To obtain a booking agreement please email the property manager at: Vincent Sauvé
Apollo Property Management Limited
vince@apollomgt.com
The cost for the guest suite is $95/night, check-in at 3 PM and check-out at 11 AM.
Non-Smoking Building:
The condominium building is a smoke free building. Smoking tobacco, marijuana and
vaping is not permitted anywhere in the building. That means no smoking in the units and on balconies, and no smoking in the common areas inside or outside. The condominium acts on smoking complaints delivering a notice to the source unit for non-compliance with the no-smoking rules. Compliance action may be escalated to the condominium’s lawyer who will notify the source unit owner and / or offending smoker not to smoke when in the condominium. Legal fees incurred by the condominium to enforce the No Smoking Rule are invoiced to the source unit. Legal fees can start at $750 or more and they are collectable the same as condominium fees as per the Act.
Main Building Drains:
We remind owners and residents to continue their best practices when using kitchen sinks, lavatory and toilet drains in the units. Never flush grease or solids down drains. These materials don’t just simply disappear from your drains. Grease congeals when flowing down pipes and together with solids it starts clogging the main drains which, may cause water back-ups and damage to the units.
Place grease and solids in plastic bags or compostable containers and dispose of them in the appropriate garbage and / or organic waste containers located in the garage. The city of Ottawa allows plastic bags to be used in the green bins.
Security
We remind owners and residents when driving in or out of the garage to wait until the garage door is fully closed before driving on and confirming that no one has ducked under the door while closing.
In the garage, keep vehicles locked, placing valuables and garage remote controls out of plain view.
When using the main building entrances, do not let unknown persons in. If it is safe to do so ask to see a key fob or tell the person to use the intercom and ask to be buzzed in by the person they are visiting.
Ensure that the entrance doors lock behind you.
Call the Ottawa Police Service 911 to report any suspicious activity then call Management.
COVID-19
COVID-19 restrictions continue to be in effect for condominiums. Owners and residents and their guests are required to wear a nose and mouth covering mask when in the common elements, lobby, hallways, garage, elevators, etc. Physical distancing of 2 meters must be observed, except for people who reside in the same unit.
Everyone’s cooperation is appreciated.
We hope everyone had a nice holiday break. Happy New Year 2022.
As you know, the province announced new COVID-19 measures to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. These measures affect condominiums where indoor gatherings are limited to 5 persons only and fitness rooms must close for 21 days until at least January 26, 2022.
For the Laurier, that means that the fitness room and the swimming pool are closed effective today, January 5th until at least January 26, 2022, pending further provincial health directives.
The guest suite is also closed effective today until at least January 26, 2022.
We regret the inconvenience that this may cause, and we thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We will advise further when the fitness room can open again when permitted by health authorities.