/EINPresswire.com/ -- VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/27/16 -- Editors Note: There are three photos associated with this press release.

The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) honoured its property managers and tenants for excellence in energy performance and environmental sustainability at a ceremony last night in Vancouver.

The annual LEAP (Leadership in Environmental Advancement Program) awards were presented at Marine Gateway, HOOPP's newest LEED® Gold mixed-use development created in partnership with PCI and Triovest. As the first major development to be approved along the Canada Line and Cambie Corridor, Marine Gateway sets the benchmark for future transit-oriented projects. It is also HOOPP's first geothermal mixed-use building.

The awards are part of the HOOPP Real Estate group's leading sustainability program which relies on collaboration with management partners and tenants. HOOPP works with many partners in the real estate industry across Canada and globally, to lead and advance sustainability practices in the industry.

"HOOPP is a very long-term investor, and sustainability is an important consideration in our real estate investments. Buildings constructed to high environmental standards are more energy efficient than traditional buildings and are attractive to tenants and occupiers," said President and CEO, Jim Keohane.

"Lower energy costs result in better economics for tenants and for HOOPP as a landlord. It is a true win-win situation," he added.

Keohane also said that real estate investing is an important part of the HOOPP investment portfolio in helping to ensure we meet our obligations to members. Real estate provides regular, predictable long-term monthly income, and has inflation hedging characteristics that align well with HOOPP's need to provide pension benefits for its more than 300,000 active and retired members.

In 2015, British Columbia made up 22% of HOOPP's Canadian Real Estate portfolio. This $1.6 billion investment represents more than 4.3 million square feet of healthy, efficient and high quality buildings, many of which are in the City of Vancouver.

Prior to the awards ceremony, HOOPP held its second LEAP Conference bringing together sustainability leaders and HOOPP property managers to share ideas, challenges and best practices. "This year's LEAP events theme was connectivity which is very much in-line with the Marine Gateway project itself," said Lisa Lafave, Senior Portfolio Manager with HOOPP. "Participants were asked to collaborate and brainstorm new ideas to integrate sustainability into future portfolio initiatives and we were thrilled to have Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City, as keynote speaker."

New to the overall program this year was LEAP Forward; an opportunity for property managers to pitch their sustainability improvement ideas and/or projects to HOOPP Real Estate decision-makers for consideration. One winning project was awarded and will be implemented with the support of HOOPP. The ideas presented represent quantifiable sustainability improvements such as energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, etc., leading to significant cost savings.

Raymond Louie, Acting Mayor, City of Vancouver and Sean Pander, Director of Sustainability, City of Vancouver also provided remarks at the Awards.

The thirteen awards are presented in the categories of Performance, Collaboration and Innovation. The winners this year were:

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Award                Winner               Property Manager /    Category
                                          Developer
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Low Energy Leader:   130 Eileen Stubbs    East Port            Building
Medium Building                           Properties Limited   Performance
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Low Energy Leader:   ATCO Centre          Triovest Realty      Building
Large Building                            Advisors Inc.        Performance
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Energy Saver         ATB Place            Triovest Realty      Building
                                          Advisors Inc.        Performance
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Water Winner:        ATCO Centre          Triovest Realty      Building
Commercial                                Advisors Inc.        Performance
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Water Winner:        Bonnie Doon Centre   Morguard             Building
Retail                                                         Performance
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waste Minimizer      5500 Explorer Drive  Menkes Property      Building
                                          Management Services  Performance
                                          Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sustainability       25 York Street       Menkes Union Tower   Building
Achiever                                  Inc.                 Performance
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Tenant Leader:       Telus (25 York       Menkes Union Tower   Collaboration
Commercial           Street)              Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tenant Leader:       Beckta (150 Elgin    Morguard             Collaboration
Retail               Street)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tenant Leader:       Veritiv (4300        Triovest Realty      Collaboration
Industrial           Hickmore Boulevard)  Advisors Inc.
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Sustainability       Marine Gateway       Triovest Realty      Innovation
Innovator -                               Advisors Inc.  /
Technology                                PCI Developments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sustainability       Triovest Quebec      Triovest Realty      Innovation
Innovator -          Management Team      Advisors Inc.
Stakeholder
Engagement
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sustainability       Coquitlam Centre     Morguard             Innovation
Innovator -
Stakeholder
Engagement
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sustainability       Devonshire Mall      20 VIC Management    Innovation
Champion                                  Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan

Created in 1960, HOOPP is the pension plan of choice for Ontario's hospital and community-based healthcare sector with over 470 participating employers. HOOPP's 300,000 plus members and retired members include nurses, medical technicians, food services staff and laundry workers, and many other people who work hard to provide valued Ontario healthcare services.

As a defined benefit plan, HOOPP provides eligible members with a retirement income based on a formula that takes into account a member's earnings history and length of service in the Plan. Once eligible members start receiving a pension, they receive it for life. About 80 cents of every pension dollar paid out comes from investment returns.

HOOPP is governed by a Board of Trustees with representation from the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and four unions: the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The unique governance model provides representation from both management and workers in support of the long-term interests of the Plan.

To view the photos associated with this release, please visit the following links:

www.marketwire.com/library/20160525-130EileenStubbspx800.jpg

www.marketwire.com/library/20160525-atcocentrepx800.jpg

www.marketwire.com/library/20160525-coquitlamcentrepx800.jpg

Contacts:
Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
Joe Vecsi
Senior Manager Public Affairs
416.369-9212 ext 4315
www.hoopp.com

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