Vintage social media (aka News Briefs) - Winter 2025

Article from Volume 12, Issue Number 1, 2025

Vintage social media (aka News Briefs) - Winter 2025

By Alan Forbes | Other articles by Alan Forbes | Regular Column

Articles of interest recently published on our website news feed include:

Aging in place and proactively thinking of accessibility needs
Accessibility needs and service animals
Is your condominium corporation prepared for a data breach?
Does your condo have a shared facility agreement with another condo?
Recycle your old fridge or freezer
Attention all condo corporation directors!
Condominium board accountability
Problems in Edmonton with green bin roll-out for condos

We post news items on our website as they come to our attention. If you are not regularly on our website, here is a list with links to enable you to catch up.

Please email us if you have an article or news story that might interest CCI Manitoba and our members.

Aging in place and proactively thinking of accessibility needs

An article published by CondoBusiness, part of the REMI Network discusses accessibility planning in the context of maintenance and renovation of condominium common elements and ties in nicely with an article in a prior newsletter about naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs). Proactively thinking of accessibility is important since we are all only temporarily able-bodied with good vision, hearing and cognitive abilities and will eventually need some assistance to remain in our own homes

Accessibility needs and service animals

A CBC News article headlined Condo board backs down after trying to restrict visitors with service dogs highlights the need for awareness of the provincial human rights code when establishing condominium rules. Rules need to be clear, concise, reasonable and not be in conflict with other statutes.

Is your condominium corporation prepared for a data breach?

An article published by CondoBusiness, part of the REMI Network, discusses preparations and appropriate responses to data breaches, which in our current times seem to be inevitable.

“Following any data breach, your tenants and suppliers will want to know the following three things:

Was my data stolen?
What is my potential risk?
Do I need to take action with any regulatory bodies, financial institutions and credit check agencies?”

Being prepared and never having to do it is far better than being unprepared and experiencing a data breach.

Does your condo have a facility agreement?

An article by Sally Thompson, author of the book Condo Questions and Answers, discusses the challenges of being a director of a condominium corporation with a shared facility agreement with another condominium corporation. The article was published by CondoBusiness, part of the REMI Network, and contains some of the information contained in Sally Thompson’s book.

“The relationship among the various parties and how they will share in costs is set out in a site reciprocal or sharing agreement. The one party who is not at the table during this negotiation is a representative of the condominium corporations who will end up responsible for the lion’s share of the costs and related efforts. And everyone at the table seems to forget that the volunteer condominium boards are lay people, with no formal training or special skills in operating a complex multi-component facility.”

The article contains many cautionary notes for those owning or considering the purchase of a condominium unit in a corporation with a shared facility agreement.

Recycle your old fridge or freezer

If you are buying a new fridge or freezer, you can get money for your old one and have it removed from your home for free. Efficiency Manitoba has an appliance recycling program that will pay you a $30 rebate for your old fridge or freezer.

Efficiency Manitoba will also take your working dehumidifier, window air conditioner, undersized (bar-sized) fridge, and/or undersized freezer. These appliances aren’t eligible for a rebate, but Efficiency Manitoba will remove them and recycle them for you for free!

Take advantage of this program by clicking here.

Attention all condo corporation treasurers!

The Manitoba Chapter of CCI has a number of things that will be of interest to you. First, we are starting a Facebook group exclusively for condominium corporation treasurers to share challenges and successes -— basically an online version of our biannual Treasurers’ Forum. To join, click here.

Secondly, here are a few upcoming events that you should plan on attending.

Lunch & learn on Thursday, Feb. 20 — Reserve Fund Studies: Beyond the basics.
A Treasurers’ Forum on Wednesday, March 5, in-person at a condominium corporation in Tuxedo

Lastly, we have finally made some progress on our benchmarking project, allowing us to answer frequently asked questions about budgets and expenses. We are publishing results only to the participating condominium corporations, so now is the time to join in if you want to reap the benefits. If you would be interested in working with us to establish benchmark data, send an email to us at cci.mb.news@gmail.com.

Condominium board accountability

Does your condominium board exhibit a lack of transparency, conflicts of interest or abuse of power? An article published by CondoBusiness, part of the REMI Network, examines these problems in the context of Ontario, which has a regulatory authority for both condominium boards and for condominium managers. While Manitoba lacks any meaningful regulatory authority, the article does provide useful information for owners, directors and managers.

To address accountability issues, boards should adopt and promote good governance practices, including improved communication and transparency, proactively engage with unit owners and improve their own knowledge (see CCI Manitoba’s pathway to condominium director education).

Cautionary note for condo green bin programs

While we may still be several years away from having green composting bins in Winnipeg condominiums, we can learn from other cities and their issues. In this CTV News report Green bin problems at Edmonton condos, problems are cited and assumptions are questioned.

Alan Forbes owns and lives in a condo and is a director of his condo corporation. He also is a director of CCI Manitoba and is its vice-president.

Go Back