Priorities
Employment, housing and trades equity
Creating union jobs, providing a diversity of housing options and supporting trades training for historically underrepresented groups.
Community connectedness and wellbeing
Supporting residents to forge new or deeper relationships with neighbours, enhancing their sense of belonging, safety and wellbeing.
Employee engagement and inclusion
Embedding diversity and inclusion by building a people-first culture, where employees are heard, valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully and with purpose.
Culture is built by understanding what motivates and matters to your employees. It’s a gift to have employees who openly share feedback to help us create the programs that shape a stronger employee experience.Aran Clarke, Chief Corporate Services Officer
Connecting Communities
Concert Properties – BC Top Employer 2024
In 2024, we were proud to be named one of BC’s Top Employers for the fourth consecutive year. This recognition reaffirms our company’s reputation as an exceptional employee-centred workplace.
A key factor in our continued recognition is the comprehensive support we provide for employee well-being. In 2024, several initiatives helped us stand out, including:
- Annual mental health practitioner allowance of up to $1,500
- Public transit subsidy of up to $1,000 per year
- 95% salary top-up for 17 weeks of maternity leave, along with four weeks of top-up for parental and adoption leave
Throughout the year, we hosted a series of educational sessions focused on mental, physical, social and financial health. Employees also participated in the gardening club, community engagement events and professional development opportunities.
Additionally, in 2024, we conducted an employee diversity survey to better understand the evolving needs and priorities of our workforce—a step that played a key role in this year’s recognition. The insights gathered will inform future policies, benefits and programs to ensure they continue to reflect the needs of our employees. Judges selecting the winners considered a wide range of criteria: workplace, work atmosphere and social environment; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and paid time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.
This award recognizes Concert Properties’ ongoing investment in programs and policies that help employees thrive while nurturing a culture that prioritizes active listening to employee feedback and implementing meaningful changes. A notable indicator of our success in these areas is that our most recent biennial Employee Engagement Survey revealed that 94% of our employees feel engaged.
Building Community
Mixed-use developments with diverse housing options and designs that promote mobility, accessibility, social interaction and a sense of belonging are hallmarks of Concert Properties’ people-first approach. But our community-building efforts don’t stop when construction is finished.
We continue to strengthen connections among residents and tenants with appreciation events for our rental, industrial and office buildings. These events provide opportunities to socialize, enjoy new amenities or raise funds for local charities. They not only connect neighbours but also contribute to the overall strength and cohesion of the community.
One popular example is the annual Velofix bike repair service events we offer at some of our residential buildings in BC every spring. Velofix is a Vancouver-based company that provides mobile bike repair services with teams of trained personnel working out of fully equipped mobile bike shops. In 2024, we hosted these sessions in April and May, enabling residents to have their bikes serviced in preparation for the cycling season.
Last October, after a hiatus for renovations, we also reopened our equipment lending library program, in partnership with the not-for-profit The Thingery serving over 1,500 residents at our Collingwood Village community. The program is similar to a book-lending library, enabling residents to borrow new and gently used equipment through an online booking and secure locker system. We are using the results of a resident survey— which evaluates satisfaction, usage and suggestions for future improvements—to inform the potential expansion of this program to other locations.
At our residential buildings in Ontario, we hosted quarterly coffee mornings for residents and annual summer barbecues and holiday events at each property. We also held summer lunch barbecues at Concert Properties’ office buildings and some industrial properties. In 2025, we aim to increase the frequency of the residents’ coffee mornings to increase the opportunity for resident interaction and engagement. Our office sites also hosted tenant appreciation events where we raised funds for BC & Alberta Guide Dogs and Pacific Assistance Guide Dogs, two organizations that provide service dogs to individuals with disabilities.
Food Drive Succeeds with Community Support
At the beginning of the year, we were pleased to provide a $10,000 sponsorship for the annual Imagine Gala, a fundraiser hosted by 43 Housing Society’s mother organization, SHARE Family and Community Services. 43 Housing Society is the not-for-profit organization which leases and operates the 100 affordable, below-market suites in our purpose-built rental building 55One in the Heart of Burquitlam.
The event, attended by employees from our Development and Property Management teams, was a great success, raising over $292,000 for the many support services provided by SHARE to people in the Tri-Cities area (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody).
Last fall, Concert Properties also supported SHARE’s annual Fall Harvest Food Drive by harnessing the generosity of residents not only at 55One but also in several other communities throughout the region.
Employees from our Property Management department gathered and boxed non-perishable donations, which exceeded 500 kilograms (1,125 pounds) in total. The team then delivered the donations to SHARE and was proud to make a meaningful contribution to those in need throughout the Tri-Cities area.
Social Sustainability
Concert Properties recognizes that building community goes beyond the simple bricks and mortar of our assets, but is also reliant on how we operate these buildings and support our residents. We start with thoughtful design that improves the fabric of our communities and then take an active role in making them places for people to live, work, play and build social connections.
Our Social Sustainability principles, goals and targets embody our long-standing commitment to be the progressive leader in Canadian real estate for generations.