The Critical Lane

The Critical Lane

By Mateo ChiyangiBusinessManagement
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The Critical Lane episodes

  • E02 - CAPREIT: Housing Providers Not Landlords
    Last year, we had the pleasure of hosting Mark Kenney, CEO at CAPREIT, on the podcast. Mark’s insights are more relevant than ever. In our discussion, Mark emphasized the importance of viewing CAPREIT as “Housing Providers” rather than the traditional term "Landlord." This nuanced perspective highlights their commitment to addressing housing needs with empathy and responsibility.
    Mark also delved into the concept of creating new city centres in Ontario in undeveloped areas with affordable land as a strategic response to the housing crisis. He explored the potential of municipal utility districts as a way to provide essential services in these new developments.
    Furthermore, we touched on the cultural shift needed in how young people view careers in the trades. Mark highlighted the opportunities within the trades and how they can lead to successful business ownership.
    Don’t miss out on this insightful conversation. Click the link to listen to our conversation!
    33 min
  • E01 - CBRE Capital Markets: The Privatization of Real Estate in Ottawa

    I’m very thrilled to have Nico Zentil, Executive Vice President, Capital Markets at CBRE, as our special guest on this week’s podcast episode. Nico talks about his journey with CBRE and his strong belief in the future of Office. We explore exciting growth areas and discuss why Nico believes those who have invested in Office will benefit from their contrarian approach. Nico also shares stories from recent real estate transactions, including a significant $277M deal. We touch on the privatization of real estate in Ottawa and explore why pension funds have become net sellers of real estate. Click the link below to listen to our conversation!


    32 min
  • Housing Crisis: Rental Rescue and Rescuing Affordability
    I'm very thrilled to have Krystal Valencia, Founder at Rental Rescue, as our special guest on this week's podcast episode. Here are some of the key items we addressed:
    What is Rental Rescue?
    How would you deal with "Professional Tenants" that game the system?
    What are some “predatory practices” by some housing providers?
    What does it mean for housing to be a right?
    Recognizing housing as a right means ensuring everyone has access to safe, affordable housing, backed by legal protections and government support, which promotes human dignity and social equity. Click the link below to listen to our conversation!
    40 min
  • Costar: Interest Rate Prediction
    I am very excited for this week's podcast with Carl Gomez, Chief Economist and Head of Market Analytics at Costar Canada. What are the real underlying factors impacting the current inflation rate? In this week's podcast, Carl mentions that a big chunk of the higher inflation is being caused by big increases in mortgage interest costs. Should the Bank of Canada fight inflation by raising interest rates which leads to increased mortgage costs? Carl further states that it will be important to keep an eye on mortgage interest costs as a source inflation. Click the podcast link to listen to our full conversation!
    29 min
  • Walkable Cities: Is this Practical in Ottawa's Six Month's of Winter and a Transit System that Needs Major Work?

    I'm very thrilled to have Toon Dreessen, President at DCA Architects, as our special guest on this week's podcast. Here are some of the items we addressed:

    1. Is it practical to make Ottawa a walkable city with six months of winter?


    2. What is the last mile of transportation?


    3. Would Hurdman be a better location for the Sens Arena?


    4. What is the best land use policy?


    My favorite quote from the podcast is that "The best land use policy is a transportation policy." Click the link below to listen to our conversation!

    32 min
  • Black Opportunity Fund: A Rising Tide Lifts all Boats
    I’m very thrilled to have Ray Williams, Chair and Cofounder at the Black Opportunity Fund and Former Vice Chairman at National Bank. Here are some of the items we addressed on the podcast:
    1. What is the Black Opportunity Fund doing to enable more black people to participate in solving the housing crisis?
    2. How is it going with the $50M CMHC commitment for black owned real estate companies?
    3. Is the Black Opportunity Fund just another “Woke” organization?
    4. What is the Black Opportunity Fund doing to enable more black people to participate in the AI revolution?
    Click the link below to listen to our full conversation!
    49 min
  • New Capital Gains Tax: What Property Owners Need to Know Now

    I'm very thrilled to have Zoran Vranjkovic, Tax Partner at Welch LLP. The federal government recently announced an increase to the capital gains tax which will come into effect on June 25.


    1. What do you need to know about the new Capital Gains Tax?


    2. Is it advantageous to trigger the new capital gains tax before June 25?


    3. How does the new capital gains tax impact Canadian Investors compared to Foreign Investors?


    We discuss the above questions among other critical items as they relate to the New Capital Gains Tax. Click the link below to listen to our conversation!


    32 min
  • TD Asset Management: Alternative Investments and Solving Real World Problems
    I’m very thrilled to have Colin Lynch, Managing Director and Head of Alternative Investments at TD Asset Management. May 2024 is the “One Year Anniversary” for the “Efficiency in CRE” podcast so it was great to have Colin come back as the first repeat guest. Last time we did the podcast with Colin, the podcast was featured on LinkedIn News for “Office in Downtown Ottawa”. We did not really talk about Office this time around. We discussed alternative investments, what has happened regarding the housing crisis since we last did the podcast in 2023 and the inspiring impact of the “Black Opportunity Fund.” We discussed solving real world problems with alternative investments, increased government focus on the housing crisis and how the Black Opportunity Fund is helping to the solve the housing crisis among other initiatives. And we also discussed that though there is more government focus in addressing the housing crisis, not enough has been done to move the needle. Click the link below to listen to our conversation!
    29 min
  • FRPO: Representing Rental Housing Owners and Dealing with the Current Housing Crisis
    I’m very thrilled to have Tony Irwin as our special guest on this week’s podcast. Tony is the President & CEO at the FRPO (Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario) and Interim President at CFAA (Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations)
    In this episode, we talk about the challenges faced by rental apartment owners as well as dealing with the government to address the housing crisis.
    Join us as we discuss the importance of members of FRPO and CFAA to committing to playing by the rules even as they play the critical role of providing rental housing.
    We address what has been referred to as “financialization of rental housing”. We also discuss the need for social housing expansion and we examine ways to ensure housing is really a right for all. Click the link below to listen to our conversation!
    38 min
  • Colliers Research: The Current State of Affairs in the Real Estate Market
    I’m very thrilled to have the National Head of Research at Colliers, Adam Jacobs, as our special guest on this week’s podcast. Here are some of the items we discussed:
    1. A 25 basis points rate cut may not be enough to get real estate investors off the sidelines
    2. ⁠Investment sales are back to normal levels even though it may not feel that way
    3. ⁠Employees like hybrid work and Employees have more leverage than they had in the past.
    4. ⁠Fundamentally, it makes sense for the Bank of Canada to cut rates. However, inflation in the States is still elevated and the Federal Reserve is therefore not cutting rates. The Bank of Canada is obviously influenced by the US Federal Reserve decisions
    Click the link below to learn more about our very insightful conversation!
    27 min

About The Critical Lane

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Every day, millions of people pass through airports, train stations, and border crossings without giving it a second thought. Billions of dollars' worth of cargo moves quietly through ports, mostly out of sight. Military assets, defense logistics, and strategic infrastructure are constantly mobilized to protect national interests and maintain readiness. Bags get scanned, ships get cleared, flights take off on time, and critical operations continue without interruption. It looks seamless. It isn't.