Conference Board of Canada selling Ottawa head office, transitioning to remote-based organization

Landmark office building for sale Conference Board of Canada puts office on the market, a sign a changing work world. CTV’s Jeremie Charron reports

OTTAWA — The Conference Board of Canada is set to sell its head office building in Ottawa, as it transitions to a remote-based organization.

"Conference Board of Canada employees are working 100 per cent remotely for an indefinite period until a vaccination or a treatment is available for COVID-19,” a Conference Board of Canada spokesperson told CTV News Ottawa in a statement.

"The Conference Board of Canada also plans to sell the head office building located at 255 Smyth Rd. in Ottawa."

According to the organization, about 180 employees worked at its head office on Smyth Road — where it has been for 35 years.

Employees have been working remotely since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the organization said its priority is the health and safety of its people and customers.

The Conference Board of Canada said it was already planning on selling its head office building on Smyth Road but immediate physical distancing measure had an impact on timing.

“This is an exciting change for the organization that will continue to position us as a beacon for Canada’s brightest minds and the leading independent research organization,” said a Conference Board of Canada spokesperson.

The organization says its transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic was seamless and that lead them to making a more permanent decision.

“As a result, we have made the decision to capitalize on this opportunity to reimagine our business operations and, like many other knowledge-based organizations, move permanently to a remote or semi-remote workforce,” said the spokesperson.

"TOO EARLY TO SAY WHAT TRENDS ARE": EXPERT

In late June, Ottawa commercial real estate agency CBRE Limited released its second quarter statistic, which provided evidence of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the commercial real estate market.

“I would say that it’s too early to say what trends are, I would say that right now the whole COVID-19 pandemic is creating a disruption,” said Shawn Hamilton, Ottawa’s managing director for CBRE.

“It’s causing everybody to challenge everything about how they conduct business, right down to how they occupy space.”

Ottawa's office vacancy rate increased to 7.2 per cent in June, which CBRE said is still below the five-year market average.

PUBLIC SERVICE TO WORK REMOTELY UNTIL THE FALL  

While some businesses like the Conference Board of Canada are deciding to make the move to full remote work, other’s plan to return to the office, but don’t know when it will happen.

Many members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada have been working remotely for months now, and its president said that will continue.

"PSAC continues to provide input on the government's plans for a return to the workplace, but there is no indication when exactly that might be for the vast majority of our members. It appears for now that those who can continue to work remotely will be asked to do so into the fall,” said PSAC National President, Chris Aylward.

“Our top priority is ensuring that the government use this time to make all necessary preparations to workplaces in order to safeguard the health and safety of our members and the general public."

Whether permanent, or temporary, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on businesses across the country and for some it is altering their need for traditional office space — as a result, the commercial real estate industry is noticing a change.