Questions Canadians Should Ask When Moving into a Residential Building Equipped with an Elevator

Canada has an astonishing number of elevators from coast to coast. For example, there are approximately 60,000 elevators in Ontario, 21,000 of which are located in residential buildings.

That’s a LOT of elevators.

If you’re looking to move into a residential building, chances are that it will be equipped with an elevator. The quality and reliability of an elevator will affect your day-to-day routine, safety, and well-being. Technical experts from all NEEA member companies have collaborated to develop a holistic guide of questions you should ask when considering a building with an elevator as your next home.

Source: Schindler

The number of elevators, their age, size, and typical rates of usage will all impact your living experience in a building. It is also important to have a good understanding of past and future maintenance and modernization efforts. Outdated elevators that are frequently being serviced or require consistent repair will disrupt your schedule and may pose risks. Your health and well-being is a priority — it is imperative that the maintenance contractor is reputable and reliable.

Source: Schindler

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Maintenance Companies provide ongoing support to repair technicians as well as upgrades of components and software. NEEA member companies (KONE, Otis, Schindler, and TK Elevator) are all OEMs. They deliver unparalleled technology and service that meets residential needs efficiently and effectively.

NEEA is proud to be the industry voice and primary source for information on elevators across the country. Follow this link to find our full list of recommended questions and answers: What to Look For in a Building

Elevators & Escalators — Dos & Don’ts

Elevators and escalators make our day-to-day lives easier and more efficient. They improve building accessibility, shorten travel times, and are a safe method for transporting goods and services across multiple floors. The average person uses an elevator approximately 1500 times a year!

As with any large piece of equipment or machinery, it is important to act responsibly when riding elevators and escalators. Avoiding unnecessary movements like jumping, running, and playing will help ensure your user experience is as smooth as possible.

KONE Corporation

Elevators and escalators typically experience high traffic. When boarding, riding, and disembarking from an elevator or escalator, one should always be mindful of other passengers. Do not overload and exceed device capacity, or block entrances and exits. Children should be accompanied by an adult, and their hands should be held for the duration of the ride.

Elevators and escalators should not be used in cases of fire or emergency. If an error or malfunction occurs with an escalator, there are emergency buttons located at the top and bottom of the device. Elevators also come equipped with an alarm button if assistance is required. In the event there is something unusual about the elevator, such as a broken mirror, light outage, or abnormal noise, inform facility management immediately.

TK Elevator

As the primary source for industry information, NEEA is committed to educating the general public on elevator and escalator-related topics.

Click here to find a full list of best practices for elevators.

Click here to find a full list of best practices for escalators.  

NEEA Members are Going Green

As the population of Canada continues to grow, sustainable urban development has become a key concern. To meet the needs of large metropolitan cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, NEEA member companies (KONE, Otis, Schindler, TK Elevator) are developing innovative strategies and solutions that will address the challenges of urbanization while still prioritizing safety and the environment.

By modernizing existing infrastructure and designing more energy-efficient products, NEEA members are significantly reducing the carbon footprint of buildings across Canada.

As of this May, all NEEA member companies have released sustainability reports compiled according to the leading sustainability reporting standard, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Each report reflects our member companies’ commitments to energy efficiency, transparency, and corporate responsibility. For example, one report found that related greenhouse gas emissions had been reduced by 19% during the 2020-21 fiscal year, while reliance on electricity obtained from renewable resources had increased to 45%. Another report from the same year revealed that 99%+ of all industrial waste generated by factory operations had been successfully recycled.

NEEA member companies have set ambitious global goals to continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions and further the other great work accomplished thus far. These objectives are critical to supporting cities in sustainable infrastructure development as well as environmentally conscious retrofits, repairs, and renovations.

Modernizing elevators alone can increase energy savings by 70%. Not only does this mean lower operating costs, more predictable lifecycle management and better people flow, but it is also a key element in the establishment of eco-friendly, green buildings.

As Canadian cities move towards sustainable urban development to accommodate population growth, NEEA member companies are taking the necessary steps to go green. Environmentally friendly, energy efficient buildings are soon to be the norm:

NEEA members are prepared to invest in the future.

NEEA Member Company Completes Largest Elevator Modernization in Winnipeg History

Elevators designed by NEEA member companies (KONE, Otis, Schindler, TK Elevator) are safe and reliable, with many still in operation several decades after first being installed. This is in part thanks to the ongoing preventative maintenance, timely routine maintenance, and the modernization of equipment when necessary.

Recently, a NEEA member company undertook the largest elevator modernization project in the history of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The project located at 201 Portage Avenue, which also happens to be the tallest office building in Manitoba, featured the modernization of 12 elevators.

Photo Source: TK Elevator

Completed in 1990, the 33-story building includes a mix of office, retail, and meeting space. The elevators, first installed over 30 years ago, will include the latest technological developments from a NEEA member company. These enhancements will reduce elevator downtime, enable faster floor-to-floor time, as well as reduce energy consumption significantly.

Photo Source: TK Elevator

Energy conservation and reuse is a key pillar of NEEA member companies as they work to ensure the built environment in Canada has the lowest possible environmental footprint and energy use. Elevator modernization can reduce this footprint in many ways; from more efficient motors to modern LED cab lighting and motion sensors, and even sustainable regenerative drives to harness unused building energy.

In addition to energy mitigation, NEEA member company elevator modernizations incorporate the newest additional safety features as NEEA member companies continue to drive safety enhancements around the world. This modernization project will include elevator cab door interlocks to ensure that doors remain closed from the inside, as well as a door reversal electronic safety edge to prevent an elevator car door from making contacting with passengers.