At Cominar, we put customer satisfaction first. That’s why we have taken several steps to attract and retain customers. A number of these measures are described below.

For example, Cominar has invested in management information systems that allow our leasing and property management personnel to access timely and comprehensive information on Cominar and competitor properties. These computerized information systems, which are updated continuously, include detailed floor and space plans for all Cominar leasable commercial space. Using this information, we can quickly and accurately reconfigure existing space, design new layouts, and estimate customer improvement costs.

We also maintain a comprehensive tenant database containing information on the Quebec City real estate market. This database is updated frequently and includes lease maturity information on virtually all competing office, and industrial and mixed-use properties with a net leasable area of over 10,000 square feet. These systems allow us to prioritize and focus our leasing efforts on promising opportunities.

Cominar has also developed an innovative energy savings program. Because most of our properties are located close together, we can pool their energy needs to purchase power at rates usually available only to much larger properties. A key contributor to total power costs for commercial users is energy use during periods of peak consumption. To minimize this problem, Cominar has developed a leading-edge computerized energy management system that monitors energy needs and generates additional electricity beyond certain power consumption thresholds using less expensive sources of power. We are able to apply this technology to smaller properties within our power network. Over the past seven years, we have invested over $5 million in our energy supply systems, which have generated operational savings of $1.5 million a year and reduced the occupancy costs of Cominar properties.

In October 2005, Cominar received a Réseau Écoélectrique certificate from Hydro-Québec in recognition of its energy-saving initiatives at Place de la Cité.