Great-West Life Real Estate Fund

The Fund continued to build out its Industrial allocation with the acquisition of a 290,000 sq ft six-building industrial portfolio on Montreal’s South Shore for $60M.  One additional asset within the node is scheduled to close in November for $29M.  When complete, the portfolio will total 417,000 sq ft of institutional quality industrial product built between 2013 and 2022.  The portfolio is 96% occupied and features a weighted average lease term of 8.2 years, which will improve the Fund’s overall occupancy profile. The South Shore node had been strategically targeted, as it is well served by transportation infrastructure and offers connections to the Island of Montreal, the Port of Montreal and the United States.  With the purchase, and continued valuation gains across the balance of industrial holdings, the asset class now represents the most significant weighting for the Fund. 

Laird and Ridgeway business parks are two significant holdings for the Fund, comprising over 1.5M sq ft of newer generation, small and mid bay industrial product.   The assets are exceptionally well located in the west end of Mississauga, ON, with direct visibility from highway 403.  In June, the Fund completed a $171.5M financing on an interest only basis over a 6-year term.   Further, the Fund completed two CMHC insured refinancing initiatives over the course of the quarter at Laurier House in Vancouver, BC, and 1541 Riverside in Ottawa, ON, delivering $24M in new proceeds. 

33 Yonge, which is the headquarters of GWLRA in Toronto and one of the signature assets in the Fund, was first the recipient of BOMA’s certificate of excellence and then went on to win BOMA’s TOBY (‘The Outstanding Building of the Year’) award for office buildings in the 500,000-1,000,000 sq ft category.  This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and to the overall quality of the building. 

After a couple of record-breaking quarters of investment transactions, the market has paused as participants digest the implications of an evolving interest rate environment and inflation that remains well above target.   Fundamentals however are generally steady and improving as we move into the post pandemic era.  The Fund remains well positioned with a strong occupancy profile and limited rollover exposure over the next 36 months.

The Segregated Funds described in this bulletin are offered through a variable insurance contract issued by The Canada Life Assurance Company.

Please note that unit values and investment returns will fluctuate, and past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance.

For IVIC investors: A description of the key features of the segregated fund policy is contained in the information folder.