Blog | The Super's Logbook

suspected someone was urinating in the stairwells

Respecting Shared Space an Update

Jun 20, 2026 (updated)3 min read

I'm still on edge about what's been going on in our stairwells, but it's been a week now since we had that incident where my custodian lady asked me to review the camera footage. She suspected someone was urinating in the stairwells and, sadly, she was right.

#building management #shared space+1 more

Basement Blues

Jun 18, 2026 (updated)3 min read

Rainy days in Toronto can be a real challenge for old townhouses with bad waterproofing

#basement flooding #old townhouses+3 more

Scooters in the Hallway, A Growing Problem

Jun 15, 2026 (updated)4 min read

Seven-thirty this morning and I'm already moving someone's e-scooter out of the middle of the hallway. Not leaning against the wall. Not tucked into a corner. Dead center, like whoever parked it there genuinely didn't consider that other people use this hallway too. It was a trip hazard waiting to happen — and in a building with elderly tenants and kids running around, that's not a small thing.

#building management #electric scooters+1 more

Residents using a shared building amenity

Caught on Camera: Respecting Shared Space

Jun 14, 2026 (updated)3 min read

Dealing with unpleasant incidents in a subsidized housing setting. This morning I started reviewing some security footage our custodian had flagged. She's been dealing with a bad smell in the stairwells for days and suspected someone was urinating in there. I wasn't looking forward to watching it, but I had to see what was going on.

#building management #subsidized housing+1 more

Heat Wave Chaos in the Building

Jun 14, 2026 (updated)3 min read

Toronto's first heat wave of the summer is putting our cooling system to the test, and it's not going great

#heat wave #cooling system+3 more

Building compactor room and waste disposal area

Garbage Compactor Machine Down: When Your Worst Building Nightmare Shows Up on a Tuesday

May 30, 2026 (updated)7 min read

A single cardboard box brought our garbage compactor to its knees — broken ram cylinder, sleepless machine, and mounting garbage. This is what happens when equipment fails in a multi-residential building and why prevention might be harder than you think.

#compactor failure #building maintenance+3 more

Residents in a shared hallway or common area

What Happens After You Talk to a Noisy Tenant (and They Sign the Paper)

May 21, 2026 (updated)7 min read

You've had the conversation, they signed the compliance form, and now you're wondering if that's actually going to change anything. In my experience, this is where the real work starts, not where it ends.

#tenant relations #noise complaints+3 more

Writing Through the Noise: Why I Started Blogging as a Superintendent

May 20, 2026 (updated)7 min read

Working in subsidized housing means constant pressure, unexpected emergencies, and emotional weight that doesn't just disappear at 4:30 p.m. I started blogging not because I had all the answers, but because I needed somewhere to put everything down and make sense of it.

#mental health #work stress+3 more

Back From Knee Injury: Why Running a 5K Matters When You Manage Buildings

May 19, 2026 (updated)6 min read

After overtraining led to a knee injury, I had to rebuild my running from scratch. Getting back to a full 5K reminded me that slowing down isn't weakness — it's how you stay in the game. For someone managing a building full-time, running isn't just fitness. It's how I stay sharp enough to handle what comes next.

#running #recovery+3 more

image of an emotionally tired superintendent

The Fine Line Between Compassion and Burnout in Working as a Building Superintendent

May 13, 2026 (updated)6 min read

Nobody warned me that the hardest part of this job wouldn't be the boilers or the work orders — it would be the people, and how much of their weight I'd end up carrying home. This isn't a post about solutions. It's about naming something that doesn't get named enough in this line of work.

#superintendent life #burnout+3 more

This Isn't a Landfill: Ongoing Battles with Garbage Compactor Misuse in Residential Buildings

May 13, 2026 (updated)7 min read

Garbage compactor misuse is one of the most persistent and costly problems in multi-residential buildings — and ignoring it only makes it worse. From metal frames to Christmas trees, here's what I've learned from dealing with it firsthand and what's actually helped cut it down.

#compactor misuse #building maintenance+3 more

One Kilometre at a Time: What a Knee Injury Taught Me About Coming Back to Running

May 13, 2026 (updated)5 min read

After a month off from a knee injury, I laced up and headed back out — but this time I walked the whole kilometre instead of running it. No heroics, no shortcuts. Just one step at a time, and a few hard lessons I probably should have learned a long time ago.

#running #injury recovery+3 more

Failed Your G Test Twice? Here's What I'd Tell a Friend Who's Been There

May 1, 2026 (updated)5 min read

Failing your G driving test once stings. Failing it twice can feel like a wall you're never going to get over. But the road to passing isn't about talent — it's about identifying what's actually going wrong and fixing that specific thing before you go back.

#G driving test Toronto #failed driving test twice+3 more

Trust isn't something you can manufacture or fake in this profession

Honesty Builds Trust: Why Character Matters in Building Superintendent Work

May 1, 2026 (updated)5 min read

Trust isn't something you can manufacture or fake in this profession. As a building superintendent, your character shows in the small moments, and those moments add up to something that either earns you respect or quietly costs you it. Here's why honesty is the most practical tool I carry.

#building superintendent #trust and integrity+3 more

My First Acupuncture Treatment: What a Running Injury Taught Me About Stretching and Recovery

Apr 24, 2026 (updated)6 min read

After pushing through runs without proper stretching, my knees finally had enough. My physiotherapist introduced me to acupuncture as part of my recovery, and I'll be honest — I wasn't expecting much. What happened next genuinely surprised me.

#running #acupuncture+3 more