I'm not aware of a conscious decision to pursue longer leases as a matter of course. That said, I know that Public Works negotiates the lease terms and conditions on a case-by-case basis, bearing in mind the client's needs. Now, if a client was only going to be in a building for three years, let's say, Public Works might enter into a longer arrangement with a landowner on the understanding that in the entirety of their portfolio, they have so many puts and takes. In Ottawa, that strategy would work. In the regions, that strategy would be much less practised, because you don't have the same ebb and flow.
On March 20th, 2007. See this statement in context.