News
CaGBC 3rd Annual National Conference in Vancouver
This week the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is hosting its 3rd Annual National Conference at the recently renovated Vancouver Convention Centre. The event, which runs from June 8-10, is all about LEED and sustainable construction. BC Hydro’s Deputy CEO Bev Van Ruyven—named one of Canada’s most powerful women—is serving as Honourary Conference Chair, while green building expert Vivian Loftness is a keynote speaker.
June 9, 2010 By John Gilson
A Canadian treasure: the Vancouver Convention Centre
The CaGBC couldn’t have picked a better location than the Vancouver Convention Centre, as its iconic West building was recently awarded LEED Platinum certification in February. For those not in the know, Platinum is the highest level of LEED certification.
Ken Cretney, General Manager of the Vancouver Convention Centre, said this about the building back in February: “From the very beginning of the expansion project, our goal was to create a building that is not only functional and beautiful, but also environmentally sustainable in every way, bringing urban ecology into the downtown core. We are committed to doing our part in reducing the facility’s carbon footprint and to create a healthy environment for both staff and guests.”
The Vancouver Convention Centre’s new features include:
• A 6-acre green roof, the largest of its kind in Canada
• A drainage and water recovery system, which has reduced potable water use by 73%
• A seawater heating and cooling system
• And natural light and ventilation
Performance Matters
Performance Matters is the theme of this year’s National Conference. To illustrate this theme, the 3-day conference’s schedule will be jam-packed with numerous workshops and seminars. Many topics will be covered, such as: LEED Canada updates and its future direction; green building case studies; instructional perspectives; and information on new CaGBC programs and tools.
Another topic that will be covered is the CaGBC’s “GREEN UP” program. “The GREEN UP program is a suite of tools, performance standards and resources that allows building owners and operators to see where they rank with other buildings in Canada,” said Ron Lemaire, vice president of Market Development for the CaGBC. “It helps them understand and measure the on-going performance of their building portfolio to help them find efficiencies and improvements in energy, water use and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Each afternoon of the CaGBC conference will be dedicated to exhibitors, with plenty of new technologies, products and solutions featured on the trade show floor. Exhibitors that will be present include Philips Lighting, GE and Schneider Electric. Over 1000 people are expected to step foot on the exhibit floor, most of them involved in the integrated building chain.
For more information on the CaGBC, go to www.cagbc.org.
Print this page
