Net Zero News
Green Municipal Fund awards over $3.2 million to 16 municipally led projects

July 12, 2022 – 16 municipally led projects are collectively receiving over $3.2 million to undertake retrofits and other upgrades to lower emissions and improve energy performance of community buildings.

The funding comes via the Green Municipal Fund’s (GMF) Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR) initiative.

The City of Dieppe, N.B., receives $2 million to complete an energy retrofit of the Arthur-J.-LeBlanc Centre. Since this building currently uses significant energy due to its age, says NRCan, so “these retrofits represent an important opportunity to address an existing financial, technological, and environmental challenge for the city”.

The project follows a feasibility study that was also funded through the GMF. To improve its energy performance, the city will implement 17 strategies for the building’s renovation and transformation. This project should result in an energy reduction of 44%, and an estimated GHG emissions reduction of 46%.

“The Arthur-.J.-LeBlanc Centre has been an integral part of the active life of our community for many years, and we are proud to be able to make a number of energy efficient improvements to it,” said Yvon Lapierre, Mayor.

The Town of Truro, N.S., receives $365,200 to improve the energy efficiency of the Douglas Street Recreation Centre, as well as its police station. Planned upgrades include LED lighting, replacing oil-fired boilers and hot water heaters, replacing an existing air handling unit with a new variable speed model, installing a building automation system and building envelope improvements.

The Town of Tisdale, Sask., receives $24,000 to complete a GHG reduction pathway feasibility study to help integrate energy efficiency and GHG emissions reductions into long-term planning for managing the RECplex—the town’s multipurpose facility.

The Town of Comox, B.C., receives $69,600 to complete a study on integrating energy and GHG emissions reductions into long-term plans for managing community buildings.

Other recipients include:

• Village of Chauvin, Alta. – $14,000 to plan a new building monitoring and analysis system.

• Town of Drayton Valley, Alta. – $25,000 to plan a community building and monitoring and analysis system.

• Capital Regional District, B.C. – $148,400 to assess the development of a GHG reduction pathway for recreation centres.

• Town of New Glasgow, N.S. – $180,000 to assess the feasibility of Greener New Glasgow’s GHG reduction pathway.

• Cape Breton Regional Municipality, N.S. – $200,000 to assess the feasibility of a GHG and energy reduction pathway.

• Cape Breton Regional Municipality, N.S. – $55,000 to plan the recommissioning of CBRM buildings.

• Cape Breton Regional Municipality, N.S. – $25,000 to plan CBRM arena building energy monitoring and analysis.

• District of Barrington, N.S. – $25,000 to plan the monitoring and level 1 audits of large energy-consuming municipal buildings.

• QUEST/Town of Kentville, N.S. – $25,000 to plan for new energy monitoring and analysis systems in three municipalities within the County of Kings.

• Pictou County Wellness Centre Building Authority, N.S. – $36,000 for GHG reduction pathway feasibility study.

• Town of Rosthern, Sask. – $25,000 to plan for a building monitoring and analysis system at the Rosthern Jubilee Sports Centre.

• Village of Grand Coulee, Sask. – $24,800 to plan a building monitoring and analysis project.

Natural Resources Canada explains the Community Buildings Retrofit initiative is part of a $950-million federal investment in the Green Municipal Fund “designed to scale up energy-efficiency and lower emissions across Canada”.