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When structural issues forced the closure of Iqaluit’s municipal pool, the city’s 7,740 residents were left without a central community space to get healthy, active and connect with each other. The City of Iqaluit envisioned a bigger and better replacement. Amy Elgersma, CAO of the City of Iqaluit tells the story of what could be a model for sustainable building practices for the city and other Northern communities.

In her presentation Ms. Elgersma discusses overcoming challenges of construction in Northern communities, including transportation, energy, historical contamination and permafrost.

Some highlights and results include:

Triple bottom line benefits: The centre created 38 jobs, and is expected to reduce Co2 emissions by 794 tonnes annually and  reduce water consumption by 30%, while also providing a location for community members to connect and improve their physical and mental health.

Stakeholders / Community engagement: The City of Iqaluit developed a need-based fund to ensure Inuit Children and their families can access all the benefits of the aquatic centre and its programs.  The Jimmy Kilabuk Childrens Recreation Fund is named after an elder, former councillor and mayor who passed away before he could see his dream of building the Aquatic Centre through to completion.

Capacity building: Over 2500 swim lessons have been taught through learn to swim programs and school swim programs which has resulted in the certification and subsequent hiring of local youth as lifeguards and swim instructors.

Financing: GMF opened the door to allow the City of Iqaluit to secure financing for its energy efficient Aquatic and Fitness Centre.

Critical partnerships: The City of Iqaluit and Qulliq Energy Corporation demonstrated a unique multi-level government partnership with its district heat agreement realize green-house gas emission reductions and cost-savings.  The success of the partnership led to a commitment to connect an additional three City of Iqaluit facilities to the District Heat System.

Speaker

Amy Elgersma, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Iqaluit

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Gordon Szaszi, Project Manager Housing Development, shares Niagara Regional Housing (NRH) experience creating the business case for a 67-unit affordable housing development for seniors. This modern and welcoming building is a boon to the community, a great example of urban intensification integrating much-needed community housing, and a wonderful new place for seniors to call home.

Other project highlights include:

Triple bottom line benefits: This project contributed an estimated $9 million to the Welland economy; the building achieved a 51% reduction in typical energy consumption,  and eliminates 44 tonnes of GHGs annual

Critical partnerships: Achieving LEED Silver certification required strong relationships with designers, consultants, planners, Municipal and Regional departments.

Capacity building: The implementation of this project brought new sustainable knowledge and practices to NRH, the City of Welland, and the Region as a whole.

Stakeholders / Community engagement: The Fitch Street development is an example of sustainable affordable housing providing a high quality of life to local residents.

Speaker

Gordon Szaszi, Project Manager Housing Development at Niagara Regional Housing

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Learn more on driving efficiency in community housing projects!

Check out the Case Study on this initiative.
Explore our Sustainable Affordable Housing Funding initiative.
This video is extracted from the webinar "The 5 keys to a green municipal business case" presented on February 2, 2021. Watch the full webinar.

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Marie-Pierre Paquette discusses how the municipalities of Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères banded together to launch a joint pilot project that would bring energy-efficient home renovations within reach for more homeowners.

The Financement innovateur pour des Municipalités Efficaces (FIME) program (Innovative Financing Mechanism for Efficient Municipalities),  supports energy-efficient solutions like heating, lighting and insulation. The pilot program also included personalized coaching services.

The benefits of this pilot program have extended beyond Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères. By the end of the pilot in 2017, plans were set in motion to deploy the program to the rest of the province, with 10 more municipalities joining.

Learn how your municipality can implement a similar model to remove barriers to energy efficiency and lower GHGs

Speaker

Marie-Pierre Paquette, Director, Civic Life Department of the City of Plessisville

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For the sake of quality, the video is available in its original language with the possibility of adding English subtitles.

Find out more about community efficiency financing programs!

This video is extracted from the webinar "Take your project from study to capital" presented on March 2, 2021. Watch the full webinar.

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Increasing energy efficiency in Canadian homes can go a long way in helping homeowners reduce their GHG emissions, lower operating costs and increase home comfort.

Municipalities can make this easier and more affordable for residents by offering local financing programs for home energy upgrades.

Wondering how to get started in your community? Watch this video to learn:

  • What home energy upgrade programs are and how they work
  • The different types of programs you can offer your residents
  • Ways to secure financing to implement a local program

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Our Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative supports local affordable housing providers – including municipal, not-for-profit organizations and housing co-ops – to retrofit existing affordable housing units, or construct energy efficient new builds that emit lower greenhouse gas emissions. 

This list of curated resources provides useful information on your affordable housing retrofit or new build project. It is focused on the different project stages including: discovery; planning; study; pilot and capital projects; and operations and maintenance. Learn more about:

  • the most effective and energy efficient methods to make buildings more sustainable
  • various operations and maintenance recommendations for efficient buildings
  • the steps required to begin the retrofit of an existing multi-unit residential building
  • how to select different energy efficient technologies for your housing project
  • energy efficient methods to make buildings more sustainable
  • and much more

We will continue to update this page with additional resources as they become available.

Please note: all files appear in the language in which they were provided, and are organized by category: retrofit, retrofit and new build and new build.  

Understanding energy efficiency
Energy conservation measures
Getting inspired on energy efficiency
Developing a business case for an energy efficiency retrofit
Working with consultants
Engaging residents in energy efficiency projects
Operations and maintenance
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Marie-Pierre Paquette discusses how the municipalities of Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères banded together to launch a joint pilot project that would bring energy-efficient home renovations within reach for more homeowners.

The Financement innovateur pour des Municipalités Efficaces (FIME) program (Innovative Financing Mechanism for Efficient Municipalities),  supports energy-efficient solutions like heating, lighting and insulation. The pilot program also included personalized coaching services.

The benefits of this pilot program have extended beyond Plessisville, Varennes and Verchères. By the end of the pilot in 2017, plans were set in motion to deploy the program to the rest of the province, with 10 more municipalities joining.

Learn how your municipality can implement a similar model to remove barriers to energy efficiency and lower GHGs

Speaker

Marie-Pierre Paquette, Director, Civic Life Department of the City of Plessisville

Read the transcript

For the sake of quality, the video is available in its original language with the possibility of adding English subtitles.

Find out more about community efficiency financing programs!

This video is extracted from the webinar "Take your project from study to capital" presented on March 2, 2021. Watch the full webinar.

Did you find this page helpful?
Please offer suggestions that will improve the learning center for you:

How do you ensure your projects last?

Long term vision is key to building projects that maximize their potential, especially when it comes to climate impacts and emissions. These projects require careful planning and a management approach that can adapt to changing circumstances.

Watch this webinar recording and explore how to build and adapt projects to make them truly sustainable in the long term. The presentations draw on 20 years of GMF-supported initiatives to showcase the possibilities. Plus, you’ll learn from sustainability champions who explain how they overcame changes to staff and systems to maintain their projects over time.

This webinar recording includes how to:

  • Convert current costs into opportunities for future development
  • Measure environmental, social and economic benefits
  • Retain those benefits after project completion
  • Take advantage of GMF funding and capacity building opportunities

Speakers

  • Bryan Purcell, The Atmospheric Fund, Toronto Community Housing energy retrofits
  • Johanne Ouellet, Regional electric car-sharing system implementation (SAUVéR) pilot project
  • Michael Hay, Hybridizing public transit in the unique Town of Banff
  • Jim Wren, Advisor, Programs Outreach, Community Efficiency Financing, GMF
  • Anne-Charlotte Olivier, Project Coordinator, Capacity Development, GMF

Read the transcript

For two decades, we’ve led the way in supporting innovative municipal sustainability projects across Canada. Through GMF’s unique mix of training, resources and funding, municipalities have improved their air, water and soil quality, and tackled the impacts of climate change. With our help, municipalities and their partners have brought more than 1,310 sustainable projects to life.

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Learn how to take your study or pilot to the next level

How does a feasibility study or pilot project pave the way to a capital project? Watch this webinar recording and discover how others have successfully converted studies into a capital project that provides social, economic and environmental benefits. You’ll learn about sustainable initiatives that have made the transition at various stages in the process, how each stage fits in the big picture, and the types of support GMF can provide from start to finish.

This webinar recording includes how to:

  • Convert a planning or feasibility study into a capital project
  • Prioritize the right solutions for your municipality
  • Take advantage of GMF funding and capacity building opportunities

Speakers

  • Glenda Holmes, City of Yorkton’s water treatment plant
  • Marie-Pierre Paquette, innovative financing for efficient municipalities
  • Megan (Walsh) Lohmann, Head of Community Energy Management of the Regional District of of East Kootenay
  • Tara Tran, Greenwich Mohawk brownfield remediation
  • Patrick Kehoe, Programs Outreach Advisor, Green Municipal Fund

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For two decades, we’ve led the way in supporting innovative municipal sustainability projects across Canada. Through GMF’s unique mix of training, resources and funding, municipalities have improved their air, water and soil quality, and tackled the impacts of climate change. With our help, municipalities and their partners have brought more than 1,310 sustainable projects to life.

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Before you can start a new project, you first need to get buy-in from your municipal council or other city staff. Set yourself up for success by building a strong business case for your proposed sustainability initiative. 

Watch this webinar recording and discover the five critical focus areas you need to address to get your project started, from financing and partnerships to integrating a triple-bottom-line approach. With presentations from municipal champions who have successfully launched green initiatives, you’ll gain valuable insights on how to bring your project to life.

This webinar recording includes how to:

  • Finance your project and ensure long-term financial viability – and how GMF can help.
  • Forge long-term partnerships with firms, agencies and contractors.
  • Include capacity building in your strategy.
  • Integrate social, climate and economic benefits into your plan.
  • Engage with your community and other key stakeholders at every stage of the project.

Speakers

  • Kevin Boutilier, Solar City Halifax
  • Gordon Szaszi, Niagara Region's 1st Social Housing LEED Building
  • Amy Elgersma, City of Iqaluit's new LEED Silver Aquatic Centre

Read the transcript

For two decades, we’ve led the way in supporting innovative municipal sustainability projects across Canada. Through GMF’s unique mix of training, resources and funding, municipalities have improved their air, water and soil quality, and tackled the impacts of climate change. With our help, municipalities and their partners have brought more than 1,310 sustainable projects to life.

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Please offer suggestions that will improve the learning center for you:

Discover our new Community Building Retrofit initiative

From libraries and recreation centres to arenas and swimming pools, community buildings support vibrant, healthy communities and provide residents with access to important social services. The challenge is that these facilities also use a lot of energy and can stress municipal operating budgets. Optimizing the performance of existing community buildings can help your municipality lower energy costs, and improve the delivery of community services, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

To help you get started with your next community building upgrade project, the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) has launched a new $167 million Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR) initiative. This initiative helps municipal governments and non-profit organizations that own and operate community recreational and cultural facilities to implement retrofits that will save money and reduce GHG emissions over the full lifespan of the buildings.

In this webinar recording, you will:

  • Explore the benefits of retrofitting community buildings, including success stories from municipalities who have completed similar projects.
  • Discover how GMF can support your community building retrofits, from funding for energy monitoring, building commissioning, studies and capital projects to capacity-building activities and resources.
  • Identify next steps to begin work in your community.

Speakers

  • Juliana Fanous, Project Officer, Sector Development, GMF
  • Patrick Kehoe, Advisor, Programs Outreach, GMF
  • Yvonne Ritchie, Project Officer, Capacity Development, GMF (moderator)

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