Summary

Beaver Barracks is a two-phase construction project that provides 254 units of affordable housing and incorporates innovative sustainability features and technologies, such as geothermal heating and cooling, and a thermal-break system for balconies.

Context

To help ease its chronic shortage of affordable housing, the City of Ottawa called for tenders to develop Beaver Barracks, the vacant downtown site of a former military facility. Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) bid successfully and constructed a $65 million development with units ranging from bachelor suites to three-bedroom townhouses available at market-rate and subsidized rents. The project also meets City criteria to include a community garden and ambulance station.

Established in 1974, CCOC is a community-owned tenant and member-directed private non-profit organization. With more than 1,550 units in 50 properties across downtown Ottawa, CCOC is a recognized leader in affordable housing. To fund the project, CCOC raised $12 million in municipal grants and incentives, and $11 million in federal grants, and secured mortgages of $31 million from a bank and $9 million from the province.

Approach

After winning the bid for the project and buying the land from the City for $1, CCOC hosted a two-day design charrette with community organizations, neighbours, residents, designers, engineers and architects. The charrette helped to establish design priorities, such as energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse-gas emissions and inclusion of community spaces. The participation of technical experts enabled careful consideration of proposed features. The idea of installing sunshades to reduce air-conditioning costs, for instance, was rejected when simulation models revealed that investing in other features would have greater impact on performance.

The two-phase project involved five buildings, including two mid-rise towers and three wood-frame buildings. Feedback from the tenants of the Phase I building inspired improvements to the second phase, particularly regarding finishes and barrier-free design.

The additional costs associated with incorporating energy-efficiency and sustainability features and technologies led CCOC to make several difficult decisions. CCOC planned to certify the project LEED Gold, although it chose not to pay the additional costs of certification, for instance. And to offset the costs (and risk) of owning and operating the geothermal plant, CCOC negotiated a 25-year agreement with Corix Utilities. Each tenant pays for the electricity consumed by the heat pump installed in each unit, as well as a fee to offset the cost of financing and servicing the geothermal system.

The success of the Beaver Barracks project demonstrates that the affordable housing sector can innovate in energy efficiency."
– Ray Sullivan, Executive Director, Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation

Environmental Measures

• Canada’s largest (at the time) residential geothermal heating, cooling and hot-water system circulates water through underground loops and into pumps located in each unit
• First use in Canada of Isokorb® thermal-break technology – creates a thermal barrier between balconies and the rest of the concrete structure to reduce temperature variations, increasing the comfort of residents and decreasing long-term maintenance costs
• Green roof on project’s largest building provides extra insulation and storm-water management.
• High-performance windows improve energy efficiency and minimize noise from the adjacent highway
• Signage informs tenants about how to conserve energy and water
• Energy-recovery ventilator efficiently provides constant fresh air and improves indoor-air quality
• Project features low-flow plumbing fixtures and uses reclaimed wood
• Contaminated soil safely removed and treated prior to construction
   

Results

A Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) conducted by Dunsky Energy Consulting and funded by CMHC reviewed the project approximately three years after completion of construction. The POE covered a 15-month period and included a detailed analysis of energy systems during 12 consecutive months. A key metric was Energy Use Intensity (EUI): energy consumption per square metre of conditioned floor space. The EUI for Beaver Barracks was 50–65% lower than relevant Canadian and American database averages for similar facilities.

This advantage, however, did not lower total cost of energy for residents because of the fixed monthly geothermal fees. In fact, overall energy costs are approximately 20% higher than for an average Ottawa multi-unit residential building (MURB).

Energy Use Intensity (EUI)

EUI, measured as equivalent kilowatt hours per square metre (ekWh/ m2), for Beaver Barracks was 50%-65% lower than relevant Canadian and US database averages for similar facilities.

Source: POE conducted by Dunsky Energy Consulting for CMHC from January 1, 2015 to March 1, 2016

Imbalanced heating and cooling loads are another cause for concern. Geothermal systems must balance heating and cooling loads for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Beaver Barracks’ system, however, features a significantly higher cooling load. Engineering studies conducted after the POE identified several contributing factors, including summer temperatures that exceeded the baseline used to design the system.

In terms of water consumption, Beaver Barracks performed well. On a per-unit basis, water consumption was approximately half of the CMHC benchmark; on a per-occupant basis, it was 65% of the CMHC benchmark. Tenant usage accounts for the vast majority of water consumption. Overall results for inside-air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics and building envelope met the targeted standards.

Lessons Learned

Consultative design process improves results.
The two-day charrette identified several features that were incorporated into the project, including a storm-water irrigation system for an onsite community garden. In addition, the goodwill among residents and future tenants fostered by the charrette benefitted subsequent CCOC projects.

Third-party ownership of geothermal system can increase costs.
While energy performance and GHG emissions are both better than for comparable Ottawa MURBs, tenants pay higher utility costs due to fixed geothermal fees. CCOC and Corix share the risks associated with the geothermal system.

Involving multiple designers diminishes system performance.
Corix engineers designed the underground array and central energy plant, while CCOC contracted other engineers to design the distribution system, which includes heat exchangers and heat pumps. This division of duties may contribute to the system’s imbalanced heating and cooling loads, and the associated inefficiencies. Using a single team of engineers to design the entire system – from underground pipes to apartment heat pumps – might have produced better results.

Contact

Raymond Sullivan
Executive Director
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation
613-234-4065 ext. 233

The Accelerate Kootenays project in the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay, East Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary, BC, is the 2020 winner of the Visionary Award from FCM’s Sustainable Communities Awards.

When regional governments in the Kootenays, BC, wanted to address the gap in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the area, they spearheaded a project to build a regional clean transportation network. Thanks to collaboration between local governments, communities and many partners, the project established a network throughout the region that encourages EV use and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Commitment to collaboration drove project success

Since transportation accounts for 61% of GHG emissions in the Kootenays, enabling more electric vehicle use can have a significant environmental impact. Communities in the region are small, have low population density, and local governments have limited capacity and capital funding for large-scale infrastructure projects. To succeed in accelerating adoption of EVs, remove barriers to travelling within the region and encouraging EV tourism, it was necessary for local and regional governments to collaborate, work with 10 funding and implementation partners, and design one coordinated regional EV charging network.

Regional network considered local co-benefits

To build the network of 13 DC Fast Charging stations and over 40 Level 2 stations, the project team leveraged a $90,000 commitment from the Regional Districts to secure over $1.9 million in funding. Each community hosting EV stations was engaged in the site selection process, with a focus on generating co-benefits to the community by selecting sites near amenities, tourist attractions or community facilities. A number of community engagement activities were used to build interest in the project, including a winter driving video, EV test drive opportunities and promotional events at outdoor summer markets.

In an innovative arrangement, Level 2 equipment is owned and operated by the site hosts, representing the first time in BC that regional and local governments managed procurement independently of utility partners. This community-focused approach has become a model for similar jurisdictions across Canada.

Project reduced GHGs and sparked more green initiatives

During the pilot project alone, nearly 87,000 kilometres of EV travel were supported by the charging stations, which represents a reduction of 9,250 litres of gas and 21 tonnes of CO₂e, and the project is expected to achieve direct emissions reductions of over 25,000 tonnes of CO₂e by 2030. PetroCanada, Tesla and FortisBC have committed to installing more than 25 additional charging stations throughout the region and the project has inspired municipalities in the Kootenay Region to make further investments in clean energy. Several communities have installed solar arrays, and the City of Kimberley purchased an electric vehicle for municipal use.

Regional model created challenges for the project

One of the challenges the project faced was in developing a new model for regional and local municipalities to work with utilities to implement the project. It was the first time in BC that local governments designed and funded such a project, and new processes were required to make it work. They learned vital lessons about the importance of engaging provincial, regional and local government support early in the project, and the value of engaging local champions (the EV drivers) to help with outreach and public education, especially in rural areas where electric vehicles are a relatively new concept.

Summary

An abandoned, century-old industrial facility in midtown Toronto is transformed into a vibrant, sustainable community hub that includes 26 units of affordable housing. Artscape Wychwood Barns is the first designated heritage site in Canada to achieve LEED^® Gold certification.

Context

Built as a streetcar-maintenance facility a century ago, Wychwood Car Barns are a series of five buildings decommissioned in the 1980s and subsequently designated a heritage site. In response to community demand, the City of Toronto called for proposals to redevelop the four-acre (1.6 hectare) site while preserving some of its heritage. Artscape, a successful not-for-profit real-estate development organization led the project and operates the buildings under a 50-year lease.

Energy efficiency and financial sustainability are central to the project, which houses arts organizations, working artists and urban agriculture. Affordable housing accounts for about one-third of the project’s $22 million capital cost; rents for the 26 live-work spaces (studio, and one- and two-bedroom apartments) are geared to tenant incomes of tenants. The City of Toronto converted the remainder of the site into a park with a dog run, playground and skating rink.

Approach

Redevelopment was a difficult and expensive proposition for several reasons. The site was contaminated with creosote, asbestos and lead, for instance, while the heritage designation precluded demolition of the buildings. And residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods held starkly different opinions about redevelopment.

In 2001, Artscape established a Community Advisory Council. After more than five years of contentious and often bitter consultations, a compelling vision emerged: a beautifully restored property blending heritage preservation, arts and culture, environmental leadership, parkland, urban agriculture and affordable housing. The diverse uses attracted financial contributions from many sources and construction began.

Contaminated soil was removed; energy- and water-saving amenities were installed, including a geothermal system to heat and cool the buildings, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, low-flow water fixtures and a rainwater-collection system for toilets and irrigation. The project aimed to emit approximately 40% fewer greenhouse gases, and consume 60% less drinking water and 40% less energy than conventional buildings.

"By incorporating affordable housing, community development, heritage preservation and environmental sustainability, Artscape Wychwood Barns delivers social, environmental, financial and cultural benefits – the quadruple bottom line."
– Tim Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Artscape

Environmental Measures

• First designated heritage site in Canada to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification
• Geothermal system provides heating and cooling; reflective roof panels limit heat absorption in summer
• Rainwater flows into on-site cistern for use in toilets and irrigation; low-flow plumbing fixtures installed throughout
• No on-site parking encourages use of adjacent public-transit system
• Windows feature spectrally selective low-e glazing to reduce solar gains and enhances use of day lighting

Results

To date, Artscape Wychwood Barns has experienced challenges with the first generation geothermal system. The company that supplied and installed the system is no longer in business.

During the project, 7,400 cubic metres of contaminated soil were removed and treated. In addition, 71% of construction waste was diverted from landfill and 30% of building materials were sourced locally.

Artscape operates the facility on a cost-recovery basis without ongoing financial support from the City of Toronto. The property generates property tax revenues, and supports economic, social and cultural activities.

Lessons Learned

A consultative design process improves results.
The Community Advisory Council, along with Artscape, hosted a series of open houses and design charrettes to explore design ideas for the site with local residents. Friends of the New Park, an independent group of neighbourhood residents, supported these efforts and played a key role in the shared vision that eventually emerged.

Redeveloping former industrial sites often involves managing unforeseen difficulties and expenses.
Two factors complicated the remediation process: unexpected contaminants and changing standards for the removal and disposal of toxic waste. The decision to pursue LEED Gold certification also added to the complexity and cost of the project.

New technologies don’t always perform as anticipated.
The geothermal system, which featured a vertical underground network – most are horizontal – was challenged by first generation geothermal technology. Subsequent geothermal technologies are more reliable.

Contact

Tim Jones
Chief Executive Officer
Artscape
(416) 392-1038
tjones@artscape.ca

In Pointe-Fortune, a municipality with a population of 570 located in western Quebec, it was the mayor who took it upon himself to start managing municipal assets. In summer 2019, after completing a workshop on asset management given by the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, in collaboration with the Centre d'expertise et de recherche en infrastructures urbaines, as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP), the mayor realized what was at stake and pulled on his work boots and gloves to go do an inventory of the assets.

François Bélanger took his job seriously. After working in finance for 28 years, the mayor understood the value of having a municipal asset management plan that makes it possible to better plan actions, respond at the right place and time, and save money.

As is the case for many small municipalities, Pointe-Fortune has limited human resources. The city has two full-time employees—a city manager and an executive assistant—as well as a part-time inspector. In this case, the mayor was not required to engage his staff as much as he would in a bigger city, where it is crucial to rally a greater number of resources behind the objective and where interdisciplinary teamwork is key to making asset management a sustainable practice.

The mayor started by reviewing the city’s assets with the city inspector. He then began collecting data in the field, conducting an inventory of culverts, then roads, and carefully noting the condition of each asset. Afterwards, he did the rounds of all city properties, where he made some surprising discoveries.

This work helped Mr. Bélanger uncover the poor state of some municipal assets, including a culvert that required immediate action. He also discovered that his municipality had walking trails in an ecologically significant area near a neglected community building.

With sound knowledge of its assets and improved planning, Pointe-Fortune is now prepared to repair its roadway network within the next few years. It also plans on developing the potential of the community building as well as the trails leading to a marsh valued by ecologists.

Now that the asset management process is well underway, the mayor of Pointe-Fortune does not intend to just sit idly by. He plans to carry on by completing the inventory of municipal assets and refining the baseline data for each asset. To do so, he believes he will need additional resources, including a new application to replace the Excel spreadsheet currently used to catalogue inventory. He also plans on developing his skills with training and tools offered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Fédération québécoise des municipalités.

Information on the organization

Municipality: Pointe-Fortune
Region: Montérégie
Population: 570
Mayor: François Bélanger, elected in 2017 (city councillor since 2008)
Website: https://pointefortune.ca

Contact

Jean-Charles Filion, City Manager
Municipality of Pointe-Fortune
450-451-5178, ext. 2
directeur@pointefortune.ca

Additional resources

Learn about the asset management training available in your area.

Read the guide entitled Questions to ask before your municipality considers asset management software.

Pointe-Fortune mayor François Bélanger and city inspector Andréa Chouinard

Asset management involves making coordinated decisions about maintaining, replacing and repairing municipal infrastructure. This practice allows municipalities to handle their assets in a sustainable way and provide reliable services to their citizens.

A key challenge for many municipalities, whether they are just getting started in asset management or further along the path, is to ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours (or “competencies”) to develop and implement asset management policies and programs.

About the Asset Management Competency Framework

The Asset Management Competency Framework for Canadian Communities (AMCF) is a tool that can help. The framework explains the different skills and knowledge needed for effective asset management, the job types where those competencies are relevant, and how all the pieces fit together across your municipality. It shows you how to assess and grow staff skills and knowledge in a systematic way. 

To complement the AMCF tool, CNAM is excited to offer a new Implementing the AMCF Framework E-Learning course. Learn how to take the recommended steps for implementing a competency framework and apply them to your organization with self-guided lessons by top industry leaders. You’ll learn about building a competency management program to enhance AM capacity with the flexibility to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Ultimately, you will be able to create a map of the strengths and weaknesses of individuals, teams and departments. This provides a foundation for planning how to fill the gaps—through learning activities, recruitment and succession planning.

"Well-developed competencies that are aligned with an organization’s strategic priorities provide…a very clear description of the culture that you want to have as an organization."
– Iain Cranston

The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) created this tool with assistance from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Municipal Asset Management Program.

In a truly collaborative effort, CNAM developed the AMCF in partnership with eight other national associations with expertise in various aspects of asset management, community management and associated industries. To ensure that it would be useful on a very practical level to a broad range of communities, two groups of communities piloted the framework.

Who is it for?

The AMCF was designed to be relevant to a broad spectrum of communities.

"Users of the AMCF can be confident that it will serve as a useful tool for all communities, regardless of their size or where they may be in their asset management journey. Using a standardized framework that aligns with industry best practices, significantly improves our ability to build asset management capacity within the organization."
– Chris Klos, City of Winnipeg, MB

What can the AMCF do for you?

The Asset Management Competency Framework can help you…

• Develop a shared understanding across your municipality of the asset management roles and responsibilities held by each department or job type
• Update existing job descriptions to include the knowledge, skills and behaviours (i.e. competencies) relevant to asset management
• Create new job descriptions for any full-time asset management positions you would like to fill
• Assess the competency proficiency levels of staff on a four-level scale
• Communicate to council the value of further training and additional staff
• Develop a program to address competency gaps through training and recruitment
• Improve succession planning

Sign up to access the Asset Management Competency Framework and learn more about how to get started.

"I have a better appreciation of how important people are in an overall asset management system”
– Logan McVeity, Town of East Gwillimbury, ON (cohort participant)

"The AM Competency Framework (AMCF) … supported my creation of new job descriptions and hiring of staff to support asset management within the City of Regina. The AMCF will further support development and training of staff both within my branch and also more broadly across the organization."
– Geoff Brown, City of Regina, SK (cohort participant)

Other resources

• With support from FCM, CNAM has developed an introductory booklet, Asset Management 101: The What, Why, and How For Your Community.

Contact

Iain Cranston
CNAM MAMP3 Program Manager
Tel:  250-801-0598

General inquiries about the AMCF

In the Region of Peel, ON, extreme rainfall events have caused flooding that has impacted residents and municipal infrastructure. With climate change, these occurrences are expected to become more frequent and severe. Temperature increases intensify the environmental impacts, making the receiving streams more vulnerable to a rise in water temperature.

A key strategy in addressing this issue is the region’s expanding network of roadways, whose drainage systems contribute to the flow of stormwater into the watershed. The Region of Peel completed an innovative project to reconstruct the storm drainage system using a low-impact development (LID) approach that mimics the natural movement of water through the environment on a six-lane regional road - Mississauga Road. The project was funded through a grant from FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP).

In 2014, Peel’s regional council made plans to pilot low-impact development principles as part of a watershed approach to stormwater management. The aim is to take the health of the whole watershed into consideration, while reducing infrastructure life cycle costs and maintaining high service levels.

Low-impact development uses existing landscape features and construction techniques to infiltrate, filter and absorb rainwater upstream, where it falls. It’s a cost-effective way to reduce stormwater runoff, improve its quality and prevent temperature changes in receiving waterways.

The Mississauga Road project is the first instance in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of this green infrastructure approach to stormwater management and could be a model for future road projects. The region installed a bioswale - linear channels designed to concentrate stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution - in the centre median of the roadway, made up of granular material and native plants. A pipe diverts stormwater from the road drainage system into the median, where it passes over weirs to prevent erosion and subsequently, irrigates the plants. The vegetation filters and cools the water before it re-enters the drainage system.

The region plans to begin monitoring the system in 2020. This will include automated water quality sampling and the monitoring of flow and water levels.

Project details

• Project: Mississauga Road low-impact development stormwater pilot project
• Sector: Water
• Grant amount: $925,600
• Lead entity: Department of Public Works

Primary objectives

• Reduce the vulnerability of both new and existing municipal assets to climate change impacts such as flooding.
• Mitigate increases in stream water temperature in the Credit River.
• Reduce the number of overflow events.
• Avoid costly upgrades to conventional infrastructure.
• Reduce infrastructure life cycle costs and extend the life of municipal infrastructure.
• Reduce erosion in receiving watercourses, which in turn reduces hazards, protects property and reduces municipal costs related to erosion protection.
• Improve watershed health.
• Maintain high levels of service.
• Reduce water consumption.

By the numbers

• 25mm of precipitation of each rain event treated, covering 90% of all rain events
• 10–36% reduction in runoff volumes
• $1,560,000 anticipated reduction in capital expenditures
• $3400 anticipated reduction in maintenance/repair costs (existing stormwater management pond)
• $83,400 anticipated reduction in maintenance/repair costs (erosion control)
• 5.63 hectare drainage area with imperviousness of 67.7%

Project activities

• Prepare the site and remove existing materials, including asphalt pavement, impressed concrete, concrete curb and gutter, existing median planters and temporary asphalt curb and gutter.
• Install a storm sewer network and components, including an oil and grit separator to capture oils and sediments from stormwater runoff.
• Install concrete weirs, a bioswale and a planting bed.
• Complete remediation of the roadway and surfaces, including a concrete curb, gutter, median and splash pad.
• Complete the landscaping by installing a jute mat, plantings and accessories.

"On a watershed basis, regional roads represent a major contributor to watershed flow through storm drainage networks discharging to local watercourses. Over the past decade, the Region of Peel has experienced several severe weather events that have resulted in significant impacts to municipal infrastructure systems and services. The Mississauga Road LID project has significant environmental, social and economic benefits that will help to create a more sustainable community in West Brampton by reducing, cleaning and cooling stormwater before it enters the natural environment and providing a gateway feature for the community."

— Samantha Paquette, Project Manager, Infrastructure Programming and Studies, Transportation, Public Works, Region of Peel

Resources 

• Mississauga Road Low Impact Development Infrastructure Performance and Risk Assessment