Nearly 44 per cent of people in urban areas live in apartments and condos, as stated in a report by the The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF). If retrofitted to become more energy-efficient, these types of buildings could support national efforts to reduce GHG emissions. A key barrier is the lack of information available to support the technical and economic feasibility of these types of projects. The Accelerating Deep Energy Retrofits (ADER) project is changing that.

TAF, in partnership with the City of Toronto, is working to implement retrofits to four multi-residential buildings in the downtown Toronto area and in the City of Hamilton. The buildings, totaling 791 households, represent a range of ownership structures and residents, from young families to seniors, and include:

• Rental apartments
• A condominium 
• Two low-income social housing buildings

The City of Hamilton will help develop lessons learned and best practices for future scale-up efforts, and will add a multi-unit residential complex to the initiative.

“We’re excited about this project’s ability to accelerate the adoption of retrofits around the country. My favourite thing about it is the opportunity to improve health and comfort for building residents, even as we reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. For example, heat pump technology not only dramatically reduces heating energy use, it also provides highly efficient air conditioning.”

—Bryan Purcell, Vice-President, Policy and Programs, The Toronto Atmospheric Fund

The average number of days above 30˚C in the Toronto area has increased by more than 50 per cent. This means residents of older, multi-family buildings are increasingly exposed to unhealthy temperature extremes. This project aims to dramatically reduce this type of exposure. TAF has already installed air-source heat pumps at two sites in the past year and has undertaken design work on the remaining buildings. These deep energy retrofits can reduce operating costs, improve indoor environmental quality and resident comfort and create local jobs.

“This is the best thing that has been done for [our] housing. It lowers [our] energy bills, provides heating and cooling. It's a lot colder in the summer and a lot warmer in the winter. You have more freedom and control,” says Diane Laidley, a resident at one of the Toronto ADER sites.

As a way to see firsthand how residents can benefit from the heating and cooling retrofits, TAF will also undertake a comprehensive monitoring and verification process to help ensure that the expected energy savings continue to materialize throughout the newly installed systems’ lifecycles.

The participants will widely share the knowledge gained from these projects through case studies, white papers and presentations.

This project will:

• Reduce GHG emissions by 546 tonnes C0₂e/year
• Reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in the four buildings by at least 40 percent
• Reduce water consumption with the installation of new low-flow fixtures and ultra-low-flow toilets

Additional resources

• Green Municipal Fund 2018-19 Annual Report

Bike paths are an anomaly in Nova Scotia, and this project was the largest component of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's (CBRM) Active Transportation (AT) plan. In 2007–2008, it carried out public consultations, including focus groups, five public open houses and an online survey. An advisory committee met regularly after the study to monitor the project's progress. Its representatives included:

• The municipality
• The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation
• Velo Cape Breton
• The Regional Health Authority
• Mayflower Mall
• Cape Breton University
• Heart and Stroke Foundation

The path is expected to:

• Remove 1,240 vehicles from the road
• Reduce vehicle kilometres travelled by 7,936,000 per year
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.5 million kg of CO₂e per year
• Stimulate economic growth by increasing interaction between Sydney and Glace Bay, as well as the university
• Serve approximately 4,000 students and 450 staff at the university
• Serve approximately 1,400 students and 170 staff at the Nova Scotia Community College (Marconi Campus)

Many of their design suggestions were incorporated into the final plan

The 10-kilometre multi-use path links Sydney, Glace Bay and Cape Breton University. It's an off-road, AT corridor, where people can walk, bike, inline skate or skateboard with minimal vehicular interactions. It's a safe alternative transportation route in a corridor that was previously served only by the Grand Lake Road–a four-lane highway. The pathway is wheelchair accessible.

"I think this project truly showed that we can make huge improvements in our communities if we apply ourselves and commit to the implementation of our AT plan. My hope is that people will realize the potential we have in regards to converting existing rail beds and trails into functioning AT corridors."
— Malcolm Roach, Operations Supervisor, Public Works East, New Waterford and Area, Cape Breton Regional Municipality

This new route will enhance Mayflower Mall's economic viability by connecting it to nearby residential areas. It's the region's largest shopping centre. The 570 students living on campus can now access shopping and employment opportunities by bicycle, reducing their personal travel costs. Other students and university employees from Sydney and Glace Bay can now bike to campus.

"The feedback from our membership has been overwhelmingly positive... Though designed as a transportation corridor, it is proving to be recreational, especially for new cyclists and families with young cyclists."
— Andree Crepeau, Vice-President, Velo Cape Breton

Additional resources

• Green Municipal Fund 2018-19 Annual Report

The Village of Ryley took a big step in its asset-management journey in 2017, when it commissioned an infrastructure assessment and 10-year capital plan. Completed by an independent engineering firm, the work represents a milestone for Ryley, a village of about 500 people an hour southeast of Edmonton.

“For the first time, councillors now have the current, accurate data they need to make sound budgeting decisions,” says Michael Simpson, Ryley’s chief administrative officer. “And we now have the capacity to update the data and ensure it will be just as relevant for future councils.”

Since accepting the job in 2017, Michael Simpson has encouraged Ryley’s five-member council to adopt asset management. Previous stints as CAO of the nearby Village of Willingdon and as Vegreville town councillor have deepened his understanding of the municipal infrastructure challenge.

Continuity is critical.... Councils and CAOs come and go, but municipal staff tend to stay in their jobs longer and can educate incoming administrators and councillors about long-term plans.”
– Michael Simpson, Ryley’s chief administrative officer

“Michael has helped us recognize the advantages of a long-term, strategic approach to managing our assets,” says Mayor Terry Magneson. “Like my father and grandfather, I’m a local farmer who’s served on municipal council. And like them, I want to ensure that Ryley continues to thrive long after I’m gone. Asset management helps achieve this goal.”

Ryley took advantage of funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) to complete the research and planning project. MAMP covered about two-thirds of the project’s engineering fees. Ryley now has critical information about the condition of its sewer systems, roads and sidewalks, along with a 10-year plan of the work needed to ensure that this infrastructure continues to meet the needs of residents.

Another aspect of the project is training for Ryley’s staff of five people. The village saved money by accessing the training tools developed by Alberta’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

A desire to exercise greater control over its future inspired the Rural Municipality of Frenchman Butte No. 501 to move ahead with asset management. Nestled along the Alberta border and covering nearly 2,000 square kilometres of Saskatchewan, Frenchman Butte is home to approximately 1,500 people. Although agriculture is a mainstay of the economy, the oil-and-gas industry is increasingly important and several companies operate facilities in Frenchman Butte.

“The industry has been great for the community,” says Rita Rogers, Frenchman Butte’s chief administrative officer. “More and more young people choose to stay and take advantage of employment opportunities, for instance, and property taxes from the industry account for more than 90 percent of municipal revenues. One of the downsides, though, is that many heavy trucks drive on our roads, increasing our maintenance costs.”

We need to designate heavy-haul roads and design maintenance policies based on current information about road conditions and traffic patterns.”
– Rita Rogers, Frenchman Butte’s chief administrative officer

Rita Rogers is well versed in the planning challenges faced by rural municipalities. She worked for several of them — including Frenchman Butte — as a contractor before starting her current job in 2017, and also served on the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) sub-committee on asset management.

“To plan effectively, a municipality needs a sound understanding of the infrastructure they own, the condition it’s in and how it’s likely to be affected by future development,” she says. In 2017, Frenchman Butte launched a multi-stage initiative focused on asset management. A grant from the Municipal Asset Management Program, administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, enabled Frenchman Butte to start training its Reeve, six Councillors and a staff of eight people.

“Training helps everyone come to a shared understanding of our goals and how to achieve them,” says Rita Rogers. “It will also help us to develop and update plans for asset management and capital expenditures.” MAMP funding also enabled Frenchman Butte to draft an initial strategic plan, which is now before council. In the meantime, the rural municipality continues to meet regularly with representatives of adjacent jurisdictions to ensure that transportation networks remain effective. A working group meets quarterly to provide updates on new and anticipated developments.