The City of Montreal's Pedestrian and Shared Street Program is the 2018 co-winner in the transportation category of FCM's Sustainable Communities Awards.

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Small-scale projects in Montreal neighbourhoods are helping residents walk and bike more, and are adding green space to the urban environment. (Photo: City of Montreal, QC)

How can a large city meet residents' growing demands for active transportation in their local neighbourhoods? The City of Montreal, QC is rising to the challenge with a program that supports small-scale, borough-led street design projects that encourage walking and cycling. The initiative improves public health and safety, and benefits the environment by promoting sustainable transportation and greening urban spaces.

Flexible, phased approach is key to the program's success

The local projects focus on redeveloping streets near public gathering-places, such as shops, schools, museums or markets, to encourage walking and create more shared public spaces. Rather than applying a one-size fits all solution, project teams take a flexible approach, testing different options and improving proposed measures over two years before installing more permanent infrastructure in year three. This gradual transformation gives residents and businesses time to adapt to the changes, and allows for community input. This approach provides valuable insights that are being shared with boroughs across the city.

Small, local initiatives add up to city-wide benefits

The program supports the City's Sustainable Development Plan, Pedestrian Charter and Transportation Plan. Closing or narrowing traffic lanes or reducing speed limits calms traffic, and eliminating street parking and enlarging sidewalks reduces car dependency. Two streets have been closed to traffic altogether, and a pilot project is underway to evaluate sharing pedestrian streets with slow cyclists in areas where there are no bike lanes. Converting local commercial streets into pedestrian areas helps local businesses by increasing foot traffic, promoting window shopping and improving neighbourhood appeal. Projects also create green space to reduce heat islands by adding urban agriculture and greening impervious surfaces.

Projects enhance Montreal's family-friendly environment 

Installing recreational features and urban furniture encourages people to spend more time in the new spaces, benefiting their physical and mental health. Residents can enjoy features and play structures made from sustainable materials, such as obstacle courses, carousels, seating to stop and rest, as well as water fountains and bike repair stations.

Want to develop a similar project in your community?

Download our project guide to learn more about award-winning strategies and use the guiding questions to kick-start your sustainability initiative.

Read the guide

FCM's Sustainable Communities Awards recognize and celebrate sustainability leaders and trailblazers in municipalities of all sizes across Canada.

The Regional Municipality of Durham's Community Climate Adaptation Plan is the 2018 winner in the climate change category of FCM's Sustainable Communities Awards.

Watch the video and read the case study to learn more about this project. Download our guide below to get started on a similar project in your community.

Transcript

When it came time for the Regional Municipality of Durham, ON to develop its community climate adaptation plan, no single method suited its needs. So, staff developed a hybrid approach that combined two methodologies along with local expertise and scientific projections of future weather conditions in their area. The result is a far-reaching plan that will help the community adapt to the realities of climate change over the next 25 years.

Pioneering approach to developing a community climate adaptation plan

To develop its community climate adaptation plan, Durham Region blended the ICLEI Adaptation Methodology and Toronto WeatherWise Partnership process, and used the best available scientific data from a Future Climate Study of projected weather in the 2040s. They gathered over 60 experts from local municipalities and agencies, who used the projected weather data to identify hazards and risks to buildings, roads, electrical systems, human health, the natural environment and food security.

Socially-minded plan will look after residents' future needs

The result of this integrative process is a socially-minded plan that focuses on using and supporting natural systems and green infrastructure as much as possible. Programs supporting social adaptation include protecting outdoor workers from exposure to extreme weather and providing wellness checks during weather events for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or ill, and low income households. Plans include educating high-rise dwellers on emergency protocols, implementing higher building standards for new construction, retrofitting older homes to better protect against climate change, and strengthening the electrical grid and extreme weather alert and response system.

Plan protects community from economic losses due to extreme weather

The plan will reduce the municipality's exposure to uninsured losses and mitigate loss of revenue for businesses due to climate events. During emergencies, it will reduce the need for assistance from other jurisdictions, and lower the risk of loss of life. The plan will also improve infrastructure and social recovery time from extreme weather events.

Want to develop a similar project in your community?

Download our project guide to learn more about award-winning strategies and use the guiding questions to kick-start your sustainability initiative.

Read the guide

FCM's Sustainable Communities Awards recognize and celebrate sustainability leaders and trailblazers in municipalities of all sizes across Canada.

After the roof collapsed on the Springhill Arena in 2001, the Town of Springhill constructed a new multi-purpose community centre to accommodate sports, recreation, culture, tourism and business activities. The centre is the largest facility in Atlantic Canada to rely on geothermal energy for heating and cooling. A particularly innovative feature is the use of geothermal energy to chill the arena ice. A piping system draws warm water from a nearby abandoned coal mine, and heat exchange technology generates power that freezes the ice. Waste heat created during this process is used to provide radiant heat to the building.

This project saw the completion of two out of three planned phases of construction. The first phase includes an arena with an NHL-sized ice surface, seating for 800, a walking track, five dressing rooms, a room for officials, storage facilities, a canteen and kitchen, a meeting room and town administrative offices. The second phase includes a 3,100 square foot multipurpose room and teen centre. The third phase, still in the planning stages, will include a 4,285 square foot community gymnasium with two extra dressing rooms.

Results

Challenges

• The site originally proposed for the community centre (the site of the old Springhill Arena) was unsuitable because it was built on top of old mine workings, and a new location had to be found that was close to a good source of mine water.
• Construction costs were significantly higher than originally projected, because of market factors and underestimation, and some features had to be redesigned.
• Finding a well with enough water to meet the facility's needs required five exploratory drillings, and designing the system to circulate the water was complex.

Lessons learned

• Consider using waste heat from the ice-making process to heat the building, maximizing the resource.
• Include contingency funds in the project budget in case contractors underestimate expenses or market fluctuations affect prices and timelines.
• When designing a geothermal system that uses mine water for energy, consider the building's proximity to the resource. Mine water could be pumped to the building, or heat could be extracted at the source. 

Partners and Collaborators

• The planning, building and fundraising committees included town staff, community members, businesses, seniors and youth, school representatives and provincial government representation. Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Active Living Branch.

Project Contact

Brian Herteis
Director of Engineering and Public Works
Town of Springhill, NS
T. 902-597-2496

Hydrology Study for Non-mechanical Cooling of a Proposed LEED Silver Municipal Police Building

The City of Prince George investigated the possibility of cooling its new RCMP headquarters with groundwater. This could reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and the water would be returned to the aquifer.

A pump test on an 80.8-metre deep test well suggested the aquifer could provide the flow rates and yields needed for the proposed open-loop geothermal cooling system. The water was, however, slightly warmer than would be ideal for cooling. As the water was found to be quite hard, the well would need to be refurbished every two to three years to prevent scaling and clogging.

The groundwater system would be backed up by a small conventional system.

Results

Challenges

• Initial groundwater testing showed high levels of contaminants, requiring a thorough flushing of the well.
• Rainfall and capacity limitations of the municipal sanitary system, which received the purged water, made it difficult to schedule the pump test.
• High levels of bacteria suggested the well would need regular maintenance to avoid clogging.

Lessons learned

• Review all available information about the suitability of an aquifer for thermal energy extraction before drilling.
• Avoid drilling twice by making the test well large enough to serve as the permanent well.
• Despite the added cost, run the pump test long enough to thoroughly flush the well before testing for contaminants.

Partners and Collaborators

• City of Prince George
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund
• SNC Lavalin

Project Contact

Greg Anderson
Civic Facilities Manager
City of Prince George, BC
T. 250-561-7615

Ile-des-Chenes Community Centre New Build Energy

To prepare for a projected 12 per cent population increase by 2035, this bedroom community 15 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg built an energy-efficient community centre featuring a large daycare facility, a 500-seat banquet hall and 6,000 square feet of rental space for medical and government services.

To reduce energy costs and attract more government funding, the municipality opted for a district geothermal heating and cooling system that serves not only the community centre but a refurbished arena and fire hall nearby. The 30,000-square-foot centre, built in anticipation of a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) silver certification, has many energy-saving features, as well as low-flow toilets and water-saving taps.
 
Energy costs for the new centre, arena and fire hall are expected to be about 60 per cent lower than those for ordinary buildings of similar size. 

Results

Challenges

• Meeting strict government-imposed construction deadlines.
• Adding the arena and fire hall to the geothermal system mid-project to qualify for more government funding.
• Incorporating costly design changes after construction was underway.

Lessons learned

• Carefully review the business case for big projects before work begins to avoid learning as you build.
• Be familiar with design requirements for government-funded projects to avoid expensive late-stage changes.
• Move deliberately. Rushed design and construction work can lead to costly oversights.

Resources

• Southern Comfort Mechanical Engineering Illes Des Chenes Fire Hall
• Manitoba Geothermal Energy Alliance

Partners and Collaborators

• Municipality of Ritchot 
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund
• Westland Construction Ltd.

Project Contact

Roger Perron
Economic Development Officer
RM of Ritchot
T. 204-899-0035

Toronto Solar City Assessment Partnership

Unsure of the real-world performance of solar energy systems, the City of Toronto's Toronto Atmospheric Fund decided to evaluate 16 projects completed on municipal properties. The projects included solar-powered water heating at community pools and a solar wall to pre-heat air at a community centre. Four large solar photovoltaic arrays sending electricity to the provincial grid were also studied.

Independent experts visited all 16 sites and gathered data on energy production, annual costs, maintenance challenges and payback periods.

A list of best practices for solar energy projects was developed and shared with industry, municipal staff and the public at six information sessions.  The detailed reports on each project are shared on the web.

Results

Challenges

• Technical problems with solar-heated pool systems and solar-powered indoor heat systems
• Rodent damage to domestic solar-heated water systems
• Improperly installed monitoring equipment

Lessons learned

• Solar energy systems work best if the on-site operator is trained by the system installer.
• Solar energy projects should provide for ongoing monitoring.
• Inform local councillors and communities of municipal solar energy initiatives.

Partners and Collaborators

• Toronto Atmospheric Fund
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
• City of Toronto Energy and Waste Management Office
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund

Project Contact

Tim Van Seters
Manager, Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
T. 289-268-3902

Consolidated Maintenance Facility

The City of Kitchener has consolidated its once-scattered maintenance operations into a former Michelin tire plant.

The facility, which now features a solar roof, geo-thermal heat recovery and low-flow fixtures, was redesigned to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification. Road and park maintenance, water and sewer work, fleet repair and snow clearing operations — formerly spread over five sites — now operate from a single 45-acre location. The city's corporate call centre, stockrooms, salt and bulk material storage and greenhouses — and a total of 450 employees — have also moved to the site.

Energy and other efficiencies at the $66-million facility will save the city $350,000 a year.

Results

Challenges

• Migrating city maintenance operations and 450 employees to a single site without disrupting essential services.
• Meeting daunting approval and documentation requirements of various funding agencies.
• Gaining dedicated resources and support from city managers and council.

Lessons learned

• Dedicate a team to the project rather than adding it to the staff workload.
• Make a strong business case to ensure council and public support and to access government funding.
• Review service and space needs thoroughly to avoid expensive last-minute redesigns.

Partners and Collaborators

• City of Kitchener
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund
• IBI Group
• Stantec Consulting

Project Contact

Cynthia Fletcher
Director, Facilities Management
City of Kitchener, ON
T. 519-741-2600 ext. 4424

Devereaux Conservation House

Worried that the town's rural character was being lost in a sea of new homes for buyers from nearby Toronto, concerned residents of Halton Hills launched a campaign to save Devereaux House, a condemned town-owned 19th-century heritage home on 100 acres of farmland.

To forestall slated demolition, Friends of Devereaux House argued that energy-saving upgrades and renovations could transform the residence into a rentable, financially self-sufficient community meeting place. The town agreed, and added $150,000 to a $34,000 Green Municipal Fund grant and $400,000 in private donations to refit the house with a geothermal heating and cooling system, new energy-saving windows, on-demand water heaters and high-grade wall and roof insulation.

Devereaux House is now a popular spot for social events and home to a community soccer club. Rental revenue covers operating costs.

Results

Challenges

• Finding contractors who shared the heritage group's conservation ethic.
• Hiring builders with energy-efficient heritage restoration experience.
• Persuading time-conscious tradespeople to restore, rather than replace, heritage features.

Lessons learned

• Volunteer fundraising takes time. Be prepared to spend more than you expect.
• Community members develop a sense of ownership in projects when they volunteer and help raise funds.
• Municipal authorities are amendable to financially self-sustaining heritage projects.

Partners and Collaborators

• Town of Halton Hills
• FCM's Green Municipal Fund
• Friends of Devereaux House
• Green Propeller Design

Project Contact

Ann Lawlor
Friends of Devereaux House
Halton Hills, ON
T. 905-877-5662

To accommodate an increase in police staff and meet the requirements of police and forensic services, the Region of Waterloo built a new Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) Investigative Services Branch building, including a forensics laboratory and vehicle examination garage, meeting rooms, office space and ancillary support rooms. Located next to the existing headquarters facility in Cambridge, Ontario, the 4,148-square-metre building received LEED Gold certification for environmental sustainability.

The project used four strategies to achieve exceptional energy efficiency results: load avoidance, heat recovery, use of renewable energy sources and installation of high-efficiency equipment. Innovative features include energy recovery ventilators, a condensing boiler and domestic hot water heater, demand-controlled ventilation, extra building insulation, high-performance windows, efficient lighting design and indoor water conservation fixtures. Rainwater is collected in an underground cistern and used for non-potable requirements such as toilet flushing. Outdoor stormwater management features and native plant species encourage wildlife and eliminate the need for pesticides and irrigation. The region chose furniture and equipment to minimize off-gassing, and developed a green housekeeping program for the building that sets a standard for the future.

Results

Challenges

• It was difficult for the building designers to understand the specific government regulations for the forensic laboratory portion of the building, and changes had to be made to the building design once third-party specialists reviewed the plans. Expectations should have been clarified through closer collaboration in the design stage.
• Heat recovery from the ventilation system was challenging to install in the laboratory, where it is critical to avoid cross-contamination between exhaust air and supply air. Separate ductwork was required, with filtration of both incoming and outgoing air.

Lessons learned

• Use an integrated design process to ensure that the individual systems work together holistically, with all the disciplines at the table and information fully disseminated to all team members.
• Target LEED certification rather than simply asking for a building that meets LEED standards, to ensure that goals are met and to verify results through third-party review.
• Choose contractors who are experienced with LEED certification requirements, be clear about expectations and ensure that pictures are taken to document LEED compliance measures.

Partners and Collaborators

• Police Services Board, Waterloo Regional Police Service
• Rebanks Pepper Littlewood Architects
• Enermodal Engineering
• Odan/Detech Group
• MCW Consultants Ltd.
• Melloul-Blamey Construction

Project Contact

Charles Allen
Manager, Facilities Engineering
Region of Waterloo, Ontario
T. 519-575-4050