Our Community Buildings Retrofit initiative is dedicated to assisting small and rural communities and municipalities in enhancing the sustainability and energy efficiency of their existing public facilities and structures by completing building retrofits.
Within this factsheet page, you will find informative resources designed to guide you through the process of successful retrofit and energy management projects. These resources offer valuable insights into the numerous advantages that these projects bring, including increased affordability, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and an improved quality of life for the community members who utilize these buildings. If you seek to optimize the energy efficiency of your current community structures, our resources will provide essential information to help you meet your performance goals.
Planning an emissions reduction pathway for community buildings
Discover how planning an emissions reduction pathway for your community buildings is essential for achieving climate goals within budget constraints. Municipalities manage a vast portfolio of community structures that significantly contribute to GHG emissions. By implementing targeted GHG reduction measures, like enhancing energy efficiency and adopting renewable energy solutions, you can align your climate action objectives with your financial realities.
Explore the diverse benefits of GHG reduction pathways, from long-term planning and climate accountability to financial efficiency and interdepartmental collaboration. Our tailored roadmap outlines five actionable steps, from building selection to feasibility studies, to help you succeed. Real-world success stories show you how other municipalities have achieved remarkable emissions reductions and cost-effective investments, inspiring you to take meaningful action.
Supporting new energy and climate staff
Dive into our short guide to learn more about how Canadian municipalities can better support new staff with effective onboarding and training that will eliminate decision-making delays and inefficiencies in the implementation of their energy and climate programs.
To ensure new hires can quickly become productive members of the department, they need to be equipped with the proper knowledge, skills, and relationships. Our guide is packed with strategies, from succession planning to knowledge retention, as well as key steps for a successful onboarding process that will help your team thrive. It also provides examples of leading professional development and networking opportunities to encourage continuous learning and skill development for all staff.
Getting to net-zero in community centres with indoor swimming pools
Chinguacousy Wellness Centre in Brampton, Ontario
The City of Brampton is focusing on decarbonizing its most energy-intensive buildings to reach its goal of reducing community-wide emissions by 50% from 2016 levels by 2041. As part of this strategy, the Chinguacousy Wellness Centre—a 25-year-old building with three indoor swimming pools—conducted a net-zero feasibility study to plan the way forward. The study identified two potential low-carbon scenarios: deep retrofits to aggressively reduce GHG emissions and immediate low-cost measures without retrofits.
Discover results from this study and important recommendations provided by Junaid-Saleem Khan, Supervisor, Energy Management, City of Brampton.
Achieving energy and carbon reduction in community buildings through asset management plans
Asset management plans help local governments construct, maintain and dispose of municipal infrastructure assets while minimizing risk and cost to the community and maximizing service delivery. They also provide a strategic opportunity to support energy and carbon reduction goals.
This guide aims to give Canadian municipalities a better understanding of asset management planning, including the benefits of integrating energy and carbon reduction into asset management planning, the first steps in achieving this, and a list of resources.
Measurement and verification for energy-efficient community buildings
To ensure that energy-saving measures and building operations are achieving their intended energy-efficiency targets, well-executed measurement and verification (M&V) is crucial.
This guide introduces the M&V process, explains the benefits of a robust M&V plan, provides key steps of the process and provides additional M&V resources.
Featured resources
Guide: Taking your indoor ice rink to net zero
Learn how to develop an actionable roadmap to net zero ice rinks
Read moreGuide: Taking your indoor swimming pool to net zero
Key measures and lessons learned to help you build a net-zero plan
Read moreGuide: Equity and non-energy benefits of community building retrofits
Explore how retrofits can build more equitable and resilient municipalities.
Read moreRelated Resources
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Local energy generation
Energy
Webinar recording: New GMF funding and support to accelerate community energy systems
Watch our webinar to explore GMF’s new funded learning offer: Accelerating Community Energy Systems. Discover best practices, funding insights and strategies for your municipality.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Aspen Heights: Redefining affordable housing in Saskatoon
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Heartland Housing Foundation: Building a sustainable future in Fort Saskatchewan
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Building a better future: CABN’s net-zero affordable housing pilot
Sustainable affordable housing
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Pine Tree Park: Transforming affordable housing with energy efficiency and solar power
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy | Housing
Rossland Yards: Transforming affordable housing in Rossland, BC
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Transforming communities with Sustainable Affordable Housing: Article series
In a series of six articles, we highlight impactful projects funded by GMF's Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative, demonstrating how energy-efficient, community-centered housing can foster resilience and well-being.
Sustainable affordable housing
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YWCA Banff: Building stability and community through affordable housing
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Guide: Equity and non-energy benefits of community building retrofits
Explore the equity and other non-energy benefits of retrofitting community buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Accelerate your community’s net-zero transformation with new GMF funding
Watch our webinar to discover how GMF’s new funding can help you upgrade infrastructure and reduce local GHG emissions.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Webinar recording: The real impact of home-energy efficiency financing
Watch our webinar to discover how you can achieve your climate goals by implementing a home-energy efficiency financing program in your community
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Webinar recording: Transform your approach to energy efficiency with the Housing Providers’ Toolkit
Watch the discussion on how to take advantage of the Housing Providers’ Toolkit.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Guide: Taking your indoor swimming pool to net zero
A guide with key measures and lessons learned to help you build a plan for net-zero indoor swimming pools.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: How to start reducing GHG emissions in community buildings
Watch the discussion on how to create a GHG reduction pathway for community buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to get a project started, tips for small francophone communities
If you’re a small francophone municipality looking to develop sustainability projects and access funding, watch this webinar to learn how others overcame common challenges.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar Recording: Enhance comfort and energy savings with municipal building envelopes
Watch this webinar to explore strategies for optimizing municipal building envelopes, enhancing both comfort and energy efficiency.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Energy efficiency for reaching net zero
Learn how municipalities can advance energy efficiency initiatives to reach net-zero targets.
Energy
Webinar recording: Planning for net-zero emissions
Municipal leaders and experts discuss strategies for achieving net-zero emissions targets and scaling up climate action efforts at the local level.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Durham Region, ON launches novel financing model
A video showcasing innovative and accessible financing options for home-energy upgrades.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Video: Retrofitting community buildings for maximum GHG reduction impact
A short video explaining the pathway approach of retrofitting a building - using an outcomes-oriented approach - to achieve (near) net zero carbon buildings over time.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Community Buildings Retrofit Advisory Service
The CBR Advisory Service is a new service that is intended to help smaller municipalities by matching them to industry leaders who understand best practices in the CBR field and can help provide personalized coaching and advice, including clarified goals, insights, and replicable results.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Community Efficiency Financing market guide
Guide to help Canadian municipalities assess potential home energy upgrade programs
Local energy generation
Energy
Webinar recording: An introduction to district energy
Learn how a centralized heating and cooling system can help your municipality reduce GHG emissions and save money.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar recording: Supporting small and medium municipalities through the Community Buildings Retrofit initiative
Watch this webinar recording to learn about successful examples of completed retrofits, how municipalities can choose the right funding options and to answer any questions about the funding process.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Guide: Taking your indoor ice rink to net zero
A practical guide to get you started on your own net zero retrofit plan and to help you develop an actionable roadmap to net zero ice rinks.
Municipal fleet electrification
Transportation
Priority Municipal Actions to Enable Zero Emission Vehicle Adoption
GMF and Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) collaborated to create six priority municipal actions to accelerate zero emission vehicle adoption.
Sustainable affordable housing
Energy
Understanding energy efficiency: A guide for affordable housing providers
This guide is for affordable housing providers, such as municipalities or housing cooperatives, interested in improving energy efficiency in their buildings.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Webinar: Transitioning ice rinks to net-zero
Learn the basics of building retrofits for facility buildings
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Resource library: Community Buildings Retrofit
Find practical case studies and guidance for planning your local community building retrofit.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Webinar recording: Introduction to local home-energy financing programs
Learn the basics on delivering local financing programs for home-energy upgrades.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Saskatoon delivers Saskatchewan’s first local home-energy financing program
Learn how the City of Saskatoon designed its Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) to help residents retrofit their homes and reduce GHG emissions.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Resources: Community Efficiency Financing
Read guidebooks and case studies to see how municipalities are designing home upgrade financing programs.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Kingston supports homeowners with financing program for energy upgrades
Hear from Julie Salter-Keane, Manager of Climate Leadership at the City of Kingston, as she discusses the City’s program implementation and their approach to designing a strong local program.
Energy
Factsheet: Governance components for deep decarbonization
This factsheet introduces senior municipal leaders to key components of a good governance structure for deep emissions reductions and implementation actions.
Energy
Factsheet: Governance strategies for deep decarbonization
This factsheet provides senior municipal leaders with governance strategies for achieving deep emissions reductions in each decarbonization pathway.
Energy
Factsheet: Municipal governance for deep decarbonization
This factsheet provides senior municipal leaders with the pathways and steps for achieving deep decarbonization and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Energy
Climate Action Accelerator for Community Buildings
Is your municipality looking to drive climate action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in municipally-owned buildings, but is unsure how to maximize time and impact, secure funding and partnerships, or how to get started? FCM’s Climate Action Accelerator for Community Buildings will help up to 20 small and mid-sized municipalities take climate action within their building portfolios.
Energy
Video: Tips from Iqualuit’s LEED Silver aquatic centre
In this video, you will learn the key elements and lessons learned that helped Iqaluit succeed on building its energy efficient aquatic centre.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: New municipal financing program removes barriers to energy-efficiency upgrades for homeowners
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.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: Introduction to home energy upgrade programs
Watch this video to learn more about home energy upgrade programs and how they can help municipalities to tackle climate change, save money, and invest in the local economy.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Video: New municipal financing program removes barriers to energy-efficiency upgrades for homeowners
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.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: Take your project from study to capital
Watch this webinar recording and discover how others have successfully converted studies into a capital project that provides social, economic and environmental benefits.
Energy
Webinar recording: How to adapt green municipal projects to stand the test of time
Watch this webinar recording and explore how to build and adapt projects to make them truly sustainable in the long term.
Energy
Webinar recording: The 5 keys to a green municipal project business case
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.
Energy
Introducing GMF’s Community Buildings Retrofit initiative
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.
Energy
Article series: Meet LC3’s climate leaders
Read our article series to get to know the leaders of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network, and learn how they are advancing effective ways to address climate change in big cities.
Municipal and community buildings
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GMF’s Municipal Energy Roadmap
Solutions for Canadian communities to achieve significant GHG emissions reductions in buildings and meet long-term sustainability objectives.
Municipal and community buildings
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Primer for elected officials: Municipal Energy Roadmap
This primer for elected officials outlines how the Municipal Energy Roadmap can help choose the right energy-related solutions for your buildings.
Sustainable affordable housing
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Regional Energy Coaches
Regional Energy Coaches help affordable housing providers plan energy efficiency retrofits and new builds.
Municipal and community buildings
Energy
Factsheets: Municipal Energy Roadmap
These factsheets offer specific guidance around building-level solutions, community-level solutions, and long-term strategies to help you drill down and meet your objectives.
Community efficiency financing
Energy
Webinar recording: How to create an efficiency financing program for your community
An overview of the funding options, eligibility and application details of GMF’s Community Efficiency Financing program.
Community efficiency financing
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Factsheets: Community Efficiency Financing
Learn how to design, deliver and market a home upgrade financing program for your community.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recordings: Best practices in municipal sustainability
How are cities and communities of all sizes tackling their environmental challenges? Find out from our five-part webinar series on innovations and opportunities in municipal energy, waste, water, transportation and land use initiatives.
Energy
Tool for municipal clean energy program development: Use the Energy Poverty and Equity Explorer to reduce energy poverty and greenhouse gases
The Energy Poverty and Equity Explorer tool, developed by Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners (CUSP), offers municipalities access to relevant data so they can better understand energy poverty, and other equity and affordability challenges in their communities.
Energy | Housing
Webinar recording: How to prepare a GMF capital project application
Need advice for preparing your GMF capital project funding application? Watch our webinar recording to hear tips from our staff and find out what reviewers are looking for.