FEDS INVEST $300K IN GREEN BUILDING RETROFITS

It takes money to start the process of upgrading buildings to be more environmentally friendly, and two Simcoe County cities received investments for just that.

The federal government and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) on May 29 invested more than $900,000 of the Green Municipal Fund's Community Buildings Retrofit initiative into feasibility studies across Ontario.

The City of Orillia got $98,360 to look at reducing greenhouse gas emissions at five municipally-owned buildings, including City Centre, Rotary Place, the Orillia Public Library, Fire Hall 2 and the wastewater treatment centre.

The study will examine innovative technologies new to the city, such as geothermal heat pumps and ice plant heat recovery, according to a press release.

The City of Barrie received $200,000 to study greenhouse gas emission reduction measures for eight municipal facilities, which account for 60 per cent of the city's buildingrelated emissions.

The study will consider unique aspects of each building, the potential for renewable energy, replacing equipment, and capital planning to identify optimal reduction pathways.

The new funding for Barrie is separate from the $50,000 the city was given by the FCM in 2021 to study a retrofit to ice rinks and the construction of the new Allandale GO transit hub. That money was part of a previous $377,310 wave of green funding.

Sault Ste. Marie, Caledon, Carleton Place and Essex are also receiving funding

for the studies.

Efforts to shrink the carbon footprint of municipal buildings are crucial for reaching national emissions targets, Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan

Wilkinson said.

"With 18 per cent of Canada's GHG emissions coming from our buildings, making new and existing builds more energy-efficient while simultaneously investing in

clean infrastructure will be a crucial part of achieving our climate targets," Wilkinson said.

"The Government of Canada is pleased to help municipalities across Ontario

identify and capitalize on opportunities to lower emissions, increase energy efficiency and switch to sustainable practices."

Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said Canada's goals of a net-zero economy "requires innovative housing solutions that create jobs and build climate resilience while making life more affordable through energy savings."

It's an effort that starts at the local level.

"Whether big or small, communities are at the heart of climate action," FCM president Scott Pearce said.

"The building sector is the third-largest source of emissions in Canada, which is why it is so important that communities in Ontario and across the country find green solutions which apply to it. Together, we can improve our community infrastructure, accelerate the path to net zero and meet Canada's climate change goals."