Free LEED registration being given to rebuilding projects in Calgary and Lac-Mgantic
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is working with regional partners to lend support to the rebuilding efforts underway following the Lac-Mégantic train derailment and the 2013 Calgary floods. The CaGBC will provide free LEED registration and certification for commercial projects in Lac-Mégantic and for homes in the Calgary region.
The Lac-Mégantic train derailment in July 2013 led to the destruction of roughly 40 buildings in the community. The town centre of Lac-Mégantic will be rebuilt using sustainable design and construction, which will reduce energy and resource consumption for owners, funding agencies and residents alike, leading to lower utility costs and the potential for significant financial savings.
Québec home builder and LEED Canada for Homes Provider, Écohabitation, will work with the CaGBC and the town of Lac-Mégantic on the redevelopment. Écohabitation has already begun helping to rebuild in the community, contributing their expertise to the construction of 50 LEED Silver certified condo units completed in October 2013, named the “Condos Lighthouse.” The project was spearheaded by Les Constructions Hallé et Frères Inc.
In Calgary, intense flooding in June 2013 led to the damage of thousands of homes in the region. As rebuilding efforts continue in the affected areas, the CaGBC is working with Alberta home designer and LEED Homes Provider, 4 Elements Integrated Design, who will offer free LEED administration on top of the free registration and certification being provided by CaGBC.
“The flood was a terrible event and has had dramatic effects on Calgarians, but we are moving forward and rebuilding for a better, stronger Calgary, and LEED can be a part of that,” says Tyler Hermanson, Director, Lead Designer and Senior Consultant of 4 Elements, and who lost his family’s summer home due to the flooding. “Rebuilding to LEED standards is a way of building better than before, leading to homes that are more durable, comfortable and healthy. It will be a great legacy to leave after 2013.”
In April 2013, the Council launched an Affordable Green Housing Program which provides similar incentives to charitable housing projects across Canada each year. To date the program has supported the sustainable construction of 22 affordable housing projects, with another 42 registered for certification.