The Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced a $2.5 million investment through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to help reduce pollution in Nova Scotia.
“With 18 percent 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,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “This net-zero engineering and public works operations centre will create good jobs while pioneering the practices we need to reach net zero by 2050. Our government is pleased to help the County of Kings and municipalities across Canada identify and capitalize on opportunities to lower emissions, increase energy efficiency and switch to sustainable practices.”
The Municipality of the County of Kings receives $2,530,100 for the construction of a net-zero engineering and public works operations centre, the first net-zero facility to incorporate two different operations and building-system requirements.
“Our new net-zero Engineering and Public Works Operations Centre is a motivator toward leading-edge actions that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to municipal operations,” said Peter Muttart, Mayor, Municipality of the County of Kings. “The new building is about far more than upgraded bricks and mortar. It is a real-world example of how reimagining the built environment can benefit future generations for the challenging decades to come.”
To meet the net-zero energy goal, the building design incorporates energy efficiency measures such as passive design, alternate building envelope components, automated control systems, heat pumps, a heat-recovery system and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on and next to the building. Energy usage will be monitored by two power meters: one to record power generated by the solar PV array, and one to record the amount of power used from the conventional power grid. GMF previously funded the County of King’s feasibility study for this project.
“The Municipality of Kings County is playing a strong leadership role in climate change adaptation and reducing emissions,” said Kody Blois, MP for Kings–Hants. “I am pleased to see the Government of Canada, through the Green Municipal Fund, investing in projects that will support Kings County’s goal of transitioning toward a low-carbon economy.”
The Green Municipal Fund (GMF), administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, is funded through a major endowment by the Government of Canada. The GMF helps local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. Its unique mix of funding, resources and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency and reduce GHG emissions.
“Local governments influence half of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Geoff Stewart, third VP, Federation of Canadian Municipalities. “That means local action is critical, and it is happening. With support from the Green Municipal Fund, municipalities of all sizes are implementing smart low-carbon solutions. Together, we can improve our community infrastructure, accelerate the path to net-zero and meet Canada’s climate change goals.”
Featured image: (COUNTY OF KINGS)
