Ottawa, ON – April 15, 2014 – The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is pleased to announce it 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.

Quebec's 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.

"Écohabitation is committed to working with the CaGBC and our partners to help rebuild the town centre of Lac-Mégantic,” says Jean-François Méthé, LEED Program Coordinator for Écohabitation. “Sustainable buildings will benefit the entire community by revitalizing the hardest hit areas, and positively impacting citizens, land owners and the municipality as a whole with improved health benefits and cost-savings from high-performing green buildings.”

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.

Tyler Hermanson, who is Director, Lead Designer and Senior Consultant of 4 Elements, is happy to be contributing, having lost his family’s summer home due to the flooding.

“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,” he says. “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.”

“These two events took a major toll on both the citizens and infrastructure of these regions. The CaGBC is pleased to contribute to rebuilding these communities, helping them become more resilient to future unforeseen events, weather-related or otherwise. Sustainable housing and commercial buildings with durable, better quality construction, reduced energy costs and healthier indoor spaces will provide lasting benefits to these communities and their residents,” says Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council.  

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. For more information on this program, please contact LEED Canada for Homes.

Media Inquiries
Renée Rietveld
CaGBC Media Relations
613-288-8075

About Ecohabitation

Ecohabitation is Ecohome's French language sister organization. Along with being Quebec's only LEED for Homes provider, Ecohabitation is a not-for-profit organization founded in the year 2000 that provides builders and homeowners with the necessary resources to build more energy efficient and sustainable houses.

About CaGBC

The CaGBC (www.cagbc.org) is the leading national industry organization advancing green building and sustainable community development practices. We work closely with our member organizations who are involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings and homes in an effort to make every building greener.

The CaGBC reduces environmental impacts from the built environment through education/training, building certification, advocacy and information sharing. The CaGBC is the license holder for the LEED green building rating system in Canada. In addition to LEED, the CaGBC also supports the Living Building Challenge, Passive House Standard and EcoDistricts in Canada.