Canada Green Building Council - Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent, Honoured with Green Building Champion Award

SAINT-LAURENT, QC, June 3, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent, was honoured with the Green Building Champion Award of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) on Thursday, June 2, 2022. The award was presented at the CaGBC's annual Building Lasting Change conference, Canada's premier green building industry event, which returned to Toronto June 1-3, 2022 after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Green Building Champion Award in the Green Building Leadership category rewards a deserving individual with outstanding achievements and successes in promoting green buildings within that person's field of expertise.

"I'm proud and pleased to receive this new award from the Canada Green Building Council. It recognizes nearly 30 years of efforts and results in combining innovation, architectural quality and environmental protection, first in Saint-Laurent and more generally in Montréal. This award highlights, for example, the more than 4,000 LEED-certified buildings in Saint-Laurent or those in the process of being certified since 2012. It also echoes our strategic planning, including the implementation of our Climate Emergency Plan adopted in the fall of 2021. This plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through numerous measures, such as optimizing the energy performance of our public buildings. And lastly, I am receiving this award as an incentive to continue to leave no stone unturned in responding to the climate emergency!"

Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent

In 2014, Alan DeSousa, had already been presented with the CaGBC Government Leadership Award. That same year, he also won the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Green Champion Award.

He has received several prestigious architectural awards in the past as well:

• 2019 - Ambassador of Architectural Quality - Ordre des architectes du Québec
• 2017 - Award of Excellence: Advocate for Architecture or Benefactor of Architecture - Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC)
• 2015 - Jean-Paul-L'Allier Award - Ordre des urbanistes du Québec

He was also recently appointed Chair of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) Council on May 5, 2022, a $1.65-billion fund administered by the FCM to support municipalities of all sizes across Canada in carrying out their sustainable development projects.

This new CaGBC award pays tribute to more than 30 years of achievements in architectural quality and advocacy for sustainable development and environmental preservation.

Specifically, Mr. DeSousa is currently serving his sixth term of office as Mayor of Saint-Laurent and has been a member of Ville de Montréal's Executive Committee for over 11 years. He also served on the Council of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) from 2002 to 2017 and was a member of its Executive Committee for eight years.

He has contributed to Montréal's sustainable development and environmental policies, moving them from planning to implementation.

Through his commitment and determination, Saint-Laurent, in 2019, notably became the first Québec municipal entity with a population of more than 100,000 to complete the final phase of the FCM's Partners for Climate Protection program. The Saint-Laurent Biodiversity Corridor has received two national awards since 2020 from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. The Bibliothèque du Boisé was honoured with the 2017 Green Building Award from the RAIC and the Canada Green Building Council.

As La Presse recently mentioned, of all municipalities, the most ecological housing being built is in Saint-Laurent.

Alan DeSousa Appointed Chair of the Green Municipal Fund Council (press release of May 5, 2022)
Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent / À l'avant-garde de la transition verte (La Presse, 2022/04/16)
Saint-Laurent 2021-2030 Climate Emergency Plan

A city established in 1893, Saint-Laurent became one of Montréal's 19 boroughs in 2002. Located north of the island of Montréal, Saint-Laurent is the largest borough of all, with its 42.8 square kilometres. Its population of over 100,000 is one of the most multicultural. With the borough having become a "sustainable municipal territory" in 2019, its Administration places sustainable development?and environment protection, in particular?at the heart of all its decisions: a challenge that is all the greater since more than 70% of its territory is devoted to industrial and commercial activities, with over 4500 companies and 110,000 jobs. In fact, it is home to one of Québec's main industrial and technological hubs. Already boasting great accessibility to the main highways and public transit, Saint-Laurent is getting ready to welcome 5 train stations within the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail network. And last but not least, with Saint-Laurent's two libraries, its Centre des loisirs (recreation centre), its modern Complexe sportif, its arena and some 50 parks, a wide range of services are offered in many areas of activity, such as culture, sports and recreation. In this way, Saint-Laurent's Administration ensures a high quality of life for families living in the borough as well as a stimulating environment for businesses.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent