Government of Canada and FCM support energy-saving retrofits in Nova Scotia

CAPE BRETON, NS, Aug. 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Our homes and buildings are important to Canadians' well-being, to Canada's economy, and as a space to gather. They are also Canada's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. That is why the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are investing in decarbonizing the building sector.

Today, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and MP for Sydney ? Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Scott Pearce, President of FCM, announced $500,000 through the Green Municipal Fund's (GMF) Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative to support New Dawn Enterprises Ltd.'s, a non-profit enterprise, ambitious energy-saving retrofit of 20 homes in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The homes are located on the former property of the Department of National Defense and will soon see several upgrades including to the heating, cooling and water systems. The retrofit will also see improvements to insulation and air sealing and contribute not only to residents feeling more comfortable in their homes, but also produce energy savings of a minimum 50 per cent per home.

The investment will also allow the Pine Tree Park community to install a ground-level solar panel system. The "solar garden", in combination with the retrofits, will substantially lower energy-related costs for residents, many of whom are renting below median market prices.

Today's continued collaboration supports ambitious energy efficiency measures, addresses climate change risks, and develops skills through shared expertise, knowledge and training.

The Government of Canada provided the Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) initiative $300 million as part of a $950-million expansion of FCM's Green Municipal Fund (GMF) in Budget 2019 to help retrofit existing units for higher energy performance or build new affordable housing in line with net-zero standards.

Since its launch in May 2020, the initiative has approved funding for 122 projects, representing more than 24,500 units. These projects help transform markets and reduce costs to meet the net-zero goal by 2050.

"Today's announcement in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia will support deep retrofits while studying similar supports in other communities. By investing in energy-efficient, low-carbon infrastructure today, we are taking the steps needed to create good-paying jobs, save consumers money and fight climate change for years to come. I congratulate the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and all local partners involved in this work."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

By investing in energy-efficient housing and cutting pollution from the building sector, we are building healthy and sustainable communities. We will keep supporting to help Canadians make the switch to more affordable, innovative housing, which will also help them with lowering their overall energy bills. Projects and initiatives like New Dawn Enterprises Ltd.'s energy-saving retrofit in Cape Breton are helping us get there.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"Families are facing significant financial pressures as a result of global inflation, and everything we can do to help makes a difference. This funding will help make these homes more efficient, which will reduce monthly energy bills, provide work for people in the community and reduce the environmental impact of inefficient buildings. That's a win?win if there ever was one."
The Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"Today's announcement is a great example of how our government is delivering on affordability while fighting climate change and creating good, middle-class jobs right here in Cape Breton. These retrofit initiatives will lower energy costs, reduce emissions and help not-for-profit homes become more comfortable and climate-resilient."
Jaime Battiste
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney ? Victoria

"Low-carbon communities are essential to achieving Nova Scotia's goals to fight climate change. By making our homes and buildings more energy-efficient, we can create cleaner and healthier communities for future generations. Thank you to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for acknowledging the hard work of New Dawn Enterprises and its partners as they pave the way for more clean, low-carbon communities from coast to coast to coast."
Mike Kelloway
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton ? Canso

"Thanks to the GMF's Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative and the Government of Canada, today's investment will go a long way to providing residents of Cape Breton Regional Municipality with homes that are more affordable, produce fewer emissions and reduce energy consumption. Alongside the federal government, we are supporting local leadership in finding innovative ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Together, we can stay on the path to net zero and make life more affordable."
Scott Pearce
FCM President

Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Green Municipal Fund
2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada