Canada and FCM Invest $655,000 to Support Energy and Cost Saving Efforts in Communities Across Ontario

COLLINGWOOD, ON, March 25, 2024 /CNW/ - Across the country, we are striving to offer Canadians more affordable and more sustainable communities to live in. This is why the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are continuing to invest in projects to help communities from coast-to-coast-to-coast retrofit their buildings and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and FCM President Scott Pearce announced an investment of $655,000 through the Green Municipal Fund's Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR) initiative to support efforts by four communities to lower their emissions and improve energy performance through building retrofits and upgrades.

The following communities received grants to conduct feasibility studies to reduce GHG emissions across publicly accessible buildings:

• $200,000 to the City of Collingwood
• $200,000 to the City of Burlington
• $200,000 to the City Cambridge

In addition, the City of Markham received $55,000 to recommission its fire and emergency services administration office, two fire stations, two cultural facilities, the Armadale Community Centre, and the Markham Village Library.

The Community Building Retrofit initiative is part of a $950-million federal investment in FCM's Green Municipal Fund (GMF) and is designed to scale up energy efficiency and lower emissions across Canada. GMF, administered by the FCM, is funded through an endowment by the Government of Canada and helps local governments switch to sustainable practices faster.

"The Community Buildings Retrofit program is providing federal support for municipal climate action ? today's investment of over $650,000 will help municipal buildings across Ontario to make improvements including in energy efficiency, helping to lower both emissions and operating costs. Congratulations to our municipal partners on advancing these innovative projects."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources  

"The Community Buildings Retrofit initiative will offer long- and short-term benefits to help municipalities fight climate change and reduce costs. The partnership of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Government of Canada through the Green Municipal Fund is helping communities transition to a healthy, net-zero emissions future. The smart investments we make today will help build a more sustainable and affordable world for years to come." 
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change 

"Municipalities influence over half of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2001, the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has developed a successful track record of helping local communities with thousands of projects to achieve greater sustainability. That's why we can only welcome, with support from the federal government, GMF's delivery of the Community Buildings Retrofit initiative to enable communities across Canada, including Ontario today, to lower their emissions and improve energy performance. Together, we're on the path towards net zero."
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