Port Stanley, Ontario — Canadians live in cleaner, healthier communities when municipalities develop innovative solutions to reduce pollution, improve energy efficiency, and find new uses for public infrastructure.
Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) continue to make strategic investments through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to support more sustainable communities of all sizes. GMF is funded by the Government of Canada and delivered to municipalities by FCM.
Kate Young, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, Member of Parliament for London West, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change; and Joanne Vanderheyden, Second Vice-President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Mayor of the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc, today announced an investment of over $3.7 million through GMF to build a net-zero fire station in Port Stanley (Central Elgin), Ontario.
The Municipality of Central Elgin will replace the outdated fire station in Port Stanley with a new net-zero building. Solar panels will provide all the energy needed on-site. Inside plumbing fixtures will be replaced with environmentally friendly ones meeting the LEED standard. Up to 95 percent of construction waste will avoid the landfill through construction waste management. Most importantly, energy consumption will be reduced by 45 percent each year.
Not only will this new fire station lower operational costs, it will help make Port Stanley a more sustainable, healthy community.
Quotes
“The new net-zero fire station in Port Stanley is a good example of finding innovative solutions to address community needs. Once complete, this new building will be more energy efficient, have reduced operating costs, and help support a healthier community. Over the long-term, it is projects like these that will help communities become more resilient to climate change while continuing to serve residents.”
Kate Young, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, Member of Parliament for London West, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"We are investing in the green projects we need to grow our economy, save Canadians money, create jobs and achieve our climate goals."
The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources
"Local solutions—scaled up—deliver major national impact, like economic growth and the emission reductions Canada needs to meet its climate change goals. Whether it’s through improved energy efficiency, fewer greenhouse gas emissions or stronger local infrastructure, local governments get the job done efficiently and cost-effectively because they connect solutions to local needs and local realities. Supported by our strong federal-municipal partnership, FCM’s Green Municipal Fund helps municipalities do what they do best: deliver solutions that work."
Joanne Vanderheyden, Second Vice-President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
“After several years of careful planning, the Municipality is excited to be breaking ground for a new fire station in Port Stanley. The building’s innovative net-zero energy, low carbon design will serve the residents and businesses of this Municipality for decades and will serve as a symbol of Central Elgin’s commitment to protecting the environment.”
Sally Martyn, Mayor of the Municipality of Central Elgin
Quick facts
- The Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are investing $3,745,100 in building a net-zero fire station in Port Stanley, Ontario through the Green Municipal Fund.
- GMF is a $1 billion program, funded by the Government of Canada and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
- Since 2000, GMF has helped bring over 1,300 projects to life.
- GMF-funded projects have cut 2.6 million tonnes of GHG emissions – the equivalent of taking 594,000 cars off the road.
- GMF supports local innovation that can be replicated and scaled up across the country to tackle Canada’s climate challenges.
- GMF has created over 10,700 jobs across the country.
- Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
- To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/covid-19-resilience-eng.html
- The new Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to support communities as they deploy innovative new ways to adapt spaces and services to respond to immediate and ongoing needs arising from COVID-19 over the next two years: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/chci-iccs/index-eng.html
Related products
Backgrounder – Municipality of Central Elgin: Building a new net-zero fire station in Port Stanley
Associated links
Green Municipal Fund
https://fcm.ca/gmf
FCM Funding
https://fcm.ca/en/funding
Government of Canada Resources - Coronavirus disease (COVID 19):
www.canada.ca/coronavirus
Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map
Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html
Contacts
Chantalle Aubertin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
613-941-0660
chantal.aubertin@canada.ca
FCM Media Relations
613-907-6395
media@fcm.ca
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: infc.media.infc@canada.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada