Habitat breaks 'green' ground at latest build
October 17, 2009
Stephen Dupuis
Ground breaking ceremonies are a dime a dozen in our business. Don't get me wrong, they are important celebrations, but it can be hard to tell the difference between the photos of suits wearing hardhats while cutting ribbons, popping champagne corks or digging with shiny shovels.
Last week, however, I participated in a ground-breaking that was special in many ways. First and foremost, it was for a 20-unit affordable homeownership project by Habitat for Humanity Toronto that will provide safe, decent and affordable homes for 96 men, women and children currently living in substandard housing.
With the support of its members, the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) is proudly sponsoring its sixth Habitat home at this site at 1500 Weston Rd. This was my first opportunity to meet the mother of the family of four who is eagerly looking forward to moving out of shared space with her sister into a newly built home where she can better face the challenges of raising two autistic children.
It's at moments like these that the importance of giving back to the community hits home, literally and figuratively. Having just met that very courageous mother, the comment made by local MPP Laura Albanese that all the partner families are "rich in dignity and aspirations" seemed so apropos.
This particular ground-breaking was of the shiny-shovel variety but the occasion was more about Habitat breaking new ground as a "green" builder than it was about turning over some sod. Not only will this be Habitat's first GreenHouse certified development, but it will also be one of the first developments to take advantage of Ontario's new Green Energy Act through an innovative solar technology component.
GreenHouse is a label which denotes that Habitat will be integrating energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource (including water) conservation and material waste reduction into the project. The homes will be built to Energy Star standards resulting in 25 per cent to 30 per cent lower operating costs for the homeowners not to mention a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of between 2 tonnes and 3 tonnes per unit.
As for the solar dimension, the project will feature roof-mounted solar panels that will feed power back into the grid, taking advantage of new provincial government incentives for renewable energy. The revenues will flow back to the condo corporation reducing the monthly fees for all the homeowners.
One of the great things about our association's partnership with Habitat is the way so many of our individual members have embraced it. A quick glance at the signage at the ground-breaking revealed member support from companies as diverse as TD Bank, Genworth Financial, Home Depot, Hanson Brick and Burgundy Brick.
Having never heard of Burgundy Brick and figuring I might be able to sell them a membership, I approached the very youthful representatives whereupon I learned that it is actually a non-profit organization founded by a group of university students who want merely to give back to the community, particularly in the area of affordable housing.
I went to burgundybrick.org and loved their call to action which is "one brick at a time we can help to change the city we live in by helping the people who live in it." If the inspiring young people behind that mission statement can raise enough money to sponsor a home, there must be corporate donors out there who can step-up to join BILD, Burgundy Brick and our fellow home donors by sponsoring the last three available units. That's my call to action. For more information, visit www.torontohabitat.on.ca.
Stephen Dupuis is president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association. The views expressed are those of the president.
Email: president@bildgta.ca.
Toronto Star