Government of Canada and FCM invest over $6.2 million in Ontario green projects to achieve net-zero targets

November 9, 2023                                                       Beckwith, Ontario                                               Natural Resources Canada

When municipalities develop innovative green solutions, Canadians live in cleaner and healthier communities. That’s why the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are supporting efforts to accelerate a transformation to resilient, net-zero communities.

Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Scott Pearce, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, announced an investment of more than $6.2 million through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings in the Town of Beckwith and the Region of Peel in Ontario.

Beckwith receives $5.75 million (a $750,000 grant and a $5-million loan) to replace its aging municipal building with a new high-performance and net-zero facility. The new building will feature a combination of green building best practices including a building automation system to reduce consumption by lowering temperature setpoints in unoccupied areas, as well as advanced LED lighting controls. It replaces the township’s current municipal building, built in 1962, which no longer serves the community’s needs and emits a large amount of greenhouse gases. The new building will also utilize a rooftop solar photovoltaic system, designed to provide 100 per cent of the building’s energy requirements.

In addition, GMF will provide $525,000 to support the following three feasibility studies by the Region of Peel, with each receiving $175,000 in funding.

-          The Peel Regional Police will construct a new operational facility to better accommodate services, supporting the entire police force and housing other departments. The study will aim to reduce the carbon footprint of this new building and address climate change throughout its design process.

-          Peel Regional Police will also construct a new division on five acres of land within the City of Brampton to transition a portion of the 22^nd Division, which is currently set to be decommissioned in the coming years. The study will evaluate how to design a net zero police division.

-          Finally, the Regional Municipality of Peel is currently looking to upgrade the Clarkson Wastewater Treatment Plant to better integrate energy recovery, conservation, and on-site generation measures. The proposed upgrades will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase wastewater treatment capacity, supporting expected population growth in the region and reducing costs.

GMF, administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, is funded through an endowment by the Government of Canada. GMF helps local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. Its unique mix of funding, resources and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.