Kitchener, Ontario, June 29, 2011- The City of Kitchener hosted a ceremony today to celebrate the installation of a 262,000 square foot solar roof on the Kitchener Operations Facility, a major achievement in the City’s plan to become environmentally sustainable.
The 600 kilowatt installation will allow the City to generate electricity directly from the sun and contribute to the region’s electricity grid. This will create enough energy to power 100 homes
The establishment of the Kitchener Operations Facility included rehabilitating 45 acres of industrial land and upgrading a 300,000 square foot industrial building. Once complete, the facility will have room for approximately 500 city staff, vehicles and equipment, and house various municipal services including road, watermain and sewer maintenance, snow clearing, and parks and woodland services.
“This new solar roof exemplifies how green technologies can benefit our cities. The roof will provide energy cost effectively and it supports our commitment to the environment,” said the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “We are pleased to partner with the City of Kitchener in innovative solar power generation.”
“Our government’s top priority is the economy, which is why we are continuing to implement Canada’s Economic Action Plan,” said Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga. “This new facility will streamline service delivery while lowering our ecological footprint, worthwhile goals for any major urban centre.”
“Infrastructure investments are part of the McGuinty government’s plan to strengthen communities and create jobs throughout the province,” said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy. ”By shifting towards clean energy, Kitchener is helping to build a healthy, sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.”
“The new solar roof on the Operations Facility is a win for everyone in our community,” said Leeanna Pendergast, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga. “The Ontario government is proud to support this clean energy project, which will protect our environment, and sustain the creation of high-skilled job growth in our region.”
"With the largest solar roof installation in Canada, Kitchener demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental impact," said Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr. "This federal, provincial, municipal partnership allows us to effectively re-use existing industrial lands, get people working, and enhance our service delivery." said Mayor Carl Zehr. "At the same time we are being environmentally responsible, budget conscious and proactive. It is a win-win-win situation."
The governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Kitchener have each committed approximately $1.37 million toward eligible costs for the installation of the Kitchener Operations Facility solar roof. The total eligible cost for the roof project is $4.1 million.
The governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Kitchener have each committed approximately $4.7 million toward eligible costs for improvements to the Kitchener Operations Facility. The total eligible cost for the facility project is $14 million.
Federal funding for these projects comes from the Government of Canada’s $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which is providing funding to over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country.
Over the last couple of months, Ontario had an increase of 38,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declined to 7.9 per cent.
For additional information about investments in infrastructure, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
For further information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
Contacts:
Vanessa Schneider
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Office of the Minister of Energy
416-327-6758
Andrea Bailey
Manager of Communications
City of Kitchener
(519) 741-2458
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148 OR Toll-Free 1-877-250-7154
