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Released: 09 October, 2002
Red River College Is Top Of The Class In Energy Efficiency
WINNIPEG — Full marks for innovation — that’s
what Red River College received this morning as His Royal Highness Prince
Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, officially dedicated the satellite campus
of the Winnipeg-based college. A contribution from the Government of Canada
is helping the new Princess Street campus use less energy and water in
its retrofitted heritage buildings.
The Government of Canada, through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan),
provided technical and financial support of $10,000 toward improving the
energy efficiency and environmental performance of the project’s
design. The college is eligible for additional financial support of up
to $240,000 for incorporating energy-efficient features. These features,
along with its reduced water consumption and extensive re-use of existing
structures and materials, make the college one of the largest and most
complex energy-efficiency building projects attempted in Canada.
“This project at Red River College shows that innovation in the
commercial building sector can go a long way to helping us address climate
change,” said the Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, NRCan Minister. “By
reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its daily operations, this project
also shows that individual building owners can do their part to create
a better quality of life for all Canadians.”
The Princess Street satellite campus, with its combination of retrofitted
and new buildings, provides the cornerstone for the revitalization of
Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District. Future phases will retrofit
heritage buildings with new windows and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning
systems that will allow for greater control and adaptability.
The new campus will be home to 2,000 students in media and information
technology programs, supported by 200 new staff members. The college currently
has 31,000 full- and part-time students, making it the largest college
in Manitoba.
NRCan’s C-2000 program, which provided the technical and financial
support for the design, is a demonstration program for high-performance
buildings. C-2000 provides assistance to designers and builders who want
to meet exceptional targets for energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission
reduction and water use. The program promotes the development of leading-edge
energy and environmental technologies for the commercial building sector.
C-2000 represents Canada’s most demanding level of performance for
energy-efficient commercial buildings.
The project is also eligible for financial support under NRCan’s
Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP). CBIP was introduced in 1998
to encourage energy-efficient design practices and to bring about lasting
changes in the Canadian building design and construction industry. The
program offers a one-time financial incentive to offset the cost of designing
energy-efficient commercial and institutional buildings. Commercial building
owners who wish to participate in CBIP can contact NRCan at 1-877-360-5500
or by e-mail at cbip.pebc@nrcan.gc.ca.
Energy-efficient buildings yield long-term energy savings. Lower operating
costs increase the resale value of the building and provide a competitive
leasing advantage over standard buildings.
This initiative builds upon the Government of Canada’s commitment
to supporting research and development, and to ensuring a clean, healthy
environment, which are essential elements of our quality of life. Funding
for this project was provided for in the December 2001 budget and is therefore
built into the existing fiscal framework.
For more information, media may contact:
Heather Bala
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
(613) 996-7252
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