In 2007, the Township’s new Civic Facility was the first municipal hall in Canada to achieve LEED-CI certification. Mayor Kurt Alberts announced the Green Building award on May 28, 2007. The LEED Rating system is the benchmark of green building innovation and excellence in Canada and the United States and promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability. The silver rating in the Commercial Interiors (CI) category was quite an achievement according to the Michel Labrie, Director of Sustainable Design for Hughes Condon, the architectural firm which designed the Township’s new facility. The fact that the facility was created out of an existing structure helped score points towards certification, as well as, the use of geothermal power and water conservation initiatives. Earning the certification was not easy because of the need to balance the desire to be a leader in sustainability and still work within a budget made up of public money. The end result, however, is that the building provides multiple benefits by reducing the cost of running the facility year after year, improving the quality of life for those working in and using the facility through a design that features low toxic materials, and by utilizing features that are better for the environment.
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