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OTTAWA, November 4, 2010 — Today, a Toronto development is receiving Government of Canada support for the planning and design of a healthy, energy-efficient and sustainable community in the Regent Park area. The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, announced $550,000 under the EQuilibrium™ Communities Initiative.

“Once completed, this community will be a model for other Canadian cities, offering affordable options for occupants while minimizing the impact on the environment for future generations,” said Minister Finley. “The Regent Park revitalization demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration between different levels of government and the private sector.”

The Regent Park revitalization will transform Canada’s oldest and largest social housing community into a mixed-income community for 5,100 households in Toronto’s east downtown.

“Sustainable communities, such as the Regent Park revitalization, that use clean energy technologies and energy-efficient designs can improve the quality of life of Canadians while preserving our environment,” said Minister Paradis. “EQuilibrium Communities’ support will help the project in its development of a district energy system that will reduce greenhouse gases by an estimated 13,000 tonnes per year.”

Energy-efficient features include efficient building envelopes, lighting, appliances and mechanical systems, as well as a community energy system that will provide high-efficiency heating and cooling to the 69-acre development. The community has exceptional access to public transit, jobs, civic amenities and daily destinations — all within walking distance.

“The revitalization of Regent Park is a significant investment in the future of Toronto,” said Keiko Nakamura, CEO of Toronto Community Housing. “The EQuilibrium Communities Initiative helps us do our part to build a better Toronto for everyone by building green and more sustainable communities. In addition to the design improvements, a key element of the project will be educating residents about energy and water efficiency.”

The EQuilibrium™ Communities Initiative is led jointly and equally funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY Technology Initiative, a component of the Government of Canada’s ecoACTION initiative.

For further information on the EQuilibrium™ Communities Initiative, please visit www.ecoaction.gc.ca/equilibrium-eng.cfm.

For Broadcast Use:

The Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Diane Finley and Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis today announced $550,000 in funding under the EQuilibrium™ Communities Initiative for the Regent Park Revitalization in Toronto, Ontario. The funding is part of Government of Canada efforts to support improvements in the environmental performance of Canadian residential developments.

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NRCan’s news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.

Backgrounder

Regent Park Receives EQuilibrium™ Communities Initiative Funding from the Government of Canada

Toronto Community Housing has been awarded $550,000 in funding under the EQuilibrium™ Communities Initiative toward the ongoing revitalization of Regent Park in Toronto, Ontario.

EQuilbrium™ Communities is a three-year, $4.2-million collaborative sustainable community demonstration initiative of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the Government of Canada’s ecoACTION initiative.

EQuilibrium ™ Communities project submissions were chosen through a national competition and evaluated by an external panel of industry experts against the following criteria:

Energy — an energy-efficient community that balances energy supply and use to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Land Use and Housing — a compact community with a balanced mix of activities, housing choices and commercial, institutional, recreational and industrial land uses.

Water, Waste Water and Storm Water — a community that will minimize the use and disposal of water and negative impacts on watersheds.

Transportation — a community that reduces fossil-fuel use from personal vehicle travel and provides opportunities for energy-efficient and healthy alternatives.

Natural Environment — a community that protects, enhances and restores the natural environment.

Financial Viability — a marketable community that through its design, operation, integration and financing is economically viable over the long term.

Toronto Community Housing is leading the Regent Park revitalization, a $1-billion plan that will transform Canada’s oldest and largest social housing community into a mixed-income community for 5,100 households in Toronto’s east downtown.

The project is for Phase 1, which is to include 670 market-priced condos and 360 affordable rental units for low- to moderate-income residents in a mix of townhouses and high-rise apartments. About one third of the new housing units in Phase 1 are already occupied. The mixed-use community features two daycares, a community agency space, a learning centre, an employment hub and over 2,500 m² of retail and commercial services space, including a bank and a large grocery store.

The project offers exceptional access to public transit, jobs, civic amenities and other daily destinations, all within walking distance. Despite the high density, it features new public-realm tree coverage, green roofs and high-quality public open space amenities connected to the pedestrian network.

Key features and performance targets for the project will include:

• energy savings between 40 and 50 percent, compared with the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB), achieved through connection to a neighbourhood energy system and energy-efficient building envelopes, lighting, appliances and mechanical systems;
• maximum runoff volume of 50 percent of average annual rainfall through green roofs, porous pavers, etc. Also, low-flow fixtures and water-efficient landscape design will reduce potable water use;
• green building education programs for residents to encourage reduced water and energy consumption;
• 35 percent of homes are rental, all of which have rents lower than the area average or are rent-geared-to-income. An affordable homeownership program also makes housing affordability a central theme; and
• its urban location and mix of on-site uses put a substantial number of civic amenities, services such as parks and access to bus and light rail transit, within a 10-minute walk. A high-quality pedestrian environment also makes this a walkable neighbourhood.

The EQuilibrium™ Communities support will focus on expansion and upgrade of the neighbourhood energy system, including the phasing in of renewable and waste energy sources. Funding is also provided for showcasing Phase 1 performance.

Toronto Community Housing (www.torontohousing.ca) is Canada’s largest social housing provider and home to more than 164,000 tenants with low and moderate incomes — about 6 percent of the City of Toronto’s population. Toronto Community Housing employs 1,400 staff in a broad range of jobs, who deliver its mission to provide affordable housing, connect tenants to services and opportunities, and work together to build healthy communities. Toronto Community Housing and Corix Utilities have formed a joint venture, Regent Park Energy Inc., to develop and operate the district energy system in Regent Park. Corix Utilities develops customized water, wastewater and energy infrastructure systems and provides field metering services for customers across North America.

Article source: http://www.cmhc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2010/2010-11-04-0900.cfm

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