Today, the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Warren Sparrow, Chief of Musqueam Indian Band, announced $134,895 in federal funding to increase energy conservation and affordability through a clean building retrofit of the Elders Centre on Musqueam Indian Reserve #2.
The Centre provides Indigenous elders with a public facility to gather and enjoy events, and houses a medical clinic that provides community health services.
This investment will support an energy-efficiency retrofit, the building's first major renovation since its construction in 1986. Improvements will upgrade the baseboard heating system to a new heat pump system, replace windows and doors with Energy Star models, and increase the airtightness of the building. Further upgrades include low-flow faucets, hot water tank insulation, and the replacement of current lighting with LED lights. These improvements are expected to reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 62.2% and greenhouse gas emissions by 0.57 tonnes annually.
In addition to improving the facility's sustainability, the Centre's modernization will lower its utility bills, which currently put a significant strain on the facility's budget, and will enable the reallocation of these funds into programming and other initiatives. The green upgrades will also cater to the medical needs of many members of the facility's target population, reducing the draftiness that permeates the building and makes it less comfortable during the winter months.
The Centre will serve as a learning tool and model for other green retrofits in the area.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.
