Quebec Lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez was in the Lower Laurentians yesterday to highlight the launch of the new Canada Greener Homes Grant. The grant will help homeowners in the area make their homes more energy-efficient and lower their energy bills. This will reduce energy waste, create good jobs and foster a green economic recovery.
Mr. Rodriguez met with the teams from Fenêtres Magistral in Blainville and Quadra Plast in Sainte-Thérèse. These two local SMEs are directly affected by the programs and will be able to create high-quality jobs in the area.
He also met in Blainville with representatives from the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ) and the Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ), who presented the industry's priorities and underscored the importance of a program of this kind for our economy.
Up to 700,000 Canadian homeowners are eligible for grants of up to $5,000 to make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes and up to $600 to pay for an EnerGuide home energy evaluation, before and after retrofits. Eligible home upgrades include replacing windows and doors, adding insulation, sealing air leaks, improving heating and cooling systems (e.g., heat pumps), installing smart thermostats and solar panels.
We need even more energy advisors to undertake these EnerGuide assessments from coast to coast to coast. Last week, we announced our commitment to recruit and train up to 2,000 new energy advisors. This recruitment is focused on advancing diversity and inclusion and will create new jobs and drive economic growth that benefits everyone.
Yesterday's announcement is one of the many steps the federal government is taking to fight climate change and protect the environment. Through Canada's strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, we are making life more affordable for Canadians, creating good, middle-class jobs, and building a stronger and cleaner economy.
Quotes
"Canadians are looking for ways to save money on their energy bills and do their part to fight climate change. We are driving economic activity and creating jobs by improving energy efficiency and helping Canadians lower their carbon footprint. The Canada Greener Homes Grant is good for your wallet, good for the economy and good for the planet."
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr.
Minister of Natural Resources
"The launch of this new initiative to retrofit our homes will make a real difference in the lives of people in Blainville, Sainte-Thérèse, Boisbriand and throughout the Lower Laurentians. It is a great help from the government for these families, who will be able to lower their utility bills. It is also instrumental in creating good jobs here and fighting against climate change."
The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez
Quebec Lieutenant and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
"At Fenêtres Magistral, we know that replacing outdated doors and windows with modern, energy-efficient products is among the best concrete steps that a household can take to lower its utility bills while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. We believe that the federal government's grant program will motivate many Canadian households to invest in retrofits that will benefit them and the entire community."
Gilles Brassard, BBA
Director General, Fenêtres Magistral
"It is time to restart the economy, and the construction industry is up to the task. The investments announced by the Government of Canada will certainly help rebuild the Canadian economy while improving our quality of life. To invest in sustainable infrastructure is to invest in an economy that is more sustainable and also more inclusive and greener while stimulating employment and supporting local businesses."
Jean-François Arbour, Eng.
President, ACQ
"To meet the challenges that we have set for ourselves as a society by 2050, we must ensure that energy-efficient retrofits are systematically taken into account, starting today. This is an opportunity not to be missed. The measures announced by the Government of Canada are key incentives to make this transformation a success. It should be noted that fifty-seven percent of private dwellings in Quebec were built before 1980 - five percent higher than the Canadian average - which attests to the vast potential of energy-efficient upgrades."
Luc Bélanger
CEO, APCHQ
Quick facts
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Homeowners can go online to register, plan and document their progress, including applying for their pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation, choosing from a list of eligible retrofit options, scheduling a post-retrofit evaluation and applying for reimbursement.
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To participate in this new initiative, a homeowner's primary residence must be at least six months old and eligible for an EnerGuide evaluation. Residences include single and semi-detached houses, row housing, townhomes, all-season cottages, mobile homes on a permanent foundation, permanently moored floating homes, small multi-unit residential buildings (three storeys or less with a footprint of 600 m2 or less), and mixed-use buildings (residential portion only).
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Retrofits that help protect homes from weather events - such as floods, wind damage and power outages - are also eligible for the grant if they are done in combination with measures that improve energy efficiency.
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Buildings, including homes, account for 18 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Retrofitting existing homes is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Announced in December 2020, Canada's strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, includes $15 billion in investments to help achieve our economic and environmental goals.
- The plan includes measures to make it easier for Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of the places where they live and gather, including through investments in retrofits.
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Budget 2021 proposes to provide $4.4 billion to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to help more than 200,000 homeowners complete extensive home retrofits.
