Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 6

9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 CANADA AND FCM INVEST IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND NOVA SCOTIA I n communities across the country, Canadians are experiencing the impacts of climate change. By investing in initiatives that lower emissions and increase the resiliency of communities, we are creating good, middle-class jobs and building Canada’s low-emissions energy future. The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, and Garth Frizzell, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), recently announced a $14.1-million investment through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) and drive cost savings in communities in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. The $14-million investment is provided through GMF’s Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) initiative to support PACE Maritimes (Property Assessed Clean Energy), a multi-provincial program that will operate in Stratford and Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Wolfville, N.S. The program will finance residential projects for energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy storage across the three municipalities. Additional targeted programs in Wolfville and Charlottetown will provide rebates to support fuel switching from oil and lead pipe replacement. In addition, $175,000 in funding is going to the City of Charlottetown to study the feasibility of undertaking energy retrofits for 22 of its municipal buildings to reduce energy consumption and improve user comfort and safety. CEF helps communities of all sizes implement innovative local financing programs that directly help homeowners cut their GHG emissions, make their homes more energy-efficient, comfortable and affordable, and create local jobs and keep the local economy moving. These initiatives are one way that GMF continues to build on its 20-year record of supporting transformative environmental initiatives at the community level. The Government of Canada has invested $1.65 billion in GMF since its inception, enabling municipalities to support projects like this that leverage local resources to drive innovative solutions. The government supports smarter energy initiatives that build a healthier and cleaner future while creating new jobs and driving economic prosperity for all Canadians. We are investing in lowering emissions, helping Canadians save money by reducing their energy bills and creating jobs OPENING L INES