The EQuilibrium Communities Initiative is a $4.2 million collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to fund and support sustainable community development projects across Canada. It aims to improve environmental performance at the neighborhood scale and demonstrate integrated systems for energy, transportation, housing, and other areas. Four initial projects were selected in Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, and near Tofino to showcase through research and monitoring how to better integrate sustainability across sectors like energy use, transportation, water and more at the community level.

2. EQuilibrium Communities Initiative
TM
Jamie Shipley
CMHC - Research
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Goals of the Initiative
 Fund and support developers to
improve performance in designing
and developing sustainable
communities
 Demonstrate how the
neighbourhood scale offers
unique opportunities for
integration across systems
 Measure, showcase and share
what works Credit: Canada Lands Company
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Scope of the Initiative
 Joint initiative until 2012 —
Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation / Natural Resources
Canada CanmetENERGY
 $4.2 million for technical
activities and showcasing
the performance of selected
Credit: Canadian Pacific Railway
neighbourhood development
projects across Canada
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Research Objectives
Canada Mortgage and Natural Resources Canada
Housing Corporation (CMHC) (NRCan)
 Improved environmental  NRCan’s CanmetENERGY
performance of residential, mixed works with communities
use neighbourhoods to reduce their energy
 Integration of housing and consumption by understanding
community infrastructure such as the synergies between
energy, transportation, water and building design, urban form,
waste water, natural environment transportation and land
 Built examples, technical analysis use, and assisting with the
and supporting information that development of integrated
are of use to developers and community energy system
municipalities concepts.
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Resources
 Approximately $550,000 per project
 Activities that improve environmental
performance through research and
design modifications
 Monitoring, commissioning
and showcasing of performance
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Selection Process
 Issued public Request for Submissions
 Received 44 submissions
 Projects selected by external evaluation
committee — experts in the six themes
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Integration Across Six Themes
1. Energy — an energy-efficient
community that balances energy
supply and use to minimize
greenhouse gas emissions
2. Land Use and Housing — a compact
community with a balanced mix of
activities, housing choices, and
commercial, institutional, recreational
and industrial land uses
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Integration Across Six Themes (cont.)
3. Transportation — a community
that reduces fossil-fuel use from
personal vehicle travel and provides
opportunities for energy-efficient and
healthy alternatives
4. Water, Waste Water and Storm
Water — a community that minimizes
the use and disposal of water and
negative impacts on watersheds
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Integration Across Six Themes (cont.)
5. Natural Environment — a community
that protects and enhances/restores
the natural environment
6. Financial Viability — a marketable
community that through its design,
operation, integration and financing is
economically viable over the long term
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Project Types
SHOWCASE IMPROVEMENT
 recently completed,  begun planning/
or under construction design process
 focus on showcasing, or  focus on improving
measuring and performance through
monitoring analysis, design
modifications
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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To date, four projects have been announced:
 Station Pointe, Edmonton
 Ampersand, Ottawa
 Regent Park Revitalization, Toronto
 Ty-Histanis, near Tofino
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Station Pointe, Edmonton
Developer: The Communitas Group Ltd.
Image courtesy of
Hartwig Architects Inc.
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Station Pointe, Edmonton
Description:
 redevelopment in Fort Road
community — renewal project on
former industrial lands northeast
of downtown
 over 1,400 m2 commercial/retail,
daycare, community facilities
 220 affordable and market homes:
townhomes, mid/high-rise apartments
Image courtesy of Hartwig Architects Inc.
 project is in planning phase
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Station Pointe, Edmonton
Proposed features:
 within walking distance of a LRT
station/bus terminal
 75% reduction in building
energy use
 treat 100% of wastewater on site
for re-use in toilets and irrigation
 100% stormwater diverted Image courtesy of Hartwig Architects Inc.
 “Winter City” design concepts
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ampersand, Ottawa
Developer: Minto Group Inc.
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ampersand, Ottawa
Description:
 in Ottawa’s planned South
Nepean Town Centre
 over 1,000 homes (stacked
townhouses to mid-rise
apartments)
 over 25,000 m2 of
commercial/retail space,
civic uses, public open space
 project is in planning phase
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ampersand, Ottawa
 walking distance of
existing shopping and
bus rapid transit station
Proposed research:
 district energy system,
with renewables, biomass
 permeable pavements, green roofs
 rainwater recovery, greywater
re-use, e.g. for irrigation
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ampersand, Ottawa
Proposed research (cont.):
 High degree of pedestrian
connectivity
 high-quality public parks:
community and home scale
food-growing, 30% tree canopy
 green financing options (e.g.
green loans for energy-
efficiency improvements)
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ampersand, Ottawa
$550,000 total funding from CMHC and NRCan
Activities include:
 analysis for renewable energy; green financing;
stormwater run-off and water use reduction; and
sustainable landscape practices
 consultation/alignment with the community and
approval authorities
 showcasing of performance
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Regent Park Revitalization, Toronto
Developer: Toronto Community Housing (TCH)
Image courtesy of Toronto Community Housing
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Regent Park Revitalization, Toronto
Description:
 ongoing redevelopment of
a social housing community
in east downtown
 funding is for phase 1: about 1/3
of new housing units are occupied Image courtesy of Toronto Community Housing
 670 market condos, 360 affordable rentals,
from townhouses to high-rise apartments
 2 daycares, over 2,500 m2 retail/commercial,
including bank and large grocery store
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Regent Park Revitalization, Toronto
Features:
 energy use targeted to be 40-50%
lower than building to MNECB
 community energy system, energy-
efficient building envelopes
 green roofs, porous pavers
 low-flow fixtures, water-efficient
landscape design
 monitoring water and energy use:
education for residents
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Regent Park Revitalization, Toronto
Features (cont.):
 exceptional access to public transit, jobs,
civic amenities and daily destinations —
all within walking distance
 green roofs, public open space
connected to pedestrian network
 35% rental, all lower than area
average or rent-geared-to-income,
homeownership program
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Regent Park Revitalization, Toronto
$550,000 total funding from CMHC and NRCan
Activities include:
 analysis for expansion and upgrade of the
community energy system
 water monitoring
 showcasing performance
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ty-Histanis, near Tofino
Developer: Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations (TFN)
Image courtesy of David Nairne & Associates Ltd.
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ty-Histanis, near Tofino
Description:
 new community: 84 hectares
of land transferred from Pacific
Rim National Park Reserve
 171 single-detached units, 32 units
of duplexes, 12-unit elders’ complex
 project in planning phase: road Image courtesy of David Nairne & Associates Ltd.
network/site servicing under
construction, design of
buildings/systems
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Ty-Histanis, near Tofino
Proposed features
 50% reduction in GHGs: building envelope, efficient
heating, electrical and mechanical systems
 DES: renewable energy
sources, ground source
heat pumps
 over 40% undisturbed
natural habitat: bogs for
natural water retention Image courtesy of David Nairne & Associates Ltd.
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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To Stay Informed:
 Visit ecoACTION.gc.ca for updates
Or send inquiries to …
 E-mail your contact information to
EQuilibrium.Communities@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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Thank You!
Jamie Shipley
CMHC - Research
A collaborative initiative between Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY
and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation