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Churches across the country are stepping up. Read their stories and access other climate and energy resources here.
More people in the building means higher expectations for comfort, rising energy demands, and growing costs, especially in older buildings. At Trinity United Church in Grimsby, Ontario, this reality came to a head and, in response, upgraded its building to ensure their space could remain both welcoming and sustainable.
Over the last decade, Five Oaks Centre (Paris, ON) has made significant upgrades to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of its facilities. To further investment into its property, the Centre adopted a business model in 2016, introducing a commitment to develop a 5-year property rejuvenation plan.
With a shared ecumenical ministry spanning 13 years, Deer Park United Church and Calvin Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ontario, serve as a compelling example of the impact that a united mission can have in the realm of climate action.
Accelerating the uptake of built environments that are all-electric, reducing energy demand, storing and sharing clean energy, and producing more energy than they use, will rely on deep retrofitting existing buildings as much as it will on designing new ones. Read more on historic buildings and The Energy Transition.
Many renovation projects depend on outsourced grants and funding opportunities to complete, but raising the necessary funds can be challenging. However, St. Paul’s United Church in Oakville, Ontario, was confident that their congregants could rise to the challenge and come up with a significant sum of money for the lighting retrofit they were planning.
Emissions reduction is the measurable reduction of the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon into the atmosphere from a specified activity. Operational carbon, the amount of carbon emitted during the operating or in-use phase of a building, accounts for a large proportion of emissions released globally.
Across regions, many faith communities are unable to meet annual fees and maintenance costs and are struggling to keep up with the operational needs of their buildings. As a solution, a number of United Church properties are retrofitting their buildings with the goal of reducing their energy bills. They are creating rental opportunities by renovating old and unused spaces within their buildings.
The Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre is an accredited theological college located one mile east of Beausejour, Manitoba that offers cross-cultural learning and Indigenous ministry training, as well as a peaceful place on the land for retreats, meetings and gatherings. Its vision is to create a place where First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Christian spiritual beliefs are respected, shared, and understood.
Camp Scugog is one of the oldest camps in Canada. Its buildings were not designed for all weather use. Camp staff knew that in order to maximize the use of the property, and expand capacity for winter operations, a building retrofit that involved installing a heating and cooling system to their property’s main facility was not only critical but necessary.
