Rossland among communities to benefit from energy efficiency upgrade grants from CBT
By Rossland Telegraph
Community buildings in the Columbia Basin will see upgrades this year as part of the Trust’s Energy Sustainability Grants program the Columbia Basin Trust said in a media release.
The CBT said nearly $634,000 will support 15 projects to increase energy efficiency and generate energy to reduce costs and improve sustainability in public buildings, including the Scouts Community Hall in Rossland, the Slocan Park Community Hall in the Slocan Valley, the Mount 7 Rec Plex in Golden and the Seniors Hall in Cranbrook.
“Basin residents have been clear that sustainability in the region is a priority. Enabling energy efficiency in public buildings and supporting cost-savings for communities will have lasting positive impacts,” said Mark Brunton, Senior Manager, Delivery of Benefits with the Columbia Basin Trust.
“It’s been great to see interest in this work Basin-wide and to support community gathering places with a long-term view in mind.”
These renewable energy and conservation projects support economic development, encourage self-sufficiency, enable access to affordable energy, and promote sustainability. Find out more about this work at: ourtrust.org/energygrants.
Rossland Scouts Community Hall
The Rossland Scouts Hall was constructed in the late 1940’s. In addition to scouting programs, the hall is used by the Rossland Society for Environmental Action, Rossland Youth Action Network, One Tree Adventures, and other community organizations over the years. The sustainability upgrades will include the installation of an energy efficient furnace, improving the insulation, the installation of solar panels, and draft sealing.
“We hope to continue to provide scouting youth and other local community organizations with a space to conduct activities and meetings for at least another 70 years or so. The sustainability upgrades will make the Rossland Scouts Hall a more comfortable venue with reduced energy costs,” said Tom Leask, Group Commissioner of the 2nd Rossland Scout Group. “We very much appreciate the financial support provided by the Columbia Basin Trust Energy Sustainability Grant program.”
Slocan Park Community Hall
The Slocan Park Community Hall was built in the 1920’s and in a typical year would host senior’s events, craft and seasonal fairs, parent and tot programs, art classes and sports and recreational programs. This project will complete an LED lighting upgrade, insulate the existing hot water tank and upgrade the single pane windows to decrease energy consumption and improve comfortability and sustainability.
“The Slocan Park Community Hall Society is very grateful to Columbia Basin Trust for this energy sustainability grant. It will help the hall to function more efficiently in its efforts to serve the community,” said Ruth Hackett, President of the Slocan Park Community Hall Society.
Mount 7 Rec Plex in Golden
The Mount 7 Rec Plex is used for a number of different activities that primarily focus around the gym including volleyball, indoor soccer, basketball, yoga, parent and tot play, craft fair and farmers markets. The facility is used year-round and has programs for people of all ages and a range of physical abilities. The project will replace a near end-of-life low efficiency propane boiler with a high-efficiency unit, perform other heating system enhancements, and install LED lighting.
“The Town of Golden Recreation Department is excited about the energy-efficient upgrades at the Mount 7 Rec Plex. Installing a new LED system will help save on energy costs and improve the lighting consistency for all our programming,” said Jordan Petrovics, Manager of Recreation Services with the Town of Golden. “Heating and lighting upgrades have been noted in our annual user group facility survey by many users. We are grateful that Columbia Basin Trust is helping execute this upgrade to the building – our facility users are going to be thrilled with the results.”
Cranbrook Seniors Hall
The Cranbrook Seniors Hall was built in 1984 and provides a variety of community programs and events such as art workshops, exercise groups, board games, dances and various social events. Programs are setup primarily for seniors, but many are open to younger demographics. The project will see LED lighting upgrades, draft sealing and replacement of a near end-of-life lower efficiency heating system with a high-efficiency system.
“I want to thank Columbia Basin Trust for their contribution to our Seniors Hall energy efficiency retrofits,” said Evan Berry, Energy Conservationist with the City of Cranbrook. “Finding ways across the municipality to reduce our overall energy consumption across all our facilities is important to both help reduce costs and reduce our environmental impacts.”
Columbia Basin Trust supports the ideas and efforts of the people in the Columbia Basin. To learn more about the Trust’s programs and initiatives, and how it helps deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Basin, visit ourtrust.org or call 1-800-505-8998.
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