Public Housing across Nova Scotia to benefit from energy-efficient upgrades

HALIFAX, Sept. 3, 2019 /CNW/ - Investing in green infrastructure helps communities reduce their carbon footprint and increase their resilience to climate change. It also helps safeguard public health, protect the environment and create a clean-growth economy.

Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, announced important energy efficiency improvements for more than 100 public housing structures in 51 communities across the province.

The work will include upgrading exterior cladding, installing attic insulation, and installing energy efficient windows and doors. These improvements will significantly reduce heating and cooling costs and provide a more comfortable living environment for residents.

Additionally, solar panels will be installed on five buildings to produce electricity and an analysis is underway to determine if other public housing buildings are good candidates for the panels and other potential upgrades that would allow the structures to attain net zero energy in the future.

The Government of Canada is investing $11 million in this project through the Green Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.

Quotes

"Investing in energy efficiency and embracing green technologies is key to building a healthy and prosperous future for all Canadians. These important upgrades to public housing facilities across Nova Scotia will have immediate positive impacts by reducing energy costs and making these residences more comfortable for residents year-round. They will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the province, contributing to a cleaner tomorrow for everyone."

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development

Quick facts

Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
$26.9 billion of this funding is supporting green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
These investments complement the Atlantic Growth Strategy, a 2-year federal-provincial action plan aimed at stimulating economic growth in the region through five priority areas:

Skilled workforce/Immigration;
Innovation;
Clean growth and climate change;
Trade and investment
Infrastructure.

On June 27, 2019, the Government of Canada launched two new strategies: Canada's Connectivity Strategy, which commits to connect all Canadians to high-speed internet, and Canada's first Rural Economic Development Strategy, which will spur economic growth and create good, middle class jobs for rural Canadians across the country.
The Rural Economic Development Strategy leverages ongoing federal investments and provides a vision for the future, identifying practical steps to take in the short term, and serving as a foundation to guide further work.