CANMORE – Phase one of Spring Creek Mountain Village was the first project to receive certification from Built Green Canada’s communities pilot program.
The certification recognizes projects that focus on clean energy and creating better and more energy resource efficient homes.
Frank Kernick, owner and developer of Spring Creek, estimates the geothermal heating and cooling system will eliminate about 600 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
The process has natural heat pumped to and from the ground by circulating fluid through a ground loop rather than using fuel.
"We were one of the first to adopt geothermal technologies in Alberta to meet our goal: to create a truly sustainable mountain community," Kernick said in a media release. "This is a nod to my parents and grandparents and to Canmore – a legacy for the town in which I grew up.”
The Spring Creek project is a 28-hectare redevelopment in the centre of Canmore. The area redevelopment plan was approved in 2004 and construction began in 2006.
The project includes multi-use trails and parks and ties in with the Town of Canmore’s infrastructure. It also exceeds the requirements for the Canmore municipal and environmental reserve standards as well as designing a water system for irrigation that only uses ground water and not municipal water supply.
The village will feature single- and multi-family housing and commercial properties.
Spring Creek is a member of Built Green Canada and has had more than 50 projects certified, but this certification is the first time an entire community has received the recognition.
Built Green Canada is a national organization that offers third-party certification for residential developers using sustainable practices. Since being created, more than 41,500 homes and multi-storey projects have been certified in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
"Considerable planning has gone into the development of our communities program, with ongoing input from industry professionals, including engineers and energy advisors, as well as consultation with industry,” said Built Green Canada's CEO Jenifer Christenson in a release. “And, with the leadership Averton and Spring Creek, the pilot is already being put to use to create greener, healthier communities in Canada.”
