Newmarket, Ont. – Newmarket-Aurora MP Lois Brown, and Michael Roschlau, Member of the National Board of Directors of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), today announced Green Municipal Fund (GMF) support totalling $2,300,000 for the Town of Newmarket. The town has invested $300,000 in grant funding and $2,000,000 in low-interest loan funding in the creation of the Newmarket Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Operations Centre. The operations centre now provides the vast majority of municipal services to the community while using less energy and water.

“FCM’s Green Municipal Fund offers a range of resources and services that specifically address the sustainable community development needs of municipal governments,” said Mr. Roschlau. “The financing and knowledge provided by the Fund supports the development of communities that are more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.”

“The Government of Canada is assisting municipalities across the country in achieving their goal of a cleaner and healthier environment for Canadians through the Green Municipal Fund,” said MP Brown.  “Today’s announcement is another example of how our government — in partnership with FCM — is helping Newmarket build a greener future for our citizens.”

Officially opened in September 2010, Newmarket’s Operations Centre combines two inadequately sized public works facilities into a single operations centre.  Built in accordance with LEED Silver certification guidelines, the centre received the 2009 Award of Excellence from Canadian Architect Magazine in recognition of its innovative design and environmentalism.  This design — consisting of the operations centre itself, a greenhouse, a salt-and-sand storage shed, a works yard, and parking areas — will reduce energy use by 44 per cent and domestic water use by 40 per cent while providing extensive day-lighting and exterior views in 92 per cent of occupied spaces.

The energy savings are achieved in several ways, starting with a climate control network that includes a ground source heat pump and heat-recovery system. Office windows operate individually to provide fresh air and reduce cooling loads. In some areas carbon dioxide sensors vary fresh air intake according to the number of users present. The building also features solar heating for all domestic hot water; extensive use of natural light; occupancy sensors to manage electrical lighting; and a combination of reflective and green roofing. In addition, only a portion of the grounds are paved in order to reduce the heat-island effect of necessary parking space, and the use of gravel and landscape plantings in the remaining areas helps with overall cooling.

The Operations Centre plays an indispensable role in providing the vast majority of municipal services to the community.  These services include parks maintenance, pedestrian trails, playground equipment maintenance, playing field maintenance, recreational facility maintenance, natural heritage areas protection, winter maintenance of roads, winter maintenance of sidewalks and protection trails, crossing guard programs, traffic management programs, waste management, recycling, water system maintenance, sanitary and stormwater systems, snow storage, municipal forestry tree program, cemetery maintenance as well as fleet maintenance.

“The Town of Newmarket appreciates the support of the Green Municipal Fund for our sustainable initiative,” said Mayor Tony Van Bynen.  “When you stand outside your home and look around most of what you see and a lot of what you don’t see under the ground is the responsibility of the municipality.  The new Operations Centre will ensure that Newmarket’s nearly $1 billion dollars worth of assets are supported and maintained and that our growing population continues to receive top-quality public works services.”

The Government of Canada endowed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with $550 million to establish the Green Municipal Fund™. The Fund supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection.