Campbell River was among 22 municipalities and individuals honoured during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) first-ever municipal awards of excellence May 28-31, 2010. Campbell River City Hall’s green roof has been recognized in the Building Awards category of the national competition that showcases leading municipal environmental, energy, sustainability planning and waste reduction initiatives.
City Hall Green Roof
The new green roof received $489,039.83 from the Community Works Fund (Federal Gas Tax Fund), covering the full cost of construction. The Green Roof is British Columbia’s first combined intensive and extensive Green Roof renovation to an existing civic building. The Green Roof demonstrates the City’s commitment to demonstrating leadership in environmental sustainability.
The Campbell River City Hall green roof consists of a combined extensive upper roof and landscaped courtyard area. The upper roof is modeled after rocky bluffs in the coastal range, including those visible on Quadra Island. The courtyard area – previously an unattractive, unoccupied space – is modeled after a Japanese style garden in recognition of the City's sister city in Ishikari, Japan. This area has been converted from a barren rooftop to a usable gathering space, and the City’s Green Team aims to incorporate compost and vegetable growing demonstrations in this area.
“The green roof initiative demonstrates the City’s commitment to both its Green City Strategy and to the BC Climate Action Charter, requiring carbon neutrality by 2012,” the Mayor said. “With this green roof, the City of Campbell River is demonstrating to other municipal governments across Canada that a green roof retrofit makes sense from a triple-bottom line approach when considering upgrading a conventional roof.”
More than 40 municipalities entered the 2010 FCM awards competition in four different award categories ranging from innovation in sustainable practices to involvement in international municipal cooperation. An FCM Sustainable Community Green Building Award also went to the Town of Newmarket, Ontario for constructing Canada's first occupied neighbourhood of LEED® platinum homes.
The Gas Tax Fund is a tripartite agreement between Canada, British Columbia and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, delivering infrastructure funding to local governments for capital projects that lead to cleaner air, cleaner water or reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities represents the interests of municipalities on policy and program matters that fall within federal jurisdiction. Members include Canada's largest cities, small urban and rural communities, and 18 provincial and territorial municipal associations.
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