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“May” we introduce you to some cool climate-related initiatives occurring in communities all over BC? Read on to learn about retrofit training in the Northwest, solar leadership in the Northeast, climate-friendly homes in the South, and a couple events – the NorthCAN Forum and a conference on low-carbon transportation – happening smack dab in the centre.
“May” we also suggest you forward this to a friend and invite them to subscribe? It really helps us spread the word about CEA and our programs.
CEA News - $1.8 million to boost energy-efficiency and community resilience
- Improving Homes Across BC: Leadership in the Northwest ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation
- “NorthCAN’s value is enormous!”
- Hundreds Tour Climate Friendly Homes
CEA Staff Updates - Supporting our friend and colleague
- Join us in welcoming…
Coming Up
- Learning from the Leaders in Community-Based Solar
- First Nations Low-Carbon Transportation Forum
- Electric Mobility Peer Network
- What’s Coming in Heat Pump Technology?
- Get Ready to Brag!
| | | | | | | | | | $1.8 million to boost energy-efficiency and community resilience
In-between announcing the Clean Power Action Plan and naming a new CEO earlier this week, BC Hydro joined with the Province of BC to announce a significant multi-year investment to fund CEA programs around the province. The funding – $1.8 million over three years – is the largest single investment in CEA and will support such programs as CEA’s annual awards program, regional implementation of climate and energy policy and projects, a showcase of solar projects in northeastern BC, a retrofit program in the East Kootenays, a network of elected officials, and training to enhance energy-efficiency of both new and existing homes.
Thank you to BC Hydro’s CEO, Chris O’Riley (photographed above), who made the announcement during his remarks at the TrueNorth Business Development Forum in Prince George. Check out the news release from CEA for more details.
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Improving Homes Across BC
While much of the focus on addressing the housing affordability crisis centres on increasing supply, it’s also critically important that communities improve the housing they already have to help make homes more energy-efficient, comfortable, and longer-lasting. Here are two projects underway focusing on retrofits.
| | | | Leadership in the Northwest More than 100 contractors, experts, government officials, community representatives, and students have now participated in training and capacity-building related to home energy retrofits in northwestern BC. First developed by Nisga’a Nation and CEA, the program is providing training on retrofit techniques, building science, and the integrated design process, while also facilitating information-sharing that is leading to more certainty on the true local costs of energy retrofits.
The initiative grew from the Northwest Energy Retrofit Forum in June 2024. This was followed by a workshop aimed at identifying detailed local labour and material costs that would help communities and contractors accurately budget for energy retrofit projects.
Last month, more than 40 people (many of whom are in the photo above) took part in a four-day, hands-on training session – hosted by Kulspai Learning Village and instructed by BCIT – that provided instruction on constructing high-performing building envelopes.
The program is gaining accolades locally and from across Canada, often from people who have been involved with homebuilding for decades. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said one participant. Another has called the information on local labour and material costs “the most comprehensive and up to date costing database in the country.”
Check out these links for more info: CEA develops and delivers these events through the Building A Legacy North initiative, which is a collaboration with the Northern BC chapter of the Canadian Home Builders Association. Core funding is provided by BC Hydro.
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ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation Retrofit Project
Nearly 10 years ago, ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation and CEA undertook a community-wide home retrofit initiative. What started as a partnership to deliver educational programming led to 28 homes receiving energy assessments and light retrofits to improve air tightness.
In turn, this process opened the possibility to make deeper retrofits through window and door replacements, adding insulation, re-siding, and sealing foundations and more. Ten homes received these deeper retrofits, dramatically improving comfort and quality of life while lowering hydro bills.
ʔAkisq̓nuk members also gained valuable mentorship by working alongside teams from EnergyAdvise and thinkBright Homes.
They have now developed a video summarizing their experiences, and sharing the story of this retrofit initiative.
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“NorthCAN’s value is enormous!”
This is how one of the participants in the NorthCAN Forum described the opportunity to meet and learn about climate action, resiliency, economic development, health, and sustainability in Northern BC communities.
Held in Prince George at the end of April, the NorthCAN Forum brought together nearly 100 people from across the region in an event that was truly a first of its kind. Highlights included a panel discussion with northern community leaders, the latest research on how climate change is affecting glaciers, tours of local industrial sites and housing developments, new technologies to plan for resilient infrastructure, and multiple opportunities for participants to connect and share local examples and ideas on the energy transition, health, and community resiliency.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to really connect with other attendees. The interaction and intermingling were a highlight for sure.”
NorthCAN (the Northern BC Climate Action Network) was initiated by CEA in 2022 and has connected about 450 people over the past three years. Congrats to all of the participants and thank you to the sponsors, partners, and supporters who joined with CEA to make this event happen.
| | | | | | Hundreds Tour Climate Friendly Homes
For the second time, owners of energy efficient homes opened their doors as part of a multi-community Climate Friendly Homes Tour. Their generosity meant hundreds of people could see what a comfortable, energy-efficient home looks like, and heard from homeowners about what it’s like to build/renovate and live in them. A total of 19 homes were open to visitors. In Vernon and Kimberley, we saw homes adapted to the Interior BC climate. In Maple Ridge, a charming 100 year-old house hid a super-insulated, ultra-efficient envelope. In Vancouver, we saw the city’s first home to use building-integrated photovoltaic solar panels to achieve net-zero. The City of Richmond brought in professionals to speak to visitors. The New West Climate Action Hub showcased nine homes – one of which is pictured above – in addition to presenting speakers on gardening, electrification, and disaster preparedness.
The Climate Friendly Homes Tour was facilitated by CEA with the support of community partners, BC Hydro, and the local governments.
| | | | | | Supporting our friend and colleague
CEA staff Megan Lohmann and Jen Grebeldinger joined with fellow CEAer Jude Smith last month to celebrate the launch of Jude’s daughter’s first solo album. While such an event would normally elicit joy, the event was bittersweet. The album was released posthumously, after Nell, Jude’s 17-year old daughter, passed away late last year in a car accident; after the songs were written, recorded, and produced.
Releasing the album, Anxious, became a labour of love for Jude, Nell’s label (Bella Union), and others in the music industry who had watched as Nell blossomed into a rising Canadian musician.
“Her voice hits the ear, the ear tells brain this is the sound of love, the brain lets the mind fly through the billions of connections it has with Nell's life,” says Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, one of Nell’s initial collaborators. “But as it flies it also flies to her death... there is something holy that happens now."
“We just want people to hear her voice and for her to not be forgotten,” says Jude of releasing the album last month. This also involved establishing a memorial fund in Nell’s name that is aiming to raise $100,000 to support other young, aspiring musicians.
Learn more about Nell and the memorial fund: nellsmithmusic.com | | | | | | Join us in welcoming…
…Alea Mohamed, joining CEA through the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions' Climate Internship Program. During her summer CEA placement, she’ll be focusing on research, outreach, and developing recommendations to help guide the next phase of CEA’s BC Community Climate Action Dashboard.
Alea is pursuing a master’s degree at UBC in Community and Regional Planning. | | | | | | | | | | Learning from the Leaders in Community-Based Solar
Several communities in northeastern BC – where the winters are dark and cold – have emerged as provincial leaders in community-based solar and CEA is eager to show them off in order to inspire other small, northern communities to explore their own solar potential.
On June 18-19, CEA will lead a bus trip to see and learn about solar installations in West Moberly First Nation, Hudson’s Hope (pictured above), and Fort St. John – each of which has overcome various barriers to implementation and demonstrates different approaches to solar installations in communities.
For more info, visit the NorthCAN web page or reach out to Rob at rvanadrichem@communityenergy.ca. Confirmation of interest is required by May 16.
Thanks to these sponsors: BC Hydro, Northern Development Initiative Trust, and Gott Energy. | | | | | | First Nations Low-Carbon Transportation Forum
CEA’s work to support low-carbon, accessible, and safe transportation in Indigenous communities will be showcased later this month in the first conference on low-carbon transportation ever to be presented by the BC Assembly of First Nations.
CEA has been supporting the BCAFN’s low-carbon transportation project by helping to create a First Nations Low-Carbon Transportation Guide that also involved several community-led First Nations pilot projects. Both the Guide and the pilot projects will be showcased during the conference in order to help inform other First Nations communities about how they might approach the implementation of low-carbon transportation options. In fact, the BCAFN is currently seeking additional pilot communities.
The conference, which will be held in Prince George, May 27-28, will also include a presentation from CEA and the BCAFN about a new Transportation Assessment Report, which outlines barriers and opportunities and provides recommendations to ensure that First Nations across BC have equitable access to transportation.
| | | | Electric Mobility Peer Network Next Meeting: May 22, 2025 from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific
This meeting will feature presentations from BC Hydro and the Government of BC’s Clean Transportation branch together with updates on the low-carbon fuel standard, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, and electric kick scooters.
Learn how to join the peer network. | | | | What’s Coming in Heat Pump Technology? May 27, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Pacific Free webinar for building professionals Register on Eventbrite
Experts from Ecolighten Energy Solutions will highlight new advances in cold climate heat pumps and a new class of refrigerants designed to be less harmful to the environment in the event of a leak. Please share with contractors, building officials, energy advisors, and others interested in the next frontier of heat pump technology. | | | | Get ready to brag!
Heads-ups: later this month, CEA will be launching its annual “Call for Nominations” for the 2025 Climate and Energy Action Awards. These are the most prestigious awards in BC for community-based action on climate, energy, and resiliency for local governments and Indigenous communities.
Stay tuned for the launch of the nomination period. | | | | Our Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
The Community Energy Association commits to the principles of Truth and Reconciliation. As an organization, we support the Calls to Action released by the
Truth and Reconciliation Commision of Canada
and recognize the importance of the self determination of Indigenous Peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. | | Thank you for subscribing to the CEA Newsletter, our monthly update on local climate and energy initiatives connected to the Community Energy Association. No longer interested? You can easily unsubscribe or update your preferences | | | | | |
