$500K in federal funding granted to Whitney Pier net-zero energy subdivision
MP said the funding will help those living at Pine Tree Park save money as the new developments will be energy-saving.
A subdivision in Whitney Pier which will soon be fully powered by solar energy is receiving a $500,000 pledge from the federal government.
Pine Tree Park, located on a former Department of National Defence property on Lingan Road, will get funding from the federal government to retrofit 20 homes for more efficient energy use. With the 1,800-panel solar garden in the community on the way, Pine Tree Park has been billed as Nova Scotia’s “first net-zero energy community.”
The funding was announced Wednesday in Sydney by Cape-Breton-Victoria MP Jaime Battiste and Geoff Stewart, the first vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Battiste — speaking on behalf of the federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson — said the money will support projects that non-profit developer New Dawn Enterprises Ltd. is undertaking in Pine Tree Park. The renovations include heating, cooling and water system upgrades, plus insulation improvements. The net-zero initiative at the subdivision was revealed in 2021.
Battiste said the funding will help those living at Pine Tree Park save money as the new developments will be energy-saving.
“This project expects to reduce energy usage (in the homes) by half, if not more,” Battiste said, adding that 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada are from home heating.
“Not only does it reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it saves tenants money every month. We know that we need to do more to prevent the climate crisis and emergencies. This is one small step in that, but it’s an important step.”
The funding is through the Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative of the Green Municipal Fund — an FCM-administered and federally-funded program intended to lower energy costs for households while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Developments at Pine Tree Park
Much of Pine Tree Park was developed in the 1950s as Royal Canadian Air Force Station Sydney. It was part of a Canada-wide network to detect air attacks from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The station closed in the 1990s, acquired by New Dawn Enterprises shortly after to redevelop.
Erika Shea, president and CEO of New Dawn, said the developments are something that is climate-friendly without sacrificing the comfort of residents.
According to her, the upgrades will not force anybody to relocate — the longest residents have had to move was over a 24-hour period last summer while house insulation was changed.
“They are going to have better insulated, more efficient and lower-cost homes going into our heating season,” Shea said. Roughly 100 people live at Pine Tree Park. That includes 29 living in the New Dawn Guest Home, a home for people living with disabilities.
This summer was also the first most residents had air conditioning provided.
Much of the housing at the park is inside stone buildings there since the area’s military use. Shea said that has advantages such as a more solid and sustainable structure. However, it requires more effort and resources during renovation, making the funding helpful.
New Dawn earned the funding through the FCM’s program as a provider of affordable housing — defined by the funding program as housing provided at below 80 per cent of the usual market rate. To earn funding through the program, developers must provide at least 30 per cent of its units within the definition of affordable.
Shea said most of the units on the property have already met that criteria before renovations. “It’s something we will commit to continuing as a condition to this funding.”
Most major renovations have already been completed. Retrofitting the New Dawn Guest Home this fall is the last big project on the list.
“All the retrofits will be completely finished by the end of October,” Shea said.
