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Photo Credit: Stefania Galluccio @mystoo
388 - 11/10/2018 8:57:28 AM  

Eden Mills Carbon Neutral Celebration Nov 18

The Eden Mills Community Club is proud to announce that the 100-year-old Community Hall, the heart of the village, has been retrofitted to carbon neutrality!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eden Mills Celebrates the Making of its “Carbon Neutral” Heritage Community Hall


“The greenest building is the one that has already been built.”
Architect Carl Elefante, President, American Institute of Architects

The Eden Mills Community Club is proud to announce that the 100-year-old Community Hall, the heart of the village, has been retrofitted to carbon neutrality!

On Sunday, November 18, 2018, this remarkable achievement will be celebrated at the Hall, along with a step-by-step presentation of the energy retrofit. Mills announced that it was “going carbon neutral.” Since its going carbon neutral launch in 2007 the village has decreased emissions by approximately 18%, and increased sequestration provided by the existing tree cover from 51% to 57%. 

The celebration, The Little Village That Could, includes the hour-long presentation about the carbon neutral project.

This will be followed by a full country supper and crowned with a performance by two of Canada’s stellar performers in Mary Lou Fallis and Peter Tiefenbach LIVE!… More or Less. Soprano and pianist, these skilled artists are known for their hilarious takes on music from Broadway to the classics.

The Eden Mills Community Hall may be the first heritage building in Canada to have been retrofitted to carbon neutrality. Without the energy retrofit, the long-term operation of the Hall would have been at risk as the cost of heating and cooling a leaky building increased. This unique undertaking is a model for other heritage buildings.

Charles Simon, resident and architect states, “Eden Mills Going Carbon Neutral insists on measuring the changes it makes to the village’s carbon footprint. The Hall footprint was measured in 2008. At that time, its annual CO2 emissions totalled about 14,000 kilograms, the emissions of an average house. Today, with any remaining emissions from its reduced energy use neutralized by the energy generated by its array of 10 kw solar panels, the building’s carbon footprint is zero.”

Beginning with heat conservation measures including fully insulating all the exterior walls and ceiling and ending with energy-producing solar panels, it was a 5- year, $500,000 undertaking.

Volunteer and visionary village residents with expertise in architecture (Charles Simon) and engineering (Richard Lay) and construction (Les Zawadzki), with the generous assistance of Guelph’s L. Alan Grinham Architects Inc. got the vision down on paper and managed to turn drafting into construction reality.

The celebratory evening is designed to acknowledge the donors. Among the key financial supporters of this project were the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, Farm Credit Canada, the Musagetes Foundation (Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo) and the Township of Guelph Eramosa. These foundational grants were matched by generous individual, business and significant in-kind donors from the village and district.

In awarding the Canada 150 grant, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, stated: “The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program will help preserve and improve treasured cultural and community locations across the country allowing Canadians and their families to enjoy moments of learning, leisure, and contemplation for years to come.”

In addition to the energy retrofit, the Community Hall has also upgraded its theatre including extending the stage and installing an energy-efficient lighting system and sophisticated sound system. The Hall hosts dozens of events and concerts every year. The Hall is co-owned by Guelph Eramosa Township, but the operations, maintenance and financial management are entirely undertaken by volunteers. 

Event Details: Sunday, November 18

5 pm – 6 pm – Presentation: Eden Mills Going Carbon Neutral and Energy Retrofit of Heritage Community Hall
6:30 pm – Harvest Supper
8:00 pm – Performance: Mary Lou Fallis and Peter Tiefenbach LIVE!...More or Less
Eden Mills Community Hall: 104 York Street, Eden Mills N0B 1P0

Tickets: 
Purchase on-line at www.edenmills.ca/music or contact Linda Sword 519-853-1896

Carbon Neutral Presentation: Admission Free

Dinner and Performance: $25 Adult/$15 Student
Cash Bar

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