**** CNS Media Release
Support for Banook Canoe Club’s Climate Change Action
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Banook Canoe Club in Dartmouth is making upgrades to reduce its carbon footprint for a more sustainable future, with support from the Province announced today, August 15.
“Banook Canoe Club has long been a hub for our community, and these upgrades will transform the facility into a sustainable gathering place that’s valued and enjoyed for generations,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “These types of projects are a testament to the community’s commitment to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. We are proud to support these local community projects that are creating a significant impact.”
The club will use $332,500 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to:
– install rooftop solar panels
– upgrade the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system
– replace five gas-powered safety boat engines with electric battery-powered engines
Quotes:
“Thank you to the provincial government and the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund for helping modernize the Banook Canoe Club into a green and energy-efficient facility. Key pieces of this green project are the HVAC system, the solar grid and electric safety boat motors. We are excited about dramatically decreasing our carbon footprint and contributing to improving the health of Lake Banook.”
— Jim Johnson, President, Banook Canoe Club
“The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, through the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, is proud to support Banook Canoe Club in their initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by installing solar panels and implementing eco-friendly infrastructure upgrades. Funded through the mitigation stream, this project will contribute to Nova Scotia’s 2030 emissions reduction targets and serve as a model for other organizations seeking to make similar upgrades to their facilities.”
— Juanita Spencer, CEO, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities
Quick Facts:
– the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is available to municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, post-secondary institutions, and Mi’kmaw communities to help them respond to and prepare for climate change impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
– the Banook Canoe Club project was funded under the second round of the program
– the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund was created on October 27, 2021, as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, the government’s legislated commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, respond to climate change, transform how Nova Scotians produce and use energy, make homes more energy efficient, and more
– the fund launched on November 7, 2022, with $15 million in funding to support projects that help communities adapt to climate change, mitigate its impacts, and help Nova Scotia reduce its greenhouse gas emissions; on September 28, 2023, the fund was topped up by $15.4 million and extended to 2028
– the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities was selected through a request for proposals process to develop and administer the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund on behalf of the government
Additional Resources:
More information on the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is available at: https://nschallengefund.ca/
News releases about the fund and related projects: https://news.novascotia.ca/search/all?field_topics=228
Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf
Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf
Weathering What’s Ahead: Climate Change Risk and Nova Scotia’s Well-being: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/climate-impacts
