Commitment to sustainable, energy efficient building celebrated
TORONTO, February 5, 2010…Ontario home building professionals gathered yesterday to honour the best in sustainable and energy efficient homebuilding at the EnerQuality 2009 Awards of Excellence ceremony.
These Awards recognize leaders in construction who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to building high-performance, energy-efficient, sustainable new housing.
According to EnerQuality President Corey McBurney, “Participation in green building was tremendous in 2009 and continues to grow. Nominees and finalists are true leaders in sustainable building, which is important to today’s knowledgeable home buyers. These forward-thinking companies all ‘walk-the-talk’ when it comes to incorporating energy-efficient features into their homes. We congratulate the winners, in particular, for their outstanding contributions as industry role models.”
Commitment, leadership, advocacy and innovation were all recognized in Awards categories that included Industry Partner of the Year, which went to Union Gas; two Leader of the Year Awards, won by BILD and George Smitherman; and Evaluator of the Year, presented to Ron Salisbury of Ron Salisbury Consulting Ltd.
“EnerQuality’s Awards of Excellence provide the opportunity to recognize a broad spectrum of stakeholders each year that include industry partners and builders. Union Gas is an active sponsor of EnerQuality, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association and many home builder associations across Ontario, and plays an active role in promoting energy efficiency in new construction.. BILD has had a measurable impact on green building practices through a training partnership with EnerQuality, and George Smitherman has been a dedicated green building proponent as the Ontario Minister of Energy and Infrastructure in 2008/2009,” added McBurney.
EnerQuality’s Green Builder of the Year was awarded to Mason Homes, which salutes the builder who demonstrates innovation and excellence through labeling, marketing and sales and engages in advocacy through various certification initiatives. Mason Homes was also recognized with EnerQuality’s ENERGY STAR® for New Homes Builder of the Year for their work in raising awareness and their commitment to labeling homes, and Best Green Sales Team.
“Building green became our focus several years ago. But, for the Mason family, communities welcome our green label homes and new home buyers appreciate the benefits,” said Sean Mason, VP Marketing, Mason Homes.
Added EnerQuality President Corey McBurney, “2009 proved to be the ’greenest’ year on record in Ontario. Last year EnerQuality labelled 20 per cent of new homes green.”
Monarch Corporation received the Best Green Marketing Campaign and Building Innovation & Excellence Awards. “The marketing aspect of green building is very important,” said EnerQuality’s Director of Client Relations Michelle Cote. “Monarch’s Evergreen™ community embodies the concept, from its name to its ENERGY STAR® and LEED certified homes, and even marketing materials printed on environmentally friendly material. Visitors to Monarch’s sales office left educated and inspired to buy an energy-efficient home.”
The EnerQuality R-2000 Builder of the Year is Gordon Tobey Developments Ltd., and EnerQuality’s EnerGuide Rating Service Builder of the Year Award was won by Mountainview Homes Ltd. The Hall of Fame Award was presented to Victor Fiume, General Manager, Durham Custom Homes who is a Past President of the Ontario and Durham Region Home Builders’ Associations.
Added McBurney, “All winners represent Ontario’s best and brightest in sustainable building, and are making exciting things happen across the industry. We are privileged to live in an area with so many true innovators and leaders guiding sustainable building now and for the future.”