City sets new home-building rules to lead Ontario

With a simple show of hands, councillors effectively repainted Vaughan’s future an Earth-friendly shade of green and made the city a provincial leader in energy-efficient construction.

Council voted Monday to adopt new rules requiring homes in future subdivisions to be built to Energy Star standards – Energy Star certified homes consume 30 to 40 percent less energy than homes built to minimum code in Ontario.

“While it may have been other municipalities that have sort of laid claim to this initiative, we at the City of Vaughan will be moving forward and making gigantic steps towards energy efficient Energy Star programs in our future development,” said Regional Councillor Joyce Frustaglio at last week’s committee of the whole meeting.

While Energy Star homes cost more to build, Ward 3 Councillor Bernie DiVona said the savings in energy costs goes a long way to alleviating a new homebuyer’s bill payments.

“Two weeks ago, Regional Councillor Mario Ferri, Councillor Peter Meffe and I attended two openings of Energy Star subdivisions,” DiVona said last week. “They were extremely well received and, in fact, by the time we left that day they were sold out.”

Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman said at the committee of the whole meeting that this move will convince other municipalities of the merits of adopting a similar approach.

“We’re going to move forward as, I believe, the largest city in Ontario that is requiring Energy Star in its subdivision applications,” he said. “Other municipalities in the province of Ontario will follow our lead.

“I’m really proud that we’re leading this issue because I think that in all the areas that we can make a long-term environmental impact, it’s in this area.”

Vaughan Today
Online: November 15, 2007
Byline: Philip Alves
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