Construction continues on what is being billed as Canada's most energy-efficient high-rise. The Sifton Properties building in their West Five Community is being called the first of its kind in Canada.
"Helio is the buidling which we speak of today is one important piece of the West 5 community," says Sifton's President and CEO Richard Sifton.
"It's more energy efficient than any other building under today's building code. In fact we're using the buiding code of 2030."
West Five (off Oxford Street in west London) consists of townhouses with solar panel roofs, a commercial building and soon a multi-use high-rise in their Net Zero Community.
"Net zero allows us to produce as much energy as the building will use. We are using clean energy as opposed to other fossil fuels," adds Sifton.
And the federal government is on board with that plan.
London West MP Kate Young flew from Ottawa to announce an investment of $3.9 million through the government's Energy Innovation Program at Natural Resources Canada.
"We need to show NRCan is behind projects like this. We believe energy and the economy go hand in hand," says Young. "Sifton is pushing the envelope and we need to show we are behind that."
Sifton adds that the funding will allow them to go to the next level with more solar and and environmentally-friendly components.
Construction on the 115-unit multi-use building will be completed next year.
This artist's rendition shows the energy-efficient high-rise under construction at Sifton Properties' West Five Community in London, Ont.
