Chapter member and director Cam Munro, Senior Sustainable Innovation Specialist for Clark Builders, gave attendees at his session at the CaGBC conference in June a lot to think about best green practices for new construction projects.

Name a Chapter member who works tirelessly to support and encourage the younger members of our profession.  Now, name the Chapter member who was recognized for her great efforts with an achievement award – the Student Leadership Award – at the CaGBC annual conference in Vancouver.

Congratulations, Jessica Roder of ONPA Architects!

Jessica started to establish the Emerging Green Builders (EGB) section of the chapter, in Edmonton in 2008, arranging building tours, social events and activities for students and young professionals. Later that year, she was elected to the Chapter’s Board of Directors.

In 2009, she spearheaded a design competition which drew enthusiastic response from a variety of student and young professional teams.  No longer an EGB herself, she continues her involvement with the EGB committee, ensuring a smooth transition as new leaders begin to take over.

Before moving to Edmonton, Jessica was involved in the EGB group in Winnipeg, again working to establish its presence in that market.

In addition to green buildings, Jessica’s other volunteer work reflects her passion with sustainable living. She helped establish Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton – a group dedicated to bringing together people who have fruit trees and bushes with people who would like to pick fruit.  The produce is shared between the owners, pickers and the food bank.

A little over a year after launch, LEED Canada for Homes is growing quickly with almost 800 homes registered in every province and supported by a provider network of 11 organizations from Vancouver to Halifax.

Alberta has recently brought on two new providers, EcoAmmo in Edmonton and 4 Elements Integrated Design in Calgary. These new providers have greatly increased the number of registered projects from Alberta and improved support for existing Alberta projects.  

Another area of growth has been Atlantic Canada with a new Provider added in March. Registrations from the east coast have gone up significantly given the modestly sized market.  

Related updates include the recently launched Reference Guide, which is now available. CaGBC members can order it for $295 from the CaGBC. As well, CaGBC members have been pushing for an upgrade of the prerequisite for energy performance within LEED Canada for Homes. The CaGBC is working with technical volunteers to craft the new minimum level for energy performance.  This fall, the LEED AP Homes exam and credential will launch in Canada; many builders, developers, architects and project teams are eagerly awaiting its release. 

For more information or to order the reference guide, visit www.cagbc.org/leed/homes/ or contact your local Provider.