One of the rec facilities in Foothills County will be more energy efficient, thanks to the Federal government.
The Scott Seaman Sports Rink in Foothills County, along with the Town of Olds Aquatic Centre, will be receiving $3.9 million from the Federal Government to make their building more energy efficient.
With this funding, the Scott Seaman Sports Rink will have major upgrades done to its heating and power systems, and rooftop solar panels will be installed, resulting in energy and cost savings.
"Foothills County is very appreciative of the substantial financial contribution of GICB [Green and Inclusive Community Buildings] towards this Energy Conservation and GHG [Greenhouse Gas] reduction project at Scott Seaman Sports Rink. We will continue to strive to reduce our carbon footprint and look forward to the cost savings projects like these will provide," said the Reeve for Foothills County, Delilah Miller.
With these new upgrades, the Scott Seaman Sports Rink will have its energy consumption reduced by approximately 21.6 per cent and its greenhouse gas emissions by 385 tonnes every year.
This funding is part of the GICB program, which was created in support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Pan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, which was launched in 2021.
Initially, this program received an investment of $1.5 billion over five years to go towards retrofits, repairs, and upgrades that will make the building greener and more accessible.
Under Budget 2024 for the federal government, they announced that an additional $500 million will be invested into the GICB for more projects until 2029.
Applications for the third intake for the GICB program began on August 1st for small or medium-sized retrofit projects with eligible costs ranging between $100,000 and $2,999,999.
Applications for larger retrofit projects, with eligible costs ranging from $3 million to $25 million will be open on September 4th.
To learn more about the GICB program and where to apply for funding, click here.