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The Government of Saskatchewan has received national recognition for its efforts to make provincial buildings more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.
The Saskatchewan Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) presented the province with multiple awards and certifications this year, including 11 BOMA BEST (Building Environmental Standards) certifications, four ENERGY STAR ratings and three BOMAEarth Awards.
BOMA BEST is Canada’s largest environmental assessment program for existing buildings, measuring performance in energy and water use, air quality, tenant comfort, custodial upkeep and waste management.
“We are pleased to see so many Government of Saskatchewan properties receiving these sustainability certifications,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister David Marit said Friday. “This reflects the progress we are making under the province’s Prairie Resilience Climate Strategy and our growth plan goals for 2030.”
Eight government buildings earned gold-level certification, including facilities in Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Meadow Lake and Nipawin. Three others, in Melfort, Swift Current and Saskatoon, received silver.
As part of the process, four facilities also achieved ENERGY STAR certification for energy efficiency, including Wiciwakan Place in Meadow Lake, which ranked more efficient than 91 per cent of comparable buildings nationwide.
Three facilities, Government House in Regina, Lloyd Place in Regina, and the Saskatoon Equipment Repair Depot, also received BOMAEarth Awards for the highest overall scores in their respective building categories.
Along with building recognition, SaskBuilds and Procurement’s environmental manager, Elena Diebel, was awarded the Lloyd Rogers Member of the Year Award for her leadership and has been nominated nationally for the honour.
Officials said the achievements reflect the province’s commitment to reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in government-owned facilities as part of its Prairie Resilience climate change strategy.