Ottawa awards Pickering $17 million for two net zero community projects

Ottawa has awarded the City of Pickering more than $17 million in federal funding for two City of Pickering net zero community infrastructure projects – the Pickering Heritage & Community Centre and the Redman House Program Centre improvement project.

This 44,000 square foot Heritage & Community Centre will host new and improved recreation and leisure programming for the community as well as library services and will also include a community theatre and a museum that will house community exhibits.  As a key milestone of Pickering’s sustainability journey, the community centre will be the City’s first net zero facility, featuring enhanced insulation, triple glazed windows, solar panels, air source heat pumps and other similar features that in combination will meet the net zero design targets for the project.

Additional funding will support green retrofits to the Redman House Program Centre. The work will include energy efficiency upgrades to both mechanical and electrical components of the existing facility, as well as accessibility improvements that include the replacement of the ramp and renovations to the washrooms. This project will allow the centre to continue to provide important visitor and volunteer services at the Pickering Museum Village.

“On behalf of the City of Pickering, its Members of Council, and residents, I sincerely thank the Government of Canada for investing $17 million towards new, green community infrastructure in Pickering,” said Mayor Dave Ryan. “Pickering is home to many significant heritage-based communities, facilities, and programs. This funding will help support exciting and meaningful projects that will bring our community together, while showcasing Pickering’s historic roots in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner.  I am proud that the City of Pickering remains steadfast in its commitment to the arts, heritage, culture, and building a sustainable community.”

This new community-based green infrastructure will transform the Pickering Village Museum into a year-round destination offering a wide range of services and innovative community programs. It will be home to the Pickering Library’s Local History Resource Centre and Branch Kiosk for the residents of north Pickering. Visitors will be able to visit the Exhibit Gallery, the Textile Workshop, enjoy the Gift Shop and Coffee Bar, and stroll along the pathway to Pickering Museum Village.

Following in the footsteps of the George Ashe Community Centre, the Pickering Heritage & Community Centre will also offer picturesque spaces for programs and banquet style events. The aspirational blueprints show the future of a unique space, which will replace aging inaccessible infrastructures as well as reconcile Pickering’s shared histories through interpretation, participation, public programming, and displays in partnership with Indigenous communities. Visit pickering.ca/HeritageandCommunity to learn more.

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