The Town of Ajax is making great strides in Durham Region with the opening of Durham's first LEED Certified building.
Ajax's new $11 million fire hall was completed in June 2008 and is located at Rossland and Salem Roads. It includes features such as a green roof and geothermal heating, which is expected to save on energy and water use.
The Town of Ajax received an award for the new fire hall on August 26th at the 2008 Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference in Ottawa. The AMO Federal Gas Tax Project Award was presented to the Town of Ajax by Federal Environment Minister John Baird and Past AMO’s President Doug Reycraft.
In other positive building news, the new Durham courthouse currently being built in Oshawa will be receiving the LEED Silver certification. The courthouse will include 33 courtrooms, various settlement and motions rooms, and may be open as early as 2009.
Green features of the courthouse include a green roof, stormwater irrigation to water lawns and gardens, and reflective Energy Star roofing. The building is expected to result in a total savings of $49 million.
According to the Canada Green Building Council, LEED Certification involves ratings in 5 categories:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
LEED certifications are granted as one of 4 possible levels: certified, silver, gold and platinum.
