Innovation strikes again with completion of s2e’s FCM/GMF report for smart community development across Canada

Apr 22, 2019 | Development, EVE Park, Net-Zero Energy, West 5

During this Earth Day season, we are celebrating leadership that truly makes an impact that is measureable.

On March 29, a remarkable event took place in West 5 (London, ON) with Canada’s global energy innovators, s2e Technologies Inc. and Sifton Properties where they seized an exciting moment for Canadian cities. Derek Satnik, VP of Technology, Smart Communities at s2e Technologies Inc. and principal investigator for the “FCM/GMF Feasibility Study: Municipal Tools for Catalyzing Net-Zero Energy Development”, hosted the event announcing the completion of the study. The report outlines what a municipality can reasonably do to motivate and enable builders to construct net-zero energy developments in communities across Canada.

The event began with 30 mins of speeches from the major stakeholders including Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener; Milfred Hammerbacher, CEO of s2e Technologies Inc., and Richard Sifton, CEO of Sifton Properties. Different media channels were invited to capture the essence of what this report meant to the cities. Following this, a tour of West 5 allowed guests to see the finished townhomes, construction of current projects, and the overall incredible development of the sustainable neighbourhood.

The report, available in 3 different versions, is a valuable tool that explains how to effectively enable developers to build net-zero communities across Canada, with a focus on the technologies and investment methods used, and on effective municipal incentives and processes. The report was funded by Cities of Kingston, Kitchener, London and Waterloo, and by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM’s) Green Municipality Fund.

s2e’s partnership between the FCM, four cities, and eight other developers (two per city) covered the development of brown and green fields, landfills, re-urbanization, heritage, mixed densities, and more. The study looks at three complementary and independent focuses which are described as technical feasibility, financial feasibility, and policy/process feasibility.

Climate change is having a measurable impact on Canada through increased flooding, wildfires, and other major weather events. Municipalities are in the best position to enable local leadership which addresses climate change, and sustainable neighbourhoods are a significant part of the solution. This report gives municipalities a set of real tools that have been tested and shown to be effective. Now they need to be put into practice.

“It’s an experience, we need to continue to educate”. – Milfred Hammerbacher,

CEO – s2e Technologies

“Earth Day is the best possible time to demonstrate climate leadership and to take action. This report gives tools to municipalities that are ready for use, and that work.” – Derek Satnik, VP of Technology, Smart Communities – s2e Technologies 

The event was a tremendous success that brought many people together to celebrate a step in the right direction where education and equipping were the themes throughout, stressing the ability to provide a better solution towards a promising future. This Earth Day, s2e is proud to be enabling true leadership at the local level with partners like FCM and the Cities of Kingston, Kitchener, London and Waterloo.

Visit us on the web at www.s2etech.com, connect with us on LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter.