Source: Montreal Gazette

The Centre for Sustainable Development (better known by its French name, the Maison du développement durable) will soon begin to emerge on the corner of Clark and Ste. Catherine St. W.. The centre will house headquarters of eight non-profit organizations dedicated social or environmental causes.

The building will be huge –  its promoters are calling it “65,000 square feet of hope” –  and it is expected to be one of the greenest buildings in Canada. Green roof, geothermal heating and cooling…the works…

Here is a very cool video developed by lg2, the folks who produced the Centre’s website. “Using nothing but garbage, waste materials and recycled objects, André Dubois (lg2) and Éric Parizeau (director) built a magical universe where the world evolves in mysterious ways. The execution is an animation, created frame by frame, where people and animals embark on a journey to an extraordinary place where they view the very beginnings of the Maison du développement durable, represented by a growing tree.”

Here are the eight partners who will be finding new digs at the Centre:

1. Options consommateurs (a non-profit association protecting consumers)
2. Equiterre (environmental group)
3. CRE-Montréal (umbrella group for local environmental organizations)
4. Le petit réseau (a childcare centre)
5. ENvironnement JEUnesse (environmental group dedicated to educating and involving young people in the environmental movement)
6. the Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec (an umbrella group for regional environmental organizations)
7. Le Regroupement des services Eco-Quartier (a resource organization to help neighbourhood environmental groups)
8. the Centre québécois du droit de l’environnment (a non-profit corporation that promotes environmental justice)

Source: Heritage Montreal

Heritage Montreal in conjuction with Dawson College will offer a course on Sustainable Home Renovation practices.

Architect Ron Rayside and Emmanuel Cosgrove, senior evaluator for LEED Canada will introduce participants to the renovation and restoration practices that respect the environment in light of current sustainable development principles.

Home owners are ideally placed to preserve the harmony and beauty of the built environment that make up much of our city’s charming neighborhoods.

For just $299, the series of eight thematic courses is offered in English at Dawson College every Thursday evening from March 25 to May 10 (note that the last course will be held on a Monday), and in French at Université de Montréal, 2940 Côte-Sainte-Catherine, every Tuesday evening from March 23 to May 11. Courses run from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. and will cover the following topics:

•    Montreal residential architecture through history
•    General home inspection
•    Renovation planning and administration
•    Foundations and structure
•    Exterior walls, roofs and insulation
•    Doors, windows and exterior woodwork
•    Mechanical and electrical systems
•    Sustainable Development

Registration can be done by telephone with Julia Dawson, Coordinator of the Home Renovation Courses at (514) 286-2662, extension 26 or online.