Suburban office and corporate headquarters capture the limelight in the newly announced 2021 ENERGY STAR Canada awards for existing commercial and institutional buildings. Five buildings have received accolades as part of Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) annual recognition of energy efficiency champions among Canadian landlords, developers manufacturers, retailers, utilities and advocacy organizations.

This year, a total of 20 winners were named, including 15 in the products category and two new home builders, along with the five owners/managers drawn from registrants in NRCan’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager energy performance benchmarking program. Other honourees are manufacturers or retailers of ENERGY STAR-certified products or have played a leading role in promoting these products to Canadian consumers.

“When you see the ENERGY STAR label, you know it means energy savings. It saves money on energy bills, helps consumers and businesses make informed decisions and lowers energy use,” asserts Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. “This year’s winners are building a more sustainable, energy-efficient and prosperous future.”

The four winning commercial buildings are:

• Commerce South Office Park, Building B, a three-storey, 91,000-square-foot building located on Edmonton’s 51st Avenue. It was built in 1982 and is owned and managed by BentallGreenOak;
• Sun Life’s 112-year-old Canadian head office, located in Waterloo, Ontario, managed by BentallGreenOak;
• 6985 Financial Drive, a five-storey, 180,000-square-foot office building in Mississauga, Ontario. It was built in 2006 and is owned and managed by QuadReal Property Group; and
• Brian Canfield Centre, a 22-storey, 690,000-square-foot tower located at 3777 Kingsway in Burnaby, B.C. It was built in 1976 and originally served as the headquarters of BC Tel. It is currently owned and managed by H&R REIT.

Sunrise of Windsor was named the 2021 winner in the institutional building category. It is owned and managed by Sunrise Senior Living.

The two recipients of new home builder awards are also both located in southwest Ontario. WrightHaven Homes Ltd. of Fergus, Ontario was named in the small builder category, with mid-sized builder honours going to Doug Tarry Limited of St. Thomas, Ontario.

Atlantic Canada emerged as an influential player in energy efficiency programming and advocacy. Newfoundland and Labrador’s takeCHARGE! program was recognized for best program offered by a utility and the best promotional campaign, while, efficiencyPEI was named the 2021 energy efficiency program administrator of the year. That follows Prince Edward Island’s most improved performance in Efficiency Canada’s second annual provincial scorecard last year, when it climbed two places to take fifth spot.

Making a strong representation for the facilities management sector, the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care was named ENERGY STAR advocate of the year for the fourth time. The not-for-profit organization works with a growing network of health care providers Canada-wide to respond to climate change and promote ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other waste.

“We have a strong commitment to improving energy management practices within the sector because of their impact on reducing health care’s carbon footprint,” observes Neil Ritchie, executive director of the Green Health Care Coalition. “This award recognizes the efforts of the Coalition that have been built over the past two decades to bring energy management to the forefront of health care.”