Minto Communities GTA and Metropia unveil Markham’s First Net Zero Home
April 21, 2023 – (Markham, Ontario) After years of research and development, Minto Communities GTA is proud to unveil the first production Net Zero home in Markham’s highly sought-after Union Village master-planned community, developed in partnership with Metropia. The Net Zero home is both the first in Markham as well as Minto Communities’ first in the GTA. Designed to produce as much energy as it consumes over a one-year period, the Net Zero home was celebrated with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark its successful qualification by the Canadian Home Builder’s Association (CHBA), the organizing body who manages Canada’s only labelling program for Net Zero or Net Zero Ready Homes.
Attendees included representatives from Minto Communities, Metropia, CHBA, and the City of Markham, including Deputy Mayor Michael Chan and Ward 6 Councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci, as well as trade partners who helped design and construct the Net Zero home: Building Knowledge, Aerobarrier, RN Design, and Bluewater Energy. This milestone moment represents the future of development where more efficient and sustainable homes will be essential to cut greenhouse gas emissions for a healthier future.
Minto Communities GTA & Metropia cut the ribbon at Markham's first production-built net zero home. (Photo Credit: STAKreative)
What a proud moment to unveil our first Net Zero home in Markham and the GTA,” says Brent Strachan, President, Minto Communities Canada. “We’ve come a long way since building one of Canada’s first Net Zero homes in 2008 in Ottawa. Since then, our teams have prioritized finding ways to bring these beautiful and efficient homes to market for prospective homebuyers. As always, we will continue prioritizing sustainability as one of our core values, and remain committed to pushing the envelope on more sustainable building for both our low-rise and high-rise communities.
Net Zero homes are designed to produce as much energy as they consume in a year through a variety of highly efficient features that improve overall comfort without sacrificing high-quality design. A better building envelope with more insulation, triple pane windows, improved air tightness, a dual-fuel air source heat pump system, and multi-zoned HVAC are just a selection of the features that improve the overall efficiency of the home and contribute to the home being qualified under the CHBA’s Net Zero Home Labelling Program. This first Net Zero home is designed to reduce energy consumption by 60% and carbon emissions by 36%. In addition to comfort and efficiency, Net Zero homes can protect homeowners from future increases in energy prices.
“Sustainable design has always defined Minto's core values and continues to gain momentum through our Corporate ESG Strategy,” says Carl Pawlowski, Senior Manager, Sustainability, Minto Communities GTA. “Our work on Net Zero is also a stepping stone to stay ahead of upcoming regulatory shifts towards reducing carbon emissions."
This Net Zero home is gorgeous – from the classic yet modern façade to the spacious and airy interiors. (Photo Credit: STAKreative)
A better building envelope and triple-paned windows make this an incredibly airtight home paired with multi-zone HVAC. (Photo Credit: STAKreative)
A net zero home is not complicated to operate, looking and feeling like a regular home. (Photo Credit: STAKreative)
Net Zero home upgrades were introduced to Union Village in the second phase of sales in April 2022 which contributed to the project’s exceptional reception and sell-out success. Due to the reception of the Net Zero upgrade packages, Minto Communities included this offering for The Heights of Harmony master-planned community in Oshawa where there has been steady interest too.
“We’re thrilled to have Markham’s first-ever Net Zero home in Union Village community,” says Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “The City of Markham has a goal of becoming a net zero community by 2050, and today’s announcement is a great example of how we’re continuing our commitment towards environmental sustainability to ensure a greener future for today, as well as for future generations. Thank you Minto Communities GTA and Metropia for leading the way when it comes to more efficient and sustainable homes.”
The unveiling of Minto Communities’ first Net Zero Home in Markham and the GTA continues its long history of pursuing more sustainable ways of building and designing. Alongside the Net Zero upgrade offerings in Markham and Oshawa, Minto Communities has also been progressing steadily on the construction of a community energy geo-exchange system at the North Oak master-planned community in Oakville. Geo-exchange systems leverage the consistent and stable temperatures beneath the earth as a source of low-carbon energy, reducing the use of fossil fuels for space heating and cooling by up to 95%. Geothermal field drilling was completed in Spring 2022.
The Union Village master-planned community is currently under construction. To date, 215 homes have been constructed and occupied. A total of 22 Net Zero Ready Homes will be constructed as part of phase 2.
To register for future phases of Union Village, visit: www.unionvillage.com.
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About Minto Communities
Minto Communities is a family-owned, fully integrated real estate development, construction and management company with operations in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, South Carolina and Florida, and has been instrumental in the design and construction of more than 100,000 homes. An industry leader for more than 65 years, Minto Communities is known for high-quality and sustainable urban developments. A testament to its outstanding leadership, Minto Communities has been recognized by Durham Region Home Builders' Association as Green Builder of The Year, EnerQuality Ontario Green Builder of the Year, and it is a member of CHBA’s Net Zero Management Committee.
About Metropia
Metropia is a Toronto-based real estate developer of master-planned communities and condominiums across Canada. Building on Founder, Chairman & CEO Howard Sokolowski’s four decades of industry experience, Metropia’s expertise covers every facet of the development industry including award-winning customer support. The pursuit of superior quality, innovation and excellence is reflected in their design, living spaces, amenities and coveted communities. Committed to growth and their visionary future, Metropia is inspired to change skylines and build communities, while redefining the meaning of home.
About the CHBA Net Zero Home Labelling Program
The Net Zero Home Labelling Program provides the residential construction industry and consumers with a clearly defined and rigorous two-tiered technical requirement that recognizes Net Zero and Net Zero Ready Homes. It also recognizes the builders and renovators who provide them. To date, over 1,000 homes in Canada have been labelled through CHBA’s Program. Builder and renovator members who voluntarily take part in the Program must take training as part of the qualification process. A network of CHBA Qualified Net Zero Service Organizations and Energy Advisors has been established to work directly with builders and renovators to design, model and test the homes, as well as to deliver the training.
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Raquel Ruiz
m. 647-268-0990