OAKVILLE, Ontario – Habitat for Humanity Halton will build two homes in Oakville with high environmental standards thanks to the involvement of Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI®) and Built Green Canada.
The 900-square-foot homes on Elmwood Road will be the first in Ontario certified to Built Green Canada standards. Three SFI program participants – Weyerhaeuser Company, Norbord Inc. and AbitibiBowater – will donate engineered wood products, dimension lumber and OSB from responsible sources. A groundbreaking ceremony was held today, and construction of the homes, which will also meet Energy Star standards, will start in June.
The independent non-profit SFI forest certification program is the largest single standard in the world, with principles and measures that promote responsible forest management. The non-profit Built Green™ Program supports resource-efficient and environmentally responsible construction practices. It has enrolled more than 13,500 homes in Alberta and British Columbia since 2004, and recently announced it is expanding across Canada.
“Oakville, like other communities, has its share of low-income households looking for decent housing,” said Anne Swarbrick, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Halton. “The SFI and Built Green programs are helping us make home ownership possible for two families – with the added bonus that the homes will have a lighter environmental footprint.”
“Habitat for Humanity is a great organization, and we are delighted to be able to work with them on this project. Habitat can achieve so much by participating in the Built Green Program,” said David Bengert, President of Built Green Canada, which donated its services to Habitat for Humanity Halton for the two homes. “Built Green homes are good for the environment in that they are comfortable in any climate, have great indoor air quality, lower utility bills, and a solid resale value.”
“Habitat for Humanity captures the community spirit of the SFI program perfectly – it means we can use products from local communities to support local communities,” said SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow. “Our partners and participants have donated time and resources to build Habitat homes in Ontario, Manitoba, Tennessee, Maine and Minnesota – and there are more in the works.”
ABOUT SFI
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, nonprofit organization that leverages four interconnected pillars of work: standards, conservation, community, and education. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments. Collaborating with our network, we leverage SFI-certified forests and products as powerful tools to help solve sustainability challenges such as climate action, conservation of biodiversity, education of future generations, and sustainable economic development.
MEDIA CONTACT
Christine Leduc
VP, Communications and Government Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
613-706-1114
media@forests.org
