Kamloops, December 12, 2006—The Canada Green Building Council joins the City of Kamloops and Interior Health to celebrate two LEED^® Gold Certifications.

“Not only are these two projects the first LEED certifications in Kamloops, they are both gold level, and both are the first LEED certifications of their respective building types in Canada,” says Thomas Mueller, president of the CaGBC.

The Kamloops Centre for Water Quality is the first water treatment facility and Hillside Centre—an adult psychiatric facility—is the first patient care facility to be certified under LEED^® in Canada.

“Both projects demonstrate the new possibilities and the increasing reach of green building practices for all kinds of projects,” adds Mueller, “and they also represent a strong message by the City of Kamloops and Interior Health in terms of their leadership role in moving towards healthier and more sustainable communities.”

“The City of Kamloops is proud to provide residents and visitors with some of the highest quality drinking water in Canada,” says Kamloops mayor Terry Lake. “The significance of having our  water treated in a facility that has proven its design to meet high environmental standards for conservation and sustainability is something that future generations will appreciate as well.” 

Kamloops Centre for Water Quality is a 100 per cent publicly-owned facility commissioned in February 2005 at a cost of $48.5 million. The building was designed to conserve energy by maximizing use of natural light, natural ventilation, and energy efficient materials. Green buildings also minimize waste, and one example of this in Kamloops is that residual water from the filtration process is fed to on-site wetland ponds and irrigation systems in the adjacent park and stadium.  

For Dr. Paul Dagg, Interior Health’s clinical director of tertiary mental health services, a green facility contributes to better patient care. “It is truly an honour to accept this certificate on behalf of Interior Health. When Hillside was built, it was built as a state-of-the-art facility. Firstly, to provide the best quality care for our most acute adult psychiatric patients in a comfortable, home-like setting. And secondly, as we celebrate today, to be a leader in environmental design and sustainability.”
 
Hillside is the only specialized neuropsychiatric care facility within the Interior region of the province. The 44-bed facility, located adjacent to Royal Inland Hospital, opened in February of this year and serves both as a regional and provincial facility, providing psychiatric supports for adult and geriatric patients, and people with neuropsychiatric illness.

CaGBC is the leading national industry organization advancing green building practices for livable communities. The Council implements the LEED® Green Building Rating System in Canada.

Contacts
Nancy Grenier, CaGBC
Phone: 604-908-6242
ngrenier@cagbc.org
www.cagbc.org

Colleen McClean, City of Kamloops
Phone: 250-828-3572
cmcclean@kamloops.ca

Darshan Lindsay, Interior Health Communications
Phone: 250-851-7488
Cell: 250-318-4408
darshan.lindsay@interiorhealth.ca