Get ready to build what’s next, at Building Lasting Change 2026

From June 17–19, the Canadian green building community will turn its attention to Montréal, where Building Lasting Change (BLC) will take place this year. For professionals working with LEED, BLC offers a rare opportunity to move beyond theory and into practical, peer-driven learning.

LEED v5 was a central topic of BLC 2025, where attendees received one of the first in-depth looks at the newly ratified rating system, explored its three core impact areas decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation, as well as the role played by Canada in supporting the development of the new version of the world’s most widely used green building rating system.

Now, one year later, and after project teams have begun working with the new requirements, the conversation is evolving. At this year’s conference, we’ll be talking about implementation, bringing forward lessons learned from teams already testing LEED v5 on upcoming projects and sharing feedback from early adopters across the market. Sessions in the Technical Stream and National Industry Forums will focus on the practical realities of implementing LEED v5, from understanding evolving credit requirements to making early-stage decisions that influence long-term carbon outcomes.

June 18: National Industry Forums

LEED v5 BD+C Early Adopters

With: Lyle Scott, Principal, Footprint; Guillaume Martel, Partner & Architect, Provencher_Roy; and Clement Guenard, Sustainability Consultant, Urban Equation

How might your next building project perform under LEED v5? Our expert panel will explore which credits are straightforward, which might be challenging, and the best strategies to address them. We will highlight key evolutions in LEED v5 BD+C including materials and embodied carbon, new assessment prerequisites, resiliency planning, managing the decarbonization transition, and more. Bring your questions!

June 19: Technical Stream

Early Carbon Decisions Under LEED v5 and ZCB: What Teams Need to Know Before It’s Too Late 

With Jason Packer President and Principal, CIMA+; Ali Nazari, Executive Director, National Growth & Strategy, Pomerleau 

Using real project examples, presenters will show how teams can evaluate early design options across energy use, peak demand, operational and embodied carbon, and cost – and translate those results into clear, defensible decision logs that support LEED v5 submissions, ZCB-Design pathways, and owner approvals. The discussion will focus on practical workflows that reduce redesign cycles, improve coordination, and help teams build stronger business cases for high-performance outcomes.

Decarbonization at Scale: Contractor‑Led Procurement & Verification Delivering Measurable Carbon Reductions

With Andrea Vickers, Team Lead, Sustainable Building, Pomerleau; Étienne Gravel, Director, Environment and Sustainable Development, Pomerleau; Nagham Kabara, Product Solutions Marketing Manager, Ciment Québec; Celine Mertenat, Associate, Architect, Provencher_Roy

Drawing on several Canadian projects across housing, commercial, and institutional sectors, this session will present a contractor- led framework that has achieved 15-?45% embodied carbon reductions through procurement levers, supplier collaboration, and construction phase tracking. It will also compare multi material strategies (including concrete, steel, and insulation/assemblies), share LCA results aligned with LEED v5 and other major Canadian decarbonization pathways such as the Greening Government Strategy, and demonstrate how data transparency and verification support owner and investor confidence.

Designing for Climate Resilience: Integrating Physical Climate Risk into Architectural Practice

With Mike Williams, President and Co-Founder at Climate First; Michelle Xuereb, Innovation Director at BDP Quadrangle

This session will illustrate how architects and engineers can integrate forward-looking climate data into early design and ongoing asset decisions using a real-world case study: 80 Atlantic, Ontario’s first mass-timber office building. This interactive presentation will invite participants to test their own assumptions about risk and resilience, reinforcing practical takeaways that align with emerging standards like LEED v5. Get your conference pass now and join the conversation in June!

Part of the BLC program will be eligible for GBCI continuing education hours, supporting your professional development and credential maintenance. Stay tuned for updates.

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Technical stream sponsors