July 2024 Newsletter

Monthly Highlight 

Faithful Footprints Sparks Youth and Young Adult Engagement 

This past month, Faithful Footprints staff, Aleyxa Gates-Julien presented to UCC youth and young adults about the Faithful Footprints program. On July 5, Aleyxa facilitated a workshop at The United Church of Canada and The Presbyterian Church of Canada's Rendez-Vous: Audacious Hope' Conference. The workshop equipped youth and young adults with the knowledge and confidence needed to advocate for and stir interest in taking on energy efficiency and decarbonization building projects within their communities. The following week, Aleyxa presented to the 2024 cohort of The United Church of Canada's Climate Motivators program on behalf of the Climate Pillar 'Putting Our House In Order', where youth got to explore potential project ideas that would help support and amplify the reduction of operational energy use and carbon emissions of United Church buildings.

 

Deepen Climate Integrity Achieves 84.5% Progress on Key Results in UCC 2023 Strategic Plan Accountability Report

This past month, The United Church of Canada released its first Strategic Plan Accountability Report, outlining initial progress on its ambitious goals established for 2023–2025. This report delves deeper than just finances, offering a transparent roadmap of the General Council Office priorities. The report details the six strategic pillars guiding its journey, including the pillar 'Deepen Climate
Integrity: Living Climate Commitments', which offers tools and resources for immediate climate action to help communities and
individuals live with respect in creation. This climate focused pillar achieved the highest progress on key results with 84.5%.

The Faithful Footprints program largely supports the pillar Deepen Climate Integrity: Living Climate Commitments, and is featured on page 7 of the report, with a special inclusion of the Faithful Footprints funded project of Old Barns United Church ( Lower Truro, Nova Scotia). 

Work Completed

Cavendish United Church (Cavendish, PEI)

Received a grant to install a heat pump on two levels of its building; replace a furnace hot water heater with an electric hot water heater; and replace lighting in its basement and entrance with LEDs.

 

Five Oaks Centre (Paris, ON)

Received a grant to replace 39 windows in its Peace House, House on the Hill, Friendship House, its main offices, bookstore, prayer room, art room and guest bedrooms.

Read more about their other projects in our blog Five Oaks Centre Invests over 700K to Rejuvenate its Property and Buildings. 

 

Gordon Memorial United Church (Alberton, PEI)

Received a grant to replace two of its three oil fired furnaces with three 60,000 BTU heat pumps; increase its attic insulation in both its sanctuary and hall to R-50; install an on-grade bi-facial solar array; and upgrade its electrical system to a single phase 400 amp service.

 

Gordon Memorial United Church (Redcliff, AB)

Received a grant to increase insulation in its attic to R50; replace fluorescent lights with LEDs in both of its halls, kitchen, and freezer room; replace fans in its sanctuary with reversible options; install a photo-cell at the front of its porch; and purchase a large fridge and two freezers. 

 

St. Paul's United (Stirling, ON)

Received a grant to replace a furnace in its office with a heat pump; replace four non-reversible ceiling fans in its sanctuary with reversible options; replace two refrigerators, two freezers, and a dishwasher; replace incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs with LEDs; as well as caulk and weather-strip air leaks around its building.

Energy Results

Grace - St. Andrew's United Church (Arnprior, ON)

Received a grant to increase insulation of its attic with blown loose cellulose to R60, including ventilation system upgrades; install four high-efficient, reversible, multi-speed, thermostat-controlled ceiling fans in its sanctuary; improve passive cross-ventilation from emergency exit side doors using screens, hardware and weather strip as well as a framed screen door on the rear door entrance/exit; and emergency upgrades of four natural gas furnaces with dual-stage smaller furnaces. A year following their projects, Grace - St. Andrew's United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 4.9%, total GHG emissions by 23.8%, electricity usage by 17.3%, and natural gas usage by 23.8%.

 

Knox United Church (Durham, ON)

Received a grant replace a gas-fueled boiler with a more efficient gas-fueled boiler, as well as replace a gas-fueled water tank with an electric water tank. A year following their projects, Knox United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 3.4%, total GHG emissions by 11.9%, electricity usage by 30.8%, and natural gas usage by 11.6%.

 

Runnymede United Church (Toronto, ON)

Received a grant to replace a gas-fired steam heating system in its Memorial Hall and Fellowship Hall with heat pumps, and replace four ceiling fans. A year following their projects, Runnymede United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 14.5%, total GHG emissions by 32.2%, energy costs by 2.7%, and natural gas usage by 32.5%.

Read more about their project in our blog Ready for More: Runnymede United Retrofits for Greater Energy Savings.

 

Salisbury United Church (Sherwood Park, AB)

Received a grant to replace over 100 fluorescent and incandescent lights from the 1980s in the Sanctuary, office, program and daycare areas of the church with LEDs; and replace two parking lot street lamps. A year following their projects, Salisbury United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 14%, total GHG emissions by 30.3%, electricity usage by 40.1%, and natural gas usage by 13.9%.

 

St. Paul's United Church (Sussex, NB)

Received a grant to install a mini-split heat pump system composed of 20 heads throughout its building. A year following their projects, St. Paul's United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 1.4%, total GHG emissions by 36.8%, energy costs by 14.7%, and fuel oil usage by a single source by 72.7%.

 

St. Stephen's United Church (Red Bank, NB)

Received a grant to replace two oil furnaces and install mini-split heat pumps. A year following their projects, St. Stephen's United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 38.4%, total GHG emissions by 61%, energy costs by 43.1%, and fuel oil usage by a single source by 82.4%.

 

York United Church (York, PE)

Received a grant to install heat pumps. A year following their projects, York United reduced its weather normalized source energy use intensity by 23.6%, total GHG emissions by 46.1%, energy costs by 3%, and fuel oil usage by a single source by 64.9%.

Inspiration 

Five Oaks Centre Invests over 700K to Rejuvenate its Property and Buildings

Over the last decade, Five Oaks Centre (Paris, ON) has made significant upgrades to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of its facilities. To further investment into its property, the Centre adopted a business model in 2016, introducing a commitment to develop a 5-year property rejuvenation plan. Incorporated into the Centre’s Strategic Plan, under the key objective ‘revitalize key spaces’, the rejuvenation plan laid out an extensive retrofit of the Five Oaks property buildings and surrounding areas, with special attention to ensuring environmentally responsible decisions. In support of the plan, The United Church of Canada’s Faithful Footprints program provided $30,000 to help fund the replacement of 39 windows in several key buildings on the Five Oaks property.

 

From Crisis to Clean Energy: John Wesley United Gets Off Oil

While preparing for a church service, a member of John Wesley United Church (Roddickton-Bide Arm, NL) smelled a strong odor. Rushing to the furnace room, they discovered it was filled with thick smoke, making it impossible to see anything. Staff quickly turned off the power to the oil furnace, opened all the doors for ventilation, and immediately contacted the congregational member that oversees their building's maintenance. Congregational member, Della DeMoss shares John Wesley United's experience replacing their failed furnace and the church's decision to finally transition off oil with support from a Faithful Footprints Grant.

 

Grace United Gains Insight into Greening Opportunities 

Grace United Church (Barrie, ON) recently received a Green Audit from Faith & the Common Good (FCG), the delivery partner of the Faithful Footprints program. The Green Audit helped Grace United better understand ways to reduce the environmental impact of its building, including identifying the best energy-saving opportunities. Suggestions from the audit include adding insulation to the building's roof, as its membrane is up for immediate repair; installing LED lights throughout the building and parking lot; identifying areas for air sealing and weatherstripping around windows and doors; and replacing energy-consuming kitchen appliances.

Like Grace United, your church can also benefit from a Green Audit to gain insight into the opportunities for energy savings and environmental impact reduction in your own building.

 

Highlands United Keeps Community Informed on its Energy Greening Efforts 

Highlands United Church (North Vancouver, BC) is growing greener and is actively keeping their community informed about the energy upgrades happening around its building. Using their church newsletter, Highland United shares updates on the energy-saving and decarbonization projects that are underway. These updates include project progress, words of gratitude to its members and building management team, educational tidbits, and celebrations of significant milestones, such as no longer using natural gas to heat their hot water. They are also providing metrics on the impact these changes have on building operations, as well as keeping the congregation informed on areas of future improvement, such as communicating their future plans in switching its gas boiler to electric heat pump technology when it reaches its end of its life. 

Opportunities 

Extreme Weather Events Microgrant Program

Applications accepted until August 16, 2024

Do you have an idea for a mutual aid project or grassroots action related to extreme weather events? Want to build stronger networks of mutual support in your community and build a stronger climate justice movement? The Climate Justice Organizing HUB recently launched its new Extreme Weather Events micro grant program. The program provides up to $500-$2000 dollars in funding to support mutual aid and grassroots action in your community around extreme weather events, as well as providing a toolkit of ideas and resources.