Market transformation paragons in both built and human form were held up for acclaim last week as the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) announced a slate of 2026 award winners during its annual national conference, Building Lasting Change. Four buildings received plaudits for delivering high performance through design, construction and retrofit, while four individuals and two organizations were honoured for leadership within the green buildings sector.
“The projects and leaders receiving CAGBC Awards demonstrate how their commitment to sustainability drives innovation in the industry and strong performance outcomes that translate into clear business benefits,” maintains Thomas Mueller, president and chief executive officer of the CAGBC. “What stands out is the level of practical implementation and how these approaches are replicated and adapted across markets, asset classes and climates.”
A 30+-year career advancing sustainable development and green building practices within the City of Montreal earns André Cazelais CAGBC’s lifetime achievement award for the broad impact of his contributions as a professional and a mentor. A longtime champion of green building policies and a facilitator of their implementation, he currently leads efforts to decarbonize Montreal’s municipal real estate portfolio. He actively promotes zero-carbon pathways and shares his expertise throughout Quebec and Canada.
Ryan Zizzo, founder and chief executive officer of Mantle Climate is this year’s green building champion for his contributions to the industry’s understanding of embodied carbon. Zizzo served on CAGBC’s zero carbon steering committee from 2018 to 2023, and he has committed his time and expertise to: CAGBC’s organizing committee for its embodied carbon summit; technical committees advising development of the National Building Code and CSA standard for circular construction; and the Carbon Leadership Forum’s Toronto chapter.
Callista Permana, a sustainability analyst with EQ Building Performance is the 2026 emerging green leader, recognizing a young professional at an early career stage. Permana conducts life cycle assessments (LCAs) for LEED, Zero Carbon Building Standards, and Toronto Green Standards certifications, and is a co-author of peer-reviewed research on low-carbon sheathing alternatives which was presented at the 9th International Building Physics Conference. She has also recently been appointed co-lead of the Emerging Green Professionals network.
Adam Stoker, a sustainable infrastructure engineer with the City of Calgary, is the recipient of the 2026 Ed Lim technical volunteer award, bestowed to an individual who freely provides expertise to support the development and industry uptake of green building standards. Stoker is a longtime participant on CAGBC technical committees and currently fills a key role as chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) consensus committee on design and construction. He previously served as vice-chair of the USGBC committee overseeing the development LEED version 5 for building design and construction.
At the organizational level, Royal Bank of Canada receives this year’s green building visionary award for its commitment to decarbonizing its retail and corporate office space. The Business Development Bank (BDC) of Canada is recognized for government leadership for its policies and financing products to promote sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Winners of this year’s building project awards include:
- Rayside Labossière office expansion in Montreal, recognized for zero-carbon design:
- Hôtel de ville/City Hall, Montreal, in the deep carbon retrofit category;
- təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre in New Westminster, B.C., in the new construction category; and
- GEOpark at 485 Albert Street in Kingston, ON, in the inspiring home category.
