The recent EnerQuality (EQ) Housing Innovation Forum featured an extensive series of presentations about sustainability in the housing industry, followed by the EQ Awards Gala, an evening of celebration that took place at Universal EventSpace in Vaughan.
“Innovation is ideas brought to life,” said Corey McBurney, EnerQuality president, in his opening remarks at the Gala. “With these awards, we celebrate the change-makers – the innovators and leaders who have put their ideas into practice.”
The theme of the Innovation Forum was New, Now, and Next, and centred on new thinking, new products and new techniques for advancing green building performance. The forum featured presentations by leading individuals in the green building industry, as well as the EQ Innovation Gauntlet (IG), where vendors are asked questions by a panel of Dragon’s Den-style builders, who must approve or deny ideas presented to them.
The Awards Gala honoured winners in 16 categories, including the Impact Award, a new addition this year. The Impact Award recognizes a builder’s significant voluntary progress in reducing carbon emissions and outstanding achievements through energy efficiency and sustainability practices.
Winners of 2016 EQ Awards were:
Building Innovation – Low Rise
Award winner: Arista Homes – Vaughan, Ontario
Building Innovation – Mid/High Rise
Award winner: Times Group – Valleymede Towers, Richmond Hill, Ontario
ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year – Small
Award winner: Castleform Development Inc. – Toronto, Ontario
ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year – Mid
Award winner: Mason Homes – Concord, Ontario
ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder of the Year – Large
Award winner: The Minto Group – Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario
Best Green Marketing Campaign
Award winner: Great Gulf Homes – Active House Centennial Park, Toronto, Ontario
Green Renovation Project of the Year
Award winner: RND Construction – 106 Bayswater, Ottawa, Ontario
Ontario Green Builder of the Year
Award winner: Reid’s Heritage Homes – Head Office Cambridge, Ontario
ENERGY STAR Champion of the Year
Award winner: Lisa Bergeron, JELD-WEN – Quebec City, Quebec
R-2000 Builder of the Year
Award winner: Sloot Construction – Guelph (Arkell), Ontario
Net Zero Home Builder of the Year
Award winner: Reid’s Heritage Homes – Head Office Cambridge, Ontario
Evaluator of the Year
Award winner: Jack Zhou – Markham, Ontario
Builder Achievement Award
Award winner: Doug Tarry – St. Thomas, Ontario
Leader of the Year
Award winner: Jennifer Weatherston, Reid’s Heritage Homes – Head Office Cambridge, Ontario
Savings by Design
Award winner: Geranium Homes – Markham, Ontario
Impact Award
Award winner: Mattamy Homes – Toronto, Ontario
