The Toronto Chapter Recognition Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact in advancing the Chapter’s mission to facilitate market transformation in ways such as - adapting policies and products, promoting green building design and construction practices, integrating building industry sectors, and attracting and retaining an active and diverse membership.
To nominate an individual, please refer to our submission details here.
Recognition Award Winners
2011 - Jamie James.jpg)
Jamie is recognized for his contribution to the adoption of LEED in the biggest residential market in Canada, the GTA, resulting in more than 25 residential towers either having achieved or are candidates for LEED certification.
When LEED was first launched, the biggest hurdle to its adoption was the capital incremental cost. Working with the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and Tridel, as their sustainability advisor, Jamie helped to develop a scaleable incremental cost financing mechanism for green high-rise condominiums in Toronto. And as such, the first Green Loan was created.
A Public-Private Partnership for financing the incremental cost without increasing prices for green condo owners, the Green Loan leveraged life cycle savings that accrue to the condo Corporation. Since the Green Loan minimized capital cost barriers for green condo construction, that resulted in the adoption of LEED as standard practice at Tridel.
Going a step further, Jamie spearheaded a study to compare a pre-LEED residential tower with its first LEED certified neighbour, built by Tridel. Based on 24 months worth of data the results confirmed over 40% savings in energy consumption in the LEED certified building, a validation the industry needed to prove post occupancy performance.
In 2010 Jamie’s passion for innovation continued when he and Tom Rand co-founded Tower Labs at MaRS, a non-profit organization responsible for accelerating emerging green building technologies through demonstration projects.
And last but not least, Jamie also served on the Board of Directors of the Canada Green Building Council and Co-Chairs the CaGBC’s LEED for Neighborhood Developments Core Committee.
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2010 - Derek Satnik
Derek recognizes that change has to occur on many levels and with many audiences – from policy makers, to educational programs, to grass roots organizations. He has found many ways to engage the public and foster a greater understanding of what it means to be “green”.
Here are just a few highlights from his impressive list of experience. On a national level, he helped to create and refine the:
- LEED for Homes program,
- LEED for Neighbourhood Developments,
- ENERGY STAR for New Homes, and
He founded OntarioGreenSpec.ca, and helped write Ontario’s new Green Energy and Green Economy Act. He is also a founding member of he Canadian Residential Energy Services Network, and helped establish a Green Rater infrastructure across Ontario to service the LEED for Homes Program.
Aside from his work on national programs and provincial policies, he has been involved in numerous grass roots initiatives including:
- Co-founding a local energy coop that invest in a local wind farm and network of bio-gas digesters,
- Coaching the Regional Municipality of Waterloo on their solar program that has resulted in solar PV investments on industrial, commercial and institutional buildings, and
- Developing curriculum for entrepreneurial and renewable energy programs with the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College.
From policy to practice, Derek has helped lead the way toward a changed built environment.
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