Celebrate Earth Day April 22

 To mark the celebration of Earth Day on April 22, it seems appropriate to share what Sayward Hill is doing to reduce the carbon footprint of our condominium owners and neighbours in Cordova Bay. Our development is located within the District of Saanich who has recently undertaken a climate action plan of their own. If you could compress the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped Saanich’s air annually — about 521,000 tonnes — a 3.2-centimetre deep mass covering 8,800 square kilometers over Vancouver Island would be the result. However, Saanich has a plan to cut that amount by one third over the next ten years as they became the first Capital Region municipality to adopt a climate action plan into its official community plan recently. By 2020, the goal is to see residents and businesses cut their emissions by 33 per cent. The municipality aims to cut its own emissions in half. The crux of the plan is dealing with emissions from vehicles, which makes up 62 of all greenhouse gas emissions in Saanich. The plan calls for short-term steps like improving sidewalks, bus shelters and adding bike lanes and trails. It also expects that 10 per cent of Saanich drivers will own electric cars by 2020, another provision that we are including in our buildings at Sayward Hill.  Mayor Frank Leonard said the plan isn’t perfect and will need the community to get behind the goals laid out. “Our work is still cut out for us there,” he said.

We commend the District of Saanich for tackling this issue and are proud to share some of the green living aspects that we have incorporated into our homes at Sayward Hill to help reduce the buildings’ impact on the ecosystem and provide a healthy living environment:

• Low-emissivity (LowE) glass reduces heat gain and loss and the energy consumed in heating and cooling. In addition it filters out UV rays protecting your furniture from fading and avoiding the health concerns associated with UV rays.
• Concrete construction reduces heat gain and loss reducing energy used in heating and cooling.  
• Native, drought resistant, and low maintenance plantings reduce water consumption and use of fertilizers and pesticides.
• Storm water from Sayward Hill is collected by the golf course and used for irrigation. 
• Energy efficient appliances significantly reduce energy and water consumption.
• Low flow toilets reduce water consumption.
• Cork flooring, used in the kitchens, is made from the bark of the cork tree, which re-grows its bark, making it a completely renewable product.
• Marmoleum flooring, used in the laundry and storage rooms, is a natural, biodegradable product that contains no formaldehyde and produces no toxic off-gases.
• Napoleon fireplaces were selected for their high efficiency rating for heat production.
• Low VOC paints only used through the suites and common hallways and lobbies.
• Insulation contains 60% recycled material.
• Cordova Bay Golf Course is a certified Audubon Sanctuary and adheres to high environmental standards. Cordova Bay is further designated as a bird sanctuary with over 70 different species of birds.