Alpine Community Transformation Recognized by Maverick Awards
Canmore’s Spring Creek Mountain Village honoured as finalist in national awards
To reward and profile leadership in sustainable building, Built Green Canada launched its inaugural awards program (the Maverick Awards) with three exclusive category winners out of entries from British Columbia to Ontario. One of the Transformational Award finalists is Canmore’s Spring Creek Mountain Village. Originally a dairy farm in the 1920s and then a mobile home park in the mid- and late-1900s, this 28-hectare redevelopment has seen a massive transformation into a stunning, sustainable alpine community like no other in Canmore.
The purpose of the Transformational Award is to recognize the impact sustainability practices can have in driving change: enabling fundamental progress, whether that be a company refocus or is project specific. Since day one, creating a truly sustainable mountain town has been critical to the vision behind Spring Creek. The motivation for Frank Kernick, developer and owner of Spring Creek Mountain Village, was largely driven by the region’s spectacular natural beauty and his commitment to keep Canmore an alpine town. This is also a nod to Frank’s parents and grandparents as well as to Canmore—to be a legacy for the town in which he grew up, and his contribution to building a sustainable future for his grandchildren.
The Spring Creek team has proudly participated in two pilot programs through Built Green Canada: Multi-Family and most recently, the Communities pilot. Going back to their first BUILT GREEN® certification in 2008, so far, this community includes 62 certifications: for Single Family (53), High Density (8) and Community—Phase One, with Phase Two slated for certification shortly; meanwhile, four more High Density projects are enrolled for certification, as this community continues to grow.
Home to commercial, single- and multi-family housing, Spring Creek is designed for all ages and stages of life. It includes a special project designed for active senior living, with unique live/work condominiums that allow owners to operate street-front shops connected directly to their homes; a luxury hotel and conference centre with a living roof; and affordable housing: five per cent is offered as part of Canmore’s Vital Homes Program, helping staff and residents continue living in Spring Creek.
As well, Canmore has a unique mining heritage, which they worked to preserve through replication of the original Canmore Opera House (built in 1898)! This is about honouring the past, creating community, as well as enhancing health and wellness, with ongoing activities hosted here. This building also serves as a gathering hall for the Property Owners’ Association—it helps bring together the neighbourhood and create a sense of belonging, conducive to the social elements of sustainability. With multiple businesses, this community is also one of the largest employers in the Bow Valley.
Their systems have been evolving for the last 15 years, reflected in their certification elevation—the most recently certified is yet another to be awarded Platinum level. In working to keep up with Built Green’s programs, which encourage incremental improvements, their benchmark continues to increase—which they’re proud of, recognizing it’s to the benefit of everyone.
Their sustainability efforts are impressive. To start, clean energy is one of the key features of the community. Geoexchange systems are installed throughout—in fact, Spring Creek was one of the first in Alberta to adopt geoexchange technologies and has now been adding solar arrays as well. While their EV additions provide lifestyle benefits, their geoexchange reduces natural gas usage. They estimate that, on an annual basis, the geoexchange heating and cooling system eliminates 600 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Between geoexchange and their solar array, they’ve hugely improved their energy performance and are working towards net zero.
Planning for residents’ quality of life and environmental stewardship, they’ve put a special emphasis on healthy waterways and green spaces. To start, they designed an irrigation system that uses only ground water, so they don’t pull from the municipal water supply. Meanwhile, their green spaces are lined with walkways, benches, and playgrounds and far exceed Canmore’s Municipal and Environmental reserve standards. A pristine mountain creek encircles the development, and alongside it, they incorporated a trail system to allow public enjoyment of the creek and to facilitate trail connections. Several bridges have also been added, which provide pedestrian and bicycle access through the entire town, which includes infrastructure like schools, employment, public transit, entertainment, healthcare and parks.
Even at a glance, it’s clear this is a community designed for active living, promoting both walkability and cycling, with secure bike parking and maintenance facilities. And, through a joint effort with the Town of Canmore, Spring Creek incorporates the first “complete street,” which consists of individual facilities for vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic to emphasize safety, convenience and comfort. Walkability is further enabled with nearby transit and community infrastructure.
There are far-reaching benefits of this master-planned community. Spring Creek says homeowners are proud of the BUILT GREEN® plaque installed in each building lobby—it’s a reminder that theirs are more sustainably built, healthier homes. When they step outside, it’s to an incredibly walkable community with green space and picturesque views. Meanwhile, environmental impact is a huge focus in the Town of Canmore, and Spring Creek Mountain Village has created a higher density and lower geographical footprint that benefits the environment and the town—while creating a beautiful community of a sustainability standard for industry to aspire.
Nestled in Bow River Valley, Spring Creek Mountain Village is a premier multi-family community for residents, guests, and employees, with the perfect balance of luxury modern styling and vibrant mountain town living. Providing housing and amenities for long-term and visiting guests, Spring Creek provides lodges and chalets, condos, a tavern and pub, boutique shops and art galleries. All bordered by a tranquil creek and awe-inspiring panoramic views, Spring Creek is also just a five-minute walk to downtown Canmore, shopping and restaurants. This inaugural Transformational Award finalist is also Canada’s first awarded BUILT GREEN® certified community (Phase 1), at Platinum level.
The Maverick Awards are another step forward in Built Green Canada's mission to progress sustainability practices and recognize leadership; three winners have been announced in conjunction with title sponsor, BC Housing. The Transformational Award, sponsored by Travelers Insurance, went to Major Homes in Greater Vancouver, who transformed from a traditional builder into a leading energy and sustainability focused builder, and catalyst to the custom home building sector. The Maverick’s awarded the Innovation Award to Kanas Corporation for the Innovation Award for their Calgary-based project, Orion at Lumino Park, which is the tallest ICF building in Western Canada, with a state-of-the-art cogeneration system providing 534 KW of electricity. And the Ambassador Award went to Kelly Williams for championing company-wide BUILT GREEN® adoption, while rallying trades and suppliers for full activation, driving Sterling Homes Edmonton to become the next generation of sustainable production builders.