Pre-Symposium Field Trips
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Sunday, 27th of October
Welcome to our Pre-Symposium Tours!
It is our pleasure to highlight five fantastic local initiatives that connect to our symposium!
Please…
Take a look, and select the tour that you would like to attend.
Locations for all tours are shown – simply show up promptly at 2 PM for the tour of your choice!
Please note that these tours are restricted to symposium registrants.
Each tour will end at 4 PM, allowing you abundant time to proceed to the Malcolm Hotel, receive your registration package from the registrar, check in to the hotel if you’re staying there, and attend our opening event - the networking session from 5:00 to 6:30 pm!
Exploring Geo-exchange at the Malcolm, and Spring Creek
Our symposium is held at Spring Creek's Malcolm Hotel, and Spring Creek' staff will spotlight two exciting elements of their work. You will get a chance to tour Timberstone Mountain Lodge, a near net-zero condominium being built to Built Green Platinum certification. Plus, Spring Creek's multiple large buildings extensively use geoexchange, an open loop groundwater circulation and heat exchange system to heat and cool buildings, and you'll get a chance to view both a completed system and a retrofit currently under construction in the Malcolm Hotel itself! Meet in the lobby of the Malcolm Hotel at 2 PM.
Dealing responsibly with construction and demolition waste
Sustainable building includes dealing responsibly with construction and demolition waste. The Francis Cooke Regional Resource Recovery Centre & Class III Landfill implements resource recovery for asphalt, concrete, drywall, metal, glass, wood, topsoil, shingles, and organics. This tour will help you learn about the circular economy, and what you can do to keep materials out of the landfill, and will be led by staff from the Bow Valley Waste Management Commission. The site is just 45 minutes west of Calgary - an easy stop on your way to Canmore. Meet just past the weigh scale at the Landfill at 2 PM.
Near Net Zero Fire Station
The new Canmore Fire Station, located at 1200 Steward Road, became operational in January of 2024. It is an 8-bay facility with a total area of over 19,000sqft. It showcases many sustainable building design features, including a 178KW DC rooftop solar system and air source heat pump. In alignment with Town of Canmore’s corporate goal of reducing its greenhouse gas production by 50% in 2030, this facility is designed to be one of Alberta’s first fire stations to meet net zero energy standards. This tour will showcase the form and function of a facility that symbolizes community resiliency in the context of sustainable development. Meet at the Fire Station at 2 pm.
Discover Banff’s Public Pavilion
The Town of Banff’s Banff Recreation Grounds Public Pavilion is constructed to Passive House Low Energy Building standards, as well as Rick Hansen Accessibility Certification. Design features include super-insulated foundations, walls, and roof, unique dowel-laminated timber walls, triple and quadruple-paned windows, a solar array, and 100% electric heat pump heating and cooling system. This tour will be led by staff from the town of Banff and SSRIA (Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association). Meet at the Pavilion at 1 pm - please note this venue is only available to symposium attendees from 1 - 2pm. A great option if you’d like to tour multiple sites.
Canmore’s Greenest Home?
This is a just-completed, all-electric, net-zero-ready Passive House built atop a reclaimed coal mine. The high-performance building envelope was assembled from offsite-fabricated panels. The windows and doors are Passive House Cold Climate certified, and feature exterior motorized shades. Heating and cooling are provided by a Ground-Source Heatpump, while a heatpump Water Heater provides domestic hot water. The house exterior and ventilation systems are designed to protect the house in the event of wildfires, and the decking is made from fire-resistant bamboo composite. The tour will be presented by the owner and (scheduling permitting) the designers and builders. Meet at the home at 2 pm.