North Cowichan / Duncan Net Zero RCMP Detachment - Feasibility Study

The district municipality of North Cowichan will conduct a study to assess the technical and financial feasibility of making its new RCMP detachment building a net zero facility. The current building is past the end of its life cycle. Renovating is not an option because the facility is too small to adequately serve the growing population in the area. The new facility will serve a population of about 50,000, including residents of North Cowichan, Duncan, Cowichan Tribes and surrounding rural areas. The municipality plans to build the new facility in an area that is currently transitioning from predominantly rural to urban. The facility will be the first major institutional building in this area, setting an important tone for the neighbourhood. The project’s guiding environmental goals are to reduce the new facility’s carbon footprint and its energy use. The study will determine the specifications required to meet net zero performance, as compared to conventional performance standards as well as PHIUS+ certification and Passivhaus certification. The study will explore a range of measures, including optimizing the building’s envelope, lighting and HVAC systems, and the addition of an on-site solar photovoltaic system to generate energy. The study will generate estimates to develop a life cycle capital cost comparison of the different scenarios, and use this to recommend a path forward for the project. Other environmental aspects that may also be considered include measures to reduce water use, on-site water management, the addition of electric vehicle charging stations, the use of sustainable building materials, links to future active transportation networks, and tree canopy coverage. The new building will improve the integration of services by bringing together the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment, Forensic Identification Services, South Island Traffic Services and First Nations Policing. As the owner of the building, the District of North Cowichan will finance its construction and then bill the RCMP for its portion of the costs. The proposed study aligns with North Cowichan’s Official Plan as well as its Climate Action and Energy Plan. Both of these plans encourage the construction of green buildings in the municipality. Innovative aspects This project is innovative for the size of the community. If the building is constructed, it will be the first net zero building in the region. Although the consulting team is working on a similar project to design a net zero RCMP detachment in the City of Fort St. John (Northern British Columbia), the project in North Cowichan may vary given the coastal climate of Vancouver Island. This study could offer important learning opportunities about the regional adaptation of net zero buildings. Replicability The study can serve as an important demonstration project for other municipalities across Canada that need to replace aging police detachments. The lessons learned from this project could support the business case for net zero police detachments when other municipalities negotiate design and cost-sharing agreements with the RCMP. (Project description from original funding application)