Studying Net-Zero Energy Performance for New Cultural and Wellness Centre at Wekweèti
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Energy
Project value$35,010
Project Type
Feasibility Study
Sub Sector
Building – New – with Renewable energy
Grant amount$17,500
Program type
GMF
Municipality
Wekweeti, NT
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
0
Project timeline
2022 - 2024
Project number
DFC-22-0040
Description
The Chief, Council and Administration of Wekweètì identified the need in their community for a community-owned facility that can provide safe, indoor space to support and engage its members; while providing job opportunities and a source of revenue. In order to build and operate such a facility; the community must overcome challenges that most municipalities in Canada would never face.
The community of Wekweètì is located within the traditional territory of the Tli?cho nation, 192km north of Yellowknife. It was known as Snare Lakes until 2005, when the name was officially changed to Wekweètì under the Tli?cho Agreement Land Claim and Self-Government Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Tli?cho people.
Serviced by an airport and a winter road that operates from the beginning of March until mid-April. The delivery of goods; including heating fuel are limited to a small window of time. Despite its distance to Yellowknife, Wekweètì remains one of the most isolated communities in the Northwest Territories. As warmer temperatures arrive earlier each year due to climate change and decrease the annual availability of the ice roads, Wekweètì will become more isolated and the costs of goods will increase exponentially as air becomes the only option.
In 2021, the Chief, Council and Administration of Wekweètì made a conscious decision to learn how to build up their community’s resiliency and self-sufficiency. First, with the Community Energy Plan and Community-Wide CO-Gen Biomass System Pre-Feasibility. Now, with the development of a Net-Zero building strategy that can be applied to the design, build and operation of the Wekweètì Cultural & Wellness Centre.
The study is the first step in understanding what can be achieved in our community; not only from an energy performance standard, but also from an operational and financial perspective. The goal of the study will be to: (1) Define the Net-Zero target, i.e. net-zero energy, net-zero carbon, net-zero operational carbon. (2) Define the design requirements to meet and exceed the Net-Zero target. (3)Determine the cost of construction and annual operating costs.
Applicant
Wekweeti, NT