The Yards at Fort Rouge Winnipeg - Energy Component

Gem Equities Inc., a private development company, will install a geothermal system to heat and cool a new City of Winnipeg transit station and over 1,000,000 square feet of residential space as part of the largest infill development in Winnipeg’s history. The city is working in close partnership with the developer on this project, as it will be the first development to showcase the city’s new urban design principles such as Transit-Oriented Design, set out in its new sustainable community plan, OurWinnipeg, providing a model for future projects. The geothermal system will consists of three to four individual systems, made up of open and closed loops, approximately 15 return wells and 10 supply wells. It is expected that the geothermal system will lead to an annual reduction in energy consumption of 46,824 GJ, which is equivalent to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 130,173 kg CO2e per year. The project will be one of the largest residential projects in Canada to use geothermal technology to provide heating and cooling. The buildings will also incorporate other energy and water conservation technologies. Located within 2.5 kilometres of Winnipeg’s downtown core, the Yards at Fort Rouge will be a 900-unit residential community offering a variety of housing options. It will be adjacent to Winnipeg’s new Southwest Transit Corridor and will provide convenient access to transit and active transportation links. The project is the object of two other Green Municipal Fund applications. As the 18-acre property is a former rail yard, it will first be remediated (GMF 11024), and it will also entail the construction of a transit station, pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths (GMF 11050). The development is expected to increase downtown density, helping to curb urban sprawl. It will also reinvigorate an historic neighbourhood, increase property tax revenues and transit ridership levels, stimulate the local economy and increase public awareness of the benefits of sustainability. (Project description from original funding application)