To mark the beginning of Canadian Environment Week (May 31 – June 6), the Town of Newmarket and Shining Hill Estates Collection Inc. (Shining Hill) are happy to announce an update to their existing Municipal Capital Facilities agreement (agreement) that will see over 1,000 homes developed in south west Newmarket that will include environmentally-friendly heat pump systems. When compared with conventional furnaces, heat pumps can significantly reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and provide both heating and cooling in one system.
“Newmarket is proud to be leading the way with an innovative community-building partnership that supports our environmental sustainability goals,” says Newmarket Mayor John Taylor. “By incorporating heat pumps into more than 1,000 new homes at Shining Hill, we are taking a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building a more energy-efficient future, and creating a healthier, more sustainable community for residents today and for generations to come. We believe this is the largest committed installation of residential heat pumps in Canada to date, and an example for the future.”
In 2022, The Town of Newmarket reached an agreement with Shining Hill to transfer 80 acres of environmentally sensitive lands into public ownership and to build a sustainable community along Yonge Street. The approved agreement requires the developer to build a community with green and affordable housing options, including low impact development, new trails, a tennis clubhouse with courts (both now open) the planting of 5,000+ trees and more.
“Climate Action Newmarket Aurora has been involved in the Shining Hill partnership for five years in an advisory capacity and we see the announcement today of heat pumps in every home as a very significant win for the environment,” says Walter Bauer, longtime member of Climate Action Newmarket Aurora. “We hope that developers and builders across Ontario and Canada will see this leading example and copy it. This mass deployment of heat pumps across an entire development sets a new standard for home building and GHG emission reductions and should be celebrated by everyone.”
The new amendments to the agreement will replace and increase the land to be transferred to the Town for affordable housing and other community features. It enhances the sustainability outcomes with the addition of a heat pump system to be installed in all residences and also includes underground stormwater management infrastructure. The addition of heat pumps is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30% initially, with the potential for greater emissions reductions as technologies continue to evolve. Future-ready housing infrastructure will help to meet climate action targets and lower the carbon footprint of the community.
Another step forward for Newmarket is the updated Community Energy Plan (CEP) to maintain Newmarket’s leadership in climate action. The CEP inventories total energy use and GHG emissions within the Town and recommends actions to reduce fossil fuel use and electricity demand, establishing clear community and corporate greenhouse has reduction targets up to 2050. The CEP also identifies priority actions to advance energy efficiency, low-carbon heating and municipal retrofits.
Both the Shining Hill Municipal Capital Facilities Agreement and the Community Energy Plan perfectly align with one of Council’s key priorities to continue Newmarket’s commitment to Environmental Sustainability The agreement also reflects Council’s strong dedication to creating Extraordinary Places and Spaces. For more info on the Town of Newmarket’s environmental initiatives, visit Newmarket.ca.