Two Cape Breton community organizations and people with wells provincewide will benefit from new provincial funding that supports energy efficiency and groundwater research.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Timothy Halman announced $1.3 million for three projects on July 6, in Sydney:

• energy efficiency upgrades for the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation in Sydney
• heat pumps and removal of oil heating for Cape Breton Community Housing Association homes
• research in Cape Breton Regional Municipality and other communities on the impact of climate change on groundwater.

The projects are the first to be funded through the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund.

“Communities are the first responders on climate change and have a wealth of knowledge about what they need to do to adapt to, and mitigate the impacts of, climate change,” said Minister Halman. “I am pleased to announce this funding which is empowering communities to lead the action that is needed to tackle climate change head-on and reduce carbon emissions. In fact, community action and leadership is absolutely critical in ensuring we have a green, sustainable future.”

More details about the projects include:

• New Dawn Enterprises is receiving $776,159 for a range of energy efficiency upgrades to its centre and estimates the improvements will result in about $78,000 in annual savings on their energy bill.
• The Cape Breton Community Housing Association, which provides housing for people experiencing mental illness and homelessness in the Sydney area, is receiving $207,729 to convert nine homes from oil heat to heat pumps. The association estimates that these upgrades, combined with a future solar project, will save about $137,000 annually and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95 per cent.
• The Centre for Water Resource Studies at Dalhousie University, in partnership with Rural Water Watch, is receiving $343,000 to do research on how climate change will impact groundwater that enters wells in rural communities. They will also develop adaptation plans. Climate change impacts on groundwater could include sea-level rise that results in salt water in wells near the coast and droughts that can dry up wells. The centre’s work will focus on several communities, including Cape Breton Regional Municipality. About 50 per cent of Nova Scotians depend on groundwater for their water.

More grants from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund will be announced over the summer. The fund is available to municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, post-secondary schools and First Nations communities to help them respond to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.