- Ferguson Block (Toronto – adjacent to Queen’s Park)
- Owen Sound District Office
- Walkerton Clean Water Centre
- 135 St. Clair Avenue West (Toronto) and 125 Resources Road (Etobicoke)
Ferguson Block
77 Wellesley Street West (adjacent to Queen’s Park) – Toronto, Ontario
In October 2009, several MOE offices moved to the 10th and 11th floors of the Ferguson Block. The space needed to be renovated before the move, so we ensured it was done in accordance with the Commercial Interiors Platinum Certification status requirements of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
“LEED is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. It provides building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.” – Canada Green Building Council
Platinum is the highest level achievable in the LEED rating system.
The certification process for this space is still underway. Once achieved, the ministry hopes to become the first in the Ontario Public Service to conduct and occupy a LEED Platinum Certified interior renovation.
Environmental attributes of the Ferguson Block space include:
- gypsum board (drywall) made from 95 per cent recycled materials
- countertops made from 80 to 100 per cent recycled materials
- ceiling tiles made from 75 per cent post-industrial recycled content.
- locally produced furniture made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood
- daylight maximization – open work areas with low panels and daylight control sensors
- Energy Star qualified appliances and equipment
- wood beams and flooring sourced from 19th-century Ontario barns
- a locally designed and made “living wall” (a vertical garden whose vegetation both improves air quality and saves on air circulation, heating and cooling costs)
The "living wall" at 77 Wellesley
Signs noting the green features in the 77 Wellesley washrooms
Owen Sound District Office
17th Street East, Owen Sound
As part of Operations Division, the Southwestern Region Owen Sound District office is the divisional lead for key program areas, which include: source water protection, surface groundwater (including Permits to Take Water), and agriculture.
The Owen Sound District Office is located in a building that is certified Gold under the LEED Green Building Rating System. Some of the features of the LEED space include:
- water systems designed to minimize consumption
- rainwater collected from the roof of the building and sent to a storage tank which is then pumped back into a system used for flushing
- the use of environmentally friendly, low-phosphate cleaning products
Walkerton Clean Water Centre
The Walkterton Clean Water Centre
20 Ontario Road, Walkerton
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre is a Government of Ontario agency established to safeguard drinking water for the people of Ontario. The Centre is the province's leader for high-quality operator training, applied research and technology demonstration.
The Centre is certified Gold under the LEED Green Building Rating System.
135 St. Clair Avenue West (Toronto) and 125 Resources Road (Etobicoke)
Both of these buildings are entirely occupied by MOE staff. The Resources Road facility includes ministry laboratories and, together these buildings account for more than 50 per cent of the electricity used by the ministry.
135 St. Clair West and 125 Resources Road have been “bullfrogpowered” since 2007 and 2009, respectively. This means that Bullfrog Power injects 100 per cent green electricity into Ontario’s power supply to match the amount of electricity and natural gas used by these two structures.
135 St. Clair Avenue West’s cool roof
135 St. Clair Avenue West also has a “cool roof.” A cool roof is one that’s been coated with a special light-coloured substance that reflects the sun’s heat so it’s not absorbed by the building. Since there’s less hot air inside to cool in the summer, the ministry estimates that this cool roof will reduce GHG emissions by approximately 100,000 kilograms per year.
