TORONTO DEPUTY MAYOR RECEIVES CIVIC AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Councillor Joe Pantalone, deputy Mayor of the City of Toronto, received the Civic Award of Excellence from (itals)Green Roofs for Healthy Cities(enditals). Pantalone played a central role in Toronto’s adoption of the first comprehensive set of green roof policies in North America. Pantalone was recognized, along with award winning designers, at the Fourth Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities conference and trade show held in Boston, Mass., earlier this year. The event attracted over 800 attendees and 70 exhibitors for a week of professional development, tours and exhibits. Green Roof Awards of Excellence celebrate projects that are holistically designed and provide benefits in terms of the function of the building site and the surrounding community. Full details and photos of all projects can be found at www.greenroofs.org.

Pantalone was honoured for his unfailing resolve to keep green roofs at the forefront of Toronto’s Environmental Plan. As Chair of the Roundtable on the Environment, he enthusiastically drove the development of green roof policies at City Hall. With a grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Funds, and Earth and Environmental Technologies, the city was able to commission Ryerson University to conduct a study of municipal level benefits and costs of implementing green roof technology in Toronto. The resulting Report on the (itals)Environmental Benefits and Cost of Green Roof Technology for the City of Toronto(enditals) was released in November 2005, and made several recommendations based on expected benefits that could be quantifiably measured using a model that assumed at least 75 per cent green roof coverage on flat roofs more than 350 sq. metres. Pantalone, with the support of the Roundtable on the Environment and Mayor David Miller, was selected for the Green Roof Civic Award of Excellence because of his strong belief in the benefits of green roofs. His tireless efforts have resulted in a comprehensive set of green roof policies that have accelerated the City of Toronto’s green roof agenda.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is the North American green roof industry association with a mission to increase awareness of the economic, social and environmental benefits of green roof infrastructure across North America. Projects had to be from North America and have matured through at least one growing season. Projects are nominated by landscape architects, architects and engineers, roofing/green roof design consultants, manufacturers, non-profit organizations, educational and research institutions, developers and building owners.

Green roofs (a.k.a. eco-roofs and vegetated roofs) are complex growing systems built on top of rooftops that incorporate irrigation and drainage systems, high quality waterproofing and root-repellent membranes, specialized growing medium and assorted plants. Environmental benefits of green roofing include a reduction in storm water run-off, better heat and sound insulation, improved air quality and reduction in the city’s ambient heat temperature. Other benefits include increased park space and aesthetic value to a crowded urban core. A recent industry survey indicated over 80 per cent growth in 2005.