Program Highlights
Faithful Footprints retrofit gets spotlighted in 2024 Strategic Plan Report
The United Church of Canada’s 2024 Strategic Plan Report shares stories of progress toward the church’s six strategic objectives and offers testimony to the new initiatives emerging across the country. As the second annual report under the General Council Office’s 2023–2025 Strategic Plan, it highlights how communities of faith are living into these priorities. The strategic objective, Deepen Climate Integrity aims to offer tools and resources for immediate climate action to help communities and individuals live with respect in creation. The report features a story of Faithful Footprints participant, Transcona Memorial United Church (Winnipeg, MB) who significantly reduced its building’s energy consumption by an estimated 81.4% by installing heat pumps, solar panels, and LED lighting throughout its building.
United Churches welcome the public to explore their buildings
Each May, Doors Open Toronto invites the public to explore some of the city’s most beloved buildings and sites for free. The annual citywide event features approximately 150 architecturally, historically, culturally, and socially significant locations. This year, visitors had the opportunity to step inside several United Church buildings, a few of which, including Beach United Church, Metropolitan United Church, Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, and Manor Road United Church had completed energy-efficient retrofits with support from the Faithful Footprints program. Other participating churches included Knox United Church, Agincourt, and Rosedale United Church.
Dream renovation: Wesley United celebrates heat pumps and kitchen renovation
On April 26, Wesley United Church (Lakefield, ON) celebrated its conversion to heat pumps and its kitchen renovation. The church welcomed over 90 guests to celebrate all who contributed to the success of its energy upgrades. The event welcomes regular worshippers, contributors to the project budget, community members who support its many fundraising efforts, those who performed the “hands-on” work, the East Central Ontario Region’s Property Committee and Faithful Footprints staff.
Project Updates
Several United Church communities of faith have recently received grant approval through the Faithful Footprints program to financially support energy conservation and renewable energy building projects. Many of our current program participants have successfully completed their planned renovations and upgrades, while others have received their one-year post-project energy reports. Here are the latest project updates:
Completed projects:
Bells Corners United Church (Ottawa, ON)
Camrose United Church (Camrose, AB)
Fifty United Church (Winonna, ON)
Lakeview United Church (Calgary, AB)
St. James United Church (St. John’s, NL)
St. Paul’s United Church (Milk River, AB)
Project energy results:
Hope United Church (Alvinston, ON)
Middle Stewiacke United Church (Brookfield, NS)
Hampton United Church (Hampton, ON)
Arundel United Church (Arundel, QC)
Howick United Church (Howick, QC)
Project Inspiration
How United Church in Meadowood transformed its building operations with a geothermal system
The United Church in Meadowood (Winnipeg, MB) successfully completed the installation of its geothermal heating and cooling system. The project, part of the church's ‘Greening of UCiM’ campaign, replaced its aging heating system with a sustainable ground-source heat pump system. The $495,000 initiative was made possible through a combination of congregational donations, grants, and fundraising efforts, including support from the Faithful Footprints program. Hear more about their journey in the project’s success story video.
New strategic effort aims to cut oil use in Nakonha:ka Regional Council churches
In light of recent oil spill incidents at two churches in their region, resulting in remediation costs of close to $1M, Conseil régional Nakonha:ka Regional Council has undertaken an initiative to have all remaining heating systems in their churches that use oil, replaced. The Region’s Finance and Extension Board is strongly encouraging its churches to use the Faithful Footprint grant for financial support, and is pointing its congregations to contact Brian Ruse for further information, to discuss financing or to obtain technical assistance for projects.
Pacific Mountain Region reimagines church properties into mixed-use development
The Property Development Team at Pacific Mountain Regional Council is advancing an exciting initiative to support communities of faith through innovative property redevelopment. In partnership with BC Housing, they are financing the redevelopment of a portfolio of congregational properties in their region into mixed-use developments, featuring new church space and affordable rental housing. Each mixed-use redevelopment will feature customized, multi-purpose church space, designed in consultation with congregational leaders. The Region is also in the process of hiring a Senior Development Manager to provide strategic property guidance to communities of faiths in the Region.
Opportunities
Faith in motion: Bringing electric vehicle charging to Nova Scotia’s faith-based communities
Explore the benefits of installing electric vehicle charging stations in your faith building parking lot as a way to support your community, reduce pollution and visibly strengthen the Nova Scotia charging network. Faith in Motion is providing 30 site assessments to faith-based communities this summer. Sign up for a webinar this June to learn more.
Updated Ontario Heritage Tool Kit
The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism announced the publication of the revised Ontario Heritage Tool Kit. The tool kit has been updated to provide clear and detailed guidance, as well as best practices, for the implementation of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit is intended to support municipalities and stakeholders in the implementation of the Ontario Heritage Act and to ensure the successful management and conservation of Ontario’s cultural heritage resources. The tool kit consists of the following five guides, including Heritage Places of Worship.