Toronto Star

Sustainable design strategies will make St. Gabriel's in Willowdale this country's first `green' church New building is based on sacredness of both scripture and the Earth. With a a simple ceremony and prayers, parishioners of a North York Catholic church recently marked the start of construction on this country's first "green" church. A south-facing solar wall that soaks up the sun's energy is to provide free heat; fresh air ducts running underground the length of the site will pre-heat air in the winter and pre-cool it in summer; a lush carpet of meadow flowers covering the roof is designed to keep the building cool in the summer and reduce the amount of storm water contaminating the water supply. These and other sustainable design strategies are now used in only a few buildings across the country. But in a bold move, St. Gabriel's church on Sheppard Ave. in Willowdale is breaking new ground by using these strategies to bring together ecology and spirituality.