Canadian Catholic eco-church turns green in recognition of environmental crisis

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Canadian Catholic eco-church turns green in recognition of environmental crisis

Archiseek / Canada / News / 2006 / September 28

Parishioners at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin in Toronto’s north end can now claim that if Canada fails to meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations it won’t be their fault. The Passionist Fathers who run St. Gabriel’s have just opened the doors to the greenest church in Canada, a $10.5-million replacement for the 50-year-old building which pastor Father Paul Cusak claims will be sorely missed by Toronto Hydro. Father Cusak told the crowd gathered for the official opening of the new St. Gabriel’s Sept. 21 he used to get a letter every year from the city utility company thanking St. Gabriel’s for heating North York through the winter. The new St. Gabriel’s is on track to be the first church in Canada to meet the stringent requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design silver certification. The U.S.-based LEED organization will certify the new building on the strength of a 40-percent reduction in energy consumption over a standard modern church built to code.

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