Insights
Our latest stories, news, and publications highlight how practical, people-centred climate solutions are helping shape communities that are more resilient, more equitable, and better prepared for the future.
Together, we can shape communities that work better today, and are ready for tomorrow.
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Annual Report 2025
With the release of our 2025 Annual Report, we are proud to share some of the programs, partnerships, and results that defined our work.
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Celebrating our people: EnviroCentre honoured with three Ottawa Eco Awards
After 25 years supporting climate solutions, we know that staying positive is vital to this work. Part of sustainability is taking the time to celebrate wins, figurative and literal! That’s…
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News: Launching Power Up, energy savings in your language
Power Up is a multilingual community outreach program connecting newcomer households in Ottawa with fully funded energy affordability programs.
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News: Introducing Build, our newest venture
A social enterprise at the intersection of home retrofits and workforce development
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Insight: From planning to planting urban trees
Key considerations and funding opportunities for designing successful urban tree planting programs
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Report: Connecting the Dots on Green Events
Insights and ideas from our 2026 Annual Symposium: Connecting the Dots on Greener Events.
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Insight: The case for deep retrofits in social housing
A new literature review from EnviroCentre’s Retrofit Accelerator team asks a critical question: what will it take to make those buildings work better for people and for the planet? Every…
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Webinar: Municipal tree planting & current funding opportunities
A free webinar for municipal staff looking to access funding and design programs for tree planting programs in their communities.
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Report: Scaling deep retrofits in social housing
Insights, challenges, and roadmap foundations for Eastern Ontario
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A pathway for public Bike Share in Ottawa-Gatineau
A city works best when people have good quality options for how they get around. Bike share is an easy, efficient, reliable and affordable mobility option. It’s a network of bikes available for short-term rentals 24/7 in…
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Ottawa-Gatineau Bike Share Feasibility Study
This report presents a feasibility study and implementation plan for establishing a bike share system in the Ottawa-Gatineau National Capital Region.
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EnviroCentre at the inaugural Sustainable Workforce Summit
We joined leaders from across Canada this week at the first-ever Sustainable Workforce Summit, which brought together employers, educators, governments, Indigenous communities, and labour organizations to address one of Canada’s…
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The serendipity of human connection
How a chance meeting sparked a first-of-its-kind research partnership, and what it means for deep retrofits in social housing.
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Your BOMA BEST score is hiding in the waste room
A practical guide for commercial building managers ready to unlock certification points
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Bike share expands across Canada as cities advance climate and mobility goals
What does the growth of bike share across Canada mean for Ottawa–Gatineau?
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Plant Your Place! returns in 2026 with twice as many trees for Ottawa residents
Trees do more than beautify our neighbourhoods; they help clean our air, store carbon, manage rainwater and cool our city. With nearly 40% of Ottawa’s urban land privately owned, residents…
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Connecting the Dots: Key insights from our Greener Events Symposium
A day of insights, collaboration, and practical ideas for reducing the environmental impact of events.
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Special events like Ottawa 200 are an opportunity to build a better future
2026 will be full of celebrations in the City of Ottawa.
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Winter Cycling Guide
This guide provides practical tips to help people cycle safely and comfortably through winter conditions.
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Inside Hidden Harvest’s record-setting year
Celebrating a remarkable season of community-driven climate action. What if one practical way to reduce food waste and strengthen local food security was already growing on private property in your…
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Tiny Forest at the Ottawa Rotary Home: How it came to be
by James Murray of Findlay Creek.
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Connecting the Dots on Greener Events
A one-day symposium exploring practical approaches to sustainable event design, grounded in real-world conditions.
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Heating or eating: A video about the Carver Place retrofit
Watch our video about how a neighbourhood-scale retrofit at Carver Place is improving comfort and cutting emissions in social housing.
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Hope is a verb: How we made climate action real in 2025
What designing and delivering our climate programs looked like in 2025.
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Carver Place: A neighbourhood-scale deep retrofit
The Carver Place project offers an achievable vision for social housing: deep retrofits delivered at the scale of an entire community—improving comfort for residents, reducing operating pressures for housing providers,…
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Greening York Street Public School
How a tiny forest brought beauty, connection and climate resilience to an urban schoolyard.
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Green energy finds a home in Carver Place
EnviroCentre’s large-scale, deep energy retrofit project is a blueprint for environmentally-conscious social housing A blueprint for change: EnviroCentre transforms a social housing community into a model of large-scale energy efficiency…
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School Streets Feasibility Study
A study to assess the feasibility of implementing School Streets in Ottawa and the key considerations for success.
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Let’s Bike cycling campaign 2025
Over 30 days, Let’s Bike Month 2025 helped a record number of Ottawans discover the many benefits of cycling–for their health, the environment and a greener, less congested city. EnviroCentre’s…
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EnviroCentre wins award for carbon reduction leadership
We’re honoured to share that EnviroCentre has been recognized with the Largest Contributor to Carbon Reduction award as part of Green Communities Canada’s 2025 Green Community Awards. This award celebrates…
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Making green bin programs work in multi-unit residential buildings
Since 2011, multi-residential properties in Ottawa have had access to green bin collection. Yet more than a decade later, uptake remains low — fewer than two-thirds of buildings participate, and…
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Reusable cups take the lead at 5K race
At this year’s Run to Empower, sustainability wasn’t just a side note — it was part of the course. Run Ottawa, in partnership with EnviroCentre, successfully piloted reusable cups at…
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2024 Annual Report
In 2024 our work engaged more than half a million people and reduced over 3,500 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases.
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Report: Bike Share in Ottawa-Gatineau
A missing piece of the local transportation puzzle.
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Who is Anna Zivarts, and why her ideas on transit matter for Ottawa
A great transit system isn’t just about getting from point A to B—it’s about equity, accessibility, and sustainability.
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Arriving at the Next Stop in Ottawa’s Transit Future
Ottawa’s transit system just reached a major milestone.
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EnviroCentre receives $2M to Accelerate Deep Energy Retrofits in Social Housing
We’re excited to announce that EnviroCentre has received $2 million in funding from Natural Resources Canada’s new Green Neighbourhoods Pilot Project (GNPP) and the Toward Net-Zero (TNZ) Homes and Communities…
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Studying the Social Impact of Deep Retrofits
A Collaboration Between EnviroCentre, Carleton University, and McGill University’s ReCONstruct Project EnviroCentre, an environmental non-profit in Ottawa, is partnering with McGill University’s ReCONstruct project and Carleton University’s Centre for Advanced…
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Pioneering Sustainable Housing Solutions
EnviroCentre’s Retrofit Accelerator Completes Test Units in Carver Neighbourhood EnviroCentre’s Retrofit Accelerator has achieved an important milestone with the completion of test cases for a deep energy retrofit project in…
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It’s Time for Bike Share in Ottawa-Gatineau
Big cities, medium cities, small cities – more than 250 cities in North America have bike share systems, but not Ottawa-Gatineau. And that, according to a new report from EnviroCentre…
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What types of energy upgrades does your home need?
Energy efficiency is a win-win for homeowners: take action on climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve your home comfort, lower energy bills, and increase your property’s resale value! But…
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Laying the Foundations for Successful Bike Share Solutions in Ottawa
Existing and emerging micro-mobility solutions are essential to building a sustainable and integrated transportation system.
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Annual Report 2022
2022 was a year of expansion for EnviroCentre. We increased our impact, grew our team, and expanded our reach.
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Deep Retrofitting a Century Home in Old Ottawa South
When Denis Dumas bought his home 17 years ago, he knew that energy upgrades were in the cards. The house was built in 1913 and had many of the original…
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Ottawa: A Great Place to Bike in the Winter
For those who can, biking to work is the best. Fewer cars on the road mean fewer emissions, less traffic, and let’s face it, it’s a lot more fun to…
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Let’s Bike Blog: CAA is not just for Cars!
Many cyclists also own cars (in fact, our data suggests that 70% of Let’s Bike Month participants usually drive when they’re not biking), so are familiar with the Canadian Automobile…
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Hop! A New App That Makes Walking to School Fun
We’re excited to share a brand new project we have been working on together with the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA): a fun app to encourage elementary students to walk to school! Meet Hop!…
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Annual Report 2021
EnviroCentre’s 2021 Annual Report reflects a year of laying the groundwork for scale.
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Walking to School
Good for you, your family, and the planet! During these unprecedented times, many people are rediscovering the simple joys and benefits of walking in their community. Walking helps adults and…
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Top Tips For An Awesome Winter Walk Day!
Winter Walk Day is on February 5!
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Depaving for a greener Ottawa
Strictly speaking, “depaving” is not a word. But it is something that several public schools here in Ottawa have been doing this spring with a little help from EnviroCentre. As…
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Annual Report 2019
Our 2019 Annual Report reflects a year of momentum, reflection, and renewed focus.
