‘My own contribution’: the Ottawa immigrants learning to retrofit homes and fight the climate crisis
Summary
A new social enterprise called Build is launching in Ottawa to train immigrants and others facing job barriers in home retrofitting skills like insulation installation. Retrofitting homes helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fights climate change by making buildings more energy efficient.Key Facts
- Build is started by the Ottawa non-profit EnviroCentre and opens in September.
- The program trains people in upgrading homes to save energy, which lowers pollution and helps the climate.
- Buildings are among the top five sources of greenhouse gases in Canada.
- Retrofitting can include tasks like sealing air leaks, adding insulation, and improving heating/cooling systems.
- About 600,000 homes in Canada need retrofitting each year to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
- Build focuses on helping women, Indigenous people, and newcomers to Canada who face job barriers.
- Trainees learn safety rules and practical skills in a warehouse setting and through partnerships with other groups.
- Immigrants like John Mava from Nigeria and Allan Kanobana from Rwanda have joined the program to build new careers.
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