“We’re only given one planet”

Transcona

St. Vital

North Kildonan

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/05/2024 (510 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Times of crisis can be tests of faith.

At a time when many church congregations are dwindling — if not disappearing altogether — a number of east Winnipeg churches are investing in sustainability for the long-term, while at the same time facing the climate crisis proactively.

“It’s not so much a climate crisis as a climate catastrophe,” said Stephen McKendry-Smith, environmental co-ordinator for Transcona Memorial United Church. “We’re only given one planet, it’s a great gift. We need to treat that gift with respect.

In June 2023, Transcona Memorial (209 Yale Ave. W) got a big boost to its sustainability push when $480,000 in federal funding through the Green and Inclusive Buildings program was announced. In total, the church was able to tap into over $600,000 in outside funding to do a number of green upgrades, including swapping out its old gas furnace for both a series of heat pumps and a 98-per-cent efficient gas furnace; replacing all lighting with LED lights; improving or adding insulation to older parts of the church; and adding 25-kilowatt solar panels to the church’s steep, south-facing roof.

Nearly a year later, McKendry-Smith, said the church has cut its carbon footprint in half.

“We’re still tweaking our systems, so I expect that will improve over time,” he noted, adding that the solar panels only came online in November 2023, so they are only now beginning to generate to their full potential. “We’ve had about $2,000 in savings. The savings for solar panels are ramping up now.”

According to Efficiency Manitoba, which provided the church with $30,000 worth of incentives for its upgrades, once all the improvements are online at TMUC, the church should realize up to $4,000 in annual savings.

Further south in St. Vital, the United Church of Meadowood (1111 Dakota St.) is well underway in raising funds to install a geothermal, ground-source heat pump system, which will utilize green technology to provide a geothermal heating and cooling system. The move is intended not only to make the church more sustainable, but also to inspire the surrounding community, as well.

“We’re in the business of selling hope, and we know we can do something and it doesn’t have to overwhelm us. We can change attitudes and work together as a community to lead by example,” Caryn Douglas, UCiM minister, said earlier this spring.

The $414,000 project is being funded by the congregation, but has also benefited from government support, including $20,000 in land dedication reserve funding from the St. Norbert-Seine River ward allocation.

Meanwhile, Jubilee Mennonite Church (365 Edelweiss Cres.) is among a number of local churches tapping into the Mennonite Church of Canada’s own emissions reduction grants. The church recently received a grant for $3,000 towards the estimated $10,000 cost of replacing seven old, drafty windows.

“We knew the windows needed replacing,” said Viola Labun, treasurer at Jubilee Mennonite Church. “We’re a small congregation, we don’t have oodles of money. But we couldn’t put it off, we had to do something.”

While Jubilee Mennonite Church doesn’t have a specific environmental policy, Labun said sustainability is an underlying value that goes into decision making.

“We do everything we can to protect the earth, to invest wisely, and take that into consideration,” she said.

For example, Labun noted that the church recently had a sheet metal roof installed.

“It’s way more expensive, but we did that because it lasts way longer and you can reuse the metal after. It’s part and parcel to our decision making. We’re also looking at new attic insulation, to lose less heat,” she said, adding the church is grateful for the financial support it has received from the Winnipeg Foundation, the Mennonite Church of Canada, and others. “It allows us to do these things, as a small little community church.”

For other congregations looking to improve sustainability of their churches, McKendry-Smith said it is important to come up with a solid plan before starting out — but also to be flexible when opportunities present themselves.

“Governments like to see a plan,” he said. “(And) I would advise other churches to approach all three levels of government. Carbon reduction is a hot topic right now. Having said that, government money is very slow in coming. Approvals take a long time. Be prepared to wait.”

— with files from Simon Fuller