TORONTO, Jan. 4, 2013 /CNW/ - HGTV Canada's top series of 2012* returns in search of Canada's best handyman. In the new season of Canada's Handyman Challenge, HGTV celebrities Bryan Baeumler (Leave It To Bryan), Scott McGillivray (Income Property) and Paul Lafrance (Decked Out) are teaming up as judges along with HGTV newcomer Jennifer Robertson (Little Mosque on the Prairie, Mr. D) as host. The competition is amplified this season as contestants battle it out for the all-new $25,000 prize. Canada's Handyman Challengepremieres on Tuesday January 22nd at 10pm ET/PT on HGTV Canada.
"Canada's Handyman Challenge provides talented Canadians with a unique opportunity. Not only do they showcase their skills on a national platform, but they have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to receive guidance and advice from some of the top talent in the contracting and construction industries, plus a shot at a $25,000 prize," said Barb Williams, Senior Vice President of Content, Shaw Media.
The competition this season is fierce. The top five contestants from auditions in Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto will move on to the Top 15 where they'll face intense challenges, demanding expectations and tough critiques from the judges. From building freestanding patio swings in under two hours, reupholstering a chair in just 30 minutes and facing the judges for one-on-one trivia, the challenges this season will test speed, expertise and precision to determine which contestants thrive and which fail in their effort to walk away $25,000 richer.
"The caliber of contestants this season is just amazing," said Bryan Baeumler, judge on Canada's Handyman Challenge. "The $25,000 prize has certainly added a more competitive atmosphere to the series this season, highlighting the outstanding skill this country has to offer."
Canada's most trusted contractor Mike Holmes (Holmes Makes It Right) will appear as a guest judge in the final episode to weigh in on the decision to name Canada's Best Handyman and award the $25,000 prize. In a season with more contestants, more diverse challenges and a prize that takes the competition over the top, Canada's Handyman Challenge is sure to become a fan favourite on HGTV once again.
For full episodes after they air, behind the scenes photos and exclusive interviews with the judges and host of Canada's Handyman Challenge, visit www.hgtv.ca.
What could be more yucky than mice? Practically nothing! When the weather outside turns cold, mice love to go inside to keep warm. They contaminate practically everything they come in contact with, leaving their droppings behind. The best way to get rid of mice is never to have them in the first place. Keeping your home free of cracks and openings where mice could sneak their way in is an important step. Next, make sure your home is free of clutter and trash where mice could take up residence. In this article, reposted from the National Post, Mike talks about unwanted pests and how to keep them from destroying your home.
Mice are known to eat away at batt insulation, including rigid foam.
A lot of homeowners might be starting to notice some unwanted guests. No, not the in-laws. I’m talking about pests, and mice in particular.
Cold weather drives most animals and insects to find warmth, which could lead them straight to your house. And if they find a food source, they’re moving in.
What are the signs that you have mice? Mouse droppings. Little bits of chewed-up food packages. You might also be able to hear them in your walls or ceiling. They lurk in the cellar, the garage, pantry, kitchen — even bedrooms.
It takes just one mouse to make most people feel uncomfortable in their homes. And I don’t blame them.
Mice are known to carry diseases, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Breathing in small particles from their droppings, urine, saliva or nesting materials can make you sick. The particles can get into the air when you sweep or vacuum. That’s why you’re supposed to spray any area where mice have been with a disinfectant. It helps keep the particles from flying around, and then you can sweep or vacuum (remember to wear a disposable mask and gloves).
Mice can also contaminate surfaces in your home with their saliva or urine, which is almost impossible to detect. Next thing you know you could be drinking from a pop can that has mouse urine on the lid.
Some people might think that a couple of mice isn’t a big deal. But two mice in your home can do a lot of damage. In just six months, two mice can eat four pounds of food and leave 18,000 droppings. Plus, mice multiply fast. One female can have five to 10 litters of about five or six mice a year. Then those mice can start reproducing after only 30 days. Within three months six mice can multiply into 60. So if you’ve found one, there are probably more.
The worst part is the risk of contamination. Mice contaminate about 10 times more food than they eat.
These rodents are also destructive. They can chew through electrical wires and cause an electrical fire. They’ve been known to destroy rigid foam and fiberglass batt insulation. They can also gnaw through any wood in your home, including furniture, trim, cabinets, doors, even your home’s structure. Repairing all the damage they cause can be very expensive. And if you’re thinking of selling your home, a pest problem is usually a deal breaker.
How do you get rid of them?
I’ve heard of people using electrical devices that emit sound to get rid of mice. They usually don’t work. At first such a device might have an effect, but eventually mice get used to it.
Poisons aren’t always effective either. Plus, it’s a risk if you have pets; they could eat the poison or a poisoned dead mouse. When mice are poisoned they usually die somewhere inaccessible, like in a wall. It won’t be long before you start to notice a foul smell. And then how are you going to get a dead mouse out of your wall?
If you’re serious about getting rid of these critters for good, you need to call a professional. You don’t want to risk an infestation.
An experienced pest control professional can find where the mice are coming in. They’ll check for cracks and spaces around vents, wires, pipes, windows and doors. Then they’ll block their entry with mesh wiring, wood or spray foam insulation, or both.
Next, clean your house — including the garage and basement. Get rid of any clutter and trash. Mice love messy places, which make it easy for them to hide and nest. Store all food sources in sealed containers, including pet food.
To help stop mice from coming in, place weatherstripping around your doors; as a bonus, this will also increase energy efficiency. If your house has a chimney, get a chimney cap installed. Keep compost far from your home. Also move any firewood or mulch from around your home’s exterior. These are excellent places for mice to hide in.
All mice need is a little crack in a wall or foundation to get in. A sealed home is the only way to stop the problem. It’s also the most effective and humane. So check your home annually for cracks where mice can sneak in.
Catch Mike Holmes in his new series, Holmes Makes It Right, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV.
For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.
This from the Point Load Pictures Facebook page yesterday:
Happy New Year!
Point Load Pictures is getting ready for another wonderful year. Our pilot for Damon Bennett’s show is completed and we are excited by the feedback so far. With new opportunities opening all around us, we’re ready to make 2013 the year we launch into your living room and ensure that what we put on screen matters.
Here’s wishing you happiness and prosperity in 2013 from all of us at Point Load! Point Load Pictures is an independent television production company started by Mike Holmes and Peter Kettlewell in 2011. Damon's new show is the company's first major endeavour.
For more information on Damon's new show, Damon Bennett Restoration Co., see the following Holmes Spot blog entries:
Happy New Year everybody! It's good to be back! Hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I did! Many of us made resolutions for the New Year, from losing weight to being a better and healthier person in general. In this article, reposted from the Montreal Gazette, Mike lists his top resolutions to keep your home in good shape. Follow his steps to create a healthier, safer and more livable home environment for you and your family.
New Year's resolutions for your home
By Mike Holmes, Postmedia News December 27, 2012
Mike Holmes offers up his top New Year's resolutions to help keep your home shipshape for 2013.
Photograph by: Handout, The Holmes group
It's a New Year and plenty of people are making resolutions, usually relating to self-improvement. Some people might want to break a bad habit, like smoking; others want to start a new habit, such as exercising regularly. But not a lot of people think about resolutions for their homes.
A healthy home is ground zero for a healthy life. To me that's a no-brainer. I think any homeowners experiencing issues with their homes would agree with me. They invade every part of your life and your kids' lives. So I'm giving you my top New Year's resolutions to help keep your home shipshape for 2013. Fix from the outside in
Homeowners are always thinking about renovating the kitchen or a bathroom, knocking down a wall, or making a room bigger. They spend all their time choosing tiles, flooring, appliances, lighting. But you know where the money should be spent first? On your home's exterior.
Too many homeowners don't realize that anything inside the home is at risk if you don't take care of the outside.
So let's say you spend $30,000 on a kitchen or $10,000 on a new bathroom. If you have problems with the roof, the foundation, the weeping tile, or the insulation - anything that has to do with your home's building envelope - that new kitchen or bathroom might have to be torn out to address the problems behind them. And if you don't it won't be long before those problems make their way to the surface. Tiles might start to crack. Leaks will work their way through drywall. Not to mention the air quality and health issues that come with these kinds of problems.
A problem with your home's exterior will eventually be a problem with your home's interior. It's only a matter of time.
Before you tackle anything inside your home, take care of any leaks - fix a leaking foundation, fix the roof if it needs repair. Repoint any mortar that needs it. And check if there's any mould. If there is, start planning a remediation immediately. Which brings me to resolution No. 2. Get a maintenance inspection
Hire a professional to come to your home and do a thorough check of all its major systems. Have the pro check the roof, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing, electrical, basement, basement crawl space, garage and attic. This will help you know what the issues are and what needs to be addressed first.
An inspection helps you create a maintenance and renovation schedule for the entire year - maybe even the next five years. It gives you a clear plan on repairs and renovations that will give you the most value - not just for your home but for your family.
When hiring maintenance inspectors, make sure they are certified. Ask for referrals and talk to previous clients. Find out if they use a thermal camera, and if so, whether they have level 1 certification in thermography. Do they have insurance, and how much? Do they use a ladder? You need to know all this to hire the right pro. Think green
This is about more than just choosing sustainable building methods and green products. It's about choosing mould-resistant products when possible and also low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials. It's about incorporating fire-resistant materials if you're building or renovating your home.
Why do I consider these things green? Because they help keep materials from going in the landfill. Think about it: If you have a bathroom that has mould it's coming down. That's a lot of material that cannot be reused or recycled.
Fire-resistant materials stop fires from spreading and damaging other areas of your home. Low-VOC products help keep the air we breathe clean and safe. When we renovate and rebuild right it extends the life of your home and eases the burden on the environment. Always get permits
I've said this maybe a million times, but I can't say it enough. Permits protect homeowners. If you renovate your home and you have a problem with it later, and your contractor didn't take out any permits, you've got nothing to fall back on. You're stuck paying not only for two renovations but also two demos.
That's a huge waste of money and materials. Plus it's a huge waste of your and your family's time, and causes stress and discomfort. As far as I'm concerned, if you don't get permits you are asking for trouble.
Sticking to these resolutions will give you peace of mind for the rest of the year. What more can you ask for? Have a happy, healthy New Year. Catch Mike Holmes in his new series Holmes Makes It Right Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.
Handmade Christmas gifts are always the best, because they come from the heart. I had SO MUCH FUN making this very special gift for Mike and his crew. Straight from my kitchen, I handcrafted the entire Holmes Makes It Right crew out of gingerbread. I even colored all the icing myself. It's a yummy gift I can't bear to eat! These guys and gals were already a handsome bunch, but if you ask me, I made them look even better!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE HOLMES SPOT BLOG!
...since we're talking Santa here, I figured I'd remind all of you to tune into the Holmes Spot tomorrow (Christmas Eve) for a very cool surprise! I will be debuting Mike's Christmas present to the world. You won't want to miss it! (see A Christmas Present For Mike )...
Chimneys... they're a lot of work to keep up and maintain. I grew up in a home with a wood burning fireplace. I also watched the movie Mary Poppins about a trillion times, so I'm somewhat familiar with the soot covered chimney sweeps of days past. In this article, reposted from the National Post, Mike explains how keeping your chimney in tip top shape is not only important for the big guy in red, it's also crucial to ensure your family's health and safety. It's important to have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year -- "no exception," adds Mike. An improperly maintained chimney can lead to fires and carbon monoxide poisoning as well as other nasty issues such as heat loss and leaks. Read on...
Alex Schuldt / The Holmes Group A fireplace can add the perfect cozy ambiance to any holiday get together. But one that is not maintained can pose a huge threat to your family's safety, possibly causing a chimney fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
A fireplace that doesn’t function properly is a serious safety risk to our families. Ideally, we want the smoke going out and the heat coming in (and maybe Santa, too).
There are many types of fireplaces: traditional masonry wood-burning fireplaces, gas, electric, wood pellet, even those that run on alcohol. But no matter what type you have, it needs proper maintenance — and so does its chimney.
Annual fireplace and chimney inspections should be part of your home’s regular maintenance schedule. Among the problems you can run into if your chimney isn’t maintained is a chimney fire, which can spread in a matter of minutes to your entire home.
Every working chimney’s flue must be inspected and cleaned every year — no exception. This will help make sure there isn’t a block or a crack in the flue that can lead to toxic fumes — such as carbon monoxide — entering your home. Even a hairline crack, once heated, can open to as much as a full centimeter.
A cracked flue also lets heat and smoke travel to other areas in your home, which is dangerous. Creosote builds up a lot quicker if there is a cracked flue in a wood-burning fireplace. Creosote, or soot for short, is extremely combustible. It’s basically tiny unburned flammable particles that accumulate inside your chimney’s walls. If creosote builds up, it just takes a tiny spark to start a chimney fire — which chimneys aren’t built to withstand.
A proper inspection of your fireplace can also reveal if the damper has a tight seal. Sometimes bits of mortar fall from inside the chimney. This can stop the damper from completely sealing. If it doesn’t seal properly you’ll lose heat. That’s a big waste if energy efficiency is what you’re after (and who isn’t these days?).
Your fireplace’s ash pit also needs to be checked; once every other year is enough. But if the ashes seem soggy and hard to remove, you might have a leak. If that’s the case it’s better to fix this sooner rather than later.
Chimneys are prime spots for water damage and leaks. The masonry and mortar can absorb moisture. If there’s anything screwed to the chimney, like an old television aerial, it just gives more points where water and moisture can come in. When they do, the mortar and brick will deteriorate over time.
A good inspector will check the bricks, mortar, chimney cap and flashing. If your chimney’s mortar is deteriorating, the bricks will get loose — a huge vulnerability that will allow more water to penetrate into your home’s structure. To fix this, the mortar needs to be repointed, which means scraping out the old mortar and refilling it with new. It might sound like an easy job but you need to find someone with a bit of skill and practice. A bad job will be obvious — it won’t be pretty.
Proper sealing is crucial where the chimney’s base meets the roofing material. There should be metal flashing here. If it’s missing, poorly installed or needs repair, water can get under the shingles and rot the roof deck underneath.
Most routine chimney repairs aren’t expensive. But if you don’t correct the problems quickly they can become a major safety hazard — with a major price tag to go along with it.
(A gas fireplace should get checked out once a year by a gas technician. I know this sounds expensive. But it’s not as expensive as a catastrophe — I can tell you that much. If your gas fireplace isn’t working the way its supposed to, it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and even death.)
If your home has a wood-burning fireplace you should find a WETT (wood energy technology transfer) certified technician. The installation and maintenance of wood-burning systems isn’t regulated in Canada. But a WETT technician has been trained to give a basic visual inspection the right way. Anyone who is WETT-certified has a photo ID card. If you’re not sure the professional you’re hiring is WETT-certified, ask to see their ID card. Check that it has a valid sticker with the current year.
Most homeowners are scared to ask to see any proof of certification — be it an electrician, plumber, general contractor, home inspector, even a doctor. But every pro will be happy to show you. Any real professional is proud of their certifications and the amount of time they’ve invested in their craft. They might even give you a pat on the back for doing your homework. I know I would.
Before you light your fire this holiday season, make sure your fireplace can handle the heat. Because where there’s smoke, there could be fire.
Catch Mike Holmes in his new series, Holmes Makes It Right Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.
Mike Holmes has been involved in a ground breaking affordable housing project designed for seniors and disabled people in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. The Boyle Renaissance project will utilize energy efficient and environmentally friendly technology to generate power and heat for the building. Such technology is not new, but it's the first time it's being used in a building project on Canadian soil. As the project enters phase 2, Mike Holmes has been publicly touting the cost savings and environmental benefits of CHP (combined heat and power).
The newest affordable housing project in the downtown is showing off its progress to this point, and is boasting about its new fangled technology to make it energy efficient.
And they brought in TV contractor Mike Holmes to help demonstrate it.
"We're looking at about a 15 per cent more cost upfront but you get paid back forever," boasts Holmes. "Imagine saving 66% of off-gas into the atmosphere. 66 per cent of less energy costs. Do the math."
"It's not a new technology, it's an old idea," said Holmes Group associate Seth Atkins. "The idea of linking different buildings together has been done on campuses and in Europe for many years to great effect and efficiency. The difference is what we're looking at doing is putting in CHP, that's combined heat and power. Combined heat and power allows us to generate electricity, capture the waste heat and utilize that to heat our buildings. That means we can feed the electricity back into the grid and we have an opportunity to increase our efficiencies and reduce our energy costs".
It's not just this building going up on 95 Street north of 103A Avenue. The co-gen technology is being tied in to an adjoining building too. It's a Canadian first, where two buildings, with two owners are working together.
"We could see this expand to buildings over 14 kilometers," said Holmes.
"If we can expand that system throughout Edmonton's downtown we'll be able to increase the efficiencies greatly and eliminate plumes off the top of the office towers in Edmonton."
Normally heat goes up the stack on the rooftop and the plume escapes into the atmosphere. What this will do is instead is the heat will be captured and will heat the water which is then piped through the building.
"By doing that you're eliminating the GHGs that are normally admitted into the atmosphere and you're increasing the efficiency of the building, lowering costs, and creating a more efficient system," explained Atkins.
"When I'm dealing with clients that are barely making their budget from month to month this becomes very important to them. We as a corporation pay the utilities on behalf of our client and they pay a fixed rate so they don't have the immediate impact but we certainly do as a company."
Lennie says the construction is a few weeks behind schedule because they lost a lot of time because of the weather this past spring and summer, but she expects they'll get caught up over the next year.
Renaissance Tower is due to open in the fall of 2013. (sj, twd) Photo: iNews880's Scott Johnston
Phase 2 of inner-city housing development features unique energy-generating system
Mike Holmes with Alan Smyth, senior project manager for Clarke builders, inspects the new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project phase 2 on December 21, 2012 in Edmonton.
Photograph by: Bruce Edwards , Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON - The second phase in the Boyle Renaissance Project not only has a new name, but will use a unique energy-generating system.The affordable housing project for seniors will be named Renaissance Tower, Darlene Lennie of the Metis Capital Housing Corporation announced at a news conference Friday.
“We thought it was very fitting because it is for seniors and disabled Edmontonians,” Lennie said.
“We thought it appropriate that the new home in the rapid, changing inner-city that the new project be called Renaissance Tower.”
Along with a new name, Lennie also announced the seven-storey, 90-unit building will be the first of its kind to use the combined heat and power system between two buildings with two different owners. The tower, on the corner of 95 Street between 104 and 105 Avenue, will be equipped to generate electricity which can be fed back into the grid and provide heat to two buildings.
The 380-kilowatt microgeneration system is scheduled to be installed on the roof of the building in March. Using natural gas, the system will produce electricity and use the waste heat, normally expelled into the air, to heat the tower and provide heat for the YMCA building across the street in Phase 1 of the Renaissance Project.
“The idea of linking buildings and sharing heat is an old idea,” said Seth Atkins, director of the Holmes Homes project. “The idea of using combined heat and power, where you’re generating electricity and feeding it back to the grid and eliminating waste heat into the atmosphere, that’s a new idea.”
Holmes Homes, a national organization created by contractor and tv personality Mike Holmes became involved in March 2011, when he was asked by the city to look at sustainability issues.
“What has interested me is the people who care,” Holmes said. “Between Darlene and the City of Edmonton, I see the people that care, and because I see that, I’m very happy to be part of it.”
Holmes gave a tour of the tower, which currently stands at four storeys.
The idea of district energy — the sharing of energy between buildings — is not a new idea, but it is the first application of the combined heat and power systems in Edmonton between two different building owners to create the system, and is rarely installed in an affordable housing residence.
Atkins points out the generation facility will have the capacity to operate over 14 kilometres and is hopeful it could expand to other buildings.
“The generation source is capable of travelling great distances to heat different buildings,” said Atkins. “The more buildings you can put into that one generation source, the more effiencies you can generate.”
The use of the co-generation systems can result in an increased cost up front, but because of a partnership with Enmax, the cost to the Metis Capital Housing Corp will remain the same amount as if regular boilers were being used. “It will save us a lot of money in the long haul,” said Lennie.
The Metis Capital Housing Corp provided $6 million of the funding for the housing project, which is also receiving municipal funding through the Cornerstones project, as well as federal and provincial funding.
Lennie expects the $22-million dollar project will meet its September 2013 completion date, despite being a few weeks behind on construction due to weather.
The Renaissance Tower housing unit is the second phase of the redevelopment. Phase 1, which completed construction earlier this month, features YMCA affordable housing in one building, and a community centre including child care, office and recreation space in another. The entire project puts social services and housing in one 2-1/2- block area and is designated as a district in The Quarters Downtown redevelopment initiative.
See photos here of the second phase in the Boyle Renaissance Project. The affordable housing project for seniors will be named Renaissance Tower. Contractor and TV personality Mike Holmes was on hand Friday, December 21, 2012 for a tour and inspection of the site. Holmes Homes, a national organization created by Holmes became involved in March 2011, when he was asked by the city to look at sustainability issues.
December 21, 2012
Mike Holmes with the construction workers at the new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project phase 2 on December 21, 2012 in Edmonton. Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal
Mike Holmes with the construction workers at the new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project phase 2 on December 21, 2012 in Edmonton. Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal
Mike Holmes inspects the new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project phase 2 on December 21, 2012 in Edmonton. Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal
Mike Holmes talks with a worker as he inspects the new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project phase 2. A 90 unit seniors-friendly, barrier-free residential complex with features the latest in ‘green’ design in Edmonton on December 21, 2012. Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal
The new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project phase 2. A 90 unit seniors-friendly, barrier-free residential complex with features the latest in ‘green’ design on December 21, 2012 in Edmonton. Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal
Mike Holmes with Darcy Odwyerof Clarke builders inspects the new Boyle Renaissance Senior’s project on December 21, 2012 in Edmonton. Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal
Mike Holmes helps city break ground for new Edmonton seniors' residence
By Angelique Rodrigues,Edmonton Sun
First posted: | Updated:
Celebrity contractor Mike Holmes, centre, poses with workers during a media tour of Renaissance Tower, which, when complete, will be a new affordable home for seniors in Edmonton, Alta. on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Codie McLachlan/Edmonton Sun/QMI AgencyReality TV handyman Mike Holmes is helping break ground in energy efficiency — and breaking down barriers — with a new inner city seniors’ residence set to open next fall.
For the second phase of the Boyle Renaissance project, part of the downtown Quarters redevelopment, Metis Capital Housing Corporation will operate the 90-unit complex that will house Metis seniors and the disabled at 95 Street and 104 Avenue.
The $22-million facility, set to open next fall, will be barrier free and is touted as being one of the most energy efficient buildings in the province because of a unique heating system inside the building. All three levels of government have pitched in to help make the project a reality.
“This is not widespread technology — but it should be,” said Mike Holmes — star of HGTV’s Holmes on Homes — who was on hand Friday to give a tour and a hearty thumbs up to the new seniors’ residence.
“It’s an opportunity to build intelligently to increase efficiencies and decrease operating costs.”
Holmes says he was drawn to the project because he believes the co-generation technology is the way forward for all home and business owners.
“Everyone says it’s too much money to build with new technology and smarter systems,” he said. “But the truth is it’s the only thing that pays you back on a monthly basis.”
The new tech inside the seniors’ centre is known as a co-generation heating system which will allow it to share hot water produced by an electric grid with the YMCA Welcome Village next door.
“This is the future, this technology is an opportunity to build intelligently to increase efficiencies and decrease operating costs,” said Holmes.
The system is estimated to cost 15% more on the capital side but is 25% more efficient than a standard boiler system, said Holmes.
The affordable housing complex was officially given a name Friday — the Renaissance Tower — and officials are delighted to finally have a title for the project.
Mayor Stephen Mandel and Senator Elaine McCoy turned out to Friday’s project update and the tour with Holmes.
Mandel says the city is proud to be one of the first in Alberta to implement this kind of technology.
“I’m very pleased and proud of those who are working so passionately on this dynamic and innovative project,” he said. “This is just a wonderful, sustainable project.”
Other eco-friendly features in the tower — which will be seven storeys tall once it’s complete — include solar panels, green rooftop spaces, and mould resistant exterior materials.
The city has earmarked close to $60 million for redevelopment in the Quarters. angelique.rodrigues@sunmedia.ca
Here's some recent images I've found of the project just to give you a better idea of what it actually looks like:
The newest affordable housing project in the downtown is showing off its progress to this point, and is boasting about its new fangled technology to make it energy efficient. 
