Photos © Dave Roels

In June, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) held its third annual national summit in Vancouver.

Last month, almost 1300 built environment professionals assembled in Vancouver for the Canada Green Building Council's (CaGBC's) third annual national summit. The two-day event, titled "Performance Matters," featured 112 tradeshow booths, numerous seminars, and ample opportunities for networking and recognition among sustainable design experts.

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell provided the opening keynote address, challenging those in the audience to embrace change as they work toward creating more sustainable homes, buildings, and communities. Campbell cited the 2010 Olympic Athlete Village as "an example of what you can do when you change the way you look at a problem." (For more on the project, see two articles in the July issue of Construction Canada.)

Along with looks at the new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for New Construction (NC) 2009 and LEED for Neighbourhood Development (ND) programs, the conference included speakers from across Canada, the United States, and Australia on topics such as resource efficiency, building retrofits, and net-zero energy use.

During the event, the council presented CaGBC Achievement Awards to the following:
• Chapter Leadership Award: Joel Courchesne (Courchesne et associés);
• Student Leadership Award: Jessica Roder (ONPA Architects);
• Volunteer Leadership Award: Ed Lim (BLJC);
• Lifetime Leadership Award: Joe Van Bellegham (Windmill);
• Green Building Champion Award: Jason McLennan (Cascadia Green Building Council);
• Industry Leadership Award: Tridel;
• Government Leadership Award: Government of British Columbia; and
• Education Leadership Award: Freda Pagani (University of British Columbia).

While next year's summit has not yet been finalized, CaGBC is also working closely with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to be an active partner in 2011's Greenbuild Conference in Toronto.

During breakfast, conference delegates were welcomed by Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

Keynote speaker Vivian Loftness, Carnegie Mellon University, addressed attendees, discussing the links between thoughtful urban development and human health.