TUSKET, N.S. — The first net-zero municipal building in Canada is nearing completion in Tusket, Yarmouth County.
Once fully operational, the south-facing solar garden on the east side of the Municipality of Argyle’s new $4.21-million administration building should produce about 10 to 15 per cent more energy than the building will consume. That translates to $27,000 in annual energy cost savings. Over 30 years, including inflation, the operating cost savings for taxpayers could amount to $3.2 million.
In 2016, after considerable public consultation, council approved a motion to have plans developed for a new administration building and hired Wild Salt Architecture through a competitive procurement. The net zero concept was part of the planning. Though council loved the initial design, it was outside of its budget. The design was significantly simplified and the square footage made smaller.
Garian Construction Limited was the successful bidder for construction. Excavation began in May 2020.
The new building has about 8,300 square feet compared to approximately 5,000 sq. ft. of usable space in the current administration building. That building was built in the 1940s and first used as a small school. That use ended in 1976. In 1977 the Argyle municipal administration moved from the old courthouse and jail property to the “amazingly” large location, sharing space with Clare/Argyle School Board for a while.
BUILDING FEATURES
During a tour of the new build, CAO Alain Muise compares the size and adaptability of the new kitchen to the old as an example on better space.
“Currently the old admin building has seating for three people to eat meals at,” he says. “In addition to being used primarily by staff and council, if a community group wants to organize a sit-down meal, this new place would be large enough to comfortable sit 12-15 people (post COVID). It’s not designed primarily for one use."
That’s been the intention for a lot of the rooms. Offices, utility rooms and space for other purposes are located off two halls that run most of the length of the 156 foot by 53 foot building. Rooms used for other purposes (eg. server, storage) are located in the middle of the building.
Most of the offices are 9 feet by 9 feet. Muise says the small office size reflects the functionality of the new way of doing business. Most is done electronically now. “Your desktop is your monitor. You have less desk space and more desktop.”
There are 22 municipal employees, with 16 typically occupying the building. Washrooms are non-gender.
Two boardrooms seat about 12 in one and 8 in the other. Offices, boardrooms and other rooms have each been named after a community in the region. There is a central area for photocopying, printing, files, GIS mapping and other services.
The recreation office is near the entrance to provide easy convenience for public loans of equipment.
The entrance reception area is much more welcoming than what it's been.
“One of the biggest issues in our old building was it never had an entry and people were confused as where to go,” Muise says.
Council chambers will feature a circular table. “We want to invite first nations and meet with them the way they meet – everyone at the same level, no elevation of height,” says Muise.
Council meetings is one of the functions of this room. The table can be separated into four sections for other purposes. Councillors will occupy a horseshoe section of the table facing the camera when televised. The audio-visual set up also includes a Zoom function.
A multi-purpose room will have physical activity equipment to provide healthy options for staff.
A 2,700-square-foot two-storey house that was located where the new building is was moved behind the parking lot in back to serve as a storage building. “We knew we would need storage and we figured that the best way to use the home was to use it as storage,” says Muise.
Upstairs bulky recreational items will be stores, with archival items below.
The solar panels on the east side of the rear parking lot are far more efficient on the ground than the roof, which is why they were installed there. “You can angle them the way the sun is moving," Muise says. "You get a lot more energy input when you do this.”
A road behind the administration building was constructed with federal gas tax funding. The municipality is targeting buyers for lots who want to establish limited commercial growth; as well as residential, with a focus on affordable and alternative housing. The public road may allow access to further lands for development owned privately.
The road will be named after Jack Elmer Hatfield, who was born in Tusket and was the first Nova Scotian and the third Canadian to die in aerial combat during the Second World War.
Some residents have asked what will happen to the new building if amalgamation or consolidation ever happens between the three local municipal units in Yarmouth County. Muise says services for the three municipalities may not have all services in all three locations.
“You can have a hub of multiple services in one location, maybe all your building inspectors in these offices, or all your IT people,” he says.
As for the cost of the new build, prior to its start Warden Danny Muise says the municipality saved sufficiently to pay for the project.
“There will be no area rate or tax increase for this project,” he says.
The net zero route provided council with options to use different funding, he adds. Up to $1.6 million of the overall $4.21-million total project cost was provided from federal gas tax funds and approximately $463,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
It is hoped municipal employees can move into the building by June. A grand opening will be scheduled in September.
