Home Efficiency Rebate
Depave Paradise
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Keep Your Basement Dry!
Free public event helps homeowners prevent damage from excess storm runoff
Does water get into your basement every time it rains? If it does, you know what kinds of problems it can cause. If it doesn't, you'll want to make sure it never happens.
On Oct. 24, Red Squirrel is presenting Keep Your Basement Dry, an open public forum that will teach homeowners everything they need to know to keep water out of their basement using low-cost solutions.
Expert speakers will cover topics including:
Why basements flood
How the municipal sewer system relates to basement floods
Utilities Kingston's Preventative Plumbing Program
Simple, effective measures -- like using rain barrels and building rain gardens -- that homeowners can use to keep water away from their home's foundation and out of their basement.
The forum, co-sponsored by Utilities Kingston, is a part of Kingscourt Groundbreakers, a Red Squirrel water-conservation project that is addressing basement flooding and excess stormwater runoff issues in the Kingscourt neighbourhood. The project encourages and assists homeowners to build rain gardens on their property to address excess runoff issues, beautify their yards and keep Kingston's water resources clean.
But while Kingscourt is the focus of Kingscourt Groundbreakers, flooding can happen in homes anywhere in Kingston, so the information provided at the event will be useful to anyone in the city who wants to keep their basement dry and mould-free.
The Keep Your Basement Dry open forum will take place on Monday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., at 255 Kingscourt Ave (at the Youth Unlimited building). The event is free of charge and open to all.
For more information, please contact Alec Ross at Red Squirrel Conservation Services at 613-547-8122 or executivedirector@redsquirrelconservation.ca.
Kingscourt Groundbreakers is a partnership between Red Squirrel Conservation Services, the Kingscourt Community Association and the City of Kingston. The project is supported by Green Communities Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
say hello to KIngscourt groundbreakers!
A few of the Kingscourt Groundbreakers crew shows off the demonstration rain garden at Kingston Free Methoist Church at 257 Kingscourt Ave. Pictured (left to right) are: Sharyn Inward, Green Communities Canada; Lucinda Bray, Kingscourt Community Association; Alec Ross, Red Squirrel Conservation Services; and Alyssa Vanden Engel, Western Landscape Services.
On July 19, Red Squirrel and the Kingscourt Community Association (KCA) officially launched Kingscourt Groundbreakers, an innovative community project in which Red Squirrel and the KCA will work with homeowners to use green infrastructure to address basement flooding problems in the Central Kingston neighbourhood.
The soil in much of Kingscourt is shallow, and the bedrock is often only a few centimetres underground. Because excess water cannot always soak into the soil, over the years many Kingscourt residents have experienced wet basements, and even floods, after heavy rainfalls or snow melts that caused water to infiltrate their home's foundation. Some residents have spent thousands of dollars on basement cleanup, repair and sump-pump installations.
Over the next two years, the Kingscourt Groundbreakers team will work together with Kingscourt residents to identify flood-prone areas in Kingscourt and address drainage problems using rain gardens, rain barrels and by making other small-scale changes to their properties. These measures – which will be entirely funded by Red Squirrel, via a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) -- will not only mitigate or prevent further flooding, but also beautify six individual properties and the overall neighborhood.
The City of Kingston is also a Groundbreakers partner. In 2017, it will be installing two yet-to-be-determined green infrastructure measures (perhaps bioswales) on city-owned property to further address excess stormwater issues in the neighborhood. These will not only reduce street flooding and further beautify the streetscape -- they will also filter out contaminants from road runoff, which will help protect our lakes and rivers (by ensuring that the water that flows into them from stormwater sewers is as clean as possible).
The project will also host a set of public workshops that will help people learn more about the benefits of green infrastructure in general, as well as how they can manage stormwater on their property to keep basements dry and make their properties look great.
Kingscourt Groundbreakers is grateful for the financial support from OTF and the invaluable technical assistance it has received from Green Communities Canada.
Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming workshops! In the meantime, check out this news story about the project! And here's another one!
Alec Ross (Red Squirrel) assists Sophie Kiwala, Kingston and the Islands MPP (centre), and Kingston mayor Bryan Paterson (right) as they plant two fescues in the new rain garden.
big news from the squirrel
Summer is in full swing -- and so are two exciting new Red Squirrel programs and services!
BIG NEWS #1: The Union Gas Home Reno Rebate program has been expanded in scope and is now available to Utilities Kingston customers in Central Kingston! Best of all, the rebate amounts have increased -- in some cases, they have doubled!
In April, Union Gas began offering its Home Reno Rebate program in Eastern Ontario. The program enabled Union Gas customers who are considering renovating or upgrading their home to get up to $2500 in rebates on the price of insulation (exterior, basement or attic) and/or a new high-efficiency furnace/ boiler or new windows. To qualify for the rebate, you had to be a current Union Gas customer, live in a detached or semi-detached home or townhouse,and heat your home using a natural gas furnace or boiler.
As of July 29, the requirement to be a Union Gas customer has been dropped, and the maximum rebate amount is $5000! In addition, the program is open to anyone whose primary heat source is natural gas, oil or propane! (Customers whose primary heat source is electrical are not eligible.)
Then as now, the program helps homeowners reduce the cost of renovations, save money on future energy bills, and reduces their carbon footprint. That's a win-win-win!
Where does Red Squirrel fit into all this? Well, part of the rebate process involves getting an energy audit by a Certified Energy Advisor (CEA) -- like the ones employed by Red Squirrel. In fact, the first step in the process is to call us and book an audit. Our CEA will come to your place, do the audit, and describe the details of the program and which energy-efficiency measures will give you the best bang for your buck. You then have 120 days to install at least two of the eligible upgrades. Once they're done, call Red Squirrel to book a post-reno audit. The difference in results between the first and second audits determines the size of your rebate from Union Gas, which you'll receive within 60 days.
If you're planning to make energy-efficient upgrades to your home, give us a call at 613-547-8122! And if you know of anyone who's planning on upgrading, tell them about the program -- and about Red Squirrel! (We won't mind. Promise.)​
BIG NEWS #2: Red Squirrel has entered the home-inspection business! We've been energy-efficiency experts for years and have helped literally hundreds of homeowners in Kingston and Eastern Ontario make their homes more comfortable and less expensive to operate. As a result, our people have detailed knowledge of houses -- large and small, inside and out. Which means that if you're planning to buy or sell a home, our home inspectors have what it takes to help you know whether the property in question is in great shape or in need of minor or major repairs. If you're buying, you'll gain a better understanding of the product you're buying. If you're selling, you can use your home inspection report to reassure the buyer that you're being up front about what they're looking at and about what maintenance may (or may not) be required in the future.
To book a Red Squirrel home inspection, click here.
meet RADON, the silent killer
​You probably know that smoking is the number-one cause of lung cancer in Canada. But do you know the second leading cause?
Most people don't. In fact, it's radon, an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that's present in varying degrees in every Canadian home. The only way to discover how much radon is in a home is to test for it. If your home exceeds the federally determined safe levels, you need to do something about it.
Based on the results of Health Canada's Cross-Canada Residential Radon Survey, 11% of homes (more than 1 in 10 homes) in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Region have high radon levels, above the Government of Canada Guideline. (You can also read more about radon here and here.)
To shed light on this pressing public health concern, Red Squirrel Conservation Services is hosting a Radon Awareness Workshop in Kingston on Nov. 23 to provide expert, in-depth information about radon and its effects. The event will feature presentations by some of Canada's most knowledgeable radon experts: Kelley Bush (Health Canada); Kathleen Cooper (Canadian Environmental Law Association); and Brooks Gee (Safe Air Solutions/Mr. Radon).
They will answer questions such as:
Where does radon come from?
What are the potential health effects of radon on adults and children?
What types of radon testing are available?
How do I get rid of it?
If I'm building a house, what measures can I take to keep radon out?
What is the state of radon-prevention legislation and testing standards in Canada?
The workshop is open to the public. A limited number of home radon testing kits will be provided to workshop attendees (for free!) on a first-come, first-served basis.
When: Nov. 23, 2015 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Kingston Frontenac Public Library
Central Branch (Wilson Room), 130 Johnson St., Kingston
yet Another Depave success!
On Oct. 3, about 20 community volunteers came together to participate in Red Squirrel's fourth annual Depave Paradise event. This one took place in the year yard of the Boys & Girls Club clubhouse at 559 Bagot St. in downtown Kingston.
Depave Paradise is an event where community volunteers and partners come together to remove paved surfaces (such as asphalt parking lots or driveways) and lay sod and plant flowers and trees in their place. The objective of a "depave" is not only to beautify the depaved area, but to allow more rain and stormwater to soak into the ground and be naturally filtered and cleaned -- as opposed to being directed into storm sewers -- before it reaches local waterways. So, on the surface, a depave is a landscaping project, but its real purpose is to help keep our drinking water clean.
Make no mistake: a depave involves hard work -- prying up and breaking metre-square sections of asphalt into smaller chunks, carting it away in wheelbarrows, tossing the chunks into 20-yard disposal bins, shoveling dirt and soil, and digging holes for plants and carrying and laying rolls of sod. But it's also a lot of fun. There's something immensely satisfying in working together in a team to accomplish a goal, especially one that unfolds right before your eyes and makes an immediate impact. Most depave volunteers say that they're take part in another one in a heartbeat (but not right away)!
​This was Red Squirrel's fourth "depave" in as many years -- and its most ambitious one by far. The area of asphalt removed was larger, and another concrete-paved section was also removed (except we used a backhoe, instead of the hand tools we use for the asphalt).
​Normally a depave lasts for a day or two, but various factors (mainly the scale of the project) turned this one into a multi-day affair. But the extra work was worth it: the new yard has three new trees, eight "sitting rocks", a large new expanse of grass, and a garden planted with a number of hardy, low-maintenance plants such as Echinacea, sedges, daffodils, hostas, geraniums, and Achillea Red Velvet .
A project like this doesn't happen without a ton of help – some of it behind the scenes, some readily apparent -- from a wide variety of people. Paul & Brenda van Belle (from Safety Guys in Kingston) designed the garden, chose the plants and trees, and contributed invaluable support and direction on-site before, during and after the event. (Paul, incidentally, is a heck of a backhoe operator.) Jason Makin at Cruickshank Construction loaned us pry bars so we could lever up the asphalt, let us dispose of it at Cruickshank's asphalt recycling site in Elginburg, and helped to arrange loans of other equipment (the backhoe, wheelbarrows, shovels) from Battlefield Equipment Rentals. On the afternoon before the depave, an unfortunate incident left us with a huge pile of several tons of broken concrete directly on the depave site, but no way to remove it. On extremely short notice, Murray Aitken, of Morven Construction, saved us when he and his crew came and scooped it up and trucked it all away – on a Friday afternoon, no less! They instantly became our heroes. Hughson Fencing also hauled away a load of asphalt. Pyke Farms and Unity Sod Farm gave us discounts on soil and sod. James Brown, community booster extraordinaire, generously picked up the food tab, and Cathy from the Boys & Girls Club turned our supply of groceries into a delicious lunch that fed our small brigade of hungry depavers.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the seed funding from the RBC Blue Water Project and organizational support from the folks at the RAIN program at Green Communities Canada.
By the way, Red Squirrel is ready and willing to orchestrate more depaves, but we need places to do them. If your organization has an old parking lot or asphalt-paved area that isn't getting much use and might be a good spot for a garden, let us know!
Check out our photo gallery below! Many thanks to Liz Cooper and Alec Ross for the images.
It's Depave time again!
This is the area that will be depaved on Oct. 3. Pictured is Harold Parsons, the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Kingston & Area.
Red Squirrel is delighted to announce that, once again, it has organized another one of its fabulous Depave Paradise events in Kingston. It will take place on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Boys & Girls Club location at 559 Bagot St. (a.k.a. the former Robert Meek Public School).
At a "depave", community volunteers use hand tools to tear up a section of unused asphalt (an old driveway or parking lot, say) and plant flowers and trees in the cleared space.
The purpose of a depave is not only to beautify the depaved area. That's part of it, but ultimately the objective is to increase the amount of permeable surfaces in a community to allow more rainwater to soak into the ground instead of draining off into storm sewers. The idea is to help restore the natural hydrologic cycle to urban areas so that water can be filtered and cleaned by soaking through the soil before it enters local waterways.
When rain falls on paved surfaces like roads, it picks up whatever is on the road -- oil, grease, gas, cigarette butts, etc -- before it flows into the storm sewer. And once that polluted water is in the storm sewer, if flows directly into nearby waterways (in Kingston's case, Lake Ontario), untreated.
We all drink that water. And swim in it, and fish in it. It's in everyone's best interests to keep it clean.
That's what a depave does, albeit on a small scale. In previous years, Red Squirrel (then operating as Hearthmakers Energy Cooperative) has depaved areas at Mulberry Waldorf School, Rideau Heights Public School, and a private homeowner's driveway in the Kingscourt neighborhood. As a result of these efforts, Kingston can boast of having hosted more Depave Paradise events than any other Canadian city.
Of course, another important Depave objective is to bring people together. And this one certainly has. Supported by Green Communities Canada and with funding from the RBC Blue Water Project, Red Squirrel has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Kingston & Area and received generous in-kind support from Stone & Maple Landscaping, Cruickshank Construction, Hughson Fencing, RBC, Loving Spoonful, James Brown and Youth Diversion. People from each of these organizations, businesses and people have contributed time, money and good old elbow grease to make this event happen.
In a week or so, Red Squirrel will post some pictures, and maybe a video, of the Oct. 3 event.
Everything Drainage Workshop - August 19 2015
Red Squirrel Conservation Services has once again been contracted by Utilities Kingston to deliver an Everything Drainage workshop. The workshop will be held at Utilities Kingston (85 Lappan's Lane) on Wednesday, August 19th at 6:30pm. Admission is free and you'll get a tour of Utilities Kingston's award winning Water Conservation Garden.
Check out the official Utilities Kingston press release below:
Everything Drainage Workshop: protect your property from water issues
KINGSTON, ONT./ June 29, 2015 – Have standing water on your property? Notice your sump pump running frequently? The Everything Drainage workshop is for you – and for every homeowner who would like to make every raindrop count to conserve tap water.
Utilities Kingston invites you to participate in a free workshop to help manage excess water on your property and prevent basement flooding, while complying with the City of Kingston's Sewer Use Bylaw. It takes place at the Utilities Kingston offices, 85 Lappan's Lane on Wednesday, July 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This is the second such workshop this season; additional dates may be added this summer, based on interest.
"Learning how storm water and rainfall should be handled on your property can help you conserve water, reduce the risk of water damage to your property, and help protect your neighbours from basement flooding and sewage back-ups," says Stephen Sottile, conservation officer for Utilities Kingston.
Home Drainage 101
Simple, do-it-yourself drainage solutions
About the Preventative Plumbing Program – the popular financial assistance program to help homeowners install plumbing measures that reduce the risk of sewage back-ups and basement flooding
How to disconnect downspouts that are illegally connected to the sanitary sewer
How to manage standing or excess water using landscaping techniques
To register for the Everything Drainage workshop, or indicate your interest for a different date, call 613-546-0000 and say "conservation" or email conservation@utilitieskingston.com.
For water-smart gardening and landscaping resources, and for information related to basement flooding awareness and the Preventative Plumbing Program, go to www.utilitieskingston.com.
Media contact: For more information contact Cindie Ashton, media relations officer for Utilities Kingston at 613-546-4291, ext. 3116 (cell 613-329-3462).
About Utilities Kingston: Utilities Kingston operates multiple utilities through a single service structure, allowing it to deliver cost savings and customer service excellence. The company is unique in Ontario, combining water, wastewater, gas and electrical services, and broadband fibre optics in one company. Trusted by customers to deliver reliable utilities for more than 150 years, employees are proud to provide personal, responsive services.
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www.UtilitiesKingston.com
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Home Reno Rebate Program
Union Gas Home Reno Rebate
Phone 613.547.8122 Toll Free 1.866.547.8122 Email outreach (at) redsquirrelconservation.ca
99 York Street, Kingston ON K7K 1P9