Five Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Facilities Earn LEED Green Building Certification

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is pleased to announce that five of the official facilities constructed for the upcoming TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification, prior to the start of the 2015 Games on July 15.

These LEED certified facilities feature state-of-the-art sustainability measures like green roofs, diversion of site waste from landfills and incineration, the use of geothermal energy, and property irrigation using rainwater stored in underground cisterns.

The certified projects are:

    CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House – certified LEED Gold on April 7, 2015

    CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium – certified LEED Silver on May 27, 2015

    Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome – certified LEED Silver on May 28, 2015

    CIBC Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium – certified LEED Silver on May 28, 2015

The Atos Markham Pan Am/Parapan Am Centre – certified LEED Gold on June 12, 2015

In addition to these five certified projects, two additional facilities – the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes’ Village and the Welland Pan Am Flatwater Centre – are also registered with the intention of earning LEED certification in the near future.

“The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee is pleased the Canada Green Building Council has recognized these five new builds with LEED certification,” says Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer, TO2015. “These facilities — as well as the many others built and upgraded for the Games with our funding partners — will improve Canada’s performance in international athletics, serve their communities and act as a sustainable legacy for future generations.”

These certifications are also noteworthy given that large athletic facilities can pose a unique challenge in green building due to their often large footprints.