Members of the Environmental Learning Centre project team spent an informative afternoon touring leading examples of innovation in sustainability at the downtown Vancouver 2010 celebration site. First stop was the BC Hydro Power Village, the unofficial sustainability hub for the 2010 Winter Games.  Wayne Cousins, Senior Key Account Manager for BC Hydro Power Smart provided a tour of an energy-efficient Home of the Future.  Designed using local and recycled components, the converted shipping container is a hallmark of sustainability, outfitted with energy-efficient appliances and other technologies that will soon be part of our homes. The BC Hydro tour also included a special visit to the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion to experience a traditional performance celebrating the rich culture of the Mi’kmaq First Nations of New Brunswick.

In keeping with the theme of “less can be more”, the team made their way to the L41 homeforall.  Lynn Embury-Williams, Marketing Director for Canfor Corporation, hosted a tour of the 220 square foot, ultra-compact display home.  Designed and developed by Architect Michael Katz and Designer Janet Corne, the L41 home is a sustainable, high-design, high quality, energy-efficient house designed for a generation that understands the principles of “small is beautiful”.  L41 is constructed of pine beetle Cross-laminated Timber, (CLT) a relatively new wood product in North America, and one that is being considered for the new environmental learning centre at Outdoor School.

The new environmental learning centre at Outdoor School is designed to advance sustainability, creating an educational tool that represents the School District's ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.  The North Shore Credit Union Environmental Learning Centre is slated for completion in 2011, and is expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification.

L41 "highly livable and delightful"