REGINA — The Government of Saskatchewan (GOS) has received an incredible number of environmental certifications and awards from the Saskatchewan Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), which recognizes excellence in building performance and sustainability.
BOMA BEST (Building Environmental Standards) is Canada's largest environmental assessment and certification program for existing buildings. It recognizes excellence in energy and water use, air quality, tenant comfort and wellness, custodial upkeep, waste management and reflects the dedication and day-to-day efforts of staff who manage, maintain and support our government facilities.
This year, 11 GOS buildings received BOMA BEST certifications. This includes eight gold and three silver:
- Wiciwakan Place in Meadow Lake (Gold);
- Regina Provincial Courthouse (Gold);
- Paul Dojack Youth Centre (Gold);
- Lloyd Place in Regina (Gold);
- Government House in Regina (Gold);
- McNevin Building in Nipawin (Gold);
- Eiling Kramer Building in North Battleford (Gold);
- Saskatoon Equipment Repair Depot (Gold);
- Melfort Court of Kings Bench (Silver);
- E.I. Wood Building in Swift Current (Silver); and
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic E.A. Davies Building in Saskatoon (Silver).
As part of the BOMA BEST Certification process, eligible buildings also underwent ENERGY STAR assessments. Four government buildings received ENERGY STAR certification based on their scores, indicating superior energy efficiency compared to similar facilities across Canada:
- Eiling Kramer Building (score 84) - more efficient than 84 per cent of similar buildings nationwide.
- El Wood Building (score 81) - more efficient than 81 per cent of similar buildings nationwide.
- Lloyd Place (score 87) - more efficient than 87 per cent of similar buildings nationwide.
- Wiciwakan Place (score 91) - more efficient than 91 per cent of similar buildings nationwide.
In addition to these certifications, three government buildings earned BOMAEarth Awards for 2024, presented to buildings that obtained the highest overall BOMA BEST score in each asset class. Recipients of these include the Government House, which was the highest-ranked Universal building, Lloyd Place for the highest-ranked Office Building and the Saskatoon Equipment Repair Depot, for the highest-ranking light industrial score.
GOS received recognition not only for buildings, but employees as well. The Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement (SBP) Environmental Manager, Elena Diebel, was awarded the Lloyd Rogers Member of the Year Award, and has been nominated nationally for Member of the Year. This award honours a member who has demonstrated leadership, initiative and/or service to the commercial real estate community.
These certifications are a step towards the Government of Saskatchewan's Prairie Resilience: A Made-in-Saskatchewan Climate Change Strategy. The work undertaken to receive these awards and certificates answers the strategy's call for reduced energy consumption in government-owned buildings.
