Town of Coalhurst receives grant for environmental upgrades

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

The Town of Coalhurst is a little “greener” thanks to a $32,000 grant from the Alberta government that has helped two of its facilities become more energy and cost efficient.

 The grant, provided through the Community Energy Conservation (CEC) program and administered by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), was used to replace aging heating units and lighting fixtures in the Coalhurst Community Centre and at one of the town’s public works facilities.

“The three furnaces that were replaced in the community centre were more than 20 years old and the furnace from the public works shop was from the 1970s,” said Coalhurst mayor Lyndsay Montina, noting the equipment was nearing the end of its life and needed replacing, while the funding support from the CEC program was timely and appreciated by the mayor, council and people of Coalhurst, she added. 

“This program is a win-win-win for the environment, the town, and the MCCAC’s mandate of helping municipalities reduce emissions and facility operational costs, while also making facility users more comfortable in these spaces,” said Montina. 

The cost to replace four furnaces, two overhead radiant heaters and several light fixtures in the facilities is about $54,000. The CEC program grant rebate will cover about 60 per cent of those costs.

In addition to significantly improving the energy efficiency of both facilities, these changes will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 58 per cent from the public works building and 31 per cent from the community centre. 

The Municipal Climate Action Centre is a partnership between Alberta Municipalities, Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Government of Alberta. Funding for the Community Energy Conservation program was provided by the Alberta government.