When it comes to Canadian real estate, much of the focus over the last several months has been on attempts to cool red-hot housing markets across the country, with activity fuelled by low inventory and high competition.
But eco-conscious homes are emerging as unique alternatives to most houses currently on the market, said Chris Chopik, a real estate expert based in Toronto. According to him, net-zero living will eventually become the go-to standard for newly constructed, high-quality homes.
“This is definitely the future of housing, for sure, in Canada,” Chopik told CTVNews.ca in a telephone interview on June 2. “In a world where we're also trying to do the right thing around climate change, it’s also a regulatory imperative … This is going to be a very typical kind of housing in 10 years.”
Eco-friendly homes are considered energy efficient in their construction and use. These houses are built with materials that are not toxic to the environment, and have features that help offset any of the greenhouse gas emissions they produce. Chopik said he is seeing a growing demand for eco-friendly housing in Canada and around the world, with building standards becoming more energy efficient.
Sean Homes is a company based in Ontario that is currently constructing custom net-zero-ready homes – houses that are capable of producing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in order to offset their carbon footprint. One community project in particular, called Rainwater at 339 Veterans Dr., is comprised of 35 net-zero-ready freehold townhouses as well as a five-storey condominium building comprised of 38 units.
In this photo is a rendering of the condominium units in the Rainwater community at 339 Veterans Dr. in Barrie, Ont. (Sean Mason, Sean Homes)
“When we say net-zero-ready, we build them to a point where you decrease the energy consumption required, so that if you were to add on renewables, that they would [result in] net zero emissions,” Sean Mason, the founder of Sean Homes, told CTVNews.ca on June 1 in a telephone interview.
Part of this initiative involves efforts to eliminate the use of natural gas, with townhomes and condo units instead relying on a geothermal system, or heat pump, to supply hot and cold air. The townhomes also use a geothermal system to heat water. Mason’s condo units also feature cross-laminated timber flooring, which is capable of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Both types of properties also include solar shading devices, which help keep out the sun and reduce the need for air conditioning in months where the weather is warmer. All properties are EnergyStar certified, and feature exterior insulation to better regulate temperatures inside each home.
“It's a holistic system made up of 50 different decisions,” Mason said. “When you put it all together to get more than the sum of the parts, and it's a better place to live … that makes me happy. I feel like I’m accomplishing something for the greater good.”
While construction on the Rainwater community has yet to begin, all units that have been placed on the market starting in May have been sold, Mason said. Townhouses carry price tags ranging from $699,000 to about $900,000 each, while condominium units are priced between $400,000 to $800,000 each.
His project forms part of an initiative led by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) that involves the construction of net-zero and net-zero-ready multi-unit residential buildings in Canada, Mason said. A total of six builders from across the country are involved, said Marie Hanchet, CHBA’s project manager for the initiative. Each builder is constructing stacked homes in order to reduce upfront costs, she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on June 6. So far, three builders have completed construction, which includes 12 units in Saskatoon, 16 units in Calgary, and 11 in Edmonton so far.
Aside from homes that are built with environmental impact in mind, it’s also possible to retrofit existing homes so that they exhibit more environmentally-friendly features, Chopik said. An overwhelming majority of houses currently on the Canadian market are existing homes that will be resold, as opposed to new builds, he said. The movement towards eco-friendly living will need to involve renovating homes that already exist in order to make them energy efficient, he said.
“Every house can become a high-performance house, or can get much better relatively easily,” Chopik said. “Our challenge in the next 30 years is to bring all of the housing stock in Canada up to the standard that Sean is building today.”
These renovations can include adding solar panels to roofs or installing a heat pump to heat and cool a home instead of using a furnace and air conditioner. Heat pumps are decarbonized alternatives that run on electricity rather than fuel. Homeowners can also consider swapping their glass windows for fibreglass, which wear better over time and provide a tighter seal to improve insulation.
Chopik does admit that certain features of eco-friendly homes can be more costly than those typically included in an average home. But the short-term pain tied to forking over more cash will contribute to long-term gains, he said.
“Conventional shingles need to be replaced relatively often at great expense, whereas the steel roof will last a homeowner's lifetime in a house,” Chopik said. “You spend a little bit more on the front end, but you get a more durable, long-lasting result.”
In this photo is a rendering of the Rainwater community at 339 Veterans Dr. in Barrie, Ont. (Sean Mason, Sean Homes)
While Hanchet says the initial cost of a new net-zero home “can be higher than homes built to building code,” there are often long-term operating advantages thanks to greater energy efficiency.
“This means while the upfront cost of the home is slightly more, leading to higher mortgage payments, the annual utility cost savings from the energy efficiency measures offsets this premium fully or partially, depending on the project,” Hanchet wrote in an email.
Mason’s company, for example, is collaborating with Enbridge, which owns the home’s energy assets and leases them out to customers over 40 years. This will make monthly payments more affordable, he said. Taking into consideration the fact that a geothermal system is about four times more efficient at generating energy than a gas heater, this results in more value per dollar, Mason said.
“You put one unit of energy in [and] you get four times the units out with a geothermal system,” he said. “With natural gas, when you're heating your house … you would put one unit of gas in, and depending upon the efficiency of your furnace, if you're in an old house, you're going to get 80 per cent out. If it's really, really efficient, you'll get 96 or 97 per cent out.”
The result is heating bills that are less in net dollars, Chopik said.
“[You’re] spending less money … because [you’ve] invested in insulation and improved mechanical systems as time has gone on,” Chopik said. “That's your lottery ticket for making that good choice.”
There are also grants distributed by the federal government for certain home retrofits that help reduce costs associated with renovating a home to make it greener. According to Hanchet, the CHBA has seen an increase in the labelling of new net-zero homes year-over-year. When the labelling program was first piloted in 2015, 28 homes were given this designation, but over the last three years alone, more than 200 homes have been constructed and labelled net-zero or net-zero ready each year, she said.
“[We] are expecting that to continue to grow over the coming years,” she wrote.
According to the CHBA’s most recent homebuyer preference survey, the energy efficiency of a home was the third most important feature in newly-built houses, Hanchet said.
“While the majority of people do not search out energy efficiency when initially looking for a new home, messaging on energy efficiency resonates and keeps new home buyers interested in learning more about new developments,” Hanchet wrote.
Based on performance testing with online advertisements that emphasize the energy efficiency of his homes compared to messaging that simply advertises the homes as new builds, Mason said the latter tends to perform better.
“The green message helps reinforce the quality of the product, but … nobody's looking for it,” Mason said. “It's not the search term they put into Google.”
In this photo is a rendering of the net-zero-ready townhomes in the Rainwater community at 339 Veterans Dr. in Barrie, Ont. (Sean Mason, Sean Homes)
According to Chopik, promoting green homes in the resale marketplace is something that can be greatly improved. The real estate expert said he has noticed condominiums in Toronto, for example, that have a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification – this means they meet a specific set of guidelines related to green building practices – but aren’t advertised as such.
“I think it's just outside of their wheelhouse … Not every realtor knows how to explain these technologies,” he said. “I see houses with solar panels where the listing agent says, ‘We can take the solar panel off if you want.’ That's not really advocating for the value of that, in my view.”
More can be done to improve literacy around eco-friendly homes, Chopik said, both from a real estate agent’s point of view, as well as a consumer’s point of view. Part of what he would like to see going forward is the inclusion of more details in home listings that pertain to energy features, Chopik said.
“We should be able to say, ‘Here's the miles-per-gallon for this home,’” Chopik said. “We're used to using this decision criteria for buying cars, why wouldn't we use the same criteria for buying houses?
“Really, we just need to be able to know what the difference is, and that's about disclosure.”
Canada's annual inflation rate accelerated more than expected to 2.0 per cent in October as gas prices fell less than the previous month, data showed on Tuesday, likely diluting chances of another large rate cut in December.
A jet carrying Amazon packages went off the runway at Vancouver International Airport Tuesday morning.
A 40-year-old woman is facing charges in the death of a toddler who was found without vital signs in a Niagara Falls, Ont., home last year. Niagara regional police say officers found the two-year-old child after they were called to a home on Nov. 21, 2023.
Cruise ship passengers got a scare when their vessel tilted sideways, with one man saying the theme song for the film 'Titanic' had played during the ordeal.
Gisele Pelicot, subjected to mass rape organized by her husband over 10 years, on Tuesday condemned the cowardice of the dozens of men accused of abusing her who claim they didn't realize it was rape, adding France's patriarchal society must change.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has posted a recall for both baby and whole organic carrot brands sold at multiple grocery stores due to E. coli contamination.
The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said an incident involving a man armed with a knife at the University of Manitoba on Tuesday morning has been resolved.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from digital nomads who have taken up location-independent jobs and can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Paul Teal, a film and TV actor known best for his role in the CW's teen soap 'One Tree Hill,' has died, according to a statement from his agent Susan Tolar Walters. He was 35.
A jet carrying Amazon packages went off the runway at Vancouver International Airport Tuesday morning.
Environment Canada is warning those living on the B.C. coast to be prepared for incoming wild weather.
One in five immigrants who come to Canada ultimately leave for another country within 25 years, with about one-third of those people moving on within the first five years.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has posted a recall for both baby and whole organic carrot brands sold at multiple grocery stores due to E. coli contamination.
The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said an incident involving a man armed with a knife at the University of Manitoba on Tuesday morning has been resolved.
A 40-year-old woman is facing charges in the death of a toddler who was found without vital signs in a Niagara Falls, Ont., home last year. Niagara regional police say officers found the two-year-old child after they were called to a home on Nov. 21, 2023.
A court in Romania on Tuesday ruled that prosecutors' indictment against influencer Andrew Tate contains multiple irregularities and gave them less than a week to amend or withdraw the case of alleged human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Two women testified to the House Ethics Committee that they were paid for "sexual favours" by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, a lawyer for the two women told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday.
Brazilian police arrest 5 officers over coup plot to overthrow government and kill President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
With banners, bullhorns, toy tractors and an angry message, thousands of British farmers descended on Parliament on Tuesday to protest a tax hike they say will deal a 'hammer blow' to struggling family farms.
Cruise ship passengers got a scare when their vessel tilted sideways, with one man saying the theme song for the film 'Titanic' had played during the ordeal.
Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently looted on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13 months of war in the enclave, where hunger is deepening, two UN agencies told Reuters on Monday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the final leaders' statement from the G20 summit in Brazil is not strong enough on the war in Ukraine.
Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa on Monday after a weeklong break with no sign of a resolution to the House stalemate, tempers ramped back up, and renewed calls for a Liberal cabinet minister to resign — or be fired.
Iranian agents allegedly plotted to assassinate Canadian human rights advocate and former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler, a longtime vocal critic of Iran. Details of the foiled plot were first reported by The Globe and Mail citing unnamed sources on Monday and confirmed to CTV News by Cotler's office.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has posted a recall for both baby and whole organic carrot brands sold at multiple grocery stores due to E. coli contamination.
Ontario is proposing a pilot project to tweak long-term care priority rules in order to address a problem of declining and mismatched admissions to the province's cultural homes.
A group of physicians are setting up unofficial overdose prevention sites outside two Vancouver Island hospitals Monday, aiming to help people struggling with addiction – while also sending a message to the government.
Hector Xu founded Rotor Technologies in 2021 and developed unmanned helicopters. Rotor has built two autonomous Sprayhawks and aims to have as many as 20 ready for market next year.
Six monkeys were still on the loose early Monday after dozens escaped earlier this month from a South Carolina compound that breeds the primates for medical research, according to authorities.
Strategies for mitigating the negative mental health effects of social media tend to focus on reducing time spent scrolling, according to a B.C. researcher, who says there may be a way to limit the harm without logging off.
Though Cher and Sonny Bono’s marriage lasted less than a decade, their musical hits endured. Yet Cher details in her new memoir that the success of her creative partnership with her late husband wasn’t equally shared.
The leader of a New York City church where pop star Sabrina Carpenter filmed provocative scenes for a music video was stripped of his duties Monday after church officials said an investigation revealed other instances of mismanagement.
Toronto poet-novelist Anne Michaels appealed for 'unity' in Canada's arts community on Monday night as she accepted the Giller Prize, an award boycotted by several prominent Canadian authors over its sponsors' ties to Israel.
It's been a little over two months since corner stores around the province began stocking booze on their shelves and the chair of the Ontario Convenience Store Association says the new alcoholic offerings have been a lifeline for many businesses in the province.
Canada's annual inflation rate accelerated more than expected to 2.0 per cent in October as gas prices fell less than the previous month, data showed on Tuesday, likely diluting chances of another large rate cut in December.
Walmart's business is surging. Customers making more than US$100,000 a year are fuelling the growth.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from digital nomads who have taken up location-independent jobs and can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Delta Air Lines’ newest dining option for first class passengers isn’t anything fancy. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, because it’s fast food.
Buying life insurance in your 20s can feel like an added cost to an already long list of expenses. But experts say it can safeguard loved ones if life doesn't go as planned.
Roger Federer says Rafael Nadal made him enjoy tennis "even more" during a rivalry that spanned 40 matches over 15 years.
A shiny metal likeness of England soccer captain Harry Kane has become the latest statue of a sports star to face criticism for failing to capture the essence of its subject.
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky.
An insurance crime and fraud prevention group says the Toyota Highlander was the most stolen vehicle in 2023, dethroning the Honda CR-V as the nation's top stolen car for two years in a row.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.
A jet carrying Amazon packages went off the runway at Vancouver International Airport Tuesday morning.
Environment Canada is warning those living on the B.C. coast to be prepared for incoming wild weather.
There was snow in several parts of B.C.’s Lower Mainland overnight ahead of a “bomb cyclone” expected to bring heavy rain and intense winds to the region.
The Lexus RX has topped this year’s list of the most stolen vehicles in Ontario as the auto theft crisis continues to worsen across the province and country.
A 40-year-old woman is facing charges in the death of a toddler who was found without vital signs in a Niagara Falls, Ont., home last year. Niagara regional police say officers found the two-year-old child after they were called to a home on Nov. 21, 2023.
Canada's annual inflation rate accelerated more than expected to 2.0 per cent in October as gas prices fell less than the previous month, data showed on Tuesday, likely diluting chances of another large rate cut in December.
Didsbury RCMP have charged a Cremona man with two counts of attempted murder following an attack on two people inside a home.
A colder air mass will continue to force temperatures well below seasonal across the west over the next week. In Calgary, daytime highs will be closer to average overnight lows, ranging from -5 C to -13 C.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has issued an order requiring Sunshine Oilsands Ltd. to suspend its wells, facilities and pipelines, saying the company hasn't met its regulatory obligations.
Emergency crews responded to a collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle on Bank Street, south of Parkway Road, at approximately 5:15 p.m. Monday.
Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster says the 2025 draft budget includes $1 million for two new public washrooms in the downtown ward.
The Ottawa Police Service says four people are facing charges after people participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in downtown Ottawa "ignored directions from police and blocked a street."
Quebec cannot afford to welcome a new wave of migrants like the one that arrived via Roxham Road a few years ago, Premier Francois Legault said on Tuesday.
Montreal’s city council votes against a motion to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
The controversy surrounding comments made by Quebec solidaire MNA Haroun Bouazzi continues unabated, with a CAQ motion calling on him to withdraw his accusations of racism in the National Assembly.
Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa on Monday after a weeklong break with no sign of a resolution to the House stalemate, tempers ramped back up, and renewed calls for a Liberal cabinet minister to resign — or be fired.
Canada's annual inflation rate accelerated more than expected to 2.0 per cent in October as gas prices fell less than the previous month, data showed on Tuesday, likely diluting chances of another large rate cut in December.
Alberta's health minister will hold the first of three telephone town halls on Tuesday morning to explain recent changes to the health system.
Halifax Regional Police say the driver of a transit bus that struck and killed a pedestrian in the city last month won’t be charged.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Atlantic Canadians may receive an alert on their smartphones, radios and televisions Wednesday as part of a test for Canada's national public alerting system.
The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said an incident involving a man armed with a knife at the University of Manitoba on Tuesday morning has been resolved.
Manitobans are being warned that a major snowfall this week is expected to bring dangerous travel conditions.
Winnipeg's police board chair thinks it might be time to expand the use of photo radar.
All highways out of Regina and Saskatoon are reporting various winter conditions Tuesday morning as a winter storm makes its way through eastern and central parts of Saskatchewan.
Regina's next mayor and city council council have been officially sworn-in to office.
Regina Fire says no injuries were reported in a house fire on Monday evening.
Two Cambridge men have been charged as part of an ongoing fraud investigation that began over the summer.
Waterloo Regional Police said at around 10:25 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a convenience store in the area of Water Street South and Myers Road.
An 11-year member of the Guelph Police Service is facing an allegation of discreditable conduct.
Saskatoon police are investigating a second homicide that occurred over the weekend.
Saskatoon residents woke to find the city under a blanket of snow on Tuesday, with around 10 centimetres falling overnight and more on the way.
A Saskatchewan father is calling for justice in the death of his son, who Saskatoon police say was killed by an impaired driver.
Greater Sudbury's planning committee will vote Nov. 25 on a rezoning and official plan amendment for the former hospital in Sudbury, a key step in a major redevelopment of the Paris Street site.
People living on Morris Street east of Van Horne and all streets leading off Morris in Greater Sudbury are under a drinking water advisory, the health unit said Tuesday.
For the second time, a London man has been charged after the discovery of hate-related graffiti and property damage at a local school. Around 7 a.m. on Monday, police were notified of the damage at Emily Carr Public School on Hawthorne Road.
Police and fire investigators are on scene at a home in west London. Around 8 p.m. Monday, crews were called to 24 Gower St. for a fire.
St. Thomas police say an individual attended police headquarters late Sunday night or early Monday morning and committed what they’re calling a “festive act of mischief.”
Barrie police are on the scene of an ongoing investigation in the area of Bayfield Street and Heather Street.
Police in Barrie are investigating what they believe could be a hit-and-run after an individual was found in the city’s north end Tuesday morning with serious injuries.
Provincial police are investigating a gravel truck rollover in Kawartha Lakes Tuesday morning.
Windsor police say they have nabbed an 18-year-old man after a gunpoint robbery in west Windsor.
Windsor police temporarily closed a section of Walker Road after a crash, but have since reopened it.
A group of residents are set to ask Lakeshore council to spend $120,000 to establish a Francophone museum and library in the church which has been closed for 24 years.
Environment Canada is warning those living on the B.C. coast to be prepared for incoming wild weather.
The use of terms including "atmospheric rivers" and "bomb cyclones" to describe weather phenomena has moved out of scientific journals and into the mainstream in recent years, but meteorologist Cindy Day says there's nothing alarmist about the language.
A jet carrying Amazon packages went off the runway at Vancouver International Airport Tuesday morning.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Lethbridge’s largest charities are coming together once again to help give more people a merry Christmas. Both local food banks, the Salvation Army, Lethbridge Family Services and My City Care will provide toys and food to families in need this holiday season as part of the Christmas Hope campaign.
Tim Hortons is once again selling Holiday Smile Cookie, and this year money from Lethbridge locations is going, in part, to Green Shirt Day.
The potential resurrection of Crowsnest Pass coal mining should never pit the environment against the economy, said a community member and retired professor in the lead-up to a Nov. 25 vote of electors.
The repeat offender parole enforcement (ROPE) squad is asking for the public's help to find a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant for breaching his statutory release.
A Sault Ste. Marie program that gives people on social housing the opportunity to purchase a newly renovated home has just changed the lives of another local family.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Newfoundland and Labrador's return on investment for sponsoring a professional English soccer team was not quite as rosy as previously claimed.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
