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April 30, 2026

‘My Own Contribution’: Ottawa Immigrants Learn to Retrofit Homes and Fight Climate Crisis

A Canadian social enterprise aims to address the pressing need for home retrofits and a scarcity of skilled labor.

‘My Own Contribution’: Ottawa Immigrants Learn to Retrofit Homes and Fight Climate Crisis

TL;DR

  • Build, a new social enterprise by EnviroCentre, trains newcomers in home retrofitting to address climate change and skilled worker shortages in Canada.
  • The program focuses on teaching skills like insulation installation and air sealing, targeting individuals who often face barriers to employment in the trades.
  • Retrofitting homes is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with Canada needing to retrofit approximately 600,000 homes annually to meet net-zero targets by 2050.
  • Build aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment in the construction industry, which has historically been male-dominated.
  • The YMCA's Power of Trades program, which helps bridge the Canadian work experience gap for newcomers, is a key partner in recruiting trainees for Build.

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