Green Corner: New Green Roof Pilot Program
The City of Toronto announced recently that it will be allocating $200,000 of the budget to implement a Green
Roof Incentive Pilot Program. The overall goal of the pilot program is to encourage green roof installations
across the City and promote a number of highly visible projects already in place.
The City was influenced in part by a recent Ryerson University green roof cost-benefit study (using data from the City's Wet Weather Flow Master Plan (2001)). This study showed that if 8% of downtown Toronto's flat roofs were greened there could be a potential savings of one to two dollars per square metre from stormwater runoff reductions. This economic rationale, along with other environmental benefits, provided the basis for establishing the pilot program, which will provide eligible property owners with a grant of $10 per square metre for acceptable green roof projects, up to a maximum of $20,000.
The program will be open to all private property owners in the City of Toronto irrespective of building size and type as long as the building is capable of supporting a green roof that meets the program's requirements.
It is hoped that the Green Roof Incentive Pilot Program will result in the construction of a variety of green roof
types that could be used for education and promotional purposes. Ideally, the roofs in the pilot program will range from an expansive industrial/commercial green roof application down to a small single family residence. The pilot program will also support and showcase various green roof technologies and planting styles.
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