Investors Group Field scores below green standard

Winnipeg politicians, Blue Bombers executives and project construction managers havereferred to Investors Group Field as "state-of-the-art" and "world-class," but the stadium's status as an environmentally friendly facility has side-stepped Manitoba's own requirements for funding.

TheNDPgovernmentintroduced a Green Building Policy for Government-Funded Projects in 2007, requiringany building funded by the province to have a minimum LEED Silver certification.

The standards underLEED which stands forLeadership in Energy and Environmental Designare administered by the Canada Green Building Council.

The council's local chapter would have been closely involved if the project managers intended to certify the stadiumto those standards.They were never consulted.

Green as long as it's free

Provincial bureaucrats met with the stadium's construction project manager early in the building phase to discuss LEED certification.

It wasn't built to a very high standard and,unfortunately, it's probably going to be a lesson learned.- DanMcInnis

Those discussions did not mean the stadium would meet the regulations. In fact, construction reports on the stadium build indicate an effort would be made to be greenas long as it didn't cost anything.

According to documents obtained by CBC News,the stadium project manager had at least two meetings with the province's Green Building Team.

On May 13,2011, the manager wrote, "It was agreed that any items that could reduce the carbon footprint of the stadium and its continued operations or reduce or recycle waste with no cost or no other impact would be implemented."

That disappoints DanMcInnis, executive director of the Canada Green Building Council's Manitoba chapter.

"Why the province and the city and football club decided to go the route it did you know,the chapter can't answer that,"McInnis said.

"At the end of the day, it wasn't built to a very high standard and,unfortunately, it's probably going to be a lesson learned."

LEED not just environmentally friendly

McInnis saidLEED certification typically costs about two per cent of a project'soverall budget, and the costisrecouped between two and seven years from project completion.

"The Winnipeg Football Club is now faced with a very large mortgage that it is required to pay back,and reduced operating costs would certainly help repay their debt," he said.

The provincial governmentprovided CBC News with an explanation of why the stadium did notneed to meet LEED certification: it granted the project "alternate compliance" through environmental measures that were taken.

An email from the province suggests that LEED certification was notapplicable in this case because of the design of the building.

"Evaluation of LEED standards for the new stadium was not applicable because of its specialized function as an open-air outdoor facility and seasonal use occupancies," the email states in part.

Provincial bureaucrats should have looked south of the border last month the NFL'sBaltimore Ravens and theirM&T BankStadium, an open-air facility,were granted LEED Gold certification.

Also in November,LEED Silver certification wasawardedto the Philadelphia Eagles and Lincoln Financial Field.

The Manitoba government'sreasons for offering "alternate compliance" to Investors Group Fielddid not explain why the stadium's administration buildingwas not required to meet LEED certification standards.

Standards meet 'spirit' of legislation

Ron Lemieux, the minister oftourism, culture, sport and consumer protection, saysthe environmental standards at Investors Group Field meet "the spirit" of the government's legislation.

He acknowledged the stadium's standards do not"totally meet LEED's."

"As a government,we have a lot of good environmental successes that we can point toand all of our initiatives that are headed in that direction,"Lemieuxsaid.

Lemieux was notaware that there are more than 30 stadiums across North America that have been certified LEED Silver or Gold.

The minister also saidhe has notheard of the stadium's LEED status being an issue.

"I haven't heard much about that, actually, from the public or anyone else saying, you know, 'It's not LEED-certified,'" Lemieux said.

"So somehow, that's a deterrent or takes away from the fact that you have a fantastic stadium."

As well, he defended the environmental status of the stadium,saying,"You've got low-flush toilets, all those things that a modern facility would have."