The employees and volunteers at Équiterre have been working in an unsuitable environment for several years. In 2002, Équiterre’s management decided to move its offices in order to be able to offer its artisans a healthy, accessible, safe and inspiring working space. Even before the vegetable-based ink confirming the decision had dried on the 100% recycled paper, Équiterre had already made a second major decision: it would turn its moving plans into an educational project. The seeds for the Centre for Sustainable Development had been sown. Then, as several groups signed on to the project, it began to take root and grow. From a simple need for new office spaces, the project metamorphosed into a “tool,” spearheaded by Équiterre, having several objectives:
- Maximize the potential of socially and environmentally minded organizations through the sharing of space and resources;
- Serve as a place for reflection, education, innovation and the meeting on sustainable development;
- Offer citizens, businesses and governments new educational tools on sustainable development;
- Offer a research tool for Canadian researchers interested in green buildings.
Today, the Centre for Sustainable Development is a non-profit organization that unites eight sustainable development leaders under the same roof. Its mission is to inspire everyone from property developers to the general public to embrace sustainability. Construction of the five-storey demonstration green building, which aspires to LEED Platinum certification, marks the culmination of years of effort on the part of its members, who will continue to share resources to increase their individual and collective impact.
