At its Toronto headquarters, Esri Canada Limited, Esri's international distributor in Canada, recently unveiled a new "green" roof expected to provide business and environmental benefits. The original paved terrace roof was transformed into an urban oasis that will help mitigate heat and provide additional habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. The outdoor space can now be used for formal office meetings, corporate events, and informal lunch breaks.

Esri Canada Limited's new green roof.

"We commend companies such as Esri Canada for their important contribution and continued focus on environmental sustainability," says City of Toronto mayor David Miller. "With the addition of this new green roof, we have taken another step in making Toronto a healthy and livable city."

The green roof will provide energy savings by reducing heating and cooling costs, as plant layers insulate the building and temper the air. Additionally, the green roof retains up to 75 percent of summertime precipitation and delays and filters storm water runoff, reducing sewer overflows.

Environmentally friendly materials were used in construction of the green roof. Roof modules were constructed with 100 percent recycled polypropylene. Module plants were obtained from local nurseries, and wood for benches used on site came from a managed forest.

"As a business leader, we are committed to operating in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner," says Alex Miller, president of Esri Canada. "Our new green roof, along with our other eco-efficiency initiatives, demonstrates our commitment to preserving and enhancing the environment to benefit society and our stakeholders."

The planning phase for the project began in 2007 and was implemented in conjunction with Crown Property Management. Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. provided design services for the project. Esri Canada qualified for a grant to cover partial costs of building the green roof under the 2009 Eco-Roof Incentive Program for Green Roofs in Toronto.

More Information

For more information, contact Joy Chan, Esri Canada Limited (e-mail: jchan@esricanada.com, Web: www.esricanada.com).