Environmental Footprint

All housing on Galiano, established or new, is located within BC’s Coastal Douglas Fir Zone. We care deeply about our natural environment and will work diligently to minimize disruption to flora and fauna. The proposed site within the Community Forest was chosen in order to balance, as best as possible, ecological needs and our social needs.

We will strive to create the lowest possible ecological footprint and will be seeking funding in the form of grants and donations towards this end.

Density

Building higher density housing is one of the best ways to lower the ecological footprint necessary to build new homes. Clustered homes mean that the area required for building is substantially smaller, per resident, than it is for single family homes, leading to less forest fragmentation.

By building two 6-plexes, we are eliminating 20 exterior walls that would be necessary to house the same number of households in single family dwellings. This will require less material for construction and use less energy for heating.

Additionally, residents living in closer proximity to each other provides more opportunities for carpooling and the sharing of trips and errands.

Additional Eco Measures

Approval and funding are being sought so that we can build as sustainably as possible. Options being planned or considered are:

• Water saving devices (low flush toilets, shower heads that use less water)
• Hot water on demand units which use less energy than hot water tanks
• Sustainable materials and methods in the building process
• Energy star products (windows, doors, appliances)
• Wiring for solar power (for connection at a later date, if not feasible right away)
• Infrastructure to support electric vehicles
• Exploring car share options
• Shared electric bikes