January 2014
| Business World Magazine | 31
rently in its fifth year – is part of an effort
to identify system water loss, help water
conservation efforts and optimize water
treatment plant operations. Both residents
and businesses are encouraged to install
a water meter, and those who do receive
quarterly reports that show their average
usage (daily and monthly) per person,
per household. What is truly remarkable,
though, is that Corner Brook not only initi-
ates forward-thinking policies such as the
ones above, but that the people and busi-
nesses of Corner Brook take to these ini-
tiatives with gusto. For example, in 2010
Corner Brook’s first community garden
took root as a strategy to raise awareness
for sustainable living. There were initial-
ly a modest 17 plots available for anyone
who wanted to grow their own organic
vegetables. Such was its success that the
following year the number of plots more
than doubled and a greenhouse was built
to extend the growing season.
The greatest testament to Corner
Brook’s dedication to sustainability is not
growing in a greenhouse, however. It is,
rather, standing monumental in the very
heart of the city. Corner Brook’s newly
built City Hall is the first commercial
building in Newfoundland & Labrador to
be LEED® Silver certified. LEED (Lead-
ership in Energy and Environmental De-
sign) is a rating system that is recognized
as the international mark of excellence for
green buildings, and Corner Brook vied
for such distinction from the first day of
construction. “We chose to set an example
