Shovels hit the ground Friday for Écoparc Châteauguay 30, a collaboration between Montoni Group, Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ (Fonds FTQ) and Montez Corporation on a sustainable industrial building near Montreal.

Planned to feature a solar roof consisting of almost 200 solar panels, a Montoni release says Écoparc Châteauguay 30 will target a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by over 60 per cent compared to a typical industrial building, alongside a 50 per cent cut to energy costs and water consumption.

The companies have set LEED Gold for the building’s core and shell and Zero-Carbon Building – Design certifications by the Canada Green Building Council as targets.

Valued at $95 million, the industrial asset will be approximately 450,000 square feet, divided into five industrial-purpose units. It will be along Hwy. 30, 25 minutes from the Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, the release says.

Delivery is set for summer 2025.

"Écoparc Châteauguay 30 is yet another project in our expanding portfolio of real estate developments strategically positioned across Québec as part of the supply-chain sector,” Dario Montoni, president of Montoni Group, said in the release.

How the companies involved are taking on sustainability

Each of the companies involved in Écoparc Châteauguay 30 have environmental strategies and initiatives of their own.

Laval-based Montoni, a developer, builder and manager, has finished over 5.2 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and is targeting the green building certification for almost seven million square feet, according to its release. It is working to certify approximately 4.5 million square feet of buildings under the Zero-Carbon Building standard.

La Presse reports Montoni has a 2040 carbon neutrality target, which will require spending over $30 million in the next 15 years.

It claims to be the first company to build a LEED Gold-certified commercial building in Canada, and is on track to meeting its goal of cutting its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, according to its website.

Montoni's projects include an almost-300,000-square-foot industrial building in Centre Corporatif Laval targeting Zero-Carbon Building and LEED Silver certifications, and Écoparc in Saint-Bruno, Que. designed to meet LEED Gold and Zero-Carbon Building certifications.

Montreal-based investing company Fonds FTQ held “44 projects with a combined value of $5.7 billion in development or construction, 80 portfolio properties under management comprising 5,096 residential rental units, five million square feet of industrial land for development” as of Dec. 31, 2023.

Its 2023 operations and sustainability report shows the company had reduced its carbon intensity to 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per million dollars invested (tCO2e/$M) as of May 31, 2023, a 44 per cent cut from the year prior at 38 tCO2e/$M.

One of its sustainable investments include $100 million toward acquiring three companies involved in biomethanization and renewable natural gas. 

Real estate investment manager Montez, based in Toronto, has a portfolio of over 25 million square feet valued at more than $7 billion.

According to its 2022 ESG report (its most recent), 45 per cent of its portfolio was certified by BOMA BEST and 10 per cent under LEED.

Energy efficiency measures are present in 76 per cent of its portfolio by square feet. Waste saving actions have been implemented in 81 per cent of its portfolio by square feet, and water efficiency measures at 45 per cent of its portfolio by square feet.