Welcome to the Green Roof of the Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative.

A green roof is an extension of the roof and includes a special water proof and root repellent membrane (the roof’s skin), a drainage system, soil and plants . Not only is it more visually appealing than a conventional roof, it also helps the environment in several ways.

A green roof cools the air on hot summer days and reduces energy consumption by cooling the building underneath it. The plants on a green roof contribute to better air quality by trapping particulate matter, and by converting carbon monoxide into oxygen.

It is an ambitious undertaking to build a green roof on a building the size of Hugh Garner Co-op — 22,000 square feet in total! And while it will save money in the long term, the initial cost will be considerably more than that of a standard roof.

The Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative, in partnership with the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto Charitable Fund (CHFT), has replaced the southern half of its conventional roof with a green roof. It is the largest and most innovative project of its kind in Ontario. CHFT is a non-profit organization that assists housing co-operatives and their residents. You can learn more about CHFT, green roofs in general and the Hugh Garner Green roof in particular, by clicking on the links above.

We are still collecting donations to finance the second half of the project. We plan to build a self-sustaining green roof on the northern half of our building. If you would like to see this project become a reality, you can help by clicking on the donate now button at the top of this page. It will take you to the CHFT page on the canadahelps.org website. Once you are there, please enter the amount you wish to donate, click on “Make donation” and then select 3-Green Roof Project in the Fund drop down menu.