Earth Day reminds everyone that the choices made today determine the impact left tomorrow. At Qualico, that message resonates deeply. For nearly 75 years, we have been Helping Build Better Cities – shaping the places where people live, work, and connect. That legacy leaves a tangible footprint and with it the responsibility to build with care and intention.

Building sustainably is a cornerstone of our corporate responsibility, with environmental stewardship embedded in our operations, values, and day-to-day decisions. Sustainability is more than a core value – to us, it is a serious commitment.

That commitment can be seen company-wide – from LEED® certified office buildings and composting programs to long-term conservation support, procurement practices, waste management strategies, and leading-edge building processes.

In 2025, the Corporate Winnipeg office increased its composting efforts, diverting more than 80 kilograms of organic materials monthly out of waste bins and turning it into nutrient-rich soil.

Earth Day reinforces why this work matters and why we continue to push innovation in the pursuit of more sustainable communities.

Innovation in action

The National Building Code of Canada 2020 is targeting all new homes to be Net Zero Ready by 2030. A Net Zero Home produces as much energy as it consumes through on-site renewable systems, whereas a Net Zero Ready home is built to the same high-efficiency standards and is prepared for future renewable energy installation.

StreetSide BC is making significant strides in sustainable living with the construction of 18 Net Zero townhomes in Langley BC. These homes have reached Step 5, the highest level of energy performance, under the Provincial Energy Step Code, and have also achieved Step 4, the highest level under the Province’s Carbon Code. Furthermore, they are registered and certified as Net Zero Ready under the CHBA rating system.

StreetSide BC’s Cascadia community is the first with Net Zero ready townhomes south of the Fraser River.

In our single-family vertical, we are proudly contributing to this target. To date we have delivered four CHBA Qualified Net Zero homes, and seven Net Zero Ready homes across Western Canada, with two more Net Zero homes scheduled for completion this year.

Sterling Homes Calgary’s first Net Zero home was recognized at the BILD Alberta Awards for its design and environmental leadership.

By staying ahead of the evolving regulations and exceeding expectations, we continue to lead in a marketplace increasingly shaped by customer demand for affordability and environmental responsibility.

In British Columbia, Foxridge Homes achieved the highest level of energy performance under the province’s Energy Step Code, exceeding requirements by 80 per cent with its duplex build.

In Manitoba, several StreetSide projects have earned the Certified Energy Efficient designation from Efficiency Manitoba, recognizing homes with energy performance at least 10 per cent above code.

For us, sustainability isn’t about checking a box. It’s about building high-quality, environmentally responsible homes. That goal drives us to innovate beyond traditional methods to meet customers’ needs and values, while keeping affordability in mind.

In Edmonton, the Qualico Communities team unveiled HomeOne, the first hydrogen-heated home model in North America, marking a bold step toward a low-carbon future. The showhome demonstrates the potential of hydrogen as a safe, environmentally friendly energy source. The home serves as a model of the homes planned for Qualico’s 100 per cent hydrogen-heated community in Bremner (pending final approval from the government of Alberta).

Sterling Homes Edmonton is pioneering a new R&D home to test next generation building envelope technologies which may further enhance energy performance.

Restoration and Conservation

Qualico understands that communities are living ecosystems. That is why restoration and conservation are central to our approach to community planning. For over 13 years, we have proudly supported the Nature Conservancy of Canada, contributing to the protection of ecologically significant lands.

Within our communities, Qualico designs neighbourhoods that work in harmony with the natural environment – using native plants and grasses to create natural habitats, support pollinators, and reduce the need for irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides. Communities feature naturalized wetlands, dry ponds, and bio-retention systems – all aimed at water management and protection.

These thoughtful design choices help ensure a greener, healthier space for homeowners today and for generations to come.

Qualico Communities Calgary’s Tree Program provides a $500 tree planting voucher to select suppliers for all single-family homes in Calgary to encourage the creation of beautiful, green communities rooted in sustainability. Since 2006, more than 6,500 trees have been planted through the program.

Sustainable Materials and Smarter Building

Building sustainably isn’t just about what is built – but how it is built. Through our Building Materials and Services vertical, we are advancing waste management and circular practices across our supply chain. By reducing on-site waste, reusing materials, and integrating technology, we are creating a more sustainable construction process from the ground up.

In Winnipeg, Building Products and Concrete Supply is piloting the use of a new low-carbon cement that reduces greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining performance. The team has also expanded its use of recycled aggregates by processing returned concrete and reintroducing it into production.

Qualico’s leading materials supplier, Star Building Materials, continues to invest in its all-encompassing approach to sustainability through new and upgraded processing facilities in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg that include leading-edge precision cutting technologies, processes and programs that dramatically reduce landfill waste.

In 2022, The Floor Show Winnipeg became the first Canadian partner of Tarkett’s Premiere Flooring Recycling Program. Last year, they recycled over 26,000 pounds of commercial flooring from the Winnipeg Airport, Morden School and Bethesda Hospital projects.

Finding new ways, every day

While the examples highlight key initiatives, they reflect just a portion of our ongoing work. Every project we undertake is thoughtfully designed with both the environment and the families who call our communities home in mind.

Through the company, we continue to explore new ideas to build smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable homes to deliver long-term value to homeowners, our cities and towns, and the environment.

As Earth Day calls us to reflect on how we care for the environment, it also reaffirms our commitment to continuous progress – because Helping Build Better Cities for tomorrow starts with how we build today.