Toronto Community Housing named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers 2025

Since 2007, the Canada’s Greenest Employers competition has recognized employers with unique environmental initiatives that reduce their environmental footprint. This is the second consecutive year that TCHC has been selected as a winner. 

Run by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the competition spotlights organizations with Earth-friendly programs and policies that actively involve their employees. This award reflects TCHC’s efforts, driven by our staff, to prioritize environmental sustainability and protect our planet for future generations.  

TCHC established its formal green strategy in 2009 and built a dedicated Conservation team in Spring 2020 to help TCHC meet conservation targets and develop strategies to be implemented across the organization. 

Since then, the Conservation team has led sustainability efforts across TCHC communities with tenants and staff. These initiatives include waste reduction and recycling programs for staff and tenants, educating tenants on in-suite electricity and thermostat use, raising awareness through dedicated bulletin boards and face-to-face engagement, and much more.  

TCHC also offers opportunities for tenants to get involved in tree planting and reduce-and-reuse programs through partnerships with community organizations like LEAF and Scarborough Cycles.   

Coupled with these initiatives, internal efforts like TCHC’s Green Office program, Green Procurement guide, and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) staff training program aim to equip staff to make greener choices and improve the efficiency of TCHC buildings. TCHC has also invested in environmentally sustainable building equipment like heat pumps, green roofs, rainwater collection systems, and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. 

Ultimately, these initiatives will help TCHC meet its commitment to reduce energy consumption by 25 per cent by 2028. We’re pleased to already see the positive impact of these programs and policies, including: 

• Building Utility Reports (BUR) were produced for 172 high-rise buildings to provide clear insights into utility performance across TCHC communities.  

• A total of 26,648 tenants took part in various initiatives including Earth Day cleanups, thermostat education, and energy and water conservation workshops.  

• The Regent Park Conservation Project reached 76 per cent of units through door-to-door outreach.  

• Over 4,700 waste kits were distributed through door-to-door outreach.  

• The Smart Compaction Program saved $267,000 and reduced waste pickups by 2,853.  

• 30 per cent of high-consuming energy buildings and 70 per cent of high-consuming water buildings were removed from the ‘high consuming list’ through the Building Utility Report program.   

• Trained over 170 site staff in our HVAC and Comfort program, and more than 220 staff attended Building Automation Systems (BAS) Roadshow. 

Visit the Conservation page to learn more about the team and its initiatives. 

To read more about why TCHC was named a winner this year, visit Canada’s Top 100 Employers website. 

Quotes 

“As the President and CEO of TCHC, I am very impressed by the passion this organization shows for conservation, and this recognition underlines that. As Canada’s largest social-housing provider, and one of Toronto’s largest employers, our commitment to the environment and sustainability impacts over 90,000 people who work or live in our communities. Climate action needs to be a part of our planning going forward and this award is a testament to the dedication of our Conservation team, and the collective effort of every staff member who prioritizes sustainability in their daily work.” 

- Sean Baird President and CEO, Toronto Community Housing  

“Being named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers is a significant milestone for TCHC and I couldn’t be prouder of our Conservation team, and all TCHC employees that play a role in our conservation efforts. From waste reduction programs and educational campaigns to investments into green developments, our commitment to sustainability is evident in every aspect of our operations. We’re proud of our achievements thus far and the team will be continuing this important work in the communities we serve.”  

- Daisy Wong, Vice President (acting), Facilities Management, Toronto Community Housing