Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do you provide Greener Homes retrofit grants, or deliver building energy deign consulting & certifications for ENERGY STAR, Net Zero, R-2000, LEED, Passive House, PHIUS Zero, Living Building Challenge, etc.? Do you sell or install energy efficiency products & technologies, or provide energy efficiency program development, delivery and management?

Not anymore! Please reach out to my close friends and allies at Homesol Building Solutions Inc. http://www.homesol.ca and CLEAResult / Ecofitt http://www.ecofitt.ca , they both have teams of full-time experts and they’ll be glad to help you. For other environmental and low income programs in the Ottawa area, contact our friends at Envirocentre http://www.envirocentre.ca

Do you do any carpentry, construction and renovations?

No, not anymore, although I’m still working on my own strawbale studio, main house, greenhouse, sugarshack and Celtic roundhouse. However, I can help you with design, selecting trades and materials, and part-time project management.

Are you Indigenous?

No. Like most early Quebec settlers there’s some Indigenous relatives in my family tree, but most of my ancestors are Scottish, Irish, French and Viking.

Why do you focus on Indigenous housing?

I live in rural Lanark Highlands on Algonquin and Anishinabek Treaty 27 Territory, I am grateful to be able to learn from this land and its people, and I acknowledge that over 400 years of racist “doctrine of discovery” colonialism, particularly since the beginning of Canada and the residential school system, was a form of genocide.

I believe we need to honour the original intent of the Treaties and Two Row Wampum to live alongside the original people of these lands in peace, equality and friendship. The work of Truth and Reconciliation includes resolving the housing crisis in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities and ensuring that Indigenous people have healthy, comfortable and affordable housing, so that’s where I focus my current efforts. Also, my granddaughter is more than half Indigenous.

Do you do any work in cities?

Not much anymore. Whitehorse is the largest city in Canada’s North with around 30,000 people, so that’s where I would draw the line.

How far will you travel for work?

Anywhere in Canada.