Bridgewater Transit
Energize Bridgewater
eServices Account Login and eBilling 
Clean Energy Financing Program
Downtown & Waterfront Master Plan 
Bridgewater Active Transportation 
Community Organizations Directory 
Bridgewater Fire Department
Discover Bridgewater's Built Heritage 
DesBrisay Museum Town of Bridgewater wins national award for programs to cut emissions, reduce energy poverty
Issued: JANUARY 27, 2025
BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA -- The Town of Bridgewater in southwest Nova Scotia has received a prestigious 2024 Sustainable Communities Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Bridgewater is one of nine winning municipalities from across Canada, and the only one from Atlantic Canada, the FCM announced on January 27.
This award recognizes ongoing work by Energize Bridgewater, an initiative of the Town of Bridgewater that works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address energy affordability in rural communities.
Held since 2001, the Sustainable Communities Awards celebrate the most innovative and sustainable projects by Canadian communities of all sizes. Energize Bridgewater won in the climate change mitigation category. This award "recognizes municipal initiatives that drive deep reductions in community greenhouse gas emissions," according to the FCM.
"We are proud of this made-in-Nova Scotia approach to the urgent problem of climate change," says Bridgewater's Mayor David Mitchell. "Our small town is showing how Canada can transition from fossil fuels in ways that respect all members of society, including the most vulnerable."
Energize Bridgewater's approach centers on "energy poverty" as a key part of climate change mitigation. Energy poverty exists when households cannot afford to maintain healthy indoor temperatures or access energy-saving upgrades and renovations. A common measure of energy poverty is when a household spends more than 6 percent of its income on energy for the home.
"Approximately 38 percent of Bridgewater's households were living in energy poverty in 2022," explains Energize Bridgewater Director, Jessica McDonald. "This shocking number shows that energy poverty and climate change are inextricably linked."
Energize Bridgewater aims to reduce the community's energy poverty rate by 20 percent by 2026 using three core innovations:
- Coordinated access is a central intake or "front door" to assist residents experiencing housing insecurity. The program provides housing placement, help with energy bill arrears, and other services. To date, 686 households have used these services.
- Streamlined home energy upgrades means a single access point for all provincial and federal energy upgrade incentives. To date, 182 Bridgewater households have upgrades completed or in progress. Those with completed upgrades save over $600 per year on average.
- Real-time energy information allows residents to track household energy use alongside indoor/outdoor air quality and temperature. Developed in Bridgewater and currently in the pilot stage, this new technology helps residents make better decisions about energy use and upgrade options.
Key to all three innovations is a Program Navigator who provides confidential, in-person, trauma-informed support for residents at all stages of Energize Bridgewater programs.
Winners of the Sustainable Communities Awards will attend the awards ceremony at the FCM conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick, from February 10-13, 2025.
Media Contact: Patrick Hirtle, Manager of Community Attraction & Communications:
Email:
Phone: 902-930-1382
Community Background: With a population of approximately 9,000, Bridgewater is the largest town in Nova Scotia's South Shore region. Bridgewater has pledged to become a net zero community (zero carbon emissions) by 2050. In 2019, the Town won the $5 million Smart Cities Challenge for their proposal to reduce energy poverty.
For more information on Energize Bridgewater, visit https://www.energizebridgewater.ca/.
For more information on this award, see the FCM Media Release and Backgrounder:
