Nova Scotia Awards $100,000 to North Preston Day Care Centre for Energy Retrofit
The Government of Nova Scotia announced $100,000 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to help the North Preston Day Care Centre replace its oil-fired heating system with an energy-efficient electric heat pump.
On October 13, 2026, the Government of Nova Scotia announced $100,000 in funding from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund for the North Preston Day Care Centre. Twila Grosse, Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs and MLA for Preston, made the announcement on behalf of Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
The funding will be used to switch the centre from oil heat to an energy-efficient electric heat pump system. The facility, which has been operating for 54 years, is currently heated by an oil-fired boiler paired with baseboard radiators dating back to the 1970s. The retrofit aims to improve comfort and energy efficiency for the children at the daycare while strengthening a historic space in Canada's largest Black community.
The North Preston Medical Society received the funding. In 2025, the society previously received $75,000 from the Department’s Low Carbon Communities program to support design and planning, including the advancement of deep retrofit construction drawings.
In addition to the heating system replacement, the project includes planning for other potential upgrades. These could include solar panels, new insulation, windows, doors, and energy-efficient light fixtures.
The Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund was created in 2021 as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act to support climate action goals. Since its launch, the fund has announced about $16.6 million for projects helping Nova Scotians respond to climate change. The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities administers the fund on behalf of the government.