Kanaka Bar: Resilient Housing Solutions Challenge
This challenge aimed to identify the latest methods and materials in building science and help prevent future vulnerability to extreme weather events such as heat waves and wildfires.
Challenge Launch: February 2022
Exploring Climate Resilient Housing in the Wake of a Natural Disaster
The Kanaka Bar Resilient Housing Solutions Challenge was initiated by the Kanaka Bar Indian Band and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in response to the devastating impacts of extreme weather events that destroyed much of Lytton and Kanaka Bar in June 2021.
The community embarked on a mission to rebuild homes that could withstand future climate-related challenges and find solutions to enhance resilience against events like heat waves and wildfires.
Learn more about this Challenge below.
Challenge Statement & Opportunity
The challenge focused on four categories of building solutions:
1
Envelope
Innovations in walls, roofs, cladding, insulation, and weather barriers.
2
Mechanical
Advancements in heating, cooling, ventilation, and water systems.
3
Electrical
Advancements in heating, cooling, ventilation, and water systems.
4
Other
Finishes, hardware, and components that improve building resilience.
Winning solutions were invited to participate in constructing four pilot housing structures, providing a unique opportunity to implement their technologies in real-world applications.
Solutions & Winners
After a rigorous evaluation process, the following companies and their solutions were selected to participate in the construction of four pilot houses at Kanaka Bar:
- FORM Innovations: insulated and strong polyurethane concrete form that is highly water and fire resistant
- Artspan: structural insulated steel panels that provide a durable building shell that is mold, fire, and rodent resistant
- ZS2 Technologies: prefabricated, structurally insulated panels that are low carbon and fire resistant
The Partners
Kanaka Bar Indian Band, also known as “T’eqt”aqtn’mux” or “the crossing place people,” is one of 15 Indigenous communities that make up the Nlaka’pamux Nation. For more than 7,000 years, Kanaka’s Traditional Territory sustained its people.
Committed to using its lands and resources to maintain a self-sufficient, sustainable, and vibrant community not just for today but for the environment and economy of tomorrow, Kanaka Bar has invested in community and climate resilience for years, including a variety of FireSmart initiatives.
In 2021, The Kanaka Bar Community Resilience Plan was voted “Top Project of the Year” by 130 sustainability leaders at the Clean50 Summit held in Toronto.
Established in 1916, SAIT was the first publicly funded technical school of its kind in North America. Today, SAIT is a global leader in applied education and research, serving more than 50,000 students annually.
Challenge Background & Considerations
The Kanaka Bar Resilient Housing Solutions Challenge was launched in response to the devastating impacts of extreme weather events on the Kanaka Bar Indian Band and surrounding communities. The challenge aimed to identify innovative building solutions that would enhance the resilience of homes against climate-related challenges such as wildfires, heat waves, and floods.
In June 2021, the town of Lytton and the surrounding areas, including Kanaka Bar, were severely affected by a fire fueled by an unusually long drought, high winds, and above-average temperatures. Following this disaster, the region experienced unprecedented flooding and extreme winter conditions, which highlighted the urgent need for resilient housing solutions.
The challenge sought to support the Kanaka Bar Indian Band’s vision of rebuilding in a way that would mitigate future risks and promote sustainable living.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: MAY 2022
Updates
June 2022: Next Steps
The results of the Challenge identified sustainable new build and retrofitting solutions to Canadian communities looking to make their homes more resilient to ever-increasing extreme weather events. However, a change in Band Council leadership shifted community priorities away from running the pilots as designed.
As of Spring 2023, Foresight and SAIT are exploring opportunities to understand community priorities and evolve a potential pilot that adds value to the community and the winning innovators.
May 2022: Winners Announced
FORM Innovations, Artspan, and ZS2 Technologies were names as the Challenge Winners.
February 2022: Challenge Launches
"Foresight is pleased to bring our proven, successful Innovation Challenges model to this critical effort.
We are excited to see how the winning solutions will be implemented in the rebuilding of these two communities, and hopefully implemented across Canada and the world in the years to come."
Our Partners
Find Market-Ready Innovation without the Risk
We connect industry with the world's best clean technologies. From agriculture to water to oil and gas, our Challenge program works to connect end-users with cleantech solutions to overcome sustainability and operational hurdles.