$50,000 greener: Airdrie family’s sustainable efforts pay off

Airdrie resident Samantha Shannon and her family are the winners in a nationwide sustainability challenge - The Live Net Zero competition. As the winners, the family will take home the coveted $50,000 cash prize for their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and embracing sustainable living practices.

The news of the family winning was a shock to Shannon. Previously, she told DiscoverAirdrie that she thought all the families who had participated across Canada had done a phenomenal job and that competition was fierce. 

"The morning that we were going to have the call with Canadian Geographic, my husband was asking if I was ready; I thought it was going to be a five-minute call and they'd say thanks for participating but we've picked someone else and then I could go back to folding laundry," Shannon said jokingly. "There was a moment of shock. It's taken a couple of days to sink in, but it's exciting."

They accepted the award from the Honourary President of Canadian Geographic, the Hon. Lois Mitchell at a ceremony outside their home in Airdrie. 

Airdrie resident Samantha Shannon and her family have been announced as the winners in a nationwide sustainability challenge - The Live Net Zero competition.  (Photo provided by Memories 2 Memory)

Samantha and her husband Kevin, along with their three young children embarked on the competition which saw several other families across Canada go head-to-head in various challenges last year. Challenges included a heating and cooling challenge, an electricity challenge, and the culmination challenge during the holiday season. 

"[The cash prize] is a very large prize and [we're] very, very thankful for it. I do feel like it's a validation. The very first thing that I have already bought with the money is replacing our drafty original front door with a more energy-efficient front door," she said. "We're not just preaching to the choir for the sake of the competition. This is genuinely what we would have done anyway."

The family made several major changes to their home during the eight-month competition including:

• Installing a geothermal heating system in their home
• Installing solar panels on their roof
• Replacing their garage/workshop’s natural gas furnace with a heat pump which will allow them to disconnect from the natural gas grid

She said that the family was already planning on many of the renovations before the competition, and she stumbled upon the Live Net Zero challenge when she was researching grants. 

"I had already learned so much by working with all these people in the sustainable house movement community and I thought we have a really interesting opportunity here to show Canada on a national scale, how to do all of these things. But we're coming at this as homeowners and consumers - we're not trying to sell you anything. We just think this is a neat thing and maybe you find it neat, too." 

Airdrie resident Samantha Shannon and her family have been announced as the winners in a nationwide sustainability challenge - The Live Net Zero competition.  (Photo provided by Memories 2 Memory)

Other major lifestyle changes included working remotely to eliminate their daily commute as much as possible, and purchasing an e-bike and trailer that Samantha uses for most errands and to transport their kids.

"We were very impressed by what the eight families did across the country, and we are proud that our house will be used as a case study by the building services industry on how to reduce carbon emissions in the homes of all Canadians," Shannon added.

However, Shannon said that throughout this competition and in their daily lives, they aren't necessarily trying to radically change their behaviours. Instead, she said, they are utilizing the technology and the grants available to them to make their lives more sustainable.

"We've used smart technology. Our thermostat automatically lowers when my phone leaves the house. The Christmas lights on the outside of our house - they're on timers, they turn off, so we're not lighting up the neighbourhood at two o'clock in the morning when no one sees it anyways."

She also underlined that the challenge wasn't meant to be a one-size-fits-all competition, adding that what works for her, and her family may be different than what someone in a more rural setting may do to make their house more energy efficient. However, while it has only been eight months into their greener existence, the Shannons say they are seeing a reduction in their energy bills at home.

"The numbers so far - we have been through the first winter and not one of our bills has been higher than the previous five years that we owned the house. We're living proof that you can do this; it can be cheaper."

She said that the family will continue to crunch the numbers over the coming year, and both she and her husband are hopeful and excited about the bottom line – something her friends and neighbours are keen to know as well. Shannon said that the family used the equity in their home to pay for the renovations, underscoring that the idea of completely remodelling a house from top to bottom all in one go for energy efficiency and a lower carbon footprint is an outdated idea.

"It wasn't like we were saving our nickels and dimes for years to pay for this. There's also been many grants; so, adding all of those things in is affordable and it does not have to be done all at once."

Aran O’Carroll, National Director of Government Relations and Environment of Canadian Geographic was also elated at the Airdrie family winning. 

"We are thrilled that the Shannon family has won Live Net Zero, their dedication and perseverance set a remarkable example for all Canadians," O’Carroll said. "Their outstanding efforts demonstrate the profound impact that individual actions can have on our collective journey towards a greener, more sustainable future."

The Shannon family was the only family from Alberta to participate in the challenge. Other contenders include families from Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick.

The Live Net Zero is an initiative by Canadian Geographic, which is meant to empower Canadian families to reduce their carbon footprint and embrace sustainable living practices.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM

DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app. For breaking news, weather and contest alerts click here.