Furnace Upgrades – City of Beaumont

Overview

The Ken Nichol Regional Recreation Centre (KNRRC) is a cornerstone of community life in Beaumont, hosting hockey, curling, and countless local events. By 2025, the facility’s eight original furnaces were nearing the end of their service life, prompting the City of Beaumont to take action. With support from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre’s Community Energy Conservation Program, the City replaced the aging units with high-efficiency furnaces, improving comfort, reducing energy use, and cutting emissions.

Approach

The City secured $37,984 in MCCAC funding to help cover the $75,968 project cost. Eight high-efficiency furnaces were installed throughout the KNRRC, with work scheduled to minimize disruption to the Centre’s busy calendar. The project focused on maximizing long-term energy and cost savings while ensuring the facility remained welcoming and reliable for all users.

Results

The new furnaces are expected to save the City of Beaumont approximately $8,000 in energy costs each year, reducing natural gas consumption by 817 GJ annually and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 tonnes of CO₂. With a simple payback period of 4.7 years, these upgrades will help offset future operating and maintenance costs, supporting Beaumont’s environmental goals and keeping the KNRRC comfortable for years to come.

“The Ken Nichol Centre is part of everyday life in Beaumont. Whether it’s hockey games, curling or community events, people spend a lot of time here. It feels good to know these upgrades will keep the building comfortable and efficient for everyone who walks through the doors.”

Ryan Orlovsky, Manager of Utility and Facility Operations

“Energy efficiency projects like this one deliver real benefits for communities—lower costs, reduced emissions, and more comfortable spaces for people to gather. We’re proud to support municipalities like Beaumont with investments in community hubs that will serve residents for years to come.”

Trina Innes, Executive Director of the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre