From our very first service at the present site on Christmas Eve, 1955, the members of All Saints Church have relied on oil-based heating to keep us warm. This all changed on Sunday, October 7, 2024, when after more than a year of planning, measuring, and meeting, our church service was heated with the support of a fully functional geothermal system.
This landmark project started in response to the mandate of Montreal Anglican Diocesan Synod to switch to renewable energy sources by 2030 as well as the restrictions of the Quebec government on residential buildings to install or repair oil furnaces.
The impact of this project is to decrease our carbon footprint as a meaningful contribution to the global movement against climate change as well as to significantly reduce our energy expenditure. The financial benefit will be the elimination of oil payments, one of our biggest expenses.
I am grateful that we received much support from our congregation, as we presented the various options like geothermal and heat pumps. It helped that we all knew how much money we spent on heating every year! Our discussions were very positive and questions were debated amicably with a spirit of getting something done that would provide for our needs well into the future.
In cooperation with the Diocesan Stewardship of the Environment Committee, we gathered information on our church’s heating needs and zero-emissions options. Volunteer engineers assessed the building layout to ensure that the church, hall, and Sunday school area would be well covered by the heating. One met me at church with a thermal camera before 5am one particularly frosty February morning, showing me where our insulation problem spots were.
Preparation for this project included obtaining the Diocese’s approval of our plan and means of financing. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that a geothermal system was not only the more energy-efficient option but also relatively affordable with the financial assistance through Hydro-Québec and the Quebec government. Additionally, we were grateful to receive a generous grant from the Anglican Foundation towards this project, further to the support of the Diocese.
We also held fundraisers for this project; at one such gathering, I was encouraged by the high level of interest from parishioners and guests about what a geothermal system was and why we made this choice. It was very uplifting to know that they considered they were part of an enduring addition to our church facilities.
We signed our agreement with Marmott Énergies on June 12, 2024, to install the geothermal system and remove our oil furnaces and tank. Installation entailed drilling two wells that are 113 m (370’) deep and 15 cm (6”) wide. These pipes are filled with an ethanol solution and form a loop, drawing the ground’s heat into an electricity-operated pumping station and circulating it through the church’s existing duct system. Installation also necessitated upgrading our electrical panel to accommodate the additional needs to operate the system. Marmott also undertook the responsibility to complete submissions for Hydro-Quebec’s Solutions efficaces and the provincial government’s ÉcoPerformance rebate programs.
The process took a total of six weeks and generally went smoothly; however, the amount of mud that came out of those holes was more than we could have imagined. Landscaping is definitely on our 2025 projects list!
I enthusiastically express my gratitude to Ron Bourque, Jerry East, and Kathleen Leeming for sharing the task of being on-site during the installation, and to our church’s neighbours for putting up with the heavy vehicles and machinery.
We are still learning about the full operation of the system and how we can maximize the efficiency and enjoyment of oil-free heating in the cold months and cooling during the summer. The geothermal system represents great comfort to our parishioners, our guests at ecumenical and community events, and our current and future renters.
