if you build it, they will come! - meloche windows and...

“As an organization, Windsor FamilyCredit Union (wfcu.ca) is committed toinvestigating and implementing ‘Green’initiatives,” explains Martin J. Komsa,WFCU President & Chief ExecutiveOfficer. “Features like the ‘Green Home’at the Windsor Home and Leisure Showare the resources needed to assist indemonstrating how businesses andindividuals can do their part.”

By making it possible for this home toappear at the show, WFCU is not onlyhelping the environment, but also makingthe world aware of Windsor’s drive tobetter the earth.

“Never before, outside of a Torontoshow, has there ever been a home builtwithin a show,” explains Stuart Gallowayof Galloway Show Productions, theWHLS Producer and Manager. “This saysa lot about the character of this area asmany local company owners workedtogether to build this home, in whatseemed like an impossible task at itsinception.”

space but also reduces damage to theearth. While this innovative concept mayseem unreachable in the industrializedworld, Windsorites need look no furtherthan the 27th Annual Windsor Homeand Leisure Show (WHLS) for a chanceto tour a Green Home. The showoperates from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday,April 24; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday,April 25 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on SundayApril 26 at the Windsor Expo Centre.(Admission is $5 for those 16 years andabove, children are free to attend, moredetails at windsorhomeshow.com).

Produced by Galloway ShowProductions Inc. (GSP, www.exposition.com) and sponsored byRE/MAX Preferred Realty for the thirdstraight year, the WHLS includes almost200 companies to source out a plethoraof home related needs, from inside tooutside, from products to services.

Making its official debut at the show isa Green Home presented by WindsorFamily Credit Union (WFCU).

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The men and women responsible for building the Green Home at the home show are pictured after a planning meeting. Front row from left: Rose Gneo,Marquis Fireplaces; Kyle Gregoire, LapicoGreen; Elise Clark, Meloche Windows; Bernie Gneo, Marquis Tile; Timothy O'Neill, O'Neill, Harrington Interiorsand Vern Myslichuk, BetterMade Cabinets. Back row from left; Dave Cartier, APW Electronics; Michael Matte, Granite Design Works; Allan LaMarre,Bay-View Glass & Mirror Limited; Paul St. Pierre, Landscape Effects Group; Rod Mahler, Meloche Windows & Doors; Stuart Galloway, Galloway ShowProductions and Kriston Gene, Tsunami Glassworks. Missing from photo: Eva Milinkovic, Tsunami Glassworks; Stephanie Harrington-O'Neill; KathyWeidl, Details and Kurt Sutts of Veteran Plumbing. Carhartt overalls supplied by Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Tecumseh Mall. Photo by Rod Denis.

If You Build It, They Will Come!Tour a green home at the home show

On April 22, many countries around theworld take part in environmentally friendlyactivities in celebration of Earth Day.Although we can all make a difference byturning off taps and dimming the lights toconserve the earth’s resources, did you knowthat we can also use natural elements to ouradvantage while simultaneously contribut-ing to a healthier planet starting with thehomes in which we live?

Imagine an energy efficient home thatnot only promotes a comfortable living

Cover Story By Marissa Reaume

APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM 8

Galloway reveals thatin its finished form, thethree-storey GreenHome presented byWFCU, will be 80%more energy efficientthan a house built tominimum code and70% more efficient thana home built to EnergyStar standards.

“The Green Homewill be 30' high, 42'frontage with 20' sidewalls and 1,000 sq. ft. ofthe home will becompleted finished,” saysGalloway. “The house willmore than likely be storedwithin the building after

the show.”While the home’s interior and exterior

will be amazing sights for visitors to see,the Green Home has another outstandingattention getter: Mike Holmes,“Canada's Most Trusted Contractor” andHost of HGTV's “Holmes on Homes”,

in person, chatting in thebackyard. (See accompany-ing sidebar on page 28 forinformation on Holmes andwhat he discusses in twoperformances at the WHLS).

“Such exciting starpower from the renovationindustry is a first forWindsor,” Galloway says.

The Green HomeTeam

The Green Hometeam was created whenElise Clark, President andOwner of MelocheWindows & Doorsproposed her idea tocreate an energy efficienthome at the WHLS toother Windsorcompanies.

“We all agreed to cometogether and explore thisidea further,” says Clark.As a result of her innovative idea, 13Windsor companies, plus Galloway ShowProductions, joined incollaboration to formWindsor’s Green HomeTeam.

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Mike Holmes, the Host/Creator of “Holmes On

Homes” attends this year’s Windsor Home and

Leisure Show. The back of the Green Home is the

stage for his seminars.

B I Z X M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 0 9

e!w

The project is acollaborative effort bylocal businesses whichtakes four weeks tobuild. The structureand exterior have beenengineered by LapicoHomes (a division ofLapicoGreen) and theinterior designed byO’Neill-Harrington.The home will befinished inside andout by MelocheWindows & Doors,B e t t e r M a d eCabinets, MarquisTile, MarquisFireplaces, VeteranP l u m b i n g ,Landscape Effects Group, Bay-View Glass& Mirror, APW Electronics, TsunamiGlassworks, Granite Design Works andDetails.

“These reputable contractors areputting the very best in energy efficientproducts and design into the finalproduct,” explains Galloway.

Martin J. Komsa, WFCUPresident & Chief ExecutiveOfficer is proud to sponsor theGreen Home built in only four weeks.

APRIL 2009_final 3/29/09 12:19 PM Page 19

B I Z X M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 0 9 2 3

The Earth FriendlyFoundation

LapicoGreen (www.lapicogreen.com),a division of Lapico Custom Homes(LCH, www.lapicohomes.com) 2865Normandy Street in LaSalle, gives theGreen Home its structure.

LCH, founded in 1969, buildsresource-responsible homes, focusing onthe entire building system to maximizeenergy and materials conservationwithout sacrificing lifestyle or design.

According to Kyle Gregoire,LapicoGreen’s Engineer and Designer, thecompany is contributing to the GreenHome project by “building the house’sfaçade, as well as demonstrating a revolutionary construction technology,Passive House technology, that is 80 to90% more energy efficient than currentconstruction. Additionally, we willhighlight some of the complementarysystems we can incorporate into a GreenHome, such as grey water recycling,micro-wind generation, and solar thermalwater heating.”

Just as the Green Home is a new andinnovative idea, LapicoGreen is as well.Gregoire explains that “with the launch ofLapicoGreen as a new division of LCH, »

Gregoire feels that the Green Homeproject is a large step for Windsor inlearning to make Green choices.

“The Green Home Project is this area’sfirst opportunity to see what choices areavailable locally and a great demonstrationof how we can merge science and estheticsseamlessly,” he says. “I think people wantto make the best choices for our planetand for our children’s world – and we atLapicoGreen want to be able to help themmake those decisions and make sure theymake sense for their budget and for theirconscience.”

To learn even more about Green Homes

the timing to showcaseour integrated designphilosophy in the homeand introduce PassiveHouse technology toEssex County couldn’thave been better.”

Although theenvironment canbenefit from Greenchoices, Lapico revealsthat education isnecessary for us todecide which choicesare right for us.

“Choosing to build responsibly,integrating conservation technology, andminimizing our need for fossil fuels is anecessity for modern home building, butit can also be intimidating forcustomers,” admits Gregoire. “There area lot of Green washing and mixedmessages in the market place. In fact,some choices can even contradict oneanother on the surface, so having aneducated builder that can help sortthrough all of the choices and then putthe puzzle pieces together into abeautiful, well-built home, is a bigadvantage.”

Local contractors are putting the very best in energy efficient products and design into the finalthree-storey Green Home.


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Windows, OHI’s client of over 15 years,invited them to participate.

OHI is a perfect candidate for theGreen Home Team because it has been ahumble proponent for L.E.E.D.(Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign) for sometime now.

“Energy savings for one’s home is notonly good for the pocket book, it's goodfor the community and thus the planet,”reveals Stephanie and Timothy. “Webelieve in high design and low impact.Everyone involved in this task wanted toshow their best at being ‘Green Friendly’.”

Details, 1475 Tecumseh Road East inWindsor, adds the finishing touches to theinterior of Green Home.

As a company which specializes inwindow treatments, upholstery, andbeddings, Details is in charge of dressingthe home's windows.

The Healthy Planet DetailsIns & Outs

Responsible for the home’s entrancesand exits is Meloche Windows & Doors(www.melochewindows.com). The 52year-old company, located at 6144Morton Industrial Parkway in Windsor,specializes in the manufacturing,

in general and the construction ofthem, be sure to attend a presenta-tion on Saturday April 25 at WHLSwhen Gregoire discusses building aGreen Home and some of theproducts and systems available toincorporate. Gregoire will also usethe back of the Green Home as astage for his presentation.

The Green InteriorO’Neill-Harrington Interiors

(OHI, oneillharrington.com),12545 Riverside Dr. East inWindsor, is in charge of the GreenHome’s interior design. Inbusiness for 24 years, OHI isknown for its professional residen-tial and commercial interiordesign. For this reason, thecompany is making all decisionsinvolving layouts, surfaceselections, colour schemes andcoordination of the inside of theGreen Home.

Stephanie Harrington-O’Neill,President and Timothy O’Neill,Vice President of OHI explainthat their company entered thisproject when Meloche

The team at O'Neill-Harrington Interiors from left are

Ada Ng, B.F.A.; Stephanie Harrington-O'Neill,

A.R.I.D.O. (Association of Registered Interior Designers

of Ontario) and Timothy O'Neill, B. Sc. & A.R.I.D.O.

The trio go over the “Green” materials used for the

display model home. Photo by Rod Denis.


B I Z X M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 0 9 2 5

something uplifting, something that willsave dollars. We are hoping this event andthe Green Home can do this.”

This year’s WHLS is the 20th homeshow that Meloche Windows has participated in.

Walkways & WarmthSister companies, Marquis Tile

(www.marquistile.com) and MarquisFireplaces (www.marquisfireplaces.com),both located at 1825 Manning Road inWindsor, are supplying the Green Homewith flooring and heat.

Established in 1996, Marquis Tile is thelargest retailer of surface products forwalls, floors, countertops, indoor andoutdoor products. Opening two yearslater in 1998, Marquis Fireplaces retailshearth products such as gas, wood, pellet,bio-fuel and electric fireplaces, as well asdecorative home accessories. Bothcompanies offer products, installation andservice.

Bernie Gneo, President of Marquis Tileand Rose Gneo, President of MarquisFireplaces, explain that their efforts in theGreen Home project are earth friendly astheir companies are contributingrenewable products such as Teragreen

Founder Bob Meloche (father of current President and Owner, Elise Clark) of Meloche Windows& Doors, a family owned and operated business established in 1957. Photo by Rod Denis.

installation and service of windows anddoors and is producing and installing allwindows and doors in the Green Home.

As the company who coined the GreenHome idea, Meloche Windows recognizes

the fact that changes need to be made inWindsor during tough economic times.

“Windsor has the highest unemploy-ment rate in Canada,” says Rod Mahler,General Manager of Meloche Windows.“We want to introduce citizens to

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B I Z X M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 0 92 6

bamboo flooring and glass tile, and electricfireplaces to the home. “All productsfeatured are environmentally conscious,practicing for cleaner air and minimumcarbon offsets,” assures the couple.

In addition to promoting ahealthy earth throughtheir participation inthe Green Homeconstruction, these twocompanies do what theycan for the environmenton a daily basis.

“We practice what wepreach,” assert Bernieand Rose. “We are veryconscious in our ownstores. We recycle and reuse. We promoteproducts that areefficient, conscious andsocially responsible.”

Concern for theircommunity and the earthare reasons why these twocompanies decided to takepart in this project.

According to thehusband and wife team,“Our goal is to make apositive impact byeducating consumers on products that areenvironmentally smart and promotehealthier living, not only for the individ-ual consumer, but for the environment.”

An Earthy KitchenThe task of creating an environmental-

ly friendly kitchen goes to BetterMadeCabinets (BMC, www.bettermadecabi-nets.com), 1428 Argyle Road in Windsor,which has been known for designing,manufacturing, and installing kitchens,vanities and wall units for over 20 years.

Owner Vern Myslichuk reveals that hiscompany will, “Design and showcase a

‘Green’ kitchen using the four ‘Rs’ inGreen design: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,and Rethink.”

Myslichuk explains why being aware ofthe environment is a priority for BMC:

“We want our clients to know we areenvironmentally conscious whendesigning their projects. Because we useCNC technology, we optimize thematerial used to manufacture yourproject, therefore there is no waste.”

In addition to utilizing earth friendlypractices, Myslichuk also reveals thatproducts the company uses are environmentally considerate.

“Finishes are water based or of lowVOC (Volatile Organic Compounds),”he says. “Sheet goods, along with havinglow VOC, are also comprised of woodparticles, therefore reducing waste in ourlandfills. We also suggest LED lighting

which consumes very little energy.BetterMade Cabinets designs projects thatare efficient and functional, whileachieving your Old World or

Contemporary design.”When asked why his

company chose to partici-pate in the Green Homeproject, Myslichuk says,“Everyone is becomingmore and more ‘Green’and we at BetterMadeCabinets are no different.BetterMade Cabinetswants a world that ourchildren and children’schildren can grow up inand enjoy all that thisworld has to offer.”Also involved in the

construction of thehome’s kitchen isGranite Design Works(GDW, www.granit-edesignworks.com), afive year-old customfabricator of naturalstone kitchen and bathdesigns, located at

1260 Crawford Avenue inWindsor. GDW is constructing andinstalling a granite countertop for theGreen kitchen.

President Michael Matte explains hiscompany and its products by saying, “Iam the preferred granite fabricator inWindsor; Natural stone is the mostdesired countertop surface because of itsnatural beauty, timeless appearance andvalue retention.”

When selecting the type of materials touse for the Green kitchen’s countertop,GDW kept the environment in mind.

“Granite is not a trendy item, it is alasting purchase, saving our landfills fromwaste,” reveals Matte. “Granite is not

BetterMade Cabinets hopes to make a “better” world for future generations. Owner

Vern Myslichuk is doing his part as these custom cabinets are made

with low VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials and water based finishes.

Photo by Rod Denis.


fashioned out of toxic polymers and glueslike engineered quartz stone; It is theoldest building material known tocivilized man.”

Green GlassYou can even help save the planet in

your home’s shower and glass designs!Responsible for this facet of the project forthe Green Home is Bay-View Glass &Mirror Ltd, www.bayviewglass.com,1455 Matthew Brady Blvd. in Windsor,which is installing the home’s backpainted glass and an all-glass shower,along with designer glass.

Owner Al LaMarre explains that Bay-View Glass, a company in business 22years, is “a company that does bothcommercial and residential installations.

We specialize in custom designs andcarry a large selection of designer glass.Our expertise is in all-glass shower stallsand mirror designs.” The company hasalso introduced a new product – backpainted glass.

LaMarre admits that his company’sinvolvement in the Green Homeconstruction is due to “the fantasticconcept and the amazingly talented tradesinvolved to accomplish this first-everproject.”

Bay-View’s contribution will beenvironmentally friendly as their glass ismade up of 30% recycled glass and theirback painted glass includes no isocyanate(a potential health hazard) and is air dried.

Although the Green Home is a creativeproject in itself, the artistic touches ofTsunami Glassworks Inc. (TGI,www.tsunamiglassworks.com) also add tothe home’s originality.

Located at 1167 Mercer Street inWindsor, TGI, a four-year-old business,specializes in decorative blown and hot-cast glass manufacturing. The company,headed by Eva Milinkovic, Co-Ownerand Creative Director, and Kriston Gene,Co-Owner and Principal, suppliesretailers and designers across the US andCanada.

Milinkovic and Gene explain TGI’sinvolvement in the Green Home projectby saying, “We are showcasing new hand-made blown glass sculptures from theWISP (glasses curving into and away fromeach other) series which resemble bladesof grass ranging in heights as tall as 40”.We are also showing a sculptural waterfeature made out of reclaimed windowglass.”

The company willingly accepted the

B I Z X M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 0 9 2 7»


offer to take part in this project and feelshonoured to have the opportunity to workwith the esteemed participatingcompanies.

As a glass manufacturer, TGI is aware ofthe ways in which glass and its productionaffects the environment.

“We recognize the importance ofexercising Green ways of living tocontribute to the solution of stabilizingthe environment that we live in,” stateMilinkovic and Gene. “We also recognizethat glassmaking is a major consumer ofenergy and contributor to greenhousegases. We, at Tsunami Glassworks,recognize that we cannot eliminate theenergy that we use, but we can reduce ourconsumption of it.”

While glass production can have certainadverse effects on the environment,Milinkovic and Gene outline TGI’s strate-gies for reducing the stress it puts on theearth: “We are interested in reusingexisting glass to make a body of work thatdoes not require the amounts of energy tomake glass out of its raw ingredients…weare taking measures to increase theefficiency of our glass studio includingplans to switch to an electric furnace.Currently, we have retrofitted our studiowith energy efficient lighting, and areusing a heat exchanger to reclaim heatfrom the furnace to heat the studio in thewinter, and keep it cooler in the summer.”

In addition, TGI operates on thephilosophy that reusable objects produceless waste, and thus, less damage to ourplanet.

three-storey custom home would allow usto demonstrate the ‘Green’ approach tohome entertainment with less equipment,controllable lighting and single remotecontrol,” he says.

A Green OutsideThe Green Home project will make

sure that every detail of the home isenvironmentally friendly – even the frontyard. Ready to take on the task of outdoorlandscaping is Landscape Effects Group(LEG) (www.landscapefx.com), 1125County Rd #42, R.R.#1 in Belle River.LEG is known for its 16 years of work inpools, patios, fencing, landscaping, irriga-tion, lighting, roof top gardens, and more.

Company President Paul St. Pierre talksabout his company’s task in the GreenHome project and how they becameinvolved: “We are building an entire lifesize front yard as you would see in anyresidential area. We were invited to participate and we obviously believe in theGreen movement working with plantmaterial each day.”

LEG’s involvement in the projectextends even further as St. Pierre revealsthat his company can really relate to theproject at hand.

“We truly are committed to bringawareness to our community and catch upwith the rest of the world,” says St. Pierre.“We are years behind and truly it starts byletting people see what is possible. Wehave been building commercial Greenroofs for five years now and the residentialmarket should not be an exception.”

“We provide beautiful hand-madeobjects that have a perceived value thattranscends the mundane objects that canbe purchased for less money,” they say.“These mass produced items have filled aniche in our seemingly ‘disposable’society. We believe that there is moremerit in producing fewer objects at highvalue versus the widely embraced massproduced object that consume massiveamounts of energy and resources.”

Earth Friendly ElectronicsThe involvement of APW Electronics

of Chatham (www.apwelectronics.com)in the Green Home project, demonstratesthat home electronics can be safer for theearth than we may believe.

Since 1978, APW, a Cedia (TheEuropean Confederation of AgronomistAssociations) Certified ElectronicSystems contractor, has been designing,selling, and installing media systems,integrated lighting control, dedicatedhome cinemas and lifestyle entertain-ment.

As for the company’s involvement inthe Green Home project, Owner andLead Designer Dave Cartier explains thatAPW “is displaying flat panel monitors,integrated lighting control (showing thepossibilities of energy saving by singletouch light dimming), media manage-ment systems and other coolentertainment concepts.”

Cartier’s company was more than eagerto participate in the project. “We becameinvolved after learning that an on-site

B I Z X M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 0 92 8

X

Mike Holmes, “Canada's Most TrustedContractor” and Host/Creator of HGTV's“Holmes on Homes” is the star attraction of thisyear’s Windsor Home and Leisure Show (WHLS).

“Holmes on Homes”, which has been the #1show on HGTV Canada since the summer of2004, also airs in the United States, UnitedKingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,and Germany.

Holmes is an ideal candidate to lead this year’sWHLS as he knows the importance of resourceful-ness and craftsmanship. In 2006 he wasacknowledged by Canada’s House of Commons asan “extraordinary craftsperson” and “anaccomplished master builder with a socialconscience.” That same, year Holmes launched“The Holmes Foundation”, a charitable Canadianfoundation to support the training of youth in theskilled trades, through apprenticeships, scholar-ships and bursaries.

As the national spokesperson for Skills Canadaand for World Skills 2009, Holmes is often invitedto speak by professional organizations, such as the

Canadian Safety Association of Ontario, theOntario Building Inspectors Association and theCanadian Association of Home Inspectors.

Holmes performs two shows (they are not tapedfor TV) at the WHLS during Earth Week. He islooking forward to coming to Windsor and enjoysmeeting home owners and providing them withinformation. His stage is the back of the three-storey “Green Home” presented by WindsorFamily Credit Union. The shows take placeSunday, April 26 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Holmes will provide consumers with his “MakeIt Right” message and will cover such topics as howto hire the right contractor and how to make sureyour renovation is done right the first time. He willalso offer green renovation information. Inaddition, there will be a question and answersession where audience members can find answersto their specific problems.

Tickets to see Mike Holmes are $20 each andalso include free admission to the WHLS. They areavailable at the Chrysler Theatre Box Office, on-line at www.chryslertheatre.com.

MEET HOLMES AT THE HOME SHOW

Photo courtesy of Brian Dupuis.


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