When it comes to going green the biggest challenge isn鈥檛 time or money, it鈥檚 attitude.
Just ask Michal Wasuita, owner of Pine Bungalows, who has been renovating and upgrading his property with the environment top of mind.
鈥淚f you want to do things as economically or cheaply as possible you can go ahead and do that, there鈥檚 no law that says you can鈥檛, but if you want to do the right thing you have to change your attitude,鈥� said Wasuita.
Over the past decade Wasuita has been meticulously overhauling the original 50 cabins on his property, including another 17 that are currently under renovation. He has also set up a simple yet effective waste diversion system and installed an ozone laundry system so he doesn鈥檛 have to use hot water, saving himself approximately $3,000 a year on natural gas.
Other eco-friendly changes include switching to energy efficient light bulbs and installing energy smart light fixtures.
鈥淥nce you change your attitude then things become easier, yes they are more expensive, but it鈥檚 not as expensive as people think,鈥� said Wasuita.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about paying forward, which a lot of people are not ready to do. They鈥檒l pay for what they need today, but they won鈥檛 pay for the future.鈥�
Since his shift in attitude he said his renovations have incorporated the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a rating system that is recognized as the international mark of excellence for green building in over 160 countries.
鈥淭he simply things are the caulking, the paint, the stain. The big things are the actual construction of the building.鈥�
To cut down on waste and keep the original character of the cabins he reused old windows and the original lodgepole pine boards for the inside walls. He also got permission from Parks Canada to build furniture from Douglas fur trees that were cut down as part of extensive fire smart work around his property.
The new buildings have also been designed for solar panels, although it will be some time before Wasuita purchases and installs them.
鈥淚鈥檝e made the buildings solar ready,鈥� explained Wasuita, adding he has also installed a plug on the outside of the building that could be used to charge electric cars in the future.
As part of the hotel鈥檚 drive to be as environmentally friendly as possible he has also made a conscious choice not to install hot tubs because of the amount of energy they use. There are no phones or televisions in any of the cabins.
鈥淚鈥檓 very much a minimalist in that respect,鈥� said Wasuita.
As for wifi, he admits in this day and age people need it to check in with loved ones and do business, but has only made it available in the conference centre.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not available in the cabins. You have to actually talk to your wife, talk to your children, unplug and relax.鈥�
With so much to do, he readily admits his other priorities have suffered, such as sitting on the board with the Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society. He said he鈥檒l have more time to volunteer once all the construction is complete and the tourism season winds down.
In late February, Wasuita was awarded the green key environmental award of excellence by Green Key Global, an international environmental certification body that promotes sustainable environmental initiatives in the hospitality and lodging industry.
He was in Ottawa to accept the award during the Hotel Association of Canada鈥檚 annual conference on Feb. 16.
鈥淚 never set out to win awards,鈥� said Wasuita. 鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to change anybody. I鈥檓 not trying to tell anybody that the way they are the running their property is wrong, all I鈥檓 doing is leading by example.鈥�
P. Clarke
[email protected]
