story by Jesse Holth –
Bella Bella, home of the Heiltsuk Nation, is a remote coastal community located almost 200 kilometres north of Vancouver Island. Until recently, most of the homes were heated with oil – which was expensive and unpredictable, given the isolation of the island. But the Nation was eager to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. “We were contacted by Heiltsuk representatives, who were doing a feasibility study on heat pumps,” explains Don Gulevich, owner of local company Coastal Heat Pumps.
“We discussed how they were currently heating, what they wanted to do, and what their budget constraints were – and decided the best value would be a ductless heat pump system.” Don says the community can only be reached by a 12-hour ferry ride, so technicians had to make sure that all the necessary equipment was brought with them. “It was a huge undertaking,” he adds. “The parts and components and design work to be done, the number of people involved and the remote nature of the community were all challenges.”
According to residents, it’s been a life-changing project. “One woman was in her mid-80s,” says Don, “and when the technician started up the heat she burst into tears – it was the first time in 20 years that she had heating.” Another resident explained that their children were no longer coughing, their colds were gone, and there was money in the hydro account for the first time ever.
“What happens when hydro or oil bills are really high, is that people turn the heat off or turn it down,” explains Don. “It brings cold temperatures into the house; we’ve even seen it so cold that it condensates where the outside wall meets the ceiling and it forms black mold. With the heat pumps, there’s air flow and warmth, the mold disappears, and the savings are amazing. People are just blown away.
“It’s absolutely heartwarming; we were changing people’s lives,” says Don. “It was also an act of reconciliation: we worked side by side with the Heiltsuk Nation. We couldn’t have done it without their help, and they couldn’t have done it without ours. We made a lot of friendships and even had a reconciliation ceremony with some of the members,” he adds. “It’s been a very special project; we alternated our crews, so each technician had at least two trips going in, and can see the positive impact they’re having on people.”
One of the technicians, Jordan Caton – now Director of Operations – installed many of the units in Bella Bella and now coordinates the entire project. “It’s a complete honour to be a part of it,” says Jordan. “The whole coordination team – especially Pam Wilson on the Bella Bella side – it wouldn’t be possible without them. At the end of the day, it’s just very satisfying to transform an entire community.”
Jordan says it’s been especially meaningful to see the health improvements in the residents. “People would be coughing or sick, there was mold in the houses, a lack of air flow and a lack of heating. We’ve done over 300 homes now, making the houses healthy to live in and preventing illness; it’s been extremely rewarding.” Jordan is grateful for the dedication of the technicians, who often worked 10- and 12-hour days, into the night, installing the systems in snow, sleet and rain.
“Every heat pump we install has a meaning behind it,” he adds. “When we first started the project, people were heating their homes with the oven door open; there was black mold all throughout the corners of the house, they were using blankets in doorways to corral the heat from the space heater or oven. These were the conditions they’d lived with for so long. Things changed so drastically for the community and the health of the residents – it really hit close to home.”
It’s also a great case study for future projects: Jordan says they’re already in conversation with other Indigenous communities. “It’s a really neat model, how it was created,” he explains. “Bella Bella even won Clean Energy B.C.’s Community of the Year award, as a result of the project.” Altogether, the initiative is responsible for removing 700 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 220 cars off the road every year. Other communities will no doubt be looking to the Heiltsuk framework as an example of resounding success.
Photos courtesy Coastal Heat Pumps.
