Presenter Bios

Professor Tang Lee

Calgary, Alberta

For over 30 years, Tang Lee has been teaching building science, sustainabledesign, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics, as well as mechanical (HVAC) and civil (masonry) engineering at The University of Calgary and at several other universities in Canada and abroad. He serves on several committees of Health Canada, National Research Council of Canada, and Canadian Standards Association, Canadian Construction Materials Centre. He isappointed to the National Building Code of Canada to update the 2015 building code. Professor Lee is qualified as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases in the areas of architecture, building science, building codes, construction, indoor air quality and general health. Tang Lee is also an architect designing healthy and sustainable (solar heated) buildings.

Catherine Wanek

Kingston, New Mexico

Catherine Wanek is the author and photographer of the new book, The Hybrid House, Designing with Sun, Wind Water, and Earth. She also wrote and photographed The New Straw Bale Home and co-wrote The Art of Natural BuildingIn 1992, she became an advocate of straw-bale construction while building a strawbale greenhouse. For more information see www.strawbalecentral.com In 1999, Catherine co-founded Builders Without Borders, a network of ecological builders dedicated to providing design/build education and hands-on help, to people and communities desiring to build affordable homes. Currently BWB is developing sustainable designs for Haiti. See www.builderswithoutborders.org for more information.

Nitya C. Harris, M.E. Des., P.Eng.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Nitya Harris is presently the Executive Director of the SolarBC program. She initiated this program in 2005 with a pilot project to test the market for solar hot water in B.C. As Project Lead, she also directed the B.C. 100,000 Solar Roofs Strategy and Action Plan. Nitya has worked as a gas reservoir and a pipeline engineer in the energy sector in Alberta and as Environment Manager of B.C. Buildings Corporation. She has also taught and conducted research in the Masters of Environmental Management program at Royal Roads University. Nitya is a Professional Engineer with a Masters in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary.

Bill Swan

Invermere, British Columbia

Bill is the owner of Greenman Sustainable Solutions based in Invermere, BC. Greenman Sustainable Solutions provides materials and services to the green building sector. Solar thermal domestic hot water and space heating, solar PV, site planning, protection and restoration, rainwater harvesting and water conservation strategies are areas of specialization. Recent projects include the design and construction of cold climate food production and teaching facility greenhouses. Presentations and educational outreach on green building and solar energy are also services provided by Greenman.

Murray Frank

Vancouver, British Columbia

Murray Frank of Constructive Home Solutions Inc. is a Building Science consultant with over 25 years experience in wood frame construction, design, retrofit and instruction. Murray contributes to code development at the national and provincial level and presents to over 2,000 licensed builders, building officials, designers and suppliers annually on behalf of colleges, universities, the Homeowner Protection Office, Building and Safety Standards Branch and several industry associations. Murray's presentation style is entertaining, deeply researched, industry vetted, and supported with clear and captivating animated graphics, photographs and video.

Thomas J. Elpel

Silver Star, Montana

Desperate to walk his own path as a young man, Thomas J. Elpel built his passive solar stone and log home for approximately what most people spend on a new car. Elpel successfully avoided the need for a mortgage, a regular job, or an expensive college education. Instead, he pursued his interests – learning, practicing, teaching, and writing about botany, wilderness survival, green economics, consciousness, and low-cost, high-efficiency home building. He wrote Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction in part to show that it is still possible for anyone to live the Dream – to own a great home mortgage-free.

Chris Newton and Sandra Burkholder

Darfield, British Columbia

Chris and Sandra began building an earthship (a sustainable home built from recycled materials) in Darfield, BC (north of Kamloops) in July 2009. Eighteen months later –with help from their children, other family and many volunteers- they have the building closed in and are working on the interior systems and finishing details. Chris is a B.C. licensed professional engineer and Sandra is a former journalist and PR consultant. In the 10 years prior to this project they owned and operated North River Log Homes. Check out their progress at www.darfieldearthship.com or on their Facebook page, The Darfield Earthship

Christine Ross, Architect, MAIBC

Christine Ross has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Architecture and a postgraduate Diploma in Architecture. She is a member of the Royal Architects Institute of Canada, Royal Institute of British Architects, The Architects Institute of British Columbia and the Alberta Association of Architects. She has spent her architectural career working in mainstream architecture working on residential, commercial and industrial projects. In 1979 she began to be interested in and study 'Alternative Technology' in the UK and was introduced to the whole world of what has now become 'Sustainable Architecture.'

Throughout her career she has looked for opportunities to bring in to projects some green building design concepts.

Peter Amerongen

Edmonton, Alberta

Peter Amerongen, president of Habitat Studio & Workshop Ltd, has been designing and building energy efficient houses since the last oil crisis. Over the years he has done much experimentation, borrowed shamelessly, and innovated a bit in an effort to build environmentally responsible houses as economically as possible. Motivated by the wake-up call and the opportunities resulting from climate change, he has joined with a talented group of like-minded housing professionals to design and build an exemplary demonstration house – the Riverdale NetZero Project (http://www.riverdalenetzero.ca/ http://www.habitat-studio.com/ )under CMHC’s EQuilibriumTM Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. In collaboration with very enlightened owners and informed by the early lessons from the Riverdale Project – from the Project collaborators and the Project itself- Habitat Studio has gone on to design four more net zero energy houses. Both the Mill Creek NetZero Home (now occupied), and the Belgravia NetZero Home to be completed soon will achieve net zero energy more easily and at considerably lower cost.

Andy Christie

Kimberley, British Columbia

Andy has been the building Inspector with the City of Kimberley for the last two years. Andy has previously worked as a Timber Framer, Furniture Builder, Carpenter and Site Supervisor throughout BC and Alberta. Currently, he is trying desperately to complete his own renovation (to code of course!) with his family eagerly awaiting the finished product. This course will provide an opportunity to pick Andy’s brain on the latest techniques of energy efficient building and make sense of any Building Code related questions.

Kris Belanger

Kimberley, British Columbia

Kris was born and lived in central Alberta until the call of BC’s snow covered mountains and lush green valleys could no longer be ignored. He holds a diploma in Integrated Environmental Planning with honours from Selkirk College and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University. Mr. Belanger has four years experience in the environmental and planning fields and is currently the Planning Officer with the City of Kimberley. When he’s not answering your planning and zoning inquiries you can find him playing with his family or exploring the nearby mountain ranges.

Troy Pollock (MCIP)

Kimberley, British Columbia

Tory is the Manager of Planning Services with the City of Kimberley. After studies in Geography and Environmental Planning, he began his planning career in Brandon, MB in 1998, migrated to the mountains to work in Banff, AB for seven years before eventually moving with his family to Kimberley in 2008. Troy has gained experience in the areas of development and design review, growth management, heritage conservation, affordable housing and sustainability planning.

Paula Kiss, B.Sc. (Civil Engineering)

Nelson, British Columbia

Following 8 years of work as an Engineering project manager in Canada and abroad, Paula settled in Nelson to focus on a career in Green Building. She opened The Building Tree after interviews with local eco-minded residents and professionals indicated that there was a demand for green construction materials and networking hub. The business works primarily to source green products, consult on projects, and provide shared office space and support for independent eco-minded businesses.

Paula also began working with Selkirk College in January (’10) to coordinate the LEED Gold renovation of a 1960’s era dormitory that will provide contemporary accommodations for 101 students, 400m2 of office/study space and a 100 seat theatre.

Lance Jakubec

Vancouver, British Columbia

Lance is a Senior Research Consultant - who has been with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) since 1999, where he explores innovations in construction, design, and policy aimed at improving the sustainability, accessibility, and affordability of housing. Originally from Kelowna, Lance is currently based out of Vancouver and helps connect CMHC research to the housing industry across British Columbia.

Michael Keefer, P.Ag

Kimberley, British Columbia

Michael has always been a student of nature, he has continued to follow this path though both hiseducational and career choices. Michael holds a double major BA in Environmental Studies and Geography from UVic and a MSc. in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University. Professionally, Michael has diverse interests ranging from water conservation and other broad environmental issues to his specialty area, ethnobotany, the study of the relation between humans and plants. From 1997-2005, he was the Ktunaxa Nations ethnobotanist. In 2005 he decided it was time to broaden his professional horizons and Keefer Ecological Services (KES) openedfor business. The main thrust of KES is the research and implementation of projects concerned with ecological and economic sustainability. Michael is also a minority owner of the region’s only native plant nursery, Tipi Mountain Native Plants.

Edward Beggs

Salmon Arm, British Columbia

Edward is the president and owner of NBT Building Products Ltd., and heads the PlantDrive vegetable oil fuel systems division.He is a graduate of the MSc in Environment and Management program at Royal Roads University and teaches at Royal Roads and for the Canadian Centre for Environmental Education. Ed has a background in farming and farm/commercial/industrial building contracting in addition to his teaching and renewable fuels work.

Grégoire Lamoureux

Winlaw, British Columbia

Grégoire Lamoureux has twenty years of experience with Kootenay Permaculture and as a permaculture designer, consultant and teacher and has taught in many parts of the country. His work experience includes market gardening, greenhouse production, orcharding, ecological land restoration, small-scale nursery management, landscaping, carpentry and forestry work. He’s teaching the annual Permaculture Design Course with Selkirk College in Nelson, BC.

Dale Wilker

Invermere, British Columbia

After graduating from St. Clair College in Architectural Technologies in ‘81, Dale moved to Calgary where he worked in the architectural profession for 13 years. He moved to Invermere so that he could raise his family in a community that he felt was much more sustainable. Dale has lived in Invermere for 16 years, working on and building many energy efficient homes. His casual pursuit for a passive solar heating design that would work in the sun challenged winters of interior BC was spurred on by my discovery of Peak Oil in 2005 and that more urgent research lead him to discover the Annualized Geo-Solar concept. After incorporating the AGS design in his own home, he was pursued by the local Center for Sustainable Living to investigate how the AGS concept could be used in a greenhouse and the rest is history.

Kimberley Sustainable Building and Living Conference

News & Action Alerts

Presenter Bios

Professor Tang Lee

Catherine Wanek

Nitya C. Harris, M.E. Des., P.Eng.

Murray Frank

Thomas J. Elpel

Chris Newton and Sandra Burkholder

Christine Ross, Architect, MAIBC

Peter Amerongen

Andy Christie

Kris Belanger

Troy Pollock (MCIP)

Paula Kiss, B.Sc. (Civil Engineering)

Lance Jakubec

Michael Keefer, P.Ag

Edward Beggs

Grégoire Lamoureux

Dale Wilker


Kimberley Sustainable Building and Living Conference 2011 Sustainable Building and Living Conference Conference Schedule Workshop Descriptions Presenter Bios Friday opening event: 'Onstage at McKim' Sustainable Building and Living Showcase SIMPLE and Sustainable Networking Accommodations About Wildsight Our Programs Local Branches News & Events What you can do News & Action Alerts
	Presenter Bios Professor Tang Lee Calgary, Alberta For over 30 years, Tang Lee has been teaching building science, sustainabledesign, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics, as well as mechanical (HVAC) and civil (masonry) engineering at The University of Calgary and at several other universities in Canada and abroad. He serves on several committees of Health Canada, National Research Council of Canada, and Canadian Standards Association, Canadian Construction Materials Centre. He isappointed to the National Building Code of Canada to update the 2015 building code. Professor Lee is qualified as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases in the areas of architecture, building science, building codes, construction, indoor air quality and general health. Tang Lee is also an architect designing healthy and sustainable (solar heated) buildings. Catherine Wanek Kingston, New Mexico Catherine Wanek is the author and photographer of the new book, The Hybrid House, Designing with Sun, Wind Water, and Earth. She also wrote and photographed The New Straw Bale Home and co-wrote The Art of Natural BuildingIn 1992, she became an advocate of straw-bale construction while building a strawbale greenhouse. For more information see www.strawbalecentral.com In 1999, Catherine co-founded Builders Without Borders, a network of ecological builders dedicated to providing design/build education and hands-on help, to people and communities desiring to build affordable homes. Currently BWB is developing sustainable designs for Haiti. See www.builderswithoutborders.org for more information. Nitya C. Harris, M.E. Des., P.Eng. Vancouver, British Columbia Nitya Harris is presently the Executive Director of the SolarBC program. She initiated this program in 2005 with a pilot project to test the market for solar hot water in B.C. As Project Lead, she also directed the B.C. 100,000 Solar Roofs Strategy and Action Plan. Nitya has worked as a gas reservoir and a pipeline engineer in the energy sector in Alberta and as Environment Manager of B.C. Buildings Corporation. She has also taught and conducted research in the Masters of Environmental Management program at Royal Roads University. Nitya is a Professional Engineer with a Masters in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary. Bill Swan Invermere, British Columbia Bill is the owner of Greenman Sustainable Solutions based in Invermere, BC. Greenman Sustainable Solutions provides materials and services to the green building sector. Solar thermal domestic hot water and space heating, solar PV, site planning, protection and restoration, rainwater harvesting and water conservation strategies are areas of specialization. Recent projects include the design and construction of cold climate food production and teaching facility greenhouses. Presentations and educational outreach on green building and solar energy are also services provided by Greenman. Murray Frank Vancouver, British Columbia Murray Frank of Constructive Home Solutions Inc. is a Building Science consultant with over 25 years experience in wood frame construction, design, retrofit and instruction. Murray contributes to code development at the national and provincial level and presents to over 2,000 licensed builders, building officials, designers and suppliers annually on behalf of colleges, universities, the Homeowner Protection Office, Building and Safety Standards Branch and several industry associations. Murray's presentation style is entertaining, deeply researched, industry vetted, and supported with clear and captivating animated graphics, photographs and video. Thomas J. Elpel Silver Star, Montana Desperate to walk his own path as a young man, Thomas J. Elpel built his passive solar stone and log home for approximately what most people spend on a new car. Elpel successfully avoided the need for a mortgage, a regular job, or an expensive college education. Instead, he pursued his interests – learning, practicing, teaching, and writing about botany, wilderness survival, green economics, consciousness, and low-cost, high-efficiency home building. He wrote Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction in part to show that it is still possible for anyone to live the Dream – to own a great home mortgage-free. Chris Newton and Sandra Burkholder Darfield, British Columbia Chris and Sandra began building an earthship (a sustainable home built from recycled materials) in Darfield, BC (north of Kamloops) in July 2009. Eighteen months later –with help from their children, other family and many volunteers- they have the building closed in and are working on the interior systems and finishing details. Chris is a B.C. licensed professional engineer and Sandra is a former journalist and PR consultant. In the 10 years prior to this project they owned and operated North River Log Homes. Check out their progress at www.darfieldearthship.com or on their Facebook page, The Darfield Earthship Christine Ross, Architect, MAIBC Christine Ross has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Architecture and a postgraduate Diploma in Architecture. She is a member of the Royal Architects Institute of Canada, Royal Institute of British Architects, The Architects Institute of British Columbia and the Alberta Association of Architects. She has spent her architectural career working in mainstream architecture working on residential, commercial and industrial projects. In 1979 she began to be interested in and study 'Alternative Technology' in the UK and was introduced to the whole world of what has now become 'Sustainable Architecture.' Throughout her career she has looked for opportunities to bring in to projects some green building design concepts. Peter Amerongen Edmonton, Alberta Peter Amerongen, president of Habitat Studio & Workshop Ltd, has been designing and building energy efficient houses since the last oil crisis. Over the years he has done much experimentation, borrowed shamelessly, and innovated a bit in an effort to build environmentally responsible houses as economically as possible. Motivated by the wake-up call and the opportunities resulting from climate change, he has joined with a talented group of like-minded housing professionals to design and build an exemplary demonstration house – the Riverdale NetZero Project (http://www.riverdalenetzero.ca/ http://www.habitat-studio.com/ )under CMHC’s EQuilibriumTM Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. In collaboration with very enlightened owners and informed by the early lessons from the Riverdale Project – from the Project collaborators and the Project itself- Habitat Studio has gone on to design four more net zero energy houses. Both the Mill Creek NetZero Home (now occupied), and the Belgravia NetZero Home to be completed soon will achieve net zero energy more easily and at considerably lower cost. Andy Christie Kimberley, British Columbia Andy has been the building Inspector with the City of Kimberley for the last two years. Andy has previously worked as a Timber Framer, Furniture Builder, Carpenter and Site Supervisor throughout BC and Alberta. Currently, he is trying desperately to complete his own renovation (to code of course!) with his family eagerly awaiting the finished product. This course will provide an opportunity to pick Andy’s brain on the latest techniques of energy efficient building and make sense of any Building Code related questions. Kris Belanger Kimberley, British Columbia Kris was born and lived in central Alberta until the call of BC’s snow covered mountains and lush green valleys could no longer be ignored. He holds a diploma in Integrated Environmental Planning with honours from Selkirk College and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University. Mr. Belanger has four years experience in the environmental and planning fields and is currently the Planning Officer with the City of Kimberley. When he’s not answering your planning and zoning inquiries you can find him playing with his family or exploring the nearby mountain ranges. Troy Pollock (MCIP) Kimberley, British Columbia Tory is the Manager of Planning Services with the City of Kimberley. After studies in Geography and Environmental Planning, he began his planning career in Brandon, MB in 1998, migrated to the mountains to work in Banff, AB for seven years before eventually moving with his family to Kimberley in 2008. Troy has gained experience in the areas of development and design review, growth management, heritage conservation, affordable housing and sustainability planning. Paula Kiss, B.Sc. (Civil Engineering) Nelson, British Columbia Following 8 years of work as an Engineering project manager in Canada and abroad, Paula settled in Nelson to focus on a career in Green Building. She opened The Building Tree after interviews with local eco-minded residents and professionals indicated that there was a demand for green construction materials and networking hub. The business works primarily to source green products, consult on projects, and provide shared office space and support for independent eco-minded businesses. Paula also began working with Selkirk College in January (’10) to coordinate the LEED Gold renovation of a 1960’s era dormitory that will provide contemporary accommodations for 101 students, 400m2 of office/study space and a 100 seat theatre. Lance Jakubec Vancouver, British Columbia Lance is a Senior Research Consultant - who has been with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) since 1999, where he explores innovations in construction, design, and policy aimed at improving the sustainability, accessibility, and affordability of housing. Originally from Kelowna, Lance is currently based out of Vancouver and helps connect CMHC research to the housing industry across British Columbia. Michael Keefer, P.Ag Kimberley, British Columbia Michael has always been a student of nature, he has continued to follow this path though both hiseducational and career choices. Michael holds a double major BA in Environmental Studies and Geography from UVic and a MSc. in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University. Professionally, Michael has diverse interests ranging from water conservation and other broad environmental issues to his specialty area, ethnobotany, the study of the relation between humans and plants. From 1997-2005, he was the Ktunaxa Nations ethnobotanist. In 2005 he decided it was time to broaden his professional horizons and Keefer Ecological Services (KES) openedfor business. The main thrust of KES is the research and implementation of projects concerned with ecological and economic sustainability. Michael is also a minority owner of the region’s only native plant nursery, Tipi Mountain Native Plants. Edward Beggs Salmon Arm, British Columbia Edward is the president and owner of NBT Building Products Ltd., and heads the PlantDrive vegetable oil fuel systems division.He is a graduate of the MSc in Environment and Management program at Royal Roads University and teaches at Royal Roads and for the Canadian Centre for Environmental Education. Ed has a background in farming and farm/commercial/industrial building contracting in addition to his teaching and renewable fuels work. Grégoire Lamoureux Winlaw, British Columbia Grégoire Lamoureux has twenty years of experience with Kootenay Permaculture and as a permaculture designer, consultant and teacher and has taught in many parts of the country. His work experience includes market gardening, greenhouse production, orcharding, ecological land restoration, small-scale nursery management, landscaping, carpentry and forestry work. He’s teaching the annual Permaculture Design Course with Selkirk College in Nelson, BC. Dale Wilker Invermere, British Columbia After graduating from St. Clair College in Architectural Technologies in ‘81, Dale moved to Calgary where he worked in the architectural profession for 13 years. He moved to Invermere so that he could raise his family in a community that he felt was much more sustainable. Dale has lived in Invermere for 16 years, working on and building many energy efficient homes. His casual pursuit for a passive solar heating design that would work in the sun challenged winters of interior BC was spurred on by my discovery of Peak Oil in 2005 and that more urgent research lead him to discover the Annualized Geo-Solar concept. After incorporating the AGS design in his own home, he was pursued by the local Center for Sustainable Living to investigate how the AGS concept could be used in a greenhouse and the rest is history.