Articles Dealer’s Corner
Statement from Fenestration Canada regarding GreenON cancellation

Fenestration Canada has released a statement in reaction to the cancellation of the GreenON window rebate program in Ontario.

We are saddened to see the program go. Climate change is a going to be our toughest challenge as a race and differing action will only compound the problem. The GreenON rebate programs addressed real gaps in the aging existing housing stock; addressing the building envelope first.

While not perfect, the program was to be transformative for the Industry in that it called for certified high-performance windows installed by certified personnel. The problem with pulling the plug on such a program is that it will lead to layoffs in the near future. This instability makes it harder for manufacturers to keep their workforce and will lead to an economic slowdown in the sector and a resurgence of the underground economy.

The abruptness of the cancellation will leave a lot of consumers high and dry. We urge the incoming government to review their position and extend the phase-out period at the very least the end of 2018. This will allow for those already in the queue for products and services to receive them.

Windows are not “off-the-shelf products, unlike other products available under the GreenOn rebate program. In the window manufacturing and installation Industry, production lead times and certified crew scheduling is often much longer than the very short phase-out period that has been allotted. October 31 is certainly an improvement on August 31 but it is still nowhere near long enough to clear the queue and wind-up the program.

As this rise and fall of this program demonstrates, instability in the marketplace is not good for business. Fenestration Canada advocates for a permanent deep energy retrofit tax credit. This will bring much more stability to the marketplace while keeping the underground economy at bay; ensuring consumers receive quality products and installation of energy retrofit projects.

For more information
fenestrationcanada.ca
greenon.ca