From Rooftop to Trail: Partners Harness Solar Power in Fredericton

Written by Cathy Donaldson 

On the roof of YMCA Fredericton, banks of solar panels have an innovative dual purpose: to offset the energy requirements of the Y’s Child Care Centre and to help power the lighting along four kilometres of city trails. 

The Y and the Fredericton Trails Coalition partnered on the Tara and Terry Solar Array, which began generating solar power in July. The two organizations, along with other project supporters, marked its completion with a community event Sept. 3. 

“The YMCA of Fredericton and the Fredericton Trails Coalition started with a very practical idea: use solar energy to benefit both the Y and local trail system,” said Matt Ainsley, Director of Corporate Partnerships with Trans Canada Trail. “The result that we’re seeing today is a practical, sustainable project that will continue to benefit the community, benefit the YMCA, benefit the Fredericton Trails Coalition long beyond today’s celebration.” 

The Tara Savage Memorial Fund 

The array and the partnership behind it have their roots in a gift made a decade ago. 

An avid trail user, area resident Tara Savage died in 2016, leaving an unexpected bequest to the Fredericton Trails Coalition, a volunteer organization that supports the city’s trail network. The Coalition worked with the Fredericton Community Foundation to establish the Tara Savage Memorial Fund, an endowment supporting recreation and enjoyment of Fredericton trails. 

At the project completion event, officials unveiled a plaque naming the array for Tara Savage and her husband, Terry. 

“We’ve been waiting for the right project to come along where we could acknowledge Tara and Terry,” Fredericton Trails Coalition vice-president André Arseneault told the crowd. 

Plans initially called for a smaller solar installation at another building. When that proposal fell through, Arseneault — a YMCA member — approached YMCA of Fredericton president and CEO Darcy Delaney about the possibility of putting the array there. 

“I walked into his office and said, ‘We’re looking to put a 40-kilowatt array on your roof,’” Arseneault recalled. “He said, ‘I’m going to the YMCA board to ask for the maximum, a 100-kilowatt array, because if we’re doing this, we’re going to go all the way.’” 

The board subsequently approved the plan. 

A plaque at the YMCA of Fredericton recognizes the Tara and Terry Solar Array, and the partners and funders who helped make the project possible. (Cathy Donaldson photo)

Expanded lighting on the Trail 

The Fredericton Trails Coalition had previously looked at ways to address the energy demands of expanding trail lighting. Those efforts included experimenting with a standalone solar-powered light, but the group encountered reliability issues as well as concerns about the batteries required. 

The Coalition ultimately pursued the larger solar array. 

Plans call for more than four kilometres of trail lighting to be in place by the end of summer 2027 along the North Side Trail and Lincoln Trail, both sections of the Trans Canada Trail. 

Fredericton-area company Epic Energy Solutions Ltd. managed the installation of the solar array. It comprises 174 panels, each rated at 605 watts, with a total capacity of 105.27 kilowatts and projected annual production of approximately 117,300 kilowatt-hours. The YMCA owns, operates and maintains the system, and was responsible for 60 per cent of project costs, while the Fredericton Trails Coalition was responsible for 40 per cent. Electricity generated by the array is returned to the power grid, creating credits that help offset trail-lighting consumption. 

Left: Lighting along sections of the Trans Canada Trail in Fredericton is among the energy requirements offset by the Tara and Terry Solar Array. (André Arseneault photo). Right: A drawing of thanks.

Giving back to the Fredericton Trails Coalition 

For trail users, the benefits extend beyond cleaner energy. The Coalition will receive 20 per cent of the revenue generated through solar production, with its share to be reinvested in trail improvements and activities along the Trans Canada Trail. 

“Having that revenue stream coming in is going to allow us to take on bigger and more things here for the trails and to better the trail experience for users in Fredericton,” Arseneault said. Of Fredericton’s more than 150 kilometres of trails, roughly 25 kilometres are paved, and the network sees an average of about 800 users a day. Deputy Mayor Ruth Breen pointed to those routes as an important part of the city’s active-transportation system. 

“When we recognize the importance of active transportation for a healthy and safe community, we all win,” Breen said. 

Nigel Corbett of Epic Energy Solutions Ltd., which installed the solar array, discusses the rooftop installation with André Arseneault, Vice-President of the Fredericton Trails Coalition. (Cathy Donaldson photo)

Generous support from the RBC Foundation 

The solar project received support from the Government of New Brunswick through the Regional Development Corporation and NB Power. 

Funding secured by Trans Canada Trail from the RBC Foundation covered the Fredericton Trails Coalition’s 40 per cent share of project costs. RBC contributed $80,000 through its Community Spaces Grant program. 

According to Erica Bastarache, RBC’s regional vice-president for Western New Brunswick, it was the only such grant awarded in New Brunswick this year and one of only six in the region. 

“In Canada, the built environment remains the third-largest source of emissions,” Bastarache said. “That’s why, through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant, we’re proud to support capital projects like the Trans Canada Trail’s Tara and Terry Solar Array project aimed at reducing environmental impact, as they work towards creating more environmentally sustainable spaces in Fredericton.” 

Perhaps the most poignant perspective on what the partnerships, panels and numbers are intended to accomplish came from one of the youngest people at the project celebration. 

Huxley, a recent graduate of the YMCA’s After-School Program, shared feedback from children about what a “greener future” means to them: clean air, healthy forests and animals, snowy Fredericton winters and a clean and beautiful Wolastoq where they can swim and paddle. They imagined trails where future generations will continue to hike, bike and explore. 

“These solar panels might be just one project on one building in one city, but every time the sun shines on the YMCA, they’ll be doing a little bit to help protect our future,” Huxley said. “And that’s pretty cool.” 

Project partners gather at the plaque commemorating the Tara and Terry Solar Array. From left are: Darcy Delaney, President and CEO, YMCA of Fredericton; André Arseneault, Vice-President, Fredericton Trails Coalition; Huxley Delaney, a recent graduate of the local YMCA’s After-School Program; Angela Morin, Manager, Trail Infrastructure and Funding, Trans Canada Trail; Fredericton Deputy Mayor Ruth Breen; Matt Ainsley, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Trans Canada Trail; and Erica Bastarache, Regional Vice-President, Western New Brunswick, RBC. (Cathy Donaldson photo)

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About the Trail Catalyst Fund 

Trans Canada Trail’s Trail Catalyst Fund is a comprehensive funding initiative designed to enhance the quality, connectivity, and sustainability of the national trail network. It supports strategic investments in trails and the trail sector, all with the goal of fostering a safe, inclusive and resilient Trans Canada Trail. Learn more about how we support projects like the Terry and Tara Solar Array and support safer and more inclusive trail experiences for all trail users.