Media Release / For Immediate Release – PHOTOS AVAILABLE

Attention Ontario News, Homes, Building, Energy and Conservation Editors

Muskoka area homebuilder named

R-2000 Builder of the Year

(Markham, January 6, 2006) Today, EnerQuality Corporation honoured Bert French and Son Ltd. (Port Sydney) with the R-2000 Builder of the Year Award (sponsored by DuPont Tyvek) for their outstanding contribution to energy-efficiency in Ontario. The award was presented at the 2005 EnerQuality Excellence Awards Ceremony at the Ontario Building & Renovation Forum in Markham, attended by more than 200 homebuilders, energy experts and construction professionals. Peter Love, Ontario’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer, hosted the ceremony.

“As the leading R-2000 builder in the Muskoka area since 1970, Bert French and Son have a long reputation for quality,” said Lenard Hart, Director of Business Development for EnerQuality Corporation. “They have not wavered from their dedication to energy-efficiency and have long been one of the leading R-2000 builders in Ontario.”

“Our homes are designed to a specific energy target. The air and vapour barriers are sealed carefully and then tested by depressurizing the house. The inside air quality is improved with a Heat Recovery Ventilation system (HRV), which is an important feature in any R-2000 home” said Shea Greenleaf of Bert French and Son Ltd. “To date, we have built 54 R-2000 homes, many of which can be viewed on our website, www.homesmuskoka.com.”

“Each R-2000 home uses about half the energy of a comparable sized conventional house,” stated Mr Hart. “Accredited R-2000 homes have always had a reputation for high quality construction, and the energy savings associated with reduced air infiltration, better insulation and windows.”

This year saw a resurgence in R-2000 sales for Bert French and Son, as more consumers looked for ways to insulate themselves from rising fuel costs. For more on R-2000 homes see www.R-2000.org.

For more information and photos, contact Don Huff at 416-972-7404 or Brent Kulba at

416-972-7401 or kulbab@huffstrategy.com.

R-2000 certified homes offer high energy-efficiency and advanced indoor air quality by incorporating tighter construction, higher insulation values and mechanical ventilation. An independent, third party expert inspects each house to ensure that it meets these requirements before it can be certified as an R-2000 home. Only licensed R-2000 builders who have been trained by the Government of Canada can build R-2000 homes.