As part of an energy conservation project at the CHUS-Fleurimont Hospital, a grant of $4 million was allocated by Monique Gagnon Tremblay, Minister responsible for International Relations, Minister responsible for La Francophonie, Minister responsible for the Eastern Townships and MP for St. François region.

One quarter of this funding (a total investment of $21 M) comes from the grant from the Department of Health and Social Services with that of Hydro-Quebec and Gaz-Metro. Another quarter comes from government budgets for active maintenance. The remaining funding will be made up by energy savings that will be realized. Repayment will be stretched over a 7-year period. As for energy savings, they will amount to $1.4 million per year, representing 37% of the current energy bill. This will also result in a substantial reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. We are told that 9000 tons less of CO2 per year is the equivalent to the amount which comes from 2800 cars. This saving is, by comparison, the annual consumption of nearly 1,200 homes.

For Jacques Fortier, Chairman of the Board of Directors CHUS: ''This project was initiated in the wake of sustainable development activities which have been undertaken by the CHUS for several years, mainly CHUS-Hôtel-Dieu. He testified that ''economic development'' and ''protection of the environment'' can work together. There is no doubt that this project will set an example within the community.'' This project will be in the hands of the firm Ecosystem, a Quebec firm that specializes in energy efficiency. This firm will also support two other firms in Sherbrooke: EXP and GCI and also experts from CHUS since this project will have an educational component in making occupants aware of how to use energy in a rational way.

New thermo-pumps will be installed to recover the internal heat of the building and a recovery system will also be added to the chimney. Three other high-efficiency boilers (one steam and two-hot-water systems) will be replacing the existing steam boilers. Ventilation systems will be upgraded. Fluorescent bulbs are to be replaced with more energy efficient ones. For solar energy, a solar wall will be built and 30 geothermal wells will be drilled, at 140 m deep, to recover energy from the ground. These solutions will be implemented in 2011-2012, except for new ventilation systems that will be installed progressively until 2014.