Melinda Zytaruk, co-founder of Tooketree Passive Homes, has been named one of Canada's Clean50 for 2027.
Press Release
BAYSVILLE, ON – October 15, 2026 – Muskoka builder recognized in the Building category for carbon-storing SEED prefab panels that build climate resilience into every home, and for sharing the designs openly so communities can build their own.
Melinda Zytaruk, co-founder of Tooketree Passive Homes, has been named one of Canada's 2027 Clean50 Honourees in the Building category. Announced annually by Delta Management Group, Canada's Clean50 awards recognize the 50 individuals or small teams, from 16 categories, who have done the most to contribute to Canada's clean economy over the past two years.
"Building a house used to mean months on-site and a mountain of waste; Melinda's version ships from a factory in pieces and assembles like a serious IKEA kit," said Gavin Pitchford, CEO, Delta Management Group. "She invented a prefab panel made from natural materials that sequesters 17 kilograms of carbon per square metre and has locked away more than 110,000 kilograms of CO2e. The resulting homes use 80 to 90 percent less energy than a code-built equivalent."
Pitchford added: "Her retrofit panel is now being implemented or explored by non-market housing providers in Haliburton, Hamilton and Toronto. Melinda has also signed partnerships to help Indigenous and community organizations, including in Newfoundland and Labrador, build their own panel plants, with her designs licensed under Creative Commons so the blueprint spreads as fast as communities can build it."
Zytaruk was chosen after rigorous screening and research by Delta Management, with advice from internal researchers and external advisors, from an initial pool of well over 1,000 qualified nominees. "Delta's criteria in determining Honourees is to carefully consider actual measurable accomplishments, demonstrated innovation, collaboration with other organizations, and the power of the Honouree's contribution to inspire other Canadians to take similar action," said Pitchford. "To receive a Clean50 award is truly indicative of nationwide and personal leadership in the Building category."
"I'm honoured to be among this year's Clean50 recipients. Every SEED panel we build in Baysville is proof that housing can be fast, affordable and healthy while storing carbon instead of emitting it. Licensing our designs openly means communities from Muskoka to Newfoundland and Labrador and anywhere else in Canada can build their own, and that's how this scales," said Melinda Zytaruk, MES, CPHB, co-founder of Tooketree Passive Homes.
Tooketree's SEED (Sustainable, Ecological, Efficient, Durable) roof, floor and wall panels are fabricated entirely in Baysville from 98% Canadian materials, including Ontario wood, Ontario-made dense-pack cellulose insulation and Quebec-engineered woodfibre board, combined with German-engineered vapour barriers. Panels arrive ready to assemble, exceed Ontario Building Code requirements, and align with Passive House standards, producing airtight, exceptionally insulated homes built to last for generations.
"We slash build times by more than half for developers, offer one of the healthiest building products, and understand the political and public landscape when it comes to housing the most vulnerable and at-risk residents," said Rick Zytaruk, P.Eng., CPHB, co-founder and CFO of Tooketree. "We want everyone, regardless of household income, to have a healthy residence, not just fast and affordable, but using healthy materials and built to endure decades."
The Clean50 honour adds to Tooketree's national recognition: the company was named one of Canada's most investable cleantech ventures by Foresight Canada and received the Innovation in Industry Award at the 2024 Ontario Embodied Carbon Awards.
Melinda Zytaruk's Clean50 profile and the full list of 2027 Honourees are available at clean50.com.
About Tooketree Passive Homes
Tooketree Passive Homes is an award-winning, mission-driven social enterprise in Baysville, Ontario, specializing in sustainable, prefabricated and Passive House construction. Co-founded by daughter-and-father team Melinda Zytaruk, MES, CPHB, and Rick Zytaruk, P.Eng., CPHB, Tooketree designs and manufactures SEED (Sustainable, Ecological, Efficient, Durable) Building Systems and manages the design-build process, working with government agencies, municipalities, developers and NGOs to deliver high-quality, affordable housing. Tooketree has been named one of Canada's most investable cleantech ventures by Foresight Canada and received the Innovation in Industry Award at the 2024 Ontario Embodied Carbon Awards.
About Delta Management Group / Canada's Clean50
Leading ESG, sustainability and clean tech search firm Delta Management Group founded, and remains the steward of the Canada's Clean50 awards, created in 2011 to annually identify, recognize and connect 50 sustainability leaders from every sector of Canadian endeavour, in order to facilitate understanding, collaboration and innovation in the fight to keep climate change impacts below 1.5 degrees C. Ancillary awards also recognize 20 Emerging Leaders and the 30 Top Sustainability Projects of the year, as well as bestow 5 Lifetime Achievement designations. In all, Clean50 awards have now recognized over 1,250 individual Canadians and over 300 projects.
