{"id":725,"date":"2021-04-14T14:54:21","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T18:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/willbouma.ca\/?p=725"},"modified":"2021-04-14T14:57:32","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T18:57:32","slug":"investment-in-local-schools-boards-to-protect-against-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willbouma.ca\/investment-in-local-schools-boards-to-protect-against-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Investment in Local Schools Boards to Protect Against COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Joint investments by Canada and Ontario will upgrade infrastructure to support response to the COVID-19 pandemic and keep students and staff safe <\/em><\/p>

NEWS April 14, 2021<\/strong><\/p>

BRANTFORD \u2014 The governments of Ontario and Canada are providing $10,069,500.00 for the Grand Erie District School Board and $2,036,235.00 for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to upgrade infrastructure at local schools to protect against COVID-19. The funding is being provided through the COVID-19 Reliance Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.<\/p>

The funding for these school boards will support building retrofits, updates and upgrades to their schools and co-located child care facilities.\u00a0 Projects can include HVAC renovations to improve air quality, installing water bottle refilling stations to improve access to safe drinking water, and space reconfigurations such as new walls and doors to enhance physical distancing.<\/p>

The investments build on the more than $1 billion the Ontario government has invested since 2019 in new schools and child care spaces and additions to provide working families with access to quality, safe, and state-of-the-art learning spaces. Supported by provincial funding, 95% of Ontario schools have reported upgrades or enhancements to their air filtration systems, with over 40,000 HEPA filters and other ventilation devices in classrooms.<\/p>

The Government of Canada is investing up to $525.2 million towards these projects through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Ontario is contributing $131.3 million to the projects.<\/p>

Annually, the Ontario government invests $1.4 billion in continuous maintenance and improvements to school facilities.<\/p>

Quotes<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cAs the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly highlighted, investments in the health and wellness of Ontarians is more critical than ever. Supporting air-quality and other infrastructure projects in schools helps to protect our communities, making them stronger, healthier and safer today, and for years to come.\u201d<\/p>

Hon. Laurie Scott, Ontario\u2019s Minister of Infrastructure. <\/em><\/p>

\u201cOntario\u2019s government is focused on protecting the lives of students, staff, and their families. We put a plan into action that leads the nation \u2014 delivering air ventilation improvements to over 95% of schools, 7,000 additional staff, and improved cleaning, testing, and stronger screening. This one-time investment will help improve the safety of schools, building upon Ontario\u2019s annual investment of over $1.4 billion to maintain schools and $550 million to build new schools. We also recognize that in addition to these school-based infrastructure investments, Ontario\u2019s plan to defeat this pandemic includes vaccines for school staff. We have prioritized education staff in high priority communities and all special education staff across the province, and will expand to all staff as supply becomes available.\u201d<\/p>

Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education<\/em><\/p>

\u201cToday\u2019s funding announcement for the Grand Erie District School Board and the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board is another step forward to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This joint funding arrangement with our Federal Government partners shows the pathway to defeat this virus is through cooperation and collaboration with all levels of government. \u00a0Better air quality and school-based funding is not only beneficial to the schools and students, but benefits the wider community as well.\u201d<\/p>

Will Bouma, MPP Brantford-Brant<\/em><\/p>

QUICK FACTS<\/strong><\/p>