The Wellington Catholic District School Board and the Upper Grand District School Board received nearly $13 million from the provincial and federal government in support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding is part of $656.5 million in to provide infrastructure upgrades in Ontario’s schools – $525.2 million from the feds and $131.3 million from the province through the COVID-19 resilience stream from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
“The Upper Grand District School Board will receive a total of $10,969,000, with the government of Canada investing $8,775,200 and the government of Ontario investing $1,193,800,” said Heather Loney, communications coordinator at the UGDSB.
Loney said the funding will help the UGDSB work on HVAC renovations and upgrade building control systems which will help improve indoor learning environments for students and staff.
Alison Wilson, communications coordinator at the WCDSB stated that the board will receive a total of $1,999,490 out of which $1,599,568 is from the federal government and $399,892 from the provincial government.
She said the funding will include upgrades to ventilation systems, HVAC systems, plumbing systems for touchless water refill stations and partitions for student and staff safety.
“We are grateful for the support provided by the federal and provincial government through this funding announcement. Student and staff safety is of paramount importance to us and this funding will continue to add to the investments being made in our schools to ensure this outcome is achieved,” said Michael Glazier director of education at the WCDSB.
“Upgrades, such as touchless taps in each of our schools, will help promote safety and good health for all. We look forward to having these projects underway shortly so our students and staff can enjoy their benefits.”
A press release from the province said the majority of funding for schools across the province will support ventilation projects that improve air quality in classrooms.Projects also include HVAC renovations, installing water bottle refilling stations to improve access to safe drinking water, investing in network and broadband infrastructure to support remote learning, and space reconfigurations such as new walls and doors to enhance physical distancing.
