More than 1000 publicly funded schools across the province will be made more energy efficient to give Ontario students better places to learn and help boards save energy and money. Construction will start as soon as this summer.

This two-year investment will help improve existing schools across Ontario, while creating and sustaining more than 5,500 jobs. Of the $550-million investment, $400 million will be allocated to:

• Conduct energy audits to help manage and conserve energy
• Retrofit buildings with new energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and boilers.

For the Timiskaming-Cochrane area, this means:

• $4,404,498 for Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Grandes Rivières
• $3,610,099 for Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario
• $1,324,491 for Conseil scolaire de district catholique Franco-Nord
• $1,151,835 for Conseil scolaire de district du Nord-Est de l'Ontario
• $3,885,764 for District School Board Ontario North East
• $4,140,917 for Near North District School Board
• $1,023,831 for Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board
• $1,462,699 for Northeastern Catholic District School Board
• $4,521,874 for Rainbow District School Board
• $2,343,330 for Sudbury Catholic District School Board

The total allocation for the 10 school boards in Timiskaming-Cochrane is $27,869,338.

The remaining $150 million will be allocated on a project-by-project basis to improve the learning environment for students currently in energy inefficient portables and schools.

The investment will save school boards money by reducing energy bills and will create jobs in Ontario's new green economy.

Ontario schools are also teaching kids how to be more environmentally friendly. Starting in the fall of 2009, environmental education will be added to the curriculum in every subject in every grade. And programs such as EcoSchools are teaching students about conserving energy, minimizing waste and greening school grounds.

QUOTES

"A vibrant school environment starts from the ground up. By retrofitting our schools right here in Timiskaming-Cochrane, we’re creating jobs while saving energy and money, and teaching our kids about greener ways to live," said MPP David Ramsay.

"Making our school facilities more energy efficient promotes better, greener learning environments — a key ingredient to building the best possible publicly funded education system in the world, and one that inspires confidence in our communities and success in our students."

– Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education

QUICK FACTS

• This year, school boards will spend about $460 million on utility bills.
• This investment will help lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce annual energy consumption by about 100 million megajoules per year, enough to power over 2,500 houses.
• Since 2003, the McGuinty government has invested $4.8 billion through the Good Places to Learn program. So far, almost 12,000 school renewal projects, which include replacing roofs, windows and boilers, are underway or completed across the province.