Office of Terry Sheehan
Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie
News Release
For Immediate Release
Local school boards to benefit from federal climate funding
March 11, 2021 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson and Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna have announced that the federal government will provide $40.8 million funding through the Climate Action Incentive Fund to upgrade 162 schools in Ontario to be more energy efficient. All school boards operating locally will benefit, including the Algoma District School Board ($288,237); the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board ($210,706) le Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario ($245,936); and le Conseil scolaire de district du Grand Nord de l’Ontario ($185,176).
Through a fair, minimal price on pollution, students and teachers will be provided with better indoor air quality, leading to better health outcomes for Ontario students and educators, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Energy-efficient buildings also pollute less and help schools save on energy costs while fighting climate change.
Canadians want to see action on climate change, and they know that pollution cannot be free. That’s why the Government of Canada is ensuring that there is a fair, minimum price on carbon pollution across the country and is returning the revenues back to households to make life more affordable and to communities to help them cut pollution and save on energy costs.
Upgrades to schools across Ontario are made possible by revenues from the federal carbon-pollution pricing system, which ensures that it is not free to pollute anywhere in Canada. In jurisdictions like Ontario, where the federal backstop currently applies, all revenues are returned to the province in which they were collected—approximately 90 percent of revenue goes back to families through the Climate Action Incentive rebate, leaving the majority of families better off. The other 10 percent is invested in pollution reduction projects—such as these proposed for schools.
In December 2020, Canada announced its strengthened climate plan, which builds on and accelerates climate action already underway, so we can exceed our 2030 Paris Agreement emissions reduction target and establish the building blocks to get to net-zero by 2050. The plan will make life more affordable for Canadians and make communities more livable, while focusing on creating jobs, growing the middle class, and supporting workers in a stronger and cleaner economy.
Quotes
“I am delighted that all four of our school boards are receiving this important funding. Better air quality and lowered pollution will benefit our children now and in the future.”
--Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedNor)
“We are extremely grateful for this investment in our schools. The money will be well utilized for much needed upgrades to ventilation, lighting and building management controls, all which will help to make the operations of our schools more efficient. We are thankful for the government’s support and recognition that it is a priority to ensure our students and staff have safe and healthy places to learn and work.”
-- Lucia Reece, Director of Education, Algoma District School Board.
“Through the price on pollution, we are supporting good projects in Ontario, which will provide students and teachers with healthier and more comfortable classrooms while tackling climate change. The price on pollution is also putting more money in the pockets of hard-working Ontario families, through the Climate Action Incentive rebate. This year, a family of four will receive $600 back after they file their taxes.”
– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“Making schools more energy efficient provides our kids with better air quality in classrooms, saves on energy costs, and delivers on climate action that our kids deserve. We’re reinvesting revenues back into our buildings through retrofits to reduce emissions for a cleaner, net-zero future.”
– The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“The federal CAIF funding, supplemented by Ontario Ministry of Education funding, is helping us to implement structural changes that are aligned with the views and actions of students across our school board. They are deeply committed to environmental issues and want to see the School Board do their part through energy-efficient retrofits.”
– Thomas D’Amico, Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic School Board
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Sandra Paul BA, MA, CHRP
Constituency Assistant to MP Terry Sheehan
369 Queen Street East
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
P6A 1Z4
Call landline: 705-941-2901
Call/text: 705-542-8463