Bridgewater Jr. High is one of the seven schools receiving funding for upgrades. Photo: SSRCE
Schools in Nova Scotia are receiving provincial and federal funding for retrofits.
$25 million was announced yesterday, with five million dollars coming from the province.
The South Shore Regional Centre for Education (SSRCE) will be receiving a portion of that, though they are not saying how much to avoid compromising the tender process.
Seven schools in the SSRCE are set to undergo work as a result of the funding.
- Aspotogan Consolidated School –upgrades to HVAC system.
- Bayview Community School – upgrades to HVAC system.
- Bridgewater Jr High – building envelope repairs.
- West Northfield Elementary School – roof replacement.
- North Queens Community School, Air Handler installation
- Bluenose Academy – accessibility controls.
- Chester District Elementary School – HVAC upgrades, roof/window/door/replacement
According to SSRCE Director of Operations Tina Williamson, they do not anticipate any of the work will disrupt classroom activities.
Some of the projects provide an opportunity for the schools to become more energy efficient which is important as schools have been mandated to be carbon neutral by 2050.
SSRCE Executive Director Paul Ash says they will be looking to make energy-efficient upgrades where possible and in some cases, he thinks it might be enough to meet their goals.
“It’s possible we could reach some of our goals with the upgrades to HVAC systems that are set to take place, and throughout the process, we’ll be looking for opportunities to improve,” Ash said.
The tender process is already underway for some of the projects with the remainder set to be sent out in the coming weeks. The SSRCE anticipate work will start over the Summer and they hope to have a majority of the projects before students return to class in September.
“We were pleased with the announcement from the government and we always appreciate when they recognize the importance of funding education and our next generation,” Ash says.
The federal government funding comes from the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
