Joint Federal-Provincial Infrastructure Funding for Durham Schools
Investments will upgrade infrastructure to support response to the COVID-19 pandemic and keep students and staff safe
The funding is being provided through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), with the federal government investing $525.2 million to the projects, and Ontario contributing $131.3 million.
School boards across Durham are receiving the following funding:
- Durham District School Board $17,590,360
- Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board $10,750,000
- Durham Catholic District School Board $7,442,675
- Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board $8,356,433
- Conseil scolaire catholique Mon Avenir $8,782,425
- Conseil scolaire Viamonde $11,024,000
Since 2018, in Durham Region, the Ontario government has also announced new elementary schools in Oshawa, Pickering and Whitby and new high schools in Oshawa.
The majority of this ICIP funding will support ventilation projects that improve air quality in classrooms. Projects include HVAC renovations to improve air quality, 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.
Annually, the Ontario government invests $1.4 billion in continuous maintenance and improvements to school facilities.
Quotes
“We must take continual steps to modernize school infrastructure to the latest health and safety standards, particularly in light of the over $15 billion school infrastructure
deficit left by the previous provincial Liberal government,” said Lindsey Park, MPP Durham. “This funding will enable the school boards to continue to put measures in place that help keep students and staff safe.”
“This investment will help further improve the safety of schools, and supports parents, staff and students who want in-person learning protected,” said David Piccini, MPP Northumberland-Peterborough South. “These critical upgrades will create safer classrooms, improve connectivity, and ensure better learning environments for our kids both through to the end of the pandemic and beyond.”
“Nothing is more important than keeping Durham Region schools safe for students, staff and their families,” said Lorne Coe, MPP Whitby and Chief Government Whip. “Today’s joint investments will allow Durham School Boards to proceed with building retrofits, updates and upgrades to schools, as well as co-located child care facilities.”
“One of the government’s top priorities remains the health and safety of our students and staff in our educational institutions,” said Rod Phillips MPP for Ajax. “The joint investment of over $17.5 million to the Durham Region School Boards is crucial to improve and modernize our schools here in Ajax and across Durham Region.”
“The funding allocated to our Durham Region school boards will support projects such as HVAC renovations to improve air quality and space reconfigurations such as new walls and doors to enhance physical distancing to help protect students and staff from COVID-19 in Pickering-Uxbridge and across the Durham Region,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge.
“Ontario’s government is focused on protecting the lives of students, staff, and their families. We put a plan into action that leads the nation — delivering air ventilation improvements to over 95% of schools, 7,000 additional staff, and improved cleaning, testing, and stronger screening,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “This one-time investment will help improve the safety of schools, building upon Ontario’s 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’s 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.”
“As 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.” The Honourable Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure for Ontario.