Today, Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and His Worship Rob Keffer, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury, announced over $5.3 million to retrofit an unused elementary school in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
"Investing in green upgrades to public infrastructure makes sense for our environment, our communities, and our economy," said Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. "The retrofits to this unused elementary school will reduce operational costs and GHG emissions while also providing an easily accessible community centre for the residents of Bradford West Gwillimbury."
"We are honoured to be selected as one of the recipients of the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program," said His Worship Rob Keffer, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury. "As one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada, we have and will continue to experience an increased demand for community services, including our local Helping Hand Food Bank. This significant contribution toward Bradford West Gwillimbury's future Community Hub will support the revitalization of this ~28,000 ft2 building into a centralized community and social service hub that all residents can enjoy."
The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury will transform the former school by upgrading the infrastructure and equipment with energy efficient alternatives, redoing the building envelope, increasing wall insulation, installing a new roof with insulation, and putting in high-quality energy-saving windows. These improvements will reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 67.6% and greenhouse gas emissions by 83 tonnes annually.
The building will be repurposed as a community centre for underserved populations, providing a centralized, easily accessible location for a variety of social services such as a food bank. This multi-purpose facility will be a welcoming, inclusive place for vulnerable community members to go when they need a helping hand. It will contribute to building a better, more equal community.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.
