Environmental Highlights at Grand Erie
Grand Erie is proud to be environment leaders in the community. The Board has taken leadership in three areas: Maintenance and Energy, Construction and Renewal, and School Ground Greening.
Maintenance and Energy:
- Building Automation Systems at each of our eighty locations which allow us to control and monitor the heating, ventilation and cooling systems, as well as lighting and security.
- Energy monitoring is done in order to assess how our schools operate and sleep (when unoccupied).
- Filling Stations: Grand Erie DSB is currently piloting the installation and use of Water Filling Stations throughout a few schools in order to reduce the amount of one-time-use plastic water bottles and encourage the use of reusable water bottles.
Construction and Renewal:
- A Green Building Report Card is completed for new builds. This considers and assesses environmental factors and designs before, during and after the building process.
- A Geothermal system was installed at Brantford Collegiate Institute when major renovation, restoration and renewal were completed.
- Installation of a Gray water System at Cobblestone school where all rainwater is collected from the roof, travels down a series of pipes and is collected in a large 50,000L holding tank in front of the school. From here it is pumped back into the school where the rainwater is chlorinated and filtered for reuse in urinals and toilets
Operations:
- Recycling is done at all eighty school locations – most recycling programs within our schools are partnered with the local municipalities for a curbside recycling program. This is effective – how and what the students recycle at home, is recycled at school and vice versa.
- Compositing is done at a number of our schools through outdoor units or through vermin-composting within classrooms.
- Harsh cleaning chemicals have been replaced with certified green cleaning products. These products are not only safer for our environment but also for the health of our staff and students.
- Annual waste audit and reductions plans are completed at at least one secondary and one elementary school. This provides us with a better understanding of what is going into our recycling and waste, the quantities and allows us to evaluate how we may reduce the amount of waste we are creating.
School Ground Greening:
- Over the past few years, Grand Erie DSB has made a significant effort in greening our school grounds in order to provide our students with adequate protection from harmful UV rays, as well as provide creative, engaging and natural areas for play.
- Here are some examples of Greening projects that are happening in Grand Erie
o King George Public School, Brantford, Ontario – received $100,000 from Aviva in order to green their school ground. Their once prison-ground looking yard has now been completely transformed and offers students plenty of play areas, an outdoor classroom and brand new equipment.
o Bellview Public School, Brantford, Ontario – received support and funding through the Brantford/Brant Earth Week Events Committee to begin their school greening project. The school managed to raise the additional funds needed through grants in order to transform their yard.
o Paris District High School, Paris, Ontario – is currently applying for grants and raising funds to improve the unused outdoor courtyard at their school. Gardens have been overhauled and plans are currently in place to reconstruct a deck.
For an updated list of available grants or more information related to Grand Erie's envioronmental initiatives, please contact Katie Hashimoto, Supervisor – Energy and Environmental Conservation at: katharine.hashimoto@granderie.ca or at 519-756-6301, ext. 281197.