Bradford West Gwillimbury receives federal funding for school conversion
The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury has received a grant of $5.3 million from the federal government that it will use to convert a former elementary school into a community hub.
Newmarket—Aurora MP Tony Van Bynen was among those on hand to make the announcement on October 28.
“Investing in green upgrades to public infrastructure makes sense for our environment, our communities, and our economy,” he said. “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.”
The town 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.
The improvements are expected to 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.
“We are honoured to be selected as one of the recipients of the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program,” said Mayor Rob Keffer. “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 building into a centralized community and social service hub that all residents can enjoy.”
The federal funding is being provided through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program. The program provides $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.