Schools across Nova Scotia will get retrofits, repairs and upgrades with more than $25 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments.
Derek Mombourquette, provincial Minster of Education and Early Childhood Development, joined federal and other provincial representatives on Wednesday at a virtual press conference to announce the spending.
The Government of Canada has put up more than $20.5 million through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing more than $5 million.
Mombourquette says the province typically spends about $6 million on repairs and infrastructure upgrades each year, on priorities dictated by each of the Regional Centres for Education.
“Each year we go through that process with them to determine what infrastructure requests they have within their schools systems, so this year we’re able to do more based on the wonderful support we’re receiving from our federal partners,” he says. “We’re going to be doing a lot more.”
Projects, which vary by region and school, include: energy efficiency improvements, including new windows and upgraded building systems, improved accessibility, including new elevators and lifts, and exterior and interior repairs, including new roofs or roof repairs, facade upgrades and painting.
Following is a breakdown by regional centres for education and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial:
-Halifax – 14 schools, $4.9 million
-Annapolis Valley – nine schools, $4.1 million
-Cape Breton-Victoria – six schools, $4.3 million
-Chignecto Central – 11 schools, $3.5 million
-Conseil scolaire acadien provincial – six schools, $3.7 million
-South Shore – seven schools, $2 million
-Strait – three schools, $1.5 million
-Tri-County – 20 schools, $1.7 million
