Unused School Building in Bradford West Gwillimbury to be Turned into Community Hub 

From: Infrastructure Canada

News release

Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario, October 28, 2022—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.

Quick facts

  • The Government of Canada is investing over $5.3 million through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.

  • The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program is an integral part of Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan, providing $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. 

  • At least 10 percent of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.

  • Provincial/territorial governments, municipal or regional governments, public sector bodies, not-for-profit, and Indigenous organizations interested in the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program are invited to apply on the Infrastructure Canada website. 

  • Applicants with large retrofit projects to existing community buildings or new community building projects with total eligible costs ranging from $3 million to $25 million were accepted through a competitive intake process which closed on July 6, 2021. A second intake is anticipated later in 2022, however, the date has not yet been determined. Details about the second intake will be published to the Infrastructure Canada – Green and Inclusive Community Buildings’ website as soon as they become available.

  • Applicants with small and medium retrofit projects to existing community buildings ranging in total eligible cost from $100,000 to $2,999,999 will be accepted and funded on a rolling intake basis. 

  • Announced in December 2020, Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in investments towards a healthy environment and economy.

Associated links

Contacts

For more information (media only), please contact:

Jean-Sébastien Comeau
Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
343-574-8116
Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca

Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury
Victoria Simoes
Community Relations Officer

905-775-5366 ext.1103
vsimoes@townofbwg.com

Media Relations
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
media@infc.gc.ca
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Web: Infrastructure Canada

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