Latest news with #UGDSB
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
New elementary school will officially be named ‘Grand River Public School' in Fergus, Ont.
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) approved a name for a new elementary school opening north of Guelph, in time for the next school year. The school, set to open in Fergus, Ont. in September, will officially be called Grand River Public School. The UGDSB had a committee formed and created an online survey for name suggestions as part of the process. They said they received more than 500 submissions for name ideas from the public. Community members were then invited to a virtual town hall to rank their favourites from the list, where the name Grand River Public School came out on top. The new school will open on Kirvan Street and Elliott Avenue East in the Storybrook Subdivision.
Global News
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Advocacy group calls for relief measures for Guelph schools without air conditioning
With warmer temperatures on the way in Guelph, a children's health advocate group is seeking relief for students and teachers across Canada who are stuck in classrooms without air conditioning. Currently, there are 10 schools in the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) that do not have air conditioning. Erica Phipps, executive director of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE), said there's an urgency to address the issue. 'Now is the time to make the plans, make the investments. Set the schedule for school upgrades and start chipping away at that backlog and that need for adequate cooling across all schools.' According to a recent report from the CPCHE, data shows that extreme heat affects a child's health and learning ability. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Heather Loney, spokesperson for the UGDSB, said retrofitting older buildings is a challenge. Story continues below advertisement Loney said the aging infrastructure poses some challenges when it comes to installing air conditioning in older buildings, including Victory Public School, which is over 100 years old. 'The infrastructure of putting air conditioning into a building such as that would be very different from a better school that was built a few years ago,' Loney said. Phipps said the group is calling on multiple levels of government to set the temperature threshold in school buildings and educational facilities to 26 C as a matter of policy. The CPCHE has suggested a number of climate resilience measures inside and outside of the classroom that are cost-effective, including installing window blinds or shades to keep some of the incoming solar radiation out of the classroom, appropriate guidance on fans and tree canopies and light-coloured roofs. In addition to the levels of government, the CPHE's call to action extends to educators and parents in the communities affected. 'We very much encourage parents, educators, young people and others to pick it up and run with it. Take the call to action to your local school board, members of parliament or provincial leadership. We need to make it clear and have a strong, collective voice that action on this is needed,' she said. Phipps said the upgrades need to be part of routine maintenance and done with a sense of urgency. Story continues below advertisement Loney said the board has been routinely implementing measures suggested by the CPCHE, such as light-coloured roofs and tree canopies. And as part of the board's multi-year plan, she said the UGDSB is looking at opportunities to add green energy technology into those schools and buildings impacted.
