HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-04-28, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2005.
HPCDSB plans repairs and upgrades
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Repairs and upgrades have
been planned for 12 different
properties within the Huron-
Perth Catholic District School
Board, in order to capitalize
on just over $1 million to be
sent the board’s direction by
the Ontario government’s
recently-announced Good
Places to Learn initiative.
Estimated project costs
range from over $192,000 in
lighting upgrades and
masonry repair at Stratford’s
St. Ambrose elementary
school, to about $8,500 in
exterior lighting at Our Lady
of Mount Carmel elementary
school.
According to business
superintendent Gerry Thuss,
facilities officials based their
decisions partly on
architectural assessments
carried out by provincially-
mandated consultants, and
partly on how they believed
the subsequent provincial
priorities should be applied
locally.
“Out of the ‘high’ and
‘urgent’ priorities from the
Good Places to Learn
(assessment), we focussed
mainly on the sites where
there were potential ‘life
safety’ issues,” Thuss told
trustees at a meeting Monday,
April 25. This includes
exterior lighting, emergency
lighting and fire alarms.
From there, facilities
officials began looking at
buildings where the exterior
integrity could become
compromised, primarily due
to weathered or cracked brick
work.
“Over the last few years,
we’ve gone a fair distance in
terms of our roofing systems
throughout the board,” Thuss
explained. “So we’re really in
pretty good shape that way.”
Good Places To Learn
funding will be channelled to
roofing work at two sites,
however, with about $24,000
to be spent at St. Columban
elementary school and over
$18,000 at St. James
elementary school in Seaforth.
South Perth trustee Bernard
Murray questioned the
inclusion on the list of
Stratford’s 12-year-old St.
Michael Catholic Secondary
School, which is slated to
undergo a $20,000 “major
study of loose brick on
rooftop and throughout
building exterior.”
“It sort of bothers one to
think that we’ve got schools
that are a lot older that aren’t
having any work done,” said
Murray, the board chair.
Thuss responded that it’s
unfortunate deterioration has
occurred on a building of such
vintage. But he suggested the
Good Places To Learn
initiative allows the board to
address the problem when it
arises, rather than put it off
until it becomes more serious.
“Under the old program, it
probably would have waited,”
the business superintendent
said. “But it needs to be
done.”
It’s expected all 12 projects
will be undertaken within the
next year, with many expected
to be completed over the
summer. South
Huron/Bluewater trustee
Mike Miller expressed
concern about the availability
of both contractors and
materials if all Ontario school
boards attempt to meet their
Good Places To Learn
expectations in the next few
months. But Thuss responded,
“we’re confident we can get
much of the work done this
summer.”
The other big-ticket item on
the list involves three separate
projects at Holy Name of
Mary elementary school in St.
Marys. Totalling an estimated
$175,450. these include:
repair of an 1876 foundation
wall, replacement of a rooftop
air handling system, and
replacement of interior
lighting.
Sacred Heart elementary
school in Wingham will
undergo about $115,000 in
work, including interior and
exterior lighting, as well as
repair of footings and
foundations. Masonry repairs
will dominate at St. Boniface
elementary school in Zurich,
with some lighting upgrades
increasing the total to about
$88,000. The same holds true
at St. Aloysius elementary
school in Stratford, with the
tally there reaching an
estimated $ 112,000.
Lighting, ventilation and
fire alarm upgrades at St.
Patrick’s elementary school in
Kinkora will cost about
$87,000. And there will be
about $60,000 in lighting
work at St. Patrick’s in
Dublin.
Eats for the Sweets
Marissa Nesbitt enjoyed the delicious start to her day at the Blyth Legion
Ladies Auxiliary breakfast on Sunday morning. (Vicky Bremnerphoto)
Junior winners
Two Grade 6 students from Blyth Public School
achieved awards at the Avon Maitland District
School Board and the Huron Perth Catholic
School Board Science Fair held April 7 in
Seaforth. Laura Peach won with her project
entitled, Effects of Pollutants on Aquatic
EcoSystems and Grant Sparling won with his
project, Invention on Magnetic Levitation, (jim
Brown photo)
Notice to Farmers
On March 29, the federal government announced the Farm Income
Payment Program, which will deliver $1 billion in assistance to
Canadian farmers.
The program includes two components:
The War Amps
believes
in the
dreams
of child
amputees.
The Winner’s Circle
philosophy of the
CHAMP Program helps
make their dreams
come true.
For more information, or to order your 2005 key tags,
contact The War Amps.
E-ZEE ACCESS. TEL.: 1-800-250-3030
FAX: 1-800-219-8988
or visit our Web site at
www.waramps.ca
Charitable Registration No.: 13196 9628 RR0001
A general payment of $841.5 million. Producers of all
commodities, with the exception of supply managed
commodities, are eligible for this payment.
A direct payment of $155 million to producers of cattle and
other eligible ruminants including bison, elk, deer, goats and
sheep.
If you received a payment under the Transitional Industry Support
Program (TISP) in 2004, you do not need to apply. Payments will
be sent to you automatically.
If you did not receive a payment under the TISP program in 2004,
you can apply now. Applications are now available on the Farm
Income Payment Web site at www.agr.gc.ca/fip
or by calling toll free at 1-866-367-8506.
The deadline to apply is July 31, 2005.
■ jju ■ Agriculture and Agriculture et■ H Agri-Food Canada Agroalimentaire Canada Canada