Gordon Bell High School in Winnipeg demonstrates leadership with federally supported retrofit

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

News release

December 9, 2024 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

Building fairness for every generation means taking real action to address climate change while cutting costs—including for schools.

Today, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, was joined by Vinh Huynh, Principal of the Gordon Bell High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to announce significant funding for an innovative project at the school to reduce pollution, improve energy efficiency, and lower energy costs.

Gordon Bell High School is receiving nearly $5 million in funding through the Green Infrastructure: Energy Efficient Buildings program to complete a retrofit that will create a comfortable, climate-resilient school environment with reduced operating costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The deep energy retrofit at Gordon Bell High School is targeting a 51% reduction in energy use and a 71% drop in natural gas consumption at the school. The savings in energy and natural gas consumption will also demonstrate the cost-reduction potential of building retrofit projects.

A key facet of the project is the development of a Retrofit Guide, a reference which will share insights supporting the adoption of energy-saving approaches in schools across Manitoba and Canada, as well as supporting course materials at Red River College. This project is an important showcase of techniques to decarbonize our schools, which can be replicated at the more than 640 public schools in Manitoba.

This investment is in line with the Government of Canada’s commitments through the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to deliver greater collaboration across levels of government and work more closely with Prairie partners on their priorities for a cleaner and more sustainable economy for all.

Federal climate action over the past nine years is working to drive greenhouse gas pollution down while the economy grows. Canada is seizing the opportunity ahead to build a strong economy with good-paying sustainable jobs, and to ensure a healthy environment for our children and grandchildren.

Quotes

“I would like to congratulate Gordon Bell High School on their leadership. This is a great example of how we can address climate change while driving cost savings.”
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadians. At a time when we are facing challenges with affordability and climate change, projects like the deep retrofit initiative at Gordon Bell High School deliver the action needed by Canadians of all ages, at the pace and scale they are demanding. Through investments like the one announced today, the Government of Canada is saving Canadians money, creating jobs, and seizing the economic opportunities of energy-efficient buildings.”
– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Winnipeg is a hub for green innovation and climate action. Today’s announcement is a great example for students in the community and across Manitoba. Gordon Bell High School’s leadership should be applauded, and I am proud that we delivered this nearly $5 million federal investment to the school, which will go a long way to reduce the school’s energy costs for years ahead.”
– Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

“Manitobans are seeing the impacts of climate change first-hand, and they want to know that governments and educational institutions are working together to protect the environment for our children and grandchildren. Our government applauds the Government of Canada for this significant investment to support retrofits that will reduce energy use and natural gas consumption at Gordon Bell High School, creating a comfortable, climate-resilient environment for students, staff, and everyone who visits this school in the heart of Winnipeg.”
– The Honourable Tracy Schmidt, Minister of Environment and Climate Change for Manitoba, Minister responsible for Efficiency Manitoba, and Acting Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning

“Winnipeg School Division is proud to be a partner with the Government of Canada and Province of Manitoba in the Gordon Bell High School retrofit project. Through this funding, the school will receive a much-needed upgrade and become a leader in climate change mitigation and action. We are excited that Gordon Bell will be a working-learning lab that will inspire learners to take significant climate action.”
– Matthew Henderson, Superintendent of Schools and Chief Executive Officer of the Board, Winnipeg School Division

Quick facts

The Gordon Bell High School Deep Energy Retrofit project aims to reduce energy use and natural gas consumption at Gordon Bell High School through a comprehensive deep energy retrofit. The school previously received funding to conduct an engineering design study for the retrofit.
Funding of $4,867,306 was provided to the Province of Manitoba, through Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Efficient Buildings Program.
A key outcome is the development of a Retrofit Guide, which will share insights across Manitoba and Canada, supporting replicable energy-saving approaches in schools and providing content for Red River College courses. The project is expected to demonstrate cost-reduction potential, enhance knowledge sharing, and increase adoption readiness.
Buildings are Canada’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly all building emissions—over 96%—come from space and water heating. To tackle this problem, major changes in the building sector are under way, with the potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs and help Canadians save money on their energy bills.
Retrofitting existing buildings, building green from the start, and choosing alternatives to fossil-fuel heating equipment, such as electric heat pumps, will help Canada achieve its net-zero commitments by 2050.
To reach Canada’s climate goals, reduce energy bills, and build up Canada’s supply of energy-efficient and resilient building stock, there is a need to accelerate the retrofit of approximately 10 million buildings and construct millions of new net-zero buildings in the coming decades.