Canada and British Columbia invest to improve ventilation in schools and social housing in Richmond
Richmond, British Columbia, May 25, 2023 — Today, Wilson Miao, Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre, Parm Bains, Member of Parliament for Richmond East, the Honourable Rachna Singh, B.C. Minister of Education and Child Care, the Honourable Ravi Kahlon, B.C. Minister of Housing, and Debbie Tablotney, Board Chair for Richmond School District 38, announced a joint investment of more than $2.4 million to improve ventilation systems in eight schools and in one social housing building in Richmond.
Through this investment, elementary and secondary schools in Richmond will renew their ventilation systems, including in their labs, and replace fume hoods. They will also make improvements to make-up air units, which pull in fresh air from outside the building into areas where frequent ventilation is needed, and to the schools’ direct digital controls, which will simplify heating and cooling processes by instituting a single control point for the facilities’ HVAC systems. Together, these improvements will reduce these schools’ energy consumption, leading to cost savings.
This investment will also enable ventilation improvements at Rosewood Towers, a social housing building in Richmond. Ventilation upgrades include replacing make-up air unit systems, dampers, bathroom exhaust fans, and new ventilation ducting throughout both towers.
These improvements will increase outdoor air intake and air cleaning, as well as upgrade system efficiency and sustainability, improving the comfort, health, and safety of students and residents.
British Columbia is on the front lines of the climate crisis, which is why the Province is taking action through the Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy introduced in 2022 – supported by more than half a billion dollars – to build a better, more resilient future for people and communities across British Columbia. It includes a suite of actions to respond to and prepare for climate impacts including our response to extreme heat.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing the country’s economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.