On April 25, 2023, Guelph parent Sam Stevenson addressed the Upper Grand District School Board in a pitch to convince trustees that the new high school planned for Gueph’s south end should be fossil free. Here is his address to the board.
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April 25, 2023:
I’m Sam Stevenson. I live in Guelph and I’m a parent of two kids.
I want to thank you, School Board Trustees and staff, for your time tonight. Thanks for your work in supporting a great education for children and youth. You do a lot to invest in our upcoming generations, from building and maintaining schools, to promoting programming, wellbeing, and inclusion. Thanks for all you do.
Last September I read about the new high school planned for Guelph. I am excited to see it coming because my kids will attend it.
However, I was quite disappointed to see it was planned to get a fossil fuel heating system.
I and many others in the community hope to see the Board take a different direction. This is an opportunity to build Canada’s first high school with no fossil fuel infrastructure from the get-go.
And I am very pleased to see the Board is open to considering electric heat pump heating as an alternative to fossil gas.
So my asks tonight are:
- That the Board financially analyzes the upfront and long-term cost of 100% electric heat pump vs gas heating for the new high school and presents a recommendation at an upcoming Board meeting about building the school with no fossil fuel infrastructure, and
- That the Board temporarily pauses issuing the request for tender for the school until the recommendation above is presented and decided on.
I understand we need a new high school. Other schools are over capacity and new housing is coming to Guelph and area.
I also understand the School Board can’t raise taxes, you’ve cut down the size of this school already, and you’ve put a lot work into designing and costing it. It would certainly be much more convenient to just go forward with a gas system.
But as you know, we have a worsening climate crisis and global calls to urgently reduce fossil fuel emissions. Climate change is destroying families and communities, risking the animals we love, and risking peace and economic security. Oil and gas projects are also violating indigenous rights. And so a fossil fuel heating system at this school would add to our climate problem and the demand for an unethical energy source.
The City of Guelph is also working towards reducing total community emissions. The goal is 63 percent lower emissions by 2030 compared to 2018. I’m also working on decarbonizing my home by replacing my end of life gas furnace and water heater with heat pumps. Constructing this school with a fossil fuel heating system will make it harder our community and families to reach our climate goals. It would also lock the school board into emissions for about 20 years and would require a costly retrofit down the road to move to electric.
Let’s talk about money. Skipping a fossil fuel heating system at this school may save a lot of it.
$715,000 is roughly how much the Board will spend on Federal Carbon Pollution Pricing this year. With a few assumptions it will go up to about 1 million in 2025 and 1.5 million in 2030. I recognize the Board is implementing air source heat pumps at a few schools this year to bring down emissions – which is amazing and kudos to the team. I would encourage you to not counter these installs with another fossil fuel heating system at this new school. Let’s bring the carbon fees down.
Heat pumps are the proven alternative to fossil gas heating. They capture heat from outdoors to then warm indoor air and water. Air source heat pumps, for example, are up to 340% efficient, which is more than three times better than gas boilers. This may mean operational cost savings. Heat pumps can also cool in the summer, so installing them at this school could mean no need for a separate air conditioning system.
There are also many local examples of organizations going with heat pump installations, such as the new Cooperators HQ in Guelph, the West End and Victoria Rec Centres, and the heating system planned for the new south Guelph rec centre.
The last things I’ll mention are electrifying this school will be a major tangible achievement towards the Board’s Strategic Pillar of Lead through sustainability. It will be an inspiration to our youth by showing that public institutions can construct low-carbon buildings given planful spending. It will also be an outstanding environmental and STEM educational opportunity.
To conclude, what is at stake here is a livable climate, indigenous rights, potentially a lot of financial savings, and inspiration for our youth. The School Board needs to make an evidence-informed decision about what heating system to install at this school and whether to ultimately make it free of fossil fuel infrastructure. Myself and many of your constituents are pleased the Board is open to this and we support the Board in following through on the asks being presented this evening.
Thanks for your time,
Sam Stevenson
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June 2023:
In June the School Board approved a motion directing staff to financially analyze the upfront and long-term cost of heat pump heating for the new high school.
This is moving the Board closer to realizing what would be the first high school in Canada with no fossil fuel infrastructure when built – exactly the direction climate science and ethics is demanding.
Thanks for voicing your support for this.
Next steps for the Board are:
- Finish the mechanical and electrical review.
- Summer/Fall 2023: Submit the Approval to Proceed application to the Ministry of Education for review and approval.
Critical will be the Board submitting the Approval to Proceed with no fossil fuel infrastructure in the school’s design along with a reasonable budget.
If you can, please take a minute to email your local Trustee to thank them for the motion and to express your continued support for no fossil-fuel infrastructure at this school.
Thanks again,
Sam Stevenson
Get Involved and Support This Campaign
Take a minute to email your local trustee to express your support for the Electrify Arkell campaign.
Sam has created a Facebook page on this campaign here.
You can view the presentation to trustees and their response here.
Media reports on the issue can be found at Wellington Advertiser and Guelph Today
