Richmond elementary school named greenest in Canada
RICHMOND (NEWS 1130) – A school in Richmond has been named the “greenest” in Canada.
W.D. Ferris Elementary was given top marks in a country-wide competition, run by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). It looked at how environmental education is emphasized at the school, at conservation programs and efforts, how school facilities benefit the health of students, and recent community initiatives.
Experts in green building looked at applications from across the country, and found Ferris stood out for encouraging active transportation, efforts in waste reduction, as well as water and energy consumption.
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Audits show students and staff have reduced the amount of compostable garbage at the school by 95 per cent in the past decade.
It also installed water bottle refilling stations, which reduced the number of plastic bottles used in the building by thousands.
Faculty encouraged students to engage in letter-writing campaigns and to sign petitions, engaging with their local leaders on environmental and conservation issues.
“The Ferris school community is very honoured to be chosen as Canada’s Greenest School for 2019 by the Canada Green Building Council. We also want to acknowledge the hard work done by students and staff daily in schools across Canada to educate their communities about environmental stewardship,” Principal Diane Steele said in a release. “We encourage all schools to inspire green minded change in their communities.”
The school is receiving a $2,000 prize from the CaGBC to put toward one of its sustainability projects.
