Environmental Reports

Environmental Sustainability Action Plan

“Schools have a vital role to play in preparing our young people to take their place as informed, engaged, and empowered citizens who will be pivotal in shaping the future of our province, our country and our global environment.” Ontario Ministry of Education, Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future (2007), p. 1

The UGDSB Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (2019-2024) will ensure students are prepared to take their place as informed, engaged, and empowered citizens who will be pivotal in shaping the future of our province, our country and our global environment.

The Environmental Sustainability Action Plan has four pillars:

1. Learning and Teaching – Expand students’ knowledge, skills, and practices and enhance critical thinking skills in order to be environmentally responsible citizens.
2. Staff and Student Engagement – Participate actively in practising and promoting environmental stewardship.
3. Environmental Leadership – Environmental Education is integrated into school board policies, procedures, and strategic plans.
4. Community Connections and Partnerships – Extend engagement in environmental education to the broader community.

View the UGDSB Environmental Sustainability Action Plan graphic (PDF)

Drinking Water Systems

There are 14 schools in our district that get their drinking water from wells. All of our other schools are on municipal water systems. In accordance with Ontario’s Drinking Water Systems Regulation (Ontario Regulation 170/03), Upper Grand’s annual reports on drink water systems are available online.

Broader Public Sector Energy Reporting

Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan

On January 1st 2019, the Green Energy Act, 2009 was repealed. Conservation and energy efficiency initiatives, such as the Broader Public Sector Energy Reporting requirements, were added to the Electricity Act, 1998.

The original regulation titled “O. Reg. 397/11 (Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plans)” has been re-titled and reworded as “O. Reg. 507/18 (Broader Public Sector: Energy Reporting and Conservation and Demand Management Plans)”. This regulation applies to school boards.

The Lieutenant Governor may by regulation:

1. Require a public agency to prepare and submit to the Ministry an energy conservation and demand management plan and,
2. Require a public agency to achieve targets prescribed by regulation and meet energy and environmental standards prescribed by regulation, including standard for energy conservation and demand management.

The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) developed and made public its Conservation and Demand Management Plan for 2014-19. This original document is based on a template provided by the OMC Energy Committee. The current, updated Conservation and Demand Management Plan for 2019-2024 also follows an updated template from the OMC Energy Committee.

Annual Energy Consumption

On or before July 1 of each year, every school board shall submit to the Minister and publish on its website their Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions data for operations conducted in the past year using the Ministry of Energy template. The UGDSB has published this data annually and posted it to the Boards website since the 2011-12 school year.

Each board is required to report on the energy use by all facilities currently in-use by the board. The use of electricity, natural gas and heating oil for each building is identified in the report below. The report has been generated using the Ministry of Energy’s reporting template.

As part of Ontario Regulation 507/18, Boards are required to submit their completed report to the Ministry of Energy, post the consumption data for all their sites on both their internet and intranet sites, and provide a hard copy at their Head Office to any interested member of the public. Persons with disabilities who require the files below in an alternative accessible format may contact [email protected].

UGDSB Broader Public Sector Energy Report 2020 2021

UGDSB Broader Public Sector Energy Report 2019-2020

UGDSB Broader Public Sector Energy Report 2018-2019

UGDSB Broader Public Sector Energy Report 2017-2018

UGDSB Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan 2019-2024

UGDSB Report on Conservation and Cost Savings 2013-2018

Past Reports under the Green Energy Act

2014-2019 Energy Management Plan

2016-2017 Green Energy Act Report

2015-2016 Green Energy Act Report

2014-2015 Green Energy Act Report

2013-2014 Green Energy Act Report

2012-2013 Green Energy Act Report

2011-2012 Green Energy Act Report

Water Testing for Lead

As required by Ontario Regulation 243/07, Schools, Private Schools and Day Nurseries are required to carry out annual sampling and testing for lead. Records of flushing and testing for the previous six years are available online.

For information about environmental education in schools, visit the Environmental initiatives page in the Program section of this website.