Canada’s Environment Minister was in Guelph on Thursday to announce funding for two local businesses and their innovative plans to help tackle climate change.
Catherine McKenna announced $2.5 million to help the Newton Group build a 40,000 square-foot extension to their Massey Road location.
READ MORE: Governments need to “work together” to fight climate change, environment minister says
The contracting company said the expansion will help them commercialize a new energy-efficient building method that is estimated to decrease construction time by one-third, reduce costs and allow for up to 65 per cent reduction in energy usage to heat and cool the buildings.
It’s also expected to create 28 full-time jobs.
Earlier in the day, McKenna announced another $8 million for Canadian Solar Solutions outside their Speedvale Avenue office.
The company said the funding will help them develop more efficient solar panels and is expected to create 50 full-time jobs in Guelph.
“We have a climate emergency and we know the solution,” McKenna said. “So we’re going to continue to look at opportunities to work with folks, businesses, school, hospitals and cities that want to work on climate change.”
BELOW: National climate emergency motion passes in House of Commons
McKenna noted that tackling bigger infrastructure projects, such as improving public transit, has been hampered by the Doug Ford government.
She said the federal government is ready to partner with them.
“We committed infrastructure dollars to improve transportation, to improve affordable housing, to invest in green infrastructure to tackle climate change and we wish they’d step up,” she said.
Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield said without provincial partners, the government has to find other funding partners.
“It’s going to slow down our progress because we have to go into other partnerships. But we hope that we get the province back to the table because we all have work to do to fight climate change,” he said.
Guelph’s Green Party candidate for the 2019 Federal Election, Steve Dyck, said he’s happy to see the federal government committed to local innovation projects, but criticized the Liberals for these one-off announcements when it comes to tackling climate change.
READ MORE: Field of candidates set in Guelph for 2019 federal election
“The Liberals have a great way of getting headlines during an election year, but what we don’t have is consistent dedication to taking action,” he said.
“Not what I would consider effective.”
Comments