Federal support is helping a children’s hospital upgrade its energy efficiency.
Canada’s environment ministry unveiled nearly $1 million through the Low Carbon Economy Fund for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
The capital finances CHEO’s Deep Energy Retrofit Program, including modernized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems that utilize the latest clean technologies.
These improvements aim provide a healthier and more comfortable indoor environment for patients and employees, according to an official statement, while reducing the hospital’s energy consumption and environmental footprint.
“Helping hospitals implement these kinds of changes is simply common sense,” posits Julie Dabrusin, who serves as Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Nature. “By supporting organizations such as the CHEO, we are making operating costs more affordable for our important public health sector.”
CHEO’s upgrades will reduce emissions by more than 2,500 metric tons per year.
“Creating healthier environments is an important part of how we care for kids,” believes Dr. Vera Etches, chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. “These upgrades are an investment in the health of children and youth now, and in a more sustainable future for the generations that follow.”
Since 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada has invested more than $320M in funding toward over 100 low-carbon technology projects.
“By improving the energy efficiency of facilities like CHEO, we’re reducing emissions, lowering operating costs, and creating healthier spaces for children, families, and the dedicated professionals who care for them every day,” remarked David McGuinty, Minister of National Defence.