Monthly Archives: November 2019

Students at Ottawa Public School Lose Two Days Due to Mould

November 28, 2019

According to CBC report on November 22, 2019 entitled, “Parents worried over mould exposure at Ottawa school,” Alta Vista Public School was closed on November 21st and 22nd after staff discovered a leak in the school’s heating system on November 18, 2019.

Sufficient mould seemed to have been present that one 11-year-old student, Benson Ptasinski, came down with a runny nose and sore throat on Monday and then started complaining of sore eyes the next day. Apparently, other students and teachers were experiencing symptoms similar to her son’s early in the week.

Mike Carson, chief financial officer for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) said three or four teachers had complained about odours and air quality in their classrooms earlier in the week, but it wasn’t until early last Wednesday that the board realized the scope of the problem, or how long repairs would take. That’s when the decision was made to shut the 70-year-old school last Thursday and Friday.

Alta Vista Public School was closed Thursday and Friday, but expected to reopen Monday. (Kimberley Molina/CBC)

 

Mould, asbestos, lead in water, roof leaks, classroom temperatures requiring children to wear winter coats indoors. Unfortunately, all of these issues are a reality in publicly funded schools across Ontario. Fix Our Schools believes that all children deserve to spend their days learning in buildings that are safe, healthy, well-maintained and that offer environments conducive to learning. We trust that our provincial government agrees and will take immediate steps to:

90% of Ontarians support investing in school infrastructure

November 25, 2019

On Monday, November 25, 2019, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and Nanos Research released polling data regarding several public education issues ranging from student achievement and well-being to curriculum, funding, and governance.

Fix Our Schools was thrilled to see that the majority of Ontarians agree that spending in public education is an investment in the future and that they are twice as likely to say that spending on public education is more important than eliminating the deficit. Hurrah! We wholeheartedly agree with the majority of Ontarians! In fact, back in April 2019, Fix Our Schools explored how government deficits and debt may not be as scary as many believe.  And in June 2019, Fix Our Schools continued to explore this idea in the blog post entitled, “The High Cost of Low Corporate Taxes”.  We were equally thrilled to see that 90% of Ontarians supported investing in school maintenance and repairs. 

The research results released today also found that:

  • Nearly two-thirds of Ontarians think funding for education should be set based on number of students and inflation rather than overall provincial spending
  • Just over four in five Ontarians support or somewhat support school boards having more autonomy to ensure their budgets reflect local needs
  • Nine in ten Ontarians say it is important or somewhat important to invest in school maintenance and repairs

“These results validate the hard work and dedication of public school boards and our Association,” said Cathy Abraham, President of OPSBA. “Education is the second largest funding line in the provincial budget and it is our hope that these results can help inform decisions to ensure public education is supported by stable and predictable funding. Public education is an investment for the future and we must advocate for those conditions that will help all students succeed.”

We’ve only highlighted the findings that directly relate to Fixing Ontario’s Schools and we encourage people to read the whole research report to confirm how much support for publicly funded education exists in Ontario.

 

How the Country’s Largest School Board is Handling the Issue of Lead in Water at Schools

November 21, 2019

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is the largest school board in Canada so we were curious to learn more about how this school board handles the issue of lead in drinking water at its schools. When we inquired, we heard back that:

Each year,  as required under Ontario legislation, the TDSB conducts testing for lead in drinking water. This legislation was amended in 2017 and requires school boards to test all sources of drinking water in every school for the presence of lead over a 5 year period. Over the last 3 years, the TDSB has conducted testing on every fixture used for drinking water and/or food preparation in every elementary school and will complete testing at the secondary level by fall 2021. Ontario legislation permits us to finish by 2022.  Based on those test results, the Board is required to undertake a number of potential strategies to ensure that the water in schools is safe to drink.  The primary strategy used is daily/weekly flushing of fixtures. However, we also replace fixtures as required. 

Furthermore, we heard back that:

  • All exceedances are reported to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) within 24 hours.
  • Corrective actions are taken immediately for each exceedance and reported to the local Public Health Unit and the MECP.
  • When an exceedance impacts the entire plumbing system, the school is provided with alternative drinking water (e.g. bottled water) and parents are notified.
  • When there is an exceedance in the standing sample, that specific fixture will be flushed daily. When there is an exceedance in the flushed sample, the fixture is taken out of service immediately to eliminate any further risk to occupants of the building. Re-sampling or replacement of the fixture is done in accordance with the standards set out by Ontario Regulation 243/07.   If permanent removal of the fixture is recommended, this is reviewed with the head caretaker and principal.

Of note is that the TDSB must follow provincial guidelines for lead in water, which allow for up to 10 parts per billion (ppb) of lead whereas the federal guidelines are more stringent and allow for only up to 5 ppb. Therefore, it seems evident that Ontario ought to make some changes to its guidelines to ensure they are as stringent as the federal guidelines in place.

We found the following on the TDSB website, which provides additional detail to the responses provided above. We’d encourage parents in other school boards to find out how their local school board handles the issue of lead in water at schools and send us details!

Drinking-Water Safety in Schools from TDSB Website:

The City of Toronto’s water treatment facilities are some of the best in the world. Designated drinking water sources in our schools are safe to drink and are tested on a regular basis, according to provincial regulations.

Samples are collected between May 1 and October 31 each year as per Ontario Regulation 243/07. All samples are analyzed by an independent laboratory certified by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). Based on sampling results, a variety of corrective actions are taken, which may include more frequent flushing at individual fixtures or throughout the entire school. From time to time, a drinking water source may be taken out of service to conduct upgrades or make repairs to the fixture/tap. The vast majority of TDSB schools have no reported lead exceedances in their drinking water. When exceedances occur, they are dealt with immediately and corrective action is taken. In Ontario, results over 10 ug/L (micrograms per liter) or ppb (parts per billion) of lead are considered exceedances. Health Canada recommends 5 ug/L (or ppb). Ontario schools are subject to Ontario standards. Please see the Questions and Answers below for more information on drinking water in TDSB Schools.

What is a “designated drinking water source”?

Designated drinking water sources are water sources designated for consumption such as:

    • Water fountains
    • Bottle filling stations
    • Taps in kitchens, food preparation areas, staff rooms, and childcare areas

Is the water in TDSB schools safe to drink?

Yes, drinking water in our schools is safe to drink. We follow Ontario Ministry regulations by testing our drinking water sources for levels of lead and flushing our plumbing on a regular basis to ensure the highest quality of drinking water.

What is the process for testing drinking water sources?

As per our protocol and according to provincial regulations, the TDSB tests drinking water sources for lead at its 582 schools on an annual basis. This is in addition to the water testing conducted by the City of Toronto.

In order to test the water, two samples are taken: one is a “standing water” sample, which is taken from the tap/bottle filling stations after all the water has been sitting for a minimum of six hours. The other is a “flushed” sample that is taken after running the tap/bottle filling stations for a minimum of five minutes and letting it sit for 30 minutes. Samples are sent to an independent lab certified by MECP.

What happens if there is an exceedance?

When there is an exceedance in the ”flushed” sample, the fixture is taken out of service to eliminate any further risk to occupants of the building. Re-sampling or replacement of the fixture is done in accordance with the standards set out by Ontario Regulation 243/07.

When there is an exceedance in the standing sample, that specific fixture will be flushed daily.

The TDSB ensures a safe drinking water source is available within the school while individual fixture exceedances are being investigated or addressed. In Ontario, results over 10 ug/L (micrograms per liter) or ppb (parts per billion) of lead are considered exceedances. Health Canada recommends 5 ug/L (or ppb). When measuring exceedances, the Toronto Star used Health Canada, not the Ontario benchmark. Ontario schools are subject to Ontario regulations.

How often are drinking water sources flushed at TDSB schools?

Based on sampling results specific to your school, there are three options:

    • The school conducts weekly flushing on Mondays.
    • The school conducts weekly flushing on Mondays, and specific individual fixtures require daily flushing.
    • The school conducts daily flushing, Monday through Friday.

Does the TDSB inform parents when there is an exceedance?

The provincial government doesn’t require school boards to notify parents in case of exceedances. However, when an exceedance impacts the entire plumbing system and the school is placed on an alternative drinking water method (e.g. water bottles), principals notify parents. These cases are rare as usually, only individual fixtures are impacted.

When an individual fixture is impacted (e.g. it needs to be replaced) and it is taken out of service, the school principal is informed, but no notification will be sent to parents. However, the TDSB will ensure that all students have access to a water source nearby. In either instance, the principal is notified and a corrective action taken.

Why is it important to test drinking water sources for lead?

Lead found in tap water usually comes from the corrosion of older fixtures or the solder that connects pipes. In certain circumstances, extended contact between standing water and these components can cause the lead to be released from the pipes.

When the tap is turned on, water that has been standing in the pipes may have accumulated lead levels that exceed Ontario’s standard for lead.

Recent media coverage on safe drinking water suggested that the City’s advice to residents to “flush” water in their homes before testing it may not provide a true representation of lead exposure. Some experts have suggested that testing should be done before flushing for more accurate results. While flushing usually washes residual lead away, flushing before testing may not alert residents to lead residue in the water. What does the TDSB do to get the most accurate results?

The media was referring to the advice the City provides for residential water systems (e.g. home or apartment dweller). Schools and childcare centres are held to a much higher standard of testing and flushing than residential water systems, and testing is governed by rigorous procedures set out in government legislation and regulations. The procedures are as follows:

The collection, analysis and reporting around lead sampling is overseen by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and very clearly outlined within Ontario Regulation 243/07.

TDSB follows the sampling process as outlined within the Ontario legislation.

    • Water sits a minimum of 6 hours
    • 1st sample is collected before flushing (standing water)
    • Flush 5 min, let it sit for 30 minutes
    • 2nd sample (after flushing) is collected (flushed water)
    • In circumstances where lead is detected through the analysis, the standing sample usually shows a higher concentration, demonstrating that the flushing is in fact doing the job of washing the residual lead in the system away.

What are the changes introduced by the provincial government in 2017?

On July 1, 2017, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) formerly known as the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change amended Ontario Regulation 243/07 (Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres) under the Safe Drinking Water Act , introducing new requirements for the testing of drinking water sources.

Under previous provincial legislation, the TDSB tested nearly 600 fixtures each year. Under the revised regulation (Ontario Reg. 243/07), approximately 11,000 fixtures need to be tested. As a result, the Board has identified which fixtures were for drinking water or food preparation and which were not.

The TDSB, similar to other school boards, decided that, for testing purposes, most classroom taps would not be designated as drinking water sources for consumption. It’s important to note that all students have access to a nearby safe drinking water source.

As part of the amendments to Ontario Regulation 243/07, schools boards are required to sample all designated drinking water fixtures over a period of three years for elementary schools and five years for high schools. Once the three or five-year period is over, and unless new amendments to the regulation are introduced, school boards will be required to sample a minimum of one fixture per school, per year.

Why are the “Handwashing only” signs displayed on some fixtures?

While the source of water is the same throughout the building, the “Handwashing only” signs are a visual indicator that these fixtures are not considered ‘drinking water sources’ and are not tested for lead. Instead, these fixtures/taps are to be used for handwashing and other classroom purposes only (e.g. washing brushes used in art classes or lab pipes).

Hand washing poster with the words

Where can I find the water test results for my child’s school?

All sampling results are kept in the ‘Flushing and Sampling for Lead in Drinking Water Systems’ binder in the head caretaker’s office. It provides information on the location of designated drinking water sources in the school as well as test results. Parents can request from the principal to review this binder on-site at any time.

Who can I contact for additional information?

If you have questions regarding drinking water in our schools, please contact your child’s school.

Additional information on water sampling results can also be found in the ‘Flushing of Drinking Water Systems’ binder at your school which can be accessed through the principal, during normal school hours

 

New Schools Being Built in Nova Scotia – When Will Ontario Follow Suit?

November 19, 2019

On Thursday, November 14, Nova Scotia’s Education Minister Zach Churchill announced twelve new capital projects for schools across the province, including a new high school for Bedford, which will serve approximately 1,200 students. At Fix Our Schools, we’re wondering when Ontario’s Education Minister Stephen Lecce will start announcing new school buildings being built in this province?

Back in July, after 13 months of silence on the annual process of approving new school builds and additions in this province, Ontario’s Ministry of Education finally announced that they would resume the process of accepting business cases from school boards for new school builds and additions. 

Prior to the election of the Ford government in June 2018, Ontario school boards were approached each summer by the Province to submit their top 10 school-based capital priorities for funding consideration. The Ministry of Education would then review these submissions and announce successful projects annually.

For the 13 months following the provincial election in June 2018 – this annual process was put on hold. So, in essence, Ontario students, teachers and education workers lost over a year where no new school builds or additions were approved by the provincial government. Knowing that disrepair in Ontario’s publicly funded schools has increased to $16.3-billion, we must start to address this massive issue more aggressively and, clearly, new school buildings must be a part of any solution that will truly fix Ontario’s schools.

At Fix Our Schools, we are anxious to hear an update on where the process stands for approving new school builds in Ontario. We hope to hear from Minister Lecce soon with specific announcements on capital projects that have been approved and can get underway.

We also hope to hear from Minister Lecce that his Ministry will update and release school disrepair data for school buildings across this province. The last time this important data was updated and released was over two years ago in October 2017.

Lead in Drinking Water Continues to Make the News

November 14, 2019

The issue of lead in Ontario’s drinking water continues to make headlines daily. The upshot is that “Governments should stop dithering over getting rid of lead in water”. as expressed in an opinion piece in the Toronto Star on November 8, 2019. No amount of lead is safe in our drinking water so it just makes sense that our federal, provincial and municipal levels of governments across Canada must start working together to implement policies and allocate the funding needed to ensure all drinking water is safe – whether it be consumed in public schools or private residences.

Ontario Green party leader Mike Schreiner correctly notes that children ought to be able to use the water fountain at their school, without worry about lead contamination:

A young adult notes that her old high school has the dubious distinction of being the number one school in Ontario for lead toxicity in drinking water:

https://twitter.com/_rheaanne/status/1191754269386563586?s=20

Another citizen questions political priorities in Ontario, where cell phone bans were the government’s focus while lead in drinking water at Ontario’s schools seemed a lower priority:

And yet another citizen comments on how lead in water and general disrepair in Ontario’s schools must be priority issues in the days and weeks to come:

And another citzen highlights the importance of mulitple levels of government coming together to address this non-partisan issue of safe drinking water:

 

 

 

Total School Repair Backlog in Ontario Increases to $16.3-billion

November 12, 2019

In an Estimates Committee meeting last week, NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles unearthed that the total repair backlog for publicly funded schools in Ontario has increased from $15.9-billion in October 2017, when disrepair data for schools was last publicly shared by the Liberals to a whopping $16.3-billion today.

This newly released figure was highlighted in the Toronto Star article entitled, “Repair backlog in Ontario schools hits $16.3 billion” by Kristin Rushowy on November 6, 2019.

The issues of growing disrepair in Ontario’s schools and lead in drinking water at schools were both raised by NDP Leader Andrea Horwath during question period on November 6, 2019 as per the Hansard document from that day:

(QUESTION: REPAIR BACKLOG) Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, yesterday’s report on water quality in Ontario schools highlights the multibillion-dollar backlog in school repairs. Yesterday, in government estimates hearings, the Minister of Education was forced to admit that the backlog has gone from bad to worse under the Ford government. The repair backlog was $15.9 billion under the Liberals, and now it stands at $16.3 billion. 

Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s response was confusing. He stated that his government is committed to allocating $13-billion over 10 years to improving schools, which would be $1.3-billion each year for school renewal, repairs and rebuilding Ontario’s schools, and also a marked decrease in funding from the Liberals’ previous commitment of $16-billion over 10 years. Yet in the same response, he commits to maintaining $1.4-billion/year funding for repair and renewal of schools – not including building any new schools.

(ANSWER) Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, what we affirmed at the committee yesterday, and for all families to hear in the province today, is that this government is allocating $13 billion over the next decade to improve schools in every region of the province of Ontario. What I also made clear is that we’re maintaining a $1.4-billion allocation to maintain our schools. After 15 years of dereliction of duty, where we had a multibillion-dollar backlog that we inherited, we must do more to improve our schools. We are putting money in the front lines, more than ever before, to ensure that our schools have the maintenance they need to ensure that they have the facilities that are conducive to positive learning for all students in the province of Ontario schools have the maintenance they need to ensure that they have the facilities that are conducive to positive learning for all students in the province of Ontario.

These numbers do not add up to having a positive impact on school conditions in this province and we need to see more done. The previous Liberal government had committed $16-billion over 10 years to improving schools. We now know that this funding commitment has not been sufficient to even begin to stem the tide of a consistent year-over-year increase in school disrepair. Total disrepair in Ontario’s schools has increased $400-million in the past two years to a whopping $16.3-billion, when yearly funding for school repairs and renewal during this same period has been $1.4-billion/year.

Therefore, it seems clear to Fix Our Schools that provincial funding of $1.4-billion/year for school renewal and repairs is simply insufficient. We are entirely confused by Minister Lecce’s belief that his government’s commitment of $13-billion over 10 years to improving schools – in essence a $3-billion cut over 10 years in funding compared to the previous Liberal government’s funding commitment – would somehow ensure that “our schools have the maintenance they need to ensure that they have the facilities that are conducive to positive learning for all students in the province of Ontario.”

We are still awaiting Minister Lecce and the Ministry of Education to release updated disrepair and FCI data in a more detailed format, that is comparable to the figures released back in October 2017 by the Liberal government. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) released its detailed disrepair data on October 31, 2019 and our hope is that the Ministry of Education will follow suit in the coming weeks.

 

The Lead that may Lurk in the Pipes at Your School

November 7, 2019

In the second article in a series in the Toronto Star on November 5, 2019, the article entitled, “The lead that may lurk in the pipes at your school” continues to reveal grave concerns about lead in our drinking water – especially in our schools. The article starts off by stating that “2,400 Ontario schools and daycares exceeded the current federal guideline for lead in drinking water in the past two years”. This figure represents a 275% increase from two years ago, and reflects the fact that there is more frequent testing being done and more stringent federal limits of 5 parts per billion (pp) – down from the previous 10 ppb.

 

Apparently, twenty-three schools and daycares across Ontario reported samples higher than 1,000 parts per billion – dramatically higher than the federal safety limit and a level that experts say can impact blood lead levels in a child immediately and risk damaging cognitive development. While this data has been available on a provincial website, there were no warnings given or flags raised to students, parents, and teachers impacted by these high lead levels. Surely, children deserve to be safe in their place of learning and this startling discovery calls into question whether Ontario children are, indeed, safe in their schools.

 

One school cited in the article is White Oaks Secondary School in Oakville, which had 22 water samples exceed the 5 ppb limit last year on one campus and 26 water samples with exceedances on another campus, with one sample showing 140 ppb – a level that is 28 times the federal safety guideline. 

 

It is important to note that the $16-billion of disrepair noted in Ontario’s publicly funded schools does not reflect any work needed to eliminate lead from drinking water in schools. Fix Our Schools has been calling for a Standard of Good Repair for Ontario’s schools for years and has asked the provincial government repeatedly to develop and execute a Standard of Good Repair for our schools that would include not only standards for lead in drinking water, but also standards for things such as air quality, asbestos and classroom temperatures – none of which are currently reflected in the $16-billion of disrepair noted in Ontario’s schools. Given that the effects of lead in a human body are irreversible, lead in our children’s drinking water at schools is an issue that must be taken seriously.

The Ontario Ministry of Education appears to be pushing blame and responsibility down to school boards for resolving the issue of lead in drinking water, saying that “while it allocates funding to school boards, those boards are responsible for deciding how the funds are spent, as they are in the best position to determine their renewal priorities and local needs”. However, school boards rely exclusively on provincial funding to be able to maintain and repair its buildings and this provincial funding was a mere fraction of what it ought to have been for almost two decades. This gross and chronic underfunding by our provincial governments have left school boards in the unenviable position of having to make impossible decisions. How would you decide whether your first priority is to repair a leaking roof or to replace lead pipes, knowing you don’t have the money to do both? Again, we must emphasize that the $16-billion of disrepair logged in Ontario’s publicly funded schools does not reflect repairs needed to replace lead fixtures, pipes, and solder. 

 

How Much Lead is in Your Water?

November 5, 2019

In the November 4, 2019 edition of the Toronto Star, an article entitled, “Is there lead in your tap water? Canada-wide investigation exposes dangerous levels of toxic metal” started off by stating, “that hundreds of thousands of Canadians are consuming tap water laced with high levels of lead leaching from aging and deteriorating infrastructure”.

This article is the culmination of a year-long investigation by more than 120 journalists from nine universities and ten media organizations. This investigation revealed that 33% of water tests exceeded the national safety guideline of five parts per billion. The article suggests that “government oversight is often lax and secretive” when it comes to lead in our water, stating that “lead testing data in Canada is rarely made public and some municipalities aren’t required to test”.

In Ontario, where the Fix Our Schools campaign is focused, government data shows 919 lead exceedances over the past two years:

  • In London, Ontario, 50% of tests conducted last year exceeded federal safety guidelines for lead in drinking water.
  • Windsor had the highest number of lead exceedances over the past two years.
  • Many water systems across Ontario did not test for lead in water at all over the past two years.
  • Out of Ontario’s 660 municipal water systems, only 123 of them posted results of tests taken at homes during the past two years and of those 123, 42% of these municipalities showed lead exceedances.

Health Canada and the World Health Organization both agree that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. In fact, a single glass of water highly tainted with lead can elevate a child’s blood lead level to require hospitalization. Reduction in IQ can occur even at the 5 parts per billion – the level of lead deemed safe in Canada. At high levels of exposure, lead can cause damage to the prefrontal cortext of the brain and contribute to anti-social behaviour and behavioural problems in children.

 

According Bruce Lamphear, a leading Canadian drinking water researcher, lead in our tap water is “clearly a major public health problem, even if it’s an insidious one.

According to a new report from the Canadian Environmental Law Association to be published this coming week, “the current state of drinking water delivery in Ontario means that Ontario residents, their children, pregnant women, and their unborn fetuses, may still be at risk of lead exposure and lead poisoning from the lead plumbing components of their homes, schools, daycares, and workplaces.” This report calls on Ontario to change legislation to require a minimum of 75% of municipal lead service lines be replaced within three to five years.

However, funding is cited as a limiting factor. Water officials across Ontario told reporters that municipalities are many years – or decades – away from being able to pay for replacing all lead service lines; and that municipalities would need funding assistance from both federal and provincial levels of government. Another challenge of addressing lead in our tap water is that there is no provincial or federal inventory of lead lines so even with funding, municipalities may not even know where to start replacing lines.

 

Given that in 2013, Health Canada predicted an economic benefit of $9-billion per year if the exposure  of Canadian children could be eliminated, there appears to be not only a moral imperative to address lead in our drinking water but also an economic one. Fix Our Schools has been calling for a Standard of Good Repair in Ontario’s publicly funded schools for years now – one that would include a standard for our children’s drinking water in schools. Lead in our drinking water is an insidious public health issue – and one that, indeed, must be addressed sooner than later. More transparency on data is needed and more advocacy and more oversight.