Minister's Speech

Remarks prepared for:

The Honourable John Gerretsen
Minister of the Environment

Loretto College
Toronto, Ontario

September 17, 2009
12:00 p.m.

(Check against delivery)

Thank you, Sister Evanne, for that kind introduction.  (Minister to be introduced by Sister Evanne Hunter, Provincial Leader of Canada, Canadian Province of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Good afternoon, everyone.

I’m pleased to be part of this very special event.

Just looking around here, wouldn’t it be great to see solar panels like these on every rooftop?

I want to congratulate everyone at Loretto College, especially the Loretto Sisters, for setting an example and being an inspiration.  

Your renewed building is helping lead the way towards a clean, green environment in downtown Toronto and in our province.

Creating green and sustainable buildings, either from the ground up or through retrofits like this one, is fundamental to our ability to address the challenges of climate change and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

It’s a priority that will continue to define our province well into the future.

Our government stands behind Loretto College’s “greening” efforts.  

We were happy to invest over $50,000 through the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure to help with your new solar water heating system.  I understand that our partners in the federal government matched this amount.    

At Loretto College residence, we’re seeing the best of the past, and the best of the future.
In your day-to-day operations, you honour your founder Mary Ward’s original vision of a supportive living and learning community for women.

And with your retrofit, you are taking important steps to deal with climate change. 
You should be truly proud of your commitment to help fight climate change, and to protect the health and well-being of the Sisters, students and staff living and working here.

This renewed building has many great features. 

Recognizing that conservation is key, you have upgraded your systems so that they are sustainable and energy-efficient.

You now have improved air conditioning, heating, exhaust, and ventilation systems.

You have brand-new windows and doors throughout the building, which maximize energy efficiency.

You have high efficiency fluorescent lighting, and low-flush toilets and showers. 

The solar thermal technology you have adopted is leading edge.

And I understand you’ve just started a new phase of exciting improvements. 

All of these measures enhance the environment, both inside and out. 

I want to commend Ameresco for being a leader in sustainable building design.

The work you have done here is wonderful. 

We need more examples like yours, raising the bar and setting the standards for the sustainable building activities that are becoming more and more necessary to support a healthy, prosperous future for our province. 

Loretto College’s building renewal is a perfect complement to the Loretto Sisters’ 400th anniversary activities.

Your founder, Mary Ward, had the very progressive idea all those centuries ago that making the world a better place is a shared responsibility.

The ongoing role she envisioned for the order was one of community, and of action.   
She believed it was crucial to respond to the urgent needs of the times.

In this century, the environment certainly qualifies!

In your diverse ministries throughout the world, the Loretto Sisters order is committed to social justice, the education of women, and assisting those who are vulnerable and in need. 
This commitment extends to the protection of the environment.

Your representative at the United Nations not only promotes human rights, but sustainable development. 

Right here in Ontario, your Maryholme Spirituality Centre, on the beautiful shores of Lake Simcoe, provides a refuge to those who seek it.

I know the health of Lake Simcoe and the surrounding area matter very much to you.   

Your planting and shoreline protection initiatives, done in partnership with the Conservation Authority and other area groups, are helping to safeguard one of our most precious resources. 

Ontario is also taking strong action to protect the health of Lake Simcoe and its watershed.

My ministry’s Lake Simcoe protection plan is the first of its kind in Ontario to address environmental protection of a watershed.

Drawing on expert advice from scientists, it sets a new standard in the province, and provides a roadmap to help restore and protect the health of Lake Simcoe.
Communities of faith, like yours, know that we need to work together to build a sustainable world.
You recognize that development is not sustainable if it robs our children and grandchildren of their future.
Thank you for your invaluable contributions.

Our government takes our environmental responsibility very seriously.

Since the beginning, we have committed to being a leader in protecting the environment, and I’m proud that we’re the first government in Ontario to do so.
It’s important to note that about 17 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come directly from buildings. 

Green building innovations are quickly becoming part of the building industry.  They’re lowering operating costs, and they’re improving quality of life for the people who live and work in them.

Our government is leading by example, by taking steps to “green” our own buildings. 

We’re using clean, renewable energy at the Ministry of the Environment headquarters at 135 St. Clair, and now at our lab on Resources Road.

And we installed a “cool roof” this summer at 135 St. Clair that saves energy by reducing the need for air conditioning.

It’s clear that a clean, green environment, a robust economy, and peoples’ health and wellbeing, are vitally connected. 

New products, technologies and environmental services are key catalysts driving Ontario’s transformation as we take our place in the emerging global green economy.

Although there are signs that the economic outlook is improving, we’re still facing unprecedented challenges.

There’s a great need for short-term solutions that help families and businesses hurt by the recession.

This is why we’re moving to a modern, made-in-Ontario single sales tax and cutting taxes for families and businesses. 

It’s the most important step we can take to make Ontario a more attractive place for businesses to invest.

Environmental initiatives are also at the heart of our economic strategy – and addressing climate change is a top priority.

Through building renewal projects like the one here at Loretto College, we can see that Ontario is on the path to a green future. 

Congratulations again on your achievement.

The measures you have taken show the young people who live here that “green” decisions can equal a positive and lasting change.

Thank you.

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