Thanks to a $100,000 grant, St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School’s yard will become a lot safer and greener.
The Booth Street school is one of 15 grand prize winners of the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund. Aviva is an insurance company that annually provides money for community enhancement projects.
In November, the school qualified for the finals of the fund competition by submitting a plan to take its schoolyard from “Asphalt to Oasis.” After voting by the public across Canada, St. Anthony won in the Community Resilience category.
The old asphalt will be replaced with a water permeable, child-friendly surface that allows rainwater to drain into the soil rather than pollute the rivers through the sewer system.
School officials said the project received considerable support from surrounding community, which will have access to the play area. Some of the steps will include the removal and disposal of the asphalt, renovating the ground below, and adding greenery and simple play structures.
