Two Local Schools Are Now Eco Certified

By: Nick Liard

Two schools in Hanmer have come to become the first certified French EcoSchools in Greater Sudbury.

Ecole Secondaire Hanmer and Ecole Publique Foyer-Jeunesse share a campus and decided to collaborate on gardening, recycling and composting…they are so successful the city came and removed one of their large waste containers because it was no longer needed.

Program Director of Ontario EcoSchools, Lindsay Bunce says the two schools are joining a community of over 17 hundred schools across the province that are focusing on environmental action.

Luce Lepage and Lynne Dubeau are the lead teachers on the initiative and Dubeau says she has been more than impressed with the over 90 students involved.

Dubeau says in her 16 years with the school this has been the best yet.

Dubeau’s Grade 2 class has been recognized for being the youngest group in the city to initiate recycling and composting programs within their school.

Sudbury MPP and Ontario’s Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault says it’s amazing to see the city’s youth get involved in such an important issue.

Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education program that hands out certifications every year to schools who meet a provincial standard of environmental excellence.