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Providence University College considers how schools could better exemplify sustainability


By Jerrad Peters W


hat is the nature of the society we as Canadians – and Manitobans, more specifically – want for ourselves and for those who come after us? Nar-


rowing that question: what are our values? Te things we teach children in their formative years


provide a good indication, particularly when we look at the province's high school social studies curriculum. Between Grades 9 and 12, students are taught what we


hold to be the vital tenets of our values-based society. And we must think so, or we wouldn't be teaching it to them. We explain the history of our democracy; we commu-


nicate the importance of diversity and pluralism; and we reinforce a person's right to an identity in the world they'll be entering upon graduation. We also provide instruction in environmental matters


through the Grade 12 Global Issues: Citizenship and Sustainability track. Sustainability, then, must be one of those vital tenets


as well. But living sustainably and merely talking about doing


so, even in a formal setting, are two different things. What are we doing about the former? Is classroom


instruction enough to prepare students for work in exist- ing green industries, or those we hope they themselves go on to create? And what about the places where they learn? Could we be doing more to develop those spaces in a sustainable manner? Does a scenario exist where doing exactly that would also make a meaningful indent in Manitoba's energy consumption? Tese were the sorts of questions posed, and the line


of thinking discussed, at the third annual Sustainable Energy Conference held May 27 at Providence University College and Teological Seminary in Otterburne. As presenter Bruce Duggan, director of the Providence-


based Buller Centre for Business pointed out, there are more than 29 million square-metres of space presently purposed for commercial and institutional means, includ- ing schools, in Manitoba. And, he explained, we've not done much to reduce


greenhouse gas emissions in those buildings over the past 15 years. "If there's any issue we need to figure out as a society,


it's rising greenhouse gas emissions," he said. Setting an example within schools would surely be a useful under- taking, both practically and inspirationally. "Tink of all the educational buildings in Manitoba – everything from the high school in St-Pierre Jolys to the


Providence University College in Otterburne has greatly reduced it's energy consumption by investing in new technologies.


University of Manitoba," said Duggan. "How about we set targets for improvement – for heating and cooling – for the next 10 years?" Adjusting demand, which can be done on a low scale


by simply switching off lights and reducing the heat- ing and cooling burden in unoccupied rooms, is a good start, however modest. But there are grander methods of achieving a better ratio of renewable to non-renewable energies as well. Solar walls are one, especially when schools plan


projects such as new classrooms or gymnasiums. Better windows and high-efficiency furnaces are others. Ten there are the heating options that can augment, or even replace, fossil fuels, such as the biomass burner installed at Providence in 2011. "At Providence, we're somewhere around the 70 per


cent renewables number," said Duggan. "Ten years ago, we were somewhere around zero per cent." Meaningful, sustainable change can be made when paradigms are flipped on their heads – when sustainable


options become normalized and are the de facto building strategies rather than the exception. And, at a more personal level for many students, when


paths are clear between high school training, aspiration, and the job market. These are the challenges Gerald Farthing, deputy


minister of Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, believes will define our society going forward. "If our job is preparing students for their future, then


equipping them to deal with the future they're going to live in is fundamental," he said. It's a future, he added, that hinges on the natural envi-


ronment's ability to sustain the societies we create – so- cieties with values, those vital tenets, that hopefully align with ecological realities. "It's our values that guide our decision-making," said


Farthing. "Te school system has an obligation to engage in this conversation." Jerrad Peters is creative content specialist at Providence University College & Teological Seminary.


ASAP Training offers flexible courses for upgrading those marketable skills


of ASAP Training.CA (ASAP). ASAP offers courses in Microsoft Of-


I


fice, QuickBooks, Adobe, the automotive industry software Mitchell 1, as well as in professional development and customer service – and has testing capabilities for hundreds of different programs out of its new location in the Grain Exchange Building on Lombard Avenue. Customized courses


Plus, ASAP has a rule: if you don’t see


it, ask. “If we can do it, we’ll do it,” says Lorie


Gregorchuk, CFO of ASAP. “We custom- ize a lot of our training to suit different individuals and different organizations.” As a locally-owned, independent train-


ing centre, ASAP is flexible, and can work with companies to create training for their specific requirements including the desired course duration, content, and scheduling convenience. Much of their training is done in their Exchange District location, but instructors can also provide one-on-one or group training at the workplace. “We’ve had instructors go to their office


for half a day and teach someone how to use spreadsheets,” says Lorie. “We can get pretty creative.” Recently, ASAP has answered the need


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July 2015


f you’re looking to upgrade your job skills, you can now enjoy training at the desirable East Exchange location


Computer literacy Since adding computer courses to its rep-


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ing technology. “We’ve had 65-year-olds who've never touched a computer, but they know, 'If I want to work, I've got to learn something on the computer,” says Lorie. When ASAP’s first iteration opened,


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Lorie gained feedback from students who said they knew they’d have to follow up with computer training elsewhere – so why didn’t she just offer that too?


www.smartbizwpg.com


bursement from the government for skills upgrades that employers are taking advan- tage of. ASAP also allows trainees to retake courses free of charge if they feel they missed something, ensuring their preparedness. In addition to its core course offerings,


ASAP is a Prometric and Certiport Testing Centre, as well as an Insurance Council of Manitoba-certified training centre. For more information on ASAP Training.CA and its courses, visit www.asaptraining.ca.


Smart Biz 13


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