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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2011-07-07, Page 25THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2011. PAGE 25. Continued from page 6one would presume that theintellectual curiosity of a forward- looking council would prompt some questions. As a former municipal councillor, I appreciate the council burden in 2011, including the significant time required for meeting preparation, execution of their duties and the pressure to make decisions. But this issue is big. Really big. In a matter of such potential economic impact, I expected that someone would do a little digging, that a few would have taken a rigorous second look before rushing to meet someone else’s timetable, that maybe one or two would have checked the facts for themselves, and then, as a council, that councillors may have offered public comment on their findings and sought public feedback, all out of concern for the potential negative economic impact of the closure. It is now clear that some could not get past the mistaken belief that this was somehow a “school issue.” I routinely heard Mr. Elliott state in clear language that, “This is not a school issue. This is an economic issue.” He often referred to the hardlessons learned by thousands ofsmall, rural, single-school communities that have actually lost their schools. Would it not be reasonable to expect a few councillors to be interested in the historic facts? After all, according to North Huron’s “indivisible government” model, if any development creates a risk of economic hardship, it should be unacceptable to the whole township. Instead of robust curiosity, Mr. Elliott was met with what could be considered polite indifference. In the early stages, one councillor told him that, “the school closing might actually be a good thing for Blyth.” Another suggested that, “he should not be so negative” while another reassured that, “a new school would not be an economic gain for Wingham.” It seemed clear to me that Mr. Elliott was simply asking for council to represent the hopes and fears of Blyth residents, two of the prevailing emotions central to the concept of all public service. Let’s ignore the fact that one of the four steps in theMinistry of Education’saccommodation review guideline included consideration of economic impact on the affected communities – which did not happen. Let’s ignore the fact that there is no real urgency to make a decision because the demographic data and decreasing student population trends are clear and any procedural delays won’t change a thing. If the new school is a good idea today, it will still be an equally good idea in six months. People like me just hoped that the very basic points of concern would be considered. Namely, if the evidence indicates that economic hardship and population erosion will follow school closure, what steps are being taken to protect the people in Blyth, or to minimize the impact on property values? What remedy, relief or alternate use for Blyth or Wawanosh schools did council seek from the school board? What remedy, relief or alternate use for the schools did council seek from the Provincial Government? Perhaps council is considering innovative strategies to leverage opportunitiesin Blyth and East Wawanosh toensure they remain viable communities in North Huron? Fast forward to a recent council meeting. There were no questions asked of Mr. Elliott in advance of, or during, the meeting. But there were sidebar conversations about how the new school will positively “kick start” economic development at the east end of Wingham. Is that somehow different than “kick starting” a negative economic condition in Blyth? How does this reconcile with the “indivisible government” model? In the end, many feel the due diligence of council yielded to the timetable of others, and the vote to approve the site plan for the new school carried 5-2. I trust the vote and the changes it will trigger will not cause the same cascade of economic disadvantage that has permanently compromised thousands of other small towns. I trust that someone has the stomach to evaluate this potential for what it really is, based on the evidence. Perhaps Blyth will be the firstrural, single-school community inNorth America to stand against the tide. Certainly, there is a resiliency and a brand of independence in the community. Blyth does have unique assets and opportunities that can and must be leveraged. But if Blyth is going to re-purpose and re-position itself, it will take the sustained and sincere efforts of people like Rick Elliott, courageous public servants, and a relevant strategic plan. The rest of us must be engaged, too. We must participate in the process, and I challenge each of us – including North Huron Council – to seize every possible opportunity that may contribute a viable, successful future for Blyth. It’s time for each Blyth stakeholder to assert community ownership, to work with every like- minded partner we can find, to engage in an aggressive, confident, forward-looking manner – and when necessary, to have the discipline to “disagree without being disagreeable.” Steven Sparling. 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