HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-09-09, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2010.
Writer hopes school message isn’t getting lost
Mounsey Memorial Fund hosts London event
THE EDITOR,
For the first time in a long
while, I am not responding
specifically to a recent
editorial, not because there
wasn’t sufficient content
provided, but to keep the
debate alive regarding top-
down decision making and
the economic issues involving
rural Ontario.
It’s been my experience that
when it appears to be the
quietest, is when it’s the
busiest (behind the scenes). I
wanted to ensure the
conversation doesn’t shift too
far from the economic
implications related to the
Blyth (and the dialogue
associated with the “super
school”). After reading the
lead story in The Globe and
Mail this past weekend – “A
lesson in Determination:, and
a group of people, in
Saskatchewan, “who believed
that their students were ill-
served by larger schools a 30-
minute drive away”.
I noted on the front page of
The Citizen this past week
that Avon Maitland District
School Board has “decided to
rescind a deadline placed on
building a ‘new super’ school
in Wingham”, and that
“progress had been made
towards receiving funding
necessary to continue with
building at their preferred
site”. It’s probably true that
financial shortfall limited the
board’s ability to proceed
with construction in the first
place, and it would seem that
the Ontario Municipal Board
challenges, which slowed
down the process, actually
allowed the AMDSB to
actually do the fiscal planning
related to the project they
should have been doing in the
first place.
This debate, has
encompassed a number of
arguments including a recent
recitation of Old Testament
scripture. This past Sunday,
while listening to a New
Testament reading, Luke 14:
28-29, “For which of you,
desiring to build a tower, does
not first sit down and count
the cost, whether he has
enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a
foundation and is not able to
finish, all who see it begin to
mock him, saying, ‘This man
began to build and was not
able to finish’.” In other
words, “proper planning
prevents poor performance.”
Sound familiar? While I
should have been
appreciating the metaphor, I
somehow drew reference to
the school issues in North
Huron and surrounding
region. Of course, you have to
substitute “super school” for
“tower”, and references to
“he”/“him”/ “man” for
“trustees”/“AMDSB”, but I
think there is a parallel.
Not having enough funding
in the first place speaks to a
lack of proper planning
practices in the first place. By
the way, does anyone actually
know the true costs of this
proposed “tower to superior
education and opportunity”,
and what it is going to cost
the taxpayer? I mean all the
hard costs. Sadly, I think this
edifice is going to be built
over any public objections,
economic threats to
community, funding
shortfalls, construction or tax
cost overruns. It will be built
as a testament to ego, and
face-saving at a number of
different levels of
government, since political
reputations may be on the line
come 2011. It’s interesting
also that the Minister of
Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs seems to have entered
the picture in support of the
“super school”.
I am not going to comment
on the high school-
elementary school social
interaction opportunities
cited, but I would like to
express a perspective on some
of the comments related in the
article: “having the school
here, where the infrastructure
exists, will save tax dollars
and help grow the township”
– my understanding is that the
infrastructure is not there (at
the site) but will have to be
built and/or upgraded – North
Huron Council has designated
$150,000 to this development
(which in itself sets
precedent, as per the July 5
council meeting debate); how
can building a new school,
and new infrastructure save
tax dollars? My position is, it
can’t – but the conversation
does provide interesting
rhetoric; and as for growing
the township – having schools
in Wingham over the years
has not grown the “township”
(and in this case, think
Wingham) in the past, so to
think the new school will do
so is misleading. And even if
a case can be built for
development opportunities in
the Township of North Huron
(again think Wingham), then
it will be done at the expense
of other communities in the
region.
Further, the article cites that
“if the school is built outside
of Wingham … students
bused will increase by 300 …
is an economically feasible”
decision. The comments
ignore the fact that the many
more “hundreds” will already
be bused from surrounding
areas to supply the new
school(s) with student
inventory, and as more
schools in the region are
closed in the future, more
inventory will be available to
the “super school”. That’s
unless people, and families,
don’t start moving away, of
course.
I actually just caught some
of the AMDSB website
announcement entitled,
“Board Appreciative of North
Huron Community Support”
and it goes on to share
comments related to the
“tremendous community
support,” and mentions the
petition – signed by 219
(reported Aug. 24) family
members, business
representatives and taxpayers,
highlighting the school as “an
essential community
resource”. It goes on to
provide comments about how
“a new school in Wingham
(North Huron) would create a
ripple effect through the
entire township, affecting our
quality of life, leading to
economic growth and
prosperity”.
The Citizen reported that
there were 400 signatures (as
of Aug. 27), but regardless of
the signature count, I am sure
we all look forward to hearing
about how the new school is
going to achieve the socio-
economic ripple effect
suggested for all of North
Huron and beyond.
There is comment related to
the $8.8 million originally
designated for the “super
school”. In an Aug. 12
editorial (Time to
THE EDITOR,I would like to invite you all to www.dancingwiththestarsoftheopp.com – a fund-
raising and dance competition
for my charity, the Dave
Mounsey Memorial Fund. On
Oct. 16 in London, we will be
hosting a dance event which
has Ontario Police officers
and dispatchers as thedancers, and the following forcelebrity judges: WalterGretzky, Commissioner
Lewis of the OPP, Scott Moir
and Tessa Virtue, Bob Reid
and Jamie Warren. The
Ramada and Radisson have
given us terrific room
discounts so please check the
website to get their contactinformation.We would love to have youattend for a great night out!
Bob Reid will be performing
his song “Highway of
Heroes” and everyone will
take part in an actual
Defibrillator Donation
Ceremony. We are donating in
the name of Trooper Mark Wilson, who was killed in 2006 in Afghan-istan.
Please take the time to view
the site and that of
www.davemounsey.com or
join us on Facebook. We have
completed six donations so
far … all within our first year.
Thank you for all yoursupport.The Dave MounseyMemorial Fund is dedicated
to promoting the dedication to
community that was
exemplified by Dave
Mounsey, in his work and in
his life, remembering and
honouring the fallen law
enforcement, fire, paramedicand military members whohave made the ultimatesacrifice, in service to
their communities and to
donate and to promote the
use and widespread
availability of life-saving
defibrillators.
Patrick Armstrong.
Letters to the Editor
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