| MPP, SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE SEEK CANDIDATES’ SUPPORT FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL |
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| Sunday, 05 November 2006 19:00 |
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Local group requests candidates make their position on new school clear. NEPEAN-CARLETON – This week, Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod, along with outgoing Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Norm MacDonald, Berrigan School Council Co-Chair Scott Towaij, and Farley Mowat Public School Council Co-Chair Sylvia Zanetti Kamal, sent an open letter to all mayoral, municipal, and public school board candidates in the provincial riding of Nepean-Carleton, asking for their position on the construction of a new high school in the Longfields-Davidson Heights community. "Longfields and Davidson Heights are the fastest growing communities in all of Ottawa and presently there are three elementary schools whose students are bussed outside of their school zone to attend Sir Winston Churchill for grades 7 and 8 and Merivale High school for grades 9 to 12. We believe it is both prudent and responsible planning to build this new high school now so that the Ottawa Carleton District School Board will continue to offer public education to these students within their own school zone.” Barrhaven resident and OCDSB Student Trustee Steve Robins also called on municipal candidates to clarify their positions. “Last month, at the final OCDSB board meeting before the municipal election, the board voted to approve the final design phase for this new facility, slated to open in autumn of 2008,” said Robins. “The members of the new board, who will be elected November 13, will have to vote early in the New Year to send the final design to tender. Voters in our community have a right to know where the candidates stand.” As of Tuesday morning, the group had received responses from Tom Connolly, Catherine Gardner, Cleve Hamilton, Andy Haydon, Gord Hunter, Eric Lamoureux, Greg Laws, Iain McCallum, Robert McKenney, Scott Moffatt, Lynn Scott, Frank St. Denis, and Tanya Thompson. Bob Chiarelli and Jan Harder have spoken in the past of their support for the new school. The group wants to ensure the political voice in Nepean-Carleton is strong and united during the 2007 OCDSB budget deliberations. - 30 - For more information, contact: Stephen Gilman, Executive Assistant Phone: 613-823-2116 Cell: 613-297-2051 |