LETTER – Stuart Wood elementary might well be needed for a school again

The City of Kamloops Heritage Engagement Group wrote an open letter in this space the other day on the cultural need to keep Stuart Wood Elementary intact and in some manner operational rather than tearing it down for a future police station.  Allow me to opine as to why I agree based upon more practical reasoning.

Recently Sníne Elementary School in Pineview opened its doors as the most recent school addition in the Kamloops school district.  Castanet reported the school was budgeted as a $65million build.  I can understand how this slipped the memory of councillor Middleton since this report was published all the way back from September 16th of this year and was overshadowed by another announcement that same day, which was the official grand opening of Trillium tower at City Gardens.  The new housing development is expected to house approximately 1,400 people, 25% or 350 being children.  So I’m just wondering , where are these kids going to go to school?

Lloyd George Elementary on Pine St. and 8th ave is the nearest school to the DT but last yr they were listed at 120% capacity.  Moreover, once KamHI (I refuse to call it that other name) closes that school will be immediately bulldozed for new housing making an increased pressure on Lloyd George which is 2 blocks away.  So again I ask, where are the family’s with children living DT going to go to school?  Has anyone given this any thought?

Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t this council encouraging greater residential growth for the DT, if so then where will the children of these families go to school in the future?

It just seems intuitively obvious that Stuart Wood Elementary is the obvious answer. Furthermore, I think I read somewhere that we also have a shortage of daycare spaces in the DT core, wouldn’t a daycare/elementary school be an obvious fit?

I can understand if council hasn’t followed the comings and goings of school districts in the province but as a former school teacher I have a bit of a vested interest.  Having said this I’d like to point out that Victoria High School  (ya, it’s an odd name) reopened recently after a 3-plus year seismic retrofit and addition.  The school was built in 1914 and the renovation cost $100million, $97million by the province and $3million by the local school board.  The province decided on the retrofit in part due to the heritage  aspect but also in part because it was cheaper to retrofit the culturally significant school than build a replacement.   The same reasoning would be given for Stuart Wood, as it would be a much smaller retrofit than Victoria High School and much cheaper than the $65million Snine.

In addition, doesn’t the province actually own the building?  What Margot and her friends are saying is let’s go ask the province to give us the school so we can knock it down and build a police station on it and then the School Board can come knock on the door of the Ministry of Educations to spend $65million on a new school DT.

I fully understand that this council has contempt for the citizens of Kamloops but just how stupid do they think the Ministry of Education is?  Why would the Ministry of Education agree to hand over a culturally significant heritage building to be demolished and then spend more money replacing the culturally significant heritage building than the cost of retrofitting it, not to mention the backlash from the citizenry for allowing a culturally sensitive heritage building to be demolished?

Stuart Wood Elementary is a 21st century conduit from our past to our future.  It gives reverence to our humble beginnings and hope for our tomorrows.  In this era of shaky reconciliation I can’t think of a dumber proposition by this council but I have no doubt they will Trump themselves if re-elected.

MAC GORDON
City council candidate