PROVIDE FUNDS FOR NORTH GRENVILLE HIGH NOW - RUNCIMAN
Safety of students, staff and firefighters at risk
Brockville – Leeds & Grenville MPP Bob Runciman is once again calling on the provincial government to allocate funds to replace North Grenville District High School in Kemptville, a school North Grenville fire chief Tim Bond has called “a complicated maze.”
In a letter sent in 2006 to then Education Minister, Gerard Kennedy, Bond expressed concerns about the safety of school occupants in the event of a fire as well as the dangers posed for firefighters by placing them in a “high risk situation.”
Last week the government announced replacement funding for an Upper Canada Board high school in Vankleek Hill, but no monies were allocated for the North Grenville school.
“It’s disappointing and difficult to understand” said Runciman. “I’ve toured the school on two occasions and I can well appreciate Chief Bond’s concerns. The fact that the government doesn’t, or won’t, is troubling to say the least.”
In an open letter to Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne, the local MPP calls on the government to recognize the safety concerns and other structural deficiencies and immediately commit funds for replacement of the school.
“We’ve learned over the past four years that we can’t depend on promises made by the McGuinty government” argued Runciman. “We want the commitment and we want it now.”
OPEN LETTER
July 6, 2007
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne
Minister of Education
Dear Minister:
I am once again bringing to your attention community concerns regarding North Grenville District High School in Kemptville and your government’s apparent decision to not immediately allocate funding for replacement of the school.
As you may recall, I raised this issue with you during Question Period in March of this year and at that time, I was encouraged by your response. However, the intervening weeks and months have seen no action and last week’s announcement of replacement funding for Vankleek Hill, with no reference to North Grenville, has once again elevated concerns that the school’s very real challenges are not being recognized by your government.
In 2006, the North Grenville fire chief wrote your predecessor outlining significant safety concerns with the school (copy attached) and the Upper Canada School Board has, in your words “done everything they can to get the attention that the school needs.” Yet nothing is happening.
Minister, I urge you to review the information related to the condition of the school, including the fire chief’s concerns and immediately allocate and announce replacement funding for North Grenville District High School.
Kind regards,
Robert W. Runciman, MPP
Leeds & Grenville
