I am a parent of a Grade 8 student at Summit Alternative/Fisher Park Public School (Holland Avenue at the Queensway) and a Summit alternate representative to the Community Working Group for Elementary Planning Area 7 (from the Experimental Farm and Dows Lake north to the Ottawa River and west to where the Ottawa River Parkway intersects the Queensway). Our CWG has been told to get rid of some 1500 "excess" pupil spaces in 11 schools.

Why are the political and business elites in Ottawa so silent on this issue of closing downtown schools? If the quality of life in Ottawa is such a prized asset in attracting investment and tourism, why are the civic leaders so silent about something which will harm this? Having a reasonably-sized local school within walking distance for younger children is an important factor in making downtown Ottawa neighbourhoods livable and maintaining urban property values. What we will end up with after this current process is completed is a system where many students in Ottawa are bused to more distant schools where many of them will be schooled in portable classrooms! The stress on the children and their families from busing can be significant. Why are people so silent about harming the quality of life in their neighbourhoods? Wait till they see the impact closing their neighbourhood school has on their property value. Given that the school infrastructure is already in place, we should make use of this asset

-- Anonymous, October 09, 1998