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Ferry project faces scrutiny Rutherford Elementary School students Haliyah Peck, 12, left, Bella Berry, 11, and Keoni Kerr, 12, join about 50 students, parents and school staff to protest potential closures of Departure Bay Eco and Rutherford elementary schools. The rally was held Monday morning in front of Nanaimo school board offices on Wakesiah Avenue.
With the Nanaimo school district board expected to decide on next steps for an updated facilities plan on Wednesday (Sept. 2), parents are voicing opposition to potential school closures. Depar ture Bay EcoSchool received unanimous school board approval in March to be designated as an ecologically-focused academy, but was also one of four schools recommended for closure in the updated plan. Student enrolment and inability to expand on the site were among reasons given.
Chelsea Slobodan, founder of Save Departure Bay Eco-School, wonders why the school would receive its designation only to be closed. “So why grant a school academy status, which means we can take kids from out of catchment, we can increase our enrolment, we have revenuegenerated programs we’re working on. Why would it even come up, is a big concern,” said Slobodan. She said if people just sit back and don’t protest, the school will be closed. Rutherford Elementary was another school recommended for closure, with declining enrolment cited
as an issue. Tina Bray, cochairwoman of the Rutherford Open and Thriving group, said elementary school enrolment is no longer decreasing. “We’ve already closed seven elementary schools,” said Bray. “When you look at the declining enrolment that they’re talking about, we’ve finished doing that at the elementary school level. We’ve levelled off and we’re starting to increase. “So the fact that we spent the last 10 years closing elementary schools to keep up with the declining enrolment and now it’s increasing? We’re done that ... we need to be plan-
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ning for the future.” Dale Burgos, school district spokesman, said the district is at a very early stage in the updated facilities plan process and trustees will decide whether to move ahead with public consultation at the meeting on Wednesday. “In the event that the board wishes to move forward with school closure consultations, the district will share public meeting schedules, which could begin in the fall,” Burgos said in an e-mail. North Cedar Intermediate and Woodlands Secondary are other schools recommended for closure. reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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Parents begin campaign against possible school closures BY KARL YU
BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM
As Island Ferries continues to search for investors, Nanaimo city council is asking how long it continues to hold faith in the group, according to Mayor Bill McKay. Island Ferries, which hopes to start a $63-million passenger service between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver, did not secure a $14-million New Building Canada Fund grant before the election was called this August and the province does not see the application as a priority, the mayor reports. Island Ferries signed a lease with the City of Nanaimo last year to operate a new service from the south industrial waterfront and has maintained it will be ready for startup six months from financial close. It’s been looking for final investment since October 2013 and applied for federal funding last year with sponsorship from the City of Nanaimo. Council is now asking how long it continues to hold faith in this group and if it should actively go looking for another potential ferry operator, said McKay, who believes councillors need to have a discussion about the project sooner rather than later. “How long do you wait? And do you ... continue to have faith in this group, which I do,” he said. “I’ll be looking to council for further direction.” Representatives from Island Ferries did not respond to requests for an interview. “These folks have been working on their project for about nine years now and I’ll tell ya, the level of tenacity I see with this group is quite astounding,” McKay said. “They’re not giving up.”
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PROPONENTS CONTINUE to seek investment in transportation link from Nanaimo to Vancouver.