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For King and Country
Drum Major Peter Alexander leads the re-enactors of the Fort George Fife & Drum Corps onto the Nelles Manor front lawn for a flag-raising ceremony at the Commemoration of the Engagement at the Forty on Saturday. The event was full of colourful costumes, fun activities and tasty food. For more on the event, please turn to Page 10. Marks - Photo
DSBN seeks partnerships for mega-school perks By Tristan Marks NewsNow The District School Board of Niagara is looking for community partners to help enhance the facilities of the new high school for West Niagara. The DSBN held a community meeting Monday night at Grimsby Secondary School to pitch their plans for the site as well as to answer any inquiries or concerns. Helen McGregor, superintendent of curriculum & student achievement lead the presentation which gave an overview of the new school.
It will open in September 2020 taking in all the students from Beamsville District Secondary School and GSS. More than 1,500 students will attend the high school in its inaugural year. McGregor explained all the old specialist programs and shops offered by the existing high schools will continue to be offered at the new one. She added that with the new build also comes opportunity for “potential enhancements,” with help from the community. On the wish list are: two
double gyms, a 1,000 seat theatre, as well as artificial turf and tracks. McGregor explained these facilities would need community partnerships to become a reality, as the Ministry of Education will not fund these extras. The proposed theatre, for example, carries a price tag of $5-6 million. “We’re always looking for partnerships,” she said. Potential partnership agreements include leasing for usage, donations from fundraisers by both the community and the school body
as well as naming rights are all in the mix. McGregor stressed that any partnerships must be finalized by this September as mandated by the ministry. Some audience members, such as GSS alumni Tony Joosse, voiced concern over past usage agreements which the board did not honour. Filomena Goldsworthy, manager of community partnerships, ensured everyone gathered that the DSBN’s new agreements are very detailed and will be “different from agreements from the
past.” Those in attendance also had questions for other topics concerning the school. Several asked about the safety concerns arising from the school location’s proximity to marijuana production facilities. McGregor said that while the grow-ops are under federal and municipal jurisdiction, the DSBN is working closely with the Ministry of Health, along with architects and engineers to minimize liabilities. See DSBN, Page 3