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https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/10/former-pc-leader-questions-new-moncton.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/former-leader-moncton-school-1.5749470
Former PC leader questions new Moncton school location
Site to replace aging Bessborough and Hillcrest schools has been panned by some parents, community members
CBC News· Posted: Oct 03, 2020 1:10 PM AT
Dennis Cochrane, who also served as the mayor of Moncton, an MP, a high school principal and as a deputy education minister in Nova Scotia, said he’s not sure where the best location is for the new school, but public outcry shows that the planned site isn’t it. (Shane Magee/CBC)
A former Progressive Conservative party leader is criticizing his party's decision to build a new elementary school in Moncton on the same grounds as Bernice MacNaughton High School.
Dennis Cochrane, who also served as the mayor of Moncton, an MP, a high school principal and as a deputy education minister in Nova Scotia, said he's not sure where the best location is for the new school, but public outcry shows that the planned site isn't it.
He said the government is on the verge of making a bad decision. He said he's speaking out now because he failed to do so back when Moncton High School was moved, which drew criticism.
"At that time I didn't say anything," said Cochrane.
"I recognize now that people who have some background should speak up and make their point of view."
The new K-8 school will replace the aging Bessborough and Hillcrest schools.
Minister stands by site
While parents have decried the decision to put the new school on the site of the high school, Education Minister Dominic Cardy said he wouldn't reconsider the site, which was approved by ministry staff.
"I will accept the recommendation of those experts because I am not an engineer and not an architect and not a designer," Cardy said.
The local district education council has asked the minister to explain why the site was chosen, something Cardy said will happen later in October.
But Cochrane said many groups believe they were not consulted on the issue.
"This is not a decision that's going to last for a year," he said.
While parents have decried the decision to put the new school on the site of the high school, Education Minister Dominic Cardy said he wouldn’t reconsider the site, which was approved by ministry staff. (Submitted by the Government of New Brunswick)
"This is a decision that's going to take a year to put in place. But it's going to last 60 years to serve the educational needs of this community. It can't be made quickly. It can't be made frivolously."
Cardy said staff base recommendations for new locations on multiple factors but said he wasn't sure whether he could name the other two locations that were considered.
In an email, department spokesperson Danielle Elliott said the locations would not be released as they are considered "confidential advice" to the minister.
"That's foolishness," said Cochrane. "If there was a process and the minister looked at one side over the other two, why is that?"
Numerous issues
Cochrane said there are numerous issues with the planned site.
"One access, off a very busy four lane thoroughfare, beside a major highway where there's already 900 students on site," he said.
The new school will be built on land next to Bernice McNaughton High School and will eventually replace the smaller and aging Hillcrest and Bessborough schools. (Google Maps)"This is a high school, these children drive. All these buses coming in, all the people walking, all the people driving, it's going to cause unnecessary congestion."
Cochrane said it's important for local stakeholders to feel like they've participated in the process.
"People have to feel engaged."
With files from Harry Forestell
Note his "russians".
Methinks you wackos know where to find it N'esy Pas?
Just yesterday Dennis Cochrane posted the following Correct?
"I seldom comment on education issues through the media. However, this situation is serious and crucial. I watched a whole series of poor decisions regarding the closure and subsequent re-location of Moncton High School and we do not need to repeat or re-create that debacle .
Decisions to locate schools should not be merely engineering or construction decisions . These are centers of care and education in communities and the decisions involving their location should be shared by educators, councils, the school community as well as the provincial departments. The planned location of this new school is terrible. A crammed site beside a high school on a busy road beside a major thoroughfare is not the location at which to educate hundreds of elementary and middle school students.
The Minister has an opinion on everything regarding education, as he should, but he should not abdicate his role in this case to engineering and construction bureaucrats . The decision should be reviewed and and the chosen site reconsidered. A poor site , a poor decision and a poor attitude of "we know best" by the Minister !"
Some dsy the middle class that claims they are very concerned about the environment, might wake up and see how much damage they do by needing to drop off their precious personally,
Cochrane was the president of MH Renaissance, I don't think much other proof is required.
Shared equipment, lawn tractors, snow removal, custodial staff and supplies. Transportation with school buses converging on on location instead of different locations should result in fewer buses needed.
For the municipality, one school zone to manage safety in instead of two.
While I am certain that some people would prefer different locations, we really should try to spend our tax dollars wisely and 1 location certainly makes more economic sense than 2 completely separate locations.
Logistically the distance from the existing locations is not huge a few km from either of the schools
As a civilian like anyone else yes, as some glorified ex politician who thinks he knows all no.
Sheesh
He has integrity, honesty, morals, insight and experience
Cardy may have some of these qualities, but listening to citizens isn't one of them
Cochran's has aLso had his day and his turn. If he wanted a school somewhere else, he had plenty of time in his various jobs to get it done,
Cardy needs to listen to wise experienced people like Dennis instead of prodding along like he knows where he is going.
His dictatorial attitude doesn't belong in our government
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-west-end-school-site-cardy-1.5745265
Education minister won't reconsider Moncton west end school site
Some parents had hoped province would make use of existing school location
· CBC News· Posted: Oct 02, 2020 5:00 AM AT
Education Minister Dominic Cardy says he has accepted a staff recommendation on where to put a Grade 8 school in Moncton's west end. (Submitted by the Government of New Brunswick)
New Brunswick's education minister says he won't reconsider a decision on where to build a new 700-student school in Moncton's west end to replace two other schools and the department is keeping the other locations considered secret.
The province plans to open a kindergarten to Grade 8 school on provincially owned land beside Bernice MacNaughton High School to replace Bessborough and Hillcrest schools.
Some parents, the Anglophone East District Education Council and Moncton city councillors have all said they want answers from the province about how the location was picked after the decision was revealed during the provincial election campaign.
Dominic Cardy, who kept his portfolio in a post-election cabinet shuffle, said provincial government staff studied the issue and brought him a list of three potential sites. Cardy selected the site staff had recommended on July 22, a few weeks before the election began.
"I will accept the recommendation of those experts because I am not an engineer and not an architect and not a designer," Cardy said.
"As long as I'm satisfied that the process has been followed, I sign off on it. I was satisfied the process was followed, I signed."
He declined to name the other two locations considered during the interview, saying he wasn't sure if that's information he's allowed to release publicly.
Danielle Elliott, a spokesperson for the department, sent an emailed statement almost 24 hours later saying the other locations considered are "confidential advice" to the minister and won't be released.
That leaves it unclear whether a site preferred by some parents, space on the existing Bessborough grounds, was considered or why it may not have been considered suitable.
The district education council voted to close Bessborough and Hillcrest, both built in the 1950s, and request a new school. The council suggested the province consider using the Bessborough grounds.
Jeremy Nelson, whose daughter attends Bessborough, said he was disappointed Cardy isn't open to reconsidering the decision. While he's happy the area will get a new school, he worries about the long-term impact of the province's site selection process.
"This is the first of probably dozens of schools of this age that have similar structural problems," Nelson said.
"A lot of those are located in the middle of neighbourhoods. Are we setting a template where all of the neighborhood schools are going to disappear?"
The new 700-student school will be built on provincially owned land next to Bernice McNaughton High School at the western edge of the neighbourhood to replace Hillcrest and Bessborough schools. (Google Maps)
Generally, Cardy said, staff base their recommendations on multiple factors that include the cost to build a school on the site, availability of land, access to services and amenities, future growth of the neighbourhood and safety issues.
Cardy said he won't reconsider the location because it makes no sense to disregard the recommendations of the civil service based on "heat from a small number of people."
"That is the pathway to bad decisions and weakened democracy," Cardy said. "That's not how our system works."
Nelson called Cardy's statement disappointing.
"That smacks of, you know, 'Here citizens, take your medicine and don't don't question our decision-making.'"
The district education council unanimously voted the day after the election to ask the province to explain its decision. Cardy said that's expected to take place at an Oct. 20 meeting.
The call for answers about the school location echoes displeasure at the Progressive Conservative government's 2011 decision to replace the centrally located Moncton High School with a new school on the northern fringe of the city.
Some parents, including Jeremy Nelson, had wanted the province to build the new school on the Bessborough grounds. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Moncton councillors last month called for answers, saying the province has not allowed the city to offer input in decisions that affect how the municipality grows and public transit.
Several city councillors urged Nelson and another parent who spoke at a Moncton council meeting last month to continue pushing the province to reconsider.
"I would hope that enough voices have come out now for the province to step back," Coun. Charles Léger said at that Sept. 8 meeting.
Léger said provincial criteria for new schools requiring certain acreage means they'll simply end up losing urban schools.
Minister open to municipal input
Cardy said he agrees with Moncton councillors that municipalities ought to have more input when new schools are being considered.
"I think that that should be changed in the future and look forward to talking about how we can reform the governance of the education system," Cardy said.
He said he's not sure how long making that type of change could take.
The new school is expected to open in 2022.
About the Author
Decisions to locate schools should not be merely engineering or construction decisions . These are centers of care and education in communities and the decisions involving their location should be shared by educators, councils, the school community as well as the provincial departments. The planned location of this new school is terrible. A crammed site beside a high school on a busy road beside a major thoroughfare is not the location at which to educate hundreds of elementary and middle school students.
The Minister has an opinion on everything regarding education, as he should, but he should not abdicate his role in this case to engineering and construction bureaucrats . The decision should be reviewed and and the chosen site reconsidered. A poor site , a poor decision and a poor attitude of "we know best" by the Minister !
"New Brunswick's education minister says he won't reconsider a decision"
And the reason for that has only to do with Conservatives having a majority government, no matter what else is said, by anybody.
How so? Even the city does not want a school there.
So, we have parents questioning the decision, and the actual city where the new school is to be located............
Maybe we should get input from the fine citizens of Bathurst, or Campbellton?
Crickets.