Every week we get lots of comments from our readers on our web site, via email, and social media. Here’s a sample of what we heard this week. Add your thoughts to the comments at the bottom of this article or email feedback@stittsvillecentral.ca.
Re: SURVEY SAYS: 90% of residents want a public school in Stittsville and MPP Jack Maclaren not that enthused about public high school in Stittsville
The group that’s pushing to have a public high school built in Stittsville released the results of a survey this week that showed about 1 in 5 public school parents have already switched their kids to the Catholic system so that they can attend Sacred Heart in Stittsville rather than bus to South Carleton in Richmond. Meanwhile, MPP Jack Maclaren told the Citizen that he doesn’t think the distance from Stittsville to South Carleton is overly far.
DAN PAK: “What the article didn’t post was that the new subdivision on Fernbank towards Terry Fox is being zoned for Kanata when South is under capacity and could justify some of the numbers from the survey.”
JUDY STARR: “My children are now 28 and 25 years old. Both went to South (Carleton). Even then, the talk was about needing a high school in Stittsville. The issues at the time included high expenses to maintain an old building, no air conditioning, washroom facilities that were falling apart, unhealthy air quality in the portables, etc… I think it is time for Stittsville to have a public high school. So many kids are leaving the public system at Grade 6 or 8 because the Catholic board has a new facility and because kids can walk there, and play sports and participate in other extra curricular activities after school and still be able to get home. I even wonder if the fact that we have no public high school in Stittsville will affect our property values? We need a high school and I applaud the efforts of those bringing the issue back to the forefront.”
MIKE HIRSCH: “I lived in Stittsville while attending South Carleton and don’t see the problem with the travel. I was at the beginning of my bus route and it took under 30 minutes door-to-door. I get that some of the roads might not be the best, but they are far from the worst! I don’t recall ever reading about a significant bus accident while a bus traveled to or from SCHS. This is also a high school – we aren’t talking about young kids. Yes, Stittsville is getting bigger, but there is still room at SCHS for more students – they aren’t over capacity. As someone with a child who will be entering school in the next few years, I’d rather the money be spent improving the existing schools, or on other infrastructure projects. Don’t get me wrong – it’d be GREAT to have a public high school in Stittsville, but that money could support other projects that serve a greater need than slight inconvenience. I’ll gladly send my kids 30 minutes to high school when the time comes.”
JOE: “South Carleton is a much older, and outdated building. Stittsville really requires a new updated modern public high school. A place to inspire our young. A place that will help shape the future, and something we can be proud of. But with what’s happening now, is that the public system stands to lose more and more of its share of funding, and it’s for the wrong reasons. How much deterioration does the public high school in Richmond have to endure? What are the consequences of inaction? This whole topic is about to get a lot more heated over the next while, because people will not take this any longer, and people are going to up the ante.”
Re: Vandals wreck turtle enclosure at local park
Earlier in June, Karla Torres and her family saw a snapping turtle laying eggs in the sand a local park. They built an enclosure to help protect the eggs, only to find it torn down by vandals this week.
TRACY STEWART: “Wow. If this was done by young people, I hope their parents become aware of their actions and educate them on what they’ve done. If this was “adults” then I hope what goes around comes around and that your friends and family are made aware of how pathetic and small you are. I hope the eggs are okay and still have a fighting chance.”
CHELSEA BASTIEN: “I am so lucky to have Karla and her family as neighbours. It is so disappointing that this has happened after they worked so hard to set up the enclosure. There is so much kindness in this community and hopefully that is what will shine through in this situation.”
MIKE BRYAN: “To protect and ensure the hatching of 12 completely unprotected snapping turtle eggs I found atop roadside gravel near Munster a few years ago, I transferred the eggs to a large transparent plastic bag. Then on the advice of a turtle expert I added to the bag several panels of paper towel saturated with water. Sealed up the bag and placed it in our warm garage for several weeks. All babies hatched – complete with little yolk sacs attached to their bellies. Opened up the bag to give them air as hatching began. After a few weeks in a laundry tub filled with water and sand, the looney sized turtles were all released into the Jock River. All healthy.”
Re: Geographically-challenged homebuilders agree to change direction
Two local homebuilders have been advertising their new Poole Creek Village neighbourhood as being “in the heart of Kanata”, when it’s in fact smack dab in the middle of Stittsville.
ALLYSON ELIZABETH: “My husband works in the east end of the city and he has heard several times from “east-enders” that the name Stittsville actually carries a lot of prestige these days; builders shouldn’t underestimate that. If they aren’t proud enough to advertise Stittsville, then don’t build here.”
BIRGIT FAMIL: “I live right near the Stittsville sign but my address reads Kanata. It’s so confusing. Especially for (companies) who only do delivery to Stittsville.”
JOCELYN REMUS-ROBINSON: “Get over yourselves there is no town of Kanata or town of Stittsville. There is only OTTAWA we were all part of the great amalgamation. Better services, and not taxes going up. Remember that promise. Kanata, Barhaven Stittsville were debt free now we have less service and higher taxes.”
KATHRYN BEAUMONT: “Blackstone we were told was Kanata, but it’s Stittsville, I laugh now cause around the pond there is a sign saying Blackstone Stittsville and they still advertise Kanata!”
ANGIE: “So glad to see this story, it is something that has always frustrated me and I always try to educate people about how great Stittsville is and what actually is located in Stittsville. Businesses should be proud to be here and when I see they list Kanata as their address, it is disrespectful and it makes me not want to visit there. A lot of residents in the Huntmar area think they live in Kanata…I hope some more education goes on there too.”