Jennifer Smith (left) and Jenny Guth along with other parents in the community have started a new petition calling for a public high school for Stittsville.
A provincial politician has promised parents that she’ll present a petition to Queen’s Park this week for a new public high school.
Barrhaven MPP Lisa MacLeod met with parents on Friday, and told them that she would raise the issue at Question Period at Queen’s Park. She says she wants a petition with at least two pages of signatures that she can bring with her to demonstrate support from the community.
You can sign the petition at four locations this weekend:
- 40 Ember Glow Court (Crossing Bridge – off Hobin)
- 224 Helm Circle (Fairwinds)
- 40 Amethyst (Granite Ridge)
- Update: You can sign the petition from 11am-3pm Sunday June 5 at Food Basics (Huntmar @ Hazeldean)
Sunday, June 5 at Arts in the Park (12pm-5pm at Village Square Park / Stittsville Main Street)
Here’s more info from the Stittsville Public HIgh School Now parents group:
We met with Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean-Carleton this week to seek their advice on ways of influencing Queen’s Park. A few years ago her team successfully campaigned for approval of a public high school in Barrhaven.
She strongly recommended we start a petition with handwritten signatures and she would present it to the Minister of Education.
Sign The Petition This WeekendWe would like to ask everyone who is interested in a public high school for Stittsville to sign it over the weekend if possible.
We are preparing Lisa MacLeod, MPP to present a question in the Ontario Legislature next week (see below for more information). The petition can be found in the mailbox at the following address:
- 40 Ember Glow Court (Crossing Bridge – off Hobin)
- 24 Helm Circle (Fairwinds)
- 40 Amethyst (Granite Ridge)
You can also sign it tomorrow (Sunday June 5) at the Stittsville Art in the Park
- Our local Councillor Shad Qadri will have a table where you can sign it at the Abbott Street Park (corner of Abbott and Main St.) Sunday June 5th between 12-4 pm
Background:
Yesterday we met with Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean-Carleton to seek advice on ways of influencing Queen’s Park and the Minister of Education to approve a public high school for Stittsville. Lisa and her team successfully campaigned for approval of a public high school in Barrhaven – Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School (which opened in 2009).
As you know, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has ranked a public high school in Stittsville as our City’s number 1 capital funding priority. But there remains a lot of work still to be done to shift the Minister towards approving this request.Based on her past experience with Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School, Lisa MacLeod strongly recommended we undertake the following actions:
- Organize a community action group (already done)
- Increased community engagement/pressure
- Increase the media coverage e.g., have our issue covered as much as possible – from many different angle
- Start a petition to the Minister of Education
- Leveraging local MPPs to bring our voice to Queen’s Park.
Jack MacLaren – our MPP – has already raised the issue with the Minister and Lisa MacLeod has agreed to raise it as a question to the Minister during this week’s Question Period. At this time, she also wants to note that a petition has started and to show at least two pages of completed signatures. We have to move quickly if we want to get her something by Monday morning.
Thank you for your continued support!
Jenny and Jennifer
from the Stittsville Public High School Now Committee