The Editor, Re: "UPDATE: Steveston secondary sold to residential developer," Online, July 26.
In the recent story on the sale of Steveston secondary by School District 38 to the residential developer Polygon, Councillor Harold Steves is quoted as saying that "for that civic need (such as a school) to disappear and for the community's land to end up in the hands of a developer, is a big leap."
I would like all readers to know that such a civic need, i.e. a school, has not disappeared, despite what the article and previous articles on the subject of the sale of Steveston Secondary may suggest.
My children attend Ecole des Navigateurs, a primary public school, which is part of the Francophone School Board of British Columbia (Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie Britannique - CSF, SD93). The school is temporarily housed in the old Alexander Kilgour School, deemed in November 2007 to be surplus to the long-term needs of SD38. The building is leased on a yearly basis to the CSF.
Does a permanent school for my children and the more than 100 other students at Ecole des Navigateurs constitute a disappearing "civic need?" I think not and I know many parents who would agree with me.
Suzana Straus PAC president Ecole des Navigateurs Suzana Straus
