A day after a group of parents announced they were organizing a rally and petition calling on the province to rebuild New Westminster Secondary, local MLA Judy Darcy has come out with her own petition on the matter.
The petition, crafted by Darcy’s office, calls on the Ministry of Education and provincial government to immediately approve funding for a replacement high school, but it was New West parent Danielle Connelly who first came up with the idea to petition the government.
Connelly, like many parents in the city, is fed up with the constant delays the high school replacement has faced year after year. In an earlier interview with the Record, Connelly said she’s sat back long enough and finally, after the most recent delay in February, decided it was time to act.
“We’ve been quiet for so long. I don’t know what will work, but sitting back quietly hasn’t worked,” she said.
Connelly has planned a rally and petition signing event for Sunday, April 10 at noon at the high school. While she had originally intended to have a petition of her own creation on hand for people to sign, she will now be sharing the petition created by Darcy.
Connelly wouldn’t say much when asked about Darcy’s petition, but admitted she hadn’t drafted her petition yet so it made sense to stick with the one petition to avoid confusion. She did, however, stress Sunday’s rally isn’t a political event. Rather an opportunity for the community to gather and share their frustrations regarding the delayed high school project.
Darcy, meanwhile, said she planned to speak with Connelly regarding the event and the petition and that she’d been working closely with the school district.
“I think it’s a very good thing that parents in the community are speaking out about this as well. The school district has done a remarkable job submitting a really comprehensive plan. They have answered every conceivable question that needs to be answered,” she said.
To sign the petition visit tinyurl.com/rebuildnwss.
Rally reminder:
When: Sunday, April 10 at noon
Where: New Westminster Secondary School, 835 Eighth St.
Who: Parents, students, staff and any community members who are fed up with the delays to the high school replacement project.
What: Stop by and show your support for a new high school. Petitions calling on the government to approve funding for the project immediately will also be available to sign.
For more info, see www.facebook.com/Rebuildnwssnow.
