By Daniel Nolan
The
The
The proposals come from parents of
More than 70 parents attended a meeting last night at the Lions Hall to tell provincial and Catholic school board officials what they would like to see done at the school when classes resume in September. Officials told them they will unveil a plan Aug. 22 at a school meeting.
A berm or small hill may end up being the preferred option, but officials told the parents nothing is being ruled out. The school has 500 students between Junior Kindergarten and Grade 8.
"Rest assured the school issue will be first and foremost ... There's a lot of pressure to get it right," provincial negotiator John Nolan said.
"We're not tied to any one solution. All I can say is we're committed to a solution."
Nolan said a wall might pose problems because it is open to graffiti. One mother suggested a 12-foot high privacy fence be installed.
"We're looking at either a berm or planting trees," Nolan said. "If it is a wall, it will have play features on it so kids can use it while out at recess."
Natives have occupied Douglas Creek Estates since February, claiming it is land they never surrendered. The province and
Nolan also said the province, which recently bought the land off the developer for more than $12 million, is looking at getting a landscape architect to "level out the dirt" on the site so it doesn't look like a construction site. That is being discussed at the negotiating table with officials from Six Nations, Queen's Park and
Some parents demanded the province eject the natives to ease their worries. Nolan said talks continue on who owns the land, but he didn't think Six Nations' claim can be proven.
He also dismissed rumours a casino will be built on the site. It would have to be sanctioned by