The fight over the proposed location of a new northwest francophone school has become a legal battle. The Scenic Acres Community Association has filed a temporary injunction to stop construction slated for January.
The Association says the field where the school would go is frequently used for sporting events. The Francosud Division says it need a K-6 school because its other northwest elementary school in Varsity is overcapacity.
The injunction will make way for legal arguments under the Municipal Government Act. The site was supposed to be returned by the school boards to the city as surplus when it wasn’t needed but that never happened.
Jim Palmer is President of the Scenic Acres Community Association
“The park is one of the heaviest used parks in the city so it’s a not a community park it’s more a regional park, the soccer program has been running for about 30 years so we are actually in our next generation of kids.”
Palmer says a school would impact up to four kids soccer fields which are booked more than 300 days a year.
“Our disappointment is that we’re spending residents’ dollars to fight something that’s legally something they should have complied with so we’re a little disappointed with our politicians.”
Anne-Marie Boucher is Chair of the Conseil Scolaire FrancoSud.
“The footprint of the school is 20% of the green space so that’s why we are saying we can have a school there is still some spaces for people to come walk and play ball, play soccer, the playground stays, the basketball court, the volleyball… so yes we are taking some space but there is still a big park there for everybody to enjoy.”
Both sides say they hope to resolve the dispute out of court.
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