Neighbourliness has been sorely lacking

Re: Immaculata’s soccer field is a dodgy project that doesn’t pass the smell test, Nov. 12. As the parent of a child at Immaculata High School, but not a resident of Old Ottawa East, I can say that the history to this story of the sports field is anything but that of good neighbours. I have personally witnessed more than one neighbour bringing their dogs onto school property, leaving their business behind, then heading home. This deplorable behaviour is the norm rather than the exception. In addition, a simple glance at an online satellite map will show the groove that has been worn into the field. While neighbours cannot be faulted for using a shortcut, the combination of the groove, plus piles of dog feces, made the school’s sports field hazardous to the children, and to my son. This point needs to be underlined: the field needed to be replaced for no other reason than the neighbours’ behaviours. No one should be surprised at seeing a fence go up. This was done to protect the children. And yes, the community was consulted but with some people, there is just no negotiating. It’s my sincere belief that nothing would have ever satisfied these neighbours; they just wanted to keep their old dog park. If the writer of this article is looking to understand why this field he so despises got built, he need only look to the neighbours themselves as a direct cause. It also should be noted that despite these challenges, the builders still compromised and installed both special lighting and low-volume whistles at extra cost, proving that neighbours were listened to and accommodated whenever reasonable. Fairness dictates that we should honour the agreement made with the Footy Sevens and the city should not put itself in a position to be sued over this. Secret deal or not, no one has ever suggested another viable alternative for funding and repairing the school’s damaged sports field. As for me, my son can now play sports safely at his school and that’s what I care about. Thank you to Immaculata and the Footy Sevens soccer league for persevering. A new, safe sports field would never have happened without you. Dan Saumure, Ottawa