School zones to drug zones

Dear Editor:

Okanagan Skaha School District 67 has proposed the closure of two long established Penticton elementary schools: Parkway Elementary and Carmi Elementary.

The term “established” should not be overlooked, they have stood for years, as schools, but also as cornerstones that helped establish their neighbourhoods.

Anyone that has children at these schools will sadly be directly effected.

However, the legacy impact will be the destruction of these neighbourhoods as safe and healthy options for families and seniors.

These properties are a critical component for outdoor activities and recreation, these urban parks provide a safe space for the children, elderly, and sports clubs outside of school hours.

Currently the only effective protections these neighbourhoods have against drugs and crime is that they are adjacent to, or near the school grounds themselves.

Police and Bylaw enforcement do a terrific job responding with care, and prioritize preference to where families and children gather to play.

The parks, playing fields and playgrounds bring added foot traffic year round that deters loitering and crime.

These properties act as sanctuaries of safety for families, and pet owners, and the disabled.

They help raise the quality of life for people that would otherwise be shut in.

The traffic design is calmed and controlled, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to safely enter and leave their neighbourhoods. Crosswalks at these schools are well marked and maintained, and provide peace of mind to parents, the disabled, and elderly pedestrians.

What will happen to the school and grounds when the schools close?

SD67’s scripted answer is: the ministry will find an appropriate “community partner”.

Currently the Carmi property is adjacent to Interior Health facilities, an entity that has a history of making poor decisions, with devastating impacts on the communities they share space with.

The NDP just attempted to push injection sites on Richmond without public input, we should be asking much deeper questions as to why we cannot get an answer on the future of our parks and schools.

I challenge the mayor and city council to stand up for the working families of Penticton, by locking in the current zoning on those properties until public engagement has been scheduled. With upcoming elections, let’s put these plans on the ballot and force the candidates to commit to school zones or drug zones.

Larry Morgan

Penticton