Kincardine council has directed staff to join the Bluewater District School Board to continue advocacy to build a proposed new senior school in the municipality.
At the August 13th meeting, the motion was introduced by Councillor Rory Cavanagh, calling on council direct staff to advocate, as required, with the Bluewater District School Board and the Province of Ontario regarding the building of the proposed new senior school
“This is one of the issues that frequently as members we get approached about, but [it] doesn’t directly fall into our laps in an everyday sense,” explained Cavanagh. “I wanted to do something that would help ensure that it is as clear as possible to members of the public that we are being as transparent and as forward as we can, and that as a council we are doing everything we can to get this project going.”
Council the other members of council were largely supportive of the move.
Councillor Bill Stewart said that Kincardine council has been advocating for years, and perhaps it’s time for something more.
“I would actually ask for maybe the staff to take a look at something a little more aggressive,” said Stewart. “I think it’s time that we got a lobbyist to go after the Board of Education, and the Minister… I think the community deserves this school, it’s hurting us terribly for development. We need the school. Everyone agrees. It’s got to be the number one issue for all our community.”
The motion also directs staff to prioritize the development and any required applications submitted to the Municipality to support the development.
With the overall feeling that the new senior school has been a need for several years, the general feeling that council had was to make sure that once their advocacy work was completed, the municipality would be ready to get the work completed as soon as it was approved.
“We’re telling – directing staff, and ourselves – that we’re going to be ready,” added Councillor Mike Hinchberger. “We’re not going to be at a point where they (the province) show up at the door one day with an application and we go ‘Oh, surprise!’ No. We’re going to be able to take the baton and process it as efficiently as possible.”
The notice says that the motion has an expected completion date of October 26, 2026, as that is the last day of the current council term.