Last night's Board vote was difficult to witness, more difficult still knowing that the outcome would have been different had the two suspended Trustees, Diane McNally and Rob Paynter been there, as they are against the land sale.
Trustees Nicole Duncan, Angie Hentze, and Ann Whiteaker voted against the sale and made impassioned arguments that reflected what the community has told them.
Chair Ryan Painter, and Trustees Tom Ferris, Elaine Leonard, and Jordan Watters voted to sell the land.
At the meeting, Trustees Duncan and Whiteaker made a motion and asked questions to address concerns, to no avail. The final Lansdowne bylaw discussion begins at 1:15:09 of the meeting recording (the link takes you directly to that point of the recording) - if you are interested in hearing Trustees' arguments.
NEXT STEPS: This is not over, as the Ministry still needs to approve the sale.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Write the Minister of Education, the Honourable Jennifer Whiteside, directly at educ.minister@gov.bc.ca and cc. the Deputy Minister at DM.education@gov.bc.ca
- Contact your MLA - talk with them, write them, tell them how you feel about this pending sale
- Murray Rankin is MLA Oak Bay-Gordon Head (Murray.Rankin.mla@leg.bc.ca)
- Rob Fleming is MLA Victoria-Swan Lake (Rob.Fleming.mla@leg.bc.ca)
- Find your MLA here - Write a letter to the editor and share your concerns, e.g.:
- The controversial removal of the two Trustees and the impact on this critical vote
- The lack of prior and lack of meaningful consultation: SD61's ignored its own policies on land disposal (Regulation 7110 on Disposal of Real Property & Regulation 1163 on Consultation) and the Ministry's policy School Building Closure and Disposal.
- The disregard for the overwhelming community response against the land sale (as per the Board correspondence found under each Board meeting "Agenda", the Feb. 23rd Special Board meeting, and this petition - now at 1,199 signatures)
Help us keep growing the petition to keep visible the community's on-going opposition
Thank you.