The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) is issuing an urgent appeal to the province to address the long-standing roofing problems plaguing Saskatoon’s Monique Rousseau School. The NDP, led by Carla Beck, identifies the situation as a serious worry, intensifying in the course of several months.
Back in June, the school premises were visited by several Saskatchewan MLAs, guided by a group consisting of the school administration and concerned parents. The purpose of their tour was to spotlight and expose the substantial issues the building faced – overcrowded classrooms, subpar temperature control and a gaping hole in the establishment’s roof being the primary ones.
A petition signed by nearly 200 distressed parents was presented to the province in September, emphatically beseeching the officials to rectify the worrisome roofing situation. The situation grew severe following an early October storm’s heavy downpour, which resulted in water leakage into the school, rendering two classrooms and the library inoperative.
One of the concerned parents, Cathlia Ward voiced her frustration, pointing out the officials’ priority on the gender pronoun policy over the genuine concerns of the parents at Monique Rousseau School. She shared her anxiety about her children not having a functioning school to attend, a concern shared by many others.
The predicament extends beyond just academic disruptions. Ward also highlighted the flooding’s impact on the already scarce daycare services in the province.
The ruling Sask Party responded stating that work had already commenced under the preventative maintenance and renewal (PMR) Program prior to the recent flooding incident. Jeremy Cockrill, the Education Minister, assured that the ministry is in constant touch with the Conseil D’Ecoles Fransaskoises (CEF) and are diligently working to resume the project which had regrettably hit a snag due to the water leakage.
During a legislative session, the Minister also shed light on plans to construct new schools in regions such as Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert, in collaboration with CEF. He also assured that the government, despite the recent setbacks, is committed to its obligations with the CEF in the long run.
The CEF, while acknowledging the overdue construction of a new school in Saskatoon, mentioned their efforts in expediting the project with the ministry’s support, giving a ray of hope in the clouded circumstance.
www.westislandblog.com
https://www.westislandblog.com/urgent-appeal-for-roofing-repairs-at-saskatoons-monique-rousseau-school/
