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Vol. 17, No. 18, Wednesday, March 30, 2022 www.LamontLeader.com
Village of Andrew hopeful after EIPS requests meeting Council unclear of topic, but prays it is positive towards retaining its school, others doubtful BY JANA SEMENIUK A presentation from Andrew Council member Tammy Pickett and Mayor Barry Goertz to the Elk Island Public School Board March 17, regarding the fate of the under-utilized Andrew School, has resulted in a meeting request from EIPS with the village council slated for March 30 in Andrew. Goertz said, during the village council meeting March 23, that while the reason for the meeting is unclear, he wants to stay positive. “I don’t know what they want to meet about. Right now, they have requested to meet with us, and we have to hope and pray that it is a positive meeting. The fact they are coming to see us is great,” said Goertz. Councillor Osama Hamed was not feeling positive about the request. “The last meeting they requested, they shrank the school,” he said. Andrew School first lost their high school program in 2019 followed by
Pickett then addressed the council their junior high school in 2020, both due to declining enrolment. It left the with her portion of the presentation, school, this year, with an enrolment of noting new families that were slated to move into the area as well just 59 students in a school as a clear goal with EIPS. building that can accom“We understand low modate 350. enrollment in grades 7-12, Meanwhile, Andrew we aren’t fighting for this. Council member Tammy We want open communiPickett gave her heart felt cation and teamwork to EIPS presentation to the keep and build what we village council, just as she already have,” she said. presented it the week Pickett included a perbefore at the EIPS regular sonal story to emphasize board meeting. Andrew Councilor her point. Her grand“We put together about Tammy Pickett. daughter was enrolled in 13-minutes (presentation) Photo: Jana Semeniuk Lamont Elementary to the school board,” said School for kindergarten Mayor Goertz who accompanied Pickett to the EIPS board and required bussing. Pickett called meeting. He read his speech, highlight- EIPS Student Transportation to arrange ing the perceived viability of Andrew for bussing and realized that when she School acknowledging the low number said the pickup was from Andrew of students and requesting patience School, no one questioned why her from the board in making any deci- granddaughter wasn’t going to Andrew School. sions on the future of the school.
“They didn’t know if I was familiar with the options right in our own community. Why not offer or suggest Andrew School?,” she asked. Pickett added that when she called back to change her granddaughter’s school from Lamont to Andrew, then she was questioned. “They said they would have to check first to see if there was room. I said ‘it’s Andrew. There’s definitely room in the kindergarten class’,” she said. “But I was not questioned when I wanted to bus her from Andrew to Lamont. It was two totally different demeaners. Why not direct them to attend their designated school? You can’t force them to go but at least give them an informed option. It’s still Elk Island the same performance of excellence. Give them an educated choice.” Pickett ended her presentation with a request for EIPS to help promote and suggest Andrew School for families in the area.
Stubbs unimpressed by NDP backroom deal with Liberals BY JOHN MATHER Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs isn’t impressed with the deal struck by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to have his NDP party prop up the Liberal government for the next three years. “It’s obvious that the NDP has been propping up the Liberals’ tax and spend, anti-energy, anti-rural, anti-private sector and anti-freedom agenda since 2019,” said Stubbs in a release. “But their capitulation to the Prime Minister’s power grab makes it official. NDP voters can be forgiven for questioning the NDP’s ability to fulfill its obligations as an opposition party, now that it has agreed to support the government on all major votes of confidence and budget decisions. Stubbs said the deal between the two parties effectively makes individual NDP MPs the equivalent of Liberal backbenchers. Conservatives question
whether they should continue to par- deal that gives a carte blanche to the ticipate in Question Period, in commit- Liberals and is designed mainly to tees, or in bill debates, the same way as expand and maintain political power.” members of the Official Opposition or She went on to say the Liberals and other opposition parties do, she added. NDP have been united in racking up “I believe Canadians do Canada’s national debt want MPs of all parties to and deficit through hiking seek common ground and taxes which are causing to work together wherever soaring inflation and possible to serve the best prices across the country, interests of Canadians,” while making life more she said. “Canadians also difficult and less affordwant opposition MPs to able for rural communities, farm families, and be committed to fulfilling workers in the energy secthe core duty of holding tor. the government to “They are united in account, and to making wanting to end the oil and decisions about the federLakeland MP gas sector in Canada, and al budget and major legisShannon Stubbs to keep Canada landlation based on merit, on locked and partially principles, and on what is dependent on foreign oil, which makes presented. “Canadians do not want a backroom no sense for a country which has some
of the largest oil and gas reserves, and the most responsible development in the world,” she continued. “Even before their formal power grab pact was made public, they united to defeat a Conservative motion in the House of Commons to secure Canada’s energy self-sufficiency. “The people of Lakeland and all Canadians can see clearly that the Prime Minister’s priority is more about seizing his own power than it is about making life more affordable for Canadians when more than half worry they won’t have enough money to put food on their tables because of inflation caused by the Liberals’ excessive deficit spending. “I will continue to do my job to advocate for Lakeland, and to fulfill my duty as a member of an effective Official Opposition.”