Keep Albert Central

The vitality of a downtown is directly related to the flow and interconnectivity of the people who live and work and study in and around it's heart. The healthiest city centres thrive on active community and business development that involves people of all stripes and ages. Accessible, inviting, educational, entertaining, and economically viable..........this is what every city and town strives to attain and maintain. As we all know too well most downtown hearts are eroding for many reasons, most predominantly because of the lure of big boxy stores and other developments which are allowed to fester on the city skirts.....pulling people away........... changing the pulse.............wounding the core.........

Fredericton's city centre is about to be altered by another misguided scud missle......

Just before Christmas, the ever so humble (ahem) new Minister of Education, released a press announcement which has the potential to close a door on a group of young community member wannabes who presently attend Albert Street Middle School. Located within walking distance of the downtown amenities, Albert St School has been a vibrant part of the community for over 50 years.

Over the past couple of years, concerned citizens (who vote by the way) took it upon themselves to rally the past government to build a new structure on the same property. Their efforts seemed to have had paid off. Provincial money was set aside for a brand new state of the art structure. Building plans had been approved. Since then, $3,000,000.00 had been spent on the design, the purchase of adjoining property and various and sundry legal ramifications. Let me repeat that..................3 MILLION DOLLARS spent ALREADY to reach the point of approved design and approved location. All was rosy..................all was moving forward. Target date for the opening of the new school at the Albert Street site: September, 2008.

Then, the sitting government lost the election last fall by a hairline fracture...........big surprise, big transition.................new faces, new departments, new appointments.............hard fought agreements scrapped.............. all of a sudden the Albert Street school project was put on hold.

Without ANY input from families who had been involved in the process from the initial discussions identifying the need for a new school (Albert St. is old and falling apart and drafty beyond repair and is really only held together with amazing teacher and student shared school spirit) , the approval to have a school built, the agreement of the process to build on the same property etc, etc...........................without ANY plans shared or discussed with interested parents and staff, this new Minister of Education announced that ALL of the plans would be scrapped for a new school to be located on a piece of property next to the highway on the way out of town!!!

End of story, done deal.................all in one press release distributed the Friday afternoon before Christmas. Known until recently for his oppositional bellicosity, all of a sudden the new Minister went into hiding and wouldn't even respond to the concern community members.......until yesterday, when he took time out of his busy day to be interviewed on the local morning radio show. The political rhetoric oozed..........................as he schmooozed through a myriad of lies. Haughtily, he dismissed parent and student's outcry which included excellent and rational reasons to keep the school where it is by placing all of these arguments under the umbrella of an "I know better than all of you because I am a parent and you are all children..........."

So, because of this "I've put a lot of thought into this decision" rash decision that has to have some personal ulterior motive attached to it, 600 plus kids who are bussed in from all parts of the southside of the city, including some of the more rural outskirts, will no longer have walking access to the following downtown community offerings:

The public library
The Provinicial Legislature
The Beaverbrook Art Gallery
Many museums
City Hall
Fredericton High School for plays and presentations
3 ice arenas, used regularly as part of their physical education program
3 beautiful parks, one with walking trails used often for outdoor phys ed
Officer's Square
The New Brunswick Craft College
Two universities where many walk to afterschool to meet up with a parent. The university students also play an integral role within Albert Street School as tutors, coaches, and extra-curricular coordinators. As well, many fulfill their student internships at Albert....all within walking distance of their residences.
The Fredericton Playhouse
Science East
Pools and tennis courts which can be utilized in the fall and spring.
The YMCA, often accessed as an afterschool program

The trans Canada walking trail along the river.......

As well...........and just as important...................the Community Kitchen, and various other community based organizations which expand these student's awareness of social issues and the importance of volunteerism.

Since the Department of Education and the local School districts have cut their budgets so dramatically that money is NEVER available for field trip buses..........my goodness, they can't even hire library assistants to oversee school libraries these days..............since most schools rely on their Home and School committees to orchestrate fundraisers in order to be able to purchase essentials such as school supplies for the classrooms..................these kids will completely lose access to all that our city core has to offer.

A big box school on the outskirts of the city versus a fully integrated involved vibrant middle school in the heart of the city? What makes more sense to you????

Granted, the new site has a couple of tennis courts, a ball diamond and a skateboard park................

A group of concerned parents, students, alumni and community members are working hard to fight this decision..........to demand a voice at the table, to request that this government reconsider their decision. Letters to the editor, voicemails to the local radio stations, feedback to their MLA's, requests for information...................all avenues are being pursued actively and with passion. A website will be up and running soon (i will post the site as soon as it is).

Let's hope it's not too late.

Keep Albert Street Central!!