Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 18, 1979, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press. Thursday. January Winter brings water problems Community new on shared services agreements Board asks government to Deal directly with private schools by Nancy Birks Norwood school Board has urged the provincial government to Deal directly with private schools seek ing shared services agreements for academic purposes. Under present legislation private schools first present shared services proposals to the local Public school Board for approval. The proposal is then forwarded to the minister of education for final approval. Under the legislation passed last year private schools entering shared services agreements with school Divi Sions can receive up to per student. However the amount of funding depends on the percentage of Public school curriculum taught at the private school. Funding comes from provincial revenues. Trustee j. C. Stangl who is also president of the Manitoba federation of Independent schools said in an interview the average Grant is Proba Bly about per student. The Manitoba federation of inde Pendant schools is an association of private schools in Manitoba. St. Boniface former Norwood trustee Hugh Curtis spoke out against the Resolution at a regular Board meeting last week. Norwood division led the province in establishing one of the first shared services agreements Curtis said. But at that time he continued the funds were subject to supervision from the province or school division. Although Curtis admitted he was t familiar with the More recent Legisla Tion he said he thought maintain ing the Standard of All schools whether private parochial or Public was valid. Stangl said at one time the school division was responsible for ensuring the Standard of education in private schools having shared services agreements was in keeping with provincial standards. But now the education minister or his representative has the right to Check out the private school he said. Why then should the Public school division be the broker for such agreements he asked. Curtis said one thing which is gained by directing agreements through the Public school division is Community support for both the Pri vate school and the division. Trustee Lorette Ferland said if the motion becomes Law boards would no longer have a working relationship with the private school. And the school division would no longer be responsible for it. After Curtis s remarks trustee Carol Monney moved the Resolution be rescinded and tabled for fur ther consideration. She said she had understood it to involve Only allocation of funds. Nothing had been said previously about the overseeing of private schools she said. The motion to rescind seconded by trustee . Sinnock chairman of the Board was Defeated by a 3 to 2 margin. Changing the procedure would re quire an amendment of present legis lation. Traffic changes area East Kildonan by Gerry Cairns the extremely cold weather experienced in Winnipeg this Winter has kept sewer and water Crews Busy making repairs to broken Mains in Many part of the City. This Crew was making repairs to a break on Ruby Street North of Westminster Avenue. Similar scenes have become familiar in both residential and business areas. School excursions questioned by Candace Holmstrom lengthy discussions regarding outdoor education excursions were the feature of a regular meeting of the River East school Board last week. Trustees expressed various View Points on the subject before Grant ing approval of several outings. Mexico Russia Spain and Mon Tana Are a few of the places which will be visited during the Spring break this year. Costs for the out Ings Are paid by the students. Trustee Helen Mayba voted to approve the excursions but suggested the Board should possibly slow them Down. Mayba said she has heard a number of comments from parents regarding their role and the Validity of the trips As an actual learning experience. Mayba said her major concern is the missing of school Days regard less of the Type of trip. East Kildo Naff a Montana ski Outing for students of Miles Macdonell collegiate was also highly debated before approved. Trustee Don Mitchelson said he would t support the ski trip be cause he Felt two Days for such an Outing was too much. I can tie in school learning with visits to other countries but 1 think ski trips Are More Mitchelson said. Trustee Peter Graham disagreed with Mitchelson. There is an educational value from a sports Graham pointed out. Trustee Alan Rouse Board chair Man voted to accept the ski trip. Rouse said Many educators be Lieve the Best learning process is through environment which is Why he supported the motion. Trustee Jim Baty announced he will be showing a fire prevention film in the Board office tonight Jan. Trustees Don Tymko and Baty Are involved in a fire prevention program for elementary students. The film Baty will be showing to Board members is one he Hopes to introduce at a High school level. Rouse commended the fire prevention program Given by the two trustees and suggested they report Back to Board with response received. Rouse announced the regular Board meeting which was to be held feb. 28 is now scheduled for feb. 27. The change was made to accommodate trustees who will be attend ing a conference of the River East principals vice principals association. By Patricia old the East Kildonan Transcona Community commit tee made some predatory decisions monday night for separate changes in rezoning and traffic in the area. Councillor Jim Ragsdill Springfield Heights announced intentions for an amendment to the greater Winnipeg development plan for the area bounded by Lagimodiere Boulevard to the East panel Road to the West Regent Avenue to the South and Concordia Avenue to the North. The area is presently designated As living area re serve. Ragsdill said the zoning designation was t suitable for the area because of the close proximity of Lagimodiere Boulevard. The area should rezoned to accommodate Light Irv dust rial or commercial use he said. While a decision to proceed with rezoning plans would require a Public hearing administration of the East Kildonan Transcona Community committee has been instructed to submit a report on the area including information on zoning of lands in the area existing uses of and and recommendations for possible uses. Pedestrian Light needed the Community committee will express its concern to the City s chief commissioner about the need for self activated Light near the mighton Avenue pedestrian corridor. The Light would serve As an earlier warning to motorists coming off the Desarli Bridge of pedestrian traffic in the corridor and would be activated a pedestrians about to Cross the intersection. Coun. Harold Piercy the Early warning May prevent a fatal Accident at the corridor which i partially concealed to Drivers leaving the Bridge. Committee school meetings next week the following meetings of City committees Community committees and school division boards Are scheduled in Winnipeg next week monday Jan. 22 works and operations committee West commit tee room Winnipeg City Hall 1 . Variance and conditional use committee Winni Peg City Hall . Community commit tee East Kildonan offices 755 Henderson Highway 6 . St. James Assiniboia Community conference Sturgeon Creek regional secondary school 2665 Ness Avenue . Fort Garry school division school Board offices 757 Lyon Street 8 . Seven Oaks school division school Board offices 375 Jefferson Avenue . Tuesday Jan. 23 finance committee East committee room Winnipeg City Hall . Recreation and social services committee West committee room Winnipeg City Hall . Assiniboine Garry Community com Mittee Assiniboine Park offices 5006 Roblin Boule Vard 7 . City Rouge Community committee Council Chambers Winnipeg City Hall 375 York Avenue 6 . Lord Kildonan Community commit tee West Kildonan offices 17go main Street . St. School division school Board offices 2574 Portage ave nun . School division Anola elementary school Anola man., . Wednesday Jan. 24 River East school division school Board offices 589 Roch Street 7 . Thursday Jan. 25 executive policy committee East committee room Winnipeg City Hall . St. Vital school division school Board offices 255 St. Anne s Road . Basic skating skills next event in Junior Winter games program Competition will begin next week in Basic skating skills the third sport to get under Way in the 1979 Junior Winter games pro Gram for Winnipeg Community centres. Entries for the skating skills event closed last week and the Competition is to be held within the six districts next week. City wide finals for the skating Are scheduled during the week of feb. 4. Next week will also see the first City wide finals started in both mighty mites House league hockey for boys and Wingette for girls. District play opened earlier this month for those two sports. Entry deadlines Are com ing up next tuesday for Ball hockey and the follow ing tuesday Jan. 30, for Cross country skiing with the District competitions to begin two weeks later. A total of 14 events Are involved in the 1979 Junior Winter games program which will continue through the Winter and into Spring. Final event will be Jam can Curling scheduled for the week of apr. 22. Resident involvement praised in Brooklands improvement project by Dennis Merrell the Brooklands neighbourhood improvement project kicked off in May 1977, is nearing its Halfway Point is proving a huge Success and it s succeeding largely through the Volunteer efforts of Brooklands Resi dents nip project manager Harry Finnigan told a St. James Assiniboia Community committee meeting tues Day night. Nearly million of the million allocated for the project has been spent or earmarked for future improvements of the area s streets boulevards municipal services and Parks and recreation facilities Finni Gan told the committee and a special nip resident advisory committee has had considerable input in selecting specific improvement projects. Finnigan a City planning depart ment employee said he believes it s the first time residents have played such an important role in deciding what local improvements should be made in an area. The 21-member advisory commit tee and a group of volunteers have helped carry out some of the improvements As Well on a Volunteer he said. The million in nip funds is provided jointly by the three Levels of government and is intended specifically for capital improvement projects in Brooklands an area in metro Winnipeg bounded on the West by King Edward Street on the East by Keewatin Street on the North by Selkirk Avenue and on the South by notre Dame Avenue. A second Brooklands nip project a resident s rehabilitation assistance program funded by Central mortgage and housing corporation is ready to swing into action and 20 per cent of the area s Homes needing repairs have already applied for Aid under the scheme Finnigan said. He told committee a Survey con ducted jointly by his five member staff and resident volunteers has indicated roughly 600 of the area s 960 Janies Homes Are in need of repair and so far More than 100 resident homeowners have applied for assistance under the program. Finnigan said he was Happy the Brooklands project has t been a Case of heavy handed government interference but rather a Good example of Community involvement in local improvements. Because there has been More involvement on the Community level than expected the City can count on projects that Are not Only desired by Brookland residents but Are planned better because of the Resi dents he said. Extensive Street paving Boulevard sodding sidewalks and curbing Are projects completed so far in the Brooklands project and funds have been set aside for the upgrading of the area s storm sewer system a project due to commence this sum Mer Finnigan said. Improvements of the area s Parks and recreation facilities is the next step in the million capital improvements segment of the project and this is an area where residents will be most involved both in the planning and the implementation of projects he said. The resident advisory group has taken part since i started with the project in october Finnigan told the committee. It was the nip project s mandate from the begin Ning to build the local improvements scheme around Community involve a door to door Survey was conducted soon after the advisory group was formed and it was discovered Parks and recreation was a prime area of concern with residents Finnigan said. A Parks and recreation plan Ning process has been drafted jointly by the staff and advisory com Mittee outlining a time Frame schedule for Parks and recreation projects. Specific projects should be implemented by this he said. Right now we re still in the plan Ning stages. The group must Analyse input from various interest groups then Priorie conceptualize review and finally implement the actual councillor Ric Nordman St. Charles cautioned Finnigan that perhaps he s encouraging too much feedback from area residents Caus ing much needed Parks and recreation projects to be delayed be cause of the undue wait for information from the Many special interest groups in the Finnigan assured committee con Stant communication is kept open be tween the resident advisory group the project s staff and the City s Parks and recreation department so any vitally needed programs could be implemented swiftly if necessary. Glen Carlson one of the resident advisors told committee the project is a great idea a sorely needed Community project that is coun. Eldon Ross Deer Lodge commended Finnigan his staff and the resident advisory group for their efforts saying the project is the catalyst that has spurred a spirit of involvement by Brooklands Resi this is one of the most exciting examples of Well spent tax dollars that i be seen in a Long while and the project is a credit to the people of he said. I for one certainly feel a sense of Pride when i drive through the area and see the improvements that have been councillor Pearl Mcgonigal Ste Venson praised the residents involvement in the betterment of their Community and thanked Finnigan for bringing the Community commit tee up to Date on the Brooklands nip project ;