Beacon Hill North Community Association

Tuesday June 29, 2010
Now it is OUR turn as a community

Monday November 16, 2009
COLONEL BY UPDATE

Sunday November 8, 2009
URGENT ACTION REQUIRED : Colonel By Counts but needs your help NOW !!!!

East Ottawa : Schools fight for survival

An accommodation review to determine the fate of three east Ottawa high schools is pitting communities against one another, officials were told Tuesday night.

The Beacon Hill-East Ottawa Secondary Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) – tasked with recommending whether Rideau, Gloucester or Colonel By high schools should close – held a public meeting at Rideau High School Tuesday, April 21.

Hundreds gathered at the school; however, supporters of Colonel By Secondary School dominated the meeting, filling the auditorium with yellow placards carrying the slogan “Don’t mess with success.” Representatives from both Colonel By and Rideau could be heard chanting the name of their respective school before ARC presented their five recommendations.

The first option presented, which calls for no school closure, was the only to receive a tentative round of applause from the audience. Option B and C suggest closing Rideau, Option D recommends closing Gloucester High School, while Option E proposes merging Colonel By and Gloucester in the Gloucester building.

A loud cheer of support rose from those in the auditorium when Beacon Hill North Community Association president Tim Tierney indicated it’s unfortunate three schools have been pitted against one another, arguing all the schools seem good with the exception of enrolment issues at Gloucester and Rideau.

In a later interview, he indicated there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the options, like the risk of de-certification if the International Baccalaureate program at Colonel By were to move.

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