Editorials
July 31, 2008 07:21 PM
Our summer wish list for Whitchurch-Stouffville:
• That Nineteen on the Park, the arts and culture centre being built in the former town hall, is a true centre and not the white elephant some are claiming it will become.
Town council will be looking pretty bad if the $3.4-million project doesn’t get the amount of use that has been projected.
While we’re all for preserving our heritage, one wonders how far that same money would have gone in building a new theatre.
The new Stouffville District Secondary School seemed like a logical spot. One only has to look at Newmarket High School and the attached municipal theatre for the template. But that didn’t happen, and the previous edition of council must answer to that decision.
• That the old Stouffville Secondary be acquired from the public school board by the town.
It’s too valuable a piece of property to fall into public hands.
The location is central and adjacent to downtown, as well as other public properties, including the Franklin-Connell Track, soccer/rugby fields and Stouffville Arena.
The building could work nicely as the new municipal offices, should council ever decide to get out of rent mode.
It would also be large enough to house the new seniors centre that is badly overdue in this community. Our rapidly growing population of seniors deserves far better than the old post office that now serves as the Silver Jubilee Club. It’s hard to access with very limited facilities.
The track remains one of the best in York Region. The regional elementary school finals were held on it this year. Amazing, considering it was a project spearheaded by volunteers, not politicians or bureaucrats.
We owe thanks to SDSS teacher David Connell and student Julian Franklin for leading the project in 1991.
• That the multitude of sports facilities on the drawing board happen sooner than later.
The Whitchurch-Stouffville Soccer Club has been especially patient, waiting for fields as its enrolment mushrooms.
Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey, which already turned some players away, will have to wait two more seasons for the two new ice pads on Weldon Road.