It is hard to imagine a more difficult conflict than one about whether a community needs a new school or should preserve a 100-year-old park. In West Centretown, this conversation has come to a head over a proposed expansion of the Plant Recreation Centre that will include new gym space, affordable housing, a cultural hub and a new French public school.
I knew this would be a source of conflict. West Centretown has some of the fewest trees per capita in the city – only 20-per-cent tree coverage. Experts say we should be aiming for 40 per cent to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Pockets of downtown Ottawa have almost no green space and many residents live in apartments with no balconies or air conditioning.
What is also abundantly clear is that the children from Louise-Arbour need a new building as soon as possible. In an emotional meeting with parents, I learned that the temporary location for the school is woefully inadequate. It doesn’t include a gym or a library. Staff must run the water through the pipes each morning to flush out the asbestos. The urgency that these families feel is understandable and entirely justified.