Letters sent to The Premier, Minister of Education, MLA's and Quesnel School District Trustees...
British Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Suite 1201 - 750 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2T8
(604) 683-0700 Fax (604) 683-0416 Website: www.bcchamber.org
August 27, 2002
Honourable Gordon Campbell
Premier, Province of British Columbia
PO Box 9041, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9E1
Dear Mr. Premier:
I am writing today on behalf of the BC Chamber of Commerce to ask some important questions with respect to the planned closure of the Elementary School in Wells.
The BC Chamber's Statement of Policy on Education states that the education system must provide equal opportunity for all students to develop to the maximum of their potential. The closure of this school threatens that opportunity in that young children will now be forced to spend inordinate amounts of unproductive time in school buses, with the inherent problems that presents. We ask whether this decision to close the Wells school will allow the students the appropriate opportunity.
Furthermore, in the policy statement entitled Economic Transition of Resource Based Communities, the Chamber states that government must recognize the impacts on communities caused by the reduced role of the forest and mining industries and that communities must be assisted in creating long term sustainable economic development. The community of Wells is attempting a transition to an economy driven by tourism and cottage industry, and the Wells Chamber of Commerce has indicated that it will be difficult for them to attract the necessary investment and skilled workers if this access to elementary level education is removed from that community. We ask whether the school district has paid significant attention to the economic impact of this decision, particularly when the fiscal benefits may be relatively limited.
Sincerely,
John R. Winter
President
British Columbia Chamber of Commerce