Re: “Progress, but no promises,” Nov. 23
Dear editor,
If the Airdrie school councils’ publicity stunt, attempting to force the Province into spending taxpayers’ money to indirectly subsidize the development industry, is successful, we should begin plans for what comes next. Airdrie is currently planning the annexation of another 11,000 acres. How soon after new schools are built we will have the next “school crisis?” Or maybe a “road crisis” will come first, as the population is increased beyond the infrastructure again. The power to solve the ‘school crisis’ is more easily handled by Airdrie at no cost to the taxpayers of Airdrie or the province. Media attention to the school crisis may already be easing the pressure by encouraging people to live in communities that have existing school space.
Airdrie should take the media attention one step further and encourage area residents who want all the amenities of big city life to actually live in the big cities.
If people and families moving to the region want to live near schools with capacity, hospitals, universities, thousands of stores, and an extensive transit system, they should choose Calgary instead of Airdrie.
The school crisis should be leading us not to demand more money for schools for today but to demand a funding model for future schools that does not depend on taxpayers in other areas, high prices for oil and gas, or the whim of provincial politicians.
Population growth drives the need for more schools. New homes should be contributing to a fund for new schools. When enough new homes are built the funds will be in place for the new school no matter what happens to the economy.
Until the model for funding new schools is fixed, Airdrie is under no obligation to increase the residential population of the city. Airdrie population growth is not sustainable, inevitable, or necessarily desirable.
John McMurray, RR 2, Airdrie
