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Ladies and gentlemen: I am announcing today, on behalf of the Toronto District School Board, a major initiative we believe will greatly assist communities and young people at risk in our city. In every community in our city, schools which are closed and dark by supper time every week day, and which remain dark and empty through every weekend, are mute testimony and a stark reminder of failed hope in our political process. Last fall, we elected a new provincial government, a new mayor and a new school board. These elections represent a sea change in which we traded the mean spirited approach of the past for the politics of hope and optimism. The mayor's call to the citizens of Toronto to join in finding ways of helping our youth at risk, struck a chord everywhere in our city. His Task Force is being chaired by our distinguished Chief Justice, Roy McMurtry, and the TDSB is proud to join federal, provincial and community members in this venture. Two weeks ago we had our first meeting. All of us committed to going back to our respective organizations to determine how we could help. The severe financial restrictions on the TDSB are well documented. However, it is part of the spirit of our new Board that we are determined to focus on solutions and that we will be as creative and as responsive as we can possibly be. Last night, the Board met to address the possibilities put forward by our staff and I am very pleased to announce the results of that meeting today. Beginning on July 1, and continuing to June 30, 2005, the TDSB will open 5 schools to free use by the communities in those areas designated by the Mayor, the Chief of Police and others as being most at need. These areas include the Malvern area of Scarborough, the Jane Finch corridor in North York, the Jamestown area of Etobicoke and Thorncliffe/Flemingdon Park in Toronto. The Board has a Community Use of Schools Task Force, chaired by Trustee Michael Coteau, which will coordinate this Board intitiative. Over the next two months, it will determine the schools to be used and how local groups can access them. In each area, a local group will be the voice of the community. It will act in an advisory capacity to ensure all activities are designed for and directed towards the people living directly in the community. Currently, there are Parks and Recreation programs permitted in the schools as well as permits granted to other groups. These permits will remain unchanged and in place as originally arranged. The fees from these permits will help offset the cost of this initiative. This is a substantial contribution by the Board to our city and its young people. Five schools are not many, but it is a start, it is a step forward. We will continue to work with the provincial government to find ways to increase the community use of schools. We will work with the Chief Justice and the Mayor to further the initiatives they have begun so successfully. And we will be asking the corporate sector to step forward and join us as we all work to make Toronto the vibrant, successful city we know it has been and can be again. I would like to invite the Chief Justice to make a few comments, followed by the Mayor, and then I will be happy to answer questions. |
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