Editor:
The mothers and families living in Elizabeth Court (subsidized low-income housing at First Avenue and St. Paul Street, operated by the Kamloops Elizabeth Fry Society) support the Feb. 27 letter from Amanda Chow (‘Stuart Wood families are being left without a choice’).
One of the factors in the location of Elizabeth Court was its proximity to elementary schools.
When Elizabeth Court opened in 2000, Stuart Wood and Lloyd George elementary schools were options for tenants.
Mothers appreciate being able walk children to and from school, many do not have cars and it is a safety issue for some.
A significant number of students ride bicycles to school and this would be very difficult when attending the Beattie elementary campus up the hill at Columbia Street and McGill Road.
Under the Kamloops-Thompson school district’s transportation policy for catchment areas, the walk limit for primary students (kindergarten to Grade 3) is four kilometres.
The walk limit for students in Grades 4 to 12 is 4.8 kilometres.
Even if the catchment area was expanded, many of the present Stuart Wood population would be expected to walk or bicycle up, and cross, Columbia Street, one of the city’s busy arterial roads.
This would make it very difficult for parents from Elizabeth Court and other downtown residents to safely get their children to school.
We join Chow in asking that the school district seriously hear our concerns about transportation of our children and the lack of a neighbourhood school in the downtown core.
Louise Richards
executive director
Kamloops Elizabeth Fry Society
