The following article appeared in the June 19 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
The mayor, city staff and representatives of both school boards will be seeing what it’s like to walk to the city’s newest schools on Tuesday.
Westminster Woods Public School and St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic are both set to open in the city’s south end in September.
Mayor Karen Farbridge will be joined by councillors Ian Findlay and Karl Wettstein on a walk from St. Paul’s Catholic School to the two new schools beginning at 8 a.m. They will be joined by city transportation staff and school board trustees.
“It’s a case of the city being proactive I think,” said Ward 6 Coun. Karl Wettstein. “It’s a chance for us to work with the school and the neighbourhood and help identify any concerns ahead of time.
Wettstein said it gives everyone a better appreciation for what the walk to school will encompass, and he remembers going on a similar walk that was initiated by F.A. Hamilton school a couple of years ago.
“The goal of the walk is twofold,” said Tim Donegani of the city’s community design and development services department. “First, we want to get lots of eyes out in the area walking and seeing what potential barriers there are. Secondly, it’s to promote the Walk to School initiative.”
Walk to School is a joint program between the city, school boards and a number of other community organizations that promotes the benefits of walking to school rather than driving.
Donegani said given the location of the two new schools, there are some potential barriers and problem areas facing children and parents who take up the initiative to walk to school, namely speed of traffic and a roundabout that some students will encounter travelling to Westminster Woods on Goodwin Drive and St. Ignatius on Colonial Drive.
“There’s some unique problems (walking to these schools) compared to other urban areas,” Donegani said. “We won’t address all the issues before school starts, but we want to do what we can in advance and be aware of any other issues that might arise.”
While area residents won’t be turned away from Tuesday’s walk, Donegani said there is a specific walk for parents and students scheduled for Aug. 25.