My Town

I live in a dirty little town where some politicians and bureaucrats can do what they please without any real scrutiny. The vast majority of us are either too content, too busy or too lazy to care. Those that voice any critique get painted with the "crazy" brush. Media are either too busy, too lazy or too broke to do little more than simply pass along press releases. 

A few years ago a short op. ed. appeared in the Leader Post written by one of its editors. He argued that Regina needed a new domed football stadium.  Initially viewed as absurd, this idea quickly gathered momentum. The citizenry was changing.  Housing prices increased. Population was increasing and people wanted to be from somewhere that mattered.

In the meantime, the public school board was feeling financial pressure. Many schools in established neighbourhoods needed maintenance and/or repair. Closing some of these schools would allow maintenance and repair deficits to be eliminated. The board established minimum student enrolment numbers for schools. Failing to meet these minimums, the schools would be cited for closure.

The city meanwhile pushed ahead with the stadium idea cheered on by its mayor and some local media. Initially it would mostly be built with private investment but the mayor didn't have much luck securing any private money and a municipal election, in which he would not run, was upon us. A city councillor, head of the provincial construction association, would step up. During his campaign he would fabricate renovation costs for the existing stadium, while championing basics of democracy such as transparency and accountability. He won the election. The people wanted a new stadium.

The school board was able to close a few schools, sell the buildings in some cases, and plod on with new long term plans once the old ones fell through. They were also building new schools. On the advice of their international consultants and architects, these schools would be radically different; they would be open-concept schools. They would have magical garage doors and no real classrooms. Similar to Home Depot stores, there would be precious little in the way of warmth. There would be few organic elements. New is easier and  pays better than renovation.

The stadium financing came together with some fancy dancing from the province, and city taxpayers, who would pick up the largest share of costs. They would tack a nominal fee onto ticket prices for football matches. This would allow the Mayor and council to state that the users were footing the bill. And lottery money would enter the picture to shovel bushels of money at the city for rental space in the new stadium. Again, international consultants were hired and money was flowing.

Older schools continued to deteriorate. Populations continued to increase, rendering the school board's enrolment limits useless. However they had neglected some schools for so long that now they could claim the schools were falling apart.  In the case of one school, consultants were hired to study the economics of renovate versus rebuild.  There was a lot of pressure to build schools in new suburbs springing up on the edge of town. So reports were written stating it would be more expensive to renovate, than to build new. Renovate here meant turn the school into an open concept school rather than just stabilizing the building. There would be no guarantee where the new school would be built.

The city was all in on the stadium, but timing wasn't great. Regina needed a new sewer treatment plant, and on the advice of international and national consultants, it was decided the private sector could build this plant cheaper (with a giant helping of federal government money)  than if the city built it itself. Many people disagreed and forced a vote on the method by which this plant would be built. In the name of education, the city hired out of province and international advertising firms to handle the "education campaign".  According to the City, this cost taxpayers $400,000. Some unions put the cost at twice that amount. The pro private option won the day.

The school board quickly and happily endorsed their consultants report recommending new over renovate for one school and quickly applied for funding from the province. The board no longer had control over its funding. Under fire from the community to adhere to their consultant's intial report, they had a different engineering consultant do another study. This report stated the schools expected life would be 10 years. As community voices were growing louder, the Board had the same initial consultant do an additional report. This report recommended the school close at the end of the year. It was no longer safe, according to their initial consultant. The community offered to pay for another opinion on the school, but the  board would not grant access. A free additional opinion on the condition of the building would apparently jeopardize their process.

The City plodded on, raising their borrowing limits, raising taxes, raising utility costs, and off loading some infrastructure construction to taxpayers directly. Consultants, many unaccustomed to the climate of Regina, will be retained all on the public dime.

The school board will get its funding for a rebuild of the school in question. It will be built as cheaply as possible, and this will be evident to passers by once it has been built. It will allow the board to hire fewer teachers and wipe clean the maintenance deficit of the old school. They will thank each other hardily for being so open and accountable.

And on it goes.

My town would have a football stadium steeped in tradition and folklore. It may not be much today, but with a little facelift, and a few years, Mosaic stadium could be a destination arena. It could easily become the best place to see a football game in Canada - something Canadians would want to experience once in their life. It would be different from all other stadiums because it would be traditional. It would be truly unique in the country.

Much of the same applies to Heritage schools. These buildings are built to make you feel comfortable. Arched entrances welcome you. Thousands of little hands have smoothed the wood on the banisters. Thousands of little feet have worn paths into the stone stairs. These buildings are warm and organic. They are built with natural material.  Of course there have been outlandish assaults on these buildings, mostly by school boards. They brick in windows. They tear up wild grasses and put down crusher dust. They put in irrigation systems and then let them leak on the foundation all summer. Today's version of these school boards laugh easily about these obvious indiscretions, and then immediately commit new ones. International consultants sell them on the latest outdated education trend, and these boards eat it up.

My town would be a traditional prairie town. It would be a do-it-yourself town where we essentially solve problems pragmatically, not ideologically. We know this place rather better than do international consultants.  As in past times, we would pitch in and create our own solutions. We know what works and what doesn't, because we know how this part of the world shapes our being, or at least we used to know this.

My town would be on the 100 mile diet. It would construct, repair, shop and  innovate locally. That would be my town.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to New York to look at old buildings and Schools.