Darren Campbell
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 23/98) - If there was any opposition to the Yellowknife Catholic School Board borrowing $9.2 million to replace Weledeh Catholic school, you wouldn't have been able to tell from Monday's public meeting at St. Patrick High School.

A sparse crowd of nine people showed up for meeting. On Sept. 28 Catholic school ratepayers will be asked in a plebiscite to approve the school board borrowing $9.2 million to replace Weledeh.

The purpose of the meeting was to answer questions from the public about the issue and explain why the school board is going this route.

But the head table, which included the Northwest Territories Education Minister Charles Dent and Finance Minister John Todd, got off easy on Monday. Not one question was asked during the brief 20 minute meeting.

Noel O'Sullivan, chairperson of the board, said the low turnout was disappointing, but said it also means the board has done a good job educating the ratepayers about the issue.

"If there were concerns (about borrowing $9.2 million) I wish they had come here and stated them tonight," said O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan was at similar meetings held on the weekend at St. Patrick's Parish. The board has been concerned that its 2,200 ratepayers realize their taxes won't go up if the plebiscite goes through.

But he said he hasn't gotten any questions from ratepayers concerned about their taxes increasing. The questions he did get on the weekend related to why a new school is needed and why a retrofit of the current school isn't good enough.

"It's amazing how many people were not aware of the problems with the building," O'Sullivan said. "It is in dire need of a retrofit."

Under the financing agreement that has been arranged, the territorial government has committed to make operating contributions to the board over the next 20 years. The board will use those contributions to pay off the debt.

Todd said he is confident the project won't add any costs to the Catholic board's ratepayers.

"There is absolutely no downside to the ratepayers on this side of the issue," said Todd. "The sooner we get at this the better. Yellowknife needs it. Let's get on with it and build it."