Principal raises safety issues
Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Apr 13/01) - Debate continues over the town's decision to ban parking in front of Sir Alexander Mackenzie school.
Until January 1, parking was allowed on one side of the lane in front of the school, but council banned parking there due to concerns about children darting between cars, and to make the school more accessible to emergency vehicles.
Last month principal Bernie MacLean wrote a letter to council, saying that the parking ban doesn't address their concerns.
"As long as traffic is allowed to be stopped in front here, or traffic is there, whether the cars are stopped, parked with nobody in them, or simply stopped, the kids run out," MacLean said.
"They can run between stopped cars whether they're stopped empty or not."
The principal said emergency vehicles could still have better access if a parking ban were in effect on only the right side of the lane.
MacLean said it's also not as convenient for people to park in back.
"We're going to have people coming through the school," he said, "if the back is made our entrance point.
"If it's not made the entrance point it means people have to wander around the school to enter at the front," MacLean said.
"Part of being a community school is being accessible to the public."
MacLean said the parking in back is inadequate, but that this has nothing to do with staff.
Mary Beckett, chair of the Inuvik District Education Authority, echoed many of MacLean's comments. The Inuvik DEA has also written to council, asking them to review their bylaw.
She said the back parking isn't properly marked, and that the whole situation is inconveniencing the public.
"It doesn't exactly encourage parents to attend things when they don't find it's convenient to access the school," Beckett said.
Backdoor's open
Recently town council discussed MacLean's letter.
Mayor Peter Clarkson said the concerns raised do not outweigh the reasons council passed the ban in the first place.
Coun. George Doolittle said, "Everybody can't be 20 feet off the steps. That's where everybody wants to be."
Clarkson said, "I can appreciate they have to worry about security of the school, people coming in the back door and not coming in the reception. But the back door's open anyway, so people can still come in there."
