After recieving some phone calls about the drainage conditions at Ecole Poirier Elementary school I decided to investigate.
What I found was a clear case of poor design and a complete lack of regular maintenance to ditches and culverts. If the school board were to inspect these conditions I am sure that relief would be forthcoming. There is simply no excuse for these conditions and with the heavy tax burden paid by Sooke residents, any reasonable person would expect better facilities.
Children should not be expected to bring multiple sets of clothing and footwear just to play outside. There is standing water six inches deep for 100 square feet outside of the new portable and the drain is much too high to be effective.The parking lot floods everytime it rains because the bioswail (ditch) is overgrown and thus creates a dam.
I understand the school principle has complained many times but budget shortfalls are the excuse by the board.
Does this mean that all our schools will fall apart because we can’t budget for regular maintenance?
The people of Sooke send over $2 million to School District 62 for education and I believe reasonable conditions should be compulsory for a quality education.
I do not have any kids in school but I echo the concerns of those that do. If the union and the board will allow it, I will be happy to fix the obvious issues on my own dime.
As for the sewer smells and the outfall into Demamiel Creek, ”well” thats another letter altogether and I never like to speak out of turn.
Herb Haldane
Sooke