I am writing to you, in the hopes that you might reconsider your recent decision to oppose pursuing heritage status for Connaught School. I am certain that you know most of the pertinent details; Connaught is now more than 100 years old, and has served the Cathedral and surrounding community well for as long. You also know that the building itself needs work. This is certainly not your fault. But the wrong – the lack of funds and will in the past, to keep this school up to the highest standard – CAN be righted by you and your board of trustees. Built heritage is the most physical, visceral reminder of any community’s past, and Connaught is no exception.

As I understand it, there are options here. At the very least, cannot the community that (very lovingly) surrounds this wonderful, old, and tired school, not have the benefit of knowing what the experts have to say? Are we to sit idly whilst a conservative provincial government whose typical party line promotes building new structures (that may only last 30 years) as the sole indicator of “investment in education” and “building the economy”, gets their way? Or instead, couldn’t we have a say in preserving a building that may in fact serve more than the students and staff that currently occupy it?

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best regards,