Letter to Wynne re pools

Please write Kathleen Wynne before Wednesday April 16th.
Here is one letter we have received:
Honourable Kathleen Wynne
Ministry of Education
900 Bay St, 22nd Floor, Mowat Block
Toronto ON M7A 1L2  Fax : (416) 325-6348      kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Dear Honourable Kathleen Wynne,
In this day of rampant childhood obesity and related escalating health problems, it is of the utmost necessity that the Toronto District School Board receives the funds it requires to keep its pools open. Pools are one venue that are open to all students and often form a main part of physical education classes for many students – and that help keep many children physically active who do not have other opportunities.

Toronto is a city on a lake with rivers running through it. Every spring and early summer we hear of one or two or more children drowning because they could not swim and have not had the opportunity to learn to swim. Why? Often because their families cannot afford to pay for private lessons. School pools are one way of levelling the playing field, providing a non-competitive, non-team sport, a life-saving and life skill and an excellent outlet for many children who otherwise would not have access to such an activity.

Using the argument that Toronto is the only school board that has pools so no one should have pools doesn’t make sense. Not every community receives or wants exactly what another community has or wants. And the money spent decommissioning the pools would go a long way to maintaining the required staff and the programs that help so many children.

We all know that schools in Ontario are under-funded and rank 10th in per capita funding in Canada. Do not continue this shameful practice with a lack of funding to maintain valuable and important assets that the school pools are. Stand up for our children and their physical wellbeing and fund our pools. You championed the pools issue when you were a trustee and we ask to do so again.

Yours truly,