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This section of the website is dedicated to the Ridgeway
Heritage Committee, a group led by parents and teachers from
Ridgeway Elementary School. The committee is campaigning to save
the school from the threat of demolition under the Education
Ministry's seismic upgrading program. Please support the Ridgeway
Heritage Committee.
Latest Updates
To download the latest updates distributed by the Ridgeway
Heritage Committee in pdf format, click on the following links.
Update
#15 (July 2008)
Update
#14 (June 2008)
Update
#13 (May 2008)
Update
#12 (April 2008)
Update
#11 (February 2008)
Update
#10 (December 2007)
Update
#9 (November 2007)
Update
#8 (October 2007)
Update
#7 (July 2007)
June 28, 2007 Town Hall Meeting: Our Best Chance!
North Vancouver School District is proposing density transfers
to raise funds for the restoration of Ridgeway School. To download
a flyer distributed by the Ridgeway Heritage Committee in pdf
format, click here.
Consultation Report
Consultant Graham Farstad has issued a report on the May 2
public consultation meeting, including analysis of the
questionnaires. With a high response rate, these showed 99%
agreeing that the existing Ridgeway Elementary School should be
preserved and upgraded for continued use as a school. Regarding
options, 72% preferred retention of the full school (1911 and 1926
blocks), 26% favoured the cheaper option of partial retention
(1911 block), and 1% preferred a new stand-alone school, seeking
alternative use for the existing building. To see the report in
full, click here.
Ridgeway Update
To download a May 2007 update distributed by the Ridgeway
Heritage Committee in pdf format, click here.
School District Spending Survey
The North Vancouver School District is canvassing views on
capital spending through a public survey, which includes questions
on heritage restoration projects. Fill out the survey by the
June 9 deadline by clicking here.
Writing Tips for Ridgeway
Letters
To save
Ridgeway
School, the community -- parents, teachers, local residents,
heritage homeowners and anyone else who cares -- needs to say
loudly that this is what we want, by writing to the people listed
in the flyer below. The easiest way is to send a short email
saying what the school means to you, and asking them to do their
utmost to ensure that it's conserved and restored. The phrasing is
up to you, and the more personal the message the better, but an
example of a possible short email follows.
Thank you for your help and support,
The Ridgeway Heritage Committee
Dear Mayor Mussatto and Members of Council
I am writing to express my strong support for the restoration of
Ridgeway
Elementary School. As a local resident/parent/teacher, I believe
it is one of the finest heritage buildings in North Vancouver, and
it is essential that we save it for our community. I also believe
the building should be restored for continued use as an elementary
school. Please do all you can to help.
Yours,
Name
Address
Here are some other points you may like to
consider:
Community
Importance: Schools are associated with the growth and
development of an entire community, as well as representing one of
the components of a civilized society. Historic school buildings
offer tangible links to a community's origins and history. The
Ridgeway building was part of a grand municipal plan that
encouraged impressive architectural statements at key locations.
Its original construction in 1911, and expansion with north and
south wings in 1926, bear witness to the early development of
North Vancouver, with its growing population. Its continued
existence supports the memories of community members -- former
students, teachers and parents -- stretching back many decades.
A historic school building does not exist in
isolation, but is part of our social fabric. What message would
destruction of this school give our children about our attitudes
to our community and our society?
Neighbourhood
Character: The striking
Ridgeway School
building, with its wide, open grounds to the west and east, is a
cornerstone for the neighbourhood, underpinning the area's
character.
The
Environment: The demolition and replacement of buildings
results in huge amounts of waste -- almost 20% of landfill
deposits is composed of "used construction material" --
while using large amounts of energy and natural resources.
Ridgeway was built to last -- the stone-built structure is almost
100 years old and, with upgrading, should be good for another 100
years at least. The typical life cycle of a new school building is
40-60 years.
Sutherland
Secondary School
was built in the 1950s and is already due for demolition, with a
new school under construction. As environmental awareness grows,
governments and their departments must be encouraged to upgrade,
adapt and reuse the existing building stock. This requires a
change in the "tear down and rebuild" mindset prevalent
today.
Heritage.
Why do heritage buildings matter? They offer
roots and context for our community, add character and aesthetic
value to neighbourhoods, and provide testimony to the styles and
craftsmanship of the past. The idea is not to freeze a community
in time, but to preserve the buildings that track its evolution --
our pathway to the present. Ridgeway
School
embodies all
these values. Its renovation for continued elementary school use
would similarly represent part of our community's evolution, as we
work to combine appreciation of our history, society and
environment with changing educational needs.
Education.
Ridgeway's grandeur was a testimony to universal education at a
time when this was not taken for granted. This building should be
a source of pride for the school district, not an
inconvenience.
Safety.
The committee is deeply concerned about the implications for
student safety of some school district proposals, particularly
those fragmenting the site -- splitting the school from the
playing fields -- and introducing dual use of the grounds,
especially when the future tenant is unconfirmed.
Sports
and Fitness. The Ridgeway School site is used well beyond the
school hours and any loss of fields, tennis courts, play
structures, basketball and hockey courts would be a loss to both
our community and the various sporting organizations that use our
fields.
At a time when the school district is focusing on increased
physical activity for its students these should be a major
consideration.
Cost. How can we put a dollar value to these considerations? The starting
point should not be the cheapest option, but rather that we want
to keep this school building for the community, so let's work
together and find a way to do it!
Ridgeway
History
For background on the history of Ridgeway School, please click
here for a link to the School District's website. There are
two parts: one written by a student, the other by the curator of
North Vancouver Museum and Archives.
Council
Delegation
The
Ridgeway Heritage Committee on April 23 made a delegation to the
City of North Vancouver Council. To see a transcript of the
presentation, please click
here.
What
They Said
The
North Shore Heritage Preservation Society canvassed candidates in
the 2005 municipal and school board elections for their views on
heritage issues. To see what they said, click
here.
Ridgeway Flyer
There follows the text of a flyer distributed by the Ridgeway
Heritage Committee in early April. To download a pdf copy, click here.
Ridgeway School
Is Endangered!
Did You Know?
- The
historic
Ridgeway
Elementary School
could be demolished or decommissioned under the provincial seismic
upgrading program due to rigid funding formulas from the
Ministry of Education. These require demolition and
construction of a new school if it is the most "cost
effective" option, regardless of heritage value.
- Ridgeway
School, with its parklike setting, is one of the most
important public buildings in North Vancouver, with
exceptional historic and community value: www.northshoreheritage.org/watch.
It is listed on the City of North Vancouver's Registry of
Heritage Buildings, as well as on the Canadian Registry of
Historic Places, with a Class A rating: www.historicplaces.ca/rep-reg/affichage-display_e.aspx?Id=2468.
- Independent
consultants hired by the City of North Vancouver
presented
viable options to restore and rehabilitate this heritage
school for ongoing use as a school. Restoration of the
existing building would include full
interior renovation. The school district is reviewing its
options, internally and with the City, but says there's a
large funding gap. It is considering building a new school on
the eastern half of the site, and demolition is still an
option.
- Ridgeway
parents were informed in February that the school district has
given the City of North Vancouver
until Spring 2007 to negotiate ways to bridge funding gaps.
Under pressure, the school district is now consulting the
community.
- The
Ridgeway Heritage Committee -- a group set up by Ridgeway
parents and teachers -- believes the current school building
should be restored, and that the alternatives would directly
and adversely affect our children and the local community,
which is known and valued for its history.
-
Ridgeway
School is a landmark and a cornerstone.
It provides community roots and memories. It was built to
last, while new schools need replacing after 50 years. It's a
testimony to craftsmanship and architectural style. Demolition
is simply wrong!
How You Can Help
- Make
your concerns heard. It's vital that decision-makers know the
community values this historic building and wants it
conserved, rehabilitated and upgraded for continued elementary
school use, at required seismic and ministry standards.
- Write
to the City of North Vancouver Mayor and Council, the
North Vancouver
School District, the Provincial Education Minister Shirley
Bond, and our local MLA Katherine Whittred (addresses and
emails below). It only
takes a few minutes, so please help save this school and write
now! Tell them this historic building must be saved. Ask
them to do all in their power to help.
- Attend
a public meeting at Ridgeway School, scheduled for early May,
and make your views known. More details will follow.
- Pass
this information on to friends and neighbours and ask them to
act, too.
Who Should I Write
To?
All that's
needed is a simple letters saying you value this heritage
building, want it restored and upgraded for continued school use,
and want them to act to save it for the community. (Remember, you
can send the same email or letter several times.)
1.
Mayor and Council, City of North
Vancouver
Mayor
Mussatto and Members of Council
141 West 14th Street
North
Vancouver
,
BC
V7M
1H9
or just email clerks@cnv.org,
and letters will be forwarded
2.
North
Vancouver
School
District
Mr.
Chris Dorais
Chairperson, Board
of Trustees
Email: cdorais@nvsd44.bc.ca
Mr.
Sandy Fleming
Vice-Chairperson, Board of Trustees (Liaison to Ridgeway
Elementary School)
Email: sfleming@nvsd44.bc.ca
Mr.
Ian Abercrombie
Director of Facilities and Planning, North Vancouver School
District
721 Chesterfield Ave.
North Vancouver, BC
V7M 2M5
Email: iabercrombie@nvsd44.bc.ca
3.
Ministry of Education
The
Honourable Shirley Bond
Minister of Education
PO Box 9045, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2
Email: minister.educ@gov.bc.ca
Phone: 250-387-1977
Fax: 250-387-3200
4.
Katherine Whittred, MLA
North
Vancouver Constituency Office
303-126 East 15th Street
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 2P9
Email: Katherine.Whittred.MLA@leg.bc.ca
For more information, or to join
or
support the Ridgeway Heritage Committee, please email: ridgewayheritagecommittee@hotmail.com
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