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There is no race this year but that’s not going to stop Michael Warr. On Wednesday morning the 77-year-old retired school teacher plans to do his own race, with only a ticking clock to try to beat. He’ll start at the Prince George Aquatic Centre for an 800-metre swim, then once he’s dried himself off he’ll get a friend to drive him to Otway Nordic Centre, the usual start of the Iceman, to complete the eight-kilometre cross-country ski segment. Once he’s done with that he’ll lace on his sneakers for a 10-km run to the outdoor ice oval at Exhibition Park. After five kilometres of skating he’ll get back into his running shoes for a five km run through a nearby residential area on the traditional Iceman path back to the Aquatic Centre, where his race will end.
Seven public consultation meetings have been held, numerous impassioned speeches have been given and plans presented to keep local schools open. But what chance do they have of reversing the board’s decision to close 11 district schools by the fall?
The outlook isn’t good. The school board needs to overcome a $9.2 million deficit for the 2002/2003 school year budget. They’re hoping $2.3 million of that comes from closing schools. The recent decision to take Springwood Elementary off the closure list because the school its students were slated to move to Wildwood has severe structural problems, puts them behind on those savings. And so far at least one trustee isn’t convinced the solutions they’ve seen from parents can produce the same savings as closing schools.