school board

School board stands firm on cell tower

Despite Telus claims the Town of Canmore is “running close to the limits in capacity,” the Canadian Rockies Public School division has reiterated its stance against placement of a permanent cellphone tower near a middle school.

With over 77 per cent of homes within town having access to Internet and 16 per cent strictly wireless service, a plan for the national telecommunications company to increase its capacity in certain areas could be delayed without new infrastructure.

Following up on its letter to members of Town council last year, CRPS has requested the temporary cellphone tower on Seventh Street, which Telus has proposed to make permanent, be relocated.

The tower’s current location is roughly a half block from Lawrence Grassi Middle School, an issue that has created concern for some parents and staff regarding the risk of adverse health effects.

Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Canadian Rockies supports teachers’ agreement

The Canadian Rockies Public School (CRPS) board has vowed to support an agreement reached last week between the Province and the Alberta Teachers Association which outlines salaries for teachers, workload and hours of instruction.

Trustees from the CRPS board unanimously voted in favour of the tentative four-year agreement during the in-camera portion of its regular meeting on March 20, citing stability in allowing the school board to focus on its vision and goals.

“The labour stability for four years is a very big component of that, which helps us continue to move forward,” said CRPS superintendent Chris MacPhee. “The board is confident in the reassurances that the education minister (Jeff Johnson) is giving in support of the agreement moving into the future.” Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outloook.