Open Letter Regarding Optimist Park School Proposal

Good Morning,

I live across the street from Optimist Park. My wife and I own our home, and we have children. We oppose the destruction of our local greenspace in favor of building more buildings. Destroying free access (where people of any age, ability, or economic class can use), outdoor green space and replacing it with a paid leisure center is the epitome of what's wrong with our society's idea of "progress". Here is why I think the logic is flawed:

1 - On the idea of trading spaces with the existing King George School, or trying to trade out an existing green space for a building: How old are the trees in Optimist Park? I would guess about 80 years old: Is the idea on the table really to destroy trees which take 80 or more years to mature, and replace them with buildings, when there are many other sites in the city with either pavement or unused buildings?

2: On shared, free, open, outdoor spaces: transforming these sorts of spaces into regulated spaces where one needs to get a permit to let their dog run around or worse yet, buy a pass to use them, further marginalizes and potentially criminalizes poor people. My understanding was that marginalizing poor people was generally viewed as a bad idea, and the city of Saskatoon has indicated its' views on green spaces many times, including the "Green Strategy", which this project seems to be contrary to. Do the poorer residents of Riversdale not deserve convenient access to green spaces, or is it a privilege only for those who live close to the river?

Benefits of Green spaces: http://benefitshub.ca/entry/benefits-of-green-space-recent-research

Saskatoon's Green Strategy: https://www.saskatoon.ca/environmental-initiatives/climate-change/green-strategy

Young people on green spaces: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/columnists/collective-voice-the-importance-of-green-spaces

3: Here is the list of activities available on the west side of the park that I see people use every day as season permits, free of charge: Hockey, basketball, dance church, yoga, raquet sports, ballet lessons, ball games, X-country skiing, there's the kid's playground, all the field games and sports, as well as a toboggan hill and parent groups which meet in the park. In the summer, I see parent and church groups meet up and provide bagged food to children in need. Total cost to the children that use it? - None. On the other side of the park is the ball diamond and the wading pool. The park also provides a space for people of all ages to interact with each other, which is missing in our society.

4: This one's more personal as someone who lives within earshot of the park in a poorly insulated house with a toddler: Construction noise. I know it's a reality of modern living around other people, but it is still a consideration for me and my family.

5: We don't know the future of in-person learning, but outdoor activities have been indicated to be much safer. How long will we be living under the constant threat of plague? Are large-scale educational institutions a good investment or will we be making a move to smaller group learning? The schools are already being under-used now with so many children learning from home or going for reduced hours. As people with children, we have been seriously considering alternative educational arrangements for ours. I am certain we are not alone in this re-evaluation of educational options, as we've shared our concerns and ideas with many community members and friends.

6: The city just installed a picnic area, which has been one of the ONLY places where it has been safe and permitted to socialize with other people around our home. Building something and then immediately tearing it out is wasteful.

To summarize, tearing down a school to build a park while simultaneously tearing down a park to build a school 3 blocks apart from each other is the definition of inefficiency. For this and the reasons above, my family and I vehemently oppose trading the school in Kind George for Optimist Park, and will peacefully resist it with our available resources. Thank you for your time.

Brandon & Natalie Brown

This was sent to the office of Hilary Gough, and I am open to any debate or comments, as the media I’ve seen on the matter hasn’t allowed commenting.