-by Anne Finlay-Stewart

The twenty speakers ranged from a therapist and an urban planner, to school representatives on the Accommodation Review Committees, parents and retired educators. They had all come to last night's special meeting of the Bluewater District School Board to give their opinions to trustees about the Preliminary Final Report on the future of schools in the Owen Sound area.

But the clearest, most profound voices in the room without question were the youngest. The students and recent alumni spoke with wisdom, passion and their own vision of the future.

Mitchell Hendry, finishing his own secondary school career at OSCVI, spoke of his brother's decision to avoid disruption by moving to the Catholic school system for middle and high school. Hendry gave statistics about declining enrolment in local public high schools while St. Mary's expands as a warning to trustees about the possible impact of their actions.

Kersti Landra and Samantha Pratt from OSCVI did a tag-team presentation, alternating at the mic to offertheir list of concerns about the one-school plan, including its disruptive affect on the developmental learning class.

Graham Sanders, a high school student, mused on how Owen Sound must have dealt with the break up of its high school community when West Hill was first opened, long before he was born, and suggested that bringing people together should be easier. He quoted one of his own mentors - "We shouldn't have to sacrifice our shared future on the altar of our divided past."

David Beisel closed the evening with a passionate reminder of the impact of many artists, educators and mentors throughout the Owen Sound community who have nourished the creativity of young people who have gone on to rich lives in the arts and other fields.

Some of those who spoke have generously shared their presentation with The Hub, and we invite you to read them, comment and share. Whatever decisions are made, it will be up to the community to make it work. Jordan Daniels, Student Council President at West Hill, summed it up -

"Change happens every moment of every day. We cannot keep things the same forever. So let's embrace the changes that are being offered to our schools, and be grateful for what the future will bring."