Members of the executive of the Restoule legion made a $2,000 donation toward the construction of a 400 metre track at the South Shore Education Centre in Nipissing on Friday, Jan. 18. The track will be a community recreation project and is expected to cost as much as $100,000 to build. Pictured, from left, are: Doug Harris, Legion youth and education chair; Betty Cotter, Legion president; George Stripe, South Shore teacher and track fundraising chair; and Monte Cotter, Legion first vice-president.
NIPISSING - The South Shore Education Centre (SSEC) is one-tenth of the way to having a 400 metre track built on the school grounds and anticipates a partnership with the municipality will help spur the project on.
Grade 7 and 8 teacher George Stripe is spearheading the track project and made an unofficial presentation to council on Jan. 15 during a municipal strategic planning public meeting.
“This is an exciting project, not only for the school and its students, but for the whole community,” Stripe said. “It fits in with the new vision statement of the township as well as the strategic plan’s identification of community facility usage and increased recreation programs.”
The maximum price tag for the track has been estimated at $100,000, with $10,000 already raised from school activities and community donations.
“As our next step, we would like to form an official partnership with the municipality,” Stripe told councillors. “We want to intertwine activities with the community, and see local residents on the fundraising committee.”
Although the Near North DistrictSchool Board (NNDSB) has not yet officially committed to the project, “if the community could raise $50,000 I think that would go a long way to seeing this happen,” he said.
Currently the SSEC is using part of its parking lot and activities field for track events, “but it’s far from ideal,” said Stripe. “We’ve kept records of our runners’ times and we have even had students break current area track records, but without a proper track our students have to go to North Bay to practice, and we are not able to host any of the NNDSB track events. It really puts our students at a disadvantage.”
A project donations record sheet has been put up in the school’s entry hall showing the number of metres that fundraising has paid for to date.
“We certainly have the land available for this project,” Stripe said. “We’re also fortunate that the terrain is flat and well drained, so there’s little that needs to be done in the way of land excavation. We have 23 acres of land, so we’re one of the only schools in the district that could build a 400 metre track behind our current classrooms.”
Stripe is also hoping that partnering with the municipality may bring in provincial funds. “There’s grant money available for projects that promote health and activity, but the school can’t apply. A partnership with the community would be a win-win for everyone,” he said.
Nipissing mayor Wendy Billingsley agreed that “the timing of this project is perfect. It makes a lot of sense for the municipality to become involved.”
Stripe will be making an official presentation to council later in February. Until then he admits he’s “pretty much a one-man fundraising committee,” with the students having collected hundreds of dollars worth of recyclable aluminum and other items to help raise money that, metre by metre, is showing up on the donation board.
The track project received a much appreciated financial boost on Jan. 18 when representatives of the Restoule legion presented Stripe with a cheque for $2,000.
“This projects fits in with our youth and education commitment, and will benefit children from our area attending South Shore,” said Legion President Betty Cotter.
“In addition to municipal help and the donations of those from the community, I’m hoping to reach out to other corporations and area businesses in the near future,” Stripe said. “We already have two kilometres of trails on the school property, and the new track will just add to the school’s importance as a community facility as well as encouraging our students in physical activities and competitive track events.”
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