Gonzaga middle school critics voice concerns at meeting

Opponents of Gonzaga Middle School had a chance to lay out their concernsat a special board meeting with the Winnipeg School Division Monday night.

Gonzaga's founders, which include Mark Chipman, chairman of the Winnipeg Jets,have said the $3-million school of about 60 students, set to open in thefall, is designed to help break the cycle of povertyin the inner-citythrough education.

Larry Morrissette and James Faveldisagree.

Favel, a community activist in the North End, started bysayinghis initial understanding about theproposed school was that it was meantto helpsupportlow-income students.

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"That in and of itself seemed innocuous,"Favel said.

"Everything changed when I learned the target demographic was aboriginal children.Immediately the alarm bells started ringing,and then thephone started ringing and the emails started coming in."

Favel saidhe spent weekslearning what he could about the school proposal and passed details on to others in theNorth End who wanted more information.

"It so closely resembles the same kind of ideology that went into the residential school system," he said. "It's very hard for our community to get behind something like that."

Favel asked proponents of the school at the meeting to reconsider backing the plan.

Morrissette,co-founder of the Children of the Earth High School, which focuses on indigenous identity and culture,said that the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations do not align with the creation of the Catholicschool.

He and Favelboth say the WSD should somehow interfere and stop plans for the school from moving forward.

But Mike Babinsky, a trustee with the school division, noted plans for a private school fall beyond the power and purview of the public system.

Meanwhile Lisa Naylor, another school board trustee, said while she too doesn't know how the division could get involved, she supports Favel,Morrissetteand their concerns.

"I do feel very protective to those future 60 students," Naylor said, adding she hopes any indigenous students that end up at the school receive a "culturally relevant" education.

"I hope that's not taken away from them."

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Residential school survivorVivian Ketchumattended the meeting tosupport Favel and his message.

"I remember the isolation of being in that [school], of being taught another culture," she said. "I didn't see anything of my culture at all."

Ketchum said she worries theschool will be "run by outsiders."

"I want my children, my grandchildren to learn our culture, our ways," she said."How can that be taught by non native people?"

Favelsaid while he knows it's a private school, he hopes the WSD can step in to help stop the project.

"We're hoping they can somehow interfere with the process or convince them to reconsider," saidFavel

MarkWasyliw, chair of theWSDboard of trustees, said theboard will not vote on the future of the school, but will continue totake the public's concerns as information.

Wasyliwhas said in the past that he worriesthe private school could divide the inner-city community. He also said he'd like to see private donationsinvested in Winnipeg public schools rather than create an independent school.

Morrissettesaid he's concerned about the impact a Catholic school will have on the indigenouscommunity in Winnipeg. He worrieskids may be pressured to adopt the Catholic religion.

Gonzaga school principalTomLussier said whilethe school is Catholic, itwill accept children of all races and faiths. He also said aboriginal studies will be part of the curriculum.