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35| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,O ctober 11,2018 theifp.ca 905-877-5279 Free Estimates • Fully Insured • Tree Pruning • Removals • Storm Damage • Small Shrub & HedgeTrimming • Tree Cabling & Bracing • Stump Grinding It's Lonely at theTop! Cell: 416-996-9338jay@hilltoptreecare.cawww.hilltoptreecare.ca Book your Office Party, Large Gala or Family Gathering at Eagle Ridge and celebrate the holidays stress free! Let us host yourHolidayEvent! For more information contact Bill Dhaliwal 905-877-8468 ext 2223 | bdhaliwal@clublink.ca EAGLE RIDGE GOLF CLUB RR #4, 11742 TENTH LINE, GEORGETOWN, ON eagleridge.clublink.ca move forward. I think the number speaks for itself. I would and will support the stakeholders opinion on this issue. CONSEIL SCOLAIRE VIAMONDE PIERRE GIROUARD What do you see as the top issue affecting educa- tion in Halton and what steps would you take to ad- dress it? The demand for French language education has been increasing steadily. The student population for Viamonde is up by more than four per cent this year. As the incum- bent, I can report that we have secured financing and built one new high school in Oakville and have plans for a new ele- mentary school in Milton. I intend to pursue the same approach and en- sure that we have facili- ties for all students. Build- ings and facilities are not enough. We provide some of the best education and have partnered with tech- nological companies to ensure that students will be well prepared for the future. We also work with the community to ensure that they have access to French culture outside of the school. How do you think grow- ing student enrolment can be best accommodated over the next four years in Hal- ton? You have noted an is- sue close to my heart. As I stated in answering your first question, we have and will continue to build new schools to accommo- date the growing French student population. We are looking to the future. DENIS FRAWLEY What do you see as the top issue affecting educa- tion in Halton and what steps would you take to ad- dress it? For families from Hal- ton Hills and neighbour- ing communities whose children attend a primary or secondary French lan- guage public school (such as Patricia Picknell (for primary) and Gaétan-Ger- vais (for secondary), I feel the top issue is the great distance they have to trav- el to attend school, which also translates into hav- ing classmates and friends that are not neigh- bours, and also raises challenges for extracur- ricular activities. The reality of French language education in southern Ontario is that the francophone commu- nity has a small popula- tion spread over a large area. So, our schools will probably always have large catchment areas. But I will work to encour- age Conseil scolaire Via- monde to find ways that foster strong bonds be- tween our students and their families both within and outside of school hours. It requires extra ef- fort and commitment, but we all want our children to feel that they are part of a vibrant community, not just a good school, be- cause community invol- vement and attachment is so important to providing an environment in which our children will flourish. How do you think grow- ing student enrolment can be best accommodated over the next four years in Hal- ton? Viamonde regularly opens new primary and secondary schools, as it has a growing enrolment, which is great. Consider- ing the growth in Halton and in neighbouring com- munities like Brampton, a very important consider- ation is to plan where the next schools will be opened, based on demand from the community. We have to start early and work hard to secure the right locations and bud- gets, and frankly to make sure that for French- speaking families in these fast-growing areas, en- rolling in a French lan- guage public school is not just a choice, but the best choice. I also think it's critical to retain our students through their high school years by offering second- ary schools that are strong, in terms of quali- ty, while also offering a broad and comprehensive array of courses, services, activities and supports that is just as attractive as what families find at En- glish language schools. All of this requires con- tinuous attention and planning. For families that want their children to study in French, wherev- er they are, they should always have the option of a French language public school that is as appealing to them as what is on offer from the English board. MUNICIPAL ELECTION We're there When neWs happens in your community. FIND BREAKING NEWS DAILY AT THEIFP.CA Continued from page 34