www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, June 9, 2016 | 20 Parish does not want to give up entire church site continued from p.5 "Every major newspaper and TV station in Serbia covered this," claimed Marjanac, "so, I've been getting calls from the ambassador. The Minister of Foreign Affairs called. Everyone has really been up in arms." The school board recently clarified its position with a statement issued last Thursday (June 2). In it, HDSB Director of Education Stuart Miller assured future meetings were planned with representatives of the church to discuss the location of the high school site. "I am hopeful through our discussions that the Serbian Church and the board can work together to investigate various options concerning the new high school site," stated Miller in the advisory. "At this point, any discussion of expropriation of property is very premature." While Marjanac said he and the church appreciate this assurance, he noted the campaign to keep all church land from being taken would continue until a different deal is finalized. He said there is simply too much at stake to let up the pressure. This really scared us. The school board is the ultimate one that has the legal power to make this decision. If the school board did have this wish to take all the land, we'd be in trouble. Saints Peter and Paul Serbian Orthodox Parish Father John Marjanz *Cut out this ad and save 10% on your food bill *SAVE VE NOW 10% AILD AILD VAILD AT 1011 Uppermiddle Rd East & 217 Cross Ave Oakville(DINE IN ONLY) This coupon is only valid at 1011 Uppermiddle Rd E & 217 Cross Ave in Oakville ON. This coupon entitles you to 10% off your food bill before tax. Only one coupon per table. Taxes extra. No cash value. Expires on August 1, 2016. DINE IN ONLY The church has owned the property since 1980 with the parish building constructed by members of the congregation. In addition to serving as a place of worship, Marjanac described the church as being a real hub of community activity and contributing partner in many local endeavors. When the weather is nice, he said, the church grounds become a gathering place for 50-100 people in the evenings with seniors playing bocce ball, chess and other games. Young children make use of the playground and congregation members hold events and barbecues on the site. The church also supports a local food bank, fundraises for the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH), promotes multiculturalism through the Carousel of Nations, participates in blood drives with Canadian Blood Donor Clinics and is a member of the Oakville Historical Society. Most recently, the congregation has become involved with the Town's Adopt-a-Road program where participants pick up litter along certain municipal road rights-of-way. "I like to say this church is like an octopus. The body is the faith and cultural community, but we have really reached out into a whole lot of Canadian society," said Marjanac. "So, shutting this down would be tragic really." The Town of Oakville confirmed it has no land available the church could be moved to in the event the school board decided to use the entire 3.8 hectares. Marjanac emphasized the church is fine with selling a portion of its property provided there continues to be enough room for the church, its hall and the parking lot. "If there is a need for a high school here as projected than that affects us. Our kids are going to go to that high school. So, we are very happy if we can help in that regard, but only to the point where we won't lose our parish entirely," said Marjanac. "There could be a situation where we share their parking lot or they share ours or they make use of our grounds, there is some level of overlap for the community's benefit. I think that would satisfy everybody." Discussions continue. To read related stories, visit insidehalton. com/oakville-on. Patio and BBQ Essentials Up to 60% OFF Enjoy $5 off during our Summer Sizzle Event Visit WagJag.com to check out more local services, products and travel deals. Promo Code: 5BBQ Brought to you by Fine print: Use promo code at checkout. Expiry: July 2nd, 2016, 11:59 pm EST. Valid towards offers transacted on WagJag.com/BBQ ONLY. To redeem, you must have or create an account at WagJag.com. Use code in one transaction. Any purchase for an amount greater than the amount of the promo code must be paid with an alternative method of payment. Unauthorized use, reproduction or resale is prohibited. Not reloadable. Promo Codes will not be replaced or replenished if lost, stolen, used incorrectly or without authorization. May not be exchanged for cash. Non-transferrable. Other terms and conditions apply see http://www.wagjag.com/GroupBuyTerms.