Dear Editor:
The freedom to openly share our views and beliefs is a great thing about living in Canada.
I have no doubt that Shirley Bays is a nice woman with good intentions, but I found her letter to the editor about the proposed wind turbine at Cochrane High School (CHS) and the underlying motives of teacher Stephanie Bennett to border on offensive.
Perhaps because Bays does not live in Cochrane Heights she hasn’t noticed that over the years Cochrane High School Sustainability Development Committee, under the direction of Bennett, has spent hundreds of hours over the years enhancing the CHS grounds with school gardens, installing means to catch and retain rainfall to sustain these gardens, adding solar panels to the school, holding bottle drives and other fundraisers to support these efforts, and organizing opportunities for students to have the opportunity to meet and learn from experts in sustainable development that range from local politicians to international figures like David Suzuki.
What has made all this possible is the dedication of an educator who, over a sustained period of time, has demonstrated nothing but the noblest and altruistic of motives. Stephanie Bennett’s dedication and the manner in which she has inspired the students on the CHS Sustainable Development Committee to take action are astounding and have resulted in the school being recognized nationally as a leader in environmental stewardship.
In her letter, Bays’ writes “Given her students have obviously done a great deal of research and by now have already learned all they can learn about the topic”. She implies that all the valuable learning for students on this topic is done and that there would be little benefit in doing more. My experience with our children is almost the opposite. Deep and lasting learning comes from applying in a real-world context what has been learned. This learning becomes even more powerful when a young person is able to experience the sense of personal integrity that comes from what Gandhi advocated; being the change you want in the world.
Two of our sons have gone through CHS and one is currently attending. The school has provided an outstanding secondary school education. One of the most impactful aspects of their experience has been their work on the school’s sustainable development committee and the inspiration that Bennett has provided.
I am a resident who lives adjacent to the school grounds and I am proud we have students, teachers and a school who are willing to put a stake in the ground (or a small wind turbine as the case may be) and demonstrate through action where they stand on our future and the environment. I hope those who are involved in the approval process are able to demonstrate their commitment to those same things.
It is encouraging to see that the bold, courageous and visionary spirit that has built this province and helped establish our town lives on at Cochrane High School.
Brant Parker
