You know, it really doesn't get better.

The neighborhood meeting was informative and predictable. The city put together a really good presentation, outlining the areas to be reconstructed and how the work would progress. I discovered that I will be losing a streetlight, and my parents discovered they will be gaining one! One of the changes involves moving some runs of streetlights to the opposite side of the road. I am happy to lose mine for a couple of reasons. One, I can plant a tree there! Two, the individuals that like to park where the new streetlight is going will now have their illegal activities fully highlighted. (We have a few issues with dial-a-doper's using our street as a meeting point.) Duh na na nah, duh na na nah, hey hey, goodbye!

The statistics provided by the City were enlightening. Edmonton has roughly 300 neighborhoods, 150 of which are in need of some infrastructure rehabilitation or reconstruction. Of these 150, only 6 are getting work done this year. 6. All the roads and streetlights are being replaced at no cost to us, and we have to pay 50% of the sidewalk cost over 20 years. (for me, 50 cents a day for 20 years) Bring it on!

So when the local yahoos stood up to protest who/what/where/when/how/why the work was being done, I was a bit steamed. Especially when Mr Corner Lot got up not once, not twice but three times to express his displeasure during the Q&A portion of the evening. Apparently, those folks with corner lots and the additional land, property value and sidewalks should not have to pay for the privilege of owning said corner lot with additional land, property value and sidewalks.

Mr Corner lot thought that he would have to pay 50% more than everyone else because he had more sidewalk. He missed the part of his information package that states he only pays an additional 15% on the second side of the lot...that's pretty fair. And the last time I checked, no one was ever forced to purchase a corner lot. A home purchase is pretty voluntary. If it's such a hassle, then sell and move. Someone else will happily pay for a corner lot!

I did like his most convincing reason for not wanting to pay for the sidewalk improvement. He never uses the sidewalk. I know. Because the sidewalk in front of (sorry, and beside) your home, in your neighborhood is ONLY used by you. Betcha a quarter he is one of the lovely homeowners that only shovels snow from one side of his corner lot all winter. Because he doesn't use it.

The other battle the community is going through right now is for our schools. 4 schools, the only 4 schools in our neighborhood, are currently up for closure review right now. One of the reasons I moved to an established central neighborhood was so that my kid(s) would be able to easily get to school and other parts of the city. I am a firm believer in kids walking to school, and being able to play in their community. (Translation: I am not a taxi service. I don't want to spend 2 hours of my day driving Lily to school and to her friends homes.)

At this time next year, I will be registering her for kindergarten (gulp!) but I don't know where she will be able to attend, because the school she should be going to might not be open.

Because we are in an older neighborhood, with a mixed age demographic, classroom enrollments are lower here. Other parents choose to take advantage of open school boundaries to send their kids to specialized programs like French Immersion or ballet or music. Other families choose to build monster houses in the soul sucking wastelands of suburbia (cough, Windermere, cough) where there are no schools. And then they want new shiny schools with all sorts of bells and whistles. So the city and the school boards build the schools and close other ones.

In fact, in there have been nine schools closed in our area since 2002. Nine. And now at least 2 more. It makes me mad.

That being said, the main solution that has been presented by the board, is to consolidate kindergarten through grade 9 in the underutilised local junior high. It's an ok solution. It means Lily won't have to take the bus anywhere. This school is a fantastic one, with award winning teachers and some neat pilot programs. It's only about 5 more minutes walking time to get there, and is 5 minutes from my mom and dad's house. The community swimming pool is right beside it, but there is no playground for the little kids. That makes me a little sad, because a couple of blocks away, a brand new playground and revamped park is going to sit empty. All because the elementary school will be closed.

The final vote for closure happens in April, but the board is reviewing things this week.

A neighborhood with an empty schoolyard is a sad one.