HOW the Initiative, Referenda, and Recall system can SAVE our Abbotsford K-7's

Happy Bradner pre-teens - let them thrive in THEIR community! Image Source - Bradner Elementary School Newsletter, published online

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By Heather Lemieux,

Bradner BC - The Initiative, Referenda, and Recall system, or IRR system is an initiative process through which a registered voter can propose a new law or changes to an existing law on matters over which the provincial legislature has authority. A voter must collect signatures from 10% of the registered voters in each of the province’s electoral districts for an initiative petition to succeed.
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The initiative process is unique to BC – no other province or territory in Canada has initiative legislation....! So how can this IRR system be used to save our education system in BC and our K-7's in Abbotsford? 

The Chief Electoral Officer has approved nine initiative petition applications since the Recall and Initiative Act came into force in 1995. One of the successful petitions was the 2010 Initiative Petition to End the Harmonized Sales Tax, HST.
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View the Summary of Initiative Petitions (PDF) and visit the Reports page for more information about past initiative petitions.

Russ Walsh says in a recent Bradner Barker article that "The IRR system was one of the Reform Party's primary platforms in the 1990's. While the concept of upgrading Canada's 19th century political system was eventually quite well accepted in Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes strenuously, and I must say rather viciously, opposed.... Except in BC! The IRR system was placed on the ballot during Bill Vanderzalm's last bid for the Premier's job. Bill lost the election but the Initiative, Referenda and Recall system was overwhelmingly approved by the electorate during the provincial election."

Lets UNITE,  an initiative can be started by parents commanding the provincial government to implement charter school legislation similar to that in Alberta. And the system could be used to create a local initiative designed to curb the School District's mission to slice away nearly half of the K-7 Elementary student population.

See how the RECALL AND INITIATIVE ACT can help Bradner Elementary and the rest of the schools slated to become grades K-5 instead of K-7!

​Elections BC administers the initiative petition process according to rules established in the Recall and Initiative Act. View the Initiative Petition Timeline (PDF) for key dates and deadlines in the initiative process. For more information, or to view the information in PDF format, download the Guide to the Initiative Process (869) (PDF), or visit the Initiative Frequently Asked Questions page. The PDF forms can be downloaded and filled out using Adobe Reader and submitted to Elections BC via email, fax or mail. They are also available at Elections BC’s Victoria office at 1112 Fort Street or by calling toll-free 1-800-661-8683 / TTY 1-888-456-5448 or by emailing electionsbc@elections.bc.ca.

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ACTION Plan...

Over the next few days we'll be examining the Act carefully to see if it could be used in the event Abbotsford School District continues to push ahead with their scheme. Stay tuned to the Bradner Barker for more information pertaining to the use of the Recall and Initiative Act to save Bradner Elementary. More on this to come...

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In the Meantime, you can HELP by...

Joining the Facebook group Save our K-7 Schools.

SIGNING the ONLINE PETITION 

SENDING  LETTERS from yourselves, businesses or whomever from all of the communities affected! (the more letters the better) contact info below and spread the word about the meetings, POST SIGNS, lets get all demographics there from the all communities attending. 

ATTENDING MEETINGS...

Tuesday, January 19th, 7pm at Upper Sumas Elementary 
Thursday, January 21st, 7pm at Mt. Lehman Elementary
Tuesday, January 26th, 7pm at Aberdeen Elementary

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016, consideration (Board decision) of the reconfiguration at their regular meeting at the DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION/SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE - 2790 Tims St, Abbotsford, BC V2T 4M7

EMAIL letters to: 

Phil Anderson, Phil_Anderson@sd34.bc.ca
Freddy Latham, freddy_latham@sd34.bc.ca
Rhonda Pauls, rhonda_pauls@sd34.bc.ca34.bc.ca OR boardchair@sd34.bc.ca
Stan Petersen, stan_petersen@sd34.bc.ca
Preet Rai, preet_rai@sd34.bc.ca
Cindy Schafer, cindy_schafer@sd34.bc.ca
Shirley Wilson, shirley_wilson@sd34.bc.ca
Kevin Godden, Superintendent, Corissa_Stgeorge@sd34.bc.ca
Trustee, Kevin Godden, Superintendent’s assistant: Corissa_Stgeorge@sd34.bc.ca
Abbotsford School District Contacts can be found here.

SAVE Our Abbotsford K-7's