I often give praise to teachers and EA’s, bus drivers and crossing guards, but I would like to take a moment today to shine the spotlight on some of the hidden heroes of our local education system.
I am speaking about the people who literally keep our schools running, from engineers to electricians, maintenance people and contractors, the builders and fixers.
Bayside secondary school had a fairly large crisis this week.
A localized power problem knocked out the heating system on Tuesday. That same night, they said the school would be closed on Wednesday, with a further update to be provided later.
Remember, even during bad weather, the vast majority of local schools stay open so that parents with no other choice can continue with their regular routine. When a school closes, it affects hundreds if not thousands of local families.
A lack of heat can have disastrous consequences, from frozen pipes to other more temporary damage. However, the fix-it crews at Bayside had a generator up and running and the boilers providing the necessary heat in just one day.
That not only prevented other potential damage throughout the facility, but it also allowed students to return yesterday after a one-day absence, and the lives of everyone affected to return to their day-to-day routine.
Infrastructure is rarely glamorous and almost never receives applause but today let’s give thanks for the hard-working people who keep our schools open every day and especially our local MacGyvers who took a chilly challenge and turned it into a heartwarming case of Canadian “can do”!
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
