Save École Notre-Dame’s Soccer Field

For over 25 years, the field located right next to École Notre-Dame has been used by students as a space for play, recreation, physical activity, and motor development. This land, historically owned by the parish, has been faithfully maintained and used by the school without interruption.

But today, this field is threatened by a proposed construction project for senior apartments, which would eliminate this essential green space for our youth. The project is moving quickly, and it is located just a few metres from our school.

Why this is concerning:

• École Notre-Dame has one of the smallest schoolyards in the region.

• The field is used daily for recess and physical education classes, especially to help students prepare for the Jeux de l’Acadie.

• The Mon École My School daycare, which serves 60 children, also uses this space and would lose it.

• It was also the only soccer field accessible in Notre-Dame, used by the Petits Maniacs de Kent Sud teams.

Most troubling:

The diocese sold this land for only $15,000 to the Résidence Notre-Dame Committee without offically consulting the school district, nor offering the opportunity to purchase it. Yet we have been the primary users of the land for more than 25 years, and such a symbolic price could clearly have been invested in the future of our children.

Furthermore, the school or district di not received no official information about the project. There was no communication, no prior consultation with proper school officials. We firmly believe that a project of this scale, located just metres from an elementary school, should have gone through a transparent and participatory process led by the Parish and Résidence Committee.

What we are asking for:

1. The immediate suspension of the project to allow for public consultation.

2. The development of a zoning plan for the Notre-Dame sector that includes:

   • A 50-metre buffer zone around all elementary schools in the municipality of Beausoleil, to protect school and community use.

3. The official recognition of the educational and community use of this land.

Why 50 metres?

This distance represents approximately half a soccer field – a minimal safety and tranquility zone to allow children to thrive. In Ontario, the 2016 amendment to the Highway Traffic Act (Safe School Zones Act) defines a “school safety zone” as extending up to 150 metres around schools to protect students. We are asking for much less, but for a cause just as essential: To preserve what belongs to our children.

This land is part of our memories, our youth… and our future.

🙏 Thank you for signing and sharing this petition to raise the voices of our children and defend the future of our community.

Together, we can protect this land for current and future generations.

CPAÉ École Notre-Dame

CPAÉ École Notre-Dame    Contact the author of the petition