United Conservative candidate for Airdrie-Cochrane and Rocky View Schools square off
A prominent United Conservative candidate and a southern Alberta school district are accusing each other of spreading misinformation, or at the very least of being very, very mistaken.
During a candidates forum hosted by the Cochrane and District Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Peter Guthrie, the UCP candidate for Airdrie-Cochrane, said Rocky View Schools "outright lied" to parents, "to tell them that they received nothing in the budget."
Guthrie was referring to a May 9 email to RVS district parents.
The letter does say, "RVS received disappointing news that the Alberta government did not include our division in the school projects approved for 2023 construction funding."
It goes on to say, "RVS was granted design funding for an elementary school in southwest Airdrie and preliminary planning funding for three other schools (new Airdrie high school and new Cochrane and Chestermere elementary schools)."
Guthrie told the forum the school district received its top four asks, referring to the Airdrie, Cochrane and Chestermere schools, in addition to portables and a Bow Valley High School expansion.
"Unfortunately, the Rocky View board and administration decided to play political games and they outright lied when they emailed all parents to tell them that they received nothing in the budget," he said.
"And even when they got called out by our government and the minister of education, they refused to correct the deception."
In response, Rocky View Schools' board chair, Norma Lang, penned a letter to Guthrie requesting he "retract and clarify that RVS did not lie to parents, as there were no construction funding approvals for any of these four projects received for RVS in Budget 2023."
The letter explains, "We stated that 'the Alberta government did not include our division in the school projects approved for 2023 construction funding.' We acknowledged in the same letter that RVS was granted design funding and preliminary planning funding for a total of four projects.
"Your accusation that we lied to parents is not true.
"We were factual in our communication that we received no construction funding in Budget 2023 for these four projects."
In an interview with CTV Calgary, Lang said Guthrie's comments to the forum were "quite shocking."
"We were surprised with his comments and how far he took them," she said.
"We've worked really hard to build relationships and trust with our parents and our staff ... everyone in our community.
"[This is] potentially damaging to our reputation and good word."
Asked if this could all just be a misunderstanding, Lang said maybe.
But Guthrie's comments are "out there" now.
"If he's unclear, and I do leave room for that possibility, there are people in the government and party that could help him," Lang said.
In a statement, Guthrie doubled down.
"The fact of the matter is RVS received their top 4 asks (2 schools in Airdrie, 1 in Chestermere and 1 in Cochrane) in addition to 10 of 19 portables awarded in the entire province. This was a big win for our constituency and our education community," he wrote.
"Parents that reached out to my office for an explanation of the emailed information regarding awarded resources were not pleased when they found out their Superintendent Greg Luderbach and Board Chair Norma Lang were not forthcoming with all available and accurate information.
"Now that the inaccuracies of the RVS communication have been shown, they should take responsibility for the misleading correspondence to parents."
Alberta's New Democrats have since put out a release promising more school construction in Airdrie and Cochrane, if the party makes it back to power in Monday's provincial election.
"The Alberta NDP is committing to a historic school building program in Airdrie, including the construction of a new 900-student capacity K-8 school and a 1,500-student capacity high school through the Rocky View Schools division in the southwest, and a 600 capacity K-9 through the Calgary Catholic School District in the southeast," the NDP said in its release.
"The Alberta NDP is also committing to building a new 600-student capacity K-5 school in Cochrane, where RVS notes that the student population is increasing by 300 students annually, requiring a new school to be built every two to three years.
"Rocky View Schools division estimates that they will surpass a 100 per cent utilization rate by 2026, meaning every space in classrooms will be occupied during the mandate of the next government."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.