We build multi-million-dollar schools, and need millions more to fix the ones we have while watching general enrolment decline across the province. We have churches that are (sadly) near empty, being sold off, sitting empty and decaying. There are rural community halls that don't get enough use. We have rural museums that need fundraisers to keep the lights on. There are Canadian Legions with demographics rapidly shrinking. There are curling clubs, tennis clubs, gymnasiums, running tracks, swimming pools, hockey rinks all with different names in single-purpose buildings. Fire departments, Emergency Health Services (EHS), police detachments, public works departments all in separate facilities. Huge school buses that get most use only to and from school, Monday to Friday (holidays, vacations, snow days excepted).

 I once joked that our police detachments could be housed on the second floor of Tim Hortons (not a swipe at the police) so everyone would know where they are and the rent (on the first floor) would pay for the cost of running the law enforcement quarters. I no longer think that is such a stretch of the imagination.

 The county just tore down the Centre jail that sat unused but still had to be maintained, for years. There will be more to come - much more. The Bluenose Academy is about to open, but the historic (and beautiful) Lunenburg Academy still needs to be maintained and well-used.

 What's wrong with this picture? Just our thinking.

 We need to think outside the box. Old ideas won't work in our present and future economy. We need a sea change in our planning. Why are the board of education and the library board housed differently, in costly stand-alone buildings? Why are the needs of each community not met in one building, especially in rural areas? Why do beautiful schools lie empty soon after 3 p.m.? Why can't they be used (even in separate wings where some areas can be gated off and locked in the afternoon or evening) from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.? Why can't costs be shared to pay for one roof, one heating plant, one insurance policy, one parking lot, one recreation facility, meeting place, adult education centre, one student and adult library, one maintenance crew?

 It is one thing to beg for provincial and federal grants to build facilities; but there is only one taxpayer (you) to keep them maintained, running, safe, functional, insured. We have church halls, school auditoriums, theatres, an opera house, former fraternal halls, all going begging for customers and events even one night per week.

 This idea was recently brought home to me by a well-meaning arts group that wants to raise funds for a regional "living arts centre." Great idea, but not here. There are such viable offerings in places such as Saratoga (New York) which has a population 10 times (or more) our size, a nearby historic race track, a revitalized large commercial centre, several large urban centres to feed upon (Albany, Schenectady, Utica, Springfield, New York suburbs) not to mention five states, and unbelievable affluence to continually support the venture.

 Yes, we need arts groups (and I would support any of them here), but no, not housed in another separate building.

 It is time for new thinking about all our public buildings and services; not so much as to how to build them but how to carefully (and better) use what we already have, and how to maintain what we have cost-effectively. A banker once taught me a great lesson - one should keep asking, "Do you want it or do you really need it?" That is how you prioritize all spending, personal and public.

 PAUL KELLOGG
 Lunenburg

posted on 01/18/12