The Town of Morinville will stay on the sidelines in the debate over religious education after a motion to get involved was defeated in a split vote.
In a surprise move last week, Coun. Lisa Holmes put forward a motion that would have the town play mediator, bringing all parties together to find a solution to the lack of secular education available in the community.
The Greater St. Albert Catholic Regional Division runs all four schools in Morinville and is also considered the public school board. Students can opt-out of religious education, but the division tells parents Catholic teaching permeates the curriculum.
A group of Morinville parents asked the board to come up with a secular option, a request that was rejected and is now being appealed to the education minister.
Holmes wanted the town to play mediator, bringing together Education Minister Dave Hancock, board trustees, local MLA Ken Kowalski and any other interested parties to a meeting within the next 30 days.
She said the spotlight from press coverage — which has gone national — hurts the town's image to the point where council needs to do something. Council's silence suggests it is comfortable with the issue, she said.
"We are OK with having our community's name continually mentioned in news articles and public discussion along with the words segregation, exclusion, denial of human rights, uncharitable and bigoted?"
Holmes said she still believes the town should remain neutral in the debate, but that shouldn't stop council from trying to bring the two sides together.
Mayor Lloyd Bertschi voted against Holmes' motion, along with Couns. David Pattison, Gordon Boddez and Paul Krauskopf. Bertschi said it is not council's place to wade into a provincial issue.
"It is purely and simply an issue between the province and the schools and it is going to continue to be an issue the longer this goes on. The divide is going to get wider."
Bertschi said he wants to see the issue resolved and hopes the provincial government moves quickly.
"I feel for these people, I really do but we have enough issues at the municipal level without taking on fights that aren't ours."
Holmes was supported by Couns. Nicole Boutestein and Ben Van De Walle.
Boutestein felt the idea was a way for the town to address the issue without wading into the middle.
"We are offering a location for it to happen — we are not taking sides," she said. "We are representing the town and we need to make sure the town is being represented in a positive way."
Boddez, a former school trustee, disagreed, saying it would be the equivalent of the school board offering mediation for a dispute between the town and Sturgeon County.
"For us to become involved in this directly in trying to facilitate such a meeting, I believe this is not our place."
Pattison said he also didn't like the negative headlines, but he just didn't see a role for town council in a provincial matter.
"I hate the headlines, but with respect to councillor Holmes, but I do not see an appropriate role for the town."
Caught off guard
Donna Hunter, a member of the parent delegation contesting the board's decision, said she was completely surprised when Holmes made her motion, but pleased nonetheless.
"What courage. That was phenomenal that she would even make a motion like that. It took a lot of guts," Hunter said. "She is right, it is like the elephant in the room that everyone is ignoring. It has gotten national exposure and how can they say this is still not a town issue."
Hunter was at town council several weeks ago making a similar request, which was turned down without comment.
Hunter said she was relieved to hear the education minister plans to meet with the Catholic board to review the issue, but she is frustrated it has taken so long for him to get involved. She said kindergarten registration deadlines are passing by and she wants to see the issue resolved quickly.
Holmes, who has young children of her own, said while the quality of education in local schools is excellent, she understands why the religious component might trouble some parents.
"I am not a practising Catholic and my family is not, but my seven-year-old son told me he is giving up chocolate for Lent. How did he learn that? How did he know that? He is not in religious studies," she said.
"He is getting a fabulous education at his school, but I could see how if I was a Muslim, if I was a Jehovah's Witness, it would bother me because this is the public school."
