At our first event "Confirming Principles & Moving Ahead," held on Monday, June 19, we had the opportunity to engage with parents, faculty, staff and neighbours of the PW Campus. Here, we present an overview of the event and a synthesis of the key outcomes and discussions.
Introduction:
The workshop commenced with a welcome and territorial acknowledgment from Shannon Drew, Associate Director of Community Engagement.
Next, Chad Holtum, head of school at GNS, highlighted the current state of the Pemberton Woods Campus and its role within the neighbourhood, acknowledging the evolving nature of education. He discussed the lessons learned from past engagement processes, emphasizing the need for improved communication and adequate resources, leading to the formation of a new project team. Moving forward, he stated that the focus is on providing students with the necessary resources, addressing facility and staff needs, improving traffic and community relations, and considering the neighbourhood's changing dynamics. He introduced the members of the project team, including GNS Senior Staff, Cascadia Architects, PWL Partnership, Neighbour Lab, and Randwick Consulting, all working together to ensure a successful and sustainable future for GNS and its community.
Lastly, Emi from Neighbour Lab introduced the importance of community engagement and the process that will unfold over the next six months, aligning it with the vision and values of the school.
Question & Answer Session:
Following the briefing, the floor was opened for questions and answers, allowing participants to seek clarification and delve deeper into various aspects of the campus renewal project. Throughout this interactive segment, two Neighbour Lab members took diligent notes, ensuring that important ideas and concerns were captured accurately. The notes from the Q&A will be posted in an update that follows this one. Stay tuned!
Breakout Group Discussions:
To encourage reflection and dialogue, each participant was asked to choose one of four topics to discuss in small groups. Each table was facilitated by a professionals with relevant experience who prompted conversation around significant spaces within and around the neighbourhood, as well as sharing ideas for the future.
Each group gathered around tables equipped with resources such as photographs, sticky notes, and a map of the school or neighbourhood. These materials enhanced the discussions as participants reflected on their personal connections to the community and school, focusing on four key themes of Green Space, Form and Character, Transportation and Sustainability. Throughout the session participants were receptive to the idea of "blue-sky thinking" allowing for the generation of innovative ideas without any constraints. All ideas were welcomed and considered valuable in this brainstorming activity.
Missed the Activity? Tell us your ideas here!
The Results:
The team at Neighbour Lab has compiled the notes and photographs from the event and combined them with illustrations, and graphs to create the resource below. This infographic provides a synopsis of the ideas, discussions, and key themes that emerged during the event. These infographics will inform the development of the PW Renewal Plan which is a long-term planning document that will guide future site improvements. We hope it also serves as a valuable tool for all participants and those who were unable to attend, offering a clear understanding of the workshop's outcomes.
Coming up:
Attend our next workshop to continue the conversation.
Do you have questions about this event or the engagement process in general? Do you have specific comments or concerns that were not captured here? Please contact us at engage@mygns.ca. Thanks again for being an integral part of the PW Renewal Project!
"Privacy and peaceful enjoyment of our homes!" is a mission statement that we can all champion, especially those of us who live in close proximity to the PW campus. This encompasses individual issues be they traffic, noise, tall buildings looking down into yards, parking, nuisances, special events, late night activities, etc.
I see no mention here of any ideas around reducing noise impacts to the neighbours, for example placement of noise generating activities, sound buffers etc.