Forest School could be taken out of Saint John, says owner

The operator of an outdoorpreschool in Saint John's Rockwood Park raised the hackles of city councillorsMonday night, by telling them he needs access to a park buildingto keep his school in the city.

And Tim Jones told councillors they hadto make a decision right away.

"The question just comes down to, is it going to be in the city of Saint John?" said Jones.
"We have other options, and that's unfortunately the decision I have to make [Tuesday]."

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Jones operates the Tr na ng Forest School which is currently located at the park's Cherry Brook Zoo.

He said up to 40 children are enrolled at the school,spending much of the year learningoutdoors.

He'd like the new school to be centred ina vacant canteen building at the park's Fisher Lakes beach and said he wouldpay to renovate and expand it, while adding a well and septic field.

He claimed the building, in its current state, actually poses an environmental threat to nearby swimmers and does not have potable water in the washrooms.

He expects the work to cost about $150,000and said it could remain a public facility with washrooms and change rooms.

No quick decisions

But city councillorsrefused tobe rushed.

They saidthey know little about the proposal and cannot even be sure it would be permitted on land donated to the municipality in the late 1800s by the Saint John Horticultural Society, with specific conditions attached.

They referred the matter to city staff, who saidit will take at least a month to return with a recommendation.

"I think what we're being asked is to grant a for-profit business in the middle of Rockwood Park," said Mayor Don Darling. "And I don't know if that's a good idea or not."

"It was reminiscent frankly of the last time we had a gun to our head like this in the city. It was a deal we did on a rather large LNG terminal. And the citizens of this city don't want us ever to have a gun to our head again and be told that we either make a decision tonight, or else."

Tr na ng schools also operate in Sussex and Quispamsis.

Speaking afterward Jones would not say if he will now leave the city orwhere the Cherry Brook Zoo school will operate in September, claiming he must first speak to parents.

"We actually have prearrangements for all of that at this point," he said.