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Local high school students ' tackle affordable housing | and homelessness problems ith all the new Wmlhmg going up around their camâ€" pus, the students at the new Sir John A. MacDonald high school might find it hard to believe that affordable housing and homelessness are a problem in their comâ€" munity. But _ the _ students involved with the Building Bridges program at the school are working hard to change that perception, and atre holding a special fundraiser next week called "There is no place like home" to tackle the probâ€" lem. The Building Bridges program was started by teacher Ryan Hume, who had done something similar with students at WCI before moving over to the new public high school this year. Hume would take his poliâ€" tics and economics classes to see the problem of homeâ€" lessness and affordable housing first hand, and held discussions and workshops to raise awareness about the issue. But he wanted to do something more tangible to help people at Sir John A. MacDonald, and he found an enthusiastic group of students who wanted to do | HEERS This Thursday, Waterloo Region will be holllidig ait Iminigrant skills summit. muammtom%fiwm skills of immigrants in Waterioo Region are ntore 1 serve to strengthen this at three in resnamometenet enemaiierie e e __ Community leaders will be attending the summit including: business/labour d inmetrers." "*‘a"'n"'â€""" n "'z' Sx e C . ‘ lm By Bos VrBANA Chromecle Staff Inspired by the newest trends in fashion, current home decor embraces a New Elegance â€" the look of luxury, glamour and nostalgia. Add a splash of trendy colour on your wall. Then, simply emibellish with a few runwayâ€"inspired accessories. Visit Heeér‘s Decorating to achieve New Elegance in your home. KITCHENER KITCHENER WATERLOO Phone 578. 533X Phone 576 7576 Phone 777 1124 Visit Heer‘s for our New Elegance ly:srlorroiPrfomot‘on-! Belmtont Avtrut more than just raise awareâ€" ness â€" they also wanted to make a difference. "We wanted to get the kids here connected with what‘s going on just a few blocks from here." said Hume. "Homelessness and affordable housing are big issues in the community." So they‘re hosting a week‘s worth of events next week at the westâ€"side school including a brickâ€"buying campaign to support the work of Heartwood Place, an affordable housing development on Gaukel Street in Kitchener. Teachers and students will also be cutting their hair to raise funds, playing a friendly floor hockey game and hosting a community auction May 5 that the wider _ community _ is encouraged to support. "The purpose of the week is to show the kids that we not only have some responsibility because we live in the community with these people, but was also have an obligation because they are part of who we are," said Hume. It also changes the stuâ€" dents involved. Their view of the world evolves with the experiences they get from the program. "People just start changâ€" ing their minds about how they live and how they see CITY NEWS other peopte," said Hume. "And they do that in all aspects of their lives, "So whether we‘re helpâ€" ing people in this commuâ€" nity, or helping people in Africa, the kids really see that it doesn‘t make a differâ€" ence who you‘re helping it starts to pervade your whole life. There are solutions and you can be a part of it." It‘s already made a differâ€" ence for students like Lau:â€" ren Baumken and Sarah Susanna who have visited Heartwood Place and seen the work that‘s being done. "We found out that it was a much bigger issues than we thought," said Boumken. "If you work a minimum wage job you can‘t even afford to get a oneâ€"bedroom apartment." "The first step is awareâ€" ness," said Susanna. "Then you want to take it a step further and raise some funds. And Melanie Beiler said that although a lot of her felâ€" low classmates want to address world issues, chariâ€" ty begins at home. "It‘s probably more important to start where we live, to see what the probâ€" lems are really like at home," she said. "We want them to treat this as a serious issue, and we remind them of that," said Boumken. 583 King 5t N WATERLOO Waterloo‘s newest high school, Sir John A. MacDonald, celebrated its official grand opening last Wednesday with a ceremony that brought local dignitaries, staff, students and parents together to marvel at the $21â€"million structure. As part of the ceremony, there was a symbol ic passing of the keys of the school from the builders to the staff. Making sure the key is still there is parent council president Lloyd Wright, as student Salsabeel Jadi looks on. Former Waterloo CAO drops $6â€"million defamation suit aterloo‘s exâ€"chief Wadminis!rative offiâ€" cer has dropped his $6 million defamation lawsuit against the City of Waterloo, and has instead found work on the other side of the world. Bob Robertson, 53, was seeking $8.3 million in damâ€" ages against Waterloo, claiming the city inapproâ€" priately handled his disâ€" missal last summer. Robertson held his posiâ€" tion for only two weeks, but was asked tp stay. home the entire time after informaâ€" tion surfaced regarding his involvement in a controverâ€" sial development deal in Maple Ridge. B.C. He has since, however. taken a position as dean of the Bang College of Busiâ€" ness in Kazakstan where he is in charge of more than 60 professors, lecturers and clerical workers. City lawyer Bill White said he felt the city had good grounds to get the defamation claim dismissed By Ryan CoNNELL For The Chronicle The golden key so they brought it before Hamilton courtâ€" where the judge decided to drop the claim. "We‘re certainly pleased that we‘re rid of $6 million of the claim which was a big part of it," White said. "We. of course, feel we have a good defense to the other claims." Roberitson is still suing Waterloo for $2.3 million, which includes $800,000 for breach of contract because he was hired and was not allowed to start his employâ€" ment Bob Robertson Former Waterioo CAQ He is also seeking $750,000 for aggravated damages and $750,000 for punitive damages for what Robertson considers to be improper treatment. Robertson was a Waterâ€" loo employee from Aug. 16 to Aug. 31, 2004, but never worked a day. He was asked to stay home with pay while the city worked to gather more information on his involveâ€" ment with a botched downâ€" town development deal that took place when he was city manager in Maple Ridge, B.C. ~ Robertson was criticized in a report by consultants Kroll Lindquist Avey for his part in the $60 million development deal that cost the municipality $11.4 milâ€" lion more than expected. Robertson was blamed in the report for some of the cost overruns in the project, stating he provided council with information that was "inaccurate and mislead ing." Waterloo fired Robertson Continued on page 6 08 VRBANAC PNOTG