A letter from CCI principal Jamie Patenall was sent out late last night (June 1, 2022) explaining the CCI Prom Parade is back on. The traditional prom parade had been cancelled this year for the first time in decades, but as Patenall said in the letter “we” are mindful that the prom parade is a long-standing tradition without our school community, and that many students and parents were disappointed in the news we shared.”
Below is a copy of the letter.
Dear parents/guardians,
We recognize that Cobourg Collegiate Institute’s prom is a special occasion for our students and families.
As we shared earlier this week, our top priority in all our actions is to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of our students. We also provided some background on the logistics for the prom parade and the safety concerns associated with the considerably large graduating class this year.
Having said that, we also appreciate and are mindful that the prom parade is a long-standing tradition within our school community, and that many students and parents were disappointed in the news we shared.
To that end, we believe we have been able to develop an alternative plan that will allow for a CCI Prom Parade to proceed. This plan will mitigate not only the equity issues presented, but also the safety concerns identified in consultation with Cobourg Police, Cobourg Community Center Staff and the school that would have resulted in a potential 3+ hour parade, on D’Arcy Street creating:
– significant traffic congestion along major intersections during rush hour,
– road closures,
– impacted ability of emergency services travel and the requirement of extensive policing presence, and travel across two high use, high speed VIA Rail tracks.
We will be sharing finalized details home with students, but our plan now will provide for
– a parade route that will eliminate a need for D’Arcy Street closure north of King Street
– opportunity for all participating students to walk a “red carpet”,
– safe travel to and from the Cobourg Community Centre and
– an option for students to opt out of the parade and arrive directly to prom.
We appreciate our students and families’ understanding and patience as we navigate this complex issue and ensure a safe, enjoyable and equitable prom celebration for
everyone.
Sincerely.
Jamie Patenall
Principal
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
