Fort William citizen elected as trustee with Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — Fort William First Nation’s Sarah Pelletier looks forward to taking on the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) trustee role that her late father Phil Pelletier held for about 24 years.
“He just had a passion for Indigenous education, he had a passion for community,” says Pelletier, who has been employed in the social services field for about seven years. “This opportunity had come out in our community and I felt I needed to put my name in, I felt almost like a connection to my heart that I had to do this so I put my name in and reached out to some of my community [citizens] and I was elected by my community. This role was extremely important to my father and I look forward to carrying on his legacy while also forging my own path — ensuring success for all of our students.”
Pelletier, whose father passed away in December, was elected to the TBCDSB Board of Trustees on March 11 as a representative of Fort William First Nation and Indigenous people residing on the traditional lands of Fort William First Nation and attending TBCDSB schools. Her portfolio of schools include Our Lady of Charity, St. Ann, and St. Martin.
“We are very excited to have Sarah Pelletier as part of our Board of Trustee family,” says Pino Tassone, director of education at TBCDSB. “With Sarah following the legacy of her father, Phil Pelletier, it is indeed honourable, significant, and certainly complementary for all of us at Thunder Bay Catholic. I know Phil would be so proud.”
Pelletier says it is very important to have an Indigenous voice on the Board of Trustees.
“We have a lot of First Nation and Indigenous people attending the schools here in Thunder Bay, so I think it is very important that when we make decisions, we’re always including the First Nations perspective in those decisions,” Pelletier says. “So making decisions that I believe are best for not only Indigenous students but all students attending the schools.”
Pelletier is a TBCDSB alumna who graduated from St. Patrick High School before pursuing and graduating with her Bachelor of Arts degree at Lakehead University.
“I also have three children presently attending the Catholic schools,” Pelletier says. “My oldest boy is 14 and he went to St. Martin school, he went to Pope John Paul school, and now, he’s at St. Pats.”
Pelletier says she has been able to participate in different programming at all of her son’s schools, but less at St. Patrick High School due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think it’s supportive of our First Nation children as well,” Pelletier says. “Everyone I’ve worked with throughout my own experience as a parent has been supportive of my kids, so I think it’s just ensuring that the students have that support also.”
Pelletier says one of her goals is to continue the work her father was doing with accessibility in the schools.
“Because my father was in a wheelchair, they said he helped really bring light to educational needs for people with disabilities,” Pelletier says. “That is a very important piece in my heart that I can’t let go of — we need also to be aware of the barriers for individuals with disabilities and make sure they have the support and resources to ensure their success in education as well.”
Pelletier says she had been preparing for her first Board of Trustees meeting on April 11, by meeting with the director of education and going over information to review.