Three new trustees have gained a foothold on the Sea to Sky School District, following the swearing-in of the new school board on Nov. 14.
The trio are all women, further increasing the female majority on the board by one. In the previous term that ratio was 4-3. It now stands at 5-2.
Representing Area D – rural Squamish and its nearby communities – is Celeste Bickford, who won her seat by acclamation, as no other person ran against her.
Michelle Butler will now be the voice of Pemberton on the board, after beating Nicole Sugden for the seat. Butler took 349 votes while 112 ballots were cast for Sugden.
Butler is a standout from all six other trustees this term in that she was the only one who had to fight for her seat. Everyone else ran unopposed and, therefore, won by acclamation.
Cynthia Higgins will be the second representative for Whistler on the board. She also ran unopposed and was acclaimed.
Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, all three new politicians expressed excitement about stepping into their new roles.
“I’ve been doing this kind of work for a really long time,” said Bickford, referring to her prior community service. “I’m really well prepared to take it on, and I’m excited."
While this is Bickford’s first time on the school board, she isn’t completely new to politics. She’s put in more than two years as an alternate director for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
As an alternate, she was tasked with attending board meetings as a representative for Area D when the regular director, Tony Rainbow, was unable to be present.
“I’m really interested in mental health… bringing that kind of healthcare piece into it and looking at it through a lens of someone who works in public health,” she added.
Bickford has a background in biochemistry and biostatistical analysis.
At the moment, she’s working on a doctorate at UBC in the school of population and public health.
Her specialty is research on maternal and children’s health. She’s also the mother of two young children.
Bickford is replacing long-time trustee Laura Godfrey, who decided not to run this term after moving out of the Squamish area.
Godfrey ran unopposed in her new home school district of Qualicum and won a seat by acclamation this past October.
As for Butler, she’s eager to bring in a parent’s perspective to the board.
“I have young kids, so I just want to bring first hand what parents go through and how parents see the schooling, and just bring a parent’s view,” she said.
She said that communication between parents and schools is lacking, and she hopes to fix that.
“It would be great to just bridge that gap,” added the mother of two.
Originally from New Zealand, Butler has been a Sea to Sky resident for 12 years, 10 of which have been spent in Pemberton.
She works as a medical office assistant at the Pemberton Medical Clinic.
Previously, she was an executive member of the parent advisory council at Signal Hill Elementary School.
Butler takes the sole Pemberton seat, which was held by Patricia Westerholm last term.
As for Higgins, she hoped she could bring perspective that reflected her background in education.
She has a master’s degree in early childhood education.
“The learning I received getting that credential really reflects the new way the curriculum is being implemented within the district,” said Higgins.
“So I’m hoping I can bring that knowledge to parents and to educators to help everyone become really clear about the benefits of this style of learning.”
Higgins replaces long-time trustee Chris Vernon-Jarvis for the second Whistler seat on the board.
Vernon-Jarvis didn’t run for the Sea to Sky after moving out of town. This election, he decided to vy for a seat on his new home school district in the Central Okanagan.
He ran as a representative for the District of West Kelowna, and secured 1,912 votes. However, it wasn’t enough to get him a spot on the board.
His opponent, Chantelle Desrosiers, won the seat with 4,083 ballots cast in her favour.
There were four returning politicians who were sworn into the Sea to Sky school board.
Squamish’s representatives are both familiar faces. Rick Price and Ian Kent will once again serve, and both were named chair and vice-chair again, respectively.
Rachael Lythe will continue representing Whistler, and Rebecca Barley has taken the seat for Area C, which gives voice to rural Pemberton and its surrounding communities, such as D’Arcy.
