Local Education
Even more questions people ask about Red Deer College
Joel Ward is President & CEO of Red Deer College
In last month’s column, I provided you with a snapshot of the questions people commonly ask about RDC. These are the types of questions that I’ve been asked by people from across the community, whether it’s students, alumni, parents, grandparents or our College partners.
With so many people interested in Red Deer College, I decided to carry on from last month, creating a “Part Two” with even more questions and my thoughts on each.
How many people work at RDC?
Red Deer College is one of the major employers in the region, with 1,415 people employed in 2016- 17. This includes people working in a wide range of positions, from full-time faculty and staff to part- time to term positions. When I consider the scope of employment that’s happening at RDC or because of our College, it’s important to note that more than 2,500 individuals are working or have worked on our three major construction projects. Some of these people are RDC employees, but most work for our partners in construction, design and trades services – and most are from central Alberta. We take our responsibility as an employer and as an opportunity for employers very seriously, because we know how these jobs positively impact individuals and families and the economy of the entire region.
When are the 2019 Canada Winter Games and what role does RDC play?
When the community hosts the Canada Winter Games in February and March of 2019, it will be the largest event ever hosted in central Alberta – second in scope only to the Olympics. At RDC, we’re proud to partner with the 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society and The City of Red Deer to support this national event. RDC will have three key roles: we’ll be the Games Operations “Hub,” supporting everything from IT to entertainment, and the Athletes’ Village, hosting and housing nearly 3,600 athletes. Plus, our new Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre will host five events: short track speed skating, badminton, wheelchair basketball, figure skating and squash. I encourage you to visit the 2019 Canada Winter Games website to learn more about the Games and the opportunities for you to get involved.
Aside from attending events, can community members use RDC’s facilities?
The short answer to this question is: yes. RDC is your college, and we have a wide range of opportunities for people to benefit from our facilities. Our Library Information Common is a great example of this, as community members are welcome to use this beautiful resource facility during any hours that it’s open. And, with that, people can access the fully renovated Makerspace, now located in a bright and creative area on the second floor of the Library. Depending on your needs, RDC also has a wide range of other spaces that can be rented for everything from training and conferences to performing arts events and tournaments.
What is RDC’s Alternative Energy Initiative?
In a nutshell, this is our plan to reduce the College’s energy consumption by using sustainable and energy efficient technologies. We’re going to achieve this in a few different ways. First, we’ll mount solar panels on many of our buildings – the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, new Residence, the Alternative Energy Lab and our existing Trades wing. We’ll also be creating a Combined Heat and Power Unit to generate electricity and to heat various parts of campus. While we’re taking these actions, we won’t lose sight of education, as our new Alternative Energy Lab will be a place for students and industry partners to learn from these technologies and to develop future alternative energy options.
These questions highlight a few of the major activities happening at the College and some of the ways that RDC supports individuals and the larger community. The coming year promises to be filled with growth and activity unlike our institution has ever seen, and I look forward to sharing that with you. Until then, I want to wish you and your families a very happy holiday season. Whatever way you choose to celebrate this season, I hope that it is a festive time that is both rejuvenating and relaxing. Happy New Year, and I look forward to connecting with you in 2018.
Joel Ward is President & CEO of Red Deer College
This column was first published in the Red Deer Advocate on Saturday, December 30, 2017.
Education
Catholic school board members oust fellow trustee for opposing LGBT agenda, talking to media
From LifeSiteNews
One of Monique LaGrange’s fellow trustees said she ‘violated the Trustee Code of Conduct by speaking to the media about what the Board did and about gender ideology.’
A Canadian Catholic school trustee opposed to extreme gender ideology and who compared the LGBT agenda targeting kids to that of “brainwashing” Nazi propaganda has been “disqualified” from her position after her fellow board members voted her out because she spoke to alternative media.
On Tuesday, the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) board of directors voted 3-1 to disqualify Trustee Monique LaGrange. As a result of being voted out, LaGrange later resigned from her position.
LaGrange’s lawyer, Alberta-based attorney James Kitchen of Liberty Coalition Canada, told LifeSiteNews that the RDCRS voted to kick her out “pursuant to section 87 of the Education Act (disqualification).”
Kitchen said that one of LaGrange’s fellow trustees “submitted a second complaint that Monique had violated the Trustee Code of Conduct by speaking to the media (specially Laura-Lynn and Talk Truth) about what the Board did and about gender ideology.”
On September 26, the RDCS passed a motion to mandate that LaGrange undergo “LGBTQ+” and holocaust “sensitivity” training for her social media post.
One of her fellow trustees had complained that because she spoke to the media against gender ideology, after she was ordered to undergo the training, she should be “disqualified.”
LaGrange said that her being disqualified shows that “Alberta has an abuse of power happening, beginning at the lowest level of politics,” in comments made to alternative non-legacy media.
She added that she hopes her removal “motivates Albertans to step up and replace these woke boards in our province.”
LaGrange said she will continue to “move forward and defend our families, our children and our freedom.”
LifeSiteNews contacted LaGrange for additional comment and will later provide more information on her ousting.
In a media statement yesterday, the RDCRS said that LaGrange had violated “sanctions issued on September 26, 2023, and further violations of Board Policy and the Education Act.”
“As a result of the disqualification, as per Section 90 of the Education Act, LaGrange resigned from her position this morning. Effective today, Mrs. LaGrange is no longer a member of the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Board of Trustees,” the RDCRS noted.
The RDCS did not specify which sanctions LaGrange had violated.
LaGrange initially came under fire when she posted to social media in September an image showing kids in Nazi Germany waving swastika flags during a parade, with the bottom of the post showing an image of kids waving LGBT “pride” flags along with the text, “Brainwashing is brainwashing.”
After her post went viral, calls for her to step down grew from leftist Alberta politicians and others. This culminated in her removal as director of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA).
LaGrange was elected in 2021 and said about being kicked out of the ACSTA that it was “unfortunate that ACSTA decided to make a rash decision to remove me, refusing to acknowledge that the heart of my message was to protect our children and to nourish their God-given identities.”
LaGrange to fight her removal
Kitchen told LifeSiteNews that as far as the next steps for LaGrange, they are looking to have her disqualification reviewed by a court.
They want a “Judicial review application to the Alberta King’s Bench,” Kitchen said.
“We will be doing that here in December,” he said.
When it comes to LaGrange’s social media post, which has been removed, she said that the post was about protecting kids, not hurting them, saying her meme was “centered around indoctrination and how children are vulnerable to evil agendas (agendas coming from organizations like Planned Parenthood, the UN or SOGI 123) filtering through culture.”
“This meme is not comparing or attacking the LGBTQ community, it is about protecting our children and keeping parents as the primary educators,” she added.
There has been growing opposition in Canada to the teaching of radical transgender ideology in schools, which not only impacts children but also those in education who voice their opposition to such teaching.
In recent months, many concerned Canadians have protested LGBT indoctrination in the nation’s schools. In September, thousands from coast to coast participated in the Million Person March.
Extreme leftists trying to push their LGBT agenda in the classrooms has led to the conservative-led governments of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick implementing parental consent policies into law.
Saskatchewan, under Premier Scott Moe, recently passed a new policy protecting parental rights that states parents must be told if their child changes “genders” at school.
Moe followed the example of New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, who was condemned earlier this year by LGBT activists for reviewing the province’s “gender identity” policy that allowed schools to hide students’ “transgender” status from parents.
Under the new policy, teachers need parental consent to use different names or pronouns for students younger than 16.
At its recent AGM, members of the ruling United Conservative Party (UCP) under leader Danielle Smith passed a host of resolutions calling for parental rights to be protected.
Smith told 3,800 UCP members that she unequivocally defends parental rights, saying society depends on “strong and nurturing families” and parents are the “primary caregivers and educators” of their children.
Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader and MP Pierre Poilievre recently blasted what he called “radical gender ideology” targeting kids in public schools.
While LGBT activists have gone after the likes of Higgs and Moe for their slight pushback against gender ideology, a recent Leger poll has shown that Canadians in general favor parental rights in education, especially regarding the material being shared with children.
Education
Jessica Snyder honoured as 2021 Gateway Christian School Valedictorian
Gateway Valedictorian to become a teacher to make a difference
Following in her mother’s footsteps after seeing the difference she has made in the lives of students is Jessica Snyder’s goal in becoming a teacher after she graduates from Gateway Christian School this month.
Jessica has been named the Gateway’s valedictorian this year. Graduation ceremonies will take place June 29 at Canyon Ski Resort.
“I was so excited to learn I was named valedictorian. I was so happy!” said Jessica. “It’s such a huge honour that I get to address my class and congratulate them.”
She added being named valedictorian has been a goal of hers since middle school.
“It took a lot of hard work and I had to be very dedicated to my work. It took a lot of strength especially through COVID,” said Jessica. “My family and friends really helped me to keep going and keep learning. It’s all a learning experience, so that was a motivator to me – the more I devoted myself to my work, the more I learned.”
Completing high school in a global pandemic has presented a number of challenges, but Jessica didn’t let that stop her from achieving her goals.
“It has been hard. The biggest thing that has helped me this year has been the support of my family and the Lord too – just praying for the strength to get through it and find the best path for me and my family to navigate this,” she said. “Having that steady anchor of my family and the Lord has definitely helped me keep committed and keep going.”
Looking back at her time in school, Jessica said there were many highlights, but it’s the small moments that stand out to her the most.
“Most people like to remember the big things that happen like school trips, which were so much fun. But I think the real moments where I bonded with my class were the small moments like sitting and playing Uno at lunch, and if it’s a hot day outside, we go and play at the park. It’s those small moments which meant the most to me.”
As for her future, Jessica will attend Red Deer College next year as she has been accepted to the Bachelor of Education program.
“I am going to go with the secondary route, which means I will be teaching in the higher grades,” she said. “My mom is a teacher, so I have taken after that just seeing the impact she has had on students’ lives. Growing up in a family with a teacher has definitely helped shape my life, so I think it would be great for me to follow in her path and make it my own.”
Jessica added she is excited to address her fellow classmates during graduation.
“Over the past couple of years we’ve had to show a steadfast character – being loyal and committed, devoted and dedicated whether that’s with our relationships or working towards finding a job,” she said. “I want to encourage my class to keep going with that because it helps us get to great goals like achieving our graduation.”
Chris Kooman, Vice Principal at Gateway Christian School, said he is extremely proud of Jessica.
“Jessica is a hard working student with attention to detail and a love of learning. She takes her studies seriously, working diligently to excel in every area,” he said. “She cares about her classmates, is fun and energetic, and works on relationships as much as her studies. Jessica’s willingness to help others, improve herself, and constantly improve are qualities that will take her far in life!”
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