By John Whitelaw, candidate for Gulf Islands School District trustee representing Salt Spring Island

Hi, my name is John Whitelaw. I am running for school board trustee in one of three positions representing Salt Spring Island. I’d like to introduce myself to those on the island who don’t know me, and to let you know who I am and what I have to offer as a member of your school board.

My family moved to Salt Spring 6 years ago and my younger child attended Gulf Island Secondary School (GISS). While she was at GISS she took part in the Gulf Islands School for the Performing Arts while also pursuing an apprenticeship in auto mechanics. Despite starting at GISS in the middle of COVID lock down, she learned many lessons in both life and academia that she carries with her post-graduation. During her school years here, I served as Chair of the Parent Advisory Council at GISS. This role gave me insight into how the school and district function as well as an opportunity to promote the well being and success of the students.

Outside of GISS, I served on the Board of Bach on the Rock Music Society for the last 4 years in the role of Treasurer. In that period, we navigated coming out of COVID and rebuilding the society’s operations and programming. These experiences have shown me that I have an aptitude for understanding where different people are coming from and finding common ground to reach a solution. If elected these skills would serve me well on the School Board.

I have a wide range of professional and life experience: I completed a music degree in trombone at McGill, apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, worked as a freelance musician and music teacher, then went back to university and studied environmental engineering. I worked in engineering consulting and then research and development of innovative wastewater treatment systems. Since moving to Salt Spring, I’ve been a full-time caregiver for my father as his health declined and have taught music privately as well as in Bach on the Rock’s sight singing classes. This background in the arts, sciences, and trades has given me a real appreciation for the value of many different pathways in life. I believe providing good educational opportunities to our youth is critical, both for their personal fulfillment and for the health of our society. We need our kids to learn to think, to create, to do things with their hands, and to strive for excellence in their chosen journeys.

With the increasing uncertainty of geopolitics, economics and technology, Arts education is more important than ever. It’s not unlikely that the district may face budgetary stresses during the upcoming term, and I want to be a voice for the arts. Arts education is an easy target for cuts because we often think of art as frivolous or unnecessary, but I know from my own experience as well as those of my students and my own children that the lessons we learn from creating art serve us through the rest of our lives. Artistic projects demand careful attention, critical analysis, an ability to deal with failure and find ways through it, an openness to learning new things and having one’s ideas challenged while having confidence in one’s artistic vision. When making art as a group, whether in a collaborative graphic art project or a theatrical production, a choreographed dance piece, a musical performance, or other event, students learn how to work together, manage multiple viewpoints, communicate and manage time and resources. These are skills and experiences that create self-sufficient young people who are ready to thrive in our rapidly-evolving world. We need art most when times are tough and I am here to make sure it isn’t going anywhere. If elected, you can count on me to stand up for arts education.

Whatever your preferences are for school trustee, Oct 17th is our local election date. You can vote between 8 am and 8 pm that day at Meaden Hall (lower hall at the Legion – 120 Blain Rd), Community Gathering Place at Fulford Hall (2591 Fulford Ganges Rd), or the Salt Spring Public Library (129 McPhilips Ave in Ganges). There’s also advance voting from 8 am to 8 pm from October 7th to Oct 14th at Meaden Hall, the Library, and the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. Finally, mail-in ballot voting is available, details at http://www.crd.bc.ca/vote.

You can vote in this election if you’re a resident of Salt Spring Island, a Canadian citizen, have been a BC resident for at least six months immediately prior to registering, and are 18 yrs or older on voting day. You can also vote if you’re a non-resident property holder meeting the other requirements and are not voting in any other local elections.