The Rainy River District School Board’s board of trustees meeting on May 6, 2025, ran for over two hours, largely due to a hotly debated proposed amendment to the honouraria the Chair and Vice-Chair receive for their service. According to the discussion by the trustees, the proposed change would amount to approximately a $600 difference between what the Chair and Vice-Chair currently receive, and what they would receive if the proposed changes were approved.
Jeff Lehman, Trustee for Atikokan and area, suggested this would bring the honouraria those positions receive on par with the rest of the province.
“I believe it is a disservice to not recognize the extra work that comes along with the position,” said Lehmann.
In stark contrast, Mike Walchuk, Vice-Chair for the RRDSB board of trustees and trustee for Fort Frances and other unorganized areas East of Fort Frances, was strongly opposed to the notion of increasing the honouraria. Walchuk requested a recorded vote because he wanted his opposition to the motion on the record.
“I believe it would be a disservice to the students to give ourselves a raise,” said Walchuk.
“I do not think of this as a raise,” said Lehman. He then described his reasoning behind his perspective, explaining how the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair across the rest of the province are given a larger sum as an honouraria.
After several attempts to pass multiple variations of the motion that altered when the proposed honouraria increase might take effect, the trustees voted to postpone the discussion because all attempts were ultimately defeated.
“Our heels are dug in, we’re in a deadlock,” said Lehman.
The next RRDSB board of trustees meeting is June 3, 2025, and is open to the public.
