PETER HOWIE

I am Peter Howie and I am running for a Fort Frances trustee seat on the Rainy River District School Board.
I am a local lawyer with more than five years of experience working for the provincial government. I have the necessary background in public administration, good governance, and due diligence to provide effective oversight to the board and our schools–and ensure public funds are spent in a responsible and transparent way.
If elected, I will be 100 percent representative of, and accountable to, the community.
Our public education serves as a great equalizer in bringing students together from diverse backgrounds with the potential to give them equal footing in their future. All students must be given the opportunity to experience success in school and in life because their achievement and engagement is critical to our community’s future.
I will be committed to the safety and well-being of all students, which means providing them with schools where they feel welcome, included, valued, and respected.
I will advocate for a modern and inclusive curriculum that prioritizes students’ safety and well-being in today’s complex world by teaching them about healthy relationships, consent, mental health, and online safety.
I also will advocate for a modern and inclusive curriculum that respects our First Nation and Métis students, their families, and their traditions and history.
The drug crisis impacting our community also impacts our schools and our students. I will make sure our schools and staff are properly resourced and trained to ensure that playgrounds are safe.
But we also have to understand that this problem is systemic and requires the school board to be involved in a community-wide, comprehensive drug prevention strategy.
When Premier Doug Ford was elected in June, he announced that “the party with the taxpayers’ money is over.” In this fiscal and political climate, the board needs to be devoted to its role as stewards and scrutineers of public funds.
This means prudent and strategic financial planning and management.
I am committed to ensuring our classrooms are appropriately resourced, but I will be resistant to any wasteful spending that does not directly benefit our students.