By-Election: MonAvenir Ward 4 — Toronto Est

Rhea Dechaine is a financial analyst and MonAvenir parent, and has spent eight years on the parent council at Georges-Étienne-Cartier elementary, including four as co-president. Dechaine is also a former MonAvenir student. Her campaign platform includes advocating for a MonAvenir high school in the city’s east end, citing lengthy travel times and social challenges for children commuting to the board’s west-end high school. She also plans to advocate for class size limits, create a centralized bank of event and fundraising ideas that would be available to the entire school board, and support equity and diversity initiatives.

Valerie Rousseau is a marketing and business professional, and as a parent of MonAvenir students, is active on parent council. In an email to The Local, Rousseau said she is running for the role after seeing the effects of the pandemic on education and student experiences. Her priorities include advancing a French Catholic High School in the city’s east end—currently the closest of which she says is around an hour away by bus—with opportunities equivalent to those at “comparable English secondary schools.” She also wants to address the continued effects of education delays and disruptions as a result of pandemic school closures, and prioritize the educational well-being of students.

Regis Joseph is an accountant and financial professional, as well as MonAvenir parent and member of a parent council on the board. He is treasurer of the Fédération Tricolore Toronto, an organization dedicated to promoting community and friendship between France and Canada. In a phone call to The Local, Joseph said his main three platform points are to limit class sizes, prioritize student mental health amidst pandemic effects, and increase resources for students with learning disabilities. He also supports inclusion and equity initiatives for students and staff.