WCDSB vacant trustee seat remains empty, WRDSB going ahead with two appointments
While Waterloo region's catholic school board still doesn't know how it will fill its empty trustee seat, the region's public school board is going ahead with an appointment process for its two empty seats.
It was a night of indecision at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCSDB) trustee meeting, as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
The board is looking to fill the seat of former trustee Wendy Ashby, who resigned last week following several calls for her to vacate the publicly elected position after a series of controversial now-deleted tweets were shared online.
On Monday night, trustees decided not to have a by-election to fill the seat, but still haven't figured out how to appoint someone.
“I do think choosing a candidate that Kitchener-Wilmot voters had voted for, as the next in line, is the most democratic for me,” chair Tracy Weiler said.
Some trustees expressed confusion over how to proceed with filling the seat for the remaining three years of the term, and whether runners-up from the actual election last fall could be automatically considered.
After voting down the idea of a by-election, trustees discussed a number of appointment options, but never made a decision.
"We shouldn't be trying to say, what were the Kitchener electorate trying to get out of their candidate? Or the Cambridge electorate, or anyone else?," trustee Linda Cuff asked the room. "This is, simply put, who do we feel will be the best for this job, and who do we feel will actually provide the commitment for it.”
Trustees have opted to delay the process and get a legal opinion on what the next steps should be.
WRDSB going ahead with appointment process for two vacant seats
Meanwhile, at the Waterloo Region District School Board trustee meeting, a long debate led to them going ahead with their appointment process to fill their two vacant seats.
Back on May 16, trustees voted in favour of filling their vacant seats by appointment following the passing of Fred Meissner and the resignation of Marie Snyder.
An ad hoc committee formed to create the appointment process, which trustees debated at their Monday night meeting.
"There's not one place in this process where we are actually including the people of Wellesley and Woolwich or Waterloo and Wilmot," said trustee Cindy Watson.
The reccomended process has people applying online for the positions, trustees hearing from a short list of candidates, and then deciding on two.
"We could potentially appoint someone who got zero votes because they were not on the ballot," said trustee Mike Ramsay.
Some trustees argued at the meeting tha tthey would like to see runners-up from the election last fall appointed instead.
"The candidates who did not win, did not win for many reasons, the people spoke," said trustee Carla Johnson. "To simply give them the job would simply undo and undermine the voices of the many people who turned out and voted in the fall."
The appointment proccess reccomended by the committee suggests a posting for the position will go live Wednesday, with trustees set to vote on the candidates June 28.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.