Waterloo Catholic School Board (WCDSB) trustees declined a motion that would have banned flags from all schools in the district, including Pride, Black Lives Matter, Every Child Matters and more.  

On Apr. 28, a crowd of over 200 people showed up to the public WCDSB meeting to protest a motion introduced a month earlier by Conrad Stanley, WCDSB trustee, that proposed a ban on all flags except for the Canadian, Ontarian and school board flag. The motion argued these flags were representative or everyone. 

The motion quickly became a controversial topic, and sparked concern from many local advocates who argued the ban would cause harm to youth.  

Acer Bonaparte, organizer with Queer Youth Defence, said students within the WCDSB came forward to initiate coordinating protests against the motion since the motion was first introduced. 

“It was a really beautiful thing to see this event go from something that [Queer Youth Defence] had planned for the youth and in defence of the youth, and instead becoming something the youth have control over,” Bonaparte said.  

“The youth are often spoken for. They’re spoken about and they’re spoken to, but they’re not really usually involved in the conversation or listened to and I think that was something that really set this rally apart,” they said.  

Ahead of the board meeting, WSCDB students walked out of their final period classes to protest against the motion.  

Students and community members met at Kitchener City Hall to rally together before marching to the school board headquarters in Kitchener where the meeting was taking place. 

During the meeting, Stanley brought forth an amended version of the original motion. The revised version left out specifics regarding the Pride flag. 

The amended motion was dismissed—which trustees stated was significantly different from the original.  

In the end, the initial motion failed by a vote of five to four.  

During the rally, some students gave speeches and some played music.  

“It was a celebration of expression, where people across sexuality, gender and all the other marginalized identities showed up,” Bonaparte said.  

“They showed their anger, they showed their joy, they showed their fear. It was a really, really beautiful day,” they said.  

Bonaparte said many WCDSB students vocalized their concern regarding the impact of the proposed motion. 

“Black and Brown kids were saying that having Black Lives Matter [flags] or stuff expressing solidarity with the long history of racism helped them know that the teacher was safe and that they felt that they were welcome,” Bonaparte said.  

Similarly, queer students said that the presence of a Pride flag in a classroom helped them feel safe with teachers. 

As well, there was concern that organizations such as OK2BME, whose logo includes the Pride flag, would be prohibited from reaching students with vital services.  

“It is a truly an intersectional issue. It is an issue that would affect all people who rightfully don’t feel represented by the Canadian flag,” Bonaparte said. 

“It’s using the culture war tactics of hating queer people to push a motion that would exclude, invalidate and make those who do not feel represented by the Canadian flag feel unwelcome and unsafe in all Catholic schools across Waterloo region.” 

Aislinn Clancy, Green party MPP in Kitchener-Centre, is demanding accountability from the Ontario minister of education.  

After the board meeting where the motion was declined, Clancy asked that WCDSB be investigated at Queen’s Park.   

“A recent [Freedom of Information] request shows that the board has spent over $200,000 in the past two years to silence opposing trustees,” Clancy said in a video she posted on Instagram of her speaking at Queen’s Park.  

Looking forward, Bonaparte noted that with a municipal election taking place next year, they hope that community members use their vote to voice their opinions. 

“I say that the trustees who voted for this motion, the trustees who enabled this behaviour and who enabled the behaviour of silencing dissenting voices, need to think about the election and how this will impact their election,” Bonaparte said.  

The Community Edition reached out to the Waterloo Catholic District School Board for a comment but did not hear back at the time of publishing.  

Acer Bonaparte is a contributor with The Community Edition. 

GUELPH – Kadence Stephenson and Norah Hawkins have received VIP awards from the Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB). 

Stephenson is a student at Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School in Rockwood and Hawkins is a student at St. John Catholic Elementary School in Arthur. 

Trustees presented them with the awards during a board meeting on May 5 at the Catholic Education Centre in Guelph. 

One student from every WCDSB school is selected to receive the award each school year, to acknowledge the significant contributions they have made to their school communities. 

Teachers and principals at their schools compile write-ups about each of the winners, describing their contributions, and these write-ups are read by trustees during the meeting. 

• Centre Wellington students lauded by Catholic school board
• Erin student Jack Santos recognized for contributions to school community
• Catholic school board recognizes exemplary students

Trustee Cassandra O’Donnell presented Stephenson with her VIP award. 

“From the moment you meet Kadence, you can tell that she would have a profound and positive impact on our community,” O’Donnell read. 

“Her enthusiasm and dedication are evident in everything she does, and she has a remarkable ability to get involved and organize anything and everything.” 

Stephenson is Sacred Heart’s lead ambassador and plans school events, leads initiatives and fosters a sense of community at her school, officials say. 

Kadence Stephenson stands with her teacher, Matteo Caruso, left, and Rockwood’s Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School principal Michelle Nagy, right.

She is described as wise beyond her years, dedicated, creative and a strong leader who “sets high standards for herself and works diligently to achieve them.”

Stephenson’s teachers call her a beacon of positivity and say she made a lasting impact on the school. 

“She consistently looks out for everyone around her, offering support and guidance wherever needed,” her teachers state. 

“Her compassionate nature and willingness to assist make her a trusted and beloved figure within our school.”  

“Norah is one of the kindest students to ever walk the halls of St. John Arthur,” read trustee Sebastian Dal Bo from the award write-up about Hawkins. 

“In a world that often moves too fast, Norah moves with compassion,” her teachers state. 

They say she shows empathy through offering a smile, helping hand and words of encouragement when her peers are in need. 

Trustee Sebastian Dal Bo presents Arthur student Norah Hawkins with a VIP award during a Wellington Catholic District School Board meeting on May 5. Photo by Robin George

“Academically, Norah is driven, curious and focused. She approaches learning not just as a task, but as a joy,” asking thoughtful questions and sharing innovative ideas, teachers say. 

Hawkins is an athlete and an artist who lives “with balance: mind, body, heart and spirit in harmony,” not only succeeding but encouraging others to succeed, too. 

“Today, we don’t just celebrate Norah’s achievements,” Dal Bo read. “We celebrate her character, her light and the way she has made our school, our community, and our lives better simply by being herself.” 

Hawkins’ teachers finished off with a message for her: “Keep dreaming, keep leading, keep being you. The world needs exactly what you have to offer.” 

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CLIFFORD – A community pantry in Clifford is being relocated, due to weather issues. 

The pantry, which holds nonperishable foods and hygiene products for those in need, opened last July as a pilot project, at the Clifford Celebration Square.

The Community Food Share Pantry was created through a partnership between Minto Pride, the Clifford Connects community group and the town’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee. 

“The intent is if people have extra food they can put it in the pantry,” town director of economic and community development Belinda Wick-Graham told the Advertiser. 

The pantry runs on a “leave what you can, take what you need” motto.

“The challenge has been the weather extremes … in the summer it gets too hot, so we have to monitor the food to make sure the cans aren’t leaking or bulging,” she said. 

Then in the winter “it was worse because things would freeze.” 

She noted the availability of food and products became limited. 

“The other element was … the [door] closure would freeze so people would bang on it … and in the process cause damage to the doors,” Wick-Graham said. 

The partners approached the County of Wellington as its library branches are “inclusive and welcoming spaces.” 

Wick-Graham noted the county has other pantry projects occurring at branches in Palmerston, Erin and Elora.

The idea is to place the pantry inside the Clifford library lobby (7 Brown St. N.), away from the damaging elements. 

“In Clifford, they have the library in one side of the building and the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team on the other side,” she explained. “In the middle there is a lobby.”

According to Wick-Graham, both parties were happy to have the pantry installed. It’s currently getting its doors repaired and should be available inside the library around May 9. 

“Unfortunately, it won’t be available 24/7 but it will be open when either the library or medical clinic are open,” she said. “Five or six days a week people will be able to access it.”

After initially being funded by the three partners, the pantry now runs on public donations.

“Some people thought it would be in competition with the [Clifford] Food Bank but it’s definitely not … it’s just another option for people to access food if they need it,” Wick-Graham said.

The two resources differ as food bank users may only access it once every 30 days, while the pantry is open to all, no questions asked. 

“If you need anything, then you go and take what you need,” Wick-Graham said.

She noted the group is always looking for donations of non-expired goods and volunteers to keep an eye on the products.

Popular items needed include:

• spaghetti;
• pasta sauce;
• school snacks;
• oatmeal packages;
• granola bars;
• toothbrushes/tooth paste; and
• feminine hygiene products.

The pantry will soon be available at the library and stands in memory of DEI committee member Michael Martin, who died before his idea came to fruition. 

“His wife passed a couple days after him, it was so devastating,” said Wick-Graham.

“This was a passion for him to make sure people in the community had food.”

At the opening in July, his family members were the first to place food in the pantry, honouring his devotion to the cause.

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FERGUS – When Maggie Kurtz died in a motorcycle accident in October of 2023, she left a hole in the hearts of her family, her friends, and Centre Wellington Minor Lacrosse.

And on May 1, the club unveiled a new brand for the development program for its youngest players.

Going forward, the U4, U5 and U7 teams will be known as Maggie’s Minis.

“This is hard,” said club secretary Cheryl Marsland in a phone interview.

“Maggie was a friend, our kids played together, and she was treasurer of the lacrosse club. It was really, really difficult when she died.”

Marsland said Kurtz and her husband Brent often went on motorcycle trips.

In October of 2023, they were at their cottage and went out for a spin, each on their own bike.

A car was pulling out of its driveway at the crest of a hill and hit the two bikes, killing Kurtz and injuring her husband.

“It was a fluke accident,” Marsland added. “Nobody was at fault, but it’s been devastating.”

Kurtz left behind her husband and four children.

So naming the development program after Kurtz was really important to the club’s executive and on May 1, they unveiled the new logo at an event at the Jefferson Elora Community Centre.

The Kurtz family holds shirts bearing the “Maggie’s Minis” logo honouring Maggie Kurtz, the treasurer for Centre Wellington Minor Lacrosse who died in 2023. The development program for the club’s youngest players is now named in her honour. Submitted photo

“She was integral to the lacrosse community and the board wanted to memorialize that,” Marsland said.

The logo, designed by graphic artist Diego Navarro, is an above view of motorcycle handlebars and the gas tank, which is also the shape of the head of a  lacrosse stick. The little lines at the bottom represent her four children.

Kurtz was an accountant with RLB Chartered Accountants, and the firm contributed to the logo and sponsored a team.

Speakers at the unveiling ceremony spoke glowingly of Kurtz as a hard worker who loved her family, was committed to lacrosse and volunteered as part of teams and the executive. 

And she was fun.

“Maggie was the life of the party,” Marsland said.

In a statement released after the event, the family expressed their thanks.

“The Kurtz and Riddle families thank friends, lacrosse families, community and RLB for all their support during this difficult time,” it reads. 

“(We thank) RLB for their continued support in naming an RLB Team award in Maggie’s memory and monetary support for minor lacrosse to be able to brand the development program in memory of Maggie – Maggie’s Minis.”

Marsland said the gesture doesn’t take away the pain of losing her friend.

But the shirts make her smile and rebranding the development program in Kurtz’s honour is very positive action to come from collective grief.

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