SGDSB Appoints New First Nation Trsutee, Dr. Paul Cormier

MARATHON, Ontario – The Superior-Greenstone District School Board (SGDSB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Doctor Paul Cormier to the position of First Nations Trustee.   His appointment was made official at the Regular Board meeting on October 21, 2019.   

Doctor Cormier is an Assistant Professor at Lakehead University in the Department of Aboriginal Education where he was first appointed in August 2015.  He teaches, researches, and publishes in the area of Indigenous education working with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. He attended the Nipigon-Red Rock District High School as a teenager and is a proud member of the Red Rock Indian Band residing with his family in Nipigon, Ontario.  The esteemed professor has won multiple awards for his work with Indigenous peoples across the country holding a Doctor of Philosophy in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manitoba, a Masters of Conflict Analysis and Management from Royal Roads University and a Bachelor of Education from McGill University.

Director of Education Nicole Morden Cormier stated that she is “grateful to our First Nations communities for naming a person to represent the interests of our Indigenous students on the Board.  The Superior-Greenstone District School Board is committed to the success of our Indigenous students and is honoured to be in partnership with the area communities to provide for the educational needs of the students.”

With the advent of the 2018 Municipal Election on October 22, 2018, the term of the previous First Nations Representative ended and the appointment process began to fill the vacant role on the School Board.  The responsibility of appointing a First Nation Trustee lays with the First Nations communities with whom the Board holds Education Service Agreements.  Doctor Cormier was nominated by the former Chief of the Red Rock Indian Band, Mathew Dupuis.  School Board Trustees have a responsibility to all families in their community and to build and maintain relationships with the entire community.  They work with their school Board colleagues and community partners to ensure that all the students within the Board’s jurisdiction have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Director of Education extends congratulations to Doctor Cormier and looks forward to working with him as the new First Nations Trustee for the Superior-Greenstone District School Board. 

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