A St. Albert Catholic trustee says the school district is on a roll — one he hopes to keep rolling as he seeks a seat in this fall’s trustee elections.
Greater St. Albert Catholic trustee Joe Becigneul told the Gazette this week that he will seek re-election in this fall’s school board elections.
Becigneul has served on the GSACRD board since the 2016 by-election. He was re-elected in 2017 and 2021.
A 31-year resident of St. Albert, Becigneul was a founding member of the GSACRD Education Foundation and served on various school councils while his two sons were in GSACRD schools from 1994–2005. He also worked for six years as a public relations advisor to then-MP Brent Rathgeber and for many years in management for Corby Distilleries and Connect Logistics. He volunteers with the Knights of Columbus, is an adult server/master of ceremonies with Holy Family Parish, and is the referee in chief for the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association.
Becigneul said GSACRD has seen significant enrolment growth in the last three years and improved its school utilization rate, which was important for provincial funding.
“I think we’re on a roll […] and I want to continue moving along that path,” he said.
Becigneul said he and the board strengthened and solidified single-track French education last term by turning the Father Jan, Marie Pouburan (now Sacré Coeur), and Sainte Marguerite d’Youville schools into a single French Immersion campus. If re-elected to the St. Albert ward, he planned to pursue sustainable funding and improved enrolment for the district.
“I think we’ve done a fairly good job and I want to continue [taking] GSACRD on the path that we’ve forged,” Becigneul said.
Becigneul is one of the four declared candidates running for GSACRD trustee in Ward 1(St. Albert) as of Aug. 26. Five seats are up for election in that region. Visit www.gsacrd.ab.ca/trustees/2025-trustee-election-information-for-candidates for more on the candidates.
