A Georges H. Primeau grad and St. Albert resident hopes to become a voice for Sturgeon County Catholics during this fall’s trustee election.
St. Albert resident Pierre Ouimet, 59, spoke to the Gazette recently about his plans to run for Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools trustee in Ward 2 (Morinville, Legal, Bon Accord) this fall.
Married with three adult children, Ouimet said he grew up in Morinville and graduated from Georges H. Primeau back when it was still a high school. He has lived in the Morinville/St. Albert region for 35 years, and worked 32 years as a teacher and administrator for Alexander First Nation and the Pembina Hill and Elk Island school divisions. He retired earlier this year as principal of Sherwood Park’s St. Theresa Catholic School.
Ouimet said he sees trusteeship as a way to stay involved with education in his retirement.
“There’s a lot of good things going on in our school system, but there’s a lot of things that are broken and need to be addressed.”
While he supports including all students in the classroom, Ouimet said schools need more funding for educational assistants if this approach is to remain sustainable. He hopes to lobby for such funding as a trustee, as well as for measures to improve staff wellness and reduce class sizes.
“We have to bring [classroom sizes] back down, especially in the younger grades,” he said.
Ouimet said he would bring many years' experience as a teacher and an administrator to the board if elected. He has also volunteered with the Knights of Columbus, Westlock Community Victim Services, and the Sturgeon Valley Golf Club, and coached school and community sports for 20 years.
“I think my compass when it comes to collaborative decision making and what’s right for kids and families is 100 per cent spot on,” he said, adding it served him well as a teacher and administrator.
Ouimet was one of two declared candidates running in Ward 2 as of Aug. 15; the other was Kelsey Hynes. Up to two candidates will be elected as Ward 2 trustees in this fall’s election.
Visit www.gsacrd.ab.ca/trustees/2025-trustee-election-information-for-candidates for the full list of candidates.
