April 07, 2009 12:45 PM
A former trustee was appointed to the Ward 8 seat left vacant by the ousting of Oliver Carroll at a night meeting of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) Monday, April 6.
Mary Ann Robillard, a Scarborough trustee from 1994 to 2003 and one-time constituency assistant to Carroll, won the majority endorsement of trustees over 19 other candidates - including former trustee Antonio Nigro and student trustee Danylo Korbabicz - during the nearly five-hour proceedings.
Provincial Supervisor Norbert Hartmann ultimately agreed with the recommendation by trustees Joseph Martino, Ann Andrachuk, Sal Piccininni, Barbara Poplawski, Angela Kenedy, and Paul Crawford, and Robillard was sworn in shortly before 11 p.m.
Describing her Scarborough ward as 'one of the faces of the future,' Robillard said the first thing on her agenda will be to familiarize herself with the new codes she will be working under as a trustee of a provincially supervised school board so that she can better serve her community.
"Obviously, I'll have to carefully study the guidelines set out by the supervision team. This is all new to me," she said shortly after being sworn in.
"It's always a challenge to be a catholic trustee, advocating always for funding and enrolment. As trustee you need to be front and centre - and like it or not, we have to elevate to a new level in the public eye and earn back that respect. We're in a bad situation right now, it's no secret that we're not held highly in the public eye, but there's only 18 months 'till the next election. It's time to work."
Next on Robillard's agenda will be to reacquaint herself with local parishes, pastors, schools and principals, and to keep on top of upcoming facilities projects - including two new schools in the ward.
An active member of the community, Robillard has kept herself abreast of local concerns and issues as chair of the Highland Creek Concerned Citizens Group, member of the Highland Creek Community Association, founding chair of the Cardinal Leger Child Care Centre and vice-president of the Catholic Women's League at St. Joseph's Church in West Hill, she said.
"I have proven myself to be a person of integrity who has instilled confidence in the local electorate," Robillard said, noting her election and two subsequent re-elections as past trustee as a reflection of the public's trust in her. "I have a reputation for getting things done."
Hartmann and the supervision team overseeing the board made the decision to appoint rather than elect the Ward 8 seat in order to save the beleaguered board the cost of a $180,000 by-election.
The Ward 8 trusteeship was left vacant after Carroll was relieved of his duties by Ontario Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly on Feb. 6. Kelly ruled that Carroll breached the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act by participating in board discussions on staff cuts that could have potentially impacted his daughter, who is a teacher with the TCDSB.
Robillard said that, despite all the controversy surrounding the board of late, she hopes to foster better working relationships between trustees, with Catholic educators, parishes, parents and all other stakeholders.
"We will hopefully come out of this period better organized and committed to the education of those students entrusted to our care every day," she said.