Image: Supplied by Sarah Sovereign Photography / United Way front-line worker and community volunteer Margaret Reid will run for Chilliwack school board in this fall's municipal election.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Fall election

United Way front-line worker, community volunteer to seek seat on Chilliwack school board this fall

Aug 18, 2022 | 8:47 AM

CHILLIWACK — A front-line community worker for the United Way and active community volunteer will make a run for the Chilliwack Board of Education this fall.

Lifelong Chilliwack resident Margaret Reid, who has three children in the Chilliwack public school system, announced Wednesday night (Aug. 17) that she will seek a seat on the Chilliwack school board in this fall’s municipal election.

“As a lifelong Chilliwack resident who went through Chilliwack schools grades 1-12, a member of the LGBTQ2+ community, and a parent of three children in our public system, I have made it my mission since then to become an engaged citizen and advocate for our community to better understand the needs of many different groups and if I can help us get there together,” Reid said.

Reid attended Central Elementary, Chilliwack Middle School, and Chilliwack Secondary School. She met her husband at CSS, and they have three kids who all attend school in the district within the French immersion program.

Her first job was at the Chilliwack YMCA, and she spent many years there doing early childhood education and youth recreation and leadership before moving on to other pursuits. She currently works for United Way serving a local Indigenous community.

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“Four years ago during the contentious time leading up to the municipal election I considered running for school trustee,” Reid said. “After some deep thought I realized even though I passionately wanted to create change, I would only be doing it at that point to run against something. I wanted to know what I stood for, what I brought to the team, and if I would be effective in that role.”

Since the last election in 2018, Reid co-founded and sits on the board for Chilliwack Citizens for Change and Chilliwack Pride. She sits on the Chilliwack Healthier Community’s Poverty Reduction Team and the City Wide Gardening Project. Through those tables Reid created Extra FARE, a food hamper for people with allergies, and co-created and became president of the society for the Downtown Chilliwack Community Market, a food-security focused farmers market right in the downtown Chilliwack neighbourhood where she grew up.

Reid currently conducts front-line community work for the United Way supporting local Indigenous communities; previous to that she worked in COVID-19 and flood relief. Reid also joined the Parent Advisory Council at her children’s school and became a District Parent Advisory Council rep, learning as much as possible about the issues at different levels.

“The passion I have for my community has been reflected in my volunteer and paid work, and I would carry it into my role as a trustee as well,” Reid said. “I know what I stand for and I have proven that when I believe in something I make change happen. My platform is based on my personal passions and skills which I developed through community action and my experience as a parent in this district: food security, mental health, and student supports. I want to be in the room to advocate for these things, which I believe are essential for all staff and families.”

Reid says she’s not seeking a seat on the school board simply to run against something or someone. Not all school board trustees have fully demonstrated a wholehearted commitment to ensuring student needs are met, she suggests.

“I believe that a school trustee should show up every day and put the work in,” Reid said. “They should listen. They should care. They should fight to be sure our children’s needs are met. I don’t see that reflected in the work or investment level of all our sitting trustees and that does our children a disservice. We can all agree that too much time is spent not moving this District forward. We need to focus on showing up everyday to collaborate and innovate and make sure good work is done. I care. I show up. I make things happen when I believe in them. I am running for our children and their needs. I am running for our hard-working teachers and their needs. I want to be at the table to ask questions, innovate, find solutions, and bring the voices of everyone in our community to the table.”