Image: Supplied by T. Westerby / Chilliwack resident Teri Westerby hopes to make waves as the first openly transgender candidate in B.C. municipal politics, according to his campaign statement

By Mike Vanden Bosch

School board

Westerby announces run for Chilliwack school board

Jul 30, 2022 | 1:52 PM

CHILLIWACK — A community builder for the United Way in Sardis hopes to make waves as perhaps the first transgender candidate for municipal elections in British Columbia.

Chilliwack resident Terri Westerby has announced that he will run for the Chilliwack School District Board of Education in this fall’s municipal election.

Westerby is president and one of the founding members of the Chilliwack Pride Society, a facilitator of the Gender Support Network, the secretary of the Downtown Chilliwack Community Market Society, and the chair of the Sexuality and Gender Equity Committee through Chilliwack Healthier Communities. He works for United Way of British Columbia as a community builder for Sardis.

Westerby says he’s been concerned by what has happened to students in Chilliwack public schools who are bullied and excluded due to their differences.

“Enough is enough,” Westerby said in a statement. “I repeatedly hear stories about Chilliwack students being bullied and excluded due to their differences. Students in the district are underserved, and teachers are unsupported. When that happens, education suffers. I can no longer sit back and hear these stories; I will be stepping up for the teachers, the students, their caregivers and their families and running for Chilliwack School Board Trustee this fall.”

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Westerby believes that he can make a difference by virtue of his record of service and can amplify the voice of those who might be overlooked.

“I know that I can make a difference in Chilliwack by amplifying the voices of the students, their caregivers and the teachers of the district,” said Westerby. “Through my work, I have learned how to support the community. A community made of many different people with many unique needs. I strive to create a sense of community where folks of all backgrounds can come together and feel like they belong. Chilliwack is growing at a record rate, and although some are continually standing in the way of progress, I have learned that Chilliwack wants to move forward. People are willing to work together for the sake of our community and our children. It’s time to work harmoniously and move the Chilliwack school district forward, together!”

According to his campaign statement, Westerby is thought to be potentially B.C.’s first-ever openly transgender school board trustee candidate and the second Canada-wide, the first being Lyra Evans from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, who is seeking re-election this fall.

Voting day this fall is Saturday, October 15, with advance voting on Wednesday, October 5 and Wednesday, October 12. Visit teriwesterby.com for more information.