David Thompson, former professor at Canadore College, is the former chairperson of the Near North District School Board. The amalgamation of the high schools took place during his watch, so he has something to say about the "rebranding" of Chippewa after closing Widdifield. He also ran for North Bay city council but didn’t garner enough support. We talked about who might pick up the baton as council’s veteran providing insight and historical knowledge, which the late George Maroosis did as the "Wrench". Also talked about the sensitivities involved in directorship work, such as councillor, which involved talking about former deputy mayor Sheldon Forgette. At the end, we talk about the onus and responsibilities put on teachers, parental rights and roles, and how some of that could be better handled.
Here’s a link to my best George Maroosis interview:
00:00
0:44 Near North ARC
2:37 George Maroosis
5:38 Access to elected officials
8:16 $600,000 fence
12:43 Addiction education
16:39 Forgette and microaggressions
18:04 New wave of immigration
20:08 Not in my backyard
24:05 Grading councils
26:37 Who is next ‘Wrench’
30:25 Federal election
34:02 Journalism is changing
39:27 Sex ed curriculum
47:26 More school counsellors
51:06 Feminine vs masculine
56:41 NFN Greenhouse
