As I write this, the Winnipeg mayoral election day is officially afoot. By the time this is published, we’ll (likely) know our next mayor, city councilors and school trustees.

Name recognition means everything in municipal elections, and, oftentimes, school-trustee candidates are merely glossed over.

But as it stands, there’s a tangible threat to our public educational institutions.

Outside the buzz and uncertainties around who will take the mayoral seat, there appears to be a concerted effort to bring “anti-woke” platforms to school boards. In this issue, campus reporter Megan Ronald helpfully examines the rise of this rhetoric and its harmful implications.

A slate of candidates on the ballot this year have spoken against inclusive policies. Patrick Allard, who is vying to be a Winnipeg School Division trustee, has spoken vehemently online against a so-called “woke agenda” being pushed in schools. While Allard may be the most vocal on this front, he’s certainly not the only candidate pushing such views.

In this week’s issue The Uniter, copy and style editor Danielle Doiron writes about the myriad of policies that harm today’s students. Overpolicing, sexual harassment, homophobia and transphobia are among the issues students combat.

The laundry list of “anti-woke” policies that several school-trustee candidates have advocated for will merely exacerbate these problems.

Writing this in the past, I can only hope you voted with both your heart and an informed opinion. The generation of students who cannot yet cast their ballots are depending on us.

Published in Volume 77, Number 07 of The Uniter (October 27, 2022)