ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO

REPORT TO THE 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Advancing and Protecting Our Union, Our Values and Our Profession

36

for members. It included materials from ETFO, 
Egale Canada, PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends 
of Lesbians and Gays), Jer’s Vision, Kids Help Phone 
and the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans Youth Line.

…and still we rise

ETFO’s annual women’s leadership conference in 
February put forth a new face focused on union 
leadership with the theme “A woman’s place is in 
her union.” An opening night dinner and video 
celebrated women union leaders from across all 
public and private sectors, with over 20 leaders 
in attendance. Keynote speaker Dr. Naila Keleta-
Mae spoke about education, women, leader-
ship and transformation while Canadian Labour 
Congress Vice-President Marie Clarke Walker 
focused on challenges and barriers to leadership, 
specifically as a racialized leader. Carol Wall and 
Nicole Wall, a mother and daughter who are both 
labour activists, discussed work-family balance 
and “mother guilt.” Erin Konsmos and Krysta 
Williams’ presentation on the Walking with Our 
Sisters project shared information on murdered 
and missing Indigenous women.

ETFO First Vice-President Susan Swackhammer 
and Vice-President Maureen Weinberger provided 
history and statistics of women’s leadership in 
ETFO. That was followed by an “all participants 
focus group” where members discussed barriers 
and support to participation and leadership in 
ETFO. General Secretary Victoria Réaume provided 
a presentation on the Women’s Programs Review. 

K-8 Teacher Resource on 

Aboriginal Histories, Realities 

A new K-8 Teacher Resource Guide on Aboriginal 
Histories and Realties in Canada was created to sup-
port all elementary teachers in building inclusive 
and safe learning environments for students while 
bringing sensitivity, respect and reflective deliber-
ation of the histories and realities of First Nation, 
Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) people. The resource was 
developed by elementary teacher consultants and 
writers who have expertise and personal connec-
tion to FNMI communities in Ontario. It is a step-
ping stone to further incorporate and embed this 
history within a foundation build on respect and 
acknowledgement of Canada’s first peoples.

Photo: Christine Cousins

Women union leaders across the province were celebrated at ...and still we rise.