In April 2019, the Regina Catholic School Division was named the Grand Prize winner of the international Follett Challenge, earning them $60,000 in Follett products and services and making them the first ever Canadian winners.

Sherry Chase, Regina Catholic School District, ILS and Curriculum Coordinator, says that they knew they had something special in their Tinker Tubs, and the Follett Challenge provided the perfect opportunity to share the concept with the world.

“We were all all-in and super excited about the opportunity to highlight the work that was going on in our school division,” she says.

Read more: Regina Catholic School Division Wins International Follett Challenge

After a long, faithful, and dedicated career as a passionate defender of Catholic Education, Bonaventure Fagan is finally stepping down from his role at the CCSTA. His tireless advocacy, humble attitude, and respectful nature helped make him an extremely effective and inspiring leader in the Catholic Education community.

In 2015, Mr. Fagan was selected to receive the Justice James Higgins Award — the highest honour the CCSTA bestows. He truly dedicated his life to Catholic Education, beginning his career as a teacher in Newfoundland & Labrador before moving into administration, leadership, and advocacy roles.

“Catholic Education provides students with a moral guide, establishing a proper relationship between us as people and the God who created us,” says Mr. Fagan. “So many people today just keep God out of our lives directly — it’s the privatization of our relationship with God. And Catholic education says, no, that’s not right. There is a God, He's a loving God, and he requires us to be active, and active collectively.”

Among his myriad of contributions and accomplishments, Mr. Fagan is perhaps best known as a high-profile supporter of Catholic Education in Newfoundland throughout the 1990s, when the government began a movement to take away the constitutionally protected right to Catholic Education. As Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Council of Newfoundland, he challenged the government for the retention of denominational education in the province and worked tirelessly and effectively to put forth clear defence arguments.

Read more: Bonaventure Fagan Stepping Down From Role at CCSTA

With the Federal Election quickly approaching, elected officials will be our voice on key issues. Here are some important questions to ask candidates to understand their stance on issues that affect Catholic education in Canada.

• Education: With news recently that schools in Ontario are poised to strike, how will your party work with provincial governments to ensure a vibrant school system?

• Post-Secondary: Tuition is on the rise and it seems like more students are struggling to get by.  How will you support our high school students looking to further their education at a post-secondary institution?

• Environment: The faith community also cares deeply about how we steward the environment.  What are your respective parties committing to, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our planet?

Read more: 6 Essential Questions for Election Candidates