One of School District 43's longest-serving trustees no longer lives in the Tri-Cities - and hasn't for two years - but is again running for re-election.
Coquitlam candidate Gail Alty retired to East Sooke on Vancouver Island two years ago and said she has been commuting to SD43 by ferry for every meeting, keeping in touch with district business via email.
"I have a place here [in the Tri-Cities] that I stay, my family is still here," said Alty, who says now that she's retired, she has more time to spend on SD43 business than when she lived in Coquitlam and worked full-time.
"I haven't really missed anything," said Alty, who says she has missed just five meetings in 18 years of serving as a Coquitlam school trustee and could still do a good job on school board if re-elected for a seventh term.
Alty said she continues to be interested in education and school board affairs, and believes she still has something to contribute.
"I think if you still have a passion and an interest for what you're doing and feel you can do the job and have the experience [you can still do the job]," she said.
Alty was first elected to the board of education in 1993 and was involved with her school's parent advisory council as well as the District Parent Advisory Council. Her two children have graduated from SD43 schools.
Provincial legislation governing school board elections does not prohibit someone from running for or holding office in a municipality where they do not live.
As previously reported in The Tri-City News, two local civic election candidates are not residents of the cities where they're running: Coquitlam council candidate Fred Soofi is an Anmore resident while Rebecca Helps, who's running for a seat on Port Moody council, calls Victoria home. Soofi owns a business in Coquitlam and is planning to build a home on a Burquitlam property he owns while Helps, a former federal and provincial Green Party candidate, works for the party in Victoria but said she would move back to Port Moody if elected.
- with files from Janis Warren
