Name: Balbir S. Gill
Party affiliation (if any): None
Education: M.A.
Occupation: Librarian
Previous political experience: Ran for School Trustee in 2011, unsuccessful
Residency (city/neighbourhood): Living in Abbotsford 23 years
Community involvement:
Volunteering now:
- Abbotsford Connect
- Attending school board meetings for several years
- Have been PAC executive member for last 13 years as SPC, DPAC, BCCPAC and now DPAC representative or the Abbotsford Traditional Senior Secondary School Parent Advisory Council
- Abbotsford Salvation Army
- Canucks Place
- Helped and helping numerous school functions
- Representative of Punjabi Parents of Traditional Schools
- Abbotsford Sumas Rotary: member, co-chair literacy committee, member of youth committee, helped establish and maintain Little Free Libraries
- United Way Fraser Valley Board member and Impact Committee Chair
- Abbotsford Youth Commission Board member
- Mentor for Gladwin Language Centre
- Organizing member of annual village reunion
- Member of Punjabi Development Council
- Sikh Heritage Museum Committee
Volunteered:
- As a cross-guard and parent supervisor every morning for 3 years in South Poplar Elementary
- Cross-guarding and supervising every morning for 3 years in Abbotsford Traditional Middle School
- Dasmesh Punjabi School
- Took vacation leave to volunteer for the 2010 Olympics at the Richmond Oval
- Junior Achievement to encourage students to pursue educational goals
- Relay For Life Committee (Canadian Cancer Society)
- Abbotsford City Neighbourhood Committee
- Member of Sister City Committee of Abbotsford City
- Friday Nite Basketball Gym parent and registration
- Abbotsford Food Bank
- Member of Abbotsford City Diversity Committee
- Director of the Fraser Valley Indo-Canadian Business Association
- Founding Member of Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Committee
- Abbotsford school district Punjabi language committee
Marital status/children: Married. Son graduated from Public School and second year student at UFV. Daughter grade in public school
Email: balbir.gill12@gmail.com
Social media: Facebook Balbir Gill; Twitter: BalbirGill website www.balbirfortrustee.com
What do you feel are two key education-related issues Abbotsford voters should be considering when choosing trustee representatives in this civic election?
Why, and what would you do to address these issues?
Literacy:
Being a librarian for more than 20 years I have seen firsthand students in Abbotsford who are falling behind in reading, writing, and digital literacy. They don’t have adequate access or don’t know how to access technology, library resources or to qualified help. I will work hard to provide those resources needed within the district. I don’t want any students to fall through the cracks. Students need books that appeal to them, they need to have easy access to technology that they can learn and understand, they also need adult mentors and support staff to help guide them and help them become leaders of tomorrow. Let’s provide students with what they need to succeed and make it easy and desirable for them to access that help.
Communication / Listening:
We need to not only care, communicate and listen to our teachers, but also our students, parents (guardians), administration and support staff. We as trustees need to develop a way to be effective communicators and partners with our teachers, students, parents and schools. We as trustees need to support, listen and genuinely care for our teachers. It is not us vs them, we should be a team working together for the same goals. Those goals should be to make Abbotsford the best it can be! I can and will communicate to and listen to our teachers, students, parents, administrators, support staff and the citizens of Abbotsford.