Contested trustee race returns to Cornwall after long stretch of acclamations
Voters across Cornwall, South Glengarry and North Glengarry will choose a representative for the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) in a race that has drawn four candidates and renewed local attention on classroom supports and special-education funding.
The field includes two incumbents who were acclaimed in 2022 and two challengers bringing fresh perspectives. Incumbents Donna Nielsen and Karen Torrie-Racine are seeking another term after being acclaimed following the departures of longtime trustees Ron Eamer and Todd Lalonde. Challengers Krista Ryan and Suzanne Ayotte say they entered the contest because they want to influence classroom supports and representation for students with specific needs.
Why the race matters locally
Trustees on the CDSBEO make decisions that affect allocation of resources, special-education programming and school policies — decisions that ripple through both Cornwall’s urban neighbourhoods and the surrounding rural townships. For many families, the trustee is the most direct link between community concerns and board-level decisions about staffing, program offerings and supports for students with diverse needs.
In recent years some voters in the area have experienced trustee races as low-key affairs: the last vigorously contested race in the region dates back to 2006, when Todd Lalonde defeated incumbent Gerald Samson by 390 votes. That relative calm ended in 2022 when multiple seats were filled by acclamation, a pattern that critics say reduces public debate about priorities for local schools.
Who’s running
- Donna Nielsen — incumbent trustee, seeking re-election after being acclaimed in 2022.
- Karen Torrie-Racine — incumbent trustee, also acclaimed in 2022 and running to return to the role.
- Krista Ryan — challenger and mother of a child in the CDSBEO system; motivated by concerns over supports for students with mixed exceptionalities.
- Suzanne Ayotte — challenger and recently retired teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience, largely with the English Montreal School Board.
| Candidate | Background | Primary focus |
|---|---|---|
| Donna Nielsen | Incumbent trustee (acclaimed in 2022) | Continuity of board representation |
| Karen Torrie-Racine | Incumbent trustee (acclaimed in 2022) | Return to role, board governance |
| Krista Ryan | Parent of student at St. Finnan’s; experience navigating special education | Enhancing supports for students with exceptionalities |
| Suzanne Ayotte | Recently retired teacher (30+ years, EMSB) | Protecting and enhancing classroom supports |
Parents raise funding and advocacy concerns
Krista Ryan said her decision to run was driven by first-hand experience navigating the education system for her son, who attends St. Finnan’s Catholic School in Alexandria and is enrolled in a mixed exceptionalities specialized program. She described the strain families face when supports and funding are unstable.
“Since registering him for school, I’ve always said that for him to be successful, he needs to be around kids who will be successful too. So, whatever I can do to help make that happen, I’m willing,”
Ryan told local reporters she believes some categories of students are repeatedly squeezed by budget pressures and that not every family has a parent who knows how to advocate effectively.
Ayotte, who retired after more than three decades in the classroom, framed her bid as a continuation of teaching through governance. She said encouragement from family and colleagues inspired her to channel classroom experience into board-level advocacy.
“I realized that I still had more to offer for the children and the community,”
Local implications and the road ahead
A contested trustee election in the Cornwall area could shift how local priorities are raised at board meetings, particularly on issues such as special-education supports, rural school viability and the resources provided to smaller communities. With one candidate, Todd Lalonde, now seeking a seat on Cornwall city council, the outcome of multiple local races this municipal cycle could reshape representation both at city hall and on the school board.
For voters, the choice is ultimately about who will best represent classroom-level concerns at the board table: incumbents promising continuity or challengers pressing for renewed attention to supports and accountability. As nominations close and campaigning continues, residents will have the opportunity to weigh experience against advocacy and classroom know-how against continuity.
Local turnout will determine whether the Cornwall area returns to contested trustee politics or reverts to the acclamations of recent cycles. Either way, the debate is likely to centre on the allocation of scarce resources and how the board balances the needs of urban Cornwall and its surrounding rural communities.
