By Estrellita Gonzalez

People ask me every day why I decided to run for the school board in the October 20 election and why I am running as a Green party candidate.

As a wellness business owner and educator, I feel compelled to be a voice of wellness in the public arena and as a trustee. The health of our children is overlooked far too often. I am a parent; my son is now in grade 10. I have been through the ropes of elementary and now high school. I know the challenges that parents face.

Children learn important lessons in reading, writing, and math while in school, but they are learning life skills as well. The job of a school district is to prepare kids for the road ahead as citizens and to me this includes health and well-being.

The sad truth is that our schools are not in the best shape in terms of health. From the parent advisory council fundraisers of pizza and hot dogs to the poor quality of some high school cafeterias, we could be doing a lot better in providing and demonstrating proper nutrition for our kids. One of my areas of focus should I get re-elected on October 20 will be to improve the food quality in Vancouver’s schools and ensure that every student is provided with the nutrition needed to learn.

Vancouver school district buildings are also lacking when it comes to health and wellness. Many are over 50 years old and pose seismic threats; many contain asbestos buried inside walls and lead soldering on water pipes. There are schools with water fountains dispensing lead. This is completely unacceptable!

No amount of lead is safe as it accumulates in our bodies and can cause issues related to diminished intelligence, mental health, and more. There is enough evidence today to show that asbestos and lead are carcinogenic. Our children are especially vulnerable to these toxins as they are still in the stages of development and growth. As a school trustee I will work toward ensuring all of our 110 schools are safe and healthy, from the inside out.

Much of these areas of concern are a direct result of a lack of commitment on the part of previous provincial governments to properly fund schools. Trustees will need to work collaboratively with the federal, provincial, and city governments to create innovative ideas to solve these and other issues.

I am running as a Green candidate because it is clear that our external environment is making us ill. From pollution, which the Lancet reports is the Number 1 killer in the world, to the acidification of our oceans, and changing weather patterns, all of these are caused by human beings. We need to change our ways and this is at the core of all our policies. The Green way is the way to a brighter future!

Vancouver’s children are the city’s future residents and taxpayers. It is imperative we commit to providing them with safe and healthy schools in order that they are able to learn and grow. This is in everyone’s interest.