By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban
The 2024 elections at the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) are generally uncontested, save for Electoral Divisions 2, 6 and 9.
LBPSB Chair Judy Kelley is uncontested.
Ward 1(Verdun and Île des Soeurs) : Linda Dalterio is uncontested.
Ward 2 (Lasalle): Dario Arella, currently employed at the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), is challenging incumbent Frank di Bello in Ward 2. Arella says that his approach is to be a “voice for parents” stating that “the wisdom of the parental experience as a part of the harmonious environment is to form the fertile ground for the growth of the minds and souls of our youngsters. The task of a school commissioner is to be the messenger of this parental wisdom.” Di Bello is an active member of the Council of Commissioners and a strong voice for English education in Quebec. He has represented the Board as President of the Comité de gestion de la taxe scolaire de l’Île de Montréal (CGTSIM), served as the Director of the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), and as the liaison to the LBPSB Central Students’ Committee. Di Bello has also participated in numerous LBPSB sub-committees.
Ward 3 (Dorval and Lachine): Patrick Whitham is uncontested.
Ward 4 (Pointe-Claire): Allison Saunders is uncontested.
Ward 5 (Ile-Bizard and Ste-Genevieve): Malik Shaheed is uncontested.
Ward 6 (Pierrefonds-Roxboro East): Alaina Gross Charszan, currently serving as the parent commissioner representing the elementary sector, is challenging incumbent Craig Berger. Charszan has over 20 years of experience as a clinical social worker in public health and social services, and 15 years of experience as a family mediator. BCraig Berger is a former Westpark Elementary School Governing Board Chair and former Parent Commissioner, and also has been the Commissioner representing the wards for many years. He has been involved for over 25 years as a member of the Board of the Dollard Figure Skating Club, co-founder of the West Island Theatre Association and volunteer. He also has served as Vice-Chair of Council and the Executive as well as Chair of the Facilities and Security Committee investing millions of dollars into schools and facilities. Berger practices civil, commercial, corporate and family law at his law office.
Ward 7 (Pierrefonds-Roxboro West): Jason Doan is uncontested.
Ward 8 (Pointe-Claire South and Beaconsfield North): Marilyne Boyer is uncontested.
Ward 9 (Beaconsfield South and Île-Perrot): Michael Papoulias is running against Maureen Baron. Her campaign is to support the implementation of the school board’s Commitment to Success Plan, facilitate the sharing of information between the schools, centres and the council regarding successes and challenges, ensure the equitable sharing of resources among the schools and centres and contribute to the development of policies and procedures emanating from directives from the Ministry of Education. Papoulias dedicated 32 years to education. He retired from the Lester B. Pearson School Board in February 2024, where he most recently served as the Assistant Director of IT. “My journey in education taught me the power of asking questions and listening, along with the importance of empathy. I also spent over 17 years coaching youth and adult sports,” Papoulias stated.
Ward 10 (Senneville, Sainte-Anne de Bellevue North and Kirkland): Luisa Bulgarelli Vero is uncontested.
Ward 11 (St-Lazare, Rigaud): Daniel Olivenstein is uncontested.
Ward 12 (Pincourt, Vaudreuil-Dorion and Les Cedres): Angela Berryman is uncontested. n