ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
William Gowans recalls a moment during his three-year tenure as Echo Dene School principal that reminded him of the unique and special youth he had the opportunity to teach.

William Gowans, principal of Echo Dene School in Fort Liard receives a photo of students who took part in the legislative assembly page program from Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche. Gowans is retiring from teaching after three years at the school. photo courtesy of William Gowans

A member of the local RCMP detachment was in a class to do a Drug Abuse Awareness Education (D.A.R.E.) presentation and he asked everyone who their friends were.

The response from the children would astound most teachers, but for Gowans it represented the true nature of the students he worked with.

"They all said each person in the class was their friend," he said with a laugh. "Everyone in the school, for them, was their friend. It was an amazing thing to see. They don't always get along, but that was an eye-opener for me, a pleasant one."

After 33 years teaching, 29 of which were spent at a public school in Edmonton and his last three in Fort Liard with a year in Lutsel K'e wedged between, Gowans will retire at the end of the school year and move back to Edmonton where he plans to catch up on what he said is four years worth of gardening.

Gowans remembers arriving in Fort Liard in August 2012, a week and a half before school was scheduled to start.

From that first moment opening the school doors, he's enjoyed his time teaching at Echo Dene School.

"I've had so much fun doing it and the time has kind of zipped by and I'm a bit surprised by it," he said. "I've enjoyed working in Fort Liard and the Deh Cho Region."

An avid hunter and outdoorsman, Gowans said some of the memories he will cherish the most have been from the time he has spent on the land with his students. Their knowledge of the area and the maturity they've shown him while away from the classroom has been important to him.

"What really amazes me (is) how efficient and effective they are on the land," he said of a trip where he took the students on to Fisherman Lake, during which they shot a bison. "If I was ever lost in the woods I'd pick just about any kid here to be with. They know their stuff."

One of the biggest challenges Gowans has had is taking himself out of his comfort zone. A high school teacher for the majority of his career, Gowans has been teaching elementary classes during his three years in the community.

"It's been a challenge because I'm not trained as an elementary teacher and I've had more hugs in my first week here than in my entire career," he said. "The kids are so polite and respectful up here. Having worked in inner city schools in Edmonton, it's not the same. My wife was astounded by how respectful and kind the kids are to each other, it's quite different than what we've ever experienced.

"They do have that respect for adults and understand they need to be kind and treat each other well."

His biggest accomplishment in his three-year tenure has been a new full-sized soccer pitch that will be ready in 2016. Fort Liard is a hotbed for soccer in the region, he said, and the youth have never had a full-sized field to play on.

"We're in the final stages of getting it done and I'm proud we've been able to get it done," he said.

"It's going to be a great resource for the kids and the community for years to come. It's been grassed and seeded and we're going to be putting up the goals and by the summer of 2016 they'll have access to it."

So what is Gowans looking forward to when he retires? Maybe not the gardening, he quipped, but he's looking forward to spending more time at his second home in Mesa, Arizona.

"We're going to be spending as much time down there as possible," he said.

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