Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
When Echo Dene School’s newest principal came to the North in 2011 he expected to stay for a only a year but that soon changed.

William Gowans: Echo Dene School principal fell in love with the area. - Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo

"It's funny, I've met so many people who have come up here for, you know they say, six months or a year and have ended up staying for many, many years and I believe I caught that bug last year,' said William Gowans, adding he came up for a position as principal at Lutsel K'e Dene School.

"I came up just for the one year and I thought 'Aw man, if I get an opportunity to stay up here for any more time, that's what I'm going to do.'"

In the end, he applied for the position in Fort Liard and was delighted when he was hired.

Gowans, a grandfather of four children with one more on the way, said the community has already been very welcoming and he is looking forward to working with the students and staff.

"There's a very strong staff and the staff have been here for quite some time some of them, and that shows teachers are really committed to the kids and the community," he said. “I think it's going to be a really good experience for me and I hope it's a good experience for the kids here at the school and the staff."

Before coming to the North, Gowans spent 29 years working at public schools in Edmonton and for 17 of those years he was in a leadership position. Echo Dene School is a bit different than the institutions he taught at back home, he said. The school in Fort Liard is considerably smaller compared to some of his previous schools which had more than 2,000 students, he added.

"It's more a community than it is in the larger centres. You get to know the families and the kids and that's pretty great because you see them on weekends. Often in Edmonton, you don't see your kids at all because you don't live in the same part of the community."

While he is at the school, Gowans said he wants to concentrate on improving numeracy and literacy.

"When kids are able to read and write well, that helps them in all their other subjects so I know that has been a focus of the district, and it's a focus that I intend on building on while I'm here."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.