Biography


Joel J. Swaan

Treaty One settler.

He/him.

M.Ed. (UNB), B.Mus.Mus.Ed. (USask), B.Ed. (USask),
Certificate in School Leadership.

Born in Calgary (Treaty Seven), I grew up in Saskatoon (Treaty Six) where I attended elementary school at Brunskill, St. Thomas (now Pope John Paul II), Mayfair, John Lake, and Caswell Elementary Schools.

It was in Grade 2, though, when I decided I was going to become a teacher – replacing promising career aspirations of becoming a cookie baker (so I could eat the cookies). My teacher Miss Ochitwa and teacher-librarian Dr. Fondse (“The Fonz”) were two huge influences on that decision. When I was in Grade 3, I even went back to my class from the previous year and “taught” a lesson for half-an-hour on secret codes. After Grade 2, every grade I was in was “the best” one, and became the grade that I wanted to teach when I was older.

It was in high school at Bedford Road Collegiate–as part of the third generation from my family to enroll there–that I decided that the grades I was in were not the grades that I wanted to teach. I determined that elementary grades were better for me, and narrowed my focus to music as a specialty. As a male elementary music teacher, I wanted to work with children where I could be a role model for the arts: it is important that young children, and boys in particular, have positive male influences who sing, dance, play instruments, and act.

After graduating, I worked some and attend the University of Saskatchewan some. After three years of post-secondary education in the combined B.Ed./B.Mus.Mus.Ed program, I took a few years off to work as the front desk manager at a Country Inn & Suites. When my department won the brand’s best Front Desk worldwide, I was offered a hotel manager position in Thompson, MB. Unsure that this was the industry I wanted to spend the rest of my career in, I made a drastic decision to move to Regina (Treaty Four) and work at a Travelodge to see if this life was for me. By November, I was re-applying to UofS to re-enroll in Education. I graduated with two Bachelor degrees from the College of Education in 2003.

In summers between university classes, I earned my first union card as a member of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association doing summer stock regional theatre in my mom’s hometown of Kincardine, Ontario (Saugeen Ojibway Nation lands and territory, including the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation). As a union member, I performed, directed, and worked as a stage manager for opera (Saskatoon Opera), plays (assistant stage manager, Bluewater Summer Playhouse), and musical theatre (Saskatoon Summer Players).

I worked at least three term contracts with Saskatoon Public Schools at the start of my teaching career, while also subbing for them and for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. After teaching music and physical education at Lakeridge School, I became permanent part-time staff at Vincent Massey Community School, a PreK-8 school where I spent eight years. I continued to sub until I became full-time permanent in my seventh teaching year. As the music and band teacher, I had the opportunity to play with our boys’ drumming group and to incorporate hoop dancing as well as many Indigenous songs and games into my music program.

During this time, I also was on a progressive path with Saskatoon Teachers’ Association. With a council and executive structure, I began as a council alternate while on my first term contract. At my second school, I was a council representative, eventually running for member-at-large on my local. I chaired the Executive Expense committee and landed a place on the bargaining committee (“Local Implementation and Negotiating Committee” or “LINC”). Eventually, I was elected LINC Chair with a collective agreement-negotiated committee size of seven, so I chose three teachers from PreK-8, three from Grades 9-12, and a substitute teacher member: the first time a substitute teacher was invited to participate in negotiations. That year, we successfully proposed that we enter into Interest-Based Negotiations with the employer, and both committees completed two days of facilitated training on the process at the employer’s expense. Also during this time, provincial negotiations experienced some setbacks, and I spent four days on strike with my STF colleagues, as well as time on work-to-rule.

Other experiences from my time in Saskatoon that have shaped me as a leader include volunteering as the vice-president and then president of Carl Orff Canada – Saskatchewan Chapter; as chapter president, I also served on the Carl Orff Canada National Advisory Board. In Saskatoon, I was a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I was the final director/conductor of the Saskatoon Boys’ Choir, I rang handbells with Zodiac Tapestry, and I served on the volunteer community theatre board of Saskatoon Summer Players, ending my time there as vice-president.

Fourteen years ago, my wife and I moved to southern Manitoba (Treaty One) where I’ve taught, run school safety patrols, and directed Rainbow Stage-award-winning school musicals (2016, 2018) at Parkland Elementary School for Garden Valley School Division. I have been involved with my local association since arriving in Winkler, beginning as a Collective Bargaining Committee school representative. I then added Education Finance Chair to my portfolio, replacing it with Collective Bargaining Chair before becoming Vice-President, then President in 2016. I served as half-time President for four years until stepping back when I was elected to the Manitoba Teachers’ Society Provincial Executive in 2020. I returned to the presidency full-time in January 2023, having spent just under 20 years in the classroom.

My relationship with the Manitoba Teachers’ Society also began the year we moved here. While I was not on my local executive that year, I attended an executive meeting as part of the transition to take over the Education Finance portfolio and it was at that meeting that the president was soliciting volunteers to attend MTS Provincial Council 2012. While local executive members were selected as delegates, I was selected as GVTA’s alternate delegate and I’ve attended every council since. After becoming local bargaining chair, I was also invited to be the Regional Coordinator for the Collective Bargaining Standing Committee, where we updated and finalized the Provincial Bargaining Protocol by the end of my five years of service.

During this time, my involvement as an advocate for teachers continued to grow. In 2020, after I was elected to the Provincial Executive I was given the opportunity to serve international teachers for three years as a trustee on the Canadian Teachers’ Federation’s Trust Fund Board. However, what I am truly grateful for is the opportunity to chair the Society’s inaugural Provincial Bargaining Committee. Chairing the committee that drafted the first combined opening package for 37 English-speaking public school divisions, and the two years spent on the negotiating table team were a career-highlight. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with members from across the province on this adventure.

Since moving to the Pembina Valley, I’ve played euphonium with the Prairie Red Coats Band, sung with Prairie Singers, and acted with CandleWick Productions and flatlands theatre in addition to serving six years on the flatlands board. My current volunteer work is as a Scouts Canada volunteer leader with 1st Carman Beavers Colony.

I live in Morden with my spouse (a union member of MNU) and our three children (ages 11, 8, and 5) who attend French Immersion schooling in Western School Division. Two dogs and two cats round out the family.  

Manitoba Teachers’ Society

  • Provincial Executive Member-at-Large (2020-present)
    • Anti-Hate Committee of the Provincial Executive Co-Chair (2024-present)
    • CTF-EI Committee (2024-present)
    • MFL Equity & Human Rights Committee (2024-present)
    • Provincial Bargaining Table Team (2022-2024)
    • Provincial Bargaining Committee Chair (2021-2024)
    • Human Resources Committee (2021-2024)
    • Liaison Committee [Article 5, MTS & Teamsters (Administrative Staff) Collective Agreement] (2021-2024)
    • CTF/FCE Trust Fund Trustee (representing Western Canada) (2020-2023)
    • Disability Benefits Plan Investment Committee Chair (2020-2021)
    • Term Lengths Committee of the Provincial Executive (2020-2021)
  • Before joining Provincial Executive
    • Collective Bargaining Standing Committee Regional Coordinator for South Central (2014-2019)
    • Alternative Resolution Debate Ad Hoc Standing Committee (2019-2020)

Garden Valley Teachers’ Association

  • President (2016-2020, Jan. 2023-present)
  • Vice-President (2014-2016, Sept-Dec. 2022)
  • Past-President (2020-Dec. 2022)
  • Collective Bargaining
    • Lead Negotiator (2015-2017)
    • Chair (2013-2017)
    • School Representative (2011-2013)
  • Education Finance Chair (2012-2013)
  • Equity & Social Justice Chair (2017)
  • GVTA-GVSD Joint Professional Development Committee (2016-2020, 2023-present)
  • Workplace Safety & Health
    • Main Committee (2016-2020, 2023-present)
    • High School (GVC-NPC) Committee (2023-present)
  • Nominating Committee Chair (2021, 2022)
  • Ad Hoc Committees (2024-2025):
    • Book Study Policy Ad Hoc Committee
    • Internet Policy Ad Hoc Committee
    • Scholarships & Awards Policy Ad Hoc Committee
    • School Representatives Policy Ad Hoc Committee
  • Ad Hoc Committees (2023-2024):
    • MTS Representative Policy Ad Hoc Committee Chair
    • Pet Care Policy Ad Hoc Committee Recording Secretary
    • Electronic Vote Policy Ad Hoc Committee
    • Loss & Bereavement Policy Ad Hoc Committee
    • Member-at-Large Selection Policy Ad Hoc Committee
    • MTS Resolutions Ad Hoc Committee
    • President/Provincial Executive Release Time Ad Hoc Committee

Saskatoon Teachers’ Association

  • Local Negotiation and Implementation Committee (LINC)
    • Chair & Lead Negotiator (2010-2011)
    • Committee Member
  • Executive Expense Committee Chair
  • Chief Electoral Officer

Listening with Purpose, Dedicated to Progress

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