About Me

My name is Elaine Willis and I am a 54 year old teacher living in beautiful Anmore, British Columbia. I live at 2130 Sunnyside Road above the Mossom Creek Fish Hatchery but my address will change sometime in the future to Summerwood Lane as development and change surround me.

I am a widow, mother of two adult children. I have one grandchild, Callisia de Sousa, who spent her Grade Three year at Anmore Elementary, and is now living in Edinburgh, Scotland. I am currently MOM to Scarlet who is in Grade 12 at Port Moody Secondary School. Although I am her chosen rather than her natural parent, I am finding it much easier to have a teenager in my life the second time around.

I have been employed by the Surrey School District for 25 years. I also worked in the Nechako School District, Sunshine Coast School District and briefly in the North Vancouver School District early in my career. As a teacher I have been active in the provincial and local associations.

I served on the joint Provincial Teacher Education Committee as the BCTF representative working with members of government and the universities. I also worked as a Professional Development Associate for the BC Teachers’ Federation developing and providing workshops for other teachers around the province primarily in areas of Emerging Technologies, Rules of Order, Time Management, Law for Educators and Curriculum. While on a BCTF Task Force I presented at the World Congress on Education and Technology on their behalf.

At the local association level I served on many committees including the Status of Women, Income Security and Local Executive Committees.

I also taught English as a Second Language at the College of New Caledonia through their satellite program in Fort Saint James, BC. I worked for several years teaching courses for the Native Education Centre in Vancouver in their Early Childhood Education Program (through Vancouver City College) and have strong ties with that community.

My education began at the original Capilano College (then located as a cluster of portable buildings at West Vancouver High School). MY PDP (Teacher Qualification), Degree (BGS) and Post Graduate Diploma (Computers in Education) are all from Simon Fraser University. I received the Open Scholarship for my teaching performance during my three month practicum.

As a member of the Anmore Environment Committee for the past three years, I am proud to say I have not missed a single meeting. On November 20, 2007, the City of Coquitlam hosted a workshop to introduce a new package of materials for municipalities in the province called the Green Bylaws Toolkit. Councillor Ken Juvik and I represented Anmore at this venue. You can read a bit about it at
Anmore Alternative Environmental Citizenship Tab .

I am currently (and have been for a number of years) on the executive of the BC Ataxia Society. Ataxia covers a group of neurological disorders. Next year, along with Seattle’s Ataxia Support Group, we will be hosting the National convention. It is with pride that people with ataxia and neurologists and other medical practitioners gather in equal numbers to learn about research, clinical trials and new practices in the treatment of these disorders….almost unheard of in most medical arenas.

I am also involved in the inception of the Clean Indoor Air Initiative – and hope you will take time to visit the website www.scentsitive.ca created largely by fellow chemically sensitive professor (from Kwantlen College), John Sanders, with whom I am creating educational podcasts about multiple chemical sensitivity.

I am a member of the Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society, through the Mossom Creek Fish Hatchery.

If you read the testimonials from people here on my BLOG (please do), you’ll see that advocacy is more than just a calling, it’s a passion for me. As I have been helped, I too, help others. One of my mentors, Paul Gauthier, spent one afternoon with me and changed my life. I hope that when I connect with others I can improve their lives, also, in some small way.