The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has presented Rian McLaughlin, a retired teacher and former president of the Hamilton-Wentworth Occasional Teacher Local, with a 2022 Honorary Life Membership Award. McLaughlin retired in February 2019.

Honorary life memberships, the Federation’s highest form of recognition, are given to members who have retired from the education profession and have given outstanding service to the Federation at the provincial level or as a member of the provincial ETFO staff.

A native of Belleville and teacher since 1989, McLaughlin served the Hamilton-Wentworth ETFO Occasional Teacher Local as president for 13 years, and was chair of the professional development and communications committees, coordinator of public relations and political action, co-chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s Joint Health and Safety Committee, and served as local chief negotiator. She was named ETFO Local Leader of the Year in 2005, and received an ETFO President’s Award in 2014. She is also an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.

Provincially, McLaughlin served on the ETFO Executive between 2001 and 2015, serving on numerous task forces and committees. She was also ETFO Table Officer to the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) between 2009 and 2015, and served as OTF president between 2010 and 2011, and 2014 and 2015. Prior, she was an OTF governor from 2003 to 2009. She further served on the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Board of Directors, was twice a delegate to Education International, and participated in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women several times. For her service to education, she was honoured with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. 

“As a long-serving member of the ETFO Executive, Rian was always guided by her commitment to social justice and equity, not only for our members, but for students, families and communities,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “In her many roles, Rian modelled leadership and advocated strongly to protect and defend public education.”

ETFO represents approximately 83,000 members, including public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel. Visit BuildingBetterSchools.ca.