Due to severe flooding in July, Barnett House will remain closed until early 2027.
The ATA Library is still open and providing resources to members.
Staff are working from home and continue to serve members online and by phone.
The Southern Alberta Regional Office (SARO) in Calgary is unaffected and conducts business per usual.
From October 17 to 24, Catholic schools and parishes across Alberta will celebrate Catholic Education Week. This year’s theme is taken from Scripture: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13). In addition to the special activities taking place within our community, this week presents an opportunity to share the story of Catholic education and the role it plays in Alberta.
Publicly funded Catholic schools are rooted in a history that predates Confederation and continues to the present. The minority right to establish, govern and manage denominational separate schools is enshrined in the 1867 Constitution Act, which created our country, and the 1905 Alberta Act, which created our province. It is reaffirmed in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as in Alberta’s Education Act and other provincial legislation.
Minority denominational education rights are foundational to the pluralistic character of Canadian society. They reflect the kind of dialogue, accommodation and pragmatic compromise that made confederation possible and that continue to shape our country. In 1896, former prime minister Sir Charles Tupper reflected during debate in the House of Commons on the decisive role these minority rights played in unifying Canada:
“[…] but for assent that in the Confederation Act should be embodied a clause which would protect the rights of minorities, whether Catholic or Protestant, in this country, there would have been no confederation […]”
Today, our pluralistic heritage is reflected in the diversity of educational options available to families in Alberta. Within this educational landscape, publicly funded Catholic education holds a distinct, constitutionally protected place. It embodies the principle that families ought to have access, through public funding, to an education for their children that supports their deeply held beliefs, values and traditions.
Alberta’s publicly funded Catholic schools serve nearly 200,000 students—more than one in five provincially—along with their families and communities. This figure represents the intentional choice of Albertan families to select a distinctively Catholic education for their children. They are choosing schools where academic excellence is pursued in the Catholic tradition, and where faith in God, belief in the inherent dignity of the human person and a commitment to the common good are all cultivated. While approximately one-third of Alberta’s population identifies as Catholic (including many newcomers to Canada), our schools are open to all.
Catholic schools comprise a significant part of Alberta’s public school system. More than 10,000 teachers provincewide are employed by Catholic boards. Both staff and the 150 democratically elected Catholic trustees share many of the same goals as their public colleagues: serve students, support families, strengthen community, and guide young people toward becoming responsible and compassionate citizens.
Catholic schools comprise a significant part of Alberta’s public school system. More than 10,000 teachers ... are employed by Catholic boards.
At the same time, Catholic schools are distinct. We are called to love each student as a child of God, created to live a life of purpose through service to others. We seek to educate the whole person, body and soul, and form young people who will contribute selflessly to the broader community. In all we do, we strive to point students to the example of Jesus Christ: His teaching ministry, His sacrifice on the Cross, His glorious Resurrection and victory over sin and death.
Catholic education is an important part of Alberta’s shared educational and constitutional heritage. In a world where hope, joy and peace at times appear scarce, our Catholic Education Week Scripture passage reminds us that these gifts come from God, and that our faith in Him is expressed by how we love and serve one another as Christ taught us. During Catholic Education Week, I invite all of us, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, to celebrate this shared heritage, as well as the students, families and educators who continue to carry it forward with hope.
President, Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association
Kelly Whalen is president of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association, providing unified spiritual and political leadership for Catholic school trustees across Alberta, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. He also serves as chair of Holy Family Catholic Regional Division and has been a trustee since 2004. A passionate Catholic and determined advocate, he works tirelessly to ensure every student has access to publicly funded Catholic education.
