On International Women’s Day the Prince Albert Council of Women will be inducting former Carlton Comprehensive High School principal and current City Councillor Dawn Kilmer into the Women’s Hall of Fame.
Kilmer said holds the Hall of Fame in high esteem.
“It’s a huge honour,” she said. “I’m filled with appreciation and awe, especially when I look at the list of women who have been named to the Hall of Fame. It is remarkable.”
Kilmer was aware that her nominator was Ellen Grewcock but did not know what Grewcock said in the nomination package.
“Ellen is a longtime colleague and friend and the person who I can always count on if I need help with something,” Kilmer said. “She’s always there and if she needs help with something, I’m always there. There’s just a real network of people that I have had the privilege of working with over a long period of time.”
Kilmer started as a teacher at Carlton before becoming vice-principal and then principal for several years. She was the first woman to serve as the school’s principal.
She was part of helping organize events like the SWISH for Cure Cancer game played at Carlton in 2020, which raised more than $100,000 for the Victoria Hospital Home Care Program.
She said the position not only met teaching the curriculum during the day, but also leading extracurricular activities after hours. That led to some long days, but Kilmer enjoyed the work.
“Most teachers, they know that … the need in the community never ends,” Kilmer said. “It’s very interesting. If you look at many of the organisations that help the community beyond education, beyond the school, a lot of retired teachers are the people who have done that work. That’s always been who they are.”
Kilmer did not want to go into education originally. Instead, she studied Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan.
She knew she did not want to be a teacher because she saw how hard her mother worked as a teacher. Her father was a pharmacist so during her early years she worked in pharmacies for her father.
“I went to university, not knowing what I wanted,” Kilmer said.
She then discovered she wanted to be an educator.
“I realized I loved sport. I loved coaching, I loved helping people reach their potential. I loved just working in community and that’s where I found the most joy, so that’s what I did.
“My strength is I’m very good at mobilization and getting to an end point and then moving on to something else,” she added. “I cannot sit back. If there is a need, it’s not just in me. I am an action person and the people that surround me and the people that are really close friends, they they’re action people too. It’s just kind of natural. Like it’s just who I’m lucky enough to be involved with.”
Kilmer has served on the Prince Albert Raiders’ board of directors for several years, and was a board member for the +55 Senior Games held in Prince Albert in June 2022. She was also a director on the World Men’s Softball qualifiers organizing committee.
Kilmer was first elected to city council in 2020, and then re-elected in 2024.
She said that part of her nature was part of why she decided to run for City Council. She explained that she is uncomfortable asking people to vote for her and she finds that part of the work difficult.
“I just am used to putting my head down, gathering people and moving things for people, so it isn’t natural, but I get it. I get why it’s important to have both and understanding and people to have to know me to put trust in me,” Kilmer said.
Kilmer said that she was fortunate in her career as a teacher and community member to have a great group of people around her.
“I just believe in distributed leadership. There isn’t a person that can’t be involved in growing our city because everybody is important, everybody has value, everybody has a story and everybody wakes up in the morning just trying to live the best life, so we need to support everyone.”
Kilmer said she is honoured to be receiving the award from the Council of Women.
“It’s not about women, men are allies, like every human is our ally, right? It’s about not limiting. There’s no limits to us when we work together,” Kilmer said.
The UN’s theme for 2025 International Women’s Day is “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” The Government of Canada’s theme is “Strength in every Story”.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
