Canadian Lawyer - sample

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 25 and the development and co-ordination of training across the Ontario Fire College and Ontario Correctional Services College. She was also part of the team sup- porting the largest policing transforma- tion in Ontario, the "Strategy for a Safer Ontario," which was focused on the pro- fessionalization, education and training of police officers. It is with this combination of experience that Dwyer now faces perhaps one of the biggest challenges educators and legal pro- fessionals face in Ontario. Her focus at the Ministry of Education is on equity of opportunity for all students. "I'm not talking about just supporting aca- demic achievement but looking at their well-being — cognitive, social, emotional, physical and as much as you can do that in the elementary and secondary, it also opens opportunities for them in post-secondary." Dwyer says that, by 2031, 40 per cent of the population of Ontario will be racial minorities and the fastest-growing group will be indigenous. "To a certain degree, the way that our demographics are unfolding, there isn't room for divisive voices because everywhere you turn you will be seeing people from all sorts of different back- grounds. That will be Ontario," she says. The indigenous education office is focused on commitment to indigenous learners not only from the perspective of the Truth and Reconciliation Commis- sion but also a commitment to ensure that everyone — teachers, educators and other students — become more know- ledgeable of the culture and history of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit populations. "That is another way of neutralizing some of the negative voices," Dwyer says. One of her main areas of focus right now is on indigenous students, especial- ly the Nishnawbe Aski Nation students of Thunder Bay, and commitments for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Seven First Nations students have died in Thunder Bay since 2000. They were forced to leave home to pursue a high school education because their own communities don't have high schools. "There are a lot of issues about any student that has to leave home after Grade 8 to go into the urban centres. It's hard to imagine that's the province we all live in. I think partly the schools are underfunded, but it's not a safe community from the perspective of crime and racism, so the province has announced some crisis fund- ing," she says. Her day job is a big one, but Dwyer also remains passionate about developing the careers of young women lawyers, which is why she established the Black Female Law- yers Network, a registered not-for-profit, in 2006. "I began the Black Female Lawyers Net- work because when I was called to the bar I, too, had some unique experiences, just like my dad, because of the intersection of race and gender and wanted to talk to another black female lawyer about it. I was a bit perturbed that those more senior lawyers hadn't approached me," she says. This year, Dwyer was one of seven women honoured by the YWCA Toronto as a 2017 Woman of Distinction for her work helping women and girls. Dwyer says she is supportive of the recent decision by the Toronto District School Board to suspend until at least Nov- ember a program from 2008 that put armed police officers in three-dozen Toronto pub- lic schools. Activist groups such as Black Lives Matter Toronto had been demanding the program be scrapped to address anti- black racism in the school system. "There are many programs and sup- ports that were either born of or impacted by the tragic death of Jordan Manners at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate and were important to put in place so students could be safe and have an opportunity to learn, but that is almost 10 years ago," she says. Dwyer believes it is a good opportunity, whether it comes by a way of agreement or disagreement of parties, to rethink and re-evaluate the program in current circum- stances and by asking good questions such as: What do you really need in a school to keep it safe? Is the presence of a police offi- cer what is needed or is it another type of professional? Is there another way for police services to have contact with students to build a relationship? "I'm always happy to see the voices of students, of which Black Lives matter is one of those, and parents, because it informs you that there are times when you have to rethink," she says. "The voices are very clear — whether you agree or disagree, there are a number of parents and community mem- bers who don't want that. At the very least, that should attract a level of inquiry to find out if their views should cause a different way to implement this or not at all." Dwyer says she also receives many ad hoc requests for mentoring as a senior member of the public service. "I get a lot of job applications from racialized people because they apply where they see they will be welcome. I always link that back to the profession and the import- ance that the profession have a contempor- ary composition that reflects the province of Ontario's population," she says. Dwyer is hoping to see numbers rise for black female judges in the next 10 years. Currently, there are seven female black law- yers in Ontario. Despite being a strong advocate of pro- moting more black women lawyers to the bench, Dwyer says she's not interested in being a judge herself. "I'm so reluctant to say no, but it's not where I see my skills and competencies best used. I need the freedom to express myself and I think you lose that becoming a judge. You do as [assistant deputy minister], too, but I think I have more freedom than they do," she says. 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