From mental health support to disaster preparation, the new Health and Safety Team is creating a safer place to work and learn. 

If the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board had to imagine the perfect team to protect the health of the school’s community, it simply could not have dreamed up a more perfect duo than experienced safety and wellness powerhouses Gus Andrew Underwood and Angela Hamilton. 

Gus and Ang are the new Health and Safety Coordinators at W̱SÁNEĆ School Board. Their positions were created in September of 2022 as a reflection of the School Board’s commitment to protecting the many staff, students, guests, and elders who gather at its schools.

While new to their current roles, both Ang and Gus have experience that spans decades, including many years as dedicated W̱SÁNEĆ School Board staff. 

Ang is Irish, Scottish, Swedish, and Dutch but grew up in Coast Salish Territory and is tremendously grateful to be serving the community as a Health and Safety Coordinator. She realized her passion for working with youth during high school while volunteering to support children with special needs, and that passion continued to guide every stage of her career. She gained her bearings in the world of health and safety during her 20-year tenure as a community support worker with the Victoria School District. There, she learned practical skills such as earthquake preparedness and search and rescue and realized that she felt at home in the world of health and safety.  

Ang first joined the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board twenty years ago and made an impact with her immense experience and expertise. Before becoming a Health and Safety Coordinator, she spent ten years as the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board Health and Wellness Coordinator. Towards the end of her time in that role, she played a critical part in preparing the school for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Gus was born and raised in the TSAWOUT First Nation. He began his career by earning a business degree, but quickly turned his sights to a life of service. In his early career, Gus took every opportunity to serve First Nations families. He worked with athletes in schools, was an educational mentor to the students of Bayside Middle School, supported preschoolers with physical and mental challenges, and even served as the director of a TSAWOUT’s daycare for nearly five years. He has held his first aid certification for over 20 years.

Thus, Gus was well prepared to support W̱SÁNEĆ youth when he began at the School Board. Before taking on the role of Health and Safety Coordinator – a position that he advocated to create – Gus worked as the Director of the Childcare Programs for thirteen years. 

As Health and Safety Coordinators, Ang and Gus go above and beyond to ensure the community will be safe, fed, and dry no matter what disaster arises. In Gus’ own words, they are “trying to get our school board, staff, students, guests, visitors, [and] elders to a point where, if something terrible did happen, like a massive earthquake . . . we will be fully prepared and people will have the understanding and the training to know what to do[.]” Some of the many initiatives currently on the coordinators’ radar include preparing the school building in case of a lockdown and keeping everyone up to date on their first aid training.

Beyond physical safety, however, the duo shares a commitment to caring for the community’s mental health, a need that has only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gus and Ang want the school community to know they are available to connect anyone in need with mental health services such as counseling, and that they’ll do so without judgment. 

Ang wants to normalize mental health care as being as routine as getting a checkup or a dental cleaning. In her own words, “health is mental health . . . sometimes we all have something going on in our lives and we just want to make sure that we can really uplift people or offer them services, even if we’re just there to talk.” 

Similarly, Gus wants to ensure everyone at the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board knows they are not alone on their challenging mental health days. “We are all battling some sort of demon or some sort of issue at home or at work,” Gus says. It’s normal, and Gus and Angela are there to be of support. 

This emphasis on mental health is supported by the entire W̱SÁNEĆ School Board, and all are encouraged to take advantage of the available mental health resources. 

When Gus and Ang are not doing their important work at the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board, they enjoy active lives. Gus enjoys coaching baseball and basketball, playing cricket, and meditating while doing yard work, camping with his family or taking solo walks. Angela enjoys hitting the open road in her newly renovated RV, volunteering with horses, and, most of all, spending time with her family. 

W̱SÁNEĆ School Board is lucky to benefit from the experienced leadership of Ang and Gus as it works to support the health and safety of everyone in the community. All are encouraged to contact Ang at ang@saec.ca or Gus at gunderwood@wsanecschoolboard.ca to discuss how they can be of support.