She may be known as the owner of Riverview Restaurant, but school board byelection candidate Li Cripps has considerable experience in eduction as both a student and an instructor since she immigrated to Canada in 1990.
Cripps, who has owned and operated Riverview Restaurant for the past 17 years, with her late husband Shane Cripps before a boating accident that claimed his and her son Dylan’s lives in 2017, and on her own for the past three years, originally came to Thompson for a job at Keewatin Community College, the predecessor of University College of the North.
“I was actually a college instructor for 12 years,” says Cripps. “I also taught some courses for University of Manitoba and Brandon University as a sessional instructor so I have quite a few education experiences in a university or college setting.”
Before that, she had to go back to school, despite having earned a college degree in Bangladesh, so she would have credentials that were recognized in Canada.
“I had to re-educate myself so I obtained a diploma in computer engineering technology and also in electrical engineering technology,” says Cripps, who also completed a certificate in adult education and a diploma from an immigration consultant program.
Having grown up in China, where the education system is very different than in Canada, Cripps says there are good parts and bad parts in both.
“I think both systems have pros and cons so if we can find some kind of happy medium to ensure students’ success,” she says.
For the current school year, Cripps says the challenge is for the school district to keep students safe during the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring that educational standards don’t suffer as a result.
“We cannot lower ourselves because of the pandemic as far as the learning objectives and the outcomes,” Cripps says. “I think the school district is doing a good job right now. We don’t have any cases in the schools yet. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”
Cripps says that, if elected, she would like to explore the possibility of having international students attend R.D. Parker Collegiate as a way to inject extra money into the School District of Mystery Lake without raising property taxes.
“If we can do that, that’d be great,” she says.
Although she never envisioned herself running for political office, Cripps says she also never imagined she would own a restaurant.
“I actually almost took a job with the federal government, then this opportunity came up. I thought to myself that I’m actually a community-centred person, deep-rooted. I think I can do better, serve better at the community level.”
She also says that, regardless of who they prefer, young people who recently turned 18 should exercise their democratic rights.
“Make sure to register and go out to vote,” Cripps says.
