Ryan Painter

Ryan Painter is a politician, mental health, and political activist living in Town of View Royal. He currently serves as the Chair of the Greater Victoria Board of Education.
== Early Life ==
Painter was born on June 9, 1984 in Vernon, British Columbia to Lori Andersen (manager) and Earl Painter (entrepreneur). Painter was born with a cleft lip and palate that required various facial surgeries and orthodontic work between the ages of 18 months to 18 years old. Painter is descended on his father's side from Simon Fraser Tolmie (Painter's father Earl was adopted as a baby from the Tolmie family). Painter attended Harwood Elementary from Kindergarten to Grade 2 before moving with his mom, step-father (Peter Foodikoff, a descendant of Doukhobors) and his grandmother Lorraine Andersen to the East Hill neighbourhood of Vernon. He attended Silver Star Elementary School from Grade 3 to Grade 7, and went to high-school at Vernon Secondary School from Grade 8 until graduation, graduating on the Honour Roll and with Distinction. 
Painter worked at various retail outlets, sporting goods stores, grocery stores and as a restaurant supervisor during his early years of employment. While attending the University of British Columbia - Okanagan while studying for his Bachelor of Arts degree, Ryan worked as a welding and maintenance assistant at Tolko Industries Armstrong, British Columbia location.
== Early Activism ==
Ryan started his political activism in Vernon organizing various rallies and protests on different issues of provincial and national interest. He organized a rally protesting the prorogation of parliament by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper and helped lead and organize the Vernon chapter of the Anti-HST campaign.
== Mental Health Activism ==
In 2017 Painter began using social media to talk publicly about his mental health challenges, including his struggles after a near suicide attempt in 2006 when he was 22 years old. He focused on issues like the effects of stigma on those experiencing mental health challenges, toxic masculinity, and the effective use of language to help people feel more open about their experiences. 
in 2018 Painter founded and organized the Victoria Walk/Run for Mental Health, an annual event aimed at raising funds for local mental health non-profit organizations. Over three years, the event raised over $15,000 for local nonprofits. The first event featured City of Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps as a guest speaker.
== School Trustee ==
Ryan announced his campaign for School Trustee in the summer of 2018. He focused primarily on his own lived experience with mental illness and the need for greater mental health supports in schools, his desire to ensure that children with disabilities were being supported with resources, support gender diverse students and vigorously support SOGI123, and a focus on ensuring that as a district they took action on the climate crisis.
Ryan was able to gain 18,678 votes, putting him in the top 9 of 12 candidates on the 9 person board.
During his time as Trustee, Ryan successfully advocated to maintain a school for medically fragile students, organized a rally in support of SOGI123, brought forward a motion to allow free access to menstrual products in all SD 61 schools, initiated the review and supported the temporary suspension of school liaison officers during the review period, supported the collaboration between the City of Victoria, BC Housing Management Commission|BC Housing, Capital Regional Housing Corporation and the School District to consolidate parcels of land in order to create 158 units of affordable housing near Victoria High School, led the charge with Trustee colleague Jordan Watters to rename George Jay Elementary School, and advocated to the province for more equitable language to be used on provincial forms.
Painter was elected Chair of the Board of Education on November 22, 2021.
Category:1984 births
Category:Columbian people
Category:Canadian politicians
Category:Canadian activists