Albert Provost has dedicated his entire life to supporting and promoting Catholic education in Canada. Though recently retired, his outstanding contributions to Catholic education in Canada will continue to bear fruit for many years to come. For his achievements, he has been named the 2023 Higgins Award winner.
The Higgins Award is awarded annually in honour of distinguished Canadian jurist and Catholic School Trustee, the Honourable Justice James Higgins. CCSTA’s Board of Directors presents the award to a person or group that has made a long-term, exceptional contribution to Catholic education in Canada. The Higgins Award is the highest honour provided by CCSTA.
Mr. Provost was nominated by the Prince Albert Catholic Separate School Division.
Dedicated Teacher, Principal, Parishioner, and Community Member
Mr. Albert Provost began his teaching career in the Saskatoon Catholic School Division. In 1969, he moved to Prince Albert, when he was hired by the Prince Albert Catholic School Division. He was appointed principal in 1972 and served in that role for 22 years.
During his teaching career, Mr. Provost was involved in the local Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association (PAATA), serving in various capacities, including president. His service and dedication left a clear impact upon all those who worked with him: upon his retirement, he was awarded the prestigious Honorary Life Membership Award, in recognition of his profound commitment to students and teachers.
Albert Provost isn’t just committed to his school; he is a faithful servant in his local parish and community as well. He is a very active member in his church and served on parish council for several years, with two terms as president. Mr. Provost has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 50 years. He has held every executive position in his council and Fourth Degree Assembly and has served as District Deputy. He was also a Cadet Services of Canada officer, helping young people grow in concrete life skills and leadership abilities. For several years Mr. Provost was Commanding Officer of the 390 Army Cadet Corps in Prince Albert, retiring as a Captain.
Placing Students First
Mr. Provost was well known during his career for his unwavering desire to place the good of his students above all else. He initiated softball, volleyball, and boys’ flag football inter-school competitions, as well as oratory inter-school competitions from grades 1 to 8 as a way to foster excellence and a healthy desire to succeed among the students. Furthermore, in 1993-94, Mr. Provost worked with a committee of four volunteers at WFA Turgeon School to initiate a dynamic school-wide motivational and instructional reading program. The program was so well received that it earned the school a National Hilroy Fellowship Award “in recognition of the initiative and professional enterprise displayed in the development and successful application of an important educational innovation.”
After he retired from teaching, Mr. Provost continued to be a leader in Catholic education. Mr. Provost was elected as a school board trustee on the Board of Education for the Prince Albert Catholic School Division in 1999. As a trustee, he has served on many committees such as the Audit Committee, Discipleship Committee, and the Staff Appreciation and Recognition Committee.
According to his nomination letter, one of the most impactful areas of Mr. Provost’s leadership in Catholic Education was in co-founding the Prince Albert Catholic Education Foundation, which is a partnership between Catholic schools, parishes and the larger community. This Foundation is committed to nurturing, promoting, and supporting the vision, mission, and core values of the Catholic School system. He was instrumental in helping the foundation raise over $600,000 for the upgrades to École St. Mary High School. Albert Provost also served as the liaison to the foundation on the Prince Albert Catholic School Board.
In recognition of his service, Mr. Provost has been awarded the 9-year and 18-year Long-Service Awards by the Prince Albert Catholic School Board, and the Julian Paslawski Meritorious Service Award of the Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association in recognition of his tireless advocacy for Catholic education.
Mr. Provost served on the Prince Albert Catholic School Board for 27 years, including most recently as vice chairperson, until his retirement in January 2022. In a recent article about his retirement, Board Chair Suzanne Stubbs said, “Over his 27 years as a board member and his years of service as a teacher, Albert Provost has truly made a difference in our local and national Catholic Education community. His contributions and efforts are remarkable.”
And finally, in a cause that is very close to our hearts here at CCSTA, Mr. Provost has always been a strong advocate for the Toonies for Tuition Campaign of the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association. He championed the cause of affordable tuition for all students at the local and national level with this charitable foundation to assist students in Catholic schools with tuition in provinces with limited or no public funding. This is yet another concrete way that Mr. Provost’s dedication to Catholic Education made a real difference to students.
As his nomination letter says, “Albert has always committed himself to every activity he took part in, always doing his part and more. Without a doubt, Mr. Albert Provost has impacted Catholic Education.”
In recognition of the outstanding contributions he has made to Catholic education in Canada, we are honoured to present Mr. Provost with the Higgins Award for 2023.
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