Dr. Darren Lund was, until his recent passing, a professor at the University of Calgary's Werklund School of Education. He formerly taught at Red Deer's Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School. (University of Calgary)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

DR. DARREN LUND

Thurber to recognize late teacher who started Alberta’s first GSA

Nov 18, 2021 | 4:47 PM

Staff and students at Red Deer’s Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School will honour a former teacher on Friday.

Dr. Darren Lund, who taught English at Thurber from 1986 to 2002, passed away last week.

He was a driving force behind establishing the school’s and the province’s first ever Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) during the 1999-2000 school year.

Prior, Lund created STOP, or Students and Teachers Against Prejudice, which advocated on a vast array of diversity-related issues, including the historic James Keegstra trial, and the existence of an Aryan Nations compound in Caroline.

From 2002 onward, Lund was a professor at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education.

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Lund’s advocacy and work is why on Friday, Thurber will raise the Pride flag — to be flown at half mast — in his name.

“I don’t think as a teenager that I was really aware of the difference we were making, but I did know it was important. Mr. Lund took us around Alberta to present at conferences, teacher conventions, and talk with people about the need for tolerance,” recalls Amy Nye, former STOP member and 1995 Thurber grad.

Nye, now teaching at her alma mater, adds that it was sometimes clear STOP wasn’t welcome where it went.

“That never dissuaded Mr. Lund. If anything, he’d say, ‘That’s why we’re here.’ Where I gained the most was when he put us in situations to actually meet people who are different from us,” says Nye. “He taught me to look outside myself, push past my fears and engage authentically with other people to get to know the person behind the label. That’s huge when you’re 15, and it left a lasting impression on me and the way I treat people.”

It isn’t a surprise to Nye that Lund ultimately created that GSA, adding that the already special Pride events which take place at Thurber will carry extra weight going forward.

Says Chris Good, Thurber’s current principal: “The fact we were the first in Alberta with a GSA is at the top of the list of Thurber’s really great accomplishments. Dr. Lund was a pioneer in that sense, but it went beyond the GSA as he did a lot of work with students who maybe felt they didn’t have a place.”

Good points out it is less formidable in 2021 to decide the school will fly the Pride flag, because of Dr. Lund’s work.

“When he was doing those things, it wasnt as easy. There was a lot more opposition, and people weren’t as welcoming and open to those ideas,” he says. “He really made sure students were looked after and made our job today a lot easier.”

Dr. Lund spoke to rdnewsNOW this past February amid a months-long Pride/Diversity Week controversy at Red Deer Public Schools.

Looking back at the formation of the GSA, Lund said, “That was a really important move and I’m so proud of those courageous students. It’s not like we solved the problem of homophobia, but I think it was a really important step.”

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In addition to Thurber’s flag-raising, Hunting Hills High School will hang a Pride flag in its gathering area on Friday, and students at both schools are encouraged to wear Pride colours. Flags at the University of Calgary will also be dropped to half mast on Friday, and Dr. Lund will be recognized at the next Red Deer Public Schools board meeting on Dec. 8.

In a post Thursday, Werklund School at U of C shared that Lund had earned a number of awards throughout his career, including:

-the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Scholar-Activist Award
-the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engaged Learning’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
-the Alberta Teachers’ Association Educational Research Award
-the inaugural 2021 Werklund Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award
-named a Reader’s Digest National Leader in Education