Hon. Kristopher Wells: Honourable senators, I rise today to honour a remarkable educator, trailblazer, community leader, mentor and friend Rosalind Smith, whose passing is felt not only in Edmonton but across Canada.

As we mark Black History Month — a time to reflect on the resilience, leadership and contributions of Black Canadians — there is no more fitting moment to celebrate a woman whose life helped shape that history in classrooms, communities and the lives of countless young people.

Rosalind Smith, known simply as “Ros” to her colleagues and friends, made history as the first Black principal in Edmonton Public Schools. But her legacy reaches far beyond that milestone. It lives on in the confidence she nurtured in students, the educators she mentored and the communities she strengthened through her unwavering belief in the power and purpose of public education.

At a time when both women and Black Canadians were rarely seen in school leadership, Ros led with grace, compassion and quiet strength. She saw every child not as a problem to be solved but as a future waiting to unfold. Yet, like many who break barriers, her path was not without resistance.

Ros once shared with me how a student arrived at her school wearing a full Ku Klux Klan costume. When confronted, the family dismissed it as a joke. Ros understood it for what it was — a message meant to intimidate and exclude. But she answered hatred not with bitterness but with excellence and humanity. Again and again, she transformed resistance into respect, opening doors for others to follow, myself included, when I had the privilege of working alongside her at Edmonton Public Schools.

Later, as supervisor of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Ros championed marginalized students and families, including those from 2SLGBTQI+ communities, helping schools become places where every young person could learn in safety and with dignity and pride. Her life reminds us that Black history is not confined to the past. It is living history, written every day by leaders who widen the circle of belonging for those who come next.

Across Canada, wherever a child now feels seen, wherever diversity is celebrated and wherever a young person believes leadership is possible for them, Ros’s legacy endures. We deeply mourn her loss, but we celebrate a life that made our country kinder, fairer and more hopeful. May we honour her memory by continuing her work for equity, dignity and belonging for all.

Thank you, Ros, for showing us how to lead with courage and heart. Your lessons will forever continue to guide us.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.