V. Ophelia Rigault

06/26/2026

I have been reflecting on The SHINE Club a lot this past week as the school year comes to a close.

This has been sitting in my heart, and today I needed to speak directly to my SHINE kids and families.

This is my aloha message to all my ALCDSB SHINE kids, parents and community.

It’s not goodbye it means I hope to see you again.

And, I am confident I will. In the community, at events, in our places of worship and in places where we celebrate.
And hopefully back in your school.

Over the years so many children have called me Aunty or Ms. Ophelia or Ms. Rigault.

Those are not titles I take lightly. I claim, these with honour and humility.
They were given to me by the children, and I held them with my whole heart.

This ending does not only affect me. It affects the school based facilitators who showed up every week with love. It affects the children who were waiting for SHINE to return.

It affects the families who knew their kids finally had a place to rest and breathe and connect. A place of community care.

I remember walking into one school for the first time. The older kids were cautious and guarded. They told me programs come here all the time and they never stay.

For weeks we just talked and built trust. And when one child said you will not come back, I looked them in the eyes and said SHINE will always be here. I said that because I believed it. I said that because they deserved consistency and care. I said it because I was told it would be.

Children understand that programs can change. Parents understand that systems shift.

But what they should never have to experience is a promise being taken away without a chance to say goodbye.

So this is my goodbye.
And it is also my thank you.

Thank you to the principals who supported SHINE.
Thank you to the staff who volunteered on their lunch hours.

Thank you to the office staff and custodians who always made room for us.

Thank you to the community volunteers and sponsors who believed in this work.

Aunty did not leave you.
SHINE did not leave you.

SHINE is still here, even if we are not in your school right now.

I have lots of hope and will continue having conversations with the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board

Take everything you learned in SHINE into your classrooms, your friendships , and your community.

Keep shining because you are brilliant and powerful and worthy.

Have a beautiful summer.
I hope to see you again soon.

With love,
Aunty Ophelia

06/22/2026

I have been thinking a great deal about endings recently.

Not only the endings we expect, but the ones that arrive suddenly and reveal something we did not want to see.
Endings tell the truth.

They show whether our values were real or rehearsed.

They show whether care was consistent or conditional.

They show whether equity was present or only performed.

These reflections even inspired me to write a longer article about why endings matter so much in leadership and in community.

You can read it here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/equity-begins-hello-its-revealed-goodbye-v-ophelia-rigault-m-ed–dwccc

This video captures the heart of what I have been sitting with.
Here is what has been on my mind.

06/18/2026

Important update on The SHINE Club.

🌟 Important SHINE Club Update 🌟
We want to share an important update with our SHINE Club community about changes coming to our in‑school programming within the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB) for the 2026–2027 school year.

ALCDSB has informed us that, due to new Ministry directions, increased financial oversight requirements, and the impacts of Bill 101, they will not be continuing SHINE Club’s in‑school programming during the school day.

Any future involvement with the Board would need to take place through their after‑school IPPN process.

While this may be disappointing news, our commitment to children and families remains strong.

SHINE will continue to run through other school boards and in community spaces, and we look forward to ongoing conversations with ALCDSB about future possibilities.

We invite you to read our full community statement below,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-UG6CCoUsap6dqF6AcWZgz0gxna_he05/view?usp=sharing

06/05/2026

Indigenous History Month must include the stories we do not want to hear, especially when they involve our children.

Nine year old Mary Bull Sinclair from O Chi Chak Ko Sipi First Nation went to a Manitoba hospital twice for help with a broken arm. She was discharged both times. Days later, she died. Her family is still waiting for answers.

Mary’s story is heartbreaking, but it is not isolated.

It sits inside a much larger pattern of how Indigenous children are treated in systems that were never built for their safety, dignity, or wellbeing.

👉🏽 In Manitoba, 91 percent of all children in care are Indigenous.
👉🏽 Children in northern communities are moved up to 10 times because there are not enough safe placements.
👉🏽 There is a severe shortage of health and social service supports for Indigenous children with disabilities, chronic illness, or FASD.
👉🏽 Advocates continue to call the system colonial in structure, and children are paying the price.

Mary was one child.
One family.
One community.
But her story represents thousands of Indigenous children who continue to face inequity in health care, child welfare, and basic access to safety.

As we honour Indigenous History Month, we must hold space for the truth.
History is not only behind us. It is still shaping the lives of Indigenous children today.

And we have a responsibility to see it, name it, and do better.

06/02/2026

Where do you stand? It’s a simple question, but in this work, it’s everything.

I stand on my word, not because I’m perfect, because equity work demands a steady centre.

It asks you to listen deeply, learn honestly, and move with intention, even when the conversations stretch you. Especially then.

I am V. Ophelia Rigault, an EDI educator at REAL Talk Solutions, speaker, community builder. I’m also the founder and director of The SHINE Club.

My pronouns are she/her and I’m a woman who has been shaped by the places and people who raised me. I’m passionate about creating communities of belonging.

My work lives at the intersection of belonging, cultural integrity, and accountability.
I don’t do performance.
I don’t do diversity theatre.
I do the real work, the kind of work that requires courage, clarity, and community.

And here’s the truth:
In EDI, you don’t get to lead from ego.
You lead from alignment.
You lead from listening.
You lead from the understanding that feedback is not an attack, it’s a compass.

Because when communities speak, You pause.
You listen.
You adjust.
You grow.
And you move forward with more clarity than you had before.

Being grounded in this work doesn’t mean I’m not bold, bright or confident. I am all of those and more. For some, it may feel like “ I am lot”, and I’m finally in a place where I’m comfortable with that.

Because I will use my access, my privilege and my voice to share my ideas and insights in spaces that need them. I do it to widen access, deepen understanding and create more room for the communities who deserve to be heard and may not feel that they belong.

I stand on:

• Equity that is lived, not laminated
• Leadership that centres humanity, not hierarchy
• Spaces where Indigenous, Black, and racialized children and adults feel seen, safe, and celebrated
• Conversations that move people from intention to aligned action

It’s important for people to know where you stand.

If you’re new to my space, now you know. And if you’ve been here before consider this a re‑introduction, and a reminder of the work, the values, and the communities that I’m committed to.

I invite you to reach out if you’d like to work with me. The best way to connect is to send me a direct message.

And let me know where you stand in the comments.

Photos credit: Kodaker Photography

05/07/2026

Come join me at this great event!

We’re excited to welcome our emcee, V. Ophelia Rigault, Community Builder of the Year 2026 and founder of REAL Talk Solutions. A passionate advocate for equity and belonging, Ophelia brings a wealth of experience supporting diverse communities across Canada, along with a powerful voice for trauma-informed and inclusive leadership.

Register for the conference now: https://conference.ccwestt.org/en/registration

05/04/2026

As we begin this week, The SHINE Club will be holding space for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People also known as MMIWG2S and the truths it carries.

Our focus this week will centre especially on the experiences of Indigenous girls and the realities they face.

The actual National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S is on May 5 and we hold this day as a commemoration of their lives, their stories, and their voices.

Throughout this week we will be sharing reflections, gentle learning moments, and statistics that help deepen our understanding of why this awareness matters.

Our intention is to honour the children and families connected to this reality and to hold space with care, respect, and intention.

To learn more and get involved, check the comments.