The man who headed Red Deer College during some of its most difficult years has died.
Peter Nunoda, who was president of Red Deer College (RDC) and then Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) from September 2019 to September 2021, died on Tuesday. He was 64.
RDP board of governors chair Guy Pelletier became chair the same week that Nunoda joined RDC after a lengthy search for a replacement for past-president Joel Ward.
“We kind of grew into it together,” said Pelletier.
Nunoda was only weeks into his new job when he faced his first major challenge when the UCP government slashed post-secondary grants by an average of 20 per cent in a cost-cutting drive.
“That was kind of the welcome that Peter got to Alberta as president and I got as board chair,” said Pelletier.
Despite the significant financial hit, Nunoda rose to the challenge.
“He never complained about it. He buckled down and worked with the team there and made it work.
“A few months later COVID hit, and the same thing. From a board perspective, he made things pretty easy for us because of his leadership there.”
Nunoda joined RDC anticipating he would oversee its transition to a university. However, in 2021 the UCP government revoked the university status approval by the previous NDP government and converted the college into a polytechnic.
As president, Nunoda oversaw the launch of three baccalaureate degrees and the creation of an international recruitment strategy. As he restructured RDP, he faced criticism for cutting programs including the Bachelor of Applied Arts in Film, Theatre and Live Entertainment among others.
RDP announced this week it will fly its flags at half-staff through Friday when convocation ceremonies will be held for this year’s graduates.
Nunoda came to RDP from Vancouver Community College (VCC), where he served as president from 2014 to 2019. During that time, the college debuted the Gladue writing program, which was the first of its kind in Canada and developed to meet the needs of Indigenous people in federal custody.
“The needs and the advocacy of First Nations peoples was important to Peter, as an academic and as a person,” said VCC president and CEO Ajay Patel in a statement. “This sad news is a reminder of how precious life is, and that we should live life to its fullest, just like Peter did.”
Originally from London, Ont., Nunoda received his Bachelor of Arts in history from University of Western Ontario, an M.A. from University of Windsor and a history Ph.D. from University of Manitoba.
He became an administrator overseeing access programs and Aboriginal focus programs at the University of Manitoba, where he was also a history and Native students instructor for 12 years. In 2007, he joined University College of the North in The Pas in northern Manitoba as dean of the faculty of health.
His expertise in Aboriginal health led to a position with the Indigenous Health Unit at Australia’s James Cook University. His last position after RDP was executive director at Manitoba Building Trades Institute.
“He was very committed to his own education and that of others. It was really a lifetime pursuit,” said Pelletier. “It’s something I would admire in anyone greatly and did in Peter too.”
Past-RDC board chair Morris Flewwelling said when seeking a new president the board had narrowed down the list to almost a dozen candidates and then shortlisted a handful for further interviews. When done, the entire board was unanimous in picking Nunoda.
The board was impressed with Nunoda’s breadth of experience and particularly his deep commitment to the First Nations culture. He also had top-notch administrative skills, taking VCC from $11 million in debt when he arrived to debt-free in two years.
Flewwelling said Nunoda had a “delightful quiet personality about him. At the same time, he had a kind of internal steely resolve.
“I said many times I would not want to be part of something where we were trying to reverse something Peter found deeply ingrained in him. He looked pretty soft on the outside, but don’t mess around doing something you shouldn’t be doing because he’d take you apart,” said Flewwelling with a laugh.
Outside school, Nunoda was a dedicated golfer and hockey fan.
Nunoda leaves his wife, Joanne, and three adult children. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Diabetes Canada.