Cst. Fern John-Simon: The Power of Representation at Dr. F.J. McDonald School

The moment Cst. Fern John-Simon stepped into Dr. F.J. McDonald School, a positive impact was felt.

The invitation came after a teacher saw her on television and immediately reached out, asking her to be a Black History Month guest of honour. 

She spent the afternoon with the youngest group of students – Grade 1 and 2 – reading I Love My Hair, before joining the grades 4, 5 and 6 students afterwards to share her story.

Sitting at the front of the classroom in full uniform, she held the book as she read, showing the illustrations and pausing to ask questions. The story, centred on pride, identity, and loving yourself exactly as you are, resonated in a powerful way.

For those younger students, the conversation wasn’t about being Black. It wasn’t about being a woman. It was about the uniform.

They saw a police officer.
They saw the badge.
They saw someone they thought was cool.

They did not see that Black women in policing are highly underrepresented in our city. They did not know that, since Fern was hired fifteen years ago, only one other Black female officer has been hired. They did not see the additional barriers she faced or the ways her experience in policing has been different. They did not see how much harder she had to work to earn and protect her seat at the table.

They just saw a person in a uniform.

With the Grade 4 to 6 students, the conversation shifted. Fern shared her story — why she joined policing, what challenges she’s faced, and what keeps her committed to serving the community. Afterward, one older student said to her, “I have never been this close to a Black female police officer before.”

It wasn’t criticism. It was reality.

That moment sparked a conversation about recruitment, opportunities, and why representation matters. When young girls see themselves reflected in positions of leadership, they begin to understand what is possible for them. They begin to imagine themselves there too.

Cst. John-Simon is paving the way for young black women across our city. Simply by showing up. By being in front of the camera in her role as Media Relations Officer. By succeeding in a space where she has often been one of the very few.

And the youngest students offered perhaps the most important reminder of all: discrimination is not innate. It is taught. It is inherited. It is systemic.

Children just see people.

Thank you, Cst. Fern John-Simon, for being an important voice within the Ottawa Police Service and for impacting the next generation simply by being yourself.