Weyburn Comprehensive School has some new teachers this year, but the new choral teacher Sarah Labonté just might have the biggest shoes to fill.

Colleen Weimer’s legacy still resounds, both outside of and within the school, which even has a hallway named after her. She did, after all, teach in Weyburn for more than 35 years prior to retiring in June. She also led the chorus that, at one point, boasted more than 250 students.

Sarah Labonté has already been hearing from everyone she meets in Weyburn about the predecessor’s mark on the community.

“I haven’t really been able to go anywhere, without hearing people say that,” she said. “Like, the bank, looking for a place to live. Everywhere, as soon as they find out.”

She said some have even referred to her as ‘the new Colleen’. But Labonté, of course, is not Mrs. Weimer.

“I think what everybody has to understand is that Colleen was loved, Collen was amazing, and I can’t be Colleen,” she said. “But Colleen couldn’t do it forever. There had to come a time where she was going to move on to other things, and someone had to come in, so regardless of who came in, it was going to be a challenge.”

Labonté certainly has her own style, and she intends to share that, and her passion for singing, with her students.

“I’m just hoping that we’re going to start fresh with the kids, start on a good page, and take it in a good direction,” she said. “I’m hoping to take it in a pretty modern direction, really liven it up, so, a bit edgy but fun.”

Labonté hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she earned a degree from Lakehead University.

“I have a pretty extensive background with music. I’ve done lots of choirs, lots of barber-shopping,” she said. “My degree was in voice. I was a voice major myself.”

She added she also has a great deal of dance training and has performed in many dance and theatre productions.

“I’m hoping I can bring all this in and use it,” she said.

Labonté got her start teaching Pre-K and K for three years. She then taught K-7 Arts Education in North Battleford.

“I wanted to get into the arts, I did some arts, but then as soon as I saw Choir, I jumped on it, like ‘that never happens!’ and I’m obsessed with singing, so,” she said, noting that many communities do not even offer Choral programs. “As soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘go’.”

She is settling into the community, having relocated her young family to Weyburn.

“It’s a big change, Thunder Bay is a bit of a bigger community, Boreal forest, lots of outdoorsy stuff, so it’s a big change but it’s been good,” she explained. “I have a one-year-old daughter named Scotia, and we’ve found lots of good activities here for kids, so we’re fitting in well that way. We’ve already got her signed up for ballet, music and all that fun stuff.”

Labonté expressed how much she is looking forward to her work with all of the Choral groups in the upcoming school year.

“I’m really excited to work with the extra-curricular choir, I’m going to keep the STARS Choir going on Monday nights,” she explained. “So that is going to be really fun, too. Lots of choreography. It’s going to be great, I’m excited.”