Barnes has been on the Durham District School Board for almost 10 years.

School board trustee Patrice Barnes has been nominated as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate in Ajax for the 2022 provincial election.

For nearly a decade Barnes has represented Wards 1 and 2 in Ajax as a Durham District School Board (DDSB) trustee, and as a director on the Ontario Public School Board Association. Throughout her work, Barnes has focused on improving learning outcomes for marginalized students and families.

She is a participant in the DDSB Youth Poverty Strategy and was part of the team integral in creating multiple programs for Black youth across Durham. She also served on the advisory group that authored the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan and was a member of the Ontario Education Partnership Roundtable.

“As a proud mom, advocate, community leader, and public-school board trustee, Ajax residents will have a strong representative at Queen’s Park if I am elected as MPP,” Barnes said. “I am committed to building Ontario and making life more affordable for hardworking families in Ajax.”

At the federal level, Barnes is active on the Canadian School Board Association’s anti-racism working group that addresses systemic barriers around education and advocates for the interests and needs of racialized groups.

In addition, she serves as a member of the Durham Regional Police Services Board.