Bob Pringle, Children's Advocate
A Voice for Children and Youth
Bob Pringle was appointed as Saskatchewan’s third Children’s Advocate on November 17, 2010. The Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly confirmed Mr. Pringle’s appointment in November of 2010, with the effective commencement date being January 1, 2011.
Over the past 38 years, Bob has been extensively involved with delivering services to the public. He has worked with First Nations and Métis peoples, as a Social Worker, Manager and Minister of Social Services, and has been involved with leadership roles with community agencies such as Habitat for Humanity, the Saskatoon Food Bank, Cosmopolitan Industries, the Saskatchewan Association of Community Living, and the Saskatoon Housing Coalition.
Through his broad experience and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for 10 years (1988-98), Bob has developed an understanding of how the complex cycles of poverty, mental illness, cognitive impairment, physical challenges, homelessness, and substance abuse can affect families. As Minister of Social Services (1993-96), Mr. Pringle coordinated the Saskatchewan Action Plan for Children.
In 2009, Bob’s expertise was recognized through his appointment to serve as the Chair of the independent Child Welfare Review panel tasked with the comprehensive review of child welfare in Saskatchewan. Other contributions include serving as the Co-Chair and Facilitator of the Premier’s CBO Summits, and Co-chair of the province’s Task Force on Housing Affordability.
He has served on many community boards and committees, including the Saskatchewan and Canadian Association of Social Workers, the Canadian Association of Food Banks, and the Saskatoon Advisory Committee on Homelessness. Bob is also a past President of the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers.
Bob has received many local, provincial and national awards for his advocacy work on behalf of children and families. Mr. Pringle was also the recipient of a Saskatchewan Order of Merit and the Centennial Medal in 2005. In 2009, he received a special award for being a key contributor to the visioning and implementation of the City of Saskatoon’s unique affordable housing strategy.
Most recently, Bob served as a Saskatoon City Councilor, as well as a Human Services Consultant. He has a Bachelor and a Master’s degree in Social Work, and Bob and his wife Tanya have three grown children and four grandchildren.