Alberta tables bills on transgender youth health care, students' pronouns, opt-in sex education
CBC
The Alberta government introduced bills Thursday to prohibit minors from receiving certain types of gender-affirming care, require parents be notified when a child wants to use a different name or pronoun in the classroom, and also require that parents opt-in before their children are taught about sex in class.
Another bill is designed to address the participation of transgender athletes in sport.
The legislative changes were first announced by Premier Danielle Smith in a province-wide video on Jan. 31.
Smith told a news conference prior to the introduction of three bills on Thursday that the measures are in the best interest of youth before they make what she called "life-altering and potentially permanent decisions."
"All three pieces of legislation have been developed, drafted and tabled with the express purpose of striking the right balance for the health, safety and well-being of all children and youth in our province," she said.
"We're also upholding the rights of parents to care for, teach and protect their children."
Proposed changes outlined in the Education Amendment Act, 2024, and the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, include:
The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, also introduced Thursday, would limit membership on female competitive sports teams to athletes who were female at birth.
The requirement would apply to secondary and post-secondary institutions and competitive amateur sports organizations. Leagues would be encouraged to create co-ed sports divisions to give transgender athletes a place to compete.
The three bills were introduced days before Smith faces a mandatory leadership review at the United Conservative Party's annual general meeting in Red Deer this weekend.
Some factions of the UCP have complained Smith hasn't honoured the promises she made during her successful campaign in 2023. Critics say these bills were crafted to appeal to these members.
The measures have been criticized by many transgender people, their families and allies for opening youth to more psychological trauma due to gender dysphoria.
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said in a scrum prior to the introduction of the bills that Smith is governing for a faction of her party, not for all Albertans.
The measures in the bills will either out students to their parents before they are ready or keep them in the closet, Nenshi added.
Trevor Allen didn’t worry about who had the most extravagant decorations or brightest bulbs.
Alberta's transportation minister could hear the horns blaring from inside his office.
A single northbound lane on the long-awaited Pattullo Bridge replacement has opened to traffic, marking the first step in a phased opening process.
The Yukon has been grappling with an extreme cold weather system that's pushing the power grid to the brink because it can't keep up with demand.
The days leading up to Christmas day can be the most stressful time of the holidays. Especially if those days are spent travelling to the post office hoping to pick up that special, last minute gift you ordered online, just in time to put it under the tree.
The Yukon's energy provider says Whitehorse is not at imminent risk of blackouts, but with very cold weather forecasted through the holidays, residents are still being asked to conserve power.
A pedestrian is dead after a vehicle crashed into a building in Toronto, said police.
RCMP in Inuvik, N.W.T., say two youth have been arrested after officers found suspected cocaine and a loaded firearm at a home in the community.
Canada and 13 other countries issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Alberta health officials are flagging the circulation of a rare bacteria known as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) among homeless adults living in Calgary.
The future of a prominent building in London's Old East Village (OEV), once home to the London Food Incubator, is looking uncertain following the relocation of its anchor tenant and the planned departure of another.
As Yukon continues to deal with a prolonged spell of extreme cold, emergency officials are advising people to be prepared in case of a power outage.
Police say they have found and arrested 47-year-old Douglas Yetman, a man wanted for murder.