Conservative B.C.-based group sees N.B.'s LGBTQ policy change as test case for Canada
CBC
The Higgs government's changes to its policy on LGBTQ students in New Brunswick's schools are drawing national attention.
The controversy is leading at least one LGBTQ person to question whether they want to live here — while at the same time prompting some job recruiters to try to lure New Brunswickers to leave.
And a conservative Christian group based in British Columbia says the debate is a test case for its efforts to roll back school LGBTQ policies across the country.
"Provinces across the country are paying attention to what's going on in New Brunswick because these decisions will affect the rest of the country," said Tanya Gaw, the founder of Action4Canada, which has been flooding New Brunswick MLAs with emails.
"I believe that this program needs to be eradicated from the school system nationwide," Gaw said in an interview.
Education Minister Bill Hogan announced the results of the review of Policy 713 on June 7.
Among the changes is ending the obligation for teachers to respect the names and pronouns of children under 16 in the classroom — regardless of parental consent.
Wren Hicks, who grew up in Fredericton and runs a customer support department for a Montreal company, was thinking of moving back to the province to do that job remotely, until they heard about the Policy 713 review.
"Seeing some of the talking points that I'm seeing reflects stuff that we see from the States, and that's honestly terrifying," said Hicks, who identifies as non-binary and uses gender-neutral pronouns.
"And then on top of that, to be the very first place in Canada to actually roll back rights — it really makes you think, how big a portion of the province thinks like this? How many people are there that hate me without even knowing me?"
Hicks and their partner were "pretty much months away" from relocating, but sees the government's action as likely reflecting at least some level of public support.
"I hadn't considered what the sentiment was in New Brunswick around LBGTQ. Stuff like this doesn't really come up unless there's enough of a base that somebody thinks they're reaching out to."
Haley Flaro, the executive director of Ability New Brunswick, says she was recently contacted about a job outside the province by a recruiter who guessed correctly she was unhappy about the policy changes.
"They said, 'Listen, we're watching the dialogue happening in New Brunswick. We know you're passionate about inclusion and we can tell you our province is progressive. We've moving forward, equity is important and you should come to our province,'" Flaro said.
A suspended Moncton structural engineer faces more lawsuits alleging design flaws in buildings that require repair.
Sajjade Tugano has come a long way since he first set foot in Chibougamau, six hours north of Quebec City, in the depths of winter in November 2021.
A national mentor-based hockey organization that helps marginalized youth through the sport is paying tribute to one of its members and youngest coaches.
After months of asking the City of Saskatoon to do more to solve its homelessness crisis, advocate David Fineday took to the stand at city council Tuesday.
A community organization wants to breathe new life into a historic building in Regina.
Some Prince County residents are walking away with more answers after attending Tuesday night's public information session in Albany, P.E.I., on the Wejipek Wind Project.
After just a few months of using vape detectors in a couple of bathrooms, a B.C. high school principal says it's reduced vape use in those areas to basically zero.
Burlington MP Karina Gould gets boost from local young people after entering Liberal leadership race
A day after entering the Liberal leadership race, Burlington, Ont., MP and government House leader Karina Gould was cheered at a campaign launch party by local residents — including young people expressing hope the 37-year-old politician will represent their voices.
Anold Mulaisho was born intersex and wonders where they fit in, in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order for the United States to recognize only two sexes, male and female.
WARNING: This story contains references to suicide.
Subway service is down on Line 1 between Sheppard West and Lawrence West due to a broken power rail, the TTC said Wednesday morning.
A long-term care home in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood has cleared one more hurdle to add desperately needed beds to its property, a move that's been praised by housing advocates but opposed by locals concerned about the impact on the neighbourhood.
A Charlottetown resident is calling on the P.E.I. government to do more to protect homeowners after reading about a recent oil spill very similar to one on his Montague property 20 years ago, which he says ruined him financially.
WARNING: This story includes details of abuse.
Two years after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly declared she was taking the unprecedented step of moving to confiscate millions of dollars from a sanctioned Russian oligarch with assets in Canada, the government has not actually begun the court process to forfeit the money, let alone to hand it over to Ukrainian reconstruction — and it may never happen.
Alberta business and oilpatch leaders are returning home from Washington this week after the U.S. presidential inauguration festivities — and gritting their teeth after a roller-coaster of emotions.
Youth workers in Toronto's Jane and Finch area are flipping the script on negative stereotypes about their communities with a new fundraising campaign that offers anti-bias training in exchange for donations to bolster their programming.
In a sudden move that came late Tuesday evening, city officials rolled out cots and temporarily opened a warm building in east London as frigid temperatures continued.