People in Moncton hold rally in support of Policy 713
New Brunswickers showed up for the Pride community on Saturday, standing together in support of Policy 713 and speaking out against the government’s plan to review it.
“We can’t go backwards. We just can’t,” said Liette Arseneault, a teacher and ally. “This policy is super important for our kids to feel safe, our kids to feel secured and it’s our job as educators to make them feel that way.”
Despite the wet and cold conditions, supporters of all ages gathered outside of Moncton’s city hall for a two-hour rally hosted by River of Pride.
The event saw multiple speakers talk about the importance of having the policy in place and helped highlight the support that 2SLGBTQIA+ students have in the province.
“My biggest teachers these days are students in our district who are showing us every single day what courage is, and the fact that they themselves know they have to fight their own battles,” said Kristin Cavoukian, member of the Anglophone East District Education Council.
“I am so proud to know you, all of the students that have been standing up against this government,” she added.
Policy 713 sets the bare minimum requirements for school district to create a safe, welcoming learning environment for all 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
Recently, the government of New Brunswick announced that it would be reviewing the policy.
“I think this is now in the fourth week of sending a message to this government that their attack on this policy and on LGBTQ students, the people in New Brunswick are not going to stand for it,” said Don Darling, who was there in support on Saturday.
“There’s been no transparency in who’s going to be consulted. Every term, the government seems to embarrass themselves with every discussion. We did start a petition to save Policy 713 that over 15,750 people have signed so far,” he added.
He says the signatures come from across the entire province, helping to showcase the support the Pride community has.
“I just want you to know that this isn’t going to go away,” said another speaker on Saturday.
“So even though William Hogan says that he wants to put this to bed sooner than later, it’s not going away if they change one single part of that policy.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.