Glanbrook

Saturday November 5, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Saturday November 5, 2016 Anti-sex-ed activists form Ontario political party Anti-sex-ed activists in Ontario have formed a new political party and are running candidates in the province's two ongoing byelections. Queenie Yu, who ran as an independent candidate in the recent Scarborough-Rouge River byelection on a platform opposing the Liberal government's updated sex-ed curriculum, is behind the newÊparty. She is running as the Stop the New Sex Ed Agenda candidate in Niagara West-Glanbrook, while Elizabeth de Viel Castel is running as the party's candidate in Ottawa-Vanier. Those votes are set forÊNov. 17. The goal is not necessarily to win a seat, which is highly unlikely, but to send a message that opposition to the Liberal sex-ed curriculum is still alive, Yu said. "Even though I'm not able to offer supporters a party that can form government, the point is that democracy isn't just about winning seats in the legislature, it's about being a voice for the public," sheÊsaid. "When you look at the Green party, they've never won a seat but people vote for them because of what they stand for." The new curriculum included updates such as warnings about online bullying and sexting, but protesters have taken issue with discussions of same-sex marriage, masturbation and gender identity. The issue dominated the Scarborough-Rouge River campaign after Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown's office released a letter promising that he would scrap the curriculum, thenÊbacktracked on it days later. Brown angered social conservatives by eventually saying he supported the curriculum and the public split has left them looking for a new political home. But Yu believes her new party could also garnerÊsupport from some who traditionally vote Liberal, such as people in the Chinese community. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)Êhttp://www.thespec.com/news-story/6945802-anti-sex-ed-activists-form-ontario-political-pa

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 5, 2016

Anti-sex-ed activists form Ontario political party

Anti-sex-ed activists in Ontario have formed a new political party and are running candidates in the province’s two ongoing byelections.

Queenie Yu, who ran as an independent candidate in the recent Scarborough-Rouge River byelection on a platform opposing the Liberal government’s updated sex-ed curriculum, is behind the new party.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday September 10, 2015 Half of one Toronto schoolÕs students kept home to protest new sex-ed Parents in one Toronto community have made good on their threat to keep their children at home on the first day of school to protest the provinceÕs new sex-ed curriculum, which they say is not age appropriate. At Thorncliffe Park, where nearly all of its Grade 1 to 5 students were pulled from class during a protest staged by parents in the spring, almost half of the schoolÕs population was absent Tuesday, said a spokesman for the Toronto District School Board. Julie Lalonde was stalked by an ex-boyfriend for years. One note he left read: ÒI will always love you, you have no choice.Ó Complaints from parents have ranged from a lack of consultation with them to not wanting their kids to be taught about same-sex relationships and different gender identities. Education Minister Liz Sandals urged parents who are opposed to the curriculum to first talk to teachers and principals because there is Òa lot of misinformationÓ being circulated, but each school board does have a policy on withdrawing students from particular classes. However, she said, the majority of the feedback she has received has been positive. ÒI have never in my life been just stopped on the street by strangers so often (who) said, ÔThank you for doing this. Hang in there. We want this program.ÒÕ Premier Kathleen Wynne said in addition to thousands of school council chairs, 70 health organizations and parent groups were consulted in crafting the new curriculum, which had not been updated since 1998. ÒThis is the most widely consulted upon curriculum in the history of the province,Ó she said Tuesday. ÒWhen we write curriculum...on geography or social studies or mathematics, that kind of consultation does not happen because thatÕs not how curriculum has been historically written in the province. We felt there was a need to have a broader

September 10, 2015

She is running as the Stop the New Sex Ed Agenda candidate in Niagara West-Glanbrook, while Elizabeth de Viel Castel is running as the party’s candidate in Ottawa-Vanier. Those votes are set for Nov. 17.

The goal is not necessarily to win a seat, which is highly unlikely, but to send a message that opposition to the Liberal sex-ed curriculum is still alive, Yu said.

“Even though I’m not able to offer supporters a party that can form government, the point is that democracy isn’t just about winning seats in the legislature, it’s about being a voice for the public,” she said.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

February 26, 2015

“When you look at the Green party, they’ve never won a seat but people vote for them because of what they stand for.”

The new curriculum included updates such as warnings about online bullying and sexting, but protesters have taken issue with discussions of same-sex marriage, masturbation and gender identity.

The issue dominated the Scarborough-Rouge River campaign after Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown’s office released a letter promising that he would scrap the curriculum, then backtracked on it days later.

Brown angered social conservatives by eventually saying he supported the curriculum and the public split has left them looking for a new political home. But Yu believes her new party could also garner support from some who traditionally vote Liberal, such as people in the Chinese community. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Wednesday August 29, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday August 29, 2012

New Federal riding for Hamilton?

Hamilton is set to receive a new seat in the House of Commons in time for the next federal election.

A commission tasked with reviewing Ontario’s federal ridings has recommended a new, U-shaped riding called Waterdown Glanbrook that stretches along Hamilton’s outer edge. The proposed district is made up of rural land that’s now part of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale and Niagara West–Glanbrook.

The new riding is one of 15 new electoral districts in Ontario proposed by the commission. The report, released Monday, still faces a public commenting period and review by a parliamentary committee.

If the Waterdown–Glanbrook riding is approved, political science professor Henry Jacek says it will likely go to the Conservatives, given its largely rural population.

However, Jacek also argues that the proposal to whittle down Ancanster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale to only Ancaster and left-leaning Westdale and Dundas could make for an interesting race come the 2015 federal election.

“It will be much more competitive than Ancaster is right now,” Jacek said.

David Sweet, MP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, could not be reached for comment.

Justice George Valin, who chaired the commission reviewing Ontario’s ridings, said the suggestion to create the new riding arose out of a formula that requires the population of each electoral district to come as close as possible to 111,166 people. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)