Connect with us

Alberta

Danielle Smith delivers on promise to protect gender-confused children in Alberta

Published

9 months ago

6 minute read

From LifeSiteNews

By Jonathon Van Maren

The proposed legislation is the first of its kind in Canada and may set a precedent other provinces will follow.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has finally unveiled the promised legislation restricting sex-change surgeries and puberty blockers for minors. The legislation will include:

  • Licensed doctors are prohibited from performing sex change surgeries on youth under 18 in Alberta.
  • Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones will be prohibited for minors under the age of 16 unless the minors have already begun taking those drugs.
  • Those “born biologically male” (that is, males) will be prohibited from competing against women and girls in competitive sports.
  • Parental opt-in will be required for “each instance” a teacher wishes to discuss gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality.
  • Parental notification is required for “socially transitioning” a student — that is, changing a student’s given name or pronouns.  16- and 17-year-olds are still allowed to decide to change their name or pronouns in school, but parents must be notified.

Premier Smith detailed her plans in a long video posted to X, noting that “In less than a month, our UCP government will introduce critical legislation to ensure that children wait until adulthood before making decisions to physically alter their bodies for gender transition. We will also strengthen parental rights within our education system regarding this issue and ensure that women and girls can compete in female-only sports divisions.”

 

This news is incredibly significant for several reasons. Most important, it is a Canadian first. Other provinces have passed parental rights policies and made parental notification for “social transitioning” mandatory, but none have yet gone so far as to restrict sex-change surgeries or puberty blockers. In the time since Smith announced her plan to propose this legislation, the UK’s Labour Government and the high court has upheld the UK’s ban on puberty blockers, with the National Health Service condemning the practice and firmly rebutting the idea that such legislation causes suicidal ideation in trans-identified youth.

Smith also has shown willingness to actually push back against the disgusting accusations that immediately came her way. When Marci Ien, the MP for Toronto Centre and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, claimed that Smith was “targeting trans youth” and that she would be “hurting” kids, Smith posted an article from the National Post titled “‘How will I come back from this?’: Detransitioners abandoned by medical and trans communities” and subtitled “They were irreversibly altered by mastectomies, hormone therapies when they were teens. What happens when they want their bodies back?”

“Do you mean children going through this, Marci Ien?” Smith asked. That is precisely the right response — pointing out that it is trans activists and their political enablers who pose a danger to the bodies of gender dysphoric children. It is also interesting to note that Smith used the phrase “gender reassignment surgery” in her posts and video rather than the trans-activist-approved “gender affirmation surgery,” which most media outlets and LGBT activist politicians use. Considering how carefully Smith and her caucus have approached this issue, that choice of words does not seem like an accident — they have chosen not to use language that implicitly affirms the premises of trans activists.

Not all of the responses were vitriolic. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal noted that Smith may be leading the way: “How long before all other Canadian provinces adopt similar rules around gender policy as Alberta? No more than 5 years? Many European countries leading the way here, Alberta following a sane and humane path.” Staples is correct. Trans activists have been steadily losing control of the narrative in a number of European countries, and the consensus that sterilizing and medicalizing gender dysphoric children is a medical scandal is growing. Canada has long been a holdout. I suspect history will look kindly on what Danielle Smith is doing here.

Featured Image

Jonathon’s writings have been translated into more than six languages and in addition to LifeSiteNews, has been published in the National Post, National Review, First Things, The Federalist, The American Conservative, The Stream, the Jewish Independent, the Hamilton Spectator, Reformed Perspective Magazine, and LifeNews, among others. He is a contributing editor to The European Conservative.

His insights have been featured on CTV, Global News, and the CBC, as well as over twenty radio stations. He regularly speaks on a variety of social issues at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

He is the author of The Culture War, Seeing is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion, Patriots: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Pro-Life Movement, Prairie Lion: The Life and Times of Ted Byfield, and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide with Blaise Alleyne.

Jonathon serves as the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform.

Related Topics:

Todayville is a digital media and technology company. We profile unique stories and events in our community. Register and promote your community event for free.

Follow Author

More from this author
Business / 11 hours ago

103 Conflicts and Counting Unprecedented Ethics Web of Prime Minister Mark Carney

Daily Caller / 15 hours ago

Blackouts Coming If America Continues With Biden-Era Green Frenzy, Trump Admin Warns

Business / 16 hours ago

Most Canadians say retaliatory tariffs on American goods contribute to raising the price of essential goods at home

Alberta

Cross-Canada NGL corridor will stretch from B.C. to Ontario

Published on July 12, 2025

By

Keyera Corp.’s natural gas liquids facilities in Fort Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy Keyera Corp.

From the Canadian Energy Centre

By Will Gibson

Keyera ‘Canadianizes’ natural gas liquids with $5.15 billion acquisition

Sarnia, Ont., which sits on the southern tip of Lake Huron and peers across the St. Clair River to Michigan, is a crucial energy hub for much of the eastern half of Canada and parts of the United States.

With more than 60 industrial facilities including refineries and chemical plants that produce everything from petroleum, resins, synthetic rubber, plastics, lubricants, paint, cosmetics and food additives in the southwestern Ontario city, Mayor Mike Bradley admits the ongoing dialogue about tariffs with Canada’s southern neighbour hits close to home.

So Bradley welcomed the announcement that Calgary-based Keyera Corp. will acquire the majority of Plains American Pipelines LLP’s Canadian natural gas liquids (NGL) business, creating a cross-Canada NGL corridor that includes a storage hub in Sarnia.

“As a border city, we’ve been on the frontline of the tariff wars, so we support anything that helps enhance Canadian sovereignty and jobs,” says the long-time mayor, who was first elected in 1988.

The assets in Sarnia are a key piece of the $5.15 billion transaction, which will connect natural gas liquids from the growing Montney and Duvernay plays in B.C. and Alberta to markets in central Canada and the eastern U.S. seaboard.

Map courtesy Keyera Corp.

NGLs are hydrocarbons found within natural gas streams including ethane, propane and pentanes. They are important energy sources and used to produce a wide range of everyday items, from plastics and clothing to fuels.

Keyera CEO Dean Setoguchi cast the proposed acquisition as an act of repatriation.

“This transaction brings key NGL infrastructure under Canadian ownership, enhancing domestic energy capabilities and reinforcing Canada’s economic resilience by keeping value and decision-making closer to home,” Setoguchi told analysts in a June 17 call.

“Plains’ portfolio forms a fully integrated cross Canada NGL system connecting Western Canada supply to key demand centres across the Prairie provinces, Ontario and eastern U.S.,” he said.

“The system includes strategic hubs like Empress, Fort Saskatchewan and Sarnia – which provide a reliable source of Canadian NGL supply to extensive fractionation, storage, pipeline and logistics infrastructure.”

Martin King, RBN Energy’s managing director of North America Energy Market Analysis, sees Keyera’s ability to “Canadianize” its NGL infrastructure as improving the company’s growth prospects.

“It allows them to tap into the Duvernay and Montney, which are the fastest growing NGL plays in North America and gives them some key assets throughout the country,” said the Calgary-based analyst.

“The crown assets are probably the straddle plants in Empress, which help strip out the butane, ethane and other liquids for condensate. It also positions them well to serve the eastern half of the country.”

And that’s something welcomed in Sarnia.

“Having a Canadian source for natural gas would be our preference so we see Keyera’s acquisition as strengthening our region as an energy hub,” Bradley said.

“We are optimistic this will be good for our region in the long run.”

The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

Meanwhile, the governments of Ontario and Alberta are joining forces to strengthen the economies of both regions, and the country, by advancing major infrastructure projects including pipelines, ports and rail.

A joint feasibility study is expected this year on how to move major private sector-led investments forward.

Continue Reading

Alberta

Alberta school boards required to meet new standards for school library materials with regard to sexual content

Published on July 10, 2025

By

Alberta’s government has introduced new standards to ensure school library materials are age-appropriate.

School libraries should be safe and supportive places where students can learn and explore without being exposed to inappropriate sexual content. However, in the absence of a consistent standard for selecting age-appropriate library materials, school boards have taken different approaches, leading to concerns about safeguards in place.

In response to these concerns, and informed by feedback from education partners and the public, Alberta’s government has created standards to provide school boards with clear direction on the selection, availability and access to school library materials, such as books.

“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure that school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials, while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare

The new standards set clear expectations for school library materials with regard to sexual content and require school boards to implement policies to support these standards.

Standards for school library materials

Under the new standards, school libraries are not permitted to include library materials containing explicit sexual content. Non-explicit sexual content may be accessible to students in Grade 10 and above, provided it is age-appropriate.

“Protecting kids from explicit content is common sense. LGBTQ youth, like all children, deserve to see themselves in stories that are age-appropriate, supportive and affirming – not in material that sexualizes or confuses them.”

Blaine Badiuk, education and LGBTQ advocate

School boards must also regularly review their school library collections, publish a full list of available materials and ensure that a staff member supervises students’ access to school library materials. School boards will have to remove any materials with explicit sexual content from their school libraries by October 1.

School board policies and procedures

All school boards must have publicly available policies that align with the new standards for selecting and managing library materials by January 1, 2026. School boards can either create new policies or update existing ones to meet these requirements.

These policies must outline how school library materials are selected and reviewed, how staff supervise students’ access throughout the school day, and how a student, parent, school board employee or other member of the school community can request a review or removal of materials in the school library. School boards are also required to clearly communicate these policies to employees, students and parents before January 2026.

“A robust, grade- and age-appropriate library catalogue is vital for student success. We welcome the ministry’s initiative to establish consistent standards and appreciate the ongoing consultation to help craft a plan that will serve our families and communities well.”

Holly Bilton, trustee, Chinook’s Edge School Division

“Red Deer Public Schools welcomes the new provincial standards for school library materials. Our division is committed to maintaining welcoming, respectful learning spaces where students can grow and thrive. Under the new standards for school libraries, we remain dedicated to providing learning resources that reflect our values and support student success.”

Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools

Quick facts

  • The new standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.
  • The ministerial order does not apply to municipal libraries located within schools or materials selected for use by teachers as learning and teaching resources.
  • From May 26 to June 6, almost 80,000 people completed an online survey to provide feedback on the creation of consistent standards to ensure the age-appropriateness of materials available to students in school libraries.

Related information

Continue Reading

Trending

X