From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Maagad

The group, HPV Global Action, had shown the graphic material to students in Grade 6 through Grade 12 (roughly aged 11 to 18) without appropriate parental notification. 

Internal documents show that New Brunswick banned a graphic “sex-education” presentation from schools just three days after parental outcry. 

According to documents obtained by Rebel News, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs took only three days to enforce new pro-family polices after his office was notified of inappropriate material being shown to school children.   

“We now know that Premier Higgs’ office was flagged about the presentation on May 24, 2023,” the report found. 

“Within hours, Higgs took to social media to express his outrage, promising swift action. By May 27, third-party presentations were banned, and a new review process was put in place,” it continued.   

On May 27, the premier shared slides of a presentation given by a third-party group to New Brunswick school children that contained questions about pornography, masturbation and anal “sex.”

The group, HPV Global Action, had shown the graphic material to students in Grade 6 through Grade 12 (roughly aged 11 to 18) without appropriate parental notification.  

“To say I am furious would be a gross understatement,” Higgs declared at the time, adding that the group had been banned “effective immediately.”  

Earlier that month, New Brunswick became the first of now many provinces to promise pro-family legislation to protect children from LGBT indoctrination in schools. 

As LifeSiteNews previously reported, part of the legislation included reviewing Policy 713, the province’s public school Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity policy, arguing that the current policy denies parents their rightful knowledge if their child wants to “change” genders.   

“For [a wish to be identified with the opposite sex] purposefully to be hidden from the parents, that’s a problem,” Higgs said about Policy 713, which required children give consent for their parents to be informed if they decide to go by a different name or pronouns at school.

As a result, Higgs introduced a new policy which required parental consent for teachers to use different names or pronouns for students under age 16. It also mandated separate change rooms and washrooms for boys and girls, based on their biology.  

Higgs is far from alone in his fight to protect Canadians from the LGBT agenda. In fact, Alberta and Saskatchewan have recently introduced legislation to uphold parental rights.    

In February, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced new legislation that would ban doctors from pharmaceutically “transitioning” children, require parental consent for pronoun changes in school, and bar men claiming to be women from women’s sports.      

Similarly, last September, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced that he will invoke his government’s notwithstanding clause to protect legislation stating that parents must be told if their child “changes” genders at school; a judge had ruled against the enforcement of the law earlier that day.       

From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Positive stories about Indian Residential Schools must also be heard

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is pleased to announce the release of a thought-provoking new report titled Positive Stories of Indian Residential Schools Must Also be Heard by Hymie Rubenstein and James C. McCrae. This report challenges the dominant narrative surrounding Canada’s Indian Residential Schools, advocating for a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of their historical legacy.

In Positive Stories of Indian Residential Schools Must Also be Heard, Rubenstein and McCrae critically examine the current portrayal of the residential school system, which is often overwhelmingly negative. The authors argue that this narrative fails to acknowledge the positive experiences of many former students and the genuine intentions of those who worked within the system. While not dismissing the testimonies of abuse, the report emphasizes that these accounts do not represent the full spectrum of experiences at the schools.

The report highlights several stories of individuals who credit their time in residential schools with shaping their successful futures. For instance, Len Marchand, Canada’s first status Indian member of parliament and a federal cabinet minister, attended the Kamloops (BC) Indian Residential School and spoke highly of the education he received there. In his memoir, Breaking Trail, he noted that his time at the school inspired his desire to help his people through education.

Similarly, Tomson Highway, a celebrated Canadian playwright and composer, described his years at Guy Hill Indian Residential School in Manitoba as “nine of the best years of my life.” His parents chose to send him to the school, believing it would provide better opportunities for their children. The skills Highway acquired, including classical piano, were instrumental in his later achievements.

Reverend Canon Stan Cuthand, an Indigenous Anglican priest who served as a chaplain at several residential schools, also offers a positive perspective. He recalled that the schools were not “terrible places” and praised the efforts of staff who worked to protect and nurture the children, even integrating Indigenous culture into the curriculum.

As students return to classrooms this fall, the topic of residential schools has taken a central role in many curricula across the country. However, there is concern that some teachers focus solely on the “horrors” of these institutions or even frame Canada as a genocidal state, leaving little room for a balanced discussion. This report urges educators to offer a more nuanced view that includes both the positive and negative aspects of the residential school system. Stories like those of Tomson Highway and Len Marchand demonstrate that not every experience was one of trauma, and some students went on to achieve remarkable success as a result of their education.

The report also touches on the experiences of Lea Meadows, whose mother, Elsie McLaren Meadows, had a positive experience at the Brandon (Manitoba) Indian Residential School. Inspired by her time there, Elsie became a teacher and later worked in similar schools. Meadows argues that it is unjust to label all who worked at these schools as abusers, recognizing that many were dedicated to the well-being and education of the children.

Moreover, the report cites instances where Indigenous communities themselves supported the continuation of residential schools. For example, in 1970, Alberta’s Saddle Lake First Nation residents successfully protested the closure of Blue Quills School, taking control of the institution themselves. Similarly, in 1971, eight Saskatchewan bands advocated for the Marieval Indian Residential School to remain open, emphasizing its importance for children from challenging home environments.

Positive Stories of Indian Residential Schools Must Also be Heard is a timely and significant contribution to the ongoing debate about the legacy of the residential school system. It encourages Canadians to consider all perspectives in the pursuit of truth and reconciliation, acknowledging both the positive and negative aspects of this complex history.

Download the backgrounder here. (10 pages)

About the Authors:

• Hymie Rubenstein is the editor of REAL Indigenous Report. A retired professor of anthropology, he served as a board member and taught for many years at St. Paul’s College, University of Manitoba, the only Roman Catholic higher education institution in Manitoba.
• James C. McCrae is a former attorney general of Manitoba and Canadian citizenship judge.