CTV National News: Poilievre courts Alberta voters ahead of federal by-election
Colton Praill reports on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's pitch to Alberta voters and how he's navigating a race in a riding he doesn't represent.
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‘Pornography is a problem': Smith defends new rules for Alberta school libraries
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a press conference in Edmonton, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Alberta's premier says 'pornography is a problem for young adults' in remarks defending her government's move to remove sexually explicit content from school library shelves this fall. Danielle Smith was responding to criticism received via text on her provincewide phone-in radio program on Saturday that a lack of education funding and overcrowded classrooms were more important issues than library content. Smith replied it's important the province make sure young children are exposed to age-appropriate material, and that they're 'not exposed to pornographic images early.' On Thursday, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said sexually explicit content must be gone from school library shelves as of Oct. 1, but noted the move is not about book banning. The new policy stems from an announcement Nicolaides made in May after he said four inappropriate coming-of-age graphic novels were found in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary. Smith encouraged people to go online themselves and view explicit images from the books, telling listeners they'll be scratching their heads wondering how they got into elementary schools in the first place. 'If I am not permitted to describe to you the kind of images that seven-year-olds are seeing because it would offend your audience, then we shouldn't be showing them to seven-year-olds,' Smith said. 'So yeah, I think it's important that we make sure that young children are exposed to age-appropriate material only and that they're not exposed to pornographic images early.' On the question of priorities, Smith said her government is holding consultations with the public and teachers about other issues in schools, such as violence in the classroom. 'That is the biggest issue that we've been hearing from teachers, that in some situations, violent students are making life unsafe for our teachers,' Smith said. The novels in question are written by American authors: 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe, 'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel, 'Blankets' by Craig Thompson and 'Flamer' by Mike Curato. When Nicolaides announced plans for new rules back in May, Smith posted on social media that 'parents are right to be upset.' As part of the announcement Thursday, Nicolaides issued a list of specific sex acts that can't be explicitly described in library books alongside new rules for what students can read. No students will be allowed to access what the government calls explicit sexual content, including detailed depictions of masturbation, sexual penetration or sexual physical contact. By Jan. 1, new school board policies must be in place dictating how books are selected and reviewed. An online government survey before Thursday's announcement found that the majority of respondents across demographics don't support the government setting new standards for school library books. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling said in a statement the new rules will add to teachers' workload, politicize a 'non-issue' and target vulnerable students. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
CBC
2 hours ago
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Former B.C. MLA pens children's book about gender-based violence
A couple of years after going public with her own story of abuse, former B.C. MLA Katrina Chen has penned a children's book addressing domestic violence. In 2022, Chen revealed she'd suffered from gender-based violence multiple times through the course of her life, and has since spoken publicly about the need to destigmatize this type of abuse. But since she went public about her experience, Chen said little has changed. "I think there have been a lot of conversations and reports," she told CBC's The Early Edition. "I think it's time that we move on from the conversations and take concrete actions." Having left politics in 2024, Chen now uses her voice and her name to advocate for support for domestic violence victims. This spring, she released her book, A Stronger Home. "I'm a big believer in breaking systemic inequities at an early age," she said."It's critical that we start from a young age to break the cycle of violence, to have a better understanding for our children to understand what's happening at home for prevention, and also for better understanding as a community as a whole to support survivors and their children to go through this very challenging journey." Gender-based violence 'normalized' According to the federal government, 80 per cent of people who had experienced intimate partner violence did not report it to police. About 44 per cent of women and girls over 15 who had been in an intimate relationship reported experiencing some form of abuse during the course of their lives, since age 15. A recent independent report commissioned by the province found gender-based violence has been "normalized" in B.C. "This is the longest human rights violation in human history. Gender-based violence touches way too many people," Chen said. In A Stronger Home, Chen and co-author Elaine Su liken abusers to storms — unpredictable, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, but always lurking. "It's morning now. Everything is quiet. But we know the storm is still close by," the book reads. The story follows a boy and his mother, hiding from one such storm, looking for safer, stronger homes. "It's a more thoughtful way for children to understand the challenges and the trauma and the violence that's happening at home," Chen said. In the author's note, she mentions that her characters are "lucky." "I hate to say the word lucky, but [it is] compared to many other women who have to go from shelter to shelter to be able to support themselves economically," Chen said. For many, the consequences of gender-based violence can be fatal. On July 4, a Kelowna, B.C., woman was killed in what police described as a "highly visible and tragic event," and her family says she and the man involved had a pattern of domestic violence. Chen said she hopes the book educates young readers about gender-based violence, but also encourages change from lawmakers. "It's a conversation I think our society has to have."
