Latest news with #Alberta
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Girls' softball was an inclusive sport in Alberta. For this teen, a new law could end that
Riley Simpson has been playing softball since they were nine years old. They fell in love with the sport after watching their older sister play. In June, their softball team won the Edmonton city championship and Riley was hoping to play on higher-level teams as they grew and got better. In Alberta, where Riley is from, most competitive softball teams are girls' teams. This has never been a problem for Riley, who recently turned 15 years old and is non-binary, thanks to inclusive sporting policies, a co-ed mentality in softball and pre-puberty androgyny. But the provincial government has enacted a controversial new law excluding athletes assigned male at birth from women's sports teams — known as Bill 29, or the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act — which goes into effect on Sept. 1. Athletes not assigned female at birth will have to leave any girls' sports team belonging to any school, collegiate or provincial amateur competition level or play in boys' or co-ed divisions. Some say that unfairly targets young athletes in recreational leagues. The legislation is already having repercussions on some young athletes in the province: on June 24, Riley played what could effectively be their last competitive softball game ever. WATCH | Alberta's Bill 29 has caused polarized debate: "We won the city championship that day, so that's a good memory. But I also remember sitting on the pitching plate after the game, feeling so sad," Riley wrote, replying to emailed questions from CBC News. Riley's mother, Eldyka Simpson, was at the game in Edmonton and, over the phone, recounted how most of her child's teammates weren't up to date on the reality of the new law until the team was drinking a ginger ale toast and one of the coaches announced it would be Riley's last game, and that she was proud they were a part of the team. "Then people started to cry," Simpson said. The team went to Dairy Queen for Blizzards afterward, but Riley stayed back and sat on the pitching mound "and just cried and cried, and cried," Simpson said. Inclusion policy soon moot It had been a difficult season for the teenager, who earlier in the year was turned away from a higher-level under-15 team, then qualified for an even-higher calibre U17B team — but was later voted off in what Simpson can only explain as transphobic sentiment coming from a small number of parents. Simpson says one of them told her "boys don't belong" on a girls' softball team because they could have an advantage over the female players. Simpson, who is also an umpire and has three other children, was frustrated. She says there were girls on the team stronger than Riley, who would have been probably the third or fourth pitcher. She turned to Softball Alberta — the association overseeing Riley's team — asking it to enforce its inclusion policy. Thepolicy, which has been in place since 2018, says the provincial association adopts the practices outlined by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, including that players "should be able to participate in the gender with which they identify … nor should there be any requirement for hormonal therapy or surgery." In an email correspondence with the association, Simpson says it didn't appear to have any mechanisms for enforcing the policy and suggested the new law would render it moot anyway. Softball Alberta confirmed to CBC News that Riley was registered in one of its U15 girls' teams this year, but only forwarded information regarding the bill when asked about not having enforced the policy. Simpson said she was disappointed by the lack of support and, to her, it showed that gender had seemingly not been a problem in the sport before the United Conservative Party government introduced its bill. "Do we need to have rules at college level? Sure. Do we need to have rules at Olympic level? Sure. Do we need to have rules at scholarship level? Sure," she said. "But we're talking about kids playing community sport here." 'Forcing kids to stop playing the sport they love' In an emailed statement, Andrew Boitchenko, Alberta's minister of tourism and sport, said the province was working to create and expand co-ed divisions "so that transgender athletes can meaningfully participate in the sports of their choice." But Riley and their mom doubt there are currently enough players to fill a co-ed division right away. Instead, Riley said they are considering playing in an adult league with co-ed options next year. "I really don't want that. It makes me angry that the government is literally forcing kids to stop playing the sport they love," Riley said. Sara Kim, the co-ordinator of community care at Skipping Stone, an organization helping and advocating for trans people in Alberta, has been outspoken against the law and says the fact it includes recreational sports is an overreach. A hockey player herself, Kim says she won't be able to play in the two teams she's currently a part of come September. "It's humiliating," said Kim, who plays on an inclusive team with old friends, but won't be able to continue because the team plays for Hockey Alberta, an amateur sports organization subject to the legislation. "We're just normal people who want to enjoy our lives." When it comes to its effect on young people, Kim says the law is dragging children into a political debate they didn't ask to be a part of since it has no age barrier for who it applies to. Simpson, Riley's mother, says sports are inherently unfair — whether some kids are naturally stronger, more skilled, more passionate, have the right coaches, live in rural or urban communities and whether they have the capacity and the money to do training camps. She says she believes the government is introducing a problem where there had not been any and feels caught in the crossfire "It's a very big problem for a very small number of kids, but I am that family. My kid is that kid," she said. According to her, the law "makes a mockery of the strong girls that we're raising."
CBC
38 minutes ago
- Politics
- CBC
Girls' softball was an inclusive sport in Alberta. For this teen, a new law could end that
Riley Simpson has been playing softball since they were nine years old. They fell in love with the sport after watching their older sister play. In June, their softball team won the Edmonton city championship and Riley was hoping to play on higher-level teams as they grew and got better. In Alberta, where Riley is from, most competitive softball teams are girls' teams. This has never been a problem for Riley, who recently turned 15 years old and is non-binary, thanks to inclusive sporting policies, a co-ed mentality in softball and pre-puberty androgyny. But the provincial government has enacted a controversial new law excluding athletes assigned male at birth from women's sports teams — known as Bill 29, or the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act — which goes into effect on Sept. 1. Athletes not assigned female at birth will have to leave any girls' sports team belonging to any school, collegiate or provincial amateur competition level or play in boys' or co-ed divisions. Some say that unfairly targets young athletes in recreational leagues. The legislation is already having repercussions on some young athletes in the province: on June 24, Riley played what could effectively be their last competitive softball game ever. WATCH | Alberta's Bill 29 has caused polarized debate: Alberta government releases details on a bill about transgender athletes 1 month ago The provincial government has released details about how it intends to enforce its ban on transgender athletes competing in women's and girls' sports. CBC's Sam Brooks takes us through the implications of Bill 29. "We won the city championship that day, so that's a good memory. But I also remember sitting on the pitching plate after the game, feeling so sad," Riley wrote, replying to emailed questions from CBC News. Riley's mother, Eldyka Simpson, was at the game in Edmonton and, over the phone, recounted how most of her child's teammates weren't up to date on the reality of the new law until the team was drinking a ginger ale toast and one of the coaches announced it would be Riley's last game, and that she was proud they were a part of the team. "Then people started to cry," Simpson said. The team went to Dairy Queen for Blizzards afterward, but Riley stayed back and sat on the pitching mound "and just cried and cried, and cried," Simpson said. Inclusion policy soon moot It had been a difficult season for the teenager, who earlier in the year was turned away from a higher-level under-15 team, then qualified for an even-higher calibre U17B team — but was later voted off in what Simpson can only explain as transphobic sentiment coming from a small number of parents. Simpson says one of them told her "boys don't belong" on a girls' softball team because they could have an advantage over the female players. Simpson, who is also an umpire and has three other children, was frustrated. She says there were girls on the team stronger than Riley, who would have been probably the third or fourth pitcher. She turned to Softball Alberta — the association overseeing Riley's team — asking it to enforce its inclusion policy. The policy, which has been in place since 2018, says the provincial association adopts the practices outlined by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, including that players "should be able to participate in the gender with which they identify … nor should there be any requirement for hormonal therapy or surgery." In an email correspondence with the association, Simpson says it didn't appear to have any mechanisms for enforcing the policy and suggested the new law would render it moot anyway. Softball Alberta confirmed to CBC News that Riley was registered in one of its U15 girls' teams this year, but only forwarded information regarding the bill when asked about not having enforced the policy. Simpson said she was disappointed by the lack of support and, to her, it showed that gender had seemingly not been a problem in the sport before the United Conservative Party government introduced its bill. "Do we need to have rules at college level? Sure. Do we need to have rules at Olympic level? Sure. Do we need to have rules at scholarship level? Sure," she said. "But we're talking about kids playing community sport here." 'Forcing kids to stop playing the sport they love' In an emailed statement, Andrew Boitchenko, Alberta's minister of tourism and sport, said the province was working to create and expand co-ed divisions "so that transgender athletes can meaningfully participate in the sports of their choice." But Riley and their mom doubt there are currently enough players to fill a co-ed division right away. Instead, Riley said they are considering playing in an adult league with co-ed options next year. "I really don't want that. It makes me angry that the government is literally forcing kids to stop playing the sport they love," Riley said. Sara Kim, the co-ordinator of community care at Skipping Stone, an organization helping and advocating for trans people in Alberta, has been outspoken against the law and says the fact it includes recreational sports is an overreach. A hockey player herself, Kim says she won't be able to play in the two teams she's currently a part of come September. "It's humiliating," said Kim, who plays on an inclusive team with old friends, but won't be able to continue because the team plays for Hockey Alberta, an amateur sports organization subject to the legislation. "We're just normal people who want to enjoy our lives." When it comes to its effect on young people, Kim says the law is dragging children into a political debate they didn't ask to be a part of since it has no age barrier for who it applies to. Simpson, Riley's mother, says sports are inherently unfair — whether some kids are naturally stronger, more skilled, more passionate, have the right coaches, live in rural or urban communities and whether they have the capacity and the money to do training camps. She says she believes the government is introducing a problem where there had not been any and feels caught in the crossfire "It's a very big problem for a very small number of kids, but I am that family. My kid is that kid," she said. According to her, the law "makes a mockery of the strong girls that we're raising."
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'This is a scam': Poilievre wants rules changed to stop long ballot protests
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he wants Canada's election laws changed to prevent long ballot protests as he is set to face another one next month. "We have to take action because this is a scam. It is unfair, it is unjust and it must stop," Poilievre said of the long ballot protests that have occurred in recent years — including in Poilievre's riding this past election. The Conservative leader's comments came during a town hall in Stettler, Alta., last week. Stettler is a community in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot where Poilievre is running to regain a seat in the House of Commons. Clips of the event were posted online by a local news outlet, Hometown Media. An electoral reform advocacy group — known as the Longest Ballot Committee — has been organizing dozens of candidates to run in byelections in recent years, resulting in metre-long ballots that have caused delays in vote counting and confounded some voters. The group wants to put a citizens' assembly in charge of electoral reform and says political parties are too reluctant to make government more representative of the electorate. After targeting Poilievre's former riding of Carleton, the group is now aiming to sign up 200 candidates in Battle River-Crowfoot — more than double the 91 that ran in Carleton in April. Poilievre said there were a number of changes that could prevent such protests from occurring. But he specifically suggested requiring 1,000 signatures to run, and ensuring that voters can only sign one nomination form. "That would make it impossible for 200 people to go out and have their names piled onto the [candidate] list," Poilievre told the crowd in Stettler last week. "There are a number of other things that you could do that would make it so that only real candidates who are truly running to put their name forward in our democracy are on that list." WATCH | Longest ballot candidate speaks about Carleton protest: Candidates need 100 signatures from voters in their riding to secure a nomination and electors are not prevented from signing multiple forms. The Longest Ballot Committee rebuked Poilievre's suggestions, saying such a large increase in required signatures would have a "negative impact on Canadian democracy." "This ill-conceived and self-serving electoral reform proposal by [Poilievre] is downright dangerous, and reinforces our conviction that politicians are not well suited to decide the rules of their own elections," the group said in a statement. It said it would continue to use long ballots as a form of protest as "long as we are legally permitted to do so." Poilievre is not the only one interested in curbing long ballot protests. MPs were studying legislation last session that would have actually lowered the signature threshold to 75. That bill died when the House was prorogued in January. But Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault appeared at a House committee last fall to offer his suggestions. While he said he's in favour of lowering the threshold, Perrault argued that "certain penalties" should be imposed on individuals who sign — or encourage others to sign — multiple nomination papers in an effort to get as many candidates on a ballot as possible. He didn't say what those penalties should be. Independent candidate tells protesters to back off The Longest Ballot Committee has already registered dozens of candidates in Battle River-Crowfoot, and drawn the ire of other candidates besides Poilievre. Bonnie Critchley is running as an Independent and pitching herself as an alternative to the Conservative leader, who she argues pushed out the local MP — Damien Kurek — so he could seek a seat after losing his own. But the Beaver County local says the protest is making things difficult for her as an Independent who is actually interested in representing the constituents of Battle River-Crowfoot. WATCH | Independent candidate on Alberta byelection: In an open letter to the Longest Ballot Committee posted on her campaign website, Critchley said there is a "backlash" in the riding from voters who are worried that she is a "fake out" candidate. "I don't have a massive team, I don't have backing from millions of people. I have to go door to door within my community and explain to my neighbours that I have nothing to do with you," she wrote. "I have to explain that I am here, in my home, and I am standing up for myself, my neighbours and my community against the guy from Ottawa who doesn't give a damn about us. Please do not bury me with your 'legal' election interference." Michael Harris, who is running for the Libertarian Party, called the protest a "mockery of the democratic process." "This flood of joke candidates doesn't just waste voters' time. It actively hurts serious Independent and third-party candidates who are working hard to give this riding real alternatives," Harris said in a statement. The deadline to register as a candidate in the byelection is July 28. Voting day in Battle River-Crowfoot is Aug. 18.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alberta separatists slam Poilievre for declaring himself a 'Canadian patriot' opposed to secession
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was slammed by several separatist opponents in Alberta Monday after he said that the province should stay part of Canada, no matter what. 'Pierre Poilievre and the federal Conservatives want Albertan votes but not Albertan autonomy. Saying Alberta should stay no matter what shows exactly how little respect they have for the province's right to chart its own path,' said Michael Harris, the Libertarian candidate challenging Poilievre in next month's Battle River—Crowfoot byelection. 'That's not unity, that's control,' Harris said. The Calgary-born Poilievre reiterated his belief in Alberta federalism at a press conference in Ottawa on Monday. 'Well, I disagree with separation. I'm a Canadian patriot (and) there's no other country in the world where someone of my modest origins would be able to make it,' said Poilievre. Poilievre was responding after he took part in a CBC interview on the weekend and said Alberta should stay in Canada even if the Liberals continue to hold power in Ottawa. Grant Abraham is another candidate challenging Poilievre in August's byelection. The leader of the United Party of Canada, which advocates for provinces standing up against federal power, Abraham said Poilievre is likely underestimating the level of unrest in Alberta. 'I mean so much of Alberta is so fed up with paying money to Quebec and Ontario in the form of equalization payments … Alberta hasn't seen any money back from that since the 1960s,' said Abraham. Harris and Abraham both think there should be a referendum on Alberta independence next year. Abraham says he'd vote 'yes' if a referendum on the province's independence were held tomorrow, if only to wake Ottawa up to the reality of western unrest. Republican Party of Alberta Leader Cameron Davies, who ran provincially last month in an overlapping riding, said he thinks Poilievre will face a rude awakening himself at the doors of Battle River—Crowfoot as he campaigns for the seat recently vacated by Conservative MP Damien Kurek. 'I can tell you in the part of the riding that overlaps with Mr. Poilievre's newfound home … that there is 30 per cent plus support, if not greater, for Alberta independence,' said Davies. In the provincial race, Davies placed third with just under 18 per cent of the vote, with most of his support coming at the expense of Alberta's governing United Conservative Party. Jeff Rath, a lawyer with the pro-independence Alberta Prosperity Project, said that Poilievre's comments about Alberta staying in Canada show just how 'irrelevant' he's become to both the country and the province. 'He just can't read the room,' said Rath. Rath said Poilievre hurt his credibility with Albertans by not taking the opportunity to say that he would abide by the results of a referendum on independence, as Premier Danielle Smith has repeatedly said she would. He added that Poilievre's continued support for the federal equalization program and supply management will be a 'tough sell' with voters in the riding. Poilievre also rankled some conservative Albertans during the CBC interview with his defence of supply management for egg and dairy farmers, which has become a trade irritant with the U.S. Trump administration, saying it pales in comparison to the 'tens if not hundreds of billions' American farmers get in subsidies. 'Poilievre is saying that we're going to continue to stick our thumb in the eye of our biggest trade partner to protect the Quebec dairy cartel … he's not protecting the interests of Albertans,' said Rath. Kurek told the National Post that, despite what naysayers are claiming, residents he's spoken to increasingly see Poilievre as the right man to go to bat for rural Alberta in Ottawa. 'Having spent the last weeks … speaking to thousands of folks here in Battle River—Crowfoot, the message is clear. Albertans are frustrated with the Liberal status quo, but are hopeful that Pierre and our Conservative team are listening and will stand up for them … It's clear to me Albertans want Pierre to fight for them!' wrote Kurek in an email to the National Post Brad Wohlgemuth, a resident of Stettler, Alta., who plans to vote in the byelection, says he's been disappointed by how carefully managed Poilievre's campaign events have been so far. Wohlgemuth said that he and other attendees of a Conservative town hall on Friday were asked to submit written questions in advance, and were not given an opportunity to ask questions from the floor. 'We want to test somebody out to see whether they can handle the tough questions,' said Wohlgemuth. Wohlgemuth says he was especially disappointed by Poilievre's boilerplate response to a question about secession. '(The exchange) was so well scripted that it really didn't address the issue.' Poilievre said in his press conference on Monday that he understood why Albertans were so upset. 'We have to put a final end to this notion that Ottawa tells Alberta to pay up and shut up,' said Poilievre. National Post rmohamed@ Meet the military trailblazer who's gunning for Poilievre in Alberta byelection Alberta independence movement takes hit in Olds byelection Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
CBC
3 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Family doctor says measles outbreaks in Canada are entirely preventable
While B.C. has recorded a little over 100 cases of measles as of July 5, neighbouring Alberta has recorded more cases than the entirety of the U.S. despite having a fraction of the population. Dr. Susan Kuo, a Richmond family physician, said the current outbreak could be prevented with up-to-date vaccinations, and the COVID-19 pandemic had led to an increase in vaccine skepticism and poor disease mitigation.
