Latest news with #UnifiedGrassroots
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sask. Legions cancel meetings for group that wants sovereignty referendum
The Royal Canadian Legion won't allow a group pushing for a sovereignty referendum in Saskatchewan to hold meetings in Legion halls. Unified Grassroots is encouraging people to sign a petition calling for a referendum on a sovereign Saskatchewan. Its website says the purpose of the referendum would be "to empower the provincial government to negotiate new terms for Saskatchewan's relationship whether as part of Canada or as an independent nation." In an email to CBC News, the provincial executive director of the Legion's Saskatchewan Command, Chad Wagner, said Unified Grassroots's "public calls for actions like Saskatchewan separation, and therefore their events, do not align with the Legion's founding principles and the promotion of Canadian unity." Nadine Ness, the president and founder of Unified Grassroots, said the town halls are about more sovereignty for Saskatchewan — which could still be within a united Canada. "It's teaching people about the democratic processes that we have in our country," she said. "So people either want this to be a democratic country or they want this to be an authoritarian country." Unified Grassroots had planned to hold eight of its upcoming town hall meetings in Legion halls across Saskatchewan, including in Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, Humboldt, Nipawin, Weyburn and Estevan. Those events have now been cancelled by the Legion. Ness said she learned about the cancellations from the local Legion halls she had booked. She said one told her this directive came from Saskatchewan Command, while another said it came from Dominion (or national) Command. Ness said she has asked for an explanation, but as of early Thursday afternoon, she had not heard from either of them. "They won't return my calls," she said. "They have my phone number. They never once reached out to us to even see what it was about." In the emailed response to CBC News, Wagner said each branch of the Legion has autonomy, but the branches must be run in line with the Legion's core principles. Wagner said the Legion "simply reminded" its branches of its policies. He said groups like Unified Grassroots are not within the Legion's objectives, thus the events were cancelled, adding the Legion will not entertain an event that encourages or promotes separation. In a video on social media, Ness said the word "separation" doesn't appear in advertising for the town halls, but acknowledged separation is one of several possible outcomes of her group's efforts. "We don't know what the outcome is," she said. "We're going to try to do everything we can so that it doesn't get to separation, but it is still on the table." In her interview with CBC News, Ness said her group is now receiving invitations from across the province to host town hall meetings in quonsets and barns.
CBC
30-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. Legions cancel meetings for group that wants sovereignty referendum
The Royal Canadian Legion won't allow a group pushing for a sovereignty referendum in Saskatchewan to hold meetings in Legion halls. Unified Grassroots is encouraging people to sign a petition calling for a referendum on a sovereign Saskatchewan. Its website says the purpose of the referendum would be "to empower the provincial government to negotiate new terms for Saskatchewan's relationship whether as part of Canada or as an independent nation." In an email to CBC News, the provincial executive director of the Legion's Saskatchewan Command, Chad Wagner, said Unified Grassroots's "public calls for actions like Saskatchewan separation, and therefore their events, do not align with the Legion's founding principles and the promotion of Canadian unity." Nadine Ness, the president and founder of Unified Grassroots, said the town halls are about more sovereignty for Saskatchewan — which could still be within a united Canada. "It's teaching people about the democratic processes that we have in our country," she said. "So people either want this to be a democratic country or they want this to be an authoritarian country." Unified Grassroots had planned to hold eight of its upcoming town hall meetings in Legion halls across Saskatchewan, including in Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, Humboldt, Nipawin, Weyburn and Estevan. Those events have now been cancelled by the Legion. Ness said she learned about the cancellations from the local Legion halls she had booked. She said one told her this directive came from Saskatchewan Command, while another said it came from Dominion (or national) Command. Ness said she has asked for an explanation, but as of early Thursday afternoon, she had not heard from either of them. "They won't return my calls," she said. "They have my phone number. They never once reached out to us to even see what it was about." In the emailed response to CBC News, Wagner said each branch of the Legion has autonomy, but the branches must be run in line with the Legion's core principles. Wagner said the Legion "simply reminded" its branches of its policies. He said groups like Unified Grassroots are not within the Legion's objectives, thus the events were cancelled, adding the Legion will not entertain an event that encourages or promotes separation. In a video on social media, Ness said the word "separation" doesn't appear in advertising for the town halls, but acknowledged separation is one of several possible outcomes of her group's efforts. "We don't know what the outcome is," she said. "We're going to try to do everything we can so that it doesn't get to separation, but it is still on the table."
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Saskatchewan legion cancels events hosted by group that's discussing separation
The first legion branch in Canada, located on the 1800 block of Cornwall St., is shown on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Regina, Sask. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ROY ANTAL The Saskatchewan chapter of the Royal Canadian Legion says it has cancelled events hosted by a group discussing the province's separation from the rest of Canada. Chad Wagner, the legion's executive director in Saskatchewan, says he made the decision based on Unified Grassroots' public statements on separation. He says such calls don't align with the legion's founding principles and nor do they promote Canadian unity. Unified Grassroots has an online petition calling on Saskatchewan to negotiate new terms with Ottawa or look at separating from Canada. The group says the eight meetings it planned to host at legions across the province were cancelled. It says the town halls were meant to promote civic participation and that the legion should reconsider. -This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Saskatchewan legion cancels events hosted by group that's discussing separation
REGINA – The Saskatchewan chapter of the Royal Canadian Legion says it has cancelled events hosted by a group discussing the province's separation from the rest of Canada. Chad Wagner, the legion's executive director in Saskatchewan, says he made the decision based on Unified Grassroots' public statements on separation. He says such calls don't align with the legion's founding principles and nor do they promote Canadian unity. Unified Grassroots has an online petition calling on Saskatchewan to negotiate new terms with Ottawa or look at separating from Canada. The group says the eight meetings it planned to host at legions across the province were cancelled. It says the town halls were meant to promote civic participation and that the legion should reconsider. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
CBC
24-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Sask. Opposition calls on premier to denounce pro sovereignty group
New | Chris Edwards | CBC News | Posted: May 24, 2025 11:00 AM | Last Updated: Just now Unified Grassroots holding a town hall event in Saskatoon on Sunday Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP repeated its call on Friday for Premier Scott Moe to denounce the efforts of advocacy group Unified Grassroots, which the NDP says is driving a separation movement in the province. Earlier this month, Unified Grassroots launched a petition to hold a sovereignty referendum that has garnered more than 4,000 signatures. "I think it's incumbent on him to say clearly that he does not support this work that they're doing," NDP jobs and economy critic Aleana Young said on Friday, standing at a podium emblazoned with the slogan "Canada 1st. Never 51st." "Any talk of separation is incredibly dangerous for our economy and it's divisive for this province. The premier has had multiple opportunities to be clear on this, to tell people where he stands, especially with a group that has well documented ties to his party and his political organization." If successful, Unified Grassroots's petition would begin a process to launch a plebiscite vote after being submitted to the government. In order to be submitted, it must accumulate about 125,000 signatures. The result of the vote, even if it were to favour separation, would not be legally binding. Nadine Ness, the president of Unified Grassroots, disputed the accusation that the petition is strictly for separation. She said she personally would be in favour of separation, but that view isn't held by everyone inside Unified Grassroots. She explicitly rejected joining the United States. "It can mean a million different things," she said of the petition, which says the referendum would be to "empower the provincial government to negotiate new terms for Saskatchewan's relationship whether as part of Canada or as an independent nation." "It can mean 100 different steps before it goes to separation." Among those steps were measures like eliminating equalization payments, changing gun laws and pledging electoral reform to have senators be elected by their respective provinces instead of being recommended by the prime minister. On Sunday, Unified Grassroots is holding a town hall event at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. It is the first of several events the group plans to hold over the course of the summer. Ness said the town halls are meant to be listening sessions to learn about people's grievances with the federal government, and not directly related to the petition. "Unified Grassroots is an organization that we see with close ties to the Sask. Party," said Young, who has accused Moe of being deferential to the group for political reasons. "They're out there doing organizing work." Ness denied any direct connection between her group and the Sask. Party. In a statement, the Saskatchewan government accused the NDP of keeping separation at the top of the agenda. "The NDP have done more to promote western separatism than anyone else," it said. "While the NDP are focused on condemning and silencing Saskatchewan residents, the Government of Saskatchewan is committed to ensuring that this province and the people that live here are part of a strong, united, growing and prosperous Canada."
