| ATA angered over proposed bill they say will negatively impact gay and lesbian students
The Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) is angry about a private member’s bill that includes requirements for teachers to notify parents before discussing same-sex marriage in the classroom.
The bill was introduced by Foothills-Rockyview MLA Ted Morton, who plans to run for the Conservative leadership when Premier Ralph Klein resigns. The bill has passed second reading in the provincial legislature.
Also under the bill, no teacher or student would be required to teach or attend a class where same-sex marriage is discussed and they also couldn’t be penalized for choosing not to teach or attend a class where the topic was discussed.
ATA president Frank Bruseker says the association aims to promote safe and caring schools throughout the province and the new bill would threaten that, adding that it "raises the whole issue of starting to discriminate against gay and lesbian individuals."
"Kids who are gay are already at risk of being bullied by others. It’s going to make it difficult for teachers. So a kid raises a question. ‘What about a gay couple and the issue of marriage?’ It’s a difficult topic and an uncomfortable topic for many…. However, that doesn’t change the reality that there are gay students in virtually every school in the province, so do we start making life more difficult for them by saying we can’t even talk about it?"
Bruseker says he understands that same-sex marriage is controversial and the population is split on the issue, but he now that the same-sex marriage bill has been passed federally "it’s a moot point."
He adds it would be completely "unworkable" for teachers to have to notify parents before the topic ever came up, and such legislation would limit free speech.
The private member’s bill still has to pass third reading in the legislature before it passes.
Food Not Bombs celebrating 10th anniversary
Food Not Bombs, a grassroots group that advocates for poverty reduction and gives out free meals to low-income Calgarians, is celebrating a decade of activism this month.
On Friday, May 5 at 5 p.m. the group will hold a critical mass bike ride at 5 p.m. in front of the YMCA at Eau Claire. Then there will be an all ages punk show at Cliff Bungalow-Mission community hall at 6 p.m..
On Saturday, May 6 the group will give out food at Olympic Plaza at 12:15 p.m., accompanied by stilt walkers, clowns, face painting and games for children.
On Sunday, May 7 at 1 p.m., Food Not Bombs has organized a march from Century Gardens park (corner of 8 Avenue and 8 Street S.W.) to protest the lack of affordable housing in the city.
Member Paul Farquhar says the march is "to draw attention to the Stampede ripping down affordable housing and the city’s lack of rebuilding it."
Food Not Bombs is mainly comprised of Calgarians in high school or university. Every Wednesday and Saturday, members cook food at the Calgary Drop-In Centre and then give it to hungry Calgarians. Sunnyside Market and Planet Organic donate food to be cooked.
Farquhar says Food Not Bombs helps feed hungry Calgarians, but also prevents good food that would be thrown out from ending up in the landfill.
For more information on the organization’s 10th anniversary, go to www.foodnotbombs.tk.
Pembina Institute report says oilsands projects have to reduce freshwater use
The Pembina Institute, an environmental think-tank, says in a new report that oilsands projets are threatening the long-term aquatic health of the Athabasca River due to the large amount of water withdrawals from the river.
The report also notes that oilsands projects are withdrawing large amounts of groundwater and the province has very little knowledge about the location and amount of groundwater in the province, making it difficult to manage the resource.
The institute is calling on the government to set water withdrawal limits for oil and gas companies that get increasingly stringent over time, and to start charging user fees on oilsands water consumption to encourage companies to reduce their water use. |
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