Flyers being distributed near schools in Sault Ste Marie are not From Action4Canada 

In a release issued yesterday, the founder of Action4Canada responded to the controversy surrounding pamphlets being handed out at some area schools. Tanya Gaw, founder and CEO of Action4Canada said the flyers being distributed are not official Action4Canada material.

The local group distributing the flyers, headed by Steve Hunter responded to the community back-lash last week. SaultOnline.com ran a story along with comments from the ADSB

Here is the Action4Canada full response:

In response to the recent frenzy over flyers, it is firstly important for everyone involved, the school board, media, etc., to understand that distributing flyers/brochures or leaflets is a Constitutionally protected freedom according to the following Supreme Court ruling. Committee for the Commonwealth of Canada v Canada 1991 CanLII 119, L’Heureux-Dubé.  https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1991/1991canlii119/1991canlii119.html

Secondly, the flyer being distributed was not Action4Canada’s but it did include some content from an A4C flyer. https://action4canada.com/wp-content/uploads/SOGI-leaflet.pdf

Either way, the flyers being distributed were handed out on public property outside of schools and were done so within the parameters of the law. It is not illegal to hand out flyers and permission from the school, or school board, is not required.

Action4Canada’s flyer is about protecting children and is intended to help parents become aware of sexually explicit content being taught within all levels of the curriculum. The flyer further warns parents that books containing sexually explicit and graphic books is also being made available to children.

Parents have legitimate concerns since exposing children to sexually explicit material desensitizes them to high-risk behaviour which increases their risk of victimization. It also prematurely sexualizes a child and interferes with healthy sexual development. It further shapes a child’s expectations of physical appearances and certain sexual acts and increases a child’s risk of sexually transmitted infections and exploitation. The curriculum, learning resources and all books for minors must be age appropriate, not cause emotional harm and should not be sexually explicit, so as to stay within the bounds of the rule of law and School/Education Acts.

It is understood that the curriculum and/or learning resources and many of the books have been permitted to support the diversity and inclusion guidelines and to support the amendment to the Human Rights Code to include gender identity and expression. However, the amendment to the Human Rights code to include “gender identity and gender expression” as a protected class is not an open invitation nor defense, for the Ministries of Education to develop resources or for the School Boards to utilize resources, that groom, sexualize, indoctrinate, create anxiety and depression, or confuse children.

Further, the amendment does not absolve any citizen, including elected and appointed officials, from adhering first and foremost to the criminal code. Specifically, Sections 163.1, 171.1 and 152 which clearly state that it is illegal to sexualize children or expose them to pornographic and/or explicit material or resources with crude content.

We expect that this message clarifies our position that we will continue to put the safety and well-being of children ahead of social political agendas.

Yours truly,
Tanya Gaw
Founder and CEO
Action4Canada