Bill 10 and School Bathrooms,

what is the Issue?

Last year the government passed Bill 10 which among other things
amendment to the Alberta Charter of Rights prohibiting
discrimination based on sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or
gender. It also changed the Education Act and the School act.
As a result, the Department of Education is requiring EVERY School
Board to revise their policy to be gender inclusive. The proposal
contains some Very Concerning Policies that seriously
undermine Family Values. (see The Family: A Proclamation to
the World)
1) It allows the child (no age defined) to change their name or gender
identity at school without their parents knowing! It encourages
and condones children keeping secrets from their parents.
2) It prohibits teachers and others from disclosing to parents that
their child (no age defined) has gender identity issues!
3) Removes all gender references to Family from school
communication i.e. All references to Mr., Mrs., Father or Mother are
removed and changed to parent/guardian/caregiver, Mx., ze,
zir, or hir.
4) Removes all gender references to students. Class lists are not
allowed to identify individuals as boys or girls. The class list
cant even have a total number of boys or girls.
5) Allows individual students to decide which bathroom/change
room they would like to use. If other students have a problem
with that, the other students must use a different facility!
6) Allows Parents and Guests to the Schools to also choose
which gender washroom they will use.
7) Allows students to participate on whichever gender sports team
they choose, and allows them to change in the same change
room.
a) If other students on the team are unaware that a student of a
different gender is changing in their room, the teacher is
prohibited from disclosing it.
8) It entrenches in legislation that every school must have (or be
allowed to have if even 1 child asks for it) a Gay-Straight Alliance

club. Neither teachers, parents or administration can block the

formation of such a club. No other clubs enjoy such privilege.
a) It also empowers the Minister of Education to assign a
responsible adult to supervise such clubs, again without the
parents, teachers or School Boards
permission/approval/consent.
9) All teachers must go through a training program to teach them the
correct terminology and the importance of allowing children to
choose their gender!
10) Dress codes are not allowed to be gender-dependent, either for
teachers or students! i.e. cannot say that only girls can wear skirts
or dresses.
11) Hiring policies of School boards cannot discriminate against
teaching applicants who fall under these gender identification
policies, i.e. must hire Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender/Two Spirit or Queer teachers if they apply (and
are qualified).

WHO & WHERE DO I MAIL A

LETTER TO?
Start with your School Board Trustees! They have to have
polices made by the end of March!!
Then Call or Send letters to:
1) Minister of Education Mr. David Eggen
2) Premier Ms. Rachel Notley
3) YOUR MLA (see Below)
4) Mark Smith (Wildrose Education critic) Very important.
5) Your School Division Superintendent
6) Your School Board (if desired)
Hints for writing politicians:
1) you can write one letter and cc (carbon copy) emails to other
representatives.

2) its wise to follow up with a hard copy by snail mail

3) the gov.ab.ca addresses are not protected by FOIP (Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act). That is good, because
they cant hide your letters. Use those addresses wherever possible.
4) your letter need not be lengthy or eloquent. State your position on
the Guidelines and Bill 10, elaborate if desired. A simple letter of
your own composition is more effective than copying an elaborate
one from a website, etc.
5) the letters to Mark Smith (of the Opposition) are important because
it leaves a paper trail. He can present these letters at the
Legislature and prove there is opposition to these Guidelines even
if Mr. Eggens office throws the letters away.
6) It is good to have every member of the household do their own
letter. Involve your children if you are comfortable.
7) Do it SOON! School Boards have to respond by March 31!! Some
already have draft proposals in place!

Contacts:
Drew Barnes, MLA Cypress Medicine Hat
Constituency Office
Trans Canada Place
#5, 1299 Trans Canada Way
Medicine Hat, AB
Canada T1B 1H9
Phone:
403.528.2191
Toll-Free:
1.866.339.2191
Fax:
403.528.2278
Email:
cypress.medicinehat@assembly.ab.ca
Robert Wanner - Constituency Office
537 - 4th Street SE
Medicine Hat, AB
Canada T1A 0K7
Phone:403.527.5622
Fax:403.527.5112

Email:medicine.hat@assembly.ab.ca

Premier Rachel Notley (Premier)

Constituency Office
Strathcona Professional Centre
Suite 101, 10328 81 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T6E 1X2
Phone: 780.414.0702
Email: premier@gov.ab.ca
Edmonton.strathcona@assembly.ab.ca

Honourable David Eggen (Minister of Education)

Constituency Office
Unit A, 10212 127 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5E 0B8
Phone: 780.451.2345

Edmonton.calder@assembly.ab.ca
780-451-2345
Mr. Mark Smith Opposition Education Critic
draytonvalley.devon@assembly.ab.ca
5136B 52 Avenue
Drayton Valley, AB
Canada T7A 1S5
Ph. 780.542.3355
Toll free 1.800.542.7307

Medicine Hat School District 76

Terry Riley (Board Chair)
Terry.riley@sd76.ab.ca
Rick Massini (Vice Chair)
Rick.massini@sd76.ab.ca
Deborah Forbes
Deborah.forbes@sd76.ab.ca
Carolyn Freeman
Carolyn.freeman@sd76.ab.ca
Catherine Wilson Fraser
c.wilson-fraser@sd76.ab.ca

Prairie Rose School Division No. 8 (Bow Island, Eagle

Butte, Ralston, Senator Gershaw, Foremost)
Website: http://prrdweb.com/index.php
918-2nd Ave. Dunmore, Alberta T1B 0K3
Phone: 403-527-5516 Fax: 403-528-2264
Stuart Angle (Board Chair)
Ph: 403-545-6647

Grasslands Public Schools (Brooks, Bassano, Rosemary)

Website: http://www.grasslands.ab.ca/
Email: info@grasslands.ab.ca
Phone: (403) 793-6700
Fax: (403) 362-8225
Address: 745-2nd Avenue East Brooks, AB T1R 1L2
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Vic Budz (Board Chair)
vic.budz@grasslands.ab.ca

References:
Proclamation on the Family
https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng&cid=PA0414-02
Other References:
To find contact information for your MLA: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?
p=mla_home&rnumber=72&by=contact
General information on Bill 10:
Full Bill 10 Document
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/ISYS/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_28/session_3
/20141117_bill-010.pdf
Guideline to Best Practices, Education Alberta (full document)
https://education.alberta.ca/media/1626737/91383-attachment-1-guidelinesfinal.pdf
Commentaries on Bill 10
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/what-you-need-to-know-about-bill10-and-alberta-gay-students-rights/article21964421/
http://prochildrenalberta.org/
http://parentchoice.ca/bill-10-petition/

Petitions (online):
http://parentchoice.ca/bill-10-petition/
Petitions (available to be signed at the following locations):
CopyWorks
Coop Mall - 13 Ave SW
Medicine Hat
Smith and Hersey Law
#104-2201 Box Springs Blvd NW
Medicine Hat T1C 0C8
Sample letters
http://prochildrenalberta.org/sample-letter-2/