REGINA - Wednesday is the day when a national march in favor of parental rights in schools is set to happen in cities across Canada.
The 1 Million March for Children is set to happen in communities across Canada at 11 a.m. this morning. Marches are planned for that time in several Saskatchewan communities including at the Legislature in Regina, as well as in Saskatoon, Yorkton, Estevan, Prince Albert, Swift Current and North Battleford.
On the 1 Million March for Children Facebook page, the message to participants is to “walk out from homes and workplaces to join in protest, advocating for Canadian children’s rights against unnecessary gender ideologies.”
Already there are supporters gathering in front of the Legislature in preparation of the March at 11 a.m. this morning. A large gathering of supporters was on the lawn in Wascana Park across from the Legislature, where bouncy-castles and BBQs were set up. A number of Canadian flags were seen as well.
The majority of the marches in other cities in the province are set for the front of the local City Halls.
The march has also encountered controversy from those denouncing it online as an anti-trans and an anti-LGBTQ event. There is word counter-protests are planned for some cities, including at the Legislature as well. A small gathering of pro-LGBTQ counter protesters was seen on the steps of the Legislature as of this morning, but at this point that gathering is greatly outnumbered by the Million March supporters on the lawn.
The gathering at the Legislature was peaceful and free of incident, and there have been calls from both organizers as well as public officials for calm.
Saskatchewan has been a particular focal point for the issue of parental consent, due to the recent announcement from the province that they are bringing in policy changes to require schools to seek parental consent for those students under 16 to change their names or pronouns. The indication from Premier Scott Moe is that his government plans to introduce parental consent legislation at the start of the session in October.
Other marches and protests are happening around the country including in Toronto, where there has been both the 1 Million March protest as well as an organized counter-protest.
You can no longer count on social media to deliver important news to you. Keep your news a touch away by bookmarking SASKTODAY.ca's homepage at this link.
Subscribe to SASKTODAY.ca newsletter to get our daily news to your inbox.
