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The Supreme Court had ruled that sexual orientation should be read into Alberta’s human rights legislation. But the Alberta Government had one more tool it could use to deny equality to its Queer population.

That option was the Notwithstanding Clause.

The province slipped into turmoil as the Alberta Government debated whether or not to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause.

As Premier Ralph Klein remained silent, hate and vitriol bubbled to the surface of public discourse resulting in massive letter-writing campaigns and death threats.

Welcome to episode 8 of Vriend Versus Alberta.

*NOTE: The terms “Queer and Trans” and “sexual and gender minorities” are used in this series to refer to the 2SLGBTQI+ community as a whole. We acknowledge the great diversity within this community, and you can find more information about this here.

Vriend Versus Alberta is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Queer History Project.

Archival audio of Delwin Vriend, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, et al was used with permission from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Links:
Read the Supreme Court’s ruling on Vriend v. Alberta.
Watch Senator Paula Simon’s speech in the Red Chamber about Vriend v. Alberta.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta from the Alberta Labour History Institute.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta  on the University of Alberta’s Bridging Connections podcast.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta on the Edmonton Heritage Council’s Edmonton City as Museum Project podcast produced with Alberta Labour History Institute.

ECF Happenings:
Read the latest on our blog.
Check out our ECF Fund listing and Strategic Granting Guide.
See how ECF connects you with Edmonton’s community.
Check out some of the amazing funds our donors have created.

ECF Grants:
* Click here to see all ECF Grants.

Upcoming Student Awards:
* Click here to find details for all of our student awards! 

The Well Endowed Podcast is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation. And is a proud, affiliate member of the Alberta Podcast Network.

EPISODE IMAGE: Michael Phair recalls the deluge of hate mail, including death threats, he received as Edmonton’s only openly gay city councillor after the Vriend ruling was announced. CREDIT: Edmonton Community Foundation

Transcripts by Karli Drew.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Dewlin Vriend and his legal team returned home from the Supreme Court of Canada to find a massive crowd waiting for them at the Edmonton International Airport.

Alberta was in a frenzy, and the anticipation built as the province waited for the Supreme Court to issue its ruling on the future of equality for Alberta’s Queer and Trans community.

It was going to be a close call.  Delwin’s legal team’s hopes rested with Justice Sopinka — the swing vote.

But a week after the hearing, the tragic news of Justice Sopinka’s death shocked the nation.

Now, it was anyone’s guess as to which way the ruling would go.

In this episode, we learn about the Supreme Court’s ruling on Vriend v. Alberta and how the media factored into the public debate and warring PR campaigns over the use of the notorious Notwithstanding Clause.

Welcome to episode 7 of Vriend Versus Alberta.

*NOTE: The terms “Queer and Trans” and “sexual and gender minorities” are used in this series to refer to the 2SLGBTQI+ community as a whole. We acknowledge the great diversity within this community, and you can find more information about this here.

Vriend Versus Alberta is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Queer History Project.

Archival audio of Delwin Vriend, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, et al was used with permission from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Links:
Read the Supreme Court’s ruling on Vriend v. Alberta.
Watch Senator Paula Simon’s speech in the Red Chamber about Vriend v. Alberta.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta from the Alberta Labour History Institute.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta  on the University of Alberta’s Bridging Connections podcast.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta on the Edmonton Heritage Council’s Edmonton City as Museum Project podcast produced with Alberta Labour History Institute.

ECF Happenings:
Read the latest on our blog.
Check out our ECF Fund listing and Strategic Granting Guide.
See how ECF connects you with Edmonton’s community.
Check out some of the amazing funds our donors have created.

ECF Grants:
* Click here to see all ECF Grants.

 Upcoming Student Awards:
* Click here to find details for all of our student awards!

The Well Endowed Podcast is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation. And is a proud, affiliate member of the Alberta Podcast Network.

EPISODE IMAGE: Paula Simons recounts her time covering the Vriend v. Alberta case during her time as a reporter for the Edmonton Journal. CREDIT: Edmonton Community Foundation

Transcripts by Karli Drew.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Sheila Greckol had delivered her opening arguments at the Supreme Court of Canada. It went well as she presented her submission in support of reading in sexual orientation as a protected ground in Alberta’s human rights legislation.

Now it was the Government of Alberta’s turn to defend its stance.

As the Province’s lead counsel took to the lecturn, the equality of countless Canadians hung in the balance.

Welcome to episode 6 of Vriend Versus Alberta.

*NOTE: The terms “Queer and Trans” and “sexual and gender minorities” are used in this series to refer to the 2SLGBTQI+ community as a whole. We acknowledge the great diversity within this community, and you can find more information about this here.

Vriend Versus Alberta is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Queer History Project.

Archival audio of Delwin Vriend, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, et al was used with permission from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Links:
Read the Supreme Court’s ruling on Vriend v. Alberta.
Watch Senator Paula Simon’s speech in the Red Chamber about Vriend v. Alberta.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta from the Alberta Labour History Institute.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta  on the University of Alberta’s Bridging Connections podcast.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta on the Edmonton Heritage Council’s Edmonton City as Museum Project podcast produced with Alberta Labour History Institute.

ECF Happenings:
Read the latest on our blog.
Check out our ECF Fund listing and Strategic Granting Guide.
See how ECF connects you with Edmonton’s community.
Check out some of the amazing funds our donors have created.

ECF Grants:
* Click here to see all ECF Grants.

Upcoming Student Awards:
* Click here to find details for all of our student awards!

 The Well Endowed Podcast is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation. And is a proud, affiliate member of the Alberta Podcast Network.

 EPISODE IMAGE: Doug Stollery recounts his experience delivering the closing argument in support of equality at the Supreme Court of Canada. CREDIT: Edmonton Community Foundation

Transcripts by Karli Drew.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Supreme Court of Canada granted Delwin Vriend’s legal team the leave to appeal Justice McClung’s ruling in the Alberta Court of Appeal. As the team arrived in Ottawa, the excitement and tension was palpable. It was their last shot to compel the Government of Alberta to include “sexual orientation” as  protected ground in the Province’s human rights legislation.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Sheila Greckol’s opening argument and visit a few of the submissions from the many interveners who spoke in support of Delwin’s case.

This would conclude the first half of the hearing before the Government of Alberta took the stand to argue its defense.

 Welcome to episode 5 of Vriend Versus Alberta.

*NOTE: The terms “Queer and Trans” and “sexual and gender minorities” are used in this series to refer to the 2SLGBTQI+ community as a whole. We acknowledge the great diversity within this community, and you can find more information about this here.

Vriend Versus Alberta is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Queer History Project.

Archival audio of Delwin Vriend, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, et al was used with permission from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Links:
Read the Supreme Court’s ruling on Vriend v. Alberta.
Watch Senator Paula Simon’s speech in the Red Chamber about Vriend v. Alberta.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta from the Alberta Labour History Institute.
Learn more about Vriend v. Alberta  on the University of Alberta’s Bridging Connections podcast.

ECF Happenings:
Read the latest on our blog.
Check out our ECF Fund listing and Strategic Granting Guide.
See how ECF connects you with Edmonton’s community.
Check out some of the amazing funds our donors have created.

ECF Grants:
* Click here to see all ECF Grants.

Upcoming Student Awards:
* Click here to find details for all of our student awards!

The Well Endowed Podcast is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation. And is a proud, affiliate member of the Alberta Podcast Network.

EPISODE IMAGE: Sheila Greckol recounts her experience delivering her opening argument at the Supreme Court of Canada. CREDIT: Edmonton Community Foundation

Transcripts by Karli Drew.