3.5 "What Happens In Alberta Does Not Stay in Alberta"

Episode Abstract: This is the first of three consecutive episodes about the “parental rights” movement in the Prairies. The episode focuses on the “parental rights” groups that are operating in Alberta, their tactics, and the ways these groups have impacted legislation in the province. We consider the motivations of these groups and the broader impact they are having on public education and the public good. Guest Bio: Heather Ganshorn is the Research Director of Support Our Students Alberta, a non-partisan, non-profit public education advocacy group fighting for the rights of all children to an equitable and accessible public education system. She is an academic librarian and the mother of two children in the public education system.Heather recently published a primer with the Parkland Institute titled, Challenging ‘parental rights’. References/Resources: Ganshorn, H. (2025). Challenging “Parental Rights”: A Primer for Parents, Students, Educators, and Advocates. Parkland Institute. https://www.parklandinstitute.ca/parental_rights Ganshorn, H. (2025, October 1). “Parental rights” threaten to take public education backwards. Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-parental-rights-threaten-to-take-public-education-backwards?itm_source=opinion&tbref=hp Ganshorn, H. (2025, August 24). In Alberta, “parental rights” and privatization go hand in hand. CCPA. https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/in-alberta-parental-rights-and-privatization-go-hand-in-hand Credits The show's producers are Melanie Janzen & Shannon D.M. Moore. The co-hosts are Shannon D.M. Moore & Justin Fraser. The technical producer is Devin King. The cover art is by political cartoonist, Chris Chuckry. The songs 26 Ghosts III, 16 Ghosts II, and 35 Ghosts IV by Nine Inch Nails are used through a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/.