Last week the new provincial government announced its intention
to require Alberta post-secondary institutions to enact policies
about free speech on campus. While no specific proposals were
released, and the Minister of Advanced Education said he intends to
engage in consultation before implementing any legislation, the
general direction of the government’s initiative can be
gleaned from Ontario’s recent experience, as well as a
proposed Alberta bill floated by the Justice Centre for
Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF).
In 2018 Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities issued a letter requiring public post-secondary
institutions to develop policies defining freedom of speech, as
well as forbidding the institution from discriminating against any
viewpoint that might be expressed on campus, and preventing student
protest that would “obstruct or interfere with the freedom of
others to express their views.” Complaints about free speech
issues would be handled
