Many of you will have heard of the Judicial Review that CHP Canada entered against the City of Hamilton. It may have caused you to wonder why we are making such a big deal out of just ONE declined poster in ONE bus shelter. After all, there are bus shelters in other cities where the poster could go up without opposition. Why are we making a big deal about this one? Why don’t we just go to another town to put up a poster?

The truth is that we, as Canadians, do not often stop to think of our cherished freedoms and the price that some people in some countries pay for a smattering of freedom.

Both World Wars were fought an ocean away. Although we were involved, our families did not feel the sting of a dictator’s rule. At the close of the wars, Canadians continued to enjoy freedoms that could only be dreamed of in some parts of the world.

Canadians are not familiar with experiences of people who grew up behind the “iron curtain”. Since the birth of our country, we have known only freedom, and we trust that it will always be so. Yet, if you talk to people who came to Canada to escape dictatorships, they are concerned. They know that ‘just ONE poster’ becomes just TWO posters, which becomes a way of life.

I have received numerous warnings over the years of the very real concerns felt by those who have gone from a dictatorship to enjoying Canada’s freedoms…many are scared. They remember! We don’t know.

We have seen the poster battle happen in cities throughout Canada. We have seen government overriding parents on the care of their own children. We have seen governments pass legislation that will criminalize parents who seek what they feel is best for their own children.

We have seen our freedoms slipping away, one little bit at a time. A big chunk, we may notice, but this chipping away—piece by piece—goes largely unnoticed. But we MUST start noticing.

Whether it’s the government ordering banks to freeze citizen’s accounts because of donating to a cause the government opposes; or our police/military coming violently against many thousands of Canadians peacefully protesting to protect their freedoms; or Bill C4, which criminalized parents for seeking treatment for their own gender confused children; or the government allowing grants for the Canadian Summer Jobs Program only to those organizations that will toe the government line on abortion; or—in this case—the government shutting down dialogue on the definition of woman—in each of these cases, your freedoms are at stake. The City of Hamilton has banned the dictionary definition from their bus shelters because it defines a woman as “an adult female”. This, by the City, is deemed ‘hateful’ because it excludes those who were not born a woman but imagine or wish they were.

Looking at the paragraph above, you must be experiencing some disquiet at the number of incursions the government is making into our Charter-guaranteed, God-given rights and freedoms. I could continue citing cases of government overreach, but these make it obvious that Canadians should rightly be concerned…particularly, as this is only ONE of numerous posters that have been rejected by levels of government. There are many more! Your right to free speech has been challenged by governments, and unless we fight back, then this freedom will be a memory of times gone.

Then, to top it off, the Ontario Superior Court sided with the City, thus, effectively ruling against the right of a registered political party to offer a political opinion that is in opposition to the view held by the municipality, on public property. This is part of the history of this case. This, after our right to free political speech was affirmed a scant seven years ago. Now we are in the battle of our lifetime for free political speech—and not just for CHP Canada—but for all registered political parties!

Any legal action is expensive. The Canada Elections Act places strict dollar values on political donations to political parties. It’s hard for smaller political parties to raise funds for this, BUT it is too important to not take up the cause. Every chip against our freedoms makes it harder to prevent the dismantling of our heritage of human rights and freedoms founded in Biblical principles and asserted in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Today is the day to protest. Today is the day to ensure that our kids do not look back and wish they had the freedoms that Canadians once enjoyed…wish that their parents had given them the rich heritage of freedom that previous generations enjoyed.

We need your help. You can give only to a maximum donation of $1750 in 2025. But your donation will help us fight to protect not only the right of registered political parties to peacefully express their views on public policy issues, but also to open up public dialogue on the rights of women, and the restoration of the protections afforded to females for purposes of modesty, and for fairness in women’s and girls’ sports.

You can join the battle by joining CHP Canada. You can also help by donating to CHP Canada for the Judicial Review Appeal. You can show Canadian mettle by getting involved. We need you!