BASAC's Amber Stewart at Monday's city council meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff

By Angela Brown

Third party support

City approves BASAC request to send letter of support to province

Oct 24, 2023 | 6:00 AM

North Battleford city council gave the go-ahead for the city to send a letter to the province showing support for The Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre (BASAC), to allow the organization to visit schools to educate children on health and safety matters.

BASAC Executive Director Amber Stewart provided council with a letter asking for the support of the Mayor and Council for BASAC to continue its work, and for them to send a letter on behalf of the City of North Battleford to the Ministry of Education “encouraging them to allow sexual assault centres to resume their prevention education in schools.”

In August the Ministry of Education announced a new Parental Inclusion and Consent Policy for Saskatchewan Schools. School boards were called to “immediately pause involvement with any third party organization, and stated that only teachers, not outside third parties, will be able to present sexual health education materials in the classroom.”

READ MORE: Province and BASAC at odds over outreach projects

Stewart noted that BASAC was “caught up in the third party net,” and removed from being able to provide sexual violence prevention education in schools in the Battlefords. She said BASAC’s programs are focused on body safety, consent, setting boundaries, and understanding healthy relationships.

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Stewart added that BASAC’s education program is age-specific. As well, parents are advised on the topics discussed in the programming to keep children safe.

Council supported backing BASAC’s work in the schools and unanimously agreed to send a letter to the province.

“You saw unanimous support because we really believe in what they do,” Mayor David Gillan said. “This is the prevention of interpersonal violence in our community. So, we believe in the safety of our community, and the wellbeing of our community. We believe this [BASAC] really should be excluded [from the policy]. They are not working within the sexual health curriculum. That’s the difference as we see it.”

He noted the issue is about health and safety in the community.

“Our young people need to understand what is allowed and what is not allowed, what is legal, what is illegal,” Gillan said. “Our young people are dealing with a lot of pressures nowadays, with the social media. Growing up is hard enough [for] teenagers. There is a lot of pressure. So, it’s important they get the proper information from the proper experts.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow