The Democracy Fund lawyers sent a demand letter to the school board objecting to Dallas Brodie's cancellation.
TORONTO: In April 2026, BC politician Dallas Brodie, MLA Vancouver-Quilchena, contacted the Vancouver School Board to book school facilities for a Saturday town hall event. The school is conveniently located in her constituency. Her staff arranged for professional security, discussed venue specifics with VSB and informed the Vancouver police of the event.
The parties signed the rental agreement on April 22. MLA Brodie advertised the event to her constituents and arranged for speakers to discuss topical subjects, including the rise in local crime.
However, on April 24, VSB unilaterally cancelled the booking, citing the possibility of a "confrontation" between groups and concerns about ensuring a safe environment. It cited language from the BC Human Rights Code regarding the promotion of hatred and discrimination.
Following the cancellation, VSB's lawyers sent a legal letter offering to rebook the event if Ms. Brodie satisfied onerous conditions, including providing VSB with a safety plan and all correspondence between Ms. Brodie and the Vancouver police regarding the event.
Ms. Brodie retained The Democracy Fund (TDF) lawyers who have since sent a letter to VSB's counsel objecting to this improper, targeted cancellation. VSB's counsel has responded; TDF is reviewing the letter with Ms. Brodie.
TDF Executive Director Mark Joseph said, "Our position is that the VSB cannot cancel a town hall hosted by an elected politician using the pretext of 'security concerns,' particularly where the police expressed none. In any case, Ms. Brodie's office arranged for private security, so VSB's stated reasons are not credible upon examination. If officials can arbitrarily cancel a politician's speaking engagement, or do so via a heckler's veto, the democratic process will grind to a halt. Some people in power seem to think that society will progress only if an intellectual elite curates opinions and expression; this view is hubristic and foolish. Voting-age Canadians are not children who need monitoring and correction."
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education, and opposing religious discrimination. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education, and supports an access-to-justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic.