8 September 2024 - 11:00 am

Sunday Brunch with Special Guest Speaker

We are pleased to announce that Leslie Rosenblood, Secular Chair of the Centre for Inquiry Canada, will be joining us for brunch on SEPTEMBER 8, 2024.

A longtime advocate for a single public education system in Ontario, he will lead an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on the history of separate schools in Canada, reveal myths and common misunderstandings, identify enduring practices that perpetuate inequality, and share ideas on how to end biased funding in Ontario’s education system.

RSVP needed by SEPTEMBER 7 to: Events@sofree.ca. As this invitation is open to all, we need to know the anticipated number of attendees in advance to be able to coordinate with venue staff. Our get-together will be in one of the dedicated event rooms.

Background to Leslie’s talk: In 1999, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) made a powerful statement, highlighting the discriminatory nature of Ontario’s public funding of Catholic schools—i.e., granting special privileges to one religious group, while denying funding to other faith-based schools. The UNHRC advised that Ontario either provide financial support for all religious schools in the province or cease funding to Catholic schools entirely. Ontario refused to comply.

The Symposium Café is at 304 Stone Road West, across the street from Stone Road Mall. There is lots of free parking on-site.