Yesterday was Trans Day of Remembrance, to commemorate trans people who have died from violence and discrimination, and there were places across the country who did things like flag-raisings, and talked about the importance of inclusion, or their vague promises for LGBQT+ Action Plans™, which they haven’t delivered on (ahem, Nova Scotia). But nothing takes the cake compared to Alberta.

Alberta, which this week invoked the Notwithstanding Clause to shield three of its laws that delegitimise and attack trans rights in the province, and where a UCP backbencher compared gender affirmation to cattle castration in defending said invocation of the Notwithstanding Clause. Where a UCP candidate was temporarily booted from caucus for comparing trans students in a classroom to faeces in cooking dough, only to be reinstated months later with no questions asked. Who went through a major exercise in book-banning that aimed squarely on trans and queer materials. And with all of this, the province’s status of women minister put out a statement that, I shit you not, said “Our government remains a dedicated partner of transgender Albertans.”

The Alberta government putting out a statement for Trans Day of Remembrance two days after using the Notwithstanding Clause to override trans kids rights feels like parody at this point "Our government remains a dedicated partner of transgender Albertans.”

— Mel Woods (@melwoods.me) 2025-11-20T16:37:36.723Z

I just can’t. Words fail. It’s beyond parody. It’s just cruelty for the sake of cruelty, but Danielle Smith is doing this because she doesn’t want the swivel-eyed loons in her party base to eat her face, especially with another party convention on the way where she could face a leadership review. (And a good deal of blame falls on Jason Kenney for empowering these loons when he kicked the centrist normies out of the party). And because it bears reminding, trans people are always the first targeted by fascists, so what’s happening is the canary in the coal mine. Nothing good can come of this.

— Effin' Birds (@effinbirds.com) 2025-11-20T15:05:10.130Z

Ukraine Dispatch

Russia claims that they have taken the city of Kupiansk, but Ukraine denies this. There was an exchange of soldiers’ bodies—Ukraine received 1000, while Russia got 30. The Russian-US “peace plan” involves turning over the fortified areas of the Donbas region Putin hasn’t been able to seize, and limiting the size of Ukraine’s military, none of which is acceptable.

Good reads:

• In Abu Dhabi, Mark Carney signed a foreign investment and promotion agreement with the UAE. (Media were barred from pretty much all activities).
• The government’s “Lost Canadians” bill has passed the Senate, who attached observations that the rules with adoptees remain a problem to be addressed.
• The budget implementation bill aims to retroactively fix an error in what veterans were charged for long-term care, which would also end reimbursement litigation.
• The bidding instructions for the submarine contracts highlight issues around sustainment and economic benefits.
• The CBSA officers’ union says that moves to try and automate the refugee claimant process is creating security gaps.
• There are allegations that a number of Hamas financers are living in Canada.
• The Canadian Public Interest Advocacy Centre, one of the few consumer advocacy groups in the country, is in dire financial straits and its executive director resigned.
• A coalition of child advocates and medical professionals are calling for the government to bring back online harms legislation.
• Fertility advocates are pointing out that the election promise to fund IVF treatments are not in the budget.
• The Canadian Bar Association is calling on the government to change the immigration system to allow trans refugee claimants from the US to flee to Canada.
• Carney’s chief of staff, Marc-André Blanchard, was at ethics committee defending the ethics screen that was also used by Harper’s chief of staff, Nigel Wright.
• Chrystia Freeland says she will move to the UK when she takes up the position at the head of the Rhodes Trust next summer.
• The Conservatives are planning a series of amendments to the asylum claimant portions of C-12, most of which are just punching down on vulnerable people.
• Doug Ford is introducing “Buy Ontario” legislation…which pretty much undermines any of his talk about increasing trade. (Why is everything so stupid?)
• Norwegian company Vianode is investing $3.2 billion to build a synthetic graphite plant in southwestern Ontario.
• Danielle Smith introduced legislation to prevent professional regulators from disciplining members in the way Jordan Peterson was disciplined. (Seriously).
• Philippe Lagassé reflects on the role of nuance in defence procurements, such as the fighter jet replacements.
• Susan Delacourt worries about the political right finding it too easy to start to discount rights as luxuries as they increasingly invoke the Notwithstanding Clause.

Odds and ends:

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T22:14:59.169Z

Hey BSers! Need a copy of my book, for yourself or for a holiday gift? @dundurnpress.bsky.social is having their holiday sale! Use code HOLIDAY25 to save 25% on this, or any Dundurn book. Check out my book #UnbrokenMachine, or the book I contributed a chapter to, #RoyalProgress.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-11-19T02:01:04.435Z

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.