Terry Newman: She objected to land acknowledgments. Now she's paying the price for her heresy

National Post

6 days ago

An elected Ontario school board councillor has been suspended by her board for expressing an opinion about land acknowledgements. It was not explained to her the exact offence she had committed, or who complained, only that the opinion she expressed apparently caused harm.
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Catherine Kronas was first elected to Ancaster High Secondary School as chair in 2023 and then re-elected as a council member in 2024.
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On April 9th Kronas' council meeting opened as has become customary, with a land acknowledgment read aloud by Principal Jason Monteith:
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'The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board acknowledges our presence on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Confederacy land as determined by the Dish with One Spoon treaty. The intent of this agreement is for all nations sharing this territory to do so responsibly, respectfully and sustainably in perpetuity. We respect the longstanding relationships with the local Indigenous communities, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River.'
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How this ritualized statement relates to the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of school council members is unclear.
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I can't in good conscience acquiesce to the quasi-religious practice of Land Acknowledgements. Last week at my @HWDSB school council meeting, I decided to speak up: pic.twitter.com/rZh5xXrMLm
— Catherine Kronas (@CatherineKronas) April 16, 2025
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'In my view, the Board's imposition of a land acknowledgment during our school council meetings undermines the democratic process and constitutes a form of compelled speech, which I believe contravenes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. There is no school board policy mandating its inclusion. In my opinion, the sentiments implied by the land acknowledgment, are political in nature, highly controversial, and therefore divisive and inappropriate within a government institution. And I respectfully request that my objection be noted in the minutes of this meeting.'
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As far as Kronas knew, her objection had been noted for the minutes and that was that.
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But then on May 22, she received a letter from HWDSB, informing her that her role as an Ancaster High school councillor was 'paused,' and that she didn't have permission to attend the next meeting. It suggested that Kronas had 'allegedly engaged in conduct that has caused harm and is not in compliance with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board — HWDSB policy.'
The letter did not explain how Kronas' behaviour was not in compliance or what harm she allegedly caused.
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Kronas secured a lawyer, Hatim Kheir, from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) to find out. He sent a letter to the Human Rights Office (HRO) of the HWDSB arguing that the decision to suspend Kronas was 'unconstitutional and contrary to administrative law principles of procedural fairness.'
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Her lawyer advised the board that the decision to suspend Kronas was 'a clear attempt to restrict her speech based on its content,' speech which, in absence of such evidence of harm, is protected by Section 2(b) of the Charter.
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The board either couldn't, or didn't think they should have to, articulate how Kronas' objection to the use of land acknowledgments during meetings allegedly caused harm. But they knew they didn't like her objection.