You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Canadian Hero’ tag.
Amy Hamm, a registered nurse with 13 years of experience, was recently fired by Vancouver Coastal Health following a ruling by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) that deemed her guilty of “professional misconduct.” Her termination stemmed from her public advocacy for sex-based rights, including her co-sponsorship of a 2020 billboard stating “I love JK Rowling” and her statements asserting that biological sex distinctions matter, particularly in contexts like women’s private spaces. This decision has sparked widespread debate, with critics arguing that her firing represents a severe overreach by her professional organization, punishing her for exercising free speech rather than any failure in her nursing duties.
The BCCNM’s investigation, which spanned over four years, focused on Hamm’s off-duty comments made in articles and a podcast where she identified as a nurse. The disciplinary panel labeled her statements about transgender issues as “discriminatory and derogatory,” claiming they undermined trust in the nursing profession. However, Hamm and her supporters contend that her views—rooted in the belief that biological sex is immutable—were not only unrelated to her professional conduct but also reflect a scientifically grounded perspective. The panel’s ruling, followed by her immediate dismissal without severance, raises questions about whether the BCCNM prioritized ideological conformity over fairness and evidence.
Hamm’s mistreatment highlights a broader issue of professional organizations stifling dissent under the guise of maintaining public trust. Her case suggests that nurses and other regulated professionals in Canada may face severe repercussions for expressing personal opinions, even outside their workplace, if those views clash with prevailing social narratives. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which supported Hamm legally, decried the ruling as a blow to free expression, arguing that it sets a chilling precedent for others in similar positions. This punitive approach effectively silences debate on contentious issues, forcing professionals to self-censor or risk their livelihoods.
The decision to fire Hamm also appears disproportionate when considering her exemplary record as a nurse. No evidence was presented that her views impacted her patient care or professional performance; instead, the BCCNM focused solely on the perceived social implications of her statements. This disconnect between her job performance and the punishment meted out underscores a troubling trend: professional bodies acting as arbiters of personal belief rather than guardians of competence. Hamm’s termination without severance after 13 years of service further amplifies the perception of vindictiveness, suggesting an intent to make an example of her rather than address any tangible harm.
In the aftermath, Hamm has vowed to continue speaking out, supported by figures like JK Rowling and a growing chorus of advocates for free speech and women’s rights. Her case exposes the fragility of individual rights within Canada’s regulatory frameworks and the potential for professional organizations to wield unchecked power against those who challenge orthodoxy. As Hamm faces a possible appeal, her ordeal serves as a stark warning: the mistreatment she endured—being fired for her convictions—may foreshadow a future where intellectual freedom is sacrificed for institutional control, leaving professionals vulnerable to ideological purges.
Jim McMurtry, a seasoned Canadian high school history teacher with nearly 40 years of experience, found himself at the center of a storm in May 2021 when he dared to question the explosive narrative surrounding the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Following the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation’s announcement of 215 “unmarked graves” detected by ground-penetrating radar, the nation erupted in grief and outrage, fueled by claims of mass murder and secret burials. While substituting for a Calculus 12 class at a school in Abbotsford, British Columbia, McMurtry responded to a student’s assertion that priests had tortured and murdered Indigenous children by stating that most deaths at residential schools were due to diseases like tuberculosis—not deliberate killings. Within an hour, he was escorted out of the building by administrators, accused of “extremely serious professional misconduct” for contradicting the district’s message of reconciliation.
McMurtry’s statement wasn’t a wild guess; it aligned with findings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which spent years documenting that tuberculosis and other illnesses were the leading causes of death among residential school students. Yet, the Abbotsford School District didn’t care about historical accuracy—they wanted a compliant narrative. Suspended indefinitely, McMurtry faced a barrage of allegations, including claims he’d made insensitive remarks, though the only evidence was a vague, handwritten note from a principal relaying a student’s complaint via a counselor. No bodies had been exhumed at Kamloops, no forensic proof of murder emerged, but the district clung to the emotional weight of the story, prioritizing optics over facts. McMurtry, with a master’s in educational history and a Ph.D. in philosophy of education specializing in Indigenous history, was suddenly the villain for refusing to parrot unverified claims.
The injustice deepened as the school board’s disciplinary process unfolded. After a year of suspension, McMurtry spoke out publicly, refusing to be “muzzled” and criticizing the district’s handling of his case. This defiance sealed his fate. On February 21, 2023, the Abbotsford School District fired him, citing his unwillingness to follow orders and his insistence on free speech as reasons he could no longer be employed. The board’s report framed his historical corrections as undermining their “truth and reconciliation work,” as if truth itself was negotiable. Meanwhile, the lack of transparency—denying him a proper hearing for over three years and relying on hearsay—exposed a system more interested in protecting its image than fostering honest discourse.
The fallout didn’t stop with his termination. McMurtry’s teaching regulator, the British Columbia Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB), piled on, pressuring him to retire and threatening to cancel his teaching certificate unless he admitted to misconduct for not labeling residential school deaths as part of a “government strategy of cultural genocide.” His refusal to bend to ideological demands turned him into a pariah, despite his impeccable record, two teaching awards, and stints as a college lecturer and junior college principal. The TRC’s own data supported his classroom comments, yet the establishment doubled down, with figures like NDP MP Leah Gazan pushing for laws to criminalize “denialism” of such narratives—laws that could’ve targeted McMurtry directly. His career was sacrificed not for falsehoods, but for challenging a politically charged myth with inconvenient facts.
This saga reveals a chilling injustice: a teacher punished not for lying, but for teaching. McMurtry’s case underscores a broader cultural shift in Canada, where questioning sacred narratives—however dubious—can end a livelihood. The Kamloops story, still unproven years later with no excavated remains, became a cudgel to silence dissent, leaving McMurtry jobless and vilified. Supported by writers like Conrad Black and Barbara Kay, he’s since found solidarity among those who see his firing as an attack on free thought. Yet, the damage is done—a decorated educator, armed with expertise and evidence, was cast aside by a system that valued conformity over truth, proving that in today’s Canada, history isn’t a subject to explore, but a script to obey.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
Your opinions…