WINNIPEG – Cyberbullying appeared, for the first time, as an official agenda item at the Western Premiers’ Conference.
After being linked to a number of teen suicides in Canada, provincial leaders gave cyberbullying the same weight as the economy, energy and international investment and trade.
“As a group of provinces and territories, we recognize our responsibility to take leadership on this and we want to have inclusive, diverse peoples in our provinces respected and we want to have safe schools,” Premier Greg Selinger told reporters at the two-day conference in Winnipeg.
Selinger highlighted an online bullying reporting website in British Columbia.
Erasebullying.ca allows victims to anonymously report cases of bullying in real time and, if necessary, emergency officials can be dispatched.
“We’ve just got it up and running, and it’s been very, effective,” B.C. Premier Christy Clark said. “The other thing we’re doing is we’re training 15,000 educators this year, in how to deal with incidents of bullying at the school level.”
The issue of bullying has taken centre stage in Canada, with all levels of government expressing a desire to find solutions to the growing problem.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with parents of four bullying victims last month, in Winnipeg.
The federal government pledged to address bullying under the Criminal Code of Canada.
A report on how best to do that is expected shortly.
“We think there’s value in us all working together, to identify the very best ways we can protect Canadians, wherever they live in the country, and ensure they can have environments where they can live and work, where they have a sense of safety and can be who they are and respected for who they are,” Selinger said.
While this may be the first time cyber-bullying has had an official agenda line at a premiers’ gathering, it won’t be the last.
The topic and the desire for solutions is being pushed forward to the Council of the Federation meeting, in Ontario next month.
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