The Victoria Conference Centre, Victoria Police Department, and members of Victoria City Hall have been in contact with We Unify to discuss issues regarding security and conference content, organizers told The Epoch Times. They said all sides have been working to ensure the event will not be interrupted and everyone’s safety is assured.
We Unify executive assistant Natalie St. Hilaire told The Epoch Times organizers had to sacrifice hours of conference preparation time to deal with the new challenges, including increased venue and security costs imposed at the last minute.
“We’ve really had to sort of pause our organization of the conference and deal with so many things coming up and just clarifying that we’re a free speech conference, and that we’re here trying to address the issues of cancellation and censorship,” she said, “and now we’re facing it ourselves.
“We are working towards a more open and just democracy that is resilient in the face of change and worthy of the people’s trust. We champion the leaders and organizations who defend democracy and support partners and ideas from across the political spectrum in pursuit of fair elections, vibrant debate, effective and accountable government and a more inclusive society.”
One of the conference’s most notable outcomes was during its first event in 2022, when the discussions led to the creation of the National Citizens Inquiry.
“If you look at any of our materials and what We Unify represents, we are about solutions and open debates where all respectful dialogue is welcome,” We Unify communications director Karla Treadway said in an interview. “We do not tolerate hate speech, but of course, we live in an upside down world where almost anything can get you cancelled.”
Ms. Treadway applauds people who disagree with her on social and political topics and express their views in a civil manner. Efforts to cancel the We Unify conference, she said, are more about bullying than disagreement.
She said some activist groups have launched “concerted efforts” to cancel the conference.
“These activist groups are writing letters and sending emails saying this is an anti-trans group and of course, no one is doing their due diligence to look into what this event actually represents. And they’re putting a lot of pressure on the Victoria City Council,” she said.
The event, which runs June 22 and 23, will feature more than 20 speakers, including American physician Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, former Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Brian Peckford, and American entrepreneur Steve Kirsch.
