A certain type of small-town gathering ends quietly, but it doesn’t remain silent. That’s essentially what happened in Steinbach earlier this month when Hanover School Division trustees decided to no longer grant mature minors inside any of its buildings the right to confidentiality. It appears to be a procedural modification on paper. In actuality, it has drawn a rural Manitoba school board into a conflict with the province, a teachers’ union, and an uncompromising parent organization.
There is no ambiguity in the law itself. Anyone 16 years of age or older is free to make their own health care decisions, according to Manitoba’s Health Care Directives Act, which has been in effect since 1992. After meeting with Hanover’s board this week, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt stated as much, and it’s difficult to interpret her remarks as anything other than a clear correction. However, Dallas Wiebe, the chair of the board, did not reverse the policy. Instead, he presented it as a reaction to parents who were concerned about transparency and trust. This seems reasonable until you consider what it really means for a sixteen-year-old sitting in a counselor’s office.
Sitting with that part is worthwhile. The Southern Health clinic at Steinbach Regional Secondary School provides services like prescription drugs, mental health support, and reproductive care, usually in accordance with standard confidentiality regulations. The health authority’s spokesperson stated that it is still gathering information on how the directive impacts those employees, which is a courteous way of saying that no one is yet completely certain about what is and isn’t enforceable.
Rather than an isolated choice, the Hanover Parent Alliance for Diversity observes a pattern. The group cites a second policy that was passed at the same meeting on June 2 that restricts materials deemed to be excessively sexual in nature. They contend that both measures disproportionately affect 2SLGBTQ+ students, who may already feel more comfortable speaking with a school nurse than a parent. Even if you disagree with the group’s political views, it’s a valid point: some teenagers do confide in adults outside of their family, and anyone who has worked in a school is aware of this.
Nor is this Hanover’s first encounter with the province. In 2024, the same parent group called for the resignation of six trustees due to a hiring dispute, and Kelly Barkman, a provincial adviser, was appointed to oversee the division. The parent alliance now uses his departure from the position earlier this year without submitting a report as proof that oversight in this case has been more symbolic than actual.
The head of the Hanover Teachers’ Association, Kevin Martens, has expressed concern to his members about the new policies, but he is not conducting interviews while discussions with trustees are ongoing. This may indicate that even those within the system are currently being cautious about what they say. In the meantime, more than 400 people have signed a Steinbach parent’s petition against the policy in advance of Tuesday’s board meeting.
Schmidt claims that the province is carefully examining the policy, but she hasn’t issued an order to revoke it. This is a more lenient approach than some had anticipated, and Hanover’s board room will continue to operate as usual for the time being. It’s unclear if that will continue after Tuesday.
