CA — Vancouver, BC. On January 27, 2020, Vancouver Public Library (VPL) confirmed that an event focused on women’s rights could proceed as planned, following the board’s assessment under its new booking policy.

The group organizing the event, Gender Identity YVR (GIDYVR) had originally applied to use rental space at the library in November 2019. However, the library only “pencilled in” the event, while staff “undertook a rental pre-screening and risk assessment”, including legal advice and advice from the Vancouver Police Department.

The Vancouver Public Library says we are only “pencilled in” on Mar 21. @GIDYVR patiently waits to pay a deposit & sign a rental contract. There’s no reason we should not be able to use this public space. 🙂 https://t.co/kq7hiNBMrx

— #GIDYVR (@gidyvr) December 31, 2019

The risk assessment concluded “that the presentation would likely not involve any breach of the BC [British Columbia] Human Rights Code or Criminal Code.” In its public statement, the library notes that:

as a public body VPL is expected to act in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which includes the right to freedom of expression subject only to limits recognized at law.

GIDYVR held its first event at VPL in January 2019, and at the time, had to mount a legal challenge to ensure the event could proceed. Subsequent to that event, VPL updated its Public Meeting Rooms and Facilities Use Policy to include a “a risk assessment process to identify whether events are likely to, or will, violate the Criminal Code or the BC Human Rights Code, or present a significant security risk to the Library.”

One year ago today, 300 people made their way to the Vancouver Public Library to hear some incredible women speak to a sold-out crowd. Meghan Murphy, Lee Lakeman & Faye Blaney defended women’s sex based rights to the chagrin of the @VPL & anti woman protestors. pic.twitter.com/U1wbqpHDte

— Amy Eileen Hamm (@preta_6) January 10, 2020

The event, “Women’s Places & Spaces: Sports, Prisons and Shelters,” will take place on March 21, 2020 at 7:00 pm at the Library Square Conference Centre, and includes three speakers:

• Linda Blade, President of Athletics Alberta, coach, and former heptathlete
• Meghan Murphy, a journalist and the founder and editor of Feminist Current
• Heather Mason, an advocate for women in prison

Tickets are available here.