OTTAWA, ON — On Saturday, October 24, Ontario teachers and education workers will hold coordinated rallies in five cities across the province, united in the fight for Ontario’s publicly funded schools. 

Continuing a strong show of solidarity and coordinated action for collective bargaining in the education sector, five major education unions representing 255,000 workers are joining forces to organize rallies that bring together parents, families, and local community members in their respective city hubs with one common demand: invest in publicly funded education.

Alongside Ottawa’s local rally at Parliament Hill, large crowds will also be gathering at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Victoria Park in London, Bell Park in Sudbury, and Waverley Park in Thunder Bay. In addition to hearing from provincial and local leaders and education union representatives, parents and community members will share how underfunding and understaffing have affected our schools and how, together, we can fight for the publicly funded education system students deserve!

WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: Parliament Hill, 111 Wellington St, Ottawa
 

WHO: 

• Sylvain Ducharme, First Vice-President, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)
• Mary Fowler, Vice-President, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
• Lisa Lacaria, First Vice-President, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA)
• Mitch Gagnon, Francophone Vice-President, Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU)
• Colin Matthew, Vice-President, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO)

INTERVIEWS: Media are invited to attend Saturday’s Ottawa rally for on-site interviews with union leaders, teachers, education workers and other speakers. Local and provincial education leaders are also available for phone or virtual interviews in advance of October 24.

To book an interview, arrange on-site coverage, or request details on local rallies, contact:

Marianne Raina

Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)

613-218-3702

mraina@aefo.on.ca