THUNDER BAY, 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 Thunder Bay’s local rally at Waverley Park, large crowds will also be gathering at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Victoria Park in London, and Bell Park in Sudbury. 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: Waverley Park Pavilion, Waverley St., Thunder Bay
 

WHO:  

• Shirley Bell, First Vice-President, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) 
• Alina Cameron, President – Communications Chair, Ontario Autism Coalition
• Jeff Denys, Treasurer, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation 
• Ambroise Gomis, Deuxième vice-président/Second Vice-President, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens 
• Tesa Fiddler, Councillor, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, and Coordinator of Indigenous Education, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
• Rod McGee, First Vice-President, CUPE-Ontario School Board Council of Unions 
• Gordon Robitaille, Vice-President of the Thunder Bay & District Labour Council 

INTERVIEWS: Media are invited to attend Saturday’s Thunder Bay 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 advance interview, arrange on-site coverage, or request details on local rallies, contact: 

Before October 24:

Carla Pereira, ETFO, 416-962-3836 ext. 2332 or cpereira@etfo.org

On October 24:

Bill Hewitt or Inessa Petersen, ETFO, 437-448-3692 / 416-571-6815 or bhewitt@etfo.org / ipetersen@etfo.org