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Sep 2, 2025 7:17 PM - The Canadian Press

Alberta government pauses ban on school library books with sex content

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He says the pause is in effect until further notice. A draft list from Edmonton Public Schools of books to be removed from libraries was leaked online last week. (Photo- The Canadian Press)

Alberta's education minister is directing school boards to pause a government order to remove books with explicit sexual content from libraries. Demetrios Nicolaides says in an email to school divisions and officials that they should pause any development or distribution of lists of books that are to be removed.

He says the pause is in effect until further notice. A draft list from Edmonton Public Schools of books to be removed from libraries was leaked online last week.

It contains more than 200 titles, including Margaret Atwood's ``The Handmaid's Tale,'' which prompted the author to condemn Premier Danielle Smith online over the weekend.

Smith has said the Edmonton school division was too heavy handed in crafting its list and criticized it for not following the government's intention with the policy.

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