“It is nothing less than blatant discrimination that denied North Halton Pro-Life the right to participate in this year’s Acton Christmas Parade,” said that organization’s president Grace Steenhof, in early December.
Bill Spielvogel, a volunteer fire-fighter of 33 years and chairman of the Parade Committee, said they were “simply following the steps of Georgetown in not allowing political groups to participate.”
“But the organization did in fact participate in the Georgetown Parade,” said Margaret Aitken, North Halton’s Parade Coodinator. “North Halton Pro-Life is a registered charitable organization with an educational mandate, not a political one,” she added.
The planned float was simply a manger scene and would not have a controversial message of any kind, Ms. Aitken said.
