Frances Widdowson met by 700 protesters at University of Lethbridge; speech moves to Zoom

When Frances Widdowson arrived on campus last February, she met with Indigenous students, faculty and community members, engaging with them while students surrounded her, shouting, and at times chanting and playing guitar.

A large crowd of around 700 students, faculty members and Lethbridge residents came out on Wednesday to protest a planned speech by Frances Widdowson at the University of Lethbridge that didn't take place.

When Widdowson arrived on campus, she met with Indigenous students, faculty and community members, engaging with them while students surrounded her, shouting, and at times chanting and playing guitar.

Every time Widdowson was forced to move further away from the atrium, loud applause and cheering erupted in the crowd.

Widdowson was fired from Mount Royal University in 2020 after comments critical of Black Lives Matter and for saying there were some educational benefits to the residential school system.

Fourth-year Aboriginal Health student Keely Wadsworth said she spent last summer chronicling the incidents that took place at six different residential schools on the Blood Reserve.

"I know every single incident, I know every single death that happened," Wadsworth said," How do you take all that knowledge and think that it's positive?"

"I 100 per cent support cancelling because it's a risk of misinformation for people who have not gathered previously – residential school was not positive."

A handful of people in attendance appeared to be in support of Widdowson, who was still expected to give her lecture via Zoom.

CTV News was told she was removed from campus over security concerns.

U of L president Mike Mahon issued a statement following the event.

"Earlier tonight, over 700 students, staff and faculty and community supporters engaged in a protest of a controversial speaker, and another large group attended a lecture on the importance of truth before reconciliation. Tonight’s events were a coming together of our community to show support for each other and a reflection of the values of the University of Lethbridge,” the statement said.

"I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our community members for conducting themselves in such a peaceful and powerful manner."

Earlier Wednesday, the university held speeches opposing Widdowson's views.

Métis councillor Brittany Lee said her organization was offering support for the more than 2,000 Métis people who live in the Lethbridge area.

"If they feel they need assistance, they can reach out to the local," Lee said.

"My reaction is just that, as a group, we believe education should be the means to repair the damage that was done to our people via the residential school system.

"Not a means to rehash some of the tragic events that have happened in the past."

Wadsworth said the large turnout of support for the Indigenous student community was heartwarming.

"I grew up in Lethbridge where we didn't have any support. And so now in 2023, we have all this support on campus really working towards reconciliation, it's really heartwarming and I know that for my son, who is four, he's going to have a good future here at the U of L."

With files from Karsen Marczuk