This Sunday is Father’s Day.

How sad that the day meant to honour dear old dad is the latest victim of cancel culture.

Well, at least that’s the case at St. Alphonsa Catholic Elementary School in Brampton, Ontario.

Rebel News was recently leaked a memo penned by the school’s principal.

Alas and alack, Father’s Day, much like Mother’s Day last month, is now inexplicably under the ban at St. Alphonsa.

Here’s the memo verbatim: “As we approach the season of celebrating parents, we wanted to a share an exciting update with you. This year, instead of separate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts, we will be celebrating something even more special: Family Appreciation Day." 

Gee, this rebranding of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day is supposed to be… “special”? This is supposed to be... “exciting”?

And I hate to be a nitpicker here, but in Ontario, we already have a Family Day. It’s a full-fledged holiday. Family Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. The only bummer is that it doesn’t occur on the second Monday in February, as this would allow Ontarians to sleep-in after watching the previous Sunday night’s Super Bowl.

But I digress…

School staff declined comment, so I reached out to the spokesman for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. That would be Bruce Campbell… No, not THAT Bruce Campbell.

Anyway, Mr. Campbell of the DPCDSB as opposed to Evil Dead 2, had this to say: “Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have not been cancelled at the school. In fact, a dedicated space was set up in the kindergarten area where kindergarten classes made Mother’s Day cards throughout the week. There will be a similar centre set up in advance of Father’s Day.

The message sent to families by the school was intended to inform families that, while they were not actually cancelling recognition of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (which was supported by the card making centres) two actual separate ‘celebrations’ would not be occurring at this school. I trust this provides clarity.” 

Um, clarity?

Ah, no, not quite as clear as an azure sky… or for that matter, an unmuddied lake.

Let me read the memo again: “As we approach the season of celebrating parents, we wanted to a share an exciting update with you. This year, instead of separate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts, we will be celebrating something even more special: Family Appreciation Day.” 

Clear?

So, what’s more egregious, folks? That Mother’s Day and Father’s Day at St. Alphonsa were given the axe? Or that the board is now running cover for the censorious thugs who axed these days?

How does that idiom go again? “It’s not the crime, it’s the coverup”?

In this case, I think it's both.

Regardless, to all the hard-working, loving, nurturing strong dads out there: Happy Father’s Day. Toxic masculinity be damned.