Excrement smeared on Edmonton statue of Oilers great Wayne Gretzky

A Vancouver Island author’s picture book about a puppy at a Pride parade is among several works at the centre of a U.S. Supreme Court challenge over whether parents have the constitutional right to opt their children out of lessons involving books with LGBTQ characters.Robin Stevenson’s Pride Puppy!, a rhyming alphabet book, features a dog that goes to a parade with its family and breaks loose. Colourful illustrations by Julie McLaughlin depict the puppy bounding through celebratory scenes that include rainbow and transgender pride flags and characters featuring a range of ages, races,...