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 Over the course of two days in late 1977, the parents of
121 Holdeman Mennonite children packed into the Three Hills courtroom to
represent their beliefs in the face of truancy charges. Earlier in the year,
members of this particular sect opted to remove their children from the
local public school and placed them in the newly created Kneehill Christian
School, where they felt their community was equipped to provide education
focused in accordance with their faith. However, while this school
subscribed to the Mennonite faith, it did not comply with what was set out
by the provincial government, and the Holdeman people were charged with
breaking the law.
 The result was a highly charged trial, engaging strong
opponents in pursuit of reconciling religious freedom and provincial
education requirements. The outcome was both astonishing and unexpected, and
marked by Justice Oliver’s interpretation of legal documents that had yet to
be called upon.
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Heritage Community Foundation Presents
;)
;)
