Banff Teen Helps Rally Walkout in Support of Alberta Teachers

On a crisp Thursday morning in Banff, about 50 students filed out of classrooms at Banff Community High School and gathered outside the local IGA. Some wore red, others carried handmade signs. Together they began to chant, “Be fair, we care,” and “Our education is how we grow.”

At the center of it all was 16-year-old Julianne Martinez, a Grade 11 student who helped organize the local demonstration. For her, the protest was about more than politics or policy. It was personal.

“I have ADHD and have had my fair share of mental health struggles,” she said. “The teachers who showed me grace and understanding are ones I’ll forever be thankful for. They’ve helped me through some of the hardest times of my life, so if they can fight for us, it’s only fair that I fight for them.”

The Banff walkout was part of a larger, provincewide movement that saw students across Alberta leave class in protest of the government’s Back to School Act, which ended the three-week teachers’ strike earlier this week. The legislation invoked the notwithstanding clause, suspending teachers’ right to strike for up to five years.

Premier Danielle Smith has framed the act as a necessary step to protect students from further disruption. Her government has also promised to hire 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 educational assistants, raise teacher pay by up to 17 percent, and fast-track 130 new or modernized schools by 2030.

But many students, including Julianne, say the legislation missed the point.

‘We wanted them to know we’re with them’

Julianne said the walkout came together quickly. She served as the Banff representative in the Alberta Students Association, a student-run organization that coordinated the timing of walkouts across the province. “I did get some help with promotion, but overall the time, the meeting place, and much of the planning were my doing,” she said. “I wanted to make sure Banff was part of it.”

At first, she said, the energy outside the school was uncertain. “We weren’t sure what to chant,” she said. “But once we decided, people joined in, and it just felt right.” Students marched through downtown Banff for about 40 minutes before returning to class.

Teachers, she added, didn’t interfere. “They told us goodbye and let us leave without question. Some even said thank you,” Julianne said. “The rest of the day was as normal as it could be.”

While the crowd was small compared with demonstrations in major cities, Julianne said the meaning was significant. “We wanted the teachers to know that we’re for them,” she said. “Even if they can’t fight for themselves, we can do it for them — just like they’ve fought for us.”

A broader movement takes shape

Across Alberta, thousands of students echoed that message. In Calgary, hundreds walked out of schools such as Western Canada High and St. Mary’s High before gathering at City Hall.

Arya Mishra, a Grade 12 student at William Aberhart High School and one of the organizers of Alberta Students for Teachers, told CBC News that the protest aimed to correct what she saw as a disconnect between how politicians describe students’ priorities and what students actually want. “Politicians are saying things that are supposedly coming from students,” she said. “I have yet to see many students repeat those same statements.”

Mishra and her peers are calling for classroom caps, better learning conditions, and the option to make January 2026 diploma exams voluntary in light of the strike’s disruption. An online petition supporting that demand has already gathered more than 27,000 signatures.

Fellow organizer Vaishnavi Venkateshwaran, a Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School, said her motivation was rooted in civil rights. “No matter what your political affiliation is, we have a duty to stand up for those rights,” she told CBC. “If we take this lying down, it sets a precedent that we’ll take this lying down for anything in the future.”

A quiet show of support in Banff

In Banff, Julianne said the walkout was peaceful and met with quiet support from both students and parents. “Some parents left comments on my posts showing their support, and older students offered to help with organizing,” she said.

She added that she faced no pushback from school administrators or the division. “I was very fortunate,” she said. “There was no resistance.”

Her approach was also inclusive. While the @bchswalkout2025 Instagram account was the main organizing tool, she made sure word reached students who aren’t active online. “I asked friends to put up mini flyers around the school so everyone knew about it,” she said.

By midday, the protest had wrapped up. Students drifted back to class, some still wearing red shirts. The next day, the routine resumed.

Generational stakes

The student action came at a time of heightened political tension in Alberta’s education system. Supporters of the provincial legislation argue that the government’s commitments to hire staff and increase pay show good faith. Critics say the use of the notwithstanding clause undermines teachers’ rights and sends the wrong message to future voters.

Julianne says the debate itself is proof that young people deserve a seat at the table. “Some adults say kids shouldn’t get involved in this kind of protest,” she said. “But it’s our future, and the future of generations to come. If we don’t do anything, who will?”

Looking ahead

As for what comes next, Julianne doesn’t expect another walkout soon. “For the near future, I don’t see any more walkouts,” she said. “But students can stay educated and keep speaking out on social media.”

For now, she’s proud that Banff students made their voices heard — and that they did so respectfully. “The teachers felt supported,” she said. “That was the goal.”

Whether or not the government reconsiders any part of its back-to-work plan, Thursday’s demonstration showed something different: a generation of Alberta students willing to test the limits of civic participation, even if it means walking out the door.