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Friday, July 18, 2025

Liberal government hosts drag queen competition for public servants

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Liberal government is touting its first ever drag queen competition for public servants. 

According to Public Service Pride, “DRAGanza 2021” will take place on Friday, Aug. 27, and is open to anybody who works for a federal government department. The event is being hosted by Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

Participants who enter the competition will have a shot at being crowned the Government of Canada’s first ever “drag superstar.” 

“Channel your inner drag star! Compete in a variety of fun challenges by video to win prizes. You may even be crowned as the GoC’s first ever drag superstar!” an event description reads. 

In the lead-up to DRAGanza 2021, public servants hoping to enter the competition will get to attend two two-hour workshops “with seasoned makeup artists, hair stylists and drag performers.” 

“They will be sharing tips and tricks to apply makeup, how to dress, and how to prepare for the challenges,” the DRAGanza 2021 website says. 

According to the contestant requirements, public servants will “be asked to create a video showing off (their) makeup, moves and lip-syncing skills.” 

Additionally, the videos will be broadcast across Canada’s federal departments. 

The event also calls on “drag queen mentors” to man the workshops and give contestants tips “one-on-one or in virtual breakout rooms.” 

Last year, federal employees with the Department of Public Works complained about dealing with “repetitive, menial and uninspiring work” during the pandemic. 

“As our employees have repeatedly told us, it is difficult if not impossible to find meaning and dignity in work when all we can do is try to keep from drowning in a pool of repetitive, menial and uninspiring tasks that don’t adequately leverage the unique abilities, strengths and talents of our people,” wrote a government report. 

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed off on a significant pay hike for 94,000 federal employees. 

WE Charity awarded multiple government contracts without competition: new report

By
Caitlin Rose Morgante
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New developments have been unearthed in the year-long WE Charity investigation conducted by The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO). 

Ombudsman Alexander Jeglic found a number of contracts exhibiting a troubling pattern of favouritism towards WE. These contracts were dated prior to the government’s controversial decision to award the charity a $43.5 million pandemic grant to oversee the $912 million federal Summer Student Service Grant, which was ultimately axed following public outcry.

In the Procurement Practice Review Of Non-Competitive Contracts Involving We Charity report, OPO found six contracts that had been awarded to WE Charity by four federal departments since 2017. The contracts were all awarded without competition.

The report states that “one of the fundamental principles of federal contracting set forth in the Government Contracts Regulations…is openness and the requirement to solicit bids from potential suppliers when awarding government contracts. There are, however, a limited number of exceptions where contracts can be awarded without soliciting bids through a competitive process.” 

WE charity appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes to avoid competition.

The report states that the case in which “a contracting authority may enter into a contract without soliciting bids” is when the contract amount is below $25,000 for goods or $40,000 for most services. Conveniently, one WE contract from the Privy Council for $24,996 was just $4 below the threshold. Another contract from the Public Health Agency for $24,990 was just $10.00 below the open-bidding threshold. 

A Global Affairs Canada (GAC) contract originally exceeded the $40,000 open-bidding threshold but was reduced “following a discussion with the GAC.” 

The amount in WE Charity’s revised proposal “showed the contract value as $35,398.23 plus applicable taxes for a total of $40,000.”

WE subsequently submitted an invoice for “$40,000 plus $0.00 HST. An email from WE Charity to GAC accompanying the invoice stated it does not charge tax due to its status as a charity.” 

GAC subtracted the taxes and added that amount to WE Charity’s payment. This means that the total contract amount remained $40,000, but WE Charity was able to pocket an additional $4,601.77 even though “there was no indication of a change in the scope of work provided to justify the increase.”

In two of the six contracts, “departments did not fully respect internal departmental procedures to record the reasons (i.e. justification) for decisions on the contract file, potentially impacting the transparency of these procurement processes,” according to the OPO report.

True North reached out to WE for comment but did not hear back by the time this article was published. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in hot water last year for his decision to select WE to oversee the federal Summer Student Service Grant. 

Critics expressed concern over a conflict of interest because WE had previously paid Trudeau’s family members $481,751 in speaking services, gifts and free trips to London and New York. According to Dion, while there was an “appearance of a conflict of interest,” Trudeau’s decision to select WE did not violate ethics laws despite family ties to founders Marc and Craig Kielburger. The scandal led to the resignation of then-finance minister Bill Morneau. 

FUREY: Deradicalizing the COVID busybodies

By
Anthony Furey
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A number of public health officials are trying to highlight the good news about Canada’s pandemic response and deradicalize the COVID busybodies.

Will their message actually work? Unfortunately, many Canadians are still obsessing over COVID.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

Chinese court sentences Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison and to be deported

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Wrongfully imprisoned Canadian businessman Michael Spavor was convicted by a Chinese court of espionage and sentenced to 11 years in prison. 

The Chinese court also ordered Spavor to be deported, though it is not clear if the Canadian will be deported prior to or after his sentence is served.

Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were arrested on trumped-up charges in 2018 in a move that is widely believed to have been retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on a US warrant. 

Spavor’s sentencing comes as Meng’s lawyers push Canadian courts not to extradite her to the US.

Kovrig’s trial was concluded in March. However, no word has been given about a trial date. 

On Tuesday, a different Chinese court upheld a death sentence for another Canadian Robert Schellenberg. Schellenberg was convicted on charges of drug smuggling. The Canadian government condemned the decision and is calling on the Chinese to grant clemency.

“What I can say is we condemn in the strongest possible terms this death sentence for Mr. Schellenberg, we continue to seek clemency on his behalf. Canada opposes the death penalty in all cases and that continues with respect to that particular case,” Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole accused the Chinese regime of using the death sentence for political purposes. O’Toole also said Canada should seriously consider boycotting next year’s Beijing Winter Olympics and warned that Canadians are not safe in China. 

“The denial of Robert Schellenberg’s appeals must be seen for what it is — a foreign government planning to take the life of a Canadian for political reasons,” he said. 

“The use of the death penalty is abhorrent. But to impose it for political reasons is inexcusable.”

The legacy media covers for Justin Trudeau (again)

By
Candice Malcolm
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Canada’s borders are finally open but they are a chaotic mess because of a “work-to-rule” decision by the Canadian Border Services Agency, but you wouldn’t know this if you got your news only from the legacy media.

Thousands of people have been affected, being forced to wait hours on end. But instead of doing the ground work and reporting the facts about the situation, the legacy media is covering for Justin Trudeau and repeating government talking points.

Candice Malcolm says the reality is – Canadians can’t trust the legacy media.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANDICE MALCOLM SHOW

Calgary med school job ad requires “critical race theory” expertise

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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An assistant professor job posting for the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine asks prospective applicants to have expertise in “critical race theory.” 

The advertisement which was last updated on August 5, 2021 is for the school’s Equity, Department of Community Health Sciences. As an additional requirement, the ad also asks that applicants have experience in “advocacy and activism.” 

“The Department of Community Health Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary invites applications for a tenure track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor,” the ad reads. 

“This role requires expertise in the areas of community development, advocacy and activism, leadership and innovation, professional and research ethics, and inclusive practices. Areas of expertise may include mad studies, queer studies, critical disability studies, health equity, population health, social justice and critical race theory.” 

Critical race theory, which originated as an interpretive lens in the field of legal studies, has received newfound attention in the US following a campaign by parents concerned about its introduction into school curriculums. 

To date, a number of state school boards have passed legislation halting the teaching of critical race theory.

Critics of critical race theory argue that the theory is inherently racist since proponents of it argue for race essentialism and have made the underlying claim that all white people are racist. 

Although the debate around critical race theory is not as politically charged in Canada, past reporting by True North shows that critical race theory has been and is currently being peddled in Canadian schools. 

According to a 2020 Toronto District School Board (TDSB) presentation, parents were lectured using critical race theory concepts like “colorblindness racism.” 

“Colorblindness is the racial ideology that posits the best way to end discrimination is by treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity,” claimed TDSB presenters. 

Antifa victimizes Portland prayer event featuring Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski

By
Caitlin Rose Morgante
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“Where is your God now?” Antifa members shouted as they infiltrated a prayer and worship event Saturday, August 7, in downtown Portland, Oregon, featuring Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski.

Police watched from the sidelines as dozens of Antifa agitators donning shields and hand weapons bear sprayed Christians and their kids. A female prayer event attendee described Antifa as “ruthless.” 

Many videos documented the assaults: one showed an Antifa militant pepper spray a Christian event attendee who stepped away in an attempt to decelerate the situation and dodge the assault, as reported by The Post Millennial.

One Antifa militant awaited Pawloski’s arrival, tweeting, “Welcome to Portland. You won’t like it here, pastor.” Pawloski was maced in the face by Antifa at the event. 

The Calgarian Cave of Adullam congregation pastor rose to prominence in Canada for championing religious freedom and criticizing law enforcement’s draconian COVID-19 regulations. A video of Pawloski kicking Calgary police out of his church over Easter went viral. 

Pawloski compared government-mandated church closures during the pandemic to the measures taken by authorities in his native country Poland when it was under the Communist regime. Pawlowski was arrested in May for violating public health orders by holding an in-person church service. Pawlsoki has also been issued dozens of COVID-19 related tickets for feeding the homeless without wearing a mask. 

In June, Pawlowski was found guilty of contempt of court. Sentencing arguments have been delayed until September, but Alberta Health Services has indicated it will be seeking 21 days of jail time for the pastor.

Pawlowski has been touring the United States sharing his experiences.

Antifa previously attacked several Portland churches. The prayer event was announced more than a month in advance, giving Antifa time to coordinate their actions. 

CBC omitted First Nations bands from industries to be affected by mandatory vaccines

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A CBC News report on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement that his government would pursue making vaccines mandatory for federally-regulated industries omitted the fact that the mandate would also apply to First Nations bands and services. 

The August 5 CBC article, titled “Trudeau asks top public servant to look into mandatory vaccination for federal workers,” made no mention of First Nations communities when listing impacted groups and sectors.

“The prime minister also said the government is looking into making vaccines mandatory in federally regulated industries, such as the airline, banking and rail sectors,” the article said. 

First Nations band councils and some reserve services are federally regulated. 

In an email to True North, a CBC spokesperson said the article merely highlighted “some” affected areas.

“The story was a very broad overview of a new proposal, and highlighted some areas but obviously not every area. As this story continues to unfold and policies firm up, we will report on potential impacts where relevant,” CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson said.

During his announcement last week, Trudeau urged those “hesitant” about the COVID-19 vaccines to get vaccinated anyway.

“It’s time for people to get vaccinated, and for those who are hesitant to go and get their first and second doses,” said Trudeau. 

“That’s why I’ve asked the clerk of the Privy Council, who is responsible for the federal public service, to look at mandatory vaccinations for federal employees.”

According to official statistics, Indigenous Canadians have the second highest rates of vaccine hesitancy. Statistics Canada data shows that only 71.8% of Indigenous are willing or very willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine. The only other group to have a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy were black Canadians with only 56.6% reporting that they would take the COVID-19 vaccine. 

When further broken down by location, Indigenous people living on reserves had lower rates of vaccine willingness than those living off reserves. First Nations people living off reserves had a willingness rate of 74.2% while Métis on reserves reported a 67.8% willingness and Inuit on reserve reported a 72.5% willingness rate. 

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister to step down, leave politics

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister will be stepping down from his post following accusations that he made anti-Indigenous comments when he defended Canada’s founders last month. 

Pallister made the announcement on Tuesday following a meeting with his Progressive Conservative caucus in Brandon. 

“A few moments ago I informed my caucus colleagues that I will not be seeking reelection as a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly and accordingly, a new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba will lead our party into the next election,” said Pallister. 

“After almost 10 years as leader of our party and more than five years as our province’s premier, I believe that now is the time for a new leader and premier to take our province forward.”

First elected as premier in 2016, Pallister defeated his NDP predecessor former premier Greg Seligner who held the role since 2009. Prior to being elected premier, Pallister also served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba since 2012 and was an MP in the House of Commons from 2000 to 2008. 

Under Pallister’s watch during the COVID-19 pandemic, Manitoba introduced some of the harshest lockdown measures including shuttering non-essential items in stores, shuttering churches, banning outdoor sports and other stringent measures. 

On July 7, Pallister spoke on the “good and bad aspects” of Canada’s history in response to the toppling of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth statues in front of Manitoba’s legislature on Canada Day. 

“The people who came here to this country before it was a country, and since, didn’t come here to destroy anything — they came here to build,” said Palllister at the time. 

“We need to respect our heritage just as we need to respect one another. Not to find fault. Not to tear down, not to highlight every failure, but rather to realize that we’re a complex country as we are made up of complex people.” 

As reported by True North, dozens of statues and symbols of Canada’s heritage were attacked and defaced ahead of Canada Day this year in response to the announcements regarding residential school burial sites earlier this year. 

Far-left activists used the occasion to promote anti-Canada messaging forcing municipalities across the country to cancel their own Canada Day celebrations. 

Approximately 20 cities and towns spanning five provinces and territories fully cancelled or altered their Canada Day events in response to the campaign. 

Canada cites “diversity” in outer space as strength in UN report

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Canada was the only nation to cite “diversity as a strength” in a United Nations General Assembly report on international security in outer space.  

“Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours” was published on July 13, 2021, and includes a submission from over two dozen UN member states including China, the Russian Federation, Iran, France, Germany, the US and others. 

Canada’s submission, dated to April 29, 2021, includes an entire section dedicated to diversity in space. 

“As a champion of the full, meaningful and equal participation of women in all aspects of disarmament, Canada welcomes the emphasis on the full involvement and equal participation of women and men in discussions on reducing space threats through responsible behaviours and the need to assess the possible differentiated impacts of such threats,” Canada’s submission reads. 

In comparison, the US’ submission provided a detailed breakdown of existing space threats such as anti-satellite missiles, cyberthreats to satellite command, directed energy weapons and interference with communications. 

“Some States are developing, operationalizing and stockpiling a variety of anti-satellite weapons that could be used to, or have the potential to, deny, disrupt, degrade or destroy civil, commercial or national security space capabilities and services,” the US’ submission claims. 

“Some of these anti-satellite weapons could be used to deny or disrupt space services temporarily, while others are designed to permanently degrade or destroy satellites.” 

Meanwhile, China took the opportunity to blast the US in its own submission, accusing the nation of publicly declaring “outer space as a new war-fighting domain” before taking a shot at the Space Force. 

All member states were asked by the UN to provide a submission to the report in response to resolution 75/36 which deals with maintaining international law and order in outer space. 

The resolution urges “all States, when developing, planning and executing their space activities, to remain committed to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space and to refrain from conducting activities contrary to their obligations under international law, including those that could threaten the ability of all States to freely use and explore outer space, now and in the future.” 

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