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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

TDSB educator accused of distributing anti-Israel manuals reinstated without discipline

By
Sue-Ann Levy
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An educator with the Toronto District School Board has been reinstated to his job following a nearly two-month investigation into two virulently anti-Israel manuals he sent out to board teachers.

Javier DaVila, a student equity program advisor and a self-described “queer Latine transformer”  announced in a lengthy message to his supporters Friday morning that he’d been cleared without discipline.

He’d been on home assignment with pay since May 26 when it was first revealed that he’d released two manuals on May 16 and 19 which proposed, among other things, that teachers view a documentary about a Palestinian terrorist and recommended children’s books characterizing Israelis as thieves and murderers.

The manuals also give advice on how to teach students about the hateful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which has been determined anti-Semitic by scholars of the Holocaust.

DaVila contended he’d carefully “curated” resources for educators specific to Israel and Palestine, many with often (allegedly) “erased Palestinian voices.” His manuals included no pro-Israel voices.

In his message of thanks, he singles out the “collective actions” of support including a public petition (in which I was characterized as racist and ultra-right wing) signed by nearly 5,000 people and put together by such labour unions as CUPE, CUPW and the Canadian Federation of Students.

He also noted the support for his educational panel called “Teaching Palestine” – broadcast online on June 30 and which included discussions with four academics who’ve very publicly demonized the Jewish state.

DaVila says his Gofundme page – set up to defend his rights and which now has collected $8,425 of its $12,500 goal – will “continue to be used” to defend his rights and the “right to stand up for Palestinian rights.

He signs off with a message to those who might be fearful to engage in Palestine solidarity work: “I hope this offers those of you who are hesitant the courage to break the fear barrier and offer your daily commitment…to resist anti-Palestinian racism, settler colonialism…our students are depending on it.”

The B’nai Brith issued a statement Friday indicating their “outrage” with DaVila’s reinstatement.

“If the TDSB has really imposed no discipline in this matter, then it is sending a clear signal that it regards Jewish students, Jewish teachers and the Jewish community as second-class constituents,” said Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith’s CEO. “There is no way the TDSB would tolerate the glorification of violence against any other minority group.”

Mostyn said this makes it clear TDSB has a “serious antisemitism problem.”

TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird has confirmed that following an “extensive investigation,” Davila was returned to his duties and was not “formally disciplined.”

He said had the resources in question been vetted beforehand – as was not done – they would not have been approved.

Given that, he said they are currently “reviewing and revising” TDSB expectations around resources of this nature and the “appropriate vetting process” to avoid a repeat of this incident.

Bird added that they are in the process of seconding a staff member from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the National Council of Canadian Muslims to help create resources that cover anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Israel and anti-Palestinian sentiments.

He said he hopes this important partnership will benefit both students and staff.

Doug Ford rules out vaccine passports, mandatory vaccines

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has rejected implementing a vaccine passport system or requiring vaccination, even for healthcare workers.

“We’re aren’t gonna do it,” Ford said Thursday. “We’re aren’t gonna have a split society.”

Ford’s decision on vaccine passports comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it is up to provincial governments to decide if they want to issue vaccine passports for things like interprovincial travel and accessing services.

Ford said the federal government may choose to demand a vaccine passport for travel, but he’s choosing to not go that route. 

“Now if it’s federal – getting across the border – that’s up to the federal government. We’ll see what they decide to do,” Ford said. 

The debate surrounding vaccine passports has heated up in recent weeks. While a number of provinces such as Manitoba and Quebec have already adopted the use of vaccine passports, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario have rejected the idea.

Ontario entered stage 3 of its reopening plan on Friday. While public health measures such as mandatory masking are still in place, gyms and restaurants are finally allowed to open.

In Ontario, more than 10 million people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 7.57 million have received two doses. 

Toronto spends $6.3M to rename Dundas St. and purge the city of its history

By
Sue-Ann Levy
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It was preordained that a majority of guilty white men and women on Toronto council would vote to rename Dundas St. this week given the anti-colonial, anti-white Supremacy focus of the current progressive narrative.

But what was particularly concerning about the outcome was how 17 people on council – Mayor John Tory included – were prepared to set such a dangerous precedent based on questionable research and the say-so of 25 members of the afflicted black and Indigenous communities.

They, and a consultant who doesn’t even reside in Toronto, were permitted to determine that the activities of a man few knew from 1776 were racist and offensive to Indigenous and black groups.

Even Tory admitted he had no idea who Henry Dundas was or that Dundas St. was named after him until the vocal easily offended minority brought the street’s namesake to the mayor’s attention.

The consultant from QuakeLab–Sharon Nyangweso – was selected based on her expertise with “equity seeking groups,” according to city manager Chris Murray who sported an orange ribbon supporting the Indigenous on his suit jacket during the council debate.

Nyangweso, who made $66,100 for her efforts, was brought on board to conduct “discovery sessions” with the black and Indigenous communities in Toronto.

Her purpose, apparently, was to determine whether the name should be changed in its entirety as opposed to merely pursuing a far less costly and intrusive option such as posting a series of plaques acknowledging the history of the Dundas St. name.

But the $6.3-million-plus name change was always a slam dunk. 

She was merely hired to recommend the name change based on a weak and highly biased consultation.

What came out loud and clear at council this week was that Nyangweso consulted only with the Indigenous and black communities – or about 25 carefully selected “woke” people – who all had a “visceral reaction” to anything but a complete name change.

It was confirmed after much questioning that no members of the general public were consulted – none of the 97,000 residents impacted – and there were only cursory discussions with the Business Improvement Areas representing the 4,500 businesses who will be forced to outlay the costs to change their signage and business supplies.

Murray defended the lack of broad consultation, noting that Nyangweso felt a public debate would risk raising anti-black and anti-Indigenous rhetoric and racism.

“These are very sensitive equity issues,” he said.

It would seem Nyangweso felt responding to questions from me would also raise sensitive issues (like what she did for $66,000).

She at first agreed to chat with me, giving me a variety of times throughout the week.

However, she subsequently wrote back and said the day had gotten away from her and “the remainder of the week is booked.”

The whole costly exercise was completely inappropriate given how many people in the city have suffered financially during the pandemic.

There are so many social and infrastructure issues facing the city. One wonders how any city bureaucrat has the time to review hundreds of global case studies, consult with 20 academic experts on the subject and to partner with the Toronto Public Library to put together a reading list on Henry Dundas.

How about fixing our roads before we even consider changing their names?

But even worse is that this decision – a token gesture that will do nothing to tackle racism – opens the door to more costly exercises led by the activists under the guise of a “Recognition Review” of city street and place names.

The vocal minority know it’s their time and they can exact whatever they want out of weak-willed politicians, no matter how foolish their request.

In fact, 12 additional Toronto streets have been named after slave owners.

I live on one of them.

The streets include Abbey Lane, Baby Point Crescent (Rd. and Terrace), Brant St. (and Place), Breadalbane St., McGill St., Peter St., Russell Hill Rd. Russell St. and Vaughan Rd.

According to city officials, there are 60 street names in total “which could require further examination in the future.”

No names will be changed at the moment, city officials say, but there will be a framework with guidelines developed to review other street names and monuments.

Before the council vote, the mayor opined that it was the “right thing to do – to no longer honour this man (Dundas).”

“It will do wonders for our reputation outside the city,” he said.

I’m afraid it won’t improve our reputation one bit. 

In fact, it provides more reason for the rest of the country to mock Toronto for fiddling while Rome burns.

84-year-old Ontario woman held in isolation in LTC home

By
Jessica Swietoniowski
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Although Ontario is entering its third stage of reopening, some citizen’s lives are still not going back to normal.

Ruth Tufex, 84-years-old, is a resident at The Village of Glendale Crossing – a long-term care home (LTC) in London, Ontario. Ruth is unvaccinated and has not been allowed to leave her LTC without the threat of being isolated for 14 days.

While fully vaccinated residents are allowed to come and go as they please, unvaccinated residents are held to a different standard and are being treated very differently.

On July 7, Ruth’s daughter Corina Morrison put in a request to take her mother out from the premises for a hair appointment – that request was denied.

84-year-old Ontario woman held in isolation in LTC home by True North on Scribd

In an email from the Pandemic Response Ministry of Long-Term Care, Corina was told only “fully-immunized residents” are allowed to leave the facility and in an email from the LTC she was told that, “Should you take your mom out without approval she will have to be in isolation for 14 days upon return, due to the risk of possible exposure and risk to the village.”

“I’m not upset with the facility, I know they’re following the Ministry’s rules,” Cornia told True North.

Corina took her mom out anyway, for her “mental well-being” as well as to get her hair done.

The general manager of the LTC, Cindy Awde, was informed that Ruth was taken out of the facility and emailed Corina to let her know her mother would now be isolated.

After a couple of days into Ruth’s isolation, Corina reached out to the LTC requesting for her mom to be taken out of quarantine and to instead be given a rapid COVID test. “My mother is healthier than our whole family put together. She’s a strong German woman,” Corina told True North. The general manager responded, in an email, that they will perform a rapid test if Corina wished but that her mother will still need to be isolated for the full 14 days no matter the test result. Awde ended her email with, “I did let you know this would happen if you chose to take her out.”

Corina and her family are challenging these regulations and continue to advocate for Ruth’s mental well-being. 

The mandatory quarantine put in place by the Ministry of Health and the LTC has not stopped Corina’s family from making their daily visits to Ruth. From day one of Ruth’s quarantine, Corina has taken her mother out of her room to walk around the building, pushing her in a wheelchair for some fresh air.

Not only did the LTC threaten Ruth with isolation, which she is still in the middle of, but they also threatened to not let Ruth’s daughter Corina into the facility if she does not “follow the visiting rules/policy.”

“You want to frisk me, frisk me, handcuff me, put me in jail, whatever. I will walk through fire for my little mama,” Corina said.

Ruth has had two rapid tests done so far, both came back negative, but she is still not allowed to leave her room.

According to LTC’s rules, family members are allowed to visit, except when a resident is in isolation. The LTC is taking it a step further and now asking family members for proof of the vaccine.

If family members are not vaccinated, they are required to wear full PPE – including gown, boots and gloves – but “brief hugs are allowed for all visitors regardless of immunization status,” according to the Office of the Premier of Ontario.

Corina says she will wear her mask and face shield but has refused to wear full PPE when inside her mother’s room.

Ruth has been living in LTC for three years, she and her family have been very happy with the facility until now – since they started treating vaccinated and unvaccinated residents differently. 

“The staff are part of our family and we had no issues until this vaccinated/unvaccinated isolation period when I took her out against policy. My health is not great and there is no way I would be able to offer my mom the socializing, activities and care that a home offers,” Corina told True North.

The biggest issue the family has is that unvaccinated staff and family members are allowed to come in and out of the facility but Ruth, and other unvaccinated residents, can not. Corina says the rules are “inconsistent and ambiguous” and she just wants her “mom and any other unvaccinated person to be treated equally.” 

Schlegel Villages Inc. owns The Village of Glendale Crossing, where Ruth is a resident and currently being isolated at, and is in the middle of a $110M class action lawsuit for gross neglect. 

The company owns 19 long-term care and retirement Villages across Ontario and the lawsuit was filed in 2020 against the Village at St. Clair in Windsor for failing to protect residents from a mass spread of COVID. During this outbreak, 63 residents died according to the province. Will Davidson LLP initiated the lawsuit and alleged gross negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the Occupiers’ Liability Act, breach of the human rights code and wrongful death. 

True North reached out to The Village of Glendale Crossing for comment but has not heard back by the time of publication of this article.

Corina is currently working with a lawyer and is in touch with her local representatives. 

Chinese military shares video threatening Japan with nuke

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Chinese Communist Party officials are advocating for the “continuous” atomic bombing of Japan, after Japan’s deputy prime minister said a Chinese attack on Taiwan would threaten Japan’s survival. 

A five-minute clip created by verified military commentary channel “Liujun Taolue” calls for Beijing to launch nuclear strikes on Japan if Tokyo intervenes in a Chinese invasion of democratic Taiwan.

The clip was posted over the weekend, deleted, and then reposted by the official CCP account in Baoji, Shaanxi province. The clip is also live on YouTube-like platform Xigua, under an account run by the Baoji Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China.

In the video, the narrator makes constant threats against Japan using belligerent rhetoric.

“When we liberate Taiwan, if Japan dares to intervene by force, even if it only deploys one solider, one plane and one ship, we will not only return reciprocal fire, but also start a full scale war against Japan,” the narrator says in Mandarin.

“We will use nuclear bombs first, we will use nuclear bombs continuously until Japan declares unconditional surrender for the second time.”

In recent weeks, the Chinese regime has increased its aggressive behaviour towards Taiwan and its allies, indicating that a Chinese invasion of the island nation is very likely.

During a ceremony commemorating the 100th birthday of the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese President Xi Jingping vowed to “smash” any attempts by Taiwan at formal independence and pledged to complete “reunification” with the democratic country.

“Solving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland are the unswerving historical tasks of the Chinese Communist Party and the common aspiration of all Chinese people,” Xi said.

“All sons and daughters of China, including compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, must work together and move forward in solidarity, resolutely smashing any ‘Taiwan independence’ plots.”

Number of unmarked burial sites at Kamloops residential school “currently unknown,” now thought to be 200

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation held a press conference Thursday morning in Kamloops, BC to present the findings of the ground-penetrating radar report they commissioned.

In late May, the Tk’emlúps band announced that ground-penetrating radar (GPR) detected the remains of 215 children who were all students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, the largest school in the Indian Affairs residential school system.

Dr. Sarah Beaulieu of the University of the Fraser Valley, in her overview of the Kamloops GPR research, stated that the total number of unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School landscape is “currently unknown,” but that 200 sites remain as targets of interest.

This means that the previously publicized figure of 215 bodies, a number which went viral and has been used in activism campaigns across the country, wasn’t accurate. That number has now decreased to 200.

However, Beaulieu noted only forensic investigation – excavation – can confirm the existence of the graves. No excavations have occurred thus far and there are no current plans to excavate in the near future.

Tk’emlúps chief Rosanne Casimir claimed that some of the bodies detected were “as young as three years old,” though it has been pointed out that GPR cannot confirm any details about the bodies or how the individuals died. Rather, GPR detects irregularities and disturbances in the earth, which can point to a potential burial site.

Casimir has made it clear in past remarks that “this is not a mass grave, but rather unmarked burial sites that are, to our knowledge, also undocumented.”

According to the Canadian Archaeological Association, “it is not possible to identify grave locations or the absence of graves with 100% certainty using remote sensing” and that the archaeologist will likely “assign different levels of confidence to their results in much the same way as a weather forecaster predicts the likelihood of rain.”

Beaulieu has not assigned a level of confidence to her report.

The land surveyed on the residential school grounds was chosen because in the late 2000s a tourist allegedly came across a juvenile rib bone in the soil, and around the same time Simon Fraser University’s archaeology department excavated a child’s tooth. Beaulieu noted that “a juvenile tooth is not an indicator of loss of life, but given both discoveries, this possibility should not be discounted.”

Chief Casimir called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to release the Kamloops Indian Residential School attendance records – documents that are within custody of the Canadian government.

“To the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau… I look forward to a fulsome conversation where we can finalize the details of the federal government providing needed supports, as well as access to our student attendance records, to continue to shed light on missing children buried in our care.”

The CBC is guilty of spreading fake news – again

By
Candice Malcolm
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“This Week In Fake News” on The Candice Malcolm Show is back!

The CBC just can’t help but show its leftist bias and attack Conservative politicians in Canada. This week, while blurring the distinction between news and opinion journalism, the CBC took aim at Manitoba Premier Pallister for “controversial” comments he made 7 years ago about residential schools.

Unfortunately, the CBC is not alone in spreading fake news about Canada’s history. IPolitics, a small news outlet based in Ottawa, also published a deranged op/ed filled with misinformation about the apparent graves discovered near residential schools. Worst of all, it even excused the church burnings in recent weeks.

Tune into The Candice Malcolm Show!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANDICE MALCOLM SHOW

Kenney calls on Trudeau to honour Alberta senate elections if he “respects democracy”

By
Andrew Lawton
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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would do well to appoint the winners of this fall’s Alberta senate elections if he supports democracy.

When Albertans go to the polls in October for their municipal elections, they will also be voting for senate candidates and on a referendum to renegotiate interprovincial equalization payments.

While senators are appointed on the prime minister’s recommendation, Kenney said there’s an established “convention” to appoint senators chosen by Albertans in a democratic process.

With no legal mechanism to force the appointment of the successful candidates, Kenney said it comes down to whether Trudeau supports the democratic process.

“Does this federal government respect democracy or does it not respect democracy?” he said. “These are powerful democratic statements that Albertans will be making on October 18th. Previous prime ministers have used their discretion to appoint individuals elected by Albertans to Canada’s senate. In fact I would argue it has become a convention, a tradition of sorts. I urge the prime minister to respect that democratic tradition.”

Four senators were appointed on former prime minister Stephen Harper’s recommendation after winning senate nominee elections, including sitting senators Doug Black and Scott Tannas. Brian Mulroney also appointed the winner of Alberta’s first senate election in 1990.

Trudeau has made no commitment to respect the results of the October senate vote, but Kenney says he was “encouraged” when Trudeau told him in a meeting last week the winners of Alberta’s senate elections should apply as senators through the government’s supposedly independent selection process.

“If they go through that process and they also happen to prevail in your provincial election, maybe that’s something that we could consider,” Kenney recounted Trudeau as saying.

“I was encouraged to hear the prime minister open the door, at least a little bit,” Kenney added.

While Kenney recognizes the government is not compelled to respect the senate election, he says that is not the case with the equalization referendum, pointing to a 1998 Supreme Court reference on Quebec’s separation referendum finding the federal government must negotiate in good faith if a provincial referendum delivers a mandate on a clear question.

“This is a federation, and if that’s the law as determined by the Supreme Court applies to Quebec, then it has to apply to Alberta,” Kenney said.

Trudeau might face another ethics probe over MP contracts to childhood friend

By
Andrew Lawton
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Canada’s ethics commissioner has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to explain his role in contracts between a majority of Liberal MPs and a company owned by Trudeau’s childhood friend.

Commissioner Mario Dion said the criteria for questioning Trudeau have been met after receiving a complaint from Conservative member of parliament Michael Barrett, who requested a formal ethics probe into payments made to Data Sciences, a firm run by Trudeau’s longtime friend and the Liberal party’s former digital operations director.

The controversy stems from the revelation from a Globe and Mail report that 97% of Liberal members of parliament use money from their government-funded office budgets to pay a company called Data Sciences, owned by Tom Pitfield.

Pitfield was in Trudeau’s wedding party in 2015 and also vacationed with the Trudeau family on the Aga Khan’s Bahamas island, a trip which itself was the subject of a report and finding of wrongdoing by the ethics commissioner.

Trudeau has said that services from Data Sciences aid members of parliament in their constituency work and are not used for political purposes. However, at least two members of parliament, Wayne Easter and John McKay, have said they were not aware what services Data Sciences was providing their offices.

“I vaguely recall once a year we write a cheque and it’s always been explained that it is within the ethical guidelines so we all kind of sign up for it and it goes into some oblivion,” McKay told the Globe and Mail of his office’s use of Data Sciences.

Trudeau also uses the company’s services in his own office as the member of parliament for Papineau.

The ethics code governing members of parliament prohibits MPs from acting “to improperly further another person’s or entity’s private interests.”

On Monday, the House of Commons ethics committee attempted to call Pitfield as a witness, but were blocked from doing so by the committee’s Liberal members.

Trudeau will have 30 days to respond to Dion’s letter, at which point Dion will decide whether there are grounds to launch a formal inquiry.

The COVID busybodies continue to meddle in other people’s lives

By
Anthony Furey
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The vaccination status of other people is now the latest obsession for the COVID busybodies. It doesn’t matter that Canada only had a few hundred cases in the last week or that over 50% of Canadians are fully vaccinated. The COVID busybodies need to meddle in other people’s lives.

The latest example comes as GoodLife Fitness announced that it will not require its staff or members to be vaccinated.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

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