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Monday, July 14, 2025

NB minister slams Trudeau government’s China “foreign policy failures”

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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New Brunswick’s Minister of Education Dominic Cardy slammed the Trudeau government for its “foreign policy failures” on China and accused the Liberals of amplifying the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) human rights abuses against the country’s Uyghur minority.

Cardy made the comments during a June 21 testimony before the Canada-China Relations Committee where he spoke about his own efforts to eradicate Chinese foreign influence in his own province. 

“As we like to say about past sins that our country has experienced, ‘never forget and never again.’ In this case, we appear to be doing just that in both cases with China, and not only that but amplifying it as a massive system of residential schools and internment camps—functionally, concentration camps—is rolled out across the hinterland of one of our largest trading partners,” said Cardy. 

“Rather than speaking up against this vociferously and making that the centrepiece of our foreign policy, as you’d expect of a country that led the fight against fascism and for democracy in the Second World War and that has been a voice with its soft power in the intervening decades, instead we are amplifying that message,” Cardy continued in his opening remarks.  

“I’m speaking here specifically not just about our general foreign policy failures but about the experience of the Confucius Institute, a Chinese Communist Party branch operation that’s operating inside public schools and universities in different places across Canada.”

Proponents of the Confucius Institute claim that it is merely a cultural organization for the Chinese diaspora, however, critics have raised the alarm about the organization’s close ties to the Chinese government. 

In his opening statement, Cardy also went on to describe how the Chinese government used the controversial Confucius Institute program to propagandize New Brunswick students. 

“Programs supposedly focusing on culture and language in many cases included overt political propaganda. This included having elementary school students drawing maps of China that would erase the border with Taiwan. This included the denial of the reality of Tiananmen Square, and it included the disciplining of students who raised questions around China’s abysmal human rights records,” explained Cardy. 

As a result of his attempts to bar the Confucius Institute from being active in the province, Cardy related to parliamentarians how he was met with “lobbying efforts” and even a visit by a consul general of China to attempt to pressure him to change a government decision.

“He attempted to pressure me into reversing a government decision, including threats of economic retaliation, turning this into a two-nation issue rather than a question of a disagreement over schooling,” said Cardy. 

In recent years, national security experts have raised the alarm about the Confucius Institute’s presence in Canada and beyond. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before a US Senate intelligence committee in 2018 identified the Confucius Institute as being “one of many tools” that the CCP employs in its foreign interference strategy.

Churches burned on Canada Day long weekend, and the media is partially to blame

By
Candice Malcolm
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It’s been six weeks since news first broke alleging the discovery of unmarked graves near a residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. 

During that time, the legacy media have drummed up a tremendous media narrative stating that Canada committed genocide – and that these graves prove it. They’ve raised the temperature so high that extremists are burning down churches, and mainstream commentators are cheering them on. 

But is that actually true? Are these graves evidence of genocide?

True North Founder and Editor-in-Chief Candice Malcolm goes through the facts of the three stories, and lays out the six ways the media in Canada got this story wrong.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANDICE MALCOLM SHOW

CBC ombudsman cites network for failing to disclose pundits’ Liberal ties

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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CBC was once again found to have ignored its own journalistic code of ethics by not disclosing the financial ties of pundits invited to speak on air. 

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler’s 2021 Annual Report noted how the broadcaster often does not provide enough information to viewers about its panelists. 

“Viewers and listeners do not always get enough information about the panelists who appear on CBC programs,” wrote Nagler. 

“It inhibits the audience’s ability to assess the comments they are hearing. I hope improvements will be made in this area.”

According to CBC’s Journalistic Standards, a guest’s ties must be disclosed by the broadcaster when they appear on air. 

“It is important to mention any association, affiliation or special interest a guest may have so the public can fully understand that person’s perspective,” the policy states.

Various CBC programs have featured pundits that have received contracts from the Liberal government without making those contracts apparent to the viewers. 

Most recently, University of Calgary professor Trevor Tombe was invited to speak on a CBC Calgary program where he defended the federal government’s pandemic response. Tombe was only introduced by the host as an “academic” and no mention was made of a $16,950 contract Tombe had received from the Trudeau government. 

Last year, CBC pundit Amanda Alvaro also spoke on a TV broadcast without it being revealed that Alvaro was paid $16,950 for a contract by the Liberal government and an additional $24,997 to media coach a Liberal minister. 

In his report, Nagler also urged the CBC to address accusations of bias by bringing attention to the “various perspectives” the network allegedly covers. 

“Trust is everything for news organizations, yet it is more difficult to earn now than I have seen in my lifetime,” wrote Nagler. 

“Frequently complainants argue that CBC is biased in some aspect of its coverage. Programmers will often reply with justification that a story or program segment cannot possibly represent all the different angles or viewpoints of a complicated issue and they pledge that coverage will offer balance over time,” he continued. 

“This reply frustrates complainants who see it as a ‘get out of jail free’ card because there is no way to hold CBC to account for that promise. It would be nice to see CBC News offer evidence that it does in fact provide such balance.”

Bill C-36 will lead to many “witch hunts” says MP Derek Sloan

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The Liberal government’s new online hate speech legislation, Bill C-36, will likely lead to “many unfair witch hunts” according to Independent MP Derek Sloan. 

Shortly before the parliamentary session ended for the summer, Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti tabled Bill C-36 in the House of Commons. 

The bill seeks to expand powers to prosecute individuals involved in “hate propaganda” or so-called “online hate” by amending the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the Canadian Human Rights Act. 

The law will revive section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which was struck down by the Harper government in 2014 for infringing on the free speech rights of Canadians. The bill would give the Canadian Human Rights Commission the power to compel citizens to cease online communication or pay a monetary fine.

In an emailed statement to True North, Sloan said that he opposes the bill on several grounds.

“I do not trust the Canadian Human Rights Commission to adjudicate these claims, they are often activist leaning/left leaning,” said Sloan. 

“The Supreme Court has been generally fairly conservative in their approach to classifying hate speech, but not conservative enough in my view. Tribunals on the other hand are more prone to activist adjudicators, and the way in which activists use the term hate speech, it can mean almost anything offensive to them. That thinking has been and will continue to permeate into the judiciary over time, and is very troubling for a free and open society.” 

Violations of the Canadian Human Rights Act are subject to complaints which can then be taken to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and eventually make their way into a tribunal hearing. Unlike ordinary courts, Canadians do not have the same protections such as knowing the identity of their accuser at a tribunal. 

According to Sloan, Bill C-36 is part of a worrying trend by the Liberal government to stack the rules in favour of their progressive political ideology. 

“It’s not so much that the Liberals want to strip everyone of their rights, although that is a consequence of what they are doing, but they want to stack the rules of the game in their favour such that any political ideology that is opposed to their plans to create a “Liberal Utopia” in Canada is challenged by either the law, or the mainstream media, or public opinion,” said Sloan. 

“I do not at all expect that this Bill will prevent people from expressing hateful views towards Christians and those of European ancestry, given the bias of many Human Rights Tribunals, but those expressing concern about radical Islam, or other such things probably will get hauled before these courts unfairly, and fined, and potentially jailed if they do not follow the conditions of a recognizance.” 

Sloan stated that he intends on speaking out on Bill C-36 and will be encouraging his fellow MPs to do so. 

“Offensive” biographies of five prime ministers scrubbed from government website

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Library and Archives Canada has deleted a series of historical biographies on five former Canadian prime ministers, including Sir John A Macdonald, for being too “offensive” for contemporary sensibilities.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, management at the department decided to delete the webpage “First Among Equals: The Prime Minister In Canadian Life And Politics” for being “redundant or outdated.” 

When it was active, the page also featured articles and photographs on former prime ministers John Turner, Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien and Pierre Elliot Trudeau. 

“Content that is deemed redundant or outdated is being removed from the web. This is the case for the following: First Among Equals: The Prime Minister In Canadian Life And Politics,” wrote Archives Canada management. 

“Unfortunately it does not always reflect our diverse and multicultural country, often presenting only one side of Canada’s history. Library and Archives Canada acknowledges that some of its online presence is offensive and continues to correct these issues. That is why content that is redundant or outdated will be removed or rewritten.”

As of May 18, 2020 an archived version of the web page described how the website examined “our leaders’ political careers as well as their private lives. It also sheds light on Canadians’ perceptions of our prime ministers.”

“Macdonald played a leading role in promoting Confederation, to the point of making an alliance with his staunch political rival and Opposition leader, George Brown,” wrote Archives Canada’s spotlight on Sir John A Macdonald. 

This is not the first time that the federal government has scrubbed a biography of Canada’s first prime minister before. 

In June, Library and Archives Canada deleted a different biography of Macdonald after the Toronto Star wrote several articles blasting the government for not mentioning his role in Canada’s residential schooling system. 

Bill C-36: Here we go again

By
Lindsay Shepherd
-

Two years ago, I received an invitation to testify in front of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for their study on online hate. The committee was studying what remedies they could introduce to combat “hate speech” on the internet.

Many of the other witnesses were pressing the committee to reintroduce section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, even though section 13 was a disaster that was repealed in 2014. 

In a nutshell, a single individual – lawyer Richard Warman – was the primary complainant (and only successful complainant) under section 13, as he spent his time making fake profiles on Nazi websites, egging on the other users, and then filing complaints against them. Moreover, in 2006, the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities filed a “discrimination” complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission against Rebel News founder (at the time, publisher of the Western Standard) Ezra Levant because he republished the Danish cartoons of Mohammed in his paper. $100,000 in legal fees and $500,000 taxpayer dollars later, the complaint was dismissed. Similarly, the Canadian Islamic Congress filed three complaints against writer Mark Steyn over his Maclean’s article “The Future Belongs to Islam,” but the complaints were thrice dismissed in 2008.

It became clear to Liberals and Conservatives alike that section 13 was giving human rights commissions too much power over the speech of Canadians, and it needed to be scrapped.

I am concerned about the potential return of legislation such as section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, I told the justice committee in June 2019. What that legislation does is punish Canadians who, in exercising their right to peaceful, free expression, might offend a member of a protected, marginalized group.

If someone with a marginalized identity experiences commentary they find offensive, they can claim the offence is an attack on their identity rather than being legitimate expression. Human rights tribunals become the tools by which those who speak their mind peacefully and nonviolently, are silenced.

I argued that the government should absolutely not be regulating “hate speech” on the internet because they will define hate speech as anything they disapprove of, and it will cast too wide a net. Anyone who doesn’t parrot mainstream progressive ideology will inevitably get caught up in this hate speech law. 

Yet here we are, two years later, with the Liberal government introducing Bill C-36. Bill C-36 will amend the Criminal Code so that if someone believes another person might possibly spread hate propaganda, that person can be hauled in front of a provincial court. If passed, the bill will also revive, with updated language, section 13 of the Human Rights Act. 

The new proposed section 13 reads, “It is a discriminatory practice to communicate or cause to be communicated hate speech by the means of the Internet or other means of telecommunication in a context in which the hate speech is likely to foment detestation or vilification of an individual or group of individuals on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination.”

A fun fact from my testimony in 2019: in the justice committee’s final report, the NDP passive-aggressively noted in their contribution that “it was unfortunate that other parties [read: Conservatives] used this study as a venue to provide those who spread harmful messages a platform to further their insidious ideas.” 

Promoting free expression is an “insidious” idea? They really have lost the plot.

A decade ago, there was outcry across the political spectrum to abolish section 13. 

Let’s hope that this time around we will have that same multi-partisan opposition.

Hamilton to review “triggering” historical landmarks, parks and street names

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Following a push to remove a statue of Sir John A Macdonald from Hamilton’s Gore Park, the city now wants to undergo a historical review of all landmarks that are found to be “triggering.” 

The recommendation for a historical review comes from a report authored by city staff from Hamilton’s Health and Safe Communities Department, the Planning and Economic Development Department and the Public Works Department. The report will be presented to Hamilton’s Emergency and Community Services Committee on July 8, 2021. 

The report calls on staff to “undertake a Historical Review of City of Hamilton owned landmarks, including park and street names, to determine opportunities to honour the Indigenous community…” 

An estimated $75,000 will be set aside to conduct the initial review, however, report authors note that should the City decide to follow through with making changes the costs could be substantially larger. 

Funds for the project are to be taken from the city’s Tax Stabilization Reserve which was created to “offset extraordinary and unforeseen expenditures, to fund one-time expenditures, to offset revenue shortfalls and to provide for various contingent and potential future liabilities.”

According to the report, part of the historical review will include identifying specific landmarks “that are triggering in nature towards Indigenous people” and to find opportunities to broaden Indigenous representation in Hamilton’s public spaces. 

“Through the Historical Review, staff will engage with the Indigenous community and the broader community in order to inform short and long-term opportunities to respectfully and meaningfully address both Indigenous and historical landmarks,” the report notes. 

“This may include the addition of new landmarks and/or the moving or removal of, the re-interpretation of, and/or the renaming of landmarks, in order to support a more equitable, balanced, and inclusive representation of Indigenous histories, contributions in Hamilton, the history of colonialism and residential schools, and a spirit of reconciliation.” 

Hamilton City Council is set to debate two different motions this week by Councillor Nrinder Nann related to allegedly racist landmarks. Nann wants both the Sir John A Macdonald statue in Gore Park to be removed and for the Ryerson Recreation Centre to be renamed. 

Indigenous chiefs and leaders decry church burnings and vandalism

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

First Nations chiefs, elders and leaders across Canada are speaking out against a spate of church burnings believed to be prompted by the latest residential school announcements. 

To date, over 30 churches have either been lit on fire or targeted by vandals since the Cowessess First Nation and Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the apparent discovery of burial sites at former residential schools located in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, respectively. 

Leaders from federal and local First Nations organizations and bands are urging for calm and an end to criminal activities. They are also joined by residential school survivors.

True North has collected every public statement made by Indigenous leaders on the church attacks in recent weeks below. 

National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde

“I can understand the frustration, the anger, the hurt and the pain, there’s no question, but to burn things down is not our way. Our way is to build relationships and come together.”

BC MLA and BC Liberal leader candidate Ellis Ross

“I wholeheartedly condemn these senseless acts of violence. In this difficult time, British Columbians and Canadians must remain calm.”

“My heart goes out to everyone who has been impacted by this senseless act – indigenous and non-indigenous. Now more than ever, we must remember that we are all British Columbians, and we are all Canadians.”

President of the Métis Nation of Alberta Audrey Poitras

“Some of our citizens were married there. Some left shoes on the steps to commemorate the children whose lives were lost at residential schools. Violence and destruction are not the way forward during these difficult times.”

Gitwangak Band Elected Chief Sandra Larin

“Whether or not we believe in formalized religion or we believe in the creator or we believe in both, this isn’t the way. Begetting violence with violence isn’t going to get us anywhere. Healing starts with forgiveness, and that’s what I’m going to ask from folks.”

Chief of Siksika Nation Ouray Crowfoot

“There’s not many places on Siksika that you can point to that aren’t sacred. If anybody feels like they can come on the Siksika Nation and do any kind of damage or vandalism, they will be under surveillance.” 

The Lower Similkameen Band

“These churches represent places of worship for community members as well as gathering spaces for many for various celebrations and times of loss. It will be felt deeply for those that sought comfort and solace in the Church.”

Chief of the Lower Similkameen Band Keith Crow

“I don’t condone this at all. I support all my members, regardless of their religion and what their beliefs are. I hope, in the long run, these individuals do get caught. This is unacceptable.”

Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie

“Many residential school survivors hate the church with a passion – but I have never heard any of them ever suggest people turn to this … I talk to a lot of residential school survivors and, sure, there is a lot of hatred and bitterness and anger – but that still doesn’t mean you go and do arson.”

“There is a proper way of displaying anger. I mean, I’m angry about it. I talk to a lot of residential school survivors and sure there is a lot of hatred and bitterness and anger — but that still doesn’t mean you go and do arson. We think it is the same group of punks that burnt all of them down. And the young people that burned down these churches never went to residential schools.”

Daughter of residential school survivor Jenn Allan-Riley

“We do not spread hate, we love people, we do not destroy other people’s places of religion. We’re asking for people that are setting these fires to stop now.” 

“We understand some people believe that they’re standing in solidarity with us Indigenous people as we find more graves across Canada. Burning down churches is not in solidarity with us Indigenous people.”

Episode 1: Controlling the Law Abiding | Assaulted

By
Andrew Lawton
-

It’s been 14 months since Justin Trudeau used an order-in-council to prohibit more than 1500 variants of firearms, rendering them unusable overnight with the stroke of a pen. This move has not put a dent in gun crime in Canada, mainly because lawfully owned firearms are not the ones that end up in the hands of criminals. In this first part of Assaulted: Justin Trudeau’s War on Gun Owners, host Andrew Lawton explains the rigorous vetting of Canada’s legal firearms owners, and speaks to gun owners and experts about why the Liberal government’s measures miss the mark.

In this episode, Andrew speaks to Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights CEO Rod Giltaca, Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley, International Shooting Supplies owner Scott Carpenter, and Surrey city councillor and retired police officer Jack Hundial.

In Assaulted: Justin Trudeau’s War on Gun Owners, True North’s Andrew Lawton travels the country talking to real gun owners whose stories are being ignored by the mainstream media and who are being vilified by the Trudeau government.We thank the generous supporters whose contributions made this project happen.

If you’d like to contribute, you can do so at https://assaulted.ca

Calgary votes to repeal mask mandate following public pushback

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

On Monday, Calgary city councillors voted to repeal their local mask bylaw after pushback from residents. 

The decision to repeal Calgary’s mask bylaw passed in a 10-4 vote by City Council, however, a decision by Councillor Druh Farrell to withhold her consent for a third reading of the bylaw forced Council to return for a special meeting later on Monday evening where the bylaw was eventually fully repealed. 

Once the order goes into effect, Calgarians will only be required to wear masks on public transit, while ride-sharing or riding in a taxi and in city facilities. 

Originally, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi declared that masks would be mandatory in the city until at least the end of 2021 flouting provincial health guidelines which lifted mask requirements for the entire province of Alberta on Canada Day. 

At the time, city officials claimed that the provincial guidance “does not eliminate the need for a municipal bylaw.” 

“We here at the City of Calgary have to make a decision for Calgary, based on the very local issues here and based on the outbreaks, variants and neighbourhoods here,” said Nenshi at the time.

“As far as I’m concerned we are independent of the province and we will do what’s right for citizens and what’s right for the economy.”

Earlier this month Calgary city councillors voted 7-7 to keep Calgarians masked after the provincial mandate was repealed. 

A petition by the Alberta Institute calling for Calgary to end its mask mandate in line with provincial regulations received a total of 12,800 signatures from local residents. 

“Governments have massive powers to impinge on citizens’ freedoms, but to do so they must be able to provide evidence that any intervention is justified. That is simply not the case anymore,” the Alberta Institute wrote.

“The vulnerable have received both doses, most Calgarians have received a first dose (a higher percentage than elsewhere in the province, in fact), and cases and hospitalizations have plummeted.”

As of July 5, 73.1% of Alberta’s eligible population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 44.8% of eligible people have been fully vaccinated against the virus. 

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