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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Former CRTC officials condemn Bill C-10 as “authoritarian”

By
True North Wire
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Two former Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) commissioners and a former federal director of telecom policy signed onto a petition that criticized the Liberal government’s incoming internet regulation bill, C-10, as a step towards authoritarianism.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, included in the signatories to the petition were CRTC ex-chair Konrad von Finckenstein, former CRTC commissioner Timothy Denton and former director general of telecom policy at the Department of Industry Leaonard St-Aubin. 

“It appears Canada is not immune to the growing trend of government intervention to curtail freedom and seek to control parts of the internet’s infrastructure in ways reminiscent of actions taken by authoritarian governments,” wrote the petition. 

“We are Canadian internet policy and technical professionals writing as concerned experts and on behalf of all those who care about the future of a free and open internet.” 

A decision by Liberal members of the House of Commons heritage committee to strip Bill C-10 of an amendment which effectively protected user-generated content from CRTC regulation sparked national outrage over free speech concerns. 

Experts, including University of Ottawa Professor Michael Geist, have been vocal critics of the legislation. 

Yesterday, Geist appeared before the committee, where he called Liberal attempts to regulate the content of Canadains “entirely unworkable” and “a threat to freedom of expression.” 

“I will speak to the freedom of expression implications in a moment, but must pause to note that no one – literally no other country – uses broadcast regulation to regulate user generated content in this way. There are good reasons that all other countries reject this approach,” said Geist during his opening remarks. 

Earlier this month, the Justice Ministry put out an updated charter statement which claimed that the bill still abided by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms despite the amendment’s removal. However, according to Geist, the statement did nothing to address concerns experts have repeatedly raised about the bill. 

“From a Charter perspective, the statement issued by Justice last week simply does not contain analysis or discussion about how the regulation of user generated content as a program intersects with the Charter,” said Geist. 

Liberal Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault has responded to criticism of the bill by lashing out at opponents and accusing critics of the bill of playing into an “extremist element” of the Conservative Party.

Government report calls for expansion of data collection from COVID Alert app

By
True North Wire
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An interim report on the government’s COVID Alert app is calling for the government to “expand” its data collection to find new ways to deploy the app.

First reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, an advisory council’s report on the use of the COVID Alert app highlighted how data collected by the app could be used for other government projects beyond contact tracing.

“The Government of Canada has begun to broadly consider how the COVID Alert app could potentially extend beyond a government service to Canadians and the public health systems towards a tool that will also support Canadians and businesses in our economic, social and mental health recovery and restoration,” the report reads.

According to the most recent figures, 6,537,346 devices downloaded the app, or less than 19% of all devices.

Adoption of the app was significantly below government goals, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying the government hoped it would be downloaded on 50% of all devices.

In an effort to allay privacy concerns, Trudeau previously stated Canadians could trust the app to be safe, secure, and anonymous.

“It’s something you can just download and forget about because it’s completely anonymous, because it’s low maintenance, because it is completely respectful of your privacy including no location services or geotagging of any sort, people can be confident.”

The report acknowledges there could be privacy concerns from using data from the app, adding the federal government should consider the consequences of betraying public trust.

“The Council wants to continue to be engaged in discussions on collection of data, particularly the viability of data collection given privacy considerations,” the report says. 

“The Council has indicated the Government of Canada must continue to carefully consider the risks of public perception and trust from a privacy perspective when considering additional data collection,” it continues. 

“The expected outcomes associated with additional data collection should be clearly articulated to ensure it outweighs the risk.”

Ottawa school board hosts all-ages “drag storytime” and “decolonizing gender” event

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s (OCDSB) 16th Annual Rainbow Youth Forum will include a “drag storytime” and an event on “decolonizing gender” for this year’s virtual programming. 

The forum will be taking place on May 20, 2021 and is open to students of “all ages.” According to the OCDSB, the forum is part of the OCDSB’s “Inclusive, Safe and Caring Programs” initiative.

“The 16th Annual Rainbow Youth Forum will include Decolonizing Gender, Drag Storytime, Workshops for Students and Staff, Chill Zone and a Rainbow Spring Fling Dance! This interactive virtual event will allow participants to ask questions and share their thoughts,” reads the event description. 

“The RYF encourages safe and inclusive school environments by providing an opportunity to enhance knowledge and awareness about equity and diversity issues. The RYF aims to help build knowledge and understanding of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.” 

According to the event page, the forum is only open for registration for OCDSB students, parents and staff. 

Drag storytimes are controversial events where adult men or women in drag attire read to children in the audience. Critics of the practice claim that the events serve to sexualize children and confuse their understanding of sexuality at an early age. 

In 2019, a petition by the Canadian outlet LifeSiteNews and the pro-life group Personhood Alliance calling for the American Library Association to end the practice received over 100,000 signatures and prompted a reponse from the Association.

True North reached out to the OCDSB for clarification on the event and what “decolonizing gender” meant but did not receive a response by the time this article was published. 

Toronto councillor who wanted police defunded says protesters should be charged

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton alerted Toronto Police Services on Twitter to a weekend anti-lockdown rally despite repeatedly calling for the city to defund the police. 

Layton accused the protesters of having “terrorized businesses and community members” and said that promoting protests should “have consequences” before tagging the official Toronto Police Services account. 

“Promoting dangerous super spreader events should have consequences. They are not attempting to follow public health protocols and prompt the opposite. Also plenty of dangerous hate speech. They have terrorized businesses and community members long enough,” tweeted Layton on May 15. 

In a follow-up tweet later that day, Layton wrote that organizers of the rallies and its promoters “should also be charged.” 

On Saturday, thousands of supporters showed up to a planned “World Wide Rally for Freedom” in Toronto. 

“I have regularly asked police why this is tolerated and they maintain [it] would be a greater public health threat if they began to issue tickets at these anti-mask rally’s. Councillors are not, nor should we, have the authority to direct the police on the enforcement of laws,” tweeted Layton. 

At the same time as the Freedom Rally, there were dueling Palestinian and Israeli protests also taking place in the city. According to CP24, several individuals were arrested as a result of the rallies.  

Layton has repeatedly joined his other councillors and Toronto Mayor John Tory to call for police to be defunded in accordance with the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In February, a motion by Layton to explore defunding the city’s police was passed by Toronto City Council, with 22 councillors voting for and 4 voting against Layton’s motion. 

“[We] are being over policed. We put too much responsibility on police & budget has ballooned. We need to defund and reinvest in communities & public safety measures best suited to the job. My motion called for transfer of more responsibilities for non-violent calls away from police,” tweeted Layton about the motion. 

True North reached out to Layton to ask what “consequences” anti-lockdown protesters should face but did not receive a response by the time this article was published. 

FUREY: The mainstream media’s commitment to lockdowns

By
Anthony Furey
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While it’s clear US and Canadian public officials have taken different approaches to COVID-19, one of the glaring differences is how the mainstream media in both countries is covering the pandemic.

In the US, even leftist media outlets are questioning how effective lockdowns are. Meanwhile, Canadian media outlets are fully committed to public health restrictions.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

UCP MLA calls on Canada to respond to Israeli “violence” against Palestinians

By
Andrew Lawton
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An Alberta UCP MLA is accusing Israel of “fundamental human rights violations” and calling on the Canadian government to intervene in its conflict with Hamas.

In a statement posted to Facebook Sunday evening, Calgary-Cross MLA Mickey Amery condemned what he called “violence against innocent and unarmed Palestinian worshippers and civilians.”

“The recent events unfolding at and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque are truly disturbing. The escalation and use of violence against innocent and unarmed Palestinian worshippers and civilians at Islam’s 3rd holiest site is indefensible,” Amery said. “The Government of Alberta does not have a foreign affairs policy, but as a humanitarian, a father, a husband and on behalf of those I represent as MLA for Calgary-Cross, I fully condemn this violence.”

Amery tagged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau, calling on the federal government “to speak up, to intervene, and to work to restore peace to the region immediately.”

Amery did not mention Israel by name in his post, or address any of Hamas’ violence towards Israel. His office did not respond to a request for comment asking if he also condemns Hamas.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Premier Jason Kenney said Amery does not speak for him or the UCP.

“Provinces do not have foreign policies. Canada only has one foreign policy,” Kenney said. “My views about that conflict are very well known from my two decades in the federal parliament and my 10 years in the federal cabinet. But I make a very deliberate point of not freelancing into foreign policy.”

Kenney added that he was “concerned” about reports of anti-Semitic threats and behavior across the country, including in Edmonton. He referenced a video posted Monday morning by a Jewish man in Edmonton claiming he was questioned by a group of demonstrators as to whether any “Jews” lived in the area.

Amery wasn’t the only UCP official to criticize Israel. Calgary-North MLA Muhammad Yaseen said in a Facebook post it was “heartbreaking to see the escalating violence and breach of fundamental human rights in the Middle East, specifically in Gaza and the West Bank.”

“The loss of life of innocent men, women and children is never acceptable, even in war,” he said.

In response to an inquiry from True North as to whether Yaseen similarly condemns Hamas, an aide requested a phone number but did not call or otherwise respond.

Hamas militants continue to fire rockets into Israel as the latest flare-up reaches the one-week mark. Israel has been criticized by activists for airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza in residential areas, despite Israel’s provision of advance notice for evacuation.

Alberta to relax some quarantine and isolation requirements for vaccinated people

By
Andrew Lawton
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The Alberta government will soon be announcing relaxed quarantine and self-isolation guidelines for vaccinated Albertans, Premier Jason Kenney said.

Kenney alluded to a forthcoming announcement at a press conference Monday afternoon.

“I anticipate later this week we’ll be announcing potentially a relaxation of self-isolation and quarantine requirements with respect to people–based on whether they’ve had a first or second dose of the vaccine–that will reflect the lower level of threat, or lower level of risk that they pose,” Kenney said.

Current provincial guidelines require Albertans who have been exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days even if they have tested negative for the virus themselves. While Alberta does not mandate a quarantine for interprovincial travel, Albertans are subject to the federally mandated 14-day quarantine if they enter Alberta from outside the country.

Kenney ruled out further exemptions to public health guidelines for vaccinated people, such as allowing them to gather with other vaccinated people, saying that the speed of Alberta’s vaccination rollout makes it “simpler” to keep the same restrictions in place for everyone.

“Our overall vaccine numbers are now moving so quickly that I think it would be a lot simpler for us to focus just on overall population immunity,” Kenney said, noting that 50% of eligible Albertans will have been vaccinated with one dose by tomorrow, with 800,000 appointments booked.

Kenney anticipated 70% of the eligible population will be vaccinated by June, allowing for a “broad reopening later this summer.”

“If we were to tie specific public health measures to whether you’ve been vaccinated, like, let’s say, wearing a mask, then what happens?” Kenney said. “Do employers have to go around and validate whether the people who are not wearing masks have been vaccinated? Did they get their first dose? When was it? It creates a huge amount of administrative and enforcement complexity and probably friction and unforeseen problems that we’d rather not get into.”

Kenney’s concerns were echoed by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw who said that lifting restrictions specifically for vaccinated people would require Albertans to disclose private health information.

“If we were to create different rules for people who were vaccinated and those who were not, it would require the production of some kind of proof of immunity or disclosure of personal health information for the purposes of that activity, and there’s been a very clear direction set in this province that that kind of disclosure of health information will not be required of Albertans,” Hinshaw said.

There are 186 patients with COVID-19 being treated in Alberta’s intensive care units, which is a record high for the province, Alberta Health Services CEO Dr. Verna Yiu said Monday.

TDSB wants to rename Queen Victoria Public School, citing “racist legacy”

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Planning and Priorities Committee wants to begin the process to rename Queen Victoria Public School citing how some schools in the City are named after people with a “racist legacy.” 

According to the request, the committee recommends a school renaming committee be formed to begin the name changing process. 

“The School Council and the Black Student Success Committee have expressed an interest to begin the process of changing the school name. Under our current policies, a request of this nature can be initiated from a school or local community,” claims the request. 

“The response from School Council has been excitement at the possibility of being able to engage in the school renaming process.The desire to have a new name is representative of a ‘fresh start’ for the school community amongst a range of other positive changes.” 

The request, which is due to be up for consideration by the Board on May 19, 2021, cites an April 21 motion titled “Renaming Schools Celebrating the Diversity of Toronto” to justify the request for a change. 

The motion notes that “few schools are named after celebrated Indigenous or Black Leaders or Leaders of colour” adding that “some schools names do not reflect the values of contemporary Toronto” and that “some schools are named after people with a racist legacy.” 

True North reached out to the TDSB for clarification and comment on the request but did not receive a response by the time this article was published. 

According to the school’s website, Queen Victoria Public School was founded in 1887, at a time when Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch of Canada. The school was eventually rebuilt in 1999. The school serves students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. 

Last year, the school was at the centre of a racial controversy after a number of parents highlighted concerns about a threatening letter being sent to a black administrator at the school.

Following the incident, the TDSB was criticized for not doing enough to react to the incident and eventually the Board issued an apology for its handling of the matter. 

Currently, the City of Toronto is also in the process of evaluating place names which it views as having problematic and racist histories. 

Liberal and NDP MPs post anti-Israel claims during Middle East conflict

By
True North Wire
-

As politicians across Canada react to the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine, several elected officials have condemned Israel, even going so far as accusing the democratic state of “ethnic cleansing” as it works to intercept rockets from Hamas in Gaza.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh demands Canada stop arm sales to Israel

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh urged the Canadian government last week to “do the right thing” and end arms sales to Israel despite the fact that the country has been dealing with nightly rocket barrages from Hamas, which Canada designates as a terrorist group.

Liberal Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau tells Israel to “uphold international law”

Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau called on Israel and Palestine to both “uphold international law.” Recent reports from the region indicate that pro-Palestinian terror groups have used civilians, including journalists, as human shields. 

Liberal MP Iqra Khalid accuses Israel of “forced evictions” 

Liberal MP Iqra Khalid took to Twitter to accuse Israel of “blatant disregard for human life” and conducting “forced evictions.” 

Green MP Jenica Atwin says “no two sides” to Israel-Palestine conflict

Green Party MP Jenica Atwin claimed on Twitter that she stood with Palestine and accusing the Israeli government of “apartheid.” 

NDP MP Niki Ashton says Israel involved in “massacre” of Palestinians

NDP MP Niki Ashton tuned into the conversation by accusing Canada of being complicit in “illegal occupation” and a “massacre” of Palestinians for standing by Israel. 

Liberal MP Salma Zahid criticizes Israel for defending itself

Liberal MP Salma Zahid tweeted to her followers on Saturday claiming that Israel should “end the air strikes” targeting areas where Hamas and other terror groups are believed to be hiding. 

Green MP Paul Manly says Israel is committing “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing”

Green MP followed the lead of his colleagues and spread the false claim that Israel was committing “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” in the region. 

Calgary police arrest Fairview Baptist Pastor Tim Stephens

By
True North Wire
-

Police in Alberta have arrested a third pastor for holding church services in defiance of public health orders.

On Sunday, Calgary Police arrested Pastor Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church for organizing an event that violated masking orders and attendance limits on religious services.

Video taken from the scene shows Pastor Stephens embracing his family and members of the congregation before entering a police vehicle.

“The government has obviously turned up the heat on churches and discouraged them from gathering together, but I don’t think they understand that Christians are committed to follow the lord Jesus Christ regardless of the consequences,” Pastor Stephens told Rebel News shortly before his arrest.

Earlier in May, Alberta Health Services (AHS) received a pre-emptive injunction to stop various gatherings and rallies that violate public health orders across the province. 

In a joint statement, Calgary Police Services (CPS) and AHS cited the alleged violations of the injunction as the reason for the arrest. AHS claims they served Pastor Stephens a copy of the injunction last week.

“Once again, CPS acknowledges it is important to understand that law enforcement recognizes people’s desire to participate in faith-based gatherings as well as the right to protest. However, as we are still in a global pandemic, we all must comply with public health orders in order to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing,” the statement reads.

“AHS strongly encourages all Albertans to follow public health orders to help minimize spread and protect others.”

Two other pastors have been arrested in Alberta this year for holding church services. Pastors James Coates and Artur Pawlowski have also spent time in prison for holding religious services that violate Alberta’s strict limitations.

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