“Physical distancing circles” return to Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park

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“Physical distancing circles” return to Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park

Trinity Bellwoods Park will once again be covered in paint circles to encourage visitors to remain socially distanced.

The City of Toronto says the “physical distancing circles” will be painted onto the grass of the popular park next week to give people the opportunity to be outside.

“While there is currently a province-wide stay-at-home order in effect, the city recognizes that many residents living in apartment buildings and condominiums who do not have yards need spaces to get exercise and fresh air in city parks,” the city said in a statement.

“Trinity Bellwoods Park is a popular location for many downtown residents and the painted physical distancing circles will help keep people safe while using the park.”

With Ontario under a stay-at-home order, residents are discouraged from going outside for recreational purposes. The order allows for members of the same household to gather outside.

Physically distancing circles were used at Trinity Bellwoods last year when the park was overrun with Torontonians eager to get a break from the previous stay-at-home order.

Previous studies have indicated that it is extremely rare to contract coronavirus while outside. While authorities asked anyone who visited Trinity Bellwoods last May to monitor themselves for symptoms, it is unclear if any cases were traced back to the park.

Last May, Toronto Mayor John Tory was photographed in Trinity Bellwoods while not social distancing and wearing a mask incorrectly. Ironically, Tory claimed he visited the park to judge if residents were following public health orders.

The City of Toronto asks residents to check out other city parks instead to avoid overcrowding Trinity Bellwoods.

“If a park or amenity such as a playground is crowded, people should visit another park or return at another time,” the city said.

CBC president billed taxpayers for parking at the Emmys, other NY expenses

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CBC president billed taxpayers for parking at the Emmys, other NY expenses

CBC President Catherine Tait billed taxpayers for parking at the Emmy Awards while she was in New York, newly revealed documents show.

According to a freedom of information request obtained by Rebel News, Tait made several purchases using taxpayer dollars for Uber rides, taxis and city parking. 

One scanned receipt for $86 features a hand-written note that says “Parking Emmys.” Meanwhile other receipts show a $120 trip with Newark Airport Taxi & Co. and a $112.44 trip with Uber.

Recent reports revealed that Tait lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband at a $5.4 million residence and regularly travels between her home and CBC’s Ottawa office. 

According to Tait, she has been working from New York in order to take care of her husband for medical reasons. 

Official CBC COVID-19 policy prohibits all non-essential work travel in accordance with federal health orders.

“She did not receive any special exemption from the government for her travel and continues to follow all government quarantine requirements,” said CBC spokesperson Leon Mar at the time. 

As reported by Rebel News, Tait also received a retroactive raise to her salary despite the fact that CBC viewership has been steadily declining. 

In 2020, CBC advertising revenue declined 19% over a period of six months down from $91 million to $73.8 million. 

However, the Trudeau government recently announced plans to increase funding to the state broadcaster in the 2021 budget. 

Over the next year, the CBC will receive an extra $21 million in addition to the CBC’s annual $1.2 billion federal grant.

FUREY: How long will it take to return to normal?

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Many Canadians are vastly underestimating how long it will take for society to return to normal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our health, mental health, economy and much more. A return to normal won’t happen overnight.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

Lockdowns will only end if 75% get vaccinated: Public Health Agency

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Lockdowns will only end if 75% get vaccinated: Public Health Agency

According to new modelling the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) put out on Friday, at least 75% of adults need to have their first vaccine dose before public health restrictions can be lifted in the summer.

If as few as 55% of adults are vaccinated, PHAC predicts Canada could still be in lockdown with another wave of cases beginning in the fall.

As of Friday, almost 11.4 million vaccine doses have been administered to Canadians. Around 21.8% of Canadians are still waiting to receive their second dose as the country’s vaccine rollout remains sluggish. 

Only 2.37% of Canadians have received two doses of a vaccine and are considered fully vaccinated.

“Trends have been discouraging in recent weeks, but there is a spark of hope,” Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said.  

“The bottom line is that we need as many people vaccinated. As much as possible.” 

Even if more Canadians get vaccinated in the coming months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said that high vaccination rates will not necessarily mean lockdowns will end in Canada.

“I think it’s important to remember that vaccination alone, even being well advanced in vaccinations, doesn’t necessarily lead to an ability to ease public restrictions,” Trudeau said on April 13. 

Due to the government’s failure to procure vaccines, Canada is far behind many countries. The United States and much of Europe maintains vaccination rates much higher than Canada’s.

With high vaccinations rates, several American states and countries like Israel have chosen to reopen their economies.

Ontario announces vaccine appointments available to “pregnant individuals”

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Ontario announces vaccine appointments available to “pregnant individuals”

The Ontario government announced on Friday that pregnant women were now considered to be a high-risk population for COVID-19 infection and could now register for vaccination appointments.

“As of April 23, all pregnant individuals can register for #COVID19 vaccination appointments under the “highest risk” health conditions in Phase Two of the province’s vaccine rollout,” tweeted Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott on Friday.

The decision comes as the Ontario government changes the way it classified pregnant women in its vaccine priority list. Prior to the announcement, pregnant women were considered to be “at risk,” however, under the new changes pregnant women are now considered to be in the “highest risk” category. 

According to the online booking system, women can make an appointment for a vaccine without a doctor’s note and can expect to receive their second dose of the vaccine within 16 weeks.

The Ontario government made the decision in response to findings that indicate pregnant women could be much more susceptible to the new COVID-19 variants detected in the province. According to Ottawa-area obstetrician and epidemiologist Dr Mark Walker, the new variants are anywhere from 30% to 50% more virulent and as a result ICU units in hospitals like Toronto’s Mount Sinai have seen a significant increase in admissions of pregnant women.

Instead of simply referring to pregnant women, the announcement opted for the politically correct term “pregnant individuals.”

This is not the first instance where public health rulings referred to pregnant women as “people” or “individuals.”

In January, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam published a tweet advising “pregnant people” to get their flu shots. 

“Pregnant people and children under 5 are at higher risk of complications from the #flu. Keep everyone safe. Get the #flushot. Check for vaccine availability near you,” Dr. Tam tweeted.

In another instance, British Columbia’s Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) published a guide on “inclusive” language-use surrounding the COVID-19 virus which advised against using terms like “men and women” because they are not gender inclusive enough. 

“The phrase ‘men and women’ excludes non-binary people, and it is unclear whether it includes trans men and women. And ‘guys” is not gender inclusive – people, everyone, folks, or folx are gender-neutral and thereby inclusive,” wrote the BC CDC.

The guide also advises Canadians to avoid referring to people’s penises and vaginas and instead use the terms “internal genital” and “external genitals.” 

Lawyer pleads at Rob Ford’s grave to “get through” to Ontario premier

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Lawyer pleads at Rob Ford’s grave to “get through” to Ontario premier

An Ontario lawyer posted a video to Twitter showing her kneeling at Rob Ford’s grave, asking him to send his brother, Ontario Premier Doug Ford a “sign” regarding his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the nearly two-minute-long clip tweeted Wednesday, Caryma Sa’d kneeled at the late Toronto mayor’s headstone and lays out what she sees as the Ontario premier’s failings as a leader.

“Hey man,” Sa’d says to the headstone. “You and I don’t know each other. I know of you. Larger than life. And I have been to your mom’s house. In fact, I was at your mom’s house for FordFest a few years ago. I watched your brother come down the stairs to Eye of the Tiger. And I didn’t know then what was to come.”

Sa’d says in her soliloquy that Ontario’s COVID-19 fatalities have been “totally preventable” and takes aim at the expanded police powers the province announced on Friday (which were reversed the day following due to backlash from the public and police agencies).

She also laments that there’s been no talk of sick days from the province, despite Doug Ford being in self-isolation after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Sa’d said in her video that COVID’s death toll justifies her politicization of Ford’s grave.

“There are people who will criticize me for being here, saying that death is sacred. But how sacred is it really in a province that has seen 7,700 people die from COVID-19, in ways that were totally preventable,” says Sa’d before discussing Ford’s latest emergency measures. 

“Anyway, I don’t know if you’re still in communication with him and I don’t know how much you would care, to be honest. But send him a sign because the situation is not tenable.” 

True North reached out to both Sa’d and Doug Ford’s office but did not receive a response by the time this article was published.

At the end of the video, Sa’d lays a “Ford Nation” t-shirt at the headstone as the camera focuses on the headstone’s inscription.

Rob Ford is buried at Etobicoke’s Riverside Cemetery. He died in 2016 after a battle with cancer.

Constitutional group releases “Know Your Rights” guide for Ontarians under lockdown

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Constitutional group releases “Know Your Rights” guide for Ontarians under lockdown

The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) released a “Know Your Rights” guide for Ontarians who are confused about the province’s ongoing lockdown rules and stay-at-home order.

“This past weekend in Ontario has left many people uncertain about what powers police have to stop and question them during the stay at home order,” said CCF Litigation Director, Christine Van Geyn. 

“We created the ‘Know Your Rights’ guide as a source of legal information for a public that has been provided with conflicting and unclear direction from the government.”

The guide is available for download on the CCF website and answers questions Ontario residents might have like: Can police stop me on the street? Do I need to answer police questions? Can police stop my car? Can police ticket me for being in a park? 

 “Under the new, amended police power, police can demand information from individuals in certain situations,” the guide reads. 

“Police may stop you on the street to ask for ID and ask why you are outside if they ‘have reason to suspect that an individual may be participating in a gathering’ in violation of the stay at home order. Merely being outside of your house is not reason [sic] for police to suspect that you are participating in a gathering,” the guide continues. 

“Without a reasonable suspicion, police cannot stop you while you are walking on the street to ask for your ID or purpose for being outside. You can ask police what their grounds are to suspect you are participating in a gathering.” 

The guide comes at a time when Ontario Premier Doug Ford is reeling from a massive public backlash against increased police powers he attempted to introduce as a means to combat the province’s COVID-19 crisis. 

Immediately after the Ford government announced the powers last Friday, the CCF issued a statement condemning the move as a step towards a “police state.” 

“Ontarians are essentially living under a 24 hour curfew and police will now be able to randomly stop people and vehicles and demand an explanation of why people are out living their lives. With these new police powers, Ontario is one step closer to becoming a police state,” said CCF Executive Director Joanna Baron in a statement on April 17.

“Low income and minority communities have borne the brunt of this pandemic in terms of cases and mortality, and they are now more likely to bear the brunt of police enforcement.”

This week, Ford issued an apology for the decision while the premier was in isolation after a member of his staff tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. 

Liberal MP calls Antifa a “far-left extremist” organization during committee meeting

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Liberal MP calls Antifa a “far-left extremist” organization during committee meeting

Liberal MP Hedy Fry referenced the violent anarchist collective known internationally as Antifa as an example of a far-left extremist organization during a Foreign Affairs Committee meeting last week. 

Fry made the comments in support of an amendment by Conservative MP Michael Chong to a motion on a study into human rights abuses by extremists against minorities, the LGBT community and others. 

Chong’s amendment sought to change the wording of the motion from exclusively referencing “right-wing extremists” to simply “extremists,” following the advice of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in its 2019 public report. 

“There’s one part of the motion that I think should be amended, and I move an amendment to the motion that we remove the two words ‘right wing’ so that it would simply read ‘abuses by extremists,’ and so on and so forth,” said Chong. 

“The reason I’m proposing that amendment is twofold. First, extremism can come from both the extreme right and the extreme left … More importantly, I think we should follow the advice of CSIS, which has actually eschewed using the terms ‘right-wing extremism’ and ‘left-wing extremism.’” 

In response, Fry insisted that she agreed with Chong’s amendment and referred to Antifa as an example of a left-wing extremist organization. 

“I actually agree with Mr. Chong’s amendment. I think if you want to do a good job on a study, you want to walk away from being too subjective or using too many adjectives to describe what your ideology is about,” said Fry. 

“I think the word ‘extremism’ … When you look at Belarus, Russia, China, Venezuela and at non-governmental organizations like Antifa, etc., we have left-wing extremists and we have right-wing extremists. I have heard the argument CSIS made. It’s a good argument, so let’s take away this florid language and just talk about extremism in whatever form it takes. As a mover of the motion, I’m happy to support Michael’s amendment.” 

According to CSIS’ report, “anarchist violence” is cited as an example of ideologically motivated violent extremism alongside ethno-nationalist violence, the incel movement and anti-LGBTQ violence. 

As recently reported, anarchist and Antifa groups were involved in anti-authority protests in Montreal which recently erupted in violence and clashes with police.  

While Antifa is a decentralized network of anarchists and other far-left sympathizers a network of websites in Canada frequently distributes communications and guides highlighting anarchist violence. 

Among this network are platforms such as Contrepoints which describes itself as a “revolutionary” platform. As exclusively reported by True North, the website recently published domestic terror instructions including detailed information on how to sabotage railways and create the highly flammable industrial material thermite.

Double Teenage Mutant Ninja COVID Variant

Andrew Lawton
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Double Teenage Mutant Ninja COVID Variant

With the arrival of the so-called “double mutant” COVID-19 variant in Canada from India, the Conservatives are calling on Justin Trudeau to suspend flights from global hot spots. By the time politicians get around to talking about travel restrictions, it’s already too late, True North’s Andrew Lawton says.

Also, the media is already saying Erin O’Toole’s climate change plan doesn’t go far enough, plus Canadian churches are closed to worshippers but open to film crews.

Hajdu says Vitamin-D COVID-19 protection is “fake news”

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Hajdu says Vitamin-D COVID-19 protection is “fake news”

Liberal Health Minister Patty Hajdu claimed in the House of Commons on Thursday that Vitamin D supplementation as an additional preventive measure against COVID-19 infection was “fake news.” 

Hajdu made the comments in response to a question posed to her by Independent MP Derek Sloan on why Health Canada is not actively recommending Canadians to take the supplement.

“At least 75 recent studies show that optimal Vitamin D levels significantly reduce susceptibility to COVID-19 and significantly improve health outcomes if people do get infected. It has been documented for decades that Canadians have suboptimal Vitamin D levels, especially during winter. Can the minister explain why Health Canada’s website states that most Canadians are getting enough Vitamin D and doesn’t actively recommend supplementing,” asked Sloan. 

“I would encourage the member opposite to not fall prey to the myriad of fake news articles that are circulating around the internet about ways that people can protect themselves from COVID and trust that the Public Health Agency of Canada only puts science-based credible documents up guided ofcourse by our Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Tam and the many scientists that work for us,” said Hajdu. 

“What Canadians need now is trust and they need to be able to trust in the information that their elected officials are sharing and I would urge the member to get his sources from credible sites.” 

Contrary to Hajdu’s insinuation that “credible sites” have not discussed Vitamin D as a preventative measure, numerous Canadian mainstream news outlets have published features highlighting research into the supplement. 

For example, since at least 2020, CTV News has published a handful of articles highlighting Vitamin D research. 

One article dated October 27, 2020 was titled “More than 80 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had vitamin D deficiency: study,” another article from March 21, 2021 was called “High vitamin D levels may protect against COVID-19, especially for Black people: study.” 

Canada’s own public broadcaster, the CBC, has also published numerous pieces which explore Vitamin D as a potential treatment for COVID-19. 

While the US government has not explicitly recommended the use of Vitamin D as a preventative measure or treatment of COVID-19, the US National Institute of Health has noted that insufficient data exists to recommend “either for or against” its use. 

Other countries’ health departments, like the UK’s National Health Service recommends people take 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day during the winter months for general health reasons but also notes that more data is needed to determine its ability to prevent or treat COVID-19. 

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