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Friday, July 11, 2025

Ford backtracks on COVID-19 enforcement powers after pushback from police

By
True North Wire
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has backtracked on his decision to give the province’s law enforcement additional COVID-19 enforcement powers to stop and question people who are outside of their residence while the province’s stay-at-home is in effect. 

The decision to amend the wording of the regulations after only one day of being in effect comes after a vast majority of the province’s police forces indicated that they do not intend to use the powers granted to them by the government. 

Under the amended measure, law enforcement officers are now required to have a “reason to suspect that an individual may be participating in a gathering that is prohibited” before demanding any information from Canadians. 

Those who are questioned by police are still required to promptly comply and provide information. 

Shortly after Ford introduced the measures on Friday, police forces across the province issued statements online that they would not be randomly stopping people and cars. 

Police services from Toronto, Peel, Windsor, Cornwall, Peterborough and London all issued similar statements denouncing the powers. 

“We will not be conducting random vehicle or individual stops. As before, our initiatives will be both complaint driven or proactive, with the goal of gaining compliance. Those that refuse to comply will receive the appropriate penalty,” wrote identical statements by both Niagara and Waterloo region police services. 

To date, 42 out of 44 of the province’s police services have indicated that they would not be making use of the powers. 

Police officers were not the only ones who took a stand against the order. On Friday, the Canadian Constitution Foundation put out a press release condemning the measures as being equivalent to instituting 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.

“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.”

Canada halts sale of military tech to Turkey

By
Sam Eskenasi
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The Canadian government has pulled a number of military export licenses to Turkey over concerns that Canadian technology was used not in accordance with foreign policy.

In response, the Turkish government criticized Canada for having a “double standard” as the Canadian government continues to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

Sam Eskenasi discusses the potential fallout and why the Canadian government needs to work on a more coherent foreign policy agenda.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation says Erin O’Toole’s carbon tax is a broken promise

By
Andrew Lawton
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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s climate change plan is a broken promise, reneging on a “no carbon tax” pledge O’Toole signed during the leadership race less than a year ago. CTF federal director Aaron Wudrick joined The Andrew Lawton Show to discuss.

Watch the latest episode of The Andrew Lawton Show.

Ontario police refuse new power to stop-and-question residents

By
True North Wire
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Source: Wikimedia / Facebook

The majority of police services in Ontario say they will not be conducting random lockdown compliance checks despite new powers granted by the Ford government.

On Friday, Premier Doug Ford said police officers will have stop-and-question powers anyone who is outside their place of residence. Individuals stopped by police will be required to give their reason for leaving home.

The move comes as Ontario begins stricter lockdown measures, including a ban on non-essential inter-provincial travel.

Some of the police services that have committed to not using random checks include Toronto, Peel, Ottawa, Windsor, Cornwall, Peterborough and London, among many others.

Both Waterloo and Niagara regional police services put out identical statements saying they will not randomly stop individuals who leave their place of residence.

“We will not be conducting random vehicle or individual stops. As before, our initiatives will be both complaint driven or proactive, with the goal of gaining compliance. Those that refuse to comply will receive the appropriate penalty.” the statements read.

In their own statement, Hamilton Police Services wrote that their lockdown enforcement strategy has not changed.

“Hamilton Police Service members remain committed to providing the highest quality of policing services and want to assure Hamilton citizens that our members will not be conducting arbitrary vehicle and person stops for the sole purpose of enforcing the Stay-at-Home order.”

Peel Regional Police Association President Andrian Woolley also blasted the decision, suggesting it will create tension between the public and police.

True North’s Andrew Lawton has been keeping track of all the police services that have defied the Ontario government’s order.

“I’m glad to see police across Ontario say they will not use such an unconstitutional and unfree power, it should never have been given to them in the first place. No jurisdiction anywhere in the world has been able to charge and enforce its way out of the pandemic, so it’s shameful Ontario thinks it can,” Lawton said. 

The new powers were immediately criticized by constitutional rights groups and members of the law enforcement community. In a statement on Friday, the Canadian Constitution Foundation said the new police powers combined with ever-increasing lockdowns bring Ontario closer to being a “police-state.”

Constitutional rights group decries Ontario COVID-19 “police state”

By
True North Wire
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Source: Pixaby

Police and bylaw officers in Ontario now have the power to stop and question any Ontario resident who is outside of their place of residence under the province’s new strict lockdown orders. 

Since the order was announced, one constitutional rights group has already decried the new measures as the introduction of a “police state.” 

The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) put out a press release on Friday denouncing the new powers saying that it could disproportionately impact over-policed communities. 

“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.

“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.”

The Ontario government has defended its decision to implement the new rules, claiming that they are necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“With our hospital system under significant pressure and the continued increase of COVID-19 variants, we are stepping up enforcement to ensure that people adhere to the Stay-at-Home order and follow public health measures,” said Ontario’s Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. 

“This is a critical moment in Ontario’s response to this deadly virus, that’s why we are doing whatever it takes to stop the spread and protect our communities.”

As announced earlier today by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the enforcement measures will be in effect as long as the province’s stay-at-home order lasts. 

“Effective Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., police officers and other provincial offences officers will have the authority to require any individual to provide their home address and purpose for not being at their residence,” a Government of Ontario press release writes.

“In addition, police officers, special constables and First Nation Constables will have the authority to stop vehicles to inquire about an individual’s reasons for leaving their home. This additional enforcement tool will only be in effect during the Stay-at-Home order and exclusively to enforce the Stay-at-Home order.”

Ontario implements police checks, travel ban in latest spat of COVID-19 rules

By
True North Wire
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford introduced new strict COVID-19 restrictions on Friday which include a ban on non-essential inter-provincial travel and new powers for law enforcement to stop and question people who are outside of their place of residence. 

“I have never shied away from telling you the brutal honest truth, never shied away from tough decisions and today I am here to do just that. My friends, we are losing the battle between variants and vaccines,” said Ford. 

According to Ford, his top priorities include limiting mobility as a means to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 surge. 

The emergency declaration announced by Ontario earlier this month has also been extended along with the province’s stay-at-home order for at least another two weeks, for a total of six weeks.

As of Saturday, Ontario residents will now only be allowed to have outdoor gatherings with members of their households while outdoor amenities like golf courses, playgrounds, basketball courts and others will be restricted. 

Big-box stores have had their indoor shopping capacity reduced to 25%, while places of worship are being allowed to hold indoor services but only for a maximum of ten people. 

Starting on Monday, the province will also be instituting provincial checkpoints at all interprovincial crossings to prevent travel with the exception of people travelling for work, medical care and essential reasons. 

According to Ford, the measures will be strongly enforced by law enforcement including special powers for police and bylaw officers to stop vehicles and question individuals on why they are outside of their place of residence. 

“Police will have the authority to require any individual who is not in a place of residence to first provide their purpose for not being at home and provide their address,” said Ontario’s Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.

In its effort to ramp up vaccinations in COVID-19 hotspots, the Ontario government plans to increase the vaccine supplies directed to those communities by 25%. 

The new rules are based on the province’s latest COVID-19 projections and models which indicate that hospitalization and ICU capacity are at the highest levels in the province since March 2020. Variants have also been detected at increasing rates while vaccinations are not reaching high-risk communities fast enough. 

Climate Capitulation

By
Andrew Lawton
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Conservative leader Erin O’Toole has unveiled his climate change plan – a rewards program of sorts that taxes Canadians buying hydrocarbon-based fuel and puts the money into a personally-held “savings accounts” for making “green” purchases. True North’s Andrew Lawton breaks it down with Aaron Wudrick of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which says O’Toole has reneged on a key leadership campaign promise. Also, the latest on the never-ending lockdown and perpetually shifting pandemic goalposts.

NDP MP disputes Liberal MP’s claim to Indigenous identity

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq disputed the Indigenous identity of Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal MP Yvonne Jones in a tweet on Friday, saying that Jones is “not an Inuk” as has been previously claimed. 

Qaqqaq, who is an Inuk woman herself from Nunavut, made the tweet on April 16, 2021 in response to a 2019 post by the Twitter account Indigenous Politics, which describes Jones as “Inuk.” 

True North reached out to both Qaqqaq and Jones for comment on the matter but did not receive a response by the time this article was published. 

Jones currently serves as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and is a member of Labrador’s Southern Inuit, NunatuKavut. 

Labrador’s NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) claims to represent around 6,000 Inuit-descended people with mixed ancestry. According to the Indigenous outlet Nunatsiaq News, the group primarily identified as Métis until 2010.

In 2019, Jones and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolynn Bennett achieved a memorandum of understanding between the Canadian Government and the NunatuKavut council recognizing the group’s Indigenous rights and self-determination. 

“The recognition and implementation of Indigenous rights is critical to reconciliation and renewed relationships. I am convinced that these discussions will lead to a greater understanding of the interests and aspirations of the NunatuKavut community. An open dialogue is a first step toward a true relationship, and we look forward to exploring and advancing a shared journey toward reconciliation,” said Bennett in a July 2018 press release announcing the beginning of discussions with the group. 

As part of the agreement, the NunatuKavut were recognized as an “Indigenous collective capable of holding section 35 Aboriginal rights.” 

However, there are several Indigneous groups which refuse to recognize NunatuKavut claims to Indigeneity. Among the detractors include the neighbouring community of the Innu Nation who spoke out against the NunatuKavut deal with the federal government claiming that it did not reside on legal grounds. 

“The Innu of Labrador do not, and have never, accepted that NCC or any of its predecessors represent an Aboriginal people of Canada within the meaning of s. 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982,” states a lawsuit filed by the Innu Nation. 

“These allegations are a form of racism and lateral violence against NunatuKavut Inuit and perpetuate colonial narratives,” a response by the NunatuKavut claimed. 

Court rules Canada can turn away asylum seekers entering from the United States

By
True North Wire
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Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the agreement that allows Canada to turn back asylum seekers from the United States does not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On Thursday, a three-person panel of judges unanimously ruled that the safe third country agreement between the governments of Canada and the United States is constitutional.

“Those who arrive in the United States must claim refugee status in the United States under United States law. They cannot leave the United States and claim refugee status in Canada at a land port of entry. If they do so, Canada can refuse to consider their refugee claim and, if they have no other legal basis for remaining in Canada, return them to the United States,” the ruling read.

The decision was welcomed by the Canadian government, which said the agreement is an important part of Canada’s handling of asylum claimants.

The [safe third country agreement] has served Canada well for 16 years, ensuring that our shared border remains well managed. For the last three years, Canada has welcomed more refugees than any other country in the world, and continues to provide protection to those fleeing conflict and persecution,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a statement. 

“Canada remains firmly committed to upholding a fair and compassionate refugee protection system and the STCA remains a comprehensive means for the compassionate, fair, and orderly handling of asylum claims at the Canada-U.S. land border.”

According to the safe third country agreement, Canada can turn away migrants attempting to seek asylum if they are arriving from the United States. As both countries consider each other safe countries, individuals must apply for asylum in the first country they arrive in.

In July 2020, the Federal Court ruled that safe third country agreement violates the Charter’s guarantees of life, liberty and security. On Thursday, the panel accepted the federal government’s arguments that the court misinterpreted the relevant laws.

The panel granted a six month extension to safe third country agreement, with a future court case deciding the ultimate future of the agreement.

In recent years, Canada has seen an influx of people trying to seek asylum in Canada by illegally crossing the US border. Under the safe third country agreement, Canada could have turned back many of these crossers.

In 2019, the influx into crossing points like Roxham Road led the Trudeau government to spend millions on housing and other benefits for illegal border crossers.

Canadian home prices reach new record in March

By
True North Wire
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Source: Flickr

The average price of homes sold in Canada reached a new record in March after a year of pent-up demand.

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home prices rose 5.2% in the month of March alone. Since March 2020, home prices have skyrocketed by 31.6%.

Even as more supply became available in March, the average price of a home in Canada rose to a record $716,828.

Throughout the past year, demand for housing remained high as Canadians moved away from coronavirus hotspots and expect to continue remote work into the future. Demand has also been encouraged by low interest rates.

In a statement, CERA Chair Cliff Stevenson said there are simply too many people looking to buy homes, even as supply has increased 25% in the past two months.

“Seeing how many homes were bought and sold in March 2021, one could be forgiven for thinking the market just continues to strengthen, and maybe to some extent it is,” he said.

“The real issue is not strength in housing markets but imbalance. That demand has been around for months, but with the shortages in supply we have across so much of Canada, a lot of that demand has been pressuring prices.”

Stevenson believes the rising prices will soon lead to an increase in sellers, which CREA hopes will lead to a stabilization in home prices.

Even before the housing market boom, many young and lower-income Canadians were pessimistic about their ability to buy a home. A 2019 poll found that almost half of millennials did not believe they could ever afford a home.

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