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Thursday, July 24, 2025

BC Conservatives promise to explore nuclear energy to achieve energy independence

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

The BC Conservatives have announced that if elected, they would pursue achieving energy independence by lifting the de facto ban on developing nuclear energy and exploring the use of small modular reactors. 

The Conservatives would explore installing small modular nuclear reactors so long as seismic safety and cost concerns are addressed.

Currently, British Columbia has a de facto ban on adding nuclear energy to the province’s energy mix.In 2010, the BC Liberal government of the time passed the Clean Energy Act that specifically states the province will lower its carbon emissions and “energy objectives without the use of nuclear power.”

However, BC Conservative leader John Rustad has been a vocal proponent of nuclear energy as a means to expand the province’s energy grid while doing so in an environmentally-friendly manner. 

In an August interview on the Jordan Peterson podcast, Rustad talked about the benefits of small modular nuclear reactors and the need to refute the negative connotation that the word “nuclear” has and communicate the safety of nuclear power.

“It’s something that I think as a government we need to go out and have an honest conversation with people about. Like let’s talk about what it means and what the cost is for people and what that means for your quality of life and what the options are and lets just be straight up with people and let them decide where they’d like to go,” said Rustad.

With the BC Conservatives’ latest policy announcement, the party expands on many of the notions Rustad has advanced.

If elected, the BC Conservatives would amend the Clean Energy Act to allow nuclear power into the province’s energy mix, expand the energy regulator’s mandate to include nuclear power, and commit to having a small modular nuclear reactor up and running by 2035.

The BC Conservatives would engage in a public relations campaign to build trust in nuclear energy and maintain an honest and transparent conversation about challenges, costs, and benefits of nuclear power.

The BC Conservatives are also planning on reversing the BC NDP’s plan to ban the sale of combustion engine vehicles by 2035 and the plan to phase out natural gas use.

Public opinion polls show that support for overturning the province’s restrictions on energy generation and electric vehicle sales is significant.

An August poll from Ipsos found that 58% of British Columbians support reviewing the restrictions on nuclear energy compared to only 27% who are opposed and 50% support reviewing the ban on natural gas compared to 34% who are opposed.

Similarly, 53% of BC residents oppose the electric vehicles sales mandate while 60% support delaying the timeline on the EV sales mandate.

As demand for energy grows nationwide, provinces have sought out nuclear energy as a means to fulfill those demands.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has sought to double the production of the Bruce Power nuclear generation stations, unveiled plans to add three small modular nuclear reactors to the energy grid, and refurbish the nuclear power plant in Pickering to boost its generation capacity.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ordered a study to investigate developing nuclear energy in her province while Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf stated that the government is looking into building conventional nuclear power plants.

Smith issues legal ultimatum to Trudeau over unconstitutional Impact Assessment Act

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

If the Liberals keep unilaterally amending the Impact Assessment Act without addressing its constitutional flaws, Alberta will sue them. Again. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday warning that another legal challenge will be brought against the Liberals if they do not express intent to amend the Impact Assessment Act within the next four weeks.

The letter included 14 pages of Alberta’s proposed amendments that the feds need to make.

Various ongoing concerns need to be addressed, said Smith, including the need to eliminate federal encroachment into provincial jurisdiction. The province added that the Liberals need to recognize equivalency with Alberta’s environmental assessment to substitute the federal impact assessment, among numerous other concerns listed in the letter. 

Smith’s letter was CC’ed to provincial ministers Micky Amery, Rebecca Schulz, and federal ministers Arif Virani, Steven Guilbeault, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. 

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Liberals’ Impact Assessment Act was largely unconstitutional in Oct. 2023. 

Following the ruling, Smith invoked the Sovereignty Act to defend the province from Ottawa’s decision to mandate a net-zero electricity grid by 2035. 

In response to the initial ruling, the Liberals tabled various amendments. However, they did not consult Alberta. The federal government didn’t even tell Alberta the amendments were being tabled in the House of Commons.

The Liberals made further amendments to the Impact Assessment Act on July 20.

“Those amendments were not meaningfully consulted on and do not address the issues with the legislation that have been raised repeatedly, and do not correct the constitutional deficiencies identified by the Supreme Court of Canada,” said the Alberta government in a press release issued Friday.

“Additionally, the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act continues to create uncertainty for major infrastructure projects by allowing Ottawa to derail, delay, and interfere in virtually any project,” reads the release. “Alberta’s government is now calling for action before it is too late.”

Smith said that repeated requests have been made for collaboration.

“The amendments your government passed do not address Alberta’s concerns with the IAA, nor do they adequately address the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling,” said Smith. “The situation could have been avoided if, following Alberta’s Supreme Court victory, your government agreed to meaningfully consult with the province.”

The premier added that only by instituting the proposed amendments from her province will the Liberals be constitutionally compliant. 

“Alberta’s proposed amendments should be tabled immediately. We continue to call on your government to learn the lessons from the Supreme Court decision and abandon your ongoing unconstitutional efforts to seize regulatory control over our natural resource sector,” wrote Smith. “Instead, we invite you to come to the table in good faith and work with Alberta to align our mutual efforts on emissions reductions and the development of our world-class energy sector.”

However, if the Liberals continue to ignore Alberta, Smith said that options will be considered on how to best defend the province.

Alberta previously threatened to take the feds to court for the government’s proposed plastics registry and production cap.

The federal court had already sided with Alberta and Saskatchewan in another case, finding that Ottawa’s listing plastics as toxic to ban single-use plastics was “both unreasonable and unconstitutional.” 

Smith gave Trudeau a four-week deadline. If no “satisfactory response” is given in that timeframe, she noted her intent to bring a further legal challenge.

“Alberta has won in court twice in the past year and, if needed, we are ready to win again,” said Smith.

Heritage Minister expected to announce new mandate and CEO for CBC/Radio-Canada 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: X

Reports indicate that the Liberal government is set to update the mandate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation following a review and will soon appoint a new CEO. 

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is likely to announce changes coming to CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate in November. 

This is according to a senior government official who spoke with CBC News on the condition of anonymity. 

The heritage minister previously said in a statement that Canada needs “a strong public broadcaster that connects and informs us coast-to-coast-to-coast.”

“I am looking forward to soon announcing important steps that will help modernize CBC/Radio-Canada. This is what we committed to Canadians and what Canadians expect,” reads the statement. 

“Like the rest of the news and information sector, the public broadcaster is facing a significant drop in commercial revenue due to the dominant role of foreign tech giants in the ad market. As a government, we are working toward strengthening our independent public broadcaster.”

According to the source, the government is in the final stages of drafting what appears to be considerable regulatory and legislative changes to the broadcaster.

The changes will be directed at helping CBC/Radio-Canada adapt to the ever-changing news and media world. 

The CBC’s current mandate was last drafted in 1991 and hasn’t been updated since the advent of the internet, which seismically altered the media landscape. 

In addition to the mandate changes, the government is expected to name a new CEO as part of its restructuring as Catherine Tait’s position as the current CEO is slated to end in January. In June 2023, the Liberal government reappointed Tait to lead the CBC for another 18 months, saying that they would initiate a review to find her replacement upon the completion of the term. 

According to the government official, the next CEO will be a “changemaker” who will be selected to operate in a manner that is not business as usual. 

“This person could feasibly be a key player in whether CBC lives or dies at some point,” the official told CBC News.

The official said that the new mandate changes may demand more resources, which will also require the government to address the issue of CBC/Radio-Canada’s funding. 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has repeatedly pledged to defund the CBC if elected while sustaining the Crown corporation’s French operations through Radio-Canada.

“I can’t wait to defund the CBC and sell off the headquarters for housing,” said Poilievre this summer in response to news that the state broadcaster approved another round of bonuses for its executives and non-unionized staff. 

The decision was quietly approved in July, despite recent layoffs and struggling viewership. It was also announced only days after the House of Commons rose for summer recess. 

The CBC laid off 141 employees and eliminated 205 vacant positions last year, while also giving bonuses to 1,194 employees.

The taxpayer-funded broadcaster received around $1.3 billion from the Trudeau government last year and generated about $515 million of its revenue through advertising, investments and subscriptions. 

The government official noted that the new changes are also aimed at restoring Canadians’ trust in the CBC, especially among the growing cohort of people who wish to see the broadcaster finished altogether. 

“The CBC belongs to everybody and that includes people who don’t use it every day or who don’t say they need it,” said the official.

“Those people need to see this place is going to be trustworthy and the changes are designed to reinforce the trust level.”

Majority of immigrants in Canada want to see crackdown on international student program abuse

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Hamilton Citizenship Ceremony / Copyright: JOEY COLEMAN / THEPUBLICRECORD.CA

The majority of immigrants living in Canada want to see stricter policies on international students and that sentiment is felt most strongly among South Asian immigrants, according to a recent poll.

A Leger poll commissioned by OMNI revealed that 67% of immigrants who have been living in Canada for over six years want to see a crackdown on policy regarding international student programs. Among South Asian immigrants that figure increases to 77%. 

Certain policy changes have been made in recent months after Immigration Minister Marc Miller committed to reducing the number of temporary residents over the next three years to 5% of the population, down from 6.2% in 2023, which would include international students. 

The Liberal government may even surpass its goal announced in January to lower the international student cap, reducing new study permits by 35%. 

According to an education recruitment company, the government is on track to reduce the number of international students by 48% from 436,678 study permits in 2023 to potentially 229,000 this year.

The poll also found that eight in 10 immigrants think immigration will be a key issue in the next federal election and more than half confirmed that the immigration policies presented by each party will influence the way they vote.

“We don’t do everything by poll, it’s nice to know that the measure is popular. I think it’s even more important to know that these measures actually work. Tentatively we see that these measures are working, it makes for a more manageable international student visa program,” Miller told OMNI News in response to the poll.

However, one in four respondents said that the federal government’s newly proposed rules are already enough to stop abuses within the International Student Program. 

This sentiment was shared highest among younger immigrants who identified as being an ethnic minority.

Canada’s international student program has been widely exploited in recent years by those looking to use it as an avenue to stay in the country permanently. 

Nearly 13,000 international students applied for asylum in Canada while studying abroad in the first eight months of 2024. 

From Jan. 1- Aug. 31, 12,915 asylum claims were made by those on international study permits or study permit extensions, making up 10.8% of the 119,835 refugee claims in the same period. 

In August alone, 1,785 international students applied for refugee status.

This marks a marked surge in the number of international students applying for asylum in Canada. In the entirety of 2022, only 4,880 international students applied for asylum, an increase of 2.65 times in just the first eight months of 2024. Back in 2018, only 1,835 international students applied for asylum the entire year. 

Of the 278,250 international study permits granted in Canada for the first three fiscal quarters, the plurality of international students have come from India, reaching 107,385. 

Other prominent countries include Nigeria at 15.685, China at 30,240, and the Philippines at 13,905. 

Miller admitted in a Bloomberg interview in July that foreigners have been using the international student visa program as a “cheap way” to obtain permanent residency and citizenship in Canada.

“That should never be the promise,” said Miller. “People should be coming here to educate themselves and perhaps go home and bring those skills back to their country.”

Canada’s student visa system came under investigation by the Canada Border Service Agency last year following a string of abuses with the program, with the agency conducting a probe into 300 students. 

The probe revealed that at least 10 people attained student visas using fake acceptance letters from colleges and universities, some of whom are also involved in gangs and crime-related activity.

A separate probe conducted by Ottawa found 2,000 incredulous student visas and discovered that approximately 1,485 applicants had issued fake letters of admission into colleges and universities. 

The bulk of the fraudulent applicants involved came from India, China and Vietnam. 

Police arrest two for brandishing Hezbollah terrorist flags in front of Jewish restaurant

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: tps.ca

Toronto police arrested two anti-Israel pro-Hezbollah protesters accused of flying Hezbollah terrorist flags outside of a Jewish restaurant a day after Israel eliminated Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Toronto Police Services informed the public that two 34-year-old men, one residing in Oakville, Ahmad Sheikhani, and Hamad Khalid Menshed in Mississauga, on Wednesday in connection to a protest outside of a Jewish restaurant on Sept 28. 

The two men are accused of flying Hezbollah flags, a Lebanese-based group listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.

“Officers approached the accused and cautioned them about how the flags represented Hezbollah and the threats such flags cause to the public peace,” the report said. “Officers disengaged with the accused due to the large crowd size and public safety concerns.” 

Police said the two continued to publicly wave the flags despite being warned and are now both charged with public incitement of hatred.

While Hezbollah does not have an official charter like Hamas, which calls for Jewish people to be “vanquished,” the terrorist group’s former leader Nasrallah has stated a desire to hunt and kill Jewish people globally. Nasrallah was recently assassinated by an Israeli airstrike a day before the protest.

“If they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide,” Nasrallah said in response to an Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon in the 1990s.

Independent Ontario MPP Goldie Ghamari, whose family immigrated to Canada as refugees escaping the Islamic regime in Iran, called out the incident on X.

“Islamofascists are abusing our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to promote terrorism & jihad, then cry “Islamophobia” to silence their critics,” she said. “Wake up Canada.”

When asked for further information on Sheikhani and Menshed’s citizenship status TPS told True North they would not comment.

Jewish community groups such as B’nai Brith Canada have repeatedly called for all levels of government and law enforcement to take action against the public display of terrorist symbols as incitements to hate and violence, as reported by True North.

A day after the arrest, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw vowed to increase security ahead of the one-year marking of the deadly Oct. 7 attack, which left over 1200 killed and hundreds taken as hostages by Hamas terrorists.

“Our expanded Hate Crime Unit continues to investigate every reported instance of hate, including on the ground at demonstrations, to gather evidence and investigate any suspected hate crimes, or hate speech, or signage,” he said. “This includes the presence of flags that promote terrorist organizations, as identified by Public Safety Canada.”

Demkiw noted that arrests and charges can be laid at any time, even if suspects are not detained during a protest.

Police also arrested a woman on Wednesday in connection to an anti-Israel protest of a Jewish Charity fundraising event at Meridian Hall in September. 

Deijaumar Clarke, 32, is currently wanted by TPS after being accused of allegedly spitting on an officer and is being charged with assaulting a peace officer. Police are also requesting help in identifying a woman accused of allegedly striking an officer at the same protest.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

Historic Trois-Rivieres Catholic Church burned in Quebec

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: gouv.qc.ca

Another Canadian church has gone up in flames. This time, the historic Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Allégresses Catholic church in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, was devastated by a fire on Thursday.   

Municipal officials have not responded to True North’s requests for comment. However, local media noted that the fire chief “refused to speculate on the causes or origin of the blaze.”

No injuries have been reported, as the Church, which dates back to 1914, was empty at the time of the fire.

The Journal de Quebec stated that “several testimonies” collected on-site mentioned the presence of flames in a container near the church.

One of the church’s bell towers was destroyed during the fire, and “major damage” to the building’s structure has been reported. 

According to the city of Trois-Rivières’s Facebook, emergency crews were on the scene of the “unfortunate fire” Thursday at around 3:40 p.m. The post said the flames were being tamed but urged residents to avoid the area.

Residential developer Georges Mouradian purchased and is constructing the church as a “revitalization project.” In an interview with La Presse on the scene, Mouradian said it was underway to be converted into 40 to 50 homes.  

He said the first stage of the construction project was due to end the day following the fire and that the construction projects are now on hold pending the investigation.

Mouradian announced another project in May attached to the church that was set to accommodate forty additional units.

On the scene, Mouradian reportedly told the local paper La Nouvelliste that the church was not insured as one cannot get Church property insured.

The paper also reported that police evacuated neighbouring businesses and helped evacuate 11 Franciscans who lived next to the Church. The Red Cross attended to the Franciscans after the evacuation.

Though the cause and toll of the fire have yet to be identified, the church fire adds to the list of over 110 churches that have been damaged by fire or vandalism since the reported discovery of unmarked graves in at an Indian residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

No bodies have been found on the site of the residential school or any of the other reported sites of unmarked graves across Canada, and the claims of mass killings of residential school students are disputed.

Following the slew of church fires directly following the discovery of irregularities in the soil at the residential school, which ignited a country-wide “decolonization” process, several politicians excused the Church burnings.

Justin Trudeau famously said in July of 2021 that the anger fueling the arsons of Christian places of worship was “fully understandable” due to Canada’s “shameful history.”

Trudeau’s former secretary Gerald Butts echoed the line as well. When asked if he was defending the crowd celebrating the burning of churches, he said their actions “may be understandable.”

Calgary police dismantle elaborate tunnel with rooms used as homeless encampment

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: calgary.ca

The Calgary Police Service uncovered an intricate underground tunnel believed to be used as a homeless encampment dug into a hillside near the Calgary Stampede grounds.

The human-made tunnel was being used as an encampment, but nobody was found in the structure or surrounding area upon discovery or the weeks that followed while the premises continued to be monitored.  

The police confirmed that nobody is in custody, and no charges have been filed as a result of the incident.

YEGWAVE, a popular X account that posts Alberta news, posted to X various pictures of the encampment. The account said the encampment’s tunnel contained rooms, including a bedroom, a shelving unit, a homemade taser-like weapon, and “had almost hooked up electricity from a nearby streetlight.”

Calgary police previously discovered various weapons at numerous homeless encampments as the city contended with a spike in criminal activity. 

The Edmonton Police Service similarly seized 60 weapons while dismantling homeless encampments in Jan. 2024. 

Calgary’s police said the structure stood about six feet tall and was ten feet by seven feet in diameter.

Any imminent health or safety risk from encampments results in their immediate removal, according to the Calgary Police Service. 

“Public safety for all Calgarians is our priority. This was an incredibly elaborate underground structure that was highly dangerous, not only for those inhabiting it, but for the surrounding community,” said Calgary Police Service Sergeant Kristian Thorpe. “While this particular type of underground structure is not a recurring issue in Calgary, the city remains committed to addressing all unsafe sites where a camp has been placed in coordination with our partners, ensuring the safety of the individuals residing there and in the interest of public safety.”

Community Standards Inspector Sue Wall confirmed that camping on public land violates city bylaws. She noted, however, that the city tries to balance compassion with the safety of homeless people and the surrounding communities.

Edmonton police uncovered a similar situation back in Mar. when they discovered a cave that was approximately five feet deep and 12 feet across. 

Somebody was living in the cave but was luckily relocated to the government’s navigation and support centre for homeless people just days earlier.

The cave in Edmonton was far less elaborate than the encampment discovered in Calgary.

The encampment in Calgary was excavated, a process the police said took three days.

The City of Calgary has a special team to deal with encampments, who help clean them up and remove them from public areas. The team also helps people in encampments connect with social services and that any encampments are void of dangerous materials.  

Residents are encouraged to report encampments by calling 3-1-1. Within ten days of the complaint, the encampment team will visit the site. If the site is inactive, it will be cleared within five days. If it is active, the city collaborates with occupants to refer them to the proper social agencies.

If the site remains occupied, occupants are issued a notice to vacate after 20 days. 

Woman arrested in connection with anti-Israel protest outside Jewish charity event

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: tps.ca

Toronto police arrested another individual connected to alleged assaults of police officers by anti-Israel activists protesting a Jewish charity fundraiser in September.

The event was a fundraiser for the Jewish charity group, the United Jewish Appeal. The UJA-hosted event, “Proudly Jewish: It’s Who We Are,” featured American journalist Bari Weiss, who protesters said shouldn’t have been allowed to speak due to her pro-Israel views.

According to a Toronto Police Services release Thursday, one of three outstanding suspects has been arrested in connection with the alleged assaults on police at the protest. Police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Ghadir Mokahal of Toronto and accused her of spitting on an officer.

Mokahal turned herself in to police on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. She was charged with assault of a peace officer. Her court case is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13 at the Ontario Court of Justice.

Police have identified one of the two outstanding suspects connected to the protest. The first suspect has been identified as 32-year-old Deijaumar Clarke, who, after being accused of spitting on an officer, is being charged with assaulting a peace officer.

One video on social media appears to show Clarke getting into confrontations with police outside the charity event.


Police are still seeking help identifying “suspect number two,” who is being accused of striking a police officer. Police have released images of the suspect.

Police initially arrested three in connection to the event, accusing protesters of physical altercations with police after attempting to storm Meridian Hall, where the charity event was held on Sept. 11. 

As reported by True North in September, police arrested Adham Diabis, 25, from Brampton, Ont., a known leader in the anti-Israel activist group, the Palestinian Youth Movement. He was accused of throwing a water bottle at police during an exchange and was charged with assaulting a police officer and assault with a weapon.

Activists from the Palestinian Youth Movement claimed they were protesting the event because it was hosted by the “zionist group UJA” and the “pro-genocide panel platformed zionist mouthpiece Bari Weiss and an IOF soldier.”

The PYM boasts that it has published the first English edition of an avowed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Member’s novel. The Marxist Leninist PFLP is a listed terrorist entity in Canada.

Kerry Gaur, 45, from Toronto, also faces assault of an officer charges. Police alleged she became combative and assaulted an officer when protesters attempted to rush the Jewish fundraising event.

After initial arrests, protesters gathered outside of the TPS 51 division at Parliament Street and Front Street East, where police further allege that demonstrators became combative.

One arrest was made at the subsequent protest at the police precinct. 27-year-old Laura Favacho from Toronto was charged with allegedly assaulting a police officer during the “jail support” protest to release the group’s arrested comrades.

TPS has asked anyone with information to contact police at 416-808-3500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

Off the Record | Canadians say NO to electric vehicles

By
Kris Sims
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Source: Unsplash

In a desperate attempt to reach their unattainable net-zero goals, the Trudeau government wants to ban the sale of new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035. Despite all the corporate handouts by all levels of government, it’s becoming increasingly clear Canadians don’t want to drive electric vehicles. In fact, a new Leger poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation reveals that the majority of Canadians oppose the Trudeau government’s electric vehicle mandate.

Plus, the Trudeau Liberals have become so desperate to convince others that the carbon tax is sound policy, two Trudeau government ministers have offered a briefing to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to once again get his support for the punitive tax that does nothing for the environment while pushing up the cost of living.

And the scandal involving Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a green organization founded by the government and accused of funding projects closely tied to its board of directors, continues to worsen. This week, House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus ruled that the government defied the authority of Parliament by refusing to hand over documents pertaining to the scandal.

These stories and more on Off the Record with guest host Kris Sims, Rachel Parker and Noah Jarvis!

The Daily Brief | Immigration may drive up rent in Canada

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Immigration-driven population growth could drive rent in major cities well beyond the reach of most Canadians within the next two decades.

Plus, a new poll shows that a majority of Canadians oppose the Liberal government’s plan to ban the sale of new petrol-powered cars by 2035.

And the global rush for liquified natural gas continues unabated, with International Energy Agency projections predicting record demand by next year.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Wiliam McBeath!

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