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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Canada’s Treasury Board says Canada is systemically racist

By
True North Wire
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Canada’s Treasury Board says systemic racism is a serious issue in Canadian society and the public service. 

In a post on Linkedin, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat describes the nature of racism and white privilege at length. The post infers Canada’s institutions are systemically racist, which presumably includes the government department itself.

“Racism is so much bigger than personal bias. It’s a system of interlocking relationships between individuals, institutions and structures,” the post reads.

“Systemic racism favours the dominant group, granting them an unearned set of advantages, benefits and choices – privileges that are not awarded to racialized and marginalized groups.”

True North reached out to the Treasury Board but did not receive a response in time for publication of this report. 

The Treasury Board is a department within the government that oversees the spending and operation of the federal government. According to their website, the Secretariat is the bureaucracy that works to “ensure tax dollars are spent wisely and effectively for Canadians.”

Canada’s public service has become increasingly focused on identity politics in recent years. In February, Clerk of the Privy Council Ian Shugart said Canada needs to urgently address systemic racism in the bureaucracy by hiring more minorities and combating “bias and oppression” in the workplace.

“In a society characterized by racial inequalities and injustices, these inherent advantages possessed by white people lead to white privilege,” The Treasury Board Secretariat wrote.

“White privilege does not imply that a white person has not worked for their accomplishments, but rather that they have not faced the barriers encountered by racialized Canadians.”

In a recent audit, the Public Service Commission concluded the federal government does not hire an appropriate number of minorities, even as 24.7% of new hires in the report are visible minorities.

FACT CHECK: Skewed coverage of Conservative Party climate change vote

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Recent mainstream media coverage of the Conservative Party of Canada’s national policy convention gave the false impression that the party had solely rejected a call to recognize climate change as being real.  

A True North fact check found that coverage on the policy vote ignored the full context of the policy statement and instead focused on a skewed portion of it in order to paint Conservatives as climate change deniers. 

Reports by the CBC included click-bait headlines with titles such as, “Conservative delegates reject adding ‘climate change is real’ to the policy book” and “Conservatives debate whether to declare that ‘climate change is real’ at policy convention.” 

It is to be noted that one of the articles published by the CBC was written by journalist John Paul Tasker who was named as an applicant in a lawsuit against the Conservative Party of Canada during the 2019 federal election. Similar stories were repeated by other mainstream outlets like Global News, CTV News and others. 

At the heart of the matter was a three-paragraph amendment to the party’s environmental principles which included a grab bag of environmental buzzwords and talking points. 

Alongside calling on the party to “recognize that climate change is real,” the amendment also goes on to call for further government oversight in policing big Canadian polluters, and a push for green technology as a “lever” of Canada’s economy. 

In reality, the debate at the convention largely focused on the wording and scope of the amendment itself and not, as mainstream outlets insinuated, whether climate change was real or not. 

“We believe that Canadian businesses classified as highly polluting need to take more responsibility in implementing measures that will reduce their GHG emissions and need to be accountable for the results,” the amendment read. 

“We believe in supporting innovation in green technologies. We need to become a world class leader and to use innovation as a lever of economic development.” 

The multi-part amendment was voted down on a narrow margin during the convention with 54% voting against the statement and 46% voting in support. 

In truth, convention-goers disagreed with the amendment for several reasons, including a lack of clarity about its scope, the overly broad nature of the amendment and its impact on private sector businesses, and suspicion around supporting green technology schemes such as those introduced by previous Ontario Liberals governments which caused significant economic harm. Some of these disagreements were noted in mainstream articles. 

Despite these legitimate points of concern regarding the amendment as worded and the robust debate surrounding it, media coverage gave the false impression that Conservatives were solely debating the existence of climate change itself.  

Alberta NDP want tiki torches condemned as symbols of white supremacy

By
True North Wire
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An Alberta NDP MLA will be putting forward a motion on Monday asking the Alberta government to denounce tiki torches as symbols of white supremacy.

In a statement, NDP MLA Thomas Dang said that the use of tiki torches in multiple protests held in Alberta recently is an example of blatant racism.

 “These groups with tiki torches, these individuals brandishing Confederate flags are deliberately attempting to spread hate and racism in our communities,” Dang said. 

“This is wrong. We have heard overwhelmingly from Albertans that there is no place for hate in our community.”

According to the NDP, tiki torches have become a symbol of far-right extremism since they were used at a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Tiki torches, an inexpensive and accessible light source, have been seen at multiple anti-lockdown protests in Alberta in recent weeks. The demonstrations in question have been focused on opposing public health restrictions.

While the motion asks to condemn all “symbols and insignia associated with racism and hate speech,” only tiki torches are named as an example of an offensive symbol. The NDP want tiki torches to be banned from public spaces.

While the NDP wants the protesters and their tiki torches condemned as white supremacists, law enforcement does not think white supremacy has been a factor. 

Earlier in March, Edmonton Police Services Chief Dale McFee said police do not have evidence tiki torches were being used as a symbol of hate in Alberta.

“We don’t have that evidence,” McFee said.

“Just because somebody says it’s a racist rally or they’re using something, you still have to have intent under the criminal code.”

McFee noted that members of the hate crimes unit were at the protests and did not see any criminal hate happening. When asked, protesters holding tiki torches did not have a particular reason for choosing that item.

MALCOLM: For many Canadians, the cure is worse than the disease

By
Candice Malcolm
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Source: Wikimedia

It has been over a year now since COVID-19 began to wreak havoc on our society.

Remember, we were originally told to stay home for 14 days to “flatten the curve.”

The curve described the number of critical care patients in our hospital system, which we were told was at risk of being overrun because of COVID-19. Our under-funded government-managed system simply couldn’t handle the predicted worst case scenario influx, and so, we all stayed inside for the “greater good.”

Well, those two weeks have turned into 52 weeks and counting and, in that time, we’ve witnessed a remarkable transformation of our society.

In early 2020, no one would have believed that the government would soon be confining people to their homes, forcing businesses to shut down, causing record unemployment, tanking the economy, and racking up hundreds of billions in new debt in the coming year.

No one could imagine closing the border with our biggest trading partner, or banning flights to warm locations during a bitter cold winter.

No one predicted government busybodies issuing fines to families in parks and adults exercising outside.

No one foresaw Canadians being detained, held against their will without access to a lawyer, for the crime of crossing the border to come back home.

No one would believe that there would be a crackdown on religious services or that journalists would play cover for some of the most overbearing and freedom-restricting policies in Canadian history (okay, that last one was predictable, but I digress.)

No one would imagine citizens turning on one another, snitching on their neighbours for “breaking curfew” (COVID-19 is apparently more deadly at night) or inviting one too many guests over for Sunday dinner.

And no one would have predicted that surgeries would be cancelled, patients would be turned away, suicide and drug overdoses would surge and Canadians would be dying, not just because of the disease causing this mayhem, but because of our government’s overzealous reaction to it.

No one would have believed that any of that was possible.

And yet, here we are. And in Ontario, we’re being told to brace for another COVID-19 wave and yet another lockdown. But why? It’s no longer to “flatten the curve.” Our hospitals were never overrun, the doomsday scenarios never played out.

This time, we’re given a much less convincing and more generic line of reasoning: we have to stay home to save lives. But whose lives are we saving and whose are we destroying?

There’s no question that COVID-19 poses a serious health risk, but we’ve also learned so much since March of last year. We now know how the virus spreads and we know how to keep the most vulnerable safe.

It’s time to shift the focus of our discussion towards an exit strategy, a way out of this healthocracy that is destroying our society.

We need to talk about the unintended consequences of our reaction to COVID-19, and perhaps we should start with the erosion of democratic values.

Canada increasingly feels like a health dictatorship guided by unelected health technocrats. Our leaders now routinely abdicate responsibility by leaning on so-called public health experts to guide their policy — which are often based on a singular focus on COVID-19 while ignoring other important aspects like mental health and access to care.

Furthermore, we need to remind our leaders that Canada is a country founded on fundamental freedoms. Conservative politicians talk a good game about protecting our freedom, while Liberals claim to be the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

And yet, not only have politicians of both stripes abandoned any notion of protecting basic freedoms, Canadians for the most part have gone along with it.

COVID-19 poses a serious threat, but so do lockdowns. And for so many Canadians, the cure is worse than the disease.

China refuses to grant permission to Canadian officials to attend Michael Kovrig’s trial

By
True North Wire
-

Canadian officials will not be in attendance during the trial of Michael Kovrig, which is set to begin on Monday.

In a statement to Global News, Global Affairs Canada confirms Canadian officials were not granted permission to attend the trial.

“According to the terms of our bilateral consular agreement, China is obligated to provide access to Canadian consular officials to the trials of Canadian citizens,” the statement read.

Global Affairs Canada says they are “deeply troubled by the lack of transparency surrounding these proceedings.”

On Monday morning, Kovrig’s trial ended with the verdict to be announced at an unspecified date.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in 2018 in a move which is widely believed to have been retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on an U.S. warrant. Spavor and Kovrig’s trials were postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, Michael Spavor’s trial ended without a verdict. Canadian officials were barred from attending as well. 

The wife of Michael Kovrig Vina Nadjibulla said in an interview the limited window to see her husband realised through diplomacy is closing.

“This is, of course, a very difficult development. But as difficult as it is I cannot imagine what it’s like for Michael who is having to deal with this in isolation and alone and has been for 830 days,” she said in an interview.

“What I am focused on now is that we must remain determined and work for their freedom. The proceedings in China are still going ahead and this is a stark reminder. We are simply running out of time.”

The Chinese legal system is notoriously biased against opponents of the Communist Party. In 2019, the conviction rate in China stood at 99.9%.

FUREY: Ontario’s arbitrary COVID-19 restrictions

By
True North Wire
-

It’s becoming clear that some of Ontario’s COVID-19 restrictions are not based on science. The latest example is in Toronto and Peel, where health officials have finally allowed restaurants to open their patios.

Why were the patios closed in the first place? There’s no science to suggest patios were contributing to the spread of the virus.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

FEGELMAN: A glimmer of hope for religious minorities in the Middle East

By
True North Wire
-

BY: MIKE FEGELMAN

Since the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last September, there’s been significant media coverage about how the new peace treaties reflect a changing Middle East. 

Firstly, the Abraham Accords show that contrary to how activists from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement portray the Jewish State, Israel is far from a pariah state, and in fact, increasingly is a central and significant player, not just in the Middle East, but around the world, in large part due to its technological innovation and prowess.

Second, the Abraham Accords reflect the increasing seriousness with which many Sunni Arab states see the threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s hegemonic moves in the region, and the steps they are willing to take to blunt Iran’s expansionist efforts, including signing peace agreements and finding common cause with Israel.

But the peace agreements between Israel and these two Gulf states represent more than a treaty between nation states. Though this went largely under the media’s radar, the peace accords also had the impact of increasing freedom for religious minorities. 

In the UAE, most members of the Jewish community, estimated to be in the thousands, are foreign nationals in the country for work, but Bahrain has a small Jewish population composed mostly of Iraqi Jewish immigrants. And while most members of both communities have kept very low profiles for many years, the Abraham Accords have given them the confidence to be able to celebrate and to express their Jewish faith openly and without fear of persecution. 

A recent column in the Jerusalem Post penned by Houda Nonoo, a Jewish former member of the Bahraini Parliament and the country’s ambassador to the United States between 2008 and 2013, suggested that more developments may be coming soon, including a Kosher certification agency representing all Gulf states and other religious infrastructure serving the local Jewish communities. “A door has been opened. I think there is more openness and more welcome and enthusiasm for the presence of a Jewish community or Jewish individuals or Jewish tradition and culture,” said Elie Abedie of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, in an interview with the Associated Press. 

These are undoubtedly positive developments, not just for the Jewish populations in these Gulf States and in the wider region, but for all religious minorities. Clearly, the governments of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates understand that by signing a peace treaty with Israel, they are making a public statement that by burying the proverbial hatchet with the Jewish State, by extension they are showing no hostility or distrust for their local Jewish populations, as well. 

And by making that public statement of religious tolerance, that increases the confidence of other religious minorities to express themselves more fully, and it increases the confidence of countries like Canada to look to Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates as beacons of liberal values in a region often hostile to religious freedoms. 

Unfortunately, these positive developments did not have to take this long. In 2013, the Stephen Harper government created the Office of Religious Freedom, an agency of Global Affairs Canada, with the stated mandate being to advocate for religious freedom around the world, and to identify religious persecution when it occurred. Tragically, this office was shuttered in 2016 by the newly elected Liberals, but had the office been around today and been successful in its mandate, it could have been in important voice from an influential middle power like Canada in helping to encourage and promote religious freedom in these Gulf States. 

While the success of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in opening their countries to more religious freedom is a welcome change and should very much be applauded, the unfortunate reality is that these countries still represent an exception, particularly in the area. Countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and others are still, despite officially claiming to offer religious freedom to all, actively persecuting religious minorities such as members of the Baha’i faith.  

While the Abraham Accords represent a significant step in the right direction for religious freedom in the Middle East, there is still far more progress that can and should be made, and Canada has an important role to play, if it so chooses to do so. By re-establishing the Office of Religious Freedom, as the Conservative Party wants the Liberals to do, would see Canada allocate more resources to fighting religious persecution and in promoting freedom of religion worldwide. 

Who can argue against that?

Mike Fegelman is Executive Director of HonestReporting Canada, a non-profit organization ensuring fair and accurate Canadian media coverage of Israel. www.HonestReporting.ca.

Environmentalist media outlet received $355,000 from Trudeau government

By
True North Wire
-

Environmentalist media outlet The Narwhal has received around $355,000 from the Trudeau government over the past two years.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, The Narwhal has received $99,057 through the federal government’s Local Journalism Initiative and a $254,655 grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

“All of our finances are disclosed. No, honestly, those federal programs do not affect our coverage,” said The Narwhal editor Emma Gilchrist. 

The Narwhal was also recently given the designation of “qualified Canadian journalism organization” (QCJO) by the government, allowing the outlet to receive up to $151,250 in subsidies from the taxpayer annually.

The Narwhal is based out of Victoria, B.C. and focuses on environmental issues. Their content generally opposes resource development and fossil fuels.

While claiming to be an independent news organization, The Narwhal has received funding from various special interest groups that oppose Canada’s energy sector such as $518,360 from a Sierra Club affiliate and $74,442 from the Tides Canada Foundation.

In her previous role, Gilchrist campaigned against the Conservative Party in the 2011 federal election, claiming the Conservative’s platform may destroy the environment and communities.

“In this election British Columbia’s coast hangs in the balance. On one hand you have the Conservatives, who are willing to allow oil supertankers on our coast. On the other hand, you have the Liberals,” Gilchrist wrote.

“This is a voting decision about the kind of future we want for our coast and our country. Are we the kind of people who will force the risk of catastrophe on unwilling communities? Are we the kind of people who want to gamble our salmon rivers?”

Dubai man to face extradition trial in April for alleged Iranian terror charges

By
True North Wire
-

A Dubai man will be facing an extradition hearing next month after he was arrested in 2019 for allegedly “providing service to terrorist organizations,” Global News reports.  

Seyed Abood Sari was detained by Canadian authorities on January 17, 2019 at the Vancouver International Airport based on a past history of being sanctioned for allegedly trafficking firearms and personnel for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRG). 

Sari is wanted by the FBI for being an alleged “principal player” in helping the Iranian Mahan Air to bypass sanctions using front companies. 

According to authorities, when questioned about his involvement, Sari claimed that he “needed the money” and “did not care what they were doing.” 

“In particular, Mr. Sari is sought for extradition on the basis that he made misrepresentations to U.S. financial institutions to cause them to unwittingly conduct international U.S. dollar transfers on behalf of Mahan Air,” according to the B.C. Supreme Court.

Sari is expected to appear before the province’s Supreme Court on April 14.

“Mr. Sari is being afforded a fair process before the British Columbia Supreme Court in accordance with extradition law and our treaty with the United States,” Department of Justice spokesperson Ian McLeod told Global News. 

Sari is also being charged for allegedly being a general manager at Mahan Air in Dubai, however, the accused denies the allegation. 


In 2011, the US Treasury sanctioned the airline for flying IRG Quds force operatives “to and from Iran and Syria for military training.” 

“Business and financial records sent to or from email accounts used by Mr. Sari and other Mahan Air officers show that a major responsibility of the Mahan Air’s Dubai Office is to make international payments to Mahan Air’s suppliers and service providers,” an RCMP affidavit writes. 

“Mahan Air’s international payments were made using other companies established in the UAE, Turkey, Russia and elsewhere that had no apparent connection to Mahan Air, to fraudulently conceal from banks the fact that the payments violated the sanctions and the banks’ compliance policies.”

According to Sari, he was never employed by Mahan Air but instead was an employee of a Dubai travel agency, Jahan Destination Travel and Tourism, a company that also was sanctioned by the US government in December 2019. 

Sari claims that he only played “limited functions” in the transactions in question and he is also alleging that Canadian Border Services Officials committed an abuse of process when they searched his electronic devices and interviewed him. 

“He contends that the CBSA officers, in the guise of assessing his admissibility to Canada, were really conducting an investigation for their U.S. counterparts regarding a charge of fraud of which he was unaware,” court documents claim. 

Locked Down: Canada’s failed approach to COVID-19

By
Candice Malcolm
-

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Canadians have been victims of some of the strictest lockdown restrictions in the world.

In the US, there is a bipartisan push to reopen the economy, but here in Canada — public officials are urging for a third lockdown. How is Canada going to recover from these strict lockdowns?

Locked Down: Canada’s Failed COVID-19 Response features Dr. Shawn Whatley (Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute), John Carpay (President, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms), Anthony Furey (Editor and Columnist, Toronto Sun) and Candice Malcolm (Founder, True North.)

Our panelists will discuss Canada’s failed approach to COVID-19 — providing critiques from an economic, cultural, legal and medical perspective — and discussing a path forward.

Want to tune in LIVE to our next event? Become a True North Insider today for exclusive perks and early access to events: www.tnc.news/donate/

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