fbpx
Monday, May 19, 2025

“This makes no sense”: Archbishop of Toronto criticizes Ford’s restrictions on Toronto churches

By
True North Wire
-

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto is calling for change as religious communities continue to be discriminated against by lockdowns, even as rules relax in Ontario.

In a letter sent to parishioners, Cardinal Thomas Collins said that Toronto and Peel Regions’ downgrade to Grey Zones on Monday unfairly benefits businesses while leaving churches shuttered.

“The province has relaxed restrictions in Grey (Lockdown) regions, with retailers permitted to operate at 25% capacity. Yet places of worship, regardless of whether they seat 100 or 1,000 people, must remain at a hard cap of 10 people,” his eminence wrote. 

“Next week, a funeral at St. Michael’s Cathedral (capacity 1,500) will be capped at 10 people, while around the corner dozens can enter the local liquor store and thousands will visit the Eaton Centre. This makes no sense.”

At 12:01 a.m. on Monday, the stay-at-home order will end for Toronto and Peel Regions. As Grey Zones, all retail stores will be allowed to open, with essential businesses having 50% capacity and non-essential businesses having 25% capacity.

The Archdiocese of Toronto recently launched a campaign calling for Ontario to end the arbitrary ten-person limit to religious services. The Archdiocese is asking the Ford government to engage with faith groups so they can show they are “operating safely and responsibly throughout the province.”

“I do not believe that our elected officials and medical officers of health consciously intend to suppress religious freedom; I realize that they are in an extremely difficult position. We do, however, ask to be treated equitably. In recent days, it is becoming more difficult to believe that is happening,” Cardinal Collins said.

Since the pandemic began, churches have struggled as governments in Canada have labelled religious institutions as non-essential and put strict rules on religious activities. In many places, lockdowns limit churches more than secular gatherings and businesses.

In November, the Archbishop of Vancouver publicly expressed disappointment that British Columbia enacted similarly arbitrary rules that shutter churches.

FUREY: Canadians have a right to have an opinion

By
True North Wire
-

When it comes to COVID-19 and government-imposed lockdowns, many Canadians have been dismissed because they’re not a “medical expert.”

The fact of the matter is the pandemic affects everybody’s way of life and everybody deserves to have a say about how government decisions are affecting their lives.

Whether it’s COVID-19, climate change or Middle Eastern politics, Anthony Furey says Canadians have a right to have an opinion.

353,000 surgeries and consultations postponed because of lockdowns

By
True North Wire
-

At least 353,000 surgeries, procedures and consultations were postponed due to lockdowns in 2020.

According to a report by SecondStreet.org, in the first months of the pandemic hundreds of thousands medical appointments had to be postponed due to public health orders, including some potentially life-saving procedures.

“When COVID emerged, governments postponed hundreds of thousands of non-COVID surgeries, procedures and consultations with specialists,” said SecondStreet.org President Colin Craig. 

“Not only has that increased waiting lists, it has caused tremendous patient suffering, sometimes even resulting in death.” 

Data from nine provinces found that a total of 205,549 postponements occurred in the first months of the pandemic. Each province provided data for different periods of time.

Notably, Ontario claimed to have “no records” on postponements due to the pandemic. Estimates by the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggest 148,364 surgeries had been postponed in the province.

SecondStreet.org noted that some provinces were not forthcoming with information on how many people suffered and died because procedures were postponed.

“Governments could be much more transparent about patient suffering due to postponed surgeries and procedures,” Craig said.

“We know some patients have died from surgical delays, but we really don’t know the extent of the problem.”

In April, Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliot estimated that 35 people died of cardiac issues because their procedures were delayed.

In one instance, a young Alberta father died of cardiac arrest after his procedure to get a defibrillator was deemed non-essential.

In February of this year, prominent Quebec actress Rosine Chouinard-Chauveau died while waiting for a procedure that was postponed due to the pandemic. She was 28 years-old.

51% of Canadian businesses uncertain they can remain open: Canadian Chamber of Commerce

By
True North Wire
-

A new survey by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that a majority of Canadian business owners are worried that they might be forced to shut down before the end of the year due to the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic. 

“Today’s numbers from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions give us the most recent snapshot of the health of our business community, and unfortunately they are sending a very clear message – the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel is still a long way off for most Canadian businesses,” wrote the Chamber’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Policy Dr Trevin Stratton. 

“With a whopping 51% reporting they did not know how long they could continue to operate at their current level of revenue and expenditures before considering closure or bankruptcy, the coping ability of businesses to weather the pandemic is quickly dwindling. 40% stated they cannot take on more debt, with the burden even higher for small businesses.” 

Out of the businesses surveyed, only 38.4% of business owners reported that they are confident that they will be able to operate for a year or longer at the current revenue levels. 

The study also found that nearly one-third (29.6%) of food and accommodation businesses are expecting to lay off employees in the next three months. 

As governments across Canada enforce stricter lockdown measures and force businesses to shut their doors, business owners have taken on more debt just to stay afloat.

Tthe Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) found that small businesses had to take on $135.1 billion in new debt to weather the pandemic storm. On average, that means each business took on approximately $170,000 in loans. 

“Over the last six months, the average debt taken on by small businesses to deal with COVID-19 has grown significantly,” said CFIB Executive VP Laura Jones.

“While many businesses had previously reopened and were attempting to regain lost sales, the second wave and the restrictions that came with it are putting a massive wrench in an already slow recovery for small businesses.”

Last week, parliamentarians were also briefed by CFIB President and CEO Dan Kelly about the grim state of doing business in Canada. 

ESKENASI: Saudi Arabia is “just a country we do business with”

By
Sam Eskenasi
-

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau often gives vague and meek statements when it comes to Canada’s foreign affairs, Trudeau boldly said Saudi Arabia was not an ally of Canada while appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press last week.

What was behind the unusually strong statement by the Prime Minister?

Sam Eskenasi takes a look at the recent history of Canada-Saudi relations and how things got to this point.

Federal Conservatives revoke memberships of anti-lockdown pastor and son

By
True North Wire
-

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) has allegedly kicked out a controversial anti-lockdown pastor from Aylmer, Ontario and his son. 

Pastor Henry Hildebrandt and his son Herbert Hildebrandt have recently made national news for participating in anti-lockdown protests and leading church services contrary to coronavirus restrictions. 

According to Herbert Hildebrandt, both his father’s and his membership were revoked by the party without explanation. 

“The party revoked both his and my membership, refused to provide reasons beyond referencing the general reasons why they can do so, ie. conduct unbecoming a member, etc. I appealed and the decision was upheld by the executive,” Hildebrandt told the Western Standard. 

“As soon as I filed for the delegate spot, it was only three days I think or four days and boom, I got it. I got the letter, and then my dad as well. I’m sure there’s other ones.”

True North reached out to the CPC’s Director of Communications Cory Hann to confirm whether the Hildebrandts’ memberships were revoked but was told that the party doesn’t confirm the membership status of individuals. 

Aylmer’s Church of God has been paid several visits by police, culminating in several charges against the church and its members, including an obstruction of justice charge against the younger Hildebrandt.

In November 2020, thousands of people flocked to the community to join a Freedom March in opposition to coronavirus lockdowns. 

According to the Hebert Hildebrandt, CPC Leader Erin O’Toole is giving in to cancel culture.

“I’m sure that it’s since we’ve been involved with many of the anti-lockdown activities, been very vocal on religious freedoms and how the charter is being demolished right now with these emergency orders and edicts that are seemingly have no expiry date anymore. That’s what we’re presuming. They call it conduct unbecoming a member. I’m assuming that that would be probably the reason why, because O’Toole is taking that in a totally different direction,” said Hildebrandt. 

“The membership revocation, it’s not such a big deal for us. But we really believe firmly that it’s part and parcel of the entire cancel culture that Erin O’Toole himself spoke out against when he was running about the evils of cancel culture. And now he has embraced and perfected it in his own party to stamp out any dissent or anything that he feels like would be negative for the party in the mainstream media because he wants to be a media darling, not a leader,” he said.

Judge rules Pastor James Coates must remain in jail until trial in May

By
True North Wire
-

An Alberta pastor who broke lockdown rules must stay in prison until his trial is held in eight weeks.

On Friday, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench in Edmonton ruled that Pastor James Coates of GraceLife church must remain in prison until trial on May 3 unless he accepts the court’s bail conditions. 

One of the bail conditions states Coates cannot hold church services unless they follow Alberta’s 15% capacity restriction and follow social distancing guidelines.

Coates’ lawyer argued that following these conditions would violate the pastor’s conscience rights, but Judge Peter Michalyshyn said following the public health order is a reasonable requirement for bail.

In his decision, Michalyshyn said Coates’ “beliefs and conviction, without more, do not overcome those valid and enforceable laws. He remains subject to the rule of law.”

Coates was first arrested in early February after he allegedly held multiple church services that violated the Public Health Order. He was released shortly after but found himself arrested again when he continued to hold services without restrictions.

Coates’s lawyer told the judge that it would go against his faith to deny in-person ministry to his congregation and that such a bail condition could not be followed.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which is representing Coates, said that the way Coates has been treated violates his Charter rights and the conscience rights of religious Canadians.

“A trial set eight weeks down the road was too long for an innocent pastor to be in jail. Pastor Coates is a peaceful Christian minister. He should never have been required to violate his conscience and effectively stop pastoring his church as a condition to be released,” JCCF President John Carpay said.

“Charter freedoms do not disappear because the government declares regular church services to be outlawed while allowing hundreds of people to fill their local Walmarts.”

73% of Canadian arts professors are leftists: new report

By
Lindsay Shepherd
-

Forty-five percent of Canadian academics would not hire a Donald Trump supporter, and 72% wouldn’t feel comfortable dining with a colleague who thinks trans women shouldn’t be in women’s shelters.

These are some of University of London professor Eric Kaufmann’s findings from what is the largest survey-based study to date on cancel culture and political discrimination among professors and graduate students in Canada, Britain and the US.

Kaufmann’s study, “Academic Freedom in Crisis: Punishment, Political Discrimination, and Self-Censorship,” also reveals that among the social science and humanities academics surveyed from Canada’s top 40 universities, 73% identify as left-wing. A mere 4% call themselves right-wing. In the 1960s, there was about one conservative for every two leftists.

Of those faculty members that are conservative, approximately 6 in 10 allege they face a hostile climate in their department because of their beliefs. Only 9% of left-wing professors say the same thing. This means self-censorship is an everyday practice for most conservative academics: 70% of right-leaning American professors self-censor in teaching and research. 

There is some slightly good news: 53% of Canadian academics say they prioritize freedom of speech over social justice. But at the same time, just as many Canadian social sciences and humanities academics support mandatory race and gender quotas for reading lists.

If you need even more data to be convinced that leftist bias is rife in the academy, get this: 7% of Canadian academics are Conservative Party of Canada voters, compared with 36% of the general public; and 52% favour increased immigration numbers, compared to only 13% of the general public.

One of the implications of this leftist skew in academia is that conservatives self-select away from the profession: students may discontinue their academic career because they feel like they don’t fit in, and more right-leaning faculty members may retire early. 

In the US, more than a third of conservative academics and PhD students have been threatened with disciplinary action for their views. 

“Injustice and discimination are typically not experienced by the leftist political majority, making it possible to imagine there is no problem,” writes Kaufmann. 

But now that the data is in, we no longer have to argue about whether the leftist bias in academia really exists, or whether conservatives are really facing political discrimination.

We can focus our attention on what we should do about it.

11 Christians arrested and beaten by police in Myanmar

By
True North Wire
-

A group of Christians in Myanmar were beaten by police after they were arrested during a church service.

According to International Christian Concern (ICC), the Christians were arrested during a church service at the Kachin Baptist Convention in Lashio on February 28. Military and police forces fired rubber bullets at the congregants and assaulted them before 11 were taken into custody.

While all 11 were released by Wednesday, all were apparently beaten during detention. ICC learned that some are so traumatized that they cannot speak properly.

Locals say that the raid was retaliation after a group of youths discovered and exposed an undercover officer spying on the compound. The Christians at the service were not involved in that incident.

The 11 were all members of the Kachin ethnic minority. Along with being primarily Christian, the Kachin have been historically oppressed by Myanmar’s Burmese and Buddhist majority. 

“As the military junta cracks down on peaceful protests all over Myanmar, it is worrisome that [11] Christians from KBC Lashio have been arrested without due process,” said ICC’s Regional Manager Gina Goh.

“The Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) has been hostile towards ethnic Kachin, who are predominantly Christian. What might happen to them is very concerning.”

On February 1, the Myanmar military overthrew the country’s democratic government in a dispute over national election results. The military, which ruled the country from 1962 until 2011, declared a one year-long statement emergency.

Dozens of people have died in clashes between protesters and the military, with as many as 38 protesters killed when security forces opened fire on a protest on Wednesday.

Even before the coup, Myanmar has a track record of Christian persecution. In recent years, over 100,000 Christians from minority groups have been forcibly relocated by the military under the guise of fighting rebels. 

Parliament has the power to compel Kielburgers to testify: Parliamentary Law Clerk

By
True North Wire
-

MPs were told on Thursday that the House of Commons has the power to compel WE Charity founders Craig and Marc Kielburger to testify before the finance committee after they rejected a summons to do so earlier this week. 

Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel Philippe Dufresne made the statements in response to an inquiry by Conservative MP and finance committee member Pierre Poilievre. 

“The House of Commons should it so wish could have law enforcement authorities take the Kielburgers into custody and compel them to testify if it so wishes and if they refuse,” said Poilievre.  

“Let me say that I hope it never has to be done again, I hope that the Kielburgers look at the powers Parliament has, these ancient authorities we have inherited from our British ancestors and agree to appear to answer the questions honestly to parliamentarians.” 

According to Dufresne, there exists four historical precedents where witnesses were imprisoned or detained after refusing to abide by a summons. 

“The report lists some of the precedents from procedure and practice. The latest one is 1913 as I’ve indicated, the other ones are even older than that. So, there are precedents, they are old precedents, so it’s not something that has been done in more than 100 years,” Dufresne told the committee. 

The Kielburgers indicated in a statement on Wednesday that they would not appear before the committee which they accused of being “partisan” due to the fact that NDP MP Charlie Angus had requested the RCMP and the Canada Revenue Agency to investigate WE Charity. 

“While WE Charity would welcome and co-operate with any potential investigation conducted by these agencies (RCMP and CRA), no organization should be subject to both an investigation of the same matters by a partisan parliamentary committee which wishes to carry out its own substitute investigation,” claimed WE. 

Angus tweeted on the same day that the Kielgburgers should accept the invitation “to reassure donors and taxpayers” and that the ethics committee had already been forced to issue legal summons against two of the organization’s officials. 

“I am concerned that the Kielburger brothers are refusing to testify before the Ethics Committee. They should welcome the opportunity to reassure donors and taxpayers by answering the allegations. We have already been forced to issue legal summons against 2 other WE officials,” tweeted Angus. 

Since it was revealed in 2020 that the Liberal government had awarded a sole-sourced contract to the charity despite financial and personal connections between the organization and members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family, WE Charity has announced that it would be scaling back its operations in Canada. 

1...1,0841,0851,086...1,460Page 1,085 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy