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Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Trudeau hints at 2021 snap election

By
True North Wire
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted on Friday that Canadians could expect to head to the polls in 2021. 

“Obviously, we are in a minority government, and that could well happen,” Trudeau told the Montreal radio program CHOU 1450 AM. 

“Our priority as a government is going to be helping people get through this pandemic and I hope the different opposition parties will help us … it’s not in our interests to have an election, people want us to work together to help them.”

Up until now, the Liberals have insisted that they do not want an election during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

However, according to Reuters, sources close to the Liberals have indicated that a snap election is possible this year. 

Prior to the holidays, the prime minister also put out a video statement calling for a new batch of Liberal candidates to fill the next election’s roster. 

At the time, Trudeau insisted that Canadians can expect an election “at some point in the years ahead.” 

Meanwhile, in September the prime minister insisted that he didn’t want an election in the upcoming year. 

“I do not want an election. I don’t think Canadians want an election,” said Trudeau.

“I think Canadians want politicians to work together to serve them, to build a better future for them and keep them safe during this (COVID-19) crisis.”

Should voters be able to fire politicians between elections?

By
Andrew Lawton
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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has promised to move ahead with voter recall legislation, which would give voters a mechanism to oust their municipal and provincial elected officials without having to wait until the next election, assuming certain criteria are met. Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano joined The Andrew Lawton Show to explain how recall legislation makes politicians – and politics – more accountable. Do you support it?

Watch the full episode of the show here.

Calgary pastor fined $1200 for disobeying health orders

By
True North Wire
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Fairview Baptist Church Senior Pastor Tim Stephens was fined $1200 on Monday after his church was found to be in non-compliance with Alberta’s gathering restrictions.

In an Alberta Health Services (AHS) report, an inspector that observed two church services on January 4 noted the pastor, church staff and volunteers, as well as the majority of attendees were unmasked.

There was also no signage present barring entry to those who might have been exposed to COVID-19, nor any signage displaying social distancing and mask protocols.

In a statement to True North, Pastor Stephens wrote, “I understand the nature of temporary emergency powers, but after 10 months with no sign of abating, to say they are temporary seems a strained use of the term.”

“In considering our options, we decided to honour God and follow our religious convictions. We are counting on our Charter freedoms, the highest law in our country, to vindicate that choice.”

Places of worship are currently restricted to 15% of fire code capacity, require physical distancing between households and the use of masks.

“I understand many will not agree, but our gatherings are essential. We are essential because COVID-19 is not the only health crisis. Drug use, suicide, depression, economic ruin, and so forth are all large problems this past year,” said Stephens.

“We have seen many join our church in recent months who would be on the verge of emotional and spiritual ruin apart from the continued presence of the church.”

The AHS inspector has given the church until January 8 to outline their COVID-19 risk mitigation measures, post COVID-19 signage, and enforce mask-wearing and building capacity limits.

Ottawa bans hockey sticks and pucks on all outdoor rinks

By
True North Wire
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The City of Ottawa’s top health official Dr. Vera Etches has banned hockey sticks, pucks and all other sporting equipment at public outdoor ice rinks. 

Dr. Etches also outlined a new reservation booking system for the city’s rinks to prevent crowding, as all outdoor rinks, sledding hills, cross-country ski trailheads and parking lots are now limited to a maximum of 25 people. 

The new measures, announced Thursday, are intended to be in compliance with the Ontario government’s December 26th, 2020 lockdown order.

“Outdoors is much safer than indoors, but if you are right beside someone, you could breathe in their respiratory secretions,” said Etches. 

“We’re in a situation now where we need to have stronger protections.”

Dr. Etches is also pushing for Canadians to wear masks while outdoors and while doing physical activity. 

Despite the ban on hockey at Ottawa’s outdoor rinks, the Government of Ontario recently greenlighted the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators to play home games. 

“In consultation with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and with support from local medical officers of health in Ottawa and Toronto, I am pleased to share that both of Ontario’s NHL teams, the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be able to host home games against other Canadian teams in their respective arenas this season,” said Ontario’s Health Minister Lisa MacLeod. 

Senior public health official moonlighting as “influencer” took free vacation to Jamaica

By
True North Wire
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A senior official with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) took a paid vacation to Jamaica on behalf of Air Canada. 

According to the Globe and Mail, acting Manager of PHAC’s Office of Border and Travel Health Dominique Baker took a friend to the expensive Royalton Blue Waters resort in November 2020. 

A statement by Air Canada’s manager of corporate communications Peter Fitzpatrick, claims that the company was not aware that Baker was a government employee when she accepted the all-inclusive holiday. 

“This individual was engaged on the basis of her influencer profile, the demographic of her followers and because of her established track record as an influencer,” Fitzpatrick told the Globe and Mail 

“Her influencer profile did not mention her employment with the government.”

In a video posted to her social media, Baker gloats about the hotel’s “mind blowing” pool and the luxuries afforded to her while Canadians were being told by the government to stay at home and not visit loved ones. 

“One of our two butlers is bringing us our pina coladas right now. No, we are not kidding – we have two butlers,” she says in the video. 

“Thank you, Air Canada Vacations. We are beside ourselves.”

Baker also happens to be married to another senior civil servant, Ryan Baker, who serves as the director of strategic communications for the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Mr. Baker has also worked for Health Canada in the past as the director of infectious disease, risk and emergency communication. 

At the time, PHAC was advising Canadians against travelling abroad during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Baker, who on her free time runs a social influencer page, claimed that while in Jamaica she was not required to provide a negative coronavirus test. 

“We felt very safe. There is a low Covid rate in Jamaica as well,” claimed Baker. 

“As part of Air Canada Vacations Commitment to Safer Travel, our car was completely sanitized, and our driver was also wearing the necessary PPE. We were then taken to the Royalton Blue Waters, a luxe all-inclusive resort.” 

Baker joins a long list of public officials who have violated their own coronavirus rules and advice.

Breaching Democracy

By
Andrew Lawton
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After yesterday’s raid on the United States Capitol left four dead, True North’s Andrew Lawton says the mob behind the breach must be condemned, as well as those who hypocritically pick and choose which riots are right or wrong based on political tribalism rather than consistency and intellectual honesty.

Also, Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Franco Terrazzano joins the show to talk about why we should be able to recall politicians we don’t like in between elections.

RCMP urges residents to report rural crimes online

By
True North Wire
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Source: RCMP

The RCMP is calling on Albertans to use a new online crime reporting project to help curb rural crime. 

“These reports assist us in crime analysis, aids us in establishing trends and patterns, and ultimately leads our investigators to the chronic offenders. It also assists us in making decisions about how and where to deploy resources,” said the RCMP in a press release. 

“Crimes reported online will be taken just as seriously as crime reported in any other way.”

The platform was first launched last spring and reports are processed by the Police Reporting and Occurrence System (PROS) Data Centre. 

It was first implemented as a means to help officers focus on high-priority calls instead of spending time doing administrative tasks. 

Property theft under $5,000 can be reported on the website and users can upload photos along with their reports. 

“Our number one priority is the safety and security of the public and of our officers,” said the RCMP. 

“We are committed to providing the most effective, efficient policing possible and being responsive to the ever-changing policing needs in Alberta. Help us help you. Pick up the phone and report crime and suspicious activity to your local RCMP detachment, or go online to report eligible property crimes at https://ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/alberta/en.

According to Statistics Canada, rural communities in the prairies are disproportionately affected by higher rural crime rates than their urban counterparts. 

“As with most property crimes, rates of break and enter and motor vehicle theft were higher in the Prairie provinces, especially Alberta. In 2017, police reported 978 break and enter incidents per 100,000 population in rural Alberta,” claimed a 2017 Statistics Canada report.

Minister denies involvement after boyfriend awarded $42,000 in federal funding

By
True North Wire
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Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly is denying involvement after her boyfriend’s firm received over $42,000 in funding from the federal government.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Joly’s boyfriend Félix Marzell is the president of a Montreal-based design firm. Marzell was awarded one contract for $17,160 in 2019 and one grant for $25,050 in 2020.

In a statement Wednesday, Joly’s press secretary says she followed the Conflict of Interest Act and did not interfere with the contract process. Joly did not say if she had any stake in the firm.

“Minister Joly is aware of and fully compliant with her obligations related to the Conflict Of Interest Act. She continuously works with the Office of the Ethics Commissioner.”

“She has recused herself from all discussions related to Dix au Carré,” said Press Secretary Mounier-Desrochers. “She has never played any role in the awarding of government funds to this company.”

Since 2019, Joly has been minister of economic development and official languages, having previously been minister of tourism and Canadian heritage.

According to the Conflict of Interest Act, cabinet ministers must not attempt “to influence a decision of another person so as to further the public office holder’s private interests or those of the public office holder’s relatives.”

Marzell is the latest person connected to the Trudeau government to receive a lucrative contract from the federal government.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the brother of former Trudeau cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo has been awarded $508,732 in federal contracts over the past four years.

Edmonton City Council candidate celebrates death of slain Calgary officer

By
True North Wire
-

An Edmonton city council candidate and Black Lives Matter advocate celebrated the death of slain Calgary police officer Sgt. Andrew Harnett on Twitter earlier this week, only days after his passing. 

According to the Post Millennial, in a reply to a Tweet eulogizing the young officer’s passing, Abdulhakim Dalel called the young Sgt. a “corrupted Police Officer!” [sic] before posting laughing emojis. 

The tweet has since been removed from his timeline. 

Sgt. Harnett was killed on New Years Eve at a routine traffic stop after an SUV hit the officer and dragged him into oncoming traffic. 

Two suspects have been charged with first-degree murder as a result of the incident. 

Dalel, who is running as a councillor for Ward 7, has a history of making inflammatory posts.

In one Twitter comment dated to January 2, 2021 Dalel was quoted as calling Albertans “ignorant and racist.” 

In another Tweet, Dalel described former Prime Minister Stephen Harper as “the father of the White supremacist.” 

Dalel also once unsuccessfully ran to be nominated as a federal NDP candidate in Edmonton Griesbach in 2015. 

Public Safety raises the alarm on China’s foreign interference threat in letter addressed to MPs

By
True North Wire
-

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair sent a letter to his fellow MPs warning the Canadian government about the foreign interference threat that China poses. 

The 12-page document identifies foreign interference in Canadian affairs as a “significant threat” and lists China as a main perpetrator of interference activities. 

“In addition, foreign states, including the PRC [People’s Republic of China], attempt to threaten and intimidate individuals around the world, including in Canada, through various state entities and non-state proxies,” wrote Blair.

“However, we are aware that these tactics can also be used as cover for silencing dissent, including on university campuses, pressuring political opponents and instilling general fear of state power, no matter where a person is located.”

Blair goes on to cite the Chinese government’s Operation Fox Hunt as an example of influence activities taking place on Canadian soil. 

Fox Hunt is a PRC program meant to investigate Chinese officials abroad who fled corruption charges and to repatriate them to the mainland for prosecution. The program has been in effect in Canada since 2014. 

“The government is aware of ongoing attempts by some foreign states to undermine our economy for their own benefit,” Blair continues. 

“Whenever malign foreign states seek to harm our communities, undermined our values or jeopardize the very institutions on which our country is built, we will take action.” 

Recently, the Canadian government turned down an attempt by the Chinese state-owned company Shandong Gold Mining Ltd. to acquire a northern Canadian gold mine due to national security concerns. 

Shortly before the decision, the Canada Security Agency’s 2019 annual public report, warned that “a number of state-owned enterprises and private firms” with close ties to foreign states were endangering Canada’s national security by purchasing vital Canadian projects.

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