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Monday, July 14, 2025

“Merry freaking Xmas commie:” Pub uses sign to protest lockdown

By
True North Wire
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A London, Ontario pub has found a unique way to protest the province’s lockdown orders.

As of Monday, patrons visiting the Ale House on Dundas St will be welcomed to a sign bemoaning the lockdown restrictions.

“The elitist commie evil empire says 10 people max inside merry freaking xmas commie [sic],” the sign reads. 

According to the Ontario’s latest coronavirus public health orders, the Middlesex-London health region has moved into the red-control zone. 

The new regulations limit restaurants and bars to serving 10 people indoors at a time. Meanwhile, dancing, singing and live music have also been banned. 

Restaurant and bar owners in the region have banded together to argue that the lockdowns could decimate the entire sector, putting hundreds of jobs at stake. 

“We had to let a lot of employees go because we were basically doing less than half sales. It’s killed us basically,” said Tom Sada who owns Chuck’s Roadhouse. 

“We have a lot of staff watching all the customers. We make sure they follow the rules 100%. Now they’re telling us orange, or it could be red, who knows? Orange will kill us already.”

In November, Adamson Barbecue owner Adam Skelly made international headlines after he defied provincial health orders and opened up his restaurant for indoor dining. 

Skelly, who received several fines for his actions, was eventually arrested by police on the third day his restaurant opened before being released on bail. 

Liberals announce $485 million in additional foreign aid

By
True North Wire
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The Liberal government announced a whopping $485 million in new funding to be put towards delivering vaccines in developing countries. 

The announcement was made by International Development Minister Karina Gould and Procurement Minister Anita Anand on Monday morning. 

“We are part of a global community, and our health at home depends on the health of everyone everywhere,” said Gould in a statement on the announcement.

“Canadians understand that no one is safe from COVID-19 unless everyone is safe, and today’s new commitments will help to make that possible.”

The funding will be funnelled into the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT) program which was founded in cooperation with the World Health Organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, France and the European Commission. 

Prior to the new spat of foreign aid funding, international organizations accused Canada of hoarding vaccines for its own population. 

This is not the first time the Trudeau government has opted to use the pandemic as an opportunity to increase foreign aid.

In April, the federal government allocated $109.5 million towards global coronavirus assistance initiatives, targeting areas such as “women’s reproductive health.” 

“Canada’s investment also aims to ensure that its international partners can maintain their services for vulnerable populations where possible, including support for sexual and reproductive health and rights,” stated a Global Affairs Canada press release. 

“Canada’s investment in these programs is in line with its feminist international assistance approach, since this global crisis has the potential to exacerbate inequalities and reverse development gains.”

While the Liberal government continues to dole out millions to international bodies, Canadians at home have had to suffer with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns.

In Ontario, food banks have seen a 26.5% increase in first-time visitors since the pandemic began, according to a report by Feed Ontario.

Year-End Interview with Erin O’Toole

By
Andrew Lawton
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Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole joined True North’s Andrew Lawton for a year-end interview in which O’Toole calls out Trudeau’s China “naïveté” and says provinces need to learn from each other when it comes to lockdowns.

In this Andrew Lawton Show exclusive, Lawton and O’Toole take a look back at 2020 and look ahead to 2021, talking about Canada’s pandemic response, Justin Trudeau’s appeasement of China and what the road to economic recovery must look like.

Canada is “disgraceful” for arresting Meng Wanzhou: Chinese ambassador

By
True North Wire
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Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu says that Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arbitrarily arrested by Canada to support American ambitions against China. 

In an interview, Cong claimed that Canada’s arrest of Meng was “disgraceful” and called for her immediate release. Cong also suggested Canada-China relations will remain fractured until Meng is released.

“I once again point out that it is entirely out of the U.S. government’s political agenda to suppress Chinese high-tech enterprises, and Canada played a very disgraceful role in this process. This is, in every way, a grave political incident,” said Cong.

“So, we once again urge the U.S. side to immediately withdraw the arrest warrant and extradition request for Madame Meng and also urge the Canadian side to immediately release her so that she can return to China safely at an early date.”

Meng was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018 on an American warrant. Authorities accuse Meng of “conspiracy to defraud multiple international institutions” and using her position to circumvent U.S. sanctions on Iran.

In retaliation for Meng’s arrest, China arrested Michael Korvig and Michael Spavor on trumped up charges — two Canadians living in China. The two have been charged with stealing state secrets and been denied basic legal rights.

Cong reiterated the Chinese position that the arrest of the two Michaels was not retaliation and assured the families they will be treated fairly at trial.

“As we have repeatedly pointed out. Those cases are not connected as some here suggest,” he said.

“As we always state: that the competent authorities are handling the case independently and in accordance with law, and their lawful rights are protected.”

As China’s top diplomat in Canada, Cong has repeatedly taken harsh positions or implicitly threatened Canada.
Cong has warned against giving Hongkongers asylum status in Canada and said bringing manufacturing jobs back from China would be impossible.

China thrives on Trudeau’s “weakness”: O’Toole

By
True North Wire
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Conservative leader Erin O’Toole says the Chinese communist regime is benefiting from Prime Minister Trudeau’s “weakness” and “naivete.”

“The communist regime thrives on weakness and Mr. Trudeau is seen as weak, and, in fact, probably too biased in his view of what the communist regime really stands for,” O’Toole said in a year end interview on True North’s The Andrew Lawton Show.

The interview will air on True North on Monday December 14th at 2pm ET. 

O’Toole’s comments come days after a Rebel News report showing Trudeau government officials pushed back against Canadian Armed Forces leadership when the military recommended no longer winter combat training to China’s People’s Liberation Army at an Ontario base.

A secret memo from Global Affairs Canada warned China might view cancelling the training as “a retaliatory move related to the Meng Wanzhou case,” referring to Canada’s arrest of the Huawei CFO and the ongoing court case on United States extradition.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has since confirmed that Canada is not planning any military training with China in the future, though O’Toole says the training never should have been on the table in the first place.

“To train Chinese troops on our soil when our two citizens were in jail, when they’re having internment camps for the Uyghurs, when they’re imposing a police state in Hong Kong and there’s 300,000 Canadian citizens there,” he said, “That should scare people. That’s a dangerous level of naivety.”

When O’Toole raised the subject in Question Period, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland responded in generalities about the importance of repatriating Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were arrested in China two years ago in retaliation for Meng’s arrest in Canada and have still been denied a trial and proper consular access.

The Canadian government’s approach to China has been “to not rock the boat,” True North’s Andrew Lawton said.

O’Toole said this isn’t getting the country anywhere, however, arguing that strength must be met with strength.

“I’m not saying we’re going to start rattling sabres, but we have to stand up and show that our values are not for sale,” he told Lawton. “And just because there are big trade opportunities for China – I’d actually make things in Canada. I want us to do things here and have less reliance on a regime that can’t be trusted on any level.”

In the interview, O’Toole brought up Trudeau’s infamous 2013 comments lauding China’s “basic dictatorship.”

He also said he is proud of his party’s tough stance on China, including a recent motion aimed at Huawei, which passed in the House of Commons, giving the government 30 days to decide if the state-affiliated company should be allowed to supply 5G equipment to Canada.

FUREY: More Canadians are starting to question the lockdown

By
True North Wire
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Public officials are telling Canadians that lockdown restrictions will need to continue in the winter.

But as the weather gets colder, many Canadians are starting to wonder if these restrictions are necessary. Do restrictions on retail, grocery stores and other public spaces add up?

Anthony Furey discusses.

Western provinces report greatest decline in mental health during lockdown

By
True North Wire
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According to Morneau Shepell’s Mental Health Index (MHI), Canadians have reported strained mental health for eight consecutive months during the coronavirus pandemic – and western provinces have been the hardest hit. 

In November 2020, the MHI reveals the mental health of Canadians is significantly lower than prior to the pandemic – an 11.1 point decrease from its benchmark of 75. 

Regionally, Alberta is reporting the lowest level of mental health and greatest stress increases month over month at 61.2 on the MHI, followed by Saskatchewan (60.1), Manitoba (59.7) and Ontario (59.1).

Sub-scores of the MHI show a large decline in optimism, accompanied by reports of increasing levels of anxiety and depression, low work productivity and feelings of isolation.

Of the respondents, no demographics show signs of improving mental health.

https://youtu.be/rRT9toDxEy4

Throughout 2020, residents of Alberta and Saskatchewan have faced significant economic hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic and record low global oil prices.

The Conference Board of Canada claims the Albertan economy will be the worst hit by the global pandemic compared to other provinces. The think tank estimates that Alberta’s GDP will contract by 11.3% in 2020.

According to IPSOS, Albertans are more likely to suffer financially than other Canadians. 53% of Albertans reported being either unemployed or under reduced hours or wages in September.

Alberta is set to lockdown the province on December 13 and will ban all gatherings, close most businesses and will make masks mandatory province-wide. 

Ontario counts suicide victims as COVID-19 fatalities

By
True North Wire
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If someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 commits suicide, the Ontario Ministry of Health will record their cause of death as COVID-19.

As of Sunday, December 13, Public Health Ontario counted 140,181 cumulative cases of COVID-19, and 3,949 deaths.

“As a result of how data is recorded by health units into public health information databases, the ministry is not able to accurately separate how many people died directly because of COVID versus those who died with a COVID infection,” Ontario Ministry of Health Senior Communications Advisor Anna Miller said to True North in an email.

“A death that occurs in an active case of COVID-19 is counted as a COVID-19 death.”

This information confirms what the Toronto Public Health Twitter account tweeted back in June 2020: “Individuals who have died with COVID-19, but not as a result of COVID-19 are included in the case counts for COVID-19 deaths in Toronto.”

The approach of counting non-COVID deaths as COVID deaths is being done in the name of “inclusion.”

According to Miller, “COVID-19 cases marked as fatal are included in the public health reporting databases whether or not COVID-19 was determined to be a contributing or underlying cause of death. This is an inclusive approach to reporting on COVID-19 related deaths to ensure that all deaths linked to the disease are captured.”

Some researchers are predicting increases of suicide in Canada as a result of the economic instability, social isolation and job losses brought on by the government-mandated lockdowns. 

The Canada Suicide Prevention Service, which operates a crisis hotline, says between 15–20% of crisis calls they’ve received during the pandemic have mentioned COVID-19.

However, health authorities in Ontario and in Canada seem to have no intention to separate deaths caused by a COVID-19 infection, deaths caused by the consequences of government-mandated lockdowns and deaths unrelated to COVID-19 where the victim was found to have tested positive.

https://youtu.be/-7G46oEg64w

Saskatchewan introduces new auto theft and scrap metal legislation to combat rural crime

By
True North Wire
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Saskatchewan has introduced new laws to help police fight auto and scrap metal theft in rural communities. 

The 2020 Pawned Property Amendment Act creates new regulations for scrap metal dealers to keep records noting the identities of clients who they service. New prohibitions that prevent dealers from selling to those under the age of 18 have also been introduced. 

“Police Services, farmers, and businesses in Saskatchewan have told us about the dangerous growth of metal theft,” said the province’s Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant. 

“This legislation will serve as a valuable tool for police when working to reduce this type of crime, which is often specifically targeted at rural property owners.”

Authorities hope that the new law will deter those seeking to profit off of stolen metals and auto parts. 

Police also have new abilities to charge those who provide false documents when selling vehicles or those who alter the bill of sales for vehicles, among other charges. 

“These amendments will ensure that law enforcement has the necessary tools to reduce auto-theft, and keep Saskatchewan residents safe,” said Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance Don Morgan. 

“The protection of consumers has always been a top priority for this government.” 

According to Statistics Canada, rural communities in Saskatchewan are disproportionately impacted by higher rates of crime when compared to their urban counterparts. 

In November, one 55-year-old Battlefords resident was brutally attacked by a group of strangers who claimed that they had vehicle troubles. Battlefords RCMP are still searching for a number of suspects.

https://youtu.be/rRT9toDxEy4

Appeased and Displeased

By
Andrew Lawton
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The Canadian government’s policy of appeasing China reached a new low, with secret documents showing the Trudeau government pushed back against military officials who wanted to stop offering military training to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. When called on it, all the Trudeau government says is that it wants to repatriate Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

True North’s Andrew Lawton talks about this weak and ineffective approach to China, and also calls out the mainstream media’s refusal to credit Rebel for breaking the story.

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