The Vancouver Canucks’ national anthem singer has been fired for performing at an anti-lockdown rally. His termination only serves to silence others who agree with him, making it seem as though the government and mainstream media’s narrative about lockdowns is a lot more widely believed than it actually is.
Also, a professor was denied a Canadian Armed Forces position because he dared to criticize forced diversity programs, plus medical mask exemptions are legal, so why aren’t they being recognized?
Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole put forward a motion on Monday to halt a proposed Canada Pension Plan (CPP) premium tax hike that would impact the income of all Canadians at the beginning of the new year.
On Twitter, O’Toole unveiled a statement calling on the government to release “concrete economic support” for businesses.
“We are calling on the Liberal government to postpone the increase of CPP payroll taxes set for January 1, as well as the increase of the carbon tax and the alcohol escalator tax planned for next year,” wrote O’Toole.
The statement also goes on to detail the Conservative motion which urges the government to remove barriers to job creation, unveil details about the highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program, and to fix the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility, among other things.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) thanked O’Toole and Conservative MPs for opposing the proposed tax hike.
“Many provincial governments, led by Saskatchewan, have asked the federal govt to pause this tax hike (CPP is a fed/prov program). To date, the feds have said the CPP premium increase will go ahead,” tweeted CFIB President and CEO Dan Kelly.
“And for those suggesting this rate hike is needed to pay for better CPP benefits, keep in mind that the improved payouts from CPP are phased in over 40 years. A 1 year pause in rising premiums will have no impact on benefits anytime soon.”
In 2021, employers and employees’ incomes will be affected by an increase in Canada Pension Plan rates by up to 9.3%.
The tax increases were announced by the Canada Revenue Agency in February 2020 and they mark the highest payroll tax increase since 2003.
The CFIB has been calling for a tax freeze on the pension front for some time now, ranking it as their second most important issue following the coronavirus and economic recovery.
To this day, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has said very little with regard to a potential CPP hike freeze despite a push by the opposition to raise the issue.
The Trudeau government has remained secretive on the companies and causes that received billions in financial aid since the pandemic began.
According to investigations by the CBC, the government is not being transparent about where coronavirus aid money has gone. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has claimed it is still too early to give details with the pandemic ongoing.
“Now is the time for us to focus on what we can do going forward to save Canadian lives and to preserve the Canadian economy,” Freeland told the House of Commons.
“There will be a time for post-mortems, but while the plane is flying, one does not try to change the engine.”
Throughout the pandemic, Freeland has avoided giving details on her fiscal strategy, including how new aid programs will work and how much the government will spend.
Last week, the government projected the current deficit to be $381 billion, of which $240 billion was spent directly on pandemic relief programs.
Many government agencies refuse to say who has benefitted from these programs. When asked, the Export Development Corporation refused to name any companies that received the $31.6 billion Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).
Further, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has redacted the names of landlords from a list of those who benefitted from a $2 billion rent-assistance program.
Conservatives have accused the Trudeau government of spending aimlessly and ignoring Canada’s skyrocketing debt, with Conservative leader Erin O’Toole suggesting the Liberals have no real plan to help the economy recover.
“Canadians want their lives back… And they have only asked one thing of this government, one simple thing: What is the plan?. As the red ink on our balance sheet turns to dark crimson… There’s no clarity or competence,” he said last week.
Conservative Finance Critic Pierre Poilievre says that too many months have gone by for the Trudeau government to keep hiding financial information from Canadians.
“The free ride is over. We should now expect to receive the data.”
Former Vancouver Canucks national anthem singer Mark Donnelly went ahead with his appearance at an anti-lockdown protest after being fired via Twitter by the team’s owner.
At Vancouver’s Freedom Rally on the weekend, Donnelly said he was standing up against “tyranny.”
“What was originally sold as a 15-day hunkering down sprint for the common good has turned into a 10-month marathon from hell, where the finish line is constantly being moved further into the distance,” he said.
Donnelly said he still hadn’t heard of his dismissal directly – only through a tweet by the team’s owner, Francesco Aquilini.
One day after being fired on Twitter by @fr_aquilini, former @Canucks anthem singer Mark Donnelly follows through on his promise to sing Oh Canada at a 'Freedom Rally' organized by people opposed to mask-wearing and other public health orders. #COVID@CTVVancouverpic.twitter.com/XedqTPG0lK
Donnelly had been with the Canucks for nearly 20 years.
In addition to Aquilin’s tweet, team CEO Trent Carroll pointed out that Donnelly was “acting independently” and was “not representing the Vancouver Canucks.”
“We encourage everyone to wear a mask and to follow the provincial health orders.” said Carroll.
Residents of British Columbia are under stay-at-home orders and are mandated to wear a mask.
Surrey resident Ryan Kulbaba has been an active figure in protesting the lockdown measures in B.C. When Kulbaba organized the B.C Christmas Freedom Rally, he announced Donnelly would be a headliner for the event.
Donnelly confirmed to the media he would be singing the anthem at the protest. The performance was well-planned and advertised as part of the itinerary.
“I sing O Canada as a sign of unity and strength for all Canadians. The true north strong and free.” said Donnelly.
Since the onset of the pandemic in Canada, Donnelly has also performed the anthem in salute to front-line workers. He believes he only faced repercussions because he went against the narrative.
“Sports figures, entertainers and politicians can stand for anything as long as it supports the narrative. You can support rioting, looting, destruction of livelihoods and reputation, but take a position against the narrative and you are worthy of exile or worse.” said Donnelly.
A Charlottetown, PEI woman is filing a human rights complaint after being denied entry to a local thrift store for not wearing a mask.
Angie Laybolt was attempting to shop at Charlottetown’s Mission Thrift Store on Nov. 28, but was blocked at the door by a number of employees who eventually called police to remove Laybolt from the property.
Laybolt is a single mother and long-time customer of the store. She told True North she has not encountered issues with her mask exemption at any other Charlottetown businesses.
“This is where I do my shopping for my children,” she said. “I go in there at least once or twice a month. Every month, I shop there. It’s crazy.”
True North has reviewed video footage of the incident provided by Laybolt. A spokesperson for BFM Foundation Canada, which operates the national store chain, said the organization is “inquiring about an incident that occurred in our Charlottetown store,” but declined further comment.
PEI made masks mandatory in retail outlets provincewide on Nov. 20, but does not require anyone who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons to do so.
“Sometimes these reasons are not visible to others,” the PEI government says. “Islanders and businesses are encouraged to be trusting and kind, and show compassion and understanding in these cases.”
While individuals are not required to provide proof of exemptions, Laybolt offered up a doctor’s note she had on her person, to no avail.
She is in the process of filing a human rights complaint against the store, whose conduct amounts to discrimination, she says.
“I understand that people are angry and scared and emotional, but it doesn’t warrant the extreme measures,” Laybolt said. “I felt discriminated (against), insulted, judged. I wouldn’t allow someone I love to be disrespected so, and I won’t condone it for myself.”
While the law specifically allows for exemptions, it’s not yet clear how courts and tribunals will rule on these things, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms James Kitchen said.
“On its face, it is unlawful, because you are denying somebody something based on a protected ground,” Kitchen said.
“At that point, the store is not enforcing the law, because there is no law that says that. They’re enforcing their own policy, whether (the clerk) is making it up on the spot or the store actually has a policy.”
Court rulings will ultimately come down to an assessment of what a “reasonable” accommodation would look like. For a business that offers curbside pick-up or local delivery, Kitchen said, courts or tribunals may see these as being solid enough alternatives to justify not allowing someone into a store without a mask. For a thrift store, which offers unique products with inventory not available online, that’s a harder sell.
During an appearance on BNN, Canada’s finance minister Chrystia Freeland hinted at the possibility of the government using Canadians’ savings as a “pre-loaded stimulus.”
“Canadian households, it tends to be the better-off households, do have quite a lot of money that they’ve saved. Certainly, it would be great if that money could go towards driving our recovery.” said Freeland referring to a recent CIBC report.
Freeland asked viewers for ideas on how to “unleash” their savings, but Conservative Finance critic Pierre Poilievre sees it as government overreach.
“Folks, lock away your money. Liberals are worried you’re saving too much. They want ‘ideas on how the government can act to unlock’ those savings. No, Trudeau, people’s savings don’t belong to you. Keep your hands where we can see them,” tweeted Poilievre.
Folks, lock away your money.
Liberals are worried you're saving too much.
They want "ideas on how the government can act to unlock" those savings.
No, Trudeau, people's savings don't belong to you.
According to Freeland, the best-case scenario is the “pre-loaded stimulus” happens by itself.
“We need to find ways to unleash savings into the parts of the economy that need support like tourism, hospitality and domestic services.” said Freeland.
The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns have had a devastating impact on the Canadian economy and Canadians’ finances.
According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s unemployment rate skyrocketed to 13.5% at the beginning of the pandemic. The economy has recovered slightly since then as the unemployment rate currently sits at 8.5%.
While the economy has recovered, Canadians are still struggling financially. According to the affordability index by BDO Canada Ltd. revealed that 2 in 5 Canadians say their personal finances deteriorated during the first wave of the pandemic.
In addition, prior to the pandemic, a MNP report revealed 46% of Canadians were $200 or less away from insolvency prior to pandemic.
The government released the long-awaited fall economic statement last week which projected that Canada’s national deficit could hit $381.6 billion this year and federal debt could reach a whopping $1.4 trillion by March 2021.
In 2007, four RCMP officers responded to a disturbance call at Vancouver International Airport which resulted in the tragic death of Polish traveller Robert Dziekanski.
While the officers did absolutely nothing wrong in their response, the RCMP allowed the YVR 4 to be prosecuted for perjury.
Since then, the officers have been fighting tooth and nail for justice but the Mounties have been ducking and diving in an attempt to make them go away.
True North’s Leo Knight has the latest developments on this brazen cover-up by the national police force.
Last week, Canadians witnessed the arrest of Adam Skelly – a restaurant owner in Toronto who dared to disobey John Tory’s draconian edicts. Dozens of Toronto police officers surrounded the restaurant and police put up barricades around the perimeter to prevent any customer from going in to get a BBQ sandwich.
The reaction of Toronto Police was way over the top and I heard from a number of police officers express how frustrated they were at having to be a part of that whole ordeal.
Unfortunately – massive government overreach isn’t just happening in Toronto.
Last weekend, four women met for their weekly lunch at the Cactus Club restaurant in Langley, B.C. The table limit set by the public health folks was limited to six and the restaurant spaced folks accordingly.
While they were eating, they were approached by a man who showed them some type of official looking ID and a badge. They were asked for identification and all cooperated.
Their identification produced different addresses, so the official wrote each of them tickets for $2300. Each.
Apparently, they are no longer allowed to socialize with their normal social circle.
The lunacy doesn’t end there.
This week, the New York Police Department descended on a bar owner on Staten Island, the owner of Mac’s Public House. They arrested him for not adhering to Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s shutdown order and was serving patrons inside his pub.
It’s worth noting that the owner Danny Presti wasn’t charging for drinks. He was giving them away and accepting whatever donations patrons were willing to give. But apparently this infuriated the New York Mayor.
In response, hundreds of New Yorkers showed up outside his Mac’s Public House protesting the actions of the Mayor.
It’s clear folks have had enough of these lockdown measures. It’s been long enough.
We are on the advent or a couple of vaccines which will effectively put an end to this pandemic. And even though there’s a surge in new cases, the number of deaths have remained relatively steady and we know the virus is particularly dangerous to the elderly and those in long-term care homes.
Are the additional lockdown measures really necessary?
We know how the virus spreads, where the virus is spreading and what precautions we can take to staysafe.
We can wear masks. We can maintain social distancing. We are adults and our governments should treat us as such, not arresting us as scofflaws if we don’t want to conform to their lunacy.
The government wants to control the population but the public has signalled strongly they don’t want to be controlled.
People are fed up with these petty power-hungry bureaucrats and they are fed up with these arbitrary restrictions that seem to keep moving on a whim.
Tempers flared during a Senate debate on a motion to investigate the Trudeau government’s connections to the WE Charity.
During the debate, Conservative Senator Leo Housakos called the Prime Minister a “bribe taker” due to Trudeau’s close ties with the charity and the government’s decision to handpick WE to oversee a $900 million federal student service grant.
In response to Housakos’ comments, a heated exchange between senators ensued. Housakos was shouted down with chants of “Shame!” according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“This scandal has shown us the Trudeau family and their friends have no scruples when it comes to money.” said Housakos.
Trudeau-appointed Senator Pierre Dalphond said Housakos was purposefully muddying the waters of an ethics violation and committing a crime.
Another Trudeau-appointed Senator Frances Lankin said, “We all heard Senator Housakos accuse the Prime Minister of bribery. Bribery is a charge under the Criminal Code.”
Dalphond demanded the statement be withdrawn and be followed by an apology. Housakos, however, was unwavering in his accusation.
“I believe WE Charity gave a payment to his mother, to his brother, to his wife at various times, and in a complete conflict of interest and breach of the Criminal Code months later, there was an exchange of government grants.” said Housakos.
Although Senators have parliamentary privilege and cannot be charged with libel for their statements, Housakos asserted he would make the same statements outside of the chamber and would welcome a libel suit from Trudeau.
Housakos said he would happily take the opportunity to cross-examine Trudeau in court.
Earlier this year, critics accused Prime Minister Trudeau of cronyism in his decision to pick WE. Several members of Trudeau’s family, including his wife, mother and brother, have benefited financially from close ties to the charity.
During their testimonies before the Standing Committee on Finance, the founders of WE Marc and Craig Kielburger revealed that Trudeau’s mother Margaret Trudeau was paid $479,944 for WE speaking engagements.
The scandal also resulted in the resignation of then-Finance Minister Bill Morneau and the closing down of WE’s operations in Canada.
A few weeks ago, Anthony Furey predicted the lockdowns would be over by Christmas. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Despite Canadians pushing back against the lockdowns and new data and evidence which suggests lockdowns simply don’t work – the government has doubled down.
