Canada has traditionally defended Israel at the United Nations. Under Justin Trudeau’s leadership, this is no longer the case.
This week, Canada sided with Syria, North Korea and Venezuela and voted for a one-sided resolution singling out Israel.
Sam Eskenasi discusses the problematic resolution and explains why Israel is so important to the Jewish people.
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In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, True North’s Andrew Lawton looks at a trio of liberties – media freedom, religious freedom, and COVID freedom. One drug manufacturer says its vaunted COVID-19 vaccine is “not a silver bullet,” perhaps justifying prolonged masks and restrictions even after it is available.
Also, while Justin Trudeau’s government fights independent journalists in court, his foreign affairs minister says government shouldn’t decide who gets to be a journalist.
Plus, Aylmer, Ontario pastor Henry Hildebrandt joins the show to talk about a request from public health bureaucrats that he shut his church down “voluntarily.”
The Ontario government announced new lockdown measures for the province on Friday, moving Toronto and Peel into lockdown.
Under the latest lockdown regime, indoor social gatherings are prohibited except for members of the same household. Outdoor public social gatherings have now also been limited to a maximum of 10 people at one time. Meanwhile, weddings, funerals and religious services are also being restricted to 10 people for both indoor and outdoor services.
As for restaurants, they are being forced to close indoor and outdoor dining and to only serve takeout, drive-through or delivery. Ontario has also announced that personal care services such as spas and salons are to remain closed.
Malls are also being ordered to stay closed, however, retailers are allowed to do curb-side pickups.
A full list of the lockdown measures can be found on the Government of Ontario’s website.
The new rules will go into effect beginning on Monday, November 23.
“It’s clear more needs to be done to limit community transmission of COVID-19 so that we can keep our schools open, safeguard our healthcare system capacity, and protect our most vulnerable,” said Ontario’s Minister of Health, Christine Elliott.
“Lockdowns are a difficult but necessary step to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and bend the curve in the number of new cases.”
The announcement also included a shuffle of control zones with Durham Region and the Region of Waterloo entering into the red-control level, while Huron Peth, Simcoe Muskoka, Southwestern Public Health and Windsor-Essex County were upgraded to the orange-restrict zone.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has warned that should cases continue to surge, he is prepared to initiate further lockdowns over the holiday season.
“Well, nothing is more important other than the health and safety of the people,” said Ford earlier this month.
“We’ll always have other celebrations, we’ll always have other Christmases, but if the numbers continue to spike, as I’ve said before, I won’t hesitate in a heartbeat to lock things down.”
Meanwhile, in October a World Health Organization official urged world governments not to plunge their citizens into a second lockdown this year.
“We in the World Health Organisation do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” said Dr. Nabarro in an interview with The Spectator.
“The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganise, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we’d rather not do it.”
South Okanagan RCMP officers provided an update on this year’s third quarter crime statistics on Thursday morning.
According to officers, assaults and property crime in the region have increased year over year.
“That was attributed and continues to be attributed to the drug subculture in Penticton,” said RCMP Supt. Brian Hunter.
“Bear spray was a common weapon they were using. Definitely concerning, but I need to stress that most of those knew each other.”
The Penticton region saw a 17% growth in assaults between July and September. Meanwhile, property crime has increased in the last four weeks, particularly targeting bikes and e-bikes. Auto theft has also been a growing issue for communities in the area, with most detachments seeing an increase in crimes targeting vehicles.
Officers also stressed that the policing resources they have to deal with were limited and that prevention measures on behalf of citizens can help curb the problem.
“It’s the bane of my existence. This is not victim blaming, we need to do a better job of locking our vehicles and removing all valuables,” said Hunter.
“It’s very, very frustrating, there’s a limited number of police resources out there and we would be better served for crimes that are occurring, not the ones that can be prevented.”
Hunter also referenced the fact that new judicial coronavirus measures have meant that repeat offenders were being freed more quickly and released to commit further crimes in the community.
“It’s very difficult to have people remanded,” said Hunter.
“Not that long ago we arrested a client with a stolen vehicle, in a stolen vehicle, with stolen property, with drugs, firearms, a prolific offender … but the individual was released the next day. So that’s just part of the recidivism we have to deal with, it can be a little bit frustrating.“
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is telling Canadians there is no chance they can celebrate Christmas normally because of the coronavirus pandemic.
At a press conference Friday, Trudeau told Canadians that gathering with others is extremely risky right now, warning that even special occasions like Christmas cannot occur like it did last year.
“If you were planning to see friends this weekend – maybe don’t. If there was a birthday party or a gathering for dinner you were thinking about doing, don’t do it,” he said.
“A normal Christmas is, quite frankly, out of the question.”
On Friday, Ontario announced 1,418 new cases and Quebec announced 1,259. The total number of cases in Canada has been gradually increasing since September.
The prime minister appeared visibly flustered as he told Canadians to do more to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Trudeau warns that there will be grim results for Canadians if cases continue to rise.
“We are facing [a] winter that’s going to drive people inside more and more, and we’re really at risk of seeing caseloads go up, and hospitals get overwhelmed, and more loved ones dying,” he said.
“So we need to do everything we can right now to slow the spread of COVID-19, to stop the spike in its tracks.”
Last week, Trudeau warned that Canadians may not be able to celebrate Christmas in-person if the total number of cases continues to grow. By Friday, Trudeau appears to have abandoned the possibility of in-person festivities.
Trudeau reassured Canadians by saying that he is not recommending a nation-wide lockdown like in the spring.
“We’re in a moment right now where even with all the sacrifices I know Canadians have been making over these past 10 months, we are now going to have to really tighten up once again.”
New records show that Liberal Health Minister Patty Hajdu flew far more than was previously reported while she was advising Canadians to not visit family and to remain at home.
According to the Toronto Sun, at the height of the pandemic in April, Hajdu took 11 and not three flights as previously reported. Eight of those flights were related to weekend flights from Ottawa to her home in Thunder Bay. During those trips, some of the planes also flew back to Ottawa empty-handed without Hajdu onboard while she returned to work at a later date on a different aircraft.
That same month, Hajdu lectured Canadians on Twitter about limiting family contact over the Easter holiday.
“It’s important to remember that now is not the time for gatherings with family and friends. Connect with others with a phone call or video chat instead,” wrote Hajdu.
The weekend trips are reported to have taken place on April 3, 10, 30, May 16, and June 5, 15 and 23.
In October, Hajdu was also found ignoring her own department’s advice when she was pictured without a mask while lounging at a Toronto Pearson Airport lobby.
According to Toronto Pearson Airport policy, masks are mandatory for all passengers in the airport at all times.
In response to the tweet, Hajdu claimed that she was still following health regulations and that she took it off to eat and drink, despite there being no food or beverage pictured in the photograph of her.
Around the same time that Hajdu was jet setting from work to her home, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also landed himself in hot water after visiting his family across a provincial boundary for Easter celebrations.
A member of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and one civilian are dead following a shooting on Manitoulin Island.
On Thursday afternoon, the Special Investigations Unit said that the OPP responded to a call about an unwanted person at a property in Gore Bay around 12:30 PM. Once there, officers “encountered the man, and there was an interaction.”
One officer was pronounced dead at the scene, while the shooter was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries. Another officer was injured in the firefight.
The deceased has been identified as Constable Marc Hovingh, a 28-year veteran of the OPP.
In a statement, Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed his sympathy for the law enforcement community.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Provincial Const. Marc Hovingh who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Manitoulin Island and hope for the speedy recovery of the other officer shot in this senseless act of violence,” he said.
“My thoughts are with all the brave men and women on the frontlines who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe.”
An investigation is still underway. Anyone who may have information about the incident is being asked to call investigators at 1-800-787-8529.
The Trudeau Liberals are finally talking about standing up to the Communist regime in China – this is a welcoming sign, but action is needed.
The federal government needs to ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G network immediately and reject the Chinese takeover of the TMAC arctic gold mine.
Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.
An outspoken pastor is calling out a notice from his local public health agency recommending his church shut its doors for 28 days on a “voluntary” basis to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
“When there is COVID-19 in the community, the risk of spread of infection increases when people in that community gather in groups, including faith communities,” the letter, signed by Southwestern Public Health Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock said. “Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) is recommending that your church, along with others where we are seeing an increased risk in exposure to COVID-19, voluntarily cease in-person church services and all in-person gatherings for 28 days, beginning November 17, 2020 and ending December 14, 2020.”
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of Aylmer, Ont.’s Church of God shared the letter on his Facebook page Thursday afternoon. It was dated Nov. 17, the same day its recommended closure was to go into effect.
“The recommendation to close your church for any in-person services or gatherings for 28 days is not made lightly and is in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases within the communities that surround your congregation including schools, long-term care homes, and retirement homes,” the letter continued. “SWPH is relying on these closures to protect individuals and the community we love.”
A spokesperson for Southwestern Public Health said the agency sent letters to “several churches.”
“These churches are in areas where we are seeing higher rates of community transmission,” the spokesperson said. “Attending church, where there may be singing, talking and long periods of sitting or standing in close proximity are higher risk situations for the spread of COVID-19.”
There is no province-wide order for places of worship to close, nor is the provincial government recommending any voluntary church closures.
“Local medical officers of health make decisions regularly using local data to supplement Ministry [of Health] directives,” the Southwestern Public Health spokesperson said. “For example, we have also asked Long Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes to temporarily suspend day and over night visits. As with the request to the churches, this is intended to mitigate risk and keep community members safe.”
“A public health professional will be following up with you soon to discuss this letter further,” the letter said. Hildebrandt noted he received a follow-up call from the health unit, which he sent to voicemail.
While the letter makes reference to “others,” Hildebrandt said he has not been able to identify any additional churches that have received a similar letter.
“I can’t find others yet. I did research – so far I can only find one pastor that got this letter from Southwestern Public Health,” he said, referring to himself.
A representative of the nearby Aylmer Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church confirmed it received no letter.
Speaking to his congregation Thursday evening, Hildebrandt called the request “crazy.”
“We are guaranteed by the government religious freedom, [freedom of] opinion and expression, peaceful assembly, association. It’s in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” he said. “We could never have dreamed that in Canada we would be asked by a government official, ‘Would you voluntarily close your church?’… You must be crazy.”
Lock’s letter noted that drive-in services can continue, though the church must “discourage the idling of engines.”
With the forthcoming arrival of winter, Hildebrandt said he “would encourage the idling of engines, because I don’t want you to freeze in your cars.”
The Church of God was among the first Ontario churches to host drive-in services when houses of worship had been shut down altogether by the province’s initial lockdown measures earlier in the year. After first threatening to fine the church and its congregants, Aylmer police eventually backed off, and the province issued guidelines specifically permitting drive-in church attendance.
As for Hildebrandt’s response to the latest request to close his church’s doors: “God forbid.”
The carbon tax or “price on pollution” has been a flagship policy of the Trudeau government. The government has constantly lectured Canadians about the need to have a carbon tax in place.
But what exactly is a carbon tax? How does it work?
The tax has been hotly debated, with many economists and Conservative politicians raising concerns that it is nothing more than a tax cash-grab that will hurt the Canadian economy while doing nothing for the environment.
In our first episode of Green Hypocrisy, True North’s Candice Malcolm takes an extensive look into the carbon tax.
