The CBC lost billions in revenue after losing rights to Hockey Night in Canada according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

Despite assuring the public that losing the 12-year contract only cost a “few dollars”, the cumulative losses add up to $2.1 billion. 

“The department estimated the corporation’s annual advertising revenues decreased by approximately $175 million as a result of losing the Hockey Night In Canada contract,” said an internal memo.

During testimony before the Senate communications committee in 2015, former CBC president Hubert Lacroix downplayed the significant loss. 

“We have not lost hundreds of millions of dollars on the hockey contract. We lost a few dollars,” said Lacroix. 

“When you look at the broadcasting rights and the cost to produce hockey, and the revenues on the other side, and when you look at it over six years, we didn’t make money on this contract.” 

The public broadcaster has consistently reported a decline in profitability and viewership despite being kept afloat by billions in taxpayer dollars from the federal government. 

In 2019 ad revenues fell by 37% for the crown corporation’s English language TV programs. That year,CBC was only able to pull in $112.5 million, considerably less than the $178 million in ad revenues secured in 2018.

The number of people tuning into local CBC news programming was also abysmally low with only 0.8% of Canadians watching the shows each evening. 

Each year the federal government gives the CBC $1.2 billion in funding to maintain its operations despite continually reporting a net loss. 

Recently, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault announced the Liberals will be providing extra funding to the CBC to further improve local programs and coverage. 

Christie Blatchford, one of Canada’s most renowned and prolific journalists has died at 68 after a battle with cancer.

During her career, which lasted nearly five decades, Blatchford became one of Canada’s most recognized reporters and columnists.

Born in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., Blatchford went on to graduate first in her class with a degree in journalism from Ryerson University.

Within two years of her graduation, Blatchford became Canada’s first female sports columnist.

Over her life, Blatchford worked at the multiple outlets including the National Post, Toronto Sun, the Globe & Mail, and the Toronto Star.

Her last column, published in the National Post on October 22, expressed her surprise that Justin Trudeau was re-elected prime minister.

Blatchford said before her death that her most meaningful work was her time spent as a war correspondent in Afghanistan from 2006-2007.

An accomplished writer, her book Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army, won the Governor General’s Literary Award in 2008.

True North fellow and Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey said Blatchford’s talent and tenacity were unrivalled.

“Christie Blatchford was a legend at the Sun and throughout Postmedia. I’ve got to admit, while definitely I admired and looked up to her, I was also intimidated by her incredible talents. Anytime I was going to appear on a panel with her or have her on my own radio show, I knew that there was no fooling Christie. You had to be on your best because she was always one step ahead of everyone else,” he said.

“She did the work more than any other journalist in the country, she had the facts at her disposal. She was fearless. She was determined. And, what many people may not know about her, is that she was an incredibly warm and caring person.”

In November, Blatchford was inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame. Due to her health, she was unable to attend the ceremony, but her award was brought to her in hospital by Toronto Mayor John Tory.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an open letter to not reject the Teck Frontier project. 

Kenney warned that a rejection could lead to “devastating impacts,” such as Western alienation reaching a “boiling point.” 

“There is quite simply, no reason specific to this project that would justify denying federal cabinet approval for the Frontier project,” wrote Kenney.

“[A rejection] of our most important industry could raise roiling Western alienation to a boiling point.” 

The Teck Frontier mine project is expected to employ 7,000 people during construction and 2,500 during operation. The mine will produce an estimated 260,000 barrels of oil each day.

The federal government has until February 28 to decide whether or not they will green-light the project. 

Liberal MPs have been urging Trudeau to shut down the $20-billion project so that they can reach the government’s arbitrary net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050. 

In his letter, Kenney called the project “the most scrutinized in Canadian history.” According to Kenney, the project has been under regulatory review since 2011 and it received approval from the Joint Review Panel in July of last year. 

Anonymous sources within the Liberal cabinet leaked an alleged plan to prepare an aid package for Alberta should the project be scrapped.

Alberta’s environment minister Jason Nixon shut down the suggestion, saying that Albertans are not interested in federal handouts. 

“Albertans are not looking for a Justin Trudeau handout. We’re not interested in that,” said Nixon.

“We want Justin Trudeau and the federal government to get out of Albertans’ way, let hardworking Albertans do what they do best, which is create prosperity for this province and create prosperity for this country.”

Federal environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson indicated on Monday that the government is considering deferring a decision on the project to a later time. 

“None of the options are off the table. We will be taking into account all of the relevant information,” said Wilkinson. 

The Liberals handed out millions in taxpayer dollars to Canadian media companies willing to push their narrative on climate change. 

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, news outlets that wrote stories with an environmentalist angle were rewarded with funds from a $50 million Local Journalism Initiative organized by the Department of Canadian Heritage. 

The federal website describes the fund as supporting “the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.” 

The Canadian News Media Association received $14.4 million to peddle the mainstream climate change message. Another $1.2 million was handed off to the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations, while the same amount was given to the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada. 

Francophone outlets also received a cut of the fund, with both the Québec Community Newspapers Association and the Association de la presse francophone getting $600,000. 

Despite the focus on local coverage for underserved communities, grants were awarded to mainstream outlets like the Toronto Star and the Montreal Gazette. 

The Liberals have also previously announced a $600 million bailout package for struggling mainstream media companies. 

As part of the bailout, media companies will be listed by the government as “Qualified Canadian Journalism Organizations” which are then able to claim tax credits on newsroom salaries. 

In August 2019, it was also revealed that the Toronto Star was recording a total of $115K a week in federal tax rebates as part of its share of the bailout fund. 

Despite its numerous government subsidies, the paper was forced to lay off 73 people as it halted the publication of print StarMetro papers in December 2019.

CBC coverage of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs’ protest against the Coastal GasLink pipeline has largely ignored the fact that the majority of elected First Nations support the project. 

A large contingent of First Nations impacted by the project is in support of the project or have already signed an agreement to green-light the project. 

The 20 elected First Nations groups along the pipeline’s route have signed agreements with Coastal GasLink, eager to benefit from the job opportunities and economic output of the pipeline. 

Elected First Nations Chief Coun. Crystal Smith said that the pipeline would provide “life-changing” benefits and lift communities out of poverty. 

“In order to achieve independent nations, we need independent members. The opportunities that are available for today’s generation and future generations of First Nations people that participate in these projects are life-changing. They’re nation-changing,” said Smith.

Recent headlines by CBC News spanning several days seem to purposefully ignore indigenous communities who would be positively impacted by the project.

Several examples of reporting by the CBC show an unbalanced focus on the small number of anti-pipeline protesters as opposed to those who support the project: “Winnipeg protesters lock arms in support of Wet’suwet’en fighting B.C. pipeline,” “Arrests in Wet’suwet’en territory spark nationwide solidarity protests,” “Support for the Wet’suwet’en sparks nationwide action.” 

Even CBC News journalist John Paul Tasker pointed out the biased coverage of the protests. 

“I think we tend to do that in the news media, to go to one group and think that it represents a larger community,” said Tasker. 

“All the Indian Act band councils, all 20 of them in the area supported this.” 

Among those who are in support of the pipeline’s construction are themselves members of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. 

“I’m here in support of industry, whether it’s forestry, logging, mining and right now pipeline,” said Wet’suwet’en member Francois Lake. 

“I don’t agree with the protest at all because for one thing it’s all one-sided […] and also the protestors that are there, a lot of them come from out of area places. There are people that I’ve heard that are from the East of Canada, some from the United States.” 

One Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief spoke out against the protesters, seconding the claim that climate activists who are not part of the local community were making up a large chunk of the protesters. 

“A lot of the protestors are not even Wet’suwet’en people,” said Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief Helen Michelle. 

“I’m Wet’suwet’en, and they’re using people from all over the world who are not Wet’suwet’en who are protesting and it’s not right to do that. Our own people said go ahead.” 

The transgender woman who lost a Human Rights Tribunal lawsuit against several female estheticians for refusing to wax male genitalia returned to court on Monday. 

Jessica Yaniv is currently facing two counts of possessing an unauthorized weapon after flashing a taser gun on a Youtube live stream. 

This is Yaniv’s third hearing at the Provincial Court of British Columbia regarding this case. RCMP officers searched Yaniv’s home in August 2019 shortly after it was reported that a stun gun was on the premises.

The hearing was abruptly changed from 2 p.m. to 9 a.m without prior notice. Before the hearing, the court website still listed the hearing as having taken place in the afternoon. 

As reported on by True North, on January 13 Yaniv sought a publication ban from the judge in order to suppress media coverage of the hearing. It was turned down and the judge declared that there were no provisions that would justify a publication ban to protect the accused against negative media attention.

Yaniv has a past of trying to silence the press. While the tribunal case was ongoing, Yaniv had a similar ban imposed until it was later lifted.

This time Yaniv was able to avoid media scrutiny by having a hearing earlier in the day. 

According to Rebel journalist Keean Bexte, Yaniv was arrested by the RCMP after Bexte was allegedly assaulted by Yaniv on camera.  

Yaniv made international news by taking sixteen immigrant women to court over refusing to perform a Brazilian wax on Yaniv’s privates. 

The BC Human Rights Tribunal eventually ruled that the complaints were without merit and “motivated to punish racialized and immigrant women.” In the ruling, the tribunal ordered Yaniv to pay $2,000 to three women involved. 

“In many of these complaints, [Yaniv] is also motivated to punish racialized and immigrant women based on her perception that certain ethnic groups, namely South Asian and Asian communities, are ‘taking over’ and advancing an agenda hostile to the interests of LGBTQ+ people,” wrote tribunal member Devyn Cousineau.

One woman, who was operating from her home was forced to shut down her business because of Yaniv’s complaint and lawsuit. 

Yaniv has since taken several other immigrant women to the tribunal over refusing a wax. 

The next hearing is scheduled for February 26 at 9:00 a.m.