As the fear of climate change reaches hysteric levels, the government and media are suggesting that Canadians must accept “climate refugees” in the future.

The United Nations admits that a climate refugee “does not exist in international law” but many activists claim the term refers to a person who will be forced to flee their homes due to the adverse effects of the earth’s changing climate.

Millions of people around the world already live in climates that are difficult for human habitation such as deserts and mountains, yet these people could now come to Canada as refugees on that fact alone.

Though no official climate refugees exist at this moment, the idea has been floated as a serious policy by the CBC.

“With the changing climate, there will be areas in the country, previously considered unlivable, that may become more temperate. Some suggest this puts Canada in the unique position of being able to accept those who have been pushed out of their homes due to climate change-related conditions: Climate refugees,” a CBC journalist wrote in June.

Even by the most alarmist predictions, Canada’s climate would only increase by a fraction of a degree over the next few decades, making the above scenario far-fetched in this century. 

It is also a well-documented fact that the overwhelming majority of new immigrants to Canada settle in just a few already over-congested cities. Next to no one moves to the North. 

The current media narrative on climate refugees suggests that Canada should be responsible for welcoming so-called climate change refugees, despite the fact that Canada’s C02 emissions only make up 1.6% of global emissions. 

This narrative is also supported by government and international bodies. A federal report called “Climate Change and Forced Migration: Canada’s Role” enforces the same ideas.

“Best estimates suggest that hundreds of millions of people could be on the move in the coming decades due to the impacts of climate change. Canada has an opportunity now to plan an orderly and effective response to the coming crisis,” the report reads.

This vision aligns with open border activists, like The Century Initiative or the radical anarchist group No One Is Illegal, who call for Canada to actively grow its population through immigration to 100 million people. 

With the definition of climate refugee not legally recognized, who is and is not a climate refugee will be entirely up to interpretation.

In theory, anyone who feels inconvenienced by climate change could attempt to claim refugee status in Canada.

Canadians are seeing the consequences of our declining energy sector as another major foreign investor has given up on the Canadian market.

The latest firm to leave Canada is Kinder Morgan, which sold its Canadian operations last week for US$3.3 billion.

The sale of Kinder Morgan Canada brings the total amount which foreign firms have divested from Canada to nearly $40 billion, which will equal about 1.6% of Canada’s total GDP this year.

“If they thought things were getting better in Canada, they might hold on, but they don’t see things getting better,” said Laura Lau of Brompton Corp. 

“The pipeline situation is getting worse; everything is getting worse.”

The deal will see Pembina Pipeline Corp. of Calgary buy all of Kinder Morgan’s assets in Canada.

Kinder Morgan is one of several foreign energy firms to divest from Canada in recent years, with firms such as Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips shrinking their investments or leaving Canada entirely.

The exit of Kinder Morgan from Canada has been predicted since the federal government bought the much-maligned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from the company earlier this year.

The project was purchased for $4.5 billion by the federal government after seemingly endless legal barriers made many fear Kinder Morgan would cancel the expansion in its entirety.

“When they sold Trans Mountain, there wasn’t much left, and it was just a matter of time for them to exit Canada completely,” Lau said. 

“But definitely another foreign company exiting Canada doesn’t send a good signal.”

Purchased by the Canadian government in May of 2018, construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is finally set to restart in the next month, in time for the federal election.

Low oil prices in recent years and laws which make building energy infrastructure nearly impossible have driven firms away from the Canadian market, largely to the United States, with the industry calling the situation a “competitive crisis.”

Since 2016 only one new pipeline project has been submitted to the National Energy Board for review and approval, while 14 have been submitted in the United States.

With uncertainty about current and future pipeline projects at an all-time high, it is unlikely foreign investment in Canada will increase in the near future.

New figures show that in just one August week, the Trudeau government made 595 spending announcements and committed a total of $4.9 billion in new spending ahead of the upcoming election. 

According to Global News Chief Political Correspondent, David Akin, a majority of these announcements the week of Aug. 12 were in New Brunswick, which saw a total of 334 new funding initiatives. 

Prior research by True North on public spending announcements found that from June 21 to July 12, the Liberals spent over $4.63 billion, a majority of which went to Quebec. 

Spending ahead of the election is being diverted towards ridings and provinces in which the incumbent Liberals are set to face intense competition. For example, 338canada predicts that nearly half of the seats in New Brunswick will turn blue after the election.

The total spending promised for New Brunswick was to the sum of $133.4 million. 

Prince Edward Island also received some commitments in contested ridings like Egmont, which is currently held by Liberal MP Bobby Morrissey. For that week, 27 different municipalities or initiatives received a combined $5 million from the federal government. 

In total PEI received $28.2 million from government coffers. 

Nationally, the largest single spending commitment announced for that week was $3.6 billion to be spent on armoured vehicles for the Canadian Armed Forces, to be built in London, Ont. Another military contract to the tune of $500 million was awarded to Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax. 

Nearly one-fifth, or $829 million, of the total federal spending, was targeted specifically towards incumbent Liberal ridings. Another $18.2 million was delivered to ridings with Conservative MPs, while $56 million was promised to ridings held by NDP MPs. 

Spending commitments by the Liberals continued well after this period into the month of August, including a $1.3 million investment promised to the Waterloo, Ont. riding of Liberal house leader Bardish Chagger. 

A government agency has forgiven millions in loans to a New Brunswick company owned by billionaire James Irving.

In a memorandum, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) has said it has off the remaining balance of two loans given out to the Atlantic Wallboard of Saint John.

The total loan to Atlantic Wallboard was $7.4 million.

The loans were forgiven in March after ACOA decided that the loans have “not been and likely will never be repaid.”

 “[Atlantic Wallboard] has fulfilled their obligation to repay according to the terms of their contribution agreements,” said ACOA vice-president Kent Estabrooks.

Despite the loans coming from the taxpayer, the amount forgiven has been redacted.

Atlantic Wallboard, also known as Irving Wallboard, is owned by J.D. Irving Limited, a privately-owned conglomerate based out of Saint John.

The company’s owner, James Irving, is worth $5.3 billion according to Forbes.

Among other firms owned by J. D. Irving Ltd. include one of Canada’s largest forestry companies and nearly all print newspapers in New Brunswick.

Irving also owns Irving Shipbuilding based in Halifax, which received $500 million in contracts for the Royal Canadian Navy just weeks ago.

The loans given to Atlantic Wallboard were referred to as “conditionally repayable contribution agreements.” Under these types of deals, the loans are only totally repayable if the firm reaches a certain income goal. In both cases, ACOA believed that Atlantic Wallboard will never reach this goal.

These loans were just part of the $42 million the federal government has loaned to J.D Irving Ltd. to set up the Atlantic Wallboard. Irving is not required to pay back at least $35 million of this.

Why J.D. Irving was not able to fund Atlantic Wallboard itself is not clear.

The Irvings have been tied to both provincial and federal politicians over previous decades. 

ACOA has refused to say how much of the forgiven loans Atlantic Wallboard has paid back.

If Andrew Scheer is elected, all hell will break loose.

Or at least that’s what the Trudeau Liberals want you to believe.

True North’s Anthony Furey explains in his latest column in the Toronto Sun.

The chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has dismissed the idea of a handgun ban in Canada, saying illegal guns are the true driver of gun violence in Canada.

At the association’s annual conference, Chair Adam Palmer, who also serves as Vancouver’s chief of police, acknowledged that Canada already has “very good” gun laws and that owning illegal guns is already a criminal offence.

“In every single case there are already offences for that. They’re already breaking the law and the criminal law in Canada addresses all of those circumstances,” he said.

“The firearms laws in Canada are actually very good right now. They’re very strict.”

Gun control has been a priority for the Liberal government since its election in 2015, with recent legislation making background checks even more strenuous.

A handgun ban has been floated by the Liberals recently as well, but no legislation has been put forward.

Palmer argued that Canadians cannot be naive by thinking a handgun ban would address violent crime, as illegal firearms and drugs will still be reaching Canada through the United States.

“People can’t be naive to the realities of how it works with organized crime and smuggling,” he said.

“There will always be an influx of guns from the United States into Canada… Heroin is illegal in Canada, too, but we have heroin in Canada.

In his recent video, True North’s Leo Knight expressed the same view as Canada’s law enforcement. Despite expert opposition, the government appears poised to further limit legal firearms in the future.

Organized crime reduction minister Bill Blair has refused to say whether or not he will ban handguns through a ministerial order, which could allow for a ban without a vote in parliament.

A Trudeau-appointed Senator also tried to put a handgun ban into the Liberals’ Bill C-71. That amendment was defeated in committee. 

Another more bizarre idea being suggested would force gun-owners to keep their guns in centralized government-owned facilities, rather than in their homes.

Blair also refused to commit to this idea, leaving Canadians in the dark about what the government is actually going to do.

So far the Liberals have remained silent on their gun -control plan if they get reelected, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his party’s plan will be revealed during the election.

“I very much look forward to the election campaign in which we will be able to share with Canadians our vision for how to keep Canadians safer,” Trudeau said.