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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

OP-ED: What do funding reversals for Indigenous burial searches mean?

By
Hymie Rubenstein
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Source: Facebook

The federal government is facing severe and widespread criticism for cutting funding to search for the remains of Indigenous children said to have never returned home from their residential schools.

The Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund (RSMCCSF) allowed organizations and communities to receive up to $3 million per year for an unspecified number of years. Now, the funding has been capped at $500,000 annually, a six-fold cut—significantly lower than what Indigenous organizations claim is required to continue their work.

The RSMCCSF was established in 2021 as a $321 million knee-jerk reaction to the disputed May 27, 2021, Kamloops Indian Band’s announcement of “the confirmation of the remains of 215 children who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School” buried next to the long closed institution.

No such “confirmation” has ever taken place either at Kamloops or elsewhere because only excavation of alleged burial plots can do so. Such excavation has rarely been undertaken, presumably because it has always yielded inconclusive or problematic results.

Still, this has not prevented 146 funding agreements providing more than $216.5 million to indigenous communities and organizations to support “community-led and Survivor-centric initiatives to document, locate and commemorate the children that did not return home [sic] and unmarked burial sites associated with former residential schools” as of March 31, 2024.

None of these agreements required excavation to confirm ground penetrating radar (GPR) results, a crude search tool that can determine only subterranean soil disturbances.

According to Tanya Talaga, the Globe and Mail’s strident reporter on Indigenous issues, “It was Canadian law and policy to make Indigenous children disappear,” an assertion based on no logical or empirical evidence.

Not only did Talaga demand a restoration of funding, she also asserted that “Canada needs to create permanent funding for research and site searches of residential schools now.”

As for other Indigenous activists, “We should be investing additional funding into the supports for communities, not removing them” in their search for almost exclusively nameless missing children, said Kimberly Murray, the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites, in response to the spending cuts.

This is a bizarre comment coming from an Indigenous activist who, on March 21, 2023, stated there are no missing Indian Residential School children in her testimony before the federal government’s Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples, “The children aren’t missing; they’re buried in the cemeteries. They’re missing because the families were never told where they’re buried.” 

Yes, some children never came home because they were transported to hospitals and sanitoria and hence buried elsewhere. But this doesn’t mean their families were not informed or that their deaths and place of interment were not properly recorded.

Murray also complained that the funding criteria currently exclude searches at locations other than residential schools recognized by the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA).

“The funding wouldn’t cover searches of non-recognized residential schools that Indigenous children were taken to and died at,” said Murray. 

“It also excludes searches for the children who were taken to residential schools and later transferred to hospitals, sanitoriums or other institutions,” Murray said.

Unwilling to observe the conditions of her contractual mandate or that of the IRSSA, Murray recently released an unauthorized report titled Sites of Truth, Sites of Conscience dealing explicitly with hospitals, sanitoria, and other institutions.

Murray is supposed to be answerable to the Minister of Justice. However, she’s always been a loose cannon, most recently falsely opining that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada provided “indisputable historical evidence of genocide, crimes against humanity, and mass human rights violations in the Indian Residential School System.”

Chantalle Aubertin, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani responded to a CBC interview request by stating, “We will take the time to give proper consideration to the Special Interlocutor’s recommendations as we await her final report expected this fall,” implying that Murray’s latest report was unauthorized.

This did not prevent Murray from complaining that groups that qualify for funding will face restrictions on how they can use them. She said that memorialization efforts like purchasing headstones on unmarked graves or putting up fences to protect burial sites don’t qualify, ignoring the elementary fact that any unmarked graves found in reserve cemeteries would have received simple wooden crosses that have long disintegrated or that Indigenous community cemeteries are generally unkempt, neglected, and full of unmarked graves.

The unkempt Kamloops Indian Reserve community cemetery.

Murray also noted “We have to follow the truth where it takes us, and Canada is putting up barriers and roadblocks to following the truth and revealing the truth. And quite frankly, it’s in breach of their international obligations.” 

As for “international obligations,” Murray is undoubtedly referring to the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal Peoples, a land and power surrender declaration overwhelmingly and hypocritically adopted by countries whose indigenous people disappeared or were fully assimilated millennia ago.

“It’s just a continuing process of Canada creating amnesty for itself by pulling the plug on all these searches,” she also complained. 

Murray ignores that the real “barriers and roadblocks” and “plug pulling” have been erected by the Indigenous leaders who have refused to unearth the soil anomalies revealed by GPR searches or even search provincial archives to quickly discover the fate of children who died while registered as Indian Residential School students..

Other indigenous groups have heavily criticized the funding cut. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said it was outraged at the decision and that the funding cap was disrespectful to survivors and families impacted by residential schools.

A third twist on this funding reduction came from Leah Redcrow, executive director of the Acimowin Opaspiw Society, which represents the former students of Blue Quills residential school in Alberta, who said federal officials told her last month the cut was because they were waiting for Murray’s final report due later this year.

Murray’s overall position is, “What they should have done is just increase the funding,” ignoring that the $216.5 million already allocated has yielded the remains of not a single missing Indian Residential School child who never came home.

In an emailed statement to the CBC, a Crown-Indigenous Relations spokesperson said the government’s adjustments to the funding program are aimed at allowing it to be distributed to as many community-led initiatives as possible.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree took a somewhat different position on this cut when he claimed “We had limited resources allocated to us as a department. We had to make a difficult decision. I apologize for that.”

A final twist on this funding reduction occurred on Friday, August 16 when it was suddenly cancelled by Anandasangaree who claimed there was a mistake in not being flexible enough. “Communities know best what is needed to undertake this important work, on their own terms,” he said.

What this funding brouhaha really shows is hard to determine apart from the strength of Indigenous lobbying and Liberal Party guilt about the downtrodden status of the country’s Indigenous people.

Still, it is surely not a sign that this federal Liberal Party government is finally beginning to recognize that continuing to feed what even the left-wing Toronto Star has termed the Indian industry – an army of Indigenous politicians, activists, hangers-on, consultants, lawyers, and accountants who are sucking hundreds of millions of dollars out of Indian Reserves and from federal government coffers – is a fool’s errand that only earns Canada’s ruling regime contempt from all sides.

Hymie Rubenstein, editor of REAL Indigenous Report, is a retired professor of anthropology and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

UCP ahead of NDP but Albertans worry province headed in wrong direction: poll 

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Although Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party is polling ahead of the Alberta NDP, more Albertans than not disapprove of her government’s handling of most key issues.

According to a survey conducted by Leger360, Albertans disapprove of the government’s handling of 16 out of 20 key issues facing the province – despite the government’s eight-point voting intention lead over the rival NDP party.

The survey was conducted by asking a sample of 1,005 Albertans, statistically weighted to represent Canada’s demographics according to Canada’s census figures, what they thought on key issues, government, and voting intentions. A probability sample of this size typically has a margin of error of over or under 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

Smith and Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi were neck in neck in approval ratings each scoring 39% with voters. However, a look at the voting intentions along party lines shows the United Conservatives carrying an eight-point lead over the NDP with 48% and 40% respectively.

United Conservative MLA Garth Roswell, Chair of the Alberta First cabinet policy committee, is optimistic about the province’s direction but admits there’s work to be done to earn the trust and confidence of Albertans.

“Like every other province, Alberta is facing some complex challenges, but we also have the fastest-growing economy in the country, the lowest taxes, the highest wages, and more,” Roswell told True North in an email. “While there’s always more that we can do, this poll shows the UCP with a near ten-point lead over the NDP, suggesting Albertans feel good about the overall direction of their province and government.”

However, 52% of those asked in the poll said that they believe Alberta is on the wrong track, while only 37% said it is going in the right direction. Outside the Conservatives and NDP, no other party received more than 4% support. 

Albertans said the most important issues were healthcare, inflation and rising interest rates, housing prices and affordability, and the economy.

Out of those who said healthcare was the most critical issue, 32% were Alberta NDP voters. For those saying it was the second most important issue 50% of voters were provincial NDP supporters.

UCP voters were more likely to prioritize inflation and the economy, with around 20% support for each issue as their most important issue. Out of those who said it was their second priority, 38% of United Conservative supporters said inflation was, and 30% said the economy was.

Regarding housing prices and affordability, the two voter streams were pretty even about what was a priority for them. Of those who said housing was their most important issue, 12% of Albertans would vote United Conservative, and 13% would vote NDP.  Of those saying housing was the second biggest priority, 21% were UCP voters, and 24% were for the provincial NDP.

More Albertans approved of the government’s handling of four issues out of 20 than disapproved. 

More said that they approved of the government’s handling of wildfires and its policies on energy and pipelines, transportation, and reconciliation with Indigenous and First Nations people than those who disapproved.

More than 50% of Albertans disapproved of the government’s handling of housing prices, affordability, homelessness, health care, poverty, and taxes in each issue.

For those issues that were most important to Albertan constituents, 60% disapproved of the government’s handling of the healthcare system, and 59% disagreed with it on housing prices and affordability. Nearly half disapproved of the government’s approach to the economy, and 46% disapproved of the provincial government budget.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe admonishes Capital Pride for its anti-Israel stance

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe vowed not to participate in the upcoming Captial Pride events days after Jewish rights organizations pulled support from Ottawa’s Pride organization over its anti-Israel stance.

Sutcliffe posted a statement on social media Thursday in support of Ottawa’s Jewish community disapproving of Capital Pride’s refusal to reverse its decision to join the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement and its anti-Israel public statement.

In the Pride organization statement, the group said it would declare Israel’s retaliation for the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas a genocide in the opening remarks of each event, boycott any company that the BDS movement has declared anathema due to perceived ties with Israel, and that any gay rights that the state of Israel has is “pinkwashing” to hide its alleged human rights violations.

Capital Pride starts Saturday and continues until Aug. 25.

“I’m disappointed that despite conversations with the Jewish community, the board of Capital Pride has chosen to stand behind its original statement that caused significant hurt and distress for many members of the Jewish community,” Sutcliffe said on X. “This decision by the board, days before the start of Pride, has unfortunately created an atmosphere where many now do not feel welcome to participate.”

Sutcliffe left the door open for the Pride organization to reverse its position, continuing to encourage the group, whose mandate is to provide a safe and inclusive celebration for all in the gay and queer community, to “take steps to ensure no one feels excluded.”

“It’s important to continue to support the 2LGBTQ+ community and defend the values of equity and inclusion that the Pride movement has always stood for,” he said. “I will be attending Pride activities in the days ahead, but unless there is a change in approach, I will not be participating in events organized by Capital Pride this year.”

Pauline Colwin, the VP of communications for the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, which spearheaded the Jewish community’s collective response to withdraw support from this year’s Pride celebration, wants Ottawa Pride to retract its statements and reverse its decision to join the anti-Israel boycott.

“We fully support the Pride movement and Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQ+ community. Our concern lies with the fact that the Capital Pride organizers have compromised their core principle of inclusivity by creating an environment where Jews and Israelis feel unsafe and unwelcome,” she told True North. “Our decision to withdraw from participation was not made lightly. It came after significant efforts to engage meaningfully with Capital Pride, which unfortunately yielded a disappointing response.”


She said that JFO views Captial Pride as failing its mandate to keep the events inclusive and safe for all amid growing levels of anti-semitism in Ottawa and the country.

“Continuing our participation would imply approval or alignment with the organization’s one-sided, misguided, and off-mission public statement,” she said. “While the Federation has not called on elected officials to withdraw from the parade, we appreciate the mayor’s stance on inclusivity and his opposition to further marginalizing communities, especially those with the intersectionality of being both Jewish and 2SLGBTQ+.”

Jess Burke, the director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Training at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, one of the signatories of the Jewish community’s condemnation of Capital Pride’s anti-Israel stance, agrees.


CIJA, along with the Jewish Community Centre, Kehillat Beth Israel, Temple Israel, and other Jewish social service agencies, has uniformly declared that it will not be marching in the parade.

“The Jewish community in Ottawa has been an active participant of Pride since its inception in 1989, and the betrayal here cannot be overstated; Jews, as a community, have been steadfast in support for human rights, including queer rights,” she told True North.

Burke, on behalf of CIJA, wants more political and community leaders to promote dialogue against antisemitism, like Sutcliffe, and to reconsider municipal, provincial and federal funds that may be misappropriated and directed towards “hateful activities.” 

“It is crucial for leaders to publicly denounce hate speech and support inclusivity to maintain a just society,” Burke said. “The slopes are slippery; we know that what begins with Jews never ends with Jews, and the radical nature of these disruptions, parade hijackings, and rhetoric being spewed are a threat to liberal democracies everywhere.”

The Alberta Roundup | Danielle Smith agrees — immigration is too high

By
Rachel Parker
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Source: Facebook

Today on the Alberta Roundup with Rachel Parker, Rachel explains how Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has listened to criticism and is changing her stance on provincial immigration. Rachel is joined by her True North colleague Isaac Lamoureux who explains what Smith said and where Alberta goes from here.

Later, Rachel has an update about the RCMP’s search for a suspected killer.

And finally, Rachel has a story you won’t want to miss about the Alberta NDP breaking election finance rules.

Tune into the Alberta Roundup now!

Once Canada’s top crime city, Kelowna now ranks seventh and hopes to improve further

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: City of Kelowna

For several years Kelowna, British Columbia bore the shame of topping Canada’s Crime Severity Index but things are looking up for the picturesque Okanagan Valley municipality.

Statistics Canada’s latest Crime Severity Index, which quantifies severity by taking into account the seriousness of crimes and other factors, shows Kelowna placing seventh.

In past years, Kelowna vied for the top spot on the index – often with its neighbouring jurisdiction, Kamloops. This year, Kamloops placed first, followed by Chilliwack, Red Deer, Winnipeg and Lethbridge. 

Kelowna ranked as the number city when it came to crime severity across Canada for two consecutive years in a row, 2021 and 2022. 

Now, things are changing for the better and Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas attributes the positive development to a sweeping safety plan that includes hiring dozens of new RCMP and bylaw officers. 

“Kelowna was sitting No. 1 and No. 2 for the last couple of years and now we’ve dropped into seventh position and a lot of that has to do with the implementation of programs that we have done within the community to enhance visibility and presence, as well as safety and enforcement,” Dyas told the Penticton Herald on Wednesday. 

“We have made a very concerted effort with regards to crime and safety within our community.”

Dyas, who was elected during British Columbia’s 2022 municipal elections has made public safety a cornerstone of his mayorship.

Last year, Kelowna City Council unanimously voted on a motion to support local Kelowna–Lake Country Conservative MP Tracy Gray’s private member’s bill, C-283.

The bill, also known as the “End the Revolving Door” Act, hopes to amend the Criminal Code and designate certain prisons as addiction treatment facilities. 

Dyas pointed to his city’s “on-call” response team and a city task force dedicated to tackling crime reduction in the region. 

“It was affecting our residents and our businesses and we have made a very concerted effort to turn the table with regards to where we fit on the crime severity index,” explained Dyas. 

Kelowna’s efforts extend beyond the local region with the city advocating on the province and federal government to be tougher on crime. 

OP-ED: Will Canada’s health care system be there when you need it?

By
Harrison Fleming
-
Source: Wikipedia

Across Canada, governments are spending more than ever before on health care. From B.C. to PEI, health care has ballooned to the largest single cost faced by provincial governments. The Canadian Institute for Health Information notes that Canada is already “among the highest spenders” in the world.

Despite record spending, we find a system in crisis across the country. More money won’t solve the woes our system faces, but health reform could certainly help. 

According to data collected from provincial governments and published on SecondStreet.org, there are more than 3 million Canadians currently waiting for surgery, appointments with specialists, or diagnostic scans. 

That’s on top of more than 6 million Canadians who can’t find a family doctor. 

All of this is leading to tragic results.

Since 2018-19, nearly 60,000 Canadians have died on waiting lists before getting the care they need. This figure includes a wide array of health services – everything from MRI scans and hip operations, which could improve a patient’s quality of life, to procedures which could potentially save their life (e.g. a heart operation). Regardless, this total is likely much higher, as it comes from incomplete data – data that is incomplete because governments simply don’t care to track it. 

Additionally, we don’t hear figures about those Canadians who have faced more serious health challenges due to delays in care. Cancers which are far more easily treated when caught early go undetected, or worse yet, grow before necessary screenings take place. Autoimmune diseases, like Multiple Sclerosis, can leave a patient in excruciating pain, unable to live a normal life – sometimes for years – before their disease can be identified and treated. Even trying to get antibiotics for a sinus infection can mean waiting for countless hours in a walk-in clinic, or days to weeks to try and find an appointment if there is access to a family doctor. 

Governments also are not tracking the costs that a lack of access to preventative medicine is putting on the health care system. A 2013 CBC article estimated there were $10,000.00 of extra costs for a patient getting treated who is already in poor health. The Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator increases that number to over $13,000 in 2024 dollars. It would be safe to bet your bottom dollar that those Canadians stuck on waiting lists or unable to find a family doctor are all vulnerable to worsening health before treatment is available. 

So, not only is the lack of access to health care in Canada killing Canadians, but it’s taking billions of dollars away from the rest of the system to treat patients for illness which if caught earlier, would be a fraction of the cost. 

As our population continues to age, more and more people will need to rely on our health care system. And yet, we seem wholly unprepared to even confront the challenges we face today. 

Again, more money isn’t the solution. 

That is not to say health care budgets ought to be cut, but rather, a call to recognize the status quo isn’t getting Canada’s patients the treatment they need, when they need it. 

We have seen some provincial governments begin to explore some necessary reforms. For example, some provinces have granted pharmacists increased authority to prescribe medicines and even provide some treatment for minor illnesses in others. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario are all taking important steps to contract private providers to perform surgeries for patients in the public system to help alleviate wait times for health issues like cataracts and knee replacements, freeing up hospital beds for more critical health needs. 

But these reforms aren’t enough. 

Cities like Vancouver have a significant presence of private health facilities, providing innovative and world-class care. Patients from across Canada will often travel to B.C. to pay for private treatment, but government policies ban Canadians living there the option to pay for these same services.

Oddly enough, a court decision in Ontario recently ruled the provincial government must pay for a person to fly to a private clinic in Austin, TX to have a vagina created behind his penis, and yet, Canadians waiting for cancer care, or critical treatment can’t even access private clinics already in Canada. 

If we simply allowed those Canadians to access those clinics we would create new opportunities for patients to get care when it’s needed, not after months – or years – on a waitlist. It’s an easy answer if the question is about how to get more Canadian patients off waitlists and get them the care they need. 

Harrison Fleming is the Legislative and Policy Director with SecondStreet.org, a Canadian think tank.

45% of Canadians say they’re  “greatly affected” by rising cost of living: study

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Pexels

Canadians are feeling the inflationary pinch when it comes to meeting their daily expenses, with a new study revealing that nearly half of the country reporting they’ve been “greatly affected” by the rising cost of living. 

“In spring 2024, nearly half (45%) of Canadians reported that rising prices were greatly affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses, 12 percentage points higher than what it was two years earlier (33%),” reads a study from Statistics Canada released on Thursday.

The study, called the Canadian Social Survey, focused on 84 indicators used to measure Canadians’ overall well-being and quality of life. 

The results are then used to inform future policy decisions. 

Statistics Canada asked Canadians about how rising prices are affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses as well as their concerns around housing affordability. 

Respondents were also asked about the likelihood that they will rely on community organizations like food banks to obtain food or meals, as well as their financial stress levels.

Of the 45% who responded to being greatly affected by the rising cost of living, that sentiment was most prevalent among young adults, who were the most likely to report financial stress and reliance on food banks. 

Within that cohort, only one in five people reported having a high level of life satisfaction, while the remainder said that they were stressed about money “most days.” 

Respondents with children were also more likely to report having greater financial stress, with 55% of households with children saying they felt day-to-day pressure, compared to the 37% of respondents who were without kids. 

Close to 40% of respondents cited housing affordability as a stress factor that they were “very concerned” about, holding a fear that they would never make enough money to buy a home or keep up with monthly rent.  

Statistics Canada warned of the mental health effects that many Canadians are facing having remained in a state of prolonged stress over their finances. 

“This extended period of financial strain can also negatively impact mental health. When asked about financial-related stress in spring 2024, more than one-third (35%) of Canadians described most days as quite a bit or extremely stressful due to financial issues. This was similar to the proportion that reported having financial stress two years earlier (33%),” reads the study. 

The stress of being financially vulnerable “is known to influence overall well-being” said Statistics Canada.

“Among those who described most days as quite a bit or very stressful due to financial issues in spring 2024, about one in five (17%) reported having high life satisfaction compared with nearly three-quarters (70%) of those who reported most days as being not at all or not very stressful,” it said. 

Canadians’ perception of the future was also greatly influenced by their various financial situations, with 73% of respondents who reported not having daily financial stress also holding a positive outlook on the future.

Whereas only 35% of respondents who reported a high level of financial stress also held a positive outlook of the future.

“Overall, findings from the current analysis show that certain groups are experiencing greater financial strain due to rising prices, including those with lower incomes, younger adults, households with children, and persons with a disability. Furthermore, people experiencing greater financial stress are more likely to report having poorer quality of life,” reads the study.

Canadians’ confidence in healthcare plummets 10% between 2023 and 2024: poll

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Canadians from coast to coast are becoming increasingly disillusioned with their provincial healthcare systems, according to a recent Leger poll.

More than half of Canadians, 53%, think that the healthcare system in their province is poor, an increase of 10% compared to Jan. 2023.

While 44% of Canadians said that the healthcare system in their province was good, only 4% believed it was “very good.”

The results follow Canadians waiting longer than ever to see a healthcare specialist and receive treatment in 2023, according to a Fraser Institute report.

“Despite provincial strategies to reduce wait times and high levels of expenditure on healthcare, it is clear that patients in Canada wait too long to receive medically necessary treatment,” concluded the Fraser Institute report.

Ontarians were the most likely Canadians to say that their provincial healthcare system was good, with half holding that belief. Conversely, Atlantic Canadians felt their provincial healthcare was the worst, with 70% of them saying it was poor.

Women expressed greater concerns with provincial healthcare than men.

While just over half of Canadians felt that their provincial healthcare was poor, 85% said that they were worried about the state of the healthcare system in their province. According to the poll, 70% of Canadians agree that accessing healthcare in their province is difficult. Another 69% say they worry that they will not receive good care if they need to go to the emergency room.

According to a previous survey, Canada’s healthcare system ranked among the lowest of 30 high-income countries with universal healthcare despite being one of the most expensive.

Leger’s poll showed that 71% of Canadians feel their provinces don’t spend enough on the healthcare system.

However, despite record spending in healthcare and education in British Columbia, performance in both sectors decreased between 2016 and 2023. 

Healthcare leaders warned that the capital gains tax hike from the Liberals’ 2024 federal budget will result in an exodus of healthcare professionals from Canada. 

Between 1997 and 2023, public healthcare insurance costs increased by 234%.

Despite the rising cost, only 25% of Canadians polled by Leger were open to the idea of privatization. 

A previous initiative implemented by the Saskatchewan government of outsourcing publicly funded medical work to private clinics reduced wait times by 47% between 2010 and 2014.

Ontario Minister of Education Todd Smith quits politics, Ford shuffles cabinet

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Minister of Education Todd Smith has resigned from cabinet and from the legislature after just over two months on the job.

According to reporting from The Canadian Press, Smith was upset that Premier Ford had shuffled him out from his role as energy minister to the education file. 

Smith announced that he will be leaving politics in order to take a job in the private sector in a statement to social media.

“After almost 13 years as a Member of Provincial Parliament and 6 years in Premier Ford’s Cabinet I have made the very difficult decision to leave politics and accept a position in the private sector,” said Smith.

“To my constituents in Bay of Quinte and Prince-Edward-Hastings, thank you for your trust and support – which I am proud to say has grown significantly in each of the last four Ontario elections.” 

Premier Ford thanked Smith for his service in cabinet, praising him for his work as minister of energy in the three years he held the portfolio.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Todd for his many years of service to our government, our province and our party,” said Ford.

“He leaves politics with a record that he can be incredibly proud of, including and especially fixing the previous government’s energy policies and bringing electricity prices down for hardworking families and businesses.”

Later on Friday, Premier Ford shuffled his cabinet and appointed Jill Dunlop, the former minister of colleges and universities as the new minister of education and appointed Nolan Quinn to replace Dunlop on the post-secondary education file. 

Ford also appointed Kevin Holland as the new minister of forestry and forest products and Graham McGregor as the new associate minister of auto theft and bail reform.

Smith worked in a number of portfolios in his time as a Ford government cabinet minister, holding the role as government house leader, minister of government and consumer goods, minister of economic development job creation and trade, minister of children, community, and social services, and minister of energy.

Smith spent the longest time as energy minister, where he oversaw the development of new nuclear plants and the releasing of the Powering Ontario’s Growth plan to expand the province’s energy grid.

Smith is not the only valuable ally of Ford’s to leave politics, as his highly lauded minister of labour Monte McNaughton resigned in Sept. 2023 to take a job at Woodbine Entertainment Group. 

The Faulkner Show | Disgraceful Neglect: Trudeau government offering MAiD to veterans

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Source: Paul Gorbould on Flickr

Canada has one of the leading rates of euthanasia in the world. Under Justin Trudeau, Canada’s euthanasia regime has received world wide condemnation, especially since news broke that veterans suffering with PTSD were being offered assisted suicide as a treatment option.

Joining Harrison in the Faulkner Show is Canadian combat veteran and podcast host Kelsi Sheren. Sheren is one of the leading voices speaking out against the expansion of the euthanasia regime and speaking up on behalf of Canadian veterans.

Listen to the Kelsi Sheren Perspective on YouTube, Apple or Spotify.

Check out Brass & Unity.

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