A Liberal MP blamed the “far-right” and Donald Trump after Liberal and NDP committee antics caused victims of domestic assault to storm out of committee in tears.
Plus, the group in charge of organizing Ottawa’s annual Pride parade pledged to join a boycott of Israel in support of Palestine.
And the majority of Canadians don’t want to see the Olympics hosted in Canada, according to a new poll.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis!
“Big city mayors” are calling on the federal and provincial governments to provide a concrete action plan to tackle the rising homelessness, drug addiction and overdose crisis facing many cities across the country.
The coalition of Ontario Mayor’s launched its “Solve the Crisis” campaign Wednesday. The mayors are asking for funding from other levels of government for a five-pronged plan they believe will help alleviate the “humanitarian crisis” facing their cities.
Mayors from 30 different cities with a population greater than 100,000 make up the organization.
“There is no reason why anyone should be dying in the streets of this country, given the wealth and the resources and the expertise that we have,” Marianne Meed Ward, OBCM’s chair and the mayor of Burlington, said in Toronto Thursday. “The crisis is growing, and it impacts every single municipality across our province, large and small, rural and urban. It affects our residents, our businesses, and our local governments, and we need solutions now.”
The mayors say they are grateful for the “piecemeal” funding announcements they receive from the other levels of government but that it’s insufficient for the scope of the problem. They are asking for a consistent, fixed and certain amount municipalities can use for various social programs and housing they believe are necessary to tackle the crisis.
They are asking for the province to appoint one minister with enough power and authority to be the single point of contact for all the ministries involved in tackling the issue.
Meed Ward said that having a single minister in charge of crises would be more efficient than having multiple ministers with intersecting responsibilities in the “spectrum of issues.”
The group wants the Minister to then create a “strike force” with “broad sector representatives,” such as municipal, healthcare, first responders, social workers and the private sector to develop and implement a plan to address the issue.
When asked if controversial “safe supply” drug programs and injection sites would be part of the plan, Ward said the “action table” would be where community members debated what solutions would be involved. On behalf of the mayors, she said they wanted to stay laser-focused on the crisis rather than get into specifics.
The mayors want help to fund community services, transitioning homeless people living in encampments to various levels of housing, and 24/7 community hubs and crisis centres to “relieve the pressure” on hospital emergency centres and first responders.
“We just want people that are first of all able and willing to get treatment to have a bed,” Meed Ward said. “We don’t even have that right now, where people who are willing to get treatment can get the treatment that they need, and then transition from an over an overnight, emergency shelter to supportive housing to transitional housing, to eventually long term permanent housing.”
When a reporter asked for an estimate of how much money the mayors are asking from the provincial and federal governments, Meed Ward did not have a number available. However, she said that the Halton Regional Government is spending $16 million a year on “wraparound supports” and the various levels of social housing.
She said the municipalities are “subsidizing” the province with their municipal property tax. She views these services, which she says alleviate homelessness and mental health crises, as the province’s job and should not come from the property tax.
“The property tax is a very regressive tax. It’s not based on income, it’s not based on economic development, so it wasn’t what property taxes were intended for,” she said. “Even though this isn’t our responsibility, and we don’t have the resources, we are still investing in this because our people are dying in our streets, our people feel unsafe in our streets. We’re showing what works by putting our money where our mouth is.”
Meed Ward claims investing in these social programs and housing will save provinces money in the long run. She said anecdotally, socialized housing has reduced the number of police interactions one individual had in London Ont., from 200 a year to zero. In another case from over 300 hospital visits in a year to “two or three.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed delight that Vice President and Democratic presidential Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Taking questions from reporters at a news conference on Wednesday, Premier Ford said that he is “happy as punch” that Walz is joining Harris on the Democratic ticket for the coming presidential election in November.
“I was happy as punch to see the governor get nominated as Vice President, well running mate I should say, and it’s all about building relationships,” said Ford.
Ford recalled Walz’s visit to Queen’s Park back in June where the two regional leaders developed a chummy relationship with one another, bonding over their shared passion for football. Minnesota shares a border with Ontario.
“We share a lot in common when we sat down, we tossed the football around a little bit in my office, we gave him a CFL football,” said Ford.
Ford says that he and Walz both agree that Canada and the United States should be working together to promote a “buy North American” agenda, in contrast with former President Donald Trump’s refrain of “buy American.”
“Talking about buy North America, he understands that,” said Ford. “And I get it during the election, I’m just as bad as everyone else in saying ‘buy Ontario’ and yes, go out there and buy Ontario made or Canadian made. But buy USA.”
Ford went on to laud his province’s economic might while touting his ability to work with politicians of all political stripes.
“We’re an economic powerhouse folks in North America. They realize it no matter if it’s manufacturing or if it’s energy or mining, we’re much stronger together. And the governor, we’re gonna work well together if he gets elected. I’ll work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, I don’t care who’s in there, we’ll work with them.”
Earlier in the week, Vice President Harris announced Governor Walz as her running mate in a much-anticipated announcement, beating out reported contenders like Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The Harris-Walz ticket serves as a contrast to the Trump campaign which has campaigned on raising tariffs on American trading partners, including Canada.
In 2026, the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement will be up for mandatory review, allowing a new American administration and possibly a new Canadian government to renegotiate the deal’s details.
In Ford’s first term in office, the Ontario Premier expressed support for President Trump and ripped Democrats like Nancy Pelosi for ripping up Trump’s State of the Union address and Bernie Sanders for his embrace of socialism.
However, Trump’s proclivity for protectionist trade policy saw Ford’s public support shift, as late into the former President’s tenure, he announced plans to reimpose a 10% tariff on Canadian aluminum.
Today on Rachel and the Republic with Rachel Parker, Rachel is joined by True North columnist Sue-Ann Levy to discuss Kamala Harris’ radical running mate Tim Walz. Levy explains how the decision to pick Walz appeals to the most radical anti-semites of the Democratic Party.
Also on the show, Rachel explains how Walz is being lambasted for deceiving the public about his military history.
And finally, Rachel and Levy break down how the governor’s actions led to devastation in his state during the tragic BLM riots.
Tune into Rachel and the Republic now!
The newly appointed head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Birju Dattani, has taken a leave of absence the day before starting his new job following an investigation into his past anti-Israel activism.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General Arif Virani announced the leave on Wednesday.
“I have received the independent review of issues surrounding the appointment of Birju Dattani as Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission,” said Virani. “While I carefully consider this matter, Mr. Dattani has agreed to take leave at this time and will not begin work at the CHRC on August 8, 2024. I will have more to say in the coming days.”
Virani added that his top priority remains maintaining Canadians’ confidence in the Canadian Human Rights Commission and its commissioner.
Shimon Koffler Fogel, President and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs told True North, “We are pleased the minister attaches primacy to the integrity of the office and look forward to him sharing the findings of the investigation.”
Following Dattani’s appointment, various examples of his involvement in anti-Israel protests and causes came to light. One example was when he protested outside the Israeli embassy in London in 2012 as crowds reportedly chanted, “Zionism is terrorism” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on other parties to recall a House of Commons committee to investigate the “grotesque appointment.” His counterparts did not join his calls.
Following the widespread backlash, the Liberals said that Dattani had disclosed information about his past. Initially, they had claimed that they did not know about the social media posts made under the name “Mujahid Dattani.” Following that, the Liberals said he was clear about his past but hadn’t disclosed everything.
Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman said a “simple Google search” would have done the trick.
In 2015, Dattani, the former head of Yukon’s human rights commission, participated in a panel with a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic fundamentalist group advocating for a new caliphate and opposing Israel’s existence.
He also spoke at several “Israel Apartheid Week” events at British universities, supporting the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement against Israel.
According to News Line, a Marxist outlet, Dattani was quoted as saying, “Workers should boycott Israel and Israeli goods.”
True North contacted the Canadian Human Rights Commission for comment but was directed to the Minister of Justice’s statement.
The Olympics are wrapping up in Paris, France and while Canadians are happy to cheer on their compatriots from a distance, most aren’t interested in hosting the international sporting event on home soil.
A new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute found that the overwhelming majority of Canadians had no interest in Canada hosting the Olympics in the future, primarily citing the costly price tag accompanying it.
The Paris Olympics are expected to cost over USD $10 billion, which is not surprising considering the 2010 Vancouver Olympics cost between CAD $7 and $9 billion with the city only breaking even once it was all said and done.
Six years ago the City of Calgary placed a bid to host the Olympics in 2026, however, it was voted down by a plebiscite and was ultimately awarded to Milan, Italy.
The poll found that nearly nine in ten respondents, or 87%, were proud to support Canadian athletes competing but would not want to see their community bid for the games.
While a third of respondents said they would be happy to see their closest major city make a bid, 31%, another 69% said they would be opposed to their nearest city hosting the games.
Age also played a factor in Canadians’ relationship to its involvement in the games.
“Most Canadians agree they feel a sense of pride when they see a Canadian athlete competing in Paris. Older Canadians are much more likely to strongly agree with this sentiment, while men under 55 are the most likely to disagree,” reads the survey.
“Still, despite this national pride Canadians feel during the Olympics, there are many who would prefer the games stay abroad. Those who say they would like to see a major city close to them bid for the Olympics (31%) are outnumbered by more than two-to-one by those who would not (69%).”
The main reason for this sentiment was the cost of hosting, which the majority of respondents, 79%, felt outweighed the overall benefits that it would bring to the host cities.
Other notable reasons for not wanting to host the games were that the Olympics have become “marred by scandals” and its “rampant commercialization,” which a majority of respondents believe have taken away from what the event should be about – the athletes.
For example, two staff members of Team Canada’s women’s soccer team were removed from the competition last month after being caught in a scheme to spy on New Zealand’s team practices.
The Canadian Olympic Committee said that they were shocked by the incident and apologized to the New Zealand soccer team.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair-play and we are shocked and disappointed. We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee,” reads the COC statement.
When it comes to corporate sponsorships, 69% of Canadians said that they have taken the spotlight away from the athletes themselves.
A Jewish advocacy group is calling on the government to ban the glorification and promotion of terrorist organizations, saying that Canada has reached a “troubling tipping point.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has started a petition calling on the government to criminalize the use of symbols and flags which promote terrorist groups. CIJA’s rationale is that they hope such a ban will decrease the radicalization of Canadians, which the group says has led to incitement and terrorist attacks.
In a post on X, CIJA said the “disturbing trend of home-grown radicalization — including the public promotion of terror organizations, and displaying of their associated symbols — poses a grave threat to Canadian values.”
To demonstrate its point, the petition points to a recent stabbing attempt against the Israeli Defence Forces in Israel by a Canadian citizen, a foiled ISIS-linked terror attack in the GTA, and organizations such as the Vancouver-based Samidoun. CIJA accused the group of promoting the Oct. 7 terror attack and actively campaigning for the release of members of the terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
“Since October 7, we have seen increasingly large numbers of people marching in the streets with flags, signs and other types of banners that glorify groups associated with terrorism,” David Cooper, the Vice President in Government Relations for CIJA, told True North in an interview.
CIJA posted a video Monday highlighting protests in Toronto. The video shows signs that say “Long live legal armed resistance” and an upside-down red triangle on a banner.
The red triangle has become a symbol of support for Hamas, as the terrorist group that rules Gaza uses the triangle in its propaganda videos to indicate the position of the Israeli soldiers they want to kill. Cooper said that for many people, the inverted red triangle is like seeing a Swastika.
In Montreal on Saturday, one protest organizer for an event billed as the “Gaza Night of Rage,” who has been identified as Iyad Abuhamed, led a group of protesters in a call for Jihad.
Abuhamed has posted multiple times in support of Hamas’ terror attack on Oct. 7. As X user “Leviathan” has uncovered, he has shared speeches from Hamas Leader Abu Obaida, which included a prayer asking for “victory over the disbelieving people.”
Cooper said countries like the UK, Germany and France have “much tighter” rules against individuals who promote terrorism on their streets. Cooper would like to see Canada adopt similar laws. At the end of June, Germany enacted legislation that prescribes deportation for non-citizens who incite and glorify terrorism
He said the current Canadian legislation prohibits anyone from participating in or financing a terrorist group such as Hamas or Hezbollah yet does nothing to criminalize their glorification.
Cooper wants police to enforce the laws already in place in Canada, such as hate speech and incitement of violence laws.
Joanna Baron, the Executive Director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a Jewish person herself, feels that broadening the meaning of hate speech is unnecessary, and the use of terrorism symbols could fall under the purview of existing incitement laws.
“Flying the flag of a terrorist organization is a reprehensible act that should trigger further investigation by CSIS and be taken seriously. If police can prove that the flag is wielded with the intent to incite hatred, it is a crime under…the Criminal Code,” she said. “To the extent those wielding flags of terrorist organizations can be proven to be doing so with the intent to incite hatred, this act is already criminalized, and so the proposal is redundant.”
Baron said broadening the meaning of hate speech is an “illiberal instinct” that will not serve the minority communities it purports to serve.
“It merely sweeps this conduct under the rug where we can be less vigilant about it,” she said.
Cooper, on behalf of CIJA, wants all levels of government to take steps to delineate what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to the public discourse, making clear that glorifying and promoting terrorism is not acceptable in Canada.
“In (the Liberal government’s) attempt to be favourable to everybody, they’re actually doing a disservice to Canada,” Cooper said.
He said the regular showcasing of terrorist support in demonstrations in Canadian cities such as Montreal and Toronto is evidence that the government hasn’t been clear about where the line is drawn in Canada.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc brushed off the Conservative’s request for an emergency meeting to determine how an alleged terrorist with ties to ISIS was able to immigrate to Canada and nearly carry out an attack in Toronto.
The Conservatives demanded an emergency meeting earlier this week to determine how one of the two men charged was able to enter the country and obtain citizenship despite having alleged ties with ISIS.
“The fact remains that under Trudeau’s watch, an ISIS terrorist was let into Canada after dismembering someone in an ISIS propaganda video. He was then granted citizenship, and very nearly carried out a terrorist attack here on Canadian soil,” Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer told True North. “Canadians have every right to be concerned and they need answers for this colossal failure of the Trudeau government to protect our people and our national security.”
LeBlanc accused the Tories of partisanship and said that the fact that the RCMP apprehended the alleged terrorists without incident shows that the process worked.
“In circumstances like this, when there’s an allegation that is in the public domain, some politicians, for partisan reasons, will exaggerate the allegation, will insert facts that, in fact, may not be reliable, to make a partisan point that doesn’t serve the national security interest of the country,” said LeBlanc. “Making stuff up and asserting timelines when you don’t have those facts doesn’t contribute to giving Canadians the sense of security that they should properly have by the work that the RCMP and CSIS and the Immigration Department are doing.”
LeBlanc shifted the blame to the Conservatives and the previous Harper government
“I don’t think that the governments would be responsible in putting out a series of information that would prejudice the ability of the police and the prosecutors to conduct a successful criminal trial,” said LeBlanc. “Some Conservative politicians, who sat in the most secretive government in Canadian history — the government of Stephen Harper — have suddenly found a virtue in releasing information that would potentially prevent a successful prosecution or prejudice ongoing police investigation.”
According to the Privacy Act, governments can release personal information when the benefit to the public interest outweighs any potential invasion of privacy from disclosing the information.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had previously posted to X about the ongoing developments.
“Canadians are learning a man who allegedly dismembered someone on video on behalf of ISIS immigrated to Canada on Trudeau’s watch,” Poilievre wrote in his post to X. “Last month, police arrested him and his son while they were allegedly planning a terrorist attack in Toronto.”
“Who in Trudeau’s government is responsible for this massive failure?”
A Conservative spokesperson highlighted that the Liberals have previously disclosed information during investigations when it was convenient for them, like when Minister of Immigration Marc Miller posted on X about Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s Canadian citizenship.
“Trudeau and his Minister are playing games and making grand excuses to avoid responsibility. The law absolutely allows Trudeau to come clean with Canadians because it is in the national interest,” said Scheer. “The Liberal government must be open and transparent with Canadians to explain how Canadians’ lives were put at risk, and what other threats may still exist.”
The father and son duo of Ahmed and Mostafa Eldidi, age 62 and 26, respectively, were subject to several terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for the benefit or at the direction of a terrorist group.
The two were arrested at a hotel on July 28 while they were “in the advanced stages of planning a serious violent attack in Toronto,” according to Assistant Commissioner Matt Peggs of the RCMP. They were in possession of an axe and machete when they were arrested.
The Conservatives want to hold emergency committee meetings in response to two men charged with multiple terrorism offences. The meetings are to determine how one of the men charged was able to enter the country given his previous alleged ties with ISIS.
Plus, the United Nations fired 9 UNRWA workers over their involvement in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack – and yet the Trudeau government continues to fund them.
And Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a message for Ontario residents: “Don’t be pooping on beaches.”
Tune into The Daily Brief with Lindsay Shepherd and Isaac Lamoureux!
The federal government updated its travel advisory for Canadians travelling to the UK, warning of potential riots, terrorist threats and other potential violent outbreaks.
Global Affairs Canada made the update on Wednesday, telling Canadians who wish to travel there to “exercise a high degree of caution in the United Kingdom due to the threat of terrorism.”
The advisory went on to urge Canadians to “avoid areas where demonstrations, protests and large gatherings are taking place” and to “expect an increased security force presence in areas where demonstrations are taking place.”
Additional advice included telling travellers to “follow the instructions of local authorities” and to “monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations.”
Several demonstrations and violent clashes between police and the protestors have taken place since July 30.
However, when asked by True North if the department was warning about a specific threat, Global Affairs Canada responded by saying that “the Government of Canada has been advising Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in the United Kingdom since 2017.”
“As of August 7, we are advising Canadians about the ongoing demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and security forces in the UK, as the situation could deteriorate further. This has not resulted in a change in the level of our advisory,” a GAC spokesperson told True North.
The spokesperson said that the decision to update the UK’s Travel Advice and Advisories was made “in consultation with the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for the foreign destination, and stakeholders from various divisions at Global Affairs Canada.”
Three young girls were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport, in northern England on July 29.
Following the attack, police arrested a 17-year-old male and charged him with murder and attempted murder.
The suspect arrested was born in Britain to Rwandan immigrants. After the attack, riots broke out in London, Hartlepool and Manchester in the following days.
“Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time,” said Global Affairs. “Past violent clashes between protestors and security forces have resulted in assaults, riots, looting, and vandalism. Protests can deteriorate quickly.”
Public places like shopping centres, places of worship, markets, sporting events, schools, airports and tourist attractions are all potential targets.
A series of Taylor Swift concerts scheduled for Vienna, Austria were also recently cancelled over what Austrian authorities called a planned terrorist attack at the stadium where the event was supposed to take place.
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” said event organizer Barracuda Music in a social media post on Wednesday.
