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Thursday, May 15, 2025

Man jailed for threatening Chrystia Freeland given no time for stabbing, punching spree

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

A man who previously served jail time for threatening Chrystia Freeland has been found not criminally responsible for a violent Vancouver stabbing spree.

Kent Douglas Meades, 46, was previously convicted and jailed for 148 days with three years of probation after being found guilty of “threatening to cause death or bodily harm” to then-deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland. Only six days after his release, he embarked on a violent rampage in downtown Vancouver in which he punched and stabbed strangers and attempted to light one innocent bystander on fire.

Meades was found not criminally responsible for the attacks last week due to a mental disorder.

During his sentencing related to threatening Freeland, the court made no such finding. The series of random attacks took place near Seymour and West Cordova streets in downtown Vancouver, where Meades approached a stranger and began punching him in the head and face.

Court records indicate that Meades yelled “just pick up just one cigarette butt” as he assaulted the victim. The victim managed to escape as Meades continued yelling.

Just a few minutes later, Meades entered a coffee shop near Harbour Centre where he began throwing chairs resulting in a shattered window and a broken barstool.

In a later statement made to the police that was described as “calm and polite,” Meades explained some of his actions by opining that no one was helping him in “his mission from God to clean up.”

Meades then disappeared for a few hours before re-emerging near the 800-block of Main Street brandishing a knife at a passerby, yelling, “you picked up any garbage recently?” He chased the individual, who fell and sustained minor injuries while escaping.

Meades then attempted to light one bystander’s back on fire, stabbed another person, and punched multiple others before eventually being subdued by police.

A court-ordered psychiatric assessment diagnosed Meades with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, noting that he exhibited paranoid and grandiose delusions, particularly related to politics. The psychiatrist, Dr. Mandeep Saini, said Meades could not comprehend the wrongfulness of his actions.

The Daily Brief | No evidence of traitors, according to Foreign Interference Commission

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: parl.gc.ca

The foreign interference inquiry released its long-awaited final report, concluding there was no evidence that anybody “acted in bad faith”.

Plus, Canadian Retired Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve shared his thoughts with True North about whether or not Canada could meet its NATO spending targets.

And former Brampton, Ont. Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla says if she becomes the next Liberal leader – and prime minister – everyone in Canada illegally will be gone.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Clayton DeMaine!

The Candice Malcolm Show | Jagmeet Singh to PROP UP the Liberals again?!

By
Candice Malcolm
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Source: Facebook

As Trump’s looming tariffs seem inevitable, the Libs have come up with a cynical new scheme to pay Canadians a pandemic-level bailout for workers and businesses – presumably plunging the country deeper into debt with even more inflationary spending.

Perhaps most disturbing of all, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is open to supporting the Liberal government in passing this multi-billion dollar bribe to Canadians before the next election.

On today’s episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice is joined by retired political scientist Tom Flanagan. They discuss this potential program, how we already have EI for this purpose, and why Singh keeps breaking his promise and backing the Libs.

Candice and Tom also discuss Trump, the tariffs, Jordan Peterson’s controversial essay in the National Post, the foreign interference report and the prospects of a Mark Carney government.

Later in the show, they discuss the new critically acclaimed documentary, Sugarcane, about residential schools and how it promotes a misleading narrative and gets many facts wrong. Tom discusses the important facts omitted from the documentary, and provides a reality check about Canada’s past and present treatment of First Nations people.

Edmonton man charged after women sexually assaulted in shelter

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
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Source: edmontonpolice.ca

Edmonton police are on the lookout for more potential victims after charging a man who previously stayed at a women’s shelter with sexual assault.

Mika Katz, who has also been known as Michael Collins, was arrested Thursday after two women staying at the shelter reported being sexually assaulted in August, police said.

The Edmonton Police Service did not identify Katz, 37, as transgender, but did release a mugshot showing him with long pink hair and a slight beard.

Katz was previously arrested in September in connection with alleged sexual assaults of two other women at the shelter around the same time.

Katz had been released with conditions including to not contact any of the alleged victims or be within 50 meters of any women’s shelter in Alberta.

“As police have now received multiple reports related to separate events on different days, investigators believe there may be additional complainants and are releasing Katz’s photo to encourage them to come forward,” the Edmonton Police Service said in its release.

For women’s advocates, the incident underscores the need for greater protection in legislation. In Apr. 2024, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith asked transgender people to “show modesty” when in women’s spaces, but declined to put regulations in place.

“I do not find the idea that asking men to ‘show modesty’ when in women’s spaces is adequate,” said Shelley Crowley, co-founded of Women’s Rights Matter. “Men, regardless of how they identify, should not be in women’s spaces at all.”

“I have always favoured third spaces, but there has been very little willingness to use them, since much of the trans paraphilia is to be validated by being in women’s spaces,” Crowley also said.

Mohamad Al Ballouz, who fatally stabbed his wife, Synthia Bussières, 23 times before drowning their two sons in Oct. 2022, only began identifying as a woman after being incarcerated. Ballouz, who now goes by the name Levana and is currently housed in the Leclerc detention facility for women.

Bank of Canada cuts key interest rate by 0.25% points

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: CPAC

The Bank of Canada cut interest rates by 0.25%, reducing its benchmark overnight rate to 3%, with the Bank Rate at 3.25% and the deposit rate at 2.95% on Wednesday. 

The threat of American tariffs against Canadian goods loomed over the announcement.

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told reporters that the dollar’s recent depreciation has been primarily driven by “trade uncertainty and particularly President Trump’s threats to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian exports … if you look at the timing of the depreciation, it follows very closely on President Trump’s threats.”

“You look out the window and the threat of tariffs is there. There’s no doubt that weighed on our decision,” said Macklem. “The more we can get the economy on a solid footing before it faces new tariffs the better. From that risk management perspective, that reinforced the decision to cut the policy rate by 25 basis points.”

The bank said the “resilience of Canada’s economy would be tested” if tariffs are imposed.

The Bank of Canada also announced the normalization of its balance sheet and that it would end its practice of quantitative tightening.

“The Bank will restart asset purchases in early March, beginning gradually so that its balance sheet stabilizes and then grows modestly, in line with growth in the economy,” it said. 

However, the bank noted that projections in the January Monetary Policy Report were made with heightened uncertainty due to the threat of U.S. trade tariffs, calling the MPR a baseline forecast. 

The Bank of Canada noted how its previous rate boosted the economy and that consumption and housing activity are expected to continue to grow but that business investment remains weak. 

“Canada’s labour market remains soft, with the unemployment rate at 6.7% in December,” reads the central bank’s statement. “Job growth has strengthened in recent months, after lagging growth in the labour force for more than a year. Wage pressures, which have proven sticky, are showing some signs of easing.”

It expects Canada’s GDP growth to strengthen this year but may be more moderate than anticipated due to population growth beginning to slow and a reduction in immigration targets. 

“Following growth of 1.3% in 2024, the Bank now projects GDP will grow by 1.8% in both 2025 and 2026, somewhat higher than potential growth,” it said. “As a result, excess supply in the economy is gradually absorbed over the projection horizon.”

Consumer Price Index inflation continued to hover around 2%, with “some volatility due to the temporary suspension of the GST/HST on some consumer products.”

Shelter price inflation remains high but has been easing gradually.

The central bank forecasts that CPI inflation will stay around the 2% target over the next two years.

The Bank of Canada also announced an adjustment to the deposit rate. 

“Effective January 30, the deposit rate will be set at a spread of 5bps below the Bank’s policy interest rate,” it said. “This change to the monetary policy implementation framework is being made to improve its effectiveness. The intent of this change is to improve the circulation of settlement balances as they decline towards steady state levels over the coming months and support the functioning of short-term funding markets.”

The central bank believes this adjustment will also help relieve some of the “upward pressure that has been seen on the overnight rate relative to the Bank’s target rate” and reinforce the effect of the Bank’s Overnight Repo operations.

Alberta updates antisemitism curriculum in response to Oct. 7 spike in anti-Jewish hatred 

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Alberta’s Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides - Source: X

Alberta’s junior high students will soon learn more about antisemitism with an updated curriculum influenced by the rise in anti-Jewish hatred worldwide following Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israeli citizens. 

The Government of Alberta announced the upcoming curriculum on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The curriculum was developed in partnership with Jewish organizations over the last year. 

“I firmly believe we must do everything possible to combat rising antisemitism and educate young Albertans about the realities of antisemitism,” said Alberta’s Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides. “Ensuring all students learn about the injustices faced by those who historically were, and continue to be, marginalized, or who have experienced discrimination will help us confront hate and build stronger communities.” 

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton and the Calgary Jewish Federation applauded the provincial government’s announcement, which the organizations said proved the government was taking a stand against antisemitism.

“By ensuring these critical lessons are part of the learning experience for students, we are fostering empathy, understanding and resilience in future generations. We look forward to further collaborating with Alberta Education in making sure these important teachings are delivered effectively across all grades,” said the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton,  Stacey Leavitt-Wright.

Alberta confirmed that antisemitism has been on the rise worldwide since Israel faced its largest and most deadly attack since the Holocaust on Oct. 7 from Hamas. 

In 2023, Jewish people were subject to 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes despite accounting for less than 1% of Canada’s population. 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for the deportation of temporary residents carrying out violent or hate crimes in Canada on the same day Alberta unveiled the updated curriculum. 

He said that “woke ideologies” had already caused hate crimes inspired by antisemitism to increase by over 100% before Oct. 7. Since then, he said they increased by 251%, primarily targeting the Jews.

Alberta’s government previously introduced mandatory Holocaust education in elementary schools in Nov. 2023. The draft K to 6 social studies curriculum released in Apr. 2024 also includes lessons on antisemitism. It is currently being piloted and will be fully introduced in the 2025-26 school year.

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton and the Calgary Jewish Federation applauded the provincial government’s mandate for Holocaust education. 

Adam Silver, CEO of the Calgary Jewish Federation, said that the fight against racism starts at school, and education is an important tool to fight prejudice and stereotyping. 

“What is happening in our society today is an important warning around the need to teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust, and the consequences of bigotry and hate. We applaud the province for helping to ensure that our youth will not only learn from, but keep the memory of the Holocaust alive,” Silver.

As the draft curriculum continues to be developed, the provincial government aims to continue working with provincial Jewish organizations to determine when and where students should learn about antisemitism. 

Nearly half of young Canadian men would take U.S. citizenship from Trump if offered

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Young men and educated Canadians would be the most likely to accept U.S. citizenship if offered by President Donald Trump, a new poll finds.

Forty-five per cent of men aged 18 to 34 would take on American citizenship if the opportunity arose. Meanwhile, 46% said they would reject the offer with 9% uncertain, the poll revealed.

The survey was commissioned by True North and conducted by One Persuasion. It reveals a notable demographic divide in Canadians’ willingness to accept U.S. citizenship if given a hypothetical offer by Trump – an idea he has toyed with in recent remarks about annexing Canada.

Canadians’ openness to U.S. citizenship varied wildly depending on age, gender, education, and political affiliation.

The willingness decreased sharply with age among men, with only 32% of those aged 35 to 55 and 15% of those 55 and older saying yes.

Women were generally less likely to express interest in U.S. citizenship across all age groups. Only 25% of women aged 18 to 34 said yes, and this figure dropped to 18% for women aged 35 to 55 and 7% for those 55 and older.

Education level emerged as a strong factor influencing a willingness to accept such an offer. While only 13% of respondents with a high school education or less said they would take U.S. citizenship, the number rose steadily with higher education levels. Nineteen per cent of respondents with a trade or community college education said they would accept an offer. Of those with a bachelor’s degree, 25% said yes, climbing to 35% for respondents with a postgraduate degree.

At the national level, about one in five (22%) Canadians said they would say yes to a U.S. citizenship offer from Trump, while 67% rejected the idea and 11% remained unsure. 

When broken down by region, some differences were notable. Respondents in British Columbia had the highest rate of acceptance at 28%, while those in Quebec and the Prairies had the lowest support with 19% for both regions. In Ontario, 23% said yes to American citizenship and 20% of Atlantic Canadians.

Language also played a role in determining openness to the idea, with English speakers more likely to say yes (23%) compared to French speakers (18%).

Political affiliation heavily influenced responses. Canadians who voted Conservative in the 2021 federal election were the most likely to say yes (32%), followed by the NDP (20%), compared to 14% of Liberal voters and just 4% of Bloc Québécois supporters. 

Higher-income households were also more open to the idea, with 36% of those earning over $150,000 annually expressing interest compared to 16% in households earning under $50,000.

The survey, conducted online from January 21 to 24, polled 1,801 Canadian adults and has a margin of error of +/- 2.3%, nineteen times out of twenty with results weighted to match recent census data.

Another recent poll conducted by Ipsos had similar results with 43% of Canadians indicating they would vote to have Canada join the U.S. if they received citizenship and had their assets converted to the U.S. dollar. However, Canadians overall were overwhelmingly against the idea with 80% refusing to entertain annexation.

Laundering of fentanyl proceeds linked to online casinos and cryptocurrencies, report says

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
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Source: X

Canada’s main money laundering watchdog suspects online betting platforms and cryptocurrencies are being used to launder money generated by fentanyl production and distribution.

The Jan. 25 report titled “Operation Alert,” published by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), reveals how criminal organizations exploit the financial system to move proceeds from the deadly opioid trade, using online gaming apps and cryptocurrency transactions, as well as more traditional methods such as shell companies and international wire transfers.

With fentanyl-related overdoses continuing to rise, FINTRAC’s findings underscore the urgent need for collaboration between financial institutions, law enforcement, and policymakers to combat the growing threat of illicit drug financing.

According to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an independent inter-governmental body that promotes policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering: “the trafficking of fentanyl is fuelling an overdose epidemic and claiming around 80,000 lives a year.”

FINTRAC analyzed a sample of approximately 5,000 “suspicious transaction reports related to fentanyl and synthetic opioids that were filed between 2020 and 2023” as part of its reporting.

The timing of the report, released on January 25, is notable, coming mere days after the inauguration of President Donald Trump and his stern warning to Canada and Mexico to curb the cross-border flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the United States. The warning came with the threat of 25-per-cent tariffs on Canada’s exports.

Canada has long faced criticism, both domestically and internationally, for its perceived leniency on issues such as money laundering in real estate and its failure to adequately enforce existing financial regulations.

Singh hints at propping up Liberals, possibly breaking promise to bring them down

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has suggested that he might continue to flip-flop on whether he’ll continue to prop the Liberals up in Parliament or support a non-confidence motion.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Singh hinted he might support the Liberals’ work relief program instead of a non-confidence vote.

Singh said that the tariffs proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to be put on Canadian goods on Feb. 1 would be devastating for the country. The 25% tariff would apply to all Canadian imports.

However, Singh said he hasn’t had any discussions with opposition or government leaders.

“If there is any desire to move forward, the government should call us together like we did during Covid and discuss a plan that supports workers,” he said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the U.S. plans to implement tariffs on Canada on Feb. 1. 

Singh previously announced he would put forward a non-confidence motion to trigger an election in the next parliamentary setting. The announcement followed Singh retracting his support for the Liberals’ carbon tax, which itself followed Singh announcing he would end his party’s coalition with the Liberals.

Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer previously highlighted that the threat of tariffs could have been avoided altogether if Singh’s ripping up of the supply-and-confidence agreement was not directly followed by his propping up the Liberals in the House of Commons. 

Deputy House leader Luc Berthold made a similar criticism.

“There’s no doubt that if Jagmeet Singh had done so earlier this fall, if he had backed up his words with action, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” said Berthold. “But unfortunately, he wanted to wait until February for his pension. He’s got it now. He was ready to vote for our (non-) confidence. Justin Trudeau has found a way out, and unfortunately, it’s Canadians who are going to pay the price.”

Following Singh “ripping up” the support agreement with the Liberals, he voted confidence in Trudeau 11 times. Since the 2021 election, the NDP has voted confidence in the government 286 times. 

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, similarly asked how he would respond to a bailout package proposal from the Liberals, said he would not fall for any bailout “tricks.”

“If the Liberals want things to become clear and want to help people, they should simply start the election sooner,” said Blanchet. “Nothing prevents Mr. Carney or Mrs. Freeland, once this person is selected as the leader of the Liberals, to say on Mar. 10 that we are going into this election.”

The next Liberal leader (who will become Canada’s next prime minister) will be selected following the party election on Mar. 9.

Lt.-Gov. grants Ford request to trigger early Ontario election

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

An early Ontario election has officially been called by Premier Doug Ford following his meeting with the province’s Lieutenant-Governor, which is now scheduled for Feb. 27.

Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont granted Ford’s request to dissolve the 43rd Ontario provincial parliament after the two spoke in her office Tuesday. 

Ahead of their meeting Ford told reporters that he required a new mandate from the electorate regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian imports.

“Right now, President Trump has put uncertainty to every single Canadian, a lot of other countries around the world, and this isn’t going to happen overnight,” Ford told reporters on Tuesday.

“It may not happen Feb. 1 — I’m sure something’s coming — but this is going to be a battle for the next four years, and I want to make sure that I have a strong mandate to outlast President Trump.”

Ford said he intends to continue carrying out his duties as premier until the election, such as travelling to Washington, D.C. next month along with the other premiers, while also campaigning in Ontario.

Additionally, he said his cabinet has discussed its “economic action plan” to mitigate the impacts that the impending tariffs will have on the province which will be rolled out ahead of the election. 

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called for Ford to release his economic action plan immediately, instead of holding off until after Trump implements his tariffs.

“If the premier has an economic action plan ready to go, why not just implement it?” said Schreiner. “Why not work across party lines to protect Ontario workers, Ontario jobs and Ontario companies?”

Following news of the early election, Ford took to social media to ask Ontarians for a “strong, stable, four-year mandate that will outlive and outlast the Trump administration.”

This marks a change in tune for Ford from 2016 when he repeatedly endorsed Trump for president. 

“We’re entering a period of unprecedented economic risk and lengthy negotiations – against President Trump and with the federal government and other provinces,” wrote Ford in a post to X.

“Responding to this challenge will demand extraordinary action: the need to invest tens of billions of dollars in unplanned spending and tough choices about making Ontario’s economy the most competitive place to invest, create jobs and do business.”

Ford’s decision to call an early election has been criticized as a waste of money and time by Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and NDP Leader Marit Stiles.

Crombie accused Ford of “plunging” Ontarians into an early and unnecessary election when “we need calm, stability and a plan to deal with the tariff threat.”

“At Ontario’s most critical moment, our Premier is choosing to put 500,000 jobs at risk. He only cares about his job, not yours. Trump’s tariff threats are a serious issue, not a political game with you as the pawn — and certainly not an excuse for a $175 million election,” wrote Crombie.

“While the people of Ontario are anxious about the grave threat of tariffs, Doug Ford is pursuing his own political gain,” said Stiles in a statement. “People need a premier who will fight like hell for every single job that’s at risk, not run to the polls over a year early.”

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