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Wednesday, June 25, 2025

‘Trudeau is hiding from you’: Poilievre rallies supporters at Calgary Stampede

By
Rachel Parker, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Supporters flocked to see Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre at the Calgary Stampede, where he spoke about his optimistic vision of Canada’s future if elected Prime Minister. 

The Tory leader grew up in Shawnessy, a neighbourhood in south Calgary, and said some of his best memories are from the city. 

“It doesn’t matter where you came from in Alberta because this is a province that is more interested in where you’re going,” he began his speech on Saturday night. 

The federal leader said the promise of Canada feels broken, and that Canadians feel a long way from home. He pointed to the high costs of housing, food prices, and the rising number of Canadians accessing food banks. 

“When they go to the grocery store, they cry at the checkout because they can’t afford the price tag.”

The situation is even worse outside of Alberta, Poilievre said, pointing to the 256 homeless encampments in Toronto, including 50 new ones in the last three months. 

“The good news is that life was not like this before Justin Trudeau, and it won’t be like this after he’s gone.” 

Poilievre told supporters that a Conservative government would stop overspending and money printing,  axe the carbon tax, and champion Canadian energy.

“Instead of creating more cash, we’re going to create more of what cash buys, grow more food, build more homes, and produce more Canadian resources,” he said. “Here in this country, we know how to do it. We need to unleash the unmatched might of the free enterprise system.”

He also committed to increasing inspections of shipping containers which are being used to transport stolen Canadian vehicles. Additionally, Poilievre promised to implement a Tax Reform Commission with a three-point mandate to find tax cuts for Canadian-made products, cutting administrative and compliance burdens, and lowering taxes for the working class. 

The Tory leader’s speech highlighted Trudeau’s absence, which comes as some speculate whether he will resign after the Liberals lost a Toronto stronghold in a byelection last month. This marks the first time Trudeau missed the Stampede since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Don’t feel offended, Calgary, that Justin Trudeau is hiding from you,” Poilievre joked. “He’s actually hiding from his own caucus, terrified to meet with the people who are supposed to be his greatest supporters.”

The crowd laughed when Poilievre talked about cutting funding for the CBC and converting the state broadcaster’s headquarters into housing. Supporters likewise applauded and jeered when he referred to Jyoti Gondek as an “incompetent NDP Liberal mayor.” 

According to recent data, Gondek is the least popular politician in Canada, falling even further in the polls than Trudeau. The numbers follow a breach in a major water feed main in Calgary which took weeks to be fixed while Calgarians were placed under water restrictions and encouraged to report those who didn’t comply. 

Poilievre closed his speech by painting an image of Canada much like a decade ago when food and homes were affordable, the economy was flourishing, and firearms owners didn’t fear confiscation of their legally acquired property.

The Daily Brief | Canada has highest household debt in the world

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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Source: Pexels

A group of British Columbia youth advocates are aiming to open a tuition-free independent school by September 2025.

Plus, newcomers are considering relocating provinces and even leaving Canada due to rising housing costs, according to a new survey.

And Canada has the third-highest household debt in the world, trailing only Switzerland and Australia and far exceeding any other G7 country, according to a Desjardins report.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Lindsay Shepherd and Isaac Lamoureux!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

The Andrew Lawton Show | Poilievre takes aim at Trudeau’s “woke ideology” in Stampede speech

By
Andrew Lawton
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Source: Facebook

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spoke to a crowd of thousands at the Calgary Stampede over the weekend, defending firearms owners and railing against censorship and what he called Justin Trudeau’s “woke ideology.” True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s important to note how Poilievre is doing the opposite of what the media elites and political pundits have said for years conservative politicians need to do – and his poll numbers show him doing better than his predecessors.

Also, Canada’s ambassador for climate change has amassed $254,000 in travel expenses in less than two years. Saving the planet doesn’t come cheap, does it? Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation weighs in.

Plus, unionized workers from Ontario’s liquor store monopoly, the LCBO, are on strike over their opposition to some alcoholic beverages being available in convenience stores, which they pretend is a threat to public safety. Andrew discusses with David Clement of the Consumer Choice Center.

Ontario doctor reports three year wait for patient to see ENT

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

An Ontario doctor is sounding off about the three years one of his patients has to wait to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist.

A year after requesting a consult with an ENT for a patient with hearing loss and tinnitus, or ear ringing, Dr. Mike Hart received a written note from another doctor informing him his patient would likely have to wait over three years to see him.

“Due to an overwhelming number of referrals, the current wait time for non-urgent referral is 36+ months,” the note read. 

“There are a lot of people out there who have had something similar happen,” Hart, a London, Ont. physician, told True North in an interview. “Maybe it hasn’t been three years like with that particular patient,  But they may have had a situation where they had to wait six months, 12 months, one month, two months.”

He said wait times in Canada have gradually worsened over the last ten years of his practice, driving people to seek medical treatment abroad.

“Even my own fiancée had to seek medical care elsewhere, and she had surgery in Greece because the wait times in Canada were too inappropriate,” Hart said.

Mackenzie Moir, a senior policy analyst and health expert at the Fraser Institute, told True North that wait times have increased significantly since at least the 1990s.

“It’s not necessarily a year-over-year increase, but we’ve seen an overall trend,” Moir said.

He said the average wait time to see a specialist in Canada was 27.7 weeks, according to the latest polling Fraser Institute released in 2023. In 1993, the national estimate was 9.3 weeks.

According to Moir, Canada spent the most on healthcare as a percentage of its GDP out of 30 other universal healthcare countries. Yet it has 2.8 physicians per thousand population, ranking it the 28th worst in all of those countries.

Moir was careful to point out that throwing money at the problem won’t solve it. He said Canadian provinces should adopt a similar approach to Saskatchewan’s “very successful experiment,” which involved expanding and contracting private clinics to deliver publicly funded healthcare.

“They were able to reduce their wait time significantly in that period, taking them from the longest wait times outside of Atlantic Canada in 2010 to one of the shortest by 2014,” Moir said.

Hart said that despite Ontario having more doctors than ever, the province is still experiencing shortage issues, and for him, there are several contributing factors to the longer wait times.

“We just don’t have enough specialists, ER doctors, or family doctors. The situation is getting worse,” he said. “It’s not just a doctor shortage. We also have an aging population and a growing population.”

Hart said language barriers between doctors and many newcomers to Canada who do not speak English as a first language can limit the number of patients a doctor can see.

“Of course, (everyone) deserves care, but when two people are speaking different languages, it is going to complicate things and make things difficult,” he said. 

Hart said many doctors leave their roles due to poor working conditions and general burnout.

“Certainly, COVID has exacerbated all of the situations and all wait times that are going on right now. I think family doctors and emergency room doctors especially, feel like they’re grossly underpaid,” he said.

During the pandemic, many Canadian healthcare professionals were penalized for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, further decreasing the number of doctors as well.

Hart also said that some of the onus lies on Canadians to keep themselves healthy and alleviate the “bottled-up” healthcare system.

“(Many) patients are not taking care of themselves very well, and people are getting sicker and sicker,” he said, pointing to a growing number of people with obesity and diabetes as an example.

“I think that we need to place a little more emphasis on preventative care,” he said. “The healthcare system may only be here for you when you’re really sick or may not be here for you when you’re starting to feel sick. It seems like it’s being reduced to mostly emergency services.”

Alberta introduces permanent residency path for police officers

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Foreigners interested in becoming police officers will soon be able to immigrate to Alberta and become permanent residents.

Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program has introduced a new pathway to permanent residency for foreign nationals aspiring to work as police officers in the province. 

This initiative aims to bolster Alberta’s law enforcement capabilities and address recruitment challenges.

“We are creating a new Alberta Advantage Immigration Program pathway for law enforcement to help Alberta’s police services address crime and meet their recruitment objectives for public protection,” states an update from June 25 on the program’s website.

The eligible occupations for this pathway include commissioned and non-commissioned police officers, police investigators, and other specialized law enforcement occupations.

Under this new program, invited applicants must have a job offer from a member of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police and meet all other Express Entry criteria. Eligible employers for law enforcement nominations must also be members of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police.

The Express Entry system ranks immigration applications from skilled workers by score. Alberta then nominates the most qualified candidates to apply for permanent residence with the federal government.  

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program works in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to streamline the immigration process.

“Keeping Albertans safe is a top priority of this government, and we are committed to protecting the safety and security of Albertans by supporting Alberta police services’ international police officer recruitment,” reads Alberta’s update.

Although some specifics of the new pathway are yet to be disclosed, the province promises that further information will be available soon.

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program nominates workers with skills to fill job shortages for permanent residency in Alberta and those planning to buy or start a business. The provincial and federal governments run the program. 

“If you are nominated through the program, you may apply for permanent residence status together with your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children,” reads the program’s website.

Canada’s population grew by 3.2% between 2023 and 2024, surpassed by growth in Alberta, which led the way at 4.41%. Alberta continued to lead the pack between the first and second quarter of 2024, seeing a population growth of 1.02%, almost double the country’s average.

The first quarter of 2024 marked the 11th straight quarter where Alberta saw net gains through interprovincial migration, gaining 12,500 more people than left the province. Canadians are migrating mostly from Ontario and British Columbia, relocating from some of the most expensive provinces to one of the most affordable. 

Canada’s population surpassed 41 million just after Apr. 1, 2024, following annual population growth not seen in 66 years.

Alberta’s population continues to increase at rates not seen since the 1980s.

In the first quarter of 2024, Alberta welcomed 32,893 new residents through international migration. An additional 12,482 residents came through interprovincial migration. Alberta was the only province to see significant gains from interprovincial migration, according to the provincial government. 

“This was the seventh quarter in a row that Alberta registered the highest net interprovincial gains,” reads Alberta’s website.

True North reached out to the Ministry of Immigration and the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police for comment but received no reply.

Atlantic retailers blast federal nicotine pouch restrictions as a threat to autonomy

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Newfoundland small business owners are upset with a new federal policy restricting the sale of nicotine alternatives, such as pouches, to pharmacies.

The proposed changes, which keep the products out of convenience stores, have sparked concerns about public health, economic impacts, and provincial autonomy, say retailers.

In a press release, local retailers argue that the federal government’s plan to limit product sales to drugstores could undermine public health efforts by making it harder for smokers to access cessation aids. 

They warn that this restriction might inadvertently push consumers towards the black market, where products are unregulated and potentially harmful.

Critics of the policy emphasize that the regulation sets a troubling precedent by allowing federal authorities to dictate sales locations of health products, traditionally a provincial jurisdiction. 

“This move sets a dangerous precedent for further intervention in the affairs of Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Mike Hammoud, Atlantic vice president of the Convenience Industry Council of Canada.

Economic implications are also a significant concern. The policy appears to benefit large retailers at the expense of small businesses that have long been trusted to sell age-restricted products responsibly. 

Convenience store owners worry that losing the ability to sell the products will hurt their businesses and the local economy.

Additionally, the convenience store association pointed out that the federal policy misses its mark on preventing youth access to pouches and other products. 

Young people primarily obtain these products online, meaning the policy unfairly targets compliant retailers rather than addressing the real issue of online sales.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s government is already contemplating stricter tobacco regulations, including raising the legal age for tobacco purchases and limiting sale locations. 

Business owners fear that combined with the federal restrictions, these measures will further strain local stores.

The retail group advocates for increased regulation on marketing to prevent youth access but opposes the proposed sales restrictions. They are calling on Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey to oppose the measures.

Edmonton bans sale of bear spray to minors due to excess use as a weapon

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

A new Edmonton bylaw bans businesses from selling bear spray to minors after a report from the city’s police force called it one of the most common improvised weapons used on the street.

The bylaw passed with unanimous support from City Council on Wednesday. 

The new bylaw will include a licensing regime and requirements to track transaction records to ensure the new regulations. Adults will also be responsible from keeping purchased canisters out of reach from minors. 

Businesses caught selling to minors will receive a $2,000 fine for a first offence.

Businesses that fail to record transactions or provide adequate product security and a city-approved purchaser guide will receive a $1,000 fine for a first offence. 

All fines will double for subsequent offences.

Bear spray products cause intense burning and irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat due to their high concentration of capsicum, the active ingredient in chilli peppers. 

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi called the bylaw “another tool” to help officers confiscate bear spray to ensure it won’t be used as an “unintended weapon.”

“I think this is another tool that will allow our communities to be more safe (and) gives additional tools to our bylaw officers to make sure that the bear spray is not being used as an unintended weapon,” said Sohi.

The decision to ban the sale came in response to an Edmonton Police Service report from last February which noted that the canisters were being manipulated for “illicit purposes” as well as having their safety mechanisms disabled. 

“This has been an issue that’s been identified in the communities that I represent for sure, but across the city, especially with the data that EPS has presented, being able to use all the tools that are in our toolbox to address this is an appropriate approach,” said Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador.

Salvador had previously called for the bylaw to be amended.

According to EPS, the city saw 22,890 bear spray incidents between 2015 and 2023, with 40% deemed violent. 

Reports were highest in Edmonton’s central and urbanized areas as 55% of bear-spray-related reports occurred within 100 metres of a bus stop. 

City Council hopes the new amendments will reduce future incidents.

EPS Chief Dale McFee said that bear spray was one of the most commonly used weapons in Edmonton, telling reporters that “enough was enough” last week. 

“Last time I checked, there’s not a lot of bears in the city… There’s no need to have (bear spray), and then you mix it with narcotic use and often the types of drugs on the street — it becomes quite devastating and puts people in precarious positions,” said McFee.

“We’re doing a pretty good job as a community right now dealing with a lot of vulnerable population services, but accountability is lacking… If we have the ability to seize (bear spray) through the bylaw, that’s exactly what we’re going to do and charge accordingly.”

While the amendments are effective immediately, city staff say they will be focusing on educating businesses before necessarily taking law enforcement action for the first three to six months.

Government admits human rights commissioner disclosed anti-Israel past

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: (Law Society of Yukon - YouTube)/X

The Trudeau government is walking back previous statements about the newly appointed head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, now saying that Birju Dattani did disclose information about his controversial past. 

Dattani, the new head of the CHRC, has been the subject of controversy since his appointment was announced. Concerns mounted over his affiliations and previous comments made on social media under the name “Mujahid Dattani.”

Initially, the government claimed to not know about these social media posts, claiming that Dattani had not disclosed this information to public servants responsible for conducting his security assessment. 

Now, the government is saying that Birju had been clear about his past but had not disclosed everything. 

According to CBC News, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani confirmed that Dattani did share that he used an alias to “public servants as part of the security assessment of Mr. Dattani,” however, he did not provide the name of the alias with Virani’s office.

In 2015, Dattani shared a stage with a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic fundamentalist group and spoke at a series of “Israel Apartheid Week” events at British universities. 

The events  promoted the boycott, divestment, and sanction of Israel, or what’s known as the BDS movement.

“Workers should boycott Israel and Israeli goods,” Dattani was quoted saying at the protest by the News Line, a Marxist outlet.

Dattani also protested outside the Israeli embassy in London as crowds reportedly chanted, “Zionism is terrorism” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” in 2012.

After these events surfaced, Conservatives denounced Dattani’s appointment and called for an immediate meeting to discuss the issue.   

The Trudeau government responded by launching an investigation into Dattani.

 “We have become aware of potentially troubling statements attributed to Mr. Dattani as well as events he participated in while he was a graduate student in London, England a decade ago,” a spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani told National Post in a statement on Thursday. 

However, the Conservatives criticized the Liberal government for conducting its investigation. 

The opposition party argues that the House of Commons justice committee should be the one to probe the matter, instead of the government investigating itself.

Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman criticized the Liberals for failing to properly vet Dattani in the first place, saying that a “simple Google search” would have provided sufficient evidence of his past. 

“Either this was the Trudeau government’s incompetence with a simple google search or they didn’t think their new Human Rights Commissioner’s antisemitic online posts were a problem,” said Lantsman.

“Now we know, they knew this guy’s history and they didn’t care.”

True North contacted Dattani’s lawyer Muneeza Sheikhn for comment, however, she said she could not comment due to her client’s ongoing investigation.

“There is an open investigation on this matter, under the circumstances, we cannot provide a statement,” said Sheikhn.

In a previous statement released by Sheikhn, she said that “some of these organizations (and people) have demonstrated a pattern of attacking Muslims in leadership positions.” 

“They have accused Mr. Dattani of hiding his past online conduct from the CHRC — this is false,” she added.

The Justice Minister’s office did respond to True North for comment on this matter. 

LAWTON: Trudeau’s war on free speech will cost hundreds of millions

By
Andrew Lawton
-
Source: Facebook

Earlier this week, the Parliamentary Budget Officer reported that Bill C-63, the “Online Harms Act,” will cost Canadian taxpayers $200 million to establish a 330-person Digital Safety Commission, though costs could rise, with no provisions for recouping expenses. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss.

OP-ED: Provinces should be cautious about cost-sharing agreements with Ottawa

By
Tegan Hill
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Source: Facebook

According to Premier Danielle Smith, Alberta will withdraw from the federal government’s dental care plan by 2026. This is mainly because the plan would duplicate coverage already provided to many Albertans (although she plans to negotiate unconditional funding in lieu of being in the program).

Indeed, all provinces should be wary of entering into such agreements as history has shown that Ottawa can reduce or eliminate funding at any time, leaving the provinces holding the bag.  

In the 1990s, for instance, the federal government reduced health and social transfers to the provinces amid a fiscal crisis fuelled by decades of unrestrained spending and persistent deficits (and worsened by high interest rates). Gross federal debt increased from $38.9 billion in 1970/71 to $615.9 billion in 1993/94, at which point debt interest costs consumed roughly $1 in every $3 of federal government revenue.

In response to this debt crisis, the Chrétien Liberal government reduced spending across nearly all federal departments and programs. Over a three-year period to 1996/97, health and social transfers to the provinces were 51 per cent ($41.0 billion) less than what the provinces expected based on previous transfers. In other words, the provinces suddenly got a lot less money from Ottawa than they anticipated.

This should serve as a warning for the provinces who may find themselves on the hook for Ottawa’s big spending today. In the case of dental care, an area of provincial jurisdiction, the Trudeau government has earmarked $4.4 billion annually for the provinces on an ongoing basis. However, any change in federal priorities or federal finances could swing the financial burden from Ottawa to the provinces to maintain the program.

The current state of federal finances only heightens this risk to the provinces. The federal government has run uninterrupted budget deficits since 2007/08, with total federal debt climbing from $707.3 billion in 2007/08 to a projected $2.1 trillion in 2024/25. The current government—or perhaps a future reform-minded government focused on balancing the budget—could reduce transfers to the provinces.

The Trudeau government has committed to significant new funding in areas of provincial jurisdiction, but provincial policymakers would do well to understand the risks of entering into such agreements. Ottawa can unilaterally reduce or eliminate funding at any point, leaving provinces to either assume the unexpected financial burden through higher taxes or additional borrowing, or curtail the programs.

Tegan Hill is director of Alberta policy and Jake Fuss is director of fiscal policy at the Fraser Institute.

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