Pro-life Canadians descend on Parliament Hill to demand end to abortion

Élie Cantin-Nantel, True North Wire
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Pro-life Canadians descend on Parliament Hill to demand end to abortion

Pro-life Canadians descended onto Parliament Hill Thursday for the annual March for Life, demanding an end to abortion in Canada.

Canada is currently one of the few countries in the world that has no abortion laws. This means that late-term abortions and sex-selective abortions remain legal.

The March for Life has been taking place every year since 1998 and is organized by the Campaign Life Coalition.

True North spoke with individuals who were at the march.

“Every abortion destroys the life of that baby,” said pro-life advocate Janet Morana, who noted that she has also “seen the devastation that abortion does to the mother and the father, as well as the grandparents and future siblings.”

Speakers at this year’s march included former Planned Parenthood clinic director and author Abby Johnson and 40 Days for Life co-founder Shawn Carney. In her speech, Johnson called the Trudeau government an “oppressive regime” and urged attendees to resist censorship when voicing pro-life views.

Conservative MPs Cathay Wagantall and Arnold Viersen also appeared on stage.

“We don’t have a protest here today, we have a rally of people who love life and want to represent life and fight on behalf of life,” said Wagantall, who added that she “fully supports” the march. 

Wagantall also slammed the Liberals and the NDP for politicizing the abortion issue and for smearing her proposed legislation to protect pregnant women as “anti-abortion.” 

“The House of Commons does not reflect Canada,” said Wagantall. “When you only have one party that allows people to vote their conscience on these types of issues and the others whip and present a whole lot of lies.”

RightNow co-founder Scott Hayward told True North he believes it’s important for pro-lifers to gather on the hill to show the abortion debate isn’t closed.  

“It’s really important to gather on the hill and in the various provincial capitals to show the media and other Canadians that the issue has never been closed and never was closed,” he said.

Hayward however also wants pro-lifers to get involved politically. “You have to get involved in changing hearts and minds,” he said.

A small group of pro-abortion counter protesters were also present at the rally. They were joined by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Police ensured the two sides were properly split up.

The theme for this year’s march was  “I will never forget you.”

“This theme is a call for each one of us to witness the dignity of each human person,” said Campaign Life Coalition national president Jeff Gunnarson. “This theme is a call to action, a declaration of unwavering commitment to defending the most vulnerable among us.”

Campaign Life Coalition communications director Pete Baklinski told True North police estimated between 3000 and 4000 people attended the march.

As many as 1 in 5 pregnancies in Canada are terminated via abortion. In 2022, over 97,000 fetuses were aborted in Canada, a high not seen since 2016. 

Ottawa’s decision to cancel flag raising ceremony fuels antisemitism: advocacy group

Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Ottawa’s decision to cancel flag raising ceremony fuels antisemitism: advocacy group

A Jewish advocacy group warns that the City of Ottawa cancelling its public ceremony for an Israel flag-raising event will further ostracize Jewish Canadians. 

The City of Ottawa announced on Tuesday that the flag of Israel will be raised at City Hall on May 14, as has been tradition since 2007 on Israel’s independence day, Yom Ha’atzmaut.

However, the city has cancelled the public ceremony this year.

“This decision is based on recent intelligence that suggests hosting a public ceremony poses a substantial risk to public safety,” said the city in a press release.

Ottawa said that it must prioritize the safety of its residents, visitors and employees.

“The decision reflects a commitment to safeguarding the welfare of all Ottawa residents, while upholding principles of inclusivity and respect for diplomatic relations,” the city concluded.

Canada’s oldest human rights organization and Jewish advocacy group, B’nai Brith Canada, said that it was “deeply troubled” with Ottawa’s decision in a post to X.

“Jewish individuals should not be further ostracized because of the threat posed by nefarious radicals. It is the rogues who are creating division in our society. Capitulating to their threatening behaviour will only further embolden them,” said B’nai Brith Canada.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe noted his disappointment about the ceremony being cancelled in a post to X, despite being involved in the decision to cancel it. 

“This decision was made after consultation with the Ottawa Police Service, and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, with whom I’ve spoken regularly over the past several days,” said Sutcliffe.

“It will be another blow to the Jewish community that the customary ceremony will not take place because of escalating threats and hostility,” he added.

Ottawa’s decision didn’t seem to please many, with Sutcliffe’s post receiving condemnation from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine users.

Liberal Jewish MP Anthony Housefather noted his disappointment with Ottawa’s decision in a post to X.

“Nobody should be allowed to scare people into cancelling an Israel Independence Ceremony. Add security, take precautions. Do not simply cancel the event. I ask Ottawa to reconsider,” said Housefather.

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman equated the decision to a win for the “masked mob.”

“Cowardice to stand up to them is a stain on this city, a deeply troubling departure from a longstanding ceremony,” she said.

Some city councillors even spoke out about the decision.

“We cannot, as a city, give in to bully tactics,” said Ottawa Councillor David Hill.

Independent journalist Spencer Fernando described the decision as “gutless.”

“Deploy the police, or work with the federal government to deploy the military if necessary to protect the event. Instead, you gave in to the Jew-hating mobs and thus incentivized even more hate,” he said.

Conservatives grill Mark Carney about carbon tax amidst rumours of Liberal leadership bid

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Conservatives grill Mark Carney about carbon tax amidst rumours of Liberal leadership bid

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney was unclear about his stance on the carbon tax while speaking as a witness before a Senate committee. However, he did call upon anyone with a “credible and predictable” alternative to the controversial tax to come forward with an idea. 

Carney made his comments before a Senate committee on Wednesday, which had invited him as a witness to study Bill S-243, legislation that would require banks and other federally regulated entities to “mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.”

The committee was discussing the Trudeau government’s federal carbon pricing policy and the administration’s general spending. 

Senator Leo Housakos of Quebec pressed Carney repeatedly as to whether or not he supports “Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax,” but the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance evaded the question. 

Later, Carney would give a more clear response to Yonah Martin, a B.C. senator.

“I think it has served a purpose up until now,” said Carney. “I think one can always look for better solutions and, as a country, we should always be open to better solutions.”

However, Carney insisted that any replacement policy should offer an improvement on the carbon tax, and hold the capability to spur on investment. 

“What’s critical in my view… is that if something is going to be changed, that something at least as good is put in its place. Ideally, if you’re going to change something, you put in place something better that still has that credibility and predictability,” said Carney.

“Because we’re in a position right now where we need $2 trillion of investments at the core of our economy in the next 25 years.”

Again, Housakos pressed Carney on his stance on the carbon tax, saying it was a “yes or no” question.

“This is the joy of being a witness, you get to say what you think,” responded Carney.

Carney said that governments that “spend too much and invest too little will eventually pay a heavy price” in a speech last month in Toronto, according to the National Post. 

Martin referenced the speech, in what he felt was a criticism of the federal budget from Carney.

“You’ve… said that the Liberal government is spending too much and that you weren’t at the risk of constant spending. So, I’m taking this opportunity to ask what Liberal government programs and spending would you cut?” asked Martin.

Carney dismissed Martin’s interpretation of his words, responding, “You read something into the record which is not a quote of something that I have said. So, if you’re going to say I have said something, could you make sure that the quote is correct?”

The Conservatives were eager to grill Carney as he recently received the moniker of “Carbon Tax Carney” from opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. 

There is some speculation that Carney may run as the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada next year, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisting he intends to run again. 

Conservative MP Marty Morantz called for Carney to appear as a witness before the House of Commons finance committee for no less than three hours, claiming that he’s made it “clear” that he’s interested in a Liberal leadership run and therefore Canadians “deserve to hear what he thinks.”

“He may not want to axe the tax… but it’s very clear he wants to axe the prime minister,” said Morantz.

NDP MP Don Davies argued that the Conservatives’ motives were out of line as Carney is currently a “private citizen,” accusing them of being “clearly obsessed” with Carney’s future political career as a potential new Liberal leader. 

“I don’t think that Canadians are interested in the political future of Mark Carney when we have a budget to pass that has immediate economic impacts upon them,” said Davies.

The finance committee is scheduled to meet again on Thursday, where the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be testifying for one hour.

LEVY: The dregs of society are calling the shots

Sue-Ann Levy
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LEVY: The dregs of society are calling the shots

Robert stopped by the University of Toronto encampment a few days ago while en route home from visiting his elderly mom at her retirement home.

The Toronto man, who did not want his last name used, was wearing his kippah under his baseball cap.

But there were no visible signs on him that he was Jewish.

”I wanted to take a closer look at what these people were doing,” he told True North.

But once allowed into the encampment by a gatekeeper called Daisy — and after agreeing to their six community rules (one which asked him to be “respectful” of those in the community) — he was stopped by three or four people who yet again insisted he read the community rules.

When he made it clear he understood the rules, a bunch of guys came over to harass him, he said.

”They grabbed me, tried to pull me out, then they surrounded me and wouldn’t let me move anywhere,” he said. “They were in a very tight circle.”

When he started to get jostled and manhandled, he called 9-1-1 while the group of agitators looked on.

He was inside the encampment about 45 minutes and when he tried to walk around the area, the agitators kept “cornering” and watching him. Campus security kept an eye on him, and told the agitators he’d leave after he walked around, Robert said.

He was told the “community feels unsafe” with him there. He didn’t know what they meant by the “community.”

”The collective makes rules they insist everyone follow in this private space and they don’t abide by their rules,” he said.

Robert said he felt “threatened” the entire time.

”It was their purpose to threaten…to get rid of me,” he said, noting they were yelling anti-Israel slogans while he was on the phone with 9-1-1.

”They were extraordinarily threatening,” he said, adding that a faculty member warned him that walking around the encampment “comes with consequences.”

He said 22-year-old Daisy, at one point, pulled out a face mask, dropped it in the mud and still put it on.

Robert said after that experience, he’s “frightened.”

The great irony in all of this is that these squatters and their media shills — who have repeatedly claimed inaccurately that Israel is an occupying force — see no problem occupying private land at the University of Toronto.

I suppose it has gone way above their heads that while Israel haters have moaned for years that Israel is an “apartheid state” that keeps Arabs out (also not true), they quickly gave themselves the power to keep out whomever they chose on the land they are occupying.

As the days have worn on, the ones banned are primarily Jews.

But even Jews spotted outside the encampment’s entry gates are being harassed.

Meir Weinstein, an easily recognized longtime advocate for the Canadian Jewish community, was confronted by agitators outside the encampment.

They wouldn’t even allow him free access outside the encampment until the campus police showed up.

”They don’t intimidate me but these are the values they want western countries to adopt,” Weinstein said.

Still, one should not be surprised that these entitled little brats and assorted hangers-on in this illegal encampment fail to see the irony of their actions.

From the videos that have been circulated and posted so far, the encampment appears to have drawn the drug and alcohol-addicted along with some very mentally unstable individuals who call people they don’t like obscene and ridiculous names.

They’re the same kind of people, maybe even the same people, I have regularly seen in (and who have tried to chase me out of) Toronto’s homeless park encampments.

Many there, masked with their heads wrapped in shmattas and situated in the same green donated tents, no longer have any clue what they’re fighting for. 

It’s certainly not for a ceasefire. 

Now, manipulated by the evil interlopers who are not students and the pro-Iran media shills, they mouth the demands for UofT to divest from Israel and stop associating with Israeli academics.

I especially love the anti-Israel vitriol from Samira Mohyeddin, a lesbian who bills herself an award-winning journalist. She’s been at the encampment every day, posting her pro-Iran comments on X and Instagram.

It seems she’s a perfect example of how Israel hatred outweighs support for a misogynistic and homophobic regime. 

Make no mistake, divestment is a key element of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, one of the purest forms of anti-Semitism.

Like Columbia and UCLA, I predict this will not end well.

Instead of dealing with this illegal occupation firmly at the outset, the same weak administrators will allow this encampment to fester until the protesters get testy and increasingly violent.

In other words, they’ve allowed the dregs of society to call the shots.

Once things get out of control or someone gets hurt, they will call the police in a panic to help them clear out the occupiers.

Of course, the pro-Hamas crowd will get all kinds of media attention as they are arrested.

But they won’t have to worry.

Paramount Fine Foods owner Mohamad Fakih, who has been tweeting anti-Israel vitriol for seven months, has generously offered to cover their legal expenses.

To be frank, you can’t make this stuff up.

Sabrina Maddeaux suspends Conservative nomination bid citing “corrupted process”

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Sabrina Maddeaux suspends Conservative nomination bid citing “corrupted process”

Sabrina Maddeaux dropped out of the Conservative party nomination contest for the federal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill riding after what she said was a “corrupted election process” and “potentially illegal actions taken by another campaign.”

In a video and thread she posted on X, the long-time National Post columnist turned Conservative nomination contestant explained why she’s lost faith in the integrity of the nomination race.

“Despite raising concerns with the Conservative party nearly two weeks ago, despite submitting clear evidence of a corrupted process and potentially illegal actions taken by another campaign, nothing has been done,” Maddeaux said. “We asked again and again for action, but there’s been no sign that a promised internal investigation is actually underway. No next steps shared as we get closer and closer to a vote.”

Maddeaux accused “another campaign” of having access to an updated and full list of Conservative party members in the riding, giving them an advantage.

The Conservative Electoral District Association confirmed with True North that Costas Menegakis is the only approved candidate for the riding. However, they are still in the process of approving other candidates.

“If one campaign has this list and others don’t, the nomination is effectively rigged in their favour,” Maddeaux said. “They can pour all their time and resources into targeting this list while other campaigns cast broader nets. They can be the first to interact with confirmed voters, ask for their vote, and campaign against other candidates.”

The party has a rule against providing a list of current members to any campaign before that party has been greenlit to run.

One of the party’s rules for candidate nominations states, “Subsequent lists will be given to all nomination contestants at the same time.”

CPC spokeswoman Sarah Fischer told True North it’s common for the party to receive complaints from candidates against their competitors over suspicions of wrongdoing and the use of membership lists.

“In fact, we received a complaint about Ms. Maddeaux’s campaign sending out an email to current and former members of the party when she should not have had access to a membership list,” Fischer said.

Maddeaux said the “other campaign” used the updated membership list to send a series of emails to new and current members. She said the emails were “full of defamatory smear attacks and deliberate misinformation” about herself.

“The Conservative party received a complaint from her campaign about emails being circulated to members in the riding highlighting things Ms. Maddeaux has written and said in the past,” Fischer said.

Maddeaux believes she has evidence that another contestant had access to new members, with whom Maddeaux’s team signed up for the nomination race.

“The email was forwarded to me not just by existing members, but even more concerning, new members who we sold memberships to in recent weeks,” Maddeaux said. “Sometimes, old lists float around. This wasn’t that. This email was sent to new members who had never been part of the Conservative party before and would not appear on any old lists.

Maddeaux said she was receiving emails from members she signed up who were concerned about the smear campaign.

“As one member wrote to me, ‘The smearing is either coming from an outside entity, which is highly concerning, or an inside entity, which is more concerning,’” she said on X.

Maddeaux also pointed to the fact that the riding was found to have been the target of Chinese interference in the 2021 election by the recent Foreign Interference Commission.

According to Maddeaux, the person who sent the emails used a fake name that wasn’t on the party’s membership list.

“Multiple members told me they felt harassed by this unknown sender, didn’t feel secure voting, and were concerned about both their data being compromised and the integrity of the election,” she said on X. “It was obvious why they might feel intimidated. An unknown entity had their confidential personal information and was attempting to aggressively influence their vote.”

Maddeaux also believes other candidates have begun knocking on the doors of Conservative members whom her team has signed up. She said the other campaign used talking points similar to those the anonymous emailer was using.

If her hunch is correct she accused the other campaigner of violating the Criminal Code for identity fraud and conveying false information.

True North contacted Menegakis for comment, but he did not respond before the deadline.

The Daily Brief | Liberal MPs come to the rescue of CBC CEO 

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Daily Brief | Liberal MPs come to the rescue of CBC CEO 

Liberal MPs abruptly ended a committee hearing after CBC CEO Catherine Tait refused to disclose what her 2023 executive bonus would be. 

Plus, Canadians were outraged to find that a Toronto baseball field banned aluminum bats, the use of hard balls and home runs over safety concerns. 

And India’s Foreign Affairs Minister accused Ottawa of welcoming in criminals from India in the wake of the RCMP arresting three Indian nationals believed to be involved in the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis! 

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

Taxpayer advocates award CBC CEO Catherine Tait with government waste award

Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Taxpayer advocates award CBC CEO Catherine Tait with government waste award

A taxpayers group awarded CBC’s president Catherine Tait for wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. 

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation – a taxpayer advocacy organization – handed out its annual federal Teddy Waste Award to the CBC’s chief executive for distributing millions of dollars in bonuses as they laid off hundreds of employees. 

According to documents obtained by the CTF, at the end of 2023, the CBC conferred $15 million in year-end performance bonuses to its staff.

However, this past December, the CBC announced that they would be laying off 600 employees – 10% of their workforce – to address “financial challenges.”

Annually, the CBC receives $1.4 billion in federal government funding and will receive an additional $42 million for 2024-25 as part of the Trudeau government’s recently tabled budget.

“Tait is winning a Teddy Award because she handed out millions in bonuses despite announcing hundreds of layoffs just before Christmas, only to turn around and beg for more taxpayer cash,” said the CTF’s federal director Franco Terrazzano.

In a response to True North’s request for comment, the CBC’s Emma Iannetta referenced a statement the CBC issued earlier in the year disputing the CTF’s characterization of the payments as “bonuses,” instead referring to the payments as performance pay.

On the question of whether or not the CBC would be issuing “performance pay” at the end of the year, Iannetta said that a decision has yet to be made.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of two runner-ups for the federal Teddy Waste award, nominated for hosting three “affordability retreats” for his cabinet aimed at managing Canada’s cost-of-living crisis. 

Taxpayers were billed $1.3 million for the three cabinet retreats where his cabinet dined on filet mignon, ceviche, and prawn ravioli. 

Among the other nominees for the federal Teddy Waste Award include Liberal MP Hedy Fry, Governor General Mary Simon,  the National Research Council of Canada, and Parks Canada. 

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts won the provincial Teddy Waste award for flying a Canadian artist out to New York, South Korea, and Estonia to produce amateurish art and flail around on a couch.

“The Alberta Foundation for the Arts spent tens of thousands flying an artist to New York, Estonia and South Korea so she could flop around on a futon for a couple minutes and showcase a painting that can best be described as ants on a pop tart,” said Terrazzano. 

The City of Regina won the municipal award for their tourism department’s disastrous PR campaign “Experience Regina” where crude jokes about the city’s name made headlines and sparked outrage. 

Regina was forced to backtrack on their rebranding, costing its citizens $30,000. 

Finally, the CTF gave the Mission Cultural Fund its Lifetime Achievement award for several instances of egregious squandering of taxpayer dollars since its creation in 2016. 

Among the CTF’s examples, the Mission Cultural Fund spent thousands of dollars on a sex show in Germany, a New York birthday party for author Margaret Atwood, and a photo exhibit for rockstar Bryan Adams. 

Elon Musk says Liberal online harms bill an attack on Canadians’ rights 

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Elon Musk says Liberal online harms bill an attack on Canadians’ rights 

Elon Musk sounded off against the Liberal government’s proposed Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, after learning about the retroactive punishments which could applied to Canadians found guilty of hate speech online.

“A terrible attack on the rights of Canadians to speak freely!” Musk said on X.

“That sounds insane if accurate!” he said in response to a post which stated that the bill would allow charges to be laid retroactively against individuals who committed “hate speech,” even if the offence occurred before the law existed.

The post quotes Dr. Muriel Blaive, who called the “dystopian” bill “mad.”

“It is retroactive, which goes against all our Western legal tradition, according to which you can be punished only if you infringed a law that was valid at the time when you committed a crime,” Blaive said.

The proposed law states an individual will be liable to a human rights code violation “so long as the hate speech remains public and the person can remove or block access to it.”

If passed, social media posts from 15 years ago which are retroactively deemed “hate speech” could, under this law, become subject to a complaint.

The bill defines hate speech as “the content of a communication that expresses detestation or vilification of an individual or group of individuals on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination.”

Hatred is defined in the bill as “the emotion that involves detestation or vilification, and that is stronger than disdain or dislike.”

According to the Canadian Human Rights Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination one could not communicate “hatred” towards include “race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability and conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.”

“Hatred involves vilification and detestation of identifiable groups, implying that individuals are to be despised, scorned, denied respect, and subjected to ill-treatment based on their group affiliation,” the Supreme Court of Canada said.

In a response to Musk’s original comment, Jordan Peterson also chimed in.

“It’s much much worse than you have been informed: plans to shackle Canadians electronically if accusers fear a “hate crime” might (might) be committed,” Peterson said. “It’s the most Orwellian piece of legislation ever promoted in the West.”

Peterson is referring to a section of the bill which would allow Canadians to report people if they have “reasonable grounds to fear that another person will commit a hate propaganda or hate crime offence.”

The bill would provide costs on Canadians who abuse the reporting process to discourage parties from bringing forward “frivolous and bad faith complaints.”

With the permission of the provincial Attorney General and review from a provincial court finding “reasonable grounds” to believe a hate crime “will be committed,” the judge can order any reasonable conditions to “secure the good conduct of the defendant.”

The courts can order the individual found likely to commit a hate crime to be placed under house arrest, wear an electronic monitoring device, abstain from non-prescribed drugs and alcohol, and be banned from having weapons.

To ensure compliance in abstaining from drugs and alcohol, courts can order bodily fluid samples from the defendant.

These limits can be ordered against the defendant for 12 months or, if they’ve previously been convicted of a hate crime, up to two years.

The accused can also have limits to whom they directly and indirectly communicate with.

Laws that assign conditions without requiring conviction of a crime have been in place for decades in Canada, though currently, it’s only applicable for violent or sexual crimes.

Liberal Justice Minister Arif Virani said there will be a high level of qualifications before speech can be defined as an expression of detestation and vilification under this bill. He said awful but lawful speech will continue to be protected.

“We’re not talking about off-colour humour or things that are frankly offensive,” Virani said.

Critics of Bill C-63, such as Peterson and Musk, are concerned that applying pre-crime punishments to free speech online will chill speech and attack Canadians’ right to free expression online.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct a conflation of two separate parts of the bill with regard to the Canadian Human Rights Act provisions and the Criminal Code provisions.

OPP’s “Project Aquatic” leads to over 60 people arrested in child sex abuse ring

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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OPP’s “Project Aquatic” leads to over 60 people arrested in child sex abuse ring

Over 60 people have been arrested and more than 300 charges were laid in the wake of an online child exploitation investigation, Ontario Provincial Police confirmed on Wednesday. 

Among those arrested in what OPP called Project Aquatic, was Tyler Pennells, a former Toronto Catholic District School Board employee. Pennells is one of only a handful that have been publicly named in the investigation.

Pennells was charged by Toronto police in February after allegedly using various names on social media to contact minors. 

A spokesperson with TCDSB told CityNews Toronto that Pennells had been placed on administrative leave. 

His next court date is scheduled for Thursday.

Another man who allegedly placed hidden cameras inside of washrooms at various coffee shops in Toronto has also been named by the OPP. Toronto native William Jeon, 29, was arrested last September after authorities discovered him to be in the possession of child pornography.

Authorities involved in the investigation say that Jeon was employed at coffee shops in the Cumberland Street and Bay Street and the Bay Street and Richmond Street West areas.

The accused has been released from custody and is slated for their first court appearance on June 5, 2024.

“We’re dedicated to prevention and accountability. We need everyone’s support to combat this community issue. If you see something, report it,” said OPP Staff Sergeant Tim Brown. “Together, we can create a safer environment for all children, ensuring their well-being and protection.”

Project Aquatic was launched in February, according to OPP officials, who say that its intent was to identify and arrest people accused of making, possessing and distributing material of child sexual abuse.  

One individual allegedly arranged for a meeting between an undercover investigator and a child for the purpose of sexual abuse. Another person is accused of owning approximately 21 terabytes of data containing material of child sexual abuse. 

According to OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, 34 victims identified in Project Aquatic have been provided victim support, and 30 impacted children were safeguarded. 

 Victims in the investigation range in age from infants to teenagers.

Of the 64 people facing more than 300 combined charges, over 600 of their electronic devices were seized. 

The accused in the investigation are aged between 16 to 89.

“Our collective strength lies in our ongoing commitment to protect children from the impacts of sexual exploitation,” said Carrique.

Half of Canadians are opposed to anti-Israel encampments at Canadian universities

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Half of Canadians are opposed to anti-Israel encampments at Canadian universities

According to a Leger survey, half of Canadians are opposed to the anti-Israel encampments that have sprung up on Canadian campuses over the last couple of weeks in support of the Palestinian cause.

Of the 1,519 randomly recruited Canadians surveyed from May 3 to 5, 2024, 48% said they opposed the encampments.

32% said they strongly opposed the encampments, while 16% said they somewhat opposed the occupations.

Around one-third support the campers, and another 21% said they didn’t know how they felt, though only 11% of those surveyed said they strongly supported the protests.

Canadians aged 55 or older were more likely to oppose the encampments. 66% opposed them, and 48% of people in that age bracket were in strong opposition.

Of Canadians aged 18-34, 45% support the encampments overall, but only 19% declared strong support for the protest.

Almost half, 44%, of Canadians said the protests should be shut down as they may be a threat to the safety of students, and another 33% said they should only be shut down if protesters voice antisemitic views or propagate any form of hate speech.

Among Canadians aged 18-35 years old, there was an almost even split of young adults who believed the protests should be allowed, shut down for safety reasons, or only shut down if they were propagating hate speech.

Of those 55 years or older, over half, 54%, thought the campus encampments should be shut down over safety concerns.

17% of Canadians surveyed reported hearing antisemitic comments publicly or from colleagues or acquaintances since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The survey also found that 59% of Canadians feel that various minority groups in Canada are “too demanding in their claims” when it comes to reported difficulties that they face.

54% said Canadians were too accommodating towards the claims of minorities, while 37% said they were not attentive enough.

Ages 55 and up were more likely to believe minorities are too demanding in their claims, with 70% agreeing and 60% saying Canadians are too accommodating to their claims.

The young adult group aged 18-34-year-olds were more close to being evenly split.

45% of young adults said Canadians need to be more attentive to the claims of minorities, while 47% said Canadians are too accommodating.

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