An increasing number of young Canadians can’t afford to buy a home, but Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says not to worry: a lifetime of renting can give “more freedom” and make people feel “liberated,” calling home ownership an outdated concept. True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s a convenient way to avoid solving the housing crisis, and also markedly similar to the controversial “own nothing and be happy” trope advanced a few years back by a World Economic Forum author.
Also, Andrew shares his full fireside chat with Premier Blaine Higgs about federalism, conservatism, and parental rights, filmed live at the Canada Strong and Free Network’s annual conference in Ottawa last week.
A True North exclusive reveals a Royal Military College chaplain who was hailed by the Canadian military as an LGBTQ champion on Transgender Day of Visibility has been suspended following an alleged groping request.
Plus, the RCMP confirmed it executed a search warrant of the office of an ArriveCan app contractor on Tuesday as a partner with GC Strategies was brought before the House of Commons to answer questions from MPs on the scandal.
And the Liberal government’s 2024 federal budget has sent shockwaves through Canada’s tech sector, with sweeping increases to capital gains taxes being the main cause for concern.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis!
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says the prospect of never owning a home and becoming a forever renter is a liberating experience.
Gondek, who owns two properties in Calgary, made the comments during a discussion with the development company RNDSQR.
“We’re starting to see a segment of the population reject this idea of owning a home, and they’re moving towards rental because it gives them more freedom,” said Gondek.
“They can travel to different places, they can try out different communities, their job may take them from place to place and so people have become much more liberated around what housing looks like, and what the tenure of housing looks like.”
Mayor Jyoti Gondek thinks not owning a home – being a renter is liberating and that homeownership is so outdated:
"We are starting to see a segment of the population reject this idea of owning a home and they are moving towards rental because it gives them more freedom…so… pic.twitter.com/ct2FSm4Xq0
Gondek then went on to say that the idea of being able to own a home was like being “stuck in the 40s, 50s and 60s.”
“As municipalities, we haven’t kept pace with that change. We’re still stuck in the 40s, 50s and 60s,” said Gondek.
According to Gondek’s disclosure statement, the Calgary mayor owns two properties in Calgary – one in Panorama Hills and another downtown in East Village.
Gondek’s comments were condemned by Calgary Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner.
“”If this isn’t a deepfake, this is a perpetuation of a dangerous myth that most renters are renters by choice and have disposable income to travel and the capacity to uproot their residence for work,” Rempel Garner posted on X.
Gondek recently faced a recall campaign. Following the Recall Gondek initiative, campaign leader Landon Johnston is slated to hold discussions with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith regarding possible reforms to the province’s recall laws.
Johnston handed in a total of 72,271 collected signatures.
The campaign required Johnston to gather signatures from 40% of Calgary’s eligible voters, a total of 514,284, within 60 days. In the previous city election, Mayor Gondek secured 176,455 votes out of the 393,090 ballots cast.
Although the signature count fell short of the target, Johnston viewed the campaign as a success. He embarked on the effort single-handedly and initially did not anticipate garnering any signatures at all.
Anti-Israel protesters blockaded a railway near Dundas Street and Dupont Street Tuesday to call for an immediate two-way arms embargo on Israel.
Organizers of the protest celebrated what they called a successful five-hour blockade of critical freight services from Canada to the U.S.
Protesters celebrate blocking a train for five hours. Their intention was to hold the federal government accountable for its foreign policy towards Israel.
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) April 17, 2024
Four arrests were made and all those arrested were released on bail.
In a news release by the World Beyond War, a self-defined “global nonviolent movement,” Dalia Awwad, of the Palestinian Youth Movement said after months of organizing protests the government was not listening to their demands for a cease-fire and an arms embargo.
“We have no choice but to escalate, and stop the weapons being sent to and from Israel ourselves,” Awaad said.
In the article, the organization stated the actions aimed to “block the arteries of capitalism and disrupt business as usual in a global economic system that is facilitating Israel’s genocidal campaign on Gaza.”
“The majority of the world stands with Palestine, and today we are putting our bodies on the line again to demand that Canada does everything and anything to stop Israeli atrocities, starting with a two-way arms embargo on Israel,” Gur Tsabar with Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition said in the news release.
The move was meant to disrupt the critical infrastructure which allows weapon parts to be shipped into the US.
True North spoke to lawyer and independent journalist, Caryma Sa’d who covers the protest circuit in Canada. Her cameraman was on the scene to cover the blockade.
Protesters have shut down railway tracks at Dundas and Dupont to demand an immediate arms embargo against Israel.
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) April 16, 2024
“I think at peak there were maybe 80 to 100 protesters. a lot of them were dressed in black bloc, meaning, you know, sunglasses, face covering. some wearing all black clothing to conceal identity,” Sa’d said.
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) April 17, 2024
“At the outset, there were a row of police on either side of the protesters on the track. and gradually more police reinforcements arrived and eventually moved in and pushed the protesters off of the track,” Sa’d said.
As the police advanced some protesters were seen pushing back against them.
Police ask protesters to move back from the railway tracks.
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) April 16, 2024
“A lot of the protesters’ chants reflected, violence by police, alleged violence by police, police brutality,” Sa’d said. “It seemed to me that some of these activists were not shying away from direct confrontation with police. and in fact, we’re looking for that to happen.”Sa’d said some familiar organizers who often show up to these events were there too.
Awaad from Palestinian Youth Movement, members of “Jews say no to Genocide,” and Macdonald Scott, one of the organizers of the Movement Defence Committee, an organization that provides “legal support and training for activists in Toronto and beyond,” were all in attendance.
Scott is also one of the “Indigo 11” who were arrested in January for anti-Israeli vandalism,
MacDonald Scott is a coordinator with the Movement Defence Committee, and one of the Indigo 11 arrestees.
He was leaving the railway blockade just as my videographer arrived.
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) April 17, 2024
Sa’d thinks there are multiple driving factors to this protest.
“There are multiple motives at play, perhaps a shared ideology. but it is quite anti state,” she said. “Without opining on that being good or bad, my observation is that if we continue to see confrontations between police and civilians, given that police seem to only have two settings, stand by and do nothing or crack skulls, I worry about what this means for protesters and protests down the line. if there’s a depletion of goodwill,” she said.
The federal government may implement new measures to expand access to “alternative financing products, like halal mortgages,” according to the new 2024-25 budget announced on Tuesday.
Ottawa has begun consulting with various financial institutions and service providers “to understand how federal policies can better support the needs of all Canadians seeking to become homeowners,” including Canada’s diverse communities.
For Muslims. charging interest is a form of usury, as are gains made through interest, which the religion deems to be forbidden by Islamic law.
Usury is also considered a sin in Christianity and Judaism as well, however the avoidance of conventional interest payments are currently only practiced by financial institutions in the Islamic world.
While none of Canada’s five “Big Banks” (Bank of Montreal , Scotiabank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada, and Toronto-Dominion Bank) offer mortgage loans compliant with Islamic law, some smaller financial institutions do, like EQRAZ and MANZIL.
Alberta also began exploring the concept of Islamic compliant financing for Albertans last year. The provincial government has been consulting with the Alberta Council of Imams and the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton.
According to officials, many Muslims are unable to access traditional mortgage financing because it’s prohibited under Islamic law, whereas halal financing would allow for qualified home buyers to access loans without standard interest rates added on.
“As Premier, I’m truly blessed to be able to advocate on behalf of all communities. With Alberta’s innovative approach to enable halal mortgages, more people may be able to access mortgage lending services in this province. Making Alberta an easier place to practice and live by one’s faith is an important part of building a secure and inclusive Alberta for those from all around the world who dream of a better life,” said Premier Danielle Smith at the time.
Smith’s government aims to be the first province in Canada to offer halal financing through a provincially regulated institution, which will help to give Alberta a competitive advantage to attract newcomers.
“We are laying the foundation for halal mortgages in Alberta so the Muslim community can easily own affordable housing in similar terms as regular mortgages. This initiative will allow our community greater opportunity for financing while respecting our Muslim faith,” said Omar Mahmoud, President of the Edmonton Council of Imams last year.
After being researched, the government would work towards introducing legislative amendments that would enable Alberta financial institutions to offer halal financing.
The province confirms that Alberta has the mechanisms in place to support the introduction of halal financing and that the regulatory sandbox could help introduce it in an expedited way. They say it also creates the opportunity to ensure that required legislative changes would be compliant with Islamic law.
“We are pleased to have the mechanisms in place to support Albertans with new financial solutions such as the development of halal financing through exemptions available under the regulatory sandbox. By creating a flexible regulatory environment, we can attract new and innovative financial services into the province while also ensuring Alberta consumers are protected,” said Travis Toews, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance.
Legal scholars are sounding the alarm about the Liberals’ online harms bill, raising concerns of excessive criminal penalties and oversight issues.
During a webinar hosted on Wednesday by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, two legal experts raised significant concerns about the Canadian government’s proposed Online Harms Act, Bill C-63.
Emily Laidlaw, a cybersecurity expert and law professor at the University of Calgary, co-chaired the expert group that advised the federal government on developing the Online Harms Act. She was one of the panelists on the webinar alongside University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist.
The lawyers, both of whom are Jewish, dissected the complexities of the proposed legislation, highlighting areas that could impede civil liberties and debating their views, which sometimes aligned but also diverged.
The theme of the webinar was unity, not uniformity, signifying that while everyone may not agree with the opinions, they stand united.
Geist said that the bill is best understood as two bills in one: the online harms piece, involved in regulating large internet platforms and the things that take place on them, and the second ‘bill’ which includes changes to the Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act, which focuses on hate and particularly individuals instead of platforms.
Amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act will allow anybody to file complaints against people posting “hate speech” with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. If found guilty, the tribunal can order that the content be taken down and impose fines of up to $70,000.
Geist criticized the vague and expansive powers granted to the digital safety commissioner, highlighting a serious gap in oversight and detailed regulatory guidelines.
“Especially with what are truly quite enormous powers that are vested in the digital safety commissioner, and I believe trust in this legislation is going to depend in large measure and trust in how it’s enforced with the digital safety commissioner,” he said.
The largest concern, according to Geist, is the Criminal Code provisions.
“I think the notion of life in prison, where any violation is motivated by hate, the idea that this could include life (in prison) has some pretty significant implications, and I find it really difficult to justify,” he said.
Laidlaw agreed that the bill was really two or three bills within one. Her biggest concerns are the Criminal Code provisions and the introduction of Section 13.
“What the threshold is for hatred is probably one of the key concerns about this legislation,” said Laidlaw. However, she explained that the Supreme Court has set a very high threshold for the definition of hate speech. One that is “beyond defence.”
The lawyers agreed that the online harms portion of the bill took lessons from other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, and balances freedom of expression with other rights.
However, neither lawyer can wrap their head around the Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act provisions.
“By the inclusion of things like life in prison, it has muddied the debate around some of the other provisions that have made much of this discussion much more difficult,” said Geist.
True North previously reported that the Canadian Civil Liberties Association called for significant changes to Bill C-63 to protect Canadians from constitutional violations.
Geist and Laidlaw shared their visions for the bill, detailing the changes they would implement if given the authority to reshape Bill C-63.
Laidlaw said that the online harms portion could be passed with minor adjustments but that she’d make major revisions or scrap the Criminal Code provisions altogether. As for provisions to the Canadian Human Rights Act, she said she can’t figure out ways to avoid weaponizing it against people.
Geist said that his first act would be to separate the Criminal Code and Human Rights Act sections into their own distinct bills, to be debated separately.
“So, government certainly needs to pay attention to this and prioritize this from a political perspective… and I think we’ve really suffered, at least in part, because governments at multiple levels haven’t stepped up in the way that they must when its comes to this issue,” concluded Geist.
Having passed its first reading on February 26, 2024, Bill C-63 is now undergoing its second reading in the House of Commons, where it continues to undergo debate.
The RCMP confirmed it executed a search warrant of the office of an ArriveCan app contractor on Tuesday as a partner with GC Strategies was brought before the House of Commons to answer questions from MPs on the scandal.
The police agency did not name the company, however the search was conducted at a location formerly listed as a GC Strategies’ mailing address in Woodlawn, Ont. An RCMP spokesperson said the search was not connected to the ongoing investigation into ArriveCan.
GC Strategies partner Kristian Firth was brought before the House of Commons to answer questions from MPs on Tuesday, marking the first time such a measure has taken place since 1913.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett had asked Firth to confirm if his office had been searched by the RCMP. He responded that it had, but that the search was in relation to allegations made by Botler AI, an IT firm not connected to the ArriveCan contract.
Botler co-founder Amir Morv raised concerns with the government about his resume being altered by GC Strategies without his consent for bids in other contracts. Morv claimed that GC Strategies may be practicing “ghost contracting.” a scheme which involves billing the government for work done by subcontractors that may not have actually taken place.
These allegations were denied by Firth on Wednesday, who said he is prepared for the RCMP investigation which he believes will prove GC Strategies’ innocence.
“We believe it’s going to exonerate us,” Firth told the House on Wednesday.
Firth was unanimously found in contempt of Parliament by MPs for his refusal to answer questions before the House government operations last month and brought in for a second appearance to answer follow-up questions.
In a rare occurrence, Firth will receive an admonishment from the Speaker. Only three people have been admonished by the Speaker since 1990.
The auditor general released a report that the ArriveCan project cost an estimated $60 million, in part due to the government’s heavy use of contractors like GC Strategies. The report also noted that GC Strategies was involved in developing the requirements for the contract.
Canada’s procurement ombudsman also released a report which found that the contract criteria were “overly restrictive” in a way that “heavily favoured” GC Strategies.
In his first committee appearance, Firth was repeatedly asked which government officials he had been working with to develop the ArriveCan contract, valued at $25 million and ultimately awarded to GC Strategies.
Firth evaded those questions on the basis that there was an ongoing RCMP investigation into ArriveCan, despite receiving no instructions from the RCMP to remain silent on the issue.
Today on the Alberta Roundup with Rachel Emmanuel, Rachel speaks with Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon about the Provincial Priorities Act, which was tabled by the government last week to ensure provincial sign off on federal-municipal deals. Nixon says the province is concerned about federal interference in municipalities, which are the province’s jurisdiction, and this legislation will end that practice. He also says Alberta “won’t be bribed” to sign onto federal deals with their own money.
Nixon also says the province won’t agree to new housing codes to comply with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s green agenda, saying that would increase the cost of construction and housing.
Rachel also asks the minister how funding the federal government has promised to municipalities is causing blanket rezoning in Calgary.
One former MP’s run for a Conservative riding nomination has sparked interest in the wake of the foreign interference inquiry, as the candidate has had positive and negative run-ins with the Chinese Communist Party.
Former Conservative MP Bob Saroya announced that he will be running for the Conservative nomination for Markham—Unionville on Friday.
“With gratitude for the opportunity to serve Markham—Unionville as MP from 2015 to 2021, I reflect on the initiatives we’ve undertaken. I’ve championed safer streets, fought against racism, and protected our health in crises,” wrote Saroya in a social media post.
“As I seek the nomination once again, it is with that same commitment to continue the hard work for all of #MarkhamUnionville.”
Saroya, as MP, took an eight-day trip to China in 2017, paid for by the foreign affairs arm of the Chinese Communist Party, as reported by the Globe and Mail at the time.
China’s International Liaison Department is designed to woo those with political power overseas, helping Beijing to gain influence internationally.
At the time of Saroya’s trip, then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer publicly opposed the Liberals’ desire to sign a free-trade deal with China, believing Canada should instead be investing in more “like-minded democracies.”
This prompted a concerted effort from Beijing to gain influence over Conservative politicians.
Saroya claimed that the visit involved nothing more than China trying to make inroads with Scheer, aiming to schedule a meeting between him and then Chinese ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye, so that he could deliver a congratulatory letter to Scheer from China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi.
“So they sent a letter to the Chinese ambassador. They were trying to deliver the letter to Andrew Scheer, but nothing more than this,” said Saroya at the time.
Saroya initially told reporters his trip was paid for by the Bethune Medical Foundation but the Conservatives later confirmed this was inaccurate as the Chinese communist party’s international liaison department funded most of it, with the Bethune foundation covering only a part.
Saroya’s trip included meetings with top Chinese communist officials, including Guo Yezhou, the vice-minister of foreign affairs for the international department of the Communist party’s central committee.
“When I was in China I did meet with some of these people. There was nothing special discussed,” Saroya told critics at the time. according to the Globe and Mail.
He later regaled his trip on the Chinese social-networking app WeChat.
“Even though my voters had mentioned this to me again and again, when I actually stood in front of these wonders of the world, I was still shocked and felt proud of the splendid culture created by Chinese people,” wrote Saroya, referring to visits to the Great Wall and Beijing’s Forbidden City.
While Saroya’s communist-sponsored travels raise eyebrows, he has also been a target of the Chinese regime.
“I have seen some reports of travel to China for Mr. Saroya, but I’m also aware of credible reports that Chinese officials attacked Mr. Saroya in the 2021 election,” Sam Cooper, journalist with The Bureau, told True North.
Saroya’s nomination campaign comes as new details about Beijing’s influence on Canadian politics emerge through the public inquiry into foreign interference.
The only thing to come out of the inquiry with some degree of certainty is that the Chinese Communist Party is indeed meddling in Canada’s democratic processes.
However, other reports claim that Saroya had been the target of attacks from Beijing as well, further complicating the story.
“I think the evidence is now clear across Canada that the PRC will seek to either attack or support election candidates at all levels of governments in efforts to bring Canada’s policies into Beijing’s orbit, and I think ultimately in efforts to divide us from our most important partner, the United States,” said Cooper.
“So whether in Mr. Saroya’s case or that of any candidate across Canada, I think that parties should be asking questions about whether foreign governments including China but also Iran, India and others, have tried to support or oppose them.”
Saroya and the Conservative party did not respond to requests for comment from True North.
Three men have been found guilty for their role in the 2022 Coutts border blockade on charges of mischief over $5,000.
Marco Van Huigenbos, Alex Van Herk and George Janzen face up to 10 years in jail. The judge’s sentencing is expected this summer.
The trio were convicted on Tuesday night by a jury of six men and six women in Lethbridge, Alta.
Van Huigenbos said the charges are politically motivated because Coutts “lit the flame that turned into a fire” that resulted in former premier Jason Kenney losing support and resigning. He claimed some members of Kenney’s government sought to exact justice on the Coutts trio for Kenney’s resignation.
“The current administration would not be where they are, would not even be in place if it wasn’t for the Coutts blockade,” he told independent journalist Mocha Bergizen.
The Coutts border protest was a two-week blockade on Highway 4 at Coutts, a village on the Canada-U.S. border.
It emerged alongside the Freedom Convoy, which saw truckers plug up the streets around Parliament Hill in Ottawa for three weeks in January and February of 2022. Protesters there were forcibly removed by police and some organizers had their bank accounts frozen following the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act.
The Crown accused the trio, dubbed the Coutts Three by supporters, of leading protesters to block the border. Lawyers for the accused countered that the men did not organize protesters.
Van Huigenbos’s lawyer, Ryan Durran, said his client was a conduit for information between the RCMP and the protesters.
“He stumbled into a position as a spokesperson. Circumstances conspired so that he became the point of contact with the RCMP,” Durran said in his closing remarks. “That doesn’t make him a leader. You might as well blame the postman because he brings you your bills.”
Michael Johnston told the jury his client, Van Herk, sought to protect those with common political ideology.
Janzen’s lawyer argued his client worked with the police during the protest because he helped move protesters to make way for a trucker who got caught in the protest and needed to leave.
The Crown said the men’s use of “we, our, and us” in Coutts’ videos were evidence of their role in the blockade.
“It was not their highway to close,” the Crown lawyer said. “Making the crime you’re doing less impactful, for a short time, does not mean that you’re not committing the crime.”
The trial is separate from the Coutts four, referring to men charged with conspiracy to commit murder. In February, two of those men pleaded guilty to lesser offences. A trial for the other two is scheduled for May.
The Daily Brief | CAF’s “LGBTQ champion” suspended over sexual groping comment
A True North exclusive reveals a Royal Military College chaplain who was hailed by the Canadian military as an LGBTQ champion on Transgender Day of Visibility has been suspended following an alleged groping request.
Plus, the RCMP confirmed it executed a search warrant of the office of an ArriveCan app contractor on Tuesday as a partner with GC Strategies was brought before the House of Commons to answer questions from MPs on the scandal.
And the Liberal government’s 2024 federal budget has sent shockwaves through Canada’s tech sector, with sweeping increases to capital gains taxes being the main cause for concern.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis!
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