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Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Liberal justice minister says “off-colour humour” won’t be targeted by online harms bill

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Insults, offensive remarks, and off-colour jokes won’t get Canadians in trouble with the Liberal government’s controversial online hate speech bill, according to Justice Minister Arif Virani. 

While speaking to the Hill Time’s podcast The Hot Room, Virani claimed that “awful but lawful” speech will continue to be protected by the Charter and have a place in the public domain. 

According to Virani, the way that Bill C-63, also known as the Online Harms Act, is written means complaints brought against Canadians that are frivolous and made in bad faith will be filtered out. What will remain are complaints that promote detestation and vilification, such as calls for the extermination of a group. 

“We’re not talking about off-colour humour or things that are frankly offensive. We’re talking about expressions of detestation and vilification and I know that’s fancy terminology but the basic idea is when you call for the extermination of a group, you’re hitting that high level,” said Virani.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will also have the ability to award costs against people abusing the process “for their own personal gain.” 

“That means things that arise to detestation and vilification are caught and things that are what I call ‘awful but lawful’ things that are hurtful, insulting, offensive are not caught. Those are protected by the Constitution, they remain in the public domain and will always remain in the public domain,” said Virani. 

Additionally, Virani explained that the Canadian Human Rights Commission won’t be the final arbiter on online hate complaints. Canadians found to have violated Bill C-63 will have the opportunity to demand a judicial review of the commission’s decision. 

“If they make a determination, those are already subject to judicial review, we are maintaining that, as a right, that they could have a judicial review and that will continue to be the case that the ultimate arbiter is a court,” said Virani. 

Bill C-63 also revises the maximum sentence for inciting genocide from five years to life imprisonment. When pressed by host Peter Mezereeuw about whether protest chants like “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” would be included in this definition, Virani said it ultimately lies with the courts and that criminal intent needs to be apparent. 

“I have the utmost confidence in the ability of our courts to make ultimate determinations about genocide and you’re right it is context specific, it’ll vary case by case. What the courts need to do is both have a sense that it meets the threshold of what constitutes advocating genocide, but also what’s called the criminal intent is there,” said Virani. 

Virani has also seen pro-Palestine protesters target his office accusing the minister of supporting genocide by refusing to denounce Israel. 

Not everybody is convinced, as civil liberties groups and prominent public figures have come out to oppose the bill. 

Soon after Bill C-63 was revealed last month, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association demanded significant amendments to the law to address concerns about free speech. 

“Our initial assessment reveals that the bill includes overbroad violations of expressive freedom, privacy, protest rights, and liberty. These must be rectified before the bill is passed into law,” said the group’s general counsel Mendelsohn Aviv.Canadian author Margaret Atwood also called the law “Orwellian” and compared it to draconian measures imposed by tyrannical rulers to quash dissent historically.

The Daily Brief | Rebel News journalist arrested – again

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: Toronto Police

A Rebel News journalist was arrested during an Israeli vigil outside City Hall in Toronto while questioning pro-Palestinian protesters.

Plus, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of “lighting Canada’s economy on fire” during a press conference in Mississauga, Ontario.

And Toronto’s contentious “rain tax” has been delayed until 2027, with public meetings to discuss the stormwater charge cancelled amid rising opposition.

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

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

Trustee wants pro-life flag to fly at Toronto Catholic schools in May

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

The pro-life flag will fly at Toronto Catholic schools for the month of May if a school trustee gets his way.

Scarborough—Agincourt Catholic school trustee Mike Del Grande in Ward 7 has introduced a motion in solidarity with the national March for Life. The motion will be voted on by the board at its next scheduled meeting,Apr. 23.

The flag would be flown each May “until such time as lawmakers enshrine or restore legal protection for children in the womb.”

The school board includes almost 200 schools with over 86,000 students.

Along with flying the International Pro-Life Flag each May starting May 1, 2024, the motion would officially declare the board’s opposition to laws allowing abortion.

The board would also formally encourage staff and students to participate in the National March for Life, which takes place this year on May 9.

If passed, those students, teachers and staff at TCDSB who are unable for any reason to attend the National March for Life in person will be mandated to instead spend school time learning a pro-life curriculum in accordance with Catholic church teaching.

The curriculum would include learning the parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church under Respect for Human Life.

“The entire teaching curriculum (will) be exclusively devoted to explicitly teaching the portions of the Catechism identified in this motion, the book entitled, the Gospel of Life, authored by Pope John Paul II, and the corresponding portions of the Holy Bible, that is the source and foundation of the Church’s teachings,” the motion says.

Del Grande argued that trustees have sworn to follow Catholic church teaching in their oaths of office, so they must support the motion.

As part of the oath, trustees promise annually to be faithful to the teachings of the church and “express fidelity to the primacy of the Pope and the authority of the Magisterium.”

One pro-life activist is optimistic about the motion.

“Hopefully it will pass,” said Jack Fonseca, director of political operations for Campaign Life Coalition. “There’s 12 trustees. So, we need seven to pass a majority. They all profess to be pro-life, so it should be an easy thing there.”

He said it’s always been a clear and absolute teaching of the Catholic church that abortion is immoral and can never be approved.

Del Grande has been embroiled in legal battles with the school board and the Ontario College of Teachers since comments he made in 2019.

“He’s been a real stalwart for the Catholic faith. And a hero,” Fonseca said. “He has been under attack, in recent years, since 2019, where certain factions have tried to force him out by finding him guilty of misconduct for opposing the addition of gender identity and gender expression to the school board’s code of conduct.”

Del Grande is fighting a complaint filed to the Ontario College of Teachers for opposing transgender ideology in schools, which Fonseca argues is also clearly and explicitly opposed by the Catholic church.

The complaint would strip Del Grande of his teaching licence.

Although the Campaign Life Coalition has been crowdfunding for Del Grande’s legal defence for the past four years, Fonseca said their donations have been down recently due to inflation and other factors.

“We need a lot of people to come to Mike’s rescue and donate to his legal defence fund and to ensure that he is not forced to abandon his lawsuit against the school board and that he’s able to stay on the board of trustees to continue bringing forward these wonderful motions, like this pro-life flag motion, for years to come,” Fonseca said.

True North reached out to the Archdiocese of Toronto for comment but Archbishop Frank Leo declined to make a public comment.

The Toronto Catholic School Board did not reply to a request for comment from True North.

Thousands flock to Toronto rally demanding release of Israeli hostages in Gaza

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: Noah Jarvis

A demonstration calling for the release of all hostages being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas saw thousands show up to the event, including prominent politicians seeking to express their solidarity. 

At the same event, Rebel News journalist David Menzies was arrested after attempting to question pro-Palestinian counter-demonstators. 

A series of Jewish-Canadian organizations hosted a Sunday event at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall to campaign for the release of the over 130 Israeli hostages currently being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

The crowd was filled with people from a variety of backgrounds. 

Organizers passed out signs that read “Let my people go now!” with a list of crimes Hamas had committed printed on the back.

The event was headlined by vocally pro-Israel politicians including Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, independent MP Kevin Vuong, and Progressive Conservative MPP Goldie Ghamari. 

Introduced by his deputy leader Melissa Lantsman, Poilievre emphasized the importance of standing with Canada’s Jewish community during troubling times and against Hamas, whom he calls a “homicidal, genocidal, death cult.”

“Many have already been killed – the biggest attack against the Jewish people since the Shoah (Holocaust). And may all those that have been lost may their memories be a blessing to us all,  may they not have died in vain, may we have the courage to stand with them abroad, and may we also have the courage to stand up against the violence and extremism at home,” said Poilievre as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Poilievre went on to denounce attacks and harassment against members of the Jewish community and emphasized the necessity for the Israeli government to destroy Hamas. 

PC MPP Goldie Ghamari took to the stage to make note of the solidarity Iranians have with the people of Israel, pointing out some of the old-style Iranian flags with the lion and sun in the crowd.

“Let me tell you something. There is one country in the Middle East that has not had a spontaneous pro-Hamas rally. Do you know what country that is? Iran!” said Ghamari.

“After October 7, the hashtag Iranians stand with Israel was trending all over the world. That is a trend that started in Iran because you know what Iranians did? They raised the flag of Israel which is a crime punishable by death. But Iranians did that in Iran in support of their Jewish allies. 

Independent MP Kevin Vuong took the stage as the only non-Conservative politician, expressing concern with the targeting of Jewish neighborhoods, businesses, and schools.

In an exclusive comment to True North, Vuong condemned his provincial and municipal counterparts who have failed to stand with Canada’s Jewish community.

“It’s shameful that my provincial and municipal counterparts have been silent. They’ve turned a blind eye to it. That is unacceptable and they are failing in their duty to stand up for the people that we represent,” said Vuong.

Vuong did not pull his punches in criticizing Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and city councillors.

“The bare minimum in even just speaking out and condemning blatant acts of antisemitism are things they are failing to do. Where are they? Where is the mayor? Why has she been silent when Torontonians, people in the very city that she represents have been harassed, have been assaulted, when local businesses have been firebombed, vandalized. Where is she?”

The event also saw a handful of pro-Palestinian counter demonstrators taunting supporters for Israel, calling for a ceasefire and “intifada revolution” with one sign stating “Hamas = Palestinian resistance movement.”

When trying to question some of the pro-Palestinian counter-demonstrators, Rebel News journalist David Menzies was placed under arrest after he was allegedly punched by one of the pro-Palestine protesters.

As he was being placed in the back of a police van, Menzies complained that pro-Palestinian protesters were able to chant for genocide and wear fake suicide bomb vests while avoiding facing arrest from the police.

Menzies has been released from police custody, though he faces a trespassing charge. 

Canada’s defence plan update prioritizes climate change, misses NATO target 

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a revised defence policy, pledging an additional $73 billion in military spending over the next two decades with a heightened priority on the impacts of climate change. 

Despite the investment, the plan falls short of meeting NATO’s 2% GDP spending target, a commitment made by member countries to bolster collective defence capabilities.

Trudeau held a press conference announcing Canada’s updated defence policy on Monday. Defence Minister Bill Blair and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland joined him.

“Canada will invest an additional $8.1 billion over the next five years and approximately $73 billion over the next 20 years,” said Blair. 

However, this increase will only elevate Canada’s defence spending to 1.76% of GDP by 2030, below the NATO threshold of 2% agreed upon by allies.

The new spending includes new submarines, long-range missiles, and early-warning aircraft but lacks a plan to reach NATO’s 2% goal. To address modern warfare challenges, the government also plans to enhance intelligence, cybersecurity, and AI capabilities, with significant investments aimed at establishing a Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command.

The policy, dubbed Our North, Strong and Free, aims to address the evolving security landscape, particularly in the Arctic region.

“We recognize that with climate change, the opening of the Northwest Passage to ship traffic is going to require a lot more capabilities by Canada to demonstrate and responsibly patrol its own internal waters,” he said. 

Trudeau added, “The Northwest Passage could become the most efficient shipping route between Europe and Asia by 2050.”

Concerns about the environment and climate change made a prominent appearance in the departmental plan. 

“Intensifying environmental crises, driven or augmented by climate change, and threats posed by malign below threshold activities, including cyber attacks, disinformation, and foreign interference require new approaches to national defence,” reads the plan.

The policy outlines plans to modernize the Armed Forces infrastructure, including building an Arctic satellite ground station and establishing Northern operational support hubs.

However, the policy says that the initiatives put Canada on track to exceed NATO’s target of 20% for major equipment expenditures as a proportion of the defence spending.

Commitments were also made to further integrate gender equality and diversity into the military. 

“Through the integration of gender perspectives in military operations and institutions, the Canadian Armed Forces will advance gender equality, increase operational effectiveness, strengthen crisis response, and ensure that operations do not reinforce or exacerbate inequalities,” the update reads.

Trudeau said that Canada is considering joining AUKUS, an alliance led by the United States with the United Kingdom and Australia. 

Two-thirds of NATO allies have reached 2% of GDP spending towards defence, compared to just one-third in 2014.

While NATO currently has 32 member countries, its most recent data only accounted for 30 members. On the list of defence expenditures as a share of GDP, Canada ranked 6th last in 2023 at 1.38%. Poland was in first place at 3.9%. 

If no other countries changed their spending, the 1.76% of anticipated GDP spending would bring Canada closer to the middle of the pack. 

Trudeau defended the country’s inability to reach the 2% mark, placing much of the blame on Stephen Harper’s previous Conservative government. 

“When we took office in 2015, we had a Canadian Armed Forces that had been significantly underinvested in by the previous government. The Conservatives actually had us down to 1% of GDP in 2014,” he said.

He added that the Liberals’ first defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, increased the defence budget by 70%. He said that the most recent pledge, Our North, Strong and Free, boosts the funding to a 100% investment increase, doubling investments in defence from 2016 to 2026.

The Conservative party responded to Trudeau’s jab quickly. The party’s shadow minister for national defence, James Bezan, released a press release Monday afternoon. 

“The Liberals’ first defence policy document, Strong, Secured, Engaged, was a book of empty promises. They missed every marker set out in the original defence policy for defence spending, resulting in massive gaps in equipment and readiness. Trudeau has overspent in every department except our military, yet his government promised to cut almost $1 billion annually from the defence budget and allowed over $10 billion more to lapse over eight years,” wrote Bezan.

Bezan added that only 58% of Canada’s armed forces are ready to deploy. The country is short 16,000 troops this year, he said, with an additional 10,000 who are “undertrained and undeployable.”

The Conservatives said that Canada’s warships are rusting out, the fighter jets are worn out, the army is hollowed, and the air squadrons are being shut down due to a lack of personnel. 

“Trudeau is once again kicking the can down the road by committing most of the defence spending in today’s announcement until after the next election. Instead of ‘exploring options’, the brave women and men in the Canadian Armed Forces need new kit, better training and investments in their futures today, not 20 years from now,” said Bezan.

China seeks “mutual respect” in trading with Canada; domestic industry remains wary 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: ccbc.com

China is attempting to get trade relations back on track with Ottawa after several years of cooling diplomatic ties, according to Beijing’s ambassador in Canada.

“The strained relations between our two countries is actually not what we would like to see,” said Cong Peiwu, China’s ambassador to Canada in a recent interview. “We can be engaged in a candid and constructive dialogue.”

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly spoke with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the phone earlier this year before the two met for a meeting in Germany in February. 

Those two exchanges make for an improvement in talks already between the two, when compared to last year when they only spoke once. 

During both conversations China made it clear that for the two nations to begin improving their trade relationship, Canada must first accept responsibility for causing the diplomatic strain in the first place. 

“The responsibility does not lie with China,” said Cong. 

Other demands China is placing on Canada for a better relationship include “mutual respect,” which involves Canada not recognizing an independent Taiwan as well as fewer trade and science restrictions, which Cong referred to as “win-win cooperation.”

However, Joly on the other hand is seeking a “pragmatic diplomacy” approach which aims to strengthen ties with countries that Canada has major disagreements with, including Saudi Arabia. 

Joly has not announced any plans to visit China in the near future.

However, agencies such as the Canada China Business Council argue that Canadian industries are losing ground with China when compared to competitors in the U.S., Australia and Europe. 

This is in part due to Canadian businesses’ perception of how the Chinese government operates. 

A survey conducted by the industry group last fall found that Canadian businesses had a “public and corporate sentiment on China” that proved to be a “tremendous obstacle.”

“Despite China’s emergence from COVID-19 in early 2023, things are not back to business as usual. Events of the past five years have had a striking impact on Canada-China business,” reads the survey. 

“While the Western world has a complicated relationship with China, and many competitor country surveys demonstrate downward trends, Canada’s results lag our competitors and are far worse than the ‘good old days’ of 2018.” 

The survey found that Canadian businesses also fear working with China over political differences, such as Beijing’s harsh COVID-zero restrictions and the detainment of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, despite that situation now being resolved. 

Other key findings included businesses now feeling external pressures more acutely and lower profitability in recent years. 

CAMPUS WATCH: TMU sociologists try to root out Zionists after anti-Israel resolution leaked 

By
Élie Cantin-Nantel, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Toronto Metropolitan University sociologists are trying to find Zionist sympathizers in their midst after their statement condemning Israel for so-called “genocide,” “educide,” “scholasticide,” and “epistemicide” was leaked to the media.

Members of the department started panicking and blaming “Zios” – referring to those who support a Jewish state – after their controversial resolution was shared with Quillette journalist Jonathan Kay.

“Just to let you know, our statement, or a screenshot of two pages from it anyway, is already on Twitter,” wrote sociology associate professor  Christopher Powell. “It’s possible that this was shared by someone on the TFA (faculty union) executive who has Zionist sympathies.” 

“These Zios rely on our anger and engagement to fuel misinformation and say their silly little ‘but but but what about Hamas?!?!’ moments,” replied Ameera Faidi. “Wishing you all a lovely day free from these losers and their brain-rotting commentary. Keep yourself safe and rely on your people and allies for support, and you can find them right here in this group.”

“Forgive my casualness, these Zios are so beneath me, I don’t care to filter my voice when I talk about them,” added Faidi.

The exchange then turned to wondering who was responsible for the leak.

“Is it possible that there were watchful Zionist eyes who may have infiltrated yesterday’s §(Students for Justice in Palestine) event? Or is this a case of Zionist nepo babies tattletaling to their TMU-affiliated parents…?” asked another individual. “Document/keep a log of everything, and stay vigilant, friends…especially on campus.”

Sociology professor Jacqui Gingras said in the thread that a union colleague told her a student has previously been Kay’s source.

“I’m not saying it was a student in this case, but start a file,” Gingras added.

Gingras’ bio on TMU’s website notes that she “explores social health movements, fat studies, critical pedagogies, and decolonization of higher education and health professions within the entanglements of colonial neoliberal economics and intersectional feminism.”

She teaches a course called “sociology of bodies.” and is involved in various DEI initiatives.

Powell and Faidi declined to comment further, while Gingras ignored True North’s request. TMU’s department of sociology also did not respond to a request for comment.

True North obtained a copy of the anti-Israel document in question, which claims that “the reprehensible level of Israeli destruction of educational institutions has resulted in the obliteration of all of the 12 universities in Gaza.” 

“These assaults, which constitute educide, scholasticide and epistemicide, have devastating consequences on present and future generations of Palestinians,” the document adds.

The sociology department wants the TMU administration to “take a position of support that enables dialogue and debate” around the ongoing war as well as the so-called “genocide and apartheid in Gaza and the West Bank.”

It also wants a campus task force on “anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia.”

The department members define the term “educide” as “the mass destruction of a country or region’s educational infrastructure because of war, invasion, conflict, terrorism or mass killings;”  “scholaticide” as the “systematic destruction of Palestinian education by Israel to counter a tradition of Palestinian learning;” and “epistemicide” as “the killing of knowledge systems.”

The resolution did condemn the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and call for a return of the hostages, but it also asserted that “Zionism does not support Palestinian self-determination.”

Online, the department received criticism over the anti-Israel resolution.

Prominent Toronto Jewish doctor David Jacobs noted that “peaceful coexistence should be the desired outcome in any conflict,” and that “this statement does not advance peace.”

Columnist ​​Barbara Kay accused the university of “logocide,” meaning “an attempt to kill a word or to pervert a meaning in order to destroy it.”

LEVY: Government-funded immigration group says opposing gender ideology is “genocide”

By
Sue-Ann Levy
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Source: Unsplash

LGBT activists are blaming white supremacists and “far-right” Christian nationals for the hate they claim has been targeted at trans people in Canada.

The trans activists who spoke on a bizarre, federally-subsidized, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants panel — entitled No More Hate: Transgender Rights and Futures —  repeatedly claimed that opposition to gender ideology (the belief that people can be born into the wrong body) is “genocidal.”

They all despaired at their perceived notion that Muslim families – they would only call them migrants, not Muslims – had “coalesced” with white supremacists and “far-right” Christian nationals on the 1 Million March for Children last fall.

”Our own elders were standing side by side with white supremacist people who have spoken loudly that they don’t want us in this country,” said moderator Debbie Osusu-Akeeyah of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. ”Who knew the far right would be so good at solidarity?”

Osusu-Akeeyah did not respond to questions about her comment even though her organization’s website claims it thrives on “openness, honesty and integrity.”

But as far as I know, and have researched, white supremacists were not involved with the 1 Million March at all. 

Terms such as “far-right,” “white supremacists,” “genocide,” and numerous woke words were repeated throughout the hour-and-a-half-long panel. 

There were also several references to what is happening in Gaza, labelling it a genocide.

Long-time council executive director Debbie Douglas did not respond to True North requests for details on the funding for the panel and why an agency serving immigrants would be engaged in such an exercise.

However, according to information from the Canada Revenue Agency and the programme for the event, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants receives funding from Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada.

That funding totalled $37.2 million over five years and that’s just from one federal agency of several that funds the council.

The CRA documents also showed that the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants has 51 employees and 70% of its revenue goes to employee salaries and consulting fees.

Ontario Sunshine List figures show Douglas earned $141,000 in 2022. A CRA filing said she made between $120,000 and $159,000 last year.

CRA documents for last year also show Osusu-Akeeyah made between $80,000 and $119,999. There are eight employees under her and the group spends 68% of its revenue on employee wages and consulting fees.

Osusu-Akyeeah, sporting a nose ring and Pride earrings, said her community is deeply feeling the so-called “immediate threat” to transgender and gender-diverse people.

She claimed laws put in place by elected officials — influenced by the far-right, of course — are forcing LGBT activists to “go underground.” 

Like with the many outrageous claims she made, she did not elabourate.

One panelist, 20-year-old Celeste Trianon, a “transfeminist,” said she helped organize the counter protest to the Million March across Canada to respond to the “hate.”\

“It’s very concerning that migrant communities might be working with white supremacists on any topic,” she said, refusing to utter the word Muslim.

Looking everywhere but into the camera, Trianon made little sense as she spoke about those who want to “eradicate” gender ideology — which she likened to a “genocidal act.”

She compared the eradication of gender ideology to what’s happening in Palestine and the acts of “dehumanization.”

”When you talk about quote-unquote prisoners vs quote-unquote hostages, it’s the same thing,” she said. ”Dehumanization is one of the several stages of genocide.”

Later in the panel, Trianon, who runs an organization called Juritrans, says Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) are the result of a “fear of having one’s own rights taken away.”

Depicting trans women as a “threat” to womanhood is akin to how Israel depicts Palestinians as a “threat to Jewish people worldwide,” she said.

I reached out to Trianon to explain her outrageous comments and how she rationalizes her counter-protests to the Muslim march against trans rights with her concerns about those in Gaza (who do not accept trans people). She did not respond. 

Speaking of Muslims and Gaza, the only male speaker, El-Farouk Khaki, did admit the Muslim culture does not grant full equality to gay and trans people.

Still, he congratulated Trianon for bringing up the intersection between genocide and dehumanization.

He said Toronto’s public system is not a “safe place,” particularly before the “genocide” in Gaza.

Khaki has a long history of anti-Israel rhetoric.

In 2009, he took the heat for making the opening remarks at an anti-Israel Queers Against Israeli Apartheid event while serving as grand marshall of that year’s parade. Many saw that as a conflict of interest.

Since Oct. 7, his Instagram page has been rife with anti-Israel propaganda, claims about genocide in Gaza and this ridiculous comment: “Queers for Palestine is NOT an oxymoron.”

As painful as it was to listen to these radical woke activists, who appear to thrive on painting others as hateful, it reinforced a couple of thoughts.

These activists will go out of their way to pretend that those who marched against trans rights were not Muslim. They suffer from a distinct cognitive dissonance when it comes to those they believe to be oppressed in Gaza, who loathe what they stand for and who they are.

They see white supremacy and “far right” haters under every rock, as the crux of their problems and make outrageous divisive and intolerant comments with impunity.

I have to wonder, as I have many times before, if their very government-funded existence depends on playing the victim.

What they don’t, or won’t, realize is that people are tired of it.

The 1 Million March last fall was proof.

OP-ED: A Monty Python take on the Quesnel book banning

By
Hymie Rubenstein
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Source: Amazon.ca

A weird story I discussed on True North last month has become weirder still in its descent into tragicomedy.

It concerns growing calls for Quesnel, B.C. Mayor Ron Paull to resign following the discovery that his wife had been handing out free copies of Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the Truth about Residential Schools), an essay collection edited by authors C.P. Champion and Tom Flanagan, a huge Amazon bestseller jointly published by True North and Dorchester Books.

Over 200 people marched outside Quesnel city hall the evening of Apr. 2 before many rushed into a raucous council meeting in this central B.C. city of some 23,000 people.

Three city councillors, several Indigenous bands, and some locals are demanding the mayor of Quesnel resign after his wife’s allegedly hateful book distribution.

As I previously mentioned, the issue of the book’s contents and distribution were addressed during the council’s Mar. 19 meeting, following a letter from the 191-member Lhtako Dene Indian Band expressing outrage over having to defend the existence of the Indian Residential Schools or the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission charged with reporting on the origin, operation, and legacy of the schools.

No, that’s not a typo: this “First Nation” totals 191 people, not 191,000, not 19,100, not even 1,910, all living on Turtle Island, a locale just as fanciful as Gilligan’s Island.

Even the Monty Python crew couldn’t have dreamed up a tragicomedy this bizarre.

The legacy media, acting as stenographers for the city council and Indigenous activist allies, failed to mention that none of Grave Error’s writers or two editors questioned the existence of the Indian Residential Schools or the poor experiences of some of its students, especially those sent there from broken or orphaned homes.

No mention was made either in the many mainstream media stories covering this issue, including the latest Apr. 5 CBC report, that the truth and reconciliation commission’s findings have been roundly criticized as biased, skewed, and unverified in scores of carefully researched articles since its 2015 final report was released.

Nor is there any interest in the just published and truthful views of the respected Catholic News Agency that:

“In the years since the purported discovery (on May 27, 2021), however, questions have been raised as to whether there truly is a mass grave at the site. No remains have ever been discovered on the Kamloops school grounds, and there are no apparent efforts underway to excavate the radar-indicated alleged graves.”

Instead, all the focus has been on undocumented generalizations and emotional outbursts such as those of members of the minuscule Lhtako Dene Indian Band and their Quesnel city council enablers.

The book was unanimously denounced by Paull and the council at their Mar. 19 meeting, when the council reaffirmed its relationship with the Lhtako Dene and formally accepted the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In doing so, the mayor figuratively pushed his wife under the bus, naively thinking that this would save his political hide, a cowardly conjugal betrayal now backfiring on him big time.

Since few people on the other side appear to have given the book even a cursory glance, it was possible for Lhtako Dene Chief Clifford Lebrun to declare, “We can no longer work with this mayor, and we will not work with the City of Quesnel until (the) issue has been resolved.”

Translation: fire the mayor or else face the wrath of our 191-person nation.

“We can’t have a community that hands out hate literature and expects people to listen to us and to take it seriously,” he also said.

Personal disclosure: I am the author of three Grave Error essays and consider Chief Lebrun’s statement a libelous slur on my 50 years as a credentialed researcher and writer.

Still, I take some consolation in knowing that writing truthfully about Indigenous issues is like living inside a crazy Monty Python sketch, so I am trying to laugh, rather than cry, about this nasty labelling, a good enough reason to call the whole affair a tragicomedy.

The anger and despair expressed by those who appeared before the city council should not be dismissed as contrived, including Nazko Band Chief Leah Stump’s tearful address to councillors.

“We deserve better than having to come here to prove we went to residential schools, to prove that we were hurt and broken,” she said.

Yes, many genuine tears were shed by hurt people at the Apr. 2 council meeting. But heartfelt emotion is not synonymous with solid empirical proof. What is misunderstood most is that after 1940 nearly all those enrolled in these boarding schools were the product of broken homes, an inexorable product of the colonial contact between Indigenous and Western peoples, a feature the residential schools were established to remedy. More particularly, the schools were an escape from these adversities because there were no orphanages or foster care services where they could be sent instead.

That the book’s essays also employ well-documented historical accounts to successfully challenge the notion that Indigenous children, other than those just referred to, were forced to attend residential schools is likewise incontestable. Nor is there a scintilla of verifiable evidence that the residential school system practiced genocide.

Yes, there were tears and shouts aplenty from victims of what looks like mass hysteria desperately trying to control what you and I can read and discuss, all of it in the name of a one-way “reconciliation” effort, in this case led by a 191-member Lhtako Dene Indian Band ostentatiously calling itself a “First Nation” in a deliberate but wrongheaded effort to subvert the legitimacy of the nation-state called Canada.

Hymie Rubenstein is editor of REAL Indigenous Report and a retired professor of anthropology, the University of Manitoba.

OP-ED: Justin Trudeau’s national school food program is no free lunch

By
Kate Harrison
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Source: Facebook

Justin Trudeau and Band-Aid solutions to affordability issues: name a more iconic duo.

Be it the carbon tax hiatus for those heating their homes with oil (mostly in Atlantic Canada), or the drop-in-the-bucket grocery rebate, the Liberal government is crossing its fingers and toes that these quick fixes can undo the damage caused by years of their misguided policy making.

The latest shiny government program aimed at distracting voters is a new national school food program — ironically unveiled the same day the scheduled increase to the carbon tax hit Canadian families. The new billion dollar program commits to providing an additional 400,000 meals per year to the country’s roughly 5 million school aged children.

As a headline, who can argue with it? Kids need full bellies to perform well in school, and right now, too many kids are going without. It’s a problem this government ought to be intimately aware of given food bank use is up almost 80% since its re-election in 2019. 

Unfortunately, it is yet another expensive Liberal solution that fails to address overall affordability for families.

Let’s start with the tax on everything, that went up again Apr. 1 and will do rise for the next six years.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation estimates the carbon tax will cost an Ontario family $627 more than they get back in rebates this year. And while the carbon tax doesn’t show up on your grocery bill, it does cost the entire supply chain that brings food to you, from farmers to truck drivers. Coupled with persistent food inflation and other price increases, it contributes to the $700 more families will spend on food this year.

The Trudeau government’s spending addiction has accelerated inflationary pressure on families. Federal spending under Justin Trudeau has increased 75% since he took office, and program spending is forecasted at $450 billion this year. This is despite warnings from the Bank of Canada on the impact government spending has on inflation, and despite pleas from a majority of Canadians who indicated in a recent Nanos poll they’d like to see Trudeau curb expenditures.

This runaway spending hurts families today, and saddles future generations (yes, the ones who are the focus of this new big government program) with debt. This new food program is an admission from the Trudeau government that they believe the only solution to inflationary pricing is more inflationary spending.

Advocates of national school food programs may want to consider the Trudeau government’s recent track record in delivering large programs before applying their seal of approval. Look no further than the supposed universal, $10-a-day childcare program that those working directly in the system say is grossly unrealistic and underfunded, while they struggle to create more spaces to meet demand. That program, which is not means tested, imposes a one-size-fits-all childcare model on provinces and parents that will cost the treasury over $26 billion by 2026.

Then there’s the national dental care program, which will cost Canadians $4.4 billion each year over the next five years. That is on top of the new national pharmacare program, for which the first phase is estimated at $1.5B but would grow to as much as $40B or more, per year, once all medications are covered according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

Another lofty promise made by the federal government was the commitment to plant 2 billion trees before 2030. We’re nearing the fifth year anniversary of that $3.2 billion dollar announcement against a backdrop of criticism from those working in the industry and very few updates from the government on progress, despite the hefty price tag.

Simply put, the Liberals struggle to deliver the very large programs they commit to. When they do, it is often at a far greater price tag than initially projected. Canadians are right to question whether the $1 billion price tag will remain constant despite inflationary swings or global conflicts that drive up the price of food. They should also ask whether or not the government really thinks this is a program that can and should be wound down after the proposed four year timeline.

If the federal government were serious about addressing access to food for school aged children, it would have made a number of different choices. They would have consulted the provinces, who will be responsible for delivery, before making a flashy announcement – something that hasn’t happened. They could have also introduced this five years ago when they first promised it, rather than as a response to tanking polling numbers.

Most importantly, they’d take a hard look at how their own approach to spending and taxation has made the situation for families so much worse than it needed to be.

Until they do so, programs like this will be awfully thin gruel.

Kate Harrison is a government relations and communications professional and Vice Chair at Summa Strategies. She, her husband and two toddlers live in Ottawa.

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