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Thursday, October 2, 2025

How a bubble-blowing truck became a symbol of freedom in Canada

“We all live in our own beautiful bubble of reality. We don’t have to be pricks going around and popping other people’s bubbles. We have to join with the other bubbles that lift us up higher.”

This is the central tenet of the Church of Bubbles, an initiative operating out of a Burning Man art car dubbed “The Bubble Bus.”

The founder of the ‘church’ has become a recognized figure within Canada’s freedom movement. At the height of the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa, Jim Kerr became a primary source of information for thousands.

Kerr is a 55-year-old husband, father and grandfather. He was adopted when he was six months old and was raised in Courtice, Ont., near Oshawa.

Kerr met his wife, Thundra, when they were both 12-years-old at Sir Albert Love Catholic School in Oshawa.

About 15 years ago, Thundra tracked down Kerr’s birth mother, sparking a reunion that helped him better understand his life.

“I wanted to meet her, to thank her – for not aborting me,” Kerr said.

After meeting his birth mother, he realized his adoption was a blessing.

Kerr said attending the world-renowned Burning Man art festival in Black Rock, Nev., changed his life. He described himself as a “judgmental Christian kind of person” before going to the festival.

The festival made him want to become “more production-oriented” with his self-expression. After Burning Man, he decided he wanted to make the world a “cooler and better” place.

Inspired by his festival experiences, Kerr decided to create an art car that would later become known as “The Bubble Bus.” It was supposed to be a UFO, but after seeing how the bubble machine he added affected those around him, the Church of Bubbles was born.


When the pandemic hit, Kerr and his wife were at another music festival called Tribal Gathering in Panama. They didn’t even know the pandemic was happening weeks into the lockdowns.

Kerr became interested in the anti-lockdown protests soon after arriving back in Canada.


He said he was comparing the numbers of people who died in vehicle accidents and COVID death statistics on the news, which made him critical of the government’s response to the virus.

He was invited to a freedom rally in Oshawa by some friends on Facebook. A local activist group organized the event called Rise Up Durham.

“I saw the diversity of the people being represented. It was a very loving vibe,” Kerr said. He supported what the group was doing and decided to join them.

On Jan. 21, 2021, Kerr was arrested for obstructing justice at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto.  He was filming a protester who was being arrested by Toronto police.


When the Freedom Convoy rolled through Ontario, Kerr took the “Bubble Bus” ahead of the Convoy. He was one of the first to arrive in Ottawa for the protest.

He live-streamed throughout those three weeks, often having thousands of people watching his videos.

“What I tried to capture in my footage was the small things you would miss if you were just looking at the big action-oriented things,” he said.

He wanted to capture moments like children giving gratitude cards to the truckers.

“It was those things that got to you. Kids were explaining it in such a simplistic and artistic way,” he said.


Kerr said there was a culture of sharing throughout the protest.

“There were transport trucks filled with everything you could imagine and anything you would need to continue.”

While watching Kerr’s live streams, he was trying to uplift people. He tried to ensure that the protesters remained respectful and peaceful.

Kerr lost his temper on his stream during one of his on-foot night patrols. He found police confiscating fuel off of the trucks of sleeping protesters.

Kerr said he wasn’t looking for cops; he was on the lookout for anybody causing problems.

“You’re not only stealing something from them; you’re stealing their ability to stay warm,” he said.

Kerr was upset, reliving that moment. He argued that “those trucks didn’t have an opportunity to get out. They were jammed in there.”

After a protester stood on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa and shouted “Freedom,” the police in Ottawa erected gates to prevent access to the site. Canadian veterans decided to take the gates down.

From the Church of Bubbles live stream, Kerr’s audience could see that the military veterans had taken it upon themselves to patrol the memorial and “act as the human gates” around the site.


On Feb. 13th, 2022, a counter-protest emerged to prevent more Freedom Convoy supporters from entering Ottawa. The counter-protesters hurled insults at the freedom protesters and were not socially distancing.

The counter-protesters called Kerr names like “caveman” and “Gandalf” in reference to his bulky fur coat and a selfie stick that looked like a staff. But Kerr took this in stride and thought it was hilarious.

Kerr thinks the Freedom Convoy was successful in that it made many people realize that often, the “mainstream media” has its own biases and might not always be telling the truth.

What one could see when watching the Church of Bubbles livestream often contradicted what was being reported by the corporate press.

The Bubble Bus has since been a mainstay in many protests that politicians and media personalities label as “right-wing,” including the parental rights protest “Million March for Children” of last year.

The bus can often be seen at these protests, blowing bubbles and projecting music while people dance on and around it in an attempt to bring joy to otherwise serious events.

“The freedom movement will always have a place in Canada,” he said.

Kerr believes Canadians need to protest peacefully to protect our civil liberties in Canada.

“It has to get bad enough that people realize it in order to step up and do what’s necessary,” he said. “Unfortunately, for many people, it’s going to be too damn late.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct Jim Kerr’s age.

The Daily Brief | Notley resigns. What’s next for the Alberta NDP?

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley announced her resignation on Tuesday, initiating a leadership race within the party.

Plus, a True North exclusive reveals escorts in Davos are benefitting from an economic boom spurred on by the arrival of the world’s elites at the World Economic Forum.

And inflation rose to 3.4% in December as the cost of fuel, rent, air travel, passenger vehicles, and food increased across the country. Are Canadians in for a rough 2024?

Tune into The Daily Brief with Harrison Faulkner and Noah Jarvis!

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“So ridiculously political,” Toronto Liberal MPs angry with Mayor Chow over property tax dispute

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is placing the blame of a proposed property tax hike for Toronto residents on the Trudeau government – and this isn’t sitting well with Toronto Liberal MPs. 

The dispute between Toronto’s Liberal MPs and the mayor’s office has led to Chow’s office calling on the federal government for more funding. 

Chow’s office wants the Trudeau government to pay for the costs of housing asylum seekers, an expense that is predicted to increase to at least $250 million this year. 

Toronto’s budget chief Shelley Carroll has said that she plans to add an additional 6% “federal impacts levy” onto the proposed property tax hike of 10.5%. 

“This is so ridiculously political,” one Toronto Liberal MP told The Star

The MP was granted anonymity to discuss the intergovernmental quarrell,

Several MPs who spoke with the Star called Chow’s move “outrageous,” for a number of different reasons, among them, that she’s avoiding Tortonto’s responsibility to cover the costs of housing asylum seekers. 

They also accuse Chow of not being transparent about the exact price of these costs, instead just presuming that the federal government will flip the bill. 

“It’s political and it may be because she calculates we’re weaker than (Premier Doug) Ford, but I think we can win on the strength of our record,” said one Liberal MP.

The Liberals have given Toronto $5.47 billion in support since Trudeau first took office in 2015, including $97 million last summer for housing asylum-seekers. 

“We need to be friends,” said Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz, who feels her government hasn’t got the credit it deserves for its support of Toronto. “We have tough times ahead.”

Meetings between the two parties remain ongoing, according to Dzerowicz, but arguments continue on who should be responsible for covering the costs associated with asylum seekers. 

Many cities and provinces began arguing that the federal government was responsible for covering those costs, following the mass surge of asylum seekers who came to Canada after Prime Minister Trudeau’s infamous “#WelcometoCanada” tweet

The provinces and cities felt that Trudeau’s policies were beyond their control and therefore it should be the federal government’s responsibility to pay for them. 

The federal government launched a fund in 2017 to help with the issue which was meant to be a short-term measure, however it’s now become an expectation from cities.

“I’ve been speaking to a lot of the members of Parliament from Toronto to answer the questions they have,” Chow told reporters on Monday. “It is a process, and I’m optimistic that we will find some kind of solution.”

However, a source close to Chow said that local MPs should be doing more to put pressure on the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the dispute, instead of tarnishing the mayor or city council about the coming tax hike.

“The feds are always willing to take a phone call, respond to text messages, have a photo op, but it has been like getting blood from a stone when it comes to actually funding things,” said the anonymous source.

“Nobody quite understands what their calculation is. It’s almost like they’ve decided to give up on Toronto and that doesn’t seem to be in anybody’s best interest.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre weighed in on the issue to condemn Chow’s proposed tax increases. 

“This is what you get when you elect NDP/Liberal politicians: massive tax hikes,” posted Poilievre on his social media. “Only common sense Conservatives will cut your taxes.”

Northvolt begins clearing and destroying wetlands to build an EV battery factory

A Swedish battery manufacturing giant has begun clearing land and destroying wetlands to construct its new EV battery plant, which has sparked public outcry and raised questions about the environmental cost of green technologies.

Despite Northvolt’s aim to support sustainable energy, critics argue the company’s actions stand in stark contrast, threatening a biodiverse habitat.

After receiving approval from the Legault government to backfill various biodiverse wetlands, the Swedish multinational company secured a tree-cutting permit last Friday from the Saint-Basile-le-Grand municipality.

This permit, granted just three days before a critical municipal council meeting on Monday—during which residents questioned elected officials and demanded an environmental assessment of the project—has paved the way for clearing approximately 8,000 trees and over 130,000 square meters of wetlands.

Sabrina Guilbert, co-spokesperson for the Comité action citoyenne – Projet Northvolt, emphasized the social repercussions of the project.

“One thing is clear: until the environmental, social and economic impacts of the Northvolt plant are investigated, the project will not be socially acceptable,” she said.

Despite public concerns, Mayor Yves Lessard confirmed that Saint-Basile-le-Grand will not seek an environmental assessment, often involving a review by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE).

The city wanted to “develop this sector,” he said, asserting the project has “social acceptability” in the region. The issue is normally dealt with at BAPE hearings. 

While citizens attended Monday’s municipal council meeting, clearing work on Northvolt’s site was already ongoing. Tree-cutting takes place from 7am to 9pm, which the company says complies with municipal bylaws. The municipal website states that the work will take place from Monday to Friday for six weeks.

Some of the work will take place in the dark, but the company said it can monitor the presence of wildlife in areas where woodlands and wetlands are destroyed. 

“Before work begins on each of the identified areas, the biologist first performs a check to validate the presence of animals. If no animals are identified, the biologist confirms to the workers that they can proceed,” Northvolt said in an email, according to Le Devoir

According to another document obtained by Le Devoir, a wildlife inventory carried out at Northvolt’s request confirmed the presence of several painted turtles and snapping turtles on the site. Due to the timing of the site preparation coinciding with the turtles’ hibernation season, it will result in these animals being buried alive.

The project’s approval contrasts with the Legault government’s decision to reject a similar development proposal on the same site less than a year ago. The project previously rejected would have destroyed about 65,000 square metres of wetlands. In comparison, the current project will affect over 150,000 square metres of wetlands, including over 15,000 square metres that will be restored by the end of 2032.

This contrast in decisions is not lost on critics like Stéphanie Pellerin, Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Montreal. 

“The reasons mentioned in March 2023 are still valid today,” she said, questioning how a site previously deemed crucial for biodiversity protection could suddenly be considered expendable.

Alain Branchaud, general director of the Society for Nature and Parks of Quebec, echoed this sentiment, calling for an independent environmental assessment: 

“Two similar requests presented for the same destruction activities and for the same batches over an interval of only 10 months with the results being two diametrically opposed responses endored by the same signatory. Clearly, the more we dig into this file, the more it becomes clear to us that an independent environmental assessment is necessary,” said Branchaud, according to Actual News Magazine.

According to official figures given to Le Devoir by the Quebec government, the area is home to 21 species classified as threatened or vulnerable, along with 142 bird species. Government authorities have stated that approving the proposed construction in this location would have “weakened the connectivity links between the region’s natural environments.”

LAWTON: Head of WHO refuses to condemn lockdowns and mandates

World Health Organization director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has always had lots to say about how countries should behave. But he was silent when True North’s Andrew Lawton asked him in Davos if he would condemn lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

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CBC retracts its ‘fact check’ on Poilievre’s housing video

The state broadcaster acknowledged an inaccurate fact check of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in a recent publication. 

In December, Poilievre released a documentary-style video titled Housing Hell: How we got here and how we get out, in which the Conservative leader delves into Canada’s housing crisis. The video amassed millions of views on social media platforms. 

On January 12, the CBC published its own video in an attempt to “fact check” Poilievre. The report, titled Housing experts weigh in on Pierre Poilievre’s latest video, features so-called housing experts and what they “thought Poilivre’s video got right and what it missed.”

As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, four days after the CBC published its “fact check,” the state broadcaster issued a correction.

“In a video presenting housing experts’ reactions to a Conservative Party video about housing affordability, CBC News incorrectly referred to average monthly mortgage costs when evaluating the video’s claim that it takes ‘66% of the average monthly income to make payments on the average single-detached Canadian house,’” wrote CBC on the Corrections and clarifications page of its website

“In fact, the Conservative video claim refers to median income and home ownership costs, which include property taxes, utilities and other costs not mentioned in the Conservative video.”

CBC went on to say that its video “has been edited to remove inaccurate mortgage comparisons and clarify information about the report.”

The CBC’s latest blunder raises questions about its reliability given it was designated a fact-checker by Meta. 

As part of the 2021 Canadian Election Integrity Initiative, Meta, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, designated CBC as a fact checker. 

“When a fact checker rates a piece of content as false, we significantly reduce its distribution so that fewer people can see it,” said Facebook. 

“We notify people who try to share the content or previously shared it that the information is false and we apply a warning label that links to the fact checkers’ article disproving the claim.”

While speaking before a House of Commons Heritage Committee in 2019, CBC CEO Catherine Tait said that the state broadcaster’s goal was to steer people away from “disinformation.”

“How do we protect and defend our citizenry from this unbelievable tsunami of disinformation?” said Tait. “In a sense, we become a beacon for truth.”

Tait said she will make an effort to keep CBC accurate, however, she acknowledged that no one is above making mistakes. 

“But the journalistic standards and practices state very clearly, we measure,” said Tait.

The Corrections and clarifications policy states that all errors be tracked for all 27 television and 88 radio stations nationwide. 

CBC News is committed to transparency and accountability to our audience whenever we make an error or need to clarify a story,” it said. 

However, access to information and privacy records reveal the outlet has not kept track of all significant errors for public disclosure, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. 

“The CBC News department does not maintain records,” revealed the records. 

Quebec doctor receives three-month suspension for misgendering trans patient

Source: Unsplash

A Quebec doctor has received a three-month suspension from the Quebec College of Physicians for misgendering a transgender patient. 

The ruling from the college states that Dr. Raymond Brière, a Montreal physician with over 40 years of practice, had “an inappropriate and disrespectful attitude” towards the patient – who he referred to as a biological woman.

As reported by La Presse, the complaint stems from a May 2022 appointment where the trans-identifying female patient met with the doctor in hopes to begin hormone therapy to appear more male.  

The patient recorded the appointment on their phone.

According to the ruling, the patient told Brière about a desire to “move on to the next stage in their transformation, which is hormone intake.” This came after socially transitioning a year ago and having changed pronouns. 

The doctor asked the patient several questions, in hopes to go slowly, amid having “little experience with trans people.”

Brière also warned the patient of the side effects of hormone therapy – which caused tension. Among other things, he noted that male hormones can make one more aggressive, to which the patient said his assertion seemed to be based on stereotypes.

The doctor told the patient he’d “never prescribed hormones to a person who wants to ‘turn into a man,’” and proposed to refer the patient to one of his colleagues who deals with people who are transitioning.

The patient told Brière about a desire to use a testosterone gel “to encourage a slow, gradual transformation of the body,” to which Brière said that females can apply testosterone gels with a pump.  

The biologically female patient then reminded the doctor that they are not a woman. 

“You were a woman, dear lady,” Brière told the patient during the appointment.

This became a source of tension during the appointment, with the trans patient objecting to the doctor pointing out the patient’s biological sex.

“If a chromosomal analysis is carried out, it will be shown that their chromosomes carry XX genes, not XY,” noted Brière, who also told the patient that they are a man “in your brain.”

The patient accused Brière of having “ready-made opinions,” while the doctor responded that the patient thought that “because your circle is the absolute truth.” The patient also accused the doctor of being aggressive, to which the doctor said, under emotion, that does not take “any lessons” to take from a (female) patient.

He ended the appointment.

The trans patient re-stated that they are a man, to which the Brière said “a (female) patient until that day, you were a woman, dear lady.” The patient repeated that they were a man, to which the doctor said that they are “biologically a woman.”

The ruling notes that before leaving, the patient tried to get the referral to that other doctor previously mentioned, but Brière refused. He also said he did not want to have the individual as a patient anymore — citing a breach of trust.

After the appointment, the transgender patient filed a complaint with the Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre, claiming that they were subject to discrimination and aggressivity. 

However, an investigator concluded that while there was “a problem with the quality of the professional relationship and a lack of respect for the patient,” Brière did not discriminate against the patient.

Unsatisfied with the response, the patient took the complaint to the Quebec College of Physicians.

The college issued a ruling favouring the patient. Brière pleaded guilty to two counts of infractions, amid the college also taking issue with the fact that the doctor would not  refer the patient to his colleague.

Brière will serve two debarment periods, of three months and two months respectively, at the same time.

In his defence, the doctor took issue with the patient’s recording of the conversation. 

“The attitude of the patient, who turns up for the appointment on May 17, 2022, recording the meeting and being somewhat wary of consulting (the patient) to agree on a treatment plan for masculinizing hormones, indicates at best a problem or the non-existence of the mutual trust necessary for the professional relationship.”

The college however seemed bothered by that concern, placing the onus on the doctor. 

The decision to sanction Brière was widely criticized on X (formerly Twitter), with several individuals defending him.

Canadian Parental rights advocate Chris Elston (commonly known as Billboard Chris) described Brière as “one of these old-fashioned truth-tellers who isn’t going to join (the patient’s) cult.”

He also accused the patient of being “out to get him disciplined for not respecting her magical, delusional gender identity, and the medical regulatory bodies which have been fully captured by this body-destroying cult were happy to oblige.”

Renowned Canadian author and psychologist Jordan Peterson also chimed in, comparing Brière’s experience to what he is experiencing with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

Chrystia Freeland to speak at World Economic Forum in Davos

Justin Trudeau’s top minister has been suddenly added to the list of speakers at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is the sole Canadian government official set to address the elite gathering on Thursday. Her office has yet to release an official press statement regarding her hasty inclusion.

The conference centred around the theme of “rebuilding trust” this year and it has not disclosed its attendee list. Global Affairs Canada did not respond to a request for comment from True North about whether any representatives from the Canadian government would be attending.

The panel Freeland is set to participate in is titled “No Recovery without Trade and Investment” and aims to address the current trade tensions facing the global economy.

Notable figures sharing the stage with Freeland include Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum Geneva, Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People and Commissioner for Trade at the European Commission, among others.

Freeland is not a newcomer to the World Economic Forum. As a member of the Forum’s Board of Trustees, she regularly attends its annual meeting.

Last year, she participated in discussions focused on peace and security.

True North is on the ground covering the 2024 World Economic Forum annual meeting.

In 2023, True North’s Andrew Lawton questioned Freeland on her affiliation with the organization.

LEVY: As crime rises, Chow defunds the police – and gives herself a raise

In the socialist world of Toronto mayor Olivia Chow, it seems to be quite acceptable to cut the police budget — while crime and violent protests plague the city — and give herself a nice 3.5% pay hike.

That’s only the half of it.

She is slated to take her pay hike, as is the entire council, while handing Toronto taxpayers as much as a 16.5% tax hike.

One has to wonder how many tax-paying residents are even making Chow’s mayoralty salary of $216,160, let alone getting a 3.5% raise this year.

Her 3.5% raise will take her salary to $223,725.

All 25 councillors are slated to also receive a 3.5% pay hike taking their salary to $124,719 — not including their benefits and a separate travel budget.

Meanwhile, the police budget, as proposed, is $12,615,000 lower than 2023. In other words, they won’t even be getting the same inflationary increase Chow is giving herself.

This is in a climate in which auto thefts were up 33.1% in 2023, assaults up 17.1% and break and enters up 19.8% compared to the year before.

As the police budget note says, hate crimes are also way up.

It is interesting to note that the $12-million taken away from the police appears to be going to Chow’s Community Service Response team pet project — a group of social workers who will not and cannot deal with the violent assaults, break-ins, auto thefts and vitriolic protests.

But none of this is surprising.

Chow’s disdain towards the police goes back to the Year 2000 when she was kicked off the Toronto Police Services Board for participating (foolishly) in an Ontario Coalition Against Poverty anti-police riot at Queen’s Park.

Let’s not forget that she has a number of defund the police types on council including her own deputy mayor Ausma Malik (the same Malik who participated in an anti-Israel protest beside a Hezbollah flag prior to her foray into politics.)

These politicians operate in a surreal fantasy world in which the crime is far, far away from their sphere of influence and they believe hugging and coddling thugs will bring crime down.

Clearly that is not the case, considering the stats are skyrocketing.

They will continue to have these harmful beliefs until something happens to them or a member of their inner circle.

I don’t wish that for them at all but something needs to make them wake up from their woke slumber.

I haven’t even touched on the threatening anti-Israel protests which have required considerable extra policing.

That costs money and the extra $10-million stuck in their budget for event coverage will be eaten up very quickly.

Perhaps if Chow and her cabal of defund the police councillors allowed police to do their jobs and arrest those who repeatedly try to block roads and stalk the Jewish community, we might see less of this toxic activism.

So far they’ve been emboldened by our weak city politicians.

That comes with a tremendous price.

People who are being asked to fork an extra 16.5% in property tax payments quite naturally don’t feel they’re getting their money’s worth.

Never mind that bad optics of taking a 3.5% pay hike in a year in which Chow insists we all have to do our part.

Perhaps she should look in the mirror and start with herself.

24/7 butler service and gold coat hangers for WEF VIPs while locals get evicted

While the world’s leaders and elites gather in Davos for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, some of them enjoy lavish accommodations at exorbitant prices. At the same time, locals struggle to find housing. 

French journalist Lynn Sachs managed to get a glimpse of one of these chalets, where a presidential delegation is staying for the duration of the conference.

The identity of the mystery guests is a closely guarded secret this year, as the owners of the chalet refuse to disclose any information.

The chalet is a three-level building that overlooks the picturesque town of Davos and the snowy mountains. It has an indoor pool, a spa, a fireplace and a gold coat hanger for the president’s coat (his ministers get silver hangers instead.) 

Additionally, the delegation arrives with a personal butler who attends to the president’s every need 24 hours a day. 

The guests also have multiple private chefs who work in a fully equipped kitchen and can cook any dish they desire. Kitchen staff are even given a copy of a key to the local supermarket so that they can fetch any necessary ingredients after hours in case the need arrives. 

The cost of renting the chalet is astronomical at nearly $600,000 per night. Meanwhile, even normal Airbnb prices have skyrocketed to thousands of dollars per night. Things have gotten so bad in Davos that even the Swiss delegation had to spend over budget to house its staff. 

Many residents are being forced out of their homes by landlords who want to cash in on the high demand for accommodation during the summit. 

According to Joshua Verhoeven, the president of the local social democratic party, some rental agreements allow the owners to evict the tenants during the WEF week.

“We have been feeling a slight emigration in Davos for years, especially among younger people. Finding an apartment is very difficult or very expensive,” said Verhoeven. 

“There are owners who sign special rental agreements. These regulate that tenants can practically be thrown out of their apartments during the WEF week. So that the owners can earn a few thousand francs more during this time.” 

Several property owners speaking anonymously confirmed with the Swiss outlet Pomona that the practice was common.

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