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Thursday, October 2, 2025

CAMPUS WATCH: Two major B.C. universities hiring professors based on race

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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By: Elie Cantin-Nantel and Noah Jarvis

The University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria have become the latest Canadian postsecondary institutions to take part in race-based hiring – by mandating that new professor hires be black. 

These hiring practices are being pursued in accordance with their “diversity, equity and inclusion” agendas.

UBC plans to hire five quantitative and environmental science professors based on race.

“This search will be restricted to qualified black scholars,” notes the university. 

“Applicants who wish to be considered for this initiative must self identify as ‘black’ to be considered eligible.”

“We welcome applications from Black scholars who may also identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, multi-racial persons, persons with disabilities, women, and/or members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities,” adds UBC.

In addition to being black, UBC says that interested candidates must also commit to the school’s diversity agenda, requiring applications to include a two-page “statement describing current and future commitments or interests related to (equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization).”

In similar fashion to UBC’s job posting, the University of Victoria’s school of music is limiting its search for a new assistant professor to black scholars.

UVic’s race-based search is being done on the grounds that certain groups face barriers to equity, and that members of equity seeking groups ought to be prioritized in the hiring process. 

Thus, only black people will be considered for the position. 

“We actively encourage applications from members of groups experiencing barriers to equity, and in particular we are seeking for this Limited Hire search candidates who are Black,” reads UVic’s equity statement accompanying the job posting. 

The posting promises a six-figure salary on tenure track with a “generous benefits package,” a pension plan, and eligibility for leaves of absence.

While some may find the practice racist and discriminatory – both universities say they’re doing this pursuant to section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, which exempts affirmative action from discrimination claims. 

“It is not discrimination or a contravention of this Code to plan, advertise, adopt or implement an employment equity program that… has as its objective the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups who are disadvantaged because of Indigenous identity, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression,” notes the code.

In its job posting, UBC also declared that ecology is racist, and stressed the importance of black “lived experiences.”

“Historically and at present, both data science and environmental policies have perpetuated harm to marginalized communities.”

“It is therefore imperative to include a diversity of perspectives into this scholarship, and the lived experiences of Black scholars position them well to contribute to just and equitable applications of “big data” to environmental research questions.”

Neither UBC or UVic returned True North’s request for comment in time for publication.

Maxime Bernier, Brian Peckford appeal air travel vaccine mandate case to Supreme Court

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford and People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier are taking their battle against the air travel vaccine mandate to the Supreme Court.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which is representing Peckford and Bernier on the appeal, announced the development in the case Thursday.

The challenge to the federal government’s Nov. 2021 vaccine mandate addresses the government’s requirement for proof of COVID vaccination for all travellers using federally regulated transportation services. 

“These restrictions on the Charter freedom of mobility prevented approximately 5.2 million unvaccinated Canadians from travelling by air and rail,” said the JCCF in a statement.

Peckford, Bernier, and several other applicants took the federal government to court in Feb. 2022, arguing the mandate was unconstitutional. They said the mandate infringed on Charter rights to freedom of religion, conscience and assembly, as well as mobility, security, privacy, equality, and democratic rights.

The federal government suspended the mandate in June 2022, with the caveat that it could be reintroduced if cabinet deemed it necessary.

In October of that year, the Federal Court struck down Peckford’s and Bernier’s case as moot, meaning there was no longer a live issue to be tried.

The mootness finding followed weeks of evidence submissions, cross-examinations, and trial preparations.

“The Federal Court was fully and properly equipped to render a thoughtful decision as to whether the travel restrictions had been a justified violation of Charter freedoms,” said the JCCF.

Bernier and Peckford appealed the decision to the Federal Court of Appeal but were unsuccessful.

In the initial court action, affidavits highlighted the significant negative impacts of these prohibitions on Canadians, especially given the country’s size.

Key revelations emerged during the legal proceedings, including admissions from government officials that the Public Health Agency of Canada had never recommended a vaccine mandate for air and rail travellers.

The government of Canada announced it would suspend all travel vaccine restrictions in June 2022.

According to the JCCF, the courts determined through the mootness decision that a constitutional challenge to unprecedented emergency powers was neither sufficiently interesting to the Canadian public nor an appropriate use of court resources.

Peckford, Bernier, and the other applicants are now asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear their case. If the Supreme Court grants leave to appeal, there will be a hearing.

The issues raised in their case are of national importance, and Canadians deserve access to court rulings about policies that violate the Charter freedoms of millions of Canadians, the JCCF argues. 

“If courts are going to affirm and uphold emergency orders that violate our Charter of Rights and Freedoms whenever the emergency order is no longer in force, how can the Charter protect Canadians from government abuse?” asked John Carpay, president of the JCCF. 

Because emergency orders are discussed confidentially in Cabinet, it is only through court rulings that Canadians can learn whether a mandate or emergency order is constitutional. 

Allison Pejovic, the lawyer representing Peckford and Bernier, said that the Supreme Court of Canada has an opportunity to set an important precedent. 

“The court’s dismissal of constitutional challenges to Covid orders for ‘mootness’ has deprived thousands of Canadians from knowing whether their governments’ emergency orders were lawful or not,” she said. “It is time for the Supreme Court of Canada to expand the legal test for mootness to account for governments’ use of emergency orders, which are devoid of transparency and accountability. Canadians have a right to know whether unprecedented mandatory vaccination policies, which turned millions of Canadians into second-class citizens, were valid under our Constitution.”

LAWTON: Rebel News suing Chrystia Freeland over reporter’s arrest (ft. Ezra Levant)

By
Andrew Lawton
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Following the arrest of journalist David Menzies, Rebel News revealed they have retained legal counsel and plan to initiate legal proceedings as early as this week. Rebel News founder Ezra Levant joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the importance of defending not only Menzies, but also the fundamental principles of press freedom.

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Ratio’d | CBC justifies church arsons in latest “investigation”

By
Harrison Faulkner
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The failing public broadcaster finally got around to “investigating” the string of arsons against churches beginning in 2021, but in typical CBC fashion, they claim the attacks were justified as a “response to Canada’s colonial history”. The CBC’s “investigation” was simply an exercise in excusing arson and vandalism targeting Christians in Canada.

Canadians should expect nothing more from the CBC at this point. After all, they played a big role in spreading falsehoods about claims of unmarked graves being found which was the catalyst for this ongoing and sustained attack on Canadian churches.

Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner.

Nearly 100k B.C. students absent from school during Million March protest

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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Close to 100,000 British Columbia students were absent from public schools on the day of a nationwide parental rights protest last year.

New freedom of information documents reveal that 96,872 students – or 16% overall, were absent Sept. 20, 2023, the day of the 1 Million March 4 Children.

The data reveal that the 1 Million March movement was most concentrated in the cities of Surrey and Abbotsford, which are approximately 40 minutes and 1 hour outside of Vancouver, respectively. 

In Surrey, 18,464 of the district’s 80,208 students were absent during the walkouts, amounting to a 23% absentee rate.

Meanwhile, a whopping 37% of Abbotsford’s K-12 public school population was absent, or 7,598 of 20,551 total.

The Canada-wide marches were initially organized by Muslim parents who were growing increasingly disillusioned with school teachings on gender and sexuality.

In Surrey and Abbotsford, it is largely the Punjabi community taking charge of the parental rights movement.

Parental rights advocates are concerned about pornographic materials in school libraries and teachings that encourage minors to change their biological sex. They are also worried about the fact that biological males claiming to be “trans women” can enter female washrooms. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the protests in a Sept. 20 statement.

“Let me make one thing very clear: Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country – you are valid and you are valued,” Trudeau wrote.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attended a counter-protest to Ottawa’s 1 Million March, demonstrating with a large Pride Progress flag and chanting “No hate, no fear, trans people are welcome here.”

According to the latest data for the 2023-24 school year, 604,728 total students are enrolled in BC public schools. 

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education told True North that they do not keep records readily available of the average K-12 absentee rate in BC.

The Surrey and Abbotsford school districts did not provide True North with their average absentee rates.

Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent dies at 87

By
Quinn Patrick
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Social democratic politician, political scientist and Broadbent Institute founder Ed Broadbent, has died at the age of 87.  

“Our country has lost a fierce champion for ordinary Canadians, an intellectual who strongly believed in building a good society,” reads a statement from the progressive think tank he founded, the Broadbent Institute.

Broadbent was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. He returned to Parliament in 2004 for an additional term as the MP for Ottawa Centre.  

“Ed devoted decades of his life to fighting for justice and equality in Canada and around the world. As a Member of Parliament, leader of the New Democratic Party, president of Rights & Democracy and beyond, he tirelessly advocated for all people, especially those on the margins of society,” continued the statement. 

Broadbent brought the NDP party to new heights of success in the 1980’s, at one point being the most popular party leader in the country and the first NDP leader to bring the party into first place in public opinion polling, 

“Ed combined a life-long passion for justice and equality, with a passion for life itself, and all the joys and happiness it has to offer. He was an extraordinary Parliamentarian and political leader. He was a deeply thoughtful intellectual. And he was wonderful company and a most wonderful friend to have. All of us who knew him will miss him, celebrate him and, hopefully, do what he would most want of us. Which is to carry on his work,” said Broadbent Institute Chair of the Board of Directors, Brian Topp.

B.C. NDP Premier David Eby was among those to pay their respects to Broadbent online Thursday afternoon, saying the federal politician was “always ready to fight the fight.”

“Ed was a giant. He will be deeply missed,” Eby wrote.

Numerous Canadian universities embroiled in class-action antisemitism lawsuits

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Source: Facebook

Six Canadian universities are now facing class-action lawsuits over allegations of rampant antisemitism and an unsafe environment for Jewish students. 

The institutions named in the lawsuits include Queen’s University, York University, Concordia University, Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of British Columbia, and McMaster University.

The Toronto-based personal injury law firm, Diamond and Diamond, representing the plaintiffs, said that given this issue is similar on university campuses across Canada, it intends to file class actions against other universities. 

“This anti-Semitism is always couched in the language of free speech, of being only against the Israeli government but not Jews, and speaking up for Palestinians. However, the truth is that these rationalizations are a disingenuous and convenient cover for anti-Jewish hate. Jewish students are left unsafe and unwelcome at a university that professes to be a safe space for all views and all people,” Diamond and Diamond detailed in their class action lawsuit against York University and the York Federation of Students. 

In some instances, the universities’ student unions were also named as defendants.

Diamond and Diamond is co-counselled by The Lawfare Project in their $77 million class action lawsuit against McMaster University and the McMaster Students Union. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are separated into different classes. They are all Jewish students currently enrolled at McMaster University, along with those who have graduated in the last two years. 

The statement of claim against York University also listed a third class, all Jewish students who attended and graduated between 1998 and 2021. 

“Our position is that these universities go out of their way to protect the civil rights of every other minority except Jews,” said Sandra Zisckind, managing partner at Diamond and Diamond.

“You should not be allowed to bring the Hamas flag to a university, she told CTV News. “These are basic, basic tenets of human rights.” 

The lawsuits coincide with rising tensions following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. 

“Jewish students at McMaster University have suffered psychological turmoil due to the faculty praising the October 7th attacks in Israel and exposure to antisemitic rhetoric at rallies on campus,” wrote the Lawfare Project in a news release.

James Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, outlined the complex challenge facing universities. They are simultaneously working to curb harassment and hate speech, maintain the university’s essential function as a place for open debate, and provide support for students who feel unsafe thanks to rising tensions, he said.

“Striking that balance has proved very difficult,” Turk said, according to The Globe and Mail. “It has been a very difficult period for universities.”

Zisckind confirmed that her firm had received financial support to pursue the cases from a leading human and civil rights defender of the Jewish community, The Lawfare Project.

“I challenge anybody to tell me where you can chant for the genocide of a people and that be allowed on any campus,” said Zisckind. “They have a code of conduct; they have to adhere to it. And if they’re not going to, I’m going to make sure they adhere to it with a lawsuit.”

No statement of defence has yet been received from any of the six universities, Zisckind said. 

Each case features unnamed representative plaintiffs. For these class actions to move forward, court certification is required, a process that usually spans several years.

For a class action lawsuit to achieve certification, a judge must determine that it is the appropriate legal avenue for the case and confirm that the plaintiff genuinely represents a broader group, among other criteria.

McMaster University has stated that they have not yet received the statement of claim. 

“Fostering an environment that is safe and inclusive for all members of the McMaster community has always been and continues to be a critical priority for the university, which condemns all forms of hatred,” said the university.

Other universities involved in the lawsuit, including UBC, TMU, and Concordia, have not commented on ongoing legal proceedings. Queen’s University, while not addressing the case’s specifics, reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a safe campus environment. 

York University acknowledged receiving a notice from the law firm regarding its plan to file a class action and emphasized its stance against all forms of discrimination.

Vaughan man assaults 4 Jewish people on way home from synagogue

By
Quinn Patrick
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York Regional Police announced that they have arrested a suspect believed to be involved in an assault targeting four Jewish people walking home from a synagogue on Saturday. 

The incident occurred around 1:45 p.m. on Saturday near the area of Bathurst Street and Flamingo Road, south of Highway 7.

The man allegedly approached the four people on an electric bicycle. 

“The victims felt intimidated by the manner in which the suspect operated the bike in their presence,” police told Global News.

An argument broke out between them before the man on the bike allegedly spat on the victims, made antisemitic comments and then rode away. 

The assault has been deemed hate-motivated by YRP.

The man, who is from Vaughan, Ont. was found several hours later and apprehended by police. He is 34-years-old and faces two counts of assault and one count of breach of probation. 

“York Regional Police takes these matters seriously and is reminding the community we will not tolerate any form of hate crime or the threat of violence against anyone,” said police.

WEF ranks “misinformation” as the top global threat

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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In its annual ranking of global threats, the World Economic Forum has declared that the top issues endangering the world are misinformation and disinformation. 

The WEF Global Risks Report 2024 is the 19th iteration of the organization’s annual threat rankings. 

Released just a week before global leaders head to Davos, Switzerland for the WEF annual meeting summit, misinformation and disinformation jumped to the top spot, ahead of extreme weather events, war, terrorist attacks and inflation. 

“Emerging as the most severe global risk anticipated over the next two years, foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformation to further widen societal and political divides,” the report reads. 

The WEF warned that the use of false information would “undermine the legitimacy” of governments which could result in unrest and civil conflict. 

“Beyond elections, perceptions of reality are likely to also become more polarized, infiltrating the public discourse on issues ranging from public health to social justice,” the report reads.  

“In response to mis- and disinformation, governments could be increasingly empowered to control information based on what they determine to be ‘true.’ Freedoms relating to the internet, press and access to wider sources of information that are already in decline risk descending into broader repression of information flows across a wider set of countries.”

Several developed nations have already taken steps to legislate government control over the online realm, including in Canada, where the Liberal government has pledged to introduce laws which would sanction “online hate” even to the point of criminality. 

True North will be heading to WEF to cover this year’s summit, which starts Monday.

The WEF blames recent advancements in AI technology like Chat GPT and their widespread availability for the spike in concern. 

In the report, authors commend countries like China for their “nascent regulation” of generative AI. 

“For example, requirements in China to watermark AI-generated content may help identify false information, including unintentional misinformation through AI hallucinated content,” the report reads. 

“Even as the insidious spread of misinformation and disinformation threatens the cohesion of societies, there is a risk that some governments will act too slowly, facing a trade-off between preventing misinformation and protecting free speech, while repressive governments could use enhanced regulatory control to erode human rights.” 

Please consider donating to help fund our exclusive Davos coverage.

The Andrew Lawton Show | WHO’s planned pandemic treaty threatens sovereignty and free speech

By
Andrew Lawton
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Source: WHO

The World Health Organization’s is forging ahead with its planned pandemic treaty, which is likely to include a range of measures that should concern Canadians. The draft agreement puts the WHO at the helm of public health emergencies, getting countries to commit to “follow WHO’s recommendations.” It also asks states to commit to restricting “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation.” Law professor and Rights Probe executive director Bruce Pardy joins the show to discuss.

Also, the agenda for next week’s World Economic Forum annual meeting has sessions about the next pandemic, the future of free speech, and several about accelerating the “transition” away from oil and gas.

Plus, more than three months after the devastating October 7 attacks by Hamas, the media continues to demonize Israel. Columnist Barbara Kay returns to expose the extent of the gaslighting.

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