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Wednesday, August 27, 2025

China retaliates against Ottawa’s sanctions by criticizing Canada’s past treatment of Indigenous people

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Beijing has called out Canada over past wrongs committed against Indigenous people after Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese senior and former officials over human rights abuses.

“Canada is in no position to lecture others on human rights,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning during a press conference last month, according to an official translation.

Ning’s response comes after Ottawa issued sanctions “under the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations against 8 former or current senior officials involved in grave human rights violations in the country.”

The release by Global Affairs Canada cited China’s treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, Tibet and its targeting of Falun Gong practitioners, as well as its efforts to disrupt Hong Kong’s democracy.

“As we mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Canada continues to condemn human rights violations around the world. Canada is deeply concerned over reports that China has arbitrarily detained more than one million people in Xinjiang since 2017, many of whom were held in camps and faced psychological, physical and sexual violence,” reads the release.

“Tibetans have also endured human rights violations at the hands of the Chinese government. This includes forced labour, arbitrary detention and restrictions on their rights to freedom of religion or belief, expression, movement and association.”

GAC condemned Beijing’s attempts to issue international bounties on Hong Kong activists abroad, including some Canadians and former lawmakers. 

The government also highlighted China’s continued efforts to “eliminate Falun Gong practise in the country through arbitrary arrests, forced labour and torture” dating back to 1999. 

Chinese authorities responded by saying that the government’s claims were baseless and its state media has repeatedly pointed to Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people as an example of hypocrisy. 

“Even today, Canada’s Indigenous people still face systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment. Instead of dealing with it, Canada chooses to smear and vilify other countries,” said Ning, adding that “China has achieved enormous progress in human rights” that “no one without bias can deny.”

Ning later went on to allege that the new sanctions were a “hypocritical political stunt done by some Canadian political figures under the pretext of human rights, to serve an unspeakable agenda and please the U.S.”

Beijing’s response has been echoed by the Chinese embassy in Ottawa via social media posts, including a cartoon showing a beaver with a shanty home criticizing a panda next to a beautiful one with a caption that reads, “Quick to judge others, blind to their own flaws.”

A recent United Nations assessment of China said that while the country had improved some of its policies towards women and children, it urged Beijing to do more to “ensure that all detainees are formally accounted for, granted access to their families and held in officially recognized places of detention.”

It went on to call for China to “respect the rights to freedom of religion or belief, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and culture, including for Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minorities.”

The assessment noted that China’s counterterrorism laws were not “in compliance with international human rights law and standards,” including its treatment of Hong Kong.

“Canada is deeply concerned by the human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet and against those who practise Falun Gong,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly in a recent statement.

“We call on the Chinese government to put an end to this systematic campaign of repression and uphold its international human rights obligations.”

More Quebec emergency rooms operating at over 200% capacity

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Quebec emergency rooms have been severely overcrowded following the holidays with several major Montreal hospitals operating at a capacity rate of over 200%.

According to data tabulated by the Index Santé, the Montreal General Hospital was at 213% ER capacity on Friday afternoon, while the Jewish General Hospital was reportedly operating at 209% capacity.

Additionally, the Royal Victoria Hospital, which is connected to the McGill University Health Centre reported a 203% capacity.

Quebec government data also reported the average ER wait time across the province to be five hours, while the average time for patients on a stretcher has surpassed 16 hours.

The stretcher occupancy rate as of Friday was at 125%, with 829 patients having waited over 24 hours for service and another 296 patients waiting over 48 hours. 

News of the overcrowded emergency rooms comes on the heels of a young Canadian writer and activist who died after waiting over six hours in an emergency room for further screening.

Adam Burgoyne, 39, posted to X on Dec. 5, 2024, about his experience in a Quebec emergency room a day before his tragic death. 

He said he went to the emergency room after feeling a pain in the left side of his chest, having nausea and clammy skin. After attempting to calm himself and breathe through it, things got worse and he decided to go to the emergency room.

“Had a bit of a health scare last night, but thankfully, it wasn’t a heart attack. Not sure what it was, though, because once they made sure I wasn’t dying, I was thrown out into the waiting room, and six hours later, I said f*ck it and went home,” the post said. “Canadian health care, folks. Best in the world.”

A day after the post was made, Burgoyne died of an aortic aneurysm.

This is far from a new problem for the province as Quebec emergency room capacities have hit over 200% several times throughout last year. 

Quebec’s healthcare system has been steadily deteriorating to the point where patients seeking urgent care simply abandon emergency rooms due to excessive wait times. 

Between Apr. 1, 2023, and Feb. 24, 2024, 3,265,349 patients visited emergency rooms in Quebec. Of these patients, 376,460, or 11.5%, left before seeing a physician.

The Alberta Roundup | How the Alberta gov is standing up for oil and gas (Ft. Brian Jean)

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Source: Facebook

After years of leftist politicians and activists demonizing Canada’s energy sector, things are finally starting to look up. As the international demand for ethical energy grows and more pro-oil and gas politicians are elected, 2025 has the potential to be a prosperous year for Canada’s energy sector.

But there are still lurking threats for the energy sector. The small but vocal minority of climate activists continue to be persistent and the threat of U.S. tariffs may impact the sector as well.

Today on The Alberta Roundup, Alberta Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean joins the show to discuss the Alberta government’s priorities in the new year and how it will continue standing up for the province’s oil and gas sector.

Tune into The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux!

Liberal MPs, leftist media have meltdown over Jordan Peterson’s podcast with Poilievre

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: YouTube

From unsubstantiated claims of Russian interference to fear-mongering over pro-life advertisements – Canadian leftist media and politicians had a meltdown down over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s podcast interview with Dr. Jordan Peterson.

Peterson, a renowned author and psychologist, sat down with Poilievre to discuss his vision for Canada in a nearly two-hour interview on his podcast. On X alone, the video has garnered 30 million views.

Influential Canadian leftists responded to Poilievre’s appearance on the highly watched show with outrage.

After watching the discussion, the Liberal Party of Canada posted on X, baselessly accusing Poilievre of being anti-choice when it came to abortion.

“Pierre Poilievre just went on a podcast sponsored by an anti-abortion group,” the post said. “New year, same anti-choice Conservatives.”

Much to the chagrin of pro-life Conservatives, Poilievre has repeatedly denounced the idea that he would restrict access to abortion in Canada. 

During his bid for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, Poilievre ran on being a “pro-choice” leader. Despite his pro-choice stance, he was elected as party leader with 68.15% support from CPC members.

Canada is one of a handful of jurisdictions alongside U.S. states like Vermont, New Mexico and Oregon which have no legal gestational limits on abortion. 

Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed echoed the misleading claims that Poilievre would reverse Canada’s stance on abortion by sharing a post which focuses on the sponsor of the episode.

The Daily Wire, the platform that hosts Peterson’s podcast, has several sponsors for its many shows on the platform, a way for the media company to fund its operations. 

The sponsor, PreBorn!, is an evangelical Christian organization that hosts pro-life pregnancy clinics. Critics of the group take issue with the group’s traditional religious values. 

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also called out the sponsor which called on the audience to “help save 11,000 babies from abortion.”

The Conservative party did not introduce or pass any legislation to restrict abortion access nationwide and has vowed to not support any legislation to regulate abortion despite having some caucus members with pro-life views.

Others repeated false accusations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau under oath, claiming Peterson was bought and paid for by the Russian state. 

Former Toronto radio personality Dean Blundell took to X, calling Peterson a “Russian asset” who “indeed gets paid by Russia,’ his only citation for this was Trudeau’s claim.

Trudeau’s accusation was levied against Peterson and US media personality Tucker Carlson without providing evidence to substantiate the claim while testifying at a foreign interference inquiry in October. 

Peterson denied the allegations and said he would have sued Trudeau for the unfounded accusations if the prime minister hadn’t been shielded by parliamentary privilege. On Peterson’s daughter, Mikhaila Peterson’s podcast, she dared the prime minister to repeat the claims outside of a parliamentary setting.

Iqra Khalid, a Liberal MP for Mississauga, accused Russia of funding the interview while taking shots at Poilievre for refusing to get security clearance. The security clearance would allow him to view unredacted files from an NSICOP report containing the names of parliamentarians allegedly involved in deliberate foreign interference.

According to Poilievre, he refused to get clearance so as not to be sworn to secrecy by a Trudeau government law, which would prevent him from disclosing anything found in the report. Despite this, Poilievre said he’s been briefed by intelligence agencies on foreign interference concerns outside the NSICOP report.

Blundell also claimed both Peterson and Poilievre have “substance issues” and that because of a pro-life groups sponsorship of the Daily Wire, he is “coming for your reproductive rights, sexuality and probably your vaginas too.”

A TikToker and former Global News journalist, Rachel Gilmore, said the long-form interview should send “alarm bells” to Canadians.

In response to the interview, Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne said, “God help us,” claimed Poilievre was lying when he said that US President Donald Trump won with a “massive and powerful mandate.”

Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arther said that Poilievre sitting down with Peterson for a friendly interview “should be disqualifying,” and being endorsed by tech CEO Elon Musk is “something stronger than that.”

During the COVID lockdowns, Arthur said that “anti-vaxxers” were cancerous and “belong in prison or re-education camps” while advocating for vaccine passports.

Ottawa bans vehicle idling longer than one minute per hour, 365 days a year

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Even if Ottawa surpasses its coldest temperature ever recorded of -39°C, residents will be prohibited from idling their unoccupied vehicles for more than one minute an hour going forward, barring some exceptions.

The City of Ottawa previously announced that their bylaw changes would come into effect in the new year and can be enforced no matter the season. 

The changes come despite the city’s own research showing that residents disagree with the change. The previous research was conducted in May 2024.

The survey highlighted that 164 respondents opposed the new idling bylaw, while 145 said further education and enforcement were required. Only 86 respondents were in favour of a bylaw.

However, a City of Ottawa spokesperson told True North that the response numbers are a summary of the general themes and not the totality of public input received. 

“Staff’s recommendations aligned with best practice from other municipalities, with Natural Resources Canada’s model idling by-law (3 A Model Idling Control By-law), and with the City of Ottawa’s Climate Change Master Plan goal of reducing emissions in the transportation sector,” Jerrod Riley, program manager of public policy development told True North.

The new bylaw will change the maximum idling time to three minutes per hour for occupied vehicles when the outside temperature is between 0°C and 27°C. Occupied vehicles’ idling time is 10 minutes per hour when the outside temperature is below 0°C or above 27°C.

Irrespective of temperature, meaning even at 50°C or -50°C, unoccupied vehicles will only be allowed to idle for one minute an hour.

“By reducing unnecessary vehicle idling, we are lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving Ottawa’s air quality. If every Ottawa driver reduced daily idling in their vehicles by two minutes, carbon dioxide emissions would decrease by about 31.2 million kilograms a year – or, we estimate, the equivalent of removing 6,780 vehicles from our roads,” said the city in a news release.

The new bylaw updates the previous idling control bylaw implemented in 2007, which is available for viewing on the city’s website. 

Prior to the update, idling rules were absent on days below 0°C or above 27°C, meaning over half the year, or 200 days, were exempt. 

The bylaw will apply to all vehicles operating within city limits.

However, vehicles that do not emit greenhouse gasses while idling are exempt from the bylaw. Mobile workshops, vehicles idling to be repaired, armoured vehicles that are actively guarded, emergency vehicles, public transit vehicles, and more are also exempt.

The bylaw was previously approved in Sept. 2024, following a 15 to 8 vote in council, according to CBC.  

“The bylaw would offer exemptions when idling is necessary for health, safety and proper vehicle function, such as when powering mobile workshops, maintaining temperature for medical reasons, and assisting emergency services. Public transit vehicles would be exempt from the bylaw, but other City vehicles would be subject to its requirements,” reads the release. 

The city’s previous research highlighted that the most common idling locations were drive-throughs, near schools and daycares, driveways and private properties, and shopping malls, plazas, and grocery stores. 

The most common reason for idling was to warm up a vehicle before driving.

The city said that fines for the idling bylaw will be $615 each, including the “victim surcharge.” 

Roger Chapman, Director of Bylaw and Regulatory Services, told True North that his department will respond to complaints of idling to take appropriate action and also use complaint history to implement proactive enforcement of the bylaw. 

“The City of Ottawa is conducting public education through its website and social media to make residents aware of their responsibilities under the updated Idling Control bylaw,” he said. 

OP-ED: Unfit for Duty, Part II – What the Canadian Armed Forces Needs to Rebuild

By
David Redman
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Source: Facebook

For a time in the 2010s, it looked like Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government was committed to investing in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). In 2017, as part of a major foreign policy statement, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, announced a new defence policy: “Strong, Secure, Engaged”. Canada was to be strong at home, secure in North America and engaged in the world.

The government promised to increase spending on defence from a paltry 1 percent of GDP to 1.4 per cent by 2024, to buy advanced fighter jets and build surface frigates, and to grow the regular forces to 71,500 troops. While most of this sounded good, none of this lofty rhetoric was achieved. Current Defence Minister Bill Blair has admitted the CAF is short some 16,500 troops, and the Parliamentary Budget Office puts spending at just 1.29 percent of GDP, far below out NATO commitment of two percent. Some defence analysts consider it unlikely the Trudeau government ever intended to take serious action.

The CAF, as it stands today, is a depleted, demoralized and nearly shattered force. The neglect and deterioration, which I explored in Part I of this series, is unforgivable. But it’s not irreversible. How should Canada begin to rebuild the CAF?

A military is defined, in simplest terms, by five factors:

1. Purpose

The first step must be to define the CAF’s purpose. In my opinion, the purpose of the CAF must be apolitical, long-term and incorporate broad-based capabilities that serve Canada’s national interests. The CAF’s purpose must not be shaped by political whims, media frenzies, or short-term missions. In basic terms the CAF must be capable of helping to maintain Canada’s unity, national borders, democratic system, citizens’ rights and freedoms, economic prosperity and citizens’ wellbeing. It needs to be a combat-capable force able to face all threats foreign and domestic.

Geopolitical realities need to be integrated as well. That includes the role of demonstrating, where appropriate, our capabilities and intentions to aid and, in extreme cases, protect other countries, including the U.S., in order to safeguard our own national interests.

2. Combat-Capable Personnel

Canada’s armed forces have often been used as an “emergency management force” for wildfires and floods, as a “training force for other nations” and, most recently, as a social experiment laboratory of the latest transgender, DEI and cultural concepts, aka “wokism”. All this comes at the expense of maintaining the CAF as combat-capable force.

Standing armed forces have one primary mission: to fight. Those who join the CAF understand that and know it may cost them their lives. In return, they expect to be fully trained and equipped. Canada’s troops must be trained to develop the full range of combat skills as well as the leadership skills needed to lead others under the most dangerous conditions. These must be constantly practised and improved to ensure they are up-to-date and executable on a moment’s notice.

3. Military Equipment

A combat-capable military requires warfighting weapons and weapons systems, from the high profile — ships and fighter jets — to the mundane – rifles, pistols and even bayonets – to the sophisticated and leading-edge – drones, anti-tank missiles, and anti-ship and anti-aircraft systems. They must be procured in sufficient quantity and available constantly for training, demonstration (deterrence) and, ultimately, deployment and use.

And the military needs robust parts and repair capability. This cannot be a “just in time” maintenance and supply system of the sort favoured in the commercial world. It must be a system with a focus on resilience, speed of repair and significant redundancy in and of itself.

4. Combat Capability Deployment and Support Systems

Napoleon Bonaparte stated, “The amateurs discuss tactics: the professionals discuss logistics.” The combat-capable CAF must be deployable wherever and whenever they are required. The deployment system must be thoroughly planned and routinely used or, during quieter periods, routinely exercised. Entities that pose a threat must see both a permanent geographically-based presence (in every province and territory) as well as a surge capability that reaches internationally.

Canada has a long history of supporting large expeditionary forces across oceans during wartime; restoring such a capability is not an unreasonable expectation, nor beyond the resources of a country of 40+ million with a $3 trillion annual GDP.

5. Replacement Systems – Personnel, Equipment and Supplies

The CAF must have a reliable system to replace personnel, equipment and supplies. For personnel, that means a recruitment system driven by a need to find those best prepared to meet the combat-related needs of the CAF, who can be trained in the shortest realistic time-frame, and who will be most likely to make a career in the CAF. The replacement system for equipment must be proactive in replacing worn-out systems and equipment, with direct links to procurement systems that are timely and pre-established. It should be based on the CAF’s requirements rather than politics (this is, admittedly, much easier said than done).

Part III of this op-ed series will set out the pathway to rebuild our armed forces. Canadians have rallied behind their military in the past when its purpose was clear and its values aligned with national pride. The Highway of Heroes is a powerful reminder of the respect and gratitude Canadians hold for their armed forces when they embody the best of the nation.

With bold action, sustained investment, and a collective resolve, Canada can reclaim its place as a reliable ally and a defender of democratic values. The cost of rebuilding the CAF is far outweighed by the cost of continued neglect.

The original, full-length version of this article was recently published in C2C Journal.

David Redman was an officer in the Canadian Army for 27 years, during which he was deployed on operations in Germany, Egypt, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, the United States and across Canada, before retiring in 2001 to become the head of Crisis Management-Counterterrorism in Alberta and later the head of Emergency Management Alberta.

Canada aims to expand mineral production as global supply chains weaken 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Canada is looking to position itself as a global player in critical mineral production to stave off potential supply chain risks as tensions continue to mount between the U.S. and China, according to a recent government report.

The federal government’s latest Critical Mineral Strategy Annual Report announced plans to expand the mining of over 30 minerals designated as critical with a particular emphasis on lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements.

While U.S.-China trade tensions continue to escalate, concerns also grow that Canada has become too dependent on Chinese suppliers for critical technology inputs such as rare earth magnets needed for battery metals and solar materials. 

According to data from the report, of the six major minerals mentioned, China is by far the largest supplier of all but nickel, where Indonesia outpaces their production but only by 9%.

However, China produces 92% of the world’s rare earth elements, 91% of its natural graphite, 77% of all cobalt, 65% of lithium and 44% of copper. 

“Canada is establishing itself as a globally competitive extractor and manufacturer of battery-grade materials,” said Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne. “With known deposits and untapped potential for the minerals required for batteries, we are also well positioned to be the global hub for advanced battery technologies.”

The five core strategies of the government’s plan, launched in 2022 and given $4 billion in funding includes; enhancing global security and partnerships with allies, supporting economic growth, competitiveness and job creation, promoting climate action and environmental protection, advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, fostering diverse and inclusive workforces and communities.

BloombergNEF ranked Canada as the country with the highest potential to form a secure, reliable and sustainable battery supply chain last year, calling it a “raw materials powerhouse.” 

It also ranked Canada as the second most competitive country in overall critical minerals production in 2023 based on “factors such as political stability, environmental frameworks and mineral reserves,” reads the report.

Bloomberg also named Canada as having the best environmental impact assessment framework of any country.

“Global demand for critical minerals is expected to double by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency,” said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson.  

“Fortunately, Canada is uniquely positioned to benefit from this growing market — we are abundant in many critical minerals and have the workers, businesses and communities with the know-how to scale up the mining, processing and manufacturing of products and the recycling of these minerals responsibly.”

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi to run in Rachel Notley’s former Edmonton seat

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has announced his bid for the nomination in the Edmonton-Strathcona riding, aiming to secure former Alberta premier Rachel Notley’s riding after taking over the helm of the party last year.

Nenshi announced he would run to become an MLA in a post to X on Friday. He said that Rachel Notley’s retirement has provided him the opportunity for his first foray into the legislature. Prior to becoming the Alberta NDP leader, Nenshi had served as Calgary’s mayor between 2010 and 2021. 

“This doesn’t mean I’m leaving Calgary behind! While still proudly Calgarian, I’m already dividing my time between the two cities, and I’m looking forward to learning more about Edmonton,” said Nenshi.

The Edmonton-Strathcona seat was the second safest in the province in the 2023 provincial election, despite the NDP losing to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party. Notley won the seat with 79.7% of the vote share in the seat – a 62.4% higher margin of the total vote than the UCP candidate. 

Despite the Alberta NDP’s defeat by former premier Jason Kenney in 2019, the Edmonton-Strathcona seat was again the safest for the party, seeing a 72.3% vote share and 55.2% margin.

Notley held the seat between 2008 and 2024. The last time a conservative represented the riding was Julian Koziak in 1986 with the now-defunct PC Alberta party. 

The 2023 provincial election saw the Alberta NDP win only two seats outside Edmonton and Calgary, in Banff-Kananaskis and Lethbridge-West. 

The Alberta NDP will nominate a candidate for the upcoming byelection in Edmonton-Strathcona on Jan. 22. Nenshi is currently the only candidate eligible for nomination. If no other approved candidates seek the nomination three weeks before the meeting, he will automatically be granted the candidacy.

Nenshi became leader of the Alberta NDP following a leadership contest in June 2024, where he won on the first ballot with 86% of the vote.

In Dec. 2023, the Alberta NDP had 16,224 members. During the leadership race that Naheed Nenshi won, the number allegedly surged to 85,144. However, Elections Alberta later cited the Alberta NDP for inflating its membership numbers.

Before Nenshi’s announcement, an Alberta minister called out Nenshi for celebrating his “first legislative session.”

“Nenshi never served one day in the Legislature because he refuses to run in an election, to become an MLA,” said Alberta Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen.

Smith previously criticized Nenshi for not running in the Lethbridge-West byelection, which the NDP won. She has until June 30 to call a byelection in Edmonton-Strathcona. 

The Alberta NDP Leader was formerly elected as Calgary mayor in 2010 with 40% of the vote and re-elected in 2013 with 74% of the vote. In 2017, he won a third term with 51% of the vote. However, he did not seek re-election in the 2021 election when Jyoti Gondek took power.

Poilievre hints at likely cabinet ministers in Jordan Peterson interview

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: YT: Jordan B. Peterson

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre used an interview on Jordan Peterson’s podcast to talk up members of his caucus he thinks are likely to play key roles in a potential government.

In his second appearance on the Jordan Peterson Podcast, Poilievre talked with the world-renowned psychologist about the Trudeau government’s failures, how to solve the problems Canada currently faces, and what a Poilievre government might look like.

Drawing on the comparison of President-elect Donald Trump and the coterie of personalities he is including in his cabinet, Peterson asked Poilievre who his team will be comprised of and what their strengths are.

Poilievre responded by singing the praises of veteran MP Andrew Scheer for the job he did as the Conservatives’ former party leader and as the speaker of the House during the Harper government.

“We’ve got Andrew Scheer who was the party leader a few years ago. He actually did a good job as party leader and learned a lot in the process,” said Poilievre.

“He knows the rules of the game. A lot of the stuff that gets done or doesn’t get done is the result of procedural maneuvers. So you need someone who understands procedure, and he understands it better than anyone.”

Poilievre also praised newer MPs like Leslyn Lewis, Melissa Lantsman, and Jamil Jivani as future contributors to a Poilievre government.

“One of my former leadership rivals, Dr. Leslyn Lewis, is our shadow minister of infrastructure and she’s doing a great job in talking about how we can rebuild the infrastructure of the country. We’ve got newcomers like Jamil Jivani who was recently elected in an overwhelming mandate in Durham. And Melissa Lantsman our deputy leader, extremely well liked in Toronto, very well-known across the country.”

As a federal election draws closer and Canadians are focused on Canada-U.S. relations with the arrival of a second Trump presidency, Canadians are paying close attention to the team that will be working to negotiate with Trump on Canada’s behalf.

The media has speculated that Durham MP Jivani may play a role in negotiations with the United States, as Jivani and Vice President-elect JD Vance are close friends and were recently photographed alongside the United Kingdom’s Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. 

The duo talked about the faltering state of the Canadian economy and Poilievre’s vision to restore Canada to a position of economic competitiveness with the United States.

Poilievre lamented Canada’s falling rates of business investment and productivity per worker and emphasised the connection between the affordability crisis and the productivity crisis.

“For every hour an American worker works on average he or she produces 80 dollars of GDP. In Canada it’s 50,” said Poilievre. 

“Now that might sound like a bunch of wonk-speak that might seem it only matters to someone staring at a spreadsheet or a graph or a chart, but in fact that’s reflected in the fact that our two million people are lined up at food banks because they can’t afford food and 80% of youth can’t afford homes.”

They talked about how inflation is a predatory form of taxation that punishes those who are inclined to save their money and those who are at the bottom of the economic hierarchy.

“Inflation is the single most immoral tax for so many reasons. For one it takes from savers and from people trying to be responsible, thus making it impossible to be responsible,” said Poilievre.

“The second reason it’s immoral is it takes from the poor, because the poorest people do not have the ability to buy inflation-proof assets like gold, and real estate, and fancy watches, and art collections…so it’s a very big wealth transfer from the poor and the working class to the very very wealthy.

“The final reason it’s so immoral is that nobody votes on it. The basic principle of our parliamentary system is that government can’t tax when Parliament has not voted.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic was nearing its conclusion, Canadians suffered from record inflation that peaked at 8.1% in July 2022. 

Public opinion polls show that the rising cost of living is the primary concern for voters as Canada enters an election year.

To solve Canada’s inflation problem, Poilievre suggests slashing government bureaucracy and cutting the budget deficit so that the government can cease printing more money. 

Poilievre and Peterson also talked about growing Canadian industries, including investing in Canada’s energy sector and technology sector. 

Poilievre demanded to know why Canada is not working to export its natural gas to Europe and Asia where substantive profits could be reaped and advocated for an unleashing of the energy sector.

Poilievre also talked about working with the tech industry to make Canada a leader in artificial intelligence by building necessary AI infrastructure and providing data centres with the energy they need to operate.

“We have about 250 data centres in Canada. We can do a hell of a lot more,” said Poilievre. 

“Our secret sauce is our energy, our incredible supply of energy of all kinds – hydro, nuclear, natural gas, you name it. So let’s unleash the production of these resources and bring our money home.”

Poilievre’s comments come in stark contrast to comments Prime Minister Trudeau made in which he said that there is no business case for exporting natural gas to Germany, a comment that Peterson called “perhaps the single stupidest thing I’ve ever heard a politician say.”

When asked what a Conservative government would do on day one, Polievre repeated his signature promise of repealing the carbon tax, as well as his promise to cut the GST on newly built homes. Poilievre also said that he would initiate the largest crackdown on crime in Canadian history.

Ontario Jewish summer camp says no signs of foul play after fire

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Muskoka411 - X

Union for Reform Judaism summer camp officials have ruled out foul play after a fire broke out at their Camp George site in Northern Ontario on Thursday afternoon.

A fire broke out in Camp George’s dining hall in Senguin, Ont., at 5 pm Thursday. 

According to the camp, no one was injured, and the fire department quickly contained the fire, preventing it from spreading beyond the dining hall building.

“The cause of the fire is being investigated and to the best of our knowledge, there is no suspicion of foul play,” Camp George said in a post to social media. “We are continuing to assess the situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

A representative for the Ontario Provincial Police told True North that its officers attended the scene, determined it wasn’t a suspicious fire and that it wasn’t a police matter, and left.

The incident sparked concerns on social media that the fire was part of the trend of antisemitic acts of vandalism happening across Canada.

Last month, a Jewish girl’s elementary school was shot at for the third time since May in Toronto. For context, Toronto police have said that Jewish residents make up 4% of the population of the city but are the target of 45% of the reported hate crimes in Toronto.

Data also paints a much worse picture on the national level. According to a report co-authored by Israel’s National Center for Combatting Antisemitism and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism and released in October, Canada has seen a 670% increase in antisemitism since the previous year.

It said that despite comprising only 1.4% of the population of Canada, Jewish people account for 70% of religious hate crimes.

According to Camp George’s website, The camp was first opened in Canada in 1999. And brings Jewish youth from all over Canada and the United States for an overnight camp experience.

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