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Thursday, July 10, 2025

“It’s best not to be visibly Jewish,” students say amid antisemitic wave on campuses

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Canadian Jewish students are speaking out against the concerning rise in antisemitism that has plagued Canada’s college and university campuses following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

As reported by True North, various antisemitic incidents have taken place on campuses, including vile anti-Zionist statements, posters of kidnapped Israelis being torn down, violent Islamist graffiti as well as physical confrontations. 

At Concordia University, three people were injured and one was arrested after a brawl broke out between students protesting the Israel-Hamas war. One woman, who uses “they/them” pronouns, was accused of calling a someone a “k*ke” (an antisemitic slur), while a University of Montreal professor present at the rally told a student to “go back to Poland, sharmouta (wh*re in Arabic).”

At Western University and McMaster University, pro-Palestinian students were recorded ripping down posters of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas, while at the University of Calgary, a public washroom was vandalized with violent antisemitic Islamist graffiti.

Other instances include three student unions at York University co-signing a statement praising “necessary” Hamas terrorism against “so-called” Israel, a York University   instructor boycotting classes to protest the school’s condemnation of Hamas, as well as multiple woke professors voicing support for Palestinian “Anti-Colonial resistance.”

Adam Dober, a political science student at the University of British Columbia, has been wearing a Kippah on campus since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack – a decision that has come with consequences.

“Being a visibly unknown Jewish person on campus has definitely increased the frequency with which I encounter glares, odd side comments, and stuff like that,” he said. “I’ve had people yell ‘free Palestine’ at me.” 

“I do not feel comfortable identifying as Jewish or Israeli in certain class contexts because there are some departments of this university that are overtly hostile to Israel,” he added. “There are some spaces on campus, progressive, social justice oriented spaces where I’m basically a persona non grata. I’m not even welcome into the room.”

Micheal Mandel, a political science and Jewish studies student at York University, echoed Dober’s concerns. 

“It’s very provoking, and makes me feel very unsafe, and uncomfortable” said Mandel regarding the recent antisemitic activity on his campus. 

He added that while he has not been the subject of antisemitic harassment, some of his friends have. “Some of my close friends have been called antisemitic slurs for their faces, and have experienced antisemitism either from professors or other students.” 

He says one of his friends, who wears a Kippah, was harassed by a group of anti-Zionist students while using the university gym.

“For safety reasons, it’s best not to be visibly Jewish,” said Mandel. “Some of my friends have bought weapons, like pocket knives or beer spray” amid fears of being attacked.

Mandel also called out his student union for praising “necessary” Hamas terrorism, and believes it would be best for York University to de-ratify the student group.

“We need a new slate of students who will be accepting of people from all races and religions, and who won’t target Jews for what’s going on in Israel or condemn them for having their own state.”

Richard Robertson of B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy group, says the current situation on campuses is heartbreaking and should be of great concern to Canadians.

“It is essential to the continued growth of our democracy that all students feel welcomed on Canadian campuses,” he said in a statement to True North 

He is calling on universities and politicians to “work proactively to confront the incitement that is facilitating the drastic rise in antisemitism being experienced by Jewish students in Canada.”

“It is incumbent upon them to ensure that all Jewish students are furnished with a safe space conducive of their academic success.”

LEVY: Pro-Palestine student activists need to be educated about Israel and Gaza

By
Sue-Ann Levy
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In a creepy ISIS-type video, an Ontario student – her face and head covered except for her eyes – lists a series of “demands” to deal with what she claims is anti-Palestinian racism in many of the province’s schools.

She says she represents a group of high school students–called Cease Fire Now – who are “appalled and disgusted” by the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices.

In the video, the masked speaker claims that as Palestinian students in the Ontario school system, they have been denied their identity and that many teachers have made them “feel guilty” for who they are.

The speaker says they are “sick and tired of being treated as second class to Israelis”– a bizarre statement considering Israelis, other than a few exceptions, are not attending Ontario schools. It’s clear she meant to say “Jews,” but didn’t want to be accused of antisemitism. 

“We want teachers and school boards to be held accountable for anti-Palestinian rhetoric and we want them to face consequences if they harass children into feeling inadequate (the speaker pronounces it, “in-ad-e-kit.”)

She also demands there be a section in the curriculum that teaches – get this – the “colonization and ethnic cleansing” of Palestine.

“We want Palestine to be studied extensively … and that Palestinian students be given a safe space at schools to grieve for friends and relatives who have been subject to senseless deaths by Israel (she pronounces it “Is-ra-eel)”

“Palestinians and Palestinian students have been crying every night because of how helpless they feel about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza…we demand respect,” she says.

The speaker says if their demands “aren’t met,” it will be clear that Ontario school boards “target Indigenous populations” and do not believe “Indigenous people deserve rights.”

For someone so worried about her identity and that of other Palestinian students, the speaker goes out of her way to hide her identity behind a series of keffiyehs.

The truly bizarre video – in which the speaker invents racism that doesn’t exist – contains many inflammatory and false statements. 

For one, there is no such country as Palestine and contrary to claims of ethnic cleansing, the population of Gaza has more than doubled in recent years.

Ontario school boards have also bent over backwards to recognize the plight of the Indigenous and, if anything, has come to light since the atrocities of Oct. 7, antisemitism is rampant, not anti-Palestinian sentiment.

The Instagram video accompanied a notice to all school boards that the students at 42 high schools will walk out of class and continue to do so until the boards release a statement concerning the alleged “genocide” in Palestine.

I use the word alleged because there is no genocide, no ethnic cleansing, and there is no country called Palestine.

The bombings and ground war in Gaza are a result of the horrible atrocities of Oct. 7 by Hamas, during which 1,200 Israelis were murdered, brutalized, raped, burned, decapitated, and some paraded through Gaza City while Palestinians cheered and clapped.

There are still more than 200 Israelis being held hostage in Gaza.

But Cease Fire Now – which I suspect is a creation of the Palestinian Youth Movement – makes no mention of the atrocities of Oct. 7 perpetrated by Hamas, killings which broke the last ceasefire.

The group accuses world leaders of apathy and claims the cries of children “are being muted” as Israel “tries to hide their war crimes.”

It also demands that Ontario school teachers and administrators receive anti-Palestinian racism training and that Canada stops providing financial, military and political support to Israel.

It is not just appalling that the unnamed students feel they can walk out of class whenever they desire, with no pushback from school officials.

But the demands they make of Ontario school boards remind me of those entitled and angry activists from Black Lives Matter. 

As far as I’m concerned, these students are nothing more than indoctrinated Israel/Zionist haters who have manufactured a narrative and are jumping on the opportunity to play the victim of a non-existent hate.

We should all be concerned with their aggressiveness.

But sadly, our school boards have created these activists by pushing a social justice agenda instead of academics.

Majority of British Columbians want provincial carbon tax reduced or axed: poll

By
Quinn Patrick
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The majority of British Columbians want to see the Eby government’s carbon tax either reduced or abandoned altogether, according to a new poll conducted by the Innovative Research Group (IRG).

Support for the carbon tax in B.C. has dropped dramatically in the last six months, down by 28 percentage points. 

“The polling numbers are crystal clear, British Columbians want carbon and gas tax relief,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CFT). “This poll should be a wake-up call for Premier David Eby because his constituents need tax relief now.”

The CTF commissioned the poll, asking British Columbians whether or not they supported the idea of the carbon tax. 

Of those surveyed, 49% of respondents said that they opposed the carbon tax, while 24% said they were in favour of it. 

Another 20% of respondents said that they neither supported it nor opposed it. with the remaining 6% saying that they were unsure. 

“Some Canadians are getting tax relief, but not British Columbians,” said Binda. “Premier David Eby can immediately make life more affordable by cutting his carbon and gas taxes.”

When it came to how strongly British Columbians felt about the issue, 33% of respondents said that they ‘strongly opposed’ the carbon tax, while 7% said they “strongly supported” it.

In relation to taxes on gasoline, the vast majority of British Columbians said that they opposed the provincial government’s plan to raise taxes on gas from $40 per 64-litre tank to $56 per 64-litre tank by 2030. 

An overwhelming majority, 66%, were in favour of receiving cuts to taxes on gasoline, while 16% of respondents said that they wanted taxes to remain at their current levels. 

A small minority of respondents, 7%, said they would like to see gasoline taxes increased further and the remaining cohort of 11% said that they were unsure.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied any further exemptions regarding the federal carbon tax following his announcement that there would be a carve out on federal carbon pricing on home oil heating. 

On Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre brought forth a motion to extend the carbon tax to all forms of heating; however it was defeated in the House of Commons by the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois.

Despite this, Canadians’ approval of the carbon tax continues to wane in poll after poll. 

A separate survey, conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that a growing number of small businesses were in favour of removing the carbon tax as well, up to 85% from 52% in 2022. 

Poilievre has been promising to axe the carbon tax if elected and his promise may be one of the main reasons his party is leading in the polls over the Liberals, according to data from an Abacus survey conducted following Trudeau’s most recent announcement regarding the carbon tax.  

Provinces suffer significant decline in economic freedom since 2014, report shows

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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In its latest Economic Freedom of North America 2023 report, the Fraser Institute delivers a damning verdict on Canada’s economic freedom.

For the first time, every Canadian province has been ranked in the bottom half among North American jurisdictions when it comes to economic freedom.

Using comprehensive data from 2021, the report examines the extent to which North American regional policies support economic freedom.

The Fraser Institute defines economic freedom as “the ability of individuals to act in the economic sphere free of undue restrictions” based on two different indices across 92 jurisdictions across the continent.

The subnational index focuses only on a single country’s provincial, state, and local government level while the all-government index includes the provincial, state, and local government levels and federal government policies. 

Alberta ranked as the highest-ranking Canadian province under the all-government index, yet it only ties for 31st place with Connecticut in the U.S., scoring 7.90 out of 10. This is a substantial fall from its previous top position. 

Alberta had previously ranked at the top of the index for seven years before falling out of that spot in the Fraser Institute’s 2018 report, which reflected data from 2016.

The 2018 report said, “Starting in 2015, Canada and Alberta elected new political leaders who have been making changes in taxation, spending, and regulation that are already having a significant effect on their economic freedom.”

British Columbia follows at 45th, with Ontario and Manitoba further behind at 50th and 54th.

Alarmingly, seven Canadian provinces rank below all 50 U.S. states. This includes Newfoundland & Labrador at 60th, trailing behind provinces like Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick tied at 58th, and Nova Scotia at 57th.

“Since 2014, all Canadian provinces have suffered significant declines in economic freedom at the all-government level, while a majority of provinces also suffered decline at the subnational level,” said Fred McMahon, the Dr. Michael A. Walker Research Chair in Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute and co-author of this year’s Economic Freedom of North America report, in a press release.

The subnational index, focusing on individual Canadian jurisdictions, also echoes this downturn. Alberta again leads, but the gap between provinces is stark. Quebec, for instance, is the least free, with a score of 2.67, demonstrating significant disparities in economic freedom within Canada.

“Higher levels of economic freedom lead to more opportunity and more prosperity, so as economic freedom wanes, the prospects also diminish for Canadians and their families,” said McMahon. 

“The trajectory of economic freedom in Canada could lead to weakness in economic growth and prosperity in years ahead.”

Ratio’d | The radical plan to bring 60 MILLION PEOPLE into Canada

By
Harrison Faulkner
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The stated ambition of The Century Initiative, an influential lobbying group and charity is to increase Canada’s population to 100 million by the year 2100. This charity was founded by Dominic Barton, the former Chief Executive of McKinsey and Co, and Mark Wiseman, a former BlackRock executive.

Nobody elected The Century Initiative, or McKinsey and Co., but it appears that the Trudeau Liberals are taking their marching orders from the Century Initiative by way of giving government contracts to McKinsey.

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

Diwali celebration turns into sectarian clash in Mississauga

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Diwali, a Hindu holiday also known as the Festival of Light, took a dark turn in Mississauga on Sunday night as deep-rooted sectarian tensions between Sikhs and Hindus boiled over at a local plaza. 

Disturbing videos circulating on social media captured the clashes, revealing participants from both communities hurling litter and trash at each other as fireworks went off in the background.

The footage showcased Sikhs waving flags associated with the Khalistan separatist movement before Peel Regional Police officers responded to the scene. 

After receiving reports of a “disturbance” at the plaza shortly before 9 p.m. on Sunday, law enforcement has not indicated whether charges have been pressed. 

Expressing dissatisfaction with the response, Mississauga City Coun. Carolyn Parrish criticized what she deemed an “extremely poor response” by Peel Regional Police and a “disgusting lack of preparedness.” 

In a social media post, Parrish condemned the presence of a local community police station in the plaza as a “major disappointment,” asserting that it had failed to enhance the lives of Malton residents.

A separate video revealed the aftermath of the confrontation, portraying the plaza’s parking lot strewn with garbage and litter.

On social media, commentators condemned the out spilling of intercultural conflicts on Canadian streets. True North founder and Editor-In-Chief Candice Malcolm blasted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vision of Canada as a “post-national society” as a cause behind the ongoing problems. 

Tensions between Canada and India have escalated as a prominent leader of the Sikh separatist movement, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, based in Canada, urged Sikhs to avoid traveling on Air India flights, citing potential life-threatening consequences. 

Pannun, designated as a terrorist by the Indian government, released a video reiterating threats and announcing a global blockade against Air India on November 19. 

He warned Sikh individuals that their lives would be in danger if they chose to fly with the airline on that specific date, framing it as a message to the Indian government. 

Notably, Pannun was previously rumoured to have been killed in a car accident in the US before the video surfaced.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correct the location of the incident. The incident took place in Mississauga, not Brampton.

Albertans chime in on government’s pension plan through telephone town halls

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Albertans from across the province had their voices heard and concerns acknowledged regarding Alberta’s possible plan to pull out of the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) and set up the Alberta Pension Plan (APP). 

The Alberta Pension Plan Engagement Panel has so far hosted three of five telephone town halls to engage Albertans about the APP. 

The town halls are separated by regions in Alberta. The first three sessions have been Northern Alberta, Southern Alberta, and Calgary. Edmonton and Central Alberta will be held within the next two weeks, on November 16 and 22, respectively.

Hundreds of thousands of Albertans had signed up to participate in the first session for Northern Alberta on October 16. The moderator confirmed that there were over 10,000 Albertans on the call at once.

The panel is chaired by Jim Dinning, who served as Provincial Treasurer from 1992-1997. He’s a member of the Order of Canada, Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Calgary, and Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

“We’re not here as advocates. We’re here as listeners. In the end, you are the jury. Our job is to tell the government, here is what Albertans told us. These are their thoughts and concerns. And, it will be up to the government to decide how to proceed,” Dinning told town hall attendees.

Also on the panel is Mary Ritchie, a chartered accountant and corporate director who previously served as Audit Committee Chair for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. 

Ritchie said she was there to answer questions such as, how Albertans would want the APP managed, what oversight should look like and what type of mandate would be preferred.

The third and last member of the panel is Moin Yahya, a Professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, where he was Vice Dean from 2014-2019. Mr. Yahya was also one of the members of the Fair Deal Panel. 

“A separate pension plan for Alberta was something that we heard some strong voices in favor for, but we did not have all the information to give the government a clear answer on what to do next,” said Yahya.

The panel recommended that the government look into whether or not Alberta should set up its own pension plan in more depth and detail, and then ultimately put the question to the people of Alberta via a referendum.

Based on the feedback of the town halls, Albertans seem divided on the matter.

Some attendees supported the proposed APP wholeheartedly, while others were completely against it. Some attendees also claimed to be somewhere in the middle, unsure of where they stand, hoping to learn more and eventually take a stance.

Attendees were able to ask questions, which the panel members answered directly. 

Many of the questions asked were comparing the costs, benefits, contributions, and returns of the APP to the CPP.

Another recurring concern was the portability of the APP. Panel members repeatedly referred to Quebec’s pension plan as precedent, and said that portability agreements would be negotiated and established with the CPP. 

Panel members noted down some comments and concerns to present to the government in their final report. 

Albertans are also able to provide their thoughts and vision for the APP via a survey.

The telephone town halls will conclude with the last session on November 22. 

Following that, in-person town halls will be held in December. These town halls will draw on information gathered in the phone conferences to better lead the conversation. 

The Panel will share their report following the town halls with the government of Alberta in May 2024. 

Following the report, the government will decide whether or not to hold a referendum. The referendum to change from the CPP to an APP will occur in 2025. 

Bill 2, the Alberta Pension Protection Act, was tabled on November 2.

The Bill provides four guarantees – the Act states that Albertans must vote in favour of transferring to the APP to withdraw from the CPP. Further, contribution rates under an APP would be the same or lower than the CPP, an APP must provide better benefits to Albertans than the CPP and the entire asset transferred from the CPP would be used solely to set up and operate an APP.

Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner welcomes an analysis of the future.

“Alberta welcomes all good-faith, rigorous analysis of the report produced by LifeWorks,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has opposed Alberta’s proposed withdrawal.

“The harm it would cause is undeniable,” he said.

Smith has made it clear that Albertans will decide what happens, not the federal government.

“Trudeau is clearly against Albertans having a referendum to decide their future,” said Smith.

“These pensions belong to Albertans. They will decide.”

“No assurance of safety,” says Poilievre as manhunt for high-risk BC predator underway

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre did not mince his words on Monday about the risk posed to Canadians as authorities issued a Canada-wide warrant for high-risk British Columbia sex offender Randall Hopley after he escaped from a Vancouver halfway house earlier this month. 

Poilievre told True North during a press conference in downtown Vancouver that he could not offer Canadian parents any assurance of safety due to the Trudeau government’s “catch and release justice system.”

“None. I’m afraid I wish I could give you assurances,” said Poilievre when asked by True North about Hopley and whether he could give Canadian parents any comfort. 

“But unfortunately, when we have Trudeau’s catch and release justice system which allows repeat violent dangerous predators to live in halfway houses, there is no assurance of safety. This is the system Trudeau has created.”

On November 4, Hopley escaped from his halfway house, removing his ankle monitor in the process. Despite an extensive search by a team of 18 Vancouver Police Department investigators following 80 tips and inspecting various locations in Vancouver, he remains elusive.

With a history of convictions, including assault, property offences and sexual crimes against children, Hopley was due in court two days after his escape.

Hopley was previously imprisoned for the 2011 abduction of a three-year-old, had been released under a long-term supervision order, which he allegedly breached in January.

Poilievre slammed the Liberal government for enabling repeat offenders to avoid consequences by allowing same day bail releases and other lax measures. 

“(Trudeau) has deliberately allowed the most violent and dangerous prolific offenders to be released again and again and again, either on same day bail, early parole or into halfway houses where they can simply walk out the door and go forth to terrorize and destroy lives,” Poilievre told True North. 

“And that is why after eight years of Trudeau with the support of the NDP, violent crime is up 40%. A common sense Conservative government will keep repeat violent offenders behind bars.” 

Authorities believe that Hopley has changed his appearance and are warning the public to stay away from him and report any sightings. 

Nurse association argues drug users have legal right to use anywhere in lawsuit against B.C. gov

By
Quinn Patrick
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Source: Pexels

British Columbia’s decision to ban the use of illicit drugs in close proximity to public spaces like playgrounds, residences and businesses is being challenged in a lawsuit by the Harm Reduction Nurses Association. 

The province began its three-year pilot project of decriminalizing possession of illicit drugs in small quantities earlier this year. 

However last month, the provincial government made an amendment to ban the use of drugs near public and recreational spaces, a move that the Harm Reduction Nurses Association is calling a violation of people’s rights. 

The group claims that the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act infringes on various Charter rights, including the protection of life, liberty and security, protection against cruel and unusual punishment, and protection against discrimination.

The lawsuit has named the province of B.C. and the attorney general as defendants. 

According to a separate notice filed in court, lawyers for the Pivot Legal Society have also filed an application under the B.C. Constitutional Question Act, challenging its validity. 

The lawsuit has stated that the 76 members of the nurse’s association in B.C. have experienced the “harms of systemic oppression” brought on by police interactions, displacement, seizures and imprisonment. 

Some of the nurses have said that they use drugs themselves or that they have close family and friends who do.  

It went on to say that from January to September of 2023, 1,645 people died from overdoses in B.C. 

They claim those most affected by the drug crisis are the homeless, people on social assistance and Indigenous people. 

The province however, has said that the reason for restricting illegal drug use near areas like playgrounds, splash pools, skate parks, sports fields, beaches and parks is to reduce the potential harm illicit drugs can have on families and places where children gather. 

According to the Vancouver Sun, the act has been “vocally opposed” by Indigenous organizations and various community groups due to their belief that the act will put drug users at “extreme risk, especially given a dire lack of safe, legal places to use drugs” in the province.  

The Harm Reduction Nurses Association is asking that the court declare the new law outside of provincial powers, alleging that the act creates new criminal offences for conduct that had previously been decriminalized under the pilot project.

Since the act prohibits users from remaining in the aforementioned areas, a person could now be charged by a police officer if they reasonably believe that a person recently used illicit drugs in one of those spaces “even if that person is no longer consuming or never consumed there,” said the lawsuit.

None of these allegations have been proven in court thus far and the province has yet to file a response.

Low condo sales leading to builders abandoning projects in Toronto

By
Quinn Patrick
-

Condominium sales have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade in the Greater Toronto Area, due to high interest rates and an unstable economy. The change has led many builders to put future projects on hold despite Canada’s growing housing supply crisis. 

A report published by Urbanation, a condominium market analyst, found that 40 condo projects that were expected to be completed in 2023 have been put on hiatus. Those projects account for a total of 13,721 units. 

The report revealed a 23% drop in condo presales in the third quarter when compared to last year, with only 2,491 units launched for presale in 2023. 

“Elevated interest rates and heightened market uncertainty continued to grip the new condominium sector in the GTA,” said Shaun Hildebrand, president of Urbanation, in a news release.

“While some new launches with competitive price points have seen success, many projects have been unable to make an economic case for proceeding in the current market, causing more supply to be put on hold.”

In 2023, only 9,568 units have been sold so far, a drop of 47% from the same time period in 2022 and the lowest level in the last 10 years. 

According to the Urbanation report, the low presales are affecting builders’ decisions on construction. 

“As presale activity typically impacts construction starts with a 12-18 month lag, the slowdown in new condo sales that began in the second half of 2022 is expected to continue weighing on construction starts in the coming quarters,” reads the report.

However it’s not only presales that have dropped dramatically, but condo sale prices as well. 

Third quarter new projects launched for presale averaged $1,216 per square foot in 2023, marking an 18% drop from the record high average in 2022 of $1,485 per square foot.

Both builders and buyers are now more focused on lower-priced locations, predominantly in the surrounding suburbs of Toronto, which made up 54% of sales in the third quarter. 

Canada’s housing crisis continues to be at the forefront of people’s minds as more and more young Canadians have given up on the notion of ever owning a home. With the lowest number of housing units per 1,000 residents of all G7 countries, Canada currently faces the highest prices for housing in the G7.

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