fbpx
Monday, July 7, 2025

Liberal and NDP MPs shut down debate into widespread church burnings

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Liberal and NDP MPs swiftly struck down a committee motion on Tuesday by Conservative MP Arnold Viersen to condemn over 80 incidents of arson and vandalism targeting churches across Canada.

The motion, presented at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee Oct. 24, aimed to denounce the arson and vandalism on the 83 churches across the country, extend condolences to affected communities, and call for justice against the perpetrators.

True North compiled a map featuring all of the incidents following the 2021 claim that over 200 suspected graves were discovered by ground penetrating radar near a residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Viersen introduced a motion that the committee “condemn the arson attacks of over 80 churches across Canada; and in particular, extend their condolences to the community of Grouard and Kapawe’no First Nation with the loss of St. Bernard Church, one of the oldest churches in Alberta, a piece of history, the building that holds memories for generations of community members, and that the committee reaffirm freedom of religion and assembly and call on those responsible for these attacks to be brought to justice.”

Instead of adopting the motion, Liberal MP Jaime Battiste called for a vote to adjourn the debate which successfully passed, receiving seven votes in favour as opposed to four against. 

“What has happened over the past few years with reconciliation and with churches and with the Pope coming to apologize, there’s a deep need for reflection and reconciliation, but I really want to get to the end of this study,” said Battiste.

“We’ve called to adjourn debate on this. I would like to call to adjourn debate on this if that’s what we can do, so we can hear the rest of the study, but if we have to, then I would rather discuss it in camera because it does have a way of triggering a lot of people who went through residential schools and the things they are going through.”

In a statement, Viersen called the decision to end the debate “shameful” and a disgrace to the memories of those affected. 

“On Oct. 24, I introduced a motion at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee where I serve as a member to condemn the arson attacks on over 80 churches across Canada, extend condolences to local affected communities, and call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice,” said Viersen in a statement. 

“Unfortunately, a Liberal MP called for an immediate end to the discussion, supported by the NDP. This prevented the motion from going forward and communicating the committee’s condolences to hurting communities. This is shameful. These losses of church buildings have been devastating to these communities as these churches are places of milestones—weddings, funerals, baptisms.”

Many of the arson incidents targeted churches on First Nations territory, including St. Bernard Catholic Church in Grouard, Alberta which was completely engulfed in flames earlier this year as a result of an arson. 

“In my community this past summer, Grouard, the St. Bernard church, one of the oldest churches in Alberta, was burned down. Community members were gathered there – many from Kapawe’no First Nation – remembered the funerals, the baptisms and the weddings that had taken place in that community,” said Viersen in a statement. 

Bank of Canada doled out a whopping $3.5 million in bonuses last year

By
Quinn Patrick
-

The Bank of Canada divvied out massive bonuses to its executives last year, while Canadians were faced with the highest inflation in over 40 years and seven interest rate hikes. 

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation obtained records through an access-to-information filing which revealed that of the 82 executives working for the Bank of Canada, all but two received bonuses for either “at-risk pay” or “performance pay.”

In 2022, executives received an average bonus of $43,700, amounting to a total cost of over $3.5 million, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).

“Executives at the Bank of Canada shouldn’t be showering themselves with big bonuses when Canadians can’t afford gas, groceries or mortgages,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. 

“Most organizations don’t give 98 per cent of their executives bonuses when they have their worst year in four decades.”

Since 2015, executives at the Bank of Canada have accumulated almost $21 million in bonuses and the central bank’s executive class has expanded by 18%. 

In 2015, there were a total of 69 executives who received at total $683,794 in bonuses, by 2022, that number grew to 82 executives, receiving a total of $3,588,324.

Altogether, Bank of Canada executives have received $20,960,416 in bonuses since 2015.

The mandate for the Bank of Canada has been to maintain “an inflation target of two per cent inside a control range of one to three per cent” however, inflation was 6.8% in 2022. 

According to Statistics Canada, that number made for “a 40-year high, the largest increase since 1982” and the Bank of Canada didn’t manage to meet its inflation target the year before either in 2021.

Canadians had been assured by the central bank’s Governor Tiff Macklem that interest rates would remain low for a “long time” in 2020, however only two years later rates had been hiked up seven times in 2022. 

Macklem was willing to admit that they “got some things wrong” when pressed about the bank’s poor performance. 

That same year, the Bank of Canada’s deputy governor also admitted that “we haven’t managed to keep inflation at our target,” and said that it was the central bankers themselves who “should be held accountable.”

“Handing out big bonus cheques is an odd way to hold your organization accountable,” Terrazzano said. “Canadians have every right to be furious when they find out executives at their central bank were taking bonuses as inflation and interest rates soared.”

Edmonton veterans food bank suffering from lack of donations

By
Quinn Patrick
-
Source: Wikipedia

An Edmonton food bank tasked with serving veterans in need is having difficulty meeting an increasing demand.

The Edmonton location of the Veterans Association Food Bank opened in 2020, following the success seen at its Calgary location. 

Two additional locations have since opened in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie. 

However, rising inflation has made meeting growing demand an ever burgeoning task. 

Bob Cotton, the operations manager for the Edmonton location, said the chapter is already struggling to fill up its current load of 160 bins that are set to go out in November.

“We are in such desperate, desperate need of food so that we can help the families of veterans and veterans themselves to put some food on the table,” Cotton told CBC News.

Pride can be a big hurdle for those seeking help, said Cotton, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces himself. Fortunately, the organization is comprised of veterans and their family members. They volunteer their time and strive to offer a special connection to those being helped. 

“If I was in the lineup at a regular food bank and I had a family of two or three behind me, I’d move,” said Cotton. 

“Too much pride. We served our countries, and to be able to get the kind of help that we need, we need this space.”

The number of veterans needing their help has quadrupled since 2020.

“I would say right from 2020, we started off with only 40 clients, and now we’re at 160. And it’s every day—almost every day—we have new veterans coming in, walking through the door,” said Cotton.

Chelle Murray has been volunteering with the organization for years, delivering bins throughout Edmonton and she knows just how appreciated their work is.

“Some of them get emotional. It’s really hard for them to put their own service feelings aside and to maybe be in a position where they have to ask for help,” said Murray. “And I’m sure that’s a feeling that is shared by a lot of people who have to use this service. But the service is for them, and there is no shame in ever asking for that.”

The organization also offers referrals for medical support and mental health assistance. 

Additionally, Veterans Association Food Bank helps its clients with veterans affairs claims as well as disability tax forms. 

“We interact the same as we did when we were in the military,” said Cotton. “It’s very comforting for us that we haven’t lost that camaraderie.”

Murray said the bank is much more than just a place to get food. 

“There’s so many resources here besides food, and it’s great,” said Murray. “This is my extended family.”

It’s not just the veterans food banks that are suffering: food banks across the country are seeing a dip in donations and a spike in demand since the pandemic. 

The Veterans Food Bank Edmonton is located at 18504 111th Avenue and is currently accepting donations.

Ontario NDP riding associations demand review & resignation of leader Marit Stiles

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Two Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP) riding associations have taken the extraordinary step of demanding a leadership review and the subsequent resignation of party leader Marit Stiles. 

The Hamilton Centre ONDP Riding Association and the Kitchener Centre Riding Association issued separate calls for a comprehensive review of Stiles’ leadership and her resignation, respectively, after Ontario MPP Sarah Jama was removed from caucus over comments pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war. 

In a statement released on Thursday, the Hamilton Centre ONDP Riding Association Executive expressed outrage over MPP Jama’s expulsion and called for her reinstatement. 

The statement reads, “We demand that the ONDP rescind their removal of MPP Sarah Jama from the ONDP caucus immediately and we demand a review of the leadership of Marit Stiles by any and all appropriate means.”

Jamawas removed from the NDP caucus after refusing to retract statements in which she expressed anti-Israel sympathies, including labeling Israel an “apartheid regime” and accusing it of committing “atrocities” in the Gaza strip. 

Jama has since stood by her statements, further igniting the controversy.

The Ontario Legislative Assembly subsequently voted to censure Jama and strip her of her privileges within the assembly, condemning her statements as “antisemitic,” “discriminatory,” and seen as supportive of Hamas terrorists. 

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles justified Jama’s expulsion, stating that they had initially agreed to keep her in the caucus under the condition that she worked in good faith with the NDP caucus with “no surprises.” 

Stiles claims that Jama operated independently, undermining the collective work of the NDP and creating an unsafe work environment for some party staff.

In turn, the ONDP Kitchener Riding Association also voiced their concerns regarding Jamas’ expulsion, writing to Stiles, “Your decision to remove Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama from caucus for defending human rights and opposing war is of grave concern to us. She rightly refused to stay silent about one of the worst ongoing atrocities of the 21st century.” 

“The culmination of all of the above and your failure to nurture a sense of solidarity within the ONDP community and beyond, as well as your failure to lead conscientously with courage and principle during an complicated and dangerous time when fascism is on the rise globally, has lead us to the drastic action of demanding your resignation, immediately,” wrote the ONDP Kitchener Riding Association.

Jama has threatened to sue Ontario Premier Doug Ford for defamation in response to his continued condemnation of her views.

The Andrew Lawton Show | The left doesn’t care about its ‘hate speech’ double standard

By
Andrew Lawton
-

Many of the progressives who wish to censor speech they disagree with as “hate speech” and mandate pronoun usage are defending their right to free speech when challenged on endorsing or condoning Hamas violence against Israel. If you hope that pointing out this double standard will change anything, you’re mistaken, True North’s Andrew Lawton says: the anti-free speech left doesn’t care.

True North’s Sue-Ann Levy joins to talk about the Toronto District School Board-sanctioned student walkout to protest Israel underway today.

Plus, free speech-loving doctors and medical professionals are holding a conference in Nova Scotia this weekend to take a stand for Free Speech in Medicine. Organizer Dr. Chris Milburn joins the show to explain.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

The Daily Brief | MPs vote down bill to ban federal vaxx mandates

By
Lindsay Shepherd
-
Credit: Pexels

A bill aimed at preventing the federal government from imposing Covid vaccine mandates for employment or travel in Canada was voted down in the House of Commons Wednesday.

Plus, the NHL reversed its ban on Pride tape only a few weeks after implementing it due to pushback from leftist activists.

And staff at an Ontario public library said allowing a prominent British author speak could “test the bounds of hate speech.”

Tune into The Daily Brief with Lindsay Shepherd and Isaac Lamoureux!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

Assisted suicide made up 4% of all deaths in Canada in 2022

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Health Canada’s latest findings that assisted suicide made up 4% of all deaths in Canada has raised alarm among various groups and experts who are calling for more comprehensive palliative care options and a reconsideration of expanding eligibility for euthanasia.

Health Canada released its fourth annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada Wednesday, revealing that assisted suicide accounted for 4.1% of all deaths in the country during the past year, marking a substantial increase from previous years.

In 2022, there were 13,241 Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) deaths reported, reflecting a staggering 31.2% growth rate compared to the previous year. 

The data also showed that all provinces, except Manitoba and the Yukon, witnessed a steady year-over-year increase in medically assisted deaths. Since the introduction of federal MAID legislation in 2016, 44,958 medically assisted deaths have been reported in Canada.

Medical ethics journalist Alexander Raikin pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that if assisted suicide were listed as an official cause of death, it would be the fifth leading cause of death in Canada.

The social policy think tank Cardus decried the growth in a press release, emphasizing the need for enhanced palliative care options as an alternative to assisted suicide. 

They argued that the rapid growth in medically assisted deaths is alarming, and there is a pressing need to prioritize mental health care over expanding eligibility for euthanasia and assisted suicide, especially when 82% of Canadians support this approach according to a recent poll.

“It’s frightening to think of how these numbers will grow if the federal government pushes forward in its plan to expand eligibility for euthanasia and assisted suicide to those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness,” said Cardus health program director Rebecca Vachon. 

Cardus also expressed its disappointment with the Health Canada report’s vague representation of palliative care, which fails to define what access to palliative care truly means or provide details on its quality. 

As per the findings in the report, nearly one-fifth of Canadians who opted for medically assisted deaths lacked access to palliative care, and for half of those who did have access, it was available for less than a month prior to their decision for assisted suicide. 

Additionally, the report highlighted that palliative care has the potential to reduce the inclination towards medically assisted death, as evidenced by 42% of individuals who initially sought MAID ultimately retracting their requests due to improvements in their condition through palliative care.

“This points to a need to improve the quality and access to specialist palliative care before Canadians feel that their suffering is unbearable and necessitates a premature death,” said Vachon.

Trudeau Foundation the “perfect conduit” for foreign influence, Conservatives allege

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A supplementary ethics committee report filed by the Conservatives on Tuesday blasts the Trudeau Foundation as a vehicle for alleged foreign influence on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and accuses the Liberal government of using illicit interference as a means to further restrict speech in Canada. 

The report was released in tandem with yesterday’s publication by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics following an inquiry into foreign interference. 

It accuses Liberal, NDP and Bloc Quebecois members of the committee of “suppressing” Conservative concerns and recommendations during the inquiry. 

“Conservatives note that the Liberal government knew the Communist Party of China was interfering in Canada’s democracy for years and had they not been the beneficiary of this foreign interference the Liberals may have taken action, rather than reacting to sustained public and political pressure,” the report alleges. 

On the issue of the $140,000 donation by a Chinese businessman with ties to the Communist Party of China to the Trudeau Foundation, the Conservatives allege that the committee report left many questions unanswered. 

“It is clear, through testimony heard by the committee from current and former members of the Trudeau Foundation, that the foundation had no bylaws for foreign interference, no oversight of donations, and no due diligence done of donations,” the report reads. 

“Seemingly, it was the perfect conduit for a foreign dictatorship to influence Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The interference operation was proven successful as the two cutouts had direct access to the Prime Minister within five months of the donation.” 

As a result, the Conservatives recommended that the government undertake a forensic audit of the foundation. 

The official committee report deemed allegations about the Trudeau Foundation to be inconclusive and lacking enough evidence to make a statement on.

“In light of the evidence, the committee cannot take a definitive position on this case,” wrote the committee in its report.

In a statement to True North, Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett accused Trudeau of failing to act on threats to Canada’s democracy and pledged to introduce a foreign agent registry if elected. 

“After eight years of Trudeau’s failure to take threats of foreign interference seriously, our elections have been meddled in and Canadians have been subject to harassment and intimidation at the hands of hostile foreign regimes,” Barrett told True North. 

“Justin Trudeau is not worth the cost to our sovereignty and public safety. Common sense Conservatives will put the safety and security of Canadians first by shutting down illegal foreign police stations once and for all and introducing a foreign agent registry.”

Montreal bans natural gas, oil and propane in new buildings

By
Quinn Patrick
-

The City of Montreal is ruling out natural gas, oil and propane as an option for heating and cooking in all newly constructed buildings as part of a new bylaw.

Beginning in October 2024, all new buildings constructed with three floors or fewer will be banned from having any gas hookups as part of a bylaw approved by Montreal’s executive committee. The ban will be extended to larger buildings by April 2025.

Any building that has not been granted a permit by the announced deadline will be subjected to the new requirements, meaning that they will not be allowed to have gas stoves, water heaters or heat pumps for hot tubs and pools. 

Propane, natural gas and heating oil all fall under the new ban. Buildings that are hooked up to existing urban heating networks and industrial buildings will be exempt however, according to the Montreal Gazette.

Other exemptions will include outdoor and temporary heaters for construction, generators and commercial use professional stoves. 

Outdoor barbecues with propane tanks are also exempt, however those which are hooked up to a propane network or natural gas will be banned. 

The plan is part of the city’s efforts to make its buildings emissions free by the year 2040 and is part of recommendations previously made by Montreal’s commission on water, environment, sustainable development and large parks. 

The commission is made up of borough mayors and city councilors. 

The city of Montreal is also recommending residents reduce their overall  energy consumption and are promoting the use of heat pumps. 

Clean tech fund fired employees concerned with corporate misconduct, whistleblower alleges

By
Noah Jarvis
-
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (LinkedIn)

A whistleblower working for Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is accusing the clean tech fund of laying off scores of employees to cover up complaints and allegations of corporate misconduct. 

The allegations are supported by a Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton report that identified problems with the clean tech fund’s employee turnover, internal cultural issues, and a general failure of human resources policies.

The whistleblower, whom True North is not naming, said that over the course of several years, dozens of SDTC employees were laid off without cause and have been forced to sign restrictive non-disclosure agreements, legally barring them from speaking up.

The source claimed that for years, some SDTC employees had noticed the organization had been deviating from its mandate by funding ineligible organizations and making funding decisions where there were clear conflicts of interest between the board and the recipients.

However, the whistleblower said that whenever SDTC employees took notice of the corporate mismanagement and tried raising the issues with their superiors, management would initiate layoffs.

“After a while, there’s been these mass layoffs again and again,” the source said.

“If you work in a place of 50-60 people and then f–ing 15 people get fired, it completely silences the whole situation because then everyone’s like, ‘holy sh-t these guys are serious.’”

The Raymond Chabot report notes that SDTC has “retention challenges” and “culture issues,” and that “turnover is recognized and noted as a common issue.”

The report also says that SDTC does not have a record, verbal or written, of employee complaints or whistleblowing. 

In response to a comprehensive list of questions from True North, SDTC did not address these allegations specifically, but has denied wrongdoing in a public statement.

The source who spoke to True North said employees fired in these waves were terminated without cause and had to sign restrictive NDAs as part of their severance packages. This claim could not be independently verified by True North.

The source specifically mentioned a particularly large wave of layoffs in 2018, with smaller layoff waves between then and 2022. 

After SDTC had conducted mass layoffs towards the end of 2022, former and current employees compiled evidence of alleged corporate misconduct and gave it to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the department responsible for overseeing and funding SDTC, the source said.

The Raymond Chabot report noted that the investigation was prompted by a confidential file ISED officials received from a former employee, containing allegations “related to the governance and management of contributions to ultimate recipients as well as matters related to organizational health.”

True North’s whistleblower said this file contained the collective work of 30 current and former employees working together to expose what they viewed as “corruption.”

In response to the Raymond Chabot report Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the temporary suspension of funding for all new SDTC projects until corrective measures are put in place.

The whistleblower rejected that the people accused of wrongdoing are now tasked with fixing the problems.

“Wait, so (the report) found every single thing that’s been alleged – so why the f– haven’t those same people who’ve been found to have broken those policies and mismanaged in total over $100 million in taxpayer money been fired immediately?” they asked. 

The day after Champagne announced the pause on SDTC funding, SDTC released a statement defending saying there is no evidence of wrongdoing and that it will not be conducting an investigation.

“We note the report found no clear evidence of wrongdoing or misconduct at SDTC and indicated that no further investigation is merited,” read a statement from the agency.

“The SDTC Board of Directors and leadership team are carefully reviewing the report and are taking action to implement the recommendations as quickly as possible to minimize disruption to Canada’s sustainable innovation ecosystem.”

1...427428429...1,460Page 428 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy