fbpx
Friday, May 23, 2025

NS minister says foreign students should be responsible for their own housing

By
Quinn Patrick
-

International students need to sort out their own housing and financial needs before they arrive in Canada, according to Nova Scotian Advanced Education Minister Brian Wong. 

Owners of one local shop in Sydney, N.S. told CBC News that their business is being inundated with international students looking for employment. 

Many of these students claim that they were misled by Cape Breton University’s overseas recruiters regarding the amount of housing and job opportunities that would be available to them upon arrival. 

“There’s no doubt that there are recruiters out there that may be doing unscrupulous things and that is really unfortunate,” said Wong on Thursday, following a cabinet meeting in Halifax. 

“However, I do know for example that Cape Breton University has been training their recruiters to ensure that the proper information and honest information is given to students.”

Student housing is a problem throughout Canada for both international and domestic students, which has led Housing Minister Sean Fraser to allude to a possible future cap in the number of foreign students entering the country annually. 

Last spring, the Nova Scotia government promised a new strategy for student housing, however nothing has yet been presented and Wong did not specify a release date for the proposed plan. 

The provincial government is providing funding to some post-secondary institutions in relation to student housing like the Atlantic School of Theology and Cape Breton University, however the funding doesn’t require the schools to provide accommodations, according to Wong. 

“Universities are independent board-governed institutions and the students that they recruit, wherever they recruit them from, is really up to whatever they set as their business plan and … basically they are businesses, they’re the ones that run their institutions,” said Wong.

Wong believes it’s incumbent upon international students to organize their housing situations and prepare themselves financially, prior to arriving.

“If we’re in a housing crisis or a cost-of-living crisis, I think it’s imperative that that student does have money in order to support themselves when they come to Nova Scotia or they come to Canada,” he said.

In 2022, over 7,000 students were enrolled into Cape Breton University and of that number, 70% of them were foreign students. Enrollment numbers for this year won’t be available until some time next month. 

The Trudeau government has said that they are working with provinces and post-secondary institutions to improve the experience of international students in a variety of ways but no official discussions about capping the amount of students has happened thus far. 

“Even if we don’t cap or we do cap or whatever that may be, I do believe that there’s a responsibility for students to make sure that they have those accommodations,” said Wong.

Eventbrite drops Protect Our Kids event for being “hateful” or “dangerous”

By
Lindsay Shepherd
-

Two speaking events featuring Dr. James Lindsay, author of Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody have been deplatformed from ticketing site Eventbrite.

The “Protect Our Kids” speaking events are planned for October 2 in Edmonton and October 3 in Calgary. 

Upwards of 200 tickets had already been sold before the event listing was removed under Eventbrite’s policy “Hateful, Dangerous or Violent Content,” according to organizer David Parker of Take Back Alberta.

“We have determined that your event is not permitted on the Eventbrite platform as it violates our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service,” Eventbrite Trust and Safety wrote in a letter.

“As a result, your event has been unpublished.”

Parker noted that Take Back Alberta has previously sold tickets for other events through Eventbrite and never encountered an issue. 

True North asked Eventbrite if it received any complaints about the event listing but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

The Edmonton Protect Our Kids session was to take place at Life Church, and the Calgary version at the Glenmore Inn, but Parker said both venues cancelled on him after information about the event went viral on social media. 

Parker plans for the events to go ahead in alternate venues that have not yet been publicized.

Parker wanted Lindsay’s speeches to tackle trans ideology, as members of Take Back Alberta expressed a desire to better understand parental rights, gender transition surgeries and detransition in youth, and explicit sexual content being taught in schools. 

“If we’re actually gonna stop this, we have to be involved, to get engaged – show up for our democracy,” Parker told True North.

“I feel that James Lindsay has one of the best articulations of how this ideology that we’re confronting developed: what it is, what drives it, how to understand it.”

Editor’s note: David Parker is married to a True North reporter.

CANTIN-NANTEL: Conservatives vote in favour of protecting women’s spaces

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
-

True North’s Elie Cantin-Nantel spoke with Linda Blade, who is behind the Conservative resolution in favour of single sex spaces and also defining the word “woman” as a female person. The resolution passed with 87% support at the Conservative Convention in Quebec City.

LAWTON: Conservatives are optimistic about next election. Should they be?

By
Andrew Lawton
-

The Conservatives have lost the last three elections, but the atmosphere at this year’s Conservative convention has been overwhelmingly positive. Is the optimism warranted?

True North’s Andrew Lawton reports from Quebec City.

The Rupa Subramanya Show | Are we witnessing the end of Trudeau?

By
Rupa Subramanya
-
Source: Facebook

Countless polls show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity plummeting. Trudeau’s approval rating hasn’t been this low since 2015, and Canadians across all regions and demographics are souring on him. In fact, the self-proclaimed male feminist is even struggling among a traditional Liberal voting block—women.

Are we witnessing the end of Trudeau, or will he make a comeback?

On this episode of The Rupa Subramanya Show, Rupa is joined by the founder of www.tooclosetocall.ca, pollster Bryan Breguet. Rupa and Bryan take a deeper look into the latest polling numbers and discuss why Trudeau is polling so poorly, how Pierre Poilievre can capitalize on this momentum, and much more.

Tune in to the latest episode of The Rupa Subramanya Show!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE RUPA SUBRAMANYA SHOW

Conservatives pass anti-gender ideology resolutions

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
-

Conservative Party of Canada convention delegates voted in favour of two resolutions taking aim at gender ideology.

The first, resolution C-7, sought party support for a ban on life altering and irreversible gender transitions for children and teenagers, while encouraging “positive mental and physical health support for all Canadians suffering from gender dysphoria and related mental health challenges.”

“We need to stand up for kids,” an Alberta delegate speaking in favour of the motion said.

The resolution passed with 69% of delegates voting in favour, while 31% voted against. 

The second resolution, C-15, added to the party’s policy declaration the assertion that “women are entitled to the safety, dignity, and privacy of single-sex spaces (e.g., prisons, shelters, locker rooms, washrooms) and the benefits of women-only categories (e.g., sports, awards, grants, scholarships).”

The resolution also enshrines in party policy the definition of a women as “(a) female person.”

C-15 passed with 87% support and just 13% opposed.

Members rose to their feet and loudly cheered at the passage of both motions.

The latter resolution was introduced by former Athletics Alberta president Linda Blade.

“Women in Canada need our help,” Blade said. “Please let the (Conservative party) be the one that stands for women and girls.”

“Vote yes to protect your daughters, wives, and nieces,” said a 15-year old delegate who spoke about the importance of female-only spaces for women and girls to be and feel safe.

The resolutions come amid a rise in transgenderism among children and promotion of gender ideology in schools. A recent study from the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute estimates that the number of transgender youth in the United States has doubled in the last five years – as gender ideology is increasingly being pushed onto children by school teachers and social media influencers.

The recent push to “affirm” children’s gender dysphoria with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgeries has resulted in problematic outcomes. Several young people who transitioned as minors now say they regret the procedure and are opting to de-transition.

There have recently been several incidents involving biologically male transgender individuals in women’s spaces, including in sports, shelters and prisons. Furthermore, a poll conducted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute found that 62% of Canadians believe it is unfair for biological males to compete in women’s sports. 

The passing of these policies highlights a growing frustration with gender ideology – which has become rampant in Canada over the last few years.

In addition to these resolutions – delegates adopted two motions tackling “diversity equity and inclusion” ideology, as well as to strengthen the party’s position on free speech. 

While the resolutions amend the party’s official policy document, they do not bind leader Pierre Poilievre to include them in the Conservatives’ election platform or propose any specific legislation if the Conservatives form government. Nonetheless, official party policy has always been regarded as a useful tool to gauge where the party’s grassroots members are on key issues.

True North’s Andrew Lawton and Elie Cantin-Nantel are on the ground at the Conservative Party of Canada convention to bring you independent coverage.

LAWTON: New documentary combats persecution of Tamara Lich

By
Andrew Lawton
-

As Tamara Lich and Chris Barber stand trial in Ottawa for their role in the Freedom Convoy, a duo of veteran journalists and producers is telling Lich’s story. Trish Wood and Jacqueline Bynon are producing a new documentary, “The Trials of Tamara Lich,” chronicling Lich’s fight for freedom and justice.

Wood and Bynon joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

“We are not backing down”: Scott Moe commits to parental rights bill

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has pledged to introduce a parental rights bill to the legislature this fall which would require parental consent for kids under the age of 16 who want to change their pronouns at school.

Moe said on X (formerly Twitter) that his government will not back down to pressure by “out of province interest groups.”

“In light of some criticism and court challenges funded by out of province interest groups, our government has been asked if we are serious about protecting parents’ rights in education or if we plan to back down,” posted Moe in response to a CTV story.

“Last night, I answered that question. We are not backing down. We are very serious – serious enough that the first bill we introduce when we return to the Legislature this fall will be legislation to protect parental rights.”

Saskatchewan Premier Moe joined the ranks of New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson in advocating for parental consent for minors with regard to gender transitions at schools.

At the time of the policy’s announcement, Premier Moe emphasized the importance of parental participation, saying “parents must be included in all important decisions involving their children.”

“Education Minister Dustin Duncan today announced that all Saskatchewan schools will have a consistent policy on parental inclusion and consent,” wrote Moe. 

In addition to the parental consent requirement, the Saskatchewan government has introduced other measures to address concerns about inappropriate sex education in schools. 

Schools will now be obligated to disclose information about their sex education teachings to parents, providing them with the option to opt-out if they choose to do so.

Furthermore, the government has taken the step of suspending third-party sex education providers, including the ARC Foundation and its controversial SOGI 1 2 3 program, from the province’s schools.

Earlier this summer, Saskatchewan suspended Planned Parenthood from the province’s schools following an incident in which the organization made sexually explicit “Sex from A-Z” cards available to grade 9 students. 

These cards, developed by the AIDS Committee of Toronto in collaboration with the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE), contained explicit language about various graphic sexual acts and fetishes.

Alleged Quebec arsonist known to police for prior assault, human trafficking charges

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A Quebec man recently arrested and charged for setting fires in the Chibougamau region was known to police and had faced serious prior charges. 

According to la Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Quebec’s provincial police force, Brian Pare was detained on Thursday after a “meticulous investigation” into fires that caused damage to a local property. 

37-year-old Pare faces two counts of arson for these alleged acts that took place around the time Chibougamau faced evacuation orders due to wildfires on May 31. 

Additionally, Pare is accused of lighting fires between July 8 and September 5. 

Chibougamau Mayor Manon Cyr said that there’s no evidence to suggest Pare was responsible for starting the fire which ravaged the community but she can’t rule out his potential role in a fire at Lake Cavan. 

“There were several fires over several days in the May 31 area. Most were extinguished quickly. Is he [responsible] for the fire at Lake Cavan, which forced the partial evacuation of Chapais? That I cannot confirm for the moment,” said Cyr.

Cyr also said that the Chibougamau fires were caused by lightning strikes north of the region. 

Prior to being arrested Pare already had quite the rap sheet including charges for human trafficking, assault with a weapon, theft, threats and carrying a weapon for a dangerous purpose. 

According to Le Journal de Montreal, Pare was also active on social media under the name Brian Pare Veilleux.

The outlet found several recent posts by Pare in which he doubted the role climate change had in forest fires raging across Canada. 

Crown lawyers argued for Pare to remain behind bars and not be released on bail.

He will have his next hearing on Monday at the Roberval judicial district. 

Pablo Rodriguez denounces Poilievre convention speech as “Republican, far right”

By
Andrew Lawton
-

Liberal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said a keynote address by Pierre Poilievre at the Conservative convention was “Republican” and “far right.”

Rodriguez spoke to reporters in Quebec City outside the venue where nearly 3,000 Conservatives are convening.

“It was a very long speech with not much new,” Rodriguez said. “Quite a traditional, I would say Republican, far right speech, where he confirmed that he’s going to cut.”

Poilievre spoke for more than an hour Friday evening, speaking about housing, affordability, and freedom – touting the “extraordinary” nature of the “common people.”

“My common sense plan cuts waste and caps spending to bring down inflationary deficits and interest rates, so Canadians can keep their homes,” Poilievre said.

The Conservative leader said politicians should have to “root out waste in (the) bureaucracy” to fund any new spending, though Rodriguez took this as an admission by Poilievre of impending cuts to social services under a Conservative government.

“We know that he’s going to cut a lot. We don’t know where,” Rodriguez said. “Is it going to be the seniors? Dental care? We don’t know. We had hoped that he had the courage to say where he was going to cut, but at least we know that he’s going to cut.”

Poilievre had harsh words for the current Liberal government’s approach to budgeting, praising the balanced budget delivered under Stephen Harper.

“Balancing the budget to keep inflation and interest rates low was the unanimous policy goal of every major party at every level of government right up until the radical departure from reality under Mr. Budgets Balance Themselves,” Poilievre said, referencing comments made by Justin Trudeau in 2014.

Rodriguez, who served as heritage minister before he was shuffled into his current role, also defended the Liberal government’s Online News Act, which forces tech giants like Facebook and Google to pay media outlets for content shared.

Rodriguez was asked to respond to projections from Canadian broadcast experts that CBC, which already receives a generous $1.2 million subsidy from the Canadian government, will receive the bulk of any money given to media outlets by Big Tech.

“We based our bill on what we saw in Australia, and we tweaked it and I think we made it better,” Rodriguez said. “But if you look at Australia, proportionally, it’s all the small media that got more than the rest.”

When pressed by the fact that Canadian experts were the ones making these projections, he said Australian experts told parliamentary committees that “proportionally, all the small media got more.”

The Conservative convention concludes Saturday September 9.

1...468469470...1,460Page 469 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy