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Friday, July 25, 2025

Teen anti-gender ideology activist wins court bid to get re-enrolled in school

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Teen anti-gender ideology activist Josh Alexander has won a court victory to be allowed to act as an independent adult and appeal disciplinary notices by the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board so that he can enroll back into St. Joseph’s Catholic High School.

Last year, Alexander was suspended and eventually barred from being on school grounds after he challenged a teacher on gender identity while in class.

Upon returning to school in February, school officials called the police on the then 16-year-old teen and had him arrested.

In an attempt to try and appeal the decision by the school board, Alexander sought to represent himself but was told that his parents would have to be the ones to file the appeal. 

Alexander went a step further and provided affidavits from his parents saying that he had “withdrawn from parental control” and was an independent adult. 

According to a ruling by the Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, the school board still refused to accept Alexander’s request. 

“The School Board, however, refused to grant Josh standing on the basis that there was insufficient objective evidence to support Josh’s assertion,” wrote Justice Jaye Hooper.

“I do not believe a court has the right to overrule the manner in which a family decides to structure itself, just because it is outside the norm.”

Ultimately, the Superior Court of Justice ruling from last week sided with Alexander by asserting that he had withdrawn from parental control legally.  

“The goal is to prove that I didn’t bully any students, that the school was discriminating against me because of my religious beliefs and to have me reinstated in the class for education this year,” Alexander told the National Post. 

Alexander has since filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal so that he can finally be re-enrolled at his school. 

“(They) kicked me out of school for seven or eight months and then they were silent with no communication for a while,” Alexander told the National Post. 

“Then they just emailed me at the end of summer and said because I wasn’t present for any classes — that I was kicked out of — that they un-enrolled me, they de-registered me from the school.”

Conservatives say Trudeau “tried to do everything” to avoid China inquiry

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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As the Liberals announce that Judge Marie-Josée Hogue will preside over a public inquiry into allegations of election interference, Conservatives are accusing Justin Trudeau of having “tried to do everything” to avoid such an inquiry.

The appointment of Hogue, a puisne judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal, comes after months of opposition parties pushing on the government to launch an inquiry. She will investigate election interference by China, Russia, other foreign states and non-state actors.

Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer and Deputy House Leader Luc Berthold reacted to the government’s announcement in a press conference Thursday afternoon.

“Beijing’s basic dictatorship, for which Justin Trudeau has expressed his admiration, has been interfering in Canadian elections and democracy for years,” said Scheer. 

“Justin Trudeau has known about this and has done nothing about it for months. It was only after conservative pressure to call a public inquiry that we are here.”

“Never forget that Justin Trudeau has tried to do everything to avoid this,” claimed Scheer. “He had to be dragged kicking and screaming.” 

Scheer said Conservatives accept the inquiry’s terms of reference and the nomination of Justice Hogue.

He however added that his party “will be watching like hawks to make sure that Canadians get the real answers that they deserve about foreign interference in our democracy.” 

Scheer also called out Trudeau for not taking other “concrete steps” – such as implementing a foreign agent’s registry.

“There are still things that conservatives will demand that Justin Trudeau do to preserve the integrity of our democratic institutions,” he said.

The issue of China interfering with Canada’s democratic process has been ongoing since reports of it first surfaced earlier this year. Beijing has also attempted to go after sitting politicians like Conservative MP Michael Chong, threatening him and his relatives living in Hong Kong. 

Both Canada and China have expelled diplomats back and forth as a result of these allegations.

The Trudeau Liberals had initially said that there was no need for a public inquiry into the matter, despite the demand for one by opposition parties. 

They instead appointed former Governor General David Johnston as a “special rapporteur” to oversee the situation, and conclude whether a public inquiry was warranted. 

Johnston concluded that a public inquiry would not be of any use, as too much of the information involved had to be kept secret for national security purposes.

His conclusion sparked outrage amongst many Canadians and federal opposition parties, especially given his personal ties to Trudeau’s family and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. 

Johnston, however, repeatedly denied any favourable bias towards Trudeau or the Liberal government. 

Scheer concluded that “much time was wasted and much additional damage to Canadian’s faith and confidence in our democratic systems occurred.” 

With files from True North’s Quinn Patrick.

UN warns foreign workers subject to “contemporary slavery” in Canada

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A United Nations expert described Canada’s temporary foreign workers program as “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery” in a recent statement. 

Following a 14-day visit to the country, Tomoya Obokata, the Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on modern slavery, issued a stark warning about the plight of migrant workers in Canada.

At the heart of Obokata’s concern are the precarious conditions faced by migrant workers, who often find themselves trapped in exploitative situations with limited recourse for reporting abuses due to the employer-specific work permit regimes, including certain Temporary Foreign Worker Programs. 

These circumstances, according to Obokata, render migrant workers vulnerable to what he refers to as “contemporary forms of slavery.”

“I am disturbed by the fact that many migrant workers are exploited and abused in this country,” said Obokata.

“Agricultural and low-wage streams of the temporary foreign workers program constitute a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.”

Obokata also urged the Canadian government to intensify to safeguard the rights of foreign workers while they’re in Canada. Additionally, Obokata wants Canada to create a permanent residency pathway for all migrants.

A number of Jamaican migrant workers were recently sent back to Jamaica after holding a one-day strike to protest conditions at an Ontario farm. 

The expulsion prompted a meeting with Jamaica’s Labour Minister Pearnel Charles and the migrant workers. 

Jamaica has said that it will conduct an ongoing investigation after videos shared on social media showed overflowing toilets only separated by shower curtains at one farm. 

Ottawa has since said it too will look into the circumstances around the incident.  

“The Government of Canada takes its responsibilities with respect to the protection of temporary foreign workers very seriously and takes all necessary measures to ensure their health and safety and to ensure that their rights are respected while they are in Canada,” said Employment and Social Development Canada spokesperson Samuelle Carbonneau.

“The mistreatment or abuse of temporary foreign workers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Liberal news bill could enrich CBC by $172 million

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The CBC could make $172 million as a result of deals signed with social media giants under the Online News Act, or Bill C-18, passed this year by the Liberal government. 

It would make CBC the largest beneficiary of the law which has been described by critics as a shakedown of social media companies like Google and Facebook. 

According to the draft regulations, media companies can receive compensation for news links shared on the social media platforms based on the number of full-time journalists they have employed.

Former Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission vice-chair Peter Menzies has done an analysis of estimated payouts and found that CBC employed the largest share of journalists in all of Canada, meaning it would likely be the biggest beneficiary of the law. 

The CBC already receives $1.2 billion in taxpayer funding from Canadians each year.

“I’m a big fan of having a public broadcaster, but not a large commercial competitor eating everybody else’s lunch,” Menzies told the Globe and Mail. 

According to University of Ottawa internet law expert Michael Geist, the way the law is written means that smaller independent media outlets will see little to no benefit relative to large companies like the CBC. 

“On the relative compensation issue it’s a clear advantage for the CBC and other big broadcasters, but the smaller players – hundreds of independent media outlets – will lose out,” said Geist. 

When the law was being debated in the House of Commons, Conservatives argued that the CBC should not be eligible under the bill because it is already publicly subsidized. 

“CBC from day one should have been excluded from funds from C-18. I have heard from many smaller media organizations that they simply can’t compete with the public broadcaster,” said Conservative MP and former journalist Kevin Waugh. 

CBC spokesperson Leon Mar has since stood by the public broadcaster’s inclusion under the bill. 

“It will help ensure that all Canadian media organizations, regardless of their size, are able to receive fair compensation for the content they produce when that content is used by digital companies to attract and keep people on their platforms and generate revenue,” Mar told the Globe and Mail. 

In response to the legislation, Facebook has completely stopped sharing news in Canada altogether which technically means it is no longer subject to the regulations.  

LEVY: Welcome to Olivia Chow’s Toronto

By
Sue-Ann Levy
-

It’s been more than two months since Olivia Chow became Mayor of Toronto, but the homeless crisis continues to worsen. To make matters worse, it doesn’t seem like Chow has a plan to address the crisis.

True North’s Sue-Ann Levy visits Allen Gardens in Toronto, where a major encampment of homeless people and Indigenous individuals continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Sue-Ann says she isn’t surprised that Chow doesn’t have a plan to address homelessness in Toronto, given her track record as a city councillor. She adds that Torontonians should brace themselves, as the situation will likely get a lot worse before it gets better.

Several Ottawa area hospitals reintroduce mandatory masking

By
Quinn Patrick
-

The Ottawa Hospital is bringing back a mandatory mask mandate for all clinical areas as of Sept. 11, according to a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. 

“As we prepare for the respiratory virus season, where we anticipate an increased transmission of influenza, Covid-19 and RSV, The Ottawa Hospital will be updating some of our measures and supports to protect patients, staff and members of the public,” the statement read. 

“Beginning Sept. 11, masking will be required in all clinical areas and waiting rooms. Clinical areas include inpatient units, patient rooms, nursing stations and ambulatory care areas. Masking will continue to be encouraged, but optional, in all other non-clinical areas,” it continued. “These requirements will be in place for the duration of the respiratory virus season.”

The Ottawa Hospital had eased its masking rules in the spring of 2022, when Covid-19 cases dropped dramatically. 

One Ottawa family complained to the hospital after their loved one contracted Covid-19 while staying in the hospital, saying that they saw visitors unmasked in patient rooms, according to the Ottawa Citizen. 

Respiratory illnesses usually see an uptick in the fall, however Covid-19 cases started to rise in August. 

Several other hospitals are bringing back masking as well, like the Perth and Smith Falls District Hospital (PSFDH), which has reinstated mandatory masking throughout its two campuses. 

Along with a return to masks the PSFDH said it will also resume a two-metre physical distance requirement “as a proactive approach to supporting safety and wellbeing of all patients, visitors and members of the PSFDH health care team,” said Karen Kelly, a spokesperson for the hospital. 

“Reinstating universal masking is one measure to also minimize impacts and pressures on the organization’s health and human resources.”

Natasha Curley, a spokesperson for the Queensway Carleton Hospital, released a statement saying its decision to return to masks was a result of the recent uptick in cases reported by Ottawa Public Health. 

“There is no general cause for concern, but we have reintroduced masking as a precautionary measure while we evaluate the changing indicators,” said Curley.

“Queensway Carleton and other hospitals say they are continuing to monitor the situation and will make further adjustments if needed.”

Poilievre calls out Bloc, Liberals for climate hypocrisy

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
-

Justin Trudeau and Yves-Francois Blanchet are burning oil to fly around the world while telling us to live with less, Pierre Poilievre said.

Poilievre accused the Bloc Quebecois and Liberal leaders of climate hypocrisy in a speech to the Conservative caucus ahead of the party’s convention in Quebec City this weekend.

Over the next three days, Conservative members will gather at the Quebec City Convention Centre to, among other things, vote on policy resolutions that could help inspire the party’s next electoral platform.

Poilievre started off his speech in French and took jabs at the Bloc Quebecois.

“In Quebec City, people are worried about the cost of living, the cost of gas, groceries and housing. And what is Mr. Blanchet doing? He’s in Spain.”

The Bloc leader is in Spain to discuss independence in Catalonia. 

“How did it get to Spain? Was it a canoe? No, he burned oil,” said Poilievre.  “He’s burning oil to go to Spain, while at the same time he wants to impose a tax of 17 cents per litre on Quebecers.”

The Bloc Quebecois has called for carbon taxes of over $100 per tonne. 

“The Bloc says it wants to radically increase the tax on the backs of Quebecers. ‘Radically increase’ are not my words. It’s their MPs in the House of Commons who have suggested that they want to radically increase taxes.” Poilievre claimed.

“The supposedly sovereignist party wants to take Quebecers’ money to Ottawa so that Justin Trudeau can spend it.”

Poilievre also called out the air travels of Prime Minister Trudeau and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.

“It’s not just (Blanchet) who’s going on trips… Justin Trudeau is in India and Steven Guilbeault is in China.”

“Steven Guilbeault, Justin Trudeau and Mr. Blanchet want to punish people from the Saguenay for having a truck, at the same time as Mr. Guilbeault says he is not going to give lessons to the government in Beijing… where they burn the largest amount of coal.”

As previously reported by True North, Guilbeault, who sits on a Chinese government advisory body, was warned by China to not be “condescending” during his climate change visit.

Poilievre said he had “news for the Bloc and news for Justin Trudeau.”

“People in the regions of Quebec need their trucks and their vehicles,” he said. “They don’t need to pay another twenty cents a litre in taxes and they don’t need to take lessons from politicians.”

The Conservative leader also said his party is the only one that “works in the interests of Quebecers – especially Quebecers who feel forgotten.”

In English, Poilievre also discussed the current state of Canada under Justin Trudeau.

“Work doesn’t pay, interest rates are rising faster than ever in monetary history, housing costs have doubled, crime, chaos, drugs and disorder are common in our streets.

“You don’t bring it home. In fact, increasingly, Canadians do not have a home at all.” 

He said that “the good news is, life was not like this in Canada before Justin Trudeau, and it won’t be like this after.”

Poilievre called his party’s upcoming meeting a “common sense convention.”

“This is the common sense of the common people united for our common home”

The Conservative Party of Canada convention takes place Sept. 7-9 at the Quebec City Convention Centre. True North’s Andrew Lawton and Elie Cantin-Nantel will be on the ground to bring you independent coverage.

Quebec judge chosen for public inquiry into Chinese interference.

By
Quinn Patrick
-
Université de Sherbrooke

The Trudeau government has reportedly found a judge to preside over a public inquiry into allegations of election interference by Beijing after months of searching and much debate between the federal parties. 

Marie-Josée Hogue has been selected to lead the inquiry. 

Hogue is a puisne judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, appointed in June 2015. 

Prior to her appointment, Hogue was a partner with the law firm McCarthy Tétrault, where she primarily practiced corporate commercial law, civil litigation, professional liability and administrative and constitutional law. 

From 1988 to 1989, Hogue also worked as a law clerk to Antonio Lamer of the Supreme Court of Canada.

The official announcement came Thursday from Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is in Indonesia.

Leblanc is also the minister of democratic institutions. 

The search for a judge to oversee the public inquiry has gone on for months since the resignation of former governor general David Johnston. 

Johnston had been appointed by Trudeau as special rapporteur on election interference however, he stepped down in June following allegations of bias. 

Since his resignation, Leblanc has been in talks with opposition parties about another potential appointment and he said that the government was in the “final stages” of putting together an inquiry. 

The complex questions regarding the structure and management of the inquiry have already been answered and agreed upon, according to LeBlanc. He said that the process takes time for all the specific protocols to be followed when working with judges who are actively on the bench.

Leblanc did not comment on reporters’ questions that the reason the appointment has taken this long is a result of Johnston’s initial appointment and then resignation, due to allegations of bias and partisan fighting. 

Initially, the Liberal government said that there was no need for a public inquiry into Chinese election interference, despite the demand for one by opposition parties. Instead, the Liberals appointed Johnston as a special rapporteur to oversee the matter and conclude whether or not an public inquiry was warranted. 

Johnston concluded that too much of the information involved had to be kept secret for purposes of national security and that a public inquiry would not be of any use. 

His conclusion sparked outrage amongst many Canadians and federal opposition parties, especially considering Johnston’s personal ties to the family of Trudeau and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. 

Johnston repeatedly denied any favourable bias towards Trudeau or the Liberal government. 

He also pointed out to his detractors that he had initially been appointed as governor general by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, before eventually resigning as rapporteur. 

The choice of Hogue has been publicly supported by former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, who called Hogue a “solid choice.”

“The terms of reference must ensure she is also not provided with a curated view of intelligence as the special rapporteur was,” posted O’Toole on X. “Canadians deserve a serious, fulsome and non-partisan inquiry.”

O’Toole said that he was first informed by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) that his party had been targeted by the Chinese government in 2021, as part of an “active voter suppression campaign.”

The issue of China interfering with Canada’s democratic process has been an ongoing issue in Ottawa since reports of it first surfaced earlier this year. 

Beijing has also attempted to go after sitting politicians like Conservative MP Michael Chong, threatening him and his relatives living in Hong Kong. 

Chong claimed to have been targeted by China after he voted in favour of a motion in the House of Commons to condemn their government’s treatment of the Uyghur minority as a genocide, in 2021.  

Both Canada and China have expelled diplomats back and forth as a result of these allegations.

CSIS has also made a policy change that will have them inform MPs of any potential threat they may face from foreign governments, even if the threat is thought to be minor. 

The Daily Brief | Canada’s race-based justice system

By
Andrew Lawton
-

As the inflation crisis continues to worsen, the Bank of Canada announced Wednesday that it would be holding its interest rate steady at 5%.

Plus, a judge ruled no jail time for a man convicted of a gun crime because his great-grandfather’s experiences as a residential school survivor.

And a non-binary teacher in Quebec is demanding school children to use gender neutral language.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Andrew Lawton and Lindsay Shepherd!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

Gov survey claims nearly two-thirds of Canadians support air gun restrictions

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A survey commissioned by Public Safety Canada gauging the attitudes of Canadians on firearms claimed that nearly two out of three people support restrictions on “mid-velocity” air rifles.

According to the Firearms Safety Public Awareness Campaign conducted by Ekos Research Associates Inc. 63% of Canadians “support restrictions on the sale, purchase and transfer of mid-velocity ‘replica’ air guns.” 

The survey cost taxpayers $147,363.30 and was delivered to the government on June 5, 2023. 

Today, Canadians over the age of 14 are free to buy most air guns that meet certain muzzle velocity and energy criteria and do not overtly resemble real firearms. 

The survey also claims that support for firearms measures was “generally high.” 

“About eight in ten also support the eight other measures described in the survey, and 74% indicated support for a buyback program for certain banned firearms,” reads the survey.

According to Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights VP of public relations Tracey Wilson, the Liberal government came close to including a ban on airsoft guns via Bill C-21. 

“This Ekos study is interesting because most of the information is missing; how do they know which people polled owned firearms, how did they ensure it?” Wilson told True North. 

“On the topic of airguns, Liberal Bill C-21 originally included a ban on airsoft guns which was amended in the committee stage. The airsoft community, the NDP and the CPC worked quite hard to save the sport. Law enforcement has expressed some concern over misuse by criminals, and that in the heat of the moment it is almost impossible to tell them apart from real guns, resulting in some terrible outcome.” 

Wilson said that although there are some steps that can be taken to ensure the safe use of air powered weapons, a total ban is not the solution. 

“The airsoft community seemed accepting that some regulation, storage rules, markings and education would be a benefit. In the end, the airsoft ban was amended out of the bill and will likely reappear in some regulatory changes later,” said Wilson.

“The idea that the only answer here is to ban the object is a purely Liberal philosophy, in line with how they govern the firearms file. When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I think it’s reasonable to find middle ground here, if public safety is really the goal.”

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