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Sunday, September 21, 2025

New Brunswick Liberals reverse Higgs’ parental rights and pronoun policy

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

The New Brunswick Liberal government will walk back on defending parental rights and children from the harms of gender ideology. 

New Brunswick Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Claire Johnson is rescinding the previous Conservative government’s Policy 713, which required parental consent for students under the age of 16 to change their name and pronouns at school. 

“Our government committed to revising this policy, and I am confident the changes we have made are in the best interest of students, families and school personnel,” said Johnson. “It is essential that schools are inclusive and safe spaces.”

A statement from the newly-elected Liberal party said that the change is effective Jan. 1 and that the education department “will adopt a revised policy that includes changes to the informal use of a student’s chosen first name and pronoun(s) and expectations around communicating with families.”

Beginning in the new year, parental consent will no longer be a requirement for a student to change their given name or pronouns for informal use in school. 

However, parental consent will be required when formally changing a student’s name and pronouns under the age of 16, those above that age won’t be affected.

“All students have the right and presumed capacity to self-identify and communicate their chosen first name and/or pronoun(s),” reads the policy. “Members of the school environment will use the chosen first name and/or pronoun(s) consistently.

“The expectation is that families are fully involved and aware. When a student is uncomfortable providing informed consent, the school will respect the student’s wishes and work with them to create a support plan to make their parent(s) aware when they are ready.”

The policy also notes that principals or school personnel may ask to have a student assessed by an approved professional when responding to cases where the student may not be fully aware of the decision that they are making. 

“We wanted to make it explicit that we wanted parents involved,” noted Johnson. “We want parents involved and aware as much as possible. We really want there to be a dialogue between schools and children and everyone involved. This is a policy that’s meant to set a tone, and we want a tone of transparency and dialogue.”

Reversing Policy 713 was a campaign promise before the provincial Liberals were elected to power in October. 

“We’ve been talking about this for a really long time,” added Johnson. “It became really important for New Brunswickers.”

Policy 713 was initially changed by the Progressive Conservative government last summer, requiring students under the age of 16 to acquire parental consent before altering their names and pronouns in schools. 

“Parents deserve to be respected, and we must recognize the critical role in their child’s life and education,” said then-education minister Bill Hogan at the time. 

“We stand by the changes we’ve made to Policy 713 and we believe that parents should be involved in every aspect of a young child’s education.”

A Leger poll commissioned by SecondStreet.org last year found that 69% of Maritimers and 57% of Canadians agree that schools should make parents aware that their kids are wishing to change genders or pronouns.

Support for the latter was higher among those with kids in their household, compared to those without kids. 

The Faulkner Show | The truth about Syria

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Leaders across Canada and the West have been celebrating the coup in Syria and the fall of the Assad regime but what is really happening and who is really in charge of this new Syria? Jasem Aljuraid, a former Kuwaiti political candidate, journalist and political asylee living in Canada, joins the Faulkner Show to talk about the new Syria and what this means for the Middle East, and the world.

Tune in now!

The Northern Dispatch | Will Trudeau make it to the next election?

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Source: X

Things keep getting worse for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chrystia Freeland resigned, the Liberals suffered another embarrassing byelection defeat, and a growing list of Liberal MPs are calling for Trudeau to step down. Will he make it to the next election at this rate? Who would take his place?

As most Canadians know, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP hold the balance of power in the House of Commons, and an election is dependent on them voting non-confidence. Coincidentally, the NDP won’t be triggering an election until Singh gets his pension.

We discuss a tumultuous week in Ottawa today on The Northern Dispatch with True North’s Harrison Faulkner and The Northern Perspective’s Ryan and Tanya.

Montreal police investigating cafe franchisee who gave Nazi salute at pro-Palestine protest

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: X

Quebec media is reporting that police have arrested a woman recorded giving a Nazi salute at an anti-Israel protest in Montreal that erupted in violence.

Montreal police confirmed with True North that the matter was being investigated, though they refused to say whether the woman, Mai Abdulhadi, had been arrested.

“The SPVM won’t confirm or deny any arrests. We don’t want to interfere in an eventual trial that will take place,” a Montreal police representative told True North. “(When the) investigation ends, and as soon as we can share information with the public, we will do so.”

Le Journal de Quebec, however, reported that “reliable sources” have indicated that the SPVM had arrested the former coffee shop owner and that she could be facing criminal charges of incitement to hate and death threats.

As previously reported by True North, Abdulhadi had been recorded giving Nazi salutes and telling Jews and Israeli supporters that “the final solution” was coming their way.

It was discovered by internet sleuths that her family were franchisees of Second Cup Cafe’s location at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Second Cup Cafe suspended its franchise relationship in response to the incident.

After Abdulhadi was recorded giving Nazi gestures and alluding to the Holocaust, vehicles were set ablaze and black bloc Antifa protesters smashed franchise windows.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced backlash at the time while riots were taking place in Montreal as he was filmed dancing at a Taylor Swift concert while Montreal’s downtown dealt with the violent riot.

This is a developing story that will be updated when more information becomes available.

Canadian military deployed “gender advisors” to Ukraine, Haiti

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook (Justin Trudeau)

The Canadian Armed Forces has been deploying “gender advisors” to international operations, including in Ukraine and Haiti, as part of a broader push to integrate gender ideology into military activities abroad.

This initiative, highlighted in the Department of National Defence’s recently released 2024 Departmental Report, is drawing sharp criticism from veterans and observers who question its relevance during active conflicts and humanitarian crises.

The latest departmental report emphasized the CAF’s commitment to gender-based analysis plus – a commitment introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into policy-making across all government departments. 

According to the report, “gender advisors” and “gender focal points” were dispatched to Canadian military missions in Poland, Ukraine, Haiti, and Latvia throughout 2023. 

“In Poland, the Task Force Gender Advisor was involved in all aspects of this training mission and supported the local Defence Attaché in connecting with local and Ukraine-based non-governmental organizations and interested parties,” reads the report. 

Additionally, the report notes that in Haiti, “intersectional factors (were) being applied towards stabilization and humanitarian efforts.” 

“Under Operations HORIZON and PROJECTION, ships’ crews and augmentees employed GBA Plus to keep CAF members safe and effective and, working alongside the United States and other military partners, to build capacity and awareness within the Indo-Pacific region,” the report continues.

The initiative is part of Canada’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security for 2023-2029, which aims to bolster the integration of gender concepts into the execution of military operations. 

According to the action plan, there are three full-time gender advisors embedded in the CAF at the strategic and operational levels. All missions receive at least a part-time Gender Focal Point.

“A Gender Advisor is a full-time position, usually a military position, and a Gender Focal Point is a part-time position; these exist to support Commanders in the application of GBA+ and gender perspectives in both the institutional and operational realms. Gender Focal Points are positioned throughout CAF. In-theatre, there is a minimum of one GFP on all named missions,” explains a Department of National Defence report. 

However, some critics argue that such policies misplace priorities and add unnecessary bureaucracy to military operations.

Andrew MacGillivray, president of Veterans for Freedom, criticized the growing emphasis on gender analysis within the armed forces in a comment to True North, calling it an unwelcome distraction.

“GBA was initially created to factor in female characteristics into the procurement of military materiel and has since been transformed into a useless overbearing policy that has infiltrated every aspect of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said MacGillivray.

MacGillivray questioned the utility of these efforts in the field, particularly in high-stakes environments. “I doubt that countries at war or in a humanitarian crisis that we are trying to help care about gender nonsense being pushed by Canada when they are struggling to keep people alive,” he added.

The Department of National Defence did not respond to requests for comment before publication.

The Daily Brief | The declining Canadian dollar

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Source: Canadian Metalworking

For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian dollar has dipped below 0.70 USD in value.

Plus, according to a new poll, the majority of Canadians want an election now following Chrystia Freeland’s resignation.

And a London councillor who frequently criticizes the city’s approach to addressing the homelessness crisis has had her pay suspended for “harassing” a bureaucrat by quoting his tweet.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Isaac Lamoureux and Noah Jarvis!

Another police union joins calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Durham Regional Police Association Executives - Jan 2024 - Source: X

The Durham Regional Police Association is adding to the growing number of people and organizations calling for an election and for the prime minister to step down.

The GTA police union joined the Toronto Police Association, the largest police union in Canada, in calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign.

The Toronto police union released a statement on Tuesday calling for Trudeau’s resignation and criticizing a recently announced crime plan as “laughable.” The Toronto Police Association responded to a social media post by Liberal cabinet minister Anita Anand, who shared a list of the government’s proposals to fix issues in Canada’s criminal justice system.

She said the Liberal government is proposing amendments to the Criminal Code to ensure repeat, violent offenders “are held accountable,” to add stricter bail conditions for violent crimes and to grant the Canada Border Services Agency “further authority” to inspect goods set for export.

The Toronto Police Association’s post, which the Durham police union said it “echoed,” criticized this move, saying the union has lost all faith in the government to fix the problems that it created.

Notably, the government relaxed bail conditions with Bill C-75, which emphasized “restraint” for courts and police imposing bail conditions in an attempt to reduce the “overrepresentation of vulnerable populations.”

“Empty promises and platitudes have very little meaning and continue to be disingenuous to our members and the members of the general public,” the Durham Regional Police Association said in a post on X Wednesday. “Violent crimes, gun offences and the lack of actual bail reform do nothing but endanger the public, officers and society as a whole.”

“It’s time we elect a Government that will follow through with much-needed change instead of empty promises.”

The Durham Regional Police Association also criticized the government’s decision to add to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s duties by naming him finance minister as well. The portfolio was added to LeBlanc’s plate Monday following Chrystia Freeland’s abrupt resignation from cabinet just hours before she was set to deliver the government’s Fall Economic Statement.

“Adding portfolios to the Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc takes away their ability to focus on their preexisting agendas,” the Durham police association said in a post.

Abacus poll data from a survey conducted Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning, when Freeland resigned, found that 58% of Canadians want an immediate election. And 67% of Canadians agree with the two police unions and think that Trudeau should resign.

Alberta NDP hold onto seat in Lethbridge-West byelection 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: X

The Alberta NDP have held onto a Lethbridge seat in the party’s first electoral test since Naheed Nenshi became the leader.

New Democrat Rob Miyashiro won with 7,239 votes thus far, edging out the United Conservative Party’s John Middleton-Hope, who received 6,089. 

“I’m honoured to carry on the fight for the people of Lethbridge-West,” said Myashiro during his victory speech on Wednesday. 

Myashiro had kind words for Middleton-Hope following his win, acknowledging that difficulties one endures after entering politics from any side.

“It’s a difficult thing to do,” he said. “You’re in the public eye and you’re taking all the shots, so good on him and his team running a good campaign.”

Alberta Party candidate Layton Veverka received 233 votes. 

While the official byelection results won’t be released until Dec. 28, 100% of the voting stations have reported their counts.

Miyashiro told residents of the riding that he would not let them down.

“The people of Lethbridge-West really are sending a message to our government that what they’re doing isn’t good enough,” he said.

Miyashiro ran in last year’s election but lost to United Conservative Party candidate Nathan Neudorf.

After winning his seat in the legislature, Miyashiro announced he will be resigning from his current position as executive director of the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization.

The legislature seat had been vacant for some time, following New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips’ resignation on July 1. 

Miyashiro said the party’s win should be an indicator to the provincial government that people want change.

Canada Post says it will deliver letters to Santa – but don’t expect a response

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

A day after Canada Post employees were ordered back to work, the Crown corporation is assuring Canadians letters to Santa will be “handled with special care” and mailed out to the North Pole as usual.

Unlike in typical years, however, “Santa won’t have time to respond to letters” this time around, Canada Post says.

“As Canada Post reopened its facilities yesterday, the process of safely ramping up operations has begun. Please know that it will take time to stabilize our operations; however, like always, letters to Santa are handled with special care,” said the Crown corporation in a statement. 

The Write a Letter to Santa program has been running for over 40 years, however it looked like it might not happen this year after more than 55,000 Canada Post employees walked off the job on Nov. 15 as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers looked to increase wages, pensions and improve their health benefits.

Canada Post cancelled its letters to Santa deadline at the beginning of the month amid uncertainty as to how long the strike would last. The postal service will now be accepting letters to Santa mailed by Dec. 23.

“The scanners in our plants are set up to locate Santa letters, which are identified by the H0H 0H0 postal code. This allows us to deliver these letters straight to the North Pole. We will be doing this for all Santa letters mailed by December 23,” the statement continued.

“Although Santa won’t have time to respond to letters received through the mail this year, we want to let children know that their letters will make it to him by Christmas Eve. Santa is looking forward to reading all the letters he receives,” reads the statement.

Some Canadians weren’t spurred into the holiday spirit by the news, however, expressing frustrations at the union’s choice of timing to go on strike.

“I understand that workers have the right to strike, but Canada Post workers picked the busiest time of the year to go on strike. They have no heart at all, there are a lot of children who look forward to receiving a letter from Santa and this year (they won’t) due to the strike,” wrote one user.

“Considering Santa doesn’t really exist and letters addressed to him will almost certainly end up being pulped unopened, it’s a harmless press release,” wrote another.

One user wrote that Canada Post, “better start treating their workers better because there’s no way the strike is letting all those kids’ letters get to santa.”

The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered Canada Post employees back to work on Monday after determining that negotiations between the Crown corporation and the federal government had reached an “impasse.”

“After two days of hearings, the CIRB has issued its ruling confirming the parties are at an impasse,” wrote the Crown corporation in a statement released Sunday. 

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon requested the CIRB implement the order, which included an extension of the current collective agreements. 

“We are so privileged to be able to connect children and Santa over the holidays through our Santa letter program. We wish everyone from coast to coast to coast a merry and joyous Christmas,” reads the Canada Post statement. 

Edmonton Police Commission chair resigns following criticism of plan to govern from Portugal

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

Edmonton Police Commission Chair John McDougall has resigned following widespread criticism of his plan to serve the remainder of his term while living abroad. 

McDougall announced his immediate resignation Tuesday, ending his seven-year tenure.

“It is clear that my residency would be an unwelcome distraction from the important work of the Commission, which is not fair to the citizens who rely on us to provide governance and oversight of the Edmonton Police Service,” said McDougall.

The backlash began after McDougall revealed last week that he planned to move to Portugal while continuing to serve as a commissioner. Despite announcing his time as chair of the commission would end on Dec. 31, 2024, he said he planned to remain a commissioner until the end of his term in Dec. 2026. 

“I can assure Edmonton that my continued service adheres to all rules regarding my new accommodation, as there are no residency requirements for commissioners appointed by the City of Edmonton or the Government of Alberta,” said McDougall. “To be clear, residency requirements are not stipulated in the Police Act or the City’s Police Commission Bylaw.”

He added that as a longtime resident of Edmonton and Alberta, his ties to the community would not disappear by living abroad. He said he would not be the first member of the commission to live abroad.

The Edmonton Police Commission’s website says that its commissioners and staff “live and work in our community and represent all Edmontonians on policing matters.”

Commissioners are appointed by the City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta for terms of two and three years, respectively. 

Minister of Public Safety Mike Ellis told True North that McDougall remains a resident of Edmonton. However, once he moved permanently in 2025, it was expected that he would step down.

McDougall’s initial announcement was met with severe backlash.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi suggested that McDougall was exploiting a loophole in the residency requirements during an interview with a local journalist.

Sohi said that the residency requirements were created to accommodate exceptional circumstances, such as family emergencies or moving temporarily for work, not to accommodate someone moving away permanently while remaining on the commission. 

“(The) public expects commission members to engage with them in a meaningful way. That is not possible when someone is not physically present in the community permanently,” said Sohi. 

Tim Cartmell, who plans to run for mayor of Edmonton next year, alluded that he may work to change the residency requirements.

“It’s critical that the folks who are representing our city, especially when it comes to safety and security, are local and acutely aware of the issues and opportunities at the ground level,” said Cartmell. “We need to set these expectations going forward and I’ll be working with our partners to communicate that.” 

McDougall said that despite the backlash resulting in his resignation, he leaves the commission with his head held high and a heart full of gratitude.

McDougall resigned less than a month after Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee retired from the Edmonton Police Service.

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