An Ontario NDP MPP has responded to allegations that he faked being punched in the face at an Ottawa gender ideology protest. Joel Harden claims he broke up an altercation between two women at the protest and was subsequently punched in the face by an anti-gender ideology protester. However, he did not share footage of the described altercation – and his office did not respond to a query from True North about the existence of such footage.
Plus, a report by RBC shows that housing affordability in Toronto and Vancouver is likely past the point of no return and is irreparable.
And a Canadian think tank says Alberta business leaders must demand better results from the provincial education system.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Lindsay Shepherd!
CBC Kids News recently published a video in which a child explains the “2SLGBTQQIPAA+” acronym to other children.
“Have you seen this term? 2SLGBTQQIPAA+. You know what each letter means? Don’t worry, we’ll break it down for you,” says the child actor in the video.
Canada’s state broadcaster CBC gets a kid explain to other kids the "2SLGBTQQIPAA+" acronym. The 5 minute video also touches on gender ideology & queer theory. pic.twitter.com/4j9ptsSX8S
The child proceeds to explain that the long acronym stands for “Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Pansexual, Asexual, Allies.”
“Q stands for queer. It’s more of a general umbrella term for people with different forms of self-expression,” explains the child actor.
The video also features OK2BME community engagement lead Erin Huston, whose organization “provides support and education on 2SLGBTQQIPAA+ issues for kids, teens, and adults across the Waterloo Region.” University of Saskatechewan assistant professor of history of gender and sexuality Alessio Ponzio is also featured in the video.
“Human beings are extremely complicated. It’s really hard to be put in a box because we are not black or white. This is why queer is very helpful because (it) allows us to think about humans and about ourselves as shades of greys,” explains Ponzio.
The video also touches on if the full “2SLGBTQQIPAA+” should be used, rather than a shorter version like LGBT.
“Some of you may be wondering, this term is pretty long. What if I don’t remember it? And am I supposed to say the whole thing all the time?” asked the child actor.
“Experts we talked to said it really depends on your intention.”
Ponzio said “if you are in a more formal conversation, if you’re writing a paper, I would try to go for the full, But in regular conversation I think that many, many people are fine also with a shorter version.”
Huston said “I always just say any genuine attempt is great. If that starts with like LGBT, that’s fantastic.”
The CBC’s video also promotes gender ideology by showing “they/them” pronouns.
SCREENSHOT: CBC promotes “they/them” pronouns to children. CBC Kids News.
“By the way, sex and gender don’t mean the same thing,” says the child. “Sex refers to the physical characteristics of a person, including the body parts they have.”
“Gender refers to how a person feels inside. A person can express their gender in different ways. Like with the pronouns they use or the way they dress.”
In addition to a video, CBC Kids News has an “2SLGBTQQIPAA+” quiz on its website that touches on the stonewall riots and the fact that Justin Trudeau was the first Canadian Prime Minister to have the pride flag raised on Parliament Hill.
It should be noted that this is not the first time that the CBC has promoted gender ideology to children.
Radio-Canada, the French language arm of the CBC, previously had children’s drag performer Barbada de Barbades explain the “LGBTQI2A+” acronym to kids.
Here is an excerpt of French CBC video featuring Barbada, the Drag Queen that will be taking part in a story hour for children this weekend in Dorval, QC. Watch them explain to children the “LGBTQI2A+” acronym, while also encouraging them to ask for preferred pronouns. pic.twitter.com/tNvZgiGkzD
In the same video, the drag queen shared how he once questioned his sexual orientation and encouraged kids to ask people their preferred pronouns and use gender-neutral language.
English CBC has also promoted drag queens to children on several occasions.
Earlier this year, it published a six-minute video segment where two drag queens sat down with New Brunswick schoolchildren for “an honest conversation about drag, gender and dress-up.”
Lockdown zealot Ryan Imgrund, a former teacher and basketball coach at York Catholic District School Board, has lost his teaching license after being found guilty of sexual misconduct by the Ontario College of Teachers.
He was accused of sending inappropriate text messages, including naked pictures of himself, to six young women, five of whom were high school students.
The incidents spanned from 2005 to 2019 and continued even after he was warned by a school superintendent to stop contacting students outside of school hours.
Imgrund became a public figure during the pandemic as a self-proclaimed biostatistician who shared Covid-19 data and advocated for lockdowns as well as masking on his Twitter account.
He did not appear at the hearing and pleaded no contest to the allegations.
His behaviour was described as “alarming” and “abusive” by the College counsel, who said he breached the standards of care, respect and trust that are expected of teachers.
“It obviously removes the member from the profession entirely,” said lawyer Danielle Miller.
In a post on his public social media, Imgrund claimed that the judgement should raise doubts about the College’s impartiality.
“(The behaviour was) so alarming, on so many levels, and so brazen.”
“This approach by the (college) should raise significant doubts in the public about the fairness and impartiality of this organization,” said Imgrund.
“The unfortunate reality is pleading no contest is less daunting course of action than participating in a costly hearing which will be biased and prejudiced.”
Imgrund’s penalty includes a permanent revocation of his teaching certificate, a reprimand and a publication of his name and case summary on the college’s website.
“By removing (his) easy access to school-age girls, it protects the public,” said Miller.
The incidents involved Imgrund allegedly behaving “inappropriately” with 15-year-old-girls under his care as a basketball coach at Sacred Heart Catholic High School. Imgrund is alleged to have asked the students to meet him at the pool and repeatedly texted their cellphones.
The federal government has made carbon capture a central part of its net-zero emissions plan, pledging $12.4 billion in tax credits for carbon capture systems, aiming to capture millions of metric tons of carbon emissions annually by 2050. Yet, carbon capture technology has a checkered track record, with many projects failing to achieve their targets or shutting down completely. Fraser Institute senior fellow Dr. Kenneth Green joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the effectiveness of this strategy, and if the cost is worth the reward.
A Canadian think tank says Alberta business leaders must demand better results from the provincial education system.
According to a recent Business Council of Alberta survey, almost half of Alberta businesses are struggling to find workers who have required “people” skills in areas like communication and leadership.
In an open letter, Michael Van Pelt, president and CEO of Cardus, said business leaders must be become more informed about the well-being of K–12 schooling in the province and advocate more strongly for educational choice “so that all school sectors produce the graduates with the basic skills and attributes of character that all businesses rely on—and that thriving economies require.”
The Business Council of Alberta survey also found that many businesses are having difficulty finding employees with basic numeracy and interpersonal skills, as well as character attributes such as integrity and a strong work ethic.
In 2016, just 66% of Alberta employers said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” that high school graduates are entering the workforce with the right skills and knowledge.
Van Pelt said basic skills and personal qualities develop early in life and that schooling plays a role.
“Young Albertans are being formed cognitively, socially, and ethically during these years—in ways that will apply to any future job,” he wrote.
“When young people are formed well in these key areas, they become the capable adults who can effectively contribute to Alberta’s economy and society. They become the type of people whom business leaders are eager to hire, promote, and even hand over their businesses to someday.”
He also argued that growth in educational choice is the most effective way to create the outcomes Alberta business leaders need in K–12 education. Educational choice means that the government regulates and funds education but is not the sole provider of it.
“Choice creates healthy competition among schools and sectors, leading to better outcomes overall—and at a lower cost,” Van Pelt wrote.
Only about 10% of Alberta students currently attend schools that aren’t part of the government system.
The Alberta Parents’ Union often reminds parents that Alberta leads Canada in school choice.
For example, Alberta is the only province in Canada to permit charter schools.
Former premier Jason Kenney expanded access to charter schools by eliminating the province’s legislative cap on the number of charter schools in 2019, streamlining the process for new charter school applications in 2020 and boosting funding for charter schools in the provincial budget.
On Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland’s latest surprise visit to Ukraine over the weekend, they decided to meet with and shake the hand of an alleged Holocaust denier and Stepan Bandera supporter and apologist.
And of course – typical of the legacy media in Canada, they let them both off the hook and have been silent over this.
This is not the first time this has happened to both Freeland and Trudeau. In 2019, they met with a far-right Ukrainian politician who had co-founded a Ukrainian fascist party. Also, Freeland famously posed with a ‘Blood and Soil’ Bandera-movement scarf before quickly deleting the picture from social media.
Despite all of this, Trudeau gave another $500 million taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, bringing Canada’s total contributions to Ukraine since the war began to over $8 billion. Meanwhile, our people are struggling in Canada, our soldiers have to buy their own helmets and military equipment while on deployment and our veterans have to beg for services.
The question has to be asked – who is Justin Trudeau prioritizing more? The Canadian people or the Ukrainian war effort?
Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner
Ontario socialist NDP MPP Joel Harden is facing scrutiny after claiming to have been punched at a protest against gender ideology in Ottawa last week – amid footage that appears to show him being hit by his own megaphone.
Many have since accused the Ottawa-Centre representative of lying, while others are comparing him to American actor Jussie Smolett – who notoriously staged a hate crime in 2019.
Harden, who protested in favour of gender ideology along with members Antifa and other left-wing activists, shared a photo of himself with a cut on his face. “I’ll take a punch for queer and trans youth any day,” he wrote.
Harden’s post received reactions from both Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles and federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh – who both called on governments to take more action to protect transgender people.
— Caryma Sa’d – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) June 11, 2023
The NDP MPP then put out a statement online, where he said “last Friday, I broke up several altercations or near altercations that got started by anti-trans protesters… In one of these occasions, a woman was grabbing another woman by the hair. I put my body between them and separated them.”
Update: last Friday, I broke up several altercations or near altercations that got started by anti-trans protesters.
In one of these occasions, a woman was grabbing another woman by the hair. I put my body between them and separated them. 🧵
“After separating them, I looked over my shoulder and was punched,” he added. “I was holding a megaphone against my face. The blow glanced off the megaphone and my face was cut. The woman left and the altercation ended.”
I do not want this woman charged. I would rather talk to her about why she needed to be violent, and why she needed to protest outside public schools.
If she is reading this statement, that offer still holds.
Harden did not share footage of the described altercation on Twitter – and his office did not respond to a query from True North about the existence of such footage.
Furthermore, footage showing an altercation where a woman grabs another woman by the hair does not appear to show Harden – who was wearing a rainbow suit at the protest.
True North reached out to the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) to ask if it had any information on the incident. The force declined to comment on specific situations.
“We do not comment on active investigations or disseminate any information regarding complainants or victims”, said an OPS spokesperson. “We encourage anyone to file a report online or through our Police Reporting Unit.”
“Five individuals were arrested for assault on Friday during the demonstration. They were all released from police custody unconditionally, and no charges were laid.”
Harden said he does not want the woman who he claims punched him to be criminally charged, instead opting to offer to meet her. “It is what it is, I’m totally fine anyway,” Harden told Toronto outlet The Trillium.
A Twitter Community Note was also added to Harden’s initial tweet in which he claimed to have been punched.
Several prominent figures have since scrutinized Harden, and accused him of lying. Those criticizing him include YouTuber Viva Frei, who attended the protest, as well as renowned author and psychologist Jordan Peterson.
A new version of the story emerges…
This is not an “update” @JoelHardenONDP. It’s an attempted cover-up now that your initial malicious lie has been exposed. Just do what every dishonest politician would do… Double down! I guess you are already past the point of no return.… https://t.co/eraUwFRPmn
Well @CBCNews, is manufacturing a hate crime incident and then publicizing it while an MPP not news? Oh, right: you’re not a news organization. https://t.co/BxQxBPVNOV
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) June 12, 2023
Protest organizer Chris Elston, commonly known as Billboard Chris, also criticized Harden and referred to him as “Jussie Harden,” while others referred to him as “Joel Smollet,” referencing American actor Jussie Smolett – who staged a hate crime in 2019.
Jussie Harden claims a woman punched him, @PaulChampLaw.
You have provided a picture and video of two men not touching him, as evidence of a woman punching him.
— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) June 12, 2023
It should be noted that this is not the first time that Harden, a self-described socialist, has been the cause of controversy.
Harden previously made antisemitic comments on a podcast, leading to condemnation from Jewish Groups.
“I have asked many questions of Jewish neighbours here about how much longer we should put up with this,” said Harden in 2021. “If I were to name the single greatest threat, the single greatest origin of violence in the Middle East, it is unquestionably the state of Israel and the way in which they feel absolutely no shame in defying international law.”
After initially defending his comments, Harden apologized. “I spoke in a way that perpetrated an antisemitic stereotype towards Jewish neighbours. I regret my choice of words and sincerely apologize to the Jewish community.”
“You have my commitment that it won’t happen again and I will continue to work with Jewish leaders who can help me understand antisemitism.”
A youth theater that receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding from taxpayers is hosting a “drag camp” for kids as young as 13.
The Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) will hold the camp from Aug. 21 to 25 for teens aged 13 to 18.
According to the camp description, kids will be able to become “Drag Things” by being instructed in make up, wigs and drag performances. The camp costs $350 for registration.
“Do you love the idea of being a Drag King, Drag Queen, or Drag Thing but don’t know where to start? Explore the fun of drag through this week-long introduction to the art form,”
“You will create or refine a drag persona using make up, wigs, and costumes, and then create a lip sync number to debut at the end of the week!”
The MTYP’s latest annual report lists “Government of Canada” subsidies as a significant source of its funding.
In 2022, the theatre received $241,993 in funding from Canadian taxpayers and the year prior, MTYP received $587,044.
A total of 53% of the organization’s funds come from grants.
As reported by True North earlier this month, Winnipeg Pride hosted a drag queen story hour for children performed by a group that publicly posts extreme and satanic-themed content.
According to the Pride Winnipeg website, the group “House of Hex” performed on the kids stage where they read to kids.
Public Instagram profiles belonging to the group and its members show a variety of horror and satanic themed content not suitable for children.
The World Health Organization recently proposed a plan to “better protect citizens” by adopting the European Union’s vaccine passport and establishing a global standard for verifying vaccination status. Meanwhile, the World Health Assembly is actively working towards the development of a global pandemic treaty, with the goal of finalizing it in the upcoming year. Former congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to explore the implications and potential consequences of these endeavours.
The Department of National Defence (DND) is claiming that a senior Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officer “wasn’t participating” in an Ottawa pro-gender ideology protest alongside far-left Antifa extremists despite videos suggesting otherwise.
Livestream footage shows Engineering Officer Pete Davidson standing in a crowd of masked pro-gender ideology protestors at Friday’s demonstration.
Various clips show Davidson, who is wearing a white tee and shorts, pointing at and shouting at demonstrators who were there to oppose gender ideology in schools. Masked Antifa protestors can be seen in the video nearby holding anarchist symbols and insignia.
If you ever wanted to know what Canadian Special Forces personnel do on their “off time”… Now you know!
Although DND’s Media Relations department was able to confirm that the individual in the video was a CAF member, it claims that “he wasn’t participating” in the protest despite the videos.
“We can confirm the individual in the screenshot is a CAF member, however, he wasn’t participating in the demonstration,” DND told True North.
“The individual happened to be in the vicinity of the protest for personal reasons.”
True North’s follow-up questions concerning videos showing Davidson gesturing and shouting at protestors went unanswered by the deadline given.
“We are looking into this matter and will respond accordingly. CAF members must always act in a way that displays the best of Canadian beliefs and values, at home and abroad and are bound by various policies,” said DND in a comment received after the article was published.
The protest, which resulted in clashes between the two opposing sides, brought out members from Ottawa’s Muslim community to protest against gender ideology.
True North’s Rupa Subramanya and Harrison Faulkner were in attendance to provide exclusive coverage of the event.
Davidson’s LinkedIn profile, which can no longer be accessed on the social media platform, lists him as an Engineering Officer at the CAF.
The CAF has specific guidance on professional conduct and ethics. The Queen’s Regulations and Orders (QR&O) – particularly Chapter 19 Section 1. 19.14, Section 2. 19.36 & 19.44 – has strict prohibitions on engaging in political activity.
Additionally, the CAF has guidelines on social media activity.
“Social networks and the comment sections of Web sites are public in nature, and comments and behaviour therein form a permanent part of the public record,” DND guidance states.
“CAF members shall ensure that their online activity, whether on – or off – duty, does not reflect discredit on the CAF, compromise the CAFs reputation and lead other to refuse, be reluctant to or be unable to work with the CAF.”
According to an exclusive report by True North, the DND said it would investigate tweets by a handful of CAF members which disparaged Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and the Freedom Convoy movement.
“We can confirm that they are currently serving members,” a DND spokesperson told True North.
“While we were not previously aware of this activity, we are currently determining the appropriate steps to be taken.”
