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Monday, September 29, 2025

BONOKOSKI: Interest rate hikes continue to punish Canadians

By
Mark Bonokoski
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Source: Pixaby

It wasn’t that long ago— April 2022—more shocking news hit the business wires that more than half of Canadians, at 53%, were just $200 away from insolvency.

The number of Canadians who are so close to financial insolvency at month-end had jumped to 46%, up from 40% in the previous quarter, as interest rates continued to rise.

A survey conducted for the insolvency firm MNP Ltd. in December also found that 31% of Canadians say they don’t make enough to cover their bills and debt payments, up seven percentage points from the September poll.

Now, somewhat unexpectedly and rather hawkish, the Bank of Canada (BoC) this week ended its interest rate pause and raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 4.75%.

It spells doom to 53% of Canadians—punishing them for gorging on the cash when money was almost free, and taking on mortgages that would not be affordable for long.

The central bank pointed to stubbornly high inflation and a resilient Canadian economy as the reasons why the governing council decided its monetary policy was not yet restrictive enough to bring growth in the consumer price index back to its 2% target.

“Those who own a home or who plan to renew their mortgage are at a higher risk when it comes to being unable to absorb higher interest rates,” said Grant Bazian, president of MNP Ltd. “They will be facing higher monthly payments that could be dramatic. We are talking hundreds of dollars more per month that they hadn’t initially planned for.

“And with the increasing costs of food, gas and everything else, it is a perfect storm for some households that were already stretched to the max,” he said.

MNP reports that: “A quarter (25%) of Canadians say they have taken on more debt because of the pandemic. This includes using credit cards (14%), using a line of credit (7%), taking out a bank loan (3%), or deferring mortgage payments (3%).

One in five (20%) has also reported raiding their emergency savings to pay their bills.”

“Those taking on more debt are becoming increasingly vulnerable to interest rate increases in the future. They may find their debt rapidly becoming unaffordable when those invariably happen,” explained Bazian.

“Unfortunately, using credit is a reflex for many Canadians. For those concerned about the mid- to long-term consequences, it is probably a good time to start thinking of debt as a trap, rather than the solution.”

While BoC Governor Tiff Macklem sounded like he was in no rush to raise rates at his press conference in mid-May — focusing on broader trends rather than downplaying the rebound in housing — this week’s policy statement read like there was little doubt that a hike was appropriate.

The BoC’s key message is that “excess demand in the economy looks to be more persistent than anticipated” and there is growing risk that inflation “could get stuck materially above the 2% target.

Macklem last month warned he was prepared to increase rates if it appeared inflation could remain stuck above the bank’s 2% target rate.

The rate today is 4.4%,

“Ultimately, Governing Council raised the policy rate because they think monetary policy isn’t sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation back sustainably to 2%,” the BoC said in its statement.

The central bank faced criticism last year for not hiking rates in January when headline inflation stood at 4.8%. At least one economist said lessons learned from that experience may be why the central bank raised rates now instead of waiting until July.

“By acting aggressively, the bank is likely trying to restore its credibility as an inflation fighter,” Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist at Alberta Central, said in a note.

David Johnston resigns as “special rapporteur” on Chinese election interference

By
Andrew Kozak
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Former governor general David Johnston resigned as the Trudeau government’s controversial “special rapporteur” on Chinese election interference late Friday. 

Citing a “highly partisan atmosphere,” Johnston admitted that his role did not help build trust in Canada’s democratic institutions.

“I have concluded that, given the highly partisan atmosphere around my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect. I am therefore tendering my resignation, effective no later than the end June 2023, or as soon as I deliver a brief final report, which I hope to be earlier,” Johnston wrote in his resignation letter.

The former governor general urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to appoint someone with a national security background to continue the role.

“I encourage you to appoint a respected person, with national security experience, to complete the work that I recommended in my first report. Ideally you would consult with opposition parties to identify suitable candidates to lead this effort,” Johnston wrote.

Johnston’s resignation comes as opposition parties criticized his relationship with the Trudeau family and his role as a board member of the Trudeau Foundation, which he resigned from prior to his appointment.

In May, Johnston tabled his first report which concluded that a public inquiry was not needed to look into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s elections. Opposition parties have voted on three separate occasions for a public inquiry.

Johnston’s report did not acknowledge China’s attempts to intimidate former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, Conservative MP Michael Chong and NDP MP Jenny Kwan. 

Following Johnston’s resignation, the leaders of all opposition parties immediately called on Trudeau to set up a public inquiry.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also accused Trudeau of ruining the “reputation of a former Governor General all to cover up his own refusal to defend Canada from foreign interests and threats.”

“He must end his cover-up, stop hiding and call a full public inquiry into Beijing’s interference,” Poilievre said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc issued a statement Friday accusing Poilievre of driving Johnston out of his job, citing his “partisan attacks.”

The Andrew Lawton Show | Religious freedom and academic freedom are under threat

By
Andrew Lawton
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As religious liberties face unprecedented challenges in Canada, many Christians are starting to collectivize and take political action to protect their rights and freedoms. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses the concerning state of religious liberty, and how some groups are pushing back, with Pastor Jacob Reaume of the Trinity Bible Chapel.

Plus, a free speech event was cancelled last month by the London Public Library, despite its stated commitment to “intellectual freedom.” Chiang Mai University visiting professor and C2C Journal contributor Patrick Keeney joins to discuss the erosion of academic freedom in Canada, and the potential long-term consequences for academia and society as a whole.

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All-ages drag show held on Parliament Hill

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Liberal cabinet ministers attended an all-ages drag show on Parliament Hill this week.

Women and gender equality and youth minister Marci Ien shared pictures of the drag event Thursday, which was held following the raising of the progress pride flag to kick off what the government calls “2SLGBTQI+ Pride Season.”

“Let’s embrace the beauty and power of this art, recognizing its rich history and its ability to foster acceptance and unite us.”

“Drag is a vibrant and diverse form of art, it’s about expressing yourself and pushing boundaries,” said Ien. “From timeless glamour to cutting-edge creativity, their energy is truly unforgettable.”

Ien shared several photos of the drag show, including one featuring a young child – indicating the event was not exclusive to adults.

Also present at the drag show was Minister of international trade, export promotion, small Business and economic development Mary Ng, Minister of sport Pascale St-Onge, Minister of families, children and social development Karina Gould and Minister of mental health and addictions Carolyn Bennett.

On Twitter, Ien received criticism for the drag show.

“I always thought that being a member of parliament was a serious position. Marci Ien, first you tweeted about menstrual bracelets, and now you are hosting a drag brunch. What exactly is your job description, because I think you are losing all credibility.” said one user.

“Drag is adult entertainment,” wrote another. “Some even consider it woman-face. Come to think of it, what is a woman, Marci?”

“At some point it would be good to see you actually serving Canadians. Why are our soldiers having to buy their own helmets? Why are Canadian’s charter rights being violated? Why are women unsafe in their own change rooms?” Said another user.

This is not the first time that Liberals have tapped into the culture wars surrounding drag shows.

In May, Defence Minister Anita Anand posted photos of herself with several drag queens, calling drag entertainment “one of Canada’s fundamental freedoms.” 

“Expressing yourself through drag is one of Canada’s fundamental freedoms. It’s crucial that we show up to support the 2SLGBTQI+ community in all its diversity,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, Trudeau made an appearance on Canada’s Drag Race in 2022, telling performers “It doesn’t matter what your background is, where you’re from, who you love – you enrich this place” 

The Liberals also recently announced 1.5 million dollars in “emergency” safety funding for pride events  – amid an increasing backlash against gender ideology.

“Transphobia, biphobia, homophobia, they’re all on the rise. It’s been difficult to watch people and institutions still continue to reject who you are, to try to deny members of our communities the rights to be seen and heard and celebrated,” said Trudeau while raising the progress pride flag Thursday on Parliament Hill.

“And to those kids I’m here to say, even though the Pride flag may not fly at your school, know that it proudly flies here in your seat of government,” he added.

True North asked Ien’s office to ask if taxpayer dollars were used to put on the parliamentary drag show, but they did not respond in time for publication.

With files from True North’s Cosmin Dzsurdzsa.

“Leave our kids alone” Ottawa’s Muslim community joins protest against gender ideology

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Members of Ottawa’s Muslim community joined a diverse group of people protesting gender ideology in schools alongside parental rights advocate Chris Elston (Billboard Chris) and student activist Josh Alexander on Friday.

The protest’s diverse attendance challenged narratives from left-wing trans activists, who had claimed that those supporting Alexander and Elston would be “christo-fascists,” “nazis” and “white supremacists” 

Speaking to True North’s Rupa Subramanya, one young Muslim woman noted, “our kids are learning stuff they’re not supposed to be learning at this age. I have a brother that is in kindergarten and learning about this stuff, this is just not appropriate.”

The mother of the young woman, who was also in attendance, added “I don’t want to send (my kids) to the school anymore.” 

Another Muslim protester told The Counter Signal, “We want to keep our kids from the bad things they want to teach them,” adding “leave our kids alone.”

Some kids were also seen stomping on progress pride flags.

Alexander and Elston had announced their intentions to protest gender ideology on Ottawa’s Broadview avenue back in April, demanding “education over indoctrination” in publicly funded schools. 

“Our goal is to bring awareness to the issue of gender ideology in the schools. Both myself and Chris believe conversations are incredibly powerful and important. We hope this event will spark successful dialogue,” Alexander told True North ahead of the protest.

Not long after the rally was announced, trans activists began discussing a counter-demonstration. They had hoped to disruptively counter-protest in order to “drown out” what they considered to be “hate.”

Trans activists who gathered to counterprotest held signs that read among other things, “we are all born naked, the rest is drag.” 

Counter protesting with trans activists were members of Antifa, as well as Ottawa-Centre NDP MPP Joel Harden, Left-wing Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster and notorious woke OCDSB trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth – who was wearing an N95 mask outside.

Aggressive behaviour was displayed by the trans activist counter protesters. Antifa swarmed True North’s Harrison Faulkner while covering the event. Another counter protester snatched the hat from a member of Save Canada – the socially conservative group started by Alexander. A violent altercation was also caught on camera.

In a news release, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said they arrested five people as of 4pm. On Twitter, Left-wing activists complained about trans activists being arrested, questioning the OPS’s neutrality. 

Last time Elston was in Ottawa to protest gender ideology, he was outnumbered and swarmed by numerous trans activists. However, this time he was accompanied by a large, multicultural, multiethnic, multifaith and multigenerational crowd.

Toronto-based lawyer Caryma Sa’d, who often covers culture-war protests, noted, “I have been to many, many contentious political rallies over the past few years. This was my first time seeing nearly equal numbers of participants on either side of the ideological divide.”

Amid the large presence of anti-indoctrination protesters, trans activists issued calls for backup. 

When asked by True North about his thoughts on how the protest went, Alexander said, “Today was encouraging. Canadians from all over the place stood with one common goal.”

“It’s not very often you see Muslims and Christians standing together. We will end this perverted agenda in the education system. Today we won, and we’re going to keep on winning.”

Friday’s events in Ottawa marked just the latest case of minority communities coming out to oppose woke progressive sexual education.

Other recent examples include a muslim-led parent group protesting against a new mandated LGBTQ curriculum in Maryland, and Armenian and Hispanic parents protesting against a California school district’s queer agenda. 

Meanwhile, in Edmonton, a woke teacher berated Muslim students in a bigoted tirade for not supporting LGBTQ pride, suggesting that they do not belong in Canada. The latter was condemned by the National Council of Canadian Muslims, and the school board said it was taking action against the teacher.

Police say the street on which the protest took place has since reopened to traffic.

Blue Jays ditch pitcher Anthony Bass over gender ideology criticism

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Toronto Blue Jays have parted ways with pitcher Anthony Bass after he faced backlash for sharing posts critical of gender ideology on social media. 

Bass, who despite publicly apologizing for his actions, was designated for assignment on Friday, meaning he is no longer on the team’s roster.

Bass had posted a video on his Instagram stories in May that called for boycotts of Target and Bud Light over their support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

The video described their Pride-themed merchandise in biblical terms. Bass later deleted the post and issued a brief apology, saying he did not mean to hurt anyone.

“I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the pride community which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine and I’m truly sorry for that,” said Bass.

“I just spoke with my teammates and I apologized to them and as of right now I’m using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself and make better decisions moving forward.”

However, his apology did not seem to satisfy many LGBT activists, who called for his dismissal. 

He was supposed to take part in a ceremonial first pitch by an LGBT advocate at Friday’s game, as part of the Jays’ Pride Weekend.

“Despite apologizing, BlueJays’ Anthony Bass has used his platform to share anti-2SLGBTQI hate. It’s time for the Jays to take number 52 off the roster and stand with the 2SLGBTQI community,” wrote Egale Canada.

On Thursday, Bass met with Pride Toronto executive director Sherwin Modeste at Rogers Centre to discuss his views and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community. 

Modeste said it was a good second step, but not the end of the journey. He said Bass agreed to continue his education and awareness.

The Jays have since called on pitcher Mitch White.

Poilievre urges Torontonians to vote in mayor who will “fire city hall gatekeepers”

By
Noah Jarvis
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Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre urged Toronto’s residents to vote for a mayoral candidate who will “fire the city hall gatekeepers” in this month’s byelection. 

In a press conference in front of Toronto’s city hall, Poilievre spoke about Canada’s growing homelessness problem and sky-high home prices, in light of the Bank of Canada raising its interest rate to 4.75% earlier this week. 

Poilievre warned that Canadians would suffer from interest rate increases, as Canadians who signed variable-rate mortgages when the interest rate was low will see their mortgage dues increase, causing a “massive mortgage meltdown.”

If elected Prime Minister, Poilievre promises to pressure municipalities like the City of Toronto to increase the rate of residential building approvals by a minimum of 15%, or risk the municipality having their federal infrastructure money stripped from them. 

“Let me make this message clear to mayoral candidates. When I’m Prime Minister, unlike Trudeau, I’m not going to give you money to block housing construction,” said Poilievre. 

True North asked Poilievre whether any candidates have caught his eye as being worthy of Toronto’s mayoralty. The Conservative leader did not name a preferred candidate, but urged Torontonians to vote for someone who will “fire the gatekeepers.”

“I’m not going to name a particular name [candidate], but I would say to Torontonians is vote for someone who will fire the city hall gatekeepers so that we can speed up housing construction,” said Poilievre. 

“So vote for someone who will allow us to build millions and millions of homes so that Canadians can put a roof over their heads.”

Poilievre warned mayoral candidates that federal infrastructure money to municipalities will be dependent on the number of homes built unlike the Liberal government’s policy.

“And I’m making it clear to all the mayoral candidates that I’m not going to do what Trudeau does and give you billions of dollars to block home building. I’m going to require that cities build more homes or they’re going to lose federal infrastructure money.”

SHEPHERD: High cost of living has international students in Canada turning to the sex trade

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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Canadians are well aware that the cost of living is becoming untenable. 

We see prices go up every time we’re at the grocery store, we know that waitlists for affordable housing units can be seven to 10 years long, and we scroll real estate or rental listings the same way we open the fridge and hope that better food will have materialized than when we last checked half an hour ago. 

Not to mention, we pay the highest telecommunication rates in the world. 

However, many Canada-bound international students either missed the memo, were misled by crooked immigration agents, or, have decided that they’d rather assume our affordability problems than the problems in their home country. 

According to reports from the Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women, a Toronto-based nonprofit organization, female international students – mostly of South Asian origin – are turning to prostitution to pay their high rents and costly tuition fees. 

The PIE News, a news organization for professionals in international education, discovered that numerous erotic massage parlours and escort services in the Greater Toronto Area specifically advertise services from Indian international students.

“Brampton is where we see the hub of exploitation happening,” Elspeth Heyworth Centre executive director Sunder Singh told The PIE.

“Parents have sold their land and jewellery and their assets to send the child here to Canada with the hope that, you know, once he or she gets them permanent resident status, then the family will be called here.”

Singh also said that at the Brampton hospital, the monthly abortion rate has skyrocketed: “Some of the doctors have said that this was unheard of… of course if you are working in the sex trade, many men don’t want to use protection.”

Moreover, if the female Indian students are struggling to pay their rent, there are numerous cases where landlords will suggest or demand sexual acts instead. 

(Have you ever seen basement suite rental listings that say “Indian female only”? I know I have…)

Unfortunately, high rent costs in Canada are only exacerbated by the influx of immigrants and temporary residents like international students, as demand for housing in Canada far exceeds supply. 

In Cape Breton, NS, where international students make up 70% of the local university’s enrolment, there is a severe housing shortage. The international students end up cramming themselves into dilapidated units, as that is the only way they can afford their lives here. One student from India died in a house fire last year, and it was found that eight international students were living in one side of the duplex, and five in the other.

In 2022, there were 807,750 study permit holders in Canada.

This is the Canada we live in now, where vulnerable South Asian female students have to put themselves in traumatizing and dangerous situations so that greedy Canadian university officials can get their bloated salaries and landlords can get their profits.

Apparently, we are still regarded as a first-world country.

The Daily Brief | Smith hires arson investigators to look into wildfires

By
Rachel Parker
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A protest against gender ideology organized by Billboard Chris and Josh Alexander is set to take place today in Ottawa, and trans activists are planning to disrupt it. True North will be on the ground to keep you in the know.

Plus, a True North exclusive reveals that the Trudeau government’s carbon tax could decimate first-time homebuyers’ dreams of home ownership.

And Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has hired arson investigators to look into 175 wildfires with no known cause.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Cosmin Dzsurdzsa!

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Quebec bars religious event from public venue

By
Noah Jarvis
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Source: Facebook

Quebec Premier François Legault’s minister of tourism Caroline Proulx has barred the religious group Harvest Ministries International’s event from taking place in the province’s “Centre des congrès de Québec.”

Harvest Ministries International is now having its legal representation funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF). 

The religious group based in British Columbia planned to hold their religious, cultural, and artistic event ‘Battle for Canada” in the Centre des congrès de Québec from June 23rd to July 2nd. 

However, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) tourism minister Proulx caught wind of the event, believing that the conference had an “anti-abortion” theme, and instructed the congress centre’s CEO to cancel the event. 

Harvest Ministries deny that the “anti-abortion” label can be attached to their event, saying that no speeches, performances, screenings, or themes of the programme were “anti-abortion.”

Proulx justified intervening to cancel the event by saying Harvest Ministries’ event violates Quebec’s fundamental principles. 

Premier Legault backed up his minister and supported her decision when he was asked by the press. 

“We will not permit anti-abortion groups the ability to conduct big events in public bodies,” said Legault. 

“It goes against a fundamental principle of Quebec,” said tourism minister Proulx. 

Legault, Proulx, and the CAQ have not clarified as to what fundamental principle of Quebec they are referring to, but Quebec’s legislature is almost unanimously pro-choice.

The CAQ government’s minister responsible for the status of women Marine Biron said that Harvest Ministries can find another private venue to hold their event, but Quebec’s pro-choice government has the right to deny them access to government-run venues. 

“We are a resolutely pro-choice government, and we have to be consistent,” said Biron.

“It will not prevent the organization from finding a private venue if it wishes. Yes freedom of expression, but in government we have principles and we have decided to be consistent. 

The JCCF is now funding Harvest Ministries’ legal action against the Quebec government, as their lawyer handed the government a formal notice to reinstate the event, lest they be sued for nearly half a million dollars. 

“If the Québec government does not reverse its decision, we will quickly go to court and seek not only damages, but also punitive damages and constitutional redress… not to mention the millions of dollars that a potential class action suit by those affected could cost,” says Harvest Ministries leader Pastor Art Lucier. 

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