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Thursday, May 15, 2025

OP-ED: Ford government should increase school choice in Ontario

By
Michael Zwaagstra
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The Ontario government wants to promote diversity. That’s why it’s made “equity” and “inclusion” a key focus in K-12 schools. However, if Ontario wants to actually promote diversity in education, it should help increase school choice and expand the educational options available to parents.

Unlike Quebec and the four Western provinces, Ontario does not fund independent schools, which means parents who wish to enroll their children in a non-government school must pay the full cost of tuition (along with their regular taxes that pay for the public school system). In essence, they pay twice for their children’s education.

This might not be a problem for wealthier families who can easily afford high tuition fees, but it’s not so simple for middle- and lower-income families. As a result, only 6.9% of Ontario students attend independent schools compared to 13.2% in British Columbia and 11.7% in Quebec. The partial funding of independent schools by these provinces makes this option more affordable for many parents.

Importantly, when provinces fund independent schools, they do so based on enrollment. Thus, it’s more accurate to say that money follows the student because independent schools only receive funds if parents choose to send their children there. Clearly, independent schools meet an important need for many families and should remain available as an option.

Another positive reform would be to follow Alberta’s lead and allow the creation of charter schools. Contrary to what many people assume, charter schools are not independent schools but are rather autonomous, not-for-profit schools within the public system. And they’re non-sectarian, cannot charge tuition, and must be open to all students.

Charter schools have proven to be quite successful in Alberta. Some charter schools, such as Foundations for the Future Charter Academy in Calgary, provide a traditional back-to-basics approach, while others, such as Boyle Street Education Centre in Edmonton, focus on alternative programs targeting at-risk youth. With the recent decision by the Alberta government to lift the cap on charter schools, the number of these schools—and the number of students enrolled in them—will continue to grow in that province.

There are also good reasons why Ontario parents might want to remove their children from the government-run school system. In far too many cases, public school boards have been captured by woke ideology.

Look no further than the Halton District School Board where a teacher wearing giant Z-cup prosthetic breasts is allowed to teach classes. By not enforcing professional standards for teachers, this school board became an international embarrassment. One wonders how any learning could possibly take place in this teacher’s classes.

Other public school boards have also descended into the absurd. Whether it’s the blatant pushing of critical race theory in the Waterloo Region District School Board, the serious violent incidents in Toronto schools, or the multiple attempts by an Ottawa trustee to impose mask mandates on students, parents are right to wonder what their children are learning during the day. It certainly doesn’t look like these school boards are focused on the academic basics.

Lest one think that the separate (Catholic) school system is any better, many of these school boards are equally influenced by woke ideology. Case in point—a Grade 11 student in the Renfrew Catholic School Board was recently suspended for objecting to his school’s policy of allowing transgender students to use the washroom of their choice. In other words, this Catholic student is no longer allowed to attend his Catholic high school because he refuses to stay silent about his Catholic religious beliefs.

Considering all the craziness going on in Ontario government schools (both public and separate), it’s no surprise that many parents are desperately looking for other options. Instead of forcing almost all students into the same government school box, it makes far more sense to provide more educational options to parents who could then choose the school that best meets their needs. Ontario families deserve better. Providing school choice to parents would a great first step.

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.

WATCH: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla

By
Harrison Faulkner
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After ascending the throne last year, King Charles III will now be crowned as Great Britain’s new monarch. Charles’ wife, Camilla, will also be crowned and will become “Queen Camilla.”

Hundreds and thousands of people are expected to fill the streets of London, UK to celebrate King Charles III’s coronation, and millions around the world will tune in.

The ceremony is set to begin at 11:00am London Time (6:00am ET). The event is expected to last two hours.

Quebec youth protection agency says alleged toddler genital mutilation case “too delicate” to handle

By
Andrew Kozak
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Quebec’s youth protection services is being investigated after neglecting reports of a daycare worker who found out during a young girl’s diaper change that she had been circumcised.

As reported by La Tribune, a daycare worker in Quebec City discovered that a two-year-old girl had her clitoris removed while she was changing the girl’s diaper. However, when the worker phoned Quebec’s youth protection services, they said they would not take the case because it was “too delicate.”

“The investigation aims to verify whether the alleged facts are true and if the rights of the child have been respected,” the Commission for Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission (CDPDJ) wrote in a news release. “Its goal is also to ensure that measures are taken so that such a situation does not happen again.” 

Since 1997, female genital mutilation (FGM) has been recognized in Canada’s criminal code as a form of aggravated assault. It is also illegal to take children out of the country to have the practice performed.

The barbaric cultural practice mutilates a young woman’s genitals and has been carried out on an estimated 200 million girls and women worldwide — most prominently in North Africa and the Middle East.

While the practice is illegal, there have been numerous instances of FGM taking place within Canadian borders. 

The Liberal Party of Quebec (QLP) has called for an independent investigation into the matter after the Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant initially refused to comment on the case.

Carmant was questioned about the case in Quebec’s National Assembly and assured that the case would be properly evaluated and that he had called the national director at the CDPDJ.

“She has the role of ensuring that the reporting process and the retention of reports are done properly, and that will be reviewed,” he said.

According to Quebec member of legislature Christine Labire, the agency had dismissed the daycare’s report on the same day it was received.

Joel Arsenau, Parti Quebecois spokesperson for social services told La Tribune that he was perplexed by the situation. 

“The CDPDPJ seems to be failing in its duty to protect the child,” said Arsenau. “Any report must be analyzed and taken seriously.”

Emergency cabinet committee meets as Alberta wildfires rage on, evacuations underway

By
Rachel Parker
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has activated the Emergency Management Cabinet Committee as wildfires rage on throughout the province and several counties are under evacuation orders. 

The committee will meet Friday afternoon, just hours after Smith said there were 79 active wildfires in the province. That includes 19 out of control fires, 25 fires resulting from human activity, and another five fires caused by lightning. The other fires are still under investigation.

“I’m asking all Albertans to please remain safe, vigilant, and refrain from activities that could cause new fires,” Smith tweeted Friday morning. 

Multiple counties are under critical evacuation orders, including Brazeau County, Drayton Valley, areas northeast of Athabasca County. Parts of Lac Ste Anne County, Leduc County,  Yellowhead County,  Parkland County, and Cold Lake First Nation are also under evacuation orders.

Several advisories are in place, meaning residents are being warned to prepare to take action.

An evacuation order is in place for Drayton Valley.

Both Smith and Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis, the committee vice chair, have been briefed by department officials on the fires. Department officials will provide daily technical briefings as the situation is ongoing. 

Cabinet is being kept up to date on the wildfires, as is Opposition Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley, per Smith’s request, the premier’s office said in a news release. 

“Cabinet continues to have decision-making abilities to deal with emergency decisions,” the release reads. 

“This is a very serious ongoing situation, and Alberta’s government will continue to monitor and provide Albertans with the most up-to-date information.”

Albertans can stay up to date on the Alberta Emergency Alert site. 

Man arrested after launching Vancouver drug store to sell meth

By
Rachel Parker
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Less than 24 hours after opening a Vancouver brick and mortar store to sell heroin, cocaine, meth, MDMA, and a host of other drugs, the entrepreneur behind the store has been arrested. 

According to Vice News, Jerry Martin, 51, opened the Drug Store on Wednesday in the city’s Eastside — a pocket of Canada known for being plagued by the addiction, homelessness and mental health crisis. 

Vancouver police said Thursday they arrested a man for drug trafficking “in connection with an illicit drug dispensary that began operating yesterday in the Downtown Eastside.”

Credit: Vice News

In January, BC began a three-year drug decriminalization program for possession of small amounts of opioids, cocaine, MDMA, and meth. The pilot did not extend to the sale of illicit drugs, so the store was operating illegally. 

Police said they began gathering evidence “after the suspect started selling cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, and heroin out of a mobile trailer parked near Main and Cordova streets.”

“We support measures aimed at improving public safety for people who use drugs, including harm reduction services and decriminalization,” Constable Tania Visintin said in a press release. 

“However, we remain committed in our position that drug trafficking will continue to be the subject of enforcement.”

Prior to his arrest, Martin told VICE News he opened the store because he wants to give people drugs without adulterants. 

“People are dying,” he said. “Especially now, they’ve allowed the entire province to do these drugs… But they’ve provided no clean, safe supply. They’re getting it from the same supply that everybody’s overdosing from.” 

In total, a record 1,644 people died from illicit drugs in the first nine months of 2022. Drug deaths are the leading cause of unnatural death in BC, with 10,505 people dying since a public health emergency was declared in 2016. 

Marshall Smith, chief of staff to Alberta’s premier, said the shop signifies the “ultimate goal” of the liberalization movement.

“Their goal is the full legalization and commercialization of hard drugs,” he told True North. 

Smith was a homeless drug addict on the streets of Vancouver for four years before treatment. He’s since became a strong advocate for treatment and works within the political system to bring about change. 

Under his watch, the UCP has prioritized treatment over safe supply and has spent hundreds of millions towards implementing vision. 

“It’s been a long distance to travel from where I was to here,” he told True North in December. 

“For those that are out there suffering or having difficulty with this, know not only is recovery possible, but you can get your life back and go on to do great things.” 

Martin planned to sell users a max of 2.5 grams of each drug — the amount a person can have without facing criminal consequences under the province’s pilot program. He also said he would charge street prices, with grams of cocaine and meth going for $90 and $50, respectively. 

Prior to his arrest, Martin’s lawyer Paul Lewin had prepared arguments to launch a constitutional challenge. 

“He would allege that laws that prevent a safe supply and result in death by poisoning contravene section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and must be struck down,” Lewin wrote in a letter to Martin’s potential landlords and business partners. 

Under Section 7 of the Charter, which was used to strike down medical cannabis restrictions, Canadians have “the right to life, liberty, and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.” 

In Canada, the maximum penalty for selling Schedule I or II drugs is life in prison. 

Toronto mayoral candidates challenge Chow’s proposal to tear down East Gardiner Expressway

By
Noah Jarvis
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Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow announced her plan to tear down the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway to build a ground-level boulevard in its place on Tuesday to the disapproval of some of her challengers.

Chow announced her plan to ameliorate transit service for Scarborough’s residents with a platform, that includes a plan to replace the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway in favour of an at-grade boulevard from Cherry Street to the DVP, a plan that Chow says will save the city hundreds of millions of dollars.

Currently, the East Gardiner is an elevated expressway that cuts through the heart of downtown Toronto, and has been heavily scrutinized for its obstructive nature and high maintenance costs. Chow would instead replace the East Gardiner with a wide, ground level road that she says will open up 5.4 acres of land to develop housing on. 

True North reached out to the Chow campaign for more details on the proposal but did not hear back.

Opposition to Chow’s proposal to rebuild the East Gardiner has emerged from the crowded slate of candidates. 

Ward 19 Beaches-East York city councillor and mayoral candidate Brad Bradford released a statement slamming Chow’s proposal, accusing Chow of capitulating to the demands of NDP activists.

Bradford says that Chow’s plan to rebuild the East Gardiner would achieve the opposite result that the proposal seeks to fix. 

“Olivia is captured by the NDP activist agenda that is hellbent on ripping up the Gardiner,” says Bradford. 

“The last thing the people of Toronto want is for activists and opportunistic politicians at City Hill to reopen settled debates, trying to delay projects with new studies. It won’t address Toronto’s congestion and will only increase costs and make gridlock even worse.”

The plan to tear down the East Gardiner had been put to a vote during former mayor John Tory’s first term but was abandoned in favour of an alternative solution.

Mayoral candidate Anthony Furey also chimed in on Chow’s plan for the East Gardiner, accusing Chow of waging a “war on the car.”

“Olivia Chow’s plan to tear down the Gardiner will just make our commutes longer, and will gouge taxpayers for millions of dollars,” Furey said. 

“We all know this isn’t about creating more options for Scarborough, it’s about fewer options for drivers. If Olivia Chow had her way, downtown Toronto would be one giant bike lane.

Instead, Furey proposes that the city minimize disruptions for commuters and respect Toronto’s drivers and suburban residents. 

In response to Chow’s announcement, Toronto’s former deputy mayor and mayoral candidate Ana Bailão told True North that she wants the province of Ontario to pay for the Gardiner’s upkeep and alleviate the financial burden from the city of Toronto. She says that Toronto’s residents are forced to pay for the Gardiner – money that could be going towards the funding of core city services – despite the majority of residents not using the Gardiner on a daily basis.

“We pay to the tune of a quarter of a billion dollars every year for maintenance, upkeep and to operate these highways while core city services continue to deteriorate. None of the municipalities around us are expected to pay for highways, but Toronto taxpayers are,” Bailão told True North.

“I will make sure the Government of Ontario, not Toronto, takes responsibility for these Highways again, like they were until the 90s. Every cent we currently spend on these highways will be redirected to fixing services for our residents.” 

According to data from transportation analytic firm Inrix, Toronto suffers from the third most congested congested streets in North America with the average driver losing hundreds of hours in traffic.

CAMPUS WATCH: Laurier university to embed “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” into its research

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Wilfrid Laurier University is facing criticism over plans to embed “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” (EDI) into its research ecosystem.

In a news release, the Ontario university said it will soon share a “Dimensions Action Plan” containing “clear objectives, timelines and accountabilities for the Laurier community to embed EDI into Laurier’s research ecosystem and advance Laurier’s EDI Data Strategy”

Speaking to True North, Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS) president Mark Mercer said the university’s efforts means “Laurier wants us to know that it doesn’t much care about the academic quality of its research or teaching.”

Laurier was recently recognized by the Trudeau government as a “Dimensions institution” for its EDI agenda – along with ten other post-secondaries institutions. 

The other institutions include Mohawk College, Mount Saint Vincent University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Winnipeg, Sheridan College, Toronto Metropolitan University, The University of British Columbia, Universite Laval, and the University of Calgary.

“The recipients of the Dimensions recognitions are transforming the Canadian research ecosystem and paving the way for better science and research by identifying and eliminating obstacles and inequities,” said Liberal innovation, science and industry minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. “Ultimately, they are leading us to a more successful Canada.”

Laurier has also signed the Trudeau government’s EDI Dimensions Charter, which calls on post-secondary institutions to, among other things, “recognize that equity, diversity and inclusion strengthen the research community, the quality, relevance and impact of research, and the opportunities for the full pool of potential participants.”

However, Mercer believes EDI “does not promote competition among traditions in the search for truth, but keeps researchers separate from each other.”

“EDI research, then, will be more about curation than discovery.  It will drain the life out of research traditions and put their mummified bodies on display.”

In addition to having an EDI charter and recognizing institutions for their EDI initiatives, the Trudeau government requires that universities engage in EDI hiring practices when recruiting people for Canada Research Chairs (CRC) positions. 

White men have hence been excluded from some research chair CRC positions. 

The latter has resulted in the filing of a human rights complaint by Quebec college professor Frederic Bastien, and the Quebec national assembly unanimously passing a motion expressing support for merit-based hiring while denouncing race and gender quotas.

True North reached out to Wilfrid Laurier University for comment but they did not respond in time for publication.

The Andrew Lawton Show | WHO says there’s no more Covid emergency

By
Andrew Lawton
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The World Health Organization has finally acknowledged that Covid is no longer a “global health emergency,” ending more than three years after the organization first declared the virus a crisis of global proportions. True North’s Andrew Lawton says those behind the most draconian Covid measures have tried to rewrite history.

Also, former UCP candidate Caylan Ford is releasing a new documentary chronicling her ordeal with cancel culture and media misrepresentation. She joins Andrew to talk about the film, “When the Mob Came.”

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

The Daily Brief | Will Canada ban Fox News?

By
Rachel Parker
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The CRTC is considering banning American conservative television channel Fox News from Canadian cable packages.

Plus, Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley says she’s seeking to attract “conservative” voters who aren’t sold on Danielle Smith.

And despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertion that he didn’t know China was targeting a Conservative MP and his family, it’s been revealed that a 2021 intelligence report on the matter was sent to the prime minister’s national security adviser.

These stories and more on The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Andrew Lawton!

BONOKOSKI: Canada’s relationship with China continues to sour under Trudeau

By
Mark Bonokoski
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Tensions are bristling between Canada and China, even more so now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has linked the Communist regime’s production of lithium to child labour.

China, in return, threatened severe consequences if Canada continues “denigrating maliciously” the human rights malaise in China.

“His words disregarded facts and confounded black with white. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to this,” the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The embassy accused Trudeau of “political manipulation under the pretext of human rights” and seeking to undermine China.

“The Canadian side should respect facts, set aside prejudice, and stop denigrating maliciously the human rights situation in China, otherwise Canada will certainly take the consequences.”

“We urge Canada to take a hard look at itself in the mirror, deeply repent its wrongdoing, and take concrete steps to address its own serious human rights problems,” the embassy said.

Relations between Canada and China have soured for various reasons in recent years, most recently over allegations that Beijing tried to meddle in Canadian affairs in 2021 by targeting a federal lawmaker and his family.

This had Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly summoning China’s ambassador to Canada and reviewing the likely consequences of expelling the Chinese diplomat, Zhao Wei, accused of helping to target the family of highly respected Toronto Conservative MP Michael Chong.

“We’re assessing different options, including the expulsion of diplomats, because it is important that we take a decision,” Joly told the foreign affairs committee Thursday.

The move came after the Globe and Mail reported Monday that China sought information about Chong in a likely effort to “make an example” of him and “deter others from taking anti-PRC positions.”

The Chinese consulate in Toronto denied the report. 

Joly’s comments, however, did little to appease Chong, who accused the government of sending the wrong signal to foreign adversaries by not acting more swiftly and decisively on foreign interference.

“We are basically putting up a giant billboard for all authoritarian states around the world that says we are open for foreign interference threat activities on Canadian soil targeting Canadian citizens, and you can conduct these activities with zero consequences,” he said.

“That’s why this individual needs to be sent packing.”

The prime minister said Wednesday that the information about Chong was never shared outside of CSIS, but that he has asked the spy agency to share more information with the federal government about threats to members of Parliament.

On Monday, the Globe, citing a 2021 top-secret CSIS document and an anonymous national security source, reported that China’s intelligence agency was seeking information about an unnamed Canadian MP’s relatives “who may be located in the PRC, for further potential sanctions.” 

But Chong, the MP at the centre of the case, said Trudeau’s response raises serious concerns about his grip on intelligence and security matters.

“We asked what happened to that information, was it ever briefed up out of CSIS? It was not. CSIS made the determination that it wasn’t something that needed be raised to a higher level because it wasn’t a significant enough concern,” Trudeau said.

But Chong shared new information during Question Period on Thursday, suggesting that is not true. 

The MP said the current national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister, Jody Thomas, who has been on the job for a year, told him Thursday that CSIS shared its 2021 assessment with relevant departments and with her predecessor.

“This report contained information that and I and other MPs were being targeted by the [People’s Republic of China,]” said Chong.

“This contradicts what the prime minister said yesterday.”

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