Police shot a man during a standoff in a downtown Vancouver 7-Eleven following a violent stabbing spree.
The “violent incident” that left two wounded took place near Library Square at Robson and Hamilton streets on Wednesday, according to Vancouver Police Service.
“Vancouver Police responded at 11:34 a.m. to a 911 call from staff at a restaurant near Robson and Hamilton Street. The caller reported a man had stolen alcohol and was armed with a knife inside the restaurant,” reads the Vancouver police statement.
“Officers responded immediately, and located the armed suspect inside a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store. The suspect was shot by police and taken into custody.”
Police officers and other first responders then administered first aid to the suspect, who died shortly after being taken to the hospital.
The two who were injured were also hospitalized with conditions believed to be non-life-threatening.
Police can be seen yelling at the “move over” at the assailant as several officers aim their firearms at him in video footage that has circulated.
A video of the exchange was captured by student Mainul Islam, who said he was stopped by police from entering the store before witnessing the shooting unfold. Islam said he believed the man to be “homeless.”
No further details have been released as to the motive behind the stabbings.
A nearby salon was placed under lockdown while the incident unfolded with no one permitted to enter or exit the building.
According to the Vancouver Sun, a person at the salon observed a woman who appeared injured in front of the building, followed by the sound of gunshots before seeing who they believed to be the suspect lying on the ground.
The Independent Investigations Office has been notified of the incident.
The stabbings occurred only blocks from where a similar incident took place in September where two men were brutally stabbed, one fatally.
Another stabbing took place in Newton on Wednesday, leading to the arrest of a Surrey man.
Surrey Police Service said they responded to a call around 10 a.m. from a man who told them he had been stabbed several times in the arm following an incident near 73rd Ave. and 130th Street.
While waiting for an ambulance, officers on scene provided the victim with first aid medical attention.
Another set of officers searched the area with a canine unit and found a male suspect who was subsequently arrested.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have dashboard or surveillance footage of the area is asked to contact police at 604-599-0502.
A leaked survey sent to all Canadian soldiers organized by “anti-hate” researchers at the Ontario Tech University ask soldiers if they have purchased extremist merchandise such as a ‘Make Canada Great Again’ hat, if they have listened to extremist music, or if they think that the government restricted freedoms too much during the pandemic, all in an effort to root out extremists inside the CAF.
This is the last thing that the military needs. We need battled hardened, lethal troops that are able to neutralize the enemy. Canada does not need fewer patriots, more transgenders and more diversity. This is getting insane.
The Trudeau government announced yet another round of models will be added to its long gun ban, further prohibiting over 300 firearms that were not included in its initial sweeping ban introduced four years ago.
Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc said an additional 324 firearms will be added to the original list of 1,500 that were banned under Bill C-21 in 2020, which passed through the Senate last year.
“These firearms can no longer be legally used, sold or imported in Canada,” LeBlanc told reporters on Thursday.
Public Safety Minister Domenic LeBlanc announces a ban on 324 firearms. Legal gun owners have an amnesty until October 2025.
LeBlanc says the firearms will be included in the buyback program. He says the confiscated firearms could be donated to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/cGJTPZWrA9
The added measures will also include donating some of the confiscated firearms to Ukraine to aid the country in its fight against Russia.
“The Department of National Defence will begin working with the Canadian companies that have weapons that Ukraine needs and which are already eligible for the assault firearm compensation program in order to get these weapons out of Canada and into the hands of the Ukrainians,” said Defence Minister Bill Blair.
Owners of the prohibited firearms have been granted an amnesty period until Oct. 30 2025 and all newly added models will be rolled into the government’s existing buy-back program.
While the government announced that Phase 1 of the buyback program is officially underway, not a single firearm has been confiscated to date, despite the program already costing taxpayers nearly $100 million.
Additionally, new measures stemming from Bill C-21 includeprovisions that reduce the threshold for firearms licences to be revoked from people who commit violent acts.
The announcement comes on the 35th anniversary of the mass shooting at École Polytechnique in Montreal that killed 14 women, timing that some critics of the ban view as political.
“This is clearly a political move. The Liberals are desperate to change the channel from multi-billion-dollar scandals to ‘keeping Canadians safe,’” Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights’ executive director Rod Giltaca told True North
“They’ve done the complete opposite over the last nine years. Second, this move is astoundingly cynical. The Liberals know full well that they will confiscate zero firearms as they are out of time and there is no doubt the Conservative will form an indisputable majority government within 10 months.”
Giltaca pointed out that firearm-related violence has increased by 116% over the last nine years with “no legislative effort to stem the violence, only a quadrupling down on destroying licensed firearm businesses, fish & game clubs and licensed gun owners.”
This sentiment was echoed by the Toronto Police Association which responded to a social media post from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in October announcing the second anniversary of its handgun freeze.
“Two years ago today, we froze the handgun market and stopped handguns from being bought, sold, or transferred anywhere in Canada,” wrote Trudeau on Oct. 21. “We choose your safety over the gun lobby — every time.”
Criminals did not get your message. Our communities are experiencing a 45% increase in shootings and a 62% increase in gun-related homicides compared to this time last year. What difference does your handgun ban make when 85% of guns seized by our members can be sourced to the… https://t.co/DOyjfCXHfe
The Toronto Police Association responded sharply by saying, “criminals did not get your message.”
“Our communities are experiencing a 45% increase in shootings and a 62% increase in gun-related homicides compared to this time last year. What difference does your handgun ban make when 85% of guns seized by our members can be sourced to the United States?,” wrote TPA in a post to X.
According to Giltaca, Friday’s announcement has “nothing to do with public safety.”
“The debate on that is long over. Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois consistently choose ‘divide and conquer’ politics over public safety,” he said. “After being devastated in the polls for over two years, we’ll have to wait and see what path these people take.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled new measures to address the growing number of homeless encampments, including harsher penalties for lawlessness and more funds towards dismantling the sites.
Ford’s letter focused on implementing new initiatives and legislation to combat the overtaking of public spaces and communities by homeless encampments. The announcement also addressed mental health and addiction recovery.
“Our government shares your concerns about the need to keep our children, families and communities safe. That’s why we are acting to put an end to the public disorder, drug use and trafficking and loss of public space that have resulted from the widespread growth in encampments,” said Ford. “These are serious problems that are impacting communities across Ontario, with people rightly demanding action. Enough is enough.”
Ford said his government currently invests almost $700 million annually in its provincial homelessness prevention program. The Ontario government also recently announced investing $378 million to create 19 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, expected to add up to 375 additional supportive housing units. The funding will also add new recovery and treatment beds.
The Ontario premier’s response follows various requests from Ontario’s Big City Mayors, a group of 29 of the province’s mayors with populations exceeding 100,000 people — representing around 70% of Ontario’s population.
The most recent letter from the group, sent on Nov. 7, said that municipalities are doing everything in their power to address the issue but lack the resources to solve the crisis on their own.
“Without direct support from the province of Ontario, this crisis will continue to grow,” warned the mayors in their letter.
Similarly, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario previously asked the province to intervene and address the 1,400 homeless encampments in the province in 2023.
“While municipalities did not create the homelessness crisis, they are being forced to manage it without the resources or tools to sufficiently respond,” wrote the association in a report.
Ford outlined various new initiatives and legislation in his letter.
He promised improved accountability for service managers and better alignment with both provincial and local priorities. He also pledged that even more funding would be allocated to growing capacity in the province’s shelters, which would be supported by accountability measures that aim to see these funds support dismantling encampments. Additionally, Ford pledged that any public use of drugs would be prohibited entirely by equipping authorities with new enforcement tools.
Ford said that anybody who deliberately and continuously breaks the law would be subject to enhanced penalties. Lastly, he emphasized a desire to focus on addiction recovery instead of incarceration of minors and non-violent, drug-related crimes.
Twelve mayors previously wrote Ford a letter, urging him to use the notwithstanding clause if necessary to address the issues of homelessness, mental health, and addiction.
Ford said he does not expect to need to invoke the notwithstanding clause, as the province’s legislation will align with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“However, should the courts interfere with our shared goal of effectively addressing and clearing out encampments using these enhanced tools, with your support, our government is fully prepared to use the Notwithstanding Clause,” said Ford. “This includes the province becoming an intervenor in any court case that restricts the ability of municipalities to regulate and prohibit encampments, so long as the approach you pursue is aligned with provincial best practices.”
Ford previously told able-bodied homeless people to “get off your A-S-S and start working like everyone else is.”
Increased spending from the Liberals has not solved the issue, according to a previous report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Despite Infrastructure Canada’s annual actual and projected spending averaging $561 million per year between 2018-19 and 2027-28—an increase of 374% compared to the 10 years prior—the number of homeless people in Canada has risen by 20% since 2018.
Ford concluded his letter by saying that solving the crisis would require all levels of government.
“Our government will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you as we work to keep our communities safe and support people in need,” he said.
It seems it was the City of Kingston’s woke deputy clerk — who goes by the pronouns he/him/his —who decided to illuminate City Hall in the colours of Palestine last Friday to mark the UN’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
According to freedom of information documents obtained by True North, Derek Ochej went ahead with the plan to recognize “Palestinian rights” despite concerns raised by the city’s mayor Bryan Paterson and knowing full well that the decision would “draw significant media attention and negative feedback.”
FOI expert Michael Teper sought out the background to this decision.
The documents indicate that the request for a flag raising and illumination of City Hall came from Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), a fringe group that does not represent Canada’s Jewish community and is scorned for its promotion of terrorist sympathizers.
The IJV application indicates it is based on Woodbine Ave. in Toronto. It says IJV Kingston submitted the request, although no address is provided for the alleged branch.
The application says that commemorating Nov. 29 supports the city’s objectives to create “an inclusive city where everyone is welcomed, respected and empowered.”
The paperwork suggests that Ochej got involved almost immediately after the requests came into the clerk’s office on Nov. 12.
On Nov. 13, the he/him/his clerk wrote to the city’s inclusion and diversity bureaucrat, Vanessa Mensa, and community planning manager Ruth Noordegraaf (a they/them) to advise that the International Day of Solidarity is a “legitimate day of recognition” and both the illumination and flag raising should be approved.
Ochej includes no research to support his comments that it is “legitimate” but does concede that approval of the requests “will create significant controversy in the community.”
In a Nov. 14 email, Ochej maintains that the mayor “agreed with approving the requests” and “understood the rationale” for permitting them.
But on Nov. 15, Ochej was forced to backtrack, indicating in an email that the mayor “raised concerns” with the flag raising.
He conceded that the flag raising can’t be approved after all because it goes against the city’s flag raising policy which states among other things that a country must have “active diplomatic relations with Canada” to receive such an honour.
Considering there is no such country as Palestine, I’m guessing that diplomatic relations were not exactly occurring, let alone “active.”
But not to be denied his attempts to be woke, Ochej indicates that the illumination will be approved.
He added in his email that it might be a “good opportunity to review the flag display policy.”
I’m not sure what he means by that since he did not respond to my requests for comment on his decision to go forward with this tasteless and biased display.
(He does say in his Nov. 15 e-mail that all public or media requests should be directed towards him but I guess he couldn’t handle the heat after all.)
The party line — which was shared by communications flak Paul Whittingham (another he/his/him) — indicates that the decision to light up City Hall in the Palestinian colours of red and green last Friday was delegated to the city’s clerk’s office under the First Capital Place Illumination Policy.
The illumination was done for free.
The request had to meet certain criteria, the city statement says. That includes fostering “inclusion” among and “respect” for Kingston residents as part of the city’s increased emphasis on DEI(!).
The illumination must promote events and issues that affect Kingston residents and — get this — “promote a sense of community.”
The event must have a “recognizable colour or colours associated with it.”
Lastly, the application should be submitted by a representative of a non-profit based in Kingston.
As far as I’m concerned, none of these criteria were met.
The last thing this incredibly idiotic decision did was foster “inclusion” and “respect” and “promote a sense of community” for all Kingston residents. Imagine being Jewish and seeing this last Friday night. It was tasteless, inappropriate and further promotes a divide between Jews and pro-Palestinians in the midst of a terribly controversial conflict and while antisemitism is already raging out of control.
If Ochej had done his homework — and I suspect his wokeness (or pro-Palestine agenda) got in the way — it would have been easy to find out that IJV does not have anything remotely resembling an active chapter in Kingston.
But this also begs the question—where was Kingston’s mayor?
Is he that spineless?
Paterson indicated his reservations with the idea, according to the FOI documents provided.
Does he not have the final say over such controversial decisions? Or are the woke bureaucrats running the show in Kingston? Did Ochej take it upon himself to make a decision that was not sanctioned by his superiors?
Frankly he should be placed on leave and the whole decision-making process investigated.
It is disgusting to think that a woke and uninformed bureaucrat can push an agenda that is not in the best interests of the city—especially one so controversial and ill-thought-out.
An online shipping company says UPS and Purolator have told it to freeze orders with their transporters as the companies face high volumes due to the Canada Post strike.
An email from eShipper, a platform offering shipping solutions to vendors, to Quebec-based bakery Félix and Norton, which was shared with True North, informed the bakery that “due to the postal strike and peak season shipping volumes” causing backlogs and large volumes of shipping, Purolator and UPS have “requested” that shipping be paused for 48 hours.
“We have been notified by Purolator to temporarily disable all Purolator services on the eShipper platform for the next 48 hours. This now means both UPS & Purolator will be disabled on the platform for the next 48 hours due to an overload in their network, requiring time to clear the backlog,” the Thursday morning email from eShipper said.
It said that Purolator and all domestic UPS services would not process or move shipments for 48 hours starting Wednesday.
A previous email sent out Wednesday afternoon said that Purolator was implementing a daily limit of 1,500 shipments for the next 24 hours, but by Thursday, it became a complete halt for both companies.
“This is going to impact a lot of customers who rely on, you know, the top carriers in Canada to deliver their packages across the country,” Imtiaz Kermali, the VP of sales and marketing at eShipper told True North in an interview.
He said the companies “noted the additional packages that have come to their network” and the “shopping frenzy” of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which added to the two shipping companies’ capacity constraints.
“It’s a culmination of the postal strike, as well as the busiest time of the year and e-commerce growing year on year; from 2023 to 2024, we’re just seeing an increased number of parcels in the process and in the economy right now,” he said.
Kermali empathized with the couriers and said eShipper does not want to overburden them before peak shipping season starts in the next two weeks. He expressed confidence eShipper would still be able to serve its customers because it uses multiple carriers, but even so, it raised an alarm about the implications of the halt.
“Anytime we did get to a point like this, which I would call really a national disaster, we’re able to provide our customers with complete continuity in their shipping experience,” Kermali said, noting that eShipper may have been targeted because of the volume of goods it manages.
“I think what the carriers are doing is they have targeted their largest shippers and resellers like ourselves, where they think that they will probably be able to get the best package reduction if they were to restrict or disable services. I think they’ve picked and chosen specific partners in the industry where they feel that they’ll probably be able to get the best effect if they were to freeze or disable.”
Purolator initially denied it was restricting service, but when provided with statements from eShipper, it revised its position, saying that due to severe weather and a “significant” increase in volume, it was experiencing service disruptions.
“We recently made the decision to temporarily pause service to some select partners, including third-party platforms. This was necessary to maintain the integrity of our network, ensure the health and safety of our employees and allow us to prioritize critical shipments,” a Purolator spokesperson told True North in an email.
“We are assessing the condition of our network hourly and will make all attempts to remove the service suspension as soon as possible.”
Félix and Norton COO Simon Paquin took to X to call on Canada’s political leaders to stop the Canada Post strike.
“We only use Purolator, so now that the daily limit has been reached, people can’t check out anymore on our website,” Paquin posted before eShipper told him of the complete freeze.
He expressed concern that Purolator has “zero incentives” to push to end the strike, noting that Canada Post owns 91% of the shares in the company.
A self-described entrepreneur posted in the thread on X, claiming that his company also had to stop shipping from Purolator for a time.
UPS did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.
It’s become quite clear that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is trolling Canada. From telling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada should become the 51st state of the US to posting AI-generated images of himself, Canadians are getting a taste of Trump diplomacy. Will the U.S. follow through with these tariffs? How should Canadians respond to this epic-level of trolling?
Plus, it looks like the Trudeau Liberals have a new line of attack against Pierre Poilievre.
And, to nobody’s surprise, Canada’s state broadcaster comes to the rescue of Trudeau.
These stories and more on The Northern Dispatch with True North’s Harrison Faulkner and the Northern Perspective’s Ryan and Tanya.
Question for the show: Do you think Trump will follow through with his tariff threat or is he bluffing?
Canada’s largest airline has now joined the ranks of other carriers in implementing fees for services that were formerly free. Air Canada announced it will begin barring carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers next month.
The airline released a statement on Wednesday saying that basic fare passengers flying within North America and to sun destinations will be required to check duffel bags, large backpacks and rolling suitcases for a base fee of $35 as of Jan. 3.
Should one have a second bag, the fee jumps up to $50.
The airline will permit a small personal item such as medical devices, a laptop bag or a purse free of charge.
“Mobility aids, medical devices, and child strollers are exempt from carry-on charges for all customers. As well, Status members, Star Alliance Gold, and Aeroplan premium credit cardholders will continue to be entitled to one carry-on bag, and their other benefits will also continue to apply,” reads the Air Canada statement.
Lower-tier customers will also be forced to pay if they want to change their assigned seat at check-in.
Air Canada initially tried to implement this rule earlier this year but backpedalled only days after due to public backlash.
Rival airline WestJet rolled out its “UltraBasic” fare in June, which allowed ticket holders no more than a personal item on board to be stored under the seat, with additional charges for seat selection, even after check-in.
Whereas, discount carrier Flair Airlines had always charged for carry-on luggage, with fees ranging between $29 and $74, size dependent.
The competitor wasted no time in capitalizing on Air Canada’s changes, posting to X, “Now the choice should be clear. The products are the same, one just costs way less.”
Great (or not so great) news today for Canadian travellers courtesy of @AirCanada. Now the choice should be clear… The products are the same, one just costs way less.https://t.co/9rwAAspXa4
However, certain Air Canada domestic routes can sometimes be marginally cheaper than Flair, Porter and WestJet.
Air Canada also noted that basic fare passengers who arrive at their boarding gate with bags deemed ineligible will be charged $65 per item to check them.
Transport Minister Anita Anand responded to Air Canada’s announcement with a post to social media saying she was “concerned” by the changes.
“I was just made aware of a decision by Air Canada to introduce new carry-on baggage fees. I am extremely concerned. Canadians work hard and save up to travel. They rightly expect excellent service, not extra fees,” Anand posted to X on Wednesday.
According to airline consulting firm IdeaWorksCompany, Canada’s flagship airline raked in over $2.8 billion in “ancillary” revenue in 2022, up by nearly 50% from only five years earlier.
The reaction from Canadians was not positive, with many taking to X to express their frustration with the ever-increasing cost of travel.
“Canadian taxpayers gave Air Canada a $6 billion bailout package. In return, poor people will pay to bring stuff on a plane & the CEO might learn French,” wrote one X user.
🇨🇦’s taxpayers gave Air Canada a $6 billion bailout package.
In return, poor people will pay to bring stuff on a plane & the CEO might learn French. pic.twitter.com/EUqLZUTd12
“Banning carry on bags should be illegal. Air Canada has lost/misplaced my people’s luggage & if it wasn’t for the carry-on the person would have absolutely nothing to get them through their trip. The government needs to step in,” wrote another.
Banning carry on bags should be illegal. Air Canada has lost/misplaced my people's luggage & if it wasn't for the carry-on the person would have absolutely nothing to get them through their trip. The government needs to step in https://t.co/SMZCLEXxuF
“Canadians already pay too much to fly. Airfares are out of control. @AirCanada & @WestJet charging for carry on luggage is utterly ridiculous profiteering. Comparing this to much cheaper American airlines is just rubbish since Canadians are subject to far more fees. It’s a ripoff!” said another.
Canadians already pay too much to fly. Airfares are out of control. @AirCanada & @WestJet charging for carryon luggage is utterly ridiculous profiteering. Comparing this to much cheaper American airlines is just rubbish since Canadians are subject to far more fees. It’s a ripoff!
The Liberal government’s controversial Online Harms Act will be split into two separate bills, Justice Minister Arif Virani has confirmed.
Plus, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani launches the “Protect Christians Canada” national campaign to address threats to the rights and freedoms of Christians in Canada.
And a questionnaire sent to soldiers by the Canadian Armed Forces asks if they have purchased “extremism merchandise” — offering “Make Canada Great Again” hats up as an example.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Isaac Lamoureux and Noah Jarvis!
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta has passed a trio of bills that strengthen parental rights, promote fairness in sports, and prevent minors from undergoing irreversible gender transition procedures they may later regret.
Bill 26, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, Bill 27, the Education Amendment Act, and Bill 29, the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, each passed their third reading and will come into effect following royal proclamation, expected on Sept. 1, 2025.
The three bills were among the 13 bills the Alberta government plans to introduce in this legislative session. The remaining bills focus on personal autonomy, property rights, and legal firearm ownership.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith previously highlighted that the legislation would protect youth.
“The changes we’re introducing are founded on compassion and science, both of which are vital for the development of youth throughout a time that can be difficult and confusing,” she said.
At an unrelated press conference on Thursday, Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides said he challenged the opposition to provide evidence and facts to support their claims against introducing the legislation.
“They weren’t able to do that. All they’ve been able to do, and all they continue to do is fearmonger, project misinformation, and offer conjecture,” he said.
Bill 27 requires parental consent for children aged 15 and under to change their name, gender, and pronouns at school. Sixteen and 17-year-olds will not need parental consent, but their parents will be notified of any changes.
Parents currently can opt their children out of the sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum. The legislative changes will require parents to have to opt them in.
Former NDP Leader Rachel Notley claimed that the legislative changes breach the Charter and other fundamental human rights.
“Today I watched as this legislature sunk to its lowest point ever,” wrote Notley in a post to X. “Trans rights are human rights, and the UCP cares nothing for either.”
Nicolaides said that the changes will ensure parents are granted the final decision regarding their child’s education.
“The NDP continues with fear and conjecture that moving to an opt-in is going to result in a significantly more amount of people and children not receiving sex education. There’s no evidence to suggest or support that,” said Nicolaides. “In fact, the opposite is true.”
Executive Director of Parents for Choice in Education, John Hilton-O’Brien, previously criticized the Edmonton Public School Board’s motion opposing Smith for implementing parental rights policies.
“What they’re claiming is that a child’s right to privacy is against the parents and that they, as bureaucrats, could exercise that right. But in fact, the right of privacy is a claim against the state — and for the parents to exercise, not the bureaucrats,” said Hilton-O’Brien. “They’re flipping the very idea of human rights completely on its head.”
The Alberta government said that legislative amendments to ensure education continues during public health and states of emergencies will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
“Additional regulatory amendments will follow, to provide school administrators more clarity and guidance on expectations for learning during emergencies. These would come into force at the same time as the legislative amendments, except for certain sections regarding school authority policies, which would come into effect on Sept. 1, 2025,” reads a statement from the Alberta government. “Further information regarding regulatory changes will be shared following the passage of the legislation.”
