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Thursday, September 25, 2025

Over 87,000 abortions recorded in 2021: report

By
Andrew Kozak
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The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) recently released its latest statistics confirming 87,485 induced abortions in Canada in 2021.

The most recent data, which was released last week, includes the number of induced abortions performed both in a hospital setting and in clinics. Surgical abortions accounted for nearly two-thirds (63%) of abortions while medical abortions using oral treatments such as Mifegymiso made up 37% of abortions in Canada.

The age of women who sought an abortion was similar across all age groups, with most procedures done on women between the ages of 18-24 (20,825). Women who were older than 35 were the second most common group seeking abortions (20,208).

Nearly 35,000 abortions were performed in Ontario alone (34,988), according to the CIHI.

The CIHI has recently improved its methodology in order to enhance the accuracy of its data on abortion. Whereas in the past, physician billing data was omitted from the reports, the CIHI has included bills from several provinces in order to get a more complete picture. However, data is still missing from Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, New Brunswick and the Territories.

The CIHI acknowledges some remaining underreporting of total abortion volumes.

The Institute has also updated the total number of induced abortions from their last report covering 2020. While the report originally accounted for 74,155 abortions, The CIHI has now confirmed up to 91,551 total abortions completed in 2020. 

The gestational age for abortions performed in 2021 was not included in the latest report.

Joyce Arthur, the Executive Director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada applauded the CIHI’s improved reporting.

“We are very pleased to see the improvements in reporting and look forward to more inclusive reporting in the future,” Arthur told True North. 

“Several provinces still need to establish billing codes for medication abortion, which would further improve reporting accuracy.”

Meanwhile, Scott Hayward, Co-founder of Pro-Life group “RightNow,” says more work needs to be done.

“Unfortunately, CIHI is not able to capture the data for all induced abortions in Canada as not all provinces require the reporting of induced abortions outside of hospitals,” said Hayward in an interview with True North. “Nor does it include data for those abortions induced by the administration of Mifegymiso (RU-486) outside the hospital setting.”

Hayward believes CIHI must be able to gather additional data, such as induced abortions in all hospitals and private clinics and induced abortions through the administration of Mifegymiso, in order for Canadians to gather accurate information on the “pervasiveness of abortion.”

Despite the improved methodology, precise statistics on abortion are still challenging to produce because no federal ministry or board is keeping track of them. Additionally, private clinics such as Planned Parenthood are not legally obligated to report the number of abortions completed to the CIHI.

In 2021, Pro-life researcher Patricia Maloney found that the CIHI underreported 18,278 abortions performed in 2019 in Ontario alone. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), she was able to find these numbers based on Ontario doctors’ billing codes.

Albertans concerned with electronic voting machines retain legal counsel

By
Rachel Parker
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Albertans concerned with Elections Alberta’s use of electronic voting machines in the upcoming provincial election have retained legal counsel, which is arguing that use of the tabulators would reduce election integrity. 

Alberta litigator Leighton Grey of Grey Wowk Spencer LLP sent a letter to Elections Alberta on Monday, saying he represents many residents concerned with ensuring the integrity of the province’s 29th election. 

Grey says he’s become aware that Elections Alberta intends to enable machine tabulator counting in the upcoming provincial election. The letter argues that the Alberta Election Act clearly intends for “witnessed hand counting of ballots.” 

“Any Directive to extend electronic voting machines to the entire Alberta 2023 election would necessarily impugn the integrity and reliability of its outcome,” says the letter, which has been viewed by True North.

The letter stipulates that Elections Alberta has a responsibility under the Elections Act to facilitate accessible voting, with the use of “accessible voting equipment” such as voting equipment and related vote-counting equipment.

But, the firm argues that the use of voting machines does not agree with the “spirit and intention of the Alberta Elections Act.”

“Any directive  produced by the Chief Electoral Officer must aim to give the voting public confidence that checks and balances are in place to ensure that results are above reproach.”

After losing the 2020 US election, former President Donald Trump was relentless in his attacks against electronic voting equipment. The attacks largely centered on Dominion Voting Systems, a Canadian software company that’s widely used in the US. 

Trump argued that Dominion tampered with millions of electronic ballots.

In recent weeks, Dominion filed defamation lawsuits against conservative media companies and Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, saying “lies and misinformation have severely damaged our company and diminished the credibility of U.S. elections.”

Grey also argued that electronic voting machines reduced confidence in the Calgary Municipal elections where the results could not be appealed because the ballots were machine counted and then immediately destroyed. 

He requested confirmation from Elections Alberta that all ballots will be securely preserved for up to three months after the election, and up to three months from any recount, and that any party’s candidate may request a recount.

Grey also requested that if a recount overturns the electronic counting in that poll, the impacted party can request the entire provincial vote be recounted using only paper ballots. 

“There has been much talk around the world about flaws in machine voting,” the letter reads. 

“This is a crucial election for the future of Alberta and so the eyes of every Albertan and indeed the nation are upon you.  It is thus imperative that you take all reasonable steps to uphold and preserve the fairness and integrity of the electoral process.”

Grey Wowk Spencer LLP requested a response from Elections Alberta by April 15. 

Elections Alberta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday afternoon. 

Feds push deficit until 2028 after announcing slate of spending in new budget

By
Connor McDowell
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pushed back plans to balance the budget and is projecting deficits until the year 2028. 

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled the budget Tuesday, confirming prior media leaks that the government would expand dental care, offer a grocery rebate, and protect Canadians against predatory lending.

Ottawa also ditched its projection to balance the budget within five years with the next fiscal year, predicting a $40.1 billion deficit. That deficit is expected to drop to $14 billion by 2028. 

In total, the Liberals have pledged a whopping $497 billion in this year’s budget, which Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has called a “fiscally responsible” move. 

Broken down further, the budget allocates $22.2 billion over five years for healthcare transfers to provinces as well as $7.3 billion for a universal dental care plan. 

Freeland’s announcement also included new spending on major green programs, including $21 billion on a variety of tax credits to incentivize sustainability projects. 

“In what is the most significant economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution, our friends and partners around the world – chief among them, the United States – are investing heavily to build clean economies and the net-zero industries of tomorrow,” said Freeland when presenting the budget. 

“As a result, our allies are moving quickly to friendshore their economies and build their critical supply chains through democracies like our own. Together, these two great shifts represent the most significant opportunity for Canadians workers in the lifetime of anyone here today.”

Clean energy manufacturers will get a $4.5 billion tax credit over five years. The Liberals also announced a $5.6 billion credit for clean hydrogen projects. 

Several tax hikes were also projected including a plan to raise $3 billion through the Alternative Minimum Tax for high earners. 

On national security, the Liberal government pledged $606 million for the Canadian Armed Forces to replenish ammunition and other equipment. Another $1.4 billion will be set aside over 14 years to purchase air defense and artillery equipment.

The Andrew Lawton Show | Roxham Road is closing, but what took so long?

By
Andrew Lawton
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The Trudeau government has finally closed the loophole allowing migrants to illegally enter Canada to seek asylum. For years, Justin Trudeau has insisted it was a complicated problem to solve, yet during Covid it seemed rather easily. Now, Canada and US have amended the Safe Third Country Agreement, meaning illegal border crossers can be turned back. Immigration lawyer Kevin Wiener joins the show to discuss.

Plus, conservatives gathered in Ottawa last week for the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference. CSFN president Jamil Jivani sat down with True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the state of the conservative movement. Also, Premier Danielle Smith on Calgary’s protest ban and Justin Trudeau’s “Just Transition.”

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London edible cricket factory in discussions to open second facility

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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As it prepares to ramp up production at the world’s largest edible cricket production facility in London, Ontario, Aspire Food Group is already in talks to open a second site. 

According to a recent interview, Aspire Food Group cofounder Mohammed Ashour said he’s talking to interested investors and customers about a second facility. 

“We have significant contractual commitments for the majority of our production and expect 100% will be sold within the year,” said Ashour. 

“We’re already in discussions with some of our customers and investors about site selection for a second commercial facility.”

Aspire Food Group hopes to be on the cutting edge of alternative protein production. Although it’s London facility will be exclusively using cricket flour to produce pet food, the company is interested in branching out into producing crickets for human consumption.

“Crickets are the insects with the most traction from a consumer standpoint and they’re also lower in fat than mealworms or black soldier fly larvae, so you don’t have to de-fat them and the powder has a 24-month stable shelf life,” explained Ashour.

“On the human food side, the low hanging fruit is in Asia and parts of Europe, but for petfood we’re seeing excitement across the board.” 

Aspire Food Group hopes that its London factory will be at 100% production capacity in early 2024. 

“We have significant contractual commitments for the majority of our production and expect 100% will be sold within the year,” said Ashour.

 

Proponents of alternative proteins like crickets include the World Economic Forum, which has argued that they can help humanity shift towards a more sustainable future by offsetting emissions produced by meat products. 

As exclusively reported by True North, the City of Toronto recently endorsed a mentorship program featuring a specialist in “urban insect farms” to guide young environmental entrepreneurs. 

“(Her speciality is in) precision agriculture for urban insect farms using AI-enabled technology to sustainably produce nutritious alternative protein foods, while reducing food miles and reusing waste heat from facilities to offset GHG emissions,” the City of Toronto said.

Record high overdose calls in B.C.

By
Connor McDowell
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BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) received a record number of drug overdose calls last week.

In an email to CTV News, BCEHS said Wednesday, Mar. 22 set British Columbia’s new record for the number of overdose calls received in a single day.

Vancouver assistant fire chief Keith Stewart said Vancouver alone saw 45 overdoses – a number he described as overwhelming.

“Drugs are being cut with so many different things at this time,” he said to CTV. “We’re seeing negative effects.”

The news comes as B.C. trials new policy to mitigate the damage of drug use, including overdoses caused by contaminated drugs. 

In the last three years, the province introduced policies such as safe-supply and decriminalization – intended to nudge addicts closer to health care services that may lead them to recovery.

Some critics – like Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre – say the approach is causing an increase in overdose deaths. 

“The results are in. The debate is over,” Poilievre said in February.

“It has been a disaster. An absolute abject failure. You need to not only take a walk down the streets of East Vancouver where addicts lay face-first on the pavement, where people are living permanently in tents and encampments but you just need to look at the data.”

One public health expert disagrees, saying B.C.’s policy changes are not the primary cause of rising overdoses since 2015.

Dr. Katrina Milaney, associate scientific director at O’Brien Institute for Public Health, told True North that Poilievre’s explanation is leaving out important context.

“The reason that overdose rates are going up is because of increasing toxicity and poisoning in our drug supply,” she said. 

“Decriminalizing [very small amounts of hard drugs] is not going to make people who wouldn’t be using it anyways use it more.”

The policy changes of decriminalization and safe-supply in B.C. are a step in the right direction, Milaney said, but must be partnered with recovery options.

“Those kinds of policy decisions need to be made in conjunction with access to harm reduction, access to treatment, access to community based, low-barrier services.”

According to CTV, British Columbia received more than 8,500 drug overdose calls this year.

Hate crimes against Canadian Catholics on the rise: report

By
Angelica Vecchiato
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A recently-published report found that “hate crimes” against Catholics have more than tripled in Canada since 2020.

In a March 16 communiqué entitled “Toward a Hopeful Future: Facing Down Religious Hate,” the Christian think tank Cardus reported that hate crimes against Catholics have seen the “largest spike” relative to previous years, jumping from 43 known instances in 2020 to 155 instances in 2021.

The non-partisan research organization noted that the numbers coincide with the residential school announcements, which fingered the blame of possible unmarked graves at the Catholic Church’s apparent mismanagement of educational institutions for Indigenous youth.

Since the Kamloops Residential school story broke in May of 2021, True North has reported that over seventy Catholic and Christian churches have been burned and vandalized.

The Cardus report noted that religious-based discrimination against Catholics follows a general upward trend of hate crimes against all faith denominations. In 2021, a total of 900 hate crime incidents were reported against religious communities, reaching their highest point since 415 in 2009, the year when comparable data was made available.

The think tank attributed this “rise of religious hate crimes” to a “backdrop of increasingly negative public attitudes toward the contributions of religion and faith communities to Canada.” In collaboration with the Angus Reid Institute, Cardus conducted polling which found that those who identify as “non-religious” observe religion in general as “damaging” to public life.

Cardus recommended the importance of public figureheads in the fight to end religiously-motivated violence because they “can set the tone for religious inclusion by using their platforms to highlight the important contributions and services that faith communities provide and to speak out against religious hatred in all of its forms, especially when that hatred takes the form of violence.”

Although incidents of religiously-motivated violence have increased against Catholics, Canadians who identify as “Catholic” has been steadily declining. The most recent Canadian census outlined that the Catholic population has shrunk to 10.9 in 2021 million from 12.8 million in 2011. The scandal of residential schools has also acted as an impetus for Catholics to leave the church.

Worth violating free speech to promote Quebec content: Bloc MP

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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A Bloc Quebecois MP said in the House of Commons on Monday that it was worth violating the free speech rights of Canadians with Bill C-11 if it means that content made in Quebec gets promoted online. 

Shefford MP Andreanna Larouche made the comments yesterday in French.

“If violating freedom of expression means ensuring that Quebec content is well represented online, then that’s worth it,” said Larouche. 

Bill C-11 is close to being passed into the law. Earlier this month, the federal government rejected amendments from the Senate which would protect content posted online by ordinary Canadians from government regulation. 

The Bloc Quebecois has supported the Liberal government’s push to get the bill passed into law.

In a blog post, law professor and University of Ottawa Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law Michael Geist called the Bloc Quebecois MP’s comments the “most accurate” representation of the government’s view around the problematic legislation. 

“In other words, in the zeal to court support from the Quebec culture lobby, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez and the government are choosing in Bill C-11 to sacrifice some freedom of expression, which includes both the right to speak and the right to be heard,” said Geist. 

According to Senator Paula Simons, passing Bill C-11 in its current form could be a disaster for the Liberal government.

“We still think (our amendments) offered the government an elegant escape from what is going to be, I think, a public relations nightmare and a policy blunder,” said Simons. 

The Daily Brief | Canadians are ditching Ontario for Alberta

By
Rachel Parker
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Former Liberal MP Han Dong said he plans to take legal action against Global News following a report that alleges he advised the Chinese regime to keep Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in custody.

Plus, with a looming recession on the minds of Canadians and as families struggle to make ends meet, the Trudeau government is expected to table its latest budget today.

And Ontario reported the largest share of residents ditching their home province for Alberta in 2022.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Lindsay Shepherd!

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Reinstated unvaxxed councillor demands apology from Newfoundland council

By
Noah Jarvis
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A town councillor for Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland is demanding an apology from the township after he was stripped of his council seat for not getting the Covid-19 vaccine. 

After a lengthy fight to reclaim his seat in the town council, the Newfoundland Supreme Court found that Grant Abbott’s removal from the council was undemocratic and unjust and has reinstated him to the council.

“There’s an apology that needs to be made to the town, there’s an apology that needs to be made to me and all the individuals involved,” says Abbott.

Abbott was elected to the town council on September 28, 2021 after he was encouraged by members of his community to do so. He ran to, in part, to propose an infrastructure project to bring food sustainability to his small community.

In an exclusive interview with True North, Abbott says that at one of the first council meetings as a councillor, the council proposed and implemented a bylaw that would bar any unvaccinated town councillors from attending council meetings. 

“They used the tool that was the vaccination policy and the tool of the Municipalities Act to quiet a dissenting voice,” says Abbott.

He decided not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine because of some heart palpitations he had in the years past and he didn’t feel comfortable taking the shot. 

Abbott, a duly elected councillor with 49% of the vote, was unable to attend council meetings in-person and the council refused to make reasonable accommodations to allow Abbott to carry out his duties as a councillor.

The town had not only barred Abbott from attending council meetings in-person, but had also passed a motion that excluded unvaccinated councillors from attending council meetings remotely, despite making the same accommodation for councillors who were working out of town or who were unable to attend for medical reasons. 

Abbott called into council meetings once he was barred from entering the town hall, but was not permitted to speak during the meetings and the meeting minutes documented that Abbott had not attended the meetings. 

After three months of failing to attend council meetings, the town council declared that Abbott’s council seat was vacant. Abbott would challenge the town’s decision, bringing the case to the Newfoundland Supreme Court. 

The Newfoundland Supreme Court found that the town council had unjustly barred Abbott from attending council meetings and stripped him of his seat, comparing the punishment to the death penalty.

“The consequence of vacating a councillor’s seat is a serious deprivation of a resident’s right to participate in local government and democracy,” read the ruling. 

“The vacating of a councillor’s seat is as ‘close to capital punishment in the world of municipal politics.’”

Abbott says that he was metaphorically “up to the Guilliotine, but luckily I was spared.”

Abbott says that the legal challenge cost the town $50,000 and cost him $20,000 in legal fees. In order to recuperate the legal fees, Abbott has set up a GiveSendGo fundraising page with the help of Action4Canada where they have raised over $6,000 so far. 

When asked where Abbott will be going from here, Abbott suggests reforming the way township governance is done through greater transparency with the public.

“I’m wanting to change the way towns and communities interact with their citizens – to communicate with them, be transparent and have accountability through shared minutes and audio recordings, which have never existed before.”

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