The Trudeau Liberals want to reduce emissions from fertilizer by 30% in the name of fighting climate change. But agriculture experts say that this could lead to a reduction in crop yields, which would cause a decrease in the food supply, harm farm incomes and increase the price of food.
The Liberals stress that these goals will be met through voluntary action on the part of farmers. But a new series of reports out from True North, called the Fertilizer Files, reveals how government documents show the government has been considering making it mandatory.
Anthony Furey discusses the importance of the Fertilizer Files in his latest video.
Small quantities of hard drugs are now “not criminal” to possess in British Columbia.
The province’s three-year program began Tuesday, allowing British Columbians to keep small quantities of heroin, crack, cocaine, fentanyl, MDMA, and meth on hand.
Residents over the age of 18 may have a combined total of 2.5 grams of the drugs.
“Adults […] are not subject to criminal charges and the drugs are not seized,” wrote the government release. “Instead, they are offered information about health and social supports.”
According to the province, decriminalization will reduce stigma around drug use, and address barriers that prevent addicts from accessing life-saving support.
Many agree, including the BC Association of Chiefs of Police. Since 2020, the association has released several statements in alignment with the province about stigma and healing.
The policy took effect Tuesday, promising that adults with the allotted personal quantities will not be charged or arrested.
“Substance use is a public health matter, not a criminal justice issue,” wrote a provincial statement.
Not everybody sees it that way.
Tristin Hopper of The National Post wrote the program could make everything worse. He compared it to an example from the United States.
“A near-identical experiment in Oregon has thus far failed on almost every metric,” he wrote.
Hopper pointed to an increase in drug overdose and drug abuse in the state of Oregon that was found two years after the state decriminalized hard drugs. He wrote that the program didn’t deliver on its promise that addicts would seek state-funded facilities and subsequently opt into rehabilitation.
“Fewer than one per cent of known Oregon drug users – about 136 people – ever opted to rehab,” Hopper explains.
In light of this information, the Oregon secretary of state said it was too early to call the decriminalization of hard drugs a failure.
Sending four tanks to Ukraine was a “token donation,” says a well-known military expert.
Former defence advisor and military historian David J. Bercuson said Canada donated four Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine because of tremendous political pressure, rather than a desire to support the country. He told True North the donation is frivolous.
“I mean, what are you going to do with four tanks?” said Bercuson. “That’s not even a formation.”
Bercuson, the author of many books on Canadian military history, said the donation is comparable to being an item on Canada’s diplomatic agenda. He said Canadian leaders truthfully appear uninterested in providing support to Ukraine, due to their spotty record of donations.
“It’s always a little bit here, a little bit there, not very much of anything,” he said. “It seems to me that we have been dragging our feet from the first minute we ever made an announcement of sending anything.”
When asked about Minister Anita Anand’s comment that she may donate additional tanks in the future, Bercuson said the comment was public-opinion maneuvering.
“That’s the way she tries to fob-off the press and critics of the government,” he said. “Why can we only send four? Where are the rest of them?”
Bercuson is a retired director at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. He has served as special advisor to the minister of national defence, and as an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Canadian Forces.
After widespread public outrage, the National Arts Centre (NAC) is backing out of a controversial plan to have an evening of theatre reserved exclusively for an “all-black” audience.
Critics accused the Ottawa theatre of discriminating based on race, which contradicts federal and provincial human rights legislation.
After limiting the event “exclusively” to an all-black audience, the federal theater has since changed the admissions, saying they now “will welcome black audiences.”
The story came to the attention of the public last week after Canadian media personality Jonathan Kay raised concerns about the race-based attendance requirement on Twitter.
“Canada’s National Arts Centre is now hosting racially segregated shows. This one is only for blacks. But I’m sure other races will get their turn,” tweeted Kay.
A Jan. 16 news release of the “Black Out Nights” event explained how the Is God Is theatre performance was exclusively available to black participants.
“The evenings will provide a dedicated space for Black theatergoers to witness a show that reflects the vivid kaleidoscope that is the Black experience,” wrote the NAC.
After being asked to respond to accusations that the show was tantamount to racial segregation, an NAC spokesperson told True North that this was not the case.
“There are no racially segregated shows at the NAC,” said the NAC spokesperson.
“Of the nine performances of Is God Is, we have dedicated one performance to those who self-identify as Black and their guests. No one will be turned away at the door; there will be no checkpoints for Black Out Night ticket holders and no questions will be asked about anyone’s identity or race.”
Canada’s Human Rights Code explicitly states that equal treatment with respect to services is protected under the law.
“Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin,” states the legislation.
Alberta energy companies were among the top-rated employers in the province as it experienced a period of strong economic growth and a growing demand for workers.
Mediacorp Canada Inc. publishes an annual list of “Alberta’s Top 75 Employers” in tandem with a nationwide ranking.
Oil and energy companies, including Imperial Oil Limited, Enbridge Inc, Shell Canada Limited, Gibson Energy Inc. and Keyra Corp. featured as this year’s top employers for offering flexibility and superior incentives for their workers.
“Recent forecasts point to significant job creation in Alberta,” said Mediacorp’s executive director Richard Yerema in a press release.
“With growing demand for the latest skills and new ways of working, employers in the province are having to work harder to attract talent amid a very tight labour market.”
Employing 5,429 workers, Imperial Oil was commended for its pension plan and health benefits extending to company retirees. Meanwhile, Shell Canada offered paid volunteer days for its employees to contribute to the larger community while also matching employee donations up to $1,500 for charitable causes.
“This year’s winners have struck a balance between the practical and progressive, incorporating flexibility where possible and ensuring they remain ahead of the curve when it comes to meeting the expectations of today’s job-seeker,” said Mediacorp’s managing director Kristina Leung.
At the end of 2022, several major Alberta energy companies announced a spate of investments in the province’s oil and gas industry.
In an update to investors, Suncor Energy said it would boost capital spending in the province by $5.6 billion – an 11% year-over-year increase. Additionally, MEG Energy also announced a double-digit boost to development.
As reported by True North, US-based Vulcan Industrial has announced it will be opening up a facility in Clairmont, Alberta to provide the energy sector with equipment.
“Vulcan Industrial is adding a location in Western Alberta, Canada to ensure support for its growing business in the region,” said company spokesperson Tanner Ford.
“The expansion comes as a result of consistent business growth in the region.”
Over three million Canadians are stuck on a waiting list for surgery, a diagnostic scan, or to see a specialist, with some estimates pushing the total close to four million, according to new data from a Canadian think-tank.
A SecondStreet.org study has found that nearly 3.2 million people are on these waitlists across the provincial and territorial healthcare systems.
However, SecondStreet.org says that the data they used – largely received through freedom of information requests – is incomplete, as many jurisdictions were unable to calculate the figure. Prince Edward Island did not provide the think-tank with any data.
In Ontario, the most populous province, over 200,000 citizens are waiting for a surgery and nearly 500,000 are waiting for a diagnostic scan. The number of Ontarians waiting for a specialist was not provided.
Quebec has 160,000 people waiting for a surgery with over 700,000 waiting for a diagnostic scan and nearly 800,000 waiting to see a specialist.
From May 2022 to December 2022, Alberta saw a drop in the number of patients waiting for a diagnostic scan from 108,782 to 93,737, a 14% drop. Over 75,000 Albertans are waiting for a surgery with over 175,000 waiting to see a specialist.
In terms of percentage of the population waiting for a surgery, Saskatchewan ranks the worst with nearly 3% of the population on a surgery waiting list, over 34,000 citizens in total.
Due to the inability of some provinces to provide complete data, SecondStreet.org estimates that the true number of patients stuck on waiting lists is around 3.8 million.
“Behind these statistics are countless stories of patients suffering,” said SecondStreet.org President Colin Craig. “Health care spending has exploded over the past three decades yet waiting lists continue to get worse. Keeping the public health care system, but reforming it to more closely match European models could help improve services for patients.”
Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford announced earlier in January that the province will be allowing government regulated for-profit clinics to conduct surgeries and scans like MRIs, x-rays and CT scans outside of hospitals in an effort to expand Ontario’s capacity to clear up backlogs and provide timely healthcare.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fired the Alberta Health Service board and replaced the board with a single member in an effort to reduce wait times, among other priorities. Smith has also promised to introduce $300 health spending accounts to allow Albertans to access healthcare services not covered under Alberta’s health insurance.
Renowned Canadian author and psychologist Jordan Peterson touched on woke schools and assisted suicide during his Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life tour stop in Ottawa Monday night.
“I don’t think there is a more dire sin than corrupting children… maybe the only more egregious error is swearing to do nothing but violate your own conscience, you know, out of spite and bitterness,” the renowned personality said of the woke agenda in the classroom.
“You’re gonna have to take your blows to push back against enforced and mandatory idol worship, but that’s a lot easier battle than losing control of your own soul,” Peterson said of teachers pushing back against that agenda.
Despite attempts by activists and an Ottawa city councillor to cancel the event, it went ahead peacefully and without protest. Thousands of people descended onto the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa’s Kanata suburb to listen to Peterson, which began with a live musical performance by his son Julian and a speech by his wife Tammy.
“Bigots and misogynists as far as the eye can see,” Peterson joked as he looked at the audience of thousands who assembled to hear him speak.
While the formal portion of the event focused on a talk Peterson gave on the Book of Exodus, the author also spoke about assisted suicide during the question and answer period.
Peterson said that he had faced a lot of pain in the last few years and disclosed that there were moments where, in his words, he would have pressed a red button to end his life and make the suffering go away. He stressed though that ultimately he doesn’t trust the government to be involved in the issue.
“I don’t trust the people who can’t give you a passport in two weeks to decide whether or not grandma gets to live,” Peterson added.
Prior to Petetson’s event taking place, progressive activists called for Peterson’s event to be cancelled. They claimed the popular psychologist touts “toxic, and often violent, rhetoric”, and also took issue with his support of the Freedom Convoy.
Alongside our partners, we are calling on the @CdnTireCtr to cancel Jordan Peterson’s event taking place in Ottawa on January 30th.
Calls to cancel Peterson were echoed by left-wing Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster, who serves as the “Council Liaison for Women, Gender Equity and 2SLGBTQ+ Affairs”. Troster said that Peterson’s supposed “hateful rhetoric” has no place in Ottawa.
However, despite the noise online and in the legacy media, no protestors were seen outside the venue Monday night.
I have arrived at the Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre, where Jordan Peterson is holding a tour stop tonight. Despite numerous attempts by Social Justice Warriors to cancel him, the event is happening & there are no protesters! pic.twitter.com/B1Zf4nguQf
Peterson addressed the lack of protestors at the start of his talk. “Thirty-six organizations and not one protestor,” he said, adding that “they couldn’t scrounge up one person to wave a placard.”
You can get a good idea of the crowd size from this clip. Where are the "36 organizations" who called for the event to be cancelled? There were exactly ZERO protestors @CBCNews anything to say about that? No? I thought not… you pathetic lying cowards. https://t.co/27dbDtAbGK
While there were no protestors present at the event, progressives continued to complain online about Peterson’s presence in the city.
Kanata-Carleton Liberal MP Jenna Sudds claimed that Peterson was “spreading far-right, misogynistic rhetoric” at his talk and called out Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre for defending Peterson.
Did you come to the lecture and hear what I have to say, or are you content to stay online and employ the antisocial narcissistic tactics of antisocial females to denigrate, insult and exclude #meangirls? https://t.co/VJxT0QMj9X
The Liberal government paid more than $6 million to quarantine 15 individuals in 2022, according to government documents released on Monday.
The order paper questions document released by Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner shows that the federal government spent $6.7 million on a single quarantine facility in Calgary last year.
“The response that I just received a few hours ago was legitimately flabbergasting,” wrote Rempel on a Substack page.
The fees broke down to roughly $450,000 per quarantined individual.
The facility was erected at the Westin Calgary Airport hotel on authority of the Minister of Health, then Patty Hajdu.
According to the Quarantine Act, the minister could order any place in Canada to become a quarantine facility, and also amend or cancel the designation.
The outcome at the Westin hotel shows incompetency at the highest level, said MP Michelle Rempel Garner.
“Waste of this magnitude […] shows that Trudeau doesn’t have the capacity or willingness to get things under control,” the Calgary MP wrote.
The news broke amid a wave of stories surrounding the Trudeau Liberals’ spending. A parliamentary committee announced two weeks ago that it will investigate more than $100 million in contracts between the government and consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
At least 50 Canadian universities have conducted research projects connected to China’s military according to a new report.
The Globe and Mail reported on Monday that a study by US company Strider Technologies Inc. discovered that some of the country’s top post-secondary institutions could be helping further arm China with cutting edge military tech.
The University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, McGill University and the University of Waterloo all took part in research with Chinese scientists linked to the People’s Liberation Army. Nearly all of Canada’s top 10 schools were implicated in Strider’s findings.
In the last half decade, collaborations have occurred with military scientists working for the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) to advance projects related to missile guidance, drones and surveillance technology.
The Chinese institute has raised alarms internationally, including in the US, which chose to blacklist NUDT in 2015 for being “involved, or (posing) a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities that are contrary to the national-security or foreign-policy interests of the United States.”
Headed by the Chinese Communist Party, the university’s main goal is to give China a strategic advantage over its rivals – including Canada.
Some of the projects connected to China’s military have also received support from the federal Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
When confronted, university officials told the outlet that the federal government has not given any direction to stop the research, despite the fact that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has warned post-secondary schools about the risk that comes with such associations.
“On matters of national security, universities look to Canadian authorities for actionable direction, and there is no direction from such authorities to preclude the co-authoring of the research papers you describe,” University of Toronto’s vice-president Joseph Wong told the Globe and Mail.
Last year concerns about China’s grasp on Canadian institutions reached a new high after it was revealed that the country was operating a number of extrajudicial police “service stations” in Canada and other countries.
Experts have concerns that China’s government is using its global influence to monitor the Chinese diaspora and steal trade or state secrets for its own advantage.
Exclusive documents obtained by True North reveal the extent the Trudeau government is willing to go to force farmers to reduce fertilizer emissions in the name of fighting climate change.
Plus, the Trudeau government’s questionable contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company dominated the first day of parliament returning.
And Jordan Peterson’s event in Ottawa was an apparent success despite pushback from city councillors and activists attempting to cancel the event.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Anthony Furey and Rachel Emmanuel!
