As of next March, people suffering from mental illness will be eligible for assisted suicide in Canada. True North’s Andrew Lawton wrote a column yesterday warning of the consequences of Canada going this down road, written from his perspective as a suicide survivor who might have sought out an assisted death during his own struggle with depression more than a decade ago.
Also, The Democracy Fund’s Mark Joseph joins the discuss the latest from the Public Order Emergency Commission, including the damning evidence that CSIS saw no security threat and the RCMP told the government it didn’t need the Emergencies Act.
The Bank of Canada has released its shortlist of notable Canadians who could appear on the next $5 bill, which includes Terry Fox and a decorated First Nations First World War veteran.
Candidates were picked out of 600 nominees submitted by people from across the country. An advisory board was placed in charge of compiling the shortlist.
“A list of eight names may seem like a very short list, but the selected nominees emerged from thoughtful considerations and deep deliberations, to ensure it is a list we would all be proud to present and stand by with determination, whatever the end decision is,” said a council spokesperson.
“We deeply believe this list emphasizes the diverse contributions of Canadians to our shared history.”
Ultimately the decision will be up to Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland.
Terry Fox (1958-1981)
Terry Fox made Canadian history after launching the Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. Despite losing his right leg to cancer, Fox ran across the country at a pace of 42-km per day.
In total he raised $24.7 million for cancer research and covered 5,373 kilometers before succumbing to the disease.
Pitseolak Ashoona (1904 to 1908 – 1983)
Inuit artist and printmaker Pitseolak Ashoona made the shortlist for her contributions to Indidgenous culture. Born between 1904 and 1908, Ashoona’s work centered on Indigenous spirituality and mythology.
Her famous prints include the 1960 artwork “Joys of SUmmer Inland” and “Owl Atop Inukshuk.”
Robertine Barry (1863-1910)
Canada’s first female French-Canadian journalist is also up for consideration. Barry, also known by her pen name “Françoise” was an advocate of women’s rights and equality.
Born in 1863 in L’Isle-Verte, Canada East, Barry was also a supporter of secularizing Quebec’s public education system.
As an activist she fought for women’s suffrage, education and the shelter system.
The new $5 bank note is expected to go into circulation in the next few years.
Binaaswi (Francis Pegahmagabow) (1888-1952)
World War I veteran Francis Pegahmagabow could make it onto the $5 bank note for his contributions to the Canadian military.
Being among the most-decorated First Nations soldiers, he was among the first Indigenous soldiers to volunteer for service abroad. He fought at the Second Battle of Ypres and also at the Battle of the Somme. Following his service, Pegahmagabow was an advocate for Indigenous rights and autonomy.
Won Alexander Cumyow (1861 – 1955)
Won Alexander Cumyow was the first Chinese-Canadian born in British North America. As a translator, Won became well-regarded in the Chinese community and eventually became an activist for Chinese Canadian rights.
Won founded the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Group to push back against racist policies such as the Chinese Head Tax and segregation.
Lotta Hitschmanova (1909-1990)
Czech-born Lotta Hitschmanova was an activist and humanitarian who founded the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada to help those struggling with poverty.
Hitschmanova’s philanthropy extended to Hong Kong, South Vietnam, Japan, India, Nepal and throughout Africa.
Isapo-mixka (crowfoot)
Isapo-muxikwa was the chief of the Blackfoot Confederacy who advocated for peace between First Nations and settlers.
As a negotiator and diplomat he led the establishment of Treaty 7 and opposed the North-West Resistance of 1885.
Ogondeyoh (Frederick Ogilvie Loft)
Onondeyod was an Indigenous rights activist and a veteran of World War I. He is seen by many as one of the foremost First Nations historical leaders for establishing the League of Indians of Canada.
While in the military, he served abroad in Britain and France as a lieutenant with a forestry company.
On Day 22 of the Emergencies Act hearings, it was revealed that just a day prior to the Trudeau government invoking the Emergencies Act to quash the Freedom Convoy, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service told cabinet that the Convoy did not constitute a threat to national security.
Plus, Danielle Smith has made good on her promise to fire Dr. Deena Hinshaw as Alberta’s chief medical health officer.
And, if you thought climate activists couldn’t get even more annoying, get a load of this story.
These stories and more on The Daily Brief with Anthony Furey and Rachel Emmanuel.
There is something pitiable — sad, really — to see an iconic sports legend like Wayne Gretzky shilling for an online betting outfit as if he somehow needed the money and was therefore willing to lose his moral compass.
It’s so unbecoming. So unsettling.
The Gretzky television commercial for BetMGM also hauls in Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid — the Oilers’ old guard and the new guard — as part of the shill, which is disturbing enough to see today’s stars embracing a practice that was once so illegal it brought universal shame.
If this relatively new industry truly needs its shills, then how about the game-throwing Chicago Black Sox baseball team for a reflective poster, or the Cincinnati Reds’ Mr. Hustle, Pete Rose.
What got Rose forever banned from baseball, never to enter the sports Hall of Fame which he so richly deserves, was his gambling on baseball, which is now so legal that one cannot watch a major-league sporting event on TV without being inundated with online betting advertisements.
And then, of course, there was NBA superstar Michael Jordan who gambled thousands as if they were fivers. It became known that Jordan had an insatiable thirst for betting on the golf course, often making bets of $100,000 per hole. This is no doubt the manner in which he was able to incur an awe-inspiring debt of $1.2 million in a single game.
This specific event was actually the inspiration behind Jordan’s book titled, “Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction…My Cry For Help,” a book of memoirs dedicated to his gambling shenanigans. At the end of their 10-day golf betting extravaganza, however, Jordan was able to drop the loss to around $300,000 and made good on his debt to the winner.
These online gambling ads are so omnipotent, for example, that Brendan Caldwell, president of Toronto’s prestigious Caldwell Securities, stepped away from his financial newsletters and television slots to warn of the perils of online gambling.
In a recent appearance on News Forum Today, Caldwell talked to host Nima Rajan of how the explosion of online gambling will bring so much harm that gamblers will eventually end up taking their own lives for failing to bet themselves into prosperity.
“When people find themselves in financial difficulty they want to get rich quickly. (But), as the great sports commentator John Madden once said, ‘The road to Easy Street goes through a sewer.’
“We see it is my business where online discount brokerages offer margins, and leverages and money to buy stocks,” said Caldwell. “People have taken their own lives over the negative consequences of borrowing money to buy stock.
“You cannot gamble your way to financial prosperity. That’s just not how it is going to go.”
Said Caldwell, “if you are watching this Wayne, I think it’s unconscionable that the greatest hockey player in the history of the world would use the platform he has to promote betting that will one day have sports fans taking their own lives.
“Gambling. It’s a dark and dangerous world.”
Interestingly, in his commercial with Connor McDavid which promotes the online betting site, Gretzky is shown gambling on a basketball game — N.Y. Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers — rather than a hockey game.
“How likely is Gretzky or any other athlete to bet on a sport they don’t play, rather than one they do?” asked Caldwell. “Deep down, even the ad agencies, the athletes and the teams that receive the sponsorship dollars know the problems they are creating.”
As Caldwell reminded viewers, there is a Gamblers’ Anonymous much like there is an Alcoholics’ Anonymous. The difference is that gambling can take a person to the bottom — lost job, lost home, lost family — far faster than it takes an addicted drinker to do the same.
Academics at Sweden’s Lund University recently monitored more than 2,000 people with gambling disorders, for example, and found a significantly elevated risk of suicide — 15 times higher — among participants compared to the general population over a 10-year period.
On Day 22 of the Emergencies Act hearings, it was revealed that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) told the federal cabinet that the Freedom Convoy did not constitute a threat to national security just one day prior to the invocation of the Emergencies Act.
Under questioning from Convoy lawyer Brendan Miller, the former deputy minister for public safety Rob Stewart confirmed that CSIS advised the federal cabinet that the Freedom Convoy did not pose a national security threat.
A document was presented to the commission which detailed the conversations that CSIS officials had with members of the federal cabinet throughout the Freedom Convoy protests.
The document stated that the Director of CSIS, David Vigneault, told the federal cabinet, “at no point did the Service (CSIS) assess that the protests in Ottawa or elsewhere constituted a threat to national security as defined by Section 2 of the CSIS Act,” and “CSIS cannot investigate activity constituting lawful protest.”
Vigneault also went on to clearly state that CSIS had no evidence to suggest that foreign state interference was involved in the Freedom Convoy.
The document reads: “CSIS assessed that there was no indication of foreign state interference occurring in the course of the protests.”
According to the same document, when Vigneault became aware that the federal government was seriously considering invoking the unprecedented measures to quash the Freedom Convoy, he “felt an obligation to clearly convey the Service’s position that there did not exist a threat to security of Canada as defined by the Service’s legal mandate.”
Vigneault’s final consultation with cabinet occurred on February 13, just one day prior to the invocation of the Emergencies Act.
In order for the government to be justified in invoking the Emergencies Act, the text of the legislation states that the government must declare a Public Order Emergency. A Public Order Emergency means an emergency that arises from “threats to the security of Canada.”
In the Emergencies Act legislation, “threats to the security of Canada” is defined by Section 2 of the CSIS Act.
When asked by Convoy lawyer Miller if Stewart was told by Vigneault that the Freedom Convoy did not constitute a threat to national security, Stewart responded, “that is correct.”
Former deputy public safety minister Rob Stewart testifies that CSIS found “there did not exist a threat to the security of Canada” as defined by the law during the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa. #POECpic.twitter.com/kgPUCBJhO5
You can watch the entire cross-examination of deputy minister Rob Stewart by Convoy lawyer Brenden Miller below.
Later on, Stewart was questioned by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) counsel regarding the failure of the federal government to consult law enforcement agencies about their plans to invoke the Emergencies Act.
“Which law enforcement agencies were consulted about the use of the act?” OPP counsel asked Stewart.
“What I would say to you is there were no police agencies asked about the act itself. They were always asked, ‘Do you need more tools?’,” Stewart responded.
“So my question is, which agencies were asked whether they need more tools?”
“Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), OPP and Ottawa Police Service (OPS)”, Stewart responded.
Counsel for the OPP then pushed back and told Stewart that the OPP Commissioner, Thomas Carrique testified that he was never consulted on the use of the act or about what tools the federal government could provide to the OPP.
When asked if he would have any reason to dispute Carrique’s testimony, Stewart said that he wouldn’t have firsthand knowledge of the communications between the federal government and law enforcement agencies and that all communication to law enforcement agencies was handled by the RCMP.
Deputy public safety minister Rob Stewart testifies that no law enforcement agencies were advised by the federal government about the Emergencies Act invocation. pic.twitter.com/tAb6M2lhFa
Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms Lawyer Rob Kittredge asked Stewart if agreed with other law enforcement witnesses at the Inquiry if the Emergencies Act was “useful but not necessary” to clear protesters.
“I believe that the invocation of the Emergencies Act provided very useful tools to law enforcement.”
“Useful tools, but not necessary tools,” Kittredge responded back to Stewart.
“I’m not in a position to render an opinion on that,” Stewart responded. “Upon the invocation of the act and the use of those tools the protests stopped. That goes beyond useful.”
Emergencies Act: "necessary" or just "useful"?
The act gave "useful tools" to police, says Rob Stewart, deputy public safety minister, adding when the act was invoked and enforcement begun, "the protests diminished and that goes beyond useful."
Prior to taking the stand in front of the commission, each witness is required to give a witness summary interview with the commission. In Stewart’s witness summary, he told the Emergencies Act commission that the Emergencies Act “became a real option on or around February 11.”
Having been briefed on the Emergencies Act at the start of the pandemic, it was "always in the background" as an option for the Convoy, Stewart's witness summary says. It became a "real option" around Feb. 11, for reasons described here: pic.twitter.com/BahVQdxLdb
Dr. Deena Hinshaw has been fired as Alberta’s chief medical health officer.
The Alberta government announced on Monday afternoon that Dr. Mark Joffe, the vice-president and medical director for Cancer Care Alberta, will take her place.
In a statement, Joffe said he was honoured to be selected for the role.
“I have always put the needs of my patients first and foremost throughout my career, which will continue as I take on this new challenge,” he said in a statement.
The change comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has hinted at firing Hinshaw as she campaigned on overhauling Alberta Health Services (AHS). In her first press conference as premier on Oct. 11, Smith said she will no longer take advice from Hinshaw.
“I will get new advice on public health,” Smith said.
“I appreciate the work that Dr. Deena Hinshaw has done, but I think that we’re in a new phase where we are now talking about treating coronavirus (as) influenza.”
Under Hinshaw’s leadership, AHS advised the Kenney government to implement vaccine mandates and to close schools and churches. AHS officers visited churches to ensure Covid protocols were being met, and those that did not comply were fined or shut down.
Some of those charges are now being dropped. Earlier this month, Alberta Pastor Tim Stephens was acquitted on charges of violating the province’s public health orders which required physical distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Stephens spent a total of 21 days in jail in regards to the charges.
Joffe has worked with Alberta Health Services for more than 25 years. His interim appointment takes effect Nov. 14. and will continue until the minister of health rescinds the appointment. He will continue in his current contract with AHS, with no additional compensation for the chief medical officer of health role, according to a government news release.
Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping said Joffe dedicated himself to improving the health of Albertans throughout his career.
“He brings this wealth of experience and knowledge to the role of chief medical officer of health.”
Smith campaigned on overhauling Alberta Health Services, including changes in management. She’s been critical of the treatment of the unvaccinated, who were barred from restaurants and gyms for a period.
Smith also promised to amend human rights legislation so Albertans are not discriminated against on the basis of medical decisions again.
Critics have accused her of pushing “pro-Putin, pro-Russian separatist propaganda,” but that didn’t stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from placing Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on his latest sanctions list.
Smith was banned from Russia along with former Alberta premier Ed Stelmach on Monday.
“My response to Putin: we will be announcing more funding and supports for Ukrainian refugees later today,” the premier wrote on Twitter.
“My response to Europe: Free yourselves of Russian energy. Alberta is ready to help! I’m planning a trip to Germany soon to talk about de-leveraging Russia’s hold over European markets for generations.”
Later on Monday, Smith announced $12.3 million for language, social and educational supports for new Ukrainian students. She said Alberta’s schools identified more than 2,200 registered students as Ukrainian evacuees in September.
Last month, NDP MP Charlie Angus accused Smith of pushing “pro-Russian, pro-Putin separatist propaganda.”
Speaking in the House of Commons, Angus called Smith the “face of the conservative movement,” adding, “I mean, oh my God, where to begin.”
“You know, we find out now that she has been promoting pro-Russian, pro-Putin separatist propaganda,” Angus said.
He was responding to comments Smith made on the social media platform Locals in April calling for Ukrainian neutrality.
“I think the only answer for Ukraine is neutrality,” Smith said in a live stream. “There are thriving nations that have managed with neutrality.”
NDP leader Rachel Notley also denounced the premier’s comments, saying Smith showed “horrendous judgement” by showing “sympathy to an international war criminal and an illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
Smith has since apologized for the remarks.
The new premier was among one hundred new Canadians to be sanctioned on Monday.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the list includes high-ranking officials, businessmen, media and financial structures “that are directly involved in the formation of an aggressive anti-Russian course.”
The Canadian federal government sanctioned 23 Russians on Monday, and announced another $500 million foreign aid package for Ukraine.
Speaking at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta 2022 Fall Convention on Thursday, Smith announced the “Premier’s Advisory Task Force on Ukraine.” It’s been mandated to engage with the Ukrainian community and develop a report by Jan. 15.
After she was sworn in as premier on Oct. 11, Smith told True North she supports the $10 million former Alberta premier Jason Kenney pledged for Ukraine while in office.
True North's @Emmanuel_Rach asks Alberta Premier Danielle Smith if she supports Jason Kenney's decision to send over $20 million to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/fZd1Ud3RUR
The RCMP have arrested a Hydro-Quebec researcher after allegedly spying on Canada for the communist Chinese government.
35-year-old Yuesheng Wang is facing four charges including fraud for obtaining trade secrets, breach of trust, obtaining trade secrets and unauthorized use of a computer. The crimes are believed to have taken place between Feb. 2018 and Oct. 2022.
“While employed by Hydro-Québec, Mr. Wang allegedly obtained trade secrets to benefit the People’s Republic of China, to the detriment of Canada’s economic interests,” claimed an RCMP press release.
“The Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) began an investigation in August 2022 after receiving a complaint from Hydro-Québec’s corporate security branch. Mr. Wang allegedly obtained the information to which he had access in the course of his duties.”
According to the RCMP, concerns over foreign interference targeting critical infrastructure played a role in the investigation.
“Foreign actor interference is a priority for many law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world. Hydro-Québec is considered a critical infrastructure and a strategic interest to be protected,” said the RCMP Communications Office.
“The RCMP and its partners are working together with at-risk sectors to improve Canada’s response and resiliency to this threat.”
Wang is accused of filing patents and publishing papers in China without seeking permission from his employer. He could face up to 10 years in prison.
The RCMP received a tip about Wang’s activities from Hydro-Quebec’s in-house corporate security team.
“Our detection and intervention mechanisms allowed our investigators to bring this matter to the attention of the RCMP, with whom we have worked closely ever since,” senior director of corporate security Dominic Roy told CBC News.
“No organization is safe from a situation like this one, which is why we must always remain vigilant and transparent, and we must not tolerate violations of the company’s code of ethics.”
Canada’s intelligence community has repeatedly warned both government and private entities to be on the lookout for foreign interference. In August, former Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) chief of the Asia-Pacific desk Michel Juneau-Katsuya told parliamentarians that officials at all levels of government were being influenced by Beijing.
A former Conservative MP who was the target of Chinese propaganda, Kenny Chiu, told True North last week that the government isn’t doing enough to combat Beijing’s influence.
“Compared to other Western democracies that have done something substantial to safeguard their democracies and national sovereignty, Canada has done barely anything,” said Chiu.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government also faced questions after two scientists accused of collaborating with China were fired from the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore has “recommended” that all Ontarians return to wearing face masks to protect others. Not from covid, but from the flu. And last week, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam also told Canadians that they should return to masking.
For now, health officials are only “recommending” a return to masks, but based on how the last two years have gone, the prospect of a mask mandate to protect against the flu seems more likely than ever.
Don’t believe us? Take a look at the legacy media’s fear-mongering over the rise in flu and other respiratory illnesses.
Tune in now to the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner!
A motion to be presented before Vancouver City Council on Tuesday calls on the city to allocate $6 million in funding to deliver on Mayor Ken Sim’s promise to hire 100 police officers and mental health workers.
Councillor Lisa Dominato – who was elected under the same ABC Vancouver municipal banner as Mayor Sim – sponsored the council member’s motion B.5 titled Enabling the Requisition and Hiring of 100 New Police Officers and 100 Mental Health Nurses.
Funds will be allocated from the city’s 2023 operating budget with $4.5 million expected to be distributed to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) for new recruits and $1.5 million to go to Vancouver Coastal Health to hire new nurses.
“The nature, scope, and magnitude of the mental health and addiction crisis facing Vancouver requires a significant and substantial increase in supports and actions to improve the quality of life for those living with mental illness, substance use, and addiction in our city,” wrote Dominato.
Further funding sources will be identified by Council when the 2023 operating budget is presented.
According to the executive director of the Pacific Prosperity Network (PPN) Micah Haince, while the funding serves as a vital first step towards tackling crime and homelessness in the city, there remains systemic issues to tackle.
“Our mandate is to promote good governance and what we’ve seen happen to Vancouver has been an abdication of responsibility and deterioration of safety,” Haince told True North.
“The effort by the new Council and Mayor to hire more officers is a vital step toward restoring public safety. However, there are other issues that must also be tackled at other levels of government, such as the revolving door justice system.”
The PPN was founded last year to promote candidates who are interested in fiscal responsibility, rule of law and economic development.
Public safety became a key issue of the 2022 municipal election that saw Sim unseat former mayor Kennedy Stewart.
Vancouver has seen a tumultuous year with police reporting that on average four people were the victims of unprovoked assaults by strangers every single day.
A report released by the VPD last week also found that despite receiving $5 billion in social safety net spending per year, the drug addiction and homelessness problem has reached crisis levels in the city.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) British Columbia director Carson Binda also expressed support for the motion.
“The public safety situation in our streets is a human tragedy. From 2020 – 2021, we sawmore than a 200% increase in violent crime. Clearly there is work to be done by the municipal government, so it makes sense that they are investing in new Police Officers and Mental Health Nurses,” said Binda in an emailed statement.
“The CTF will keep a close eye on the spending to ensure that there is accountability in how taxpayer money is being spent.”
