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Friday, July 25, 2025

Saskatchewan concerned about “possible mandates” on fertilizer

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Saskatchewan Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre said her province is concerned about the prospect of the Liberal government’s fertilizer emissions reduction scheme. 

While speaking to reporters on the recently-introduced Saskatchewan First Act, otherwise known as Bill 88, Eyre said the law was a reaction to “intrusive federal policies” citing fertilizer emission caps as an example.

“We’re concerned that as in so many areas— methane, clean electricity regulations, the carbon tax — it very, very, very quickly becomes not a partnership of equals, not working together but a dictation about compulsory measures, which absolutely harm the province and the ag sector, which is the most sustainable of any ag sector in the world,” said Eyre. 

“We’re concerned about the signals that are being sent about the fertilizer reduction and potential mandates in that area.”

The province is one of Canada’s primary producers of agricultural goods. From 2017-2021,  Saskatchewan netted $5.6 billion in canola commodities, $3.5 billion in wheat and $1.5 billion from cattle and calves, according to Statistics Canada.

Bill 88 would allow Saskatchewan to judge for itself on matters such as the “regulation of environmental standards and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions; and the source of fuel for electrical generation, including renewable and non-renewable resources.”

Eyre’s statements echo concerns from rural localities in the province. As exclusively reported by True North, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) raised a motion to lobby Ottawa to drop its voluntary 30% fertilizer emission reduction target, citing the harms it has caused for the agricultural sector. 

“The Federal Government is planning to reduce fertilizer emissions by 30% by 2030 for Canadian agri-businesses,” the motion reads. 

“Saskatchewan is an agriculturally based province, and such a reduction will have a major impact on food production and farm viability.”

Manitoba has also signalled that it would fight any attempt to curb fertilizer use after legislators introduced a resolution to urge the federal government to do the same in October. 

“(We call on) the federal government to abandon their fertilizer reduction strategy that will hurt Manitoba farmers, producers and families, and additionally ensure that there are no penalties or exclusions from federal programs for farmers who do not meet these arbitrary targets,” the resolution read.

“(Ottawa) has failed to engage Manitoba’s farmers, failed to consult with Indigenous farmers and has failed to consider the impacts this will have on farmers and producers,” it continues. 

“This bad public policy will impact anyone who purchases or consumes food in this country, and like most federal policies, those struggling the most will be the ones who are disproportionately impacted.”

Ratio’d | Canada is not a serious country

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Just when you thought Canadians couldn’t be any more embarrassed, it was revealed this week Justin Trudeau will become the first world leader to appear on a drag television show to appear as a guest host.

It’s not like there are other things that should be preoccupying his time, right? 40-year high inflation? Soaring food prices? Crumbling military and plummeting enlistment rates? Veterans going without support? No! Let’s make sure to judge drag queens first.

Plus, on the note of veterans, a Royal Canadian Legion is hosting “family-friendly drag shows” for you and your family of 4. Just what veterans needed.

Tune in to the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner now.

The Rupa Subramanya Show | A national inquiry into Canada’s pandemic response (Ft. Preston Manning)

By
Rupa Subramanya
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On this episode of The Rupa Subramanya Show, Rupa is joined by Canadian political icon Preston Manning who played a key role in shaping the conservative movement in Canada. Last week, Manning announced the formation of the National Citizen’s Inquiry to investigate Canada’s response to Covid.

As Manning explained in his announcement last week, the National Citizen’s Inquiry will “examine the consequences on public and personal health, rights and freedoms, on specific demographic groups such as the aged and our children, and the economy.”

In this discussion, Manning explains his decision to establish the inquiry and how the inquiry process will unfold.

To sign the Citizen’s Inquiry petition and to learn more, click here: www.nationalcitizensinquiry.ca

To buy Manning’s new book, The Redtape Letters, click here: www.redtapeletters.ca

Tune in to the latest episode of the Rupa Subramanya Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE RUPA SUBRAMANYA SHOW

Canadians resorting to skipping meals, stockpiling food to deal with inflation: poll

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Canadians are resorting to desperate measures as they struggle to deal with the rising cost of food and inflation. 

According to a Nanos Research survey commissioned by CTV News, nearly 60% of Canadians said they switched to less expensive brands in the last month to cope with the situation. 

Another 25% said they were stockpiling food, while 17% resorted to cutting out meals altogether because groceries were too expensive. 

The survey found that young Canadians were the most impacted with over 70% of people between the age of 18 and 34 saying they are purchasing cheaper food items.

Nanos polled 1,000 Canadians between Oct. 30 and Nov. 4 on their food spending habits. 

On Wednesday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the situation during a press conference in a British Columbia grocery store. 

“iIt feels like everything is broken in this country right now,” said Poilievre while blasting the government’s “inflationary deficits and taxes.”  

“It’s time for us to take back control of our lives in this country, to fix what is broken, and that’s what a Poilievre government would do.”

As exclusively reported by True North, an Ottawa Public Health study found that low income households in the nation’s capital were left in the red after paying for rent and buying groceries. 

“The results of the (Nutritious Food Basket) survey consistently show that individuals and families living on fixed or low incomes do not have enough funds remaining at the end of the month to afford their bills while also putting healthy food on the table,” wrote analysts. 

“Families often choose between paying for fixed expenses (such as rent and utilities), other necessities (such as clothing, childcare, medication, transportation, and dental care) and buying groceries.”

Families of four on the Ontario Works benefits were left in the negative after paying an average rent of $1,881 and affording necessities. 

“Mask mandate is a joke” – Waterloo students rebel against return of masking

By
Anthony Furey
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A University of Waterloo student scrawled “mask mandate is a joke” before class in one lecture hall, according to a post from a university instructor.

The Ontario school controversially reinstated an indoor mask mandate on Wednesday, giving students less than 24 hours notice. But it seems that not all students are willing to go along with it.

“This was on the board in my classroom,” business lecturer Brent Matheson wrote on social media. “I guess at least one student doesn’t like that masks are back at the University of Waterloo.”

Matheson also posted a picture of the whiteboard message.

“Lots of students won’t put them back on,” Matheson wrote in another post, describing the scene he witnessed at the university.

The public and medical response to the return of the school’s mandate has been divided.

“My alma mater is UWaterloo,” wrote one Twitter user, responding negatively to the school’s post on the return of mask mandates. “I will never give you a dime despite having the financial means to do so.

Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician who works in Toronto-area hospital, was one of several physicians who recently told True North that bringing back mandates isn’t the path forward.

“At this point in time, a perspective shift is necessary,” Dr. Chakrabarti said. “Every single time we hear hospitalization rates go up, I don’t think mask mandates are the answer.”

Are you a student or faculty member at University of Waterloo who has information to share about the response to the renewed mask mandate? Email us at [email protected].

The Daily Brief | Poilievre reiterates his support of the Freedom Convoy

By
Anthony Furey
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It’s Thursday November 10, 2022 and we’ve got you covered with all the news you need to know.

During a press conference in Vancouver on Wednesday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his support for peaceful Freedom Convoy protestors as the inquiry into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act continues to unfold.

And while the University of Waterloo rushed to reinstate a mask mandate on Wednesday and public health officials across Canada are considering a return to mandatory masking, doctors who work at Toronto-area hospitals told True North that a broader return of such mandates just isn’t needed.

Plus, the latest at the Emergencies Act inquiry as the mayor of the Alberta town Coutts Jim Willet testifies.

These stories and more on The Daily Brief with Anthony Furey and Jasmine Moulton. Tune in now!

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Coutts blockade made up of “neighbours”, supported by residents, says mayor | Day 20 Recap of Emergencies Act hearings

By
Harrison Faulkner
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On Day 20 of the Emergencies Act hearings, the mayor of the Alberta town Coutts Jim Willet testified that 70% of the town supported the Coutts border blockade and that emergency services were never impacted by the border protest.

In seeking to verify comments Willet made to CTV reporters at the time of the protest, Convoy lawyer Brendan Miller asked Willet if it was true that he had described the protesters as “neighbours.”

When asked by Miller if Willet told CTV: “I wasn’t there to negotiate or anything else, I was just there to find out if they were as bad as some have said. And they certainly are not.”

Willet responded, “Sounds like something I would say.”

Miller also asked if Willet told CTV reporters that the protesters “were the same guys that (he) has for neighbours.”

Willet responded, “That was part of the uniqueness of this whole demonstration.”

“Was there any impact on emergency services or access to emergency services?” a lawyer for the Commission later asked Willet.

“For the most part, no,” Willet responded. The mayor also made mention that the RCMP sent an ambulance through the protest as a trial attempt to see how protesters would respond and Willet confirmed that the protesters immediately made space for the ambulance to get through.

“After everyone was made aware, things were fairly good,” Willet told the Commission.

Willet’s description of the Coutts protesters under questioning Wednesday was quite different from the description of the protesters Willet gave to a Canadian Press reporter while the protesters were blockading the Coutts border crossing.

Willet described the protesters to Bill Graveland – a Canadian Press reporter – over text message as “domestic terrorists.”

Willet told Graveland, “you need to find someone in a protected position to call these guy what they are. Domestic Terrorists. Won’t be me. I am right outside their window. I would be strung up, literally.” Willet closed off the message with, “Just a thought.”

The Canadian Press reporter wrote back to Willet, “That’s likely what they are.”

When asked by government lawyers why Willet used the term “domestic terrorists”, Willet responded by saying “these people seemed to fit the definition.” 

The Coutts border blockade began on January 29, the same day that truckers arrived in Ottawa. On February 12, the Canadian Customs and Border Service Agency shut down the border crossing and on February 15 the border was reopened after protesters left the area.

Meanwhile, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre was asked by media Wednesday whether he had changed his position of support of the Freedom Convoy protests after hearing testimony at the inquiry.

“Has any (testimony) changed your view as to whether the Emergencies Act should’ve been invoked? Do you still support the convoy?” a reporter asked Poilievre.

“I support those peaceful and law-abiding protesters who demonstrated for their livelihoods and liberties,” Poilievre said. “I think it’s possible to support the overall cause of personal free choice of vaccination and the overall cause of truckers being able to earn an income while holding anyone individually responsible for anyone who behaved badly.”

Testifying after Willet was Mario Di Tomasso the Deputy Solicitor General for Ontario and Ian Freeman of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

What happens next? 

Scheduled to testify tomorrow is Merlin Degrand, the Chief Superintendent of the Alberta RCMP.
Hearings will resume tomorrow morning at 9:30 am ET.

True North will continue to bring you daily coverage of the ongoing Emergencies Act inquiry. 

Despite $5B in social spending, life in Vancouver is “bleaker than ever”: report

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A new study by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) shows that despite the city receiving $5 billion a year in social safety spending, communities continue to face a growing crime and drug crisis. 

The 14-month draft audit by HelpSeeker Technologies titled Vancouver’s Social Safety Net: Rebuilding the Broken was released by the VPD on Tuesday after it was leaked to the media prior to its official release. 

“It’s clear that the system needs to be fixed,” said VPD chief Adam Palmer. 

“Despite more talk than ever, and more money than ever, life is now bleaker than ever for a growing number of people in places like the Downtown Eastside.”

The multi-billion-dollar bill amounts to $14 million a day or is the equivalent of $7,200 for every single resident of Vancouver. 

$1.5 billion of the funding goes towards registered charities tackling homelessness and poverty, while $1 million a day goes towards the Downtown Eastside. 

In a press release, the VPD is calling for more oversight and accountability when it comes to social spending that fails to deliver results. 

Citing statistics such as the fact that overdoses are up 115%, depression among Downtown Eastside residents is up 32.3% and a lack of funding for addiction recovery, the VPD recommends the establishment of a community-led steering committee to coordinate social services. 

Documentary filmmaker and conservative commentator Aaron Gunn told True North that initiatives like handing out free drugs to addicts have failed. 

“It would be one thing if governments were spending $5 billion of taxpayers’ money and making a positive difference – but the situation has actually been getting worse,” said Gunn. 

“Obviously, simply shoveling money out the door, including to purchase free drugs for addicts, hasn’t worked. A new approach is desperately needed.” 

Gunn recently produced the viral film Vancouver is Dying to raise awareness about the state of the Downtown Eastside and the city’s struggle to deal with the ramifications of addiction and homelessness. 

As the VPD report notes, the quantity of money being funneled into social safety nets equals that of Vancouver Coastal Health’s entire 2020 budget and is triple the amount of the City of Vancouver’s annual budget. 

Alberta Health Minister accepts court ruling denying unvaccinated woman organ transplant

By
Rachel Parker
-

The Alberta Health Minister is accepting the Alberta Court of Appeal’s ruling to deny an unvaccinated woman an organ transplant, which doctors told her she will die without. 

On Tuesday, ​three appeal court judges unanimously affirmed a lower court ruling that clinical judgements are not subject to Charter scrutiny, ending Annette Lewis’ bid to return to the top of the organ transplant list. 

Since taking office, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said unvaccinated Canadians have faced the most discrimination in Canada that she’s witnesses in her lifetime. She also promised to amend the Alberta Human Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate based on vaccination status.

Smith’s office referred a request from True North about Tuesday’s ruling to Health Minister Jason Copping. 

Copping’s press secretary Steve Buick said transplant programs are obligated to do all they can to ensure the best possible outcomes of a donated organ. Patients awaiting treatment are required to be vaccinated against infections like diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis, influenza, Covid-19 and more, he said.

“These requirements are set by clinicians to maximize the odds that organ donor recipients are able to live,” Buick said in an emailed statement to True North. 

Buick said transplant recipients are immune-compromised from the treatment they require, meaning they are at high risk for infection, hence the strict vaccination standards. He said the requirements are not new, nor are they specific to Covid-19 or to Alberta, but are comparable to other transplant programs and based on “common evidence and standard.”

“Transplantation is a modern medical miracle but unfortunately donor organs remain scarce,” he said.

“There are far more patients waiting for these life-saving procedures than there are organs available at any given time.”  

The appeal court said medical judgments must sometimes be made about how to use scarce resources “in the face of competing needs.” The decisions are difficult, but must be made, the court said.

“We are not persuaded this court can, or ought to, interfere with generalized medical judgments or individualized clinical assessments involving Ms. Lewis’ standard of care,” the court wrote. 

“While Ms Lewis has the right to refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the charter cannot remediate the consequences of her choice.”

The court also acknowledged that it is a “virtual certainty” Lewis will die without an organ transplant. 

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which represents Lewis, said it was “deeply disappointed” with the decision and is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Among other comments advocating for the unvaccinated, Smith said she’s seeking legal advice on granting amnesty to individuals and businesses fined for violating Alberta’s pandemic restrictions. And, she’s opened the door to giving back pay to unvaccinated provincial employees who were laid off during the pandemic due to vaccine mandates.

The new premier has corrected the record on Copping’s comments in the past. 

At the United Conservative Party (UCP) annual general meeting on Oct. 22, Smith told True North her health minister’s comments were taken out of context after the Calgary Herald reported that Copping was open to introducing Covid restrictions again. 

But Smith, who campaigned for the UCP leadership by promising not to introduce pandemic restrictions again, said Copping’s comments were “not in regards to Covid-19, it was him imagining sort of a worse-case scenario at some future point.”

Poilievre reiterates support for “peaceful and law-abiding” Freedom Convoy protesters

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

During a stop in Vancouver, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his support for peaceful Freedom Convoy protestors as the inquiry into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act continues to unfold. 

While at a Vancouver Greek supermarket on Wednesday, Poilievre held one of his first press conferences since being elected leader of the party in September. 

“We have heard extensive testimony at the Emergencies Act inquiry including concerns from police and national security agencies about elements inside the convoy. Has any of this changed your view on whether the Emergencies Act should have been invoked, and if you have known what has been revealed in testimonies so far, would you have still supported the Convoy?” asked a reporter. 

“My position is the same as it was before the Convoy arrived, the same as it was during and the same as it is now, which is this: I support those peaceful and law-abiding protesters who demonstrated for their lives and livelihoods and liberties while condemning any individual who broke laws, behaved badly or blockaded critical infrastructure,” responded Poilievre. 

“I think it’s possible to support the overall cause of personal free choice in vaccination and the overall cause of respecting the truckers’ ability to earn an income while holding individually responsible anyone who behave badly.” 

Poilievre has been a vocal supporter of the Convoy since it began its journey to Ottawa earlier this year. As protestors arrived in January, Poilievre blasted the legacy media for attempting to paint truckers and their supporters as extremists. 

“Well, you know, what I think is interesting is that when there’s a left wing protest on Parliament Hill, we don’t see the Liberal media going through every single name of the people who attend to try and find one person they can disparage the whole group with,” said Poilievre at the time.

Recent testimonies by witnesses before the Public Order Emergency Commission have poked holes in the Liberal government’s justifications for the unprecedented invocation of emergency powers to quash the convoy. 

A transcript presented to the Commission on Tuesday of a phone call between Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford quotes the prime minister insisting that the province didn’t need additional legal tools to break up the movement. 

“You shouldn’t need more tools – legal tools – they are barricading the (Ontario) economy and doing millions of damage a day,” Trudeau told Ford during the Feb. 9 phone call.  

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