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Thursday, July 17, 2025

BONOKOSKI: Another interest rate hike – a dire scene from many Canadians

By
Mark Bonokoski
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Another rise in interest rates looms, with Wednesday slated as the day the Bank of Canada will throw another wrench into the finances of Canadians—especially those with variable rate mortgages.

Even as warnings about a potential recession grow louder, the central bank is nonetheless expected to announce another hefty interest rate hike, edging the bank closer to the end of one of the fastest monetary policy tightening cycles in its history.

An Ipso survey conducted for MNP Ltd., a subsidiary of the largest insolvency practice in Canada, recently indicated six of 10 Canadians are concerned about what another rise in interest rates will do to their finances, with more than half (56%) saying that as interest rates rise, they are more concerned about their ability to pay their debts, which was an inching up of two points since last quarter.

And a survey was needed for this? Really?

“It is understandable that Ontarians are more concerned about what the impact of interest rate hikes will be on their finances, as a result of the repeated rate increases so far this year,” said Caryl Newbery-Mitchell, a licensed insolvency trustee with MNP.

Newbery-Mitchell says those who are financially vulnerable and struggling to make ends meet may not be able to cut back their budgets any further if interest rates continue to rise and make their debts more unaffordable.

“Many households have already done their best to cut their budget and shave down expenses. Any future interest rate increases could push them to take on additional debt just to make ends meet. That debt can become difficult to pay off, though, because the cost of servicing that debt also balloons as interest rates rise,” explains Newbery-Mitchell. “Before that debt snowballs, individuals in that position should seek professional help.”

The Bank of Canada raised the target for its overnight rate to 3.25% in September, in line with market forecasts.

It was the fifth consecutive rate hike, pushing borrowing costs to the highest since 2008. Policymakers said interest rates will need to rise further given the outlook for inflation, with surveys suggesting that short-term inflation expectations remain high.

They also noted the global and Canadian economies are evolving broadly in line with the Bank of Canada’s July projection and that the effects of Covid-19 outbreaks, ongoing supply disruptions, and the war in Ukraine continue to dampen growth and boost prices.

Interest rates in Canada averaged 5.83% from 1990 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 16% in February of 1991 and a record low of 0.25% in April of 2009.

Approximately one in five Ontarians (23%) say they do not have a solid understanding of how interest rate increases impact their financial situation but stating that if interest rates go up much more, they will be in financial trouble.

One-third (35%) say that rising rates could drive them closer to bankruptcy. This, of course, is dire.

Last week, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland shifted her tone on the economy from her usual praises of Canada’s strong pandemic economic recovery, warning of tough times ahead for Canadians.

“Mortgage payments will rise. Business will no longer be booming,” Freeland said. “Our unemployment rate will no longer be at its record low.”

This was close to doomsaying. 

Most commercial banks expect one more interest rate hike after Wednesday before the bank hits pause on one of its most aggressive rate-hiking cycles in history.

The effect of these rate hikes is expected to be felt more broadly in the economy next year as Canadians and businesses adjust their spending.

While there is some division among economists on how severe the impending economic slowdown will be, many economists estimate the chances of a recession have grown, falling in line with the thinking of former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.

Recent surveys from the Bank of Canada reveal most Canadians and businesses also believe a recession is on the way.

However, many economists have highlighted that Canada’s tight labour market might serve as a buffer during an economic downturn.

In September, before Freeland threw shade on the economy, the unemployment rate was 5.2%, which is considered to be quite low considering the circumstances.

So it’s past time to buckle down.

Notorious Twitter doctor elected to Ottawa public school board

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Family physician, mask advocate and avid Twitter user Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth has been elected as a trustee on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

According to unofficial results from the City of Ottawa, Kaplan-Myrth received 50.74% of the votes, beating rival Jessie-Lee Wallace who received 41.51% of the votes and Josh Rachlis who received 7.75%.

Following her win, Kaplan-Myrth tweeted, “thanks for your support. It will be an honour to work with amazing colleagues, children, youth, families, educators. I’m ready for this journey with Ottawa. There’s a lot to be done. Let’s go!”

Kaplan-Myrth ran on a progressive platform that committed to equity, accountability, as well as environmental and social responsibility. 

Her website also stated that “all our tools” should be used to address Covid in schools – including masks, ventilation, HEPA filters, testing, case reporting, isolation and vaccines. Additionally, she said N-95 masks should be made accessible to all students. 

On Twitter, Kaplan-Myrth has repeatedly called for the masking of children – as well as masks for the general population.

Kaplan-Myrth recently stated on Twitter that she intends to “continue to mask forever” to prevent the spread of Covid.

The Ottawa doctor is known for her infamous appearance on a TVO panel, in which she wore a mask throughout the entirety of the virtual interview while she sat in a room by herself. 

During the TVO panel, Kaplan-Myrth claimed that the word “normal” is a language used by the far-right and ableists. 

“The language that you use when you say something like ‘normal’ is a far-right language of anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and abelists who disregard the impact of Covid on seniors, on children, on educators, on essential workers, on healthcare workers, on our healthcare crisis,” Kaplan-Myrth told TVO’s Steve Paikin.  

In addition to making provocative statements, Kaplan-Myrth received criticism after it was alleged she sent emails about her trustee campaign to her patients. 

Kaplan-Myrth defended the emails, saying her intent was to assure patients that her campaign for school trustee would not result in her abandoning her medical practice.

True North had reached out to Kaplan-Myrth at the time of controversy for additional comment, but did not receive a response.

During the campaign, Kaplan-Myrth also came under fire after she said she sent one of her kids to private school so “he could get a one-on-one education.” 

Kaplan-Myrth’s trustee campaign received several endorsements from prominent progressive individuals and organizations; including NDP MPP Joel Harden, failed mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney, United Church minister and queer activist Cheri DiNovo, as well as the Disrupting Anti-Black Racism Action Committee and Horizon Ottawa. 

The City of Ottawa says the official results of the municipal election are expected on or before Oct. 28.

Sutcliffe takes Ottawa in close win; Tory gets third term in Toronto

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Toronto Mayor John Tory has won a third term, facing no serious challengers, in Monday’s municipal election.

But in Ottawa, a nailbiter election was unfolding, with media personality Mark Sutcliffe being declared the winner Monday evening by a small margin.

The Ottawa race was at times so tight that Catherine McKenney, a city councillor who was the progressive mayoral candidate and who goes by they / them pronouns, was leading in some polls prior to election day. Sutcliffe also beat out former mayor and Ontario Liberal cabinet minister Bob Chiarelli.

Meanwhile, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown was also re-elected, beating out challenger Nikki Kaur. Brown ran a campaign fresh off of being disqualified to run as federal Conservative leader.

Toronto had one of the most packed mayoral races with a total of 31 candidates on the ballot trying to unseat Tory. Polls showed Tory with a strong lead going into the race. 

Some polling stations in the city had to extend their hours due to “technical administrative challenges that impacted standard voting hours.”

A total of 26 different locations were impacted by the delays. Voters were also notified by the city that incumbent councillor Cynthia Lai’s votes would not be counted citing the fact that she passed away last week. 

In Hamilton, former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath ran to be the mayor of her home city after she resigned from her position as the leader of the official opposition following her defeat to Premier Doug Ford in June. 

Over 6,000 candidates ran in this year’s local elections. 2022 was also the first year several municipalities engaged in online and over the phone voting. 

As exclusively reported by True North, some voters in the region of Clarington faced hurdles accessing voting assistance after officials directed them to a closed library as an “Election Assistance Centre.” 

Many Ontario residents also found themselves paying attention to school trustee elections for the first time after dozens of candidates ran across the province on an explicitly “anti-woke” platform. 

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Waterloo Region District School Board elections were of particular concern to parents. 

This is a developing story that will be updated as more election results come in. 

Day 8 Recap of Emergencies Act hearings | Ottawa police had plan ready without Emergencies Act

By
Harrison Faulkner
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On Day 8 of the Emergencies Act hearings Ottawa interim police chief Steve Bell confirmed that a plan was in place and “ready to be executed” without requiring the Emergencies Act.

While being questioned from Convoy lawyer Brendan Miller, Bell told the commission that although the Emergencies Act “created a stable platform” for Ottawa police, there was a plan and it was ready to be executed without the never-before-used Act.

“So you’re saying that there were existing laws that you could’ve done the same thing under, is that right?” Miller asked Bell.

Bell responded: “We had a plan. We were going to execute that plan.”

Bell’s testimony echoes the same testimony given by retired Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Chief Superintendent Carson Pardy who told Commission counsel on Friday that the OPP had a plan without the Emergencies Act to clear the protesters.

Throughout his testimony Bell accused protesters of committing acts of violence, even going so far as to accuse protesters of committing “hate crimes” and inflicting “trauma” on local residents.

Miller pressed Bell on his accusations of “violence” and highlighted the fact that no evidence to date has emerged of any physical acts of violence from protesters toward Ottawa residents, despite multiple acts of violence inflicted on protesters from law enforcement.

“Is it fair to say that when you use the phrase ‘violence’, you’re not describing any form of physical assault, are you?” Miller asked Bell.

“Physical assaults contribute to what I’m describing. I was specifically describing the violence that our community felt as a result of the culmination of actions that the occupiers engaged in,” said Bell.

“So the violence that they felt, not actual violence, is that what you’re saying?” Miller questioned.

“That is correct, not the criminal code definition of violence,” Bell responded.

Bell also went on to confirm that the so-called violence he was describing which included “trucks blaring horns” and “trucks running 24/7” was not technically violence as it relates to the criminal code.

Miller also questioned the interim chief on the actions of out of jurisdiction riot cops who arrested demonstrators en masse in downtown Ottawa and drove them to a rural parking lot in the middle of winter without access to a car or a phone to call their lawyers.

Bell claimed that he was unaware of the conditions that met protesters who were arrested and hauled out of the city.

“That parking lot doesn’t have a building where you dropped them off at, it doesn’t have a phone, it doesn’t have any of that, does it?” Miller asked Bell.

“So I don’t know what the logistics at the building were. I’d imagine it would’ve needed to have a phone so you could call your lawyers,” Bell responded. 

Under questioning from Commission counsel, Bell described the behaviour of the convoy participants prior to arriving in Ottawa as “extremely lawful” and he testified to the fact that convoy leadership had “peaceful” and “lawful intentions” when they arrived in Ottawa.

“Their behaviour as it’s described within the intelligence reports was that they were extremely lawful. There was no anti-social behaviour that they were engaged in,” Bell said. “Beyond that, the organizers clearly stated on many occasions that their intention was to be lawful and peaceful once they came to our city.” 

Bell also testified that during the first weekend of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, intelligence reports indicated to Ottawa police that there was a “low threat of violence” from the convoy protesters.

Despite claims from local residents that Rideau Hall – the home of Canada’s Governor General – may be under attack by Freedom Convoy supporters, Bell confirmed that no such threat existed in any intelligence provided to the Ottawa police.

“There were no threats made against Rideau Hall,” Bell confirmed for the commission. 

The Public Order Commission today summoned Ontario Premier Doug Ford and then Solicitor General and current provincial Health Minister Sylvia Jones to testify under oath in front of the Emergencies Act commission.

The Commission had previously sent multiple requests to both Ford and Jones but they were continually rejected. As a result, the Commission formally summoned them to Ottawa.

Last week, Premier Ford claimed he “wasn’t asked to testify” and that he “stood shoulder-to-shoulder” with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his unprecedented decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.

The Commission’s letter to the premier contradicts Ford’s claim.

“On September 19, 2022, Commission counsel requested an interview with [Ford and Jones]. This request was refused,” the letter reads.

“As of last week, the invitation to attend to testify before the Commission has been declined ‘for the moment.’”


What happens next? 

The Public Order Emergency Commission hearings resume tomorrow morning at 9:30 am ET.

Senior representatives from the OPP and the Ottawa Police Service are scheduled to testify this week including former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly who resigned during the Freedom Convoy.

True North will continue to provide daily coverage of the Emergencies Act hearings.

The Andrew Lawton Show | Why is Ford so afraid of testifying before Emergencies Act commission?

By
Andrew Lawton
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Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he wasn’t testifying before the Public Order Emergencies Commission. This week, the Commission said Ford has been asked numerous times and has declined, prompting a legal summons to be issued, which Ford is not fighting in court. True North’s Andrew Lawton asks why Doug Ford is so afraid of appearing before the Commission under oath when he was a supporter of the Emergencies Act. Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson joins the show live to discuss the latest from the Commission, where Ottawa’s interim police chief Steve Bell has been testifying today.

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Premier Smith says Notley has no ‘credibility’ on affordability

By
Rachel Parker
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the Alberta NDP don’t have “any credibility” on affordability until party leader Rachel Notley denounces the federal government’s carbon tax increase. 

At its convention in Calgary over the weekend, NDP delegates passed a resolution seeking to address high costs at grocery stores by calling on the United Conservative Party (UCP) government to work directly with the Opposition to create an all-party committee on food affordability.

But Notley supported federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh who voted with the Trudeau Liberals to increase the federal carbon tax, Smith said outside the Government House in Edmonton on Monday. 

“Quite frankly, I don’t think that any of (Notley’s) statements on (affordability) have any credibility until she’s prepared to argue against that,” Smith told True North.

“I welcome Rachel Notley saying that she rejects a 300% increase in the carbon tax. That’s the number one thing that she could do. Because if she wants to bring affordability to the fore, then she can’t be adding arbitrary costs on gasoline, diesel, electricity, home heating.”

Amid record fuel prices across the country, the carbon tax increased in April to 11 cents per litre of gasoline, 13 cents per litre of diesel and 10 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.

Smith, who was sworn in as premier last week after winning the UCP leadership race earlier this month, also took aim at the carbon tax increase during her speech to party members at the UCP annual general meeting over the weekend. She said the “NDP-Liberal coalition” increased the carbon tax by 300%, costing Albertan families almost $1,000 per year after rebates. 

The federal NDP has agreed to keep the Liberals in power until 2025 in return for progress on NDP policies like a national dental care program. 

“Have these folks lost their minds,” Smith said on Saturday. “Yes, they have.”

The UCP government suspended the 13 cent-per-litre provincial fuel tax on April 1 to help Albertans with the cost of living crisis. Once oil prices fell, the government added a tax of 4.5 cents per litre on gas and diesel on Oct. 1, which will continue until the government re-evaluates fuel costs at the next quarter. 

Following the swearing-in of her new cabinet on Monday, the premier also told True North she will make ministerial mandate letters public once they’re ready. Mandate letters outline ministerial priorities.

“I think it’s a good communication tool for the public, so that the public knows what it is that we’re working on,” she said. 

“And why wouldn’t we want to tell, we’ve had such great success in checking off the list of all of the things that had been identified so I think that we should be celebrating that.”

Alberta NDP pass resolutions to lower voting age, expand access to abortion

By
Rachel Parker
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The Alberta NDP passed resolutions to lower the voting age and expand access to abortion at its weekend convention. 

Party members discussed 76 resolutions at the Hyatt Regency Calgary. The 10 resolutions that passed aren’t binding and may not be included in the NDP’s election platform. 

One motion submitted by the New Democrat Youth of Alberta sought to lower the province’s voting age from 18 to 16 years old, claiming young Albertans are engaged in politics and capable of making political decisions. 

According to the motion, a voting age of 18 years old is “arbitrary and does not reflect human development.” People are more likely to vote once they have done it before and lowering the age gives them more opportunities to, the motion argued. 

NDP MLA Janis Irwin praised the motion’s passage on Twitter. 

“Delegates at our @albertaNDP convention just voted overwhelmingly in favour of lowering the provincial voting age to 16!” Irwin wrote on Twitter. 

“The high school social studies teacher in me is just so darn excited!!”

In September, the federal NDP tried to pass a motion in the House of Commons to lower the voting age to 16. The motion failed to pass to third reading after a vote of 77 in favour to 245 against. 

Delegates also voted to expand abortion access across the province, with a resolution arguing that abortion is “an essential human right.” The resolution stipulated that the NDP must establish at least one “reproductive” health care provider in population centres with more than 20,000 people. Providers would be searchable through a database. 

Another resolution sought to address high costs at the grocery stores by calling on the UCP to work directly with the opposition and create an all-party committee on food affordability and routine government reporting on grocery prices. 

In a speech to party members, Notley said she “kind of missed” former premier Jason Kenney. She joked that new Alberta Premier Danielle Smith might not last much longer than former British prime minister Liz Truss, who resigned after just 44 days in office — the shortest term in British history. 

The UCP also held its annual general meeting the same weekend at the River Cree Resort in Enoch Cree Nation, near Edmonton. In a speech to party members, Smith said her caucus will prioritize action on affordability and inflation, jobs and economy, health care, and standing up to the “NDP-Liberal coalition government in Ottawa.”

The new premier said she had a quiet start to her term as she worked to unify the caucus ahead of a spring general election.

“Our team is now unified,” she said on Saturday.

“Our team is now ready to fight for Albertans, and come hell or high water, we are going to beat the NDP in 2023.”

Premier Ford summoned to testify under oath at Emergencies Act inquiry

By
Andrew Kozak
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been summoned to appear before the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), according to a letter from the Commission’s lawyers.

The premier has previously rejected several requests to be interviewed by the commission.

According to Global News, in a letter to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Commission said Ford and former Solicitor General Sylvia Jones were asked on several occasions to testify or be interviewed. However, both Ford and Jones repeatedly rejected the request.

“On September 19, 2022, Commission counsel requested an interview with [Ford and Jones]. This request was refused,” the letter from co-lead counsel Shantona Chaudry read.

“As of last week, the invitation to attend to testify before the Commission has been declined ‘for the moment.’”

As a result, the Commission has issued a summons to Ford and Jones pursuant to section 4 of the Inquiries Act, which forces them to testify under oath.

Last week, Ford said he supported the Trudeau government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to quash the peaceful Freedom Convoy. 

“I stood shoulder to shoulder with the prime minister,” Ford said.

During the Freedom Convoy protest in February, the Ford government declared a state of emergency in an effort to put an end to protests in Ottawa and Windsor. At the time, Ford said the orders will “make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure.”

Ford routinely referred to the convoy as an “occupation” and even fired a staffer for donating to a fundraiser for the movement. 

“Regarding Ottawa, the occupation. It’s not a protest anymore. It’s become an occupation,” Ford said. 

“It’s only hurting families. It’s hurting businesses that these folks are supposed to be supporting, but it’s hurting businesses in a big way. People want to move on and to get through this. It’s time for this to come to an end. And we’re moving in the right direction.”

The POEC hearings are scheduled to run until November 25, with dozens more anticipated witnesses, including Freedom Convoy organizers, federal government officials, and eight cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Commissioner Paul Rouleau will provide a report to Parliament on his findings by Feb. 20.

EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton police investigating war memorial cenotaph vandalism

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Hamilton Police Service (HPS) says it received a mischief report on Thursday concerning the veterans memorial cenotaph at Gore Park.

Photos of the defacement were posted to a scheduled City of Hamilton Veterans Committee meeting this week showing graffiti on the Afghanistan War side of the stone memorial. 

According to HPS Corporate Communication & Public Affairs Const. Indy Bharaj, no arrests have been made. 

“Mischief to the Cenotaph was reported to police on October 20, 2022,” Bharaj told True North. 

“(The) graffiti has been cleaned and Crime Managers have been made aware of the incident. No arrests have been made.”

First erected in May 1923 by then Governor General of Canada Lord Byngh – the cenotaph is a replica of a UK monument found in Westminster, London. 

Originally the statue only carried the words “Our Glorious Dead” but it has since been updated with dedications to the Afghanistan War and the Korean War.

Last year, far-left activists illegally toppled a statue of Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John A Macdonald in Gore Park after City Council voted against having the statue removed in response to national conversations about Macdonald’s role in establishing residential schools. 

Protestors tied a rope around Macdonald’s neck before it was pulled down to the sound of cheers and applause. It was then further vandalized by on-lookers on the ground. 

HPS officers were present at the time of the statue’s toppling. 

The statue has yet to be replaced as council is currently debating whether it should be restored with a plaque highlighting Macdonald’s legacy. 

“He is our first prime minister — that has value … he was also very involved in the residential school piece, and it’s important for us to look at these things as educational opportunities rather than trying to wipe them out,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger in April 2021. 

EXCLUSIVE: Schools hand out lesson praising Liberal dental promise as “reason to smile”

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Students at some schools across Canada have received a newsletter handout that praises the federal Liberal government’s proposed dental plan as a “reason to smile” and reads largely like a policy advertisement. 

The handout doesn’t sit well with the parent of one student from St. Gregory’s Elementary School in Etobicoke, Ontario, who forwarded the document to True North. “This is irritating. My child just came home with this. Who approves this content for Grade 8 students in Ontario?” said the parent, who Truth North has agreed to not identify. 

Although the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) defends the document and says it isn’t about advocacy.

The newsletter is titled What in the World: Level 2 and is issued by the educational publishing organization LesPlan for use by Canadian students in grades eight through ten. 

The first page of the relevant section is largely praiseworthy, describing the dental legislation – which still has to be passed in Parliament – in glowing terms. It quotes NDP leader Jagmeet Singh saying “it will improve the well-being of those with limited incomes” and that “it is a matter of dignity.” It then references an activist who says “the expansion can’t come soon enough”.

“The proposal is the result of a joint effort between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party (NDP). The NDP has agreed to support the Liberal minority government when it introduces social initiatives such as this,” the newsletter claims. 

“How much will all this cost Canadians? An estimated $938 million over the initial two-year period, the government says. But this is just the first stage of a much broader $5.3-billion dental care initiative, if all goes as planned.” 

But while some parents may not appreciate the tone of the document, the TCDSB says the handout doesn’t violate any of their policies.

“Distribution of political content is not permitted on Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) properties,” the TCDSB Communications Department told True North, noting that the lesson was handed out in a media studies course. 

“The lesson plan is not a political advocacy piece as the information in the lesson clearly states the dental plan is a proposal, and includes comments raised by stakeholders such as the Leader of His Majesty’s Official Opposition, the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), and the Ontario Dental Association (ODA).”

While the whole first page speaks of the proposal in only glowing terms, a second page of content includes criticism from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. 

Canadian Taxpayers Federation Federal Director Franco Terrazzano told True North that the Liberal-NDP dental scheme was a “costly and unfunded program” and that the newsletter made no mention that Ontario students would be on hook for the costs. 

“The Trudeau government’s dental scheme is a costly and unfunded program. The government continues to spend buckets of cash on nearly everything under the sun, which is driving up the cost of living,” said Terrazzano in an emailed statement. 

“We noticed there’s nothing in that report that shows each Ontario student is on the hook for about $60,000 in government debt.”

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