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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Growing number of Canadian youth mixing multiple drugs at once 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Magic Mushrooms; 2C-B/MDMA - Source: X - (CPB); Fentanyl (TPS) Source: X

Canadian youth are increasingly mixing recreational drugs with over-the-counter medication being the second most common behind alcohol and ahead of cannabis, according to new data from Health Canada. 

The Earnscliffe Strategy Group compiled research for Health Canada to survey the younger populations’ relationship with substance abuse which it found to be on the rise.

Polysubstance use refers to taking multiple different substances simultaneously or taken together over a short period of time.

It’s also a major contributing factor in fatal overdoses. 

Health Canada commissioned the research to “better understand the relationship between the prevalence of polysubstance use” and its relation to “mental health issues and/or emotional challenges, including the level of awareness and knowledge of these issues, as well as the attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours of Canadians.”

Their research revealed that over 80% of respondents have consumed at least one substance in the past 12 months, across all subgroups. 

“With the exception of Canadians aged 13 to 17 years, who are less likely to have taken at least one substance (52%).  The most commonly used substances overall are alcohol (70%), over-the-counter (OTC) medication (52%), and cannabis (31%).,” reads the report. 

Canadians aged 18-24 are the cohort most likely to engage in polysubstance use, with 56% responding that they have combined at least one pair of substances in the past year. 

Youth aged 13-17 are least likely to report polysubstance use, with only 11% responding to having done so in the past year.

Unsurprisingly, respondents’ mental health played a role in the likelihood of polysubstance use, with 68% of those who’d been previously diagnosed with a mental health condition engaging, compared to 45% of those who did without a diagnosis. 

“The highest prevalence of polysubstance use by self-identified mental health conditions are found among those who report having a personality disorder (75%); with a bipolar disorder (70%); and with depression (73%),” reads the report.

Respondents who feel they are financially struggling or just staying afloat financially were more likely on average to have experimented with a variety of substances in the past 12 months, compared to those who reported having no financial commitments.

Of those who were engaging in polysubstance use, 51% said that they had combined three or more substances within 24 hours, including nicotine. 

“The most common circumstances in which they consumed these substances were when at home (66%), when around friends (58%), and when around family (43%),” reads the report. 

Asked whether they had experienced any side effects from substance use, 46% of respondents engaging in polysubstance use selected “nothing specific.” 

“The most common side-effects they noted experiencing were feeling unwell after using, including nausea, headaches, or being tired (26%); being unable to stop or reduce the frequency of usage (14%); and having to lie or feeling guilty about the amount used or frequency (14%),” reads the report.

When asked if they were experiencing problems with their daily life, such as work or school in the last 30 days, half of those aged 18-24 answered yes. 

“Across all the negative feelings listed, those aged 18-24 were the most likely to say that they experienced these most or all of the time. For every feeling, this was statistically significant when compared to those over the age of 25 and, for all of them except crying and feeling aggressive, it was significant relative to those aged 13-17,” it said. 

Anxiety was the most common self-reported mental illness at 17%, followed by depression at 16% and finally attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at 9%. 

The research group surveyed 10,012 respondents living in Canada in both French and English over the age of 13 between March and April of this year. 

The Northern Dispatch | Another day, another Liberal scandal

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Source: Facebook

Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault has been booted from Justin Trudeau’s cabinet after getting caught misleading Canadians about his Indigenous heritage and the fact that his former business is being investigated by Edmonton Police. Are Canadians really all that surprised? It seems like every day, the Trudeau government finds themselves in hot water due to unethical behaviour by their MPs.

Despite being booted out of cabinet, it’s likely nothing will happen to Boissonnault. He’ll probably get a slap on the wrist and continue to enjoy his six-figure salary now as a backbench MP. It’s no wonder Canadians have lost complete faith in the institution of Parliament.

On this episode of the Northern Dispatch, True North’s Harrison Faulker and the Northern Perspective’s Ryan and Tanya discuss the scandal involving Boissonnault and what can be done to restore public trust of Parliament. Tune in now!

Ratio’d | Is this mass formation psychosis?

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Source: Flickr

The reaction from the institutions to the Taylor Swift concert series in Toronto has been completely over the top and downright strange. The city has renamed streets, cleared out homeless encampments and even shut down the DVP for Taylor Swift’s police-escort motorcade. Families are so desperate to see Swift that they are spending thousands of dollars on obvious ticket scams. Something just doesn’t seem right with any of this.

Harrison Faulkner breaks down what is going on with the Taylor Swift Toronto tour on the latest episode of Ratio’d.

Libraries brand books critical of child gender transitions as “transphobic” literature 

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Skyhorse Publishing / Regnery Publishing

The chief international bibliography organization and operator of the library classification system WorldCat has quietly branded books by gender ideology critical authors like Abigail Shrier with derogatory “transphobia” and “transphobic works” labels. 

Several Canadian libraries, including the Vancouver Public Library and the Greater Victoria Public Library, have followed suit and applied the “transphobia” categorization following the Online Computer Library Center’s direction. 

The OCLC is the organization that heads the world’s largest online public access catalogue, collecting hundreds of millions of dollars per year from thousands of member libraries to access its classification systems and in particular the WorldCat catalogue. 

True North discovered that two books in particular, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier and Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist’s Guide Out of the Madness by Dr. Miriam Grossman were branded with the “transphobia” category. 

Both books critique aspects of contemporary gender ideology and the dangers that hormone therapy, surgical sex change interventions and transitioning pose for children. 

Shrier’s work particularly drew international attention for exposing rapid-onset gender dysphoria in adolescent girls. Additionally, Dr. Grossman is a registered child psychiatrist who has had extensive experience working with trans-identified youth. 

Grossman’s book also had a foreword by renowned psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson. 

Correspondence obtained via a Freedom of Information request and reviewed by True North reveals internal GVPL emails discussing the decision to label Shrier’s and Grossman’s books with the “transphobia” label.  

Emails dated April 24, 2024, reveal that a library member contacted the GVPL to flag Grossman’s book for removal because they were alerted of its existence in the library’s catalogue by a “trans friend.” 

“A trans friend of mine alerted me to this book ‘lost in trans nation’ which is on order,” said the sender.  “Can you give me some insight as to why we are purchasing this book?” 

The individual’s name was redacted from the freedom of information files released by the library and GVPL would not confirm whether the individual was a library employee. 

An email dated April 25 sent at 9:13 AM shows a draft response by GVPL stating, among other things: “We will be adding the subject heading ‘transphobia’ to the record for Lost in Trans Nation, as we have recently for Irreversible Damage.”

In response, the complainant called the labelling a “small victory.”

“It is at least a small ‘victory’ to add the transphobia tag to the material in our collection as it indicates the libraries’ acknowledgement of the content,” wrote the sender. 

Questions about the library’s rationale and adherence to objective classification policies went unanswered but a GVPL spokesperson told True North that the decision to brand the works under the “transphobia” category was in accordance with OCLC classification. 

“OCLC supports libraries worldwide by providing shared technology services, conducting original research, and offering community programs. For libraries across North America, it has a critical function as the main source for catalogue records. At the local level, GVPL updated our catalogue record to match the OCLC catalogue record,” GVPL’s marketing and development official told True North in an emailed statement. 

Shrier’s Irreversible Damage has been at the centre of broader debates over censoring views that oppose the dominant pharmaceutical-driven orthodoxy on child gender transitions, with attempts in both Canada and the United States to remove the book from library shelves following its release in 2021.

OCLC spokesperson Bob Murphy responded to True North’s request for comment stating that the organization “does not assign or require specific subject heading” to books.

“OCLC is a technology organization that makes it possible for libraries to share bibliographic records and resources through WorldCat, an online catalog of library collections worldwide,” said Murphy.

“Member libraries can contribute and copy these records. Libraries can edit these records to meet their unique needs and specifications. As noted earlier, OCLC does not assign or require specific subject headings to books in libraries.”

Home sales reach highest peak since October 2022

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Canada saw the highest home sales since 2022 last month, according to the Canadian Real Estate Organization, with the Toronto and Vancouver markets leading the charge. 

The housing markets of both cities saw 44% and 30% year-over-year increases, respectively.

The report released last week noted that nationwide sales in October were the highest they’ve been since the peak of April 2022. 

“The jump in home sales last month was definitely an October surprise, although with the big interest rate cut of 50 basis points announced during the last week of the month, the increase was more likely related to the surge in new listings we saw in September,” said CREA’s senior economist Shaun Cathcart.

“There probably won’t be another rush of new supply like that until next spring, and at that point, mortgage rates should be close to their expected lows, as well. With that in mind, you can think of the October numbers as a sort of preview for what we might expect to see next year.”

National home sales increased 7.7% on a month-over-month basis overall and surged a whopping  30% last month from October 2023 (not seasonally adjusted).

It’s a massive jump, especially compared to the 1.9% increase month-over-month seen in September and 1.3% in August, despite the Bank of Canada’s consecutive rate cuts.

While the central bank has made four interest rate cuts since June, CREA attributes the bustling market to an increase in the number of houses being listed.  

September saw an increase of 4.8% in new listings for a total of 185,127. However, the number of listings dipped by 3.5% month-over-month in October, dropping the total active listings to 174,458. 

The decrease was spurred on by a decrease in listings in the Greater Toronto Area, a major player in the housing market. 

Still, that figure marked an 11.4% increase from last year.

While the sales-to-new listings ratio tightened in October to 58%, up from 53% the month before, sales continued to rise as listings fell.   

A balanced housing market typically aspires to have a ratio between 45% and 65%, with the current long-term average at 55%.

The National Composite MLS® Home Price Index reported a small decrease in home sale prices, down 0.1% from September.

However, home prices have remained relatively stagnant since the beginning of the year. 

The HPI was down 2.7% last month compared to last October on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, however, on an actual basis, it’s up 6%.

The current average national home price in October was $696,166, up from $669,630 in September.

CREA Chair James Mabey predicts that October’s positive sale trends will continue into next year, as long as the listings can keep pace. 

“October’s strong sales numbers across Canada suggest buyers have been in the market since rates began to fall in early summer, but they were waiting for the right property to come up for sale, which didn’t happen in a big way until September,” said Mabey. 

“The extent to which that will be able to continue between now and next spring will depend on the number of listings coming onto the market.”

Trump nominates former congressman Pete Hoekstra to be US ambassador to Canada

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: X

Former congressman Pete Hoekstra has been nominated to be the ambassador to Canada by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump beginning next year.  

“In my second term, Pete will help me once again put America first,” said Trump in a statement released on Wednesday. 

“I am confident that he will continue to represent our country well in this new role.”

Hoesktra, who had previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 until 2011, said he was honoured by the “opportunity to serve.”

However, he will first need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he can assume the position, a process which won’t occur until early 2025.

He also served as Trump’s ambassador to the Netherlands from 2016-2020.

David Cohen is the current U.S. ambassador to Canada, holding the position since 2021.

The top-of-mind issue facing the relationship between Canada and the US is trade, as Trump has promised to swiftly impose tariffs on imports once in office. 

Hoesktra was involved in negotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement under Trump’s first administration.

The president-elect spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after winning the election and according to a readout from the phone call, “trade and security issues” were the primary concerns discussed.

A source told CBC News that the two also discussed the tariffs recently opposed by the Trudeau government on Chinese-made electric vehicles, aluminum and steel.

The Canadian government announced a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicle imports and a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum earlier this summer which came into effect on Oct. 1.

Trump also raised concerns about China flooding the US market with fentanyl.

Trudeau’s two-month tax break doesn’t go far enough: Conservatives, taxpayer advocates

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: X

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that with NDP support, his government will pause both GST and HST sales taxes for Canadians on select goods for two months, starting weeks before Christmas. 

Taxpayer advocates and Conservatives say this measure doesn’t go far enough to restore affordability in Canada.

The feds, expecting NDP support on the bill, announced a stop to GST and HST taxes on groceries, alcohol, children’s essentials such as car seats and clothing, toys, board and video games, books, and more from Dec. 14, 2024, to Feb. 15, 2025.

According to a government news release, removing the GST on qualifying goods will provide an estimated $1.6 billion in federal tax relief, though the release didn’t specify its estimate for total taxpayer savings for the HST.

It said a family spending $2,000 on the qualifying goods would save an estimated $100 in those two months. In provinces where the HST applies, such as Ontario, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, that same $2,000 basket will provide an estimated $260 more in savings from the HST.

“Canadians have been through a lot. They work hard. We see that. We’ve been able to get through the past couple of years, but everyone had to tighten their belts a little bit,” Trudeau said in a press conference about the announcement. “We’re there to help with money that will help people buy the things they need and save up for the things they want.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation responded in a news release, saying taxpayers are grateful for the tax cut but that more could be done to help struggling Canadians. 

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to make this relief permanent because if he re-imposes sales taxes on diapers and rotisserie chickens after the holidays, it will be unacceptable to taxpayers,” Franco Terrazzano, the federal director of the CTF, said in the statement.

He said the plan would temporarily relieve some of the tax burden on Canadians, saving Canadians money during the expensive holiday season. However, he blamed the government for causing the issue it purported to solve.

“Ottawa made life more unaffordable by hiking carbon taxes, payroll taxes, alcohol taxes and capital gains taxes, so the government needs to go beyond a temporary tax cut to undo the damage it has done,” he said. “After raising taxes on everything all the time, temporary relief won’t cut it.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh took credit for the tax break on Wednesday and is also calling for the GST holiday to be permanent.

The Conservative Party of Canada echoed Terrazzano’s point, saying that the “NDP-Liberal coalition” government of “pyromaniacs” cannot be trusted to put out the “inflationary fire” it started.

“This will not come close to making up for the permanent quadrupling carbon tax on heat, housing, food, and fuel, all to save Justin’s job and Jagmeet’s pension,” the statement said. “In just a few months, Trudeau and the NDP plan to raise taxes on all the same items they claim they’re giving you a break on, directly through the carbon tax. They plan to hike liquor taxes in April while they claim to be taking them off for the next two months.” 

Conservatives said the first thing the Liberals and NDP need to do to address the affordability crisis is to “axe the carbon tax,” a tax on carbon that the NDP and Singh voted for 24 times, including a carbon tax hike in the spring.

“Canadians deserve relief, not more fake announcements that will do nothing to make life more affordable,” the CPC said. “Nobody believes Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh after they impoverished Canadians and made life worse off for everyone.”

In addition to the GST / HST tax break, Trudeau also promised a “Working Canadians Rebate” of $250 for working Canadians who earned up to $150,000 in net income. The rebate would come in April 2025. According to the government release, an estimated 18.7 million Canadians will be eligible.

If the Liberal estimate is accurate, the rebate will add $4.675 billion to the national debt, which the CTF estimates is over $1.24 trillion.

“Our government can’t set prices at checkout, but we can put more money in people’s pockets. (the rebate) is going to give people that relief they need,” Trudeau said. These are things that recognize that people are squeezed, and we’re there to help money that will help People buy the things they need and save up for the things they want.”

When asked how his government would pay for this, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Trudeau said they could do this because the economy is recovering from the pandemic, and the inflation rate has slowed.

Conservatives pointed out that Trudeau’s plan departs from his statements in May when he said that sending money into the pockets of Canadians causes inflation to go up by “exactly that amount.”

The Daily Brief | Randy Boissonnault finally booted from cabinet

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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Source: X

The Prime Minister’s Office announced that Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault will be stepping away from cabinet amid a whirlwind of scandals surrounding his former company and false claims of Indigenous heritage.

Plus, Former prime minister Stephen Harper was officially appointed as the Chairman of the Board of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation.

And Quebec Premier François Legault announced that he will be deploying the Sûreté du Québec to begin patrolling the border with the United States to prevent a potential onslaught of illegal immigrants from entering Canada.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Lindsay Shepherd and Isaac Lamoureux!

OP-ED: Eylon Levy’s disturbing experience at the University of Calgary

By
Dotan Rousso
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Source: Facebook

On October 31, demonstrators at the University of Calgary (UofC) disrupted a lecture by Israel’s former spokesperson, Eylon Levy. The event, organized by StandWithUs Canada, was attended by about 15 students, including non-Jewish participants. However, it quickly descended into chaos as anti-Israel protesters, chanting slogans like “From the River to the Sea” and “Eylon, you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide,” blocked the main entrance to the classroom. Protesters forced attendees to evacuate the building through a back entrance, and Levy was harassed on his way to the car. This marks a troubling moment for academic discourse and safety on Canadian campuses.

Levy, who has spoken on numerous campuses around the globe, described this as a uniquely hostile experience unlike anything he had encountered before. Such behavior is a red flag, not just for the University of Calgary, but for academic institutions across Canada. The normalization of hostility and intimidation on campuses undermines the very principles of intellectual diversity and free expression, making it imperative for universities to take concrete action to prevent such incidents in the future.

While the university has stated its commitment to academic freedom and its policies on hosting private events, its actions fell far short of ensuring the safety and security of attendees. Despite prior awareness of the potential for disruption, the university relied on limited security measures that proved insufficient to prevent demonstrators from infiltrating the building or harassing participants. The failure to take stronger precautions, such as securing an undisclosed location or implementing more robust protections, underscores a lack of preparedness and prioritization of student and speaker safety.

Canadian campuses are increasingly becoming battlegrounds where intimidation silences free expression, and this incident is emblematic of a broader, troubling trend. The University of Calgary’s response, citing adherence to academic freedom, fails to address the core issue: the university had both the capacity and the responsibility to prevent this from happening.

Universities are meant to be bastions of free thought and rigorous debate, not places where threats and disruption drown out ideas. The administration must be held accountable for this failure, and concrete measures must be implemented to prevent a recurrence. From improving security to establishing clearer protocols for hosting sensitive events, there are tangible steps that can and should be taken to protect the right to speak freely while ensuring the safety of all participants.

This incident should serve as a red flag not only for the University of Calgary but for all Canadian academic institutions. The normalization of such hostility on campuses is unacceptable. Academic institutions must reaffirm their commitment to intellectual diversity and inclusivity while holding those who disrupt this mandate accountable. Only then can they maintain their role as spaces for constructive dialogue and the exchange of ideas.

Following the incident, a letter was sent to the University of Calgary’s President, Dr. Edward McCauley, requesting details on actions to hold those responsible accountable and to prevent future occurrences.

Concern Regarding Disruption of Academic Freedom at the University of Calgary by True North on Scribd

Comments: [email protected]

Dr. Dotan Rousso was born and raised in Israel and holds a Ph.D. in Law—he is a former criminal prosecutor in Israel. He lives in Alberta and teaches Philosophy at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

Taxpayers to foot a larger bill for David Eby’s new cabinet, pay raises

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Premier David Eby’s new cabinet comes with hefty pay raises, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.

Recently re-elected David Eby announced his cabinet picks on Monday. A government finance watchdog says it will cost British Columbians nearly half a million more in tax dollars than the previous government despite being the same size as the last session’s.

As noted by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Eby’s new cabinet will put Canadians on the hook for at least $1.9 million after the BC NDP voted to raise the pay of cabinet ministers and his decision to maintain a historically oversized cabinet.

The decision followed Eby’s election campaign, which ran to make life more affordable for British Columbians.

His cabinet will include 23 cabinet ministers, four ministers of state and 14 parliamentary secretaries.

Compared with B.C.’s previous premier, the late John Horgan, Eby’s cabinet picks will cost at least $490,000 more than his predecessor.  Eby’s cabinet has ballooned by 46% since he was elected in 2022. In comparison, Horgan’s cabinet included 20 ministers, two misters of state and six parliamentary secretaries.

Following pay raises the BC NDP voted to give government officials last year, ministers will receive an additional $60,000 on top of their base salary of $120,000, ministers of the state will receive an additional $42,000, and parliamentary secretaries can expect an additional $18,000.

Carson Binda, the B.C. director at the CTF, told True North in an interview that these numbers do not account for the pay raises given to the government whip, speaker and deputy speaker, who have yet to be appointed.

“The NDP voted for a pay raise last year, so they are literally giving themselves more money than ever before. While British Columbians have never had it harder,” he said. “So even though cabinet isn’t the same size as it was before the election, it’s going to be more expensive for B.C. taxpayers.”

He estimated that the incomplete cabinet will cost B.C. taxpayers $1,900,570.54, including Eby’s pay raise, and excluding those who have yet to be appointed.

“Most British Columbians think that for that kind of growth in the cabinet, we should be seeing big results from our government, and unfortunately, we’re just not,” Binda said. “Government needs to stop growing…and treating taxpayers like a bottomless well. Because we’re not a bottomless well. Increasingly, taxpayers are getting more and more tapped out.”

He said that Eby’s first action as re-elected premier contradicts his campaign promises to make life more affordable.

“If Premier David Eby is serious about giving taxpayers support, he shouldn’t be looting our pocketbooks to reward NDP caucus colleagues,” Binda told True North. “It’s a slap in the face for everyone in British Columbia who’s struggling to make ends meet right now.”

Binda noted that Food Banks Canada reports suggest that nearly one in five British Columbians are experiencing food insecurity.

“That means one in five people are worried about going to bed without having dinner in their tummies or about being unable to feed themselves and their kids every evening. David Eby looked at those economic indicators and said, ‘I know what British Columbians need. It’s a bigger cabinet.’ It’s ridiculous,” he said. “It shows that government is shaping up to be a tale of taxpayer have nots, and governmental have-yachts.”

Eby’s NDP are going into a razor-thin majority in the legislature with a $60 billion deficit. According to the BC government, the annual deficit spending for the fiscal year of 2024 / 2025 is expected to be $9 billion. By 2026 / 2027 that deficit is projected to be $126.8 billion.

Binda said an increasing British Columbian debt means that every dollar spent over budget today is a dollar plus interest that taxpayers are billed tomorrow.

He said to pay for its large deficits, Eby’s government continues to hike taxes, such as home heating fuels, natural gas, freedom of information requests, and secondhand cars, making life less affordable for British Columbians.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Ministers make an addition $60,000 on top of their base salary, not $600,000.

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