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Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Alberta increasing Chief Firearms Officer funding to speed up gun transfers, licences

By
Rachel Parker
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Alberta is increasing financial support to its Chief Firearms Officer by over $700,000 this year to speed up the process of gun licences and transfers. 

Since the federal government announced an impending ban on handgun sales and transfers, Albertans have rushed to buy or transfer handguns while they still can.

The funding will allow the Chief Firearms Officer to hire more staff to process licence applications, transfers, authorizations to carry and more from Alberta, said Justice Minister Tyler Shandro. 

“Funding provided today will patriate administrative work that Albert is able to legally take over under the Firearms Act, enabling this work to fall under the direct authority, under the supervision and under the management of the Alberta Chief Firearms Officer,” Shandro said Thursday morning.

Recent federal legislation effectively banning handguns has led to an unprecedented increase in sales and transfers of more than 178,000 handguns since spring, according to a government briefing. Applications are typically processed in Miramichi, N.B., by the Canadian Firearms Program, which is administered by the RCMP. 

Some gun owners have been waiting more than six months for their license or transfer to be processed, the government says. 

The total funding for the Chief Firearms Office will grow to more than $7 million next year and $5.2 million the year after, the government says. The office can hire 40 new positions.

There’s a significant backlog of cases and the federal service centre is unable to meet Alberta’s needs, said Alberta Chief Firearms Officer Teri Bryant. The office’s existing workload has been compounded by federal decisions, including the looming federal confiscation program and the national handgun freeze, Bryant said.

“Today’s announcement will support us in adequately staffing our office with a focus on hiring local to better serve Albertans,” Bryant said. “It will significantly enhance our level of service to align with the expectations of Albertans in keeping our communities safe.”

Premier Jason Kenney said the Trudeau Liberals are unnecessarily “harassing” law-abiding firearms owners, rather than focusing on the criminals who actually abuse firearms. Legal license applications and transfers are now sitting in “federal limbo,” he said.

“Just like they can’t process passports on time, apparently (the federal government) can’t get that done for firearms licences,” Kenney said. “But Alberta will no longer wait for Ottawa to fix the mess that they have caused.”

The Alberta Chief Firearms Office was created in 2021 to assert provincial jurisdiction over firearms policy, in part by processing such matters within the province.

Saskatchewan mass stabbing suspect tried to stab victims in 2015

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Court records show that Myles Sanderson, who was arrested by police Wednesday for the largest mass stabbing in Canadian history, tried to stab two of the victims of the attack seven years ago. 

Sanderson died in police custody on Wednesday after a nationwide manhunt. 

According to Global News, in 2015, Sanderson was accused of “repeatedly stabbing” Earl Burns with a knife and attacking Joyce Burns – who were his in-laws. 

Sources told the outlet that Earl died in the James Smith Cree Nation attack while Joyce was numbered among those injured. 

A total of 10 people were killed by Myles and his deceased brother Damien Sanderson while another 17 were injured. 

Sanderson has a storied criminal record as an adult including 59 convictions for an assortment of crimes. 

Court files show that Sanderson had exhibited similar behaviours in the past involving a knife. One Jan. 26, 2015 incident resulted in  Sanderson being charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for attacking the Burns. 

He served only two years less than a day and had to pay a fine for the incident. 

Sanderson served time in prison as early as February when the Parole Board of Canada released him after claiming that he no longer posed a threat to the general public. 

“The Board is satisfied that your risk is manageable in the community, if you live with your [redacted] maintain sobriety and employment, and continue with developing supports, including getting therapy,” wrote the board in a ruling.

“To your benefit, you do seem to have maintained sobriety, obtained employment, engaged a therapist, were engaged in cultural ceremonies, had obtained a home for your family, and appeared to have been making good progress on reintegration.”

Sanderson also was charged with abusing his former partner Vanessa Burns on multiple occasions going as far back as 2011.

The mass killing has brought renewed attention on Canada’s justice system for not having prevented the attack. 

Danielle Smith releases key details of Alberta Sovereignty Act

By
Rachel Parker
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The Alberta Sovereignty Act has dominated discussion in the ongoing United Conservative Party leadership race, but candidate Danielle Smith has only just released key details about her proposal. 

In prior weeks, Smith has asked critics, who include Premier Jason Kenney, not to disparage the proposal before seeing the details, which she released on Tuesday.

In her lengthy overview of the proposed legislation, Smith argues that the restoration of provincial rights is likely the only way for Canada to remain a unified nation.

“Ottawa’s ‘divide, control and conquer’ policies have placed Canada on a path of division and disunity,” she wrote. “Alberta can and must lead on this issue going forward and the Alberta Sovereignty Act is the first step in doing so.” 

Smith said the Alberta Sovereignty Act is not about secession, but asserting Alberta’s Constitutional Rights in Canada to the “furthest extent possible” by achieving autonomy as Quebec has. Quebec has its own provincial police force, collects its own taxes and has some control over its immigration levels. 

The Sovereignty Act would give MLAs the opportunity for a free vote on a special motion about whether a federal law or policy violates  Alberta’s jurisdictional rights under the Canadian Constitution or Albertans’ Charter rights, Smith said. 

Smith said each motion would include: identification of the federal law deemed to be in violation of the Constitution or Charter; the constitutional explanation for making that claim; an explanation of the harms on Albertans; a description of the specific actions the province would take to refuse the federal law; and a declaration of non-enforcement.

The motion would also include an imposition date to review and debate whether to amend, end or continue the actions outlined in the special motion. This review date would be no later than the earlier of 24 months or within 90 days of a court staying or deeming all or a portion of a special motion unconstitutional, the overview explains. 

If a court stays or deems an Alberta Sovereignty Act special motion to be unconstitutional, the government and Legislature would decide whether to amend, end or continue with them, understanding the legal implications such a decision could cause.

Smith said the act could be used to oppose federal vaccine mandates, the use of the Emergencies Act and mandatory cuts to fertilizer, to name a few. She also says her overview explaining how the Alberta Sovereignty Act would function shows that it’s constitutional.

“My hope in releasing this overview of the proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act, is that even more Albertans, their MLAs and perhaps even some critical thinkers in the mainstream media, will take a thoughtful look at this policy proposal, and join the growing number of Albertans who want to see our Province stand up to Ottawa, restore our constitutional rights, and take control of our future.”

Justin Trudeau says he will remain Liberal leader for next election

By
Noah Jarvis
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told his cabinet colleagues that he will remain the Liberal Party of Canada’s leader for the next federal election.

According to the Toronto Star, Trudeau told his cabinet ministers at their Vancouver retreat that he is energized to face the challenges facing Canada and looks forward to winning a fourth term as prime minister.

Rumours of the prime minister stepping down ahead of the next general election have circulated as many in his position do not last for more than three terms at a time.

Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper managed to win three elections before being defeated by the Trudeau Liberals. 

Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien was awarded three majority governments before his party ejected him as the leader, replacing him with Paul Martin. 

Trudeau’s cabinet ministers and other high-profile liberals have been rumoured to be eyeing the party’s leadership as the prime minister loses his lustre with the Canadian people.

Former Bank of Canada governor and former Bank of England governor Mark Carney has been built up as a possible successor given his record managing the monetary policy of two different G7 nations.

Cabinet ministers rumoured to run include foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly, innovation minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, Attorney General David Lametti, defence minister Anita Anand and more. 

Should the Liberal and NDP supply-and-confidence alliance last, the current parliament is expected to survive until 2025 when the next general election is scheduled.

In the event the Trudeau Liberals win the next general election, Justin Trudeau will become the first PM since his father Pierre-Elliot Trudeau to win a fourth term, and the first PM since Wilfrid Laurier to win four elections in a row.

Despite Trudeau’s assertion that he can lead the Liberals to another election victory, the rivalling Conservatives have been gaining momentum as the party selects a new leader to face-off against Trudeau. 

Further, polls show that Canadians’ patience are weaning, as Abacus data found that approval in the government has dropped to the lowest point since Trudeau was elected PM in 2015.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party has been able to sign-up a historic 678,708 new members to their party and have fundraised more money than the Liberals and NDP combined in the second quarter of 2022.

Politicians respond to passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Canadian politicians of all stripes gave their condolences to the Royal Family on Thursday after the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on the Queen’s death in the afternoon after reports that she was being cared for by medical staff and seeing visits from her family. 

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the COmmonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” a statement by King Charles III read. 

“During this period of mourning and change my family and I will be comforted and sustained by the knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”  

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Conservative Party leader Candice Bergen

Governor General Mary Simon

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather

Conservative MP Michael Chong

Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96; Charles becomes King

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Queen Elizabeth II has died at Balmoral Castle, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday afternoon.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace said. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Queen Elizabeth died surrounded by her family, including her three sons Charles, Andrew and Edward and her daughter Anne. Her grandsons William and Harry were also at Balmoral Castle today.

Queen Elizabeth leaves behind a legacy unmatched in history as the longest reigning British monarch. She served the people of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and ten other nations as monarch and Head of State from February 6, 1952 until September 8, 2022.

In February of this year, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking a historic 70 years on the throne. 

At the age of 25, Elizabeth ascended the throne and became Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith after her father King George VI died at the age of 56. She began her reign in a rapidly changing world just beginning to repair itself from the destruction of two world wars, and saw an empire – once the largest and most powerful in the world – dissolve in triumph after vanquishing the evil of fascism.

Elizabeth was never supposed to become Queen. Her father, Prince Albert, only became King George VI after his older brother King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcee. Edward’s decision to abdicate the throne would alter the course of history and would lay the groundwork for Elizabeth’s 70-year reign.

Throughout her reign, the Queen transformed the monarchy into a modern institution representing the United Kingdom on the world stage and turning each member of the ‘The Firm’ into cultural icons. 

Elizabeth leaves behind four children, Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, the Princess Royal; Andrew, Duke of York; and Edward, Earl of Wessex.

“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of the greater imperial family to which we all belong.” – Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Long live The King. 

Alberta will join plastic makers in court challenge of the feds’ plastic ban

By
Rachel Parker
-

The Alberta government has filed a notice with the Federal Court to intervene in a legal challenge of the Trudeau government’s move to list all plastics as a toxic substance under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

In August, more than two dozen plastic makers, who united under the banner of the Responsible Plastic Use Coalition, asked the Federal Court to put an end to Ottawa’s impending ban. The $29-billion industry is also suing the federal government for listing plastic as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. 

The Alberta government is intervening in both cases. Plastic is not toxic, but it is necessary to achieve carbon reduction goals, Premier Jason Kenney said Thursday morning.

“We cannot live our modern lives without petrochemical products, without plastic products,” Kenney said. “We cannot achieve carbon reduction goals without the efficiency and the lightness of plastic products.”

The Canadian government added all “plastic manufactured items” to Schedule 1 on the List of Toxic Substances of the Canadian Environment Protection Act in May 2021.

In June 2021,  Responsible Plastics filed its first Notice of Application for judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada, arguing that the Order is unconstitutional, unreasonable and outside the enabling authority granted to the government by the Environment Protection Act.

The group filed a second suit in June 2022 against Ottawa’s ban on single-use plastics, again arguing the ban is unconstitutional and that Ottawa has no evidence that single-use plastics are toxic.

The Premier said it’s clear the federal government’s actions are an unconstitutional infringement on Alberta’s provincial jurisdiction under the Constitution. 

“The federal government has once again drifted out of its lane, straying into constitutional territory and has no legal right to be in it,” he said. 

Ottawa’s listing also presents a threat to Alberta’s economic interests. The province has the largest petrochemical sector in Canada and is set to expand “thanks in part to the petrochemical strategy in Alberta’s recovery plan,” Kenney said.

Alberta has also attracted an additional $18 billion of announced investments in low emitting petrochemical projects and the federal government is ignoring innovation in the industry, which includes the industry of a “circular economy for plastics,” he said. 

“(Plastics) are recycled and where they re enter the market by making unilateral decisions to label plastic items as toxic, the federal government has demonstrated that it’s not interested in an evidence based approach to the subject, like so many others that relate to Alberta’s economic interests,” Kenney said.

The Premier said he hopes Quebec and Ontario will join Alberta in intervening, as both provinces have large petrochemical industries.  

The federal government’s action has already negatively affected investment in the province’s petrochemical sector, according to a government briefing. An analysis by the Ministry of Energy indicated that more than $30 billion is at risk because of the “toxic” designation.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said he’s confident the government’s regulations will be upheld. His office is recommending Canadians use alternatives like wooden cutlery and paper straws, which have been found to be linked to cancer. 

LEVY: Canadians should tune out the public health fearmongers

By
Sue-Ann Levy
-

Ottawa family physician Nili Kaplan-Myrth started her Twitter day Wednesday by commenting about how angry she was with people who “foment hate and spread disinformation” and along with that, “pathetic misogynists who tone-police and insult” women and their education.

This was the morning after the night which this radical leftist doctor, self-described feminist and avid masker came on a TVO interview and fomented hate, spread disinformation, and rabidly insulted Dr. Matt Strauss, a critical care doctor who is acting medical officer of health of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit.

Talk about being disconnected from one’s own self.

Kaplan-Myrth is running for Ottawa school trustee in Zone 9, which is in central Ottawa. The ward is currently held by rabid masker and the first trans trustee in Canada Lyra Evans, who has opted to run in another Ottawa ward.

About her run for trustee, Kaplan-Myrth said in a recent media interview that she wants to advocate on behalf of her vulnerable patients who have children in school, in addition to lobbying against all the “blatant anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers” (people she calls “abhorrent”).

It seems Evans and Kaplan-Myrth have much in common, in addition to their radical and regularly insufferable attacks on those with whom they disagree.

That may suit the Ottawa snowflakes, who were traumatized by the Freedom Convoy.

But Kaplan-Myrth’s online ratings as a doctor show a distinct pattern as of late. Words like “rude, unprofessional, self-righteous, fixated on vaccines and her Twitter rants” have been used to describe her lack of bedside manner.

Throughout Covid, she has regularly blocked a long list of those on Twitter who disagree with her (myself included) constant fearmongering.

The long-time doctor and would-be trustee appeared on TVO via Zoom wearing an N95 mask throughout the interview even though she was alone in her office, Her eyes appeared crazed as she called out Strauss and anyone who dared to disagree with her.

When host Steve Paikin asked her if things were “back to normal” in Ontario, she accused him of using “far right language of anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers” who have disregarded the impact of Covid on seniors, health care workers and so on.

When Strauss suggested that most Ontarians yearn to get back to normal – and there’s nothing far right about that – Kaplan-Myrth insisted that we should still be masking indoors and in large crowds outdoors.

She even claimed that the politicians have “pandered” to a very small group (the Freedom Convoy) who occupied Ottawa’s streets and spread misinformation on social media and in other “rag magazines.”

She also contended that Premier Doug Ford has not come out and told people they should take all the vaccines for which they are eligible (including boosters for small children).

So much for free will.

Using the typical leftist talking points, Kaplan-Myrth attacked the trolls who say she fearmongers, saying she is just trying to encourage people to take care of each other.

“It is inappropriate to say that masks are some form of hardship…they are not cruelty … they are not restricting people’s ability to make friends to play, to work, to do any of these things,” she lectured, aiming her venom at Strauss.

“What you are saying is based on right-wing, anti-mask anti-vax ideology.” 

Kaplan-Mryth nearly lost it when she claimed she “cares deeply” about her patients and that it’s time for civic responsibility. She reiterated that message more than once, her face (or at least what one could see of it) turning bright red.

If radical wokeness, self-righteousness, rudeness and disrespect for an alternative point of view are prerequisites for school trustee in woke Ottawa, Kaplan-Mryth will fit right in.

Sadly these kind of leftist ideologues keep gravitating to Ontario school boards.

But given her performance this week, her perceived self-importance, her over-the-top hysteria, her N95 mask theatrics and her smug disdain for an alternate point of view, it is perfectly fair for one to wonder whether she really cares deeply for her patients and kids in the school system.

It could equally be said that Covid has given her a platform and a soapbox – and she cares as much if not more, about losing that.

It sounds cynical, but after more than two years of lockdowns, public health fearmongers like her and the politicians who yap constantly at us about vaccines, how many of us simply tune out.

I’m with Strauss. We all want to return to some semblance of normal.

86% of jobs created during pandemic were in the public sector

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Canada’s public sector ballooned during the pandemic at the expense of private industry new data by the Fraser Institute shows.

86.7% of all of the new jobs created between Feb. 2020 and Jul. 2022 were government jobs. During that period, the public sector grew by 9.4% while the private sector eked out only 0.4% growth. 

“Many of the headline statistics surrounding the Canadian labour market appear encouraging at a glance, but the reality is more complicated,” said Fraser Institute senior fellow Ben Eisen. 

“Canada’s job creation in recent years has not been driven by private sector-growth, but rather has primarily been the result of government hiring.”

Taking into account population growth, the number of people over 15-years of age working for private jobs fell from 49.3% to 48.2%.

The number of self-employed people declined sharply by 7.4% through the duration of the pandemic – slowing down the private sector’s recovery. 

While Canadians working in the private sector took pay cuts and struggled to make ends meet, the federal government was lavishing its own workers with raises. 

A report by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) from Sept. 2021 found that 312,825 federal workers and MPs received raises throughout the pandemic. 

“Canadians have experienced a tale of two pandemics: one full of private sector pain, the other full of bureaucrat pay increases,” CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said. 

“We need politicians and bureaucrats to help shoulder the burden because it can’t just be struggling families and businesses forced to pay back the $1-trillion federal debt.”

The public sector also saw an explosion of people working in executive positions. 

According to the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada, the number of executives working in federal positions ballooned by 21% with a record 7,900 positions added. 

BONOKOSKI: Ignore the media’s portrayal of Poilievre

By
Mark Bonokoski
-

In less than a week, the Conservative Party of Canada will have a new leader to take on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in two years’ time — if the junior Trudeau doesn’t take a walk in the snow like his late father.

That leader will likely be Pierre Poilievre.

The legacy media love to paint Poilievre with the brush of an angry man who should be shunned by the electorate to avoid an even more divided country.

This is nonsense.

Poilievre knows how to get noticed, no question about that, but away from the 60-second video clips, he is known to supporters as truly concerned about the future of ordinary Canadians who are today fighting high inflation, higher interest rates and struggling to make ends meet.

As Andrew MacDougall, former director of communications in Stephen Harper’s office, recently wrote, “Poilievre (for example) wants his opponents to bang on about a little-known extremist group few Canadians will ever give the time of day to.

“It’s actually the key to the success of his campaign to become prime minister.”

As the media portrays Poilievre as extreme, divisive and over-the-top, it is playing into his strategic plan, one that will become more evident in the days that will follow his succeeding former Tory leader Erin O’Toole.

So far it is working. He has signed up more party members than any other leadership opponent, and his coffers are brimming over.

MacDougall says, “What Poilievre is bringing to the party that his predecessors failed to do is not give a poop.”

“He knows his opportunity gets bigger the more the opinion formers of the country focus on issues ordinary Canadians don’t care about,” MacDougall continues.

“Provided, that is, Poilievre keeps talking about pocketbook issues in response.”

The trap Poilievre is laying out for his opponents, opined MacDougall,  couldn’t be more obvious, not that it will stop Trudeau or NDP leader Jagmeet Singh from stepping into it.

Thus far, they appear oblivious to being played.

A recent poll by Leger found that Liberal and New Democrat voters think either Jean Charest, or disqualified Patrick Brown, would make the best leader of the federal Conservatives.

“In these two men, progressives see the least-worst outcome, for their points of view. In these two men, they see the best chance for the status quo. It’s enough to make card-carrying Conservatives barf into their morning porridge,” MacDougall concluded.

One of the keys to Poilievre’s success in Jenni Byrne, a veteran war-room operative during the Harper years and former principal secretary to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who is a brilliant strategist despite her hard-nosed approach to politics and those who work its backrooms.

She was once referred to as “the most powerful woman in Ottawa.”

In an interview in 2015 with the Ottawa Citizen, Byrne cited her concerns over debt reduction and tax cuts and how they were more important to her generation than to her parent’s generation.

 “It’s great for them to say don’t cut here or there, but they won’t be the ones affected by (the debt). They’re in their late 40s and they will probably still benefit from government programs,” she said. 

“But Canada looks like a bleak place for me by the time I’m their age.”

Bryne is now either 44 or 45 years old. So she is “their age” now.

Poilievre’s Byrne-coordinated campaign pitch? “Take back control of your life.

“Join me in making Canada the freest nation on Earth.”

It’s resonating big time.

It’s cocky but it’s pure Poilievre.

But soon he will have to tone it down a notch — if only to show the great Canadian electorate that he truly is prime ministerial.

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