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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

$4 per water bottle and broken fountains at Toronto Pearson

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Travellers passing through Toronto Pearson International Airport can’t seem to catch a break. 

Besides the long lineups, baggage delays and headache-inducing ArriveCAN app, some travellers are now complaining that the airport is charging $4 for a bottle of water at arrival despite having broken water fountains. 

“How do Toronto Pearson execs have their jobs,” asked journalist Shawn Micallef on Twitter.

“An untouchable entity. No fountains & water $4 – in many European airports it was 1€ & fountains worked.” 

“It’s become such a dump. Used to be nice. After seeing a more than a half dozen others this summer….it’s the height of Canadian mediocrity. Broken escalators. Broken wall panels. Trash & clutter everywhere,” he continued. 

In August, the airport was ranked the second worst in the world for delays according to FlightAware. 

Throughout May to July, Pearson was ranked among the worst out of 100 airports along with Montreal’s Trudeau airport. Pearson also charges among the highest landing fees in the world. 

Data shows 53% of departures from Toronto arrived over 15 minutes late. 

Liberal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has repeatedly blamed Canadian travellers for the delays instead of unnecessary government restrictions and requirements like the burdensome ArriveCAN application. 

The CEO of the Canadian American Business Council Maryscott Greenwood is calling on the Liberals to terminate ArriveCAN to help cross-border trade. 

“We’ve got to get to the place where Canadians and Americans are travelling back and forth, seeing family, having fun, but also doing business together,” said Greenwood. 

“That’s really been a huge hallmark of our relationship, the seamless integration of our economies and of our people. That’s at risk right now.”

Canada ranks near bottom on EV readiness index

By
Noah Jarvis
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Canada has ranked second last among 14 countries evaluated in an annual electric vehicle (EV) readiness index, which judges a country’s capacity to transition to EVs.

In spite of the Trudeau government’s aggressive green agenda, Canada pales in comparison to other industrialized nations when it comes to replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicles with electric alternatives.

According to Ernst & Young’s (EY) EV readiness index, Canadian demand for EVs trails the global average, with many Canadians feeling inhibited by the initially high cost of EVs and a lack of charging infrastructure. 

An EY study published in June found that 46% of Canadians planning on buying a car would like to choose an EV, below the global average of 52% but above the U.S., whose purchase sentiment is under 30%.

Despite the American people’s lack of interest in EVs and EYs assertion that the country is “stuck in low gear,” Canada is outmatched in funding as the U.S. government is dumping tens of billions into the industry.

Nearly every country included in the index tops Canada on the readiness index, with the exception of India.

In 2021, nearly 1,700,000 vehicles were sold in Canada, with just under 67,000 of these sales being EVs.

The Trudeau government has promised that 20% of all vehicles sold in Canada by 2026 will be EVs. He hopes that by 2035, all vehicles sold will be electric and an internal combustion engine ban can take place.

Trudeau has announced multiple EV projects, including investments into a $1.5 billion EV battery plant and a half-billion-dollar investment into EV production alongside the Dutch corporation Stellantis. 

Still, in the view of EY, other countries have been doing more to replace internal combustion engine vehicles and prepare for an expected boom in the EV market.

“Other countries in terms of their infrastructure and investments, policies and regulations, have added to a greater extent than Canada,” said Lance Mortlock of EY Canada.

EY suggests that if countries want to coerce their population into buying EVs, strong regulation by governments is required. 

“If countries want to reduce their emissions from vehicles and help meet climate targets through a move to EVs, then it is clear that regulation is absolutely key,” says Randy Miller of EY Global.

Communist China was listed as the index’s number one performer in reaching an EV future, with Norway and Sweden trailing.

Legault will not rule out reimposing vaccine passports

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Quebec Premier Francois Legault is refusing to commit to never reimposing vaccine passports on Quebecers if he is re-elected premier on Oct. 3. 

The Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) leader made the comments while taking part in Radio Canada’s “Cinq chefs, une election” TV special, which featured back-to-back interviews with Quebec’s five major party leaders.

Radio Canada anchor Patrice Roy asked Legault in French if he would reimpose vaccine passports. 

Legault said “It is not planned,” claiming that “with the vaccine, this is fortunately not planned.”

However, when Roy followed up and questioned if Legault was not excluding the controversial measure, Legault said “It is not in our plans, and we don’t think we’ll have to do it.”

Legault urged Quebecers to keep up with their Covid-19 vaccination regimen, asking them to get a shot every five months. 

True North reached out to Legault’s CAQ party with questions regarding a future imposition of mandates, but they did not respond in time for publication.

Legault’s lack of commitment came just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned about a return to mandates and restrictions if not enough Canadians got their boosters.

Trudeau said last week that “Covid isn’t done with us yet” – claiming that “there is a real risk of a serious wave of Covid” as winter arrives.

“If we are able to hit that 80%, 85%, 90% of Canadians up-to-date in their vaccinations, we’ll have a much better winter with much less need for the kind of restrictions and rules that were so problematic for everyone over the past years,” said Trudeau.

Quebec was the first Canadian province to announce a domestic vaccine passport last year – banning the unvaccinated from certain parts of society for months.

However, the strict passport regime did not stop Legault from reimposing a lockdown and curfew during the holiday season amid fears of the Omicron variant. 

In January, Legault expanded the range of his vaccine passport, making it the strictest in the country. The unvaccinated were banned from places of worship, liquor and cannabis stores as well as big box stores, including those selling essential items like groceries.

The Legault government had also announced intentions to change the vaccine passport requirement to three doses, and make vaccination mandatory with the threat of hefty fees. 

Both policies never became reality amid backlash and the ongoing Freedom Convoy demonstrations taking place in cities across Canada.

Despite having imposed some of the strictest restrictions in the western world, polls say Legault is on track to being re-elected with an even bigger majority.

Sask. mass stabbing suspect dead after multi-day manhunt

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The chief suspect of the Saskatchewan James Smith Cree Nation mass stabbing has died shortly after being arrested by the RCMP, according to multiple sources.

According to Global News, the RCMP says 32-year-old Myles Sanderson went into medical distress after he was arrested.

Sanderson was apprehended near Rosthern at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday after issuing an emergency alert about a person armed with a knife travelling through the area in a vehicle. 

His arrest and death prompt the ending of a multi-day manhunt. 

Sanderson faced multiple charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and breaking and entering. He is believed to have conducted the attacks with his brother Damien Sanderson who police found deceased on Monday. 

A total of 10 people perished in the bloodiest mass-stabbing in Canadian history – a majority of which were from the James Smith Cree Nation. 

19 others were injured as a result of the attacks.

“How can somebody do this to women and children? Words can’t express the pain that we’re feeling,” said a family member of one of the victims, Mark Arcand, in a press conference earlier today.

Police were aware of Sanderson for some time before the attack. His criminal record shows 59 different convictions throughout his adult life. 

In February, the Parole Board of Canada released Sanderson from a prison term believing 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.

“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.” 

Reality Check | 5 government claims about inflation DEBUNKED

By
Jasmine Moulton
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As historically high inflation rates continue to cause the cost of everything in Canada to rise, politicians are scrambling to throw the blame anywhere they can — except themselves.

It’s a global phenomenon apparently. No wait, it’s Russia’s fault. No no, Canada is actually doing better than other countries.

It’s time for a Reality Check.

On this week’s episode of Reality Check with Jasmine Moulton, Jasmine debunks the government’s top five myths about inflation and uncovers who’s really to blame for the cost of everything increasing.

To help her tackle the issue, Jasmine is joined by the Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation Franco Terrazzano to show how deep this problem really goes.

Tune into Reality Check on True North!

SUBSCRIBE TO REALITY CHECK WITH JASMINE MOULTON

10 victims of Sask. mass stabbing identified ahead of family press conference

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The names of the 10 victims brutally murdered in Canada’s largest ever stabbing spree were released by authorities prior to a press conference with the families of the slain. 

Among the 10 dead were 28-year-old Gregory Burns and his 48-year-old mother Bonnie Goodvoice-Burns. 18 others have been injured due to the attack. 

61-year-old former first responder Lydia Gloria Burns also died while trying to aid one of the stabbing victims. 

Others who died include: 23-year-old Thomas Burns, 46-year-old Carol Burns, 66-year-old Earl Burns, 49-year-old Lana Head, 54-year-old CHristian Head, 49-year-old Robert Sanderson and 78-year-old Wesley Petterson. 

A majority of the victims killed were from James Smith Cree Nation, Saskatchewan, excluding Petterson who was from the nearby town of Weldon. 

“The identities of injured persons will not be released. We can confirm one young teen was injured and the remaining injured are all adults. We will not be confirming other specific ages. Injured victims encompass both males and females,” wrote the RCMP. 

A manhunt for 32-year-old suspect Myle Sanderson is currently underway. Sanderson is believed to have committed the crimes with his since deceased brother Damien Sanderson who was found dead on Monday. 

Sanderson is wanted for multiple charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and breaking and entering.

Mark Arcand, who is the brother of Bonnie Burns, said on Wednesday that he is trying to cope with the news of the incident. 

“She was a member that made a difference in peoples’ lives … and the children always came first,” said Arcand. 

“She was protecting her son, she was protecting these three little boys; this is why she’s a hero.”

“How can somebody do this to women and children? Words can’t express the pain that we’re feeling.”

Sanderson was known to police well before the September killing spree. Sanderson’s record includes 59 different convictions and in February the Parole Board of Canada declared that Sanderson was not a threat to public safety before letting him free from a prison term. 

Sanderson was apprehended near Rosthern at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday after issuing an emergency alert about a person armed with a knife travelling through the area in a vehicle. 

His arrest prompts the ending of a multi-day manhunt. 

Americans twice as likely to report good access to health care than Canadians

By
Andrew Kozak
-

A new Angus Reid poll suggests that Canadians are much less satisfied with their access to health care services than Americans. 

Research found that only 15% of Canadians have comfortable access to health services, compared to 30% of Americans who feel the same way. Of those who reported comfortable access, nearly one-third believed that private care could improve Canada’s system.

According to the poll, nine million Canadians have experienced “chronic difficulty” in accessing health care. Similar answers were reported in both urban and rural regions of the country.

Faced with the possibility of needing emergency care, 70% of Americans felt confident or very confident that they would get help in a timely fashion compared to only 37% of Canadians feeling the same way. 

“Canadians have become so used to the narrative that you won’t be turned away,” said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute. “They are being turned away or put on hold indefinitely.”

Even before the pandemic, Canadians were already much more likely to wait for more than a month for specialist appointments when compared to Americans.

“Canada is the only country in the world where it is illegal to obtain private health insurance when there are long wait-lists. That surely says something,” said Dr. Brian Day, medical director of Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver.

Days says the model needs to change, adding that the “state-run monopoly” is killing Canadians. 

“The promise was that we would have a universal system where everyone was treated, but people are dying on wait-lists,” he said.

A 2021 report by the Commonwealth Fund ranked Canada’s health care system in 10th place out of 11. Norway, the Netherlands, Australia and the United Kingdom topped the list.

Research by think tank SecondStreet.org shows that at least 11,581 patients across Canada died in 2020-2021 while waiting for surgeries, scans and appointments. Deaths ranged from people waiting for life-saving treatments to procedures that could have greatly improved their quality of life in their final years.

“Canadians should note that waiting list deaths have been on the rise for years,” says SecondStreet.org president Colin Craig. “Behind these statistics are patients spending their final years in pain, with cloudy vision and other problems. Worse, some are dying simply because the government took too long to provide surgery.”

Liberal fertilizer targets impose “significant costs” to crop production: report

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Farming industry leaders are saying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 30% emission reduction target for fertilizer by 2030 is unachievable and would impose “significant costs” on crop production.

On Wednesday, Fertilizer Canada and the Canola Council of Canada co-published an analysis of the Liberal climate plan for the agricultural industry. 

According to their analysis, farmers say they could squeeze a 14% reduction from their fertilizer use without impacting food supplies but 30% was not “realistically achievable without imposing significant costs on Canada’s crop producers and potentially damaging the financial health of Canada’s crop production sector.”

“I believe what (this report) is saying is the 30 per cent reduction target is not achievable without putting production and exports in jeopardy, and we’ve been saying that all along,” Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions general manager Tom Steve told Global News. 

“It was an arbitrary target that was set somewhere in the government, with no path as to how it was going to be achieved.”

The voluntary target was first introduced by the Liberals in their 2020 climate plan and it applies to direct fertilizer application and indirect nitrogen emissions leached from crop fields. 

As exclusively reported by True North, Agriculture Canada singled out Canadian farmers as being among the worst emission offenders in the world when it comes to fertilizer use. 

“Available data show that Canadian cereal production likely has one of the highest levels of emissions intensity (amount of GHGs emitted per unit of product) amongst major exporting countries,” Agriculture Canada claims. 

“Canada’s emission intensity for cereals in 2017 is higher than those reported for the United States, the European Union and (other regions).”

An Aug. poll of farmers by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business also found that 72% of farmers said that their crop yields would plummet should they follow the Trudeau government’s approach. 

Concerns by farmers have since been labeled by Liberal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau as “misinformation.” 

“It’s really taken our eye off the ball of what is needed in our industry, which is to become more efficient and productive and competitive,” Steve said. 

“Most farmers already do whatever they can to reduce their use of fertilizer – it’s their most expensive input.”

JCCF files legal challenge against ArriveCan

By
Andrew Lawton
-

Canadians are forced to use the federal government’s ArriveCan app to enter their own country without risking thousands of dollars in fines. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has filed a Charter challenge against the ArriveCan requirement, arguing it infringes on numerous Charter rights. JCCF lawyers Sayeh Hassan and Eva Chipiuk joined The Andrew Lawton Show live to discuss the lawsuit.

Watch The Andrew Lawton Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

Calgary food bank threatened by inflation and low donor support

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Calgary’s Mustard Seed food bank is concerned that it will not be able to meet demand as it struggles to cope with inflation and a dip in donations.

The cost of a meal has surged as Canada faces historic inflation levels. Prices for one single meal have jumped to $5.38 from $3.51 in 2021.

“If we were to compare to, let’s say 2019, which was a normal year, the donations are down. But on top of that . . . some of our regular meal sponsorships are also down, and meal sponsorship is directly tied to volunteers,” street director Andrew Gusztak told the Calgary Herald. 

“Many of our sponsor groups without even showing up, kept giving. But there are a number of companies, organizations, groups, partners of ours and churches that have stopped sponsoring and stopped coming.”

Mustard Seed is hoping that higher support during the winter months will offset the current slack in donations, but the organization still feels behind when it comes to meeting an uptick in demand.

“We have food hamper programs that might need to change significantly this year due to how much the cost of food is, what resources are available and how much demand there is,” said Gusztak.

Those hoping to help can consider making donations or volunteering by visiting the organization’s website. 

Food banks across Canada have seen new patrons surge as Canadians struggle with the cost of living and food security. 

Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank has warned that it is at a “crisis stage” as it welcomes triple the ordinary amount of new visits. 

“The stories that we’re hearing — the common theme is people’s income doesn’t match what their expenses are,” Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington told CTV in August. 

“I’m seeing more and more working families who have a job, or maybe they’re putting together two part-time jobs, and are unable to make ends meet.”

In July, Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley said that the Summer of 2022 saw the highest number of people accessing food banks in nearly 40 years. 

“You’ve got more people coming through the doors because they aren’t able to put food on the table for their families, you’ve got fewer people in the community who are in a position to give — they might not need a food bank but their budgets are stretched,” says Beardsley.

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