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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

B.C.’s fertility rates plummeted well below national average

By
Andrew Kozak
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British Columbia has the lowest fertility rates in all of Canada, new data shows. 

In 2020, B.C.’s fertility rate fell to just 1.17 children per woman while the national average was at 1.4. 

Since 2009, fertility in B.C. has fallen 22% from 1.47 since 2009, while nationally it fell by 16%.

According to the Vancouver Sun, data scientist Jens von Bergmann revealed B.C.’s fertility rate in the 1990s was comparable to other provinces, even surpassing Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec but things are different now.

Researchers say contributing factors include changing demographics, rising costs of living and the lack of housing. Director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University Andy Yan said cost of living concerns and a growing aging population are also contributing to B.C.’s declining fertility rate.

“High housing prices and rents make it difficult for young people to form their own households, and their own families, which, all other things equal, tends to delay the time they have children,” said von Bergman. “And comparing household formation rates across time we can see the divergence between Montreal and higher-priced markets of Vancouver and Toronto.”

“Housing costs do have an effect on having children. Generally speaking, people have less kids in more expensive metros,” said professor at the University of Toronto Richard Florida. “Our own research on very detailed Swedish data finds this to be the case.”

In 1959, the age of first-time mothers was 23.2 years old but by 2019 women were waiting on average until they were 29.4 years old to have their firstborn.

“In general, more expensive metros have more educated populations. It’s a big factor on why they are so expensive in the first place,” said Florida. “More educated people get married later, and this delays having kids. It also means there is less time to have kids.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has also affected Canadians’ decision to have kids. 

According to Statistics Canada, 1 in 4 Canadians changed plans on starting a family because of the pandemic. 1 in 5 Canadians decided they wanted fewer children and 14% said they will wait longer than they had originally planned. Only 4% wanted more children or have them sooner than they originally planned.

Tiffany Ermine, from Prince Albert, SK, said that having a baby during the pandemic was enough to discourage her from ever having another. After giving birth to her second child in June 2020, she says the experience “terrified” her.

In recent years, climate activists have also urged Canadians not to have children. 

The founder of the group “BirthStrike” Blythe Pepino says choosing not to have children because of the “potential havoc” that climate change may bring is only rational. She said that while the group doesn’t believe that having fewer children would reduce global emissions, they’re worried that children born now face an unstable future.

In 2017, the University of British Columbia published research which suggested the best way to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint was to have fewer children.

2020 saw the lowest number of births in Canada in any year since 2006.

Health Canada considering recommending a booster every three months

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Senior advisors to the Department of Health have suggested that Canadians should be recommended a booster Covid shot every three months.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) officials said that quarterly boosters “may be warranted” to combat Covid-19. 

“A shorter interval of at least three months may be warranted in the context of heightened epidemiological risk as well as operational considerations for the efficient deployment of the Covid-19 vaccination program,” wrote a Sept. 1 Summary Of National Advisory Committee On Immunization Statement. 

“Informed consent should include discussion regarding what is known and unknown about the benefits and risks of providing a booster shot.” 

The latest advice posits a shorter timeline than the advice given by public health officials as recently as the end of June. 

Liberal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said on June 30 that a vaccination “in the last nine months” meant being up to date with your Covid-19 boosters. 

“‘Fully vaccinated’ makes no sense now. It’s about ‘up to date.’  So am I up to date in my vaccination? Have I received a vaccination in the last nine months?” said Duclos. 

“‘Up to date’ means you have received your last dose in the past nine months. If you’ve already received a first booster that’s great. Please see if you’re eligible for a second or third booster to remain up to date.”

During Thursday’s press conference announcing Health Canada’s approval of the bivalent Moderna Covid-19 booster meant to tackle the BA.1 Omicron subvariant, Duclos compared vaccination to recharging “your phone battery.” 

“Vaccine protection is like a phone battery. It needs to be recharged from time to time. Recharging our protection after six months is important, otherwise, we are left without the power to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” said Duclos.

“When protection wanes, action is required just like a phone battery. Your phone battery needs to be recharged for your phone to work, to have appropriate power to operate and for your vaccination protection to be affected, so you recharge your phone battery by plugging it into the electricity.”

Currently, booster uptake has been lower than the primary series of the Covid-19 vaccine. Only 49.55% of Canadians have received a Covid booster in addition to their primary doses. 

Canadians oppose government internet regulation, focus group results show

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A government focus group study of Canadians’ views on incoming internal regulation found that most people are not comfortable with the Trudeau government determining what viewers should be able to view online.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, when asked about Bill C-11, which proposes to amend the Broadcasting Act and regulate digital content providers, “most participants” told pollsters that they want to be in control of their own viewing options. 

“Discussing whether they felt the Government of Canada should play a role in regulating non-user generated content on major digital platforms such as Netflix or Spotify, most participants felt these decisions should primarily be left to the viewer or listener,” read the report Continuous Qualitative Data Collection Of Canadians’ Views. 

“While a small number were in favour of establishing some regulations, particularly those geared towards ensuring greater fairness for Canadian content creators and promoting and protecting Canadian stories, most felt it was the responsibility of the consumer to determine the type of content they wished to engage with regardless of its country of origin.”

The $2.4 million study conducted by The Strategic Counsel surveyed people in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Critics of Bill C-11 have slammed the legislation as a threat to Canadians’ rights to freedom of expression. Should the law pass through the Senate, it would give the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) the ability to regulate content posted online. 

Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez has maintained that the bill would not encroach on such rights or include user-generated content. However, testimonies by CRTC Chair Ian Scott indicate otherwise. 

“[Section] 4.2 allows the CRTC to prescribe by regulation user uploaded content subject to very explicit criteria. That is also in the Act,” said Scott at a Canadian heritage committee meeting in June. 

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre has promised that if elected prime minister, he would immediately repeal Liberal censorship laws including Bill C-11 by introducing a Free Speech Act. 

“The government is trying to control what you see in your social media newsfeed and what you can say online,” said Poilievre in June. 

“And on top of that, they’ve teamed up with elite corporate media gatekeepers to stifle the power of the independent media. When I’m Prime Minister, I’ll protect free speech online and make sure independent media have the right to cover the news.”

Bell Media sued by former radio host for refusing to play woke stereotype

By
Noah Jarvis
-

Former Bell Media radio host Jamil Jivani is suing the media giant, claiming Bell breached their contract and wrongfully fired him for allegedly not fitting the “black stereotype.”

Jivani claims that he was fired because he refused to conform to Bell’s preconceived notion of what a black man is supposed to believe, which he claims is promoting woke causes and staying away from conservatism.

“They fired me because I refused to play the company’s identity politics and play the role of a black stereotype,” said Jivani in an exclusive interview with True North.

On January 4th, Jivani was invited to a meeting that he claims was meant to discuss diversity and inclusion, but there was no discussion at the meeting. Instead, Jivani was fired.

Jivani claims that Bell Media hired him to boost their diversity, equity and inclusion credibility, but the relationship became strained when Jamil refused to condemn Canada as a racist country on Canada Day 2021.

The 2020 death of George Floyd in the U.S. triggered debates questioning Canada’s treatment of visible minorities. This conversation was further ignited by the apparent discovery of unmarked graves outside of Canadian residential schools just a year later.

According to the National Post, the statement of claim Jivani’s lawyers issued to Bell Media alleges that the company pressured radio hosts to air clips that highlighted Canada’s worst transgressions. 

“In the lead up to Canada Day 2021, Bell management pressured the Plaintiff to denounce Canada as racist,” read the document.

“On-air talent were instructed to air pre-produced segments that defined Canada by the worst parts of the country’s history.” 

“Instead of denouncing Canada Day, the Plaintiff aired segments highlighting the accomplishments of Canadians and spotlighting the voices of immigrants and military veterans.”

When asked if he provoked his termination, Jivani says that he isn’t sure why Bell terminated him. He asserts that part of the problem was Bell’s animosity to the guests Jivani would invite onto his program.

“To this day, I’m still not 100% sure what it is that I was saying, or what it is that my guests saying that Bell found so offensive,” said Jivani. 

Jivani suggests that his higher-ups had problems with the guests he’d invite onto the program, including black people who would deviate from the “black stereotype” on a wide range of issues.

“In as much as Bell had a problem with me not fitting their stereotypes, they also didn’t like my guests who were black people who didn’t fit their stereotypes,” said Jivani.

While on-air, the Jamil Jivani show hosted several guests, including Dr. Debra Soh, Samuel Sey and the Toronto Raptors’ Fred Vanvleet.

Jivani is seeking over $500,000 in damages for Bell’s bad faith breach of contractual duty, dismissal and punitive damages.

Jivani is currently the president of Canada Strong and Free Network president and a columnist at the National Post.

True North reached out to Bell Media for comment. As of this article’s publication, they have not responded.

Fake News Friday | CBC fails to debunk “bugs conspiracy theory”

By
Andrew Lawton
-

It’s Fake News Friday with Andrew Lawton and Harrison Faulkner!

This week, the CBC attempted to debunk the “conspiracy theory” that a London facility was producing crickets for human consumption. Unfortunately for the state broadcaster, the facility’s developers acknowledge that crickets are in fact being made for humans. Whoops –another failed attempt by the CBC to debunk a “conspiracy theory.”

Next up on the cancellation block is – surprise, surprise – Winston Churchill. According to an op-ed in the CBC, the leader who defeated the rise of fascism in Europe has “outdated views” and should no longer be commemorated as per the standards of 2022.

Lastly, news that really matters to Canadians – do Nanaimo bars have flour in them? This week, Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre was blasted for promoting the story of a baker who’s expenses for flour, eggs and butter has risen due to inflation, making it harder to bake Canada’s national treat: Nanaimo bars. Time for some top-tier journalisming to figure out if these tasty treats have flour!

Tune in to Fake News Friday on True North!

Emergencies Act inquiry delayed four weeks as commissioner undergoes surgery

By
Andrew Lawton
-

Hearings for the commission investigating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act have been postponed to October as Commissioner Paul Rouleau tends to an undisclosed medical situation.

Six weeks of hearings were supposed to commence September 19, but will now start October 13 and conclude November 25.

A statement from the Public Order Emergency Commission says Rouleau, a former Ontario Superior Court judge, must “undergo surgery to address a health issue that has very recently arisen.”

The statement was sent to a participant in the inquiry, who shared it with True North.

A spokesperson for the commission confirmed the veracity of the statement and said a public announcement is forthcoming.

In the statement, Rouleau said preparations by his team are still underway.

“I want to assure Canadians of my commitment to completing the work of the Commission in a timely manner,” Rouleau said in the statement. “Commission staff, with the cooperation of all parties, has made significant progress over the past several weeks in obtaining and reviewing documents, conducting interviews, and preparing for the start of the public hearings.”

Rouleau said that while it would be “impossible” for hearings to proceed as previously scheduled, “the Commission remains focused on meeting the statutory timetable.”

The Emergencies Act requires a public inquiry whenever a government invokes the act. The commission must provide a report to Parliament no more than 360 days after the expiration of the emergency.

Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14 to address what he claimed was a “public order emergency” brought on by the Freedom Convoy protests against vaccine mandates. Trudeau suspended the emergency declaration February 23, before the Senate had a chance to vote on whether to affirm or reject the invocation of the Emergencies Act.

There are several legal challenges against the Emergencies Act that have been filed in court, in addition to the public inquiry.

Rouleau stressed in the statement that the postponement was outside the commission’s control.

“I thank all stakeholders for their understanding of these circumstances that are beyond my control,” Rouleau said.

The release said no further details about Rouleau’s health will be provided “out of respect for the privacy of the Commissioner and his family.”

Getting a booster is like recharging a “phone battery”: Health Minister

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Liberal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos compared getting a Covid-19 booster to recharging a phone battery during a press conference on Thursday, in which health authorities discussed the approval of the bivalent Moderna shot for the fall season. 

“Vaccine protection is like a phone battery. It needs to be recharged from time to time. Recharging our protection after six months is important, otherwise, we are left without the power to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” said Duclos.

“When protection wanes, action is required just like a phone battery. Your phone battery needs to be recharged for your phone to work, to have appropriate power to operate and for your vaccination protection to be affected, so you recharge your phone battery by plugging it into the electricity.”

Duclos said that the federal government would launch a “national campaign” to encourage Canadians to be updated on all of their boosters as experts anticipate an upcoming wave of the virus as the seasons change. 

“You recharge your vaccine protection by taking action and getting a vaccination. So that’s going to start next week. This is obviously a national campaign,” said Duclos. 

Health Canada approved the use of the novel Moderna vaccine which contains half the dose of the original shot with some modifications meant to protect against the BA.1 Omicron variant. The vaccine is currently authorized only for people over the age of 18.

“This is the first bivalent COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Canada and marks a milestone in Canada’s response to COVID-19,” Health Canada wrote in a press release. 

“After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the bivalent Moderna Spikevax booster is safe and effective.”

Vaccine uptake for subsequent boosters has declined across Canada. 82.02% of the population has received their primary series – which includes two doses of the Covid vaccine. However, only 49.55% of Canadians have received their primary series of Covid vaccines along with one booster dose. 

Meanwhile, only 12.36% of Canadians have opted to receive two additional boosters on top of their primary series vaccination. 

Alberta’s Lieutenant-Governor wades into UCP leadership race

By
Rachel Parker
-

Alberta’s Lieutenant-Governor Salma Lakhani is coming under fire for wading into the United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership race. 

On Thursday, Lakhani told reporters her office would independently evaluate whether UCP leadership frontrunner Danielle Smith’s Alberta Sovereignty Act was constitutional before signing it into law.

Asked about the Alberta Sovereignty Act, Lakhani said her office would cross the bridge when they get to it. 

“And we will get the appropriate advice that we need, as to whether we can sign whether it’s against our constitution,” she said. 

It’s unprecedented for the Queen’s representatives in Canada to comment on election processes or legislation. The representative is considered a ceremonial role. 

Lakhani said her constitutional role is the most important part of her job and that Alberta must follow the rule of law.

Smith has pitched the act as means to bar federal legislation deemed harmful to the province. She said it would allow major energy projects to get built again, to evade federal vaccine mandates and to ignore federal gun control legislation.

In response to the Lieutenant-Governor’s comments, the Smith campaign said she will work collaboratively with caucus to ensure the Sovereignty Act is drafted “in accordance with sound constitutional language and principles.”

Lakhani said she’s prepared for any backlash from people who believe she should solely play a ceremonial role.

UCP leadership candidate Brian Jean said he’s “extremely uncomfortable” with the Lieutenant Governor getting political. 

“That said, Danielle Smith’s lack of clarity on this issue is already causing a constitutional crisis. To end this controversy, Smith must produce the text of the Sovereignty Act before UCP members vote,” Jean wrote on Twitter.

Toronto Sun editor and True North contributor Anthony Furey said the Lieutenant Governor is attempting to interfere in the leadership race. 

“Whatever you think of Danielle Smith’s policy ideas, this is not OK.”

But other UCP leadership candidates used the opportunity to pile on. 

Leela Aheer said the Sovereignty Act has resulted in a massive impact on investment certainty in Alberta months before it was even introduced. 

“The (Lieutenant-Governor) seeking expert advice on providing Royal Assent means we could be heading toward a constitutional crisis of our own making,” Aheer wrote on Twitter.

“I’ll say it again, Alberta shouldn’t be looking for ways to LEAVE Canada, we need to be finding ways to LEAD Canada.”

Contender Travis Toews said the comments demonstrate “the extraordinary legal and constitutional chaos that Danielle Smith’s proposals could unleash.”

“At this point, one thing is crystal clear. Alberta does not need this. We need jobs, opportunity, and stability,” he wrote on Twitter. 

Finance Minister Jason Nixon said the act is “problematic” and would be unlikely to be adopted by the Alberta Legislature.

“Going around and telling Albertans that you can accomplish something that you can’t accomplish is very problematic long-term for our party,” Nixon told reporters in June. “I’d rather see (candidates) under-promise and over-deliver.”

Premier Jason Kenney also waded into the race to comment on Smith’s proposal, which he called “nuts” and said would make Alberta a “laughingstock.”

“The proposal is for Alberta basically to ignore and violate the Constitution in a way that is unprecedented in Canadian history,” he said on his radio show last month. “The province should be focused on realistic, practical ways to fight unfair Ottawa policies.”

The Andrew Lawton Show | Behind the scenes of CSIS with a former Canadian spy

By
Andrew Lawton
-

It’s not like the movies or even some foreign intelligence services with which Canadians might be familiar, but Canada has a domestic intelligence agency called the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, True North’s Andrew Lawton has a wide-ranging conversation with former CSIS intelligence officer Andrew Kirsch, who has written the first-ever insider’s account of working at CSIS, “I Was Never Here: My True Canadian Spy Story of Coffees, Code Names and Covert Operations in the Age of Terrorism.” Kirsch’s time at CSIS included undercover special operations, some of which he details in the book and in this interview.

The two Andrews also talk about when bureaucracy gets in the way of a mission, what the spy movies get wrong (and right), and how we all can be more security-conscious in our lives.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

Quebec Liberals confident despite low polling, missing candidates

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
-

The Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) led by Montreal MNA Dominique Anglade is confident about the upcoming election despite a number of hurdles it currently faces in the first week of the provincial campaign. 

Quebec’s second-largest party has lagging numbers in the polls, and several ridings with no candidates nominated. 

According to 338Canada, the Liberals are averaging 17% support in the polls on September 1 – which is less than the 24.8% the QLP received when it suffered a historic defeat in 2018.

While the Liberals are still polling second, they are only slightly ahead of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), with some polls putting them in a tie or behind the PCQ.

The Liberals are, however, noticeably outperforming the Conservatives when it comes to seat projections. As of August 31, the QLP, which won 31 seats in 2018, could win between 11 and 26 ridings, while the PCQ could win between 0 and 6 ridings.

The reason for the Liberals having a higher seat projection than the Conservatives is voter concentration – with the QLP having higher support on the island of Montreal, especially in ridings with a large anglophone population. 

According to an August 27 Leger poll, 53% of the province’s non-francophone voters support the QLP – while that figure is down from the 80% the party once enjoyed, it’s still a majority. 

However, only 7% of francophone voters said they plan to vote for the Liberals.

The low support among Quebec’s francophone voters has 338Canada showing single-digit support for the Liberals in several ridings, including some represented by the QLP as recently as 2018.

According to the Montreal Gazette, the Quebec Liberals are seeing low turnout at some campaign rallies, with around 20 to 30 supporters showing up – signalling a lack of momentum.

As of Thursday, the Liberals are also behind every other major political party in terms of candidate nominations –  with the party having nominated 112 candidates out of 125 with just over a month before election day. 

However, QLP spokesperson Maxime Doyon-Laliberte told True North that the party “will have a full team of candidates in the coming days.”

The governing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), as well as Quebec Solidaire and the Conservatives all have a full slate of candidates, while the PQ is only missing two candidates.

Some members of the legacy media have been questioning the Liberal Party’s future, however Doyon-Laliberté says the PLQ has “close to 1,000 volunteers across Quebec who are on the ground, proposing real solutions to address the real issues of all Quebecers.”

“We are confident, and we are focused on a single goal: forming the next government.”

The centrist party that was previously led by now Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Jean Charest, has sought to redefine itself under its new leader Dominique Anglade.

The party is running on the slogan “Real issues. Real solutions.” Its platform offers plans to address climate change and advance social justice causes – such as fighting “systemic racism.” The party also promises to raise taxes on wealthy Quebecers while lowering them for the middle class.

Quebecers will go to the polls on October 3.

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