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Saturday, June 28, 2025

Iranian resistance conference in Albania postponed due to terrorist threat

By
Andrew Lawton
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A global summit dedicated to advocating regime change in Iran has been postponed “due to terrorist threats and conspiracies,” just as hundreds of current and former lawmakers – including a Canadian parliamentary delegation – arrive in its host country of Albania.

The Free Iran Global Summit was set to take place this weekend outside the Albanian capital of Tirana at Ashraf-3, the sprawling headquarters of the Iranian opposition group the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).

In a brief statement, the MEK’s sister organization, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the event was being postponed on the advice of the Albanian government.

“The Free Iran World Summit scheduled to be held on July 23 and 24 in Ashraf 3, Albania, is postponed until further notice upon recommendations by the Albanian government, for security reasons, and due to terrorist threats and conspiracies,” the statement said. 

True North’s Andrew Lawton is in Tirana to cover the conference. Dignitaries from around the world have been steadily arriving in Albania, including former US senator Joseph Lieberman, former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, and many others.

Parliamentary delegations from Canada, the United Kingdom and European Union were also slated to attend.

The nature of the alleged security threat was not disclosed to True North. However, in 2018, the Iranian regime attempted to bomb the group’s annual summit in Paris. Iranian diplomat Assadolahi Assadi was recently sentenced to 20 years for his role in the terror plot.

On Thursday, the United States embassy in Tirana issued a security alert warning U.S. citizens to avoid the event due to a “potential threat.”

No such advisory has been issued by the Canadian government, but the Global Affairs Canada page for Albania does reference the U.S. alert.

The MEK said it was expecting “1000 political figures, including hundreds of lawmakers from six continents” to take part in the weekend’s summit.

Plans for alternative events this weekend or in the future have not yet been announced.

Organizers were promoting this year’s summit as their first in-person gathering since 2019, with the last two summits being moved online because of Covid.

Poilievre ditches 3rd leadership debate, Lewis questions purpose of debate

By
Noah Jarvis
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The Pierre Poilievre campaign has announced that the perceived frontrunner will not be participating in the third Conservative leadership debate in August. Meanwhile, leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis is questioning the party’s decision to hold another debate.

Shortly after the Conservative Party announced another English debate, the Poilieve campaign scolded the party’s decision and ripped the highly criticized English language debate in Edmonton moderated by Tom Clark.

“The Party chose a Laurentian elite liberal media personality to moderate the Edmonton debate,” reads Poilievre’s statement.

“Rather than address public policy issues, he asked pointless questions like ‘What book are you reading’ and ‘what are you binge-watching on TV?’ He played a sad trombone sound when a candidate or the audience didn’t comply with his stupid rules. It was more of a game show than a debate.”

Leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis also had reservations about the third debate, saying that her current campaign strategy is more effective in spreading her message than a debate would be.

“I have planned out an extremely packed schedule in order to maximize the amount of Conservative members I can meet face-to-face and hear from. I am not convinced that a high-level debate will cover new ground, or be watched by many members,” Lewis said in a statement.

“I am not sure what value we are giving the membership through a hastily scheduled debate at this time.”

The Conservative Party announced on Thursday that they will be hosting another leadership debate in August after leadership candidate Jean Charest requested it, claiming most campaigns wanted another debate. 

According to the party’s rules, candidates are not allowed to skip official party debates and will be fined $50,000 if they choose to do so. The Poilievre campaign did not comment on the prospect of a fine, instead focusing on the get-out-the-vote period. 

“The Party’s proposed third debate is smack dab in the middle of the get out the vote period. As we have stated publicly, Pierre’s campaign sold 311,958 memberships. The sole objective of the campaign now is to get new members and existing members to fill out their ballots and submit them before the September deadline,” the Poilievre campaign said. 

The Poilievre campaign also took a shot at Charest, mocking the former Quebec premier’s thin crowds at campaign stops and accusing him of trying to leech off of Poilievre’s popularity. 

“Jean Charest has had a hard time getting even a couple dozen people to his campaign events. That is why he wants another debate – to use Pierre’s popularity with the members to bring out an audience he can’t get on his own.”

Charest fired back at the Poilievre campaign, saying that the Carleton MP is attempting to dodge tough questions and would rather post flattering social media content.

“The majority of leadership candidates, with the exception of Mr. Poilievre, agree that a third debate is in the best interest of members,” reads Charest’s statement.

“Mr. Charest is running to be the future leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Prime Minister of Canada. When you are in that role and honoured with that privilege, you are expected to answer the tough questions and hold yourself accountable to the Canadian electorate – not to hide.”

While the Poilieve campaign pointed to the Edmonton debate as an example of a failed debate organized by the party, the Charest campaign pointed to the French language debate in Laval, Quebec, as an example of a successful debate. 

“The format of the Laval debate was constructive and allowed for a discussion on key issues that our members – and all Canadians – are facing.”

The party’s president Robert Batherson confirmed to CTV’s Evan Solomon that the third debate is “officially sanctioned and the rules will be applied accordingly.”

“We encourage all campaigns to respect the rules they agreed to,” Batherson said. 

Ottawa to “permanently embed” woke ideology into department

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A federal “anti-racism” strategy guide details plans to “permanently embed” far-left woke ideology into Canada’s immigration system. 

The 40-page Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 provides a detailed update on how the department plans on combatting so-called “systemic racism” within Canada’s immigration system. 

Buried in the middle of the report, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada propose that its proposed “anti-racist” strategy becomes a permanent feature of the government department, adding that it should be set up in such a way that it can’t be overturned by future governments. 

“Ensure that the commitment to Anti-Racism work is permanently embedded in the Department’s structure and that senior management will be accountable for results on an ongoing basis regardless of changes in government or personnel,” the report claims. 

“Anti-racism” is a practice predicated on woke leftist concepts and often includes racially-based hiring practices. “Anti-racism” policies often make reference to concepts such as “deocolonization” or that people hold inherent “white privilege.”  

“The conscious opposition to racist theories, attitudes and actions. Anti-racism is not just about being against the idea of racism. It is also about taking active steps to fight against it,” writes staff in a glossary definition of the term.

Measures proposed by the department include mandatory “unconscious bias training” and “anti-racism” performance targets. 

“Requiring employees and executives to take mandatory unconscious bias training and having anti-racist objectives included in performance agreements,” wrote staff.

“Continue hammering Anti-Racism commitments, dedicating resources to track progress and drive home the message that this issue is not just talk.”

Other initiatives include introducing an equity report card for each department that would grade “anti-racism” performance in hiring or promotion. 

The glossary section of the guide also states that so-called “white privilege” can also extend to people who are not light-skinned. 

“(White privilege means” benefitting from unearned power, advantages, access and/or opportunities based on being white or being perceived as white,” wrote staff. 

“White people are defined as belonging to any of the various peoples with light-coloured skin, usually of European origin. The term has become an indicator less of skin colour and more of an unquestioning acceptance of the legacies and ongoing practices of white supremacy and colonialism.”

Other federal departments have developed “anti-racism” policies and embedded woke ideology into their respective organizations.

An exclusive report by True North from Feb. on internal documents from Foreign Affairs Canada revealed a foreign service obsessed with concepts like “microagression,” “anti-racism” and “ambient bigotry” in hiring.  

“People naturally choose people they want to work with. ‘Right fit’ is the central principle and this gives free reign to ambient bigotry and can amplify it,” staff complained in the report.

Joe Rogan destroys ‘creepy dictator’ Justin Trudeau

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Renowned podcast host Joe Rogan called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “creepy dictator” and said Canada is now a “communist country.” Rogan’s rant has now gone viral and has made headlines around the world, shedding light on Trudeau’s authoritarian approach to Covid-19 and his violent crackdown of the Freedom Convoy.

Plus, another group of American millionaires comes to Canada to lecture us about racism and “genocide,” as Rage Against the Machine tours the country.

And the Peel District School Board offers counselling sessions for kids who identify as “2SLGBTQIA+” and get absolutely roasted online.

And finally, the winner of the Ratio of the Week goes to Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie for solving Canada’s housing crisis by building 43 government-funded homes, and then deleting her tweet hoping nobody would notice the expensive price tag.

Tune into Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner!

94 of Canada’s 100 most expensive gas stations are in BC

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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A vast majority of the highest gas prices in Canada are found at British Columbia’s gas stations new data shows. 

As Canadians struggle to deal with soaring prices at the pumps, the Oil Price Information Service found that 94 out of 100 highest gas prices in the country were located in the province.

As of July 20, the Esso station in Masset on Haida Gwaii island has the highest price in all of Canada coming in at $248.0 per litre followed by Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories where gas costs $240.9 per litre. 

The remaining top ten gas stations are all located in BC, including Langley Shell where gas costs $232.9 per litre, Vancouver Shell priced at $230.9 per litre and elsewhere. 

Locations with high gas prices stretched across BC with remote places like Prince Rupert, Golden and Cache Creek also making the top 20 of the list. 

Nationally, gas prices have abated in recent weeks with the average cost of gas at Canadian pumps reaching $183.5 per litre as of this week. 

According to Statistics Canada’s latest Consumer Price Index report, inflation reached 8.1% in June making it the highest spike seen in Canada in nearly 40 years. 

The cost of gas at the pump jumped by 6.2% last month and was a significant contributing factor in inflation levels. 

“On a year-over-year basis, consumers paid 54.6% more for gasoline in June following a 48.0% increase in May, contributing the most to headline consumer inflation,” said Statistics Canada. 

“Prices at the pump rose 6.2% month over month in June, following a 12.0% increase in May. Gas prices largely followed crude oil prices, which peaked in the first week of June with higher global demand amid the easing of COVID-19 public health restrictions in China, the largest importer of crude oil.”

High costs have forced many Canadians to cut back on spending on essential goods. The MNP Consumer Debt Index recently found that 27% of Canadians said they’ve had to cut back on essential supplies as a result of inflation. 

LEVY: Schools aren’t in session but that won’t stop the radical activists

By
Sue-Ann Levy
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Indoctrination of the innocent doesn’t seem to stop even during the summer months.

Even though schools aren’t in session, woke activists are springing out of the woodwork every day to keep radical trans/LGBTQ ideology on the front burner.

Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) trustee Karen Meissner is promoting a “binding” workshop for this Saturday at the Kitchener public library.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term “binding,” binders are what trans or lesbian women wear to flatten and disguise their breasts. 

The Gender Variant Working Group which Meissner is promoting will be providing special fittings and will be accepting donations of “pre-loved” or used binders.

Why a school trustee would promote such insanity for children is beyond me.

But then again this is Meissner, one of six NDP trustees who joined WRDSB chairman Scott Piatkowksi, to cancel and intimidate 20-year teacher Carolyn Burjoski back in January.

Meissner also was part of the coordinated attack against black trustee Mike Ramsay in early June. Ramsay has been sidelined for the rest of the term (until Sept. 30) and was the subject of a Code of Conduct complaint, a costly outside report and a number of sanctions normally reserved for the most egregious behaviour.

To this day, the cabal of mean girls and boys on the WRDSB have refused to release the report, hiding duplicitously behind the Education Act.

Predictably Meissner protected her tweets after her promotion of this crazy event was exposed this week.

Not to be outdone, the Peel District School Board is offering counselling sessions by a group called AFFIRM to students ages 11-14 who identify as gay, lesbian, two-spirited, trans, pansexual, non-binary or queer. 

There are eight counselling sessions and any young student who signs up gets a $25 gift card (for what, they do not say).

There is no indication who from AFFIRM, which operates with a federal grant out of the University of Toronto’s faculty of social work, will provide the counselling.

There is no indication either as to the credentials of those providing the counselling. It seems the project itself trains facilitators.

The process of signing up is a mystery as well. I tried and couldn’t get access. The appeal directly to middle school students without getting parents involved is just plain wrong.

More than anything, this is nothing more than sexualizing those who are only just discovering their sexuality, dressed in the guise of counselling. 

Does a kid at age 11 even understand what pansexual means?

To go around parents and target young minds with bribes is just plain wrong.

$45 million in raises and bonuses for Bank of Canada workers

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The Bank of Canada showered its employees with $45 million in salary hikes and bonuses throughout the pandemic despite failing to accurately predict current inflation rates. 

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), 1,728 workers got raises in 2020 totalling $5.3 million. The next year, a total of 1,857 employees received a salary hike worth $5.2 million. 

No employees at the bank had their wages slashed during the pandemic. 

“Why is the Bank of Canada patting itself on the back and handing out millions in bonuses and pay raises while Canadians are struggling to pay for groceries and gas?” said CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano.

“If its objective is to keep inflation low, then it doesn’t make sense for Canada’s central bank to hand out bonuses and pay raises while the cost-of-living soars.”

The CTF went on to blast Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem for claiming in Nov. 2020 that “inflation (was) projected to remain less than two per cent into 2023.” 

In June, inflation reached 8.1%, the highest single increase since 1983. 

Workers were also awarded bonuses to the tune of $16.2 million in 2020 and $18.4 million in 2021 for “sucessfully meeting or exceeding expectations.” 

“At best the Bank of Canada failed to keep a lid on rising prices and at worst it drove inflation by printing hundreds of billions of dollars out of thin air,” said Terrazzano. 

“The Bank of Canada says it gives bonuses for successfully meeting or exceeding expectations. So why are they getting millions in bonuses when they admit that they failed to hit inflation targets?”

“The Bank of Canada should reverse these pandemic pay hikes and make it clear that it will not be handing out pay raises or bonuses in 2022,” he continued.

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre has said that if elected leader of the party he would fire Macklem from his post for the failure. 

“I would replace him with a new governor who would reinstate our low-inflation mandate, protect the purchasing power of our dollar, and honour the working people who earned those dollars,” said Poilievre in May. 

In response to Poilievre’s criticism, the Bank’s deputy governor admitted that it got its predictions wrong and should be held accountable.

“The aspect that we should be held accountable is exactly right,” said Paul Beaudry. 

“Right now we completely understand that lots of Canadians can be frustrated at the situation,” he said. “It’s difficult for a lot of people. And we haven’t managed to keep inflation at our target, so it’s appropriate people are asking us questions.”

Fully vaccinated senior ordered into 14-day quarantine for not using ArriveCAN

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
-

A fully vaccinated Canadian woman was ordered into a 14-day quarantine after she refused to use the Trudeau government’s ArriveCAN app, True North has learned.

71-year-old Joanne Walsh travelled to Niagara Falls, New York with a friend on July 19, 2022 for a few hours before returning to Ontario.

Walsh says she went to the Canadian land border in Niagara Falls with her passport and proof of Covid-19 vaccination. However, she did not use the ArriveCAN app.

She told True North she refused the ArriveCAN app mainly because she believes the Trudeau government’s policy unfairly targets seniors as many Canadian seniors currently do not own a cellular device.  

“I see how seniors get… segregated in the sense that if you don’t have a phone, a smartphone, if you don’t have the internet, you’re just a nobody,” Walsh told True North.

According to the Government of Canada, non-compliance with the ArriveCAN requirement can also result in fines or enforcement, in addition to a quarantine order.

True North reached out to federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos’ office for comment on Walsh’s story, but did not hear back in time for publication. 

In a video obtained by True North, Walsh was told by a Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer that if she did not complete the ArriveCAN app, she would be subjected to a 14-day quarantine.

“I cannot obviously compel you to perform ArriveCAN if you refuse to do it, that is your choice,” a CBSA officer told Walsh. The officer added that “the current policy… is that we are supposed to issue you a quarantine order at that point.”

Despite Walsh’s proof of vaccination, CBSA insisted that she use the government app. “I shouldn’t have to go through this, no Canadian should. Just because I don’t want to put an app on my phone,” Walsh said in the video.

She was given a letter with information regarding the quarantine order, and two Covid-19 test kits.

Walsh asked the CBSA officer what would happen if she did not comply with the quarantine order. The CBSA officer said he was not sure, but added that the Public Health Agency of Canada could choose to have police monitor Walsh’s compliance.

“They (the police) are out there and about there, and generally speaking they tend to be the go-to for all the enforcement outside of a border crossing,” said the CBSA officer.

The 71-year-old told True North she expected to have some form of consequence for not complying with the ArriveCAN requirement but did not think she would be ordered to quarantine. 

“I was in shock,” she said. “In my wildest dream, I wasn’t expecting a quarantine because I’m vaxxed.”

However, Walsh said she has no regrets regarding her refusal to use the ArriveCAN app.

Walsh is not the only Canadian who’s had issues with the federal government’s app. In another viral video posted to social media, authorities demanded that a quadruple vaccinated 86-year-old man who does not own a cellphone complete ArriveCAN. 

The man was travelling with his daughter, Nancy Stempin. She said they threatened her family with a $5000 fine if she did not add her father’s information to her ArriveCAN app. According to the Western Standard, they ended up not being fined but were warned not to be in this situation again.

Many western countries have removed pandemic-related pre-entry requirements for travellers, but Canada is continuing to impose vaccine mandates and other restrictions at the border, including the mandatory ArriveCAN app.

The Trudeau government also recently announced overhauls to the app, so travellers can submit CBSA customs and immigration declarations prior to their arrival.

Current border mandates and restrictions are set to be in place until at least September 30.

Councillor has pay suspended over Freedom Convoy involvement

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

West Lincoln Councillor and truck driver Harold Jonker has been reprimanded by his town council for participating in the Freedom Convoy protests earlier this year. 

The law firm Aird & Berlis LLP published a Jul. 12 report on Jonker’s actions finding him to break the code of conduct on two counts. 

Jonker was cited for requiring a duty of loyalty to residents and accepting gifts or benefits. The investigation focused on Jonker’s involvement in leading the Niagara convoy. 

According to Jonker, he was among the first trucks to arrive on Parliament Hill, but he did not attend the demonstration as a councillor but as a truck driver. 

“If you’re a member of council, you’re a representative, at all times, of the council,” wrote investigator John Mascarin.

“As a representative I choose to represent the residents who are being negatively affected by the lockdowns and mandates,” responded Jonker.

“Do we want to live in a country where we are not allowed to protest, or some of us are not allowed to protest, against what we believe and understand to be wrong and harmful for our country?”

On Monday, council accepted the investigation report and voted to penalize Jonker by suspending his pay. Jonker is also required to reimburse any gifts he received in the form of food or fuel during the convoy trip.

According to Jonker, he did not keep track of the food and fuel he received on his journey and it would be impossible to estimate how much he received. 

Councillors suggested that a donation to West Lincoln Community Care could remedy the situation. 

Jonker was also denounced by his fellow councillors during the 5 – 1 vote with Mayor Dave Bylsma being the only one to vote against the motion to reprimand the councillor. 

“It’s still heart-wrenching and very tough for me when people come up to me, still to this day, and thank me as a truck driver for saving their life, for giving them hope,” said Jonker. 

Canadian military considers blocking live tracking of Trudeau’s flights

By
Andrew Kozak
-

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) says it’s looking to restrict public access to the real-time movement of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) flights, including ones that carry the Prime Minister and the Governor General.

According to the Globe and Mail, no decision has yet been made by the RCAF, but investigations into flight-tracking websites are currently being made.  

The head of media relations for the Department of National Defence Daniel Le Bouthillier said the RCAF is working with NAV Canada, Transport Canada and other partners to increase security of certain military flights.

“This includes potential measures to limit the visibility of RCAF aircraft on publicly accessible aircraft tracking platforms,” said Le Bouthillier.

“Having the position and movements of our aircraft visible via tracking platforms is not a concern for the large majority of operational scenarios – for example, when conducting search and rescue operations, transport or transit flights, or routine training where there is no risk to operational security.”

Le Bouthillier insists that if the RCAF moves forward with restricting access to the movement CAF flights, the information will “still be publicly available later.” 

“Passenger manifests could be obtained by access-to-information requests,”  Le Bouthillier said.

The matter first came to light when Jack Sweeney, a college student in Florida, who created the Twitter account “ElonJet” to track Elon Musk’s private jet using publicly available air traffic data, published an email from the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) discussing a Canadian request to block call signs to aviation stakeholders to his Twitter account. 

In the email, FAA analyst William Blacker told aviation stakeholders that “NAV Canada is working to improve operational security of some of their sensitive flight data. NAV Canada is pursuing additional options, but has requested several call sign combinations to be added to the Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed program  Filter file.”

The email also included a list of call signs that Canada wanted to block from real-time flight tracking including: CANFORCE, HUNTER, HUSKY, JUNO, MOLSON, ODIN, PATHFINDER, SONIC, VIMY, BUBBLY and any call signs between CANFORCE 1 to CANFORCE 9999.

In September 2021, Toronto Sun journalist Bryan Passifiume first reported on Trudeau’s whereabouts when he spent the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Tofino, BC with his family.  

This was only made known through public flight tracking of the Prime Minister’s plane as his itinerary said he was attending private meetings in Ottawa.

In October, Trudeau apologized to Kamloops, BC, Tk’emlúps Nation Chief Rosanne Casimir for his family vacation in Tofino.

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