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Saturday, June 28, 2025

LEVY: Toronto’s expensive and ridiculous Dundas St. renaming project delayed until 2023

By
Sue-Ann Levy
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What do politicians do when they have a political hot potato that could make their election fight far more difficult this October?

Why they defer the issue of course.

I’m referring to the highly controversial renaming of Toronto’s Dundas St. – a ridiculous project approved by two-thirds of Toronto city council in July of 2021.

It was supposed to come back to council this spring, but True North has just learned it will be delayed until after the October election.

A cost of $6.3 million was affixed to the project, but given how city-run projects always go over budget, that is no doubt on the extremely low side. 

At the time it was approved, an $820,000 contingency fund was thrown on top, along with $450,000 for community engagement.

More than a year has gone by and nothing more has been heard about it.

Proposed new names to cancel the alleged sins of the street’s namesake – Scottish politician Henry Dundas – for delaying the abolition of the slave trade in the late 1700s have not been forthcoming.

Dundas St. is supposed to be just the start of a renaming epidemic.

“Most commemorations in Toronto represent the stories of white settler males in positions of power,” writes outgoing city manager, Chris Murray, a white male in a position of power, in his 24-page report to council last year.

The new name was to be decided by a community engagement group of black and Indigenous leaders.

The plan to implement address changes for 97,000 residents, 4,500 businesses as well as TTC and parks costs, street signage and the renaming of Yonge-Dundas square has been missing in action too.

All of this was supposed to be presented to councillors in the spring of 2022.

When I first contacted city officials in April, I was told it would likely come to the last meeting of council in mid-July.

But the report is nowhere to be seen on this week’s council agenda.

City spokesman Brad Ross told True North the street renaming will come to the new council in 2023.

Predictable.

Why should Mayor John Tory face the heat now as he tries to sleepwalk to a third term he promised he wouldn’t pursue in 2014.

Why should he or any other incumbent who voted for this silly renaming – based on pressure from a few activists – be expected to answer for their faulty judgment as they do the BBQ circuit this summer and knock on doors this fall?

If Tory and his council had any desire to be accountable, they would make the renaming a referendum question on the October ballot.

But their foolish waste of money and the desperate attempts by this cast of boomers to appear “woke” is not to be questioned, it seems.

Delaying it until after the election when the mayor and his cabal of allegedly “woke” councillors are once again firmly ensconced in their seats is not just cowardly.

It is one more reason constituents have so little use for their politicians at all levels of government.

Joe Rogan calls Trudeau a dictator, says Canada is a communist country

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Source: Joe Rogan Podcast / Facebook

Renowned podcast host Joe Rogan called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a dictator and said that Canada is a communist country in a rant which has now gone viral.

Rogan made the comments on the 1844th episode of his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience that featured comedian Tom Segura. Both men discussed Canada, its Covid restrictions and Trudeau. 

“Canada’s communist… they’re f****d,” said Rogan, adding that “they got to get rid of that guy (Trudeau).”

Rogan, who previously supported socialist senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid, said he used to like Trudeau but his handling of the pandemic changed that.

Trudeau imposed strict vaccine mandates for air and rail travel that prevented most Canadians who had chosen to not take the Covid-19 vaccine from leaving the country. 

Rogan said he thought Trudeau was a “good-looking guy, confident, good talker… and then during the pandemic, I’m like, oh, you’re a f*****g dictator.” 

He also claimed Trudeau doesn’t like criticism. “You’re trying to shut down criticism by saying that all your critics are misogynists and racists.” 

Trudeau previously came under fire in January for calling unvaccinated Canadians racist and misogynistic on Quebec TV show La semaine des 4 Julie.

Rogan also criticized Canada’s border vaccine mandates, which the Trudeau government recently extended until at least September 30. 

“You can’t even get into Canada unless you’re vaccinated,” he said, calling the policy outdated. “It’s 2022. It’s not 2019,” Rogan added.

Rogan’s comments received coverage from international media including Forbes, Newsweek, The Daily Wire and Sky News Australia. Meanwhile, the clip of Rogan’s rant posted to Twitter received over 1 million views.

This is also not the first time that Rogan has criticized Trudeau. He previously said he was disgusted by Trudeau’s claim that Canadians do not have the right to use firearms to defend themselves. 

Rogan was also a supporter of the Freedom Conroy and decried Trudeau for invoking the Emergencies Act to crack down on the peaceful protesters in Ottawa, comparing his conduct to China and Russia.

UCP leadership frontrunners spar over Alberta sales tax

By
Rachel Parker
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The United Conservative Party leadership race has been ongoing for over a month, and rivals to frontrunner Danielle Smith finally found an attack that sticks — that the former Opposition Wildrose leader would implement a Provincial Sales Tax (PST).

Former Finance minister Travis Toews, who according to one poll is about ten points behind Smith and Brian Jean, also a former Wildrose party leader, launched the social media attack on Saturday.

Toews pointed to a September 2020 op-ed Smith published in the Calgary Herald, in which she advocated for $5 billion in new taxes through a PST. Alberta “needs a financial reset,” Smith wrote at the time. 

The province was facing a historic projected $24.2-billion deficit, a result of Covid-19 and low oil prices — projections which have rebounded in the face of soaring energy prices amid global sanctions on Russian oil. (The 2021-22 fiscal results show a $3.9 billion surplus, marking the largest fiscal turnaround in the province’s history.)

But Smith’s proposal was especially “egregious” because it came at a time when economic growth was absolutely critical, Toews said. 

“Nothing’s more counterproductive to economic growth,” he told True North on Monday afternoon.

Smith has since walked back her calls for a PST. It’s unclear if she reversed her position at any point ahead of responding to Saturday’s attack. Her campaign didn’t respond to True North’s queries as such.

“Danielle Smith will not institute a PST as Premier – full stop,” campaign manager Matthew Altheim said in a statement to True North. “As a radio host and political commentator Danielle was known for having open discussions about all sorts of ideas. This is not one she will pursue as Albertans don’t support it.”

In her social media response, Smith noted Toews didn’t shut down speculation of a PST during his time as Finance minister. 

“I hope we can agree that rather than smearing fellow candidates for past musings, we should focus on our ideas for today & move forward together,” Smith wrote. “I’m against a PST. I assume despite this article – you aren’t either?”

She was referencing Toews’s comments from November 2020. Just two months after the controversial Smith op-ed was published, the then-Finance minister told members of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce he would consider looking at a provincial sales tax, but only after the pandemic and after further spending cuts.

“The timing is the question here,” Toews said. If the government were to examine the sales tax issue seriously, a revenue panel might come late in its four-year term which ends in 2023, he said, as reported by the Edmonton Journal.

Toews now says those comments were indicative only of his promise to propose a revenue panel before the end of his government’s term.  

“I wasn’t going to take anything off the table in terms of what that panel might find in terms of telling them where they can go and where they can’t,” he told True North. “But I’ve never proposed a PST.”

If the revenue panel recommended a PST, Toews said he would “not absolutely, not necessarily” bring it to his government for further recommendation. 

“We appoint a panel in good faith and we say, ‘You know what, go to work and determine, you know, the most important, most efficient and appropriate revenue structure for the province,” he said. “I think that’s what we do, and then we wait for the panel report.”

It’s unclear what impact the attack ads will have on the Smith campaign, if any. 

Smith appealed to supporters by pointing to the “negativity” of “Conservatives attacking each other.”

“Sadly, one of the establishment candidates has become desperate and has decided to smear our campaign today,” she wrote in a campaign email. “I won’t attack my fellow leadership candidates, but I will stand up when necessary.”

Pro-life organizations united behind Leslyn Lewis, split on ranking other candidates

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Canadian pro-life organizations are encouraging supporters to vote for Haldimand—Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis in the Conservative Party leadership election, but are offering different takes on the ranking of other candidates.

Social conservatives are a significant part of the conservative movement and have influenced the outcome of a number of leadership races – including Andrew Scheer in 2017 and Doug Ford in Ontario in 2018.

Lewis is the only pro-life person running to lead the Conservatives. All the other candidates, including front-runner Pierre Poilievre, have expressed their support for abortion rights.

True North compiled the Conservative leadership voter guides of Canada’s prominent pro-life organizations.

Right Now 

The organization co-founded by Alissa Golob and Scott Hayward recommends that members fully rank their ballots. They’ve graded candidates based on pro-life principles and policies, as well as electability. 

Right Now gave Leslyn Lewis a grade of 80%, Pierre Poilievre 68%, Roman Baber 56%, Jean Charest 32%, and Scott Aitchison 30%.

As for voting, Right Now recommends supporters rank Lewis as their first choice, followed by Poilievre, Baber, Charest and Aitchison.

The Wilberforce Project 

The Alberta-based pro-life group named after former English Member of Parliament William Wilberforce is suggesting that members place Lewis as their first choice. 

“She has been a breath of fresh air and a change from the old CPC script of boring campaigns focused on monetary policy instead of dynamic messaging around issues that actually matter to voters,” wrote The Wilberforce Project’s political action director Cameron Wilson.

They recommend ranking Poilievre as second, Baber as third and Brown as fourth – saying that despite him being disqualified, he is still on the ballot. The Wilberforce Project does not have a preferred ranking for Charest or Aitchison because “both are terrible on life issues.”

4 My Canada

The political advocacy organization founded by TV show host Faytene Grasseschi produced a detailed grading card of the candidates as well as two voting guides, but stated the goal is “not to tell you how to vote, but rather to give you good, fact based, information to help you make your informed decision.”

4 My Canada graded the candidates based on multiple issues including their stances on abortion, conscience rights and vaccine mandates, as well as their electability. 

They are recommending that pro-life voters who do not feel comfortable supporting pro-abortion candidates only vote for Lewis. “By only filling out your first choice, and leaving the rest blank, you are sending a message to the Conservative Party of Canada,” wrote 4 My Canada. 

4 My Canada also provided a voter guide based on their candidate grading card. They recommend putting Lewis first, Baber second, Poilievre third, Aitchison fourth and Charest fifth. 

Campaign Life Coalition 

The political lobbyist group is calling on supporters to only put  Lewis on their ballot because “her unapologetic, pro-life, pro-family, pro-religious freedom platform means she deserves to be the #1 choice of every social conservative.” 

They added that the other candidates are “disqualified from consideration owing to their support for abortion” as well as their advocating of “radical LGBT ideology.”

Abortion has been back in the headlines following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Some Canadian politicians are now saying the abortion debate in Canada should be reopened. Canada does not have any federal abortion laws. 

The next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada will be announced on September 10 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa.

ArriveCan needs to go – now

By
Andrew Lawton
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The federal government’s ArriveCan app is stranding travellers abroad and getting elderly Canadians getting fined because they aren’t tech-savvy. Justin Trudeau and Omar Alghabra claimed it was a Covid app, but it’s gradually morphing into a permanent requirement to enter your own country, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Also, do Canadians want a fall election?

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Pat King granted bail while Tamara Lich remains in jail

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Online streamer Pat King has been granted bail by an Ottawa judge after spending five months in jail following his arrest during the Freedom Convoy crackdown.

King was arrested on Feb. 18 on four charges: mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police. He faces additional charges of obstructing justice and perjury.

Justice Anne London-Weinstein announced the conditions of King’s release on Monday:

  • To vacate Ottawa as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours.
  • To reside with a surety under supervision until he can take a flight to Edmonton.
  • Ottawa Police Service can check the surety’s residence if required.
  • To reside with a surety in Alberta.
  • To be in employment under a surety.
  • To have no contact or communication with other Freedom Convoy leaders and stakeholders: Chris Barber, Tamara Lich, Daniel Bulford, Benjamin Dichter, James Bauder, Tyson Billings, Owen Swiderski, Tom Marrazzo, and Brian Carr. (Unless it’s through counsel, or for his preparations for defence for his criminal charges.)
  • No protesting or public assembly, specifically related to Covid-19 pandemic, the Freedom Convoy and anti-government demonstration.
  • No social media in any form, no posting messages or having others post on his behalf.
  • To abide by a curfew of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., unless he’s with sureties.
  • King must post a $25,000 cash bond, to guarantee his next court appearance.
  • No possession of weapons or ammunition.

King is often cited as an organizer of the Freedom Convoy by the legacy media, despite official organizers distancing themselves from him early on.

Leaders of the Freedom Convoy, including Lich, have repeatedly stated that King is not an organizer of the convoy and have stated that King speaks only for himself and that those with extremist views would not be welcome to join them. 

In the new book The Freedom Convoy: The Inside Story of Three Weeks that Shook the World, True North’s Andrew Lawton reports that Lich told King to return home during a tense conversation during the convoy’s journey to Ottawa, though King did not do so.

King made headlines in May when a video resurfaced in which he discussed “anglo-saxon replacement.”

In a video from August 2019, King can be heard claiming, “there’s an endgame – it’s called depopulation of the Caucasian race, or the Anglo-Saxon. And that’s what the goal is –  is to depopulate the Anglo-Saxon race because they are the ones with the strongest bloodlines.”

Lich was released on bail in May but was arrested in June after being accused of violating her previous bail conditions, specifically one preventing her from communicating with other convoy organizers including Benjamin Dichter, Chris Barber and Tom Marzzo except in the presence of counsel.

The breach charge relies on a photo taken at a dinner hosted by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms where Lich posed with Tom Marazzo. Lich’s defense relied on the fact that her lawyers were present at the event and her bail conditions permit contact “in the presence of counsel.”

Patrick Brown seeking re-election as Brampton mayor after Conservative leadership DQ

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Brampton, Ont. Mayor Patrick Brown says he will seek another term as mayor of Brampton following his disqualification from the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership race.

Brown made the announcement Monday morning in front of Brampton’s city hall.

“I just wanted to inform everyone that after talking to my family, we’ve decided to put my name in again for mayor of Brampton,” Brown said.

“It’s been the greatest privilege to serve the city over the last four years, and I’m looking forward to the next four years.

Brown was first elected as mayor in 2018 and in recent weeks, city councillors have publicly opposed his leadership, even going as far as calling on the RCMP to investigate him.

Earlier this month, four Brampton city councillors, including two deputy mayors, called on the RCMP to investigate Brown’s financial dealings.

“We need an outside authority, not controlled by Brown, to conduct a thorough investigation,” reads a letter signed by councillors Pat Fortini, Martin Medeiros, Jeff Bowman and Gurpreet Singh Dhillon.

Brown and supporting city councillors are alleged to have shut down four council meetings where discussions surrounding forensic investigations into the mayor’s conduct were meant to take place.

“At least one man in Brown’s inner circle who worked on his federal campaign, worked for a firm that received more than $500,000 from City Hall. Staff are unable to determine how this amount was approved under Brown or what work was completed for the money paid by Brampton taxpayers,” wrote the four councillors.

They claim that there are multiple other “questionable” city contracts and evidence linked to Brown’s Conservative Party of Canada leadership campaign.

On July 5, the Conservative party’s Leadership Election Organizing Committee disqualified Brown for alleged violations of financial provisions of the Canada Election Act, as well as the rules of the leadership race.

Brown’s former campaign regional organizer Debbie Jodoin alleged that the Brown campaign was paying her through a corporation, which is prohibited by Canada’s election laws.

During Monday’s announcement, Brown told reporters that the Conservative party did not want to have a “free and fair election.” He said he is still reviewing his legal options to “expose” the party.

Jermaine Chambers, Vidya Sagar Gautam and Cody Vatcher have also announced their intentions to run for Brampton mayor.

UCP leadership candidate attended Stampede pancake breakfast with Trudeau

By
Rachel Parker
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United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership candidate Leela Aheer attended a Calgary Stampede pancake breakfast with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — but she won’t say if she frequented the event to campaign for the Alberta premiership. 

The event was hosted by Liberal MP George Chahal on July 10.

Aheer did not post photos of herself at the event, but shared a photo taken with a supporter in a crowd at the same location as the breakfast.

According to Aheer’s campaign manager Sarah Biggs, the UCP MLA was invited to the event by Chahal, one of Aheer’s childhood friends.

Biggs said she was unaware if Aheer used the event to collect nomination signatures or to campaign for leadership votes. Aheer would contact True North directly to answer such questions, Biggs said on Thursday. 

However, Aheer did not contact True North or respond to multiple requests for comments on Thursday and Friday. 

Aheer is considered to be the most progressive candidate in the UCP leadership race. She called the overturning of Roe v Wade “devastating” and has defended Covid restrictions. She also told the Calgary Herald that moderate Conservatives must purchase UCP memberships or the race may already be over, with the victory going to libertarian Danielle Smith. 

Trudeau spent Sunday in Calgary where he attended the breakfast, visited the Stampede grounds and spoke at a Liberal fundraiser. The legacy media reported that the prime minister was “mobbed” by supporters, but onlookers booing Trudeau are audible in videos of the event. 

The Trudeau Liberals are remarkably unpopular in Alberta. They hold just two seats in the province. Prior to the 2021 federal election, they held no seats. 

Biggs said Aheer did not attend the event for Trudeau, but to meet with “local leaders.” She also said people from both sides of the political spectrum must gather. 

“At some point, we need to stop putting barriers between Conservatives and Liberals,” Biggs said.

A spokesperson for Chahal told True North the event was public and the prime minister wasn’t advertised. The spokesperson declined to comment on Aheer’s reasons for attending, saying Chahal wouldn’t want to speculate on “anybody’s intention for being there.”

“I’m not aware of other leadership candidates being there,” the spokesperson said.  

Aheer is one of the few candidates who has not yet submitted her official leadership application ahead of next week’s cutoff. Candidates must submit 1,000 signatures and $75,000 by Wednesday’s deadline.

19 firefighters sue Calgary for $38 million over vaccine mandate

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Nearly two dozen firefighters are taking the Calgary Fire Department to court over allegations that the city’s vaccine mandate violated their human rights. 

According to LifeSiteNews, 19 unvaccinated firefighters are demanding $38 million in damages.

“There’s something tyrannical about these mandates. We can’t identity everybody behind it, but what we can do is hold people accountable, like the fire chief, politicians, city managers. Those people are responsible for their actions,” said Stephen Dabbagh who is leading the lawsuit. 

Dabbagh who has worked for two decades as a firefighter was forced to resign from the department on Dec. 8, 2021.

A statement of claim to the Court of Queens Bench of Alberta details $2 million in damages for mental stress and Charter violations as well as violations under the Criminal Code. 

“By forcing its loyal employees to take experimental injections as a requisite to employment, the City has breached its legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to its Employees contrary to section 217.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada,” the lawsuit reads.

“The Plaintiffs have suffered measurable damages, including mental distress, anxiety, and, in particular, injury to dignity and self-respect. The Plaintiffs are therefore entitled to significant damages due to the manner in which the City suspended their employment, including a claim for punitive aggravated damages arising from flagrant human rights and Charter violations.”

A vaccine mandate was introduced by the City of Calgary in Oct. 2021. All city employees were required to show proof of vaccination, take frequent tests or provide a medically approved exemption. 

“The law says we have these rights (to refuse the jabs via Canada’s Charter) even if they are not being upheld by the courts,” Dabbagh said.

“For me, it is using every avenue to fight against the political and ideology tyranny of these mandates. … These medications, or whatever they are called, are not safe and did not work.”

Lawyer Leighton Grey is currently representing the group. The City of Calgary declined an opportunity to provide comment, citing the fact that the matter is currently before the courts. 

“The city of Calgary through its vaccine mandate has violated the human rights of the workers by discriminating against them on the basis of religion, and arbitrary discrimination against one’s medical choice,” Grey told LifeSiteNews.

“We are seeking a declaration from the court that this (jab mandates) violates their human rights as per the charter.  We are asking the court to recognize that these vaccine mandates violate, rights.”

Who will be Alberta’s next premier?

By
Andrew Lawton
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The United Conservative Party’s leadership race is heating up, with members eager to decide who will become the next premier of Alberta. Andrew Lawton was joined by True North’s new Alberta correspondent Rachel Emmanuel to break down the race so far. Plus, what issues will matter most in a general election, and have Albertans forgiven Danielle Smith?

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