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Saturday, May 3, 2025

Treasury Board lectures Canadians about pronouns in emails

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat released a guide for Canadians on how to use the proper pronouns when composing emails so as not to “unknowingly misgender” people. 

In a tweet, the Treasury Board accuses Canadians of making “assumptions and (having) implicit bias” about others. 

“Determining how to address someone you don’t know by e-mail can be tricky. Assumptions and implicit bias may lead you to unknowingly misgender the recipient. What does recovery look like in this situation? Check out this example,” the tweet claimed. 

The attached video shows a hypothetical situation between two people named Alex Diaz and Hamza.

In the first email Hamza addresses the recipient as “Mr. Alex Diaz.” 

“Hi Hamza, Thanks for sharing. Although it’s a common mistake, I wanted to let you know that I’m a woman,” replies Diaz. 

“Thank you for telling me, Alex! Appreciate it,” Hamza writes back. 

“Sure think. I’m adding pronouns to my email signature to avoid this in the future. Alex Diaz Pronouns: she/her,” responds Diaz. 

The video concludesby telling Canadians to consider adding their own pronouns when communicating by email in order to make workplaces more inclusive. 

“Everyone uses pronouns,” it states. “Consider adding yours to your e-signature to promote an inclusive workplace.” 

This is not the first time that the government department has used its platform to promote woke ideology. In March 2021, the Treasury Board published a lengthy post about how Canada is systemically racist. 

“Racism is so much bigger than personal bias. It’s a system of interlocking relationships between individuals, institutions and structures,” the post reads.

“Systemic racism favours the dominant group, granting them an unearned set of advantages, benefits and choices – privileges that are not awarded to racialized and marginalized groups.”

The CBC tries and FAILS to make us laugh

On the very first episode of True North’s newest show Ratio’d, Harrison Faulkner breaks down the very worst of the week on social media.

The show begins with Catherine McKenna (Trudeau’s former environment minister) proposing the idea of mandatory voting. McKenna asked her followers if it’s time to implement this illiberal policy and we break down some of the best responses to that tweet. The CBC wants you to laugh at their state-sponsored stand-up comedy, even though it’s really not that funny. For Indigenous History Month, the CBC is posting indigenous stand-up comedy bits on TikTok and it’s so, so, so cringey.

The CBC also receives the very first Ratio of the Week award for their ridiculous article in which the Chief Justice of Canada’s Supreme Court warns Canadians not to criticize the court for fear of hurting judicial independence. Ironically, the CBC decided that you weren’t allowed to comment on the tweet that you paid for with your tax dollars.

Finally to wrap up the show, Marxist abortion activists demand “free abortions on demand” outside Queen’s Park in Toronto.

Tune into the premiere episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner!

Is Marco Mendicino a fibber or a fool?

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has repeatedly said police requested the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act, even though every police agency involved in the convoy has denied it. Now, his deputy minister, a supposedly nonpartisan bureaucrat, is trying to justify the misinformation by saying we all misunderstood Mendicino – the same cabinet minister who claimed there was a violent conspiracy connected to the convoy but couldn’t give any evidence.

True North’s Andrew Lawton asks whether Mendicino is incompetent or actively deceitful?

Also, a woman denied the right to run as a PC candidate in Ontario has won election as an independent. The newly-elected MPP Bobbi Ann Brady joins the Andrew Lawton Show to discuss the era of the independents.

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Theresa Tam says “we need to prepare” for seventh Covid wave

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam is warning of a potential seventh Covid wave and calling on Canadians to “prepare” for a fall and winter spike.

Tam made the comments while appearing before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health Wednesday. NDP MP Don Davies asked Tam about the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) “assessment of the chances of a seventh wave of Covid” for the fall. 

“I think the pandemic is not over,” said Tam. “It is very likely that we will get some more viral activity in the future, and we can’t predict exactly how big the next wave is.”

 “I think we need to prepare, we need to prepare for the fall and winter season.”

Tam also addressed Covid-19 mutations, including new sub variants of omicron, which she says PHAC is currently monitoring.

“The omicron virus continues to undergo evolution” said Tam, noting her team is monitoring the BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, which she said have increased transmissibility.

Tam also said PHAC is “watching out for some very different variants.”

Tam also addressed vaccine effectiveness during her committee appearance, and stated that two vaccine doses only provide 20% protection against omicron. Meanwhile, three doses offer 60% protection against the variant.

“Omicron was a game-changer, is a game-changer,” said Tam. “Prior to that, two doses of a vaccine for example, had very high efficacy against infection as well as severe outcomes.”

Tam said that because vaccines alone cannot prevent Covid transmission, a layered approach that includes masking should be considered. 

Tam’s comments about potential new Covid waves and waning vaccine efficacy come as opposition politicians continue to push on the Trudeau government to lift its vaccine mandates and other remaining pandemic restrictions.

When challenged on the metrics behind maintaining mandates by Conservative MP Stephen Ellis, who is a physician, Tam said the federal government needs to “make sure they’re protecting all populations across Canada with some of the mandates.”

“You cannot boil down a complex decision by simple metrics,” she added.

Canada is currently one of few countries that continues to require vaccination for domestic and international travel, with unvaccinated people having been banned from traveling on planes and trains since Nov. 30.

In addition to showing proof of vaccination, air and rail passengers are also required to  wear a mask.

As of now, the Trudeau government has not confirmed when it intends to lift mandates.

In addition to Covid restrictions, PHAC has issued a level 2 travel notice regarding monkeypox, advising travelers to two dozen countries, including the United States, to take precautions.

Tha agency warned travelers could face potential delays due to the implementation of new procedures that include isolation. 

Over 80 cases of monkeypox have so far been confirmed in Canada, a milder version of smallpox which the U.S. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) says “spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids.”
A vaccine protecting against the disease has begun to be offered to certain high-risk groups in Quebec.

Pierre Poilievre calls on Marco Mendicino to resign over “false statements”

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is calling for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s resignation over his repeatedly debunked claims that police asked the government to invoke the Emergencies Act.

Poilievre says Mendicino is guilty of “creating a fake excuse” to justify the act.

“It’s crystal clear that the Minister made false statements in the House of Commons,” said Poilievre. “And it wasn’t just about something trivial. He wanted to give Trudeau cover to invoke the Emergencies Act, freeze people’s bank accounts, and trample on civil liberties.”

Deputy minister Rob Stewart appeared before the special joint committee that’s looking into Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act Tuesday evening, during which he said Mendicino’s claims police asked for the powers were “misunderstood.”

“The minister made false statements,” Poilievre said.”If he messed up, then he’s incompetent. If he lied, then he’s dishonest. Either way, he can’t keep this important job.”

Mendicino has repeatedly said police asked the government to use its emergency powers to deal with the Freedom Convoy.

“It was on the advice of law enforcement that we invoked the Emergencies Act. It was necessary and it worked,” said Mendicino in April in the House of Commons.

Stewart, his deputy minister, attempted to explain away the incorrect statements by suggesting people misinterpreted them.

“I believe that the intention that he was trying to express was that law enforcement asked for the tools that were contained in the Emergencies Act,” Stewart said. “My understanding is that there is a misunderstanding of the minister’s words.”

The RCMP commissioner, interim Ottawa police chief, and former Ottawa Chief of Police have all said they did not request the Emergencies Act and were unaware of anyone in their departments who did.

The Public Inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act is underway. Last week, the Public Order Emergency Commission said it requested the government disclose all information that led to the decision–including all material covered by cabinet confidence and other rules of secrecy. Public hearings are set to begin in September.

“It’s a matter of principle” MP Wagantall vows continued opposition to House of Commons vaccination policy

Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall is continuing to hold the line when it comes to her refusal to disclose her Covid-19 vaccination status to access the House of Commons precinct. 

Wagantall was removed from the precinct last week due to her non-compliance of a policy supported by the Liberals and NDP requiring anyone accessing the House of Commons to provide proof of vaccination or a valid medical exemption.

In a telephone interview with True North, Wagantall explained that she is not revealing her status as a matter of principle. Her opposition to the policy means she is unable to enter the House of Commons or her parliamentary office, nor fly on an airplane.

“For me, it’s a matter of principle,” said Wagantall, while highlighting “the right of every Canadian to make their own medical decisions.”

She added that there are millions of Canadians “who this Prime Minister has chosen to really do harm intentionally because they are not responding in the way that he wants them to.”

According to Wagantall, given the fact that all provinces have eased restrictions and ended most vaccine mandates, Trudeau’s doubling down on mandates “is so inappropriate.”

Conservative MP and leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis, who Wagantall has endorsed, shared an image on social media Tuesday showing the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) having a picture of Wagantall on its desk. Lewis suggested the Saskatchewan MP had become “Parliament’s Most Wanted”.

In response to Lewis’ post, Wagantall said the image “would be funny if it wasn’t just so sad.”

Wagantall added that while it came as “a bit of a shock” to her, she understood why the PPS would want to keep a photo to recognize her, given that she looks different from her official parliamentary portraits – where she isn’t wearing glasses.

“I did have an enjoyable conversation with the Sergeant of Arms as he walked me down the hill (Friday). And he made a comment on the fact that he did have trouble identifying me,” said Wagantall.

“I guess this was part of their response to that because that’s a photo from my Facebook page.”

Wagantall also said that she does not have any negative feelings towards PPS officers, who she claims are following orders. 

“I’m very thankful that they’re there under normal conditions,” she said, adding, “we have very good relationships with these people who serve us so faithfully, and I feel safe actually having them as part of our services here on the hill and elsewhere.” 

The Lewis campaign told True North the image of a photo of Wagantall on the PPS desk was sent to them by a staffer. True North also reached out to PPS to confirm officers had been given photos of Wagantall to identify her, but did not hear back by time of publication.

After speaking out following her expulsion from the precinct Friday, Wagantall says she received support that was well beyond her expectations, describing as “a deluge of well-wishes from right across the country… all different kinds of individuals and groups just encouraging me.”

Wagantall added that she’s feeling “very supported” by her Conservative caucus colleagues. 

Conservative Party leadership candidates Leslyn Lewis and Pierre Poilievre, as well as many other Conservative MPs have expressed their support for Wagantall.

Wagantall was first elected to represent the Saskatchewan riding of Yorkton–Melville in 2015. In her most recent election, she was re-elected with 68.7% of the votes.

Restrictions prevented charged Freedom Convoy protester from voting

A Freedom Convoy protester, was placed under strict mobility restrictions which effectively denied him the ability to vote in Ontario’s June 2 general election, a civil liberties group representing him says.

In a press release from the human rights advocacy charity the Democracy Fund, the man, who lives in Waterloo, Ontario, attended the Freedom Convoy protest earlier this year and was subsequently charged with mischief and breaching a court order.

The conditions imposed upon him by the police restrict where he is allowed to travel within the city of Windsor, and the limits barred him from accessing his designated polling station.

The Democracy Fund says its legal team is investigating the man, who they did not name.

“It would have been easier for this man to vote if he had been in jail,” says Adam Blake-Gallipeau, a criminal lawyer with the Democracy Fund. 

“Exceptions for emergencies, essential services and voting should be a matter of course for any release that imposes geographical restrictions on the accused.”

Not even prisoners are denied the ability to vote in Canada, thus, making the police’s restriction on this man’s ability to vote especially harsh.

Section three of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that all Canadians have the right to vote in federal and provincial elections.

This comes after Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich was detained for nearly three weeks and was also released under strict bail conditions.

Crown prosecutors attempted to send Lich back to jail after learning she would be accepting an award from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) for her advocacy for freedom. 

As part of her bail restrictions, Lich cannot return to a substantial portion of Ottawa, though she lives in Alberta. In the case of The Democracy Fund’s client, the man was restricted from accessing parts of his city of residence. 

Waterloo Police has yet to respond to True North’s request for comment.

Created in 2021, The Democracy Fund supports Canadian civil liberties through education and the funding of related causes.

Chair of Conservative leadership race says no to delaying vote

Despite rumblings from some Conservative activists to extend the length of the Conservative leadership race, the long-time party stalwart tasked with overseeing the race says he doesn’t see this happening.

Ian Brodie, head of the Leadership Election Organizing Committee and former chief of staff for prime minister Harper, says he’s confident the party will meet the deadlines set out in the existing rules.

“I was in the @CPC_HQ offices last week, including for the membership deadline in the race,” Brodie tweeted. “I do not see a scenario in which the race could be delayed. Candidates have signed up many, many new members and Party staff are doing extraordinary work to produce a voters’ list.”

“I expect we will meet all the deadlines set out in the #cpcldr rules,” Brodie continued.

Brodie’s comments seem to be a response to concerns sowed by people connected to Jean Charest’s campaign that the party is facing a time crunch that will threaten the legitimacy of the race.

In a podcast interview, former cabinet minister Lisa Raitt, who has endorsed Jean Charest’s leadership bid, said the party was “six to eight weeks” behind in processing memberships. Charest’s campaign co-chair Tasha Kheirridin said the next leader will have “no credibility” if the race “isn’t transparent.”

The Conservatives have not yet released official membership numbers, but a CBC report claims the party estimates it has over 600,000 members.

Only Conservative members can vote in the leadership race. To be eligible to vote, a member had to sign up by June 3, prompting a last minute membership drive by the leadership campaigns.

Pierre Poilievre’s campaign said it sold 311,958 memberships, with over 70,000 people joining the party in the last 48 hours of the eligibility period.

Conservative leadership candidate and Brampton mayor Patrick Brown said his campaign sold over 150,000 memberships before the June 3 cutoff. 

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest hasn’t released membership figures, but has said his campaign has a clear path to victory given the distribution of his members, noting that the Conservatives use a points system rather than raw vote totals.

Each riding is given 100 points, which are awarded in proportion to the number of votes each candidate receives in each riding, regardless of whether it has 100 members or 1,000 members (with the exception of ridings with fewer than 100 members, who get one point per member). The ballot is also ranked, meaning a candidate needs 50 per cent plus one point to win.

In 2020, Erin O’Toole won on the third ballot after Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis were eliminated. In 2017, Andrew Scheer only narrowly edged out Maxime Bernier on the 13th ballot, thanks to down-ballot support from other candidates.

Conservative members will vote by mail, as the party constitution requires. The winner will be announced Sept. 10.

FUREY: Trudeau’s obsession with climate change

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will use every opportunity to talk about climate change — even in situations when it’s not relevant.

This week, Trudeau went on another international junket in Los Angeles and unsurprisingly, one of his top priorities was to lecture the world about climate change.

Why is Trudeau obsessed with this issue? What do you think?

Anthony Furey discusses.

Trudeau needs to put a stop to airport chaos

Canadian airports are subjecting travellers to hours-long delays and none of the myriad agencies involved want to take responsibility. True North’s Andrew Lawton says no matter which way you slice it, the government is responsible and needs to solve the problem, but they don’t seem interested in doing so.

Also, former Air Canada COO Duncan Dee joins to share his thoughts.

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