The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is rescinding its Covid vaccination policy for members currently on unpaid leave and inviting them back to work on Jun. 21.
TPS spokesperson Allison Sparkes confirmed the removal of the policy to True North in an emailed statement.
“The Service’s decision to rescind its COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Requirement was made in response to the current public health and occupational health context of the pandemic and the unique nature of its work and workplaces. Approximately 99% of our members are fully vaccinated and new hires are required to be fully vaccinated.”
“Members currently on an unpaid absence will return to duty on June 21, 2022. Officers will be deployed as operationally required by the Service and civilian members will return to their original roles.”
The TPS also confirmed that recruits and other new hires would still be required to show proof of full vaccination going forward.
The service would not say whether staff forced on leave would be compensated for lost wages.
In November, 205 members were forced off the job for not complying with the service’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement. According to a TPS media advisory, the members had “rendered themselves unable to perform their duties and are being placed on an indefinite unpaid absence.”
The members include 117 uniformed officers and 88 civilians, numbers representing 2.7% of TPS staff. The axed members were told they would not be allowed to return to work, nor to enter a TPS building or facility, until they disclosed full vaccination status (two shots).
Despite forcing unvaccinated officers on leave, TPS continued to see Covid outbreaks at several units, including Traffic Services and 11 Division.
Toronto Police is Canada’s largest municipal police force, and the third largest force behind the RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police. While the TPS, RCMP and many other police forces in Canada implemented mandatory vaccination policies, some – including Vancouver Police and the OPP – opted to allow rapid testing instead.
True North is pleased to announce that one of the brightest journalists in Canada and a rising star in conservative political circles is joining our team. Rupa Subramanya will be joining True North as a columnist and podcast host.
On this episode of The Candice Malcolm Show, Candice welcomes Rupa on the show to discuss her decision to join True North, her reporting on the Freedom Convoy and the state of Canada’s legacy media. They also discuss why foreign journalists seem to be better positioned to cover Canadian news compared to journalists in the legacy media in Canada.
Rupa will be hosting a weekly podcast show on True North starting next week. The Rupa Subramanya Show will focus on the big ideas and issues that affect Canadians, and will feature interviews with guests from around the world.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has adopted dozens of secret orders-in-council (OICs) since coming to office in 2015, including two during the Freedom Convoy protests, according to CBC News.
A small number of reasons are available to governments for keeping OICs secret, including matters of national security, military operations and foreign investments in Canadian companies.
The unpublished OICs – which are hidden from both Parliament and Canadians – are government orders drafted by Cabinet and signed by the Governor General. The number of secret OICs is evidenced by an absent number in the Privy Council’s database.
While Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government adopted 28 secret OICs during his nine years in office, the Trudeau Liberals are up to 72 in less than seven years – with 21 of them in 2020 alone.
Eleven secret OICs have already been filed in 2022.
Laurie Bouchard, a spokesperson for Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, said that 32 of the secret OICs between Nov. 2015 and Mar. 31 2021 were related to the Investment Canada Act. Fifty-five of the Trudeau government’s secret OICs were adopted during that time.
Seventeen secret OICs were adopted between Mar. 31, 2021 and now, but Bouchard said the number of secret OICs related to the Investment Canada Act is not available.
The Investment Canada Act, however, only explains a portion of the secret OICs adopted by the government.
Of the two secret OICs adopted within the timeframe of the Freedom Convoy protests, the Privy Council has refused to release the information.
The agency cited a section of access to information law allowing the government to keep secret documents which, if revealed, “could reasonably be expected to be injurious to the conduct of international affairs, the defence of Canada or any state allied or associated with Canada, or the detection, prevention or suppression of subversive or hostile activities.”
One OIC was adopted between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, while the second was on Feb. 18. The first was near the beginning of the Freedom Convoy protests, while the second was on the day police began clearing freedom protesters from downtown Ottawa.
Conservative Foreign Affairs critic Michael Chong blasted the revelation of the 72 secret OICs, saying Trudeau had promised a more transparent and accountable government.
“While unpublished orders-in-council are sometimes necessary, the number of unpublished orders-in-council under this government raises concerns,” he said. “It’s incumbent on the government to provide a more detailed explanation of why the number of unpublished orders-in-council [has] increased.”
Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 occurred after border protests in a number of provinces had already been cleared. Meanwhile, Trudeau went ahead with a parliamentary vote to extend his government’s use of emergency powers on Feb. 21 even though the Ottawa protests had ended.
Trudeau nonetheless revoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 23 amidst pressure from the Senate. An inquiry into the government’s use of the act – as required by its legislation – is now underway.
Nearly 1,600 Canadian soldiers in the regular forces have quit, been kicked out or faced discipline for not complying with the Trudeau government’s mandatory Covid vaccination policy.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Department of National Defence (DND) also forced 307 civilian employees on unpaid leave for not showing proof of at least two Covid shots.
“The chain of command always has the option of taking administrative action in relation to failure to follow an order,” wrote the department. “Canadian Armed Forces members who are non-compliant with the Covid-19 Vaccination Policy are subject to a full range of administrative actions.”
In total 1,573 members of various military branches either quit, were discharged or disciplined for not receiving the shots. When broken down further, 101 of those were resignations, 146 were discharges and 436 are currently under “administrative review that could lead to release.”
The vast majority had to face “remedial measures” for refusing to follow the Directive On Canadian Armed Forces Covid-19 Vaccination issued on Nov. 15, 201.
“It is expected a portion of the Canadian Armed Forces will be non-compliant under this directive,” the order stated. “Although this group is expected to represent a small percentage of the Canadian Armed Forces, there is a requirement to undertake measures to protect the remainder of the workforce.”
As exclusively reported by True North, unvaccinated members of the Canadian Armed Forces were subject to an “unsuitable for further service” release from their duties.
The release applies to those who “either wholly or chiefly because of factors within his control, develops personal weakness or behaviour or has domestic or other personal problems that seriously impair his usefulness to or impose an excessive administrative burden on the Canadian Forces.”
Additionally, those who refused to comply were subject to future career consequences including loss of opportunities contributing to promotion, which are outside of Canadian Armed Forces control.”
“Examples may include the inability to attend career courses, deployments, domestic and international exercises, and OUTCAN (outside-of-Canada) postings owing to domestic and international travel restrictions and other nations’ entry requirements,” a DND spokesperson told True North.
Police officers and police departments across Canada have voiced their opinions on the Liberal government’s gun bans.
In 2019 the Liberals made a decision to ban “assault-style” rifles and earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban on handguns and even further restrictions on law-abiding firearm owners.
Current and former officers have voiced their concerns about Trudeau’s gun bans and its effectiveness in combatting illegal crime.
Here are 14 police officers and policing experts who have gone on record speaking out against the proposed ban, in their own words:
President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Adam Palmer(August 2019)
“People can’t be naive to the realities of how it works with organized crime and smuggling,” said Palmer.
“There will always be an influx of guns from the United States into Canada… Heroin is illegal in Canada, too, but we have heroin in Canada.”
Toronto Deputy Police Chief Myron Demkiw(February 2022)
“Our problem in Toronto are handguns from the United States,” said Demkiw. “The issues around investing in what you described is certainly not going to deal with the crime problem we’re facing in Toronto, as it relates to the use of criminal handguns.”
President of the Toronto Police Association Mike McCormack(September 2018)
“There’s no way in my world or any world I know that this [a handgun ban] would have an impact on somebody who’s going to go out and buy an illegal gun and use it to kill another person or shoot another person,” claimed McCormack.
Former police officer and President of Wolverine Supplies Matthew Hipwell(February 2022)
“It makes one wonder how a handgun ban would be effective if 80% of the firearms seized were smuggled illegally into the country to start with,” said Hipwell. “I would say that the root cause is coming from the gang side, the criminal activity, not the legal firearms owner.”
Former police officer Leo Knight(February 2020)
”More regulations on law-abiding citizens is profoundly stupid. It is done by incompetent governments faced with a problem who want to be seen to be doing something but aren’t smart enough to actually figure out what to do,” said Knight.
Retired Toronto Police Holdup Squad Staff-Inspector Mike Earl(August 2018)
According to Earl, “A handgun ban is ridiculous and doesn’t address the actual problem of criminals shooting up the city. [John] Tory is looking for an easy answer, but there is no easy answer.”
“The statement that those guns were designed to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time is false,” said Friedman. “I think what we need to do is take out the political rhetoric. We don’t need to have an inflammatory debate. We don’t need to divide people or to demonize one group over another. We need to have an evidence-based discussion on the direction in which we want to take gun policy in this country.”
Former Chief of Ontario Provincial Police Chris Lewis(August 2018)
“It would be unmanageable and unfair to the majority of handgun owners who obey the law and always use their guns safely. Let’s effectively deal with the criminals that do NOT obey the current criminal law,” said Lewis.
“A handgun ban in Toronto will do nothing to abate gun crime. A city ban would have to be a bylaw, and criminals are totally ignoring criminal law, so a bylaw ticket likely won’t scare them! And the “law abiding” handgun owners are just that, and not a threat,” he tweeted.
Durham Regional Police Chief Paul Martin(February 2020)
“From a policing standpoint, it would be a nightmare to enforce,” Martin remarked.
Winnipeg Police Service(January 2020)
“I guess it might make people feel good but it will not change the threat level one iota,” claimed Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Rob Carver.
Winnipeg Police Inspector Max Waddell(July 2019)
“The reality is, if criminals want to get their hands on [a gun], they’re going to get their hands on it. [A ban is] not going to do anything. It will come from illegal means again,” argued Waddell.
“If people wish to get and claim an illegal gun, they’re going to do it.”
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki (August 2018)
“It’s difficult for me to say, honestly. I’m not sure if a complete ban is the answer, or tweaking the legislation to ensure more accountability. That’s definitely something we need to study,” said Lucki.
Halifax Regional Police(August 2019)
“We believe we have necessary laws and regulations in place in relation to firearms. We respect the right of citizens to own guns legally and recognize that the majority of gun owners act responsibly and comply with gun regulations,” stated Halifax Regional Police Spokesperson Const. John MacLeod.
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray(August 2019)
“Banning something doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not going to have firearm-related crime in your community,” Bray noted
“This isn’t … an exercise for us to try and further restrict or victimize people that are obeying the law when it comes to firearms.”
The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) has been struggling to gain support in the last days of the provincial election campaign, with poor performances in the polls and leader Steven Del Duca on track to losing his own riding.
Polling from 338Canada indicates that the OLP is set to remain the third party in the Ontario legislature, with Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative (PC) party poised to win another majority government.
Seat projections last updated on May 30 show the PCs winning 78 seats (up 2 from the 76 won in 2018), the NDP winning 25 (down 15 from the 40 won in 2018) and the Liberals winning 20 (up 13 from the seven won in 2018). The Greens would maintain their one seat.
While the Liberals are set to make some gains after suffering the worst defeat of any governing party in Ontario history in 2018 under Kathleen Wynne, polls indicate that current party leader Steven Del Duca will not be one of the newly elected Liberals MPPs headed to Queen’s Park following Thursday’s election.
Del Duca, who sat as MPP for Vaughan from 2012 to 2018, became leader of the Ontario Liberals on Mar. 7 2020.
Polling in the riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge, where Del Duca is running, currently favours PC candidate Michael Tibollo, who also beat Del Duca in 2018. The PCs are currently polling at 45% in the riding, while enjoying a 70% odds of winning. The Liberals are polling at 42% with a 30% odds of winning the GTA seat.
Tibollo’s lead over Del Duca comes even as the New Blue Party led by Jim Karahalios and the Ontario Party led by Derek Sloan are both running candidates in the riding.
True North reached out to both PC and Liberal campaigns in Vaughan—Woodbridge to ask about their support levels and confidence heading into Thursday’s election, but neither campaign got back in time for publication.
The Liberals’ poor performance in the polls has even caught the attention of the legacy media, including the Toronto Star. Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail ran an OP-ED titled “the future of the Ontario Liberals is at stake on June 2.”
Prior to the pandemic, the Ontario Liberals had enjoyed high polling numbers, with some even putting them in first place. That support, however, now seems to have evaporated.
During the pandemic, Del Duca supported lockdowns and called for the unvaccinated to be banned from LCBO and cannabis retail outlets. He also supported expanding the vaccine passport to require three Covid shots.
It's time Ontario required booster shots for vaccine certificates, @fordnation. This is a measure that will increase booster uptake, make the reopening safer, and get us back to doing the things we love sooner. #onpoli
Del Duca held a pre-election campaign rally on Mar. 26 – a large maskless event in a Toronto Ballroom. This happened just weeks after he and other Liberal candidates had called for children to remain masked in schools.
After holding an indoor rally where most supporters didn’t wear masks — a move @JohnFraserOS now acknowledges was a mistake — @OntLiberal party calls for mask mandates and more press conferences by Dr. Kieran Moore. (NDP’s recent outdoor rally was masked.)#onpoli#COVID19
Some of Del Duca’s promises include mandating Covid vaccines for Ontario’s public school students and frontline education workers, appointing a minister dedicated to anti-racism, working towards a four-day work week, raising the minimum wage to $16 per hour and banning handguns – something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday.
During the campaign, the Liberals also faced backlash after a stunt promising to reveal a big “Ford-Conservative scandal” fell flat, as well as for suggesting that Toronto’s first black police chief Mark Saunders, who is the PC Candidate in Don Valley West, is playing “a game of chicken.”
Mark Saunders put his life on the line to serve Ontario for decades. Meanwhile a bunch of Chicken Hawks in a "War Room" are mocking him. Shameful. #onpoli#ONelxnpic.twitter.com/oewl9mHOr5
Yesterday, Justin Trudeau announced a new bill that would “freeze” the sale of handguns in Canada. According to Trudeau, this proposed legislation would make every Canadian safer. According to the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR); this simply isn’t the case.
Tracey Wilson of the CCFR joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss bill C-21, what it could mean for law-abiding gun owners, and the future of firearm legislation in Canada.
The Trudeau government has announced that in 2023, possession of small amounts of hard drugs including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine will be decriminalized in British Columbia.
Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett made the announcement on Tuesday in response to B.C.’s growing opioid epidemic.
The Liberal government has announced that in 2023 possession of small amounts of hard drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine will be decriminalized in British Columbia. pic.twitter.com/c324sA1pGQ
“For far too long, this wave of loss has been a reality in British Columbia and across the country,” said Bennett.
“Today, we take the first steps in the much needed bold action and significant policy change.”
According to the federal government, Canadians over the age of 18 will be able to possess up to 2.5 grams of opioids, methamphetamines, MDMA and opioids. Those found to possess such substances will not be subject to arrest or having the drugs seized.
The exemption will go into effect on Jan. 31, 2023 and will last until Jan. 31, 2026.
Bennett’s B.C. counterpart, NDP minister Sheila Malcomson, commended the federal government’s move.
“The fear of being criminalized has led many people to hide their addiction and use drugs alone,” she said. “And using drugs alone can mean dying alone, particularly in this climate of tragically increased illicit drug toxicity.”
The federal government has the ability to grant such exemptions under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act if it is “necessary for a medical or scientific purpose or is otherwise in the public interest.”
B.C. has been asking the federal government to decriminalize simple possession for some time now. Their original request was to excuse possession of up to 4.5 grams of illicit substances.
According to Health Canada the announcement comes after consultation with health and law enforcement experts. The exemption will also be subject to third-party monitoring.
Bennett also revealed that the Trudeau government will provide an additional $11.78 million in funding to fight substance abuse in B.C.
Although possession of up to 2.5 grams will not be criminal, it will still be illegal to traffick and produce the drugs. The newly announced decriminalization also doesn’t apply on the premises of schools, airports or other facilities.
The House of Commons is expected to vote on an NDP bill on Wednesday to generally decriminalize drugs throughout Canada. According to Bennett, however, the proposed law does not have enough “guardrails.”
Last year alone, B.C. saw 2,224 suspected overdose deaths as a result of toxic illicit substances. In comparison, the province registered 1,522 Covid deaths in the same time period.
The Trudeau government announced Tuesday that it will extend its Covid border mandates and restrictions until at least Jun. 30.
The announcement comes just a day after the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois voted down a Conservative motion that would have ended pandemic mandates and restrictions at Canadian borders.
The extension of the measures means that all incoming travellers must continue to use the government’s ArriveCan app, which asks travellers a number of questions about their travels.
Unvaccinated Canadians will continue to be required to obtain a negative Antigen or Molecular test before their departure and quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Unvaccinated foreign nationals remain barred from entering Canada, even if they test negative for COVID-19. There are limited exemptions to this travel ban, including one for Ukrainian refugees.
In response to the extension, Conservative MP and transport critic Melissa Lantsman accused the government of “dividing Canadians” and doubling down “with no justification.”
— Melissa Lantsman (@MelissaLantsman) May 31, 2022
A number of travel and tourism organizations had recently called on the Trudeau government to end travel mandates. These included the Canadian Airport Council, who said that the measures quadrupled the processing time for air travellers.
“We’re seeing that we clearly cannot have these public health requirements and testing at our borders as we get back to regular travel,” said Council interim president Monette Pasher.
“Getting back to regular travel with these health protocols and testing in place, the two can’t coexist without a significant pressure and strain on our system.”
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also called on the Trudeau government to end its Covid travel restrictions, including the ArriveCan app.
“It is clear that people want to travel,” said IATA regional vice-president for the Americas Peter Cerda. “We can therefore ill afford to have passengers subjected to unacceptable wait times both on arrival in the country or on departure.”
Many other countries have opted to return to a pre-pandemic normal by dropping all COVID-19 travel measures for visitors. These include Italy, Austria, Greece, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Sweden, Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia.
It should, however, be noted that other countries, including the United States, continue to require a negative Covid test from air travellers in order to enter, as well as proof of vaccination for foreigners.
One day after Justin Trudeau announced what he calls a “freeze” on handgun purchases in Canada, he told reporters his government’s anti-gun bill has no effect on law-abiding gun owners. Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights spokeswoman Tracey Wilson joins True North’s Andrew Lawton live to discuss Bill C-21. Also, Ontario Party leader Derek Sloan is back to talk about his party’s platform ahead of Thursday’s Ontario provincial election.
