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.
Toronto’s George Brown College is requiring students to declare that they benefited from the “colonization and genocide of Indigenous people” before being allowed into online classes.
While an IT waiver is a standard document for entering online school, the college’s form makes no mention of online learning.
“We acknowledge this sacred land on which George Brown College operates,” it reads. “As settlers or the displanted, we benefit from the colonization and genocide of the Indigenous peoples on this land. In order to engage in resistance and solidarity against the past and present injustices inflicted on the Indigenous people of this land, it is imperative we constantly engage in acts of awareness and decolonization.”
The form then gives students only two options – to click “agree” or to cancel and ultimately be unable to access their class.
“By selecting ‘I agree,’ you are indicating your acknowledgement of this statement,” the form reads. “Our intent is not to impose agreeance, but to inform through acknowledgement. This acknowledgement is to generate awareness and offer opportunities for personal reflection.”
Recently, George Brown College adopted an “anti-racism action plan” that called for the prioritization of decolonization and equity values.
“In our 2026 strategic plan, the recommendation is to see anti-racism, equity and decolonization values and principles elevated and prioritized, providing greater opportunity for bolder action than could be included in this current plan,” reads the plan.
The school defines “decolonization” as “the process of deconstructing colonial ideologies of the superiority and privilege of Western thought and approaches.”
“Decolonization involves valuing and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge and approaches and rethinking Western biases or assumptions that have negatively affected Indigenous ways of being,” it states.
Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepted an inquiry that stated that Canada was committing an ongoing genocide against Indigenous people.
“To truly heal these wounds, we must first acknowledge the truth, not only about residential schools, but about so many injustices both past and present that Indigenous Peoples face,” said Trudeau.
As first reported on by True North, reports on unmarked graves supposedly discovered at residential schools last year were full of misinformation and erroneous claims. To date, no remains of First Nations children have been unearthed.
In a bizarre video to mark Menstrual Health Day, the education director and associate director of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) have said they’re working to “reduce the stigma” attached to menstruators so that classrooms can be “inclusive spaces.”
Jeewan Chanicka – who writes his name all lower-case – and Lila Read appeared in what can only be described as a Saturday Night Live-esque production, saying their big priority for the day is to address “period poverty.”
Read says they’re “very proud” of the fact that they’ve put free menstrual products in their schools since 2019.
Menstrual Health Day is a global movement that takes place on May 28 and draws attention to the stigma attached to menstruation and the barriers that some have to getting proper menstrual products.
But as Ontario school boards try to out-woke each other, the menstruation agenda now includes an equally surreal gender-equity imperative.
For example, Chanicka said they don’t refer to the products as “feminine hygiene products” because not all people who menstruate are feminine.
“Identifying people who are menstruators, identifying people who have their menstruation as opposed to identifying it as a particular gender is so important,” he said
He noted that Indigenous menstruators face additional barriers but didn’t say what those barriers are.
Chanicka also said there are those who want to make students feel “ashamed” for menstruating, adding that we should all be like Indigenous people who celebrate their periods.
Read claimed that in the past, some students would choose to “stay home” because they didn’t have access to menstrual products.
“We (also) talked to students who would attend school but spend the whole day filled with anxiety because they didn’t have access to products that would support them in their menstruation,” she said.
“We want to be a system where everyone who is menstruating can be their best fullest selves,” added chanicka.
Meanwhile, WRDSB ESL teacher Kimiko Shibata – @ESL_fairy who blocked me on Twitter after I wrote about the plight of teacher Carolyn Burjoski – talks about menstrual flow in a 33-minute video called Menstrual Equity Matters. PERIOD.
Shibata, who sounds like a National Public Radio host, speaks with Grade 11 student Gaby about “people who menstruate” – calling a gender neutral term like ‘people’ “very important language to use.”
Gaby responds that it’s not just girls who menstruate but also non-binary and transgendered people who have their periods.
“Not just women menstruate…it’s kind of pushed under the rug and made more of a taboo for people who don’t identify as women,” she said.
It saddens me to think how indoctrinated (and confused about biology) poor Gaby already is in Grade 11.
Shibata smiled, saying that’s absolutely why period products would be in all washrooms – including non-gender washrooms.
It never ceases to amaze me how easily these woke school boards and their community supporters find causes that deflect from their true mission to educate kids.
But the fact that a school board director – who describes himself as an international activist and who does not capitalize his name – would spend time promoting menstrual equity in a video suggests to me that the WRDSB has truly lost its way.
Chanicka’s mandate is supposed to be to ensure the 64,000 students under his watch graduate with the necessary literacy, math and critical thinking skills to operate in the real world – period – not to be experts on non-gender-specific menstrual flow.
Some Liberal-appointed senators are raising concerns over a new bill to make it easier for Canadian border agents to search travellers’ electronic devices, with one senator likening it to fascist tactics used in Spain under Francisco Franco.
Bill S-7 would expand the grounds for searches of travellers’ cell phones and other devices by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). Under the threshold of “reasonable general concern,” officers would be able to demand passwords in order to access mobile devices.
Public Safety Minister Marco Medicino defended Bill S-7 in committee on Monday, where two Liberal-appointed senators voiced serious opposition.
“I find this arbitrary and intrusive and I don’t think what you’ve said today really convinces me otherwise,” said New Brunswick senator David Richards. “It’s the same kind of searches I witnessed in Spain during Franco.”
“Who gets to decide whom to search, and how in God’s name can we ever be fair or impartial during these searches?”
B.C. senator Mobina Jaffer added that the definition of “reasonable general concern” was too vague as grounds for a search and that it puts travellers at risk of being racially profiled.
“I don’t understand how this will not lead to racial profiling and systemic discrimination,” said Jaffer.
Mendicino insisted that the Trudeau government takes “systemic racism and racial profiling extremely seriously not only at the CBSA but right across every branch of law enforcement.”
Mendicino also stated that he recently sponsored Bill C-20, which would establish an independent body called the Public Complaints and Review Commission to review and investigate complaints concerning the conduct of CBSA personnel.
“I assure you that I am here to do what it takes to root out these systemic inequities in our system.”
“I could give you a lot of examples, personal examples too.” Jaffer replied. “I can’t help but think this is going to lead to racial profiling and to systemic racism at the border. I am very concerned.”
Over the past two years, Canadians have suffered through some of the strictest lockdowns in North America. While some restrictions have been lifted, many Canadians are trapped in Covid purgatory. Unvaccinated Canadians aren’t able to board a plane or a train, many have lost their livelihood and the federal government refuses to lift travel mandates that have caused chaos at Canada’s airports.
While Canadians continue to feel the chilling effects of heavy-handed government measures, the elites remain maddeningly out of touch with the concerns and anxieties of Canadians.
How did we get here? What can be done to rebuild our civil society?
On today’s episode of The Candice Malcolm show, Candice is joined by Dr. Matt Strauss, the acting Medical Officer of Health for the Haldimand-Norfolk region in Ontario. Candice and Dr. Strauss discuss the unreported stories of the pandemic in Canada, the unintended consequences of the government’s lockdowns and pushing back against the lockdown authoritarians.
Calgary’s newly published climate plan aims for all vehicles registered in the city by 2050 to have zero emissions and for 60% of residents to get around by “walking, wheeling or transit.”
The Calgary Climate Strategy Pathways to 2050was submitted to Tuesday’s Community Development Committee.
One of its goals – to reach “zero carbon neighbourhoods” – predicts that “100% of all vehicles registered in Calgary (will be) zero emissions vehicles.”
“Electric vehicles are the leading technology for emissions reductions and cost savings, however there are other technology options that may become a greater opportunity in the future, such as hydrogen vehicles,” the report claims.
“Strategies that focus on incentivizing private electric vehicles are likely to disproportionately benefit middle-and-high-income individuals, so it is critical that the program design and implementation of this Program Pathway keeps equity considerations front of mind.”
The report also projects that “60% of all trips are taken by walking or wheeling or transit” by the year 2050.
“It’s not yet clear what the long-term effect of the pandemic will be on transportation patterns in Calgary,” the plan states. “However, high-quality, convenient and safe transit, walking and wheeling transportation options were consistently identified as a priority in the initial engagement with equity-deserving people and groups.”
“The City of Calgary should reinvest in infrastructure, frequent and convenient transit service, consistent and prioritized maintenance and snow clearing, and improved comfort and safety to achieve both climate action and equity objective.”
According to the plan, achieving these goals will require additional road tolls and parking fees “to shift demand to low carbon modes” as well as integrating GHG emissions consideration into Calgary Transit route planning and services.
Additionally the city wants to “implement road pricing tools” that take into account “time, location, type of vehicle and even the level of congestion along the route.”
To support the widespread use of electric vehicles, Calgary will be implementing fast-charging infrastructure and creating financial incentives to support at-home charging infrastructure, private e-bikes and zero emissions fleet vehicles.
Soon after being elected mayor of Calgary Jyoti Gondek declared a climate emergency and called for the city’s climate plan to aim for net-zero emissions in thirty years.
Scotiabank has apologized for the “frustration and inconvenience” of having frozen the bank accounts of clients connected to the Freedom Convoy, according to emails posted on convoy co-organizer Benjamin Dichter’s substack.
“Please accept our sincere apologies for the frustration and inconvenience this situation may have caused and thank you for your patience while we prepared our response,” reads the letter, which appears to have been from the office of Scotiabank’s president and CEO Brian Porter.
“I don’t believe the banks went out of their way to target clients.” Dichter said. “I believe it came from somewhere else. They didn’t do it on their own accord.”
“My interpretation of their response is, ‘we do not want to do this. As soon as they allowed us to give you access to your account, we did so immediately. It wasn’t our choice.’”
Dichter also appeared on the Andrew Lawton Show on Monday to discuss the apology.
The email suggests that banks were in direct communication with the RCMP after the Trudeau government implemented the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14.
“We can confirm that financial institutions acted quickly to unfreeze accounts after the RCMP notified us that it believes that individuals and entities previously identified are no longer engaged in conduct or activities prohibited under the Emergency Measures Regulations.”
“While most customer accounts have been unfrozen, it is important to remember that some accounts may be frozen for a variety of other reasons, including to comply with court orders or proceedings related to illegal activities or other unrelated legal matters.”
The email did not state how many accounts are still frozen.
In February, banks across Canada – including Scotiabank – froze Canadians’ accounts to the sum of nearly $8 million after the Trudeau government invoked the Emergencies Act to crack down on the Freedom Convoy’s financial support.
Assistant deputy finance minister Isabelle Jacques said, “(t)o my knowledge it is over 206 accounts and the total value – was approximately $7.8 million. We know those accounts are personal and commercial accounts. It’s a mixture of the two.”
The Trudeau government, the RCMP and Ottawa Police have all offered contradictory accounts of whether local law enforcement requested the implementation of the Emergencies Act and are now facing severe scrutiny for their adoption and use of its sweeping powers.
Under the Emergencies Act, banks did not require a warrant to seize funds, nor have they faced any legal consequences for doing so.
True North reached out to Scotiabank for comment but received no response by time of publication.
It’s been almost one year since Ontario rolled out its proof of COVID-19 vaccination system. For many Ontarians, this “temporary measure” has long outstayed its welcome. For New Blue Party of Ontario leader Jim Karahalios, it was never welcome at all. He joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the upcoming provincial election, the New Blue Party’s “New Blueprint”, and why Ontario should say no to vaccine passports.
A new report by the defence ministry has called systemic racism and white supremacy the biggest problems plaguing Canada’s military.
The Final Report of the Minister of National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination includes a 15-page glossary defining terms such as “ableism,” ‘cisgender” and “invisible disabilities.”
Its authors claim that Canada is an inherently racist country and recommends that monotheistic religions like Christianity have no place in the military.
“The failure of the Defence Team to be representative of Canadian demographics is rooted in the system that was created by European settlers,” the report reads.
The four panel members behind the 108-page report go on to cite an unverified claim by so-called “hate researcher” Dr. Barbara Perry which argues that there are “300 active far-right extremists groups” operating in Canada without any evidence.
“According to Dr. Barbara Perry, one of Canada’s top hate crime researchers, Canada has close to 300 white supremacist entities, anti-immigrant groups, and holocaust deniers that have operated for decades.”
On the issue of chaplaincy, the report paints monotheistic religions like Christianity as being in conflict with the military’s equity and inclusivity goals. According to the panel, these beliefs “conflict with the commitment of the Defence Team to value equality and inclusivity at every level of the workplace.”
“For some other Canadians religion can be a source of suffering and generational trauma,” the report reads. “(This is) especially true for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited members of Canadian society.”
It goes on to call for a more inclusive form of chaplaincy that is not based in Christianity.
“Some chaplains represent or are affiliated with organized religions whose beliefs are not synonymous with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace,” the report reads. “Certain faiths have strict tenets requiring conversion of those they deem to be ‘pagan,’ or who belong to polytheistic religions.”
The report’s panel recommends that the military not hire members of certain religious organizations, and single out Christian religious leaders.
“If the Defence Team rejects gender discrimination, anti-Indigenous discrimination, and racialized discrimination in every other area and is working hard to remove systemic barriers to the employment of marginalized people, it cannot justify hiring representatives of organizations who marginalize certain people or categorically refuse them a position of leadership,” the report reads.
“Indigenous Peoples have suffered unimaginable generational trauma and genocide at the hands of Christian religious leaders through initiatives such as Residential School and Indian Day School programs.”
Although it specifically targets monotheistic religions and Christianity, report authors noted that they began each day of their hearing with an Indigenous prayer towards “Mother Earth and her beautiful dress, towards the oceans, seas and rivers and all the creatures who live within them, towards vegetation and land-loving creatures as well as those who fly in the sky, and towards the Four Winds, our Elder Brother the Sun, our Grandfathers the thunder beings, our Grandmother Moon, and our Creator, however imagined.”
As exclusively reported on by True North, the Canadian military has taken a hard turn towards woke far-left ideology. According to one source, members have been forced to read works of critical race theory, while last year a drag queen bingo event was held in Halifax.
The Canadian Armed Force has also announced genderless uniforms and recently proposed a new draft plan to introduce a “gender inclusive” dress code including permitting men or women in uniform to don face tattoos, fake nails, jewelry and dyed hair while on service.
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre says a technical malfunction prevented him from voting for a Conservative motion to end travel-related Covid mandates.
Members of parliament voted Monday on a motion from Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman to “call on the government to immediately revert to pre-pandemic rules and service levels for travel.”
The motion failed 201-112. Independent MP Kevin Vuong and Liberal MP Joel Lightbound voted with the Conservatives. The remaining Liberals and all Bloc, NDP and Green MPs voted against the motion.
The unofficial tally provided by the House of Commons shows no vote for Poilievre, who has campaigned against Covid mandates throughout the leadership race.
Vote result: the motion was defeated. The government still has not shared any justification for their outdated and out-of-step restrictions. #cdnpoli
— Melissa Lantsman (@MelissaLantsman) May 30, 2022
In a statement to True North, Poilievre said he did, in fact, attempt to vote for the motion remotely, but it wasn’t logged.
“I attempted to vote for MP Melissa Lantsman’s motion ending all COVID travel restrictions,” Poilievre said. “I was voting remotely as I was in Thunder Bay, but the voting application did not register my vote as a result of a technical problem. I will be raising a point of order to alert the speaker to the issue and asking for my vote to be properly counted as favouring the end of these rules.”
Fellow MPs and leadership candidates Leslyn Lewis and Scott Aitchison both remotely voted for Lantsman’s motion, the tally shows.
“I oppose the unscientific vaccine mandates. I opposed them from day one and I will oppose them until they are all removed,” Poilievre said in the statement.