New Blue MPP Belinda Karahalios told Ontario labour minister Monte McNaughton to take action to respond to staffing shortages in health care on Tuesday.
“COVID-19 is spreading faster than it has in two years and your government’s policies have resulted in Ontario hospitals and our health care system at large dealing with the strain of staffing shortages,” said Karahalios in a letter to McNaughton.
Karahalios said that for months, the Ontario government has encouraged mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers and that Ford promised the vaccine mandates would stop the spread of the virus.
She said that at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in her riding, 51 staff were placed on unpaid leave for being unvaccinated.
According to Karahalios, the dismal situation is the fault of the government, “caused by a lack of leadership, bullying Ontarians and negligently not expanding early treatment options for COVID-19 across Ontario.”
She said it only adds insult to injury that Ontario health minister Christine Elliott would be allowing international health care workers to replace those who have been terminated for being unvaccinated.
Karahalios demanded Ontario implement a policy to ensure hospital administrators make better efforts to rehire unvaccinated health care workers and to ensure any vacancies in the health care system are filled by Ontario workers first before looking internationally.
“It is time your government starts standing up for Ontarians,” she said.
True North estimates that about 10,000 health care workers across Canada have been placed on unpaid leave or terminated by health authorities as of Dec. 16.
These numbers come from provincial government data and media reports over the past few months.
Ontario has seen 1,665 health care workers terminated for being unvaccinated.
Ontario does not have a mandatory vaccine requirement for hospitals, having left the decision up to individual facilities and health authorities. Staff working in long-term care homes need to be vaccinated, however.
The United Kingdom has announced the end of COVID-19 restrictions – no more masks mandates and no more vaccine mandates. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed the importance of individual freedom and said that the government will trust the judgement of the British people.
Will the United Kingdom inspire Canadian leaders to do the same or will the pandemic and the endless government-enforced lockdowns continue in Canada?
Candice Malcolm discusses on The Candice Malcolm Show.
Truckers from across Canada are organizing a convoy to Ottawa to demand an end to all vaccine mandates.
The Freedom Convoy 2022 protest comes after Ottawa enacted a policy requiring truckers to show proof of their COVID shots at the border or be turned away.
In an email obtained by True North, convoy organizers say truckers will begin a “slow roll” from multiple border points on Jan. 23, and head towards Ottawa. They hope that slowing down major transportation routes will garner attention for their cause.
Organizers want the government to know that mandatory vaccinations “will not be tolerated.” They claim similar mandates in the health care and airline sectors have been deeply disruptive, and they fear further repercussions.
The Trudeau government’s mandate took effect on Jan. 15. It removed the existing exemptions for Canadian truckers from COVID testing and quarantines and now requires proof of full vaccination.
The Biden administration is implementing a similar mandate affecting Canadian truckers on Jan. 22. The mandates have caused concerns on both sides of the border, given that Canada and the U.S. are facing supply chain, labour and inflation crises.
The current vaccination rate among Canadian truckers sits between 80 and 90%. Meanwhile, Bloomberg estimates that only 50 to 60% of American truckers are vaccinated. Layoffs have already begun, which could lead to major supply chain disruptions.
The Canadian Press reported on Tuesday that supply chain issues caused partly by a shortage of truckers could lead to grocery store closures, effectively threatening the food security of Canadians.
There are already reports of empty shelves across the country, something which Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre says Canadians should blame Trudeau for.
“If you walk into a grocery store and you see empty shelves, thank Justin Trudeau,” said Poilievre. “His policy of vaccine vendetta against our hardworking truckers is going to drive up the cost for our people, drive people out of work, and leave us with empty shelves.”
Conservative finance critic @PierrePoilievre says he does not support the Trudeau government’s “vaccine vendetta” on truckers. He says Canadians should thank Trudeau for empty shelves in grocery stores. pic.twitter.com/Wb6BhVqHdG
Organizers of the convoy say the time has come to show federal and provincial governments that they’re no longer allowed to “continue to slowly squeeze Canadians into giving up their God-Given – and Constitutionally protected – Rights and Freedoms.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help fund the Convoy. So far, over $570,000 has been raised out of seventy-five hundred donations.
True North reached out to the convoy organizers to ask when they anticipate it will arrive in Ottawa but has yet to receive a response.
A new poll is revealing just how far some Canadians are willing to go to blame and punish their neighbours who refuse COVID shots.
According to an online survey conducted by Maru Public Opinion for the National Post, the majority (54%) of respondents said they didn’t care if an unvaccinated person died from the virus or became seriously ill.
The poll, published Wednesday and titled “the unvaccinated,” also suggests that almost half (48%) of Canadians believe those who haven’t gotten COVID shots are responsible for overwhelming the health care system.
Two-thirds (67%) said vaccination should be mandatory for everyone five and up.
When it came to punishing the less-than-one-in-ten Canadians who choose to go unvaccinated, support ranged among the following options:
· ongoing restrictions from entering public spaces (77%)
· fines of up to $150 per month (61%)
· having to pay out of pocket for medical expenses (61%)
· denied access to public health care (37%)
· denied renewal of driver’s license (33%)
· imprisonment for up to five days (27%)
The poll also surveyed the attitudes of Canadians who choose to remain unvaccinated, with nearly half (45%) saying they were “defending their civil liberty to make a choice for themselves.”
Another 42% claimed they were waiting on more information about the vaccines, while one in three (32%) trusted their own immune systems. Other responses ranged from opposing the government’s advice (22%) to believing COVID is “just a bad flu” (9%).
The poll follows statements by politicians blaming and demonizing unvaccinated Canadians for ongoing problems with COVID, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Quebec premier Francois Legault and New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs, among others.
Trudeau’s comments in particular have received international condemnation, with writers, scholars and media personalities all denouncing their extremism.
Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) president John Carpay told True North that the results of the poll, if accurate, were “very ominous for the preservation of Canada as a free society.”
The JCCF has opposed numerous vaccine mandates and punitive measures against the unvaccinated, most recently taking legal action against Quebec for announcing it would be levying a “significant” fee against those who choose not to get the COVID shots.
“It would already be disconcerting if even a smaller number of Canadians thought it acceptable for governments to coerce or pressure people into any medical treatment,” Carpay said. “If the poll is accurate and we have more than one third of Canadians who are hostile to the Charter right to bodily autonomy, this is very ominous for the preservation of Canada as a free society.”
“Governments and most media outlets have irresponsibly stoked irrational fear of people who have not had the shot, with the result (intentional or unintentional) of creating a scapegoat for governments’ failed, destructive and Charter-violating policies in the past 22 months.”
People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier agreed, blaming the poll’s worst attitudes on “politicians and media who have been dehumanizing the unvaccinated for months.”
As I wrote a few days ago, politicians and the media have been dehumanizing the unvaccinated for months. This is the result. 27% of Canadians have become fascist monsters who think it’s justified to use violence against their peaceful fellow citizens.https://t.co/CXq3bgeG4z
True North also asked Maru Public Opinion executive vice-president John Wright whether he believed such a poll risked deepening divisions in Canadian society.
“I have been polling for 32 years and have learned that understanding the dynamic of public opinion and making it available to the public at large is a healthy thing for our democracy,” Wright answered. “For those who support a punitive measure there is a healthy group that opposes that perspective.”
“Everything that was in this poll had its genesis from things that have already been speculated upon: at least now, they are all quantifiable.”
The poll was conducted on Jan. 14 and 15, representing an online panel of 1,506 Canadians. A comparable probability sample of the same size has a margin of error of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
As reported by True North on Tuesday, the majority of Canadians currently hospitalized for COVID-19 are fully vaccinated.
The Independent Press Gallery of Canada (IPG) has put out a statement condemning the Parliamentary Press Gallery (PPG) for considering a Chinese state outlet for membership.
As first revealed by Blacklock’s Reporter, media directors with the PPG secretly met to discuss the application of Xinhua News Agency, the propaganda arm of the communist People’s Republic of China.
“Why on earth would Canadian journalists even entertain the idea of accrediting such an outlet?” wrote IPG President and True North Founder Candice Malcolm.
“The IPG, which represents dozens of independent and freelance reporters and journalists across the nation from varied outlets, is calling on the PPG to immediately reject Xinhua’s request to join the press gallery.”
Xinhua has been implicated in whitewashing the ongoing genocide of Uyghur and other ethnic minorities in mass work camps throughout the Xinjiang region. The outlet’s membership expired in 2020, and it has applied to be included in the gallery once again.
Estimates claim that over a million Uyghur men, women and children are being detained and even chemically sterilized. Forced abortions, systematic rape and torture are also common in the camps.
“The (PPG’s) consideration of granting Xinhua an exclusive pass to mingle in the sacred halls of our Parliament is unconscionable,” said Malcolm. “It’s an insult to all Canadians, a slap in the face to the men, women and children suffering under China’s brutal regime and a sobering reminder of how far Canada’s national legacy media outlets have drifted from our core democratic values.”
“No genocidal or authoritarian state news agency should ever be given the credibility and unique access to our Parliament that comes with PPG membership, under any terms whatsoever.”
Last year, at the urging of the Conservatives, the federal government unanimously voted to declare China’s treatment of the Uyghurs a genocide.
Xinhua has also been cited over national security concerns after a former reporter revealed that the outlet asked him to spy on Chinese dissidents and religious minorities in Canada.
The IPG is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2020 by Malcolm to represent and advocate for independent journalists free from state influence. The group most recently made a submission for the federal government to drop a proposal to regulate online content and social media.
True North reporters are all accredited by the Independent Press Gallery of Canada.
On Wednesday, Canada’s inflation rate hit a 30-year high. The price of gas rose more than 33% compared to last year’s figures and food prices nationwide are up more than 5%.
Meanwhile, the Trudeau government’s policies are making Canada’s inflation crisis much worse – their “green initiatives” are increasing the cost of living and the vaccine mandate for truckers will have devastating effects on Canada’s supply chain.
University of Alberta dentistry student Will Teichgraber won his case against Alberta Health Services (AHS) over the ministry’s vaccine mandate, according to a press release by Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC) on Monday.
LCC said that due to the work of its chief litigator James Kitchen and other legal pushback against the Alberta government, AHS ended its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for health care workers.
According to LCC, unvaccinated health care workers can now enter certain AHS buildings if they provide a negative test.
“Will Teichgraber is now able to continue his practicum and is on schedule to write his dentistry exams this spring to become a licensed dentist,” said LCC.
LCC thanked all the people who funded the Liberty Defense Fund which “made this important victory possible.”
Teichgraber was expected to graduate from the University of Alberta after completing his placement in 2022 but, according to LLC, was unable to receive COVID-19 vaccines because of his Christian beliefs. The university, the organization said, granted him a religious exemption, which applied to university property.
The AHS then implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for all students coming into their buildings in November, which LCC said included the dental clinic that Teichgraber was supposed to work for. Because Teichgraber could not fulfill his degree requirements without securing an alternative placement, he approached multiple private dental clinics for help.
The university then rejected Teichgraber’s proposed terms of accommodation because of administrative burdens, extra costs and increased liability, according to LCC. The university argued that the only possible accommodation they could give Teichgraber was to delay the completion of his degree.
LCC agreed to represent Teichgraber after he submitted an appeal of the university’s denial of accommodations to the dean of students.
Unvaccinated Alberta health care workers are now permitted to submit negative tests instead of vaccine passports at facilities that would lack staff without them. AHS president and CEO Verna Yiu has estimated that about 260 employees at 16 locations across the province would meet this criteria.
“I want to be clear, the testing option is temporary and will be limited in scope,” said Yiu. “Only clinical work locations deemed to be at significant risk of service disruptions due to staffing shortages resulting from unvaccinated staff will be part of the testing program.”
Teichgraber could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
An Indigenous woman who filed a lawsuit against the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation over alleged sexual misconduct while she was a researcher at the organization in 2018 is claiming they are now trying to prevent her from proceeding with the case.
“The Trudeau Foundation is pulling out all the stops, employing lawyers across the country to try to prevent me from proceeding with my lawsuit,” Smiley’s GoFundMe claims. “I suffered not only the trauma of sexual misconduct at the hands of my mentor, but the Trudeau Foundation continues to inflict pain by refusing to allow me to tell my truth and support my recovery.”
Cherry Smiley is seeking to raise $10,000 in funds for her lawsuit, which concerns former Northwest Territories premier and Trudeau Foundation mentor Stephen Kakfwi. The lawsuit does not name Kakfwi or other members, but only the foundation itself.
“The Trudeau Foundation has used intimidation and threats against me, in addition to their very deep pockets, to make it very difficult and expensive to continue with the lawsuit,” she says.
Smiley is a member of the Nlaka’pamux and Diné Nations First Nations. She claims that while under Kakfwi’s mentorship, she was subjected to a number of alleged sexual advances.
The incidents were first reported in the media last year. They took place while Smiley was a second-year PhD student at the foundation’s “Summer Institute” in 2016. Smiley claims that Kakfwi inappropriately grabbed and massaged her in a hotel lobby following a dinner they had together.
Another incident is said to have taken place while at a gala at the institute where Kakfwi allegedly grabbed Smiley again and claimed she could stay “in his spare bedroom.”
“She was especially frightened and intimidated given that she required a reference letter from Mr. Kakfwi in order to receive the subsequent year of her scholarship funding from the Trudeau Foundation,” court documents state.
Kakfwi was removed from his position at the foundation in August 2018.
After Smiley brought up her concerns with the foundation’s top brass, she was allegedly accused by former foundation CEO Morris Rosenberg of “blowing things out of proportion.” Additionally, following Kakfwi’s removal as a mentor, Smiley says she was pressured by foundation board members Bruce McNiven and Peter Sahlas to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Smiley says she never signed the document.
“They attempted to minimize the sexual harassment, telling her that it was just a ‘cultural misunderstanding,’” the lawsuit alleges.
According to Smiley’s lawyer Kathryn Marshall, the Trudeau Foundation has yet to submit a statement of defense and is contesting the lawsuit on the grounds of jurisdiction.
“They are contesting the jurisdiction of the action having been filed in British Columbia and want the action to be litigated in Montreal,” Marshall told True North. “Cherry’s First Nation territory is in British Columbia and that is where she resides. Cherry is strong and courageous, and will not back down in her pursuit of justice for what happened to her.”
Smiley is seeking $500,000 in damages, alleging the foundation “breached its contractual duty of good faith and honesty.” Smiley is requesting another $500,000 for the organization having “breached the Plaintiff’s confidence,” in addition to punitive costs of $250,000.
The Parliamentary Press Gallery met in secret on Monday to debate whether communist China’s state outlet, the Xinhua News Agency, should be granted membership.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Prime Minister’s Office was not alerted about Xinhua’s application.
“The Gallery is not bound by any outside political considerations,” Gallery president Catherine Levesque told Blacklock’s. “We are doing our due diligence to ensure Xinhua meets certain criteria and we will be making a decision shortly.”
When questioned further on the state outlet’s application, the Gallery refused to provide further information.
First granted access to the gallery in 1964 by the Liberal government at the time, Xinhua’s membership lapsed in 2020.
Membership with the Gallery allows journalists access to the parliamentary precinct and to question decision-makers in the House of Commons.
Xinhua is the chief propaganda arm of the People’s Republic of China and has frequently excused President Xi Jinping’s ongoing genocide of over a million Uyghur men, women and children in the Xinjiang region.
Last year, the House of Commons unanimously voted to declare communist China’s ongoing mass encampment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities a genocide after Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong put forward a motion to do so.
Xinhua’s operations in Canada have been the subject of controversy and national security concerns in the past. In 2012, former Xinhua journalist Mark Bourrie revealed that his employer asked him to surveil Chinese dissident protesters and to report on “evil religions” – a code word for Falun Gong practitioners – for the outlet.
The outlet was also barred by the Department of National Defence from attending its pressers the same year.
Last week, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warned Canadian MPs and Senators to watch out for influence operations being conducted by the Chinese government and to alert the spy agency of any suspicious activity.
“Foreign governments try to influence others all the time but [CSIS] spoke about illegitimate forms such as coercion, subversion and disinformation,” said Chong.
“This is a very welcome development. For too long, Parliament has been shielded from Canada’s security and intelligence activities.”
Canada’s COVID-19 pandemic recovery is running on fumes according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The intergovernmental group’s Composite Leading Indicators suggest that recovery is set to slow down for Canada and a number of other countries including Germany, Italy and the UK.
“Among major OECD economies, a drop in momentum is visible in the latest CLIs for Canada, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom,” the OECD said.
The indicators forecast economic performance over a period of six to nine months. They take into account numerous variables including order books, building permits issued, new car registration, interest rates and economic confidence.
Meanwhile, Japan, the EU and the US all show stable growth for months to come.
According to a recent Fraser Institute report, Canada has been ranked as the sixth most miserable country to live in among advanced global economies.
Out of the 35 most affluent nations rated by the International Monetary Fund, Canada placed behind Spain, Greece and Italy, among others.
“Canadians are rightly concerned about the country’s high inflation and unemployment rates, and when compared to other developed countries, Canada is not doing well,” said Fraser Institute executive vice-president and report co-author Jason Clements.
Fraser Institute claimed that high inflation rates and growing unemployment largely contributed to Canada’s ranking.
The Conservatives have recently taken the Liberal government to task on inflation and out of control spending.
Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre has been vocal in raising concerns about the state of the economy under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s watch.
On Tuesday it was revealed that Canada’s inflation rate rose once more to 4.8%, breaking past the last quarter’s 18-year-high.
“Inflation rises again to 4.8%, the highest in over 3 decades. And, because the consumer price index does not account for house prices, it doesn’t even account for the 26% housing inflation,” tweeted Poilievre.
An emergency meeting at the Commons Finance Committee took place this Monday to study the issue.
