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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Dr. Bonnie Henry calls B.C. hospitalizations “an overestimation” of COVID burden

By
Harley Sims
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British Columbia has joined Ontario in admitting its COVID hospitalization numbers don’t tell the whole picture when it comes to who is actually sick with COVID and who simply tested positive for it.

With fear of the Omicron variant having overwhelmed B.C.’s COVID testing system, B.C. health officer Bonnie Henry was asked on Friday how accurate hospitalization statistics are.

Henry said that right now, B.C. is counting everyone in the hospital with a COVID positive test as a hospitalization.

“We’re trying to tease apart people who are in hospital from COVID, people who are in hospital with COVID, and people who are in hospital because COVID exacerbated one of the underlying conditions,” she said. “It’s not easy to do that, except by going and looking at every individual chart.”

Henry said that the province is working on streamlining the tracking of hospitalization data, but that automation will miss key specifics.

“So it is an overestimation of the burden that Omicron is causing, but it is a number that we get,” Henry said. “It’s not 100% accurate every single day because it relies on people counting who’s in every single hospital and then collating that information.”

B.C. health minister Adrian Dix also revealed Friday that the province’s hospital beds – currently at 95.1% capacity under COVID – operated at nearly a 10% higher capacity even before the pandemic began.

Dix said that during the winter flu season before COVID in 2019, hospital beds were at 103.5%.

“It’s not just an issue of we have this many beds available,” he said. “It’s also a significant staffing issue, which is why we are taking the steps we are taking.”

The steps Dix referred to involved the pre-emptive cancellation of surgeries in order to free up beds for an ever-expected flood of COVID-19 patients, as well as the possibility of staff being unavailable due to illness.

On Friday, B.C. health officials announced 349 people in hospital with COVID-19 with 93 in intensive care. 3,144 new cases had been reported since Thursday.

As Anthony Furey reported on Dec. 30 in the Toronto Sun, Ontario’s officer of health Kieran Moore admitted that about 50% of that province’s COVID hospitalizations were incidental – that is, they indicated people who happened to test positive for COVID upon arriving at the hospital, but who had checked in for other reasons.

UK media pummels Trudeau for rant against “racist, misogynist” unvaxxed

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s divisive remarks about unvaccinated Canadians have the international media once again raising their eyebrows about his judgment and leadership. 

On Wednesday, UK outlet talkRADIOTV castigated the prime minister for referring to nearly ten million unvaccinated Canadian men, women and children as “racists, misogynists and extremists.” 

“That is the leader of Canada coming out with such polarising things,” said guest and broadcaster Tonia Buxton. “You know we are not allowed to say this but certain things happened during the Second World War and how did they happen? It’s like this.” 

Trudeau made the remarks on Sep. 16, 2021 during an interview on the French-language program La semaine des 4 Julie. 

“They are extremists who don’t believe in science, they’re often misogynists, also often racists,” Trudeau said of the unvaccinated. “It’s a small group that muscles in, and we have to make a choice in terms of leaders, in terms of the country. Do we tolerate these people? Or do we say, hey, most of the Quebecois people – 80% – are vaccinated. We want to come back to things we like doing. It’s not those people who are blocking us.” 

Yesterday, the prime minister also suggested that people were “angry” with the unvaccinated. 

“People are seeing cancer treatments and elective surgeries put off because beds are filled with people who chose not to get vaccinated; they’re frustrated. When people see that we’re in lockdowns, or serious public health restrictions right now because [of] the risk posed to all of us by unvaccinated people, people get angry,” said Trudeau. 

Buxton was not the only broadcaster to criticize the prime minister for his divisive way of looking at things. GB News host and presenter Neil Oliver called Trudeau’s remarks “borderline criminal” in a segment earlier this week. 

“He’s setting people up as being lesser, as being other, as being despicable, as being guilty of things that are socially unacceptable: misogyny, racism,” said Oliver. “And to put those crimes onto people who are hesitant about an experimental medical procedure, I think it’s a disgrace, I think it’s borderline criminal.”

Maxime Bernier marches with Montrealers against “draconian” Quebec restrictions

By
Jonathan Bradley
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People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier was among thousands of people who attended a protest in Montreal against mandatory COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine passports on Saturday. 

Bernier said in a video posted to Twitter that while the temperature in Montreal was cold, it would not stop the crowd from protesting. He said people are ready to fight for their rights.

“We are saying no to these draconian measures, no to more lockdowns, no to vaccine passports and no to the delusion and segregation that our establishment leaders are imposing on us right now,” he said. 

Bernier said he wants to unite everyone under “the freedom umbrella.” 

The protest, called the Quebec Pro-Choice and Free Choice March, drew several thousand people. 

Protestors waved Quebec and upside-down Canadian flags as they marched through the streets of Old Montreal. Some of them held signs with statements such as “Unvaccinated lives matter,” “Free choice” and “Legault has got to go.” 

Protestors banged on drums, rang bells and blew whistles while “Les maisons toutes pareilles” by Les Cowboys Fringants played in the background. 

Quebec health minister Christian Dube announced on Thursday that the province would be expanding its vaccine passport system to require a third shot. 

Dube did not provide a set date for the change although he said it would be made once all Quebecers were eligible for a third dose. 

Quebecers can currently receive a third dose only if they are 45 years old or older, but all adults will be able to receive the booster shot on Jan. 17. 

Dube also said that as of Jan. 18, people would be required to show vaccine passports to buy alcohol at the province-run Société des Alcools du Québec, or cannabis at the Société Québécoise du Cannabis. 

Furthermore, Dube said Quebec would be expanding vaccine passports into other non-essential businesses such as personal care services. This announcement would be made in the coming days. 

“By limiting the places (the unvaccinated) can go, we’re limiting their contacts,” he said. “If you don’t want to get vaccinated, stay home.”

Ontario school board wants to force kindergarteners to wear masks

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Durham District School Board (DDSB) in Ontario wants children aged four and five years old to wear masks when they return to school for in-person learning. 

According to Durham Radio News, trustees voted to make mask-wearing mandatory for kindergarteners even though provincial guidance does not require masks for that age group.

As it stands, kindergarteners are currently being strongly encouraged to don masks. According to Durham Catholic District School Board director of education Tracy Barill, there has been a “high degree” of compliance with the direction. 

The Jan. 3, 2022 motion to force kindergarteners to wear masks was moved by Trustee Niki Lundquist and was adopted by the DDSB’s Standing Committee. 

The motion read “that masking for all students, including those in kindergarten and junior kindergarten, be made mandatory during in-person learning (subject to credible human rights exceptions only).” 

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland District School Board have also moved to introduce mandatory masking for kindergarteners. 

As it stands, the Ontario government’s policy is to “encourage students in kindergarten to wear non-medical or cloth masks indoors in school, as well as on school vehicles.”

Masks are already mandatory for teachers, staff and students from Grades 1 to 12. 

Other school trustees in Ontario have also pushed for kindergarteners to be masked. 

As exclusively reported by True North, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) trustee Lyra Evans put forward a similar motion for “mandatory masking for students in all kindergarten classes” in August 2022.


The motion called for “the OCDSB (to) extend the existing mandatory masking mandate to include students in all kindergarten classes.”

FUREY: Will Canadians push back against mandatory vaccines?

By
Anthony Furey
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Federal Liberal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos warned Canadians that the feds were starting to have conversations with the provinces about mandating vaccines in Canada.

There’s already plenty of pushback from Canadians, including Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

Dr. Jordan Peterson calls Quebec minister “scumrat” for announcing three-dose vaccine passports

By
Jonathan Bradley
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Prominent Canadian psychologist and author Dr. Jordan Peterson called Quebec health minister Christian Dubé a “scumrat” for telling Quebecers that three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine would soon be required for vaccine passports. 

“When will this stop?” said Peterson in a tweet on Friday. “When we stop it.” 

Dubé announced at a press conference on Thursday that Quebec will be expanding its vaccine passport system to require three doses. 

Dubé did not provide an exact date for the change but said it would be made after all Quebecers were eligible for a third dose. 

Dubé went on to say that people would need to show vaccine passports to buy alcohol at the province-run Société des Alcools du Québec or cannabis at the Société Québécoise du Cannabis as of Jan. 18. 

He added that the government would be expanding vaccine passports into other non-essential businesses such as personal care services. This announcement would be made in the coming days. 

“By limiting the places (the unvaccinated) can go, we’re limiting their contacts,” said Dubé. “If you don’t want to get vaccinated, stay home.”

Peterson also recently blasted Quebec premier Francois Legault and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for taking away people’s freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Peterson said in a tweet on Sunday that Legault should be ashamed for implementing the new curfew in Quebec. He compared what is happening in Quebec to the situation in the Netherlands where police attacked protestors and sicced dogs on them. 

“What you are doing is appalling and wrong,” said Peterson. “Have you seen what is happening in Amsterdam?” 

He went on to condemn Trudeau for demonizing unvaccinated people in a recent interview. 

“And you, @JustinTrudeau, accusing your own citizens of misogyny and racism just because they object to your moralistic coercion,” said Peterson. 

Trudeau made the remarks in French on a Quebec television show, saying that unvaccinated people are often bigots and asking whether Canadians – and whether even he himself – should accept their very presence. 

“(The unvaccinated) don’t believe in science/progress and are very often misogynistic and racist,” said Trudeau. “This leads us, as a leader and as a country, to make a choice – do we tolerate these people?”

Peterson has urged Canadians to defy lockdown measures. 

“Time for civil disobedience in Quebec,” he said. “And B.C., which is damn near as bad.”

Each Canadian’s share of federal debt now a record-breaking $24,000

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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For the first time ever, each Canadian’s share of the federal debt has surpassed $24,000, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. 

“The federal net debt per capita was $24,074 at March 31,” Statistics Canada spokesperson Kossi Djani told the outlet.

In comparison, the net debt per capita in 2019 was $17,276. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been hammered by critics for his handling of Canada’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Following Liberal finance minister Chrystia Freeland’s latest fiscal update, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) slammed the government for “pouring fuel on (Canada’s) inflation fire.”

“Years of borrowing means taxpayers will lose out on nearly $200 billion by 2027 just to pay for interest charges on Canada’s debt,” said CTF Director Franco Terrazzano in a news release. 

“That’s money we can’t use to hire more nurses or lower taxes because it’s going to bond fund managers to service the government’s debt.” 

Estimates place the federal debt at $1.2 trillion by the end of 2021. 

Terrazzano has called the Liberals’ spending not just unsustainable but reckless.

“The cost of living is soaring and Canadians should be worried about how the government is going to pay for its unprecedented spending and hundreds of billions of dollars in new debt,” he said. “The feds need to stop dishing out cash we don’t have and pouring fuel on the inflation fire. Freeland needs to hit the brakes on this government’s runaway spending train.” 

Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre has chastised the prime minister for what he calls “JustinFlation.” 

“Half a trillion dollars in Liberal deficits have ballooned inflation to an 18-year high. Housing and gas prices are up by a third,” Poilievre said in response to the fiscal update. 

“Families will pay an additional $1000 next year to feed themselves,” he continued. “The Economic and Fiscal Update is an opportunity for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, to announce an end to the inflation tax by restoring fiscal discipline, returning to pre-COVID levels of spending, and by encouraging paychecks over government checks”.

On Tuesday, Poilievre demanded the House of Commons Finance committee return to Parliament early this year to raise the alarm about Canada’s housing crisis. 

The pandemic is over when Canadians say it is

By
Andrew Lawton
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The shuttering of schools once again has pushed numerous Canadians – even those who’ve dutifully gone along with vaccine mandates and lockdowns up to this point – to a breaking point. The latest round of restrictions is seemingly being received differently, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less dangerous to the country’s economy and its citizens well-being. True North’s Andrew Lawton says lawmakers have started to demonize the unvaccinated to cover up for their own failings, and all Canadians – even the fully vaccinated – have to take a stand for their freedoms.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

As if we needed another reason to Defund the CBC

By
Candice Malcolm
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A long-time CBC radio and television producer publicly quits her position at the state broadcaster in rage, and details the rise of woke, race-obsessed identity politics at the CBC in a scathing column on Substack.

Plus, the state broadcaster gets caught red-handed publishing fake news (again) – this time, claiming Canadians don’t like Alberta and Albertans. However, the facts tell a much different story that the CBC wanted to hide.

It’s Fake News Friday on The Candice Malcolm Show! On this episode, Candice is joined by True North’s Harrison Faulkner to debunk the legacy media’s false narratives.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANDICE MALCOLM SHOW

Trudeau government wants provinces to force vaccine on unwilling Canadians

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The Liberal government is now proposing to force millions of unvaccinated Canadians to receive COVID-19 shots against their wills. 

On Friday, Liberal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that the federal government wanted to have “conversations” with provincial and territorial governments about making vaccines mandatory for Canadians.

“Fifty per cent of hospitalizations now, in Quebec, are due to people not having been vaccinated. That’s a burden on health care workers, a burden on society which is very difficult to bear and for many people difficult to understand,” said Duclos. 

“That’s why I’m signalling this is a conversation which I believe provinces and territories, in support with the federal government, will want to have over the next weeks and months.”

As of Jan. 7, 2022, government data shows that nearly nine million Canadian men, women and children have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Statistics Canada data also shows that the groups with the highest rates of “vaccine hesitancy” include First Nations, black Canadians, minorities and other groups who traditionally have a distrust of government. 

A survey by Angus Reid Institute also found that Indigenous Canadians and minorities were more likely to refuse the COVID-19 shot than others. 

“Indigenous Canadians are twice as likely as those who don’t identify as visible minorities to have refused to get vaccinated,” pollsters wrote.

“Data here suggests there remains a lack of confidence in the safety of the vaccine with three in five, 58%, saying they have ongoing health concerns when it comes to vaccination.”

Canada has never proposed mandatory vaccination in the past despite struggling with polio, flu, cholera and other viral outbreaks.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also stated in a May 2021 interview that Canada would never force people to be vaccinated. 

“We’re not a country that makes vaccination mandatory,” said Trudeau. 

Since Duclos’ announcement, several premiers including Alberta’s Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe have said no to mandatory vaccination. 

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