Austria has become the first western country to mandate vaccination against COVID, threatening unvaccinated citizens with fines and even jail time while implementing a sweeping nation-wide lockdown. True North’s Andrew Lawton, who just returned from a pre-lockdown holiday in Austria, says once government has decided citizens don’t have rights, what they do is just a matter of degrees, arguing there’s no reason the same thing couldn’t happen elsewhere, including in Canada.
Also, SecondStreet.org president Colin Craig joins to explain why carbon dioxide might not be the bogeyman it’s made out to be.
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole accused woke climate activist David Suzuki of undemocratic language and inciting terrorism against energy workers.
O’Toole was responding to comments Suzuki made on Saturday, in which the activist said, “there are going to be pipelines blown up if our leaders don’t pay attention to what is going on.”
Speaking to CHEK News in Victoria, British Columbia on Saturday during an Extinction Rebellion protest, Suzuki said that Canada is in “deep, deep doo doo” and that “this is what we’ve come to.”
On Monday, O’Toole took to Twitter to condemn Suzuki’s comments and call on fellow politicians to do the same.
“This type of rhetoric is dangerous and undemocratic,” O’Toole said on Twitter. “It implies that energy workers and infrastructure should be targets for acts of terrorism.”
In response to the fallout from Suzuki’s reckless comments, the foundation that bears the activists’ name, the David Suzuki Foundation issued a statement on Twitter Monday to distance themselves from Suzuki’s comments and to clarify that he did not issue a threat to destroy natural resource infrastructure.
“When David speaks publicly, he speaks on his own behalf – not for the David Suzuki Foundation,” the foundation tweeted.
“We have been in touch with David: he has confirmed that this comment was NOT a direct threat to destroy fossil fuel infrastructure.”
This isn’t the first time the woke climate activist’s comments have upset Canadians.
Suzuki once said that humans are “maggots” that “defecate all over the earth.”
He also called for an end to immigration, claiming our program is “disgusting” and that “Canada is full.”
Suzuki also once told students at McGill University that politicians who won’t meet his standards of “climate activism” should be incarcerated. He challenged students to find a “way of throwing our so-called leaders into jail.”
As of the time of this article being published, neither Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nor Jagmeet Singh has issued any condemnation of Suzuki’s comments.
A Brampton, Ont. pediatrician reprimanded by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for her anti-lockdown tweets is asking the court to weigh in on her censure.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Dr. Kulvinder Kaur Gill is rejecting the College’s warnings about her social media posts as an infringement on freedom of expression that goes beyond the scope of the CPSO’s mandate.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Sandra Nishikawa said Dr. Gill’s free speech claim is premature, and could only be subject to judicial review after the case has gone through the regulator’s internal process.
“After the hearing and a decision by the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, the unsuccessful party would be able to seek judicial review,” Justice Nishikawa said.
The CPSO launched an investigation after receiving multiple complaints about Dr. Gill’s tweets. The CPSO determined at a hearing in February it would caution her about a supposed lack of professionalism and carelessness in her social media posts.
One of Dr. Gill’s tweets cited in the complaint was a 2020 post in which she criticized the Ontario government’s lockdown measures.
“There is absolutely no medical or scientific reason for this prolonged, harmful and illogical lockdown,” she said.
The CPSO said this tweet was inappropriate and unprofessional.
“She stated unequivocally and without providing any evidence that there is no medical or scientific reason for the lockdown,” the CPSO said. “Her statement does not align with the information coming from public health, and moreover, it is not accurate.”
Another tweet mentioned in the complaint was from 2020 questioning the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.
“If you have not yet figured out that we don’t need a vaccine, you are not paying attention,” she said.
The CPSO said that this tweet is irresponsible and a potential risk to public health.
“The respondent did not provide any evidence to support her statement indicating that a vaccine is not necessary,” they said. “It would be expected and understandable if a certain proportion of the general public who read this statement decided to decline the vaccine with the assurance that they were acting on the guidance of a physician.”
Dr. Gill is not the only doctor the CPSO has investigated since the start of the pandemic.
In November, the regulator cracked down on opposition to vaccines by filing claims against four doctors with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Nov. 3.
The CPSO said in a statement that they are trying to compel Drs. Celeste Jean Thirlwell,. Mary Elizabeth O’Connor, Mark Raymond Trozzi and Rochagne Kilian to comply with ongoing investigations into their practices, including how they issued medical exemptions for vaccines and testing.
“In all four cases, the court filings indicate that their respective investigations were commenced following receipt of information, which includes copies of inappropriately issued exemptions,” they said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the not-guilty verdict “another failure by a broken system designed to protect some and hurt others.”
But the facts of the case clearly showed that Rittenhouse was acting in self defence. Why would a Canadian elected official comment on the jury decision of a court case in another country?
On today’s episode of Candice Malcolm Show, Candice is joined by Toronto-area scholar and writer Samuel Sey. They discuss why this case was so politicized, police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, and why some criminals use BLM as an opportunity to loot and riot. Sey also discusses what he calls “Black Privilege” and “Leftist Privilege.”
A new Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) guide on gender identity directs teachers to accommodate students who wish to use the opposite sex’s change rooms, affirming that “self-identification” is the only determinant of a student’s gender.
The 42-page Gender Identity and Gender Expression: Fostering inclusive learning environments for all students document will be presented before the OCDSB’s Advisory Committee on Equity on Thursday, November 25, 2021.
The guide is described by the OCDSB as setting out the board’s guidelines on gender identity “to help result in consistent practice across the District.” A similar but briefer guide was released by the OCDSB in 2016.
“Every person has the right to define their own gender identity. A person’s self-identification is the sole measure for their gender,” the document claims.
“Self-identification” is the practice of referring to yourself based on the gender you identify with, irrespective of your sex. According to the OCDSB, how students self-identify at any given moment should inform how teachers interact and accommodate them.
The guide, which is meant as a resource for teachers to guide their interactions with LGBTQ and other students, explicitly states that parental/guardian permission is not required for students who request accommodations for their gender identity.
“Trans, Two-Spirit, and gender diverse people are the experts in their own identities and experiences, and school staff must follow students’ leads regarding the spaces and language that are most comfortable for them at any time,” the OCDSB writes.
“School staff shall not share a student’s trans or gender diverse status with family members or guardians without explicit permission of the student. A student’s gender identity will only be disclosed to another person on a need-to-know basis.”
Other accommodations including changing school records based on how students self-identify are also discussed in the guide.
“Changes to official records do not require consent from parents/guardians/caregivers/guardians; however, legal guardians of a student have the right to access the student’s records.”
Educators at the OCDSB are also being instructed that students “have the right to a safe-change room that corresponds to their gender identity.”
“Likewise, a trans student’s gendered washroom use should not be monitored or questioned by school staff or peers. For example, a trans male student who feels safest or most comfortable using the girls washroom based on his gender expression, or relationship with peers should not be prevented from doing so.”
In a “guiding questions” portion of the document, teachers are asked to pose a number of questions to students pertaining to hiding their gender identities or transitions from their parents or guardians.”
“What is your plan if your parent or guardian found out about your gender identity, expression, or this request unintentionally?” teachers are encouraged to ask.
“Staff are not encouraged to lie on a students’ behalf, but it may be helpful to plan with the student ahead of time what this situation could look like,” the OCDSB writes.
As exclusively reported by True North, the OCDSB has made several controversial statements including most recently saying that singing O Canada was “distasteful and should be replaced.”
As the Canadian government prepares to launch a vaccination campaign targeting children as young as five, Health Canada has revealed that six kids under the age of 15 have died from the virus.
The number was revealed in a statement given to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“There were six Covid-related deaths reported in Canada among individuals between 0 and 14 years old,” Health Canada spokesperson Anne Génier told the outlet.
On November 19, the department approved the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine for kids as young as five after a month-long review period.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has stated that it is “probably going to be quite difficult” to convince Canadians to vaccine their young children.
“There are parts of the country that are still under-vaccinated,” said chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.
“We do know parents who are unvaccinated. It’s probably going to be quite difficult to convince them their kids need to be vaccinated.”
As explained by True North founder Candice Malcolm, the data doesn’t back up the government’s child vaccination strategy.
According to Health Canada statistics, only 2% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 were under the age of 20. To date, there have only been 17 COVID-related deaths in Canada when including children and teenagers.
“The science shows us that COVID is not a deadly virus for kids,” writes Malcolm.
“So why are we going into overdrive with protective measures for kids? Mask mandates at schools, rules preventing kids from talking during their lunch break, social distancing measures and at-home virtual learning — all of these have negative impacts on a child’s ability to communicate, learn and enjoy their precious childhoods.”
For many Canadians, Christmas may be a challenging time as a result of ongoing supply chain issues and severe labour shortages.
According to a report by Express Employment Professionals, the combination of high demand, labour shortages and supply chain issues will lead to the “perfect storm” this Christmas season.
In its report, Express indicates that in addition to supply chain delays, the biggest issue for Canadians is a shortage of jobs in the supply chain network.
James Norris, an Express franchise owner in London, Ont., says that he is seeing shortages in truck drivers, warehouse workers, pick and packers and forklift operators.
“Even with sign-on bonuses being offered and wages increasing, shortages in these job categories persist,” Norris says.
According to another Express franchise owner in Alberta, the labour shortage mostly impacts companies that sell furniture, automotive-related parts and goods, construction materials, cleaning supplies and home appliances.
As the labour shortage continues to impact businesses, holiday spending this year is set to increase by at least 14% from last year according to a survey from the Retail Council of Canada. The survey also indicates that Canadians are shopping earlier due to supply chain-related fears.
Express is optimistic that Canadian businesses can overcome the dire economic situation. In their report, they indicate that the supply chain crisis may lead to Canadian companies sourcing more goods within Canada to bypass the global supply chain crisis.
“The only way for companies to try and avoid this is to source materials and products from local companies that will not have these challenges in getting the products and materials to them,” Norris says.
Canadians could face negative economic effects for some time. According to the auditing firm RSM Canada, Canadian businesses can expect disruptions such as port closures, factories shutting down, production halts and labour shortages well into the year 2022.
“In addition to these supply chain challenges, the re-elected Liberal government will need to address declining participation rates and the ongoing labour shortage, which will likely remain a key issue for the economy in the short-to-medium term,” said RSM Canada projects and economics partner Alex Kotsopoulos in a news release.
Hundreds of lawyers and thousands of concerned citizens have signed onto a declaration to end vaccine mandates and passports.
To date, the Free North Declaration has garnered signatures from 245 legal professionals across Canada and 23,285 concerned citizens.
“We are Canadian lawyers. In our country, civil liberties are under unprecedented attack. Governments, public health authorities, universities, public and private employers, municipalities, and businesses are trampling Canadians’ rights and freedoms. Our free society is at risk,” the declaration reads.
“Covid rules restrict citizens’ abilities to work, shop, travel and socialize. They erode civil liberties strategically, attempting to not run afoul of the law or to trigger protections in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms such as liberty and security of the person, the freedoms of association, assembly, expression, conscience, religion, and mobility rights.”
Among those who signed the letter are several prominent Canadians who have spoken out against COVID-19 restrictions, including lawyers Bruce Pardy and Lisa Bildy.
The declaration also accuses medical regulators of becoming dictatorial and squashing dissenting opinions to the dominant COVID-19 narrative.
“We are appalled by what is happening in our country. We call for the immediate end of vaccine passports and mandates. We propose a public inquiry into the handling of all aspects of the declared pandemic,” the declaration states.
“Canadians should have control of their own lives and have the right to make their own decisions about their health, medical treatments, personal information, travels, and associations. Canada is supposed to be a free country governed by the rule of law. Restore it now or risk losing it for good.”
Other similar declarations have been put forward in Canada and elsewhere. In October 2020, thousands of scientists, medical professionals and academics signed the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for an end to lockdowns and proposed an approach to focus on those most vulnerable to severe virus outcomes.
To date the declaration counts over 870,000 signatories from a wide array of fields and professions.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reopened Roxham Road to illegal border crossers after the unauthorized point of entry was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to CBC News, the ban, which has been in place since March 2020, was lifted by the Liberals on Sunday after citing improved public health outcomes.
Those hoping to cross will now be able to enter Canada and have their asylum or refugee claims assessed by border officials.
Now that the ban is lifted, Canadians can expect an uptick in the number of asylum claimants seeking to enter Canada.
In April, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the Canadian government could turn back asylum seekers from the United States and that it does not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In a unanimous ruling on the safe third country agreement, which outlines whether asylum claims can be made from the two neighbouring countries, a three-person panel of judges found the law constitutional.
“Those who arrive in the United States must claim refugee status in the United States under United States law. They cannot leave the United States and claim refugee status in Canada at a land port of entry. If they do so, Canada can refuse to consider their refugee claim and, if they have no other legal basis for remaining in Canada, return them to the United States,” the ruling read.
According to the agreement, Canada can turn away asylum claimants who are arriving from the US.
The ruling granted a six-month extension to the agreement and a future court case is expected to settle its status.
Statistics by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada reveal that Canada has taken in nearly 60,000 asylum claimants who have crossed at illegal border crossings since February 2017.
After being cancelled by Toronto’s Massey Hall because his jokes were deemed “inappropriate,” American Comedian Andrew Schulz sold out two shows at Meridian Hall – a larger event space – and is planning a third show.
In a video posted on Twitter on Wednesday, Schulz recounted his conversation with organizers at Massey Hall when they first informed him that they were pulling his show.
“We had the show locked in, and then Massey Hall hit me up a few weeks ago and they said ‘Hey we have to cancel your shows,’” he said.
According to Schulz, Massey Hall told him that when they looked him up, they found out he tells inappropriate jokes and this was unacceptable.
“We no longer want inappropriate jokes on our stage so we have to cancel your shows,” says Schulz in the video.
The comedian decided to move the shows to Meridian Hall, but he had concerns about garnering interest for the show because the new venue was larger compared to Massey Hall.
To Schulz’ surprise, the first show sold out in seven minutes and the second show filled up in one hour. He has since announced a third show.
Schulz said in a tweet on Sunday that he was pleased people were buying tickets to his shows.
“Comedy and those that support it will always win. The people will accept nothing else,” he tweeted.
Massey Hall reopened in November after three years of renovations and revitalization.
Massey Hall could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
Schulz is the latest comedian in Canada who was cancelled because his jokes were deemed too offensive.
In Quebec, comedian Mike Ward was fined $42,000 by a Quebec human rights tribunal, which found his jokes to be discriminatory and violated a disabled child singer’s dignity. This was later upheld by the Quebec Court of Appeal.
However, in October, the Supreme Court of Canada declared that Ward’s jokes did not fall outside the parameters of free speech.
In a 5-4 split decision, the Supreme Court ruled that while Ward’s jokes ridiculed singer Jeremy Gabriel, who suffers from Treacher Collins Syndrome, Gabriel was targeted by Ward because of his fame, not his disability.
“The impugned comments … were made by a career comedian known for this type of humour,” said the majority judgment. “They exploited, rightly or wrongly, a feeling of discomfort in order to entertain, but they did little more than that.”
