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Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Trudeau vacations in Tofino on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family travelled to Tofino, BC on Thursday the Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed, despite publishing an itinerary entry for the day which placed Trudeau in Ottawa for “private meetings.” 

Toronto Sun journalist Byran Passifiume was the first to report Trudeau’s whereabouts. 

According to Global News’ Mercedes Stephenson, a PMO spokesperson confirmed Trudeau’s location. 

“Yes, the PM is spending time in Tofino with family for a few days,” said the PMO spokesperson. 

“And, following his participation in last night’s ceremony marking the first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, he is speaking today with residential school survivors from across the country.”

Earlier this year, Trudeau instituted the national civic holiday as a commitment to the calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

The day is a statutory holiday which means that federal employees and federally regulated workers get to take the day off work. 

“It is a day to reflect on the painful and lasting impacts of residential schools in Canada, and to honour survivors, their families, and their communities. It is also a day to remember the many children who never returned home, and an opportunity for us all to learn more, and to affirm the need for reconciliation and commit ourselves to the work ahead,” Trudeau said in a statement on the holiday. 

This is not the first time that Trudeau’s itinerary didn’t match up with his actual whereabouts. 

Last year in August, the PMO quietly changed Trudeau’s itinerary after he was spotted vacationing in Pointe au Baril, Ontario by locals. 

Similarly, the official itinerary at the time also placed him in Ottawa for private meetings.

Conservative president threatens to drop councillor calling for O’Toole to step down

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Conservative Party of Canada President Rob Batherson is threatening to drop national council member Bert Chen from his position after Chen created a petition to have Erin O’Toole recalled as leader. 

“When you hold an office in the party, there’s an expectation that your conduct is such that it doesn’t detract or harm the interests or the reputation of… the national council on which you serve… the party and… the leader,” Batherson told CBC News.

“Use that position in a constructive way, to engage the leadership on conveying views that you’re hearing from the members. [Don’t go] down a path where you’re literally lighting a torch before all the ballots have been actually counted.”

According to Chen, he is not abusing his authority and is simply representing the views of members who have expressed a desire for an early leadership review. 

“I have received overwhelming support in favour of my petition from members of the Conservative Party. This can be evidenced by the more than 4,000 signatures to my petition, versus the 2,000 in support of Mr. O’Toole,” Chen told CBC News. 

“A national councillor’s duty is to represent the concerns of the membership, not to run interference for a leader who has lost their confidence. I will continue to act in the best interest of our membership, and I am confident that my colleagues on National Council respect my duty to the membership.”

As of Thursday, Chen’s petition has received nearly double the amount of signatures than the one in support of O’Toole. 

In a September 30, 2021 update to his petition, Chen accused Batherson of trying to have him “removed or silenced from National Council.” 

“I will continue to represent your belief that Erin O’Toole must be held to account for his actions at the earliest opportunity,” wrote Chen. 

“As we continue this effort, please remember these Five conservative leadership policies O’Toole abandoned during the general election and why he cannot stay on as Leader.”

Many Conservatives have come out against O’Toole for losing what many call was a “winnable” election. 

Despite flip-flopping on many conservative policies in order to appeal to Liberal voters in Ontario and Quebec, O’Toole was not able to increase the Conservative vote share or seat count.

A True North study found that despite spending 400% more time campaigning in Quebec than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did in Alberta, O’Toole did not make any gains in the province while Trudeau was able to secure two seats in Alberta.

Hundreds of businesses standing up to Ontario’s vaccine passport

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Hundreds of businesses are standing up to the Ontario government’s vaccine passport system by refusing to check the vaccination status of customers despite public health rules mandating them to do so. 

A Facebook group numbering over 139,000 members titled “Ontario Businesses Against Health Pass” has emerged as a central hub for small business owners to share their services. 

The businesses that are refusing to check vaccination status range from martial arts facilities to restaurants and are all listed on the Ontario Businesses Against Discrimination (BAD) directory. 

To date, the directory lists 677 businesses. Another social media account called Stop No Pass List has estimated that roughly 200 businesses in the GTA are also refusing to ask for a vaccine pass.

“When people come in, I don’t ask if they’re vaccinated. Other people can ask if they want, but I’m not for that,” Gregg King, who owns King Jiu Jitsu, told the Toronto Star. 

Toronto Public Health officials say that although they have received 122 complaints regarding vaccine certificates, they have not pressed any charges against business owners, instead “focusing on educating businesses on the province’s new proof of vaccine program.” 

A Hamilton restaurateur says the vaccine passport is another barrier to businesses that have been struggling for the last year-and-a-half.

“We lose more clientele this way. We’re already struggling. We have to repay all those business loans we got from the government. And now they want to reduce our clientele even more,” said Jenna Graham, owner of Hamilton’s Harbour Diner. 

“You can walk into a Canadian Tire, or a Walmart, or a Costco and nobody will ask you a damn question about your medical history. Why is it all on us?”

As revealed by a recent research study by SecondStreet.org, no government in Canada cut wages for civil servants while many private businesses were forced to lay off staff and cut wages during the pandemic. 

When asked to provide proof whether any pay cuts were implemented during this period, the Ontario government was not able to deliver.

Despite what the media tells you, Canada is not a left wing country

By
Candice Malcolm
-

Canada, at its core, is a conservative country. 

The CPC has won the popular vote in the last two elections, 8/10 provinces have conservative Premiers, and public opinion polls show the majority of Canadians support conservatives values, ideas and policies. 

On this episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice uses facts, data and statistics to make the case that Canada is far more conservative than the left-wing media like to admit. 

It’s time to dispel the myth that Canada is a left-wing country, and the connected lie that Conservatives need to water down their policy or move to the left in order to win elections. 

Conservatives can win if they proudly and unapologetically champion core conservative values like patriotism, the rule of law, freedom, order and responsibility.

Calgary Conservative candidate to file court challenge of election result

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Former Conservative Party candidate Jag Sahota is asking the court to overturn her riding’s election result following videos posted to social media which allegedly show the now-elected Liberal George Chahal removing Sahota’s campaign advertisement from a constituent’s door.

According to Sahota, who lost the Calgary Skyview riding to Chahal by approximately 3,000 votes, the allegations raise serious questions about the integrity of the vote results. 

“Voters in Calgary Skyview need to have answers as to whether this activity was widespread throughout the campaign,” read a statement from Sahota’s campaign. 

The lawyer representing Sahota, Kyle Shewchuk, said he hopes to file an application with the Court of Queen’s Bench to nullify the election results this week. 

The Calgary Police Service had launched an investigation into the incident but now the matter is in the hands of the commissioner of elections. 

Chahal has not commented on the incident but his campaign manager Randall Zalazar claimed that Chahal had removed the Conservative brochure because it contained inaccurate polling station information. 

Sahota argues it was actually Chahal’s brochure that pointed voters to the wrong location. 

A video of the incident, captured by a local resident’s doorbell camera, shows Chahal approaching the door and replacing Sahota’s flyer with one of his own. 

According to Elections Canada laws, Chahal could face up to six months in jail or a maximum fine of $5,000 for the incident. 

Elections Commissioner Yves Côté has yet to confirm whether an investigation is underway despite being forwarded the complaint by police, citing privacy obligations, but the office pointed out to reporters that the Canada Elections Act is clear on its stance on defacing or removing election material. 

“(The Act prohibits) impairing or preventing the transmission of election advertising — which would include, but is not limited to, defacing or removing election signs or other election advertising material,” Côté’s office wrote in a statement. 

Chahal was one of just two Liberals elected in Alberta in the 2021 election. 

Taxpayer advocates launch campaign for Albertans to fight equalization

By
Andrew Lawton
-

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is rallying Albertans to vote in favour of scrapping equalization payments — which cost Alberta billions for the betterment of other provinces — in an upcoming referendum.

Fight Equalization campaign director Kevin Lacey joined The Andrew Lawton Show to discuss the initiative.

Watch the full episode of The Andrew Lawton Show.

Journalism association asks RCMP to investigate Maxime Bernier over tweets

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The People’s Party of Canada is doubling down after the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) issued a call for the RCMP to investigate party leader Maxime Bernier over a tweet.

“The CAJ is mindful that several sections of the Criminal Code prohibit the wilful promotion of hatred. For this reason, we urge the RCMP, and other law enforcement bodies, to launch investigations immediately,” the CAJ said in a press release.

In response to CAJ’s call for an investigation, PPC Spokesperson Martin Masse told True North in an emailed statement that characterizing Bernier’s tweet as hateful was incorrect. 

“There was nothing ‘hateful’ in Mr. Bernier’s tweet. He simply asked his supporters to write to these journalists and tell them what they think of their disgusting loaded questions implying that PPC supporters are violent neonazis. Their email addresses are publicly available in their Twitter bio in the case of two of them, and on her CTV bio page for the other one,” said Masse. 

“Instead of attacking us, the CAJ should try and raise the quality of journalism in this country and promote ethical and professional standards among its members. Their members who are leftist activists masquerading as journalists are the ones who have been harassing us for years with their offensive questions. They are the one promoting hatred against hundreds of thousands of PPC supporters. They are despicable bullies.” 

Last week, in response to numerous media inquiries alleging PPC ties to white nationalism, Bernier posted the public emails of the journalists involved and called on his supporters to write to them. 

“If you want to write to these idiots to tell them what you think of their disgusting smear jobs, here are their email addresses. They want to play dirty, we will play dirty too,” wrote Bernier in the tweet.

Afterwards, Twitter temporarily suspended Bernier’s account.

Several legacy media organizations including the CBC condemned Bernier and accused him of targeting journalists who reportedly received threats and harassment as a result of the tweet. 

In response, Masse stated that the media’s biased coverage of the PPC has alternatively put many of the party’s diverse candidates in danger. 

“Because of the offensive lies that they keep publishing about us, many of our candidates (including Jews, and men and women of colour) were verbally attacked while canvassing, and their signs destroyed, during the election campaigns in 2019 and this year,” said Masse.

Mount Royal University axes vaccine mandate for online student after legal pressure

By
Caitlin Rose Morgante
-

Mount Royal University students doing their studies online will no longer have to disclose their vaccination status.

The Calgary university bowed to legal pressure after a student, represented by legal advocacy agency Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, challenged the policy.

On September 20, 2021, MRU emailed an exclusively online student warning him that even though his classes aren’t on campus, he had one day to upload proof of vaccination or face the risk he “may be deregistered” from classes. 

The email said that if he declared as “unvaccinated,” he would be sent information on how to participate in the Rapid Testing Program. Other students who received similar emails also contacted the JCCF.

Two days after receiving the ultimatum, the student notified by email that a hold had been placed on his online university account.

“In order for Mount Royal University to comply with Public Health orders issued by the Province of Alberta, you MUST submit your online COVID-19 vaccine declaration… All students, whether studying in person or online, must declare their vaccination status,” the email said.

On Sept. 23, the JCCF sent a letter to MRU on behalf of the student, warning that MRU’s policy violated students’ privacy, Charter and human rights. The letter threatened legal action if MRU proceeded with deregistering online students. 

 “The entirely unnecessary requirement for online students to disclose their vaccination is indicative of the irrational abuse of power public authorities are exercising in the current atmosphere of pandemonium. It is essential that people stand up and push back against these abuses of power,” said JCCF lawyer Mary Moore.

On September 27, 2021, MRU emailed the student confirming that the student’s access to his online MRU would be restored on September 29, 2021. The email did not mention MRU’s prior vaccine requirement for online students.

“The intimidation and coercion being exercised by public institutions such as Mount Royal University to demand disclosure of personal medical information is unjustified and unacceptable,” added Moore.

Majority of immigrants proud of how Canada treats minorities

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Immigrants and minorities reported more pride in Canada’s equal treatment of people regardless of background than Canadian-born respondents did, a Statistics Canada survey reveals. 

According to data obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, 63% of immigrants said that they were proud of how the country treats people equally.

In comparison, 43% of Canadian-born respondents reported similar feelings of pride. 

The numbers come from Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey: Social Identity.

 “For immigrants, pride in how Canada treats all groups in society is connected to the time since their arrival in Canada,” wrote researchers. 

Newcomers who came to Canada in the past five years were the most enthusiastic about how welcoming Canada is with 78% of respondents expressing pride in the nation, additionally, 68% of longtime residents reported the same. 

When broken down by ethnicity, only 44% of white Canadians expressed feelings of pride in Canada’s treatment of “all groups in society.” Meanwhile, 53% of black Canadians reported the same, 57% of Chinese Canadians, 72% among Arab Canadians and 77% among those who identify as West Asian. 

According to Statistics Canada, the data was obtained at the same time Black Lives Matter protests were being held across Canada and the US. 

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indefinitely lowered the Canadian flag to half-mast following several burial site announcements at former residential schools.

In a recent poll, a majority of Canadians stated that they favoured raising the Canadian flag back to its original position by October 1st. In total, 64% of Canadians supported the idea of raising the flag by that date. 

Trudeau has not yet recommitted to raising the flag.

Toronto District School Board apologizes after anti-racism speaker goes on anti-Israel tirade

By
Jonathan Bradley
-

The Toronto District School Board has vowed to do better after an activist invited to speak to teachers about racism implored the audience to take up the “Free Palestine” cause and resist “settler colonialism.”

Desmond Cole, a self-proclaimed “anti-racism” activist who promotes far-left race-based identity politics, made derogatory comments about Israel to an audience of 600 teachers at a learning session hosted last week by the Toronto District School Board. 

Cole went off topic by linking the Free Palestine movement to the discovery of graves at residential school sites in Canada. 

“The reason it relates to our country and conversations about racism is because the fact that Palestinians do not have sovereignty on their own land is an issue of settler colonialism,” he said. “And if we’re going to challenge settler colonialism and residential schools and graves near those schools in Canada, we are going to also acknowledge that other people in other parts of the world are not free on their own territories and want to be free.” 

Cole encouraged attendees to start campaigns with Palestinian students, teachers, and families where they are asked what Free Palestine means to them. These campaigns should involve blasting out these messages, making videos about it, and putting billboards up, he said.

Ryan Bird, a TDSB spokesperson, said in a statement the school board should have “challenged” problematic and inappropriate assertions by the speaker. 

“It is clear that we should have done a better job in challenging any assertions that were hurtful or discriminatory,” said Bird. “The TDSB does not support hate of any kind and we apologize for the harm that may have been caused.” 

Bird said the school board will be creating a new process to guide how people organize and structure professional learning and engage speakers, while ensuring these changes allow for different perspectives and increased understanding of how issues, such as Islamophobia and antisemitism, affect students. He said staff have begun working to redevelop the “Teaching Controversial and Sensitive Issues” resource, which will enable more thoughtful discussion. 

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), a Jewish human rights organization, said in a press release on Friday that the Free Palestine movement is rooted in a long history of antisemitism, violence against Jews, and the promotion of the elimination of Israel. 

“Cole used his platform to spread misinformation about Israel, completely erase the Jewish perspective on recent contentious issues and deny the Jewish experience of antisemitism,” said FSWC policy director Jaime Kirzner-Roberts. “There has been an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in the TDSB and its schools, and the remarks by Cole feed into the normalization of antisemitism in the education system.” 

Cole mocked FSWC’s press release in a Friday tweet.

“Perhaps you need to learn more about Afro-Palestinians, and about the longstanding connection between Black liberation and Palestinian liberation,” he said. 

Cole did not respond to a request for comment.

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