Tag: canada

Permission to work: the Crown sends three prosecutors to scrutinize Tamara Lich’s work at Rebel News

When the story of the Freedom Convoy is told, one name keeps surfacing at the centre of the storm: Tamara Lich. In the winter of 2022, as vaccine mandates and lockdown rules stretched into a third year, she was at the forefront with the truckers who drove on Ottawa and parked there. She became a symbol of resistance not because she sought it, but because the system made her one.

And the system still isn’t letting go.

Fresh from the longest mischief trial in Canadian history, indeed in the entire Commonwealth, Lich’s case was back before an Ottawa court. There is a live application before the court seeking to vary her sentence so she can travel more widely to work for Rebel News. Ezra Levant filed an affidavit describing the work she has done over the past six months. The Crown’s response? Three prosecutors, not one, not two, but three, lined up to cross-examine him on it. That is how far things have come: a journalist made to seek the court’s permission simply to travel for her job, and three government lawyers dispatched to argue about it. 

Step outside the Ottawa bubble and the picture changes entirely. Earlier in the month, Ezra and Tamara spent more than twelve hours driving through southern Alberta, from Okotoks to Lethbridge to Medicine Hat. Crowds gathered not because the press told them to, but because they wanted to. People came out in the heat when they could have been doing anything else, just to say hello.

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Brampton PC MPP Hardeep Grewal billed taxpayers nearly $20,000 for Toronto hotels

Ontario PC MPP Hardeep Grewal charged taxpayers nearly $20,000 for hotel stays in downtown Toronto despite representing a Brampton riding less than 50 kilometres from Queen’s Park.

Grewal, the MPP for Brampton East and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, submitted $19,827.73 in hotel expense claims between 2023 and 2026 under the legislature’s “special circumstances” accommodation policy.

The policy is intended for exceptional situations, such as severe weather or other emergencies that prevent an MPP from returning home. However, a review of expense records by Global News found most of the claims occurred during the spring and fall legislative sessions, suggesting the hotel stays had become routine rather than exceptional.

Grewal’s constituency office is approximately 43 kilometres from Queen’s Park.

Premier Doug Ford’s office has since said that any hotel expenses that did not meet the intent of the rules will be repaid to taxpayers.

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Mississauga Centre PC MPP Natalia Kusendova-Bashta billed taxpayers $4,258 for six Toronto hotel stays

Mississauga Centre PC MPP Natalia Kusendova-Bashta billed taxpayers $4,258 for six hotel stays in downtown Toronto despite representing a riding within commuting distance of Queen’s Park.

Expense disclosures from the Ontario Legislature show Kusendova-Bashta claimed $4,258 under the Legislature’s “Special Circumstance Accommodation in Toronto” policy through six separate hotel claims between 2023 and 2025.

Ontario’s expense rules allow MPPs who live within 50 kilometres of Queen’s Park to claim overnight accommodations only in exceptional circumstances, such as severe weather or other emergencies that make returning home impractical. Mississauga Centre is well within commuting distance of the Legislature.

Kusendova-Bashta’s claims are part of the broader Ford government hotel expense scandal that saw Toronto-area Progressive Conservative MPPs collectively bill taxpayers more than $100,000 for Toronto hotel stays under the “special circumstances” allowance.

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Canada’s New “Hate” Law Is Already at People’s Doors

Royal assent came in June, the law landed in July, and by the end of the month somebody was standing on a porch asking about a post from three years ago.

Government officials in Canada are contacting people at their homes over social media posts written months or years ago, according to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF).

The legal advocacy group says the reports began arriving after Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, cleared Parliament. The law received royal assent on June 18 and came into force on July 18, expanding Canada’s “hate speech” offenses, raising penalties, and eliminating defenses that had limited prosecutions for what the state calls hate-related expression.

“We are receiving reports that some Canadians are being contacted at their homes by government officials about social media posts made months or even years ago,” the JCCF wrote. “These reports come after the passage of Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which expands Canada’s hate speech laws by creating new offences, increasing penalties, and removing certain legal safeguards that previously limited prosecutions for hate-related expression.”

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$139 Million Drug Bust Exposes Broker-Style Cross-Border Trucking Operation

Canadian and U.S. agencies uncovered a broker-style operation using commercial transportation connections to move illegal drugs.

Canadian authorities seized nearly 1.7 metric tons of illegal drugs during a cross-border investigation named Project Bay. The haul included suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium. Authorities estimated the products’ street value above $139 million. Investigators called it one of Ontario’s most significant seizures from a single case.

Traffickers used broker-style transportation model

Windsor Police launched the investigation in January 2025. The Canada Border Services Agency joined the effort the following month. Investigators worked to identify a trafficking network with connections to the international border. Ontario Provincial Police later supported the cross-border and interprovincial portions.

Investigators found a broker-style model operating within the commercial transportation sector. The organization used established connections to arrange cross-border drug movements. Drivers knowingly transported the illegal products within legitimate supply chains, according to the release. Authorities continue investigating the network’s source and full scope.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with international aspects. Toronto Police and Peel Regional Police also provided operational and investigative support. Several specialized Canadian units participated during the searches. Those agencies included local, provincial and federal law enforcement partners.

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B.C. municipality considers recognizing legal rights for trees

A councillor in Saanich, B.C., is asking the municipality to recognize what supporters describe as the “rights of trees” by endorsing the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Tree.

The motion, introduced this week, would have Saanich formally implement the declaration, which sets out three core principles. It states that trees are living beings and a common good shared by humanity, that all life on Earth depends on their existence, and that people have a responsibility to act toward trees in “fraternity and solidarity.”

The proposal is intended to guide the municipality’s approach to protecting urban forests and recognizing the ecological importance of trees. Supporters argue the declaration reinforces the role trees play in biodiversity, climate resilience and public health.

If adopted, Saanich would join a growing movement to incorporate broader environmental rights into local government policies. The declaration itself is not legally binding, but supporters say it provides an ethical framework for municipal decision-making involving forests and green spaces.

Council is expected to consider the proposal as part of its ongoing discussions on environmental and urban forest policy.

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Our women’s rights billboard truck triggered a ‘hate crime’ investigation

Tonight on The Ezra Levant Show: police investigate our billboard truck over a hate crime complaint after it displayed a message defending women’s rights.

When a political message on a billboard truck is enough to trigger a hate-crime investigation, it raises serious questions about where public debate is heading.

In downtown Toronto, our Rebel News billboard truck carrying a message from the Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (caWsbar) became the subject of a police investigation after a passerby complained about the advertisement.

The message was simple: women and girls deserve safety on the field, privacy and dignity in the locker room, and fairness on the podium.

The truck had been driving around Toronto for days, including during a busy downtown soccer event where the message was widely seen by passersby. But after driver Mark parked legally near St. Clair Avenue and briefly stepped away, everything changed.

When he returned and attempted to leave, an officer approached and told him the truck had to remain in place because it was being investigated for a hate crime.

Mark had not been parked illegally. He had not been accused of causing any disturbance. He was not asked for his licence or ID. He was simply told police needed to investigate a complaint about the message displayed on the truck.

A second and then third police vehicle arrived as officers dealt with the complainant, who had objected to the advertisement and claimed he felt “unsafe.”

When Rebel News reporters arrived and began filming, the complainant turned his camera toward them, questioned why they were recording him, and again told police he felt unsafe. Officers ultimately confirmed the journalists had every right to film in public.

After speaking with the complainant, police determined the billboard was a political statement, not a hate crime. No charges were laid, no ticket was issued, and Mark was allowed to drive away.

That is the real story: not just the complaint, but how quickly a political disagreement escalated into a police response.

The officers ultimately handled the situation properly. But the fact that a message about women’s safety and fairness was enough for someone to call police and trigger a hate-crime investigation should concern anyone who values free expression.

The truck will keep rolling. In fact, we will keep it on the road even longer as a reminder that free speech cannot depend on whether everyone agrees with the message.

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Canada’s Supreme Court restores mandatory jail time for child sex predators

Canada’s Supreme Court again restored a mandatory minimum sentence for those who have been convicted of trying to engage in sex acts with minors under age 18.

The restoration of a mandatory six-month jail sentence came after a 7-2 decision by the Supreme Court on July 10.

The new ruling means that a May 2024 decision by the Quebec Court of Appeal, which ruled that a mandatory minimum sentence for trying to engage in sex with a minor was unconstitutional, is now null.

The appeal of the mandatory minimum sentence came from a case involving then-61-year-old Mario Denis, who was convicted of communicating online with a minor for trying to obtain sexual services. Denis had clicked on an ad offering underage escorts that was a police sting operation and was arrested when he went to a room he thought the underage girl was in.

While Denis was found guilty and given a six-month sentence, he appealed that his sentence violated his Charter rights because it was cruel and unusual punishment. As a result, the Quebec Court of Appeal agreed with Denis that a six-month sentence was indeed unconstitutional, but his sentence was not reduced.

The recent court ruling is at odds with a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that found a mandatory one-year sentence for possessing or accessing child pornography is “unconstitutional.”

This ruling was blasted by both Conservative and even non-Conservative politicians alike, with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew saying anyone caught with child pornography should be “buried under the prison.”

Despite the outrage from left and right provincial leaders, the Canadian government under Prime Minister Mark Carney said it would not be looking to overturn via a constitutional tool the recent Canadian Supreme Court ruling that a mandatory one-year sentence for possessing or accessing child pornography is “unconstitutional.”

Child pornography and the sex trafficking of minors is a growing problem in Canada and the world.

As LifeSiteNews columnist Jonathon Van Maren noted in a recent blog, Canada is one of the world’s largest exporters of pornography.

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Canadians contacted at home by gov officials over social media posts after hate speech law passes: JCCF

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms says it is receiving reports that some Canadians have been contacted at their homes by government officials over social media posts made months or even years earlier, following the passage of Canada’s new hate speech legislation.

The organization said the reports come after Parliament passed Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which expands Canada’s hate speech laws by creating new offences, increasing penalties, and removing certain legal safeguards that previously limited prosecutions for hate-related expression. The group said Canadians who are contacted by government officials over online posts should consider recording the interaction.

“If you believe your rights have been infringed or that you have been unfairly targeted, we encourage you to submit a case application through the Justice Centre’s online portal,” the organization said.

The Justice Centre provides legal representation to Canadians who believe their constitutional rights or freedoms have been violated by federal, provincial, or municipal governments or government entities, including universities, human rights commissions, professional associations, and public school boards. It said applications for legal assistance must be submitted online.

Canada would not be the first country to begin arrests for social media posts. The Times in the UK which used freedom of information requests to examine arrests in England and Wales under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988. The laws prohibit communications that are “grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character,” as well as messages that are “threatening, or knowingly false.”

According to The Times, there were 12,183 arrests in 2023 and 1,119 people were sentenced. The newspaper also reported that more than 65,000 arrests have been made since 2017.

Jake Hurfurt, head of research investigations at Big Brother Watch, told The Times the trend is “seriously concerning.” “Police look to be wasting countless hours on arresting people for posting things online that, while offensive, are not illegal. Heavy-handed use of vague communications offences is a threat to everyone’s freedom to express themselves online,” Hurfurt said.

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Canadian court throws out Freedom Convoy leader’s partial acquittal

A Canadian appeals court overturned an earlier acquittal of intimidation against prominent Freedom Convoy protester and leader Pat King, saying that his earlier sentence was a “lenient penalty” and has thus ordered him to appear for new sentencing.

In a July 17 ruling, the Ontario Court of Appeal convicted King after prosecutors appealed one of his acquittals. They argued that King’s sentence given in early 2025 wasn’t severe enough.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, in February of 2025, King was handed a three-month conditional sentence for his role in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest against COVID mandates of all forms. He was found guilty of a total of five offences in 2024, which included mischief, counselling mischief, as well as breaching a court order.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland had ruled that King must serve three additional months of house arrest and dedicate 100 hours to community service for his role in the Freedom Convoy. His original sentence would have been 12 months, but the court gave him credit for time served in jail before his trial.

King had used social media to organize protests of truckers in Ottawa in early 2022, in protest of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s COVID dictates.

While he was acquitted of three intimidation charges, the government Crown lawyers appealed one of the acquittals, which found King innocent of intimidation after he had obstructed a highway. The appeals court agreed with the Crown’s ask.

“The freedom to protest does not include the right to engage in illegal conduct, and this protest evolved into what can fairly be described as an illegal occupation of a significant tract of downtown Ottawa,” wrote the three-judge panel.

“Put simply, criminal conduct is not less criminal because it occurs during a lawful protest.”

The appeals court added that his original 2024 sentence was a “lenient penalty” and a stronger penalty was needed to send a message.

In 2022, King was granted bail after spending five months in jail for his involvement with the protests. He had to pay a $25,000 fine and was banned from speaking to other Freedom Convoy members and was placed under curfew.

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