Tag: canada

Canadian Lyme sufferers pushed to state euthanasia while the US steps up

Lyme disease is surging across southeastern Ontario as black-legged ticks invade backyards, trails, and parks, driving a sharp rise in infections that health officials can no longer ignore.

Caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease often strikes with deceptive early symptoms or no symptoms at all. This includes fatigue, fever, and the telltale bullseye rash, which sometimes doesn’t come until weeks or months later.

Lyme is a stealthy, corkscrew-shaped spiral bacterium that drills deep into tissues, joints, and the nervous system, making it incredibly difficult to detect and hard to eradicate.

Missed early treatment can lead to chronic, debilitating pain, inflammation, and long-term illness. This can be amplified by a lack of initial symptoms or pesky co-infections, including Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia.

Due to a high variability of symptoms, there aren’t necessarily textbook presentations, which can complicate diagnoses and treatment leading to more severe or atypical manifestations.

In the United States, they’re confronting this epidemic head-on.

HHS Secretary Kennedy announced concrete action to tackle Lyme, including a major multi-million-dollar tick control pilot, up to $2.5 million in Lyme innovation challenges, improved diagnostics, and a goal to reduce cases by 25% by 2035 relative to 2022 levels.

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Carney using kids’ safety as cover to strip Canadians’ freedom

The Liberal government is preparing to introduce a new digital safety bill that would ban social media for users under 16, but on Tuesday’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, Ezra said this new legislation has nothing to do with protecting children.

“Parents can limit what their kids watch with the push of a button,” he said. “This is really about everyone else. Again, using kids as the excuse.”

The bill, reported by the Globe and Mail ahead of its introduction, would create a new digital regulator to establish safety standards for social media platforms. It would also address artificial intelligence and chatbots.

But the mechanism required to enforce an under-16 ban, Ezra noted, is the problem. To determine who is under 16, every user would need to verify their age — meaning every Canadian would need to hand their personal identification to the government just to log on.

“Mark Carney wants to make everyone sign into the internet,” he said. “It’s not actually about kids, is it?”

Ezra drew a direct line to the Liberals’ past censorship efforts, noting that child protection and anti-terrorism provisions have repeatedly been used as packaging for speech regulation bills — provisions that already exist in the Criminal Code, added as a distraction from the bills’ real purpose.

“Governments use children as a cover for their plots,” he reminded viewers.

The timing raised eyebrows, as the day before Canada’s announcement, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered an almost identical speech calling on tech companies to introduce device controls to prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images.

Ezra said the parallel is not a coincidence. “On everything from censorship and digital ID to environmentalism and mass immigration, I really think Keir Starmer is setting a lot of Canadian policy,” he said.

The irony, he noted, is that Starmer has refused to call a meaningful public inquiry into the U.K.’s rape gangs and even vigorously opposed one when he was the country’s chief prosecutor.

“What a laugh to pretend he cares about kids,” Ezra said.

Another provision in the bill would grant the Canadian government a security backdoor into any app it chooses. Ezra also pointed out that every major social media platform in Canada is American owned, meaning new fines and restrictions would amount to a tax on U.S. tech firms.

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Woke Canadian lawmakers fly into hilarious rage after conservative asks country’s top scientist to define a woman

Liberal members of Canada‘s parliament desperately tried to silence a conservative member when he asked the country’s chief science advisor to define a woman.

At a recent meeting of the parliament’s Standing Committee on Science and Research, conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Vincent Ho asked, ‘What is the definition of a woman?’

The simple question immediately sparked outrage with other members of the committee, who jumped down Ho’s throat and seemingly attempted to prevent Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer from replying. 

Ho asked the scientist: ‘Before you became chief science advisor, you were a molecular geneticist by training, right? So you know a thing or two about X and Y chromosomes. So, I wanted to ask you, what is the definition of a woman?’

Immediately, Liberal Party of Canada MP John-Paul Danko took issue with the question and said: ‘Point of order, chair. Point of order.’ 

A point of order is a formal request to enforce chamber rules addressed to a speaker or committee chair, and it is typically issued when MPs believe there has been a breach of procedure.

‘It is pride month, in understanding Order 18, which prohibits personal attacks, insults and offensive language,’ Danko continued, before Committee Chair Salma Zahid interrupted him and said: ‘This is getting into debate.’ 

Undeterred, Danko raised his voice and said, ‘Where this question is going is highly offensive. Highly offensive. I ask the member to withdraw his comments.’ 

Zahid, who is also a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, then repeated, ‘This is getting into debate. I will deal with it. MP Ho, I would request to be respectful of everybody.’

The conservative MP explained that he was asking the question because the Census asks people to state their gender and sex, and he wanted to understand the chief science advisor’s ‘view on this.’ 

Another Liberal Party of Canada MP, Taleeb Noormohamed, then also raised a point of order and said: ‘The witness is here in her capacity as the chief science advisor. 

‘Her opinion on any matter as an individual is actually not relevant to her mandate. And so if the question is in the scope of her mandate, I would be interested to see if Mr Ho could rephrase the question… within the context of her mandate.’ 

Zahid accepted the point of order and asked Ho to reframe his question, to which the conservative MP replied, ‘I just want to hear the answer.’

After a bit more back and forth, Nemer, the chief science advisor, was finally able to answer Ho’s question. 

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Signal, DuckDuckGo, and NordVPN threaten to exit Canada if metadata surveillance law passes

Another day, another government attempt to force tech companies to build backdoors. This time, Canada is proposing legislation that would require companies to retain certain metadata and provide law enforcement with access to it. Predictably, many tech players have sharply criticized the proposal, with some saying they would rather leave the Canadian market than comply.

The latest version of Canada’s Bill C-22 would require digital services such as internet service providers, messaging platforms, email providers, and potentially hardware companies to retain up to one year of user metadata. In addition, tech companies would have to implement mechanisms that allow authorities to obtain “lawful access” to that information for criminal investigations. Critics argue the proposal amounts to another government-mandated backdoor.

During his testimony before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, Signal executive Udbhav Tiwari said Bill C-22 would turn everyday digital tools into a surveillance network. He argued that requiring companies to retain metadata about users’ communications runs counter to Signal’s privacy practices.

A spokesperson for DuckDuckGo also confirmed that the company would remove its VPN service from Canada if Bill C-22 passes. NordVPN and other VPN providers have made similar statements.

Apple and Google have also joined industry warnings that the legislation could force them to weaken encryption. Last year, Apple successfully opposed a similar proposal in the United Kingdom that would have required it to build a backdoor into iCloud. The incident was the latest in a series of conflicts between the Cupertino-based company and government regulators over security and user privacy.

The primary concern is that malicious actors would inevitably discover and exploit any digital backdoor, regardless of whether it was designed exclusively for law enforcement or domestic government agencies. OpenMedia, which has described C-22 as an attempt to create a surveillance state, pointed to a late-2024 incident in which Chinese state-backed hackers compromised government-mandated police wiretap systems to steal sensitive data from AT&T, Verizon, Lumen Technologies, and other telecom providers.

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Toronto’s meter maids are ripping off taxpayers for $6 million/year

Rebel News recently returned to the scene of the crime. But there’s a twist to this true crime story: the criminals aren’t gangbangers, but rather, members of law enforcement!

Astute viewers of Rebel News might recall that earlier this month, we paid a visit to the headquarters of the central division of Toronto Parking Enforcement in north Toronto.

The reason for our house call: we were told by an insider that parking enforcement officers were engaging in time theft. Which is to say, they are supposed to work 10 hours per shift, but they are only putting in eight hours (or less).

Teaming up with Jay Bannister of Mad Lab Press, we documented the morning shift starting duty at 6 a.m. They are supposed to be working until 4 p.m. But no: at around 1:30 p.m., the meter maids began returning to HQ.

This time, banditry works out to almost $6 million in theft.

Our insiders say it has been going on for years now, meaning the City of Toronto (a.k.a. the taxpayer) has been hoodwinked out of tens of millions of dollars!

And yes, we caught them red-handed coming back to HQ early. Surely, yet another P.R. black eye for the Toronto Police Service.

So, what happened in the aftermath?

You’re not going to believe it…

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The managed decline of Cobourg parks and playgrounds

Last summer, a five-year-old boy picked up a used needle while playing at a park in Cobourg, Ontario. His mom says they’re not going back unless something changes, but Cobourg has launched a new 10-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan project that doesn’t include a plan of how to fix the squalor, but instead chooses to cede public spaces to it.

Cobourg was coined Ontario’s feel good town for it’s pristine beach, safe streets, and irresistible charm. Now, woke bureaucrats and ideologue politicians seem determined to manage its decline instead of protecting its legacy.

Case in point: families now scour every crevice of every park before letting their kids play, if they dare go at all. They must sweep public bathrooms for needles and paraphernalia before entering, while port-a-potties at local parks risk fentanyl-laced exposure.

What makes this proposed plan even more concerning is that it will be at the centre of every Cobourg kids’ childhood for the next decade.

With families avoiding parks because of encampments, discarded needles, open drug use, crime, disorder and disarray; drug fuelled criminality has turned quiet streets into hubs of chaos and it’s pulling kids away from public spaces.

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First Nations chiefs open to engaging in ‘civil disobedience’ if Alberta referendum proceeds

On Friday’s live stream, Tamara Ugolini, Drea Humphrey, and Tamara Lich reacted to First Nations chiefs in Western Canada asserting that “civil disobedience” may be required to fight against Alberta’s upcoming referendum on separation.

Treaty 8 chiefs warned on Thursday that they could mobilize to block highways or industry points if Alberta proceeds with its province-wide referendum on separation ‘without consultation’ in October.

Lich reacted to the apparent double standard in terms of authorities targeting her for peaceful protest while others threaten to block highways. 

“I just want you guys to imagine for one second, if I went online and said if I didn’t get my way, I was going to block a highway. The cops would be at my door and I’d be being flown back to Ottawa again,” she said.

“We definitely cannot make these kinds of threats, especially over a question, it’s literally over a question. Now that’s mischief. I was charged with mischief, I was charged with counselling others to commit the offense of mischief … to me this sounds like threats of mischief, or premeditated mischief, or counselling others to commit mischief, it’s not civil disobedience,” Lich continued.

Premier Smith responded to the chiefs’ threats, asserting that the rule of law will be enforced if civil disobedience occurs over the Alberta referendum, as detailed by the CBC. Speaking to reporters Friday, the premier cited the province’s critical infrastructure defence law, which imposes additional penalties on protesters blocking essential infrastructure like highways or railways.

“I think you saw how serious we are about enforcing that law as we have many times over previous years,” she said.

The Alberta referendum is set to take place on October 19, which will include a question asking residents whether they wish to remain in Canada or begin the constitutional process for a binding separation vote.

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Canadian Heritage buys millions of Canadian flag pins from China despite Liberal promise

The federal government has spent more than $194,000 on Canadian flag pins and desk flags manufactured in China, according to a newly released Order Paper response tabled in Parliament.

The disclosure comes in response to Question Q-1077 from Conservative MP Arnold Viersen, which asked Canadian Heritage to detail its purchases of Canadian flags, flag pins and related products since January 2022.

Records show Canadian Heritage purchased three million plastic Canadian flag lapel pins from a Chinese manufacturer in September 2024 at a cost of $143,400. The department also bought 44,117 floating metal flag pins from China in January 2023 for $14,999.78, another 72,400 metal flag pins in November 2024 for $20,996, and 8,770 desk flags made in China for $14,996.70.

In total, Canadian Heritage spent $194,392.48 on Chinese-made flag-themed merchandise while simultaneously purchasing most of its full-sized Canadian flags from Canadian manufacturer L’Étendard.

The department spent more than $2.5 million on Canadian-made full-size nylon flags between 2022 and early 2026, including orders ranging from 9,700 to 30,100 flags. It also purchased paper hand flags from Canadian suppliers Broadway Import Export and Tobermory Press.

When asked why foreign-made products were selected instead of Canadian manufacturers, Canadian Heritage offered a brief explanation.

“For purchase of products manufactured outside of Canada, purchases were made pursuant to current Government of Canada procurement processes,” the department stated.

The revelation stands in contrast to a longstanding Liberal commitment to source Canadian flag merchandise domestically.

In 2005, then-Liberal Public Works Minister Scott Brison pledged to end the practice of purchasing Canadian flag pins made in China after media reports highlighted the contradiction. At the time, the federal government announced it would seek Canadian suppliers for the patriotic merchandise distributed by MPs and government departments.

More than two decades later, millions of Chinese-made Canadian flag pins are still being purchased with taxpayer dollars.

The Order Paper response was signed by Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller and released on June 3, 2026.

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The Toronto police corruption scandal just keeps getting worse

You are NOT going to believe who is heading up the Project South police corruption investigation. Namely, a corrupt cop!

By way of background, Project South was jointly announced in February by the Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police.

The word “shocking” doesn’t even begin to convey the significance of the scandal.

As we reported back in the wintertime, several police officers and civilian staffers, mostly employed by the Toronto Police Service but also with Peel Regional Police, were put under investigation for guns and drug trafficking, bribery, breach of trust, and even conspiracy to commit murder!

Let us reiterate: these are police officers and civilian staffers of police forces facing numerous criminal charges. In other words, the “good guys”. Allegedly.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said at the time that corruption has no place in policing and that the force is committed to leaving no stone unturned and assorted other pronouncements of Grade-A bull-shite.

But in the aftermath of all the hot air, how exactly is this initiative playing out? Especially given that Chief Demkiw promised the public a two-year anti-corruption initiative. Project South would get to the bottom of this scandal. It would re-establish trust in policing. Moving forward, the Toronto Police Service would be all about restoring accountability and transparency.

And if you believe those whoppers, we have some oceanfront property for sale in Saskatoon…

That’s because our ex-cop friend Jay Bannister, who now runs the superb MadLab Press website, found out who Chief Demkiw has appointed to run this anti-corruption unit. Namely, Superintendent Riyaz Hussein.

Who’s that, you ask?

Well for starters, Hussein is a police officer who is no stranger himself when it comes to being arrested and convicted of a crime!

Here’s the skinny: Hussein used to serve as a quasi-judge at the Toronto Police Tribunal where he was in charge of judging bad cops and even handing down sentences to those cops found guilty. All of which is quite rich because Hussein is far from squeaky clean himself.

Back in 2022, according to Oshawa court staff, Hussein pleaded guilty to driving with a blood alcohol level over .80 in connection with a crash that occurred in Pickering, Ont. Hussein, who was apparently as drunk as a skunk at the time of the accident, slammed his unmarked police cruiser into the back of a delivery truck on Highway 401. There was even an open bottle of liquor in his car – Appleton’s Rum to be precise.

When Hussein was arrested by police at the scene of the accident, one officer noted that this reprobate was so inebriated that he could barely stand up.

Hussien was later suspended with pay and, if you can believe it, was back on the job just a month later!

He was also found guilty and sentenced to a one-year driving prohibition and fined $1,560.

He was also demoted to inspector for a year. But get this: he would later be cranked up to superintendent again. Why? Nobody knows.

And the irony could not be more perverse nor profound: the police officer in charge of Project South – the investigation into police corruption – is corrupt himself!

The question arises: what the hell is Chief Demkiw thinking? Why is a convicted drunk driver investigating corrupt cops? Hussein shouldn’t even be employed as a meter maid.

And so much for accountability and disclosure! It’s a joke, albeit one without a punchline.

And this latest sordid chapter in Toronto Police history reminds us of one of our favourite Latin quotes: “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.” Translation: “Who guards the guardians?”

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ATIP records show Edmonton mayor deferred to NCCM during campaign against police chief’s Israel trip

As antisemitic hate crimes continue to surge across Canada, newly released access-to-information records reveal Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack was actively coordinating with and relaying the concerns of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and affiliated activist groups during the controversy surrounding Edmonton Police Chief Warren Driechel’s trip to Israel.

The records raise an uncomfortable question: Why was city hall treating the NCCM coalition as its primary stakeholder while appearing to give far less weight to Edmonton’s Jewish community?

The controversy began after Driechel participated in a professional development trip to Israel alongside other North American police leaders. The trip focused on public safety, emergency management, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism.

Almost immediately, the NCCM, the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities and more than two dozen affiliated organizations launched a campaign against the chief, demanding answers and ultimately suggesting that, absent satisfactory responses, Driechel should resign.

Behind the scenes, the newly released records show Mayor Knack repeatedly directing police leadership toward NCCM.

“The best starting point for organizations to engage with is the letter sent by NCCM which lists out many organizations,” Knack wrote to the police chief and police commission chair.

Knack did not merely pass along the coalition’s concerns. He endorsed them.

“I think the three questions that community have raised are reasonable questions to be answers,” he wrote, referring directly to the demands contained in the NCCM-led coalition letter.

The mayor also offered city hall’s assistance in arranging a meeting between the activists, the chief and police leadership.

“Finally, NCCM would like to meet with Council and both of you all together. Our office is more than willing to help coordinate,” Knack wrote, adding that “this would be hosted by NCCM” and that “they would be leading the meeting.”

Knack went even further, recommending NCCM-connected figures as advisors to police leadership.

“Both were formally involved with the Edmonton and/or National parts of NCCM and have been taking calls and meetings non-stop since Tuesday and would have some excellent insight if there is interest,” he wrote.

The contrast with the treatment of Edmonton’s Jewish community is striking.

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