Back in 2022, Canadian Parliament member Yaara Saks claimed that “honk honk” was code for “heil Hitler”

“How much vitriol do we have to see of ‘honk honk’ – which is an acronym for ‘heil Hitler’ – do we need to see by these protesters on social media?” Sask asked, speaking in the House of Commons.

The Freedom Convoy protesters used “honk honk” as an unofficial slogan and often honked during demonstrations. Thus, they became Nazis in the eyes of Yaara Saks.

These days everyone is accused of being a Nazi except the actual Nazis.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

RCMP to pack up, tear down facilities at Quebec's Roxham Road

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are taking down their facilities on Quebec's Roxham Road, an unofficial border crossing that served as a pathway into the country for countless asylum seekers.

In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden announced that they were closing a long-standing loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement. The agreement calls for asylum seekers to apply for refugee status in the first of two countries they enter. Prior to March, the deal only applied to official ports of entry.

"Following the modification to the Safe Third Country Agreement, the number of migrants that cross through Roxham Road has dwindled and our presence here is no longer necessary," said Sgt. Charles Poirier.

Poirier said the removal of its facilities on Roxham Road means the RCMP will no longer have a constant physical presence on Roxham Road. It will instead rely on regular patrols and camera surveillance.

The spokesperson said the facilities at Roxham Road were meant to last three to five years. The decrease in foot traffic and the considerable cost of upgrading the facilities played major roles in the RCMP's decision to tear them down.

#Quebec

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🩺 Four in 10 child patients face unsafe spinal surgery wait times in Canada: report

Four out of ten child patients in Canada are facing unsafe spinal surgery wait times, according to a new report.

Published Monday, the report also estimates that delaying access to pediatric spinal surgeries costs the Canadian health-care system at least $44.6 million.

The report focuses on the spinal condition scoliosis to highlight the broader issue of prolonged pediatric surgery wait times following the COVID-19 pandemic. 2,778 children are currently waiting for scoliosis surgery in Canada.

While the clinically recommended time frame for paediatric spinal surgery is six months, the report estimates that only 38 per cent of pediatric scoliosis patients are having surgeries within that period in Canada.

#healthcare

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇮🇳 Sikhs stage protests against Indian government over murder

Canadian Sikhs staged small protests outside India's diplomatic missions on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there may be a link between New Delhi and the murder of a Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar .

About 100 protesters in Toronto burned an Indian flag and struck a cardboard cut-out of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a shoe. About 200 protesters also gathered outside the Vancouver consulate.

In Ottawa, fewer than 100 people gathered in front of the Indian High Commissioner's office (embassy) in the capital. They waved yellow flags marked with the world "Khalistan", a reference to their support for making India's Punjab region an independent state for Sikhs, a cause Nijjar campaigned for.

"We are really thankful to Justin Trudeau... We want no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of this cowardly act," a protester said in Ottawa.

#India

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇺🇦 Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says that House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota should step down after taking responsibility for the invite of a Nazi soldier to Parliament.

Meanwhile, the House of Commons attempted to make everyone forget their mistake. Government House leader Karina Gould stood up on Monday afternoon to ask for unanimous consent to adopt a motion calling to strike “from the appendix of the House of Commons debates” and from “any House multimedia recording” the recognition of Hunka.

All parties agreed that the moment is embarrassing and should not have happened. But the Conservatives argued there is a difference between regretting an embarrassing moment and erasing it completely, as they refused to consent to Gould’s proposition.

Trudeau probably wishes he had a time machine.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇺🇦🇷🇺Justin Trudeau blames Russian propaganda for Canadian Parliament honoring a Nazi

"Obviously, it's extremely upsetting that this happened... this is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Parliament of Canada...

It's going to be really important that all of us push back against Russian propaganda, Russian disinformation, and continue our steadfast and unequivocal support for Ukraine," Prime Minister Trudeau said in a statement.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇵🇱🇺🇦 Poland is seeking to extradite Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian man who fought in the Waffen SS on behalf of the Nazis to face trial in Poland for war crimes.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Poilievre taunts CBC, hints at turning $400M in real estate into housing

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre taunted the CBC on X by hinting that he would convert the Crown Corporation’s over $400 million worth of real estate holdings into housing for Canadians.

“It warms my heart to think of the families that will move into a home they can afford, at the former headquarters of the CBC” wrote Poilievre on X.

The comment is also likely a nod to Poilievre’s promise to defund the CBC if elected Prime Minister as well as his recently unveiled home building plan, which includes a review of federal properties and a pledge to sell off 15% of certain holdings to developers.

Poilievre’s comments cited a recent response by the CBC to a question on the order paper in the House of Commons by Conservative MP Adam Chambers revealing how much real estate wealth the taxpayer funded broadcaster has amassed in recent years.

#Poilievre #housing

🍁 Maple Chronicles

⚡️Liberal MP Anthony Rota is stepping down as House of Commons Speaker

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇮🇳 Canada travel advisory to India updated to include protests, 'negative sentiments'

Canada has updated its travel advisory for India to include warnings about protests and "negative sentiments" towards Canadians in light of a recent breakdown in Canada-India relations.

Global Affairs Canada is urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution when visiting India.

"In the context of recent developments in Canada and in India, there are calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada on social media," reads an update to the travel advisory. "Please remain vigilant and exercise caution."

#India

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🎉 5,000 subscribers 🎉

Blood Meridian has reached 5,000 subscribers. This is a great achievement for us, but at the same time, it's only the beginning.

We will continue to share news from the southern states and Latin America, as well as our analytical work.

Each new subscriber reminds us that our work is needed. Thank you for sharing our content and recommending the channel to your friends.

Today we would like to shout out the channels that Blood Meridian admins read on a daily basis.

@CIG_telegram – current news, history and social matters
@police_frequency – US law enforcement news
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@maplechronicles – news from Canada
@BellumActaNews – breaking news & geopolitics
@topicdujour – culture war frontlines
@geopoliticalblog – up-to-date reports on the hottest issues
@africaintel – your main African newsfeed
@UkraineHumanRightsAbuses – unbiased take on the war in Ukraine
@asianomics – news & analysis from all across the Asia-Pacific
@songofoil – energy industry news
@southerncrossintel – intelligence and breaking news from South America

☠️ Blood Meridian

Border Agency to renovate detainee facility for ‘high risk’ migrant offenders

The Canada Border Security Agency plans to convert a wing of its immigration detention centre into “high risk” cells as they will soon no longer be able to rely on provincial prisons to house dangerous migrants.

The director-general for the CBSA, Carl Desmarais, said that a section of the border force’s immigration detention centre in Laval, Que., would soon undergo renovations to install 48 beds for “high risk” migrants. Once completed, the agency plans to make similar renovations at detention centres in Toronto and Surrey, B.C.

Initially, high risk migrants were detained in provincial prisons throughout the country, however that arrangement is set to expire next week.

#Quebec

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Foreign students being tricked into thinking they can get permanent residency by studying in Canada

Foreign students, some of them confused by false promises from education consultants, are being misled into thinking that studying at Canadian postsecondary schools is a guaranteed route to remaining permanently in the country, senators and immigration experts are warning.

Senators warn that there are not enough permanent residence spots to cater to the rising number of these students coming to Canada.

Although attending a Canadian college or university can help a foreign student gain permanent residence here, success is not assured. Under a program known as Express Entry, Canada’s immigration system assigns scores to would-be permanent residents based on their work experience and other factors, and only the highest ranked are invited to apply.

The senators’ report calls for federal action to stop education consultants – who are paid by Canadian colleges to recruit students abroad – from overselling the ease of getting Canadian work permits after graduation.

In some cases, international students are denied these permits because their colleges are not “designated learning institutions,” meaning the schools aren’t on a government list of approved institutions.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏠 B.C. government orders 60,000 new homes built in 10 municipalities the next five years

The B.C. government has ordered 10 of the largest municipalities in the province to build more than 60,000 new units of housing over the next five years — or face consequences.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced the exact numbers for net new units in the 10 municipalities on Tuesday, months after the province first said those communities would be targeted as part of the government's push for additional housing supply.

The 10 municipalities are Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Abbotsford, Delta, Saanich, North Vancouver District, Port Moody, Oak Bay and West Vancouver.

Overall, the number of units they're being asked to add to their housing stock in the next five years ranges from 28,900 in Vancouver to 664 in Oak Bay — but when adjusted for population, all 10 would see an increase of units between eight and 14 per cent by 2028.

#BritishColumbia #housing

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Uncertainty over Rota's replacement as Speaker could force Parliament to hit pause

Speaker Anthony Rota’s resignation Tuesday will set off a race to replace him, but so far there is no clarity about exactly when that might take place.

Rota said his resignation would be effective at the end of parliamentary business on Wednesday. While there are deputy speakers who can oversee debates, they can only do so until Rota’s resignation takes effect. After that, all parliamentary business is paused until a new speaker is selected.

The last time a speaker resigned during a parliamentary session was in 1984 when Jeanne Sauvé left the post to become governor general.

Under House of Commons rules, the election of a Speaker happens under a secret ballot, with MPs ranking their preferred candidates until a candidate has majority support. Typically, the speaker comes from the governing party, but any MP can put their name forward in the race.

House leaders from all the parties are set to meet on Tuesday afternoon to discuss what comes next.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Food bank report highlights food insecurity in Canada

A new report from Food Banks Canada shines a light on the growing number of Canadians struggling to feed themselves.

The inaugural Poverty Report Cards aim to capture the different challenges facing each province and territory regarding poverty and food insecurity.

"Poverty is a reality for at least 2.8 million Canadians, and even more live with food insecurity. This dire situation has led to unprecedented numbers of food bank visits," reads the report.

The report card gives each province a letter grade by focusing on four main categories: experience of poverty, poverty measures, material deprivation and legislative progress.

Leading the way is Quebec with a B- while Nova Scotia trailed all other provinces with an F. Alberta received a D, which is slightly below the national average of D+.

#Quebec #Alberta

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland is asked if the government will reopen the Deschenes Commission to investigate how many Nazi soldiers were welcomed into Canada after the war.

This is an interesting question, given Chrystia Freeland's Ukrainian ancestry.

#Freeland

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏠 Feds unlock another $20 billion for low-cost rental construction financing

The federal government is unlocking another $20 billion in low-cost financing for the construction of rental housing across Canada, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Tuesday.

The Canada Mortgage Bonds program, which raises funds for residential mortgage financing, had an annual limit of $40 billion.

The limit is being increased to $60 billion, with the additional funds aimed at increasing rental construction specifically. This includes apartment buildings, student housing and senior residences.

The federal government says the new funding will boost rental construction by 30,000 units annually.

#housing

🍁 Maple Chronicles