Canadian Trucking Alliance Raising Lots Of Questions Lately

Underway right now a very, VERY large group of truck drivers is heading to Ottawa to protest mandatory vaccinations and to demand that policy be rescinded. Now, do their associations have their backs? Not in the slightest.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance made waves recently when they condemned the planned “convoy to Ottawa”. From their own statement:

The vast majority of the Canadian trucking industry is vaccinated with the overall industry vaccination rate among truck drivers closely mirroring that of the general public. Accordingly, most of our nation’s hard-working truck drivers are continuing to move cross-border and domestic freight to ensure our economy continues to function.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges. CTA believes such actions – especially those that interfere with public safety – are not how disagreements with government policies should be expressed. Members of the trucking industry who want to publicly express displeasure over government policies can choose to hold an organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill or contact their local MP. What is not acceptable is disrupting the motoring public on highways and commerce at the border.

“The Government of Canada and the United States have now made being vaccinated a requirement to cross the border. This regulation is not changing so, as an industry, we must adapt and comply with this mandate,” said CTA president Stephen Laskowski. “The only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.”

Instead of supporting the people who pay their salaries, the C.T.A. makes the suggestion to “call your Member of Parliament”. That’s interesting, considering that all parties are pretty much on board with the same thing. Like so many unions and association groups before, the C.T.A. seems content to throw the workers under the bus. On the surface this is alarming.

The C.T.A does not exist in isolation. Provincial counterparts make up this group, giving it more political power, and ability to influence policy.

Another red flag is that several of the groups that make up the Canadian Trucking Alliance have been receiving CEWS, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. This includes British Columbia, Alberta, and the Atlantic Provinces. Right there, loyalty to the members is tested against the best interests of their employees.

Yes, this is beating a dead horse, but plenty of industries are taking the blood money. This includes: restaurants and hotels, political parties, law firms, more law firms, and churches, to name a few.

In November 2020, the Manitoba Trucking Association received a $125,000 grant from the Western Economic Diversification Program. The stated goal was helping companies adapt to the “pandemic” circumstances in their businesses. Previously, they had taken $268,000 back in 2014. The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Associaton received $37,500 back in 2013 from the Federal Government.

In a move that should surprise no one, the C.T.A. regularly lobbies the Federal Government on a number of issues. Readers of this site should expect this. One item to note is immigration:

“Immigration – related to temporary foreign worker program and support for demand driven immigration allowances specific to assisting shortage of qualified truck drivers.”

While the C.T.A. is putting the screws to its own people, and supporting vaccine mandates, they are also calling on Ottawa to make it easier to import a replacement workforce. Presumably, the people coming into the country will only be able to as a condition of taking the shots (2 or 3 so far). The Saskatchewan Trucking Association — a member group — is also pushing to have an increase in immigration to import more truck drivers. So did their Ontario counterpart in 2019. What sort of picture are we getting here?

[1] Force Canadians out, or to retire, with mandatory medical procedure.
[2] Import new truckers who would be willing to work for less, and take the shots.

Unfortunately, this is hardly the only industry where this is happening.

If you think the trucking groups are only lobbying Federally, you would be very much mistaken. It continues on:

TIME GOVERNMENT BRANCH AMOUNT
2018 WorkSafeBC $1,826,134
2019 Employment and Social Development Canada $22,000
2019 Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure $1,400,000
2019 Natural Resources Canada $20,000
2019 WorkSafeBC $1,393,716
2020-01-15 to 2021-12-31 WorkSafeBC $4,641,567
2020-03-31 to 2021-03-31 Transportation and Infrastructure $1,540,000

The British Columbia Trucking Association (which is part of C.T.A.) has regularly been receiving money both Provincial and Federal Governments. That may explain why there is no real opposition to forcing the truckers to take the experimental shots. In fact, C.T.A. put out a joint statement with Ottawa on the topic of vaccinating workers.

Why does the Canadian Trucking Alliance support mandatory vaccines, and object to the protests in Ottawa? Maybe, just maybe, their interests aren’t with the individual truckers. Perhaps, money does influence policy positions.

Taking a quick look through CEWS and other Federal grants, there are plenty of trucking companies who are receiving handouts as well. This would explain why so many are on board with vaccine mandates.

Instead of looking out for workers, the C.T.A. touts the advantage of a projected driver shortage claiming it will ultimately drive up wages. Sure, except for the people who were let go.

(1) https://cantruck.ca/canadian-trucking-alliance-statement-to-those-engaged-in-road-border-protests/
(2) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/advncdSrch
(3) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/habs/cews/srch/pub/dsplyBscSrch?request_locale=en
(4) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/wd-deo,GC-WD-DEO-2020-2021-Q3-1103,current
(5) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/wd-deo,GC-WD-DEO-2013-2014-Q4-00142,current
(6) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/acoa-apeca,276-2013-2014-Q1-00004,current
(7) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=622&regId=916231#regStart
(8) https://www.lobbyistsregistrar.bc.ca/app/secure/orl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=596&regId=56562530
(9) https://www.sasklobbyistregistry.ca/search-the-registry/registration-details/?id=a541fccd-1c72
(10) https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/01/declaration-commune-des-ministresalghabra-oregan-et-qualtrough-et-du-president-de-lalliance-canadienne-du-camionnage.html
(11) https://cantruck.ca/vaccine-mandate-leading-to-better-driver-pay-carrier/
(12) https://ctacanada.com/quality-service/

(A) https://canucklaw.ca/media-subsidies-and-govt-financing/
(B) https://canucklaw.ca/media-controlled-opposition/
(C) https://canucklaw.ca/groups-calling-for-vaccine-passports-heavily-subsidized-by-government/
(D) https://canucklaw.ca/trudeau-using-taxpayer-money-to-subsidize-opposition-parties-liberals-too/
(E) https://canucklaw.ca/law-firms-bar-associations-receiving-canada-emergency-wage-subsidy-cews/
(F) https://canucklaw.ca/conflicting-out-its-not-just-cews-that-the-lawyers-are-receiving/
(G) https://canucklaw.ca/following-the-money-why-are-churches-really-pushing-the-vaxx-agenda

Ontario Divisional Court Rules Requirement For Teachers To Be Proficient In Math Is Unconstitutional

There is a group that’s asking for handouts in order to water down the standards required to teach in Ontario. Unfortunately, it seems that they’ve had success.

The Ontario Teacher Candidates’ Council is an NGO that claims to advocate on behalf of (potential) teachers looking to get certified in Ontario. The group states that it was created largely in response to the new requirement that new teachers have a certain level of proficiency prior to getting to teach students. The online begging started quickly.

Is this really in the best interests of students? Is eliminating a pretty reasonable requirement in the name of “diversity and equity” the way to go about this? It’s pretty alarming that (apparently) large numbers of people can obtain and undergraduate degree, and a bachelor of education, and have a limited grasp of mathematics.

This also highlights a serious flaw with the legal system in Canada. NGOs can commence lawsuits claiming they have a “public interest standing”, and try to get the laws changed to suit their political ideologies. Providing the papers are worded properly, this is routinely down. Courts often grant such standing.

The Ontario Teacher Candidates’ Council was founded in early October [2019] largely in response to the Math Proficiency test which was made a mandatory requirement for the qualification of new teachers. According to the OCT, “On August 20, 2019 two regulations were filed: Regulation 271/19, Proficiency in Mathematics, under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, and Regulation 272/19, Objects of the Office under the Education Quality and Accountability Office Act, 1996. As a result certification requirements were updated to ensure that Ontario teachers are prepared for the modern demands of a changing society and increasingly dynamic learning environment.”

We believe that this test is not equitable, fair, justified or backed by data. The EQAO office has been rushed into creating a massive test in just months. In the past, EQAO has taken 3 years to roll out new tests. There is no definitive evidence which suggests that new teachers will become more effective math instructors as a result of this test, nor that students will perform better in math as a result of this. The last government-implemented test for teachers cost taxpayers $22 million and the results were mostly abandoned. This new legislation is costing tens-of-millions of dollars for a test which decides the futures of thousands of Ontarians. This new legislation comes to teacher candidates who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on their education and carefully planned the steps they would need to take to reach their goals. These thousands of jobs deeply affect the economy and future of our great province. Read our Email Templates on the Newsletter page to see our questions and arguments regarding this test. Help us, the people, even if our government will not.

It’s interesting that this group claims there’s no evidence that such requirements help. From the looks of their members, most probably couldn’t pass an introductory statistics course.

In February 2020, there was a podcast for “Education Is A Right“. Apparently, the right to a QUALITY education isn’t that important. If this really was about the students, there would be efforts to attract, retain, and upgrade the best teachers available. Instead, this group takes the opposite approach.

This isn’t something that anyone should be proud of. The Ontario Divisional Court essentially says that pandering to the anti-white diversity crowd is more important than providing quality education. Quite simply, whites passing at too high a rate implies systemic racism.

Parents would be up in arms if they were made aware of this. That said, it seems doubtful that there has been any publicity within those circles. At least the College of Teachers had enough sense to reject this idiocy.

One would think that this group would want to do what they can to ensure people of all groups are able to pass basic proficiency testing in math. However, that’s not the way they go. Turning to the ruling:

Significant Disparities in Success Rates
[32] The EQAO collected demographic information about Field Test takers through the voluntary demographic questionnaire which revealed significant disparities in success rates based on test-takers’ race, language and disabilities.

[33] In particular, the Field Test demographic data showed that non-White candidates writing in French were only successful 55 percent of the time, whereas White candidates writing in French were successful 84 percent of the time. Candidates who identified as belonging to non-White ethno-racial groups (such as African, Indigenous, Latino and Middle Eastern) failed at a significantly higher rate than White candidates. Candidates who indicated they had a cognitive disability failed the Field Test at over twice the rate of candidates without a disability.

Apparently there are differences in the average cognitive abilities between groups. The solution is obviously to reduce (or eliminate) standards, to ensure there is no difference.

Also, let’s not mince words. This isn’t just an effort to dumb down the teaching profession. This is an attempt to reduce the number of whites, and replace them with non-whites.

What Is the Appropriate Remedy?
[161] A declaration will issue that the Mathematics Proficiency Test and the legislative provisions that create it infringe s. 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the infringement cannot be justified under s. 1. Specifically, the Proficiency in Mathematics regulation (O. Reg 271/19), as amended, and s. 18(1)(c) of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c.12 are of no force or effect.

[162] A declaration will issue that the Ontario College of Teachers shall grant certification to teacher candidates who have not passed the Mathematics Proficiency Test (or shall grant full certification in the case of teacher candidates whose certification is conditional on passing the Mathematics Proficiency Test) but have otherwise met all other certification requirements.

Conclusion
[167] The application for judicial review is granted. The following relief is ordered:
(a) The Mathematics Proficiency Test violates s. 15(1) of the Charter, is not justified under s. 1, and is unconstitutional;
.
(b) O. Reg. 271/19, Proficiency in Mathematics, as amended, under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c.12 is unconstitutional and of no force and effect;
.
(c) Paragraph s. 18(1)(c) of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c.12 is unconstitutional and of no force or effect;
.
(d) The Ontario College of Teachers shall grant certification to teacher candidates who have not passed the Mathematics Proficiency Test (or shall grant full certification in the case of teacher candidates whose certification is conditional on passing the Mathematics Proficiency Test) but who have otherwise met all other certification requirements; and
.
(e) The Respondent shall pay the Applicants $90,000 in costs of the application.

Basically, the Ontario Divisional Court ruled that it was discriminatory in order to force all teachers to have a certain mathematical background.

And on top of it, a $90,000 costs award was also handed down. Now, will the donors get a refund for their contributions, or will the group owners just pocket it?

Bella Lewkowicz is a French teacher with Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. The group itself boasts some pretty impressive educational credentials. It’s baffling then why they would work like this to dumb down the teaching profession. Is it guilt? Self-hatred? Or is this some more destructive impulse?

(1) https://www.otcc.ca/
(2) https://www.otcc.ca/get-involved
(3) Home _ Ontario Teacher Candidates’ Council
(4) https://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/news/ontario-court-declares-that-the-ontario-math-proficiency-test-is-unconstitutional/
(5) https://twitter.com/OTCC19
(6) https://www.gofundme.com/f/otcc-legal-fund?utm_campaign=p_cp_url&utm_medium=os&utm_source=customer
(7) https://twitter.com/otffeo/status/1471940285210968070
(8) https://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/2021-12-16-OTCC-v-Ontario-FINAL-signed-by-all.pdf
(9) Court Ruling Divisional Court 2021.12.16 OTCC v Ontario FINAL signed by all
(10) http://edisaright.ca/episode-31-student-teachers-challenge-new-math-test-in-ontario
(11) https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-lewkowicz-5232951/

IMM #5(D): Remittances – Where Is The Money Actually Going?

It’s one thing to talk about remittances being sent abroad, but where is it going? A quick look at the top recipients shows an unsurprising result. The largest amounts of money are sent to places which bring the most people to Canada annually. This has China, India and the Philippines at the top of the list.

The exact formula for these projections isn’t released, but it’s likely due to limited surveys, information from financial institutions and organizations, and some extrapolation. The numbers can’t be taken as exact, but just a rough idea of what’s going on. StatsCan also has its own estimates.

Pew Research On Remittances From Canada In 2017 (Top 60)

RANK DESTINATION ESTIMATED AMOUNT RUNNING TALLY
1 China $4,144,000,000 $4,144,000,000
2 India* $2,877,000,000 $7,021,000,000
3 Philippines $2,370,000,000 $9,391,000,000
4 France $1,297,000,000 $10,688,000,000
5 Italy $1,072,000,000 $11,760,000,000
6 Vietnam $953,000,000 $12,713,000,000
7 Lebanon* $853,000,000 $13,566,000,000
8 Germany $810,000,000 $14,376,000,000
9 United States $662,000,000 $15,038,000,000
10 United Kingdom $569,000,000 $15,607,000,000
11 Pakistan* $562,000,000 $16,169,000,000
12 Sri Lanka $488,000,000 $16,617,000,000
13 Belgium $459,000,000 $17,076,000,000
14 Hungary $436,000,000 $17,512,000,000
15 Nigeria $436,000,000 $17,948,000,000
16 Portugal $409,000,000 $18,357,000,000
17 Poland $341,000,000 $18,698,000,000
18 South Korea $327,000,000 $19,025,000,000
19 Jamaica $315,000,000 $19,340,000,000
20 Bermuda $285,000,000 $19,625,000,000
21 Egypt $269,000,000 $19,894,000,000
22 Netherlands $181,000,000 $20,075,000,000
23 Czech Republic $177,000,000 $20,252,000,000
24 El Salvador $157,000,000 $20,409,000,000
25 Mexico $156,000,000 $20,565,000,000
26 Japan $153,000,000 $20,718,000,000
27 Haiti $144,000,000 $20,862,000,000
28 Guatemala $142,000,000 $21,004,000,000
29 Romania $139,000,000 $21,143,000,000
30 Hong Kong $136,000,000 $21,279,000,000
31 Austria $133,000,000 $21,412,000,000
32 Kenya $123,000,000 $21,535,000,000
33 Croatia $119,000,000 $21,654,000,000
34 Morocco $114,000,000 $21,768,000,000
35 Colombia $113,000,000 $21,881,000,000
36 Ukraine $108,000,000 $21,989,000,000
37 Spain $107,000,000 $22,096,000,000
38 Denmark $101,000,000 $22,197,000,000
39 Australia $98,000,000 $22,295,000,000
40 Switzerland $91,000,000 $22,386,000,000
41 Iran $90,000,000 $22,476,000,000
42 Ghana $82,000,000 $22,558,000,000
43 Thailand $79,000,000 $22,637,000,000
44 Bangladesh $78,000,000 $22,715,000,000
45 Uganda $76,000,000 $22,791,000,000
46 Israel* $71,000,000 $22,862,000,000
47 Sweden $66,000,000 $22,928,000,000
48 Serbia $62,000,000 $22,990,000,000
49 Slovakia $62,000,000 $23,052,000,000
50 Guyana $59,000,000 $23,111,000,000
51 Russia $59,000,000 $23,179,000,000
52 Peru $57,000,000 $23,227,000,000
53 Tanzania $57,000,000 $23,284,000,000
54 Qatar $54,000,000 $23,338,000,000
55 South Africa $52,000,000 $23,390,000,000
56 Jordan $48,000,000 $23,438,000,000
57 Algeria $45,000,000 $23,483,000,000
58 Bosnia-Herzegovina $41,000,000 $23,524,000,000
59 Ecuador $39,000,000 $23,563,000,000
60 Finland $38,000,000 23,601,000,000
n/a All Others $958,000,000 $24,559,000,000

*Indicates not all transactions between certain countries can be estimated.

Pew Research is just one group that tracks and estimates remittances by country in a particular year. They put that figure for money leaving Canada in 2017 to be about $24.6 billion. To be fair, these are calculated to a large degree by computer modelling, so take it with a grain of salt. Still, it’s a starting place to look.

Pew and the World Bank openly admit that remittances are used by many countries to prop up their economies to a large degree.

Now, an argument “could” be made that these remittances have an overall benefit globally, and there’s the poverty reduction aspect. But in that case, public officials should just be honest about it, and not pretend that the aim is all to benefit the host country.

The United States is believed to be the largest source of remittances, with about $150 billion sent abroad annually.

The World Bank has written in opposition to the idea of taxing remittances. They openly admit that it would significantly cut into the amount of money the destination country receives.

There’s more to it than simply sending money abroad. Keep in mind, restaurants and hotels are among the largest users of programs like for Temporary Foreign Workers. For the last 2 years, they have been heavily subsidized by the taxpayers. Chains are included in this list as well.

As for agriculture workers, Ottawa has been using public money to subsidize the quarantine costs of people entering the country. Now, we’re not going to actually stop the entry of people coming in during a “deadly pandemic”, with high unemployment levels. The Government will just use tax dollars to offset a financial burden imposed on employers.

Why would businesses be supporting these programs for all these years? It’s economical to. Simply put, increasing the supply of labour drives down the relative value, or wages. Also, it’s much easier to support a family in a country with a lower cost of living, even with the remittance fees.

Anyhow, just something to think about when it’s reported that we need more and more people to come here. There are other factors at play.

(1) https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/blog/cs/sending-money
(2) https://www.pewresearch.org/global/interactives/remittance-flows-by-country/
(3) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch
(4) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/29/remittances-from-abroad-are-major-economic-assets-for-some-developing-countries/
(5) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/qp/id/aafc-aac,AAFC-2021-QP-00003
(6) https://blogs.worldbank.org/peoplemove/why-taxing-remittances-bad-idea
(7) https://canucklaw.ca/imm-5c-remittances-remain-high-even-as-unemployment-rates-soared-in-2020/
(8) https://canucklaw.ca/imm-5b-global-remittances-hidden-costs-of-immigration/

Ottawa Doling Out Grants For Development Of Artificial Intelligence, Job Market To Be Crushed

An issue that isn’t covered often enough is the role of automation and artificial intelligence on the labour market. While employment rates rise and fall, the prevalence of these new technologies is certain to have devastating effects on the amount of jobs available.

What happens when large numbers of people find that their fields no longer exist? What happens when professionals who have spent decades learning a trade or skill see it evaporate almost overnight? The long and short term effects of this are something essential to cover.

It should be noted that many who champion this next industrial revolution are also advocates of open borders and mass economic immigration. They also support so-called free trade, or globalization, which sees companies outsourced simply to reduce production costs. What happens when these are combined? In terms of supply and demand, this isn’t difficult to figure out.

[1] Continue high levels of immigration
[2] Outsource work to 3rd world to reduce costs (where possible)
[3] Slash available jobs and industries to work in locally

It gets even worse. Not only is this happening in Canada, but large amounts of taxpayer money are used to accelerate the collapse of the job market. The examples below are just a portion of what is being handed out under the title of “artificial intelligence”.

ORGANIZATION DATE AMOUNT
AbCellera Biologics Inc. Apr. 14, 2020 $175,631,000
AIMS Global Secretariat Aug. 26, 2020 $2,500,000
Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute Jul. 12, 2019 $2,750,000
Algolux Inc. Mar. 1, 2021 $667,000
AltaML Inc. Nov. 23, 2020 $1,000,000
Apollo Machine & Welding Ltd. Apr. 1, 2021 $581,500
Association des médecins vétérinaires practiciens Apr. 9, 2021 $998,456
Ayogo Health Inc. Oct. 2, 2018 $1,730,740
BoG of NorQuest Col & Concordia Uni Dec. 30, 2019 $1,150,000
CAE Inc. Jul. 16, 2018 $150,000,000
CAE Inc. Jan. 28, 2021 $190,000,000
Canadensys Aerospace Corporation Oct. 8, 2020 $2,498,664
Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network Inc. Jul. 6, 2020 $49,500,000
Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network Inc. Jul. 7, 2020 $30,000,000
Canadian Forage and Grassland Association Jul. 3, 2020 $996,032
Carleton University Aug. 15, 2019 $1,500,000
Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc. Nov. 19, 2020 $2,647,000
COENCORP Consultant Corporation May 1, 2021 $600,000
Cognitive Systems Corp. Aug. 22, 2018 $7,268,261
COREM Aug. 8, 2019 $860,000
Council of Canadian Academies Jan. 7, 2020 $1,147,956
Eddyfi NDT inc. Nov. 9, 2018 $1,550,675
Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. Aug. 24, 2020 $3,875,000
Element AI Inc. Jun. 10, 2020 $20,000,000
Enns Brothers Ltd. Jul. 1, 2020 $660,000
Fluidigm Canada Inc. Jun. 1, 2018 $650,000
Giatec Scientific Inc. Oct. 1, 2018 $800,000
Genov, Roman Apr. 1, 2017 $1,136,025
Governors of the University of Alberta Oct. 29, 2018 $2,500,000
Governing Council of the University of Toronto Aug. 3, 2018 $25,000,000
Governing Council of the University of Toronto Mar. 30, 2019 $17,000,000
Governing Council of the University of Toronto Dec. 1, 2020 $1,254,375
Imagia Cybernétique Inc. Aug. 31, 2018 $1,000,000
Information Technology Association of Canada Nov. 1, 2018 $1,980,358
Linamar Corporation Jul. 6, 2018 $49,000,000
Lytica Inc Nov. 6, 2019 $1,080,000
Mckee Demczyk, Debbie Mar. 7, 2018 $2,000,000
McMaster University Oct. 18, 2019 $1,479,441
MindBridge Analytics Inc. May 1, 2019 $14,500,000
Miru Smart Technologies Corp. Apr. 1, 2021 $600,000
Mission Control Space Services Inc. Feb. 3, 2021 $3,042,959
Montréal International Jul. 9, 2020 $9,480,000
North Inc. Nov. 8, 2018 $24,000,000
North Inc. Oct 31, 2018 $24,000,000
Octopusapp Inc. Sep. 1, 2020 $3,000,000
OCED Aug. 27, 2020 $982,000
Purdie, Thomas G Apr. 1, 2013 $651,061
Savormetrics Inc. Nov. 30, 2018 $867,000
Scale.AI Mar. 15, 2018 $229,765,127
Sheikhzadeh, Mehdi Mar. 7, 2018 $2,000,000
SSIMWAVE Apr. 1, 2019 $4,232,550
Sunnybrook Research Institute May 21, 2019 $49,000,000
Tangent Design Engineering Ltd. Feb. 1, 2017 $600,000
Tangent Design Engineering Ltd. Aug. 1, 2021 $700,000
Technologies Numetrix inc. Jun. 8, 2021 $608,288
Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc. Jul. 15, 2020 $1,000,000
Terry Fox Research Institute & Imagia Cybernetics Inc. Aug. 28, 2020 $49,000,000
Tessonics Inc. Apr. 1, 2021 $600,000
University of British Columbia Jan. 1, 2020 $1,203,433
University of Manitoba Mar. 5, 2021 $1,603,078
Valacta Limited Partnership Dec. 2, 2019 $566,617
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Apr. 1, 2018 $4,138,197

This is by no means all of the grants, just the larger ones listed.

Keep in mind, while Canada continues to bring record numbers of people into the country, we are automating entire industries. This will lead to massive losses of employment for those already here. The result is far more people, competing for far fewer positions. This sort of thing typically leads to much lower wages and benefits.

Getting artificial intelligence into aerospace and highly technical fields seems harmless enough, but it’s not going to stop there. Proponents of the AI trend never seem to realize that their jobs can also be automated out of existence as well.

This AI push will also impact the low skill market as well, and nothing is off the table. One such grant involves spending over $4 million to implement AI into the agricultural industry, and to automate a lot of the more “low skill” work. Another grant was for $30,000,000. Depending on the locations, this could mean the lack of any other options for many.

Far from being hyperbolic, automation replacing jobs has happened for decades, and will continue to do so. The service industry seems to be next on the list. Does anyone seriously think that workers will be hired back once replaced by robots? What happens to the people who can’t find work as a result of this?

Without an alternative in place for the people impacted by these drastic changes, expect chaos and instability to result from this initiative.

An interesting side note: the “political left” typically opposes free trade and globalization for the reason that it undercuts wages, and sees jobs shipped overseas. In short, decent work disappears. Mass automation will have much the same effect, and yet, silence from those same activists. How strange.

As for the “political right”: how exactly does gutting entire industries help secure an economic recovery? This trend is surely going to get worse.

Seriously, who thought this was a good idea for society?

(1) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc
(2) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/?sort=agreement_start_date_s%20desc&page=1&search_text=artificial%20intelligence
(3) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/csa-asc,003-2020-2021-Q4-04881,current
(4) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/aafc-aac,235-2018-2019-Q3-00066,current
(5) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/ic,230-2021-2022-Q1-0143,current
(6) https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/22/restaurants-looking-for-labor-and-speed-turn-to-robots-.html

Some Of The Larger “Anti-Racism” Grants The Feds Pump Out At Taxpayer Expense

Racism divides communities, breeds fear and fuels animosity. Addressing racism and discrimination is a longstanding commitment of Canadians who see our country’s diversity as a source of strength. Canada is strong, not in spite of our differences, but because of them. Unfortunately, Canada is not immune to racism and discrimination — challenges remain when it comes to fully embracing diversity, openness and cooperation.

It is vital that Canada stands up to discrimination perpetrated against any individual or group of people on the basis of their religion and/or ethnicity and this is why the Government of Canada has committed to engage the public on a new federal anti-racism strategy. We are exploring racism as it relates to employment and income supports, social participation (for example, access to arts, sport and leisure) and justice.

Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022 is a $45 million investment that will take immediate steps in combatting racism and discrimination based on what was heard during the engagement process and supported by research. The Strategy will complement existing government efforts and programs aimed at eliminating inequities by focusing on three guiding principles: Demonstrating Federal Leadership, Empowering Communities, and Building Awareness & Changing Attitudes.

The premise of this would be laughable, if it weren’t meant to be taken seriously. Canada is strong, not in spite of our difference, but because of them? How is having nothing in common with your neighbours a source of strength? What exactly binds communities together if not their commonalities?

If diversity really is our strength, then why does this continuous racism exist? Doesn’t everyone celebrate that being divided makes us united?

More than just words, the Federal Government (or rather, taxpayers), have been spending huge sums of money for this delusion for years. Below is just a sample of the money spend on this.

Note: some of the grants predate that program, but are worth sharing anyway. If nothing else, this stupidity needs to be exposed.

ORGANIZATION DATE AMOUNT
519 Church Street Community Centre Nov. 9, 2020 $300,000
Aboriginal Legal Services Inc. Apr. 1, 2020 $290,000
Aboriginal Peoples Alliance Of Northern Ontario Sep. 1, 2021 $512,600
ACCT Foundation Apr. 15, 2020 $309,000
Action Dignity Society Sep. 1, 2021 $245,675
Action For Healthy Communities Society Of Alberta Sep. 1, 2021 $233,430
Actions Interculturelles De Developpement Et D’Education Sep. 1, 2020 $200,000
Algoma University Sep. 1, 2021 $262,500
Association Of Ontario Midwives Sep. 1, 2021 $224,936
Bilal Community And Family Centre Apr. 1, 2020 $212,000
Black Legal Action Centre Feb. 1, 2020 $336,577
Black Students’ Mental Health Project Sep. 1, 2021 $226,798
Bureau De La Communaute Haitienne De Montreal Sep. 1, 2021 $400,000
Canadian Anti-Hate Network Jun. 1, 2020 $268,400
Canadian Council Of Muslim Women Oct. 1, 2020 $316,700
Canadian Freestyle Ski Association Apr. 1, 2021 $1,010,295
Canadian Sport Institute Ontario Apr. 1, 2021 $1,247,877
Canadian Sport Institute Pacific Society Apr. 1, 2021 $1,721,743
Catholic Centre For Immigrants (Ottawa) Apr. 1, 2020 $380,578
CEE Centre For Young Black Professionals May 1, 2020 $279,500
Centre D’Amitie Autochtone De Val D’Or Inc. Oct. 1, 2021 $416,400
Centre Des Femmes Afghanes Sep. 1, 2021 $203,702
Centre for Race and Culture Apr. 1, 2010 $497,663
Centre Multiculturel de Ressources de LaSalle Oct. 18, 2021 $425,000
Children’s Peace Theatre Sep. 1, 2021 $250,000
Chinese Canadian National Council Sep. 1, 2021 $240,000
Coaching Association Of Canada Apr. 1, 2021 $308,000
Coalition Of Muslim Women of KW Jul. 1, 2020 $285,000
Council For The Advancement Of African Canadians In Alberta Sep. 1, 2021 $221,500
Corporation Wapikoni Mobile Sep. 1, 2021 $587,313
Culturelink Settlement And Community Services Oct. 1, 2021 $227,636
Durhamn Regional Unemployed Help Sep. 1, 2021 $225,801
Edmonton Centre For Race And Culture Sep. 1, 2021 $222,020
Equipe R.D.P. Sep. 1, 2021 $340,000
Equitas – Centre International d’Education Aux Driots Humains Sep. 1, 2020 $490,000
Family Services of Peel Feb. 15, 2021 $324,200
Federation Des Chambres De Commerce Du Quebec Sep. 1, 2020 $200,000
Federation of Black Canadians Sep. 1, 2020 $263,300
Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak Oct. 1, 2021 $659,201
First Light St. John’s Friendship Centre Inc. Jun. 1, 2021 $362,900
First Light St. John’s Friendship Centre Inc. Sep. 1, 2021 $253,940
Georgian bay Native Friendship Centre Inc. Sep. 21, 2021 $416,000
Grand Council Treaty #3 Sep. 1, 2021 $346,700
Institut National Du Sport Du Quebec Apr. 1, 2021 $1,522,301
Institut De Recherce Et D’Eucation Sur Les Relations Racials Aug. 3, 2020 $225,000
Integration Jeunesse Du Quebec Sep. 1, 2020 $281,742
Jane/Finch Community And Family Centre Aug. 1, 2021 $216,879
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa Aug. 10, 2009 $632,273
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa Dec. 23, 2009 $693,415
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa-Carleton May 13, 2010 $1,263,495
John Howard Society of Ontario Oct. 1, 2021 $433,225
Justice For Girls Outreach Program Aug. 4, 2020 $206,970
Legal Aid Ontario Sep. 1, 2020 $285,000
Lift Community Services Of Qathet Sep. 1, 2020 $222,000
Maison D’Haiti Sep. 1, 2021 $279,810
Makeway Charitable Society Sep. 1, 2021 $228,833
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. Aug. 1, 2021 $500,000
Matawa First Nations Management Sep. 7, 2021 $355,208
Metro Toronto Chinese & East Asian Legal Clinic Apr. 1, 2020 $301,904
Metro Toronto Chinese & East Asian Legal Clinic Sep. 1, 2021 $286,910
Midaynta Community Services Oct. 1, 2021 $275,000
MOSAIC – Multilingual Orientation Service Association For Immigrant Communities Sep. 1, 2021 $213,250
Muslim Association Of Canada Sep. 1, 2021 $349,210
National Anti-Racism Council of Canada Mar. 28, 2008 $211,205
National Anti-Racism Council of Canada Aug. 28, 2008 $430,213
Nigerian Canadians For Cultural, Educational And Economic Progress Oct. 1, 2021 $219,420
Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corp. Apr. 1, 2020 $376,788
Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations Sep. 1, 2009 $497,161
Northern Nishnwabe Education Council Sep. 1, 2021 $250,000
North Shore Multicultural Society Aug. 1, 2021 $247,653
Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre May 3, 2019 $250,000
Nova Scotia Department Of Justice Oct. 1, 2020 $200,000
Nunatsiavut Government Sep. 1, 2021 $352,660
Ontario Federation Of Indigenous Friendship Centres Apr. 1, 2020 $284,050
Parry Sound Friendship Centre Sep. 1, 2021 $225,000
Q’Wemtsin Health Society Jul. 1, 2021 $333,865
Reach Edmonton Council Oct. 1, 2020 $255,000
Regent Park Community Health Centre Sep. 1, 2021 $275,823
Regional Connections Inc. Sep. 1, 2021 $254,704
Return The Love Community Support Sep. 1, 2021 $200,000
Riel Institute For Education And Learning Aug. 30, 2021 $236,095
Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre Sep. 8, 2021 $288,387
Ryerson University Sep. 1, 2020 $250,000
Sentencing And Parole Project Nov. 1, 2021 $300,000
Service D’Orientation Et D’Integration Des Immigrants Au Travail De Quebec Sep. 1, 2020 $280,000
Social Planning Council Of Winnipeg Apr. 1, 2020 $266,100
Sommet Socio-Economique Pour Le Developpement Des Jeunes Des Communautres Noires Mar. 1, 2020 $251,090
Table De Concertation Des Organismes Au Service Des Personnes Refugiees Et Immigrantes Inc. Sep. 1, 2021 $375,000
Taibu Community Health Centre Apr. 1, 2020 $460,238
Town Of Strathmore Apr. 1, 2020 $260,000
Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service May 1, 2020 $215,000
Umoja Community Mosaic Sep. 1, 2021 $288,800
United Jewish Appeal Of Greater Toronto Sep. 1, 2021 $340,000
Urban Alliance On Race Relations Jul. 21, 2021 $235,800
Urban Rez Solutions Social Enterprise Aug. 1, 2019 $430,000
Vieux Theatre De St.-Fabien (LE) Apr. 1, 2021 $1,900,140
Women’s Health In Women’s Hands Sep. 1, 2020 $340,000
YMCA Of Windsor-Essex County Jan. 29, 2008 $203,002
ZMQ Global Sep. 1, 2021 $287,840

It must be stated that the connection between many of these grants and “fighting racism” is far from clear. For a lot of these, it looks like just a way to funnel money in a manner that couldn’t otherwise be done. Do we really have to pay for people to go skiing, just to prove we’re not racists? The actual search results in 600 hits, so it’s not practical to cover them all. These are just the bigger ones listed.

An interesting observation: considering all that white privilege that exists in the West, it seems that whites are about the only group that hasn’t qualified for it’s own specific funding.

15(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Of course, equality under Section 15 of the Charter doesn’t seem to mean much. The second part of it specifically allows discrimination as long as it’s done to help “disadvantaged groups”. Thank you very much, Pierre Trudeau.

Ever wonder why some problems continue to get worse? Trudeau Jr. has substantially increased the funding of his predecessor, Stephen Harper.

(1) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/anti-racism-engagement.html
(2) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/anti-racism-action-program/application-guidelines.html
(3) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/?sort=agreement_value_fs%20desc&page=2&search_text=anti-racism
(4) https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/pch/documents/services/download-order-charter-bill/canadian-charter-rights-freedoms-eng.pdf

Recent Expenses, Source Countries Of People Entering Canada Illegally

Even though the mainstream press has largely stopped covering the issue, people are still coming into Canada illegally, and we are still covering their expenses.

While our Government and media routinely distract with fear-porn about a non-existent virus, the important issue of border security seems to have disappeared. Admittedly, it has been neglected here on this site as well.

In any event, let’s look at some recent information about the costs associated with this virtue signaling. Keep in mind, this is not a complicated issue. Governments could put a stop to this problem overnight if they wanted to. The only reasonable conclusion is that they want to “appear” to be helpless, while ensuring this continues.

INSTITUTION/PLACE DATE AMOUNT
Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development Apr. 25, 2018 – Mar. 31, 2019 $900,000
ARK Group DMCC Mar. 16, 2020 – May 31, 2021 $999,894
CCFC – Christian Children’s Fund of Canada Mar. 21, 2017 – Dec. 31, 2021 $12,671,151
City of Hamilton (Government) Aug. 2, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $220,000
City of Ottawa (Government) Apr. 5, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $7,000,000
City of Toronto (Government) Jul. 31, 2018 – Mar. 31, 2019 $26,000,000
City of Toronto (Government) May 10, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $45,000,000
City of Toronto (Government) Aug. 29, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $17,000,000
City of Toronto (Government) Apr. 1, 2020 – Mar. 31, 2021 $23,000,000
City of Toronto (Government) Apr. 1, 2020 – Mar. 31, 2021 $16,000,000
City of Ottawa (Government) Jun. 26, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $10,100,000
City Of Victoria (Government) May 15, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $6,000,000
International Organization for Migration 2013-2014 Project $3,087,839
International Organization for Migration Dec. 7, 2015 – Dec. 31, 2018 $10,000,000
International Organization for Migration April 2018 to April 2019 $22,000
International Organization for Migration Feb. 1, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2023 $15,000,000
International Organization for Migration Mar. 15, 2019 – Mar. 15, 2020 $19,500
International Organization for Migration Mar. 26, 2019 – Mar. 26, 2020 $50,000
International Organization for Migration Jun. 24, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2023 $2,219,042
International Organization for Migration Mar. 12, 2020 – Sep. 30, 2023 $1,199,636
Nakache, Delphine (University of Ottawa) Mar. 15, 2018 $213,936
Province of Manitoba (Government) Jul. 31, 2018 – Mar. 31, 2019 $3,000,000
Province of Manitoba (Government) Aug. 21, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $5,000,000
Province of Quebec (Government) Aug. 29, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $250,000,000
Province of Quebec (Government) Apr. 1, 2020 – Mar. 31, 2021 $94,000,000
Province of Quebec (Government) Apr. 1, 2020 – Mar. 31, 2021 $30,000,000
Regional Municipality of Peel (Government) Aug. 21, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020 $2,200,000
United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees Mar. 29, 2019 – Mar. 29, 2020 $50,000

Some of these grants are worth a look in closer detail. Keep in mind, this is just what’s getting flagged by “irregular”. There is most likely more money coming from other sources.

With the International Organization for Migration, it looks like we are handing out cash to facilitate the illegal movement of people. It doesn’t seem like prevention at all.

To enhance awareness of key communities in Central America of the risks associated with irregular pathways of migration and of the options available for regular migration, including to Canada;
.
To strengthen capacity of local government agencies and stakeholders in the target countries to develop information campaign strategies to better inform communities on safe and regular migration pathways and risks of irregular migration.

As one example (albeit a small one), Canadian taxpayers sent $50,000 to Costa Rica. The idea was to discourage them from coming illegally, but to inform them of the litany of methods to enter Canada legally.

This grant will support UNODC to strengthen the migration management capacity of Nigeria through technical assistance in the areas of national migration /immigration policies and procedures, deterring irregular migration, and improving data collection and analysis related to human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Another grant sent $1.2 million to Nigeria, to combat human smuggling and trafficking. At least that was the stated goal. However, consider the large numbers of Nigerians simply coming across the border from the United States, it seems more like we just subsidized their travel.

In fact, Nigerians have been the largest group to enter Canada illegally over the last few years.

ORIGIN INTAKE ACCEPTED REJECTED PENDING
Total 59,384 22,591 16,152 17,555
Nigeria 16,187 4,120 6,777 4,658
Haiti 9,236 1,861 4,205 2,655
Columbia 3,425 1,269 420 1,599
Pakistan 2,343 918 505 800
Democratic Republic of Congo 2,094 362 292 1,328

Note: This doesn’t count withdrawn and abandoned claims.

All of this since 2017, according to the IRB. People can just stroll through the border (and this happens often) at Roxham Road. A serious country would turn them away, not shell out millions for locals to feed and house them.

The United States is such a dangerous country, we are told. However, they get tens of thousands (or more) of asylum claims every year. Strange that people are so willing to flock to an unsafe place. Unless of course, this is all about shopping around for better benefits and living conditions.

Despite all the talk about the border being closed with the U.S., that isn’t true at all. People are still able to come in and pretend to be refugees. The only real difference is that Roxham Road has been converted into a normal border port, and is processing illegal aliens.

As a sign of where things are heading, consider this recent announcement. Refugee claimants (people waiting for a hearing), who have accumulated enough hours working in health care can apply to stay. This seems to also apply to people who entered the country illegally. There seems to be no standards in who we let into this field.

This applies to both pending and failed (yes failed) asylum applicants. If they have enough hours, they can apply for permanent residence. The hours required is the same as for health care workers on visas: (120 between March and August 2020, and either 750 hours or 30 hour/week for 6 months).

It’s a bit of a meme that we have doctors, scientists and engineers flooding the borders. Apparently, this is what’s actually happening.

At a time when health care workers are being terminated for refusing to take the experimental shots, a replacement work force is coming in. The catch seems to be a lack of concern for bodily autonomy. This problem is likely to just get worse.

More to come on this long neglected topic.

(1) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc
(2) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/cic,094-2018-2019-Q4-D198772004,current
(3) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/id/cic,094-2019-2020-Q4-D208778003,current
(4) https://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/statistics/Pages/irregular-border-crossers-countries.aspx
(5) https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/healthcare-workers-permanent-residence.html
(6) https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/healthcare-workers-permanent-residence/eligibility.html#s3