Inside The 'Cult' Of Kielburger
(via CANADALAND)
Fourteen former employees likened WE to a cult, describing it as “cult-ish” or “cult-like.” Six former employees, interviewed separately, offered this comparison without prompting. Canadaland then asked other former and current WE employees if they believed this was an accurate comparison. Eight agreed that it was, and five said it was not.
MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes says black civil servants are passed over for promotions
(via CTV News)
She says in all of Canada's history, no black person has been appointed as a federal deputy minister, the bureaucratic head of a department. There has also been a "thinning out" of visible minorities at the assistant-deputy-minister level, she said.
Mysterious group behind mass texts seeking Canadians' views on carbon tax
(via CBC News)
The individuals behind the campaign, and what they plan to do with the responses, are a mystery — and could remain so. The text message appears to be an attempt to identify voters who are opposed to the carbon tax imposed by the federal Liberals, presumably so they can be targeted during the election campaign this fall.
Airbnb likely removed 31,000 homes from Canada’s rental market, study finds
(via The Globe and Mail)
Short-term rental sites are “having rather large impacts on our housing markets,” McGill researchers say in groundbreaking paper.
Father-daughter border drowning highlights migrants’ perils
(via AP News)
In recent weeks alone, two babies, a toddler and a woman were found dead on Sunday, overcome by the sweltering heat. Elsewhere three children and an adult from Honduras died in April after their raft capsized on the Rio Grande, and a 6-year-old from India was found dead earlier this month in Arizona, where temperatures routinely soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
'Hey U Up': Sean Hannity’s Desperate, Longing Texts to Paul Manafort
(via Slate)
"A spokesperson for Fox News has asked us to include the following statement from Sean Hannity: My view of the Special Counsel investigation and the treatment of Paul Manafort were made clear every day to anyone who listens to my radio show or watches my TV show."
Thousands petition Netflix to cancel Amazon Prime's Good Omens
(via The Guardian)
US Christian group condemns Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s story as “making satanism appear normal” – but petition wrong company.
‘Climate apartheid’: UN expert says human rights may not survive
(via The Guardian)
Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the impacts of global heating are likely to undermine not only basic rights to life, water, food, and housing for hundreds of millions of people, but also democracy and the rule of law.
Federal election easy prey for social media manipulators, experts warn
(via CBC News)
Social media sites still "calibrated for engagement" rather than stopping interference, fake news.
Canada is losing a war against feral pigs that are infesting the Prairies
(via Maclean's Magazine)
Officials are unleashing “Judas pigs,” which are fitted with GPS collars, eventually leading hunters to groups of their fellow swine.
Doug Ford's chief of staff resigns following patronage controversy
(via CBC News)
In a statement Friday evening, Ford's office said the premier accepted French's resignation in the early afternoon — the same day the government revoked the appointments of Tyler Albrecht and Taylor Shields as agents general to New York and London, respectively.
Pride Toronto apologizes for land acknowledgement that 'failed to recognize' Indigenous people
(via CBC News)
Pride Toronto is apologizing for a land acknowledgement sign displayed over the weekend after hundreds took to Twitter to call out the organization for erasing Indigenous people, and failing to properly recognize the origins of the territory on which the festivities took place.
Margaret Wente leaving The Globe and Mail, 5 layoffs following May buyout offer
(via J-Source)
The buyout, or voluntary severance package, was first offered to staff in early May, with publisher Phillip Crawley saying the paper intended to cut $10 million a year from its labour budget.
I'm a journalist but I didn't realize the terrible power of the U.S. border officials until they violated my rights and privacy
(via The Intercept)
Though I’ve reported several magazine stories in Mexico, none have been about immigration. Of course, I knew these were the guys putting kids in cages, separating refugee children from their parents, and that Trump’s whole shtick is vilifying immigrants, leading to many sad and ugly scenes at the border, including the farcical deployment of U.S. troops. But I complacently assumed that wouldn’t affect me directly, least of all in Austin.
Facebook's new competition: The U.S. Dollar
(via Intelligencer)
The coin will be called Libra … a reference to the currency system of history’s most famous conquering empire, Rome. I personally would have gone with “Facebucks.”
Attorneys: Texas border facility is neglecting migrant kids
(via AP News)
“In my 22 years of doing visits with children in detention, I have never heard of this level of inhumanity,” said Holly Cooper, who co-directs University of California, Davis’ Immigration Law Clinic and represents detained youth.
LGBT activists prepare UBC rally for trans rights to counter talk by controversial anti–SOGI speaker Jenn Smith
(via The Georgia Straight)
Local LGBT activists and allies are now getting ready again to assemble and counter a forthcoming talk by controversial speaker Jenn Smith, who has been touring B.C. in a campaign against SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity).
Alleged human-smuggling operation may have brought hundreds of Chinese migrants across B.C. border
(via National Post)
An unguarded section of an international park may have been backdoor path for hundreds of illegal migrants into Canada, the National Post has learned.
Alberta premier's earplug stunt called 'light-hearted' caucus morale-booster
(via CBC News)
"What the UCP did last night was outrageous and insulting," Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, said in a news release. "They showed disrespect and contempt for both Alberta workers and the democratic process. And the bill they passed is illegal."
Reviving and sustaining the Cree language by taking it to the radio air-waves
(via APTN National News)
Students at Mistawasis Nehiyawak in Saskatchewan are learning their Cree language at school and using it to do radio programming for their local radio station CHEK 93.7.
Elections Canada cancels influencer campaign after discovering partisan comments
(via The Globe and Mail)
Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault had told The Globe in an interview that the influencers were required to sign pledges promising to remain politically neutral in their public comments during the election campaign and for a year after the scheduled Oct. 21 vote.
The Duck Caller
(via Up Here Magazine)
The legendary Peter Fraser, “a Métis storyteller, hunter, trapper, forestry officer, special constable for the RCMP, cab driver, politician, and all-around Northern legend,” passed away in 2000 but left behind a wealth of audio recordings. His grandson Cullen Crozier came across this particular tale within that treasure-trove and adapted it for the Sally Manning contest. “He always told stories and they were always really funny."
The normalization of Bryan Goldberg
(via Columbia Journalism Review)
Since the creation of his Bustle Digital Group, Goldberg made a name for himself as a digital slumlord—snatching up gutted media properties, bidding low and running them on cheap labor. In the past year, Goldberg’s Bustle Digital Group has sought to go legit, raising the pay for his writers and editors, and buying up The Outline, Elite Daily, The Zoe Report, Gawker, and Mic. If he has his way, he’ll keep going—colonizing a digital news business that seems to have no other savior.
Boaty McBoatface, climate warrior
(via Slate)
The British research vessel just revealed some significant climate news.
Vancouver's community gardens sit on $525 million of real estate
(via Vancouver Sun)
Reclassifying vacant land as community gardens "may unfairly shift the tax burden" to other property owners, said a motion passed by Vancouver council in 2009.
Sold on your behalf: 164 B.C. schools and hospitals, agricultural and industrial lots worth $1 billion
(via Vancouver Sun)
The examination found several curious transactions, including properties that changed hands twice on the same day, benefiting the first buyers and not the government; large land parcels sold to developers who immediately had them subdivided for dramatic increases in their value; and land the government leased back after selling it because they still needed the properties.
Water, water everywhere, but mostly down the drain: How Vancouver is trying to plug excessive water use
(via CBC News)
Residential water use in Metro Vancouver is 270 litres per capita per day. That's less than the City of Montreal's 286 litres per capita per day, but more than Toronto's 219 per day or the 210 per day used by residents of Calgary.
Canada resettled more refugees than any other country in 2018, UN says
(via CBC News)
The UNHCR's annual global trends report shows Canada took in 28,100 of the 92,400 refugees who were resettled in 25 countries during 2018.
Majority of Canadians favour limiting immigration numbers: Poll
( via Huffington Post)
The data suggests support dropped when Canadians found out how many immigrants arrive every year.
Canadian companies failed to pay billions of taxes owed, new CRA report reveals
(via Toronto Star)
Canadian corporations failed to pay between $9.4 billion and $11.4 billion in taxes in 2014, according to the first comprehensive analysis of the country’s corporate “tax gap” — the difference between taxes legally owed and those collected — being released today by the Canada Revenue Agency.
Joy Harjo becomes the first Native American U.S. poet laureate
(via NPR News)
"It's such an honoring for Native people in this country, when we've been so disappeared and disregarded," Harjo says. "And yet we're the root cultures, over 500-something tribes and I don't know how many at first contact. But it's quite an honor ... I bear that honor on behalf of the people and my ancestors. So that's really exciting for me."
Bodies in seats
(via The Verge)
At Facebook’s worst-performing content moderation site in North America, one contractor has died, and others say they fear for their lives.
Alleged gang kingpin may have used Liberal MP’s law firm to launder money through B.C. condo deal
(via Global News)
Bare trust deals have become extremely controversial in the midst of B.C.’s money laundering scandal because the transactions allow investors to hide their ownership of land in documents only accessible to lawyers.
We fact-checked a viral claim about who's killing MMIWG. It was wrong
(via National Observer)
There’s no published research that supports the figure. It's based on years of sloppily collected RCMP data that doesn't examine the actual problems underlying violence against Indigenous women, and is grounded in racist assumptions about Indigenous people.
Rebel Media’s Jason Kenney coverage is being funded with foreign money from an anti-muslim billionaire
(via Press Progress)
Rebel Media’s Alberta correspondent’s paycheque is directly subsidized with the help of a foreign billionaire.
Finland is winning the war on fake news. What it’s learned may be crucial to Western democracy
(via CNN)
Finland has faced down Kremlin-backed propaganda campaigns ever since it declared independence from Russia 101 years ago. But in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea and backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, it became obvious that the battlefield had shifted: information warfare was moving online.
Google made $4.7 billion from the news industry in 2018, study says
(via The New York Times)
It’s more than the combined ticket sales of the last two “Avengers” movies. It’s more than what virtually any professional sports team is worth. And it’s the amount that Google made from the work of news publishers in 2018 via search and Google News, according to a study to be released on Monday by the News Media Alliance.
We expect police to be brave for us. But what happens when they’re not?
(via The New York Times)
How much bravery do we expect, or demand, of law enforcement officers? What amount of courage rises to the level of heroism — and what is just part of earning the paycheck?
I work in the environmental movement. I don’t care if you recycle
(via Vox)
Stop obsessing over your environmental “sins.” Fight the oil and gas industry instead.
When the world’s most famous mystery writer vanished
(via The New York Times)
On a cold December night in 1926, Agatha Christie went out in her beloved Morris Cowley roadster and didn’t return home for 11 days. Here’s how her disappearance played out.
BC Liberal joined God and Government conference hosted by group behind campaign for abortion laws
(via The Star Vancouver)
While the BC Liberal party as a whole says it is firmly pro-choice, ARPA is clear about its agenda. The organization states on its website: “Yes, we believe religion and politics can mix.”
Fish-farm fight ends with mandated testing for virus
(via The Star Vancouver)
Advocates say they are cautiously optimistic that testing will mean no infected fish are transferred into B.C. waters, where declining salmon stocks are already facing numerous threats.
Lawyer sparks workplace discrimination debate over Teenie Bikini Bistro
(via CBC News)
Brown cites the B.C. Human Rights Code, which prevents discrimination in the workplace on a number of different grounds including gender, sexual orientation and disability. He is concerned that the Teenie Bikini Bistro's hiring practices may be discriminatory toward men, older workers or workers with disabilities, among others.
How birth control became legal in Canada. It starts with an eugenicist
(via National Post)
In defiance of Depression-era norms, Dorothea Palmer advocated family planning with an organization that was the brainchild of A.R. Kaufman, who arranged sterilization operations for his workers.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls on Ford to honour contract with The Beer Store
(via CBC News)
"Our strong concern is that terminating an existing contract, and doing so without compensation… risks sending a negative signal to U.S. and other international investors about the business and investment climate in Ontario," Herrington added.
Quebec tightens the rules for Airbnbs
(via CBC News)
"This regulatory modernization was long overdue in Quebec. Collaborative hosting being a phenomenon that is here to stay, it was imperative for us to adapt the regulations quickly and effectively to this new reality," Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx said.
Controversial University of New Brunswick professor to retire amid probe
(via The Globe and Mail)
Prof. Duchesne said in an e-mail that he could not answer questions about why he was retiring, whether he was offered any financial incentive to depart or whether he had been told of the results of a university investigation. He said those questions were confidential.
YouTube just banned supremacist content, and thousands of channels are about to be removed
(via The Verge)
YouTube is trying to reduce the prevalence of extremist content on the platform.
Vancouver man fined $18K for trying to smuggle 19 live turtles into Canada
(via CTV News)
Of those 16 turtle species, the government agency said six of them are listed as endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Surrey police transition report projects more than 10% rise in costs, no major officer increase
(via Global News)
“The annual operating budget for the Surrey PD is estimated at $192.5 million for 2021,” the report reads. “Under the existing RCMP-contracted policing model, it is projected that the City of Surrey’s annual policing costs will reach $173.6 million in 2021.
Justice committee votes to scrub Conservative MP's 'hurtful' remarks to Muslim witness from official record
(via CBC News)
Michael Cooper had read sections from manifesto of Christchurch, New Zealand, mass killer.
Employers looking to hire temporary foreign workers face long delays due to spike in demand
(via The Globe and Mail)
“Unemployment is at a historic low, reaching levels that have not been seen since 1976. While this economic success is good for business, it is also creating challenges for employers who are struggling to find enough workers to meet demand,” said Veronique Simard, a spokeswoman for Labour Minister Patty Hajdu.
Federal bureaucrats warned Irving Shipbuilding about journalist's questions — generating 200 pages of documents along the way
(via National Post)
Shortly after, Irving threatened to sue Postmedia if it published any article indicating that there were significant problems with ship welds.
'It’s a miracle': Helsinki's radical solution to homelessness
(via The Guardian)
Finland is the only EU country where homelessness is falling. Its secret? Giving people homes as soon as they need them – unconditionally.
UNB prof accused of being a white supremacist takes early retirement
(via CBC News)
Ricardo Duchesne plans to focus on pursuits as an independent scholar, says vice-president.
The best streaming service is the National Film Board of Canada
(via The Outline)
It’s free and it’s wonderful. Three-thousand films, from documentaries to narrative features to experimental shorts, are available to stream free of charge, even for Americans.
