National Citizens Coalition

In light of last week's ethics ruling on the WE 'charity' scandal... Artist: https://twitter.com/deAdder

Canada is not an island, and healthy Canadians have the right to self-monitor, self-isolate or rapid test at home

A gentle reminder that no such "clinical evidence" exists to justify bans on outdoor recreation and amenities in the first place. via: https://twitter.com/ColinDMello

The Ford government's obsession with unhelpful and unscientfic 'pandemic theatre' continues... Get out and enjoy that beautiful weather, Ontarians. It's better for your health than sitting back and abiding by the world's most punitive outdoor restrictions. via: https://twitter.com/richard680news

A dose of perspective and positivity to start your week: Ten weeks ago, Texas ended pandemic restrictions, before hosting the Blue Jays for a home-opener in front of 40,000 fans. Today, the state reported 0 Covid-related deaths, with their lowest hospitalizations in 11 months.... via: https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_/status/1394090593672994822

How great is this? "Do you guys ever think about getting the gang back together? For one last lockdown?" "That's crazy talk -- it's over!" "Is it crazy? Canada's doing it."

BREAKING: It really is the day they lost control of the narrative. Ontario MPP Randy Hillier has been ticketed and summoned for organizing and holding a peaceful small business protest outside of Queen's Park.

The floodgates are opening: #SupportSmallBusiness

Spot the lie? (We can’t find one.)

AN UTTER WASTE OF RESOURCES: Right now, actual crimes are going unanswered in the City of Toronto, as dozens of armed police officers have been deployed to keep people from a barbeque lunch. It's a shameful 'show of force' from Toronto's public officials. via: https://twitter.com/joe_warming/status/1332000716953628672

A NOT SO HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the National Energy Program that grossly malevolent and incompetent policy brought in by former prime minister Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal government that targeted the West, but mostly Alberta to buy votes in Central and Eastern Canada. The bankruptcy rate spiked by 150%. Capital fled. Hundreds of thousands of Albertans lost their jobs. Fast forward to today, and it’s clear that Justin Trudeau has found slower but just as damaging policies to continue the legacy of his father.

A NEED FOR BETTER BALANCE, NOW: The financial impact of the lockdown measures due to the pandemic has hit Canadians especially hard, with almost one in three now saying they don't think they will ever be able to recover from the crisis. As of summer, overdose and suicide deaths outpace COVID deaths in most Canadian provinces.

THE DISTANT ECHO OF JACKBOOTS? The Mayor of Toronto appears to have directed massive police resources towards the shutting down of Adamson Barbeque, who have been operating in 'violation' of the province's inequitable holiday lockdown of small businesses. He won’t be opening today, I can assure you that, John Tory boasted to CNN (?) this morning. Now, the locks are changed. And the threats are ramping up. Imagine if he cared this much about gang violence?

SOCIAL JUSTICE WORRIERS: Dr. Tam has a lot of ideas about how the latest social justice buzzwords apply to the pandemic and very few real solutions. In fact, her latest annual 'health' report is mostly filled with sections on gender, intersectionality, and race. One gets the impression after reading this report that COVID has been a happy accident for public health ideologues, who can now finally roll-out their preconceived notions to a (literal) captive audience.

THE MORE THEY FAIL, THE MORE THEY WANT: Our governments had months to develop a plan to protect LTC homes for round 2, and to learn to strike a better balance on lockdowns. Yet once again, they're taking it out on the little guy, and small business. Giving them even more of the centralized powers they're now demanding would be "insanity", writes the NCC's Spencer Fernando. READ: https://www.nationalcitizens.ca/fernando_keep_governments_s

COVID COLLATERAL: After seven months, the federal government is starting to acknowledge the fact that lockdowns are killing Canadians. A federal report shows a massive spike in opioid deaths, excess deaths from missed diagnoses, a mental health crisis, and an increase in drug and alcohol abuse amongst Canada's non-LTC populous. It never had to come to this.

A SIMPLE D-FENCE: More than 80% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Spain had a vitamin D deficiency, according to a focused study. The findings back up months of research showing how important a role vitamin D plays in managing the coronavirus, and general health. Those most at risk of a vitamin D deficiency are over 65, and/or have darker skin. Over-the-counter tablets are readily available, and affordable.

THE GRAVY TRAIN ROLLS ON: The federal government has decided that a fresh $30 million in your tax dollars will be spent on yet another advertising campaign to remind you to wash your hands and stay home if you're sick. The 30 second spots will fit in nicely with a hysteric, 24/7 media cycle that's been focused on nothing but COVID for 8 months. How could we possibly forget?

A sorry state of affairs.

TRIAL BALLOON BLUES: In two Toronto byelections in historic Liberal strongholds, the party of Justin Trudeau pulled out expected victories, but by the smallest margins in decades. In hyper-Liberal Toronto Centre, where they last won with 57% of the vote, a CTV newscaster returned just 42%. And York Centre (which has seen even 70%) returned 45%. Is the Liberal support that we were told would send them to a clear majority softer than expected?

NOT ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: Acknowledging some of the growing frustrations around lockdowns and governments meekly calling to scrap Halloween in some parts of the country, Trudeau said Tuesday that Canadians need to prepare themselves for a tough winter ahead. Except, of course, the burden of a "tough winter" won't be shared by the PM, or government, or the public service. When our public officials inevitably tell us to cancel Christmas, just remember, they sure as heck won't be having theirs on Zoom.

THE NARCISSIST: Last week, Trudeau threatened an election if MPs voted to examine his corruption, this week he was threatening a vaccine supply (!) if MPs asked questions about his billions in unchecked COVID spending. He knows he has a minority government, right?

A WINNING COALITION: The big-tent Saskatchewan Party has steadily grown from a party with a rural base to one that cruised on Monday night to its fourth straight majority win, this time under the leadership of Scott Moe. Moe campaigned over the last month on a message to recover the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic and to introduce millions of dollars in tax credits. The mentality of thinking we’re the poorer neighbour to our richer cousin on the other side of the border in Alberta that’s gone."

STUCK IN A LOCKDOWN RUT: We are stuck in a lockdown rut, with provinces chasing often-asymptomatic positive tests while deaths from pandemic-related suicides, overdoses, and neglected heart and cancer cases grow far more deadly than COVID-19. And that's to say nothing of our economic devastation. "Sweden" might still be a dirty word for those who would rather wait indefinitely for a vaccine of questionable efficacy, but is it not time to consider other options? Or, if nothing else, to try a little more freedom?

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS HAJDU: Canada's graphic designer turned health minister is both a liability and a fearsomely efficient self-discrediting machine. It doesn’t really matter what went on with her mask at Pearson, but it matters that she can't go a week without controversy. There's little wrong with her being caught sitting without her mask, yet everything wrong with her tenure.