BC Conservatives fire staffer over post disputing “mass graves” hoax
The BC Conservatives have fired a communications officer following a post she made criticizing the province’s use of the Orange Shirt and flag in the legislature.
WATCH LINDSAY SHEPHERD’S FULL VIDEO RESPONSE AT BOTTOM
The BC Conservatives have fired a communications officer following a post she made criticizing the province’s use of the Orange Shirt and flag in the legislature, which she said perpetuated “untruths” around claims that the graves of 215 children were allegedly discovered at the Kamloops Residential School.
Lindsay Shepherd, a former True North journalist and long-time advocate for free speech, announced on Wednesday that she had been fired from her role as a comms officer with the BC Conservatives.
“Today, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad fired me from my position as Comms Officer with the Conservative Party of BC Caucus. It was because of this tweet,” Shepherd announced in a post on X. “I am a mother of two young children, and I am 32 weeks pregnant -- I was about to go on maternity leave.”
Shepherd said that a post she made, which was deleted following backlash from the BC NDP and pressure from the media, was the reason for the firing.
“The Orange Shirt and the Orange Flag perpetuate untruths about Canadian history, such as the grandest lie of all that 215 children’s graves were unearthed in Kamloops,” the post in question reads. “It is a disgrace that this fake flag flies in front of the provincial parliament buildings, and it is a disgrace to see the shirt of lies framed prominently and permanently beside the coat of arms so that locals and tourists cannot view our insignia without having their eye drawn and redirected to the Orange Shirt.”
A string of violence has been perpetrated against the Christian community since the still-unproven claims of discovering unmarked graves near a residential school in Kamloops, B.C, were made in 2021.
Since then, 123 Christian churches have been vandalized, burned to the ground or desecrated. However, no graves have yet been discovered.
Neither Rustad nor the BC Conservatives responded to requests for comment.
Shepherd released a video to X (WATCH below) on Thursday explaining the incident and her criticisms of the party for letting her go.
“I’m being accused of creating a province wide rift or whatnot, but it was only two NDP, MLAs, so members of the Legislative Assembly from the leftist party, it was two of them who posted about my tweet on X — Rohini Arora, and Spencer Chandra Herbert, if that means anything to anyone, and that was enough for the party to panic, demand that I delete the tweet and ultimately fire me,” she said in the video. “So this is the thing with the BC conservatives, they’re giving so much power to the other side, and the other side is actively seeking their downfall.”
She also noted a CBC article that came out featuring the head of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the chief who called for her to be removed from the party, in that article is married to an NDP MLA.
“He’s married to one of the members of the Legislative Assembly who is in the governing party. So, of course, he would like to make such a statement,” Shepherd said.
She continued, noting that Truth and Reconciliation Day was created by the former Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who famously spent the first Truth and Reconciliation Day surfing in Tofino, B.C.
“It is called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and we are apparently supposed to disregard the part about truth. We’re just supposed to accept whatever the leftists and ideologues say is the truth; we’re just supposed to believe it and repeat it,” Shepherd said. “So by design, anyone right-wing, anyone independent-minded, even centrists and questioning people, they are set up to lose.”
Shepherd has been a long-time advocate for freedom of expression in Canada and has authored two books.
She wrote a children’s book, which True North published, titled “A Day with Sir John A,” educating children and parents about Canada’s first Prime Minister, meant to counter narratives which demonize Canada’s history.
Shepherd also authored “Diversity & Exclusion: Confronting the Campus Free Speech Crisis,” about her challenges navigating censorship at Wilfrid Laurier University when she dared to show a clip of academic Jordan Peterson speaking. Individuals in her class had complained, saying Shepherd was “transphobic” for showing a video of Peterson in class.
She filed a lawsuit against the university, two professors, and a staff member and student, alleging harassment, intentional infliction of nervous shock, negligence, and constructive dismissal.
Disclaimer: Lindsay Shepherd is married to True North’s managing editor. He had no role in assigning, writing or editing this article.
Rustad better get his head out of his butt if he doesn't want his party to be a flash in the pan. Firing people for speaking the truth is a leftist tactic.
I hope she takes him to court for unlawful dismissal, sues him personally, not the party, because it’s his own opinion that made him dismiss her. The Mrs.