Canada expands Flock-like surveillance as military warns of authoritarianism
Police forces across Canada are increasingly adopting AI-powered cameras that can track and identify vehicles, with Montreal and Toronto already using automated licence plate recognition systems.
Montreal police have deployed Genetec’s Cloudrunner cameras, while Toronto Police has equipped more than 560 marked vehicles with automated licence plate recognition technology.
The expansion comes after military intelligence warned that interconnected surveillance technologies can enable “surveillance, espionage, censorship, propaganda, coercion” and contribute to digital authoritarianism. Keep Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Poll finds Albertans want tougher rules for truck drivers
Nearly 70 per cent of Albertans support requiring commercial truck drivers to hold an Alberta Class 5 licence for at least two years before operating tractor-trailers, according to a new Scope Research poll.
The survey of 806 Albertans was conducted from July 30 to August 4. Only 15 per cent opposed the proposed requirement, while 82 per cent of those with an opinion supported it.
The poll comes as Alberta cracks down on unsafe commercial carriers. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen recently announced the province had removed 20 unsafe carriers, including 13 “chameleon carriers” accused of changing names or operations to evade regulators. Keep Reading
Legal challenge could allow refugees to stay after home country deemed safe
A constitutional challenge could change how Canada handles refugees who return to countries they once fled, potentially allowing some to remain in Canada.
Roman Slepcsik, who came to Canada as a refugee from the Czech Republic in 1997, lost his permanent residence after repeatedly returning home to care for family and attend funerals.
The Federal Court dismissed his challenge but recognized it raised a serious legal issue of general importance. An appeal hearing is expected next year, and a successful challenge could affect others facing deportation under the same law. Keep Reading
Edmonton Police withholding suspect identity in alleged Gurdwara stabbing
Edmonton Police are remaining tight-lipped about a suspect’s identity after arresting a man for allegedly stabbing two other men at the Nanaksar Sikh Temple in Edmonton, Alberta. The victims were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the scene. Keep Reading
CBC cuts Poilievre off during trade warning
CBC cut away from Pierre Poilievre during a Friday press conference after he urged Mark Carney to deliver the tariff-free trade deal he promised Canadians. The broadcaster then pivoted to a discussion of reported comments from U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticizing Poilievre, marking the second time in three months CBC has cut away from a Poilievre presser. Keep Reading
Poilievre vows crackdown on Canada’s drug crisis
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for tougher action on Canada’s drug crisis, including mandatory addiction treatment after arrest, drug-free prisons and an end to drug consumption sites near schools and daycares. He also wants federal funding tied to organizations that can prove they are helping people get off drugs, rather than programs he says have allowed the crisis to worsen. Keep Reading
Preston Manning on Alberta’s referendum, Senate reform and the fight for the West
Preston Manning helped ignite the movement that changed Canadian politics with a simple message: the West wants in. Now, well into his 80s, he’s still fighting for smaller, more accountable government, and he has plenty to say about Alberta’s upcoming referendum and the future of Confederation. Watch Now
$90B Alto rail project can’t say when it will break even
Canada’s proposed $60-billion-to-$90-billion Alto high-speed rail project is promising profitability, but the Crown corporation can’t say when it expects to break even. Alto forecasts 24 million annual riders by 2055, while a McGill study projects just 18.4 million and estimates the project could require $1.97 billion in public subsidies that year. Keep Reading
Beyond the tantrum: Canadian self-determination demands more than anti-Americanism
P.M. Szpunar writes, “Grocery shopping on a beautiful Friday night, I couldn’t find celery, but that wasn’t the only thing missing; the produce section’s shelves were largely empty. Asking an employee, I learned that at least 30 percent of the store’s walk-in clientele was pressuring the grocer to boycott American produce. Here I was, a Canadian, on a limited budget, and fellow Canadians had made it impossible to purchase fresh food that’s affordable.” Keep Reading