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Trudeau government to roll out another digital border crossing app by 2026

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

By 2026, Canadians driving to the United States will be asked to pre-submit photos, license plate numbers and other information to the Canada Border Services Agency through a mobile application as part of its ‘traveller modernization’ plan.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has introduced their plan to implement a new ArriveCAN style border crossing application by 2026.Ā 

According to a federal reportĀ obtainedĀ November 14 byĀ Blacklock’s Reporter, by 2026 Canadians driving to the United States will be asked to pre-submit photos and license plate numbers to the Canada Border Services Agency through a mobile application as part of its ā€œtraveller modernizationā€ plan.Ā 

ā€œTravellers will use a redesigned advance declaration mobile application to submit their digital photo, advance declaration and license plate information in advance of arrival,ā€ wrote the Agency.Ā Ā Ā 

The report noted that the new plan is separate from the notorious ArriveCAN app which monitored and collected information from Canadians leaving or entering the country during the COVID ā€œpandemic,ā€ however there are some notable similarities. Ā Ā Ā Ā 

Under the forthcoming regime, Canadians will ā€œprovide their biographic, biometric declaration and other border-related information prior to arriving at the port of entry,ā€ and officers ā€œwill be given smartphones to access the digital referrals and process them,ā€ which the government says is ā€œexpected to save time.ā€Ā Ā 

It remains unknown if the program will be mandatory like the ArriveCAN app once was, or what will happen to Canadians who refuse to register. During the ArriveCAN system, which wasĀ describedĀ as ā€œtyrannyā€ by a Canadian Border Agent, those who failed to comply with the mandate were subjected to hefty fines.Ā 

When the app was mandated, all travelers entering Canada had to use it to submit their travel and contact information as well as any COVID vaccination details before crossing the border or boarding a flight.   

At the time, top constitutional lawyers argued that ArriveCAN violated an individual’s constitutional rights.

In addition to tracking the 60 million people crossing land borders each year, the new program outlined similar electronic tracking for marine passengers and air passengers to be introduced in 2027 and 2028 respectively.Ā Ā 

The proposed system comes after the ArriveCAN app was ultimately scrapped following a number of scandals. Among the scandals was the app’sĀ $54 million price tag,Ā $8.9 million of which was given to an obscure company called GC Strategies which was operated by a two-man team out of an Ontario home.

The app and its creation has beenĀ under investigationĀ since November 2022 after the House of Commons voted 173-149 for a full audit.  

Of particular interest to the auditors is getting to the bottom of how and why various companies such as Dalian, Coaradix, and GC Strategies received millions in taxpayer dollar contracts to develop the program.

LifeSiteNews last year reported about two tech entrepreneurs who testified before the House of Commons’ investigative committee that during the development of the app they saw federal managers firsthand engage in ā€œextortion,ā€ ā€œcorruption,ā€ and ā€œghost contracting,ā€ all at the expense of taxpayers.  

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armed forces

Yet another struggling soldier says Veteran Affairs Canada offered him euthanasia

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From LifeSiteNews

By Jonathon Van Maren

‘It made me wonder, were they really there to help us, or slowly groom us to say ā€˜here’s a solution, just kill yourself.’

Yet another Canadian combat veteran has come forward to reveal that when he sought help, he was instead offered euthanasia.Ā 

David Baltzer, who served two tours in Afghanistan with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry,Ā revealed to theĀ Toronto SunĀ that he was offered euthanasia on December 23, 2019—making him, as theĀ SunĀ noted, ā€œamong the first Canadian soldiers offered therapeutic suicide by the federal government.ā€

Baltzer had been having a disagreement with his existing caseworker, when assisted suicide was brought up in in call with a different agent from Veteran Affairs Canada.Ā Ā 

ā€œIt made me wonder, were they really there to help us, or slowly groom us to say ā€˜here’s a solution, just kill yourself,ā€ Baltzer told the Sun.ā€œI was in my lowest down point, it was just before Christmas. He says to me, ā€˜I would like to make a suggestion for you. Keep an open mind, think about it, you’ve tried all this and nothing seems to be working, but have you thought about medical-assisted suicide?ā€™ā€Ā 

Baltzer was stunned. ā€œIt just seems to me that they just want us to be like ā€˜f–k this, I give up, this sucks, I’d rather just take my own life,ā€™ā€ he said. ā€œThat’s how I honestly felt.ā€Ā 

Baltzer, who is from St. Catharines, Ontario, joined up at age 17, and moved to Manitoba to join the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada’s elite units. He headed to Afghanistan in 2006. TheĀ SunĀ noted that he ā€œwas among Canada’s first troops deployed to Afghanistan as part Operation Athena, where he served two tours and saw plenty of combat.ā€Ā 

ā€œWe went out on long-range patrols trying to find the Taliban, and that’s exactly what we did,ā€ Baltzer said. ā€œThe best way I can describe it, it was like Black Hawk Down — all of the sudden the s–t hit the fan and I was like ā€˜wow, we’re fighting, who would have thought? Canada hasn’t fought like this since the Korean War.ā€Ā 

After returning from Afghanistan, Baltzer says he was offered counselling by Veteran Affairs Canada, but it ā€œwas of little help,ā€ and he began to self-medicate for his trauma through substance abuse (he noted that he is, thankfully, doing well today). Baltzer’s story is part of a growing scandal. As theĀ SunĀ reported:Ā Ā 

A key figure shedding light on the VAC MAID scandal was CAF veteran Mark Meincke, whose trauma-recovery podcast Operation Tango Romeo broke the story. ā€˜Veterans, especially combat veterans, usually don’t reach out for help until like a year longer than they should’ve,’ Meincke said, telling the Sun he waited over two decades before seeking help.Ā 

ā€˜We’re desperate by the time we put our hands up for help. Offering MAID is like throwing a cinderblock instead of a life preserver.’ Meincke said Baltzer’s story shoots down VAC’s assertions blaming one caseworker for offering MAID to veterans, and suggests the problem is far more serious than some rogue public servant.Ā 

ā€˜It had to have been policy. because it’s just too many people in too many provinces,ā€ Meincke told the Sun.ā€Æā€œEvery province has service agents from that province.’

Veterans Affairs Canada claimed in 2022 that between four and 20 veterans had been offered assisted suicide; Meincke ā€œpersonally knows of five, and said the actual number’s likely close to 20.ā€ In a previous investigation, VAC claimed that only one caseworker was responsible—at least for the four confirmed cases—and that the person ā€œwas lo longer employed with VAC.ā€ Baltzer says VAC should have military vets as caseworkers, rather than civilians who can’t understand what vets have been through.Ā 

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Jonathon’s writings have been translated into more than six languages and in addition to LifeSiteNews, has been published in theĀ National Post,Ā National Review,Ā First Things, The Federalist, The American Conservative, The Stream, theĀ Jewish Independent,Ā theĀ Hamilton Spectator,Ā Reformed Perspective Magazine, and LifeNews, among others. He is a contributing editor to The European Conservative.

His insights have been featured on CTV, Global News, and the CBC, as well as over twenty radio stations. He regularly speaks on a variety of social issues at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

He is the author ofĀ The Culture War,Ā Seeing is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion,Ā Patriots: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Pro-Life Movement,Ā Prairie Lion: The Life and Times of Ted Byfield, and co-author ofĀ A Guide to Discussing Assisted SuicideĀ with Blaise Alleyne.

Jonathon serves as the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform.

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2025 Federal Election

As PM Poilievre would cancel summer holidays for MP’s so Ottawa can finally get back to work

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From Conservative Party Communications

In the first 100 days, a new Conservative government will pass 3 laws:

1. Affordability For a Change Act—cutting spending, income tax, sales tax off homes

2. Safety For a Change Act to lock up criminals

3. Bring Home Jobs Act—that repeals C-69, sets up 6 month permit turnarounds for new projects

No summer holiday til they pass!

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced today that as Prime Minister he will cancel the summer holiday for Ottawa politicians and introduce three pieces of legislation to make life affordable, stop crime, and unleash our economy to bring back powerful paycheques. Because change can’t wait.

A new Conservative government will kickstart the plan to undo the damage of the Lost Liberal Decade and restore the promise of Canada with a comprehensive legislative agenda to reverse the worst Trudeau laws and cut the cost of living, crack down on crime, and unleash the Canadian economy with ā€˜100 Days of Change.’ Parliament will not rise until all three bills are law and Canadians get the change they voted for.

ā€œAfter three Liberal terms, Canadians want change now,ā€ said Poilievre. ā€œMy plan for ā€˜100 Days of Change’ will deliver that change. A new Conservative government will immediately get to work, and we will not stop until we have delivered lower costs, safer streets, and bigger paycheques.ā€

The ’100 Days of Change’ will include three pieces of legislation:

The Affordability–For a Change ActĀ 

Will lower food prices, build more homes, and bring back affordability for Canadians by:

We will also:

  • Identify 15% of federal buildings and lands to sellĀ for housing in Canadian cities.

The Safe Streets–For a Change ActĀ 

Will end the Liberal violent crime wave by:

The Bring Home Jobs–For a Change ActĀ 

This Act will be rocket fuel for our economy. We will unleash Canada’s vast resource wealth, bring back investment, and create powerful paycheques for workers so we can stand on our own feet and stand up to Trump from a position of strength, by:

Poilievre will also:

  • Call President Trump to end the damaging and unjustified tariffsĀ and accelerate negotiations to replace CUSMA with a new deal on trade and security. We need certainty—not chaos, but Conservatives will never compromise on our sovereignty and security.Ā 
  • Get Phase 2 of LNG CanadaĀ built to double the project’s natural gas production.
  • Accelerate at least nine other projectsĀ currently snarled in Liberal red tape to get workers working and Canada building again.

ā€œAfter the Lost Liberal Decade of rising costs and crime and a falling economy under America’s thumb, we cannot afford a fourth Liberal term,ā€ said Poilievre. ā€œWe need real change, and that is what Conservatives will bring in the first 100 days of a new government. A new Conservative government will get to work on Day 1 and we won’t stop until we have delivered the change we promised, the change Canadians deserve, the change Canadians voted for.ā€

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