'Shame on you': Cherry vs MacLean, biggest feud in Canada's culture war, blows up big time
But immigrants who come to Canada and refuse to put behind violent, old world feuds with other groups, and who deplore what Canada stands for and decry our traditions, they aren't above criticism, correct?
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The need to stand up for Canada has come into ever more clear focus since Cherry's statement in 2019, with many Canadians hammering away at the country's founding father John A. Macdonald, ripping down statues of him and taking his name off of public buildings. Local politicians have been loathe to celebrate Canada Day. They wanted to treat it as a some kind of day of self-loathing mourning. We've also seen rallies on our streets where radicals have chanted, 'Death to Canada.'
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It was only with the rise of Trump and his perceived threat to Canada that many Canadians suddenly rediscovered their patriotism. Perhaps if many of the same people now wrapping themselves in the flag weren't leading the charge to fire Cherry they'd have more credibility.
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3. The firing of Cherry remains an open wound in Canada. MacLean just gave it a good poke. He's getting plenty of pushback on it just now, as seen by Bobby Orr's comment.
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The latest turn comes from the Toronto Sun's Joe Warmington, him reporting that after Joyce's story appeared, MacLean went over to Cherry's house to apologize.
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I'll leave the last word here to Warmington, who has done much to get out Cherry's side of the story over the years.
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Writes the Sun columnist: 'Cherry should be bestowed every hockey accolade there is and the Order of Canada, too — for his hockey contributions, but also for his avid support of Canada, its military, police, first responders and nationalism. There is nobody more about Canadian hockey or Canadian patriotism than him. On top of that, he should be reinstated by Sportsnet so he can retire with the honour he deserves after six decades as a player, coach and broadcaster. No one is saying Cherry should go back on air, but they could do it symbolically. They could do a special segment with Cherry and MacLean one last time on his porch, as I have done numerous times since they threw him under the bus.'
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Vancouver Sun
44 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver's top civil servant departs by 'mutual agreement,' surprising many at city hall
Vancouver city staff were caught off-guard this week by the sudden departure of the municipality's top civil servant, city manager Paul Mochrie. The reasons behind Mochrie's exit, after 14 years at city hall and four as city manager, were not immediately clear, but former colleagues described him as highly capable, well-liked by staff, and a consummate public servant. The news was unveiled with a public statement late Tuesday afternoon from Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, who said he and Mochrie had 'mutually agreed that it was the right time for a leadership change.' A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The announcement set off chatter among surprised current and former city staff, as well as outside observers. After the news broke, city councillors from outside the mayor's ABC party made public statements of support for Mochrie in interviews and on social media. ABC councillors were comparatively quiet, and some of them did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment. Green Coun. Pete Fry said he was surprised by the news Tuesday and had no information beyond what was in the press release. Fry said he does not know whether Sim already has a replacement city manager in mind, and he does not expect to have visibility or input into the selection process. But Fry's 'worst fear,' he said, is that the mayor will replace Mochrie with 'some kind of Elon Musk, DOGE-type character who wants to run the city like a business,' referring to the billionaire who advised U.S. president Donald Trump and helped implement huge cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. 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Mochrie's email praised city staff for their 'dedication, talent and professionalism,' and said he was 'profoundly grateful for the support that I have received from so many of you during my time here. Most sincerely, I could not have wished for a better group of colleagues.' Mochrie's email did not include any reference to what he might do next. He closed with: 'As you continue your work in support of council and this remarkable city that is my home, please know I am rooting for you.' Approached Wednesday at city hall, Sim said it was too early to say whether he had a potential replacement or list of candidates in mind. Sim declined to say what he is looking for in the city's next chief civil servant, but said he has a 'scorecard' of roles, responsibilities and qualities, 'and the best person who can achieve that standard, that'd be the person that we would hire.' 'We're looking for the best person who can take this city, and take it to the next level,' Sim said. Sim said while outsiders might speculate, he emphasized this was a 'mutual agreement,' and he wanted to 'celebrate the fact that Paul is a great person, who served our city well for 14 years and I wish him the best in the future.' In September 2021, Mochrie's immediate predecessor, Sadhu Johnston, announced his own plan to resign from the job early the following year, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. By contrast, Mochrie's departure was first announced publicly by Sim, on Mochrie's final official day with the city. From the outside, it seems like Sim 'certainly participated in this decision with Paul Mochrie, if not initiated it,' said former Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs. 'And my hunch is that he initiated it.' 'I think the bottom line is the mayor has decided to change the city manager, so what's his plan?' said Meggs, who worked closely with Mochrie for several years. 'If you're going to terminate a city manager, you presumably have an alternative in mind. My expectation is that Mayor Sim does have somebody else in mind, we just don't know who that is yet.' Tuesday marked Mochrie's final official day with the city, a city spokesperson said, but 'as part of the terms of his departure, it was agreed Paul would provide a reasonable level of support to (former deputy city manager and now acting city manager) Karen Levitt on an as-needed basis.' Mochrie declined an interview Wednesday, but said in an emailed statement: 'It has been a privilege to spend the past 14 years at the City of Vancouver, although I am excited to move on. There is an extremely capable leadership team in place and the organization is very well positioned to support council in delivering results for residents and businesses.' Mochrie is the most recent senior executive to have departed the City of Vancouver during the first three years of ABC Vancouver's first term in office. Vancouver's chief planner, chief financial officer, chief librarian and park board general manager have all left for other jobs since the 2022 election. Mochrie was Vancouver's highest paid employee other than the police chief last year, earning $387,110 in 2024, according to city records. The city did not answer questions about the circumstances of Mochrie's departure including whether he will receive severance pay, calling it a 'confidential human resources matter.' Former mayor Gregor Robertson replaced longtime city manager Judy Rogers in 2008 with Penny Ballem, and then replaced Ballem in 2015 with Johnston. Ballem and Rogers were paid severance of $556,000 and $572,000, respectively. Mochrie was confirmed as city manager in April 2021, eight months after Johnston's departure was announced and following an international candidate search and recruitment process by an executive search firm. There is no set timeline for Mochrie's replacement, the city spokesperson said, but the mayor, city manager's office, and chief human resources officer 'will be advancing a process over the coming weeks to bring on board a permanent city manager.' with files from David Carrigg dfumano@
Vancouver Sun
44 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Antisemitism envoy says resignation prompted by frustration over 'not connecting' with anti-hate message
OTTAWA — Ottawa's outgoing envoy for tackling antisemitism is accusing Canada's business sector and civil society of failing to call out a rising tide of hate against Jews and other minorities. In an extensive interview with The Canadian Jewish News, Deborah Lyons also said she could not get a meeting with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during her nearly two-year term. In a statement sent to The Canadian Press, the Conservatives said that Lyons was 'powerless' in her job. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lyons resigned early in her term as Canada's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism. She said her decision reflected her 'despair' over the growing gulf in society over violence in the Middle East and the failure of many Canadians to find common ground against hate. 'People were listening and hearing on different frequencies, and so we just were not connecting,' said Lyons. 'That was where the big despair comes from.' She said her work wasn't made any easier by the silence of corporate leaders 'whom I asked many times to stand up,' and by faith leaders who seemed to keep quiet on the suffering of people from other religions. 'I was incredibly disappointed with business leaders,' she said. 'We have a tendency to want to blame politicians all the time, but where have the faith leaders been? Where have the priests and ministers and rabbis and imams and so forth (been)?' Lyons said that some community leaders did ask for her help in finding the right words to speak out against hate — because they feared that they would offend one community if they stood up for another. 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She said that indicates a 'weakening' in the ability of both Canadian society and the broader western world to stand for common human values. Lyons said she lacked the energy at times to bridge that gap. 'I held back from having some discussions, because I knew there was going to be animosity, or I wasn't going to be welcome in the room. It disappoints me,' she said. Lyons said she could not get a meeting with Poilievre despite requesting one and having a cordial chat with him during an event. 'I tried to meet with Mr. Poilievre when I was in the job, and in the end I got a response that he was too busy to meet with me,' she said. In a statement attributed to Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman, the party did not dispute Lyons' version of events. 'While communities face increasing threats, vandalism, intimidation and violence over the last 20 months, the Liberals deflected responsibility to a powerless envoy,' says the statement. 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She said she would have liked to continue, but described the envoy role as more difficult than her stints as ambassador to Afghanistan and Israel. 'It was without question the toughest job I ever did.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Toronto Sun
44 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Housing illegal migrants cost Canada $1.1 billion since 2017
Temporary housing program for asylum seekers extended to 2027, thanks to additional $1.1 billion set aside in Budget 2024 Asylum seekers talk to a police officer as they cross into Canada from the U.S. border near a checkpoint on Roxham Road near Hemmingford, Quebec, April 24, 2022. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi OTTAWA — Canada has spent over $1 billion dollars to house migrants who illegally crossed into Canada from the U.S., according to a government departmental bulletin. That's on top of the $1.1 billion set aside in the 2024 federal budget to extend the program housing to these so-called 'irregular border crossers' in Canadian hotels until 2027. Canada experienced a flood of illegal border crossings in 2017, thanks to changes in U.S. immigration policy under then-U.S. President Donald Trump, and further encouraged by a January 2017 tweet from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, ostensibly rolling out the welcome mat to migrants around the world to enter Canada by any means necessary. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 28, 2017 Roxham Rd. a Quebec street about 50 kilometres south of Montreal that dead-ends at the Canada-U.S. border, became a focal point of this international exodus, with U.S.-based taxi and transportation companies offering dedicated routes to the illegal crossing for scores of suitcase-toting migrants. Housing these migrants became the responsibility of dozens of Canadians cities and towns while they awaited refugee hearings. In June 2018, former Toronto mayor John Tory said the influx of asylum seekers quickly overwhelmed city's capacity to care for them, with many taking up valuable space in homeless shelters or living on the street. The $1.1 billion to house these migrants was made available through the federal governments' Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP,) designed to provide funding to provinces and cities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ontario received $640.2 million through the program, while Quebec got $440.9 million. Recommended video While a government website listing numbers of illegal migrants was 'down for maintenance' at press time, online web archives from earlier this month show 114,251 refugee claims made between Feb 2017 and March 2025. Of those, 53,856 claims were accepted, 26,377 were rejected, 2,957 claims were abandoned, and 7,119 were withdrawn. The IHAP program has been extended until 2027, thanks for an additional $1.1 billion set aside in Canada's 2024 budget. Migrants were also housed in federally-funded hotel rooms since 2020, money on top of the IHAP funding. The City of Toronto received $40 million from Ottawa to increase their migrant capacity in the 2024-25 fiscal year, while Peel Region netted $22 million. Around 4,500 migrants, largely in Ontario, are being housed in federally-funded accommodations, as of last October. IHAP funding in this fiscal year amounts to around $543.4 million, as listed in the federal government's latest supplementary estimates disclosures. bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Sports Golf Canada Columnists Columnists
