Here and Pierre
True-blue Tories hold the line in the Conservative Leader's old Calgary haunts
Temur Durrani and Photography by Amir Salehi
Calgary
The Globe and Mail
Updated 46 minutes ago
Pierre Poilievre grew up in Southwest Calgary, where Henry Wise Wood High School has the yearbook photos to prove its connections to the future Conservative Leader.
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Winnipeg Free Press
31 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Poll suggests half of Canadians believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
OTTAWA – A new poll suggests that nearly half of Canadians believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza almost two years after the current conflict began. In a survey conducted last weekend, the polling firm Leger asked Canadians and Americans a series of questions about the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Leger surveyed 1,511 Canadians and 1,011 Americans between June 6 and June 8. The poll cannot be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples. The polling comes as the federal government is under pressure to take concrete steps to condemn Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Leger asked respondents whether they 'agree or disagree that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip' based on how they 'define what constitutes a genocide.' The UN declared genocide a crime under international law in 1946. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines it as acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. That can include killing members of the group, causing them serious injury, deliberately inflicting conditions that can be dangerous to their lives, imposing measures to prevent births within the group, or forcibly transferring children from the group to another group. Just less than half of the Canadian respondents, 49 per cent, said they agree that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, including 23 per cent who said they strongly agree and 26 per cent who said they somewhat agree. Another 21 per cent said they disagree with the claim that Israel is committing genocide — 10 per cent said they somewhat disagree and 11 per cent said they strongly disagree. The remaining 30 per cent said they didn't know or refused to answer. Conservative supporters were the least likely to say they believe Israel is committing genocide, with 37 per cent agreeing with the statement and 33 per cent disagreeing. More than 60 per cent of Liberal, NDP, Green Party and Bloc Québécois supporters said they agree Israel's actions amount to genocide. The poll was conducted just days before the Canadian government took action against Israeli cabinet ministers it accuses of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. On Tuesday, a group of five countries including Canada announced sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The five countries accused the ministers of calling for the displacement of Palestinians and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Last month, an open letter from Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza and called the level of suffering in the territory 'intolerable.' The letter threatened concrete actions if the Israeli government did not allow more food aid into Gaza and end its military operations there. It also called on Hamas to release its remaining hostages. In response to the genocide question, 38 per cent of Americans polled said they agree Israel is committing genocide, while 26 per cent said they disagree and 36 per cent said they don't know. Supporters of the Democrats – 52 per cent – and Americans under the age of 35 – 53 per cent – were the most likely to call the situation in Gaza a genocide. More than half of Canadians, 54 per cent, said they don't follow news about the Middle East or the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. Just nine per cent said they're following news about the Gaza conflict very closely, and another 35 per cent said they're following somewhat closely. American respondents reported almost the same levels of engagement. Despite that, 49 per cent of Canadians and 54 per cent of American respondents said they feel they have a very good or fairly good understanding of the conflict in Gaza. Opinions on mainstream media reporting about the conflict were evenly split, with 20 per cent of Canadian respondents saying they feel the media has been 'generally balanced.' Another 20 per cent said they feel the coverage has been more favourable toward Palestinians and 21 per cent said it was more favourable to Israel. American respondents reported almost identical responses. Many Canadians surveyed were pessimistic about the possibility of a peaceful resolution. When asked whether they believe that lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians can be reached, 41 per cent of Canadian respondents said no, 28 per cent said yes and 31 per cent said they don't know. Canadian respondents over age 55 were the least optimistic — 51 per cent of them said a lasting peace cannot be achieved. Americans were more evenly split, with 34 per cent saying they think peace is out of reach and 33 per cent saying it can be achieved. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. — With files from David Baxter This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.


Toronto Star
5 hours ago
- Toronto Star
‘No buyers' remorse' for voters as Doug Ford's Tories enjoy big poll lead
Premier Doug Ford's third-term Progressive Conservatives are enjoying an extended honeymoon with voters, a new public-opinion survey suggests. In the first major Ontario political poll since Ford's Tories were re-elected in the snap Feb. 27 provincial election, Abacus Data found the governing party well ahead of its rivals. The PCs were at 49 per cent to 28 per cent for Bonnie Crombie's Liberals, 14 per cent for Marit Stiles' New Democrats and five per cent for Mike Schreiner's Greens. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Provincial Politics Doug Ford wins third majority after gambling on winter election Ford defied the odds Thursday becoming the first premier to win three consecutive majority 'We're seeing the highest vote share for the Tories we've measured since we've been tracking and we see Ford's personal numbers better than they've been since we've really been tracking,' said Abacus president David Coletto. 'At least right now, there's no buyer's remorse in re-electing the PCs,' said Coletto. In the February election, the Tories received 43 per cent of the popular vote to 30 per cent for the Liberals, 18.6 per cent for the New Democrats and 4.8 per cent for the Greens. Abacus surveyed 1,000 Ontarians from June 2 through last Thursday using online panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. While opt-in polls cannot be assigned a margin of error, for comparison purposes, a random sample of this size would have one of plus or minus 3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. That means the poll was conducted during the first ministers meeting in Saskatoon — where Ford played a prominent role with Prime Minister Mark Carney — and as the Tories were ramming through their controversial Bill 5 designed to fast-track mining and infrastructure projects. Federal Politics Mark Carney, premiers agree on 'nation-building priorities,' but First Nations raise alarms over lack of consultation Prime Minister hints at prioritizing energy infrastructure — such as pipelines — after first While the premier received mostly positive press for working with Carney to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war against Canada, Queen's Park has been roiled by protests against the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW First Nation leaders have warned there will be 'fierce resistance' if long-standing treaty rights are overridden by the law passed last week. 'Bill 5 has generated, at least from my vantage point, no ... negative implications for the popularity of this government at least right now,' said Coletto, warning that could change. 'There's a lesson for those opponents of it — that they're going to have to do far more to get the public engaged, to be opposed to this at a time when people are really focused on just getting things done.' Indeed, Ford's current standing appears largely due to his vocal stance against Trump's tariffs and a willingness to work with Carney's re-elected federal Liberals. 'There is this moment where Ontarians, like the rest of the country, are rallying around their political leader. I don't think people are overly optimistic, but I do think they get a sense that their political leaders are working together ... working with a common purpose,' said Coletto. 'We have a common goal or enemy, or however you want to frame it,' he said, pointing to the existential threat to Canada that Trump poses. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The pollster said Carney's popularity is 'definitely benefiting the Liberal brand in Ontario,' which is encouraging news for Crombie's provincial Grits. But 'the collapse of the federal NDP has put downward pressure on the Ontario NDP' that's hurting Stiles' party. 'They're at the lowest we've measured them at in our tracking — 14 per cent,' said Coletto. In terms of personal popularity, Ford was at 44 per cent positive, 33 per cent negative for a plus 11 per cent favourability rating with 21 per cent of respondents neutral and two per cent unsure. Stiles was at 28 per cent positive, 25 per cent negative for plus three per cent with 31 per cent neutral and 16 per cent uncertain. Schreiner was at 24 per cent positive and 23 per cent negative for plus one per cent with 34 per cent neutral and 20 per cent unsure. Crombie, the subject of a multimillion-dollar pre-election attack ad blitz from Ford's Tories, was at 31 per cent positive and 33 per cent negative for minus two per cent with 25 per cent neutral and 11 per cent uncertain. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.


Toronto Sun
9 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Western separatism can fizzle if Ottawa listens to grievances: Ambrose
Published Jun 10, 2025 • 3 minute read TD Securities deputy chairwoman Rona Ambrose takes part in a panel discussion during the Global Energy Show in Calgary on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Photo by Gavin Young / Postmedia Network CALGARY — Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Rona Ambrose says the secessionist sentiment in Alberta is an unwelcome source of uncertainty for investors — but it could fizzle out quickly if Ottawa handles it right. 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 Ambrose, now deputy chair at TD Securities, said Tuesday there's a feeling of resentment in Alberta and Saskatchewan. 'I think that it can dissipate quite quickly if some of these underlying issues around how the energy sector has been treated by Ottawa are dealt with,' she told a panel discussion at the Global Energy Show. Prime Minister Mark Carney can't take those feelings lightly, she said. 'We've had 10 years that have created a huge division, east-west, in between the federal and provincial governments. He's got to heal that,' Ambrose said of environmental policies Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, brought in. 'And so decisions he makes are not just for the economic benefit of Canada, but it's for the benefit of national unity, which is the most important thing a prime minister should always have top of mind.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Ambrose said outreach and trust-building is paramount and the federal-provincial relationship is 'already better.' The chief executive of one of Canada's biggest oil and gas companies said the complaints are valid even if the separatist talk isn't the most constructive way to go about expressing them. 'The way this separatist movement has manifested itself is really rooted in some grievances that I think are real and have frustrated this region for a long period of time,' Cenovus Energy chief executive Jon McKenzie told the panel. McKenzie told reporters on the sidelines of the conference he has not been hearing from investors about the separatist rumblings, and that he agrees the movement will 'go away' if political leaders address the concerns. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Talk of Alberta going it alone or joining the United States has ratcheted up since the federal Liberals won a fourth term in office in April. In the province, where all but a few seats went Conservative blue, there is widespread discontent with federal environmental policies affecting the key oilpatch industry. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has introduced a bill that, if passed, would make it far easier for Albertans to launch referendums on various topics — including splitting from Canada. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Last month, the top executive of another major Alberta company said mere talk of secession has already been hurting the investment climate. Atco Ltd. CEO Nancy Southern said Asian partners in a major hydrogen project indicated they won't make final investment decisions unless there is certainty around the issue. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There's just too many questions for them to be confident that they can move forward with large-scale investment decisions, and so I think the separatist discussion is very unhelpful and not constructive to Alberta,' Southern said in a May interview. Questions include how an independent Alberta would get its products to coastal ports, what kind of trade deals it would have with its neighbours, what currency it would use and how stable the economy would be. Southern said she understands Albertans' frustration with the federal government. 'We have had the short end of the stick on many occasions as a result of new regulations and legislation and rule of law,' Southern said. 'I'm a big believer that this prime minister wants to change things and I think we need to sit down and work together.' NHL Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons Columnists Toronto Blue Jays