China uses the law as a weapon, Michael Kovrig says
Michael Kovrig, one of the two Canadian men imprisoned by China for more than 1,000 days says the Chinese Communist Party doesn't respect the rule of law and uses it 'as a weapon to enforce its will on citizens.'
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Vancouver Sun
25 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Oh, Canada — Oilers' mass anthem karaoke not a (slap) shot against Alberta separatists
It's loud and proud, and if the full-throated Rogers Place rendition of the national anthem does not square with your impression of separatist leanings in Alberta, that doesn't make it an incongruity. Nor is it necessarily a targeted display of Canadian unity, which is what former Alberta premier Jason Kenney insinuated in a June 5 social media post, headlining a video clip of another raucous O Canada performance with 'thoughts & prayers for separatists.' His wasn't the only attempt to leverage the sight and sound of Edmonton's boisterous hockey fans against Alberta's oft-misrepresented desire to secede from Canada. There has been plenty of back and forth on that topic this spring, with the anthem at the core of petty and pointed arguments playing out in typical social media style. 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. So, what is actually motivating the Rogers Place citizen-initiated choir on game nights? For starters, it's kind of their thing, and has been since 2006. It happened first at old Rexall Place, when the late, great Paul Lorieau pioneered the act of mass anthem karaoke prior to an early-round playoff tilt, and Edmonton hockey fans made it their signature. They handled vocals with aplomb throughout last year's playoff run, too, but nobody conflated those happy happenings with a slap at separatists because there wasn't much noise being made by what was then and remains today a minority of Albertans who favour an as-yet-undefined independence. However, the volume has been cranked up outside the rink, too, in part because of recent moves made by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. She routinely pledges devotion to Canadian unity, but is also enabling the separatists among her base with reduced benchmarks to allow for a referendum, meaning they will probably get to put their claims of sovereignty strength to the test in a 2026 vote financed by the taxpayers. If polling data from this year is accurate and support for independence is in fact running somewhere between 18 and 45 per cent, the referendum should still confirm Alberta's commitment to the nation and put the separatist movement on pause. Dissent has simmered for decades in a province that boasts the highest per capita gross domestic product in the country — and at a total of about $350 billion is larger than that of Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Finland, New Zealand, the Czech Republic and many other countries — yet still contains a disgruntled segment of the populace adamant that their economic well-being has been unfairly hampered by equalization, the federal transfer system and climate policy, to name a few major complaints. Former premier Kenney wrote that he suspects the Venn diagram of 'hard-core Alberta separatists, anti-vaxers, MAGA North enthusiasts and anti-Ukraine types' would be a circle, and in so doing, he was tapping into the stereotype that personifies the province's perception problem. A distinct and obvious group has become a de facto caricature: red-necked, right-wing, oil-based, freedom convoy supporters who hate all that Ottawa is and does. Surely, some of those folks still take pride in singing O Canada before a hockey game. It's an anthem, not a referendum. It's also a safe bet that much of Canada is not aware that in hockey parlance, Edmonton would be a gritty left winger, and as such, it bucks the province's political trends. Though the right-wing United Conservative Party formed a majority government with 49 seats in the 2023 provincial election, all 20 Edmonton ridings and two in neighbouring bedroom communities were won by New Democrats. And in the May federal election, Conservatives took 34 of 37 seats in Alberta, but Edmonton Centre was won by a Liberal, Edmonton Strathcona by a New Democrat. It stands to reason, then, that a chunk of those voices inside Rogers Place would belong to people whose politics skew away from the right side of the ice. But to suggest the majority has been singing support for confederation at this uncomfortable political juncture? Seems a stretch. That theory might have held more water when U.S. President Donald Trump put his '51st state' nonsense on repeat and Canadians in every province felt threatened. Today, though, Occam's razor would point elsewhere. The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup in 1993. The Oilers took the Florida Panthers to Game 7 of the Final last spring and lost. They went the distance with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and dropped that one, too. Once again this spring, the Oilers are the last Canadian team standing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Should you feel compelled to link the fervour behind an anthem to a particular motivation, that's as simple and as good as any of them. Edmonton hockey fans want their team to win and will buy wildly over-priced tickets and beverages, cheer, stomp their feet and sing the anthem for all they're worth as a means of getting into the spirit and furthering the cause. It all happened again on Saturday before the Oilers and Panthers go at it in Game 5 of the Final in Edmonton's downtown puck palace (and will hopefully happen again Friday night for Game 7). Anthem singer Robert Clark, embedded in the Rogers Place pews, will belt out the first 15 words of O Canada before handing over the mic to about 18,000 backup singers who will bring it home with glowing hearts and gusto. They won't all be singing from the same song sheet politically, and the team they support might lose another shot at the Cup, but the sound of a Rogers Place anthem at playoff time is hard to beat. So you can sing and enjoy it at face value, or you can pick your side of the debate and blast off a rejoinder on social media. It's a free country. dbarnes@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Calgary Herald
27 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
Oh, Canada — Oilers' mass anthem karaoke not a (slap) shot against Alberta separatists
Article content Former premier Kenney wrote that he suspects the Venn diagram of 'hard-core Alberta separatists, anti-vaxers, MAGA North enthusiasts and anti-Ukraine types' would be a circle, and in so doing, he was tapping into the stereotype that personifies the province's perception problem. A distinct and obvious group has become a de facto caricature: red-necked, right-wing, oil-based, freedom convoy supporters who hate all that Ottawa is and does. Article content Surely, some of those folks still take pride in singing O Canada before a hockey game. It's an anthem, not a referendum. Article content It's also a safe bet that much of Canada is not aware that in hockey parlance, Edmonton would be a gritty left winger, and as such, it bucks the province's political trends. Though the right-wing United Conservative Party formed a majority government with 49 seats in the 2023 provincial election, all 20 Edmonton ridings and two in neighbouring bedroom communities were won by New Democrats. And in the May federal election, Conservatives took 34 of 37 seats in Alberta, but Edmonton Centre was won by a Liberal, Edmonton Strathcona by a New Democrat. Article content Article content It stands to reason, then, that a chunk of those voices inside Rogers Place would belong to people whose politics skew away from the right side of the ice. But to suggest the majority has been singing support for confederation at this uncomfortable political juncture? Seems a stretch. Article content That theory might have held more water when U.S. President Donald Trump put his '51st state' nonsense on repeat and Canadians in every province felt threatened. Today, though, Occam's razor would point elsewhere. Article content The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup in 1993. The Oilers took the Florida Panthers to Game 7 of the Final last spring and lost. They went the distance with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and dropped that one, too. Once again this spring, the Oilers are the last Canadian team standing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Should you feel compelled to link the fervour behind an anthem to a particular motivation, that's as simple and as good as any of them. Edmonton hockey fans want their team to win and will buy wildly over-priced tickets and beverages, cheer, stomp their feet and sing the anthem for all they're worth as a means of getting into the spirit and furthering the cause. Article content Article content It all happened again on Saturday before the Oilers and Panthers go at it in Game 5 of the Final in Edmonton's downtown puck palace (and will hopefully happen again Friday night for Game 7). Anthem singer Robert Clark, embedded in the Rogers Place pews, will belt out the first 15 words of O Canada before handing over the mic to about 18,000 backup singers who will bring it home with glowing hearts and gusto. Article content They won't all be singing from the same song sheet politically, and the team they support might lose another shot at the Cup, but the sound of a Rogers Place anthem at playoff time is hard to beat. So you can sing and enjoy it at face value, or you can pick your side of the debate and blast off a rejoinder on social media. It's a free country.
Vancouver Sun
29 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canadian embassy staffer rescued from building struck by a missile in Tel Aviv: Anita Anand
A Canadian embassy worker in Tel Aviv needed to be rescued from a building hit by an Iranian missile over the weekend, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. In a post to X on Saturday evening, Anand offered thanks to the 'brave firefighters' who helped a woman escape one of the many structures severely damaged in the Iranian missile bombardment in recent days. 'She was eventually rescued, along with other occupants of the building, and is safe and sound,' Anand reported. Thank you Foreign Minister @gidonsaar for the conversation this evening. As we discussed, Canada firmly supports Israel's right to defend itself in the face of Iranian attacks. Thank you to the brave firefighters who helped a Canadian embassy staff member in a building that was… Anand also confirmed a discussion with Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's minister of foreign affairs, in which she pledged that 'Canada firmly supports Israel's right to defend itself in the face of Iranian attacks.' In a separate post , Foreign Policy Canada, an arm of Global Affairs Canada, said Anand had also liaised with counterparts in Europe, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman on Middle East peace talks over the weekend. National Post has contacted both Global Affairs and the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv for more information on the staffer and her rescue. The incident comes as long-simmering tensions between the rival Middle East nations have boiled over into spiralling violence following Israel's Operation Rising Lion — a series of surprise airstrikes on more than 100 strategic targets, including Iranian uranium enrichment sites, to keep Iran from building nuclear weapons. The attacks resulted in the deaths of high-ranking military leaders and scientists. Iran responded with Operation True Promise III, launching several hundred ballistic missiles and drones in two waves Friday and Saturday, striking locations in Tel Aviv, nearby Bat Yam, Haifa, and other places. The nations exchanged missile attacks again on Sunday and into Monday. As of Monday morning, Israel says 24 people have been killed and more than 500 injured, per the Associated Press . Iran, meanwhile, says its death toll is at least 224, per AP. 'Canada condemns Iran's attack on Israel and urges restraint on both sides. Further actions can cause devastating consequences for the broader region,' a Saturday morning X thread from Foreign Policy Canada begins. It goes on to suggest that 'U.S.-Iran negotiations' are the way to resolve regional and global concerns with Iran's nuclear program, noting the theocratic republic should not have nuclear weapons. 3/4 Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons. Iran's continued efforts to pursue nuclear weapons, support for terrorists, and direct attacks on civilian centres embody Iran's persistent threat to regional stability and to Israel, which has the right to defend itself. 'Iran's continued efforts to pursue nuclear weapons, support for terrorists, and direct attacks on civilian centres embody Iran's persistent threat to regional stability and to Israel, which has the right to defend itself. ' Ottawa is also urging Canadians to 'avoid all travel' to Israel due to the new conflict with Iran and the existing war with Hamas in Gaza. A similar warning is in place for Iran . 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 .
