Latest news with #Canadianize
Montreal Gazette
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec terror plot: Far-right extremists ‘Canadianize' U.S. rhetoric from guns to white identity
Far-right extremism has taken root in Canada, and an expert says this week's arrest of military-linked men in a Quebec terror plot signals a dangerous shift in a movement shaped by U.S. influence and tailored to Canada. Historically insulated from militia-style far-right movements common in the U.S., Canada began seeing such activity in 2016, said terrorism expert David Hofmann of the University of New Brunswick. That year, Canada saw its first American-style militia movement: a group calling itself III%ers, he said. Some observers point to the 2016 election of U.S. President Donald Trump as a catalyst for extremism, but Hofmann cautioned against oversimplifying the phenomenon. He said Trump is 'more of a symptom than an actual cause.' The far right's rise in the U.S. grew over decades, fuelled more recently by normalized rhetoric on social media, with the violent, white-supremacist 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, further energizing extremists. 'We saw within the first two to three months after (Charlottesville) a wave of excitement and energy in Canada, where (extremists) held far-right protests across Canada because they felt emboldened,' Hofmann said. The COVID-19 pandemic, which erupted in 2020, marked another turning point. 'Anti-government sentiment in Canada isn't particularly new,' said Amarnath Amarasingam, an extremism researcher at Queen's University. 'It really got ramped up with the pandemic, where mask and vaccine mandates were seen as government overreach. 'That brought together disparate movements and individuals who are part of different conspiracy movements or different far-right groups into the same kind of ecosystem.' Influencers 'Canadianize' U.S. rhetoric Radicalization methods have evolved. In the past, recruiting was mainly face-to-face, Hofmann said. That changed around 2019 and 2020, with the internet becoming 'a pivotal mechanism in the who, what, when, where and why of radicalization.' Cultural and legal differences mean some American far-right themes, especially those centred on guns, do not resonate the same way in Canada, Hofmann said. To bridge that gap, far-right influencers 'Canadianize' American narratives to 'turn them into something the average Canadian can accept,' he said. For example, aggressive gun rights rhetoric common in the U.S. is often toned down in Canada and reframed as a fight for Canadian identity. In Canada, the focus shifts from guns to a sense of defending something, Hofmann said. The message is: 'If we don't act, what it means to be Canadian will disappear.' What they're really saying, he added, is that 'white people are under attack.' On Tuesday, the RCMP announced the arrest of four men with ties to the Canadian military — two of them on active duty — allegedly involved in a terrorist plot to forcibly take possession of land in the Quebec City area and form an anti-government militia. A large cache of weapons, explosives and other military gear was seized. In a statement, Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan said members of Canada's military 'are prohibited from participating in an activity, or being a member of a group or organization, that relates to hate-related criminal activities, and/or promotes hatred, violence, discrimination, or harassment.' She added: 'Where warranted and when jurisdiction allows, the military police investigate all matters related to alleged criminal activity.' Extremist groups have long recruited from the military and encouraged recruits to join the Forces to gain a skill set that's attractive to the far right — the use of weapons, explosives and tactical training. There have been previous plots involving extremist reservists and ex-military members. In 2021, former Canadian Forces reservist Patrik Mathews was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in what the FBI called a violent plot to trigger a 'race war' in the United States. Last week, the Ottawa Citizen reported that soldiers operated a Facebook group — the Blue Hackle Mafia — on which they posted photos of themselves in uniform exposing their genitals, along with antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic and racist comments. 'Largest cache of weaponry' Experts say Tuesday's arrests represent the most serious and troubling military-related extremism case to date. 'To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in Canadian history that we've had two serving members charged with terrorism,' said Jessica Davis, a former intelligence analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. 'In contemporary Canadian history, this is by far the largest cache of weaponry we've ever seen in a terrorism incident.' Davis, president of Insight Threat Intelligence, said only 'a small percentage of people involved in terrorism have a military connection.' But such extremists are a 'heightened public safety threat' because of their military training. Canada has seen 'increases in ideologically motivated violent extremism, both in terms of actual numbers of terrorist attacks and arrests.' However, she added, 'Canada still has very, very low rates of terrorism' compared to most countries. The RCMP is working to address violent extremism, she said. But 'there's still a long way to go, especially when you're talking about really insular communities like the military. That poses additional investigative challenges.' Another major issue: 'We really just don't have a good sense of how widespread this problem is,' Davis said. The Forces haven't 'been forthcoming in terms of having researchers study extremism.' She pointed to a research project, commissioned by the Canadian Forces, to investigate violent extremism within the ranks between 2020 and 2023. Carleton University professor Leah West, a former member of Canada's armed forces who was involved in the project, this week said the Forces 'dragged their feet and never gave us approval to interview members or conduct our work on base.' Davis said Canada must gauge the extent of extremism in the military to craft an effective strategy. 'You can't create good policies and responses until you understand the scope of the problem, the drivers, how it's happening, and the factors that are contributing to this,' she said. 'Otherwise, you're just shooting in the dark — you're just throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick.' 'Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant' Amarasingam said some extremists in the military enlist to gain operational training. Others are recruited from within the ranks or after they leave the Forces. 'They leave the military and then join far-right movements or anti-government groups because they miss the structure and the hierarchy. They find it in hate movements.' Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment is a driving force, as is the belief that 'the left is helping to dilute something essential about Canada that these guys need to protect,' Amarasingam said. In addition, 'most far-right groups have a very strict idea of what masculine identity looks like, with women's role being to repopulate and produce children for the next generation.'
Hamilton Spectator
03-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Howie Mandel to host Toronto-shot ‘Price Is Right' spinoff for Citytv
TORONTO - Come on down, eh! A Canadian spinoff of 'The Price is Right' headlines Rogers' new slate of Canadian originals coming to Citytv. The media giant says Toronto-born comedian Howie Mandel will host a reimagining of the U.S. game show, helmed by Drew Carey south of the border. Production begins this December in Toronto, with the show airing in spring 2026. While the Bob Barker-hosted original was a daytime TV staple, Rogers says it plans to make a prime-time evening version of the show, which has a working title of 'The Price Is Right Tonight.' 'It's important to us when we take on a format that there's a reason to Canadianize it and I think for 'Price Is Right,' there were a lot of reasons that it made sense,' says Kale Stockwell, head of original programming for Rogers. 'I love that idea that any Canadian can be picked out of the audience and brought on stage. I think that is so fun and maybe it's missing from other game show formats. So we thought the opportunity to engage the audience directly was really important.' Stockwell noted that the show is part of Rogers' broader relationship with Fremantle, the British production house that licenses Citytv's 'Canada's Got Talent' — where Mandel is a judge — and other popular game show formats. 'The Price Is Right' has had numerous international spinoffs over the years, including 'Le Juste prix' ('The Right Price') in France, 'OK, il prezzo e giusto!' ('OK, The Price is Right!') in Italy and 'Atinale al precio' ('Hit the Price') in Mexico. Citytv's upcoming Canadian productions also include a one-hour red carpet special in September celebrating the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, led by Arisa Cox of the defunct reality series 'Big Brother Canada.' Rogers is the presenting partner of the upcoming movie marathon, set to mark its half-century milestone Sept. 4 to 14. Slated for winter is a third season of the police procedural 'Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,' which won the Canadian Screen Award for best drama series on Sunday. An eighth season of cop-and-dog drama 'Hudson & Rex' will premiere this fall, with 'Game of Thrones' star Luke Roberts joining the cast. 'Breakfast Television' will continue its Ontario-wide morning broadcast with Dina Pugliese and Tim Bolen at the helm. Among the new U.S. imports coming to Citytv is the NBC competition series 'On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,' which follows 'The Tonight Show' host as he launches a marketing agency and searches for creative talent to join his team. Also on the slate are 'Surviving Earth,' an eight-episode prehistoric docuseries exploring past mass extinctions, and 'The Making of Wicked,' a one-time live special hosted by the blockbuster musical's stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, airing this fall from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Reality hits returning this summer include new simulcast seasons of ABC's 'Bachelor in Paradise,' 'Celebrity Family Feud,' 'The Golden Bachelor' and 'Dancing with the Stars,' and NBC's 'America's Got Talent.' NBC dramas returning in simulcast include 'Brilliant Minds,' 'Law & Order' and 'Chicago Med.' Rogers also announced new U.S. titles coming to its specialty lineup, which features several new brands. Last June, Rogers announced landmark multi-year deals with Warner Bros. Discovery, securing Canadian rights to top lifestyle brands — including HGTV, Food Network and Discovery — previously held by Corus Entertainment and Bell Media. New on HGTV is 'Chasing the West,' which sees Drew and Jonathan Scott help families adapt to ranch life in states including Arizona, California and Texas. HGTV's 'Condemned,' meanwhile, follows a father-daughter duo as they attempt to rescue some of Detroit's most rundown homes. HGTV will also feature new seasons of home renovation favourites include 'House Hunters,' '100 Day Dream Home' and 'Help! I Wrecked My House.' Bravo will introduce reality series 'The Real Housewives of Rhode Island' and 'The Valley: Persian Style,' while FX adds star power with drama series 'The Lowdown' starring Ethan Hawke and horror series 'Alien: Earth' featuring Sydney Chandler and Timothy Olyphant. Returning shows on Bravo include new seasons of reality hits such as 'The Real Housewives' franchises, 'Below Deck Mediterranean,' 'Vanderpump Rules' and 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.' The Food Network will dish out fresh servings of 'Chopped,' 'Holiday Baking Championship,' 'Halloween Baking Championship' and 'Bobby's Triple Threat.' Guy Fieri is back too, with new episodes of 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' and 'Guy's Grocery Games.' Discovery will air new seasons of 'Homestead Rescue,' 'Expedition X,' 'Expedition Unknown,' 'The Last Woodsmen' and 'Street Outlaws.' Splashy TV event Shark Week will return for its 37th year in July. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025.
