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Epoch Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
NTD Invites Photographers to Celebrate America's Birth
Amateurs, students, and professional photographers alike can compete for a new international photography award celebrating an independent America. The NTD International Photography Competition (NIPC) has just announced a special award titled 'Best Work Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of American Independence.' It also announced two new award categories: Best Chinese Photographer and Best Sports Photography. Each of these award's winners will receive $2,000 in cash or $2,000 worth of photography products and equipment. Now in its fifth iteration, the NIPC invites photographers around the world to enter uplifting images of 'beautiful moments.' Amateur and professional photographers who enter two competition categories, Social Relations & Humanity and Nature & Landscape, will compete for the $5,000 Gold Award or $5,000 worth of photography products and equipment. The NIPC, hosted by The Epoch Times' sister media outlet NTD, is one in a series of international art and cultural competitions that celebrate time-honored traditions. The competition's mission is to 'preserve traditional aesthetics,' so each entry must be free of digital editing. However, photographers can adjust the brightness, sharpness, and color balance of their images. The NIPC focuses on photographers' technical skills and manual dexterity, including hand-eye skills when setting up a shot. It invites entrants to submit luminous, naturalistic images that depict beauty and kindness. 'Morning Scene' by Chee-Eam Chua (Malaysia). Nature & Landscapes category Gold Award winner of the 4th NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the NTD International Photography Competition 'Fall Over' by David Wong (Australia). Society & Humanity category Outstanding Technique Award winner at the 4th NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the NTD International Photography Competition Photographers have until July 31, 2025, to register. Related Stories 3/8/2025 1/20/2024 Finalists' work will be featured online and in an exhibition in New York City from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31, 2026. To find out more, visit What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
Epoch Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
More Effort Needed to Help Canadians Understand the Harms of Communism, Says Chair of New Ottawa Memorial
The destructive legacy of communism deserves more public awareness in Canada, not only for its historical impact but also for the harm it continues to inflict today, says the chair of the Memorial to the Victims of Communism, which was unveiled in Ottawa last December. While the atrocities of the Holocaust are largely remembered and young Canadians are educated about them, comprehension of the legacy and ongoing impacts of communism remains limited, said Ludwik Klimkowski, chair of the 'Memorial to the Victims of Communism–Canada, a Land of Refuge,' in a recent interview with Jan Jekielek, host of The Epoch Times'
Epoch Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Flag-Raising Events to Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day Held in Multiple Ontario Cities
Flag-raising ceremonies were held in multiple cities and towns across Ontario on May 13 to commemorate the public introduction of Falun Dafa more than 30 years ago. Official proclamations and congratulatory letters were also issued to mark the occasion. At the flag-raising celebration in Barrie, Ont., on May 1, Conservative MP for Barrie-Innisfil John Brassard commended practitioners for sharing the values and principles of the practice with Canadian society. 'The values of Falun Dafa are universal values—they're values that we hold dear as Canadians, ensuring that we are free as a nation, free to practice our faith or any other type of practice that we want,' Brassard told NTD, The Epoch Times' sister media, during the event. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a traditional Chinese discipline combining meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Falun Dafa practitioners at a flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 1, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall at a flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 1, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Members of the Ontario provincial parliament Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey issue letters commemorating the the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day. NTD/The Epoch Times At the event, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall highlighted the freedom Falun Dafa adherents have in Canada to practice their faith, contrasting it with the conditions in China, where practitioners have been subjected to severe For over two decades, practitioners in China and abroad have Related Stories 5/13/2025 7/30/2020 'The great compassion and forbearance demonstrated by Falun Dafa practitioners have touched the hearts of kindhearted people all over the world,' Nuttall said in a Falun Dafa Day proclamation. Brassard also highlighted the importance of freedom of belief and Canada's commitment to upholding it. 'Canada is a free country. It's a democratic country where people are free to practice their faith, their rights, their religion,' he said. 'They're so fundamental to the success of any democracy, to ensure that we have those rights, and that we work to defend them as well.' Members of the Ontario provincial parliament (MPP) Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey also marked the event by sending congratulatory letters to practitioners. Khanjin said that by adopting Falun Dafa's principles, people can 'build strong relationships, navigate difficult situations, and create a more compassionate world.' 'Thank you for sharing this renaissance of traditional Chinese wisdom and values, which helps to achieve a strong sense of meaning and purpose,' she wrote in a letter to practitioners. Downey, for his part, described Falun Dafa Day as a 'meaningful celebration' of spiritual discipline, inner peace, and personal growth. 'The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance are foundational values that resonate deeply within our diverse society,' Downey wrote in his letter. 'Your commitment to promoting these virtues through meditation and self-cultivation is both admirable and impactful.' A Duty to 'Stand Up' Brian Ostrander, mayor of Brighton, Ont., hosted a flag-raising ceremony on May 2 outside the city's municipal centre to commemorate Falun Dafa Day. He said the practice's values reflect principles important to Canadians. 'These are the exact values that we have in Canada,' he said in an interview. 'We are about the truth, we are about compassion, we are about making sure that everyone is treated fairly and equitably.' He said all free societies have a duty to stand up against religious persecution, adding that freedom of belief is 'a value we hold dear here in Brighton.' 'I think anybody facing persecution for how they worship or what they believe, regardless of where that is happening, we have a duty as a free society to stand up against that everywhere we see it happening, and everywhere we know it's happening,' he said. Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander at a flag-raising event in Brighton, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 2, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times David Piccini, MPP for the riding that includes the city of Brighton, sent a congratulatory letter to practitioners, commending 'the dedication that your teachings have offered to the community.' 'The commitment that your members have gifted to various communities shows that when a community comes together exceptional things happen,' he wrote. 'Thank you for being part of a healthy and harmonious society over the past 33 years.' Beyond Beijing's Transnational Repression Michael Prue, mayor of the Ontario town of Amherstburg, joined practitioners on May 6 for the fourth consecutive year to raise the Falun Dafa flag in front of the town ' s municipal building. Prue served as an MPP for 13 years and has, on several occasions, spoken out against the persecution campaign against practitioners in China. 'I'm always hoping that one day that persecution will go away and the people will be free to practice what is just a beautiful and simple thing with exercise and correct thought,' he said in an interview. 'I want to be part of that, and when it happens, I want to say I had something to do with it.' He noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to target Falun Dafa practitioners in Canada, including through propaganda campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion of the practice. Mayor of the Ontario town of Amherstburg Michael Prue (2nd L) at a flag-raising event to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 6, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times A Falun Dafa flag was raised on the Amherstburg Municipal Building on May 9, 2022. The Epoch Times In a Those included letters to Canadian officials to discourage them from supporting the meditative practice, physical and verbal abuse against practitioners in Canada, and intimidation of practitioners' relatives in China. Mayor Prue said the practice's principles are 'values that every Canadian holds dear.' 'That's why every Canadian thinks that Falun Dafa is good,' he said. 'I have never met anyone who thought that Falun Dafa was ever doing anything wrong, and even though there's propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party, even though those kinds of things come to Canada, we try not to pay any attention to them, because we know they're not true' Flag-raising events were also held in the Ontario municipalities of Brock, Orangeville, and Orillia on May 12, where officials proclaimed Falun Dafa Day. Among them was Walter Schummer, mayor of the township of Brock, who said that recognizing and supporting Falun Dafa and its core values can help raise awareness about the importance of religious freedom. 'I think if our governments, whether it's federal government, provincial, municipal, if they're just recognizing it and supporting it worldwide, then, hopefully we will come to a day when all the countries, including China, will recognize and give those rights and freedoms,' Schummer said. On May 13, the official day honouring the spiritual practice, the Ontario cities of Cambridge and Cornwall raised the Falun Dafa flag in recognition of the occasion. Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale noted that the ancient practice is followed by people from all walks of life. 'Falun Dafa has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving health in mind, body and spirit, as well as enhancing the well-being of people from diverse cultural backgrounds in over 100 countries,' he wrote in a proclamation. Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale (L) with Falun Dafa practitioner Shizhong Lei at a flag-raising event in Cornwall, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale at a flag-raising event in Cornwall, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times
Epoch Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
US Tariffs and What's Next for Canada: Trump's Strategy Through a Canadian Lens
U.S. President Donald Trump's push to assert U.S. dominance—marked by trade tensions and uncertainty—should not be viewed simply by the 'chaos' those actions appear to create, says Brian Lee Crowley, managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a Canadian think tank. Instead, he argues, they reflect Trump's broader goals, his negotiating style, and Canada's role in U.S. strategy. Brian Lee Crowley Courtesy of Brian Lee Crowley Trump's election last November and his repeated tariff threats shaped much of the Canadian political landscape in recent months, becoming one of the top federal election issues, and quickly reversing the fortunes of the governing Liberal party after it had become 'deeply unpopular,' said Crowley in a recent interview with Jan Jekielek, host of The Epoch Times' 'American Thought Leaders' program. In addition, he said, Trump's ideas of wanting Canada to become the 51st U.S. state made many Canadians 'deeply anxious,' prompting calls to reduce economic dependency on the United States or even join the European Union—a possibility Crowley says is unfeasible due to the deep economic integration between Canada and the United States. 'Donald Trump is looming so large in the Canadian consciousness right now,' Crowley said. 'I have seen a lot of my compatriots running around like chickens with their heads cut off saying, 'oh my God, Donald Trump is a mad man, you can't understand what he's doing.'' But Crowley argues Trump's strategy makes more sense when viewed through his priorities: restoring America to its 'top nation status,' standing up to China as its 'great rival,' recovering the promise of America 'for the people who were left behind,' and bringing an 'energy renaissance' to the American economy. Related Stories 5/7/2025 2/11/2025 As for his negotiating strategy, Crowley says Trump inherited the American tradition of a 'showman,' describing himself as a deal-maker and appearing unpredictable. 'I think he's scaring the pants off the people that he wants to make deals with and bringing them to the table frightened out of their wits–this is just the way he works,' Crowley said. 'They ' re letting him distract them with the shiny object up here, and getting caught up in his tactics, and forgetting to think about his strategy. And I think his strategy is quite clear.' An 'Existential' Relationship The economic relationship between the United States and Canada is of a different nature for both sides, Crowley says. Unlike the United States, Canada ' s economy relies largely on exports, which made up about one-third of its GDP in 2023. In contrast, U.S. exports accounted for just 11 percent of its economy that year. At the same time, more than 75 percent of total Canadian exports 'While for Canada, the relationship with the United States is existential, for America the relationship with Canada is convenient, nice–not existential,' Crowley said. Trump has on many occasions said the United States does 'He knows Canada's vulnerability to the United States, and he knows that for Canada, there is no realistic alternative, and he ' s basically signalling to Canadians [that] he knows this, and he's going to have high expectations of any negotiations that will take place between Canada and the United States over the nature of our trade and other relationships,' Crowley said. He also pointed to the centuries-old 'deep' integration between the two economies, describing them as a single North American economy that 'happens to fall under the jurisdiction of two separate nation states.' He says fully decoupling the two would be difficult, and said Canada would benefit more by reaching a deal with its southern neighbour that maintains the same market access. China Would Use Canada as a 'Storehouse of Natural Resources' The United States may require Canada to align with its China trade policy as a condition for continued access to the U.S. market, says Crowley, particularly to ensure Canada does not become a ' 'That will be a tough pill for the Liberal Party of Canada to swallow because they have, to a considerable extent, hitched their wagon to China as a rising power,' he said, arguing that the Liberal Party 'has been an active promoter of China as an important partner for Canada for many years.' In addition to aligning with the United States on trade policy, Crowley says Canada must also contribute more on security and defence. While he thinks Trump 'exaggerates' Canada's role in drug trafficking, he says 'there ' s no doubt that Canada is part of the international network that is flooding the United States with fentanyl.' 'I think the biggest role that we play in that is that we have become a haven for money laundering, for the people who are actually behind the drug trade, which is mostly China,' he said. On the defence front, Crowley highlighted the long-standing U.S. concern that Canada has not met its NATO defence spending commitment, which Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to fulfill by 2030. In his In 'We have not been a reliable ally on defence,' Crowley said. 'We have not been looking after the Arctic flank of North America.' He added that Canada should 'sit down with Trump' and negotiate on the full range of issues affecting both countries. 'I have been urging people on both sides of the border to think about what I call a 'grand bargain' between Canada and the United States,' Crowley said. 'Let's not get caught in the weeds on the trade relationship, that ' s very important. Let's make sure we get that right.' On the idea of Canada turning to China as a new top trading partner to replace the United States, as some floated amid trade tensions, Crowley said China could never offer Canada what the United States does. 'On almost every level, China is, in my view, a poor partner for Canada,' he said, adding that China wants to benefit from Canada's resources but is not interested in a serious partnership involving Canadian manufacturers or processed goods. 'If we were to deepen our relationship with China, I'm here to tell you that China would only care about us as a storehouse of natural resources that they would be able to dominate,' he said. 'So in every way, China is a poor, indeed not just a poor substitute, a completely impossible substitute for our relationship with the United States.' He said there is a misconception that Canada's relationship with the United States is 'all about natural resources,' without considering wider trade, security, and defence ties. Canadian Identity Trump's comments about making Canada part of the United States and questioning the country's existence 'drove the anxiety levels of Canadians who cared about these issues to unprecedented heights,' said Crowley, adding it led to questions about Canadian identity. The difference between Americans and Canadians is hard to define, he said, not because it doesn't exist, but because 'the differences are subtle and hard to express.' He noted that the United States was born from a revolution against the Crown, while some territories that would later become Canada remained loyal to it. 'We tend to be people who believe more in the quiet, thoughtful evolution of institutions,' he said, contrasting it with a 'radical break.' 'Canada has chosen an evolutionary path in which we put a little more emphasis on the idea of the common good [and] a little less emphasis on the idea of individual liberty,' he said, adding that Canadians are 'great believers' in individual freedom in the context of an ordered society. He noted that to people from outside North America, like Europeans, the differences between Americans and Canadians may not seem significant, but there are differences. 'From the inside, the differences to us are quite obvious, and without in any way feeling that it means that we ' re superior to America, it does make us feel that we've chosen a slightly different path in North America,' he said. 'It ' s one that our ancestors fought and suffered and paid for and that we have inherited, and it's ours and that matters to us.'
