Calgary ‘Walk for Freedom’ draws about 1,000 protesters

The group consisted of ordinary people of all ages carrying signs that said a variety of slogans. They included: ‘Take off your mask and smell the bull****,’ ‘My body my choice, no mandatory vaccine,’ ‘Defund state propaganda – CTV, CBC, Global,’ ‘ Where did the flu go? Ask questions,’ ‘Wake-up global reset is in play,’ and ‘Fear is the modern plague,’ ‘Power of the people is stronger than the people in power,’ ‘Lockdowns are more deadly than covid,’ ‘The government loves pandemics for the same reason they love war, it gives them the ability to impose control on the populations they otherwise would never accept,’ ‘God keep our land glorious and free,’ ‘Arrest Trudeau for treason,’ ‘Lock up Nenshi,’ ‘Our fear of death has stolen our courage to live,’ ‘This ends when we stop complying,’ and ‘Boost your immunity avoid fake news.’

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Will Covid kill Silicon Valley?

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, poverty-stricken families from the American heartlands packed up their bags and migrated to California. 90 years later there are signs of a reverse migration. Only this time, it’s not farm workers, but tech workers. According to Katherine Bindley in the Wall Street Journal, smaller tech companies in places like Bloomington, Minnesota and Tucson, Arizona are getting job applications from the people based in the big coastal tech clusters.

As some of the employers interviewed in the article make clear, this is happening for the first time. If that’s indicative of a wider trend, then we’re looking at a significant disruption

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British Army spies wage ‘information war’ against anti-vaxx content online – report

With a significant number of Britons skeptical of a Covid vaccine, the army has reportedly deployed an “information warfare” unit to stamp out anti-vaxx propaganda online. Offline, citizens still protest lockdowns in the streets.

The British government is expected to greenlight a coronavirus vaccine and begin its distribution next month. In addition to the logistical challenge of getting millions of doses to the public, the government also faces the hurdle of convincing them to take it. According to a recent poll by the British Academy and the Royal Society, more than a third of people in Britain say they’re either uncertain or very unlikely to take the vaccine.

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Beyond the numbers: Who is dying of COVID in Canada, and how?

Beyond the numbers: Who is dying of COVID in Canada, and how?

The woman was 52, and the mother of two boys, ages 12 and 15. Seeing her, lying helpless, with her lungs shredded by COVID, reminded Dr. Peter Goldberg of the first wave of the virus, back in early spring, when “it was like a forest fire, and all I had was a garden hose.” No matter what the doctors tried, steroids, everything, her carbon dioxide levels kept rising. At some point they couldn’t ventilate her, they couldn’t get the carbon dioxide out. She died, “and we watched this,” says Goldberg, head of the critical care program at the McGill University Health Centre.

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Adamson Barbecue arrestee must take a COVID-19 test as a bail condition. Several lawyers say the requirement is outrageous and ‘likely unlawful’

Hope that’s not a suppository.

A man arrested after allegedly spitting at police during a fracas outside Adamson Barbecue must undergo a COVID-19 test and disclose the results as a condition of his bail — a requirement several lawyers said is “unreasonable” and “likely unlawful.”

Michael Belito Arana was arrested Nov. 26 as protesters, rallying around the restaurant’s three-day-long defiance of lockdown rules, confronted police. The 27-year-old Markham man faces several criminal charges, including six counts of assaulting a police officer.

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How dumb is Blackie? He put all his vaccine eggs in the Communist China basket says O’Toole

How dumb is Blackie? He put all his vaccine eggs in the Communist China basket says O’Toole

PM put all vaccine ‘eggs’ in one basket, didn’t consider other options: O’Toole

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole accused the Liberal government Sunday of putting too much emphasis on partnering with a Chinese company for a COVID-19 vaccine in what turned out to be a failed deal.

O’Toole said the Trudeau government only turned its attention to pre-ordering tens of millions of vaccine doses from companies such as Pfizer and Moderna in August after its collaboration between the National Research Council and Chinese vaccine-maker CanSino finally collapsed after months of delays.

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Covid-19: What’s the harm of ‘funny’ anti-vaccine memes?

Covid-19: What’s the harm of ‘funny’ anti-vaccine memes?

Covid-19: What’s the harm of ‘funny’ anti-vaccine memes?

Memes, often in the form of humorous images and videos, are a major part of how people communicate on the internet, but they can also be used to spread disinformation.

We’ve been looking at how these memes can present false and misleading information about Covid-19 vaccines, feeding into concerns about their efficacy or safety.

This is a serious piece by the BBC.

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More than $47,000 in fines issued following house party in Mississauga

Police broke up a house party in Mississauga on Sunday that resulted in more than $47,000 worth of fines being issued to some of those attending.

The event was taking place at a short-term Airbnb rental unit in the area of Ninth Line and Deepwood Heights that saw 60 people in attendance, according to Peel Regional Police.

Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said in a tweet published on Sunday that some guests fled upon the arrival of police and bylaw officers at approximately 12:30 a.m.

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Ontario: 1,708 new COVID-19 cases, 24 new dead

Ontario: 1,708 new COVID-19 cases,  24 new dead

Ontario reported 1,708 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and 24 new deaths, as testing remained at near-record levels.

“Locally, there are 503 new cases in Peel, 463 in Toronto and 185 in York Region,” Health Minister Christine Elliott wrote on Twitter.


TOYZ STORY: Bolton shopkeeper defies COVID-19 lockdown orders

A renegade Bolton toy shop owner wasn’t playing around about opening up his store on Saturday.

COVID-19 be damned.


11 confirmed cases linked to Vaughan indoor sports facility; 8 businesses charged for breaking COVID-19 rules

York Region says 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been linked to an indoor sports facility in Vaughan, and eight businesses were charged and fined Saturday for violating public health protocols.

In a public notice, York Region Public Health said the cases were traced back to two soccer games played on Nov. 11 and Nov. 15 at TRIO Sportsplex and Event Centre, in the area of Teston Road and Highway 400.

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Support for mandatory coronavirus vaccine keeps falling even as cases spike: Ipsos

“We know when we start going through the concerns that people have, they’re very worried about anything that has been rushed or they might perceive has been rushed. They’re very worried about anything that might have side effects associated with it,” said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs.

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Rex Murphy: The showdown at the Barbecue Corral

“Well boys, I guess we’re just gonna have to go in. Fix your bibs.”

“Whadaya think, Sheriff? Things gonna get messy?”

“Boys, when you’re a-starin down a barbecue outfit, and the ribs start flyin’ and the dip starts coming at you in bowlfuls — tomato-based, vinegar-based, it don’t matter none — it gets messy and then some.”

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150+ arrested as anti-lockdown protesters march in London, defying police warning to obey Covid-19 restrictions

150+ arrested as anti-lockdown protesters march in London, defying police warning to obey Covid-19 restrictions

Massive crowds gathered in central London on Saturday to protest lockdown measures designed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and police followed through on their promise to arrest demonstrators, leading to multiple clashes.

Ahead of the protest, Metropolitan Police released a statement warning anyone planning to travel to King’s Cross that current lockdown measures do not permit massive crowds.

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