Check It Out: Contradictions in Canada

By Joan Janzen

When it comes to contradictions, there are some funny examples to consider. The following two statements are contradictory: “God made me an atheist. Who are you to question Him?” Or how about this inscription on a monument: “Nothing is written in stone.” And finally, cartoon cat Garfield pointed out, “Good Morning is a contradiction in terms.”

Meanwhile, there are plenty of contradictions in Canada which aren’t humorous. Let’s have a look.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation reported the federal government’s three affordability cabinet retreats during a one-year time span cost taxpayers more than $1 million. The goal of the retreats was to come up with plans to make life in Canada more affordable. Obviously, they never considered Zoom calls as an alternative mode of discussion.

The Daily Mail observed the following contradiction. Recently, 90-year-old Fran Itkoff was shocked to receive an email telling her she was fired as a volunteer for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. This was a result of a representative asking her to start using pronouns in her email signature. However, the senior citizen didn’t understand what that meant.

Her daughter said, “To me, it’s ironic because they are saying they are inclusive, but they are excluding a 90-year-old disabled woman who has volunteered for 60 years. Literally, her sole purpose was to help MS patients and find a cure.”

When supporters threatened to withhold their funds, the organization issued an apology, but it’s unknown if Itkoff will rejoin the organization.

On a recent podcast, Tanner Hnidey discussed a news conference our Prime Minister attended in Poland. Hnidey said, “How can he (the PM) talk about defending Canada when in the same breath he is flooding this country with hundreds of thousands of individuals from all across the world every single year?” He noted protecting our borders is the first step towards protecting our nation.

Journalist Lorne Gunter discussed the PM’s recent visit to Edmonton in a Toronto Sun interview. In the PM’s 30-minute conversation with a blogger, he said, “Oil is becoming unprofitable.” Yet Gunter noted the oil industry is still the largest economic engine in the country and is the reason Alberta receives 50,000 new Canadians every year. “Real events are contrary to what Trudeau says,” Gunter concluded.

The next contradiction was described by independent journalist David Krayden in an online interview. He asked how the Arrive Can app, which was about keeping Canadians safe, ended up costing taxpayers $60 million instead of the initial projected cost of $80,000.

Karen Hogan said in the Auditor General’s report, “The Canadian Border Services Agency’s documentation and financial records of the Arrive Can Application were so poor that we were unable to determine the precise cost of the Arrive Can Application. We estimated the cost.”

Krayden reported the first company that was hired to make this app consisted of four guys who willingly admitted they didn’t know anything about IT. Yet this company of four people collected $258 million in contracts from the federal government since the Liberals took power. He also noted that the Arrive Can not only didn’t work properly to keep people safe, but it also cost taxpayers a lot of money.

On another topic, Faytene Grasseschi on Faytene TV discussed the expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to include the mentally ill, the drug addicted and depressed. The expansion is set to go ahead on March 17, although the government could change their minds. However, Faytene said let’s look back to where we started.

“We were told this would only be made available to those who had terminal illnesses. But we are now in a situation where we’re regularly hearing stories of people who are saying they can’t get a kidney or liver transplant, or heart surgery, but they can have MAID within 24 hours, and their friends and loved ones won’t even know,” she said, and proceeded to point out the contradiction.

“I remember a few years ago when we rolled out the National Suicide Prevention Hotline,” she recalled. It was a number Canadians could call if they were in a low place in their life and just couldn’t take it anymore. Someone on the phone would “walk them off the edge of the cliff”, Faytene said. “On the other side, there is this mechanism where people can actually walk to the edge of the cliff without their family and friends even being aware of what’s happening. It’s a weird dynamic we’re seeing right now.”

Faytene’s guest, Toyin Crandall, is a finance and leadership coach who helps people, businesses, and organizations shift from fiscal vulnerability to strength. In her own journey, Toyin went from being homeless to leading a flourishing life.

“The biggest thing I have to say as someone who didn’t have money to feed my family is, there is hope,” Toyin said. “The decisions of people that are outside of your control do not have to dictate your end. I decided that despite what was happening in the economy, there has to be a way for myself and my family to thrive.”

Now, Toyin helps others navigate through similar difficult circumstances. She realizes that when it comes to contradictions, we need to agree to disagree, think differently and find hope, even when we’re told there is none.

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