Grant LaFleche
@GrantRants
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Associate Producer @cbcfifth . Investigative journalist. Formerly @theSpec @torontostar investigations team and @StCatStandard .
St.Catharines
Joined July 2010
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So unvaccinated Canadian truckers, who cannot enter the US without being vaccinated, are protesting in Canada because of a Canadian vaccine mandate to re-enter Canada from the US, which is a country they cannot currently enter because they are unvaccinated.
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Admonished by Kieran Moore, Niagara medical officer stands by his increased safety measures in schools via
@torontostar
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Pat King, lest we forget, was a prominent figure and voice during the Ottawa occupation.
Hey. Remember Pat King? Here he is talking about in his deeply held belief in the Great Replacement Theory. The same theory that pushed Payton Gendron into killing 10 black people at Tops in Buffalo.
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Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski guilty of charges linked to border blockade via
@calgaryherald
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So I have professional
#journalism
news! After nearly 30 years in newspapers, I am moving to a new job.
In a few weeks, I start my new role as an associate producer with The Fifith Estate, Canada's premier investigative news show at CBC!
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BREAKING:
@DrThomasStewart
is out as CEO of
@NiagaraHealth
. Lynn Guerriero, NH president, is also now interim CEO after a NH board of directors decision.
More to come.
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So, a bit of professional news to share, ya'll. I have been this keeping under my hat for a few months as we sorted out the details and this has occupied me for the last couple of weeks: I am joining the
@TorontoStar
's investigative journalism team!
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This video was uploaded to Twitter tonight by Rob Primo, one of the louder "freedom convoy" protesters in Niagara, harassing my long-time colleague
@BobTym
, a fantastic photojournalist who has served the community for decades.
There is no excuse for harassing journalists.🧵
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According to this Ottawa soup kitchen, its staff were harassed by protesters who wanted meals that were intended for homeless Ottawa residents.
@_rkgg
Hi everyone, thanks for bringing this to our attention. Earlier today, our staff and volunteers experienced harassment from convoy protestors seeking meals from our soup kitchen. The individuals were given meals to diffuse the conflict. Management was then informed of the (1/2)
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Waterloo police say the stabbing at the University of Waterloo is "a hate-motivated incident related to gender expression and gender identity."
This is the predictable outcome of the constant dehumanization and anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric found everywhere these days.
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As I noted before, Twitter's definition of "state control media" says a labeled agency has its editorial content controlled by the government, which is not the case with CBC, BBC and NPR. Poillievre is playing to his base, but this is an attack on Canadian journalism.
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Take Canada "back." From who exactly? Did someone steal Canada and we didn't notice? Was it Russia? The Rand corporation? The reverse vampire people?
This line of rhetoric is always baffling to me. "Take the country back." It didn't go anywhere!
Canada isn’t working. Too many people are out of work while politicians in Ottawa continue to raise taxes and waste money.
It’s time we start fighting and take Canada back.
Join the fight:
#cdnpoli
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You can read our investigation into how "freedom" convoy protesters have changed targets from vaccines to drag queens in today's
@TheSpec
and
@StCatStandard
:
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Here is a good example of how anti-vax/"freedom" movement disinformation works.
On Sept 19, Olympian Jamie Sale, who has nearly 69 k followers on Twitter, posted this message purported from the PM.
The Trudeau "tweet" is entirely fake. The PM never tweeted it.
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Well done, anti-vaxers. 🙄
📍MEASLES OUTBREAK—Officials in Columbus Ohio has confirmed 32
#measles
cases—found in 12 daycare and school locations in Columbus, all children, 97% unvaccinated. 13 kids (41%) have been hospitalized. 63% of cases kids age 1-2!
#GetVaccinated
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So, some big personal, professional news to announce. (Fair warning, journalism thread ahead)
After 24 years with
@StCatStandard
, I am excited to announce that I will be joining the powerhouse new team at
@TheSpec
next month!
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A freedom convoy lawyer, who organized surveillance of public health officials, has been barred from practicing law in Manitoba.
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This is self-evident but worth nothing the Ottawa occupation: The calls for the PM to "negotiate" with the protests (whose demands are both unconstitutional and undemocratic) imply the protesters have the right to negotiate on behalf of the Canadian population.
They don't.
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In this video, Primo screams at Bob, calling him a liar and a "piece of shit.," in a barrage of vulgar insults.
The truth is Bob Tymczyszyn is one of the best photojournalists in the country, who does an exemplary job for this community and is a pillar of the
@StCatStandard
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When examing the conspiracy theory-laden, vulgar flag-waving mob that swarmed the PM in Belleville yesterday, it is important to note this is the same network of people have been orchestrating protests against masks, vaccines and the LGBTQ+ community.
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NEW: Ontario education minister said he has the backing of Ontario’s public health doctors to reopen schools, but he never showed them his plan
#ontpoli
#COVID19
with
@abenner1
via
@StCatStandard
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NEW: Tonight anti-vaxers have targeted the home of Niagara's medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, and live broadcasted it. The apparent leader of the protest, Rob Primo, said over a megaphone he wants to spend his holidays at Hirji's home and promised they would return.
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Not only is he a great photographer, but a kind and patient man and a consummate professional, as you can see in this video. A person is screaming at him, calling him names, lying about him and shoving a finger in his face, and Bob stayed cool, polite and professional.
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This is not the first time Pollivere has falsely labelled the Canadian Press an arm of the CBC (and the current federal government). It is neither. CP is a more than century old, independent nation news wire relied on by nearly every new agency in Canada.
Trudeau’s media are desperate to stop his continued downfall. Today, CBC’s news service CP wrote a hit piece on me because I dared criticize the World Economic Forum—a group of multinational CEOs and powerful politicians that push their interests.
I work for our people in this
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This story has been updated:
Admonished by Kieran Moore, Niagara medical officer stands by his increased safety measures in schools via
@torontostar
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BREAKING:
@NiagaraRegion
council votes in favour of mandatory masks in Niagara to combat
#COVID19
. The bylaw comes into effect on July 31.
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Here is my updated story that includes Garth Stevenson's justification for his racist social media attacks on Indigenous people.
UPDATED: Brock to strip ex-prof of titles after racist tweets
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NEW: The first part of a
@TheSpec
investigation into the rise of hate in Ontario. We spent months tracking a Hamilton neo-Nazi group. It is part of a vast "white lives matters" network on Telegram - something the platform is doing nothing to curtail.
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This is evidence, filmed by a "freedom convoy" protester and in his own voice, showing the kind of harassment journalists have been subjected to on a constant basis for years now.
Please support local journalists like
@BobTym
by subscribing to the
@StCatStandard
.
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BREAKING: Two Niagara politicians, business owners and anti-lockdown activists charged for St. Catharines rally via
@StCatStandard
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This leader's debate format is...weird. These one-minute debates between leaders is an odd free for all where the leaders wander off subject and no one pulls them back on subject.
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BREAKING: Lockdown opponents call for arrest, assault and murder of medical officer of health via
@StCatStandard
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Ontario MPP Randy Hillier - a prominent leader of the anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine community - suggests it may be time for an armed rebellion, tells his followers to "make ready" and suggests pouring hot tar on his fellow MPPs.
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I still work for
@StCatStandard
, (and your local news team has things well in hand!) but you will see my byline a little less as I work on other projects with the investigative team. I am very excited for the opportunity and ready to get to work.
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Bob was always there for those of us on the Standard team who were just starting out in newspapering. He still is. He has taken some of the most poignant and memorable photos that document Niagara's history. He does not deserve to be treated like this by anyone.
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NEW from me from the
@TorontoStar
investigations team: Harassment and threats against journalists are on the rise in Canada, particularly against female and BIPOC reporters, including
@sabaeitizaz
@atRachelGilmore
@wickdchiq
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@YasMohammedxx
@piersmorgan
@RichardDawkins
Wow. That is not the Dawkins I interviewed several years ago, where he was not shy about talking openly about his views on a host of things.
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Oh my gods. What fresh hades is this? Who in the
@fordnation
circle though this was a good idea. Invoicing Ontarians so they will think they owe the party a $300 donation???
Beware of this. They’re just hoping that lots of unsuspecting people, particularly the elderly will get scared and pay these invoices.
@fordnation
what the hell are you doing? This has to be illegal.
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BREAKING: The first doses of the Pfizer
#COVID19
vaccine are expected to arrive in Niagara within the next 2 days. Health care workers and LTC residents are the first to get inoculated. Full details of
@niagarahealth
/
@NRPublicHealth
rollout will be posted soon at
@StCatStandard
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NEW: Speaking to regional council
@mustafahirji
says after the province released its COVID-19 school recommendations, public health decided more could be done to provide teachers and students "a higher level of projection."
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Police, in this case, asked a newspaper to unpublish a story of public importance, connected to an MP, and could not provide specifics as to why.
The story was not removed.
Journalists do not work for the police, nor are we their stenographers.
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@CANADALAND
If this document is accurate, it is disappointing. Our job as journalists is manifestly not to "defeat" one party or the other. We cover what the parties do. Columnists can pick their poison, sure, but reporters are not there to support to hinder any politician or party.
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.
@TwitterCanada
this ia ridiculous. The page of the
@StCatStandard
is restricted for....posting the news. 🙄
X keeps getting worse.
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Local newspaper journalists and photojournalists keep the public informed, resulting in harassment like this. It is dangerous:
Death threats. Racist taunts. Vows of violence. Inside the increasingly personal attacks targeting Canadian female journalists
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It's pretty clear, given the impact of climate change, Canada needs a central emergency response agency, a national forest management system and national forest fire response system.
Our current patch work of agencies, governments, and bureaucracy is too slow and inefficient.
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Mr. Oosterhoff, will you now discuss why a shipment of 5,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine was diverted away from Niagara last week?
With capacity to administer over 40,000 vaccines a day, Ontario is being limited by the number of vaccines available.
We need more vaccines from the federal government, to make sure Niagara and Ontario residents get the help they deserve!
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Again, I ask, why is this not happening in Ontario?
Following our approval of Quebec’s request for federal assistance, Canadian Armed Forces personnel will begin their deployment today to provide support to the province’s vaccination campaign. 1/2
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Listening to Dr. Williams explain why the province is again 2nd-guessing clinic trial data on vaccines: 10 weeks for dose 2 of AZ ok, 12 is best IF we can wait. But if offered in 10, that is ok. But best protection is 12. 10 is not best. We want best protection. But 10 is ok.
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All the Chair’s Men wins national award for investigative journalism
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NEW: Significant spike in local
#COVID19
hospitalizations in Niagara. There are now 90 people in hospital (64 vaxed, 14 are unvaxed) and since Thursday seven Niagara residents with COVID-19 have died, bringing the region's total death toll to at least 600 people.
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@CANADALAND
Our job is to cover the news. We report on the politicans with the necessary context for our readers. We investigate what they are doing. But we should NEVER set out to say "I am going to help defeat this party or person." That is a betrayal of our public duty as journalists.
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A prominent voice in the "freedom convoy" network attacks a 14 year-old boy who produces independent news reports.
@wyattsharpe8
, you keep on doing what you you do and keep your chin up.
"People’s personal lives are nobody’s business".
Yeah... People's "personal" lives cease being "personal" and cease being "nobody's business" when they openly post it to social media for public adulation and virtue-signalling point.
Especially *after* they asked for "privacy".
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The protesters and their leaders are unelected and have no public mandate to represent citizens. Nor do they represent truckers as a whole, nor the trucker industry, farmers, any other industry or defined cultural or ethnic group. They only represent themselves.
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BREAKING: A local greenhouse, Pioneer Flower Farms in St. Catharines, reports at least 20 employees have tested positive for
#COVID19
. This would be the largest outbreak outside a longterm care home in Niagara. More to come.
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This is little Adalynn Jones. Grade 1. Her mom, Kate, sent us this photo today. She showed Adalynn yesterday's blank front page, explained the importance of newspapers, and asked her to design her own A1. I love it. What do you think? Parents, do you have similar photos to share?
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I am not saying the province pushing for better border controls during the pandemic isn't wise. However, while variants come into the country via travellers, they have spread because of Ontario's patchwork, swiss cheese pandemic measures.
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Well, this is different. :-)
It's not every day you get summoned to Rideau Hall. Can't wait for the
#MichenerAwards
in Ottawa next week!
#PartyLikeAJournalist
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Religious conservatives cheer on kids who stomp on the Pride flag at a protest in Ottawa.
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NEW: The first shipment of
#COVID19
vaccines from Pfizer have arrived in Niagara. Details to come.
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They blared sirens, sang vulgar songs, and told the neighbourhood they would return and "we are just getting started."
It does not appear from the live stream at least that
@NiagRegPolice
interceeded.
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Asked about his letter to
@mustafahirji
, Dr. Kieran Moore says he was "seeking clarity" from Dr. Hirji. His letters does not say he is seeking clarity. It says he is "concerned" with Hirji's orders.
Hirji, in a statement, says he is proceeding with his orders for schools.
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Health Canada ‘concerned’ about Ontario company that charges for virtual doctor visits via
@ipoliticsca
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Anti-lockdown rally happening on Lake St, featuring with disinformation about vaccines, masks, and the virus. Among the speakers is West Lincoln Mayor David Byslma. No masks. No social distancing. No enforcement by
@NRPublicHealth
or
@NiagRegPolice
follow
@bill_standard
for more.
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Well, while this shouldn't be a shock, it sort of is at the moment. A presidential speech from a president, spoken in complete sentences, that sounded like a president.
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There are logistics, an organized leadership network, an active PR campaign aimed at winning over police and military personnel. They are in a way, a "parallel power the defies the elected power of this country," once warned of by PET.
Anti Vax Pastor Hildebrandt preaching a Sunday morning sermon on the Great Reset conspiracy theory and the role of God in the protest. Some things to note: the infrastructure around. Sound stage. Screens. Message boards. Food. It’s getting more organized by the day.
#cdnpoli
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We now know the Ford government spent nearly $ 900 million less on health care this year so far than it did last year, even though every hospital in the province is in crisis mode with no end in sight.
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Good afternoon. We took a deep dive into the social media universe of
@peoplespca
candidate social media accounts to see how they interact with the ongoing anti-vax protests targeting hospitals and Trudeau:
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I want to say a big thank you to my colleagues in the
@AndrewScheer
press pool this morning for standing up local news media and insisting myself and
@ShelbyAKnox
be allowed to ask questions for the Tory leader when we were told no by the press sec.
#partylikeajournalist
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Mr. Oosterhoff, thank you for sharing our story about the first, historic
#COVID19
vaccines in Niagara. Perhaps now you can directly answer questions about the shipment of diverted Moderna vaccine that was to come to Niagara, but was sent elsewhere with no explanation?
Vaccines are rolling out across Niagara, with more on their way.
“But, you know, each day is a new day,” he said. “We are going to be beat this. We have to have faith in that, and that God with us. We can get through this.”
Well said, Faber Baquero!
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Hatred in Niagara. This was posted on Nov 9, on the Telegram account of one of Niagara's louder "freedom convoy" people. He says it is easy to pick who to save from a burning death between 3 trans people and Hitler. This account often posted anti-trans material in the past.
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So here is the thing, Anishinabek Solutrean Metis Indigenous Nation or ASMIN, is not an actual Metis nation, which has been found so in court:
For context follow:
@DarrylLeroux
These drummers “identify” as Anishinabek Solutrean Metis Indigenous Nation (ASMIN).
For $225, anyone can become a member of the ASMIN nation on filling out an application.
#cdnpoli
#antivaxxers
#Ottawa
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NEW: from
@SheilaWang7
and I.
Mount Hope LTC suffered 3 consecutive outbreaks in January amid widespread failures to follow
#COVID19
protocols. The home's now-former exec. director is named as a donor to the "freedom convoy."
via
@torontostar
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61 Niagara residents with
#COVID19
have passed away to date.
They were our neighbours, friends and family.
We are assembling a page to recognize them. If you have lost someone and would like them to be included, pls contact me at grant.lafleche
@niagaradailies
.com
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I'm proud of the work Bob and the team at the
@StCatStandard
have done and continue to do. Without them, the Niagarans would have no idea what is going on in their community. So please support the Niagara Dailies and subscribe so they can continue to bring you the news you need.
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An important point. All of the anti-mandate, anti-vax stuff is centred on the alleged victimization of the unvaxed (with heavy doses of conspiracy theories.) They never, ever talk about the tens of thousands of people COVID killed, their families, or the lives saved by vaccines.
Why do some politicians never mention the 45,662 Canadians who died of COVID? Or their families? As if they are not victims of the pandemic? Or the healthcare workers who worked over-time under brutal conditions and risked their own families health? 🤔
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Shazam! Got my second dose of
#COVID19Vaccine
today! Thank you
@niagarahealth
and the big brains behind the development of the vaccines that will get us out of this pandemic.
#gottheshot
. Get your vaccines, people!
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Big congrats to the team at
@cbcfifth
for their doc on police accountability and the local cop-on-cop shooting in Niagara. Bit a professional thrill to be part of an episode on an investigative news show I grew up watching and was inspired by! (thread)
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This is what I mentioned yesterday. Police in Canada will sweep out homeless activists and a tent city in a park, but haven't enforced laws in Ottawa and Alberta, where police openly say the anti-vaxx protesters are breaking the law.
I know I’m not the only Torontonian who can’t stop thinking about this video
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The recent hate campaign directed at
@sabaeitizaz
@atRachelGilmore
@wickdchiq
and other female journalists is strikingly similar to one in the fall that followed a call by PPC leader Maxime Bernier to his followers to "play dirty" with reporters. Dozens of reporters were targeted
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This is the protester who lead a nighttime protest outside the home of Niagara's medical officer of health. He accused Dr. Hirji of war crimes and shouted vulgar insults over a megaphone. The protesters also shone a strobe at Dr. Hirji's windows.
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For context, medical associations like
@OntHospitalAssn
issued these kinds of statements before the last reopening and were promptly ignored by
@fordnation
and company, and we ended up in another devasting wave of
#COVID19
.
Let’s avoid a 4th wave! ON needs a staged, cautious evidence-based reopening that accounts for vaccine coverage & supply, disease incidence, system capacity & our ability to understand the sources of disease transmission. Recommendations for govt:
#onpoli
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At least six Ontario police services have indicated they will not randomly stop people to ask why they are not at home. No word from
@NiagRegPolice
yet on how it intends to handle the orders today from
@fordnation
.
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So, let's see if I get this banner day in Canadian journalism right 🧵:
1. The federal government, based in part on intelligence from the Five Eyes, says there is credible evidence India murdered a Canadian citizen.
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That's the first truly presidential speech we've heard in four years. QED.
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Hate mail is a regular thing for many journalists these days, but I don't often get messages that can pack in transphobia, homophobia and white nationalism into one short message. (From an anonymous account, of course.)
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This message was in response to today's investigation in
@TheSpec
about how "freedom" convoy protesters have changed targets from vaccines to drag queens:
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NEW: Niagara Fall's mayor
@jimdiodati
pocket dialled this reporter's voicemail, and can be heard expressing his displeasure at being fact-checked about his
#COVID19
claims, including saying restaurant staff will do something awful food I order as a result
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Good morning denizens of the Twitter Tire Fire. So, this morning, I was alerted to this: A Niagara "freedom" conveyer is using photos of my participation in
@GilliansPlace
Walke a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser for their women's shelter to push some anti-LGBTQ+ nonsense. Classy. 🧵
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Today is Day 1 in the newsroom for
@Sean_Vanderklis
, covering Niagara education issues (and other issues, of course!). Can I get a warm Twitter welcome for Niagara's latest daily newspaperman?
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This is my last column for
@StCatStandard
before I join
@TheSpec
on Monday.
Thank you to my dear colleagues at The Standard, to those who trusted me to tell your stories, and for reading the last 2 decades.
Au revoir after 24 years at The Standard
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A (mute?) man in a ridiculous luchador mask gets in the face of a Hill Times reporter and silently films him for....reasons?
This is utterly bizarre, even by today's outrage culture standards. Who is this mysterio?
One of the more unproductive interviews I’ve conducted in a while.
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You can also read our joint
@TheSpec
/
@StCatStandard
investigation into the rising tide of hate in Ontario:
Hate is rising in Ontario via
@thespec
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The fake tweet was identified and debunk almost immediately when it appeared, but Sale posted it anyway (and it is still on her account) and it was spread widely and uncritically through anti-vax, anti-mandate social media networks, where it is taken as true.
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