Connect with us

News

Advocacy Group Founders Charged with Drug Trafficking in Vancouver

Published

on

Advocacy Group Founders Charged with Drug Trafficking in Vancouver
Rally in Vancouver: Image @AndreaWoo

Two founders of the Drug User Liberation Front (DUFL), which sold cocaine, crystal meth, and heroin in defiance of Canada’s federal government, have been charged with trafficking-related crimes in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On May 31, police in Vancouver approved charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking against 28-year-old Jeremy Kalicum and 33-year-old Eris Nyx, co-founders of the Drug User Liberation Front. Kalicum and Nyx were arrested in October but were only charged lately.

They are scheduled to appear in court on July 2.

In 2022, Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) made news when the volunteer-led organization stated that it will provide pure cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin to addicts as part of a “compassion club” to prevent overdose deaths.

“If you label people’s drugs so that they clearly indicate what a person is putting into their body, people will not overdose,” Nyx told the Guardian at the time. “No one takes more than they intend to take.”

Store on Vancouver’s east-side

The group sought an exemption from Canada’s Controlled pharmaceuticals and Substances Act, allowing them to purchase and distribute pharmaceuticals. With few legal choices for purchasing pharmaceutical-grade opioids, the two informed Canada’s public health ministry that they would have to obtain the medicines on the dark web.

However, this revelation prompted Health Canada to reject their proposal.

Despite the court loss, the activists continued to sell pure drugs at cost price from their store on Vancouver’s downtown east side, in open defiance of the law. Nyx and Kalicum were eventually detained in October during a police raid.

The pair challenged Health Canada’s decision not to approve the exemption in March, arguing that it leaves people who use drugs “fully and directly exposed” to the toxicity crisis and violates two clauses of Canada’s charter of rights and freedoms: the right to life and the right to equal protection under the law.

They also cited data showing that their strategy reduced non-fatal overdoses by 49%. Non-fatal overdoses requiring naloxone, indicating the presence of fentanyl, decreased 63%.

“We are surprised the crown made this decision before the federal court decides whether Health Canada’s denial of an exemption for the compassion club was constitutional,” a statement from DULF lawyers said.

“If the crown is serious about pursuing these charges, our clients will challenge the constitutionality of prohibiting a life-saving safer supply program in light of this devastating toxic drug crisis.”

Drug Overdoses Surge

The fight over drug sales comes as Canada’s westernmost province is grappling with a historic public health catastrophe that has ripped families apart and killed about 14,000 people as a result of toxic, unregulated opioids.

Last year was the worst on record, with officials in British Columbia reporting 2,539 suspected overdoses, the vast majority of which involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues. Experts warn that reducing drug-related deaths will require tackling an increasingly contaminated drug supply.

Last year, British Columbia launched a highly watched pilot experiment to decriminalize, but not legalize, the possession of small amounts of illicit narcotics.

Politicians have recently used British Columbia’s drug decriminalization experiment as a political wedge issue, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre referring to Vancouver’s downtown east side as “hell on earth”.

In April, British Columbia reversed key aspects of its drug decriminalization initiatives in the face of growing public opposition.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Ellis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, and Laila Goodridge, Conservative Shadow Minister for Addictions, have issued the following statement:

“The Trudeau-NDP approach to drug policy is a complete failure. Nowhere is this more apparent than in British Columbia, where Trudeau and his NDP allies have allowed taxpayer-funded hazardous drugs and drug decriminalization to claim thousands of lives.

“The Trudeau Liberals have flooded the streets with toxic opioids, ignoring all evidence that this has destroyed the lives of countless Canadians and wrecked multiple towns.

“We are profoundly concerned about Canada’s current direction, and we fear for the safety of our communities and the future of our country, as its government openly promotes the use of harmful narcotics by vulnerable Canadians, particularly children.

“Common sense Conservatives will prioritize treatment and recovery over taxpayer-funded dangerous drugs.” We will restore hope to our most vulnerable citizens. Recovery from addiction is possible.”

Source: Guardian, CPP

 

Continue Reading

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

on

Trudeau, Montreal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

Related News:

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

 

Continue Reading

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

on

Baby Gorilla, Calgary Zoo
The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

Related News:

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

Outrage Erupts After 17th Beluga Whale Dies at Canada’s Marineland

Continue Reading

News

Canada’s Lotto Max jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

on

lotto max, Canada

Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

  1. Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
  2. Numbers cannot be repeated
  3. Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
  4. Each play buys 3 lines
  5. Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)

Continue Reading

Trending