UPDATED: Another Reason To Avoid Travel To The U.S.

As I have been writing of late, more and more Canadians are choosing not to travel to the U.S. for holiday purposes. The American attacks on our sovereignty have rightly rankled people, but now there are additional reasons to avoid the increasingly fascist country.

You have probably heard of new rules requiring Canadians visiting for more than 30 days to register as aliens and be fingerprinted. However, there is something else to now worry about beyond administrative inconvenience, as evidenced by the horrifying experience of Canadian Jasmine Mooney. While some may say she brought this on herself because of a visa 'irregularity',  most Canadians do not expect imprisonment upon entering America.

Jasmine Mooney, an actor who is also co-founder of the beverage brand Holy! Water, was detained on 3 March in San Diego, California.

The 35-year-old Canadian citizen’s work visa to the US was reportedly revoked back in November while traveling from Vancouver to Los Angeles, and she was attempting to file a new application.

Her mother, Alexis Eagles, who lives in British Columbia, says Mooney was detained at the San Ysidro border crossing between Mexico and San Diego, the busiest land border crossing in the world, on 3 March with an incomplete application for a work visa. Eagles told the Vancouver Sun that instead of sending her daughter to Canada or advising her to fix her application, US Customs and Border Protection officers arrested her.

What ensued was nothing short of a nightmare. 

She spent three nights in the detention centre, then was transferred. “We eventually learned that about 30 people, including Jasmine, were removed from their cells at 3am and transferred to the San Luis detention center in Arizona,” Eagles said.

“They are housed together in a single concrete cell with no natural light, fluorescent lights that are never turned off, no mats, no blankets, and limited bathroom facilities.”

Every time Mooney was transferred, she was handcuffed and in chains, Eagles claimed.

Mooney told ABC 10 that she was appalled by the conditions inside the private detention facility in San Luis where she was being kept.

“I have never in my life seen anything so inhumane,” she said. “I was put in a cell, and I had to sleep on a mat with no blanket, no pillow, with an aluminum foil wrapped over my body like a dead body for two and a half days.”

The case did not escape the attention of David Eby, C.C.'s premier, who said

he was "profoundly concerned about these kind of actions" by the U.S. administration, saying they "violate the very idea that Canadians are safe in the U.S. when we visit." 

"The nature of our relationship is so fraught right now that this case makes us all wonder, you know, what about our relatives who are working in the States? What about when we cross the border, what kind of experience are we gonna have?" 

Mooney is now back home in British Columbia, but her experience sends a chilling message to all of us. As my mother used to say, "It's better to be safe than sorry." Indeed, all Canadians would be wise to keep such observations in mind if contemplating crossing the border, and err on the side of caution. 

UPDATE: If you would like to read Jasmine Mooney's first-person account of her ordeal, please click here.

A Message For Amerika

Theo Moudakis captures Canadian pride and resoluteness here.

As if to drive home the fact that we are not Amerika's vassal, Carney has made this decision:

Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G7 summit, which will be held in June in Kananaskis, in a sign of solidarity as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year.

The invitation was extended on Sunday when Carney spoke to Zelenskyy by phone, days after Carney was sworn in as prime minister .

It isn’t uncommon for non-member countries to be invited. The summit usually has 16 tables, and in 2023, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and South Korea attended talks in Japan.

The gesture to invite Ukraine comes as the country has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in exchange for the lifting of U.S. military aid restrictions following a fiery meeting between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump.

At a time when countries seem increasingly timid for fear of offending Don Trump, it is refreshing and invigorating to see our Prime Minister setting his own course. 

The Dead Shall Have No Rest

Some mornings I get up and think I will take a break from writing for the day. Usually, however, something manages to stir my blood or strain all credulity. Today is one of those days.

In its rush to burnish its racist and misogynistic bona fides, the Trump regime has decided that even the dead are fair game.

First, some background information:

Approximately 400,000 veterans are buried in the Army-run cemetery, which was established after the US Civil War at the home of the South's general, Robert E. Lee.

On the cemetery's website, internal links that directed users to webpages with information about the "Notable Graves" of dozens of black, Hispanic and female veterans were missing on Friday.

The Independent reports the following:

The purge follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s declaration that “DEI is dead” as he implements Trump’s agenda at the Pentagon.

One of Trump’s many executive orders was banning DEI in federal programs, and Pentagon bosses have carried out orders to remove any content that “promotes” it.

That includes removing internal links to educational materials on the cemetery’s website.

On the website’s “Notable Graves” dropdown menu, African American History, Hispanic American History and Women’s History no longer appear...

According to the BBC, 

A spokesperson for the cemetery said ... it wanted to ensure that the content aligned with Trump's orders and also with instructions from Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

These shameful actions form part of a larger pattern:

Trump has made dramatic changes in the military in his second term, including firing the country's top general, CQ Brown, a black man who had supported diversity in the armed forces.

Secretary Hegseth - a former Fox News host and military veteran - has pledged to root out all diversity initiatives and had accused Gen Brown of being "woke". 

Understandably, given that over 30% of those currently serving identify as Black or Native Americans, and 18% as Hispanic or Latino, and one-fifth are women, outrage is widespread.

Democrats and veterans groups hit out at the move. “This is a terrible affront to the veterans posthumously dishonored and canceled and to their families,” Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. “It is a pathological statement that the MAGA government cannot even accept inclusion in death.”

Progressive Veterans group VoteVets accused the Trump administration of “whitewashing history.”

“Arlington National Cemetery just erased DEI from its website — because Republicans threw a tantrum over honoring ALL who served,” the group said. “The same GOP that cuts Veteran healthcare now decides who’s worthy of remembrance. This isn’t patriotism. It’s whitewashing history.”

I'll close with a picture and information of one of the dead who have been 'erased:

 AltSpaceForce 🚀🇺🇲

‪@altspaceforce.altgov.info‬

The Defense Dept has deleted references to Black, Hispanic & female service members as well as topics such as the Civil War from its website in order to remove all references to diversity, equity, & inclusion. 

Sgt William H. Carney, a former slave, is the first black man to get the Medal of Honor. 

If enough people resist this madness, Sgt Carney will not be forgotten.

Canadian Pride, International Boycotts

As I have been writing of late, the anger Canadians are feeling towards the U.S. is deep, extensive and profound. Many, many people (and I am one of them) are doing everything they can to boycott the purchase of American goods, refusing to travel to the U.S., and going out of their way to purchase Canadian goods. As citizens of our exceptional country, it is the least all of us can do.

I am also happy to post about the kind of support being offered by quintessentially Canadian companies. One in particular, Chapman's Ice Cream, is putting its money where its mouth is.

Chapman’s Ice Cream, the largest independent ice cream manufacturer in the country, is vowing not to increase prices for customers for the remainder of 2025 as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada threatens to drive up the cost of American-made ingredients.

Article content

“As a family we have decided to absorb all immediate increases in our costs due to the Trump tariffs for the rest of the year to maintain our prices,” Chapman’s chief operating officer Ashley Chapman said in a statement on social media.

“We are actively looking internationally for alternative suppliers of ingredients that are unavailable within Canada. We will continue to reinforce Canadian-first policies within our operations because together we are stronger.”

To me, Chapman's embodies what is best about Canada. You may recall that several years ago, when a fire gutted its production facility,  it continued to pay all of its employees and was back up and running within a few short weeks. As well, during the production of Covid-19 vaccines, it offered the use of its industrial freezers to store them. 

On another note, it also seems that much of the world is watching this the abusive behaviour of the U.S.,  and is taking appropriate action against the American ogre. 

A growing international move to boycott the US is spreading from Scandinavia to Canada to the UK and beyond as consumers turn against US goods.

Most prominent so far has been the rejection by European car buyers of the Teslas produced by Elon Musk, now a prominent figure in Trump’s administration as the head of the “department of government efficiency” a special group created by Trump that has contributed to the precipitous declines in Tesla’s share price. About 15% of its value was wiped out on Monday alone.

But it is not just Teslas experiencing consumer wrath. 

In Sweden, more than 70,000 users have joined a Facebook group calling for a boycott of US companies – ironically including Facebook itself – which features alternatives to US consumer products.

“I’ll replace as many American goods as I can and if many do so, it will clearly affect the supply in stores,” wrote one member of the group.

In Denmark, where there has been widespread anger over Trump’s threat to bring the autonomous territory of Greenland under US control, the largest grocery company, the Salling group, has said it will tag European-made goods with a black star to allow consumers to choose them over products made in the US.

 Takeshi Niinami, the chief executive of the Japanese multinational brewing and distilling group Suntory Holdings, which owns several major US brands, told the Financial Times international consumers were likely to shun American brands in the event of a trade war.

“We laid out the strategic and budget plan for 2025 expecting that American products, including American whiskey, will be less accepted by those countries outside of the US because of first, tariffs and, second, emotion,” Niinami said.

And it is likely to spread further still. Zoe Gardner, an organiser of the Stop Trump Coalition in the UK, is seeing rapidly increasing interest in the issue.

Asd I have said before, if there is a bright spot in all of this tariff madness, it is that we have rediscovered not only our pride but also the qualities that make us unique in the world. That other countries now are joining the battle against the Trumpian madness is just another benefit. 

Salesman Of The Year?

 You decide.

Feeling The Heat

Although it is anyone's guess as to what will ultimately happen in the tariff war we are currently embroiled in, one thing is certain: Americans are noticing as we flex our muscles. Most provinces have pulled American alcohol from their shelves, and feeling some particular pain is the state of Kentucky, the home of bourbon.

We may feel daunted by the misuse of Amerika's massive trade power, but we need not feel powerless, as the above example clearly demonstrates.

Time To Come Home

It wasn't until Don Trump was elected the first time that I made the decision never to travel to the U.S. again, barring unforeseen, exigent circumstances. And it wasn't until that election that I started to look with a degree of disapproval upon those who seek refuge from our winters in places like Florida. 

By and large, Canadian snowbirds seemed either oblivious to, or willfully ignorant of, the implications of their travel patronage. The wallet often carries more weight than most other things, and opening that wallet to a Trump-loving Amerika strikes me as a form of endorsement of policies and values inimical to the majority of Canadians.

Now, however, events and a hostile atmosphere may be doing what moral suasion could not. First, a brief clip from Global News, detailing the experiences of a Moncton couple, Mary Ann and Mike Jeffries, who have been wintering in the Sunshine State for the past 15 years. This will have been their last visit when they return at the end of March.

Yet now comes news of another reason to avoid the benighted land to our south: the apparent requirement to register thanks to one of Trump's executive orders, entitled Protecting the American People from Invasion.

A U.S. crackdown on illegal immigration will affect many Canadian snowbirds who drive across the border, with officials requiring visitors staying for at least a month to register on the government’s website, says an immigration lawyer.

The executive order

directed the Department of Homeland Security to enforce requirements for “aliens” to register with the government under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the rules, those aged 14 and over must register, and parents and legal guardians must register their children if they are under 14, in both cases within 30 days of their stay in the U.S.

Many Canadian retirees are feeling “annoyed” about the new registration rules, says Rudy Buttignol, president of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).

“Unfortunately, these moves by the United States is just one more irritant, especially for snowbirds that travel regularly down south,” Buttignol said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca from Vancouver on Monday. “The overwhelming reaction that we’re getting is that people are changing their travel plans. They’re not feeling welcome.

“People are cancelling their bookings if they can. And if they can’t, in many cases, people are already thinking about next year and what they’ll do.”

While registering may not be a big hassle, he said the new rules are just another “slap in the face” to Canadians.

We have seen a real resurgence of Canadian pride since the Americans began showing such massive disrespect for our country with the re-election of Trump. As outlined in recent posts, booze boycotts and concerted efforts to buy more Canadian products at the exclusion of American goods, are real manifestations of that pride.

Let's hope returning snowbirds will feel the same way.

 

"We Used To Be The Best Of Friends"

There is no shortage of songs in response to the aggression from our southern neighbours. This, in my view, is one of the best, by Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy. I only take issue with his last line. (That ship, for me, has sailed.)

Well, Another Post About The Lost One

I thought I was finished writing about Wayne Gretzky, but this past week on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Mark Critch lit into him. 

Enjoy (or not).

The Power Of Canadians

Normally, when world events overtake us, we feel largely powerless. Happily, that is not the case when it comes to the punitive and totally unjustified American tariffs. Many, many Canadians are making their power felt through their wallets and travel choices as increasing numbers choose to eliminate U.S. destinations from their itineraries.

More power to them.

There are also other ways to make our outrage felt.

And it you haven't taken to the streets for a while, there is this:

Canadian Pride, Canadian Anger

 

If you think about it, in some ways we owe Don Trump some thanks. Not only has he roused us from out normal placidity, evern torpor, to feel deep pride in our country, he has also made us very, very angry. In the long term, that can only work to our collective good.

As previously noted, Canadians are responding to American tariffs by making concerted efforts to buy Canadian products, shunning the American version in increasing numbers. Similarly, plans to travel to the U.S. are being cancelled, often redirected to other countries, including our own.

Canadians are clearly putting their money where their mouths are.

Pam, a 64-year-old retired woman from British Columbia, said she and her husband had cancelled a five-week trip to Palm Springs, losing their $5,000 (£3,900) deposit. They were planning, she said, to buy a Honda truck now instead of a Ford. 

One woman from British Columbia who lives a 10-minute drive from the US border and is participating in the boycott pointed to the irony of having joined several Facebook groups promoting Buy Canadian campaigns – one of which had now ballooned to 1.2 million members.

The tariffs, or rather our government's response to them, have had a massive impact on the politics of this country. A Polaris Strategic Insights survey reveals the following:

Dan Arnold, chief strategy officer at Pollara, said the survey contained warning signs for federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in his looming faceoff with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal successor.

 Fully 41 per cent of respondents believe Poilievre would “do what Trump demands” while 27 per cent felt the Tory chief would “strongly oppose his demands.”

In contrast, just 17 per cent thought Liberal front-runner Mark Carney would do what Trump wanted, while 44 per cent said the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor would oppose the president’s demands.

Similarly, 16 per cent said Liberal hopeful Chrystia Freeland would do what Trump demanded, while 44 per cent said the former deputy prime minister would oppose his demands.

Probably the most heartening news I read this morning was Justin Trudeau's response to Trump's demand that Canada cease retaliatory tariffs:

... Trudeau declined, agreeing only that he might delay the second tranche of countermeasures, depending on whether Trump agreed to abide by tariff-free access under the North American free trade deal the two renegotiated and signed in 2018.

But Canada’s counter-tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. imports would remain in place until U.S. tariffs came off, Trudeau is said to have told Trump. 

I couldn't be prouder of our government at this moment. 

Canada Strong!

UPDATED: Scenes From My LCBO

I took a walk over to my LCBO store yesterday afternoon, and I was pleased to see that Doug Ford's order for the removal of American alcohol is being implemented with dispatch. Below are two pictures I took, the first of the American Whiskey section, and the second of the shelves formerly housing California wines.

Needless to say, I left the store quite heartened.

Oh, and one more picture. Yesterday seemed to be a propitious day to display my allegiance.

UPDATE: I love this:

DEI - Setting The Record Straight

Special Note: I won't be commenting today on the imposition of American tariffs, but I hope the following puts American madness into proper perspective.

Last week I posted about the craven response many corporations are having to the Trump push to demonize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. The majority, both in the U.S and Canada, are clicking their heels and shouting "Aye, ready aye" to the MAGA fiat to disempower traditionally underrepresented people in the workplace. An unseemly abuse of power, it reflects the American tradition of finding witches in their midst and dispatching them to metaphorical dunking chairs and pyres.

From comments I received last week, some see these programs merely as corporate-imposed dictates, a kind of performative politics that ultimately mean little. Indeed, it has been alleged that they have been wielded as a cudgel to advance the agenda of certain groups. While there may be elements of truth in that,  DEI programs have much to commend themselves.

David Olive writes:

DEI is simply the enlightened business practice of creating workplaces whose diversity of talent and backgrounds helps make enterprises more productive, responsive to customers, and profitable.

But U.S. President Donald Trump regards DEI as “woke,” or unduly sensitive to marginalized people, and has banned DEI programs in his administration, claiming they are “radical” and “wasteful.”

Olive goes on to make reference to corporate obeisance to Trump by Canadian companies like Shopify, as well as sponsors now pulling out of Pride Toronto sponsorships, including Nissan Canada. 

Many, however, have rushed to defend DEI.

...major Canadian corporations including Loblaw, Magna International, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Brookfield Asset Management have kept their DEI practices in place.

And a deeper dive by David Olive reveals the value of such programs:

What is DEI?

In their hiring practices, organizations that adopt DEI values recruit employees of diverse backgrounds. Managers are trained in DEI practices of celebrating diversity.

Managers’ pay is tied to achieving DEI goals that commonly include promotion of women and minorities. DEI enterprises purchase from Black-owned and women suppliers.

And DEI organizations use their financial resources to support marginalized groups in the wider society from which they draw their employees, customers and suppliers, including the LGBTQ+ community, Indigenous Peoples and people with disabilities.

Advocates of DEI regard it as a set of tools for creating a sustainably successful enterprise. That means maintaining “safe” workplaces where employees are protected from sexual predation and racist behaviour.

Such enterprises build employee loyalty and suffer less turnover, boosting productivity.

Corporate quislings responding with such alacrity to the madness from the U.S. risk compromising their businesses. 

“Inclusive workplaces drive innovation, enhance productivity, and increase profitability.”

“Companies that turn away from inclusion risk alienating talent, stifling innovation, and exposing themselves to long-term harm.”

Add to that the disgust many Canadians will feel over a corporate lack of spine in this arena, especially in these times, when the Americans are seen more as foe than friend. Companies would therefore be well-adivised to proceed with extreme caution and eschew the frightened-rabbit response so many sadly seem prone to today.

Not Exactly As Advertised

 

The U.S. always touts itself as the greatest country in the world (if not in all of history). The nation bruits its achievements, its pool of talented citizens, its democracy (now it rapid decline) amongst its stellar achievements. However, one thing the nation lacks is any perspective or context outside its own self-proclaimed greatness, while the rest of the world has known, or is coming to know, the real state of nudity in which the emperor parades.

I was thinking about this last night as I watched the news. Each evening, Canadian channels warn of the hard times ahead should Trump's tariffs come into effect. However, frequently a counterbalance is offered through stories about how the American threat has affected the Canadian psyche, reflected specifically in our buying habits. Stories abound of angry, insulted Canadians cancelling travel to the U.S., along with their grocery purchasing choices - more and more Canadians are shunning, whenever possible, American products and buying more local and Canadian goods, When the latter is not possible, they are selecting non-U.S. products.

In Canadian grocery stores, United States-grown produce is wilting on the shelves. Local executives are scouring wine lists over dinner to avoid ordering California pinot.

“It speaks to an awareness — and an intention to vote with their wallets,” said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute. A survey of 3,310 Canadians by the Vancouver-based research firm last week found that 85 per cent of people plan to replace U.S. products with alternatives. Nearly half of respondents said they would change their travel plans to avoid the country.

 Canadian airlines also have begun to scale back flights to the U.S. in anticipation of falling demand.

“One thing we can do is not give our dollars to the United States right now,” said Curtis Brown, principal at Winnipeg-based Probe Research, which found in a recent poll that more than six in 10 respondents are planning to avoid vacations to the U.S. Brown said his own daughter’s school division recently cancelled field trips to the country.

Clearly, Canadian pride has been massively reawakened, and that reawakening is likely to be long-term. Although I am an inveterate cynic, I see here renewed hope that as a nation we realize what a jewel our way of life is. Certainly, we justifiably carp about its many inadequacies, but undeniable is that we have a system predicated on the wellbeing of the collective, not just the individual.

I was reminded of this while watching a story about the upcoming Oscars, juxtaposed against the devastation of the California wildfires. One young couple, who work in the film industry, capture the precariousness of life in the United States at the 16:35 mark of the following:

As explained above, if this young couple does not work a certain number of hours, they don't have any health insurance. This is but a brief window into what many Americans face and what Canadians are spared.

Yes, we have doctor shortages, we have hallway medicine, we have many without family physicians. But what we don't have is a society that essentially tells us to sink or swim, as is the case with the 'great' American project.

So I am happy and grateful that we live in Canada, to me the best country in the world. And I will do everything I can as a citizen to make sure that will always be the case.

UPDATED: Around And About

I don't really need to comment on the debacle in the White House with Zelensky. While the MAGATS will undoubtedly spin this a moment of massive disrespect to the United States, a form of lesse majeste, the real truth is that Zelensky showed what a real leader looks like.

UPDATE: Noted historian Timothy Snyder offers his assessment of yesterday's debacle, entitling the linked video Five Failures in the Oval Office.

UPDATED: Corporations And DEI

If one ever wanted further proof of the near-absence of ethics and morality in the corporate world, one need look no further than their rapid dismantling of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. Since the policy has been denounced by Trump and his MAGA cult, corporations seem to be in a race to prove their discriminatory bona fides to the Orangutan-in-Chief so as not to lose government contracts or, in the case of publicly-funded entities, operating grants.

Amongst the notable sellouts are Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Disney, Citygroup, Morgan Stanley, PBS, Amazon and Google. One of the notable holdouts, and I applaud them for their integrity, is Costco, which recently has been threatened with legal action for their refusal to bow to tyranny.

I am sorry to report, however, that the noxious reach of American authoritarianism and exclusion now extends into Canada. Irene Galea writes:

Nearly 400 technology leaders have signed an open letter that condemns Shopify Inc.  for cutting diversity programs and urges Canada’s tech ecosystem to protect equity, inclusion and diversity efforts amid a rollback of support for marginalized groups by influential companies and leaders.

The letter, published Monday morning, warns against the growing influence of unelected and unaccountable business leaders who “prioritize profit over people,” and calls on Canadians to uphold the values of inclusion that are being challenged in the United States.

Now comes word that the Pride Festival in Toronto  is being compromised, again as a result of corporate cowardice.

Pride Toronto says three large corporate sponsors have pulled their funding from the festival this year in a move it says is connected to a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S.

Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto, said on Wednesday that the non-profit organization was given a range of reasons by the three companies for their decisions to end sponsorship. It was told in the last couple of weeks that the companies have either experienced a "shift in mandate" or they do not have the financial resources to continue to support the annual event.

"Every time we lose a sponsor, there is less money that is directed to the festival. And so, it will definitely have an impact on us being able to deliver on the festival," Modeste said.

Who the corporate cowards are is not being revealed, 

because Pride Toronto hopes to do business with them in the future, but said two can be described as "gold" sponsors, meaning they provide $150,000 in cash or in goods, and one as "silver," meaning it provides $100,000.

Now, one might say, "Since I never attend the Pride events, why should I care?" One obvious answer is the economic implications of any downsizing or  ultimate ending of the event, given what it contributes to the local economy. A 2023 report offers the following numbers:

• 4,700+ direct jobs created
• $500 million contribution to the GDP
• $230 million combined tax revenues generated

Beyond that, however, is the attempt to mute, even eliminate, diverse voices in society. The Benighted States, whence this repression emanates, has a long history of intolerance. Racism and bigotry are as American as Mom, apple pie, and baseball. One need only look at those whose voices are being muted by the war on DEI: women and minorities be they ethnic, racial, or sexual.

Canada can do nothing about the ease with which Americans so easily regress to deeply-ingrained, primitive patterns. However Canadians, despite our own often shameful past, now strive as a country for something better, meaning that inclusion and 'wokeness' are virtues, not sins against society. 

Corporate cowards supinely submitting to fiats from Don Trump and his disciples are without question unacceptable and truly, profoundly un-Canadian; they should be repugnant to us all.

UPDATE: According to a report in The Globe and Mail, one of the three withdrawing sponsors of Toronto Pride has been identified as Nissan Canada, which

confirmed Friday it is withdrawing, but the other two sponsors have not been identified.

 Nissan Canada spokesperson Didier Marsaud said in an e-mail the decision was based on changes to the company’s marketing priorities and budget evaluation for its new fiscal year, which starts April 1.

“Unfortunately, we will not be able to sponsor this year’s event in Toronto, a local decision solely due to a re-evaluation of all our marketing and media activations in a variety of activities to ensure we will efficiently support our new product launches and marketing campaigns coming in 2025,” he said.

Of the 14 companies listed as gold and silver sponsors on the Pride Toronto website, several have already confirmed to media that they will continue to fund the event. These include the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., Tim Hortons Inc., Air Canada, Rogers Communications Inc. and Smirnoff.

 The Globe contacted other companies that had not yet confirmed whether they will be sponsors this year. Law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP said it is still participating.

However, Manulife Financial Corp., Bud Light (owned by Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA), The Abnormal Beauty Co., Kenvue Inc., Bubbly sparkling water, Adidas AG and Trojan condoms did not respond to The Globe’s requests for comment.

Canadian observers fear the U.S. backlash against DEI initiatives that followed President Donald Trump’s orders to axe such programming in federal agencies could be seeping across the border. 

 

Irredeemably Depraved

 Sometimes words fail me.