Western Standard

Veterans Affairs preparing takeover of Canada’s largest private military cemetery Veterans Affairs Canada is moving toward taking ownership of Canada’s largest private military cemetery after the century-old charity responsible for the site asked the federal government to take it over. The National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, Que., is the final resting place of thousands of veterans, including those who otherwise may have been buried in paupers’ graves. “The Fund has asked the Government of Canada to take over the cemetery,” said an April 27 departmental briefing note. “The department is in the final stages of required due diligence on this request and will continue working closely with the Last Post Fund.” The document, titled Last Post Fund’s National Field Of Honour, said Veterans Affairs is working with the charity to ... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

An ode to Canada's 'most popular and trusted journalist': Mark Slapinski There is no industry so captivating and yet so universally maligned and polarised than the world of political journalism. As it is with referees in hockey, if they're good at your job you shouldn't be noticed. The point of the referee is to pass judgement upon the competitors while remaining impartial and unbiased. You'll only ever notice a referee or learn their name if they make consistently awful calls to the point that you call their impartiality into question. The same rule is true in political journalism. If you are known, it is more often a testament to your lack of credibility rather than admiration. No one is a fan of referees, no one is a fan of political journalists. Enter stage right, or should I now say stage left, Mark Slapinski, Canada's self-procl... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

Calgary, Rocky View County and Canada Infrastructure Bank advance Prairie Economic Gateway The City of Calgary and Rocky View County have signed a new agreement with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to move the proposed Prairie Economic Gateway trade and logistics hub closer to construction. The three parties announced a project acceleration memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at advancing engineering, financing and infrastructure planning for the project east of Calgary. The agreement establishes a framework for Calgary, Rocky View County and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to assess the commercial, technical and financial feasibility of public off-site infrastructure needed for future development. The latest agreement follows an early-stage MOU signed by the three organizations in early 2025 that explored poten... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

MACLEOD: Carney explains equalization — and completely misses the point In a recent widely shared clip, Mark Carney has once again demonstrated an issue that has plagued the Laurentian elite for decades: an extraordinary ability to discuss Alberta’s grievances without actually understanding any of them. Asked about the coming review of equalization, Carney defended the principle behind the program: that Canadians should have access to reasonably comparable public services regardless of where they live. Fine. Most Albertans are not arguing against that principle. That is precisely what Ottawa never seems to understand. Alberta’s objection is not that a child in New Brunswick should have a worse school or that a patient in Manitoba should have an inferior hospital because their province has a smaller tax base.  The objection is to the incr... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

CRA auditors flag weak oversight as billions in unpaid taxes remain uncollected Canada Revenue Agency collectors recovered more than $8.2 billion from delinquent taxpayers last year, but an internal audit says weak oversight, inconsistent controls and gaps in tracking are hampering efforts to collect billions more in unpaid taxes. The CRA would not disclose the total number of individual and corporate taxpayers with outstanding accounts. “There are limited processes in place to monitor and confirm that controls are working as intended and address identified performance issues,” auditors wrote in the report Accounts Receivable National Inventory. “The internal audit team identified some areas that can be improved.” Blacklock's Reporter said the Accounts Receivable National Inventory includes tax debts of less than $1 million that... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

HALL: Beyond the outrage — Alberta’s dog-assisted bear hunting critics are wrong Mark Hall is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Wild Origins Canada Foundation. Dog-assisted black bear hunting has become Alberta’s latest wildlife controversy, drawing outrage, misinformation, and claims often untethered from evidence. After discussing the issue in a recent news interview, I realized how much of the public conversation is shaped by surface-level narratives rather than context. So, let’s look honestly at what this practice is, what it is not, and why many criticisms fall apart when closely examined. Hunting with dogs is not a fringe modern invention. It is one of humanity’s oldest hunting traditions. Rock art 8,000 to 9,000 years old in Jordan and Turkey shows humans hunting with dogs. Ancient records from Egypt, Mesopotami... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

Waterloo researchers develop 'tumour-eating' bacteria that may be next step in fight against cancer Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a new "tumour-eating" bacteria that may be the next step in the fight against cancer. The research team, led by a trio of doctors, says that the bacteria they have developed are capable of eating tumours from the inside. The novel bacteria have been developed from Clostridium sporogenes, a bacterium that is most commonly found in soil that can only grow in areas without oxygen. The ability to grow the bacteria in oxygen-free conditions is key to the bacteria's role in fighting cancer, as the centre of a cancerous tumour is free of oxygen and thus makes it the ideal location for the bacteria to thrive and eat away at the cancer cells. "Bacteria spores enter ... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

Is AI coming for your job? These ten roles are most at risk CALGARY — Since 2022, the job market has swerved in a whole different direction thanks to an intelligence that is not quite human — despite being invented by us. Artificial intelligence, a technological intelligence is capable of replacing much of the data-driven work once done by people, poses a threat to many workers. This raises a question many are probably wondering: How worried should people be that their jobs will be replaced by AI? And — what jobs are at the most at risk of being replaced by the technology? According to the World Economic Forum, 92 million jobs worldwide, or 8% of total employment, will be obsolete by 2030, a prediction made in its 2025 Future of Jobs report. The Signal 49 Report (formerly known as the Conference Board of Canada) estimated back in January that AI au... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

BRULOTTE: Cut bureaucracy, restore readiness — time to rebuild the Canadian military Dr. Bryan Brulotte is Chairman of Sterling-Trust, a Canadian private equity firm. He holds a doctorate in business and brings more than four decades of leadership experience spanning the military, private, and public sectors. He recently joined the NATO Association of Canada as Vice Chairman. Canada is finally getting serious about defence spending. After decades of underinvestment, billions of additional dollars are being committed to rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces. That is necessary and long overdue. But there is a danger that we simply pour more money into the same bureaucracy, structures, and institutional habits that helped produce the military problems we are now trying to fix. Money matters. Ships, aircraft, vehicles, ammunition, ... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

Who's at the top of the liquor leaderboard; All 13 provinces and territories ranked by alcohol consumption Alcohol has been in the news recently with the refusal of certain provinces to stock American liquor on their shelves being a major irritant in the ongoing trade negotiations between Canada and the United States. Even with American liquor off the shelves, Canadians across the country pride themselves on their ability to drink, and many hold fierce regional pride in their provinces' ability to out-drink another. But out of 10 provinces, which one spends the most, per person, on average, on liquor, per year? 13. Saskatchewan - $662 per person Coming in last place is the breadbasket of the country. Saskatchewan, despite being the second largest producer of barley, a key ingredient in beer, can hang... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

CARPAY: Safe Social Media Act is a Trojan horse for mass digital surveillance and censorship The federal government presents Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, as legislation to protect children from online harms. While that goal is widely shared, the bill would affect Canadians of all ages. Bill C-34 will require identity screening of everyone to access social media. It will also create a powerful new federal regulator with largely undefined authority, and enable extensive monitoring of private AI conversations. The Digital Safety Commission created by Bill C-34 will have vast and largely undefined powers to force social media platforms and AI chatbot services to comply with policies that the Commission itself will create. If this bill passes, the Commission would create the rules, interpret them, and enforce the... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

UPDATE: Milobar leaves Conservative Party of BC, cites 'values clash' PENTICTON — Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar is sitting as an Independent member of the BC Legislature effective immediately, saying his values "no longer align" with the direction of the Conservative Party of BC under leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. > Effective today, I’m sitting as an Independent MLA. This isn’t the end of the conversation, it’s the start of one. I’ll have more to say soon.See my statement below. pic.twitter.com/QpKt6nchl0 > > — Peter Milobar (@PeterMilobar) August 14, 2026 In a statement released Friday, the former finance critic said he respects the party membership’s decision to elect Findlay as leader earlier this year but that the “new direction” of the party has made continued membership untenable. “Since 2017, I have been entrusted by the residents of K... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

Alberta delays school flag restrictions and weekly national anthem mandate CALGARY — Alberta students will not face new school flag restrictions or a weekly national anthem requirement when classes resume in September after the province delayed several controversial education changes until later this year. The Canadian Press reported the postponed measures were originally scheduled to take effect September 1. The delay also applies to a provision giving Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides the authority to name or rename public schools. The changes were included in legislation passed during the spring sitting that Premier Danielle Smith’s government said was intended to remove ideology from classrooms. Several other provisions will still take effect in September, including a provincewide student code of conduct prohibiting violence... westernstandard​.news • Aug 15, 2026

Instagram suspends Dominion Society accounts ahead of controversial Hamilton conference CALGARY — When it rains, it pours. In the wake of the controversy around its upcoming nationalist conference in Hamilton, Ontario, the Dominion Society of Canada has seen Instagram suspend three accounts associated with the group. On Friday, the Dominion Society posted on its X account that three accounts associated with the group had been suspended by Meta — the company that owns Instagram — without warning: its primary account, along with the personal accounts of founder Daniel Tyrie and co-founder Ken Jones. > As we approach DOMCON26 and pressure mounts from the mainstream media and the government suddenly our Instagram accounts get banned!No warnings. No appeal.Absurd reasons provided none of which we have ever done.What's going on ... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

WATCH: Is Alberta winning with Ottawa? Premier Danielle Smith joins the Western Standard to discuss Alberta’s fight for more control over immigration, equalization reform, the October 19 independence referendum, and her push for a stronger Alberta within a united Canada. westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

BARBER: Speak the truth — get kicked out of Canada One of the more intriguing aspects of Canadian society is the observation that Americans constitute the sole nationality toward which citizens may express bias openly. This perception is especially pronounced in Eastern Canada compared to the West, yet a reciprocal sentiment is absent in the US. Such hostility bears an analogy to sibling rivalry and underscores a form of tribalism. Regardless of the motivations behind the recent petition to have the US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra named persona non grata, some Canadians have identified themselves far too closely with the “elbows-up” campaign associated with Prime Minister Mark Carney. To do so, they risk conflating the Prime Minister’s propaganda with their own personal identity. A detailed explanation of this identity fusion was provided by Jasmin Laine recently. ... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

Calgary nude recreation group challenges CPS with Prince’s Island Park protest CALGARY — A Calgary group advocating for clothing-optional recreation says it is holding a protest at Prince’s Island Park over what it describes as "public-safety concerns" involving the Calgary Police Service (CPS). Calgary Nude Recreation said Thursday that its demonstration is intended to draw attention to what the group says is a problem with how CPS approaches people who participate in nude recreation. In a statement about the protest on Facebook, the organization specifically cited situations involving weapons as an example of why it believes the issue is a public-safety concern. “People are afraid to call the police when enjoying Calgary's nude beaches for fear of calling the police on themselves, even for issues involving weapons,” the group sai... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

Men captured illegally dumping trash on farmers' property near Chestermere CALGARY — Chestermere, Alberta is one of the most recent sites where people have been caught dumping garbage illegally onto private farmland. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Shelby Opheim presented photos of a group of men she claimed were "illegally dumping garbage" on her parents' farmland near Chestermere. She claimed she had reported the incident to the RCMP. Opheim shared extensive pictures of the three men dumping what appeared to be mulch or wood pieces onto the property, with one man wearing a high-visibility safety vest, gloves, and safety goggles suggesting they were some type of outdoor workers. She also captured their trucks, stating, "Dumping your garbage on someone else’s property is completely unacceptable. Our farmers and rural landowners should... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

Ontario opens Niagara to more casino operators TORONTO — The Ontario government has reached an agreement that will open the Niagara Region to additional casino operators, ending the exclusivity long held by the company that runs Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara. Interim Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Doug Downey announced Thursday that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc. have agreed to remove MGE’s exclusivity rights within the Niagara Gaming Bundle. MGE will continue to operate the two existing casinos on behalf of OLG. OLG will launch a procurement process later this year to identify potential new operators. The move is a central part of Premier Doug Ford’s Destination Niagara Strategy, which aims to double annual visitors to 25 million and generate an additional $3 billion in provincial GDP each yea... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026

Former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday found dead CALGARY — The former University of Cambridge professor, Jason Arday, who recently went viral for plagiarism claims has been found dead. Arday was found "unresponsive" at an address in London Friday afternoon, as reported by Sky News. The 41-year-old became Cambridge's youngest black professor back in 2023 and resigned from his position as a professor of sociology of education last week. This followed a series of reports that alleged he plagiarised his PhD thesis at Liverpool John Moores University. Among other claims, Arday stated he had run 600 miles in six days and raised millions for charity. "Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene," stated a spokesperson for  Metropolitan Police in London. "His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers." ... westernstandard​.news • Aug 14, 2026