Juno News - SHOTS FIRED at U.S. Consulate in Toronto

00:00:00.000 Someone fired shots at the U.S. Consulate building in Toronto.

00:00:09.900 Police say two men armed with a handgun got out of a white Honda

00:00:13.700 across from the U.S. Consulate early this morning,

00:00:17.160 fired shots at the building.

00:00:19.500 Here is Deputy Chief Frank Barreto.

00:00:22.220 Officers arrived on scene and immediately found evidence

00:00:26.140 of a firearm discharge, shell casings, as well as damage to the building.

00:00:30.920 There were people inside the building.

00:00:32.420 However, this building is highly secure, highly fortified, and there were no injuries.

00:00:37.260 There has also been some evidence to suggest that the shooting, the firearm discharge may have taken place as early as 4.29 in the morning.

00:00:44.800 There is witness evidence to show that a vehicle traveling westbound on Dundas Street, a white Honda CRV,

00:00:53.500 turned southbound at University Avenue and stopped in front of 361 University, the U.S. consulate.

00:01:00.720 There, two individuals emerged from the vehicle, discharged at what appears to be a handgun

00:01:05.780 at the front of the building, and then got back into their vehicle and drove southbound.

00:01:10.560 The RCMP is investigating the incident as a possible terror threat or attack.

00:01:16.000 There are also possible links to Iranian sleeper cells. Let's listen.

00:01:20.860 There's obviously formal communication going on with our U.S. counterparts, the FBI, the consulate itself here.

00:01:28.320 We've had members at the consulate here this morning along with Toronto Police meeting with staff here and their senior executive to discuss the incident.

00:01:37.680 Rest assured, those conversations are also occurring in Ottawa between officials there and their U.S. counterparts at the embassy.

00:01:44.920 Police are looking for the public's help in their investigation.

00:01:49.080 Meantime, U.S. President Trump says the war against Iran is very close to ending.

00:01:54.040 The number of Iranian missile attacks are way down.

00:01:57.780 That country's capacity to fight has been all but destroyed.

00:02:01.700 Here is Trump.

00:02:02.500 Thank you, Mr. President.

00:02:03.400 On Iran, you called it an excursion.

00:02:05.620 You said it would be over soon.

00:02:07.200 Are you thinking this week it will be over?

00:02:09.160 No, but soon.

00:02:09.800 Are you talking about days?

00:02:10.380 I think soon.

00:02:10.980 Okay, and with respect to...

00:02:12.160 Very soon.

00:02:12.680 Look, everything they have is gone, including their leadership.

00:02:16.660 In fact, there are two levels of leadership, and even actually, as it turns out, more than that.

00:02:22.360 But two levels of leadership are gone.

00:02:24.740 Most people have never even heard about the leaders that they're talking about.

00:02:28.080 So it's obviously been very, very powerful, very effective.

00:02:32.760 Now, tankers have been making it through the Strait of Hormuz,

00:02:35.780 and the price of crude has started to fall in response to that, around $84 U.S. per barrel.

00:02:44.080 Stock markets have also reversed course and were up mainly today.

00:02:49.180 There remains the matter of regime change, though.

00:02:52.620 Trump says he's disappointed with the choice of another hardliner as a supreme leader.

00:02:57.640 Our guest today is Professor Joe Varner, senior fellow at the McDonnell-Laurier Institute.

00:03:02.440 Welcome to the show, Professor.

00:03:04.240 Thank you very much. It's great to be with you.

00:03:06.620 Let's talk a little bit about what happened in Toronto today.

00:03:09.480 We've seen a police response now.

00:03:11.400 Police are investigating various aspects of this incident, this shooting incident.

00:03:17.180 No one was hurt. Obviously, there was some damage to the building, but nothing serious.

00:03:20.880 But of course, there's always the specter of sleeper cells being set up and allowed to proceed forward with whatever terror attacks that they may be planning.

00:03:33.740 What are your thoughts about this?

00:03:35.860 Yeah, we don't have enough details yet to really make a judgment on this.

00:03:39.660 But what I would say is that I guess two things that the federal government and provincial and even the municipal governments in the country have let these pro-Hamas, Antifa, pro-Houthi, pro-Iranian protests continue now for almost two years.

00:03:59.220 They've become very, very brazen, very emboldened, and they make no secret of what they want.

00:04:06.260 They talk about infatata and globalizing it, and they have symbols, they make genocidal chants.

00:04:15.880 This has been going on for two years, the governments have done nothing about it, and now people are very emboldened and very motivated.

00:04:22.460 And with regard to the situation in Iran, it was reported that after the assassination of the Supreme Leader that a message went out to sleeper cells.

00:04:40.180 We know that there are 700 IRGC, Revolutionary Guard Corps members here in Canada, and several top officials have come and gone from Canada and their families are here.

00:04:51.660 So none of this is a surprise, and it all falls on the doorstep of three levels of government.

00:04:57.940 You're talking about Soleimani, the killing of that individual during Trump's first term, correct?

00:05:03.040 No, I'm talking about Khomeini.

00:05:05.600 Oh, okay.

00:05:06.560 Now, Canada has been largely left out of the loop in terms of what's going on over there.

00:05:13.100 We're an ally of the United States.

00:05:14.920 the prime minister has mentioned and others in cabinet have mentioned that canada really has

00:05:21.080 kind of been left out and we don't we're kind of like uh out of school dance and nobody's asking

00:05:28.480 us to do you have any thoughts about that yeah what i would say is that that uh alliances have

00:05:37.440 become increasingly transactional and if you don't have anything to offer and you don't put

00:05:42.560 anything in the the front window you don't get asked and and you become marginalized and excluded

00:05:51.200 and canada for too long has not put the investment into its military security and intelligence forces

00:06:01.360 and been an unreliable ally in the last few years in particular and it's coming home to roost

00:06:08.440 When your top ally goes that you rely on your security for, you go with them and you find a way to go with them.

00:06:16.220 And to date, we haven't done that.

00:06:19.240 And what about the energy factor in all of this?

00:06:21.960 I mean, Canada could be a global player right now.

00:06:25.280 We could help.

00:06:27.060 I mean, obviously, the price of oil has come down over the course of the day.

00:06:32.200 as suggestions now by the president saying that we could be nearing an end to this conflict.

00:06:39.660 We're seeing more traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but still Canada could be playing a

00:06:45.120 larger role considering our massive reserves of oil, gas and so forth. Is this a lost opportunity

00:06:53.020 from your vantage point? I think it is. I mean, the government could step up and make some offers

00:07:00.740 to our allies that are particularly hard-pressed.

00:07:03.780 I think what I saw recently was Britain had like a day and a half

00:07:07.900 of gasoline reserves, and so I think that there probably is a time

00:07:12.080 for Canada to come forward and offer to help its allies.

00:07:15.960 But I think, you know, for years we've kind of restricted the growth

00:07:20.960 and the resilience of our own oil patch, and I think, again,

00:07:28.240 that's coming home to roost.

00:07:29.460 I mean, the government talks about us being an energy superpower, and the minister said that there were great opportunities here.

00:07:36.760 To date, we haven't seen a lot of diplomatic activity on that front.

00:07:41.500 And what do you make of the vacillating positions of the prime minister?

00:07:45.600 By some counts, it's been four, others suggest five.

00:07:50.320 It doesn't look good on Canada, does it?

00:07:52.960 It doesn't look good on Canada, and it doesn't look good on the government.

00:07:56.120 and it goes back to what i was saying about canada not necessarily being a reliable ally

00:08:01.960 we were you know for regime change and for the strikes then we were against them

00:08:08.440 then we were for a ceasefire then we were kind of on side and i don't think anyone really knows

00:08:15.960 what canada's position is right now including including the government i think they're

00:08:20.840 struggling with the dynamics of a minority situation and the government's own back benches

00:08:27.000 doesn't seem to be in favor of of the prime minister's positions or the lack of consultation

00:08:32.620 that's always a tricky issue for a political leader in a minority situation what do you think

00:08:38.720 the future of the five eyes is i mean considering everything you've you said about how the fact that

00:08:46.020 that canada is not seen as a reliable ally anymore is it possible that that coalition

00:08:54.180 will dissolve well the news story i just read before i came on the show with you

00:09:00.100 said that canada is restricting intelligence the united states on narcotics and the drug cartels

00:09:07.220 south of the south of the u.s in central and and uh and south america uh which which is not a good

00:09:14.660 signal uh it's it's uh suggesting that we're holding back and the five eyes community was

00:09:21.140 always very good at at uh sharing intelligence and uh having something to offer and sometimes you had

00:09:28.980 you know a medium kind of impact piece and sometimes you had you know a huge impact piece

00:09:37.140 of intelligence that you could share with your allies and it looks to me like you know that

00:09:41.700 sharing is increasingly restricted and it looks you know with AUKUS like there's now going to be

00:09:48.340 three eyes the united kingdom australia and the united states and new zealand and canada are kind

00:09:54.340 of kind of on the margin again and and all alliances are difficult they all have challenges

00:10:02.420 it's it's very hard to maintain alliances but in today's world where there are really overlapping

00:10:10.660 crisis across you know uh several continents uh intelligence is is very key to early warning and

00:10:20.100 managing uh events with with very limited timelines and if canada is not you know on the

00:10:29.060 on the front line and on the uh top of mind with its you know principal allies in the five eyes

00:10:37.220 community uh it makes us in our interests abroad vulnerable yeah on that story the restricting of

00:10:43.940 intel to the united states that's on the the fast boats right the drug boats the suspected drug

00:10:49.540 boats in the caribbean yes that's what i saw why would canada be limiting intel to the to the

00:10:57.580 americans on a story like that or on an issue like that when we stand to gain from preventing

00:11:03.440 fentanyl or cocaine or whatever it is being brought over to north america well it's the

00:11:09.920 same sort of hang hand wringing and uh sucking through teeth we see about iran um and uh you

00:11:17.860 The attacks on Iran being a violation of international law or being a violation of law, it's the same with the drug dealers.

00:11:26.140 The drug dealers have been violating the law forever and poisoning people in Canada, the United States, Europe, all over the world.

00:11:37.980 Iran has been a menace to the international community for 47 years.

00:11:43.140 It's violated international law repeatedly.

00:11:45.240 But there's a lot of hair splitting in Ottawa, and I'm not sure what they think they're going to gain by not standing up to the drug cartels in Latin South America and what we gain by not standing up to Iran.

00:12:05.020 Yes. We have super labs in Canada, some of which we've shut down. But I mean, considering that we've become sort of a destination now for this drug activity, you would think that Canada would be very quick to cooperate with the Americans and try to stem the tide.

00:12:25.360 and the fact that we're not seeing it and intel not being passed on to our allies,

00:12:32.980 I think that's going to open up some eyes south of the border in a bad way.

00:12:38.040 Yeah, I think it's a real problem.

00:12:40.760 And this is just a continuation of the bad policies that we had under the Trudeau government.

00:12:48.500 The Kearney government seems to be going down the same road,

00:12:51.200 Not necessarily the same way or with the same anti-Trump view, but there's a segment of the population and a segment of the government that thinks that despite Donald Trump, we should take weird, wonderful positions on international affairs and our own security.

00:13:14.100 And this is a case in point, in my opinion.

00:13:16.400 I mean, in terms of our dealings with China, is that another irritant?

00:13:22.240 I think it might be, as you're aware, bringing in Chinese EVs now, which is going to be an irritant going into our negotiations with the Americans on CUSMA.

00:13:35.300 Any thoughts about how that's going to play into all of our issues involving the Americans?

00:13:42.240 I don't think it's going to play particularly well.

00:13:44.400 And, you know, my view is that, you know, pivoting to China is a strategic mistake.

00:13:50.500 You can pivot to Europe, you can pivot to our Asian allies if you want, but it's hard

00:13:55.680 to pivot when 80% of your trade is with the United States and, you know, you're trying

00:14:01.280 to recover that or diversify trade.

00:14:03.500 And I don't think that's possible.

00:14:05.560 Going to China, I think, is really kind of out there.

00:14:09.880 The Chinese use trade routinely as a course of tool.

00:14:13.540 They hold Canadians hostage, as we've seen recently with the two Michaels.

00:14:20.940 They, you know, pick fights and bully their neighbors.

00:14:24.980 They've been salami slicing in the South China Sea and, you know, on the Indo-Chinese border.

00:14:33.160 It's a power that, you know, China is really stepping up to get ready to take on the United States.

00:14:42.080 And, you know, using language like New World Order and things like that in China just complicates our relationship with the United States.

00:14:50.860 And the Prime Minister is going to have to go into the free trade talks with the U.S. and Mexico in the fall.

00:15:00.420 And I would think that he would want a very strong mandate to do that.

00:15:04.260 And I suspect, like many people, that we're probably going to go into a spring election so that he has that mandate.

00:15:12.080 but i think he's going to have to be very clear on where canada stands with china

00:15:16.320 and what the what the guardrails are and the off-ramps of of that negotiation can you

00:15:23.680 make sense out of where the carny government is going i mean there is the sense that maybe he's

00:15:29.920 using trying to use this the chinese relationship as a way to pressure the americans you know that's

00:15:36.960 kind of a bargaining chip you know you'd better you know through in supporting kuzma because

00:15:43.600 we've got an alternative here there's that possibility but you never really quite know

00:15:47.840 with carney do you know what their what their ultimate goal is what what their intent i'm not

00:15:53.520 sure i'm not sure that they know what their ultimate intent is uh but i don't think that

00:15:59.360 it's a wise bargaining strategy you know they they as i said 80 of our trades with the us are 76

00:16:06.640 77%. So, you know, saying we're going to pivot to China, saying we're going to do this or do that

00:16:14.160 is, I think, you know, very rash. And I mean, you must marvel at how the world is changing right

00:16:22.960 now. I mean, this could be the start of something like a real change, a fundamental change,

00:16:30.680 generational change in the Middle East. And then, of course, we see what's happening in Cuba. I mean,

00:16:35.220 we've both grown up at a time when cuba has basically been an authoritarian country under

00:16:39.540 communist dictatorship like that's teetering on the brink too now a lot is changing uh you know

00:16:48.980 last question you know what do you make of the world right now isn't it something to behold

00:16:54.020 well it is something to behold and and and it's becoming a little more challenging for for uh

00:16:59.700 countries to navigate everybody's talking about a multi-polar world order where there are several

00:17:05.060 great powers and the united states calling the shots and and a new world order and i'm looking

00:17:11.900 at the situation uh right now with venezuela maduro being removed uh cuba on the brink and

00:17:20.820 the united states uh and israel having it out with uh with iran and and it's been long overdue and

00:17:28.060 it's been coming for decades what i would say is to me it's very clear that there is only one

00:17:33.480 superpower. And we're still in a unipolar world where the United States is the dominant military

00:17:39.200 power and can protect military power anywhere it wants on the globe. And the fact that the

00:17:44.640 Chinese and the Russians have basically sat back on their hands and let the Iranians go now in the

00:17:53.200 12-day war now again shows that they're not as confident and not as powerful as they might want

00:18:00.460 people to believe. Yeah, I think that's a great point. I mean, I think China's looked particularly

00:18:05.880 weak here. People had expectations that they might come to the aid of the Iranians, and they've just

00:18:11.560 stepped back and done nothing. Last word to you, Professor. All I would say is it's going to be an

00:18:18.280 interesting week ahead, and I don't think that the war in Iran is going to end anytime soon.

00:18:25.560 I think that the United States and Israel are going to do business

00:18:29.340 and severely degrade their capabilities

00:18:32.620 and hope that the people of Iran raise up and take their freedom back.

00:18:38.540 Professor Joe Varner, thank you so much for coming on the show.

00:18:41.200 We really appreciate that.

00:18:42.940 Thank you.

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00:19:04.840 We'll see you next time.

Juno News - March 10, 2026

SHOTS FIRED at U.S. Consulate in Toronto

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