Rebel News Podcast - DAVID MENZIES ｜ Passport Office Woes; Vaccinate Seneca's Grads

00:00:00.000 Welcome to Rebel Roundup ladies and gentlemen and the rest of you in which we look back at some of

00:00:05.020 the very best commentaries of the week by your favorite rebels. I'm your host David Menzies.

00:00:10.400 Say do you need to renew your passport folks? Well then pack a sandwich and maybe even pack a tent

00:00:15.760 because your friendly neighborhood passport office now resembles a realm that makes hell

00:00:21.240 look like a five-star resort. Alexa Lavoie paid a visit to a chaotic Montreal passport office 1.00

00:00:28.360 recently where the lineup was so big that people were actually camping out overnight. Alexa has all

00:00:35.680 the gruesome details. So Seneca College and York University in Toronto share the same postal code

00:00:42.720 yet Seneca demands its students to be vaxxed in order to attend classes and graduation ceremonies

00:00:49.640 whereas York does not. Why? Tabitha Peters will join me to try and unravel this latest COVID mystery.

00:00:58.360 And letters we get your letters we get your letters every minute of every day and I'll share some of

00:01:03.860 your responses about my report on Recipe Unlimited a Vaughn Ontario food service leviathan that isn't so

00:01:12.320 keen on flying the Canadian flag these days Dominion Day be damned. Yet another uber woke institution

00:01:19.560 has seemingly declared war on the maple leaf. Those are your rebels now let's round them up.

00:01:28.360 The

00:01:32.700 Voo

00:01:36.640 Monsieur le Président, on comprend que les demandes de renouvellement de passeport ont accru énormément

00:01:41.780 depuis la fin des restrictions de voyages et donc les gens de Passeport Canada sont en train

00:01:47.980 de travailler jour et nuit pour livrer les passeports que les Canadiens. On comprend que les gens font face à des délais

00:01:50.660 the Canadian passport.

00:01:52.160 We understand that people face

00:01:54.160 to unacceptable delays,

00:01:56.000 a very difficult situation,

00:01:58.000 but we continue our work every day

00:02:00.500 to fix this situation.

00:02:20.660 So we decided to come in about yesterday afternoon

00:02:24.660 and we stumbled upon the line where we realized,

00:02:26.660 okay, this is something that we might have to get into

00:02:28.660 as early as we can.

00:02:30.660 I can't believe that the passport office of Montreal

00:02:33.660 only has 80 people.

00:02:35.660 My flight is tonight and I won't.

00:02:37.660 We've been here for three nights

00:02:39.660 and we missed our flight today for four o'clock.

00:02:44.660 Look at these outrageous footage

00:02:47.660 that we took in front of the Canadian passport office

00:02:50.660 in Montreal.

00:02:51.660 But that represents all these offices

00:02:54.660 all across Canada.

00:02:56.660 Because the passport system in Canada

00:02:58.660 is an absolute chaos.

00:03:00.660 Canadians have resorted to sleep on the street

00:03:03.660 outside of Service Canada office

00:03:05.660 in hopes of being able to renew their passport.

00:03:09.660 But instead, they missed their flight.

00:03:12.660 Justin Trudeau must fire Karina Gould

00:03:14.660 from her position as Minister of Families,

00:03:17.660 Children and Social Development

00:03:19.660 and Social Development

00:03:20.660 due to her disastrous management

00:03:22.660 of the Canadian passport backlog.

00:03:25.660 She is falling Canadian. 1.00

00:03:28.660 If you agree, please sign our petition calling

00:03:32.660 on Justin Trudeau to fire his disastrous Minister

00:03:35.660 of Family, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould.

00:03:41.660 Sign it massively so we can send a message

00:03:45.660 to stop these chaos that is happening right now.

00:03:49.660 Hi Alexa for Urban News and I'm currently in Montreal

00:03:53.660 in front of the complex Guy Faveau.

00:03:55.660 Where is the passport office?

00:03:57.660 As you can see just behind me,

00:03:59.660 the huge lineup of people who are waiting since many days,

00:04:04.660 day and night for having their passport in time

00:04:08.660 for catching their flight.

00:04:09.660 Unfortunately, some of them have lost already their flight

00:04:14.660 and it will cost them a lot of money to change their flight date.

00:04:19.660 So we can see the door is closed.

00:04:23.660 The security are not letting more than 80 people passing per day.

00:04:28.660 They are giving tickets at the beginning of the day

00:04:30.660 and afterwards the gate stay closed.

00:04:35.660 So we saw Service Canada coming to ask if other people

00:04:39.660 then passport have rendezvous to have to go inside of the building.

00:04:44.660 But for the other one, they have no news.

00:04:47.660 Nobody come to talk to them.

00:04:49.660 Nobody asked them like any question about if their flight is coming up soon

00:04:54.660 or other questions.

00:04:57.660 So they are there without knowing what is going on

00:05:01.660 and nobody is coming to talk to them.

00:05:04.660 So we'll show you what is going on here on the scene.

00:05:09.660 Service Canada, rapprochez-vous d'ici. Just Service Canada.

00:05:12.660 Passport Canada, restez en ligne, s'il vous plaît.

00:05:14.660 Service Canada, rapprochez-vous.

00:05:16.660 C'est pas votre rôle de venir faire ça.

00:05:18.660 C'est peut-être les rôles de ces fonctionnaires là

00:05:20.660 qui sont dans les bureaux là.

00:05:22.660 De peut-être venir expliquer un peu aux citoyens

00:05:25.660 qui payent des taxes à longueur d'année

00:05:27.660 de venir leur dire pourquoi il faut dormir deux nuits dehors

00:05:29.660 et peut-être rater son billet d'avion et ses chambres d'hôtel

00:05:32.660 que t'as déjà payé.

00:05:33.660 Est-ce que c'est Monsieur Trudeau qui va nous rembourser?

00:05:35.660 Est-ce que c'est le fédéral qui va nous rembourser?

00:05:37.660 Wow, what a disgrace.

00:05:40.660 You know, my blood boils just watching that video.

00:05:43.660 I can only imagine the meltdown I would actually endure

00:05:47.660 if I was a client going through that hellacious line-up.

00:05:51.660 Unbelievable.

00:05:52.660 And with more on this story is our Quebec City correspondent

00:05:56.660 and that would be Alexa Lavoie. 0.69

00:05:58.660 Bonjour, Alexa.

00:05:59.660 Bonjour. Ça va bien?

00:06:01.660 Oui, oui.

00:06:02.660 Oui, oui.

00:06:03.660 Oui, oui.

00:06:06.660 No cadeau, c'est ce que je sais.

00:06:08.660 Oh my god.

00:06:09.660 Mais Alexa,

00:06:10.660 as I was saying,

00:06:12.660 that is infuriating footage we just watched.

00:06:14.660 But I think the most pertinent question is this.

00:06:18.660 What are the conditions that have created these unacceptable line-ups

00:06:23.660 in the first place?

00:06:24.660 Is it perhaps the fact that so many federal bureaucrats,

00:06:28.660 including Service Canada personnel, are still inexplicably working from home?

00:06:35.660 Yeah.

00:06:36.660 So I think it's the main reason.

00:06:37.660 All you can produce a passport if you are not accessed to the confidential data

00:06:44.660 that you probably have access only at the office.

00:06:48.660 So still in Quebec is 3,600 workers that are working from home still from Service Canada.

00:06:55.660 And as we know, it's 249 workers that lost their job because of the vaccination status.

00:07:07.660 So nobody is there at the office to work from home.

00:07:11.660 And we know that one of the person that was waiting online say that the day before,

00:07:18.660 someone went out to say that one printer was out of service.

00:07:23.660 And we know that only two printers are there inside of the office.

00:07:28.660 So it was 50% of the capacity for printing passport.

00:07:33.660 So I think the main thing that they should have done so far from the government is to repatriate the people 1.00

00:07:42.660 who are working from home to go back at the office, work there, work at night and during the weekend

00:07:49.660 to just clear the lineup and make sure that everybody had their passport to go back and get their flight in time.

00:07:57.660 Well, Alexa, from what you're telling me then, this is an incredibly easy fix.

00:08:03.660 And it's for the people in management, the bosses to tell these personnel that, you know,

00:08:10.660 you've probably gotten very comfortable just working at home in your pajamas these last two years.

00:08:16.660 But the pandemic's basically over.

00:08:19.660 Get back to work.

00:08:21.660 Start going into the office.

00:08:23.660 Start fulfilling your duties.

00:08:25.660 Why isn't that being done?

00:08:27.660 So no, they use the money to hire more security and more personnel to,

00:08:33.660 to make sure that nobody were entering inside of the building and to manage like the big crowd that was yelling outside.

00:08:43.660 So is it really appropriate?

00:08:46.660 So we are paying more security and more officer inside of the building,

00:08:50.660 the building, but we have nobody that are working inside of the office.

00:08:56.660 So, so I think it's really outrageous to see the taxpayer,

00:09:00.660 all our money it's using for dealing with all what is going on with the Canada passport,

00:09:07.660 because I talk with so many people in the lineup and then most of them have lost their flight.

00:09:13.660 Oh, yes, we saw that.

00:09:15.660 And, you know, this is just so egregious.

00:09:17.660 So Alexa, like I said, for two years, basically nobody in government got laid off. 0.91

00:09:23.660 They just got paid for basically not doing work.

00:09:26.660 Now, when they're required to actually do some work, it's like now I'm kind of happy where I am staying at home, not doing work.

00:09:36.660 And we are paying for it.

00:09:38.660 But Alexa, what I want to address is the big lie here.

00:09:40.660 Recently, the Liberals have said that these horrible lineups are the result of a surge in passport applications.

00:09:51.660 And the numbers have been crunched.

00:09:53.660 And guess what, my friend?

00:09:55.660 The passport applications going on right now in Canada are actually lower than the applications post-COVID.

00:10:05.660 You know, in other words, some two years ago.

00:10:08.660 So I know it seems incredible with the likes of Marco Mendicino and Justin Trudeau and Bill Blair in the Liberal government that these Liberals might not tell the truth.

00:10:19.660 But what do you make of this falsehood in terms of blaming this on a surge that does not exist?

00:10:27.660 But first of all, they knew that was coming up.

00:10:31.660 Like people are not traveling since two years.

00:10:33.660 Why applying for a passport if you are not sure if you will be able to travel again, especially with the uncertain time?

00:10:44.660 But we need to know that it's not just here in Canada.

00:10:48.660 I post my video and a lot of people from G7 country were telling me that it's the same chaos for the passport like us.

00:10:59.660 So I'm just wondering what is going on.

00:11:02.660 Especially it was a chaos in the airport.

00:11:05.660 And now it's the chaos in the passport.

00:11:08.660 So I'm just wondering, is it like a really good way to implement the digital identity afterwards?

00:11:16.660 Because they will say it's chaos everywhere.

00:11:18.660 So we like make a really easy way to travel.

00:11:23.660 Is it the way to do that?

00:11:24.660 Or is it just because the government doesn't know how to do their job properly?

00:11:28.660 You know what, Alexa, I never thought of that.

00:11:30.660 Maybe this is the government creating a crisis because they have that solution in their back pocket, potentially, you know, that whole digital passport.

00:11:41.660 But I'm just speculating now.

00:11:43.660 One last question.

00:11:44.660 You know, even if this is existing in other countries, the common denominator is that the passport issuance is operated by government.

00:11:53.660 And what we're seeing here, I think, Alexa, is yet again, the difference between government and the private sector.

00:12:00.660 Say that passport office, say that was an ice cream shop, say that was, you know, Alexa and Dave's ice cream, kind of like the Canadian version of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

00:12:09.660 And we had people lined up around the block to buy our product.

00:12:14.660 We wouldn't let them, you know, linger like that.

00:12:17.660 We would hire extra staff.

00:12:18.660 We would, you know, do anything that's required to make that line move and deliver customer service excellence.

00:12:25.660 But I guess when you're the government, you've got a monopoly on the service.

00:12:29.660 It doesn't affect those in government.

00:12:31.660 They fly around in private jets.

00:12:33.660 So it's a big middle finger to the Canadian taxpayer who, ironically, is funding these people in the first place.

00:12:41.660 Last word goes to you, Alexa.

00:12:43.660 But they say that they are trying to rectify the situation that they are giving like ticket with number on it.

00:12:50.660 And I'm sorry, but when I go to the grocery store and if I want some meat there, I'm taking it with number two.

00:12:59.660 So I don't think they create something really new there.

00:13:02.660 But the thing is like they say, oh, you need to go 24 hours before the departure.

00:13:08.660 I will say to people, don't believe that because I saw a lot of people who were waiting three days and then lost their flight.

00:13:17.660 So it's really outrageous because people are waiting and they lost thousands and thousands of dollars.

00:13:25.660 But that really smell collective recourse like that people will go against the government to get their money back.

00:13:34.660 Because some of them had already some date of the arrival of their passport.

00:13:40.660 And we talk about some of them was 15, 20 days and they still had not their passport.

00:13:49.660 So I think I think all this should be on the government to be accountable of what happened in for the citizen.

00:14:00.660 Because Justin Trudeau went to the G7 summit on our money.

00:14:08.660 He was free to travel.

00:14:10.660 He never lost his travel during the citizen was waiting day and night under the rain sometime to wait for their passport and they lost their money on travel.

00:14:24.660 You know, Alexa, it is outrageous.

00:14:27.660 I know you're going to keep a watch over this file.

00:14:30.660 It's not getting any better despite all the publicity about this.

00:14:34.660 And it just goes to prove, you know, when it comes to the biggest lies ever uttered in the world.

00:14:39.660 Number two is the check is in the mail.

00:14:42.660 And the biggest lie of all is, hi, I'm from the government.

00:14:46.660 I'm here to help you.

00:14:47.660 Anyways, Alexa, good luck on moving day.

00:14:51.660 And you have a wonderful Dominion Day weekend, my friend.

00:14:55.660 You too.

00:14:56.660 Good luck to Canada Day.

00:14:58.660 OK, then.

00:14:59.660 Thank you so much.

00:15:00.660 And that was Alexa Lavois in Quebec City. 0.55

00:15:03.660 Keep it here, folks.

00:15:04.660 More of Rebel Roundup to come right after this.

00:15:10.660 Hey, guys, what's up?

00:15:11.660 Tap the Peters here for Rebel News.

00:15:12.660 I'm currently standing in front of Seneca College, which, by the way, if you're unvaccinated,

00:15:16.660 unfortunately, you can't attend any classes nor their graduation, which is on Monday next week.

00:15:21.660 However, right across the street, York University, they dropped their vaccine mandate on May 1st.

00:15:26.660 And students on campus can attend whether they're vaccinated or not.

00:15:29.660 So why does Seneca still have theirs in place but York University doesn't?

00:15:32.660 Back in July of last year, President of Seneca College David Agnew wrote an article for the Toronto Star

00:15:38.660 talking about why Seneca College was the first post-secondary institution in Canada to require proof of vaccination on campus.

00:15:46.660 He quoted, honestly, in my 12 years as president, it was one of the easiest decisions.

00:15:51.660 The pandemic has been a roller coaster for everyone.

00:15:54.660 Seneca still has their vaccine policy in place, even though many other colleges and universities have already dropped them.

00:16:00.660 Let's talk to some students and see how they feel about this.

00:16:03.660 It's good that we're starting to drop some of the vaccine requirements.

00:16:06.660 I think they were just starting to do it for flights and stuff recently, too, for domestic at least.

00:16:11.660 I think it's, to me, it's about time that we start to relax some of those things, so.

00:16:16.660 It shouldn't be that because in terms of vaccination in the end, I think it's a decision of, like, people in the end.

00:16:21.660 If they want to get vaccinated or not, I think it has to be their own decision.

00:16:24.660 I think you shouldn't, like, force anybody to do something that they don't really want to do.

00:16:28.660 So if you didn't take the vaccine, then you need to take extra precautions to avoid unknowingly passing it on to somebody

00:16:38.660 because I don't think there's anyone who would knowingly go along and pass this thing out.

00:16:43.660 I'm all for vaccines. I think that people should be vaccinated. I think it just keeps us safe.

00:16:48.660 But, yeah, I don't know. It's kind of unfair that, I mean, one school dropped their mandate, but the other didn't.

00:16:56.660 Campus or Seneca campus?

00:16:57.660 I'm going to Seneca.

00:16:58.660 You're going to Seneca? Okay, I have a question for you, and this kind of involves a lot of students.

00:17:01.660 So next week, Seneca is having their graduation, but unfortunately, unvaccinated students cannot attend.

00:17:05.660 Yes.

00:17:06.660 How do you guys feel as students that, you know, York, they dropped their mandate, but Seneca still has theirs in place?

00:17:11.660 I think Seneca should drop it. I hope they do it because I also have my graduation in December.

00:17:16.660 Okay.

00:17:17.660 And I hope I can also attend it if, because I'm vaccinated, but some of my friends are not.

00:17:22.660 So I hope they can attend it.

00:17:24.660 I'm okay with it. I mean, it might be even better if they did something outside anyways, too.

00:17:28.660 And, you know, especially then in those cases, I'm not nearly as worried.

00:17:32.660 As I said before, I mean, you shouldn't be forcing someone else to, like, do something they don't want, you know.

00:17:37.660 If they want to do the vaccine, it should be on their own decision, not that they have to do the mandate of graduating or something like that, you know.

00:17:43.660 It's kind of hypocritical. Yeah. And I don't know, everyone should get to be a part of the celebration.

00:17:49.660 I don't think they could use the mandate as an excuse to exclude anybody because you could actually set up bubbles.

00:17:57.660 You can have bubbles where people who are not vaccinated could be attending safely for themselves and for other people.

00:18:07.660 So I think it's just a cheap excuse. Sorry, I may be wrong, but that's what I'm thinking.

00:18:11.660 Because I'm seeing it happening in so many places where businesses are exploiting this mandate for other reasons.

00:18:18.660 For instance, the banks. When I look at the banks, they're cutting on the hours.

00:18:23.660 They're cutting on the staffing, right?

00:18:26.660 Now, and they're saying that's because of, you know, to keep the public safe.

00:18:31.660 If you really want to keep the public safe, you do the contrary, you would expand the hours so that less people would be less saturated, right, less dense.

00:18:43.660 And you'd also extend the staffing so people would get attended quickly, which would reduce the opportunity time for the virus to spread.

00:18:54.660 So, so far, since things have been dropped at York, everything's been OK with, like, students coming in and classes have been back to normal?

00:18:59.660 Actually, even last semester, I mean, we were masked and had vaccines, but we didn't have any, didn't have any major issues.

00:19:05.660 Well, isn't that interesting?

00:19:07.660 While so many other Canadian post-secondary institutions have dropped their vaccine mandates, that is not the case at Toronto Seneca College.

00:19:16.660 And what's with that statement issued by Seneca President David Agnew, who said, quote,

00:19:23.660 Honestly, in my 12 years as president, it, meaning keeping the vaccine mandates in place for both classes and graduation ceremonies, was one of the easiest decisions, end quote.

00:19:35.660 So is Mr. Agnew a virology expert or a former chief medical health officer, or is he just some superstitious germphobe who believes the Wuhan virus will go out of its way to infect Seneca students for whatever reason, but will give York University students a pass?

00:19:54.660 What a crock. And joining me now for the first time on Rebel Roundup is one of our newest rebels, Tabitha Peters, who also just happens to be a Seneca alumnus. 0.96

00:20:05.660 Thank you so much, Tabitha, for joining me. How you doing?

00:20:08.660 I'm good, David. How are you? Thanks for having me.

00:20:10.660 Well, it's a pleasure. Tabitha, first order of business. What in blue hell did Mr. Agnew mean that this was basically a no-brainer decision for him to make? He's not a virology expert. He's not a former chief medical health officer. Why does this president think that he is on the right side on this issue?

00:20:32.160 Honestly, I actually don't know. Like I, he's been doing this for like, what, 12, 13 years now. And from the letter that you quoted, like he's saying this was the easiest decision that like he had to make. And I don't personally understand it because they like, for example, one of Seneca's locations, they share the same location as York University, and they dropped their mandate completely. But Seneca buildings like you can't enter unless you're fully vaccinated. And I don't understand that at all.

00:20:56.280 Well, this is what I don't get, Tabitha. We have been told since the coronavirus first became part of the popular lexicon that we have to follow the science. Now, what you just said, here's a campus where there is both York students and Seneca students. It's the same postal code. And yet somehow it's a different standard for York students and Seneca students. Where, pray tell, is the science?

00:21:22.080 It doesn't make sense if you ask me. None whatsoever.

00:21:24.560 So is this really, when we look at the likes of a Mr. Agnew, is this really about virtue signaling? Is this someone saying, you know, I know the vax passport has been dropped. I know the masking has been dropped. But I, I think I'm going to still enforce these uber safety efforts, just because I think it's the virtuous thing to do.

00:21:49.520 I personally think it's him maintaining control at this point.

00:21:52.880 You know, I think that is really the biggest theme of what we've seen in the last two years. This hasn't really been, Tabitha, about a virus. This has been about various individuals, especially in government, of every level, of every political stripe.

00:22:09.060 Those in the bureaucracy, those in the academic world, exerting control. And quite frankly, I think they've been amazed at how they've been able to get away with it, the amount of compliance.

00:22:23.960 You know what I find interesting is that, so their graduation is actually, it was on Monday and Tuesday. So, you know, so the fact that is their graduation wasn't even held at a Seneca campus.

00:22:34.380 It was held at the Metro Convention Center downtown. And they implemented the mandate for that specifically. But those venues, they don't actually have a mandate. It just depends on the host hosting the event.

00:22:43.960 And so Seneca, even there, they decided to implement it.

00:22:47.160 So that's very interesting, because just a short walk away from that convention center is Skydome, the home of the Blue Jays, where they're packing in 30, 40, 50,000 fans.

00:22:58.080 No masks. I mean, you can wear one if you want to, but it's not a requirement. No social distancing. So again, I don't understand the double standard here, that you could have tens of thousands of people packed into a ballpark, but they're concerned of maybe a few hundred in a convention setting. Again, I'm baffled.

00:23:20.140 Yeah, and people posted pictures of the graduation, and there's like clumps of people just sitting together. You can't even be sure if people are even wearing their masks or not, like what happened to social distancing, and they have that just like that in the open.

00:23:31.820 You know, but here's the thing, Tabitha, I have to say, you know, this is anecdotal, but I'm sure there might be polls or polls to come. But when I see the amount of buy-in to, say, masking, for example, it is members of your generation.

00:23:46.320 It is young, healthy people. In other words, those who are most unlikely at risk of getting COVID that are the biggest proponents of masking.

00:23:59.100 And, you know, it used to be, we go back 50, 60 years ago, the kids on campus, there were protests about civil rights, about the Vietnam War.

00:24:08.200 And now it's the opposite. It's like the mask is a symbol that I am pro-big government, I am pro-big lockdown, I am pro-masking, et cetera, et cetera.

00:24:20.320 What's happened to the rebellious counterculture spirit on campus these days?

00:24:25.180 Honestly, I have no idea. And the fact that you mentioned masks literally the other day, I can't stand this.

00:24:29.660 The people, they're wearing it below their nose. If you want to wear a mask, wear it fully over the entire places where you breathe from.

00:24:35.320 Why underneath the nose?

00:24:37.200 Do you think part of the reason, Tabitha, might be that there's so much indoctrination and we see it starting as early as elementary school these days?

00:24:46.900 You know, it's almost an Orwellian theme that the government's out there to protect you, to do what's right for you.

00:24:55.000 And it seems to me that people are buying into that.

00:24:59.640 I agree. I've seen that too. That's happening. Yeah.

00:25:02.800 You know, wouldn't it have been great at the graduation ceremony if everyone just, I don't know, broke the silly rules that really don't exist anywhere else in the world right now?

00:25:12.140 Honestly, I think it would have been fine, especially, you know, being an alumnus and, you know, former graduates having to come together and celebrate.

00:25:18.720 Like, there were so many people who couldn't attend the event and they were reaching out to me and I spoke to some people and it's just, it was really sad, honestly.

00:25:24.960 You know, one last question. You are an alumnus of Seneca College. What is it like on campus these days? Because, you know, I'll tell you, I go back to my old university.

00:25:37.980 I can't call it Ryerson anymore. It's got the name of a, it sounds like a subway station.

00:25:42.820 Metropolitan?

00:25:43.760 Metropolitan Toronto, Union United, I don't know. And, you know, it is just this, you know, walking through the halls, looking at the posters.

00:25:52.680 It is just this echo chamber of far-left progressive thinking. It's like, you know, like I said, I don't recognize the Ryerson I went to some 40 years ago.

00:26:06.640 What's it like on campus these days at Seneca?

00:26:09.320 Well, when I went, I went from 2019 to 2021 and I was right before the pandemic hit.

00:26:14.980 So when I went, it was actually a really nice place. Like, I enjoyed it completely.

00:26:18.100 I feel like now, having graduated from what I'm hearing and seeing online, it's changed.

00:26:23.720 And when I went there just the other day doing the report, you know, things just, there wasn't that many students on campus.

00:26:30.120 I know now it's like the summertime, everyone's on their break or whatnot, but I feel like the vibe of it completely has changed.

00:26:35.520 A lot of people don't feel as comfortable as they used, as they once were. You know, it's different.

00:26:40.880 Thank you so much for coming on Rebel Roundup. And let us collectively hope that things, you know, return to normal in the future, that we can go to classes without masks, we can take part in graduation ceremonies without all these draconian rules.

00:26:57.220 I'm hopeful, but with the likes of Mr. Ragnew making policy, I'm not optimistic.

00:27:03.860 Yeah, thanks, David, for having me. Thank you.

00:27:05.900 You got it.

00:27:06.400 David Menzies for Rebel News here in Vaughan, Ontario.

00:27:13.320 And folks, the question arises, are we seeing yet another war against the Canadian flag here at the headquarters of Recipe Unlimited?

00:27:24.260 Now, Recipe Unlimited is a huge food service company.

00:27:28.160 It owns several chains of restaurants, including Swiss Chalet, Harvey, St. Hubert, The Keg, and so on.

00:27:35.340 But I couldn't help but notice when you drive up the 400, this is one of the biggest flagpoles, maybe the biggest flagpole you'll spot.

00:27:45.640 And normally what you see is the Maple Leaf flying proudly here at the headquarters of Recipe.

00:27:52.740 But not in recent weeks, it has been taken down, and lo and behold, it is the pride flag.

00:28:03.400 And I'm really curious about that, given that we're just about a week away from Dominion Day, a.k.a. Canada Day, as some of the kids call July the 1st.

00:28:13.320 Why is it that the Canadian flag has been, oh, I don't know, like a statue of John A. Macdonald folded up and put in a closet somewhere?

00:28:24.420 Well, I did reach out to the public relations specialist for Recipe.

00:28:30.720 That would be Nicolette Garrido.

00:28:33.840 And I had some queries for her.

00:28:37.000 Why has the Canadian flag been removed, especially given that we are only days away from July 1st?

00:28:43.760 Number two, we have recently covered stories in which certain entities, i.e. Kawartha Derry Sunderland School, have deemed the flag to be offensive to certain people.

00:28:56.780 Is this perhaps why the Canadian flag was removed?

00:29:02.200 And three, if indeed Recipe Unlimited deems that the Canadian flag is offensive, how exactly is the Maple Leaf allegedly offensive to those who comprise the Canadian LGBT plus community?

00:29:17.500 Well, I sent her an email a few days ago.

00:29:20.700 I reached out by telephone.

00:29:23.360 I was told she doesn't have a phone extension.

00:29:27.600 Yeah, she's the public relations specialist, but I did leave my name and number.

00:29:31.720 And so here, what brings us here today is a visit.

00:29:35.220 Now, to be honest, if this is private property, which it is, and it's a private company,

00:29:42.860 I guess you can flag whatever the heck you want on the flagpole.

00:29:46.620 But I think it's a question of respect, especially being so close to Canada's birthday.

00:29:54.760 Why not fly both the Maple Leaf and the Pride flag?

00:30:00.180 What's wrong with that?

00:30:01.400 Or is it perhaps that Recipe Unlimited, kind of like Kawartha Dairies, look upon the Canadian flag as potentially offensive to some people?

00:30:12.700 It's so weird, isn't it?

00:30:14.820 Well, there you have it, folks.

00:30:16.180 Yet another communication specialist that doesn't communicate.

00:30:21.300 Why does Recipe Unlimited even have such a person on staff to begin with?

00:30:25.760 Look, if a company wants to fly the Pride flag, that's its decision.

00:30:30.900 But even if it's against official flag protocol, why not have the Canadian flag fly from that flagpole, too, with the Canadian flag being on top, of course?

00:30:41.700 Or if a company wants to continually raise a flag other than the Maple Leaf to acknowledge the cause du jour, then maybe it should invest in a second flagpole?

00:30:52.840 Well, that would be chump change for a food service colossus like Recipe Unlimited.

00:30:59.060 In any event, you had plenty to say about the Maple Leaf being dissed yet again.

00:31:04.680 Monica Ginocchio writes,

00:31:07.560 We must stop using companies that are ashamed of our land's flag.

00:31:12.520 It is our duty as Canadians.

00:31:14.840 Well, I agree, Monica.

00:31:15.820 The question is, what is the reason for the shame?

00:31:19.140 Is it because the Canadian flag is too closely linked to the Freedom Convoy movement?

00:31:25.040 And if that is the case, well then, how shameful is that?

00:31:29.360 Volvo writes,

00:31:30.660 Go woke, go broke.

00:31:32.180 The corporations have a right to put up whatever flag they wish.

00:31:36.180 We, the Canadian consumers, have a right to never enter their restaurants until our beautiful flag goes up.

00:31:42.760 I, for one, along with my family members, will not be entertaining those restaurants.

00:31:49.580 Hey, Recipe Unlimited runs many superb food service chains as far as I can tell.

00:31:54.500 No doubt about that.

00:31:55.420 But by the same token, they don't have a monopoly on burgers, chicken and pasta.

00:32:01.460 Thank God.

00:32:03.260 Small Cringe Minority writes,

00:32:05.340 Well, small Cringe Minority, I totally get your point in this day and age of living through the Justin Jagmeet regime. 0.99

00:32:30.560 But we must separate the flag of our great dominion from the incompetent and odious government that is currently in power.

00:32:39.900 Perhaps your opinion might differ once regime change happens, which I really do believe is inevitable.

00:32:47.400 Mike Perdue writes,

00:32:48.600 Oromocto High School in New Brunswick took down the Canadian flag for the rainbow flag.

00:32:54.380 And I am so pissed.

00:32:56.560 Oromocto is a military town.

00:32:58.580 And the fact that they can do such a disgraceful act and never get called out on it is beyond me.

00:33:05.300 It's about hating Canada, not about being inclusive slash accepting.

00:33:11.020 And again, you know, my position is that if you must fly the pride flag, fine, fly it with the Canadian flag too.

00:33:20.020 And another thing, it used to be Gay Pride Day, and then it was Gay Pride Week, and then simply Pride Month, namely the entire month of June.

00:33:29.520 Now advocates in the Alphabet Soup community are clamoring for pride season.

00:33:35.140 Meaning what exactly, that pride lasts the entire summer, or even beyond?

00:33:41.420 If so, good golly, Miss Molly, what are weak-kneed companies going to do when Team Rainbow insists that even on July 1st, the pride flag remains flying, while the Canadian flag stays in the closet?

00:33:55.840 I sometimes don't recognize this country anymore.

00:33:59.760 Christine Bunton writes,

00:34:01.180 Those days are gone, sadly.

00:34:18.680 In this day and age of cancel culture, the squeaky wheel gets the grease big time.

00:34:23.020 And that means the pride flag takes precedence over the flag of Canada, at least in certain circles.

00:34:30.520 Pathetic, isn't it?

00:34:32.020 And speaking of veterans, I'm kind of glad my grandfather isn't around to see this perversity play out these days.

00:34:39.280 And finally, JS writes,

00:34:41.420 Wow, I love Swiss Chalet. Enjoy it often. No more.

00:34:45.720 Same with the rest of the group.

00:34:47.280 I am not against pride, but I am very much in favor of the Canadian flag.

00:34:51.600 And I am not a fan of public relations departments, ignoring the question.

00:34:57.620 So long, Swiss Chalet. I will miss you.

00:35:00.520 JS, you nailed it.

00:35:02.140 I think this uber woke PR strategy that Recipe cooked up with their flag policy has backfired on them big time.

00:35:09.960 If you are a Canadian company with stores in Canada selling goods and services to Canadians, then you should not disrespect the Canadian flag.

00:35:20.960 Darn it.

00:35:21.260 I'm so going to miss that delectable Swiss Chalet dipping sauce as well.

00:35:26.960 Well, that wraps up another edition of Rebel Roundup.

00:35:29.960 Thanks so much for joining us.

00:35:31.420 See you next week.

00:35:32.640 And hey, folks, never forget, without risk, there can be no glory.

00:35:37.260 Happy Dominion Day.

00:35:38.140 We'll see you next week.

00:35:51.140 Bye.

00:35:52.340 Bye.

00:35:58.760 Bye.

00:36:02.660 Bye.

00:36:03.300 Bye.

00:36:03.860 Bye.

00:36:04.240 Bye.

00:36:04.820 Bye.

00:36:05.340 Bye.

00:36:05.580 Bye.

00:36:05.860 Bye.

00:36:07.860 You

Rebel News Podcast - July 02, 2022

DAVID MENZIES ｜ Passport Office Woes; Vaccinate Seneca's Grads

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