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Canada's convoy movement waved the Dutch flag. Then conspiracy theories swirled about fertilizer and bugs – CBC.ca

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Over the summer, supporters of the Freedom Convoy movement have continued to hold anti-mandate demonstrations across the country, attracting anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred people in places like Sudbury, Ont., Acheson, Alta., and Regina.

Like the protests in Ottawa last winter, these smaller demonstrations featured big rigs, pickup trucks and honking — though they tended to last only a few hours and kept to parking lots or slow-moving convoys on highways.

But they also featured a new — and perhaps surprising — symbol: The flag of the Netherlands was being waved alongside the more familiar Maple Leaf and F–k Trudeau banners. 

The red, white and blue flag is meant to be a show of solidarity with Dutch farmers protesting their government’s efforts to halve emissions linked to nitrogen-based fertilizers by the end of the decade.

Opposition to the policy in the Netherlands has been fierce and messy. It is one of the most intensively farmed countries in the world and the proposed changes would mean huge reductions in farmland and livestock.

In recent months, farmers in the country have blocked food distribution centres, set bales of hay on fire and spread manure on major roads.

Farmers take part in a blockade of the A67 highway, near Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on July 4 to protest against government plans that may require them to use less fertilizer and reduce livestock. (Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

In Canada, many within the convoy movement see the Dutch farmers as allies in a global fight against an array of policies they maintain are too progressive, such as public health mandates or emission targets.

“The far right wants to think of it as a transnational movement,” said Bàrbara Molas, a research fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) in The Hague.

As the convoy movement organized solidarity rallies for the Dutch farmers in July, its leaders warned that Canadian farmers would soon find themselves in a similar position.

“The reason we’re standing in solidarity with [the Dutch farmers] is because these policies are actually coming to Canada as well,” Jerome O’Sullivan, the founder of the group Freedom Fighters Canada, told a podcast last month.

But the convoy movement’s embrace of the Dutch farmers’ cause has been fed by misinformation and deliberate attempts to sow confusion about government policies in Canada and the Netherlands. 

It also threatens to overshadow legitimate concerns that Canadian farmers have about how to grow food while also addressing climate change.

There is a distinction, said Molas, between “what the farmers actually might think and what the far right wants people to see the farmers as.”

How the conspiracy theories went mainstream

Dutch farmers have been protesting since court rulings in 2018 and 2019 forced the country to drastically cut its nitrogen emission levels, which at the time were exceeding commitments made under international climate change agreements.

When the farmers escalated their tactics in late June, convoy-affiliated activists in Canada remarked on the similarities with their own movement, ultimately sparking interest in Ottawa’s efforts to reduce fertilizer emissions here.

“We stand proudly with Dutch farmers in the continued fight against government overreach and the globalist elite. Welcome to the revolution,” said a Facebook post from Live from the Shed, a webcast dedicated to the Canadian convoy movement.

Activists affiliated with the Freedom Convoy movement gather in an Ottawa parking lot on July 23, before heading to the Dutch embassy in Ottawa to protest in support of Dutch farmers. (Patrick Doyle/Reuters)

The July 2 post received more than 350,000 views and was shared more than 16,000 times, according to Facebook’s analytics tool, CrowdTangle.

Soon after, far-right media outlets in Canada seized on the Dutch protests to promote conspiracy theories that reinforced anti-government ideologies. Many of these sites had already been sowing misinformation about food-supply issues.

The Western Standard, a conservative publication based in Calgary, amplified in early July a conspiracy theory that claimed fires were being deliberately set at farms around the world to make populations more dependent on governments.

The column, which was shared more than 450 times on Facebook to accounts totalling 136,000 followers, suggested that global plot was the real reason behind Ottawa’s decision to help fund a cricket-processing plant in London, Ont., even though the facility mostly produces pet food.

On July 5, the Facebook page belonging to Cheryl Gallant, a Conservative MP who has been criticized in the past for spreading conspiracy theories, posted that “Trudeau wants us to eat crickets” while linking to a story about the Dutch farmers’ protest.

A Facebook post by Cheryl Gallant, Conservative MP for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke. (Facebook)

In the days that followed, Canada’s far-right media pushed more disinformation to their readers. 

Rebel News, for instance, claimed the Dutch government had “pandered to the radical demands of the World Economic Forum,” echoing a popular conspiracy theory that maintains the Swiss think-tank is secretly forcing governments around the world to adopt left-wing policies.

Another far-right publication, The Counter Signal, recirculated the comments of a former far-right Dutch politician, who falsely claimed the goal of the Dutch climate plan was to confiscate the farmers’ land and then give it to immigrants. 

As interest in the Dutch protests increased in Canada, conservative pundits and politicians began suggesting the Canadian government was also going to force farmers to reduce how much fertilizer they use.

This is not what the government has said it intends to do. While Ottawa has pledged to reduce emissions from fertilizers by 30 per cent, it has also pledged to meet that goal without resorting to a mandatory reduction in nitrogen fertilizer use. 

Nevertheless, the Toronto Sun’s Brian Lilley wrote in a widely shared column, that the plan, which hasn’t yet been finalized, “means reducing fertilizer usage by 30 per cent.” 

In a Facebook post, Devin Dreeshen, a United Conservative MLA in Alberta, referred to it as the “30 per cent fertilizer ban,” while Todd Loewen — another UCP MLA and candidate in the party’s leadership race — said he was standing with the Dutch farmers because they were resisting “the exact same eco-radical policies” advocated by Ottawa. 

Before July, Facebook posts in Canada that mentioned the phrase “fertilizer ban” had received effectively zero interactions, according to CrowdTangle statistics.

In the last week of July, though, the phrase received nearly 10,000 interactions.

Canola blooms in fields near La Salle, Man., on July 28. Canola is among the more fertilizer-intensive crops grown in Canada. (Shannon VanRaes/Reuters)

Farmers Forum, an Ontario-based agriculture newspaper that is sympathetic to the convoy movement, interviewed several farmers earlier this month about the prospect of a Dutch-style fertilizer ban coming to Canada.

Almost all were convinced a ban was in the works, and cited the World Economic Forum (WEF) as the reason why.

“It’s kind of scary, at the WEF, they tell you exactly what they’re doing, and ‘Bang,’ six months later, it’s happening,” Andy Senn, a dairy farmer from St-Bernardin, Ont., told the paper.

Misinformation flourished in information vacuum 

At the same time that social media is flooded with misinformation about Canada’s agricultural policy, the federal government is seeking input from farmers and other industry players about how best to cut fertilizer emissions.

“It’s definitely a challenge for us in terms of communication. We’re working hard on trying to use different ways to communicate,” said Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. 

The goal of reducing fertilizer emissions by 30 per cent was set as part of the Trudeau government’s plan to lower the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by between 40 and 45 per cent by 2030 — in line with the reductions international experts say are necessary to minimize the damage from climate change.

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has said, repeatedly, the government is not seeking to cut fertilizer use, but rather to reduce fertilizer emissions. (Blair Gable/Reuters)

When the fertilizer target was initially announced in December 2020, there was widespread confusion within the agricultural industry about whether it would entail cutting fertilizer use, which would in turn affect crop yield.

Earlier this year, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released a discussion paper that outlines its strategy for reducing fertilizer emissions “will focus on improving nitrogen management and optimizing fertilizer use, and not on a mandatory reduction in the use of fertilizers.”

It also cites industry and government research that concluded significant emissions reductions can be achieved by expanding the use of certain techniques, like applying fertilizer in the spring instead of the fall.

The discussion paper has helped ease some fears within the industry.

“Overall, we were really pleased to see these techniques included,” said Cassandra Cotton, vice-president of policy and program at Fertilizer Canada, a lobby group representing the industry. 

The amount of misinformation circulating about fertilizer policy ” hurts and prevents this moving forward in a positive direction,” Cotton said.

But she also echoed a view expressed by others in the industry: that the federal government has been slow to offer specifics about a policy that will ultimately affect what foods Canadians eat every day. 

“Part of this [misinformation] is being driven by the lack of detail as to how the government plans to get to this target,” said Kelvin Heppner, a farmer in southern Manitoba and an editor for RealAgriculture, a respected industry publication.

“And so in that vacuum, there are conclusions that people are reaching — and they’re not necessarily based on what the government has said it will do.”

According to Molas, it is this confluence of confusion and concern that creates an opening for far-right groups to exploit. 

“These are movements that began because of very real grievances that governments didn’t address soon enough,” she said. “The far-right sees that as an opportunity to spread their anti-democratic narrative.”

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Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of record after record highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40% in just two weeks.

Now, bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000, just two years after dropping below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. The recent, dramatic rally arrives as industry players expect the incoming Trump administration to bring a more “crypto-friendly” approach toward regulating the digital currency.

Bitcoin traded as high as $98,349 early Thursday, according to CoinDesk, and was slightly below that level at 1:25 p.m. ET.

As with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is impossible to know. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks.

Here’s what you need to know.

Back up. What is cryptocurrency again?

Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But, chances are, you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years.

In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain.

Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money — but it can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions.

Why is bitcoin soaring?

A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Crypto industry players have welcomed Trump’s victory, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape.

Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, recently pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.

How of this will actually pan out — and whether or not Trump will successfully act quickly on these promises — has yet to be seen.

“This is not necessarily a short-term story, it’s likely a much longer-term story,” Citi macro strategist David Glass told The Associated Press last week. “And there is the question of how quickly can U.S. crypto policy make a serious impact on (wider adoption).”

Adam Morgan McCarthy, a research analyst at Kaiko, thinks the industry is craving “just some sort of clarity.” Much of the approach to regulating crypto in the past has been “enforcement based,” he notes, which has been helpful in weeding out some bad actors — but legislation might fill in other key gaps.

Gary Gensler, who as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Joe Biden has led a U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry, penalized a number of crypto companies for violating securities laws. Gensler announced Thursday that he would step down as SEC chair on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Despite crypto’s recent excitement around Trump, McCarthy said that 2024 has already been a “hugely consequential year for regulation in the U.S.” — pointing to January’s approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, for example, which mark a new way to invest in the asset.

Spot ETFs have been the dominant driver of bitcoin for some time now — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. According to Kaiko, bitcoin ETFs recorded $6 billion in trade volume for the week of the election alone.

In April, bitcoin also saw its fourth “halving” — a preprogrammed event that impacts production by cutting the reward for mining, or the creation of new bitcoin, in half. In theory, if demand remains strong, some analysts say this “supply shock” can also help propel the price long term. Others note it may be too early to tell.

What are the risks?

History shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of Federal Reserve rate hikes. And in late 2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000.

Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs. But experts still stress caution, especially for small-pocketed investors. And lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could mean less guardrails.

While its been a big month for crypto — and particularly bitcoin, which McCarthy notes has set record highs for ten of the last 21 days — there’s always risk for “correction,” or seeing prices fluctuate back down some. Some assets may also have more restrictions than others.

“I would say, keep it simple. And don’t take on more risk than you can afford to,” McCarthy said — adding that there isn’t a “magic eight ball” to know for certain what comes next.

What about the climate impact?

Assets like bitcoin are produced through a process called “mining,” which consumes a lot of energy. Operations relying on pollutive sources have drawn particular concern over the years.

Recent research published by the United Nations University and Earth’s Future journal found that the carbon footprint of 2020-2021 bitcoin mining across 76 nations was equivalent to the emissions from burning 84 billion pounds of coal or running 190 natural gas-fired power plants. Coal satisfied the bulk of bitcoin’s electricity demands (45%), followed by natural gas (21%) and hydropower (16%).

Environmental impacts of bitcoin mining boil largely down to the energy source used. Industry analysts have maintained that clean energy has increased in use in recent years, coinciding with rising calls for climate protections



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Transgender community gathers in remembrance, opposition to Alberta legislation |

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Members of Edmonton’s transgender community and their loved ones gathered to mark the international Transgender Day of Remembrance where they held candles and mourned for transgender people who have recently died from violence or suicide. In Alberta, the gathering was also about opposing proposed legislation in the province. (Nov. 21, 2024)



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Canadian basketball player Chad Posthumus dead at 33 after brain aneurysm

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WINNIPEG – Canadian basketball player Chad Posthumus, a founding member of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, died Wednesday. He was 33.

The CEBL’s Winnipeg Sea Bears said Thursday that Posthumus, the team’s captain, suffered a brain aneurysm during a training session in Winnipeg on Nov. 9.

He then battled complications from a corrective surgery that left him in critical condition in the intensive care unit and did not recover.

Posthumus, a Winnipeg native, played for the CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers, Ottawa BlackJacks, Edmonton Stingers and Brampton Honey Badgers before joining his hometown team.

He also played for teams in Argentina and Japan.

Internationally, the six-foot-11 Posthumus played for the 3×3 national team, representing Canada at the 3×3 AmeriCup in 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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