OTTAWA —
The federal government is adding 13 new extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities, freezing their assets and opening up people who are affiliated with them to criminal sanctions.
The move is a major step towards combatting ideologically-motivated extremist sentiment in Canada, and officials suggested Canada is the first country to make the decision to label the Proud Boys as a serious terror threat.
In addition to several al Qaeda and Daesh affiliates as well as one new international terror group being added to the list, the federal government is moving to list four ideologically motivated violent extremist (IMVE) organizations.
They are:
Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group founded in the U.S. in 2013 that was present at the 2017 Charlottesville rally;
Russian Imperial Movement, a nationalist group that trained those who bombed a left-wing bookstore and asylum facilities in Sweden in 2016;
Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group founded by a Canadian and formed in 2016 that, according to the government, played “a pivotal role” in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6; and
The Base, a neo-Nazi group founded in 2018, primarily active in the U.S., and whose members plotted to carry out attacks at a January rally in Virginia.
All four of these groups have called for, or engaged in acts of violence against those who are perceived to be opposed to their ideological beliefs, says the government.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced the move on Wednesday, highlighting the safety and security concerns these extremist groups raise for Canadians.
“This update hopefully sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate ideological, religious or politically-motivated acts of violence,” Blair said.
The decision also brings a range of “significant” legal and financial implications for people participating in or who are otherwise affiliated with these groups. Specifically, the Criminal Code includes charges for people or organizations that deal with property or finances of a listed entity. It also criminalizes certain supporting activities such as training and recruitment. These charges could be laid on a going-forward basis and cannot apply to past actions.
For example, any future purchasing Proud Boys merchandise from the group could now be considered a criminal act in this country, though belonging without any financial ties to a group is not illegal.
Further, anyone looking to enter Canada may not be allowed in if they are found to be associated with a listed group, and Blair can revoke the passports of anyone deemed to pose a threat to travel to engage in terrorist activities.
“Behaviour becomes a threat when people advocate or engage in violence as a means of promoting or furthering their ideology,” said one senior government official briefing reporters on a not-for-attribution basis.
In line with the new label as terrorist entities, steps are also being taken to remove any online content from these entities.
In addition to the IMVE groups, the government has also added the following al Qaeda affiliates to the list: Ansar Dine; Front de Libération du Macina; and Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin. The government is also adding five new Islamic State affiliates based in Bangladesh; East Asia; the Greater Sahara; Libya; and the West Africa Province.
As well, one international terror group has joined the list: Hizbul Mujahideen, which was formed in 1989 as a militant Kashmiri liberation group.
The government says it has recently reviewed seven other organizations currently on the list in line with a legal requirement to do so, and it was determined all six groups remained a threat and so it was warranted to continue listing them.
“Based on their actions and ideologies, each group meets the legal threshold for listing as set out in the Criminal Code, which requires reasonable grounds to believe that an entity has knowingly participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity, or has knowingly acted on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with such an entity,” said the government in briefing materials provided to reporters in advance of Blair’s press conference.
GROWING THREAT OF EXTREMIST VIOLENCE
These extremist organizations newly added to the terrorist list join the ranks of Boko Haram and the Taliban, among many others. There are now a total of 73 terrorist entities on Canada’s list. Wednesday’s update is the first time new names have been added since 2019, when International neo-Nazi network Blood & Honour and its armed affiliate Combat 18, were added to the roster.
In making the announcement the government emphasized that federal intelligence agencies consider ideologically-motivated violent extremism a “growing threat,” and countering the online component of these organizations remains a “complex and ever-evolving issue.”
While generally considered “right-wing” groups, the federal government has sought to move away from that descriptor, stating it and “left-wing” are largely subjective and do not capture the complexity of the threat posed.
The classification of IMVE groups includes racially-motivated and ethno-nationalist violence, anti-authority violence, gender-driven violence like the Incel movement, and other grievance-driven violence. The government differentiates these groups from those who espouse religiously-motivated violent extremism or politically-motivated violent extremism.
In January, Blair first signalled in an interview on CTV’s Question Period that new additions to Canada’s list of recognized terrorist organizations could be coming.
Blair said at the time that Canadian national security officials were actively gathering intelligence about white supremacist and other extremist hate groups on an ongoing basis.
PROUD BOYS’ CANADIAN ROOTS
Started by Canadian and former VICE Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, the Proud Boys are a far-right organization that prides itself on “neo-chauvinism” and their core belief in “anti-political correctness.”
Although the group has denied any affiliation with far-right rhetoric in the past, it has been increasingly violent in the wake of Donald Trump’s election in 2016.
The group has “openly encouraged, planned, and conducted violent activities against those they perceive to be opposed to their ideology and political beliefs,” according to federal officials, who also acknowledged that no members of the group have been charged with terrorism offenses to date.
Trump’s infamously told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020.
Attention on the organization has been heightened following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, where participants were seen clearly in footage and on social media sporting Proud Boy colours, patches, flags and apparel affiliated with the group.
There are chapters of the group across Canada, and the labelling of the organization as a terrorist entity could have future implications for its Canadian members.
According to the government’s description of the organization published on Wednesday, “members of the group espouse misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, and/or white supremacist ideologies and associate with white supremacist groups.”
While Blair could not provide specific intelligence gathered that led to the inclusion of the Proud Boys on the terror list, he said federal security officials have been monitoring its activities for some time and has seen “an escalation,” like acquiring weapons and engaging in criminal actions.
The minister said that while freedom of speech and freedom of association remain rights, “there is a threshold” where it becomes terrorism.
“There is a trove of evidence that has become available to us through the work of our law enforcement and security officials, but also the Americans, that really demonstrates the criminal intent, the violent criminal intent to engage in violent insurrection but also targeting individuals, targeting politicians for violent acts, all of which crosses that threshold where we believe it’s necessary and appropriate to list them as a terrorist entity,” Blair said in an interview on CTV’s Power Play.
SEPARATE FROM HOUSE MOTION
In the wake of the U.S. Capitol attacks, the federal government has faced calls to reassess the domestic terror threat and on Jan. 25, on the proposal of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, members of Parliament unanimously agreed to call on the federal government to declare the Proud Boys a “terrorist entity.”
The motion called on the government to “use all available tools to address the proliferation of white supremacists and hate groups,” however the decision on who is, or isn’t declared a terrorist group, is not one for politicians to make.
As officials emphasized on Wednesday, the decision was based on the intelligence Canada’s federal agencies have gathered. As the process works, the justice department would have had input on the legality of the decision and Blair would have then consulted cabinet on the new listings before the amendments were made to the regulations to add the new groups.
During the briefing on the decision, a federal official told reporters that the listing of these 13 entities was an action taken “very much aside” from the parliamentary motion.
Reacting to the announcement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was pleased with the move as he thinks it will have “real impacts” on the Proud Boys networks in Canada, but called for a further dismantling of all white supremacist and extreme right-wing groups in Canada.
“We need to build a country where everyone feels like they belong and those types of hateful groups have no place in this country,” he said. “What this, I hope, does is have a chilling effect on these groups.”
In a statement, Conservative public safety critic Shannon Stubbs questioned why Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has not been deemed a terrorist entity, after parliamentarians have called for them to be added for years.
“The Trudeau Liberals have been soft on extremism… Canada must stand against terrorism wherever it is found and whatever its motivation,” Stubbs said.
In a statement the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group expressed concerns about using terrorism laws to combat hate-based violence, stating that it’s been criticized by civil liberties organizations, and racial justice advocates for “threatening the fundamental rights of Canadians.”
Officials cautioned that not all extremist actions in Canada will meet the threshold for making the terrorist list and other efforts are being taken to combat the threat this “toxic rhetoric” can pose, such as the amplification of conspiracy theories. For example, CSIS says it has shifted its resources to better focus on the ongoing threat posed by IMVE groups.
Entities have the ability to apply to challenge their listing, and can take the matter to Federal Court.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the soccer dignitaries who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby.
Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.
“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Älvskog, told those in attendance.
Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson’s 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.
Eriksson became England’s first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.
Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent. The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson’s wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where hundreds more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.
The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby — a town of about 4,000 people located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm. Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by FIFA and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.
The ceremony began with somber piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song “Candle In The Wind” and then “My Way” in a duet with Johan Birgersson, who later intoned the popular Italian song “Volare” after the family had gathered around the casket to lay flowers.
Beckham also visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach’s longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson’s agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.
After the funeral, the casket was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. The guests then walked in a procession accompanying the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” were planned on an outdoor stage. A brass band played during the procession through Torsby, including the tune “You never walk alone” from the musical “Carousel” which has become the anthem of Liverpool, the club Eriksson supported since childhood.
The local soccer club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”
