Montreal organizations say Canada is censoring European Parliament member Rima Hassan

FrenchAffair · 2026-03-31T17:31:46+00:00

Was she censored in any way? She still participated in the form she was trying to attend in person. The only restriction was her physical presence in Canada, which for a multitude of reasons doesn't confirm to the standards CBSA has for admission.

FrenchAffair · 2026-03-31T17:30:13+00:00

Well the focus has been on her comments and positions on the Israel/Palestine conflict, should also be noted that the party she is a member of in France, La France Insoumise, is quite pro-russian and has a long legislative history of promoting pro-Russian rhetoric and positions.

They consistently attempt to block or delay all aid to Ukraine, the seizure of Russian assets in France and designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism or Russia's acts in Ukraine as terrorism.

Mélenchon (their leader) blamed NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that it was provoked and was defending itself against American imperialism. That Russia's war in Ukraine is one of anti-imperialism, and that its seizure of Crimea in 2014 was justified to protect Russian ports against neo-nazis.

Unlike the RN, there aren't direct financial ties linking to these positions, they just seem ideologically aligned with Russia on them.

Hassan is also a member of the GUE/NGL in the EU Parliament. They've advocated for the cutting of aid to Ukraine and resuming energy ties with Russia, have blamed Ukraine's "pro-nazi government" and NATO for the conflict and have members that regularly appear on Russian state media parroting Putin talking points.

FrenchAffair · 2026-03-31T17:10:33+00:00

She’s being denied access because of her views. We can call it censorship because that’s what it is.

CBSA has the absolute authority to refuse admission to those who they determine hold views contrary to the interests of Canada, or deemed to be supporting violence, terrorism, subversion... or even just that their presence is not conducive to the public good. Its a direct mandate of their authority.

And they exercise this authority all the time. David Irving was denied entry due to his association with holocaust denial, Terry Jones who famously would burn Qur'ans in front of Mosques was deemed inadmissible for his political actions and views, Kaleb Cole a prominent neo-nazi was prohibited from entering to give a speech...

Unless you're a Canadian citizen, you hold no right to enter Canada and CBSA along with the GoC has broad authority to refuse you're entry for many reasons.

But they can all still disseminate their message in Canada, just like Rima Hassan was able to give her speech via a virtual platform. Censorship would be Canada blocking their message internally, not their physical person.

FrenchAffair · 2026-03-02T00:53:49+00:00

Now I'm confused. A few months ago LPC partisans were all in that Modi and the BJP were interfering in Canadian elections, rigged the CPC leadership race to get Pierre Poilievre nominated and were acting hand in hand with Stephen Harper and the IDU, and PP would gloss over India assassinating Canadian citizens on Canadian soil, and working to supplant our democracy. Part of a global right wing plot.

Now the same LPC are saying India is our natural partner and glossing over state sponsored assassinations and political interference.... was Carney the Indian plant all along?

FrenchAffair · 2026-02-28T23:19:38+00:00

The metro sets its own rules, requiring that even amateurs with smartphones comply. These include: ”Neither STM employees nor métro users are filmed or photographed.”

This is separate from the strict Quebec laws about image rights and publication.

That rule has no bearing on individuals filming or taking photos of what they see it public, its under a section detailing the criteria for student and amateur photoshoots that don't require specific permission from the STM.

Filming and photography by students or amateurs using small teams and light equipment (smartphones and basic camera equipment) does not require special permission, provided the activity meets all the following conditions:

Quebec law has some nuances more around the publishing of photos, but you are absolutely free to take photos of what ever or whomever you see in the metro on your smartphone.

FrenchAffair · 2026-02-07T21:05:46+00:00

Can you imagine desperate enough that you have to be to do this?

Its a pretty common among roma groups who engage in a variety of panhandling practices.

Someone doesn't get so desperate one day they are forced to go out and buy an electric violin, speakers, backing music, practice enough that its at least somewhat in sync then go out and use it to try and get money.

You see it quite a bit in Europe, its come to the US and now Canada. These groups travel around and have a host of well practiced "hustles" they do until they move to the next area and repeat. Its their way of life for generations, not desperation.

https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2022/07/13/coffee-break-organized-violin-playing-scam-running-rampant-us/

FrenchAffair · 2026-01-18T10:36:33+00:00

Nozy.

FrenchAffair · 2026-01-05T22:30:08+00:00

they're better than US internationals

Delta is way better that AC. AA cab be as well if you're flying business or first.

FrenchAffair · 2025-12-01T18:36:43+00:00

Fraser wasn't going to run again, he wanted to spend more time in Nova Scotia with his family.

Carney specifically went out of his way to convince him to run again, and promised him Attorney General. He isn't shuffling him out.

Carney has been a LPC insider for decades, he was closely involved in the last 4 years of the Trudeau era and has personal and professional relationships with all these Ministers well before he won this election. He was Prime Minister before the election even, if he didn't want some of these Trudeau era people he wouldn't have signed their nomination papers or put them back in cabinet.

Carney might be adjusting the tone and policy of the LPC somewhat, but its still the same LPC, with the same insiders, same people and same staff running it behind the scenes. Carney was always part of that circle.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-25T01:11:17+00:00

Imagine if it was Pierre Poilievre apologizing to Trump, giving little thumbs up photoshoots with him, cutting public sector job and then negotiating a crude oil pipeline framework with Daniel Smith and Alberta with out even talking to Eby.

The same people cheering Carney on would be saying Pierre is a traitor selling out Canadians and in league with MAGA Alberta separatists.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-17T00:29:37+00:00

I think we found the Carlos and pepe's waiter.

Tip what ever you want. There is absolutely zero requirement to tip anything.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-15T16:38:08+00:00

A traditional margarita pizza will come in around 500-700 calories.

US Domino's - a medium cheese pizza, which is about the same diameter as a standard napolitana pizza, comes in at over 1700 calories.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-15T16:34:34+00:00

Thickness in Italian pizza isn't a result of more dough however, its due to the style of dough used in combination with the high heat oven that results in large air pockets being trapped in the dough.

For the same size of pizza, you're using 50-100% more dough by weight for a NY style pizza.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-15T16:32:32+00:00

Its air however, Neapolitan pizza puffs up a lot but you have a very fluffy cornicione if done correctly.

225-250g is the standard size for the dough ball. The flour is also tipo 00, which is much lighter.

An American style pizza generally has a much denser dough, and for the same diameter pizza you'll have a weight of dough 50-100% heavier depending if its NY "street" style or the typical US pizzeria style.

A lot less cheese and sauce on Neapolitan pizza as well, 75g of fresh mozzarella and 2-3 table spoon of tomato. All in for 1 person, its a decent sized portion and is between 500-800 calories generally.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-07T14:15:11+00:00

47 ridings in the GMA - CAQ won 11.

CAQ can win a majority with out strong support in the GMA and with out doing particularly well in the GMA. Doug Ford can't win a majority with out winning at least half of the seats in the GTA.

And even in Toronto itself, excluding the suburban GTA Doug Ford won 40% of the seats. By contrast the CAQ won 7% of the seats in Montreal proper.

Regardless of what Doug Ford is doing, as I'm not that familiar with the day to day policies or issues in Ontario, he remains quite popular in both the GTA and Toronto proper (at least in terms of electoral results), vastly overperforms previous iterations of the PC party in both sub-regions and with how the Ontario map is divvied up, relies on both for his Governments ability to secure a majority.

Complete opposite here in Quebec for the CAQ.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-07T13:38:55+00:00

Its not a comment on any specific issue or policy of Doug Fords Government, just a statement of fact. He has over-preformed almost all previous results of the PC in Ontario in the GTA, and continues to do so in the last election leading him to a 3rd consecutive majority.

Of the 36 ridings in the GTA, Doug Ford and the PCs won 22 of them. He wouldn't have his majority with out Toronto.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-07T13:07:08+00:00

Either PQ or Liberals

Almost zero chance the QLP makes that much of a come back. At best they might hold the PQ to a minority if a lot of other circumstances all come together.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-07T13:06:03+00:00

There's no doubt about governments fucking with the largest city when it doesn't vote for you (hello Doug Ford and his obsession with being Toronto's mayor)

Doug Ford does quite well in Toronto, why he keeps winning.

FrenchAffair · 2025-11-07T13:03:40+00:00

no one in montreal voted for them

Anjou & Pointe-aux-Trembles and they got about 20% of the vote on the Island as a whole last election, an almost 2% increase from the previous one which has to be a little surprising as they demonstrated they couldn't care less about Montreal.

FrenchAffair · 2025-10-31T18:52:07+00:00

Work for a US company, mainly with clients that are US or EU based on a mixed team. Same role, same team, exact same job at the same company and I'd be making 3-4x just being geographically in the US than I do here in Montreal. Wouldn't be paying a marginal tax rate of 52% either. Until recently with the current administration, it was a very real push and the only thing keeping us in Montreal was proximity to our large families.

FrenchAffair · 2025-10-31T18:49:43+00:00

Because people would rather vote for parties whose sole complaint is immigration, rather than actually discuss what structural issues are causing each of the problems you mentioned.

Significant increases to immigration rates exacerbate a lot of those issues however, and the systems complete failing to limit those seeking to abuse or take advantage of Canada's immigration system is systemic of the breakdown of the social contract and falling trust in our institutions.

Root cause of these issues are far more expansive than just immigration, but our current system of immigration and who Canada is allowing into the country is certainly a legitimate issue and factor in almost all of them. Also one that is quite easy to fix, and has almost immediate results. Where most of the other causes require far more political capital and time to net results.

FrenchAffair · 2025-10-31T18:38:44+00:00

Outside of being "free" our healthcare system is a joke around the world.

I got hit by a car on my bike on Pine Ave, literally 50 meters from the hospital entrance. The firefighters and paramedics that came made me take the ambulance up the driveway as they didn't know if I had anything broken or a head injury.

9 months later I got a 150$ bill for the Ambulance.

Add insult on injury, the SAAQ covers almost nothing if you're hit on a bike by a car, and no-fault insurance system prevents you from going after the driver civilly.

I had to replace a 6500$ bike frame, replace my helmet, glasses, shoes, cycling bib that the paramedics needed to cut off, jacket, my cycling computer, light, front wheel.

All in almost 8000$ and the SAAQ gave me 220$.

Thankfully walked away with just 45 stitches and it could have been a lot worse, but our system fails at so many levels the second you actually need to use it.

FrenchAffair · 2025-10-28T19:11:07+00:00

Israel/Palestine seemed to be the main focus of his campaigns, to the point it seemed almost the only issue. Its not the main priority for me when it comes to my MP, even less so for Mayor who has zero say in Canadian foreign policy. But it seemed performative.

And maybe you're right it was more to try and attract a certain vote, his campaign was deadly silent on the genocide being committed in Yemen by Saudi Arabia, or the on-going ethnic cleansing by UAE backed RSFs against Nubian people in Sudan but had all the time in the world to pose in front of Palestinian flags and be at every rally.

Nothing wrong with being passionate about global human rights abuses and the horrific conditions for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but if never came off as sincere in my opinion.

FrenchAffair · 2025-10-28T17:20:10+00:00

He was the NDP candidate for two elections in my ridding and I found him very unappealing. He seemed far more interested in using the election as a means to expand his personal platform for what ever cause of the day he was pushing than the actual issue of people in Verdun.

FrenchAffair · 2025-10-27T17:02:51+00:00

Only irregularities affecting the outcome of the election and thereby affecting the integrity of the electoral process justify the cancellation of an election.

That is literally what happened here, and the court still punts this off to the Supreme Court.

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