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Extra, Extra: Toronto Sun Policies, Justin Bieber Lawsuits, and Man, Degrassi is Old

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Every weekday’s end, we collect just about everything you ought to care about or ought not miss.

A tweet from the Toronto Sun's Twitter account, posted yesterday evening.

  • After Sue-Ann Levy sparked widespread Twitter outrage by berating those who tried to call her to account for implying that Barack Obama is a secret Muslim, her employer, the Toronto Sun, publicly distanced itself from her comments. But before making public statements, it appears the Sun‘s management put together an internal memo that quoted from the social media policy in the newspaper’s employee guidebook. Among the rules listed there: “Don’t insult your employer, your readers or your coworkers on the internet.”

  • Another Sun personality may be in trouble over some comments he made about Roma people. Ezra Levant, host of The Source on Sun News Network, is under investigation by the Toronto Police hate-crime unit for denigrating comments he made, on the air, about “gypsies.”
  • Looks like someone may have accidentally put their Justin Bieber fan fiction in the wrong envelope. An insane list of accusations against the singer, as described in a court filing evidently obtained by TMZ, includes a stupendous nod to his Canadian roots.
  • Speaking of things from Stratford, apparently the Shakespeare Festival isn’t doing so well, financially. Will “two-for-one Tuesdays” help matters?
  • Torontohenge—a four-times-annual thing that happens when the sunrise or sunset happens to align with Toronto’s street grid—is tomorrow. The Grid tells you how to make the most of it, photographically.
  • Also at The Grid, Edward Keenan offers a hilarious take on Mayor Rob Ford‘s apparent coercion of City staff into repairing the grounds around his family company’s Toronto offices.
  • This Friday, the 400th-ever episode of DeGrassi will air on MuchMusic, making the 32-year-old series unquestionably the longest-running English-language drama in Canadian history. Ah, memories.

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Comments

  • joezph al.kushi

    in love with my beatfaull TORONTO

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Meaford/100003933562178 Mike Meaford

    The link to the story about Ezra Levant being investigated by “hate crime police” does not work. Is this story for real? Unless Levant was advocating people go out and kill gypsies police have no business “investigating” what a journalist – or anyone else for the matters says. If this story is true then we truly are living in a police state.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Meaford/100003933562178 Mike Meaford

    ““The hate crime unit is investigating,” said Toronto Police constable Wendy Drummond. “The complaint is new, and the investigation is ongoing.”

    This is bullshit! Toronto Police have no business “investigating” controversial comments by a journalist or anyone else for that matter.

    If I were to go to police and complain that little green men from Mars were harassing me would they open an investigation? Of course not, and they should not have opened an investigation in this case . They should have told this gypsies it is outside of their control.

    As I said, unless Levant advocated killing gypsies his comments should be protected under free speech.

    I am amazed that left wing media don’t have a problem with this attack on free speech. We are becoming like the Soviet Union and they don’t seem to have a problem with that.

    As for these gypsies who don’t like the comments of Ezra Levant , here is some advice for them – they are free to go back to Eastern Europe any time they like.

    • Anonymous

      Did you really not bother to learn about your basic freedoms? Provisioned to you by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Are you actually trying to use some sort of Rob Ford interpretation to defend these comments?

      Holy crap! Colour me shocked, that someone ignorant to freely available information would have such a conclusive opinion! Ya gon’ learrrrn sump’n today.

      Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

      Section 1

      “…only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society”

      Section 2b

      Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

      (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication

      Sections 318, 319, and 320 of the Code forbid hate propaganda.

      Hate propaganda” means “any writing, sign or visible representation that advocates or promotes genocide or the communication of which by any person would constitute an offence under section 319.” Section 318 prescribes imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years for anyone who advocates genocide. The Code defines genocide as the destruction of an “identifiable group.” The Code defines an “identifiable group” as “any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Section 319 prescribes penalties from a fine to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years for anyone who incites hatred against any identifiable group. Section 320 allows a judge to confiscate publications which appear to be hate propaganda. Under section 319, an accused is not guilty: (a) if he establishes that the statements communicated were true; (b) if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text; (c) if the statements were relevant to any subject of public interest, the discussion of which was for the public benefit, and if on reasonable grounds he believed them to be true; or (d) if, in good faith, he intended to point out, for the purpose of removal, matters producing or tending to produce feelings of hatred toward an identifiable group in Canada.”

      http://lmgtfy.com/?q=canada+hate+speech
      http://lmgtfy.com/?q=canada+charter+of+rights+and+freedoms

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Meaford/100003933562178 Mike Meaford

        So why is Ezra being criminally investigated by Toronto Police? He didn’t “advocate genocide”. His statements about Gypsy’s happen to be true.

        • Testu

          Wow, seriously. “His statements… happen to be true”

          Do you have any more gems like that? Maybe you could make some statements that happen to be true about black or Jewish people.

          Are you trolling or are you actually a bigot?

          • Anonymous

            I find it disturbing that someone would give a thumbs down to the
            Canadian Constitutions. If you cannot live with it you need to leave
            and find a country that has a constitution that fits your beliefs

        • Anonymous

          Oh I see. comprehension is what you lack!

        • vampchick21

          Who’s the racist now? Seriously troll, just stop, ok? Everytime you post you dig your hole deeper and deeper. You are not a decent human being, no matter what self affirming chant your therapist makes you say into the mirror each morning.

      • Anonymous

        I find it disturbing that someone would give a thumbs down to the Canadian Constitutions. If cannot live with it you need to leave and find a country that has a constitution that fits your beliefs

  • Joel

    300th episode not 400th. Bieber link is broken too. would use Report Error but that is also broken.

    • Anonymous

      Actually, not quite: 300th of the show titled “Degrassi” but 400th of the franchise, which goes back to Kids of Degrassi Street. Bieber link fixed, and will check with tech support about the “report an error” button – thanks for alerting us to those!

  • http://twitter.com/Vidar_Hansen Vidar Hansen

    The term Gypsie(s) that you typed in the article is offensive. You can do G*****s or similar. Thank you.

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