Ford government denies editing Ford Fest photo, says it corrected ‘orange hue’

A photograph shared online by two Progressive Conservative MPPs showcasing Ford Fest — an annual community event held by the party — appears to have been edited to make protesters look like supporters, an analysis by CBC’s Fact Check team has found.

Photos of the festival, which took place last Friday at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough, were shared by Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey and MPP for Scarborough Centre David Smith over the weekend on the social media platform X. One of the photos shows an aerial view of a crowd by the festival stage in what appear to be overwhelmingly blue shirts in support of the PC party.

CBC reporters on scene, however, saw dozens of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members gathered in the same area wearing purple T-shirts that said “Worth Fighting For,” moments before Ford was set to make a speech. CBC reporters at the festival saw OPSEU members turn their backs, booing and chanting when Ford and members of his cabinet and caucus arrived on stage. Ford delivered an approximately 10-minute speech off a teleprompter, but it was hard to hear over the chants.

CBC’s visual investigations team compared the aerial photo shared online to footage taken by CBC reporters on scene as well as an Instagram page that documented the OPSEU protests. Their analysis identified, through a close-up on the people in the crowd, that many of the blue shirts in the photo were actually OPSEU shirts bearing the “Worth Fighting For” lettering. The visual investigations team also analyzed individuals in the photo and compared it to CBC footage, which showed those same individuals wearing purple — not blue — shirts.

Downey was asked about the photo at an unrelated news conference Monday. “I sign off on all posts, quite frankly [I] looked at my phone and I didn’t see anything, [so] it went up,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s of any consequence.” Downey did not confirm who took the photo.

In an emailed statement, Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for the premier’s office, said that aside from a default colour corrector, the aerial photo shared online was not altered. “Photos from Ford Fest, including the aerial shot posted by two MPPs, had default saturation applied to correct an orange hue. This type of colour correction is standard and routine practice.”

NDP Opposition Leader Marit Stiles slammed the Ford government over the photo a few days after it circulated online. “Imagine getting booed at your own party, then editing the photos so the protesters look like fans,” she said in a post on X Monday. “This is a tired government, and it’s time to get them out of the way.”

This year’s Ford Fest was held near the Scarborough Southwest riding, which is slated for a provincial byelection after MPP Dolly Begum won a federal byelection in the riding in April.

Montreal shooting leaves police officer, civilian and gunman dead

Montreal police announced “with profound sadness” that Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane was the officer who was killed in the line of duty Monday during an intervention in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. He was 34 years old and had been with the force since 2021.

The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) published the fallen officer’s name online. He died “in the line of duty while protecting the public,” the SPVM says on its website. “His passing is a great loss for our organization. His sense of duty, dedication and professionalism will remain in our memories forever.” The SPVM says its flags are at half-mast to pay tribute to the fallen officer. “Fallen, but never forgotten,” the SPVM says.

Benredouane and a civilian were killed in the shooting. One suspect who was allegedly involved in the shooting was killed. Another injured officer is in stable condition and a civilian sustained minor injuries. Police were called to the scene Monday after a witness reported seeing a “gun sticking out of a window,” said Police Chief Fady Dagher.

While the investigation is ongoing, Quebec’s Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière has said the shooting in Montreal remains a “domestic case” and is not related to terrorism. Quebec’s police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), have been assigned to investigate the events that took place during the intervention.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that he was “horrified” to learn of a shooting attack in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in Montreal, Quebec, on Monday in which at least two people, including a police officer, were killed. Quebec and Montreal both announced they would fly flags at half-mast.

The shooting — a rare eruption of gun violence in broad daylight in the Canadian city — has triggered rare levels of shock across Montreal.

Scorching heat breaks records in Toronto

Monday is unofficially the hottest June 23 recorded at Pearson in Toronto history, Environment Canada meteorologist Steven Flisfeder told the Star. Despite scorching conditions at Pearson Airport — with parts of the airfield topping 50 C in direct sunlight before noon — operations continued.

Amid the scorching heat, Mayor Olivia Chow says Toronto is taking immediate action to keep pools open. Chow says she plans to introduce a motion at city council this week to address what she calls “serious gaps” in Toronto’s heat relief.

A power outage left more than 2,700 Toronto residents without electricity, though power has since been restored to most of the city.

Meanwhile, Edmonton is experiencing its own extreme weather. As of noon on Monday, Edmonton had seen just under 189.9 mm of rain — 104 mm fell since Friday — this month, making it Edmonton’s second-wettest June ever, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Chloe Katsademas.

Canada inflation hits 3.2% in May amid rising oil price hikes

The country’s yearly inflation rate rose to 3.25% in May, from 2.8% in April this year, marking the first time it has exceeded 3% since April of 2023. Statistics Canada stated that the increase was largely driven by oil price hikes, which jumped from 33.2% year-over-year amid concerns over supplies and continued tensions in the Middle East.

Grocery prices also spiked faster than overall inflation for the 16th consecutive month. Fresh fruit prices increased by 5.3%, while fresh vegetables climbed 9% due to higher import costs and weather-related issues. Moreover, shelter costs edged higher, though mortgage interest costs and real estate commissions declined. Air transportation prices rose 7.4% as airlines faced higher fuel costs connected to the conflict in Iran. Additionally, computer equipment and software prices increased 3.9% due to growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers.

Statistics Canada will release its June inflation report on July 20.

Unifor, Ford kick off ‘most consequential’ contract talks

Collective bargaining talks kicked off Monday morning between Ford Motor Co. and Canada’s largest private sector union, which says it is anticipating the “most consequential round of auto bargaining” in its history.

The union has set a July 10 deadline to reach a tentative agreement with the company. Unifor represents nearly 19,000 members at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, and is seeking improvements in pay, job security and benefits. The union indicated they are looking for “fair economic progress” in wages, income security, pensions, benefits, and creating a stable ground for the auto sector.

The talks come as the auto sector faces uncertainty surrounding the future of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), with some commentators suggesting the U.S. could walk away from the trade pact.

Carney celebrates Quebec on eve of Fête nationale

Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading across the Ottawa River today in honour of the Fête nationale du Québec, a.k.a., Saint-Jean-Baptiste-Day. He’s a day early — Quebec’s national day is June 24 — but so are many Quebecers who plan celebrations.

The visit comes as Carney continues to build bridges with Quebec, following his Monday meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in Ottawa, where the two discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation. Plenković noted that trade between the two countries is on the rise: “I think that the moment is ripe” for deeper ties.

Blue Jays return to .500 with 4-2 win over Astros

Pinch-hitter Myles Straw drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with one of Toronto’s three sacrifice flies, and Kazuma Okamoto homered to help the Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Monday night.

Louis Varland issued a leadoff walk to Yainer Diaz in the ninth, but Joey Loperfido grounded into a double play two pitches later. Varland then struck out pinch-hitter Taylor Trammell to secure his 16th save. Toronto (39-39) got back to .500 for the first time since May 29 at the start of a 10-game homestand, the team’s longest this season.

Okamoto tied it 1-1 when he led off the second against Hunter Brown with his 17th homer. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in Andrés Giménez with a sac fly in the fourth to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. Alejandro Kirk’s sac fly in the eighth scored George Springer to make it 4-2.

Braydon Fisher (3-2) entered and retired Diaz on a comebacker, getting four outs on six pitches to earn the win.

The Blue Jays had previously moved the start time of this game from 7:07 p.m. to 4:07 p.m. to avoid conflicting with a FIFA World Cup match being played that evening at nearby BMO Field. “The new start time will make it easier for fans to enjoy both sporting events happening in Toronto that day without any overlap,” the Blue Jays said.

Canada eyes World Cup knockout round as Kone injury clouds Swiss showdown

A Canada side rallying around the loss of injured midfielder Ismael Kone face Switzerland on Wednesday needing a win or draw to secure top spot in Group B and their first World Cup knockout-round appearance. Canada will be without the services of Kone when they line up against three-time quarter-finalists Switzerland as the linchpin midfielder suffered a broken leg following a tackle by Qatar’s Assim Madibo during the co-host’s 6-0 thrashing of Qatar last week that gave them their first World Cup win.

“He means everything to this team,” Jonathan David, Canada’s all-time leading scorer, said of his injured teammate. “It was a difficult moment. But we have to stay strong for him, and do it for him.”

Replacing the midfielder will be no easy feat for head coach Jesse Marsch, who acknowledged the absence of Kone “weakens us in the tournament,” but he will have no choice but to rely on someone from his bench to step up in the high-stakes clash against Switzerland.

“Everybody’s a little shaken by the whole experience. Ismael is a big part of the heart of our team,” said Marsch. “He’s a bit of an X factor for us, and we’ll miss him. But I think we have good players who can step in.”

Nathan Saliba replaced Kone in the game against Qatar and moments after entering the game made it 4-0, celebrating by holding Kone’s No. 8 jersey aloft before kissing it and making the sign of the cross.

There will also be questions about the fitness of Canada captain Alphonso Davies, who has yet to play in this World Cup as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury suffered in early May. Canada and Switzerland have four points from two games, though the World Cup co-hosts are top of the Group B standings due to a superior goal difference.

The match takes place Wednesday at Vancouver’s BC Place. Meanwhile, Egypt’s plan to travel directly from Vancouver to Seattle for their final Group G fixture was turned down by local security authorities.

Alleged attack on Victoria imam draws condemnation

Officials in British Columbia are condemning an alleged attack on the imam of a Victoria mosque last week. According to the B.C. Muslim Association (BCMA), the head of the Masjid Al-Iman mosque was attacked in downtown Victoria on Thursday.

BCMA spokesperson Mohammed Imtiaz Asin said Ebrahim Ali reported that he was sitting in his car outside his home when he noticed someone inspecting the vehicle. Asin said when the man spotted Ali he tried to force the vehicle open. During the ensuing scuffle, the man told Ali, who was wearing his religious robes, to “go back to his country,” according to Asin.

“The reason why we kind of wanted to share this story with the community was just making sure that our clergy — it doesn’t matter what faith-based group they’re part of — [are] extra safe and vigilant,” he said.

Victoria police told CBC News that charges had been laid and that a suspect was remanded in custody, but that the file was “complex” and they would be unable to comment further until Tuesday.

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said the incident has left her disappointed and disheartened. “It’s unacceptable, completely unacceptable that anyone should be [a] victim of such an attack,” Alto said. “And certainly if this is an attack that was precipitated by a particular viewpoint, that is even more unacceptable.”

Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger called the allegations “deeply concerning,” adding her ministry was monitoring the situation. “Every community needs to feel safe in British Columbia and nobody should feel targeted or unsafe because of who they are.”

On Sunday, federal Culture Minister Marc Miller also commented on the alleged attack, calling it “appalling and vile.”

Ali escaped the incident without serious injuries and has returned to his duties with the mosque, according to Asin. “He did mention to me that he is suffering from some light head injuries, he was a little bit dizzy, he has some bruises and bumps,” Asin said. “But this happened on Thursday evening. That guy woke up in the morning and headed straight to the mosque to conduct his Friday Jummah sermon, so that just shows the commitment that he has to the community.”