CALGARY — B’nai Brith Canada is urging federal authorities to prevent several foreign speakers from entering Canada ahead of a nationalist conference scheduled to take place in the Hamilton area Saturday.The Dominion Conference, also known as DomCon, is being organized by the Dominion Society of Canada and is promoted by organizers as an international gathering “focused on Canadian nationalism.”The organization describes the event as a professional conference and networking opportunity for Canadian nationalists.B’nai Brith, however, has characterized the event as a far-right gathering and has raised concerns about several of its scheduled international speakers.In a statement released Sunday, the Jewish advocacy organization said it had alerted the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) about speakers it alleges have promoted “racist” or “antisemitic” views. B’nai Brith also said it was working with law enforcement and community partners regarding the event..Among those expected to speak is Austrian activist Martin Sellner, a prominent advocate of remigration, a political concept generally associated with the return or removal of immigrants and, in some cases, their descendants.Sellner was permanently barred from entering the United Kingdom in 2019 on security grounds. His U.S. travel authorization was also cancelled that year after authorities learned of his communications with Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand. Tarrant also donated money to an organization associated with Sellner.Sellner has previously acknowledged exchanging emails with Tarrant and receiving a €1,500 donation from him before the Christchurch attack. Sellner has denied any involvement in Tarrant’s plans.It remains unclear whether Sellner will be permitted to enter Canada for the conference. Canadian officials have not publicly confirmed whether he has been deemed admissible..B’nai Brith has also identified British activist Charles Fraser Downes as a speaker of concern. The organization says Downes is associated with Restore Britain, a political group that advocates remigration, and alleges he has promoted 'antisemitic' conspiracy theories online.The Dominion Society itself openly promotes remigration as part of its political platform.Its website describes remigration as the “return of foreigners to their respective homelands” and advocates policies including a 10-year immigration moratorium and the deportation of people it says are in Canada illegally. The organization also argues that immigration has contributed to issues including housing affordability and employment.The Society has also addressed the so-called Great Replacement directly on its website. The organization states that “Heritage Canadians are being replaced.”The Society argues that declining birth rates combined with immigration are changing Canada's demographic makeup and says remigration is necessary to preserve what it describes as Canada's cultural continuity..The organization's own published material focuses heavily on Canadian national identity, ancestry, immigration and opposition to multiculturalism.B’nai Brith has separately characterized the broader movement and some of its participants as 'antisemitic.' However, the organization's allegations concerning individual speakers should be distinguished from the Dominion Society's own publicly stated positions.The Dominion Society's publicly available material reviewed for this story does not appear to contain statements targeting Jewish Canadians or Judaism. B’nai Brith's allegations concerning ''antisemitism'' primarily concern individuals associated with the conference, including Downes.The conference has already drawn opposition from Hamilton officials and community organizations.Mayor Andrea Horwath has said the city will not rent space to the Dominion Society and has contacted local venues to provide information about the organization.“While people are free to express their views, I have always been clear that there is no place for hate, racism or discrimination in Hamilton,” Horwath said in a statement..Daniel Tyrie, chairman of the Dominion Society, has defended the conference and argued that Canadians should be permitted to peacefully assemble and discuss political ideas with which others may disagree. He has also criticized efforts to prevent Sellner from entering Canada.When asked by the Western Standard about the Dominion Society’s position on Jewish Canadians and Israel, Tyrie said the organization does not have an official position on either but argued that Judaism and Jewish people are a “foreign element” to Canada’s historic identity. He said Canada was founded as a Christian country and that he did not believe the majority of Jewish Canadians would be “equal parts of the Canadian nation.” Tyrie nevertheless said the group's proposed remigration policy is not based on ethnicity, but on “cultural compatibility,” adherence to Canadian laws, and national security and social cohesion.Tyrie also questioned B’nai Brith’s opposition to the Dominion Society’s immigration policies, saying he found it “ironic” that a Jewish advocacy organization would object to the group’s efforts to preserve Canada's identity. “We merely seek the same protection of our identity that they hold in Israel,” he said, adding that he believes B’nai Brith would support similar policies if they were aimed at protecting Jewish interests rather than Canadian interests..The Dominion Society describes itself as a ''non-partisan advocacy organization" rather than a political party. Tyrie has previously rejected characterizations of the group as a white nationalist organization and instead describes its position as Canadian nationalism.Under Canadian immigration law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible for a number of reasons, including certain security, criminality and organized-crime concerns. Canadian officials have not indicated that Sellner or the other speakers named by B’nai Brith have been found inadmissible.“B’nai Brith has alerted the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) about Sellner, Downes, and other figures believed to be planning to enter Canada for this event,” the organization said.B’nai Brith is nevertheless calling on the federal government to review the speakers before they enter Canada.
