Seven years after Justin Trudeau took power, the woke, globalist, net-zero Liberals finally met their match in 2022..Although the year ends with high inflation, the Singh-Trudeau pact intact, and innumerable encumbrances underway on carbon, guns, and freedom of speech, 2022 will be remembered as the year the tide turned and the righteous rebellion began..A famous meme has a Canadian holding up a protest sign that says, “I am a little upset.” In February, however, the world got to see what happens when Canadians get pushed too far. People endured the cold, walked into restaurants without masks, honked their horns and peacefully celebrated faith and freedom in the middle of downtown Ottawa. People from around the world chafing under planet lockdown finally had reason for optimism, thanks to truckers and others who came along for the ride.. Tamara LichTamara Lich .The spectacle was too big to ignore and forced the power structure in Canada to reveal its true and ugly colours. The Liberals proved themselves afraid of principled populism and of anything they couldn’t control. They also showed themselves willing to misrepresent the people they walked by every day to get to Parliament. A shameful amount of fear-mongering and slanted representation ensued, and paid-off lamestream mainstream media went right along.. PoilievrePierre Poilievre .The Emergencies [War Measures] Act was invoked, putting Tamara Lich in chains, and bank accounts in suspension. By now, thanks in part to recent hearings, most Canadians see how heavy-handed the crackdown was. That hand was also overplayed..The demonstrations meant to topple Trudeau ousted Conservative leader Erin O’Toole instead. That opened the door for the greatest party leadership juggernaut in Canadian history. Pierre Poilievre sold more than 300,000 memberships, including more than 25,000 in Quebec, rallying crowds and hope while speaking common sense solutions. Finally, there stood a Conservative leader that conservatives and other Canadians could rally behind.. James ToppJames Topp .Armed forces veteran James Topp also got a large following this year. Echoes of Canada's sacrifices in war and Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope converged in this one soldier who at times faced brutal temperatures and winds. He began his journey from the West Coast with a handful of friends and his own convictions, not knowing if anyone would get behind him. Instead, he almost became the leader of his own army as a legion of the inspired accompanied him for his final steps in Ottawa on Canada Day.. Danielle SmithAlberta Premier Danielle Smith .Alberta also found its feet. The province languished when oil prices fell in 2014, was demoralized under the Notley NDP, then embroiled in turbulence and controversy under Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party. Then oil prices rebounded in impressive fashion, followed by the provincial economy and Danielle Smith’s political career. In one of the greatest political comebacks in Canadian history, Smith arrived as the perfect successor to complete the bulwarks Kenney built against Ottawa. She also had the courage to do some things Kenney did not — such as fire Dr. Deena Hinshaw as Alberta Chief Medical Officer..In the 1980’s, the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan opposed an elder Trudeau. In 2022, Scott Moe really took off the gloves as Alberta’s ally against Ottawa’s net-zero-Nero. A Saskatchewan Finance report showed federal policies to wipe out carbon emissions would cost Saskatchewan $111 billion by 2035. Goodbye crops, fertilizer, coal, fossil fuels..“To hell with that,” Moe said in the legislature..A cast of other courageous characters also stood up this year to stand against the erosion of Canada. Jordan Pederson permanently stepped aside from his professorship in Toronto to return to his hometown in northern Alberta. His online YouTube channel has become a thoughtful and valuable interview platform, prophetic in its call to a nation adrift.. Brian PeckfordBrian Peckford .Former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford emerged from the fogged serenity of retirement to remind Canadians what their constitution was supposed to be. His position as the last living First Minister from the negotiations that formed the document, give him unique standing for this role. So too, does his commitment to principle, his willingness to think independently and his disregard for the approval of the chattering classes. He and Preston Manning continue as the political leaders of yesteryear who continue to make a valuable contribution to us today..The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms remained at the forefront of legal battles on important issues. The organization won some lesser victories, though they could not quite persuade judges COVID mandates were unconstitutional. Still, they ably fought the fights that must be had, and one shudders to think where this country would be without them.. Maxime BernierMaxime Bernier .In 2022, Maxime Bernier continued to energetically advocate for liberty despite continual hurdles. Critics who claimed the People’s Party was nothing but a vanity project have long been proven wrong. In fact, his advocacy for freedom and fiscal conservatism was only proven more valuable by the events of recent years. His adage, “We will keep saying the unpopular until it becomes popular,” is the very thing Canada needs — whether it gets Team Purple into Parliament or not..While outlets like Global TV begged for handouts, independent media continued to refuse Trudeau’s shekels (and their apparent shackles). Rotten institutions will rot and healthy ones will grow, and the ascendancy of alternative media over the struggling mainstream is only one more proof. Freedom’s broadcasters, democracy’s oxygen, and truth’s scribes are increasingly earning the finances and attention of the public. Despite continual challenges, a robust alternative media is making an impact in Canada in exponentially greater ways than it did a few short years ago..Difficult times reveal great people, and recent times in Canada are no exception. These Canadian champions have demonstrated courage, reason, and conviction and in 2023, even more will emerge to do so. It was for these the lyrics, “O Canada, we stand on guard for thee” were written..The clash between the oppressive forces of globalism and the great patriots of Canada will be fierce..Very well. The darker it gets, the more it’s time to shine.
