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OTTAWA – The federal government has ordered Canada Post to stop publishing a controversial tabloid based in Toronto that has been criticized for inciting hatred against Jews, visible minorities, women and LGBTQ Canadians.
In June 2016, the government issued an interim order prohibiting the distribution of Your Ward News to some 300,000 households through Canada Post's unaddressed bulk mail.
After reviewing the recommendations of an independent review committee on the issue, Carla Qualtrough, the Minister responsible for the Post Office, made this final order. The Minister of Public Services and Procurement said that her decision was in accordance with the law and the government's support for diversity and inclusion.
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Controversial publication appears in mailboxes in downtown Kitchener
Last fall, LeRoy St. Germaine, publisher of the tabloid, and James Sears, editor-in-chief, were each charged with two counts of promoting self-hatred against an identifiable group, namely Jews and women.
They were also accused of uttering death threats against political consultants Warren and Lisa Kinsella, but a judge dismissed the charges against Sainte-Germaine last month.
The Center for Israeli and Jewish Affairs, which filed a criminal complaint against the tabloid, applauded Qualtrough's decision on Thursday to permanently ensure that Your Ward News is not broadcast by Canada Post.
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Local publisher to promote hatred against the Jewish community and women
"Your Ward News promotes disgusting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, misogyny, homophobia and racism," said Noah Shack, vice president of the center in Toronto, in a statement.
"Our taxpayer-funded mail service should not be used to distribute such heinous content to hundreds of thousands of homes."
Until the temporary ban on delivery, the tabloid arrived unsolicited every month at the doors of approximately 300,000 households and businesses in the Greater Toronto Area.
"Think of a Holocaust survivor picking up his mail to discover the neo-Nazi propaganda at his doorstep," Shack said. "It's totally unacceptable."
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