Canada

Did authentic social media posts offer genuine concern over a woman with dementia found in various locations? No, that's not true: Though the woman could not be identified, several posts claimed she was found in various cities across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. using the exact same format on June 30 and July 1, 2024. The posts are part…

Was British activist Tommy Robinson arrested in Canada for expressing anti-Islam views? No, that's not true: In a video of his arrest, the plainclothes Canada Border Services Agency officers who handcuffed Robinson said he was arrested on an "outstanding immigration warrant." They also suggested the activist lied about his criminal history on his visa application to enter Canada. The claim…

Is a photo showing hockey fans spelling out "FUCK TRUDEAU" with placards authentic? No, that's not true: The sign spelled out by fans at a Stanley Cup game actually read "BELIEVE," and was digitally edited. Two different publications posted the original photo with the sign reading "BELIEVE." An online news search did not yield any evidence of a sign with…

Did an authentic video document Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promoting a financial investment scheme in a video? No, that's not true: The video of Trudeau is altered to add audio of a Trudeau-like voice pitching a platform where large returns are promised on a small investment. The original video of Trudeau is from his visit to a company announcing…

Did President Joe Biden wander aimlessly away from a group of world leaders during a skydiving demonstration at the Group of Seven summit? No, that's not true: Biden did take a few steps away from the group, but it was to give a thumbs up to the paratrooper adjacent to the group who was collecting his gear. The Folgore paratroopers…

Did the Canadian Cancer Society "apologize" for using the word "cervix" instead of "front hole"? No, that's not true: The organization added a note to one of the articles published on its website explaining a rationale for the Society's current stand on the matter. The disclaimer did not contain any explicit wording indicating that the purpose of the note was…

Will Alberta, a province in Canada, vote to become the 51st state in the United States on June 30? No, that's not true: Contrary to a website article published in June 2023, there was no vote on June 30, 2023, and no votes have been scheduled for June 30, 2024, according to the official website for the government of Alberta.…

Does photographic evidence and reports from several independent sources, including NASA, show that an ancient satellite has been orbiting Earth since at least the 1950s? No, that's not true: The supposed photographic evidence from NASA, sometimes used to support this myth, does not show an ancient satellite but a thermal blanket accidentally dropped during a space walk on the 1998…

Does a diagram from a patent application for a purported "sun simulator" prove that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is also a sun simulator because of their similarities? No, that's not true: The diagram included in a 2003 patent application is for an "autonomously assembled space telescope" and does not depict a "sun simulator." The James Webb Space Telescope, which…

Was canola oil first developed as an engine lubricant during World War II, as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: Canola oil is made from a species of plant specially bred from rapeseed. Oil from rapeseed was used during World War II as a mechanical lubricant. However, canola oil, as we know it today, was developed in…

Is a photo showing a woman holding a pro-Palestine sign that reads "You don't get to choose who we rape" authentic? No, that's not true: the photo was digitally altered to change the original sign which read "You don't get to choose how we resist." While the woman in the picture is a real protester at a real pro-Palestine ceasefire…

Is Canada killing autistic people without their consent? No, that's not true: The implication in a social media post, with a screenshot of a news article, that a man's perfectly healthy daughter who is on the autism spectrum could be killed with Canada's MAID program is false. MAID -- an acronym for "medical assistance in dying" -- does not kill…

Do chemotherapy drugs consist of "100% mustard gas," as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: The National Cancer Institute told Lead Stories that its records do not indicate any forms of chemotherapy drugs are known to contain "100% mustard gas." One group of chemotherapy drugs, alkylating agents, contain a less toxic mustard gas derivative known as nitrogen…

Did Canada recently change its passport policy to prohibit people from listing Palestine as their country of birth on their passports? No, that's not true: Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller responded to the claim on X. Miller said there have been no recent changes to the nations listed in Canada's passport application form for country of…

Did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau say that Russia must win this war? Yes: Trudeau did misspeak at the end of a news conference in Poland. While speaking of how aid and military equipment would be supplied to Ukraine, he accidentally said "Russia must win this war." He immediately corrected himself and said, "Ukraine must win this war against Russia."…

Does a video on social media show immigrants in Canada "forced" to live near busy train tracks in Toronto? No, that's not true: This video was shot in Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, and gained traction online during February 2024. A Nigerian government official responded to this video, which showed traders selling goods alongside a track as a train rushes…

Is sporting company Barnett Outdoors giving away free bows after having "discriminated 35+ years old men"? No, that's not true: The account that shared a post making this claim is in no way affiliated with the sporting goods company-- the page was created the same day the scam post was published. A link included in the post redirected users to…

Does a viral video show proof that the U.S. national debt was paid off in 2017? No, that's not true: The U.S. Treasury website shows the current U.S. national debt, which is about $33.7 trillion, a number accepted by U.S. financial markets, independent economists and the Federal Reserve Bank. The video relies on paperwork that has nothing to do with…

Did 80 Canadian doctors die after being vaccinated for COVID-19? No, that's not true: As of December 12, 2022, there had been no COVID vaccine caused deaths - of doctors or non-doctors - in Canada, according to the national public health agency. The claim was made with no evidence that the vaccines caused any physician deaths. Publicly available information shows…

Did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sing in a London hotel lobby bar before Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral? Yes, that's true: Trudeau, accompanied by Canadian musician Gregory Charles on the piano, was belting out "Bohemian Rhapsody" by the band Queen two nights before the British monarch was laid to rest on September 19, 2022. The claim appeared as a…