Canada

Does the music video "Try That In A Small Town" by country music singer Jason Aldean only contain "real news footage," as he asserted in a public response to criticism that his song and video promote violence and allude to timeworn lynching threats? No, that's not true: Not every clip in the video is news footage. There are several stock…

Were dozens of wildfires in Canada as of June 8, 2023, determined by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigators to be arson? No, that's not true: The RCMP told Lead Stories that its police don't determine what causes a fire, saying that's the responsibility of each individual province or territory. The claim appeared in a post and video on Facebook…

Did a large plume of smoky air from Canada, which spread poor air quality conditions to many places in the U.S. in late June 2023, originate from gold and lithium mining operations in Sakami, Quebec, and not from forest fires? No, that's not true: There were many large and well-documented forest fires burning in the region near Sakami in northern…

Did a preprint paper submitted to The Lancet on July 5, 2023, find that 74 percent of the deaths in the autopsies it reviewed were caused by the COVID-19 vaccine? Additionally, was it also a legitimate study from The Lancet? No, neither is true: The preprint paper never made it past the submission stage with the medical journal because The…

Does this video show a crowd gathered in Nanterre, France, to protest the June 27, 2023, killing of Nahel Merzouk by police? No, that's not true: This video of a crowd at El Zocalo, the main square of Mexico City, was filmed and posted online on June 3, 2023. It shows a crowd gathered for a concert by Los Fabulosos…

Does this post include a recording of the sounds detected during a search for the Titan submersible? No, that's not true: This audio comes from some other source and is not an authentic recording of sounds reportedly detected by sonobuoys deployed by Canadian search and rescue aircraft. No recordings of the detected sounds had been released to the public by…

Were "30 tons of stolen ammonia nitrate ... taken to Canada to start" the wildfires that began burning in Quebec in May 2023 and blanketed the northeastern United States in early June 2023? No, that's not true: There is no credible information or evidence to support the assertion that, first, 30 tons of ammonium nitrate were stolen; and second, if…

Do images of military equipment in U.S. and Canadian cities show some sort of military action or deployment is taking place in June 2023? No, that's not true: Military equipment in U.S. and Canadian cities does not necessarily indicate that military action is imminent. Military equipment may be deployed to urban areas for various reasons, such as training exercises, security…

Does the impact of carbon dioxide on global warming have "no definitive scientific proof through real-world observation"? No, that's not true: Relying on numerous credible observational studies coupled with an understanding of physics, chemistry and statistical analysis, contemporary science considers increased levels of CO₂ one of the major factors responsible for climate change. The claim appeared in a reel on…

Has Canada's Bill C-11 caused Canadians' social media posts to be censored, including posts about Canadian wildfires? No, that's not true: Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, became law in Canada in April 2023. It requires that online streaming platforms contribute to Canadian content and only affects online streaming companies, not users who create content and post…