Canada Free Press

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Canada Free Press is a Canadian website, which publishes conservative news stories, features, and editorials. It is published in Toronto.

1 Origins as Our Toronto
2 Criticism
3 Notes and sources
4 External links

[edit] Origins as Our Toronto

Canada Free Press was established in 1991 as Our Toronto, with the assistance of then Toronto City Councillor Tony O'Donohue. Judi McLeod has edited the newspaper since its inception. Arthur Weinreb is the current associate editor.

Canadian conservative writers including Ezra Levant and Kevin Steel have contributed to the publication.

The publication formerly had members of the NDP (New Democratic Party) write for it. These include Michael Lockey, who was the paper's Associate Editor from 1991 to 1996, and Peter Tabuns who wrote a guest column in 1996.^[1] Michael Lockey, a life-long NDP activist and member, unsuccessfully tried challenging Jack Layton for the NDP nomination in the 1991 Toronto Mayoralty race.^[2]

O'Donohue and McLeod had a falling out which resulted in him unsuccessfully suing the paper in 1994. O'Donohue believed that the paper's articles David Verses Goliath and Ten Reasons Not To Vote For Tony O'Donohue - distributed as an insert with the Our Toronto special election issue - caused him to lose the election. ^[3] ^[4]

The CFP has a history of endorsing NDP and Liberal candidates: NDP Barbara Hall and Liberals Tony O'Donohue, Betty Disero and Chris Korwin-Kuczynski in 1991; NDP Jack Layton and Liberal Mario Silva in 1994; NDP Martin Silva in the 1995 Ontario provincial election; NDPers Peter Tabuns, Kyle Rae, Rob Maxwell and Liberal Judy Sgro in 1997. Associate editor Julius Melnitzer endorsed Barbara Hall in 1997.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, the Free Press was engaged in a war of words with Ezra Levant's Western Standard over Rachel Marsden's suitability as a conservative commentator. The CFP was forced to apologize for casting doubt on Western Standard writer Kevin Steel's integrity and implying that he had plagiarized Toronto Star writer Antonia Zerbisias.^[5] Zerbisias herself has accused the CFP of plagiarizing an Associated Press story.^[6]

[edit] Criticism

Toronto Conservative politician Paul Christie also won a retraction in 1997 after the website accused Christie of not being up to date on a subject because he had just returned from a five-week long holiday. ^[7]

Canada Free Press and Garth Pritchard apologized in 2005 to David Pugliese and CanWest Global Media Works Publications Inc. for allegedly defaming them in an article written by Pritchard entitled "Bedroom Slipper Journalism". Pritchard had falsely accused Pugliese of not having any hands-on experience and lacking credibility. In fact, Pugliese has reported from active war/conflict zones as well as peacekeeping operations. The Canada Free Press admitted that their writer Pritchard had knowingly lied.^[8]

[edit] Notes and sources

^ Tabuns, Peter. "The `Bad Boy' Law", Toronto Free Press. June/July 1995, p. 5
^ MacLeod, Robert. 5th candidate set to enter mayoral race; The Globe and Mail. June 1, 1991.
^ Cooly, Glenn. "Rightist lauding Layton: Right-wing tab, Our Toronto, touts Jack Layton as class act. Jack Layton says bizarre new backing a surprise," Now Weekly, November 3/9, 1994
^ Di Matteo, Enzo. "Right-wing friends flee from tabloid's independent stance: Our Toronto faces ad drain and lawsuit by a high-profile founder," Now Weekly, November 17/23, 1994
^ "Correction"
^ "Cogita ante salis""Tragically hip in Sweden""Satanic logo not hurting sales of Swedish jeans
^ No Byline. "Correction" Toronto Free Press. October 1997, p 4.
^ http://www.cbcwatch.ca/?q=node/view/1176/2619#2619