Opinion
The federal government wants Canadians to eat bugs.

A few (very few) media outlets have picked up on this recent news release from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation regarding the human consumption of.. Bugs!
Yuck right? Well don’t panic. They’re not quite ready to swap your bowl of Count Chocula for cocoa-flavoured crickets just yet. However it does appear the Liberal government is hoping to put bugs on your menu. The article from the CTF is included below so I urge you to read on because it’s really interesting (and for those with a queasy stomach, just a tad disturbing).
But before you do that, a couple of observations.
First. This is NOT another win for the annoying conspiracy theory people. Sure they may have been spouting off about forcing us to eat bugs, but that doesn’t make this a classic conspiracy theory.
When it comes to conspiracy theories, most of us have always concluded there are just two types of people. There are the KOOKS. And then there are the people who do their best to avoid the kooks. Let’s call the first group the Flat Earthers, and the second group, Everyone Else (or the Rest of Us if you please).
Flat Earthers use evidence no one can verify to draw ridiculous conclusions and make strange accusations. Governments insisting we eat bugs may sound like a ridiculous conclusion formed by evidence no one can verify, but it turns out this is not the case at all.
Why is it that “The Liberal Government Wants Us To Eat Bugs” is not a ‘classic’ conspiracy theory?
Well it’s because of the words ‘conspiracy’ and ‘theory’. They just don’t apply.
The Oxford Dictionary defines conspiracy as “a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal.” For one thing there’s nothing illegal about adding bugs to our diet. We’ve never had to make a law about it. Politicians like getting elected, and so it never occurred to them to force bugs onto our plates. Sure you’ll see them flipping pancakes and picking hot dogs off a bbq, but that’s about as ‘harmful’ as they’re willing to get. So there’s nothing illegal and nothing harmful going on. That leaves the part about being a secret.
To prove this isn’t a secret I’m afraid I’m going to have to put 2 and 2 together because we have to talk about the World Economic Forum. They might not be shouting it from the mountaintops, but the World Economic Forum isn’t hiding the fact they’d like us to replace meat protein with bugs. It’s only a secret if you’ve never taken the time to read “Why we need to give insects the role they deserve in our food systems“, or “5 reasons why eating insects could reduce climate change“.
You might think our trusted sources of information would look into this because food is something their readers tend to eat almost every day. Sometimes more than once. They might not even have to go to Davos to check it out. News reporters bump into Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland in the hallways on Parliament Hill all the time. Chrystia Freeland is on the World Economic Forum Board of Trustees If you click the link you can see her there, third person down on the right. If Deputy PM Freeland doesn’t know where to find these articles on the WEF website, as a Board of Trustee member she’ll know who to ask. So this certainly isn’t illegal or particularly harmful, and it’s only a secret to those who don’t read these things or have these things read to them by the information sources we’ve always trusted. The Liberal government might not talk about sharing goals with the WEF every day, but when Canada’s Deputy PM is on the WEF’s Board of Trustees let’s just say it would be odd to think they’re at odds.
The other word in play here is “theory”. When it comes to “conspiracy theory”, the word theory means “theoretical”, as in a theory, but not really happening. Again with the Oxford, second meaning applies here, “that could possibly exist, happen or be true, although this is unlikely”.
One could make a weak argument that Canada’s Deputy PM only goes to Davos to exchange stories with the rich and famous about how ridiculously hard it is to drive the speed limit in Alberta. One ‘theory’ is that she had to make it all the way back to Ottawa in an EV before it got cold. Regardless. Canada’s Deputy PM is a member of the WEF Board of Trustees. So although it could be a coincidence, it is not a theory that the federal government is funding bug – food research. As you’ll see below, the liberals are paying companies to ” promote the consumption of “roasted crickets” or “cricket powder” mixed-in with your morning bowl of cereal. ”
The fact the WEF has been talking about this for years now, the fact our Deputy Prime Minister is on the WEF Board of Trustees, and the fact the federal government is now funding research meant to change Canadians from people who stomp on bugs into people who chomp on bugs.. Well that pretty much takes the theoretical part right out of it.
Now that you’re hungry for more, here is the news release from a new trusted information source, the CTF.
By Ryan Thorpe of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Taste the crunch: cricket corporate welfare cost $420K
Bon apétit.
The federal government spent $420,023 since 2018 subsidizing companies that turn crickets into human food.
“Canadians are struggling as inflation pushes up grocery bills, but subsidizing snacks made out of bugs doesn’t sound like the right solution for taxpayers,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to take a bite out of crunchy crickets, he can do it without taking a bite out of taxpayers’ wallets.”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation gathered the list of cricket corporate welfare deals by reviewing the federal government’s proactive disclosure of grants and contributions.
On two separate occasions, the feds cut cheques to a Montreal-based company called NAAK Inc., for a combined cost to taxpayers of $171,695.
The co-founders of NAAK were “introduced … to the benefits of adding insects to (their) diet” by a friend and describe their mission as “democratizing insect consumption.”
NAAK specializes in “cricket energy bars,” but a portion of its corporate welfare money was earmarked for developing other cricket products, including “steaks, sausages and falafels.”
NAAK is one of five companies producing crickets for human consumption that have received corporate welfare deals from the feds in recent years.
Table: Corporate welfare deals, 2018-2022
Company |
Number of subsidies |
Total cost of subsidies |
NAAK Inc. |
2 |
$171,695 |
Entologik Inc. |
2 |
$88,979 |
Prairie Cricket Farms |
2 |
$78,349 |
Gaia Protein |
1 |
$42,000 |
Casa Bonita Foods |
1 |
$39,000 |
Casa Bonita Foods wants to “manufacture high protein snacks made with cricket flour,” while Prairie Cricket Farms promotes the consumption of “roasted crickets” or “cricket powder” mixed-in with your morning bowl of cereal.
The founder of Entologik claims insects are the “protein of the future” and wants to grow the company into “the largest producers and processor of edible insects in Canada.”
“The feds are having their ‘let them eat crickets’ moment,” Terrazzano said. “If someone can sell crickets as food, we wish them the best of luck, but taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for it.”
An additional $8.7 million in subsidies went to Aspire Food Group, which operates a cricket processing plant in London, Ont. In total, the company received four separate handouts.
While the company is primarily geared toward pet food production, its owner said about 10 per cent of its business uses crickets for human food.
MxM News
Investigating Biden’s last minute pardons

MxM News
Quick Hit:
Ed Martin, the outgoing interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, has launched an investigation into the extraordinary scope of last-minute pardons issued by former President Joe Biden.
Key Details:
- Ed Martin told Vince Coglianese that Biden’s pardons are under review due to their unusual scope and timing.
- Among those pardoned were Hunter Biden, James and Frank Biden, and members of the January 6 committee including Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
- Martin is questioning whether the use of the president’s plenary pardon power in this context rises to the level of corruption.
Diving Deeper:
Ed Martin’s remarks during an interview with Daily Caller’s Vince Coglianese signal a potentially explosive inquiry into the Biden administration’s final acts before relinquishing power. The investigation centers around what Martin called “suspiciously specific” pardons that were issued in a sweeping, preemptive manner to shield political allies and family members from future legal consequences.
Martin pointed to historical precedent to highlight the seriousness of the issue, referencing Bill Clinton’s infamous pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich. While that move was widely criticized, it ultimately didn’t lead to criminal consequences due to the president’s expansive constitutional authority. Martin suggested that Biden’s pardons may go beyond even that level of abuse.
“What’s different here,” Martin explained, “is that the pardons were broad, yet highly targeted in timing. Some went back 14 years and covered everything the individuals had done during that period.” He added, “That leads to questions—because while the plenary power is real, it doesn’t exempt the motive from scrutiny.”
Hunter Biden’s pardon stands out among the most controversial. Despite vowing publicly for months that he would not intervene in his son’s legal troubles, Joe Biden issued a full pardon on Dec. 1, 2024, covering Hunter’s activities from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. This sweep includes matters tied to Hunter’s overseas business dealings, his illegal gun purchase conviction, and an ongoing federal indictment involving over $1.4 million in unpaid taxes.
The pardon of Biden’s brother James, also linked to Hunter’s foreign business interests, and Frank Biden, who exploited his brother’s 2021 inauguration to promote his Florida law firm, have further fueled accusations of self-dealing.
Perhaps most egregiously, Biden issued blanket pardons to former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger—Republican members of the now-defunct January 6 Select Committee. This preemptive move gave them full immunity for any actions related to their controversial investigations and public statements surrounding the Capitol unrest of January 6, 2021.
As Martin put it, “The question is: what is going on here?” His team has begun receiving responses to inquiries, and while no formal charges have been announced, the investigation appears to be ongoing.
Business
Five key issues—besides Trump’s tariffs—the Carney government should tackle

From the Fraser Institute
By Jake Fuss and Grady Munro
On Tuesday in Ottawa, Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his new cabinet, consisting of 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state. They have their work cut out for them. In addition to President Trump’s trade war, the Carney government must tackle several other critical issues that have persisted since long before Trump was re-elected.
First and foremost, the Carney government should address stagnant living standards for Canadians. From the beginning of 2016 to the end of 2024, per-person GDP—a broad measure of living standards—grew by only 2.5 per cent in Canada compared to 18.7 per cent in the United States (all figures adjusted for inflation). While U.S. tariffs threaten to further reduce living standards in Canada, the marked decline began almost a decade ago.
There’s a similar gloomy story in worker incomes as Canadians continue to fall further behind their American counterparts. According to the latest data, median employment earnings (in Canadian dollars) in all 10 provinces ranked lower than in every U.S. state in 2022—meaning Americans in low-earning states such as Mississippi ($42,430), Louisiana ($43,318) and Alabama ($43,982) typically earned higher incomes than Canadians in the highest-earning province of Alberta ($38,969).
Why is this happening?
Part of the problem is the state of federal finances. Even Prime Minister Carney has criticized the Trudeau government’s approach to spending increases and debt accumulation, which diverts taxpayer dollars away from programs and towards debt interest payments, and burdens younger generations with higher taxes in the future. But unfortunately, according to Carney’s election platform, his government plans to borrow $93.4 billion more over the next four years compared to the Trudeau government’s last spending plan. The prime minister and his new cabinet should rethink this approach before tabling their first budget.
The Carney government should also cut taxes. Canadians in every province face higher combined (federal and provincial) personal income tax (PIT) rates than Americans in virtually every U.S. state across a variety of income levels. Canada’s PIT rates are similarly uncompetitive compared to other advanced countries. High taxes impose a burden on families, but they also make it harder for Canada to attract and retain high-skilled workers (e.g. doctors, engineers), entrepreneurs and investment, which drives economic growth and prosperity.
Finally, the Carney government should meaningfully address Canada’s housing affordability crisis. Housing costs have risen dramatically due to a significant gap between the demand for houses and the supply of housing units. In 2024, construction began on 245,367 new housing units nationwide while the population grew by 951,717 people due in part to one of the highest levels of immigration in Canadian history. This problem has been growing for decades—housing starts per year have remained stuck at essentially the same level they were in the 1970s while annual population growth has more than tripled. If policymakers want to help lower housing costs, they must reduce the imbalance between population growth and housing starts.
For the federal government, that means aligning immigration targets more closely to housing supply and rethinking policies that increase housing demand such as homebuyer tax credits and First Home Savings Accounts. Meanwhile, provincial and local governments should reduce red tape and construction costs to increase supply.
The Carney government has its work cut out for it. Besides U.S. tariffs, Canadians face several critical issues, which have persisted long before Trump was re-elected, and will continue unless something changes.
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