Millions in taxpayer money funneled to Canada’s worst left-wing propaganda site
Public money used to prop up obscure outlets that couldn't even stand alone without government backing.
BECOME A MEMBER
Article by Rebel News staff
This should concern anyone who still believes the press is meant to hold power accountable, not be funded by it. Details have emerged about just how deeply taxpayer money is embedded in parts of Canada’s media landscape.
At the centre of it is the National Observer, a Vancouver-based climate outlet that has positioned itself as “independent.” But the figures tell a different story. Through a combination of wage subsidies, federal funds, and even government-paid subscriptions, the outlet has received well over $2 million in public money ... supposedly funding the equivalent of 23 staff positions.
That alone would raise eyebrows. But the deeper issue is how this funding was distributed. Under the federal Local Journalism Initiative, grants are processed by a media lobby group, with decisions influenced by industry insiders. In this case, the National Observer’s own CEO, Linda Solomon Wood, sat on a panel responsible for reviewing and allocating funding, while her organisation repeatedly secured grants.
We’re told she “recused” herself from discussions involving her outlet. That’s meant to reassure the public. It doesn’t. These are tight-knit circles where everyone understands the game. Formal recusal doesn’t erase informal influence.
More troubling still is the structure of the funding itself. The program covers up to 100 per cent of selected journalists’ salaries, creating a system where survival depends not on audience support, but on continued government approval. That changes incentives. It doesn’t just risk bias, it practically guarantees it.
Then there’s the question of audience. The National Observer claims millions of readers annually, yet relies on forced government subscriptions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Strip that away, and it’s fair to ask whether the operation could stand on its own.
Compare that to independent outlets like Rebel News that survive, or fail, based on whether people actually choose to engage with their content. The contrast is stark.
This isn’t about one publication. It’s about a system that rewards alignment and punishes dissent. When media organisations become dependent on government funding, they stop being watchdogs and start looking a lot more like beneficiaries.
GUEST: Director, Lisa Bildy of the Canada Free Speech Union joins Ezra Levant to speak on their latest fights.
COMMENTS
-
Paul Scofield commented 2026-04-28 21:21:12 -0400people happened = people who happened -
Paul Scofield commented 2026-04-28 21:16:41 -0400To exorcize the specter of Land Acknowledgements, Canada may have to come to grips with its forebear, so-called ‘First Nations.’ In the desert plains where I live the concept of ‘first in time first in line’ only applies to water rights and movie queues, nothing else. To grant extra or special status and power to people happened to cross the Bering Straight land bridge first is outrageous. They are certainly worthy of respect and consideration but no more than any other citizen.
-
Bruce Atchison commented 2026-04-28 20:59:08 -0400Canada is like a team effort by George Orwell and Franz Kafka. I hope that woman being persecuted by the Human rights Gestapo moves to Thorhild County here in Alberta. Leave BC to the brainwashed losers.
-
Bruce Atchison commented 2026-04-28 20:57:18 -0400It pays to be a propagandist in Carney’s Canada. If you can sear your conscience with a hot iron and demagnetize your moral compass, you can ride the gravy train. And before it crashes into reality, you can jump off and leave the passengers to their doom.The National Observer folks are on that train.
