AFP Canada

No, deployed Canadian troops did not have to return their sleeping bags

Published on 20 November 2018 at 22:57

Online posts misleadingly suggest that Canadian soldiers were told to return some of their equipment due to a $2.3 billion cut in military spending in 2017. While an order to return certain equipment was issued to allow for supplies to be reallocated to those who needed them most, it did not apply to troops deployed or likely to be deployed in the near future. Moreover, the unspent $2.3 billion was allocated for new projects, not costs of basic equipment.

No, this video does not show a boy being forced to wear lipstick

Published on 7 November 2018 at 23:16Updated on 10 November 2018 at 04:02

A video purportedly showing teachers forcing a young boy to wear lipstick has been viral for several years in Latin America and is now being shared in Canada. The adults in the video are indeed teachers, but they are trying to give the child an Omega-3 supplement. The video was originally uploaded in June 2015 in Brazil, and resulted in a lawsuit from the child’s parent one month later.

No, refugees in Canada do not receive more money from the government than retired citizens

Published on 16 October 2018 at 00:45

An image that has circulated online for several years claims that a refugee in Canada is entitled to more financial assistance from the government than a retired citizen receives as a pension. This is false: a single refugee can receive between Can$567 and Can$751 depending on the province, whereas a retired Canadian is eligible to up to Can$1,497 in public pension.

No, all refugee families in Canada do not receive $50,000 in aid from the government

Published on 27 September 2018 at 19:04Updated on 27 September 2018 at 19:04

Claims that each refugee family in Canada receives $50,000 in government assistance per year are circulating on social media. The government confirmed that $50,000 is the maximum amount of cash aid that a refugee family could receive, but stressed that this is not the norm. Start-up assistance is only available to a family in its first year in Canada. The government also accepts privately sponsored refugees whose start-up and monthly assistance costs are covered by individuals or groups rather than the government.

Aspartame is not marketed as AminoSweet on food labels

Published on 30 August 2018 at 20:30Updated on 31 August 2018 at 02:20

An article shared over 226,000 times states that aspartame has been renamed AminoSweet and is being marketed as a “natural” sweetener. While a company that produces aspartame did rename its product for marketing purposes in 2010, this was a move by only one of dozens companies manufacturing aspartame. On food labels, aspartame still cannot be listed by its brand name in Canada and the US, and must be marketed as an artificial sweetener.

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