Category Canada

Canada blazes spark misleading claims about financing of firefighting fleets

Canada's 2026 wildfire season already scorched an area the size of Belgium, and government critics online have blamed a supposed lack of water bombers, claiming money that could have bought new firefighting aircraft was instead spent as foreign aid for Ukraine. But experts told AFP the comments misconstrue Canada's water-bomber deployment, which is mostly a provincial responsibility involving aircraft sharing between jurisdictions.

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Fact Check: TIME Magazine Did NOT Publish ‘Hey Donald, From NATO’ Cover With World Leaders Showing Middle Fingers To Trump

Does a viral image of world leaders showing their middle fingers as an act of apparent disagreement with U.S. President Donald Trump show a real 2026 TIME Magazine cover? No, that's not true: The magazine's website did not contain such a cover. The image displayed shows signs strongly pointing to generative AI.

Read MoreFact Check: TIME Magazine Did NOT Publish ‘Hey Donald, From NATO’ Cover With World Leaders Showing Middle Fingers To Trump

Manipulation: Canada Backtracks on Plan to Send Repaired Armored Vehicles to Ukraine

Claim by Viral social media post:
Canada Backtracks on Plan to Send Repaired Armored Vehicles to Ukraine
StopFake rating:
Pro-Kremlin outlets have distorted the facts, portraying a routine contract adjustment as a sign that Ottawa is "abandoning" Kyiv. In truth, Canada remains a steadfast supporter of Ukraine - continuing to deliver weapons, train Ukrainian forces, and finance key defense initiatives.

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Manipulation: “Portrait of Petliura Hangs Instead of Icon” in UOCC Church | StopFake

Representatives of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Andrew in Toronto have denied claims that a portrait of Symon Petliura hangs in the sanctuary or that the Ukrainian historical figure is being honoured as a "saint". The portrait of Petliura is in a parish hall, not on the altar, and is therefore not an icon. Furthermore, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC) is an independent church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is not a parish of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

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Fake: Ukraine to Mobilize 30,000 Canadians Says Ukrainian Defense Minister

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has not asked the Canadian government to send 30,000 Canadians of Ukrainian origin to Ukraine. He never said the words that are being attributed to him in Russian media and in various social media posts. The quote comes from a Russian satirical Telegram channel.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine to Mobilize 30,000 Canadians Says Ukrainian Defense Minister

Posts falsely claim Ukraine issued stamps to honour Nazi figure from World War II

Canada's recognition in parliament of Canadian-Ukrainian World War II veteran Yaroslav Hunka, who fought on the side of the Nazis, sparked public outrage in September 2023. Pro-Russian social media accounts seized the moment, alleging that Ukraine had released a postage stamp to immortalise Hunka. But the claim is false: AFP Fact Check found that the barcode on the stamp belongs to another series of Ukrainian stamps. Ukraine's national postal service also confirmed the Hunka stamp does not exist.

Read MorePosts falsely claim Ukraine issued stamps to honour Nazi figure from World War II

Montreal unions demonstration unrelated to federal funding for Ukraine

Footage of a large demonstration in Montreal is being misrepresented in posts that claim the protesters took to the streets to voice anger over Canada's support for Ukraine. In fact, the clip shows a march coordinated by four unions seeking higher wages in contract negotiations with the provincial government in Quebec.

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Tokyo video doctored to add anti-Zelensky billboard

A video circulating online appears to show a prominent digital billboard in Japan saying, "Stop war" and "Stop Zelenskyy." But the clip has been doctored; the sign featured people -- not the anti-Ukraine message -- in otherwise matching footage posted to YouTube in 2020, prior to Russia's invasion.

Read MoreTokyo video doctored to add anti-Zelensky billboard