Toronto Star

The Star publishes articles and columns from a variety of COVID-19 associated writers, including Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table member Kwame McKenzie.¹⁾

The Toronto Star published a front-page preview for a second-page article titled, “When it comes to empathy for the unvaccinated, many of us aren’t feeling it” written by Nadine Yousif.^{2) 3)} The preview contained inflammatory phrases targeting “unvaccinated people”, such as:

• “If an unvaccinated person catches it from someone who is vaccinated, boo-hoo, too bad.”
• “I have no empathy left for the wilfully unvaccinated. Let them die.”
• “I honestly don’t care if they die from COVID. Not even a little bit.”

The publication drew sharp criticism from the general public and other media.⁴⁾ LifeSiteNews described the message as “vitriolic and mocking… toward people who have not taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine.”⁵⁾ Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Daniel Bulford - sniper detail for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - characterized the language printed as hate speech.⁶⁾

Within a few days, the Star admitted that the choice to run the headlines that “spotlighted antipathy toward the unvaccinated” was “a mistake.”⁷⁾ Public Editor Bruce Campion-Smith explained, “there are tensions between those who are vaccinated and those who are not. The article explored that theme.”

The article “cited an Angus Reid poll that most vaccinated Canadians are indifferent to the unvaccinated getting sick with the virus, with 83 per cent saying they have no sympathy for those who choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine and then fall ill.^{8) 9)} To highlight those attitudes, the article drew on several tweets expressing antipathy toward those who are not vaccinated.”¹⁰⁾

January 11, 2022: Quebec plan to tax the unvaccinated met with harsh reviews: ‘This really tears at the roots of the Canada Health Act’¹¹⁾ This headline had been changed from the original, which read “Quebec making plans to tax the unvaccinated, as COVID hospitalizations surge”.¹²⁾

December 6, 2021: We need a strategy to avert vaccine inequity in racialized children.¹³⁾

The Star frequently posts polls related to COVID-19.

February 6, 2022: Was Ottawa right in declaring a state of emergency due to the protests?¹⁴⁾

• As of 2:05PM PST on February 9, 2022, the vote as at 92.39% in favour of “No, people have a right to protest.” The runner-up was 7.07% for “Yes, it could give the city the power it needs to quell the protests.” The remaining 0.54% went to “I don't know, I need more information.”

January 11, 2021: Should Ontario also implement a tax for unvaccinated people?¹⁵⁾

• As of 9:43PM PST on January 11, 2022, the vote was at 65.39% in favour of “No, it sets a bad precedent when it comes to health care access.” The runner-up was 22.61% for “Yes, unvaccinated people should have to make up for the strain they're putting on the health-care system.”