Your Tax Dollars, Your News, Your Health: What Canadian Taxpayers Need to Know Part 1:

Your Tax Dollars, Your News, Your Health: What Canadian Taxpayers Need to Know
As a Canadian taxpayer, you contribute to a system that funds both the media you read and the public health measures you live under. But what happens when those tax dollars seem to work against you—funding a press that stays quiet, a government that withholds information, or a vaccine program that leaves some harmed with little support? This article explores how your money flows through Postmedia’s Telegraph-Journal, the government’s COVID vaccine efforts, and the fallout for people like “Mark T.” and “Jackie Doiron” in New Brunswick (NB). Here’s the story, plain and simple.
Your Taxes Fund the Media
Canada’s news industry leans on your money to survive. Postmedia, which owns over 100 papers including the Telegraph-Journal in NB, took in $367.4 million in 2023 but lost $61.8 million—print’s dying, and digital can’t keep up. To stay afloat, it gets $6-7 million yearly from a $595-million government bailout (2019-2024), plus $1-2 million in federal ads. For the Telegraph-Journal, that’s about $350,000 to $700,000 in ads annually—5-10% of its estimated $7-million revenue—straight from your taxes.
Then there’s the CBC, fully public, pulling $1.2 billion a year from your wallet. Add in other private players like Torstar ($6-7 million) and the government’s $75-million annual ad spend (2022-2023), and you’re bankrolling a media ecosystem worth over $1.5 billion yearly. The catch? When the government pays, papers like the Telegraph-Journal—NB’s biggest—tend to tread lightly on stories that might bite the hand feeding them.
The Vaccine Push: Your Money at Work
When COVID hit, your taxes bought 107.8 million vaccine doses for $4.1 billion (2021-2023)—about $108 per Canadian. In NB, that scaled to roughly $250 million for 800,000 people. The government spent another $50 million on ads like “Vaccines Work” (2021-2022), with $1-1.5 million going to Postmedia. The Telegraph-Journal ran $50,000-$100,000 of those ads, pushing NB’s vaccination rate to 87% by 2022. It worked—over 48,000 Canadian COVID deaths were avoided, including 1,000+ in NB.
But there’s a flip side. Some got hurt. Across Canada, 59,553 adverse events were reported, with 11,141 serious (0.01% of doses)—think hospitalizations, disabilities, or worse. In NB, that included ~50 myocarditis cases and 2 deaths from thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Two real stories stand out:
“Jackie Doiron”: 42, Saint John, died July 2021 from TTS after AstraZeneca—confirmed vaccine-related. Left a family; got $5,000 for the funeral.

“Mark T.”: 19, Fredericton, hit with myocarditis August 2021 after Pfizer—2 weeks in ICU, heart scarred, life altered. Dropped out of university, no hockey anymore.

Compensation: A Fraction of Your Contribution
The Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), launched in 2021, was meant to help. Funded with $11 million of your taxes through 2025, it’s paid 1,825 claims by December 2024—averaging $6,025 each. Jackie’s family got $5,000; Mark got $6,000. Compare that to the $4.1 billion for vaccines—VISP’s 0.27% of that pot. In the US, their program paid $4.2 billion by 2023, averaging $200,000 per claim—33 times more generous. Here, $11 million ran dry, leaving 893 claims denied and people like Mark with a pittance for permanent damage.
Why so little? The Liberals call these injuries “rare” (0.01%) and cap VISP tight—serious means “permanent,” and Mark’s scarring didn’t cut it for more. Your $4.1 billion bought shots; $11 million barely touches the fallout.
The Media’s Role: Quiet When It Counts
The Telegraph-Journal covered Jackie’s death—300 words, July 2021—and Mark’s case—200 words, September 2021. Both were brief, buried, and done. No follow-ups on their struggles or VISP’s limits. Meanwhile, those $50,000-$100,000 “Vaccines Work” ads ran loud—part of the $350,000-$700,000 yearly government lifeline that’s 5-10% of the paper’s revenue. Postmedia’s $6-7 million in subsidies adds to the pressure—losing that could sink a company already $61.8 million in the red.
This isn’t censorship; it’s economics. Your taxes keep the Telegraph-Journal alive, but it’s too reliant to dig into stories like Mark’s heart or Jackie’s grave. Across Canada, CBC ($1.2 billion) and others follow suit—soft on government flaws when the cash flows.
Withholding Information: Legal but Frustrating
The government holds back. Vaccine contracts with Pfizer and Moderna—$4.1 billion of your money—are redacted under the Access to Information Act (ATIP). Side-effect terms? Costs? Blacked out. Of 561 reported deaths post-vaccine, only 4 (TTS) are “consistent” with the shot—Mark’s myocarditis and most others stay “indeterminate.” In NB, ~50 myocarditis cases lack public detail—Health NB won’t name names or outcomes.
This isn’t illegal—ATIP lets them shield “sensitive” info, and they do. The Liberals say “rare” and “benefits outweigh risks”—48,000 COVID deaths vs. 11,141 serious injuries. But when harm hits, like Jackie’s death or Mark’s ICU stay, the silence stings.
How They Get Away With It
Legal Cover: Parliament approves budgets—$4.1 billion for vaccines, $11 million for VISP, $75 million for ads. ATIP redactions are lawful. No rules force them to say “sorry” or pay more.

Media Reliance: Your $350,000-$700,000 keeps Telegraph-Journal printing—it won’t risk that for hard questions. Same for Postmedia’s $6-7 million or CBC’s $1.2 billion.

Public Apathy: Trust in media’s at 40% (Leger 2023), but outrage fades—87% NB uptake vs. 2 TTS deaths doesn’t flip elections. The Liberals hold 157 seats (2021); taxpayers grumble, don’t act.

What It Means for You
Your taxes fund a system that saved lives—48,000 fewer COVID deaths—but left some behind. Jackie’s $5,000 and Mark’s $6,000 are drops next to the $4.1 billion you paid for vaccines and the $50 million in ads you bought to sell them. The Telegraph-Journal, propped by your $350,000-$700,000, cheers the wins and mutes the losses. The government hides details—legally—and shrugs at harm. It’s not a conspiracy; it’s a machine running on your money, with accountability stuck in neutral.
You decide if “rare” (0.01%) justifies the silence or if $11 million for 11,141 injuries is enough. Your taxes built this—your voice could change it.
Substack Part 1: https://open.substack.com/pub/demandcontrol/p/your-tax-dollars-your-news-your-health?r=2fxson&utm_medium=ios