This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.

Excerpt: Christ is Lord over all things—yes, even over Caesar. We believe the Gospel we proclaim changes lives. And if we disciple believers in a holistic, full-orbed Gospel—Christ for all of life—we should expect to see culture and society change as well.

Opening Words (00:00-00:35)

Part I: Bill C-9 and the Lordship of Christ (00:35–05:17)
The Liberal government, with the support of the Bloc Québécois, has moved to remove Canada’s long-standing religious-text exemption from the Criminal Code’s hate-speech laws. This exemption has historically protected Canadians who speak “in good faith” from Scripture or other sacred texts—even when addressing controversial moral topics. Under new amendments tied to Bill C-9, that defence would be eliminated, meaning religious expression itself could be exposed to hate-speech prosecution.

Part II: Property Rights Out the Door (05:17–09:09)
A recent court ruling recognized an Indigenous title claim over a defined area of land in the Lower Mainland, land upon which hundreds of Canadian homeowners have long held ownership. While the ruling itself does not immediately dispossess residents of their homes, it has exposed a profound failure of government leadership.

Part III: A Heritage Older Than We Knew(09:09–11:43)
Would you believe me if I told you that Christianity may have reached Canada well before the French and the English?

Did You Know? (11:43 –13:04)
Recent scientific research has established with remarkable precision that Norse explorers were present in what is now Canada in the year 1021 AD, exactly one millennium ago.

Recommended Resource (13:04 –13:54)
This week’s recommended resource is This Is My God: The Story of a Dutch Immigrant, His Country, and His God, the autobiography of John Hultink.

Pre-order today!: https://www.cantaroinstitute.store/collections/frontpage/products/this-is-my-god-the-story-of-a-dutch-immigrant-his-country-and-his-god-pre-order

Closing Words (13:54)

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This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.

Excerpt: This week’s Confederation Report announces the forthcoming Paideia Study Center, explains the meaning of paideia, and touches on federal election rumours.

Opening Words (00:00-00:35)

Part I: Exciting News on the Horizon (00:35–05:24)
Our much-envisioned Paideia Study Center will be a hub for advancing the Christian worldview for the reformation and renewal of the church and culture through rigorous Christian teaching, worldview formation, and mentorship.

Part II: What Does Paideia Mean? (05:24–07:35)
Have you ever wondered what the Greek word paideia means The Greek word paideia (παιδεία) refers to far more than education in the modern sense. It describes the cultivation of the whole person—the shaping of the soul, the training of the mind, and the ordering of the heart toward what is true, good, and beautiful. It was the ancient term for the moral and cultural formation that gives shape to a people’s way of life.

Part III: Another Election on the Horizon? l (07:35–10:02)
If you’ve been paying attention to the news—or perhaps just overhearing the rumor mill (not that you should ever take part in it!)—you may have heard whispers of another possible federal election. Some are even calling it a potential Christmas election.

Did You Know? (10:02–11:24)
If you’ve been keeping up with Canadian news, you’ll know that the Toronto Blue Jays lost the World Series in the final moments of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Recommended Resource (11:24–12:47)
This week's recommended resource is Creation as an Introduction to Christian Thought by Henry Vander Goot and published by Wipf & Stock.

Closing Words (12:47)

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This special episode of The Confederation Report, part of the “Early Narratives” sub-series, is made possible by the generous supporters of the Cántaro Institute.

The early decades of the seventeenth century saw the dawning of a new era in Europe’s encounter with the Americas. Colonies were being planted, fur-trading companies established, and kings were eager to stake claims on vast lands across the ocean. For France, the prize of Canada — or New France, as it was called — beckoned with both material wealth and spiritual opportunity. The Jesuits, that powerful missionary arm of the Catholic Church, sent forth men of steely resolve to carry the Christian message into these new frontiers. Among them was Jean de Brébeuf, a Norman priest whose zeal and courage made him one of the most striking figures in early Canadian history.

Opening Words (00:00-00:22)

Jean de Brébeuf (00:22-12:49)

Jean de Brébeuf was born in 1593 in Condé-sur-Vire, a small town in Normandy. France at the time was emerging from the religious wars of the sixteenth century. The Catholic Reformation had taken deep root, and new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus — the Jesuits — embodied a fierce zeal for spreading Catholic teaching both in Europe and abroad, seeking to outcompete what God was doing amongst the protestants. Brébeuf entered this order in his twenties, attracted by its discipline and its devotion to mission. Though part of an order that represented and embodied a distorted Christianity, God would use Him for His glory, demonstrating that God can accomplish His purposes even with a slit of light shining through into the dark.

Closing Words (12:49-13:40)
The Confederation Report, hosted by Steven Martins of the Cántaro Institute, is expanding its uniquely Christian analysis of Canadian news and culture with new historical vignettes and a broadened scope—urging listeners to look to the past with biblical clarity and support the mission at www.cantaroinstitute.org/give

Event Reminder
Join us for the Niagara Conference, All Hail the King: Christ & Government on November 14–15, 2025, in Welland, Ontario, with Rev. Doug Wilson, Dr. Scott Masson, Dr. Michael Wagner, and myself. Register now at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 for early bird rates!

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For more information, go to cantaroinstitute.org
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