Freedom of speech means nobody is going to stop you from speaking your mind, but that doesn't mean there aren't any repercussions from what you actually say. I am free to tell my neighbour that I'm going to kill him for constantly letting his stupid dog shit outside my home, but I shouldn't surprised when the cops come over because he's a pussy and saw it as a threat.
Well, that's kind of the catch. Hilariously, I was once taken in for uttering threats (actually, I was taken in for being too awesome. My best friend was taken in for telling his neighbour he was going to kick his ass. Realistically, we were both taken in because we were 19, drunk, and they wanted to break up a sweet ass party).
In Canada, you do pretty much have just as much freedom of speech as you do in America. The only two real limitations are uttering threats and inciting panic (these may alter by state/province). These essentially follow the principle that "Your freedom to swing your fist ends at my nose", and make sense. In the case of uttering threats, it's fairly subjective and I don't know how they deal with that, but where inciting panic is concerned they have to essentially prove that you were acting criminally by inciting panic while fully aware that there was no cause to do so. Screaming fire in a theater isn't an issue if there is one....or if you can prove that you were under the impression that there was one. These things make sense.
The main difference between Canada and America is the extention in Canada to make statements which incite hate against protected groups illegal (possibly only publicly?) You're not going to hold an anti-Semitic rally on Main Street here. The loophole is that if you can prove what you said is true, you're off the hook. Which is weird, but works I guess.
Apart from that, you're golden. Sure, you can still be sued for libel or slander for making false statements in either country, but that's a completely different area of the law and still protected speech. The government isn't going after you - another citizen is based upon you damaging their name and reputation with false statements. You may be found civilly liable, financially liable, and persuaded to issue a retraction, but you're never actually in danger of being criminally charged.
I only bring this up because this:
I mean to say that it isn't a fact that it is a violation of freedom of speech. The cops are reacting to a threat. You are still free to threaten whoever you please, but then they have the freedom to arrest you for the threat.
and this:
I am free to tell my neighbour that I'm going to kill him for constantly letting his stupid dog shit outside my home, but I shouldn't surprised when the cops come over because he's a pussy and saw it as a threat.
are somewhat false and confuse legal freedoms with natural freedoms. Because both examples are fully illegal and examples on limitations on your legally protected freedom of speech. That said, your legally protected freedom of speech only legally protects you from persecution from the sate. And that where repercussions come in. You still may be fired, sued, kicked out of school, kicked out of a store, whatever. The principle isn't that you can say whatever you want, where ever, about whomever, and there will be repercussions from anyone. It just makes sure that the government/state isn't banging on your door because you said ObamaCare is bullshit.
And then things get really hairy when alternate freedoms and further legal protections (such as employee rights) start overlapping...
