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The AIH transcript for January 10, 2025

For more episodes of this podcast, please click this link.

NIL KÖKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.

LISA BRYN RUNDLE: Good evening, I'm Lisa Bryn Rundle, sitting in for Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[theme]

LBR: Tonight:

NK: Caution to the wind. After a brief respite, powerful winds are again expected to whip Los Angeles this week. A spokesperson for Cal Fire tells us how already stretched fire crews can brace for that -- and any new fires that could follow.

LBR: Fed up. The head of the Ottawa Food Bank tells us they're done compromising to make ends meet -- and that means major cuts to the food support they provide.

NK: Down in the dumps. After trying for years to recover a missing hard drive holding millions in Bitcoin, a Welsh man loses his legal fight to get access to a local landfill.

LBR: She must have opened a can of whoop-grass. The winner of this year's prestigious World's Ugliest Lawn competition tells us how she keeps her grass looking its worst.

NK: It goes without saying. After we asked you what words and phrases you'd like to see banished from the English language, you can't stop talking about all the things you wish were all said and done.

LBR:And...clearly, they used their noodles. A team of eight Italian theoretical physicists have just made a major discovery -- the recipe for the perfect cacio e pepe pasta -- by suggesting the controversial addition of cornstarch.

LBR: As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that fears they may earn themselves some starch enemies.

Part 1: L.A. Fires: Firefighting, Bitcoin Dump Search, Physics Cacio E Pepe

L.A. Fires: Firefighting

Guest: Jason Clay

LBR: First responders are still battling stubborn wildfires in Los Angeles County today. Now, officials are warning of strong Santa Ana winds that have nearly ten million people ready to evacuate. Those winds are forecasted to blow through Wednesday, which could lead to even further destruction -- and make firefighting efforts that much more difficult. Jason Clay is a public information officer with Cal Fire. We reached him at the State Operations Center in Sacramento, California.

NK: Jason, the Los Angeles page for the National Weather Service is, is very clear. It's a red flag warning. Words like critical and extreme or particularly dangerous situation, it says. What does that signal to you at this stage? Are you concerned about new fires?

JASON CLAY: Well, the concern is there, absolutely. And the concern with it could be, you know, speaking to the, if there are new fires. When you have critically dry fuels like they have in Southern California and you put this type of wind on it, when you could have wind gusts anywhere 40 to 70 miles an hour in some of these areas that is outlined, a fire starts. It will exhibit extreme fire behavior and it'll spread very rapidly. You could have spotting, which is embers being carried in advance of the fire by the winds up to a mile in an advance is what we could be looking at. So, it's similar to the situation that we saw a week ago on January 7th when the Palisades fire and the fire started up. And so, to prepare for that, that is why we're continuing to surge more resources into the region that could be available to respond to any new fires that break out. So, there's a tremendous amount of work. We have over 15,000 personnel that are assigned to these, the two fires currently in addition to 1,000 other firefighters that are pre-positioned should we get something new.

NK: You talk about positioning resources. L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has said to the media that the city has failed her department by slashing its budget. She says we do not have enough firefighters. We cannot sustain where we are. How are you, when you talk about more resources, who are you talking about? What kind of numbers?

JC: We've had both international and, really, western region support in the United States. So, there's, I think, we're up to 11 different states that have sent resources into California to support the efforts in addition to our international partners that have reached out and offered aid for support.

NK: Canada and Mexico have sent reinforcements to help the teams there. As you know, what are your colleagues on the front lines telling you about what they are experiencing out there?

JC: Well, the support has been tremendous to give a lot of those firefighters a reprieve to be able to establish shifts that can go in where you can be fresh and come in and execute the job that you need. So, all that coming in, some of those resources, when the fires first broke out, the firefighters, they were up for over 48 hours battling those fires. Extremely hard work as they're going through the different areas and their different roles. And that takes a toll on you. So, being able to have a good work-rest cycle is extremely important for the overall success of our operations. And, and that is only allowed when you get the kind of support that we have started to receive from the international community, both as well as other states here in America.

NK: Given what you've said about what the next couple of days, you know, how critical they are, how difficult they're likely to be weather-wise, what does success look like at the end of those two days?

JC: Well, success, you know, would be we're going to continue to fight fire aggressively and safely. We're going to continue to safeguard residents and protect property. You know, no new starts would be phenomenal. And we're prepared for any emergency in the event that something new does start. But, yeah, ultimately, we want to be able to continue to do our jobs aggressively and safely and safeguard the residents.

NK: House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he wants conditions put on aid coming into Los Angeles. You know, when he's talking about what he says is mismanagement of water and forestry resources by state and local officials there. Do you feel politics are having an effect on the effort to manage these fires?

JC: You know, at this moment, we're really focused on our job and task at hand, and that is executing what we need to do down there in Southern California, preparing for new starts. We'll be preparing for, you know, the calendar to and the month to continue to roll by. So, we are focused on our task at hand. And a lot of that other stuff happens, you know, outside of our realm.

NK: You may have seen that Reuters is reporting that Southern California Edison, a utility company, is being sued. The allegation is from, from some in the area that that company's electrical equipment started one of these wildfires. Are you and officials any closer to knowing what caused these fires?

JC: Yeah, both those fires do remain under investigation. And we want to get to the bottom of it, just like every single resident and onlooker wants to know, well, how does this happen? Why did they start? And so, they will conduct a thorough investigation. A lot of times with these fires, that can be a long process for everything to come together. You know, it could be months. There's been major fires that have taken years for investigations to conclude. So, but we do have the personnel that are assigned to that, to those tasks, and they're working toward that.

NK: You're obviously experienced in communicating when it is wildfire season and getting folks information during these kinds of times. But from, from where you sit, Jason, what have these events been like for you? How do they stack up to what you've worked on before?

JC: Well, they're, right now, as I stand, the two fires are the second and fourth most destructive in California history. We don't ever want to see any structures that are destroyed, yet alone of that magnitude. So, it's really hard to go through. The firefighters, they sign up for that job to help people. You know, it's hard to put there and see it all unfold. But you've got to remain focused at what the job is and continue to push forward.

NK: Jason, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

JC: Thank you so much for having us on.

LBR: Jason Clay is a public information officer with Cal Fire. He was in Sacramento, California.

[ambient instrumental]

Bitcoin Dump Search

Guest: James Howells

LBR: Money is definitely on James Howells' mind. More precisely, the 8,000 bitcoin he says was on a hard drive his then partner accidentally threw away back in 2013 in Wales. Mr. Howells believes the drive could now be worth close to 600 million pounds, or about a billion Canadian dollars. But he hasn't given up hope of getting it back. Back in 2022, Mr. Howells told As It Happens about his multi-million dollar plan to search a local landfill for his missing drive. A plan that involved robotic dogs:

SOUNDCLIP

JAMES HOWELLS: When the material was buried there, there were no recycling rules in place. So, you can imagine the type of material that's going to be in the land that we want to dig. So, we're actually cleaning that land up, while searching for a hard drive at the same time. So, a digger would scoop up a bucket full of waste, which would expose fresh material. The dogs and the A.I. robotics would come along, scan that freshly-revealed material. Is there any hard drives? Nope. Next bucket comes along. Just kind of scan, scoop, scan, scoop, scan scoop.

LBR: All Mr. Howells needed was the approval of the Newport city council, which governs the landfill in question. But when they failed to grant him that approval, Mr. Howells took the city council to court. Now, a high court judge has ruled in the council's favour. We reached Mr. Howells in Newport, Wales.

NK: James, scan and scoop was the plan. City council says no. Again and again, they've said no. So, where does that leave you?

JH: Well, obviously, I've continued to try gaining access to the landfill. All I've ever wanted was a legitimate conversation with Newport city council and the leaders, and unfortunately, they continued to deny me any sort of legitimate conversation. And that was when I sort of decided that I had to begin legal action against the council. That was going to be the only way forward.

NK: Yeah. And that is stalled, as I understand it. Is there, are there other legal steps for you to take at this point?

JH: Well, potentially. But at this minute, obviously, I've lost the recent court action that I took against Newport city council. I disagree with the decision. It was thrown out at the first hurdle without even getting to a full trial where the full details could have been explained. You know, the judge ruled that, you know, there was no chance of success at all, which I don't think is fair. But yeah, what else can I do? I maybe, I, maybe I can appeal the decision, but I've got to request permission from the same judge just to appeal. So, I'm not really confident that they'll even grant that permission.

NK: Why is this fight worth fighting, in your view, after more than a decade now?

JH: It's a matter of principle at the end of the day. It's my property. It belongs to me. It is very, very valuable. I should be able to recover said property. I've got a recovery team in place that could do it. I've got external finance in place so that Newport city council are not a puppet in any way, shape or form. And we have committed to all of the environmental aspects. We'd like to do this to a triple-A standard, the highest of standards possible. The last thing I want to do is cause any environmental damage because I'd have to clean it up then. And you can imagine the, you know, the worldwide negative publicity that would come towards me. So, I'm happy to go the extra mile.

NK: Officials have said it does not belong to you if it is in the landfill. Because once it ends up in a landfill, it then belongs to the council. And you address the environmental concerns. They've said, they've told media, specifically The Guardian, excavation is, quote, not possible under their licensing permit. It would have a huge environmental impact on the surrounding area. They say that even with what you're saying, this is costing them money and taxpayers money, and that they need to move on.

JH: Well, I mean, that's their opinion. But at the end of the day, my property is on their land. And if you're perhaps suggesting that my continued attempts to recover are unreasonable, well, you know, are Newport city council not being unreasonable by not having a sit-down and conversation? A genuine, good faith conversation? I'm not asking for a commitment, you know? Could this be done? How could it be done? What are the major obstacles? How can we overcome them? A landfill remediation project such as this have been done in the U.K. multiple times. And I've got the same people involved on my team who will perform those excavations. They manage to do those jobs safely. And Newport landfill is of similar size and scope, so I don't see any reason why it couldn't be done.

NK: Why do you think they're putting up these, these roadblocks then for you?

JH: These are just excuses. They just don't want to do it. It's not that it can't be done. It's just they don't want to. How can you fight that?

NK: Why do you think they don't want to?

JH: Could be any number of reasons.

NK: So, what do you do next?

JH: Well, my long-term plan if digging and getting access to the landfill failed was to tokenize, to launch a new crypto asset, which is based on the value of my wallet, and the coins based in my bitcoin wallet. So, I'd create a new token which represents that value and that would trade in the marketplace. The easy way to explain it is if you think to the old gold standard where you used to have gold locked in a vault, and instead of trading the gold in the real world, people used to trade notes which represent the gold. It's a similar sort of concept.

NK: But is that based on the idea you might retrieve this in the future?

JH: Well, no. If I was to tokenize the coins, effectively the landfill becomes a storage vault for my, my bitcoin wallet. And then obviously, because everybody can see the public address, they can verify the coins are there, it gives financial backing to whatever new asset that I were to create.

NK: Which is harder at this point? Which is, which is more realistic and beneficial for you in terms of outcomes -- getting it from the landfill or tokenizing?

JH: I would rather recover the actual coins and the private key from the landfill because then I can, not only do I get the actual bitcoins, but I also get the respect because then I can also prove it to everyone 100 per cent without any shadow of a doubt. Everybody can see for themselves then. Without that private key, I respect that I cannot do that.

NK: Yeah. Is it maddening at this point? I mean, how do you stay sane when you're talking about this amount of money, and this amount of bureaucracy, and these, this amount of years?

JH: Well, it is what it is. I mean, my situation within bitcoin is one small little cog of the whole crypto ecosystem. There are many other situations around the world. Obviously, my situation has been going on for a long time, so it's kind of gained traction and always goes viral, obviously, because of the whole treasure angle of it.

NK: And in terms of the actual state of the hard drive, whether it's damaged, even if you were to, to find it at this point, how does that factor into things?

JH: The truth is nobody knows. It could have gone into the landfill and there could be a large piece of wood that was placed over the top of it and has been protecting it all these years, which means we come along, we find the hard drive and is near enough to in perfect condition. Obviously, we're not going to, it's not going to be in perfect condition. But if the outside casing and the internals of the hard drive was damaged, we can replace all that. You can perform a high-level data recovery operation in the Class 10 facility. And then, we can specifically target the sector of the disk that we need in order to get the very tiny amount of data in order to recover the coins.

NK: You're not giving up?

JH: No, I'm not giving up. I'll never surrender. I'll always keep trying. But it's looking a little bit bleak right now, obviously. The options are whittling down, shall we say.

NK: Well, James, I appreciate your time. Perhaps we'll speak again.

JH: Yeah, no problem. Thank you very much.

LBR: James Howells has been trying to retrieve a hard drive he says stores millions worth of bitcoin since 2013, when it accidentally ended up in a landfill. He was in Newport, Wales.

[funk]

Physics Cacio E Pepe

Guest: Ivan Di Terlizzi

LBR: Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most deceptive. And if you happen to be into Italian cooking, "Cacio e Pepe" pasta falls squarely into that category. Cacio e pepe means -- simply -- cheese and pepper, and along with pasta, those are the three ingredients that make up the dish. But getting that combination exactly right has confounded cooks around the world more than they're likely to admit. Now, a team of physicists at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems say they have developed the secret to perfect cacio e pepe. Ivan Di Terlizzi is the team's leader. We reached him in Dresden, Germany.

NK: Ivan, how many times did you make cacio e pepe before feeling like you finally got it right?

IVAN DI TERLIZZI: Twenty times at least. [NK chuckles] Like, I'm not from Rome. So, this is a low number, I know. But enough to understand that there should be something to understand more deeply about this dish.

NK: Yeah, the simplicity is certainly deceptive, but it's also what makes it so delicious.

IDT: Exactly.

NK: What is a perfect cacio e pepe for you?

IDT: So, it's a pasta where the sauce is smooth and fills your mouth with the saltiness and the richness of the cheese and the heat of the pepper. And, again, this should be, like, homogeneously felt by the whole mouth, [NK chuckles] which is, again, the point of having a super smooth sauce, which is the aim of the, of our study.

NK: What did you find so hard about executing that recipe? And others, to be clear, have found it difficult as well.

IDT: So, like, the problem with, with cheese is that proteins start to denature at 65 degrees, and you cook pasta at 100 Celsius, of course. And so, when you combine cheese and pasta, and you are not very careful with the heat, then what you get is that proteins denature and they clump all together. So, instead of having the smooth and rich source that you dream of, you basically get a mozzarella. And I'm not saying that mozzarella is bad, but it's bad when you are looking for a smooth cacio e pepe.

NK: Yeah, it's not supposed to be clumpy and stringy.

IDT: Exactly.

NK: So, in the end, you and your team of physicists, you know, took, made this a scientific effort. You took a closer look.

[indie rock]

LR: More Banished Words

LBR: When it comes to what not to say -- you sure have a lot to say. Last week, we shared a list of words that folks at Lake Superior State University were hoping to expel from our public vocabulary. Words they deemed overused, misused, and/or generally useless. Among those words -- "cringe", "utilize" and "game changer". Well, after we shared those words with you, you shared with us some of the words you'd like to see banished from everyday use. And it seems we haven't heard the last words on this yet. Here's some of what you had to say.

SOUNDCLIP

[Talkback beep]

KATE SHOWERS: Hi, my name is Kate Showers. I'm calling from Sutton, Quebec. Some words that I would like to have deleted: step up, existential, so emotional, to gift instead of to give. Okay, sorry to sound like an elderly crank. Bye.

[Talkback beep]

RICK POTESEC: Hi. Great show. My name is Rick Potesec, calling from Roseneath, Ontario. I'd like to comment on the phrases that are used too frequently nowadays. The first one is like. Like what I'm saying. I don't like what you're saying. Like, I know I had too many phrases when I was younger, like, cool and man, but like, it's not cool, man.

[Talkback beep]

MIRANDA HARVEY: Hi there. This is Miranda Harvey calling from Victoria. The diminutive words kiddos and dogos seem to glorify an infantile state, and I'm not sure how that's constructive to the development of our species.

[Talkback beep]

RYAN: Hi there. Ryan calling from Toronto. And we're talking about words that got to go, cuisine. I just it's just an awful word. It grosses me out. And it certainly doesn't want to make me eat anything. Thank you very much.

LBR: [NK laughs] Thanks for all your calls and emails. If you want to offer up your own choice words on this -- or anything you hear on the program, call Talkback at 416-205-5687. Or email us at aih@cbc.ca.

[lounge jazz]

Part 2: Ottawa Food Bank Cuts, Ugliest Lawn

Ottawa Food Bank Cuts

Guest: Rachael Wilson

LBR: The fact that Canadian food banks are struggling with unprecedented demand is, unfortunately, no longer news. But until now, many of the stories we've heard about that struggle have been about their impressive ability to nevertheless meet users' needs. Sometimes during reduced hours. Or through new operating models. Or by providing clients with less selection -- but still keeping them fed. Well now, the Ottawa Food Bank says it's done improvising -- and is cutting donations to every one of its 98 local partners by up to 50 per cent this year. It's a devastating blow to a group of organizations that served over half a million people in 2024. And Rachael Wilson says she wouldn't have done it if she had any other choice. Ms. Wilson is the CEO of Ottawa Food Banks. We reached her in Ottawa.

NK: Rachael, things were already difficult. They were certainly bad after the pandemic. But when did it become clear to you that they were this bad?

RACHAEL WILSON: I think we've been on the alert for about a year now that things are continuing to, the numbers are continuing to rise at food banks. The money is not keeping pace. So, we've been planning for about 12 months now. But I think it's, it's certainly happening at a pace that even has surprised us.

NK: So, you had to make these, these calls, you and your staff, to deliver the news to your partner organizations. What were those phone calls like?

RW: Quite frankly, devastating. Agencies rely on the Ottawa Food Bank to provide a lot of the food and funds to support people right across our city. And now, they literally don't know where they're going to turn for those donations, for that food, for that support. So, they were angry, as you can imagine. They were disappointed and really panicked about what this is going to mean for the next year.

NK: I think it may be a sort of a mental shift for people to, to, they might think that the Ottawa Food Bank is serving community members directly, but you're working with these organizations. Can you describe the kind of work that they do?

RW: Like many food banks in Canada, we're a hub. So, we provide food and funds to a network of 98 food programs across Ottawa. And we are sort of the central, centralized system to help them and be more efficient and help them get that food out. The agencies on the ground are supporting children. They're running programs after-school programs and meal programs. We work with all of our major shelters here in Ottawa. And most of them are also helping, you know, families in a traditional food bank.

NK: So, how will you and your team decide who is getting what? How much is going to get cut to which program? How do you determine those things?

RW: We've had to look at what agencies, how many people they serve, what type of agencies they are. It does mean, unfortunately, that some of our meal programs will receive less food so that we can prioritize it for the community food banks. It's a really difficult decision about who gets food and who doesn't. But that's been our reality for a couple of months now. We had about 40 per cent of our agencies last year turning people away with no food at all. So, this is, it's continuing to get worse. We're going to see those numbers increase. But it's, it's very challenging decisions.

NK: People are going hungry.

RW: Unfortunately, that is the reality. And that's been happening for months now. And it's really important to recognize that this is a failure of our system. This is not a failure of the Ottawa Food Bank. We are 98 per cent funded by the community. We don't receive provincial funding. We don't receive federal funding. So, we rely on the people who live in our city to support us, and they can't keep up with the demand either. So, this really is a failure of an entire system. And we would love nothing more than for food banks to go away, for people to be able to afford the food that they want at their homes. But the reality is right now is that people are going without, they're going hungry, and it's only going to get worse.

NK: Back in December, we spoke with the CEO of Food First Newfoundland and Labrador, Josh Smee, who told us about his desire to see organizations like this become obsolete. You're on the same page, I know. But let's listen and remind our listeners what Mr. Smee had to say.

SOUNDCLIP

JOSH SMEE: Right now, we have a social support system where we've outsourced critical pieces of the social safety net to under-resourced charities. That's unacceptable. But that's the reality. And so, you should absolutely give. What I would say is give and, and the and is reaching out in whatever way works for you to decision-makers to say what are you doing to remove the need for these organizations?

NK: I know you're part of the "Put Food Banks Out of Business" campaign as well. How realistic, though, are guaranteed basic income, a more robust social safety net? How realistic are those asks, do you think, in this particular political climate?

RW: I think we're at a point where we don't have a choice. Where we are forced to have really difficult conversations with all levels of government about making a change, we know that food banks keep people housed because they, you know, they don't have to spend money on food. They focus on their rent and utilities and then turn to a food bank for their food. As this system starts to fail, we're going to see more people become unhoused. And what is the government going to do then? They're not going to have a choice. So, they can either get ahead of it now and make those difficult decisions and invest in social assistance programs, or they're going to deal with a massive housing crisis on top of a food security crisis.

NK: And now, these organizations that are not going to get the same kind of support as you've been able to give them in the past, our colleagues at CBC News Ottawa were speaking to them, and they're going to try to do fundraising of their own. But given what you've said about how strapped your regular donors are and the fact that they'll be competing with the other organizations that are seeing cuts, how are they going to make up the shortfall?

RW: I'm not sure that they can. And I think that that is our reality. You know, I had meetings today with some of our agencies, and they asked, what are we supposed to tell people when, when they walk away with no food? And the answer is, unfortunately, I don't know. We don't know where people are supposed to go now. People are already accessing food banks and meal programs, and as much as they can. There's nowhere else for people to turn, which is why we need the government to step in and play a bigger role.

NK: So, is your message then to just the government and and officials because I know you often put out the call for donations, but are donations, well, it doesn't sound like donations are the answer at this point.

RW: That's right. And we still need donations because we cannot do anything we do without that support. So, if we started to lose donations now, we'd have to make even tougher decisions in the coming months. But absolutely, there has to be a call to the government to, here in Ottawa, we're looking for them to declare a food insecurity crisis. We're asking the provincial government to increase social assistance rates to keep pace with the cost of living. And, of course, affordable housing is a big piece as well. So, we need both the government to step up. And, unfortunately, we need our community to continue to support not only the Ottawa food bank, but the local agencies as well.

NK: What is your plan looking ahead? A federal election, certainly, on the horizon, a new government, a new party in charge, Pierre Poilievre potentially becoming prime minister. What is the strategy for dealing with a change in government, whoever the next prime minister might be?

RW: We work closely with our partners at Food Banks Canada to really amplify the message about the level of crisis that's happening right now. And, you know, although he may feel he's not responsible for, he certainly is inheriting what's happening and needs to address it. We don't believe that cutting carbon tax is going to have as much of an impact on individuals. I hope that I'm wrong, but we're planning for tough conversations with the government, really pushing them to understand this is a critical moment where they can either lead and bring us out of this crisis, or they can continue to dig the hole further.

NK: Rachel, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

RW: Thank you.

LBR: Rachael Wilson is CEO of Ottawa Food Banks. She was in Ottawa.

[chillhop house tour music]

Junior Hockey Sisters

LBR: Canada's under-18 women's hockey team shut out the U.S. yesterday with a four-nothing win at the World Juniors in Finland. The win is Canada's eighth Gold in the competition, and it came thanks in part to Manitoban twins Kate and Sara Manness -- the first-ever pair of sisters to compete together in the championships. Michelle Moore Davison is their coach.

SOUNDCLIP

MICHELLE MOORE DAVISON: I'm just thrilled. Like, they, both of the girls, are such hard workers. They, they deserve this. Like, I love seeing when, when athletes are putting in the work behind the scenes. Like, I'm fortunate enough to see that work. Like, you know, the days when it's not easy, and they still show up, and we, we push through. And we, we fine tune what they need and then they get these invites to go to the camps and then to the tournament. And then, to see this, it's just like that's the part, the medal is, is the part that everybody sees. But I get to see the part, the grueling, the, the behind-the-scenes. So, you know, you're so, so thrilled for them because it's like that achievement is so well-deserved.

SAM SAMSON: What was the last thing you said to either of them? Do you remember?

MMD: Have fun. That's the most important thing. Like, for me, we work on the technical details of skating. I don't want them thinking about their skating when they're playing. So, for my job, it's to really harness, like, work on the nervous system, and the mechanics, and, and the muscle memory. And then, they need to just go. They need to go. They need to play. They need to just be free on the ice and, you know, go have fun and enjoy, enjoy these moments because they go by quick.

SS: Just with the, like, what seems to be so far a successful second season of the PWHL and now, the women's team has won Gold, I think last year, they won bronze. So, it's just like it seems like women's hockey is climbing a ladder. Like, there's no top for women's hockey in Canada. How do you see the future of women's hockey right now in our country?

MMD: Oh my gosh! There's, it's so exciting. It's so exciting to see. I see the PW, the the Toronto team quite a bit in Toronto. They're working hard, they're practicing. The amount of female, young females that are registered in our programs is phenomenal. It's going to explode. Like, it already has a bit. But now, it's just going to go even further. I think the PWHL, the movement of getting them, you know, now, now, these young girls have something to push towards, but it's going to get more competitive.

LBR: Coach Michelle Moore Davison speaking to Sam Samson on CBC' Winnipeg Information Radio.

[calypso]

Ugliest Lawn

Guest: Leisa Elliott

LBR: We've talked about many odd competitions on As It Happens. Fat Bear Week, the European Tram Driver Championships, the Mud Bowl, The Paris waiters' race. But there's one competition that we know for sure we've kept you up to date on since it began. That's the World's Ugliest Lawn, which [coughs] began last year. You may remember the first-ever winner, Kathleen Murray, who told Nil all about her graveyard-esque grass.

SOUNDCLIP

KATHLEEN MURRAY: Well, I can see an early riser bandicoot already digging in my garden, looking for things to eat. [NK chuckles] And I let the chicks out early this morning, and I had to make sure not to step on the skeletal remains of the bluetongue lizard.

NK: Oh!

KM: Or the decomposing brushtail possum.

SOUNDCLIP

LBR: Now, Ms. Murray hands the trophy over to Leisa Elliott in Birdlings Flat, New Zealand.

NK: Leisa, that's a bit from last year's winner. Maybe you've, you've seen or heard about her lawn before. How does yours compare?

LEISA ELLIOTT: Well, I certainly don't have dead possums and lizards in my garden. [both laugh].

NK: And proud of it, it sounds like.

LE: Well, a lot of wildlife comes to my garden. And New Zealand doesn't have the same range of mammals that Australia does. There's a lot of birds and, you know, geckos and insects and bats.

NK: Well, yes, understood. The jury, in choosing your lawn as winner this year, wrote in part, quote, Leisa Elliott, located along the rugged Canterbury coastline, has embraced a bold philosophy. Let Mother Nature take the reins, unquote. Where does that philosophy come from for you?

LE: Just from my heart. Just a lifestyle I believe in. And, and, I mean, I do have, you know, faith that everything's taken care of. I just sort of manage what's going on there and, and trust in that. And it seems to work. It does work. I'm always quite stunned after because it's very hot and dry here in the summers. And my garden and lawn have been just about dead, it looks like dead to me, at the end of a summer. And springtime comes, and it just blooms again. It's just amazing to me that there's that, you know, lifeforce that creates it. So, that's what I embrace.

NK: Without you doing a single thing.

LE: Pretty much. I only, garden-wise, I'll just intervene if there's a plant, you know, covering or interfering with another plant or overtaking another plant. And I will, the only time I water is I have fruit trees and I do have some vegetables. So, if they are suffering, I'll give them a bit of water. But, you know, it's, still, it's only minimal.

NK: Can you describe for our listeners what it looks like?

LE: Well, it's, it's a normal, you know, house with, you know, a section garden. And I have trees, and I have a lot of cactuses and succulents and any plants that will, do not need watering that will take care of themselves. And I do love flowers. And, again, there's flowers that, that love the area, the climate there. So, I just, 'cause I don't like weeding either. So, it just throw seeds into this big gap sort of fill up. So, it's just, it's a wild garden pretty much, but tamed as well, if you like.

NK: What makes it ugly, though?

LE: Well, it's ugly in the beholder. I love the ugly because, to me, when, when it goes, well, I call it blond. When the grass goes blond, it just actually adds a highlight. So, I mean, I love my garden no matter what it looks like. So, you know, ugly, beautiful, it's all the same to me.

NK: The fact that there's that, that blond patch or that dry patch, that to, to other gardeners might just be, it would make them apoplectic.

LE: Absolutely. Each to their own. A garden, a garden is a very personal thing to every, each person. And, you know, what can I say? I mean, this is my perspective on, on my garden. And, yeah, I mean, I love, I love what I have there.

NK: This is also about, the competition, certainly, is about promoting water conservation. Has that always been somethin g that's important to you?

LE: Yes, always. Always, yes. Because me, I mean, I have already talked about the drinking water is a precious commodity. And I'm so grateful to have it pumped to my door. And, to me, drinking water is drinking water, not watering the garden water. And that's my philosophy. And I feel quite strong, I do feel strongly about that. And I just do not water my lawn ever.

NK: Do you feel --

LE: The rain does that.

NK: Yeah. Do you feel you're an outlier still? Or do you feel people are changing their thoughts on this?

LE: People are changing. People are changing. People are loving, I haven't, every person who has heard my story has laughed. And, to me, that's a joy because there's so much doom and gloom and so many awful things happening in the world. You know, in America, terrible fires, and that's just to name one thing.

NK: Water is an issue.

LE: So, yeah, exactly. And I just thought, well, you know, something that makes people laugh or, you know, feel happy, you know, people are going to hear and see that. And I love how the whole competition was started and why it was started. And so, I thought, yeah, that's, you know, that's a competition after my own heart.

NK: What do your neighbours think of all this?

LE: Well, I'm getting, well, I hit the, like, we have a community Facebook page. And apparently, you know, top number on that. People are loving it, just loving it. I've had so many, you know, what's the word? Congratulations towards me. It's been beautiful.

NK: And is your lawn an anomaly? Or are there other, quote/unquote, ugly lawns there? Or are people on board with your philosophy?

LE: Oh, plenty of ugly lawns.

NK: Yeah?

LE: Plenty of lawns. And that's, you know, all the more for people to send their entries for this year's competition in with a chance. You know, the competition entries ended the 25th of December this year, so go for it I reckon -- anybody who's got a lawn that fits the bill.

NK: Do you win something? Or is it just the honour and the bragging rights?

LE: No, I have a T-shirt. We get a pre-loved. I got a pre-loved T-shirt, which I'll have for the year, and then pass it on to next year's winner. And I get a diploma.

NK: And you get a diploma. What does the T-shirt say? Just says, it's just says world's ugliest lawn?

LE: It says the proud owner of the world's ugliest lawn. There's pictures of it if you, if you have a look. I could send you one if you like. [both chuckle]

NK: Well, Leisa, congratulations. Thank you.

LE: Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you so much for your interest in the story. And, you know, made, made, made my story travel. Thank you.

LBR: Leisa Elliott is the winner of the World's Ugliest Lawn 2024. We reached her in Birdlings Flat, New Zealand.

[industrial]

St. John’s Fake Ubers

LBR: Apps like Uber and Lyft have made it easier to get a ride home after a night out at the bar, even in a less-than-sober state. It just takes a few swipes and clicks on your phone for a driver to arrive at your exact location. But Niall Hickey is warning people to be careful before they get into a car that pulls up beside them. He's the co-owner of Newfoundland Embassy Pub and Eatery in St. John's. Mr. Hickey told the CBC what he's been noticing late at night when he's closing up.

SOUNDCLIP

NIALL HICKEY: I've been seeing this for a while, even before Uber came to St. John's. It'll be out late at night, and a car pulls up outside and asks if you want to ride. And now, they're saying the Ubers, which is pretty scary. But, you know, you didn't book an Uber, don't get into an Uber. But I saw it there last Friday, too. And it was a friend of mine. And luckily, I asked her if that was her Uber? And she said no. And I said, well, you got to get out of that cab or that Uber because you didn't order that, so.

JEN WHITE: Wow.

NH: Yep.

JW: So, you've mentioned your friend. Is this happening to other people? Who are you seeing it happen to?

NH: Random people all the time. I always see the same few cars on a certain night driving around. And I see it constantly. And a lot of industry staff, too, have it happen to them when they're walking over to their vehicles.

JW: Really? So, is it happening earlier in the evening, later at night, or any time?

NH: It's usually later, around like 12 to 3 in the morning.

JW: So, for anyone who doesn't use Uber or one of those apps to contact a cab company to come get them, how can someone differentiate between a legitimate driver and say, someone who's just doing this or saying that they're doing it?

NH: Well, if you do use Uber or even like the Jiffy Cab app, you book through them. So, you get the make, the name of the car, or the model of the car, and name of the driver, and license plate. So, that's one easy way to avoid it. If not, I would have just, you can always go downtown and find a cab there at the cab stand. Or give them a call. You know, get into an actual cab, don't call, well, you can't call an Uber. So, I wouldn't believe anyone's an Uber unless you booked it yourself.

JW: And I know you aren't with the police, obviously, [chuckling] but you've been working in the downtown area for a long time now. And you've been advocating for safer streets and bars for years. So, what advice do you have for anyone who's in the area late at night and gets approached, especially if, say, they've been drinking that evening?

NH: I would say, obviously, say no right away. If you can, take a picture of the license plate and report it and police will deal with it, that's for sure. But, and be, be aware. You know, you've got to watch how much you drink. And, obviously, keep a good head on your shoulders because now it's scary stuff.

LBR: That was Niall Hickey -- co-owner of Newfoundland Embassy Pub and Eatery -- speaking to the CBC's Jen White on the St. John's Morning Show.

[ambient]

Part 3: Tibet Earthquake Response, New Year’s Island

Tibet Earthquake Response

Guest: Tencho Gyatso

LBR: Two fresh earthquakes hit Tibet's Tingri county today -- according to China's Earthquake Networks Center. The 4.9 and 5.0 quakes struck less than a week after a much larger 6.8 earthquake rocked the same region -- killing at least 126 people and injuring hundreds more. But six days on, the official death toll from that disaster remains unchanged. And that's prompting members of Tibet's diaspora to question China's accounts of the devastation...and its commitment to ongoing relief efforts. Tencho Gyatso is president of the International Campaign for Tibet. We reached her in Washington, D.C.

NK: Tencho, have you been able to reach anyone in Tibet at this point?

TENCHO GYATSO: Not directly. Tibet, as you know, for us to access Tibet is very difficult. Reporters in Beijing say Tibet is even more difficult to access than North Korea. So, from what we hear, we see stories being shared on social media. We hear from people who have connections with their relatives in the region. And we are hearing that the devastation has been quite strong in the area. And I believe much higher than the official numbers that we are seeing. Because what we see on cameras is really widespread, flattened towns. We had a video message from one person who was saying that in his town, at least 100 people have died. And there were cremations going on. And this is a region that is of very high altitude, remote, difficult to access. And the official report only says 126.

NK: As you look at those pictures and try to get in touch, do you know people who have lost loved ones?

TG: One friend of mine I was talking to, he said he talked to a relative who said he had lost five members of his family. And one of the things that we saw from in the aftermath of this earthquake was, really, Tibetans inside Tibet coming to help their brothers and sisters from all across the plateau, especially young people collecting money, collecting blankets, collecting clothes, and wanting to go and help them. And those in outside Tibet, in exile also, we see so many people concerned and wanting to help, but not having, being able to have the access to where we can help them.

NK: The fact that it is so remote and the temperatures can be extreme there, what has that meant for aid efforts?

TG: It's really concerning because we hear they are now without housing, living in tents. But that region, the temperature goes into extreme, as you say. So, I'm not sure how people can survive in tents. And these areas are traditional Tibetan towns, so the houses are usually wood, stone, mud, and really easy to crumble when something like a major earthquake happens. But for Tibetans, these are regions where they have lived for centuries. And the regions have mountains and lakes and things that are sacred to Tibetans. And the earthquake has hit some of these regions.

NK: Chinese state media is reporting at least 61,000 people are displaced, that at least 126 people were killed. Chinese President Xi Jinping last week called for, quote, every effort to be made to carry out search and rescue operations and to treat the injured, unquote. And the government is pledging the equivalent of nearly $20 million Canadian to disaster relief. When you hear those official numbers and those promises, what do you take away from those words?

TG: I take away that there's going to be a repeat of what happened in the major earthquake that happened where all these Tibetans who were impacted were removed from their homelands, removed from their traditions, and moved into concrete structures. In this case, also, when you say 61,000 people have been impacted, what are the lives of these 61,000 going to be? They're going to be now controlled by the state. And that makes it, you know, heartbreaking.

NK: You're describing a disaster unfolding in two ways. You're talking about the immediate disaster of the earthquake, but also the long-term effects on Tibetan people and this Tibetan population.

TG: Yes, very much so. And, and also, any of these disasters lead to officials having more ways to feed their pockets because part of what happened in the last earthquake was there was a lot of corruption. And then, the aid money goes into the deep pockets of officials who are running all of these things. And what trickles down to the Tibetans and the local people are questionable.

NK: So then for those listening from abroad, as our listeners are, what can people, or governments abroad, do to mitigate what is happening and make sure people get help?

TG: I think for Tibetans, knowing that the world is paying attention to Tibet. That the earthquake in Tibet does make the news. That people don't just listen to the Chinese state media news but pay attention to Tibetans. And that Tibetans are seen as people who have, who should have voices, and who should be able to have their basic needs and welfare taken care of according to their wishes.

NK: Beyond giving interviews like you're doing, and trying to raise awareness of the things you're concerned about, how do you show people that, there, that you are supporting them?

TG: We're working on two areas. One is we're working on looking to see what we can gather from outside from a distance to see, you know, what might be the actual numbers. But it's really hard because China has stopped issuing numbers of how many people are in a township and things like that at the lower level. So, it becomes more difficult to follow. But, at the same time, we also monitor what people are sharing on social media. And the real positive sign is how people are sharing solidarity and sending messages. There was also young Tibetan artists, singers coming together, singing a song of solidarity for the people who have lost their lives in this earthquake, that we stand with you together. So, I think, these messages are what inspire us, that even in a climate of such oppression, that Tibetans are able to share their voice and, you know, show their solidarity for their brothers and sisters.

NK: Tencho, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

TG: Thank you very much.

LBR: Tencho Gyatso is president of the International Campaign for Tibet. We reached her in Washington, D.C.

[classic rock]

FOA: Merlin Update

LBR: I'm happy to report we have a much anticipated update for you on the health of Merlin the parrot. Last year, staff at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic were forced to make the difficult decision to give up their beloved resident macaw. Merlin had been a mainstay at the Halifax museum for years. But during the pandemic, he'd begun to show signs of depression. Here's some of what museum manager Kim Reinhardt told us in April:

SOUNDCLIP

KR: You know, he's been here a long time. So we were familiar with, with happy Merlin behaviours, right? How he, how he is. And, but then -- at the time of the pandemic -- we had shutdowns and we had to change up our routines. I think that was, that was hard for Merlin. You know, he likes his routines. He knows when to expect people in and, and, so that was, that was the beginning of noticing that he just seems not himself -- a little bit down. And he began to break off some of his feathers. So we got support from the vet and asked what to do? And the vet had some recommendations and some medication for him. And she felt that the breaking of feathers was an indication of a little bit of stress or anxiety. We, even though the museum was closed during periods of time during the pandemic, we always had people come in to spend time specifically with Merlin, listen to music with him, read stories, just hang out with him just to help counter any loneliness. And so, despite everything that we could do in support, he just didn't fully get back to that happy Merlin.

LBR: Kim Reinhard of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic speaking to Nil last spring. And since Merlin's health didn't improve, the museum made the hard choice to send him to Ontario's Safari Niagara nature park, where he would integrate with other birds, and hopefully feel better. This week, CBC received this update from Safari Niagara's Taryn Hipkiss.

SOUNDCLIP

TARYN HIPKISS: He's been making his transition. He is doing very, very well. Right now, he currently is in an enclosure with another macaw -- with a blue-gold macaw, Kiki. And they have been together for many, many months. So, that is going very well. They get along very well. He's currently learning to be a more independent macaw. Obviously, at the Maritime Museum, he was living independently. And his main interaction was with humans. So, part of our process with Merlin is encouraging him to be a more independent macaw. And it involves introducing him opportunities to create more natural behaviors in a more complex environment than he had previously. So, his, our animal care team had found that his range of behaviours and movements were significantly lower than our parrots who engage in a range of social and independent interactions. So, right now, we have his enclosure placed so that he can also observe the macaw flock. So, we have six other macaws that live in a flock across, in an enclosure across from him. So, he does observe them as he's in his enclosure with Kiki as well. He's also just started approaching the mister. So, parrots are misted for bathing and cleaning purposes. That was something that Merlin was very hesitant for and showed no interest in in the beginning. He is now approaching the mister. And, and Kiki, Kiki is very interested in that and has showed those behaviors to Merlin. So, he has, he has really learned from living with her in the enclosure and observing her. So, we really believe that that helped with his aversion and initially and has he's really learned from that. The enclosure is fairly large. So, in the beginning, they were just sharing the enclosure but weren't really having much interaction with each other. Obviously, it was a transition for him sharing a space with another bird. There's definitely been a lot of inquiries about Merlin. But, yes, he is doing very well here, and we are happy with his progress.

CH: Taryn Hipkiss is the general manager of Safari Niagara in Fort Erie, Ontario. Merlin the parrot formerly lived at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

[heist music?]

SOD: L.A. Fires Dog

LBR: There've been countless stories of devastation from the people of L.A. this past week as fires raged. And resident Casey Colvin was among those with a heartbreaking tale. His home in the Palisades burned down when he was away at work. He says he couldn't get past the road blockades to get out his two dogs, Tika Tika Tika and Oreo. Tika Tika Tika was ultimately rescued by a firefighter, but Oreo was nowhere to be found. Until now. The tiny dog had managed to survive for five days in the rubble before Mr. Colvin found him using a tracker. Here's the reunion of Mr. Colvin and his dog Oreo: our Sound of the Day.

SOUNDCLIP

CASEY COLVIN: Oh honey! Oh honey! Oh my gosh! You’re alive! You’re alive! Oh honey! Woooo! Woooo! Yeah! Yeah!

LBR: Our Sound of the Day, L.A. resident Casey Colvin reuniting with his dog Oreo after they lost their home to fire.

[indie rock]

Green Crabs

LBR: The brave, globe-trotting European green crab can today be found almost everywhere in the Atlantic. The crab -- which started out from the sunny waters of the Mediterranean -- has been making a home for itself on the significantly colder Canadian coasts since the late 19th century. Lately, the Magdalen Islands of Quebec have been seeing more and more of these crabs. And their ecosystems are feeling the pinch. Here's biologist Andréanne Demers on this invasive species.

SOUNDCLIP

ANDRÉANNE DEMERS: They're aggressive. They're voracious. They love to dig up their food. So, they can, they tend to destroy eelgrass and habitats like that. And they love clams and mussels.

JULIA CARON: They destroy eelgrass. Is that just by their nature? Is that just something they do?

AD: Yes. Yes. They, they, they dig it up and they tear it up, and they uproot them. So, they can be very, very destructive. And eelgrass is a very important habitat for small fish and other biodiversity. It's a very useful habitat that you have all the way in the, in eastern Quebec and eastern Canada, really. And so, that's why it's such an invasive species, such an important species for us to check for.

JC: Do we have a sense of, of the impact the presence of the European green crab could have on the region's fishing industry?

AD: It's, it's hard to say because it's, it's localized, it varies, and it's, they've been in Nova Scotia for quite some time. And, I mean, the lobster fishery is still, is still quite good there. But I'd say it could have some very important local impacts, especially in the Magdalen Islands, which is a very special environment with lagunas. So, this is why we're looking for it and we want to trap it because we worry that it could have some impacts on this very important habitat. And I wouldn't be surprised that in some estuaries, which are very biodiverse with great eelgrass beds, that they would have an impact there. So, it's, I think, they would have some important local impacts. Overall, for the entire fishery, it's very hard to say. But it's not a good thing.

JC: I have to ask you, are they edible?

AD: Of course. [chuckling] You can eat anything. [JC laughs] Yes, they're edible, but they're very small, you know? They, they're not, they're not great [chuckle] to eat. There is some fisheries in the, in the south, in the Nova Scotia and probably in the U.S. They use them for bait mostly. But in Europe, I've heard that they make soup with it.

JC: Okay. So, you can make them tasty if you want to, but, but not any anything, like, potential for a commercial fishery or anything like that?

AD: I don't think it has a great potential [laughing] for food. I, you know, you could fish them, but they're not like, you know, our usual snow crab, no.

LBR: That was CBC Quebec's Julia Caron speaking to Andréanne Demers, senior biologist of aquatic invasive species at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

[chillhop]

New Year’s Island

Guest: Robert Smith

LBR: By the way, before I forget, I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! Well, not "you all" -- just the residents of one the U.K.'s most remote islands -- who are just now celebrating the arrival of 2025. On Foula, time moves at its own pace -- which is the way the few dozen people who call it home like it. They celebrate New Year's Day and Christmas based on the old Julian calendar, which was replaced with the Gregorian centuries ago. Robert Smith is a Foula resident, and he was on the island today before heading to the Shetland Mainland, off the north coast of Scotland.

NK: Happy New Year, Robert. [chuckling]

ROBERT SMITH: Yeah, thanks. Happy New Year.

NK: What is a day like today like on Foula?

RS: I guess it starts off a bit like a normal Scottish New Year's with the tradition of "First-Footing", where people go around visiting each other's houses and sharing a dram of whiskey or another spirit.

NK: Do you celebrate two New Year's Days, then?

RS: Yeah. I usually celebrate the 21st and 1st with my girlfriend on the mainland of Shetland. And then, I go back to Foula to have the 6th and the 13th with my Foula family.

NK: That sounds pretty great. You get double the, double the celebration.

RS: Yeah.

NK: What does your girlfriend think of, of this extra New Year and Christmas?

RS: She thinks it's, it's kind of fun, yeah. It's just a Shetland tradition and a Foula tradition. It's becoming less and less common these days, but we still like to celebrate in Foula.

NK: And are the celebrations for Christmas different on the 25th and on the 6th?

RS: They're a bit similar. Kinda, sort of more intimate sort of family days. There'll be a lot of music played later on at night. And roast dinners and things. New Year's Day has the First-Footing as well. But on Christmas as well, then people go around visiting with a bottle of whiskey or some fancy liqueurs or something like that.

NK: [chuckling] Whiskey is a, is a thread throughout all of this. [RS chuckles] This is the first time many of us are hearing about Foula or, you know, may likely never get a chance to visit. How long have you lived there?

RS: Born and raised.

NK: Oh wow. How would you describe it to people who've never seen it?

RS: It's a small, remote island in the Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Scotland. It's got some striking scenery, some very sheer cliffs, some lovely rock arches, and sea caves. There's lots of wildlife, seabirds, and we frequently see killer whales, and dolphins, and things like that.

NK: It sounds beautiful.

RS: Yeah. You feel very close to nature and the outdoors. And you can, you can kind of distance yourself from the outside world and the hustle and bustle. And yet, it's just a 15-minute flight away to the mainland, where all your shops and bars and pubs and things are.

NK: And how many people live there? It's under 40, right? Fewer than 40?

RS: Yeah, around about 35. But it does fluctuate. We have a broad spread of ages. I think our youngest resident is about four years old. And we have five kids in the primary school. And then, we have teenagers at high school, and even some people just finished high school on the mainland, Shetland, who have chosen to come back to Foula. So, that's encouraging.

NK: Do you find people leave?

RS: In other places, other islands, then usually the young people go away to high school and gets a taste for modern conveniences and nightlife and decide not to come back. But I think Foula offers the peace and tranquility, the kind of freedom. So, that draws a lot of people back.

NK: It does sound wonderful. What do you do for work on the island?

RS: a bit of everything, really. [NK chuckles] Just what I can to make the community work. I worked on the local ferry, taking in supplies. I work at the water treatment plant. I work with our renewable electricity generating plant. I work with Foula Heritage, so doing guided tours and bird surveys and things like that.

NK: What kind of birds do you have out there.

RS: I deliver the mail, works on the roads.

NK: You do everything. You do everything.

RS: Everything, yeah.

NK: [chuckling] What kind of birds do you have out there?

RS: Mainly seabirds. We have great skua, Arctic skuas, Arctic terns. We get a few rare migrants passing through, so that could be anything, really.

NK: So, could you imagine, Robert, ever just celebrating a single New Year and a single Christmas?

RS: I would miss the, the old traditions. It's what they've always done, and I'd certainly miss it, kind of the more family celebrations.

NK: Robert, Happy New Year again. Thank you.

RS: Happy New Year. Thanks for speaking to me.

NK: A pleasure.

LBR: That was Foula resident Robert Smith on the nearby Shetland Mainland.

The AIH Transcript For January 13, 2024

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