The AIH Transcript For March 14, 2025
The AIH transcript for March 14, 2025
For more episodes of this podcast, please click this link.
NIL KÖKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.
TALIA SCHLANGER: Good evening, I'm Talia Schlanger, sitting in for Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.
[theme]
TS: Tonight:
NK: Making his Mark. Newly sworn-in Prime Minister Mark Carney introduces his new cabinet -- and there are many familiar faces in it. A Liberal and a Conservative tell us what that means as an election approaches.
TS: Overloaded and undersupported. A first responder in Saskatoon tells us what it's been like to be on the front lines, as the city grapples with hundreds of overdose calls this month.
NK: She thought it was the end of the road. An Indiana woman is rescued after a car crash left her severely injured and trapped in her car for nearly a week. Her father tells us how she managed to survive.
TS: Uncharted waters. A crab harvester from B.C. says his industry is bracing for new Chinese tariffs next week -- while, at the same time, facing instability from U.S. tariff threats.
NK: It leaves munch to be desired. After the lucrative sale of a cheeto shaped like a Pokémon character, an auction house is trying again with a new cheesy offering they say looks just like the classic Michael Jordan logo. Though we wonder if that claim might come back to bite them.
TS: And... Colouring outside the lines. A snowy owl in Michigan is ruffling feathers with its inexplicably orange ones. A local photographer introduces us to the bird nicknamed "Creamsicle."
TS: As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that loves a good nom de plume.
Part 1: Carney Cabinet: New Cabinet, Carney Cabinet: Conservative, Orange Snowy Owl
Carney Cabinet: New Cabinet
Guest: Marci Surkes
TS: Canada officially has a new prime minister. Earlier today, Mark Carney was sworn in at Rideau Hall, alongside a new, leaner cabinet. And many of those faces will be familiar to Canadians -- and to Donald Trump's administration, including Melanie Joly and Dominic LeBlanc. They've been on the frontlines of the trade war with the U.S., which Prime Minister Carney spoke about with reporters today:
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MARK CARNEY: One of the top issues, of course, is the crisis with respect to the United States, and the opportunity with respect to trade diversification. So. Keeping together those individuals who have been on, and now I'm going to use your term, the frontline, but the frontline in a, in a commercial battle, keeping together those individuals so that we are seamlessly addressing these issues. And seizing the opportunities was very important to us, and that's reflected in the cabinet. But of course, it's reflected fundamentally in, in their capabilities, which are here for the moment.
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TS: Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking to reporters just after being sworn in at Rideau Hall. Marci Surkes is the former executive director for policy and cabinet affairs for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We reached her in Ottawa.
NK: Marci, has Prime Minister Mark Carney put together a cabinet to win a trade war or to win an election?
MARCI SURKES: I would say that it's a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B. I think Mr. Carney is presenting himself as a chief executive of a cabinet that is going to be much more business-minded, focused on the economy naturally, focused on the trade war as he was discussing in his appearance. And I think that to some extent, to some degree, that is, like, a war-like footing, given what we are, what we are facing as a country. And when you have this kind of serious context all around you, it is an imperative for the government of Canada to have the best players possible on the field to continue doing the work that they're doing. Having any sort of change to any of those key or core ministries at this moment would have been complicated, even though the chairs have shifted slightly. In effect, you have that same core group working for you. Although I will note, you have Chrystia Freeland in that core today that you didn't have yesterday working on the Canada-U.S. relationship. But it is also a caretaker ministry. It is a ministry that, outside of those key portfolios dealing with the U.S. tariff war, are, are really not necessarily individuals who are going to have very much to do, very much to say over the coming few weeks. And so, some of those decisions are really based on the electoral considerations in terms of regional representation and other, and other considerations around gender and background that we traditionally see in cabinet making. So, in spite of the fact that it is a much smaller, leaner cabinet, it is still trying to do two things at once. Both deal with the, the American imperative, but also the general election, which we assume, we assume is coming very soon.
NK: We do. He also, the prime minister did say the word new several times. The use of that word over and over again is not an accident, obviously. He's trying to signal to, to Canadians that he is bringing something different.
MS: Yeah, absolutely. And right, and rightfully so. I mean, the newest part of today is Mr. Carney himself, who is new to this game. He is a political neophyte. He is new to many Canadians. His perspective is new. His direction is new. The decisiveness that he has exercised over the last number of days, even in forming this cabinet as quickly as he has, will feel new or newer to those who watch politics very closely and maybe were feeling that the previous Trudeau administration was beginning to feel quite, quite sluggish in terms of their decision making. So, there is, there is a lot of new, but that is mostly around Mr. Carney himself. I think it is more difficult for Mr. Carney to present this cabinet or these faces as terribly new. Certainly, his opponents are going to try to, will try to take that tack very quickly.
NK: Yes. They already have.
MS: And make that point.
NK: The Conservative leader,
Pierre Poilievre, has already said that, saying that this is, this is more of the same. But, but for those who want to see the Trudeau years behind them, is that actually what they're, what they're getting here?
MS: Not today. But today is the beginning of a story that's going to unfold over the next four to six weeks with respect to a general election, in terms of how Mr. Carney is going to position himself. He has a little bit of runway here, not very long, to create some distance, you know, differentiate himself from his predecessor in many respects. He'll be off. We'll see him on the world stage very quickly. I believe by the end of this weekend, we'll see him meeting with world leaders, and we will see what he looks like on the campaign stump very soon. So, Canadians don't have to decide today. And for Mr. Carney to present himself as new, there are going to have to be new entrants into the cabinet and the government, new ideas, new positions taken. That is yet to unfold. We thought we might see some of that today. It didn't materialize, but I expect and anticipate that will come in the coming weeks.
NK: In subtle and not subtle ways, Prime Minister Carney also took direct aim, from what I heard, at the Conservative leader, at Pierre Poilievre. He used the phrase relentlessly positive energy. Negativity won't help, you know, deal with what we're dealing with now. But, but relentlessly positive energy seems like another way to say sunny ways. So, is that a smart thing to be doing right now?
MS: I think it is. I actually, and this is not only, this is not a partizan comment. I do tend to believe that Canadians always want our politics to be injected with some form of hope and optimism, otherwise we wouldn't be Canadians. So, I, you know, it is maybe the same kind of, same kind of concept in slightly different terms. But really, effective political leaders in this country are the ones who have been able to galvanize on some hope, some belief that things can be better. And that is not only Liberals. That is Conservatives at different times or New Democrats at different times. That has not been the brand that Mr. Polyakov has put forward. It remains to be seen what Canadians will choose, but it will be a very stark contrast between, between a political communication strategy that has run negative for the better part of the last two years, and one that is going to present an optimistic, a fundamental, optimistic choice. I think, generally speaking, Canadians do gravitate toward optimism. And so, it's generally a winning strategy.
NK: With a leaner cabinet, and knowing what you know, I think you were known as the air traffic controller back in, in your, in your past.
MS: [chuckling] Yes.
NK: That has to present challenges. And, you know, when someone is carrying two big portfolios, these are all important issues, that has to come with challenges and concerns.
MS: Yeah, it cuts both ways. I mean, having a leaner cabinet is a net positive, I think, from a decision-making perspective. Don't forget cabinet is the primary decision-making body for policy for the government of Canada. To your point, it is difficult when you are double-hatting people when they have multiple responsibilities to carry at the same time. Certainly, that does present other challenges. I would say to you, though, that, you know, what I said off the top. This is a, this is more of a caretaker government at this point. And so, the, the policy pens, so to speak, are going to go up in the next few weeks. There'll be a number of decisions taken in the coming days. I would anticipate cabinet meeting at minimum once, if not twice. They'll take a number of decisions to set the new prime minister up with a few announcements. We anticipate some around the carbon tax, for example. There may be others. They will be able to gather this smaller cabinet more quickly. Would this be the ideal set up necessarily for a go-forward plan for a new government following the general? Probably not. Does it work for right now? Yeah, it feels like the right fit for right now. And I do hope that whoever forms government after the next election, be it Liberals or Conservatives, which are the most likely outcomes, that they actually take a page from this playbook and do keep cabinet smaller. We don't need 40-person cabinets. It's actually not in the best interest of getting to decisions.
NK: Great to speak with you, Marci. Thank you.
MS: My pleasure. Thank you.
TS: Marci Surkes is the former executive director for policy and cabinet affairs for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We reached her in Ottawa.
[cold into next story. No music]
Carney Cabinet: Conservative
Guest: Regan Watts
TS: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had this to say about Prime Minister Carney's new cabinet.
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PIERRE POILIEVRE: Today, Liberals are trying to trick Canadians into electing them for a fourth term in power with a cabinet that is 87 per cent the same as Trudeau's cabinet. One hundred per cent of today's Liberal cabinet were in Justin Trudeau's Liberal caucus. These same Liberal MPs voted to hike the carbon tax, double the debt, double food bank lineups, and double housing costs.
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TS: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking to reporters earlier today. Regan Watts is a Conservative strategist who was a senior aide to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. We reached Mr. Watts in Toronto.
NK: Regan, do you agree with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre? Is this another Trudeau cabinet?
REGAN WATTS: Mr. Poilievre, I think, it's not whether a case of whether I agree or not. I think he's exactly right. And so, I guess I do agree. Mr. Carney had an opportunity to reset his government today, and he chose to go with more of the same. You know, this is like that season of Dallas, you know, with Bobby Ewing in the shower. The new guy, Except the new guy is the same as the old guy. And you can tell that by his priorities and who he appointed to cabinet.
NK: A certain segment of our audience is Googling Dallas, and Bobby, and shower as we speak, I'm sure. Wait till after our interview.
RW: That was, that was for the Boomers.
NK: [laughing] But, but in all seriousness, Regan, is, given the, the, the place that we're at with the United States, the threats coming from the United States, you know, that there, there are those, including Prime Minister Carney and his supporters, who say we need that kind of consistency, at least right now. Because there are relationships formed with their U.S. counterparts. And, you know, we need that, that layer of stability.
RW: Relationships are important. But I think a more important fact, to be honest with you is, is Mr. Carney obtaining a mandate. Unlike Mr. Poilievre, Mr. Carney has not knocked on one single door in his pursuit to be Liberal leader. He was elected in, in, you know, in the leadership last weekend, and, and elected by Liberal Party members. But he has not presented himself to Canadians. And so, while relationships between cabinet ministers and cabinet secretaries in the United States are important. What's actually more important, and Canadians have been clamoring for, and have done so for some time now, is an election where they can hear the ideas from the major party leaders, and have an opportunity to have their say on the future of the country.
NK: And as that next election approaches, and will likely be in the not too distant future, we're also seeing that the lead the Conservative Party held for, for quite a long time is shrinking, and shrinking quite a bit. What does that suggest to you at this stage, Regan, about where Canadian voters are at?
RW: Well, it suggests to me a couple of things. First is that the long national nightmare known as Justin Trudeau being over has unlocked a bunch of voters that were accessible for the Liberal Party. That is to be expected. Having said that, we are in a position now where there is a very clear choice that will be before Canadians. And the number that I pay attention to that I think your listeners would identify with most, is that more than half of Canadians in every single poll, regardless of the pollster that is presenting their data, think it's time for a change. Even with Mr. Carney being in the Liberal seat, you're still seeing the Conservative Party in a position where they represent change for the majority of Canadians. Now, an election is coming, and people will, and elections do matter, and people will have an opportunity to have their say. But I like where Mr. Poilievre is right now. And, and the tightening of the polls is to be expected. And certainly, after a polarizing leadership and prime ministership like we had with Prime Minister Trudeau.
NK: What do you think what has happened just in the last few days, last few hours, might mean for swaying undecided voters, specifically with, with the new prime minister, you know, dropping things like the carbon tax, for example, trying to highlight his, his resume, working in the private sector, working as an economist. And we heard him there as I was speaking with, with our previous guest, you know, trying to get at the criticism that, that you and many others have that this could be a continuation of the same saying that word new, new, new over, over again. How much of, of those kinds of, that kind of messaging do you think might sway undecided voters at this point?
RW: Well, even David Copperfield would be impressed at the Liberals doing their best to disappear their record when it comes to carbon pricing. Mr. Carney has been on record and has said that he will remove the consumer carbon tax. What Mr. Carney has also said is he will keep pricing on carbon, a carbon tax on industrial and manufacturing output. And so, Mr. Carney, who is a very intelligent man, who has a degree in economics, understands that at some point somebody has to pay that bill. You know, the liberals are going to have to come clean about what their plan is. They have to believe in their plan, and they'll present it to Canadians. And the battle of ideas will commence. But you know, these Liberals, when, when Conservatives like myself and others talk about these Liberals being the same as the old Liberals, it's because it's true. Mr. Carney has not done a 180 on carbon pricing. He's done a 360. And I think it's fair ball for Conservatives to point that out.
NK: Our listeners heard my conversation with Marci Surkes just a few moments ago, And I was asking her about what the prime minister said today, Mark Carney saying negativity won't help. Clearly, taking aim at the Conservative leader, his tone, and his messaging at this stage. She says Canadians want politics that are injected with hope and optimism. Do you think the Conservative leader's messaging and tone are serving him well at this stage in the race?
RW: Look, at the moment, Mr. Poilievre remains the preferred choice of Canadians for their prime minister. Public opinion polls, generally speaking, have shown the Conservative Party ahead. Well Mr. Carney and, I think, others are trying to articulate and frame Mr. Poilievre's message as negative or somehow bad, the fact is, when you talk to young people who are hoping to buy a home and cannot because housing costs have doubled, Mr. Poilievre resonates with them because he gives them hope. He's speaking language and saying things that, that they want to hear, and that they believe to be true. You say the same things with people who are standing in lines for food banks. You know, we have 2 million Canadians who stand in food bank lines, which for a G7 country as wealthy as ours is absolutely unacceptable. And when they hear him talk about lowering the costs of day-to-day goods, reducing inflation, and getting spending under control, that provides hope for those people who are, who are just trying to make ends meet. So, I don't accept that Mr. Poilievre's message is negative. I think he's pointing out very obvious things that are flawed in the Liberal plan. We talked about carbon pricing earlier, but there are others. And if anybody thinks in this country that pipelines are going to be built with Steven Guilbeault as the Quebec lieutenant, they need to think again. Because Energy East will not go through the province of Quebec as long as Mr. Guilbeault and Mr. Carney are in cabinet and running the government in Canada. And that's just a fact.
NK: On the, on the polling, we should point out, Nanos is saying the Conservatives are one point ahead right now. Leger puts them essentially -- both parties, Liberals and Conservatives -- at essentially a dead heat. So, it sounds like you think that, that the Conservative leader is, is not going to change tone or messaging.
RW: Well, I think there's other polls like Abacus and Innovative Research Group which have the Conservatives up between six and 10 points. Do, you know, is the Conservative Party ahead as much as it was at the start of the year? No, I think that's a fair observation. But the reality is more Canadians right now are responding to Mr. Poilievre's message. I think you will hear in the coming days and weeks, continued messaging around affordability and housing, crime, stopping crime, making streets safe. Maybe his delivery may not, may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it's a message that people respond to. And I think when compared to Mr. Carney, I think Canadians are going to respond favourably.
NK: Regan, thanks for this. I'm glad we could speak, I appreciate it.
RW: My pleasure.
TS: Regan Watts was a senior aide to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. He was in Toronto.
[chillhop house tour music]
Orange Snowy Owl
Guest: Julie Maggert
TS: Snowy owls already have a distinctive look: Bright white plumage that I assume makes all the other owl species jealous. But, this year, the snowy owls may be jealous of one of their own that's catching the attention of local birders and causing some ornithologists to scratch their heads. To give you a clue...the creature has been nicknamed "Rusty" and "Creamsicle." Julie Maggert is an amateur wildlife photographer. We reached her near Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
NK: Julie, how did this owl earned the nickname you've given it, Creamsicle?
JULIE MAGGERT: I noticed that she had orange, and she's obviously white, and just Creamsicle stuck in my head.
NK: [chuckling] How did you first hear about the owl?
JM: There was just a picture of her, and just how she was unique and had orange on her. So, I'm like, well, I just have to lay my eyes on her.
NK: So, tell us about that journey. It wasn't an easy trek, nor an easy process.
JM: Yeah. So, I started out going over there one day, and we got over there about noon, and she was already out in the field pretty far. I waited for her to fly because they usually fly up to, like, a utility pole in the evening to start hunting. And she did end up flying towards dusk, but there was a ditch line out in the field, and she flew into the very tallest tree out there, and it was still pushing probably 300 yards away. So, it wasn't a very good shot. And so, we left. And we came back another day, and we got over there first light, and she was back in the same field, in the same spot, way out there. And I'm like, oh well.
NK: Playing hard to get.
JM: Yeah. [chuckle] And so, we went back. Well, I went back again by myself. And I found her in a different field adjacent from where she was. And she was a bit closer, still too, I mean, she was still too far, but I got some decent pictures of her flying. That evening, she had flown out of that field, across the road, across the field she was originally in, and back over to that tree. And I'm like, oh, it's not meant to be. And so, I went back a fourth the day. And about 3:30, I'm like, well, this is probably going to be my last chance to drive 'round and spot her. So I started driving and I came up to a four-way stop, and I just check in traffic. And I look over, and she's on the utility pole. And come to find out she was directly over my shoulder, [NK chuckles] and I just didn't see her sitting in the truck. I was parked the opposite way. [chuckling]
NK: The owl was waiting for you.
JM: Yeah. Yeah.
NK: So then, you see the owl on the pole. How quickly, I mean, is, are you moving quickly, or do you have to move cautiously? How are you doing all of that to, to finally get the shots you want to get?
JM: Well, she was probably maybe 50 yards down the road. So, I had pulled the truck over, and I put my hazards on and everything. And I just sat in the truck, and was snapping pictures of her. And I'm like, when I first seen her up there, I was like, no way, she's right there. Here's my opportunity. My adrenaline was pumping, and I was shaking because I was so excited. And I'm like, I have to have all my camera settings just perfect. And I got her.
NK: [laughing] So, how did you feel after that? Did you, did you calm down? The shaking stopped?
JM: It took a while. [both laugh] I called my husband because he didn't go with me that day, and I was just like, I was so ecstatic. And I'm like, I got her. And I was just on cloud nine the whole way home.
NK: You know, as you're looking in your lens, what did you make of what was before you? What did you make of what you were seeing?
JM: I was, I was just in disbelief that she actually read my script.
NK: There are, as you probably know, some theories about how this coloring may have developed. One researcher who spoke to the New York Times said maybe it was a genetic, genetic mutation. Another expert disagrees with that, and thinks maybe this was an accident. And it got the orange colouring by, you know, at a nearby airport, and that it's caused by deicing fluid on its, on its feathers. Is there one theory that, that you think is the right one?
JM: Out of them one, I would say a mutation. Because I had gone to Alaska like a week-and-a-half ago, and our plane got de-iced while I was sitting on it. I watched it, and it is, it's actually a pale orange, a very, very pale orange, almost pinkish. So, I really don't think that it's that.
NK: We've spoken to an expert who says, you know, Creamsicle seems to be in good health. We know Michigan's Department of Natural Resources says there are no plans right now to, to try to track it down and figure out why it has this, this colouring and this appearance. Does it matter to you if you ever find out how?
JM: A very small percentage because I like the mystery of it.
NK: And you have the pictures.
JM: Yeah, yeah. [MNK chuckles] And, and the only way that, that you would be able to tell is to get a feather from her. And who knows if that would ever happen. So, I like the mystery of it.
NK: Julie, thank you for this.
JM: Yeah. You're welcome.
TS: Julie Maggert is an amateur wildlife photographer. We reached her near Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
[elevator music]
Michael Jordan Cheeto
TS: They say that cheetos never prosper. Sorry what? It's cheaters? Doesn't matter. However it goes, that saying is wrong. Because earlier this month, a cheeto, as in the cheese-powder based snack food of the Flamin' Hot variety recently sold at auction for the equivalent of $126,000 CDN. And if you're wondering how that single cheeto came to be worth so much cheddar, the answer is...of course...that it bore a striking resemblance to the dragon-like Pokémon, Charizard -- earning it the kind of awesome nickname "Cheetozard." And I can confirm that Cheetozard really does sorta-kinda-maybe look like its namesake and was no doubt an excellent investment. Then there's the Flamin' Hot cheeto the same auction house is trying to sell now, which looks like the Michael Jordan Jumpman logo. You know...the silhouette of Jordan mid-jump, basketball-in-hand, reaching for the sky. Sorry, did I say "looks like?" I meant "allegedly looks like." Because, let's be real, it's a bit of a stretch. The cheeto legs are not even close to achieving Jordan's dramatic splay. And the puffy figure -- if you can even call it that -- appears to have a bunny tail. At best it looks like a person in a bunny costume saying "Hey guys, look how much I look like Michael Jordan when I do this." And the "guys" just clear their throats, and kick at the dirt with their shoes, and say "Yeah, man. You sure do." Which may why the current bids are...extremely low. But hey, if they can make it work, more powder to them.
[heist music. oh no! Someone is stealing the cheeto!]
Part 2: SASK. Overdoses, Indiana Woman Rescued
SASK. Overdoses
Guest: Jayden Poirier
TS: Saskatoon's mayor says her community is facing a "serious and urgent crisis." Earlier this week, the city saw 67 overdoses in just two days...as well as one suspicious death. And in response, the government has activated its Provincial Emergency Operations Centre -- to better coordinate with responding organizations. Meanwhile, harm reduction workers and first responders are describing the situation on the front lines as dire -- and are warning of burn out. Jayden Poirier is with the Saskatoon Fire Department. We reached him in Saskatoon.
NK: Jayden, I know you've been doing this job for, for a while now. How would you compare what you've been dealing with in recent weeks? I mean, the kind of overdose calls you're getting, the number of calls. How has that, has that changed for you?
JAYDEN POIRIER: The change in, I guess, pace and the quantity of these calls that are, that are happening, these overdose calls in this opioid crisis we're dealing with. When I started as a firefighter about 15 years ago, we would maybe do one or two of these a year, you know, throughout the department I was with. And now, you know, up to this week's stats, we're doing between 15 and 20 of these overdoses every single day. Over the course of that time, it's jumped up an extreme amount. And then, also over the last couple of years, you know, we've been dealing with this crisis for, let's say, a few years now, for sure, on the frontlines. And even the intensity and the complexity of these calls, these overdose calls, have increased substantially over the past few years.
NK: The health authority also talked about what it's describing as an unusually potent and potentially lethal substance that is circulating in the Saskatoon area. What do you know about just what that substance or substances are at this point?
JP: Yeah. So, we were also alerted by the Saskatchewan or Saskatoon Health Authority that this is happening. That they said there was a potential unknown mixture or substance going around in these illicit drugs. And it's not the first time we've dealt with these kind of warnings. Basically, when, when this happens, all it means to us on the frontline is, is that when we are going to these, these calls, these overdose calls, that our efforts that we normally do might not work. The Narcan administration, that's for opioids. It works wonderfully for most opioids, usually cancels out the effects of opioids pretty quick, and usually wakes the person up, gets them breathing again. But what we're finding is a lot of these illicit drugs are being cut and mixed in with other things, such as sedatives, benzodiazepines, sometimes even methamphetamines. And the Narcan administration that we're giving and other treatments we're giving just, they're not, they're not working to the same effect. So, for example, we could be giving repeated doses of the Narcan, repeated, you know, doing all these different life-saving measures. And it's, you know, the effects aren't working.
NK: It just makes your already very difficult and fast-paced job even more difficult. How do you and your colleagues keep up with that? You know, I ask because the executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction has said that, that her staff is, is, in her words, drowning, you know? And that this work is difficult and traumatizing. So, how do you deal with it
JP: Yeah. Actually, you know what? She, she's a great, great lady, great girl. She, she popped by our station the other night, and she dropped off a bunch of candy for us, which is, [chuckling] you know, we love candy, and snacks, and stuff. And just a super nice gesture. And we were talking about some little stories. And, you know, she had a little bit of, a few tears in her eyes when she was talking to us about how thankful she was for everything we've been doing. Because she feels so overwhelmed with her staff and everything there. Being on the frontlines of the crisis, and seeing the, you know, the despair and the pretty challenging conditions that we're, we're we're starting to see the impacts of this prolonged exposure to this crisis that doesn't seem to be coming to an end. So, what that means to me is that the firefighters and the first responders, you know, my brothers and sisters, we're seeing basically burnout. So, and when I mean burnout, so I'm seeing signs of emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, loss of empathy. So, that can be really challenging to see. And I think the solution to that, or maybe not a solution, but a way that we're working on it and getting through it is, is essentially peer support, looking out for each other. Burnout's very difficult to see within yourself, like within, I can't look at myself and be like, hey, you're burning out. That's very difficult. But from now, as an outsider, I'm looking at my friend, my firefighter next to me at the station. I can tell if something's up with him or her. And so, peer support, looking out for each other, removing the stigma around mental health. Understanding that it's okay to take a step away. Being able to walk into work understanding that I'm going to go to work and I'm going to do 20 overdoses today and probably nothing else, just because that's, that's how it's been the past few weeks. That can be very discouraging. So, if you, and as a team, we, if we don't sort of change our point of view, if we don't go out there and continue to, you know, do our best and have pride in our job, and respect for the people we're dealing with, then that's where you can start to see the burnout really take effect.
NK: What kind of support do you need at the fire department to help you do your jobs? I ask because, as you've likely heard, the premier of Saskatchewan has said his government is going to make, quote, every investment, and take every opportunity to ensure the communities where we live are safe, unquote. What do you need to be able to do your job?
JP: Well, I'll tell you first that as we drive the fire truck up and down these streets, even, like I said earlier in our conversation, we've been dealing with this opioid crisis for years. And in my, my honest feeling around this, seeing this day in and day out, and getting worse, is that, you know, society's okay with this. Things aren't changing. So why, you know, there, there does have to be drastic changes. And from what I've seen, this is my personal opinion, over the last years, like, there's not a lot of effort mixing into it, you know? As far as the, the big picture, provincial decisions being made. You know, I've read and listen to some people talk about how they're going to focus on, you know, basically policing the whole aspect around it. That's going to be the way that they're going to try to, to change things. And, you know, I don't think that's worked in the past. I don't see a reason to believe it's going to work in the, in the interim, right? This is a crisis happening right now, not next year.
NK: Jayden, I appreciate your time during a really busy time for you and your colleagues. So, thank you for this. Please take care.
JP: Thanks very much.
TS: Jayden Poirier is a firefighter in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. That's where we reached him.
[acoustic guitar]
China Tariffs Crab
TS: There's less than a week now before new tariffs on Canadian products are set to come into effect. And these ones aren't coming from the U.S. Yesterday on the show, we heard from a canola farmer, who described the panic harvesters are feeling as they brace for 100 per cent tariffs from China. And they're not alone. Seafood producers in Canada are also sounding the alarm, as they prepare for a 25 per cent tariff on their products. Duncan Cameron is a director with the BC Crab Fishermen's Association.
[sc]
DUNCAN CAMERON: Crab fishermen are kind of a little shocked. You know, we were already looking at the U.S. tariff. I'm pretty concerned with that. And then, you know, kind of given the volatility with U.S. trade, looking to sort of bolster relations with China, not have them deteriorate. So, it's pretty concerning for fishermen. We exported about $233 million worth of crab in 2023, and 90 per cent of that went to China. So, it's our, it's our big market. And I'm really scared and just kind of hoping that it can be resolved before it comes in.
CAROLINA DE RYK: Yeah. And not much time. This is expected to be announced on the 20th. And, and if Chinese consumers are paying an additional 25 per cent for B.C. crab, what sort of effect do you think that will have on crab fishermen themselves?
DC: Well, I mean, they can get crab from other sources. And they get Dungeness crab from, say, Alaska, or California, Washington, or Oregon. So, it'll just mean 25 per cent less to fishermen. And, you know, we're not, we're not making a profit on all of that. So, you know, only so much of the catch, you know, we're, we're taking a profit from. So, for a lot of our harvesters, it's probably looking at their profits falling about 50 per cent depending -- little more or less.
CDR: And what are you hearing from friends and colleagues about this?
DC: Just kind of a little bit of shock and concern. You know, I think you can look at the ones in the U.S. and go, well, those are, you know, probably not going, or are coming and going over the next four years potentially. But kind of looking at, I guess we just read this, the news as it is, that there's a retaliatory tariff against us. And sort of scratching our, scratching their heads, thinking do we need to be putting this tariff to China, considering the new trade relationship we're in with the U.S.? But overall, just a lot of concern and, you know, nervousness going into the season.
CDR: We've been hearing from other industries and, and the government plans to diversify the market, find new markets. Is that an option for the crab industry?
DC: It's something that the BC Crab Fishermen's Association, we do most of our work on is trying to market domestically. You know, in the North, it's quite a bit easier to get people to come down and buy crab in somewhere like, say, Prince Rupert, where the product's really familiar with the population and people know where to go. But in places like Vancouver or, say getting it to Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Ontario, there's a pretty big education piece there just to kind of what to do with the crab and where to get it. So, we certainly do that, but it's not an overnight type fix. It's, you know, I mean, we try to grow over the years.
[/sc]
TS: Duncan Cameron is a director with the BC Crab Fishermen's Association. He spoke with Carolina De Ryk, host of Daybreak North.
Indiana Woman Rescued
Guest: Delmar Caldwell
TS: It sounds like something straight out of a survival movie. For nearly a week, Brieonna Cassell was trapped in her car, badly injured...alone...and out of sight after she veered off the road and into a ditch near Brook, Indiana. Earlier this week though, someone finally spotted the vehicle and she was rescued. Now, Ms. Cassell is recovering from surgery in the intensive care unit at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Delmar Caldwell is her father. We reached him in North Judson, Indiana.
NK: Delmar, how is your daughter doing?
DELMAR CALDWELL: I went up and seen her yesterday, and she was in good spirits. She's heavily medicated with pain, you know, medication, of course. But she's a strong girl. Right now, they're trying to, working on trying to help her keep her legs. Her legs were so badly wounded with compound fractures in both of them, and her left arm, that, and these wounds went untreated for so many days. Right now, they're trying to keep them clean and get the infection out of them.
NK: Must be such a relief for you?
DC: Oh yes, [chuckling] it's [long pause] Sorry. [sniffle]
NK: That's okay.
DC: It's, we're so grateful she's alive, she's safe, she's warm.
NK: What did happen, Delmar? Because, you know, we know she was driving home after dropping a friend off that night, right?
DC: She thought she fell asleep. She was dropping a friend of hers off, and it was 11 at night then. And she was heading back to her mom's house. She said she fell asleep, and so she hit the ditch, she woke up, but she was too badly hurt.
NK: And her phone had slid under her seat?
DC: Yes. She knew where the phone was at. It was underneath the passenger seat. She was so badly injured she couldn't get to it. And then, of course, you know, it laid there, and the battery went dead. That's why when we called, it was going straight to voicemail. Her mother was contacting me and asking me if I had heard from her? And, you know, said, no, I haven't. And then she said, I can't get a hold of her. She's not answering her phone. I had contacted her children. Her children said the same thing. They had tried calling her; it was going straight to voicemail, and we knew something was wrong. We were sending her text messages, and messages to social media. And she's not replying to anything. Her mother had contacted me and said, Del, our baby girl is missing. And I realized then that [chuckling] I think she is, you know?
NK: Yeah.
DC: Somebody's got her, or holding her, or, you know, something has happened to her, so.
NK: Your mind goes -- of course, as anyone's would -- to the worst, the worst possible scenarios, yeah.
DC: We started spreading the word like crazy on social media that she was missing. I started following up every lead that we received, you know? She was seen, I, I heard she was with so-and-so in this town. I heard she was seen at the store on such-and-such day. And I'm going to all of these towns, and driving around, trying to at least see her or spot her car. I was actually headed to a store in Wheatfield, Indiana that I had heard that she had been at, and I was going to see if I could get a hold of surveillance video. I was actually on my way there when I got the call from the county local police department that she had been found and she was alive.
NK: Oh my goodness.
DC: She was injured, but alive. And being airlifted.
NK: What did you do in that moment when you get that call?
DC: Oh, I had to pull over. [laughing] I had lost, but I was so grateful and thankful that she was alive. I was beginning to lose hope.
NK: Who ended up finding Brieonna?
DC: The ditch that she had crashed her car into was very deep -- probably 20 foot. But, fortunately, there was about a foot of water in them. But you could not see the car from the road. She was sitting in the car and hearing vehicles drive by all the time.
NK: The agony of that.
DC: And she was trying to holler, but she had several broken ribs, which made it very difficult to scream or holler [chuckling] anything, too. She had a flashlight that had a little bit of power left in it, and she was shining it at night, hoping somebody would see it. When they finally found her, it was a guy -- a gentleman, Johnny Martinez, I believe -- he was on a tractor in the field, and he was up high enough that he could see down in the ditch and see the car. And he had called his boss, who happened to be a volunteer fire chief for a local town there, and he came out and looked at it, and Bri was waving something out of her car in the windshield. And I guess he said, oh my God, there's somebody in there. [laughing]
NK: Have you had a chance to, to meet him?
DC: No, I haven't. I'm waiting. One of my other daughters is friends with a girl that worked for that company, and she's supposed to be getting me the contact information for those guys because I definitely want to thank them in person.
NK: What have doctors told you about her condition? And I mean, by condition, I mean how long, how much longer could she have lasted out there?
DC: I don't think she would've made it another day. She had told her daughter she was starting to lose hope that morning of anybody finding her. And it wasn't long after that that that guy spotted her from the tractor. So, that's, I mean, that's what kept her going was her hope. And she knew she had to stay calm, she had to stay warm. She had a comforter in the back seat that she was able to reach and stay warm at night. She had a bottle of water in a car she said that she had drank out of for the first day or day-and-a-half or so. And then, after a while, she started using her clothing. After a couple of days, she was able to get the driver's side door open, and she could see the water down there, and she was using her good arm [chuckling] to swing her clothing down there, and getting it soaking wet, and then pulling it back up and sucking the water out of her clothing.
NK: It's so remarkable on so many levels, Delmar. Obviously, you're, you're so happy and grateful to, to have her almost home. You know, at least safe at this point. You must be proud as well, too. I mean, she really had her wits about her in, in the most dire circumstances.
DC: Oh yes, she, she's a better person than I am. [laughing] I don't think I could have made it that long.
NK: And what do you take away as a family after an experience like this? What does it teach you?
DC: Just to enjoy every day, I would think. I've always made it a habit when I talk to my children or any family member or something to say I love you before I get off the phone with them. Because you never know when the last time that you're going to speak to them.
NK: What did you say to her when you saw her first?
DC: I was just so glad she was alive.
NK: I'm so glad.
DC: And then, they got her up to the room; she was eating like a pig.
NK: I'm glad you said that, actually. [DC laughs] Because she must have been starving. What did she want to eat?
DC: I know! I, oh, she, she was in the E.R. begging for orange sherbet. I went, you got to be kidding me! She had two big cups of orange sherbet. But I had mentioned to her as a brief, you got to stop eating so fast. You're going to make yourself sick. And then, I realized this girl hasn't eaten for days.
NK: Yeah.
DC: And she's in a hospital. Let her eat herself sick, you know? [laughing]
NK: Yeah. Oh, Delmar, I'm so glad you're back together, and that, that she got her orange sherbet, too. Thank you for your time, Delmar.
DC: Thank you.
TS: Delmar Caldwell's daughter, Brieonna Cassell, was recently found alive after being trapped in her car for six days following a crash in Brook, Indiana. We reached him in North Judson, Indiana.
[folk]
Montreal 200th St. Patrick's Day Parade
TS: On Sunday, thousands of people will flood the streets of Montreal for the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade. And 2025 marks its two hundredth instalment of the tradition! Nineteen-year-old Amanda Keating will preside over it all. The lifeguard from LaSalle is this year's Queen of the Court and she told the CBC all about what the role entails.
[sc]
AMANDA KEATING: Our role is really just to represent the United Irish Societies at all of their events, but also the events of our sister societies, for which I've learned there are a lot of them within Montreal. [both chuckling] And it's, it really has been an honour. And I think myself and the court are all just so happy to be here, especially for the historic 200th year. Like, I could have never imagined this.
SEAN HENRY: Yeah. What can you tell us about your Irish heritage?
AK: So, my Irish heritage comes from my dad's side. I have a family from County Tipperary, County Clare, and Wexford. And my Irish heritage has really been celebrated, like, through my family. So, I find it really great that I can now be implicated with the Montreal community, and kind of break out of just my family of celebrating my culture.
SH: What does the parade mean to you, and all the events surrounding it?
AK: The parade is something that I've attended with my family since I was young, in rain, snow, good weather. I've always been there, we've always been there. So, I think for myself and for my family, it's a big moment that I actually get to participate within it. And the other events have been not ones that I've really attended in the past, but I'm happy to attend them. Like there's a few organizations, like the Erin Sports Association that's meant a lot to my family, and to our family friends. So, it's honestly been great being welcomed in there, and being able to meet their members, and just feel more connected to, especially family members that I've lost in the past. So, it's been, it's been great.
SH: What's your favorite part about this weekend?
AK: I work with kids in my, in my daily life, so any, I'm just so excited to have so many of them smiling back at me. And to just be able to, like, bring some joy to their day.
[/sc]
TS: That's Amanda Keating, Queen of the Court for Montreal's 2025 St. Patrick's Day Parade, speaking with the CBC's Sean Henry, host of Daybreak Montreal.
[post rock]
Part 3: Connie Walker, Octopus Venom Study
Connie Walker
Guest: Connie Walker
TS: Connie Walker has been telling the stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women for a long time. Here at CBC she founded the Indigenous Unit...and later, shared the stories of women like Alberta Williams and Cleo Semaganis Nicotine on her acclaimed podcast, Missing & Murdered. And in the years since, her work on the Gimlet Media podcast Stolen has won her a Pulitzer Prize and a Peabody Award for its clear-eyed examination of the impact of residential schools on her own family. Later this year, Connie will join Toronto Metropolitan University -- continuing that vital research. But first, she's back on the CBC airwaves...guest hosting tonight's episode of The Fifth Estate. A Sister's Promise tells the story of Meggie Cywink and her sister, Sonya, who was murdered in 1994. More than 30 years later, Meggie is still looking for answers -- now, with Connie's help. But she's holding fond memories close, too. Like the years the two Anishinaabe women spent growing up as part of a big family on the idyllic Whitefish River First Nation next to Manitoulin Island.
[sc]
[loon calls, boys talk excitedly, and water babbles]
MEGGIE CYWINK: So yeah, we would go out onto the lake. We built our own little raft, and we'd all be, you know, just pushing ourselves along in this raft, and we'd be just in the weeds and looking at the different fish. And just, I mean, it was just a family. It was just fun.
[/sc]
TS: Meggie Cywink, recalling childhood on the Whitefish River First Nation alongside her late sister, Sonya. The two women are at the heart of tonight's episode of The Fifth Estate, guest hosted by Connie Walker. We reached Connie in Toronto.
NK: Connie Walker, welcome to As It Happens.
CONNIE WALKER: Thanks so much for having me.
NK: Oh, it's a pleasure.
CW: We talk all the time -- outside of the studio, obviously. But it's, it's great to have you here talking about what you've put together for The Fifth Estate. And our listeners, some of them may have heard you talking about Maggie's story a bit already today, but, but tell us what it was that drew you to this family, and this particular story -- this particular unsolved case?
CW: You know, Maggie is somebody that I have, I've known of for, you know, for over 10 years, really. Like, she has been one of the kind of leading advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. And, and obviously for her sister Sonya. And I think, you know, over my reporting over the last, you know, decade covering this issue, I've seen so many family members who have kind of had to become the advocates for their loved ones, you know? Who are dealing with obviously so much even, you know, just just in terms of their own grief, but who also felt like, you know, if they don't speak up, if they don't push police that no one else is going to. And so, what is so unique about this story is the lengths that she has gone to try to get answers in Sonya's case.
NK: Yeah. It's, it's not even just pushing, you know, pushing police trying to get answers. She is doing the detective work on the street. Even those of us who know through your coverage and the work that you've done in the past, that this happens, it's still extraordinary to see. Does it still surprise you?
CW: It's, I mean, it's, I find it's so remarkable, honestly. And so, I mean, personally inspiring just to see how fearless she is in terms of, like, not just tracking down leads and then handing them over to police. Then, she's, then she's doing her own investigations. She's doing her own interviews. She's making her own recordings. She's, like, grilling people about what they know. And, and she's absolutely relentless. And, you know, just looking back, it is like a familiar thing. Like, I feel like so many family members have to be that advocate, in spite of everything else they're dealing with.
NK: There's also a moment, an interview in the episode, with Chris Gayson. He was one of the first Ontario Provincial Police officers on the scene after Sonya's body was found. And, you know, he has his own feelings about what he did or didn't do in the past. But he also tells you that, that, in general, family members of victims cannot rely completely on police. What did you think when you heard him say that?
CW: I mean, I was really surprised to hear him say that. He's a 30-year veteran of the OPP. I feel like I've heard that sentiment before, obviously from, from Maggie. And she's certainly taken that advice to heart. And I think that's also what's, what's really kind of helped her do, do the work that she's doing investigating Sonya's case. I've definitely heard that sentiment from family members before, but I've never heard a police officer say that, or a former, retired police officer say that. And, and I think, you know, we've talked to a lot of families who have family members who are missing or family members who have been killed, and they have certainly felt that/ they have certainly felt like, oh, I have to do what I can, everything that I possibly can, to raise awareness, to push for answers. But I also think that what we find out in the documentary is that that also is very difficult work for family members to take on. That there is a huge toll, I think, emotionally and spiritually. But also, there's also, in Maggie's case, an element of danger.
NK: And her husband Tom as well. Because there's this potential involvement with, with organized crime, and the dangers you mentioned of making those links. Let's play a clip of, of what Tom says in your documentary.
[sc]
TOM: We don't feel they can get the answers, but we don't know they can't get the answers. And you're also dealing with a group of individuals that are criminals. And you can't begin to understand a criminal's mind. You can't understand what they're capable of. And we would have a serious conversation unless there were some major backup for Meg to go back in.
CW: You're worried that --
TOM: Oh, I'm definitely worried now. At the elevation we're at in this investigation, yes. I don't feel comfortable for my wife.
CW: Do you worry about your safety if you continue?
TOM: No, she doesn't worry. No. That's why I'm here.
[/sc]
NK: Is he right to worry?
CW: Yeah, I remember that, that moment in the interview really well. Because he was, you know, he was, you can hear the emotion in his voice. You can, you can hear how he is worried. But Maggie is, you know, like, nerves of steel next to him. And when I asked, are you worried? She, she just shook her head very, very matter of factly. You know, I think absolutely, he's, he's right to be worried in that, that's his, his wife, and he's, he's seen, you know, how this has impacted her. And it's really remarkable, like, what they have undertaken together. You know, Maggie said she began this because, you know, she talked to the OPP, and they said, you know, we can't really do anything without new leads. And so, she said, okay, I guess I have to go out and get some new leads. And that's how she started, you know, canvasing East London, and, and soliciting tips. And then, you know, compiling them and tracking people down. Like, this is, this is not easy work.
NK: And I wonder for you personally, as you've done this work for, for more than a decade, as you said, I'm sure people come to you for advice, not only in terms of coverage of their of, of their family's experiences and stories, but also whether they should keep fighting. Do people ask you that? And if they do, what do you say?
CW: Most of the people who reach out to me, honestly, are asking for help about their loved ones' case. It has been that kind of outreach that has really led me down the rabbit holes that I've been down in all of the stories that I've done, not just about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, but also about, you know, Indian residential schools. And so, I feel like there is more awareness now about these stories and about these issues. And so, that's why people will reach out. But it doesn't, you know, I think that the violence continues. And so, I feel like as long as there are stories to do, as long as there are people out there who are looking for answers and looking for help, like, you know, I want to be there, too. I want to be alongside them. I want to, I want to help as much as I can.
NK: That's a lot of pressure. You know, anyone who's from any particular community and wants to tell those stories, you're taking a lot on your shoulders. You care about the stories, but how do you deal with that pressure? You can't investigate every story that comes to you, at least not right away.
CW: Yeah. You know, I mean, no, you definitely can't do every story. But I feel like I, I remember when we first started reporting on, on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and we had done a couple of stories when we launched our database in 2015. And I remember talking to somebody in the newsroom who said something like, well, you've done a few of these now, like, how many more can you really do? And, and I remember feeling like, oh, that's so interesting because they're obviously seeing it from a certain perspective. Where I sat, I was like, this is just the beginning! Like, this is, this is the way into a world of understanding and a world of stories. And that every single MMIW story is an important and interesting one to tell that people should know about. But it also takes you to, you know, a different piece of our history. And that's what, that's what motivates me, you know, is that, is that I feel like this has been my work and my life, but this has also been my own education. I've been learning so much about, obviously, the history of Canada, but also about my own personal connection to it. You know, I'm, I'm Cree, I grew up in my community in Treaty Four territory in Saskatchewan. You know, both, both my parents are Cree. But, you know, this has, this has been, my life has been shaped by everything that I've been learning about in terms of, you know, the legacies of residential school, and the impact of child welfare, and violence against Indigenous women and girls. But it's also been an education for me to learn about myself and my family, and how we fit into this bigger story. So, it doesn't feel like a burden or pressure for me. It feels like part of what I meant to be doing, and really what I want to be doing as well.
NK: You're, you're fueled by it, rather than overwhelmed by it. That's, that's remarkable.
CW: Yeah.
NK: Yeah. You know, you talk, you use the word violence. And I wonder if, if families also feel that being ignored and pushed aside is, in its own way, an act of violence?
CW: It's something that we have heard over and over, and over again, is how painful it is when people don't take their loved ones' disappearance seriously. It's, I think, really similar, I think, to residential school survivors, who obviously experienced, you know, abuse in residential schools. But for so many of them, it was, it was years or decades even before that was acknowledged through the courts, before that was acknowledged through a settlement agreement, before that was acknowledged even by media. And it absolutely is, I think, so hurtful on top of what families are already dealing with.
NK: You mentioned the lack of a lot of concrete change. Do you feel, though, that in terms of storytelling and awareness, you know, I'm thinking of your work. You were a big supporter of Sugar Cane, the Oscar-nominated documentary, as well. You know, we're seeing on a bigger scale more of these stories told. So, it's not just on your shoulders or one person's shoulders. Is it a shift that brings you comfort, and the people you've covered?
CW: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like, you know, there's obviously still so much work to do. The, like, you know, I feel like every week, there's, there's a new case, or a new story, or, you know, a new family that's been impacted by this, this crisis of violence. But I think there has been, looking back, I feel like there has been a huge shift. And, and you mentioned Sugar Cane, and I, you know, I feel, like, so proud of that film that I had nothing to do with, [laughing] and, and I wasn't involved with in any way. But because it was, it was
Julian Brave NoiseCat telling the story of his family, and how they've been impacted by the Indian residential school that, that his father was born at. And I feel like, you know, any time we're supported to tell our own stories, I feel like so many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis storytellers have really just blown me away. And I'm so hopeful for, for the stories that are yet to come. And I know this will continue. Like, it's like a snowball. It's, it's gone too far now. We can't go back.
NK: Connie, I'm so glad to speak with you. Thank you.
CW: Well, thank you for having me, Nil. I really appreciate it.
TS: Connie Walker is an award winning journalist and host of A Sister's Promise. That airs tonight at 9 p.m. on CBC Television and Gem -- 9:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador.
[ambient]
Montreal Transit Homelessness
TS: Montrealers will soon be seeing more of a police presence on their public transit. The city's transit agency has announced new security measures it says are designed to keep people moving. Namely, people who may be experiencing homelessness...and using the Metro as a place to stay warm. The move follows a survey conducted by the transit authority earlier this year, which determined more people are feeling unsafe in the subway. And its chair Éric Alan Caldwell told the CBC about what the measures are meant to achieve.
[sc]
ÉRIC ALAN CALDWELL: Let's take care of people who are in need. It's not a safe situation to have them lying down in the Metro, using drugs in the Metro with nowhere else to go. We need to find a solution. We, those cases has to be taking care of.
SABRINA MARANDOLA: So, but if there is nowhere else to go, where do people go if now they can't be in the Metro?
ÉAC: Well, that's why one of the measure that was announced by the city is the shelter that the city operates will be open until the end of April. And we've announced a unit with the health network so that we make sure that people find a good resource.
SM: So, one of the new measures is that there is a, quote, I'm phrasing it as an obligation to circulate. How will that judgment be exercised? I mean, how do you know that someone's intention is to commute?
ÉAC: If there's no problem, there won't be any problem. We all know. We, all of us who takes the Metro, and our force officer that are in Metro, they know when there's a tense situation, always. If you're just taking a break sitting on the bench, there is no problem.
SM: We heard Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante call this today a heartbreaking decision. Are you comfortable with this decision, Mr. Caldwell?
ÉAC: I'm comfortable with this decision because we have to find the right balance. The balance between taking care of the most vulnerable people, and the balance on the other side that people feel safe in the Metro.
[/sc]
TS: That was Éric Alan Caldwell, city councillor and board chair of the Montreal transit agency, speaking with Let's Go host Sabrina Marandola about new safety measures in the subway. Donald Tremblay thinks these rules will only make matters worse. He's a lawyer, and the director of a legal clinic that helps people experiencing homelessness in Montreal.
[sc]
DONALD TREMBLAY: These people need help. They don't need to be treated as stray dogs. It's a disaster. We had a man this winter who's in a wheelchair, who cannot get into shelters because there's only two shelters in Montreal that have adapted facilities for people who are in wheelchairs. And they were full. So, where did he go? He found refuge in the Metro at Bonaventure. And when the closing time come, well, there's nowhere for him to go. They bring him to the hospital, and at 7 in the morning, they kick him out of the hospital. I just want to remind your listeners that not later than in 2023, the Plante administration invested $17.2 million on an annual basis to open a shelter for animals in Montreal. The annual budget this year for homeless people is $10 million. They're investing more money for homeless pets than for homeless people. We're facing a humanitarian crisis here. And my question is, where is Legault? These people are basically living rough on the streets. Some of them are dying. And where is the provincial government here?
[/sc]
TS: That was Donald Tremblay, speaking with Let's Go host Sabrina Marandola, yesterday.
[ambient]
'Canada Reads': 'Etta And Otto And Russell And James'
TS: It's been more than a decade since Emma Hooper wrote her debut novel, Etta and Otto and Russell and James. So, when she got the news it had been chosen as a Canada Reads contender, she was shocked. But the book's champion, Michelle Morgan, expects it to resonate with readers now more than ever -- and she'll make her case to Canadians next week. Ms. Morgan stars in the Alberta-based CBC television show, Heartland...and her chosen title tells the story of 82-year-old Etta, who decides to leave her Saskatchewan farm and walk more than 3,200 kilometres to Halifax. She's determined to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing the ocean. And along the way, her story flashes back to childhood...and to the pivotal moment her sister is forced to leave home for a convent...for reasons it takes Etta a moment to understand. Here's Emma Hooper, with an excerpt.
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EMMA HOOPER: I'm sick, Etta, said Alma. Her black hair was down. It was usually up. It changed her face shape like this, hid the stronger lines, hid her. The wind in the car had blown it messy. You don't look sick, said Etta. She knew sick when people turned grey, or yellow, or coughed a lot, or lost their voices, or couldn't eat for one reason or another. But Alma was none of these things. Her voice was quieter, but it was there. Her face was hiding, but it was the right colour. And she was eating. They'd ordered pie; sour cream raisin for alma, Saskatoon berry for Etta. No one had had the flu for a long time, years. Not since they were very small. And that had been mostly the farm kids, not the town kids like them, with working lights and inside toilets. Still, Etta's heart beat harder. You look fine, Alma, she said. Alma put her hands on the table, palms up. Etta had to stop herself from doing the same. Her first instinct was always to do like Alma. Instead, she pressed her hands, palms up against the bottom of the table. I don't have flu, said Alma. Okay, said Etta. I've ruined everything. You have? We have. We have? I'm not going to tell him, though. Who? What? Jim? Oh, said Etta. Her stomach dropped. Her face went cold. Felt green. She hoped Alma couldn't see it. Etta loved Jim. Jim took her out driving, along with Alma. Jim made her parents laugh. The waitress came back with the pie. Thank you, they said. Thank you, said the waitress, tilting her head when she said it. Smiling. Then she turned and headed back for the kitchen. Her shoes were like Alma's, only more worn with scuffs on the heels and across the fronts. Etta looked at her sister. Not her face, but everywhere else. Her breasts, her arms, her shoulders. She couldn't see Alma's stomach because of the table, but she imagined it, the skin of it pulling under the cotton of her blue dress. I'm going to have to leave, said Alma. I've thought, and thought, and thought. And that's it. I'm going.
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TS: Emma Hooper, reading from her Canada Reads nominated novel, Etta and Otto and Russell and James. The book will be championed by actor Michelle Morgan in next week's debates. The battle of the books gets underway Monday on CBC Radio One...CBC TV...and CBC Gem.
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Octopus Venom study
Guest: Wen-Sung Chung
TS: The courtship rituals of the blue-lined octopus involve flirting with danger. The cephalopods are known for their highly toxic venom. And now, new research finds that males inject their partners with a powerful neurotoxin so that mating can occur. And to avoid becoming a post-passion snack. Wen-Sung Chung is a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland. And lead-author of the study published this week in the journal Current Biology. We reached him in Brisbane, Australia.
NK: Wen-Sung, what did you see that gave you the first clue about what was happening -- that the males were poisoning, poisoning their female partners?
WEN-SUNG CHUNG: [laughing] yeah, that's a very interesting discovery. We know the regulation of blue-lined octopus, and they can using neurotoxin for hunting and defence. So, when I collect them in the bucket I saw, huh, mating. And then, they stayed in the same place without any movement. So, I decided to set up a proper study to discover their behaviour. And then, notice the female loose muscle control. So, the first indication is that female been given a venom by male. And then, we using the MRI machine to scan their internal organs and discover, oh, the male actually had much bigger venom gland compared to female.
NK: So clearly, they're using that for much more than what their reputation had revealed in the past, that it was just for hunting. This is for mating. Just, just, I've seen the photographs of, of these, these blue-lined octopuses. And, and they're quite beautiful, but small. Can you describe, I mean, obviously the name gives us a hint of the coloring a little bit, but can you describe what they look like, and, and their size?
WSC: Yeah. The blue-lined octopus is actually quite small. The mature individual is roughly like a golf ball. So, it's quite small. And then, the male is even smaller. So usually, roughly half-size compared to females. And then when they are very calm, they're just like a normal octopus, which is very well-camouflaged with the background. But if they are in the warming situation, or the cautious situation, they would show off their iridescent blue line in the ring. It's a warning to you, I'm venomous. Don't touch me.
NK: [chuckling] Why are they, I mean, it's, it's, it's very interesting. They're trying to mate, they are mating, and then they're injecting their partners with venom at the very start of the mating process. Why? It seems counterproductive. [both chuckle]
WSC: Yeah. Consider their small size. And also, the females become very hungry just before reproduction. The reason is the female needs to spend roughly six to seven weeks to look after the eggs. And then during this brooding period, there's no feeding at all. So, just before ready for spawning, female need to accumulate enough energy to go through this process. So, if the small male just approached the female, is it just like, huh, it's a good snack before spawning. So, without these mechanisms, the male very likely be eaten by the female. So, I guess that's the evolution competition between two genders. So, I have the solution to make the male able to get the successful mating to make sure the gene can transfer to the next generation.
NK: One of the other things that's surprising, I think probably to a lot of people who don't do the work you do, even if they know and like octopuses, is that, that sexual cannibalism, you've said, is, is common?
WSC: Yeah. Sexual cannibalism is very common in cephalopods in general, octopus as well. So, even in the field, sometimes you can observe these kind of nature behaviours. So yeah, it's very common.
NK: So, but how does the species survive then? What am I, [chuckling] what am I missing? If the men are, if the male octopuses are poisoning and killing the female octopuses, and the females are eating the males so they can protect their eggs, [both laughing] how, how are they multiplying?
WSC: Yeah. This group is really amazing. They are quite smart. Also, quite flexible, quite flexible to different situation. And also, just the evolution, they also develop different strategies for these kinds of most important life tasks. One thing I need to mention, all octopuses have a very short life. And they only spawn once, and then they die.
NK: They have short lives and, you were just cutting out there for a moment, so I'll just underline what you said. They have a short lifespan.
WSC: Yeah, very short lifespan. So, in the tropical species roughly one year. So, they need a specific strategy to make sure the mating success. So, for instance, some octopus with very long mating arms so the mating pair can sit in the distance. So, avoid at least risk being eaten by the female. Or like the nautilus, the paper nautilus. The dwarf male actually can drop the arm after mating, so it can escape away.
NK: Where do you take your research after this?
WSC: This study actually surprise, surprising site discovery because we are focused on other, more interesting questions about the intelligence and the brain structure. So, because I collect some of them, and I discover all the sexually, sexual cannibalism and the sexual dimorphism, then we start from there.
NK: You clearly love these creatures. What does a finding like this do to your relationship with them?
WSC: [chuckling] I like this animal. Yes, they are quite amazing. Every time when I just watch them, I learn so much from them. It's like my real octopus teacher. So, for instance, so far, roughly 20 species of octopuses I study, they are all colourblind. So, however, they can do very well camouflaged in the natural touch. What is going on? How they process their vision? How they survive? That's a really big question we try to understand.
NK: Wen-Sung, I appreciate your time. Thank you.
WSC: Thank you.
TS: Wen-Sung Chung is a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland. We reached him in Brisbane, Australia.