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The AIH Transcript for November 04, 2024

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NIL KÖKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening, I'm Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

CH: Tonight:

NK: By confronting Canada's past, he changed its future. Author Tanya Talaga remembers her friend and mentor Murray Sinclair, who understood that truth needed to come before reconciliation and worked to give this country a roadmap for change.

CH: Bad faith argument. After a day of protests outside Hindu and Sikh places of worship in Ontario, an MP tells us his colleagues in Ottawa need to step up to shut the violence down.

NK: A man on emissions. The Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources explains his government's new cap to oil and gas emissions and rebuts Premier Danielle Smith's claim that they're evidence of a, quote, "deranged vendetta" against Alberta.

CH: Thinking inside the jukebox. In his day job, he sells houses, but as a crooner, he sings karaoke on the seniors home circuit in London, Ontario. He brings houses down.

NK: The grad finale. Students at Howard University are preparing to watch and cover U.S. election results as they roll in alongside a big deal grad who might just find herself the next president.

CH: And a real smart phallic. During a run to raise money for men's health, a Welshman really got into shape, as in he drew a shape. It was appropriate for the event, but which some might consider junk. As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that's trying to break it to you genitally.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: Murray Sinclair Obit, Emissions Targets: Wilkinson, GPS Penis Shape

Murray Sinclair Obit

Guest: Tanya Talaga

CH: Without Murray Sinclair, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission would not exist. The Anishinaabe lawyer, judge and Senator took on the monumental task of chairing the commission in 2009. He listened as thousands of survivors of residential schools shared horrific stories of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. And then he shared those stories with the country in his report, irreversibly changing the way we understand our own history. Murray Sinclair died today. He was 73. 15 years ago, when he was named the TRC chair. Former As It Happens host Carol Off asked Mr. Sinclair why he had taken the job.

SOUNDCLIP

MURRAY SINCLAIR: Well, a couple of reasons, I guess. The importance of it to begin with, not just for the survivors of the residential schools, but for the country as a whole, has impressed me. And I've always been of the view that we need to begin the process of not just healing, but also moving on, letting go and moving on. To the extent that that's possible. So, that there can be appropriate development in the communities and the development and the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

CAROL OFF: When all is said and done. Justice Sinclair, what will for you be a success of this commission?

MURRAY SINCLAIR: That's a difficult thing to answer. I'm not sure how we can say, how we can measure success because it is an area that... I don't even know how to begin to answer that. But I can tell you this. I think what we need to do at the end of the day is be able to ask the survivors and those who worked in the schools whether they've had an opportunity to say what they feel they need to say. And that will be the important measuring stick is whether or not the form has worked.

CH: From 2009 that was Murray Sinclair speaking with our former host, Carol Off. Tanya Talaga is an Anishinaabe author and a friend of Mr. Sinclair. We reached her in Toronto.

NK: Tanya, there is a steadiness, a sincerity, a clarity in that voice. I didn't know Senator Sinclair, but you did so to hear that from him today. Does that, does that remind you of the person you were so close with?

TANYA TALAGA: Absolutely. What he's saying in that clip is that there is much work to be done, both by Canada, by the churches, by everyone, all Canadians. I love listening to his voice. He sounded so strong in that clip and full of purpose. You know, his health has been failing for the last few years. And so, it was actually really nice to hear his voice there.

NK: I know it's a difficult day, Tanya, and I can hear it in your voice and others across this country. I suspect it is slowly and sadly sinking in for many people across the country about what Canadians, what Canada has lost, what Indigenous people have lost. But what does it mean to you, this loss?

TT: Well, he was a mentor of mine. He was a friend. He was someone I would turn to at certain crossroads in my life or even as I was writing, thinking. I would call Murray if I was stuck. That goes not just for myself, for a lot of First Nations leaders. And people, I know that many of us reached out to Murray in times of crisis and times of indecision. And we always looked to the great man for any words of advice, and he would always answer the phone. He truly was one of a kind. And he carried for so, so long the stories of so many of our survivors of Indian Residential School. The witnesses for what happened then. And had he left a roadmap and how this country could change and we are woefully not following it with the speed we should.

NK: Cindy Blackstock, as you may have seen, wrote on social media that Murray Sinclair, quote, walked into dark places with a flashlight so we can safely follow, unquote. You know, as much of a rock as he clearly was to you and so many others and a beacon of light, as Miss Blackstock went on to write, he actually turned down the Truth and Reconciliation Commission role, that job in 2007. But in 2015, when the TRC published its summary report and its calls to action, those crucial calls to action, he was a guest on this program again. And at that time, Carol asked him if he realized the journey he was on when he started.

SOUNDCLIP

MURRAY SINCLAIR: I had a pretty good idea, which is why I initially declined to do it because I knew it was going to be emotional. I knew it was going to be charged and it was going to be physically and psychologically and spiritually demanding. I didn't know where it was going to take us to aggressively in the country, but at the same time, once we committed to it, we never look back. We never stopped in our determination to make sure that we did what we could do and that we went where we had to go.

NK: Did he tell you, Tanya, about the kind of toll hearing those stories and holding those stories, as you were saying a moment ago, had on him, took on him?

TT: Well, I know that he you know, he spoke about originally declining, taking on the TRC because he knew he knew the weight, the spiritual weight of the stories he would hear and what would be asked of him, not just him, but also his family, his children. You cannot do this work in a vacuum. You know, he wrote in his book "Who We Are". He talked about the, the infant deaths in Winnipeg that he looked into. He investigated as part of a commission there. And he never forgot the names of those babies. He knew what talking to thousands of survivors would mean, what it would mean emotionally and spiritually. He became heavy with the stories.

NK: You've taken on a lot in your work and in your book. Your latest book, "The Knowing". You write, Murray Sinclair was a sounding board, a support system, that ear and that shoulder you could lean on as you grappled with reconciliation in this country, what it means, where we're at in that process. What did he tell you about where he, what his understanding of reconciliation now, in the end, at this moment in this country is?

TT: He left us with those calls to action the TRC did, the roadmap forward. He understood that truth needed to come before reconciliation, that we are still in a period of truth finding in this country, that we have so much more to understand as a country. And thank you for bringing in, you know, my last conversation with Murray. I'll never forget [NK: was that the last one]. Yeah, it's we spoke for about three hours. And I had been trying to get him I'd been sending him emails and we had this grand talk for almost three hours. And I talked to him about my book. My book was near completion. And I told him that the TRC, the volumes, many volumes of the TRC and they're copious and absolutely rich with detail, but volumes one and two really helped me along. He said he was grateful for the work that I was doing and that he had written the TRC to arm the reasonable. You know, he wanted people to read it. He wanted people to understand it, to pick it up and to be the truth, to be the answers to what we were looking for. That was our last conversation was about "The Knowing", and he was always like a giant hug. Every time we spoke, you know, we such a, he was such a fan of mine and I of his. He was a great man. And he will so be missed.

NK: Tanya, I appreciate your time. My condolences again. Please take care. Thank you for this.

TT: Chi-miigwech, thank you.

CH: Tanya Talaga is an Anishinaabe author. She's in Toronto.

[Music: Calm instrumental]

Emissions Targets: Wilkinson

Guest: Jonathan Wilkinson

CH: The Trudeau government's plan to cap oil and gas emissions is still just a draft, but it's already got one Albertan fuming. The proposal rolled out today has been in the works for years. It includes a cap and trade scheme that the Federal Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, says will push producers to reduce their emissions by 35 per cent from 2019 levels. And speaking of pushing, it elicited this response from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

SOUNDCLIP

DANIELLE SMITH: This is not responsible policy. This is a vendetta, like he has a deranged vendetta against Alberta. It's very obvious. We've been watching it for some time. He's trying to find a way to get around what the Constitution says. He even acknowledged that they are not permitted to do a production cap because it is, natural resources fall under provincial jurisdiction. Somehow he thinks he's going to sneak one in and we won't notice in the rest of the country won't notice. Well, we've noticed. And we think the courts will notice. He cannot do this.

REPORTER: You sound angry. Why are you emotional about this?

DANIELLE SMITH: I'm pissed. I'm absolutely angry because we've been working with these guys for two years because we have a plan that would reduce emissions responsibly by 2050. And they continue to act like they're working collaboratively with us. And then they come out with exactly the same policy that they put forward a year ago with no changes whatsoever. And then they're trying to mislead the public about its intent.

CH: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaking to reporters in Edmonton today. Jonathan Wilkinson is the federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. We reached him in Ottawa.

NK: Minister Wilkinson, how do you respond to what we just heard from Premier Smith there?

JONATHAN WILKINSON: Well, I guess I would begin by saying that's a little over the top. So, the emissions cap and it is an emissions cap, is focussed on ensuring that the oil and gas sector actually plays a role in the fight against climate change. Every sector of the economy needs to do that and the oil and gas sector is one of the few in Canada that actually the emissions continue to go up, not down. So, you know, when Premier Smith talks about a plan to get the emissions down by 2050, you can't do that by starting in 2049. You actually have to have a plan that that helps you to take steps along the way. And that's what this is intended to do.

NK: She's saying that you're making it seem like you've been negotiating, though, about that timeline and what to do, and then you're doing an end run around those negotiations by making it, making an announcement like this.

JW: I mean, look, we have good, productive conversations on a number of issues with the government of Alberta on a range of things, particularly as the relate to some of the economic opportunities of a low carbon future. But the government of Alberta has not engaged with us on the cap. They have been quite insistent that they were not interested in doing that. And I would just say it is about the sector doing its part from a climate perspective, but it's also in my view, it's about the long term competitiveness of the sector. I mean, low carbon products are going to have value in a world that's moving to low carbon. And this is about strengthening the Canadian oil and gas sector from an economic perspective.

NK: She also brought up the Constitution rather. Premier Smith did. She said she's going to challenge this proposal in court. What are you seeing in the Constitution that Premier Smith is not?

JW: Well, look, I mean, Premier Smith certainly is free to challenge this in the courts. But I would say I used to be a constitutional negotiator for the province of Saskatchewan, so I'm quite familiar with the Constitution. And she is right. If this was structured as a production cap, it would be something that falls within provincial jurisdiction. But this is not a production cap. This is an emissions cap. And if you actually look at the projections in this regulation, we expect oil and gas production to go up by 16 per cent in Canada by 2030. We do, though, expect emissions to go down and we have some very specific areas where emissions can go down. And to be honest, many of them are areas that Daniel Smith has agreed to in the past.

NK: The Business Council of Canada, as you may have seen, said today, quote, Imposing an oil and gas emissions cap will only make Canadians poorer. Strong climate action requires a strong economy. This cap will leave us with neither, end quote. If this is about allowing businesses to be more competitive and a greener economy, as you suggested just a moment ago. Why aren't these businesses backing this plan?

JW: Well, look, I mean, every sector in the economy, when you actually talk about putting in place regulations to hold them to account, none of them like it. I mean, when you actually talk about the transportation industry and targets with respect to zero emission vehicles, they will say we can do it, but we just don't want you to actually put in place a requirement for us to do it. The same thing is true in many other sectors, and the same thing is true in the oil and gas sector. But, you know, if the Business Council actually took the time to read the regulation, what they will see is there are really only two major areas where reductions are being requested. One is in methane reductions of 75 per cent reduction in methane, which everybody knows is fully achievable from a technology perspective and is actually pretty low cost and reductions in the oil sands. And there we use pathways numbers in terms of what is actually achievable. So, I would say I'm quite happy to sit down with the Business Council and walk them through it, but I think they should actually take the time to read the regulations.

NK: For those who are happy about what they're seeing in this proposal. They will note that these are not expected to be finalized until spring. They stem, to remind our listeners, from a policy framework the Government released back in December. So, they might ask why it's taking so long.

JW: Well, it certainly did take time and it took time because we wanted to make sure that we got it right. I mean, these reductions that are targeted in the regulation are technically achievable reductions. And we did a lot of work to ensure that that was true because we wanted to ensure that you would be reducing emissions and you would not be reducing production. And as I say, the projections are that oil and gas will actually increase in terms of production by 16 per cent by 2030. So, we took the time to get it right. It's an important piece of policy both for environmentalists and for the economy.

NK: When you say, you know, you and the government wanted to get this right, that's why it's taken time. Ultimately, can you get it done at all without Alberta's support?

JW: Oh, yes. I mean, the federal government is fully within its jurisdiction to put in place regulations that relate to carbon emissions and to keeping its word to the international community that we are serious about reducing carbon emissions alongside our allies and others around the world. So, I do think that we can do this. You might forget, but, you know, the first stage in the methane regulations was a regulation we brought in a few years ago to get to 40 per cent reductions in methane. And that was something that Saskatchewan, Alberta objected to. Eventually, they actually negotiated equivalency agreements with us and they were fully successful in actually achieving those reductions. And that's what I hope happens here.

NK: This is, as you well know, sir, a precarious time for the Liberal government. What would you say to oil and gas producers who might be tempted to wait and see if this government lasts as long as it might take to move this issue forward?

JW: Well, I mean, I think many in the oil and gas sector understand the need for reductions in the carbon intensity of the work that they do. They know that in order to be able to sell their products over the long term and in order to be able to attract capital to their businesses over the long term, they are going to have to do that. So, I think that in good faith, people will move forward. We need to sure; we need to listen and we need to have conversations. But I do believe that most people will move forward. And look, I mean, Canadians care. They do care about climate change. They do care about the future. They are going to leave to their children and grandchildren. They also want to ensure that we are going to have a prosperous economy in the future that's going to create jobs and economic opportunity. And if you look at Alberta, I mean, the investment that is getting drawn into Alberta for low carbon alternatives, the 12 billion dollars The Dow just invested in the world's first net zero petrochemical facility, two large scale hydrogen production facilities, a big biofuels facility. I mean, this is where the world is going. And if we want to be competitive going forward, we need to get on the bus.

NK: Minister, thank you for your time.

JW: All right. Well, thank you very much.

CH: Jonathan Wilkinson is the Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. We reached him in Ottawa.

[Music: Jazzy instrumental]

GPS Penis Shape

Guest: Terry Rosoman

CH: This weekend, while some of us were lounging on the couch, Terry Rosoman was out running and running and running. He ran for just under a full 24 hours. In fact, while I watched 18 to 20 episodes of "The Office", I lost track. And challenging as it was, Mr. Rosoman's running I mean, it was for a good cause. He was raising money and awareness for Movember. The charity focussed on men's health, and as part of the challenge he set for himself, he ran a complex route that was strikingly on theme. We reached Terry Rosoman in Cardiff, Wales.

NK: Terry, if people were to pull up this GPS map of your route, what would they see?

TERRY ROSOMAN: Well, this weekend I wanted to do a challenge that brought the world together because I think we can all agree this, thing's been a bit rubbish recently. So, I said, Well, I did. I achieved a world record in drawing the world's biggest GPS [beeped out words] by foot in a single...

NK: Say that again, in case our listeners missed it.

TR: A phallus, a penis. [laughter] Yeah. So, I hope I can say these words. Yeah. [beeped out words]

NK: You could have drawn a moustache for Movember.

TR: I could have. But where's the fun in that? That's not going to stop people scrolling. You know, it needs to be attention grabbing.

NK: So how long did it take you to execute this plan? Just laying it out before you actually...

TR: Well, I've been sitting on this for probably over a year. I knew what I wanted to do, and I knew when I went I had to do it was November. When I first thought of the idea, I didn't have enough lead time to train for the November that year. So, I had to sit on it all the way through to this year now.

NK: And how did you draw it up?

TR: I used Strava route maps. I got a really good time mapping platform where you can sort of draw up your maps. I wanted somewhere that was close to home. So, I was looking around the Wales area and I found something that looked, you know, sort of shaft like in the, in the Brecon Beacons mountains. And I was, okay. I got a couple of [beeped out] oh, yeah. That's brilliant. And it was only then that I saw the distance, which was 72 miles.

NK: Yeah, 115 K.

TR: Yeah. And almost 10 thousand feet of elevation. Not sure what that is in inches, but... Yeah.

NK: Did you regret basing this entire thing on the shape that you were dedicated to at that point?

TR: Absolutely! It was. In all fairness, the challenge was horrific. There's so much elevation, it just zapped me dry of all energy. And it was dark, like for the first 12 hours, it was pitch black. All I had was my head torch. It was misty, freezing cold.

NK: How do you feel physically? Have you recovered at all?

TR: I'm absolutely exhausted, to be frank, my legs are surprisingly okay. I was limping a bit yesterday, but today I'm walking normally. Under the ache there is pain, but I can walk normally. I think I've done 10 thousand steps today as well. So back into the swing of things. But I'm exhausted. [stutters] Do you guys have, you must have Garmin watches out there. Whoop?

NK: Yeah, People use, people use those for sure.

TR: Yeah. So, my body battery is still zero per cent. It hasn't budged.

NK: But you still did 10 thousand steps. Maybe, maybe take a rest.

TR: Yeah. Well, I should do, really. But life, it's life, isn't it? I got stuff to do.

NK: So, you did this, as our listeners heard in under 24 hours. I mean, how do you pace that and yourself throughout that? Are you taking breaks? Are you sleeping?

TR: Yeah, It's, I like to call it lazy running. So, you know, it's just a mild trot. And, you know, if you ever want to sit down, you can look at the view, whatever you want to do, it's up to you. It's just a lazy plot because if you picked up the pace, there's no way you'd be able to hold it for 24 hours. It's sort of just managing that energy expenditure.

NK: And so, when you've finished and you finished the shape and the run. How did you feel?

TR: Relieved. Relieved. I'm not going to lie. It was horrific. It really was. So, I was relieved when it was done. I couldn't, it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And hopefully, you know, the listeners can appreciate that. You know, they want to dig deep and donate to my cause then. Fantastic.

NK: How much have you raised so far?

TR: We're closing in on nine thousand pounds, I'm not sure what the exchange rate is on that. But my target was five thousand pounds and that's a pretty big target anyway. But we've smashed that.

NK: Well, that must feel great.

TR: Absolutely. That's why we did it. You know, that's the prime reason.

NK: Do you think the map was a difference maker in the end?

TR: Absolutely. [NK: Yeah]. Yeah, absolutely. It's garnered attention. I've been featured in all the major national newspapers in Britain. I think I've been in The New York Post. Obviously, you guys in Canada have picked up the story. If it wasn't for the shape of the run, I don't think I would have got near enough exposure. I've done a few challenges over the last few years. This is by far the one that sort of caught the attention of people.

NK: Why do you keep taking these challenges on?

TR: Well, back in 2013, I was in the worst possible sort of physical, mental health condition of my life. I was a bit of a binge drinker. You know, recreational drug taker. I was working all the time, so I was stressed constantly. And then. So, you sort of exercise any sort of autonomy. On the weekends I would let loose and. Not in the most healthiest of ways, obviously. It got me into the worst possible shape ever, I was obese, unfit and a complete mess, to be honest. And I thought if this continues, I'm not going to be here much longer. I knew that was all coming, so I used challenges as a way to kick me up the butt. I set myself big goals that would force me and give me that accountability to sort of turn my life around. And it worked. And it really did work. And then after sort of seeing people around me, close to me, suffering with the pressures of life, stress, anxiety. I think. I think we can all get suffocated by sort of the responsibilities of life, whether that's work, family. I knew I had a message worth sharing.

NK: Yeah, you need to rest after this one still. But are you already planning a new image? I, I don't know how you top it.

TR: My next challenge is I'm getting fat for Christmas is all I'm focusing on. Yeah, I'm having a rest. I'm not thinking about any challenges. We'll see what comes in the new year.

NK: Congratulations. As you should. You deserve that rest. Thanks so much for your time, Terry.

TR: No worries. Thank you very much. Cheers. I really appreciate it.

NK: Take care.

TR: Thank you. Bye.

CH: Terry Rosoman just finished running the largest penis shaped GPS route. We reached him in Cardiff, Wales.

[Music: Banjo instrumental]

Part 2: Howard Student Journos, Silver Cross Mother, Brampton Temple Protest, Scottish Karaoke Singer

Howard Student Journos

Guest: JD Jean-Jacques

CH: As the editor in chief of Howard University's century old student newspaper, The Hilltop. JD Jean-Jacques and his team are getting ready to cover the election. And when they do that tomorrow, there will be one very notable alum on campus, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Ms. Harris graduated from the historically Black university in 1986. And tomorrow she'll be back at Howard for election night. As voters watch to see if the United States will finally elect its first female president. Editor in chief JD Jean-Jacques is a senior at Howard University, majoring in history and minoring in economics. We reached him in Washington, D.C.

NK: JD, there's always a bit of extra electricity in our newsroom, certainly when the election is coming up. Certainly, an election like this one. What's the energy like there?

JD JEAN-JACQUES: Yeah, the energy is very palpable. You know, students, you know, are excited that Vice President Harris is on campus. Students are saying that they recognize the profundity of her being here. The profundity of the presidential election in her being obviously Howard alumna. You know, what we're trying to do as a newsroom is capture that excitement and capture the energy and the atmosphere that's going to be going on, on campus this week.

NK: And in addition to that energy, there is also security, tight security, [JJJ: Right] given who is going to be there and the day that this is happening on. When you look out your office window where you are right now, what do you see there right now?

JJJ: Yeah, outside the window, there are fences that are being put up around our office, around several different buildings around campus. You see police cars. You see some Secret Service. You know, you see construction workers putting up barricades around campus and more fences. And so, the security, you know, based off what we're seeing today, is obviously going to be very tight considering that she is, Vice President Harris, still is the Vice President. And yeah, that's what we're seeing right now.

NK: And as editor in chief, what kind of group huddle, what kind of message did you give your team as they, you know, fanned out by the dozens to cover this?

JJJ: Yeah. So, you know, what we're telling ourselves is that this is a historic event. You know, there's perhaps no more exciting time than now, than this year to be a Hilltop journalist. And we're going out this week with that mindset to be able to, you know, approach each day and approach each situation, each event, you know, with a journalistic rigour. And to do that on a consistent basis and to do that together. So, everybody's very excited to be a part of the newsroom, you know, in the next couple of days. And we're planning too, to have our election print edition this upcoming Monday. So, we're all, we're kind of all hands on deck this week.

NK: And what's your sense of what the plan is going to be once she arrives on campus tomorrow?

JJJ: So, we're kind of preparing from a newsroom perspective for all kinds of scenarios crowds, protests, you know, large security. I expect there to be some sort of element of each of those, particularly security factor. But also, they're going to be a lot of students who are going to be trying to view or a lot of, you know, faculty or administrators who may be in her camp on the yard tomorrow with her. And so, you know, there's going to be a lot of different kinds of people who are, who want to take this in. And we're just trying to do our best job to be able to capture that in the right way.

NK: Have you been promised an exclusive one way or the other with the Vice President after election night?

JJJ: Well, you know, we're trying our best to be able to get all different kinds of angles around election night. You know, be it an interview with Vice President Harris, be it interviews with faculty members and students. So, we're trying to you know, we're casting a wide net over the next couple of days.

NK: I wonder as well, JD, you know, this this campaign, as quickly as it's unfolded and the change, you know, to the Vice President replacing Joe Biden on the ticket. To what extent have the kinds of divisions and discussions and debates that you're seeing across the United States appeared on campus?

JJJ: Yeah, I think one that stands out is the war between Israel and Hamas. You know, the war that's going on in Gaza. A lot of students at Howard's campus, you know, have, feel particularly strong about that situation that's going on right now. And, you know, they feel like that is a major deciding factor when it comes to a vote. And so, I think that's a national discussion. But, you know, particularly, you know, discussion at Howard's campus. And then also, these are students. So, these are people who are going to be leaving college in the next couple of years and graduating and, you know, going to figure out what kind of housing to buy, you know, rent, you know, paying rent for apartments, buying groceries, things of that nature. So, you know, what is the kind of economy look like for these students graduating, Howard. And, you know, and what does each candidate, what do they have to say about that, about their plans, you know, for the college students and for the economy at large.

NK: And for many students, including many of you at the paper at the Hilltop, this is the first presidential election that you're able to vote in. So, there's that piece to all of this as you're covering history.

JJJ: Exactly. Yeah.

NK: And so, when you when you speak to students or your team at the Hilltop, you know, what do they tell you about why they're voting the way they're voting or how they're weighing that decision?

JJJ: So, when we speak to students on campus, Howard students, you know, they are, some are voting for Vice President Harris because she's a Howard alumna because she represents something that is historic. You know, the first potentially the first Black woman to be president of the United States. So that's what a lot of students are saying. But there are also, you know, a group of students who feel they don't want to throw their full support behind Vice President Harris because of subjects like, you know, the war between Israel and Hamas. They feel very strongly about that and they feel that the Biden administration hasn't done enough in that respect. And because Vice President Harris is a part of that administration, you know, they're assigning some of the blame on her. And so, they feel that that issue is non-negotiable for them. So there's a lot of different, you know, varied perspectives around here going on campus. And I'd say those two, you know, ones that that stand out, stand out the most.

NK: You have won awards for your work before, including the White House Correspondents Association, Percy Newby Award for Outstanding Journalism. You've talked about how historic this moment is for the country, for your university and for the journalists covering it. But for you personally, as much as you want to share. How does this assignment stack up to others?

JJJ: Yeah, it's an incredible responsibility. It's exciting. It's thrilling. You know, it's nerve wracking. You know, people are going to be looking at the Hilltop in the next couple of days to see the way we cover, you know, Vice President Harris being on campus and the way we cover the election results. And that's, you know, something that nobody in our newsroom is taking lightly. And so we're very much in work mode. We're very much in reporter mode. And we're just going to do our best, you know, to capture the moments on campus over these next couple of days.

NK: And no time to sleep now. You can sleep later, [JJJ: Right] Who could sleep, I would imagine, on the eve of something like this there.

JJJ: I know. Right, Exactly. Exactly.

NK: J.D., a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you.

JJJ: Great. Thank you so much.

CH: That was JD Jean-Jacques, the editor in chief of Howard University student newspaper, The Hilltop. He's in Washington, D.C.

[Music: Whimsical instrumental]

Silver Cross Mother

CH: Once a week, Maureen Anderson still goes to tend to the single headstone that marks the graves of her two sons. The Legion has named the New Brunswick woman, this year's Silver Cross mother on Remembrance Day. She will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial on behalf of all Canadian mothers who've lost a child in the military service of Canada. Her boys, Ron and Ryan Anderson, both served in the Canadian Forces. Both saw terrible things in Afghanistan and both struggled with life afterward. Sergeant Ron Anderson, a father of four, died in 2014. Sergeant Ryan Anderson, a father of two, died in 2017. Maureen Anderson told the Canadian Press that she doesn't like to talk about their deaths, but she attributes both to post-traumatic stress disorder. Here she is describing how it feels to be named the Silver Cross mother.

SOUNDCLIP

MAUREEN ANDERSON: They were my pride and joy, that's for sure. And they, they went on a lot of tours and, you know, suffered from PTSD.

BOB MURPHY: They were both sergeants.

MAUREEN ANDERSON: Yes. And they both served in Afghanistan, at one point together. And that was a horrible six months for me.

BOB MURPHY: And Ron also served in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

MAUREEN ANDERSON: Yes. He did a lot of tours. Matter of fact, to I think he did way too many. But every time one come up, he would never say no.

BOB MURPHY: Can you tell us a little bit about after Ryan and Ron came home, what was life like for them after they were back home?

MAUREEN ANDERSON: I think it was very rough for them. They weren't the same. They were kind of distant. And, you know, I could tell that they were suffering for sure. They were not the same. And that's, I don't know, there's not much else I can say. [BM: Just...] They were on a lot of medications and stuff like that. Makes you wonder, were they on too many medications where they are not on the right medications? Maybe medications wouldn't have helped. I don't know.

BOB MURPHY: Did they talk about their service very much, Ryan and Ron when they came back home?

MAUREEN ANDERSON: Not really. No, not really. Tell the odd story or something like that. But other than that, you know, they didn't say too much.

BOB MURPHY: How close were Ryan and Ron?

MAUREEN ANDERSON: Very close. Yep. When they grew up young, they fought like cats and dogs. But as they get older, you know, they had their own friends and stuff. And the next thing you know, the military kind of brought them closer. We're quite close. I think Ron was a, Ryan was devastated when he lost Ron.

BOB MURPHY: So what do you make of the honour. And whether or not it raises the awareness of PTSD?

MAUREEN ANDERSON: I don't really know if it'll raise awareness of it or not, tell you the truth. But anyway, I will have that title for the next year, I guess. Silver Cross mother. So, it'll be quite the thing, I guess.

BOB MURPHY: And it all culminates with you laying a wreath at the National Remembrance Day ceremony.

MAUREEN ANDERSON: Yes. Yes, That'll be quite the honour for sure. It'll be very cheerful, I imagine.

BOB MURPHY: Yeah. What will you be thinking of, do you think, at that moment?

MAUREEN ANDERSON: My gosh. Definitely my two sons. And then... And all the other boys that have lost their lives. Yes, definitely.

CH: That was Maureen Anderson of Oromocto, New Brunswick, speaking with Bob Murphy, host of CBC Radio's Maritime Noon.

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Brampton Temple Protest

Guest: Chandra Arya

CH: Today, a Hindu temple in Brampton is dealing with the aftermath of violent protests. Videos verified by the CBC show people fighting outside of the Sabha Mandir Temple yesterday. Some protesters appear to hold banners supporting Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland in northern India. And later on that day, further demonstrations started at two other locations, including a Sikh gurdwara. Police have charged three people and are continuing to investigate. And Canadian politicians at all levels of government have condemned the violence, including the Prime Minister. But Chandra Arya says their words aren't enough. He's the Liberal MP for Nepean, and we reached him in Ottawa.

NK: Chandra Arya, we have certainly on this program covered the tensions in these communities across Canada for quite some time. This particular event, as you watch these videos, what does it change for you in terms of where things are at in this, on this issue.

CHANDRA ARYA: Oh, this incident changed everything. A red line has been crossed. This is the first time in the presence of police officers, Khalistani extremists crossed into a temple premises and physically assaulted the Hindu devotees. This, I think we have crossed a particular point from which there is no return.

NK: CBC News has confirmed these videos were indeed recorded outside this temple on [The] Gore Road. There's still a lot that we're, we don't know at this point and are working to find out. Certainly, our CBC News colleagues continue to investigate and cover the story. We know three people have been charged. We don't know who they are. And further details, not too many further details about them at this stage. But as our listeners heard, you know, the prime minister and other politicians have spoken out about this. I mentioned the charges. What specifically do you think needs to happen at this point if those words and those charges are not enough?

CA: First thing is that every single political leader who has condemned this has never addressed the core issue, that this was done by Khalistani extremists, though there's overwhelming evidence in the videos, in the presence of the people there. They never uttered the word Khalistani supporters or Khalistani extremists. That, I think, is the fundamental problem.

NK: There were also protests. We should tell our listeners outside a gurdwara Sikh temple as well this weekend. I'm wondering what you're hearing from your constituents. You weren't there and you're in Nepean, as we talked about. What are you hearing from constituents about what has happened?

CA: It is not just my constituents. I've been hearing from people across Canada, the Hindu-Canadians, expressing their fear. You know, they said of how can we go to any temple now, we fear taking our families, our kids to the temple, and they're not, they're angry, they're fearful and they're frustrated with the entire system of the law enforcement agencies not taking any action for so many years.

NK: What would you say to Sikh-Canadians who are worried about facing reprisals potentially for something and things that they were not involved in? They, too, are likely feeling fearful.

CA: Protest is legitimate in Canada. I know the Khalistanis have been protesting. Nobody would bother them from protesting peacefully according to the rules and regulations of the place. But when it crosses the level and they start a advocating for violence, they start celebrating the terrorist incidents and they go around displaying the guns, the images of the guns and these protests. That is when the problem starts.

NK: We know that this is a difficult time in terms of Canada's relationship with India. The killing of Mr. Nijjar last year and stories that have come out since, as we know, this particular incident. And we've heard, you know, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi comment on this, which is rare that he would comment on this, but he has. So what do you think this incident, what happened this weekend might mean for that already tense relationship between India and Canada?

CA: Let me be clear. We are a sovereign nation. No foreign state actors can interfere into the domestic affairs of Canada. The Khalistani violent extremism is a Canadian problem. It has to be solved by our law enforcement agencies at all levels of the government and the political leadership of all political parties. They should demand and see that action is taken. We don't want any foreign, we don't approve of any foreign government getting involved in Canadian domestic affairs.

NK: You were at an event in Edmonton a couple of weeks ago. As I understand it, you had security with you there. How does this have you thinking and planning for your own security?

CA: This, again, your gut is a very important thing. Just imagine a Hindu member of parliament cannot attend a Hindu event in a place like Edmonton. And I had to depend on RCMP officers for protection to go inside the event, inside the premises and to come out. That shows what level the country's law and order problem has gone when it comes to Khalistan.

NK: Is there a role sir, for Hindu-Canadian politicians and Sikh-Canadian politicians to work together to try to bridge and ease some of the tensions that are playing out in these communities?

CA: I'm the lone voice in the House of Commons in Canadian Parliament, I've been highlighting this for years and years. I have not seen any step taken by any of my colleagues to resolve this issue.

NK: When you said at the outset of our conversation, it's a point of no return. What do you mean by that? What does that look like in the long term? And, you know, because people, people hearing that in these communities but outside them will be concerned to hear that.

CA: The seniors in the Hindu community and the Sikh community are telling me the current situation in Canada today reminds them of 1985 when the Khalistani terrorist that bombed the Air India flight, which killed 329 people. And they are saying, the seniors are telling me they feel it is are, you know, we are going back to 1985.

NK: Chandra Arya, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

CA: Thank you, ma'am.

CH: Chandra Arya's the Liberal MP for Nepean. We reached him in Ottawa.

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Scottish Karaoke Singer

CH: For more than 20 years, Paul Byers has been serenading senior citizens in his community. When he's not working as a realtor, he's doing karaoke at local seniors homes in London, Ontario. 4 to 5 times a week, he performs the songs of John Denver, Elvis and Tom Jones to the delight of adoring fans. Here he is telling the CBC all about it.

SOUNDCLIP

PAUL BYERS: [Clip of Paul singing] I love to perform and I'm you know, I'm a sucker for, you know, for the ageing population. And you know, just seeing what my mom's gone through in the last year and a half, I mean, it's big, big changes in the last year and a half. And I just I love to watch people when I'm singing songs that, you know, that have some meaning to them for whatever reason it might be, you know, they're, the first dance at their wedding. It might be something that, you know, they used to you know, they heard when they were on their honeymoon or a vacation or something that it becomes personal to them. And I just love seeing the emotion that it brings out in them. And, you know, it makes them happy for a minute. My mom actually is in a long term care facility at the, in her latter stages of dementia and Alzheimer's. And when she was first you know, when she was first settling in the place that she's at, I would I'd go out and, you know, sing there for them. But now she's in you know, she's at the stage where she's, her cognition is very, very low and she has nonresponsive and that kind of thing. So I, I go to see her, but I sing just to her, you know, just to kind of, you know, see if she kind of remembers and, you know, it evokes anything in her.

MATTHEW TREVITHICK: What do you see happen when you sing to her?

PAUL BYERS: Well, you know, it's funny. You know, with different degrees of Alzheimer's and dementia, you really see, you really see the emotional side of people. You know, you may not able to talk to them. They may not be able to talk to you. They might not recognize you. In my mom's case, she doesn't recognize me. She can't talk to me. But I know when I sing songs that we either used to sing together or songs that, you know, she was very familiar with growing up. There's something there. She'll give me a smile. She'll open her eyes. So I, you know, it's not all lost on her. I know that she recognizes something.

CH: Seniors Karaoke legend Paul Byers speaking with CBC London's Matthew Trevithick.

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Part 3: White Blob Reveal, Bit Twice By Shark, Murray Sinclair Callback, FOA: Janey Godley Obit, Broomball Champs, Quincy Jones Obit

White Blob Reveal

CH: The mystery was first exposed by our colleagues at The Broadcast in Newfoundland and Labrador. White blobs, seemingly inanimate, possibly extraterrestrial and malevolent in origin, or possibly Bisquick. You know, as in the instant, you know, the instant biscuit mix. It didn't take long for this frightening threat or un-frightening nonthreat to become an international sensation. The New York Times, The Guardian in the UK, even the Daily Mail all speculated about this mystery substance washing up on the beaches of Newfoundland. And now, finally, The Broadcast has gotten to the bottom of it. Here's Memorial University chemistry professor Chris Kozak.

SOUNDCLIP

CHRIS KOZAK: What I've nailed it down to is a polyvinyl acetate, which is PVA. You might have heard of PVA Glue, which is the white Elmer's glue, and it's undergone a sort of cross-linking process. It might have been an industrial adhesive or something like that at one point, and it ended up in the ocean, either fell off a ship or someone was doing some adhesive work industrially nearby, and it ended up in the ocean, a very large amount of it. So if you have ever done that experiment of making slime using white glue and borax. So, the borax acts as a cross linker and it takes the glue and it makes it all spongy. And if you, the more borax you add, the more it turns into a rubber eraser type thing. A similar process is going here. I'm not saying that this is Elmer's glue and Borax. This is not some school kids science experiment that's gone awry, but it's a similar sort of thing. So we saw, we saw in our analysis the presence of certain functional groups that are common in PVA. Plastic PVA polymer similar to acrylic, for example. But acrylic is harder, more like Plexiglas. So it's related to that sort of class or family of polymers.

PAULA GALE: PVA type of plastic. So, 100 per cent manmade?

CHRIS KOZAK: Yes, absolutely. In my opinion.

PAULA GALE: In your opinion. And what is PVA used for, like why, you know, what industries would maybe use big amounts of this stuff?

CHRIS KOZAK: Well, the most common use of PVA is adhesives and glue and thin films and things like that. It's often used as a protective coating as well. So in certain nail polish coatings you would have PVA, but on such a large scale, this would be a type of industrial adhesive.

CH: That was Memorial University chemistry professor Chris Kozak speaking with Paula Gale, host of The Broadcast in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Bit Twice By Shark

Guest: Cole Taschman

CH: Cole Taschman considers himself a lucky guy, despite what some people might consider to be evidence that proves the opposite. In 2013, while out surfing off Bathtub Beach in Stuart, Florida, Mr. Taschman was bitten on the hand by a shark, which didn't surprise him overmuch because he knew people who had also been bitten. But then, more than a decade later, while surfing off the very same beach, he was bitten by a shark again, this time on both feet, requiring 93 stitches and two surgeries. We reached Cole Taschman in Stuart, Florida.

NK: Cole at this point, I mean, is it a bit of a badge of honour to be known as the guy who was bitten by a shark twice and survived?

COLE TASCHMAN: Oh, man. I mean, my friends are having a great time with it, I can tell you that. I mean, my new nickname is Shark Boy or Stitch or all different kinds of fun stuff like that. But yeah, no, it's funny. I actually went to the grocery store for the first time, and I couldn't go two feet without someone going, Hey, you're on the news, You're on the news. So it's kind of a hilarious thing.

NK: Okay. You're taking it in stride. Are you feeling okay?

CT: Yeah, I'm feeling great. You know, I'm healing up pretty well. And yeah, it's going great. I'm healing good. I feel good. So, no big deal or moving forward.

NK: [chuckles] I'm glad to hear it. Just give our listeners a sense of what happened this time around. You're out surfing, as you often do. You're with a couple of friends. What was happening before you were bitten this time?

CT: So I was bitten twice. I was bitten once when I was 16 and that was a small bite in my hand. Only received 12 stitches for that. And so this is my second. So that day, it was a Friday right around 2:00 p.m. and, you know, the waves were good and we were went out first surf me and my two best friends, lifelong friends. And we've surfed this spot growing up our whole entire lives. So we paddled out and about 10 minutes into the session and my girlfriend was actually filming us from the house, you know, so my parents have a house right there. This is literally my backyard. About 10 minutes in there, my two buddies were about 20 yards to the north of me. And I was a little to the south. And I was laying on my board paddling. And from behind me, about an 8 or 9 foot tiger shark or bull shark, we're not sure exactly what species it was, but it had a big enough wide enough nose to get both of my feet in one sitting. So yeah, So he came up and bit me. It was one bite and...

NK: Both of your feet in one bite.

CT: Yeah. Yep. So it was a huge shark. It, it basically, it came up, it bit and immediately it kind of swam to the side of me. And by that point, I'm screaming, I'm bit, I'm bit. My two buddies started paddling directly towards the shark and me and I caught the wave right there and caught the wave in. And my buddies were on the wave behind it. And yeah, we got to the beach. But yeah, as far as the bite goes, you know, that's the, it's the biggest misconception with shark bites. You know, it's nothing like Jaws. They're opportunistic eaters. They're pretty lazy unless they're in a frenzy situation, you know, and humans, we're pretty disadvantaged in water, you know, so we look, we look like an injured something, you know.

NK: Yeah, and so it bit and let go. I mean that's remarkable too.

CT: That's another misconception. Yeah. That's another huge thing. Sharks can't hold onto things. Their teeth are so sharp. It's like a surgical knife. You know, so unless they get a big bone or something and, you know, it just slides through like a hot knife through butter.

NK: My face is doing right now. I think what you probably have seen people's faces do as you tell them the story it's...

CT: Yeah. Their teeth are just so unbelievably sharp that they don't hold on and shake and stuff like that. It's nothing like that. I mean, it's such a split second. I mean, this is, this is maybe even two seconds flat by the time a bit and it slid through all my skin and the cuts were there. And you know, once they do that and they didn't get anything tasty, they're on their way.

NK: Are you feeling the pain of it in that moment or is it shock right away?

CT: It's a little bit of both. As anyone who's ever had stitches knows, you know, it cuts through your nerves. So these big cuts, you know, it's just kind of like a numbing pain. And it's, but it's more like, it's just adrenalin and shock. And then get me to the hospital. It's like I'm bit, I'm bit hospital time.

NK: But you guys didn't call 911 right away.

CT: No, no. It's the funny thing I...

NK: Funny might not be the right word.

CT: Well we were faster than 911. I would have lost more blood waiting for the ambulance than I would have, you know, just the way that we did it. So we got to shore, and my buddies helped me up the beach, and we got in the back. I got in the tailgate of my buddies truck and we actually used the surfboard leashes as tourniquets around my legs. So we were able to slow the bleeding very quickly and we hopped in the truck and we were on our way to the hospital like that.

NK: This wasn't just the same beach, I mean. So many of the things were the same apart from the injury, right?

CT: Everything. I mean, it was the same, it was the same beach, you know, was just a few years later.

NK: It certainly won't be news to you that many conservation organizations always worry about sharks, you know, being criticized unfairly and that fatal shark attacks they'll remind us are extraordinarily rare. How you know, I hear a bit of reverence and admiration for them, or certainly a clear understanding of what they can and can't do. How do you feel about sharks now, given that they've come for you twice?

CT: You know, being a surfer, you understand that you're getting in their home, you know you're going into their house. But what, I'm a fishing captain full time. You know, I'm a charter boat captain. And so, you know, the thing is, in South Florida, we actually have a bit of a shark issue. We actually kind of have too many of them, too, where it's becoming a problem, especially like fishing off shore and on the reefs and everything. And, you know, and there's a lot of boats that go do shark tours where they turn the sharks up and stuff. So they're kind of learning to eat off of us. So it's kind of like, you know, don't feed the birds or something like that. You know, when you go into a natural habitat, you know, and it's kind of becoming one of those things where we're having an issue where they know what a boat is. They know how to get food from humans at this point. So but, I have complete and utter admiration for sharks. I love them. I love all the wildlife out there, you know, And I have a great understanding of it through my career and also through surfing.

NK: Cole, I'm glad you're doing okay. Thanks for your time. Take care.

CT: Awesome. Cheers, guys. Have a great day.

CH: We reached Cole Taschman in Stuart, Florida.

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Murray Sinclair Callback

CH: If you're just joining us, earlier in the show, we spoke with author Tanya Talaga about her friend and mentor, the late Murray Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair's impact and influence are hard to sum up. He was an Anishinaabe Senator, Manitoba's first Indigenous judge, and crucially, he spent six years listening to the stories of residential school survivors and giving Canada a path forward with his Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. In her conversation with Nil, Tanya Talaga reflected on the many conversations she had, had with Mr. Sinclair, including their conversation after the news broke that there were potentially 215 unmarked graves of children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

SOUNDCLIP

TT: When everything was breaking. I had been invited by the community along with a handful of other indigenous journalists, to be there and to witness what was happening and to get the story of the community out. And then those first couple of days it was quite wild. It was chaotic. There were people from all over the world coming in and besieging the community. And the community, meanwhile, was dealing with so much grief and uncertainty. It was very difficult. And I, I, of course, did exactly what I mentioned earlier, is I reached out to Murray, and I asked him for help to figure out what's going on. And I told him what I had been asked about, you know, is the number correct? And is there you know; another thing was we heard that the community is divided and not cohesive. And I remember being so angry with thinking about those, both of those things because often times as, in Indigenous communities, the wedges tried to drive between us in order to get the results that somebody wants. Right. And I'm talking about government or political leaders, and that's what I was asking him about. And that's when he told me to be careful because I was in the eye of the storm.

NK: What did you I mean, how do you, how do you take that advice? What do you do with that advice from someone you admire so much?

TT: Well, you know, I know what he was saying. I know that he was saying, you know, to keep strong and keep steady and keep going and just break the truth and not give up because he never gave up, Right. He never did. He heard thousands of survivors. He listened to so many First Nations leaders from coast to coast to coast who turned to him and asked him for help. And he was often in the middle of some of the most challenging issues of our times. And a lot of people probably wouldn't know that. But he was. He was someone that was turned to very of... all the time. And we respected his opinions so much. He was a great man and he will so be missed.

CH: Author Tanya Talaga talking about her friend, the late Senator Murray Sinclair. You can find more of that interview and of course, all of tonight's show on our podcast.

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FOA: Janey Godley Obit

CH: Janey Godley's comedy was not that different from the Glasgow streets she grew up on, working class, kind of foul mouthed and straight to the point. And as the child of two alcoholics, she didn't shy away from darkness, but instead found the humour in it. Ms. Godley died of cancer on the weekend. She was 63. The Scottish comedian fine-tuned her unique style while performing across that country in the mid-nineties. But the rest of the world got an idea of Ms. Godley's skills during the pandemic, when her profanity laced voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon's press briefings went viral. Although she had been viral before, thanks to her interactions with a different world leader. In 2016, she protested Donald Trump's visit to Scotland, capturing attention and controversy when she held up a sign calling the then U.S. President a word that we cannot say on the radio. The same word Samantha Bee would use in 2018 to describe Ivanka Trump, Ms. Bee later apologized. From our archives, here's Janey Godley explaining to her former host Carol Off why that word isn't really such a big deal.

SOUNDCLIP

JANEY GODLEY: Because in Scotland, it doesn't mean any part of your anatomy. The c-word just means anything. It can be [censored]. It can be a sea of hot soup. It can mean the dentist. It can mean the gag we had of a [censored]. It can mean anything, other than a part of your anatomy.

CAROL OFF: I understand you can say that about somebodies baby?

JG: Yeah, we do. We have said oh my God, is that your new baby? She's a lovely, wee… and then said the c-word.

CO: And that's not offensive for someone to have their baby called.

JG: No, it's not an offensive word in Scotland. In Scotland, the most offensive word is food banks. There is worse words than that word.

CO: So poverty is obscene. Not the c-word?

JG: Yes, poverty is obscene

CO: But you know if the word does mean in North America — if it is referring to female genitalia — does that change it for you? Do you think that makes it worse?

JG: No, because it is just a word. When did we become a nation of people who are scared of what you think of the Scottish people who fled to Canada, who emigrated, who went on boats for 17 weeks and lived in the most inhospitable pieces of land, and the one thing that is upsetting people is a word? We’re tougher than that! We are strong people.

CO: Then why do you think that Sam Bee apologized for saying it?

JG: Because she was gonna get wood-chipped by Trump. Trump famously sets his dogs on you. I mean I have had death threats from many American Christians — the irony is fantastic — set on me because I famously stood with the word on a piece of vinyl and it went viral. It’s me standing at the golf course with a sign saying, “TRUMP IS A C-WORD”. And I have had so many deaths and so many people wanting to verbally attack me, come and find me, wait to see me doing a gig at interrupt my shows. Nobody’s done it because I'm tough as [censored]. They're just scared — she's scared that she's going to be dragged. And I get that.

CO: I know you’ve got to get back on stage. I just want to say that people are saying there's no equivalent to the c-word for men. That's part of what makes the word so misogynist. What do you say to that?

JG: Well, I invented a word and the word is clackwanker. It’s a great word. Shut it, you clackwanker! It's just beautiful.

CO: That's what you say to a man?

JG: Yeah.

CO: Okay.

JC: Or I’d call him a [censored] because in Scotland, it doesn’t mean anything.

CH: From our archives, that was Carol's 2018 conversation with Scottish comedian Janey Godley. Ms. Godley died this weekend of cancer. She was 63.

[Music: Calm instrumental]

Broomball Champs

Guest: Erika Wabanonik

CH: Two women's teams have returned to Canada, triumphant from last week's World Broomball championships in France. All the players are Indigenous women from Cree and Algonquin communities in Quebec and Ontario. It was the first time ever that Erika Wabanonik's team the Anishnabe Iskwewak competed at the international level and they earned a bronze medal while their compatriots on the other team won silver. We reached Erika Wabanonik in Gatineau.

NK: Erika, congratulations. How are you feeling?

ERIKA WABANONIK: I'm feeling a little restless, but I'm still very happy.

NK: Why restless?

EW: I don't know. Like after nine games, You know, Like it was a lot for us. We're not used to that back home.

NK: Yeah. And then the travel as well? [EW: Yes]. And the excitement.

EW: For sure. And a lot of us are still recovering.

NK: Well, it's a good thing to have to recover from, certainly. I mean, I can only imagine, I'm not an international bronze medallist in anything. How are people there, you know, reacting to, people who've been sending you videos they were watching and following along. So what have they been saying?

EW: I know a few of them shared some of their family members getting emotional after we won in overtime. So we were all sitting down having, you know, supper and a lot of people were sharing that video and showing us that back home that some of our family members were getting emotional and crying in the happy way, obviously, you know. So that's really made us emotional, too, and made us really proud.

NK: I was going to say, it must be to watch that. I think a lot of people are just learning what Broomball is or hearing about it. So if you don't mind, give us a little primer on what Broomball is all about.

EW: It's kind of like hockey, but instead you're wearing shoes, special shoes to be on the ice and the stick is shaped as a broom, but it's made out of rubber. And then we have a ball instead of a puck.

NK: And when did you start playing? When did you dive into this world?

EW: When I was a kid. Like, maybe 4 or 5 years old. I was playing up north in Waldorf.

NK: And it's a popular.

EW: Yeah. In our communities up north. You know, the Cree nation and Algonquin we play, have been playing against each other. So our minor days and adult days too we still, we still play against each other and with each other.

NK: There's international interest. Obviously, this tournament was in France, countries from all around the world were there. What was it like playing with those teams from other countries? What did you notice in terms of differences in play and strategy?

EW: They were a lot faster. [chuckles] I mean, in a good way, You know, it really kept us on our feet and we had to play smarter. You know, having the short bench on my team, we only had 13 players, so we had to play smart and make sure that we didn't run too much and like, you know, burn out. [NK: Yeah]. So the time over there is actually longer there than back home. As it's 15 minutes per period, two periods. [NK: Okay]. Over there it was 18 minutes, two periods. So we really had to, you know, preserve our energy to be able to, you know, make it to the end of the game.

NK: Yeah, and you did. I heard the final against Australia was pretty tight. What happened?

EW: At the end of the second period, we ended up getting a penalty and then we went overtime. So we were told it was going to be usually three on three plus two goalie for overtime. But since we had penalty at the end of the second period, we had to play against two against three. So our team had two players and three Australians and we were able to kill the penalty time. And then I think for usually a penalty lasts two minutes. So after that we are playing three on three for like a minute and a half until Australia had a penalty in front of their net. They tripped one of our players. So that's what helped us go into a power play.

NK: Yeah, the atmosphere must have been, I don't know, electric.

EW: [laughter] It was I mean; everybody was screaming. I was screaming. You know, I was too nervous to play overtime. And I told the girls, you know, my legs were gone and I was too nervous to go. And I didn't want to be a liability, obviously, in overtime. So since we only had three defence, I told the girls use the forwards because two of our defence were really, really tired. So we were like, we don't want to take a chance. So we told the forwards to go ahead in overtime and that's what happened.

NK: You know, a team is always like a family in a way. The best ones I think, anyway. And it sounds like you guys have quite a sisterhood.

EW: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I've grown up, like, playing against some of these girls and playing with them depending on import rules back home. So my vision for the team was to have chemistry. You know, it's not always about being the best player, but having chemistry with your players is what makes you a stronger team.

NK: Why do you think more of us don't know about Broomball?

EW: It's more like a girls/woman’s sport, I guess. And it can be a little slow. So I guess it's not as intense as hockey. So like, I have a son who played in hockey too. So, there's a big difference. So that's probably why it's not. But it's still exciting.

NK: Yeah. Well I mean there might be people listening who are thinking where do I, where do I sign up? What would you say to them in terms of advice?

EW: There's some leagues in Ontario. I'm actually in one right now in Carlton, so there's a certain time of the year where you can join and you could probably find a league and join depending if they have enough players or not. But yeah, it's not very popular yet, but I'm hoping that it will be.

NK: Well your win might, might just help do that. [EW: Yeah, for sure]. What's next for the team?

EW: Right now we got invited to represent the juvenile championship that's being held in April, I think. So they asked us to be present during the opening ceremony with our medals and jerseys to, you know, encourage the youth. That, like Broomball can take you far. And we hope to see them in the future and in other world championship tournaments.

NK: Well, congratulations again, Erica. Pleasure speaking with you.

EW: Thank you so much.

CH: Erika Wabanonik is one of the leaders of the Anishnabe Iskwewak team that won bronze at the World Broomball Championships, we reached her in Gatineau.

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Quincy Jones Obit

CH: Count Basie and the rapper Young Thug, directly connected. So are Miles Davis and Michael Jackson. Ella Fitzgerald and Amy Winehouse. Frank Sinatra and The Weekend. And the one person who tied all those legends together across decades and musical genres was a legend himself, Quincy Jones. He worked with them all and many, many, many more. Mr. Jones died yesterday at the age of 91. He was a musician, an arranger and a producer of music, magazines, movies and television. He was born into poverty in Chicago in 1933, found his way into Lionel Hampton's band as a teenager and went on to work with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. He brought a jazzy sophistication to pop, R&B and funk, including a string of hit records with Michael Jackson and the "We Are the World" benefit single. His impact on the world of pop culture is immeasurable. In any recap of his resume, he would just scratch the surface. So, it might be best to just let his music speak for itself. Here's his take on "Summer in the City". Originally by The Lovin' Spoonful, but entirely reinvented by Quincy Jones in 1973.

[Music: Electric piano instrumental]

CH: "Summer in the City" as reinterpreted by Quincy Jones, a song that has been sampled at least 87 times, according to the 'Who Sampled' website. Quincy Jones died yesterday. He was 91 years old.

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CH: You've been listening to As It Happens on the CBC Listen App. Our show can be heard Monday to Friday on CBC Radio One after Your World Tonight.

NK: And you can always read more about the stories and conversations we feature on As It Happens on our website, cbc.ca/aih. I'm Nil Köksal.

CH: And I'm Chris Howden.

[Music: Theme]

The AIH Transcript For November 04, 2024

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