RCI | English : The Link: Recent Episodes
RCI | English
The Link podcast is a brief summary of just some of the many stories and interviews presented during the week with discussion on the stories along with occasional special guests, and features which are often about aspects of life in Canada.
Your hosts, Vincenzo, Terry, Marc. (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200313-WEE15 Air pollution- a silent pandemic Milan's Duomo Cathedral in Italy is barely visible through smog that hovers over the city on Dec. 29. 2015. The lack of rain and wind has brought pollution in Italy's business capital to exceed levels considered healthy for more than 30 straight days. (Antonio Calanni/Associated Press)
With the world pre-occupied by COVID-19, the deadly virus spreading around the world to become a declared pandemic, scientists say there's a silent pandemic that's already been occurring for years.
A new study shows the effects of air pollution are causing millions of premature deaths yearly Marc speaks with Dr. Courtney Howard, president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment The NHL, MLB and MLS among latest to suspend seasons due to coronavirus The gates are closed inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday March 12, 2020. The NHL has suspended the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson)
Vincenzo discusses the many major national and international sporting events that have been cancelled, suspended, or postponed all due to the novel corona virus known as COVID-19.
Of course in addition to other events like Formula 1, to the World Figure Skating championships, an increasing number of entertainment events have been cancelled, and many schools and other institutions have temporarily closed. Many planned parades and other gatherings have also been cancelled or postponed. Now even the Canadian Parliament has been suspended until April 20. Canada set to become fourth country to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ Pride flags are seen at a demonstration on Parliament Hill in 2018. The Liberal government on Monday introduced legislation that would make Canada the fourth country in the world to ban so-called 'conversion therapy.' (Adran Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Terry discusses new proposed Canadian legislation which would ban so-called "conversion therapy". This is a type of counselling intended to convert LGBT people, usually youth, towards becoming heterosexual.
The LINK- Facebook and Youtube Radio Canada International channel
Your hosts today, Vincenzo, Terry, and Marc ( video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200228-WEE15 Canadian Space Agency invests in moon exploration The control center at the Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, February 28, 2019. (Reuters/Christinne Muschi)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is seeking to get more involved in exploration of the moon. To that end they've given out more than $4 million in contracts to several companies and a university. This is to help them develop technologies to be able to detect water on the Moon, measure mineral composition, and tools to navigate rovers on the lunar surface.
Vincenzo spoke with Erick Dupuis, the director of Space Exploration Development at the CSA. International survey indicates trust in key institutions declining The Trust Barometer survey was taken before the current Indigenous crisis and rail blockades, but even at that trust in institutions and government shows a decline (CBC news)
A new international survey shows people around the world are slowly losing trust in society's key institutions. The Edelman trust barometer, or trust index, is now in its 20th year. The marketing and PR firm has been using the 'guage' as a tool to advise their clients, but over the years its expanded to become an insight into how people feel about their politicians, business, the media, and NGO's.
Canada occupies a middle ground between trust and distrust of those institutions, but this year it shows a drop of several places showing Canadians, like many others, are losing faith in these institutions to deal both quickly, and ethically with ongoing crises.
Marc spoke with Lisa Kimmel, CEO and Chair of Edelman Canada. David Ayres: the legend grows The man himself following his Saturday Night Special. (CBC)
An amateur goalie, and sometime zamboni driver, Canadian David Ayres, was in the stands at an NHL game. When the Carolina Hurricane's goalies were injured, the team had to call in a spectating Ayres as an emergency back-up.
The Hurricanes went on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. It's a story that has made headlines, and the late night talk shows, across N. America.
Terry talks about this exciting and rare event
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Your hosts, Levon, Vincenzo, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200221-WEE15 Trudeau asks for patience as rail blockades continue but offers no clear plan Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
As the rail blockades by Indigenous groups and supporters continue, business groups warn that the economy of the entire country is slowly grinding to a standstill. Farmers and the agriculture sector are extremely worried about perishable product standing idle in parked rail cars and about vital export contracts.
Ports on both coasts, Vancouver and Halifax, are operating at only a fraction of capacity and a major container shipper has already diverted ships to U.S. ports. Manufacturers are also warning that they are running out of supplies, and their shipping contracts are compromised.
Meanwhile, more protests and rail blockades in solidarity with the small group of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs, who oppose a natural gas pipeline through their claimed territory in northern British Columbia, have sprang up. The crisis also underlines internal divisions between Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and the majority of the band who are in favour of the contentious natural gas pipeline.
The crisis was debated this week in the House of Commons in Ottawa with two very different views on how it should be handled. Levon has comments from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and reaction from Official Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer.
full story here *note also RCI has several stories on this ongoing issue Game studio in Ontario making audio-based video game The Vale is a medieval fantasy role-playing game, where players will take the role of as the second born and blind, daughter of the king. On her way to a castle, a horde of barbarians attack her caravan, and she’s left alone to fend for herself. (Courtesy Falling Squirrel Games)
A medieval fantasy role-playing video game is being developed with a new twist. Players are guided by sound and controller feedback. This means it's not only accessible to players with sight, but also those who are visually impaired.
Vincenzo spoke with the creative director of Falling Squirrel Games in Ontario.
full story here Survey: New office work space trends are actually counter-productive
The ideas of "open office" work spaces were touted as a way to boost communication, transfer of ideas, and increase productivity. As it turns out, that idea isn't working so well at all. A new study says it leads to distractions and the loss of about two hours worth of productive time every day. Kane Wilmott is CEO and founder of iQ Offices co-working space who commissioned the study.
full story here
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Your hosts today, Levon Sevunts, Vincenzo Morello,Marc Montgomery (video of show at bottom
ListenEN_The_Link-20200214-WEE15 Canada plans to support ban on heavy fuel oil in Arctic shipping The community of Arctic Bay, Nvt., is seen on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019. The federal government plans to support a proposed ban on the use of heavy fuel oil by ships plying Arctic waters. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Environmentalists have long been concerned about shipping in the Arctic using heavy fuel oil (HFO) also known as "bunker oil" to power the large vessels. HFO is a thick low quality fuel, used primarily because it is relatively inexpensive. However, environmental groups also say HFO use emits substantial amounts of black carbon soot along with the risk of extremely difficult if not impossible clean up should there be an accident or spill.
Levon heard that Canada may announce a ban on HFO use in the Arctic next week, but he also gets reaction from a shipper who feels such a decision is wrong.
Read the original story here Climate change, human activities, and increasing disease exposure The current fears and spread of a deadly strain of a coronavirus has many asking how do these new diseases appear? (via CBC)
As the Covid-19 virus continues its deadly spread, the question arises as to where these viral and bacterial diseases come from, or how some known disease becomes even more virulent.
The answer comes from a few situations but certainly climate change and other human activities are involved.
Dr Courtney Howard spoke to Marc. She is president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and an emergency room doctor in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
original story here Tinder as a marketing tool: Exploring off brand uses of the dating app File Photo (Reuters/Mike Blake/Illustration)
Tinder is a social media site designed originally only as a dating app. At least it was. Now it seems people are beginning to use it for other things as well.
Vincenzo spoke to Stefanie Duguay, an assistant professor of communications studies at Concordia. She saw that some users on Tinder were using the app in “off-label” uses, different from its intended use as a dating app.
original story here Video of show Feb 14,2020 (available also on facebook, and YouTube RCI channel
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Your hosts, Levon, Vincenzo, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200207-WEE15 Ottawa set to dispatch second plane to Wuhan ‘to bring every Canadian home’ Megan Millward, her husband Lie Zhang and their two children on board an evacuation flight from Wuhan, China.
Two planes carrying Canadians out of the centre of the coronavirus region of China have arrived in Canada. Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois-Philippe Champagne said a third plane is being arranged for the remaining Canadians in China who want to leave. There are about 100 Canadians still in Wuhan.
Levon has an update on the situation as of Friday with comments from Health Minister Patty Hajdu
full story here 5G-In the rush to the internet of things, is human health at risk? More and more on the outskirts of towns or open spaces, and on almost all tall city buildings, cell towers are going up to ensure strong signals everywhere, almost inescapable signals.(Elise Amendola-The Associated Press))
Around the world, governments and technophiles are talking about the development of 5G networks. This will connect billions more devices from mobile phones to household appliances, autonomous vehicles and much more.
But also around the world, groups of medical researchers and scientists are already concerned about the existing amount of radio frequency radiation from existing networks, and even more so about the vast increase in such signals with 5G. The say RF radiation should be classed as a human carcinogen in the same category as X-rays
Marc spoke with Dr. Anthony Miller (MD, FRCP, FRCP (C), FFPH, FACE), a specialist in internal medicine and Professor Emeritus of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.
full story here Research may link exercise to improved video game performance (iStock/EvgeniyShkolenko)
It may at first seem like opposites, but exercise and video game may prove to go hand in hand.
A study shows that a physical workout before playing a video game seems to improve the player's results. A neuroscientist at Montreal's McGill university tested the theory with some his students.
Vincenzo spoke to Dr. Marc Roig.
full story here
Video of show (begins at 0;57)
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Your hosts Levon, Marc, and newcomer Vincenzo Morello (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200131-WEE15 Canada chartered passenger plane to repatriate Canadians from Wuhan Emily Tjandra, left, and her son Wyatt Duplessis, 15, pose for a photo in their home in Wuhan, China in this handout photo. (Wayne Duplessis /THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO)
Canada has arranged for a special charter plane to fly some 196 Canadians out of the Wuhan, China, a city at the epicentre of an epidemic of this new and deadly strain of a coronavirus.
Canadian officials are now working with Chinese authorities to secure the necessary authorizations for the plane to land in Wuhan, as well as working out the logistical details of how the repatriation will proceed given the fact the city of nearly 11 million inhabitants has been under lockdown. Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne and federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu spoke of the situation at a press conference on Thursday.
Champagne and Hajdu said they are also still working out the details of what would happen to those Canadians and their family members who are repatriated to Canada.
Levon has the story.
full story here The issue of Huawei, national security and 5G The concern over national security issues is back to the fore with Britain's decision to allow Huawei partial access in developing the UK 5G network. Of the Five-Eyes international security group, The US, Australia, and New Zealand have banned Huawei, Britain has made its decision, Canada has yet to decide.(Andy Wong-AP)
Huawei has long been accused of being an agent of the Chinese government. Many security agencies fear that Huawei could use its equipment to steal government and industry secrets, or be able to simply shut down key infrastructure in the event of a conflict, all through potential "back doors". So far none of these allegations have been proven publicly. Nevertheless, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand have banned Huawei from participating in creating a 5G network in those countries.
Stephanie Carvin (PhD) is an assistant professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa. In a conversation with Marc, she says China doesn't need access to Huawei equipment for nefarious activities, and geo-economic actions of China related to Huawei may be of greater concern than theoretical security concerns.
Full story here Survey: Top concern for Canadian employees is their mental well being According to a survey by Morneau Shepell, 77 per cent of Canadians would take a lower salary in favour of better mental health support. (Photo iStock/SDI Productions)
It seems in the current workplace environment, people are being tasked with more and more work. This has led to an increase in stress levels. Canadians are feeling this as well.
A recent survey by a major technology oriented human resource service found that a clear majority, three out of four workers,would prioritize their mental well being over their salary
Vincenzo spoke to Paula Allen. She is the senior vice president of research, analytics and innovation at Morneau Shepell
full story here
RCI Youtube channel: video of show
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Your hosts, Levon, Terry, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200124-WEE15
According to Stephen Cornish who leads one of Canada's most recognized environmental and conservation NGO's, the root cause of many of the world's conflicts and migrations can be traced in some form back to a changing climate.
In this episode he spoke to Levon about how climate concerns should factor in to Canada's foreign policy calling it a 'greening' of foreign and development policy.
full story here series link here Some millionaires ask World Economic Forum to tax them more It's estimated Canada's wealthiest and wealthy corporations avoid billions of taxes in Canada annually. A group of milionaires/billionaires in the U.S is calling on governments to tax them more as the class wage gap widens. (Chirs Watters-Reuters)
Statistics show that a small number of the uber-rich control more money than the combined wealth of the vast majority of the entire rest of the world population.
A small group of millionaires/billionaires mostly in the U.S. is now saying they should have to pay more tax. Calling themselves the 'patriotic millionaires', they've sent a letter to the World Economic former to that end.
It's not altogether altruistic though as their campaign 'taxes or pitchforks' is in an indication of their concern for their own well-being. They know that historically when the gap between rich and poor becomes too great, social and political upheaval has followed.
Author and economist Jeff Rubin spoke to Marc about the situation.
full story here At long last love: Larry Walker’s going to the Baseball Hall of Fame Montreal Expos right fielder Larry Walker is seen in 1994. Less than a year later, he was off to Colorado. On Tuesday, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, just the second Canadian--after Ferguson Jenkins--to be elected. (The Canadian Press/AP)
Larry Walker of Maple Ridge British Columbia has been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He is only the second Canadian--after Ferguson Jenkins of Chatham, Ontario to get there.... Jenkins was a pitcher and Walker was an outfielder. It was a close call though as to whether Walker would make it.
Terry spoke to Richard Griffin, who is the director of baseball media for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the former Montreal Expos media relations director, a job that saw him spend a lot of hours with Walker.
full story here
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Your hosts, Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200117-WEE15 Diplomatic Dispatch series Canadian flags and the Parliament building's Victory and Peace Tower (iSTock)
A new podcast series is being created with several episodes already online. Through one-on-one interviews with current and former politicians and diplomats, academics, and leaders of NGO's Levon brings insight into Canada's foreign policy, defence policy and international aid and development policies.
In this excerpt Levon presents a comment from former Liberal cabinet minister and former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, Allan Rock. PS752: How could Iran have made such a terrible, tragic mistake? This photo from Ukrainian investigators looking into the Flight PS752 crash shows part of the plane's cockpit. Initial thoughts are that at lease one missile blew up near the front of the plane sending shrapnel tearing through the cockpit and killing the crew immediately. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
After initial denials, Iran admitted it had shot down the passenger jet, but claimed it was a mistake. This was a big passenger jet on a known flight path, leaving Tehran, climbing and travelling relatively speaking, slowly. How could it be mistaken for a small fast incoming hostile fighter jet or missile?
Marc spoke with James McKay, political science professor at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston Ontario. Canada and Canadian's reaction to the downing of Ukrainian Airlines flight PS 752 A worker is seen last week searching the scene where Flight PS752 crashed just outside of Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. (Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press)
Terry this week has covered several aspects of the official and unofficial reaction in Canada to the tragedy of the missile attack on the Ukrainian passenger jet leaving Tehran. Some 176 people were killed, the largest number were Canadian citizens, while others were Iranian students studying in Canada, and residents not yet citizens.
Terry talks about some of his stories
The Link- (show starts at 0;40)
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Your hosts, Terry, Levon, Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20200110-WEE15 Intelligence suggests Ukrainian airliner shot down by Iran, says Trudeau Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The tragic crash of the Ukrainian jetliner this week in Iran was not caused by some technical problem but was most likely the result of a missile attack, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed Thursday. It apparently was the first official mention of an Iranian missile. If it was a missile, was it deliberate or a tragic mistake?
Levon looked into the Prime Minister's revelation and this larger question of a missile attack. The situation in Iran Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of the funeral procession for slain top Gen. Qassem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman, Iran. (Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images)
The American drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soliemani, has led to retaliation missile strikes against military bases in Iraq where NATO forces are based. It is possible that the tragic downing of a civilian jetliner with the loss of everyone on board including 63 Canadians, is related to the tensions.
But what about the domestic social and political situation in Iran itself. Was Soleilmani allowed to be killed because he was becoming too powerful? Marc spoke with Ali Dizboni (Ph.D.), Director of Military and Strategic Studies-MSS and professor in the Department of Political Science and Economics at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. Animal rights activists looking for more victories in 2020 Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice, is looking forward to more victories in 2020. (Animal Justice)
This past year marked some significant legal gains in terms of animal rights in Canada. There were now laws including the ones making the most news–-a new law to ban keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity, new federal legislation cracking down on animal cruelty that will list those convicted of bestiality on Canada’s national sex offenders registry. and new legislation in Ontario strengthening that province’s animal cruelty laws.
Terry spoke to the executive director of Animal Justice, Camille Labchuk
Full story here
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Your hosts Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20191220-WEE15 Refugee advocacy group sounds the alarm on crisis in Mali Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) soldiers drive along women and children during the Operation Barkhane in Ndaki, Mali, July 29, 2019. (Benoit Tessier/REUTERS)
A Canadian humanitarian aid worker says the situation in Mali is deteriorating even further.
Alexandra Lamarche authored a report called Mali’s Humanitarian Crisis: Overmilitarized and Overshadowed.
She says international efforts have been focussed on the military and stabilisation effort while the growing humanitarian aid need has bee woefully underfunded.
Levon had a chance to speak with Lamarche for a podcast episode discussing her report and its recommendations for improving the humanitarian situation in Mali, addressing root causes of the conflict, which has now spilled to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, and implementing the terms of the country’s peace agreement.
(full story/interview here) Think tank backs PM on massive tree planting possibilities A new study by a leading Canadian think tank says a government promise to plant over two billion trees before 2030 to combat climate change is very feasible. (Fred Tanneau/Getty Images)
A new study by the Smart Prosperity Institute at the University of Ottawa says planting the trees could reduce emissions between two and four million tonnes a year by 2030, and up to eight million tons a year by 2050 as the trees mature and absorb more carbon dioxide.
In the recent election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to spend $3 billion on land and water conservation projects--including planting two billion additional trees–before 2030.
Terry spoke with Dave Sawyer–an environmental economist at the institute who co-wrote the study.
(full story/interview here) Smart speakers and privacy: helpful devices, but gathering data on you as well Smart speakers with their voice assistants are hugely popular, but they also gather vast information about you for corporate and other interests (Shannon Stapleton-Reuters)
They is yet another high-tech device claiming to make your life easier. But as with most such devices, there are privacy issues.
So -called 'smart speakers' are also microphones and while helping you find information you've requested, are also recording that data about your private habits, likes, wants, destinations etc. Also they have the potential to accidentally record conversations you had thought were confidential.
Jordan Pearson talks about the concerns. He is a Senior Editor at Motherboard, a tech news site from VICE Media.
(full story/interview here)
THE LINK video (Youtube RCI channel- RCI Facebook)
Your hosts are Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20191213-WEE15 Is it time for Canada to rethink policy regarding China? Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen during the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing in May 2018. Many say that under his leadership China has become an international bully and shown little respect for international law. A longtime China watcher agrees with many other analysts saying its time for Canada to get tough with China (Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press)
Working for the Canadian government, Margaret McCuaig Johnston had for decades worked to develop closer ties between Canada and China.
She says, however, that China under the current leadership has changed, becoming far more aggressive. She told Marc that she has changed her view of that country and suggests Canada should take a tougher stance against China on one hand, and start developing new markets other than China.
(full story here) UN food assistance agency warns of escalating crisis in Burkina Faso A displaced woman looks on while she waits for help at a village in Dablo area, Burkina Faso March 1, 2019. (Luc Gnago/REUTERS)
The UN is giving warning of a dire humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso, along with its neighbours in the Central Sahel region. Just 59 years into its independence, Burkina Faso is wracked with internal violence combined with the damaging effects of climate change.
The UN estimates almost 500,000 internally displaced people with almost 900,000 throughout the region, with some 2.4 million needing food assistance.
Levon has a report.
(full story here) A whole different kind of musical tour: the film In a scene from 'Chaakapesh,' MSO Maestro Kent Nagano watches two Inuit artists perform a throat-singing duet. (Fragments Distribution)
One of the world's great orchestra leaders, Kent Nagano, combined his talent, that of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, composer Matthew Ricketts, Cree playwright Thomson Highway, director and producer Roger Frappier, and several communities of the far north of Quebec.
The result is a unique collaboration in a chamber opera, and a film. Performed in five languages, Cree, Innu, Inuit, English and French. It tells of the folk legend of a 'trickster' swallowed by a whale. It's called 'Chaakapesh: The Trickster’s Quest,"
Terry Haig spoke to co-writer and co-director Jason Kingsley.
(full story here)
LINK VIDEO
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Your hosts, Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20191206-WEE15 GTA immigrants have trouble climbing corporate ladder: report Paulette Senior, the president and CEO of the Canadian Women's Foundation, poses for a photograph in Toronto on Monday, Apr. 29, 2019. A new study conducted by the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) shows that only about 4.2 per cent of executives in the GTA are from racial minorities, and only two per cent of executives are immigrant women of colour. (Tijana Martin/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
An examination of statistics from major corporations and businesses located in the Greater Toronto Area showed a very low percentage of immigrants rising to upper management levels.
The study was done by the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Levon spoke with Yimaz Ergun Dinc, policy analyst with the TRIEC.
(full story here) Study finds traumatic brain injuries dramatically affect the homeless Vancouver Oppenheimer Park advocate Chrissy Brett holds Taco last month as both were bundled in warm sweaters in an attempt to keep out the chill. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)
An international study of the homeless found that one out of every two people who are homeless may have experienced traumatic brain injury.
The study was an analysis of data from 38 other studies published between 1995 and 2018 from six high income countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the USA.
Terry spoke to William Panenka, physician and researcher with the B.C. Neuropsychiatry Program and the Provincial Health Services Agency in Vancouver
(full story here) Study suggests Canadian food prices to surpass inflation in 2020 An annual report on food prices in Canada says costs will rise above the inflation rate (Nathan Denette-CP)
In its tenth annual report, researchers say food prices in Canada are expected to rise up to four per cent next year and possibly higher.
One of the main reasons is because climate change has caused unpredictable and poor conditions for crops and harvests.
Marc spoke with Sylvain Charlebois, the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, and lead author of the report.
(full story here)
The Link show online (starts at 0:40)
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Your hosts, Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20191129-WEE15 Former Canadian spy chief calls for ‘clear eyed’ national security discussion Richard Fadden, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, appears at Senate national security and defence committee in Ottawa on April 27, 2015. Fadden, a former head of Canada's spy agency, says Canada needs to take a hard look at itself to ensure it is ready to face new threats. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
A major international conference held in Ottawa this week, saw political leaders past and present, along with top level security and NGO officials discuss a variety of topics from climate, foreign aid, to security.
As for Canada, the feeling was Canada needs a ‘root and branch’ review of its foreign policy according to the experts in attendance.
Levon was there and spoke to a number of the officials about the rapidly changing international and domestic scene, and policies and strategies to cope.
(full story here) Study shows more and more plastics are polluting the Great Lakes A fog drifts in from Lake Superior in 2011. Gail Krantzberg, an engineering and public policy professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, has published a new study that finds the microplastic problem in the Great Lakes mirrors that of the oceans: small organisms mistake microplastics for plankton, and from there they work their way up the food chain. (Canadian Press)
Plastic garbage is filling up the world's oceans as we've been warned many times now. A new study says the same tragedy is happening in the five enormous lakes known as the "Great Lakes" shared by Canada and the U.S.
Gail Krantzberg carried out the study. She's an engineering and public policy professor at the Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and spoke to Terry about the situation
(full story here) U.N. Climate warning:Move quickly before it’s too late The United Nations has just released two environmental reports showing a gap in where emissions reductions should be, and where they are. (UNEP)
Two recent U. N. reports look at where the world is in terms of meeting it's carbon emissions reductions, and the apparent path we're on heading towards a 3.2 degree Celsius increase in global average temperature by the end of the century.
(full story here)
Show starts at 0:42
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ListenEN_The_Link-20191122-WEE15 Trudeau taps former top diplomat to deal with discontent in Western Canada Newly named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Chrystia Freeland speaks following the swearing-in of the new cabinet at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
In the October general election in Canada, the Liberals under Justin Trudeau were re-elected, but this time in a minority government situation and one in which they were virtually eliminated in the four provinces west of Ontario. Very few Liberals were elected in Manitoba and British Columbia, and none at all in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
With a resurrection of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in Quebec, this has left the country deeply divided. Levon discussed the nomination of former Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to the posts of deputy Prime Minister and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister. Originally from Alberta her job will be to try to restore some unity to the country
(original story here) Hong Kong protests: a former Canadian diplomat's viewpoint Police and student protesters clash at Hong Kong University this week (via CBC)
The protests in Hong Kong have quieted somewhat and at last report, only a few students remain barricaded in Hong Kong university after a tense week of violent clashes with police once again. While the situation has calmed somewhat it is doubtful they will remain that way, or that the protests are anywhere close to ending.
Colin Robertson is a former Canadian Consul in Hong Kong and he says there seems to be a standoff as protesters are making demands that the Hong Kong government, and certainly China, are unwilling to compromise on.
In a conversation with Marc, he expresses concern that this will not end well for anybody. Haley Wickenheiser goes to the Hockey Hall of Fame in familiar company Hayley Wickenheiser celebrates after Canada's gold medal victory at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, one of four she won in her 23-year career. Wickenheiser was to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
She has been a hockey player since her early teens, but more than that, became one of the best female hockey players in the world. She also played on men's teams for awhile has played on gold medal winning Canadian Olympic teams and world championships.
Terry Haig looks at the career of this amazing player who now joins the very rare elite women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
(original story here)
VIDEO of this week's show (starts at 0;50)
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Your hosts, Terry and Marc
ListenEN_The_Link-20191115-WEE15 Canada welcomes genocide lawsuit against Myanmar, says Freeland Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, arrive at the National Press Theatre to make an announcement and hold a media availability on Canada's response to the Rohingya crisis in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Gambia has launched a lawsuit against Myanmar (formerly Burma) claiming that state has committed genocide against their Rohingya minority.
In Canada, a unanimous vote in the House of Commons recognized the crimes against the Rohingya as genocide in 2018
Levon spoke with Canadian legal expert Payam Akkhavan, a former U.N. prosecutor and professor of International Law at McGill University in Montreal. Levon reached him on his mobile phone in The Hague
(full story here) Superbugs could kill hundreds of thousands, cost billions in just 30 years A computer-generated image shows a group of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bacteria. This increase in antibiotic-resistant infections is expected to cost Canada 396,000 lives, $120 billion in hospital expenses and $388 billion in gross domestic product over the next three decades. The expert CCA panel calculated that resistant infections contributed to over 14,000 deaths in Canada in 2018, and of those, 5,400 were directly attributable to the infections(Centers for Disease Control/Associated Press)
A shocking new report by a variety of medical experts in a variety of fields, along with social and economic experts, has said the incidence of anti-biotic resistant bacteria will increase to 40% by 2030. Currently some 26 percent of infections are already resistant.
They calculate between now and 2050, the so-called "superbugs" will result in almost 400,000 deaths in Canada as infections will no longer be able to be treated. They say medical and hospital costs combined with lost productivity will cost the economy over 500 Billion dollars in that time
Marc spoke with Gerry Wright, director of the Michael DeGroote Centre of Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario.
(full story here)
Remembering the horror that led to "In Flanders Fields"
The remains of a German observation position on April 22, 1915. By this time, the countryside was devastated by millions of artillery shells fired by both sides near Ypres since 1914. Human losses were also staggering on both sides. Canadian John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields" on May 3. (Photo Credit: Archives Canada MIKAN no. 3397986)
It is arguable one of the most famous poems of war. "In Flanders Fields" was written by a Canadian medical officer, Col John McCrae on the back of an ambulance during a brief respite from his work trying to save the many wounded and maimed. At the time he had just learned of the death of a close personal friend during a battle. He himself would die just three years later of pneumonia partly due to his working himself to exhaustion. Terry spoke to actor David Calderisi who talks about the poem, and reads it aloud.
(full story here)
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The Link: World scientists on climate emergency, Canadian aid orphans in Africa, new book on a tragically deadly victory in WWIIEN_The_Link-20191108-WEE15 Scientists around the world issue climate emergency warning Thousands of people joined a climate strike in Vancouver on Oct. 23. Scientists around the world are echoing their concerns about a the state of the planet. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)
Inspired in part by young activist Greta Thunberg, over 11,000 scientists from around the world have signed an open letter called "World Scientists Warning of a Climate Emergency".
Terry spoke to Lonnie Aarssen, a Queen's University biologist in Kingston Ontario. Professor Aarssen was one of the over 400 Canadian scientists and researchers who signed the international document. Canadian charity teams with egg farmers to care for African orphans SaskEgg supports the Heart for Africa's Project Canaan project and recently got together to purchase an egg delivery truck that allows eggs and meal packs to be delivered to thousands of children and families across Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) every week. (Egg Farmers of Canada)
Two successful Canadian business people married to each other happened to be in the United States on the day of tragic 9/11 attacks. One of those Canadians were aboard a jet at the time, and the other was conducting business in New York City, and both were worried sick that the other may have died in the deadly attacks. Both were safe but the ordeal caused them to completely rethink their lives.
It resulted in a move to Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) in Southern Africa where they established an orphanage for babies. Levon spoke to Ian and Janine Maxwell about their humanitarian operation and their partnership with Egg Farmers of Canada. Remembrance WWII: Canada's Black Watch in the tragic victory at Verrieres Ridge A Black Watch sniper from C Co. in a ruined building in Gennep, Holland, Feb 14, 1946 (IWM B-14626)
It was a pivotal battle during the Second World War. Canada's storied Black Watch regiment was sent to take the Germans position at Verrieres Ridge in France. The Germans had decided to hold this high ground and the resulting bitter fight almost wiped out the Royal Highland Regiment, but though other battles raged on for months afterwards, it has also been seen as the beginning of the end for the Germans in Normandy
Marc spoke to Montreal historian, author, and teacher David O'Keefe about his new book for this short period describing in personalised detail and narrative style this terribly costly battle. It's called "Seven Days in Hell: Canada's battle for Normandy and the rise of the Black Watch snipers"
Video of this week's show (starts at 0;42)
your hosts Levon, Mathiew, Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20191101-WEE15 Quebec to add 'values' test for new immigrants Premier François Legault, left, asked Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette to come up with the values test. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
The mostly French-speaking province of Quebec intends to implement a test for prospective immigrants to ensure they understand 'Quebec' societal values.
As of Jan. 1, 2020, new immigrants to Quebec will have to demonstrate that they understand and accept “democratic values and Quebec values” which will be a first step towards selection
Levon has an excerpt of Quebec Premier Francois Legault explaining the reasoning behind the values test
full story here Taking a different perspective on world drug problem Paramedics and firefighters work to revive an overdose patient with repeated doses of naloxone, the antidote to opioids such as fentanyl. A series in the medical journal The Lancet says old anti-drug laws are not working, and new evidence-based approaches are needed for new realities (Frederic Gagnon/CBC)
A series published this month in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, provides an scientific update on the world's growing problem of illicit drug use. It deals in large measure with researched treatment methods.
Most of the world's laws dealing with illicit drugs and their use date back to the 1960's according to Dr Julie Bruneau, and clearly haven't worked as the problem has only grown. She adds that in the interval, new types of drugs have come into the picture as well.
Marc spoke with Dr Bruneau who is a co-author in two of the several segments in the series, She is a professor in the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine at the Universite de Montreal, and a researcher at the CRCHUM (University of Montreal Hospital Research Center.
In the excerpt she explains what she means when she says new policies to treat addicts should be based on science and not perceptions
full story here Can new plain cigarette packs be effective in reducing smoking? A proposed standardized cigarette package is displayed in front of a variety of cigarette packages available today in Canada. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Canada is moving ahead with a plan to institute so-called plain packaging for cigarettes. This follows the same type of policies instituted by other countries like Australia and France. The idea is to discourage smoking by making the packaging far less attractive.
Only one standard type of packaging will also be available known as "slide and shell" as it provides a wider surface for health warnings. The plain packaging comes into effect starting this month while the slide and shell will be standard by next year.
Longer thin cigarettes which seem to target women as being fashionably slim and fashionable will also be eliminated.
Mathiew had a report
story here
2018 interview here
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ListenEN_The_Link-20191025-WEE15 Arab World Festival-Montreal Emily Awad, Director of Communications for the festival joins us via skype
This weekend marks the start of the 20th year for the Arab World Festival,/ Festival du Monde Arabe (FMA) in Montreal. The idea is to showcase elements of Arabic culture and build bridges with Canadian society.
Emily Awad, director of communications, is the spokesperson for the festival, She says at least 50 per cent of the visitors to various shows are indeed, non-Arabic. non-Muslim. There are many different types of performances, films, and discussion panel events which makes it not only entertaining, but informative as well. Canada Election: Coalition out, but cooperation on climate, housing affordability Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way to a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Wednesday Oct. 23, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Levon talks about the position of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau as he resumes the office of Prime Minister, but as the head of a minority government. Excerpts of his post-election speeches are discussed along with some of the challenges he now faces.
Full story here Canada Election: Results show clear national division Liberal leader Justin Trudeau speaks to supporters at Liberal election headquarters in Montreal, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)
The election has shown very clear and deep divisions that have resulted from the past four years of the Trudeau government. With the resurrection of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in the mostly French speaking province of Quebec, to the elimination of Liberals in the west and spectre of a growing western separatist movement. Trudeau now faces real challenges to govern as he says "for all Canadians".
Marc spoke with political science professor Sanjay Jeram of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia
full story and interview here Canada Election: Climate change challenge for minority government In the 2019 election, 63 per cent of electors voted for parties with strong plans to mitigate climate change. (iStock)
One of the major issues, and one likely to cause further tensions and divisions in Canada is that of climate change and policies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Lynn spoke with Catherine Abreu, Executive Director of the Climate Action Network of Canada, a coalition of groups concerned about climate change.
Full story and interview here
The LINK video- via YouTube RCI channel (show starts at 1:13)
Your hosts Lynn, Terry, Marc (video of show at bottom)
the link- political opinion polls, obese people and medical care, false fish- what you pay for is not what you getEN_The_Link-20191018-WEE15 Canada's election and political opinion polls: Can they influence voters? Voter survey for upcoming election. Literally dozens of polls are conducted, on voter intentions, issues of concern, leader popularity, government record, and so on, additionally sometimes broken down further into respondents sex, income, age etc. (CBC)
In any major election, there are almost always dozens of opinion polls taken, and often on a daily basis. They can survey people's opinions on the popularity of leaders, on the popularity of parties, voter intentions, opinions on policies and so on.
But can they, do they influence voters? Are they reliable, and can they be skewed for partisan ends?
Marc speaks with Peter Loewen, political science professor at the University of Toronto and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy Bias, discrimination prevent people getting obesity care: study People with obesity “shouldn’t look at this being their own fault...obesity is a chronic disease,” says a medical specialist. (iStock)
Obesity is now being accepted more as a chronic disease, but there is still a great deal of bias against obese people as saying the problem is their own fault. This attitude results in people not getting the type of care they need.
Lynn spoke with Arya Sharma, the scientific director for the non-profit Obesity Canada. Conservation group exposes widespread seafood fraud in Canada A seafood counter is shown at a store in Toronto on Thursday, May 3, 2018. A new study found 61 per cent of seafood products tested at Montreal grocery stores and restaurants were mislabelled. (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
It's quite a concern. The type of fish Canadians think they're buying has a good chance of being something else. A multi-year, cross-Canada testing of fish samples through DNA, shows an average of 41 per cent of samples were not the fish type advertised.
This means often paying for an expensive type of seafood, but getting a lower quality species. In some cases, species were also found to be of types banned in some countries, and the situation is also likely to be a conduit for illegal caught fish, and illegal types.
Levon spoke to Josh Laughren, executive director at Oceana Canada
Video of show (RCI YOUTUBE channel- show starts at 0;40)
Your hosts, Lynn, Marc, with guest Stephane Parent, host of RCI's French language programme (video of show at bottom)
The Link: this week talks about the Canadian election leader's debate, a new much simpler, faster early detection method for Alzheimers, and a long time Canadian TV show that makes fun of politicians, and they like it.EN_The_Link-20191011-WEE15 Canadian election, debate of the leaders in French Host Patrice Roy from Radio-Canada, centre, introduces Federal party leaders, left to right, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet before the Federal leaders French language debate in Gatineau, Que. on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
There have now been two official debates among the record number of federal party leaders. The English debate was at times a raucous affair, and the French language debate (Canada having two official languages) was held Thursday night.
After criticism, the format was changed somewhat to provide a somewhat better event although there were still moments of people interrupting each other, which a certain numbero f Canadian viewers don't appreciate.
Stephane. Lynn, and Marc talk about the debate
Eye scan may soon permit early detection of Alzheimers
A specialized camera and software analyzes the back of a person’s eye to detect patterns specific to Alzheimer’s disease before the symptoms develop. (Cole Burston/RetiSpec)
A new technology may hold the promise of detecting Alzheimer's disease at a much earlier stage. Current tests are much more expensive and invasive, involvinig PET scans or spinal taps. But a new technology has been developed involving a simple eye exam that could be done during routine eye checkups.
Lynn spoke with Dr. Sharon Cohen, medical director of the Toronto Memory Program A funnier side of politics In 1996, then Prime Minister Jean Charest from Shawinigan Quebec, grabbed a noisy protester blocking his path, by the neck and shoved him aside. The "Shawinigan Handshake" became a long-standing on-camera joke between Cretien and Critch who says Cretien loved to play along (CBC)
The programme 22 Minutes is one of the longest running comedy shows on Canadian TV. The comedy/satire show makes fun of celebrities, society, and especially political figures. The latter group of course wants to be taken seriously, but somehow they are inspired to play along . Cast member and host Mark Critch talks about how they manage to ridicule political figures but leave them and audiences smiling. THE LINK- video of show 2019-10-11 (starts at 0.41)
Your hosts Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190927-WEE15 Major research projects to understand climate change effects on the Arctic The German icebreaker and research vessel Polarstern is pictured at the port of Tromso, Norway Sept. 18, 2019. (Rune Stoltz Bertinussen/NTB scanpix/Reuters)
Hundreds of scientists from several countries have now embarked on two simultaneous and related research projects in the Arctic.
The yearlong project involves a research ship which will drift with the ice and a land-based operation. It's called the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate, or MOSAiC , while the land based project is called T-MOSAIC, the T is for terrestrial.
Levon spoke with Warwick Vincent, a polar scientist and Canada Research Chair at Université Laval in Quebec City. Massive loss of N. American birds: study The Canadian study showed as an example that 2 in 5 Baltimore Orioles (shown) have disappeared as have 2 in 5 barn swallows. (Gary Mueller-Macaulay Library-Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
The morning chorus of birds in N.America is not what it used to be. A new study points to why that is. The study analysed recent bird population data, and compared it to that of several decades ago.
They found that there are about 3 billion birds fewer now that there were in 1970.
Marc spoke with Adam Smith (PhD) was one of the lead researchers. He is Senior Biostatistician, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Canadian Wildlife Service and Environment and Climate Change Canada Working to De-radicalize- one person at a time There are many across Canada doing their level best to get through to youth and young adults who may be heading to violence as a way of achieving their goals. The ReDirect program in Calgary is one of them. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
A programme in Calgary, Alberta seeks to connect with young people and steer them away from gangs and violence. It's part of a larger effort both nationally and by individual cities to prevent both radicalization and gang violence.
It's called "Re-direct" and involves city social workers and police.
Terry spoke with programme co-ordinator is Sgt. Gareth Joels of the Calgary Police Service.
The LINK show Sept. 27. 2019
Your hosts, Marie-Claude, Levon, Matt and Marc (video of show at bottom)
The Link show: Liberal leader Justin Trudeau apologising for a racist incident in his past, Analysis of attacks on Saudi oil facilities, Discovery of the first interstellar comet. Marie-Claude leaving usEN_The_Link-20190920-WEE15 Trudeau apologizes to Canada's racial minorities over blackface scandal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a statement in regards to a video from the 1990s showing him in "blackface" during an event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. (CBC)
The leader of the Liberal party, Justin Trudeau, has had to face extremely difficult questions over his past when he dressed in costume with brownface and blackface, both considered to be racist.
He has had to make several public apologies, but the issue so far has not calmed down. It is not certain what effect this may
Levon gathered sound clips of the apologies, and of reaction from the leaders of the two main opposition parties, Andrew Scheer of the Conservative party, and Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party. Drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities The fires at the Abqaiq refinery light up the sky as several drones successfully hit specific targets of the facility. (amateur video- France 24- YouTube)
Drone missile attacks caused extensive damage to two Saudi oil refining operations this week. Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility but the U.S blames Iran.
The attacks did not cause permanent damage and oil prices which initially spiked, have since calmed. However, the attack only further heightens tensions in the region. It also highlights a new era in world conflict where distant attacks using small drones are difficult to defend against
Marc spoke with James Devine, associate professor in political science and international relations at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, specialises in the politics and foreign policy of Iran Canadian telescope helps study first-ever interstellar comet A 30-second exposure of the newly identified comet captured by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in early September 2019. (Photo: Karen Meech and Jan Kleyna (University of Hawaii)/© Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope)
Two years ago astronomers spotted the first ever known interstellar object, a large oddly shaped rock which they named "Oumuamua" . Now, a second object from another solar system has recently been located by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. But this time, it could be a comet, making it the first interstellar one ever observed by humans.This has been labelled C/2019 Q4.
Mathiew spoke with astronomer Karen Meech one of the scientists who discovered ‘Oumuamua. She is also one of the first scientists to take a closer look at C/2019 Q4. She explained to us how it happened:
The LINK video (starts about 1 minute in)
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190913-WEE15 Expert warns of possible Russian disinformation campaign in Canada's election Canada heads into a general election this October. A new study warns that Ottawa should be ready to counter a possible Russian disinformation campaign targeting Canadians. (Evelyne Asselin/CBC)
Canada's election has officially been launched and the political parties are busy trying to get their respective messages, platforms, promises and policies out to voters.
But a Russian specialist in information warfare at the University of Calgary is warning that Canadian authorities and citizens should be wary of a possible campaign of disinformation emanating from the Kremlin
Levon spoke with Sergey Sukhankin the author of the study Canadian newspapers struggling in the face of the internet giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon etc. Canadian newspapers are struggling to continue printing and supporting journalists in the face of declining revenues, in part due to internet giants like Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook and others. (Adrian Wyld-CP)
Canadian newspapers say they're being faced with a triple whammy that seriously compromises their survival. Unlike Canadian news operations, the U.S based internet giants don't pay any taxes in the many foreign countries where they are available, like Canada. They also take their content from Canadian (and other) news operations with little or no compensation but make their own advertising profits from visitors to their sites. They also siphon off advertisers and the ad revenue from the newspapers.
Print news may not have much of a future.
Marc spoke to Lucinda Chodan, a senior editor with the national newspaper chain, Post Media, and editor-in-chief of the Montreal Gazette newspaper.
Art exhibition highlights history of slave trade in Newfoundland
Toronto artist Camille Turner shines light on Newfoundland’s connections to slave trade. (Still from video filmed and edited by Brian Ricks).
It's a little known fact that the then British colony of Newfoundland contributed to the slave trade.
That contribution consisted of building several sailing ships used in the trade. A new art installation currently in the Newfoundland capital of St.John's informs and explores this chapter in the now Canadian province's history.
Matthew spoke to Toronto artist and academic Camille Turner about her exhibition at the Bonavista Biennale in St. John's, Newfoundland.
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190906-WEE15 Canada's general election looms-issues Federal party leaders - including, from left, the Greens' Elizabeth May, Conservative Andrew Scheer, Liberal Justin Trudeau and New Democrat Jagmeet Singh - face an electorate anxious about the cost of living and concerned about the environment, Honesty in the federal government has also become a concern. Not shown is Maxime Bernier, leader of the right leaning People's Party of Canada formed only late last year, and the Bloc Quebecois, a separatist party that runs candidates only in Quebec. (CP-AP)
Canada will have a federal election on October 21st. The country now is just waiting for the official announcement that the campaign in underway. That must come before September 15th.
It will be an interesting campaign as for the the first time in the country's history there are now six federal parties running candidates this year.
To learn more of the issues, and how this may play out, Marc spoke with Jordan Press, parliamentary reporter in Ottawa for The Canadian Press newswire service Hurricane Dorion to hit eastern Canada Crews with the Charleston Fire Department clear a fallen tree during Hurricane Dorian in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., Sept. 5, 2019. The storm is expected to barrel into Atlantic Canada on Saturday. (Randall Hill/REUTERS)
The huge hurricane, called Dorion, which caused such destruction in the Bahamas, has moved on to the U.S east coast and hammered the Carolinas.
It is now heading up the coastline towards Nova Scotia, the other maritime provinces and Newfoundland. Although weakening, winds are still expected to be up to 150 km/h accompanied by heavy rains.
Levon spoke with Doug Mercer, senior meteorologist at the Canadian Hurricane Centre. An urgent call to action to better the condition of Canadian children A new report by Children First Canada found that one in five children in Canada had seriously considered suicide in the past year with girls two times more likely to consider it than boys. And according to Indigenous Services Canada, suicide rates were seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-Aborginal youth. The rate among Inuit youth was 11 times the national average, among the highest in the world. (Mary-Catherine McIntosh/CBC)
Two recent reports from agencies concerned with the well-being of children both separately came up with similar conclusions. All is not well for Canadian children.
In addition to an unacceptably high level of poverty, water quality issues, depression and anxiety about the future. Canada has a high level of youth suicide, especially so among indigenous youth. In fact, Canada was listed as 25th out of 41 developed countries in terms of child well-being
Terry spoke to Sara Austin, CEO of Children First Canada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRMTHtdt8kA
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190830-WEE15 Conservative opposition leader accuses governing Liberals of scare tactics Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer addresses journalists during a news conference in Toronto, on Thursday, August 29, 2019. (Chris Young/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Everyone knows the federal general election is coming in October although the official announcement has yet to be made. Nevertheless, typical electoral accusations are already being thrown back and forth, albeit with typical Canadian reserve.
The Liberals are trying to paint the Conservative leader and his party as being anti-gay and anti-pro choice on abortion. The Conservative leader Andrew Scheer in return has been saying that's not true, and it's a scare tactic by the Liberals and leader Justin Trudeau who is trying to deflect attention from his government's own scandals and failures
Levon has a report Hard questions being asked as fish aquaculture increases in Canada From a distance fish farms appear placid and peaceful, but many in Canada would like to see all aquaculture operatons moved to land. (Clayoquot Action)
Doing about a billion dollars of business annually, Canada is now the fourth largest producer of farmed fish in the world after Norway, Chile, and the U.K.
Concerns continue about the effect of such corralled fish on the environment, on the fish themselves, and health issues for people who eat them.
Terry spoke with Camille Labchuk, executive-director of Animal Justice Canada Amazon rainforest fires: World concern More than 75,000 fires are burning in Brazil as of Thursday, prompting concerns about the future of the Amazon rainforest and global warming. (Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters)
This year saw a massive increase in fires in the Brazilian rainforest. Many, including French president Macron, have suggested that the Brazilian president Bolsonaro's policies and inaction on enforcement against illegal clearing are to blame.
The G7 countries have offered millions of aid to help fight the fires, but President Bolsonaro has turned that into an international political issue as well. However, under international pressure he has called out Brazil's military to help fight the fires.
For a perspective on the situation, Marc spoke to James Snider of the World Wildlife Fund Canada about the scope and implications of the fires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nprXai7IGyQ Weekly stories in pictures
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Your hosts today: Levon Sevunts, Terry Haig, Stéphane Parent and Marie-Claude Simard (Video of show at the bottom). ListenEN_The_Link-20190823-WEE15 G7 leaders gather in Biarritz, France for what could be another chaotic summit The faces of the G7 leaders are seen reproduced by local Basque sand artist Sam Dougados in the sand on a beach with a message on gender equality in Biarritz on the eve of the Biarritz G7 summit, France, Aug. 23, 2019. (Regis Duvignau/REUTERS)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way to Biarritz, France, to take part in the G7 leaders' summit. It will be the last gathering of world leaders before this fall's federal election in Canada.
And it's an opportunity for the prime minister to shine on the international scene and burnish his image of a statesman for audiences at home. But the meeting will be anything but predictable, with U.S. President Donald Trump at the table.
To find out more about what to expect from this summit we reached Prof. John Kirton, head of the G7 and G20 Research Groups at the University of Toronto. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh gears up for fight for his political future Leader of the New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh is facing an uphill battle in the upcoming fall federal election and, perhaps, the fight for his very political future. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press/file)
Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's centre-left New Democratic Party, is an accomplished martial artist but several analysts predict that he is in for a tough fight as his party battles for the hearts and minds of Canadians in this fall's federal election, buffeted on one side by the governing Liberals, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and by the ascendant Green Party led by Elizabeth May on the other. Peaceful pressure pays off as prison farms reopen Jeff Peters and Olivia Groenewegen hold on to Stormy the donkey during a protest outside Correctional Service Canada regional headquarters in Kingston, Ont., in July 2010. Demonstrators relentlessly pursued the restoration of prison farms in the Kingston area for nine years. Last week, two farms officially reopened. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)
Terry brings us the story of a nine-year-long peaceful protest that finally brought some fruits last year as the federal government included $4.3 million to restore prison farms at the Joyceville and Collins Bay institutions in the Kingston area.
Terry spoke to Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, about the program, the people who made it happen and what it will do for inmates lucky enough to get into it. A small tribute to our colleague Carmel Kilkenny Carmel Kilkenny (on the left) hosts The Link on Nov. 2, 2018. She died on Aug. 13, after a short battle with cancer.
We also paid a small tribute to our beloved colleague Carmel Kilkenny, who died two weeks ago, leaving a huge void in our team but also some great and very fond memories.
(Click to watch the show)
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190809-WEE15 Anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks to end WWII In this Aug. 9, 1945 file photo, a mushroom cloud rises moments after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, southern Japan. On two days in August 1945, U.S. planes dropped two atomic bombs, one on Hiroshima, one on Nagasaki, the first and only time nuclear weapons have been used. Their destructive power was unprecedented, incinerating buildings and people, and leaving lifelong scars on survivors, not just physical but also psychological, and on the cities themselves. Days later, the Second World War was over. (The Associated Press)
It was the first, and luckily so far, the only use of the terrible destructive power of atomic weapons.
In August 6th and 9th of 1945, the U.S dropped two atomic bombs, one on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, another on Nagasaki. The death toll for Hiroshima was estimated at around 140,000, for Nagasaki around 80.000.
Terry spoke with Paul Hannon, executive director of Mines Action Canada, a group dedicated to working against "indiscriminate weapons". Anti-social behaviour as internet "pranks". shared responsibility Screen capture shows the moment someone in a group throws coffee at Vaviya Falgun in an apparent social media "prank". Internet viewers didn't find the prank funny and Regina police are investigating (via CBC)
A recent internet so-called "prank" in Regina Saskatchewan didn't quite turn out the way the people involved probably expected. The person who filmed the event and posted it online did not get the "likes" he hoped for and instead was criticised for the incident. He tried to defend himself saying he wasn't the one who threw the coffee so why are people blaming him?
Marc spoke with Gord Pennycook (Ph.D) is an assistant professor of behavioural science at the University of Regina. He says the person filming bears as much responsibility for any bad behaviour as the person committing the act.
How dinosaurs grew feathers to become birds: Sex is in the air
A flightless dinosaur called Similicaudipteryx uses its feathers in a mating display. U of A researchers looked at how such displays may have helped dinosaurs evolve feathers that eventually allowed them to fly. (Illustration: Sydney Mohr)
It's now widely accepted that today's birds evolved from dinosaurs, but how did we get from one to the other.
We now know that some early dinosaurs developed preliminary hair-like feathers for warmth, but from there to the complex feather design of modern birds is far too big a leap to be explained by evolution, unless there's a middle step.
That middle step according to a new study was develop the feathers into more complex structures for mating displays, i.e., for sex.
Marc spoke to Scott Persons (PhD) who was lead author on the study while at the University of Alberta World record poutine Canada has given the world the invention of "poutine", a heart-stopping mix of gravy, cheese and fries. A World Record batch was made this month in a Quebec town. (Radio-Canada)
Marie-Claude talks about the Canadian invention of poutine, with the story and video of the recent batch made to beat the previous world record. The new record set this month was, 3,000kgs.
She also ordered a sample to be brought into the studio. Reports are none of our arteries were immediately clogged!
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Your hosts, Lynn, Terry and Marc
(Note the show will be taking a break during the summer- other interesting subjects will be available on the weekends; Video of this week's show at bottom. As always, full versions of the show stories are available in the highlights section)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190705-WEE15 A beach house that's much more, a symbol of recycling The builders say the idea of building the house with recycled bottles was simply a case of thinking outside the box. (Brett Ruskin/CBC )
Every day, literally thousands of tonnes of plastic are thrown out around the world. As an example, in 2016 it was estimated that Canadians threw away some 3.3 million tonnes of plastic a year.
Much of that consists of plastic bottles. A couple of enterprising Canadians, David Saulnier and and Joel German, decided to show what can be done to ensure some of that can be kept out of landfills, and the oceans.
Using recycled plastic from over 600,000 plastic bottles they created plastic foam slabs used to build a beach house in Nova Scotia. Terry spoke to David Saulnier about the project. Taking music classes predicts better academic performance Study results suggest the earlier students take instrumental music classes the better their academic performance will be. (iStock)
A new study appears to show that students who take instrumental music classes may have an academic advantage.
The study from the University of British Columbia did not prove the connection, but pointed to the fact that these students did perform better in tests in several subjects.
Lynn spoke to one of the study authors, professor Peter Gouzouasis Poll shows Canadians biggest concern is the cost of living For many young Canadians, the idea of someday owning their own house is a rapidly fading dream. A new online poll shows many Canadians place their personal financial situation and the rising cost of living as their highest concerns. (iStock)
A wide-ranging poll commissioned by Canada's public broadcaster, CBC, included questions about what Canadians main concerns were. While environment, climate change, and crime and violence were among them, topping the list was the concern about the rising cost of living.
Marc spoke to professor Ian Lee (PhD) of the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University in Ottawa. Lee says while the country as a whole is doing well, and the baby boom generation, it is the millenials who are feeling the greatest squeeze of ever increasing prices and costs which are rapidly outpacing any salary increases.
He adds a note of foreboding as well in that the Canadian, and perhaps world economy, is due for a recession in coming months, and in coming years, the costs associated with climate change have the potential to increase dramatically.
Watch The Link July 05, 2019.
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Your hosts today. Lynn Desjardins, Levon Sevunts, Terry Haig and Marie-Claude Simard (listen or watch video of show at the bottom) UN expert warns of a coming 'climate apartheid' A man walks through land in Bhola, Bangladesh where his home was washed away by rising water. Scientists project seas will rise an average of around one meter this century. Just 65 centimeters would swallow about 40 per cent of the country’s productive land, according to the World Bank. (Shahria Sharmin/AP Photo/Nov. 17, 2015)
A United Nations expert says the world is risking what he calls a “climate apartheid” scenario where the rich can pay to escape heat, hunger and conflict while the poor are left to suffer. Climate change threatens democracy and human rights, says UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston in a new report. To get some Canadian reaction to his use of such strong language, Lynn reached Philip Loring, professor of geography at Canada’s University of Guelph. Washington and Tehran at impasse as Trump threatens Iran with 'obliteration' Iran on Tuesday sharply criticized new U.S. sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic's supreme leader and other top officials, saying the measures spell the "permanent closure" for diplomacy between the two nations. For his part, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani described the White House as "afflicted by mental retardation." Photo taken in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
Tensions between the United States and Iran reached new highs U.S.when President Donald Trump threatened this week to obliterate parts of Iran. And Iranian officials called White House actions "mentally retarded." All this posturing and tough talk came after new US sanctions against Iran.On Monday President Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. The moves came after Iran shot down a U.S. drone on June 20.
The US was about to launch a retaliatory strike when Trump called it off at the last minute, saying too many people would have been killed. The US is sending additional forces to the Persian Gulf and Iran has threatened that if attacked it will inflict a lot of pain on the US all across the region. For more on, this Levon spoke with Bessma Momani who teaches at political science and international relations at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. He asked her what did she make of this latest round of tough talk and name calling. An anonymous gift sparks a lot of love in a Nova Scotia town A Nova Scotia community has been warmed by an anonymous gesture from a stranger who placed $100 bill and a message of positivity in a town park. The treasure was found by New Glasgow town employee Doug Miller while setting up for a funding announcement over the weekend. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Geralyn MacDonald)
A random–and anonymous–act of kindness has residents of the Nova Scotia town of New Glasgow feeling pretty good about themselves and life in general these days, says Terry. The good vibes began over the weekend of June22, 2019 when town worker Doug Miller began setting up for a funding announcement in a local park. It was cold and dark and Miller was working alone when he noticed something: a baggie…with a $100 bill and a note inside. Terry called Miller to find out what exactly happened. Listen to The Link June 28, 2019. ListenEN_The_Link-20190628-WEE15
Watch The Link June 28, 2019.
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Your hosts today. Levon, Mathiew, Marie-Claude, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190621-WEE15 IRAN- U.S. tensions- escalation narrowly avoided A U.S. Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle similar to the one shown, has been shot down over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran says was in its airspace, the U.S. says it was in international airspace (Reuters/U.S. Navy/Erik Hildebrandt/Northrop Grumman/Handout
The long-standing tension between the U.S. and Iran ramped up this week with allegations of Iranian attacks on oil tankers off its coast. Then came word that Iran had shot down an American spy drone.
The American had recently increased their military presence in the region with added ships and soldiers. The shooting of the drone however almost resulted in a massive escalation of the conflict.
This is something that a Canadian professor had speculated could in fact happen. Marc spoke to Rex Brynen, political science professor at Montreal's McGill University. Canadian diplomats get direction on human rights issues abroad Members of a human rights association demonstrate outside the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul on Oct. 9, 2018, and speak to reporters about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi a week earlier. (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP)
This week Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, Crystia Freeland, released new guidelines for Canadian diplomats.
Called "Voices at Risk" it strives to guide diplomats in their ability to aid or provide support, within diplomatic limits, to human rights activists in other countries.
Levon spoke to Jackie Hansen, a human rights campaigner with Amnesty International Canada. Hyenas in the Canadian Arctic An artist’s rendering of ancient Arctic hyenas belonging to the genus Chasmaporthetes. A new study reports that two enigmatic fossil teeth found in Yukon Territory in Canada belonged to Chasmaporthetes, making the teeth the first known fossils of hyenas found in the Arctic. (Julius T. Csotonyi)
It was decades ago that some ancient fossilized teeth were found during an archaeological expedition in Canada's Yukon Territory. After languishing for all those years in a back room, a specialist finally came to take a look at the two ancient teeth.
He was able to determine that they belonged to a hyena that lived millions of years ago. Apparently the species of hyena was widespread across the continent, but the species went extinct.
Mathiew spoke with Jack Tseng, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.)
Watch The Link June 21 2019
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Your hosts, Levon, Marie-Claude, Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190614-WEE15 Hong Kong's massive protest against a proposed extradition law with China Protesters on the streets again last night in central Hong Kong. (via CBC)
In the past few days, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents have taken to the street to protest a law proposed the the region's top politician, Carrie Lam. That would enable extradition to mainland China.
Many feel this is another attempt to whittle away at the 50 year agreement to allow Hong Kong its own legal and political system which was part of the deal when Britain returned the colony to China.
Andrea Chun, originally from Hong Kong, is a Canadian lawyer and commentator on Hong Kong affairs. Marc spoke to her about the Canadian consular officials meet with Canadian prisoners in China, Canada's foreign affairs minister on diplomatic tension Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland concludes a two-day visit to Washington with a news conference at the Embassy of Canada, Thursday, June 13, 2019. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
Tensions continue between Canada and China over Canada's detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Detained in Canada on an extradition request by the U.S., she is under house arrest in one of her two Vancouver mansions.
Canadian diplomats in China were able to visit two Canadians arrested there on charges of being a threat to state security. This is widely believed to be a retaliation tactic by Beijing, along with other measures to stop and slow down Canada's agricultural trade with China.
China has also snubbed Canadian requests for talks on the issue.
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland was in Washington trying to get some help from the U.S. in this standoff.
Levon prepared a report. Canadians and online news: lots of trust but little willingness to pay A new report suggests that 44 per cent of Canadians use mainly online media to access news and 70 per cent take steps to check its accuracy. (iStock)
It seems a majority of Canadians trust online news sources most of the time. An international survey of 38 countries showed Canadians in the top five when it comes to trusting online news. When it comes to content, Canadians are at the top of the list in saying it helps them understand goings on in the world.
But, reliable online content costs money and only a small percentage of Canadians are willing to pay for their news.
Lynn spoke to Prof.Colette Brin, head of media studies at Laval University and a contributor to the report.
Watch The Link June 14 2019
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Your hosts: Lynn, Marie-Claude, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190607-WEE15 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry: final report Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the media at the Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. (Jonathan Hayward/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The national inquiry into the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls finally presented its findings and final report this week.
While the report noted that Indigenous females were far more likely to be victims of murder or go missing than the rest of society, the media attention focussed on the report's use of the word "genocide" and whether such a strong word fits the situation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he accepted the use of the word, while others say they have difficulty with using that word in the Canadian context. They include the Canadian commander of UN forces in Rwanda who witnessed the genocide there.
Levon prepared a report with several audio clips from the head of the inquiry, the Prime Minister, and retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire. D-Day: 75 year anniversary ceremony Headline in the Regina Leader-Post, Saskatchewan, similar to papers across Canada on Tuesday June 6, 1944.
It had been planned and long prepared for but there would also have to be an incredible amount of luck for the many thousands of Allied troops headed across the English channel to invade Nazi occupied France. Among them in that initial landing were some 14,000 Canadians given the centre of the landing area.
What they achieved that day was remarkable, although at heavy cost of over 300 dead and twice that many wounded, many very seriously.
Marc spoke with Maj Richard Gratton who has been with a small group of Canadian soldiers touring battlefields and who attended the commemoration ceremonies held at the beach where Canadian fought their way ashore on June 6, 1944 Plastic Pollution: Canadian consumer thoughts Plastic may ensure food safety and extend its shelf life, but most of it is not recycled. (iStock)
A new survey by Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia shows almost all Canadians (90%) would like to see stricter regulations against single-use plastics. Even more say they are motivated personally to reduce their own use of these products, and over 70 per cent would like to see a ban imposed. But would Canadians be willing to pay more for greener alternatives? Well, perhaps just a little bit more, but then there's a limit.
On the other side of the issue, several stores are starting to allow consumers to bring in their own containers to enable a reduction in plastic packaging and bags. Various studies have shown much of the plastic is not recycled, and indeed several types of plastics simply are not recyclable.
Lynn spoke with Tony Walker, an assistant professor and co-author of the study. Iceberg season off Newfoundland and Labrador This is the time of year for thousands of tourists to make their way to Canada's Atlantic province to view magnificent icebergs as they float down the coasts of Newfoundland with the current. Many fishermen augment their income with iceberg viewing tours, although often you can also see them from land. Maric-Claude has some video
This iceberg near Ferryland on Newfoundland's Southern Shore in April 2017 stopped traffic as people abandoned their cars to take pictures. (Submitted by Jo-d Martin/Facebook)
Watch The Link, June 7th 2019
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This week a special edition as the Link was on site on Thursday at the Montreal "Salon de l"Immigration- Immigration Expo" in Montreal (video of show at bottom)
Hosts were Levon and Marc. along with several special guests. (audio version below, video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190531-WEE15 Starting us off was Jonathon Chodjai, president of the expo who explains how it has grown and some of the services and opportunities provided at the expo. These include help in preparing resumes (C.V.) adapted to Canadian styles, job opportunities and recruiting, education opportunities and information about the multitude of services to help newcomers understand and navigate the often new and confusing culture, laws, and bureaucracy systems in Canada.
Also as guests and to give some examples of those services and opportunities, Oscar Gonsalez of the Central Quebec School Board ( Commission scolaire Central Quebec) who spoke about the education opportunities to learn in a bilingual environment in the central Quebec region, and the advantages.
Thousands of visitors came to learn more about integration, jobs, careers, education, and other aids to their new lives in Canada (Leo Gimeno-rCI)
Patricia Grzesiak with the immigrant interconnection programme, developed as an initiative of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce which connects newcomers with career paths and related businesses.
Melissa Medeiros- who accompanied the Eastern Township’s delegation to promote the more relaxed atmosphere of Quebec’s Eastern Townships as a wonderful education, job, and career location outside the province’s two major urban centres of greater Montreal, and Quebec City
and David de Palma of the National Bank, explaining about the workings of the Canadian banking system and the importance for newcomers to understand how banking and credit work in Canada.
This was the 8th addition of the annual Salon de l"immigration, an annual event held at the convention centre in downtown Montreal.
Watch The Link May 30th 2019!
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190524-WEE15 Your hosts, Lynn, Levon, Marie Claude, and Marc, with guest Eilis Quinn (Video of show at bottom) Death in the Arctic- Image from the special report on a death of a young person in the Arctic (Eye on the Arctic)
Eilis Quinn, joins us to talk about a very troubling situation in a tiny Arctic hamlet in northern Quebec. Her report for the "Eye on the Arctic" website won an award given to journalists reporting on violent situations.
It describes how the situation, of the death of a young man, and the long delayed trial of the accused, accompanied by a series of suicides in the town and region have been a devastating emotional burden on families in the town.
The full story is on the "Eye on the Arctic" website. Apology and exoneration of historical Indigenous leader Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands with members of the Poundmaker Cree Nation during the ceremony to exonerate Chief Poundmaker of his 1885 conviction for treason on May 23, 2019 in Saskatchewan. (CBC)
During a very troubled time in western Canada as the country was still growing, an Indigenous leader of the Plains Cree became unwittingly involved in battles with the young federal government of 1885.
Through misunderstanding of their position, the Chief Poundmaker was arrested and charged with treason-felony, and jailed. He was released many months later after contracting a serious lung disease in jail, and died shortly afterward.
Indigenous groups ever since have said it was a wrongful conviction and that in fact Poundmaker was for peace. Now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has gone to the western province of Saskatchewan to apologize on behalf of the government for the arrest and mistreatment and to exonerate the Chief of any crime.
A segment of the Prime Minister's apology is presented Farmers lead a stressful life: little help A researcher suggests mental health issues dog Canada’s agricultural sector and governments are poorly equipped to handle them. (iStock)
Research of farmer's lives show a much higher degree of stress, anxiety, and emotional burnout, than in other professions. The survey of over 1,000 farmers reported high levels of these problem issues.
These come from increasing vagaries of weather from climate change, diseases, financial worries, and social isolation as farms get bigger and more spread out, while many small communities have ceased to exist. Help is also not easy to come by and even then, counsellors are not always aware of farm life conditions.
Lynn spoke to professor Prof. Andria Jones-Bitton 40 years of Farm Radio International A Canadian idea, and still based in Ottawa, Farm Radio International celebrates 40 years of helping small scale farmers in developing countries. (FRI-video)
Started by a Canadian broadcaster who saw a need, and a way to help small scale farmers in Africa, F.R,I. has been growing slowly but steadily over four decades.
The idea was to help get information and farming tips and advice out over vast distances to the many subsistence farmers in dozens of countries across sub-saharan Africa, and radio was the best and most inexpensive way to do that.
In fact, although the internet and other technologies help to simplify the method, 40 years later radio is still the best way to reach people.
F.R.I now sends scripts and research and feedback to over 800 stations in Africa and its advice reaches and helps almost 50 million listeners.
Marc spoke to Kevin Perkins in Ottawa, the executive-director of Farm Radio International.
Watch The Link May 24th 2019
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Your hosts: Levon, Lynn, Marie-Claude (at the river's edge) and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190517-WEE15 Climate change and the kelp forests of the Arctic A kelp forest off the coast of Baffin Island in Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic (Frithjof Kupper)
It seems that climate change is having an effect under the Arctic seas. Kelp has always been present but with warming water and with less ice cover, the plants can spread further north into areas where they haven't been and grow faster and taller. While the kelp seems to cope with the icy water without problem, the warming water, and especially increased sunlight are helping the move northward.
The effects on the Arctic marine ecosystem due to increased kelp forests are uncertain
Levon spoke with Karen Filbee-Dexter, a researcher in marine biology at Laval University in Quebec City China-Canada diplomatic and trade dispute: A plan towards Chinese domination Containers are offloaded from a ship docked at the Port of Oakland on Monday in Oakland, Calif. China retaliated to U.S. President Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariffs on billions in Chinese goods with its own tariffs on U.S. products.and vowed to "fight to the finish". Meanwhile China continues to exert trade and diplomatic pressure on Canada. Both issues are a small part of a much bigger Chinese policy according to a Chinese expert (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Canada acted on a U.S. extradition request and detained a top Chinese executive of the Huawei electronics giant during a flight stopover in Canada. The U.S. wants to try Meng Wanzhou on fraud charges.
China has been exerting both diplomatic and trade pressure on Canada to release the woman, with the latest tactic being to formally charge two Canadians it has in detention with being a threat to the Chinese security.
Meanwhile, the trade dispute between China and the U.S. also heated up this week with U.S. tariff increases on Chinese products.
Marc spoke with political science professor Charles Burton, who was formerly a Canadian diplomat in China. He says Canada's polite objections won't sway China, and the trade issue is part of a larger Chinese goal to become the world superpower. Melanoma: people in northern climates should beware as well A broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and staying out of the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. go a long way toward preventing skin cancers, say dermatologists. (iStock)
Though Canadians live in a northern region, that's no reason not to be concerned about exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. It's recommended to stay out of the sun when it's the strongest between 11:00 AM and 3 PM (15:00H).
If caught early, melanoma can be treated, so preventing it, monitoring for it and then bringing it to your doctor’s attention as soon as you notice a change is so important because with those three things we can easily decrease the burden that we have from melanoma.
Lynn spoke with Dr. Julia Carroll, a dermatologist on the board of the Canadian Dermatology Association.
Watch The Link May 17 2019!
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Your hosts Terry, Lynn, Marie-Claude, Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190510-WEE15 Dire warning from U.N. on survival of species, and humans Atlantic bluefin tuna are corralled by fishing nets off the coast of Barbate, Cadiz province, southern Spain. Two studies by The new U.N report indicates a dire future for species noting for example that a third of the world's fish stocks are overfished, and over 60 per cent are being fished at their maximum.(Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press)
The very strong warning comes from scientists from around the world who contributed to the first comprehensive report on the state of the world’s biodiversity.The report says in no uncertain terms that nature is declining at a rate never seen before in human history and that unless immediate change begins, humanity itself could face serious challenges around the world. The report was prepared by the U.N. sub committee, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and involved 145 scientist authors with contributions from hundreds of other scientists and researchers from countries around the world.
Marc spoke to Jeremy Kerr (PhD), a professor of biology and research chair in macro ecology and conservation at the University of Ottawa. (link to full interview and story here) Paediatricians recommend free contraception for all young Canadians Birth control is often too expensive for young people and they may not want their parents to know they are sexually active. (iStock)
The Canadian Paediatric Society wants all Canadians under the age of 25 to have free and confidential access to effective contraceptives. Birth control can be expensive for young people and, while some young people may be covered by their parents’ insurance plans, they may not want them to know they are sexually active.
Lynn spoke to Dr. Margo Lane (link to full interview and story here) Sport leaders meet to seek solutions to abuse of athletes The Coaching Association of Canada is the latest organisation to gather experts together to seek solutions to ending sexual and other kinds of abuse against athletes. (Shutterstock)
Athletes, coaches and leaders from some 170 sports federations met in Canada's national capital to discuss a somewhat hidden issue, that of abuse of athletes by people in positions of authority and influence, like coaches.
A CBC News investigation in February found that in the past 20 years, over 200 coaches involved in amateur sports had been convicted of sexual offences and 600 victims under age 18 were abused.
Terry spoke to Lorraine Lafrenière, chief executive officer of the Coaching Association of Canada, who called the results of the CBC News investigation “gut-wrenching.” (link to full interview and story here)
Watch The Link May 10th 2019
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Your hosts: Lynn, Levon, Marie-Claude and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190503-WEE15 Could this beluga be a trained spy? A beluga whale that was freed from a mysterious harness by Norwegian fishermen and fishery officials off the coast of northern Norway last week is in no hurry to leave the Norwegian waters. On Thursday morning it swam up to the Hammerfest harbour much to the surprise and the delight of Jorgen Ree Wiig, who had taken part in its rescue. (Jorgen Ree Wiig/Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries)
It's a mystery. Norwegian fishermen discovered an unusually friendly lone beluga while out fishing. Beluga are relatively rare in the area, tend to stick to pods, and away from humans. This one was just the opposite, and in addition had a strange harness, which obviously had been carrying something. Could it have been a trained whale carrying spy equipment? Was it the Russians from their nearby bases in Murmansk or Americans spying on the Russian bases?
Levon has video and spoke to Joergen Ree Wiig, an official with the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, about the mysterious creature. Quality of life improvement for Parkinson's patients Guy Alden used to rely on this wheelchair device to walk and a mobility scooter to get around but now walks unaided. The photo shows him walking on a gait mat with special sensors used in the research project. This is how they record the participant’s movement and track their progress over time. Shortly after the treatment he was able to vacation with his wife in Hawaii, walking unaided (Lawson Research Institute)
Parkinson's is a neuro-degenerative disease, and one of it's many effects is a decrease in mobility, Patient's can have difficulty walking, sometimes with their legs simply freezing up while moving which results in falls.
A new experimental treatment involving inserting electrodes on the spine and tiny impulses from a pacemaker seem to result in significant improvement in patient mobility
Marc speaks with Dr Mandar Jog of Western University and the Lawson Health Research Institute who is leading the trial. AirBnB enriching corporations, driving up rents A 2017 McGill University report found that two or three per cent of the housing stock in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood is run by property management companies for short-term rentals. (iStock)
A look at the AirBnB phenomenon shows heavy corporate involvement in the rentals. An earlier study noted that corporate ownership of such properties is creating a shortage of rental properties and driving up rent costs for people seeking a living space.
Lynn spoke to Thorben Wieditz, a researcher with Fairbnb, a coalition involving tenants’ associations, condo owners and boards, hospitality workers, and community legal clinics. He says these often foreign companies are making great profit from Canada for free as they "do not return anything in terms of taxes to Canada" The First Nations originators of Canada's maple syrup tradition Atikamekw maple syrup: an ancestral tradition carried on with passion in Manawan, Quebec. Photo : RCI/Marie-Claude Simard
Travelling a few hours by car north of Montreal puts one in the heart of the boreal forest. It is here that First Nations are continuing the tradition of gathering maple sap and turning it into sweet syrup and taffy.
Marie-Claude presents her a teaser of her report, with the full story on the website this weekend.
Watch The Link, May 3 2019
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Your hosts, Marie-Claude, Levon, Lynn, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190426-WEE15 United Nations asks for international support to fight Ebola A health worker wearing Ebola protection gear, walks before entering the Biosecure Emergency Care Unit (CUBE) at the ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) Ebola treatment centre in Beni, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, March 30, 2019. Picture taken March 30, 2019. (Baz Ratner/REUTERS)
The fight against the deadly Ebola disease continues, this time against a fresh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The World Food Programme is asking Canada and other nations to step up their contributions to help stop the disease from spreading within the country and to others. The idea is to provide enough food to keep people close to home and not travelling to pick up or spread the disease.
In addition, the area of eastern DRC has been a conflict zone with several armed groups fighting for control, increasing the danger for health and other international workers.
Levon spoke to WFP Senior Partnership Adviser in DRC Arnhild Spence. New Zealand video game adapted for Canada's Indigenous to help with mental issues The video game was adapted changing the Maori environment, symbols and costumes, above, to Inuit ones below. (Pinnguaq)
Indigenous youth in Canada's northern territory of Nunavut were involved in adapting a Maori video game with a view to help users cope with anxiety and depression.
Initially reaction to the video adapted to northern scenarios was positive and that the strategies shown would be useful but noted the New Zealand scenery and accent put them off. They felt it would speak to them much better if represented their own context.
The video now has Arctic scenery, Arctic animals, Inuit symbols and clothing.
Prof. Yvonne Bohr says the project was conceived after the government of Nunavut asked for ideas on remote interventions to help Inuit youth.
Lynn spoke to her about a project to get funding to fully adapt the game including voicing in Canadian English and Inuktitut Study: Ethical non-monogamy- Polyamory A new study finds people saying their consensual polyamory relationships are beneficial. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
It can go by various names such as polyamory, ethical non-monogamy, consensual non-monogamy, or open-relationships. What it means is having two or more relationships simultaneously with the consent of all involved.
A new study found that people who engage in this indicate that they have more eroticism, i.e. better sex with the secondary partner, and more nurturing, i.e., more emotional attachment with the primary partner.
Marc spoke with Rhonda Balzarini (PhD), a post-doctoral fellow in the Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto and lead author of the study.
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Your hosts, Terry, Marie-Claude, Lynn, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190419-WEE15
Court case launched against "smart city" over privacy
The Quayside project would create housing, heated sidewalks, autonomous vehicle infrastructure and data-collecting sensors on five hectares of Toronto waterfront. (Sidewalk Toronto/hand out photo/The Canadian Press)
A project by the American firm Sidewalk Labs to turn a large section of downtown Toronto into a "smart city" has been controversial since its proposal. While many seem excited by the high tech proposal by the Google subsidiary, others have expressed great concern over the collection of vast amounts of personal data.
The company would build the entire "city" all of which would be wired to the net. While the firm extolls the virtues and benefits of such a concept the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has launched a lawsuit claiming that the municipal, provincial, and federal governments have all agreed in giving over control of privacy issues to a private for-profit company.
Lynn spoke with Michael Bryant, executive-director and lawyer for the CCLA Alberta election: setting the stage for conflict with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Premier-Designate Jason Kenney addresses the media the day his after his election victory in Edmonton on Wednesday April 17, 2019. (Jason Franson/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The United Conservative Party will form the new government in the western province of Alberta after easily defeating the outgoing New Democratic Party government in an election this week.
Th oil-rich province has been struggling lately with low world oil prices and a lack of pipelines to get its oil to markets other than the U.S where it gets low prices. Many blamed the problems on the previous provincial government and the federal Liberal government of Justin Trudeau.
On Wednesday incoming Premier Jason Kenney presented his legislative priorities, presented in a short clip here. Jobs threatened, jobs created: the future of employment in 2030 . A 'female' robot waiter delivers meals for customers at robot-themed restaurant in Onin Yiwu, Zhejiang province of China. Robots, AI, automation: technology is a major factor affecting jobs and careers, but not the only factor in the future, which can include issues like the environment and demographics amongst o(hers VCG-Getty Images- via CBC)
While technology is certainly a major driver of the employment scene in the future, a new study looks at not only how that is and will change employment in the future but several other factors as well.
This includes changing demographics, climate change, and a host of other factors.
Marc spoke to Jessica Thornton, lead author of the study and Senior Project Designer at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Ryerson University in Toronto The origin of making maple syrup Atikamekw site for maple syrup production in Manawan, Quebec. RCI/Marie-Claude Simard
It was the indigenous peoples of central Canada who showed Europeans how to tap the watery sap from maple trees and turn it into sweet maple syrup.
Marie-Claude this week drove several hundred kilometres north of Montreal to a First Nations reserve where they were in the process of making maple syrup. She presents a short video clip of the process. A larger story on the process and traditions is in the works to come soon.
Video of the show
Your hosts: Lynn, Levon, Marie-Claude, Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_The_Link-20190412-WEE15 Research needed into ship noise effects on Narwhals in Nunavut FILE- In this August 2005 file photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a pod of narwhals surfaces in northern Canada. (Kristin Laidre/AP Photo/NOAA, files)
With a mining company on Baffin Island, in the Arctic territory of Nunavut, requesting a permit for a significant increase in iron ore extraction, which would nearly double marine shipping in the area, conservation groups are saying more research is needed on the effects of underwater noise on narwhals.
It is believed that underwater noise may have a detrimental effect on the marine animals ability to communicate and seek food as they spend summer in the area. At least one study shows that the ship noise overlaps some of the frequencies the narwhal use.
Levon spoke to Kristin Westdal, marine biologist for Oceans North. U.K., Canada, and others consider regulating websites Social media face tough regulations coming in the U.K. (iStock)
With so much controversy about social media websites and concern about extremism and hate speech, the United Kingdom has published proposals for regulating websites. From clear hate speech to postings and sites that may not be illegal, but considered harmful like disinformation or harassment, standards are being developed. An independent regulator could be created to issue fines and/or make individual website managers responsible, and close sites that don't comply.
Canada is watching closely and may follow suit. Lynn spoke with Stephanie MacLellan a specialist in digital policy at CIGI, a public policy think tank. A walk in outer space Canadian David Saint-Jacques is only the fourth Canadian to "walk" in space. (NASA)
Technically, it's called an EVA- extra-vehicular activity and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques joins not only an already extremely exclusive club of astronauts/cosmonauts, but an even more exclusive group of people who have ventured outside a space vehicle.
Along with American astronaut Anne McClain, he spent several hours performing maintenance tasks to the International Space Station. These EVA's are meticulously planned and practised, but even still are very risky and extreme caution is required.
Marc spoke about what that experience in space is like with Canada's Steve MacLean, a former astronaut and a member of the very exclusive club of people who have walked in space.
Watch The Link April 12th 2019
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190405-WEE15 The scandal within the ruling Liberal Party government, gets another jolt Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing to Liberal party members that he has removed tow high-ranking women from caucus over issues of "trust" and party loyalty. (Radio-Canada)
The ongoing dispute over allegations that the highest ranking members of the Liberal government were trying to pressure the former attorney general in a legal case against engineering giant SNC-Lavalin has gone on for almost three months. In the latest shock earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau removed two high-ranking women, former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and former president of the Treasury Board Jane Philpott, from the Liberal caucus. Citing actions by Wilson-Raybould, including the covert taping of a phone call with the country's highest ranking bureaucrat, Trudeau said internal trust had been broken and the women had to go
Marc spoke with Duane Bratt, political science professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary who says the move has tarnished the prime minister's self-declared reputation as a feminist and as a politician who wanted to break with typical "old school" politics. Canada urged to help stop ‘cultural genocide’ of Uighurs This is one of many places in China that officials call a vocational skills education centre where an estimated one million Uighurs are forcibly held and re-educated. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)
Evidence from U.S. satellites seem to support allegations that China is holding up to one million ethnic Uighurs in "re-education" camps.
They are allegedly being "educated" to abandon their Islamic religion, learn Mandarin, and abandon Uighur culture. Members of the World Uighur Congress were in Canada's capital, Ottawa, to ask Canadian officials to continue pressure on China.
Lynn spoke to professor Charles Burton, former diplomat at the Canadian embassy in Beijing, who says China is engaging in "cultural genocide" of the Uighur minority. We’re up here!’ Nunavut territory celebrates 20th anniversary People make their way through Iqaluit, Nunavut, on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of Canada's newest territory. Carved from the vast Northwest Territories, the new territory is known as "Nunavut", which is Inuktitut for "our land."
Carved from the huge Northwest Territories, Nunavut covers nearly 2 million of square kilometres in Canada's northern and eastern Arctic.
Levon spoke to Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq about the 20 years of the new territory and about the 20 years to come. Visit 'Mars-on-Earth' in Canada's High Arctic film clip: Google streetview gives a glimpse of a NASA testing and training ground in the high Arctic
NASA has established a training and testing base on Devon Island, in the very High Arctic of Nunavut, because they think the area most resembles the surface of Mars.
Recently Google took cameras to the area to add some landscape to their "streetview" maps. Google couldn't use their typical cameras though as they were too heavy for the extremely limited cargo loads available on flights to the base. Marie-Claude plays a short excerpt of the promotional video.
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190329-WEE15 UN asks Canada to extend peacekeeping mission in Mali Canadian infantry and medical personnel disembark from a Chinook helicopter as they take part in a medical evacuation demonstration on the United Nations base in Gao, Mali, on December 22, 2018. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The United Nations has formally asked Canada to extend its peacekeeping mission in Mali for a few months. The UN wants Canada to stay in Mali until the Romanian contingent which is replacing it is up and running. Canada has asked for two weeks to make a decision.
For more on the Canadian mission in Mali we reached Col. Travis Morehen, commander of the Canadian peacekeeping contingent - Task Force Mali at the UN base in Gao, northern Mali. Quebec to suspend constitutional rights to ban religious symbols If a new law is passed by Quebec, women wearing headscarves will not be allowed to become teachers. (iStock)
A furore erupted over the government of the province of Quebec plan to override charter guarantees and forbid many public sector employees from wearing religious symbols at work. Recently tabled legislation would apply to new teachers, judges, prison guards, police officers and others the government deems to be in positions of authority.
Few public servants wear such symbols and the group mostly likely to be affected are teachers wearing hijabs. A school board in Montreal has already said it will refuse to implement the legislation and a teacher’s union has filed a lawsuit to stop the government from counting the number of teachers who wear religious symbols. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to news that the law was tabled saying “it is unthinkable to me that in a free society, we would legitimize discrimination against citizens basesd on their religion.”
Various religious groups have weighed in and this is only the beginning of what will be a highly acrimonious debate. To learn more about which rights would be suspended and how, Lynn spoke with Robert Leckey, dean of law at McGill University. Hope springs eternal for getting a baseball team back in Montreal For the past five springs, baseball fans have filled Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in an effort to bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal. (CBC)
Since 2014, the Toronto Blue Jays have completed their spring training with games at Olympic Stadium, the home of now defunct Montreal Expos baseball team.
And Expo fans have for those six years,used the occasion to try to send a message to Major League Baseball that Montreal can support a team.
But getting a team back is not easy task. Major League Baseball is a cartel and it will do things the way it wants to, says Terry. But he says it still it appears things are moving ahead. Businessmen including Stephen Bronfman, the son of the Expos' original owner, is leading the charge. For more, Terry spoke with talk show host and journalist Dave Kaufman.
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ListenEN_The_Link-20190322-WEE15 Public hearing on oil and gas development in eastern Arctic wrap up in Iqaluit A polar bear stands on a ice flow in Baffin Bay above the arctic circle as seen from the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent on July 10, 2008. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press)
Public hearings on potential oil and gas development in the waters between Canada and western Greenland wrapped up in Canada's northern territory of Nunavut this week. There is ongoing moratorium on offshore oil and gas projects in the Canadian Arctic, but it expires in 2021 and Nunavut authorities are doing their homework to see whether they want that moratorium extended for another five years.
This latest meeting took place in Iqaluit, which is the capital of Canada's Arctic territory of Nunavut. This was the last public hearing and was part of a strategic environmental assessment being conducted by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB).
The board will now prepare a report and a list of recommendations that will be presented to the federal government. The meeting heard from members of the public, various Inuit organizations and government agencies about potential oil and gas development in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. It's a long sliver of water that separates northeastern Canada and Greenland. And it's one of the Arctic's most productive marine environments.
The strategic environmental assessment will look at various scenarios of potential oil and gas activity in the region from exploration and development to full-scale production. And of course it will look at potential benefits and drawbacks for the affected Inuit communities and the marine environment they depend on for much of their food source.
For more Levon spoke with Chris Debicki, with Oceans North, it's a marine conservation NGO. Online hatred growing in Canada, warns rights advocate The massacre at two mosques in New Zealand elicited sympathy but also online celebration by extremists. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo/file)
Last week's attack on a mosque in New Zealand had particular resonance for Canadians. Last week a gunman stormed two mosques killing 50 people and injuring dozens more. Horrifying in and of itself, it also brought back memories of a similar attack in Quebec City in Canada. A gunman stormed a mosque there killing six people. He pleaded guilty to the crime and is now awaiting sentencing. There have been attacks on Muslims in other places around the world, prompting questions about the spread of hatred online. Canada is not exempt. To find out more about what's going on here and the concern, Lynn spoke with Amira Elghawaby, a board member with the non-profit Canadian Anti-Hate Network. Spring arrives in Canada, can more rain and snow be far behind? Spring: the idealized version. Not what it looked like in Montreal. (Ian Black/CBC)
On Wednesday at 5.58 our time and describing himself as a good Canadian, Terry took it for what it was....kind of chilly and overcast but at least it wasn't snowing. He found it to be very strange though, Yellowknife had its warmest temperatures ever and so did the lower mainland of British Columbia. For the rest of us, it was business as usual.
Now, since he didn't grow up here, Terry says he never really learned the trick of pretending that the first day of spring was absolutely gorgeous or at the very least somehow finding spring in his heart. The actual weather always got the better of him. So he decided to call an old friend of ours, Dave Bronstetter, CBC legend and native Montrealer, thinking he might be able to supply the means to develop the needed suspension of disbelief.
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U.N. report on environment: humanity is at a crossroads
Smog and dust like that seen in New Delhi on Nov. 10, 2017 are among the many threats to human health documented in a comprehensive UN report. (Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)
It's a dire report that ties climate change and other environmental issues together and predicts that millions of people will die without urgent action on these issues. The report says the world has the technology and the money to make the changes, but people in positions of power or influence, meaning politicians and business leaders, must stop thinking in old ways
Lynn spoke to Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, a non-profit environmental group. Saudi escalation against human rights activism Loujain al-Hathloul, who graduated from university in Canada, has spent nearly 10 months in prison on charges of supporting 'hostile elements.' She and other Saudi activists went on trial Wednesday morning.(Loujain al-Hathloul/AP)
The Saudi Arabian regime appears to be hardening its position against human rights activists in the country. Eleven women appeared in court this month to face charges for their peaceful activism.
Two activists have connections to Canada. One of them is the sister of blogger Raif Badawi who was given 50 lashes for his posts and who remains in prison. His wife and children are living in Canada. Canada and about 3 dozen other countries have signed a statement condemning the arrests of the women last May.
Terry spoke to Jacqueline Hansen, Amnesty International Canada’s Major Campaigns and Women’s Rights Campaigner, The political scandal in Canada facing Justin Trudeau, continues Jody Wilson-Raybould former Attorney-General told the justice committee she was ‘hounded’ about the SNC-Lavalin criminal prosecution by top Liberal officials, even the Prime Minister. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/Feb. 27, 2019)
The scandal which broke in the news weeks ago has tarnished the Liberal party and the personal reputation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It concerns allegations of political interference in a legal case against the giant engineering firm SNC Lavalin, charged with bribery and fraud. The allegations concern undue pressure on the then Attorney Journey Jody Wilson-Raybould, who quit the Trudeau cabinet over the issue. The latest uproar came when the Liberal majority on the all-party Justice Committee shut down an emergency meeting almost as soon as it started causing an uproar among opposition members.
Marc spoke to political studies professor Jennifer Wallner (PhD) of the University of Ottawa about this latest event and the ongoing scandal.
Watch the video of The Link March 15 2019
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20190308-WIE10 Canada's Prime Minister insists "no inappropriate pressure" in SNC Lavalin case Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied charges by the former attorney general that she was persistently and inappropriately pressured to drop criminal charges against SNC-Laval and instead to negotiate an apology and reparations. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
The SNC Lavalin scandal as it's being called continues to dog the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Accused of improper political interference in a legal case against the Quebec-based engineering giant. Trudeau tried to calm the debate with a televised explanation of his version of the debate.
It does not seem to have helped calm the controversy. Lynn has an excerpt of the speech, and explanation of the situation HIV-AIDS Patients cured, but not yet a viable cure HIV_AIDS infects tens of millions world-wide with over a million cases added each year. A second man has bee declared functionally cleared of the disase following a complex procedure. (via Radio-Canada)
Several years ago a difficult operation was performed on a cancer patient with HIV-AIDS. Using T-cells from the very rare individuals that have a double mutation resistance to the virus, the risky bone marrow T-cell operation was successful and the man has been HIV-negative for years.
Recently a second similar operation has been performed and that man also has been declared HIV negative, but the process is not being hailed as a cure.
Canadian HIV-AIDs researcher Nicole Bernard (PhD) at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre explains. Remembering a hockey star and union advocate Ted Lindsay with the Stanley Cup after Detroit defeated Montreal to win the NHL title in 1954. Lindsay died Monday at 93. (The Associated Press)
Ted Lindsay was a popular player in the National Hockey League of the 1950's and 60's. He was certainly well-known, but not what we would call a "superstar". He passed away this month, and as Terry tells us, he was better known for his "off-ice" activity as he sought to organize players into a union to seek better conditions for them, and ended up created the Players.
Terry speaks to a sports broadcaster who was active during Lindsay's time as a player and reminisces about the player and the NHL .
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20190301-WIE10 A scandal is shaking Canada's federal political landscape and the governing Liberal party of Justin Trudeau Former Attorney-General Jody Wilson-Raybould said she faced inappropriate pressure to interfere in a criminal case against a Canadian engineering firm. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
A scandal at the highest level of government in Canada has rocked the ruling Liberal Party of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Elected with the slogan "real change", many are now doubting the sincerity of that slogan or others promoted by the Prime Minister. The claim is that the Liberals exerted pressure on their own member, Attorney-General Jody Wilson Raybould regarding a criminal case against the giant SNC Lavalin engineering firm.
Opposition members are calling for a police investigation, a national inquiry, and even the resignation of the Prime Minister.
Lynn spoke to Kim Speers, assistant teaching professor at the University of Victoria to discuss public testimony of Jody Wilson Raybould Unpleasant incident for a disabled woman at a major grocery store chain Linda Rolston decided to stand her ground after her local No Frills grocery store told her to shop somewhere else because her disability was slowing everybody down. (Linda Rolston)
A woman with a disability was chastised by the manager of a grocery store, part of a major chain, for taking too long to pack her purchases. She was told to shop elsewhere in future and offered $100 to not come back.
A complaint to the CBC resulted in the issue becoming widely known in a special report called "Go Public".
Terry spoke about the case with Queen’s University professor Mary Ann McColl, who is also the Academic Lead with the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance. Having fun with an award winning music and dance video about quantum physics University of Alberta’ doctoral student Pramodh Senarath Yapa has just been announced as the 2018 overall winner of the international Dance Your PhD competition (supplied-via U Alberta)
Doctoral studen Pramodh Senerath Yapa, deals with the highly complex world of quantum physics, but when he heard about the international competition called Dance Your PhD, he knew he had to enter. Gathering friends and writing the music and choreography to explain how supercooled electrons react in conjunction with "dirty" conditions in wire and how to control them, he put together his 11 minute video in six weeks.
In the competition against 50 others from around the world he came out on top. He also plans to enter again with a subject of superfluids.
Marc spoke to Pramodh by mobile phone in Alberta.
Watch The Link, 2019 March 1
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Today a special programme to mark Black History Month in Canada
Your hosts, Lynn and Marc, with special guests Claire-Anse Saint-Eloi- assistant coordinator for the round table on Black History Month; Deborah Forde- Montreal Black History Month Laureate, and Pat Dillon-Moore- spokesperson for Montreal's Black History Month.
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Recorded at Espace Mushagalusa in downtown Montreal.
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20190215-WIE10 Legendary British rock star Sting performs in solidarity with General Motors workers in Oshawa Sting and the cast of his musical "The Last Ship" perform in support of General Motors workers in Oshawa, Ont. on Thursday, February 14 , 2019. (Chris Young/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
This week, Gordon Sumner aka "Sting" took the cast of his hit musical to the city of Oshawa, Ontario for a performance of songs from his hit musical "The Last Ship".
The city of Oshawa is facing the closure of the General Motors plant, the city's biggest employer for over 100 years. Performing in nearby Toronto, Sting says he can easily identify with the GM workers situation as the musical is about the very similar situation his hometown in England went through when the local shipyard closed. It too had been the mainstay of the city since at least the mid 1800's. When the shipyard closed, it threw thousands out of work, and devastated the community, just as the GM closure is expected to do in Oshawa.
Levon prepared a report. The (somewhat surprising) biggest threat to the world's biggest creatures The leatherback turtle is threatened by hunting not only for its meat but also the collection and eating of its eggs (US Fish and Wildlife Service- U Oregon, Ripple et al)
The world's biggest creatures are called "mega-fauna". Whether birds, reptiles or amphibians, whether mammals or fish, most of the largest species in these categories are under threat. That's not new. We've had years of stories of how habitat destruction and pollution are threatening them. However, a new international study shows that hunting was and continues to be the largest and most immediate threat to their survival.
Marc spoke to Professor Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Halifax, the supervising author of this international study. Death of respected newsman creates a loss for Canadian journalism Joe Schlesinger (seen in 2009) died Monday, leaving nothing but praise and admiration in his wake. To his fellow reporters and journalists, including Brian Stewart (see interview below), Schlesinger was a reporter's reporter. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)
His was a smooth, calm, and yet passionate voice in Canadian journalism. His own story was remarkable including having been brought as a child to England from the Nazi invasion of his Czech homeland. His parents were later killed during the Holocaust. Later he would flee his homeland again during the Communist purge of journalists.
He later worked for a variety of news services in Canada, London and Paris, before eventually joining the Canadian public broadcaster CBC.
It is perhaps due to his own remarkable history and travels that led to his wonderful story telling ability and insightful reporting from places and conflict zones around the world, Paris, Berlin, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Iran and more. Even after retirement from the CBC in 1994, he continued to produce a number of news magazine specials, documentaries, and commentaries for the CBC.
In 1990 he wrote his autobiography called, Time Zones: a Journalist in the World.
Joe Schlesinger died this week at age 90. Terry spoke to another respected journalist, Brian Stewart, about Schlesinger's legacy.
Watch The Link, Feb. 15, 2019.
Your hosts, Lynn, Marie-Claude, Terry, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_Interview_1-20190208-WIE10 Europe's Marine Protected Areas allow heavy commercial fishing A new study shows there is actually 38% more large commercial fishing activity inside Europe's protected zones than outside. Bottom trawling is also known to destroy bottom habitat (Virginia Lee Hunter-Greenpeace)
One might easily presume that Europe's marine protected areas (MPA)help conserve marine species. A new study shows that's not the case, and that in fact more commercial fishing takes place inside these zones, than outside. Several species are already threatened inside these waters.
Marc spoke to Manuel Dureuil, PhD candidate and lead author of the research study. Hello, I'm ...... How Beluga whales tell others who they are and where they are “Belugas are an incredibly socially complex species...and they need to keep track of one another,” says researcher. (Valeria Vergara)
It's been known for sometime that marine mammals like whales and dolphins use echo location to find food and navigate and communicate, but new research says among those chirps and clicks may be sound the whales use to identify themselves individually to others, something like hey, I'm Bill, or Mary, and i'm over here.
Beluga whales for example are very social animals, and they've been studied by Valeria Vergara, a research scientist with Ocean Wise, a conservation program of the Vancouver Aquarium. Lynn spoke to her about the study. One of the world's largest national parks is in remote northern Canada, but it is failing an ecological test Horses in winter: this group of was seen during a Wood Buffalo National Park bison survey in 2016. Environmentalists are hopeful Ottawa will follow through with the needed funding to support the federal action plan released last Friday to save the park, the world's second largest. (JD McKinnon/Parks Canada)
The world's second largest national park is Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta and stretching into the Northwest Territories.
Even though it can be considered very remote it is suffering from the combined effects of climate change, and industrial extraction activities. A new report says it is failing in 15 of 17 ecological measures.
UNESCO has asked the Canadian government to come up with a plan to save the park, which they have. But will the Trudeau government follow up with the money needed? It seems they might not.
Terry spoke to Gillian Chow-Fraser, Boreal Program Manager at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s northern Alberta chapter. Maric-Claude makes dumplings for Chinese New Year Marie Claude with the dumplings she made
Marie-Claude visited a Chinese family and prepared authentic Chinese dumplings in honour of Chinese New Year this past Tuesday. The experience will be told in detail on Maric-Claude's colum this week, including the recipe.
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Special Guest Wei Wu from RCI's Chinese section leads off the show with a look at the upcoming Chinese New Year Ottawa unveils new rules to combat election interference Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould, along with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale, and the Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan, make an announcement regarding safeguards to Canada's democracy and combatting foreign interference during a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Recent elections have been allegedly manipulated through cyber attacks and hacks presumably from foreign sources. Federal government ministers announced a series of measures this week to enhance security around elections, especially as Canada's federal election is set for October of this year.
These include taking proactive measures to combat foreign interference, enhancing citizen preparedness, improving coordination between Canada’s security agencies and calling on social media platforms to take “actions to increase transparency, authenticity and integrity on their systems.”
Levon prepared a report. Teenagers not getting enough sleep, why? Electronic devices are a powerful distraction for adolescents who should be sleeping, say doctors. (iStock)
Sleep is important to all of us, but teens need at least eight to ten hours a night. Less than that and their learning ability is lessened and it may affect them psychologically.
Part of a bigger set of issues, is that of electronic devices, which experts say should be kept out of the bedroom. Also "catching up" on weekends with extra sleep really doesn't work all that well.
Lynn spoke with Dr. Christopher Winter who explains why sleep is so important for teens and what the obstacles are to them getting enough of it. No need to recycle plastics, re-use them instead: LOOP (Freedom Island Waste Clean-up and Brand Audit in the Philippines Sept 14,2017.)A new idea is to avoid waste and garbage, and even the recycling of plastic, by creating a programme of refill and reuse of plastic containers called "LOOP" (photo Greenpeace)
A new pilot programme is about to begin in an effort to stop throwing out plastic containers, or even trying to recycle them. Studies have shown that only about ten per cent of plastics are recycled and the rest end up in one form or another in the environment such as landfills, or in the ocean.
The new concept is called LOOP. It has major international companies on board who will sell their products on line. They are sent to consumers who will place the empty containers in a bin by the door where LOOP will have them picked up and returned to the companies for refill and resale, thereby eliminating waste.
Marc speaks with Vito Buonsante, Plastics Program Manager with Environmental Defence Canada
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20190125-WIE10 Canadian envoy weighs in on Huawei exec arrest Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum listens to a question following participation at the federal cabinet meeting in Sherbrooke, Que., Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. McCallum says there are strong legal arguments Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou can make to help her avoid extradition to the United States. (Paul Chiasson/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Canadian diplomat John McCallum has created quite a stir when he weighed in on the current international dispute involving the U.S., China, and Canada.
The Huawei company executive arrested by Canada on an extradition request by the U.S. has placed Canada in a thorny position between the two superpowers, both of whom are also major trading partners.
A seasoned politician, many were greatly surprised at McCallum's comments which are seen as extremely unusual in such circumstances and there is great speculation about the motives.
Levon has audio and analysis of what he says, and perhaps why. The incredible amount of wasted food Millions of tonnes of edible food are being wasted every year, Second Harvest says much of that could be recovered and used. (Justin Sullivan- Getty Images)
A new study shows that we waste more food than we consume. Much of that waste is unnecessary and recoverable for use. So-called "best before" dates do not mean the food is suddenly bad, and should be thrown out, but are merely guidelines.
Also just because produce does not meet the typical and expected "ideal" shape or colour, shouldn't mean it ends up in landfill.
Marc speaks with Lori Nikkelo, CEO of Second Harvest a non-profit agency that seeks to divert good food from landfill and send it to charitable causes. Romance scams target lonely seniors Dayle Hogg told CBC his father made 19 wire transfers to Malaysia in what he says was an online romance scam. (Gary Moore/CBC)
With technology comes a variety of nefarious schemes to bilk Canadians out of their money. Through the internet or by phone, many trusting Canadians are fooled into sending money to strangers.
One of the most recent is targeting lonely recently widowed senior citizens who visit matchmaking sites. Last year estimates are that Canadians were bilked out of about $25 million dollars in total.
Lynn spoke to Garry Clement, a former investigator with the national police and now running his own business Robbie Burns Day- the national celebration of the poet by Scots worldwide
January 25th is celebrated by Scots the world over as the birthday of Robert Burns, deemed Scotland's national poet.
Across Canada tonight there will be many "Burn's suppers" organised during which haggis will be consumed in great pomp and ceremony as the meal is piped in and Burn's famous poem "Address to a haggis" is recited. Canadian singer and stonemason Bobby Watt, recites the poem in his native Scottish style.
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20190118-WIE10 Canadian naval ship heads home after six-month tour in Mediterranean and North Atlantic
Spanish Frigate Cristobal Colon, French Naval Ship Latouche-Tréville and Turkish Naval Ship Oruceis sail ahead of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Ville De Québec while near the coast of Norway during Exercise Trident Juncture on October 26, 2018. (Master Cpl. Andre Maillet/MARPAC Imaging Services)
The Canadian frigate joined the international patrol as part of Op Reassurance. During their service they travelled to several locations and deployed the relatively recent Cyclone helicopter, for the first time on an operational basis.
Levon speaks to the ship captain and the air officer about the tour, and its importance. Changes coming to Canada's national police, the RCMP Change is coming to Canada's iconic, national police force, the RCMP. (iStock)
Canada's fabled Royal Canadian Mounted Police, have been saddled in recent years with several complaints, not the least of which are internal complaints of bullying and sexual harassment, and some class-action lawsuits.
“Despite the positive international image, the RCMP has had one scandal after another for the last 15 years,” says Michael Kempa, director of criminology at the University of Ottawa. Now the government has announced it will create an external board of advisers and hire independent investigators to deal with internal complaints.
Lynn spoke to Mr Kempa about the situation within the R.C.M.P. and the proposed changes Documentary film: Spectres of Shortwave, the life and death of RCI's transmitter site The RCI transmission array near Sackville New Brunswick, a familiar sight for decades for thousands of nearby residents and the millions who have travelled the nearby highway over the years. ( A-D Christrie- Spectres of Shortwave)
In 2012, Radio Canada International's budget was cut by over 80 per cent. This effectively ended the service as a shortwave broadcaster with the remaining small staff switching over to an Internet service.
The transmitter station and huge antennae array was an iconic presence in the area and inspired a young creator Amanda Dawn Christie to begin an art project, but that quickly changed into a documentary film about the life and death of the service, and how that affected the staff who worked there, the local residents, and shortwave fans. It's a moving film, called "Spectres of Shortwave," which has been seen at various film festivals, usually resulting in an emotional response from audiences. Some segments can be seen on Vimeo.
Mark spoke via Skype with Amanda Dawn Christie about her film. Video of show
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ListenEN_Interview_4-20190111-WIE40 Canadian officials meet with detained Canadians in China FILE - In this file image made from a video taken on March 28, 2018, Michael Kovrig, an adviser with the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based non-governmental organization, speaks during an interview in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/File)
For the second time in a matter of weeks, Canadian officials have been granted access to two Canadians detained in China.
Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who are not connected in any way, were both detained on allegations of "endangering national security." They were arrested shortly after Canada detained a top Chinese businesswoman who was on a flight stopover in Canada. The arrest was requested by American authorities who want her extradited to the U.S. on charges of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Levon spoke to Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, and formerly Kovrig's boss for insight into this situation New concerns about 'smart' technology and devices Fitness trackers can give you information about what you’re doing but may also transmit that information to others. (iStock)
Smart devices, smart homes, autonomous vehicles, they are all gathering information about you, your habits, your activities. What happens to that information, who gets it and what they do with it should be of concern to you says a privacy advocate.
Lynn spoke to Catherine Tully, the information and privacy commissioner for the province of Nova Scotia who wants people to be aware of how all these devices can track you and send that information to third parties. Concussions: changes to brains lasts much longer than thought Research in Canada and the Netherlands used a new technique to show concussions change the function of the brain ( Manning et al. Western University)
Using a new technique, researchers in Canada and the Netherlands have found that changes to the brain after a concussion last much longer than thought, and long after the typical symptoms have gone. They also show that people, in this case the players, who have experienced a number of "sub-concussive" hits also show damage.
The study followed a women's Varsity Rugby team at Ontario's Western University for five years. Individuals were followed for the typical two year stint they played on the team. The study showed that the women who had concussions showed "wiring" damage that lasted for the two years they were studied, and researchers think the damage may last longer. The study also revealed that compared to brains of swimmers and rowers who typically don't get knocked about, that the brains of rugby players who hadn't suffered a concussion, but who had experienced a number of "sub-concussive" hits, also showed damage.
Marc spoke to Ravi Menon (PhD) , a professor of medical biophysics at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and scientist at Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario and senior author of the study.
Video of The Link, January 11th, 2019
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20190104-WIE10 How to best deal with the Christmas tree, post-season Millions of trees are bought for Christmas celebrations in Canada and there are several ways to dispose of them after the holiday is over. (iStock)
They bring a bit of nature from the outdoors into the home, and with a nice "pine" perfume as well. Of course there can be lots of fun decorating the tree with lights and ornaments. When the season is over though, what to do with the millions of trees that now have to be removed from the house.
Lynn spoke to Andrew Holland of the Nature Conservancy of Canada about environmentally friendly ways of disposing of the trees The "Dry January Challenge" A new idea is slowly growing. Following the "party" season around Christmas and New Year's, the challenge is to go "dry" for the month of January (Getty Images)
Among the many resolutions one might make is a relatively recent challenge of going 'dry' for the month of January.
For many people the Christmas and New Year's holiday season leads to a lot of socialising and perhaps a higher level of alcohol consumption. Going dry is one way of allowing you body to recover, but "de-toxing" is not really the main purpose.
Marc spoke to clinial psychologist Sue Vandermorris of the Baycrest Health Services research and training hospital. Resolution: Getting fit for 2019 Gyms in Canada are typically busy in the first one or two months of the year, and then attendance drops off. (iStock)
It's a great idea; work off that extra holiday weight, or just get in better shape generally. It's a typical New Year's resolution, and it usually works, at least for a couple of months. That's the problem, how to keep motivated.
Lynn spoke with Personal trainer and fitness expert David Kim-MacKinnon Bill- the river otter Marie Claude prepared a video of a river otter spotted over the holidays In Ontario (image-Victoria DeMartigny-Submitted by Ecomuseum Zoo Montreal-via cbc)
Over the holidays, a river otter had apparently begun creating a winter home under a lakeside dock Marc had built.
The home had apparently been abandoned after being half-built, but still left quite a mess. The next day the animal was seen gaily trotting and sliding across the lake obviously enjoying the chance to slide a bit on the snow and ice of the lake.
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As we prepare to pause for the Christmas holidays, your hosts this week, Lynn, Levon, Marie-Claude, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
ListenEN_Interview_1-20181221-WIE10 More Canadians arrested in China Chinese police officers patrol outside the Canadian embassy in Beijing on December 10, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)
Another Canadian is reported to be under arrest in China, although this case appears to be different than the higher profile arrests of two Canadians earlier. They are detained under suspicion of being a "threat to Chinese security".
This third case, of a school teacher, appears to be a work visa issue. However, it seems that there are about 200 Canadians detained in China.
Levon looked into the issue and also has a clip of Prime Minister Trudeau explaining the diplomatic situation Top ten weather events Canada, 2018 Police officers look on as water floods King St. W. during heavy rain, stopping a streetcar in Toronto on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Shlomi Amiga
The federal government's weather and climate monitoring agency has issued its annual top ten list of the most noteworthy weather related events of this past year.
Lynn spoke with David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada who said, “What we had this year were terrible fires and smoke from coast to coast. We had droughts. We had floods, both urban floods which is the new kind of flood, plus the spring flood. We had terrible storms. We had the most powerful tornado…in the world this year,” Rink Watch- the website that monitors the local effects of a warming climate A typical backyard skating rink. An iconic Canadian winter activity, outdoor rinks are becoming harder to maintain with climate change. (via CBC)
Outdoor skating is a long-standing tradition in Canada. For many Canadians that has meant creating a backyard rink once the cold winter weather arrives. Climate change is having an effect on that though. A group of university professors decided on a project at the individual level of Canadians to monitor the effects and help Canadians see tangible evidence. The website Rink Watch was created for Canadians across the country to note the date they were able to start a rink and skate on it, conditions throughout the season, and what date the skating ended. Started in 2013, they've noticed that the season has been gradually pushed back to start later in the year, and ends a bit earlier
Marc spoke with Rink Watch co-creator, Professor Colin Robertson.
Watch video of The Link, December 21st 2018
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20181214-WIE10 Canada tries to find more information on Canadians arrested in China, over the Huawei arrest here Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland speaks with the media during a news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday December 12, 2018. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Canada and China are involved in a major diplomatic row, at the behest of the U.S. The U.S. asked Canada to arrest a top Huawei executive and claims of an alleged breach of sanctions against Iran.
As Canada has an extradition treaty with the U.S., police were obliged to act. China objected fiercely and even though Meng Wanzhou has been released on bail and is under surveillance at one of her Vancouver homes. China wants her released completely.
Meanwhile, two Canadians in China have been arrested on vague charges of being a threat to Chinese security. Levon spoke to Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China. 'Smart' cities threaten privacy Sensors, cameras, facial recognition and other technologies will be able to collect data from citizens around the clock, warns former privacy commissioner. (iStock)
The connected city. A proposal is in the works to develop an area in Toronto that would be completely connected, as in "the internet of things."
But Ontario's former privacy commissioner who had been hired as an consultant, has resigned saying she couldn't agree with what she felt were the lack of guarantees for guarding personal privacy and the vast amount of personal data that would collected..
Lynn spoke with Ann Cavoukian about her concern's over citizen's privacy and this project. Canada signs UN Pact on Migrants Canada's immigration minister was in Morrocco this week to sign the U.N. pact on migration. (Adrian Wyld- CP)
Canada this week signed a United Nations pact called the, “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.”
While most nations in the U.N. signed the deal, a few important democracies did not. Here in Canada, the opposition party Conservatives expressed the same concerns as those other countries. Even though the pact is "non-binding" many felt that it could nevertheless have consequences on national sovereignty over borders, and the potential for controls on the media.
Marc spoke to Aurel Braun (PhD), professor of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Toronto and an associate of the Davis Centre at Harvard University in the U.S.
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ListenEN_Interview_1-20181207-WIE10 China demands arrested Huawei exec be released Meng Wanzhou, Executive Board Director of the Chinese technology giant Huawei, attends a session of the VTB Capital Investment Forum "Russia Calling!" in Moscow, Russia October 2, 2014. (Alexander Bibik/REUTERS)
One of the top executives of the Chinese technology and telecom giant Huawei was arrested in Canada on December 1 as she changed flights at Vancouver. The arrest was made at the request of American officials who want her extradited to the U.S. to face charges there.
It is thought that the charges against Meng Wanzhou might involve a potential violation of sanctions against Iran.
Levon presents two clips of reporters' questions to the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, about this contentious issue, which may have serious ramifications for diplomatic and trade relations between China and both Canada and the U.S. Concerns over Huawei and international espionage Huawei CEO Richard Yu presents shows off the company's smartphones ahead of the 2015 IFA Electronics show in Berlin. Security experts in Canada and allied countries are raising concerns about the company's expanded presence in Canada. (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters)
For the past few years security experts have been raising concerns about the Chinese tech giant Huawei. Those concerns involve the company's potential to create virtually undetectable spyware in its equipment. Concerns that are widespread, but which have not been revealed publicly and as such remain unproven.
With the coming next generation 5G technology, and its rapid development, Canada's spy chief, David Vigneault raised concerns again this week.
Marc spoke with Daniel Bader a tech analyst in Toronto about 5G and the potential for spying by China and Huawei. Former Canadian Prime Minister eulogy for the late George H.W. Bush Brian Mulroney and wife Mila, were among the invited dignitaries. Family members of former President George H.W. Bush follow his flag-draped casket into the National Cathedral before a State Funeral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
It was a moving memorial ceremony for the late president of the U.S. George H.W. Bush. One of the four eulogies was given by another one-time national leader, the former Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney. It was during their time that the original North American Free Trade Agreement was negotiated in 1992.
Carmel presents a segment of what Mulroney said to the the family friends and other dignitaries in attendance.
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Birth tourism, passport babies, or the related anchor baby, are used to describe the concept of foreign women coming to a country with "birthright citizenship" in order to have their baby declared as a citizen of that country.
Canada is one of several countries which continues this concept, while the majority of countries around the world do not.
A Canadian passport would give access to a wide variety of social benefits, and much lower university costs for the child.
Thought to be an issue of very small concern, the federal government had felt it would be too costly to change the system to become more selective about given citizenship rights.
This new information shows there are at least five times more "passport babies" being born than previously thought, and that the numbers are increasing every year
Marc spoke to Andrew Griffith who discovered the new figures. He is an author and former senior official at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Canada sanctions 17 Saudis linked to Khashoggi murder Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi speaks at an event hosted by Middle East Monitor in London, Britain, September 29, 2018. (Middle East Monitor/Handout via REUTERS)
Canada has reacted to the murder of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi, by putting sanctions of 17 Saudi officials believed to have had involvement in the man's murder.
While the CIA and and Turkish investigators believe the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, M-B-S. ordered the killing, his name is not on the Canadian list.
Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement of the sanctions. In store, or online- How shopping affects your carbon footprint Consumers can bundle purchases and not choose fast shipping to reduce the emissions generated by their online shopping. (iStock)
This past weekend saw a flurry of shopping in N. America, first was the American "Black Friday" sales, a concept which for better or worse has spread to Canada, and then Monday was called "cyber Monday" for online shopping bargains.
Canadians are indeed big online shoppers , but what leaves a bigger carbon footprint- going to the store, or buying online?
Lynn spoke to Anika Kozlowski, an assistant professor of fashion design, ethics and sustainability at Ryerson University in Toronto about the carbon emissions we leave depending on how we shop.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181123-WIE20 Private boys' school, sexual abuse Police were called to St. Michael’s College School after allegations were made of sexual assault and abuse at the private boys school. (Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press)
It has been one of the top stories in Canadian news this week. An exclusive Catholic private school for boys for grades 7-12 (aged approx 12-17), has been the subject of a police investigation into charges of sexual abuse.
Several teen-aged boys have already been arrested, others expelled. The investigation is ongoing as allegations of abuse among the boys grow. The principle of the school has also just stepped down.
Lynn spoke to Humberto Carolo, the executive director of White Ribbon. That's a non-profit that was created to promote non-violence and what he calls healthy masculinity Concerns about increased cost of prescription drugs in Canada and effect on people Increasing costs for prescription drugs are placing an ever increasing burden on public and private drug plans, and especially on individuals. Medical professionals are becoming increasingly concerned. (iStock via CBC)
A new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) notes that in Canada the cost of prescription drugs is growing and will be over $33 billion dollars this year.
Those increased costs are putting a real strain on both private and public health care programmes, and even more so on individuals.
Dr Iris Gorfinkel spoke to Marc about her concerns. She is a family doctor and clinical researcher in Toronto. NATO's Trident Juncture military exercise in Norway RCI's Levon Sevunts speaking to a soldier during the Trident Juncture NATO military exercise in Norway. (Cpl. Lisa Fenton/CAF)
Nearly 50,000 NATO soldiers — including about 2,000 Canadians — backed by some 250 aircraft, 65 ships and up to 10,000 vehicles from all 29 NATO countries, as well as Sweden and Finland, began massive war games earlier this month that involved land, sea, air and cyber capabilities.
Apart from about 1,000 ground troops, Canada had also deployed four warships, eight fighter jets, two submarine hunting planes, as well as an air refuelling tanker to take part in the exercise.
As Levon explains, Canada’s participation in the exercise was the largest overseas deployment of Canadian Armed Forces since the end of their combat role in Afghanistan in 2011.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181116-WIE20 Collaborations of concern: Universities and Chinese researchers: The computer and electrical engineering faculty at Montreal's McGill University. McGill is known to be a top Canadian university in many research domains, and a destination for Chinese researchers. (McGill)
Universities are very often centres of discovery and technological innovation. Chinese researchers are actively seeking to collaborate on such projects in western universities.
Security experts say however that the Chinese scientists and engineers have an underlying goal, that is to relay any innovation and date to the Chinese military and intelligence services. Such information can be used to improve weaponry and spying ability.
Marc spoke with defence and security expert Christian Leuprect, political science professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. (full interview in highlights) A rare and valuable region of the Canadian Rockies to be preserved The Darkwoods expansion will protect a huge area in the Rocky Mountains that is essential habitat for many species at risk. (Bruce Kirkby/Nature Conservancy of Canada)
A valuable piece of nature has been acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. With the aid of a federal, provincial and private donations, the group buys ecologically important tracts of land to preserve them in their natural state.
One of those sections was a 550 square kilometre section of the Rocky Mountains which includes mountains, valleys, and lakes. The group is now well on the way to raising funds to buy another still privately owned forestry parcel called Next Creek lies within the greater preserved area and will increase the preserved land by some 14 per cent.
Lynn spoke with Nancy Newhouse of the Nature Conservancy of Canada about the significance of the area. From the Vaults- Canada's public broadcaster digs into its TV history From the Vaults: Harry Belafonte at Toronto's O'Keefe Centre in 1965. (CBC Archives)
Public television broadcasting began on September 2, 1952. Since then there's been about a million hours of broadcast TV.
Recently some 600 hours of that was reviewed and a selection made of important moments featuring Canadian and international talent and events
It's been boiled down to six episodes of historical and hertiage TV which includes for example a section of a one-hour Canadian special featuring Sammy Davis Jr. from 1959, a time when as a black man he would not have been given the same opportunity in his home country of the U.S.
Each episode will have a theme, and if it's deemed a success, well, there are literally thousands of hours more material that can be used to create more episodes.
Sam Dunn of Banger Films is the executive producer of the series. In an interview, he explained the process: Marie-Claude: moose stew..warm winter meal for cold Canadian winters Alan Harrington, an Ojibwe from Shoal Lake 39 First Nation, in Ontario, makes a moose, deer and wild rice stew during Festival Nomade at the restaurant La Khaima in Montreal. Photo: RCI/Marie-Claude Simard
In a special segment, Marie-Claude talks about her visit to a special event in Montreal that saw an Ojibwe chef from Ontario bring his traditional meal to the city of Montreal.
Marie-Claude will post the recipe for the moose stew and fry bread in a special report on the website next week.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181109-WIE20 Whither the freedom, and safety, of the press? In Istanbul on Oct 25, 2018, activists protested the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Turkey. (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Photo)
A series of recent events with journalists being shot, imprisoned, murdered, or labelled as enemies of the state, a Canadian lawyer says it's a dark time for journalists.
He is calling on the Canadian government to enact new legislation whereby a criminal act against a journalist would carry a stiffer penalty than normal. He says that would send a signal to other nations, but also is asking the Canadian government to levy sanctions on foreign governments that act against a free press.
Lynn spoke with Toronto lawyer David Butt. Outdoor sports company embraces"diversity" Mountain Equipment Co-op now has Judith Kasiam as an ambassador after she questioned their white-only marketing earlier this spring. Kasiam is seen above enjoying one of her favourite pastimes.(Instagram/CBC)
An upscale outdoor sporting equipment chain says it's time they recognised that Canada is changing.
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) president David Labistour apologised to member in a letter for having used "white" models almost exclusively in its marketing campaigns, and promised to change in the future to feature more diverse models.
In these excerpts he explains his reasoning. Remembrance: Canada's lead to end the First World War Exhibit photo: With its important road and rail junction, Cambrai was the main enemy supply centre in northern France. Liberating the city would cripple the Germans, and the Canadian attack in the early hours of October 9 caught them by surprise. As the Germans were driven out of Cambrai, they set many buildings on fire. Canadian engineers put out the flames, and the city was freed. (Cambrai, Oct 9, 1918 George Metcalf Archival Collection Canadian War Museum19930012-847 Image colourised by Canadian Colour)
It's now known as "Canada's 100 days". From the outset when Canadians were moved into the First World War trenches in early 1915, they earned a reputation as staunch fighters. By 1917, Canadians, led by a Canadian general, were known as fierce fighters, having achieved the first major tactical victory for the Allies at Vimy Ridge where others had failed, again at Hill 70, and again in the mud and mire of the blasted wasteland of Passchendaele.
By 1918, Canadians were widely recognized as the best fighting force in the war, and starting that summer were used as the shock troops to push the Germans back, leading and winning every battle up to Germany's surrender.
On this 100th anniversary year, the Canadian War Museum has created a special exhibit to mark that campaign. Tim Cook, historian, author, and co-curator explains the term Canada's 100 days.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181026-WIE20 Cyber threats to Canadian elections Online posts designed to provoke emotional reactions and to amplify them are a specialty of hackers, warn security experts. (iStock)
There has been much talk of alleged cyber interference in the U.S general election, and now there are concerns something similar might happen in Canada. This country is approaching its general election which will occur next year. Because the federal election in Canada is still conducted by paper ballot- as indeed is the vast majority of political voting at all levels here- there is less of a threat of tampering.
However, influencing and manipulating public opinion through social media via fake accounts, is a concern..
Lynn spoke to Aleksander Essex, an assistant professor of software engineering at Western University Fake news, and now fake fact-checking We've all heard of the concept of fake news, but now there are fake "fact-checking" sites to confuse people about the truth. (Shutterstock)
It used to be called false or misleading information, but now it's been reduced to the more simplistic "fake news". That's one thing, and was countered to some extent by the rise of fact-checking sites. However, it may not come as a surprise given the nature of the internet, that there have been fake fact checking sites that have sprung up. Some of these support the false news with supposedly factual information, others attack the real news, and even attack the real fact checking sites.
In some cases its for money- through website clicks- but in others its a deliberate attempt to sow confusion.
Marc spoke to Ramona Pringle. She is a technology columnist, an associate professor in the RTA School of Media, and director of the Innovation Studio both at Ryerson University in Toronto. Great Lakes drowning numbers increase Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes seen churning here in a photo taken during a storm. (Dave Sandford/Dave Sandford Photography/CBC)
The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project came into being in 2010.
They say the drownings are up by 14 people from last year, and unfamiliarity with the Lakes cold water is partly responsible.
Carmel spoke to Bob Pratt, a former firefighter and paramedic. He is the Executive Director of Education for the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. He says knowing how to swim in a calm and small pool is quite different from swimming in the huge lake with waves and currents.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181019-WIE20 The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi The last known image of Jamal Khashoggi as he enters the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Oct 2.(Hurriyet via AP)
With circumstantial evidence that appears to point to an extrajudicial killing of the journalist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, only a few world leaders have spoken out. Jamal Khashoggi entered the consulate on Oct. 2, and has not been heard of since.
Almost all have kept their comments limited to expressing concern, while many other world leaders have been seemingly silent on the issue.
One Canadian expert suggests that world condemnation could still be limited to words even if it actual proof eventually emerges that the journalist was murdered.
Marc speaks with Professor Elliot Tepper, an international affairs expert at Carleton University in Ottawa. Cannabis use and development of psychosis Psychosis is a family of psychiatric disorders that include the most devastating schizophrenia. (iStock)
As the recreational use of cannabis became legal as of Wednesday in Canada, there have been several sources of concern over how this might lead to problems ranging from a possible increase in driving accidents, to children overdosing on edibles left lying around the house.
Another concerns the development of psychosis, a psychiatric disorder that can produce delusions, hallucinations, and bizarre thinking. There is a risk of developing this condition among heavy users, and it the risk increases if one starts consuming at a young age.
Lynn spoke with Ian Gold, associate professor of philosophy and psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal Canada Cannabis users line up for marijuana on first day of legality Hugo Senecal, left, and Corey Stone smoke their first legal cannabis joint after buying it from a government cannabis store in Montreal, Wednesday, October 17, 2018. (Graham Hughes/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
On the first day cannabis was legal, literally tens of thousands of Canadians lined up outside government operated or licensed private retail outlets.
Levon went to the huge lineup outside a government operated outlet in the heart of downtown Montreal to get opinions on the "end of prohibition" and also why they spent hours in line for the opportunity. Taking advantage of opportunity when it presents itself Elina Childs, 9, sold all her Girl Guides cookies in under 45 minutes to people lined up waiting to buy cannabis on Wednesday. (Supplied by Seann Childs)
It's a long-standing joke and perhaps truism about people who consume cannabis and a development of hunger. Indeed cannabis has been recommended for certain medical conditions where people don't have hunger pangs, but need to eat to build up energy and strength.
In this case, a young Edmonton girl, a member of the Girl Guides organisation, went to a great place to sell the organisation's cookies. In an annual event girl guides sell boxes of cookies to raise money for the organisation, which funds things like summer camps and outings for the young girls.
Marie-Claude tells us how she went to the line-up outside a cannabis outlet and quickly sold out her supply. Video of show
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181012-WIE20 Huge land tract to be under joint federal/Indigenous protection The Edéhzhíe Indigenous Protected Area/National Wildlife Area will conserve 14,249 square kilometres of boreal forest and will be jointly managed by Dehcho First Nations and the federal government. (Bill Carpenter/Dehcho First Nations)
A new deal between the federal government and an Indigenous group in north-western Canada will see over 14,000 square kilometres of land protected from development.
More than half of the Edéhzhíe area, a plateau that rises out of the Mackenzie Valley to the west of Great Slave Lake will come under joint management of the Dehcho First Nations and the federal government. The area will be known as the Edéhzhíe Indigenous Protected Area/National Wildlife Area.
Levon spoke with Dahti Tsetso, resource manager and director of the Dehcho K’éhodi Stewardship and Guardians program that will manage the new protected area. UN says disaster costs are increasing world-wide Floods like this one in Grand Forks, British Columbia on May 17, 2018 are a major factor in the rising costs of disasters in Canada. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)
The UN report said the cost of natural disasters between 1998 and 2017, was 151 per cent greater than the preceding 20-year period.
The report says more than three quarters of the billions of dollars of damage can be associated with climate-change
Lynn spoke to Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, an insurance industry funded operation affiliated with Western University in London Ontario.. Learning more about the Martian moons A Canadian researcher and a Canadian meteorite have helped change the theory about the origin of the Martian moons (NASA-JPL-Caltech-Malin Space Science Systems-Texas A&M Univ)
Canada has one of the most, if not the most unique, meteorites in the world. In 2000, a large meteorite blew up over British Columbia. The fragments fell on frozen Tagish Lake. The unique thing is that they were frozen when they landed, and have been kept frozen, which has preserved many fascinating elements classed as building blocks of life.
However, that's not involved in this test. The University of Alberta's Tagish Lake meteorite is very dark and it was used in an experiment regarding the Martian moons, which are also very dark. Measuring the amount of light reflected from the meteorite, and that of the moons, it is now believed they are not captured asteroids, but rather bits of Mars itself shaved off in some giant collision billions of years ago.
Marc spoke with professor Chris Herd, who was involved in the research. He is the curator of the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection and a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. Recent popular animal videos on RCI A recent video of two bull moose fighting it out made for some amazing video,
Marie-Claude presents some short but fascinating videos of animals that we've featured recently on RCI.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20181005-WIE20 Arctic: International fishing moratorium A little auk (Alle-alle) flies near the Kronebeene glacier in the Svalbard archipelago, in the Arctic Ocean, on July 21, 2015. (Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images)
Canada, the European Union and eight other countries signed Wednesday a legally binding international accord that will protect nearly three million square kilometres of the Central Arctic Ocean from unregulated fishing.
The moratorium will be in effect for 16 years while scientific research is carried out to determine the viability and sustainability of commercial fishing.
Levon speaks with Trevor Taylor, vice president of conservation for Oceans North, a Canadian environmental NGO. Canadian series looks at science (and lack of) behind various health and wellness fads Canadian professor hosts an entertaining as well as informative series on the world of alternative health cures and anti-ageing trends. (Peacock Alley Entertainment)
Its a noisy world out there when it comes to health. All kinds of claims are being made about everything from magic bracelets to high tech cryo-spa treatment. A Canadian expert Tim Caulfield (PhD) in the health field hosts a new series which travels the world to look at the many products and treatments being promoted to keep you young-cheat death- or cure you of various health problems.
Marc speaks with Professor Caulfield about the documentary series which is available on Netflix, Vision TV, and Sky Vision. Cannabis effects may differ for seniors Seniors need to know pot may be stronger and have different effects on an older body, warns geriatrician. (iStock)
Within less than a fortnight, recreational use of cannabis becomes legal in Canada.
Many seniors who tried pot when they were younger, may want to take it up again for recreational or medical reasons.
A doctor warns that the product today is not the same as decades ago, and that its effects may differ on an older person. Also, there may be unexpected effects when combined with other medications seniors may be taking.
Lynn speaks with Dr Mona Sidhu of the Canadian Coalition for Senior's Health who says that taking an edible or oral formulation can result in higher side-effects such as drowsiness, falls and dizziness.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180928-WIE20 What does the UN general assembly do... Is the UN itself in trouble? The General Assembly at the United Nations in New York City. The room is brimming with world leaders this week, but what does it actually accomplish? (Patrick Gruban-wikicommons)
A huge crowd of world leaders, diplomats and assorted officials gathered by the hundreds this week in New York City. It is for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. But one might ask what does all this expense and some would say grand-standing, accomplish? And what about the UN itself and its primary goal of world security?
Marc put those questions to Aurel Braun, professor of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Toronto and an associate of the Davis Center at Harvard University. Did Trump snub Canada's Prime Minister, or not? Who to believe U.S President Trump said he rejected a meeting with Justin Trudeau during the U.N. gathering over Canada's negotiating position at NAFTA trade talks. After an earlier meeting Trump had labelled the Canadian PM as "weak". (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)
The leaders of Canada and the U.S. were both at the General Assembly meeting this week, and apparently Canada's Justin Trudeau wanted to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Trump, he turned down the offer, saying he was unhappy about Canada's tariffs and negotiating at the NAFTA talks.
In an email to RCI, the Prime Minister's Office said, "no meeting was requested" with no further comment.
Levon Sevunts looked into the situation. Women react to Trump tweets on sexual abuse A crowd gathered on Sept. 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, U.S. to support Christine Blasey Ford. She is the woman who accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.(Heather Khalifa/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
North American news has been absorbed with the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings for nominee Brett Kavanaugh. There are allegations that he is unsuited because of actions when he was a teenager in high school. These are allegations of attempted rape. However, no small part of the news has been in reaction to a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump to the claims made by the alleged victim.
Many women have been angered by the tweet, which said if the alleged abuse was that serious, Christine Blasey Ford should have immediately contacted police who would have laid charges.
Lynn spoke with Dreeni Geer, director of Human Rights and Equity at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario about her initial reaction to Trump's tweet.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180921-WIE20 What to do with so-called "foreign fighters" with ISIS, now returning to Canada An ISIS soldier celebrates after the capture of the Syrian city of Raqqa 2014. The UN Security Council is calling on member states to strengthen measures to counter threats posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters. (REUTERS)
They were called "foreign fighters", individuals who left their countries to travel to the Middle East to join the terrorist Daesh (ISIS) group.
With Daesh beaten, many are returning to their countries of origin. It was estimated about 190 Canadians joined the terrorists, and about 60 have returned. However only two have been charged with crimes.
Levon spoke with Kyle Matthews, executive-director of the Montreal Institute of Genocide and Human Rights Studies. Matthews says the Canadian government has a moral and legal duty to seek justice against these extremists. The wild swings in stock values for a Canadian cannabis company Tilray's product line of capsules, oils, and dried marijuana are shown at head office in Nanaimo, B.C., on November 29, 2017. (CP/Chad Hipolito)
It was a small company that provided medical marijuana, but when it secured a U.S. contract the stock value skyrocketed.
In the space of a a couple of months the company stock price increased by over 600 per cent, to make the small firm more valuable than Canada's long established major airline, Air Canada which is worth billions of dollars.
Carmel Kilkenny spoke to business reporter David Blair about what happened and why. Best way to mitigate flooding from increased storms? A man carries a bag of clothing before leaving his home as floodwaters from the Saint John River continue rising in Grand Lake, N.B. on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. (Darren Calabrese/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The Insurance Bureau of Canada which represents the interests of insurance agencies, says its members or paying out millions of dollars more in damage claims in recent years. They say it's due to climate change making storms worse. They says most of the damage is from flooding.
Recently they commissioned a study to find out how to best mitigate flood damage. The answer is simple, stop paving over or building on wetlands which can mitigate flood levels and can limit damage by anywhere from 29 to 38 percent.
Blair Feltmate is head of the University of Waterloo's Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation which prepared the report. New Electric assist bicycles for Montreals bike share programme Marie-Claude films a colleague on the new "electric assist" model being tested by Montreal's bicycle sharing programme (MC Simard)
Montreal's bicycle sharing programme known as "Bixi" has had its ups and downs, but now seems to be quite healthy. This week they rolled out a new model. There are 30 of the "electric assist" bicycle being tested in a pilot programme to gather feedback from users. Marie-Claude and a colleague tried out the new bikes and gave their assessment.
The Link, September 21, 2018
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180914-WIE20 Google: from garage to world -wide domination in 20 years 20 years of Google this year. From a garage to giant headquarters buildings around the world Google has become a powerful mega giant. In July this year European Union regulators hit Google with a record 4.34-billion euro (nearly $6.7-billion Cdn) antitrust fine for using its Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)
From a university thesis, to a multi-billion dollar corporation, "Backrub" and later "Google" is now the absolute dominant search engine on the internet. The firm has also branched out bought out several other high-tech operations in robotics, artificial intelligence and more.
Marc spoke with David Gerhard (PhD), a professor of computer science at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan who looks at the growth of Google and the future.
Gold! in a nickel mine?
Gold: A 95kg stone, containing an estimated 2,440 ounces of gold, beside a 63kg specimen stone containing an estimated 1,620 ounces of gold recovered at RNC Minerals' Beta Hunt Mine in Australia are seen in this undated handout photo. (HO/CP)
They were looking for nickel, but found gold. Not just a little but a surprisingly huge amount worth millions of dollars.
The Canadian company was operating in Australia. After a dynamite blast to blow up another section of rock, they were astounded to find gold all over the place, "a mother lode". Estimates are the rock that was blasted loose contains $11 million dollars worth of gold.
The CEO of Toronto-based mining firm RNC explains. Major Russian military exercise- flexing muscles and sending a message to the west A military vessel is seen during the joint war games Zapad 2013 (West 2013), at the Khmelevka range on Russia's Baltic Sea in the Kaliningrad Region, September 26, 2013. Russia's Northern Fleet exercised a similar amphibious landing assault earlier this week in the remote Chukotka region of northeastern Russia during Vostok 2018 (East 2018) war games. (Alexei Druzhinin/REUTERS/RIA Novosti/Kremlin)
It is being classed as the largest Russian military exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union. The huge exercise involving all aspects of Russia's military. An important aspect is the Arctic portion which sends a message to northern countries like Sweden and Finland that any thought of joining NATO would be "unwelcome" by Russian and viewed as a provocation and threat. Another portion of the exercise sends a a message to the Baltic states about Russia's ability to counter any threat from NATO on that front.
It also is designed to show their ability to dominate and respond in the increasingly accessible Arctic seas as ice retreats while also increasing icebreaking capability.
Levon spoke to two experts on the subject and gives an analysis. Marie- Claude shows a bit of her Scottish musical journey
Marie-Claude spent part of the summer on a Scottish music camp. She visited Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Isle of Skye, and the Outer Hebrides, meeting lots of talented, interesting, and colourful folks...and also learning a bit of Scottish cooking!
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180907-WIE20 North American Free Trade Agreement: deadlines and "Chapter 19" NAFTA: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, left, shakes hands with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, accompanied by Mexico's Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. Top officials continued negotiations in Washington today. (Jacquelyn Martin/ AP)
It's a high stakes game with literally billions of dollars at stake. The North American Free Trade Agreement was a trilateral deal among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
U.S President Trump demanded it be renegotiated, and after a year, the U.S and Mexico have a tentative deal, but without Canada. President Trump said Canada had until last Friday to come up with an agreement, but that deadline came and went as negotiators continued.
A contentious point is "Chapter 19" a particular section of the deal. Derek Burney was a negotiator for the original trade deal. He explains the importance of this part to Canada, and how the negotiations went. Report says Canadian children aren't eating enough healthy food A 2017 UNICEF report ranked Canada 37th out of 41 countries on access to nutritious food for children, just below the United States and higher than Bulgaria. (Jake May/Flint Journal/Associated Press)
September means it's back to school for millions of children, teens and young adults across Canada, which is widely considered as an advanced G7 country, and among the advanced countries of the world.
However, UNICEF issued a study report in which it listed Canada 37th out of 41 countries in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in terms of children's access to nutritious food.
Terry spoke to Sara Kirk, professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax who is a co-author of an newspaper article calling for a national school lunch programme The lost Franklin expedition: new research lead-poisoning not responsible for tragedy Sketch imagining one of Franklin's ships trapped in the Arctic ice by George Beck (Toronto Public Library)
Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario had a rare opportunity to study the hair of one of the crew members who died during the Franklin expedition to the Arctic in 1845.
It was long thought that lead poisoning from tinned food and the lead water pipes was the main cause behind their eventual deaths. Previous studies of bone and teeth showed high lead level which would have accumulated over years, but this study of hair revealed the last several months of the crew member.
It showed no spike in lead contamination. Thus, although high lead levels may have been a contributing factor in poor decision making, it could no longer be counted as the factor in their demise.
Marc speaks to Lori D'Ortenzio (PhD) researcher at McMaster.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180831-WIE20 Rohingya refugee situation- NGO Video grab showing new improved housing situation in a Rohingya refugee camp thanks to international donations and the UN commission on refugees. (Development and Peace-Caritas)
Dominique Godbout is the Humanitarian Programme Officer-Asia for the non-governmental organisation, Development and Peace-Caritas, based in Montreal.
She visits the show live via skype to talk about their recent visit to Bangladesh and the Rohingya refugee camp situation. Cannabis and overdosing More people are going to hospital emergency rooms with cannabis-related poisoning, reports CBC. (iStock)
It's not legal for recreational use just yet, but already hospitals are seeing cannabis overdoses. Apparently its because people aren't smoking it, but consuming "edibles", food laced with cannabis. While the effects of cannabis can be quickly felt when smoking, but there's a delay in those effects kicking in when consuming, and perhaps people are eating more, thinking that the cannabis isn't working. and end up eventually getting too much effect when psycho-active ingredient THC does start to kick in.
Lynn spoke to Ian Cuthbert, executive-director of the independent organisation, Canadian Public Health Association NAFTA trade talks- down to the wire Trade talks continued as President Donald Trump hold up hats that read "Make Our Farmers Great Again!" on his way across the South Lawn before boarding Marine One at the White House in Washington today for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Evansville, Indiana, for a rally. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
As we went to air on the show, the pressure was definitely on in the trade talks regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S and Mexico had excluded Canada as they held separate talks to reach a tentative agreement. U.S President Trump then said Canada had until Friday to sign on or work out a deal with them, creating enormous pressure.
Mary Scott Greenwood is CEO of the Canadian American Business Council. And on Tuesday she expressed her optimism in this excerpt of a conversation with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Canada's negotiator, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters today everyone is working hard towards an agreement. US President Trump appears to send mixed messages, saying if there's no deal, he might impose tariffs on Canadian made cars, but also adding if there's no deal with Canada today, then perhaps eventually
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Your hosts this week, Lynn, Terry, Leo, Marc
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180824-WIE20 Skilled professionals facing uncertain job future More and more skilled Canadian professionals are working in unstable jobs with without benefits. (iStock, cbc.ca)
We usually think of "precarious" work as being low-skilled, low-pay jobs. Precarious means there's no real job security, no pension, no benefits, and in a job that could easily be terminated.
Increasingly it seems, precarious work includes skilled and professional positions. A new study has come out called, "No Safe Harbour: Precarious Work and Economic Insecurity Among Skilled Professionals in Canada".
Terry spoke to Trish Hennessy, who co-authored the study for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' Reconciliation or creating division. Legacy of Canada's founder and aboriginals The statue of Sir John A Macdonald as it stood in front of Victoria B.C. City Hall before council voted to have it removed because he was "a leader of violence against Indigenous people" (Mike McArthur-CBC)
In the past few years the movement to re-examine the legacy of Canada's founder and first Prime Minister has grown. That movement blames Sir John A Macdonald for creating the disastrous aboriginal residential school system. They have been calling for removal of all his statues, and his name from institutions like schools, and from certain awards.
Marc spoke to Frederic Bastien, Montreal author and professor of History at Dawson College who says those calling for the removal of statues are at best misguided, and not interested in facts or history. Rare birth of pygma hippo at Toronto Zoo First-time mother Kindia and her new baby pygmy hippo are doing well so far at the Toronto Zoo. (Toronto Zoo)
Pygmy hippos are listed as an endangered species, so it was a thrill for all when a 12-year-old hippo named Kindia gave birth to her first baby at the Toronto Zoo. This is because the species tends not to easily reproduce in zoos.
The zoo participates in the Pygmy Hippopotamus Species Survival Plan (SSP) which involves zoos in North America in efforts to breed endangered animals.
Lynn spoke to Maria Franke, curator of mammals at the Toronto Zoo about the birth and efforts to maintain the species of which there are only about 3,000 left in the wild.
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Your hosts this week Terry, Er, Marc
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180817-WIE20 Even with tracking function off, Google still knows where you are and keeps the information A Google support page says, "You can turn off Location History at any time. With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored." That isn't quite the case however as an investigation shows. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A recent investigation shows that your movements are still being tracked and recorded even when you turn your smartphone "tracking" function off.
Marc spoke with Graeme Hirst (PhD) professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Computer science. He says Google doesn't necessarily have any bad intention in tracking your movements, but it is another nibble at our personal privacy and adds to creating detailed online profiles of you. Pirates in the age of sail, and one of the most successful of them all, Black Bart A new book tells of the rise and fall of one of history's most successful pirates in the age of sail,, Bartholomew Roberts "King of the Atlantic Pirates" (Dundurn Press)
Probably what you think you know about pirates comes mostly from TV and film..and it would be almost all wrong.
A new book "Black Flag of the North: Bartholomew Roberts- King of the Atlantic Pirates" has been written by historian Victor Suthren. It sets the record straight while also talking about the rise and fall of Bartho Roberts, who first rose to prominence in Canadian waters, which had been a popular place for piracy.
Suthren begins by explaining why it was so easy for pirates to convert other mariners to their side. From playtime, to Olympic sport Skipping rope skills head for the big time..the Olympics. (Rope Skipping Canada)
Almost everyone, boys and girls, have engaged in skipping rope at one time. It's also a pastime that is surely practised in every country in the world.
But it has graduated from a children's game, to professional-level and international competitions, and now it's headed for the Olympics.
Terry speaks with Erin Gillespie is a former figure skater living in Edmonton who now serves as chair of Rope Skipping Canada.
Your hosts this week, Lynn Desjardins, Levon Sevunts and Carmel Kilkenny sitting in for Marc Montgomery.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180810-WIE20
SAUDI ARABIA TAKES DRAMATIC ACTION FOLLOWING CANADIAN TWEET
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) and Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (right) (Reuters)
The diplomatic row between Canada and Saudi Arabia began last week with a tweet from Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland.
In it she expressed Canada's grave concern for women's right's activists, including Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi, whose wife and children live in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
The reaction was pretty swift with the Prince expelling the Canadian ambassador and recalling the Saudi ambassador from Ottawa.
Now at least 16,000 Saudi students are forbidden to continue their studies in Canada, and have to return before the direct flights from Toronto are suspended on August 13th.
Levon Sevunts looked into the development over the last week,as the Canadian government stands firm in its support of human rights.
FAIR BNB TAKES ON AIRBNB IN TORONTO OVER ABUSES OF SHORT-TERM ACOMMODATION
Fairbnb is a national coalition of organizations focused on establishing fair regulations for short-term rentals. Thorben Wieditz, above, is a spokesperson for the group. (Yanjun Li/CBC News)
San Francisco, where Airbnb got its start, successfully sued the accommodation-sharing app, and after reaching a settlement, implemented what's described as the best "regulatory framework" against the widespread abuses by Airbnb and other short-term rental accommodation platforms.
In Toronto, City Council acted and brought in rules and regulations to deal with some of the many abuses in Canada's largest city, but the changes are currently being challenged in court.
There's a lot of money behind some of the not so legal arrangements that have grown out of the "home-sharing" apps.
Thorben Wieditz is a spokesperson for Fairbnb, a coalition of groups wanting greater transparency as well as rules and regulations about how these apps are allowed to work.
FAIR BNB has been at work in Toronto since 2016, when it became apparent how out of control the situation had gotten.
The city had become a major centre for what's known as "Ghost Hotels".
Carmel Kilkenny spoke with Thorben Wieditz earlier this week, and he explained to me how these Ghost Hotels developed.
HOT HOUSE EARTH: SCIENTISTS WARN AGAIN ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING
Climate change could turn hearth into a ‘hothouse,’ says scientists
A recent report by an international team of scientists looked at several of the earth's natural systems and determined that if carbon emissions go unchecked there could be a domino effect or chain reaction among them that increase global temperatures by 4 to 5 degrees.
And that would change the word dramatically making large parts uninhabitable. Lynn Desjardins spoke with the co-author of the report Prof. Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen.
The LINK Online this week features Carmel Kilkenny sitting in for Marc Montgomery, with Lynn Desjardins, Levon Sevunts and Leo Gimeno
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180803-WIE20
Huawei worries in Canada over 5G future and security with China
Huawei seeks to dominate development of 5G wireless technology and China’s government provides considerable support. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)
The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that U.S. National Security adviser John Bolton talked with Canadian officials directly about the China-based tech company Huawei.Several countries are concerned about Huawei dominating the coming 5G telecommunications technology. Huawei is already entrenched in the Canadian information technology ecosystem. Tech analyst Daniel Bader says the Canadian government may try to prevent the company from bidding on important contracts like network infrastructure, and discourage private telecoms from using Huawei. Lynn Desjardins looked into the developments.
Inheritance Taxes: the time has come in Canada
Inheritance taxes: David Macdonald, an economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says Canada should consider implementing them on estates of more than $5 million. (Cdn)(www.policyalternatives.ca)
With an election looming in 2019, David MacDonald of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says it's time for the government to implement an inheritance tax on the country's wealthiest families. "These 87 famiiies have the same wealth as 12 million Canadians," MacDonald says. "It's a tremendous concentration of wealth in very few hands." MacDonald says it could raise as much as $2 billion dollars for new government programs, and bring Canada in line with the other G7 countries, who all have inheritance taxes for the most wealthy.
Trump's trade truce: good news for Canada?
U.S. President Donald Trump and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speak in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 25, 2018. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
The recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, brought about a truce of sorts, in the tit-for-tat tariff war. Levon Sevunts looked into the developments and found, according to several experts, it's all good news for Canada too. Former Industry Minister, James Moore explains why.
https://www.facebook.com/rcinet/videos/10160598219410114/
The LINK Online this week features Carmel Kilkenny, sitting in for Marc Montgomery, Lynn Desjardins, Levon Sevunts and Er Shen.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180727-WIE20
Man Booker Prize nominees include a Graphic Novel
Man Booker Prize nominee, Nick Drnaso creator of 'Sabrina' the first graphic novel ever long listed for the 2018 Prize.
Man Booker Prize nominees for 2018 were announced on Monday and on the long list are two Canadians, and a third Canadian connection.
The writers are Michael Ondaatje for his latest historical fiction novel, Warlight. Esi Edugyan is nominated again for her novel Washington Black.
And for the first time a graphic novel was nominated; Sabrina by Nick Drnaso, was published by Montreal’s Drawn & Quarterly.
Tracy Hurren, senior editor at Drawn & Quarterly describes the book as "literature" and credits the Man Booker committee for their foresight.
Not so permanent tattoos
Inkbox is the name of the company two Toronto brothers founded for lovers of tattoos, but for those who love the art and the experience but don't want to commit.
Established in 2015 by Tyler and Braden Handley, the duo has just secured $10 million US in venture capital to expand their Toronto company which makes and sells tattoos that last only up to 18 days.
Underwater mountains and amazing sealife off the coast of B.C.
This octopus, Graneledone boreopacifica, was found hanging onto a rock. (Ocean Exploration Trust, Northeast Pacific Seamount Expedition Partners)
Canadian scientists discovered ancient and fragile coral forests and potentially new species during an expedition to explore deep-sea mountains off the coast of British Columbia.
Now they say these “spectacular” sea wonders should be permanently protected.
The expedition team included four groups, with members from the Haida Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Oceana Canada, and Ocean Networks Canada.
They set sail earlier this month to explore seamounts (underwater mountains) near the islands of Haida Gwaii in the northeast Pacific Ocean.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180720-WIE20 Canada - U.S. trade war: U.S launches WTO attack against Canadian counter-tariffs U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer speaks during a meeting hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump with governors and members of Congress at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 12, 2018. (Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS)
The U.S. has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada. In retaliation for what it sees as unfair tariffs, Canada in turn slapped tariffs on a long list of U.S. products even as it sought a ruling from the World Trade Organisation.
The U.S. in response has now taken Canada to the WTO as well to contest those Canadian counter-tariffs, saying they contravene international trade laws.
Levon spoke to Mark Busch, a professor of international trade and diplomacy at Georgetown University in Washington, about what WTO rules say of this whole thing. Sharks in Canada Among the sharks featured on Canadian stamps is the mako which is the fastest shark in the world. (Canada Post)
It seems a substantial number of Canadians don't realise that this country has a lot of sharks swimming off its coasts. In fact, there are sharks in the waters of all three coasts: Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic.
To help educate people, Canada has issued striking new stamps showing some of the species of sharks found in Canadian waters.
Lynn spoke with Warren Joyce, a researcher with the government department responsible for fisheries and oceans and who was among those that Canada Post consulted for the new stamps. Federal government cabinet shuffle - why shuffle? Jim Carr hugs Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after being sworn in as Minister of International Trade during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
This week, Canada's Liberal Party government did what many governments do part-way through their mandate: they moved some cabinet ministers around, some being demoted, and some promoted.
In this case Trudeau added five new ministries to his cabinet and also redistributed some of the responsibilities among the ministers.
Marc spoke to Jordan Press who follows the ins and outs of government daily as the Parliamentary reporter for the Canadian Press newswire service and begins in this excerpt with a question about the purpose of these "shuffles".
Your hosts, Carmel, Levon, Er Shen, and Marc
ListenEN_Interview_4-20180713-WIE40 Violence against school teachers: worrisome and growing concern It may look like an idyllic classroom, but more and more often teachers are being subjected to various forms of violence from young students to teenagers according to a study for the Canadian Teachers Federation (CBC)
The Canadian Teachers Federation represents over 230,000 teachers in Canada from kindergarten to grade 12.
The CTF was becoming concerned about increasing talk of violence against schoolteachers in their classrooms. It decided to conduct a review of various studies by its member organisations across Canada, and some from the U.S, to determine the extent of the issue.
The results are concerning with a majority of teachers indicating they'd had been victims of some form of violence in their careers, from verbal abuse, to having objects thrown at them, to actually physical attacks.
And the situation appears to be getting worse. The report noted that classrooms today aren't what they were ten or even five years ago and in this excerpt of the longer interview I asked CTF president Mark Ramsankar, about a comment in the report that classrooms are not the same as they were even a few years ago. Teepee protest in Saskatchewan Justice Teepee Camp (Facebook)
Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan have set up a protest camp near the provincial legislature in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan.
The protest involves several issues, from justice concerns in the legal system, to an over-representation of Indigenous children in the foster care system. While protesters had one meeting with several government ministers last week, they were hoping for another. The Premier says that won't take place and is saying the camp should be dismantled.
Carmel spoke with Judy Hughes, a member of the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Women's Circle and of the Native Women's Association of Canada. They spoke about the origin and goals of the camp. Children haunted by memories of war and conflict violence Four children chat as they walk along a street in an area controlled by Iraqi forces in Mosul, Iraq, March 30, 2017. (Andres Martinez Casares/REUTERS)
The fighting against Daesh (isis) in Iraq, was intense and bitter. This was perhaps even more so in the major city of Mosul. A year after the city was liberated, it seems that many of the children are still experiencing fear and emotional problems.
This can range from depression and extreme anxiety to fear of going out into the street unaccompanied.
Levon spoke with Bill Chambers, CEO of the non-governmental humanitarian aid group, Save the Children-Canada.
Your hosts today: Lynn, Levon, Leo, and Marc
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180706-WIE20 Remembering the first and almost forgotten WWII invasion of Europe Canada's Seaforth Highlanders 'A' company in the Salso Valley, Sicily - August 1943. The Seaforths posing with a German soldier that they just captured along with three German MG-34 machine guns and Nazi flag. (Seaforth Highlanders website)
It was the first mass invasion of Europe in the Second World War and helped in the planning for the later D-Day. It was a massive, highly coordinated invasion with fleets sailing from the U.S, Africa, and England all closely timed to arrive off the shores of Sicily on July 10, 1943. Some 25,000 Canadians were involved as the Allies moved to push the Germans out of Sicily, and later Italy. And while Churchill had described this as the "Soft-underbelly of Europe", it was anything but.
The fighting was as intense and relentless as the burning heat of a Sicilian summer. By Aug. 7, the Allies had taken the island and would move on to mainland Italy. But this first invasion, called Operation Husky, has been seemingly forgotten, to be replaced by the far better recorded D-Day invasion of Normandy a year later.
A Canadian businessman from Montreal, Steve Gregory, wants to make sure the memory is not forgotten. He founded the Op Husky Project and is currently leading a commemoration group of civilians, military personnel, and re-enactors who are walking the 20-day route of the Canadians through Sicily, leaving plaques and memorial markers of fallen Canadians along the way.
Marc spoke to Steve Gregory before he left. Cyber-bullying It’s estimated that 20 to 40 per cent of children and youth in Canada experience online bullying. (iStock)
It's summer in Canada and that means kids are out of school and have a lot more free time on their hands. This could often mean a lot more time spent online.
That might also mean a lot more opportunity for cyber-bullying. It's estimated that anywhere from 20 to 40 per cent of children and youth have been victims of some form of online bullying or harassment. The effects can be long lasting, with the mental and emotional trauma lasting into adulthood. The Canadian Red Cross offers several programs to help them and their parents prevent and deal with cyber-bullying.
Lynn spoke with Alison Richard, senior advisor on education at the Canadian Red Cross. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Canada Pimachiowin Aki is home to pictographs that were created more than 5,000 years ago. (Pimachiowin Aki Corporation/Youtube)
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee declared on Sunday an expanse of boreal forest spanning the Manitoba–Ontario boundary as a mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site, marking the first time a Canadian site is recognized for both its natural and cultural characteristics.
In the Ojibwe language the name of the region Pimachiowin Aki means "the land that give life". The UNESCO designation is the result of a 16-year-long campaign by the four First Nations groups in the region.
Levon spoke with William Young of Bloodvein First Nation, co-chair of the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation.
The LINK Online 29, 30, and Canada Day! July 1st
With Carmel Kilkenny, Levon Sevunts, Lynn Desjardins and Marie-Claude Simard (Video of show at bottom)
IT'S ON! RETALIATORY TARIFFS
Hershey’s chocolate bars are on the list of Canadian counter tariffs. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
In response to tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium that Donald Trump imposed last month, Canada announced a carefully selected list of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products today. Levon Sevunts spoke with Karl Littler, of the Retail Council of Canada, who cautions that it's Canadians who could be hurt most in the long run.
APP to SELL YOUR DATA
Instead of others making money from consumer’s personal data, a new app allows the consumer to get paid for use of their own information. (iStock)
A new app called Killi, allows consumers to volunteer their personal data for a price. Lynn Desjardins spoke with Catherine Chen, founder and CEO of IG Liason Strategy & Business Consulting to find out more about the app, and why several other companies are looking into developing similar apps.
WILLIE O'REE in the HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
O’Ree shown here in the state of the art sports complex named “Willie O’Ree Place”, in his honour in his hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick. (Stephen MacGillivray/CP)
Willie O'Ree, was 22 when he stepped onto the ice in the fabled Montreal Forum to play for the storied Boston Bruins. The Bruins won the game 3-0 and O'Ree debuted as the first black athlete in the National Hockey League. Now, 60 years later, O'Ree got the call this week that he is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Nicole Mortillaro wrote a book about O'Ree's life and experiences, and she tells Carmel Kilkenny why she is so happy to see this honour finally come to pass.
https://youtu.be/LsWo88SKFqo?t=1m51s
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Your hosts Carmel, Lynn, Leo Gimeno,and Marc.
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180622-WIE20 Refugees around the world, refugees in Canada Canada received 47,800 refugee claimants in 2017, more than twice the number in 2016. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press/Aug. 4, 2017)
War, internal conflicts, and environmental disasters in 2017 drove over 16 million people from the homes worldwide according to the United Nations.
In terms of countries receiving refugees, Canada was listed as ninth with over 47,000 asylum claims last year, more than double from the year before.
Lynn spoke about the situation with asylum seekers internationally and in Canada, with Petra Molnar lawyer and researcher with the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto. Supreme Court of Canada rules against an evangelical Christian University The Supreme Court decision in the Christian university case has left some experts scratching their heads. (Albert Couillard-CBC)
An evangelical private university with accepted high standards wished to expand by offering a law school to potential students. The university, as a Christian institution, says students must agree to a covenant on behaviour such as no cheating, lying, no alcohol on campus, and sex can only be between a married heterosexual couple.
Some provincial law societies said the covenant discriminates against lesbians and gays and so wouldn't accept graduates to the bar in their provinces. The university took the case to the Supreme Court of Canada which ruled in a split decision in the law societies favour. Marc spoke with civil and constitutional rights lawyer John Carpay of the non-profit Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms who says he's troubled by the SCC decision which he says seems based more on a political agenda than on the law itself Teaching the youngest generation to be digitally literate Coding was a priority in the Liberal government's 2017 budget with $50 million allocated to help teach students from kindergarten to Grade 12 how to code. (Teghan Beaudette/CBC)
Canada does fairly well when it comes to digital literacy in the general population but there are concerns about falling behind in coming years.
Part of the problem is a fragmented approach to teaching digital skills across the country and across various age groups.
Carmel spoke to Sean Mullin, executive director of the Brookfield Institute at Ryerson University in Toronto. The institute recently published a report called ‘Levelling Up: The Quest for Digital Literacy in Canada’,
Your hosts today, Terry, Carmel, Marie-Claude, Marc, and guest Sophie-Claude Miller from our Indigenous website (show video at bottom)
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180615-WIE20 Anniversary of official policy for "residential schools" 1940: Girls in a residential school classroom, Cross Lake Manitoba. Emotional, physical, sexual abuse was all too common throughout most of the system's history. Photo: Reuters-.Library and Archives Canada
Sophie-Claude Miller of RCI's French language Indigenous site talks about this tenth anniversary of the government's official apology for the devastation to Canadian indigenous populations caused by the decades long policy of "residential schools. Militarised A.I and weapons- Ethics debate A.I- artificial intelligence, it can be a real benefit, but like many past inventions never intended for military use, AI too can become "weaponised". (image via CBC)
Google recently released a statement of ethics for its ongoing development of artificial intelligence. This comes after internal resistance from its own staff to projects with the U.S military.
Google will not end all A.I. contracts with the military, but no longer work on those which will cause harm. Is this really enough, especially when other companies are likely to move in on lucrative military contracts, and also when many past non-military inventions have been turned into weaponry.
Marc spoke with Ramona Pringle is an associate professor in the Faculty of Communication and Design and Director of the Transmedia Zone at Ryerson University in Toronto. She was reached by mobile phone in California. Canada pledges money for girls education in developing countries and conflict zones Daniele Henkel receives congratulations on her appointment as a leadership champion of the Women’s Enterprise Leadership Group to assist the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) in supporting women entrepreneurs in developing countries at the Montreal Conference on June 12, 2018. (Levon Sevunts/RCI)
Canada's international development minister Marie-Claude Bibeau attended the Montreal Conference economic forum.
While there Levon managed to talk to her about one of the few things leaders agreed upon at the recent Canadian G7 meeting.
That was the need to provide education opportunities for girls in developing countries. Canada managed to raise over $3 billion for the cause. A U.S football star joins the CFL as the season begins Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) smiles on the bench during the second half of CFL Football exhibition game action against the Toronto Argonauts in Hamilton earlier this month. Manziel, a former Heisman Trophy winner, will begin his CFL career this weekend on the Hamilton sidelines. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power
Johnny Manziel was a rising star in U.S football. As a freshman in Texas he won one of football's biggest prizes, the Heisman Trophy.
But then he went downhill, plagued by addiction even as he joined the professional league. After two years he was out.
This year however, as the Canadian Football League begins its season, Manziel joins the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Terry spoke to sports writer and author Bruce Dowbiggin about Manziel, and about the CFL, (which is a better game than the NFL)
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180608-WIE20 Ontario provincial election: Doug Ford of the provincial Progressive Conservative party, has won a majority in Ontario's election. Photo: Nathan Denette Canadian Press
Canada's most populous province has a new government and a new leader.
After 15 years governing Ontario, Kathleen Wynne's Liberal party was soundly defeated, so much so that with only seven seats it no longer even rates official party status.
In it's stead comes the provincial Progressive Conservative party under populist Doug Ford. The change has big implications for other provinces and for Justin Trudeau federally who has lost an ally.
Lynn speaks with Jordan Press, parliamentary reporter with the news wire service The Canadian Press. Cannabis; projected as a $7 billion industry in 2019 The Senate voted on an amended legalised cannabis bill on Thursday passing it with a vote of 50 to 36 with one abstention. Photo: Jim Young/ REUTERS
A new study shows that with legalisation which could happen later this summer or early fall, could end up being a major industry in Canada.
The study says once recreational use in legal in Canada, the industry could be worth up to $7 billion. However, it says legalisation will not totally eliminate the black market and criminal elements.
Marc spoke with professor Emeritus Bill Bogart of the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor author of the book "Off The Street: Legalizing Drugs" Humanitarian agencies call for Canada to spend millions to educate girls. Afghan schoolgirls hold hands and walk towards their tent classrooms on the outskirts of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016. (AP Photo)
One of the Trudeau government's election pledges was to empower women. Now a group of Canadian humanitarian agencies is calling on the Prime Minister to back up that promise with action..and money.
Trudeau has also indicated that investing in girl's education, especially in crisis situations, is important in achieving gender equality and will be one his priorities at the G7.
The Canadian aid groups want Trudeau to contribute $500 million over the next three years towards setting up a global fund dedicated to education programs for girls.
International NGOs hope to raise $1.3 billion US over the next three years to support education for 3.7 million children in crisis, with a special emphasis on educating girls/
Levon spoke with David Morley, president and CEO of UNICEF Canada.
Watch The Link
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This week the Link team, Lynn, Levon, and Marc left the studio to take part in the Salon de l'Immigration, an immigration expo held in the Montreal downtown convention centre known as the "Palais des Congres". (Video of show at bottom)
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The annual event brings together a wide variety of enterprises and community and government organisations to provide information and advice to newcomers to Canada.
The LINK recording set up at the 2018 Immigrant expo (Salon de l'Immigration) Photo: Marie-Claude Simard/RCI
Typically there is room for just under 100 exhibitors and booths, and we had a number of guests from community organisations representative of the services, counselling and employment aid available to newcomers.
Nicholas Bellier is a board member of the event organiser Immigrant Quebec, (the website is in French only) a non-profit organisation, which also offers a wide variety of valuable information through its website. He stopped by for a few minutes to give an overview of the event which attracts typically over 5,000 visitors a day.
Lynn and Marc May31.19 and the Salon de l'Immgration. Photo Marie-Claude Simard./RCI
Maria-Gracia Girardi is Head of Mentoring and Volunteer Services at the "Y des Femmes", a Montreal YWCA operation. She talks about the many services for newcomer women to help with job search, career advice, social counselling, and many other services, including the possibility of introductions to sales jobs through a paid 6-month working experience in the Y thrift shop.
Roshan Patroo, and Maria-Gracia Girardi. Photo: Marie-Claude Simard/RCI
Also joining us was a representative of CACI (Centre d'Appui aux Communautes Immigrantes), a help centre for immigrant communities. Jacques Penel, himself an immigrant who arrived in Canada after living several years in Spain, talked about the various services offered by that organisation and also about his own experience in terms of what he researched before coming, and the reality of finding your way in a new country, not the least of which was a very different type of weather! Using his own experience he also had advice for others thinking of immigrating.
Levon, with Jacques Penel and Souad Ouared. May 31.18 Photo: Marie-Claude Simard/RCI
Another social service agency is The Refugee Centre. Abdulla Daoud, Executive Director, also spent some time with us talking about his organisation and the variety of services offered including something called the DevBloc Social Innovation Catalyst, which helps refugees get involved in the tech sector and even create their own start-ups. They have technology boot camps and endeavour to involve local communities in their efforts.
Maria-Gracia Girardi, Abdulla Daoud, and Lynn. Photo: Marie-Claude Simard/RCI
Roshan Patroo joined us as well from the British Council, and international organisation involved in helping newcomers prepare for English language proficiency tests, the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), which tests for listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, needed for a variety of official reasons such as entrance to universities and general tests for immigration purposes
Well over 5,000 visitors were expected on each of the two days of the Expo. Photo: Marie-Claude Simard/RCI
We also had Souad Oured from the National Bank of Canada, a private banking operation, who joined us to talk about money matters in Canada, how things are different here, including for example, a variety of banking debit and credit cards, and the extreme importance of establishing a credit history here.
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ListenEN_Interview_2-20180525-WIE20 The Friendly International Dispute Over an Arctic Island View of Hans Island located in the centre of the Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait, which separates Ellesmere Island from northern Greenland. (Photo courtesy of Michael Byers)
It's a very small island in the middle of the Arctic ocean. Trouble is it's smack dab in the middle of the maritime boundary separating Greenland, i.e. Denmark, and Canada.
Small, barren and uninhabited, both countries claim it, and have done so for years. Now both Canada and Denmark/Greenland have decided to establish a task force to resolve this friendly dispute. Levon speaks to Canadian Arctic expert Michael Byers who says the longstanding dispute seems to come back in the news whenever a national election looms, but says the island dispute should be very easy to resolve. Canada's (almost) Official Bird- gets its real name back The Canada Jay is not shy and will land right on your camera even without the temptation of food. (Gord Belyea)
Canada, like many countries, has an official animal, the beaver and even a second official animal , the Canadian horse,. In fact, Canada, and each province, like many countries and states, also have official animals, trees, or other plants, and birds.
Canada so far hasn't named an official national bird, although the Royal Canadian Geographical Society held a nation wide contest and the grey jay won. Except, it really shouldn't be called the grey jay. A long standing effort to recover the bird's real name has finally born fruit.
Lynn spoke with ornithological expert David Bird about the re-naming of the "Canada Jay". U.S. to withdraw from Joint Comphensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Iran nuclear deal Several world leaders and top government officials including John Kerry of the US and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif are shown in 2015 announcing the deal worked out to end Iran's nuclear weapons programme for at least a decade. Source: CBC news
Two weeks ago, U.S. President Trump announced the country was withdrawing from the JCPOA saying it was a bad deal and did not go nearly far enough in limiting Iran's nuclear weapons development goals and capability. That would mean the re-imposition of harsh sanctions.
Iran would like to keep the deal to avoid such sanctions and has expressed willingness to re-negotiate although with an underlying threat that it might restart its uranium enrichment efforts if a deal isn't reached quickly.
Most other countries, including Canada, expressed dismay at the U.S decision. In this excerpt, international affairs expert Ferry de Kerckhove from the University of Ottawa says Canada's opinion carries little influence but agrees the U.S decision is ill considered.
Lobsters and Snow Leopards
Marie-Claude is back from a trip to the Maritime province of New Brunswick and show photos of her experience with lobsters and a lobster recipe, and we have a brief look at Lynn's story along with the cutest photo of baby snow leopards born in the Winnipeg Zoo.
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Your hosts today Lynn, Levon, Leo Gimeno, Marc (scroll to bottom for video of show)
ListenEN_Interview_2-20180518-WIE20 Guest: Eilis Quinn - specialised reporter - Eye On The Arctic A new feature and special report on the RCI website: Eye On The Arctic
Our RCI colleague Eilis Quinn joins us in studio to talk about a new feature on the Eye on the Arctic website.
It's about how a country is trying to boost its economy through tourism. In the case of Iceland, it has worked too well. Eilis's special report looks at the consequences when too many people come to a fragile environment too quickly.
The story looks at what's happening in Iceland and provides lessons for many other countries with fragile environments looking to tourism to help them. Boreal forest protection The boreal forest in Canada is home to wood bison, North America’s largest land animal. It is one of the last places on earth where there is enough undisturbed land for animals to migrate and roam free. (Michel Rapinski)
Fully one third of the world's boreal forest stretches across Canada from Yukon to Newfoundland. This month Canada announced four new national parks would be created to adjoin the already existing Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta, which also stretches into the southern portion of the Northwest Territories.
The area is a haven for 68 species of special concern, three of which are listed under the government’s Species at Risk Act. The new parks add some 13,600 square kilometres for a total parkland area of over 67,000 sq km.
Lynn speaks with Dan Kraus, a senior biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, a key player in the project. New tobacco and e-cigarette marketing laws 2017 proposal for plain packaging of cigarettes for Canada. Photo: Adrian Wyld- CP
The Canadian Parliament and Senate have passed new laws regarding the marketing and sales of tobacco and e-cigarettes.
The bill is awaiting royal assent, which is expected shortly and will then come into effect soon afterwards. The new amendments to the Tobacco Act will, amongst other things, very likely lead to a change in the look of cigarette packages to remove any attractive company logos, or colours. The Canadian packaging will likely resemble that of Australia and others in created a so-called standardised plain packaging.
Also regulated will be e-cigarettes, also known as vaping. Sales to minors will be banned, certain aromas or flavours deemed to be targeting youth will be banned, and marketing will also have strict controls.
Marc speaks with Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society. Child rape charges against Canadian aid worker Prominent Canadian humanitarian worker Peter Dalglish faces charges of child sexual abuse in Nepal in connection with the alleged rape of two boys 12 and 14. (YouTube)
It's a case which has sent shock waves through humanitarian aid agencies around the world.
Peter Dalglish, who helped found the charity Street Kids International and has worked for decades for a number of humanitarian agencies, including UN Habitat in Afghanistan and the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Liberia, is facing charges in Nepal related to child luring and sexual abuse, which he denies.
Levon spoke with Lori Handrahan, a veteran humanitarian worker and the author of Epidemic: America’s Trade in Child Rape.
https://www.facebook.com/rcinet/videos/10160313553290114/
Your hosts, Lynn, Marie-Claude, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
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(book) Op Medusa- the furious battle that saved Afghanistan from the Taliban
A Canadian LAV (light armoured vehicle) arrives to escort a convoy at a forward operating base near Panjwaii, Afghanistan at sunrise on Nov.26, 2006. after OP Medusa had pushed the Taliban out. in September. Photo: Bill Graveland- CP
It was Canada's biggest battle since WWII and Korea. Canadian Major-General David Fraser (now retired) was the commander in charge of Nato troops in the so-called "southern area" of Afghanistan largely patrolled by thinly stretched Canadian Forces. It was also the "hottest" area of conflict.
In 2006, word came that the Taliban were planning their biggest attack ever to force the Canadians out and take the major city of Kandahar. Fraser has just released a new book on this pivotal battle to stop the Taliban from attaining their goal.
MGen (ret'd) David Fraser was our guest in studio. The excerpt is part of a longer conversation available on the website.
Allergies and climate change
About 30 per cent of Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies. (iStock)
Finally some semblance of spring has arrived in much of southern Canada and with it blossoms and buds from flowers and trees. Of course that means pollen in the air. For allergy sufferers, spring is a mixed blessing with sniffles, sneezes, watery eyes and itching spoiling the return to nicer weather.
Now comes news that climate change, and a warming with higher CO2 levels is making the plants produce even more pollen than in the past. It also means other plants are moving in to areas where they haven't been seen previously, bringing their pollen with them
Lynn spoke with Dr. Mariam Hanna, an allergy specialist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario. who says they're seeing more allergy sufferers than ever.
Arctic park runs igloo building workshop
Elijah Panipakoochoo, one of Inuit elders who led an igloo building workshop, peeks out of an igloo. Igloo means “snow shelter” in Inuktitut. (Parks Canada)
It is one of the iconic symbols of the Arctic, the "igloo". The domed shelters made of blocks cut from solidly packed snow.
For eons these structures have protected Inuit from the bitterly harsh winter storms in the far north. Although Inuit now live in communities in solid houses, the igloo remains an important part of their culture and can still be a life-saver for hunters caught out on the land or the frozen sea ice.
It's not easy to build an igloo though, it takes knowledge and understanding. That was handed down from generation to generation, at least until recent decades.
Carey Elverum, manager of the Sirmilik National Park, one of Canada’s largest and northernmost national parks located in northeastern Baffin Island in Nunavut recently organised an igloo building workshop in Pond Inlet in the high Arctic to pass along the skills and help young Inuit reconnect with an important aspect of their culture and heritage.
Listen to an excerpt of Levon's conversation with Carey Elverum.
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CALL FOR GENERAL STRIKE IN ARMENIA
Supporters of Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan react, after his bid to be interim prime minister was blocked by the parliament, during a rally in central Yerevan, Armenia, May 1, 2018. (Gleb Garanich/REUTERS)
Ongoing protests against the Armenian Prime Minister's plan to amend the constitution and hang on to power eventually forced him to resign
But those widespread protests are now continuing, This time it's because the charismatic leader of the protest movement who was the only candidate to act as interim Prime Minister has been blocked by the ruling party.
There are calls for a general strike and further unrest is likely. Levon spoke to Anna Simonian, a former Armenian communications expert and blogger who settled in Montreal six years ago.
INTERNET MEDICAL DRUG SEARCHES AND CLAIMS OF SIDE EFFECTS
Where people had greater access to websites about side-effects of statins, there were more reports of intolerance to the drug.
Researchers have come up with some interesting statistics. It seems that people who do online searches into the side-effects of medicines are more likely to report intolerance. They're calling it the "nocebo" effect, the opposite of "placebo" effect. The latter is when someone is given a sugar pill which has no effect but told its medicine. Because they think it'll make them feel better, they do feel better.
The study involved people in 12 countries where people reported intolerance to statins. In countries with more websites on the subject, the intolerance reporting was higher.
Lynn spoke to Dr. Baiju Shah, an endocrinologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and senior investigator of the study.
FASTER, INEXPENSIVE WAY TO PROTECT PROPERTY FROM FLOOD WATER
Protecting property from rising flood water is a slow, labour intensive , and expensive prospect with the typical response of sandbagging. A Montreal engineer has a much better way. Photo:Mike McArthur/CBC
The eastern maritime province of New Brunswick, especially around the city of Saint John, is currently experiencing record flood levels. Flooding from increasingly heavy rains is becoming more common around the world. Recently western Germany had heavy rain causing floods.
These tend to cause massively expensive losses to homes and buildings. The usual defence to protect property from rising water is to erect sandbag barriers, a slow labour intensive and expensive process that is A professor at a Canadian university has come up with what appears to be a more effective barrier that is faster to erect and remove, cheaper, and uses barriers readily available in every city.
Marc spoke to Amar Sabih (PhD, PEng), a course lecturer and academic staff at McGill University in Montreal.
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Canadian fence against illegal migrants?
FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2017 file photo, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer informs a migrant couple of the location of a legal border station, shortly before they illegally crossed from Champlain, N.Y., to, Quebec, using Roxham Road. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo/File)
The province of Quebec has seen almost 30,000 migrants cross from the U.S into Canada illegally last year. So far this year, some 6,000 have made the crossing and demanding asylum. This has cost the province at least $150 million dollars, a request for payment they've made to the federal government saying international borders are a federal responsibility.
Meanwhile caring and paying for the migrants during the long process of evaluating their claims is straining provincial authorities. One politician says the solution is simple. put up a fence. Levon spoke to Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR representative in Canada who says it should not be done.
Children developing myopia
Children who spent more time outdoors were found to have a reduced risk of being nearsighted.
Myopia, also known as being "near-sighted" is where close objects can be seen clearly, but objects further away become blurred. Complicating the problem for young children is that they may not understand that blurred vision is not normal, and so they may not mention it. Letting the condition go on for a long period can lead to even more serious complications later.
A new study shows a correlation between the amount of time children spend out doors: more time outdoors means less chance of developing myopia.
Lynn spoke with Mike Yang, a researcher at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. He is the lead author of this study from the university’s Centre for Ocular Research & Education or CORE.
Vehicle attack in Toronto:
Flowers, candles, words of condolence at an impromptu memorial set up on a wall near the tragedy in Toronto. Photo: Galit Rodan/Canadian Press
A horrific attack in Toronto left 10 people dead, and 14 others with a variety of severe injuries. It appears so far not to be linked to any known radical group, but rather possibly just a 25-year-old man taking out his personal frustrations against innocent people by driving a vehicle at high speed onto a crowded sidewalk.
He may have been inspired by excessive media reporting of similar mass killing incidents. Marc spoke with Michel Juneau-Katsuya, CEO of Northgate Security and former senior manager with Canada's security and intelligence service. In this excerpt he talks about media reporting, and says people shouldn't be eager to give up civil liberties in exchange for tighter security.
Lebanese food-
A prolific caterer for the past 40 years, Afifé Najm invited RCI's Marie-Claude Simard into her Montreal home this week. Now retired, Najm still cooks up a storm and shows how to make kebbe, stuffed vine leaves, koussa, and other goodies!
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Facebook and criminal court jurys
Lawyers have revealed that through Facebook and mobile phones they can discover the identities and information about jurists which could help them in criminal cases. If lawyers can, so can criminals. Photo: via CBC
A recent revelation sent shock waves through the Quebec justice system. The anonymity of jurists in criminal court cases is one of the main tenets of the justice system. This is to ensure that their identities are not known and so far less able to be subject to bribery during a criminal trial, or intimidation either during or afterward. However, it seems lawyers could learn the identities and so personal information about jurists through mobile phones and Facebook. If lawyers can do this, so to potentially could people with unpleasant intentions.
Marc spoke with Allen Mendelsohn, a Montreal lawyer specialising in privacy and internet law
Commercial flight dealt with three emergencies
In this Tuesday, April 17, 2018 photo, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB via AP)
The pilot of a commercial flight is being hailed for her calm when an extremely serious event occurred at an altitude of over 9,000 metres.
One of the plane's two engines experienced catastrophic destruction when one of the fan blades broke off.
A piece of debris broke a window, which immediately depressurised the cabin and partially sucked a passenger out the window. Although pulled back into the plane, she died of injuries.
Lynn spoke with Keith Mackey, president of the aviation consulting firm Mackey International and a former airline ca
Monsoons and appeals for support Rohingya refugees
Rohingya refugees try to take shelter from torrential rain as they are held by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, August 31, 2017. (Mohammad Ponir Hossain/REUTERS)
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Humboldt Broncos hockey player Logan Boulet had signed an organ donation card, inspiring other Canadians to do the same in the wake of his death. (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League)
Humboltd, Saskatchewan has been in the national spotlight for the last week, following the tragic accident there.
A transport trailer collided with the bus carrying the town's young hockey players, leaving 16 people dead to date, and another 13 severely injured
Just a few weeks ago, 21-year old Logan Boulet had signed an organ donation card and talked to his family about why. When it became clear he would not survive the accident, he was placed on life support and several of his organs were retrieved by surgeons.
These will help six people who are waiting for transplants. News of this inspired many Canadians to sign up to donate their own organs in the event of death.
Several provinces in Canada noted big increases in their registries. Lynn Desjardins spoke with Michael Terner, the program lead for the Canadian Organ Replacement Register at the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soybean seeds. (Dan Gill/AP)
The US Dept of Justice gave provisional approval to the takeover of bio-tech giant Monsanto by German chemical giant Bayer, this week.
Both organizations are already huge multinationals in the global agricultural market. The multi-billion dollar deal now greatly reduces the competition in agricultural chemicals and seeds.
Meanwhile two giant fertilizer companies, Potash Corp and Agrium, have merged to form the company, Nutrien. ChinaChem and Syngenta combined in another chemical and bio tech mega merger worth billions of dollars. And Dow and Dupont did the same.
Farmers world-wide fear the global agricultural market is now clearly dominated by just three or four huge corporations.
This means likely increased costs for fertilzers and disease and pest control chemicals, more genetically modified crops and fewer varieties of crops, and increased costs for consumers.
Marc Montgomery spoke to Jan Slomp, vice president of Canada's National Farmers Union, and asked him about their concerns over this latest mega merger.
Rohingya refugee children fly improvised kites at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on December 10, 2017. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
Dr. Megan Doherty is a pediatrician and palliative care specialist who works at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
She recently returned from a trip to Bangladesh where she and some colleagues visited the Rohingya refugee camps.
She was struck by the lack of palliative care. A little 4-year-old girl who was suffering horrible headaches due to eye cancer was one case that really moved her.
In an interview this week, Dr Doherty told Levon Sevunts, there was nothing she could do. The little girl died in terrible pain because the clinics in these camps do not have the medicine to treat and manage pain in chronically or terminally ill patients.
Now she is trying to raise awareness about this hidden crisis in refugee camps. Dr. Doherty says with so many resources going to save lives, there is little left for those who are beyond saving.
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Former ISIS capital Raqqa in ruins
Most of Raqqa lies in ruins with most buildings nearly or partially destroyed while the entire infrastructure has become non-existent following the heavy fighting and aerial bombardment campaign to retake the de facto capital of the so-called Islamic State. (Marwa Awad/WFP)
The Daesh or ISIS Islamic militants had used Raqqa as their self-described capital for their plans to create a caliphate in Syria.
A United Nations team ventured into the city that was re-captured by Kurdish and U.S forces after a long drawn out battle to end four years of militant rule.
They found the city in ruins and without the most basic services. Levon spoke with Marwa Awad, a Canadian, who works as the World Food Programme spokesperson in Syria.
Police in Hamilton, Ontario fatally shot Anthony Divers on Sept. 30, 2016 after getting calls that a woman had been assaulted. His was one of 460 cases studied by the public broadcaster, CBC. (Andrew Collins/CBC)
Study into fatal encounters with police in Canada.
In any given year in Canada, about 30 people will be killed by police. Although there are hundreds of police services and the national Royal Canadian Mounted Police, there is no central tracking of such incidents.
Canada's national public broadcaster, CBC, recently began a thorough investigation using coroners reports, independent ivestigator reports, news stories, family interviews, and more, in order to compile a database.
The information covers the period 2000 to 2017 and some 460 deaths, the majority involving police shootings.
Lynn spoke with CBC data journalist Jacques Marcoux.
It's a celebration of female sexuality. It's called Festivulve 2018, and is apparently a sort of world's first of its kind.
The event coming up in June is designed to celebrate, educate, and demystify women's bodies.
There will be dozens of speakers, workshops, entertainers, booths with sales items, prizes and much more.
Marc speaks to organiser, Mel Goyer who says she wants the event to be fun and be a counterpoint to the too often and too readily available pornographic idea of women's bodies.
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This week's hosts of The Link are Terry Haig, Carmel Kilkenny and Zoubeir Jazzi. (Video of the show at the bottom of page)
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Product packaging has changed dramatically in Canada over the last 30 years, while recycling programs meant to deal with them haven't. More plastic of differing types have many people confused. And there is no national standard as each province deals with waste management on its own.
Lynn Desjardins spoke with Ashley Wallis of the non-profit group, Environmental Defence. Wallis talked about the myriad challenges and some of the innovative solutions.
Plastics of many different varieties and compositions are ending up in recycling bins and not all of it can be repurposed.
The Avro Arrow was the pride and joy of Canada in the late 1950's. But then, the most technologically advanced aircraft of its time was shut down by the government of the day, and the completed planes and equipment were ordered destroyed.
Conspiracy theories abound but the repercussions of the move are still felt by many today. Now a group of Avro enthusiasts are bringing the jet, or a version of it, back to life.
Marc Montgomery spoke with Mike Ward, treasurer of the Avro Museum, at Springbank Airport near Calgary, Alberta.
Computer impression of the Arrow II in the skies over the Racky Mountains of Alberta. (Photo-supplied)
The Chinese Space Station, Tiangong 1, is returning to earth but there are a lot of questions about how and when. Launched in 2011, it was only visited twice by Chinese astronauts. Then in 2016, the Chinese space agency announced it was no longer tracking the station.
Montreal-based science writer and The Nigh Sky Guy, Andrew Fazekas, talks about the knowns and the unknowns around this piece of space debris, and how it is heralding a new field of research and endeavour in handling orbit re-entries.
Chinese space station Tiangong-1, shown here in an illustration, will likely fall out of orbit at the end of March or beginning of April. (Aerospace)
https://www.facebook.com/rcinet/videos/10160133471625114/
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your hosts Carmel, Lynn, Marie-Claude and Marc (Video of show at bottom)
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Experts have long said that a great deal can be learned about you from your online activities and information on such social media as Facebook.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized for what he called a “major breach of trust” but professor wonders where he was two years ago. (Steven Senne/AP Photo/file)
A Canadian whistleblower said that the personal information of 50 million Facebook users was manipulated by a company called Cambridge Analytica to sway the U.S. election that made Donald Trump president. Canada’s privacy commissioner and the Canadian government want to know if the data of Canadians was mined in the same way. Use of such information in such non-intended ways is being called the "weaponisation of information'.
Lynn spoke with Professor Megan Boler, a professor of Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto.
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The federal Liberal government in Canada has introduced proposals for new laws on gun ownership, called Bill C-71
The federal Liberal government has introduced a Bill which tightens laws on gun ownership and use. Gun control lobbyists say it doesn't go far enough, gun owner advocates say it will do nothing to curb gangs and gun violence and create more hurdles for law-abiding owners. PHOTO: Sean Kilpatrick-Canadian Press
The law is already causing backlash from both gun control lobbyists, and gun-owner advocates. Gun control lobbyists say it doesn't go nearly far enough to control gun use and the types of guns available for sale,while gun owning advocates say they are among the most law abiding in society, and the new laws merely hurt their activities while doing nothing to curb gangs and gun violence.
Marc speaks with Tony Bernardo, Executive director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, who says the laws does nothing against crime.
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The giant Paris-based cosmetics multinational, L'Oreal, has recently purchased a Toronto company called Modiface.
ModiFace augmenting reality to help clients make choices. (image supplied)
The Toronto high tech company creates augmented reality technology and L'Oreal will integrate the company into their own Digital Services Factory.
Carmel spoke with Parham Aarabi, a professor in the Engineering department at the University of Toronto and co-founder and CEO of Modiface.
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Your hosts: Terry, Marie-Claude, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
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One of the world's greatest minds has passed away. Stephen Hawking died this week at his home in Cambridge, England.
Stephen Hawking delivering a lecture on the origin of the universe in Brussels in 2007. He said the question of why the universe exists 'bothers me.' (Francois Lenoir/Reuters)
Professor Raymond Laflamme, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computing at the Perimeter Institute (PI) was a doctoral student of Stephen Hawking’s while at Cambridge.
He remembers working and studying under Hawking in the 1980's. He also worked on equations that showed that one of Hawking's theories was incorrect, adding that the great mathematician graciously accepted that he was wrong. Professor Laflamme was interviewed on CBC TV by host Suhanna Meharchand.
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Cape Town with its millions of residents is perilously close to running out of water due to a mult-year drought. It has almost happened elsewhere as well, Could it happen to Canada with all its water? Maybe.
The amount of water in Voelvlei Dam near Cape Town, one of the region's largest water catchments, is nearing a critical level. PHOTO: Mike Hutchings/Reuters
Cape Town has been slowly running out of water for the past few years. Now, it's become critical and "zero-day" when there simply is no more water, is rapidly approaching.
Canada has vast reserves of water, and yet even so, as climate changes many Canadian cities have been forced to undertake water restrictions in recent years as droughts become longer and more severe. Forest fires have become larger and more severe as well, and unexpected floods are another aspect of the climate change, all of which affect water quality and availability.
Marc spoke with hydrologist, John Pomeroy, distinguised professor in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Saskatchewan
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What lies deep under the sea off the British Columbia coast? A lot it seems.
The quillback rockfish is one of more than 35 species of rockfish found in to coastal waters of British Columbia. (CCIRA)
A complex operation was undertaken recently leed by Oceana Canada. The expedition was a massive joint effort between the Canadian government’s department of fisheries and oceans, first nations groups and Ocean Networks Canada.
It involved lowering a high-tech camera some 200 metres to the ocean floor off the B.C. coast and revealed a fascinating array of life at that depth.
The findings will help to identify areas that need protection. Lynn spoke to Alexandra Cousteau, senior advisor to Oceana and granddaughter of the famous marine explorer, Jacques Cousteau.
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Your hosts, Marie-Claude, Terry, Lynn, and Carmel (video of show at bottom).
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Logging scarred the landscape of the Kumdis Slough area of Haida Gwaii off Canada’s western coast and illegally damaged a stream rich in salmon. (Haida Laas-Graham Richard)
Haiida Gwaii, the archipelago off Canada's west coast is covered in old growth forest and a rich ecosystem. But in one area, known as the Kumdis Slough, (slew) poor logging practices had left serious damage in a salmon stream. Canadian law protects fish habitat and the three companies involved were brought to court. The judge heard the case and imposed a creative sentence in the hope of restoring and protecting the land. Lynn Desjardins spoke with Tanya Wahbe of the Nature Conservancy of Canada to hear how the case was resolved with the help of local indigenous people.
FCKD UP, the sweetened beverage that's 11.9 per cent alcohol, has been sold in Quebec since last fall. (Radio-Canada)
Alcoholic beveragaes, mixed with sugar and stimulants are the latest trend in teenage binge drinking. The problem is this combination can prove lethal. Hubert Sacy is the director general of Educ'alcool, a non-profit group that educates people in Quebec on the dangers of alcohol. He had been warning, along with several other experts, about the danger associated with an American drink called Four Loco, and its Quebec version, known as FCKD UP. Last weekend the death of 14 year-old Athena Gervais, found near her high school in a suburb of Montreal. stunned the community, and had the producer, Geloso Beverage Group, removing all the product from Quebec shelves. Carmel Kilkenny spoke with Hubert Sacy to find out why this concoction is so dangerous.
Dr. Roger Bannister of England, supported by handlers as he was near collapse after running the British Empire Games mile, in a time of 3:58.8 on Aug. 7, 1954 in Vancouver. Bannister defeated Australian school teacher John Landy, who also finished under four minutes. It was the first time two runners had ever broken the once thought-to-be impossible four minute mile barrier in the same race. Three months a day previously, no single runner had ever done it once. (AP WIREPHOTO)
Roger Bannister, the man who ran the "miracle mile" in 1954, died last weekend at the age of 88. Terry Haig honoured his memory in recounting the riveting experience it was, to watch Bannister run. It was 64 years ago in Vancouver, British Columbia, at what became the Commonwealth Games. Roger Bannister, then a medical student at Oxford in Britain, against a school teacher from Australia, John Landy. Sports historian, Bruce Dowbiggin joins Terry to remember the moment and the evolution of track events it heralded.
Your hosts, Marie-Claude, Terry, Levon, and Marc (video of show at bottom).
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Canadian students have joined an international effort to bring news and information into North Korea
The kind of news North Koreans get is tightly controlled. The regime tells them only propaganda and skewed news about their own country and the outside world. A new plan is trying to slowly get the truth into the country. PHOTO: Nahlah Ayed-CBC
Students at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, are sending USB flash drives into the Hermit Kingdom.
Canada's Prime Minister recently returned from an eight-day trip to India, ostensibly to improve trade relations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Many criticised the trip as being more of a taxpayer funded family vacation with very little business conducted. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also criticised for dressing up in expensive Bollywood-style clothing. However, the big political scandal was the presence of a Sikh man a former member of a banned Sikh terrorist group, who was also convicted of the attempted assassination of an Indian minister during a tour of British Columbia in 1986.
Levon presents an audio clip of a raucous questioning of the prime minister in the House of Commons about how such a man was invited to official dinners, and various explanations by the Liberal Party, including a suggestion by a high-ranking government official that the invitation was engineered by rogue factions within the Indian government to embarrass Trudeau and present him as soft on terrorism.
Imaging keeping track of tens of thousands of objects all whizzing around in orbit and trying to make sure none hit your satellite or space station.
Space junk: debris and defunct launcher stages in the geostationary ring. Aging satellites are known to release debris and explosions can occur due to residual energy sources. The resulting fragments can be thrown back and cross the geostationary orbit. (ESA/ID&Sense/ONiRiXEL, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO) CBC
It's called 'space junk' and with more and more satellites being planned and all those orbits to manage, it's becoming a real problem. Carmel spoke to Andrew Fazekas, author and space aficionado about the situation.
Marie-Claude has a report about the making of cornbread by the Kahnawake Mohawks and the importance of hominy in their culture, a food produced from dried maize kernels that have been treated in a traditional Mohawk process. Chief Chistine Zachary-Deom explains.
Video of show The Link March 2nd 2018
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Your hosts today, Lynn, Terry, Marie-Claude, and Marc (Video of show at bottom starts @ 1.15)
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Whose history is right? There are various sides in a debate, then there are the facts.
The stature of Edward Cornwallis has been the target of vandals in recent years. The City of Halifax has since removed the statue at the behest of the province's Mi"kmaq indigenous groups. PHOTO: Pierre Poirier -CBC
The indigenous Mi"kmaq of Nova Scotia have accused the founder of Halifax of atrocities for a proclamation issued in the mid 1700's of a bounty on Mi"kmaq in an attempt to wipe them out. There are claims the bounty was on Indigenous men women or children. Leo J Deveau is a member of the Royal Society of Nova Scotia History, and a board member of the Halifax Military Heritage Preservation Society and done extensive research into the early period on Nova Scotia's history and says, the claims are exaggerated, and by today's standards nobody was blameless in terms of atrocities. (full interview in highlights section)
The coming of artificial intelligence, and lost jobs.
A robot barista makes coffee at a Tokyo café on February 2, 2018. As technology advances, many jobs will be lost and others will be created. (Koji Sasahara/ AP Photo)
The development of artificial intelligence along with great advances in robotics means that more and more jobs can be performed by machines and algorithms. Autonomous trucks are already replacing drivers of the huge mining trucks, cashiers at supermarkets and retail stores are being replaced by automated equipment, even baristas can be replaced along with a great many other jobs. Lynn spoke to Sunil Johal, policy director at the independent think tank, the Mowat Centre at the University of Toronto about future job losses, and what governments should be planning for
The passing of shoe legend, Sonja Bata.
Sonia Bata with architect Raymond Moriyama at The Bata Shoe Museum's 20th Anniversary on May 7, 2015 in Toronto. (Image: Ryan Emberley)
From tiny beginnings in Czechoslovakia in 1894, the Bata name became a world recognized shoe brand with manufacturing and sales in countries around the world.
In 1964, the world headquarters was moved to Toronto, Ontario, and later a museum was created.
Sonja Bata was the visionary behind the Bata Shoe Museum. She died this week at age 91. Carmel Kilkenny spoke with Sheila Knox, acting director of the Bata Shoe Museum about the life and legacy of Sonja Bata.
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Your hosts this week, Lynn, Levon, Marie-Claude, and Marc (video of show at bottom)
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We start with our colleague Jiangang Wang from the RCI Chinese section to chat a bit about Chinese New Year in Canada.
Vancouver's Chinese New Year parade is famous for its lion and dragon dances. PHOTO-Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver
This month the trial of a Saskatchewan farmer ended in a verdict that caused bitter outrage amongst Canada's indigenous people.
One of dozens of protests and vigils held by Indigenous groups across Canada protesting the "not guilty" verdict. PHOTO-CBC
It's a trial and decision that is dividing Canada
Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley was accused of second degree murder after a group of young adults came onto his property and one of them ended up shot and killed. The farmer said it was an accident, and after long deliberation, the jury came back with a 'not guilty" verdict. Indigenous groups said it was proof the justice system was biased against them.
Marc spoke with the head of the Criminal Lawyers Association of Ontario, Michael Lacy, who said though people didn't like the verdict, there was nothing wrong with the trial, and the Prime Ministers comments about the verdict were also out of place.
Sears Canada paid billions in dividends to investors at the same time as sales and profits were dropping and the pension plan was going into deficit, say pensioners. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press/file)
Employees of what had been an iconic Canadian retailer had been concerned for years that the company pension fund was underfunded. This was even as the company was paying big dividends to shareholders.
The company went bankrupt and now ex-employees are going to court to get some of that money back.The pensioners want to recover some of the $2.9 billion dividend payments made between 2005 and 2013, much of it from the sale of Sears Canada assets including prime real estate. The pension fund for some 16,000 ex-employees want to recover the $270-million shortfall in the pension fund, and about $400 million in unpaid health and life-insurance benefits.
Lynn spoke with Christo Aivalis, a post-doctoral fellow specializing in labour and political history at the University of Toronto.
A scandal has rocked the standing of one of the world's respected humanitarian aid agencies, OXFAM.
A pedestrian walks past a branch of Oxfam, in London, Britain February 12, 2018. (Peter Nicholls/REUTERS)
The scandal involved allegations of sexual misconduct by some OXFAM workers in Haiti and Chad, and has caused the deputy head of Oxfam Britain Penny Lawrence to resign on Monday.
Now Canadian aid agencies are taking a hard look at their own staff and activities abroad.
Levon has an excerpt of his conversation with Canada's Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau. He had also spoken with Denise Byrnes, executive director of Oxfam Quebec, and Julia Sanchez, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation. All the interviews are in the story which can be found in the highlights section of the website.
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Your hosts on this show: Levon, Terry, Marie-Claude, Marc (video of show at bottom)
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We start with a word of a renewed commitment by Canada's public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada to reflect the diversity of the country in its on-air and other staff.
Luc Simard Radio-Canada, Director of Diversity and Community Relations
Luc Simard, director of Diversity and Community Relations at Radio-Canada, joins us to briefly update on efforts by the public broadcaster to increase its diversity and better reflect the wider Canadian society.
It was the most heralded ship in the world in the early part of last century. Its epic size and promotion was surpassed by its sudden epic tragedy in which some 1,500 lives were lost when it sank.
The greatest ship in the world became the greatest tragedy of its day, when the unsinkable Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in 1912.
The stuff of legend and mystery the wreck was only found in 1985. Now new and what may be some of the last trips down to see it will occur this summer and involve a Canadian high-tech imaging firm. This is important because the wreck is rusting so quickly it may disappear completely in a decade or so.
Marc spoke to Ron Collier of Sub C imaging in Newfoundland.
Displaced Syrian children stand outside of their tents at Kelbit refugee camp, near the Syrian-Turkish border, in Idlib province, Syria. Picture taken January 17, 2018. Osman Orsal /REUTERS
A number of international humanitarian NGO's are sounding the alarm over the forced return of Syrian refugees back to their country, where conflict is still raging in some areas.
They say hundreds of thousands of refugees risk being pushed back in spite of fighting, devastation and general insecurity in the war-torn country.
Levon spoke with Roula K. She's a humanitarian adviser with Save the Children Canada.
A most unusual anthem presented by Newfoundland tourism
Canada has officially changed its national anthem O Canada. Actually only two words were changed in order to make it gender neutral. The line, "in all thy sons command" was changed to "in all of us command".
Marie Claude however brings us something unusual from the Internet... whales singing the melody to Canada's national anthem. Strange but true.
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Your hosts today, Lynn, Terry, Marie-Claude, Marc (video of show at bottom)
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China's icebreaker "Snow Dragon" shown in 2014 in Antarctica. China is clearly indicating it intends to be a player in all future Arctic decisions PHOTO: Jessica Fitzpatrick-AFP-Getty Images
In a move that has raised eyebrows in diplomatic and military circles, China announced publicly that it was a "near-Arctic nation" and intended to play a role in all future decisions regarding laws and development of the Arctic.
Marc speaks to Professor Rob Huebert (PhD) of the political science department of the University of Calgary and an expert in Arctic and in strategic affairs. In the excerpt Professor Huebert responds to a question about whether because of their statement China seems to agree or not with Canada's assertion of control over the Northwest Passage.
Farmers are at the mercy of weather, pests and disease and fluctuating commodity prices. The lack of control and unpredictability can cause mental health problems.
We don't think much about the farmer who provided the food we pick up at the grocery store, but it's often not an easy life.
A new study found Canadian farmers suffering from higher degrees of stress, anxiety, and depression when compared to farmers in the United Kingdom and Norway.
The study also found that 40 per cent of respondents would feel uneasy about getting professional help “because of what people might think.”
Lynn spoke with Himanshu Singh a co-founder of Do More Agriculture Foundation. an organisation created to raise awareness about mental health problems in agriculture, to break the stigma about it, and to build a community of support and resources for those who are affected.
Ndoleh, is a traditional dish from Cameroon consisting of stewed peanuts, bitterleaf, onions, and fish or beef, (plus the cook's own secret additives) and served with plantain
We had a special treat this week, as Marie-Claude who also works on the French show of RCI, talks about her new column about food she's doing for them. She visited a Canadian family from Cameroon, and brought in an example of one of that country's most common dishes called Ndoleh. A very tasty treat and an interesting discovery for us.
https://youtu.be/pgfjLFSHXYE
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