The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn - April's Ask Me Anything

Episode Date: April 30, 2026

This month's Ask Me Anything program focuses on your questions on everything from challenging interviews, to challenging competition. Plus our regular Thursday feature -- the Random Ranter, this week on China. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. It's Thursday. That means your turn. And especially your turn this week, it's asked me anything. Plus, the random renter. They're all coming right up. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here.

Good to have you with us. On this Thursday, it's always good to have you with us for your turn, because your turn is all about your turn. Now, the last week of each month, we make it a little different. We don't have a question of the week. We have asked me anything. So your questions come in, and once again, we've had lots of them. We still had ones left over from the last week of last month.

So we've got quite a few here. The problem with Ask Me Anything is it's not just your question, but it's also my answer. Like every other week it's my question, your answer. And there's just one question and all the answers. So there's room for lots. Here it takes up a bit of time because you ask a question, I've got to answer it. So let's get going.

Let's get things started and see how far we can get. If you don't hear your question, don't worry about it. We'll keep them. We'll keep them in store. And if they don't get on today, they may will get on next month. So, as I said, let's get started. And the first letter comes from Ken Lozaway in Langford, British Columbia. Vladimir Putin's administration has committed numerous war crimes in a campaign of genocide,

murdering citizens, abducting thousands of children, destroying homes, apartments, and businesses, total destruction of villages, cities, infrastructure, and energy structures. The International Criminal Court is the appropriate authority to hold Russia accountable for war crimes and reparations. Here's the question. Do you believe this will happen following the end of the conflict? Will Ukraine join NATO? All right. Now, there's some things I can answer, and there are some things that, you know, I mean, I'm not in the prediction business.

But both your questions have me leaning towards no. I don't see any country prosecuting the case unless Putin is overthrown and then charges might be pursued against him personally. You know, kind of like what happened. Remember with Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Redam Karadjic in Serbia? I mean, these things do happen, but they take that first part. They overthrow the government, first of all. And since making sure that Ukraine,

doesn't join NATO, maybe the number one war aim of Russia, I don't see NATO pushing that forward. Too provocative. But I'm the first to admit I'm not an expert in this field. You know who is? She's with us every Monday. And we tried that question, those questions, with Janice Stein every once in a while. Next question. Let's see. David Levine. or not Levine, Lane in Ogden, Quebec, in the eastern townships. You admit to being a long-time Leafs fan.

You are in your late 70s, or go the Leafs have not done well during your lifetime, and certainly not since you became an adult. They won a lot of Stanley Cups during the 60s, don't forget. I was, well, I was a teenager. Certainly not since you became an adult. Why do you stick with the Leafs? Or put another way,

what would it take for you to give up on the Leafs? Come on. Loyalty is something. I've been a Leafs fan since I was a kid since I arrived in Canada in the 1950s. There have been times where I've gone elsewhere. When I lived in Manitoba, I was a Winnipeg Jets fan when the Jets started. In, what was it, 72, 73, somewhere in there, Bobby Hull, on, you know, Ulf Nielsen, Anders Headbear.

Those were all the favorites of mine. I was a Habs fan. When my favorite player as a kid, Dickie Duff, ended up, he was a Leaf, ended up playing for the Habs, won three Stanley Cups for the Haps. But through it all, I'm at my core, I'm a Leafs fan. And these are not easy days.

Jackie McCurdy in Toronto In your lifetime as a journalist Was there any information, a story perhaps, that you came upon by chance that you had to really think about whether to report on it or not If it wasn't published, can you share it now? Listen, any story that you come upon that you're breaking, you have to think about ensuring that it's correct,

getting sourcing and convincing your bosses and your fellow editors that this story A is worthy, B is correct, and getting them on side to run it. Here's one that I was aware of, and some other people were as well. In 1979, when the Americans were taken hostage in Tehran, and hidden by the Canadians, remember Ambassador Ken Taylor, there were some of us, and I was one of them who were aware of what was happening. And we had to make a decision to protect the lives of the hostages not to tell that story until they got out of Iran.

And as it turned out, it took a long time before they got out. And so that, you know, that was one of those where, you know, journalists were responsible, very responsible. Anyway, there have been quite a few examples of different stories Where you have to think hard about When to do it, how to source it, And whether to do it at all David Dunham in Fort St. John, B.C. I hope I haven't mixed these up.

I don't think I have. You know, I might have, I want to be very careful here. I'm not sure about this. I don't want to get the wrong name here. Sorry. I'm just looking at these pages. I want to make sure I haven't got it correct. Having mixed things up here.

Don Dufour. There's another hockey one in Ottawa. She's a diehard Sends fan. I know hockey's near and dear to your heart, but sad to say, your beloved Maple East and not made the playoffs, will you cheer for another Canadian team? And if so, which one?

Always cheer for the Canadian team. So cheer for the HABs, cheering for the Oilers. and hoping they all do well. We'll see what happens. Okay, I'll make sure get these right once again. Willis Spencer in Owens Sound, Ontario. If we were to have a government at some point in the future,

any party, a leader who is unstable like Trump, what does our government system as it exists now have for safety stop checks to prevent a similar runaway that we see south of the border now? In other words, how can we or could we stop a king similar to Trump without having to wait four plus years? The Reform Act of 2014 allows the caucus of any party to remove its leader if it adopts that power after an election. The liberals are the one party that has never adopted that power. The Governor General has the constitutional power as well.

it has never been used in Canadian history, but for example, if the House of Commons voted no confidence in a government and the Prime Minister refused to call an election, the Governor General, representing the King, could dismiss the Prime Minister. All that said, I'm not a constitutional expert, but that's how I understand it.

Denise Centa Lair in Winnipeg, why can't Canada, why can't Canada, Alberta, run a new oil pipeline across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to a new tidewater port in Churchill. Would this not circumvent all the conditions and regulations that appear to be put in Canada at risk of missing a great and temporary opportunity to supply the world with energy? Okay, once again, you know, I'm not an expert.

But yes, an oil pipeline from Alberta at the port of Churchill is technically possible. It's going to be tricky, it's going to be expensive, and it's going to be a lot of construction around all kinds of different kinds of land issues. However, the proposal faces massive logistical, environmental, and economic hurdles, including crossing hundreds of kilometers of northern Muskeg and permafrost, and significant financial risks. And if the word temporary in your question is a reference to the present energy concerns linked to troubles in the Middle East,

it should be pointed out that you can't build a pipeline overnight. It's a multi-year project. Anna Killon writes from Toronto. You've talked a bit about television shows you enjoy, but I'm curious about your taste in movies. What are your top three films, not including Zootopia? I guess that's an in joke, unless you know that I had a role in Zootopia 1 and Zootopia 2.

Can you recall the first film, that made an impression on you. Bridge over the river Kwai. I saw it with my parents. That would have been in the 50s. Late 50s. You know, my favorite movie all time,

and I've watched it many, many times, is Casablanca. I just think it's fantastic. And of, you know, kind of a movie that, you know, it's not that long. was made in a hurry, but it has some of the most classic lines

ever written into a movie script. If you haven't seen Casablanca, and I can't believe anyone listening to this program hasn't watched Casablanca. But if you haven't, or if you haven't watched it in a long time, watch it again. Larry Prouty in Mississauga, Ontario.

What's your favorite book that was written by military historian Tim Cook? I'm not going to pick one. I'm going to tell you you can pick up any Tim Cook book about our military history, and you're going to come away from it, understanding our country better than you did before he started reading it. We missed him. We lost him in the last year. Just a fabulous person and a great military historian.

So that's how I'd read. I answer that one. Don't worry about which one you pick up. Pick up anyone. You'll love it. Tony Pillow in Calgary. What news story did you report, if any, that was closest to Watergate in terms of personal or organizational risk?

In other words, needing a go-ahead from the highest level of the organization because of the risk of retaliation? Never thought about that. That never entered the equation. the risk was getting the story wrong. The risk was spending a fortune getting the story. Now, I'm not sure what you mean by getting to go ahead. I mean, it's not like we went to the president of the CBC to do something.

You dealt within the editorial hierarchy of CBC News, in my case. Like the Washington Post, Watergate, I mean, the publisher, the owner of the paper, Catherine Graham was involved. that's not the way it worked with the CBC. But, you know, there were lots of stories where you wanted to make sure you got it right, obviously. And you wanted to make sure that it was justifiable, the amount of money you were going to spend, you know,

because of travel, straight up time when you wouldn't be working on other things. And I've had more than a few of those during my day. when I was a parliamentary correspondent in Ottawa. Fred Justy in Oakville, Ontario. During your time with CBC News, did you usually just do the broadcast once and play in each time zone?

Or did you do a broadcast for each time zone? Good question. In my day, we did at least two live programs every night. The first at 9 o'clock in the evening, and I'm saying Eastern Time, like Toronto Times. 9 o'clock, that went to Atlantic Canada. And then at 10 o'clock, we did it to Quebec and Ontario.

If there was a story changing, we'd keep doing it each hour right through to the West Coast. If the stories weren't changing, we at least protected the 11 o'clock edition to Manitoba and Saskatchewan, depending what time of year there was. by staying in the newsroom just in case anything changed. But it was normally a tape that was broadcast at 11 o'clock,

and then we went home. Now there were nights when something happened after that, and either I'd hear about it or somebody would call me, and I'd go back in. Like I remember, Director Fred Parker and I'd go back one night and basically putting on a new edition of the show at midnight to Alberta and then again at 1 o'clock to BC with just the two of us.

It was very tricky to do that, but we did that. Anyway, on a normal night, tape would play for two more editions midnight and 1 a.m. Of course, on any night that we knew something would be happening very late, for example, provincial election in British Columbia, or a big story was developing, like the outbreak of a foreign war.

five live editions. There weren't a lot of those nights, but there certainly were some over my, you know, 30 years doing the national. Jennifer Dykew in Calgary, we've just finished listening to Malcolm Gladwell's revisionist History 2,

part broadcast, podcast, about Zootopia 2. It's bonkers, yet renews my faith in human nature. As you had a starring role, well, I'm not sure it was a star. starring role, but I was in Zootopia, both Zootopias. I wonder if you were aware the Zootopia 2 development story.

I haven't listened to Malcolm Gladwell's podcast, but I know what it's about. You know, it's basically about another writer saying he had the idea, and the writers of Zootopia 2 basically stole his ideas. I was not aware of that, until you suggest I check it here. I certainly wasn't aware of it during the production of Zootopia 2. And I leave that to the lawyers to sort that kind of stuff out,

as they always end up doing. Mike Wright at Amhertsburg, Ontario. Here's a question I've always wondered. How much work is involved when they film a commercial, not so much a voiceover one, but one where you're actually in it. I see Sidney Crosby and Cass doing them as well as you. Just curious how much is involved.

Well, first of all, you've got to decide whether you want to do it. So there's work involved that and what the product is. And after I left daily journalism 10 years ago, I decided to do some of this kind of work. where I raised money and put it into scholarship funds for journalists at almost a half a dozen different universities in the country. Three main ones, King's College in Halifax, Carlton in Ottawa, and UBC in Vancouver.

But the actual filming, depending on the quality of the product, can take some time. I know the work that I did with, with the home equity bank. That was two full days with a highly professional crew. So there was a lot of work involved. I don't know what Sid Crosby,

Nathan McKinnon do with their Tim Horton's ads, how much time that takes. But it's more time than you might suspect. Robin Sagan in Saga Beach, Ontario. What are your thoughts on the contribution of Pierre Burton to Canadian culture in politics. Did you have any interviews with him

that stand out to support your views? I knew Pierre Burton. I worked with Pierre Burton. I did front page challenge with Pierre Burton. He was perhaps the first person who was determined to prove that Canadian history wasn't dull and he certainly proved it

through his many books. They were very well researched. Some say he took a little advantage in some of the books he wrote to make them more exciting and interesting. But the thread, the core issues being discussed were real because he wrote in a style that was written for the casual readers, you know, not scholars.

They were and remained an enormous contribution to Canada's understanding of itself. Ben Sumac and Regina, I was wondering if he ever met Donald Trump. And if so, what were your impressions of the man? I also wonder, of all the political leaders you've interviewed, who were you most impressed with based on personality, intelligence, or bearing? And conversely, who left you thinking, what's going on with this person?

Well, I certainly would have thought that if I would have the opportunity to interview Donald Trump. I've tried a number of times without success. I'm not sure if he's done any Canadian interviews. He's done a couple of British ones. I'm not sure he's ever felt it was worthwhile. We have some mutual friends, and I've tried to use that connection to get an interview, but it hasn't worked.

Other than that, you know, political leaders, I have a lot of time for politicians, no matter which party they're from, I think these are, for the most part, dedicated Canadians. And they should have our respect. And they have mine. That doesn't mean you give them a soft time in an interview. But the fact of the matter is,

they've given up other possibilities in their life to run for public office. And for that, I admire them. Some of them are challenging. Some of them aren't very personable. but at their core is a desire to do things for the public. Sometimes they lose that core element and get carried away with their own desires. But as I said, for the most part,

since I started interviewing politicians, which was when I was in Churchill, Manitoba, with the lead local officials, I've always felt we owe these people I respect at their core because they're involved with public service. Sean Hogan in Campbell River, BC. We're getting close to our time for our break, but let's see if we can get Sean Hogan's letter in here. When you move from working as airport staffer in Western Canada to being a news reporter, Did you ever go back to school or was it real life apprenticing?

Watch Zootopia 2 enjoyed it. I've done TV and radio commercials, Union and non-union. Were you already actor or did you, they get you a permit for Moosebridge? I've never been an actor. I've had to, you know, take out a temporary thing with actor at different times. But Sutopia 2 is an American. You know, it was Hollywood. So it wasn't Actra.

It was whatever the permit I had was an American, American one. Screen Actors Guild or something like that. Did I ever go back to school? No. It was real life apprenticing. And I was very lucky because I had wonderful people to learn from and still do. Derek Dillow. Let's read Derek's letter and then And then we'll take our break and we'll hear for the random ranters as well

Derek Dillow in Ottawa I believe I've heard you say in the past that you had no interest in going into politics Even though all parties have tried in the past to recruit you at one point I have a theoretical question for you however If you were prime minister What would be your top priorities for the country, and how would you try to achieve them? Well, I would never have been Prime Minister.

But I think I, like those who I have covered, who became Prime Minister, I think my desire for what the priority should be is to help others, to help other people, to make life better for them, to make the country better. That would be what I want to do. And I think everybody I've covered in that role has at least thought that when they became prime minister. In some cases, they may have lost that path during their time on the job.

But they all wanted to do that. That was a priority for them. They had their own beliefs about how to make the country better and how to make people's lives better. And in many cases, A fair number of Canadians agreed with them, and a fair number of Canadians didn't agree with that plan. But they had one. Okay, let's take our break,

and then hear from our good friend the Randabranter. But first, let's take our break. We'll be right back after this. And welcome back. You're listening to The Bridge, the Thursday episode, which, of course, is your turn. And this week, at being the last week of the month, it's an ask me anything week.

And you've certainly been asking the questions. And because there are answers involved from me, it takes up time. So we're not going to get to everybody's letter this week, that's for sure. But we're getting to as many as we can. And I'm trying to keep my answers short. Before we get to the next one, let's hear from the random ranter. He's got an interesting take this week. And it's one that,

I said, well, let's put it this way. I think it's going to cause some controversy among our listeners because I don't think everybody will agree with him, but some of you just might, especially if he listened to his argument. So let's get to that. Right? Let me find it. Here it is, the random renter for this week. I understand that it's hard for a lot of folks to look at America, as an adversary. I mean, there's been a lot of water under the bridge between us, a lot of good memories, and a lot of shared experiences. Our countries have been interconnected on so many levels and for so long. And if we haven't always loved the U.S., we've at least trusted them. But that's gone now. And the relationship, while it's fractured, beyond repair. Now, look, I'm not saying

will never be able to trust the Americans again, I'm just saying that the rift between us has shattered any illusion of us ever being true partners. I mean, Trump made it abundantly clear when he said Canada lives because of the United States. And it hurts me to say this, but he's not entirely wrong. I mean, when three quarters of your exports are going to the same place, you're not just trading your goods, you're trading your independence. We've traded some of ours, and it's time to get it back. Because no one wants to be the American Belarus. We want to live in a Canada that's strong, proud, and independent. And to do that, we need to trade less with America and more with everyone else. And look, we'd be crazy if China wasn't a part of that everyone else equation. I mean,

their production output far exceeds the entire G7 combined. They're a manufacturing juggernaut with a big engine and lots of mouths that Canada can help feed. Like, I'm not pro-China. I'm not saying we should swap our dependence on America for them. I don't think anyone out there is saying that. America is always going to play an outsized role in our trade. Its size and location dictate that.

But let's face it, America is on the decline. Mega isn't a projection of strength, it's a reaction to a weakness within. I mean, at some point in the next 20 years, China will be the world's largest economy, and deep down, the U.S. knows it. So while America circles their wagons of protectionism, China is running away with the game, and it isn't even close. They already lead in renewable energy, EVs, scientific research, telecommunications, and so much more.

There's no stopping China. And it's just a matter of time before something replaces the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency. And my bet is that it will be the yuan. I'm sure there's not a lot of people excited by that. But I'm just stating the facts. And the facts show that with or without Trump, America's dominance on the world stage has been waiting for some time. And how could it not be?

I mean, for the last 30 years, the United States has been riding from bubble to bubble playing quarterly checkers. China, on the other hand, they've been playing generational chess. They've long recognized American hubris, and they've been exploiting it for all its worth. And look, I know China is a bad actor, but is America so much better? They're rounding up people and sticking them in camps. They're using prison labor to build cars. America's not beyond reproach. And say what you want about China,

but at least they're smart enough to know that invading another country is bad for business. America? Well, judging for my last visit to the fuel pumps, not so much. Look, love them or hate them. China is consistent in their actions, even the bad ones. They don't run hot,

they're not emotional. They're tough and they're calculated, but they're also a known quantity. Isn't that better than dealing with dumpster Don and his tire fire approach to international affairs? Isn't that better than policies set by late night social media screeds? Look, the only thing I understand about America these days is that they can't be counted on. Their word means nothing, their handshake means nothing, and Trump's signature is worth more in a Vegas pawn shop, than it is on any treaty. So look, if we're going to diversify our trade, China has got to be a big part of the mix, period.

America might not like that. I'm sure a lot of Canadians won't like it either, but it's time that we get over it and get on with it. Well, he doesn't shy away from it, taking a stand, and that's his stand. and well I'm sure you have a few feelings about that one and some of you may write to me and tell me what they are all right back to our letters back to your letters

because it's your turn but your letters on this they ask me anything week Julie Smith Allen in Luthbridge Alberta when you read out the letters on Thursdays and a location is unfamiliar you always rattle off where it is For example, Fannie Bay, British Columbia. That's a small community on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Do you still, or do you just know all those small communities, or do you look some of them up?

It definitely adds to our listening experience. Well, some of them I know because some of them have been there. But it's quite often that my good friend Mark Bulgich, co-author of our new book that's coming out this fall, he's the one who adds a line in the notes saying this is where this place is. So as I said, I know a lot, but I sure don't know them all. Whenever we get a letter from a place, I think most of you won't know.

Even if I know it and people in that area will know it, we add the information. When we don't know where it is, we look it up. Christian Strickland in Poit-Duchin, New Brunswick. That's on Chediak Bay. I'll be in Namaghan, the Netherlands, this July for the 108th four-days marches event, and we'll also have a week to sightsee. I know you've been to Appledorn for the liberation parades.

Do you have any specific recommendations? And if so, why? for Canadian military history sites to visit either in Appledorn or the rest of the Netherlands. You know, there are so many great Canadian historic sites connected to our military in different parts of Europe. You know, Netherlands certainly one, Belgium, France, Italy. I mean, I could go on. Lots of them. Appledorn as a self-guided walk that takes you right through the city,

listening to historical facts about the Canadian liberation of the city. It starts near the Hetlu Palace, goes by Canada Way and ends downtown. I'm sure any online tourist guide will point the way to you. The palace in Appledorn isn't a military site, but once you're there, it's worth a visit. Also in Appledorn, there's a statue of the man with two hats celebrating the Dutch-Canadian. Canadian relationship. There's a twin statue in Ottawa. You should also get to at least one of the three Canadian War cemeteries in the Netherlands.

Grospeake Cemetery is closest to Appledorne and the largest of the cemeteries. I think there are a couple of thousand Canadians who have their final rusting place there. And you should try to get to Von Geningen, where you'll find the Hotel de Verald, the world. that's where the Canadians accepted the German surrender in 1945. You know, I've been there, sat at the table where the surrender was taken. It's still a hotel, and you can see a plaque commemorating the surrender. The National Liberation Memorial is outside the hotel, and just down the road there's the Liberation Hall Museum,

which tells you more about the surrender. When you get to Amsterdam, there's a very good museum of the resistance, an excellent and very moving Holocaust memorial, which lists the name of every... Dutch Jewish victim of the Holocaust. The Netherlands are still coming to grips with the fact that no country in Europe lost a higher

percentage of its Jewish population. And of course, there's Anne Frank House, where Anne and her family hid for two years before being betrayed and sent to concentration camps. That is a very popular

site, and you should buy tickets before you leave Canada and as soon as possible, because they sell out very quick. Carolyn Black in Waterloo, Ontario. A few months ago you talked about getting a new puppy, but I don't think you've talked about it since. Please tell us about your puppy, how training is going, name. Would you post a picture on Instagram?

It's a border terrier. It's still a puppy. Name Skyla. Border terriers are Scottish, right? That's where they were first bred. and you most of you know I love Scotland in Scotland next week and one part of Scotland that we particularly like

is the Isle of Sky So Skyla was named after that on Another puppy question Jill Weston and Aurora Ontario I'd like to know how your new border terrier puppy is And if you've traveled with it yet by air haven't traveled with it yet by air.

We have a five-year-old border terrier who is an integral part of our lives and we can't imagine leaving Joey behind to travel on our own. Well, we can't imagine leaving Skyla alone either. So I'll let you know how that goes. Doug Gerard in Oakville, Ontario, I'm interested to know from your life and TV news if organizations like the CBC monitor other news organizations

like CTV or global or even the U.S. networks? Is there a regular comparison of how other organizations cover a particular story? How do they respond to a scoop or even a differing viewpoint from another organization? And do competing correspondence fraternized with each other off the air when covering a particular event? Okay, listen, we're all in the same business. We have a lot of respect for each other. and in some cases, there are friends. Our Washington correspondent is married to the CTV Washington correspondent.

There you go. But yes, we all monitor each other. We see what we're doing. We see what, if anything, we've missed and whether they've taken a different angle than we've taken on a particular story because the media is not a monolith. We all go about our jobs differently. And that's why I always get frustrated when I hear people sort of like criticize the media like everybody's the same because they're not the same.

Some are better than others. You know, you get my drift on that. Anna Papyrus in Oakville, Ontario. As golf season begins in Ontario and having heard you talk about golfing in Scotland, my question is, do you like Lynx-style courses? and if you're so inclined to reveal, what's your handicap? You don't want to know my handicap. I don't want to know my handicap.

I used to have a very good handicap. Not so much anymore. My game's gone downhill a lot. But that doesn't mean I like it any less. I love golf. And I love link-style colors. I golf. It's very different than what we play in.

uh in canada uh but link style is basically link style is your link to the ocean you're not supposed to be actually really linked to the ocean but of course i've definitely been linked to the ocean on occasion on some of my shots um yannis almeri or almerie in gulf Ontario. How have you managed to stay open to the news with all the crazy stuff that's going on? What advice would you have for someone who loves political news but finds it can just all be too much? First, let me acknowledge that it can become overwhelming these days.

I know that people have complained forever about the news always being bad, but in the old days there were only two newscasts a day and everything came at you in two minute bites. Now it's relentless. If you end up watching Donald Trump for too long, you'll be throwing things at the television. I think it's your responsibility as a citizen to be well informed. I hear people saying I don't listen to the news anymore. And that's their business,

but I don't know how you can help make things better in the world if you don't know what's going on. And making things better is your job, my job, and everyone's job. That said, you don't have to get sucked into following everything all the time. 24-hour news is great, but you don't have to watch it 24 hours a day. I think you can be generally on top of things

by watching at least one good newscast a day and reading at least one good newspaper. Catch a radio newscast if you're in the car at the top of an hour. And maybe sign up for news alerts from one or two trusted sources so you don't miss a big breaking story. That's it. Don't become addicted,

especially if it's going to get you down. The other thing I never forget, and I've mentioned this before, something Walter Cronkite said. Years ago, you've got to be careful where you're getting your news. You can't just depend on television to give you your news. What did Walter Cronkite, the most trusted person on television, say? It says television is just the headlines. You've got to go deeper.

you got to read, you got to listen. You want to know what's going on? You have to spend a little bit of time understanding things. And that means you've got to do more than just watch television newscasts. Cindy Kilpatrick and Spruce Grove, Alberta. In your experience when money,

donations, etc., is not a factor, what are the most effective methods of getting one's representative to pay attention to small voices? Does each phone call, email or letter get noticed? Do boilerplate emails through lobby groups get read or even counted? And is a constant bombardment by an individual more likely to get them noticed or ignored? And how effective our protests?

You know, that's a really good question. I don't know the answers for sure, but here's the best guess. They care. They obviously don't answer. their office phone personally or read every letter personally. But they have people who do that. If you're asking for help, with your passport, for example, or a stop sign on your street corner, you'll surely get a response.

If you're complaining about a policy, you'll probably get an answer and maybe not just a generic response, but a reasoned personal one. That's likely to happen if you write a reasoned message yourself, not just an angry one. If you write too often, I suppose you may be dismissed as a crank. Signing your name to an organized onslaught from a lobby group probably isn't as powerful as writing on your own. In person, protests are powerful because they demonstrate commitment. Politicians can tell themselves the protesters are a small minority, but they still get the message that not everyone is happy.

So that's my best shot at trying to answer that one. Lana McLaren in Vancouver My favorite thing to do at the end of my workday Is a quiet sit in my garden and check in with nature My garden bird baths are busy activity hubs What's your favorite bird and why? I've never been asked that question I've been asked a lot of these other questions

Many times in my career And I don't mind answering them But I've never been asked what my favorite bird is So let me tell you My favorite bird Is the Robin It still excites me to see my first Robin Each spring

It says I've made it through another winter There are better times weather-wise coming And I'm excited to see that Robin So there's your answer Ian Ricketts Moncour in St. George, Ontario That's between Cambridge and Brantford will Brian Stewart be returning to discuss the Ukraine war? His particular knowledge of the military situation was always very insightful.

And it still is. Brian and I have lunch every once in a while. He's spent the last couple of years focused on writing his book. If you haven't read it yet, you should because it is a fabulous book about his career and his thoughts about the things he's seen. so he exhausted himself writing that book and he's still kind of recovering from from not only writing it but selling it and the tours that he's done but I'll see whether he's he's anxious to get back into dropping by

he did a lot of prep work for the for the times he was on the program of course Dr. Stein there's a good friend of Bryans is our regular on Mondays now and has a huge audience. Brent Cabelka in Turtle Lake, Saskatchewan, that's near North Battleford. In today's often polarized media environment, where journalists sometimes are accused of softball questions or ignoring issues, I was wondering if, in your prior interviewing experience of geopolitical figures, you ever had an experience where you regretted asking about a certain situation

or upon reflection wished you pulled harder on a thread because of the eventual outcome and significance of the issue. Oh, I think you're always second-guessing yourself about the interviews you've done and what you could have asked or didn't ask or could have pursued a little more. But overall, you know, I was happy with the opportunity to talk to some of the people who make some of the big decisions in our world. and so I don't lose sleep about that. How are we doing on time here?

Oh, we're getting close. Let's try one more. Dawn Crabb in Kingston. Your voice and cadence of speech, I speculate, is polished by years of experience and listening to yourself on tape. Have you changed in this respect from your early days? Is the current polished the result of coaching?

Do you have the same thing? polish in your living room or in Scotland the way from your regular listeners. I've never had any coaching. I just talk. You get more comfortable over time. I mean, I've been doing this for 60 years. I wouldn't want to listen to my first interview,

our first broadcast, because I'm sure I was nervous, and hadn't developed a cadence. I have a much different cadence doing this podcast than I had when I was doing the news. It was a very different kind of program. program. But the secret is to get comfortable, be comfortable, and to be yourself, not try to be somebody else in the way you deliver whatever it is, whether you're delivering a newscast or delivering a podcast, which are both very different. And this day is different than other days

in the week. The way I talk for your turn is different than the way I talk for good talk, I think. All I know is it's all fun. And I try to make it as natural as I can. And I hope it is something that's comfortable for you to listen to. Occasionally I'll get a letter saying, you don't sound right or do this, that, or the other thing with your microphone or what have you. But for the most part, for the tens of thousands of listeners we have,

and we're happy to have them, all of you, You just sit back and listen. And it's always great to hear from you as we do on days like this. Now, I know I got way more letters than we got to today. As I said, we'll keep on them. Probably next time we do ask me anything, we won't ask for new ones. We'll just try to deal with the backlog because there are lots of good ones here that we never got to today. Tomorrow Friday, of course, means good talk with Chantelle and Brew.

they'll be by and I'm sure we'll find lots of things to talk about because we always do so thanks for writing in this week it's always a treat to have this opportunity to talk with you and to hear what's on your mind and the questions you may have for me that's going to do it for today thanks for listening talk to you again in less than 24 hours