The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- Canadian Of The Year

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

The Random Ranter is with us as well for his final appearance of the year, and he doesn't pull any punches!

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. What a week it's been. What a week to pick the Canadian of the year. But you've done it. Your letters have been coming in all week. We're going to hear them and the random ranter coming right up. And hello there. Welcome to Thursday. Welcome to, well, what will be the final Your Turn of this year. Because after tomorrow's good talk, we're going to take a little bit of a break. We'll take a break for a couple of weeks and be back in early January. But we've got business at hand, and the business at hand is your turn

and the Canadian of the Year, your choice for Canadian of the Year. And as I said a moment ago, what a week to do it. You know, we've had this crazy town week in Ottawa where the stories have been endless and the questions about what's happened, why it's happened, who's going to pay for it, who's accountable, have been endless. And as a result, a lot of this has got mixed into, I think, the Canadian of the Year question.

And remember, when we outlined the Canadian of the Year, we're doing it just like they do at Time magazine. It doesn't mean it's the best person of the year. It doesn't mean it's the worst person of the year. It could be anything. That's how we make the decision here at the bridge anyway for Canadian of the Year. So it's been interesting to read your letters which have come in from across the country. Many of you

wanting to talk also about Crazy Town the events in Ottawa, whether the Prime Minister is going to hang on. Listen, by the time you hear this, some decisions may have already been made. It's the thing about podcasts, right? People listen to them all different times. And it's funny, I get a graph. I get a graph that's supplied by one of the podcast

providers that explains what the best time of day is for people in terms of their choice of when they listen to the podcast. Now, the biggest time is the noon hour because that's when it's released. It's also available on Sirius XM at that time, right across North America on Channel 167. But the podcast is always there. And so you see at different times of the day and night, and sometimes well into the night, that people are listening. Now, that could be because of time zones and different places in the world that people listen to it.

A lot of Canadians out there, different parts of the world, like to tune in to try and get a sense of what's happening. Well, this has been the week to be doing that. We've had huge numbers on the podcast. We did a special episode of the bridge on Tuesday it also went out on YouTube and it had like 30,000 views within a matter of hours

so it's quite it's been quite the week anyway enough from me. Let's get to you and your answers to that question. Who's the Canadian of the year? So here we go. We're starting with Bill Day in London, Ontario. My voice, by the way, sounds a little hoarse today.

It's a combination of things. I'm not in my normal studio type locations. I'm down south, actually. I'm in Florida. So I'm in a different kind of room. It sounds a little different, but also my voice is a little hoarse. I was out playing golf today. And I got kind of excited at times.

Anyway, here we go. Bill Day in London, Ontario. I nominate Summer McIntosh. Excited at times. Anyway, here we go. Bill Day in London, Ontario. I nominate Summer McIntosh. In a year of upheaval, crisis after crisis, childish political behavior, Trump, and homelessness, isn't it wonderful that again and again, Summer McIntosh lifted us out of our seats, made us proud to be Canadian,

and did it with class and grace. She's a positive beacon, a formidable force for good, and we need it. Fergus Lavelle in Kingston, Ontario. My pick for Person of the Year? Chrystia Freeland. She stood up to the Prime Minister when her values were at odds with his, an admirable and courageous act. She's arguably the most powerful and influential woman in Canadian politics in recent memory. That said, her actions may have weakened Canada's position, particularly in dealing with Donald Trump. Our government now seems fragile, and with Trudeau likely to resign, prorogue, or face an unwinnable battle, we're left in a precarious spot. After January 20th, who will negotiate with a lame duck administration? And if Pierre Poliev takes over, Trump, being the bully he is, may dominate him, as Poliev lacks the

experience of a seasoned government leader. So Chrystia Freeland, person of the year for her principles, though possibly at the cost of Canada's trajectory. Annika Clark in Victoria, B.C. The person I believe should be Canada's Person of the Year is Murray Sinclair. It's hard to put into words the impact of his work, particularly the advances in terms of reconciliation. Canada definitely lost a remarkable leader this year. Yeah, Murray Sinclair, that was a loss. A remarkable man.

Christina Savoia in Niagara Region, Ontario. The Canadian I would nominate for Person of the Year is Professor Tara Moriarty for keeping many of us informed on SARS-CoV-2, while all of our Canadian public health leaders fail us over and over again. She's been one of the few sources of COVID data that helps us understand the ongoing risk. I was not aware of Professor Tara Moriarty, so we did a little checking. According to the University of Toronto website, Dr. Tara Moriarty, so we did a little checking. According to the University of Toronto website, Dr. Tara Moriarty is an infectious disease researcher,

an associate professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Dentistry, with a cross-appointment to the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Faculty of Medicine. She's the co-founder of COVID-19 Resources Canada, an organization deploying volunteer scientists and researchers to rapidly identify and respond to community and research needs during the COVID-19 epidemic. Every couple of weeks, it issues a COVID-19 forecast that describes the current risk level. Marilyn Wallace in Fanny Bay, British Columbia. And what would a week be like

without hearing from Marilyn in Fanny Bay, British Columbia, my favorite town, Fanny Bay, British Columbia. I love that name. Marilyn Wallace writes, If this question had been posed in 2020, I would have voted for Justin Trudeau because of his calm, steady leadership during the COVID crisis. But in 2024, every decision he has made has been more irrational than the one before.

So for a completely different reason, he still gets my vote for Person of the Year. Julie Smith-Allen in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Mayor of Jasper, Richard Ireland, getting my vote, gets my vote, for Canadian of the Year. In the face of the devastation, including the loss of his own home, he stepped up with selfless love and support for his community. We need more people like Richard Ireland in public office.

You know, it's an amazing picture of Mayor Ireland at his home. And Premier Smith is there, kind of with a reassuring hand on his shoulder while he looks at the ruins of his home. That the wildfires in Jasper caused this year. Frank Wang of Surrey, BC. I was contemplating who to choose as our person of the year. By the end of Monday, with the cabinet drama unfolding,

it's clear to me that the answer is, without any doubt, Justin Trudeau. The year started with a cabinet shuffle in the hopes of rebuilding a team centered around Mr. Trudeau to be ready for the next election. Throughout the year, we saw him being grilled as part of the foreign interference hearings, embroiled in the first caucus crisis earlier this year, now scrambling to keep provinces in line as he puts together a response to the Trump tariffs. For better or worse, the spotlight has always been on him. Out of curiosity, I asked a couple of AI chatbots for the top 10 most mentioned Canadians in the news. The lists differ slightly, but the number one position is always Justin

Trudeau. For the number two position, Pierre Palliev. Justin Trudeau is both the hero and the villain of his story. He's the alpha and the omega of his journey. He brought himself to a stunning victory back in 2015, and he will bring himself to a crushing defeat in 2025. Tyrell Bertram, Mossbank, Saskatchewan. That's about 70 kilometers south of Moose Jaw, and also impossible not to say it is also south of Old Wives Lake. Don't you just love the names in this country? Tyrell writes, my pick for Canada's Person of the Year 2024 is former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney,

who passed away earlier this year. With the current political climate in Canada and around the world, I find myself revisiting Mulroney's words and style of leadership. His knack for a relationship building and his ability to wrap himself in the Canadian flag ultimately gave him the ability to truly fight for Canada. His commitment to making sure that Canada turns out to have been on the right side of history is endlessly commendable, something we need to continue to fight for as a country,

now more than ever. And we know why Mulroney used that term, be on the right side of history, when he was convincing both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to be on the right side of history in dealing with South Africa and ending apartheid, and eventually freeing Nelson Mandela from jail. Barry Hoffman in Burlington, Ontario.

Summer McIntosh, our illustrious aquatic star for representing Canada in such a glorious yet unpretentious fashion at the Paris Olympics and beyond. We've had a number already of Summer McIntosh being named as the Canadian of the Year. And you know she was named the Canadian Athlete of the Year. Was that Canadian Press, CPU, who names her then? Linda Was that Canadian press, CP, who names her then? Linda Dostal in Nanus Bay, B.C.

That's the east coast of Vancouver Island, about 25 kilometers north of Nanaimo. Linda nominates Conservative leader Pierre Palliev as Canadian Person of the Year. He prioritizes scoring political points over fostering constructive dialogue, leading to heightened partisanship and legislative gridlock. Poliev's actions have been undermining parliamentary decorum and unity

during a time of economic and social challenges. No mention of the fact that he's led polls throughout this year by upwards of 20 points. But for Linda, it's the other factors in regards to Pierre Poliev that she finds give him the mark on the year that allows him to be named Person of the Year. And they're not good marks. Paula Gratton in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Seeing that it doesn't have to be the best Canadian,

I'm going with the Prime Minister. Has anyone been in the Canadian news more this year? Has anyone made Canadians seriously wonder what they are planning to do more than he has? I don't think so. Now we sit and wait to see how the Freeland news affects his decision to step aside or not. It's non-stop Trudeau.

Whether you love him, hate him, or just want him to quietly go away, we're all affected. Christine MacDonald in LaSalle, Ontario. Chrystia. Chrystia Freeland took the band-aid of the wound and exposed it for what it is. Will this allow the trauma to heal? Who knows? It may hurt for a while.

I'm not sure of scarring, but only time will tell. Nicole Bienvenu in Chilliwack, B.C. It's Justin Trudeau, for all the wrong reasons. At the beginning of the year, many broadcasters predicted that he'd resign after Easter. Well, that didn't happen, and neither did June, September, or now. With all his caucus members quitting or leaving politics, they're essentially voting against his leadership. These were all long-time supporters who helped him look good. He didn't even recognize the signs and continued fighting. He should step down. This would be the defeat he didn't want, but the country needs it right now,

especially given the uncertainty about what the future holds. However, I'm not suggesting that any other opposition leader is correct. We simply need a change. Adele from Ottawa. And she convinced me that for work reasons, she doesn't want her last name used. The person of the year for me would be Katie Telford, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff. As she was away when Monday's events happened,

I'm starting to think she is more influential and powerful in keeping things in line. She was away last weekend. Now, whether that means she was totally unplugged from the office and wasn't advising the Prime Minister or not, we don't know. But she wasn't in Ottawa. Daryl Johansson in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. In my opinion, it would be Justin Trudeau, with a bad taste in my mouth. The worst Prime Minister that Canada has ever had.

All his decisions were made with political intentions or strategies to benefit himself and those close to him. Canadians were just in the way and needed to be told how to live and what to think through misinformation and lies. How long will it take us to fix the economy, immigration, our world status, our military, and our Canadian identity? He has hung on for his own ego and thrown Canada under the bus.

Shameful and embarrassing. He needs to go as soon as possible. Sarah MacDonald. as soon as possible. Sarah McDonald. Sarah is in Toronto. I feel like this is an obvious choice, but I do believe it to be the right one. Justin Trudeau. When you look at the events of the past year,

he was a constant part of the narrative. The Israel-Hamas conflict, support of Ukraine, grocery prices, dental care, etc., etc. And of course, the consistent question of will he or won't he step down. Everyone has an opinion about Justin Trudeau, good or bad, but not likely to be indifferent. Using the same criteria for Donald Trump to be named the time person of the year, then Justin Trudeau is my answer to this week's question. We're kind of at the halfway mark here. And you get the drift of what's happened.

And I'm sure, well, I'm not sure, but I would guess that if we'd run this question last week before all these events happened, that we would have got a lot of different answers. But many of the answers come out of what we've witnessed in just the last few days. And I guess we shouldn't be surprised by that.

It's been tumultuous. It's been a significant event in our lives. And it's certainly been a significant event in this year, 2024. Okay, we're going to take a break. And then when we come back, we'll hear the random ranter's thoughts and gee, guess what he's talking about.

And then we'll hear more of your letters. But first up, we'll take a quick break. We'll be back right after this. And welcome back. Peter Mansbridge here. You're listening to the Thursday episode of The Bridge. That means it's your turn in the Random Ranter.

You're listening on Sirius XM, Channel 167, Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform. Glad to have you with us. And we really appreciate the fact so many of you wrote in on this crazy week with your thoughts and your ideas about the Canadian Person of the Year. All right. Thursdays is also the Random Ranters. Take on whatever issue he happens to come up with.

Well, by no surprise, he's thinking about a lot of the same things you have been thinking. Here's his take. The tree is decorated. The presents are wrapped. It's the season of giving. So it seems only fair that I spend my last rant of the year giving it to Justin Trudeau. Let me start by saying I've never seen a bigger phony.

For a proud feminist, he's got a solid track record of betraying the women in his caucus the moment they stop doing what they're told. And it's not just women. It's pretty much anybody outside of his circle that challenges him. Justin Trudeau is toxic, maybe to a level never seen in Canadian politics before. He's long overstayed his welcome, his government is bereft of fresh ideas, and thanks to him, they're shorn of the talent to produce them. His government is a great example of the type of workplace that presents itself as open and collaborative until you get there and find out the boss has to be the smartest

person in the room. And when Justin is the boss, that's a real problem. I mean, the guy just backstabbed his biggest cheerleader via Zoom, then showed up at the Christmas party like nothing happened. Everyone has known for over a year that Justin is done, but after this week, he's as lame as a lame duck can be. Yet for some inexplicable reason, Justin endures. He's doomed his party to a crushing defeat, but in fairness, they deserve it. They've had ample opportunity to do something about him, but they've failed to act. And by doing so, they've created a real problem for the rest of us. Because with Trump coming, we need leadership, not chaos.

Justin's continued presence does not put the country first, and we deserve much better. Look, I think Trump 2.0 represents an existential threat. I believe his talk of border security is nothing but pretext. The moment we fix the border, he'll come up with something else to justify his tariffs. And the more we waffle on our response, the louder his 51st state smirkless joke will become. The only way we stand a chance right now is with a strong, united, cohesive plan, and that can't include Justin. He's long blown what little credibility he had left. But that said, there doesn't seem to be much of an alternative to be

excited about, at least federally. I mean, Jagmeet had a great opportunity to seize the day and announce he had lost confidence in the government, but all he could manage was some vague non-committal half-statement. And then Polyev stepped up to say, need to have an axe the tax election. I'm sorry, but an axe the tax election? How tone deaf is that? The next election needs to be about how we respond to Trump. So it would be nice if our assumed leader-in-waiting, Pierre, could put the whole axe the tax thing to bed. Because we've got bigger problems that need solving.

Just listen to Polyev talk. He'll be the first one to say because we've got bigger problems that need solving. Just listen to Polyev talk. He'll be the first one to say how broken we are. And he's not entirely wrong because I think one of the things that got lost in the shuffle of the whole Freeland debacle is that our deficit has ballooned 50% over what it was forecasted to be. It's now a staggering $61 billion. That's not the kind of news we need headed into a trade war. Look, I'm no fan of Pierre Polyev. I'm wary of his lack of policy. I'm unsettled by his embrace of social conservatism. But Trudeau has backed us into a corner on this one. He set the election bar so low for Pauliev, all he really needs to do is fog Amir and he'll become the next prime minister, likely with a strong majority. And

as bad as that sounds to me, I think it would beat having Justin again. I don't think Pauliev is quite the legacy Justin was looking to leave, but at this point, he's got no one to blame but himself. Well, you know, when you ask the ranter to do a rant, he doesn't hold back. And he sure didn't hold back this week. And the random ranter and his thoughts for the end of 2024. Okay, let's get back to some of your letters, because we have a few more. Starting with Marina Skinner in Nanaimo, BC. I had to laugh listening to Monday's episode.

Little did we know that Canada's Person of the Year would be so obvious just a few hours after recording. How could it not be Chrystia Freeland at this point? I'm sure there are many Canadians worthy of the title. But the timing of her resignation, the wording of her letter, and the impact of her political career to this point will have us remembering Chrystia Freeland's disruptor status of 2024 for many years to come. Betsy Dobb of St. Agatha, Ontario. Canadian of the Year, Murray Sinclair.

A great man, a great human being. He will be missed. Mark Manchester. Based on his phone number, I'd say Mark is from Toronto. Like our beaver, this one is high-flying, hard-working, water-loving. That's right, Summer McIntosh. She's maintained her composure, knows her best self, loves and is loved by her family and friends, sets goals, and she's confident that often end up beating world records. She's a team player and a winner. She makes us smile and cheer openly. Shail Palawal in Ottawa. My Canadian Person of the Year is Jeffrey Hinton. Hinton is a computer scientist, a cognitive psychologist,

and a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He was recently awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in artificial intelligence. His work on artificial neutral networks earned him the title as the Godfather of AI. It makes me proud to know a fellow Canadian is a renowned expert and at the forefront of an area of significant technical innovation. Gary Gould in Brantford. My choice for Canadian of the Year?

Summer McIntosh. A meddled swimmer who represented Canada at the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Not all in 2024. At 16 years of age, she has achieved very lofty goals and undoubtedly will become a Canadian icon. I think she already is. She certainly is amongst our writers this week.

Patrick Chung in Toronto. I'd nominate Chrystia Freeland as a Canadian Person of the Year. She guided us through the first Trump term, COVID, and was getting ready to deal with the second term of you-know-who. Of course, there are things beyond her control, inflation and policies set out by persons who believe that he or himself can win another election. Her bravery stands up for us, for us taxpayers.

Ken Pellishock in Newstead, Ontario. I'm choosing Drake as Canadian Person of the Year specifically for his lawsuit against Universal Music. Drake knows how the music industry boosts the artists we listen to in the past. He's benefited from it, but after his losing his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar, he decided to expose it. This lawsuit may have very interesting and profound effects on the music industry. Now, if that loses you, here's a little background. Very briefly, Drake has alleged in a court filing that Universal Music falsely pumped up the popularity on Spotify and other streaming services of Kendrick Lamar's song, Not Like Us, a song that attacks Drake. Drake says the song went viral only because Universal used bots and pay-for-play schemes. Universal says the suggestion that it would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.

Mark Rennick in Guelph, Ontario. Okay, I wasn't going to read this. But here I am, reading it anyway. For all his work researching and bringing key people together to keep Canadians informed in these extraordinary times, I vote for Peter Mansbridge. Listen, Mark, thank you very much. He's very kind of you, but really,

everybody that has been mentioned in these letters is far more deserving for any number of different reasons than I am. I'm just a reader. And I have fun doing it. Okay, we've got to love this one. Matthew Sklarczyk in Vernon, B.C. My pick for Canadian of the Year is none other than Marilyn from Fanny Bay, British Columbia.

Oh, dear. She's managed to endear herself to one of Canada's most popular podcast hosts. That would be me, apparently. She may hold the record for most consecutive weekly contributions to Thursday's Your Turn, and her letters are always thoughtful. They are. You don't automatically get on Your Turn. You've got to have actually something to say.

And it should be thoughtful. And hers are always that. Moreover, as Matthew says, she has likely drawn more attention across the country to her small, unincorporated community with a population of only 921 than anyone else. We have friends on Vancouver Island. The next time I'm there, I may stop in for a bite to eat, injecting just a few extra tourist dollars into that quaint little community.

The restaurant owner can thank Marilyn from Fanny Bay. My pick for Canadian of the Year. I like that. That's a good one. All right. So where did we end up with all this? Who got the most votes? Well, the ranter's not going to like this.

The winner of the Bridges Canadian of the Year Contest is, that's right, Justin Trudeau. There was a tie for second place. Christian Freeland and Summer McIntosh. So I'm trying to think, should I, you know, what do we think of that? I think there might have been one letter in there for Justin Trudeau that you could classify as saying it was on the positive side of negative none of the other ones were

but we did explain we did explain at the beginning of the week when we announced this contest that it didn't have to be the best person at the year it could be the person who had the greatest impact on our lives, good or bad. Well, the winner, your winner,

is Justin Trudeau. And tied for second, Chrystia Freeland, who a week ago may not have even been in this list, but she sure is now. And she's earned her place in this year's history and quite possibly a lot more. And then there's Summer McIntosh. You know, if there's anybody who could bring a smile to your face,

it's Summer McIntosh. For the way she, you know, carries herself, the way she smiles, and the way she swims. You know, it's funny when before the Olympics, and, you know, I wasn't up to speed, you know, on all the athletes that Canada had going into the Paris Olympics. I used to be when I, you know, I did the Olympics with Brian Williams and Ron McLean and enjoyed all those times. Going back to Korea in 1988. But anyway, this year I hadn't done my homework on the Olympics. So I wasn't quite aware.

And I can remember the beginning of the summer, about a month before the Olympics, when the hype was starting to come out, I was going on a flight somewhere. And I was at Pearson Airport in Toronto. And I'd been through security, and that's taking an elevator to a different floor. And when I got to the elevator, the doors,

Air Canada began its promotion of the Olympics. And the way they did it is they coupled an Air Canada, like a pilot or a flight attendant or a ticket agent or a cargo agent, with an athlete. And there were a dozen or more different varieties of that combination athlete and Air Canada person. And when I went up to the doors of this elevator

that was taking me to a different floor, the image of the athlete on those doors, and I'm, you know, it may well have been the first time I'd seen her, was Summer McIntosh. And, you know, she's a striking person to see before you ever see her in the pool. And there she was, and I looked at her and I went, wow, who is this?

And I hope she does well. Does well. She set all kinds of records, as she had been in the time before the Olympics, and as she continues to do now. So when I look at those three people, I know that, you know, obviously Trudeau and Freeland are in the news. And, you know, we'll always be in the news to some degree. But boy, at a time when we could use some real gung-ho about the country,

Summer McIntosh delivered it for us. So, thanks to all those who voted for Summer McIntosh. And thank all of you who gave your thoughts on this question. You don't win anything when you're picked as Person of the Year from the Bridge. There is no award. There's no belt. There's no trophy. There's no medal. There's just that overpowering

credit you can now take with you and add to your resume. As I'm sure some will do. All right, that's going to wrap it up for this day on the bridge. Tomorrow, for the third time this week, we'll have a good talk. We did a special one on Tuesday. It was our encore episode on Wednesday. And tomorrow, the regular Friday good talk. Let's see what Chantel and Bruce have to say on Friday. We'll see where their story is on Friday. You know, is there going to be a shuffle?

Is there going to be a resignation? Is there going to be a new appointment? What's going to happen to, you know, the ministers that are being replaced? Who's going to replace them? We may have that to talk about. We may have, well, we may have any number of things to talk about. And you know what? We always of things to talk about. And you know what?

We always find room to talk about them. So that is Friday on Good Talk. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks so much for listening today, and thank you again for those who wrote in. It's a treat always to have the opportunity to read your letters. Thanks for listening. Talk to you again in almost 24 hours.