The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn on the Summer of 25, Plus The Random Ranter

Episode Date: September 4, 2025

The first Your Turn of 2025 asks the question, what did you notice about the summer of 2025 and a surprising number of you mention the issue of Artificial Intelligence. Is it a huge advance or does it come at huge cost? AI is also the focus of the Random Ranter as he takes on AI as well.  

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away. The latest episode of The Bridge is Thursday. That means your turn and the random ranter. Coming right up. And hello there. Our first, your turn of the new season, season six here at the bridge. Got off to a great start.

Really enjoyed having you with us this week. And I've really enjoyed receiving your mail this week as it's coming on your turn, but also a lot of letters, just simply saying, hey, provide your back, missed you this summer. And really, that's really nice to know. A lot of you make the bridge part of your day and the different programming that we have each day of the week. A surprising number of you writing in yesterday. yesterday about the special, the Wednesday in-bit special. I'm glad you enjoyed that as well.

And we may well try doing that maybe, say, once a month around the encore editions that usually end up on Wednesdays. All right, let's get to your letters, because as usual now, we get a lot of them. So we're trying to squeeze as many in as we can. those of you who met all the conditions. There were a fair number came in after the 6 p.m. deadline. Nothing we can do about that. Sorry.

That's just the way the system works. All right. Starting with Greg Rogers in Toronto. The question this week was, What caught your eye in the summer of 2025? Greg writes, What caught my eye was the increasing amount of opinion pieces in the major newspapers and the other

media that democracy is dead or almost dead in America. Yet I have a number of center-left American friends who don't seem overly concerned. Is it media overreach, or is it the end of democracy in America imminent? Jonathan Young, born in Nova Scotia, but writing from Brussels, Belgium. What caught my eye was the by-election in Battle River Crowfoot. Despite the result, it was fascinating to observe the statement that was being made by the other 200 candidates on the ballot. Ridiculous practices such as parachuting candidates into writings to which one has no affiliation or connection only further contributes to the crisis of mistrust in our political system.

Well, you're right, Jonathan, did seem crazy, but let's remember that of the 200-plus candidates, Pierre Paulyev, who won, was one of those parachuted in. Bill Day in London, Ontario. What strikes me the most is the utter impotence of our world to deal with epic tragedies like Gaza, the war in Ukraine, the war in Sudan. We seem powerless to make any of these situations better. Janet Dennett in Qualicum Beach, BC. I realize my brain space has been overwhelmed too long with geopolitical crises. I realize much of my attention is on mayhem, and I can't control. So going forward, I'm rethinking what I read and listened to, what I read and listen to,

but sticking with actions where my minuscule impact matters. I'm still elbows up, still using my buying power to fight back, but now I'm giving more attention to my personal well-being and that of my family and friends. Dana Pack in Fredericton, New Brunswick. One disturbing thing that happened this summer was that Carney's government scrapped the digital services tax, gave up on that with a whimper. I understand he has to play a game with the moron down south, but I voted for him expecting more with respect to that.

I thought elbows up actually meant something. Wendy Cecil in Toronto Americans believe Trump is the most powerful man in the world, and they feel good about themselves. But his perpetually erratic behavior reveals his weakness, narcissism, and dishonesty. In their naivity and solipalism, I don't know that word, sorry, they fail to notice the USA is no longer the greatest country in the world. Trump holds up a cracked mirror, and they pream. while we, the captive audience, recognize a tragedy unfolding in multiple dimensions and hold our breath. Wendy, all I'd say is don't overgeneralize.

It's not all Americans feel that way. Clearly, a lot do, but not all. Somewhere around half, don't feel that way. Phoebe and Budaman in Milton, Ontario. It's just west of Toronto. I notice that many big companies, especially banks and governments, require their workers to go back four or five days in office. Not because of productivity or team building,

but because commercial real estate is suffering and or nudge people to quit and they can reduce workforce through attrition. It really shows where their priorities are. Andres Sandu in Comoka, Ontario, just west of London. What caught my eye this summer was how dominant Yannick Sinner was during the Wimbledon final. I thought his mental fortitude was impressive, especially after losing one month earlier against Carlos Alcaraz on the French Open Final. Their rivalry will be fun to follow for the foreseeable future. Center beat Canada's Dennis Shopopoulov

in the third round of the U.S. open last Saturday and now has advanced the semifinal. Guess who he'll be playing in the semifinal? I think he's playing because he certainly made it to the semifinals. And that's another Canadian. Right? You know who it is. Do you know who it is?

Felix Felix is in the semi-final and I think he's probably playing Sinner in that semi. In fact, I know what I'm sure he is. Okay, Joshua Winters in Surrey, BC. I recently started working at a customs brokerage

my first time in the industry. I was floored by the maze of paperwork, regulations and requirements involved in importing and exporting, all of this made more difficult by current trade tensions, particularly with the U.S. Many brokerage firms remain stuck in the past with steel binders, dot matrix printers, and fax machines. What impressed me about my new team is their push to modernize a slow-moving industry. One colleague even built a chat GPT tool to simplify tariff and counter-tariff checks. I'm grateful to have found a firm that uses AI to strengthen its employees at a time when

many others, including my previous employer, are using it to replace people. Joshua, you want to listen to the random ranter today. He has some thoughts about AI that may not align with yours. Alex Roy in Ottawa. What caught my eye this summer is how the latest wave of AI has accelerated a where employers no longer hire new grads. Without new talent feeding the pipeline, we risk a massive skills void. Media frames this as a problem for individual employers eventually facing shortages,

but it's really a prisoner's dilemma. Each employer waits for others to train their talent. Should governments step in to incentivize companies to keep developing entry-level workers? Paul Aminikin in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We reached a tipping point with corporate greed. Self-proclaimed leaders and CEOs. It's not one incident or event. It's the agglomeration of all of them,

from record bank profits when people are hurting, to CEOs getting coal-played and stealing from children. Rich at all costs is no longer cool. David Lepin in Ogden, Quebec, that's in the eastern townships. The rapidity of the USA's transformation into a full-blown authoritarian state, which many observers describe as fascist. I'm starting to feel like Canada's biggest threat is from our former ally to the south. Tristan Coolman in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

A Saskatchewan lower court's ruling on the province's use of the notwithstanding clause with their Parents' Bill of Rights Act was politically notable for me. Though the ruling did not state the use of the clause could be revoked, it allows a court the opportunity to officially rule on whether the act infringes on the rights of LGBTQ youth. A little background here. case you're not entirely up to date on this story. Saskatchewan's Bill 137, or the Parents Bill of Rights, requires students under the age of 16 to have parental permission

before they can change their pronouns or names in school. The province used the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution to exempt the law from being struck down by the courts, and the law won't be struck down, but the latest ruling will allow a judge to hear the charter case and rule on whether or not the law violates the charter. Robert Tangay in Toronto. I'm surprised but shouldn't be that same-sex marriage is already under attack by the Trump administration. My partner is American, and a recognition of our relationship on both sides of the border is important to us. Based on all the smart people you talk to, do you think the courts will strike it down?

Here's a little background on this one. It was 10 years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court declared gay marriage, a constitutionally protected right, and according to a recent Gallup poll, more than two and three Americans support that, and nearly as many say gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable. But in at least nine states, Republicans have introduced measures to try to chip away

at same-sex couples' right to marry. Bibbs LaFleche in Winnipeg What caught my eye this summer was the Air Canada flight attendant strike As a proud uniform member, huge respect to QP flight attendants at Air Canada legislated back to work but still standing strong, united, and fearless This is the resurgence of labor in Canada When workers fight back together, nothing can break us Don Campbell in Kelowna, BC.

What really lit the fuse on the exploding cigar of this grumpy old man is what I witnessed on the waters of Okanagan Lake this summer. Far too many recreational power boaters are oblivious to boating regulations and good boating protocols. We've had many collisions between power vessels and things like paddle borders and canoes and sailboats. Time to tighten up our regulations on who gets a license to operate a motor vessel. The test is far too easy, and people jokingly talk about having two or three friends help them take it online. I find this an embarrassment. Paula Grattan in Miramachine, New Brunswick.

Something this summer that caught my eye was that humanity still connects us. My family and I went to Halifax this summer. for a weekend. Twice I offered to take family pictures for people trying to unsuccessfully selfie. Both times they were surprised by my offer. It made me realize that humanity is what connects us still. Basic kindness still makes a difference, and I still believe most humans are kind at the very core. David Buckin in Vancouver. I'm a Vancouver writer who just spent a month in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. What caught my eye?

Almost no drug or homeless challenges noticeable. Went all over, and nothing compares to the tragedy that is consistently being part of Vancouver, and now unfolds and gets worse on a daily basis. Do better.

You know, it'd be hard-pressed to persuade people in Montreal, Toronto, or Ottawa that their homelessness problem isn't noticeable, but David, You saw what you saw. Mike Lombardi in Vancouver. This summer's rapid AI shifts show Canada can't sit back.

We need action now. AI must reflect our values, not just tech agendas. Policymakers, experts, and everyday Canadians should work together. Regional roundtables or advisory groups would give government real-world insights and diverse perspectives to guide AI responsibly and for the common good. Ravi Ravishankar in Ottawa. What struck me was the proliferation of AI platforms into the mainstream, chat, GBT, Perclexity, Clode, Gemini, etc.

The list keeps growing along with their newer versions coming out seemingly every other day. I'm very excited about all the opportunities. They bring, but how are we going to keep up with all the advances? I don't have an answer to that yet. Again, listen to the random ranter coming up in a few minutes. Sean Aiken and Whitby, Ontario, just east of Toronto. My friend Tony is 77 years old. This summer, he completed the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure on his gravel bike.

He rode nearly 700 kilometers in seven days. Hamilton to Lake Huron to Lake Hurie and back to Hamilton. This guy's 77. He's my role model and is aging better than anyone I know. He's youthful, tanned, and happy each day. Thank you, Tony, for reminding us all that getting older can be joyful and active. It's the same age as I am. Good for you, Tony.

Harry Gold, Harold Gold, in Calgary. me and for many Albertans, the thing that has caught my eye has been the separatist movement here in Alberta, or to be more precise, the anti-separatist movement. Former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukashuk, I think it's pronounced Lukashuk, I think it's pronounced that way, has started a referendum campaign of his own to push for Alberta to stay in Confederation. The task to achieve nearly 300,000 signatures is daunting, but I am hopeful. as well as a proud Canadian. Ken Peloshock in Newstad, Ontario.

Without any mansperch to listen to, I listened to a lot of Spotify with ads. Many of the ads went like, Hey, Canadian, we understand you're upset. But when you're ready, we hope you'll come visit Rochester. I heard others for Michigan and I think Maine. The ads are tone-deaf, in my opinion, but they acknowledge Canadians are upset

and that's why we're staying away. Paul Sidwell in Toronto. I was very excited to see that Canadians were serious about the boycott of not going to the U.S. and no longer purchasing American products. We must continue this until Trump is not in office. This economic activity will affect the U.S. public and will assist our Canadian government negotiators.

We must hold the line. and not waver. Well, you know what? I don't think we are wavering. Sure, there's been a bit of softening on this, but not a lot. It's pretty hardcore. And as I've said before, I think it's generational. Let's take one more before we take our break for the random ranter.

And it comes from Wendy Edwards in Mississauga. As a lifelong reader, I've been watching the book bans in the U.S. I was upset to see that book banning has made its way to Alberta schools. It looks like it's been paused, it has, and hopefully it will end. Books are not the only way to find out how the world works. The other ways will continue. So why ban books? Good question.

All right. Well, let's first take our break. And then we'll come back and listen to the random ranter. Because, as I've said before, he's got something to say this week, and it's about artificial intelligence. But first, it's break time. We'll be back right after this. And welcome back. You're listening to The Bridge, the Thursday episode.

That means your turn and the random ranter. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Glad to have you with us. You're listening on Sirius XM Canada Talks or on your favorite podcast platform. Glad to have you with us, whatever platform you have chosen to listen to us on. As you can tell, lots of letters this week on this question of, you know, what caught your eye in the summer of 2025? And, you know, it makes me feel so comfortable. You know, I'm kind of pausing and laughing at the same time. It makes me feel so comfortable to hear from so many of you.

Every since we've, you know, changed the rules somewhat to require it to be 75 words or fewer. It's one of the things I learned this week. Thanks to a writer who wrote in and said, Peter, it's all very interesting, but your grammar is bad when you say 75 words are less. A number can't be less, can be fewer. So the proper grammar is 75 words.

or fewer. So I've been trying to remember that and trying to say that. But my point is, since we moved it to 75 words or fewer, the number of letters has increased. The number of letters we managed to get on the program has increased. And I think the focus of those letters is much better now. Get to the point, make your case, and it's over. On to the next one.

All right. The other part of Thursdays is the Random Ranter. And for those of you who are just joining us in season six, the brief explanation of the random ranter is, this person lives in Western Canada. He's not a journalist. He's not a political person. He's not involved with any of the parties.

And as I said, he's not a journalist, although he's a pretty good writer. And he loves to tell stories. And every week he goes on a rant about something. And you may agree with it. You may not. But like everything else that we try to do on the bridge, it provokes thought. It gives you an opportunity to ranch yourself. Maybe in the quiet of your home, maybe to your partner.

or maybe in a letter to the bridge. So here we go. It's time for the random raiders rant this week. Everywhere I went this summer, my friends were talking to me about the same thing, AI. I guess this is the summer where people are waking up to it, where enough have been exposed to it firsthand,

and they're talking about it, they're concerned by it, excited by it, or both. I mean, AI really has caught the imagination of the general public, and there are opinions on both sides of the fence. So today, I thought I'd share my two cents. Now, forgive me for sugar-coding it, but I think AI represents the biggest existential threat to mankind ever. I think it's potentially more of a threat,

the nuclear weapons, global warming, and Donald Trump all rolled into one. I know a lot of pro-AI billionaires like to compare AI to other historically disruptive technologies, but the coming of AI is not the same as the coming of the Internet. It's not going to be like the advent of the digital camera or streaming versus cable. It's a whole new beast. Sure, the invention of the car wiped out the carriage industry. But for every job it eliminated in horses and buggies, it created more in manufacturing, in parts, in steel, and in oil.

And historically, that's what disruptive technologies have done. They've torn down industries and built back bigger ones with more jobs, or at least different jobs. But the same can't be said for AI, because by all accounts, AI won't just disrupt jobs in one industry. it will disrupt them across the entire world economy. Companies that employed thousands will employ a fraction of that, and the types of eliminated jobs will be the very jobs people attain to, the kind of jobs that pay well, that require things we currently value like education, skill, and experience,

and make those things worthless. And in the wake of those job losses, there will be nothing for those people. I mean, with AI, you don't need an accounting department. You don't need consultants or experts or even marketing. And those jobs are just the tip of the iceberg. There will be so many more. What these billionaire proponents fail to understand is that for most people, jobs are more than work. They're more than a paycheck.

For many people, their job is their identity. It's the basis for their self-respect. It fulfills them as human beings. When you start taking that away, how does that story end for society? Look, there are so many issues with the implementation of AI, yet leaders everywhere seem hell-bent on a mission to full board drive us off that cliff. I don't get it. I mean, just look at the societal impact social media and the Internet have had.

When they started, they were supposed to help bring people together. Yet here we are 30 years into it, and people have never been lonelier. What's 30 years of being spoon-fed by AI chatbots going to do to them? How long until AI goes from being a tool we use for information to a gatekeeper that controls the information we are given? Or am I being naive and we're already there? Think about the power and reach of companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. They've built their empires through simple algorithms. Now they're using AI, and soon enough, it's going to be quantum AI.

It's just going to concentrate wealth and power among the very, very few, like nothing else ever has, to the point where it threatens the tenets of society and our sovereignty as a nation. I mean, in light of the digital services tax being rescinded, can we even claim to currently control our own digital domain? I'm not so sure. when it comes right down to it though no matter how you cut it AI has the potential to do serious harm sure it also has the potential to advance a lot of things maybe it finds all kinds of miracle breakthroughs maybe it even cures cancer but at what cost big tech billionaires like to describe AI as revolutionary if it ends up cutting entire segments of society adrift and leaving them behind

Well, to me, that sounds like a surefire recipe for self-destruction. AI may end up being revolutionary, but I'm not sure it's going to be the kind of revolution. Those billionaires are anticipating. Well, there you go. The random ranter opens his season six. With a rant on AI, you know, here's what's interesting. A year ago, I'd be lucky to get one letter.

a week on AI. Now you've already heard just through this edition of your turn, what, four or five mentions of AI just in the first half plus the rant. And the rant takes a very, you know,

particular view of what's happening as a result of AI. You know, and one of the phrases that stuck out to me in the rant was, I could come up with a cure for cancer, but at what cost? Now,

can you ever imagine having said that before? A cure for cancer, but at what cost? I don't think anybody ever raised the issue of cost on curing cancer before this. And I don't know whether it's even valid today. We might have a good argument about that, the ranter and I. Or is it the ranter and me? So, you know, we're going to have to watch that this year, this issue of AI.

I mean, look, the government has got a ministry responsible for AI now. That's our first. And it shows the changing nature of this issue. in terms of the importance for and by Canadians. All right, got more letters to read here. I should mention, you know, earlier I talked about U.S. Open Tennis. Excuse me. And, you know, I just updated this while we were listening to the ranter.

Felix Ojeet-Alieusim will be the next person, the Canadian, Montreal. My son will, who you know, has worked with Felix, worked with him on a sports media production item a couple of years ago and said he's just fantastic. What a great guy. They were in Montreal. all. Anyway, Felix will be playing Sinner in one semifinal. And in the other semifinal, the world number one, I think he is. I know, I guess he's the number two at the moment, or at least it's the number two in the U.S. Open.

Sinner is number one. Djokovic, he's still around. He's like, what is he? 60? No, just kidding. But he's won a gazillion titles. He's playing in the other semifinal. So come on, Felix.

You can do it, buddy. Let's get to the final. Let's take out whoever they come up with from the other side. Those games are tomorrow. The semifinals. Djokovic in the afternoon. Felix in the evening tomorrow night

times eastern of course because it's in New York okay onwards with more letters Julie Molnar in Burlington Ontario I saw a purulator using electric vehicles we need more large delivery in public transportation fleets to follow suit

this is an answer to the question what did your eye catch in the summer of 2025 that you've found quite something. Pamela Decker in Kingston, Ontario. What caught my eye as a person recently retired NDP MP Charlie Angus from Northern Ontario. First, it was on the U.S. podcast Midas Touch Network as elbows up erupted. We became fans and attended his rally in Kingston. He does have a gift for performance, but I find much sober thought and substance in his content. Our government is involved in tough negotiations. Charlie, fresh outside politics, doesn't have

such constraints. He's quite something. Charlie Angus served as the federal member of Parliament for the writing of Timmons-James Bay from 2004 to 2025. Harlan James in Edmonton, rampant wildfires coast-to-coast across Canada caught my eye this summer.

Meanwhile, governments are hell-bent on ramping up production of fossil fuels and exporting them to the rest of the world. In environmental terms, we are on the Titanic. Our only chance of surviving is patching the hole in the hull by reducing CO2 emissions. Instead, we're frantically re-arranging

the chairs on the deck. An uninhabitable earth renders economic concerns irrelevant. Perspective, please. Mark Engleton in Barrier, BC, is north of Camloops. Driving into Vancouver this summer on the Coca-Holla Highway

and between Merit and Hope, I noticed vast swaths of evergreen trees turned brown. I mean like whole sides of mountains turned brown. Saddest sight of my life. Trump's fascist government dominates our concern, but this climate change, when you see it, is scary. Got my pages mixed up here. Eric Van Wiesenbeek in Barry, Ontario.

or Wessonbeek. This summer I noticed subtle effects of significant drought in central Ontario. Raking leaves in August is unusual. Smoke-filtered sunsets from wildfires, crunchy, golden grass on lawns. These are symptoms of a warming climate. Although I enjoyed the hot summer days for weeks on end, it's alarming to see these changes in our climate. We all need to take bold immediate action to prevent climate change from worsening,

if it's not already too late. Dennis Kakosi in Kikoski in Victoria. What caught my eyes this summer at the Winnipeg Folk Festival were ominous veils of forest fire or smoke. Our thoughts were, this is crazy, our world is burning, we should stay indoors. Traveling all the way from Victoria,

we persisted, mostly massed. We realized. this is the new normal. People need to carry on with their lives, after all. The show must go on, and it did, setting new all-time attendance records. This, by the way, was the festival's 50th season, and it did indeed set an attendance record

with a daily average of 15,171 people. You know, I was living in Winnipeg when that started. Fifty years ago. Deb Greening in the District of Lakeland, Saskatchewan. The wildfires and the smoke more than caught my eye. It was in our eyes for most of the spring and summer, and the devastation of flooding wildfires and massive storms is a fatal threat. Never has my Sask alert sounded so frequently with wildfires at our doorstep.

Tornadoes threatening north of the prairies and daily air quality warnings everywhere. SAS Alert, by the way, is the government of Saskatchewan's official emergency alerting app, providing real-time critical information on emergencies. Joseph Valenti in Beaconsfield, Quebec. That's on Montreal's West Island. I was very impressed in a negative way with summer temperatures this year. I understand that by 2030, Montreal will have 60 days per year of 35 plus degrees. really by 2030 yikes these are temperatures seen in southern europe today we know how dangerous they are to humans and to dry forests

kate gunn in edmonton the increasing visibility of finland on the international stage has caught my eye first the joint polar icebreaker project to reinforce canadian arctic sovereignty I also welcome the articulate input of Finland's president Alexander Stubb at White House discussions about Ukraine. I spent a year in Finland and believe Canada has a lot to learn from Finland about icebreakers and about the challenges of living next to a big power. Finland, of course, next to Russia. John Reeder in Ottawa. As a senior citizen needing a cane for walking, I've received lots of unrequested help from young people. For example, last winter, while crossing the street, a young person passed me and used her boots on the other side to clear a path for me.

Recently, while attempting to use an escalator, I hesitated. Two young people stepped up and helped me onto the moving steps. Such spontaneous kindness gives one hope. for the future. Doug Wilde in Edmonton. Reconciliation in action. While visiting Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, my family and I also toured the Crazy Horse Memorial a few miles away.

Began in 1948 by a Polish American, its plan to be 81 times larger than Rushmore and honors the Lakota people. Learning its significance was powerful, and it was an honor to visit, even though it is still a work in progress. Here's a little explanation on that. The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction on privately held land in Custer County, South Dakota. It will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land.

As Doug says, work began in 1948, 7,000. 77 years ago. How do I know that? I was born then. The head and face of Crazy Horse was finished in 1998. Just to give you an idea of the scale, Crazy Horse's eyes are 17 feet 5.2 meters wide, while his head is 87 feet, 27 meters high.

Yeah, that's big. Chris Harding in Winnipeg. Something that caught my attention is the upcoming 80th United Nations General Assembly. We talked about this the other day with Janice Stein on Monday. Anyway, Chris writes, this got me thinking, after all, that's being demonstrated

by the United States recently. Why would the UN still be located there in New York? I don't profess to know where it should be located, but why not Canada? I don't know. I'm presuming. that Chris is referring to the U.S. decision to revoke the visas of Palestinians who were supposed to come to the U.N. this month.

Could be why he's asking this. Jane Fitzwilliam, who says she's from Toronto and North Hatley, Quebec. That's in the eastern townships. This is what caught my eye this summer. The first annual North Hatley Jazz Festival was held in early August, the enthusiastic community participation and the incredible talent of the performers. Many from the local area absolutely blew my mind. I will be an eager supporter each and every year going forward.

Good for you. Tim Stott in Minnesota, Manitoba. Over the summer, our Prime Minister made a substantial promise to expand and upgrade the Canadian Armed Forces. This is definitely needed and has been lacking for decades. I'll be watching to see how he plans to navigate the elephant in the room, the procurement process. No kidding.

Robin Sagan in Wasega Beach, Ontario. I was born and raised in Ontario. I'm a proud Canadian. This summer I did notice something that harkened me back to the 1972 Canada-Russia hockey finals. We won, we had so much Canadian pride, the tariff situation with the U.S., and particularly the 51st state comments

from our cousins to the south and our response reminded of the days when all Canadians bristled with the pride of being part of this vast country. It felt good. I hope our leaders took notice. We want to be proud

of this place. We sure do. It deserves our loyalty. Let's continue to be proud and show our pride to the world. Bill Scott in Lucky Lake Saskatchewan. Lucky Lake Saskatchewan. Don't you love it? It's about an hour northeast of Speedy Creek, swift current. I joined a 4-H grain club in 1952, which led me to farming during my high school and

university years. We grew 20 to 25 bushels per acre wheat crops. This summer, with adequate moisture and advanced methods of continuous cropping, wheat crops are yielding 80 bushels per acre. lentils and canola, 50 bushels per acre, and barley as high as 140 bushels per acre, all without irrigation. An amazing green revolution in prairie agriculture. I'll say, that's a great story, Bill. Thanks for sending it to us from Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan. Well, what would your turn be without hearing from Marilyn Wallace in Fannie Bay, British Columbia? Here's Marilyn's entry this week.

Recently, I learned about the incredible advancements in MRNA vaccine research that has been happening at the University of BC. It made me so grateful that our Canadian leadership still values an authentic scientific research program, unlike what is happening in the U.S. right now. I have resolved to learn more about the work of our scientists and researchers whose contributions mean so much to Canada's future. You're here. Marilyn Harris in Toronto.

I've discovered rugby. The women's rugby World Cup is taking place in England, and our Canadian team is ranked second in the world, so they have a good chance of going all the way. What a rough and ready sport to take your mind off all the problems in the world. Every team member has a well-defined role to play. Sort of an example of how perfect committees and indeed the whole world should behave.

There are 16 teams, by the way, in the Women's Rugby World Cup. As of Wednesday night, Canada is certain to advance to the quarterfinals. I played rugby one year, actually like one month. when I was in the Navy at Esquimalt, British Columbia, in 1966. This is a tough game. I got crushed one day, dislocated my shoulder. That kind of ended my rugby career. Don Dufour in Ottawa.

My eye was captured this summer by our gorgeous garden and backyard pond. Mark Carney doing what he was elected to do. The Toronto Blue Jays. I've been a fan since 1977 and I'm excited for the fall ahead. Deep team right now if the bullpen can coalesce. That's a big if. It's been a tough last week or two weeks on the pitching front. See, they won another one last night.

Down 5-0 after a couple of innings. They still came back and won the game. So good for them. but that pitching issue is an issue. Norma Jack in Stoville, Ontario. Many things caught my eye this summer, the colorful birds at the feeder, my grandchildren enjoying their new trampoline,

the goslings on the pond growing into geese. However, seeing the starving people in Gaza, plus all the world problems, made me realize how very lucky we are to live in this amazing country, Canada. Yeah, you know, unlike our friend a couple of letters ago who traveled into the States for their holidays this summer, I and many, many other Canadians chose to say

in the country for the summer. I was lucky I got to two oceans. I was on the Pacific coast, and I was on the Atlantic coast at different times. Next week I've got a speech in Edmonton So I'll be out in Alberta in I guess the beginning of next week And looking forward to that But we do have an incredible country

You could travel to a different place Every day of the year And be fascinated by what Canada offers Mind you you might have to pay six Extraordinary airfares to get around but that's part of the package too. We have a last letter. Is this the last letter?

This is the last letter. It comes from Calgary. It comes from Michelle Stanters. As a sexagenarian, everybody's going, click, click, click, okay, that's 60s. Yes, someone in their 60s. As a sexagenarian, I don't have many encounters with the 20 to 40 crowd, but from the interns working at the Alberta Craft Gallery

to the production team mounting the reboot of Little House on the Prairie, I didn't even know that was being rebooted. That's taking place in picturesque, Cook's Creek, to the eclectically clad enthusiasts enjoying Bring Your Love, the Electronic Music Festival in Inwood. They were all optimistic and innovative, fashioning their future through passion and creativity. This gives me hope for our country and our species.

Well, that's a nice hopeful note to end on. Thank you again for your letters. They're always a treat. Every week, this being no exception. And thanks to the random ranter for kicking off his latest season with the bridge. Tomorrow, Friday, it's good talk with Chantelle A Bear and Bruce Anderson. They were with us last Friday in a great episode, which was kind of end of summer, good talk. And this begins our, well, we're not really in the fall yet, but we'll call it.

all of that because it's September. Chantelle and Bruce will bring us up to date on what they're thinking about what they're seeing and hearing in the situation with national politics. That's tomorrow, right here on the bridge. Good talk with Chantelle and Bruce. All right, I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanking you for listening

and looking forward to joining you again in less than 24 hours. We'll talk then. Bye for now. Thank you.