The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- What Worries You Most These Days?

Episode Date: April 23, 2026

There's a lot to worry about these days but this week we ask you to be specific. What worries you most is the question. Once again you weren't shy with your answers. Plus the Random Ranter is here with a totally new topic. It might shock you. 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. What worries you most these days? That's the question this week on your turn. Coming right up. That's right. It's a pretty straightforward question, pretty simple. What worries you most these days?

That's the question to you this week on your turn. And you've had, well, you've had since Monday to think about it and sending your answers. And let me tell you, you've certainly been doing that. We've had so many letters this week. There's not a chance we'll get through them all. But here's the thing that really impress me most.

So many letters this week are from people who've never written before. They obviously listen. But this one sparked interest. This got you writing. Got you sitting at your laptop. your desktop or your phone, and writing your thoughts to that question. What worries you most these days?

Some of them will be obvious, some of them not so obvious. So let's get right at it. And we're giving priority this week to first-time writers because there are so many of them this week. Our regulars wrote as well. There may hear a few of them, but for the most part,

these are letters from first-time writers or those who may be only written once or twice before over the last few years. Let's get started. Let's go right out to the southern tip of Vancouver Islands, Sucb, B.C. Margot Swinburnton. I'm terrified about the narcissistic, malignant person whose presentation is complicated by his declining executive function. That is the president of the United States.

because he alone is making irreversible negative changes to every other concern from climate to world order. Ron and Sandra Stevens in Whitby, Ontario. Trump, a deranged bully and his team are destroying the world as we have known it. Our well-being, the future of our children, and grandchildren are being destroyed by his actions all over the world. My wife and I are in our mid-80s,

so our main concern is our families going forward. We are scared as hell. Brent Jansen in Chilwack, BC I have a family of five. My wife and I both work full-time. The number one concern for our household is definitely affordability. We shop for food as we need it,

not stocking up like we used to. We are basically treading water, but we're exhausted. The fuel prices are hitting also. My wife and I both, commute over an hour each way to our jobs, it's becoming unsustainable. Gabriel Rejambald in Whitehorse, Yukon. The world is a complex web of actors, infrastructures, new technologies, random situations,

and crises. It is a living organism. Our capacity to plan ahead will be severely hampered by our changing climate. As countries become stressed by lack of food and water shortages, they may, well become hostile. Buckle up for the ride. Joan Farkas in Calgary. I am most worried about Canadian unity.

I live in Alberta, a place run by the separatist, mega-loving United Conservative Party, who are systemically destroying the very foundation of my province. They have attacked immigrants, trans kids, the environment, our health care, and education systems, and now they pandered as separatists who want to join the U.S. I volunteer everywhere, as do hundreds of thousands of Albertans, to stop her. But will it be enough? This is my greatest worry.

I'm going to be in Calgary tomorrow, only for a couple of hours, but this is like my fourth or fifth trip there in the last six months. Todd Burns in Montreal. As a Quebecer in his 50s, I live my whole life under the threat of separation. Sadly, now the talk is back, but from the West, Alberta, I am ecstatic that Quebec is not interested in a referendum. But the threat from Alberta worries me, added with the interference from U.S. Republicans, I tire of this debate. Canada is a great place to live, not perfect, but way better than most. Greg Steinbeck in Fall River Nova Scotia.

That's a suburb of Halifax. As a father of young kids, the thing that worries me that most these days is the seemingly blind trust we've put into the AI bros to shape future society. If you're looking for examples, see Peter Thiel's answer to, should the human race survive, he hesitated for a concerningly long time and any Sam Altman quote in recent memory on children. Altman had a son in 2025. He says this generation of children will always know that AI is smarter than they are.

Kevin Ellis in Toronto. I worry about our idyllic worship of competition. Competition roots our education system design. Our religions, our governments, even our health care system, from baby to the elderly social media breeds competitive, hard-lined dopamine drive for beauty, belongings, and to be better, new or different. What are we? Romans who've forgotten about the importance of fine art and its role in leading society towards the next better version of itself? Pam McDermott in Burlington, Ontario, at the forefront,

in my mind, is the wealth inequality the world is seeing in this cycle of robber barons. History teaches us that if this continues, it most certainly will create more unrest, conflicts, and polarization. This is all sounding very negative to you. Keep in mind the question was, what worries you most? That's why all of this sounds not very nice. Ralph Goring in North Sanich, BC. What worries me the most is how opposite we have become. We have become so entrenched in our views that it seems we've stopped talking to each other. It feels no one believes anyone these days, and the lack of trust is too great. We need to talk more compromise.

Once we start talking and working with each other more, I am guessing other problems will start to be resolved. Mark Newman in Delta, BC. I worry that a lack of political courage and deep partisanship at all levels of government will prevent us, from addressing critical challenges. While debate is essential, we cannot allow ideological friction to paralyze our progress. Whether facing self-inflicted domestic issues

or global threats, we require the collective resolve to prioritize long-term, durable solutions over short-term politics. We must have the strength to challenge ideas, openness to forge consensus, and maturity to move forward. Jacob Griffin in Halifax.

It's frustrating when immigration processes feel slow and impersonal, especially in Nova Scotia. My girlfriend has been waiting for her provincial nominee program approval, but the lack of communication and inability to check her status is disappointing. It feels like cases aren't handled with the urgency they deserve, hoping for improvements in processing times and communication to make the system more responsive and less stressful for applicants. The Canadian government website says wait time is usually about 13 months.

Maybe they should hire some more people. Tony Stansfield in Brentwood Bay, B.C., part of Greater Victoria. Our sovereignty. I have young grandchildren. Will Canada still exist as it does today when they grow up? Will the U.S. come after our water and other natural resources by force? a possibility that will be exacerbated by climate change. I fear this part of Project 2025 may come to pass.

If you've forgotten, Project 2025 is a 900-page policy wish list written in 2023 by the Heritage Foundation, one of Washington's most prominent right-wing think tanks. It's a set of proposals that would expand presidential power and impose an ultra-conservative social version. During the campaign, of course, Donald Trump repeatedly disavowed Project 2025 while he was running for president. But once elected, he nominated several of its authors to fill key government positions, and many of his initial executive orders closely followed proposals outlined in the document.

Gosh, really? You mean he lied? Donald Trump lied? That's... Really? Come on. Fies, suckers. Pat Johnson, Charleston, Lake Ontario, near Gannon-Away in the Thousand Lakes area. I worry most about the ecological collapse of our only home planet Earth. I think humanity is doing a miserable job of caring for our home. It's bad enough we're destroying it for ourselves, but what of all the other beings who share it with us? Shame. Colette Bersi in Montreal.

My biggest concern is affordability. I have a good job with a lot of security, and I make a decent wage. Yet the cost of food, gas, etc., make it hard to go out for supper or put some money aside for emergencies. Greg Morris in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Two things worry me these days, nuclear war and climate change. In terms of the former, never inhuman. human history of so many dangerous people had the power to cause unimaginable human suffering if they

wanted to. In terms of the latter, I feel like the appropriate metaphor is that we're driving a car off a cliff by the time we decide to hit the brakes or reverse, we'll be in midair. Stephen Lane in Berkeley, Michigan, that's a northern suburb of Detroit, obviously one of our listeners. I worry about affordability because I'm raising two sons, age 17 and both with autism, who require 24-7 supervision. As a single parent working full-time, balancing my income with their needs, can be overwhelming. Essential expenses, therapies, and daily support sometimes stretches my budget thin, while leaving little room for emergencies and savings.

Hang in, Stephen. We feel for you. Renee Meggs in Canmore, Alberta, Selfishly, I am worried my mother-son trip planned for the first two weeks of May to Egypt won't happen because of the Iran War. I'm worried rising jet fuel prices will cancel flights there or back or cancel flights we have in Egypt. Although this is a first world problem as a single parent, I've worked hard to save for this once in a lifetime trip. Joseph Murdoch flowers in Nekalibit Nunavut. I'm worried about the deepening disparity in the quality of life between Inuit and non-Inuit,

in Inuit Nunant, that means Inuit homelands, and how this growing divide will play out in Canada, and its push for Arctic sovereignty. Inuit experience the worst socio-economic conditions in Canada. Food insecurity, suicide, tuberculosis, income disparity, and homelessness are all significantly worse for Inuit in Canada. Arctic sovereignty must be measured by Inuit wellness. Until conditions improve for Inuit, we are failing at Arctic sovereignty.

Well put, Joseph. Michelle Kaufman in Toronto. My biggest fear is, a world war and that my two 20-something sons will have to fight for their country instead of building their lives within it. Scott Burke in Halifax, what worries me the most right now is my three nieces. After hearing about the existence of and learning that 62 million people looked up the Rape Academy website, I almost threw up. The in-cell culture is moving more towards boys and young men, so I'm afraid of those young ladies in my family and all women.

Actually, there isn't really a website called Rape Academy. CNN used that term to cover a number of websites. It exposed in an investigation, where men record video of themselves sexually abusing their unconscious wives and girlfriends. It is, you know, it is deeply disturbing, and I'm not surprised when you say you almost threw up. Another letter in the same vein, Alexander Black in Ottawa writes, Once people hear or watch false stories, they lock in and don't seem to question the accuracy. I have this issue with family members. When you combine with the sophistication of AI,

how can future elections ever be judged and voted upon in reality? Francois Boudreau in Sudbury. For almost two decades now, the issue of climate change has been the one of the most concerned to me. My in-laws village in Senegal is 500 kilometers from the sea. It could, by some, estimates, be on the seaside within a century if nothing is done. Laura Plant in Chilliwack, BC, our teenage daughter will soon be completing a one-year rotary exchange in Argentina. This program encourages peace, one student at a time. And now what I am most worried about is whether there will be enough,

jet fuel available to get her home in time for Canada Day. Oh, there'll be jet fuel. The issue's going to be what's it going to cost? Doug Butler in Victoria and how will that impact the airfers. Doug Butler, Butler in Victoria, I worry that the USA as a country doesn't wake up soon to the truth of how incompetent and corrupt Trump is and how the world around the USA views

a country who would elect such a person. Cindy Duches-Dierreau in Beaumont, Alberta, that's just south of Edmont, Edmonton. This was the shortest letter we got, just three words. What's Cindy worried about? My Children's Future. Paul Turnbull in Ottawa. I worry about the future of work in an age of such uncertainty.

AI is reshaping work faster than institutions can adapt, raising concerns about job stability, skill relevance, and widening inequality. As a parent, it's hard to give confident advice when career paths feel the least predictable in several generations. Still focusing on adaptability, critical thinking, and craftsmanship trades offers a steady foundation, encouraging curiosity over certainty. Denise Gallon-Villeville-Four in San Boniface, Manitoba. You said one thing, so I'll sum up all my worries into one theme, which is hate in the world. Hate rears its ugly head in all of the wars going on, in the words and rhetoric spewed by some leaders and politicians,

as well as being spread by many regular people on social media platforms. Hate begets hate. In a world with so much hate, I wish we could use Colonel Jeremy Hanson's advice from Artemis. As humans, our purpose is to find joy and

lift each other up. I wish you're right, Denise. I wish more people would remember that. Chris Maupoi in Calgary, Treaty 7 territory. Calgary is indeed part of Treaty 7. The treaty was signed on 22nd of September 1877 by the government of Canada

and five First Nations. Chris writes, I recently became a parent and the thing that keeps me up at night is the question, will my children inherit a world that's inherently more cruel than the one I grew up with? It seems like our culture, algorithms, politics are all geared towards cruelty. And I'm desperate for a Canadian society rooted in dignity. Michelle Lopke in Winnipeg. I'm concerned about health care. While it is a provincial responsibility, the federal government provides significant funding. Thus, if provinces are not meeting their responsibilities related to timely access,

evidence suggests they are not, why doesn't the federal government withhold payments until provinces meet the requirements? I believe this is the only way the problem. provinces will be incentivized to take responsibility and actually meet the needs of the public. Tavis Newman in Lethbridge, Alberta. I'm worried about the creeping threat of gerrymandering. It may sound like something an elderly 90s sitcom parent would rant about, but it's a serious anti-democratic risk in Alberta.

Proposed electoral boundary changes are raising credible concerns, echoed by experts and widely discussed in Alberta media, that they could distort future elections. If governments start choosing their votes instead of voters choosing governments, that's unconstitutional. And it's not democracy. Alex Jueck in Vancouver.

I'm most worried about the erosion of nuanced thinking and conversation in our society. We often talk about polarization in politics, but my sense is the trend runs deep deeper and wider. I believe that overcoming all the other existential crises we're facing depends on our collective ability to embrace complexity and trade-offs, aim for progress over perfection, and seek win-win solutions with people we usually disagree with. Okay, one more before the break. And the random ranchers coming up right after the break. Cindy Zampa in Erdry, Alberta,

Clean water tops my list of worries. By allowing Australian companies to pursue coal mining in the Rocky Mountains, the Alberta government is putting vital headwaters and ecosystems at risk of contamination. Water is our most essential resource. Clean coal is a myth. Prioritizing potential gain, mostly for a foreign company, over the long-term pain Canadians will face dealing with land and water issues is short-sighted.

What legacy are we leaving future generations? Just a little bit of background on that. A proposal by an Australian-owned mining company for a coal mine in the eastern slopes of the Rockies was denied in 2021. A moratorium on new coal mines was put in place by Alberta in 2022, then lifted in 2025. Now there's a new proposal making its way through the system

headwaters from that region supply the drinking water for 2 million Albertans. Okay, there's, there are a lot more letters to come. But we're going to take our break, and then we'll come back with a random ranter, and then we'll back to your letters. All that right after this. And welcome back. You're listening to The Bridge for this Thursday. Thursdays mean your turn in the random ranter,

and that's what you're getting here with our letters answering the question. What is it that you worry about these days? What gives you your biggest concern? And we're certainly hearing concerns expressed by you, our listeners. You're listening on Sirius XM, Channel 167 Canada Talks are on your favorite podcast platform. Let's get to the random ranter. He's got something very different.

You know, it's quite often some of our letter writers are truck drivers who travel our country listening to their radios or their podcasts. A lot of them listen to Sirius XM. They write about a variety of different things. Well, today, the Random Ranter is writing about them. So let's get to see what he has to talk about on this day. Here he is, the Random Ranter.

Driving down to TransCanada, it's hard not to notice that there are less trucks on the highway. And while I might enjoy the extra room on the road, the absence of trucks does not vote well for anyone. If you stop and think about it, the trucking industry is a bit of a crystal ball for our economic fortunes. I mean, 90% of all the goods in this country are delivered by truck. So if you want to know what's happening, you can wait for the economists to tell you, or you can talk to some truckers. And right now, they'll tell you, times are tough. Since the invasion of Iran, diesel prices have climbed anywhere from 30 to 54%. Trump's on again, off again, definitely maybe tariffs, have chilled trade,

to the point where cross-border loads have been down by as much as 17%. It's forced some companies to drastically reduce their capacity, and others to shut down completely. How bad is it? Well, in the last year alone, trucking has lost. over 30,000 jobs. To put that into perspective, a year and a half ago, they were worried about a driver deficit. Now they're reducing their hours or laying them off. And look, I'll say it right now. The people I've met in trucking, they're the salt of the earth. They're professionals.

But for all their safety initiatives and corporate goodwill, the trucking industry does have a serious corruption problem. And they know it. They refer to it as driver ink. At its best, Driver Inc. is a scheme to evade taxes. But it's more than that. It's actually tax evasion as a business strategy. And it's being used to undercut the legitimate, rule-abiding, tax-paying market. Look, if you can get away with it, not paying taxes is a huge competitive advantage. And judging by how widespread the problem is, people are getting away with it. I mean, by some estimates, there are parts of Canada, we're up to a third. of the trucks on the road are involved, adding up to over a billion dollars a year in lost tax revenue. And as bad as that is, the taxes are just the small part of the story, because driver ink has a real dark side, one that descends into immigration fraud, human trafficking, and rampant safety violations. I mean, there are trucks on the road with forged safety inspections, driven by drivers with forged logbooks. There are companies with more temporary foreign drivers than they have trucks. There are companies

that have been caught without insurance and drivers without licenses. And call it what you want, human trafficking, labor trafficking, or indentured servitude. There are drivers working under conditions with no rights, no freedom, and little or no pay. It leaves you shaking your head wondering how this level of corruption could happen in a country like Canada. I mean, trucking is federally regulated, just like the airline industry. Can you imagine if there were forged maintenance logs on your next flight, or if your pilot was untrained and forced to work 20 hours a day with little or no pay? It would never happen. We don't want planes dropping out of the sky, yet somehow we're okay with a questionable 80,000 pound semi barreling down the highway next to us.

Our complacency is confounding, and this corruption, it needs to end. The good news is, we don't need more rules to end it. We just need the rules we have to be enforced. But while the industry is federally regulated, enforcement is fragmented between a myriad of federal agencies and the provinces. It means there's no overarching authority to connect all the dots. There's just silos of enforcement, leaving plenty of blind spots for the bad actors to thrive. And look, another part of the problem is that the system naively assumes

that companies want to comply with the rules. But trucking isn't the Boy Scouts. When bad actions bring few consequences, strategic noncompliance can become a viable business plan. I mean, the way it works now. If you get some heat, you can just close up shop and open a new one the next day. And if it gets really hot, you can just move to another province. And there's nothing stopping you. There's no bond or any kind of surety to open a trucking company. And there's no central registry that tracks ownership or directors. So despite all the regulations, if you operate a company that gets shut down, there's nothing stopping you from doing it again and again. And again, and again. Now, none of this is new information. The government has known about this for years.

So with the safety of Canadians on the line, in the interest of basic human rights, and with a billion dollars in revenue to recoup, fixing this needs to be a priority. Hear that? A little truck horn there at the end of the music. You know, when the ranter sent this to me yesterday afternoon, I was in my car. I was on the 401 driving through southern Ontario. And all I could see around me were trucks. So I kind of wondered about his opening line,

about there are fewer trucks on the road. But then I took a harder look at what was around me. In fact, I did sense, while there are a lot of trucks on the 401, it's the main thoroughfare. There are probably almost certainly less than I would, or fewer, excuse me, fewer than I normally see. Or used to see a year ago, two years ago. So there we go. He's talking, of course, he's on the prairies.

So he's talking about the trans Canada that, you know, straight line from portage in Maine to Calgary. and points beyond. Okay, it's not exactly a straight line, but it's kind of a straight line. I lived in Winnipeg. You used to joke that if you stood at Portage in Maine, you looked hard, you could see Calgary. Just looked straight west because there's nothing in the way.

Well, Regina is in the way. A few other places along the route. All right, time to get back to your letters. Bill Ebert in Edmonton. What worries you most? Bill's answer, it's the debt, federal, provincial, and personal debt. It's out of control. We had a boring leader one time, tried to do things like buy F-35s when they were more affordable,

cut back on mail delivery. That was crazy talk. Now look at us. We all want something now and do not want to pay for it. It's everywhere, and it's every political party. debt for everyday spending will end us. Dean Wald in Red Lake, Red Lake, Ontario.

He actually lives in Devon, Alberta, but Red Lake is where he's working right now. 500 kilometers northwest of Thunder Bay. You're on the TransCanada, you're driving west from Dryden, or you're driving east from Canora, and you reach Vermillion Bay, and then you turn north.

Head up to Red Lake. I've done that many times. Less than 100 miles, 100 kilometers from the Manitoba border. The 60s, 70s, 80s are long gone and times have changed. What I worry about most of all are our children and their futures. Opportunities for young adults in Canada seem to be limited. Our kids left Canada for opportunities abroad, and Canada lost two wonderful humans.

Will they ever come home? Positive vibes. Things will get better, and they will return. Liz Dobson in Toronto. I'm most worried about climate change. We're hubristically in denial. Despite efforts, we are carrying on pretty much as usual, and wars only magnify the problem.

If we don't smarten up, environmental collapse will come. What would that look like? Margaret Atwood says, for example, if marine ecosystems die, that would put an end to us. as we were gasped to death like fish out of water. John G. Kelly in St. Andrews New Brunswick. I'm a retired professor and current high school student mentor. There is an emergent new age of education.

What worries me is that the conventional high school system remains locked in an out-of-date mode of education. The growing rates of student absenteeism from attendance in classes is evidence of the extent to which students are opting out. The system requires a fundamental reinvention to reflect the realities of learning in a digital age. A little background in Ontario, the government recently presented a bill that it hopes will deal with student absenteeism, which it says has reached the point where only 40% of students are in class 90% of the time. The government's solution is to make attendance

worth 15% of a student's grade in grades 9 and 10, and then 10% of the grade in grades 11 and 12. Many education experts say that's not going to solve the problem and may only make things worse. Donna U.S. in Waterloo, Ontario. I thought my answer was AI to what worries me most, while with three children and their partners being in their late 20s and early 30s, the mental stress with future prospects and financial worries

is huge. However, upon reflection, the unpredictability and devastation of climate change keeps me awake many nights. Daniel Frolick in Burnaby, British Columbia. Something I'm worried about is Social Security, healthcare for the elderly. My parents are retired, but haven't been able to live as comfortably as I wish they could due to costs and lack of resources for seniors. Shelly Hearditschia. I'm sorry, Shelly. That's quite a mouthful of different letters in your final name, and I'm having a hard time with it.

She's in, Shelly's in North Vancouver. The climate crisis is what I am most worried about. We are facing many global problems, but without a livable planet, none of them will matter in the long run. We are nearing tipping points that cannot be reversed. Canada is falling behind many countries in transitioning to renewable energy. Addressing the climate crisis is a matter of survival. Denise Lambert in Lorraine, Quebec, that's near LaValle.

My biggest worry or beef is the devaluation of who we are as Canadians, constantly prioritizing the political win over the common good and ultimately achieving squat. This war of words is dismantling our social families. Cabric. Canadians have always been known for following their moral compass. But today we aren't just disagreeing. We're creating a dangerous preamble to an unkind, disrespectful, and ultimately unsuccessful nation. Patrick Chung in Toronto, if the government wants more people to adopt EVs, they need to look into insurance premiums. Toronto already has one of the highest rates in the country, 35 to 40 percent

above the national average. I'm paying $5,600 a year with a five-star driving record and a driving app. Without it, I'd pay over $6,000. Kathleen Wynne and Doug Ford, a former and current Premier, both promised to reduce premiums, but nothing was done. It keeps getting worse every year. How can people afford to drive? Don Crabb in Kingston, Ontario.

The Transformation of Canada is, just getting underway. I love it. It's exciting and risky, but necessary. We are developing aggressive plans. It feels slow, but that's how transformations are. My worry stems from knowing that future federal and provincial parliaments will reign supreme over the best laid plans and snatch failure from the jaws of success. But my worry is far outweighed by my hope. Linda Keith in Richmond Hill, Ontario, just north of Toronto. It's the environment. I apologize to David Suzuki a lot when I use paper towels, when I use excess water to rinse something,

when I throw a plastic measuring spoon from my protein powder into recycling. David Suzuki was in Richmond Hill recently. His message was start locally. So I signed up for seniors for climate. It's at the beginning stages. Joining hasn't dimmed his voice in my head, though. Michael Artendale in Sudbury. A month ago, we got a storm that dumped three feet of snow in 24 hours.

My worry then was about digging out. Now, due to the fact that I live on a lake, I'm worried about the flooding that keeps rising. I'm already over six feet higher than the summer level, with no end in sight. Six feet? C. Forsterner in Smith Falls, south-west of Ottawa. What am I worried about these days? The crisis in Cuba.

I know we have to be pragmatic, but I worry that we are losing our willingness to provide support and aid to those in need. Sam Obermeier in Washington. I'm worried about the possible military conflict in Cuba, but I'm also worried about the current humanitarian crisis there, exacerbated by the U.S. oil blockade. I was in Havana last month. Travel is limited. Trash can't get picked up,

and power outages are common. Medical supplies are limited after increased U.S. trade restrictions. Infants, the elderly, and the sick are suffering the most. Mark Hammond in Regina There are so many crises to worry about, but big picture, the general failure globally to enact widely helpful reforms in favor of nonsense trickle down economics.

The resulting popular anger with our government's failures to make working people's lives better as every bit of profit is squeezed out of every aspect of life with thousands fired during profitable years and the consequent rise of wealthy fascists using social media to popularize their agendas. Lois Nisbet Whale, or sorry, Lois, let me try that again, Lois, sorry.

Lois Nisbet Wall in Wymar, Saskatch, Saskatchewan, that's near Speedy Creek. Swift Current. My major concern is climate change and the environment. Because of Trump and the Alberta separation threat, climate change has been completely forgotten. The oil and gas industry has been able to push their agenda and get what they want,

more consumption of oil. Earth is our only home. We must protect it, but people are too short-sighted. John Houston in Okinaw Falls, BC. He'll never guess where that is. It's in the Okanagan Valley. South of Penticton. I worry that a wealthy Canada still doesn't secure its citizens

with an adequate safety net, especially if we're facing a future of AI job losses and changed world dynamics. We may be able to learn some lessons from the Nordic nations. Conrad Amenta in Oakland, California. I'm worried about Canada's persistently sluggish investment in innovation. Canada ranks 17th on the Global Innovation Index.

This has been the subject of numerous parliamentary reports finding routine underinvestment in research and development. If Canada is to change, chart a path independent from the United States, that means becoming less risk averse. The Prime Minister is saying the right things, but to succeed would mean cultural and economic transformation. It's a tall order. Millwood Sutherland. Where is Millwood writing from? He's in Toronto. My three areas of concern in Canada are one, cultural and religious accommodations, increasingly appear to override constitutional rights when conflicts arise.

Two, the principle of health care as a public good seems under pressure. And three, widespread grade inflation has made university admissions more subjective, advantaging those with greater resources over those with stronger ability. Not addressing these risks undermines Canada's long-term stability and fairness. Maureen Pangeen in Dundas, Ontario. As a long-time special education teacher, I am most worried about the volume of hate speech everywhere, especially on social media.

My students are especially vulnerable to it, struggling to understand it and deal with bullying and misinformation. Instead, we should be spending time focusing on the good in Canada especially. Canada, while not perfect, seems to be pretty great to me. Bodie Coe Bodica Francis Bodica Francis in Vancouver

My primary worry is the American administration's volatility Although it's a long shot I have concerns as a Vancouver right How easily Vancouver could be blockaded So few checks are left in the American system And the Trump administration Is making decisions without adequate consideration

For its impacts Violet Luchiac in Vancouver. I'm worried about a global economic collapse that will force each country in the world to find a new way to exist without the old norm. Not every country or leadership will know how to create the new economy once the old way under the gold standard is gone.

A new form of chaos could be on the horizon. John Braun in Okotoketocs, Alberta to south of Calgary. Canada is signing trade agreements with countries and trading blocks that will forever change our present trading patterns. These agreements must be exploited to ensure that we are not dependent on any one for the majority of our trade. Adam McBurney in Bruce Jack Mining camp. He's in a mining camp in northern BC. Canadians are dealing with powerful forces that seek to divide our loyalties and conquer our resources. This keeps me up at night.

But this kind of pressure has the potential to bring us together as neighbors and compatriots across our great land. You can throw Canadians together from anywhere in our glorious land, present us with a common struggle, and watch impossible things get done. It's how Fort McMurray became the capital of Newfoundland. There's no exact known number for Newfoundlanders who work in the oil sands. Ten to twenty thousand is the best guess. Newyen in Ottawa. As a farmer, I'm alarmed that the proposed alto high-spooh train would carve through our land and community like a knife. Prime farmland would be sacrificed, families split,

and rural livelihoods pushed aside for a project assigned fire from the people forced to bear the cost. Once this land is destroyed, it's gone for good. Stop treating farms as empty space and start listening. Michelle Stanners in Calgary. Living in Calgary, there are lots of things that worry me. The government's assault on education, transgender, public libraries, human rights, not to mention electoral redistricting and Alberta's separation. But worry is like a rocking chair. You move a lot, don't get anywhere.

So don't agonize, organize. It's time to mobilize our networks, skills and resources. Pick something and do something. Jack Shepard in Ottawa. I'm worried about something that doesn't tend to get a lot of attention. Canada's federal public service. Positions are being cut. Return to office mandates are underway.

And a top deputy minister is under fire for giving her unqualified gym buddy a job. Morale is plummeting and it's easy to see why. Canada is facing extraordinary challenges and it needs a strong civil service. Right now, we're far behind. Fran Wallace in Victoria. Our reliance on U.S.-based information technology is my main concern, everything from hardware operating systems, social media, email, messaging, and all the programs in between, and of course, AI.

Their dominance is everywhere, including our military, business and government, with no respect for privacy, addictive constructs, and use of our information. Take over Canada, just disrupt our IT systems. The EU is making a concerted effort to move away from U.S.-based systems, and so should we. Taylor Wilson and we have some sympathies. She's a little bit concerned about mentioning exactly where she is because of how her letter may impact her job. I'm a teacher in the West. I'm worried about the lack of investment in education throughout the country.

It has not kept up with inflation since the 90s. We are constantly told to be more efficient and do more with loss. And it is producing graduates that are not prepared for the real world. Friends in private industry are constantly asking what we are doing. Shelley Maugh in Puslinch, Ontario. It's near Guelph. I'm currently worried about how the war between the U.S. and Iran has increased our cost of living so drastically. At a time when we are already reeling from the tariffs and change,

to our trade relations. I'm worried about a comment from Trump about how the U.S. could engage economic war, excuse me, could wage economic war on us if they wanted to. Randy Deerlove and Brampton. As the father of a 20-year-old and 18-year-old, I worry for their future, especially when there seems to be so few part-time job opportunities.

How are the leaders of tomorrow supposed to gain experience? I do not hear a peep from any level of government on this issue. Dale Maugh in Cambridge, Ontario. The Gulf is what I worry about. Trump is not and is not building an environment where Iran's leadership could trust anything that agreed upon can be relied upon. I worry it's only going to get worse. Neil Dodd in Air, Ontario.

That's in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Cost of living, the rising prices across the country have become increasingly difficult for many families to manage. Despite earning what is considered a reasonable income, my family now finds it challenging to cover basic expenses. Canadians require effective and sustainable solutions. Limited government assistance and assertive rhetoric do not constitute genuine progress. It's essential for the government to recognize the difficulties faced by its citizens and address these challenges with practical measures. Let's get a couple of minutes left.

A couple of letters left. Kristen Gite and Telqua, BC. What I worry about most is whether the decisions we make now will collapse our long-term stability or integrity. The background signal is instability, wars, democratic erosion, impulsive leadership, strong men, institutional mistrust, economic pressure and public language there's often detached from reality.

I keep coming back to this. Where do our choices still matter? And how do we make our own systems more stable while the wider world is not? Jessica Goodmanson in Edmonton. I'm most concerned about Danielle Smith on the UCP and how it feels like no one outside of Alberta seems concerned about the precedents being set.

Health scandals, notwithstanding clauses, separation, gerrymandering, book bans, removal of protections for the marginalized library police, two-tier health care, legislating the law to fit around what they want to do. I'm exhausted and I feel voiceless. Here's the last letter for this week. Comes from Colonna, British Columbia, Vince Boulanger. As someone who grew up in the era of Alfred E. Newman from Mad magazine

and the slogan, what, me worry? I've taken the advice from people much wiser than myself, that if there is nothing you can do to change the situation, then it is pointless to worry about it. If you can do something to change the outcome, then don't worry. Take action instead. Well, there you go.

Alfred E. Newman gets the final word. on today's your turn. I want to thank you for all your letters. As I said, there were many, many more. A lot of people came in past the deadline last night at 6 p.m. That's a hard deadline, okay? And a lot of people, you know, forgot their location or they forgot their name or we try to catch those,

but try to remember those. That's going to do it for your turn in the run. Rand of Rantor for this week. Quite the array of letters. Thank you so much for sending them in, and sorry that I butchered so many place names and the odd name as well. Tomorrow it's good talk. Bruce Anderson, Chantelle I Bear, will both be here,

and we will deal with the stories of the week. And there are lots of them, as always. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks so much for listening on this day, and we'll talk to you again in less than 24 hours.