The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/25 at 05:00 EST

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/25 at 05:00 EST

What does a mummified Egyptian child, the Parthenon marbles of Greece and an Irish giant all have in common? They are all stuff the British stole. Maybe. Join me, Mark Fennell, as I travel around the globe uncovering the shocking stories of how some, let's call them ill-gotten, artifacts made it to faraway institutions. Spoiler, it was probably the British. Don't miss a brand new season of Stuff the British Style. Watch it free on CBC Gem. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Mike Miles.

With the Supreme Court agreeing to hear a court case against Quebec's controversial secularism law Bill 21, the federal government continues to say it will intervene. But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's expected departure in early March, questions hang over that promise. Rafi Boudjikanian reports. The Quebec law bans some public workers in positions of authority like judges or police officers from wearing religious symbols while on the job. Religious groups like Muslims and Jews say it discriminates against them.

We have significant concerns. The Quebec government says the legislation is to protect secularism and denies it singles out anyone faith. It has threatened to use the notwithstanding clause to override charter rights. For years now, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government would intervene if the Supreme Court of Canada hears legal challenges against Bill 21. But now the court has said it will do that while Trudeau is eyeing the exit door. Karina Gould, former government House leader, who did not commit to intervening at the Supreme Court but did say that the role of the federal government is to defend the rights of all Canadians.

In statements, the campaigns for former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told CBC News they want the federal government to intervene in court. Rafi Boudjikan, YonCBC News, Ottawa. The jury in a coroner's inquest in B.C. has ruled the 2018 death of a woman with Down Syndrome as a homicide. Florence Gerard weighed only 50 pounds when she died of starvation in the home of her caretaker. Lindsay Duncom reports on what the jury's recommended.

The 13 recommendations come after a week and a half of testimony, revealing a system in what one witness described as crisis mode, a crisis that contributed to the tragic death of 54-year-old Florence Gerard. The jury says family members of people in care should be compensated to care for them at home if they want to. It also called for a living wage for caretakers and a new case management system to ensure people are getting the care they need. Florence Girard had been living with Astra Dahl at the time of her death, part of a program funded by the Crown Corporation, Community Living BC. Dahl was convicted in 2022 of failing to provide

the necessities of life for Gerard. Community Living BC has an annual budget of $1.6 billion, which it uses to support 29,000 eligible people. About 4,200 of those people live in a home share arrangement. Lindsay Duncombe, CBC News, Vancouver. It was touted by their premiers as a win-win for both Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. A memorandum of understanding between the provinces to renew the Churchill Falls hydroelectric agreement until 2075. Now a former head of the Atlantic

provinces power utility says not so fast. Bill Wills says he believes Newfoundland's being duped by Hydro Quebec and losing out on tens of billions of dollars in the deal. Patrick Butler has more from St. John's. That's Quebec Premier François Legault telling a reporter back in December that the Churchill Falls MOU would help his province save 200 billion dollars over the next 50 years. 200 billion dollars left on the table.

That statement left former Newfoundland and Labrador hydro CEO Bill Wells with questions. Hydro-Québec will save the money because the new deal and the new development it promises on the Churchill River will cost less than the other options available to Quebec to increase supply. They've taken us to the cleaners. Wells says Legault's statement proves negotiators could have squeezed far more money from Hydro-Quebec while still landing a win-win deal. The current Hydro CEO says Wells is wrong. Jennifer Williams says the deal ensures a fair price for Churchill Falls power and allows

the province's revenues to spike 17 years before the end of the current contract. There are some folks who think we should get 100% of the value. This deal has to make sense for both of us. A final deal must be reached by April 2026. Patrick Butler, CBC News, St. John's. Manitoba premier Wab Kanu says the province is preparing two budgets in response to Donald Trump's threats of U.S. tariffs. One of them will account for assistance to affected industries.

That is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Mike Miles.