The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/12 at 20:00 EST

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/12 at 20:00 EST

In Scarborough, there's this fire behind our eyes. A passion in our bellies. It's in the hearts of our neighbors. The eyes of our nurses. And the hands of our doctors. It's what makes Scarborough, Scarborough. In our hospitals, we do more than anyone thought possible. We've less than anyone could imagine.

But it's time to imagine what we can do with more. Join Scarborough Health Network and together, we can turn grit into greatness. Donate at lovescarborough.ca. From CBC News, the World This Hour, I'm Tom Harrington. Well, it was a good conversation back and forth, and it was a very positive conversation. Ontario's Doug Ford on how things went

at a meeting with Trump administration officials at the White House this afternoon. Among the American advisers involved Jim Blair, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs. The Premiers pressed their case the 25% tariff proposed by Donald Trump will hurt American consumers and businesses. B.C.'s David Eby described how that argument went over. I think the dominant impression is that it was a very significant day at the White House, and yet they still sent two senior reps to meet with us. There were some very frank moments across the table, and they urged us to take the president out of his word, and so we will certainly do that.

The Premiers say they are waiting for the rest of Trump's cabinet to be confirmed before negotiations can move forward. Before the Premiers went to the White House, the federal finance minister met with senior Trump officials there. Dominic LeBlanc spoke with Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick and Economic Advisor Kevin Hassett. He says he told them how steel and aluminum tariffs will hurt both countries. We now have, I think, a good understanding of their process markers over the next number of weeks and they were very clear that Canada very much

has their attention and they want to work with us to structure an economic deal that's in the interest of both countries. LeBlanc says he also gave an update on border security in Canada's new Fentanyl czar. Alberta's Danielle Smith was among the premiers in Washington but she was dogged by a different issue back home, allegations around procurement and contracting at Alberta Health Services. As Michelle Belfontaine reports, Smith answered questions for the first time today. Smith says she became aware of the AHS allegations, but she saw stories in the media. Alberta's Auditor General is investigating contracting and procurement concerns at the health authority.

Smith says she's interested in what they find. If there's wrongdoing, we'd like to get to the bottom of it. And if there isn't, we need to find out why AHS is standing in the way of charter surgical centers. NDP deputy leader Raki Pancholi says Smith needs to prove she wants transparency. The premier must reconvene the legislature immediately so this issue can be addressed where it belongs, under public scrutiny in front of the elected representatives of the province of Alberta. The NDP is also calling for Smith and Health Minister Adriana Lagrange to step down while

the matter is investigated. Smith is expected back in the province on Thursday. The legislature is scheduled to resume in two weeks. Michelle Bell-Fontaine, CBC News, Edmonton. Donald Trump says he had phone calls today with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt. He told me to tell all of you they were very good calls, they were very positive, and the administration is wholeheartedly committed to a peace deal to end, once and for all, the Russia-Ukraine war. In social media posts, Trump says both men want to make peace.

He says Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in Munich on Friday to start planning those talks. Zelensky posted about the call, saying they discussed the negotiations as well as Ukrainian economic and resource cooperation with the United States. The former Kamloops residential school in BC has been declared a national historic site. The Kamloops Tshetvik First Nation decided to preserve several of the buildings. They want to commemorate the trauma experienced by students, their families and communities. They say the site will also teach Canadians about the long-term impact of the residential

school policy. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver Whistler opened 15 years ago today. Tonight, Sidney Crosby, who scored the golden goal for Canada at those games, will be on the ice for the opening game of the Four Nations Face-Off Tournament. Team Canada is taking on Team Sweden in Montreal, a place Captain Crosby looks forward to playing in. Just the atmosphere. You know, there's a certain feel to it when you come in and play here.

Tomorrow, Finland takes on the United States. The Ron Robbin event continues into next week with the championship game scheduled for February 20th in Boston. And that is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Tom Harrington. Thanks for listening.