The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/14 at 22:00 EST

Episode Date: February 15, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/14 at 22:00 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 Claude Fague. The federal tax holiday is set to end this weekend. Saturday is the last chance to save on items

such as diapers, toys, and groceries. The measure was created to give Canadians some financial relief and help boost the economy. But as Anis Haidari explains, it may not have been worth it. One of Canada's largest payment processors has said it saw fewer card transactions in the first month of the GST cut compared to the year before. Monaris suggests the tax break didn't boost sales. And that matches the predictions of many economists. You called this a nightmare several months ago. Has the dream come true?

Government managed to use several billion dollars in one of the worst ways I could imagine, so I suppose so. Rob Jilazot is an assistant professor of economic analysis at the University of Toronto. He points out the federal government is giving up $1.6 billion with this GST cut. We knew that this was going to be an expensive policy with the general idea that it would make people feel like life was more affordable. I think that at a fundamental level that hasn't shifted. We've certainly spent a lot of money.

And it also cost money for businesses to change their systems last year. And that's time and money being spent again to put the tax back. So by Sunday, say goodbye to the tax cut that just didn't cut it for everyone. NECDARI, CBC News, Calgary. Meanwhile, Buy Canadian has become a sort of rallying cry in response to Donald Trump's threats. But knowing what to buy at the grocery store isn't always easy. So young entrepreneurs downloaded the challenge. Vanessa Lee has the story.

Let's try to see if these are Canadian or not. Grocery shopping is different these days for 29-year-old Christopher Dip and 23-year-old Alexandre Amila. The Montrealers are using Buy Beaver, a new app they created to make it easier for shoppers to identify Canadian products. Amila sees it as part of a bigger movement. Canadians are trying to support more and more Canada and the local businesses here. The app is community-driven, relying on users to comment, rate and share information. It says made in Canada from domestic but imported ingredients as well.

Dip explains how it works. You can scan the barcode, then it will rate the product as either Canadian or not on a scale of 1 to 5. The creators of the app know they're not perfect and are working around the clock to ensure all of the information is accurate. A labour of love for their country. Vanessa Lee, CBC News, Montreal. Farmers and commercial poultry producers in Newfoundland and Labrador have been warned to keep their flocks away from wild birds. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has detected two cases of suspected avian flu and backyard poultry

flocks. The virus has been circulating in wild birds in the province since an outbreak in 2021. The CFIA says there is no risk to food safety. A health problem that was all but eliminated in Canada seems to be making a comeback. Researchers say cases of iodine deficiency are increasing and changing diets and the popularity of gourmet salts could be the reason why. Jennifer Yoon has that story. Iodine. A major health victory. Adding iodine to table salt, a mineral essential to thyroid function.

It prevents goiters, large growths on the neck, and developmental delays leading to stunted growth both physically and mentally. But with dietary changes and non-iodized salts getting more popular, iodine deficiency is back on the rise in North America, says Dr. Elizabeth Pierce, an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center. Kosher salts, pink Himalayan salts, sea salt, but those salts don't have iodine by and large. A recent study suggests nearly 12% of Canadians weren't getting enough iodine. McMaster University chemist Philip Brits McKibben is one of the researchers. We have now a resurgence of at least mild to moderate deficiency.

Brits McKibben reminds Canadians they can also get their iodine through seafood and dairy. Jennifer Yoon, CBC News, Toronto. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fague.