The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/09/30 at 05:00 EDT

Episode Date: September 30, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/09/30 at 05:00 EDT

Too many students are packed into overcrowded classrooms in Ontario schools, and it's hurting their ability to learn. But instead of helping our kids, the Ford government is playing politics, taking over school boards and silencing local voices. It shouldn't be this way. Tell the Ford government to get serious about tackling overcrowded classrooms because smaller classes would make a big difference for our kids.

Go to Building Better Schools.ca. A message from the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Neil Hurland. The Palestinian militant group Hamas is looking at a peace plan proposed by Donald Trump. The U.S. President announced the plan after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House yesterday. The plan would bring a ceasefire to Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. But Hamas would have to disarm and not. play a role in governing Gaza. Sina Azoti teaches Middle East politics at George Washington

University in D.C. I think that eventually they have to. There is no other choice. I mean, everybody agrees that Hamas cannot and should not have any role in the future of Gaza. So I think that's the set of the issue. I don't think they have any other choice unless they really want to bring more bloodshed and resist. Prime Minister Mark Carney is endorsing the Trump peace plan for Gaza. Alberta's 51,000 unionized teachers have voted to reject a three-year tentative agreement with the province. Teachers voted 89.5% to reject the contract that was offered to them.

Now, the Alberta Teachers Association says its members will go on strike starting next Monday, October 6th. Premier Danielle Smith reacted to the news at a public forum in Calgary last night. We are disappointed. I mean, we have heard the issue that teachers are experienced. is around complexity in the classroom, classroom size, as well as the number of newcomers who have English as a second language that is putting pressure on the classroom. So we've got some things that we've got to talk with the teachers union at the table around getting more education

assistance. The union represents 51,000 public, Catholic, and Francophone teachers. If they go on strike, it will be the largest teacher strike in Alberta history. Calgary-based Imperial Oil says it will be eliminating 20% of its workforce by the end of 2027. That would mean 900 job losses. It's not clear yet what it means for Imperial's head office, which has been located in Calgary since 2004. Richard Mason is an executive fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy. He calls it a significant restructuring. My read of the press release is that those are head office type functions where perhaps they were doing the function in Calgary, like accounting for example, that will now be centralized someplace like Houston. And so once this is done, I wouldn't

expect more cuts like that. Mason says he believes it's purely a cost-cutting move. He says it's likely Imperial's parent company, Exxon, has developed new technology using AI in areas such as geology and engineering and can save money by eliminating human staff. Today is the National Day for Truth and reconciliation, and CBC News will have special coverage of indigenous ceremonies, events, and stories. While a residential school survivor is reclaiming her culture through dance, she's from the Star Blanket Creenation in Saskatchewan, and she says that she's overcome a lot of healing to reach this point.

Louise Big Eagle reports. Starless Star Blanket has been wanting to dance powwow since she was five years old. For the 55-year-old grandmother, that was. was taken away when she went to the Koppel Indian residential school at the age of seven. As she got older, she was working on healing, so she may one day dance in the powwow circle. But all that changed in 2023 when she had to have surgery. My spine developed a curvature. My left knee absorbed the brunt of these injuries.

It needed to be completely replaced. With her son, she found the strength to walk again. Star Blanket decided it was time to be the Trudgeon. traditional dancer she wanted to be. I think it's very much a big part of the healing journey. Earlier this month, the residential school survivor danced traditional for the first time at the Treaty 4 Celebration Powwow in Forkap. And I reclaim that.

Louise Big Eagle, CBC News, Star Blanket, Cree Nation. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Hurland. Thank you.