World Report - April 5: Saturday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: April 5, 2025

Liberal Leader Mark Carney has announced more help for Canada's skilled trades workers.NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is in Newfoundland where he's unveiling more of the party's health platform.Could the results of the next election damage Canadian unity?Ukraine accuses Russia of lying about deadly airstrike on Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown.As US tariffs begin rolling out around the world - global economies are preparing their responses.Canada's tourism industry is hoping for a boost as vacationers boycott U-S destinations

When they predict we'll fall, we rise to the challenge. When they say we're not a country, we stand on guard. This land taught us to be brave and caring, to protect our values, to leave no one behind. Canada is on the line, and it's time to vote as though our country depends on it, because like never before, it does. I'm Jonathan Pedneau, co-leader of the Green Party of Canada.

This election, each vote makes a difference. Authorized by the Registeredleader of the Green Party of Canada. This election, each vote makes a difference. Authorized by the registered agent of the Green Party of Canada. This is a CBC Podcast. This is World Report. Good morning, I'm John Northcott. The federal campaign trail is heating up as the candidates make their pitches to Canadians. Today, Liberal leader Mark Carney is in Oakville, Ontario. He's pushing a plan to help skilled trades workers across the country.

To directly support apprentices, we will create an apprenticeship grant of up to $8,000 for registered apprentices. This removes a key financial barrier for those who want to enter the trades. Carney says skilled trades are crucial to building Canada's economy, especially given US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Carney says skilled trades workers are the driving force and right now he argues the country simply doesn't have enough. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is in Newfoundland where he's unveiling more of the party's health platform. He says the NDP will address the need for doctors by creating a thousand more residency positions for

foreign-trained doctors living in Canada. Singh also promising to train more physicians to work in under-serviced areas of the country. What we're laying out is a pathway towards hiring more physicians. We're talking about the specific problem that we're up against, which we hear from everybody, which is a lack of healthcare workers. We need more nurses, we need more healthcare workers, and we need more physicians, and we're giving a plan to address one piece of that. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Pierre Poliev is campaigning in the Soyuz in British Columbia.

Could the results of the election damage Canadian unity? Well that's the thesis being advanced by former Reform Party leader Preston Manning. He's even argued Liberal leader Mark Carney could become the last Prime Minister of a united Canada. But because, but rather many other politicians disagree, more from Catherine Cullen, host of the House. I just can't fathom that mindset. BC Premier David Eby says this is not the time to be talking about Western secession.

In this moment where we're all coming together to try to rip the country apart, drive divisions, we need to stick together to be successful as Canadians. But former Reform Party leader Preston Manning warns there is a real problem that can't be ignored, saying if the federal Liberals win this election, more people in the West will want out. Manning says he doesn't disagree with Eby and others calling for unity. But coming together ought to mean advancing and protecting the interests of each region, not just some. Manning argues the federal liberals have neglected, even demeaned, the resource sector

and he says he doesn't believe liberal pledges to accelerate resource projects. Large numbers of westerners will not accept a liberal government that acts the same way as the one that did the last in the last nine years. Manning cites a poll showing across Western provinces the percentage of people who think they'd be better off apart from Canada ranges from the 30s in Alberta to the teens elsewhere in the prairies. He insists the number could grow with a liberal re-election, but liberal leader Mark Carney rejects that. Such dramatic comments are unhelpful at a time when Canadians are coming together. Conservative leader Pierre Poliev was also asked whether he agrees with Manning. No, we need to unite the country.

We need to bring all Canadians together. Manning says he hopes voters in Central and Atlantic Canada will think about how their vote could impact national unity. Catherine Cullen, CBC News, Ottawa. And you can hear more of Catherine's interview with Preston Manning on The House right after the 9 o'clock edition of World Report or wherever you get your podcasts. Medical recruiters in Canada say there's a surge in interest by American doctors considering a move to this country. It comes after Donald Trump's election in November.

Nova Scotia Health Recruiting says there are 27 American doctors in serious negotiations to move. And Manitoba's Health Minister says the province's recruiters are talking with a dozen American physicians and nearly 50 nurses. Consumers in the US are rushing to buy big ticket items before the tariffs kick in. Leasing vehicles and buying laptop computers are high on the list. Economists warn that tariffs are expected to increase prices on everyday items. People on the small French islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are wondering how they ended up at the top of President Donald Trump's list of worst

trade offenders. They could be facing 50% tariffs on everything they export. But as Peter Cowen reports, the people who live just off the coast of Newfoundland seem to be taking it in stride. It's like a disbelief, like, boy, why would you do this? Steve LeBar still can't believe his tiny island topped Donald Trump's list of trade offenders. They're just 6,000 people who live on Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. They're part of France, but sit just off the coast of Newfoundland. And during Wednesday's tariff announcements, the U.S. president gave the archipelago his highest tariffs, 50 percent.

In other words, they charge us, we charge them, we charge them less. So how can anybody be upset? More than upset, people in Saint-Pierre are bewildered. U.S. imports come through Canada, and official American numbers show zero trade most months. Last year, it was only July that had any trade at all. 3.4 million dollars of fish exported to the states. Why are 6,000 people having the highest rate of taxes when we don't export nothing? Only Flanders we exported last year. It's the topic of conversation in shops and restaurants on the island,

and some people are seeing a benefit. A lot of people are now talking about Saint-Pierre and Michelin. In another way, I was like, well, Alice is doing us promotion. He's promoting our island for us for free. And it appears the islands may dodge the tariffs after all. Local politicians are still trying to get clarity, but in the official list of tariffs attached to Trump's executive order, the islands can't be found. Peter Cowen, CBC News, St. John's.

Canadian brewers are among those struggling with rising costs from US tariffs, aluminum for beer cans, an important part of their manufacturing process, and like the auto trade, their supply chain crosses the border a number of times. That is some breweries in Alberta shifting strategies to contain costs. Malika Karim explains. I am cleaning because I drink beer. Alberta's Big Rock Brewery addressing the cross-border tensions with humorous Instagram videos. But Brad Goddard says the beer maker had to shift to accommodate aluminum tariffs. We aspired to stockpile as many cans as we could and move them into Canada as fast as we could.

Goddard says although the aluminum is locally sourced from Canada, it crosses the border to become the material used to manufacture the cans. Yeah things are always gonna be crappy but just got to find a way to win. Over at Toolshed, a smaller microbrewery in Calgary, Graham Sherman says its strategy also involves buying more cans at once, but not from the U.S. I have to now buy a full container of cans from China. I have to spend more money and I have to plan six weeks out while my cost of goods is actually dropping significantly by planning ahead

like that." Sherman says the trade war has also sparked another welcome change. We are now landing massive deals from big organizations that are deciding now to stop serving American beers and we're landing really really significant contracts from companies that are saying we have to start supporting local. Both brewers hope the current situation and gap in manufacturing in Canada will inspire others to open refineries on this side of the 49 parallel to truly be self-sufficient. Malika Karim, CBC News, Calgary. Finally, Russian hockey star Alex Ovechkin makes history. The 39-year-old has tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL record, scoring 894 goals.

CBC senior writer Trevor Party is here. Trevor, take us through this moment. Well, Wayne Gretzky broke Gordy Howes' record in 1994 with his 802nd goal. He finished, as you say, with 894. That record was thought to be unbreakable, but along comes Alex Ovechkin, first overall pick by the Washington Capitals in 2004. He's had nine 50-goal seasons, just had a great career, and last night he ties Gretzky's record with the great one in attendance. Trevor, let's talk about the significance of this, given the state of the game today. Well, the big significance is the game is a lot different.

Goal scoring is down a lot from when Gretzky played, so that makes Ovechkin's accomplishment even bigger. And last season, he was really slow the way he played. I shouldn't say slow as a skater, but he just didn't have a great season. Only 31 goals. People thought, you know what, he's not the player he was, but this year comes back. Despite a fractured fibula, he's now scored 40 goals so far this year. He could break the record tomorrow, but he could also play a couple of more seasons and put up a record that is unbreakable until the next Gretzky or Ovechkin comes along.

39 years old. Could his career continue on? He could play a couple more years. I mean, we could see 970, 900 goals. And could we say possibly 1,000? Who knows? Wow. Trevor Party, senior writer for CBC. Thanks so much.

Thank you, John. And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. If you're enjoying the World Report podcast, and we hope you are, please tell a friend or rate and review us. It helps to spread the word. I'm John Northcott. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with us here at CBC News.