Your World Tonight - A shootout outside a synagogue shocks Belleville, Ontario; and more

Episode Date: September 21, 2026

The Liberal government of Mark Carney introduces major economic legislation on the opening day of Parliament. The intended goal is to speed up development and keep labour peace.And: Families of the victims of the Air India Flight 182 bombing say the RCMP told them that after 41 years, the investigation is now inactive.Plus: Three major U.S. news organizations sue the Trump administration after being barred from the White House; who are the Houthis? And Quebec parties' promises to boost the birth rate in the province.

Mr. President, my company formed me of the explosion on our rig. On October 2nd. Causing massive water displacement and triggering the tsunami. They all heap to blame on me. Tom Cruise is. Digger got us into this mess. And Digger's gonna dig us out. From the director of Birdman and the Revenant.

What would happen if I stop doing? You starve. You freeze to death. That's what? With great power comes great deniability. I'm not the first, Danny. Digger, see the trail online. Only here's October 2nd.

This is a CBC podcast. I called out, yelled out for everyone to get onto the floor. There are dozens of bullet holes in the street behind me. Let me be very clear. Anti-Semitism, hate and violence have no place in our community. An exchange of gunfire outside a Belleville, Ontario synagogue, as it was marking the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. A police officer is seriously wounded, the suspect, in critical

condition. While local police and the province's special investigations unit seek the public's help in gathering evidence, details are emerging about the alleged shooter and his possible motives. This is Your World tonight. It's Monday, September 21st, just before 6 p.m. Eastern. I'm Salima Shivji, also on the podcast. Mr. Speaker, this government will continue to work without fail to improve affordability for Canadians. All they have gotten from him is big talk around. the world and big bills here at home. The House is back in action and the government is promising significant changes aimed at transforming the economy. New legislation designed to speed up project approvals, revise labor laws and

provide new tax breaks for business. Police in Belleville, Ontario are trying to piece together what led to a shooting outside of synagogue on Judaism's holiest day of the year. Investigators say a suspect end to officers exchanged gunfighting. Sunday evening as worshippers gathered inside to Mark Yom Kippur. The CBC's Thomas Deg has the latest. Social media video captured the sound of gunshots, disrupting a quiet Sunday evening in the small city of Belleville, Ontario, west of Kingston. Investigators say a suspect pulled up in a truck, opening fire at a police officer stationed

near Sons of Jacob's synagogue. Inside, worshippers were gathering for what was supposed to to be a solemn Yom Kippur service. So we all just kind of found places to take cover inside the shoal. And we just heard a lot of shots. There are a lot of shots being fired for what seemed like forever. Douglas Lobel was among the community members instantly sent scrambling. The congregation's president, Norman Wedham, jumped in to protect others. I closed the doors because I didn't want to be a visible target.

And I shouted to everyone to get on the floor. We have a shooter. Investigators identified the alleged gunman as Sean Ward, a 29-year-old local man armed with a shotgun. Police returned fire with a second officer joining the shootout and up to 30 rounds fired in all. It's quite a complex scene and there's a lot of cartridge cases to collect. Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, is looking into what happened. Spokesperson Christy Dennett. There are dozens of bullet holes in the street behind me.

some homes have been hit and there are some vehicles with shot out windows, that sort of thing. So it would have been quite the scene. The synagogue says it had requested police protection for the event on Judaism's holiest day of the year. Investigators say the officer posted outside, Constable Jeff Smith, was critically injured in the incident and is recovering in hospital. Belleville Police Deputy Chief Sherry Meeks describes Smith as a 13-year veteran of the force. He is a long-standing and highly respected member of our emergency response unit, known by his colleagues as a dedicated officer, trusted teammate, and committed public servant.

Investigators haven't commented on the suspect's motive, but the violence comes amid a series of attacks targeting Jewish institutions, schools, and businesses in Canada. Let me be very clear. Anti-Semitism, hate and violence have no place in our community. Police across the province say they're again stepping up patrols near. synagogues out of an abundance of caution. Investigators say there's no ongoing threat, but the incident has shaken a community that was already fearing the worst.

Thomas Dagg, CBC News, Toronto. In the House of Commons, MPs came together to offer prayers and support for the wounded police officer and the entire Jewish community. It was a rare moment of unity on this first day of the new parliamentary session. As Rafi Bucci Canyon reports, today's tone was set by the ongoing. tension of the U.S. trade war and a now stronger majority for Mark Carney's liberal government. A victory lap for Prime Minister Mark Carney's liberals to start the fall as he introduces three new MPs to Parliament, fresh office-lative by election wins.

I have the honor to present to you, Brayden Cayley, Tanvir Chanoas, Danielle Gobe. Prime Minister, welcome back to Parliament. But conservative leader Pierre Pallier spent little time on pleasantries before pressing an attack. Canadians are absolutely out of money. All they have gotten from him is big talk around the world and big bills here at home. We're providing immediate support to Canadians. Groceries and essentials benefit. Next check is coming next month. With the Prime Minister on a plane to New York shortly after question period to attend the United Nations General Assembly, the official opposition is picking on his busy travel schedule. It's unacceptable that he briefed and spoke to German members of parliament.

Bulgarian members of parliament before speaking to Canadian members of parliament, representing the Canadian people. Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer pointing out there has been nothing to debate yet on the vaguely defined future alliance with the European Union floated by the EU and the government. Mark Carney has answered precisely none of these questions. The government has said the proposal is not for a full membership and there will be a debate in the Canadian Parliament about what's on offer. Hardly the only contentious one in the House of Commons this fall, with the Liberals introducing a major bill that reforms environmental impact assessment as well as labor law this afternoon. In order to tell international businesses to come in Canada and feel comfortable,

nothing will be in your wake. Bloch-C-Beoucabec-Lead, Yves Francois-Blanchev, forces to come. It's simply like breaking the window and telling those businesses just come and help yourselves. All this set against the backdrop of the trade war with the U.S., conservatives for the first time confronting the government in the House on the impact of their counter tariffs. MP Michael Gulliolmeans says businesses in his Ontario writing of Vaughan Woodbridge

are being forced to shut down. Now we should out-compete the Americans, not out-tax them. Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much as counter-tariffs will cost them? Rebuffed quickly by government House leader Stephen McKinnon. this session of Parliament, Mr. Speaker, we won't see this pattern re-emerge. Call it the Blame Canada pattern, the Hissy Fit Brigade. A crisis that continues to loom over almost every dispute in Parliament. Rafi Bucchan, Yon CBC News, Arwa.

The Prime Minister is calling that new bill table today the most consequential legislation quite possibly of the next few years. It's seen as a way to fast-track major projects, while also protecting workers and the environment. Jennifer Yun is taking a closer look for us in Ottawa. So Jen, how is this new legislation going to do all of that? Well, the idea is that the bill would cut the time the federal government spends on reviewing and assessing major project from several years to one year. How they intend to do it by creating a one-stop shop that coordinates the review. Currently, a project might need approval from several ministries. For example, Fisheries and Oceans Canada would conduct

a separate review from Environment Canada. This bill would streamline that, so applicants only need to report to one federal agency. But there have been some concerns about this plan, particularly that the bill could compromise the federal government's duty to consult indigenous groups and weaken environmental safeguards. Those issues came up during the public consultation process this summer when indigenous groups and stakeholders argued that major projects often require multi-season environmental studies,

extensive public participation, and meaningful indigenous consultation. Government officials did say the timelines can be extended and that the bill would make it clearer, simpler and more predictable for groups to participate in the consultations. And this new bill also proposes changes to the Labor Code. Tell us more about that. Yeah, in particular, a controversial bit that allows the federal government to intervene during a strike or a lockout, order people back to work and force arbitration. It would clarify the instances when a minister could intervene.

That is, after a report from a report from, a special mediator and if the minister believes the work stoppage would adversely affect the national interest. For instance, would it have an impact on the wider national economy, have societal impacts, and are there any available alternatives? Minister of Jobs, Patty Heidu, says there would be a high bar for a minister to step in. Employers and unions should be concerned about economic harm as well, by the way, but the consideration of national interest will also include people's charter rights to strike, and the minister will have to balance all of that. But there's already some concern from unions about any intervention.

Yeah, the Canadian Labor Congress says the government shouldn't be able to step in at all to end the strike and order arbitration because the union says it ultimately helps employers, not employees. The CLC says it encourages businesses to wait for arbitration instead of coming to the table in good faith to have difficult conversations about working conditions beyond wages and benefits. The Labor group says it will be challenging the bill every step up the way, including legal challenges. Okay, the CBC is Jennifer Yun in Ottawa. Thanks for this. You're welcome.

Coming up, families of those killed in the Air India bombing say they plan to seek legal recourse after RCMP officials told them the case file is now inactive. Plus, First Amendment fight. Three major media outlets sue the Trump administration after he bans them from the White House grounds. Later, we'll have this story. What will it take to boost Quebec's birth rate? The party Quebecois says money might help. The cost of living has gone in such difficult direction

that it had a very, very big impact on the decision on having children or not. I'm Sarah Leavitt in Montreal. Later on Your World Tonight, how making babies is being discussed on the Quebec campaign trail and how money incentives haven't worked in the past. British Columbia is filing legal action in California against OpenAI. The lawsuit is related to the Tumblr Ridge tragedy that left eight victims dead. BC Attorney General Nikki Sharma says the province is seeking corporate accountability

after OpenAI failed to notify RCMP about violent conversations the shooter had with chat GPT. What we're alleging in our claim is that AI knew that there were serious things happening in that chat, and they failed to report. The families who we are in contact with very closely with our lawyers filed in California, we want to be there to support them. The lawsuit in California runs parallel to civil litigation, launched by survivors and victims' families. OpenAI says it is committed to cooperating with government and law enforcement

and that it continues to work on safety. It's an investigation spanning more than 40 years into one of the worst attacks in Canadian history. And now family members of the victims of the Air India bombing say they've been told by RCMP that the investigation is no longer active. As Angie Seth reports, they're calling on the RCMP to change their minds and on Ottawa to intervene. You're actually saying that you have no more persons of interest and effectively this investigation has hit a dead war. Frustration and even deeper despair from Sanjay Lazar, whose family was killed in the Air India-1985 bomb. He took this recording and shared it with CBC News of a meeting between the RCMP and dozens of victims' family members in Toronto on September 12th. And at that meeting, victims families say they were informed the Air India file is now marked as inactive.

Those investigative avenues have been exhausted. This is a recording of RCMP member Brian Piot at that meeting. I'm satisfied that based on the information that we haven't done everything we could to advance those investigative pieces. In response, some family members, including Lizar, sent letters to both Prime Minister Mark Carney and the RCNP, urging to have the case remain active. In his letter to the RCNP Commissioner, Lizar wrote, quote, it was a gut-wrenching kick in my abdomen, and it brought back dark memories for me. There is the Victims Bill of Rights in Canada. I will follow that process, along with Canadian families who are involved in this. We've already met our lawyers and explored what other options we have. I mean, this is not going to end easily and it's not going to end so lightly for the RCMP to put the arms up.

Rob Alexander lost his father on Flight 182. He says the RCP even asked the families to offer any tips. He was shocked and says more needs to be done. If they're taking it seriously and don't want this to happen again in Canada, they need to change their motivation and what they want to see come out of this to get justice for the families. Bob Ray was the independent advisor to the. Minister of Public Safety on the Air Indian inquiry back in 2005. He says he's disappointed and will be urging the government to take action.

There has to be a serious course correction, an apology to the families for what's happened, and then a course correction in terms of how they're intending to proceed. The idea that you would drop this, that the investigation would just go disappear into the night, is ridiculous. And I think everybody who knows anything about this case shares that. few. Only one person was ever convicted in connection with the bombing. All 329 people were killed on Air India Flight 182. Most of them, Canadians, when a bomb exploded on board off the west coast of Ireland. The bombings are considered to be the worst mass murder in Canadian history.

CBC News reached out to the RCMP for comment. They have not yet provided a statement. Angie Seth, CBC News, Toronto. U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to reduce his country's dependence on Canadian potash by making a deal with Belarus. Trump says that way the U.S. would pay less for the fertilizer, but the president of Belarus says his country is not in a position to supply very much, especially not this year. Most of the country's potash currently goes to China.

Three U.S. news outlets are suing the Trump administration after they were barred from the White House. Journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico had their security passes revoked over the weekend. The outlets say the ban is unjustified and threatens press freedom. The CBC's Katie Simpson reports from Washington. It is eerily quiet along the driveway leading up to the White House, one of the designated areas where broadcast journalists set up to do their reports. It is noticeable that fewer people are on the grounds, with CNN, MS Now and Politico banned from the problem.

If you're going to engage in what is effectively far-left propaganda, why would a Republican White House give you special access? Vice President J.D. Vance saying the ban is justified because the White House doesn't like the content these outlets produce, describing it as negative coverage. It's about basic fairness. They can still report. They still have the access to free speech. They're just not going to get an office in the White House anymore. And I think it's totally appropriate unless, of course, they start to behave like real news organizations. All three news outlets are now suing the Trump administration. arguing the move is unconstitutional and a violation of free speech and press freedom rights. The First Amendment, if it means anything, means that the government cannot punish speakers, including members of the press, in retaliation for their viewpoints.

Katie Fahle is a First Amendment lawyer. She says American courts have previously defended news organizations from these kinds of attacks. The White House press passes and the press facilities that are on White House grounds. are a kind of public forum. And the First Amendment prevents the White House from excluding journalists from that forum based on viewpoint. For now, the major U.S. TV networks are standing united, refusing to participate in what's known as pool duty,

when networks pool their resources so that one camera shoots content for all. Today, no mainstream outlet sent a TV news camera to a ribbon-cutting by Donald Trump at the White House. And when the right-wing broadcaster Newsmax tried to carry it live, the quality was so poor, even they acknowledged it. Okay, so there's no microphone because the pool cameras aren't there. So maybe, Tim, this is one example of it backfiring just a little bit. The ban reportedly caught some at the White House off guard. New reporting by CNN and the Wall Street Journal suggests Donald Trump was infuriated

after he was shown a series of negative news clips by his close confidant, Natalie Harp, the controversial aide who appears to have significant influence with the president. As the White House stands by its decision, the legal battle will ramp up with the next court hearing set for Wednesday. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. World leaders are gathering in New York for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. They'll talk about everything from concerns about runaway AI to climate, change to ongoing global conflicts. More than 100,000 people have been displaced over the past

few weeks in Yemen alone, where the UN describes the civil war as a humanitarian crisis that's growing by the hour. Senior international correspondent Margaret Evans has more. The sound of Yemen's long, simmering civil war, unleashed anew in recent weeks. The lightning advance of Houthi rebels on government. held territory, upping the stakes in that other war between the United States and Iran. The Houthis now control all of Yemen's coastline on the Red Sea, including the Babal-Mandab Strait, another waterway with the potential to disrupt global trade. This is basically the war in Iran now becoming regional.

Barashaban is an associate fellow and Yemen analyst with the Royal United Services Institute. Now we have a new front in Yemen. Things are escalating very quickly. If the Houthis managed to hold their gains, it offers their Iranian allies more leverage in their fight with the United States, a double chokehold, if you like, on shipping routes. It also increases the Houthi's own leverage in Yemen's long civil war and against their old enemy, Saudi Arabia. They quickly have become this sophisticated network. This is not just a random. the militia that people were discussing from a couple of years ago. The Houthis swept down from their highland stronghold in the north and onto the world stage in 2014,

seizing the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and forcing the government to flee. The Houthi's transformation from local militia into a significant fighting force today comes courtesy of Iranian patronage. But their leaders insist their fight is for their cause alone, to rule all of Yemen. Hezam al-Assad is a member of the Houthi's political bureau. We are the victims in this case, and not agents for anyone. The Saudi regime is trying to link this charge with us

so that it can remain on our land. Saudi Arabia formed a military coalition in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government in 2015, but it's been riven by internal. rivalries. The civil war has already cost the lives of some 375,000 people, according to the UN. UN spokesman Stefan Dujarak says Yemen can ill afford another escalation. Without additional resources now, already stretched protection and assistance capacity could quickly be overwhelmed. Over the weekend, Houthi militants claimed to have launched attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh, where

officials said they'd intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile. Saudi Arabia wants Washington to intervene with airstrikes against the Houthis, although they've not been able to bond them into submission in the past. So far, the U.S. has declined. Margaret Evans, CBC News, London. Quebec's provincial election is serving up some new twists on an old idea to try to boost the birth rate, paying people to have babies. Sarah Leavitt looks at what some parties are offering and the skepticism around whether it will work. Families right now in Quebec who have one, two, three, four children are under pressure. Standing in a playground surrounded by Parti Quebecois candidates,

leader Paul St. Pierre Plamondon is promising to pay parents to have more kids. Midway through the Quebec election campaign and parties are making their case to voters. St. Pierre Plamondon says, his will provide parents with $350 for a third child and $700 for a fourth. The cost of living has gone in such difficult direction that it had a very, very big impact on the decision on having children or not. And given that the birth rate in Quebec is quite lower than many other places, yes, I think we can have an impact. Quebec's fertility rate hit 1.36 children per woman last year, a near record low, but still slightly higher than the Canadian average.

The idea of baby bonuses isn't a new one. The government wants to encourage Quebecers to have children to offset the province's dwindling birth rate. That from 1988, cash incentives, considerably more than what the PQ is offering, up to $8,000 for a third kid. But experts say those bonuses have proven ineffective. The impact is very low. Benoit LaPlante is with Quebec's National Research Institute. If you have a child, you will be responsible for that child for 18, 20 years. And whatever the amount of money you receive upon birth,

if you've got it spent in a few months. The PQ is not the only party to offer incentives for having kids. The Coalition Avenir Quebec says it'll offer parents $1,000 to be put in a registered education. savings plan. But if the child ends up not pursuing post-secondary education, the money and interest goes back to the government. The Conservative Party of Quebec says any parent who keeps their child at home instead of going to subsidize daycare will get $100 a week. What is something that would incentivize people to have children? That is like the $64,000 question, which is now like $64 billion. Sarah Browner-Oto is a sociology professor at McGill University.

Policies that support families while they're working are what helps people raise their children, providing childcare, ensuring the kind of long-term stability and high investment in education. Faced with criticism over his announcement, PQ leader St. Pierre Plamandon says, What we're doing is supporting families who are under quite a financial hardship right now. A promise he's hoping will get him votes on October 5th. Sarah Levitt's CBC News. Montreal. And finally, adult hockey leagues are a huge thing across this country. With many of the players keen to carry on a game, they loved playing when they were young.

But 15 years ago, when Jason Craig went looking for a team, it was as a 33-year-old newbie, a hockey fan who'd never played before. Still, once he laced up his skates, it didn't take long for Craig to feel right at home, in more ways than one. You'd get into conversations in the dressing room over, you know, things that were outside of the sport, and quickly you realize, well, I found a group of people that I realized at one point, I like seeing these people just as much as I actually like getting out on the ice. These days, Craig runs the Nova Adult Hockey League,

which has games across the Halifax area and soon the Annapolis Valley. Among its 1,000 members are Mikola and Ivan Kravchenko, brothers from Ukraine who moved to Nova Scotia in 2023. They say playing is a welcome distraction from what's happening back in their home country. And they're thankful to Canada and especially Craig, who also helped them find a place to live. We appreciate your people, Canadian people, especially Jason, who involved with us to these leagues, who involved with hockey. While the Krebchenko's played hockey as kids, some league members started as absolute beginners, like Anga Natarajan. He appreciates the community he's found as well as the attitude of his fellow players.

The first time I was so nervous, especially I don't know even how to put on my gears. So everybody around me telling me a few tips, I still remember putting my skates before my pants on and then struggling. I have never heard this question. Everybody asks how good you play. That's the usual question. But what I got surprised is when everybody asking about the fun and keeping this as a part of learning and enjoying.

Natarajan says when he scored his first ever goal, players on both teams cheered. The Nova League operates hockey clinics and also plays internal. to help local charities. Just this past weekend, it raised $2,500 for the IWK Hospital in Halifax. Thanks for being with us. This has been Your Will Tonight for Monday, September 21st. I'm Salima Schifji.

Have a good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca slash podcasts.