Your World Tonight - B.C. goes to the polls amid opposition disarray; and more

Episode Date: September 22, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump once again threatens to “annihilate” Iran in a speech to the UN General Assembly.And: The U.S., Denmark and Greenland unveil the details of a new security pact that gives Washington more military access.Plus: Pushback against the new economic legislation by the Liberal government, waving the (Alberta) flag, the plight of the man known as the “Father of Nunavut”, and what happened to all the hurricanes?

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David Eby pulls the plug on his NDP government, calling a snap election less than two years after winning a majority. Now two rival parties are merging under the conservative banner to take him on. This is Your World Tonight. It's Tuesday, September 22nd, just before 6 p.m. Eastern. I'm Salima Shivji, also on the program. Make no mistake, this is an attack on the workers' rights to be able to meaningfully get to the bargaining table and to leverage the only power that they have, which is to withdraw their labor.

Canada's union leadership denounces the Carney government's new Build Canada Strong Act. They say revisions to the labor code will infringe on workers' rights, but many business groups are welcoming the changes. BC residents are going to the polls. Premier David Eby called a snap election this afternoon. Eby says he wants a mandate from voters to protect the province from U.S. President Donald Trump's threats. But the opposition says Eby's move might have more to do with seizing a political advantage. Caroline Bargut reports from Vancouver.

Barely two years after British Columbians elected an NDP government to lead the province, Premier David Eby has called a snap election, saying he wants a clear mandate from voters to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump and his ever-growing slew of tariffs. When you smell smoke, you don't sit and wait to see what happens next. The NDP currently holds 47 of the 93 seats in the legislature, one above the majority threshold. Still, Eby says he wants to hear from voters on next steps. So we have big decisions to make as a province. And British Columbians, you deserve a say in the direction that we choose.

this election is your chance to have your voice heard on a very clear choice in front of us. Many are calling the move opportunistic given that the BC Conservative Party is in disarray. Ten MLAs quit the caucus over clashes with party leader Kerry Lynn Finley over the past few weeks. Then Finley ousted three more. On Sunday, she stepped down. Yesterday, two-term MLA Lauren Dirkson was named interim leader. He's the fourth leader of the party in two years. Dan Albis is a BC federal conservative MP. He talked about the election call earlier today in Ottawa.

Well, it's awfully cynical for a Premier to be calling an election at this time. The man could simply say, if I need a mandate for the people, he could go to the legislative assembly, recall everyone, slap down a motion, lay out everything that knew that he does not have a mandate for, and then see go and to test the confidence. Eight of the 13 MLAs who left the party joined a more centrist party called Center BC. All but one of them have decided to merge with BC conservative MLAs under the conservative banner, with Dirksen as party leader.

Polster Mario Canseco says this election won't be a slam dunk for the NDP, especially since the conservatives have a new face at the helm. You don't really have a significant dossier of things that he said or done, and that is going to be more complicated for the NDP, who was probably getting ready for a campaign that was going to be about Carolyn Findy and the culture wars. That has been taken off the table because she's no longer the leader of the Conservatives. The next election will be held on October 24th, just one week after the province holds municipal elections, further complicating things. Caroline Bargut, ZBC News, Vancouver. Environmental groups, labor unions and First Nations are all pushing back against Mark Carney's

big economic bill. The liberal government says it wants to move fast, but several groups say they don't want it to be at their expense. Jennifer Yunn reports. Public money for pipelines. No, money. An elderly woman protesting Mark Carney's new economic bill as she gets escorted off Parliament Hill by security. You've got to get off of fossil fuels. A group of environmentalists, mostly seniors, were arrested this morning.

They're part of mounting opposition to a far-reaching economic bill that would fast track the review process for major projects like pipelines. The government was elected on a very clear mandate, which is to build. Carney says the bill is necessary to boost the economy amid the ongoing trade war against the U.S. But several civil society groups now warning it could come at an unacceptable cost, not only to the environment, but also on the federal government's duty to consult indigenous groups. We all have to work together, but at the same time, not on our rights. Assembly of First Nations National Chiefs Cindy Woodhouse Nipanak questioning how indigenous groups could be adequately consulted

under the one-year project review timeline laid out in the bill. One year's tight. We always have to make sure that there's not a time constraint and that First Nations have as much time as they need to work through it. Another section of the bill amending the Canada Labor Code also under fire today. The bill clarifies when a minister could step in to end a strike or lockout. But labor unions say it's an infringement on the charter right to strike. This is an attack on labor rights.

Bebruss, the president of the Canadian Labor Congress, asking the government to remove that part of the bill. She argues it would help safeguard good jobs in Canada. It's unions that built the middle class. If you take bargaining power away from unions, it changes the dynamic of bargaining tables. But Carney insists the bill would bolster workers' rights. It absolutely reinforces the right to strike. And alongside that, the responsibility of employers and unions, but employers, to negotiate in good faith.

Chachi Curl, president of the polling institute, Angus Reid, says, while Carney runs the risk of losing the leftist flank of the liberal vote, he's grown support among center-right voters, and Carney remains popular in the polls. For the most part, Canadians are broadly on side with the direction in which this government is going. And the backlash doesn't appear to be enough to cost him the high levels of popular support he's enjoyed for now. Jennifer Yun. CBC News, Ottawa. The suspect in Sunday's shooting near a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, has died. Ontario's police watchdog says Sean Ward was armed with a shotgun

and exchanged fire with Constable Jeff Smith outside the sons of Jacob's synagogue. The officer was stationed there as worshippers gathered to Mark Yom Kippur. The 29-year-old suspect was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. An autopsy will be performed tomorrow. The officer remains in critical but stable condition. Coming up, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Donald Trump signs a deal with Greenland and Denmark to build more U.S. military bases in the Arctic territory.

Plus, an unusual record for Atlantic hurricanes. Here why, so far, not a single storm has become strong enough this season to pose a serious threat. And later, we'll have this story. After advocating for Inuit rights for most of his life, the father of Nunavut is in his last fight. John Amagwalik is taking the Nunavut government to court after they refuse to pay for his care

to age at home instead of a senior's facility in Ottawa. No, I'll go back. I'm Juanita Taylor in Iqaluit. I'll tell you about the lengths the father of Nunavut supporters are going to to keep him in the territory he helped create. That's coming up on your world tonight. Prime Minister Mark Carney joined other world leaders

in New York today for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. About that united part, though, those in attendance heard two very different messages for the future, one from the outgoing UN Secretary General and another from U.S. President Donald Trump. Tom Perry reports from New York. No more plundering, no more exploitation. With his days as UN Secretary General winding down, Antonio Guterres today called for reform at the global body and a return to its founding values. The United Nations exists because power requires rules and the humanity needs a place where

power answers to principle. Gutierish's message at his final General Assembly that nations need to work together to end wars, uphold international law, fight climate change and address the growing fears around out-of-control artificial intelligence, all at a time when much of the world seems to be moving in the opposite direction. We inherited a dark age of America from the previous administration and we turned it into the golden age. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the General Assembly soon after Gutierish dismissing calls

to rein in AI, which he refers to as superintelligence, likening its critics to environmentalists warning about the dangers of climate change, which Trump views as a hoax. These are the same people that are now saying that AI is going to kill us all. that robots are going to attack us and that everything is going to be a total disaster. The same group of people. Trump's message on Iran and the war the U.S. and Israel began seven months ago just as stark.

The U.S. president repeating a threat he's made before as he's tried and failed to bring the conflict to an end. But I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was being? before? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic? Watching all of it unfold, Prime Minister Mark Carney, who spent much of his day meeting with

other leaders, trying, he says, to build cohesion in the face of the challenges underlined by the Secretary General on climate change, AI, and other issues. No one country, no matter how powerful, can manage these challenges alone. Cooperation, therefore, is not an act of idealism. It is a practical necessity. Carney says he did not meet with the U.S. president or U.S. officials today to discuss the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade war. The prime minister says at the U.N., with so many leaders on hand, he finds it more useful to meet with ones he doesn't normally see. Tom Perry, CBC News, New York. On the sidelines of the Assembly, Donald Trump inked a deal on Greenland Security.

The agreement paves the way for a bigger American military presence there. but it falls far short of Trump's once stated goal of complete annexation, a threat that continues to leave some sour feelings. Chris Brown has more. I just want to say I want to thank the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister, Greenland and Denmark. Donald Trump finally signed a deal with Greenland today, just not the deal to own it that nearly brought down the NATO alliance.

Instead, the U.S. will help co-manage the Strategic Island security. We'll be working very hard and very much. in conjunction with each other. Denmark and the U.S. have had a defense agreement for Greenland since 51. Today's signing essentially updates it, and crucially, it makes Greenland's government a signatory as well. It allows the U.S. to open two new military bases, and it blocks global competitors, such as Russia and China, from foreign direct investment in Greenland.

Manta Fredrickson, Denmark's prime minister and Yen's Frederick Nielsen of Greenland, called the agreement a win-win-win. Mr. President, you have been very clear. You don't want adversaries to come too close. I fully agree. And with this deal, they are not. And for Greenland, this is not only an agreement about us. It is agreement with us.

Greenland's direct involvement is significant, as most Greenlandic political parties favor long-term independence from Denmark. Importantly, the deal is designed to remain, legally binding, even if Greenland becomes an independent country, says Danish analyst Mikkel Wendbi Rasmussen. It is clear that if Greenland becomes independent, it will do so in a continued close alliance with the United States. The immediate challenge for Washington, though, may not be security, but rather healing the

diplomatic trauma left by months of U.S. annexation threats, says Tilly Martinessen a former member of Greenland's parliament. people are not as afraid in Greenland as they are angry. The sentiment very much is that Donald Trump needs to shut up. And if this agreement that has been strained between three countries makes him shut up, then that's fine. Trump critics on this side of the Atlantic call the deal a pretend victory, as they say the U.S. president could easily have gotten the very same outcome without the bullying.

Still, the text released today said the U.S. can establish a golden dome defense system in Greenland as a shield against missile threats. And Donald Trump can now champion that as a foreign policy win with midterm elections just around the corner. Chris Brown, CBC News, London. A Sri Lankan court has convicted 15 men for their roles in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed more than 260 people. The men have each been sentenced to 200 years in prison. The April attacks targeted three churches and three hotels during Easter services and celebrations. Some 500 people were wounded. The bombings were inspired by ISIS and were among the deadliest in Sri Lanka's history.

The Atlantic Ocean has been very quiet this year. In fact, this hurricane season has seen no hurricanes. There have only been a handful of named storms so far, and most of those only lasted a couple of days. The CBC's senior science reporter Nicole Mordalero is here to explain what exactly is going on. So, Nicole, this is an unusual year. Walk us through what a normal storm season looks like. Well, on average, the Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms,

seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. But, you know, forecasters are already forecasting a quieter season than normal. And so far, they're right. We've only had six named storms, but zero hurricanes, nothing, nada. So I think many people might have heard about the phenomenon that's changing things this year, right, and causing such a quiet season. Yes, yes, to those two words. El Nino or, you know, three words, if you want, super El Nino. It's shaping up to be a fairly big one, a very powerful one.

So El Nino is when there's a warming of waters in a specific area of the Pacific Ocean, and it's anomalous. This year so far, it's exceeded expectations. It is quite warm, and that has an effect. And we haven't even reached the peak yet. It's already breaking records. And that peak will be in November, December. And that is the reason why we are experiencing such a quiet Atlantic hurricane season, but a very active Pacific hurricane season.

So then why does something in the Pacific influence the Atlantic storm season? Yes, because of something called, scientists called teleconnections. So these teleconnections are where weather in one region can influence weather in another far, distant region, which is what we're seeing. So Lindsay Long, a meteorologist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. explains. When we get the very strong sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, it tends to create lots of what we call vertical wind shear in the Atlantic. That's when we get very strong winds in the upper atmosphere and weaker winds in the lower atmosphere. And it kind of destroys the hurricane structure that we like to see.

Hurricanes are very vertical beings. They tower. So that sheer basically tilts the formation of the storm breaking it up. Interesting. And so what could we see for the rest of the fall? Yeah, there's no crystal ball. But Phil Klotzback, a senior research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, said that we're already past the peak of hurricane season. Typically, by the time you get to say mid-October, the season is really starting to wind down. Things probably aren't going to change too significantly from here on now. So not to say we can't get a hurricane or two, I'd be surprised if we end up the season with zero hurricanes,

but probably the odds of getting anything substantial out of the deep tropics are pretty low. So it's been a quite active hurricane season in the Pacific, though, and we'll just have to, you know, the old wait and see as the season progresses. All right, CBC's Nicole Mordalero. Thanks for this. Thank you. The city of Calgary says 911 operators didn't follow. the rules the day an 11-year-old boy went missing. Parker Wells disappeared from a day home in July. A review of the emergency response determined the call to report him missing didn't get flagged

quickly enough, and that led to a delay of almost an hour before the alert went out. His disappearance sparked an intense search and worldwide attention. Parker Wells' body was found two weeks later in a system of pipes under a city expressway. Police do not suspect foul play. In less than a month, Albertans will decide whether the province will stay a part of Canada or hold a binding referendum to leave it. And in the lead-up to that vote, flags are becoming both a powerful symbol and a source of tension. Julia Wong explains. At a rally for Alberta's separatism, or an event touting Canadian unity, flags are everywhere the eye can see. The red and white and the Alberta blue. Now, a declaration of where voters stand.

either staying in the country or wanting to leave. It's a beautiful flag. Louise Lyons has flown a flag outside her Edmonton house for about 15 years. For the longest time, it was a Canadian flag. A couple years ago, she switched to an Alberta one. What do you think that flag signifies? Still, to me, just signifies Alberta. Just Alberta is a fabulous province.

It's beautiful. Lions supports Alberta separating from Canada. Once proud of the Maple Leaf, she's now disheartened by it. I am very concerned about where Canada is going right now with the Liberal Party and where Carney is taking things. I'm a proud Canadian. Carrie Goad bought her Canadian flag more than a year ago. In response, she says to how it became a symbol for protesters during the trucker convoy. I had a really strong feeling that I wanted to reclaim.

claim the Canadian flag for the people who are proud to be Canadian. Goat wants Alberta to stay in the country. She admits to feeling anxious when she sees an Alberta flag. They can display everything that they want. They have a right to do that. But it does make me wary of that person. You've got Canada up here to here. Got Alberta down here to here.

Inside this Edmonton flag store, sales of both have gone up. It's very, everybody's very passionate right now. But not everyone is picking sides, says manager Isaac Pratt. Seeing a lot of trying to stick with neutrality. They don't want to oust one group or the other. They want to very much keep themselves in the middle. John Bertrand isn't surprised how flags are being mobilized in Alberta. Bertrand is a vexillologist, someone who studies flags.

At a glance, they tell people what group we belong to. They're used to share ideas, the way people feel. It's the ultimate icon of our tribalism. But he says the same flag can mean different things to different people. It's what we bring to the flag that makes it controversial, not the other way around. While he says a flag is just a piece of cloth with a symbol on it, it's enough to evoke emotion and meaning, both powerful feelings as Albertans head to the polls, October 19th. Julia Wong, CBC News.

Edmonton. An influential Inuit rights advocate is fighting the Nunavut government for the right to age in the territory he helped to create. Nunavut's senior care options are limited and that forces many elders to move thousands of kilometers away to Ottawa, separating them from their family and from their culture. Juanita Taylor has that story. John Amagwalik is relieved to no longer live at Embassy West Senior Living. in Ottawa, where he spent 16 months, over 2,000 kilometers from his home in Eklouet. The strange surroundings. A Magwalik has spent most of his life fighting for Inuit rights and self-determination. As a unique race in Canada, we want to save our language, our heritage, our philosophy, our whole way of life. A territory, he was influential in making a reality. With Milton Nash. Good evening. The government is going to draw a line right through

the Northwest Territories. Native groups agree with the decision to split the territories in two. His transition back home started with a letter, he wrote, to the Territories Health Minister. I am waiting to advise you that urgently wait to return to my... After no action from the government, Amagwalik supporters, who dubbed themselves the John A Committee, fundraised $30,000 to commission a consultant to develop a comprehensive plan. of care for his return and for temporary private home care and accommodations. And in June, Amagwalik returned home to Iraluit and his wife, Evie. We were happy. Yes, we were really happy.

But now he's in another fight. This time with the government in the territory, he helped create years ago. And I feel fortunate in being part of it. The Territory's Health Department has declined to pay for Amagualik's ongoing living expenses, other than two hours a week of support care. His care plan shows he requires 10 hours a day. The department has also declined to pay rent for an accessible unit for him and his wife, EVE. A Maguandik relies on a wheelchair after a partial amputation on his right leg. His supporters say it would cost the territorial government less money to keep him at home than in the care home.

The territorial health minister declined to be interviewed on the story, but in a written response to the John A. Committee, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Health replied, privately contracted care services and independent housing arrangements remain separate from department-funded home care services. We have no alternative but to appeal to the courts to compel them to do the right thing. Steve Kelleher is Amagwalik's lawyer and longtime friend. He helped Amagwalik file two applications for judicial review against the government of Nunavut on September 16th. One of the assistant deputy minister's decision not to fund John's care and housing and an application for urgent relief to compel them to do so

until the matter is fully heard, which could take months. I'll go back. Amagwalik's legal team says they are looking for a hearing on the court applications in early November. Wenaida Taylor, CBC News, Iqaluit. And finally, the iconic works of the late Ojibwe artist Norville Morisso are among the best known in Canadian contemporary art. But one huge masterwork is now being seen for the first time in decades, mounted for the first time, and unveiled a few days ago at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Executive director Matthew Hills tells us more.

This is a piece that hasn't been seen in 40 years. It was originally a commission and patronage between EA Studios and the artist Norval Morso. This is a work that's been in storage in the dark and not stretched or presented in this way. Moreso, who died in 2007, has been in the news recently for a much different reason. The multi-million dollar trade in thousands of fraudulent works attributed to him. But this piece unveiled last Friday is not in question. Its provenance is well documented. This piece was originally done at a tea house in Jasper that Galal Helmi owned and ran.

and during the winters, Morozo would take up residence and had this relationship in connection with Galal and EA Studios, Calgary, to undertake major commissions. The vibrantly colored mural measures 20 by 10 feet and depicts a gathering of people, animals, birds, and spiritual beings. It's only been on public display once before, way back in 1986, in Edmonton. Hill says the new showing is an opportunity to better understand Morisso's growth as an artist. This is really an undiscovered, an unexamined period, and his production in many ways.

We want to understand the artist in full in this level of production, these epic canvases, the ways that he's working big. It's really exciting for us and for the public. We feel like this is the early period of more so starting to work bigger on more epic, larger canvases and really explore some of his artistic genius. The piece can be viewed at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery until January 3rd, so plan your trip now. Thanks for being with us. Your World Tonight for Thursday, September 22nd. I'm Salima Shivji. Good night.

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