Your World Tonight - B.C. wildfires, wildfire health risks, Gordie Howe Bridge ceremony, and more

Episode Date: July 24, 2026

Crews are battling wildfires all over Canada. More than 900 are burning, with dozens out of control, including in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. In B.C., the situation is growing more dire by the day, with new evacuation orders issued, and two major blazes in the Fraser Canyon merging, effectively surrounding the community of Boston Bar.Also: A new Canadian study links a spike in migraine-related hospital visits to a rise in wildfire smoke.And: After months of delays, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is ready to open. But, today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was absent of US officials, after Canada cancelled a joint-event following another tariff threat from President Donald Trump.Plus: Fresh violence in the Occupied West Bank, Cockroach Party protests in India, LeBron James becomes a Philadelphia 76er, and more.

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The Gordi Howe International Bridge is more than a new landmark on the Detroit River skyline. It's an example of what we can achieve when our two great countries work together. Cooperation that in recent times is in short supply, a long-awaited ribbon-cutting ceremony in Windsor to celebrate a multi-billion dollar bridge to Detroit set to open in a few days. Americans, notably not there, following new tariffs announced for a range of Canadian products, but that didn't stop the U.S. president from weighing in.

This is Your World Tonight. Stephanie Scandaris. It's Friday, July 24th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the podcast, hundreds of wildfires are raging through large parts of Canada. More than 170 are burning in Ontario. Another 200 in the Northwest Territories are out of control. And in BC's interior, the flames are spreading fast, putting people there on edge. With how fast the behavior of the fire was like changing, just the uncertainty with it felt kind of overwhelming. The entire population of Clinton, a village of about 60 properties northwest of Kamloops, has been told to flee from the nearby Pear Lake wildfire.

It's grown to almost 45 square kilometers, and it's just one of dozens of out-of-control fires advancing on communities across the province. CBC's Elena Kelly has more on the British Columbians, have had to get out and those wondering if it's their turn next. That looks really tall. A white plume of smoke fills the sky east of Pemberton as a wildfire rages out of control. Allison Asapas lives nearby and saw the smoke. Our roadway may be it may be closed off.

So it's kind of like feeling not trapped but feeling rather vulnerable. Jacob Becker owns a Lilowet Lake Lodge and had to quickly pack up and leave on Friday morning. The fire burning close behind. It's really coming down to us. And this isn't even one of the largest wildfires in the province. One of them burning northwest of Clinton has already burned down homes, according to officials. There's been quite a bit of destruction on those properties. Kevin Scripnik is with the Thompson-Nicloh regional district. The number of structures is likely dozens. And in some cases, unfortunately, those were houses. In other cases, it was outbuilding sheds, things like that.

some of these were recreational properties. Bernice Weiss-Wise Anderson, one of Clinton's residents now ordered to evacuate, says it's hard to breathe. It's probably the worst I've experienced. It's reinforced that we do have to go. It's been tragic. James Strong is with the BC Wildlife Service and says hot, dry and windy weather will continue in the area. We'll continue to see that aggressive fire behavior in the coming days.

Adding to an already challenging firefight. The persistent drought conditions that we entered into, the season with paired with ongoing lightning, gusting winds, hot and dry conditions have been a recipe for expanded fire growth and continued aggressive fire behavior in many areas of the province. In Boston Bar, two large fires have merged creating one behemoth. Resident Kyle Wood is evacuated from his home and drove by the fire. Trees were kindling right beside the road. And then by the time I got to my dad's house looked over and half that mountain was on fire.

Roughly 9,000 people in Kimberly remain on alert due to a wildfire west of the the city. Mayor Don McCormick says the alert will likely stay in place for some time. You can never predict how long this is going to last. I suspect this will be measured in probably weeks, not days. The BC Wildfire Service says there will be some wet weather this weekend, but only in parts of the province and not where it's most needed. It means very little for the fire behavior that we're experiencing in the southern parts of BC. And lightning in the forecast is bolstering concerns of new fire starts. Residents and visitors are reminded to keep keep an eye on emergency alerts while traveling through the province,

as well as road closures with parts of Highway 1 still blocked due to the behemoth near Boston Bar. Elena Kelly, CBC News, Squamish. That sound is becoming all too familiar for tens of thousands of people across Europe. Fire trucks, helicopters, and water bombers are racing to contain wildfires burning near Madrid. Spain has declared a national emergency as more than 50,000 people are. force to leave their homes. In France, 40,000 people are fleeing after the Cap Faray Peninsula was placed under an evacuation order. The threat of fire is made worse by dry vegetation and three back-to-back heat waves across the continent. And where there's fire, there's smoke, enough to blanket

skies hundreds of kilometers away, tanking air quality and posing health risks. And if that haze gives you headaches, you're not alone. Anand Rahm looks at some new research linking chronic migraines and other conditions to increasingly active wildfire seasons. Yeah, all that extra carbon. Yay! On the streets of Calgary, it's hard to ignore the smelly, hazy smoke from wildfires and it's bringing people's day to day down a few steps. It'll affect how far I walk, I suppose, because I find I'll have to take a few more breaks than usual. Yesterday I was out in the street and I was playing pickleball and I was really feeling very, like, heavy in my chest. And beyond the sight and the smell, the smoke is quite literally getting to people's heads.

My partner, she did have a severe headache. She did find, like, kind of migraines, you know, and we don't know whether it's radically ready to smoke. New Canadian research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association is adding some evidence to that, looking at close to a million emergency department visits in Alberta and Ontario between 2010 and 2023. It found emergency. Emergency visits for migraines increase 6%. 14% of Canadians have migraines, so 6% is a hefty number when you're dealing with a really common condition. Dr. William Kingston is a neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto.

The research looked at ER visits for any migraine or headache-related reason, cross-referencing that with a level of PM2.5 in the air. That's the microscopic particulate matter in wildfire smoke linked to other serious health issues. But Kingston, who was not involved in the study, says this isn't a smoking gun. We don't know about what experiences the patients with migraine and had before. Are these people who frequent the emergency department anyway? I think we have to look at it as like a trend, not a cause, but certainly a trend that's worth, you know, looking at a little further.

It's another indication that wildfire season in Canada brings more than the usual health hazards for communities near and far from an active fire. Dr. Carolyn Wannock is a medical health officer with the Frazier Health Authority in BC. There is emerging evidence that wildfire smoke may be linked to migraines and it can trigger headaches in some situations. Her advice avoid strenuous outdoor activity on really smoky days and don't always trust your eyes. Always be checking the air quality health index because sometimes it doesn't even look that smoky outside but you can still have health effects. While migraines can knock people flat, experts warn this research doesn't mean smoky days will

immediately trigger one, but for those who are predisposed, they might need extra help. It might push us to saying someone who might not have required migraine preventive therapy, maybe now they do. This wildfire season looks on track to be one of the worst on record for Canada, and with fossil fuel-driven climate change pushing the intensity and frequency of these wildfires, the effects might be felt in the ER far more often too. On the Ram, CBC News, Toronto. Coming right up, party for one.

A splashy opening for a new cross-border bridge to the U.S., but American dignitaries weren't in attendance. Plus, the U.S. unveils new global tariffs, with many questioning the reason given for why they're going in place. And later, a new chapter in a different kind of cross-border feud. He's got to show up on day one to throw a bunch of tea in the water. At 41 years old, he's arguably basketball's goat, and he's now joining a division rival of the Toronto Raptors. LeBron James is heading to Philly in a blockbuster move that is shaking up the NBA. I think his legacy is set in stone, right? Like, when it's all set and done, we'll see how he feels about it.

But I don't think anybody can say with much confidence that they know how this is going to go. A bridge can be a powerful symbol of bringing two sides together. Instead, the new Gordy Howe Bridge between Ontario and Michigan is highlighting some of the ongoing tension between Kansas. Canada and the U.S. The inauguration ceremony was first postponed, then today held separately on just one side of the border. Nisha Patel reports from Windsor. Oh, Canada. The ceremony was decidedly Canadian. Guests wore red and white, drank Tim Horton's coffee and played a game of Shini,

marking the opening of the Gordy Howe International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit. We are standing on a trade corridor that sees more than $300 billion in trade every year. But even as federal infrastructure minister Gregor Robertson praised the new link to Canada's biggest trading partner, American officials were noticeably absent. Given the recent tariff action from the U.S., we felt that we should focus today on celebrating here in Canada. The bridge, which cost $6.4 billion and was fully funded by Canada, has taken years to. complete. The owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge, the billionaire Maroon family from Michigan, tried to squash the project, and U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on renegotiating the terms,

which he boasted about today. Prime Minister Mark Carney says now, Canada will share net revenues from tolls with the U.S. for 15 years after operating expenses are paid. This is a good deal. This is a good deal for Canadian businesses, workers. The new crossing is expected to take almost half of the commercial traffic in the area, speeding up trips for truckers, carrying auto parts and food across the border, saving them 850,000 hours every year. You're reducing your cost, you're becoming more productive, which allows you to reinvest into your fleets. President of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, Stephen Laskowski says it's a much-needed boost for businesses in an uncertain economy. It's a beacon for investment. It's a beacon for more efficiency.

A beacon named for Canadian hockey star Gordie Howe, who played 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. His son Murray Howe calling the tribute an honor. It brings joy to me to think of the possibilities of what it will do for just building connection between Canada and the United States. For us, Canadians have always been family and always will be. Trucks are expected to start crossing on Monday amid lingering trade ten. It's one bridge over troubled waters. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Windsor. About those lingering trade tensions,

Donald Trump mentioned wildfire smoke again today as another possible reason to tariff Canada further. In the past, he's pointed to fentanyl and border issues. Well, now Trump's latest 10% global tariffs come with yet another claim. Katie Nicholson is in Washington, so Katie, Canada was quick to question the U.S. justification for these tariffs that came in overnight, right? Yeah, so Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade,

came right out of the gate after these 10% tariffs were announced, questioning their justification. The U.S. says it's applying these new tariffs after basically finished an investigation that found 60 countries were not doing enough to crack down on imports that contravened U.S. forced labor policy. But in a statement, LeBlanc pushed back saying that Canada has one of the world's most robust frameworks to prevent and address forced labor and that this latest tariff was not unexpected. And why is that? Well, these took effect just as another set of tariffs at the same

rate, 10% and only on non-Kuzma-compliant goods expired at midnight. So it doesn't really change anything for Canada. So quick reminder here, though, the Supreme Court struck down a bunch of the Trump administration's tariffs back in February. And then the administration brought in this global tariff, and it was always going to expire after 150 days. So what's different here is the justification for these new tariffs, this notion of forced labor, just one of a number of shifting reasons the Trump administration has used to impose tariffs. And Canadians aren't the only ones calling foul. China, Japan, not pleased. The Australians called the tariffs completely unjustified. And just listen to what the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kayakalas, had to say.

What I've heard also the argumentation behind that it's forced labor. I mean, sorry, but you can't say that for European Union. If you compare our labor laws to the ones of United States, I mean, we have people have paid vacations. We have very good conditions, labor conditions for our employees. So it's not really grounded. So, yeah, I hear lots of pushback against this U.S. justification of forced labor when we're talking about these 10% replacement tariffs. But they hardly hold a candle to what the U.S. announced earlier in the week.

Right. So Canada's big tariff shock actually came Monday afternoon with the announcement of that 50% tariff on roughly 20 billion U.S. worth of Canadian goods. And this time, it even hits Kuzma compliant products with some notable exceptions. For example, it doesn't apply to potash or critical minerals. And the Americans have framed this as retaliation for Canada's own retaliation. For example, provinces removing American liquor from the shelves. But those were retaliatory measures Canadians took after the Americans started this tariff war. So if these 50% levies kick in and they are supposed to take effect on August 19th,

Prime Minister Carney told reporters yesterday that if they do go ahead, Canada is looking at a full range of options. so further retaliation, not off the table. Okay, Katie, thank you. You're welcome. CBC's Katie Nicholson reporting from Washington. A Nova Scotia man has been acquitted of sex crimes relating to child pornography. The province's court of appeal found Brandon Claymy was wrongfully convicted after police used erroneous information in their investigation.

The charges were connected to a case in Wisconsin involving a person who exchanged sexual messages, with a 12-year-old girl. That led to Halifax police charging Claymy in 2020. He spent 18 months behind bars before the appeals court found police used the wrong username to track down their suspect. The difference between the correct one and claimies was a single underscore. Youth-led protests are spreading across India. They were sparked more than a month ago by an exam-leaking scandal,

but have come to symbolize growing frustration among young people. Breyer Stewart explains what they want and the government's response. Thousands gathered on the streets of Mumbai, part of country-wide protests designed to keep the pressure on the government. There's a lot of pain, there's a lot of rage. Shriesti Sharma is a 23-year-old actress and like many others, she waves a placard demanding action from elected leaders. Because we want accountability from the government and if not now then when and we're sick and tired of hearing excuses. We're sick and tired of being silenced.

This current swell of protests were triggered by a scandal involving leaked national exams. At times, there were clashes as police wielded batons and water cannons in an effort to quell the protests. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the courts would move swiftly to punish those who leaked the exams. But he's not yet agreed to watch. one of the protesters' key demands. The resignation of the Minister of Education. One activist saw Nem Wang Chuk ended his 26-day hunger strike

after meeting with government ministers in the hospital. He said he was given assurances, including that families of those students who killed themselves over the testing scandal would be compensated. It's dynamic. It could lead to some kind of a negotiated settlement, but it could also lead to her breakdown.

Enkita Pandi studies social movements. She's a research associate with the University of Oxford, but is currently in New Delhi, where she's taken in some of the protests. It's a very significant political and symbolic challenge. And I also think that the government had not seen it coming. They were thinking of either ignoring it or that it would get outlasted in some way.

The rallies. have been led by a group calling themselves the Cockroach Juntah party, a group that sprang up after a Chief Justice in India compared unemployed youth to parasites or cockroaches. The movement began as a satirical joke, but has morphed into a very real demand for change. Breyer-Stewart, CBC News, London. Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan fended off Iranian attacks again today.

Tehran says it launched drones at American assets in those countries, hours after fresh U.S. strikes in Iran. It marks nearly two weeks of renewed fighting since Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The UN now says another crisis is unfolding in the strait. Human rights spokesperson Shabiyamantu says thousands of people have been stranded on ships for months. The seafarers have been left on their ships to fend for themselves without food, water, medical care, electricity or means to communicate with their families. They face prolonged isolation and confinement in a conflict zone with uncertainty about their safety and disembarkation, and this is risking a severe toll on their mental and physical well-being. The International Maritime Organization

says around 400 vessels are stuck in and around the strait. They were unable to evacuate during the ceasefire. Israel's military says it's preparing for a large-scale operation in the occupying West Bank. It comes after a deadly clash there killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers. Sasha Petrusik has more on the latest violence. The clash shown in the video looks like many others in the occupied West Bank over the past months. Israeli settlers, some in military-style uniforms, some in casual clothes, confront Palestinians in a rocky field near the village of Tal. In the video, posted online by Israeli military radio, settlers point automatic rifles at the Palestinians, while some villagers

grab at the weapons and try to take them away. Then shots. Another video shows people slumped over, apparently hit by bullets. By the time it's over, four Palestinians are pronounced dead in hospital. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed. But the videos don't show how it all started. Local doctor Omar Ishtaya says settlers attacked the village, shooting people. Settlers say they were out on a hike when they were assaulted by Palestinians who grabbed at their guns. It was a very difficult.

situation, says the head of the local settler council, Yossi Dagan. It's the latest confrontation between the groups on land most of the international community recognizes as Palestinian in the occupied West Bank. Violence has escalated since the start of the Gaza war in 23, with the UN reporting more than a thousand Palestinians killed here. Most of them, it says, shot by the military or settlers. This says new settlements expand at a record rate. The movement has been pushed by hard-right politicians, like security minister Itamar Ben-Gvier, who has insisted that Israelis take land, he says, belongs to them.

Israel is the owner of this house, he said again this week. Violence continued after today's confrontation, with fields and houses burned by settlers, say, Palestinians and the Israeli military pouring in for what it calls extensive counterterrorism operations. Sasha Petritsik, CBC News, Toronto. He's one of the world's most famous athletes, known for creating drama and intrigue, both on and off the basketball court. And at the age of 41, LeBron James,

says he still has a lot left in the tank. He's leaving L.A. for a new NBA team right in Toronto's backyard. Philip Lee-Shanock reports. On the day he announced his decision to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, 41-year-old LeBron James hinted that he knew that everything must come to an end. I'm excited about the opportunity to be able to play the game that I love for another season. And I don't know when the end is, but I know it. a lot sooner than later. Posting to social media, James announced that the Sixers beat out the Golden State Warriors,

Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and the sentimental favorite, the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is my last decision. I'm not going for the money. I'm not going for family, he wrote. James has already set the record as the NBA's all-time leading score and for the most career regular season games played. What am I really playing for at this point, he asked? I want to compete, to win. Former varsity basketball player and sports broadcaster, Savannah Hamilton,

says it wasn't a paycheck or a return to his roots that motivated his move. He said that he took a lot of time to truly reflect on what he wanted out of basketball. He wants that feeling of being in the running of getting another championship. At just 18, James was playing high school basketball in Akron, Ohio, when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him as their first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He would go on to win rookie of the year honors. In 2005, James starred in his first All-Star game.

Two years later, he took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, losing to the San Antonio Spurs. From there, he would win two titles with the Miami Heat, one in a return to Cleveland and another with Los Angeles during the pandemic shortened 2020 season. Let's just hope that it doesn't turn into another LeBronto situation. Hamilton says Toronto Raptors fans remember James and how he blocked playoff aspirations here time and again.

His joining the Sixers means the Eastern Conference just got a lot harder. Very, very competitive between Boston, the reigning champions and the New York Knicks. They're still looking strong. Philadelphia now. And of course, you have to throw the Raptors in that conversation. Kauai Leonard, he's already a proven championship caliber player. James's influence in the league can't be overstated. Even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he couldn't set the season schedule

until they knew where he would be playing. Philip Lyshanach, CBC News, Toronto. Finally. That was cool. That's the first time I ever did anything like that. You know, coming together, two countries coming together, you know, if they joined one big construction project, that was pretty neat. That's U.S. iron worker Casey Whitson.

On a symbolic photo taken on the Gordy Howe Bridge about two years ago, when the two sides finally joined, it shows him standing on a steel beam, an American flag behind him. He's shaking the hand of Canadian ironworker Jason Huggett, whose steps ahead of a Canadian flag. It truly is iconic. It's something that's never going to leave. It's always there. And everybody still talks about it to them and brings it. up and, you know, just puts a smile on everyone's face. Because to many, that image of the Canadian and American shaking hands, it represented

international cooperation. The politics that pushed the opening back several weeks, well, Whitson calls that unfortunate. I don't like it. You know, this is supposed to be a celebration of something that, you know, is with a big deal to both of us, and now it's starting to turn into, you know, something that it shouldn't be. Both men consider the years they spent working on the bridge to be a defining time in their careers. Huggett points to that photo in particular, with the American he now considers a friend. It still goes down as one of the best moments of my career.

All the work that had been get done to meet there, right, the camaraderie between the two countries. Yeah, you're all both ironworkers, but you never know how things roll on different sides of the river. It truly is historic, like one of the most iconic moments ever, for me, for sure. This has been your world tonight for Friday, July 24th. I'm Stephanie Skendaris. Thank you for being with us. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca.com.