Your World Tonight - Campaigns enter final weekend, Pope Francis' funeral, Measles on the rise in Alberta, and more

Episode Date: April 26, 2025

Federal party leaders are making their last pitches to voters, as the campaign enters its final weekend. While Mark Carney and Jagmeet Singh make stops in Ontario, Pierre Poilievre is in B.C. - where seats in that province and others across western Canada could determine what form the next government takes.Also: World leaders, Catholics and thousands of others poured into Saint Peter's Square to say a final goodbye to Pope Francis at his funeral. You'll hear from Canadians who made the trip to Vatican City.And: Alberta is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades. As case numbers grow, physicians say they want the government to urge more Albertans to get vaccinated.Plus: Voter turnout in this general election, Political tensions between India and Pakistan, The future of Hudson's Bay, and more

1942, Europe. Soldiers find a boy surviving alone in the woods. They make him a member of Hitler's army. But what no one would know for decades, he was Jewish. Could a story so unbelievable be true? I'm Dan Goldberg. I'm from CBC's personally, Toy Soldier. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Stephanie Scanderis. This is your World Tonight. If you're Pierre Poliev, you are going to be out here fighting for every single vote and trying

to pick up or hold every single riding you've got. As party leaders race toward the finish line, they're scrambling to shore up votes, including in ridings considered their own strongholds. For the Conservative leader, that means ensuring he can get out the vote in Western Canada. BC could prove to be key in deciding who wins and by how much. Also on the podcast you'll hear about some people who don't care who you vote for. They just want you to get out to the polls and mark an X. Plus...

It's an end of a journey and with the work that we've been doing together at home back in Canada, I think it sets us on a new path towards reconciliation. The world says goodbye to Pope Francis, including some Canadians who remember his legacy here. Federal party leaders can see the finish line. And while it's close, now is no time for rest. Pierre Pauliap is in what's seen as friendly turf for the Conservatives. We'll tell you why in a few moments.

But first, here is the latest from the campaigns of the other three main parties. Tom Perry begins our coverage. Mark Carney spent Saturday campaigning in Ontario, the Liberal leader holding rallies at Pearson Airport in Mississauga and in Windsor. Making stops as well in ridings around Toronto, Carney taking shots at his main rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poliev. I've seen this movie around the world. There's a type of lifelong politician who worships at the altar of the free market, despite never having actually worked in the private sector.

But Kearney paying closer attention to US President Donald Trump and his trade war. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. Is that going to happen? No. Ever? No. Carney has based much of his campaign on Trump's threats to Canada's economy and sovereignty, pitching himself as a calm, experienced leader who can go toe-to-toe with the US president.

Carney will find out Monday whether voters believe him. In the meantime, the Liberal leader will keep campaigning, heading to Western Canada on Sunday to make one last push before voting day. Tom Perry, CBC News, Mississauga, Ontario. I'm David Thurton traveling with the NDP. Just as he was heading to Windsor, Ontario to fight for his party seat there, Jagmeet Singh revealed his life was under threat. The NDP leader spoke about it while campaigning today. I had the chills thinking about what that could mean for my wife who was pregnant at

the time, for my little baby girl. It was definitely a scary time. I felt this knot in my stomach. Jagmeet Singh going back to the moment when our CMP officer showed up at his door in late 2023. At the time, Singh said he questioned whether it was worth remaining on as NDP leader. And I thought, is it worth it for us to continue? I was quick to get to the point of saying I've got to keep on fighting for people. The threat lasted two months. Singh said the officers did not specify where it was coming from, but the implication was from a foreign government. Earlier that year, prominent Sikh

activist Hardip Singh Nijer was assassinated. It's alleged that agents of the Indian government were directly involved. Singh waited until the final days of the campaign to share the shocking details. At least one party official says this is not a plea for votes, but it shows how their leader handles pressure. David Thurton, CBC News, Windsor. I'm Rafi Boujee-Kanian in Montlourie, covering the Bloc Québécois. Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is sticking to his words from Friday. Canada is an artificial country. It is not meant as an insult.

Blanchet has found no agreement on the campaign trail from Liberal Mark Carney... This is an incredible country. I'm incredibly proud to be Canadian. ...to the NDP's Jagmeet Singh. Yeah, I think that's offensive. Like, we got Donald Trump attacking us. We don't need attacks from the inside like that.

As the leader of a sovereignist party which ultimately wants Quebec to separate from this country, Blanchet has often called Canada foreign. His words this week have at least one politician not in the current race weighing in. In a letter, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Huston said he cannot find the words to adequately describe how insulting the statement is. In a campaign that has taken place in the shadow of threats by US President Donald Trump calling Canada the 51st state, Branchet has also said he wants to be a good neighbor and ally to Canada.

The Bloc leader says he sees no contradiction between his statements. The different regions of these countries have different issues pulled together in order to serve, mainly Ontario, and will and intention from Ottawa to concentrate powers. Blanchet even recalled former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying Canada is a post-national state. The Bloc leader's insistence on not walking anything back comes as he faces an uphill battle. Polls still suggest he could lose up to 10 seats, mostly to the liberals. Rafi Bouducani, YonTvC News, Montlourier, Quebec. To find out who wins on Monday night, you may just have to stay up till Tuesday. That's because the

last poll numbers to come in will be from Western Canada. It's a part of the country that just might make the difference for one party or another and whether the government is a majority or a perilous minority, JP Tasker reports. British Columbia, who's voting for change? Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev is spending some of the final hours of this election in Western Canada. Today, asking voters in Delta, B.C. to turn the page on the Liberals. Mark Carney's plan is to do exactly what Trudeau did on steroids. More spending, more taxes, more soft on crime.

We can't afford four more years of the Liberals. We need a change. There's a reason why they call this place Battleground, B.C. The province's 43 seats could decide who holds the reins of power. And Poliev needs a big breakthrough here on Monday if he wants to form a government. But one man stands in the way. Liberal leader Mark Carney is the first Westerner to lead his party in a generation. Pierre Poliev has no plan to stand up to President Trump.

Carney is making a play for seats on the prairies and the West Coast, even if history dictates it's not exactly fertile ground for the Liberals. Because unlike Pierre Poliev, I've managed budgets before. I've managed economies before. I've managed crises before. This is a time for experience, not experiments. Shachi Kurl is the president of the Angus Reed Institute, a polling firm based in Vancouver. The challenge, of course, for the conservatives is that they were in poll position four months ago. The script has completely flipped. She says the liberals are poised to make gains in the West.

That's why Poliev is campaigning in friendly territory so late in the game. If you're Pierre Poliev, you are going to be out here fighting for every single vote and trying to pick up or hold every single riding you've got. And it's not just in BC where the Liberals could pick up this time. Conservative seats in urban Alberta could also fall into the Liberal wing column, Curl says. Carney has added a last-minute stop in Calgary for Sunday,

the final day of campaigning in a show of strength. I just found that under the Conservatives there's been more jobs for people like me. In historically deep blue Saskatchewan, the Conservative brand is still strong. But some voters in Regina say they trust Carney more to shepherd Canada through this perilous moment. I think mainly Trump. He's my biggest concern. And his tariffs over the 51st state? Everything about him is wrong. That guy should be not in power. Definitely something wrong with that guy's head.

The U.S. trade war looms large for local Darrell Hilderman. The liberal guy seems to be, and I usually don't, and be the best matchup to do the best we can against the states. A lot of my people are thinking that too. Never voted liberal in my life, but it's just changing times. Polls suggest the liberals are narrowly ahead nationwide but voters in the West could be kingmakers in this election. If the Conservatives hold ground here they could block the Liberal path to a majority government.

JP Tasker, CBC News, Vancouver. As the parties hustle in the last hours of this campaign they're desperate to ensure their voters actually cast a ballot. But the number of eligible Canadians who turn out to do that has actually cast a ballot. But the number of eligible Canadians who turn out to do that has been declining for decades. There is reason to think this election could be different. Canadians, after all, showed up in record numbers at advance polls. Voter engagement groups are hoping that could be the new trend. Georgie Smythe has more.

Millions of Canadians signaled just how important this election is when they turned out to vote early in numbers never seen before. But some Canadians don't intend to vote at all, like 20-year-old Chris Greliet. No one really calls my name. It's not that I think voting is, you shouldn't vote. It's just, I feel like if I'm voting,

I wanna really get behind it, and if there's no one I really wanna to get behind then it's just throwing my vote in there like it doesn't feel very meaningful to me. In the last federal election 38% of Canadians didn't vote according to Elections Canada. It's a number that's been trending higher in recent years. Research from the country's voting agency shows many potential voters are just not interested in politics, which is why they don't cast a ballot. Have you had a chance to vote in the Canadian federal election?

18-year-old Latham Gannum-Stewart is trying to get those people as excited as he is to decide the country's next leaders. He's part of non-partisan group New Majority that's collecting pledges from voters to cast a ballot on election day. We're a non-partisan organisation, we're not going to tell you who to vote for, but we'd really like you to vote. Young people don't vote enough, we're trying to change that. Social media messaging targeting young people is helping too. Voting is so important now, more than ever, because we need to make sure that...

As voter engagement groups like Apathy is Boring say party platforms and promises can feel irrelevant and inaccessible to people who don't vote. Sam Roush is its executive director. Non-voters are actually quite difficult to reach. We have young people who tell us all the time, you know, my vote doesn't matter. Maybe they live in a riding that hasn't changed representation in their entire lifetime. But growing social isolation can affect voter turnout too. Now we're seeing an epidemic and loneliness.

John Beebe is the founder of Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University. He says Canadians are becoming more disconnected. That's layered on top of long-term trends of people being less and less involved in civic organisations, religious institutions, unions, you know, just going out for a running club. And when we feel closer to our community, we're much more likely to understand that voting is a way to strengthen community.

Most Canadians can agree this is a high-stakes election, but will it mean historic voter turnout? We'll have to wait a few more days to find out. Georgie Smythe, CBC News, Vancouver. Coming up on the podcast, a funeral for a pontiff. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life gather at the Vatican to say goodbye to the pope. Also, Alberta has its highest number of measles cases in decades. What's driving it?

At least one expert in the province says a failure of leadership and public complacency. And Hudson's Bay begins liquidating its final six stores. You'll hear what could be next for the company and the fight brewing over artifacts that could go up for auction. go up for auction. World leaders, Catholics and many others lined the streets of Vatican City and poured into St. Peter's Square to say goodbye to Pope Francis. They numbered in the hundreds of thousands and among them were many Canadians, including our correspondent, Chris Brown. The crowds that filled St. Peter's Square and the streets around the Vatican seemed endless with everyone watching on giant screens as Pope

Francis's coffin was carried from inside the Basilica to the forecourt outside in a ceremony rife with colour and ancient rituals. There were cardinals in red, pallbearers in black, monks, friars and Catholics from around the world dressed in ornate regalia. In the sermon Cardinal Giovanni Battista Ray said Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason. And he urged the world, including the heads of state, leaders and 170 delegations present, to continue hearing and heeding his words. I don't want to go into a lot of details if it's possible because...

Notably, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Donald Trump pulled up chairs close to one another and had a one-to-one talk in the marbled basilica just before the ceremony began. It was their first meeting since their disastrous Oval Office encounter in February. But this time both sides sounded more upbeat. Zelensky's office says the meeting could potentially end up being historic if it ends Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to Francis's wishes, he was not buried at the Vatican.

Rather, his plain coffin was taken out of St. Peter's and placed in a specially converted popemobile for a procession to St. Mary Major Basilica, six kilometres away. An estimated 150,000 people lined the route and applauded as the motorcade passed by. Governor-General Mary Simon led the Canadian delegation to the funeral. Well, it was an experience that I will remember for a very long time, perhaps as long as I live. Many see Francis' apology for sexual abuse by the Catholic Church

at Canadian residential schools as one of his most significant legacies. Willie Littlechild was a commissioner on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Today was a really mixed emotion, I'll say. One that it's an end of a journey for him, but he finds peace. And with the work that we've been doing together at home back in Canada, I think it sets us on a new path towards reconciliation. Inside St. Mary Major, the Pope's coffin was lifted one last time before being taken to a burial niche and walled off with a marble slab.

After an emotional day, the attention will now shift to the upcoming conclave and who the Cardinals will choose as Francis's successor. Chris Brown, CBC News at the Vatican. The Indian military says Pakistani soldiers opened fire for a second consecutive night along the highly militarized border in the disputed Kashmir region. Tension between the two countries has spiked after an attack earlier this week left 26 people dead. New Delhi blames Pakistan for backing cross-border terrorism. Islamabad denies the charge. Freelance

reporter Eshaan Gurg has the latest from New Delhi. India's spirit will never be broken by terrorism. It was a message of defiance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Pehelgaam attack. India will punish every terrorist and their backer. New Delhi has long blamed Pakistan for fostering cross-border terrorism and fueling insurgency in India, particularly in Kashmir. US-based South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman believes this latest attack could become another flashpoint between the two nuclear neighbours. The fact that civilians were targeted is something that I think would be more likely to trigger

an especially strong, indeed muscular Indian response. New Delhi has withdrawn from a key water sharing agreement and is threatening to hold back crucial river water that could threaten food and water security for Pakistan. Pakistan Senator Sherry Rahman warns the act could push the region towards a crisis. These are two nuclear nations with no risk reduction measures left. Delhi had threatened to do this in the past, but the Indus Water Treaty has never been suspended even when the two countries were at war, three different times, since the treaty was enacted in 1960.

Kugelman says it's because of the brutal nature of the killings in Pehelgaum. There have been a number of cases of attacks in India-administered Kashmir that have triggered standoffs and crises between India and Pakistan. But typically, the triggering event is some type of attack on Indian security forces.

There's widespread anger and frustration in India. For many, this attack brings back memories of the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack. The group that is believed to be responsible for that tragedy is now being linked to the Pehelgaam attacks too. It's called the Liberation Front. Experts say it's a front for the notorious terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. But Islamabad is accusing India of staging the latest attack and blaming Pakistan. This is a cover-up. Rahman says India's allegations could snowball into a confrontation.

So we are united. Khan says India's allegations could snowball into a confrontation. With tensions soaring, analysts believe India could once again carry out targeted military strikes. Both countries have pulled back their diplomats significantly in the past few years, leaving barely any room for talks. Ishan Gerg for CBC News, New Delhi. Alberta is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades and as the numbers grow, physicians say they want the government to urge more Albertans to get vaccinated. Adding his voice, the province's former chief medical health officer Sam Sampson has more.

Without being overly dramatic, you can anticipate that we're going to see hundreds of more cases this year. The measles situation in Alberta is now the worst it's been in almost 30 years. And physicians like Dr. Jim Kellner, a pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist at the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, say it will get worse. The concern that I see right now is that there's no public effort being made to encourage people to get vaccinated through the words and deeds of our public health officials. There are now 137 cases of measles in Alberta, surpassing the last bad outbreak in the year 2000

and approaching the 1997 outbreak of 242 cases. Considering parts of Alberta have low vaccination rates, Kellner and other physicians say they want more urgency from provincial officials like Alberta's chief medical officer of health. The last person in that job, Dr. Mark Joffe, left his position earlier this month after his contract expired. Before stepping down as the measles outbreak grew in Alberta, Jaffee wasn't part of news conferences to answer questions about the virus. Some health experts criticized the government for unclear messaging including Dr. Paul Parks, an emergency physician in Medicine Hat and

a former Alberta Medical Association president. In order to have an effective public health and the chief medical officer role, they have to be able to, you know, be very active and be very kind of public and be very communicating regularly and trusted. We don't have that environment in Alberta right now. For the first time since he left his post, Jaffee spoke out this week. In an op-ed for the Calgary Herald, Jaffee explained the dangers of measles and the importance of vaccines. Then on Friday, he spoke at the University of Alberta with similar messages.

The lecture, now publicly posted on one of the university's YouTube channels. So the title of my talk was Who Let the Measles In? And as I thought about it, I think the answer to that is we all did. I think there has been a complete failure of leadership at all levels. And there's public complacency. When an audience member asked what he'd tell the province now, Jaffee said... I have to be a little careful what I say about this, but we did have these conversations. We had these conversations a year ago as we again we had some one-off cases of measles.

We knew what our immunization rates were and we talked about the need to get some information out there. Jaffee goes on to say he'd like to see more access to vaccines and clear messaging about immunizations. And we need to do the really really really hard work which is meeting people where they're at, helping them understand what these vaccines are that they don't cause autism and in a language and culturally appropriate way help them to understand that we're trying to protect their children. Jaffee has not responded to CBC News earlier requests for interviews this week. We also asked this week for an interview with Alberta's interim Chief Medical Officer of

Health but was told he was unavailable. Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton. It's home to some of Canada's most significant historical artifacts, as well as a destination for shoppers, especially and especially lately for those famous striped blankets. But soon, Hudson's Bay will be no more. Despite attempts to save a few stores, everything is being liquidated. But there's a chance the brand may not disappear

entirely, Philipp Lee-Shenock reports. I'm here to check out some bargains hopefully. Kyra Harper heads into the Bay's flagship store in downtown Toronto, hoping to pick up some towels with the company's iconic stripes and pay her respects. I'm also sad to see the Bay going. It's been a part of my family for years. My mother worked here years and years ago and I love the Bay. I've always loved the Bay.

So I'm very sad it's closing. Very, very sad. Hazel Harris has worked in the Bay's e-commerce distribution center for more than seven years. The 60-year-old is more than sad. I'm scared. I'll be out of a job, searching for a new one in this economy

that the trade wars looming. More than 9,300 people will lose their jobs, but unlike the company's secured creditors, US hedge funds and suppliers like Ralph Lauren and Chanel, employees like Harris are considered unsecured creditors. I'm having a really hard time accepting the fact that we don't get severance.

It's a lot of money. So it's very heartbreaking what's going on. The Bay as we know it with the big spacious department stores as the anchor in so many Canadian malls, that's over. Retail analyst Bruce Winder says the Bay brand could survive as much smaller boutique stores in major Canadian cities focused on its four striped point blankets and other heritage merchandise or a nostalgia product line sold in other Canadian retail chains like Canadian Tire or Simons. The company is liquidating all its assets including real estate and historical artifacts. It's gonna be like a bit of a rummage sale. liquidating all its assets including real estate and historical artifacts.

It's going to be like a bit of a rummage sale. People are going to come in and pick at different things and like certain parts of the business but not need other parts. Possibly up for auction, more than 4,000 artifacts, ceremonial axes, coins and artworks, some with significance to Indigenous people, including the Royal Charter signed by King Charles II that launched the company in 1670. The Royal Proclamation Charter is perhaps one of the most important documents in Canadian history. Cody Grote teaches in

the Indigenous Studies program at Western University and is a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River. He says the Charter gave the company the power to govern and negotiate treaties with Indigenous nations. It's something that consequentially shaped the history of Canada. A bankruptcy judge directed the company to consult with concerned parties before offering any historical items up for sale. Philip Deschanoc, CBC News, Toronto. Take me back to my western boat. Let me fish off Cape St. Mary's. So as The Bay wraps up this chapter of its history,

here's a bit of Canadiana that lives on. Let me fish off Cape St. Mary's, one of Newfoundland and Labrador's most beloved traditional tunes. This version sung by another legendary Canadian, Stan Rogers. The song and its writer, Otto Kelland, are solidifying their place in the record books, being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. A little song about our local fishermen, our local area, our local scoundrel and for the ghosts of fur, you know. It only went all across Canada and of course Newfoundland

and around the world. You had no idea it was going to go that far. That's Otto Kelland himself speaking in a 1995 interview pulled from the CBC archives. He described the song's inspiration. A young homesick fisherman who approached the captain of a cargo ship Kelland was working on anchored in Boston in 1922. He said Captain do you want me new crew members? The captain said no, I'm filled up. Well, they said, well, let me work my passage back home to Newfoundland.

Well, the captain said, why do you want to go home to Newfoundland? Well, they set him up here for two years and I don't like it. Let me sail, love Golden Bay. It would be another 25 years before the memory of that fisherman led Kelland to pen the lyrics. The song spread through kitchen parties and word of mouth, becoming so entrenched that Kelland was invested into the Order of Canada in 1994. The words of this song have captured that special feeling which Newfoundlanders have for the sea and that fishing is not just an occupation but a way of life.

This version by folk group The Irish Descendants is said to have been the favorite of Otto Kelland who died in 2004 just shy of his hundredth birthday. The group will perform it at the induction during the East Coast Music Gala on May 8th, fittingly held in St. John's. We'll leave you with a little more of The Irish Descendants singing Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's on your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Thank you for listening. When I reach that last big show... For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.