Your World Tonight - Canada’s economy sheds more jobs in September

Episode Date: October 9, 2026

The decline of 68,000 jobs comes despite predictions of growth from economists and after tens of thousands of jobs were lost in August.Also: Canada is the only G7 nation that has no capacity to launch its own satellites into space. Now, several Canadian companies are working to change that.And: Outrage over the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood killer Nidal Hassan.Plus: Landmark Supreme Court decision, a conversation with Alberta separatist leader Mitch Sylvestre, and Nobel Peace Prize for International Criminal Court Judge Navi Pillay.

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I have just things I don't want my kids to go without. Tens of thousands of jobs vanish from the Canadian economy for a second month in a row. The unemployment rate edging up, too. US tariffs are getting much of the blame as pressure builds to get back to trade negotiations. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Scandaris. Also on the podcast? I mean, that's disgusting.

What is he mimicking ISIS executions? Condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans to plans by the U.S. Pentagon to live stream an execution by firing squad. Religious figures and legal experts also aren't holding their criticism back. With a trade war dragging out and economic anxiety high across the country, the last thing Canadians want to hear about is more job losses. But for the second month in a row, employment number. are showing a big drop.

Statistics Canada says 68,000 jobs were lost in September. The steepest single month declined since February. Nisha Patel has more. There's no question this is a disappointing result in it. It's a snapshot of a sluggish labor market, says BMO chief economist Doug Porter. Employment in Canada fell by 68,000 last month, driven by job losses in the public sector. There were fewer people working in health care,

social assistance and education. I think some weakness in education is understandable, given the big slowdown in international students. Of course, we're going to see some softening in the education sector. The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 6.5%, which Porter says isn't ideal. He cautions that the monthly numbers from Statistics Canada are often volatile. And looking at the longer term trend can be more useful. I think the main point is we've seen very little job growth over the last year either.

Much of that blame can be placed squarely on the trade war. Another round of tariffs took effect in August, with the U.S. imposing duties on $20 billion of Canadian goods. First, we need to get back to the table with the Americans and negotiate a trade deal. Trade talks between Canada and the U.S. have so far been unsuccessful. But Brian Kingston, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association, says another deadline is looming. The U.S. has threatened a 50% tariff on Canadian vehicle and parts exports by January 1st.

That cannot happen. We've got to find a resolution before that date. Canadian Chamber of Commerce economist Andrew DeCapa says the ongoing uncertainty is holding businesses back from hiring. We're not in other woods yet and I would expect to see the manufacturing sector hit much harder in the months to come, unfortunately. it's going to get worse before it gets better. Michael Watt is feeling the disruption firsthand. He's worked at the Stelko steel plant in Hamilton for 20 years. He just got a layoff notice. I don't know what even to say.

I don't know whether to blame our government because of this. I don't know whether to blame Donald Trump because of the chaos he's causing. I just don't know. This is crazy. Stelko says it's idling some of its operations because of the train. trade war and is laying off as many as 500 employees this month. Watts says the cuts come at a terrible time. I don't want my family to go without.

I got Christmas coming up. I have just things I don't want my kids to go without. Just trying to find something that can cushion the blow. For him, the impacts of the trade war hitting much too close to home. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. The Supreme Court of Canada has issued a long-awaited decision today on an assault case in Nova Scotia. It's the first time the court has offered guidance on what should happen when both the offender and the victim are indigenous. Kayla Hounsel reports on

the complex legal arguments. I think it's important because it's not just about Mr. Cope. Defense lawyer Jonathan Rudin calls this a good day. He says the Supreme Court of Canada's decision is not just about his client, Harry Cope. The case hinges on what the court calls Parliament's intention to address the twin crises of violence against indigenous women and girls and the over-incarceration of indigenous offenders. Judges have been explicitly saying, I am looking for direction from the Supreme Court. Here's how we got here. In June 2021, Harry Cope assaulted his long time on-again, off-again partner, Brittany Sack in Halifax. Both are Miigma. Surveillance video shows him repeatedly

punching Sack in the face. facing her head into the sidewalk and kicking her in the head and ribs. Cope pleaded guilty. So the case before the Supreme Court was only about his punishment. He was originally sentenced to five years in prison, but he appealed, saying the trial judge hadn't properly considered his indigenous background and the systemic factors that may have contributed to his crimes. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal agreed and reduced Cope's sentence by two years.

Then, Nova Scotia's public prosecution service appealed to Canada's top court. Arguing the criminal code also requires courts to give primary consideration to deterring violence against indigenous women and girls. The Supreme Court justices remain divided with a majority of five to four upholding the lower court's decision to reduce Cope's sentence. It does show how complicated it is. Philippe Boucher studies indigenous sentencing. He says the case is precedent. They're trying to show how can we both consider the accused circumstances and the victim's circumstances when they are indigenous. The court provided a new three-step framework for judges, assess the gravity of the offense,

identify what the sentence is meant to achieve, and decide what sentence is fair in all of the circumstances. Judges should also meaningfully engage with sentencing circles, a form of restorative justice that includes the community. I think it's a very practical decision. Mi'emaw lawyer, Jennifer Cox, was an intervener in the Supreme Court case, representing the larger community to which both the victim and offender belong. It gives a lot of guidance on how to apply the principles of the criminal code that it requires the courts to incorporate indigenous perspectives. Nova Scotia's Public Prosecution Service says it brought the appeal to Canada's top court

to clarify questions of national importance and that it welcomes the guidance. Kala Hounsel, CBC News, Halifax. U.S. President Donald Trump says he has struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to obtain diesel fuel. In a truth social post, Trump says Russia will immediately supply 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to American and global markets. He says that'll be followed by another 500,000 tons in November and several million tons after. The deal is a stunning reversal of years of U.S. sanctions on Russia, and countries that buy its fuel. Trump is touting the deal as great news for Americans

who are squeezed by high fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, says the deal will give Putin new funds to fund the war on his country. The Pentagon is facing criticism from across the political spectrum. Its head, Pete Hegseth, announced the military would live stream an execution by a firing squad in December. But humanitarian organizations, legal experts, religious figures and politicians of all stripes are condemning the plan, saying it's barbaric, tantamount to torture and likely illegal. Katie Nicholson has the details.

From an aircraft carrier, Pentagon head Pete Hegzeth confirmed how Nidel Hassan would die. No-brainer. Execution by firing squad. But what he said next created a cascade of outrage around. the world. And we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things. Hassan, an army psychiatrist, killed 13 people during a 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood. His December 3rd execution, scheduled for the same day as that rampage, would mark the first

by a U.S. military firing squad since 1945. The U.S. president on board. with the plan. Death penalty through firing squad, and he deserves it killed and wounded many, many people, a maniac. But the idea the execution would be publicly streamed by the Pentagon quickly drew condemnation from Democrats like Senator Chris Murphy. I mean, that's disgusting. What is he mimicking ISIS executions?

I mean, I understand that in this country we have the death penalty, but public executions is medieval. While Republican Senator John Curtis warned, a civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment. And Republican Representative Austin Scott wrote on X, live streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that. I don't know that that's actually going to happen. Vice President J.D. Vance appeared to cast doubt on the Pentagon's plan, but also signaled his distaste for it. Look, if it's ultimately live stream, I'm not going to be watching it.

The U.S. Catholic bishops conference also quick to express shock, saying the public execution will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation. I think it says a lot of things and a lot of very sad things. Eric Hinesh is a law professor at Queen Mary University in London. He's argued the death penalty is incompatible with democracy. Russia and China don't do executions in this way. You know, this is really these kind of public executions, you know, for mass consumption, you know, are done in.

places like Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea. The U.S. hasn't had a public execution since 1936, a hanging death in Kentucky that reportedly attracted thousands. If Hegsseth's plan goes ahead, this execution could draw a much larger audience. Social media and streaming companies so far tight-lipped about whether they'll allow it on their platforms. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Washington. Backlash is growing in New York City after ICE agents shot a man in the neck last night. ICE officials say they feared for their life

while trying to arrest Dominican immigrant Oscar Bergal. So they opened fire on him and a five-year-old child who was also inside his car. Today, the NYPD released body cam footage of their officers arriving on the scene while ICE officials pushed back at political condemnation. The CBC's Chris Reyes is in New York. She joins me now.

Chris, we heard from Oscar Bergal's lawyers tonight. What did they say? So his lawyers said that they're deeply concerned about Bergal's condition because he still has a bullet in his body and they have limited information about his medical care. Bergal's lawyers are currently challenging his detention and requesting his release, but so far the judge has only ruled that the U.S. government is temporarily barred from deporting him. Bergal's family was at the courthouse in downtown Manhattan, but they did not want to speak to media. Instead, his legal representation, Harold Solis, spoke and said this. And regardless of whether or not someone has a criminal history, it is not lawful and it is not okay to shoot a father in an afternoon with his son in the backseat. That is not how we resolve legal disputes in this country.

We resolve them in buildings like these in courtries. Solis said that they've been called back to court next Tuesday to talk about next steps. Okay. And as for exactly what happened in this, the NYPD body cam was released. this morning. What did that reveal? That's right. So the most striking part of that video, Stephanie, was seeing a man carrying what looked like a rifle or a shotgun, wearing a construction vest with no identifying markings that he was an ICE agent. In fact, when police arrived, they seemed alarmed to see this, though there was no confrontation between the officer and the agent. But because this is not the body cam from the ICE agent, still unanswered is exactly what happened leading up to

the shooting. DHS official Marcus Charles says ice agents fired shots because they believed their lives were in danger. We used our vehicles to block him in. Mr. Bregal refused lawful orders to exit his vehicle. He then accelerated his vehicle, smashing into two of our government ice vehicles, and then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate going towards other officers. Chris, there's a lot of anger over this and also ICE in general, right? Yeah, that's right. So a trading of words between New York mayor, Zoran Mamdani, and DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen. Mamdani called ICE rotten to the core while Mullen snapped back and said the mayor is inciting hostility. The DHS claim is that this was a targeted operation against a person with a criminal record who is in the U.S. illegally.

Now, many New Yorkers have long fought against ice. There were already protests last night, another's happening this afternoon. It's organized by an advocacy group called Hands Off New York. Chris Reyes in New York, thank you so much. Thank you. A strong earthquake has shaken Panama. The 7.7 magnitude quake had an epicenter near the country's southern tip, about 200 kilometers southwest of Panama City.

Witnesses say tremors could be felt in the capital, where shaking buildings forced people to run out into the streets. The initial quake has been followed by several less powerful aftershocks. Panama is situated along the so-called ring of fire, where most of the world's earthquakes occur. Coming up, shock and outrage over plans by the U.S. Pentagon to live stream an execution by firing squad. Plus, Alberta's separatist movement from the perspective of one of its most prominent leaders. Later, we'll have this. story. I'm Chris Brown in London. The Nobel Committee handed out a big prize today, but it came with a

warning. The Peace Prize went to South African judge and human rights advocate Navi Palais. We are living through an era when international law and human rights are under significant political attack. Then, as if to prove her point, hours later, the Trump administration hit the international criminal court with its biggest sanctions yet. I'll have that story later on your world tonight. Sending satellites to space has never been more important for private industry and governments alike. But Canada is forced to rely on others, often the U.S., to punch our ticket to space. As Abby Hughes reports, that's something a trio of Canadian companies is working to change.

A celebratory moment as Nord Space's first satellite reached orbit this month. But a mixed victory for the CEO of the Canadian company, Rahul Goawe. We launched in a SpaceX vehicle. It was bittersweet because you're like, that's got to be our vehicle. It will be pretty soon. Canada is the only G7 nation without the ability to launch rockets into space, something a handful of Canadian companies are racing to change. Until then, American firms like SpaceX are the typical ride to space for Canadian satellites, critical for communications, defense, and monitoring natural disasters. And SpaceX is expected to scale back. back its Falcon 9 rocket within years in favor of a bigger one, Starship, putting future rides

with the company into question for certain customers. Canadian satellite maker Kepler has launched with SpaceX before. Their CEO, Mina Mitri, isn't worried for his company, but says it could make getting to space harder for smaller ones. So if you're looking to launch one, two, three satellites on an experimental basis, your barrier to entry now has grown significantly. And it's an opportunity for some Canadian players, like Canada Rocket Company. Founder Hugh Collius, launched the firm late last year and plans to send a rocket to space by 2032. And over here we have a mock-up of our engine. The vessel they're working on is similar in size to the Falcon, so Colius hopes to capitalize on that part of the market.

While we're taking steps to strengthen our space capabilities. To help get a Canadian rocket to orbit by 2028, the federal government doled out 8.3 million to each of the three major Canadian rocket builders. Nordspace and Canada rocket company both got money, as did reaction dynamics. They've been working on a unique type of engine since 2017. Finding the money to build rockets in Canada has long been a challenge. But with federal dollars and an influx of new private cash, Collius is optimistic that tide has turned.

People really want to dig in and support ambitious ideas within the Canadian ecosystem. But equally importantly, everyone sees the, global opportunity. At Nordspace, Goel is more cautiously optimistic. He says the newfound attention and funding is a big help, but worries it could disappear again soon. I've seen how quickly the tides can turn, and I know how quickly the tides can turn back. We have to make the most amount of progress that we possibly can, get to orbit, succeed on every single front that we can, so that it's a program, it's a capability that we can just not ever shut off again. Goel says the 28 timeline is aggressive, but he's confident Nordspace will reach orbit by then.

Abby Hughes, CBC News, Toronto. There are 10 days to go now until Albertans cast their ballot in a referendum, deciding whether to have another vote on separating from Canada. CBC News has spoken with one of the most prominent voices in Alberta's separatist movement. CBC's Julia Wong asked Mitch Sylvester about the thoughts and motivations behind his independence push. The government of Canada's a one-way relationship. They take and we give. Mitch Sylvester isn't mincing words. Sitting in a sporting goods store in Bonneville, Alberta,

the leader of the pro-separities group, Alberta Prosperity Project, wants to see an independent Alberta, and he thinks the time is now. We don't hate Canadians. We just hate the government. It's the liberals that were bad at. If a different party had come into power in the last federal election, do you think we'd be having this conversation? No.

Sylvester disagrees with equalization payments. wants Alberta to have its own pension plan and more control over its natural resources. He says an independent Alberta would thrive. And I don't really see what Alberta has to lose, actually, to tell you the truth. Alberta has nothing to lose. The push for independence started for him during the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, they shut my start down in Canadian Taryn and Walmart were opened.

So I was trying to understand the logic of that. A member of the United Conservative Party and president of his local constituency association, Sylvester takes credit for pushing out former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and bringing in current Premier Danielle Smith. But her view... I let people know that I hope I will continue to convince them that Remain is the right option because I think Canada is working better than it has in a long time.

Sylvester suggests she will lose her political capital within her party. Here she is, picking aside, and not only picking aside, campaigning and spending money, government money, to go against something that a lot of her base, I would say I'm a majority of her base wants. So how's that going to end well? A recent poll commissioned by CBC News suggests support for separatism has softened since the spring.

But Sylvester says he doesn't believe the polls. Let's get at it. Thanks everybody. Pointing to the support he has seen firsthand, Dennis Budney heard Sylvester speak at an APP fundraiser. Obviously we're not being heard, so we just want to send a strong message to Ottawa that we're not satisfied. Let's make this thing work, or we will back out of the picture.

Fellow attendee, Betty Stelter, says she wants Alberta to be treated fairly. Look at our infrastructure. We haven't for 60 years got any equalization payments, and we went through floods, tornadoes, and fires. And we've had to carry the burden. As for Sylvester, he says he will accept the results of the vote no more. matter how it goes, but says it doesn't mean the conversation about separatism is over. Why would we stop this movement? We're not doing it for any reason that we think that the sky is falling here. Julia Wong, CBC News, Bonneville, Alberta. She was raised in apartheid era South Africa

and went on to become the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Along the way, 85-year-old Navi Pillay has witnessed a lot of history. Now she's in the books as the recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. But as Chris Brown reports, her selection is drawing the ire of some countries. Navi Pillay has just been awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. Perhaps fittingly, Navi Pillay was at a human rights conference in Germany when news broke that she had won the Nobel Peace Prize. It's very appropriate that I'm with friends and colleagues, all of whom support human rights.

Born into an Indian Tamil family from South Africa, Palais was a fearless crusader against apartheid. Nelson Mandela made her the country's first non-white woman judge, and she went on to investigate war crimes in Rwanda and Myanmar. But it was her role heading up the United Nations panel examining the war in Gaza that drew the fiercest political fire. The last thing I did is the delivery of the report on Gaza, naming what's happening there is genocide. Israel's government rejects a genocide accusation and condemn Palais' selection. A foreign ministry statement said if there were an award for lies, hatred and blood libeles,

Navi Palais wouldn't just be a contender, she'd be a frontrunner. Colleagues such as Jessica Newworth say Palais's lifetime of holding abusers accountable proves otherwise. She's not someone who picks on any country or any group of people. She's just for human rights, for everyone everywhere. The Norwegian chair of the Nobel Selection Committee, Jürgen Watney Friednes, underscored that international law is at risk, and Palae's selection is meant to send a message. There is tremendous pressures around the world on these institutions and on the judges. And right on Q, a short time later, the Trump administration appeared to prove that point.

It expanded sanctions against the International Criminal Court to include the institution itself, which Pallet once sat on. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the aim is to cut off the court's resources and funding. And President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans. No Americans are currently wanted by the court, but both Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia's Vladimir Putin are. The court firmly reject these sanctions. ICC President Tomoko Akane condemned the U.S. actions. Canada signed on to a statement with Britain and European countries. countries vowing to continue supporting the court's work amid a widening global rift.

Donald Trump has famously coveted the Nobel Peace Prize and as if to anticipate a potential political storm over her selection, Palais made a joke. If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump. Chris Brown, CBC News, London. Finally. Yeah, thank you. The excited buzz. dozens of elite basketball athletes descend on Yellowknife's airport.

They're in town for the first ever north of 60 Classic, involving six university women's basketball teams from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Nova Scotia. Janet Engie grew up in Yellowknife playing basketball and now plays for the University of Toronto. She helped organize the tournament. It kind of started with I had done preseason tournaments before, and I'm like, if I can get from Waterloo, Ontario to Vancouver or Newfoundland, I can get to Yellowknife. About 120 players will compete in nine games over three days. The main goal is to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue their dreams in sports and beyond.

Show them, like, it is so cool to be strong and it's so cool to find your strength and show it on the court and, you know, find leadership and just, like, believe in whatever. like you want to do, you can do it. Lessons learned from experience. Five of the athletes, including Engie, played with the Yellowknife Eagles basketball club growing up. Aaron Wells coached them all and also serves as director of player development for basketball NWT. I'm excited for the Yellowknife athletes to kind of share their story and what it took

coming from Yellowknife to make it at that level. Seeing those girls play here in Yellowknife is going to be pretty surreal. The six teams will also take part in community events outside of the tournament, like skill development clinics for girls. And as play gets underway, Enki feels good about her team's chances. Yeah, I feel good. I feel strong. I believe in our team. We're looking pretty good. We got some hot shooters. Scout that.

This has been your world tonight for Friday, October 9th. I'm Stephanie Scandaris. Thank you for being with us. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.