Your World Tonight - Carney’s European speech, Stellantis negotiations, deepfakes of doctors, and more

Episode Date: September 17, 2026

The Prime Minister is pitching European lawmakers on a deeper alliance with the EU. The idea has its critics on both sides of the Atlantic. And it’s the clearest sign yet of where Canada is placing its bets as the trade war with Washington drags on.And: The union representing some 9,000 workers in Ontario urges Stellantis not to sell off its Brampton plant, calling it a symbol of Canada's entire auto industry.Also: During the pandemic, many Canadian doctors became household names like Canada’s former top doctor Theresa Tam, and B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. Scammers are taking advantage of that fame — to create AI-deepfakes, in order to sell fake cures online.Plus: Canadian companies adapting to tariffs, Aberta’s dual-practice healthcare model, tragedy in Yemen, and more.

The nation is watching Alberta, and we know it. I'm Kathleen Petty, host of West of Center. Every week I speak with the people shaping Alberta politics from pipelines to separation to help you understand what's going on here and why it matters to the entire country. Pull up a chair and join me, West of Center. Find us and follow wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast.

We are looking for partnerships that are complementary that reinforce our sovereignty. And that's what is on offer here. I've been waiting for this stronger ties, I would say, with our Canadian brothers for such a long time. We don't know what it means. We don't know how to make it. The Prime Minister gets a standing ovation

after his speech to the European Parliament, heading home with an invitation in hand for a new alliance. But countless questions remain both here and there about what this potential partnership means. Is it a marriage or a situation ship? This is Your World Tonight. I'm Salima Shipji. It is Thursday, September 17th, coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the podcast.

This is just a really scaled-up, a supercharged version of the traditional exchange. As long as my tuition doesn't get crazy, I'm cool with it. Among the potential benefactors of any new ties, Canadian students. Ottawa is considering expanded membership in a major European exchange program that could see many more head overseas in pursuit of higher learning. Donald Trump calls it laughable.

Mark Carney says it is about sovereignty. The Prime Minister today pitched European lawmakers on a deeper alliance with the EU. While the idea has its critics on both sides of the Atlantic, It is the clearest sign yet of where Canada is placing its bets as the trade war with Washington drags on. Jennifer Yun has the details in our top story tonight. We are not fair weather allies. Prime Minister Mark Carney drawing on the deep ties between Canada and the European Union as he addresses members of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg, France, making the case that Canada and Europe must ban together.

to weather today's volatile geopolitical tides. This is about sovereignty. Our ability to live as we wish. It's about the freedoms we must fight for every day because sovereignty requires resilience, the ability to withstand shocks. And the way he's hoping to do that through what he calls an alliance for the future

that would broaden the economic and social, ties between Canada and Europe. The European Parliament responding with the standing ovation. The president of the body, Roberta Metzola, highlighting how much Canada has in common with Europe. A partner, a country that shares our values, our commitment to liberty, to dignity, to democracy,

and our belief in open and fair trade. ours is an alliance that is based on deep trust. Trust that will lead to win-win economic deal, hopes Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's ambassador designated to the European Union. They have a need for critical minerals. We have a need for capital to actually develop the critical minerals such that we can actually sell or process and build the batteries, magnets and sell those. Canada already has a trade agreement with Europe, provisionally active since 2017.

Wilkinson says this alliance would go well beyond that. This is being far more strategic about how we actually deepen those ties. Also on the table, access to Europe's Erasmus program, which would let young Canadians travel and study in Europe freely. But the details still need to be hammered out. Federal Conservatives waiting to hear the specifics, including the key question, will Canada join the EU as an associate member? The devil is going to be in a fine print.

BCM. MP Ellis Ross says he needs to know what it would mean for Canada to join the EU. We have no details. We have no understanding what that actually means. Carney promising he'll bring back details to Ottawa for a series of debates. And ultimately, there will be a vote in the Canadian Parliament for the final structure of the alliance. He and European officials also trying to skate the wrath of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened heavy tariffs if he deems this alliance a hostile act. I'm not proposing a third block in order to become a great power rival only with better manners. More details are expected at the EU Canada summit next month.

Before that, Carney will head to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Trump is expected to be there too. Jennifer Yun, CBC News, Ottawa. Canada's closer relationship with Europe could soon open new doors for Canadian students. Ottawa is now looking at joining Iraq. Plus, the EU's massive study and exchange program. Karen Poles breaks down how it might work and some of the questions that remain. First day in Lisbon.

Caden Headland flips through photos on his phone. This is the campus there. He studied in Portugal last spring as part of his University of Manitoba business degree. It's obviously a good experience to build your resume up to. It was one of the top 10 business schools out there. Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to see more student exchange opportunities like this as part of an expanded partnership with the European Union. Canadian membership of Erasmus Plus would give your students and ours more opportunity

to learn at some of the world's top universities, to broaden their horizon, and to build those lasting ties that will sustain our alliance for the future. Erasmus Plus is the EU program for education, training, youth and sport. Canada is already a recognized partner country, but, opportunities are limited. Most students from Canadian universities rely on scholarships and student loans to cover expenses. They pay tuition to their Canadian university and the programs focus almost exclusively on undergraduate and graduate studies. Full Erasmus Plus participants get up to 700 euros a month to cover living costs, a complete waiver of tuition at the host institution,

and it includes vocational training, apprenticeships, and even athletics. This is a is just a really scaled up, a supercharged version of the traditional exchange. Gabriel Miller is the president and CEO of Universities Canada. We're at a moment in the country where the potential for Canada to fulfill its opportunities in energy, in nuclear power, in infrastructure are just being unleashed. Well, we need to unleash those opportunities in education and research too. One of the big questions, who would pay for it? This University of Toronto State, student hopes it won't be him.

But as long as my tuition doesn't get crazy, I'm cool with it. Carl Hübner is a UBC professor specializing in Canada-EU relationships. He believes it would be worth every dollar. We need to train the next generation of young people who know how Europe takes, how the European Union works. Charlotte Murray is a University of Victoria student in Spain now studying finance and economics. She sees the potential for a brain drain if, more Canadian students study abroad, but...

There's also an argument to be made for having that talent gain a more global experience and global perspective and be able to eventually bring that back to Canada. She and others say they're optimistic about what it could mean for Canada and the next generation of our workforce. Karen Paul's, CBC News, Winnipeg. Coming right up, with 9,000 auto jobs on the line, Unifor says talks with Stalantis won't resume

unless Ottawa stops the company from selling its Brampton plant to a defense contractor. Plus, the ongoing trade war with the U.S. is forcing many businesses to get creative. But some wonder how long Canadians will keep their elbows up to buy it home. And later, we'll have this story. If you think that's a real doctor talking, think again. It's actually an AI-generated deepfake, using the likeness of a Canadian physician to sell drugs on. social media. I think that any time content is being pushed to you and they're selling a product, that should be a major red flag. I'm health reporter Lauren Pelly and I'll have more on Dr. Deepfakes

coming up on your world tonight. A U.S. trade war that's not letting up, Canadian auto jobs on the line. Not the best backdrop for collective bargaining between Stalantis and Uniform. Now, the union representing some 9,000 workers is urging the car. carmaker not to sell off its Brampton, Ontario plant, calling it a symbol of Canada's entire auto industry. Philip Lee-Shanock reports. All they've done to us is, you know, put us on pause. Uniform Local 1285 President Vito Biatto says the 2,000 Brampton Stalantis workers should be making jeeps.

We were supposed to be back to work right now as of today. And when you look at our plant, it's ready. It's ready to go and it's ready to build, and our members are ready to get to work. Instead, in a letter to workers today, Stalantis said market and trade conditions have changed, and it's looking at a range of options to create a sustainable long-term business case for the Brampton plant. The carmaker signed a memorandum of understanding to look at selling those operations to Canadian armored vehicle maker Rochelle. Uniform National President Lana Payne urged Stalantis, which is in the middle of bargaining a new collective agreement with the union,

to hold off on deciding the plant's future. Don't close, don't sell. Protect the integrity of the plant as a bridge to future vehicle production. She says Rochelle is no substitute for Stalantis. Let's be clear here. This is a defense contractor. They exist by government procurement. It is and cannot compare to a commercial enterprise building vehicles. Payne called on governments to intervene, saying potentially thousands more jobs could be lost, and the entire industry is at risk. Stalantis also has operations in Toronto, Windsor, and Red Deer, Alberta.

If the commitments Stalantus made can be broken in Brampton, they can be broken anywhere. Stalantis and Rochelle say they're in non-binding talks and a potential sale is better than allowing an important industrial asset to remain idle indefinitely. Greg Lason is an analyst with Automotive News Canada. He says it's unlikely Rochelle would keep all the work, and wages and benefits would likely suffer. Yeah, sure. They'll build three to four vehicles per day there. That is not the same as mass production of motor vehicles that are used and bought across

this continent. The plant has been idle since 2023 as Stalantis retooled to build the Jeep Compass, then announced it was moving production to the U.S. because of tariffs. Lason says over the years, Stalantis has received hundreds of millions of dollars in government bailouts to maintain operations here and protect jobs in Canada. Federal Industry Minister Melanie Jolie urged Stalantis and its uniform workers to find a solution. We want a new model at the Stalantis plant,

and we'll put maximum pressure to make that happen, and if they don't, we'll get our money back. The current collective agreement between the automaker and the Union is set to expire Sunday. Philip Lichanok, CBC News, Toronto. As Mark Carney pitches, diversification overseas, some companies are trying the same tack here at home. Kayla Hounsel now on how the trade war with the U.S. is forcing Canadian firms to get creative.

At Mali Industries in Dieppe, New Brunswick, they're used to creating products to respond to emergencies. They make ambulances. But now the 80 people who work here are being forced to respond to an emergency of a different kind, the trade war. So there were definitely long days long hours. Deji Aola is the company's engineering and product development manager. He hasn't had much rest since early 2025 when the U.S. began threatening tariffs. It's almost like your brain has never turned off because you have to constantly make sure that you're thinking about 10 steps down the line.

The company had been doing nearly half of its business in the U.S., but that's dried up almost entirely. Now it's making up for that in less than a year unveiling a brand new vehicle for prospective clients in Quebec and Alberta. In BC, packaging company Cancour says it has also figured out the pivot. When its cardboard boxes got caught up in the trade war, co-founder Baja Niami got on the phone, calling up his competitors and ramping up production so Canadian businesses could buy their boxes at home instead of south of the border. that we are prepared to absorb any void that would be felt by stopping corrugated box imports into BC. The thing that both of these companies in two different industries

on opposite sides of the country have in common is this. Early 2025, when the initial tariff threats started, we were able to separate the signals from the noises. They both got to work immediately. The question is whether these big ideas are lasting solutions. And it can be done, but it requires a lot of human capital. Ian Lee has been teaching strategy at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business for 35 years. It's the threat of failure, the threat of competitive attack,

the threat of loss of markets that is the spur or the driver to innovate. But Lee cautions patriotism is not a business strategy, and companies can't rely on the bi-Canadian mood of the moment long-term. To truly make these pivots permanent, he says, they still have to make a better product. All involved acknowledge not every industry can pivot this hard, but experts say exactly how much business Canada can bring home might just depend on the innovation of those who can.

Kala Hounsel, CBC News, Halifax. The leader of the BC Conservatives is vowing to stay on despite calls for her departure from within her own party. Carrie Lynn Finley spoke this morning at the Union of BC Municipalities Convention in Vancouver. It came after a tense caucus meeting last night, in which two MLAs asked her to resign as party leader. Nine MLAs have left the Conservative caucus since August, defectors raising concerns about Finley's leadership and the direction of the party.

I'm not going anywhere. 27,000 party members voted for me as leader who will collaborate and welcome anyone from any background or political alliances before who share our common sense vision for change. On rumors of a snap election, Finley calls it a calculated move by the BCNDP, but adds she and her party will be ready. Yesterday, Premier David Eby confirmed he has hired a campaign manager and informed, his caucus to be prepared for an election. Manitobans have changed their clocks for the last time. The province will be sticking with daylight saving time year-round. It means more light in the evenings in winter, but also some darker mornings.

Doctors in the province issued a statement strongly supporting the move. They say research shows changing the clocks contributes to more heart attacks, injuries, and mental health concerns. British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, and Sassau. Saskatchewan are also committed to a year-round time zone. A new warning from some prominent Canadian doctors. They say their faces and voices are increasingly being stolen and used in AI-generated videos to sell health products online.

Lauren Pelley takes a look at these deep fakes and how to avoid being scammed. This video sure sounds like Dr. Francois Marquis, and it looks like the Montreal Critical Care Physician too. But it's actually a deep fake. AI-generated video of his face and voice used to advertise drugs on social media. And this time I'm selling something that is supposed to fix your joints. While the video was fake, Marquis said the scam behind it was very real.

And I had patients, actual victims, come for me in the ICU, wanting to get their money back. He's not the only prominent Canadian physician being deep faked. During the COVID-19 pandemic, online ads used an AI-generated version of Canada's former top doctor, Theresa Tam, and BC's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. It is still happening on and off. Henry spoke to CBC News about the experience this week. It's very disturbing because you know that people are taking things that are real and distorting them. The federal government says anyone who may have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime

can file a police report or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center. But both Marquis and Henry say the fake ads are tough to take down. I started complaining to the police a few years back. I sent them the videos and basically I was told that there's nothing they can really do. I think our organizations are, whether it's police services, whether it's universities, whether it's employment organizations, they're not really prepared yet to support people who are going through this. Another challenge now is AI video keeps getting tougher to spot.

One study found up to half of its participants couldn't tell the difference between authentic medical videos and deep fakes. On the internet, everything causes cancer because that is fear-driven content that is going to get engagement. and we're seeing it more and more from these AI doctors. Researcher Timothy Caulfield is a professor of health law and science policy at the University of Alberta. He says doctor deep fakes are exploiting public trust. But in reality, Canadian physicians aren't supposed to peddle pills on social media. That's because of strict standards enforced by medical colleges in Canada, which don't allow doctors to advertise regulated drugs or medical devices.

Yeah, I think that any... time content is being pushed to you and they're selling a product, that should be a major red flag. The bottom line? Be skeptical of online videos before you hand over your credit card. Lauren Pelley, CBC News, Toronto. In Yemen, fierce fighting and a lightning-fast advance of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels has pushed tens of thousands of people from their homes. That's after a fragile four-year ceasefire fell apart between the Houthi. and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government forces.

More than 100,000 Yemenis have been displaced internally, many from Taiz, a besieged city in the southwest, including Raoyah Hassan, a mother of seven. We escaped barefoot and got separated from our children. We lost our livestock, lost everything, she says. Hundreds have also escaped the country entirely fleeing to Djibouti, taking the perilous crossing over the Babal Mandab Strait. That's the strategic waterway that the Houthis now effectively control.

Saudi Arabia had been using it as the main workaround for its oil exports since the Iran War severely hampered the Strait of Hormuz. The toll of the fighting on civilians in Yemen is rising, says United Nations spokesperson Stefan Du Jarek, and the known casualties are overwhelmingly women and children. He says more aid, is urgently needed. Security incidents impacting humanitarian premises, supplies and movements are, of course, hindering our operations. The scale of these constraints is clear. Our partners have 15,000 emergency

kits ready to be distributed, but road closures mean most of them cannot get to those who need them at time. Barashibon is an analyst on Yemen and the Gulf for the London-based Royal United Services Institute. He says the Houthis have honed their tactics and the speed of their advice. And the speed of their advance has shocked observers. At the beginning, it was some random missiles that really didn't hit anywhere. But by time, it was improving. They were starting to hit oil facilities. They're becoming more accurate and actually causing real damage to Saudi infrastructure.

Right now, the Houthis do not want to engage in any talks. They have the momentum. They feel they can even gain more territory. They're emboldened. They like the attention of the international community. and now they're hitting Saudi Arabia and they will keep hitting them hard. The Houthi rebels and Saudi forces continue to trade attacks with three children reportedly killed today.

Alberta has launched a dual practice system for healthcare, letting surgeons work both public and private shifts to cut wait times. But will it actually clear backlogs? Senior health reporter Christine Birak sat down with patients and looked at the data to see if private access shrinks public lines or makes them worse. Meet two patients. The pain is unbelievable.

77-year-old Cheryl Stewart painstakingly tries to walk through her living room in Edmonton. Like it was literally killing me. Across the country in Charlottetown, Neil Payne understands her suffering. Both were in desperate need of hip replacement surgery. Cheryl stayed on the public wait list. Neil, a father of seven in his late 50s, gave up waiting, taking on more than $20,000 in debt to pay for surgery in Quebec. I'm getting into that age where I'm going to retire.

It's a big hit, really. To cut delays, Alberta plans to let doctors work in both public hospitals and private clinics. This dual practice model mimics Quebec, while Ontario remains almost entirely public. According to the latest Chi-high data for hip replacements, 84% of Ontario patients get their surgery within the recommended six-month window. Alberta drops to 63% while Quebec, where private care is most established, just 54% of patients in the public queue get their surgery on time. Alberta's plan isn't an exact copy of Quebec.

Montreal surgeon John Antonio says, if done right, dual practice can increase the number of surgeries without splitting the workforce in half. A private system without guardrails can potentially siphon off surgeons. But with guardrails, it absolutely can work as a complement. Those guardrails can include a minimum number of public system hours before taking on private work. If the surgeon can get four times as much to do private for-pay surgery,

they're going to prioritize that. That's just human nature. Alberta Dr. Braden Mann says dual practice has been studied. Manitoba tried it with cataract eye surgeons in the 90s. Their private-for-pay patient waits dropped to four weeks. Those same surgeons had a public wait time of 23 weeks. The surgeons that only operated in the public system, their wait time was 10 weeks.

We sort of ignore history, but that's what this will look like. Anitoba abandoned dual practice. Health policy experts say fixing the public system works better. They point to proven solutions, single wait list that pool patients for the next available surgeon, specialized surgical hubs for hips and knees, and keeping operating rooms running on evenings and weekends. Well, I just feel for the people that are still waiting. Neil Payne is in debt but got his private surgery. Cheryl Stewart waited over two years for hers in the public system,

and she's not thrilled with Alberta's plan. Well, it's a two-tiered system, so you know, you certainly don't feel like you're in the upper tier, that's for sure. As private care expands, patients are asking who gets relief and who gets left waiting. Christine Birak, CBC News, Toronto. And for more on this story, you can watch Christine tomorrow night on the national. And finally, it was just supposed to be a visit to a familiar beach. But for Rick and Jeannie McLean, a stroll in Shakespeare in northern B.C.,

turned into an archaeological dig. On previous trips, the white horse couple had visited a rock containing petroglyphs, carved images dating back hundreds of years. But this time was different. I was walking down the beach and I noticed that other rock and it looked like somebody else had dug it out a bit so it was sticking out a bit. And then, yeah, so then we worked to dig it out and continued to find the other ones that, you know, we didn't even know.

existed. The couple, both members of the Taltan nation, got to work digging. What they uncovered appears to be linked to a shared history with the Klinget people in neighboring Alaska, who were known to carve such images. And the find seems to confirm ancestral stories about a peace treaty that granted the Klingit fishing rights on Taltan land. The Taltan Kinket history goes back thousands of years, as we know. They fought and had wars. And this is the story that, It's come from my great grandmother, she told me these stories about Chief Shakes and the Anonok and the Talatans and how they ended the wars and how that was done through the treaty at Shakespeare.

So to find those rocks there and know that gives a significant validation of those stories. News of the find has attracted significant interest. Universities and clan leaders have been calling to learn more, and a Facebook post has had more than 100,000 views. Jeannie McLean gets the final word. It was just so amazing to find that. It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience that you know that when you're uncovering them, thinking, who are the last people that saw these?

Like, and how long ago? Thanks for being with us. This has been Your World Tonight for Thursday, September 17th. I'm Salima Shivji. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC. www.ca.com podcasts.