Your World Tonight - Ceasefire signed, Quebec constitution, Blue Jays win, and more

Episode Date: October 9, 2025

The hostages aren’t yet home, and the warplanes were still overhead today but finally — after two years — there is hope that the fighting in Gaza may soon be over. Israel and Hamas have signed a ceasefire agreement — intended as the first step to a more lasting peace. We have the details on how the deal was reached, and what happens now.And: Quebec's government has introduced a draft constitution. It’s meant to affirm the province's distinct national character. But constitutional experts are saying this “law of laws” may not be legal itself.Also: For the first time in nearly a decade, Canada’s only major league baseball team is a step away from the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the next stage, but the extra fans wanting to join them are finding tickets hard to get ahold of.Plus: Profusionist shortage for heart surgeries, condo projects slowdown in Toronto, and more.

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Yeah, and I do look like my mother. Love Me. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. The people of Gaza have been desperately waiting for this moment. They have been displaced and making impossible choices to survive. He's bringing our people home to us. Hopefully this will start a new era here in the Middle East, an era of peace.

In Gaza, in Israel and around the world, and reason to believe that peace could be within reach and the hostages could soon be home. The agreement is only a small first step, but after two years, it's a turning point and a clear chance to stop the war, the worry, and the suffering. We ended the war in Gaza and really, on a much bigger basis, created peace. And I think it's going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace. How diplomacy Donald Trump style led to a breakthrough? Now the U.S. President is taking credit and taking a trip to the Middle East.

Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday, October 9th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. It will be a Quebec constitution for people of Quebec. The push to protect Quebec's distinct identity, translating to a political fight for a premier facing an election next year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls it a great day for Israel. And a senior Hamas official says the group has been assured by mediators, the war in Gaza is over.

Food, water, and medical supplies are ready to be delivered to Gaza as soon as the ceasefire takes effect. It is only the first phase of a long and complex plan with difficult discussions ahead. but in Gaza and Israel, it is enough for celebration. Senior international correspondent Margaret Evans begins our coverage from Jerusalem. The sense of relief and celebration in Israel and in Gaza spread quickly as people woke to the news that a ceasefire was in sight. In Israel's hostage square, which has cradled the hopes of families demanding the return of their loved ones for two years now, the tears on hand were those of joy. A dancing Donald Trump figure joined the crowd. The real U.S. President spoke by phone to hostage families visiting Washington.

The hostages will come back. They're all coming back on Monday. In Gaza, there were also tears of joy. Crowds gathered to hug and hold each other. Emergency workers in their high-vis vests paraded down the street. piled on to the top of an ambulance. It is a happiness mixed with blood and sadness, said Akram Giranda in his 50s. We lost entire families, our children, neighbors, friends, loved ones. And Israeli airstrikes continued today

as the final details were being poured over. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Gaza health officials, most of them civilians. The sense of grief, despair, rage and impotence flowing through the ruins of Gaza is just as palpable as relief over a possible end to the war. 26-year-old Magdi Abu Ayada

refuses to celebrate the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners negotiated in exchange for the Israeli hostages. His anger here, here directed at Hamas. Everyone getting out of jail right now is coming out on my blood, he says, on the blood of my siblings who are martyred with my father. The initial agreement reached is predicated on all Israeli troops

withdrawing to an agreed line but still well inside Gaza and all 20 Israeli living hostages being released within 72 hours of the start of a ceasefire. Yehuda Cohen's now 21-year-old says, son Nimrod is expected to be among them. I would say we're in kind of a limbo out of hell, but still not in the promised land, let's call it. The U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that the ceasefire agreement drawn from his original 20-point peace plan has the potential to bring lasting peace. But it's a blueprint of broad strokes with many key details yet to be filled in

on the most intractable of issues, including future governance in Gaza and the role of the Palestinian Authority. Jonathan Reinhold is a political scientist at Bariland University. The biggest challenge will be getting Hamas to disarm, because without that, we're unlikely to see Israel withdraw fully, and we are unlikely to see international actors

put billions of dollars into rebuilding Gaza. The initial hurdle, though, is getting, through to the other side of this first phase. Margaret Evans, CBC News, Jerusalem. The carefully worded caution some are expressing about the agreement is in contrast to the declarative confidence coming from the White House. Donald Trump says he ended the war and created peace in the Middle East, taking credit, but also thanking Arab nations for cooperating.

Katie Simpson has more on how Trump's unconventional approach pushed the plan over the line. And what comes next? None of it would have been possible without the president of the United States being involved. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led a round of applause in the White House cabinet room, congratulating President Donald Trump and the American negotiators. We ended the war in Gaza and really, on a much bigger basis, created peace. There is no sense of caution countering Trump's optimism. He appears confident in his plan and that it will be respected.

So I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for helping us reach this incredible day and for being there. Momentum around peace talks started building in early September after Trump became angry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over strikes targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, which is an American ally. The U.S. was given no heads up and a frustrated Trump ratcheted up pressure on Israel to accept a deal, according to John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor.

So that may have been enough of a shock to Israel that it dislodge things. Around the same time, American negotiators were selling their 20-point peace plan to regional partners, promising greater cooperation with the U.S. in exchange for support and help in pressuring Hamas to accept a deal. No one country is responsible for getting to this moment, according to Bolton, though the fierce Trump critic does give limited praise. to the White House. They certainly deserve credit for being one of the factors that did it. There's no denying that.

A similar sentiment shared by Democrats, including Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is strongly opposed to the vast majority of Trump's agenda. President Trump deserves a measure of credit for it. So do others. Trump wants to be known as a peacemaker, though his style and temperament have bucked the norms of diplomacy. In part, he's relied on public threats and harsh rhetoric to achieve his goals. This could be a legacy-defining moment for Trump, according to Matt Duss with the Center for International Policy.

So the question now is, will Donald Trump continue to apply that pressure to make sure that this is a durable ceasefire? Trump is now planning a trip to the Middle East, invited to speak to the Israeli parliament with hopes of witnessing a peace deal signing in Egypt. He's intent on taking credit for this moment and is openly asking to be given the Nobel Peace Prize. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the deal and praised Trump and leaders in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for getting it. He says there is still work to do and suggests Canada may play a part. The next 48 hours are crucial. We urge the parties particularly Hamas to follow through, release all the hostages, including the deceased hostages.

The president and I discussed in the White House how Canada can support this process. we are supporting with humanitarian aid. There's other mechanisms that we can do to support it. Then we're encouraged. We're encouraged, but it's the first phase, and there's more to come. The impact of October 7th and the past two years of war extended far beyond the Middle East, with Jewish and Palestinian communities struggling from afar.

In Canada, news of the agreement is being met with mixed emotions. One of them is hope. Lisa Sching reports. Subei al-Zobidi opens up his Palestinian restaurant in Vancouver. He says he's long been anticipating news of a ceasefire. I am so happy that the killing stopped. Al-Zobidi has loved ones in the region. Like so many Palestinians in Canada, he's relieved there seems to be far more promise of safety for them now.

What I wish for my family, I wish it for every Palestinian family. With the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace deal tantalizingly close, The optimism comes with trepidation. Several ceasefire deals have collapsed before. There's a word in Arabic, but I just can't translate it. One word that it actually includes both being optimistic and pessimistic. Fadi Qudir, a real estate agent in Ottawa, has lost at least a dozen close cousins in Gaza. Those left have been rejoicing in the streets.

And we are always cautiously optimistic because we know someone is going to let us down. The pain for diaspora communities is still. Raw. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza after Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis in the October 7th attacks. I feel like I'm exhaling with millions of people around the world. Maureen, whose cousin Romi Gonan was taken hostage by Hamas and released in January this year, says something about this deal just feels different. It doesn't feel fragile. It feels shared, it feels solid, and it feels so close. Noah Shaq, head of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, says the remaining 48 hostages

held by Hamas are his community's focus. Hopefully, the hostages are all coming home. It happens quickly, and they can be reunited with their families and on the road to recovery. And for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, its optimism is contingent on looking at how we got here, says Stevenso. We're under no illusions that the people behind these atrocities need to be held accountable. And Canada has to support that. While many Palestinians also want that, Kudair first wants something even more basic for his loved ones. I want to start seeing kind of people getting food, getting shelter.

We are human. We all deserve to be living in dignity and peace and prosperity and have the ability to kind of determine what our life looks like. For many in Canada, the last two. years have been painful, awful, divisive. And for the first time, in a long time, there's hope a peace could mean they can start to process what's happened and heal. Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Toronto. Coming right up, Constitution and Controversy. Quebec's plan to further entrench its cultural character meets early opposition in the National Assembly. And they are specialized medical technicians needed for heart surgeries, and Canada needs more of them.

Later, we'll have this story. After the celebration... I'm so happy for our city, our fans, the country. For the players, a chance to rest. For fans, the quest for tickets begins with disappointment and victory. I was able to log on right at 10 o'clock, and I went right for game 7,

which is what I was going for. I'm Jamie Strachan in Toronto. The Blue Jays are heading to the next round of the baseball playoffs, but it won't be easy or cheap for. for fans to join them. That story coming up on Your World Tonight. Quebec's Premier says its essential legislation needed to protect the province's core cultural values. Opposition parties call it political theatre. A draft of a Quebec constitution has been tabled in the National Assembly

aimed at affirming the province's distinct national character. Critics question its legality. under the Canadian Constitution. Sarah Levitt has more. Vive the Quebec. Quebec Premier Francoise Legoe receiving a standing ovation from his party inside the National Assembly, announcing the tabling of a bill

that would create an official constitution for the province. It will become the law of all laws, Legoe says, one that affirms the constitutional existence of the Quebec nation and protects aspects of the province's identity, including from the federal government. Guillaume Rousseau is a law professor at the University of Sherbrook. When there's an infringement on the autonomy of Quebec by the federal government, then there would be mechanisms so that all of the states of Quebec, all ministry,

all public organization would resist to it and stop collaborating with the federal government. But critics say it goes way beyond that. proposals is to ban organizations from using public funds to contest laws before the court. That's the worst thing I've seen in 30 years of career. I'm serious. You want to suspend fundamental rights for everyone. Frederic Berard is a constitutional lawyer. If you're a municipality, university, CEJEP, Union, what the hell is that? Even Donald Trump never thought about that. Saying, well, you know what, if that law is protected by identity, whatever, because because we decide what is the identity, by the way, you cannot challenge it.

Opposition parties say this bill is a partisan ego trip, with the leading party trying to force it through to ensure a lasting legacy. All parties agree a constitution is needed, but those in the opposition say Lugo's government is moving too quickly. Pablo Rodriguez is the leader of the Quebec Liberals. We should have in our hands a document that went through through consultations that included different segments of society, including First Nations, discussions with different parties.

This new law is interesting, but it has a limited impact. Paul St. Pierre Plamondon, the leader of the Parti Quebecua, says the Constitution means nothing since the Canadian Charter takes precedence as long as Quebec is a part of Canada. Our goal is to have a constitution of a country named Quebec, and then it becomes very interesting what you can change. The bill comes as long as long as. The Gauss Coalition Avenier Quebec Party is lagging in the polls

ahead of a provincial election scheduled a year from now. Sarah Levitt's CBC News, Montreal. They play a key role in some life-saving surgeries and Canada does not have enough of them. Perfusionists are highly specialized medical professionals needed for heart operations. But a shortage is getting so bad that in Quebec, healthcare workers have launched an official complaint.

Alison Northcott report. My mom was an absolute joy to be around. She had an enjoyment for life. This Thanksgiving marks one year since Daniel Fuster's mother, Debbie, died while waiting for triple bypass surgery in Manitoba. I drove to my mother's house really quickly, obviously. I actually got there before the ambulance did, and she had passed away from a heart attack. It's the kind of death on a surgical wait list cardiologists and heart surgeons in Quebec are warning about. Dr. Bernal-Cantin is president of the Association of Cardiologists of Quebec. 80 people have died in the last year, year and a half waiting for their surgery.

So that is awful. And that's just in his province. Contein's association, along with the Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgeons in Quebec, see that's largely due to a shortage of staff, like perfusionists. Profusionists play a crucial role during heart surgery, running the machine that does the life-sustaining work

of the heart and lungs. The shortage affects other parts of Canada, too. Nairash Tanani is acting president of the Canadian Society of Clinical Profusion in Regina. He says the shortage is linked to higher salaries available in the U.S. and aging workforce and the intense

demands of the job. You're essentially working on a cardiac surgeon schedule, and with that, it becomes a challenging in position to maintain over time. Perfusionists say better wages and working conditions would attract more people to the job and keep them there. At Toronto's Michener Institute, one of three Canadian training sites, the school's principal, Dr. Michael O'Leary,

says it's working with the Ontario government to increase enrollment from 16 to 38 by 2027. The importance of this role within the operating room is significant, and we believe that there's an opportunity here to meet that demand. 69 years old. So she was just really settling into retirement. Daniel Fuster doesn't know why his mother's surgery wasn't scheduled or if it was linked to staffing. Still, he's pushed for change in Manitoba, advocating for a bill known as Debbie's Law to ensure patients are informed about their wait time.

Because if we'd have known that my mom was going to be on a list for two and a half months and she needed surgery in three weeks, we'd have done something about it. In Quebec, the health ministry says patients waiting for cardiac surgery often have other health problems that could be related to their deaths, and the government says it's working to address the worker shortage. But the associations of cardiologists and heart surgeons plan to file an ombudsman complaint because they say the province hasn't done enough. Allison Northcott, CBC News, Montreal. Canada needs more homes. And while Ottawa says it's trying to spur more construction, sales are plummeting. With the condo market in particular struggling so much, developers are canceling

projects, and that could mean big trouble later. Nisha Patel reports. Workers dig away at the construction site for Juno condos in Surrey, BC, but getting to this stage hasn't been easy. It's definitely a tough time to be building homes. Jonathan Meads, Vice President of Streetside Developments, says demand for condos has disappeared. Sales have tumbled to the lowest levels since the global financial crisis of 2008. He's put plans to build another thousand units on hold.

We know it's incurring land interest, but it would be very difficult to launch in this market. It's a dramatic shift from the frenzy of years past. As lower immigration has dried up demand for rentals, investors no longer see pre-construction condos as a profitable bet. First-time buyers have also been driven away by high prices and economic uncertainty. If we don't start construction, it impacts. the industry. There's knock-on impacts for the trades, consultants, and even secondary suppliers, etc. There is a slowdown in Vancouver, though the downturn in Toronto is even deeper.

According to market research firm Urban Nation, 30 condo projects totaling almost 7,000 units have been cancelled since the start of last year. Kevin Hughes is Deputy Chief Economist at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The conditions for demand is not necessarily gone back to where it was. So we're still in that period for probably at least a year. Hughes says in the short-term buyers should see some relief as soaring supply pushes prices lower. But he warns canceled projects and fewer housing completions will create long-term problems. Overall, we still need supply and more

of it. And that need and that supply gap as we measure it is larger in the bigger cities than it is in the smaller cities. Experts say broader economic recovery will eventually revive condo demand. For now, companies are getting creative. We've been through these ups and downs in the market. Heather Lloyd is in charge of marketing at Greywood Developments. She says when the company had a building that wasn't selling well, they had to pivot. In downtown Toronto, the market softened quite quickly.

So the team made the decision to cancel that project and change it over to a purpose-built rental. And we're currently in the ground with that. Greywood has also been focusing on condos that are meant to be sold to owners, not investors. Smaller buildings with more spacious floor plans. I don't think it's a secret that it is a slower tempo in terms of sales. But for the right project, there still is a market. And for buyers, it means more choice than they've had in years. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto.

This is Your World Tonight from CBC News. If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Okay, Blue Jays, let's keep playing ball. Canada's only Major League Baseball team is a step away from the World Series after defeating the New York Yankees. It's been an unexpected run of success for a team that hasn't won a play.

off round in nearly a decade, but good luck getting a ticket to see them play. Jamie Strachan reports. In the champagne-soaked Blue Jail locker room, George Springer and his teammates celebrate a serious victory over the mighty New York Yankees. This is why he played the game. I'm so happy for our city, our fans, the country. This is awesome. For this team, the journey continues.

Next up, the American League Championship Series. An improbable run, says manager John Schneider, for a team many predicted to finish in last place. It's a really close group. I've said it to you guys once. I've said it a million times. They're really good at turning the page to the next thing that's important. So just happy for everyone that was involved. Nobody enjoying the moment more than Slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

who trolled the Bronx bombers on Fox's postgame show. Let's go, wait. Let's go. Now for the Blue Jays and their fans, the focus turn. turns to the next round. Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Eastern and the demand was heavy. Hundreds of thousands of people on the Ticketmaster website looking for tickets. Some were lucky. I was able to log on right at 10 o'clock and I went right for game 7, which is what I was going for. You know, rolling Lucky 7 and I got it for the whole family. For most, though, disappointment, either unable to get seats.

I saw like the standard tickets for 500 and then I was selecting it and all of a sudden is just gone. So it was pretty upsetting. Or dealing with a quickly growing resale market that saw tickets priced at a few hundred dollars skyrocket into the thousands. Yeah, unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to get them. So, yeah, maybe for World Series, for sure. Toronto will either play Seattle or Detroit in the next round,

both cities' long-time destinations for Canadian fans, with neither team preventing fans from north of the border from buying tickets. While those teams battled out, a welcome chance to recharge, says Drew Fair Service who hosts a Blue Jay podcast. At this time of year, the rest is everything. I mean, there's always that kind of debate about do you want to stay sharp or do you want to get healthy, the opportunity to get everybody else healthy, kind of reset. I think it really bodes well for the Blue Jays.

Jay's fans hope the extra rest may give All-Star Bo Bichet a chance to return to the lineup for a playoff run that has the whole country paying attention. Jamie Strash and CBC News, Toronto. We end tonight with the end of a long and sweet career, a Prince Edward Island dessert chef, hanging up her apron after half a century. Well, I put a lot of pride in my work. I try to be happy.

At the end, I'm hoping to be happy. But at the end of the day, I'm pretty sore. So that's why I decided 50 years was enough. Joan Blanchard is considered royalty at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. They call her the Queen of Pies. She got her start as a dishwasher back in 1976, but quickly moved to the lobster restaurant's second most popular item, its famous Mile High Lemon Morang Pies.

Not quite as high as this, but anyway, probably, I'd say six, seven inches high. I cook my shells. I make the shelves all the day before. I come in, cook the shelves, and then I make the fillings. And then after that, I do my meringue, and... fruit pies. Blanchard often stays at the restaurant late to plan for the next day. She'll study reservations to make sure the pie station is fully stocked. Over the years, she's watched regular customers who started coming to the restaurant as kids, now bringing in their own families.

Blanchard says she'll also miss flipping through the guest book and seeing how many people mention her pies. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Thursday, October November 9th, I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.