Your World Tonight - English debate, what farmers want, signs of life in space, and more

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

It’s debate night – again. The major party leaders will directly face off with each other for the last time before election day. With just over a week to go, there’s a lot on the line for each of them.One cohort that may be watching closely: farmers. We have a story about what farmers in northern Alberta want to hear before they cast their votes.And: Saskatoon is facing a crisis of opioid overdose deaths. Experts say the supply has gotten more toxic, and some days emergency crews respond to an average of one overdose per hour. And libraries were closed because so many people were taking drugs there.Also: Could there be life on another planet? Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet – chemical fingerprints that could be produced by a life form. And in another study, a researcher at the University of Calgary finds evidence that suggests Mars once had a carbon cycle – support for the idea the red planet may once have been able to support life.Plus: Trump talks to Italy’s prime minister, Canadian schools decide not to travel to the U.S., and more.

Well, hey, look at us. You listen to Frontburner, I listen to Frontburner. We have something in common. My name is Alameen Abdul Mahmood. And look, we get to hear Jamie and the Frontburner team keep us on top of the big news stories that matter. I am someone who looks to culture to make sense of the world. The TV shows and books and music and movies that meet the moment. That's the kind of stuff I talk about every day on the podcast I host. It's called commotion. And if you want to hear smart, funny people talk about what the culture we consume says about us right now follow commotion wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a CBC podcast. I'm excited to hear about the issues that I've been worried about the most. Hier en français, tonight in English. The leaders of the four main parties meet in Montreal, the only debate in English, and the last chance for voters to see them together before the election. And to hear what they plan to do about...

The cost of living and the housing crisis. Economy for sure. Affordability is a big thing for especially like immigrants like us. Of course who can stand up to our president south of the border. I agree. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday April 17th coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern also on the podcast.

We were seeing days where you know it was all the staff did was revive people. Saskatoon is dealing with some of the worst effects of the opioid crisis. We take an inside look at efforts to stem what seems like an overwhelming tide. Advanced polls opened this long weekend in one of the most consequential federal elections in recent history. And just in time, the debates. French last night and now the one and only English leaders debate. For more on both, host of CBC Radio's The House, Catherine Cullen joins us from Montreal. Catherine, what do we know about how much last night could affect the

campaign? Well, Susan, the reviews from many in the Quebec media suggest that it didn't change a lot. Liberal leader Mark Carney was certainly the subject of a lot of the attacks. He struggled a bit in French, though not a lot. And while there were times that he was perhaps a bit passive in the face of some of those attacks, he kept focused on his plan for the country and he didn't have any big missteps. Conservative leader Pierre Polyev was clearly trying to show some statesman-like behavior, lots of smiles. Still though determined to link Carney to Justin Trudeau, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was quite animated, trying to jump in and insisting on the importance

of discussing healthcare. He is, of course, trying to get his party back into the center of the political conversation. And the Bloc leader, Yves-François Blanchette, he kept focused on Quebec's uniqueness and trying to protect it. I heard him say in a French language interview this morning that he did pull some of his punches on Carney because Carney is less comfortable in French and he didn't want to be perceived as being too mean to the liberal leader. That dynamic though could change tonight. What do we expect tonight? Well I think it's

likely things will get a bit more heated. For the conservatives it is the English language debate that could have the biggest impact on their political fortunes. Just like last night, there will be a chance for each leader to answer questions, but also time for them to debate amongst themselves. And also like last night, the specter of Donald Trump and his tariffs is likely to loom large over the conversation. Poliav will still be trying to look prime ministerial, we expect, but he does need to sway a lot of voters away from Carney in order to change his political fortunes. Carney may be more keen to push back now that he's in his first language. And Susan, it's also worth noting, advanced voting starts tomorrow.

Many families are likely going to top politics over Easter dinner. So this debate could help shape the final election results one week from Monday. And Catherine just before we let you go the Green Party tried again today to appeal to get back into the debate what happened there? They've written a letter to the independent organizers of these debates that's the group known as the Debates Commission self-described independent and impartial public body. The Greens are now calling on the Commission itself to resign saying it's made a mockery of democracy. The Greens were cut out of the debates yesterday morning, so the news coming somewhat at the 11th hour, after the party admitted

it pulled some candidates out of several ridings to affect the Conservatives' chances. The Commission said that went against one of the criteria for being in the debate. Susan, it does seem like things are gonna go ahead tonight with just four leaders. Okay, Catherine, thank you. And we will talk to you as part of our debate coverage. Looking forward to it. The CBC's Catherine Cullen in Montreal.

The Green Party has released its full election platform. It calls for ending all new fossil fuel projects and switching Canada to 100% clean energy. There are also plans to boost affordable housing and eliminate income tax for Canadians making less than $40,000 a year. Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneau unveiled the platform in Montreal. Our plan isn't just a list of promises, it is a vision. A vision for a Canada that is no longer governed by fear or complacency, but a vision grounded in social justice, in collective sovereignty,

and in respect, in respect for the planet that we call home. The environment is something Canadian farmers pay a lot of attention to. Most track the economic climate just as closely as the weather. And in this federal election campaign, it's a major priority. Madeleine Cummings is speaking with some farmers about where they're thinking of planting their vote. So then there's some funky begonias that we grow. These are just strictly for the foliage that we grow them, like they don't really flower. Michael Virho hasn't decided yet which party he'll be voting for in the federal election later this month.

He's been caring for the ornamentals, herbs and vegetables at High Q Greenhouses northwest of Edmonton. Unlike most farmers on the prairies, he's already in the thick of busy season. So it's a no-study grindstone and you know political issues are not you know top of mind Growing plants is at the moment nearby grain farmer Ron Krikow has made up his mind though After years of paying the carbon tax he's ready to vote the liberals out and he says other farmers He knows plan to do the same. I think a lot of farmers are just frustrated with What's been happening and they want to change? plan to do the same. I think a lot of farmers are just frustrated with what's been happening and they want to change. They've been in power long enough.

Krajko says he loves farming and working with his family. That's what the farm looked like in 1944 and there's a picture of my grandma and my dad in the corner there. But he doesn't feel heard by the federal government. He says farmers spend a lot on new tractors and combines with minuscule emissions and they'd appreciate more federal incentives. We don't see a benefit from it except for keeping our environment clean but we paid a big cost. He's also concerned about China's retaliatory tariff of a hundred percent on Canadian canola oil. That coming after Canada put 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aluminum and steel products.

About an hour north of Krikos Farm, Shane Stridehorst is also nervous about international trade, his top election issue. He grows canola, fava beans, spring wheat and barley on his farm 150 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Yeah, in three weeks I'll be getting the tractor and the seeding tool out. He's grappling with China's tariff and declining pulse prices. I'm really concerned because about 85% of our pulse crops are exported into typical year.

Stridehorst says so far agricultural issues aren't getting the attention they deserve and he hopes that changes. I guess what I would like to see is is our politicians raising the issues and raising the profile of agriculture and its importance in our province and in our country and standing behind us to support us. He wants a prime minister listening to farmers priorities and ready to act on them. Madeleine Cummings, CBC News, Edmonton. Coming up on the podcast, Saskatoon struggles with a worsening opioid crisis, the latest on Donald Trump's tariff plans,

and scientists excited by possible signs of life on a faraway planet. life on a faraway planet. Ontario's government has introduced legislation to speed up the development of new mines and other large projects in the province. Premier Doug Ford says it will help Canada's economy and Canadians become less reliant on the U.S. But as Philip Lee Shanok reports, indigenous leaders worry it will come at a cost. Well the game has changed now.

It's not the same rules as usual. We're going to move forward. Premier Doug Ford says big infrastructure projects like those planned for the Ring of Fire, eight large deposit of critical minerals in Ontario's near north, must be fast-tracked. We're in an economic war. President Trump wants to destroy our economy, take jobs away from Ontarians and Canadians, and we have to get up and fight like we've never fought before.

We can't be caught up in red tape and regulations and dilly-dallying around. If passed into law, Ford says the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act would cut the red tape and streamline approval processes for mining and major infrastructure projects, which can take as long as 15 years. The Premier wants to cut that in half. It's the benefit of the mining companies, period. Salma Maqwa is the elected NDP member for a riding in Northern Ontario. He's sceptical that Indigenous communities will have the say they are guaranteed by the constitution. I think about free prior informed consent.

When we talk about duty to consult from this government, they do the bare minimum. And that's not good enough. But Stephen Lecce, Ontario's Minister of Energy and Mines, says the proposed new rules won't cut corners on the environment or meaningful consultations with First Nations, just cut duplication and red tape from multiple ministries and various levels of government. There are variables we don't control and this proposal respects fully the duty to consult and that will take the time it takes to make sure it's meaningful. Critical minerals are increasing in

value, the US needs them and President Trump has made no secret of his desire to get access to them by making Canada the 51st state. But First Nations and other indigenous communities say the legislation is being tied to the trade war just to push developments through quicker. If you want us to work together and make Canada strong because of what's going on in the world, we need to be back at these tables. Glenn Hare, former Ontario Regional Chief, says developments cannot proceed without First Nations consultation. They need to talk to the rights holders and not just charge in because if you charge in you're gonna get a fight. Critics also say the new law if passed will

enable the Ford government to designate special economic zones to speed up other pet projects such as the redevelopment of Ontario Place and a tunnel under highway 401. Phillip Lee Shan, CBC News, Toronto. U.S. President Donald Trump says he's in no hurry to cut new trade deals, but they will happen. He made the remark as Italy's Prime Minister visited Washington looking to change his mind on tariffs. Trump continues to take aim at critics of his trade war, including the independent chair

of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Katie Simpson reports. We're in no rush. We're in no rush. US President Donald Trump sat across a large dining room table from the Italian Prime Minister, inviting reporters into the room for a couple of questions before their lunch meeting, where tariffs were the main course of discussion. Trump bragging about how much money the US is collecting with his trade regime, predicting agreements will eventually be struck with both allies and adversaries.

We're going to make a deal. We'll have a deal. I think we're going to make a very good deal with Chad. When the leaders emerged from their closed-door meeting more than an hour later, Georgia Maloney seemed equally confident. A right-wing leader aligned with Trump on a wide range of issues, she flattered her host as she pledged to deepen connections between Washington and the rest of Europe. The goal for me is to make the West great again.

Okay? And I think we can do it together. We can. Trump seemed to welcome Maloney's complementary tone as he again defended his tariff agenda, which continues to draw intense scrutiny both abroad and at home. Thank you and good afternoon. The chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, highlighted concerns about the impact of the trade war during a high-profile speech on Wednesday.

The level of tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated and the same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth. The U.S. Federal Reserve has resisted cutting interest rates citing inflation, which has aggravated Trump, leading to intense public attacks on Powell's work. I don't think he's doing the job. He's too late, always too late, a little slow and I'm not happy with him. I would say the Fed really owes it to the American people to get interest rates down. That's the only thing he's good for.

Trump openly vowed to impose political pressure on Powell to get him to lower interest rates, despite the U.S. Federal Reserve being an independent institution. He's playing politics. Interest rates should be down now. They should be coming down in Europe. As you know, they reduced him, I guess, seven times. It looks like they're going to reduce him again and again and again. But our guy wants to play cute. Trump does not have the authority to fire Powell, and his term is not up until 2026.

There are reports the Treasury secretary is urging Trump to tone down his rhetoric because it's making investors uneasy and could add even more volatility to the markets, which have already lost trillions of dollars in value since his trade war started. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. Some Canadian students are getting a difficult lesson in American politics and not just in the classroom. Donald Trump's immigration policies and stories of Canadians being detained at the border have created concern among teachers and some are canceling student

trips to the US. Deanna Sumanac-Johnson reports. For the boys basketball team at Panorama Ridge High School in Surrey, BC, the trip to Hawaii next school year was something they dreamed of. A culmination of working hard on the court and in the classroom. Now their teacher and coach Jen Dudley had to break it to the team that the trip won't be happening. They were pretty emotional, pretty loud and then we kind of talked through it and I tried to briefly discuss with them what was going on and why it was probably a good decision. Surrey District School boards the largest in BC decided that given the political climate in the US and incidents

Canadians and others have encountered when crossing the border, it just wasn't worth the risk. It has cancelled all trips to the US for the 2025-2026 school year. Mark Permain is the superintendent of the board. We have over 200 languages spoken here in our school district and we also have lots of students who are Canadian citizens but others that are here as permanent residents or as children of temporary foreign workers. Francophon-Souds school district in New Brunswick also

suspended a high school orchestra trip to the U.S. plan for this month. In response to a CBC email, many other school boards said there's been no specific policy on the subject, leaving the discretion to individual schools. Calgary Board of Education said school trips are going ahead and referenced that the Government of Canada's travel advisory website currently lists the United States as green. Take normal security precautions. We don't think that our advisory is alarmist. Some higher education organizations in Canada are also advising academics against traveling to the U.S. for conferences.

Peter McInnis is a history professor and president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. And we think that our members may be pulled aside in question, not because they're Canadian professors, but rather because their professors would happen to be Canadian citizens. So it's a part of a broader attack on American universities. While those professors can gauge for themselves whether that's a risk they're willing to take, Surrey High School basketball players have mixed emotions.

I feel like our whole team is kind of disappointed because you know we were really excited to you know have a trip to Hawaii. I just want the safety of me and my peers and my coaches and teachers. Their coach is planning a different trip for them as young Canadians are now seeing the repercussions of U.S. Canada politics. Deanna Sumanac-Johnson, CBC News, Toronto. Canada's opioid epidemic has shattered families and communities. And it's not only the largest cities seeing the worst of it.

In Saskatoon, a surge in drug overdoses has pushed the city to a crisis point. The CBC's Alexander Silberman reports. Control line 100 calling. On the streets of downtown Saskatoon, Sergeant Chris Harris is responding to an increasingly common emergency. Unconscious, breathing, possible OD. A young man sprawled on the pavement, believed to have overdosed on fentanyl. Harris quickly administers naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects and save the man's life. I may need another dose of Narcan. Saskatoon reported more than 450 overdoses last month

with a two-week stretch of one overdose call per hour. There's just not enough resources out there to help all these people. Harris says those on the front lines are overwhelmed. Of course when you deal with them over and over again, you just want to see them get their help. The city's only supervised injection site, Prairie Harm Reduction, also temporarily closed to give exhausted staff a break. This is nothing we've ever seen before.

Kayla Damong runs the organization. We were seeing days where you know it was all the staff did was revived people. Drug use is spilling into the city libraries with two branches shutting their doors in response to safety concerns but advocates say moving people along won't solve the underlying issues. So where do they end up? Out on the street. There's no other place for them. David Finde is an Indigenous advocate for people living on city streets, who leads smudging and drum circles. He says the people he helps have complex needs. The majority are Indigenous and many are living with trauma,

including survivors of residential schools and the 60s scoop. It's real rough and they need people from the community to help here. Saskatoon recently approved more than 250 new affordable housing units on city-owned land. Mayor Cynthia Block says transitional housing is also needed. When people are safely housed it changes everything. The Saskatchewan government has opened an emergency operation center.

They've also promised additional first responders and naloxone kits. But frontline workers say more social services are desperately needed to get people off the streets and into recovery. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Saskatoon. 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. Far far away, more than 120 light years from home, scientists say they've found a key chemical signature on a distant planet. It's the kind of marker that here on Earth is only produced by life. Anand Ram explains what this landmark discovery could mean. To understand this exoplanet story, you kind of have to go inside our oceans first. Or maybe inside your kitchen. Because turns out this is more about green algae and cabbage than it is about little green men far, far

away. And we are talking far, 120 light years away to the planet K2-18b, where scientists say they've detected something incredible thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Nikumar Dussudhan is an astrophysicist with Cambridge University. We have found evidence for possible biological activity on an exoplanet. We have found signs of biosignature molecules, both of which are produced uniquely by life here on Earth. Those molecules he's talking about include dimethyl sulfide, a smelly gas we only know

to be emitted by life on Earth such as algae. The only scenario that explains all of this is one where it's teeming with life. Evocative but extrapolating because like most exoplanet research, it involved waiting for K2-18b to pass in front of its host star and then reading into how that star's light changes. Sarah Rugeheimer is an astrobiologist with York University. It's about as difficult to say seeing a firefly in front of a flashlight, but observing on the other side of Earth. But experts also question that the signatures, which match the chemistry of these molecules

associated with life here, are necessarily biological. Extraordinary claims must have extraordinary evidence. Yves Li is a theoretical astrophysicist at UC San Diego. Can we say that this particular chemical compound is definitely coming from biological processes? Is that true? Both Li and Ruggheimer say there are other ways of making these molecules without life,

and with this planet going around its very active star every 33 days, there could be other processes at work. It's actually really hard to even be creative and imagine these other types of weird environments that could exist in the universe. But there is hope for a field that couldn't make such bold claims decades ago. While this discovery was made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope, Ruggheimer says confirming these worlds exist will take an even bigger investment. James Webb is right at the edge of our ability to detect what's in the atmosphere of Earth-like

planets and so we're going to need that next generation of telescopes to launch in the 2040s to get a better answer. A chance not only to find life, but perhaps redefine it from what we know here. Anand Ram, CBC News, Toronto. Finally, playing dress-up can be fun, just ask the folks at the Stephenville Regional Museum in Newfoundland. Linda Collier, dressed in an orange polka dot skirt and matching headband, helped organize a 1950s themed pop-up soda shop there, inspired by the area's history.

The American base started in the 40s here and this place was really rocking in the 50s and 60s. A lot of things that people who lived here had never seen before and we sort of came into the modern age at the time. So it was a fun time. There were even the occasional superstars who dropped by. Elvis was here and one of the girls that saw him got a kiss on the cheek and apparently the rumour is she never washed her face for about two weeks.

You know the phrase, they understood the assignment? Well, that wasn't exactly true for Elvina Cormier and her friends who showed up in spandex, oversized, tie-dyed shirts and super big hair. Because we were told it was the 80s, but now that we just found out it was the 50s, I don't know if I'm really fitting in that well. Cormier says she was still having a blast and she was even staying to compete in the contest for the best costume using whatever means necessary to win. Yes, that's why I'm here.

Number one all the way, right? I don't know, depends on when I get up there and shakes my stuff. Might be different. She didn't win. A woman named Marg did and she was dressed a little more appropriately in a vintage pink poodle skirt. Thanks for joining us on Your World Tonight for Thursday, April 17th. I'm Susan Bonner.

Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.