Your World Tonight - Help for the tariff-affected, Sunwing accusations, measles cases up, and more

Episode Date: March 7, 2025

Ottawa is rolling out more than $6 billion in support for businesses and workers affected by tariffs. Much of it will go to finding new export markets – to reduce reliance on the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Canada’s lumber and dairy markets today – saying there is a 250 per cent tariff on those products. He threatened to impose a reciprocal tariff at the same rate – within days. It’s not clear where that percentage comes from. And: Customers are accusing Sunwing of not compensating them when flights were cancelled. Federal rules say airlines must re-book customers within 48 hours – even if it means putting them on a competitor’s plane. Also: Is measles making a comeback? Canada has had more cases already in 2025, than in all of 2024. Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam says more people getting vaccinated could stop the disease in its tracks. Canada declared measles eradicated in 1998, but international travel, and vaccine hesitancy are contributing to outbreaks. Plus: Canada is getting a new prime minister, Canada’s cyber expertise in Baltic states, business uncertainty in tariff world and more.

1942, Europe. Soldiers find a boy surviving alone in the woods. They make him a member of Hitler's army. But what no one would know for decades, he was Jewish. Could a story so unbelievable be true? I'm Dan Goldberg. I'm from CBC's personally, Toy Soldier. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and for dairy products. They'll be met with the exact same tariff unless they drop it.

A day after walking back some of his tariffs, Donald Trump is suddenly aiming his rhetorical guns at two key Canadian exports, another salvo in a trade war with many economic fronts. You may want to run for cover, but for many companies and workers, it's hard to escape the impact on the bottom line. These new measures will help more employers and workers access the support they need to address the harm they have already suffered and the harm we foresee based on our current assessment.

Billions in new federal aid and changes to EI are coming as Ottawa tries to soften the blow. Necessary protection as the dispute lurches from calm to turmoil and back again by the day. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Tom Harrington. It is Friday, March 7th coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Also on the podcast. I was horrified. I was so scared. She's too little. She has no protection. And it's very contagious so I even worry just bringing her out.

Widening worry over the spread of measles. Another travel related case just as many Canadians take their spring break. There's new concern about a disease eradicated decades ago. His tariff threats have been adding up so quickly you might need a calculator. Today Donald Trump is multiplying by 10. New charges on Canadian dairy and lumber products, not 25%, try 250. It's the latest shot at the Canadian economy as Ottawa announces new support for businesses and workers caught in the crossfire. Marina von Stackelberg begins our coverage from Parliament Hill. Should this prove to be an enduring situation then you can absolutely expect that we would

come with further measures to protect our workers. Labour Minister Stephen MacKinnon unveiling what he says may be just the first steps to protect Canadian workers and businesses from the blow of the US president's tariffs. The ball seems to bounce every day. We have every intention of customizing response to tariffs or no tariffs. The latest bounce from the Oval Office today. Canada has been ripping us off for years. Donald Trump threatening a 250 percent retaliatory tariff

on Canadian dairy and lumber. 250 percent nobody ever talks about that 250 percent tariff which is taking advantage of our farmers so that's not going to happen anymore we're going to be they'll be met with the exact same tariff unless they drop it. After weathering on and off again threats all week, the Canadian government unveiled today its plan to help Canadian businesses deal with the uncertainty. Starting now, Canada will relax some of the rules around employment insurance. So instead of getting laid off, staff will be able to work reduced hours and collect partial EI money. Ottawa will also spend six billion dollars to help companies manage financial losses and encourage exporters to find markets outside of the U.S.

This is a really really important and very practical package because we know that this is what businesses have asked for. Trump's constant threats are already hurting Canada's economy, says Bea Brusk with the Canadian Labour Congress. We've already heard of layoffs, we've heard of slowdowns, and we're hearing from employers that they are not getting the orders in that they anticipate getting in, which means layoffs that will be coming in the future weeks and months. Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev says money brought in from Canada's counter tariffs should go to workers.

Almost every penny of the tariffs collected should go to tax cuts, with a small sum set aside for targeted relief to workers hardest hit by the trade war. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says major reforms are needed to employment insurance. It's got to be easier to access. It's got to cover everyone who needs it. It seems to be the case that things are going to get worse. Garant Harvey is an employment relations expert at Western University. That is likely to be further measures needed. Whether this is going to be enough to deal with a situation that we're facing now, time will tell. Harvey says it's hard to know what Ottawa should do to support the Canadian economy when Trump's actions are so hard to gauge.

Marina von Stackelberg, CBC News, Ottawa. Trump claims the protections on Canada's dairy industry are costing the US a lot of cheddar. But there are plenty of questions about his latest threat, including what's next for a carefully managed sector of the Canadian economy. What's next for a carefully managed sector of the Canadian economy? Julia Wong explains. It's stressful I guess because we don't really know where we're going and what's going to happen short term, mid term, long term even. It's a topsy-turvy time for Marcus Schnegg. The Quebec dairy farmer is facing uncertainty

after comments from US President Donald Trump. One other thing, in Canada you know we find that they're charging us over 200 percent for dairy products. Trump says American farmers are being taken advantage of. He wants to hit back with a comparable tariff, unless Canada drops its tariff. That has schnag on edge. Canadians enjoy whatever food we provide here locally. So we don't want to get invaded by the milk from the United States. He wants to go after supply management.

That's what he wants. Supply management is how Canada controls its dairy supply, through production and pricing measures meant to create stability in Canada's market. Jodie Nurse, who studies supply management at McGill University, says Trump is misrepresenting Canada's tariff, which is only enacted in certain cases. Those tariffs that are often talked about are only in addition to quantities of product that are coming into the country

beyond the agreed amount through those various trade negotiations over the years, okay? So that's 18% in dairy. As tariff threats seem to escalate almost daily, a new reality is setting in for Canada. Matthew Holmes is with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. What I think this tells us is that the U.S. is going to continue to use tariffs as a threat and tariffs as a destabilizing element within our trade relationship. This is a weaponization of uncertainty. Nurse says Canada should have less reliance on the United States.

A lot of Canadians, especially right now with Trump's threats, have recognized the problem of being so integrated and dependent on the U.S. market and that we actually need to foster more local, domestically focused kind of production systems in this country. As for Schnegg, he hopes Ottawa stands by Canadian farmers. There comes a day where you have to choose whatever you want to do. I mean, as a nation, do you want to support our farms? Do you want to keep going? What do you want?

What do we want? Julia Wong, CBC News, Edmonton. From entire industries to individual businesses, it is a struggle right now. The new and volatile conditions of cross-border trade are complicated and worrying. For one Nova Scotia paper mill, the pause on the 25% tariffs on their products is welcome, but it doesn't ease the stress. Kayla Hounsell has that story. There's always a lot happening at a paper mill.

Bark is being removed from trees, wood chips being turned into pulp, and giant rolls of paper constantly churning out. But since the tariff turmoil began, it's been downright chaotic. Fort Hawksbury Paper exports 93 percent of its product to the United States, where it's largely used to print catalogs and magazines. Because we're so acutely exposed, it's a clear risk. It's a material risk to our business. Though grateful for the temporary pause, mill manager Mike Hardery says the uncertainty

remains. And he says, like many Canadians, he feels anxious and betrayed by the U.S. government. Located on the southern end of Cape Breton Island, just on the other side of the Kanso Causeway, which connects the island to mainland Nova Scotia, the mill directly employs 325 people and contracts 900 more. Anytime there's a disruption to them, there's ultimately a disruption to us. Ryan Scott is one of those contractors. Around 40% of the wood his employees harvest goes to Port Hawkesbury Paper. They also plant 2.5 million trees for the mill.

They also support and fund a lot of civil culture work in growing of trees. So to our business it'd be a major impact. It's fair to say that this is a community that is racing for impact. Local politician Lois Landry says because the mill is such a major employer, if it's in trouble the whole area is in trouble. In fact they've seen the devastating impact before when the mill temporarily closed due to job action under previous owners. We saw companies just pick up and leave.

I was the principal of the school at the time and I remember kids were leaving for the day and it's because parents were taking their kids to the dentist because they were worried about losing their medical. Hardery, who has worked at the mill more than 30 years, says unlike some other businesses, it can't pivot or diversify. He says there is a Canadian market, but it's too small. Europe has a large market, but it's already suffering from oversupply and the price is

too low. In many cases, it might not even be profitable based on the pricing. Instead the company is trying to cut costs wherever it can so it can withstand the tariffs as long as possible. I think for any Canadian paper mill if the tariff lasted a number of years it's a very significant risk. He says he has no plans to cut any jobs right now, but says if the tariffs were to continue for Donald Trump's full term, his company will face an existential crisis.

Kayla Hounsell, CBC News, Point Tupper, Nova Scotia. Coming right up, changing of the guard. The Liberal Party will choose a new leader this weekend, and the candidates are still pushing for votes. Plus, guarding against an outbreak, Measles cases are rising quickly, reaching numbers not seen in years. Later, the story of some Sunwing passengers, whose complaints about their recent travel nightmare didn't get off the ground. It's the final 48 hours in the campaign to succeed Justin Trudeau.

By this time Sunday, votes will be in for the next federal liberal leader, with the winner set to become prime minister in the middle of a trade war. Candidates are spending the homestretch trying to position themselves as the best person to take on the Americans. Ashley Burke has that story. In a packed Montreal concert hall, contender Mark Carney making his final push to replace Justin Trudeau during a tense time. Donald Trump put tariffs on our goods and our energy. Then he took them off, then he put them back again, then he took them off. The last week of the Liberal leadership campaign playing out during the start of a trade war. The key question, who's best to take on Donald Trump?

And Americans should make no mistake, in trade as in hockey, we will win. Christia Freeland took her pitch to an auto parts manufacturer in Vaughan, Ontario. A company she says was essential to her trade negotiations during Trump's first mandate. A guy called Larry who works here he said to me, girl I want you to go give Trump hell and And that is very motivating. The Liberal Party says so far, more than 150,000 members have been verified to vote in the race, and almost 130,000 have already cast their ballot.

Karina Gould joined candidate Frank Baylis in raising concerns about the party's online voting system. I'm definitely hearing from folks who have been able to get through the process and who have voted, but we're also dealing with a lot of people who are having challenges. The liberals beefed up security to try and prevent foreign interference. Voters must now prove their identity, but the party says some are having trouble because the information on their IDs doesn't match the details in their voter file. Gould last night called for the verification process to be extended by

a day. For liberals, I mean, this is a new thing to have to have your identity verified before you're able to access a ballot. And I think in order to get as many people voting as possible, we want to ensure that they know. So far, the party is sticking to its deadline tonight and says it's working on resolving outstanding cases. It's a touching moment for me. Meanwhile the Prime Minister is winding down his time in office, meeting with business leaders in Quebec today. This will be my last public event as Prime Minister.

He'll be there on Sunday as his party selects his replacement, Trudeau confirming yesterday he won't stay on as a caretaker leader. I look forward to a transition to my duly elected successor in the coming days or week. The next big question, when will this year's federal election be triggered? Ashley Burke, CBC News, Ottawa. Buffy St. Marie has been stripped of her biggest Canadian music honours. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced it's rescinding her seven Juno Awards.

In addition, she will lose her place in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Both of St. Marie's Polaris music prizes are also being withdrawn. The organizations say she's no longer eligible after confirming earlier this week she is not a Canadian citizen. The singer-songwriter was stripped of her Order of Canada last month. The threat of Russian aggression hits particularly hard in the Baltic states. That's Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, once under Soviet rule, just like Ukraine. Some 2,000 Canadian soldiers are in Latvia training with NATO allies, a preventative exercise in case the country needs to defend itself in a conventional war.

But what about a digital war? As Murray Brewster tells us, Canadians are on those front lines too. War games in Latvia. Canadian and allied troops practicing for a stark scenario. The hypothetical invasion of this Baltic country by a belligerent neighbor. Nobody says the word Russia. They don't have to. My whole squadron was up all night scanning our thermals, waiting for the enemy to come. Major Steve Couture is in command of the Leopard tanks.

They came around 8.30 this morning, we fought them up there and we delayed back and now we're just waiting for them to come down this corridor again so we can hit them again. And the mock battle isn't going so well. It is 30 days into this hypothetical invasion and Canadians are digging in for a last ditch defense of Riga, the Latvian capital. In this exercise the Swedes, NATO's newest member, play the role of the Russians. A few dozen kilometers away in downtown Riga in an old Soviet-style building, the conflict is far less hypothetical. Latvia has been the target of Russian cyber operations since their very beginnings. Varis Tevance is the deputy director of Cert.lv,

where Latvian and Canadian soldiers, who call themselves cyber warriors, are waging a digital cold war, repelling Russian and other cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, such as the power grid, the banking system, and border controls. We've had some experience engaging in what you might call a cyber dogfight, if you will, where they know that we are after them and we know that they're on the system and each counterpart tries to kind of kick the cyber operators from the environment. It is equally thrilling for Canadians on the team. We can see everything.

We see these threat actors in real life. Major Kiernan Broda-Millian is the leader of the Canadian cyber team. The Latvians say cyber attacks in their country have morphed since the full invasion of Ukraine. They've increased sevenfold since 2021, and they're seeing private companies within the government supply chain under assault in addition to traditional infrastructure targets.

Canadians, says Broda Millian, act as the cyber cavalry for the Latvians. They are capable of performing this work, but there are not enough cybersecurity professionals in Latvia. The other benefit to being at the front line of this particular cyber war, Canadians are gaining first-hand threat intelligence, a glimpse at Russian tactics that will protect critical infrastructure, not just in Latvia, but back home. Murray Brewster, CBC News, Riga, Latvia. There have been several days of fighting in Syria.

Syrian security forces are battling insurgents loyal to the ousted president Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 130 people have been killed. The group says it has evidence the new Islamist-led government has been targeting people belonging to the Alawite minority. Assad was part of that group. There is no confirmation yet of what happened. Investigators say Gene Hackman died of heart disease and complications from Alzheimer's, and his wife Betsy died of hantavirus.

Their bodies were found in their home in Santa Fe last week. Authorities say Betsy Hackman served as caretaker for her 95-year-old husband, and the movie star likely survived about a week after his wife died. There was evidence Hackman had not eaten in some time. Hantavirus is a rare disease spread by infected rodents, typically from exposure to mouse droppings. You're listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Canadian families are being warned about the risk of an uninvited passenger during March

break travel. Measles. Cases are spiking around the world, including here at home, the latest in British Columbia. Alexander Silberman is in Vancouver with more on the surge and what's behind the spread of this highly contagious disease. I was like horrified. I was so scared. Mariah culps as she fears her newborn baby could get sick. At just three weeks old, Everly is too young to get vaccinated against measles.

And her Niagara, Ontario health region is reporting a rise in cases of the disease. She's too little. she has no protection, and it's very contagious, so I even worry just bringing her out. It's hard not to worry, and I think a lot of moms have that anxiety. Measles cases have been soaring around the world, especially in Europe and parts of the United States. Symptoms include fever, red watery eyes, a runny nose and cough, and a red rash that spreads from the face to

the rest of the body. Canada declared it had eliminated the disease in 1998. Now officials have recorded 227 cases since January 1st, more than all of last year with many patients requiring hospitalization. And this is a very concerning situation. Dr. Rebecca Shalansky is an Associate Medical Officer of Health for Ontario's Peel Region. She says global vaccination rates for preventable diseases, including measles, have decreased and most of Canada's cases are among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children. This herd immunity is so important because there are certain people like little ones certain like less than six months or certain

immunocompromised people who aren't able to get vaccinated. And so if we could do our part and make sure that we're up to date, we can protect the most vulnerable in our community as well. The surge in cases is linked to community settings like schools and stores and there are outbreaks in New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba linked to people who contracted the disease abroad and infected others in Canada. A new case was reported in BC yesterday. A traveler returning from Southeast Asia. Prevention really is the key. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says infections are expected to increase during the spring travel

season. She's urging Canadians to ensure their vaccinations are expected to increase during the spring travel season. She's urging Canadians to ensure their vaccinations are up to date, at least two weeks before traveling, even if they don't leave the country. What I would like to see is that we stop these outbreaks in the tracks so that it doesn't become entrenched in the Canadian context. Measles can lead to complications for children under five, adults over 20, pregnant women and the immunocompromised. On Thursday, U.S. health officials reported a second possible fatality for measles just days after the first death

from the disease in a decade. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Vancouver. Some Sunwing passengers are looking for a remedy after a travel nightmare. They say the low-cost airline let them down. Dozens of cancellations last month led to inconvenience and disappointment. Weeks later, their pain and anger remains. Sophia Harris now on those frustrations and the search for accountability. I was just really disappointed. Chrissy Downs had to unpack from the vacation she never had after Sunwing cancelled her flight from Halifax to Cuba last month

with no offer of a rebooked flight. There was nothing, no explanation, no I'm sorry, no we'll try to work something out for you. Oh no no no no no. Amid the Delta plane crash in Toronto and snow storms, Sunwing cancelled dozens of flights last month, wreaking havoc on vacation plans. There was a real lack of communication from Sunwing. Hans Roach and his wife made it to the Dominican Republic, but Sunwing cancelled their flight home to Waterloo, Ontario,

leaving them stranded for five days. It was a very anxious five days. So every day we would pack up all our luggage, get down to the lobby at noon and hope and pray that we had a flight. Before finally boarding their return flight on day six, Sunwing charged Roach and his wife each a $50 flight change fee. They could not give us a boarding pass unless we paid that with a credit card. It's an indignity. In an email to CBC News, Sunwing apologized to passengers and said those with cancelled vacations will get a full refund.

The airline said slowdowns at Toronto's Pearson Airport caused by the plane crash, bad weather, crew constraints and limited hotel capacity hampered operations. They're blatantly offside the law. Ian Jack is an air passenger rights expert and a spokesperson with the non-profit Canadian Automobile Association, which runs a travel agency. He says Sunwink still has to follow federal rules, requiring major airlines to rebook passengers as soon as possible after cancelling flights, even if that means buying passengers' tickets on another airline.

This is what they're required to do under the law. It looks like in this case Sunwing just made up their own rules. Unhappy customers are now trying to claim compensation from Sunwing. But every time Downs tries to submit a claim online, Sunwing says she can't because she cancelled her flight. I hadn't cancelled my trip. I'm insulted. The holdup makes Downs nervous because Sunwing is she can't because she canceled her flight. I hadn't canceled my trip. I'm insulted. The holdup makes Downs nervous because Sunwing is set to merge with its owner WestJet in less than three months. Would we get compensation on an airline that's going to fold?

Neither Sunwing nor WestJet answered that question. The Canadian Transportation Agency says it's looking into the Sunwing cancellations and that dissatisfied passengers can file a complaint, but there may be a long wait for a resolution. The agency has a backlog of 85,000 air passenger complaints. Sophia Harris, CBC News, Vancouver. We close tonight with musical selections fit for a king made by The King. Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me.

It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories, comfort us in times of sadness and to take us to distant places. The latest proclamation from King Charles is that he's releasing a podcast, sort of Pod Save the King. It's a special one-off episode called The King's Music Room. Described as a musical journey recorded inside Buckingham Palace, Charles will take listeners through his royal playlist, what His Royal ["Rage Against the Walls"] Bob Marley is one of the King's favorites. Charles once visited the reggae legend's home on a trip to Jamaica.

A press release from Apple Music says it's an eclectic playlist covering everything from 1930s crooners to pop stars such as Australia's Kylie Minogue to contemporary Afrobeat stars. David O is a hugely popular Nigerian-American dancehall star who the King apparently listens to. Now you may have noticed no Prince or Queen Latifah. That's because all of his picks are from Commonwealth countries. Monday when the music drops is Commonwealth Day. We don't know if there are any Canadian songs but we'll be listening Your Majesty. This has been Your World Tonight for Friday March 7th. I'm Tom Harrington. Thanks for listening tonight. Stay safe and take care of each other.