Your World Tonight - Indigenous cultural items returned, B.C. mill closures, Removing a rusting ship from a Newfoundland waterfront, and more

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

A welcome, a century in the making, on the tarmac at Montreal's Trudeau International airport. Dozens of cultural objects belonging to First Nations, Inuit and Metis have arrived in Canada after being sent by the Vatican. The 62 items were among thousands of objects sent to Rome by missionaries in the 1920s. Now, they are one step closer to returning home.Also: In British Columbia, another mill has become a casualty of the U.S.-Canada trade war. Multiple mills have curtailed operations in recent months, hampering one of the province's key industries. You'll hear how the B.C. government is working to save its struggling forestry sector. And: It's old, rusty, and potentially hazardous. Residents of a small Newfoundland town say a derelict ship has been a blight on their waterfront for years. And they want it gone. Now the federal government is getting involved to remove it.Plus: Ukraine-Russia peace talks, increased security at German Christmas markets, B.C. trains hitting wildlife, and more 

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Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. This is a CBC podcast. It's such an honor to welcome back our artifacts, to welcome back our relatives as they make their long journey back home. 62 cultural items belonging to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis are one step closer to returning home. Those objects held by the Vatican for a century have landed. in Montreal. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Skanderas.

Also on the podcast, demonstrators gather outside the White House and in cities around the world in protest of the U.S. military's buildup near Venezuela. And... You're really putting a blemish on our town. A small Newfoundland town says

Bon voyage to a derelict ferry that has been looming over the waterfront for years. A welcome, a century in the making on the tarmac at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport. Dozens of cultural objects belonging to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, arriving after being sent by the Vatican. The 62 items are among thousands of objects sent to Rome. by missionaries in the 1920s and are back in Canada after years of negotiations with the Catholic Church. But many more items remain far from their ancestral homes. Juanita Taylor joins us with more. Juanita, what was the mood today? Well, Stephanie, it's fair to say indigenous leaders and people

from their communities who were present in that room today expressed a sense of relief, happiness, and even gratitude, I would say, you know, years of efforts to repay to the items were successful. We saw that today, negotiating with the Vatican and the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops after a complicated history they have with indigenous people, you know, who have endured unfair treatment at a time when colonization changed their way of life. Now, Dwayne Smith, he led the negotiations with the Vatican and the CCCB. He's the CEO and chair of the Enuviala Rich Regional Corporation, and he traveled with the items from Rome back to Canada today. Have a listen to what he said at the press

conference. Yes, this is a significant shift. The Vatican has demonstrated globally to many others that have indigenous artifacts. We have expressed to the Canadian government that we want their support to continue to pursue the repatriation of indigenous artifacts wherever they may be. So what's next for these items? Well, the cultural items have been transported to Gatnau to the Museum of History. Altogether, five crates carrying 62 cultural objects. We know that next week, the Innu Valley Regional Corporation and Inuit Tabaret, Kinetami, will be unveiling 14 objects of Inuit origin.

And we also know that the Assembly of First Nations is choosing to unveil their items in January. But, Stephanie, what we don't know. know is what exactly is in these crates other than the Inuvialowit Chayak. We also don't know yet the final destination of all these 62 items. Now, indigenous leaders today spoke about the need for proper facilities to put these and other items in, calling on partnerships with various governments to work with them in making that a reality someday. And this isn't even it, right? There are still many more items still in the Vatican's possession. What's next in this story? Yeah, that's right, Stephanie. And we don't know exactly how many pieces are still at the

Vatican that belong to indigenous peoples in Canada. And today, all the national leaders at this press conference, they say they are going to continue working to repatriate more of their cultural objects that are not only in the Vatican's possession, but also with other museums around the world. Now, details aren't clear yet where in the world. These other objects are stored. We don't know when those negotiations will happen. But Stephanie, the efforts in securing these 62 pieces today, well, that shows that, you know, it can be done. For sure. Oneida, thank you so much. You're welcome. The CBC's Juanita Taylor in Montreal. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is defending his country's bombings of boats in the Caribbean Sea.

Hegseth is facing growing scrutiny over those attacks, which have killed more than 80 people since September. But while the White House continues to dismiss critics of the airstrikes, protesters in Washington and other cities are voicing their outrage. Chris Reyes reports. Not a penny, not a dollar. We won't pay for war and slaughter. In Washington, D.C., demonstrators held signs.

in front of the White House to take a stand in the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Venezuela. One banner reads, hands off Venezuela, no to U.S. intervention. The protest comes as U.S. strikes and suspected drugboats in the Caribbean reached new levels of scrutiny. Earlier this week, lawmakers were shown classified video of one of those strikes in a closed-door congressional briefing. one that questioned Admiral Frank Bradley against allegations that he was told to kill everyone aboard the boats. About the video he watched, Democratic Representative Jim Himes said this. You have two individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion with a destroyed vessel who were killed by the United States.

What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service. In Washington, demonstrators express their anger at the Trump administration and demanded an end to U.S. actions against Venezuela. Medea Benjamin is a co-founder of the anti-war group, Code Pink. I'm just shocked by what our government is threatening in Latin America, what it's already doing in terms of blowing up these boats without any kind of due process saying they're drug smugglers, but we have no idea. And even if they are, they should be in prison and not at the bottom of the ocean. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro clapping back again this week at a public event, he said, Venezuela hasn't been, isn't and will never be a threat to the United States of America. In California, embattled U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegsef defended President Trump's hardline foreign policy while speaking at the Ronald Reagan presidential library.

If you're working for a designated terrorist organization and you bring, bring drugs to this country in a boat. We will find you and we will sink you. We're fired up. We're taking no more. Some Americans, including those at this protest, anxious about what that means. As the possibility of more strikes on Venezuela looms, Trump has said that a land attack could be next. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. People across Ukraine started the weekend under another heavy Russian bombardment. Drones and missiles hit areas across the country overnight. Ukraine says the strikes targeted civilian energy facilities. But American officials say progress is being made toward ending the Russian invasion. Philip Lyshanok has the

latest. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rallied the troops on this day of the armed forces of Ukraine, meeting with families of fallen soldiers and shaking hands with men and women defending the nation. Few countries could stand. such enemy attacks, he said. Vile assaults at Ukraine has repelled every day and every night. Later, Zelensky visited wounded soldiers in a hospital in Kiev, thanking them for their service. Overnight, Russia launched almost 700 drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale attack on Ukraine's infrastructure. Ukraine's energy minister said facilities in eight regions were struck,

causing blackouts. International observance. say the Zaporizia nuclear power plant temporarily lost external power overnight for the 11th time during this war. A railway hub near Kiev was also severely damaged. Smoke billowed from the shattered station buildings. The state railway company said no one was injured. Olina Comick's home is near a warehouse destroyed in the attack. Mr. Trump needs to hear that he's being deceived, she says. You can't bargain with Russia. In Doha, Qatar, U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, tells a forum that a U.S. brokered peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is achievable. We're closer than we've ever been to peace. He also took on critics who say the 28-point framework the U.S. presented

is a Russian wish list of demands. You don't go into butcher shop halfway when the sausage is being made and complain that you don't like the looks of the sausage. In Florida, peace talks continue for a third day with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Marcus Colga is a senior fellow at the MacDonald Lurier Institute. He says he's doubtful the talks will lead anywhere. It appears, again, with Whitkoff and Kushner being there, that they are there representing the interests of Donald Trump and his family,

rather than the interests of the United States. He says as the war approaches its fourth anniversary with Russian forces making gains on the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin is under no pressure to make concessions and will once again let talks drag on with no deal in sight. Philip Lichenox, CBC News, Toronto. Still ahead, mulled wine, roasting chestnuts, and more police. Germany implements mandatory security measures at its famed Christmas markets.

You'll go to one to see what impact they're having. Coming up on Your World Tonight. Mourners lay bouquets of white roses at a plaque outside Lecolle Polytechnique. 36 years ago today, a gunman killed 14 women at the school in an anti-feminist attack. The shooting led to stricter gun laws in Canada, and the designation of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Events were held across the country to mark the anniversary, including a ceremony on Mount Royal,

where 15 beams of light were lit to commemorate the women killed that day, and all victims of femicide. In British Columbia, another mill is closing because of the U.S. Canada trade war. Multiple mills have curtailed operations in recent months, hampering one of the province's key industries. Tanya Fletcher now on the BC government's efforts to save its struggling forestry sector. Devastating news. Gup-punching news.

BC Forest Minister Ravi Parmar reacts to another mill shuttering operations. This latest closure, a fixture on Vancouver Island since the 1950s, leaves 350 employees without a job. Domtar says pulp operations at its mill in Crofton, about 70 kilometers north of Victoria, have been struggling for a while. The company blames poor pricing for pulp and lack of access to affordable fiber. Palmer says it reflects the struggling BC forestry sector as a whole. Deeply concerned, anytime that a pulp mill goes down, it's not just the direct jobs,

the 350 direct jobs, but it's the indirect impact. Forestry is an ecosystem, and pulp mills are a big factor in that. It's the latest in a series of cuts and closures at mills in. forestry companies around BC. Last month, West Fraser Timber announced it would shutter its mill in 100 Mile House. It's cited a shrinking timber supply and mounting

U.S. tariffs. Mayor Maureen Pinkney. To have a mill permanently closed rather out of the blue, we were not really given any heads up. It was very shocking. So to grow up here being a lumber town and to have, you know, the whole

hub of activity in our community gone, that is very devastating. U.S. tariffs and duties on Canadian softwood rose to 45% in October. A devastating blow to an industry already crippled, says UBC forestry expert Harry Nelson. We've never really experienced anything quite this drastic. Lumber in these kind of times tends to be a low-margin business, and these kind of tariffs push us well below the ability of producers to kind of cover their costs. So it's a fairly grim situation.

The wave of closures prompted a forestry summit in Vancouver a few weeks ago. Provincial and federal politicians created a working group to figure out how best to support BC's forestry sector. Ottawa has since committed more financial support, including $500 million in new funding for loans. Nelson says it might only amount to a drop in the bucket. You don't want to turn your nose up at any kind of money you can get, but I sort of expect that it'll maybe help a few firms kind of hang on for a while. But it's kind of, in some cases, delays the pain, but it's not going to make it go away. The BC government is also opening a forest trade office in the UK to try to boost exports to Europe.

Still, the opposition BC Conservatives say there's more the province can do, like speed up permits, rebuild the workforce through skills training, and take, quote, a real stand on trade barriers and foreign tariffs. Tanja Fletcher, CBC News, Vancouver. BC conservation officers have called off their search, for a bear that attacked a school group in bellicula. In total, eight grizzlies have been captured in the search, but DNA analysis determined those bears are not linked to the November attack,

which sent three children and one adult to hospital. Meanwhile, grizzlies, moose, and other wildlife are among the hundreds of animals struck and sometimes killed by trains in BC in recent years. An investigation by CBC News and the narwhal is shedding light on collisions between trains and wildlife. CBC's Jackie McKay looks at the efforts to lower that number. There's a problem out there. There's a problem on our railways. And people have to know this is happening. Retired locomotive engineer Jim Atkinson has been trying to raise the alarm for years. The former CN employee did everything he could to not hit animals. But sometimes

it was unavoidable. It's not a very good feeling to run over an animal with a train. The exact number of animals hit by trains each year is hard to know. Journalists at the Narwhal filed a freedom of information request to the BC government and shared the responses with CBC News. Data shows CN Railway reported 340 collision incidents with wildlife such as elk, deer, and bears from 2020 to 2023. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway Company's data shows 182 animals in the Kootenies were hit on its rails between 2022 and 2023. It just feels like an unacceptable number.

Wildlife scientist Clayton Lamb stands under a rail bridge where he found a grizzly bear and three cubs killed by a passing train. Lamb has been tracking animals using wildlife callers in the Elk Valley of southeastern BC for more than a decade. There's costs of having people on the landscape and doing things. to wildlife, but I think it feels better when everybody's trying to make it better for wildlife. There are things that can help. Biologist Colleen Sinclair has studied the problem around Banff. She says the best thing trains could do is slow down. Places where they know that collisions are more likely, probably to reduce train speed. Sinclair also worked on a warning device that flashes lights and beeps to let animals know a train is coming.

It found that large animals left the tracks six seconds earlier, but they aren't being used. The railway companies did not answer a number of our questions, but in a statement, CPKC says it prioritizes practical mitigation strategies. CN says the company is actively evaluating a range of detection devices. Jackie McKay, CBC News, Elk Valley, BC. Germany's festive Christmas markets draw in millions of visitors each year. This year, along with old favorites like gingerbread and bratwurst, there's something new, security barriers and concrete blocks. Freelance reporter Natalie Carney explains. It could be argued that no one brings on the Christmas spirit better than the Germans.

Every year, the warmth of mulled wine, roasting chestnuts, and festive lights at one of the country's more than 3,000 festive Christmas markets helps soften the bite of arriving winter. These centuries-old seasonal traditions date back to the Middle Ages when people would buy supplies at local winter markets for the long, cold months ahead. However, after a series of attacks on Christmas markets, Across Europe in recent years, new traditions are emerging, increased security measures, to avoid a repeat of past horrific events.

Miriam Reichmeier, who has been selling locally handmade lace ornaments at Munich's Chris Kindlemart for years, says after an SUV was driven into the crowds at a Christmas market in the central German city of Magdeburg last year, killing six and injuring over 330 people, she was hesitant about returning. I'm doubting a little bit to work here. You see a lot of police officers, securities over here. It brings out the joy of everything. American tourist Brandon and Lauren Knapp admit they're more alert too.

Well, yeah, everybody's more aware of what's going on, but they're still enjoying their life and participating. Just be smart. And be smart. Be cautious of what you're doing. All across the country, municipalities and market organizers have implemented mandatory preventative measures on Christmas markets, which pull in roughly 85 million visitors annually.

December is one of the strongest touristical month in Munich, with about 1.7 million overnight days from all over the world. Benedict Branmeier is the head of tourism for the city of Munich, which has announced a spending increase of 160% to keep all its visitors safe. The security measures are now the most important cost factor. After there have been several assaults by car, this is one of the main measures we have newly implemented this year, is that all the roads are controlled and secured

in the way that no car can enter when the Christmas market is running. Additional to all other high-standard security measures we have kept for years now. The city is also staffing those vehicle barriers, increasing police and security presence, and adding video surveillance across Munich's roughly 35 Christmas markets. Some cities have also introduced anti-dron measures

after repeated airspace breaches in Europe. While many appreciate these new safety measures, they won't let fear dampen the festive spirit, such as Calgary's Ryan Ostrachoff. I have seen the police presence here, but it's not something that I'm concerned about. It does not take away from the charm at all. Japanese tourists at Sikko It agrees.

It seems very safe. It seems to be enjoying and looks happy, and I am too. Local authorities say these security measures qualify as counter-terrorism efforts and are therefore urging Germany's 16 federal states to share the financial burden. Natalie Carney for CBC News in Munich. It is old, rusty.

and potentially hazardous. Residents of a small Newfoundland town say an out-of-commission ferry has been a blight on their waterfront for years, and they want it gone. Now the federal government is getting involved. Terry Roberts reports from Springdale. It's shameful. I mean, it's a disgrace to the community. Mike Critch says residents of Springdale will celebrate

when the Captain Earl W. Windsor is finally towed out of the harbor. It needs to go. It should have been gone years ago. The Canadian Coast Guard, is taking possession of the Earl Windsor, which has been slowly rusting at a private dock in this picturesque coastal town of roughly 3,000 residents. The plan is to hire a contractor to take it away, cut it into pieces,

and dispose of what residents like Kevin Quinlan describe as an eyesore and an embarrassment to the town. What we're looking at behind me is an ecological disaster. The Earl Windsor is 75 meters long, 1,600 gross tons. White paint is flaking on. off its steel hull, which was built more than 50 years ago.

It's tied to a crowded private wharf in Springdale and twice prompted an environmental response from the Coast Guard last year when it started taking on water. Thousands of liters of pollutants were pumped from the ship as it was stabilized, all at taxpayers' expense. The Coast Guard says owner George Yates has failed to comply with orders to address the risks of pollution, so the government is using the authority granted under the wrecked.

abandoned or hazardous vessels act to take possession of the Earl Windsor and have it scrapped. It will cost millions of dollars and take months to complete. But residents like Nadine Evans says it's about time. You're really putting a blemish on our town by the condition of the waterfront. Yates refused to do a recorded interview but says he's taking legal action to protect his property. He says the vessel is not abandoned. is tethered securely to the dock, is empty of all hydrocarbons, and can be made seaworthy in about a month if the right buyer comes along.

The Earl Windsor was once part of the province's ferry fleet before it was retired in 2016. Yates bought it from the government and towed it to Springdale seven years ago. It dominates the town's waterfront and has become a source of irritation for residents, says Quinlan. Why is he insist on carrying on what I would call environmental pollution in the town of Springdale. Companies have until December 16th to bid on the contract to dispose of the Earl Windsor. The Coast Guard will oversee and pay for the work, but once the disposal is complete, the Coast Guard says Yates will be expected to reimburse the government under what's known as the

polluter pay system. Terry Roberts, CBC News, Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador. It's beginning to look a lot like it's fun. At the beginning of this show, you heard about the cultural objects being returned to indigenous communities in this country from the Vatican. Also today, one of our country's best-known performers went there. Michael Boubley, sang at the Vatican's concert with the poor. Around 3,000 people who are assisted by the Vatican and Catholic, Charities in Rome are the primary guests at the annual event, which was live-streamed by Vatican Media.

Boubley spoke ahead of the show about his Catholic faith and upbringing. I'm really lucky, especially in a business that's as volatile as my business, and it's based so much on ego. I think it's always good to have your center there and to put your faith there. The on-stage experience clearly a moving one. This is really the greatest moment of my life and my career right now. Boubley asked the crowd to sing along. This is our moment. This is our moment.

So feel free. You don't have to sing the right letters or the right words. But if you're even close, it will mean so much to me. Are you ready? I am it for the way you look at me. and ended with one of his signature takes on a classic ballad. Here's more of Michael Boubley, singing Always On My Mind at the Vatican on Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Skandaris. Thanks for listening. Because you were always on my mind.

You were always on my mind. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.