Your World Tonight - Measles in Alberta, Hudson's Bay in dire straights, Coalition for Ukrainian security, and more

Episode Date: March 15, 2025

Alberta is the latest province with an outbreak of measles, with the highly contagious virus now detected in Calgary. You'll hear how doctors are trying to keep the public informed before the upcoming travel season. Also: More than nine thousand Canadians are at risk of losing their jobs if Hudson's Bay cannot secure financing to keep itself afloat. Without it, the company could begin the process of liquidating as early as next week. And: Britain's Prime Minister is rallying Western allies to push for peace in Ukraine. Canada is part of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" to fill a gap left by the U-S, which has signaled it may no longer provide security guarantees to Kyiv.Plus: Newfoundland and Labrador bets on tourism, robots in Japanese classrooms, and more

When a body is discovered 10 miles out to sea, it sparks a mind-blowing police investigation. There's a man living in this address in the name of a deceased. He's one of the most wanted men in the world. This isn't really happening. Officers are finding large sums of money. It's a tale of murder, skullduggery and international intrigue. So who really is he? I'm Sam Mullins and this is Sea of Lies from CBC's Uncovered, available now.

This is a CBC Podcast. Hello, I'm Stephanie Scanderis and this is your World Tonight. We know that Canadians are going to be traveling. Measles is really one plane ride away. But you don't even need to go far to find it. Measles cases are here in Canada, most recently in Alberta. You'll hear what doctors are warning. Also on the podcast, Canada's oldest company finds itself in a dire situation. How Hudson's Bay got into a position of needing to immediately liquidate and... This morning I convened the largest, strongest group of countries yet

behind a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Britain's Prime Minister rallies Western allies to push for peace in Ukraine. Health officials in Alberta are warning the public about measles. It's the latest province grappling with an outbreak of the highly contagious virus. The first cases were found in a northern Alberta First Nation. Now it's been detected in Calgary and doctors are telling the public to take precautions before the upcoming travel season. Sam Sampson reports. So be shutting down all all our three schools. Chief Conroy Suwapagaham is focused on getting measles vaccination rates up

in Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta. That's why for one week kids won't be in class. They'll be getting their shots fast. His First Nation is made up of three communities and one in particular gets cut off from the rest of the province once the ice roads melt. They will become isolated for nearly a month and a half depending on ice flow. So the clock is ticking.

Yeah and in our case it's our clock is slowly melting away. Alberta's initial measles outbreak is in this First Nation. Six people are recovering and there's one potential case from a different household. But the virus isn't isolated to this First Nation. Alberta Health Services announced late Friday night there's a confirmed case in the Calgary area. I don't think we're surprised. Dr. Craig Jenney is an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Calgary.

For herd immunity to measles, vaccination rates need to be around 95%. Health Canada's latest numbers suggest the national rate is about 87%. In parts of Calgary, Jenny says it's closer to 75 or 80 and in some parts of rural Alberta, it's closer to 40%. 95 was always really hard to get but but we were a lot closer in the past. Jenny says national vaccination rates have declined especially after the COVID-19 pandemic due to vaccine hesitancy, a backlog of early childhood vaccine programs that were derailed to address COVID and vaccine fatigue. My kids are tired of it. I'm tired of it. I hate needles. Sadly the viruses don't care if we're tired or angry or

frustrated. They simply take advantage when we let our guard down. The virus is popping up across the prairies. Saskatchewan now has one confirmed case. Manitoba has had six since February. Five of those cases are related to an outbreak in Ontario. That province has, by far, the most measles cases in Canada. It's also the province wrapping up its March break right now. Measles is really one plane ride away. Dr. Jared Bullard is professor and section

head of pediatric infectious disease at the University of Manitoba. He says right now measles aren't an endemic in Canada. It's not widespread, which is why vaccinations could keep it at bay. Get your shots and I'd say that's across the board because you don't want your kids to get those things. They're not pleasant and I get to see them not unusually and it's often a lesson for the parents in what the consequences are of not having vaccines. Both experts say Canadians should check to see if they've had measles or are fully immunized. If so, you have maximum immunity. If not, they suggest getting in touch with your health care provider. Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton.

More than 9,000 Canadians are at risk of losing their jobs and possibly their pensions if Hudson's Bay cannot secure financing to keep itself afloat. As Philipp Lee Shenock tells us, the once iconic Canadian company could begin the process of liquidating as early as next week. could begin the process of liquidating as early as next week. Outside the bay in downtown Toronto, Pooja Limba is surprised to hear the store could go under. When I first came as a student, I actually applied there for a job. So yeah, it's very sad to see.

But did she actually shop there? Not that much. They only distribute the products. So it's cheaper to go to the store. Yes, it's cheaper to go to the store. Yes, it's a good day. With origins tied to the 17th century fur trade, Canada's oldest company has seen better days.

I'm gonna make you love me. Despite marketing attempts, it's struggled to get shoppers in the door. Since 2008, the Bay has been run and financed by Americans. Now under creditor protection, it's looking to keep some of its 80 stores open. It's not enough. Its days are numbered. Moisha Lander teaches economics at Concordia University in Montreal. Once everybody realized that you can order things from the comfort of your bed, you don't have to get dressed, the bay would be no different than anybody else.

Even malls these days are starting to realize that they have to pivot. In a statement, the company says it's looking for a viable path forward and asked for support from customers and employees. But for more than 9,300 people, they could be out of a job. Employment lawyer Andrew Hatney represents some of them. In addition to instant job loss, which is a huge hardship, the payment or non-payment of severance, and given the financial reporting we see publicly,

that looks ominous. Whether the company can even pay severance pay, that will lead to very substantial claims. And then there's the pension component. The company only has three million in cash and owes more than 400 million to secured creditors such as the Bank of America and U.S. hedge funds. Employees are considered unsecured creditors along with landlords and suppliers like Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Jason Thompson. We don't have a of cash sitting on hand, right?

Thompson owns Superior Strategies, an Indigenous business supply company in Thunder Bay. He says the Bay owes him $80,000 for cash register thermal paper. You know, I want to put away for my kids' education. Again, that's the history of Hudson Bay Company and Indigenous people in Canada. They continue to do it in 2025. The Hudson's Bay Company will be in a Toronto court Monday hoping to figure out a restructuring plan with its landlords and suppliers to avoid closing for good.

Philip Deschanoc, CBC News, Toronto. Delegations from across Atlantic Canada are in Boston this weekend for the North American Seafood Expo. They'll discuss the looming tariffs on Canadian seafood coming from the U.S. and China while also trying to find buyers from elsewhere. But finding substitutes to the lucrative U.S. and Chinese markets won't be easy, according to Gilles Terriot of the New Brunswick Crab Producers Association. There's Europe, that's a possibility. And the other Asian countries, maybe Indonesia, and the Singapore area, and Southeast Asia, and Korea.

But the thing is, you don't develop these markets overnight. It takes years sometimes, right? At least one industry in Atlantic Canada is staying optimistic in the face of the trade war with the U.S. Heather Gillis in St. John's tells us why Newfoundland and Labrador is betting on a tourism bump. Tourism operators are wrapping up their annual hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador conference this week and now

getting ready for the season ahead. Outgoing hospitality NL chair Deborah Borden expects this season will be busy. Recent research, when I say recent, in the last year and a half show that there's about 2.4 million people that have Newfoundland and Labrador on their bucket list. They're going to come at some point, whether they come this year, next year, whatever. With Canada and the US trading blows over tariffs, this province is hoping

travelers who would normally venture south of the border will come east. But getting to Newfoundland and Labrador isn't easy. This week Goody Hutchings announced six million dollars to help. Money Hutchings says will make flying around more isolated parts of Atlantic Canada more accessible. The goal is to get more seats into these smaller areas so it's working with the airline partners how do we get more seats and then get the bums in those seats. With three direct flights from Europe to St. John's and the newest Marine Atlantic ferry running all season, people in the hospitality sector like Borden are feeling hopeful at a time when so many other industries are worried

about trade. So we remain optimistic. That doesn't mean we're not aware of the fact that there is a lot of stuff, I'll use that word, other than some other words that come to my mind, going on in the world today and particularly south of the border. It's a feeling the Provincial Tourism Department shares as they believe the industry can withstand trade troubles, saying in a statement, We are also optimistic about the upcoming season and the tourism industry's ability to weather the tariff storm. With Canadians reconsidering trips to the United States,

Newfoundland and Labrador stands to benefit. Meanwhile, restauranter Todd Perrin says the industry needs to be viewed as a renewable resource, one that brings in money to the province from the pocket of every tourist. Most of the bar and restaurants in Newfoundland and Labrador would not exist without tourism. You know we have a limited population here obviously and you know the demographics do not lend towards dining out and going to bars and restaurants and all that kind of stuff. As for any American tourists this year hospitality and Al's incoming leader John Devereaux says they'll be treated just like any other, warmly.

Heather Gillis, CBC News, St. John's. Still ahead, the family of one of the last people executed in Canada is still working to clear his name seven decades after his death. We'll tell you about the sealed documents they say could help. That's coming up on Your World Tonight. Prime Minister Mark Carney was one of the world leaders taking part in a virtual conference on the future of Ukraine. Canada is part of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, Western countries helping

Ukraine militarily and financially. It's to fill a gap left by the U.S., which has signaled it may no longer provide security guarantees to Kiev. Chris Reyes has the latest. This morning I convened the largest, strongest group of countries yet behind a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke shortly after gathering dozens of world leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, for a virtual summit to bolster support for Ukraine amidst a US

proposed ceasefire deal. Also in attendance, European partners Australia, New Zealand and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. We agreed we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia to weaken Putin's war machine and bring him to the table. The UK convened summit comes amidst tensions between the US and Ukraine following a disastrous meeting at the White House more than two weeks ago between the two leaders and President Donald Trump's public support for a deal with Russia. Earlier this week tensions cooled when

Ukraine accepted the US's 30-day ceasefire proposal. On Friday Trump said he's confident that Russia will make a deal with the US. Enough people have died so we'll see what happens with regard to all of it but I'm getting some pretty good vibes coming out of Russia. Starmor said the ball is in Putin's court. President Trump has offered Putin the way forward to a lasting peace. Now we must make this a reality. So this is the moment to keep driving towards the outcome that we want to see.

During the UK-led meeting, Zelensky called on European allies to consider putting troops in his country. The contingent must be stationed on Ukrainian soil and this is a security guarantee for Ukraine and a security guarantee for Europe. Zelensky also added that it's too early to talk about concessions in territory. Earlier this week, President Putin said he's open to the Trump ceasefire proposal, but has stopped short of backing it. Putin has raised concerns about who would police the ceasefire. Evelyn Farkas is the executive director of the McCain Institute, a national security think tank.

She says Putin's delays are concerning. He's not, you know, recognizing that he has to compromise. And he's stalling for time, I think, because he clearly thinks that he might have a chance at dislodging the Ukrainian troops from that little piece of territory, Kursk, where the Ukrainians are still fighting and they have occupied as a bargaining chip.

The UK is expected to convene another meeting next week with military planners in support of Ukraine's security. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. Now for a look at those ongoing peace talks from the Ukrainian perspective, let's bring in freelance reporter Sara Larniak in Kyiv. So Sara, the situation in Kursk is very fluid. What role is that region playing right now in peace negotiations?

Well, it's worth reminding everyone that the Ukrainians launched the Kursk incursion knowing full well that it would strengthen their negotiating hand if it ever came to this. Over the last few months, Russia has been pushing to regain some of that territory and Russian President Vladimir Putin is now actually taking that bargaining chip and using it against the Ukrainians by pairing it with some false information. Okay and what do you mean by that? The Kremlin cannot go and agree to a ceasefire in the middle of an operation to regain control of Kursk and so what we're witnessing here now is some delay tactics. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are at

risk of being encircled there saying that he'll be you know merciful and let those Ukrainian soldiers surrender and their lives will be spared. But there's a couple things here. First of all, Western intelligence suggests that there's no such encirclement happening there. The other being that despite that, US President Donald Trump is still parroting these talking points by the Kremlin. And it really does seem that this is kind of all playing against Ukraine, ensuring that Russia has control of Kursk before any real negotiations take place.

Now, one of Ukraine's key demands is that Russia return Ukrainian children who are abducted. But I understand that demand is facing a new challenge. What can you tell me about that? Early in this conflict back in 2022, an estimated 20,000 Ukrainian children were abducted by Russia and taken across the border from Ukraine. And there have been efforts underway to try and get some of those children back and some of the most notable efforts led by the humanitarian research lab at Yale University. And this weekend, we're hearing that the US government has cut funding to that program, part of Elon Musk's government efficiency cuts.

And so it really is just feeling like Ukraine is not only being undermined by Russia, but also by the United States. And what is the Ukrainian reaction to all of this? Well, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky is standing firm that he is at the negotiating table, but he and other Ukrainian officials are really expressing even more skepticism that a ceasefire will actually materialize. And this is not only based in these current events because before the full-scale invasion in 2014-2015, France and Germany also tried to broker a peace

between Ukraine and Russia. And on those occasions, two different ceasefire agreements were used by the Kremlin as delay tactics so that Russia could remount and deploy new troops and take even more territory in the east. So I think here in Ukraine we're seeing a lot of skepticism that a peace is anywhere close. Okay Sarah thanks so much. Thank you. Freelance reporter Sarah Larniak in Kiev. US President Donald Trump is giving himself broad powers

to carry out mass deportations. Trump has issued an executive order invoking an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act. That law was used to imprison tens of thousands of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Trump claims the U.S. is being invaded by a Venezuelan gang. His use of the law will likely face a serious legal battle. Earlier Saturday, a federal judge preemptively barred the administration from deporting five Venezuelans. 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, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Wilbert Coffin was one of the last people executed in Canada. Nearly 70 years later, his family is still fighting to clear his name. They hope a new review process could be just the breakthrough they've been waiting for. Matthew Cooper reports. When Wilbert Coffin walked the gallows at Montreal's Bordeaux prison in 1956, he maintained his innocence. His mother, Jessie Coffin, spoke to a CBC documentary crew five years later. I still believe that he was innocent of it.

Do you really believe this, Mrs. Coffin, or do you just desperately want to believe it? No, I really think that he didn't do it. The case was sensational. Three Americans murdered in the Gaspé wilderness on a hunting trip, their remains ravaged by animals. Coffin, a local prospector, was found to have some of their belongings. Police never found any direct evidence, such as a murder weapon. But Coffin faced a single capital murder charge. His defense called no witnesses and didn't have him testify. After appeals failed and Coffin was executed, the controversy grew. A commission of inquiry in 1964 reviewed the case and said the trial was fair,

but some documents it produced remained sealed from public view. The Coffin family has held fast for seven decades. They say not having those documents has been an obstacle to clearing Wilbert Coffin's name. His son, James Coffin, was eight when his father died. Now, at 77, he says, I don't want to die the son of a convicted murderer. He joined his aunt, Marie Coffin Stewart, 20 years ago to raise funds and collect signatures in the effort to clear Wilbert's name.

Now 94, she's Wilbert's last living sibling. It was very, very hard to go public and talk about something that was so close to you. And that's such a horrible thing to have gone through. Advocacy group Innocence Canada says the family is keeping the case alive, but those sealed documents have slowed their work. James Lockyer is director. I've never run into a locked door like this before and you have to say to yourself why is it there in the first place? Lockyer hopes the soon-to-be-established Federal Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission can help unseal those

documents. The federal justice department says posthumous cases can be considered but declined to comment on the independent commission's operations. Quebec's justice ministry didn't respond to questions from CBC News. Meanwhile, the family maintains their vigil. I pray all the time that somehow my brother's name will be cleared. That he stood at the top of that gallows knowing he was innocent and he was about to die. He didn't cry, he didn't yell, he didn't kick, he didn't fuss up in any way. He just took it as a man.

So I use that, his strength to give me strength. Not only strength, but endurance. Matthew Kupfer, CBC News, Ottawa. The COVID-19 pandemic may feel like it's in the rearview mirror for most Canadians. But five years on, many of its effects are still being felt. For example, thousands of students across the country still go to school online. One city in southwest Japan has introduced a unique plan for students who learn from home, a personal robot in the classroom. Kati Sunei has that story from Kumamoto.

It's 11 a.m. in a grade four science class at Kumanocho Primary School in Japan. Student Sota asks his classmate Aira what she thinks a mantis eats during the winter. But 10-year-old Aira isn't in class. She's at home, remotely controlling a one meter tall black and white robot. Her face appears at the top on a screen. The number of students missing school like Aira has increased dramatically in Kumamoto City. The area was hit by a big earthquake in 2016 and then the COVID-19 pandemic. With the absences piling up,

the Board of Education has put new measures in place. They target the root causes of non-attendance, including mental health issues and anxiety about infection. Aira is sick and immunosuppressed. Ms. Kan says to Aira that she'll help her until it is easier for her to operate the robot. At the end of the class, I asked Sota how he felt having a robot classmate. At first it took me a bit of time to get used to it.

It was a bit strange, but now it's fine, he says. Class teacher Misato-ken says it would be difficult to teach if there were many robots like Aira's in the hallway, Vice Principal Naomi Ide says the robot helps Aira connect. She has been wanting to come back to school, but she cannot. So through that robot, she can talk with the classmates directly. Then she has more energy. Yeah, yeah, that's right. The use of personal robots in class is a first in Japan and is understandably raising many questions. Maki Yoshizato helped develop the Board of Education's innovative plan to tackle truancy. I realized the absence of communication makes things harder for students to return to the real world.

The longer it is, the more difficult it gets. Those devices help to maintain the communication between the kids, their classmates, the reality, and society. Aira-san, how was today's class? It was fun. Misato-ken asked Aira how she felt after participating in class with the robot. I liked it. I was mobile and I was able to discuss with my classmates. It was great. A robotic solution helping students to connect with peers, not able for now to make it into the classroom.

Cathy Senet, CBC News, Kumamoto, Japan. That was Cathy Senet reporting from Japan with help from the Media Fellowship Program of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. So I'm some bloke from some band and this is another song by us. Some bloke from some band who turned out to be a pretty big deal. That's Tom York introducing himself and Radiohead to a Toronto audience at the Horseshoe Tavern in a newly dug up video that dates back 30 years to March 28th, 1995. A time when Radiohead played at New Music Night and nobody knew the words to sing along

to some of their most famous songs. This is a song called Fight Plastic Trees. ["Fight Plastic Trees"] Radiohead obviously hasn't played a new music night in a long time, and they haven't released any either. Their last new album was 2016's A Moon-Shaped Pool, but fans think that may change. pool, but fans think that may change. Thanks to some internet detective work, they discovered the five band members have formed

an LLP, a type of British business entity. Radiohead doesn't use a record label, and the band's done this before, ahead of touring or dropping a new record. Nothing's been confirmed, but fans are hopeful, and in the meantime, there's an anniversary to mark. That video you heard at the beginning was posted on Radiohead's social media to mark 30 years since the release of their second album, The Bends. Here's another of the songs from that. This is Just on Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis.

Thanks for listening. You do, that's why I raise You do it to yourself, just you You and no one else You do it to yourself You do it to myself