Your World Tonight - Morgan Harris identified, Toronto mass shooting, Justin Trudeau's legacy and more

Episode Date: March 8, 2025

Manitoba RCMP have officially identified Morgan Harris as one of two sets of human remains that were found in a Winnipeg-area landfill. Harris is one of four First Nations women murdered by a serial killer. The search of the landfill almost never happened, after some in Manitoba said it wasn't feasible. Also: Toronto police are searching for three men who carried out a mass shooting at a pub on the city's east end. The shooters indiscriminately opened fire inside the pub, injuring a dozen people.And: Justin Trudeau is in his final days as Prime Minister, as the Liberal Party prepares to select his replacement on Sunday. In his nearly ten years as PM, Trudeau has been both praised and panned. CBC's chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton takes us through his legacy.Plus: The demand for critical minerals, the gender gap in STEM fields, and more.

In Scarborough, there's this fire behind our eyes. A passion in our bellies. It's in the hearts of our neighbors. The eyes of our nurses. And the hands of our doctors. It's what makes Scarborough, Scarborough. In our hospitals, we do more than anyone thought possible. We've less than anyone could imagine.

But it's time to imagine what we can do with more. Join Scarborough Health Network and together, we can turn grit into greatness. Donate at lovescarborough.ca. This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Stephanie Scanderas and this is your World Tonight. For the Harris family, we can now say that we've been able to deliver on that attempt and I hope it helps to bring closure and healing.

The search that almost never happened leads to a discovery both grim and bittersweet. The remains of Morgan Harris have finally been found exactly where her family begged police to look. A Winnipeg area landfill. Also on the podcast, shooters open fire in a Toronto pub injuring 12 people. You'll hear the latest on the hunt for the suspects and... Sunny ways, my friends. Sunny ways. Well, now the sun is setting on Justin Trudeau's time as Prime Minister a look back on his legacy one day before the Liberal Party picks his replacement.

For the family of Morgan Harris the fight to find and bring back their loved one has been long and grueling. Harris is one of four First Nations women murdered by a convicted serial killer. Manitoba RCMP have confirmed her remains have been found in a Winnipeg area landfill, along with those of another person. The search of that landfill almost never happened, after some in Manitoba said it wasn't feasible Sam Sampson reports. It wasn't easy to get to this point but at the end of the day we did come together to do right by these families. Manitoba Premier Wab Kanu stepped out of a private event in Winnipeg for the victims families to share his thoughts.

Not only on the official news Morgan Harris Harris' remains have been found, but what this means for her family. Being able to grieve her, lay her to rest, have a funeral or however they want to remember her has been on hold and disrupted and made the subject of so much public scrutiny. But now as any of us would want, they'll be able to pay tribute to her. Manitoba RCMP say Harris's remains were found in the prairie green land fill north of Winnipeg late last month. Experts had been searching the area since December. One of Harris's daughters Cambria posted on Facebook after the news broke.

We found my mother Morgan she wrote. It is a very bittersweet moment. She wrote she believes both families will bring their loved ones home, alluding to another set of remains found, which family members hope are those of Mercedes Myron. I really, really hope and pray that we'll be able to have the Myron family in the same situation very soon. Harris and Myron were two of four First Nations women murdered by a serial killer in 2022. The others were 24-year-old Rebecca Contois and an unidentified woman who community leaders now call Mashkadeh Bishkei-Ekwe-Iban, or Buffalo Woman.

Last summer, Jeremy Skibitzky was convicted of four counts of first degree murder in connection with their deaths. During his trial, court heard the remains of Harris and Myron were potentially in a landfill. The Winnipeg Police Service said it was not feasible or safe to conduct a search. All I could think about is I want my mom. When the remains were first announced last week, Morgan Harris's other daughter Elle spoke her frustrations. To the police system, to the government, you sit there and think about this. Think about how disgustingly you treated us and think of how far we made it even though

you said no. The decision whether or not to search the landfill became a provincial election issue in 2023. At the time, the ruling Manitoba progressive conservatives took out ads declaring it would not conduct a search. NDP leader Wab Kinew campaigned on a promise to do the opposite and won. This is a victory for all Manitobans and their belief in the human rights of Indigenous women and girls and gender diverse people.

Sandra Delaronde is a long-time advocate and helped push governments to fund the landfill search. This news brings up trauma, she says, for the families of other Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people who have gone missing or have been murdered. To those, she says, never lose hope. Change will happen, but not without the collective efforts, you know, of all of society. The Manitoba PCs have since apologized to the victims' families for refusing to make the search happen while they were in power. CBC News asked the Winnipeg Police Service whether it regrets its decision not to search the landfill and how it will address its relationship with members of the Indigenous community who may still be upset with its decision. The police service says its new chief, who starts Monday, will speak with the victims' families before making any public comments.

Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton. Toronto police are searching for three men who carried out a mass shooting at a pub in the city's East End, sending a dozen people to hospital. Nicole Williams has the latest. This was a brazen and reckless act of violence. Superintendent Paul McIntyre says three men entered a Scarborough pub called the Piper Arms Friday night and opened fire. Security footage viewed by investigators shows a horrifying scene. The men wearing masks, one with an assault rifle, the other two with handguns.

We've seen a lot of shootings over the years, a lot of video. You get a nerd to it to a certain extent but tonight's shooting, these guys just looked at the crowd and opened an open fire. It was horrible. The pub was celebrating its opening night. Those inside seen eating or drinking, immediately ducking for cover when the shooting began. Some falling to the floor after being hit. This morning blood and broken glass could be seen on the pub floor. It looks like we had a mass casually shooting inside a pub.

When you walk in it's kind of eerie. The drinks are still on the table, the food is still on the table. Twelve people were taken to hospital, six with gunshot wounds. But amazingly none have any life threatening injuries. The suspects seen driving away in the same vehicle they arrived in. So I can tell you right now, we're leaving no stone unturned.

At this point, police don't know what the motive was. Chief Myron Dempke this afternoon. It's very, very early in the investigation. I'm deeply troubled. Mayor Olivia Chow says she learned of the shootings last night while in her office. It is troubling because of the magnitude of the shootings and the number of people hurt. It's just mind-boggling to comprehend this.

Michael Thompson is City Councilor for Scarborough Centre and says people nearby have lost their sense of safety. I live two minutes away. The people in my community are alarmed and shocked that this has happened. Today, DemQ says police are working to change that. We're going to do everything we can to restore a sense of safety and security. You're going to see us around a lot. But that might be hard to do.

This is the second shooting in the area in less than 24 hours. Just 15 kilometres north, a woman and a dog were killed Friday morning after a double shooting inside a Markham home. And it's left the community with questions about how gun violence is shaping the greater Toronto area. Even though I don't go out at night, yeah, I think it's ridiculous. Everything in Toronto, everything is about guns. It's terrible. Shootings are always happening, making our Toronto or Scarborough scarier. In a post to social media, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called what happened last night

a brazen act of violence that will not be tolerated, throwing his support behind Toronto police as they conduct their investigation. Nicole Williams, CBC News, Ottawa. Nearly a century ago several Inuit families were taken from their homes promised they would be able to return but that was broken. Their descendants have fought for years to get an apology from Ottawa finally they have one but as Anita Taylor reports it doesn't fully make

up for the loss and pain of the forced relocation. Arctic Bay is the third most northern community in Canada. It's where Isaac Suyuk lives. He's an elder now, but it's not where he would have been raised had the Canadian government not moved his family over 1,000 kilometres from King 8 to Dundas Harbour in 1934. Suyuk says what impacted him the most was the broken promise made to his family that they would return home to King 8 after two years of living in Dundas Harbour. But instead, the families were moved to Arctic Bay, Fort Ross and

Spence Bay against their wishes. That's why he went on a mission for the past 15 years to get the Canadian government to apologize for relocating his family and others from King Ate to Dundas Harbour on Devon Island. Lysha Kavavauk's family was also part of the forced relocation. Lysha says federal officials wanted a person like his father on Arctic lands for the sake of Canadian sovereignty. Lysha and Suyuk's families were among the first Inuit in Canada to be relocated to the high Arctic for Canada's sovereignty. They were among the over 50 Inuit who were selected by the Hudson's Bay Company

to move where it had set up a new trading post to hunt, trap and trade. The Canadian government at the time approved the plan. More than 90 years later, the descendants are still feeling the loss and pain from the relocation. The biggest thing for them to hear of, yes, we did wrong. Lysha's daughter, Lucy Gavauq, has been involved in efforts to get that acknowledgement. She's part of the Dundas Harbor Relocation Society with her father and Suyukh. They have been working for the past 15 years to get an apology and compensation. They've been fighting for particularly a very long time. So it's not only the whole process,

but the outcome of to be able to, for Canada to admit, yeah, this happened. We're admitting it now. And on February 27th, in Arctic Bay, Canada apologized for its role. We are sorry. Mami Anak. We are sorry for what happened to you. We are sorry for what happened to you. At a celebration held that day, Suyuk says he was happy and thankful about his community showing their excitement with him to finally hear an apology. Juanita Taylor, CBC News, Arctic Bay, Nunavut.

Wenita Taylor, CBC News, Arctic Bay, Nunavut. Still ahead, breaking down the biases that exist against women in STEM is an ongoing task, proven by a new study that shows just how early those views take hold in kids. We'll look at the school groups trying to change things that's coming up on your world tonight. In Ukraine, firefighters rushed to the scene of a Russian drone strike in the southern city of Odessa. Two people were injured in the attack which was part of a wave of overnight attacks by Russia killing more than 20 people. Just hours before that drone strike in Odessa a concert was held in the city conducted by a man who has spent the last three years on the front lines. Freelance reporter Sarah Larniak was there.

freelance reporter Sarah Loraniak was there. Walking into Odessa's Philharmonic Theatre Friday night, the echoes of the hard times could be felt even here. A magnificent Baroque-style hotel across the street was hit in a Russian aerial attack in January, the blast damaging the windows of the music venue too. Now, tarps replicating stained glass hang in their place. And yet, this is still a story of hope. The concert named an ode to resilience.

The conductor, Serhiy Likomanenko, takes to his podium, standing in his full-dress military uniform. He traded a weapon for a baton for the evening, his first chance to go back to his civilian job after three years at war. It felt comfortable to go back to his natural environment, he says, before the invasion, making music was all he had ever wanted to do.

And now he's only had a chance to return for a five-city concert series that is raising money for his military unit, fighting on the Eastern Front Line. Fundraising has always been a critical part of the success of individual units in Ukraine, and with aid from the United States now on pause, that reliance will only become more acute. Liko Monenko is in fact one of the lucky ones. While he was forced to leave behind his job in the arts, he still has the prospect of one day returning to it. Meanwhile, websites

and cultural advocates document untold numbers of names of dancers, singers, composers, who have died in the war. This, in addition to Russia actively targeting Ukraine's cultural institutions. Defiantly, the orchestra plays dynamic symphonies by modern Ukrainian composers. And for the second part of the program, a tribute to European friendship, just at the moment when Ukraine is looking to its allies on the continent for more support. Italian composer Gabriele De Nero has worked with Lico Menengo for years, and he spent this last week in Odessa despite Russia's constant aerial attacks.

He came to show his support and with a symphony in hand, specifically composed and dedicated to Ukraine. A show of brotherhood, respect, at a time when Ukrainian morale needs it the most. An impact felt long after the last note is played. Sarah Larniuk for CBC News, Podessa. Laura Larniuk for CBC News, Badesa. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will be in Saudi Arabia next week. There he'll meet with U.S. officials to talk about ending the war. Any deal will likely involve Ukraine's critical minerals, which Donald Trump has made clear that he wants and which you've probably been hearing a lot about in recent weeks because

Canada has a lot of those valuable minerals too. Jenna Benchitraite has been looking into why the US is so keen on them. Okay Jenna let's just start at the beginning here. Why are critical minerals so critical? Critical minerals are the foundation of modern technology so smartphones, EV batteries, solar panels, military equipment, all of these things rely on components that use critical minerals as an essential ingredient. So the way that the advent of the steam engine

dramatically changed the world, critical minerals kind of hold the same way because they're the bedrock of a lot of these modern and green technologies that we're becoming increasingly reliant on. Okay and where does Canada stand on all of this? Like what minerals does Canada have? Canada has a very mineral rich landscape. So we have a list of 34 critical minerals and metals including nickel, copper, cobalt, uranium, lithium just to name a couple and there's a subset of 17 elements within that bigger list

that is especially important, and those are called rare earth elements. These are minerals that Canada considers fundamental to the economy and to our national security. But there's also usually some kind of supply chain issue that makes these minerals scarce. Elizabeth Stain, who's a law professor at University of Calgary, and she researches critical minerals. And this is

kind of how she described those issues to me. Copper is not particularly rare, it's not particularly scarce, but we need so much of it for the energy transition that most countries have it on their critical minerals lists now. So critical minerals, the notion is not static. It changes from country to country, and it changes from time to time. So that gives you a sense of what some of the supply chain considerations are. Okay. And then what about actually getting these minerals out of the ground? How hard is that? Canada has some challenges here. It's hard for us to build the right kind of infrastructure to

extract some of these minerals because a lot of our mineral deposits are in rural areas and they're kind of inaccessible by roads. The most easily accessible deposits have dried up because we've mined them as much as we could. And there's also mixed feelings, particularly within indigenous communities, about the impact that these projects have, right? So on the one hand, they can lead to pretty significant economic development, but they can also have negative impacts on the land through things like water contamination. And then what about on a broader level? Are there geopolitical implications and what are they? The US and China are really fighting right now to be the next global tech superpower. And to be a tech superpower, you have to have access to these critical minerals for some of the reasons that I described earlier. So China is sort of leading in this space right now. and they have been for a while because China is

a mining country, but more importantly, they process the majority of raw minerals from other countries. So a lot of countries, including until recently the US, rely on China to do this. J.P. Gladue, who is a former CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, this is how he describes what the playing field looks like right now. What China is doing and has done successfully to date is controlling the critical minerals market even to a point where they shut off for a couple days the supply of critical minerals which sent the alarm bells to countries like the United States. So China has now placed some restrictions on its mineral exports, and as a result, the

US, as we've seen, has developed an interest in the critical minerals of other countries like Canada, like Greenland, like Ukraine. So securing those minerals is of great importance to the US in order to maintain an edge and be competitive against China. Okay, and I guess securing those critical minerals would also be of great importance to countries like Canada and to places like Greenland as well. Okay Jenna thanks so much for breaking it all down for us. Yeah thank you so much for having me.

That's Jenna Benjitrit in Toronto. Justin Trudeau is in his final days as Prime Minister. The Liberal Party picks his replacement tomorrow. In his nearly 10 years as PM, Trudeau has been both praised and panned. Rosemary Barton has this look back at his legacy. Justin Trudeau became Liberal leader in a landslide victory. A leader virtually untested but with a last name that brought him some political clout. With me as your leader you will get a clear positive vision for

Canada. He rebuilt the party by increasing supporters and fundraising dollars. Sunny ways my friends, sunny ways. And after ten years of conservative rule brought the party back from third-party status to a majority government. It's time for a change in this country my friends, a real change. And he moved quickly to leave a mark on the country over his nine-plus years in government. Introducing the Canada Child Benefit to fight child poverty, legalizing marijuana, making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, creating a national child care program, and with help from the NDP, a national dental program, and the beginning of pharmacare.

Every single day in this office. I put Canadians first. And that's why I'm here to tell you all that we got you. Even in the very last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down. It was an aggressive, progressive agenda, but it was also marked by mistakes and broken promises. A consumer carbon tax that became a political cudgel. Budgets with ever-changing goalposts. Electoral reform quickly abandoned. And multiple ethics breaches by the Prime Minister himself. Trudeau's time in office was marked by two historic events.

Enough is enough. Go home and stay home. A global pandemic that shut down the country. The government moved quickly to financially support Canadians. But COVID-19 and vaccine mandates also caused societal divisions and a convoy protest. Freedom! Much of the anger directed at the Prime Minister. Ultimately, it would be Donald Trump

that proved to be Trudeau's greatest threat and opponent. From the brinksmanship of the free trade negotiations in 2018, 25% on Canada, to the full out trade war launched by the president in his final days as Prime Minister. What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that'll make it easier to annex us. Trudeau's legacy will be judged over time and some will disagree with it entirely. But he did change Canada. Whether those changes will be undone or lasting is to be determined.

Rosemary Barton, CBC News, Ottawa. CBC Radio will have special coverage of the liberal leadership results on Sunday. Join your World Tonight weekday host Susan Bonner and Catherine Cullen of The House just before 5 p.m. Eastern Time. 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.

In Montreal, hundreds of demonstrators, most of them dressed in red, stand outside the US consulate. It was one of more than a dozen protests happening Saturday across Quebec to mark International Women's Day. Organizer Laura Varidel says the consulate was chosen because of the Trump administration's attacks on women's rights and Canada's sovereignty. The Trump and Musk administration policy are attacking humans' rights and women's rights in particular. And we know also that with trade barriers there's economic impacts. And when there is an economic crisis, who are the one the most affected?

Typically, it is women. Women and girls around the world are also still dealing with barriers and biases in certain industries, particularly science, technology, engineering and math. Worldwide, only about one third of all students in STEM-related fields are female. And as Deanna Sumanac-Johnson reports, a new study shows the seeds of that gender gap are planted early. A fabric heart that lights up when you touch it. A simple robot with an arm that picks up and rescues small rubber ducks. These are all creations of grade four students in Brampton, Ontario, who attend Mega Brights,

a girls-only robotics and engineering club at their school. Christopher Sherman, teacher librarian at Peel District School Board, who started it, was inspired by his own daughter. When she was six, she expressed an interest to join robotics or STEM clubs. She was often the only girl in that program and she was a little bit apprehensive about joining and she had some anxiety around that. So I thought, well, if there's a need with my own daughter,

there might be a need. New research suggests that perceptions that technology and engineering aren't for girls develop earlier than you might think. An article published in American Psychological Bulletin looked at data from 98 studies and 33 nations, including Canada, examining children's stereotypes about gender and STEM abilities.

David Miller from American Institutes for Research is the study's lead author. One of the key findings was that by age six, children already see boys as better than girls in computer science and engineering specifically. So programs that seek to encourage girls to pursue these fields have to get to them earlier. CS Escape at the University of Waterloo seeks girls in grade eight

who are interested in coding to join its virtual workshop, work in pairs and compete for a prize at the end. It absolutely is true that we lose people along the way and at every stage, in elementary school, in high school, in university and once they venture the workforce as well. Sandy Graham is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo who leads the program. She says women's path to equal representation in STEM fields is a leaky pipeline. And I think the only thing that really will change the leaky pipeline issue is just a change in culture and perception and support for the people that are entering that pipeline. People like grade 8 students Kira Pinkus and Annabel Spencer who were part of that workshop.

The best part was like the sessions themselves because you could ask questions. I think it's important for girls to learn about it because if girls don't, then there's going to be so many missed opportunities of like really strong and independent woman who can make huge incredible breakthroughs in this community. It's also the industry that can't afford to lose them says Sandy Graham. It's also a loss for the industry without having those experiences of people of diverse backgrounds

whether it's gender diversity or ethnic diversity. As tinkering around with those computer chips and twinkling lights gives rise to bright ideas about their futures. Deanna Sumanac-Johnson, CBC News, Toronto. I swear if I showed you a song I made you'd say it's not your taste That's Toronto-based, Palestinian-Canadian, singer-songwriter Nemesis with Stick of Gum, a single that was chosen by Spotify editors as one of the best of last year. And now she's picked up another honour, Artist of the Year from Women in Music Canada.

That's a non-profit dedicated to fostering gender equality in the Canadian music industry. Alicia Brilla was named International Leader of the Year, which she called one of her career's greatest honours. These were the organization's third annual awards to women and gender diverse people in the industry, many of them producers and businesswomen who have supported other women throughout their careers. Here's a little more from Nemesis with a timely cover. She's just released four International Women's Day. This is her cover of Lorde's song, Teen, on Your World Tonight.

I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Thanks for listening. They call my toes, they don't dance until