Your World Tonight - No fire relief in sight, First Ministers, UNESCO Geoparks in Canada, and more

Episode Date: June 2, 2025

Manitoba is the epicentre of the wildfires in Canada. Thousands are out of their homes. Some have been sent as far away as Niagara Falls. At least 20 communities in Saskatchewan are also under evacuation orders, and thousands of people in Alberta have had to leave.The danger isn’t only the flames – the air quality from wildfire smoke is leading to health concerns.And: The first ministers are meeting in Saskatoon, pitching their ideas to Prime Minister Mark Carney for nation-building projects.Also: Russia has made its proposal for ending the war in Ukraine. It includes demands for Ukraine to concede several regions of territory, and for the lifting of sanctions. And those are just to start. The talks today lasted around an hour. The two countries did agree to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers killed in action.Plus: The man accused of setting people on fire in Boulder has been charged with a hate crime, two UNESCO Geoparks in Canada are at risk of losing their designations, 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. It was very hard and lots of smoke. You couldn't even go out and staying inside was worse. And I don't know, it was scary, especially at night. Moving away as fast as the flames moved in, with wildfires raging across the prairies, pushing fire crews to the limit, thousands of residents are being pushed out

to neighbouring communities or in some cases across the country, with conditions worsening, smoke drifting and accommodations filling up fast they are far from home and far from hope. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Monday June 2nd just before 7 p.m. Eastern also on the podcast. The goal here is to get projects built faster so we can create more high paying careers and greater prosperity for all Canadians. Something to build on but not building anything just yet. The Prime Minister wraps up his meeting with premiers in Saskatoon agreeing to bring down

barriers and advance projects of national interest without identifying any specific plans. While thousands of people are being forced out by the fire, for others it's the smoke. In some cases, thousands of kilometers from the flames drifting across the country and the continent, making it uncomfortable and unhealthy. Christine Birak is looking at that side of the story. The roar of the wind and fire near Flynn Flawn, Manitoba, one of the many wildfires now choking the skies above

with plumes of thick smoke. Those aren't clouds, that's Canadian smoke. And it knows no borders, now pushing into some U.S. states. It's sure smoky in Minnesota today. As Americans post on social media about what they're seeing in the skies above, here at home, it's far more menacing. The sky was looking red, you know, with all the smoke and it's really like hazy.

Rhonda Norman lives in the Paw in Manitoba near the border with Saskatchewan. She worries the fire is coming but the smoke is here. Opaskiawak Cree Nation is now helping people leave due to deteriorating air quality. Norman says it's time to close the schools too. The notice went out for the school to like if you wanted to send your kid to school and it was like are you crazy? It's insane out there and you know most kids like to play outside. Parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are all issuing air quality warnings or advisories. As smoke levels increase, so do health risks. They're seeing really really high concentrations of particulate matter.

Roshini Cassie is an air quality and health specialist with Health Canada. The fine particulate matter that is found in wildfire smoke and it's that fine particulate matter that is the most impact on human health. Health officials say those in affected areas should limit their time outdoors, especially those who are over 65, pregnant, people with chronic health conditions and young children. And so we know that children inhaling these particles from the wildfires would have more inflammation in their lungs, which can lead to a lot more short-term and long-term problems.

Dr. Kevin Mehta is a pediatric respirologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He says fine particulate matter, invisible to the naked eye, can go deep into our lungs, even into our bloodstream. For the kids I see in particular, we worry about asthma and worsening their asthma even to a point where it can be life-threatening or having to go to the emergency room. kids I see in particular we worry about asthma and worsening their asthma even to a point where it can be life-threatening or having to go to the emergency room. Environment Canada is warning air quality and

visibility can change significantly even from hour to hour advising people to check air quality health indexes and encouraging those in affected areas to keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. Christine Birak, CBC News, Toronto. And there are more wildfire evacuation orders being issued tonight for several communities in northern Saskatchewan. Those residents join more than 20,000 others who've had to leave their homes across the prairie provinces.

It is hot, dry, windy, and getting worse. Julia Wong reports. They were just so used to being home and this whole thing was just... The last few days have been hard on Lori Osborne. It took the 29-year-old mother of four more than a day and a half to get to an evacuation center south of Pimichikamak Cree Nation about 530 kilometers north of Winnipeg. Osborne is one of thousands forced to flee because of a nearby wildfire. When I got off the phone with my dad and we got on the bus I just right then and there I just cried.

Fast-moving wildfires have prompted the mandatory evacuation of several communities across the prairies. Roughly 17,000 people in Manitoba, 8,000 in Saskatchewan and 4,600 in Alberta have been ordered to leave their homes. It's a time bomb and and I'm hoping that it goes in a positive direction. George Fontaine is the mayor of Flintlawn. Wildfires on the doorsteps of the city. No structures have been lost he says but they're is the mayor of Flintlawn. Wildfires on the doorsteps of the city. No structures have been lost, he says, but they're at the mercy of Mother Nature and having enough manpower. There's just not enough resources to be able to throw them at any one fire.

Something Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew acknowledges. We're in this challenge of having to respond during an emergency situation by pulling pieces that we have at our disposal. Prime Minister Mark Carney says help is pouring in from across Canada and elsewhere. Just reiterate the Northern Prairie provinces, the challenges of the wildfires that are raging and the cooperation that we're seeing across the provinces, across Canada. Volunteers, the Canadian Armed Forces help from some of the Americans as well. We're all relying on volunteer firemen. They are courageous, they are brave, they've been working their butts off for the last four days. But we need some bigger help.

For evacuee Dawn Haldady, the situation is frustrating enough to protest in Saskatoon, where the Prime Minister and premiers are meeting. Apparently they're supposed to be talking about the economy and trade and everything else. Well, Northern economy in Saskatchewan is not going to exist if they don't send in help. Meanwhile, some provinces are stepping in to help their neighbours. With so many evacuees in Manitoba in need of a bed, Ontario has opened up thousands of rooms. Every place in Winnipeg was overcrowded and I needed a safe place for my family. Tanner Francois is now in Niagara Falls, thousands of kilometers from his home in Puggett-Tawagan

in northern Manitoba. A situation, he admits, is a bit strange, but a welcome relief. I don't think that's normal, but I guess to get somewhere safe, I had no choice. I guess I feel a lot safer. No fire, no smoke. Feelings of safety for now as a turbulent wildfire season persists. Julia Wong, CBC News, Edmonton. As you heard a few minutes ago, the Prime Minister and premiers talked about the ongoing

wildfire fight today in Saskatoon, but that's not the reason they're in the city. Mark Carney brought together provincial leaders for a first minister's meeting, looking for nation-building projects to kickstart the Canadian economy. As Rafi Boujikaneen reports, one particular project is getting the most attention. Love is in the air.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford serenading his counterparts The love is in the air. Ontario Premier Doug Ford serenading his counterparts on their way into a meeting with the Prime Minister. Mark Carney started the morning optimistic he could get more of them to sing from the same songbook. The coming weeks and months will be critical, really to turn the momentum that's been created by you around this table that the federal government is looking to add to, to translate that momentum, those ideas into action.

Alberta's Danielle Smith came here with a specific chorus in mind. Let's get the commitment that we are going to build a new pipeline. But for some in the room, that was a sour note. I've been invited here by Mr. Carnais, not by Daniel or whoever. Quebec's Francois Legault has said for years a pipeline crossing through his province is a political non-starter, and there is still no project to speak of. We need to see what's the economic impact for Quebec, what is the impact on the environment? That potential pushback had Alberta stressing a route that would bypass Quebec to the east

by shipping oil off the shores of the Hudson Bay in Manitoba. But in the west, it would start on the Pacific coast, still needing British Columbia to sign off. We want to focus on shovel-ready things. There's no proponent at this time. Nikki Sharma is BC's deputy premier. We have a difference of opinion about whether or not a bitumen pipeline should go in particularly the northern part of the province. By the time the meeting ended, though... The interest is in decarbonized barrels. Carney himself suggested he is inclined to agree about the importance of a bitumen pipeline so long as the product is cleaned up.

Yes, there's real potential there. We took up a good deal of our time in discussions and potential to move forward on that. If further developed, the federal government will look to advance it. But there's potentially an entire other avenue for discord. Ottawa set today's meeting up as a contest of sorts, inviting each of the 13 different provincial and territorial premiers to present their top nation-building projects for federal financial funding. There is Rob Lantz, who has ideas for his province.

Prince Edward Island, obviously, we rely on energy from the mainland through undersea cables. There's a couple of those that need to be replaced. PJ Akiyagouk for Nunavut. We're very excited to really see projects like the Arctic Security Corridor that would bring infrastructure right to the Northwest Passage. Not everyone is expected to receive money for their projects. Ottawa is set to table new legislation allowing it to fast-track major projects. The elephant in the room, indigenous communities including the Assembly of First Nations, already warned the drafts legislation allowing it to fast-track major projects. The elephant in the room, indigenous

communities including the assembly of First Nations, already warned the drafts they've seen would not live up to the federal government's duty to consult them. Rafi Boudjikan, YonCBC News, Saskatoon. Ottawa says it's waiting for the official notice from Washington that steel and aluminum tariffs are going up. US President Donald Trump has said they will jump from 25% to 50% on June 4th. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the government is already defending those industries with counter tariffs. So we will fight Mr. Speaker against these unjustifying and illegal tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, Mr. Speaker.

We're going to protect our workers and our industry, and the Minister of Industry already spoke about that over the weekend. And we're going to build a strong Canada, Mr. Speaker. We're going to build a Canada of tomorrow, a confident Canada, a prosperous Canada, a Canada that we can all be proud of, Mr. Speaker. The Prime Minister says International Trade Minister Dominique LeBlanc is heading to Washington tonight to continue negotiations on tariffs. Coming up on the podcast, the intensifying war in Ukraine and what it means for the push for peace.

Hate charges after a violent anti-Semitic attack in Colorado. Plus two of Canada's parks fighting to keep a label that attracts tourists. Russian and Ukrainian officials met once again in Turkey today, agreeing to some minor concessions, but with little movement towards any potential peace deal. And the lack of activity couldn't be further from the explosive developments on the battlefield. Paul Hunter reports.

(*gunshots*) Forgive those on either side of the war in Ukraine for wondering whether it will ever end. (*sirens*) side of the war in Ukraine for wondering whether it will ever end. A day ago, a stunner from Ukrainian forces deep inside Russia, a wave of drone strikes attacking Russian air bases, damaging or destroying more than 40 warplanes. For its part, yesterday Russia fired nearly 500 drones at Ukraine as it continues to step up its assault on civilian targets. In Istanbul today, the second round of direct peace talks in two weeks, but ending after only about an hour and with little progress. only about an hour and with little progress. Our memorandum of the Turkish side.

We have handed over our memorandum, said Vladimir Malinsky, head of the Russian delegation. On it, Russia's conditions for an end to the fighting, including that Ukrainian forces be pulled from the Ukrainian territory Russia's taken, land Ukraine has said it would never give up. President Zelensky, Volodymyr, the floor is yours. At a NATO meeting in Lithuania, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stood firm.

Europe, together with America, has better weapons than Russia. We also have stronger tactical solutions. Our operation yesterday proved that Russia must feel what its losses mean. That is what will push it toward diplomacy. In Istanbul, there was some progress on other issues. An agreement the two sides will trade the bodies of some 6,000 soldiers killed in action, to date kept frozen in warehouse morgues. And a pledge to swap at least a thousand prisoners of war,

the sick, the wounded and those under the age of 25. After the talks, Turkey's president said he wants Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to meet directly on this at the end of the month as the only real way for the fighting to end. The president wants this war the end of the month as the only real way for the fighting to end. The president wants this war to end at the negotiating table. In Washington, on the notion of a face-to-face meeting, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levin.

Well, the president has said he's open to it if it comes to that, but he wants both of these leaders and both sides to sit down at the table together. Meanwhile back in Ukraine, the fighting and killing continues. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. A man accused of setting people on fire in Boulder, Colorado, faces multiple charges, including hate crimes. He's accused of targeting Jews. Twelve people were injured. And the White House is calling for the suspect to be deported,

saying he is in the U.S. illegally. Katie Simpson reports from Washington. And he acted because he hated what he called the Zionist group. U.S. Attorney Bishop Gruel laid out the case authorities say they have so far against 45 year old Mohammed Solomon. Announcing he's been charged with a federal hate crime. There are 16 attempted murder charges and a wide range of weapons offenses. When he was interviewed about the attack he said he wanted them all to die. He had no regrets and he would go back and do it again.

Video of the attack shows the suspect holding incendiary devices in each of his hands while victims lay on the ground screaming. Stay away, stay away. Throw Molotov cocktails. Police accused Solomon of hurling Molotov cocktails at members of the local Jewish community who had gathered for a weekly walk to raise awareness about hostages in Gaza. Video shows Solomon screaming at the victims before police arrived. Stop! Stop! Stop!

Solomon was arrested and police say they recovered 16 unused Molotov cocktails. 12 people are hurt. Most are senior citizens ranging in age from 52 to 88, including a Holocaust survivor. US President Donald Trump wrote on social media, yesterday's horrific attack will not be tolerated, saying Solomon was in the U.S. illegally. The Egyptian national arrived in 2022 on a tourist visa,

later applying for asylum, with his paperwork expiring in March. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt blaming the Biden administration using a familiar line of political attack. This terrorist came into our country under the previous administration. This individual should have been deported instead he was welcomed here. This is the second act of violence targeting the Jewish community in the US in the last two weeks. Two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington were gunned down as they left a Jewish museum,

the suspect screaming as he was taken into police custody. It's shameful and I think people really need to have a sense of accountability. Boulder Rabbi Fred Green says there has long been fear of these kinds of attacks within his community. If we want peace, if we want dignity for people, there have to be other ways than this kind of violence. The gathering targeted in Boulder is one of several that takes place each weekend in cities all over the United States. Some are now on hold until safety concerns can be addressed.

Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. The United Nations Secretary General is calling for an independent investigation into reports Palestinians were killed while seeking aid in Gaza. The Red Cross says more than 20 people were killed, more than 170 injured while on their way to get food. Some accused the Israeli defense forces of firing on the crowd, but the IDF has denied it. A statement from Antonio Guterres says the perpetrator should be held accountable.

It also called on Israel to make it easier for aid to be safely distributed in Gaza. Experts have been warning of near-famine conditions inside the territory. This is Your World Tonight from CBC News. If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission spent nearly a decade gathering testimony on the painful legacy of this country's residential school system. Now another decade has passed since the Commission's 94 calls to action were issued. Twelve were related to education.

Deanna Sumanak Johnson checked in on those calls to see what's changed and what hasn't. Students at Southfields Village Public School get to attend an annual powwow. Elementary teacher Laura Gibson says it's important to her, even though she's not indigenous. It's absolutely my responsibility to go and make sure I am learning about resources and contexts that we can bring into the classroom. Her students also get to have outdoor lessons about nature. We make sure that we're weaving indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being throughout all areas of the curriculum. Of the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report,

12 include references to education, including make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, treaties and Aboriginal peoples' historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement. Some think that now does exist in every province and territory, but isn't always compulsory. The popularity of Orange Shirt Day in schools across Canada is also telling, according to writer and University of Manitoba professor, Nighon Sinclair. That tells you that there is progress being made.

He's also the son of late Justice Murray Sinclair, who wrote the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Not enough progress because it is just simply one day where we commit to talking about the impact of residential schools. Can we do it for the other 364 days in a year? Another call to action for education refers to financial support and self-governance of schools that cater to primarily Indigenous students. The First Nations School Board in Yukon is one of a handful of school boards across Canada that do that. Melissa Flynn is the executive director. And so it was about changing how we're teaching in the schools. How do we address attendance

issues where children are disengaged from school, increasing their literacy skills, making sure that what they're reading in the curriculum is based on local knowledge. One thing that's evident in schools across Canada is the student enthusiasm for learning from and about Indigenous people is there. One thing we do is we do sit spots where we go outside in nature and we sit in nature and we embrace nature and we say thank you to what nature has given us. They shake from the land and they give back to the land. A living testament to the power of Marie Sinclair's words, education got us into this mess, education can get us out of it. Deanna Sumanak Johnson, CBC News, Toronto.

The defence and Crown have finished presenting evidence in the trial of five former members of Canada's World Junior Hockey team. They are accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in 2018. Defence lawyers opted this morning not to call any more players to testify. One, Carter Hart, testified in his own defense last week. The trial is now adjourned until Monday as lawyers prepare their closing arguments. They are expected to take most of next week. They are natural landmarks recognized for their geological significance, ancient cliffs, coastlines and islands marked as UNESCO Geoparks.

The special status means prestige and tourism dollars. But the small list of Canadian sites is at risk of getting even smaller unless some changes happen soon. Kayla Hounsell explains why. We are in the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark. Anna Hergert is standing on the ocean floor, pointing out unique cliffs and coves.

She's the owner of Tide Rollers and Mudlarkers, taking small groups on custom tours in Nova Scotia's UNESCO Global Geopark. She worries that rare designation could be at risk. It's put this area on the map. When I first moved here, it had just been announced that it was a geopark region, and for me that was one of the main reasons to settle in this area. UNESCO Geoparks must have geology and culture of international importance.

The towering cliffs of Fundy are steeped in Mi'kmaq history, boasting the highest tides in the world and telling the story of the moment the world's supercontinent broke apart. The area received its UNESCO designation in 2020, one of only five in Canada and 229 on the planet. We are held in esteem internationally. Christine Blair is one of the mayors in the area. This is one of the most exciting things that I believe has happened in West Colchester and West Cumberland ever. Great, right? Not so fast.

UNESCO Geoparks are reevaluated every four years. And when Cliffs of Fundy was tested, it received a yellow card, a warning of sorts. We had about 10 recommendations. Devin Trefry is the managing director of the Fundy Geopark. He says he was given two years to get things back in shape or lose UNESCO's designation. It would have been lovely to have just received the green card but in a way I think it's good that we've been motivated to really kind of hone in and focus. UNESCO recommended securing funding, putting up more signage, improving infrastructure and access roads, and better sharing the area's story.

The Discovery Geopark on the Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador received a similar report card. So did Perse in Quebec's Gaspé region. Only that geopark has since gotten its green card back. Osric Pericanae is the science and education manager at Perse. He has some advice for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It's really just continue working with your community, show UNESCO that having this Jopar logo makes people understand what the rocks mean for them. This little bridge up here is thinning out. Hergert says potentially losing the

advertising that comes with the designation is concerning. If I lose that, my future is kind of uncertain. But she says there have been a lot of improvements, which is a good thing because time's up. UNESCO evaluators are coming back next month. Kayla Hounsell, CBC News, Lower Economy, Nova Scotia. Finally tonight, after nearly 16 years and thousands of episodes, a groundbreaking podcast is winding down. WTF is coming to an end.

It's our decision. It's okay. It's okay for things to end. It's just time, folks. Mark Maron announcing his podcast, W WTF will end later this year. The stand-up comedian and actor started the show in 2009 and although the format is now ubiquitous, at the time the idea of recording a long and free-flowing conversation

and then uploading it to the internet was something new and untested. No one knew what a podcast was and there was no way to make money and it was it was crazy. We were doing it in a garage at the beginning that was just a garage. It was filled with junk. Recorded at Marin's Los Angeles area home with a focus on culture and entertainment, Robin Williams, Lorne Michaels, and Carol Burnett were just some of the stars to appear on the podcast. Then there was the sitting president. U.S. President Barack Obama famously sat down

in Marin's garage in 2015. Well, you used to live around here. I did, Pasadena. These are my old haunts, man. And do you, how close is that in your memory? Does it come right back? Absolutely, through somewhat of a haze. I mean, it was college, so.

As for why WTF is ending, Marin told listeners he's feeling burned out and wanted to end the show on his terms. A final episode is expected this fall. Thank you for joining us. This has been Your World Tonight for Monday, June 2nd. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.