Your World Tonight - Ontario wildfires force more evacuations, First Nations 'Rock the Vote' campaign, Spain wins the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and more

Episode Date: July 19, 2026

Canadian armed forces are helping evacuate Eabametoong First Nation. Military planes are taking hundreds of residents of the fly-in community to reception centres elsewhere. There are nearly two hundred fires -- razing large swathes of the province. Many First Nations are feeling the brunt of the impact, and members say support from the government hasn't come fast enough.Also: Three months from today, Albertans will vote on whether their province should stay in Canada or have another vote on secession. First Nations leaders in that province are trying to mobilize voters against the separatist movement by reviving the 2015 Rock the Vote campaign. It saw the highest on-reserve voter turnout ever recorded during a federal election, and there are hopes this time will be just as successful.And: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end. Spain has taken the trophy, winning 1-0 against Argentina. With three host countries and 16 venues, many communities across North America felt the impacts - including Canada's two host cities. You'll hear how fans are reflecting on the tournament, and how its given a boost to the sport in this country.Plus: B.C. wildfire update, Mexico begins legal action over deaths of its citizens in ICE custody, Chinese EV's making their way to Canada, and more.

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It's very shameful that we live in a country where indigenous people are made to be climate refugees in their own homeland. He did words from First Nations leaders. After wildfires in northern Ontario force another community to evacuate, community members say the response from the provincial and federal governments is inadequate. This is Your World Tonight. I'm Gina Louise Phillips. Also on the podcast, the U.S. and Iran exchanged new strikes following the deaths of two American soldiers in Jordan. And today, the U.S. says another soldier was killed in Iraq. And...

There's a great deal of interest in soccer here. A lot of kids play it. But we're not going to be ever up at the level of Spain or in Argentina. As the FIFA World Cup 2026 comes to a close, we take a look at what it would take to grow the beautiful game. in Canada. Canadian armed forces are helping evacuate Iabmatung First Nation. Military planes are taking hundreds of residents of the fly-in community to reception centers elsewhere. There are nearly 200 fires raising large swaths of the province, and many First Nations are feeling the brunt of the impact. Sarah Law reports from Thunder Bay. I'm really extremely angry with not just this government, but all levels of government and

generations of underfunding that communities like mine have experienced. Riley Yesno is a member of Yabmaton First Nation, also known as Fort Hope. The Ojibwe community is about 360 kilometers north of Thunder Bay. It's one of more than a dozen communities under evacuation in the province. The Canadian Armed Forces are helping move 600 people from Yabmaton to Niagara Falls. Yes. No says communities like hers are already dealing with infrastructure challenges, Emergencies like these only make matters worse. Even if they don't get evacuated, the conditions in which they are dealing with, like just in terms of air quality are already poor.

And there's very little fire support there too. Indigenous Services Canada says about 80% of indigenous communities in the country are in areas prone to wildland fire. Both Ontario's Premier and Prime Minister Mark Kearney say they're working with local and indigenous leaders to provide any support. they can, but some communities say that hasn't been the case. It's our chiefs that are in the front lines. Alvin Fiddler is Grand Chief of Nishinaabe-Aiski Nation. It represents 49 First Nations across treaties 9 and 5. Fiddler says indigenous leaders were not told about Ontario Premier Doug Ford's visit

to Thunder Bay Saturday and that Ford didn't make any efforts to meet with them. For them to be excluded from a discussion yesterday, I think it's just, unacceptable and disrespectful to the leadership. With Canada's wildfire seasons worsening in recent years, Yesno says the current situation speaks to the government's lack of action to address climate change. We live in a country where indigenous people are made to be climate refugees in their own homeland. Meanwhile, severe air quality warnings have gripped much of the region.

Monica Vaswani is a warning preparedness meteorologist with environment and climate change Canada. She says wildfire smoke is expected to drift away from Thunder Bay in the coming days and move further northeast. Really what we're waiting for is a decent amount of rain to try to help extinguish those fires. Both Yesno and Fiddlers say there needs to be long-term funding to protect First Nations from fires and better prepare them for evacuations. Sarah Law, CBC News, Thunder Bay. Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling this one of the most intense wildfire seasons in Canadian history. The nearly 1,000 fires burning and severe air quality warnings have much of the country in a chokehold. In British Columbia, the number of active fires has surged in a matter of

days. The CBC's Caroline Bargout joins me from Vancouver now. Caroline, what's the latest on the wildfire situation in BC? Well, there are more than 100 wildfires that are currently burning in BC. 4,000 lightning strikes sparked some of these over the past three days, including one that has led to evacuations at Big Bar Lake Provincial Park. Now, that's where Jason Luterman was camping with some friends. They had stopped there for what they say was supposed to be a relaxing night after or during a seven-day backcountry tour. They noticed plumes of smoke, and then they decided to pack up their things and leave. It went from not at all to skimmers dropping loads on the road as we walked out. You know, it went from something that didn't exist to a real concern within hours.

I think the few guys from Ontario got a real taste of what it's like to be in BC these days, where, you know, one minute you're just swimming in the lake and the next, you're driving out a road that's on fire. An evacuation order is still in place for about 130 properties in the area with dozens more on alert. Now, is that the fire causing the most concern for firefighters in BC? It's not. There are actually two fires that the province is most concerned about. They're calling them the Brunswick complex. Now, these fires are in southern BC and they force the evacuation of a community called Boston Bar as well as two nearby First Nations. They've already destroyed seven buildings, including four homes or cottages. Now, crews don't know which. They'll get a better idea when they

have a chance to get closer to have a better look. Now, Gordon Robinson is with the BC Wildfire Service. He says the weather has been cooperating so far this weekend, but the province expects that to change come Monday. We're expecting warming and drying to begin again, as well as a shift to outflow conditions, which will mean in the Fraser Canyon, it'll mean winds out of the north, driving from the interior down the valleys and out to the coast. So that's not the normal wind direction in this area, and we haven't really had much of that yet. So that could potentially cause the fire to behave differently than we've been seeing so far. He says 300 wildland firefighters are in the area battling the blaze, as well as 70 to 80 structure protection.

firefighters. Wow. Thank you so much for bringing this to us, Caroline. Thank you. That is Caroline Bargut in Vancouver. Still ahead, we're three months out from Alberta's referendum on separatism. First Nations leaders are trying to tip the scales towards staying in Canada. We'll tell you how they're planning to get out the vote. That's later on your world tonight. Canada is denying entry to foreign nationals who have been to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past. 21 days. The temporary entry ban is in response to an Ebola outbreak in that country. It takes effect 11.59 p.m. Eastern time on Monday and lasts until August 29th. Any Canadian citizens, permanent residence, or people registered under the Indian Act,

who've been to the DRC, or Uganda, or South Sudan, will be tested upon arrival in Canada and be required to quarantine for 21 days. The U.S. military is reporting another dead American in its war with Iran. It's the third confirmed death of a U.S. service member announced this weekend. The latest involved in Iranian drone in Iraq. As Julia Wong reports from Washington, the mounting fatalities raise the risk for more violent escalation. A massive burst of orange flames after a violent airstrike.

This moment, believed to be the U.S. Iranian attack in Jordan Friday that killed two U.S. soldiers. A third is also missing, though U.S. Central Command says unidentified remains have been found. The military also says one soldier in Iraq was killed and another wounded Saturday after a controlled explosion from a downed Iranian drone. Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Kimet. This is the first time we've had American troops killed since March. That, in many ways, is a red line to the administration and to President Trump. And the American military isn't holding back,

intensifying strikes against Iran overnight, saying it targeted military assets and the Iranian forces responsible for the deaths in Jordan. Tensions rising after more than a week of bombardment between the two countries. I would say they're already back at war. Gordon Gray is the Kuwait professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at George Washington University. He expects U.S. President Donald Trump will face increased pressure from Congress and the American public to act after the latest casualties.

We've seen the administration oscillate between a desire for negotiations and a desire for military escalation with the hope that the escalation will lead to greater Iranian propensity to, to negotiate. Thus far, it has not been successful, but I think we're going to continue to see the same pattern. The U.S. administration, clear it isn't backing down. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegset, posting online, the soldier's sacrifice only stiffens our resolve. But an advisor to Iran's supreme leader warns against American escalation, saying Iran will move into a phase of of offense and destruction. Iran is adapting and hoping the U.S. will walk away, says former NATO Supreme Allied commander James Davides.

I don't think they'll succeed at that strategy, but it's certainly the one they're pursuing. Gray doesn't believe either side will back down. A permanent peace deal, he says, may not be realistic at this point. Bottom line for President Trump is reopening the straight of war moves, and Iran sees that as leverage and doesn't seem to be at all interested in that. Peace hanging in the balance in an increasingly deadly war. Julia Wong, CBC News, Washington. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's immigration clampdown continues to sour its relationship with its southern neighbor. Mexico says 17 Mexican nationals have died in custody or during arrest operations.

and the government of President Claudia Shane Baum is taking legal action. Freelance reporter Katie Silver has more. At 5.30 one afternoon in March, Antonio Tova spoke via video call with her partner, Jose Guadalupe Ramos. He'd been held for about a month in the Atlanta Immigration Detention Center in California. It would be her last conversation with the man she'd been with since the two were teenagers in the same barrio in Puanuato. Ramos died on March the 25th.

I'm missing my other half. We dreamed of getting old together, of having our grandchildren. The cause of death is uncertain. He was 52 and had been taking medications for diabetes and high blood pressure. The family has filed a lawsuit describing mold on Adelanto's walls, insufficient medical care, and, to quote the suit, rampant illness. Since Donald Trump took office last year, ICE agents have arrested more than 400,000 people,

according to estimates from Syracuse University. In early July, an ice agent in Houston shot Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Arruco, who entered the US illegally three decades ago. His death sparked mass protests. In Magnolia Park, an area dubbed Little Mexico, locals leave flowers, candles and balloons with signs that read ice out

and RIP Lorenzo Salgado. Heribetto Peltran lives nearby. We're not supposed to be treated like that. We're supposed to be treated like humans. We have rights. We're supposed to be treated like that. The government of Mexican President Claudia Shanebaum has increased pressure on Washington,

calling for investigations into the deaths and for Mexican consulates to visit Icenters more often. After the death of Mr. Salgado Aroujo, she's announced that her government plans to file criminal complaints, saying her government can't turn a blind eye to those who have died.

Relations between the US and Mexico have worsened over the issue, with Mexico's foreign minister saying attempts at making progress through dialogue have gone nowhere. UCLA law professor Sharon Dolevick directs the behind bars data project, the first public data set about deaths in iced detention. Dolevic says the centres being outsourced to private companies, like the GEO group that runs Adelanto Center, can make the conditions for inmates worse. The people who are running this operation don't have any sense of humanity and obligation to the people that they are detaining.

The Mexican government says it will file suits as well against the private companies that operate these centres. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, says there has been no spike in deaths and that death rates in custody under the Trump administration, a 0.009% of the detained population. Katie Silver for CBC News, Mexico City. Three months from today, Albertans will vote on whether their province should stay in Canada or have another vote on secession. First Nations leaders in Alberta are trying to mobilize voters

against the separatist movement by reviving the 2015 Rock the Vote campaign. It saw the highest on-reserve voter turnout ever recorded during a federal election. Olivia Stefanovic reports. It's very frustrating, you know. It's a very trying time and with a separation question going on. Despite a long list of grievances with the federal government, Chief Kelsey Jacko of Cold Lake First Nations says he wants to remain in Canada at all costs. And we're not going to go anywhere.

We're going to be here to stay. Our rights cannot be simply pushed aside. Trevor Mercurdy is the Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta. The treaty spans four provinces. In order to protect it, Mercurdy says he's taking lessons from the most successful First Nations voter registration drive in history. We have to get our people out to vote and we have the campaign. The campaign that Mercurdy is trying to replicate is called Rock the Vote. It saw on-reserve voter turnout skyrocket in Alberta, from 33% in the 2011 federal election to more than 56% in 2015.

If it was done once, it could be done again. And that's very exciting to me. Tanya Cameron from Treaty 3 in Northwestern Ontario created the campaign from her living room. No budget sponsors or political affiliations. Just her and her computer, volunteers and a lot of passion. We need to unite and we need to take action today. One of the biggest hurdles to voting, Cameron says, is documentation.

Many First Nations people don't have a civic address on reserve or the required ID to vote, such as a driver's license. But she says there are ways around that. We developed an ID toolkit, taking information from Elections Canada, but putting it in wording that a lot of people would understand, giving them examples of the different ID requirements. Cameron also says First Nations people can use a confirmation of residency form. A document their leadership can sign for band members without a.

ID. Cindy Woodhouse, Neepanak is the EFN National Chief. They can talk about whatever they want to separate. They're not taking any land with them. And that's going to stay right here with First Nations people. This is our country and we say what happens. No matter what happens on October 19th, First Nations leaders say they're getting ready for a fight. Olivia Estebanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. The issue of valid ID is becoming increasingly salient in India. Officials there are carrying out controversial revision of voter roles across the country. But critics say recent remarks by the Indian government are creating uncertainty over who counts as a citizen in the world's largest democracy.

Freelance reporter Morley-Krishnan explains. An Indian passport is primarily a travel document. For many Indians, a passport represents the ultimate recognition of citizenship. But a recent announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs has shaken that long-held belief. It comes as India's Election Commission is revising electoral roles. Officials say they're improving the accuracy of voter lists

by removing duplicate, deceased and ineligible voters. Critics say it has evolved into something much bigger, forcing people to prove they belong. It's the government which issues a passport after all kinds of verification. Former Supreme Court Justice Madan Loko says the controversy is unnecessary. I mean, what else do I need to prove that I'm a citizen? Frankly, I don't know why this controversy has been created. Unlike many countries, India has no citizenship document for most people.

Documents like birth certificates, passports, voter identity cards, school records, and Aadar Biometric card can be used to establish identity. But taken on their own, these documents do not legally prove citizenship. Constitution lawyer, Dushand Tava, says the Indian government is unnecessarily fueling public anxiety. I think that government is really going on a wrong path and is trying to only put some more strain on the citizens. The current controversy recalls the proposed National Register of Citizens. An effort by the Modi government to weed out people, it says, entered India illegally. When it was implemented in the state of Assam, nearly two million

people were excluded from the final register. And many are still fighting legal battles over their status. The Supreme Court has since drawn an important distinction. It upheld the Election Commission's authority to revise electoral roles, but made it clear that removing someone from a voter list does not automatically strip them of citizenship. We need a comprehensive interpretation, legislatively or judiciary, of the criteria that allows you to claim citizenship under the Citizenship Act and what are the documents necessary? Siddharath Lutra is a senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India. They must give certainty to us for us to know who are we after all.

For now, the passport controversy has brought a largely legal debate to the public's attention. Muddly Krishna for CBC News, New Delhi. Here at home, as demand for electric vehicles grows, you can expect to see more EVs on Canadian roads. Imports of Chinese-made EVs are continuing apace from automakers like BYD and Lotus and familiar Western brands like Tesla. As Alexander Silberman tells us, more Chinese brands are eyeing the Canadian market. In a showroom in Montreal's old port, Chinese built and designed electric vehicles are on display.

Some of the first to arrive in Canada after the federal government struck a deal to let in 49,000 annually. And we receive a lot of interest. Fabio Moretti is president of North World Industries, the importer bringing the cars to Canada. All the world is speaking about the Chinese brands. The models on display are from Chinese automaker Don Fang. They're futuristic, decked out with high-tech features,

like autonomous driving systems, and voice-activated AI controls, selling for a fraction of the cost. of the competition. Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to lower a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs in January. China's strengths in electric vehicle sector are undeniable. In exchange for Beijing, dropping some duties on Canadian canola, the impact could be significant for consumers. The NAMI Box Zero One, which can park itself, is awaiting approval for the Canadian market. It's expected to sell for between $25,000 to $35,000, according to industry experts. The price of everything has gone up so much and the price of gas.

People are looking for affordable options. Danielle Breton is president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada. He says increased competition is beneficial for drivers looking to go electric. Last year, Canadians paid an average of $60,000 for an EV. Some Chinese cars could be entering the market for half of that. It is putting pressure on other manufacturers to come up with vehicles that will come at a comparable price. The arrival of Chinese EVs comes as Canadian sales are up. In May, more than 18,000 EVs and hybrids were sold,

an increase in more than 19% from a year earlier. But industry experts say Chinese manufacturers are only looking to Canada as a gateway. So those companies are around the globe as we speak, except for one big market they're missing and it's not America. Benoit Charette is an auto journalist and editor of L'Anuel de l'automobile. It's like a rehearse to come to Canada because their real goal is to, of course, enter the United States. Most Chinese automakers are still waiting on regulatory approval by Transport Canada, with a broader rollout expected to hit the market next year.

Alexander Silverman, CBC News, Montreal. Jaden Delke, linebacker and team captain for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughwriters, has died. The team released a statement saying the Alberta native died in a car accident yesterday evening. They say Delke was a relentless warrior on the field and someone with a unique gift for making those around him feel special and valued. The CFL also released a statement expressing sadness for Delke, who joined the league in 2022 and previously played with the Canadian Junior Football League's Edmonton Wildcats. Jaden Delke was 30 years old. Lionel Messi's last tango has ended with a stumble. The Argentine soccer great failed to secure back-to-back World Cup wins in today's final.

But it was a hard-fought, often frustrating battle. After 106 scoreless minutes, Spain's Ferran Torres scored winning the tournament for his squad 1-0. And by many measures, this World Cup has been bigger than any tournament. ever. More countries taking part, more matches, more people watching the action. And with Canada co-hosting the World Cup, Canada's two host cities, Toronto and Vancouver, are feeling the impact of that enthusiasm. Philip Lee Schanach has more on this. Allie Risby will always remember the summer the World Cup came to town. It's like a dream come true. Like I've always wanted this and to be in a

whole city, honestly a great experience. And he says for once in this hockey mad city, he could share the excitement with his fellow Torontoians. I have a lot of friends who wouldn't watch before and now are huge fans. Gaddy and Keith Aguilera say having the tournament here in Canada in their hometown was great for the sport. A big soccer fans already, but it just amplified it by having it in the city. And Canada's men's soccer team earned its place among some of the world's best. And now we've proven ourselves.

We're going to be back in 2020, no, 20, 30, 2030. Canada's men's side scored its first ever point in a senior World Cup and made it through the group stage to the knockout round of 16 teams, ranked 120th in the world in 2017, now they're in the top third. Canada's always been a soccer nation, but now the world knows. And the skeptics or the cynics, they all know too. Adam Vancoverden is Canada's Secretary of State for sport. So we're so proud of Team Canada, but more broadly,

we're so proud of 41 million Canadians for welcoming the world over the last six weeks, and particularly Toronto and Vancouver, like always ranking in the top two or three cities of all the 16 host nations. He says a more than $750 million investment in sports, infrastructure, training, and grassroots organizations announced in the spring budget will improve access to the pitch for future soccer stars. The World Cup was a catalyst moment for the country. Jesse Adcock, head of the Vancouver FIFA host committee, says the World Cup showed that Canada truly is home. to the world. You see every diaspora represented, and it was those communities that came and supported their teams and created the atmosphere. So even when Canada wasn't playing, we're lucky in Canada if we break even.

Tayesha Redden is an associate professor of urban planning at the University of Toronto. She says though host cities didn't quite make as much as expected, Canada still gained much. We probably won't go into debt over this world's got crazy. Nobody wants to pay a bill long after the party is over. And the tournament may keep growing. If FIFA, the world football governing body, expands the World Cup tournament yet again to 64 teams from 48, making it truly the world's most watched sport.

Philip Hennock, CBC News, Toronto. And finally, tonight, we're going out on a limb to tell you about one of Britain's most enduring sporting competitions. It's a different type of footy, but still, it's technically footy. Three, two, one, go away. A lesser-known world championship took place this weekend in a small English town. It's a quirky niche sport, and the competitors say it's good for the soul. I just love sports. It's in my blood.

I've always been a toe wrestling. That's Alan Nasty Nash, a 17-time toe wrestling world champion. He fell head over heels for the sport decades ago. TOWs! Toe wrestling is like arm wrestling for the lower extremities. Competitors sit barefoot, facing their opponent, and lock their feet together with their big toes. Victory is achieved by forcing their rival's foot onto a pad.

Four-time former champion Ben TOTEL Destruction Woodruff says there's a way to get a leg up on the competition, but he's not going to tell us about it. Yeah, I mean, I don't like really saying too much about my technique. It's a bit of a trade secret. Yesterday's contest saw 19 wrestlers battling it out. That was the moment Darbyshire local Casey Brooks defeated Woodruff and claimed the men's title belt. And then on the women's side, Abigail, a big nail beach, secured her first world crown.

No, I can't even describe how good it feels. I'm so proud of myself. Competitors will be back next year in Ashbourne ready to put their best foot forward. This has been your world tonight for July 19th. Thanks for joining us. I'm Gina Louise Phillips. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca slash podcasts.