Your World Tonight - Quebec terror plot details, opioid deaths down, be on the lookout for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and more

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

New details emerge on an alleged terror plot near Quebec City. One of those charged spoke openly about another Waco massacre. Four men — including two serving soldiers — are accused of hoarding a massive cache of weapons to supply an anti-government militia and a plot that included violence against government authorities.Also: Opioid deaths in Canada were down last year. The reasons are varied, including cleaner drugs, and how people are taking them. But also — many people had already died, due to fentanyl poisoning.And: A human case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever has been reported in Canada.The tick-borne disease, which can be deadly if not treated early, is more common in the U.S. Climate change is changing tick migration patterns.Plus: Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe heading to China to talk canola, Israel intensifies mission in Gaza City, and more.

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Certain conditions apply. This is a CBC podcast. I can't really get into how we got the information or who gave it to us. It's information that we got at the national security team. Six weeks ago, the RCMP wouldn't say much about what led them to accuse members of the Canadian military of terrorism. Tonight, some of that information is public, not coming from police, but court documents containing details about how the investigation began, how it developed, and how the group's alleged plan may have ended with warnings

about another Waco, Texas. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday, August 21st, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. Myself will be in China in the next couple of weeks with potentially another opportunity for engagement before the end. end of the calendar year. Saskatchewan's premier is heading to China, trying to harvest some goodwill, as his province

takes a heavy hit from new Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola. It's one of Canada's largest markets for the crop. It brings in billions of dollars every year, and Scott Moe says he will take his fight for Saskatchewan farmers straight to Beijing. We are learning more tonight. about the four men charged in an alleged terrorism plot to capture territory near Quebec City. The group includes members of the Canadian military

accused of hoarding weapons to arm an anti-government militia. Now the lifting of the publication ban is shining more light on the RCMP's investigation. Sarah Levitt has been following the case from Montreal. Sarah, what are we finding out? This was an intense investigation into these four men. their alleged ideologies and training sessions. Mark Orrell, Chabot and Matthew Forbes, both members of the Canadian Armed Forces, alongside Simon Ogey O'D, a former member and Rafael Lagasse, a civilian

instructor. Now, Chabot, Angé, O'D and Lagassee have been charged with facilitating a terrorist activity. All three alongside Forbes also face weapons charges. The RCMP alleges, Shebaat was the de facto leader, and they described this group as violent extremists. In particular, they point to a podcast appearance. Shabbat gave under a pseudonym where he talks about his anti-government stance. He says, that's why you need to be reliant on yourself, have a community that backs you. So whatever the F they try to pull, try coming after dudes that are prepared, are tight, run their shit. Well, you can't.

It's going to be another wake-go. That, of course, refers to the 1993 Waco siege, a 51-day standoff between Texas federal agents and members of the Branch Davidian cult. That siege ended with more than 80 deaths. And in the decades since, the far right have kind of taken it on as a symbol of government oppression. We're also learning from the documents more about the scope of the RCMP's investigation. What did we learn there? All this comes from unsealed court documents that a media lawyer representing CBC and others fought to have released. We're talking informers, officer infiltrators, tapping of their phones, tracking their vehicles, monitoring their mail deliveries, banking operations.

It also included aerial surveillance of the group's many training sessions. In them, they're fully kidded in gear using handguns, long guns with elite. legal magazines, even smoke grenades, photos show the group's methods, including basic military formations. One particular training session was infiltrated by officers and the RCMP alleges. Participants were taught how to prepare for an invasion, including how to slit throats and shoot people in the head. So in January, 2024, the RCMP moved in, seizing what at least one expert calls the largest cache of weapons, ammunition, and gear in Canadian history. The men were arrested this July.

Chabot, Angé, Odé, and Lagasse are still detained, awaiting trial. Forbes has been released on bail. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you. The CBC Sarah Levitt in Montreal. Saskatchewan's Premier is planning a diplomatic mission to China. Scott Moe says he wants to stop Beijing's punishing tariffs on Canadian canola. and he also hopes the trip can set the tone for future talks involving the prime minister.

Paula Duhatchik has more. It is kind of frustrating. After years of drought, canola farmer Jeff Frost was finally looking forward to a good growing season. He raises canola, wheat, and barley at his farm about an hour north of Calgary. It seems finally line up and it looks like you're going to have a good year and then you get into a political issue like this with the tariffs, and then we're left holding the bag at the end. end of the day with lower prices that we've got to sell our product for.

Last week, China imposed a nearly 76% tariff on Canadian canola seed, a move that comes on top of existing levies on canola meal and canola oil. With this new tariff on all three of our products, it's essentially going to cut off the market. This is a big problem for farmers like Frost. China is this country's second largest buyer of canola products, a market valued at nearly $5 billion. The latest round of tariffs come a year after China launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola, a move that was itself in response to Canada's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum. Myself will be in China in the next couple of weeks.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he plans to use that time as a sort of diplomatic warm-up. Well, unless I can fix it while I'm there, which would be perfect. But, you know, ultimately, as I said, it is going to be a nation-to-nation discussion. We're cognizant of the importance of the market. On behalf of Ottawa, Parliamentary Secretary Cody Bloy says authorities from the two countries will soon hold a joint economic and trade commission to address outstanding issues around trade. But he added a caveat. At the same time, I think, recognizing that we are in a different world.

That was some of the conversation that was made around the fact that free and unfettered access to trade is not looking very promising right now. We are in a different geopolitical context. There will be some adapting. the sector is resilient in that sense. Rob Roach, economist with ATB Financial, says it is possible for Canada to find new markets for its canola, but he says this will come at a cost. You have to scramble, maybe more transportation costs,

and the price will suffer while that's being worked out. As for Jeff Frost, he's hoping the trade spat will be worked out sooner rather than later. Last year, the Chinese market was $4.9 billion. We're not talking about scrap here. It's a big business, and I'm hoping the government understands that. He plans to start harvesting in the next two to three weeks, but at this point, he's not expecting to make a profit. Paula Duhajek, CBC News, Calgary.

The Crown will not appeal the acquittal of five members of Canada's 2018 World Junior Hockey Team. The five were found not guilty of sexual assault last month after an eight-week trial. The trial prompted widespread discussion on sexual assault. hockey culture, and the definition of consent. An Ontario Superior Court Justice said she didn't find the complainant's evidence credible or reliable and said the Crown failed to prove she did not consent. Coming right up, opioid overdose deaths are down across the country, but there's a troubling reason behind the drop

and fighting Newfoundland wildfires from the air as the island's largest fire continues to burn. Later, it's not Lyme disease, but another rare and serious infection caused by ticks. It's why we want to pay attention to you, because if it's you or if it's your dog, that's still bad. But this isn't something that's going to come through and affect thousands of thousands of people in Ontario next week.

It's going to be a small number of individuals, and there are things we can do to reduce the risk. Rocky Mountain's spotted fever is spreading in Canada. What to look out for, and how to protect yourself. That's later on your world tonight. After years of reaching tragic new heights, Canada's deadly opioid crisis might be starting to ease off.

A new report says the number of deaths dropped significantly last year, partly because some of the drug supply has become less toxic, and partly because so many users, have died. Jennifer Yunn reports. We've really been at the mercy of the street drug supply. Kelly White works out a supervised consumption site in Toronto. Day in and day out, she helps people overdosing. But when the doors are closed for the night, White knows there are so many she can't save. There are so many amazing, wonderful people who used to use this service, who are now no longer with us. Over 7,100 people died of an overdose in Canada last year. Not seven

17% less from the year before. And while Samantha King, a researcher at the Canadian Center on substance abuse says that's good news, it's not a complete victory. They're not happening uniformly across the country. They're not happening similarly across different demographics of folks, even within provinces and territories. Most provinces, including BC and Ontario, reported fewer opioid overdose deaths. Drugs seized in several of those provinces, appeared to have less fentanyl. Carfentanol, or benzodiazepines. But some, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Northwest territories reported the opposite, a higher number of deaths. The main reason behind the difference, King says. So we know it's a very dynamic unregulated supply. We know that new substances emerge and then

they disappear for a while. What's clear is that this is all related or primarily related to changes in the drug market. Dan Warb is the chair. of mental health and substance use disorders at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital. He says supports like drug testing, the availability of naloxone, and supervised consumption sites have helped. But how toxic the illegal drug supply is is a key factor at play here. What we're celebrating when we're celebrating this reduction in overdose mortality is the decision by drug trafficking organizations to change the recipe. Another factor behind the decline in deaths, the opioid crisis has been going

so long, there are fewer people at risk. Dr. Montegoche is an addiction specialist at the University of Alberta. So our big worries that we might have reached this sort of plateau in which we've reached this maximum number of deaths, the people who are most likely to die are already dead, which is a very horrible and morbid thought to think. The numbers of opioid deaths, though declining, still haven't gone down to pre-pandemic levels. We're still seeing thousands of people die of preventable deaths across this country. And those, like White, at the consumption site, say governments need to

take much more action to make the drug supply safer. Janoffer Yun, CBC News, Toronto. Clear skies over Newfoundland and Labrador's Avalon Peninsula allowed fire crews to launch a full attack today on the island's largest wildfire. Additional personnel on the ground joined eight water bombers and five helicopters in the battle to get the Kingston fire under control. And they seem to be making some progress.

As Katie Nicholson reports, it's thanks in part to a new tool in Canada's firefighting fleet. A chopper swoops low along the tree line before a plume of white explodes from a water bladder attached to its underbelly. That's the tank, the snorkel. It's called a fire raptor, a converted Sikorsky helicopter and the newest weapon in Canada's firefighting arsenal. We hover down in the water, put the snarkle, the pump is on the end of the snorkel, put

pump in the water, start pumping, and the bag is collapsible, so it starts to extend. And when it's full, we carry 5,000 liters. Jeff Sim is a BC-based pilot, but for the last week, he's been flying the fire Raptor over the Kingston fire in Newfoundland. It was used for the first time last year, dowsing fires in the West. And it's in demand because of some key design features that improve aim. We have the bubble window here, so I can look down, straight down this hole. I can look down at the snorkel and get an accurate read on where we want the water and properly adjust for any wind that we're dealing with.

The fire raptors are adapted choppers that have reached the end of their North Atlantic service but still have lots of life left in them. There are two in service and another one is being outfitted, which means stripping it down to the bare bones, says pilot Rob Sturge. Every pound we could remove would be another. say, pound of water we would be able to carry. So right now, obviously, the interior is out, the seats are out. There's ordinarily an aft bulkhead, which is removed as well. The Raptor, just one part of what the province is calling an aerial assault on the roughly

10,000 hectare Kingston fire today. Are these people bombing? They're heroes. Look at the job they're doing. Clutching a pair of binoculars, Gilbert Dale watches a line of water bombers and choppers. swoop down over the heart's content barons and dump water on the long line of smoke below. The Kingston fire burned more than 200 structures and forced hundreds from their communities. The Northern Bay resident has learned his home is okay, but many others in his community are gone. Our first responders did the best they could, and everybody who was working did what they could. It's hard. It hits you all of a sudden, right?

Because you look at what you have and what you could have lost. And I'm just thankful I have my life. A life and community he'll be able to return to one day, thanks in part to the firefighters on the ground and in the sky. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, St. John's. He says he's willing to negotiate an end to the war as he orders his military to expand it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for negotiations to take place with Hamas to free the hostages and stop the fighting in Gaza.

But it comes as Israeli troops start a controversial operation to occupy Gaza City, with Palestinians waiting and wondering where the conflict will turn next. Chris Brown has more. million Palestinians are crammed into Gaza City, many displaced from their homes several times over and now fleeing again. Israeli bombardments have increased ahead of what the IDF is foreshadowing as an all-out assault. We will deepen the attacks in Gaza City, a stronghold of government and military terror, said Brigadier General Effie de Fren. Despite hunger and fear, some are taking their opposition to the streets, the brave ones protesting Hamas,

while today they held up English signs for international audiences protesting Israel. Mohamed Halas urged the world to make Benjamin Netanyahu's government call off its attack on his city. Stop the genocide, he said we can't take it. In Israel, there are protests too, fueled by the growing fear that continuing the assault on Gaza City will kill the Israeli hostages Hamas is holding. Philippe Lazzarini is the head of UNR, the key UN agency for Palestinians, that Israel accuses of supporting terrorism and which it denies. Speaking in Geneva, Lazzarini said an Israeli seizure of Gaza,

City would amount to a death sentence for countless weakened and already malnourished children. At Gaza City's Rantisi Children's Hospital, there's dread about what might come. Aisha Wadhan cradles her emaciated, eight-month-old son Hatem. She said she's had to feed him natural herbs because there's no milk, and she's too weak to breastfeed. tonight Israel's Prime Minister indicated he has not accepted the ceasefire deal that's on the table that Hamas has reportedly agreed to already. It would see 10 of roughly 20 living hostages released during a 60-day ceasefire. But in a video statement, Benjamin Netanyahu said all the hostages must be freed. Israel, he said, will begin negotiations to, in his words, end the war.

But it's unclear what, if anything, has changed? Israel has been demanding Hamas's complete surrender, which the militant group says it will never agree to do until Israel recognizes a Palestinian state. Chris Brown, CBC News, London. It was supposed to be a turning point in the Ukraine war, but last week's summit between the U.S. and Russian presidents has not shown any concrete results. And last night, Russia launched what Ukrainians say was one of the heaviest bombardments in weeks. Now a social media post from Donald Trump is raising new questions about his shifting position on the war. Mike Crawley reports. Sweeping up rubble and shattered glass from an apartment building in Leviv after an overnight attack.

This city in western Ukraine is nearly 900 kilometers from the border with Russia. Strikes this far from the front lines have been rare during the war. Ukraine says Russia launched more than 500 drones and 40. missiles overnight. One attack hit an American-owned electronics plant near the Hungarian border. It's really important to convince Putin that he can't win. William Taylor is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. He says the overnight attacks are just the latest evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in peace. He's interested in bludgeoning Ukraine into submission. He wants to control Ukraine, totally.

It's not about this piece of land or that territory. It is about Putin. desire, obsession with controlling and, indeed, destroying Ukraine as a sovereign nation. Taylor is urging U.S. President Donald Trump to use military and economic leverage to force Putin to agree to a ceasefire, something he believes Trump was prepared to do before the pair met in Alaska. What got him there was the recognition earlier that Putin was stringing him along, that Putin was playing him. But President Trump will figure out again that Putin, that Putin was. Putin is not serious. Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Thursday,

it's Ukraine and Europe that don't want peace. He accused the major European powers of trying to undermine progress made in Alaska. Former Ukraine Prime Minister, Arseni Yatsunyuk. President Trump, he expected to get some kind of concessions out of Putin. But Putin is always as Putin. I met him a number of times. So he will cheat, he will deceive, he will play for time. He will do everything in order to drive.

us into a never-ending talks. And at this particular period of time, kill Ukrainians, bombard with the missiles, drones, and the rest of the stuff. And to grab as much territory as possible. If Trump is shifting his view on Putin, he isn't saying so publicly. The president's one social media post about Ukraine on Thursday said, it's, quote, very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader's country.

Trump spoke with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday about the war. Carney's office said the pair discussed how to build on, quote, the president's leadership to support long-term peace and security for Ukraine and Europe. Mike Crowley, CBC News, Toronto. 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.

We've heard warnings about Lyme disease before. Now another illness carried by ticks is spreading in Canada. A human case of Rocky Mountain's spotted fever has been reported in Quebec. It can be deadly, if not treated early. And it may be getting more common thanks to climate change. Jela Bernstein reports. They're spreading north. Little by little, they're going to.

They usually follow the St. Lawrence River. When a case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever was reported in Quebec this week, McGill University biologist Virginie Millian says she wasn't surprised. The ticks that carry it are established in much of the United States, and now they're here. We were waiting for it to happen. It's just a bit earlier than what was anticipated. Milder winters are making parts of southern Canada a prime habitat for ticks. The Quebec doctor, who reported a recent case of,

Rocky Mounted spotted fever says the patient is responding well to treatment. He suspects they were infected either in southern Quebec or Ontario. There have also been cases in British Columbia and in Ontario where a cluster of cases in dogs were linked to Long Point Provincial Park on Lake Erie. It's not a common infection, but it's still a very important infection. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Boghosh says, though Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever can be fatal, It can be treated if it's caught early.

The key issue here is recognizing that it's here, preventing infections in the first place, and ensuring that clinicians and frontline health care providers are aware that we are seeing different transmitted illnesses here in Canada. The symptoms in humans include fever, headache, nausea, and a rash, usually taking the form of pinpoint spots or red splotches. Scott Weiss is an infectious diseases veterinarian with the University of Guelph. He says infected dogs, might show flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Ultimately, it's still an uncommon disease, right? It's why we want to pay attention to you, because if it's you or if it's your dog, that's still bad. But this isn't something that's going

to come through and affect thousands of thousands of people in Ontario next week. It's going to be a small number of individuals, and there are things we can do to reduce the risk. His advice to dog owners, consult your vet about tick medications, and to protect yourself wear long socks over pants, long-sleeve shirts, and bug repellent. And finally, always do tick checks on yourself and on your pets if you spent time in the woods or long grass where ticks could be lurking. I found a tick on me a couple of weeks ago and I would guess based on what I was doing that day that the dog tracked it in the house. It was just loose in his hair coat and it got on to me. He says the important thing is for health care workers and the public to have the illness and its symptoms on their radar.

Canadians don't need to stop enjoying the outdoors, but they do need to take precautions. Jalo Bernstein, CBC News, Montreal. Finally tonight, it's summer road trip season, so we'll leave you with some landmarks that won't appear in many guidebooks. In fact, they probably go unnoticed to most people, but not Ben Stager, a Canadian comedian, visiting what he thinks are underappreciated corners of the country. Is this not one of the most stunning dairy queens you have ever seen in your life?

standing right behind me is the Tim Horton's motel. This is the first coffee time ever built. It is a big deal in Canada. Stager's social media videos are mostly focused on Southern Ontario. They involve him visiting what he considers an attraction, talking about what he considers its cultural significance. Fast food and corporate brands are a major theme, but there are also sites like,

the municipal parking lot where Bob Dylan was once briefly filmed for a BBC documentary. Boy, those people can come on over here? Can I get your eye back? Maybe. Mr. Tambourine man was right here, 1986, before one of my brothers was born. Speaking with CBC Hamilton this week, Stager said he'd like to take his effort across the country, having a laugh and helping people find meaning in places they usually overlook. Take a drive and maybe you'll be surprised what you may see.

You might see a McDonald's that hasn't been fully renovated to like the newest sort of iterations or you might see a brand new Canadian tire. Earlier this summer, Stager had his most popular post yet, taking a break from travel in order to, in his opinion, make history. It involved bringing an electric kettle manufactured by the company Hamilton Beach to a beach in Hamilton, Ontario. This is the first time this has happened in recorded history. That stunt got half a million views and caught the eye of Hamilton Beach, which reached out

to Stager. The appliance maker is based in Virginia and has no connection to the city. A company rep said they'd never seen anything like it. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Thursday, August 21st. I'm Susan Bonner. to you again.