Your World Tonight - RCMP spied on Indigenous groups, LaGuardia crash, Canada’s broken sports system, and more

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

A domestic spying operation – dating back decades – is leading to calls for justice. The RCMP called it “the Native extremism program.” It involved secret surveillance on Indigenous organizations – detailed in thousands of intelligence reports – obtained by CBC News. And now First Nations groups say the RCMP itself should be investigated. And: Investigators in New York say a system designed to warn of runway conflicts didn’t issue an alert before Sunday’s fatal crash at LaGuardia Airport. But investigators say it’s too soon to say what went wrong – leading an Air Canada Jazz jet to crash directly into a fire truck. Also: Broken, fragmented, and unsustainable. A commission investigating abuse in sports says Canada’s system is failing its athletes.Plus: Outpost on the moon, largest provinces want more say picking judges, Trump says Iran gave him a big gift, and more.

Jacqueline Furland Smith, a 40-year-old former Canadian military trainer, moves to Costa Rica to follow her dreams, but in the summer of 2021, vanishes without a trace. How can a woman just go missing and us put out all that effort to find her, and she's still missing? I'm David Rigen, and this is Someone Knows Something, Season 10, the Jacqueline Furland-Smith case. Available now on CBC Listen and wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a CBC podcast. I think this is a massive violation of indigenous political rights, human rights, and privacy that's sought to criminalize legitimate political organizing. Wiretaps, paid informants, nationwide surveillance. A Canadian covert operation uncovered, after decades of secrecy, a CBC investigation reveals how the RCMP infiltrated, spied on, and attempted to disrupt indigenous groups in the 1970s. Welcome to Your World Tonight.

I'm Susan Bonner. It is Tuesday, March 24th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. Our aviation system is incredibly safe because there are multiple layers of defense. So when something goes wrong, that means many, many things went wrong. Piecing together what happened when a safety system fell apart from the tarmac to the control tower. Investigators say they are looking at multiple failures involved in the New York crash that killed two Air Canada pilots.

A domestic spying operation dating back decades and leading to calls for justice tonight, it was known to the RCMP as the Native Extremism Program. Secret surveillance on indigenous organizations detailed in thousands of intelligence reports obtained by CBC News. Gunasio Deere has this exclusive investigation. If you look back on it in terms of history, I think they were realized it was a waste of their time and resources. James Washi was once a target of the RCMP,

one of hundreds of people the Mountie spied on throughout the 1970s. CBC Indigenous has obtained secret documents through access to information, showing how the RCMP infiltrated 30 indigenous organizations using surveillance, wiretaps, and paid informants. Back then, Washi was president of the Dene Nation in the Northwest Territories. There is no evidence whatsoever in their surveillance of Aboriginal leaders that there was some subversive activities. We're just all trying to improve the living for our people. Today in Ottawa, the RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhem wouldn't talk about it.

Commissioner, why was the RCMP spying on Indigenous residents? I had no comments at this time, but we're having to talk later. Instead, the force left official comment to an RCMP superintendent based in Surrey, BC. The RCMP today in 2026 is a completely different RCMP. Dee Stewart is with the Mounties Indigenous Policing Service. She's the spokesperson the RCMP provided after CBC for months requested an interview. She also wouldn't talk about the security service,

which was disbanded in 1984 following a Royal Commission into the RCMP's tactics. What was going on back then, I can't comment on. But now, when it comes to First Nations and peaceful demonstrations, and we support that. But CDC did speak to several former security service officers. Greg Savicky worked on the front of the police. line and says it was the height of the Cold War. Savicky says the Communist Party was kind of Marxist-Leninists and Trotskids. They were trying to grow and they were trying to recruit more members. So I think they saw the native area, an area they could get into.

Savicky says the RCMP was also worried about the influence of activists in the U.S. The American Indian Movement aim was trying to get a foothold up here just to have the natives demonstrate. and I think we were worried more about the demonstrations turning maybe a bit violent, but they never did. They were pretty peaceful. According to their own documents, the RCMP came to the realization that its program was targeting peaceful, legitimate political groups, focused on improving the lives of indigenous people. Ganesi O'Diere, CBC News, Montreal. The federal government says things have changed and the surveillance program ended a long time ago.

But some indigenous leaders are demanding more accountability. Alevia Stefanovic has that part of the story. It's important to know this, and it's important to understand her history. Disturbing, but not entirely surprising. That's how Inuit-Teperee Canatmy President Natan Obed is reacting to the CBC News investigation, revealing an extensive RCMP's spying operation against legitimate indigenous rights organizations like his. It was quite obvious from the racist government policies of the day that the government of Canada didn't see innate as people.

The Mounties stated goal of their surveillance was broad penetration of extremist groups, but national indigenous organizations engaged in legal and democratic advocacy were swept up. And newly declassified documents obtained by CBC Indigenous show the program had full knowledge and support of the federal. government. This still impacts the trust that Inuit have in these institutions and I think warrants a reflection and public statements from these leaders on what has happened and also the

reassurance that this type of thing is not happening in 2026. If it happened to all my predecessors, I'm not sure that it's not happening to myself. Cindy, Woodhouse, Nipanak is the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. She's calling for an investigation as part of a larger inquiry into systemic racism in policing. You know, we really have to change the way we do things in our country to work more closely together rather than spying on each other and, you know, because we are, we are not the enemy. I was absolutely floored. NDP public safety critic Jenny Kwan is worried espionage against indigenous leaders never stopped.

You know, the overreach of government knows no bound. And there's a real question whether or not the current day government, the current day liberal government, has learned this lesson. Look, the reports that I've seen this morning are obviously disturbing. Public safety minister, Gary Anandes Sangare, says the surveillance operation is no longer in effect. This is another area where we need to ensure that indigenous people have the answers, that they require in order to ensure that there's better trust between law enforcement and First Nations in Yemeni across Canada.

Ananda Sangare says he will follow up with the RCMP and the National Chief. In addition to a public inquiry, Woodhouse Kniepenak is demanding a public apology from the Prime Minister. Olivia Estefanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. Coming right up, a series of failures. investigators release more details about what led to the fatal crash involving an air Canada flight in New York. And more attacks across the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump says talks to end the war are making progress. Later, we'll have this story. Less astronauts in space, which means less kids dressing up as astronauts for Halloween.

I don't like it. The president doesn't like it. More changes coming to NASA's lunar program. And once again, it's all about speeding things up. to get there before anyone else. My initial reaction is excitement, but my underlying worry is, you know, why now and what's calling the shots. I'm Anandrom in Toronto. Coming up on your world tonight, the hope of a base on the moon goes from pie in the sky to plans on paper. We are learning more about Sunday's Air Canada crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

The plane slammed into a fire truck after landing, killing both Canadian pilots. Today, investigators provided new details about the moments just before the disaster. Mike Crawley explains why it's raising new questions about safety at one of America's busiest airports. Yeah, just lucky to be here to talk about it. Rachel Marriotti was sitting in an exit row on the Air Canada flight. Immediately after landing, she felt the pilots hit the brakes extra hard. I started to think, is this plane going to spin out of control? Are we all going to die? In fact, all 72 of the plane's passengers survived, scrambling to the safety of the tarmac like Marieti.

You know, you jump down onto the ground, and then you see the front of the plane just destroyed. Pilot Antoine Foray and First Officer McKenzie Gunther were killed in that destruction. Marieti wipes away tears as she speaks. I'm so grateful for them, sacrifice their lives for us passengers, and I just, I'm just, I'm, want to say thank you to them and thank you to their families. Today, officials from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released a detailed timeline of the moments leading up to the crash. At two minutes and 17 seconds, the LaGuardia Tower cleared the airplane to land on runway.

According to that timeline, the tower gave a fire truck permission to cross the runway just 12 seconds before the Air Canada jet touched down. A key question will be why. Full first day on scene. and we have a lot to cover. Jennifer Homondy is chair of the NTSB. She says there were two controllers in the tower at the time, but that the duties of managing aircraft in the sky

and directing traffic on the ground were combined. She says this is common practice for overnight shifts at airports across the U.S., even ones as busy as LaGuardia. Our air traffic control team has stated that this is a concern for them for years. I can understand it's a concern, especially if there's a heavy workload. But Homandy cautions against jumping to conclusions that controller error is solely to blame.

We rarely, if ever, investigate a major accident where it was one failure. Our aviation system is incredibly safe because there are multiple, multiple layers of defense built in to prevent an accident. So when something goes wrong, that means many, many things went wrong. Another question the NTSB is asking, why the LaGuardia fire truck was not equipped with a transponder

to make it visible on the ground traffic radar display in the control tower. Dave Riley worked as an air traffic controller in the U.S. for more than 30 years. You're juggling multiple balls, throwing them in the air, and trying to make everything happen at one time without dropping anything. While the investigation continues, people who knew the pilots are recounting memories. In a Facebook post, Cedric Foray says his brother, Antoine, would come and go like a whirlwind. You've left like a whirlwind once again, he continues.

Too soon for me to say goodbye. Mike Crawley, CBC News, New York. Canada's official languages commissioner has received dozens of complaints about the Air Canada's unilingual statement on the crash. CEO Michael Rousseau released the response in a video yesterday. Hello, bonjour. I'm Michael Rousseau, President, and CEO of Air Canada.

Today is a very somber day at Air Canada. Rousseau offered condolences to those affected by the deaths of the two pilots. It was entirely in English, with the exception of the words, Bonjour and Merci. It had French subtitles. In a statement today, Air Canada said Rousseau's message was recorded before departing for the accident's site in New York, and his French does not allow him to deliver such a delicate message in the language.

Russo has faced criticism before after saying he did not need to learn French to get by in Montreal. There is a lot of talk about talks to end the U.S.-led war against Iran. President Trump is again insisting Tehran and Washington are in negotiations, but the reality on the ground is a stark and violent contrast. Across the Middle East, civilians continue to pay the price. Katie Simpson reports from Doha Qatar. In the rubble of an apartment building, barely standing in Tehran, a sign of life, a child covered in dust lifted out to safety. Damage from U.S. and Israeli strikes grows daily while Iran fires back.

Chaos in Tel Aviv, after a barrage of Iranian missiles targeted a neighborhood, destroying homes, causing minor injuries. Fighting undeterred, even with new talk of. peace. They want to make a deal so badly. U.S. President Donald Trump says negotiations with the regime are ongoing, claiming that Iran gave a gift of sorts to the U.S. He says it made good on a promise, something worth a lot of money related to the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz without offering any additional detail. They said they were going to give it, so that meant one thing to me would deal with the right people. Trump declined to confirm whether all parties would accept an offer from Pakistan to host

peace talks. With this process appearing to be moving ahead, Israel is ramping up another front in this war. Pounding targets, it says, are related to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. Buildings and bridges

have been damaged or destroyed. More than one million people are now displaced. One thousand have been killed. Israel's defense minister says the IDF will be creating a security zone, controlling Lebanon's south up to the Latani River. Israeli officials also welcomed the Lebanese government's decision to expel the Iranian ambassador. Nearly a month into this conflict, civilians across the region are adapting.

Yeah, we feel very safe, actually. Qatar is a very safe place. At a restaurant in Doha's financial district, people told us they're managing just fine. And some parents say their kids don't even flinch anymore when the government sends out text warnings about a possible attack. Even the alert, you know, initially it was when they hear the alerts like a little bit, my little one he was crying. Then after that, it's like becoming one of the ringing phony.

It's something very normal for them. Workers are returning to offices in Qatar after a remote work order was lifted. In-person school resumes next week. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Doha. Russia unleashed a massive drone and missile barrage on. civilian areas of Ukraine. Moscow is also stepping up ground attacks along front lines. At least six people were killed, dozens injured.

A Russian drone hit a residential building in the historic center of Ukraine's western city of Lviv, near the Polish border. It damaged a 17th century church that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Premiers from Canada's four largest provinces sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister. They want more input when judges are chosen for provincial appeal courts, superior courts, even the Supreme Court, arguing it would better reflect the diversity of each province and territory. But there are concerns about politicizing the courts. Alexander Silberman reports.

Well, we just feel we need a say. Ontario Premier Doug Ford demanding a bigger role in deciding which judges preside over Canada's top courts. Ford is joining the premiers of Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan in calling on Ottawa for a larger influence. You're looking at close to 75% of the population within those four provinces. So I think we deserve a say on who the appointment's going to be. The premiers have signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister asking for reform. They say provinces should have a substantive role in choosing judges for superior trial courts and courts of appeal. and even for the Supreme Court of Canada, a move they argue will ensure judges reflect the unique needs of each province and territory. And implicit in the letter today is that no one be appointed unless recommended by the relevant problems.

Gerard Kennedy is a law professor at the University of Alberta. He agrees with the premiers that the Canadian model is different than the U.S. and Australia. In Canada, judges who interpret provincial law are appointed by the federal government. There's nothing illegitimate about them asking for this. I would be surprised if the federal government wanted to give up a constitutional privilege for nothing. The mere idea of change has sparked pushback. Earlier this year, Alberta Chief Justices issued a rare public message, calling judicial independence essential to a functioning democracy.

The Canadian Bar Association and the Criminal Lawyers Association have also voiced concerns, warning that changing the selection process could politicize the courts. More trust in the justice system. But Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jalind Barrette argues the move would be positive. You want that the judges were appointed are competent, but for the legitimacy of them, it's better that provinces participate in the process. Provinces do already participate. There are independent judicial advisory committees,

which assess candidates and provide recommendations to Ottawa and for Supreme Court appointments, an advisory board is required to consult with provincial and territorial ministers. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser says he's open to talking with the provinces but has no plans to modify the appointment process. We're not contemplating a sea change in the manner which judges were appointed. In Alberta, Smith is issued an ultimatum to the federal government, threatening to withhold its share of funding for new judge's offices, unless Ottawa gives the province more power. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Regina.

Broken, fragmented, unsustainable. Those words are being used to describe Canada's system of sport. A new report says it is failing Canadian athletes. Ashley Burke has that. The Canadian sports system is broken. After nearly two years of work, a commission led by former Chief Justice, Liz Mezzanov found the magnitude of abuse tolerated in Canadian sports is unacceptable. We heard repeatedly about athletes afraid to speak out.

Parents punish for raising concerns, whistleblowers sideline, and victims retramatized by the complaint processes. She says maltreatment is happening across the country at all levels and is a daily reality. This includes psychological abuse, neglect, sexual harm. physical harm, racism, discrimination, bullying and hazing. The commission started their work in 2024 after athletes laid bare their experiences at a parliamentary committee and demanded a public inquiry. Instead, the government launched this commission that found the lack of funding in Canada is a crisis. Former Olympic doctor Andrew Pipe is a special advisor with the commission. Since 2005, there has not been any increase in funding to support.

sport, and that has particular relevance for our national level athletes. No increase even accounting for inflation. Without proper federal funding, Mazenov says there isn't enough oversight, accountability, or the proper systems in place to deal with abuse. It creates also a culture of silencing. People will not speak by fear of losing the very meager funding that they have. It is incredibly frustrating. Amelia Klein spoke to the commission. She's the managing director of athletes empowered and a former elite gymnast. Klein left the sport at 14 after she says she suffered psychological and physical abuse by her coaches. Even though she reported it to Gymnastics BC, she says a coach went on to the Olympics the next year in 2004. Victim survivors

have been advocating for change for decades and no one has done anything. And I think the real concern is that we're going to see another cycle of that happening. Canada's Secretary of State for sports Adam Vancouver-in says the government accepts the findings. Will the government commit to increasing funding by how much and when? Our government is focused on revamping the Canadian sport system from playground to podium. We want to ensure that that increases funding at all levels of government. I strongly believe that sport isn't exclusively a federal jurisdiction, but we welcome the report. The report strongly urges the government to consider new sources of revenue,

including taxing sports betting and professional sports. Ashley Burke, CBC News, Ottawa. Ottawa is boosting the federal minimum wage by 40 cents an hour to $18.15. The scheduled increase kicks in on April 1st. The increase applies to federally regulated industries such as transport, banking, and telecommunications. It is adjusted every year based on the Consumer Price Index. United States wants to build a base on the moon. The lunar outpost was revealed today as part of NASA's revamped space plans.

The agency calls the project ambitious and essential to America's future. Critics aren't so over the moon about it. Annenraim explains why. America will never again give up the moon. Not the first time NASA administrator Jared Isaacman has addressed lunar ambitions, but in less than a month, he's making more changes. That brings us to the next step, building the moon base. We are pausing Gateway in its current form and focusing on infrastructure that supports sustained

operations on the lunar surface. In other words, pausing plans to build an orbiting spaceport called Lunar Gateway and ramping up plans to build a permanent moon base. Among the motivations... Now we find ourselves with a real geopolitical rival challenging American leadership in the high ground of space. Though he didn't say it at this conference, that would be. rival is China. Regularly showing off its own space prowess, hoping to land its tyco-knotes on the moon

by 2030. Isaacman quite clear he wants to go back sooner. NASA has stated we will return Americans to the moon before the end of President Trump's term. Our great competitor said before 2030, the difference between success and failure will be measured in months, not years. As long as there's the appropriate support to go with this plan of speeding things up, it's not necessarily a bad. thing. Jeremy Webb is a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at York University. He says this pivot to focus on a lunar base to bring in more private companies to help could be a boon for science and space exploration. But if the underlying motivation is political, then you have to worry about, is that driving time frame, scheduling, how do you juggle safety versus we need to get there first?

To say nothing of the cost, NASA claims it'll spend $20 billion over the next seven years for this moon base effort. That's not a lot when it comes to space. experts say. But Webb argues there could be another motivation for all this. This is happening faster than governments, space law, space policy can keep up with. That could also be argued for a motivation behind what the U.S. is doing. If they do it, they establish precedence, they establish custom, and by extent law. Meanwhile, the very real mission to the moon, Artemis II, is back on the launch pad. Set to take off as early as next week, it'll send Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen around

the moon, but technical issues have held the rocket back for repairs twice, showing that money and ambition can only send you so far. Anandram, CBC News, Toronto. We end tonight with a Windsor, Ontario woman who wants you to judge her books by their covers. For example, there's his secret Christmas baby or assumed identity. This judging isn't about being a book snob. It's more of an appraisal. I have had some change in hobbies. and so I'd like to repurpose the room. Having someone who will appreciate the books as much as I definitely have

is definitely the type of buyer that I'm looking for for them. Kristen Golden is turning the page on her personal library of Harlequin Paperback novels. More than 2,000 books. And they're not all what you might expect from a Harlequin.

Yes, you will find covers with a shirtless male protagonist in a passionate embrace. But most of the books are from a subject called Harlequin Intrigue with more suspense than steam. I like something that is an easy read. It's nice to step away from real life and be a different person in a different setting just for a couple of hours.

Easy reads that may not be easy to sell. In case you have your eye on her cowboy avenger or forbidden temptation as singles, Golden is firm about this being a package deal. Price isn't her biggest demand. the main condition is passing on the entire collection as a whole. Thank you for joining us on your world tonight for Tuesday, March 24th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca.com.