Your World Tonight - Sandy Lake evacuation, Trump deploys National Guard in LA, Italian citizenship referendum, and more

Episode Date: June 8, 2025

<p>Ottawa has deployed cargo planes and other military aircraft to evacuate Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario - as a wildfire surrounds the community . You'll hear the story of how a construction crew trapped by the fires escaped to safety. </p><p><br></p><p>Also: Outside a Los Angeles prison, protesters are staring down federal law enforcement - including National Guard troops. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to quell protests against mass immigration raids. But California's governor and the Mayor of LA say that deployment could make the situation more volatile. </p><p><br></p><p>And: In Italy, Immigration and citizenship are divisive issues. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has recently tightened citizenship laws - making it harder for people to get an Italian passport through ancestry. But now, the issue is being put to voters in a two-day national referendum.</p><p><br></p><p>Plus: An update on wildfires in the Prairies, Ottawa proposes major infrastructure projects, and more.</p>

This election campaign was supposed to be a sure thing for Pierre Poliev and the federal conservatives. But Mark Carney's leadership jolted the liberals back to life and to a fourth straight election win. Now the rookie prime minister has to manage a minority parliament and Donald Trump. I'm David Cochran and every weekday on Power and Politics we bring you the day's top political stories. I speak to the people who wield the power and those who seek power. Follow Power and Politics wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube. This is a CBC Podcast.

Hi, I'm Stephanie Scanderis. This is your World Tonight. Fire went around us. Literally, it was the closest time I think I ever thought I was going to die, A crew of construction workers huddled inside a shipping container surrounded by a rapidly advancing wildfire. You'll hear how they got out and the latest in Canada's continuing wildfire crisis. Also on the podcast, Donald Trump deploys the National Guard to LA to crush protests against his government's sweeping immigration rates and... We have been loving for a change for 18 years now.

The idea is just a matter of principle. Italians vote on whether or not it should be easier to become Italian. On a remote First Nation in northwestern Ontario, the flames of a wildfire are rapidly moving closer. An evacuation has been ordered. The military has been called in to help, sending planes and troops to get people to safety. Philipp Lee Shanok now on the ongoing evacuation of Sandy Lake First Nation and a dramatic story of survival. In videos posted to social media, members of a construction crew share the harrowing moments they thought could be their last.

I'm scared, trapped. The workers were responding to a call for help from the Sandy Lake First Nation, a fly-in community of about 2,500 people near the Ontario-Manitoba border when their camp was quickly overrun by wildfire. The 19-person crew mostly from Manitoba, took shelter in a shipping container as the flames surrounded them. Everything was going to die, but we made it. Crew supervisor Neil Gillespie, who's originally from Newfoundland, made a quick video before

making it to safety. This is our camp right here. Sea Cans caught on fire. Every year all set on fire. All the trees are all caught on fire. Every year else on fire all the trees are all caught on fire. Almost destroyed. They made it to Sandy Lake where they were airlifted to safety. On the phone from Winnipeg Gillespie says he heard the helicopters sent to rescue them. There was that much smoke that they couldn't locate. They could locate the coordinates but they couldn't find the camp itself so they had to turn around the back. Gillespie says the crew was sent to build some fire breaks around the town of Sandy Lake when the fire suddenly doubled in size.

Same fire that came to near us and cut us off at the camp. Now it's circled back around and it's cutting the town off. I just thank God that they got out alive. They were all huddling in a sea can. Some of them are pretty traumatized. Sandy Lake Chief Dolores Kakagamek says the community appreciates their efforts. They were trying to help out and they didn't realize how fast fire would burn. Ottawa has deployed Hercules cargo planes and other military aircraft

to help get people from the community to safety. Kakagamek says about 500 people, the old, young and ill are gone. We got the most vulnerable out and we prioritize who should go first but that list is still long. She says many hope to ride it out while those airlifted away will be put up in host communities across Ontario until it's safe to return home. Fulton Pishanok, CBC News, Toronto. From Labrador to the Northwest Territories all the way to BC there are currently more than 200 active wildfires in Canada.

Erin Collins reports on the fight to bring them under control. Erin Collins reports on the fight to bring them under control. It's finally wet again in Candle Lake, Saskatchewan. A full day of heavy rain has left the ground here drenched. This sound, the one people in these parts have been praying for. Oh, yesterday I think we were all dancing in the rain. So we were a happy, happy community. But it's not nearly enough. Candle Lakes Mayor Colleen Lavoie knows this water won't last.

Well like today you can tell it's cool out but it's windy. So that'll dry up a lot of the rain that we got over the last day. We needed three or four of those days. Just below the puddles, a hot and dry spring has left the ground here parched. And all the while, the massive shoe fire is burning just 10 kilometers down the road. That's why this reprieve is being used to prepare for what might be coming. Hoses and sprinklers laid out, fire breaks expanded. At one of the handful of restaurants in town, Jennifer Tucker is busy. Preparing food for the firefighters working around the clock here.

We made sure they had a warm meal in the morning, a warm meal at night, and a lunch that they could take with them that has really good food in it so that they're fueled and ready to fight. Of course, it's not just Saskatchewan dealing with out-of-control wildfires, fires creating havoc in northeastern B.C., according to B.C. wildfires Madison Dahl. It's very hot and it's very dry and all of those conditions can also increase the fire behavior and we could see extreme fire behavior in some cases going into Sunday in neighboring Alberta. Wildfires are spreading

to we've seen significant wind challenges on this fire. Matthew Hernandez, part of a crew from Oregon battling a fire north of Slave Lake. Rain helps quite a bit with that, but once the sun pops back up on the fuels, it's elevating those fuel danger rating indices up to extreme. To the east, in Manitoba, nearly 20,000 people remain out of their homes. More than two dozen wildfires threatening communities there. Evacuees like Peter Thibodeau from Cranberry Portage frustrated by a lack of access to resources. I get a different story from every time I talk to them. I don't think they really know

what they're supposed to tell you or don't know, just want to get you off the phone. The cooler, wetter weather has brought some relief to the area's hardest hit by wildfires. But it is just a reprieve. In a wildfire season seemingly impacting more and more of the country by the day, this fight is far from over. Erin Collins, CBC News, Candle Lake, Saskatchewan. Still ahead, lawyers are preparing their final arguments in the sexual assault trial of five hockey players. But the debate outside the courtroom has grown louder between those who support the complainant and those who back the accused men. We'll tell you what's been happening coming up on Your World Tonight.

you what's been happening coming up on Your World Tonight. Outside a Los Angeles prison, protesters are staring down federal law enforcement, including National Guard troops. President Trump called up the National Guard to quell protests against mass immigration raids. But California's governor and the mayor of LA say that deployment could make the situation more volatile. Katie Simpson reports. Canisters of tear gas are fired into the crowd by heavily armed National Guard troops sending protesters running. An escalation of tensions after what had been a peaceful

start to demonstrations outside a federal detention center in Los Angeles Sunday morning. Some 2,000 National Guard members called up in a remarkable order made by US President Donald Trump. Last night in Los Angeles we watched it very closely. There was a lot of violence there. There was a lot of violence there. There was a lot of violence and it could have gotten much worse. Protests in LA have grown over the weekend. Demonstrators gathering to rally against the Trump administration's deportation plan. The people united will never be divided.

Authorities accused protesters of trying to stop immigration raids at workplaces, including a Home Depot. While the vast majority of people remained peaceful, some in the crowds lashed out, hurling objects at authorities. A car was set on fire in a busy intersection and federal buildings were vandalized with graffiti, all of it prompting a heavy police response. On Saturday, officers dressed in riot gear used flashbangs and fired tear gas into crowds as they tried to clear the streets.

The back and forth went on for hours, but eventually calm was restored. Still, the images and reports from the ground prompted Trump to call up the National Guard. His defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, then threatened to send in active duty Marines. An option Trump told reporters he's considering. What's the bar for sending Marines to different cities? The bar is what I think it is. I mean if we see danger to our country and to our citizens, we'll be very very strong in terms of law and order.

Democrats are furious. Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass both say the National Guard is not needed. While Senator Cory Booker warns this... Is only gonna incite the situation and make things worse. Booker says while no one condones violence, he strongly disagrees with Trump's approach. We are now at a point where we have a president who sat back and did nothing as people stormed our Capitol, viciously beat police.

So for him to be talking to anybody right now about responsive law enforcement to protect people is hypocritical at best. The last time the National Guard was deployed without the support of a governor was 1965. Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights protesters. If active-duty Marines are deployed on U.S. soil against U.S. citizens, Trump would yet again be pushing up against the norms of power. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. In Italy, immigration and citizenship are divisive issues.

The government, under Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney, has recently tightened citizenship laws, making it harder for people to get an Italian passport through Ancestry. Now, voters are getting a say. An Italian woman casts her ballot in a two-day national referendum. Voters are being asked, should the path to becoming Italian be shorter? Megan Williams reports. Italian Ian Sali playing I'm Troubled in Mind. The 34-year-old has a master's degree in law,

has written a book on space law, is a concert pianist and for nearly 20 years has been advocating to make it easier for kids of immigrants to get citizenship in the only country they've ever known. We have been loving for a change for 18 years now. The idea is just a matter of principle. His parents moved here from Uganda before he was born. But he had to wait until he was 18 to even apply for citizenship. Then face Italy's maze of bureaucracy. Now the chance to make the process easier is finally being put to voters.

The referendum asks if the wait for citizenship should be cut from 10 to 5 years for non-EU migrants like in France and Germany. If passed around 2.5 million people could apply. Roughly 1 in 10 people in Italy are legal foreign residents. Many were born or raised here but their path to citizenship is often one long hassle. Kids often turn 18 before their parents finish their applications. Then they have to start all over again. Even if they're students, they have to prove they earn enough to live on. But here's the catch to the referendum. If less than half of voters show up, none of it counts, which seems likely. Voter turnout has been

slipping for years at just 50% in the last national election, the seems likely. Voter turnout has been slipping for years, at just 50 percent in the last national election, the lowest ever. A quarter of Italy's population is over 65. Italy's president, Sergio Mattarella, has spoken out about the importance of giving citizenship to immigrants. But many older people here who tend to vote most aren't keen on the proposal, says pollster Lorenzo Preliasco. They would have young people drawled in favor of the proposal, but they also have to show up and vote. The right-wing government isn't pushing back directly.

They've just stayed quiet, hoping turnout stays low. It is easier for them tactically, just ignore the referendum and let the general decline of turnout do the rest. Prime Minister Giorgio Maloney said she'd go to the polling station, but wouldn't take a ballot, which is no surprise to Sali.

He says Maloney's playing to the older voters, the ones who still hold most of the country's power and wealth. She knows a huge part of the population, very old, senior, they don't really care. After all his degrees, the activism, the musical accomplishments, Sally says he's done with waiting. His sister left for France 10 years ago. She has a great career and has socked away enough money for a down payment on an apartment. Now it's his turn. It is sad to say, but it's common sense and your life improves. He's had enough of playing the same old tune, hoping Italy will take note.

Megan Williams, CBC News, Rome. In this country, the federal liberals are also attempting a citizenship change. On Thursday, the government tabled Bill C-3. It would automatically grant citizenship to people born abroad, to Canadians who were also born in another country, people who have been referred to as lost Canadians. It would reverse a change made by the government of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Another piece of legislation recently tabled is facing pushback. The One Canadian Economy Act was introduced Friday.

It proposes streamlining major infrastructure projects, think highways, ports or pipelines. The Prime Minister says there needs to be consensus behind the projects. JP Tasker explains why getting it won't be easy. We have had a trade war declared on us. We didn't ask for it, but we're in it and we have to win. As the country grapples with the U.S. trade war, the new Liberal government is promising to slash red tape to get major infrastructure projects built quickly. Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson is leading the effort.

To win that war, we need to do things we have not done before, and we need to do it at a speed we haven't done in generations. Energy is the initial focus, and Ottawa is considering two new corridors to carry oil, gas, electricity and minerals across the country. One could run from Prince Rupert in B.C BC to a port along Hudson Bay in Manitoba, with another on the east coast linking Atlantic Canada and Quebec to points further west. Hearing a federal government talk about pipelines and being an energy superpower, I think that's encouraging. Alberta is on board, but only if a new oil pipeline is part of the

equation. That's according to the province's environment minister, Rebecca Schultz. Our top priority is that bitumen pipeline through to northwest BC, but Port of Churchill could also be an important corridor for us. The project doesn't make sense. That's where things could fall apart. BC is dead set against another oil pipeline, says Energy Minister Adrian Dix. He wants federal support to expand liquefied natural gas exports instead. We're not as interested in proposals that would cost really tens of billions of dollars of public subsidy and don't even have a private sector proponent as we speak. I think First Nations are in a position now where they want to develop.

Kelvin Halleen is a First Nations business leader from northwestern BC who supports natural resources development. He says it could lift some Indigenous peoples out of poverty. And there's lots of talk of victimhood for good reason, but we have to move beyond that. We have to figure out how we're going to create our own self-reliance. Still, others are worried a streamlined approvals process could trample treaty rights. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler represents dozens of First Nations in Northern Ontario. We need to put ourselves in the driver's seat to dictate the process, how development will happen in our region. The Supreme Court has ruled Indigenous peoples do not have a veto over what gets built, but they must be consulted.

The Prime Minister says he wants to get projects off the ground within two years. Some provincial and Indigenous opposition could be the sticking point. JP Tasker, CBC News, Ottawa. The federal Liberals have also promised to build more housing. But some non-profits in Nova Scotia have already started taking Canada's housing crisis into their own hands, building and buying up properties for people in need. But as Shana Luck reports, the high costs of that strategy could threaten their plans for the future.

Hey, how are you Peggy? We're back for more stuff. Nancy O'Regan is a familiar face at the hardware store in Gysborough, Nova Scotia. She's on the board of an affordable housing non-profit called Community First. It bought a building to provide homes for seven people and about half of what they'd pay on the private market. Desperately needed in this rural area, but it's costly to operate. O'Regan and all the other board members are volunteers because there's no money to hire staff.

She says it's not sustainable. There's no pots of money that come along with doing this work that help you sustain your organization. In the long term, I worry about board member burnout. In the last few years, all levels of government have created programs to help nonprofits buy or build across Canada. But once they become property owners, the organizations must manage their finances on their own, while charging lower rent than the private market. Some make up the difference by fundraising. But O'Regan's group is already working flat out.

Adding fundraising to their other duties doesn't seem reasonable. Everyone is working a lot. And if I had to add a layer of fundraising to those efforts to build affordable housing, I'm concerned about the sustainability of the organizations. An organization in the town of Anaganish, Nova Scotia is in a similar spot. They already operate 28 units at a loss. Colleen Cameron is the board chair, another volunteer. Our operations is not breaking even with the rental income that we have. So that's being supplemented through fundraising and grants that we can get. There is another way. Some nonprofits charge market rent on some of their units,

which subsidize the low rent units. It's called a mixed income model. The Anaganish Society grappled with it for more than a year, but made a decision in May. We're realizing we cannot build affordable housing and be sustainable without having market rents included. They will include some market rents in their next development to support the rest. Proponents argue that can result in more vibrant neighbourhoods. Trish McCourt is the executive director of the Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association.

If we build neighbourhoods that are accommodating everyone in the community and what their needs are, it's just better for everyone. Back in Guy'sborough County, the plan is to build another six units. If they charge market rent on a few of them, that would mean more income to expand. But Nancy O'Regan isn't sold yet. I'm concerned about it because I know we need a lot of affordable housing. It's going to take us so much longer to get there if we have to do that. And she worries that time is short.

So this is a decision our board is going to be faced with, you know, within the next half year. Shana Luck, CBC News, Guysboro, Nova Scotia. The The sexual assault trial of five former World Junior Hockey players enters a new stage on Monday. The five defense teams and the Crown will start making their closing arguments to the court. And while the two sides make their cases inside the courtroom, outside the courthouse, other, sometimes heated, arguments are playing out with

supporters of the complainant and the defendants confronting each other with chants slogans and signs. Karen Pauls has been watching and listening and brings us that story. We're inviting guys for a three-way with a woman might not be the right thing however it is not illegal when a girl is consented to this. Michael McLeod has had his career ruined. An unnamed man in a heated conversation with an unidentified EM supporter outside the London courthouse last month. The woman challenged him on the issue of consent. No, she went to a room with one man.

And she's stripped naked and masturbated in front of the man. And then the man made a phone call and invited others to join. Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formonton, Dylan Dubay and Cal Foote are accused of sexually assaulting a complainant known under a publication ban as EM. She testified she was degraded, humiliated, spit on and slapped while being pressured into performing sex acts on players in a London, Ontario hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala in 2018. McLeod faces a second charge of party to the offense. The players have all pleaded not guilty. Witnesses including Hart have testified EM was an active participant in what they say were consensual sex acts.

We see people talking about women in this very kind of demeaning and harmful way. Landon Kenney is a male allyship educator at the Sexual Assault Centre of Waterloo. He does education in schools with sports teams and community organizations on consent, healthy masculinity and relationships, and how to challenge rape culture. The young men in this trial have become figureheads for a movement that they probably want nothing to do with. There are groups of people out there who have a vested interest in trying to ensure that conversations like this happen. A lot of the kind of classic victim-blamey rhetoric because... That belief is rampant on social media and also for some who have been watching the trial unfold. In hindsight, again, they're probably wishing that they never went to that room.

Steven Janowitz is a hockey player advisor from Detroit, Michigan. He also coached boys high school hockey for many years. He wonders why the players were charged in the first place. It just seemed like the crown didn't have a lot of evidence. When it comes to the issue of consent, he says he was taught that when a woman says no, she means no, but I've never heard him saying no. So that's I have a quandary with that. The crown specifically addressed that in its opening statement.

Consenting to one kind of sexual activity does not automatically mean consenting to another, and the absence of no does not mean yes. The thing that really sort of struck home for all of us was that this woman was having to do this alone. Karen Barnes and two of her friends have posted an open letter to EM online. It has thousands of signatures. I just think she's been tremendously courageous. I'd like to thank her that by speaking up and doing this she's going to help somebody else in the future.

Kelly Proudfoot says she's been touched by some of the comments, but also saddened that tens of thousands of people have read the petition, but not signed it. For me it's like it's the silence. I think the message on there where it's like you can love hockey and you can believe EM. What I want to see is her know that she has support. Closing arguments begin Monday as lawyers for both sides try to convince the judge of their case. It may not persuade vocal supporters outside the courthouse, or changed the conversation across the country. Karen Pauls, CBC News, London, Ontario.

You're listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Brussels is seen as a hub of international cooperation. It's the de facto capital of the EU and home to NATO HQ. But at the level of local politics, the Belgian metropolis, it's kind of a mess. As of Monday, it'll be one year since it has had a functioning government. And as William Denslow reports, the political impasse is taking a toll. It's been months of political gridlock, and for many of Brussels' roughly 1.2 million inhabitants,

there's a sense of resignation. Local resident Olivier makes a living unclogging pipes. But this is a jam that shows few signs of easing. I don't know whether to laugh or cry about it. This is definitely the country of surrealism and you have to take it in stride. The Brussels political landscape is complex, to put it mildly. A coalition must be formed in both the French and Dutch-speaking groups. They then need to reach a joint agreement to form a

regional government. But this political stalemate comes at a cost. The city's deficit is growing by more than $4.5 million a day. The previous administration remains in charge in a caretaker capacity. But a new government is needed to pass a fresh budget. Brussels Mobility and Public Works minister Elke van den Brant says this is the first time in 35 years that it's taken more than a couple of months to form a government. If a few politicians who put their own career and their own political party and their own interests out of foreground and they forget about why they're doing this and this is a love

for our region. Van den Brant says the current deadlock is creating insecurity for the city's social and health care organisations and it's put the brakes on infrastructure projects that have been in the pipeline. We feel that we're restricted to continue what exists and that we cannot put in place new projects for the moment. Political stalemates are not just a Brussels trait. At the federal level, a government was formed earlier this year after seven months of negotiations. Dave Sinardet is a professor of political science at the Free University of Brussels. It's quite clear of course that this institutional landscape should be simplified.

Most politicians will tell you indeed that it is too complex and that it should be simplified, but then they don't necessarily agree on how it should be simplified." Faced with linguistic and political differences, Szilard deus says it's a miracle Brussels hasn't faced a political crisis like this sooner. For a city with 19 different mayors, residents like Olivier say political gridlock is normal and there's no need to panic. William Denslow for CBC News, Brussels. One of the biggest splashes on Broadway right now, Death Becomes Her. The adaptation of the 1992 movie is in

the running for Best Musical at tonight's Tony Awards. Broadway's biggest night is really big this year. Hosted by Cynthia Erivo, a Tony winner herself and star of the movie version of the musical Wicked. Other modern Broadway classics are also being honored. The original cast of Hamilton, including creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, reuniting for a special performance to mark the 10th anniversary. Meanwhile, a Broadway superstar could solidify her legacy even more. Like the lights, you got nothing but lights. Audra McDonald already holds the record for most acting wins with six Tony Awards.

She's up for another for her portrayal of Mama Rose in the revival of Gypsy. That's her 11th nomination, also a record. A certain movie star has his first Tony nod. Good night and good luck. George Clooney up for best actor in a play for his Broadway debut in the adaptation of his film Good Night and Good Luck. But aside from all the flash and famous names, there's one musical a lot of people

think could quietly run away with the top prize. New York set the perfect mood on the day we met. Unbelievable. Maybe Happy Ending is the story of two obsolete, lifelike helper robots who fall in love in a near future Seoul, South Korea. It has 10 nominations, including Best Musical. So here's some more from it. This is The Rainy Day We Met on Your World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Thanks for listening. The crowded and noisy world

was silent except our beating hearts. It's all those quiet parts you later can't forget.