Your World Tonight - Sask evacuees angry, paying for Covid vaccines in Alberta, Iran’s nuclear program, and more

Episode Date: June 26, 2025

One day after the evacuation order was lifted in Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, residents say the province failed them. The Wolf fire destroyed more than 200 buildings, in a community of 700 people. Some residents say the premier should have called in more help to protect their homes.And: Albertans are wondering — who will pay for their Covid vaccines? The province has said it will only pay to vaccinate certain high-risk groups.Also: The White House is attacking the media over a leaked report on U.S. military strikes in Iran. But there’s still no definitive word on how hobbled Iran’s nuclear program is. How bad is the damage, and where is the uranium?Plus: Police in schools, the financial cost of lung transplants for Nova Scotians, sending money overseas, and more.

I'm Joshua Jackson, and I'm returning for the Audible original series, Oracle, Season 3, Murder at the Grandview. Six forty-somethings took a boat out a few days ago. One of them was found dead. The hotel, the island, something wasn't right about it. Psychic agent Nate Russo is back on the case, and you know when Nate's killer instincts are required, anything's possible.

This world's gonna eat you alive. Listen to Oracle Season 3, Murder at the Grandview, now on Audible. This is a CBC Podcast. [♪ music playing, no lyrics, just the beat of the drums and the drums of the music playing in the background. Just ash, like there's nothing left. It's like it's hard enough to lose your own home, but to see your entire community gone,

it was just devastating. Coming home to nothing. Saskatchewan residents return after a wildfire tour through their village, destroying homes, possessions, and memories. Sadness and loss that for some is paired with anger at officials and accusations the community was left to burn. Welcome to Your World Tonight.

I'm Julianne Hazelwood. It's Thursday, June 26th, just before 6pm Eastern. Also on the podcast. People are like scared. We're still giving it to most of the people when they ask for it, but we have no clue when they're going to cut, when is the cut off time for not having the vaccine. At the height of the pandemic they were required for travel, attending events or even going to work but governments aren't mandating COVID-19 vaccines anymore and in Alberta the province

won't even pay for them leaving some vulnerable groups out of luck and pain out of pocket. and paying out of pocket. They're finally being allowed to return to their community, but the damage is overwhelming. The village of Dener beach in northeastern Saskatchewan ravaged by a wildfire last month that destroyed more than 200 homes. As residents survey what they lost, some are asking tough questions about what more could have been done to save it. Alexander Silberman reports. Just ash, like there's nothing left. Rhonda Wurbicki returned to sift through the charred remains of her family home in Denerbeach, Saskatchewan.

It's where her husband proposed and their children grew up. Now that house full of 26 years of memories is gone. I just broke. It was so hard to just see our community in a shambles. Residents are returning to the northern Saskatchewan village after an evacuation order was lifted Wednesday. In the community of about 700 people. The damage from the Wolf Fire is devastating. Entire streets have been reduced to blackened rubble with more than 200 homes destroyed by flames. Amid the pain of the damage, there's also

frustration with the opposition NDP and village residents accusing the province of mishandling the response. No help while they were displaced, no help now that they've returned home. Jordan McPhail is the new Democrat MLA for the region. He says the people of Denerbeach want to know why Premier Scott Moe didn't call for federal help when neighboring Manitoba brought in the military. They need action and they need support and they need it now. Moe has defended the decision to not ask for military support,

arguing they don't offer the type of help required like highly skilled firefighters. As Dener beach burned, four of the province's water bombers also sat idle. The province says two of them needed inspections and another two were grounded due to unavailable parts. A new air tanker was also parked because no pilot was certified to fly it. So Denaer Beach was left to burn. Local contractor Paul Rossington volunteered to help firefighters. He says it was frustrating to see nearby

Flynn Flawn, Manitoba receive substantially more resources. While Denier Beach relied heavily on local volunteers to save homes with hardly any extra ground crews or equipment. I'm not saying that it would have been saved completely, but the losses could have been minimized. Amid the rubble where Bickey says her family will rebuild, no matter how long that might take. Let's do it. Let's move on.

The determination to move on could take considerable time. The province will need to conduct an environmental assessment of damaged homes before cleanup begins. A small step as residents work to rebuild their lives. Alexander Silberman, CBC News, Regina. Starting tomorrow morning, Manitoba is lifting most of its remaining fire and travel bans. Restrictions for the provinces north and east have been in effect since late last month. Officials say recent rainfall has helped lower the wildfire threat, but they warn the situation could quickly change. Kristin Hayward is with Manitoba's wildfire service.

I just want to remind folks that when they go home in these situations, they're going back to still a very active fire. The fires remain out of control even though we might have control directly adjacent to the community, there's a lot of area where fire can still burn. Roughly 6,500 people in Manitoba are still out of their homes because of a half dozen wildfires burning out of control. Even as the urgency of COVID-19 diminishes, many doctors still recommend getting vaccinated. But in Alberta, most people

will soon have to pay for the shot out of pocket. Earlier this month, the province announced it's cutting public funding. Paige Parsons is in Edmonton with the backlash and confusion over insurance coverage and cost. When the province announced most Albertans will pay out of pocket for COVID vaccines going forward, Edmonton pharmacist Mohammed El Feshaoui started getting requests from people trying to get one more dose for free, especially seniors. At an estimated $110 per dose, he says many people won't be able to afford it. Only people living in group settings or care homes, those on social programs and immunocompromised will get free vaccines. And access will be limited. Pharmacists will no longer be able to give the shot. And we're still giving it to most of the people when they ask for it. But we have no clue

when they're going to cut, when is the cut off time for not having the vaccine. Some unions are pushing employers to add coverage for COVID vaccines to group health benefits but say ideally the province should just back down. Heather Smith is the president of the United Nurses of Alberta. Alberta Health Services has not given us an answer yet but even if they do what that means is that it will fall onto the insurance companies which will mean increased premiums both for employees and employers. Non-profit insurance provider Alberta Blue Cross says it's getting questions about adding vaccine coverage but figuring out which plans could be

eligible is a complex process that will take time. Paying out of pocket for the COVID vaccine makes Alberta an outlier not only in Canada. 90% of Americans get the shot for free because of federal regulations requiring it. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Associate Professor Jamie Daw says Canada does not have the same rules. I think that's sort of part of this broader conversation about sort of privatization in the Canadian healthcare system more generally and how we should grapple with it and what policies and regulations might be needed in cases like this.

The province says during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season, $135 million worth of doses went to waste. It says making Albertans pay for the shot is an effort to cut costs. Meanwhile, over the past 10 months, 369 Albertans have for the shot is an effort to cut costs. Meanwhile, over the past 10 months, 369 Albertans have died of COVID, compared to 234 flu deaths, even though flu vaccines remain publicly funded. A spokesperson for the province says they took guidance

from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and also considered Alberta's specific needs in deciding who gets free shots. But Alberta infectious diseases expert, Dr. Len Lenora Saxinger says they left out the biggest group that Nassie says should get immunized. People over 65 have been, you know, the lion's share of hospitalizations and deaths. ICU states from COVID over the entire pandemic, including up till now. She worries asking them to pay is downplaying the risk for the people who need it most.

Paige Parsons, CBC News, Edmonton. The Canadian Senate has approved a law that would give the government sweeping new powers to fast-track major infrastructure projects. Bill C-5 has faced heavy opposition over the speed it passed through the House of Commons. But Prime Minister Mark Carney says the legislation is needed to help Canada reduce its economic reliance on the United States. The law will come into effect later today when it's signed by Governor General Mary Simon. Still to come on the podcast, destroy, diminished or undeterred, US officials are standing by the president's claim that military strikes took out Iran's nuclear capability. And uniformed officers could be back in Ontario schools. Also, why

sending money around the world can be a hassle for Canadians. The answer is somewhere, deep inside Iran underground at heavily guarded sites. How effective were the US strikes on nuclear facilities and does Iran have any nuclear capability left? President Donald Trump has insisted it's totally obliterated despite reports claiming the damage will only set Iran back a few months. Paul Hunter reports. The mission, which will go down in the history books, was an overwhelming success. At the White House press briefing, the intent by press secretary Caroline Levitt to set the record straight as the

White House sees it on the effectiveness of that US bomb attack Sunday in Iran. There is broad consensus emerging already that Iran's nuclear capabilities were indeed destroyed. But reporting earlier this week based on a leaked preliminary assessment from the Pentagon's own intelligence agency had suggested the opposite. Early findings, which if true, would have been an embarrassment for President Trump, who had said Iran's nuclear capabilities had been obliterated, says the White House now.

When we look at the entirety of the intelligence that we have to this date, it concludes that these strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities were absolutely successful. It was a total obliteration, as the president said. Well, good morning, everybody. Likewise at the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. I hope with all the ink spilled, all of your outlets find the time to properly recognize this historic change in continental security. So what is the extent of the damage?

Raphael Grossi, who leads the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, says it is significant and that Fordow, Iran's largest nuclear facility, is no longer operational, but he would not assess whether or how long it might take to repair. Back at the Pentagon, Dan Cain, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with more details on the bombing but little evidence of the result. First that the weapons were built, tested and loaded properly. Two, the weapons were released on speed and on parameters. The weapons he continued found their targets and exploded. Today, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that it was a, quote, perfect flight.

And so to Iran, where its supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, released his first comments on the attack and the result. A great Iran and the word of surrender, they don't match. They don't match with each other. It's a joke. It's a ridiculous thing to say. The White House also underlining today it is on a diplomatic path with Iran and that Trump wants peace.

Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. While American and Iranian leaders argue about how much damage was actually done on the ground in Iran, there are other important questions that remain unanswered. The CBC's Briar Stewart is on the Iranian-Turkish border tonight. Briar, why is there so much focus on Iran's uranium? Well, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that before the strikes, Iran had about 400 kilograms of uranium, rich to 60 percent. Now weapons-grade uranium needs to be 90 percent.

But experts say Iran could achieve that in a week or two if it had the right material and the right equipment. And that's the question. Does it still have stockpiles of centrifuges? And does it still have stockpiles of centrifuges and does it still have that uranium? Here is Gokhar Morozhanova with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Nonproliferation. What we really don't know is where that material is. The 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enriched at 60 percent.

Where is it? Where was it at the time of the attacks? Did Iran move it somewhere? Did all of it survive the attacks? Did some of it survive the attacks? We don't know and right now Iran is not providing information about that And so that is a that is a serious amount of material unaccounted for Now Iran claims it did move it It told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it had taken special measures.

And the head of that agency said it's possible that the uranium is still there. The Trump administration has vociferously denied that the uranium was moved, saying that the cargo truck shown in satellite images at the Fordo site a few days before the U.S. launched its airstrikes belonged to concrete workers trying to cover up the shafts of the facility and not moving the uranium. And if Iran doesn't cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency what then what would that mean? Well Iran's Parliament has passed a bill saying it will no longer cooperate with the IAEA but the law still needs to be enacted by the country's leaders. But if Iran stopped cooperating it would mean that inspectors would not be able to

access the sites, and it would be in breach of its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty again. It could be reported to the Security Council, but experts say there are really limited options for repercussions because Iran is already sanctioned. So what's the plan then to have Israel and possibly US periodically bomb Iran into submission? That's not a very sustainable plan. And if anything, it might convince Iran even further, the political elites in Iran, the leadership that they absolutely have to have nuclear weapons.

And Mujhajanova fears that if Iran severs its cooperations with the watchdog agency, it could fuel a vicious cycle. Briar, thanks very much for this. You're welcome. The CBC's Briar Stewart in Van Turkie. Activists, parents and students spent years pushing to get police officers out of Ontario schools.

Now the provincial government is on the verge of bringing them back, with the Premier arguing they're part of the community and need it to keep schools safe. Phil Blichanock reports. Outside Queen's Park, a small group from across the province oppose the return of police officers to Ontario's public schools. Sabrina DeHobb is a trustee with the Hamilton Wentworth School Board. We don't want cops with guns in our hallways. In 2020, Hamilton's school Board voted to revoke permission

for the city's police to have officers in public schools, citing discrimination felt by Black, Indigenous and racialized students. DeHob says the situation has not changed. The potential and the threat of mandating police in our schools poses extreme risks to students all across this province. Toronto ended its decade-long experiment with police and schools in 2017. Robin Maynard has a child enrolled in the Toronto District School Board. She says that decision should not be reversed.

There's been enormous consultation and after that consultation in Toronto, in Hamilton, in Kitchener-Waterloo, the consultation found that black, indigenous, and other marginalized children were being harmed by these programs. But Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he's heard from parents from across the province who want police officers back in schools for the safety of students. And he denies that students feel threatened by them. No, they're part of the community. They used to be in there. And they get along extremely well with the students there. Students love knowing that they're part of the community. They used to be in there and they get along extremely well

with the students there. Students love knowing that they're there. They're going to be very, very helpful and the parents are very, very happy. Mark Baxter is the president of the police association of Ontario. He says interacting with a school resource officer is why he became interested in policing. Students see police in a different light and they realize oh this police officer is just like me and we have these positive interactions within the school environment. Police are present in schools in every province across Canada but it's a patchwork and the decision is often left up to school boards and even individual schools. But Alex de Costa, a professor in the faculty of education at

the University of Alberta, says it's not clear if all students feel safer. The question of effectiveness remains unfounded in terms of evidence coming out of the many many studies in the United States. But we do know that there are adverse effects on racialized students. De Costa says when pressed for time, administrators will turn to police in schools to deal with issues they cannot handle. Putting SROs in schools increases punitive forms of discipline, where principals and teachers will turn to the police officer in their school to help them with things that

they might not have turned to them for in the past. There's also the question of who pays for police in schools with many municipalities having to contribute from their already stretched policing budgets. Philliply Shannock, CBC News, Toronto. For the family of someone going through a life-saving organ transplant, the emotional toll can be enormous. So can the financial burden. It can involve traveling out of province and staying for months. And people in Nova Scotia say the support offered by the government isn't nearly enough. Carolyn Ray reports. Because if there was any chance that I could help to save my husband's life I would have given

everything. It's been just over a month since Verbena Breton-Gogan's husband Don died at Toronto General Hospital. Don had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. His only chance of survival was a lung transplant. But after his surgery in December, he developed complications. He was 61 years old when he died in May. I did not feel my province cared at all about my husband having a lung transplant at a province. The couple from Spring Hill, Nova Scotia had to live in Toronto for 15 months while Dawn was on the transplant list. The surgery isn't offered in

Halifax. Both of them left their jobs and moved some of their belongings. The province gave them a monthly allowance, currently $3,000 a month. Families need apartments that are accessible, close to the hospital with month-to-month leases. The cheapest place she could find was $3,600. Verbena sold their car in ATV. They took out a loan. Then she lost her husband. It's huge for me. I'm gonna be selling my house. I can't keep my house. Handy rejection. Just outside of Halifax, Nan Clark has a view of the ocean from her kitchen window.

It's a view she missed terribly while waiting for her own double lung transplant. Her surgery six months ago has given her new strength. These lungs are fantastic. I can't do much. But that's okay. That'll come. Clark was in Toronto for nearly a year.

She spent $35,000 on top of the allowance just to cover the cost of her small furnished apartment. When she got home she sent the Premier the bill. The claim was rejected. It's a slap in the face. It's maybe a terrible thing to say but maybe a little bit of experience as a patient. Be able to tell them what it's like. The two women are now working together to push the province to increase the allowance. Fewer than 20 Nova Scotians need lung transplants a year, so they believe increasing the money

is peanuts compared to other government initiatives. Michelle Thompson, the province's health minister, says the department's budget can only go so far. We want to be responsive but it isn't a cost recovery program and we have to also maintain the integrity of the entire system and I know that's difficult. Through her grief, Verbina Bretton-Gogan says she'll keep pushing. This is life or death. This is basic medical coverage when you're sick. She says Dawn was an advocate so she'll do anything she can to prevent others from similar financial struggles as a way to honor his memory.

Carolyn Rae, CBC News, Halifax. Sending money to a friend within Canada is easier than ever. Most bank accounts include free electronic transfers. But if you're sending your money to another country or in another currency, the fees can get expensive and the process much more complex. Anis Haidari has more on the calls to change that. I went to their international money transfer webpage and tried to enter all this information and had a lot of difficulty. Dick Newson was trying to send 1,000 euros to a friend's account in France.

He was struggling to use his Scotiabank account to do that. He found the interface tricky with a lot of banking jargon, but he thought it went through. And then what happened is two weeks later, our friend said, I don't have my money yet. Newsom called his bank. He says they wanted a $25 fee to try again in person at a branch. And that original thousand euros, they still aren't in his friend's account. Scotiabank, people I talked to assured me the money is not lost. They said, don't worry, the money is not lost. You can always get it back. But it's been misdirected somehow. And we'll try

and figure that out. In a statement, Scotiabank said it's working closely to ensure this matter is resolved. But for Dick Newsom, his beef isn't that something went wrong. It's that he thinks this should be cheaper and simpler. Nonetheless, there are ways of doing this easily. And I just wish banks would step up to that and say, you know, we would like to make it easier to do. So there are several transaction steps involved. Werner Antweiler is an international trade economist at the UBC Sauter School of Business. He points out this is more complicated than a domestic e-transfer sent for free. Well, right now we don't have the kind of simplified system,

for example, that's in place in the European Union, where transfers are carried out in real time and at a really low cost in part because of regulation, in part also because it's a much more competitive landscape. Scotiabank, TD and RBC didn't agree to speak with CBC News on this topic and referred to the Canadian Bankers Association. It issued a statement saying that international money transfers

face different legal requirements around the world and that often the costs are consistent no matter how much money you send. But researcher Antweiler points out another factor. The banks will have any reason to keep their fees in place. And really the only way that's bringing them down is competition. And so we need new entrants, a competition to bring down the prices.

That started to happen in Canada. Smaller competitors like Wise and EQ Bank are advertising global currency transfers. Hannah Zadie is with Wealthsimple. It's just launched new products as well. You can send or receive wires from the same place that you check your balance. No paperwork, no branch visits. We don't have any branches. You know exactly what you're paying for and it's going to be significantly cheaper.

But what about the missing cash that never landed in France? After CBC's first report on Dick Newsom's complaint, he says Scotiabank offered a refund. And he's had already CBC News, Calgary. Finally, it's one of the sounds of summer in Quebec City. Street performers taking over sidewalks and public squares. A vibrant scene that some say is being stifled by a new rule.

It brings a life to the city that we love to share and I think the tourists really love seeing street performers. For some reason they keep adding these extra restrictions on what we can and can't do. It cuts some of the creativity out of what we're allowed to do as artists in the street. Musician Bosco Baker is one of several speaking out about a rule that now requires street performers to sing exclusively in French at two popular sites in the city's Petite Champlain area. Bosco has several original songs with French lyrics,

but he sings in English too. ["Troubles in the Heart"] A Quebec City spokesperson tells CBC the two sites are reserved for French-only lyrics to honor the francophone character of the neighborhood, and that the rule highlights the 40th anniversary of Quebec's inclusion on the World Heritage Cities list. It isn't the only administrative hoops street performers have to jump through. There are permits, even an audition and selection process. But after that, some buskers say they should be free to sing in whatever language they want. I am a subredniest, I am a separatist, I think this world is ridiculous.

Bertie Veuilleau is a francophone street performer. He fully supports protecting the French language and performs in French himself when he feels like it. But he says forcing musicians to sing in a certain way is out of tune with the creative culture that makes the street performing scene in Quebec City so special. Thank you for being with us.

This has been Your World Tonight for Thursday, June 26. I'm Julianne Hazelwood. Take care.