Your World Tonight - Trump/Carney phone call questions, expats vote, daycare company plea, and more

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

With just a few days left in this election campaign Liberal leader Mark Carney is hammering home his pitch that he is the best one to take on U.S. President Donald Trump. But there are new questions tonight about just what was said when the two talked back in March.And: Cross border relations are crucial in this campaign. As many as 800-thousand Canadians live in the United States, but only a fraction of them voted in the last federal election. This time – they may be a bit more fired up.Also: A Calgary company connected to an E. coli outbreak that sickened hundreds of children at daycare centres in 2023 has pleaded guilty to bylaw infractions. The catering company Fuelling Minds admitted it did not have a food services business licence at the time of the outbreak.Plus: A drop in opioid deaths, Russia attack in Ukraine, Rome's most vulnerable residents pay their respects to the Pope, and more.

1942, Europe. Soldiers find a boy surviving alone in the woods. They make him a member of Hitler's army. But what no one would know for decades, he was Jewish. Could a story so unbelievable be true? I'm Dan Goldberg. I'm from CBC's Personally, Toy Soldier. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. Look, the president says lots of things, but the essence of the discussion and where we moved the conversation to was exactly what I said positive cordial and constructive is how mark Carney described his March 28th phone call with Donald Trump a Characterization he is sticking to even while now

Acknowledging that cordial and constructive call also included the US president talking about Canada becoming the 51st state. It was not being straight up and now Canadians have a lot of questions. What the hell is that? And if that is not true, what else is not true? A phone call between two leaders becomes the talk of the campaign. Welcome to Your World Tonight. It is Thursday April April 24th, just before 6pm Eastern. I'm Susan Bonner, also on the podcast. It takes two to tango.

And you have to have Ukraine want to make a deal too. They're being hit very hard. And I do believe they want to make a deal. After the deadliest attack on Kiev in months, Donald Trump uses social media to tell Russia to stop. But Washington is still using its role as peace broker to push a ceasefire deal Ukraine will not accept. With just a few days left in this election campaign, Mark Carney continues to position himself as the best leader to confront US President Donald Trump.

But a conversation those two men had nearly a month ago, and how Carney described it, is leading to some questions for the Liberal leader. Cameron McIntosh, has the latest. Who can stand up to President Trump? Liberal leader Mark Carney in British Columbia, insisting as he has this whole election, he's the leader to deal with Donald Trump, while also facing repeated questions about their first and only phone call after new reporting by Radio Canada. Did President Trump bring up the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state during that call with you? The president brings this up all the time. He brought it up yesterday, he's brought it up before.

That call on March 28th came after weeks of Trump taking shots at Canada. I spoke to Governor Trudeau. Referring to then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Governor of America's soon-to-be 51st state. After replacing Trudeau, Carney said he would only talk to Trump on respectful terms as sovereign leaders. Two weeks later, just after they spoke, Carney was asked, Can you give us a sense of the tone that Donald Trump struck with you on the call? Did he call us the 51st state? Did he call you the governor or was he more respectful like he was in the Oval Office?

It was, as I say, it was a very, very productive, his words, very productive, mine, very constructive. They mean the same thing. It was a very cordial, substantive call. No mention of Trump referring to Canada as the 51st state. At the time, Carney did say Trump respected Canada's sovereignty,

as they agreed Canada and the U.S. would negotiate new economic and security deals after the election. Today, Carney stood by that. The president says lots of things, but the essence of the discussion and where we moved the conversation to was exactly what I said. Treated us with respect as a sovereign nation. Trump toned down that rhetoric for a while, but brought it back yesterday. And Carney is again pointing to the sovereignty threat.

On the campaign trail, his opponents accused him of being misleading. Canadians are wondering what else is going to happen. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. He's not going to tell us about a phone call. What about the details of the negotiation? Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet. I believe many people in Canada and in Quebec will say, what the hell is that? And from Conservative leader Pierre Polyev.

What's clear is we will stand up for our sovereignty. As for what Carney says he told the president about the 51st state. That it will never happen. Carney still insisting he's the one to face Trump at the negotiating table. Cameron McIntosh, CBC News, Ottawa. Who picks up the phone the next time Washington calls will be decided in just a few days. And with the campaign winding down, party leaders are busy trying to shore up support with new promises and attacks. Rafi Boujikaneen starts today's campaign coverage in Quebec.

It seems more and more to have been a stunt. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet's comments about Mark Carney's phone call with Donald Trump were not his only offensive move against the Liberals today. He was in red territory in the eastern townships of Quebec, fighting for votes. Four years ago, the Liberals kept Brom-Misiscoua with just under 200 votes, and the Bloc seems to think this riding is within reach this time around. But this potential red-to-Bloc blue switch is not the main story being told by opinion polls in Quebec. Most suggest the Bloc could lose almost a third of its 33 seats.

Blanchet is defiant, though. There are a few days left in this campaign. Stick with us. If enough people listen to his message in this volatile and vote-rich province, it could undermine the Liberals' chances at government, or at least the majority, and give Blanchet the balance of power he's looking for. Rafi Boudjoukani on CBC News, Farnam, Quebec. I'm JP Tasker traveling with the Conservative campaign. The trajectory we were on after the last Liberal decade, were it to continue, would lead to

more despair, more inflation and higher costs. For his final pitch of this federal election, Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev is warning of the potentially dire consequences if voters return the Liberals to power. People need to know the terrifying picture that a fourth Liberal term will paint of higher costs of raging crime, of more despair. At a 30-minute press conference during his first and only campaign stop in Nova Scotia, Pauliev urged Canadians to vote for change some 55 times.

You know after this lost liberal decade we need change and we need a plan to deliver that change. Part of that change includes Polyev's latest promise to do away with the electric vehicle mandate if elected, scrapping a liberal policy that all new cars sold in Canada need to be zero emissions by 2035. Conservatives will put you back in the driver's seat for a change. While rolling out new policies to sway voters, the Conservative campaign is pushing back on reports Pauliev could lose his own long-held seat, telling CBC News they are confident he will win

the Ottawa area riding of Carlton again comfortably. The leader today projecting strength. We've got news for Mr. Carney. Canadians are taking back control of their lives for a change. Poliev is headed to the West Coast for the last push of this campaign, hitting conservative ridings where polls suggest the Liberals are poised to make gains.

JP Tasker, CBC News, Halifax. I'm David Thurton traveling with the NDP in Manitoba. Welcome to the center of the universe, otherwise known as Winnipeg Center. That's New Democrat Leah Gazan, who holds one of the three seats the party has in the province. Hers is probably a safe one, but one that's especially in play is Elwood Transcona, where the NDP is in a tight race against conservatives. In a September by-election the NDP won by just over a thousand votes.

Jekmeet Singh was eager today to highlight the differences between the two parties. Absolutely, people saw the benefit of having three new Democrats here in Manitoba. Three new Democrats delivered far more than all the conservatives combined in this province. Just three. Look at what these three new Democrats delivered for you. Free diabetes medication and devices. Manitoba is the first province to sign the deal. Singh is hoping his party's track record will help them keep a strong presence in Manitoba. Just in case that doesn't work, the party has brought in some extra muscle. At their campaign stops, Labour Union leaders have been showing up,

often before and after a busy day of door knocking. David Thornton, CBC News, Winnipeg. With cross-border relations so key to this campaign, one voting bloc is more engaged than ever. As many as 800,000 Canadians live in the United States, only a fraction of them voted in the last federal election. But as Chris Reyes reports from New York, expats there are

more fired up this time. Walk into the Canuck, a Manhattan bar and you'll find a shrine to all things Canada. Here we sat down with a group of Canadians living in New York, eager to cast their ballot in this federal election. They've all lived in the U.S. for decades but that hasn't changed their identity one bit. I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I'm from neighboring Newfoundland. In May, I will be a 25-year New Yorker.

And you still feel... I feel very Canadian. In an election that's been largely shaped by threats from the Trump administration, Sandra Pike feels compelled to stand up for the country. It's hard to sit back and not be a part of things and to show up and to pick up for Canada. Sanjay Gopal is voting with his family's interests in mind. With my parents still being in Canada, I just feel very vested in being able to help them. Christine Hutton still has a subscription to a Canadian newspaper.

She cares about Canada standing in the world. I really am looking at foreign policy and I'm looking at how Canada and the U.S. will have relations. And also vis-à-vis Canada, vis-à-vis China, vis-à-vis India, vis-à-vis Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza. Those things I feel are important. More than 800,000 Canadians live in the U.S. According to Elections Canada, 27,000 Canadians abroad cast a special ballot in the last federal election. This year, more than 90,000 ballot kits have been sent out to Canadians living outside the country. John Stackhouse is the author of Planet Canada.

He says this community of Canadian expats is an untapped resource as Canada forges a new path forward. Carrying out that Canadian conversation, not just within Canada, but with Canadians around the world could be very powerful for the country as we, with renewed confidence as a sovereign nation, continue to advance through the 2020s. Rena Batt is the vice president of the Canadian Association of New York. She says members are paying close attention to this election. I think our message to Canadians back home is that we are with you shoulder to shoulder.

We care about the issues that you care about and we want to be your ambassadors around the world. For Pike, the call for Canadian unity has resonated with her, even from New York. Canada's having a moment and I think that we here get to also be in that moment and to expand on it and to make it larger. An extension of Canada that goes beyond its borders. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. goes beyond its borders. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York.

Coming up on the podcast, a day in court for the Calgary catering company connected to the food poisoning outbreak that sickened hundreds of children and Russia's deadly attack on Ukraine's capital amid a push for peace. It was a story that sent fear into the hearts of parents across the country, hundreds of children sickened by the food served at their daycares. Today the central kitchen at the heart of the 2023 E. coli outbreak in Calgary has pleaded guilty to bylaw offenses. Julia Wong was in court when the company submitted its plea.

Julia, no one faced criminal charges in this case. Tell us what happened today in court. Well, the Fueling Minds Corporation pleaded guilty to four bylaw offenses, and it admitted to not having a food services business license at the time of the outbreak. Now Fueling Mines was the central kitchen responsible for preparing and providing food to several daycares in Calgary and it was in September 2023 that dozens of children

in Calgary started to get sick and they were ending up in hospital. An E. coli outbreak was declared and it ultimately lasted eight weeks. In the end, there were more than 448 cases and close to 40 children were hospitalized. Some were diagnosed with a syndrome that affected their kidneys. Health officials later said meatloaf or vegan loaf that was served for lunch most likely contained E. coli that led to the initial infections. Today, in an agreed statement of facts, the city and Fueling Minds says it has not been established that Fueling Minds' failure to obtain a food services business license caused the incident. And what kind of reaction has there been?

Well, we heard from the director of Fueling Minds, Faisal Alamoud, today. He addressed the justice with some brief comments. He said that he was at court because he takes the situation seriously and he apologized that the business did not have its catering license saying quote, in hindsight, I wish we would have had this unquote and he added that that business has since been shut down. We also spoke with a parent, Sarah McDonald. Her now five-year-old son got sick during the outbreak and he was hospitalized and he's still dealing with the consequences of that, she says. His kidneys will have to be monitored long term. Now she wasn't in court today but says that

she was glad the director took being charged seriously, adding she thinks not having a license is an issue of public safety. But you know it's been a year and a half and McDonald's says that she still doesn't have real closure because she doesn't feel like there's been real accountability putting the onus on the province and the province's health authority She says the system failed her son and she doesn't have faith in it anymore She just hopes people and companies do the right thing Now as for sentencing the judge heard arguments for a joint submission of $10,000 in fines But he reserved his decision until May 27th so

he could review some case law. But even after that, the story is far from over. Several lawsuits have been filed, including a proposed class action, and those cases are still winding their way through the courts. Thank you, Julia. Thank you. That's the CBC's Julia Wong in Calgary. Well, it is a positive development in a crisis that has been getting worse and worse for years.

More than 50,000 people have died from drugs in Canada since 2016. But new data shows overdose deaths are dropping. As Georgie Smythe explains, frontline workers still are not celebrating. In Vancouver's downtown east side, hope of an end to the drug crisis is fragile and yet users like Daniel Johnson are seeing fewer people dying from overdoses. I noticed that quite a bit, I think people have to wake up more naturally on their own. Data from the province shows a decline of 12% over 12 months. It's the same figure Canada-wide from Health Canada and a huge 25% in the US from the Centers for Disease Control.

And no one really knows why. The University of North Carolina's Opioid Data Lab is one place scientists like Naberun Dasgupta are testing theories. Maybe the drug supply got less toxic, people's survivability increased, or interventions like life-saving opioid reversal drugs and treatments could be making an impact. Our initial reaction was skepticism. It doesn't feel real until you hear the stories on the street. So then we called our syringe service program and they're saying, yeah, it feels like there's less reports of overdoses. There's more people who are coming

around for longer. People aren't disappearing anymore. Something is working, they say, but abrupt challenges to the drug supply could threaten that, like Canada's tariff-driven fentanyl crackdown and promises to disrupt precursor chemicals and trafficking. The worst thing we could do right now is crack down too quickly on fentanyl. If it becomes hard to get fentanyl, then there will probably be other drugs that flood the market. Sarah Blythe is the executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society. She says actions against fentanyl supply and distribution

should be calculated and measured. Organised crime adapts quickly, it can and has pivoted to create new substances in the past, often with unknown effects which puts more lives at risk. What would be the next drug? If it's carfentanil, then we're worse off. Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Stronger drugs leaching into the supply is always possible. It's a truth known best by drug users like Antony Tyrrell. So you're saying that any change to supply has a big impact on you?

It will. It's gonna. You're gonna see the crime rate go right up. Or Nick Regan, who got addicted to opioids after a car accident. Well, my life is at risk for all people don't forget that. Getting the balance right in the overdose crisis more important than ever in the light of precious progress. Georgie Smythe, CBC News, Vancouver. 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. Tensions between India and Pakistan ratcheted to a new level today.

The countries closed their shared border and airspace and are ejecting each other's citizens. Now there's talk of violent escalation, stemming from the killings of 26 tourists in India-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday. India accuses Pakistan of harbouring terrorists. It's threatening to divert a crucial waterway that flows to that country, something Pakistan says would be an act of war. In Kiev, rescuers spent the day pulling victims and survivors from the rubble after one of the worst Russian attacks in months. At least 12 people are dead and dozens more injured.

It comes as the US isS. is publicly pushing Ukraine to accept a peace plan Kiev says is favorable to Russia. Chris Brown reports. With Ukraine under immense pressure from the United States to make concessions, Russia escalated its war. Dozens of drones and missiles were aimed at a residential area in the capital Kyiv, leading to many civilian deaths and injuries. The horrors of this barbaric war continue, said Vladimir Klitschko, brother of the city's mayor. But unfortunately, the so-called free world is partially looking in the other direction. That's likely a reference to US officials who are trying to arm twist Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky

into reportedly accepting the Russian conquest and control of Crimea, which Russia invaded in 2014. In fact, US and Kremlin officials are sounding a lot like a tag team these days. By every second, it's becoming clear the inability of Zelensky to negotiate, said Russian spokesperson Maria Zaharova in Moscow today, with Trump voicing much the same thought a day earlier. I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky. So far it's been harder.

After the Kiev attack, Trump shifted his tone somewhat with a rare rebuke of Vladimir Putin in a social media post writing, Vladimir, stop. President Trump, sir, today you told Vladimir Putin to stop with the attacks. You think he'll listen to you. But later, as he met with Norwegian leaders at the White House, Trump repeated his claim that Putin is prepared to end his invasion, even suggesting that amounts to a compromise

from the Russian side. We are thinking that very strongly that they both want peace. What concessions has Russia offered up thus far to get to the point where you're closer to peace? Stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country. Pretty big concession. Speaking during a visit to South Africa, Zelensky again held firm,

saying Putin must first agree to a ceasefire before there's any talk of Ukrainian concessions. The troubled Zelensky-Trump dynamic will make the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Saturday even more noteworthy. More than 90,000 people have already filed past Francis' open coffin, but come the funeral, all eyes will be watching any interactions between the two leaders.

This will be the first time Zelensky and Trump will be in the same place since Trump's team berated Zelensky in the Oval Office in late February. Chris Brown, CBC News, Rome. Before Pope Francis is buried on Saturday, some of Rome's most vulnerable residents will be among the last to pay their respects. A final nod to the Pope's lifelong focus on helping those who need it most. Briar Stewart reports. Just steps from the crowds in the iconic pillars of St. Peter's Square, a much smaller group has gathered outside of Palazzo Miliori, a shelter that

welcomes some of Rome's needy every night. It was set up in the shadows of the Vatican by Pope Francis in 2019. Many people, they wanted just this place to be a hotel. But they said yes, it would be a hotel but for the poor, not for the rich. Carlo Santoro is with Sant'Egidio, a Catholic organization that runs charitable projects connected to the Vatican. Francis visited the shelter in 2019 and had dinner with residents. Today, 45 stay there each night. There are showers, beds and hot meals. Santorio says many from the community have met the Pope at events.

They can tell you very simply who Pope Francis is for them. He's my friend. That's all and it's deepest meaning. More than 22,000 people face homelessness in Rome and it's a common sight to see people sleeping on cardboard and under overhangs. Cubano Catalino Nelu is originally from Romania and was sleeping He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man.

He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man.

He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. He's a very good man. Peter's Square. Everybody misses him, he said.

He didn't care about different races. He loved everyone. Throughout his 12 years as Pope, France is advocated for the most vulnerable. As a dinner of pasta, chicken and salad is being served at the shelter, Fabrizio Salvati smiles as he remembers meeting the Pope. I told him thank you so much for all you do for poor. Some saw him as a much-needed voice of compassion that never wavered in the face of politics and those at this shelter hope that approach will continue with whomever becomes the next Pope. Briar Stewart, CBC News, Rome. Finally tonight it's recognition and an apology.

Decades after a magician pulled off her biggest trick of all. My magician friend the late Jenny Winsanley, she was really behind all this. And with her tuition I managed to do this character. As British magician Sophie Lloyd, who was technically the first woman to join the London-based Magic Circle. She was also the first woman to get kicked out of the world's premier magician society.

In 1991, when the circle was exclusively for men, Lloyd completed the entrance exam and interview disguised as Raymond Lloyd. The bodysuit was fine but the gloves is very hard to do sleight of magic. I wore plumpers as well to put the face, which is like plastic cheap things, on a brace to wear under your face. Raymond's act was a hit, although it soon became obsolete. Later that year, the Magic Circle announced women could be admitted, but when Lloyd got in touch and came clean, she was expelled. It didn't discourage her from magic.

She performed for decades without her accreditation until today. At a special ceremony, the Society officially apologized to Lloyd and readmitted her. The Magic Circles' Laura London says it was important to recognize what Lloyd was able to accomplish. Learned this act in 18 months, learned how to look like an 18-year-old boy, convince everyone that that's what Raymond was, and to be good enough to pass the Magic Circle exam, which is always difficult, so brilliant that we can invite her back as Sophie, which is the best. Lloyd says she's happy to be welcomed back, but even happier to see how much more inclusive magic has become over the years, and that acts of deception, like hers, aren't needed

anymore. Thanks for joining us. This has been Your World Tonight for Thursday, April 24. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.