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The AIH Transcript for May 23, 2017

Hosts: Carol Off and Jeff Douglas

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

CAROL OFF: Hello, I'm Carol Off.

JEFF DOUGLAS: Good evening, I'm Jeff Douglas. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

CO: It started as a night of pure fun. But as the Ariana Grande a concert in Manchester England ended, it became a night of pure horror when a man detonated a bomb in the entrance hall of the arena.

JD: The day after. A woman who was at the show describes the efforts to maintain calm after the explosion. And the moment she knew something had gone terribly wrong.

CO: Acting in concert. In the aftermath, the co-owner of a Manchester cab company asks his drivers to turn off their meters and offer anyone fleeing the arena a free ride.

JD: Fighting the real enemy. A frontline doctrine Yemen says the world needs to act now. Before the war-torn country’s cholera outbreak becomes a major epidemic.

CO: An unbreakable Bond. Over seven films as 007, the late Roger Moore made battling Blofeld look easy. And, as our guest recalls, he was as suave and witty off-screen as he was on.

JD: And… the heart of the city. The deputy leader of Manchester council tells us her city is grief stricken. But that last night's attack will not divide its people. In fact, it has already brought them together. As it Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio Manchester.

[Music: Theme]

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Part 1: Manchester bombing: concert goer/taxi driver, Yemen cholera

Manchester bombing: Concert goer

Guest: Anita Parmar

JD: It was a night of fun, a night of bubblegum pop music. And then a night of chaos.

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: The sounds of chatter and music on a busy street and then an explosion.]

FEMALE VOICE: Oh my God!

FEMALE VOICE: What’s going on? What just happened?

MALE VOICE: Come on, we’ve got to get going.

MALE VOICE ON PHONE: She looked very severely injured. She was very traumatized. There was blood bubbling out of her mouth and her nose and she was choking on it. It was just horrible.

MALE VOICE ON PHONE: Bodies everywhere, kids and that.

FEMALE VOICE: Please just somebody get a hold of her. I’m worried sick. We've not slept. We’ve got family out looking for here. Please, please, somebody must have seen her.

FEMALE VOICE: Yeah, very shaken. I think it's just the reality of how close it came.

JD: Those are sounds from the aftermath of a suicide bombing outside an Ariana Grande a concert in Manchester, England last night. 22 people were killed, 59 are injured. Among the dead was an 8-year-old girl. The pop singer Ariana Grande first became famous as the star of a kids’ show, many of her fans are children. Details are still emerging about the bomber, but he has been identified as 22-year-old Manchester-born Salman Abedi. On a messaging app called Telegram, ISIS has claimed it was behind the attack, but that has not yet been verified. Anita Parmar was among the approximately 20,000 fans who turned up to the concert last night, only to be caught up in the horror of the bombing. We reached Ms, Parmar in Bolton, England.

CO: Anita, I know you've had a very stressful 24 hours, so how are you doing now?

ANITA PARMAR: I'm OK. It's really upsetting hearing about some of the people who were killed in the blast, but most of us got out safely. So I'm grateful for that.

CO: So many children. So you were at the concert seeing all that. What was the audience like before this happened?

AP: We just had a fantastic concert. Everyone was cheering, still singing along. The last song had finished, so we literally picked up our bags, people started putting the jacket on and we just suddenly heard this bang. And there was a bit of hesitation and then from the side where we heard the noise lots of people started screaming and running away from that exit. So it completely changed the mood.

CO: Did you know what was happening? What did you think when you heard that sound?

AP: We didn't have a clue. People were saying was that a bomb? No, no, it wasn't a bomb; it was just a balloon bursting near a microphone. It was just equipment. People were theorizing, but everyone was in shock. People were trying to keep each other calm and be rational. But over at the other side where the explosion took place, we could see people were screaming and running away. So it was frightening and everyone was trying to get out. But People were helping each other. It wasn't until we got out of the building that we realized there’d been a bomb.

CO: What did you do when that happened to you? When there were people who were running. Were you close to an exit? Did you have to help anybody?

AP: I was with my friend, so the two of us sort of grab hold of each other and just made for the nearest exit. It felt like a long walk. We were at the very back at the top and while we were heading to the fire escape, there was an announcement saying you know you don't have to bunch up. Calmly make your way to an exit. So we really didn't have an idea of what was going on. We went down the fire escape and it wasn't till we got downstairs that we saw loads of smoke. When we stepped outside the fire alarm went off and there were loads of police, people lying on the floor, people crying and you know they’d lost their parents or lost their child. We hadn't realized any of this. The staff just managed to get most of us outside safely.

CO: We've heard the amazing stories of how calm and efficient security and ushers were as they got people out so they didn't trample each other.

AP: They were fantastic because like I said, the alarm didn't go off until we’d actually exited. So they’d done everything possible I feel to keep people calm. And you could hear people saying oh, it won't be a bomb. It's fine, let's just find an exit. People were actively trying to support each other and there was a lady in a wheelchair with full equipment and somebody helped to carry her out. Everyone was pulling together.

CO: And people outside when you saw them, was it children and a lot of young people?

AP: Loads of young girls 8, 9, 10-years-old with the moms crying and some without the moms. And there was security staff walking up and down the street to try and find the parents. Police were sort of shouting at us to move as far away from the building as possible, but at the same time, these girls were looking for their parents. Everyone fled so fast when we heard the bomb. Everyone just headed toward the exit, so I imagine a lot of people lost each other.

CO: And when you say there are injured people 60 ambulances apparently made their way to the scene to take people to eight different hospitals in Manchester where they had to go. And so what did you see in the way of injuries?

AP: I was lucky I was on the other side, so I didn't see any of the more significant injuries. There were more people that had fallen and people that were lost. It wasn't until we got around to the other side that's when I saw that there'd been a bomb. By which time, it was just covered in emergency services and the police were keeping us all away.

CO: How do you think that someone with a bomb was able to get so close to that crowd of 20,000 people?

AP: Well, the arena to the exterior the lounge and box office is accessible through the train station and is a public area. Anyone can walk in and out. There’s no security prior to actually going into the arena. I think security did their job because we were all safe and alive in the actual arena.

CO: Were your bags checked as you went through?

AP: Yeah, we had bags checked and there were plenty of security staff and cameras. But as I said, the bomb was not inside. So I feel they did their job.

CO: Because you presume the bomber wanted to be inside the arena?

AP: I would imagine if that person was trying to cause maximum damage then yeah. The box office area you know it leads to the train station, so anyone left just two minutes before we did to catch their train and anyone that was in that area was at risk of getting hurt. And obviously that's how all those people that were there got hurt. They were all just trying to go home.

CO: How long did you stay there before you were able to get home?

AP: We were we were lucky. We were only waiting around two and a half hours before we're able to get a taxi. But even then the driver and people around, nobody knew what was going on. And when we said there’d been a bomb they were in disbelief. They just didn't believe us, which is understandable. These things just don't happen. You know the last bomb we had was in 1996.

CO: In Manchester.

AP: Yeah, in Manchester. I think everyone was just doubting that something like this could be possible. You know even people like me that actually saw what happened. It is not until today that things are really sinking in when you see the news and see young girls that ended up being hit by the blast.

CO: What is sinking in for you today?

AP: I think the fact that we were all very British and supportive of each other you know staying calm, getting everyone out, moving away, following the rules, doing all we could to help each other. And then you know all the people that consequently were offering rooms and offering food, offering a place to stay, offering free rides home to people. That's what came out of it. It wasn’t every man for himself at all. And I think that was really reassuring for me.

CO: Anita, I'm glad you're OK and I really appreciate you would speak with us. Thank you.

AP: Thank you. Thank you very much.

CO: Good Night

AP: Night.

JD: Anita Parmar was at the Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester last night. We reached her earlier today in Bolton, England. And last night's tragedy was met with many acts of kindness. Manchester residents opened their doors to stranded and frightened concert goers. Cab drivers offered free rides to those trying to escape the panic and confusion.

Manchester bombing: taxi driver

Guest: Sam Arshad

JD: Sam Arshad is the co-owner of StreetCars Manchester, which is a taxi company in that city. We reached him earlier today in Manchester.

CO: Sam, where were you when you heard about the explosion at the arena.

SAM ARSHAD: I was actually on my way home from the office. To get home I need to drive past the arena. As I come up to the arena I normally get caught up in the traffic there, so I thought nothing of it until I saw a lot of panicked people, people in distress, people in fear and a lot of distressed children.

CO: You passed by the area shortly after it happened. Did you know that there had been an attack in the arena?

SA: Well personally myself, I didn’t hear anything. But with the scenes at the time, it looked like something serious had happened. I spoke to the police officer that attended the scene. Then he informed me there was a large explosion that they needed to evacuate the area as quick as possible. That's when I realized that something really horrible has happened to our city.

CO: At what point did you realize that you are going to have to step in and help?

SA: At that point, I realized I needed to get back to the office. So I literally just spun my car around and headed back to the office. As I came into the office, it was what as I expected. The phones were going mad. There were a lot of panicked parents on the phone. Worried parents on the phone I would say and a lot of people who were trying to get home safely that were struggling to get there.

CO: What did you instruct your cab drivers to do?

SA: So from there I reached out to my drivers and basically I explained the situation to them. And I said would you guys be up for helping the people of Manchester? If yes, then would you give free journeys to the genuine people who are stranded in Manchester and they have no way to get home? And I got a great response from the StreetCars drivers and they fully backed me as I went along. I think we gave over 30 free taxis. That’s just from the office. I later found out that the drivers took their own initiative and where people didn't have the money, they gave them free taxis.

CO: We heard that a lot that there were lots of kids who just didn't have any money. They were going to take a train or that their parents would come and get them, but nobody could find them and they just needed to get out of there.

SA: That’s right. Unfortunately, at the time, all the trains were suspended and Victoria station was closed. Piccadilly station was closed, so there were a lot of scared children and they had no way of getting to their loved ones. Then you had the parents who are at home worried sick of how they could get the children back home and back safe? And that's when they decided to get in contact with our taxi firm StreetCars.

CO: Did you hear any particular stories about the kindness of your drivers?

SA: Kindness of my drivers. As the night got along, we had people in the morning calling up and thanking us. Saying we did a tremendous job when the city needed us. I had people ring us up saying you taxi driver didn’t charge us for the taxi, but we promise we will come and pay you whenever they get a chance to come back to Manchester. Just the usual stuff that we expect from our drivers. Round of applause to them I say for doing a brilliant job last night.

And did your drivers tell you about how scared some of those young people were?

SA: Yes of course, there were stories of kids as young as 9-10-year-old trying to get a taxi home. Obviously they were worried they had no money and do the parents were trying to reassure us as a company that the drivers would get paid once they get to the site. But we fully supported them and said you had nothing to worry about. At times like this money is not of importance. The main thing is that we get your children home safe. And we get the people of Manchester to a safe place, to their homes and to their loved ones.

CO: And some of those drives were quite long. A lot of the people were from just outside of Manchester or other towns. And so it is was quite a distance.

SA: Quite a distance. We had journeys up to 30-40 miles and some drivers they dropped ther passengers off for free. Some were short journeys, some were long journeys. I think the drivers made up their mind there is no journey long enough for them not to do.

CO: You are attending this vigil that is being held in Manchester today. Why is it important for you to be there?

SA: It's important for me to be there because the sense of community we have in Manchester. We're so blessed to have the kind of people we have here. Basically last night proved to us that at such a horrific time how we all came together as human beings and we all come out of our houses to support the people that were affected by this tragic incident.

CO: There's no verified reports as to who is responsible though ISIS this terrorist organization claims responsibility. And there’s video of a man on social media saying that this was had been done in the name of Allah. What would you say to him if you could respond to that individual?

SA: Absolutely disgraceful. He has not done in the name of my religion and I'm a Muslim. My religion is Islam. So if that is people like me then they are definitely not representing the same religion as me. There is a big difference between people like them and people like me and the people of Manchester that came together.

CO: Sam, I really appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

SA: Thank you very much.

CO: Good night.

JD: Sam Arshad is the co-owner of StreetCars Manchester, a taxi company in Manchester and that is where we reached him earlier today.

[Music: Somber]

Promo for later in the show

JD: Journalism Professor Christian Christensen takes issue with the media's coverage of the Manchester terrorist attacks, specifically the airing of the seemingly unending loop of disturbing footage of the bombing. Later on in the program, we will speak to him and here is an excerpt of that conversation.

SOUNDCLIP

CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN: What I saw was something that I’ve seen repeated in earlier coverage of terrorist attacks and that's sort of recurring footage of people running and scared. And it was actually something that bothered me because I feel that this kind of repeated coverage on a loop of showing the same videos over and over again I think it creates a kind of unease and a tension that actually is the goal of the terrorists that they want this kind of discomfort and this kind of chaotic atmosphere. The problem is when I was watching yesterday, I must have seen the same 30 to 40 second video clip of these young kids running out of the arena in Manchester I would say between 50 and 100 times. And I would suggest that it's necessary to show these things occasionally, but I think the constant repetition of them creates a very sort of disturbing atmosphere.

JD: That is journalism professor Christian Christensen speaking about the media's coverage of the terrorist attack in Manchester. And you can hear that full interview later on in the program.

Yemen Cholera

Guest: Mariam Aldogani

JD: One thousand new cases every single day. That is the shocking rate at which cholera is spreading in Yemen. Most of those affected are under the age of 15. And, according to doctors in the country, it could get a lot worse in the coming days and weeks. Dr. Mariam Aldogani is a health specialist with the charity Save The Children. We reached Dr. Aldogani in the capital of Yemen, Sana’a.

CO: Dr. Aldogani, why is the cholera in Yemen spreading so quickly?

MARIAM ALDOGANI: Actually there is a lot of reasons for that one. Collapse of the health systems since last year, there is no running cause for health facilities and also there is no salary for the staff. There is garbage and a lack of clean water for everywhere. more than 14 million people in Yemen have no access to clean water. And last month, is a rainy season. So there is a mix between you know the garbage and water and it's contaminated the drinking water.

CO: Can I ask you doctor was there an issue with cholera before the war? Did Yemen have this problem? Or is this entirely created by the war situation in the country?

MA: Before the war, I didn't hear that there is outbreak of cholera for a long time. The first outbreak was in October 2016, and this is the second outbreak. The situation has become aggravated. There is a lot of factors. The flow of essential medicines to the country has fallen by 70 per cent due to import. 14 million didn't have access to clean water and malnutrition has increased in Yemen. They didn't have salaries to pay for clean water or also to boil their food. I told them to please wash your hands, boil the water, cook the food and they didn’t have the salaries to do that.

CO: I've seen pictures. There's news reports that show just the incredible pressure on the health care system in Sana’a. There are just people lined up trying to get into hospitals. Children and families sprawled outside trying to get someone to look at their sick children just everywhere. The system is so overburdened. What are you experiencing at your own hospital?

MA: Oh my god. Last week, I went to one of the main public hospitals in Sana’a City to do assessment for the situation. You cannot imagine what I saw. I saw a lot of patients lying on the ground. There was six children lying in one bed and the doctor was struggling to save their lives. My colleague is a doctor working there and he told me in one day he saw 180 cases with acute watery diarrhea. And I saw the fear in mothers’ eyes because they are very worried about their children.And you cannot walk because there are people lying in the corridors and they are struggling. And this is the people who reach the hospitals. But you know there are some remote areas with a lot of cases, but due to financial issues that they didn't have transportation most of the cases they are dying because they cannot come to the main city to get treatment. Only 45 per cent of the Health Centre works now. Most of the Health Centre is not working.

CO: I heard an interview that you did a few months ago when you were actually giving birth and describing the conditions even before we had this cholera. You were describing conditions and the fear in the mother's eyes and the horrors they were facing as their children were unable to be treated. Is it that much worse than even what you described a few months ago?

MA: It's even worse because as I said, I'm a worker and I have a salary. The problem is since October 2016, there are no salaries for public health workers. And due to the war, some areas are closed. There is a delay before any cases can reach the hospital. It used to take two hours to get to the hospital in Sana’a. Now, it takes 12 hours to come to the hospital to get the needs. It is very terrible for example Save The Children, we have 195 health facilities and more than 35 mobile teams working in a remote area. But it does not cover the need. It's not enough. We need a lot of resources.

CO: And what do you need? What's the biggest emergency you have right now?

MA: Every lifesaving activity. Essential medicines most are out-of-stock. There is no essential medicines in the hospitals. I will tell you one story even last month, I went to many hospitals in Sana’a to see what they need. They have huge shortage and lack of lab solutions. One hospital they told me during the blood transfusions, we cannot do the tests for HIV and hepatitis, so this is a risk that anyone get blood transfusion can have HIV or hepatitis. Now, there are more than 2 million children with malnutrition. About 500 children have acute malnutrition. The people here need to stop the war. We need security and health projects.

CO: But you need to stop the war. I'm sure you know on the weekend, President Trump was in Saudi Arabia and he signed a 110 billion dollar U.S. arms deal that the Saudis need in order to continue the war that they are leading in Yemen. If you could give a message. If you could say something to President Trump about his support and the U.S. support of this war what would you say?

MA: We need peace, not war. Children and women in Yemen are not the causes of this war by the way. We paid the highest cost. Yemeni people now live in the eye of the biggest crisis in the world. We just need peace, please. Enough of people dying in Yemen, children and women are dying.

CO: Dr. Aldogani, we hear your message and I admire your strength through all of this. I know from the messages you've been sending out how hard this is and thank you so much for speaking with us today.

MA: Thank you. Thank you so much.

CO: Please be strong.

MA: Thank you.

CO: Bye.

JD: Dr. Mariam Aldogani is a Yemeni health specialist with the charity Save The Children. We reached Dr. Aldogani in Sana’a Yemen. And you can find more on this story on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

Back To Top »

Part 2: Manchester bombing: city councillor, Roger Moore obit

Manchester bombing: city councillor

Guest: Sue Murphy

JD: The motto under Manchester's coat of arms reads “By wisdom and effort.” And it will take both for Manchester to move on from last night's violence. As you have been hearing on the news, 22 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an area at an Ariana Grande show last night. Sue Murphy is deputy leader of Manchester's city council. We reached her in Manchester earlier today.

CO: Ms. Murphy, first of all, our condolences to people in your city for what they're going through today?

SUE MURPHY: Thank you.

CO: Can I ask what your thoughts and feelings are since this attack?

SM: It's difficult to explain. It's been a very difficult day obviously. And the attack last night was just beyond description. It's horrific that anybody can actually think that it's acceptable to target a concert, particularly one with a number of young children at it. Manchester has a proud history of solidarity. So I think today there's a determination to demonstrate to people that the act of one person will not divide us as a city. And we are strong together.

CO: I'm sure that people are turning to members of Manchester city council for information or advice or just support. What are you hearing from people?

SM: What was overwhelming last night, in particular, was the number of people who want to do things and who want to help. So immediately after the attack, people were offering their homes if people needed somewhere to stay. Taxi drivers were ferrying people about and not charging them. Cafes that were closed were opening their doors to offer people you know a place to sit and have a cup of tea. And also some support for the emergency services from them as well. And the emergency services and the staff at the arena has been fantastic. And our role is to help provide the information that people need about where to go if they need help or support.

CO: And what you're describing was spontaneous. It was within minutes of people pouring out of that arena that the people of Manchester were rallying their support, wasn't it?

SM: It was amazing. There were taxi cabs signs in their windows saying “free ride” and taxi drivers came from Liverpool to help people get home. So it was a real outpouring of support I think and that I think is the overwhelming thing. Not the actions of one individual who has caused so much pain to people, but the response of people to that.

CO: But now that it is 24 hours later, what are they looking for when they turn to you? What are families and individuals still needing at this point in the city? I mean besides those who are dealing with the personal loss of loved ones. What are you hearing from people?

SM: People wanted to do something. So we're hosting a vigil in just over an hour's time, at 6:00 p.m. our time, outside the town hall where we've invited people to come together for two things. First of all, to demonstrate our sympathy to the families who've been affected by this, but also to show our solidarity that we're coming together united in the wake of what happened yesterday. So it's a very public statement I think for Manchester. And the other thing that we'll be asking for is lots of people have asked if they can donate money to help the families? We're launching an emergency appeal very soon today that will enable people to contribute whatever they can or whatever they feel is appropriate to help support families through the coming days weeks and months.

CO: And we're speaking with you before that vigil. We'll see if we can find out a bit more later, but just what’s planned for this vigil?

SM: We want to make it reflected in our community. So we're not having very many speeches, but we will have representatives from all faiths in Manchester and from the different communities in Manchester. So that's really the most important thing that it's a visual reflection of the diversity of Manchester as a city together. And we also will be having a couple of things that demonstrate how people feel about the city as well. It's fairly low-key in terms of speeches and ceremony, but I think it's a very important emotional message for people that we come together.

CO: Because Manchester is very multiethnic, it's such an extraordinarily mixed society. Are you hearing anyone playing the blame game? Trying to blame any community because this seems that ISIS has claimed this attack as one of theirs. What do you what are you hearing in that regard?

SM: There is some of that, but it's a very small number of people. You're right, we are a very diverse city, but we have a history of welcoming people and learning to live alongside one another. And that's the place I think most people are at the moment. I've done a couple of joint interviews with some Muslim organizations, all of whom, every Muslim organization in the city has wholeheartedly condemned this attack. So we need to bear in mind that although the person that did this might think that they represent the religion they absolutely do not represent the religion of people in Manchester.

CO: And what do you say to members of the Muslim community in Manchester who fear that there might be a backlash against them for this attack?

SM: We will stand together. We understand absolutely that they condemn this attack and we will do our best to make sure that we carry on in the spirit that we always have, which is that we all work together and within what I believe is one of the greatest cities in the world.

CO: If you don't mind me saying, you do sound as though you haven't had a lot of sleep. So just my last question how are you doing?

SM: I think I'm doing OK. It's a very difficult situation to be in and it does feel quite overwhelming. It's the end of what has been a very long day and it's not over yet, but it's the spirit of all the people that keeps me going and the way that people are so proud to be part of the city that cannot be divided by an event like this.

CO: Ms. Murphy, I really appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

SM: Thank you.

CO: Good night.

SM: Thanks. Good night.

JD: Sue Murphy is deputy leader of Manchester city council. We reached her there earlier today. And as Ms. Murphy mentioned. thousands of people did turn out on the streets for a vigil in honor of the 22 people killed by the suicide bomber last night. And one of the speakers was Manchester poet Tony Walsh. Here he is at the vigil reading an ode for the city that he wrote.

SOUNDCLIP

TONY WALSH: My name's Tony Walsh, the call me Longfellow. It falls to me to try and sum up what makes the city, its people, its communities so great with a poem. It’s called “This is the Place”. This is the place in the north west of England. It's ace. It's the best and the songs that we sing from our bands set the whole planet shaking. Our inventions are legends. There is not we can't make. So we make brilliant music. We make brilliant bands. We make goals that make souls leap from seats in the stands and we make things from steel. We make things from cotton. We make people laugh take the mix from the rotten. And we make you a home. We make you feel welcome. We make summer happen we can't seem to help it. And if you're looking for history then yes, we have a wealth. But the Manchester way is to make it yourself. Make us record and you number one and make us a brew while you’re up, Love. Go on and make us feel proud that you're winning the league. Make us sing louder and make us believe it that this is the place that has helped shape the world. And this is a place where a Manchester girl name of Emily Pankhurst from the streets of Moss Side.

[Sound: Thunderous applause]

TW: From the streets of Moss Side led the Suffragette City with sisterhood pride. And this is the place with appliance of science went on its atomic. We struck with defiance in the face of a challenge. We always stand tall, make unions in union, deliver housing and libraries and health, education and unions and co-ops the first railway station. So we're sorry, bear with us. We invented commuter's, but we hope you forgive us. We invented computers. And this is the place. This is the place Henry Royce strolled with Rolls and we've rocked and we've rolled with our own Northern soul. And so this is the place to do business then dance. We’re go-getters and goal-setters. And this is the place where we first played this kids. Me mom lived and died here. She loved it. She did. And this is the place where our folks came to work. Where they struggled in puddles, they hurt in the dirt and they built the city. They built us these towns and they coughed on the cobbles to the deafening sound of the steaming machines and the scream of slaves. They were screaming for greatness. They dreamed to their graves and they left us a spirit. They left us a vibe. That Mancunian way to survive and to thrive and to work and to build and to connect and create. And Greater Manchester's greatness is keeping it great. And so this is the place now we've kids of our own. Some are born here, some drawn here, but we all call home and they’ve covered the cobbles. But they'll never defeat all the dreamers and schemers who still teem through these streets because this is a place that has been through some hard times. Oppressions, recessions, depressions and dark times, but we keep fighting back with Greater Manchester spirit. Northern grit, Northern wit and Greater Manchester lyrics in these hard times again. And there’s hard times again. There's hard times again in these streets of our city, but we won't take defeat. And we don't want your pity because this is the place where we stand strong together with a smile on our face. Mancunians forever because this is the place in our hearts, in our homes. Because this is the place that’s a part of our bones. Because Manchester gives us such strength from the fact that this is the place. We should give something back. Always remember. Never forget. Forever Manchester. Choose love Manchester. Thank you.

JD: That was Tony Walsh, reading his ode to the city of Manchester, “This is the Place”. That was from a vigil for the victims of last night's bombing. And almost as soon as it happened, footage of the explosion at Manchester Arena and its aftermath was put up online. And then it was picked up and aired by media outlets. Coming up in the program, we're going to speak to a journalism professor who says that that kind of coverage is exactly what the perpetrators want.

[Music: Ambient]

Roger Moore obit

Guest: Marc Haynes

JD: The James Bond of the 70s was effortlessly elegant. He was a hard-to-ruffle, ludicrously suave super spy with remarkable charm and a wit as dry as his martini. He was Roger Moore and Roger Moore was him. Sir Roger Moore died today. He was 89-years-old. He was known for bringing a light touch to the role, sometimes with little more than a raised eyebrow. He starred in seven Bond films, including 1983’s “Octopussy”. Here's a short clip from that movie.

SOUNDCLIP

MAUD ADAMS: He suggests the trade: the egg for your life.

ROGER MOORE: I’d heard the price of eggs was going up, but isn't that a little high?

JD: Roger Moore as James Bond in “Octopussy”. Marc Haynes had a unique connection with Sir Roger. Mr. Haynes is a freelance writer based in London. And as a young boy, he had a chance meeting with the late actor that he never forgot. We reached Marc Haynes in London.

CO: Marc, where were you when you met James Bond or Roger Moore for the first time?

MARC HAYNES: Well, the very first time, I was in the departures lounge of Nice Airport, Nice is a city in the south of France. I was with my grandfather and we were walking through to the departures lounge. And this is in the days before they had any sort of first class lounges. So everybody who was on the plane sat in the same place and I noticed that sitting in one of the chairs was James Bond. I was absolutely thrilled beyond belief. So I said to my grandfather there’s James Bond, there’s James Bond.

CO: And so when you told him there's James Bond, what did he do? And what did you do?

MH: Well, I think he thought it was just an actor that I'd seen somewhere. And so he went over and he was perfectly pleasant and said my grandson says you are famous, could you please sign this? And he gave him the boarding ticket.

CO: And what did he do, Roger Moore?

MH: Well, Roger Moore signed the ticket and he gave it back to me and it was only as we were walking away that I'd read the back and he'd signed it: To Marc, best wishes, yours sincerely, Roger Moore. But all I can tell you I realised it didn’t say James Bond. I couldn't work out what the name was, but the name I'd been expecting was James Bond and that wasn't on the ticket. So I said to my grandfather I think he signed the wrong thing. So my grandfather went straight back there.

CO: And how old were you at the time?

MH: Oh, I was seven. Yeah, this would have been in the early 80s.

CO: So in your mind this was this wasn't some guy named Roger Moore. This was James Bond.

MH: If you would have told me an actor played James Bond I would not have understood what you meant. Because in that departure lounge, sitting in that chair, was James Bond, that's all I knew.

CO: So your grandfather marched right back and said sign this properly and what happened?

MH: Well Roger Moore looked up and he signaled over to me, I'd sort of hung back a little bit. And he cautioned me over. And as I came over, he bent down and he took it very slowly and he said I have to sign Roger Moore because if I put my name James Bond then Blofeld would know I was here and of course, everything fell into place for me. Of course, this was James Bond and he’s just eventually gave me a secret mission, which was not to reveal that he was in the airport.

CO: So you are now in cahoots. You're in a kind of secret conspiracy with James Bond.

MH: Absolutely. I'm 7-years-old and I'm saving James Bonds from certain death. My grandfather said to me he basically said you know did you get it all sorted out? And in the words of a seven year old I effectively said it was essentially a case of mistaken identity. Don’t worry, move along.

CO: So even from your grandfather you covered for James Bond?

MH: Absolutely. If James Bond asks you to do something for him, you do it.

CO: So anyway years go by and you met him again. How old were you when you had your next encounter with James Bond?

MH: Well I was I was probably in my 30s. At which point, I'm a film and television writer. So I was working in television and I met Roger Moore in his capacity as a UNICEF ambassador for children. We were recording a piece that was a charity piece. So he was talking about the work that he was doing across the world for UNICEF and I was lucky enough to be able to tell him about an experience that I've had with him when I was younger.

CO: So you reminded him about the experience in Nice airport. What did he say about that?

MH: So he laughed about it. He said oh well, you know what a wonderful thing to be able to say that you met James Bond. What and what a nice way to approach that really, so just delightful, a delightful experience. And then of course, he made it better.

CO: And what happened?

MH: Well, when he was leaving to go to his car, I was standing in a covered or just by the green room seeing him off. And as he walked down the corridor, he stopped and he paused and he turned to me and once again, leant into me with a low voice and said. I do remember when I met you in Nice, but I didn't say anything in case any of the cameraman were working for Blofeld. I mean just a perfect gentleman. To be wowed by him at 7 is one thing and to be wowed by him at 30, I mean what a pleasure and a privilege.

CO: And of course, this is completely consistent with what people say about Roger Moore is that he didn't take himself too seriously, but he was charming and warm and just a lovely guy?

MH: From everything that I know about him, he was obviously a man who was very happy. He was enjoyed the life of being an actor. He didn't take it seriously. He obviously thought celebrity was something he wore very lightly. And I think you know his joy in that was really apparent in a lot of the dealings he had with people and indeed a lot of the performances that he gave on screen.

CO: Of course, now everybody who has watched the 007 films has a favorite. I mean lots of people can never get past Sean Connery not being 007. For you it's always Roger Moore, isn't it?

MH: It is. I think the first the first Bond that you see is the Bond that you love the most. And the first Bond I saw was with Roger Moore. So he is my Bond. I mean for me, Sean Connery is a pretender to the Bond crown. It's always Roger Moore.

CO: What do you think Roger Moore brought to that role?

MH: Oh, he brought something which hadn't been in that role before, which was a sense of humor. I think you think of James Bond and you think of the quips and you think of the ladies-man quality. And Sean Connery was a real ladies man, but Roger Moore was with a comic ladies-man. He was almost like a sort of a comic character. And I feel there was a real warmth and affection you had for him. He wasn't the cold killer that Sean Connery was. He was a charming, suave, funny and sophisticated man who just happened to be a spy.

CO: What's your favorite James Bond movie?

MH: I'd have to say it's a tossup between two: “The man with the Golden Gun”, which is Roger Moore. And “Octopussy”, which again is Roger Moore. I think that was the first one I saw in the cinema. And I mean first love never dies.

CO: Marc, it is a great story and I really appreciate you sharing it with us. Thank you.

MH: No problem at all. My pleasure. Enjoy the rest of the day and all the best.

CO: Alright. Good night.

JD: Marc Haynes is a freelance writer based in London. He met the actor who played James Bond, not once, but twice. Sir Roger Moore died today. He was 89-years-old.

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Part 3: Manchester bombing: media coverage, Norway seed vault

Red Deer students

JD: It wouldn't be high school without high school drama or without high drama. But a school in Red Deer, Alberta has had more than its fair share and of a not normal variety. After a lunch hour fight sparked a demonstration and accusations of racism. The RCMP stood guard outside Lindsay Thurber High School, as a few dozen people staged an anti-immigration protest. The school says it suspended eight people last week, after a fight between Syrian and non-Syrian students. And a video of that fight was posted to social media. And rumors began circulating that the Syrian kids had received lighter punishments. An anti-Islam group from outside the school subsequently organized a protest saying that they needed to protect quote, “Canadian culture” at the school. The demonstrators were adults. Ursella Khan is a Muslim, she is a Grade 11 student at Lindsay Thurber. She stopped to speak to protestors about her views. Some of the demonstrators heckled her. They demanded to know if she knew the Qu’ran. Thomas Gower is also a student, he stood across from protesters with a sign welcoming refugees. So here are Ursella Kahn and Thomas Gower speaking to reporters outside the school.

SOUNDCLIP

URSELLA KHAN: We need to educate people like this. We need to all get together as a city and a community. We need to educate these people and if they still don't want to be educated and they don't want to listen then fine. But you know the way I was attacked there with all these questions and that guy was so close to me. I mean don't do that. Like that's not fair.

MALE VOICE: So what would you want to tell them? You talk about educating them.

UK: I want to know about Islam and Muslims. You know it's stereotypical of ISIS, stereotypical woman in hijabs and everything that is not all Muslims. That is not all Muslims and people need to understand that. I am a Muslim and I do not wear a hijab. That is my belief. But yes, I still have read the Ou’ran, I’ve read it three times. Because my mother raised me like that she said hey, you know your value and you know your beliefs. Those people they know their values and their beliefs. And if that's what they believe fine, that's OK, that's what they believe in. Good for them.

FEMALE VOICE: Are you surprised by what you're seeing today?

UK: No. This is not surprising. This is what we have to go through. People will always be like this. There will always be people like that, but you have to remember your own beliefs and your values.

THOMAS GOWER: I honestly believe that the protest is completely unnecessary. The only real effect is you know making kids feel unsafe with school at this point.

MALE VOICE: Why do you think it’s unnecessary?

TG: Well, basically from what I've seen they're protesting based on misinformation and you know a lack of understanding for the reality of the situation.

MALE VOICE: What can you say about the situation?

TG: Well, it's kind of spiraled into a debate of race and religion. When in reality what caused this had nothing to do with race or religion.

MALE VOICE: Can speak to what caused it? Like were you there?

TG: I was one of the few people breaking up the fight that happened. I don't know the full story, so I can't say anything official. But what I will say is that what happened at lunch was not started by the Syrian students.

FEMALE VOICE: And it had nothing to do with race or religion?

TG: No, no, as far as I know it did not.

FEMALE VOICE: And in terms of the welcoming kind of feeling among students at the school how would you describe it?

TG: Well, there was never really a big issue until this incident. And you know they like everybody kind of kept to themselves really.

MALE VOICE: You think social media blew this thing up?

TG: Oh yeah, for sure because it’s the spreading of misinformation and it leads to stuff like this.

JD: That was Thomas Gower, before him Ursella Khan. They are both grade 11 students at Lindsay Thurber High School in Red Deer, Alberta. They were speaking to reporters outside the school.

[Music: Guitar]

Manchester bombing: Media coverage

Guest: Christian Christensen

JD: If you have been anywhere near a television or have had access to the internet over the last day, you have seen it. You have seen the cell phone footage of panicked Ariana Grande fans scrambling over one another fleeing the suicide bombing in Manchester. But some are questioning whether airing this seemingly endless loops of the disturbing images actually adds anything to the story, or if it just plays into the hands of those who commit acts of terror? Christian Christensen is a journalism professor at Stockholm University. We reached him in Stockholm.

CO: Mr. Christensen, what did you think when you started seeing the media coverage of the Manchester attack last night?

CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN: Well, what I saw and I was watching primarily the BBC when I was sitting here in Stockholm watching the coverage. What I saw was something that I've seen repeated in earlier coverage of terrorist attacks. And that’s sort of recurring footage of people running and scared. And it was actually something that bothered me because I feel that this kind of repeated coverage on a loop of showing the same videos over and over again. I think it creates a kind of unease and a tension that actually is the goal of the terrorists is that they want this kind of discomfort and this kind of chaotic atmosphere. So I was a little bit disturbed by that constant showing of these images. Including also images of people who are were injured in the bombing.

CO: Isn't the problem because you you're familiar with journalism, you're a professor of journalism. With television, at such an early point in an event like this there are not many pictures. They do tend to run things on a loop while they're giving information in the audio portion or cutting to the interviews when they get somebody or bringing people up to date on information that they're getting that quite often you end up with this kind of loop. And you believe that this plays into the hands of the terrorists?

CC: Well, I think that the goal of a terrorist, like for example what we saw yesterday in Manchester, is precisely to get a lot of media coverage. Ideally I would imagine with video so that people see the kind of chaos that's created as a result. And what I would say in response of course, I understand the nature of journalism when you have live coverage there is a limited amount of material. But the problem is when I was watching yesterday I must have seen the same 30 to 40 second video clip of these young kids running out of the arena in Manchester I would say between 50 and 100 times. And I'd say that there are alternatives to showing that kind of video. For example, one thing that was very rarely shown was contact information for people in Manchester or internationally or suggesting for example, social media sites — official ones — for the Manchester police or local political organizations that could give information. So I think there are alternatives to showing this clip over and over and over again. And I would suggest that it is necessary to show these things occasionally, but I think the constant repetition of them creates a very sort of disturbing atmosphere.

CO: But in the first hour or couple of hours, when you're just struggling to get information and all your resources are plugged into that trying to get just raw data and raw information isn't it's inevitable that you're going to just go with the few pictures you've got and just run them on a loop?

CC: Absolutely. I mean I understand that, but at the same time, when I was watching the BBC I mean this isn't picking on the BBC, but this is the channel that I was watching. They were doing a fair amount of relaying of unconfirmed reports as well. And I also find that somewhat the problem. Some of these unconfirmed reports turned out to be true. So for example, one of the things they said was that this may have been a suicide bomber. The problem though is that I mean when you have a large amount of unconfirmed information it becomes very difficult for the viewers to sort of put these things into context and understand them in the bigger picture. And also another problem is if you're going to present unconfirmed reports, I think it's very important at some point later on in the program or at some point to say you know earlier on we may we mentioned the unconfirmed report these turned out to be not true. And that doesn’t always happen and I do think that that sort of combination of images together with unconfirmed reports, which are tempting of course and of course part of live coverage. I think it is important to remind viewers about the nature of journalism. And I think this is maybe one of my larger criticisms is that I think live news coverage would benefit from news organizations and reporters reminding viewers the way in which news works. How sourcing works, how unconfirmed reports work and that sort of helps I think viewers and listeners at least view these things within a journalistic context.

CO: I just want go back to your earlier point about whether or not this plays into the hands of terrorists. And you tweeted that your response to that the pictures — the images — of the 8-year-old-girl who was killed in Manchester and you said that it was unbearable. Is it possible that someone who is a potential recruit, someone who could be recruited, is it possible they would see the same images you and have the same reaction and decide by virtue of that not to join the cause?

CC: I think it's entirely possible of course and I mean I can't speak to the psychology of the people who are thinking about maybe joining these kind of terrorist organizations later on in their life. You know we talked about this a little bit earlier a couple of times and that is the sort of use of the images of young victims and then of course we had another incidence of this with Alan Kurdi, the boy who was washed up on the beach in Turkey and his dead body. And I think that you know what we're talking about what the terrorists want out of this kind of event of course, this is a spectacular event it's in a large built-up area. It's in a large industrial city. 20,000 People at this concert and of course they're expecting a large amount of media coverage. So the goal of this of this explosion — the goal of killing these people — was to get this media coverage. The goal of Alan Kurdi, the boy who was on the beach, the goal there was not to get huge media exposure. And I think that there were two different motivations there. You can argue for and against showing his body on the beach, but I think the goal there was more of a humanitarian one. That this was a sort of humanitarian toll of the refugee crisis. On the other hand, showing for example injured people or bloody bodies in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. There I think news organizations and individuals on social media who spread these images they do play into the hands of the people who committed these acts because this is precisely what they want. They want to have images of death. They want to have images of blood. They want to spread fear. And I think that there is a qualitative difference there between how we choose the victims that we show and don't show.

CO: All right. We'll leave it there. Professor Christensen, thank you.

CC: Thank you very much.

JD: Christian Christensen is a journalism professor at Stockholm University. And we reached him in Stockholm.

[Music: Folk]

Grad speech

JD: She praised the United States for its clean air and its freedom of speech. And now, she has turned many in her home country against her. Five years ago, Shuping Yang traveled from China to study at the University of Maryland. This past Sunday, she was chosen to speak at her graduation. During the ceremony, Ms. Yang spoke of how inspired she was to see her American classmates vote and to take part in political protests. In her address, she called it quote, “the fresh air of free speech.” Here's part of what she said.

SOUNDCLIP

SHUPING YANG: People often ask me why did you come to the University of Maryland? I always answer: fresh air. I grew up in a city in China where I had to wear a face mask every time I went outside, otherwise I might get sick. However, the moment I inhaled and exhaled outside the airport, I felt free. No more fog on my glasses. No more difficult breathing. No more suppression. At the University of Maryland, I would soon fell another kind of fresh air for which I will be forever grateful. The fresh air of free speech. Before I came to the United States, I learned in history class about the Declaration of Independence, but these words had no meaning to me: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These words sounded so strange, so abstract and foreign to me until I came to University of Maryland. I have learned the right to freely express oneself is sacred in America. Each day, at Maryland, I was encouraged to express my opinions on controversial issues. I could challenge a statement made by my instructor. I could even rate my professors online. But nothing prepared me for the culture shock I experienced when I watched a university production of the play Twilight Los Angeles. In Twilight, the student actors were openly talking about racism, sexism and politics. I was shocked. I never thought such topics could be discussed openly. Democracy and free speech should not be taken for granted. Democracy and freedom are the fresh air that is worth fighting for.

[Sound: Cheering]

JD: That was Shuping Yang, a Chinese international student at the University of Maryland. After her speech went viral, Ms. Yang was faced with backlash from her home country. Some attacked her for exaggerating China's air quality. Others criticized her for demonizing China and for quote, “rumormongering”. Since then, Ms. Yang has issued an online apology saying she did not intend to insult her country and hopes she is forgiven. Meanwhile, the University of Maryland is standing by her describing her as a “top student”.

[Music: Classical guitar]

Moose destroys tulips

JD: They were supposed to mark a big moment in Canadian history, but a big Canadian emblem took a colossal bite out of that plan. Tim Walsh is the Nursery Manager at Memorial University Botanical Garden in St. John's, Newfoundland. And this morning, he joined Krissy Holmes on the “St. John's Morning Show” to reveal what happened to the centre's red and white tulips.

SOUNDCLIP

TIM WALSH: last year, in the fall, we received about 800 tulips and so these tulips are spread throughout the country and encouraged to be planted as part of the celebration of this year's 150. So last year, in the fall, we had a group together. We invited people to come in and help us plant. We had a number of children come by and help us install this plant. Even our gardening staff laid out these tulips because there is a mix of red and moist tulips. And so they actually planned to a design whereby when these things bloom that it would be in the shape of the maple leaf.

KRISSY HOLMES: So, a bit of work.

TW: A bit of work for sure, yeah.

KH: So, how did you discover that the moose had gotten into the tulips?

TW: It was pretty obvious because we're in the woods — our botanical garden — it's not unusual for us to get Moose come through. And so we were seeing signs of moose all throughout the winter and into the spring of course. And then we went in one day early last week and we saw that there was a few tulips that we had planted in a different part of the garden had been munched on. But it was Thursday morning, last week, when we discovered that it had come to this particular patch. It pretty much destroyed the whole display for us.

KH: So it's all gone?

TW: Well, there's a few left. But it won't have the same floral appeal when the few that are left actually get the bloom. They don't have you know a mouth that kind of slices things off nice and clean. You know they bite and they pull. So these tulips were actually not only chopped off, but a lot of the bulbs were actually pulled off out of the ground and lying on the ground.

KH: Is the tulip a particular delicacy for the moose?

TW: Well, not in particular. From what I've read, they like more developing foliage as opposed to the flowers. So if it had gotten to bloom it may have been ok. It may have avoided it. Now, it probably would have moved on to some other plant and the botanical garden. But maybe we would have gotten to that to that nice colorful display. But they tend to roam around the garden and especially this time of year, I guess you have all you have to do is think about how eager we are to get some fresh lettuce and things of that nature. So these creatures have been traveling around the island all winter long traveling around this part of the province munching on fir branches and bark and things of that nature. Now, it's springtime and they're looking for all that nice lush fresh sweet growth. And of course what better place? Can you imagine how this moose felt when it came to a botanical garden? All of a sudden it's got this incredible source of wonderful, sweet food.

JD: That was Tim Walsh, Nursery Manager at the Memorial University Botanical Garden. He was speaking with Krissy Holmes, host of the Morning Show out of St. John's earlier today.

[Music: Indie rock]

Norway seed vault

Guest: Hege Aschim

JD: It is designed to preserve the world's crops from future disaster. And it was built to provide failsafe protection against the harshest natural and manmade conditions. But when it comes to the effects of climate change, not even the Global Seed Vault itself was safe. Last October, unseasonably high temperatures created some problems at the facility in Svalbard, Norway. So now, the Norwegian government is working on a solution. Hege Aschim is a government adviser for the Global Seed Vault. We reached her in Oslo.

CO: Ms. Aschim, can you take us back to October and tell us what happened at the Global Seed Vault?

HEGE ASCHIM: Well, October 2016 was a special month in the fall in Svalbard but because it was extreme weather. Like very high temperatures and a lot of rain. And that's very unusual. It should be 8 degrees below zero or even colder at that time.

CO: What effect would that have on the seed vault?

HA: Because of all the rain that was coming down, we had water intrusion into the tunnel that leads to the seed vault. It's a very long tunnel. It's about 110 meters long. And that leads to the Seed vault. So I have to say the seed vault and the seed were never at risk. But we had water about 15 to 20 meters inside the tunnel. And when it came into the tunnel, it froze to ice because the internal is cold. So we suddenly had ice in the tunnel and of course it should not be like that. We needed help from the local firemen to get the water and ice out afterwards.

CO: Can you tell us a bit about the seeds inside that vault?

HA: Yes, it’s seeds from almost all the places in the world. We have about nine hundred and thirty thousand seed inside the vault and that’s different species. And they are placed as insurance that if something is happening to the fields where they grow food in the different countries we can take out the seeds and make a new start if that's necessary.

CO: You have some seeds from Syria, is that right?

HA: Yes, that's right. And in Syria there is a war and the fields in Syria have been destroyed. So they have come back and taken out some seeds to start fresh again to grow new seeds.

CO: It's been described as the as probably the most important room in the world.

HA: Yes, I think that because it felt like the world’s heritage and will be a new start if something is happening that we need a new start. So it's a very, very, important room and we are so occupied to take care of it. And that's why when we have the water inside we thought we have to do some measurements to stop it. And now we are doing that. And we are building a water proof wall inside the tunnel between the entrance and the entrance to the seed vault, so if we ever experience water intrusion like this again it will stop in the middle.

CO: But when this vault was opened nearly 10 years ago this wasn't supposed to happen, right? It was supposed to be what they called a failsafe protection against the challenge of natural or manmade disasters. This was supposed to be impermeable. So what went wrong?

HA: Well, I don't know if we can say anything you went wrong because the seeds are safe and the seed vault itself are safe. It has never been at risk. But we have seen that the permafrost, which was one of the reasons why the seed vault was built in Svalbard, has not re-established around the tunnel as it should have. So we have seen that small amounts of water have been coming in before. But when we also have this extreme weather, which is very unusual, we have never experienced that before. It was very special and made has made us worried. So that's why we're doing this measurement to stop this to happen any time.

CO: And so it was built in Svalbard, which is where it is in Norway, and that was considered to be a place where you had permafrost. And I guess the word permafrost means permanent, so it's not so permanent then. The deep freeze in that ground.

HA: Yeah, that's the question though. Is this happening for example every 200 years or is this once in a lifetime happening or is this something that will escalate? We don't know. We are not the climate experts, but we are now following the climate experts work and the research on that front to be sure that we are doing the right thing and make the measurements that it is necessary to protect seeds from anything.

CO: Have you considered moving it someplace else?

HA: No, that's not a discussion because the seed vault is deep, deep, deep, inside the mountain and it's safe. But we will not have water at all inside that should not be there. So we want it to be dry and like it was planned. So that's why we now are doing these improvements and following climate experts work, so we can be in front of anything they should find out.

CO: Those countries that have put seed in your vault. Has their confidence in the vault been shaken at all by this incident?

HA: Well, I'm sure they are rather confused. They are also informed that the seeds and the seed vault itself are safe. So I believe they can trust that we are doing everything that we have to do something with the tunnel. The tunnel is very long you know — 110 meters. So what we can do measures to protect from any water intrusion.

CO: All right. We'll leave it there. Ms. Aschim, thank you for speaking with us.

HA: Thank you.

JD: That was Hege Aschim, she speaks for the Norwegian government, which owns the global seed vault. We reached her in Oslo.

[Music: Cultural]

Tick-mageddon

JD: It may sound like a Cold War-era creature feature, but Tic-mageddon isn't coming to a drive in theater near you. It's already here, and it's all too real. Just ask Karis Penner. Last night, we told you about Ms. Penner's nasty encounter with hundreds and hundreds of the pesky bugs while she was hiking in Manitoba's Whiteshell Provincial Park. Ms. Penner's Tick-mageddon story left us reaching for the calamine lotion and it got Lisa Breski reaching out to us. She sent us this email quote, “We went hiking yesterday for no more than two hours and pulled around 60 ticks off us. I thought that was bad: 400, I would lose my mind. When we got back to the city yesterday, I was sure everyone stopped next to us at a traffic light and thought we were a family of obsessive compulsives with all the unstoppable head scratching, ear probing and arm and leg brushing. We live in New York City and look forward to our summers north of the border. The abundance of ticks here usually shuts down or hiking in early May, but we have yet to find even one tick in Quebec, Ontario and Newfoundland. I guess times are a changing. We heard the story the other day about a projected increase in Tick populations along lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence. Great! Thanks for keeping us informed and scratching.” Well, thank you Ms. Breski, you can count on us to keep monitoring Tick-mageddon as it sweeps across the nation. To comment on anything you hear on this program. You can find us on Twitter or Facebook. Both those accounts @cbcasithappens. You can email us: aih@cbc.ca or you can give us a call, that's our favorite, 416-205-5687.

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May 23, 2017 episode transcript

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