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The AIH Transcript for February 13, 2018

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 Douglass. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

JD: Tonight:

CO: Mission creeps. While ostensibly helping after Haiti's earthquake, members of Oxfam staff committed shocking acts of sexual misconduct. Tonight, the NGO’s executive director apologizes, and promises it won't happen again.

JD: Reefer madness. While the U.S. Attorney-General claims cannabis is partly responsible for the opioid epidemic. Our guest says the opposite: access to medical marijuana could lead to a decrease in opioid overdoses.

CO: New brooms nearly clean sweep. Canada wins the first-ever gold medal in mixed doubles curling, losing only one game on the way. Our guest welcomes that victory, before she'll welcome home one of the victors.

JD: Facebook only a mother could love. A Toronto special constable’s social-media post let a Cape Breton woman know that her long lost son was still alive, and sent her on a journey to the big city to try to get him help.

CO: Blaze then glory. In 2016, Bill and Carrie Pendergast lost almost everything in the Fort McMurray wildfire. Now, they've won a better-than-consolation prize: a million dollar lottery.

JD: And fiddling while Romeo burns. For years, the last frog of his species, Romeo, has been croaking pickup lines to no one. Now, humans have set up a dating profile forum, which hopefully mentions he kisses with a lot of tongue.

JD: As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that guesses it beats barhopping.

[Music: Theme]

Back To Top »

Part one: Oxfam follow, marijuana opioid study Fort Mac lottery win

Oxfam follow

Guest: Winnie Byanyima

JD: It's been a bad few days for Oxfam, and it keeps on getting worse. The international charity is facing accusations that some senior staff members paid for sex in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Now, a former staffer has said she warned the organization about sexual misconduct in other offices around the world. Yesterday, on the program, we spoke to Haiti's ambassador to the UK. He's upset that Oxfam apparently did not report the suspected criminal acts to Haitian authorities. Winnie Byanyima is the executive director of Oxfam International. We reached her in New York City.

CO: Ms. Byanyima, what do you say to Canadians or others who might be thinking twice about giving money to Oxfam after what we've heard about goings on in Haiti?

WINNIE BYANYIMA: What happened in Haiti in 2011 was done by some of our staff members there responding to an earthquake was a betrayal. It was an abuse of the trust that was put in these people. They turned onto the very people they were supposed to protect. I'm angry, I'm apologetic, and I’ve said sorry. And I continue to say sorry. First of all, to the women themselves who were abused, the people of Haiti, whom we went there to help out of a horrible situation of an earthquake, and to all our supporters and people who believe in Oxfam's mission.

CO: When you say betrayal, who are you referring to when you say betrayal? Who are the people who betrayed, and what did they betray?

WB: The people who abused, the predators, those few staff members whom we investigated. We fired three or four of them; three walked away before we fired them. But they are the betrayers of the trust. I'm apologizing, and we are taking steps to make sure one, that we never bring in people who don't share our values. And two, that if we do get them in by any chance, that we investigate and we deal with them.

CO: OK, but let's talk about some of the things were Oxfam has already failed to do what you're describing. Because it's been revealed that your organization knew about allegations that some of your staff members were paying for sex in Haiti and that you didn't act. And also, the Haitian authorities are asking why are you allowed and enabled these people to leave Haiti, knowing that they had possibly paid for sex with minors, and allowed them to leave the country. And, in fact, helped them leave the country. Why did you do all those things if you feel that they were doing something wrong?

WB: No. Many of the things you're saying are not correct. But I will not go into each bit of what you have said.

CO: What's wrong then? Because this is what's been widely-reported, tell me what is not true about that? What did your organization know about these men before this has been revealed by the media? What did you already know about their participation in having sex with people?

WB: In 2011, some of our staff in Haiti were accused of sexual misconduct. We made an investigation immediately. The investigation found that, in fact, there had been sexual misconduct. We dismissed four of them; three, as I sad, walked away before they were found guilty. We then did a review of system of safeguarding to be sure let them again touch people.

CO: What's been reported, and you can tell us if this is true, that this one particular man who was the head of the mission in Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, he had worked in Chad before he was posted to Haiti. And he had the same kind of behavior — similar allegations — in Chad that Oxfam knew about and still allowed this man to go on and run the mission in Haiti. How do you account for that?

WB: As I’ve said, our way of handling the investigation in Haiti would not pass our test today. We have since improved our system of investigation, and we are not going to tolerate sexual misconduct in the future. We will not allow someone whom we have known to be a perpetrator to work for us again. I cannot speak to the circumstances of how he got a second contract. But let me tell you, in times of crises, we are always under pressure as humanitarian to hire very quickly and move operations to scale to save lives.

CO: Whoa, whoa, whoa, this man has a serious position. This was a senior position that he was put in. This isn't just someone on the ground.

WB: I’m speaking to a particular case I'm giving you the situations under which we recruit. When we are recruiting at speed to reach scale to save many lives, our system have not proven to be effective to stop any abuser.

CO: The Guardian newspaper is reporting today an interview with Helen Evans, former I guess a head of your global safeguarding at Oxfam, she’s told the media that between 2012 and 2015, she had so many allegations of women being coerced into sex, of humanitarian response aid workers involved with sex, volunteers as young as 14 in Oxfam shops that alleged abuse, and countless cases where she raised this and nothing was done. So why should we trust you when you say that Oxfam is working on these things? It seems that this keeps going on.

WB: I would say that we have a dedicated safeguarding team that has been considered as one of the best in the sector. The experience of one member of that team cannot be the basis on which you judge the team and the work that they do.

CO: But it sounds like it's widespread. It doesn't sound like these are isolated incidents. It sounds like this is a systemic problem within Oxfam?

WB: I would not say that. I would say that we have by-and-large thousands of staff who do excellent work. And a few who misbehave, we have to find a way to punish them and get them out of our system. We also have to work on the culture, so that kind of behaviour is never tolerated. And that is the best way to protect. We protect by building values and sharing that strong attachment to the values. And we're working on that.

CO: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. Ms. Byanyima, thank you.

WB: You're welcome.

JD: Winnie Byanyima is the executive director of Oxfam International. We reached her in New York City. We have more on this story on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Ambient]

Marijuana opioid study

Guest: David Powell

JD: The opioid crisis continues to threaten lives both in Canada and the United States. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 115 Americans die of an opioid overdose every day. And, so far, a simple solution to the problem has evaded lawmakers. But according to a recent study, there may be one surprising way to reduce opioid overdoses: increase access to marijuana. Now this, of course, runs counter to the United States government's position. Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has said he wants to limit access to marijuana, both medicinal and recreational. David Powell is an economist at the RAND Corporation and the lead author of the study. We reached Mr. Powell in Philadelphia.

CO: Mr. Powell, what link did you find between opioid deaths and marijuana laws?

DAVID POWELL: The main part of our finding was that dispensaries matter. So there has been some previous research showing that adoption of medical marijuana laws in states is associated with a reduction in opioid prescriptions among certain populations and opioid-related overdoses in the general population. We really wanted to dive into the mechanisms behind those reductions. And especially we wanted to focus on the role of dispensaries. So we thought that dispensaries might matter because that's really how you increase access to medical marijuana. So states that adopt medical marijuana laws but don't say anything about the supply chain. They don't protect dispensaries — they don't have any dispensaries. They actually don't see reductions in opioid-related overdoses. But states with legally-protected and operational dispensaries they actually do see pretty large reductions in opioid-related overdoses.

CO: OK, lots of stuff there. Let's unpack that a bit. So just when you talk about the difference between places that had dispensaries and those that didn't, what are you talking about? What is that distinction you're making?

DP: So, for example, California has dispensaries. So all it means is that you get a prescription from a doctor, you can go to someplace and pick up medical marijuana. In a lot of states they say medical marijuana is legal, but they don't really specify how you're going to get the medical marijuana, and they don't allow for places you know much like I like a pharmacy with other kinds of medication where you can actually go pick up medical marijuana. So they don't specify the supply chain in any way. So maybe not surprisingly, we find that there's not as much access to medical marijuana in those states and so we don't see the same effects in those states.

CO: But in both places — you're saying you're looking in both cases medical marijuana is legal — and people can get it where they can get it. But where they can get it more freely, you're saying that's where you're seeing a reduction in opioid deaths?

DP: Exactly. So in a state where you know medical marijuana is typically legal, but maybe they specify that you have to grow it on your own, that doesn't really change people's access very much. Much like you know if you were told and you know that you know you had to grow all your own food that might have a different impact on access to certain kinds of food than if you could just go to a store. So in the same way with medical marijuana, if you can go to a place — a dispensary — and pick up medical marijuana that changes access a lot more than being told you can just go grow it yourself.

CO: It's true; a lot of us would be malnourished if we had to grow our own food. And so does that suggest that medical marijuana, if it's readily available — if it has liberal availability — is actually a substitute for opioids?

DP: Yeah, our results are consistent with that. And there are some prior evidence suggesting that medical marijuana is a useful treatment for pain, especially for chronic pain. And that's what opioids are typically used for is to treat certain types of pain, acute pain specifically. But it’s often been used in the past to treat chronic pain as well. So the thought here is that this is an alternative form of pain management. And without the concern with overdoses that we have with opioids, so there might be some other harms associated with marijuana use, and you know those have been documented. But there's much less of a risk of an overdose of medical marijuana.

CO: Well, it seems the Attorney-General of your country, Jeff Sessions, has a different take on this. I just want to play you something he said last week at a Heritage Foundation meeting about the opioid crisis. And let's just listen to Jeff Sessions.

SOUNDCLIP

JEFF SESSIONS: My goal for 2018 is the further decline, we have a seven per cent decline last year, in actual prescriptions of opioids. We think doctors are just prescribing too many. A DEA said that a huge percentage of the heroin addiction starts with prescriptions. That may be an exaggerated number; they had in his eyes 80 per cent. We think a lot of this is starting with marijuana and other drugs too. But we'll see.

CO: All right. So what we're hearing from Jeff Sessions is he thinks it's the other way around — that actually people who take marijuana will lead them to other drugs and possibly, lead them to even substances like heroin. What do you say to him?

DP: Yeah, there are a few things. So there is some evidence that suggests that people who use marijuana are also likely to abuse opioids. What it doesn't say is you know would those people have you eventually abuse opioids if they had access to marijuana? Or conversely, does increasing access to marijuana eventually it causes people to jump to opioids? The thing about our study is that it would pick up both of those effects. So we can't say that there isn't a gateway effect — there may be a gateway effect. It's just dominated by the substitution effect, which means that people with access to medical marijuana are just never going to use opioids. They’re going to transition from opioids back to medical marijuana, and they’re never going to overdose. So even if this gateway effect exists, it does seem to be dominated by the substitution effect and the reduction in overdoses. But the specific thing that Jeff Sessions was saying about this gateway effect, I don't think that's really borne out in the data and the evidence at this time.

CO: But much opioid use is not something that people questing relief from pain and end up in other things. Much of it is because it’s recreational. So what happens when we have recreational marijuana legalized — as we’re about to see in Canada?

DP: Right. So on the one hand, you can think that's going to lead to you know a large reduction in overdoses. On the other hand, you know this is probably the point I agree with more strongly is that you know recreational marijuana and medical marijuana laws are probably so different I would think it would be hard to extrapolate our results to that kind of atmosphere. So I really just think that deserves its own independent analysis to understand the impacts of recreational marijuana on opioid-related overdoses and lots of other outcomes as well that we care about.

CO: All right. We will await your study in that direction. Mr. Powell, thank you so much for speaking with us.

DP: All right. Thanks so much.

JD: David Powell is an economist at the RAND Corporation. We reached him in Philadelphia.

[Music: Sad piano]

Fort Mac lottery win

Guest: Bill Pendergast

JD: Bill and Carrie Pendergast lost their home in the wildfire in Fort McMurray in 2016. And like so many others, they were only able to grab a very few personal items before they had to run. It's been a long road since then. But things are about to get a little easier for the Pendergasts, because they just won the lottery. We reached Bill Pendergast in Placentia, Newfoundland.

CO: Bill, congratulations.

BILL PENDERGAST: Thank you.

CO: When did you find out that you had won the lottery?

BP: That would have been on Sunday morning. I was at my aunts and uncle’s house, and my cousin I called, and she was all excited and wanted to know from Mom and Dad had tickets. There was a million dollar ticket sold in the Goulds. And, of course, they said it wasn't them. And so then my aunt asked me if I had tickets. So I said yes, I did. So she said well you better check them; someone won a million dollars in the Goulds. So I went and got my tickets, and I had an app on my phone for the winning numbers. And when I compared the two tickets for the guaranteed million dollar winner, I was in complete disbelief. I wasn't sure what I was actually seeing. So I brought my phone, and I gave it to my uncle, I got him to read the numbers on the phone, and passed the ticket to my Aunt, so they could verify what I was seeing was actually real.

CO: You’re out in Placentia, Newfoundland, but you’re from Fort McMurray — that's where you live now. And so did you call home and tell the family about this?

BP: Yes, but I actually was home visiting my dad in Newfoundland, and my wife was still in Fort McMurray. So she had just finished working nightshift. So, of course, I called her and told her, and she thought it was all a joke. So I actually had to take a picture of my hand holding the ticket and send it to her. And she still wouldn't believe me.

CO: I understand she didn't believe me because you're a bit of a practical joker, and she thought you were just having her on?

BP: Exactly, yes, yes.

CO: This is quite significant, isn't it, because you have had a tragedy in your life not long ago, during the fires in Fort McMurray?

BP: Yes. We had a total and complete loss. I was working nightshift the night before, and I was waking up at 2:00 ‘o’clock in the afternoon it was like you got to get out of the house — you got to go now. And I just had enough time I grabbed three totes of photo albums and had a cat and a dog and a bird, and I managed to get all those out into the vehicle. And it was just yeah just grab a handful of clothes, and get out and jump aboard the car, and try to get out of Fort McMurray.

CO: What happened to your house?

BP: At that time, at the fire, it was a complete and total loss — we've lost everything. We're in the process of rebuilding now. And I'm hoping within the next two months. Hopefully, we'll be back in to a new home.

CO: So what does winning a million dollars mean do you at this point?

BP: Oh, it's a big relief. It was like everything that I was worried about before is no longer a worry. It's a lot a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders for sure.

CO: Because you were rebuilding the house, did you need the money?

BP: We had insurance, but it was just everything that goes with the rebuild. And now was like yeah, it's just a big relief.

CO: Are you a regular purchaser of lottery tickets?

BP: Yes, I have been buying tickets for as long as I can remember. Actually, back in Fort McMurry, I still have my little booklet of regular numbers that I play all the time. And it was just that on Friday evening, I'm on my way back to see Dad at the hospital, I said well I must stop in now and get him a 7 Up. And then I realized it was Friday night, so I said I might as well get myself some tickets for Friday night and Saturday night. Sure glad I stopped in now.

CO: So you stopped just to buy your dad some 7 Up on the way to the hospital, and you bought tickets?

BP: Yup, just after supper, just on my way back to see Dad again; stopped in to get him a 7 up.

CO: So what does he think about your win?

BP: He was pretty excited.

CO: How's he doing? You said he's in hospital. How's he doing?

BP: He's been transferred back to Placentia hospital, and he's slowly on the mend.

CO: So lots of good news for you.

BP: Yes, yes, for sure.

CO: So Bill, you going to rebuild your house with this money — some of it. What else are you going to do with it?

BP: Well, it puts me one step closer to retirement for sure.

CO: I think it might put you all the way into retirement if you wanted it.

BP: Almost. I have to get back in Fort McMurray and get a few things straightened out. And then I'll decide for sure what my next step is.

CO: Is there a special thing you want to get? Is there something you've always wanted that you can do with this money?

BP: I’ve always been a Mustang fan, and I've been looking at the 2019 Bullet Mustang. So that was just a little bit of a dream, but now I think that dream might come true also.

CO: And what about your wife? Has she got one of those?

BP: I'm not sure if there's one particular thing that she has in mind. Between us, we have we have five boys, and two grandsons, and another grandson on the way. So a big family vacation is in the works.

CARRIE PENDERGAST: A family vacation with everybody?

BP: Yes, yes, with everybody.

CO: Who's that in the background?

BP: Oh, that's my wife.

CO: Oh, she's there. OK. And so what did she say?

BP: she just said that the family vacation would include all the sons and grandsons. Yes, all the family.

CO: She's just reminding you of that — you’re priorities.

BP: Yes, yes, absolutely, yes.

CO: Well Bill, again, congratulations to you and your wife. It's Carrie, right? That's your wife?

BP: Carrie, yes.

CO: Pass that on to from us, and enjoy.

BP: Thank you very much, and I will.

CO: Take care. Bye bye.

BP: OK, Bye bye.

JD: Bill Pendergast lost his home in the Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016. And he just won a million dollars in the lottery. We reached Bill Pendergast, and his wife, Carrie, in Placentia, Newfoundland.

[Music: Indie rock]

Romeo the frog

JD: Enter Romeo. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" he says, wistfully, gazing upward at a fluorescent bulb. And despite the fact that all the humans around him hear is some weird croaking, he keeps going. Soliloquys are Romeo's specialty. He's the only frog of his kind in his tank — the only frog of his kind in Bolivia, quite possibly, the only frog of his kind in the world. Romeo is a Sehuencas frog, the last known Sehuencas frog on Planet Earth. And yet, he maintains an optimistic outlook. Or he's not the brightest — or both. Because Romeo continues to emit plaintive mating calls from his tank at Bolivia's Cochabamba Natural History Museum, even though he's alone in every conceivable way. Now, obviously, it is sad to hear about a solitary creature doing the equivalent of repeatedly texting "U up?" to no one at all. But now, humans have stepped in to help Romeo find a female frog to save him from being fortune's fool. To raise money for a thorough search for a mate in the wilds of Bolivia, scientists have set up a dating profile for Romeo on www.match.com. It begins, quote, "Well, hi there. I'm Romeo. I'm a Sehuencas Water Frog and, not to start this off super-heavy or anything, but I'm the last of my species." Unquote. Now, since it's unlikely another Sehuencas Water Frog will read that profile, the researchers are hoping you will. And that you'll donate some money. And they hope you'll do that by tomorrow. Now, this might make Romeo seem "kind of thirsty", which I’m told is hip slang like the kids use. But the stakes are pretty high. And besides, it's obvious from his insistence on croaking until he croaks that this frog is a romantic. And, despite his circumstances, hopefully, not a hopeless one.

Back To Top »

Part two: Curling club, homeless reunion

Curling club

Guest: Pamela Kok

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: The golden moment]

JD: If you were up very early enough this morning, you may have witnessed that moment — the moment Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris won gold for Team Canada in the new curling event — mixed doubles. Well, back here at home, people gathered at the St. Vital Curling Club in Winnipeg to watch that match. And they had an interest between the team's sweeping skills: St. Vital is Kaitlyn Lawes home club. And after Ms. Lawes won gold at the last Winter Olympics, her face was even painted on the side of the building. Pamela Kok is the president of the St. Vital Curling Club. We reached her in Winnipeg.

CO: Pamela, you've been up for a long time.

PAMELA KOK: I have.

CO: Was it like at that moment very, very early this morning, when most people were in bed, when you saw Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris win the gold?

PK: Oh my gosh, I was in shock. I was in absolute shock. And I was ecstatic with excitement. And I was so happy that I could share that moment with so many people around me.

CO: The photos posted on social-media of this big crowd of people — early morning crowd — this is at the club itself — at the St. Vital curling club.

PK: Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

CO: How many people showed up?

PK: Around 60 — somewhere between 60 and 80 people.

CO: And am I seeing little kids there?

PK: Yeah, there were little kids. we had. Kaitlyn’s brother, Kevin, and her mother are out at the Olympics. But Kevin's wife came to the club with their little ones. And then we had another family that came with three or four kids, and it was the perfect timing for kids to be able to come because then they wouldn't miss school.

CO: But you’d have to get them up at 4:00 O’clock in the morning.

PK: Yeah, let’s go have donuts and coffee and treats at the club and watch curling.

CO: We should just remind people this is Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris took home gold in mixed doubles curling. What was I mean just a bit of the journey for them to get to that place just to be there? They've had some ups and downs, haven't they?

PK: Yes, they have. Well, what happened was John Morris he lost his partner, Rachel Homan, because her team won a spot to go to the Olympics. So he was left without a partner, and he was elated when he found out he couldn't believe that Kaitlyn Lawes didn't have a mixed doubles partner. So he asked her, and she was just absolutely thrilled. So they had about a half-hour practice at the Granite Curling Club here in Winnipeg before they headed out to Portage la Prairie for the Olympic trials. They had a little bit of a rough start with a few losses. And then, all of a sudden, they won. It was absolutely incredible.

CO: You had some shoes with you today for this final match. What can you tell us about those?

PK: I had shoes, boy! Well, I owned a pair of silver shoes, and I thought well, they're playing for a gold medal. What if they win gold and I'm wearing silver? So then I went out and bought a pair of gold shoes. But I didn't want to wear the gold shoes and Jinx the game, so I wore one silver shoe on one foot and one gold shoe on the other foot. I wore them the whole time. I was not going to be a part of them losing the gold medal because I had gold shoes on. And it was so much fun. I couldn't wait to put on my other gold shoe and take off my silver. I was just super thrilled. It was super fun.

CO: At what point were you able to do that? I didn't get to see the match this morning, but they took the lead quite early in the match, didn't they?

PK: Early on, they were like neck-in-neck. And then Kaitlyn had a really crucial shot to make coming around a corner guard to tap out one of the Switzerland's stones for a shot for four. And she made that shot. And that was a huge turning point for them. And they just went full-speed ahead after she made that shot.

CO: What could you see, because I can see what was going on at the curling club — quite a lot of hysteria. What could you see in the stands? A lot of Canadian paraphernalia suddenly showed up in the stands so the people watching.

PK: Yeah, the people watching it was really neat to see. Yeah, people were just there to support her, and Kaitlyn and John were so thrilled to have all of that support. It means so much because it's stressful. It is so stressful. When you are at the top, and you're from Manitoba or you're from Canada, you are expected to come home with gold. And they had a lot of pressure on them to do so. And they were like superstars — rockstars like I like to say. And they did it. They did it for themselves, and they did it for Canada, and the sport of curling. And we can't thank them enough.

CO: For both of them, this was not their first gold, was it? But it is for Kaitlyn the first time understanding curling has been back-to-back gold winning.

PK: Yeah, that's her first back-to-back. She's the first Canadian female curler to win back-to-back gold medals for curling. And John won his second gold as well, but he won his first in 2010. And yeah, it was a historic event. Mixed Doubles had never debuted before in a Winter Olympics. And this was the first time. So there were lots of firsts to celebrate for Kaitlyn, she had lots of firsts. And she's a remarkable, remarkable young lady and a fine athlete for sure.

CO: What do you want to say to your friend when she gets home?

PK: Oh, I just want to give her a big hug and tell her how proud I am of her, and how she inspires not only me, but everybody around our club and beyond — and beyond. I’m just so thrilled.

CO: Well, I hope you enjoy that moment as you did this morning’s. Pamela, it’s good to talk to you. Thanks.

PK: Thank you so much.

CO: Bye.

PK: Bye.

JD: Pamela Kok is the president of the St. Vital Curling Club in Winnipeg. And that is where we reached her. And meanwhile, on another sheet of ice, Canada's short-track speed skating team had an eventful day. First, veteran Marianne St Gelais was disqualified in a heat. And then her teammate, Kim Boutin — in her Olympic debut — won bronze in the same event — the 500 metre. But only after a South Korean skater was also dq’d for interference. Mark Gagnon is an Olympic medalist and a short-track coach in Montreal. He spoke to CBC's Nancy Wood about Ms. Boutin’s surprise medal.

SOUNDCLIP

MARK GAGNON: Mentally, she is a girl that has worked a lot, being a little bit insecure, graduating really fast on the international level. So she had a lot of adjustments to make. And getting into that competition, first Olympics, first race, first final, first final after seeing her really good friend, Marianne St Gelais, being disqualified, being fifth on the line, but starting in second. All that meant that mentally she was just rock-solid, and she just had a great race. She was not in a situation where she could have won that race, but she did everything at the right place, at the right moment, great decisions everywhere. She had a Korean skater skating to her, kept the English girl from passing her. So every decision was at the right place, and she ended up with a bronze medal. It was a really, really good race by Kim. And I’m pretty sure it’s going to give her wings for the next three challenges.

JD: Speed skating coach Marc Gagnon, speaking about Kim Boutin's bronze medal win.

[Music: Indie rock]

Greg Selinger

JD: He's taking responsibility, but he's not taking leave. Today, former Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger apologized to women who made allegations of sexual misconduct against his former NDP Finance Minister, Stan Struthers. Mr. Struthers was given the nickname "Minister Tickles," after women came forward alleging he had touched them inappropriately. Greg Selinger, while no longer Manitoba's Premier, is still a sitting MLA for the NDP. He refused to resign, even after the party's current leader, Wab Kinew, suggested that he shouls do so. At a press conference today, Mr. Selinger told reporters he first learned of allegations against Mr. Struthers three years ago. Here's part of what he said.

SOUNDCLIP

GREG SELINGER: The bottom line is in 2015, when these concerns came forward to us we acted upon them immediately. We made it extremely clear that this behaviour cannot continue. And we respected the wishes of the women for anonymity. And sought their consent about what other further action they wanted to take. They indicated they wanted it to stop. That was as far as they wished to go at that time. But we then took policy initiatives through the Legislative Assembly management committee, which really goes to the Speaker's office to find better ways to improve the approach. Was it sufficient? Clearly not, and that's why we have to all try and do better.

REPORTER: Walk me through what your thoughts were when you first read this story last week?

GS: Well, sort of had a nauseous, very sick to the stomach feeling. And a little bit of disbelief that this could be happening, but it sinks in. And you feel terrible for the people that have had to experience that. And then you say to yourself what should I do to try and address their bravery and their courage in speaking up? And that's why I'm here in front of you today.

REPORTER: You apologize, but do you take responsibility?

GS: Yes, I say that directly in my statement. I feel as leader and premier; it was on my watch that some of these — not all of these — but some significant number of these incidents occurred. And if it's on your watch, you have to take responsibility for it, even if you don't know about it. We needed to all be better at what we're doing. And as the person in charge at that time, I only wish we could have known about it so we could have acted on it sooner. But at the end of the day, it's about how we relate to each other. And so I've just tried to in my own way of doing things practice that. But clearly, we need everybody to keep working on it — starting with yourself. You always get to start with yourself and how you can do better.

JD: That’s former Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, speaking today about the allegations of sexual misconduct against former Manitoba Finance Minister, Stan Struthers.

[Music: Ambient]

Homeless reunion

Guests: Jason Kirkwood, Mary MacKilop

JD: It had been more than a year since Mary MacKillop had last heard from her son. And eight years since she'd last hugged him. And that was no surprise. Danny MacKillop was homeless, he was a drug user, he was on the streets of Toronto; she was two-thousand kilometers away in the small town of Reserve Mines, Cape Breton. But thanks to the warm-heartedness of a Special Constable with Toronto Community Housing, Mary MacKillop and her son Danny have found each other again. Jason Kirkwood is that Special Constable. We have him on the line now from Mississauga, along with Danny's mom, Mary MacKillop, in New Waterford, Nova Scotia.

CO: Jason and Mary, hello to you both.

JASON KIRKWOOD: Hi, Carol. How are you?

MARY MACKILLOP: Hi.

CO: And can you hear each other?

JK: Yes.

MM: I can hear him; I can hear you.

CO: Jason, I want to start with you because the whole story begins with you. Late last year, in Toronto, when you were taking money out of an ATM machine, what happened?

JK: Yeah, I was at the ATM machine at Kim’s Convenience in the Moss Park area of Toronto. And took my money out, and hastily put it in my pocket, and went on my way, and started hearing my name being yelled out. I hear Jay, Jay, and they turn around, and I see it's Danny. So I stop, and he asked me how much money did you just take out? And I'm a little guarded because I know I'm from the community, he’s a substance user and homeless. And I end up telling him; I say I took out $160. And he goes well, count it. Again, I'm guarded, but I take it out of my pocket, I count it, and there's a $120. He's like you left this behind, and he holds up his two hands and in each hand is $20. And I'm like wow, Danny! Thank you very much.

CO: He found it in the machine?

JK: Yeah, I left it back in the machine. So yeah, I give him some money, and I go on my way. And I think about it that night; I'm like wow that was pretty solid! Like a really good heart and a good thing to do. So I write about it on Facebook. And a couple of days go by, and I see Danny, and I tell him I'm like oh, I wrote the story about you giving me my money back on Facebook. And he says to me oh, can you tag me in the story? I want my mom to know I'm not such a bad guy.

CO: Mary, you’re there, and so hi to you again.

MM: Hi.

CO: Hi Mary. And now you read this Facebook post, what did you think when you saw it?

MM: Well, I didn't quite read it right away. Right now, I'm big on Facebook; I'm not usually. And someone phoned me and said Mary, you need to go look at the computer there's a story I came across in my news feed — so I did, I went, and that's the story. And so, first of all, I was like dazed thinking oh my God, I know where he's at. And the reason why Jason did get so many when he posted that because periodically, every month, I would put in that message on Facebook: Danny, call home. Danny, call Mom. So everybody around knew in my community that my boy was missing. So everybody was concerned about him. So when I saw Jason's post after that, that's when I just contacted him like I got to go, and he helped me. He told me what area to look — Queen and Sherborne.

CO: Jason, why did you think that was possibly the area where Mary might find her son?

JK: Well, I've known Danny for a number of years. And that would be the area like where a lot of the users hang out. And Danny would be one of them who hung out in that area.

CO: It’s a pretty rough part of town.

JK: Yes.

CO: Mary, what was it like to be in those streets looking for him?

MM: Well, my sister and I went into Toronto early that morning with a picture. And we walked those streets and up and down Queen to Sherborne, and no luck. We asked different people. We just walked and walked and walked. And finally it's getting dark, and I said I can't do this anymore. I'm nervous in the dark; we're going to have to come back tomorrow. So I'm walking on Queen and Yonge, and someone passed me, and then I heard the person speak. And they said hey, I know you know; you’re my mother. And when I turned around because he had passed me — I didn't see him. It took me seconds, but then I knew it was him. And so it was just very, very emotional from then on, like hugging and kissing and just unbelievable. My sisters, we were all crying.

CO: How did he look when you saw him?

MM: Very, very thin — very gaunt face. He’s very thin that's all I can say. He looked very unkempt.

CO: Now you have him; he's with you. And what did you talk about? Because you don't want him to go back street, did you make a plan?

MM: Well, that was thing: I didn't have a plan. I had no plan. I just knew I had to get him. And a very good friend of Danny's sent me a message saying I can help. So that's what I told him: your friend Wayne is giving you an opportunity to go to rehab. And it's in Vancouver; you either take that, or you go back to the street. So in the end, he said yes, he was ready for rehab. So we went, and he's doing excellent. And he calls me every night. And it's so nice to hear those words: I love, Mom; because I hadn't heard them in almost two years.

CO: Is he drug free?

MM: Yes, he is; he's 11 days drug free.

CO: How does it feel to have your son back in your life with you?

MM: Amazing. It's like I don't know I'm always happy, I can't wait for his phone calls every night. I was a very, very sad person, especially during the latter part of last year. It was really starting to bother me. I thought he was dead. I really thought he was dead. And I was calling all the police departments like East Division, West Division, calling hospitals in Ontario, but all I was worried about is do you have a John Doe? If you have a John Doe, could it be my son? So I was convinced he's dead.

CO: And now, he's back in your life.

MM: Now he's back in my life, yes.

CO: Jason, you're a Special Constable, you deal with people on the street, with homelessness, with drug addicts. Is this a story you rarely get to see— this moment like this?

JK: Oh yeah, this was incredible. I've been with Toronto Community Housing in the area for almost 20 years, and I’m very happy to have been a part of the story, but a very small part of it. And I'm a little choked up; like I have Mary told the story this way. And I speak to her on Facebook almost every day now. We've become friends, as I have with so many of her other friends in Cape Breton.

MM: You're an honorary Cape Bretoner now, Jason.

JK: Yeah, yeah, I’m going to have enough to make my way down there sometime.

MM: For sure.

CO: And Mary, any message for Jason> Anything you want to say to him?

MM: I love Jason to death. Because of him, I got my life back. I got my boy, and it was all because of Jason. Had he not posted that story, we'd all still be wondering where is Danny MacKillop?

CO: Jason and Mary, it is such a pleasure and such an honour to speak with you both. I'm glad this worked out for you, Mary, and your son.

MM: Thank you Carol.

CO: Thank you, guys. Bye.

MM: Bye Bye, Jason.

JK: Bye Mary, take care.

MM: Bye bye.

JD: We reached Mary MacKillop in New Waterford, Nova Scotia; Special Constable Jason Kirkwood was in Toronto.

[Music: Folk rock]

Listener Response: Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Duncan Robb could not believe his luck.

JD: Duncan Robb couldn't believe his luck. Then, later, he could believe his luck. As you heard on last night's program, Mr. Robb wanted to surprise his girlfriend with tickets to see her favourite band: the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He found a totally sick deal online and didn't hesitate. He bought tickets and flights to go see the Peppers perform in Belfast, Northern Ireland. And the show fell right before Valentine's Day. Bonus! And then things got less romantic for Mr. Robb when his girlfriend belatedly realized that the tickets were for the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. And they are, quote, "the most famous bagpipe band on the planet". After hearing Mr. Robb's story, many of you shared your own misreading mix-ups, and, of course, your love of bagpipes.

JD: Stephen Weir tweeted: "Done something similar. Film night at our house and had taken out what I thought was Steve Martin's 'LA Place'. Turns out I had borrowed 'La Place', a PQ documentary. Fine movie, but my friends didn't agree." CBC's Jay Turnbull tweeted: "My girlfriend once bought me tickets to see my favourite NHL team but in the wrong city. It would have been a 4,000-kilometre drive to the game." To Martin Wiltsey, Duncan Robb's mix-up was a blessing. He said: "Anyone in their right mind would choose the Pipers over the Peppers, so this serendipitous accident just has to be a divine intervention. And As It Happens producer piper Kevin Ball, who is not biased just because he's also a piper, quipped: "When it comes to a gift like that, baggers can't be choosers. But does she want to give it away, give it away, give it away now? And finally, Steve Bromschwig asked: "Yeah, but do the Pipers do the show in their underwear?" To which Liz Wootton replied: "No, they wear kilts, which means probably no underwear at all." So thank you. Thank you all for your comments. You can find more on the Pipers/Peppers mix-up on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

Back To Top »

Part three: Break-in friendship, goat Caddy

Break-in friendship

Guest: Leah Ross

JD: A few weeks back, Leah Ross came home to find her house ransacked. And while the Winnipeg teacher was waiting for the police to arrive, there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found a teenage girl, wearing her stolen clothes and watch. We reached Leah Ross in Winnipeg.

CO: Leah, what was it like to find your house had been broken into?

LEAH ROSS: I was in shock when I walked in the door, and I was absolutely terrified. I walked in, went to the kitchen, saw stuff from my basement in my kitchen, and my back door was swinging wide open in the wind. And I'd come in through the front, and I was terrified. I went straight for my phone, and I dialed 911.

CO: What were you terrified of?

LR: Well, the door to my basement was kind of moving and swaying. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the burglar had broken into the basement, and there was air circulating downstairs causing it to move. So I was worried that perhaps there might be somebody in the house. I’d got off the phone with the 911 operator, and I called the pastor across the street, and then I called my mom. And I was on the phone with my mom next just to get some comfort. And while I was on the phone with my mom, I heard this loud knocking sound at the back door. And I said Mom, got to go; I think that's the burglar. And I went, and I opened the door, and there was a young woman there, wearing my jacket and my clothing, and she was carrying all these bags of mine, and they were all filled with my stuff.

CO: And who was she? Just describe this young woman?

LR: She was beautiful. I didn't know her age at the time, I’ve later found out she's 17. And I said I'm so scared. Are you going to hurt me? And she said no, it's just me. I left my keys and my phone somewhere maybe in your upstairs your downstairs, so I couldn't get back home.

CO: What!

LR: And I said well, come in. Let's find your cell phone and your keys, I found your jacket here, and she said I'm really sorry, I've never done this before. And I calmed down, and I said to her, OK, you know I think it's going to be OK. I said are you all right? And she said yeah, I'm sorry. I said OK, do you need like a hug? Would that help? And she said yeah. And I said OK, I won’t hurt you. We leaned in, and we both hugged each other, I patted her on the back, and we both kind of like decompressed with that hug.

CO: Wait a second here. I mean you’re the one who has been robbed. You're the one who has gone through the trauma. But she needs comfort, and you're trying to get her through her robbery of you?

LR: Yes.

CO: You know this isn't typical?

LR: Everyone reacts in a different way. My background was in law, and in education, and she happened to be 17, and I happened to work with 17-year-old girls. So she's the exact age and type of person that I teach and work with one-on-one every day.

CO: So you just saw her as one of your girls?

LR: I actually did. I thought she's as beautiful as them, she's very intelligent in the way she broke in, and then when we sat down and we began speaking, she was very articulate, and her apology was absolutely sincere. I really did believe that she was coming forward to me with very clean hands, saying I did you wrong. I'm so, so sorry. And she wept.

CO: You gave her something to eat?

LR: My mom had given me some ginger snaps the night before, and I had some eggnog, and that was pretty much it. And I said would you like some food? Let me put some cookies on a plate. And here, do you like eggnog? And she said yes, and so I poured us both some, and we sat and we talked.

CO: What did she talk about?

LR: I said to her do you have a family that cares about you, or that’s around that supports you and wonders where you are right now? And she said well, I do, but I've been put into foster care. And I go OK, well what about a foster family? And she said no, I'm not in a foster family. And then she said I'm all alone. No one wants an older child, and she just cried and wept. She said no one wants an older child, and I do drugs. I've done marijuana. Now, I'm on prescription drugs, and nobody wants me. And I said well, do you have good friends that care about you? And she says I've made friends, but I know they're bad for me. And she said I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry. And I said I forgive you. And she asked me why are you being so nice to me? And I said well, I can't change your past, and I can't change what happened, but we can change the present. Maybe we can change the future.

CO: What happened when the police arrived?

LR: First, the pastor came from across the street, and then the police came, and my father; I’d called him, and he came across from the opposite end of the city.

CO: Now your house is full of people. What are they saying about your bonding?

LR: They were in shock. And the detective said never in my 20 years have I ever walked in to see a victim and the intruder eating cookies and drinking eggnog together.

CO: Was the girl charged?

LR: Absolutely not. I had a talk with them, I previously practiced law in my 20s, and I had a good, long talk with the detective. And we talked about what's most important in both law and education. And that's the child's best interest doctrine. And in this particular case, we both agreed it was not in this child's best interest to get into the criminal justice system. I thought it would benefit her better to be in counseling and in rehab.

CO: So all of this happened before Christmas, and I know that you kept in touch with her. You gave her some belated Christmas gifts.

LR: I wanted to reach out to her, but I was reluctant because if the event traumatized her, I did not want her to feel re-traumatized or bothered by me. I'm very reluctant to reach out to her; she texts me first. I just want her to see me as a safe person that she can contact, and someone who cares about her. And not someone who views her as a burglar; I view her as a wonderful, intelligent, beautiful person. But her family and her social worker agreed. And I met her for coffee, and we had a nice long talk. And it was really nice to see her.

CO: And is she getting help?

LR: Well she was no longer in school, and they were talking about maybe rehab being the next step. And I asked her what she liked to do — if she liked music or sports? And she said I always loved dancing. And I said well, if you get into a dance program, and you need help funding it, let me know.

CO: What do you think her future is?

LR: I really don't know. I just want to be someone that can support her, and see her become what she's capable of.

CO: It’s extraordinary you're bonding with this young woman.

LR: Well, thank you. There's been times when I've reacted in anger, and I've always regretted those moments. I really hate those times when I come across as being harsh, or mean, or extra frustrated.

CO: Well, I can't imagine you’re ever like that. But these are words to live by, Leah. And I appreciate hearing this story. Thank you.

LR: Thank you.

JD: That was Leah Ross, who formed a friendship with a teenage girl who burgled her home. We reached Ms. Ross in Winnipeg.

[Music: Folk guitar]

From Our Archives: Asma Jahangir obit

JD: She was celebrated by liberals, and savaged by tradionalists. Pakistani human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir has died. She was 60-years-old. She devoted her life to advocating for the poor, especially women and children. Among her many achievements, she set up the country's first legal aid clinic; co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and the Women's Action Forum, which campaigned against discriminatory aspects of legislation, especially rape laws. She became known around the world for that work — as well as her outspoken condemnation of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. But with that renown came death threats. In 1988, she spoke with our former As It Happens host Michael Enright. Pakistan's Supreme Court had just ruled that Pakistanis would have to show national identity cards before voting. Which, she said prevented disenfranchised citizens — many of them women — from casting their votes.

SOUNDCLIP

MICHAEL ENRIGHT: So what will the impact be on women who want to vote in Wednesday's election?

ASMA JAHANGIR: The impact will be that people didn't have the clout to make identity cards, which are forged, will get a lot of women inside the polling station earlier than the others. And they will cast their vote. When I go give them my identity card, and say I’m Asma Jahngir, they will say someone named Asma Jahngir has already polled a vote . And what identity do you have that you are Asma Jahngir? Of course, I have none.

ME: So this means that in your view, large numbers of women will not be able to vote?

AJ: I think this has given way to official rigging. And I also think that the Supreme Court judgment is a very political judgment. It is not a legal judgment. Because our Constitution clearly says that if you are an adult over 21 years, you have the right to vote. And thus, the identity cards cannot be the exclusive point of identification.

ME: Then which side in the election would benefit the most from this confusion?

AJ: Obviously people who are with the caretaker government because the Opposition has no way of making forged identity cards, or can influence the government to get their identity cards made.

ME: I assume that a large preponderance of Pakistani women would vote for the PPP?

AJ: Even in ’71 and ’77, a large percentage of women voted for PPP, even more so now because the other parties are Islamic parties, or at least hypocritical Islamist parties. And People’s Party is the only party giving a progressive agenda. And that is what women of Pakistan stand for.

ME: Is there anything that can be done between now and Wednesday to offset the problem?

AJ: I’m afraid not. It is too late now. Despite that, I am very confident the People’s Party will win.

JD: From our archives, that was human-rights lawyer Asma Jahangir, speaking with Michael Enright on this program in 1988. And her prediction was bourne out: despite the ruling, Benazir Bhutto was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan for the first time in December, 1988. Ms. Jahingir died Sunday. She was 66-years-old.

[Music: Sad piano]

Jerry Howarth

JD: 2015 American League Division Series. Texas Rangers. Toronto Blue Jays. Game Five. Bottom of the Seventh. Jose Bautista is at the plate.

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: A famous call from Jerry Howarth]

JD: For Jays fans, that Jose Bautista "bat flip" homerun ranks pretty high. It's up there with Joe Carter's 1993 World Series walk-off home run. It's one of those "where were you" moments. And the link between those two historic moments — the voice behind that now-iconic call that lifted fans across the country to their feet — is Jerry Howarth. Today, the legendary Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play broadcaster announced his retirement, after 36 seasons with the team. Here's Sportsnet's Jeff Blair, reading a statement, followed by Mr. Howarth explaining his decision to step away from the mic.

SOUNDCLIP

JEFF BLAIR: I'm going to read a statement, which Jerry has asked me to read on his behalf. Today, I am formally announcing my retirement as a Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcaster after 36 wonderful years behind the microphone. I had every intention of continuing my career into the 2018 season, but my health and stamina and continuing voice issues dictated otherwise. Who knew that I would spend more than half my life in Toronto with my wife Mary, and our two sons, Ben and Joe, doing what I loved to do most: reaching out to friends and fans alike across our great country to talk baseball. I am blessed and I am grateful. I thank everyone who has made this journey of mine so rewarding in every way. Jerry Howarth.

JERRY HOWARTH: Well, when you read that, I get emotional too. It's been a wonderful ride. Everything that you just read right there came right from my heart. And as this two hours goes on, I’ll regain my strength. But I think my son Joe, who has been my best listener, he's 39, and he reached out to me this morning he said Dad, we moved here when I was three. You're the voice that I heard all those years. And they reminded me as well too he said it was Tom and Jerry. Then Jerry, and now this ends that era. And I hadn't thought too much about that.

JD: That's Jerry Howarth, announcing his retirement on SportsNet this morning. The beloved Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play announcer is stepping away from the microphone after 36 seasons with the Jays.

[Music: Ambient]

Goat caddie

Guest: Colby Marshall

JD: The 140,000-acre Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Grant County, Oregon offers dining, lodging, and innovative golf experiences. You want a course you can play backwards and forwards? Silvies Valley Ranch has it. You want a nine-hole course with a water hazard on every hole? You're weird, but they have it. And soon, the Ranch's newest course, the 7-hole McVeigh's Gauntlet, will offer caddies who have an intimate familiarity with the fairway. Because, whenever they get a chance, they eat the fairway. They won't be much help with your club selection, though, because they're goats. Colby Marshall is the vice president of livestock and guest services at the Silvies Valley Ranch. We reached him in Grant County, Oregon.

CO: Colby, how did you come up with the idea of offering goats as caddies?

COLBY MARSHALL: Well, Carol, the idea really came frankly from the goats themselves. They have been seeking other career opportunities on the ranch. And so we developed this new career path for them. And you know quite frankly they're just stampeding to it.

CO: Are these your own goats? Or do you have goats coming from elsewhere looking for work?

CM: No, no, no, these are goats that are raised right here on the ranch. And, in fact, these goats are conceived, born, trained, educated, and ultimately, apply for these positions as go caddies. All right here at Silvies Valley Ranch. And I'm not kidding about this, Carol.

CO: And how many have applied?

CM: Well, last year we had 150 applicants for one position. This year we expect to have over 300 applicants for the three more remaining positions that we're currently seeking to fill.

CO: How good are they as caddies — these goats?

CM: Well, you know the caddies go through a rigorous training program. They're drafted in after applying. They go through very intense physical training program. They're put on the highest quality nutrition that they can have. They only drink spring water. And then, ultimately, once they become caddies and they're comfortable in their position, one of the most difficult things for them actually is understanding the club selection. And then frankly communicating that club selection to the golfers, and just like any caddy knows of any species, golfers have to take their advice. So that's their toughest job is talking with the golfers.

CO: And I bet you any money that those golfers did not accept advice from you goat caddies onto which club to use.

CM: Well, they're well-trained; they know the territory better than any other caddies that are going to work at Silvies Valley.

CO: OK, so advice notwithstanding, what are the jobs that your goat caddies have?

CM: Well, the primary job is to carry six golf clubs — three for each golfer, a dozen golf ball,s golf tees, and six cans of refreshments for their customers, along with a few dozen peanuts because you know they do get paid for their services as they go along. The McVeigh course is about a half-mile long, and they get a 20 minute break in between rounds, along with healthy snacks of the antelope brush, juniper, and, again, as much springwater as they can drink.

CO: Now, goats are notoriously stubborn creatures. How do you persuade them to keep moving along from hole to hole with your golfers?

CM: Well, Carol, again, they apply. They want this career path because this career path is a lot better than the alternative. And so after six months of age, and their application into the program, they are trained by our Peruvian herders, who spend all their time with them. They teach them how to lead on a leash. And just like a dog, the goats are very social. And they want to lead on the leash or off leash. And so they'll you know keep up. And, of course, they're being paid peanuts along the way. So it's an incentive for them to stay on the job.

CO: You have a particular caddie, Bruce Le Goat, who does most of the training I understand?

CM: Oh absolutely, Bruce Le Goat is our caddie-master. He's 4-years-old. He's had three years of training, and, Carol, he graduated first in his class.

CO: And what is his job now?

CM: Well, he's working directly with Mike the caddie-captain. Mike and Bruce are best friends. They've actually been friends since they were kids. And right now, they're working with Peanut Le Goat, who is the first caddie-trainee in the program. So Bruce's job really is to train Peanut. But there's one thing that is very exciting in terms of our goat program. And I wanted to break it on air with you today. And that is Round About La Doe. She is a year-and-a-half-old doeling. And she's the first female goat caddie in the world that we know of. And she's going through a training program, and is expected to graduate first in her class also.

CO: OK, so what's happening with your human caddies? How do they feel about losing their jobs to goats?

CM: Well that's the thing; we don't have any other caddies. The goat caddies are the only caddies that we have here at the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch. So we're not displacing any other two-legged caddies. This is a program specifically for four-legged caddies, and we're creating this whole new career path for these caddies.

CO: Now, you mentioned that this job is better than the alternative. I know that at your ranch, you have a restaurant, and you do serve goat. Is it possible that one's caddie will end up on one's menu?

CM: Well, actually, retired goat caddies, and really at this point, there are no retired caddies because Bruce is, obviously, in very good shape. He's at the prime of his career. However, once they retire, they will be placed as pets with retired golfers.

CO: And they're not going to end up being dinner?

CM: Well, obviously, being a goat caddie on the McVeigh's Gauntlet at Silvies Valley Ranch is better than the alternative of working in the restaurant.

CO: All right. We'll leave it there, Colby. Thank you.

CM: Thank you very much. You bet.

JD: Colby Marshall is the vice president of livestock and guest services at the Silvies Valley Ranch Retreat and Links, where they will soon offer goats as caddies. We reached Mr. Marshall in Grant County, Oregon.

[Music: Bluegrass]

Milkman retires

JD: Arnaldo de Castris was 15 when he started his dairy route. Back then, the milk he delivered came in glass bottles, and had a layer of cream on top. And he delivered to every house on every block — eggs and butter, too. Now, after almost seventy years tracing the same route through Montreal's West End, Mr. de Castris has retired. CBC Montreal's Nancy Wood called him up to find out why he'd decided to stop following the litres.

SOUNDCLIP

ARNALDO DE CASTRIS: It's a couple of things: the truck is getting old; I’m getting older. The rout is getting bad, so we’re all going down together. It's funny, but it always comes to an end, eh? I really didn't want to retire, but I have no choice between the truck and the route and everything else, I decided to call it off.

NANCY WOOD: Now, I have a milkman, and he's been our milkman for about 20 years, so we've developed a real relationship with our milkman. You know he arrives at the door, and we talk about last night's hockey game. Have you made friends on your route?

ADC: Yeah, yeah for sure. Actually, all the customers are my friends very well. You know I’ve known them for so many years. And so they will miss me too, and I miss them as well. I really didn't like to leave. I wanted to carry on another year.

NW: So what are you going to do now? Now you've got all this time on your hands. You don't have to wake up early.

ADC: I tell you I’m all confused yet. I really don't know what I’m going to do. Right now, I really don't want to do anything yet for another week or two or whatever; I want to stay home, and move around, and that's about it.

NW: Are you still waking up really early?

AD: Nope, nope, I'm sleeping in in the morning.

JD: Good for you. That was CBC Radio's Nancy Wood, speaking with Arnaldo de Castris. Last month, Mr. de Castris retired after 67 years delivering milk in Montreal.

[Music: Guitar]

Dim light study

JD: For the past few days, we've been using a candle to light the As It Happens studio. It creates a nice ambiance. Plus our light bulb went out last Thursday, and we're not allowed to get a new one until the start of the next fiscal. Personally, I'm enjoying it, but I find my...brain is working...worse than, like — when it was better? If I'm not so good at thinking of good...words, that may be because... ummm. Hold on, let me turn on this flashlight. Okay, now my brain feels smarter now. Here's the science: researchers at Michigan State did an experiment on Nile grass rats. Unlike Rattus norvegicus, the rat we're familiar with and grossed out by, the Nile grass rat is cute and diurnal — meaning it's awake in the day and asleep at night. The researchers subjected some of their rodent subjects to an extended period of dim light, and some to bright light. And they discovered that the rats exposed to long periods of dim light lost, quote "about 30 per cent of capacity in the hippocampus, a critical brain region for learning and memory, and performed poorly on a spatial task they had trained on previously." Apparently, the dimness reduces neurons' ability to communicate with one another. And, as one of the researchers put it, quote, "This results in diminished learning and memory performance... In other words, dim lights are producing dimwits." Unquote. Might this apply to humans as well? Well, we don't know for sure but — oh no, my flashlight's dying. In the meantime, this...science thing about dim lighting is...good. And neat!

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February 13, 2018 episode transcript

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