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The Current Transcript for December 22, 2023

Host: Mark Kelley

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

[Music: Theme]

SOUNDCLIP

DAVE HILL: There's this argument in America, like, Oh, hockey is really hard to follow, especially on TV. And I, I've never understood that. I mean, my dog understands hockey.

MARK KELLEY: Dave Hill is on a mission. The author, comedian and musician wants to figure out why his dog understands hockey, but many Americans don't. In the U.S., hockey ranks below almost every other major sport in terms of popularity. Even NASCAR racing laps the NHL. Dave Hill's quest took him to places around the world where hockey is surprisingly taking hold. Picture roller hockey in sweltering Kenya. He's my guest in 30 minutes. And later, a story that's become an annual tradition here on The Current.

SOUNDCLIP

STUART MCLEAN: At 4 a.m. in the morning on Christmas morning, Dave found an open store and bought the last turkey there: 12 pounds, frozen as tight as a cannonball.

[laughter]

MK: That, of course, is the late Stuart McLean telling his classic tale "Dave Cooks the Turkey." Get ready to laugh and cry. Coming up in an hour. But first, young Canadians take their climate fight and the federal government to court. Good morning. I'm Mark Kelley, moonlighting for Matt Galloway. This is The Current.

[Music: Theme]

Young Canadians take government to court over climate change

Guests: Lauren Wright and Chris Tollefson

MK: Fifteen Canadian teenagers, all climate activists, are going to have their day in court. Four years ago, they filed a lawsuit against the federal government, saying it had failed to protect them from climate change. Not long after, a lower court dismissed the case. But now, the Federal Court of Appeal has overturned that decision and said the lawsuit should go to trial. It will be the first case of its kind in this country. Lauren Wright is one of the plaintiffs. Good morning.

LAUREN WRIGHT: Good morning.

MK: I want to ask you your reaction, first, when you heard about the ruling from the Federal Court of Appeal saying that this should go to trial. How did you feel about that?

LAUREN WRIGHT: It was just a very overwhelming sense of relief. It's been such a long time coming at this point. It's, it's hard to put into context against, like, a backdrop of someone in adulthood, but, you know, this has been such a huge part of our lives. And to finally, after four years, have a court affirm our rights and the government's responsibility to us as youth, as citizens, was just a moment of massive, overwhelming relief.

MK: Well, tell me, Lauren, what inspired you? What motivated you to take the federal government to court in the first place?

LAUREN WRIGHT: Well, I think the situation with a lot of our plaintiffs is that we were activists before we were litigants. We had gotten our start trying to work in other avenues of climate justice. And seeking that, for me, it started with the climate strike movement -- getting involved with that, getting involved with politics. And kind of seeing that, you know, no matter what I was doing in that realm, a combination of my position as a young person in society and my lack of a formal experience or training kind of left me out of a lot of conversations. And I think with a lot of us, we found no matter what we did as activists, we were not having our rights recognized in a way that gave us equal standing with those who are creating the laws and creating the systems that have caused us harm.

MK: Well, let's talk about that, because you're saying that the federal government has failed to protect your Charter rights. So just explain how, how the government has failed you.

LAUREN WRIGHT: So, a really interesting thing about this case is we're not just saying we will be impacted in the future by climate change. All of our plaintiffs are experiencing unique, prolonged, life-altering consequences of climate change. For me, I'm someone with multiple disabilities, so a lot of my impacts are health-related. I live in Saskatchewan, and we've been really affected by wildfires. You know, it's been-- the past four years have just been constant smoke, so I'm not able to go outside and do what I need to do. And then on the flipside of that, all of these extreme weather patterns and events are making my life really, really difficult and painful. I live with something called Raynaud's syndrome. So, you know, at this point, six to eight months of the year, I'm not able to go outside because of the rapid changes as a result of climate catastrophe, climate events.

MK: And just to explain that a little, sorry. About the Raynaud's syndrome. What impact does that have on your physical well-being?

LAUREN WRIGHT: So basically, in cold temperatures, really anything below freezing, the veins in my hands and feet start to restrict and I lose feeling. Not fun, obviously, living somewhere where, you know, we've had periods where, like this, it's still positive temperatures in December for some reason. But we're going to go completely to the flip-side of, you know, negative 40 for weeks possibly.

MK: Right. And you wrote an open letter a few years ago about how climate change-- it's not only your physical health, but your mental health. The impact on your mental health. How are you doing today?

LAUREN WRIGHT: It's been quite the journey. When I started advocating this was an area of particular passion for me. I've dealt with mental health struggles for about the past ten years. And what I was finding was, as I was working through all of this with therapists and professionals, is this, this growing sense of eco-anxiety and climate grief that's beginning to get some recognition from those in the mental health field, from doctors and from community advocates. It's that sense of impending doom, which sounds very dramatic, I realize. But the day-to-day grief of seeing your future compromised. I've seen the people that you were always raised saying are here to protect you, are here to work in your interest, continue to not do that. And the other side of that is climate disasters are a massive impact on mental health. PTSD is a huge struggle for people who have been in floods, wildfires, hurricanes. We're seeing all of that. So it's just that daily balance between inaction and anticipation of consequences.

MK: Well, let's talk about the inaction. Because, you know, the federal government, the Trudeau government, will tell you that they've taken a number of steps to combat climate change. They say that they've invested more than $100 billion to fight climate change. They introduced a carbon tax, as you well know, which has been politically unpopular in a lot of sectors here, but they continue to fight for that. So what more do you want the government to do?

LAUREN WRIGHT: Well, the big thing for us is to use, say, the Paris climate agreement as, as an example. When we're having things like that, that, you know, they look really good on paper, our governments have signed on, they've promised. But there's a real lack of accountability there, which is what we are trying to address. Things like the net-zero emissions campaign that has been going on for that law. There's no built-in accountability. There is no one who's going to pay to have any kind of fallout if it's not followed through with. And conversely, the commitments that have been made are nowhere near ambitious enough. The 1.5 degrees of warming expressed in the Paris climate agreement -- we're on track to surpass that pretty well and within a scary timeframe. And that sign that science just cannot agree with 1.5 degrees of warming already is, is catastrophic completely. And with the net-zero act to complete phase-out by 2050, is in line to have nothing resembling a livable future.

MK: But Lauren, do you see that part of the problem here is that in terms of the actions or inaction of the government, however you want to frame this, that there isn't the public pressure? In fact, the conversations now, we're saying that less needs to be done; that the government is doing too much, if you listen to some of the debate right now. So is there a role for the public here that isn't putting the pressure on the federal government to do more? Is that, is the public also complicit in this problem in your eyes?

LAUREN WRIGHT: It's kind of complicated for me because I see... I see people who aren't worried about climate change because they have other things to be worried about, living in a time that's... the increasing cost of living, things like that. But I think that's kind of what we have realized, is that public pressure is most effective not only in greater numbers, but in targeting areas that the people in charge care about. Targeting them in court, looking at who's financing who, that kind of thing, is very much a realm of public pressure that could be expanded for active efficacy. And a lot of what I'm trying to do is bridge those gaps between farmers here in Saskatchewan who are unsure about how a carbon tax is going to affect them, but telling them about the forecasts of drought and hail and all of those kind of events moving forward. Climate change is nonpartisan. It doesn't care who you are and everyone will be affected.

MK: What outcome do you hope to see from this case, Lauren?

LAUREN WRIGHT: The outcome obviously is in line with the best available science as it emerges. But the big thing for me is legal accountability is, is the dream, really. To have an enforcing system of, you know, promises that are not only made but must be followed through to the letter of the law in a way that encourages accountability because of the consequences that may come out. Not just, you know, having it affect election results, but having legally-binding frameworks that must be obeyed, really, is the hope here.

MK: And what happens if you don't get that outcome?

LAUREN WRIGHT: Well, I think all of us alongside this have kept fighting separate from our roles as plaintiffs in trying to advocate and to be what the world needs, in a sense. A lot of us, you know, we're, we're committing our lives to this in a very serious way. I'm going to school right now in biology and hoping to look at how water systems are affected by climate change and how we assure water security on the Prairies. We have people who are going into law; people who are going into the arts and spreading messages; people who are going into permaculture and farming. So for all of us, it's not going to end at the lawsuit. We're, we're still fighting in our daily lives and we will continue to do so.

MK: Lauren, it's good to talk to you. Thank you for your time.

LAUREN WRIGHT: Perfect. Thank you so much.

MK: Lauren Wright is a 19-year-old climate activist from Saskatoon. Well, Chris Tollefson is the principal at Tollefson Law and co-counsel for the plaintiffs. Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Good morning, Mark.

MK: How important for you is it to have this case be heard?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: The key thing about this case is that it is going to be an opportunity for the first time in Canada on a national level for these issues to be addressed. There's a huge benefit to us all in having these cases brought forward. The science, I think, needs to be highlighted and these young people need and should be given the chance to tell their stories.

MK: The lawsuit argues that the Charter rights of these young people have been violated by the government's handling of climate change. I'm curious to know, how do you prove that?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, we're asserting in this case two quite novel and important claims. One is that there is a right to a stable climate system capable of supporting human life. And secondly, that governments have a positive duty to ensure that this right is protected. So we propose to advance those claims, and support it with science that shows that now and going into the future, through the lifetime of these plaintiffs, who we say represent, in a sense, all young Canadians, that through their lifetime, their Charter rights as we've claimed them, will be put at risk and violated.

MK: But how can you hold one individual government accountable for the climate crisis when no single government is actually responsible?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: That's an important issue, I think, in all of these cases. Governments, I think, have typically defended themselves on the footing that what they have contributed, their responsibility, is a drop in the bucket. But I think what is interesting to see is that courts are realizing that that is not a tenable defence. That these cases need to be heard. That-- In Canada's case, you know, it's one of the top ten GHG emitters in the world, so it's not a trivial contribution globally. But even for countries and for jurisdictions whose contribution is much less, courts are holding that they have to be held account for their fair share of their contribution to this global problem.

MK: Yeah, tell me more about that. Because I know in Montana that there was a high-profile case there. What happened there?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: In that case... Under the Montana Constitution, there is an expressed right to a healthy environment of the type that we're saying is embedded implicitly in our Constitution. There, the young people that brought that case were challenging legislation that prohibited government from considering climate change impacts in various decision-making settings. And the court there, after the very first trial on the merits in the U.S., held that the legislation was in violation of the Montana Constitution.

MK: And for you, that, then, is a positive indication that there is, there's hope for similar cases?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, absolutely. And not just in Montana, but right around the world--

MK: But in jurisdictions. Yeah.

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Yeah, absolutely. You know, in Germany and France and in Ireland these cases have been litigated with, I think, some very positive results. And in some cases, it has spurred on legislative change, it has spurred on public dialogue. And that's what we hope, I think, will happen in this case.

MK: Well, we reached out to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and they sent us a statement saying they shared the concerns of Canadians about climate change, but they couldn't comment further, because, of course, the matter is before the court. So what exactly are these plaintiffs seeking in terms of action from the government?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, first of all, I think they want to be heard. They want to be able to tell their stories. And I think that's an important function of this forthcoming trial. They also want to advance the best available science. I think there's been a deficit of discussion of the best available science in this country today, so that's another good goal for this trial. And at the end of the day, they hope that a judge will be persuaded that, at the end of the day, it's necessary to spur Canada on, to declare that Canada can do better, that it has a constitutional duty to do better, and to provide some guidance to Canada as to how it might do that.

MK: But why do you think it's up to the courts to do that rather than the public, the voting public, to send that message to the government?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, Mark, I think this is an all-hands-on-deck moment, really. I think the courts certainly have a role, and they're stepping up to do that all around the world. The public has a role. Politicians obviously have a role. I think we all have to weigh in and in good faith, grapple with these issues. I think we need to dial down the acrimony and try to really look at the science and be guided by what the best available science is saying.

MK: And would you be pushing for punitive damages here? For money as part of the settlement if you were to win the case?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: No, not at all. I don't think there's any youth-led climate case where money is being sought. And certainly it's not being sought in this case. The goal here really is to force action, compel action, or persuade governments to take action on climate change, and for the courts to be part of that process of dialogue.

MK: How long have you been a lawyer, Chris?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: 30 years.

MK: So tell me, what's it like representing this group of young plaintiffs? Tell me-- describe what that's been like for you.

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, it's been a huge privilege, obviously. They are incredibly committed. An articulate group. And Lauren, certainly, is a great example of that. They're also strategic and have taken a really long view here. They, they see that they can make an intervention and make a difference by bringing cases like this. But they also have to carry on and, and try to make change in other areas. So, it's been a really great journey with them and we're looking forward to continuing on down the road.

MK: And Chris, what precedent would be set if the court were to rule in favour of your clients?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, I think it's already set a precedent in so far as it has clarified that novel claims should be allowed to proceed if they're securely tethered on legal precedent, and that broad claims like ours should not be struck out. And that it's important for courts not to shy away from complex or contentious questions. So it set a precedent in that regard already. Running a full trial will have real benefits in terms of illuminating the public debate. And as for the ultimate result, that's still a ways off. But I'm sure that, win or lose, that will as well have positive benefits in the long run.

MK: And you said before, like, win or lose, you know, you're happy to be going through this. But if you are to lose, and I'm sure you're prepared for either outcome, will it all be worthwhile just to make the case in court to get that publicity...to make sure that your plaintiffs are heard?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Yeah, I think, especially with these young people, they have something to say. They have experiences that we have not factored in to the debate at this point. And when you combine that with the need to bring better science to the table, absolutely. Regardless of what happens, I really see this decision as leading to a very positive outcome for everybody.

MK: And just give us a timeline. What happens next, now that we-- the Federal Court of Appeal has said it should go to trial. When will that happen?

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Well, the first thing that we need to do is to sit down with all of our clients. And it's been four years, it's been a long road, and we want to make sure that they're all ready and willing to go forward with us. The next step after that, the court has signalled that the pleadings have to be redrafted a little bit to ensure that the trial is efficient. Our first task in the new year will be to do that, and then we'll sit down with Canada's lawyers and I think we'll have to work out a plan to bring this to trial.

MK: And we'll be watching. Chris, thanks for talking to us today. We appreciate this.

CHRIS TOLLEFSON: Thank you, Mark.

MK: Chris Tollefson is the principal at Tollefson Law. The CBC News is next. And then:.

SOUNDCLIP

DAVE HILL: I remember being in Winnipeg a few years ago and stumbling upon an outdoor rink. And I was just like, Oh my gosh, I can't imagine growing up with something like this. You know, you can't just run out your door and play hockey in America.

MK: Dave Hill grew up in the United States, but he has roots in Canada, so he was in awe when he came north and saw how deep the hockey culture runs in this country. And it set him on a quest to figure out why it hasn't caught on in the States in the same ways it has here. What he found out, coming up in six minutes. I'm Mark Kelley. You're listening to The Current.

[Music: Theme]

Back To Top »

Why hockey is so awesome

Guest: Dave Hill

MK: Hello, I'm Mark Kelley, and you're listening to The Current.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: "Bob Marley and the Hartford Whalers" by The Zambonis]

MK: That's the American band The Zambonis with their song "Bob Marley and the Hartford Whalers." They make a cameo appearance in Dave Hill's new book, The Awesome Game: One Man's Incredible Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey. Dave Hill is a comedian, an actor and a musician. Hi, Dave.

DAVE HILL: Hi. Thanks for having me.

MK: A pleasure to have you here. You're from Cleveland, home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That song is, of course, all about cities that have lost their hockey teams. Including Cleveland, although it doesn't get a mention in that song. I'm not sure why. You actually went and saw the beloved Cleveland Barons. What happened to the Cleveland Barons?

DAVE HILL: I did, yeah. That was my first NHL game ever. The Barons came to Cleveland in the mid-70s on the heels of the Cleveland Crusaders from the WHA. And they... they lasted two seasons, I think owing, to my mind, largely because the arena was way out in the middle of nowhere. They were called the Cleveland Barons, but they played in Richfield, Ohio, which was convenient to drifters only. [laughter] Like, no one... no one is in Richfield, Ohio, so anyone who wanted to see the Baron's play had to really, really want to see them play. So it just didn't... And, you know, combine that with the fact that, you know, Cleveland wasn't a huge hockey town.

MK: The pursuit of your book really is to try to understand why Americans don't love hockey the way you do. And you really show your passion and your pride for playing in the game. But you look at Cleveland alone, I mean, Cleveland became a team after the California Golden Seals. And then Cleveland ends up getting merged with the North Stars, and then the North Stars end up getting moved down to Dallas and almost goes bankrupt down there. I mean, that sort of speaks volumes about some of the problems with the game in the U.S., doesn't it?

DAVE HILL: Well, I don't know what happened in Minnesota, because you would think...

MK: Of all places.

DAVE HILL: ...that it would be perfect for there, and now they have the Minnesota Wild. But hockey in America, unfortunately, despite its growing popularity, is still this... You know, I have very few friends who are -- even to this day and I live in New York. The Rangers are one subway stop away. I mean, Dave Schneider from the Zambonis is the only friend that comes to mind that I could, you know, text about anything hockey-related, really.

MK: And why do you think that is, Dave? I mean, you've had some time. You wrote your book, you travelled a little bit for the book. I mean, what have you learned about why hockey struggles in the U.S.? You know, when you've got sports like NASCAR that are-- they're cramming fans in?

DAVE HILL: Yeah, it's deeply disturbing. I mean, I think... I mean, the obvious things are just the lack of naturally-occurring ice here in America. You know, we don't -- with the exception of Minnesota, really, and, you know, some of the the states that border your fine country... you know, we don't have-- Like, I remember being in Winnipeg a few years ago and just going for a run and just stumbling upon an outdoor rink. And I was just like, Oh my gosh, I can't imagine growing up with something like this. Where you could just walk down the block and put on your skates and be playing hockey in a matter of minutes. We don't really have that. And, you know, you can't just run out your door and play hockey in America like you can in Canada and, you know, some other countries...You know, unfortunately, the equipment is cost prohibitive as well. But what I truly don't-- I mean, those are just obvious nuts and bolts reasons. But the thing I don't understand is there's this argument in America like, Oh, hockey is really hard to follow, especially on TV. And I, I've never understood that. It's always been really easy to follow for me, you know. I don't... People say they don't know where the puck is. And I say this all the time, like, I wear glasses to watch movies and, you know, go to a-- go to an arena or whatever. But on TV, I don't even have to wear glasses. You can just kind of see where the energy is going. It's, I mean, my dog understands hockey. I don't get it. [Mark laughs]

MK: How much of your love of hockey do you think is genetic? Because you mentioned in your book that your grandfather's from Clinton, Ontario. Do you think that there's a little bit of that in your DNA?

DAVE HILL: I think there has to be. And, you know, we were-- my siblings and I were raised... You know, in America, as I'm sure you know, we're taught that America is the greatest country -- that everything we have is the greatest. It's amazing, it's amazing. But, you know, having a grandfather from Clinton, Ontario, I was raised that Canada was this vastly superior nation to the north. So I, I had a weirdly Canadian upbringing. The most Canadian upbringing that you could have for a kid in Cleveland, Ohio, I would think. You know, my siblings and I were tossed onto the ice, you know...shortly after the placenta was rinsed off us. We were just-- We had to skate. In fact, like, when my oldest sister, Miriam, when she was like, I don't know, maybe like ten years old, I remember she... she was saying she didn't want to skate anymore. You know, she didn't want to go to-- go down to the rink with the family. And my grandfather said, 'What good are you if you can't skate?' It was just this damning statement I remember hearing and being like, Well, yeah, I guess he's right. You know?

MK: [laughing] No pressure, kids. Go out and have fun. [laughs]

DAVE HILL: I mean, that's how serious it was. And I'm really the only... My mother skated, you know...her whole life, you know, up until the last year of her life. And I was really the only other one in my family who really, out of, you know, just my natural... the Canadian-ness in my blood, I've kept skating, you know.

MK: Well, you were a bit of a hotshot player when you were playing with the Saint Ignatius Wildcats -- the legendary Wildcats.

DAVE HILL: Of course, yeah.

MK: But you came to terms at some point that you were not going to make the NHL?

DAVE HILL: Yeah, I think-- I mean, thank you for calling me a hotshot. That's very... [Mark laughs] generous description of my abilities. I think I did have... You know, I was not very good or interested at all in other sports, but hockey I really, I guess, applied myself as my mom used to say. So I got about as good as I was going to get. And I, you know, I could do things really well. I could, I could skate around and look really good until other players were involved. And then that's when things got tough. But I think I knew when I was about 14... I mean, I'm sure I knew subconsciously before then, but I think I admitted to myself at 14 that maybe the NHL wasn't in my future.

MK: How good was-- How good were the Wildcats?

DAVE HILL: I made the varsity team in my freshman year. And we were horrible. We were absolutely Bad News Bears. I mean, and also we looked like just this motley crew. It looked like the bar scene from Star Wars. It just, we didn't look to be even of the same species, a lot of us. But, you know, by the time I got to be a junior and senior, we started to get pretty good. Or, you know, I should say we were getting, like, really good younger players. And I don't know if I really improved over the course of my high school career, but, but yeah, we did pretty well. And now the team, the Saint Ignatius Wildcats, are state champions year after year. They're amazing. And it's, it's really cool and fascinating to see, you know. Just even... you know, I went... and I, you know, the first chapter in the book I talk about this going and skating with them. You know, they have these, to my mind, like, NHL-worthy locker-rooms now. And, you know...all the tape they want, you know? Just basics that we didn't have back in the... 1940s.

MK: Well, Dave, you laid the foundation. You can take credit for laying the foundation for the team's success. I would take that and run with it. Or skate with it.

DAVE HILL: I mean, I think you're right. Now that I hear you say it, I think you're right.

MK: Now, as you mentioned, your book is trying to understand why people in the U.S. are not as in love with hockey as you are. But there was one glorious moment when hockey was king down there. Do you remember this?

SOUNDCLIP

["Miracle on Ice" broadcast clip from the 1980 Winter Olympics gold medal hockey game]

DAVE HILL: Of course.

SOUNDCLIP

[suspenseful play-by-play of the gold medal game]

AL MICHAELS: The puck is still loose. Eleven seconds. You've got ten seconds. The countdown going on right now. Morrow up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? YES!

[crowd erupts]

MK: Do you believe in miracles. Boy, that's one for the ages. You remember that?

DAVE HILL: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I genuinely got chills just listening to it right as you played it. It was amazing. I would have been just a, just a little thing. You know, about ten years old.

MK: That's the Miracle on Ice game at the 1980 Winter Olympics, when a group of young American players beat the mighty Soviet team 4 to 3. And at that time, you had-- the United States was suddenly on the hockey map.

DAVE HILL: Yeah. It was-- I mean, this is after years of kids being confused and irritated whenever I would bring up hockey on the playground or in the classroom. And then all of a sudden everyone was into hockey. For at least a solid two weeks, you know? [Mark laughs]

MK: I was going to ask you, what happened to that Miracle on Ice? It seems to-- it seemed to have evaporated, at least in terms of putting the game in the national consciousness.

DAVE HILL: I mean, yeah. It had a nice-- you know, we were excited. It lasted longer than when the U.S. won the curling championship. I think without-- Curling only got about four hours of attention in America, where all anyone could talk about was curling for four hours. But in 1980 when the U.S. Olympic team won, it was, I would say... I might even go three weeks of just lots of hockey talk. In my little world in University Heights, Ohio. And it was, it was just... it was nice that finally my classmates were interested in the same thing that I was, you know.

MK: You're also a self-declared expert on hockey sweaters. Or, as you call them, jerseys.

DAVE HILL: Yeah. But I will say, you know, because people, and with good reason, get mildly enraged when they hear me call them a jersey. But I only do that to to entice the layperson to get on board. Because, you know, they get, as we've discussed, you know, Americans get so easily confused. When you say hockey "sweater," they're imagining, like, a cardigan with a patch of your favourite team on the chest or something.

MK: So how many sweaters do you own?

DAVE HILL: Not enough, by my estimation. I would say 50, but that's way too many by my girlfriend's estimation. But, you know, knowing, like, Dave Schneider from The Zambonis who has, you know, I think maybe a couple thousand...

MK: Wow.

DAVE HILL: And Brian Slagle, my friend, head of Metal Blade Records who discovered a little band called Metallica, he at one point had, like... Wait, no...Gosh, now I'm-- No. I think Dave Schneider only has 250, so we're not even taking him seriously. But Brian Slagle had 2500 at one point.

MK: Hmm.

DAVE HILL: I think he had the world's largest personal collection. Maybe.

MK: You talked about what makes some sweaters cool. You actually singled out the Sudbury Wolves.

DAVE HILL: Oh, yeah.

MK: What is it about the Sudbury Wolves sweater that makes you salivate?

DAVE HILL: It's amazing. I mean...everything about it is, is great. I have one, and I'm tempted to just get another just to have more of them. So if one's in the wash, I can wear the other. But the logo is a wolf, which is, you know, that's half the battle. [Mark laughs] They've already done that. You know, unlike the Kraken, Seattle Kraken, who don't even have the decency to depict a kraken in their logo. But anyway, the wolves, they have a wolf, but it looks like it was drawn by, like, a 15-year-old, like, hopped up on Mountain Dew in the back of history class or something. You know, like, in the last, you know, last class of the day. And then it's got blood on the teeth and then there's even... I don't have it right with me, but I think there's even like a drop of blood flying off...

MK: Yeah. There is.

DAVE HILL: And it's like, it's an additional patch. I can't overstate this. The fact that they... Most hockey sweaters will have just one patch -- there's your logo. Done. But the Sudbury wolves were like, No, we need another little patch that's just some blood flying across the jersey. That's like next-level brilliance. And if everyone else would even try half as much the world would be a-- or at least the world of hockey sweaters would be a better place.

MK: Well, let's talk about trying. Because you travelled to several countries, including Kenya. [DAVE: Yes.] And you got to play with the Kenya Ice Lions in Nairobi. Although, sadly, there was no ice for you to play on at the time. But you got to go and play roller hockey with the Kenya Ice Lions. What was that like for you?

DAVE HILL: Well, first, you know, I discovered them through my love of hockey sweaters. I was just Googling late at night. And I was like, "coolest non-NHL jerseys," and I stumbled upon their jersey Kenya Ice Lions. And I think, Kenya, that's-- isn't that outside of Guelph? [Mark laughs] And then I'm like, Oh, no, it's the arguably more popular Kenya. And so I wrote to these guys and I asked, you know, if I could come there and skate with them, and they said sure. And, but yeah, their rink hadn't reopened since COVID, so I had to play roller hockey with them which I had never done before. And I just assumed my skills would translate... And they really slapped me around. I think the fact that a lot of them were, like, 20 to 30 years younger than I am, probably factored in...

MK: Yeah, probably. I think it would.

DAVE HILL: ...to things. Just the fact that I-- playing in the... [laughs] in the hot Kenyan sun for five hours -- very hungover I might add -- really slowed me down.

MK: And how good were they?

DAVE HILL: They were surprisingly good. I mean, I still maintain -- and I, you know, I hope they're listening. I'm going to come back and play them on the ice and really school them... very hard. But they were really good. I mean, it was really inspiring how good they were. And it was so exciting to... You know, I'd never been to Africa before, so that alone was so exciting. And then to, you know, be on the other side of the world and be bonding with these guys... you know, having the same excitement that I had when I was their age and that I still have today, was just really cool.

MK: Well, in 2018, Tim Hortons brought the Kenyan Ice Lions to Canada to play against a local team of firefighters. But before the game started, NHL star Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon were brought in as ringers. And here's what Crosby and MacKinnon said after the game.

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SIDNEY CROSBY: That's the best part about the game is just how it reaches so many people in a place like Kenya where you wouldn't think that there's even ice.

NATHAN MACKINNON: I didn't really know what to expect, but I thought those guys looked great. It's cool to see the genuine excitement that they had, and it got us really fired up.

SIDNEY CROSBY: To meet people from different places and to share the game that we love to play, I think I had just as much fun as any of those guys did.

SOUNDCLIP

SIDNEY CROSBY: Great skater.

KENYAN PLAYER: Thanks.

SIDNEY CROSBY: You're a great skater. Keep it up.

MK: I'm speaking with Dave Hill, who is the author of The Awesome Game. And Dave, in your book, you went to hockey games in Canada, Poland, Finland, the U.S. and, of course, Kenya. So what is it that unites hockey fans from all over the earth? What did you learn?

DAVE HILL: I think it's just that excitement and also, you know, with, specifically with... in Kenya, it was a bit of maybe a similar feeling that I had growing up in Cleveland. You know...they were the weirdos in Kenya who were into this weird sport. I'll never forget, like, the night...We played all day, and then we went with Ali Kilanga, sort of the elder statesman of the team, and Benja, another guy I hung out [with], a great player on the team. We went to this reggae club way out in the middle of nowhere. And we're sitting there and like, reggae is just blaring and... and, you know, there's familiar smells of what you would expect to smell on a reggae night somewhere. We're all over the place, and-- Not at our table, of course, but.

MK: Of course not.

DAVE HILL: But we're sitting there passing around Instagram-- because the music was so loud we couldn't talk. And we're just passing around Instagram videos of amazing hockey plays. You know, it's just like, just that genuine excitement that the game really just, like, puts in your heart. It was really great. And I also just love, you know, with writing the book, being able to connect with people all over the world and have these adventures that come from this just sort of simple love of this amazing -- or the awesome game, I should say. And you know that because of loving this one thing that led to so many... You know, I'm still friends with the guys in Kenya. You know, we message all the time and hopefully I'll get back over to school them soon enough. And, but yeah, it was just exciting. And to see-- you know, to go to Poland and see just how insane, like... I'm afraid of Polish hockey fans. They're completely unhinged in a way that's really inspiring, but also alarming. Yeah, it was just, it was just amazing.

MK: Just before we let you go, what's next to promote hockey in the U.S.? Have you learned something that you think would help just give it that shot in the arm that you think the sport deserves?

DAVE HILL: Well, my current... and this is maybe a selfish mission, but my current mission to get more eyeballs, just to draw attention, is, I thought, like, what can I-- You know, I've written this book, and it's been released into the wild. Hopefully everyone, you know, all over the world and especially in America and Canada, will read it. But what my-- I was like, what more can I, Dave Hill, do? And my mission is to play the national anthem at as many pro or semi-pro hockey games as I can. And then, you know, then draw-- by drawing attention to myself, draw further attention to the game. Have sort of... That's really-- I mean, it's a selfish mission. I'm the first to admit it. Really... I mean, I sit here in a Toronto Marlies tracksuit that I was given after [laughs] performing at a Cleveland Monsters/Toronto Marlies game. So this is a very selfish mission.

MK: Well, listen, I want to be here to help to enable your selfish mission. So -- and there are probably a few hockey club owners that are listening to this show. So we're going to give you, Dave Hill, the opportunity to audition right now. And of course, because you are on the CBC, we do-- if you're going to play a national anthem, we want it to be the Canadian national anthem. So...

DAVE HILL: Yes. Which I-- I'm not pandering, but I, I believe it to be a superior anthem.

MK: It sounds, it does sound a little like pandering, but I'm going to take you at your word, Dave.

DAVE HILL: Well, I believe it. I believe it.

MK: And you've got, you've got a guitar in your hand...

DAVE HILL: I just happened to, yes.

MK: By just happenstance, the floor or the ice is yours.

DAVE HILL: Okay, now is-- Okay, I'm going to lay it on you. Here we go. Canadian National Anthem. And you just have to imagine the French lyrics, which I-- that's my preferred...

[Live performance: "O Canada" on electric guitar by Dave Hill]

DAVE HILL: There we go.

[Mark claps]

DAVE HILL: Few slip ups. Only, only to appear human.

MK: I, I am on my feet with my Bic lighter, lit and just waving in the air, Dave. Thank you so much. I've never felt so proud to be a Canadian.

DAVE HILL: Amazing. I mean, you can smell... you can smell the poutine when I play it, I think.

MK: Dave, it's been a pleasure talking to you.

DAVE HILL: Thank you so much for having me.

MK: Dave Hill was in New York City. His new book is The Awesome Game: One Man's Incredible Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey. This is what happens to The Current when Matt Galloway's not here. Now, how about some more music from The Zambonis? This is "The Gretzky Twist."

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[Song: "The Gretzky Twist" by The Zambonis]

MK: Coming up after your regional update.

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STUART MCLEAN: Dave didn't understand until Christmas Eve when the presents were finally wrapped and under the tree and he and Morley were snuggled in bed and he was feeling warm and safe there beside his wife. And he nudged her feet with his feet and she said, "Did you take the turkey out of the freezer?"

[laughter]

MK: A friendly reminder for Christmas chefs, courtesy of Stuart McLean's classic Vinyl Cafe and Dave Cook's the Turkey. That's coming up in 90 seconds. I'm Mark Kelley and you're listening to The Current.

[Music: "The Gretzky Twist" by The Zambonis]

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Vinyl Cafe: Dave Cooks the Turkey

MK: I'm Mark Kelley and you're listening to The Current. For some Canadians, the lead up to Christmas might mean the anticipation of a visit from Santa. On The Current, it means a visit from Dave and Morley and the Vinyl Cafe. It's a gem, it's a classic, and it's a cautionary tale for any first-time turkey chefs. This is "Dave Cook's the Turkey" by Stuart McLean.

SOUNDCLIP

STUART MCLEAN: Last year, when Carl Lowbeer bought his wife, Gerta, 'Martha Stewart's Complete Christmas Planner,' he did not understand what it was he was doing. On Christmas Eve, Carl found himself staring at a bag full of stuff that he couldn't remember buying. He wondered if he had maybe picked up someone else's bag by mistake. And then he found a receipt with his signature on it. Why would he have paid $23 for a slab of metal to defrost meat when they already owned a microwave oven that would do it in half the time? Who could he possibly have been thinking of when he bought the ab machine? Although, he did remember buying 'Martha Stewart's Complete Christmas Planner.' It was the picture of Martha Stewart on the cover that had drawn him to the book. A picture of Martha striding across her front lawn with a wreath made of chilli peppers tucked under her arm. [laughter] Carl had never heard of Martha Stewart, but she looked like she was in a hurry and that made him think of Gerta. So he bought the book, never imagining that it was something that his wife had been waiting for all her life. Carl was as surprised as anyone in the neighbourhood, last May, when Gerta began the neighbourhood Christmas group. Although, not perhaps as surprised as Dave was when his wife Morley joined it.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: “It's not about Christmas, Dave,” Morley said, “It's about getting together.” The members of Gerta's group, all women, got together every second Tuesday night, at a different house each time. They drank tea or beer, and the host baked something special, and they worked on stuff. Usually until about 11. "But that's not the point," said Morley. "The point is getting together. It's about neighbourhood, not about what we're actually doing." But there was no denying that they were doing stuff while they got together. It was May and they were doing Christmas stuff. "It's wrapping paper," said Morley. "You're making paper?" said Dave. "We're decorating paper," said Morley. "This is hand-painted paper. Do you know how much this would cost?" That was July. In August, they took oak leaves and dipped them into gold paint and hung them in bunches from the kitchen ceiling.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: And then there was the stencilling weekend. The weekend Dave thought if he stood still too long, Morley would stencil him. In September, when no one could find an eraser anywhere in the house, Morley came home and she said, "That's because I took them all with me. We're making rubber stamps." "You're making rubber stamps?" said Dave. "Out of erasers," said Morley. "People don't even buy rubber stamps anymore," said Dave. [laughter] There were oranges drying on the clothes rack in the basement. There were blocks of wax for candles stacked on the ping pong table. And then one day, Morley said, "Do you know there's only 67 shopping days until Christmas?" Now, Dave did not know this. Had not, in fact, completely unpacked from last summer's vacation. And without thinking, he said, "What are you talking about?" And Morley said, "If we wanted to get all our shopping done by the week before Christmas, we only have," she shut her eyes, "62 days left." Now, Dave and Morley usually start their Christmas shopping the week before Christmas. And suddenly there they were, with only 67 shopping days left, standing in their bedroom, staring at each other, incomprehension hanging in the air between them. It hung there for a good 10 seconds, and then Dave said something he had been careful not to say for weeks. He said, "I thought this thing wasn't about Christmas?" Which he immediately regretted saying. Because Morley said, "Don't make fun of me, Dave." And she left the room. And then she came back like a locomotive. Uh oh, thought Dave. "What?" said Morley. "I didn't say that," said Dave. "You said 'uh oh,'" said Morley. "I thought 'uh oh,'" said Dave, "I didn't say 'uh oh.' Thinking 'uh oh' isn't like saying 'uh oh.' They don't send you to jail for thinking you want to strangle someone." "What?" said Morley.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: She slept downstairs that night. And she didn't say a word when Dave came down and tried to talk her out of it. Didn't say a word the next morning until Sam and Stephanie had left for school. And then she said, "Do you know what my life is like, Dave?" Dave suspected correctly that she wasn't looking for an answer. "My life is a train," she said. "I'm a train dragging everyone from one place to another. To school and to dance class, and to now it's time to get up and now it's time to go to bed. I'm a train full of people who complain when they have to go to bed and fight you when they have to get out of one. That's my job, because I'm not only the train, I'm the porter and the conductor and the cook and the engineer and the maintenance man. And I print the tickets and stack the luggage and clean the dishes. And if they still had cabooses, I'd be in the caboose so I could pick up everything after the train went by." Now, Dave, Dave didn't want to ask where the train was heading. [laughter] He had the sinking feeling it was one of those civil war trains and that somewhere up ahead, someone had pulled up a section of the track. “And you know where the train is heading?” said Morley. Yup, thought Dave. We're going off the tracks. Any moment now. “What?” said Morley. “I said no,” Dave said. “I said, I don't know where the train's going.” Morley leant forward over the table. “It starts at a town called First Day at School, Dave, and it goes to a village called Halloween. And then through the township of Class Project and down the spur line called Your Sister is Visiting. And you know what's at the end of the track? You know where my train is heading?” Dave looked at her kind of nervously. He didn't want to get the answer wrong. He would have been happy to say where the train was going if he knew we could get it right. Was his wife going to leave him? Maybe the train was going to D-I-V-O-R-C-E. “Not at Christmas,” he moaned. “Exactly,” said Morley. “To the last stop on the line, Christmas dinner. And this is supposed to be something I look forward to, Dave. This is supposed to be a vacation.” “Christmas dinner,” said Dave, kind of tentatively. It seemed a reasonably safe thing to say at the moment. And Morely nodded. And feeling encouraged, Dave added, “With a turkey and everything.” But Morley wasn't listening to him. She said, “And when we finally get through that week between Christmas and New Year, you know what they do with the train? They back it up during the night when I'm asleep so they can run it through all the stations one more time. And you know who you are, Dave? You're the guy in the bar car pushing the button, asking for another drink.”

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: And by the way Morley said that, Dave could tell that she still loved him. She didn't, for instance, say that he had to get off the train. Or, for that matter, even out of the bar car. But he did realize if he was going to stay aboard, he was going to have to join the crew. So the next weekend, he said, “Why don't I do some of the Christmas shopping? Why don't you give me a list and I'll go and get some of the things for the Cape Breton cousins.” Now, Dave had never gone Christmas shopping in September before. But when he came back, he said, “That was okay.” And Morley said, “I'm sorry. It's just that I like Christmas so much. I used to like Christmas so much. And I was thinking if I got everything done beforehand, maybe I could enjoy it again. I'm trying to make it fun again. I'm trying to get control of it, that's what all this is about.” And Dave said, “Well, what else can I do?” And Morley looked at him and she said, “On Christmas Day, Dave, after we've opened the presents, I want to take the kids to work at the food bank. And I want you to look after the turkey.” “I can do that,” said Dave. Dave didn't understand until Christmas Eve, when the presents were finally wrapped and under the tree and he and Morley were snuggled in bed and he was feeling warm and safe there beside his wife, and he nudged her feet with his feet and she said, “Did you take the turkey out of the freezer?” And he went downstairs and couldn't find a turkey in the freezer -- in either freezer -- and was about to call out, “Where’s the turkey anyway?” but stopped abruptly when the truth landed on him like an anvil. And he understood that looking after the turkey, something he had promised to do, meant buying it as well as putting it in the oven. He decided he would wait downstairs for a while.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: And when he went back up, Morley was asleep. And he thought I could wake her. Instead, he lay in bed and imagined in perfect detail the chronology of the Christmas Day waiting for him. Imagined everything from the first morning squeal to the moment his family left to work at the food bank, and then that moment when they came home with his mother-in-law, who they would have picked up, all of them expecting turkey. Saw the look on his wife's face as she sat at her table with the homemade crackers in the gilded oak leaves as he carried a bowl of spaghetti across the kitchen.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: At 2 a.m., he was still awake. But at least he had a plan. He would wait until they left for the food bank, then he'd take off and go to some deserted Newfoundland outport and live under an assumed name.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: And at Sam's graduation, his friends would say, “Why isn't your father here?” And Sam would say, “One Christmas he forgot to buy the turkey, so he had to leave.”

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: Then at 3, after rolling around for an hour, Dave got out of bed, dressed, and went looking for a 24-hour grocery store. It was either that or wait for the food bank to open. And though he couldn't think of anyone in the city more in need of a turkey than he was, the idea that his family might spot him in line made that unthinkable. At 4 a.m. in the morning, on Christmas morning, Dave found an open store and bought the last turkey there: 12 pounds, frozen as tight as a cannonball, grade B -- whatever that meant.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He was home by 5 a.m. and by 6:30, he had the turkey more or less thawed. He used an electric blanket and a hair dryer on the turkey, and a bottle of Scotch on himself.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: As the turkey defrosted, it became clear that the grade B part was the cosmetic part. The skin on the right drumstick was ripped. To Dave, it looked as if the turkey had made a break from the slaughterhouse, and dragged itself a block or two before it was recaptured and beaten to death. This bird looked like it had died in a knife fight.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: Dave poured another Scotch and began to refer to the turkey as Butch. If that had been the worst thing about the bird -- that it was cosmetically challenged -- Dave would have been happy. Would have considered himself blessed. Would have been able to look forward to this Christmas with equanimity. Might eventually have been able to laugh it off. The worst thing came later after lunch. After Morley and the kids left for the food bank. Before they left, Morley dropped pine oil on some of the living room lamps. “When the lamps heat the oil up,” she said, “the house will smell like a forest.” Then she said, “Mother is coming. I'm trusting you with this, Dave. You have to have the turkey in the oven--" Dave finished her sentence for her. He said, “By 1:30. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.” The worst thing began when Dave tried to turn on the oven. Morley had never had cause to explain to him about the automatic timer, and Dave had never had cause to ask about it. The oven had been set the day before to go on at 5:30. Morley had been baking a squash casserole for Christmas dinner, because she always does the vegetables the day before. And now, until the oven timer was unset, nothing anybody, least of all Dave, did, was going to turn it on. At 3:30 in the afternoon, Dave retrieved the bottle of Scotch from the basement and poured himself a drink. He knew he was in trouble. He had to find an oven that could cook the bird and cook it fast. But every oven he could think of had a turkey inside it already. Now, for 10 years, Dave was a technical director to some of the craziest acts on the rock and roll circuit, and he wasn't going to fall to pieces over a raw turkey. Inventors are often unable to explain where they get their best ideas from. And Dave is not too sure where he got his. Maybe he spent too many years in too many hotel rooms. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, he topped up the Scotch and he phoned the Park Plaza Hotel and he was given the front desk. And he said, “Do you cook special menus for people with special dietary needs?” “We’re a first-class hotel in a world-class city, sir, we can look after any dietary needs.” And Dave said, “If somebody brings their own food because it's on a special diet, would you cook it for them?” “Of course, sir.” Dave looked at the turkey lying on the counter like a naked baby. “Come on, Butch,” he said, “We're going out.” Morley had the car. Dave called a taxi. He stuffed the bottle of Scotch in his pocket on the way out the door. “The Park Plaza,” he said. “It's an emergency.” He took a slug from the bottle in the back of the cab. The man at the front desk of the hotel asked if Dave needed help with the suitcases. “No suitcases,” said Dave. Then turned breezily to the man behind him in line and patted the turkey, which he had dropped on the counter and it was spilling out of its plastic bag, and said, only slightly slurred, “Just checking in for the afternoon with my chick.”

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: The clerk winced and Dave turned, wobbled, and peered at the man in line behind him. He was looking for approval. Instead of approval, he found his neighbour, Jim Schofield, standing beside an elderly woman who Dave assumed must be Jim's visiting mother. And Jim didn't say anything. Tried, in fact, to look away. But he was too late and their eyes met. And Dave straightened himself out and said, “Turkey and the kids are at the food bank. I just brought Morley here so they could cook her up for me.” “Oh,” said Jim. “That explains everything.” “I mean, the turkey,” said Dave. “I bring it here every year. I'm alone.” Dave held his arms out as if he wanted Jim to frisk him. And the man at the desk said, “Excuse me, sir,” and handed Dave his key. And Dave smiled at the man behind the counter, at Jim, at Jim's mother, and walked toward the elevator, one careful foot in front of the other. And when he got there he heard Jim calling him, and Dave turned. And Jim said, “You forgot your chick,” pointing to the turkey on the counter. The man on the phone from room service said, “But we have turkey on the menu, sir.” And Dave said, “This is, uh... a special turkey. I was hoping you could cook my turkey.” The man from room service told Dave the manager would call. Dave looked at his watch. And when the manager called, Dave knew this was his last and only chance. This man was going to either agree to cook his turkey or he might just as well book the ticket to Newfoundland. “Excuse me, sir?” said the manager. “I said I need to eat this particular turkey,” said Dave. “That particular turkey, sir?” said the manager. “Do you know,” said Dave, “what they put in birds today?” “No, sir?” said the manager. He said it like it was a question. “They feed them--” Now, Dave had no idea what they fed them. He wasn't sure where he was going to go with this, just that he had to keep talking. “They feed them chemicals,” he said. “And antibiotics and steroids and, and lard to make them juicier. I'm allergic to that stuff. If I eat any of that stuff, I'll have a heart attack or at least a seizure in the lobby of your hotel. Do you want that to happen?” The man on the phone didn't say anything, so Dave kept going. “I have my own turkey here. I raised this turkey myself. I butchered it myself. I butchered it this morning. The only thing this thing has eaten...” Dave looked frantically around the room. What did he feed the turkey? “Tofu!” he said, triumphantly. “Tofu, sir?” said the manager. “And yogurt,” said Dave. It was all or nothing. The bellboy took the turkey and Dave gave him $20. And said, “You have those big convection ovens.” He said, “I got to have it back before 5:30.” All he said was, “You must be very hungry, sir.” Dave collapsed onto the bed. Didn't move for an hour and a half, which was when the phone rang. It was the manager. He said the turkey was in the oven. Then he said, “You raised that bird yourself?” It was a question. Dave said yes. There was a pause. The manager said, “The chef says the turkey looks like it was abused.”

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: Dave said, “Ask the chef if he's ever killed a turkey. Tell him it was a fighter. Tell him to stitch it up.” The bellboy wheeled the turkey into Dave's room at quarter to six. They had it on a dolly covered with a silver dome. Dave removed the dome and gasped. It didn't look like any bird he could have cooked. There were white paper armbands on both drumsticks, and a glazed partridge made of red peppers on the breast. He looked at his watch and ripped the paper armbands off, and he scooped the red pepper partridge into his mouth. And then he realized the bellboy was watching him and saw the security guard standing in the corridor. The security guard was holding a carving knife. They obviously weren't about to trust Dave with a weapon. “Would you like us to carve it, sir?” “Just get me a taxi,” said Dave. “What?” said the guard. “I, uh, can't eat this here,” said Dave. “I have to eat it--" Dave couldn't imagine where he had to eat it. “Outside,” he said. “I have to eat it outside.”

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He took out another $20 bill and he gave it to the bellboy, and he said, “I'm going downstairs to check out. You bring the bird and get the taxi.” And he walked by the security guard without looking at him and said, “Careful with that knife.” And he got home at 6 o'clock and he put Butch on the table. The family was due back any minute. And he poured himself a drink and he sat down in the living room. And the house looked beautiful. It smelled beautiful. Just like a pine forest. “My forest,” said Dave. And then he said, “Uh oh,” and jumped up. And got a ladle of turkey gravy and ran around the house, smearing it on the light bulbs.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: You do what you've got to do. [laughter] There, he thought. And he went outside and he stood on the stoop and he counted to 50, and he went back in and breathed in and the house smelled just like Christmas. And he poured himself another Scotch. And he looked out the window and he saw Morley coming up the walk... with Jim Schofield and his mother. [laughter] “We met them outside and invited them in for a drink. I hope that's okay.” “Of course,” said Dave. “I'll go get the drinks.” And he’d said, “Morley? Could you come here a moment, please? There's something I have to tell you.”

[laughter and applause]

MK: That was "Dave Cooks the Turkey" by Stuart McLean. I'm Mark Kelley and this is The Current. As 2023 comes to an end, we've been asking for your stories about the great things that happened to you this year. We got some incredible mail and shared some of those experiences earlier this week. Then we got more mail. So our senior producer Karin Marley is here to help read some of that. Hi, Karin.

KARIN MARLEY: Hi, Mark. So Susan Hargreaves wrote to us saying: "I went to England to meet my two half-sisters and six cousins who I didn't know existed until last November. I'm now 79 and spent my whole life as an only child. So you can imagine my surprise to discover that I am actually part of a large family."

MK: Randy Rauck writes: "The greatest thing that happened to me in 2023 was the reminder of the power and the feelings of love. At 68 years old, I finally got married for the first time to my sweetheart, who grew up across the road from me. We'd been in a relationship for many years and decided it was a good time to have a fairly large celebration of love with our family and friends on our property on July 29th, near Lumby, B.C. We felt it was time to remember and to remind others that love is still the most important and powerful thing in the world to give energy to at this time."

KARIN MARLEY: Congratulations, Randy. Jillian Haight wrote: "The best thing that happened to me in 2023 was taking a trip that my late father had wanted me to take for many years. The backstory: I was not allowed to play hockey with my brothers who went off each weekend with their coach (our dad), so at age 36, I made the decision to learn as an adult. The team I played with were all neighbourhood friends. We quickly became a close-knit group and my dad quickly realized that we desperately needed help. He got out his old Humber Valley coaching jacket and showed up to every game. Dad also travelled to England to go walking on the South West Coast Path at least eight times in his last 20 years. He kept telling me that I needed to go. Fast forward to 2022. Dad has passed away after a long and wonderful life, and I suddenly have a huge need to do this trip. The women from the hockey team were the perfect people to come along. The trip took 11 months to plan. We flew to London on May 1st and hiked the exact itinerary that Dad had suggested. A small baggie of his ashes accompanied me, and on the second last day, I made a little hole in the leaf matter among the bluebells on the forest floor, and poured the ashes in. It was the most wonderful trip."

MK: Laura Jones of New Westminster, B.C., writes: "In December, I participated in a repatriation and reconciliation ceremony with the Seabird Island Band, which is located near Agassiz, B.C. Two years ago, my family made a decision, an easy decision, to return 11 cedar baskets that my great-grandparents were given in exchange for produce and dairy from their farm. The repatriation and reconciliation ceremony was the best thing to happen because I was able to emotionally understand the significance of these cultural artifacts. Myself and four other family members were blanketed, fitted with headbands, and then there was drumming and singing and dancing and speeches. We left with gifts and the memory of an incredible experience. The Seabird Island people really embraced the reconciliation piece of moving forward. We were so lucky to have been embraced by them." Karin, thank you.

KARIN MARLEY: You're welcome.

MK: Karin Marley is one of our senior producers here at The Current. Well, that's our program for today. Stay tuned to Radio One for Q. We're going to leave you today with some music from Céline Dion. She stepped away from performing last year because she has a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome. And this week, her sister Claudette shared that Céline is now-- now has no control of her muscles, but is still focused on overcoming her illness. This is Céline Dion's "Winter Song." I'm Mark Kelley. Thanks for listening to The Current. Happy holidays. Be good. Do good. Stay close.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: "Winter Song" by Céline Dion]

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