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The AIH Transcript for March 7, 2017

Hosts: Susan Bonner and Jeff Douglas

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

SUSAN BONNER: Hello, I'm Susan Bonner.

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

[Music: Theme]

JD: Tonight:

SB: A killing behind bars. In the dead of night, poachers break into a French zoo, kill an endangered white rhinoceros, and saw off its horn – which is worth thousands of dollars on the black market.

JD: He was bounced – but next year, he'll be bouncing. After years of being banned from the All Native Basketball Tournament because he didn't pass the "blood quantum" test, Jos Wilson wins his fight to play.

SB: Dread on arrival. Hungary has just voted to detain all refugees attempting to cross the border in camps made of shipping containers – but our guest was one of the few legislators to dissent.

JD: An unsettling development. A school in the heart of Toronto may be forced to move – because of fears the planned condo project next door threatens students' safety.

SB: Seeing the big pitcher. The great left-hander Sandy Koufax stood six-two – but when a Massachusetts man put an eight-and-a-half-foot statue of the baseball legend in his own front yard, he obviously decided to go big and go home.

JD: And...this will wipe the pie off your face. After forty-seven years, it is curtains for the Frantic Follies vaudeville show in Whitehorse – and we'll talk to the man behind a farce to be reckoned with.
As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that guesses the question is "Who's on last?"

Part 1: Rhino zoo kill, Hungary refugees, Whitehorse vaudeville

Rhino zoo kill

Guest: Colomba de la Panouse

JEFF DOUGLAS: A European zoo is the last place you would expect to find poachers. And that may very likely be why they were successful in carrying out a brazen mission last night. A group of suspected poachers broke into Thoiry Zoo, just outside of Paris. They reportedly shot and killed a white rhinoceros, sawed off one of its horns, and fled. It's believed to be the first time an animal at a zoo has been killed in this way. Colomba de la Panouse is the director at the Thoiry Zoo.

SUSAN BONNER: Ms. De la Panouse, how did you discover that one of the white rhinoceros in your zoo was targeted and killed by poachers last night?

COLOMBA DE LA PANOUSE: Well our keeper was doing morning rounds to get the animals out from their night quarters into their outdoor enclosures. And she got to the Rhino house and she saw that it had been broken into.
And so she went inside and then next door to the actual night quarters was broken into as well. And then she found that one of our two males, Vince who is, who was four years old, had been shot and one of the horns had been sawn off.

SB: Can you even fathom that this happened? That this was carried out in a zoo in such a brazen way?

CP: No. It was unbelievably shocking to all members of staff. I mean, of course you know this happens in Africa. That this poaching going on. It's been on the increase. And also in 2011, there was horns stolen from the museum. But we thought, there's many steps that criminals would take before actually coming to this zoo. I would say it's not an obvious choice. I would say in Europe certainly, in the western world, the more obvious choice is first you go to a museum. And it’s one thing stealing a rhino horn. It’s another thing altogether to actually shoot an animal and saw it’s horn off.

SB: How did this group even manage to get into the zoo?

CP: Well they broke in and they were clearly very very well prepared because the zoo is big. It’s an estate that's 155 hectares. And we've got four of the animal managers of staff live onsite.

SB: Including you. You live on site.

CP: Including me. Yes, that's right. We've got video cameras so these people knew what they were doing. They knew where to find the house. They’d clearly been working on this plan for a while.

SB: And they knew they were headed for the rhino house. What have you been able to determine that they actually did once they got to the rhino enclosure?

CP: Once they’d shot Vince, they sawed his big horn off, and they started sawing the second horn, the smaller one and they stopped. So we think they were either disturbed or something went wrong with their equipment. But they did end the work, thank god because who’s to know when they would have stopped. Otherwise they might have killed the other rhinos too.

SB: How could they do this with the security alarms and the cameras and the staff members on the premises? How were they able to pull this off?

CP: Well, it’s quite astonishing we didn’t actually hear them. One of our staff lives very very close to the rhino house. It's even possible that they would have gone past his house. I think they were so well prepared and they clearly anticipated all the measures and they got through.

SB: There were two other white rhinos in the same enclosure. What happened to them? Are there signs that they too were targeted by the poachers?

CP: We don't know. We don't know because they stopped with Vince, clearly halfway through their work. So there’s no way of knowing whether if they'd carried on with it they would have attacked the other two rhinos as well.

SB: How did the animals appear when the zookeepers found them?

CP: They were very quiet. I mean it would have been traumatic for them. There's no doubt about that because it would have been noisy as a gunshot, for starters. Doctors say we wound the police immediately of course. And we of course warned our colleagues throughout Europe because at this point in time the investigation can't tell us whether this is a local gang or whether this is a more organized gang. And if that were the case, the entire zoo community would be at risk.

SB: How much do you suppose a white rhinoceros horn is worth to poachers? Is worth on the black market?

CP: It's worth a lot. I mean one kilo of rhino horn is worth over €50,000 euros. So that would be I would say $60,000 U.S. dollars. Of course is complete nonsense. It's… rhino horn is made up of rhino horn which has been stuck together and forms a horn. It's basically keratin which is what we have in our nails and in our hair. There’s absolutely no scientific proof for medical proof to say that this is an aphrodisiac or a cure for cancer. But these false beliefs, they’re very entrenched in some cultures. That's where the problem is coming from.

SB: Tell us what the police are doing now. Obviously there's an investigation. Is there some video evidence? What have they been able to gather from the zoo that will help them?

CP: We didn't know that yet. This is being taken extremely seriously and just thinking beyond the local police looking at what kind of gun was used in all those kinds of things. They’re tryng to gather whatever evidence they have to get to these people.

SB: Do you plan to put any new security measures into place at the zoo?

CP: Well I would say this is something which probably we're going to be talking about in the zoo community a lot. To what level of security do you go and if people are very very determined, there’s only so much you can do. But yeah we're certainly going to revisit the way we do things.

SB: How will the staff get through this?

CP: Well obviously, one of the things we did immediately this morning is gather the entire staff and talk this through. There is really no recipe to how you get through this. Well everyone is hoping is that they're going to catch the criminals and that we can put an end to this.

SB: Ms. De la Panouse, such a disturbing story but thank you for sharing it with us tonight.

CP: Thank you.

SB: Bye-bye.

CP: Bye-bye.

JD: Colomba de la Panouse is the director at the Thoiry Zoo. We reached her in Thoiry. For more on this story, go to our website: cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Halifax consent demonstration

JD: The case shocked and infuriated people in Halifax, and across the country. And today, the Crown in Nova Scotia announced that it is going to appeal the decision.
Last week on As it Happens, we told you about the case of Halifax taxi driver Bassam Al-Rawi. He was acquitted of sexual assault, following an incident in 2015, when police found a woman in the back of his cab. She was intoxicated, passed out, and partially naked. Mr. Al-Rawi was found doing up his pants. In his ruling last week, Judge Gregory Lenehan that the Crown had failed to prove that passenger had not given consent. He also said of the incapacitated woman, "clearly a drunk can consent".
Today, in downtown Halifax, people gathered to protest the acquittal. The CBC's Carolyn Ray spoke with some of the protesters.

SOUNDCLIP

NICOLE PETTIPAS: If someone is too drunk to say yes, they are too drunk to say no. This is no. This is a concept anyone in a courtroom should know.

[Sound: Drums, applause, music]

NICOLE PETTIPAS: I feel that. The decision the judge Lenehan made was one that he was able to make because the laws about consent aren’t clear. And I think we really need to make clear and established laws regarding consent. I think this was a pretty clear cut case. Everybody expected a conviction, and when it didn't happen we all learn that these laws, there's something missing and they need to change.

CAROLYN RAY: And what was your reaction when you found out that the accused man in this case was acquitted?

NICOLE PETTIPAS: I was shocked. I was shocked that the legal system, that there was a loophole, there was a way that… the man was caught by police in the act. This wasn't a he said she said, this to me was the most perfect case of… how could a more perfect conviction?

CR: Why are you here?

DAPHNE STEPHEN: I think primarily, the first, the most important thing is, a mother of two daughters. How could I not be? But the thing that really, really upsets me is the inconsistency in the language that the judge used. When you read his direction, he's saying two different things. And just being that upset I could not not be here. You know, all of us together, there's got to be a place where you can be safe.

JD: You just heard two women – Nicole Pettipas and Daphne Stephen – who attended today's demonstration against the acquittal of a Halifax taxi driver accused of sexually assaulting a drunk passenger. They were speaking to CBC reporter Carolyn Ray.

Hungary refugees

Guest: Zsuzsa Szelenyi

JD: Hungary's Prime Minister calls migration "a Trojan horse for terrorism." Viktor Orban has declared that his country is "under siege". And he's ordered all refugees attempting to cross into Hungary to be detained in border camps made of shipping containers.
The new amendment passed by an overwhelming majority in the Hungarian legislature today.
Zsuzsa Szelenyi is one of only six MPs who voted against the change. She's a member of an opposition party called Együtt. We reached her in Budapest.

SB: Zsuzsa Szelenyi, why did you vote against this new legislation?

ZSUZSA SZELENYI: Well the new legislation that the Hungarian government made is basically criminalizing the refugees in Hungary. That means that whoever enters Hungary and asked for refugee status is detained in a separate place. It's not even called a camp a refugee camp it's called a security zone. We find my party we find it inhuman and obviously unnecessary.

SB: And you say it's not even a refugee camp. Can you describe this? It's essentially containers, is it not?

ZS: Yeah it's basically container houses. Though, I mean Hungary is pretty cold in winter time so it's not very appropriate. The one that all the refugees who enter Hungary and ask for refugee status will now turn to this border security zone.

SB: It means that they will be immediately detained.

ZS: Exactly. Yes, yes. They will be detained.

SB: I think that the Hungarian government wants to discourage people to come here. So the political intention is that people would not want to come through Hungary. Everyone should understand that Hungary is basically a transit country. Hungary has become a transit country in the last two years, when one the so-called Balkan route had opened from North Africa and Turkey to Western Europe. So Hungary is part of this Balkan route and most people do not intend to stay in Hungary but they seek refuge in other countries in the European Union where there are friends or family or where the Refugee Service is more developed than in Hungary.

SB: How long will asylum seekers be kept in these new camps now?

ZS: Well one of the major problems with the new law is that this is unknown. So people are not just detained in closed areas but also they would not know much about how long they have to spend there. And of course this is against all kinds of international law, and we simply not support it. We also have some information that people are beaten who are pushed back to Serbia in this zone. This is absolutely unacceptable.

SB: What is the government's reason for doing this? You talk about they're criminalizing refugees and you say they don't want them in Hungary. Have there been problems caused by refugees in your country?

ZS: No I'm not at all. Hungary doesn't have too many refugees. We… in the last years, we had a couple of hundred per year. So this is really not too many. The Hungarian government uses the anti-immigrant sentiment for political purposes. They had to build up this sentiment because there are so few refugees traditionally in this country that people, two to three years ago, did not really have any bad feelings about refugees.

SB: What do you mean they had to build up the sentiment?

ZS: It means that there were a systematic campaign refugee campaign since April 2015 when then Middle East the refugees turned up in Hungary first, the government was pretty sharp against them. Very unfriendly. And last year Hungarian government initiated a referendum with a question say whether the Hungarians want the European Union settle foreigners in the territory of Hungary. And this referendum was preceded by a long, like five months, extraordinary campaign which was full of lies and false negative information. Full of hatred.

SB: Is this when during the campaign Prime Minister Orbán accused Muslims of threatening Europe's Christian Identity.

ZS: Well this issue is on the agenda all the time. I think this is one of the main messages the government is trying to spread on refugees. That they are not, Europeans they are non-Christian, and therefore they pose some kind of threat. They also say that the refugees are criminals. They are violent and all kind of nonsense issues which is obviously not true. So these are made up campaign. And I find it really very sad.

SB: And yet you are in a very small minority who voted against this new law. Clearly most politicians in Hungary think that this is a popular move. Why is that?

ZS: Yeah I think I think I think politicians often think that they should be careful because the anti-immigrant movement is very strong. I think it's not just the traditionally extreme right. Since Brexit, this becomes a kind of a widespread fear in the political elite that the migration issue is so key. And it's exactly because of this identity issue that we've discussed a couple of minutes ago that that most politicians are very careful.

SB: Well, in fact Amnesty International and the U.N. refugee agency says that that this kind of action that this law, violates human rights laws. What options are there to reverse this? Can you appeal to the European Union what next? How do you fight this?

ZS: Well I think, with many others, that the current situation is a special one where there is moments to review the humanitarian laws, namely the Geneva Conventions. But obviously I believe that the humanitarian face of these laws must be kept very serious. I think the European Union itself is thinking on some kind of solution. This is a very critical test issue for the European Union. Whether this is a bloc of countries share a lot of values and a lot of common interests including security interests can find a solution together for this current situation.

SB: Thank you for telling us about it.

ZS: Thank you very much for asking.

SB: Bye-bye.

ZS: Bye-bye.

SB: Zsuzsa Szelenyi is a Hungarian opposition MP. We reached her in Budapest, Hungary.

[Music]

Whitehorse vaudeville

Guest: Grant Simpson

[Sound: Washboard music ,singing]

JD: It's been a Yukon staple for nearly fifty years. But now, the curtain must close on the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Show – a Klondike Gold Rush-era revue that has run professionally since 1970.
Grant Simpson is the producer, director, composer and a performer in the Frantic Follies. We reached him in Whitehorse.

SB: Grant Simpson, describe this show for us. The Frantic Follies Vaudeville Show. What's it like?

GRANT SIMPSON: Well the show, it's a variety show so it's a bunch of non-related acts that make up an entire show. So you might go from a leading lady type character who's singing you know songs of the turn of the century and then it'll go into a musical saw act that we have a 10 person musical saw act.

SB: A musical saw act? What’s that?

GS: Well you can play the musical saw. It's a very rustic instrument that miners and farmers and everything they found that they could make a tone out of the song. People learn to play it.

SB: Wow what is it about the about the show and the team that led to that kind of expansion?

GS: Well when I got involved, my are,a like I was hired in 1980. I had just turned 20, and when they hired me as musical director in 1981, Lyall who's the co-founder of the show, he and I became close buddies right away and we've remained close buddies today. We're still best friends. And you know, he just gave me freedom creative freedom. So he would allow me to do that kind of thing. And you know, I’d tour as a musician in the winter. I got on the plane once. I forget where I was, maybe in in Edmonton or Calgary or somewhere, and as I walked under the [unintelligible] and I heard somebody say the best job I ever had in my life was called the Frantic Follies. And you know and I looked around and sure enough it was one of our cast members from the past just bragging about it. You know bragging about his involvement. How much fun it was. It was really great to hear that.

SB: Why shut it down now after all these years?

GS: Well the current model of the Frantic Follies, it’s lasted 47 years now, is that it's been a completely independent company. We've never had a drop of subsidy in any way. We've always just operated off ticket sales. And the tourism industry just no longer supports it at this rate. Tourism has dropped off. When I started with the Follies, you know, I used to come to work. We had two shows a night, seven o'clock at 9:15. And our theater could seat 450 people. And we would have two shows a night. The lamps would be out the door and around the building. It was all people coming up to experience and celebrate the gold rush.

SB: And I guess in the early days some of the audience members would have remembered the gold rush.

GS: Totally totally. Some of them were there. I remember the transitions being from “Yeah my parents were there”, “Yeah, my grandparents were there”, because I've seen so many audiences over the years.

SB: How did you have to change or adapt the show to accommodate a younger audience?

GS: Well more than being a younger audience, it was shrinking tourism, is the adaptation. So when 9/11 happened, you know, everybody was examining what's going to happen in tourism and border and all that kind of thing at the time. And you know, Lyall and I were smart enough to look at it and say you know we've got to cut the budget by a quarter, and so we did. And we were lucky because if we had not done that that year, we would have, you know, it would have been really bad for us. So we were always able to sort of adapt as we went. And things have kept happening, like you know, we were also a part of all major tour packages that came up here. But things changed. And things have changed a lot in a lot of these tour companies have dropped off and don't come up here anymore. All in America as you know have shrunk down and shrunk down and pulled away from coming in to the Yukon also. And they dropped us from their tour packages about four years ago or so. So that was a huge…

SB: Was that the beginning of the end?

GS: Yeah. I remember when they gave us the news in a meeting, we sat there and Lyall looked over at me and said “Well it's been a great run.” And that was like 43 years. Now we're we'd be going into our 48^th if we opened this year.

SB: You must be flooded with all kinds of feelings and reflections as you get ready to shut down. Tell me some of your craziest stories.

GS: Well there's a lot because I mean, I did a bit of a calculation and it looks like we've had over 1100 people working for us over the years.

SB: Wow.

GS: And so that's been a cast of wonderfully creative people, and creative in all different ways. And so, you know, I remember our magician was doing a fire-eating act and it got away on a one time it scared everybody and so the fire marshal said no more fire-eating acts.

SB: Good move.

GS: So there was no more fire-eating in the show after that. You know there's hundreds of stories like that. And some you know at one time, if we asked everybody out the average length of employment was something like 17 years or 18 years.

SB: Really? How do you account for that? Because this is a business where people move around a lot. Why did they stay so long?

GS: Because it's an awesome job. Tou never get… there's nowhere else to do vaudeville. I got to, you know I started when I was 20. My kids have been raised in vaudeville. We have a little page in our program which was our kids’ pictures in it and the title of the page is raised by vaudevillians. Ruined for life. And like our kids are on stage now. I have a son that's part of the show, he's the stage manager on stage and Lyall’s two kids are in the show. So it really did also move through the generations.

SB: That really brings home the loss that that you and the actors and the musicians in the community must be feeling over this.

GS: Well it certainly became an integral part of Whitehorse summer life, you know. And locals have just been wonderful over the years and we have people that have been to every single opening night. But there comes a time when you're carrying a cast of 25 people. You have to really do the responsible thing and if I'm not confident that we can get through the season in one piece then I'm not going to open and that's what brought this decision to it. I'm just I'm not feeling confident anymore.

SB: What will you do next?

GS: Well I'm an active musician when I'm not doing the Follies. And I perform year-round. And you never know what's going to happen next. It's the first time that I've ever considered my life at the Follies. So it's huge to me because they’re family.

SB: It was so good to hear about this. And congratulations. Thanks for telling us about it.

GS: Thanks so much.

SB: Bye-bye.

GS: Bye bye.

JD: Grant Simpson is the producer, director, and composer, and a performer in the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue. We reached him in Whitehorse, the Yukon. And after Susan and Mr. Simpson spoke, he sent along this little correction: "Well, I became a Vaudevillian because I wasn't good at anything else. Math in particular. My calculation on cast jobs was wrong... We have a cast of 15 people times 47 years... that equals 705 people. Many cast positions have been occupied by the same person for years. The actual total is probably closer to 350."

Part 2: Indigenous basketball, Sandy Koufax

Indigenous basketball

Guest: Jos Wilson, Don Wilson

JEFF DOUGLAS: He took a shot – and it's good.
Last year, we brought you the story of Jos Wilson. Mr. Wilson is a member of British Columbia's Heiltsuk First Nation. But he wasn't allowed to play in the All Native basketball tournament in 2016. And in 2017, he was banned again because he doesn't have Indigenous bloodlines. He was adopted from Haiti as a baby.
But now, a settlement has been reached and Mr. Wilson will be allowed to play in the tournament next year, and the league has changed its rules.
We reached Jos Wilson and his father Don Wilson in Calgary.

SUSAN BONNER: Jos Wilson let me start with you. How are you feeling about this decision? About this win? You'll be allowed to play in the all native basketball tournament.

JOS WILSON: I'm actually feeling very excited about that. It's been a long process but finally they came to justice and now they're finally letting me play in the tournament. So I'm actually very happy.

SB: You say it's been a long process. What were you thinking during the time about the chances that you would win?

JW: I was pretty positive that me and my father we would win this case because they had no real reason to kick me out of the tournament. Yeah they said I had no native blood in me and all that, but like I said in a couple of interviews, when I first started playing basketball with the tournament, I wasn't able to dunk. I was like the best player out there and they never said anything. And then what year was it? The last year I was on to play, me and my friend Jordan, we were like tossing up alley-oops and like just having bunch of fun just dunking around at warm up and the end of the game and stuff like that. And then the next year they cut me off so.

SB: So you were good. It was when you got good that you got attention?

JW: Exactly.

SB: Don Wilson, tell us about this decision. How has the league changed its rules, changed its approach so that Jos can play?

DW: Through this process, their original rule which was a blood quantum rule that stated that a participant had to be born with at least one eighth Indigenous North American blood. They have changed that now. That is no longer a part of the rule. The rule now states that the participants have to provide either a status card or documentation from their village of origin. So there is no mention of blood quantum anymore.

SB: I know this was an important fight for you. You described the blood quantum rule as a colonial concept. So describe for us how you see this victory.

DW: Well I think one of the simplest ways to demonstrate that is First Nations are sovereign nations and for example, our nation, the Heiltsuk nation, never did cede our territory. We never did sign any treaties. We were simply overrun by the colonial powers from Europe that came to occupy our lands and we became subjugated to them. But we never have ceded our sovereignty and Canada as a nation has agreed to engage in nation to nation relationships with First Nations.
Now Canada as a nation has every right to naturalize citizens from elsewhere to become Canadian citizens. So if someone from Europe or the Middle East or Africa or even in the United States, if they make application, and they apply, they can become citizens in this country. And I think that same right needs to be extended to the sovereign, to First Nations to respect their sovereignty.
Now Josiah has a bit of a complicated situation because he is adopted from another country and he became a naturalized Canadian citizen. He’s still Haitian. He is now a naturalized Canadian. But after, that I registered him with my band and he was registered with the Federal Government of Canada as a status Indian.
And his, he was also culturally adopted by my band, by my nation. So he has multiple identities but I don’t think they cancel one another out.
His Indigenous heritage is no less valid just because he has these other identities. And as the as the Heiltsuk nation, this has been the message that we’ve been trying to convey through this whole entire process that since the time he was a baby, he’s been accepted as one of us. And I think that this settlement has justified our argument in the end.

SB: Message received. Do you think it sets a precedent and can be applied elsewhere?

DW: Well it's interesting. Unfortunately, this is the one tiny area of disappointment that I have with the whole circumstance of the settlement, in that, because we didn't go to an actual hearing before the Human Rights Tribunal, there is no legal precedent that comes from this. However it seems to me and what I've learned through the process, and with our lawyer investigating other Aboriginal sports organisations, most Aboriginal sports organisations now require the same type of rule that the All Native basketball tournament just adopted. So they don't talk about blood quantum. They just talk about either status card or confirmation or documentation from their village of origin to confirm their indigenous status.

SB: Josiah, when As It Happens spoke with you last year, you described being hurt by the decision to ban you from playing in the tournament, and you said “I guess I'm not native enough.” So how has this whole experience affected you?

JW: It's been quite an experience. At the end of the day, I know I'm still part of the Heiltsuk tribe and I'm part of their band and everything, and I'm part of the nation. But, just to see that the pressure that we kind of put on All Native was able to make them change the rules like that and see that OK, they are right. He is one of them, and we should change the rule. It was kind of it was cool to see that they finally came to that the juster side.

SB: And what are you thinking about the tournament? You’ll be 22 years old when you play next year.

JW: I'm kind of disappointed that I got to miss out on a couple of years now. So I'm still trying to figure a couple of details out, but now that I'm 22 I might not be able to eligible to play with my team that I played with when I was at the All Native, so I might be moving up to another league. Which is OK. There’d still be a couple of the players that I know on that team as well. But I was really hoping to get another chance to play with my main team but I grew up with.

SB: I understand there is something called a washing ceremony at the next tournament. What's that what's the significance of that, Don?

DW: A washing ceremony is an age old tradition that we engage in for anybody who has been through a very negative or traumatic experience. And they, the person or people involved are brought before the community and they're given gifts and they are washed symbolically in order to take away the negative impacts of those experiences and to demonstrate the love and support of the community and the family for that person has been through a negative time or a negative experience or a trauma and it allows the person to move on without all that negative energy that had come from those experiences. So I think it's a very cultural, culturally appropriate way to help to help Josiah move beyond this. And the All Native basketball tournament has agreed to host this, or allow us to perform this at the next tournament. And I think it's a very positive thing on both sides.

SB: Well it was good to talk to both of you and enjoy the tournament, Jos. Good luck to you.

JW: Thank you so much.

DW: Thank you for having us.

SB: You're quite welcome. Bye-bye.

DW: Bye now.

JW: Have a good day.

JD: That was Jos Wilson and his dad Don. We reached them in Calgary. And if you'd like to hear that interview again, visit our website: cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Koufax call

Guest: Robert Gaynor

JD: When it comes to baseball players, Sandy Koufax is definitely among the greats. He's a Hall of Famer. And in September of 1965 he pitched a perfect game. Only the eighth major leaguer to do that and the first left hander in several decades. Here's a clip of Vin Scully calling the final out of that game at Dodger Stadium in 1965.

SOUNDCLIP

VIN SCULLY: Sandy backs off, mops his thighs, runs his left index finger along his thigh, dries it off on his left pants leg, all the while Kuenn just waiting. Now Sandy looks in. Into his wind-up and the two one pitch to Kuenn. Swung out and missed. [Sound: Crowd roars] Strike two.
It is 9:46 p.m. Two and two to Harvey Kuenn. One strike away. Sandy into his wind-up. Here’s the pitch. Swung out and missed. The perfect game.

JD: So Sandy Koufax is a hero to baseball fans. But he's a hero for another reason, too. Something else Mr. Koufax did in that 1965 season made a lasting impression on Robert Gaynor. So much so that the retired lawyer and amateur sculptor created a larger-than-life bronze statue of Mr. Koufax – in his own front yard. We reached Robert Gaynor in the Boston suburb of Newton, Massachusetts.

SB: Mr. Gaynor what inspired you to create this statue of Sandy Koufax?

ROBERT GAYNOR: Well in 1958, I was playing football at high school, and the football game that year came on Yom Kippur the holiest day for the Jews, for the Jewish people and the football captain that year asked the athletic director if they would kindly reschedule view of the fact that it’s on Yom Kippur. And the athletic director said they couldn't do it and the game was played in the football captain played.

SB: And that was you.

RG: I happened to be the football captain.

SB: And the connection with Sandy Koufax, remind people about that.

RG: Well, yeah, well 1965, and then five years later, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the world series against the Minnesota Twins. And Sandy Koufax, the game was going to be played on Yom Kippur and Sandy Koufax went to his manager and asked the manager, told the manager that he couldn't play because it was Yom Kippur, and it was just a matter of principle that he just couldn't play. And the managers said, “That’s OK, we have another picture here, Drysdale. He's pretty good.” Anyways the start of the World Series, Koufax was sitting on the bench. Drysdale pitched, but at the third, I think, the third inning, but he was getting hit pretty hard. And the manager came out to get him and he turned to the manager, he said “Skip, I guess you wish I was Jewish today.” And the manager says “You're out.” And that was it. So Koufax came back a day later and he pitched the game which was a very good game but they didn't score any runs. They lost. Two days later, they pitched a no hitter. Not a no hitter but a shut out, and then I think he pitched a one-hitter, two days after that, the seventh and deciding game and was named the MVP of the series.

SB: So Sandy Koufax became–

RG: I always felt bad that I, here is a high school kid that I didn't have the courage of my convictions to do to sit up a football game, but yet here is Koufax in1965, five years later, they're in the world series which doesn't come up every year. I mean it's really, to get into the World Series, it's a big deal especially compared to what I was thinking at the time when I was in high school. And yet he had the courage of his convictions not to play. But he’s my hero.

SB: Did you ever meet your hero?

RG: I never met him. I never met him. But the policy at the school never changed until 45 years later when they had a new head that came in and he was… he implemented the policy that Belmont Hill would not go ahead and play on Yom Kippur.

SB: So you decided to create this statue as a tribute to Sandy Koufax. How did you do it?

RG: I did it because I feel strongly. I got involved sculpting about 15 years ago. But when I retired eight years ago, I pretty much do it full time, like three or four days a week. But I only do it for my own enjoyment. I don't sell anything and I've given away pretty much everything. Given away a lot of my material and my sculptures. And so I just don't do it for business. I just do for enjoyment.

SB: How did you create this? It's quite large, this statue. How did you actually go about creating it?

RG: When I when I first thought about doing it, and most everything I've done has some sort of connection to my life and how I have lived it. But Kovacs, I have an identity… I had a connection with through the Yom Kippur situation and I thought well, but any baseball player and I looked around in my research, and there no sculpture, there's no statue of him anywhere. And most major league baseball parks have statues. There's statues of in Camden Yard, in Fenway Park, they had Yastrzemski, and they had the Teammates, they have lots of them. But in L.A. they have nothing but flower pots. And I thought it was about time that you know, in 20 years probably, you know people that saw Koufax play probably won't be around. I thought it would be a nice thing to do.

SB: So now he’s in your front yard in Massachusetts?

RG: He’s in my front yard in Massachusetts. And it was sitting there for six months before anybody recognized that. And then this fellow, Dan Shaughnessy is a Hall of Fame sports writer for The Boston Globe. He put it in the bottom of his column. Has anybody seen Koufax in Newton?

SB: Do you know if Sandy Koufax has heard about your sculpture?

RG: I don't know. It's been on a lot of you know the Globe, it has a big circulation there. I was in a radio station. Now I'm on another radio station. It's been written up in some newspapers. I don't know.
You know it really surprises me because I really haven't done that much. I mean I… I have not won the Nobel Prize. I haven't done… I’m not a Pulitzer Prize winning person I haven't. And I made some… I created some metal here. I mean it's sort of amazing me. I didn't do it for this purpose. I did it because I felt a relationship to him.

SB: Well it's a very good story. And I'm wondering where it goes next? What is your plan for this statue? Would you like to. Would you like to sell it?

RG: I got contacted by the architect for the Los Angeles Dodgers who was the architect for Camden Yards where the Baltimore Orioles play, and also the Red Sox. And she called me and she inquired and I said, you know what, I'd be willing to donate this to you. You can have it and I'd be happy to give it to you. Let me know and we could arrange to have it shipped out there.

SB: So we might see the sculpture in Dodgers Stadium sometime soon.

RG: I’d like to see it there, you know? I mean it's… who knows what’s going to happen. I move out of this house or my wife might melt it down. I don't know. I’d like not to think so. I think people should see it. The architect saw pictures of it. She liked it. There's a lot of detail it. I spent two years, four days a week. I made a baseball, I made a glove, I made the cleats. I did the numbers on the uniform. Did the hat. So there was a lot going into this. It was kind of a big project.

SB: It sure sounds like it. I really enjoyed hearing about it. And please keep us posted about where your statue ends up.

RG: Thank you.

SB: Nice to talk to you. Bye-bye.

RG: Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

JD: Robert Gaynor is an amateur sculptor and a baseball fan who created a statue of Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax in his front yard. We reached Robert Gaynor in Newton, Massachusetts.

[Music]

JD: Mellow tunes that conjure up that feeling of sand in your sandals. A margarita in your hand and a reasonably priced home where you never have to think about anything but those first two things.
Well those first two things and your monthly payments. Since the late 60s, Jimmy Buffett has been serving up duties about letting at least some of it hang out in tropical locales and those ditties have earned him a devoted fan following, which in turn has ensured that Mr. Buffett stays super loaded and not just in the six light beers on an empty stomach sense. He has a net worth of 550 million bucks. He has an empire of restaurants, hotels and casinos. The thing is, Mr. Buffett fans like… well frankly all of us, are getting older, and now he has found a way to convert their dream of getting hammered in flip flops but also having appliances and shelter, into reality.
It is called Latitude Margaritaville. It is in Daytona Beach, Florida and it will be a retirement community that will allow you to, and now I quote from the website, “escape to island inspired living as you grow older but not up.” Translation: you can continue drinking irresponsibly but you will always know where your salt shaker is. The Latitude Margaritaville site asks “When your mind wanders to this paradise, why not follow it home.” It's a great sales pitch. Just remember that it's one thing to be able to visit Jimmy Buffett's tropical Fantasia in your imagination. It's another thing to live there and never, ever be able to leave.

Part 3: School condo fight, new BC RCMP assistant commissioner

School condo fight

JEFF DOUGLAS: I don't know about you, but I would rather be on the receiving end of a hint of affection than a hit delivered in anger. But for some Russian lawmakers, a fist to the face is far less threatening than the faintest whisper of forbidden love.
Last night, we told you about one Russian politician's proposal to sanction brawls between fans of opposing soccer clubs. Igor Lebedev calls his plan "draka" – the Russian word for "fight". He also calls it a "plan". It would see fighters from rival clubs duking it out in an arena. He doesn't mention age restrictions, so I assume he considers it appropriate fun for the whole family.
Meanwhile, however one of Mr. Lebedev's fellow legislators has successfully lobbied for such an age restriction to be imposed – not on draka, but on Disney.
Today, the country's Culture Ministry announced that citizens under the age of 16 will not be able to watch screenings of the upcoming live-action version of "Beauty and the Beast". That follows an impassioned campaign by Vitaly Milonov, a member of Russia's ruling United Russia party.
In a letter of complaint, Mr. Milonov outlined his objection to the film being shown to the country's malleably-minded youth – characterizing it as, "overt and shameless propaganda of sin and sexual perversion under the guise of a fairy tale."
Interestingly, Mr. Milonov isn't concerned about an inter-species relationship between the human Beauty and the whatever-he-is Beast. He's OK with that. What he's not fine with is a supporting character named LeFou, the human sidekick to the film's human villain, Gaston. And even though the film describes LeFou as "a very fluid character" – to Mr. Milonov, LeFou's gayness is too clear.
And so is his and Mr. Lebedev's message to young Russians: one man punching another is to be applauded. One man pining for another is to be abhorred.

School condo fight

Guest: Jaye Robinson

JD: The real estate market in Toronto is so hot right now, so crazy right now, that one school in the middle of the city, in the middle of the market, may have move because of it. John Fisher Junior Public School is just blocks away from one of Toronto's main intersections: Yonge and Eglinton. And right next door to John Fisher Junior Public School is the site of a soon-to-be-built 35 storey condominium.
And now, the Toronto District School Board is considering moving the school, to keep the students safe from the construction site. Jaye Robinson is the city councillor for this area. We reached Ms. Robinson in Toronto.

SUSAN BONNER: Councillor Robinson, just how close is this planned condominium tower to John Fisher School?

JAYE ROBINSON: Well it's very close. In fact, the big complaint the city had with this development was that the height but also the density meaning the proximity to the neighborhood especially the school. So 35 stories going up beside a Heritage School, really, it's a small, old, I think it's 100 years old plus, a Heritage School. And the big worry is the kids, and going out to play in the play yard while there’s cranes, cement trucks. But people are very worried. Like authentically worried about this. So when they start to dig the underground, it will literally be on the property line that the digging will take place.

SB: Now you represent a ward with so many condo developments. What is different about this one?

JR: Well I guess the number one thing is, Yonge and Eglinton is really experiencing unprecedented intensification. The city can't keep up. There's little limited green space and we don't have the infrastructure to support it. So this is kind of the I guess salt in the wound in that this has now been approved by the OMB without support from City Hall, meaning myself as a local councillor as well as city planning staff. In fact, city planning staff wrote two reports opposing this and rejecting this application.

SB: You know, you talk about the intensity of development in that neighborhood. There's another high school there with a condo tower literally attached to the school. It seemed to work in that case. What's different about the situation you're facing?

JR: So that was built years ago. It was a very effective model that's worked out very well. But in that case, the Board of Ed and the developer worked together and basically created a project collaboratively and the outcome has been very positive. Having said that, it is a high school in this case they did try that at the onset of this project. That didn't come to fruition and so now we have these two separate entities trying to interface and work together. But the issue is, the parents are outraged because the OMB approved something that the city did not support and did not want and so that is the challenge we're facing is, how do you build a very tall tower, 35 stories, on a postage stamp-sized lot.

SB: You mentioned the OMB, which is the Ontario Municipal Board. So the mayor of Toronto, John Tory, has come out and said what you've just told us, that both you and the city opposed this development from the beginning. Why then did the Ontario Municipal Board approve it?

JR: Well the old OMB has a very influential role in our neighborhoods in Toronto. I've actually voted four times to remove Toronto from the jurisdiction of the OMB. In my estimation, it's actually doing a lot of really creating a lot of problems in our neighborhoods. Unwelcome problems. And so the OMB has a tendency of approving most developments, and we send stuff there to fight it. But bottom line is, they have approved it and the buck stops with the OMB. They have final decisions on our neighborhoods, which, in my mind is not right that they have that level of power to define the character of neighborhoods in Toronto.
Toronto has a very sophisticated planning division. We have some of the best planners in Canada. So we’re fighting to make our own decisions and we know what we want to see in our neighborhoods.As do residents.

SB: So Councillor Robinson, what are the chances that the school board will be forced to move to school in order to protect the students’ safety?

JR: So that's a decision to be made by the Board of Ed, not by city hall. But I will tell you that I've had hundreds of emails from parents that are very concerned about the prospects of that. There has been some talk about moving them to another school. Vaughn Road Academy, which is seven kilometers away, and the parents are not going to go for it. They're very concerned about the extra time their kids spend travelling. They also feel it breaks up the whole culture of the school, the heart of the school. This is a very special school because it's a French language school. There's not a lot of those in Toronto. And the fear is that parents are actually going to side not to bus their children but instead to put them back into their local schools thus breaking up the school community and all that lovely peer groups that have evolved over the years.

SB: So what next in this. Well it sounds like a mess. What do you do next?

JR: It’s a hot mess. I've had meetings with the mayor, John Tory, as well as Kathleen Wynne, who is the MPP for this area. As well as the local trustee Gerri Gershon, and it's a very difficult situation. I mean, the OMB approves something that the zoning bylaws only permit really 16 metres. They approved something that's 101 meters. so over six times the permitted height and it really doesn't fit the character of the neighborhood. So I would say not just John Fisher parents, but also the neighborhood is very unhappy about this development.

SB: And I can hear your frustration with the Ontario Municipal Board.

JR: I'm very frustrated with it. I think it's high time that it be abolished. I could cite many examples to you of what's happened in my neighborhoods where some really streets are starting to look like a dog's breakfast because the OMB inserts itself into our neighborhoods and makes decisions. And most of the time, in my case it's been 80 percent of the developments over the past six years that have been approved by the OMB. 80 percent. And so that's very frustrating and in some cases, Susan they've been approved before the city even had a chance to write a final report. So 70 percent were appealed before that stage where we actually had input. So the planning process in Toronto is being usurped by the OMB and it's high time this body was abolished.

SB: Is this the price of prosperity in Toronto, all this condo development?

JR: Well I think that everybody understands we have to develop in order to be a livable city. You have to continue to develop. But to do it in a responsible way is the focus for City Hall. The OMB, most of these members don't live in Toronto, haven't lived in the neighborhoods, or even gone to the sites. It's a quasi-judicial administrative tribunal. The OMB is by far the most powerful in all of Canada and it shouldn't have these types of broad rights over city planning. But the truth is, I'm not sure where there's a solution on this front because the buck stops with the OMB. They've made a final decision and there's no appeal mechanism that I'm aware of that we have any recourse. So it's a big concern.

SB: Well thank you for telling us about it.

JR: Thank you Susan.

JD: Jaye Robinson is a city councillor for Ward 25 in Toronto and that is where we reached her.

[Music]

Chaffetz iphone

JD: It has been a long time coming. But maybe they should have waited a little longer.
Yesterday, U.S. Republicans finally announced their replacement plan for President Obama's Affordable Care Act. It's called the American Health Care Act. Some Republicans say it decreases the federal government's involvement, and increases the role of the market. [b] It does keep some popular aspects of President Obama's Affordable Care Act but some of the changes could mean people who gained coverage would lose it.
But for Congressman Jason Chaffetz, though, that's no biggie. Speaking on CNN's "New Day" this morning, he said it was just a matter of making choices.

SOUNDCLIP

ALISYN CAMEROTA: Access for lower income Americans doesn't equal coverage.

JASON CHAFFETZ: Well we're getting rid of the individual mandate. We're getting rid of those things that people said that they don't want. And you know what? Americans have choices and they've got to make a choice. And so maybe rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on? Maybe they should invest in their own health care. They've got to make those decisions themselves.

JD: That was U.S. Congressman Jason Chaffetz commenting on the Republicans plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. He later told Fox News “Maybe I didn't say it as smoothly as I possibly could.”
Speaking of seeing things smoothly the race to coin an easily remembered and catchy nickname for this legislation has already begun.
One conservative group has called it “RyanCare”, after House Speaker Paul Ryan, and other right wing group called it “Republican Welfare Entitlement.” Less catchy. And lots of other people are just calling it ill-conceived including Republicans like Kentucky Senator Rand Paul who also calls it “Obamacare Lite”.

SOUNDCLIP

RAND PAUL: There's one thing that has united Republicans. In 2010 when we won the House, in 2014 when we won the Senate, and in 2016 when we won the White House. This doesn't divide Republicans, this brings us together and that is complete repeal. Clean repeal. As Congressman Jordan said, we voted on this last year and every Republican voted for it. That's what we should do again. But we are divided. We have to admit we are divided on replacement. We are united on repeal but we are divided on replacement.

JD: That was Kentucky Senator Rand Paul criticizing the Republican Party's plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act. He is introducing his own bill asking for a clean repeal.

[Music]

Snowmobile flight

JD: Sometimes, in order to fly, you’ve got to bounce along the ground for a bit.
If you're Angel Hedderson, you have to do it in a blizzard. On a snowmobile. Through ten-foot-high snow drifts. On a closed stretch of highway.
Ms. Hedderson and her partner were desperate to make their flight to Cuba. The problem was they were stuck at home in St. Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland in the middle of a snowstorm that had already been raging for four days.
But they weren't about to let being snowed in keep them down. They were determined to make that flight with a little help from their friends.
The CBC's Cherie Wheeler caught up with Ms. Hedderson yesterday, en route to Deer Lake.

SOUNDCLIP

ANGEL HEDDERSON: We thought we'd never get a storm any more than a day. And then this storm came on. Five days later and there was no hope in sight. I had a little bawl. I cried. I said, well this is it, it’s all over. This trip is going to be canceled. We were so looking forward to it and everything else. And then well, we just assumed it was over.
So then it cleared. And we heard that the flyers and all that stuff was going back on the road. Then we got more bad news that it was going to be four o'clock, five o'clock before it would through and we have to be in airlock for six.

CHERIE WHEELER: For your flight?

ANGEL HEDDERSON: Yes. So we were like oh, we're not going to make it. And then all of a sudden, we start getting some crazy ideas and just the only way to go was on skidoo. That was the only option. We were going to have to get into at least as far as the road was clear to get on our skidoo and then we knew that Chris had his truck over. He offered his truck and so he was going to take us as far as he could towards the airport. And then I was texting my friend Dayna and she said she's on the other side. We could take her car. And then she'll trek back on skidoo back with Chris. So she's home and we're on a trip. We just didn't anticipate that we were going to have such a storm. But I that’s Mother Nature. She does what she like. We're going to go now. So that's a good thing.

CW: So logistically how did that work. Once snowmobile, three adults with a lot of luggage.

AH: No, Chris stayed back in the truck where we started. Me and Dwayne [unintelligible] jumped on the snow machine, drove on up to me Dayna and then the four of them actually, two of their girls got in the sleigh, because they didn't have any luggage to come back, and Dayna and her husband got on snow machine and they went back to Chris.

CW: Took the snowmobile back to your vehicle.

AH: Yes. Back to Chris who was waiting on the other side. Now he's got to bring them down, put his skidoo back aboard his machine and drive back down. The amount of snow that was on the road is crazy. But it's only in three or four kilometers. But it’s going to be a couple of days before he gets cleared off. So we were driving on a snowbank in the middle of the road, ten feet high in the middle of the highway. It makes you appreciate what some people are willing to do for you. This vacation is actually priceless. Because we wanted to go so bad we didn't think we were going to. And now here we are. I will have a nice tropical drink hopefully by tomorrow dinner time.

JD: That was St. Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland resident Angel Hedderson speaking with the CBC's Cherie Wheeler. Ms. Hedderson and her partner braved a blizzard on their snowmobile yesterday to make their flight to Cuba.

[Music]

New RCMP

Guest: Brenda Butterworth-Carr

JD: She is the new top cop in British Columbia. The RCMP has appointed Assistant Commissioner Brenda Butterworth-Carr as the new commanding officer for the province. She is the first Indigenous woman ever to hold that position and she comes to the job at a time when the RCMP is facing a lot of challenges, including sexual harassment claims within the force and mistrust of the RCMP in the communities they serve. We reached Brenda Butterworth-Carr in Surrey.

SB: Assistant Commissioner Butterworth-Carr you're taking on this role when the RCMP is really in a challenging period. Just as he announced his retirement, even Commissioner Bob Paulson we know he has had to apologize for the harassment allegations facing women in the force, behavior he described as shameful. How do you feel about taking on the job you're taking on at this difficult time?

BRENDA BUTTERWORTH-CARR: I'm actually quite honored and excited to be appointed as the commanding officer for the province of British Columbia for a multitude of reasons. You know the first being that it was you know a fairly comprehensive process in terms of the selection that included a formal interview, psychometric testing, in-depth reference checks to be appointed, lots of consultation with the provincial government you know obviously through that process. And so you know I think that the diversity of my career, having worked in a three person detachment, to you know larger municipal contracts on a national level. Being a commander of the province of Saskatchewan and so forth. So you know overall, I'm quite excited. You know, certainly recognizing the challenges that we have and you know, as I continue to take command and lead this division, I think that we've got a very solid structure in place that was put into place by the former commanding officer and my intent is to build on that. You know recognising as you've mentioned some of the challenges that we've had with you know whether it's harassment or some of the other issues.

SB: Let's talk about some of those issues. For example, just one of the problems facing the force in your part of the country, the opioid crisis. It's hit B.C. particularly hard. How do you see that challenge?

BB: So we're working hand in hand with the provincial government and as well as with the Ministry of Health federally and provincially. You know it's certainly a health crisis but with the Province of British Columbia with the Police Services in particular you know they're leading that with a joint task force. We're very well invested in it. This is something that we've been actively involved in for quite some time since this became a crisis. I think that you know we'll continue to work through this collectively and we need to do that.

SB: Another issue for the RCMP, the force does not have a great record dealing with Indigenous communities. How do you think that has to change?

BB: I'm very focused on relationships. That's something that you know I think is very critical to our success in everything that we do. It's certainly something that throughout the course of my career I've always been very invested in. You know we have various relationships within this province and you know I'll be looking to increase and enhance those relationships.

SB: Do you think that the fact that you are an indigenous woman will change the dynamic of these relationships?

BB: I think that it's based on individuals within our different communities, and I think that you know certainly what I bring will enhance that. As I said you know, my focus on relationship in addition to my background as well certainly lends you know that additional credibility. Notwithstanding the fact that we have many many many individuals right across the organisation, let alone in this province that have phenomenal relationships, and where we don't, it will be addressed. You know, I have zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior and we have the proper policies and processes in place to deal with it. And my expectation is that we are accountable. You know, when we're setting our priorities with our communities regardless of whether it's with the provincial government or municipal governments or First Nation governments or even federally, we do that in consultation and collaboration. Anything less isn't going to work.

SB: In terms of your own career trajectory, you began as a summer student with the RCMP decades ago. What's it like now to be leading the RCMP in British Columbia.

BB: It's pretty humbling. I was talking to my spouse here recently and he recalls, you know obviously he's going to go on through this career and various levels with me, this journey if you will. We were reflecting on this more recently and he said at that time he goes, “Do you recall what your aspirations were initially within the organization?” I said, “Well, first of all get through training.” That’s always challenging.
You know and I had a three year old son and fortunately, strong family support. So I was able to be successful and then to go home to the Yukon territory which is my home territory and provide the service there in a variety of different capacities. And then, you know, to where I am at today, I can honestly say that I did not think that I would be where I am today, but I know that when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, something clicked. And not to say didn't before that, it's just the passion and the recognition of why I joined the organization in the first place. And you know, that's very much about influencing and effecting positive change and working as long and as hard as you need to do that and create that environment.

SB: What about pressure? Do you feel much? It's not the first time I know that you've been the first Indigenous woman to take on a leadership position within the RCMP, but do you feel the pressure of that?

BB: On occasion of course. Absolutely. Not necessarily in a negative way. I just, you know I'm very cognizant that there's always eyes watching. And I think that you know, for myself I can say very candidly that I've worked very hard for everything that I've achieved. There was nothing handed to me nor would I ever expect that.

SB: Do you ever feel that you're maybe carrying the weight, double the weight of representing women on the force, and representing indigenous people?

BB: I don't because I think for me, it's really about you know developing others and working with others so that there's equality, there's inclusion, there's fair treatment of all, right. So, you know I'm certainly taking on leadership roles but I also know that it's important to surround myself with great people, family as well as you know individuals internally and externally. And I think that from my perspective, you're only as good as the people you surround yourself with. And so I don't look at this as a singular individual carrying the weight of the responsibility. I look at opportunities where you know, I can collectively work with others to develop and provide those opportunities for them to be as successful as I've been.

SB: Well it was good to talk to you. Good luck in your new job.

BB: Thank you very much. I really appreciate your time.

JD: That was the RCMP new commanding officer in British Columbia. Brenda Butterworth-Carr. We reached her in Surrey.

[Music]

Turtle coins

JD: I suppose you could say she was fortunate. But it wasn't due to all the good fortune tossed her way which added up to a near fatal curse for the 25 year old. No, if she was lucky at all it was only after a team of skilled professionals was able to deprive her of the small fortune she had amassed in her belly.
Nine hundred and fifteen coins to be exact. Together they formed a ball weighing about five kilograms in the green sea turtle’s stomach. That is nearly 12 percent of her body weight. No wonder they nicknamed her Omsin, meaning "Bank" in Thai.
Omsin was discovered in her hometown of Sri Racha in eastern Thailand by members of the Thai navy. They noticed she was struggling to float and swim in her pool. So they brought her to Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, where a CT scan revealed the large metal mass in her gut. The weight of the coins had caused her ventral shell to crack, resulting in a life-threatening infection.
A team of five veterinary surgeons spent seven hours removing all the corroded and half-dissolved coins, because the ball was too big to remove all at once.
It is common in Thailand to toss coins onto a turtle's shell to bring longevity – a practice the head of the university's veterinary centre condemned, saying,: "I felt angry that humans, whether or not they meant to do it or if they did it without thinking, had caused harm to this turtle." On the upside, press coverage of Omsin's story did result in sizeable public donations to cover her surgery costs.
The vets say it will be another month before they can ensure a full recovery, and Omsin will need months of physical therapy after that.

March 7, 2017 episode transcript

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