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The AIH Transcript for March 12, 2019

Hosts: Carol Off and Jeff Douglas

CAROL OFF: Hello, I’m Carol Off.

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

[Music: Theme]

Prologue

JD: Tonight:

CO: Manitoba's child advocate says the system failed. Tina Fontaine for years before her death at the age of 15 — and hearing her story again reopens old wounds for our guest’s community.

JD: Brute force amid new allegations of anti-black racism in the RCMP are retired staff sergeant describes the abuse he suffered and witnessed ranging from slurs to sideline careers.

CO: a Brex-ident waiting to happen. Yet again, the British Prime Minister's plan for leaving the European Union is decisively rejected by parliament. And with the deadline 19 days away, the UK might have to deal with no deal.

JD: Great strides. Rachel Cliff says she knew she was on track to break the Canadian women's marathon record when she saw her coaches face 34 kilometres in. But she still had 8k to go.

CO: Marching to the beat of the same drummer. In the 60s and 70s, artists from all genres of music turned to the late drummer Hal Blaine, whose timely hits anchor hundreds of timeless hits.

JD: And a news youz can use. A New Zealand farmer has high hopes for his new high tech sheepdog: a drone, which is proving extremely efficient once the animal's good use to it.

JD: As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that proves what you don't know can't herd ya.

[Music: Theme]

Part one: Tina Fontaine report, Brexit Tuesday vote, Rachel Cliff

Tina Fontaine report

Guest: Derrick Henderson

JD: The support system was meant to protect Tina Fontaine. But at every step along the way, people in that system failed her. A report today by Manitoba's Child Advocate looks at the life and death of the 15-year-old Indigenous girl, whose body was found in Winnipeg's Red River in the summer of 2014. It details the ways her school, health care professionals, victim services, and other agencies missed key opportunities to support Tina. No one has ever been convicted of a crime in her disappearance, or her death. At a news conference, the report's author, Daphne Penrose, said it was important to look at Tina Fontaine's entire life, to understand what led to her death.

SOUNDCLIP

DAPHNE PENROSE: It was on August 17th 2014 when most people learned her name, but Tina's story began long before that day. It began even before Tina was born on New Year's Day in 1999. To know Tina’s story, to really understand how she came to symbolize a churning anger of a nation enraged, each of us can look as far back as the arrival of European settlers, and as close to home as the depths of our own involvement or indifference in the lives and experiences of Indigenous youth. It is a challenge to conduct a child death investigation, and then to create an accurate and thoughtful story about life of a child. This is a process of honoring legacy and uncovering truths.

JD: That was Manitoba Child Advocate Daphne Penrose speaking today. Derrick Henderson is the Chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation, Tina Fontaine's community. We reached him in Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba.

CO: Chief Henderson, we just heard from Daphne Penrose saying that the tragedy of Tina Fontaine and her violent death it was something that began long before. What did that mean for you to hear those words?

DERRICK HENDERSON: Well, I think what it what it meant is that from her childhood right there were some difficulties within her life, right? And I don't know Tina from when she was a young child like that, until of course, when this tragedy happened in Winnipeg. But I guess it all stems back from her child rearing you know from family and you know her contacts when she was a young child.

CO: And as you know so much of it for so long was focused on the days around the death of Tina Fontaine, and the discovery of her remains in the Red River in Winnipeg. What this report does is show how failed she had been by the system for such a long period before that. What struck you about that?

DH: Well, I think you know as Daphne mentioned, she wasn't under care very long, right? She was always with family or with her aunt, right? So within that period that she went into the city of Winnipeg, the system, of course, did fail. I mean there was a lot of gaps that that I believe should have been looked at, right? You know when you look at what happened on the news that last night where she was in the parking lot at the hotel. The police stopped her with a car in their car. They arrested the guy, left her there. Like this is a missing child, right? But I guess it's not about blame anymore. It's about moving forward and not let this happen again to the next child, right?

CO: And that's the purpose of this report, isn't it? That we should learn from this. And one thing that was really pivotal that that Daphne Penrose mentioned was that the dad when Tina's father was murdered — when he was killed — she was 12 years old — as it would be for any child, a shattering experience. And she needed counselling. She needed help at that time. Thelma Fable, her caregiver, tried everything to try and get her some help, getting her some counseling, and it wasn't forthcoming. What do you make of that that that was such a pivotal moment?

DH: Yeah, you know I think about that also, right? I mean I do recall the incident when her dad was murdered, right? But you know when you think about tragedies like that sometimes you do forget about extended family. How does that affect everybody, right? Right down the chain — the food chain, right? There Tina, there's the mom, there's the father, there's everything that's so encompassing. And then what you're trying to do is console the family. You're not even thinking about the whole counselling thing, right? You know we do have our own wellness teams in the community. Whenever someone has a death in a community, we provide that support. But it wasn't something… I think something was amiss at the school where she was going to. Maybe she should have received counselling in the school. You know how are you feeling today? You know is something bothering you? My dad was murdered; I'm trying to be in school, but you can't focus, right?

CO: And it was after her father was killed was that she began to miss school. And what the school would do — what schools do — is that they punish kids who skip class by suspending them.

DH: They suspend them, exactly.

CO: And the report points out that this is folly. This is this is not what she needed. Is that something that is common? When kids are struggling, they end up in suspension, and then they just as she did just drop out of school?

DH: I know that in our school system, that's one thing that I don't like is having kids suspended. Because so what are they doing at home? They're having a holiday, right? They’re on a holiday, or they're not being creative. They're sitting in front of a TV, playing on a computer, or else they're on their phone. They shouldn't be doing that. There should be some kind of education policy that they cannot suspend kids forever in a school system.

CO: Among the many disturbing things in this report is that it seems that the authorities and Family Services missed the signs that Tina was being sexually exploited by adults. And that there were signs there —they could have read them. They could have understood that she was being mistreated. And they didn't pick up on them. What did you make of that?

DH: Well, I mean that's that what I'm saying, right? I mean it's not about blame, right? It’s just the system didn't provide the services. I mean if there was a sign, they should have kept on on that sign, right? And you know brought her out of their care. You know they would have caught it early, but you know maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion today.

CO: Is there a larger problem that that many Indigenous people, especially youth, simply don't trust the welfare system. They don't see it as something that is representing or is going to help them with their needs. It’s something to be avoided because it's created problems for them. Do you think that's the case?

DH: There's a lot more than just one item. I think about Indigenous communities, right? And the poverty, housing, high unemployment. You know my community is in a swamp area, and then we have a river in the middle. I have very small land base, right? So I can’t expand my community, so people have to move away. I'm short 500 houses in my community. If the governments of the day would assist our communities to get more housing, right? To get more of this and that. I think that a lot of problems would be eliminated.

CO: What have we what have we learned from Tina Fontaine’s tragic death?

DH: Well, I think we learned that we have to be more caring, we have to be more loving, and you know what? When somebody needs help, we need to step up and help them, right? And here's what happens, right? And I see it in the city of Winnipeg in my travels, right? There’s an Indigenous person walking down a street, right? And he’s either high or whatever. Oh, just other drunk Indian, right? But that person has family. He may have children. Has a mother and father, right? So we have to be more caring. And I've become that person because I feel so helpless when I see my people suffer with it. There's a reason why those people are doing that, whether it's residential school, Sixties Scoop, you name it, right? You know and when we talk about reconciliation, you know we talk about all these nice things. Let's do that then as a country. Let's reconcile and help one another. You know when you hear the story you know about how she died and what happened to her that should never happen in our country.

CO: Chief Henderson. I really appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

DH: Yes. You have a great day. Thank you.

CO: Bye.

JD: Derrick Henderson is Chief of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. That is where we reached him.

[Music: Ambient]

Brexit Tuesday vote

Guest: John Rentoul

JD: It was deja-vu all over again in the UK House of Commons today. Again, Prime Minister Theresa May presented her deal for the UK to leave the European Union. Again, MP's soundly rejected it — 391 to 242. So now, the UK will have to decide whether to leave the EU as planned on March 29, without a deal, or vote to extend the deadline for when, exactly it will exit the union. Here is part of what Ms. May had to say in Parliament about those two options.

SOUNDCLIP

THERESA MAY: Voting against leaving without a deal, and for an extension does not solve the problems we face. The EU… the EU will want to know what use we need to make such an extension. And this House will have to answer that question. Does it wish to revoke Article 50? Does it want to hold a second referendum? Or does it want to leave with a deal, but not this deal. These are unenviable choices. But thanks to the decision that the House has made this evening, they are choices that must now be faced.

JD: British Prime Minister Theresa May, speaking in Parliament today. And obviously, battling quite a bad cold there. John Rentoul is the Chief Political Commentator for the Independent. We reached him in London.

CO: John, during the vote today, one Member of Parliament was reportedly wearing black tie. Snd he told a journalist this is what they wore on the Titanic. Does that set the mood?

JOHN RENTOUL: It was a very, very bleak mood in the House of Commons — very downbeat. I think MPs felt rather overwhelmed by the responsibility they were undertaking, and the fact that they can't reach a decision. And therefore, you know we're drifting towards delaying Brexit, putting it all off, and possibly, you know never even leaving the EU at this rate.

CO: And, of course, Theresa May lost by a large margin in this vote, but not as bad as the last one she had. So is she making progress?

JR: Well, yes. But it was such a large margin I mean even this time that you know the prospects of her trying again to get a deal like the deal that she was trying to get through today must be remote. I mean she may be hoping that once MPs have looked over the over the precipice because tomorrow they're going to vote on whether to leave without a deal, and they'll rule that out quite emphatically, which only leaves a postponement and delay — which, as she said, it isn't a decision.

CO: So what's the game though? I mean do they think that this is not yet the eleventh hour, that they can still push this to the wall, that things will change, that people will reverse their views, that the European Union will say yeah, just kidding? What do you think that they're actually aiming for.

JR: [laugh] Well, the problem is you know you've got a parliament of 600 people, who all have different ideas about what Brexit means, what the what the referendum vote meant, and what their duty as representatives of their constituents actually is. Those views are not compatible. I mean there are at least three different options, you know they could leave with a deal, they could leave without a deal, or they could stay. You know there isn't a majority for any one of those options, and that's the problem that the House of Commons has.

CO: I know that people in the UK are obsessing over the details of this, but just remind the Canadian audience what the hang-up is? What is that what is the major snag at this point for I guess for Theresa May moving forward?

JR: Well, I mean I can understand why people outside the UK might find it baffling because I mean Theresa May has spent two years negotiating the terms of our exit from the EU. But the problem is that you know what she has negotiated would keep us in a close economic relationship with the European market. But there are many people who voted “Leave” who want to have a clean break, and they don't want to be tied to the European market in any way. And they object to the terms of her of her deal because that is a fairly permanent arrangement that she's negotiated.

CO: The progress from here. Now tomorrow… Theresa May was saying in that house of commons that there will be put to another vote that whether or not they would leave the union without any kind of a deal — just a very hard Brexit. Do you feel that would be defeated? And then what happens after that?

JR: Well then they have a chance to vote on whether they want to delay Brexit, whether they want to ask the EU for more time? At the same time, or after they voted to do that, or they may vote against that, in which case you know they've got to just cycle through the options again. But at the same time, you know there may be attempts to produce other positions, other deals that we could possibly negotiate. But I mean you know we've only got a few days left. We've only got 17 days left before the deadline. So that seems impractical. There's no time to have a general election. There's no time to change prime minister. So it seems that asking for more time is the only escape route at this point.

CO: And that would take us to the end of June?

JR: Well, it's not clear quite how long that would be? Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, said you know we could have a short extension up to the twenty-third of May, which is when there are European Parliament elections. If we want a longer extension, we would then have to hold European Parliament elections in this country — which would be very awkward and embarrassing for the government. But I mean we are beyond the point where awkwardness and embarrassment is a sort of constraint on action.

CO: But given how intractable all of this is, I mean even isn't that just rearranging the deck chairs if we want to return to that Titanic metaphor?

JR: Absolutely. I mean in my view, I think you know once you once you've delayed Brexit once, that’s it. I think none of the factors change by the time you come to the next deadline. Everything will be exactly the same. And then they incentive then will be for Parliament to vote for a further delay. And once you've delayed you know two or three times, you might as well just call the whole thing off and have a referendum and try and reverse the results of the first one.

CO: What do you suspect will happen by the end of the week?

JR: I suspect we will have decided to ask for an extension to the timetable, and Theresa May will have started to negotiate the terms of that extension.

CO: Well, the world is watching. We may not be understanding, but we are watching.

JR: [laughing] We don't understand it very much either.

CO: John, thank you.

JR: My pleasure.

JD: John Rentoul is the Chief Political Commentator for the Independent. We reached him in London.

[Music: Ambient]

Rachel Cliff

Guest: Rachel Cliff

JD: Two hours, 26 minutes and 56 seconds. The new Canadian women's marathon record — set by Rachel Cliff. On Sunday, Ms. Cliff broke the record at the Nagoya Women's Marathon in Japan, beating her Canadian teammate Lanni Marchant's record by just over a minute. And to make things even more impressive, it was only Ms. Cliff's second time running a marathon in competition. We reached Rachel Cliff in Vancouver, British Columbia.

CO: Rachel, big congratulations on your new record.

RACHEL CLIFF: Thank you so much.

CO: Are you still pinching yourself, or has it sunk in yet?

RC: It's sinking in. And after the marathon, I was too exhausted to really feel much emotion. But the next day, as I was flying home, it definitely started sinking in.

CO: And what were the emotions you had then?

RC: It's tough to explain. I sent my first Canadian record about this time of year last year. And yeah, the first time you do something that no other Canadian has done before it’s really exciting. But you know as an athlete, you're always pushing to do new things. And so I'm just really excited to have that two minute faster over the marathon, and to be improving and kind of moving up on the world stage. And I was really excited about that as well.

CO: So this marathon you ran in two hours, 26 minutes and 56 seconds so at what point did you figure I've nailed it. I've clinched this. I'm going to actually beat the record?

RC: The plan was to go out in a pace that was quite aggressive, so it was it was risky, but it was also like if I was able to hold the pace, my coach and I discussed the splits I’d need to hit be on pace for it. And so when I got to 15k I was well under the pace. And you’re always slow in a marathon, so I had to keep that in mind, but I also felt really good. But I remember looking at the weather, the body's with me, and just the piece I was on, and thinking this might be the day. And you can't think too much that way. But around 35k — there's a big hill at 34k — and I got to the top of it. My coach was up there, and he was cheering me on, and I could just tell from the excitement in his voice that you know that something really bad happened in the next 8k, it was going to happen.

CO: Wow! And so that hill did it, right? I meam can't imagine doing a hill like that after I’ve been running 30k.

RC: Well, I was really worried about it. There’s a hill in Vancouver called Pipeline Hill that goes right through Stanley Park, and I do it a lot in training. And my coach kind of pointed out to me that the grade on this hill was a lot like Pipeline Hill, and it was about half the length. So in my mind, I was just picturing this massive hill in the middle, and then it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. So tit was actually positive — it gave me something to break up the base. And you always want to be scared in a marathon. So having a hill at that point in the race I think kept me conservative and cautious.

CO: Well you know that most of us after running for 33 kilometres, which we wouldn't be doing, then faced with a large hill, would have packed it in I think. So you must have something that gives you that extra umph.

RC: Yeah, again, if you're if you fit and you make sure you leave something, it's fine. And it was fun. Like I knew what I got to the top of the hill still feeling strong that I could get the record. And so I think kind of mentally I had that.

CO: Did you go into that marathon with that intention to break the record?

RC: Not that much actually. So when I did the Berlin marathon in September, I was only 54 seconds off the record. And it had gone completely naturally. It had been at the end of a long track season. So it was kind of a miracle I got through that race healthy. And the training had been tough, but it felt like something I could do again. And trying to run a minute faster for your second marathon or more is a pretty realistic goal. So we just kind of discussed that. And obviously, that would be the record. But then the build-up for this marathon really didn't initially go well. And yeah, even a month going into it, we had snow in Vancouver, which we never get, so that affected my workouts and kind of our ability to measure where it was at. And then yeah, even the weeks going into it I got an infected blister, I dropped a cutting board on my toe at one point, so it was just it was not a smooth… nothing went bad, nothing went wrong, but it wasn't kind of the seamless, perfect build. So it is more kind of a few weeks out we knew yeah, the goal was to win a personal best. And if that was that was the record, you know that would be great. But we didn't really know exactly what I would end up running.

CO: But this has now puts you in a category with well only two other Canadian women. In 34 years, this record has only been held by two others, so you are now among them.

RC: Mm hmm, yeah, and worldwide. I mean one thing my coaches had me do, and I think it’s a positive of way of looking at it, is if you want to be a professional athlete, you have to be on top and competitive on the world stage. And so that's been very much the focus, and you know being in that 2:26s is kind of moving towards that world-class level which I'm excited about.

CO: So you broke your teammates Lanni Marchant's records, and she was writing… on Instagram, she wrote, Records are meant to be broken. And I am beyond impressed and excited by Rachel Cliff's performance this weekend. She also says she hopes to compete alongside you at the Olympics in 2020. So is that where you're headed?

RC: Yes, I hope so. The ideal athlete the IOCC released the Olympic standards actually the day after my race. And they made some changes to the qualification system that's pretty stressful for athletes — especially this close to the game — and that's unfortunate. But selfishly, for me, I did get the standard. So it’s a bit of a weight off my shoulders, and it means I'm automatically qualified as far as the IOCC is concerned, whether Canada chooses to take me, or whether I'm competitive enough for Canada to make it will be decided over the next year. But at least I have that one piece out of the way.

CO: Rachel, will be watching.

RC: Thank you.

CO: Thank you. Bye-bye.

RC: Bye.

JD: Rachel Cliff is the new Canadian women's marathon record holder. We reached her in Vancouver. We have more on her race on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Indie]

Iditarod dog strike

JD: Last Friday, French dog musher Nicolas Petit was leading the pack in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome. Today, he dropped out. What happened in between? Well, he pulled rank — and his team stopped pulling. A statement from the Iditarod organizers says, quote, "Petit scratched in the best interest of his race team's mental well-being," unquote, which is vague. But yesterday, Mr. Petit himself was more forthcoming. At the time, he and his dog team were stalled on the coast of the Bering Sea. MR. Petit said, quote: "I yelled at Joee. And everybody heard Daddy yelling. It doesn't happen. And then they wouldn't go anymore. Anywhere. So we camped here." Unquote. A brief explanation: "Joee" is, of course, one of Mr. Petit's sled dogs. And while the team was resting, Joee jumped on a younger dog. At that point, Mr. Petit — "Daddy", as he calls himself — yelled at Joee. At which point, apparently, the whole team decided to sit...and stay. And even when Mr. Petit apologized, they would not roll over. Now, he's out, out of the race, out a potential half-million-dollar prize, and out of his dog team's good books. And it's all over because of the shouting.

[Music: Country]

Part two: RCMP racism, NZ farmer drones

RCMP racism

Guest: Alain Babineau

JD: The RCMP is describing new allegations of anti-black racism as "deeply troubling." Our colleagues at Radio Canada are reporting that, in interview after interview, current and former Mounties describe being subjected to racist treatment by their colleagues and surperiors. Radio Canada is protecting the identity of its sources. But Alain Babineau says the complaints are all too familiar. Mr. Babineau retired as a Staff Sergeant after 27 years on the force. He's now a law student and an advocate at the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations in Quebec. We reached Alain Babineau in Montreal.

CO: Mr. Babineau, when you talk about racism inside the RCMP, can you tell us about your own experiences?

ALAIN BABINEAU: Well, racism, I mean I joined the RCMP 20 years ago. And obviously, back then, racial slurs you know were more prevalent. Clearly you have more direct racism I would call it a discrimination — posters or jokes or things of that nature would be more prevalent. As the years went by, the type of racism or discrimination that I was exposed to and became familiar with was more of a systemic nature.

CO: You said that when you spoke with the CBC, with Radio Canada, that you heard frequently the N-word used in reference to both black people on force, and also people in the general public.

AB: Exactly. Well, again, when I first started I worked drug sections for a number of years. And it is a particularly rough crowd. You know we play hard. And so yes, you would hear you know nicknames and slur names being used without any reserve. A lot of the things that I heard were jokes — racial jokes. And when you’re new within the organization, you want to kind of fit in. You don't want to rock the boat at all, and so you kind of stay quiet.

CO: But to say later on, it became less overt and more part of the system. in what way? How did you feel discriminated against later on?

AB: Well, you know promotion systems in place, and I've you know I've experienced it myself, but I also helped other people do that suffered through being denied promotion. And of the top of my head, I can tell you three particular cases where officers were initially turned down for promotions, and they decided to fight back. And as a result of those grievances the decision was reversed. In one particular case, you know the officer that made a decision had a record for racial slurs and discrimination — had been reprimanded for that. And the person became a decision maker on the promotional process in which they were a racialized member. And so it very subtle, and that's why I call it you know systemic. It becomes part of the system.

CO: We have seen in recent years a number of women who are or have been in the RCMP who have come forward to talk about the sexism and outright misogyny they encountered as female officers. And they did it with difficulty, but more and more than come forward. We haven't heard from very many people in racialized minorities in the RCMP come forward. Why is that?

AB: Oh, there’s a couple of reasons. First of all, most of the female members that came forward initially were either retired or they were on sick leave, and had nothing to lose, so to speak, in coming forward. And it's kind of snowballed after that. Now when it comes to racialized membership, you have to remember we haven't been numerous for very long. And so most of the racialized members are still in the organization, right? So when you come forward, you've got to be prepared to live with the consequences of coming forward, you know? And I understand it completely that some folks are not prepared to go through.

CO: But we heard in 2015, the former commissioner the RCMP. He was speaking to the Assembly of First Nations, and he said, and this is a quote, I understand there are racists in my police force. I don't want them to be in my police force. Did that translate into a commitment to do something about it?

AB: No, I think this was a disingenuous comment actually. What he was basically saying he was targeting frontline officers and the way in which they were dealing with Indigenous people in small communities. And he was responding essentially to the complaints from the Indigenous communities. Now racial discrimination and racial profiling as you know exists. And so instead of calling it that, and sort of getting into the weeds in terms of how that can be stamped or address, he called frontline members racists which, to me is disingenuous. And so the notion that there are no racist up in the upper echelons in the RCMP that are working in Ottawa or headquarters or whatever the case may be to me is farcical.

CO: So if have more officers don't come forward, will the RCMP ever be compelled to change?

AB: It will be very difficult. Number one, there is the Section 9.2 of the RCMP code of conduct, which forbids members from coming forward to the media with anything at all — period. Number two, I think until the general population, and I'm getting encouraged by some of the some of the comments that I saw on social media from white people that are disgusted by some of the things that they read. And up until the general population sort of comes forward and demands changes, you won't see much movement. Now, let's not forget that most of the changes that the female members have benefited from over both of most of the changes have come have come as a result of class -action lawsuits. And also basically commands from Mr. Goodale’s office or his predecessor in terms of numbers. Otherwise, make no mistake, in my opinion, none of these things would have come to fruition at all. I mean I was a staff sergeant, and many of times I ended up in meetings — decision making meetings — where I was the only person of colour in the meeting. And I was never afraid to speak my mind and make a point. But I can understand that some folks that have reached a certain rank are afraid to speak out in some of those meetings because they are the only ones. And so until they get that kind of support in terms of critical numbers where they feel comfortable to be able to speak truth to power, I don't think you'll see much changes. Folks are trying to survive in some cases.

CO: We will leave it there. Mr. Babineau, I really appreciate your insights. Thank you.

AB: Thank you very much for having me.

CO: Bye-bye.

AB: Bye-bye.

JD: Alain Babineau is a law student and former RCMP Staff Sergeant. We reached him in Montreal.

[Music: Instrumental]

College admissions indictment

JD: It's the biggest college admissions scam ever prosecuted in the United States. Today, prosecutors in Boston announced they had charged 50 people, in what they say is in an elaborate scheme to get children into elite universities. Those charged include actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Prosecutors say William Singer allegedly ran a sham charity, which took 25 million dollars in fees from parents. Mr. Singer is alleged to have bribed coaches at elite schools to get his clients' children admitted fraudulently. Investigators believe he also paid academic testers he knew to manipulate student scores, or cheat for students. Here's what the FBI's Joe Bonavolonta had to say at a press conference this morning.

SOUNDCLIP

JOE BONAVOLONTA: We believe all of them — parents, coaches, and facilitators — lied cheated and covered up their crimes at the expense of hardworking students and taxpayers everywhere. Following 10 months of intense investigative efforts, using a variety of sophisticated techniques, the FBI uncovered what we believe is a rigged system — robbing students all over the country of their right at a fair shot to getting into some of the most elite universities in this country, such as Yale, Stanford, and Georgetown. We believe everyone charged here today had a role in fostering a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for students trying to get into these schools the right way — through hard work, good grades, and community service. Unfortunately, what many students didn't know was that the odds had already been stacked against them by corrupt practices, including but not limited to, bribery, falsification of athletic profiles, and near perfect S.A.T. and ACT scores that were fraudulently obtained on behalf of other students. When in reality, they were far from perfect. Make no mistake this is not a case where parents were acting in the best interests of their children. This is a case where they flaunted their wealth, sparing no expense to cheat the system so they could set their children up for success with the best education money could buy, literally.

JD: That Joe Bonavolonta of the FBI at a news conference this morning, explaining why 50 people have been charged in an alleged college admissions scam.

[Music: Industrial]

NZ drone farmer

Guest: Corey Lambeth

JD: Deadly military operations, aerial reconnaissance, the safe and speedy delivery of your pizza: the list of uses for drones grows by the day. And here's another one: in New Zealand, farmers are deploying drones to herd sheep and cattle. Like your trusty, if low-tech Border Collies and German Shepherds of yesteryear, the remote-controlled aircraft gather errant sheep and cows on the hills. And although no one would mistake a drone for a dog, it can certainly sound like a dog. Corey Lambeth is a sheep and cattle farmer. We reached him near Rotherham, New Zealand.

CO: Corey, how Do your sheep and your cows react when this drone flies over them.

COREY LAMBETH: They react like when you're running a dog out there. They get a wee bit spooked at the start, but then they decide to play ball and decide to go through the gate when I'm flying the drone around.

CO: And does it work? Does the drone round them up and move them out?

CL: Yeah, no, it rounds them up real good. Even sitting at home, most days I can fly around and say if there's one or two away from the mob, I can usually fly the drone quite close to them and get them barking and get themback together.

CO: Okay now you just mentioned something that's a really interesting twist on this: your drone barks.

CL: Yes, it does bark. The Maverick Enterprise has got a wee speaker built into it, which has made farming a lot more funner and easier in New Zealand.

CO: Now your drone is a tool you can use for surveying your land and see what's going on. But how much did it change when you could actually add the bark to your drone?

CL: It goes from one level, and then it goes to a whole new level that's completely different. A lot more easier to go and check the mob without running the dogs all the way over a hill or needing to bring them over.

CO: How did you get the bark? Who's barking on the recording?

CL: The recording is from my dogs. So we had to sit them down and tell them to all speak up at once. And then I recorded that on my phone, and transferred it over for it to play on the drone, which is quite cool.

CO: Now did your dogs know that that you were you were recording them and putting them out of work?

CL: No, not at the time. But now when I fly the drone around, they're looking at the truck like oh, I can hear a dog. Where’s that dog? So they’re looking quite cheeky out the back of the truck.

CO: So they can hear themselves barking, and so they've clued into the fact that they've become redundant — that you've replaced them with a piece of technology.

CL: I’m thinking it’s like oh, I'm keen to go out and help. And then when I let them out, they're like wondering where the other dog is. But they're actually learning how to work with the drone as well. Pretty much they'll start figuring out these barking noises are over there; I don't need to go there. Now I can just sit over in this spot chase these cows or sheep — whatever are moving at the time.

CO: So they figured out that this is something — a piece of technology — that they can make use of?

CL: Yeah, they have. They've figured out it makes their job a lot easier as well. So they’ve been running around the hill too far on some days.

CO: Good dogs. Those are great dogs.

CL: Yeah, they are fantastic.

CO: But I mean I've seen the contests of sheep dogs and border collies rounding up sheep, and it's just astonishing to watch them. You see it all the time, but when you watch how clever they are, how instinctive they are, how they can almost figure out what the sheep is going to do next, and manoeuvre. Isn't that? I mean the drone can't do that, right?

CL: Well, it still comes down to that pilot. Since I've been sitting on the hills watching how the stock move and react to dogs, I’ve incorporated that into using the drone. It’s quite challenging for myself to actually get it right because I can't get it 100 per cent right like the dogs get it. But yeah, that makes me think on my toes quite a bit more.

CO: But you can't possibly replace those dogs, and how clever they are?

CL: No, not at all. The dogs can sit back and say oh, hello; you just missed one. There's one over there. I can shoot over and grab that and bring it back to the mob. So that's how clever those dogs are. They can actually think for themselves.

CO: How has it changed your work? I mean do you have to actually go out? Can you just sitt in your living room and round up your cattle?

CL: Well, the downside of it: the drones cannot open gates yet. So I still have to go out there. But no, it’s made my work a lot more easier. So when you're doing mustering, if I’m working with dogs on one side of the hill, I can get my drone on the other side working with my dogs on the other side of the hill, which has increased my time to relax at home with my family and that.

CO: And what about on rainy days and cloudy overcast days? Does the drone work as effectively?

CL: no, on wet and real windy days, the drone has to sit at home.

CO: So have dogs figured out it’s only on the worst days that they have to go out there?

CL: Yeah, which I think that they kind of resent me for making them work on a cold day.

CO: They’re saying where's that drone?

CL: Yeah. Why do I have to go out here today?

CO: But now do you think that this is going to take on other places? Do you think that you'll see other farmers go the drone direction?

CL: Yes, I reckon that it’s going to be a valuable tool for the tool belt for when you go to work on a farm. It makes things a lot more efficient when you need to actually just go and check on stocks wellbeing during lambing or calving and that. I can easily fly a drone from my place and go and cheek the shape making sure they're lambing all right. Make sure there's no problems, and if I do spot a problem, I’m flying that high I don't disturb them so you know I can go directly this yew over here is stuck in this paddock. I'll have to just drive straight to that paddock, instead of driving into each paddock disturbing the yews and lambs.

CO: And when they are lambing or something like that, are they worried about the drone, Given that it casts a shadow, it makes a noise? Does that disturb them at all?

CL: No, it's actually pretty quiet. And you can actually fly above them. Then you use the zoom in the camera. You’re actually not disturbing them at all.

CO: Well, Corey, it’s fascinating. And probably a lot of farmers already know about this, but we lay people don't. So thank you for telling it to us. Thank you.

CL: No worries.

CO: Take care.

JD: Corey Lambeth is a sheep and cattle farmer. We reached him near Rotherham, New Zealand. If you'd like to see photos of these "sheepdog drones", go to our website — they are there: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Jazz]

Part three: Ethiopia crash: Brampton family, South African sunflower murder

Ethiopia crash: Brampton family

Guest: Pramesh Nandi

JD: Around the world, countries and airlines are grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 jetliner that was involved in Sunday's deadly crash in Ethiopia — Canada has yet to make a similar move. And families and friends of those who died are coming to grips with the loss — and starting to plan funerals for their loved ones. All 157 passengers and crew were killed, including six members of an Ontario family — from grandparents to two young girls. Pramesh Nandi had become close with that family over the years. We reached him in Brampton, Ontario.

CO: Pramesh, first of all, I'm so sorry for your loss.

PRAMESH NANDI: No problem. Yeah.

CO: How is everyone managing today?

PN: We are all in a really, really great amount of grief. It is undigestible, unbelievable tragedy which has occurred. They were like my family members. I mean I have no more words to express my grief at this moment.

CO: We're talking about six members of a family — three generations — the grandparents Pannagesh Vaidya, and his wife Hansini. Then there’s Kosha, and her husband Prerit. And then these two children. You were just seeing the brother of the mom who died. How are they doing?

PN: They are also currently in talk with Indian embassy, as well as Canadian Embassy, and the embassy in Ethiopia. On Thursday, they are planning to go to Ethiopia for identification of the bodies.

CO: So there's many things they have to do because of this tragedy, so they're busy with that. But you and others will be there for them I guess when they have the time to actually process this.

PN: Yes, me and the entire community and even I'm pretty sure that other communities still they are standing by. Many people have called me and they have told me an suggested that we are always there to help you guys out.

CO: How did you come to know this family? How did you get involved with them?

PN: Ashka, the daughter, she was my student since last eight years. So I teach music, so they came to me when our Ashka was around two-and-a-half years old, and then she was too young to learn music, so I sent them back. And then when she became five years old, then they came back again. And since then, she was my student. And progressively, she was improving a lot. She started singing really, really well. And before she started performing also in the concerts, she was a chorus singer with me since last three-four years.

CO: And this is the girl you're speaking of her name is Ashka, and you say she's she started with you when she was five years old. When she died, she was 14 years old. So for a lot of years you were teaching her?

PN: Yes, for like almost nine years by now — 8-9 years.

CO: And then Anushka is her sister. Was she as gifted in music as Ashka.

PN: She was also in music initially, and she learned with me for I think like six months, and then her interest was more in dancing. So she was pursuing dance from some other people.

CO: What were these girls like.

PN: Ashka, she was 14 years old. And she was very much invested in the music. Both the girls were actually very polite, very down to earth, and the family oriented like they were always together. They were taking care of each other. They were fond of going for the travel to explore the world. Very, very happy family what we can say.

CO: And the pictures of them — the photographs — tell that same story, don't they? They're just a lovely family. They look like they're having such a good time. What was the importance of this particular trip?

PN: Actually, Kosha, the mother of these two daughters, she was born in Kenya. So she wanted to show her birthplace, and some other important places in Nairobi and Kenya to these two girls that see, I was born here. I was studying here. This is my school. This was my place. And plus to explore some other big name spots of Nairobi and Kenya Like African Safari and some other stuff. So they decided to go in March break.

CO: And So Kosha’s mum and dad wanted to be part of this trip to go back and see life in Kenya again, and did you talk to them about that trip — their plans?

PN: They initially they were discussing about me. But when they actually decided and they went, they did not discuss with me at that time. But I came to know through social media that they are now travelling to Kenya. So I like that post, and I wished them for safe journey. But then this was most unfortunate.

CO: Did people know? Did the news spread very quickly in your community?

PN: No, I did not spread the news right away because the news it was yet to be confirmed. So we confirmed it with Kosha’s brother that yeah, this is the right news. And then a next day, morning, I shared it on Facebook.

CO: You said that the family members here are going over to make the arrangements. What kinds of arrangements are you and others in the community, you music school, what are the plans?

PN: My music school is planning to perform the rituals of prayers and some other stuff along with my students. And I was just discussing with them today about that. So once they are back after a week's time, we are going to perform maybe a funeral and some other formalities and other rituals. And we are always with them. We will stand by. And we will always support them by all means.

CO: How are the friends and the other music students and your own kids dealing with this? These are young children who’ve died.

PN: Yeah, everybody in my family, even some of my students, they cried a lot when they came to know that this is what happened to the bright student of music academy, right? So this was really shocking for each and every one. They were not able to digest this news.

CO: It’s always so hard for kids to try and understand something like this, isn’t it?

PN: I know. Very true.

CO: Pramesh, I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

PN: No problem. Thank you so much.

CO: Bye-bye.

PN: Take care, bye.

JD: Pramesh Nandi is a music teacher and friend of the Dixit and Vaidya family. Six members of that family died in Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash. We reached Pramesh Nandi in Brampton, Ontario.

[Music: Sad piano]

South African sunflower murder

Guest: Stanley Mnyakama

JD: It's known as the Sunflower Murder. In 2017, two white farmers in the South African town of Coligny threw a black teenager off the back of a truck, breaking his neck and killing him. They had accused 15-year-old Matlhomola Mosweu of stealing sunflowers. The case caused outrage across South Africa, and inflamed tensions in an already-divided rural town. Now the two men have been sentenced to a combined 41 years in prison for murder, kidnapping, and other charges. Stanley Mnyakama is a school principal in Coligny, and a spokesperson for the Mosweu family. We reached Mr. Mnyakama in Coligny, South Africa.

CO: Mr. Mnyakama, what was the reaction in court when these two white farmers were sentenced?

STANLEY MNYAKAMA: The reaction from our own community or throughout the province it was a mixed one. Look, number one, we were all aiming or all seeing if they could get a life sentence. It could be a good deterrent. And if not, at least some more years. But at least if one has got 23 years in prison, that’s fine. To live out 18 years in prison, that's fine. And yes, there was this mix of reaction from our community, but it was not violent. People were expressing their views that this is what we're expecting.

CO: And so one got 23 years, the other got 18 years. How did the boy's parents react? The boy who was murdered by these two farmers, how did the mum and dad react?

SM: Mom and dad they were devastated. They're devastated. Because the father was saying I was least expecting they’d do 40 years. The mom was also saying yes, I would have loved to see them spend the rest of their life in jail because my son I won’t see him. And as of them, they will always visit their kids if and when they want. But when we drove from the court and drove into Coligny, it started to sink, and I could see they are now accepting it, although it is still painful for them.

CO: I want to ask you about how you got involved in this? Because I understand you did not know this boy who was murdered, Matlhomola Mosweu, you didn't know before you died. But you testified at the trial. How did you become involved?

SM: Look, I love human beings, and I always want to be there serving those who are destitute, and who cannot defend themselves. And I know our people from their farm when things like this are happening, especially by white people, they've got this phobia — this fear of a white person.

CO: This boy, his body had been in the morgue for some time, right? And no one no one knew who he was, but you wanted to find out who his parents were?

SM: Yes, yes, yes, yes, because I said there is no way that a boy could be killed and there are not parents. I started getting worried, doubting. You know I was moving as far as the neighbouring townships. People would say no, this boy is from this township. No, he’s from this farm. I was moving all over.

CO: When you found them — because you went village to village with the photograph of this boy until you found the father, who said that's my son. What did they tell you about that? What was their reaction to you finding them and telling them about what happened to their son?

SM: This old man was devastated. Look, I'd been with him through and through. And the wife, I could see these guys are still devastated by this thing. It's not easy for them to absorb it.

CO: Can I ask you about the effect that, obviously, the effect on the mom and dad was just devastating. But the murder of this teenager had quite an effect on the community of your town of Coligny. You've mentioned that there was a lot of racial tension already in the community. What effect did it have?

SM: Yeah, you know Coligny was polarized. And let me tell you it was for the first time seeing our community from township. Young student, young kids getting into town, ransacking, destroying anything that comes their way. Because for the first time that I saw white men's houses being burned down. I said now this is a mess! Whites were also getting into town armed. I knew this is not my Coligny. This is now out of control.

CO: But eventually, you did regain control, and then the men were arrested. Now that they have been sentenced, now that they're going to prison for what they did, is that helping at all in Coligny?

SM: Yeah, the community knows that they are arrested. But you know that these pockets or few whites in town will still believe in white supremacy. This one can trigger the violence again. When one white person is stupid can mess up the town. When one black guy is stupid can mess up the town. Mandela was not fighting for this. And he was right to say no any other racial group shall have dominance over the other. That is what the old man fought for.

CO: Mr. Mnyakama, we have to leave it there. And it's just a horrible situation. I'm really glad that you were able to tell us about it. Thank you.

SM: OK.

CO: Goodnight.

JD: Stanley Mnyakama is a spokesperson for the family of Matlhomola Mosweu, a black teenager who was killed by two white farmers in South Africa. We reached him in Coligny, South Africa.

[Music: Thriller movie soundtrack]

Chilliwack dress code

JD: Every year, as the weather starts to warm up even a little bit, there's the same debate among students, teachers, and parents: what should students be allowed to wear to class? Well, a school trustee in Chilliwack, British Columbia thinks some restrictions — like short skirts and spaghetti straps — should be thrown out. Willow Reichelt has brought forward a motion asking the board to adopt a dress code that does not discriminate on the basis of gender, among other factors. This morning, Ms. Reichelt spoke with Stephen Quinn, host of CBC Vancouver's "Early Edition", about her idea.

SOUNDCLIP

WILLOW REICHELT: to see what happens when I bring this up, the people who don't agree with me, always say well, what if a girl comes to school in a bikini top or whatever. So my response to that is a, I don't think that's going to happen very often at all. But if it does, then you have a girl in a bikini top in your class I guess. And there are ways that you could speak to a girl very confidentially or whatever about how you know she might be making someone feel. Do not force her to cover up or make her feel ashamed of her body. So I just think that tends to be a red herring. I'm not concerned about. What the dress codes now do it's stopping girls from our normal clothes that are in the style, that are in stores. It's actually very, very difficult right now given current styles for girls to find shorts that are longer than the tips of their fingers. They're just not on track.

STEPHEN QUINN: Yeah.

WR: So as a mother of sons, I can go into any store that caters to teens, find like clothes that I think are fine. I don't even have to think about dress codes, actually. I didn't know what the dress codes in my kid's school were.

SQ: Could anything in here affect the way boys dress? I mean can they still walk around wearing hoodies up all day long, and those baggy pants hanging under their butts with their underwear sticking out?

WR: Well, one other thing is that some of the dress codes claim to be gender neutral, right? So they'll have things like instead of saying spaghetti straps, they'll say that a tank top has to have two-inch wide straps. What happens is even though the rules say covered underwear, if a boy is wearing pants that just hang down, usually people just tell him to pull up his pants — whereas if a girl's wearing spaghetti straps and her bra strap is showing, she's made to wear something — you know a shirt from the lost and found or whatever all day.

JD: That was Chillwack school trustee Willow Reichelt speaking with CBC Vancouver this morning.

[Music: Horns!]

Nanaimo soup kitchen

Guest: Tanya Hiltz

JD: Every night for the past year, more than 100 people have lined up in Tanya and Doug Hiltz's back yard for a bowl — or several — of thick, steaming soup. Their yard has been the home of the Stone Soup Kitchen, a small wood structure where volunteers serve free dinners to homeless and low-income residents of Nanaimo, BC. Now, however, The Stone Soup Kitchen has a serious problem. A permit issue forced the couple to tear down the backyard dining hall yesterday — and now, the Hiltzes could be facing eviction. We reached Tanya Hiltz in Nanaimo.

CO: Tanya, what's on the menu tonight?

TANYA HILTZ: From what I hear from the lovely ladies in the kitchen, they're having a chicken soup, and I believe it is going to be a hamburger soup — so probably a chili.

CO: And how many people are you expecting for dinner?

TH: Last night, we had 145. We feed usually about 160 a night.

CO: This is in your backyard, right?

TH: Yes, it is.

CO: How do you accommodate that many people coming to dinner in your yard?

TH: It's rotating. We have seating capacity roughly right now since a few minor changes we’re back to about 40. They rotate in and out all night long. They have respect for each other because they know they're all cold and hungry, and they want something to eat. So there's a few that linger. But mainly, they have their meal, and they leave so the next person can come in.

CO: Who are the people who come to dine in your backyard?

TH: Oh, are you ready? We have the homeless. We have the working poor. We have families. We have seniors. We have backpackers from around the world joining us. We are open to anybody that needs a good, hot meal.

CO: And this dining hall is called the Stone Soup Kitchen. We know that fable — that wonderful fable — which is that there is someone makes soup by everybody bringing something, some little contribution, and then they all end up eating a great big meal because of well they didn't have enough for their own soup, but all together collectively, they can make something quite special. Why do you call your play Stone Soup?

TH: The reason we call our play Stone Soup is exactly what you're talking about. Community has come together and helped. Like we have a couple grocery stores, but mainly it's people with in the community dropping by with eggs, dropping by with onions, or cabbage, anything to make that pot of soup — and this happens daily. So when we go in the kitchen on Monday and Tuesday, we have enough collected up to produce ten to 12 pails of soup a day.

CO: And you determine the menu based on what people bring you?

TH: Exactly.

CO: You have a lot of people supporting you, and I'm just thinking one interesting addition is well, it's the member of the rock band trouper, which is Paul Roland Gogo. He's been involved with you, right?

TH: Yeah he's one of our directors. Oh yeah. One of our big fundraisers; he helps in every way he can. Every event we have, he's right there unless he's out on the road, he's right there playing. He has wonderful musicians that help us out all the time.

CO: Can you describe the structure that you're in or were in? I know you're not in it now, but what was built in your backyard?

TH: What it was it was actually called a floating structure. We can remove it within a couple hours. We took the last wall down today. So we're back using the tent again.

CO: How did you feel when you saw those walls coming down?

TH: It means they don't have that extra warmth is why we put them up. You know, give them a little sense of security because really they don’t want to be in a building. So that's why we didn't build full walls — just pony walls, so they could feel that they're still on the outside, but still being warm.

CO: Why did you have to take it down?

TH: They said we didn't have a building permit.

CO: And that's true I guess?

TH: It's true. You know things happen, but still, I've had my laws here on daily basis. They drop by and visit us. We've had many officials the prior mayor come on guys, if you thought we didn't have a building permit, why didn't you say something?

CO: Some of the things that the city of Nanaimo said is that it was not to code, that something could go wrong, someone could get hurt, something could collapse, something could catch fire. You didn't have any washrooms, you didn't have any place people to relieve themselves. All these things they considered

TH: Hello, this is homeless. They’re used to be outside, and McDonald's is across the street. Out tent is above fire retardant. It's got the full code. Anybody can come on look at it.

CO: But as you point out, it is an impermanent structure. It's a tent. So can you rebuild it? Because of that, can you get the permit you need, and to put your structure back up?

TH: Well, that’s what we're working on right now. Very much so because this property, even though we rent it, this is a gateway property, which means if our landlord will work with us — which we don't want — you could actually build a social services resource building on this property.

CO: Ok, so that's your other problem isn't it: your landlord?

TH: He is back and forth. Oh, I support program, but I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. Really? No, you've got lots property. You've got a key property very close to downtown that you could rent to us with a kitchen and a hall. That building has been sitting how many years empty?

CO: And what do it what does your landlord say when you when you when you partition him like this?

TH: He leaves. You got to remember one thing, I don't care what city hall hearing is or the people the world, we're all one paycheck away from being homeless. And someday, you could be standing at this kitchen asking for a bowl of soup.

CO: How many bowls of soup do you think you have served?

TH: Over 50,000

CO: Huh.

TH: We just turned one year old on Sunday.

CO: But you struggling to survive at this point.

TH: Well, it’s just working out the location and the permit right now, yeah. We're not struggling to survive. Our donations are still rolling in. Nobody has turned their back on us. Just give us a few days. We've taken all the structure down, so they should back off and leave us all long for a few days so we can breathe and figure out our next steps.

CO: Well, I hope you have success. I hope this works out. And congratulations on your first birthday. Not many soup kitchens have Trooper coming to sing Happy Birthday to them.

TH: No, we're very fortunate. We love Paul.

CO: Tanya, thank you.

TH: You're welcome, Carol.

CO: Bye-bye.

TH: Bye-bye.

JD: Tanya Hiltz runs the Stone Soup Kitchen in her backyard — for now. We reached Ms. Hiltz in Nanaimo, British Columbia. If you want to find out more about this story, and to see photographs of the Stone Soup Kitchen, those are on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

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March 12, 2019 episode transcript

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