Note: Transcripts may contain errors. If you wish to re-use all, or part of, a transcript, please contact CBC for permission. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print. Copyright © CBC 2024

The AIH Transcript for August 14, 2024

For more episodes of this podcast, please click this link.

CATHERINE CULLEN: Hello, I'm Catherine Cullen.

STEPHANIE SKENDERIS: Good evening, I'm Stephanie Skenderis. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

SS: Tonight:

CC: A global emergency. The WHO warns of the severity of the M-Pox outbreak, a public health official in the Democratic Republic of Congo tells us vaccine access and fighting stigma are key to avoiding a repeat of the Aids crisis.

SS: This woman's work was never done. A friend remembers Canadian politician Marlene Catterall as a mentor, a fierce champion of women's rights and her one time rival.

CC: Keeping it reel. At the age of 12 Lucy Moore is the first female to win Maryland's Top Angler award and the youngest ever. She's got fish that are the envy of grown men, including a shark.

SS: Back in a flash. Team Canada swimmer Katarina Roxon is set to return to the Paralympic Games for a record setting fifth time.

CC: Firefight. The family of a Nova Scotia firefighter who died at a training school pushes for change, saying the school hasn't done enough to prevent the potential for further deaths.

SS: Broom to manoeuvre. The employer of a popular street sweeper blocks him from accepting a crowd funded trip, so a travel company creates a tailor made contest that only he can win. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that loves a clean sweep.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: Mpox Emergency, Marlene Catterall Obit, 12-Year-Old Fisher, Road Sweeper Contest

Mpox Emergency

Guest: Ngashi Ngongo

SS: Today for the second time, the World Health Organization has named mpox a global public health emergency. The illness, known previously as monkeypox, first exploded globally two years ago, affecting some 100 thousand people and killing about 200. Now, mpox outbreaks have worsened in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central Africa following the development and spread of a new strain. Doctor Ngashi Ngongo is the Africa CDC incident manager for the mpox outbreak response. We reached him in Kinshasa.

CC: Doctor Ngongo, you took part in these meetings between the WHO and Africa CDC. Just how urgent is this health crisis?

NGASHI NGONGO: The consensus is that, this situation has become much more severe than it was before. If you look at, all the cases put together for Africa, for example. And just remember that 96 per cent of cases we are talking about in Africa are in one country in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2022, we had about, 7000 cases that were reported. And now in '24 we've exceeded 17,000 cases. And the second thing is also the case fatality rate. The mortality is very high. The government is really trying to, to mount, a response. But, they have, huge challenges related to, the surveillance, related to the capacity to test these cases. The reality is that what you see is the tip of the iceberg.

CC: A lot of people may have a sense that this is a disease that is sexually transmitted, although many young children are becoming sick. What do we know about how the disease is being transmitted at this point?

NN: You know, the disease is being transmitted both, on, human to human contact, on skin to skin, and also contact with the materials of the people that are infected, but then finally, also through sexual transmission. But, I think, the also great concern is when it becomes sexually transmitted and, that we see, already to see another, kind of HIV epidemic developing in Africa.

CC: That's an incredibly alarming thought.

NN: Yes, very also the effort that it requires. It is no more the normal communication that we've been doing to educate people only on, hygiene. It is also adding another dimension now of, also educating on, safe sexual practices. I think that is the element that integrates everything that we've done with the Covid outbreak. Well, and then also what we did with the HIV combined into one single outbreak, I think that gives you an idea of the level of effort that, is required now for us to control this epidemic.

CC: My understanding is, though, that there is also a sort of opposite side to it, which is that there is stigma associated with this disease because many people believe that it is only sexually transmitted. How can you cope with that?

NN: You know, the stigmatization is double sided. If I can say so. First of all, the rash, just the skin lesions themselves would be what the deformity that it caused on the person already causing stigma. And now you are adding another dimension now of the sexual transmission, which is also at this is the African continent that once you are labelled to have the disease, then you are misbehaving sexually. You see what that creates in the communities. It is the combination of those two that really bring that challenge of how to address the stigma. Which is important for people to come out and seek care and what will happen is that, we go back to what we had at the beginning of the HIV epidemic. People were hiding, and as they hide it, then the transmission will continue. I think it has... It really makes us rethink the package of interventions for us to address in books which go beyond the traditional health or medical interventions, to also include some, element of psychosocial support, and also communication and engagement of communities to overcome the stigma.

CC: What will the declaration of a public health emergency mean in terms of trying to tackle these outbreaks?

NN: We expect with this to see, more political commitment and leadership and also the mobilization of domestic resources from the African government themselves. At the same time, we also expect a greater commitment from the international community to bring not only the resources, but also to prioritize Africa for the medical countermeasures, in particular vaccines that are not yet in the African continent.

CC: Let me ask you about vaccines. Some of the reporting here in Canada looking at mpox, the Globe and Mail newspaper reached out to Canada's public health agency and asked about the prospect of sharing mpox vaccines. The agency told the newspaper it has no plans to provide any of Canada's vaccines to other countries and says it hasn't received any formal request to do so. What would you say to both officials in Canada and governments around the world about the need for vaccines right now?

NN: I think perhaps it's also the lack of information on what the government of Canada can offer when it comes to vaccines specifically. But, countries had issued some request, for example, here or where I am right now, the Democratic Republic of Congo they have issued the request to the American government and the American Government I think has committed to ready to donate 50,000 doses of, the MVA, vaccine. Africa CDC also, we have negotiated with the Health Emergency Management Agency, HERA out of the European Union on another donation of about 215,000 doses of vaccines. The requests are being sent out.

CC: How confident are you that the world is ultimately going to step up at the scale that is needed, because it's millions of doses that, the continent is seeking right now?

NN: You know, I would say, we have to remain positive and confident. We have lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic. One is that we are really working very hard with the partners, to get to that commitment. But at the same time, we are also exploring the other opportunities also of, supporting the local manufacturing of these vaccines in Africa. I think it is on those two fronts that, we have some hope that, this can, give us much better results than, in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic.

CC: Doctor Ngongo, you and your colleagues have a challenging task ahead of you. We wish you the best with it.

NN: So, thank you very much, Catherine.

SS: Doctor Ngashi Ngongo is the Africa CDC incident manager for the mpox outbreak response. We reached him in Kinshasa.

[Music: Funky instrumental]

Marlene Catterall Obit

Guest: Theresa Kavanagh

SS: For decades, Marlene Catterall broke barriers for Canadian women. She was an Ottawa city councillor, a member of parliament and the first woman to become the chief government whip. Ms. Catterall spent her whole life in Ottawa and she died there on Monday. She was 85 years old. Last year, she received a Governor General's Award for her life's work, and today her colleagues and friends are remembering her as a trailblazer. Here she is on As It Happens in 1993, talking about another one of those.

SOUNDCLIP

MARLENE CATTERALL: The initial fascination was very much around a potential woman, prime minister and, issues like, the bare shoulders photo, and the personal kind of charisma much more than I have seen around the male candidates.

SS: That was Marlene Catterall speaking to As It Happens in 1993, about early media coverage of former Prime Minister Kim Campbell's candidacy. Theresa Kavanagh is the city councillor for Ottawa's Bay ward and a longtime friend of Ms. Catterall. We reached her in Ottawa.

CC: Councillor, what strikes you as you hear Marlene Catterall talk about what Kim Campbell was up against?

THERESA KAVANAGH: It struck me as pure Marlene. She was thinking about what women go through in politics. And, this was a few years ago. And of course, those were hard times for women to gain, positions of power, not just members of parliament, but obviously, higher, cabinet and prime minister even. So, I think she was recognizing that.

CC: She was a friend of yours, but she started off as something of a rival of yours. How did you go from rivalry into friendship?

TK: Well, you know, it happens in politics that you're on opposite sides and then for other reasons later on, you're not. And, we ran against each other in 1988. I was a very, very neophyte candidate. She was someone who brought a lot of experience to the role. She had been, city councillor for four terms and even ran for mayor. And so, she had a lot of experience and actually we were both running against, a male David Daubney, who was the incumbent. So, what was amazing is she beat the incumbent. There was a lot of red seats in, in Ottawa, but to gain a seat was something. And of course, she had, a very illustrious career as a member of Parliament. You know, being the first chief whip and everything. But at that time, we were, you know, measuring each other up and competing against each other.

CC: A lot of people probably don't necessarily understand what a chief government whip does. You're an enforcer, you're wrangling, you're persuading. What made her right for that job?

TK: She was tough. And, she knew what had to be done. And obviously, you're following the orders from the Prime Minister's office in her case, because she was the chief government whip. It's not an easy job. You had to talk tough to members of your caucus. You know, it's a tough job. It's probably one of the toughest jobs, in terms of parliament and, to take that on. You had to really understand Parliament. You had to understand the governance, and, you had to be able to talk to your MPs and, know when to tell them what they had to do.

CC: In 1989, Marlene Catterall spoke to this program about the Supreme Court case involving Chantale Daigle. She was a Quebec woman whose partner took her to court to try to stop her from getting an abortion. She eventually got one out of province, but I'd like to take a listen to what Ms. Catterall to say.

SOUNDCLIP

MARLENE CATTERALL: Chantale Daigle should not have had to have her private life dragged through the courts, denying her the right to do something in Canada, and that... On that day was perfectly legal. It's a travesty of the justice system that she has, that the courts have been used to punish and to humiliate a woman. Her only crime was to leave a partner who was abusing her.

CC: You hear it in that interview. You hear it in her comments on Kim Campbell. She didn't shy away from speaking about women's issues. Where did that confidence and determination come from?

TK: I think from years, as a city councillor, she saw equity issues and she certainly knew that women needed an extra hand in terms of, being able to defend themselves. I remember that case, and I remember just being appalled, just as equally as Marlene. But I really appreciated her speaking up. That took guts because it wasn't necessarily popular. Abortion is always going to be a controversial issue. And to, speak out on a woman's right. Back then particularly was a brave, good thing to do.

CC: She followed in the footsteps of the Famous Five, the five women who appealed the Supreme Court's decision that women could not be appointed to the Senate, challenging the narrow interpretation of the Constitution that did not consider women to be persons. She seems to have been inspired by them. Can you tell us the story of how she got the Famous Five monument on Parliament Hill?

TK: Well, it was a motion in the house, but I remember being there. At one point we just needed unanimous consent to allow this to happen. There was some glitch in the rules about monuments on the hill, and this one was different. This was not, parliamentarians. This was a statue of these famous women. So, it didn't fit into the model, so it needed to be considered an exception. There was a member of parliament. I'm not going to give names, but there was one who was holding it up, who kept saying no to a unanimous consent. And it took teamwork to find out when is the right time to get this through. When that person wasn't there. It was kind of a Friday afternoon. What can we do and get this through? But it had to be done. And it did get done. It was, a bit comical at times, but it happened and, that is what whips have to do is see who's there and get her done. And she did.

CC: What do you think that story tells us about Marlene?

TK: She was determined, and she saw the value of recognizing our history and honouring those who did breakthroughs for women. You know, we can’t forget that. And, we have to have something that shows us that this is what came before us. And, we have to keep moving ahead.

CC: Theresa Kavanaugh, my condolences and thank you for taking the time to tell us about your friend.

TK: Thank you, Catherine.

SS: Theresa Kavanagh is a city councillor in Ottawa and a longtime friend of Marlene Catterall. Ms. Catterall died this week. She was 85 years old.

[Music: Calm instrumental]

12-Year-Old Fisher

Guests: Lucy Moore, Nick Perez

SS: In Maryland they take fishing seriously, so it takes a lot to be named a Master Angler in the state. In fact, only about a dozen people have bragging rights to that title. Sometimes called the "blackbelt" of fishing. Lucy Moore is now one of them. And what makes that accomplishment even more remarkable is that she's the first female to ever get the award. And at the age of 12, she's also the youngest. We reached Lucy Moore and her dad, Nick Perez, in Cecil County, Maryland.

CC: Lucy, you had to catch ten different trophy sized fish to snag this award. How did you feel when you reeled in the last one and you knew you had done it?

LUCY MOORE: At first, I was just like, really? I really did this. And then I kind of got really excited. I really felt like I did something that was like a really great accomplishment.

CC: Nick, is there one particular fishing trip with Lucy that stands out in your mind?

NICK PEREZ: I don't know, Lucy. Did you like Kentucky more, or did you think you liked, Florida more?

LUCY MOORE: Honestly, one that really stuck on my mind was the Poconos.

NICK PEREZ: Oh, really? Oh, yeah. That was a fun trip up in the Poconos. You want to tell that story? You want me to?

LUCY MOORE: I'd like to.

CC: Tell us about it, Lucy.

LUCY MOORE: So, we went out for brook trout in the, Poconos. We went on these multiple long. Very long hikes and even though all the fish, really there's one that's probably the size of my hand. They were just beautiful fish in beautiful places. I don't know how else to put it; it was just really beautiful and amazing.

CC: What is it, Lucy, that you love most about fishing?

LUCY MOORE: Oh, either the places that you go for fishing or the fight with the fish.

CC: Tell me about a good fight with a fish. Lucy, I want to hear this story.

NICK PEREZ: [laughs]I know the story she's about to tell to.

LUCY MOORE: It's the one where I caught my shark.

CC: Caught your shark!

NICK PEREZ: Oh. Yeah.

LUCY MOORE: Seven foot long. Shark. Sand tiger.

CC: What? What the heck?

NICK PEREZ: Mention where you caught it from because she wasn't on a boat for that fish.

LUCY MOORE: I was on the Delaware beaches.

NICK PEREZ: Yeah. That out of, Broadkill Beach in Delaware. She caught it from the shore. One legitimate shark gear and that took you what, about 30 minutes?

LUCY MOORE: Yeah. So, the long arm weakening or strengthening. But...

CC: Lucy, did you... Are you telling me, my jaw is on the desk here. Are you telling me that you brought in a seven foot long shark?

LUCY MOORE: Yes.

CC: How old were you?

LUCY MOORE: That one, I was at least like 10 or 11. 11 because...

NICK PEREZ: You were 11. It was the week of your birthday.

LUCY MOORE: Yeah, yeah, we got in the water with it.

CC: You are one brave kid, Lucy. Oh, my goodness. And, Nick, what are you doing at this point as you're watching your 11 year old daughter wrestle with this shark?

NICK PEREZ: So, I guess I provided support. A very good friend of mine is actually a guide in the Delaware beaches, and he helped her out a little bit because it, her size, even with the right gear and being strapped in, she still needed a little support. So, he actually helped support the weight of the fish while she fought it. I was just on a sideline cheering her on. Lucy wasn't I like bringing you a drink half the time and like letting you sip a drink while you were fighting it.

LUCY MOORE: Yeah. That was definitely one really cool and hard fight.

CC: Nick, I think what you said there is so interesting because I do wonder, given Lucy's age, does anybody ever question whether, like, you're doing more than your fair share, let's say, to help Lucy out?

NICK PEREZ: Of course, people will do that, but so many people know who she is in, like the community that we have here, everybody comes to her defence like, no, you don't know this kid. You've never seen her out there. Like, don't assume her dad's doing this, like she's doing it all.

LUCY MOORE: Yes, I definitely do love fishing. Everything about it.

CC: Okay, Lucy, I got perhaps a tough question for you here between you and your dad. Who's the better angler at this point?

LUCY MOORE: Me.

CC: Would you agree, Nick?

NICK PEREZ: Yeah. She has this knack for just coming across unique things. I've never seen one person catch so many trophy quality fish by sheer happenstance. [laughter] Sometimes. Yeah, like half of her fish for her Master Angler, she was just goofing around with some little fish. Just, you know, slow day, trying to catch something. And next thing you know, she, like, turns around and goes, hey, look what I caught. You look like. Oh, my gosh.

LUCY MOORE: Like the Smallmouth, 20 inch Smallmouth. I'm just fishing for bluegills. It got away, so I went to the other side and I caught that.

NICK PEREZ: Your pumpkin seed. She caught a 10 inch pumpkin seed, which Maryland does not actually keep a state record for pumpkin seeds, which is kind of weird that they... It's a Master Angler species with no state record. It was the single largest pumpkin seed I've ever seen, and I've been fishing for 32 years.

CC: Nick, it's so interesting listening to you two talk about this because, you know, there's this incredible award. Lucy's obviously really good at this. You have all these fantastic stories. But the thing that stands out to me, listening to the two of you talk to each other, is like, there's something really important about all the time you get to spend together the adventures you have together. No?

NICK PEREZ: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think that's a big part of it. And I'm sure Lucy can speak on that a little bit more than I can.

CC: Lucy.

LUCY MOORE: Yes. The time I get to when I'm fishing, one of the best parts of doing it with my dad, it's like our special thing. That's me and his thing.

CC: Congratulations, Lucy. Congratulations by proxy, Nick. It was really nice to get to talk to both of you.

LUCY MOORE: Thank you.

NICK PEREZ: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you.

SS: Lucy Moore is Maryland's first female and first juvenile Master Angler. We reached her and her dad, Nick Perez, in Cecil County, Maryland. And you can find that story along with pictures of Lucy and her catch on our web site, cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Upbeat instrumental]

Road Sweeper Contest

SS: His sunny attitude earned him a holiday in the sun. Paul Spiers is a 63 year old street sweeper in the Beckenham neighbourhood of London, England. For years, he's earned the affection of the community with his work ethic, positive vibes and habit of playing Elvis Presley on a portable speaker. So much so that they recently pitched in to raise over five thousand dollars to send him on a summer holiday to Portugal. But the road sweepers trip hit a road bump when the waste company he works for announced their policies didn't allow employees to accept gifts. Then a local travel company came up with a bright idea a contest offering winners a trip to Portugal with some very specific entry requirements. To win, you need needed to be; a beloved street cleaner in Beckenham, between the ages of 62 and 64 named Paul Spiers. And perhaps most importantly, you need to love Elvis. And so, the lucky contest winner will soon be on his way to Portugal, and his employer has agreed to match the money raised with a donation to Cancer Research UK, his charity of choice.

[Music: Upbeat instrumental]

Part 2: Firefighter Family Campaign, News Presenter Panic Attack, Paralympics Swimmer, Canadian Future Party, Inuinnaqtun Dictionary

Firefighter Family Campaign

Guest: Jessica Gillis

SS: Five years ago, Nova Scotia firefighter Skyler Blackie died after a routine training exercise. The fire extinguisher he was using exploded. It was expired and hadn't been inspected since 2004. Mr. Blackie was 28 years old. In the years since, the Nova Scotia Firefighters School pleaded guilty on two health and safety charges, and a court ordered third party review made 41 new safety recommendations. Now Skyler Blackie's, family is petitioning for harsher punishments for the school. Jessica Gillis is Mr. Blackie's sister. We reached her in Windsor Junction, Halifax.

CC: Jessica, firefighting is a dangerous job to begin with. But your brother Skyler died in a training procedure. You know, a place where safety is supposed to be top of mind. How has your family grappled with that information?

JESSICA GILLIS: It's been incredibly difficult. Our entire family, my brothers, spouses, we've all had to, you know, acknowledge and know the fact that any shift they go on, something could happen. And you just always have to hope that it won't and that they'll come home to you. It shouldn't have been that my brother. Both my brothers were actually there that day, attending, doing an exam at the school, and one of them lost their lives. That shouldn't have happened. Ever.

CC: So, your other brother was there when Skyler was killed?

JG: He was. He was, actually, he was outside of the space where it happened. But he was the first responder to reach his brother.

CC: Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry for your whole family. And I can only imagine how incredibly difficult that must have been for your brother.

JG: Yeah. Most definitely. It will always be with him.

CC: Now, CBC news has been reporting on, this latest set of information about the school and what we've learned about some of the safety procedures and some of the concerns. And since that has happened, I understand you got new information from the provincial Department of Labour. What have you learned?

JG: I did. Our family reached out to the Department of Labour, our contact there, and asked what information they could provide us. Just to make sure we had a clear picture since we were, not able to have the full, audit that was done at the school. So, in the report that they sent us, which they called an incident summary, it had a paragraph in it that said, Blackie, referring to my brother, "Blackie, successfully donned equipment and chose the correct type of extinguisher. He observed rust on the bottom of the extinguisher but was assured it was all right to use by the instructor".

CC: What did you make of the fact that, that both the information and the fact that you're only hearing it now?

JG: Yeah, that was incredibly difficult to hear. To know that he acknowledged it. He viewed it as, you know, a potential threat, but was assured by the person in charge, the person who was supposed to be taking accountability and making sure the equipment was safe that day, that it was safe. So, it's really hard to accept that, you know, our family previous to this did know that, the inspection stickers on that extinguisher were expired. It had been a donated piece of equipment from a, refinery in Halifax that was closing down, and that nobody at the school took the time to check the inspection stickers, do their own inspection, have a third party inspection. There was nothing done to that extinguisher. They accepted it, put it out on the field. And to know that, that it could have easily been preventable by acknowledging that rust or acknowledging that the stickers were out of date is really difficult to kind of comprehend.

CC: After your brother's death, the Nova Scotia Firefighter School face charges under the province's Occupational Health and Safety Act and eventually pleaded guilty. There are now, new recommendations to improve the safety of the school. But you want the school to close, why?

JG: I don't know if... I know that there have been some people who have expressed wanting it to close. Coming out and over the past couple days. For our family, I think it's a change in leadership that we would like to see. Also, a change in structure. Nova Scotia is the only province that fire training school is offered solely by a not for profit, and they have the entire monopoly over the province. And they're clearly not running it correctly or safely.

CC: The Nova Scotia Firefighter School declined an interview with CBC news, but in a public statement, the executive director, John Cunningham, said the school is, quote, "actively implementing changes to our operations and safety policies". What do you think when you hear that?

JG: I think we've heard that in the past and nothing has changed. And we've never, our family has never heard from him directly. The judge gave him an opportunity to speak with our family after the sentence had been ordered, and he declined that as well. So, I think that just goes to show that he doesn't hold any accountability for how he runs the school and the lack of safety.

CC: You did, you and your family read victim impact statements to John Cunningham in court. What is that like for you?

JG: It was incredibly difficult to, you know, even now, five years later, just continuing to live that terrible experience. I don't think very many people would be able to fully understand what it's like to spend 11 days in the ICU watching somebody just fade away.

CC: We've talked a lot here about how Skyler's life ended. And before our conversation is over, I just wondered if you could share something with us about who Skyler was, about the good memories that help you through all this difficulty.

JG: I always, I always joke with people. I think it speaks a lot to how big his personality was that I was the older sister, but in high school, I was known as Skyler's sister. He was just so well liked and respected within the community. From a young age he started working at the local community centre. He loved working with kids and they loved him. He was a lifeguard and actually was awarded a medal of bravery for one of his life saving attempts as a teenager. The day he turned 18, he started volunteering as a volunteer firefighter. It was his passion and I think all those things just speak to what an incredible person he was, what a giving person he was. Yeah.

CC: Jessica, thank you for this conversation. And thank you for telling us about Skyler.

JG: Thank you so much.

SS: Jessica Gillis is Skyler Blackie's sister. We reached her in Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia.

[Music: Techno instrumental]

News Presenter Panic Attack

SS: Panic attacks can affect anyone and they can happen anywhere. For a weather presenter in Australia, that recently meant enduring a full blown panic attack in the middle of a live broadcast on ABC News Breakfast. But Nate Byrne wasn't about to lose his cool and neither was his colleague Lisa Miller.

SOUNDCLIP

NATE BYRNE: We've got big falls right through that part of the country, and we're going to see lots more rain in the days ahead. I'm actually going to need to stop for a second. Some of you may know that I occasionally get, affected by some panic attacks, and actually, that's happening right now. Lisa, maybe I could hand back to you.

LISA MILLER: You certainly can Nate. And Nate wrote a great piece on the ABC online website about this, and I reckon we might re-up it, put it on our socials so you can have a bit of a read, because it's fantastic that he has been so open and transparent about it. And the response when he first wrote about it and spoke about it was that everyone said, oh, thank God, Nate's not perfect. We thought he was perfect, but actually he's now sharing something. So, we'll put that up and you can get a little bit of an understanding of some of the things that go on with our brains and our bodies when we're doing live television.

SS: Since that broadcast, people around the world have praised Mr. Byrne and his colleagues for their handling of the situation and for their candour. And today, Mr. Byrne told the BBC about the moment it happened.

SOUNDCLIP

NATE BYRNE: I had to rush from my desk to the weather wall in our gorgeous studio and when I got to the wall, I realized I was just ever so slightly out of breath. And I know that that in the specific position in front of the wall is a trigger for me, for, panic attacks. And it started. It triggered one. It's a physiological response. My body starts tingling, I start sweating, just everything in my body is screaming, run! Go! Get out! I knew I needed to throw it back to my hosts, and I could see out of the corner of my eye, they were doing a move in the studio. There wasn't a clean shot I sort of had to fill while having a panic attack. And the only thing I could think to fill with was, hey, I'm having a panic attack, so everybody understood what was going on straight away.

SS: Australian Broadcasting Corporation weather presenter Nate Byrne telling the BBC about experiencing a panic attack live on air. Mr. Byrne also said the public's response has been very positive, with people reaching out to share their own stories and his number one piece of advice to anyone dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. Speak up.

[Music: Funky instrumental]

Paralympics Swimmer

Guest: Katarina Roxon

SS: Now that the Olympics are over, you may be struggling to find something to watch, or at least something that keeps you on the edge of your seat in the same way. But don't get too deep into any Netflix rabbit holes, because in just two weeks’ time, the 2024 Paralympic Games begin. Team Canada's roster includes 87 Paralympians, and swimmer Katarina Roxon is a veteran member of the team. This is her fifth Paralympics, which, according to the Canadian Paralympic Committee, means she's already set a record as the first Canadian woman to swim in five games. Hailing from Kippens in Newfoundland and Labrador, the 31 year old is already a two time Paralympic medalist, and she's hoping to add some more hardware to her collection soon. We reached her in Vichy, France.

CC: Katarina, you've just landed in France in advance of your fifth Paralympic Games. Do you still get butterflies the fifth time around?

KATARINA ROXON: Oh, 100 per cent, yes. I mean, I'm so excited to make this team and be part of this team and to get the honour to represent my country, my hometown, my family again on the world stage. So, I mean, it's always super exciting and I'm super, super honoured.

CC: I'm really interested in your decision to participate in these games, because I know you won bronze as part of the women's four by 100 metre freestyle relay team in Tokyo in 2021, but for you, the games didn't go the way that you wanted them to. I know Covid restrictions were a struggle and you even thought about ending your swimming career, so why did you come back?

KR: You know, after Tokyo, obviously it wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't the results I was looking for. And I was pretty. I mean, I was pretty upset with it. And of course, as athletes, I think the most pressure that we get is from ourselves. And I did not want my story. I did not want my swimming journey, my career to end on that note at all. And so, I mean, you know, you go back, you take a break and you reset. And the idea was, see how it goes, there wasn't an idea of, oh, I'm for sure coming back. And we just see how the break goes. And if you decide that you want to get back in the water, then we'll get back in the water. And that was coming from my dad. My dad is my coach. And this was him saying like there was no pressure at all from my parents, my coaches, anything like that to get back into training. It was take it, take it day by day and see how you feel. If you decide you want to get back in, we'll get back in. And by the time I decided I want to get back in, it was February, middle of February, and I had already been out of the water for about five months now. And it was honestly, it was a great break. It was the break I needed to mentally kind of reset, to decompress from everything. All the emotions, all the highs, all the lows, everything like that. And I got back in and I loved it. I absolutely loved swimming and I knew that I did not, I wasn't finished, I knew I wasn't finished yet.

CC: So, you made the decision that you wanted to be a part of these games. What are you envisioning for yourself here?

KR: You know what, as athletes, we have lots of goals. We have personal goals. And, of course, we would all love to see us on the podium. That's like. I would love that. I would love to be on the podium again. And but really, I'm looking to swim as fast as I possibly can go and just to be at my absolute best. And if I can do that and get a medal on top of it, then that's just a bonus. You know, it is my fifth games. I'm not young anymore. But I'm still trying to push myself and trying to be as best as I possibly can be. And if I can do that as well as get a medal, then it'll be the icing on top of the cake.

CC: So, let's talk about the best you can be. Certainly, Rio 2016 you won the gold in the 100 metre breaststroke in Canadian record time, and I was just watching some of that video of it before we came in to do this interview. And the emotion on your face is incredible. I mean, you're just moved to tears. Now that this time has passed, how do you think about that moment of winning gold?

KR: I think it's a moment. It's a race. Like even the process leading up to the race. It's something I'll never forget. It's something that's I think will always be engraved in my memory. Just all those emotions that went along with it. It was a very amazing moment. It's a moment that I... like I can't even describe that moment. And I wish it was something I could describe to people, and I... a feeling that I truly hope other people will have. It was it was amazing. For me, it was all the years leading up to this, all the hard work, all the disappointments that I went through, all the injuries that I went through, but most importantly, all the people that stood behind me through all parts of the journey that, they just stood behind me and were there for me and supported me, whether it was through actions or just words of encouragement or through prayers, I mean everything counts. And I mean it was... that was the biggest thing that, that medal wasn't just me. It wasn't for me. It was for every single person that stood by me and helped me along my way.

CC: So, you've had these incredible highs. You've had some lows. What advice do you give to the younger members of the team?

KR: You know, keep pushing on. The low moments that you have. It's okay. That's going to happen. That's life. But when you reach those high moments, you're going to appreciate all those low moments that you went through. And those high moments are going to feel absolutely amazing. And just remember, I think one of the most important things, a lot of times that people forget when they make it to the top, when they get big, let's say, is they forget everyone that's helped them along the way. It literally takes a village to get the athlete to the top. So, remember your people and be super, super appreciative and grateful to your people.

CC: Another piece of wisdom that I know you like is this idea that we're all equal in the pool. What does that mean?

KR: You know I, growing up I was basically the only person I knew that had a physical impairment. That was the town that I grew up in. I didn't know anybody. Visually, I couldn't see anybody like that. So, when I got in the water it was, I was just like everybody else. I was never looked at as, different. I was never looked at as slower or anything like that. I was slower, but no one ever treated me like that. So, when I say that we're all equal in the pool, all of us who have physical impairments, that's all we want in every part, in every aspect of life, not just in swimming, but in the pool in this part of our lives right now, when we get into the water, it doesn't matter if you're missing an arm, if you're missing a leg, if you're in a wheelchair, if whatever the case may be, that you're there, you're a swimmer, you're not a para swimmer. You're just a swimmer. And just like anybody else, you're there to compete. So, going into these games, we're not just participating in these games, we're competing in these games. So, I think that's a super important note to always remember that, end of the day, we're just like everybody else.

CC: Katerina, thank you for taking time on the cusp of your fifth games to talk to us. We wish you all of the best luck. I hope you have a wonderful games.

KR: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Was great talking to you as well.

CC: You too.

SS: Canadian swimmer Katerina Roxon in Vichy, France.

[Music: Guitar instrumental]

Canadian Future Party

SS: Dominic Cardy says he isn't going left or right. He's going forward. That was the independent New Brunswick MLA's message at a press conference today, as he officially launched the new federal Canadian Future Party. Mr. Cardy was a cabinet minister in New Brunswick's Progressive Conservative government until he resigned in 2022. Now he's the new party's interim leader, and at today's press conference, he was joined by interim party president Tara McPhail. Here's how they responded to a reporter when asked why they think Canadians want this.

SOUNDCLIP

DOMINIC CARDY: The polls are very clear about it. They're tired of Mr. Trudeau. They want an alternative. But there's also a lot of people who are uncomfortable with the extremism and divisiveness that has approached Mr. Poilievre's approach to politics since he became leader of his party. And we aim to offer an alternative to that. I was shocked the other week that Mr. Poilievre, the leader of a conservative party, came out and said he refused to promise to increase defence spending to two per cent. He is riding in the coattails of the American MAGA movement. And that sort of politics is not Canadian. Equally, when the liberals talk about how everything is just fine and sunny ways, they're living in the 1990s, we have got to have a realistic 2024 approach to politics based on Canadian needs. So, I think that Canadians are looking for a positive alternative, whether they like what we have to offer. We'll find out in the weeks and months to come. And that's up to Canadians to decide.

TARA MCPHAIL: If I can add to that. It's clear when Canadians are surveyed that about 70 per cent of them say they don't have a political home; they don't like the options on the left or the right. And we've moved away from a policy and tone of moderation and keen judgement and civility. And when I speak with Canadians, they say they'd like to see more of that. So, we do think that we are helping to fill a vacuum that exists.

SS: That's the interim Future Party president Tara McPhail. And before that, the interim leader of the new party, Dominic Cardy, speaking at a press conference today.

[Music: Whimsical instrumental]

Inuinnaqtun Dictionary

SS: Speakers of Inuinnaqtun are few. Less than 500 people in Canada call the language a relative of Inuktitut, their mother tongue. But a group of advocates hopes those numbers will start going up. A heritage society in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, has launched an Inuinnaqtun Dictionary app to help newer speakers learn and practice the language on their phones. Emily Angulalik is one of the advocates behind it.

SOUNDCLIP

EMILY ANGULALIK: According to our statistics the Inuinnaqtun language is, very much in decline. You know, the majority of our youth are silent speakers but aren't able to, pronounce the words or to converse, you know. So, having this app would also, you're able to hear it, you're able to pronounce it, you're able to see the print. And I believe it. Like the more you practice and immerse yourself in, in Inuinnaqtun, then you'll be able to speak.

SAM WAT: You could tell me a little bit about your personal journey to get more people to use Inuinnaqtun.

EA: Me being, you know, an Inuinnaqtun speaker with immersion of Inuinnaqtun throughout my life, where my late, parents were like, could not speak any English, but so I was immersed in Inuinnaqtun. Inuinnaqtun is a very important language where it's part of our identity, part of who we are, as Inuinnite. If we have that willingness, if we have that commitment to move forward with our Inuinnaqtun language, definitely we will, we will definitely speak it and understand.

SS: Emily Angulalik is the executive director of the Kitikmeot Heritage Society in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. She was speaking with the CBC's Sam Wat.

[Music: Theme]

SS: You've been listening to As It Happens on the CBC Listen App. Our show can be heard Monday to Friday on CBC Radio One after Your World Tonight.

CC: You can read more about the stories and conversations featured on As It Happens on our website, cbc.ca/aih. I'm Catherine Cullen, thanks for listening.

SS: And I'm Stephanie Skenderis.

[Music: Theme]

The AIH Transcript For August 14, 2024

Social Sharing