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The AIH Transcript for August 15, 2024

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

CATHERINE CULLEN: Hello, I'm Catherine Cullen, sitting in for Nil Köksal.

STEPHANIE SKENDERIS: Good evening, I'm Stephanie Skenderis, sitting in for Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

SS: Tonight:

CC: Absence minded. A Sudanese professor says there's a great deal of disappointment after one warring party refused to show up for peace talks. But he hasn't given up hope.

SS: Emergency declaration. An Ontario councilor says her community was devastated by a case of intimate partner violence. Now she wants the province to call this nationwide problem what it is - an epidemic.

CC: Burnt out. A B.C. woman who lost her home in last year's wildfire says back and forth battles with her insurance company have left her feeling overwhelmed.

SS: Farewell to a friend. Former MP Chuck Strahl was Monte Solberg's former colleague and roommate. Tonight, he tells us how Mr. Strahl once announced he'd made cinnamon buns, then revealed he'd eaten all 12.

CC: See you crater. A European Space Agency scientist says her team is feeling nervous and excited as it prepares for a daring manoeuvre to get its explorer all the way to Jupiter.

SS: And surf to their turf. An Alberta couple's souvenir lobster trap is hitchhiking its way home from P.E.I., thanks to the kindness of strangers. As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that hopes folks help out in a pinch.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: Sudan Peace Talks, Juice Slingshot, McDougall Creek Re-Build, Hitchhiking Lobster Trap

Sudan Peace Talks

Guest: Khalid Mustafa Medani

SS: The situation in Sudan is dire. More than 10 million people have been displaced since a catastrophic civil war broke out last spring. As of this month, famine has officially been declared in the Darfur region of the country, and now deadly floods have added yet another dimension to the crisis. Peace talks hosted in Geneva this week were meant to provide some hope, but the Sudanese Armed Forces, one of two warring parties, has so far refused to show up at the table. Khalid Mustafa Medani is a professor of political science and Islamic studies at McGill University, who's been following the talks closely. We reached him today in Cairo.

CC: Professor, what do we know about whether or not the key parties in this conflict are actually around the table?

KHALID MUSTAFA MEDANI: Well, what we do know is, out of the two important parties, one of them has rejected the invitation and has not come to Geneva to attend the talks. And that party is, is the Sudan Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who rejected the invitation, from the U.S. envoy and from the United States. The other party that is involved in the talks, the militia, the Rapid Support Forces, have sent a delegation and they are present. So, unfortunately, there was a great deal of hope that in the final moments, both warring parties will attend. One of the key parties is not there in Geneva at the moment.

CC: And the Rapid Support forces are in Geneva. There's seems to be a bit of a lack of clarity about whether or not they actually made it to the table.

KMM: My understanding is that they're not, at least in terms of today's talks, that they weren't involved directly because today's talks basically were informal working groups of, of course, consisting of the United States and the other, observers, and the United Nations and the African Union. But they are indeed there, and there's every expectation that they will be also part of the discussions not today, but certainly in the coming days.

CC: It is still it is difficult to imagine how productive talks can be if at least one of the key warring parties is absent. How is this going over in Sudan?

KMM: Well, there is a great deal of disappointment the majority view of, those in Sudan, you know, were cautiously optimistic that in the final moments, both warring parties would agree to attend, to agree to a ceasefire and also to work out, you know, monitoring mechanisms to widen and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid. So, unfortunately, there is a great deal of pessimism right now amongst Sudanese in Sudan and outside of Sudan, of course, and for friends of Sudan as well. But to answer your question more directly, of course, it's very difficult and almost impossible, actually, of course, to have an agreement on the cessation of hostilities. But what the United States envoy has said and what the other, kind of observers have, have focussed on, or will be focusing on are kind of the technical issues associated with trying to, number one, devise a mechanism to protect civilians and also find ways to expand a safe passage, and channels for humanitarian delivery. We do know and this just came out, the Sudan Armed Forces, while they have not, agreed to come to the talks, have in fact agreed to open a very important border crossing from Chad to Darfur to allow a three month period of the safe delivery of aid. And this reflects that, despite all of the pessimism there are and we see opportunities. In other words, the pressure is working on at least one of these parties to agree at least to, coordinate safe delivery of humanitarian aid and to expand that aid to people who need it most, particularly in Darfur.

CC: I do want to talk more about what is possible in a moment. But first, what do we know about why the Sudanese Armed Forces haven't shown up?

KMM: What we do know, their objections, which, they outlined, which were very clear. And there really are three reasons that they rejected attending these talks. The first is that they felt that they needed to be recognized, as a government and not just an armed forces. In other words, they wanted to derive legitimacy from this invitation and from these talks. The second, objection was that, the United Arab Emirates was invited as an observer and is present actually today in Geneva as part of these talks. And, generals, believe that the United Arab Emirates and that is widely acknowledged now has supported financially and through military means, selling of arms to the Rapid Support Forces militia. So that's their second objection. And the third objection is that they said that the United States has misinformation about, what is going on in Sudan, and they don't have the kind of full facts with respect to the famine. A number of Ministers on the part of the government affiliated with the Sudan Armed Forces, has actually said that there isn't a famine in Sudan, in other words, warding off any kind of potential intervention. They have said that another very important issue is that there was no need to have the Geneva talks, because there were already agreements that were violated last summer that were ironed out in the talks in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

CC: And yet, while all of these, I'll call them, political issues are playing out at the same time. So many people are displaced, so many people are starving, so many people are suffering. What is the best hope for what can come of these discussions in the state that they're in?

KMM: Well, I think that's such an important point. I think those who are not regular followers of what's happening in Sudan really are not aware of the depth of humanitarian crisis; 10 million displaced, 2 million refugees, the spread of disease because of the lack of health care infrastructure, the complete destruction of hospitals and schools, the expansion of the war from the capital city to Darfur in the west, all the way now to, east of the River Nile. It really is a horrendous kind of litany of human rights violations and crimes against humanity, including the use of both famine, hunger and sexual violence as it, as weapons of war. That, of course, means that these negotiations, number one, are vital. There is no, military solution to this conflict. But now there's a clear realization that absent a military solution, there must be a coordinated, coherent effort on the part of all regional and international actors to actually put pressure on both sides to actually come to the table and iron out. This a cessation of hostilities you know, devise a mechanism to, to actually protect civilians that that can be implemented. And, of course, most crucially, as you can imagine, the expansion of much, much, vitally needed humanitarian aid.

CC: So, is it fair to say, then, professor, that despite the challenges these talks have faced, you are still feeling somewhat hopeful?

KMM: I am. I'm feeling hopeful in the sense that one feels hopeful as a professor that has studied African conflicts and has taught it for 30 years, and by that, I mean, I'm hopeful, number one that war has come to an end. Number two, that usually and most in the African context, they come to an end through negotiations, not through a military solution. I feel, cautiously optimistic that this can be ironed out. I'm not saying that's going to happen obviously, overnight, but I am confident that there is hope down the line.

CC: Professor, thank you for your insights.

KMM: You're very welcome. Thank you very much for having me on your show.

SS: Khalid Mustafa Medani is a professor of political science and Islamic studies at McGill University. He was in Cairo.

[Music: Funky instrumental]

Juice Slingshot

Guest: Ines Belgacem

SS: The European Space Agency's Juice Explorer is about to undertake a risky manoeuvre, and it's all about conserving, well, juice. In a historic first Juice or the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer is set to conduct a double gravity assist, burning past the moon on Monday before slingshoting around the Earth on Tuesday. It's the centrepiece of a meticulously calculated attempt to get the explorer to the gas giant with fuel to spare, and it's all part of a broader search for water beyond our planet. Ines Belgacem is a planetary scientist with the European Space Agency. We reached her in Madrid.

CC: Ines, how would you describe the team's emotions on the eve of such a risky manoeuvre?

INES BELGACEM: So, I don't do the actual operations, but I am very excited. Most of us are. People are nervous, too. It's a pretty ambitious, manoeuvre that we're going to do in the next few days. Yeah. Everybody is just excited. Honestly.

CC: For a regular person, a non-scientist like myself. What is it that makes this operation so high risk?

IB: So, I don't know if your audience is familiar with gravity assists, but basically, when we send a spacecraft, into space and we want to reach a very difficult to reach for destination like Jupiter, which is very, very far, we need to have a little help because we don't, our launchers are not, like, powerful enough to put us on a trajectory directly to Jupiter. So, we use what we call gravity assists. So, we use the energy of other planetary bodies in the system to kind of give us more energy and to reach Jupiter. So, this is the, the first one for us. It's a lunar Earth gravity assist. Gravity assists are pretty normal in space missions. But what makes this one very special is that it's the first time that we're attempting a lunar and Earth gravity assist, which means we're actually going to do two gravity assist. We're going to fly by the moon, and one day later we will fly by the Earth. And both of those manoeuvres will put us on the right direction.

CC: And what is the goal? Like, yes getting safely to Jupiter. But from a science perspective, what makes this worthwhile in terms of what you hope to learn?

IB: We have actually very little data from the outer solar system. So, the outer solar system is basically anything that's beyond Mars. And in the case of Jupiter, we have four moons that are basically mini planets. Ganymede, which is the largest moon, which is our main target, is actually bigger than the planet Mercury. So, they have a very rich history. And some of them, we think, have a water ocean underneath their surface. So that could be a very good environment for life. So, the Juice mission is actually very ambitious and very comprehensive, where we want to learn about Jupiter. We want to learn about the system itself. It's one of the places in the solar system that has the most radiations. It has a huge magnetosphere. It has four very different moons. So, it's kind of a mini solar system as well. So, we can learn a lot about the formation of the system if those kinds of system can exist elsewhere.

CC: So, if... help me understand, then what Juice might ultimately get at. Would Juice itself, actually find liquid water or find evidence that there was life or just sort of put you on the right track to do more investigation?

IB: That's a very good question. Juice is not a life finding mission. It is, however, as you said it very well to put us on the right track. We are pretty sure there's liquid water underneath those icy moons. Juice will help us confirm this. Especially in the case of Ganymede. Ganymede is also very unique because it has its own magnetic field. So, we're going to learn a lot about the body itself in general, and this could be the first step towards more exploration of the system to kind of tell us where to look further, be it for life or for mysteries that we haven't even found yet. Juice is going to be a consequential mission whatever happens.

CC: Now after Juice slingshots past Earth, it's going to take, I believe, another six years to get to Jupiter. So, there's all this excitement now. But what happens during that six year period?

IB: A lot of waiting...

CC: A few games, of Wordle, whatever.

IB: So, yeah, it is a long... Like I said, it's because mostly, it's because we don't have the power to get there faster. There's actually a lot of work to do for somebody like me. So, I'm a science operations scientist. So, my role is to coordinate with the different, science instruments. We have 10 science instruments on Juice, all different teams, all in different countries. So, we need to come together to fulfil the overarching goals of the missions. So, making sure that we do what we need to do within the limitations that we have, because we have a lot of limitations at Jupiter, we don't have a lot of power. We are very, very far from the sun and we're powered by solar panels. We have about the power of a bad hair dryer, essentially, [laughter] and we have 10 science experiments to work with, plus everything else.

CC: This is work that has been underway for decades. It could take decades more to bring back a sample of any kind of water Juice finds. When you're working on these long timelines, and dealing, you know, with issues that are interplanetary, what kind of perspective does that give you?

IB: That's a tough one. You definitely feel small. You definitely... It really helps you gain perspective on how little we are in the face of the universe, not just the universe, but also like the solar system just itself. And also, just how unique Earth is. It's a miracle we are here. It's really like if you see, like we've been looking for life outside of Earth, anywhere in the solar system for decades, we're probably going to do that for decades more. We haven't found any place, anywhere where life can be sustained today except for Earth. So, it really helps understand how unique Earth is and how lucky we are to live here. From a professional point of view, it can be very stressful and very, all or nothing because, like, you're kind of betting your entire career on that one mission. If you're interested in those kind of bodies because it takes literally a generation to get something like that off the ground and to get the data back. So, I will probably never see a sample return.

CC: Ines, good luck to you. Good luck to your team. And most of all, good luck to Juice.

IB: Thank you very much.

CC: Thank you.

IB: Yeah. Go Juice.

SS: Ines Belgacem is a planetary scientist with the European Space Agency. We reached her at the European Space and Astronomy Centre in Madrid.

[Music: Guitar instrumental]

McDougall Creek Re-Build

SS: A year ago today, a fire started in British Columbia that would go on to change the lives of some West Kelowna residents completely. The McDougall Creek wildfire forced thousands out of the community last August and destroyed buildings including Liene Poulsen and Mariko Nagata's homes. They're West Kelowna residents and a year later, there has been little progress on their rebuilds. Here's Liene Poulsen, speaking to the CBC in an interview this morning as she reflects on losing her home.

SOUNDCLIP

LIENE POULSEN: I don't think so. I have process completely. Because that is. Sorry. [gets emotional]

GLORIA MACARENKO: No. Hey, that is understandable.

LIENE POULSEN: This year has been just emotional roller coaster for us, dealing with insurance claim and all the time and fighting back and trying to prove what we had and yeah, that's been tough. And we still both, both of us working and we have daughter. We need to give normality in life. So, yeah it has been challenging.

GLORIA MACARENKO: Mariko, can you relate to what Liene is saying and feeling?

MARIKO NAGATA: Yes, I can. I mean, all of our situations are so different. You know, those people who have lost their homes with young families. I myself am semi-retired. So, I've lost the, you know, everything that I owned later in life. It is definitely, a marathon and I can understand the stress that goes on. You know, you do every year, pay your insurance and you think everything is fine and you don't think you're ever going to use it. But then when you do, it's a sudden, education in how insurance works. And that is not as easy as this, you know, you've got your insurance and everything gets replaced and you go on with your life. It is very, very difficult.

GLORIA MACARENKO: What have been some of your challenges, Mariko?

MARIKO NAGATA: I think in retrospect that, I should have done what people had said before. Coming from Toronto. We don't have to deal with wildfires. So, they said, you know, take pictures of everything that you have. Take a video. I didn't do that. And now knowing how, specific you have to be about what your loss has been, that kind of a record would be good. I mean, I did have receipts, but they all went up in smoke with the rest of the house. So, it's very time consuming. And, you know, you if you have children and you're trying to keep a normal life, but you're in temporary accommodation for over a year, it'll be another year... I just got approval to move ahead with the rebuild. But it's very disruptive to your life and very stressful. And hopefully, you know, you have friends and family that can help you out.

SS: That was Mariko Nagata, and before that, Liene Poulsen speaking with the CBC's Gloria Makarenko about the fire a year ago that destroyed their homes.

[Music: Electric guitar instrumental]

Hitchhiking Lobster Trap

SS: At this very moment, Lucky is somewhere out there on the road, hitchhiking his way across the prairies. I speak of Lucky the Lobster, a plush souvenir toy inside a very real lobster trap. His journey has been dubbed "Lobster Quest 2024", and it comes courtesy of Chris and Karen McCallum, who sent Lucky on his way from P.E.I. back in April. It began as a way to get the heavy trap from Charlottetown to their home in Okotoks, Alberta, without having to pay for shipping. But it's become so much more. We reached Chris and Karen McCallum in Okotoks, Alberta.

CC: Chris, what do you know about where Lucky and the trap are right now?

CHRIS MCCALLUM: Well, we have an AirTag sewn into Lucky the Lobster, our stuffed lobster, so we know exactly where he is. And he is at the home of the handler. The young lady and her daughter who have it in Winnipeg right now at this moment.

CC: So, he's in Winnipeg. Karen, at this rate, how soon do you think he'll make it to your home?

KAREN MCCALLUM: Well, we're thinking that he could be in Okotoks as early as next week. This weekend he is moving to Saskatchewan, and the girl that will have him in Saskatchewan has offered to bring him to Medicine Hat, Alberta so he could be in Okotoks next week.

CC: By the time you see him Karen, he's going to be a very worldly stuffed lobster. What kind of adventures has he had along the way?

KM: Oh, my goodness. It has just been absolutely hilarious watching. He's done more than Chris and I put together across Canada. He's been in a race car and he won the race, so they put the trophy inside the trap. The RCMP got a picture with them and did a record check on him. He's been to the vet. He's been roller skating. He's been to the Terry Fox monument. He's been to a scallop festival in New Brunswick.

CC: A little edgy, sending a lobster to a scallop festival no?

KM: Yeah, right. [laughter]

CC: Chris, every good traveller loves a souvenir. What kind of souvenirs has Lucky picked up along the way?

CM: He's got 2 or 3 different stuffed moose along with him. He's got a blue spider, man. He's picked up a wooden alien somehow. And, a Quebec flag with the Fleur-de-lis on it. He's got all kinds of goodies. And old Tim Horton's mug was picked up at a yard sale, and that was put in there. And among many other items, including hundreds of signatures on the wooden trap itself. So, we're super thrilled that, you know, Canadians have embraced this like they have.

CC: What are people telling you, Chris? It's not just Canadians. I understand there are people around the world who are following Lucky and the traps progress. What are they saying to you about why they find this so compelling?

CM: They find it warm that Canadians are like... And you're right. It has been global, South Africa, all across continental Europe, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines and of course, all around the States they're following. And, you know, it was interesting. It was important for us to see Lucky get photographed at the Terry Fox Memorial. And someone from the UK asked us, who's Terry Fox. So, it gave us an opportunity to educate, you know, not only the followers but those around the world and fellow Canadians about, you know, why that legend that you know, that Canadian hero is so important to all of us. And, and to get Lucky photographed there was pretty cool.

CC: Karen, is there one particular whether it's a handler, somebody who's been bringing lucky along or a reaction like one person whose reaction has really stood out to you?

KM: You know, I think, the very first person, Kyra from Moncton, New Brunswick, when it arrived, a woman walking by saw it and put it on TikTok and said, can we help Karen and Chris get this across Canada. And a young lady and her mom travelled an hour to find Lucky along the riverbank. And she was so excited. And it was her idea to put markers, in the trap and have Canadian's sign it along his trip. So, she was the one that really got people... set the tone for the whole journey.

CC: It's not exactly the, the artefact, the object that you initially imagined. Of course, the trap is now had... gotten Lucky. And this whole other life. What are you going to do with it once it does get to your house, Karen.

KM: You know, we were talking about that because we wanted this trap, because our roots are in Prince Edward Island. Chris's mom and dad are from there. So, we wanted a piece of the East for our home. So, you know, we've travelled out to Prince Edward Island numerous times, and we thought this, lobster trap would be so cool to have on our deck. In the foothills of Alberta. But now that Lucky is an internet sensation. We think we should build a shrine for him. [Laughter]

CC: What does a shrine to a viral lobster look like? Which is not a question I can tell you I've ever asked anyone in my life, but... [laughter] Really? What is it? What kind of a shrine to Lucky? What are you thinking? Something in the back yard?

KM: Yeah. It's going to be, I think, somewhere on our deck. You know, we've got a great big wraparound. We have a log home in the foothills of Alberta, and so I think he'll fit quite nicely. Under our pergola where we sit most evenings.

CC: So, Chris, this couldn't have happened without a lot of strangers pitching in. What does Lucky's quest tell you about Canadians?

CM: Well, I mean, that's a fantastic question because, you know, thinking about this from a big picture we've gone through, you know, a few divisive years here in the last 3 or 4 years perhaps, and in some strange way, and maybe I'm stretching it a bit, but in some strange way, this trap and the quest and, you know, the grassroots, real Canadians that have contributed and volunteered to hitchhike, this, has really brought us all together. You know, it's brought us from east to west. You know, he's not quite here yet, but, you know, we see it happening and it's been extremely heartwarming. You know, Canadians are unbelievable human beings, and we are extremely blessed to have been a part of this. And it's very humbling, but it's also an absolute riot.

CC: Well, listen, it sounds like a heck of a lot of fun. And you're going to end up with perhaps a lobster trap shrine at the end of it. I hope you enjoy it. I hope you enjoy your eventual meeting with Lucky and the trap. Thank you for talking to us.

BOTH: You're so welcome. Thanks for having us. Very humbling. We love your show.

SS: Chris and Karen McCallum are the couple behind the "Lobster Quest 2024" project. We reached them in Okotoks, Alberta.

[Music: Calm instrumental]

Part 2: IPV Epidemic Call, Berlin Hippo Lifeguard, Chuck Strahl Obit, Sound Of The Day: Self-Driving Car Noise, Old Condoms Discovery

IPV Epidemic Call

Guest: Kimberly Verbeek

SS: It's been years since survivors and support workers in Ontario began calling on the province to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. And now one small town is renewing that plea. In June, Steven Walsh shot and killed his wife, Carly, and their two children, Madison and Hunter, at their home in Essex, Ontario. He then died by suicide. In the wake of that tragedy the Essex Town Council has joined the ranks of communities, petitioning the provincial government to make a declaration. Kimberly Verbeek is the Essex town councilor who brought forward the motion. We reached her in Essex.

CC: Councillor Verbeek, how have you been coming to terms with something like this happening in your community?

KIMBERLY VERBEEK: I don't know how you do. This tragedy has just, affected everybody in the community. Just move forward and hopefully... Honest to God, you say this and I can see the kids’ faces.

CC: It's still difficult for you to talk about.

KV: Well, the community has been devastated. Especially the people that were, connected to this family. You know, it's got a long road of recovery ahead.

CC: What do you know about intimate partner violence more broadly in your region? How big a problem it is?

KV: Well, it's far bigger than just our region, but I can tell you, as long as over 40 years ago, I was sadly, able to, witness it, up close and personal firsthand. I've had, several people, close to me, friends and family that have been in various ways, connected to, tragedies, that have been the result of intimate partner violence.

CC: I'm very sorry to hear that. How has it shaped your politics around this issue, then?

KV: It makes me passionate about, moving this forward, taking the stigma off, pulling it out of the shadows, talking about it, naming it. Over 100 municipalities have already declared it an epidemic. Our police services are calling it an epidemic. So many of the service providers are calling it an epidemic. We just need this current government to name it to help remove some of the stigma, pull it out of the shadows. And this will also open the door to some of the supports for these services.

CC: Give me a sense of that. I mean, calling it an epidemic. What, beyond the effect on the conversation, would you expect it to actually change?

KV: Well, by the province declaring it an epidemic, it recognizes the pervasiveness and the severity of the problem, and it sends the message that the problem and the solutions will be taken seriously in an effort to stop the violence and the killing.

CC: Do you feel like it's not taken seriously right now?

KV: It could certainly be taken a lot more seriously.

CC: By whom?

KV: All of us.

CC: Bill 173. The Intimate Partner Violence Act was introduced in April of this year. It's passed second reading. It's being reviewed by the Justice Policy Committee, the Ontario legislature. The government seems supportive of the bill. The Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister has said the province wants to do an in-depth investigation across the province to make sure the programs and services match what victims and providers are asking for. Isn't that kind of due diligence a good thing?

KV: Yes, and passing the bill would be ideal, but at this point, it's time for this government to make the declaration. It creates an accountability measure for our MPs and our public to hold the government, to make necessary investments to and policy choices to end the violence. It could open the door to proper funding for shelters, the justice system, to name a few.

CC: There is, as you say, this question of naming, an epidemic. But the coroner's inquest that looked into the death of three women from intimate partner violence in Renfrew County in Ontario in 2015, it recommended many other things in addition to the naming of it as an epidemic and the province is following through with some of those recommendations. [KV: Bravo] Do you think that there's a risk of putting too much emphasis on the epidemic part of this and not some of the other facets in which society needs to address this issue.

KV: No, I don't. I just I, I want to see the conversation continue and I want to see it get louder. What we're doing isn't working. We need to do more. Is the declaration, is passing Bill 173 the end? No, I just think that's the beginning.

CC: What do you think it would look like? I mean, earlier you talked about this idea of taking it seriously. If we were to fast forward, let's say, five years from now, and it's named an epidemic, and the bill passes and society is, to use your words, taking it seriously. How does that look different?

KV: My understanding is that victims and perpetrators are more likely to come forward and to receive some of the needed support. It's something that, not me, but I'm hearing from some professionals in the fields that no, I don't, I am just a new politician and I, I feel pretty passionate about this issue. And so, I'm just going to use my voice to, be loud about it.

CC: So, to do that, you've sent this letter, to the provincial government. What's next?

KV: I'm hoping that the letter from the town will, encourage other municipalities to do the same. I'm hoping this will keep the conversation in the public. Eventually, have the province either declared an epidemic or passed the bill 173 or both.

CC: So, you're... In a few days. You're going to be at, a big meeting in Ottawa, and they're going to be officials from the provincial government there...

KV: Will I talk to anybody that will listen while I'm there about this issue? I sure will.

CC: What is it you want to say?

KV: I would request that they make the declaration and that they pass Bill 173.

CC: Kimberly Verbeek, thank you for your time.

KV: Thank you for your time, Catherine.

SS: Kimberly Verbeek is a town councilor in Essex, Ontario. That's where we reached her. For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services, and you can call or text Canada's Suicide crisis helpline anytime at 988.

[Music: Whimsical instrumental]

Berlin Hippo Lifeguard

SS: Teaching a human child to swim is hard enough, but a soon to be named instructor in Berlin has another task ahead of them entirely. The city's zoo is looking for someone who can teach a baby pygmy hippo how to swim. And that's not just any lifeguarding gig. Here's what the zoo's head of communications, Philine Hachmeister, told the BBC about what they're looking for exactly.

SOUNDCLIP

PHILINE HACHMEISTER: The main hippos, the normal hippos, as well as the pygmy hippos, which we have here a baby of are not able to swim. A lot of people don't know that, so no matter how good the swimming instructor will be, they actually have to learn to be confident in deep water and to dive in a way that they can find their way up again. But they're mainly pushing themselves to one side of the pool to the other. So, they're not really swimming, but they have to be able to survive in deep water.

LUKWESA BURAK: So, are we talking about a negligent mother here?

PH: Not at all. I saw that this morning. She's very, very caring. And before anyone is picturing David Hasselhoff and Baywatch with his swimming pants sitting next to the pool, that is not the job, to be honest. It's just part of the job. So, we're actually looking for one that is a specialist in our hippo house at the moment and looking after our baby pygmy hippo is just one small portion of the job, to be honest. There's also some cleaning work, there's some feeding involved, but this is mostly the most pleasurable part of the job.

LUKWESA BURAK: It's been a while since I've heard reference made to The Hoff.

PH: I'm sorry. We kind of have to.

LUKWESA BURAK: Okay. The pygmy hippo. What's so special about it?

PH: First of all, it's absolutely cute. I don't know if you've seen any images.

LUKWESA BURAK: Very cute.

PH: We just recently joined TikTok and this is the craziest success we've had so far. There are millions of views on her videos, so she is quite a star right now in Germany. And I think also abroad. As this interview shows, she is getting more and more recognition as well from the U.S. we get some questions about her. We got 20,000 name suggestions for her. We are still in the stage of finding a name for her at the moment. So yes, she is a little star and if you see her, you understand why.

LUKWESA BURAK: What is the natural environment of a pygmy hippo? And obviously zoos these days it's all about conservation. So, what are you doing with the pygmy hippo?

PH: Exactly. So, the problem for the pygmy hippos is, as for most animals we have here, that they are simply just too many people out there competing for the space to live. So, they are from Western African countries, and there's just around 2500 of them left, which is not very much. So, every pygmy hippo born anywhere in the world is a really success, and it's very important for us.

SS: That was Philine Hachmeister from Zoo Berlin, speaking with the BBC's Lukwesa Burak about what it takes to teach a baby pygmy hippo how to swim.

[Music: Funky instrumental]

Chuck Strahl Obit

Guest: Monte Solberg

SS: For almost two decades, Chuck Strahl was a strong voice for conservatism in Ottawa. But today, the B.C. MPs family is remembering him for who he was outside of politics. Announcing his death from cancer at the age of 67, his children wrote, quote, he didn't let his job define who he was. He never lost sight of what was truly important his faith, his family and his friends, unquote. When Chuck Strahl's time as an MP came to an end in 2011, he spoke about those personal connections.

SOUNDCLIP

CHUCK STRAHL: I was 36 years old when this adventure started, and all four of our children were still at home. Now they're all grown up and married, and Deb and I have 10 grandchildren. I vowed I would leave politics one day with the one thing that mattered most when I entered into it. The love and respect of those closest to me. That's thanks mostly to my wife, Deb, who is the anchor and love of my life. That's going to happen. It's my life's greatest achievement. And of course, serving in cabinet has been an exceptional experience, so I'll always be grateful to the Prime Minister, who went out of his way to assure me that he not only wanted me to be a minister, but he was confident that I could do the job. He pointed me right on the heels of my serious encounter with cancer, and his encouragement to me at that time was, don't let people tell you that you can't still contribute. Don't let them push you aside. And cancer survivors, Mr. Speaker, need to hear words like that. And they need to know in their heart that they're true. And I thank the Prime Minister for that, because those words have been my hope, even joy. [Applause].

SS: Former conservative MP Chuck Strahl, speaking in 2011 as he left federal politics. Monte Solberg was one of Chuck Strahl's colleagues on the conservative benches. We reached him near Drumheller, Alberta.

CC: Monte, what do those words from your friend Chuck Strahl say to you about who he was?

MONTE SOLBERG: Well, they say a lot about what he valued. His family was more important than anything. I saw it firsthand many, many times, those moments where he would gather family together and nothing could replace that for Chuck.

CC: He represented Chilliwack, Fraser Canyon for many years. What motivated him as a politician?

MS: He was idealistic. He wanted to help people. He felt the country could be achieving more for his constituents than it was. We came in at the same time and there was a bit of, I will say, idealistic zeal behind what we wanted to achieve. You know, that was always sort of key to everything he did. It wasn't about ego. It wasn't sort of a cynical attempt to win votes. He really did want to make a positive difference. He probably made a difference in other ways, too, that people don't appreciate, including being an example, you know what an ideal political leader can be?

CC: What is that? When you say that the ideal example of what a political leader can be. What was it that you saw that you hope that other people would want to follow?

MS: Well, it was his decency. It is very easy to be cynical and to say things that you think will score points with your supporters. But Chuck largely resisted that. He certainly was a fierce partisan when he needed to be, but his decency always came through. Which is why, when he left, he had friends on all sides of the house. He was such a decent man, and he went out of his way to make sure that people felt valued. You know, that's part of his legacy.

CC: You guys... There was obviously a lot of conviction and emotion. You had some fun too. From what I understand, when he left Ottawa back in 2011, you wrote a tribute to him and you said, "some of my best memories are Chuck and I cutting up in the house as we sparred with our opponents across the way. In fact, I think the libs liked it too". How did he make you laugh?

MS: Well, he was so, self-deprecating. I think that was the key to so much of his humour. Like, you know, at the time we went to Vegas after he had been diagnosed with cancer. We went to a conference on mesothelioma. He and his wife and me and mine and he was talking about some of the experimental treatments and, the potential to even create an artificial lung. And he joked about how they would make him a lung out of an old Safeway bag. And a coffee filter. I'm sorry. That's ridiculous. [gets emotional]

CC: I'm really sorry for your loss, Monte.

MS: Thank you.

CC: You also wrote about his serious side. You said he could lose his temper in cabinet and, quote, burn with righteous indignation if a colleague brought forward an idea that offended his reform-ish sensibilities. What were those moments like?

MS: Oh, yeah. Well, he would, you know, he would thunder. I mean, he had that big voice. You know, again, it was his idealism that really came to the fore in those situations where he just felt that, you know, someone was violating principles that he held dear, like, you know, truly representing the interests of his constituents and the people that sent him to Ottawa. And, if he felt that, you know, there was some kind of a cynical trade off that would somehow shortchange his constituents. He would fly into a bit of a rage. He would rant, he would make fun of himself after. But that's what he did. And God knows, you didn't want to be on the wrong side of him. When Big Chuck was thundering away like that.

CC: You talk about his principles. Mesothelioma, the rare form of cancer that he had. Of course, it affects the lungs. He broke ranks with the Conservative Party several times to speak out against Canada's export of asbestos, which is linked to mesothelioma. What was it like for him to go against the party like that?

MS: Well, I think that again speaks to his principles. He realized, of course, after he'd been diagnosed how dangerous asbestos was. He just knew he couldn't vote in favour of something that would cause cancer. Almost certainly, for people that handled it without a mask. And, you know, he knew that a lot of it was being exported into developing countries where equipment like that wouldn't be available. And he just felt like he couldn't sit there quietly and not object.

CC: He would have potentially been exposed himself when he was younger in the logging industry. Is that right?

MS: Yeah. You know, he couldn't say for sure, but he felt quite strongly that, you know, he had handled asbestos to jam up into the brakes of these big pieces of equipment that sat on mountainsides and, and the brakes would heat up. And the way to deal with that, it was more asbestos up there to keep things cool. You know, as a young man, you know, 16 or 17, he was under these big pieces of equipment handling this stuff that 50 years ago he probably didn't appreciate was so dangerous.

CC: You were obviously such good friends. You were colleagues. You were also roommates for a time. Are there any memories about, your cabinet minister roommate that you're thinking about today?

MS: Well, yeah, many, many memories, some funny stories. I remember one time coming home and, he announced with great fanfare that he had made cinnamon buns. Then he proceeded to tell me that he ate all 12 of them himself.

CC: [loud laughter] Oh my gosh.

MS: Oh my God.

CC: Sounds like you guys had a lot of wonderful memories together.

MS: Yeah, we really did. We spent a lot of time together, obviously as roommates, as seat mates in the house and vacation together many, many, many times. So, we had a lot of good memories that we built together. And I'll miss him.

CC: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us about your friend.

MS: Thank you.

SS: Monte Solberg is a former conservative MP. His longtime colleague Chuck Strahl has died of cancer. He was 67 years old.

[Music: Techno instrumental]

Sound Of The Day: Self-Driving Car Noise

SS: It was a new problem for Sophia Tung and a persistent one. Earlier this month, the San Francisco resident found herself unable to get a good night's sleep in her apartment because she kept hearing this.

SOUNDCLIP

Car horns honking repetitively and loudly.

SS: Now, you might chalk that up to regular street noise, especially if you live in a big city. But as the days went by, the honking didn't let up. And while Ms. Tung might have told the drivers to keep it down in this case, she couldn't because there weren't any. Ms. Tung Lives across the street from a previously unused lot that's been taken over by Waymo, the self-driving taxi company. It's been storing its cars there while they aren't out on a trip. But having all those cars in such close proximity came with some unintended consequences. They kept setting off each other’s safety features, namely the loud ones. Residents were not pleased, though Ms. Tung did get lots of views on a live stream of the lot titled "Lo-fi Waymo, Hip Hop radio, Self-Driving, taxi depot, shenanigans to relax/study to". And that got the company's attention. It's since said the noise was unintended and has apparently reprogrammed the cars, which hopefully means Ms. Tung. We'll hear a little less of this.

SOUNDCLIP

Car horns honking repetitively and loudly.

SS: Waymo's self-driving cars setting off each other's horns in a San Francisco parking lot. It's our sound of the day.

[Music: Upbeat instrumental]

Old Condoms Discovery

SS: When an old house is renovated, some surprises are regrettably unsurprising. But I'm betting Claire Martens didn't have this one on her bingo card. The Ontario woman made the find while she was working on her parent's London, Ontario, home. It wasn't an old love letter, a faded photograph or a newspaper with historic headlines. This was a box of condoms. Ms. Martens says she found the package in the rafters of her parents’ basement, and at first, she didn't know what it was.

SOUNDCLIP

CLAIRE MARTENS: I thought it was a matchbox. Like, it looks like the kind you get it like motels or like as a party favour sort of thing. And I thought, oh, cool, a matchbox. And then it said rubber or something on it, which is prophylactics, which I'd never heard of. And I looked inside and I thought maybe it was an old eraser or something. And then when I told my parents what it said, they said, well, prophylactics is normally a condom. And I was like, pardon? And when I opened it completely, I discovered that it is in fact a condom. That definitely predates my existence, if not my parents.

ANDREW LUPTON: It's a little cardboard box, but what does it say on it? Some of the wording is kind of interesting for its time.

CLAIRE MARTENS: It says three shake and then has like the man riding the horse, regulation trademark rubber prophylactics. But on the back, it says it's number 26. Price is $0.50 for three. And it says, "Shake rubber prophylactics are made from thin, strong rubber and have been carefully tested and inspected for your protection. Be sure to ask for them by name at your drugstore. Shake rubber prophylactics are sold in drugstores only for protection against disease".

ANDREW LUPTON: So, clearly whoever put them there was trying to conceal them or didn't want them to be found.

CLAIRE MARTENS: My parents suggested that, condoms had some use in a, construction workshop, but I think given how far tucked away they were, it was probably for the traditional use. But I was really curious, like when it was from and everything, because I've never seen them packaged like this. Like, nowadays they're in, like, really sealed. Like they're always in sealed things. And these are like, open air. And you can see that the...

ANDREW LUPTON: Yeah. The rubber isn't wrapped in plastic. It's just sort of got almost like, what would you call that? Like a cardboard packaging around it. The ends of it are totally exposed.

CLAIRE MARTENS: And if you hear it, I don't know if you can hear it on here, but you can hear it. It's like... the rubber is, no longer rubbery.

SS: Claire Martens speaking to CBC's Andrew Lupton on London Morning.

[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 15, 2024

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