These front-line health workers will spend Christmas fighting COVID-19

Guests: David Leary, Dr. Alexander Wong, Naveed Hussain

SOUNDCLIP

They've looked at the turkey lying on the counter like a naked baby, come on, butch, she said, we're going out.

LAURA LYNCH: It's the Canadian holiday classic. In 30 minutes, we bring you a special presentation of one of Stuart MacLaine's most beloved vinyl cafe stories, Dave Cooks The Turkey. And then.

SOUNDCLIP

[Christmans song]

LL: Well, it's fair to say not all the folks will be home for Christmas this year, but even though the holidays won't look the same, it doesn't mean they can't sound the same. Later on, we hear how holiday music is that much more meaningful this year. But we begin today on the front lines. Good morning. I'm Laura Lynch in Vancouver, sitting in for Matt Galloway. And this is The Current.

[Music: Theme]

LL: This season is always a little different for health care workers and first responders, even in regular times, their work doesn't exactly slow down for the holidays this year. Of course, that's even more true, as the number of new coronavirus cases continues to climb in parts of Canada. So today we've invited three frontline health workers to join us to talk about how they're getting through this holiday season. David Leary is a paramedic in Vancouver who's speaking on behalf of the ambulance paramedics of B.C. Dr. Alexander Wong is an infectious diseases physician in Regina, and Naveed Hussain is a registered nurse at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. Good morning to you all.

NAVEED HUSSAIN: Good morning.

ALEXANDER WONG: Good morning, Laura.

DAVID LEARY: Good morning.

LL: David Leary, I want to start with you. What has work been like for you and other paramedics responding to calls at this time of year?

DAVID LEARY: I mean, this is a busy season for us coming into the busiest season on a normal year, and now it's compounded by the pandemic covid-19 and and also we're facing an opiate crisis and, you know, the strain and stress that is compounding the mental health issues with our paramedics and dispatchers and at levels we've never seen before.

LL: How is that manifesting?

DAVID LEARY: It's causing us to have staffing crisis and recruitment retention issues also, and it's causing an increase in our critical and stress team usage and access to that programme is skyrocketing. It's through the roof. It's causing our members to have to take time off work to recover and recuperate.

LL: And all of this, and you mentioned the opioid crisis. Can you tell me how covid has actually made the opioid crisis even worse?

DAVID LEARY: We're kind of facing like a triple threat. You know, we have this opiate crisis going on, which is increase our call volumes, covid-19, which increase our call volumes. Between the two of those, it's causing a lot of physical, emotional, psychological exhaustion. And our members are having to take time off, which puts ambulances out of service and which puts more pressure on the crews that are still remaining at work.

LL: Dr. Wong, can you tell me what you're dealing with in Saskatchewan?

ALEXANDER WONG: Yes, it's been an intense number of months, Saskatchewan kind of was relatively spared with the first wave of covert. You know, most of the cases that we saw, you know, were able to be contained relatively quickly and came from sort of outside the province. The fact that we had relatively limited individuals coming from outside the province and, you know, not a ton of people that travel, you know, outside the province made our first wave sort of much more manageable. And so, everything locked down. And we were the first to kind of open up. You know, we obviously have a second wave now that has engulfed our entire province. No population is safe. So especially, for me personally with with our first wave, we were lucky in terms of not managing to have it affect our inner city vulnerable sort of on reserve and rural populations. That's definitely not the case now. We've got, you know, many, many outbreaks, you know, in many, many different settings across the province. And we're all sort of preparing in the acute care side for this surge. We've definitely seen a surge in the intensive care settings and in the you know, on the medicine wards. And at the same time, like David has said, I mean, many, many of the other issues that have existed and do exist in our province have not gone away. So it's been exhausting. It's been tiring. At the same time, I'm one of the privileged few. I actually got my covid vaccine yesterday. And so I feel very, very fortunate to. I've been able to access that. And, you know, hopefully the holidays are going to be manageable I think for us.

LL: It must be a relief for you. And I do want to talk to all of you about vaccines in just a little bit. But first, I just wanted to ask Naveed Husain. Quebec is under strict lockdown measures again. What are you seeing as you care for patients?

NAVEED HUSSAIN: Like Alex was saying before, what we've seen is an increase in hospitalisations of our most vulnerable populations. You see the intersectionality of people of colour coming in the indigenous population, people who are in lower socioeconomic status. You see people like that being affected greatly and having complications related to with more often than not. And what we've seen is that there has been an increase in hospitalisations during the second wave again. So it's been it's been strenuous. It's been tough. But my colleagues and I have been working hard and trying our best to care for patients and trying to deliver the best care that we can.

LL: And and you have your own personal tale to tell about this. I mean, you have the unfortunate distinction of having contracted coronavirus in April. Tell me what happened.

NAVEED HUSSAIN: I was working at the hospital and I was doing long hours. It was just a tough time, was a stressful time. So I caught it. It was quite tough on the body. I had malaise, body aches, fevers, no shortness of breath. But my other organs were affected, including my liver. It took me at least six months to get back to my baseline. And then, you know, I guess I have to consider myself one of the long hauliers who who were quite affected by covid-19.

LL: I'm glad that you're feeling better. I'm wondering, though, is having that firsthand experience changed your approach with your patients?

NAVEED HUSSAIN: One hundred fifty percent. You know, you have empathy. You know, you always have empathy as a nurse or a health care worker. Right. But but when you how it feels and you know what you've been through, you have empathy and you have the ability to care more, more closely, you will you'll be able to see things and you understand symptoms and how to manage those symptoms better. So, yeah, it gives you a different perspective on on how to care for patients and how to have empathy for those who are affected.

LL: David Leary, I'm wondering now that we're into the holiday season, does does that add any more strain to an already incredibly stressful time?

DAVID LEARY: Yes, it definitely does. And it's you know, it's a time of year where it can only be lonely for people, and especially now with all the covid restrictions in place. And you can't go see your family members, you can't see your friends, you can't see them in person. And people look forward to this time of year to be able to do that. And now you're not able to and the stress of having to, you know, avoid everybody. And you're not able to do the things that normally help you cope with your mental illness.

LL: Doctor Wong. I'm wondering what's weighing on you during this holiday season, especially when you think about vulnerable patients that you may have.

ALEXANDER WONG: You know, we have many, many intersections and challenging pieces here and, you know, almost sort of have and have not populations in terms of what we deal with on a day to day basis. As much as covid has been a challenge. There's no question it's been a challenge. I think personally, just kind of seeing some of the people that we work with on a daily basis with bloodborne infections. So HIV, viral hepatitis and so forth. And some of the mental toll that this has taken and this is a population that, you know, is highly vulnerable and, you know, oftentimes will turn to substance use and so forth in order to work with some of these stresses. And so we've seen huge numbers of overdoses here in the province, like just shockingly high numbers. I think I've had I think close to 15 of my patients personally die of overdose, which, you know, has been devastating for us and our team. And that has almost taken just as much, if not more so the toll, than just sort of the mental challenge of trying to stay positive with everything happening with covid to kind of see all this happening around you in your community and really, not being able to necessarily do much other than respond to to when people are unwell has definitely been difficult and very sort of fatiguing, I think, for our team. At the same time, it was so kind of inevitable that this was the way it was all going to go. And so turning to something positive, the fact that we actually have vaccination in place, I think is it's truly a miracle to believe that it could have actually developed this quickly.

LL: Now, as I said, Dr. Wong, I want to come back to the vaccine. This is the one ray of hope, I think, for so many people in all of this. For people who would like to hear about your experience, what was it like?

ALEXANDER WONG: So obviously, our system is trying to prioritise people based on, you know, what they perceive to be, you know, those most at risk on the front lines. And I mean, it wasn't really all that different than, frankly, getting a flu shot. And it stung a little bit. But, you know, I'm feeling great today. I think it's pretty much clear at this stage that pretty much everyone, whoever you are, if you are on the list, to be able to go and get it, that you should and please step up and get yourself vaccinated. The only way that we are going to be able toreturn to whatever our new normal is going to look like. And, you know, the next sort of six to 12 months is to have a large proportion of the population immunised. And that will only happen if everyone steps up to the plate to get it done.

LL: David Leary, I'm wondering and listening to Dr. Wong, have you had the call yet?

DAVID LEARY: No. And interestingly enough, are professional body here the atmospherics that you see is actually approach the government to discuss where our place in line will actually be. And it's not quite clear to us where we actually fit. So far, it looks like we might be eligible in April, but we're trying to push to get our membership pushed to the forefront. You know, we're going in and out of people's homes with people with covid. We're going into long term care facilities, which, as was discussed earlier, is the most vulnerable population. We want to make sure that we, you know, we wear the proper personal protective equipment, protects us and the patients. But we also the vaccine is the ultimate protection.

LL: Naveed, you had covid. So are you getting vaccinated 100 percent?

NAVEED HUSSAIN: Yes, because we don't know how long the antibodies stay in the body writes this virus can return. I am planning on getting vaccinated. The plan here in Quebec right now is to vaccinate the most vulnerable population, i.e. the elderly or the immunocompromised who might be battling cancer, who might be on chemotherapy, and people who have other diseases that make them more vulnerable. And when it's my turn to get that vaccination, I am going to go in happily. And I am urging others, just like Alex and David have said, to go get their vaccines.

LL: I just want to turn for a moment to the question of your families and the people who support you as you go off to work on the front lines. How are you managing it all? What precautions have you been taking to keep your family safe? Naveed, do you want to start with that?

NAVEED HUSSAIN: To be honest, I've limited my interactions with my family quite a bit. My father's over 70, my mother is over 60. My father does have medical ailments. I prioritise their health, especially working in covid units. I think it's just the best way to be. And just to prevent any reactions, it's been tough emotionally and mentally, you know, being away from family and friends. But it's also a sacrifice we chose to take, right? It's just like a firefighter running into a fire in a building. You make the sacrifice, you know what's at risk, and you make sure that you're doing the best you can for society as a whole.

LL: David Leary, what about you? You have young children.

DAVID LEARY: Yes. You know, they're in the same home with me. And the best things I can do is, you know, where my personal protective equipment, make sure that it gone off it in the proper procedures and I make sure that I don't wear my uniform on my shower at work, get cleaned up before I come home. I can't avoid them, but I do avoid the grandparents and and other members of the family who aren't in the immediate household. And it is stressful and it does take a mental toll and psychological toll on on myself and my colleagues. During the holiday season where we won't be spending time with the rest of the family and we'll just be keeping within our bubble and we feel it's important.

LL: Dr. Wong.

ALEXANDER WONG: Same as when David and David have said, you know, I think we've always kind of had some kind of progression in terms of our paranoia. And I remember at the start of all this, I was, you know, frantically, like, sanitising my my my car like every day and all of the rest of what everyone was doing. And I've really tried as much as possible to kind of follow the evidence space and, you know, understand that it's really washing hands, masking and avoiding high risk situations, essentially unmasked when you're in a tight space with other individuals indoors. Those are really the highest risk settings. But again, even though Saskatchewan's is relatively loose right now, there's a five person household bubble. Yeah. That means that we're not going to be able to see, you know, grandma and grandpa. I've got three young children. We just had our daughter in August. And so it's a really busy time to try to kind of make it all work and to continue to contribute to the to the efforts at work at the same time. Truly, I think I think we can all probably relate to the fact that family has helped to really kind of keep us sane and thankful. I think for me personally, we've just been extremely fortunate thus far to be like for me to be employed, to have income, to not be stressed on the financial side. And so, we're going to have to ride out the next two or three months. And, you know, hopefully as vaccine takes hold, we're going to be in a better position and come the new year. But with some of the stuff that's happened this year and all of the misery and suffering that we've seen, I go home every day and I hug my family and just I'm thankful for what it is they bring to the table for me.

LL: And I think they must be grateful for what you're doing, too. And I think all listeners listening to you would agree when I say that all of your hard work, all three of you, your hard work, your compassion are so greatly appreciated. And and I think you deserve some time off to rest. Naveed, are you taking any time off in the next little while?

NAVEED HUSSAIN: Things are changing. The dynamic on the ground is changing. So it's all up in the air. To be honest, I haven't had time off in a long time. I was looking forward to something. But you know what? When when when the call of duty comes out, you make sure that you sacrifice and you're in it all the way. So I'm here until this crisis is over and dedicating myself to my patients, my colleagues and to everyone in our community. And, you know, health care workers are so essential, but there are other front line workers who are keeping our society going. You have the supply chain and our grocery store workers and and the people who are providing food on our kitchen table. We are all fighting and we're all together.

LL: Well said. David Leary, are you going to get any time off at a couple of days off?

DAVID LEARY: Couple of days but spent half of it working. And then coming up, I have Christmas Day off and then but I'm working through the most of the holidays.

LL: Dr. Wong.

ALEXANDER WONG: I haven't really had any meaningful stretch of vacation basically since the beginning of March, and so when when our newborn came in at the end of August, I took like maybe three or four days off and then I technically was on leave, but I never actually stopped working. So like Naveed and David have said, like, our professions are ones of service and we are here to serve. We are here to serve the sick and the people that need us. I anticipate being able to take like half of Christmas Eve off and Christmas Day off. And, you know, after that, it'll kind of be back to my usual sort of craziness. But I'm not complaining one bit. And, you know, the kids will have lots to keep them busy, I'm sure, when they open everything under the tree on Christmas Day.

LL: Your jobs are very different, but you're all in this together. And I kind of like to get you to talk to each other a little bit. Do you have any words of support for one another, Doctor Wong?

ALEXANDER WONG: Yes, I'll just start by saying that, you know, I mean, people here like infectious diseases doctor, and they somehow think that, you know, I'm somehow like on the front lines, and I really I'm not right. I mean, it's really, you know, people like Dave and people like Naveed and nurses and paramedics and, you know, my colleagues in the emergency departments, in the intensive care units who are really, truly at the very front lines of all of this. And so what I would say to all of those listening, as well as to all of my friends and colleagues who work in the health professions, the service that you provide every day is an inspiration. And we are all really, truly in it together. We need to look after one another through these challenging times. And I think the way that we do that is by continuing to focus on our dedication to service. So take care of yourselves. Make sure you take care of your families first and foremost. Personally, I'm very appreciative for what you guys are doing on a day to day basis. Thank you.

LL: Naveed.

NAVEED HUSSAIN: Like Alex and David both say, you know, like we're here to care for others and I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful to be a part of a team that's not only based here in Montréal, but throughout the province of Quebec, in Canada. We have incredible health care professionals and people who are risking their health and their family's health to provide the most vulnerable the care that they deserve. And I'm proud to be a Canadian and a Quebecer and a Montrealer, and I'm proud to be colleagues with David and Alex in this battle that is insidious, that can be dangerous and that we will win. I believe that truly that we will win this battle and that society will get back to normal again, as normal as can be.

LL: And David, what do you want to say to Dr. Wong and Naveed?

DAVID LEARY: And I echo everything that they've said. And for Alex that you said that you're not on the front lines, but we really, really appreciate everything that you do. And as an infectious disease doctor and you're a critical part of the team and we all respect that. And we all appreciate you being part of that team. And for Naveed, also being, you know, on the front lines and in the hospital wards, not and we we're all one team and we all suffer from, you know, the mental wellness aspects because of all of this. And I just want you guys to all know that we all appreciate you and that we're glad that you guys all have the public's back and that you're out there and you're fighting for them. And I wish you all the best for the holidays and be safe and take care of yourselves.

LL: Well, that leaves it just to me then to to just say thank you to all three of you for all of the work you've been doing throughout the pandemic and through the Christmas season and the holidays. And I wish you the best through the work time you're going to have in the holidays and in to the new year. Thank you so much.

ALEXANDER WONG: Thank you for having us.

DAVID LEARY: Thanks for the opportunity for having the best to all of you.

NAVEED HUSSAIN: Take care. Bye bye.

LL: David Leary is a paramedic in Vancouver. Dr. Alexander Wong is an infectious diseases doctor in Regina. And Naveed Hussein is a registered nurse at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. The CBC News is next. Then you know what they say when Morley is away. People play. In a moment. We'll bring you a holiday favourite from the vinyl cafe. You guessed it. Dave cooks the turkey. I'm Laura Lynch and you're listening to The Current.

Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe: Dave Cooks the Turkey

LL: Hello, I'm Laura Lynch, and you're listening to The Current.

[Music: Theme]

LL: Still to come, a pandemic holiday season is giving new meaning to some of your favourite Yuletide tunes.

SOUNDCLIP

Even though the frosty wind made moan and the snow was on snow, there's a sort of a light or a warmth there at the core of this dark, cold time.

But first, a special presentation of Stuart MacLaine's Vinyl Cafe.

[Music: Theme]

LL: This year, we're starting a new Christmas tradition here at The Current because really it doesn't get much better on Christmas Eve than this gem from the archives of the Vinyl Cafe, here is Stuart MacLane with Dave Cooks, the turkey. Enjoy it.

SOUNDCLIP

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

[Laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: It's it's not about Christmas, Dave, Morley said, it's about getting together. The members of Gerda's group, All Women, got together every second Tuesday night at a different house, each time they drank tea or beer and the host baked something special and they worked on stuff usually until about 11:00. But that's not the point, said merely the point is getting together. It's about neighbourhood, not about what we're actually doing. But there was no denying that they were doing stuff while I got together, it was me and they were doing Christmas stuff. It's wrapping paper, said Morley. You're making paper, said Dave. We're decorating, Paper said. Morally, this is hand painted paper. Do you know how much this would cost? That was July. In August, they took oak leaves and dipped them into gold paint and hung them in bunches from the kitchen ceiling.

[Laughter]

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

[Laughter]

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

[Laughter]

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

[Laughter]

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

[Laughter]

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

[Laughter]

And at Sam's graduation, his friends would say, why isn't your father here? And Sam would say one Christmas he forgot to buy the turkey, so he had to leave.

[Laguhter]

STUART MCLEAN: Then at three, after rolling around for an hour, Dave got out of bed dressed and went looking for a 24 hour grocery store. It was either that or wait for the food bank to open. And though he couldn't think of anyone in the city who more in need of a turkey than he was, the idea that his family might spot him in line made that unthinkable. At 4:00 a.m. in the morning, on Christmas morning, they found an open store and bought the last turkey there, 12 pounds frozen as tight as a cannonball. Grade B, whenever that meant.

[Laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He was home by five a.m. and by six thirty, had the turkey more or less thawed, he used an electric blanket. And the hair dryer. An eternity and a bottle of scotch on himself.

[Laughter]

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

[Laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: Dave poured another Scotch and began to refer to the turkey as Butch. If that had been the worst thing about the bird that it was cosmetically challenged, Dave would have been happy. What are considered himself blessed. Would have been able to look forward to this Christmas with equanimity, might eventually have been able to laugh it off. The worst thing came later after lunch, after Morley and the kids left for the food bank. Before they left, Morley dropped pine oil on some of the living room lamps. When the lamps heat the oil up, she said, the house will smell like a forest. Then she said, Mother is coming. I'm trusting you with this day, you have to have the turkey in the oven. Dave finished her sentence for her, he said by one thirty. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The worst thing began when Dave tried to turn on the oven, Morley had never had cause to explain to him about the automatic timer and Dave had never had cause to ask about it. The oven had been set the day before to go on at five thirty. Morley had been baking a squash casserole for Christmas dinner because she always does the vegetables the day before. And now until the oven timer was unset, nothing. Anybody, least of all Dave did, was going to turn it on. At three thirty in the afternoon, Dave retrieved the bottle of Scotch from the basement and poured himself a drink. He knew he was in trouble. He had to find an oven that could cook the bird and cook it fast. But every oven he could think of had a turkey inside it already. Now, for 10 years, Dave was a technical director to some of the craziest acts on the rock and roll circuit, and he wasn't going to fall to pieces over a raw turkey. Inventors are often unable to explain where they get their best ideas from, and Dave is not too sure where he got his, maybe he spent too many years in too many hotel rooms. At four o'clock in the afternoon, he typed up the Scotch and he phoned the Park Plaza Hotel and he was given the front desk and he said, Do you cook special menus for people with special dietary needs? Were a first class hotel in a world class city, sir, we can look after any dietary needs. And Dave said if somebody brings their own food because it's on a special diet, would you cook it for them? Of course, sir. Dave looked at the turkey lying on the counter like a naked baby. Come on, Butch, he said, We're going out. Morley had the car, Dave called a taxi, he stuffed the bottle of Scotch in his pocket on the way out the door, the Park Plaza, he said it's an emergency. He took a slug from the bottle in the back of the cab. The man at the front desk of the hotel asked if they needed help with the suitcases. No suitcases, said Dave, then turned breezily to the man behind him in line and patted the turkey, which he had dropped on the counter and was spilling out of its plastic bag and said only slightly slurred, just checking in for the afternoon with my check. The clerk winced and Dave turned, wobbled and peered at the man in line behind him, he was looking for approval. Instead of approval, he found his neighbour, Jim Schofield, standing, standing beside an elderly woman who Dave assumed must be Jim's visiting mother. And Jim didn't say anything, tried, in fact, to look away. But he was too late and their eyes met. And Dave straightened himself out and said, Turkey and the kids are at the food bank I just brought Morley here so they could pick her up for me. Oh, said Jim, that explains everything. I mean, the turkey, said Dave, I bring it here every year. I'm alone. Dave held his arms out as if he wanted Jim to frisk him. And the man at the desk said, Excuse me, sir. And I handed Dave his key. And Dave smiled at the man behind the counter at Jim, at Jim's mother, and walked toward the elevator, one careful foot in front of the other. And when he got there, he heard Jim calling him and Dave turned and Jim said, You forgot your chick, pointing to the turkey on the counter. The man on the phone from room service said, but we have Turkey on the menu, sir, and Dave said, this is a special turkey. I was hoping you could cook my turkey. The man from room service told Dave the manager would call. They've looked at his watch. And when the manager called, Dave knew this was his last and only chance this man was going to either agree to cook his turkey or he might just as well booked the ticket to Newfoundland. Excuse me, sir, said the manager. I said I need to eat this particular turkey, said Dave. That particular turkey, sir, said the manager. Do you know, said Dave, what they put in birds today? No, sir, said the manager. He said it like it was a question. They feed them now- Dave had no idea what they fed them. He wasn't sure what he was going to go with this, just that he had to keep talking. They feed them chemicals, he said, and antibiotics and steroids and and lard to make them juicier. I'm allergic to that stuff. If I eat any of that stuff, I'll have a heart attack or at least a seizure in the lobby of your hotel. Do you want that to happen? The man on the phone didn't say anything, so Dave kept going. I have my own turkey here. I raised this turkey myself. I butchered it myself. I butchered it this morning. The only thing this thing has eaten, Dave looked frantically around the room. What did he feed the turkey? Tofu. He said, triumphalists. Tofu, sir, said the manager. And Yoghourt said Dave. It was all or nothing, the bellboy took the turkey and Dave gave him 20 dollars and said, you have those big convection ovens. He said, I got to have it back before five thirty. All he said was, you must be very hungry, sir. Dave collapsed onto the bed, didn't move for an hour and a half, which was when the phone rang, it was the manager. He said the turkey was in the oven, then he said, you raised that bird yourself. It was a question. Dave said, yes. It was a pause. The manager said the chef says the turkey looks like it was abused. They've said, ask the chef if he's ever killed a turkey. Talbot was a fighter, tell him to stitch it up. The bellboy wheeled the turkey into Dave's room a quarter to six, they had it on a dolly covered with a Silverdome. Dave removed the dome and gasped. It didn't look like any bird he could have cooked. There were white paper armbands on both drumsticks and a glazed partridge made of red peppers on the breast. He looked at his watch and ripped the paper armbands off, and he scooped the red pepper partridge into his mouth. And then he realised the bellboy was watching him and saw the security guard standing on the corridor. The security guard was holding a carving knife. They obviously weren't about to trust Dave with a weapon. Would you like us to carve it, sir? Just get me a taxi, said Dave. What, said the guard, I can't eat this here a Dave, I have to eat it- Dave couldn't imagine where he had to eat it. Outside, he said, I have to outside.

[Laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He took out another 20 dollar bill and he gave it to the bellboy and he said, I'm going downstairs to check out you, bring the bird and get the taxi. And he walked by the security guard without looking at him and said, careful with that knife. And he got home at six o'clock and he put bleach on the table, a family was due back any minute and he poured himself a drink and he sat down in the living room and the house looked beautiful and smelled beautiful, like a pine forest, my forests, said Dave. And then he said, Oh, and jumped up. And got a little of turkey gravy and ran around the house, smearing it on the light bulbs.

[Laughter]

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

LL: Stuart McLean with his Christmas classic Dave Cooks The Turkey from the Vinyl Cafe archives. Coming up after your regional update.

SOUNDCLIP

DAVID: I'm David Bowie, I live down the road.

BING: I'm Ben. Oh, I'm pleased to meet you. You're the one that sings, right?

DAVID: Well, right or wrong, I sing you the way.

BING: I sing to.

DAVID: Oh, good. Do you know this?

BING: Oh, I do indeed. It's a lovely thing.

LL: Another holiday classic, Bing Crosby and David Bowie, side by side performing The Little Drummer Boy. Holiday music isn't just about the season. It can be a soundtrack to cherished memories with loved ones. But this year, with so many of us staying apart, that music can be a real comfort. In a moment the role of music in this holiday season. I'm Laura Lynch and we are back in 90 seconds. Stay with us.

[Christmas song]

The little known history of some popular Christmas songs

Guests: Kevin Zakresky

LL: I'm Laura Lynch and you're listening to The Current.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: Let it Snow]

LL: Well, for many Canadians, songs like that one go hand in hand with the holidays and with ideas of sitting by a fire, playing in the snow and being together with family. But this year, as people stay home, Christmas music might have an even more special place in our hearts. Some of those the tunes were written during tough times themselves or are about feelings of longing and hope. Kevin Zakresky, has been doing classes this year on the history of Christmas carols with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music. He is a conductor and a music historian. Kevin, good morning.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: Hello, Laura. It's lovely to be with you.

LL: Tell me, what role do Christmas carols play in your own life?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: As a classical musician Christmas is one of our biggest times of the year. So whether it be conducting Messiah or Nutcracker or leading choirs and playing in churches, we sort of feel like we have several months where we're getting ready for one big festival. And I guess this year is a little bit different, but a little bit the same as well.

LL: Yes, I was going to ask you, well, what will your holiday season look like this year?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: It's online a lot. We did a concert last Friday, a benefit concert online for people who are on Zoome, and it was fun, but it was very strange not to have the feedback of a live audience in front of you. And I'm sure many of my colleagues in the classical music world will know that at church we're doing our services online as well. But there's a sort of community spirit that comes with that because I feel like we're all in it together to get through this difficult time.

LL: Now, you've been doing something very different. I gave a nod to that in the intro. You're connecting with Christmas music differently this year through your glasses. Tell me about that.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: So I teach music history classes normally at the VSL School of Music. And this year we had the crazy idea of going through the history of Christmas music since the beginning and all the way from Gregorian chants and mediaeval hymns up to Mariah Carey and beyond. And I didn't realise just how many sort of emotions were attached to these individual carols. So no matter what, Carol, or Christmas music comes up, inevitably there's some sort of connection to that sort of pang of nostalgia that we all get when we hear a certain timbre or a melody. And I think through all of the Christmas music that we've been learning about together, we've discovered that each one has their own sort of historical connotations for individual people.

LL: This idea of longing and wanting to be home at Christmas. How does that fit into some of our more familiar Christmas carols?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: I think because Christmas is a festival of the solstice, it's naturally a dark time for everyone and it's cold, especially for Canadians. And we long for a chance to be home and to be warm, both in a physical sense and in an emotional sense with our families. And this year is going to be a little bit different. But fortunately, we have a lot of music to bring us back to fonder times and maybe to bring us together as well, even if it's just on the Internet.

LL: But let's talk about the song. I'll Be Home for Christmas. Tell me the history behind that song.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: This might be the most touching and potentially painy Christmas Carol, certainly of the 20th century. The lyrics tell the story from the point of view of a soldier who was overseas during World War Two and talking about all of the things that he wants to have because he's going to be home for Christmas. So he wants the snow and the mistletoe. He wants the presents in the tree. It's a very poignant message, I think, from 1943 at a time when a lot of people's loved ones were overseas serving. And I know it was a favourite amongst the troops.

LL: But it ends with a melancholy note acknowledging that he, in fact, won't make it home for Christmas.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: Yes, if only in my dreams, which is I think something may be all of us are feeling a little bit this year as well.

LL: Absolutely. Let's listen to that song now. Here is I'll Be Home for Christmas, sung by Bing Crosby.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: I'll be Home for Christmas]

LL: That's definitely putting a lump in my throat, as you say, it really resonates this year, doesn't it?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: I think it is one of the most touching melodies and can resonate in any time of year, but certainly or any year. But certainly this year, especially now.

LL: That song, as you say, was written during the Second World War, as was the next one we're going to talk about, and that is Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Tell us the story behind that one.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: This Christmas song has a really fascinating history. It's sort of one of the original melancholic tunes. It comes originally from the movie Meet Me in St. Louis, which stars Judy Garland. And in the story, she's cheering up her little sister in a very sad scene because they found out that their father is being promoted and moving them to New York City. And the story of the Carol lyrics is so great because it sort of was continually evolving, giving cheerier with each new edition. So when the songwriter brought it to Judy and the cast, the original words were, have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be our last next year. We all may be living in the past. It's dark. Yes, it was a it was a bit sad. And so that's exactly what Judy and the cast said. They said, you know, could be lighten it up a bit. So that next edition became let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight. And then when Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1957, he wanted it for a Happy Christmas album. And one of the lines that Judy sang at the end was, until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow, which you probably remember from hearing Judy Garland version. But he had the songwriter changed that to hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And then in my Christmas concert last week, I discovered that so much of it was about gathering together during the holiday season and being near people. And that's sort of not what we're doing this year. So I changed the words in the second verse to here we are in as in olden days, happy golden days still loom. Grateful friends who aren't near to us still up here to us on Zoom.

LL: Well, that's a great update.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: It's a little cheeky.

LL: Well I know, yeah but it works especially for the times. I mean so what is the message then that you take from this song?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: This is a timelessness lyric. So no matter what, we have each other and we have music and the things that are the most important. We have the radio also very important and we don't matter what we do this Christmas, if it's distantly or if it's on the Internet, we'll still have each other and there will be many Christmases to come, hopefully, that are where we'll be together again.

LL: Well, with that, let's listen to Judy Garland's version of this. Here's have yourself a Merry Little Christmas performed by Judy Garland.

[sc].

[Song: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas]

LL: The music, her voice is so poignant and full of emotion, but the lyric that she was there, that the one that you referred to earlier, the idea that we'll have to muddle through somehow, I'm sure that does strike a chord with so many people this year. What about how did it resonate with people back when it was written?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: I think this song comes from a time when Hollywood movies needed big stars singing a big number, and at that time this, I can't even imagine what it would have been like had they had the original lyrics. But the picture, if you get a chance to see the clip of the little girl sort of wiping away her tears while she's listening to her sister sing this song, I can't imagine that that wasn't a part of the connotations of this piece in nineteen forty three when it was written and then subsequently for a number of years as it was on the tops of the charts and things.

LL: Hmm. Let's then turn to some older Christmas songs, some from before the 20th century. What are they typically about.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: Christmas carols go back to the Middle Ages and they come from the French word carole, which is Circle Dance Festival song. So they would have different carols for different seasons like Advent and Easter at different church calendar seasons. And typically they would be about the Nativity and whatever characters were there, maybe sometimes 12 from the point of view of of Mary or Joseph or even the animals in the stable. By the time of the 19th century, we end up with different devotional poems that were being set by choral composers. I think particularly Christina Rossetti wrote a couple of really lovely devotional poems. Love came down at Christmas and in the bleak midwinter which capture, I think, the frostiness of the Victorian Christmas. You know, we think of the carollers all dressed up in in their fur, you know, walking door to door. And by the 19th century, we get this solidification of the notion of what it is to be a Carole. And then, of course, Charles Dickens. This story is sort of the greatest example of the warmth that carols are supposed to bring, that sort of story.

LL: Let's just then focus in on one that you mentioned In the Bleak Midwinter. Tell me a little bit more about the song.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: You know, this is a poem by Christina Rossetti that's been set by many composers. It is a beautiful lyric. You know, she has this simplicity to her, to her words that makes them eminently sensible by composers. The lyric has two big messages, I think for us in a pandemic year, particularly this idea of hope, that even though the frosty wind made moan and the snow was on snow, that there's a sort of a light or a warmth there at the core of this dark, cold time, but then also to appreciate the simple things in life. Like in the lyric, in the bleak midwinter, a stable place sufficed is a good message for all of us that even during this dark time, I guess just being in our own households and speaking to our friends distantly, I guess we'll have to do for this year. But it's most important to just remember that it doesn't have to be a big to do Christmas. It can be simple.

LL: Well, here is In the Bleak Midwinter written by Christina Rossetti, composed by Gustav Holst. This version is performed by the West Coast Mennonite Chamber Choir.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: In the Bleak Midwinter]

LL: Such a peaceful quality to that music, but I want to zoom ahead now and put you on the spot. What is your favourite Christmas song even?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: Oh, I think actually a pretty good one for this year. I'm a pretty big fan of Canadian songwriters, as you can imagine. And I think probably my favourite tune would be Gordon Lightfoot's song for a Winter's Night, though I suppose it itself is not a Christmas Carol, but it is a very Canadian and I think describes the experience of many of us in the cold up here. And it's just a really beautiful melody.

LL: What is it about it that you love so much? And I know you love the Sarah McLachlan version in particular.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: Yes, I'll start at the end and then work my way back. The first time I discovered the song was in Sarah McLaughlin's version on her Christmas album. I was studying abroad for grad school and it was my first winter and Christmas away from my family here in British Columbia. And that was the same year that Sarah released her Christmas album. So of course, I picked it up at the store immediately. And the piece that just blew me away was the song by Gordon Lightfoot that I had never heard before. It has this sort of frostiness about it that was almost warming, ironically to me. But, you know, of course, with like all of Gordon Lightfoot songs, his melodies are so unique and very singable. And I think her version, like a lot of her covers, is able to pay homage to the original, as well as revealing new possibilities in the melody and in the chord progressions.

LL: All right, then, Kevin, your wish is our command. Here is here is sung for a Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot, performed by Sarah McLachlan.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: Winter's Night]

LL: OK, here's my admission that wasn't just for you, Kevin, I love that song, too. I'm wondering what it's like for you. How does it feel for you to listen to that song right now?

KEVIN SAKRESKY: It brings me back. And that's kind of what great music does. It's like a smell the sense that immediately transport you back to a certain time. And it was a sad time for me being away, but also exciting. And there's always a mix of emotions, I think, when when you have any kind of music. But Sarah's voice call to me from British Columbia while I was on the east coast of the United States. I suppose it will always.

LL: Yes, because Christmas carols have existed for a long time. I'm wondering what you think we can learn from these songs.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: The most important things about Christmas are that we are together in some way or another and that the simple things are the most important. Maybe the nativity story that's in all of the old carols starts with that. But the common thread I've seen now teaching my course is that even through the 20th century, the meanings of the Christmas carols was never about the stuff, the ephemera, and that I think the songs that really stick with us are the ones that evoke that those emotions of togetherness. And I hopefully that will mean something to people this year as well.

LL: Well, Kevin, thank you so much for sharing your music and your knowledge of the music with us. And Merry Christmas to you.

KEVIN SAKRESKY: Yes, happy holidays. Thanks again, Laura.

LL: Kevin Zakresky is a conductor and a music historian. That's our programme for today. Stay tuned, though, to Radio one for Q Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you. I'm Laura Lynch. Thanks for listening to The Current.

The Current Transcript for December 24, 2020

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

These front-line health workers will spend Christmas fighting COVID-19

Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe: Dave Cooks the Turkey

The little known history of some popular Christmas songs

Thursday December 24, 2020 Full Transcript

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