The Current for June 1, 2021
Today on The Current:
Former chief of Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation Manny Jules was a student at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C., as were his parents before him. He joins us to discuss the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the school, and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett responds to growing calls for the federal government to act on recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission six years ago.
Then, the CBC's Italy correspondent, Megan Williams, takes us into the heart of Calabria and the stronghold of the 'ndrangheta mafia group, where a "maxi-processo" — an Italian anti-Mafia trial — involving 355 defendants is underway.
Plus, as vaccine efforts ramp up in Canada, spare a thought for those who suffer from trypanophobia — a phobia of needles. Neuroscientist and science communicator Samantha Yammine talks about her extreme anxiety over needles, and how she prepared herself to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
And the U.K. government recently announced it will ban peat compost sales to gardeners from 2024, over concerns around its environmental impact. We hear from climate scientist Merritt Turetsky, and Jim Hole, a certified horticulturist who worked for 30 years in the greenhouse industry.