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The AIH Transcript for November 9, 2018

Hosts: Carol Off and Jeff Douglas

Prologue

CAROL OFF: Hello I'm Carol Off.

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

[Music: Theme]

JD: Tonight...

CO: Escape from Paradise. Ellen VandenBerg was among tens of thousands of Northern California residents forced to flee their homes. Tonight, she talks of being locked in traffic with her infant son as the flames drew perilously close.

JD: Not out of the blue. Now that Tony Clement is out of the Tory caucus after admitting inappropriate behavior -- a long-time strategist reveals that he crossed the line with her three years ago.

CO: To bleat the band. Before marking their regiment's role in the First World War -- pipers with Montreal's Black Watch first head to a farm in Belgium to collect the modern successor to their wartime mascot -- a battle hardened nanny goat.

JD: Coming down the pipe. A Montana judge halts work on the U.S. section of the Keystone XL but one of the indigenous litigants says the real fight is yet to come.

CO: He scored their shoots. Francis Lai who composed unforgettable themes for films like 'A Man and a Woman' and 'Love Story' has died.

JD: And one man's trash is also his treasure. After paying a homeless man 20 bucks for art he found in a dumpster an antique shop owner learns its true value and determines to balance the scales. As It Happens. The Friday Edition -- radio that's littered with gold.

[Music]

Part 1: California woman wondered if she was going to die as she fled fire with baby

California Fire

Guest: Ellen VandenBerg

JD: Ellen VandenBerg fled her home in the northern California community of Paradise yesterday -- and on her way out there were multiple times she thought flames were going to engulf her car. She had her 5 month old baby boy with her as well as a dog and a cat. An official has since said that Paradise is -- quote -- pretty much destroyed and that the wildfire that hit this area is just one of three major fires across California right now. As we went to air at least five people have died. Ms. VandenBerg and her family are staying in Rockland, California now. That's where we reached her earlier today.

CO: Ellen how did you sleep last night?

ELLEN VANDENBERG: I actually had a terrible night's sleep. I kept waking up and having sort of like images and thoughts and emotions. I mean I fluctuated from between being just really grateful to be alive and just thinking about all those people that I was with you know in the traffic trying to get out and just hoping people were okay.

CO: Can you take us back to the moment yesterday morning when you realized you had to get out?

EV: It just all happened really fast. It went me noticing that what I thought was rain was actually ashes falling from the sky. Then all of a sudden it just turned really dark out and I realized... it was bad. And it was coming fast. And so I knew it was time to start packing and didn't realize that I had less time than I thought. But you know I should had left way sooner.

CO: What were you able to pack up in such a short time?

EV: Well I just got married and had a baby and so I definitely got -- you know I tried to get some documents. I felt like it was important to have a birth certificate and marriage license. And I got a photo album that is dear to me. You know my husband is guitarist so, he's a musician, so I got that. I got the diaper bag for the baby -- that kind of stuff, shoved some clothes in there and that's pretty much what I got.

CO: But you had -- your baby boy is 5 months.

EV: He is.

CO: Oh dear. And so you're all in the car. What was it like? As you drove, what could you see?

EV: So I jumped in the car. The sky was starting to get dark. So it was starting to look like evening. And as soon as I turned onto my street, out of my little side street, I was stuck in traffic. Both sides of the road going in one direction. People kind of just trying to vie for a position to try to get on the main road -- the skyway that heads all the way down out of town and we weren't moving anywhere. And I was probably in that same spot for about an hour -- almost an hour. And so that was a really difficult part for me because I couldn't leave. And then I started seeing black billowing smoke not just you know smoke drifting over but just active smoke. I didn't see flames at that point yet but I knew there was another fire because the main fire was behind me and I was looking straight ahead and so I knew there was another fire in the other Canyon and I just was trapped there.

CO: At what point did you see flames?

EV: So I got onto the main road, to the skyway, and then directly I mean right after that I looked back and I saw flames. And that's sort of my neighbourhood that I was passing on my left. And I mean that's when I figured my house was gone. And I wasn't going anywhere. I was still inching. I mean it took me probably almost three and a half hours to get 15 miles. And the last -- well maybe like 20 miles. And the last 15 miles I did in like you know 10 minutes. The rest of the three hours I was just -- that was like three miles in three hours basically.

CO: How were you able to care for your boy during all of that?

EV: I was stuck in the traffic, right, and it was getting really dark out. And you know he had woken up and so I just got out -- I mean the car was in park often and I even turned the car off sometimes because I wanted to conserve gas. I didn't know how long I'd be in the car. So I put the car in park, got him out of his car seat, brought him to the front seat. You know I breastfeed so I breastfed him. I changed his diaper on my lap. And then I just honestly -- I just held him on my lap for the rest of the way and I just kept him with me because I actually thought that I was going to have to get out and run. And so I have a carrier that I can carry him on the front of me and I just thought I might just get out of the car grab the carrier grab the dog and just go and run. I mean that was -- at one point I did think that because we were so locked in -- it was gridlock.

CO: I just I can't imagine Ellen what it would be to have your baby with you to be seeing this billowing smoke -- to know the fires all around you and not be able to get out.

EV: It was terrifying. And looking at other people in the cars and everyone is scared. And there was one man who kept getting out of his truck and was pacing through all the cars and I rolled down my window I said, what's going on? And he said I have no idea -- he said, but it's coming behind us -- it's coming up on us. And I knew he was right and he looked terrified. He had a couple of girls in his truck. And you know there were a lot of old people -- it's kind of an older community, and it was terrifying. And then the cell service went out because I kept calling my husband and saying okay I've moved a couple of streets further -- now I'm across from the Walgreens or now I'm at this intersection you know barely creeping along on. And then the cell service went out. And that's sort of when it got bad for me because I didn't have anyone to talk to. I took a couple of videos of myself just to kind of have somebody to talk to and just tell my loved ones that I love them. And I thought this is ridiculous -- my phone is going to burn up. I can't send this video. I mean and at one point I thought should I be pouring water on my son? [Chokes up] Are we going to die in our car? You know I don't if people did. I imagine that a lot of people died in their vehicles or trying to run out of their vehicles. I can't imagine everyone having gotten out. I hope that everyone did. I just... I don't know.

CO: If you had thought you had to run, did you know where you'd run?

EV: To be honest I thought I would run down the skyway because that was the way out of town. I mean in hindsight that was not a viable option. By the time I got to the kind of the town's exit on the skyway there was flames on either side of me [inaudible] were on fire.

CO: This is on the main road then that you finally saw this.

EV: Correct. The way out of town. Yep.

CO: And everything was on fire?

EV: Yes. But by that time I had broken kind of free. Like they had led us -- they started flagging and waving us down just saying, Go! Go! Go! And they had opened the opposite direction of the skyway and let us all drive down the opposite way and I just took off and had nobody in front of me. And I did way over the speed limit I'm sure but I made it down to Chico.

CO: You're safe now. You're with your boy. Has your husband joined you?

EV: Safe now. My husband joined me immediately after. I met him down in Chico -- we reunited and cried. And yeah we now are together in Rockland. We're just trying to you know get our bearings. And we're just hearing all our friends -- I mean everyone lost their house we're pretty sure. We can't imagine anyone's house having made it.

CO: And your house?

EV: Yeah my house is gone. It has to be. There's no way -- you know even before I left my house I kept hearing these explosions and one of them shook my house and my husband said, oh those were the propane tanks --propane tanks were exploding. So it sounded like bombs going off. It was just an eerie -- you know the sky was dark and it was just smoky and eerie. And then it got scary. Really scary. I have not ever felt that you know certain that I was going to die. You know not that I was certain but I kept going back and forth between I might make this and there's no way I'm going to die.

CO: Ellen it's just so distressing. All I can say is that I'm so happy that you are safe and where you are and hearing your story -- anyone listening -- it would be hard to imagine how horrible that was.

EV: Yeah and I just really wonder about all [chokes up] the people that I was with because I did get ahead of a bunch of people at some point. You know I drove on my shoulder. We were trying to get out but I just wonder how many people didn't make it and how many older folks and people with children in their cars didn't make it. You know I don't have any information about that right now other than that five people died. I just really hope a lot of people made it out.

CO: But you know if you got out then others did. And you have to keep that in your mind that that's...

EV: They were able to evacuate the hospital so that's good.

CO: And you have people around who love you. So Ellen again I'm just glad that you are okay and take care.

EV: You're welcome. You too.

JD: That was Ellen VandenBerg in Rockland, California. We reached her there earlier today. And if you would like to see a photograph of Ms. VandenBerg and her family visit our website cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Tony Clement Update

Guest: Alise Mills

JD: At the start of this week Tony Clement was a veteran conservative MP. Today he is an MP without a caucus. He was booted from the Conservative caucus -- and women are now speaking out about their own experiences with Mr. Clement. First, he admitted to sending sexually explicit photographs and a video of himself to someone online whom he claims then attempted to extort him. Then he admitted to sending more sexually inappropriate messages to women. Since then other women have come forward -- many claim that he sent them messages that they felt were inappropriate. Now Alise Mills has come forward with her story. She says he crossed a line with her three years ago. Ms. Mills is a long-time Conservative Party strategist. We reached her in Vancouver.

CO: Alise does any of the news around Tony Clement this week sounds like the Tony you know?

ALISE MILLS: I would like to say it doesn't. I wouldn't say that in a complete way it did but my experience with Tony until probably 2014 was one that was respectful and a friendship and a good working relationship. And then it had strangely sort of crossed over to something that I found to be awkward and inappropriate.

CO: So when you talk about that behaviour that they're describing, what do you know about that behaviour?

AM: I never experienced what these women have experienced or at least what they're claiming has happened on his Instagram or Twitter accounts. Mine was more -- it began as being more vague. The compliments that he hadn't necessarily given me before. You know a little bit more contact physically I wouldn't say that it was overt or aggressive or abusive in the way that we would normally see it but it changed and it coloured how I felt about our relationship until it reached a crescendo where it was obvious that if I showed even the slightest intent that the relationship would have crossed over and that is where my heart was broken because I had considered him to be a friend, an ally, a mentor and you know a fellow conservative. I had fundraised for him. I had supported him. I felt that our relationship was based upon mutual respect both personally and professionally. He had been there for me when my father had passed away. But once that line was crossed I remember feeling the pit of my stomach through that disappointment, that visceral disappointment -- that it's another one of these guys -- why is it you. It was in Vancouver. It was over drinks and I just got up. I just walked to the car and I just knew that I could never see him in that light again.

CO: And just how did you feel at that moment? When you got up and got and sat in the car -- what were your emotions at that point?

AM: I felt like that my only value was my physical presence. I've always fought very hard for people to understand that I have something to contribute. I think it's a challenge that women always try and -- that we're always out there trying to work on that. So when I was in the car I felt ripped off. I felt betrayed. And I felt exhausted. Nauseated. Angry. And then I just wanted to push it out of my head. I didn't want to address it. I just wanted you know because I was afraid he'd say, 'well what are you talking about? What did I really do that upset you? You know you're making a big deal about it.'

CO: Just so people understand because in case they think the worst of this -- I mean your imagination is going at this point -- what exactly did he do when he crossed the line? What do you mean by that?

AM: Like I said he may not even remember this, but instead of kissing me on the cheek he kissed me on the lips goodbye. It wasn't lingering or anything I was just taken aback by it. But prior to that over drinks he discussed my looks and you know how lovely I was and how I was his you know one of his favorite. And then when I got up you know even the first time at the brunch I knew the hug was different. But what I don't think men like Tony understand is that these moments hurt sometimes more than the predator because there has been such a long level of trust and women in politics rarely have male mentors that they can lean on, that they can grow with in the party, that they can ask for advice, they can ask for support and help -- and so when you get into the rhythm of that type of relationship to have a change and to become sexualized is far more brutal than people might suspect.

CO: So you say you felt dirty and you felt betrayed?

AM: Yes. And what became particularly upsetting to me was that Tony was very aware of the abuse that I had sustained in my former marriage --uncomfortable, inappropriate, circumstances with other members of parliament. Both sides of the aisle [inaudible] that the environment had become supercharged -- super sexualized. And this isn't coming from a place of people wanting a sexual relationship so to speak -- this is rooted in power control and violence.

CO: Did you tell anybody about what happened?

AM: I did. I did. Slowly. It took several months I think before I think people began to realise that I wasn't necessarily interested in continuing any sort of affiliation. I had mentioned it to a fellow conservative. There is always the response that, oh guys like this are handsy. We had had a few in caucus...

CO: You said handsy. You mean like they were touching you a lot?

AM: Yeah. 'Oh he's just handsy. The dirty old guy.' That sort of thing. And that was part of why I felt dirty. I felt stupid and dirty and oh my god I fell for it again. And then you have these constant daily, monthly, whatever it is yearly run ins with political men -- you know imagine the old visual of you running around the desk -- it's different now -- you'll get fired if you don't sleep with me. You can't get that job on the campaign. You're not willing to play. Every year you're lesser and lesser of your original self. Your confidence starts to break.

AM: This is your experience as a woman in Ottawa?

CO: Yeah. Ottawa is [inaudible] geography so much Carol because everybody's talking about the Hill being toxic. A place can't be toxic unless the people make it toxic. And I think the tipping point for me wasn't that this Tony story was particularly egregious or particularly shocking to me -- it was the final straw on the camel's back and I know many women in my business who suffer from anxiety, depression, self-loathing, doubt, and really don't feel that they've got much more to give because it has been such a hard path to take. We have to really love what we do to have survived as long as we have. But I spoke out because I've had enough. I'm exhausted and we're nowhere near fixing this. We're in the 911 of this. There are far more victims out there and I hope women in politics and media come forward and have discussions.

CO: Can I ask just one final area which is that how Andrew Scheer, the Conservative Party leader, has responded to this and -- Tony Clement is removed from caucus. He said he hadn't heard these stories -- this was the first he'd heard of it. Do you believe Andrew Scheer when he says he didn't know?

AM: I think sometimes what happens is that there is a lot of wishful thinking especially when you have a character or a personality like Tony. Let's face it we all knew him as that fun loving, guitar playing, early adapter of Twitter guy, right? But I think it's more of a case of I don't want to believe this. My question to everybody was how do you get to peeling off your clothes and sending pornographic visual messages -- I think that's the middle of the story. So when Andrew makes that statement -- I spat my coffee out across my office. And I was furious. And I remember saying to the television, what a liar.

CO: Alise I appreciate your courage and your generosity in telling us this story -- it's not easy to do it, to be so frank. And I want to thank you for that and a lot of women would like to thank you for that.

AM: I really appreciate that Carol -- it does mean a lot to me and thank you for giving me the space and time to tell my story.

CO: You bet. Bye bye.

AM: Bye.

JD: Alise Mills is a longtime Conservative Party strategist. We reached her in Vancouver.

[Music]

Dumpster Art

Guest: Alex Archbold

JD: It may be one of the most life changing of dumpster dives. A homeless man who goes by the name Adam found a framed print of the Disney movie Bambi in the trash. He took it to his local antique store in Edmonton. He accepted twenty bucks for it and he went on his way. The store's owner however soon discovered the print was worth much much more and he was determined to find the man known as Adam who had brought it in and give him his due. Alex Archbold is the owner of the store Curiosity Inc. We reached him in Edmonton.

CO: Alex what do you remember about the day that this man came into your shop?

ALEX ARCHBOLD: Well it was not a day like any other. You know [chuckles] I was setting up. I was cleaning. And it's not unusual to have people walk in my store with treasures that they have for sale. So when Adam walked in I've seen him through the store many times before so he's always a welcome sight. So when I saw him walk in it was just more out of curiosity to see what he had found.

CO: And what did he present to you?

AA: What he presented was a ratty old plastic bag with a few little treasures inside that he found in the dumpster and the one piece that kind of stood out and looked interesting to me was a picture of Bambi in what was a dirty broken frame.

CO: Like the Disney character Bambi?

AA: The Disney character Bambi. Yes.

CO: And why did that stand out for you?

AA: Well I could see that it was an animation cel -- so a frame of animation that are usually hand drawn. And my first instinct was well it's probably one that they replicated in the 80s or 90s it's sort of an art piece and thought you know maybe if I got a new frame and cleaned it up I might be able to 80 or 100 dollars for it. So we offered him 20 dollars and he accepted. But I had a bit of a surprise later on. [Chuckles]

CO: Yes you sure did. So what now -- this is something that you have had before? You've had homeless people come in with things?

AA: Oh sure. We have several people that come in that are homeless or disadvantaged in our area and we're more than happy to welcome anyone in our store. Oftentimes they'll have little treasures of things they found. Sometimes I buy things whether I need them or not just to help them out with a little bit of money. In this case I thought well you know it's a neat picture and maybe if I clean it up somebody will think it's neat too.

CO: How did you discover what it was really worth?

AA: So I had to get it out of the frame and the glass which was all really dirty. I mean it had been inside the garbage. I took it out of the old frame and when I flipped it over it had a really old certificate of authenticity. And I thought well that's odd because in the 80s and 90s they would do this but it wouldn't be this old -- it had a copyright date of 1937 on it. And I said well that's pretty unusual. And Bambi came out 1942. So I looked up the gallery name that was on it which was in California. They had a relationship with Disney in the 30s and 40s to sell original animation cels. And so I started doing a little research online found one that was almost identical from the same series and I recall exactly what scene it is in the movie and I don't know if you remember Bambi [chuckles].

CO: I do.

AA: But yeah. So it's the scene where Bambi is just born and meeting his forest friends and he just meets Thumper and his family. So that's the scene that this picture is from. Iconic part of the movie -- we get to see Bambi kind of for the first time.

CO: Very sweet. So then you figured it was worth more than the 20 dollars you paid to Adam?

AA: Yeah. I wrote a gallery in the U.S. that had one because they didn't have the price listed online and he told me that they were asking 3,500 for theirs. And that's when I knew that whatever I got for this thing I knew I way underpaid. So I vowed and I made an effort on my YouTube channel whatever I would get I would give him half. So I put it on eBay.

CO: Okay so you put that up on eBay. And then what did you get for it?

AA: We ended up selling it for 3,700 dollars Canadian.

CO: And was this somebody who knew the whole story behind this or what?

AA: It was yeah. So the gentlemen that ended up buying it was a fellow that follows us on our YouTube channel. And he not only enjoys Bambi and Disney but he had also suffered with homelessness himself and he's doing quite well for himself now. He wrote me and said I put in 11 bids to make sure I was the guy that got that picture. [Laughs] And so he fought for it and he won it.

CO: Then you had to -- you said you would honour your deal, right -- that you are going to give half of it to this man.

AA: Well yeah the wanting to honour the deal was the easy part -- the actually getting him his money was difficult because as he has no home and no phone number. All I had was his email address but without a computer or a phone we take all these things for granted he had no way of reading the email that I sent him which was to come see me right away. So I took it upon myself to drive around town for a period of two weeks every single morning before work to try and find him until I ended up finding two of his friends or two people that knew him -- they were also on the street and they told me that when they saw him next and they didn't know when that would be they would told him to come in and sure enough he walked in my door.

CO: Before you tell us about that encounter. I understand that that two weeks you spent was quite an eye opener for you.

AA: Yes. Because we see people that are on the streets or asking for money or not asking for money and I think it's very easy for us to walk past and not think of them as being exactly like us -- you know just in a worse situation. Every person I talk to on the street was friendly and welcoming and nice and they had very interesting backgrounds. One was a very talented woodcarver. One had done window glazing. Everybody had been in a better situation or had a talent and everybody was so nice and accommodating and trying to help me find Adam.

CO: So Adam came in.

AA: Adam comes in [chuckles] and I surprised him. We sat down and chatted and I got to know him a little bit better and I gave him his fair share.

CO: How much money did you give him?

AA: 1600 dollars and 35 cents. I gave him an extra hundred dollars and then took him out for lunch. So it was just over 1700 dollars.

CO: And how did he respond?

AA: He's a very humble and nice man. And he was silent and he was tearing up a little bit. And he said is this a joke? Is this for real? And I said yeah it's 100 percent for real. He is such a kind guy. He didn't even feel right taking more money than he felt he was owed.

CO: What did he tell you about what he's going to do with that money?

AA: Well the immediate thing that he did with the money is he checked himself into a motel so he had somewhere warm to sleep at night. And I'm glad he did because it was bitterly cold. I took him to the bank and helped him get a bank account set back up which is very difficult to do if a person doesn't have an ID. But the plan now -- his children because of his situation were put in foster care. And his mom is going to be adopting or taking the kids you know under her care but they're in Ontario so this is a way for us to get him back to Ontario and hopefully get him some housing or get him on his feet. So the immediate money he got was just to get him off the street in the short term. The long term goal and we're doing a GoFundMe for him with his permission of course we did -- is to reach out to family of his out in Ontario, find a place for him to live, and get him a plane ticket or get him somewhere so he can be safe and off the streets and somewhere where he can meet with his family and reconnect with them again.

CO: Alex this is an extraordinary story. It's just so much to it -- it is very rich. And I'm glad that you were so generous with him.

AA: You know it just seemed like it was the right thing to do.

CO: Obviously you're going to make a big difference for somebody. Thank you.

AA: Oh my pleasure and thank you for chatting.

CO: Bye.

JD: Alex Archbold is the owner of Curiosity Inc. We reached him in Edmonton. And if you would like to see a photograph of this piece in question go to our website cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Part 2: Flora Stewart

Goat Regiment

Guest: Eric Booth

JD: The Black Watch is going to get its goat. The Montreal Royal Highland Regiment played a crucial role in the First World War and they were very serious about their Scottish roots. The soldiers were led into battle by the eerie skirl of kilt-clad pipers. And then there was Flora Stewart, their legendary goat. The mascot died in the final days of the war near a French town called Wallers. The pipers of the Black Watch will be in Belgium this Sunday to mark the centenary. But first, they are going to Wallers where a farmer is going to give the regiment a replacement goat. Eric Booth will be among the pipers. Mr. Booth is a former reservist with the Black Watch. We reached him in Ottawa just before he left.

CO: Eric first of all why was this goat so important to the Black Watch regiment?

ERIC BOOTH: Well Flora -- Flora Stewart is very important to the regiment because during war time animals were something that brought home to the troops or it was a distraction for the troops. So in this case Flora Stewart who was found in France in 1914 in the vicinity of where the Indian army were encamped -- we don't know how the 13th Battalion the Black Watch obtained Flora but from then on till 1918 Flora was a part of the pipes and drums for every venue that they went to.

CO: And she was an unusual mascot wasn't she? I mean she could do things that mascots, animal mascots, couldn't.

EB: Well yeah just the fact that a goat is marching around with a pipe band --pipes aren't necessarily a very calming sound. And mind you we were looking at war time too so there is gunshots and artillery fire -- there isn't anything else. So animals have to get adjusted to the sounds around them.

CO: And she could apparently turn on command and continue on as they marched.

EB: That's correct. There is actually pictures of Flora marching in front of the pipe band. And Flora actually had a little jacket which was Royal Stewart tartan. And Royal Stewart tartan is the tartan the pipers wear which is why Flora Stewart came into the name. And there was a special harness around the neck as well. And Flora didn't need to be harnessed and walked. Flora walked in front of the band on its own.

CO: So you had members of your family who fought in the First World War is that right?

EB: Yes I had quite a significant number of members and some of them are passed away and buried overseas or buried under water.

CO: And the stories you get from them about the brutality of that -- could you see how Flora could be such an inspiration?

EB: Oh I could. My grandfather was in the artillery. He had two horses he was responsible for, Molly and Jock, and when he talks about them he had tears in his eyes. They were his best friends.

CO: You have found another goat.

EB: Yes we have. The local farmers offered us, to loan us, Flora Stewart 2nd. And there's video online which shows Flora (2nd) in her earlier years -- now she's about six months old so she's quite a bit older and more mature. But we do have a new Flora Stewart which we're looking forward to parading with.

CO: I saw the video and she's very cute but pretty lively. Do you think that she is ready to march with the soldiers -- from Wallers?

EB: We have been told that Flora is ready. Hopefully she's been accustomed to some bagpipe music and the last picture which we received two days ago shows her wearing the Royal Stewart blanket and she looks very majestic with the horns now which she didn't have in the video.

CO: And also part of that ceremony in Wallers on Saturday you're going to be --there's going to be a set of original Black Watch bagpipes. Is that right?

EB: That is correct. The piper coming out of the U.S. his name is Colin Gemmell and his great grandfather was William Hugh Gemmell. Now he's going to be bringing his grandfather's bagpipes which would have been played in the town of Wallers when he was with the 13th Battalion of the Black Watch.

CO: Can you tell us a bit of the history of those pipes and of Black Watch pipers during the war?

EB: Well there was three regiments of the Black Watch and they were affiliated to the 5th Royal Highlanders out of Montreal. And the pipers and drummers and buglers during the war weren't necessarily a band -- some of them were assigned to different companies so they went forward as infantry or they were working as runners or they were working as medics or stretcher bearers -- and therefore the Black Watch overall had over 20 members killed in action. One of them was captured and taken prisoner.

CO: And they were very vulnerable weren't they? Because they were the first out of the trenches.

EB: They were at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Hill 70 -- all the Black Watch regiments together participated in those battles. And each company had their own piper. And each piper played the troops into battle. The pipers up in the front were very influential and created an atmosphere for their own troops to get a little more energy. If they could see this guy up there who's not carrying any weapons and doesn't have any protection piping them in that gives them a little more energy to go forward and continue the battle.

CO: Can you tell us what's going to happen on Saturday? What? Who? And how will that be done in order to commemorate that day?

EB: For the events in Wallers there will be a parade through the city. And we're going to be stopping at different locations. There's going to be a commemoration for a Corporal Gray who died in that locality. There is a little plaque now that's been unveiled for Flora. And then we'll have a remembrance service at two of their memorials.

CO: And there will be piping.

EB: There definitely will be piping, yes. And that just leaves us up to the events in [inaudible] which is on the 11th itself.

CO: How emotional is it going to be for you?

EB: It's [chokes up] going to be very emotional. I'm emotional now and I'm not even there.

CO: What will you be thinking about?

EB: My family. My grandfather. My relatives. Those who are still alive. And the other veterans that are still alive from World War Two and other wars.

CO: It's been a hundred years and it is still raw isn't it?

EB: Yes it's been a hundred years and one of the other things which the pipe band is doing -- wearing name tags of the original pipe band members that were over there. So we're also honouring other pipers.

CO: Whose name will you be wearing?

EB: I'll be honouring Lance Corporal Hannah who is the second in charge of the pipe band at [inaudible] in 1918.

CO: What does it mean to you that you'll be wearing that Lance Corporal's name?

EB: It's important to remember our past. And to honour those of us who laid down the groundwork for us. They sacrificed a lot.

CO: Eric I'm going to let you go I know you've got to catch a flight. And I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

EB: Well thank you very much.

CO: Bye.

JD: Eric Booth is a piper and a former reservist with Montreal's Royal Highland Regiment -- the Black Watch. We reached Mr. Booth in Ottawa. According to one estimate as many as 500 bagpipers died during the First World War.

[Music]

Borderline Bar Shooting

JD: Not again. That is what some of the survivors of Wednesday night's mass shooting at the Borderline bar in Thousand Oaks, California were thinking when gunfire erupted in the busy venue because they had heard it before. The Borderline had become a popular hangout for survivors of last year's shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas. And this week by cruel coincidence, some of them became survivors of not one but two mass shootings. 27 year old, Tel Orfanos, survived the first. He did not survive the latest. Here's part of what his mother had to say for the record.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE: My name is Susan Orfanos. My son was Tel Orfanos. We lost him last night at the Borderline shooting. My son was in Las Vegas with a lot of his friends and he came home, he didn't come home last night -- and I don't want prayers, I don't want thoughts, I want gun control and I hope to god nobody else sends me any more prayers. I want gun control. No more guns. Thank you.

JD: That was Susan Orfanos for the record. Her son, Tel, was killed in Wednesday's mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill. He had survived the mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas just last year.

[Music]

Keystone Injunction

Guest: Dallas Goldtooth

JD: While a judge in Montana has given Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau something to agree on. Yesterday Judge Brian Morris issued an injunction to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline at least for now. The judge found that the Trump administration's approval of the project was based on outdated information. The Trudeau government says the ruling is -- quote -- disappointing. While the U.S. President is calling it -- quote -- a disgrace. Dallas Goldtooth is an organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network, one of the plaintiffs in the case. We reach Mr. Goldtooth in Chicago.

CO: Mr. Goldtooth the U.S. President is dismissing this court ruling as political -- he says it's a political decision made by a judge, I think it's a disgrace. How would you respond?

DALLAS GOLDTOOTH: Well I think that the President approving this pipeline project without any consideration about its impacts upon people that are along its pipeline route as well as those in the tar sands region of northern Alberta is a disgrace unto itself.

CO: Tell us why you were opposed to Keystone XL? What would happen to your community if it was built?

DG: Well this project posed too much of a risk to the drinking water of millions of people all along the Missouri River watershed. It's too much of a risk to that prime and pristine pastoral land and farmland across America's breadbasket. And it poses a risk to Indigenous communities who have to deal with the man camps and the transient workers who are going to be coming in by the thousands -- and to our regions where a lot of our women and children are already vulnerable to sexual violence. There's a whole range of reasons why communities time after time for years now have stated that this pipeline is too much risk with too little of value to their lives. So we continue to stand strong. We are really happy with this court decision. It's not the end of the fight. It's a battle victory. And we celebrate it to the fullest.

CO: I just wonder how large a victory it is. Because you say you didn't win the war and this one -- it's a battle and might be a small one because it is a temporary injunction. The judge says that the government failed to fully review the effects of the current oil price, on the pipeline's viability, and did not fully model potential oil spills and offer mitigating measures -- so kind of limited. So what did you think you actually got with this?

DG: Well one, in this current political climate in the United States I'll take any victory I can get. But two, the judge has ordered a full environmental impact statement to be conducted. Now the environmental impact statement also known as an EIS -- there's no like undertaken it -- it takes a lot of time and a lot of information and a lot of work to accomplish. And typically these projects take at least 12 months. So that is a lot of time to delay this project especially since TransCanada has been telling its investors that they hope to begin construction as soon as January of 2019. So I hope this sends a strong message to the investors that this is an asset that they should put back out of as soon as possible because it's not going anywhere soon. You know no matter what the Trump administration does -- you know we stand committed to fight this project tooth and nail from the courtrooms to the frontline battles in the open prairie.

CO: In Canada as you know our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, he says he's disappointed by this judge's decision. It is one of those rare times when Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau actually agree on something. So you're up against a pretty strong force there. Do you have the resources to keep fighting this?

DG: Well I would just merely point out the fact that we as Indigenous peoples have been up against these forces since the very arrival of European settlers on this land. And I believe we have the spiritual, and the emotional, and the physical resources to stand strong as we always have over the generations. We are not afraid of [inaudible] society and the nation states that support it because we stand committed to protect Mother Earth by all means. You know I think that the Canadian government has to really take in account what does it really want for its future. Does it want to continue to dig more oil out of the tar sands region given the fact that the vast majority of scientists in this planet we don't have time to do that. So I think that it's really critical for us to really have sincere dialogue about just transition and a rapid decline away from fossil fuel extraction towards renewable sustainable energy.

CO: Canada's argument is that it is moving in that direction but it can't do that immediately -- that in the short term there will be fossil fuels. You are using them probably. I'm using them. Lots of people who would like to see a transition to less fossil fuels -- we are still dependent on them, right. So is there not a sort of gradual way that this can be decreased and that this pipeline might be part of that?

DG: Hey we're not -- I'm not advocating for it to shut the valves off at this very moment. I understand that our lives are very much dependent upon fossil fuel extraction and refinement but what we are calling for is a rapid managed decline of fossil fuel production and no expansion of the tar sands region. I guess we can't say it enough that United Nations came out with their new climate change report last month that says we only have until 2030 to really mitigate the global temperature rise or we're gonna see some true disasters across this planet like we've never seen before. And that falls on us -- the United States and Canada. And I think also Canada cannot ignore its complete disregard for Indigenous rights in this conversation. We continue to rely on economic arguments but it is also about assuring that you are respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples to decide for themselves what happens to their land, to their water, to the air, and to their bodies, and we have ultimate right to consent. And no consent, no pipelines.

CO: There are Indigenous people in this country and I suspect in yours who see possibilities for them with pipelines and with the fossil fuel extraction -- there's still jobs, there's still valuable to their economies, they are standing up for this continued extraction at least in the short term. So how do you balance that out?

DG: It's a reality that some of our local economies are dependent upon oil and gas but I've talked to numerous tribal leaders, First Nations leaders -- in the heart of tar sands, in the heart of the Bakken in North Dakota -- who say I wish I had an option to choose something else and I don't. And so what we're saying is look then let's start advocating and calling for those options.

CO: Alright Mr. Goldtooth we'll leave it there. Thank you for speaking with us.

DG: I appreciate it. Thank you very much for the opportunity.

CO: Bye bye.

JD: Dallas Goldtooth is an organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network. We reached Mr. Goldtooth in Chicago.

[Music]

Francis Lai

JD: When a film score is particularly inspired it can make a good film great. Rarely does it work the other way around. And like a great line like love means never having to say you are sorry. The score can take on a life of its own. Long after the film itself fades from the public mind. Now I would not deign to suggest that a Love Story was not a great movie -- for what it was worth it was nominated for seven Oscars in 1971. But it only won one -- for Best Original Score, some of which you just heard. And I am willing to bet that even if you have never seen that film you will recognize that theme. And the man behind that music was a French composer by the name of Francis Lai, a self-taught musician who went on to score more than 100 films. Francis Lai died on Wednesday. He was 86 years old. Mr. Lai started out playing piano and accordion and before he began scoring for film he had a steady gig as an accompanist in Paris backing up and writing songs for among others a singer by the name of Edith Piaf. In the mid-1960s he met the French New Wave film director Claude Lelouche who asked him to score his upcoming film -- and thus began a half century long collaboration between the two men. Mr. Lelouche told RTL radio, "He was the man of my life, an angel disguised as an accordionist. We made 35 films together, and we had a love story that lasted 50 years."

[Music]

Sheila Heti

JD: It is neither novel nor memoir nor essay -- Sheila Heti's "Motherhood" reads like an internal debate on that age old question to have or not to have children. A question Heti's narrator tries to answer in part with a series of coin tosses -- heads yes, tails no. "Motherhood" has earned Ms. Heti a spot on the shortlist for Canada's top literary award. The winner of that prize will be announced November 19th. And in the meantime we will be bringing you readings from this year's Giller nominees. Here is Sheila Heti reading from Motherhood at the Bella Concert Hall in Calgary.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE: I often beheld the world at a great distance or I didn't behold it at all. At every moment birds pass by overhead that I did not see. Clouds and bees. The rustling of breezes. The sun on my flesh. I lived only in the greyish insensate world of my mind where I tried to reason everything out and came to no conclusions. I wished to have the time to put together a world view. But there was never enough time and also those who had it seemed to have had it from a very young age. They didn't begin it at 40. Literature I knew was the only thing that could be begun at 40. If you are 40 beginning it you could be said to be young. In everything else I was old. All the boats were far off away from the shore while I was still making my way to the shore. I hadn't even found my boat yet. The girl who was staying with us she was 12. Made me see my own limitations as no one else had. My frailty. My obedience. My petty rebellions. Most of all, my ignorance and sentimentality. When I entered the living room in the morning half a hot dog was on the table -- I called it a banana. Then I knew I was too old for this world. That she had quite naturally surpassed me. And would continue to. To transform the greyish and muddy landscape of my mind into a solid and concrete thing utterly apart for me indeed not me at all -- was my only hope. I didn't know what the solid form would be or what shape it would take. I only knew that I had to create a powerful monster. Since I was such a weak one. I had to create a monster a part for me that knew more than I knew. Had a world view. And did not get such simple words wrong. Flipping three coins on a desk -- two or three heads yes. Two or three tails no. Is this book a good idea? Yes. Is the time to start it now? Yes. Here in Toronto? Yes. So then there's nothing to be worried about? Yes. Yes there's nothing to be worried about? No. Should I be worried? Yes. What should I be worried about? My soul? Yes. Will reading help my soul? Yes. Will being quiet help my soul? Yes. Will this book help my soul? Yes. So then I'm doing everything right? No. Am I handling my relationship wrong? No. Am I wrong in ignoring the suffering of others? No. Am I wrong in ignoring the political world? No. Am I wrong in not being grateful for the life I have? Yes. And the things I can do with it having this time and prosperity? No. Having my particular being? Yes. Is the time for worrying about my particular being over? Yes. Is this the time to begin thinking about the soul of time? Yes. Do I have everything I need to begin? Yes. Should I start at the beginning and move straight through to the end? No. Should I do whatever I feel like then stitch it all together later? No. Should I start at the beginning not knowing what will come next? Yes. Is this conversation the beginning? Yes.

JD: Sheila Heti reading from her book Motherhood. Ms. Heti is one of five writers shortlisted for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize -- the winner of the 100,000 dollar literary award will be announced November 19th at a gala broadcast live on CBC Television and here on CBC Radio One.

[Music]

Part 3: Fly Jamaica Passenger

Fly Jamaica Passenger

Guest: Invor Bedessee

JD: Invor Bedessee was all set for a relaxing overnight flight home to Toronto when he boarded the plane in Guyana late last night. But there were problems from the get go. Shortly after takeoff the flight had to turn back to Georgetown. And then it crashed just beyond the runway. Thankfully all 128 passengers survived. Six however were injured. We reached Invor Bedessee at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown, Guyana.

CO: Invor you've been through a lot in the past 24 hours. How are you doing?

INVOR BEDESSEE: I am so shaken. I'm still very nervous. I still got goose-bumps. I haven't slept. I don't think I'll sleep for another 24 hours. Just not in the right mood right now.

CO: Let’s go back to what happened. Now before your flight took off there were already some issues with the aircraft, right. What was going on?

IB: We were scheduled to leave at 1:30 a.m. last night -- the captain says the last check and close up -- one door was not closing properly. It was front left the door. It was giving problems to close -- the stewardess tried and tried for like five minutes, ten minutes -- it didn't work. Then they had to call back the maintenance people. The maintenance people tried for another 20 minutes changing all kinds of parts. Changing this. Fixing that. Eventually after 40 minutes doors closed properly and securely. So after that issue was done we got the go-ahead to taxi away onto the runway. Taxi away on the runway -- so that was all good.

CO: So once you got in the air at what point did things change -- when you know that there was something else wrong?

IB: Approximately 15 minutes or 10-15 minutes after departure, in climbing into the sky -- they said there is a hydraulic malfunction or a hydraulic issue or a problem. And we have to turn back and go back to the airport. So then as we approach the runway back now at the airport at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana. We landed properly -- all wheels touched ground. The reverse thrusters kicked in -- that was very loud and it was trying to slow the plane down. Now the plane was not slowing fast enough. Now we're at the end of the runway and they these spikes in the road -- like spikes on the runway. We had to go over two or three of them -- burst a bunch of tires. The plane shifted to the right -- sort of to the right. The right wing was flapping so much -- it ripped apart from the fuselage. And engine of that wing flipped over 90 degrees more or less.

CO: Wow. And so at this point what was going on inside the plane with the people?

IB: Inside the plane everybody was holding on for their lives. Their heads were down in the knees positions. We kept our heads down. Everybody was screaming. Someone was cursing. Someone was praying. Someone was like oh my god there's too much chaos. And then eventually the plane stopped. It had a burst through a chain link fence. And if it went ten more feet there was a steep ditch about 30 feet-40 feet straight down. We would be down in that ditch if that fence hadn't hold us back. The nose was actually overhanging in the ditch.

CO: Was everyone safe? I mean some people were injured. Could you see who was injured?

IB: I was in the business class section which the front [inaudible] row one on top of that too. So I didn't really see much of the back. And when the Captain said evacuate -- the stewardess opened door and slide is inflated so I jumped on the slide and just went straight down and ran as far as I can go because that plane was going to blow anytime -- we thought it was going to blow -- it was going to be a big fireball.

CO: Did you see people coming down that slide? I understand there were some mothers with infants.

IB: There was four slides. I was at the front of the plane and only 13 of us came from the front -- rest came from the back or the sides.

CO: And did you see how people got out of the plane? Were there people who were having trouble?

IB: No. Everybody was being helpful and helping each other when everyone was coming down one by one -- two by two. There were some injuries at the bottom of the slide. Some older people -- they didn't come off fast enough so more people coming down they were hitting them in the back and injuring that way. That's all the injuries there was more or less.

CO: Could you hear though what was going on behind you in the rest of the plane?

IB: Yeah people were screaming, 'get me out of here. People screaming, I want out. Hurry. We've got to move.' Lots of stuff. Panicking. People want to get off the plane so that's impossible. Wasn't that much people -- it was a half-filled plane -- 118 I think, they said, passengers.

CO: I understand it was 128 passengers onboard.

IB: 128 passengers. It wasn't a full plane so it was lots of space. Lots of people got off really fast. If it was a full plane it will take longer and there would be more chaos.

CO: But it was dark. It was like 2:00 in the morning.

IB: Yes. It was 2:00 in the morning -- actually 2:40-50 a.m. local time approximately.

CO: And then who -- and then they escorted you to the airport?

IB: Yes then we all grouped back together in the middle of the tarmac -- middle of the runway. We waited for some [inaudible]. We had a pick-up truck. We had the baggage escalator machine -- everybody jumped on these machines and go back to the terminal. And we waited there for an hour. Then one of the staff members from Fly Jamaica took our phone numbers, took our addresses -- just to contact us but no one has contacted us yet.

CO: Now just to go back to the plane you said that -- I mean your sense was that since it had crashed you were worried that it might catch fire. It might… why did you think that? What did you see that made you think that?

IB: We saw smoke coming up where the actual split of the wing was there -- engine that turned 90 degrees. We saw lots of smoke coming out of there and the fire guys had the foam there -- start spraying everywhere where the leak was, the fuel leak -- the fuel tanks.

CO: Well Invor I can imagine that you are quite shaken and goose pimply. What a horrible experience.

IB: Yeah. Well I call it a double miracle. My father passed away last year in March 11th, 2017. And Sunday would had been his birthday -- November the 11th. And I think he's watching over us and this plane is [unintelligible] stay down here some more.

CO: And what have they told you about when you will get your luggage or when you will even be told you can get on a plane again?

IB: Well there's no plane available for Flight Jamaica. We have two planes. One crashed. And one is on service. So I actually paid out of my pocket expense and booked a ticket for tomorrow to come back to Toronto because I can't wait for them to give me a free ticket or get me a ride out of here.

CO: On another airline you mean?

IB: Yeah another airline.

CO: How do you feel about getting on a plane again?

IB: I have to suck it up because I need to be in Canada very soon I can't stay here. I just have to hold my breath and pray for the best.

CO: Invor this is quite the story. I'm glad you're safe and well thank your father for that.

IB: Yes I will. Don't worry I will. I am every day.

CO: Alright take care and a safe flight home.

IB: Yes thank you. I'll see you in Canada soon. Alright. Take care.

JD: Invor Bedessee Dessie was one of 128 passengers aboard the Fly Jamaica flight that crash landed in Guyana this morning -- including -- or included in that number are 82 Canadians. We reached Mr. Bedessee at the airport in Georgetown, Guyana earlier today.

[Music]

Lindsey Graham

JD: As you will have heard by now Jeff Sessions is out as U.S. Attorney General. He has been replaced for the time being at least by Matthew Whitaker and that has led to some concerns about what these changes might mean for Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Well in an interview yesterday with host Martha MacCallum Fox News played a widely shared clip of Senator Graham from 2017. Here is some of their exchange.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE 1: You heard the reaction from Senator Joe Manchin and I would just remind you as many have been reminding you today of what you said back in July of 2017. Here's this.

[Voice clip] If Jeff Sessions is fired there will be holy hell to pay. Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. Unless Mueller did something wrong.

VOICE 1: So given where we are now, what do you say now?

VOICE 2: So when was that? What year?

VOICE 1: July of 2017. Things have changed.

VOICE 2: Yeah. So what I've been saying for months is that everybody, every president deserves an attorney general they have confidence in, and they can work with. I like Jeff Sessions. I've known Jeff for a long time. I hope he goes and runs for his old Senate seat in Alabama. It is clear to me it's not working -- was not working between Attorney General Sessions and President Trump so for months now I've been saying after the election if the President wants to change attorney generals he has every right to do so. I spent most of the morning with the President. To my good friend Joe Manchin congratulations on winning your race. I am not alarmed at all about Mueller being interfered with. I think Mr. Whitaker was a good pick. I think he's going to be as fair and as impartial as Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch were. The bottom line is this is hysteria more than it is anything else -- I am here to tell you and everybody else that Mr. Mueller will be allowed to do his job and hopefully that investigation will come to a conclusion here pretty soon.

JD: Lindsey Graham -- Senator Lindsey Graham speaking with Fox News.

[Music]

B.C. Rescue

Guest: Fernando Solano

JD: For Fernando Solano it was a routine service call to install a microwave but when he arrived at the house in South Surrey British Columbia -- no one answered. He was about to head out to his next appointment. And then, he decided to try one last time and that decision saved the life of the man inside the house, 85 year old Charles Ferraby. We reached Fernando Solano in Vancouver.

CO: Fernando when you first got to this man's doorstep was there anything telling you that maybe something wasn't right inside?

FERNANDO SOLANO: Not right away. I thought that maybe when I called in the morning he would -- he was in the shower because it has happened before -- when you are in the shower and they don't answer the phone.

CO: And so what did you do? Because you were there for a service call.

FS: Yeah. Well basically how I was there to install a microwave -- in the morning I call my customers to tell them exactly what time I'll be there. And I called Charles and he didn't answer.

CO: Did you know it was an elderly man who lived at that residence?

FS: No I have no idea. We have no idea who it is or how old they are when we get our job schedule.

CO: You still went to the house for the call and so...

FS: Yeah. So basically my partner and I split up I told him it would be easier if we can get rid of the microwave first and then move on to our other jobs so that way we don't have to drive back and forth. So I went there -- went to his doorstep. I rang the bell. No answer. Rang the bell again. Nobody was there. Knocked. Nobody was there. And then I went back to the truck and I called my office manager -- I told him, okay nobody is home so we just have to reschedule. So I got into the truck to meet up with my partner to our next job. But as I was sitting there I turn on the truck radio -- I was sitting there like, I think I should go back -- maybe he is just in the backyard or something. I got off the truck again, went back. Knocked again. And then I peeked in small window -- and yeah I saw him lying there. I could only see the feet and ankles. So right away I got nervous. I started knocking louder. And I was calling Sir! Sir! Sir! Are you okay? And there's no movement. I didn't know what to do -- so I went back to the front door and knocked again really loud. Rang the bell multiple times. And then I saw his feet twitched -- move. It looked like he was trying to get up and that's when I called 911.

CO: Wow. And so 911 came straight away?

FS: Took about two or three minutes something like that. So in the meantime while I was waiting for them I was trying to go around the house looking for an access point. And then I heard the siren and I came right outside and as soon as they came they tried to, same thing -- they tried knocking really loud. Calling out sir and then trying to open the door. We couldn't. Then I went with another guy and we saw this window that latched up. So as soon as he opened it you know we saw some screws and he said does anybody have any tools? I'm like I've got some tools. I'll go get it.

CO: You had your truck right.

FS: Yeah but by the time we got it out somebody already found an access point in the back of the house. The guy opened the door and everybody went in. I didn't go in because I didn't want to get in the way.

CO: So did they tell you if the man was okay?

FS: No they didn't get to that part because everybody was just you know kind of -- I guess they were trying to revive him or something. I'm not quite sure. I didn't go in there -- inside the house.

CO: But he was alive when they went in?

FS: He was alive. He was moving.

CO: And so what have you learned since then about -- you know his name now, Charles Ferraby -- what have you learned since?

FS: I heard through the reports that he was released yesterday afternoon.

CO: Apparently he had some kind of an infection and he may have been on the floor for a couple of days.

FS: Yeah that's what I read. I just know exactly what's been written in the news. A week after that incident his daughter called me and you know just asking me what happened that day and thanking me and yeah that was nice.

CO: Yeah. If it hadn't been for your gut instinct who knows what would have happened to the man.

FS: I just did what anyone else would do -- you know you see a man needing help and you can't physically help them you know you find somebody else who can. So I dialed 911.

CO: Well I'm glad you were there Fernando.

FS: I guess it could have been anybody but for some reason it was me. Everything worked out for him that day because -- like we normally call our customers the day before to tell them that our technicians will call them in the morning to tell you what time they will arrive but when we don't get an answer we don't put it on schedule the next day but for some reason he was not scheduled. Because they never got an answer either -- our office guys.

CO: I'm glad you were there Fernando.

FS: I'm glad too. Trust your instinct. You know the first instinct it's always the right one. Atleast he is okay right -- that's the main part.

CO: Take care of yourself.

FS: You too.

CO: Bye.

JD: Appliance tech Fernando Solano called 911 during a service call in Surrey B.C.. Today we reached him in Vancouver.

[Music]

As It Happens Pun Challenge

JD: If there is one thing As It Happens listeners respond to it is the puns. Now some respond with love. Some don't respond with love. Many tell us we could do better -- that we're not living up to our pun-tential. Well listen here smart aleck as part of our 50th anniversary celebration we are calling your bluff with the "As It Happuns Challenge." And here is how it works on the Twitter and the Facebook you will find this bill for a story from our archives: "Mike the chicken lived a full year after his head got chopped off until he choked to death on a kernel of corn. As It Happens radio that..." And that is where you come in. You give us your best pun you could win some pretty nifty swag. Plus you will be hailed as a bonafide As It Happens Pun Master. And that for some is a very high honour. And to get you started here is Sally Edington telling former host Mary Lou Finlay about the annual festival she organized to honour Mike the Headless Chicken.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE 1: Ms. Edington who was Mike the headless chicken?

VOICE 2: Mike was a Wyandotte rooster that was chosen to be chicken dinner September 10th, 1945 by Farmer Olsen and when he chopped Mike's head off -- Mike lived. And he lived for 18 months after the fact of the chop.

VOICE 1: He lived?

VOICE 2: He lived.

VOICE 1: The farmer's trying to kill a chicken for dinner.

VOICE 2: Right.

VOICE 1: Takes off his head?

VOICE 2: Takes off his head. He wanted to leave enough of the neck because his mother in law liked the neck so he was trying to get an extended neck section for her. And after his head was chopped off -- Mike did not bleed very much. They determined that it missed the carotid artery and he was able to live. And Olsen's watched him -- I mean they were amazed that he didn't die. And when he was alive the next day they went ahead and started taking care of him by feeding him and watering him through his gullet with an eyedropper.

VOICE 1: They dropped food right down his throat?

VOICE 2: Right.

VOICE 1: Why didn't they put him out of his misery? If I can use the word.

VOICE 2: Well apparently Mike really wasn't in that much misery because he was trying to crow. And from the reports that I've read he acted just like an ordinary rooster.

VOICE 1: He didn't know he didn't have a head?

VOICE 2: No. He was feed and watered and he was in the chicken yard and basically went on as a chicken.

JD: From 2000 that was Sally Edington speaking to former As It Happens host Mary Lou Finlay about Mike the headless chicken. And now it is over to you. Send us your best Mike the Headless Chicken bill pun. You can find all the details on Twitter and Facebook. You've been waiting for this for 50 years. CBC As It Happens both accounts.

Woman in the photo

JD: It was one of playwrite Norm Foster's most cherished possessions -- a photograph of a young woman at the 1978 Canada Jam concert. And the woman is waving a Canadian flag attached to a crutch. Mr. Foster's friend Les Judson took the photograph and gave it to Mr. Foster as a gift. And he hung it on his wall for decades. Years passed and the photo wound up in the closet of Mr. Foster's Fredericton home.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE 1: And finally wound up in a closet in my present home here in Fredericton. I thought you know it's such a shame to have this sitting away in a closet. I should find the woman who is in the photo and give it to her if she's still alive or if she's not -- maybe let her family have it. So I posted the photo on Facebook and with the headline, do you know this woman? And it got over 4000 shares.

VOICE 2: And then this thing comes across the Internet. A friend of mine from grade 7, Sabrina Smith, she emails me on the Monday morning and she said isn't this you? I went holy crap that is me. I cannot believe it. That's me. I was just beside myself. She just recognized. Me so I said holy crap that is me. So I got a hold of Norm Foster and he was like oh I can certainly see the resemblance to a younger you.

JD: That was Noreen McCallum-Fedoriuk forty years later on. To honour his friend who took the photograph of Ms. McCallum-Fedoriuk -- Mr. Foster gave it to her. It now hangs in her home in Meaford, Ontario. And while she cannot remember where that crutch is she does remember seeing the band Triumph on that fateful day.

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November 9, 2018 Episode Transcript

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