Note: Transcripts may contain errors. If you wish to re-use all, or part of, a transcript, please contact CBC for permission. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print. Copyright © CBC 2020

The AIH Transcript for March 25, 2020

Hosts: Carol Off and Ali Hassan

Prologue

CAROL OFF: Hello. I'm Carol Off.

ALI HASSAN: Good evening. I'm Ali Hassan, sitting in for Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

AH: Tonight:

CO: Arch support. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer says the Trudeau government has his support in fighting the coronavirus. But there are limits to what his party will support.

AH: A lifeline, but who for? The US Senate's stimulus package contains a big chunk of aid for corporations. But one Democratic senator tells us his party fought to make sure the money gets to people who need it.

CO: Insult to injury. It was hard enough to get tested for coronavirus, let alone suffer from the disease. But there was one more blow that an uninsured Boston woman got a ginormous hospital bill.

AH: The artist behind the classic Asterix and Obelix cartoons has died. We reached one of his biggest fans, who's the author of a modern kids classic herself who describes his masterful combination of action and warmth.

CO: Who says Cheetos never prosper. Our daily trip into the As It Happens archives yields a 2014 interview with an artist who works exclusively in a medium that leaves his fingers bright orange.

AH: And the United States Library of Congress released its annual selection of audio to be preserved forever in the National Recording Registry. As It Happens. The Wednesday Edition. Radio that preserves an explanation.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: Uninsured U.S. cancer patient with COVID-19 says $50K hospital bill might bankrupt her

Andrew Scheer

Guest: Andrew Scheer

AH: It took them until just before dawn. But this morning, after hours of haggling, parliament finally granted Justin Trudeau the authority to start shoveling money into the fight against the coronavirus. Then reporters asked the Prime Minister when desperate Canadians could hope to see some cash.

[sc]

JUSTIN TRUDEAU: We need to make sure we're getting that money out quickly, but also reliably to Canadians. And that means doing things that government hasn't done before and scaling up our processes extremely quickly. We are hopeful that the system will be up and running by the 6th of April and that direct deposits will be flowing days after that. We recognize that that is a ways off still. And there are people who stopped working a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, that are now receiving their last paycheque and not knowing when the next money is kind of coming in. We recognize that, we're looking for ways to help people bridge. But we will continue to work diligently and rapidly to make sure we're helping every Canadian we can.

[/sc]

AH: That was Prime Minister Trudeau in Ottawa today. Andrew Scheer is the leader of the opposition. We reached him in Ottawa.

CO: Mr. Scheer, how much confidence do you have that the bill that you all passed in the wee hours of this morning is what Canada needs at this point?

ANDREW SCHEER: Well, we're optimistic, but cautiously optimistic. We've seen a few examples of the government moving very slowly in some areas. And in the case of the legislation, surprising every opposition party with unprecedented powers instead of just focusing on getting financial assistance out the door. So, you know, we're trying to cooperate in an effort of goodwill and show Canadians that we can find common ground between all different parties. But we are going to hold the government to account when it's slow to react, when it has to reverse its policies or when it does things in an undemocratic way.

CO: And, you know, the most crucial thing is that Canadians at this point need to have a tremendous amount of confidence that the government knows what it's doing. The partisan fighting we saw during last night -- how much confidence do you think that may have been shaken in Canadians by watching that?

AS: Well, I think that what was shaken was the confidence in this government to proceed on that basis of good faith. You know, we did not have a partisan position. We were told to come back to Ottawa to pass much needed financial assistance. We were prepared to do so. At the very last hour, we received legislation with complete sidelining of parliamentary oversight. And we just cannot accept that. Not because we were Conservatives, but because we're parliamentarians and Canadians who believe in our democracy. So we were able to get major concessions from the government to put back in accountability and oversight. And we're satisfied with the outcome so far. But, you know, it's essential the government recognized that having accountability actually makes for good decisions. Some of their early decisions, for example, not to restrict travel from international destinations -- a few weeks ago -- had to be reversed almost immediately. So when the government says something that's wrong or when they say that they're doing something and they're not doing it, they need parliament there to hold them to account to get action on these issues.

CO: Because I just want to point out that what you're referring to is you found in the legislation, this section, that would grant the government unlimited tax and spend powers until the end of next year. The Globe and Mail had an editorial calling that Mr. Trudeau's first stumble, and otherwise good response. Did you see it that way?

AS: It was a major stumble. You know, it was either very unwise or it was a deliberate attempt to seize the opportunity to give himself more power. And that's not something we could abide by. You know, we were surprised to find out that they were giving themselves broad new powers to make payments to various entities, that there was no mechanism for oversight in terms of Finance Committee. So we were able to put all of those things back in. But I think what's critical here, and as you heard the prime minister say, there are going to be people who are suffering in real time. And our message to the government yesterday was if we need to get this assistance out quickly, then focus on doing that. Don't start including other measures that give ministers sweeping new powers. If they want to have a conversation about greater latitude during a time of crisis, have that separately from the conversations around getting financial help out so we can do that quickly and then we can take our time on the other types of things.

CO: We spoke with Jagmeet Singh last night. He felt that they weren't going far enough with wage subsidies. The NDP would like to see even more being done. But interestingly enough, Conservative Senate leader Don Plett, who calls himself a staunch fiscal conservative, he fears that the aid package does not go far enough and that it is not an adequate financial support for what people need. Do you share that with your conservative colleague Mr. Plett?

AS: Well, we all recognize that these are unprecedented times. We're not seeing people lose their job because of market conditions. They're closing the doors because they're being told to by government. And that's why we do believe that it's appropriate for the government to provide assistance. A 10 percent wage subsidy is not going to make the difference for the vast majority of businesses who have had to keep their doors closed for the last two weeks. What we're very concerned about is: will there be jobs for people to go back to? We believe that there needs to be a system there so that when this crisis is over, stores and restaurants and retailers can open their doors again and people can go back to work. And if there isn't that assistance provided, many of those small business owners will go bankrupt. Many of those stores won't reopen. And people will be reliant on these types of government benefits for much longer. I believe this Liberal government has an aversion to supporting small businesses. They launched an attack on small businesses just a few years ago and they've completely left them out in this financial package.

CO: There's a sense that some are giving that this coronavirus, oddly enough, could make for a reset of the Canadian economy. That a lot of things are going to could change and a lot of things could be redirected. If that's possible, and I know this is looking far in the future, but what would change? What do you think the post virus economy in Canada is going to look like?

AS: Well, I'm not sure. I don't know if it's going to be a reset, but it's certainly going to inflict tremendous damage. I think we're going to be looking at weeks and months of very very difficult economic conditions. Many many people will see a drastic reduction in their income. And that's why it's essential that once with the health crisis component is over, that we get our economy back up and running. The best thing for Canada has and always will be a robust, dynamic free market. Free people buying and selling freely. That is what we need to get back to as quickly as possible. In a crisis when government has told people not to work, it is appropriate that the government provide that assistance throughout this period. But then we have to quickly get back to a normal free market economy that allows everyone to prosper.

CO: We have seen a remarkable level of all party cooperation in this crisis. And as you know, Canadians want to see you all pulling together. But I'm wondering, after what happened with this attempt to put in these extraordinary powers, has your trust in Mr. Trudeau been shaken?

AS: It has. And I'll tell you why. We have been indicating very publicly our support for many of the measures. We have definitely changed the tone of our critiques when we are pointing out things that they're not doing. We're doing it in a way that's constructive and not just aimed at trying to grab a headline. And we were assured that there would be no surprises in the legislation. So it took us all by surprise. And for me to go back to my own caucus, it made it harder for me to tell my team you know, we're working on a deal because the last time this happened. So I'm hopeful that we can restore that trust. I'm always an optimist. But absolutely, there's been some real damage to our ability to operate in good faith.

CO: We'll leave it there. Mr. Scheer thank you.

AS: Thank you very much.

AH: That's opposition leader Andrew Scheer. We reached him today in Ottawa.

[Music]

Uninsured Americans

Guest: Danni Askini

AH: The two trillion dollar stimulus package proposed by the US Senate today is meant to provide relief to American businesses, workers, and the markets. But it may not change very much for millions of Americans who don't have health insurance. If you are uninsured and you test positive for coronavirus and you happen to need hospital care in the US, it could be a perfect storm. Danni Askini found herself in that situation this month. She's a recently uninsured American recovering from lymphoma treatment. It took her three visits to the hospital to get tested for coronavirus. And when the results came back, she tested positive. And her hospital bill was astronomical. We reached Danni Askini in Boston.

CO: Danni, first of all, just give us the grand total of your hospital bill.

DANNI ASKINI: It is $35,112.22 (US). I had a few things added on in the last week.

CO: How are you processing that number?

DA: It's very overwhelming and scary. I'm just recovering from lymphoma and it just feels like such a huge setback for me like this.

CO: I just want to get a sense of how it got to be that amount. You first had symptoms that seemed that you were sick at the very end of February. What was that like? What were you feeling?

DA: Yes, I had chest pain, shortness of breath, and I had very high pulse and blood pressure at first on the 29th (Feb). And I went into the emergency room because my oncologist had recommended doing that. And we lowered my blood pressure and I started to feel better. I went home. And then the next day, the fever and the coughing and the sore throat struck.

CO: Okay. Now, because it's the end of February, beginning of March -- it's hard for us to remember what assumptions were made at that time. But now, of course, they would probably test you for COVID-19. Was there any discussion about the possibility that you had coronavirus?

DA: Yes, we discussed it because I'm immunocompromised. I've been at a hospital. I actually attended the biogenic conference here in Boston and seen friends from all over the world. And there was some discussion, but there were no tests. So we couldn't test me. And so they treated me for pneumonia and then sent me home for the second visit. And I just continued to get worse.

CO: Before you went to the third visit, what was the state of your health?

DA: You know, I had started by feeling like I was fighting off the virus at a very high temperature. I was, you know, coughing a ton. I had a very hard time breathing. But eventually, about five days after my first visit, my temperature drops. My breaths became really shallow and fast and I couldn't breathe. And I was coughing up a lot of mucus and you could hear my chest rattling. And every day that week, I'd called the Department of Public Health here in Massachusetts to try and get a test and no tests were available. And then finally, you know, with the emergency room and my oncologist, we decided I had to go back and get treatment again.

CO: And people have described it's a feeling like you're drowning.

DA: It is terrible. It really causes you a deep sense of panic when every time you try to breathe in you immediately cough, and you can never catch a full breath. It's very scary.

CO: On the third visit, you got the test.

DA: I did, yeah. The doctors were really insistent. [Chuckles] I'm laughing because they were literally yelling on the phone and I could hear them through the isolation door yelling at the CDC and the Department of Public Health. And they finally did get me a test.

CO: What was the argument they were having with the Centre for Disease Control?

DA: They basically wouldn't test me because I hadn't left the United States. It was very heated. I felt taken care of by the doctors and the nurses. But I felt really...yeah. I felt really let down by the state.

CO: How long did it take before you had the test to when you found out that you had COVID-19?

DA: Yeah. It took about five days. So we actually had to send it to a private lab and the tests cost $907 because of that fact. So it was never done by the State Department of Public Health. So it took about five days to get the test results back and by then I had started to really feel recovered. But in total, it had been a total of ten days from when I first had symptoms until I finally got a positive test result.

CO: Were you ever admitted to the hospital for this?

DA: No. We discussed being admitted. But because I'm uninsured, unfortunately, in the United States it actually is very difficult to admit people who are uninsured if the hospital thinks that you won't be able to pay the full bill. And so instead, they sent me home with a lot of supplies, like an oxygen canister, and I.V. bags. I'm also a nurse. So, you know, that kind of weighed in. And I felt pretty confident once we'd stabilized my vitals that I could maintain them. And I was able to do that. But I think I should have probably been admitted. But the fact that I didn't have insurance did factor into that.

CO: You didn't have insurance and your bill came to about $35,000. What cost so much?

DA: A lot of it is the hospital isolation room. When you're in isolation for respiratory disease, everything that is going to be used on you during your visit has to be in the room with you when you first arrive. And then after you leave, everything that wasn't used has to be thrown away. And you're billed for all of that. But also, the room itself costs $5,000 each visit. And the doctors and nurses cost about thirteen to fifteen hundred dollars a piece for each visit. So it's very expensive.

CO: Canadians listening to this are aghast because this is our greatest fear that we would ever not have the universal health care that we have. 27-million Americans do not have insurance. That's almost the population of Canada. What do these bills -- because I'm sure you're not the only one -- what does this mean for you to have a sticker price of this size?

DA: Yeah. I'm going to apply for the low income health insurance program. And if that is denied, which it might be, I will apply for charity care from the hospital. But there's no guarantee -- they're not required by law to pay for this. And then I'll have to declare bankruptcy otherwise. And I think this should also factor in the number of uninsured people into how Canada considers opening the border again with the United States, given all of what's coming out of D.C. about possibly reopening the country by Easter. I really think Canadians should seriously consider the safety of your public health.

CO: I can assure you that is on the minds of many people. And as you mentioned, President Trump has said that the economy has to get going, that the cure is being worse than the sickness. How did those statements sit with you?

DA: I think none of these -- I was at the hospital again yesterday, I have permanent lung and heart damage now from this virus. And I have lost lung capacity. And I just got put on three new heart medications yesterday. I don't think that any of these people have visited the intensive care units and they have not seen what it looks like in the ICU. Like literally dozens of people on ventilators and people coughing and suffocating for their life. I think it's so insensitive. What they're saying is so devoid of the facts on the ground. They're more interested in dollars and cents than people's lives. And it's shocking to me as somebody who's now, you know, going to have a permanent disability from this virus. [Voice softens] Sorry, I'm getting choked up. It's very shocking to hear our political leaders making those kind of statements, knowing that I could have lost my life and that I already know...I have one friend in Seattle who has passed, who was a frontline health care worker. And that's just really...it's shocking and sad for me.

CO: Danni I'm glad you're okay. And I'm sorry you're going through all this. And I feel sorry for all the other ones who are probably confronting the same thing. I appreciate you speaking with us. Thank you.

DA: Thank you so much Carol.

AH: Danni Askini is recovering from COVID-19 and is currently dealing with a $35000 hospital bill. We reached her in Boston and you can find more on her story on our website: cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

From our archives: Cheetos artist

AH: Over the decades, hundreds of people have gone out searching for evidence of the Sasquatch and they've come back empty handed. But a few years ago we spoke with a man who found the legendary ape creature all on his own in a bag of Cheetos. Tonight's trip into the As It Happens archive's takes us back to November of 2014 to our interview with the Kentucky man named Andy Huot. He's a mechanical engineer by trade, but he's also an artist and a visionary. Where you and I open a bag of Flamin Hot Cheetos and see a snack or instant heartburn, Mr. Huot sees art. A Sasquatch, for example. A nativity scene and a monkey throwing feces. From our archives, here's Carol's conversation with Andy Huot on November 13th, 2014.

CO: Andy, what was your first Cheeto discovery? The Cheeto that launched your vision?

ANDY HUOT: That was the Sasquatch.

CO: It was a Sasquatch. It was a Cheeto that looked like Sasquatch.

ANDY HUOT: Yes.

CO: No one's actually seen Sasquatch. So how are you sure of that?

ANDY HUOT: [Chuckles] It matches the stereotypical Sasquatch.

CO: All right. After that, what did you find in your Cheetos bag?

ANDY HUOT: I found the number seven, which was actually a pretty good number seven in very intricate fonts. Then I found -- I think it was a fan cheering in the crowd, I call it. It looked like a guy with his arms up.

CO: And then you had like a hammerhead shark, a cat...

ANDY HUOT: A hammerhead shark, yes. Cats.

CO: And so now after you discovered these works of art in your Cheetos bag, when did you actually pass over into creating pictures of them?

ANDY HUOT: In the early part, maybe the first 20 to 30 posts I was holding them with my hands, taking a picture with my phone, and then I switched to tweezers after getting comments about my cheesy fingers.

CO: [Laughs] People thought you didn't look terribly well groomed or your fingers didn't?

ANDY HUOT: Right. Yeah, because I was working on a project and I was dirty.

CO: And Cheetos can really be kind of greasy and dirty too, right?

ANDY HUOT: They are.

CO: All right. So then you started taking photos in a more elaborate way. How did you do that?

ANDY HUOT: What I did was after the tweezers, I took a piece of Plexiglas. Then I just had a wooden box and I hung that over. I let a cantilever over the edge of the box like a diving board. And I'd break the heat on the floor. And I just set the Cheeto on there. And I would take a picture with my phone.

CO: And then you would send these out on Instagram.

ANDY HUOT: And I'll post them on Instagram.

CO: How popular have your Cheeto works been?

ANDY HUOT: Pretty popular. Some better than others. They've been pretty popular on Instagram. I was able to amass a lot of followers. People liked it.

CO: But we talked about your Sasquatch and then the number 7 and things like a cat. But from there, you went into some pretty elaborate Cheeto art. I mean, I'm thinking about one which is called "Interpreter and guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition."

ANDY HUOT: Yes. Yes. That was the first one where I actually really elaborated on the caption -- and I call them...it's really a title. I look at those captions as titles. But that was the first one where I actually had an elaborate description and I really liked the descriptions being more elaborate. So I kind of just switched to that. And I was able to create better art.

CO: You have another one second: Sacagawea -- is that how you pronounce it?

ANDY HUOT: Sacagawea, yes.

CO: Sacagawea nods her head as she holds her baby, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.

ANDY HUOT: Yes.

CO: And that's what you saw. You looked and said, "There it is. Sacagawea nodding her head as she holds her baby Jean Baptiste Charbonneau." There was no other interpretation for that Cheeto?

ANDY HUOT: There was. Actually the first thing -- I had that one for two weeks before I actually figured out what it was. I first was going to call it "a swamp monster" of some sort.

CO: Does the Cheeto tell you what it is?

ANDY HUOT: In a way it does. Sometimes it doesn't want to tell me and I have to coax it out. But some of them, it tells me right away. And others, I really honestly know it looks like something else. I'll take the picture, and then I just look at the picture and try and figure out what it is.

CO: How do you coax out of the Cheeto what it is?

ANDY HUOT: I basically ask questions. The Sacagawea -- I looked at it and I thought, okay, that actually looks like somebody holding something. What are they holding? And oh, maybe it's a baby. Whose baby could it be? And then I thought, wait a minute, Sacagawea has a baby that she's always carrying around.

CO: So the Cheeto speaks to you.

ANDY HUOT: Do they speak to me?

CO: Do they Cheetos speak to you?

ANDY HUOT: No, not really speak. I guess they just...in a way, you could say they speak to me and they tell me a story. But I'm not actually hearing voices, if that's what you're asking.

CO: We'll clarify that. And what happens to the rest of the Cheetos? I mean, how many works of this nature do you find in an average bag of Cheetos?

ANDY HUOT: The way it's been for a while, I actually only eat about 60 to 70 percent of the bag. And if I find anything, I call it Suspect Cheeto.

CO: You call it...sorry -- you call it what?

ANDY HUOT: A suspect Cheeto. I will save it in probably just on paper plate that I have sitting on my counter. I set it there. And then come back to it and I go for further observation. So I take another look at them. And by that time, they're already stale, so I don't end up eating those. But 30 percent of the bag usually ends up on that plate.

CO: That's a high ratio of art to Cheeto.

ANDY HUOT: Right.

CO: And do you worry that you maybe have eaten something that really should have been an artwork?

ANDY HUOT: I don't worry about it. I think I give them a pretty good look. I don't worry. But I'm sure that an earlier point my life, I've eaten plenty of pieces of art that I didn't know about.

CO: All right. It's fascinating, Andy.

ANDY HUOT: Thank you. Have a nice day.

AH: From our archives, Carol speaking with Andy Huot, who finds the artistic beauty in Cheetos. That first aired in November 2014. And you can find more of that story at: cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Part 2: Asterix illustrator Albert Uderzo left behind a 'magnificent legacy': author Cressida Cowell

U.S. stimulus package

Guest: Mark Warner

AH: It's designed to be a two trillion dollar lifeline. And if passed by Congress, it will be the biggest fiscal stimulus package in US history. The package contains billions of dollars in loans for small businesses, and $500 billion in aid for large corporations. It includes direct payment of cheques to Americans, and it provides aid to hospitals struggling for medical equipment. COVID-19 has ground the US economy to a halt. And despite stern warnings from health officials, President Donald Trump is vowing to open up the country again by Easter. Mark Warner is a Democratic senator in Virginia. He supports the stimulus package that was proposed today. We reached him this afternoon in Alexandria, Virginia.

CO: Senator Warner, is this a package for Wall Street or for Main Street?

MARK WARNER: Well a package that originated and was frankly more geared for Wall Street -- I think it's been dramatically changed. I'm not a big fan of the administration usually, but the treasury secretary came in, I think worked with us to make enormous improvements. It really breaks into four or five categories: direct support for families, a lot of support for small businesses and medium sized businesses with the ability for smaller businesses to actually get full reimbursement for four to six weeks,a lot of support as well for our hospital system, and a muchly expanded unemployment insurance. So the fact in United States, about 70 percent of our workers don't get traditional unemployment because they may be gig workers or independent contractors, those workers will now be covered. So I think it's a much better package. And I'm anxious to get it to the president's desk.

CO: At this point, this may change before we go to air with this interview. But it seems that it's being held up and that the Republicans are saying there's a massive drafting error in the current version and concerns that the enhanced unemployment benefits are an incentive for people not to work. Is that something that you can address?

MW: I do not believe that's the case. This has been negotiated with the administration until the wee hours last night. I would be disappointed -- and the markets -- I think the world would be disappointed if we don't move this legislation. It is a generous unemployment program for four months and it does cover a lot of workers that have not been covered in the past. But when we've got this kind of health care crisis, when it's not, frankly, the fault of the workers or for that matter, the businesses, let's make sure we get the assistance out. And also let's make sure that the assistance to businesses that we have, the kind of transparency and restrictions on stock buybacks or executive compensation that so angered Americans after the TARP program back in 2008.

CO: I also want to ask you next, because today's package, as you point out: 500 billion aid for large corporations. And people remember what happened in 2008-2009 where the corporations used the money sometimes to buy back their own stock. Lots of abuse from what we call the Troubled Asset Relief Program. What guarantee is it that it's not going to be abused again?

MW: Well, there are guarantees on the direct lending component that will put restrictions on stock buybacks, on dividends, an excessive executive compensation. They'll also be enormous transparency. Literally within a week any of the terms of direct lending will have to be distributed. And sunlight is the best kind of disinfectant. There will be the ability for the Treasury to go in and buy up, you know, commercial paper, corporate debt that stabilizes the market. But it is something the Fed has done in the past because this is both a program run by the Treasury, but also leverages some of the ability of the Federal Reserve as well.

CO: Is it really possible at this point to stimulate the economy? I mean is this disaster relief or is this stimulus?

MW: I think it's a bit of both. My focus was on disaster relief. How do we make sure those families that have been laid off or quarantined or sick or those frontline health care providers who are putting their lives on the line literally every day, get the equipment they need, get this economic security they need. There is a general stimulus as well with this 1200 cheque per adult up to a certain income level, I think that will be helpful, but not as targeted as the disaster relief components.

CO: I have to ask you also about the plans that President Trump seems to have to reopen your country by Easter to kick start the economy. What's stopping him from doing that?

MW: I think what's stopping him, and I would hope and wish and pray that we would be able to open by Easter driving through the streets of Washington seem deserted is pretty strange. But this country is going to follow the advice of health care professionals, of our mayors, of our governors -- as a former governor, I've led my state through a disaster in the past. I know what kind of responsibility. Nothing would be worse than trying to send this country back to work before there was an all clear. If people start going back to work and the illness started to spike, the lack of trust in government, and frankly the lack of trust of people even being willing to go back to work would undermine us for a long long time to come. So I think rational approaches will prevail.

CO: But President Trump -- and he's not alone in this -- seems to be making a calculus as to how many American lives might be okay to sacrifice for the sake of the economy. That's been something quite shocking to many people in the world. But it seems to be a kind of idea that is being picked up by others. What do you make of that?

MW: Well, I make that it maybe the fact that President Trump may not know friends or family who've got the illness. I've got friends and family. I've got dear friends who've got a house in Canada who are caught and we're trying to get them appropriate care in Montreal at this point. I think as this comes home to roost to more families across our country and across the world, across Canada, across the world, that that kind of cavalier attitude will move beyond. And as we've seen from this president, he has a tendency to make comments or tweets that oftentimes are not followed through on. And I think the kind of universal rejection of those comments yesterday are an indication of where we're headed. I'd love to see us open by Easter if health care experts allow. But I don't think we're going to see a forcing of people going back to work while this virus is still running rampant.

CO: And speaking of people who have seen who are ill, we spoke with a woman in Boston who has no health insurance, who tested positive for COVID-19, spent three sessions in the emergency department and now has a $35,000 hospital bill. How will today's stimulus package help people like her?

MW: We've already put in place the ability to make sure all testing is free. And one of them, the stories after the crisis, United States' inability to get testing equipment out in an efficient fashion and its failure to adopt the German and W.H.O. standards, answers...we still need it. There has been additional funding in this recent package to make sure that folks who are uninsured don't receive those kind of oftentimes they're viewed as what we call them, state surprise billing. My family who has got very good health insurance -- I had a daughter go to a hospital, come home with a 92,000 dollar bill, and we have as good of an insurance as anyone. This is an abuse that's taking place in our system right now. But again, there's some bipartisan interest in making sure we close down.

CO: Canadians just find this kind of thing shocking.

MW: Let me tell you Carol, many Americans find it shocking as well. And this is not just an American or Canadian. This is a worldwide pandemic. And the more we can haul in together, I think the better we all will be off.

CO: Senator Warner, I hope that your country is able to cope with this. We're hoping ours is as well. And I appreciate speaking with you.

MW: Thank you Carol.

CO: Thank you.

AH: Mark Warner is a Democratic senator in Virginia. We reached him earlier today in Alexandria, Virginia.

[Music]

Bell ringing

[sc]

[Bells ringing]

[/sc]

AH: That's the sound of bells ringing at St. George-in-the-Pines Anglican Church in Banff. If you live in the area, you've come to expect to hear that sound more often recently. The church's pianist, Heather Jean Jordan, has been ringing them every day around 1 o'clock in the afternoon. With everyone inside, she's hoping to send a message of hope echoing through her community. Heather Jean Jordan spoke to the CBC Calgary's Eye Opener about how the idea formed.

[sc]

HEATHER JEAN JORDAN: I play every Sunday at St. George's except for the last couple of Sundays. But the church still streams services. And the first Sunday that we did it, I rang the bells. And people really...it touched them. And they said, oh, I really needed that. So I thought, well, I don't have any other work really. So I might as well [chuckles] do it every day.

DAVID GRAY: What are the bells like? When you ring them, what do you actually do?

HEATHER JEAN JORDAN: You press down on a lever. So there are 11 levers. And it's kind of a -- if you sang as a kid like do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do -- it's like do-to-do and a low ti and then two extra notes that are accidentals to allow for a larger range.

DAVID GRAY: Oh, well, that's nice. So you have an option of what you play?

HEATHER JEAN JORDAN: Yes, it's still very limited. But I can play quite a few different things on there.

DAVID GRAY: You could do a deer, a female deer, and go through the whole tune.

HEATHER JEAN JORDAN: I did that! Yes, I'm able to do that. And people really like it. [Laughter] I've been playing quite a few secular pieces because it's for everybody. And every day I try to end on O Canada.

DAVID GRAY: So what's been the response in Banff? Can you describe that for me?

HEATHER JEAN JORDAN: Oh, well, I mean, I just kind of started doing it and then people started reaching out on Facebook and sending me texts. And people seem to just love it. And you can hear it. The town is -- probably almost half the town has been laid off. So it's a very quiet town. But you can hear it way across the river, up into the Middle Springs area, which is on the way to the rimrock if people know that area.

DAVID GRAY: Heather, it clearly has made Banff feel better. That's how we heard about you. We heard from people in Banff saying you've got to hear these bells they're fantastic. What a nice addition to the town. But I have to ask, does it make you feel better to play the bells right now?

HEATHER JEAN JORDAN: It does. Yeah, it does. You know, I'm a musician and I also teach lessons. I'm teaching online lessons. But everything else is so all over the place. And, you know, even with lessons, it's all new. So making it at 1 o'clock and, you know, you might be feeling pretty low in the morning. And by the time you get there, you go, okay, I've got to ring these bells because there are people who are waiting for them. And then by the end, I don't know, there's something about bells. By the end, I'm feeling really good. [Chuckles]

[/sc]

AH: That was Banff music teacher, Heather Jean Jordan speaking with the CBC's David Gray. Ms. Jordan is ringing the bells at her church every day at around 1 o'clock.

[Music]

Alberto Uderzo obit

Guest: Cressida Cowell

AH: Comic characters come and go, but some live for generations. Asterix is among those few. The French cartoon hero was created in 1959 and is still treasured today. And the co-creator of the Asterix stories, the illustrator Albert Uderzo, died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 92. Many people were influenced by the tales of the plucky Gaul Asterix and his sidekick Obelix' rebelling against the ancient Romans. And one of them was Cressida Cowell. She's the UK children's laureate and the author illustrator of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once. We Reached Her in London.

CO: Cressida as a child, what did you love about Asterix?

CRESSIDA COWELL: I adored Asterix as a child. I mean, I loved the cleverness of the stories and the wonderful illustrations. I mean, he's just a genius. It is a stunning illustration. And it was very influential for me. That's why although I write books for older children which are chapter books rather than comic book novels, I include masses and masses of pictures, because I think pictures are a way in for children.

CO: That's certainly how Albert Uderzo was hoping it would be. And these illustrations are so wonderful. What is it about those, I guess Asterix and Obelix, the two principal characters, the inhabitants of this Gaul French village holding out against the Romans -- what is it about those two characters that appeals to kids?

CC: Well, the underdog. I mean, the children love -- we all love -- the idea of underdogs. You know, holding out this wonderful village against the whole might of Rome. I mean, that appeals to adults as well as children. And I think it's the lovely affectionate relationship between Asterix and Obelix' that was so lovely and appealing, I think, for children. And I think you see children often, they're so smart, children. They're very very clever. But telly and film is just beamed magically into children's heads without them having to work at it. And the problem with books and reading is that a child has to make an effort to access that. And even if a child doesn't have a reading difficulty, it's even harder if they are dyslexic or have a sort of a problem with reading, but even if they don't, a book can very easily come to represent something that makes them feel stupid, even though they're not at all stupid. So those illustrations were absolutely key that the lavish illustrations combined with a very sophisticated story. But as you say, with those characters that were so lovable, Asterix and Obelix. Asterix was so clever and smart. They were so different. Asterix was so smart. And Obelix was just so lovable, so kind of adorable.

CO: I wonder what influence Albert Uderzo had. Because the way he illustrated the Asterix stories, we see it's familiar. There are many who have obviously been influenced by him. What style did he develop in storytelling for kids in the illustrations?

CC: Yes. You don't even realize, do you, how influential something is -- and particularly as an illustrator myself -- I don't think you consciously realize that you're being influenced by somebody else. But of course if you grow up with something, if you read something as a child, it just embeds itself in your consciousness. And as soon as you said -- I hadn't even thought of it [chuckles] I hadn't even thought of it until you said it. But Obelix, of course, he influenced my "Stoick the Vast" -- that loveable character. You know the chest had slipped a bit [laughs]. He described himself as not being fat, but his chest had just slipped a bit. But that sort of intensely lovable character influenced generations -- I'm sure not just me -- generations of children's illustrators. I mean, it was so widespread that it had an effect on, I think, illustrators across the world, not just in France.

CO: And to remind people what you're referring to is your wonderful series, How to Train your Dragon with your scrawny Viking hero named Hiccup. So he did have an influence on you. Obviously an influence on the whole idea of graphic novels and telling stories in that way. I'm sure that lots of people who are doing graphic novels must have grown up with Asterix, I'm guessing.

CC: Yes, Asterix. And in fact, Rene Goscinny wrote many graphic novels. And Uderzo illustrated Oumpah-pah without Goscinny. But I think it was the combination of the two of them that was so very successful with the sharp writing of Goscinny and Uderzo's stunning illustrations. I mean a certain magic happened when they work together.

CO: And of course Rene Goscinny -- he died sometime ago. And then, Albert Uderzo...

CC: He carried on very successfully, which is hugely unusual. I mean, I think when you've had such a successful partnership for him to manage to carry on successfully writing on his own, but I suppose he was a writer. When you're an illustrator, you often telling stories at the same time and he knew those characters so well. They had already written so many books together. But the two giants really were Tintin and Asterix. Those are the ones that went -- although, as I say, even just Goscinny and Uderzo did many graphic novels. And I think in France, graphic novels for that age group are still terrifically popular and there's a much bigger range. Actually worldwide, I would say the biggest impact was created by Asterix.

CO: And before we let you go, just give us your favourite Asterix.

CC: Oh! That's so tricky. I adored Asterix in Switzerland because there's a magnificent sort of [laughs]...wonderful scenes. Asterix in Britain, of course. I've got a bit of a soft spot for... Goodness I can't choose one! Asterix in Spain [CO Chuckles] where they try to rescue this kidnaped kid who keeps on holding his breath. I mean, the whole thing was so funny and clever. It's very difficult to choose a single one. And it's given generations of pleasure.

CO: We are going to get our listeners sending in their favourite Asterix. And Cressida, I really appreciate your tribute to Albert Uderzo today. Thank you.

CC: A genius. He was a genius. A wonderful wonderful man.

CO: Thank you.

AH: Cressida Cowell is the author of the How to Train Your Dragon series and a lifelong fan of the late Albert Uderzo. We reached her in London. And you can find more memories of Albert Uderzo on our website: cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

The Ultimate Stay At Home Playlist

AH: The Library of Congress might have the hottest mixtape outright now. It's certainly the most eclectic. Each year, the United States Library of Congress selects 25 recordings to be preserved for posterity and added to the National Recording Registry. Today, the list of 2020 inductees was released and it does not disappoint. Here's a taste.

[sc]

[Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood Theme]

[Snoop Dogg's "Nuthin But A G'Thang"]

[Announcer Russell Hodges giving home-run call]

[Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You"]

[/sc]

AH: In order from the top, that was the theme from Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood, Dr. Dre's "Nuthin But A G'Thang" and Baseball announcer Russ Hodges famous 1951 shot heard round the world home-run call. I think the Giants won the pennant in that one. And finally, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Those are just some of the 25 recordings added today to the National Recording Registry by the United States Library of Congress. Librarian Carla Hayden called the 2020 selections, quote, "the ultimate stay at home playlist."

[Music]

Part 3: COVID: rural doctor

COVID: rural doctor

Guest: Katie Forfar

AH: The coronavirus isn't just a threat to Canada's major urban centres. The lesson from Italy and Spain is that small towns and rural communities can be hard hit as well. Katie Forfar is a family doctor serving largely older groups of patients in Renfrew County in eastern Ontario. We reached Dr. Forfar in Pennbrook.

CO: Dr. Forfar just first of all, what kind of protective gear are you wearing when you see patients in your clinic?

KATIE FORFAR: I'm wearing goggles that I purchased at the Home Depot, as well as a surgical mask if I have anybody presenting with viral symptoms that must be examined.

CO: And how often do you see viral symptoms that must be examined?

KF: Well, our clinic has an urgent care clinic in the morning, Monday to Friday, and we are prescreening by phone. But certainly many people are still coming in with children with viral illnesses, ear infections, suspected strep throat, adults who identify as things like asthma, COPD. And sometimes these people must be examined to determine if you need to give them an appropriate treatment.

CO: And you're seeing them with goggles you bought -- and a face mask, which I presume is...or a mask that is not N95, which is what's prescribed, right?

KF: That's correct. I have a surgical mask which just loops behind my ears. This would be protective hopefully for me preventing asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic transmission if I am currently infected with COVID to my patients. It also protects me from touching my eyes and face during the day. I assume though if my patients are coughing, sneezing, that I am simply being showered with viral particles. And so I do return home -- remove my shoes when I enter my home, straight to the shower before I kiss my children. I'm also very aware of not trying to infect my husband, who is the head of our local group in our town.

CO: And so he's on the front lines of this epidemic -- your partner is?

KF: Yes. He's been having training and trying to get equipment that I used as a reservist to consider biological warfare. It's simply unbelievable what has transpired in two weeks.

CO: We spoke with a doctor this week who said that basically if one piece of the kit -- that they regard is necessary -- if one part of that kit is not there, they don't allow those doctors to see patients. And that includes the N95 mask, the gloves, a face shield, something covering your head. The whole nine yards. And so you are clearly not doing that. Or that's not available to you.

KF: No, it's simply...we do have some equipment in our office, which I believe will be eventually transferred to local hospital -- Pembroke will be assigned the COVID-positive hospital for the area. We've been told not to waste this equipment. And so I'm just trying to be very aware of my hands and aware of trying to break this chain of transmission by not transmitting to or from my patients.

CO: What about testing? We heard last night from a doctor in Toronto who wasn't able to order covert tests for his patient. So are you facing that problem as well?

KF: We had some viral swabs in our office, which we've been asked to again pass onto the hospital. These swabs were being controlled in our area by public health. So a patient at first had to have a positive travel history. And so very quickly, when we knew we had community spread, I think most physicians, nurse practitioners wanted to swab anybody that had a positive travel contact. And it was now symptomatic. But of course, we were simply limited. Canada has very low numbers right now because we are now catching cases that were likely transmitted about two weeks ago. People are asymptomatic for some time before they start shedding virus and about five days later will develop symptoms. And then about a week later, will be sick enough to present for care. And so the swabs are initially being withheld unless people were requiring admission to the hospital.

CO: We've heard from the World Health Organization and we've heard from individual doctors -- someone in Vo, Italy, where they've actually been able to stop the spread -- that you have to test, test, test. That's the thing. At the same time, we're also hearing from our own health officials that the window is closing on when we can actually get ahead of this or be able to suppress it, to flatten the curve. Does it feel like there's a disconnect between what we understand internationally needs to be done and what is actually able to happen in this country?

KF: In health care I think everyone is really trying to do their best and push this equipment shortage, equipment supply not meeting demand as fast as they can. I believe I read that study in Vo. And soon as they had a positive case in that town, they were able to swab the entire town and found 3 percent of the population was already pre-symptomatic. A small number remained asymptomatic. That entire town was quarantined for 14 days and they dropped that rate by 90 percent. That is what has to happen here. We don't need the data. We can already see the data. So right now, I don't think people need to be worried about getting tested. The vast majority of us will be just fine. They need to simply follow the chain of transmission and try to break it. We've done this before with illnesses and now we have a global network of people helping a web of information and kindness that I've seen. And I very much hope that as long as we take this 14-day quarantine time when you've returned from travel, if you are symptomatic, simply remain home.

CO: I'm really interested and touched by your idea that it's not just information, but kindness. These networks of kindness that have been key to this. What are you thinking of when you say that?

KF: I've never been on Facebook as much as I have in the last week. I've just seen a humongous web of human contact. Information being pushed out faster than this virus can travel. It can only travel at the speed of our handshakes and our planes. And I see so many groups going out calling their local retirement home, nursing home, trying to entertain these folks -- they are completely isolated at this time and frightened. I see people reaching out to donate things like protective equipment, masks, gloves. If you have a box of Purell in your garage, please offer it to your local health centre or hospital, fire department, ambulance company. I'm astonished. I'm astonished by the kindness I've witnessed between people. We are physically distancing from one another, but we are not socially distancing. We should all be still making eye contact and smiling. Everyone is in this together.

CO: Dr. Forfar thank you. And your kindness is coming through very very clearly in this. And I really appreciate speaking with you.

KF: Thank you so much.

AH: Katie Forfar is a family doctor in eastern Ontario. We reached her in the city of Pembroke near Ottawa.

[Music]

Terrence McNally

AH: Terrence McNally once told an interviewer, "I am tone deaf. If I tried to sing, it's horrible." He added, but I consider myself a musical person. That first thing he said is surprising for two reasons. First, because everyone considered him a musical person, largely because he wrote the books for some of the most popular musicals of all time. And second, because if anyone understood tone, it was Terrence McNally. Mr. McNally died yesterday at the age of 81 of complications related to the coronavirus. Over a six decade career, he wrote some four dozen musicals and plays. He won four Tony Awards, two for the books for Ragtime and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. Another one for Love! Valor! Compassion! One of his many major works exploring the lives of LGBTQ characters. Last year, Terrence McNally was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Tonys. Here's part of his acceptance speech for the record.

[sc]

TERRENCE MCNALLY: I love being a playwright. The hours are flexible and you don't have to wear a tie unless you're invited to the Tonys. I've loved it since I wrote my first play. It was about George Gershwin, and Ira, his talented lyricist wife. I loved it when I wrote my college varsity show and it made people laugh. Only this time on purpose. I even loved it when my first play crashed and burned at the Old Royal on West 45th Street. And John Steinbeck told me to get right back on the horse. If you ain't been throwed, you ain't rode. [Crowd claps] I loved it when my second play was a success and I could quit my job as a magazine editor. I love it when I remember the little boy I was thrilling to Ethel Merman shooting out candles while reclining on a motorcycle in Annie Get Your Gun. I love it when I remember not being able to get out of my seat after a devastating performance of Long Day's Journey into Night I love it when my parents, shaken by their experience, A Death of a Salesman -- it changed their lives. My father quit his job at General Foods and struck out on his own. I love it when I know something I wrote soften the hearts of parents who had banish their son and daughter from their lives when they came out to them as gay and lesbian. I love it when I remember the artists who tried to help us understand the devastation of AIDS even when they were stricken with it themselves. I love it when I remember theater changes hearts, that secret place where we all truly live. I love my playwright peers -- past, present, and especially future. You're chomping at the bit for your turn. Your diversity is long overdue and welcome. It's a club with open admissions. The only dues are your heart, your soul, your mind, your guts, all of you. Your commitment to this ancient art form assures me that what we do matters. The world needs artists more than ever to remind us what kindness, truth, and beauty are. Oh, brave new world that has [laughs] leave it to me to screw up Shakespeare. [Crowd laughs] Oh brave new world that has such people in it. Shakespeare's talking to all of us. No one does it alone, least of all playwrights. Most of all, this one. Tonight is overwhelming for me. Thank you.

[/sc]

AH: Playwright Terrence McNally speaking at last year's Tony Awards where he was given a lifetime achievement honour. Mr. McNally, who The New York Times once called the "Bard of American Theater" died yesterday of complications from coronavirus. He was 81 years old.

[Music]

Tomas Kaberle delivers

Guest: Tomas & Julia Kaberle

AH: Across the country, Canadians are dining in at record numbers. Dining at home, that is. Amid the pandemic, most restaurants have closed their doors either voluntarily or by mandate. In response, many sit down restaurants have shifted their attention to takeout and delivery. But some who called in their orders to Quanto Basta recently are receiving a meal and a surprise. They opened the door to a familiar face: playing food delivery guy, former NHL defenseman Tomas Kaberle. We reached Mr. Kaberle and his wife, Julia in Toronto.

CO: Tomas, when you were playing hockey in Toronto, did you ever think one day you'd be delivering food in Toronto?

TOMAS KABERLE: No, I would never imagine doing that. You know hockey was all my life. And I happened to be sitting at the restaurant with my wife and deciding what to do after COVID-19 started. And we're sitting down at the restaurant and between the chef and one girl who's going to do the delivering and all the ordering it got busy. I said, I don't mind helping out.

CO: So you started driving around the food.

TK: Some of the orders. Yes.

CO: And you and your wife, Julia. Hello, Julia.

JULIA KABERLE: Hi, how are you?

CO: And you are the owner of this restaurant, Quanto Basta, right?

JK: Yeah, I run it with my sister.

CO: So what did you think when Tomas offered to start being your delivery boy?

JK: [Laughs] He didn't really offer me. I kind of pushed him a little bit. I said, please, can you help us out -- it is getting so busy? And he said, absolutely. You know, anything to give this a go.

CO: Okay. The reason why we know about this is that you delivered to someone we know who knows someone who had your delivery and was really quite delighted and surprised, Tomas, to see you at their door. What kind of response are you getting from people?

TK: Some people are "I know you from somewhere." And some people, "Oh, how are you? It's so nice you deliver food." I said, you know, to begin with, it's a family style restaurant. And, you know, at the same time I like to take care of all the customers like a family. So it's fun. If I can make them laugh at this time, so whatever it takes. So it's good.

CO: What's the funniest encounter you've had so far?

TK: Taking pictures or videos and signing autographs, maybe. But not at this point because you know, you have to stay at a distance. But more like I know you from somewhere or taking pictures or videos and laughing. I made one of our customers, I made their son laugh and I made their day and stuff like that. So that makes me happy on the other hand too.

CO: And you're dealing with people who are all shut up and their houses, they can't go out, they really wanted to have a good meal that they don't have to cook. And so they get this bonus of having you show up at the door.

TK: Yeah, it's fun. Like I said, I like to do that. You know, I got the repeated customers too asking for me, which is funny. [Laughter]

CO: You know, last night we spoke with Jamie Campbell, who is the commentator for the Blue Jays, and he's got nothing to do. So he's offered to call people up, baseball fans, and just chat with them. And so he's been talking to people, having these wonderful conversations with people about everything. And so finding a way to sort of play your role at this time, I guess.

TK: Yeah, absolutely. That's awesome. Anything to help -- like I said, my family runs the restaurant like a family, and I like to help out. And that's the thing. You know, between getting busy at home with the kids, teaching them instead of the school teaching them at home. And, you know, I'm doing it for free and I love to do that.

CO: Julia, your restaurant, it is a dine in restaurant. Fine Italian food and wine. And usually you have a full house there at Quanto Basta. What's business been like even with the takeout?

JK: It's significantly down. You know Quanto Basta is a kind of restaurant, like the cheers where everyone knows your name. You know, all the different regulars that come in often have now resorted to do takeout, which is awesome. Like I had a customer who just called me a moment ago and he said he wanted to get a gift card. And I said, all right. And he said, that gift card is for you. And I was just like moved to see people do stuff like that for us during this time.

CO: If this continues, though, what will happen with the restaurant?

JK: I don't know. It's just so preliminary. We only have three people working here between chefs, one kind of takeout person, and myself -- I come in and help out a bit -- and someone who does a lot of like the prep. If it gets busier, we kind of don't want to bring anyone else in because we're just so nervous about where that person has been. Our group is so small. We talk to each other every day that we get here. You know, where've you been? I've only been home. We have a new routine where every 20 minutes we wash our hands. So I don't know how it's going to turn out in the next two weeks or so. But I do feel that takeout might be the new dining experience for a while.

CO: Right. So, Tomas, you're playing that role. So are you at least getting some pretty good tips out of this?

TK: I just deliver food. That's all I do.

CO: Uh-Huh. Well, maybe you can recruit, maybe Tie Domi would come in and give you a hand.

TK: Yeah. Maybe. I've seen him before. So we'll see.

CO: Uh-Huh. All right. We'll let you guys get back to work. And I hope everything gets back to normal soon.

JK: Thank you.

TK: Thank you.

CO: Thank you both.

AH: Tomas Kaberle is a former NHL defenseman who spent a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's married to Julia Kaberle, the owner of Quanto Basta Restaurant. And we reached them both in Toronto.

[Music]

Dartmouth birthday party

Guest: Nick & Tom Brunt

AH: All over the country, events are being cancelled because of COVID-19. But Tom Brunt's 7th birthday party was important and his family didn't want him to miss out. Even as the whole family is self isolating. So on Tuesday, his family made sure it happened along with his entire neighbourhood. We reached Tom's dad, Nick, at home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

CO: First of all, Nick what was Tom's birthday supposed to be like?

NICK BRUNT: Well, it was his 7th birthday this year, so we had a pool party booked for him. We had booked the whole pool for him and his buddies for the afternoon.

CO: And when did you and Tom realize that this was not going to happen?

NB: I would say, about two and a half, maybe three weeks ago. It's a little bit hard to tell, you know, now that we've all been inside for so long. But at that point, it was looking pretty clear that we weren't going to be able to go forward with it.

CO: All right. So Tom is not the only birthday boy who didn't get their party this year. How is he taking the news?

NB: He took it very well. There weren't any tears. There was maybe a resigned sigh or two, but otherwise he handled it really really well. You know, the family all coming together to sort of deal with this thing, I think was a pretty good indication to him.

CO: All right. And your neighbours got involved. What prompted that? How did the word get out that Tom was not going to be able to have his 7th birthday party?

NB: Well, our family has been participating in a window scavenger hunt through the neighbourhood. So every day we're putting up pictures in the windows that the kids are able to walk around in their free time getting some activity and mark down. So my partner, Thomas' stepmom, put a message out on Facebook to the community group where all the other parents side.

CO: Okay. And so how did the neighbourhood react?

NB: Very well. Almost immediately we had put the call out Saturday afternoon, just sort of almost as a side thought as we were, you know, sitting around and planning the week. And people started messaging right away. In fact, a couple dozen of them had gotten in touch with us during the day and expressed interest in getting involved.

CO: And what did they do?

NB: Everybody put pictures up in their window. When we asked, we said, you know, if you could put up a balloon or a happy birthday or a picture or really anything to help us celebrate that, we could point out that would be great. And everybody put up happy 7th birthday messages. Like everybody put a lot more effort into it than you would expect. And it was really lovely.

CO: Well, just describe what the street looked like.

NB: The street, well, it was a fairly rainy day, but all up and down either side and all of the side streets in our neighbourhood, all the windows were full up with different pictures and happy birthday messages. Some people had made them on a cardboard and some people painted them right on the glass. It was really so tremendous to see.

CO: And a few little gifts left on the doorstep.

NB: Yeah, a couple of his friends left out birthday presents. One of his friends that was going to attend the party left his present on the doorstep for him, some cookies. One of his friends was waiting in the window with a keyboard and then played a song that they both learned together.

CO: Well, what did he play?

NB: [Asking Tom] What did he play Tom? Bow-wow-wow.

CO: Is Tom there with you?

NB: Yes, he is.

CO: Can I have a word with him?

NB: Yes, absolutely. Tom they'd like to talk to you.

CO: Hi, Tom.

NB: Say hello.

TOM BRUNT: Hi.

CO: Happy belated birthday to you.

TB: Thank you.

CO: How was it when you walked out on the street and saw what everyone was doing to celebrate your birthday -- what was that like?

TB: Really really great.

CO: Did it make you really happy to see those signs?

TB: Yes.

CO: But were you really sad that you couldn't have your birthday party or pool party?

TB: Actually, my party was going to be a couple days later.

CO: But you're not going to have your party now, right?

TB: Yeah.

CO: Well, maybe not right away. Is there still a plan that later on? Did your dad say that maybe you get a party later on?

TB: I think so. [Asking Nick] Do I say yes or no?

CO: Well, that was pretty good. [Laughs] More than I thought. Nick you can tell us because you probably have a better idea. How did Tom react to all of this?

NB: He was very happy, very big smiles. I'm not sure he knew quite how to take this all in, you know, at once. Because we surprised him with it. It was the moment we were walking into the house that we said, you know, listen, that the neighbours have all come together and they wanted to wish you a happy birthday. So we're going to go see that now. And it was sort of this, you know, face of amazement. And he had a little book with him and took a checkmark for each house as we walked by.

CO: And how important is it for your family to isolate like this?

NB: Very important. And Tom's little sister, I have a two year old daughter -- Lucy has cystic fibrosis. So, of course, you know, hygiene and avoiding infection and stuff like that is all very top priority for our family. Always has been. So during this whole process, we've just had some, you know, extra sort of stringent restrictions on making sure that we're isolated and we don't have too much contact, you know, with other people and that we're being safe and practicing social distancing and that sort of stuff. So Tom is very cognizant of all that and has been done a wonderful job. So it was so good to sort of award him with this kind of event.

CO: And the neighbours know that, too, I guess.

NB: Yes, quite a few of them.

CO: Okay. Now, is there a plan for it? I couldn't get this out of Tom, but is there a plan for a proper birthday party at the end of all this?

NB: Oh, absolutely. Yes. I would think after especially getting all this attention here today that he is never going to let us forget that. [Laughs]

CO: [Laughs] All right. You're held to it. Nick, it's great to talk to you and lovely to talk to Tom. Thanks so much.

NB: Thank you so much.

AH: We reached Nick Brunt and his son Tom, who just turned 7 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

[Music]

Doriot Anthony Dwyer

AH: In times of great uncertainty, as we boldly go where no man has gone before exploring strange new worlds, there is solace to be found in the steady presence of a trusted leader. Say Captain Jean Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise, also known as the English actor Sir Patrick Stewart. And as any great leader knows, there's nothing that uplifts and inspires quite like great works of art, particularly those that come in iambic pentameter. Sir Stewart has taken to Twitter with a daily reading of a Shakespearean sonnet. The unspoken message is clear: engage.

[sc]

PATRICK STEWART: [Reading] Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove.

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wand'ring bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me prov'd,

I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

[/sc]

AH: Sir Patrick Stewart performing one of his daily Shakespearean sonnets. That is our Sound of the Day.

Back To Top »

Provide Transcript Feedback

CBC would like to acknowledge the support of the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund.

March 25, 2020 Episode Transcript

More Stories Like This