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The AIH Transcript for April 28, 2020

Hosts: Carol Off and Chris Howden

Prologue

CAROL OFF: Hello. I'm Carol Off.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening. I'm Chris Howden. This is “As It Happens”.

[Music: Theme]

CO: A full stop -- full-stop. Despite a comparatively low rate of infection, Nova Scotia responds to record COVID numbers with a strict circuit-breaker -- because, the Premier tells us, it's no time for "half measures".

CH: Calling for the shots. The Premier of Alberta promises to send more vaccines to Wood Buffalo, which is suffering from one of Canada's highest infection rates -- and the mayor tells us they can't come too soon.

CO: Closing the book on the book. The publisher behind a new Philip Roth biography pulls it from circulation after accusations against its author -- in what one insider says is a watershed moment for the industry.

CH: Counting their losses. While studying polar bear populations in Nunavut, one of the animals' best advocates -- renowned biologist Markus Dyck -- dies in a helicopter crash.

CO: Themes like old times. If you're a "Dawson's Creek" fan yearning for the original song of yearning that kicked off every episode, good news: you won't have to wait for "I Don't Want To Wait".

CH: And …news flesh. Fans of the food website Epicurious have a cow when it announces it's going beef-free -- but a former staffer tells us the change actually happened ages ago, and even then it was overdue.

CH: “As It Happens”, the Wednesday edition. Radio that salutes a rebel without the cows.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: NS Circuit Breaker, Philip Roth Biography Cancelled, Epicurious No Beef Recipes

NS Circuit Breaker

Guest: Iain Rankin

CH: At 8:00 a.m. this morning, Nova Scotians started their two-week circuit breaker. It includes tighter restrictions on gatherings, and closing most retail businesses -- as well as public and private schools. The new rules come after COVID-19 cases reached an all-time high in the province yesterday. There were 96 new cases, and the province reported 75 new cases today. Dozens of members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed to help with testing in the province. Iain Rankin is the premier of Nova Scotia. We reached him in Halifax.

CO: Premier Rankin, the number of new cases in Nova Scotia has dipped today. Does that mean that your province has turned a corner?

IAN RANKIN: I wouldn't say that yet. We have to... to watch very closely day to day. Obviously, we're pleased that it hasn't gone up, which has the last few days in a row. And we hope that will continue. But our chief medical officer would say that we could see fluctuation day to day.

CO: You do a lot of testing in Nova Scotia. You have a positivity rate around one per cent. Many provinces in this country would be breaking out the champagne with that kind of a rate. So why do you believe this very strict circuit-breaker is necessary?

IR: Our approach to this is to shut down quickly and then cautiously open up. The variants are obviously compounding the issue of spread. We have that community spread in the Halifax area. So we started with the lockdown in Halifax. We have one other region in the province, in Cape Breton, that shows signs of a potential increase. That's concerning. And we took the approach that more is better than less, signing on the cautious side of things. So we're hoping that a short-circuit breaker province-wide will take this third wave down very quickly.

CO: Given the number, amount of testing you're doing, do you have a fairly good idea where the outbreaks are?

IR: We do. We know Halifax is the outbreak. And more specifically, at the start, we knew there was issues on the Dartmouth side of the bridge in Halifax. our asymptomatic testing ramped up significantly. We were already we're doing asymptomatic testing, but we... we got out... and credit to Nova Scotians. This has been a big part of our successes is people have come out in droves. That's the line-ups that we're seeing. People are getting tested. And we... we've been able to track some tests that way. And then we're able to take action very quickly on those close contacts. And then the other areas, Cape Breton, the rest of the province, we have little to no cases, and that's the way we want to keep it.

CO: In other parts of the country, this is one of the big issues that we've heard is that they don't have the data. They're just always behind. The idea of they're not where the puck is going. They're where the puck has been. So how precisely can you actually pinpoint an outbreak, and how quickly can you get it?

IR: Well, the outbreak has spread quickly throughout HRM, so we knew early on, again, one area of HRM, Halifax, sorry, for those who don't know the acronym. We had to close down a few schools, and then that number climbed significantly. So we took the approach of families of schools and then the Halifax region. But once we knew that this variant... and all cases are virtually variants in our province and others, we can... we have the benefit of seeing what's happening in provinces across the country. We feel like if we take that action quickly, we isolate where the cases are coming from. And as soon as we see that there is no known explanation for some of those cases, that makes those asymptomatic testing that much more important.

CO: Why is, though, your vaccination rates so low, despite the fact that you are so far ahead of other provinces in testing and in shutting things down when you see outbreaks? You have a very low percentage of people who have actually been vaccinated. Why is that?

IR: Well, all provinces are around 25 to 30 per cent of first dose. We decided earlier on to hold back the second dose. So we made that commitment. And every day, we're still putting the second dose in some of the items that we had committed to long-term care centres, especially. So we're actually ahead of the national average on those who have had their second dose. And then in the last couple of weeks, we're actually vaccinating faster per capita, along with New Brunswick, more per capita where our vaccines are going into arms. So again, it's an approach that we thought was a prudent one with the central booking system. It's a reliable system that we don't book an appointment until we have a guaranteed shipment coming in. So we haven't had to cancel thousands of appointments like other provinces have. We also have an approach that we work with the African-Nova Scotian communities and our First Nations to work with them so that there's a fairness in how that's being administered. But you're seeing our program ramp up more and more.

CO: But the data... the most recent data that... that I have seen indicates that you're probably the lowest in the country for the numbers of people who've had one shot. Is that the case?

IR: Yes, but we're very close to... to the other... the ones. We're very close with all provinces there. And what I'm proud of is that we have 90 per cent of our long-term care sector with two doses. We have now just dropped our age cohort this Friday for AstraZeneca because we have supply left to the age of 40. And we continue to go down through the age cohorts more and more each week. And we're on target for the end of June still to have everyone have their first dose of vaccine.

CO: The place where we're not seeing a circuit-breaker is in the province that has the highest rate of infections in Canada. We've seen the premier of that province, Jason Kenney, who is facing a revolt among his caucus members. He's facing pushback within his society because they say he's gone too far, even though his restrictions are far more modest than yours. They say he's... they're impinging on their freedoms. And that he's facing people calling for his resignation. How much buy-in do you have in Nova Scotia?

IR: Well, certainly the credit to our success has to be compliance. And there are very few exceptions where we've had clusters of group protest against restrictions. So there was some disruption at the border with New Brunswick recently, but it didn't last long. We do have strong deterrents in place, but I think it's... it's the collective will of Nova Scotians. Strong willed that they understand that we are very closely aligned with public health and what... doing what we need to do.

CO: Why do you think you have that compliance in Nova Scotia?

IR: You know, it's Nova Scotians have always, from my experience, been very supportive of their neighbour. Putting their collective interests before their own. And our message always is... is that it's your own self that you're worried about. You should be looking beyond that to your loved ones. There are some people that may not be able to fight off this disease. I do believe that in the Atlantic region and Nova Scotians, we've proven that we're... when we're in something like this together, that we can all be successful.

CO: All right. We will be watching. Premier Rankin, I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

IR: It's been a pleasure. Thank you.

CH: That was Iain Rankin, the premier of Nova Scotia. We reached him in Halifax.

[music: ambient]

Philip Roth Biography Cancelled

Guest: Ron Charles

CH: When the month began, Blake Bailey was landing heaps of positive press for his new biography on the late novelist Philip Roth. But as April comes to an end, Mr. Bailey is back in the press for all the wrong reasons. The biographer's publisher, W.W. Norton, said today it was officially halting publication of the highly-anticipated Roth biography. In recent days, Mr. Bailey has faced allegations that he sexually assaulted multiple women, and acted inappropriately towards his students when he was teaching Grade Eight. Ron Charles is a book critic at the Washington Post. We reached him in Washington D.C.

CO: Ron, what kind of a precedent does it set for this publisher to put this highly-anticipated biography out of print?

RON CHARLES: It's pretty extraordinary. I mean, I can remember books being cancelled before they've been published. I can even remember some books being pulped after they were published when there were issues of plagiarism or issues of major errors. But I cannot remember a book being pulped because of the author's behaviour. W.W. Norton had reportedly published 50-thousand copies. I think they'd sold about 10-thousand. So we're talking about a mountain of Philip Roth books being pulped somewhere. It's a lot of money involved. And not only did they pay the author in advance, which is reportedly in the six figures, but now they have pledged to donate that same amount to an organization that fights against sexual assault and helps victims of sexual assault. So this is a very expensive corrective move.

CO: And corrective move in what way? Why... what did they need to correct?

RC: I think they feel that they should have looked into Bailey's behaviour more thoroughly when they had information that there was a problem there. And I think that's why you're seeing such an extreme course correction here.

CO: Can you just tell us a bit about the allegations against the author, Blake Bailey?

RC: None of this has been proven in court... that Mr. Bailey has denied these allegations. But last week, some pretty shocking reports began to appear in a New Orleans newspaper that when Bailey was an eighth grade English teacher back in the 90s at a middle school, that he was accused of grooming female students, that is, befriending them and behaving inappropriately with them and setting them up... setting them up for later sexual encounters. One of those women accused him of rape. And then, pretty soon after that, another accusation of rape came out of The New York Times. He was accused of assaulting a publishing executive, actually a critic of The Times, at their house. So those accusations taken together, paint a pretty shocking picture.

CO: And what did the publisher... what did W.W. Norton know about these accusations before the book was published?

RC: Well, that's the problem. It came out that this publishing executive that claimed she was assaulted by Bailey, she had reached out to The Times, you know, with an anonymous note describing her experience. The publisher sent that to Bailey and asked him about it, and he denied it. And then, apparently, they went ahead with the publication of the book. They did not apparently know about these... these young women at the middle school.

CO: Now, you have a copy of this biography on Philip Roth, yes?

RC: Yes, and it's very impressive. I have not finished it. And frankly, I did not look at it until, because we assigned it out to another reviewer, but until I heard about these allegations. And so I turned to the book and began reading through it. And I mean, it does sort of leap out at you the way Bailey and Roth seem to talk about sexual issues in a way that, you know, in light of these accusations is uncomfortable.

CO: There are lots of comments about Philip Roth as a writer and as a person, as being misogynist. Does Blake Bailey's biography on Philip Roth reflect any of Philip Roth's attitudes toward women?

RC: Oh, gosh, yes, it definitely does. I mean, there's a lot of salacious gossip in the book, which makes Roth look like the most charitable way of putting it would be a cad. But other people would probably call it sexual assault. It's you know, it's sometimes a very grim picture of a man acting very aggressively to get what he wants from women. That's throughout the book.

CO: Many have noted that he chose Mr. Bailey to be his biographer. That there were women, one of them, Hermione Lee, was we... we interviewed her upon Mr. Roth's death, people like that, who could have written that. But he didn't want a feminist to write his biography. He didn't want to be judged. Do you know if that's true?

RC: That's what I've heard. I think there will be a great feminist biography of Roth at some point that will give us a fuller picture of him. But obviously, it would be absurd for Roth to have chosen someone like that. I just can't imagine, you know, knowing what I know about him, why he would have done that.

CO: Well, now it seems to be wide open for someone to write a biography, doesn't it, [both chuckle] and possibly a woman?

Speaker 5: Oh, yes. And you know, there is another biography that came out in March by Ira Nadel. I have not read it, but a friend of mine told me last night it's a much more literate biography. It engages with Roth's work, and it's not so full of gossip.

CO: There isn't one review in The New York Times that before all this was known, this was an early review after the book came... just before the book was released. And talking about how little there was about... it was 900 pages, was about Roth's work. A feeling of complicity in this book of 900 pages, it's most a thoroughly a sprawling apologia for Roth's treatment of women on and off the page. [RC laughs] A minutely detailed account of his victimization at the hands of his two wives. So I wonder if the book had just been released and gone its way if people could have learned how Roth wanted to be regarded?

RC: And it's interesting to me to watch now people re-evaluating the book in light of the accusations against the biographer. But I mean, Roth's attitude about women was not a secret. No biographer is going to reveal that to us at this late date. I mean, many people who read the novels with any attention were turned off by Roth's attitude about women. So that's not surprising or shocking.

CO: You have written today about that this may not be the last of these books to be pulled in this season. What do you think is going to happen with other clients of publishers?

RC: About 200 people signed a petition asking Simon and Schuster to drop Vice President Mike Pence's book. Kellyanne Conway got a book contract, apparently today, too. Yeah, the staff is really starting to speak up in a way that I don't remember happening before. There are people now in publishing that are deciding that they just don't want to work with racists. They don't want to work with proto-fascists. They don't want to work with homophobes. And they're willing to confront their employers in a much more direct and public way than ever before.

CO: Are other publishers picking up these books?

RC: in every case that I know of, yes. And that's a good point. You know, if we have enough publishers with different ideologies, there should be room for them all that are worthy to find a way out. And even if they're not worthy, the market's different. I mean, self-publishing is now a thoroughly viable way to get your ideas out if you want to go that way. It used to be, you know, stigmatized. And I suppose it is in a way. But it is profitable for a few people every year. Even the president's own son has self-published one of his books and apparently sold thousands and thousands of copies.

CO: All right. We'll be watching. Ron, it's good to talk to you. Thank you.

RC: Well, thank you so much.

CH: Ron Charles is a book critic with the Washington Post. He's in Washington D.C.

[Music: Electronic]

Epicurious No Beef Recipes

Guest: David Tamarkin

CH: A fried artichoke sandwich with tangy pickles and cabbage slaw. A creamy vegan red pepper pasta with garlic breadcrumbs. A whole roasted cauliflower with miso mayonnaise. Those all sound delicious. And they have something else in common too: they fall under the new, no-beef mandate at Epicurious. The digital food brand is one of America's biggest. And this week, it announced it won't publish any new recipes involving beef. Which is something readers are -- predictably -- beefing about. David Tamarkin is the former digital director at Epicurious, and the co-author of this week's post announcing the change. We reached him in Cincinnati, Ohio.

CO: David, why is Epicurious giving up on beef?

DAVID TAMARKIN: Epicurious is giving up on beef because it wants to be the most sustainable home cooking publication in the world probably. At least that was my vision when I was there. When I was, you know, the editor of the site, I was looking at myself and also at the content. We were doing stories about, you know, reducing food waste and, you know, sustainable fish. And I just felt that it was sort of hypocritical to, at the same time, be publishing another burger recipe, another steak recipe. And Epicurious is a really old website and has tons of recipes. We had tons of steak recipes, tons of burger recipes, so it just didn't feel like we needed anymore.

CO: Right. So, those are... those are staying up on the site then, the existing beef recipes?

DT: Yes, everything's staying up.

CO: Just explain what's behind this, your decision? This is based on... this is based on greenhouse gas emissions, yes?

DT: That's a really good question. And the answer is, of course, complicated. Methane emissions are what the site focuses on. But, of course, cows are destructive in other ways, too. You know, they’re destructive to water systems. But, yes, the thing that makes cows more destructive than, say, a chicken is that cows and other ruminants like lamb and goat release methane. So you can't get around the fact that they're a bit more destructive than other animals.

CO: What about dairy? Are you still putting cows milk recipes in Epicurious, or are they still doing that?

DT: They are still doing that. I believe they will continue to do that. And there is a really tough issue, and it's a really good question. I say it's tough because. Personally, it's tough for me. I love... I mean, my love for dairy is so much greater than my love for, like, steak or burgers. But I do think that is the next logical step. You know, I've seen people reacting to this piece asking that question, why... why not dairy? And it's a really good question. And the fact is, yes, if you're going to give up beef, giving up dairy makes perfect sense. But I say, you know, I was just saying giving up. And it's really not about giving up. It's just about cutting back. And a couple years ago, when I was thinking deeply about, like my own, you know, version of sustainable cooking, I did write a piece about, you know, how baking is my main love and how I will be doing more olive oil cakes in the future, will be exploring, you know, alternatives to butter. I'm not going to give up butter completely, but I do think taking steps to reduce dairy consumption is almost as important as giving up beef.

CO: You were the digital director of Epicurious when the decision was made, which was, I understand a year ago that Epicurious made this... made this choice to not post any more beef recipes, but only announced this week. Why... why is that?

DT: You know, I was... I left the company before the announcement was made, so I can't tell you exactly why. But I think Earth Month had a lot to do with it. And unfortunately, the announcement came right after this whole, you know, kerfuffle with Biden and beef, which I think really impacted the reaction.

CO: You're referring to what happened in the United States when Fox News ran a segment falsely saying that Joe Biden was going to restrict beef consumption in the United States, picked up by many other right-leaning news agencies, even after it was clear that it didn't happen, still had a lot of legs. So did people think that if you're going to put this out at the same time, that maybe yours wasn't true as well?

DT: You know, I don't know if I they’re thinking that or not. But what I think is that the people who, you know, in fairness, you know, were misled to believe the story about Biden and beef to see then, you know, a big cooking website, take a stance against beef, probably made it seem more real. And probably made, you know, beef lovers get very defensive. I think meat-eaters feel that they have a real right to eat as much beef and as much meat as they want. And, of course, they do. There’s no... they do have that right. But I think they're beginning to feel that that right is going to be taken away, which I don't think it is at all.

CO: In this announcement, you point out that beef consumption has actually increased in the last few years. It seems would be going to the direction. There's just such a move towards the vegan diet and reducing the amount of red meat people eat. But I guess that's not the case. So what makes you think Epicurious can actually have an impact on that?

DT: Well, I should say first that if you look at the 30-year picture, it has declined significantly. But it is concerning to me that it has crept back up in the past three years. I think Epicurus can have a huge impact here in two ways. You know, if you think about the point of a food publication like Epicurious, the whole point, its entire purpose, is to influence the way that people eat. The entire operation is built to create recipes and beautiful photographs that entice you to cook that recipe. There are millions and millions of people who go to Epicurious every month. If we were successful in replacing one beef meal with one vegetarian meal a month, that is a huge win. Because if everybody did that, that would make an enormous impact on the sustainability of our diets. There's another way that I think it can be really impactful, and that is influencing other food media. Now, given... [chuckling] given the reaction to this story, I do not expect any food media to come out anytime soon and say, oh, we're also not going to be doing beef, you know? I think they're probably scared from that. However, I do think that this announcement has made it more difficult for Food & Wine or Bon Appetit to put beef at the forefront, to put it on the cover of the magazine, to put it on the front page of the section, to really make a big deal about beef recipes. And when you combine the impact it has on food media and the impact that food media has on eaters. I think this actually can have a really nice effect on making us all eat more sustainably.

CO: Well, a lot of people cook dinner while they listen to this show, and I'm sure you're giving them literally food for thought. So, yeah, we'll probably get some responses from our listeners to this, David. And thanks for speaking with us.

DT: OK, thank you.

CH: David Tamarkin is the former digital director at Epicurious and now works as editorial director for King Arthur Baking Company. He was in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[music: indie rock]

Dawson’s Creek Theme Returns

CH: No one had acne, they all talked like middle-aged people impersonating teenagers -- and one was named "Pacey" for some reason. Didn't matter: as of 1998, we all gathered around the TV every week to watch implausible adolescents exchange unrealistic dialogue. And to hear that theme kick in.

[music: “I Don’t Want To Wait” by Paula Cole]

Unidentified: I know that they.

CH: Paula Cole's "I Don't Want To Wait". As synonymous with "Dawson's Creek" as "dun dun" was with "Law & Order". But if you've been watching that show on Netflix, you've noticed something themes different.

[music: “Run Like Mad” by Jann Arden]

CH: Jann Arden, with a song called "Run Like Mad". The theme you hear for "Dawson's Creek" on Netflix -- because Sony Pictures Entertainment decided not to pay a new licensing fee for Paula Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait". The thing is, though, Jann Arden wrote her song specifically for "Dawson's Creek" in 1997, before it even premiered. She sold the producers the rights in perpetuity for "a few thousand dollars". And then they went with Paula Cole -- until they let the rights lapse. But now, after an article in the New York Times, obsessive "Creek" freaks are breaking out in a Cole sweat. Apparently, "I Don't Want To Wait" is about to be restored as the theme -- after Sony finally negotiated with Ms. Cole. "I feel like it's not just vindication for me," Ms. Cole said, "but for the fans, and for all artists." Well, sure. Except for Jann Arden. Or, for that matter, Alanis Morissette -- who they originally wanted for the original original theme, “Hand In My Pocket”.

[music: hip-hop]

Part 2: AB COVID Numbers, Polar bear Biologist Obit

AB COVID Numbers

Guest: Don Scott

CH: This week, Alberta continues to shatter its own COVID-19 records. The province now has Canada's highest infection rate, with more than 20-thousand active cases and counting. And in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo the situation is worse still. Cases there have soared from 166 at the beginning of the month to more than 12-hundred today -- nearly all of them in Fort McMurray. At a press conference today, Premier Jason Kenney announced new measures to address the spread.

[sc]

JASON KENNEY: We're scheduled to begin receiving the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine as of next Monday at the beginning of May. And so we will direct all doses of that vaccine received in the next two weeks, as supply permits, to the two highest incident areas in the pandemic, which are currently the Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo and Banff, in order to help accelerate vaccine coverage in those areas. We'll develop strategies with the leadership of those communities to address vaccine hesitancy and encourage greater vaccine uptake and also make it more convenient, as I've mentioned, as we've already done in Fort McMurray. And we will be setting an eligibility age of 30 years of age and older in these areas for the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines.

[/sc]

CH: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, speaking in Calgary today. Don Scott is the mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray. That's where we reached him.

CO: Mayor Scott, how did you react when you heard what Premier Jason Kenney had to say today?

DON SCOTT: Well, my mood improved considerably, and I was extremely happy. And I'm deeply grateful to both the premier and Minister Shandro. I consider it first steps. It doesn't obviously solve the problem up in this region, but it definitely is a big first step. So I'm very happy overall.

CO: And you just mentioned the health minister there of Alberta. You have an infection rate of... in... in Fort McMurray of one in every 100 people. This is extremely high. How much will be moved and improved by getting these vaccines into Wood Buffalo?

DS: You know, we... we don't know the exact numbers, but, you know, anything is going to make a difference. We haven't learned how many Johnson & Johnson vaccines are coming into the region, for example. But lowering the age eligibility is probably just as significant because we have one of the youngest populations in Alberta. Our average age in this region is 32-point-seven. Now there's a lot more people eligible. So I think we're going to make a lot of progress.

CO: But as many have pointed out, vaccines alone are not going to solve a problem, especially one as large as the one you're facing. So what else... what has not been addressed today?

DS: Oh, we made a ton of requests, but I think the supply issue is going to be the primary one. We certainly have the occupational health and safety clinics that can deliver. We have asked for mobile clinics to be considered. We talked about rapid testing at our airports as a technique of dealing with this issue. And we've talked a lot with the Indigenous leadership in our region because they want to see this issue addressed very quickly as well. And I'm deeply thankful to the Indigenous leadership for being such strong advocates on this issue.

CO: You heard earlier this week the premier, Jason Kenney, when he was talking about the high infection rates in your... in Buffalo, he said that he talked about what he called the disproportionately Indigenous population that you have. And that he said that the vaccine hesitancy amongst Indigenous people was part of the problem. He did mention, again, vaccine hesitancy today in your community. You're meeting with Indigenous leaders today. What are they... what are you hearing from them?

DS: You know, we have nine per cent of our population is Indigenous by a previous census. And that might not be exactly accurate at this point. But the terminology that was used, that doesn't resonate with me at all. And I'm not sensing a vaccine hesitancy in this region. What I'm experiencing is people want to go get it, but they don't qualify. But our Indigenous folks in our region have been real leaders on advocacy and making sure that the provincial and federal governments take actions. We consider our Indigenous partners exactly that, partners. And I would say that they initiated a discussion on Sunday. And at the end of that discussion, the council that I'm part of voted. And they give me a mandate to sign the state of emergency. So it was really, I would say, the Indigenous leadership in this region really sparked some ideas about what can we do to address this issue?

CO: You have a lot of cases, more than 700 active COVID cases, among oil patch workers. And I... this... I wonder what responsibility the oil companies need to accept for that?

DS: You know, we've been in good contact with the Oil Sands Community Alliance, and they've had pretty stringent measures in place. So no one is ever... one of the challenges we've had is a lack of information. And some of the comments that have been made by other levels of government, that's the first time we're hearing that information. And, you know, we... we just want to see this issue tackled. My own experience with the oil sands companies, certainly Syncrude and Suncor, is they've been addressing the safety at their plants in an aggressive manner.

CO: You mentioned that you're just… you're not getting the data. You don't know a lot of... you're just hearing things now. And we just... we've spoke with the premier of Nova Scotia, who they have tremendous data. They do tremendous amount of testing. They can pinpoint an outbreak with tremendous accuracy. Is that a problem for you? Do you know the sources of the outbreaks that you're… you're faced with in Wood Buffalo?

DS: No, I wouldn't say that we know. And maybe the premier and his team know. Or maybe Minister Shandro and his team would know. Or Dr. Hinshaw. There must be somebody that's well aware. And I've certainly indicated to the federal government as well that if we had the data, then we could point, you know, to measures that would improve the situation. But right now, we're... we're in the dark on a lot of that stuff. My own experience is that most people are following the guidelines of the rules. So there's obviously some trigger that's occurring that we're not familiar with. The variants are obviously having a devastating effect on the region. Most of the cases that I'm hearing about in our region are variant related. So that's definitely an issue.

CO: in Nova Scotia, again, where they have a fraction of your infection rate, and they have instituted, the premier has instituted, a circuit-breaker, really tight, shut down on movement. We're seeing in Alberta is... is a more modest version of that that's... that's being responded to with, well, Jason Kenney is facing a revolt in his caucus against that. People feel it's an overreach. It impedes their freedom. Is it possible to have the kind of lockdown, the kind of circuit-breaker that Nova Scotia has had success with?

DS: You know, I think the premier has tried to take a balanced approach. He wants to protect the economy and at the same time protect people's health. Only the premier's people and the... the health officials to the premier's team, Dr. Hinshaw, would know what's going to make a difference. Would we like to see the numbers reduced in this region? Absolutely. I think that goes without question. But we don't know what measure would actually achieve that. One thing I don't want to see is measures instituted that are not effective. What we need to see is effective measures. So if something like that occurred, I mean, it's obviously within the premier's prerogative or Dr. Hinshaw to bring a health order to that effect. But I certainly haven't seen any data to date that would justify those kind of steps at this point.

CO: All right. We'll leave it there. Mayor Scott, thank you.

DS: OK, well, thanks again. All the best.

CH: Don Scott is the mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. We reached him in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

[music: folk]

Ontario Paid Sick Days

CH: After months of pressure, Ontario will start offering workers paid sick leave. But there are strings attached. The program will require that employers offer workers up to two-hundred dollars a day for up to three days. It's being run through the province's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board -- and employers can send their bills to the Ontario government for reimbursement. But the program is not permanent. It expires on September 25th. Here's Ontario's Labour Minister Monte McNaughton speaking to reporters today.

[sc]

MONTE MCNAUGHTON: Through this bill, we are the only province in Canada to introduce paid sick days specific to COVID-19. If passed, all workers will soon have access to three paid sick days. This is more than the one day available to workers in Prince Edward Island and the two days available to workers in Quebec. This is a game-changer, and this will save lives. Our action today means that if a warehouse worker is told to self-isolate, she can do so without losing her paycheque. And if a grocery store clerk needs to take time off to get vaccinated, they can get paid while doing so. We've stressed from the beginning that anyone who's sick should stay home from work. But we know that for some people, it was hard to heed that advice because they couldn't afford to take time off work. If a scratchy throat or a simple sneeze meant they could lose a day's pay or more, some people were reluctant to stay home. This should never happen, and it ends now.

LORENDA REDDEKOPP: We've been hearing these calls for a provincial sick day program for months already from a number of different sources. Why did it take so long? And why this decision for three days when other professionals were saying that really, given that this is COVID-19, and the isolation period that's required, why three days and not more?

MM: Well, look, we're leading Canada when it comes to protecting workers. We're bringing in protections for three paid sick days. We're there for workers through this entire pandemic. We were disappointed with the federal budget. We thought that they were going to come through, but clearly, they didn't. We're stepping up today with a generous paid sick day program for workers in Ontario to ensure that we get through COVID-19 and workers stay home when they're sick.

[/sc]

CH: CBC Toronto reporter Lorenda Reddekopp, asking Ontario's Labour Minister Monte McNaughton about the province's new temporary paid sick leave program today.

[music: electronic]

Polar bear Biologist Obit

Guest: Harvey Lemelin

CH: Arctic biologist Markus Dyck never wanted to be stuck behind a desk. So it was no surprise that he was often in the field, getting up close and personal with polar bears. The well-known researcher was one of three people who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday near Resolute Bay, Nunavut. Markus Dyck worked for years as Nunavut's senior polar bear biologist, and was a member of the International Polar Bear Specialist Group. He was conducting a population survey when the crash happened. Harvey Lemelin was a close friend of Markus Dyck. He's a professor at Lakehead University. We reached him in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

CO: Harvey, first of all, I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

HARVEY LEMELIN: Thank you.

CO: How did the news hit you when you heard that Markus was aboard that helicopter that went down?

HL: Denial. I was looking for confirmation. I was hoping everybody was wrong. And then you find out that it's real, complete devastation.

CO: Can you tell us a bit about his... abut Markus Dyck and his work with polar bears? What kind of research he was doing?

HL: Markus was one of those individuals that fell in love with the bears and highly respected them, and dedicated his life to them. He was... his passion for them was quite remarkable. From what I understand, what he was doing is he was working for Nunavut, and working with incorporating traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge and examining all types of research and doing those very important sample counts that are necessary. And that's what he told me two weeks ago, that he was heading out for one more of these massive field seasons that he was renowned for doing.

CO: And he would be going out to count the polar bears and to see how they're doing, what condition they're in. Is that right?

HL: That's correct. It's typically usually this type of research would involve a helicopter, darting the bears, and then doing various tests on their physiology and how well they're doing.

CO: When you heard he was heading off to do this research, what do you think that meant to him? What... how did he feel when he could actually get into the field and get into a helicopter and start looking at those polar bears?

HL: I think that's when Markus became alive. He... he was born to be in the field. He... he thrived. He was the hardest working human being I've ever met. Sometimes it was very hard to work with him because no one could keep up with him. But he wasn't reckless in that way. He just... he just loved doing the feild research hours, which it had never even dawned upon me were massive. It was just incredible how much time he could put in the field. And when he came back, he would just crunch the data upon days upon days. And he just loved doing that type of research.

CO: When did you first meet him?

HL: I met him in the fall of 1997. It wasn't a great first meeting. We both had competed for the same job. He didn't get it. I got it. But through time, we developed a tremendous amount of respect for one another. We dealt with tragedies in our lives. We were there for each other.

CO: And he was one of the early researchers to recognize that the polar bears were being affected. That climate change, which now is such a common understanding and the issues at that time, was less understood. Is that the case?

HL: Yeah, most of that research was coming out from... from Malcolm Ramsay and his research, but we were quite aware of it. We also talked to local people, and we were aware of the polar bear viewing industry in Churchill. So Markus and I came up with an idea of to understand polar bear viewing that he would examine with the bears do when the tourists come. And I would examine what the tourists do when with the bears or viewing the bears. And because of Markus, I was able to pursue my doctoral study and complete it. Yeah, I have profound amount of respect, but thanks for him for helping me out with those initial years.

CO: Obviously, the polar bears mean a lot to tell us a bit about what they meant to Markus?

HL: Markus' love of the bears was infectious. I didn't grow up with bears. I didn't know anything about polar bears. And when I left Churchill, I remember apologizing to the bears that I hadn't done enough. And I came back as a researcher, and I did the same at the end of my field season. And that love, that reverence for bears and that respect for bears was due to Malcolm Ramsay and Markus Dyck.

CO: And what concerns did Markus Dyck have about the polar bears and their... and their state?

HL: Markus wasn't shy of challenging narratives, some of the narratives by some of the environmental groups. What he was concerned with is the ability of Innuit people and Cree people to live with the polar bears, to continue traditional harvesting practices, and to manage polar bears sustainably and respectfully on the long term.

CO: How closely did he work with Indigenous people up north?

HL: I think you can start seeing with the postings how much he lived in Igloolik. He worked with communities. He incorporated traditional knowledge. He was firmly embedded and well-respected by those communities.

CO: What was he like as a friend?

HL: Most intense, passionate, loyal friend you could ever have.

CO: I understand he could be a pretty blunt talker as well?

HL: Yeah, it makes me smile that you say that. I saw a different side of Markus. He actually bit a lot back. So I know that that may come as a surprise to some people. But, yes, he could speak quite frankly. I think there's an old Celtic analogy, and I gave it to my son. This is what Markus embedded, frankness of tongue, strength of arms and goodness of heart. And sometimes that rubbed people the wrong way. But like I said, for him, it was about the bears first, your ego aside second.

CO: [chuckling] Do you have a memory of him that you'll cherish?

HL: [sniffle] His laughter, tremendous belly laughter. And I seemed to have an uncanny ability to make him laugh. I will miss his laughter.

CO: When did you last speak with him?

HL: Two weeks ago - we were planning to meet up after the pandemic. He wanted to meet my son and he wanted to meet my wife. And we were going to do that this summer, hopefully.

CO: And when did you last hear him laugh?

HL: When he asked about my son and how much French-Canadian blood he had in him because he always made fun of French-Canadians. Because he said that one in his life, which was me, was enough.

CO: [chuckling] Oh dear.

HL: And I said, he's got a lot of it. And he started laughing.

CO: Harry, I'm... again, I'm sorry for your loss. He just sounds like a great guy. And I appreciate you speaking with us. Thank you.

HL: Thank you.

CH: Harvey Lemelin was a close friend of Markus Dyck -- a well-known polar bear researcher who died in a helicopter crash in Nunavut on Sunday. We reached Professor Lemelin in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

[music: Sombre]

MB Prominent People

CH: This week, Manitoba announced plans to pay tribute to "prominent" historical figures in the province. Which took the form of naming eight wildlife management areas for people including Dr. Frank Baldwin, John T. Williams and Don W. Orchard. But people quickly noticed a pattern. All the honoured Manitobans are men. And none are Indigenous. That didn't sit well with Kevin Settee, whose family is from Fisher River Cree Nation. Here's part of what he told CBC Winnipeg.

[sc]

KEVIN SETTEE: For me, it's... it's another, like, colonial tactic by governments to, like, erase our connection to the land and to erase our histories and erase what our people have been doing for so long to protect... protect the land and water. You know, putting the names of people on these lands to try to, you know, commemorate the work that people have done. You know, our people have been doing this work for centuries, protecting the land and the water. It's just a bit upsetting to know that, you know, there's a bunch of men, you know, that are going to be placed names of our traditional territories.

FAITH FUNDAL: The province in its release says that he chose eight Manitobans who were, quote, instrumental to enhancing Manitoba's wildlife resources. What do you make of that particular reason the province is using?

KS: I think it's hypocritical for, you know, a Conservative government to try to highlight the work of environmentalists because a lot of their policies, you know, on a provincial level and the federal level go against what the scientists are fighting for.

FF: What kind of reactions have you seen on your Facebook post so far?

KS: Yeah, I just seen a lot of people, you know, agreeing. I actually seen one of the MLAs, Nahanni Fontaine, post about it. And so I posted about it after, you know, kind of echoing what she said, that this is, like, you know, just another patriarchal move by the Conservative government. And that we need to recognize, you know, even the women that have been doing this work for such a long time. When do they get to be honoured, you know, for protecting the land, protecting the water? And to us, as, you know, Anishinaabe, as Cree people, you know, the land is our life-givers. And women in our communities are also life-givers. So, you know, it's pretty disrespectful that he would only put men on this list.

FF: What do you think the government should do now?

KS: I don't know. I think they need to rethink the naming of these wildlife management areas. And I think they need to talk to the Indigenous people that, you know, live in these areas and ask them what... what they what they should name them? Even if maybe they don't even need to name these places. All all the land should be a wildlife management area, you know? It's not like little pieces of land here and there that need to be taken care of. You know, all land and water needs to be taken care of, like equally.

[/sc]

CH: That was Kevin Settee talking to Faith Fundal, host of "Up to Speed", about his objections to plans to rename some wildlife management areas after prominent Manitobans -- a list that includes only men, and no Indigenous people. A government spokesperson says the names revealed this week are just the first of many to be announced as part of the initiative.

[music: horns!!]

Part two: Hot Docs: Nude To Me Feature, FOA: Maria Ressa Award

January 6th Riot Cop

[sc]

MICHAEL FANONE: I mean, it's been a rollercoaster, man. It's been up and down. You know, I think probably for about the first two weeks after the 6th, I was still, you know, riding pretty high on adrenaline. Shortly thereafter, I started to experience some of the, I guess, more psychological injuries, PTSD, some of the emotional trauma from, you know, from what I experienced that day.

DON LEMON: Yeah, how are you doing?

MF: I mean, some days are better than others. Today's a good day. I'm happy that I've got the opportunity to, you know, speak out, talk about the events of that day. It's been very difficult seeing elected officials and other individuals kind of whitewash the events of that day or downplay what happened. Some of the terminology that was used like hugs and kisses and, you know, very fine people, like very different from what I experienced and what my co-workers experienced on the 6th. You know, I experienced a group of individuals that were trying to kill me, to accomplish, you know, their goal. And I think that… [pause and a deep sigh] Sorry, Don. Man, I didn't think I'd get this emotional. Yeah, I mean, I experienced the most brutal, savage hand-to-hand combat of my entire life, let alone my policing career, which spans almost two decades. It was nothing that... that I had ever thought would be a part of my law enforcement career, and nor was I prepared to experience.

[/sc]

CH: That was Michael Fanone, a D.C. officer who was on duty at the January 6th Capitol insurrection, speaking with CNN's Don Lemon.

[music: glassy guitar]

Hot Docs: Nude To Me Feature

Guests: Daniel Berish, Michele Rauter

CH: They met. They fell in love. A great romance deepened into an enviable marriage. Oh, and during that first meeting, they were naked.

CO: How did you go from that conversation, that taping, to making this documentary about a nudist camp?

DB: I had recorded that conversation with her just as before she had passed away. And it had been a couple of years afterwards, and my producing partners and I, Erin Mussolum and Ryan Maw, we were just kind of brainstorming and going through the regular kind of rabbit hole of ideas around a round table. And we went through this thread of Canada's oldest, and Canada's oldest cars, and Canada's oldest truckstops. And then we came across this article, “Canada's Oldest Nudist Club”. And I kind of just blurted out that, oh, I've got a connection to a nudist club. My grandparents met at a nudist club. And I describe it like being in a car accident where you're... you're moving in slow motion, and you could stop the car from moving, you know, I mean? You can... you can almost stop the accident from happening. I describe that moment like that because the words escaped my mouth, and I wanted them to be back into my face. But it was too late by then. And they, my producing partners, were just, like, super excited about this idea. And then I realized that, oh, no, we're going to have to make this at some point. So, yeah.

CO: [chuckling] OK, and the first job was to convince people at the Van Tan Naturist Club that…. this oldest club in Canada that you were going to come and film them in the buff. And we have one of the members of that club. Michele, are you there?

MICHELE RAUTER: Yes, I'm here. Hello, Carol.

CO: Hi, Michele. OK, can you just tell… what was the discussion like at your club when you got this request to let people come in with cameras and make a film?

MR: Well, of course, there were two sides, right? I mean, some people who want to evolve and expand the club. And then there's the other side who want to keep it a secret and don't want anyone to know about the magic that happens there. So, yeah, there was definitely a lot of conversation and a little bit of battle. But in the end, we know who won.

CO: Why did you personally agree to participate?

MR: Well, obviously, me being a younger generation of naturism and naturist, I believe that it is a dying breed, sadly. And I do want to see it continue on and expand because what this lifestyle gives people is so beautiful and so honest and so connected to nature and to themselves. And that's what we really need right now is... is self-love and love for Mother Earth. And, you know, all the loves.

CO: Daniel, the film goes into the camp, and it's beautiful. It's a beautiful place physically. But everybody, as you would expect, everyone's in the buff, and doing very simple things like reading and sunning and swimming and going to the sauna, all those things. What is it that you like about that?

DB: The place, like... like Michele was saying, it is like a little hidden gem. You go up this old logging road, and you're surrounded by just beautiful Douglas fir forests, and you come across this tiny little corner of the forest, and it opens up to the club. And it's just a beautiful little secret garden. I kind of describe it like a secret garden or like a little rustic Scandinavian spa. And, of course, everyone is in the nude. So totally what you... you'd expect. But when you walk in, and you’re clothed, you feel... you just... you just feel out of place, obviously. And so the first time when we arrived there, it was... it was very eye-opening, to say the least. But speaking of eye contact, you... you always have direct eye contact with whoever you're talking to. [CO cuckles] I've never had that much direct eye contact before.

CO: Your eyes don't stray?

DB: They do not. No, no, no, no, definitely not.

CO: Michele, what is it that you like about this... we should call it naturist. It's a naturist camp, isn’t it?

MR: Yeah, naturist, yeah. It's... because there is a difference between nudism and naturism. And obviously, the word nature implies just that, right? I mean, you're connected to nature, you're touching nature, and your bare body is touching nature. And you're having this exchange with the earth and the ions and, you know, and it's... it's healing, not just internally and physically, but energetically and spiritually. So when I discovered this way of lifestyle, 2009 actually was my first real experience in a club. I fell in love instantly because what the lessons that it taught me about myself were some of the most important ones that I've experienced so far in my life. And, of course, coming in, you know, later 20s is when you're already exploring yourself and understanding yourself. So I believe it just came in my life at the right time.

CO: But now you could just, I mean, hang out and be naked with… in the city, with, you know, on your own. [CO and MR chuckle] What is it about being in the company of others that appeals to you?

MR: Well, there's no judgement, right? You don't have someone looking at what you're wearing, what kind of clothing you're wearing, maybe telling you details about that person, about what they do for a job, or how much money they make, or what social circle they run in. So all you see is them, and they see you. And like Danny said, I mean, a lot of eye contact because you're not... it's not a sexual environment. It's so honest and pure. And again, just to see someone for them and their soul instead of, you know, putting them in a category or multiple categories.

CO: Daniel, you are obviously quite reluctant to join in. You try to take your clothes off once and say, nope, can't do it. No, no, no. What made you reluctant to join the others?

DB: It's just something that I don't do regularly. I'm not a nudist. I do like clothing. And, you know, I think just being able to... to be naked, you know, in front of other people is a big thing for... for... for... for some people. And for me, it's not something that I was, you know, I was afraid to do. But I was just like, you know, it's just I can't explain it. I mean, it's just something that a lot of people don't choose to do. And people enjoy wearing clothing. But I knew that, you know, that was part of, you know, making this film. And I reluctantly decided to jump in. And once I did, it was great. It was all those things that Michele was... was talking about earlier. There is an energy, and then there is a sense of a vibration when you're just talking amongst other people in the nude in nature. And I'll, you know, definitely, remember that first time specifically as a real kind of eye-opening experience for me.

CO: Daniel, do you have a sense that you understand a bit more of what your grandparents and that wonderful grandmother of yours, what... what she liked about it? What that meant to her, that beginning of their relationship?

DB: I think my... my grandparents were…. were almost like the original hipsters, you know, in a sense. They were there to be radical and to rebel, and that was their way of doing that. And they were very comfortable in that environment. You know, before the... the punks and the beatniks and the hippies, there were the naturists. And I think that's what their reasoning to be up there was, I think. And I think, you know, people who are looking for naturism in today, I think, I don't think they're looking, you know, to be radical. I think they're... they're looking for a place where they can be free.

CO: Daniel, what do you think your grandmother would think of this film?

DB: [chuckle] Oh, that's a great question. I think she would be very proud, you know, to... to say that, oh, OK, that… that... you know, I think she would be very happy to know that I'm celebrating the love that she had with my grandfather. I think that, you know, what... what I really... the hypothesis of this film was to make naturism normal, but it was also to kind of like, you know, explore why my grandparents we're so madly in love. And, you know, was naturism... play a part in that? So I think she'd be very, very happy to know that, you know, that I'd followed in her footsteps. And, you know, it's exciting to be part of it.

CO: I wish you best of luck with your documentary, Daniel. And nice to speak with you. And great to speak with you as well. Michele, thank you.

MR: Thank you, Carol.

DB: Thank you for having us. Thank you.

CO: Bye.

DB: Bye-bye

CH: Filmmaker Daniel Berish was in Vancouver. Van Tan Naturist Club member Michele Rauter was in Kelowna, B-C. The documentary "Nude to Me", in which they both appear, premieres at the Hot Docs film festival tomorrow. And we've got more on this story on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

FOA: Maria Ressa Award

CO: Ms. Ressa, you have tweeted that you're out, and thanked all your supporters. What has this past 36 hours been like for you?

MARIA RESSA: Shocking, I think. When this whole thing began, when the government tried to revoke the license of Rappler last January, you know I laid out best and worst case scenarios. I just didn't expect to be arrested for something so ludicrous. I mean this is probably the case that we paid the least attention to. I mean in the last year I've had a slew of cases that we are fighting in court. And in the last less than two months I posted bail six times. Today is the sixth time I've done that, so it's been pretty unrelenting.

CO: Tell us about the arrest itself?

MR: It was after 5:00 p.m. — I was in a meeting in the office, and apparently, the officers with National Bureau Investigation got through the alerts that we had put in the building — security. They came up, and we spoke to them, asked them to wait for our lawyers. They were attempting to serve a warrant. I looked at it. It was one count of cyber libel. And I thought that I would be able to get out that night because even though most of the courts close by 5:00 p.m. in the Philippines, there is one court we know that closes at 9 p.m., and there is more than enough time. But the judge in that court refused to accept the bail. And that was only the first part of everything. The second part was that we looked at the arrest warrant, and it was missing something that was fundamental for me to be able to post bail. So it was like a circle that was set up to keep me in detention for the evening.

CO: I understand that they said to the person who was trying to record the arrest is that you don't want to be next.

MR: That's it. You know it's like be silent, or else you're going to be next. That's a threat. And you know I was so proud of our reporter because she just came right back and said I'm doing my job, and she kept rolling, and he then put his hand on it, and she tweeted — she posted it online.

CO: Just on the case itself, the charges are of cyber libel, as you mentioned. It relates to reports that were done years ago — seven years ago. And they are about a businessman and his alleged ties to a former judge. But these reports that you did that was done before this cyber libel law came into effect, right?

MR: That's correct. And that's the first part that you know it just it shocks me that it even gets beyond this. You can’t apply a law retroactively. It just shakes the foundation of the Constitution. In the last few months, what we've seen is really legal acrobatics to find something that that the government could file that would be criminal. That would require an arrest warrant. So it's crazy, but I'm living through it. And sometimes I think I'm Alice in Wonderland, and I've gone down the rabbit hole. But I'll just keep going through until I come out the other side.

CO: Now, President Rodrigo Duterte today has a spokesperson for him insisted in an interview that this these is the cyber libel charges have nothing to do with a government — it's nothing to do with any kind of harassment of you or journalists. It's a completely separate issue related to a private complaint. How do you respond to the government?

MR: Actions speak louder than words. And these charges are ridiculous. You know that I shouldn't have to do this. The law has been weaponized.

CO: What message does this send to other journalists in the Philippines?

MR: Be afraid. I'm a cautionary tale. This is part of the reason after I posted bail, I faced my colleagues, and I hope they got the clear message that I was trying to send — which is don't be afraid. This is meant to intimidate; this is meant to harass, to make it so difficult so that we cannot ask hard questions so that we can't get to the truth to hold the powerful to account. You know in a few weeks we're going to be celebrating the people power movement that really triggered all of these pro-democracy movements all around the world in 1986. That came from the Philippines. It's deep in our psyche. So somehow we have to get beyond the fear. I hope the more voices will join in outrage.

CO: But you know that that President Duterte has talked about the journalists produce fake news, that he has threatened them. He has said they are enemies. Despite all of that, you have reported strenuously about his excesses. But at some point it must wear you down? At some point you must think well I just have to go along with all the others then?

MR: No. Part of it is, look, I've been doing this a long time. I've been a journalist for more than 30 years, and I feel like this is the moment where it actually counts. This isn't the only country where a president has called journalists fake news. There is a global battle to protect democracy. That's why I keep saying we're going to hold the line.

CO: But you know that the tax fraud charges that we spoke with you last time we had you on this show, those charges come with a potential ten years in prison. If you're found guilty of cyber libel, you face a possible sentence of 12 years. This could actually put you in prison.

MR: Yes, it could. But at the same time, there is such a selective execution in our justice system. And I look at several things. I look at the pace of the court system. I mean some of it has been accelerated in my case. I seem to be a favourite. But I also look at the context. President Duterte is halfway through a six-year term. He's got three more years in office. There's a crucial midterm election. He's still extremely popular, but that popularity is seeded and buoyed by a propaganda machine on social media. So you know I think we have to keep telling the story. I don't know where it will end, and that threat is there. But we should never let the threat stop us from doing our jobs.

[/sc]

CH: From our archives, that was journalist Maria Ressa in February of 2019. Ms. Ressa has just been awarded a UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize. She was found guilty of "cyberlibel," but she has appealed, and continues to fight legal cases connected with her reporting.

[music: ambient]

Ideas Promo: Around The World In 80 Plays

CH: Tonight on Ideas, Argentina is the second stop in a world-tour of theatre from the global canon... Around the World in 80 Plays. Tonight's focus is on 'In The Walls', in which a young man is detained in a room where nothing is as it seems. His captors tell him they're worried he might be a villain from a novel. This 1963 play is a chilling exploration of gaslighting and manipulation... and a prediction of the torture and disappearances that haunted Argentina during the Dirty War military dictatorship.

[sc]

WOMAN: Actually, a case very similar to what the young men have been like 10 years during that Dirty War. He was taken and the only thing was about his name, because it's absurd to think about the name. They tell him from the top that they know he's not Roberto de Heinkel, which is a villain in a novel, right? [chuckling] So it's like you go... of course, he goes. Of course I’m not. Ah, no. But we have to verify.

MAN: You're not?

MAN #2: Absolutely not! I'll show you.

MAN: I don't need documents. Don't be silly. Your word is enough, uh I'm so glad that by a twist of fate you might have turned out to be Roberto. I've been losing sleep. The verification will be delayed a few days.

WOMAN: He knows he's in trouble. But he knows that they can go and check the name, which is absurd. So he is trusting that he's innocent. And that that innocence is going to save him because that's how this system works.

[/sc]

CH: Tonight on “Ideas”... part 2 of a collaboration with Soulpepper Theatre Company called "Around the World in 80 Plays."

[music: ambient]

LR: Casket Building Guy

CH: Yesterday, we spoke with Cailleah Scott-Grimes, who made a documentary about a project her father Ron picked up during the pandemic: building a coffin. And Ron Grimes is not the only one hammering away at one of life's biggest questions. Which is, "how do you prepare for death?" It turns out that our listeners have also been -- to quote the documentary's title -- "Rockin' the Coffin."

[a phone connecting]

CHARLES MEGASON: Oh, hi. It's Charles Megason. I'm calling from the Gilby district in Alberta. My great grandfather was commissioned to make a coffin for a man a long time ago. The man wanted it built out of hemlock because he said that he wanted to be able to go snappin and cracken through hell because hemlock gives off sparks when it burns. Great grandfather had the coffin in the front parlour, which was not normally used. If he spotted callers coming to the front door, which meant official Bible society politicians and so on, he would run and jump into this coffin and be sitting there with a book or a paper reading so that he could give people a little rise.

CH: Thanks for your call, Mr. Megason. Amy Whitmore wrote to us from Calgary about a woman who also liked to give people a rise. Her death was not imminent, but she had her carpenter nephew make her a coffin. Ms. Whitmore writes, "She was so proud of that coffin she kept it in her tiny living room and laid down in it for anyone who was interested to see." And then there are those who boldly ignore their certain fate. Mike Morrison of Halifax tweeted: "This sorta reminds me of how we thought my childhood dog was going to die, so before the ground froze, my dad dug a grave for him. Our dog ended up living for another two years and had to walk by his own grave every single day until he eventually died."

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April 28, 2021 Episode Transcript

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