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The AIH Transcript For November 22, 2021

[hosts]Carol Off, Chris Howden[/hosts]

CAROL OFF: Hello, I'm Carol Off.

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

[music: theme]

Prologue

CH: Tonight:

CO: A joyous scene turns deadly. A Wisconsin nurse who was at the holiday parade where an SUV plowed through dozens of people yesterday tells us she hasn't slept since.

CH: Water pressure. Residents of Iqaluit still can't drink the stuff that comes out of their taps -- and the city's newly elected MLA says an incoming snow storm won't help matters.

CO: Dreading water. An Abbotsford poultry farmer is surveying the damage and wondering how he'll rebuild -- after floods submerged his entire farm and killed tens of thousands of his birds.

CH: A new word faces the old guard. A French dictionary adds a gender-neutral pronoun -- to the delight of those who embrace a more inclusive language, and the dismay of those who see it as an attack on tradition.

CO: An amazing tracks record. Four years after he spotted a man in trouble in Toronto's subway system, a U.K. engineer describes the heroic act that has now earned him the Canadian Medal For Bravery.

CH: And… gallop poll. The ongoing debate over whether horses should be replaced with bicycles in the modern pentathlon continues -- and there's a lot riding on what the athletes end up riding.

CH: As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that thinks the horse opponents have an advantage: unbridled enthusiasm.

[music: theme]

Part 1: Wisconsin Parade Deaths, Abbotsford Poultry Farmer, Subway Bravery Award

Wisconsin Parade Deaths

Guest: Jodi Singsime

CH: In the blink of an eye, a seasonal celebration became an incomprehensible catastrophe. Yesterday, without warning, an SUV drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin -- killing at least five people and injuring nearly 50. Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilley gave an update today.

SOUNDCLIP

SHAWN REILLEY: We have so much healing that needs to occur. Waukesha, though, will not be defined by the horrific events of last night. We are a community that will come together. We will help those [long pause] who experienced the loss of a loved one or were injured. We will work together to bring healing.

CH: Police arrested a man who's now been charged with five counts of intentional homicide. Jodi Singsime is a nurse who was at the parade with her family. We reached her just outside of Waukesha -- in Eagle, Wisconsin.

CO: Jodi, how are you doing today?

JODI SINGSIME: I'm holding up. My boys and I just kind of stayed home. I haven't really slept much.

CO: So your boys are home with you?

JS: Yes.

CO: How old are they?

JS: Nineteen and 14.

CO: And so they were with you at the parade?

JS: Correct.

CO: So can you just take us back? And so, was there any sense that something was going to happen? Just describe the moment you were at the parade before all this began.

JS: We... it's a tradition. We go and we stand in the same spot every year. If they were any younger, they would have been in the street where he drove through because they always sat down to get candy. But yesterday, we were up on the curb, standing, watching everything, and it was fun. I mean, the dancing grannies had just come past us, and we were cheering them on because, you know, they're just this cute group of ladies that are doing cheers. And then, within minutes, my husband saw what he thought was somebody trying to go around the parade. But then, in that moment, I also heard the screaming. It was about a block away down from us where he started hitting people. So it was enough time for us to get the boys and get up against the store building.

CO: Can you describe what you saw?

JS: Yeah. As soon as I looked over and realized he was coming fast. I got the boys… we got the boys up just in time. As he came past us, he hit a couple of people in front of us. The sound is... it was like gunshots as he was hitting the bodies. It was insane. And then, he kept going. I... we just kind of stood there for a second in disbelief. And then I started to walk out onto the road to see if anybody needed assistance. And at that moment, people were saying, were yelling, active shooter. So we all ran into the shop that we were standing in front of. The gentleman that owned it was so, so nice and let us all go in. After a few minutes, we realized that it was clear. I went back out. There was a guy in the road, right in front of the shop, that had gotten hit. He was alert, and some people were helping him. He got some leg injuries, so he couldn't walk. But I knew he was OK. So I continued across the road where I saw a little boy laying down in the road and another woman that I thought she was giving him CPR, but she was just checking to see if he was breathing. And it turned out she was a nurse as well. So we sat there. I checked for a pulse on his neck because he was turning purple. And there was blood around his head, and he had... he had a pulse, so we didn't have to actively give any compressions or anything. But his breathing was very shallow. At that time, somebody said, the medics are here. The medics are here. So then I stood up. And as I stood up, my husband was coming and grabbed me because another man ran past us at that moment, saying active shooter again. So we all ran and pushed back into the store, got back down.

CO: And so those shots... the police were firing at some point at this vehicle, right? So is that... is that possibly the shots that people were warning you about?

JS: Correct. And when you're in this chaotic event that just happened, and people are saying shots fired, we don't know if he had just stopped his vehicle down at the corner and gotten out and started shooting coming our way. You don't know any of that. And your biggest thing that goes through your head is your family and just getting them to safety and making sure that we stay together.

CO: But because you're a nurse, you had... yes, you have to keep your family safe, but you felt compelled to be in there trying to do what you could for the... for those who were wounded?

JS: Absolutely, anything I could do. I felt like... I... I wish I could have done more.

CO: Do you know anything about the boy that you were helping?

JS: Yeah. He was taken to children's with a severe brain injury. They took him to surgery right away and relieved some pressure on his brain, and I have heard that he's in critical condition.

CO: You mentioned before that the sound. I mean, so what are the sounds that are with you that will stay with you from all of this?

JS: The bodies being hit. I mean, as he was driving down right in front of us, as he hit the bodies, I mean, the gentleman that had the leg injury, I saw him get hit and he kind of rolled to the side. But just him... just the sound of him hitting the people, like, it won't leave my mind.

CO: People were calling out for help?

JS: Yes. Yeah. It was just as you would imagine in a... in a situation where it's just like the chaos and, you know, people trying to yell for their kids. And, you know, these kids are in the parade without their families. And there was one mom that ran into the shop we were in yelling her kid's name, and they weren't in there. She was just trying to find her child.

CO: Do you know if she found her child?

JS: I don't know.

CO: It's just an absolutely extraordinary thing to be in, especially when you'd gone to watch a parade.

JS: Yes. And something that we've done every year since my boys were little. Every year, except for last, of course, but every year.

CO: How are your boys processing this?

JS: My oldest is like me, just having a hard time. My youngest is oddly doing well, and I'm not sure if it's just a facade at the moment. And I know my company offers an employee assistance program that I'm going to be reaching out to for counselling because I know that we may each need to talk to somebody for this.

CO: And there is a man who is in custody. And so what... what do you want to learn? What... what are your questions?

JS: Well, our first question. Like my husband said, you know, we're so innocent thinking it was somebody that got their foot stuck on the gas. And then, my husband saw... saw the guy's face. He didn't... he couldn't make him out, but he saw that he was just looking straight. He was just looking straight. He wasn't looking around, just looking straight as he was going. And so, just why? And I just... I can't comprehend what goes through people's minds. I know that it was a sick man with a very, very bad history, and I just feel sad for him. I feel sad for, you know, that he was... he put himself in that spot and that he hurt so many people.

CO: Are there... is there a plan for any kind of... of... of event where people come as a community... can come together in Waukesha?

JS: There's a vigil. There's a candlelight vigil right by the end of the parade route, at the library in Waukesha.

CO: And are you going?

JS: I don't know. I told my son that I'm not ready to be in a big group. I just... I mean, I understand it's an isolated event, but I just don't want to be in a group where I can't escape, I guess. It's odd.

CO: Well, it's not odd. But it's also to go back to the very place where you witnessed all of this.

JS: Exactly. Yes, exactly.

CO: Jodi, I'm glad you were there to do what you could as a nurse, and I really appreciate speaking with you. I'm so sorry this has happened.

JS: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

CO: Bye.

JS: All right. Bye-bye.

CH: Jodi Singsime is a nurse in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She spoke to us from nearby Eagle, Wisconsin. And you can find more on that story on the As It Happens website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Vocalization]

Abbotsford Poultry Farmer

Guest: Dave Martens

CH: In British Columbia's Fraser Valley, farmers are starting to ask themselves: what now? In Abbotsford, farms were flooded -- and thousands of animals died as farmers and their families fled the rising waters. Last week, B.C.'s minister of agriculture told us she was rushing to get food and water to farms -- so that the animals that did survive would not die of hunger and thirst. But it's too late for Dave Martens. He left his poultry farm and his tens of thousands of chickens last week. We reached him today in Abbotsford, B.C.

CO: Dave, can you describe for us what your farm looks like right now?

DAVE MARTENS: Right now? Well, I cannot see my farm. But right now, I'm under between five and six feet of water. Most farmhouses are... the whole bottom floors are completely inundated with water.

CO: So when you say you can't see it right now because you're not there, but have you been able to get back and survey the damage?

DM: Um, I had... I had some guys take me out in a boat, and we were able to go by and kind of prepare, get an idea of what we're going to be facing when we get back there. I’m a little bit still in shock, you might say, of the devastation, not just for ourselves, but my… my fellow farmers all around me and stuff like that. It's a daunting task. There's going to be a lot… [sigh] Good news is where I'm at, I can get down off the mountain, down close to the water, and we can actually see where I've kind of found a fire hydrant, which I take pictures of. And that gives me an idea as to how much it's dropping. So I think we went down about five or six inches last night. So as it, you know, yesterday was a couple of inches, today it's going to go more. And as the puddle out here gets smaller and smaller, it's going to be... it's going to be better, but it's going to be... it's still going to be days, many days before we get anywhere near our place.

CO: OK, so that's the land and the buildings. But the hard question is: what about your animals? What about the chickens?

DM: [sigh] Well, I woke up this morning, and I looked out the window. [clears throat] Something I heard probably as a kid, and it's just a song played over my head that when sorrows like sea billows rolls. And I've been down there to the water and actually... actually see whitecaps and waves rolling in over the land. And the hard part for me is knowing that the animals are... I know they're all dead in the barn. It's going to be a daunting task, but I have an army of people supporting me. I mean, you know, we talk about... people talk about the power, prayer and stuff like that. Well, I got a lot of people praying for me, and I've got... there's a huge community out here of agriculture people. [clears throat] I mean, when people are asking, you know, can anybody help me get calves out and get them dried with blow dryers and stuff like that? You know, they're... they're trying to care for their baby calves and get them warmed up. And I've got, you know, over 40,000 birds in the barn there that I know are not alive, and I've got these people that are going to help me clean out. I've got a select group of people that will stand beside us and help us. Maybe I'm doing a lot of reflecting right now because I went for a walk yesterday and just, like, looked at the trees and realized I have so much to be thankful for. You know, I'm 61 years old, so back in when I was in school, they still made you stand and read the Lord's Prayer. And I thought to myself, Love the Lord God with all your heart, and your neighbour as yourself. Well, [beginning to cry] I'm seeing that in action [sniffle] by so many people. Like, there's so many people. Like, it's... it's humbling. It's just bizarre. I'm sorry, I'm bouncing around here.

CO: You’re not! No, Dave. I'm just going to say, I mean, you have been through so much. I know that that farm, you started that... that poultry farm from scratch, as you were saying. Thirty years ago, your kids were born there, you've... you've just worked so hard to build that operation.

DM: Yeah.

CO: And... and now, what you're faced with, I mean, is... do you feel that you can rebuild it?

DM: I know we can rebuild it. Well, I don't know, but I believe we can rebuild everything. I'm quite certain will be... we'll get back up and going. I have to defer to my... my background in, you know, in agriculture and stuff like that. And my mom had a saying, she says, how do you eat an apple? One bite at a time. And I'm thinking of that. And my... my dad tells me that I was... as a kid, I was a bit of a scrapper. And, you know, David, you know, you got to settle down. You know, he'd say, you can make it a sad thing or a happy thing, and you choose how you're going to react to things. And right now, I don't know how I'm keeping it together. But at times, we are. Like our Agriculture Minister, Minister Popham, she has reached out to me a number of times. My emotions go from one side to the other. From... I've had a couple of glee moments, and I've had some other moments where I've been just frustrated and angry.

CO: We spoke with the Agriculture Minister, Minister Popham, last week. And she was saying just how difficult it is that, on the one hand, she knows how attached the farmers are to their animals. But she said the farmers had to get out of there. That... that human lives came first.

DM: Yeah.

CO: And was that the hard decision you had to make? That your... your lives, your family, had to get out and leave the animals behind?

DM: Well, I'll tell you what happened that morning. I was... like, I was supposed to ship those chickens that night to market. We went down off the hill. Water was flowing across the road. We brought feed in, and the water was lapping at the outside of the barn door, and I thought, well, maybe it'll pass us by. Maybe it'll find its level somewhere else, and maybe we'll be OK and able to ship these birds to market. But… [voice waivers] but we couldn't. And that is the hard thing. I mean, it was a hard choice to make, but we had to care for the lives and get people out of there.

CO: I'm just thinking that you said that your dad called you a scrapper, and I think that that's what's going to get you through, isn't it?

DM: [laughing] Well, I'm sure that's part of it. I used to joke and say when I was a kid, they took me everywhere twice. The second time to apologize or say sorry. [both laugh] I shouldn't be laughing, I guess. But anyhow, that's... yeah. You know, the love in action from people is unbelievable. Just unbelievable. The care that people are sharing, the people that are, you know, upset and angst, just wondering how they can help. There's going to be a lot of time for that. We will rebuild. Our industry is strong. There will be... be food on the shelves and stuff like that. And there's other sectors in the... in the agriculture sector that are smaller, maybe not as regulated as we are, they're going to need a lot of help, too. This is my own personal belief. I don't want to see some of the other agricultural sectors, and I… I hope this makes the cut.

CO: Yeah.

DM: I don't want to get cut out. But there's other sectors of the ag community that... that are going to need help as well. And they're... they're not as organized, possibly as we are, and I'm confident in our provincial ag minister, just from what I know of her, that... that she'll push back and she'll push for... for support for us all. And, you know.

CO: Well, Dave, you got... you got... you got people coast to coast that would love to just be there to help you get through this. And so, you do have a lot of support out there, and I really appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

DM: Thank you very much.

CO: Take care.

DM: Take care.

CO: Bye.

DM: OK. Bye now.

CH: Dave Marten is a poultry farmer. We reached him in Abbotsford, B.C.

[Music: Jazz]

Mini Update: French Gender Neutral Pronoun

CH: Coming up later on As It Happens: It's only three letters long. But a new word added to an influential French language dictionary is causing some leaders in France to unleash paragraphs of condemnation. The issue has to do with introducing a gender-neutral pronoun into the mix. One prominent politician calls it an ideological intrusion. Another says bluntly, "this is not the future of the French language." Coming up, a linguist takes us through the twists and turns of a very verbose debate about the future of French. That's later on, As It Happens.

[Music: Jazz, which has played through the narration comes back up]

Subway Bravery Award

Guest: Jehangir Faisal

CH: It's been more than four years since Jehangir Faisal saved a man's life with the help of two others. It was a hot June day in Toronto. The engineer from the U.K. was taking the subway to join a friend for a swim. And when he got to the Broadview subway station, a remarkable chain of events began. A chain that eventually led to last Friday, when Mr. Faisal was awarded Canada's Medal For Bravery by the Canadian High Commissioner in London. We reached Jehangir Faisal in Birmingham.

CO: Jahangir, after four years, what was it like to receive one of Canada's highest honours?

JEHANGIR FAISAL: Unbelievable. It was a... it was a very special day, and I was truly honoured receiving it from the High Commissioner Goodale in London. In Canada House in Trafalgar Square.

CO: So... so, that was a special day to get that award. But take us back to that day when you were on the Subway platform. And when did you first realize that someone was in trouble?

JF: Um, so what happened was I was in the train on the opposite side of the railway tracks, and there was a loud... a man screaming, so... for help. And at first, I thought it was somebody under the train that might be in trouble. So I rushed out, went to the front of the train or in the back and had a look on the opposite end. And there was a man on the opposite side tracks, so I rushed to help him. And then two others joined, Kyle and Julio, and we all helped him get up back onto the platform. At the time, we didn't know. Yeah, he was visually impaired, the man was. And he had... because of the fall, his leg was quite bad. So he injured his leg quite bad.

CO: So he was on the tracks on the other side. Was... was there... there was no train in the station there then, but the train could come at any time, right?

JF: Yeah, we weren't aware of when the train was going to come, but that's... that was mainly the... the reason why we rushed because anything can happen. You know, accidents happen. And you just have to look out for the unexpected, I guess.

CO: Did you think about that? That possibility that you might be on the tracks when the train came in?

JF: At the time when it happened, absolutely not. It was just solely on impulse. The screams of the man was the only thing I could hear at the time. And, yeah, just rushed to help him.

CO: These two other men who joined you, you didn't know these men. Did... did you speak before? Did you have any... any... any time to actually arrange what you were going to do?]\

JF: No, we didn't, no. So we all rushed and just simultaneously between the three of us, we all just knew what to do and got him up safely onto the platform, which, as you know, in Toronto, is quite high.

CO: Well, two things come to mind. [chuckle] One is that there is also what's known as the third rail on those tracks -- that if you come into contact with that, you can… you can… well, it'll kill you. So did you know that? Did you know to avoid that third rail?

JF: No, I didn't have a clue about it, to be honest. [chuckle] No, we didn't. Julio might have known about it because he... he worked for the TTC at the time. But no, me and Kyle, we didn't... we didn't know anything about it because I was new to Toronto. I'd only moved into Toronto five months ago, and I thought it was similar to the U.K. where you have overhead cables.

CO: Yikes!

JF: And, yeah, we only found out after the event had taken place that, yeah, the trucks had electric in it.

CO: They had a charge in them [laughing] that could really knock you away.

JF: Yeah.

CO: And so... so then, you had to... the three of you got this man up. And as you say, it's a very... it's a high platform, and you're down quite far. So, was it challenging to get him up to the top? Did anyone above you give you a hand?

JF: Um, no, it was just the three of us, really because… but yeah, we... we managed it because we're all young, full of energy. [chuckle] So, between the three of us, we managed to get him up without a problem.

CO: And I... after it happened, I was looking down in that... where you would have been, and couldn't imagine being able to get out of there. How difficult was it to get back up on top of the platform?

JF: Yeah, it was difficult. It was difficult, but we managed to do it. And, yeah, like at the time, there's so much adrenaline in your body that you don't really think about it.

CO: What kind of shape was the man in when you got him out?

JF: He was in shock, of course, from... from the fall. And his... his leg was snapped like literally it was... it was terrible because it almost snapped in half from the... from the knee to the... to the foot.

CO: And so, were you... emergency personnel, I guess, got to the scene pretty quickly?

JF We had called the emergency. The ambulance was on its way. And at that time, a lot of people came in. And his wife as well was called, so he was in good hands. So I myself did not stay till the very end for the emergency to arrive because there was many people there to take care of him. I didn't see the exact need to stay there because he was in good hands.

CO: And did your other two... the other two men who aided in this rescue, did you exchange phone numbers. Did you… [chuckle] Did you talk to them?

JF: No, we were sort of like, oh, thank you for giving the hand and well-done. And then, we just went, everybody just went about their normal day. I only met them a few weeks later because there was a ceremony held in City Hall with the mayor, John Tory. He presented us with a year's travel card for the TTC, which was nice. And I met them there, and then we exchanged numbers then.

CO: And so now, of course, this is a... well, getting a TTC pass for a year is pretty good. [chuckle] But this was... this is amazing. Canada's Medal for Bravery.

JF: Yeah.

CO: That you've been... and the other two rescuers will get their medals a bit later, right?

JF: Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

CO: Have you and the others, have you ever met the men that you rescued? Have you ever had any contact with him again?

JF: No. So when we met at City Hall, it was discussed, and it was mentioned that he didn't really want anything to do with the press or be on live television or anything of that sort. So he didn't really want to come out. And, yeah, I haven't... I haven't actually talked to him since then.

CO: Well, I'm sure that even if you haven't spoken to him, many, many people regard you and the others as heroes. And I really appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

JF: Thank you very much.

CH: Jehangir Faisal is a civil engineer and the recipient of Canada's Medal For Bravery. We reached him in Birmingham, England.

[Music: Ambient]

Part 2: Iqaluit Water Update, French Gender Neutral Pronoun, Modern Pentathlon

Iqaluit Water Update

Guest: Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster

CH: The people of Iqaluit still can't drink the water from their taps. As you've probably heard, Nunavut's capital city has been under a state of emergency since October 12th -- after people there reported the smell of fuel in their water. That was later confirmed, and the culprit is an old fuel spill in a tunnel underneath the water plant. But even with that mystery solved, the city's 8,000 residents are still not allowed to drink the water. Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster is the newly-elected MLA for Iqaluit-Sinaa and the city's former deputy mayor. We reached her in Iqaluit.

CO: Ms. Brewster, I hear there is a snowfall warning in Iqaluit tonight. How much more difficult is that going to make this water situation?

JANET PITSIULAAQ BREWSTER: We're already having difficulty reaching people that don't have transportation in order to drive to the water pick-up stations. So when... when we run into weather, which is how we... we... I refer to big snowfalls. We know that people will have even more difficulty accessing water. So there's a bit of a scramble for people to get as much water delivered to people who are either housebound or don't have a vehicle right now. So it's a little bit concerning.

CO: how much water will they need to be able to get hold of to get through the weather?

JPB: We know that the warning is for at least a full day, but sometimes this time of year, it can be two... two to three days of... of big weather. So what we want to do is make sure that people have at least 48 hours worth of water.

CO: Wow, that's a lot of water to get hold of in this afternoon, I guess, right?

JPB: That's correct. And it's... [shrug] it's... it's quite... quite complicated for people that... that either can't drive or that have children to take care of. And, you know, other logistical issues that make it difficult to... to get into the lineups. The... the... the vehicle lineups are at least half an hour to 45 minutes long when they open up, so it's a little bit concerning.

CO: When this first began, just a little over a month ago, it seemed as though people we were speaking with, though it was a critical situation, it was going to be resolved. It was… did anyone, did you think that you would still have the situation? People in Iqaluit would still be trying to deal with this more than a month later?

JPB: No, we... you know, we... we... of course, we didn't have an idea of how long it would take, but it... it is really surprising and really sinking in that... that... that we could be in... in this situation for a much longer haul. And, you know, we... were working as a community to bring together as many volunteers as we can to... to make sure that... that the people who are falling through the cracks are accessing water. And, you know, it's having an impact on... on a lot of issues, including, you know, people. Some people are really struggling because of the, you know, the impact on their mental health is not knowing when they're going to have access to clean water.

CO: When... now, the stories that we were hearing in October were that people could smell this fuel. It smelled like gas on the water. And then, they... people were getting sick from it. It was... and now we know the culprit there is an old, rusted fuel tank. But do you know at this point how that was able to leach into your water system?

JPB: I don't have details about that, but I know it was buried pretty close to... to one of the holding tanks that... that is part of the water purification system. So I'm assuming that... that it was buried underground and it degraded over a number of years. And, you know, what we know is that... that there are a number of sites around a Iqaluit where old fuel tanks such as that are buried. And so now the work begins to discover where all of them are and do our best to remediate those sites, to... to, you know, take them out and hopefully clean up the... the soil around.

CO: And then we're talking about the drinking water. But what about bathing water? What about... what about dishwashing, cleaning? Where is the water coming from for that?

JPB: What we know right now is that the best evidence tells us that it's safe to bathe in this water and it's also safe to wash the dishes. So, people are... people are doing that. And anecdotally, we're hearing about people having some skin rashes and problems with skin. So, we need to look at whether or not, you know, it's safe long-term to be bathing in this water.

CO: Water that smells like petrol. I mean, is that really where you want to bathe your... put your baby?

JPB: You know, I think that we... we haven't had... at least I haven't heard of any new experiences of people smelling... smelling the fuel in water. I think that the city has hopefully found the only source, and now it's a matter of flushing the whole system. And it becomes, you know, a little bit more difficult for... for parents to feel trust in... in the advice that's being given the longer that this drags on.

CO: We spoke with people who were collecting water from the river to use that. Is that still happening?

JPB: Not so much now, because the... the... the river is starting to freeze over. And it hasn't quite frozen over enough for it to be safe for people to walk on it. So I believe right now, the city is still sourcing water from the river. But... but mainly, the... the advice is that it's still safe to bathe and use for dishwashing and general household cleaning. Once the river does freeze up, then more... it's more than likely that... that those Inuit who... who go and collect river water throughout the winter will… will continue to do so. And then we'll probably see some more people doing that as well who don't normally do it. There's a general feeling that that water is safe to... to drink when you... when you source it on your own. The city has been treating it when they use their equipment because they have to move it into different tanks, and... and it's just safer to... to treat it before distributing it.

CO: All right. Well, we will continue to follow the story in Iqaluit. And, Ms. Brewster, I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

JPB: Thank you very much. Have a great evening.

CO: Bye.

CH: Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster is the MLA for Iqaluit-Sinaa. She was in Iqaluit.

[Music: International]

FOA Canso

CH: If you watch the TV show DC's Legends of Tomorrow, keep an eye out for a new character in this week's episode. It won't have any lines, because it's an airplane. Uh, but it has a special Canadian history. It's a World War Two-era Canso aircraft that had been used to fight forest fires, until it was abandoned, after a crash. Over a decade ago, a group of farmers from Fairview, Alberta recovered the plane from the side of a lake in Inuvik, and spent years restoring it. In 2017, As It Happens guest host Helen Mann spoke with one of those farmers, Doug Roy.

SOUNDCLIP

DR: We did realize though,very early on that this was a big project and it was much more than Six Farmers from Fairview, which we were called, could handle. So we formed a society, the Fairview Aircraft Restoration Society. So now we have a lot of people that are with us as members are just in support.

HM: Why was it so important to you to restore this plane?

DR: Well first, I think a little bit of a challenge for them. I think it quickly became a matter of we realized the historical significance of it and that to preserve something, it was kind of a last of a kind. This was built during the war for use during the war. And at that time worldwide there was nearly 3,300 of them built. But we're down to only 12 of them. There’s 12 air-worthy ones worldwide.

HM: And what have you learned about what this specific plane did during the Second World War?

DR: Well yeah, we've had contact from a number of vets that had been involved. While it was in Iceland, it was stationed in Iceland for quite a period of time, and it would fly out over the North Atlantic and patrol the seaway where the convoys were going back and forth between North America and Europe. They were armed, they had depth charges, and anti-aircraft guns onboard and they could attack a submarine if they saw it, or they could do a search and rescue duty too very easily because it’s amphibious. It could land in the open ocean. But the thing that's been really a blessing to us has been getting to meet some of these people that actually worked on or flew this aircraft. And when we have our first flight which is coming up June 18th, on that day we're going to have two of our pilots who actually flew this aircraft. They're sitting watching it take off.

HM: That makes it really special, huh?

DR: Oh it's just amazing. One gentleman that's coming from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia aged 99 years old. He’s coming with his son. This is Father's Day that we're having our first flight. So it has special meaning there. Then we have Hal Burns, the other pilot who's 94, now lives in Victoria, and he'll be coming with his daughter to attend our special day.

HM: What's it going to be like for you and the rest of your team having spent nine years on this project to finally see that plane in the sky?

DR: Oh it's amazing. You know it's a culmination of a lot a lot of hard work and well, it's a labor of love it's really what it's become. And we just started, we keep getting more excited about it all the time as these things unfold. And we don't lose sight of the fact that our end goal is to have this as a flying museum. That’s always been our goal.

CH: From our archives, that was Alberta farmer Doug Roy speaking with As It Happens guest host Helen Mann in February of 2017, about his group's effort to restore a World War Two-era Canso aircraft.

[Music: Folk]

French Gender Neutral Pronoun

Guest: Julie Abbou

CH: In English a couch is, well, something you sit on. Whether that couch is masculine or feminine doesn't really enter the picture. Not so when you're speaking French, where a couch might be called "un canapé" but never "une canapé", because, linguistically speaking, it's a masculine thing. Which you definitely should not serve as an amuse-bouche at a cocktail party. The masculine and feminine are so deeply embedded in the French language that when an esteemed dictionary such as Le Robert introduces a new gender-neutral word, it's enough to cause a national uproar. Which is what's been happening in France ever since word got out about Le Robert's addition of the word "iel". Julie Abbou is a linguist and an advocate for inclusive language in France. We reached her in Marseille.

CO: Julie, first of all, what does iel mean?

JULIE ABBOU: Well, iel is a new pronoun. Not really new, actually, but at the state of the language time, it's quite new. And for designing either a group of people with men and women the kind of generic pronoun or to design non-binary person.

[Music: Hip-hop beat]

Part 3: Europe Anti-Vax Rioting, Australia No Dark Roofs

Blind Hockey Goalie

CH: Nelson Rego is blind. He plays hockey with other visually impaired players on a team called the Seehawks. But last week, Mr. Rego got the chance to do something he's always wanted to try. For the first time in his life, he played a full game with sighted players, tending goal for The Revolution Hockey Club in Edmonton.

SOUNDCLIP

NELSON REGO: I was on a Facebook group, I noticed a post that someone was looking for a sub. So I reached out to him, I called him like, hey, you know, are you OK if I fill-in? And he knew by that time that I was totally blind. So he was like, well, let me run it by my captain and my team [MC and NR laugh] and see what they say. And I was like expecting, oh, sorry, we can't, you know? But no, he came back. He was like, no, the team is 100 per cent in, and they're all excited about it.

MARK CONNOLLY: Wow!

NR: And... yeah. [laughing] And the next thing I know, it’s like they're... they actually made me a temporary jersey. They put my nameplate on it.

MC: I mean, how do you keep track where the puck is if you're a blind goalie?

NR: Yeah, that's just it. I was basically listening for the players, the skating, the jostling for the puck. You know, sometimes I would hear the puck, like, hit the boards. And I know if there's a big save on the other side, I know they're coming like full-steam my way, and they’re going to take a big shot on me. So, basically, I tell people like I kind of see with my brain. A lot of it is hearing.

MC: Yeah.

NR: But the funny thing is... is that some of my teammates on the ice, they’re facing me. So their left is my right. So guys were saying it’s on your left when it was on my right. [both chuckling]

MC: Right!

NR: But I was able to hear... you know, my... my wife cheering me in the stands. [both chuckle] And she was yelling out. She was so excited for me as well.

MC: That's nice! So did you make any great saves? Like any great glove saves or anything?

NR: I did make a glove save.

MC: Oh!

NR: I do recall making a glove save. So, I don't know how that got in there? [both laugh] But the said I got 32 shots on net, you know?

MC: That’s a lot!

NR: And the other team, they only beat us by a goal. So it was... it was a pretty close game. I will never forget it. It’s one of the things I have always wanted to do since I was a child. The ref didn't even know that there was a blind player on one of the teams until he dropped the puck. [MC chuckles] And one of the guys said, oh, by the way, our goalie’s blind. And the ref was like, what?! [both laugh]

CH: Nelson Rego, speaking with Mark Connolly on Edmonton AM.

[Music: Jazz]

Europe Anti-Vax Rioting

Guest: Philippe Lamberts

CH: Today, Austria entered its fourth COVID-19 lockdown today and became the first country in Europe to announce compulsory vaccination. Which prompted tens of thousands of protestors to take to the streets of Vienna on the weekend, decrying what they call a "dictatorship." And they weren't alone. In the Netherlands, police arrested well over 100 people after three days of unrest, which the prime minister described as "violence under the guise of protest." And in Belgium, protestors threw smoke bombs and fireworks -- and were met with water cannons and tear gas.

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: Chants and whistles]

CH: The escalating unrest comes in the face of rising COVID case rates across Europe. And if you ask Philippe Lamberts it does not come as a surprise. Mr. Lamberts is a Belgian Member of European Parliament in the Ecolo party. We reached him in Strasbourg.

CO: Mr Lamberts, we saw extraordinary scenes from all over Europe this weekend. What did you make of the scale of this weekend's protests?

PHILIPPE LAMBERTS: Well, the people are totally fed up of the restrictions imposed by the governments following the pandemic, and I understand them. Yet, we are still not out of the woods. And I would urge them to be patient. We have tried to limit restrictions to what is needed to avoid overwhelming our hospital system. But I understand their anger.

CO: But now, we saw on the weekend it was... there are tens of thousands of people out in the streets and a number of places. A number of banners and flags from different political movements, especially in Austria, where we saw neo-Nazi leaders and taking part in this with signs about vaccine apartheid, signs about wearing the yellow star and saying that they identify with the Holocaust, things of that nature. What did you make of that?

PL: Well, there's absolutely no secret that the far-right in Europe has been, by and large, supporting the anti-vaccine movement and the resistance to government measures. Now, I would be careful not to assimilate every single demonstrator to... to the far movements. I do believe that there are citizens who are genuinely frustrated about the situation and they want to vent their anger. Not all of them have succumb to looting and rioting.

CO: But what do to... to what degree are they being manipulated or being shaped... their views are being shaped by political movements that are exploiting these differences within your society?

PL: Well, I think that indeed, what they are exposing is significantly reduced trust of citizens in public institutions. And the roots of that date back decades. You know, for the last few decades, many governments have considered that what is good for big business is good for society. And as a result, we have seen health scandals across the continent. We have seen toxic products being sold. And that has eroded public confidence quite a lot. And add to that the fact that they have demonstrated cases of corruption. This is all eroding trust. And where there is no trust, well, these are fertile ground for conspiracy theories, for parties like the far-right parties trying to stimulate insurrection. And we need to rebuild trust in the midst of a pandemic, which is really a challenge.

CO: So how then do you reconcile this? You said that we're watching the Delta strain of the virus become very potent and intense in many parts of Europe. It's a great concern as we head into winter. And so, if you're saying on the one hand that this has eroded trust. That there's this degree of... of the lack of confidence in the government and belief in what it's saying, how are you going to reconcile that in your countries?

PL: The first thing I'm doing is to address my citizens as adults. If you treat your... your citizens as if they were kids without basic knowledge of the situation, you are fanning the flames. So talk to your... to your people trusting their intelligence. And then, show the facts and show how the measures that you take relate to the facts. In Belgium, what we try to do is avoiding our intensive care units to be overwhelmed. We are successful at that because of the measures that we take. But we have to show the relationship between the goal that we want to achieve and the measures that we take. And as long as we remain fact-based, I'm not saying just that is enough, but at least talk to your people based on facts and on intelligence rather than lecturing them. Because I heard the Dutch prime minister treating the demonstrators as idiots, well, that is the best way to increase the size of the demonstrations.

CO: Is it maybe too late at this point to change the rhetoric, to change the approach, to get people to be vaccinated? Do you think that maybe the... whatever damage you're describing is done?

PL: Well, rebuilding trust is a marathon. Destroying trust, that can be done in a split second. But restoring it is a marathon. You know, if you have been lecturing your people for two years, now, changing tone will take time to take effect. But then again, we have to do it. I mean, there's no alternative. That you cannot just say, well, it's too late and let the chaos take over.

CO: But again, say, look at a place like Austria where you have a very low number of people vaccinated, 65 per cent. At the same time, you have that demonstration, huge numbers, 40,000 people out, who are in a rally that was led by the far-right party, the Freedom Party. So, what's the government up against in these countries?

PL: Well, against an opposition party, and I would say it makes it even easier because then, you can talk to your citizens saying, well, this has nothing to do with the substance because everything to do with challenging the government... and, of course, the Freedom Party is pissed off because it used to be in government and was kicked out of it following scandals. And, of course, they tried to make people forget those corruption scandals by stimulating these demonstrations. But I would go about telling that. Using obligation to overcome a lack of trust is not the best way. But, you know, sometimes you are facing such a dire situation that it may become the only option.

CO: Just finally, in Canada, we have a very high percentage of eligible people who are vaccinated. And the people who have been instructing that are not the politicians. They are people in the health care system, in public health, who have been... who seem to have the trust of the citizens. Do you think that there is a place for your health professionals to be influencing the discussion in your country?

PL: Well, I do think they think they have been influencing the discussions quite a bit. The trouble is, the scientists and the professionals also differ of opinion in terms of what needs to be done. But believe me, at least in Belgium, we have tried to listen as much as possible to what they had to say. But since it was a balancing act between restriction of freedom and protection of life, this is a decision that has to be left to elected politicians because they need to be accountable for that.

CO: Mr Lamberts, we will leave it there, and I appreciate speaking with you tonight. Thank you.

PL: My pleasure.

CH: Philippe Lamberts is a Belgian Member of European Parliament. We reached him in Strasbourg, France. And you can find more on that story on our website, at: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Folk]

RASC Asteroid Guy

CH: Brian McCullough has been an astronomy educator and a Member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - or RASC - for a long time. And now, he's oh so much more than that. Because he is also the namesake of 10059 McCullough 1988 FS2, an asteroid hurtling through space. He was awarded the honour in October by the International Astronomical Union for his many contributions over the years. And the news came to him like a bolt from the blue.

SOUNDCLIP

BRIAN MCCULLOUGH: It came as a total surprise. [AN laughs] It actually started as an initiative from the national level at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. And Tim Cole, who was president of the Ottawa centre, put my name forward. And then, he said, he told me, he promptly forgot all about it. [AN laughs] And then three years later… [chuckling] yeah. And then, three years later, I'm getting these email messages congratulating me for something. I had no idea what. And then, people finally told me what it was.

ALLEN NEAL: Wait a minute! So it takes three years for that process to go through?

BM: Well, it's a long way to the asteroid belt, Allen.

AN: I guess so. I guess so. Yeah, it's not like... you don't necessarily always know what's coming around the bend. What do you know about this asteroid?

BM: It's in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. And it's a four-kilometre diameter rocky chunk. So it goes around the sun every 3.7 years. And so, right now, it's at a distance of about 400 million kilometres. So it's... if you were looking... if you want to see where it is right now, if you look to where the sun is in the sky right now, it's generally that direction, but three times farther out in space.

AN: But what level of... of astronomical technology, what I need in order to actually see it?

BM: This is a very dim object. So it would be right on the edge... with a backyard instrument like this, it would be right on the edge of observation/imagination. [AN chuckles] but you could just barely see it.

AN: You understand that you've now described yourself... your asteroid is dim and small that they named after you, right? That doesn't bother you at all?

BM: Well, considering the thing was named by the International Astronomical Union's Working Group for Small Bodies nomenclature, this is not surprising at all.

AN: [chuckles] Now, it can't be a bad conversation starter when in terms of you being able to tell people that you know, up there, there's a... there's an asteroid named after me?

BM: That's right. But I have to do everything I can not to walk around with shades on because it's too cool. [both laugh] Yeah, it was a real honour. I have to say, Allen, that people would have thought highly enough of the work that I was able to do on behalf of the RASC to... to name an asteroid after me.

CH: Astronomy educator Brian McCullough telling Allen Neal of CBC Ottawa's All in a Day about having asteroid 10059 McCullough 1988 FS2 bear his name.

[Music: Elevator]

Australia No Dark Roofs

Guest: Mat Santamouris

CH: It's been a design trend for decades. But now, an Australian state has it's time for a change at the top: it's saying goodbye to dark roofs. This week, New South Wales announced a ban on heat-absorbing shades shingles on new developments. Which is welcome news to Mat Santamouris, who has been advocating for smarter -- and greener -- design. Mr. Santamouris is a professor of Higher Performance Architecture at the University of New South Wales. We reached him in Sydney.

CO: Professor Santamouris, first of all, what's the effect of having a black roof on a house in hot weather?

MAT SANTAMOURIS: Black roof, you know, the absorb a lot of solar radiation. And as a result, reemit the radiation back into the atmosphere and also contribute to increasing the temperature in our cities, and may increase the ambient temperature, you know, up to two-2.5 degrees. But on the other hand, they transmit heat to the interior of the buildings, increasing the cooling demand.

CO: So now, New South Wales has announced this week that they're banning the heat absorbing shade of shingles on new developments. You have to have a light-coloured roof on your house for future building. What effect do you think that will have?

MS: You know, this is not new. This... you know, these applies in California for the last 15 years. So more and more, we understand, you know, that having absorbing materials in not only roofs, pavements in our streets, in... in our cities, really, we increase the temperature. And this has a tremendous impact on the energy consumption we have to spend. It has a tremendous effect on heat-related mortality. It has an impact on heat-related morbidity. It has an impact on sustainability and survivability of low-income population. It really increases the so-called regional climatic change.

CO: Right.

MS: Also, it imposes utilities to build additional power plants to satisfy the demand. So, I think that… and everyone has understood, you know, that light-coloured surfaces contributes a lot of energy to cool down the temperature of our cities. This is very well understood here in Australia because we face a serious problem of overheating in Sydney and in other Australian cities. And you know, the use of cool roofs may contribute a lot to decrease the temperature.

CO: You... but you actually said that... that switching to lighter-coloured roofs on houses and buildings could actually help to save lives. Why so?

MS: For two reasons. First, because the dark roofs contribute really to higher ambient temperatures. And you know very well that there's a very strong correlation between ambient temperature and heat-related mortality. Also in Canada, you had this many times, you know? So during, for example, heat waves, having dark roofs, the ambient temperature may increase up to two-2.5 degrees, which means really that the threshold temperature for heat-related mortality is increasing. And also, the absolute, you know, magnitude of heat-related mortality is increasing as well. On the other hand, in low-income houses, the use of dark roofs really increases the indoor temperature extensively. We’ve been monitoring, you know, low-income houses here in Sydney and during the summer season and not during a heat wave, indoor temperature may be as high as 40 degrees for three or four days.

CO: Wow!

MS: The system cannot really afford this. And this contributes a lot to increase in the heat-related mortality.

CO: There are so... there's so much interesting new science about this, right? We just interviewed, just recently, the professor at Purdue University, who has developed the... this ultra white. This is the whitest white in the world that actually absorbs less heat than it emits. It actually reflects about 98 per cent of the solar radiation away. And they believe it has actually more cooling power than an air conditioner. I understand you're working on something similar in... in Sydney?

MS: Yeah, these are the so-called super-cool materials. You know, we have developed the super-cool materials -- materials that present a very high reflectivity to solar radiation. You know, higher than 95 per cent. But at the same time, what is really very important is that what these materials... what they emit, it is in a wavelength that goes directly to the space, to not really stay in the atmosphere. So it escapes through the so-called atmospheric window. In this case, you know, these super-cool materials may present up to 20 degrees Celsius surface temperature below the ambient one. For example, last December, here in the Australian desert, we tested, you know, our super-cool materials. While the ambient temperature was 44 degrees, the surface temperature of the material was 25. So this is a natural condition without the use of any energy. And the use of the super-cool materials, which are really planned in many cities, for example, we’re responsible for the mitigation project of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and also in other cities. The use of these materials may decrease the temperature of the cities up to four-4.5 degrees.

CO: And this can be used, actually, you mentioned the asphalt on roads. They're all black, right? So the same thing is going on... on... on the actual... on... on our roads and streets, right?

MS: Yeah, yeah. I think that, you know, actually, we have technologies, asphalt and bitumen technologies, that really are not so dark. They have a much higher quality reflectivity to solar radiation. The temperature, you know, of the bitumen may be 70-75 degrees. And, actually, with the new cold, let's say, bitumen technologies, which have exactly the same mechanical properties and behave exactly the same way, the thermal performance is much, much better. The reflectivity may go up to 30-35 per cent. And in this case, the temperature, or the surface temperature of the... the new streets may be, let's say, up to 30 degrees lower than, you know, the one of the darker, you know, bitumen.

CO: You know, I'm not going to pretend to understand the science behind this, Professor. [laughing] I didn't understand it so well with the Purdue University either. But it's a very positive results that you're all getting on this. So why isn't... why aren't we further advanced on changing from black roofs and black surfaces given the state of climate change and how we're... we're... we've got so much heat coming in?

MS: Yeah, this is... this is really important. You know, this is... this is a big discussion that has started during the very last year, all around the world. Many places, you know, they already apply this policy. As I told you before, California is doing that for the last 15 years. You know, it's mandatory to have a cool roof in California. Same in Florida and many other… in Nevada. In southern Europe. It is mandatory in Greece, Italy, you know, it is mandatory to have a cool roof in public buildings. In Japan, also, it’s mandatory. So I think that more and more, you know, we are using light colours all around the world, and we really try to decrease the temperature of our cities.

CO: Well, these are all super cool ideas, Professor Santamouris, and it's good to talk to you. Thank you. [both chuckle]

MS: Thank you very much.

CO: Bye-bye.

MS: Bye.

CH: Mat Santamouris is a professor of Higher Performance Architecture at the University of New South Wales. He's in Sydney, Australia.

[Music: Indie Rock]

Adele Teacher

CH: Since 2008, Adele's heartbreaking lyrics have brought millions of people to tears -- especially when delivered through her goosebump-inducing voice. But last night, Adele herself was brought to tears -- by the woman she credits with teaching her to love the English language. The British singer was performing her new album on the U.K. special An Audience With Adele, when actor Emma Thompson asked her a question.

SOUNDCLIP

EMMA THOMPSON: When you were younger, was there someone who kind of supported you or inspired you or sort of, you know, protected you from all the trials and tribulations of life? |And inspired you to go on?

ADELE: Yeah, I had a teacher at Chestnut Grove who taught me English. That was Ms. McDonald.

ET: Did you ever keep in touch? Did you see--

A: No, she left when I was in year 8.

ET: Oh!

A: Yeah, she left when I was in year 8. [crowd laughs] But it was just one year, but she was like... she's got me really into literature. I've always been obsessed with English. And, obviously, now I write lyrics. But she also did street dance, and I was too scared to join. But in the... in the canteen, they used to do these dances and stuff like that. But yeah, she just... she was so bloody cool, so engaging and like, she really made us care and we knew that she cared about us and stuff like that. And it was just... she'd have these gold bracelets on and gold, like, sequins. I don’t know. Bloody cool!

ET: Yeah?

A: And so relatable and likeable that I really looked forward to my English lessons.

ET: Yeah, because it's odd, actually, funny enough.

A: Is she here? [the crowd cheers]

ET: She's here tonight.

[Sound: Cheers and applause]

A: Hello!

TEACHER: Hello. Oh my God! I’m so proud of you!

A: I did not know that you were coming.

TEACHER: It was supposed to be a surprise!

A: Hi, how are you? Oh, you look exactly the same. You look exactly the same. Are you still teaching?

TEACHER: No, no.

A: What do you do now? Just dancing?

TEACHER: No. Just looking after my family. And just dancing.

A: Oh my God! Oh… sorry [beginning to cry]

TEACHER: Oh, don’t cry!

A: Thank you. [crowd cheers and claps] Oh, I didn’t know you were coming. Oh, you really did change my life. Mom! Mom, can you believe it?! [audience laughs] She’s over there. She doesn’t want to be filmed. Oh, now I got to get me whole face redone. Oh my God! How are you?

TEACHER: I’m good.

A: I haven’t seen you since I was like 12. Do you have kids? What do you do?

TEACHER: Yeah, I got two kids.

A: You got two kids!

TEACHER: Sky and Hayden.

A: Hi, guys! Oh! Oh my God! I’m so happy you’re here. Oh my God. Can I get your number from them or something?

TEACHER: Yeah, of course! Of course!

CH: That was Adele speaking with her former teacher on the UK show An Audience With Adele, which aired last night.

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November 22, 2021 Episode Transcript

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