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The Current Transcript for December 24, 2024

Host: Mark Kelley

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

[Music: Theme]

SOUNDCLIP

Clip: I think he’s getting away. Brains and brawn. I'm impressed. Thank you, sir.

MARK KELLEY: Brains and brawn. Yes. The mighty Detective William Murdoch is always up for the challenge. The Murdoch mystery series has entered its 18th season on CBC television. But before it was on the small screen, it was a series of novels written by Canadian author Maureen Jennings. She is one of the new inductees into the Order of Canada. In a moment, Maureen Jennings will be with me and two other recipients of the Order. Also this morning.

SOUNDCLIP

STUART MCLEAN: This bird looked like it had died in a knife fight. Dave poured another scotch and began to refer to the turkey as butch.

MK: Yes, one of our favourite holiday traditions at The Current is back, overcooked turkey. In half an hour, the late Stuart McLean tells us his story of Dave trying to cook a turkey, and ah, what poor Morley must have thought. Then in an hour, some music that I bet is not on your holiday playlist, at least not yet. Paolo Pietropaolo, the host of CBC Music's In Concert, will be here with some of his favourite unexpected picks. And there are some real unplugged gems here. But we begin with a few newly minted inductees to the Order of Canada. I'm Mark Kelley, moonlighting for Matt Galloway, and this is the Current.

[Music: Theme]

ORDER OF CANADA

Guests: Heather Rankin, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Maureen Jennings

[Song: “Rise Again” by The Rankin Family]

MK: That's The Rankin Family singing Rise Again. And now, one of their own has risen to one of the highest honours in the country. The governor general made 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada last week. It recognizes the contributions Canadian trailblazers have made to their communities and beyond. And we have three recipients here this morning to talk about their work. And we begin. First up is Heather Rankin. You know her as a member of that Rankin family group. She's also an accomplished performer as a solo artist and an actor. And she joins me from her hometown of Mabou in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Heather, congratulations.

HEATHER RANKIN: Thank you so very much. I'm so delighted and excited.

MK: Well, you know, I read, I love the line. I read this in the Cape Breton Post where it said, what does Heather Rankin and Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds now have in common? And you're both members of the Order of Canada. So do you get like a secret handshake or like what is it? Is there a code, something that you get now?

HEATHER RANKIN: Oh yes. We have these very secretive meetings underground after hours. Yes. It's a very, very privileged organization.

MK: Well, tell me. I mean, you're known for, you know, first and foremost for your work with the Rankin family, you and four of your siblings. So do you see this as an individual or kind of a collective award for you?

HEATHER RANKIN: Absolutely. It's not about me. It's about much more. It's about my siblings that I made music with, my parents who encouraged us from a very young age, the community of Mabou who promoted us and encouraged us in all of their community events. And, you know, all the musicians I've worked with and actors and people in my circle who have supported me, it's about all of them.

MK: And there are so many. I mean, in your family alone, you grew up in a family of 12 siblings. You're the 11th of 12 siblings. What role did music play in your life, in your family and your life particularly?

HEATHER RANKIN: It was we could be outside playing and people would drop in to visit them and my parents would call us in to perform for them. It was part of every celebration in the community. We were musical in the church. It was everything. Music was everything and it still is. It's so important to me and I'm so lucky that I get to continue to do what I do without my family. Things have changed over the years, and now I surround myself with other family, other musicians, and it's a very important part of my life.

MK: And your life has been a storied one. Just looking at some of your accomplishments, of course, you've performed across Canada. You've performed across the US, you know, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, some of these legendary venues, the Royal Albert Hall in London, I could go on. Well, what I think is special about you is you bought the Red Shoe pub back in Mabou in Cape Breton, and you're still so closely connected to that community. Why is that? Explain that to me.

HEATHER RANKIN: I think people who come from here have very deep roots. It's a very strong community where people are here to support you in good times and in bad. And the community was built by the ancestors of most of the people who still live here. And the traditions, the musical traditions and the culture and the values are very strong here still, and it's important to everyone.

MK: And what does, I'm sure, you know, as you were mentioning at the outset, how you like to share this distinction really with so many people. But for a small community like that, and you're still so closely tied to your roots, what do you think this means for the folks in Cape Breton who must be so incredibly proud of you?

HEATHER RANKIN: I hope so. You know, there was another singer who came out of Mabou, John Allen Cameron, and he was older than us, an earlier generation, who showed that it was possible to go out and make music for a living. But it was still very, very much an unusual path to take at the time that we did it. And people really, the community really got behind us and were thrilled and supported us wherever we played. So I think it's a special, it puts Mabou on the map in some regard.

MK: And so what's next for you now? Because you're not the type of person, judging from your career, that say, well, okay, I got the Order of Canada, I'm done. I'm going to put my feet up and pour myself a drink. What would you like to do next?

HEATHER RANKIN: Well, I will be making dinner for 30 people tonight.

MK: Of course you are. Of course you are. Never mind the Order of Canada. You got to. You get into the kitchen and you got to feed the family.

HEATHER RANKIN: And they got to clean the bathrooms before they get here. So. But other than that, no, I'll be pursuing all of the same things, hopefully for the next while, some singing and acting and maybe some TV hosting and God knows what else. The door is wide open.

MK: Well, we're looking forward to seeing what's next. Heather, congratulations.

HEATHER RANKIN: Thank you, Mark. And I'm a big fan of your show.

MK: Thank you so much.

HEATHER RANKIN: And I love this show, The Current, but I also love the Fifth Estate.

MK: I appreciate that. Merry Christmas.

HEATHER RANKIN: Merry Christmas to you.

MK: Heather Rankin is a new officer in the Order of Canada, a musician, artist, member of the Rankin family, and sounds like a heck of a mom as well. Well, on to our next. Zulfiqar Bhutta is also appointed to the Order of Canada last week. He is the co-director at the Centre for Global Child Health at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, the Robert Harding Chair in Global Child Health and Policy. He's a world-renowned leader in efforts to improve maternal and child health globally. Zulfi Bhutta, good morning to you this morning.

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: Good morning.

MK: And what a pleasure to have you here and congratulations about this. I was looking at your accomplishments. I could fill the next five minutes with all the distinctions that you have been awarded with in your very illustrious career. And I kid you not. This is true. But, you know, you grew up in Pakistan. You're relatively new Canadian. Please put this into perspective for me. What does this mean to be named to the Order of Canada?

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: Well, it's huge. It's huge. I mean, as a new Canadian, this is completely unexpected, but it is also perhaps a recognition of decades of work. So I have been working in women and children's health globally, in low and middle income countries, in particular in my own country of origin in Pakistan, Central Asia, East Africa and other parts of Africa. I moved to Canada about 13 years ago, largely to establish the Global Child Health Program, help establish the World Child Health Program at SickKids. And it's been a fantastic journey. And now, this is the icing on the cake. I'm not going to put my feet up, but this is wonderful.

MK: And you can't because sadly, there's just too much work to do. Like you've led research in public health initiatives in North America, sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia. Tell us. I mean, we don't have the time to hear the whole journey, but what put you on that journey to focus on maternal and child health?

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: So a couple of things. First of all, I'm a pediatrician. I specialized in newborn medicine. I, you know, had the great opportunity of training in the United Kingdom. And I went back to Pakistan in 1986 to help establish a newborn care program in the premier university teaching hospital. And after about two decades or so, I realized that you could do whatever you could in a big tertiary hospital, but could not reach poor people in rural populations, those who did not have the same privilege and who lived in much less than ideal environments. And that's when I shifted gears and moved a lot of my program for preventive, maternal and newborn care to community settings, to rural villages, and worked with community health workers. So in some ways, this has been a fantastic opportunity to see what can be accomplished with very little means in some of the poorest parts of the world and help influence policy.

MK: And if I understand this correctly, I mean, the difference for you than leaving that sort of safe hospital, the confines of a safe hospital setting, is you're dealing with a handful of patients there. And yet when you go out in the community, you're dealing with hundreds, if not thousands of patients there. Is that the biggest impact of what you've learned?

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: Absolutely. I mean, you know, many of these districts have a population of a million or more. You know, in the Millennium Development Goals, Mark, between 2000 and 2015, the world set itself a target of reducing child deaths under five by half by 2015. And it was a virtually impossible target. The way we achieved that was also in the face of tremendous adversity and lack of resources, notably human resources, was through this outreach program reaching out to poor populations and those who needed help most, through ancillary health workers, through nurses, through midwives, through community health workers. And it is mainly with community health outreach programs that my group has worked across the world and helped establish the evidence on which global agencies have built the scaffolding for improving maternal and newborn health.

MK: Can you just give us an example of what you have seen as progress? You know, just a small example that gives you great hope.

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: Well, I can give you a very specific example.

MK: Please do.

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: There were 10 million children dying under five years of age in the year 2000. By 2015, that number had reduced by almost half. So we nearly achieved the Millennium Development Goals if you take the global increase in population into account. There were close to around 4.5 million newborn deaths at the time when we started. They’re down to now just a little above two million deaths annually. So that's progress despite all the limitations. So what we are left with now is really doing a lot more in rather difficult geographies, conflict zones, places which are affected by climate change and policy crises. And that's where my group here, particularly at the SickKids Center for Global Child Health, is largely focused on trying to find solutions for the very difficult circumstances that the world faces.

MK: And before I let you go, I know you really wanted to also pay tribute to your wife who worked alongside with you for many years before she passed. Does she share in this honour with you?

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: Well, I certainly give her a lot of credit for my own life's journey. And she was not only a wonderful individual, but she was a very accomplished academician. Shereen was an obstetrician. We were married 45 years, and a lot of my work on maternal newborn health could not have been done without having her by my side. And it's tragic that she fell ill just at the time when she was retiring from her clinical position. And although she's not with me in person, I feel her presence all the time and I want to give her a lot of the credit for the work that we have been able to accomplish over the years.

MK: Well, thank you for all the work you do.

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: My pleasure. Thank you.

MK: And thank you for being with us this morning. We appreciate this.

ZULFIQAR BHUTTA: Thank you, Mark Cheers.

MK: Cheers. Zulfiqar Bhutta is the new recipient of the Order of Canada. He is a global leader in efforts to improve maternal and child health. And we go to Maureen Jennings. She's also a recipient of the Order of Canada. She is the author known for her historical crime novels. Her Detective Murdoch series inspired the long running CBC TV show Murdoch Mysteries. Maureen, good morning and congratulations.

MAUREEN JENNINGS: Good morning, Mark. Thank you very much.

MK: What does this mean to you, being named in the Order of Canada?

MAUREEN JENNINGS: It's hard to put into words. Even just listening to Heather and Dr. Bhutta, I am overawed by what they've done. And I think, oh my gosh. And you were making the joke about secret handshakes. Well, there's a secret pin. We all get a little pin that it's actually a snowflake. And I think going anywhere and you see someone wearing, an authorized person, it’s very strict about that, an authorized person wearing a snowflake, you're going to go, wow! Hello, how are you? Tell me about yourself.

MK: Yeah, he or she, they're one of us. I know my colleague Bob McEwan from the Fifth Estate, who's now retired, but he was named to the Order of Canada. So he's part of your club, and that's a pretty good club to be in.

MAUREEN JENNINGS: It’s a good club to be in.

MK: Maureen, put us in… I want to just get this. You wrote a book, Expected Dying, published in 1997, Except the Dying. And what were your hopes or how would you have defined success at that point? Where did you think it was going, your career was going with this book?

MAUREEN JENNINGS: Success was simply getting the book accepted initially.

MK: Right.

MAUREEN JENNINGS: And then it just kind of goes out there and I said, that seemed to do okay. I might write another one then. And then that went on. And I think I had four books published when my husband, Iden, took them down to Southbury Films, and Christina Jennings, we're not related, physically anyway, but we are psychically, said they would take them and that's how it started. And it all seemed so impossible. And we always kept saying, do you think we'll continue? Do you think we'll get another season? And so on and so on. And as you said, we're here at 18 seasons now.

MK: Yeah, it's seven books, 18 seasons of the TV series, and so many people love it. I've seen this. You and I met a few weeks ago where there was a Murdoch Mysteries event.

MAUREEN JENNINGS: Yes.

MK: And so why do you think it is it attracted so many fans and has this faithful following? What's the secret sauce?

MAUREEN JENNINGS: I wish I knew. I do lots more, but it was just the secret sauce. Just one of those wonderful combination of timing, very good acting, production values. It just sort of came together. You know, Heather was talking about making dinner and it's like making the perfect soup. Soup tends to imply catastrophe. You know, what a soup. But this was actually just a strange combination of things coming together. And I'm very grateful, but I cannot explain it, so don't even ask me to.

MK: And how's this journey been for you? I mean, you were also born in the UK. You came to Canada. You start later in your life with this writing career that turns into this massive success. What's this journey been like for you?

MAUREEN JENNINGS: Well, it's a bit complicated to answer that because I think I was, one, the kind of person who I hear about quite often is I was really enjoying my life. I was a psychotherapist, a teacher, and but there was always a little sort of nagging voice saying, is that all there is? And so I finally listened and the voice said, listen, since you were about three years old, you've been reading books and it's about time you went and wrote one. So I said, okay. And that's how that started. It was late in life, really.

MK: And did you have this? So you had this always within you. There was a book that was just yearning to be written.

MAUREEN JENNINGS: I think so. Something like that. I don't know if it was a book so much as going through the secret gate into the world of books. On the other side, as opposed to being a voracious reader, which I was, going, stepping through and saying, all right, books are created by people. So why don't I try to do one myself?

MK: Well, I'm so glad you did. And I know you're still writing. And I know you're still writing. You’ve got The Paradise Cafe Mysteries. You're not done yet, Maureen, and I'm glad you're not. And I want to celebrate your success. It's been great for you. It's been great for the CBC. Murdoch Mysteries is a terrific show, and we appreciate all your hard work.

HEATHER RANKIN: Thank you very much, Mark. It’s been wonderful.

MK: A pleasure talking to you.

MAUREEN JENNINGS: Thank you.

MK: Maureen Jennings is an appointee of the Order of Canada. She's an author. Her Detective Murdoch series inspired the TV show Murdoch Mysteries.

[Song: “Rise Again” by The Rankin Family]

MK: That’s The Rankin Family with Rise Again. How about those stories of those recipients of the Order of Canada? That's got to get you inspired on your Christmas Eve. Come on. Great Canadians. CBC news is coming up next. And then, speaking of great Canadians, Dave will be cooking up the turkey, a Christmas classic from the late Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe. That's coming up in six minutes. I'm Mark Kelley, in for Matt Galloway, and you are listening to The Current.

[Song fades up and out]

VINYL CAFÉ – DAVE COOKS THE TURKEY

MK: I'm Mark Kelley and you're listening to The Current. You know, for many Canadians, a perfectly roasted, or nowadays often, the deep fried turkey, is the centerpiece of the Christmas dinner meal. For storyteller Stuart McLean, it was an opportunity, an opportunity to imagine the fun that could be had when his character, Dave, agrees to cook the holiday turkey for the very first time. From the Vinyl Cafe, here is the late Stewart McLean with his classic tale, Dave cooks the turkey. Bon appetite.

SOUNDCLIP

STUART MCLEAN: Last year, when Carl Lowbeer bought his wife, Gerta, Martha Stewart's Complete Christmas Planner, he did not understand what it was he was doing. On Christmas Eve, Carl found himself staring at a bag full of stuff that he couldn't remember buying. He wondered if he'd maybe picked up someone else's bag by mistake and he found a receipt with his signature on it. Why would he have paid $23 for a slab of metal to defrost meat when they already owned a microwave oven that would do it in half the time? Who could he possibly have been thinking of when he bought the AB machine? Although he did remember buying Martha Stewart's Complete Christmas Planner, it was the picture of Martha Stewart on the cover that had drawn him to the book. A picture of Martha striding across her front lawn with a wreath made of chili peppers tucked under her arm.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: Carl had never heard of Martha Stewart, but she looked like she was in a hurry, and that made him think of Gerta. So he bought the book, never imagining that it was something that his wife had been waiting for all her life. Carl was as surprised as anyone in the neighbourhood last May when Gerta began the Neighbourhood Christmas group, although not perhaps as surprised as Dave was when his wife Morley joined in. It's not about Christmas Day, Morley said. It's about getting together. The members of Gerta’s group, all women, got together every second Tuesday night at a different house each time. They drank tea or beer, and the host baked something special, and they worked on stuff usually until about 11. But that's not the point, said Morley. The point is getting together. It's about neighbourhood, not about what we're actually doing. But there was no denying that they were doing stuff while they got together. It was May and they were doing Christmas stuff. It's wrapping paper, said Morley. You're making paper, said Dave. We're decorating paper, said Morley. This is hand-painted paper. Do you know how much this would cost? That was July. In August, they took oak leaves and dipped them into gold paint and hung them in bunches from the kitchen ceiling. And then there was the stenciling weekend, the weekend Dave thought if he stood still too long, Morley would stencil him. In September when no one could find an eraser anywhere in the house, Morley came home and she said, that's because I took them all with me. We're making rubber stamps. You're making rubber stamps, said Dave. Out of erasers, said Morley. People don't even buy rubber stamps anymore, said Dave. There were oranges drying on the clothes rack in the basement. There were blocks of wax for candles stacked on the ping pong table. And then one day, Morley said, do you know there's only 67 shopping days until Christmas? Now, Dave did not know this, had not, in fact, completely unpacked from last summer's vacation. And without thinking, he said, what are you talking about? And Morley said, if we wanted to get all our shopping done by the week before Christmas, we only have to shut our eyes. 62 days left. Now, Dave and Morley usually start their Christmas shopping the week before Christmas, and suddenly there they were, with only 67 shopping days left, standing in their bedroom, staring at each other, incomprehension hanging in the air between them. It hung there for a good 10 seconds, and then Dave said something he'd been careful not to say for weeks. He said, I thought this thing wasn't about Christmas. Which he immediately regretted saying because Morley said, don't make fun of me, Dave. And she left the room. And then she came back like a locomotive. O o, thought Dave. What? Said Morley. I didn't say that, said Dave. You said o o, Said Marley. I thought o o, said Dave. I didn't say o o. Thinking o o isn't like saying o o. They don't send you to jail for thinking you want to strangle someone. What? Said Morley.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: She slept downstairs that night and she didn't say a word when Dave came down and tried to talk her out of it. Didn't say a word the next morning until Sam and Stephanie had left for school. And then she said, do you know what my life is like, Dave? Dave suspected correctly that she wasn't looking for an answer. My life is a train, she said. I'm a train dragging everyone from one place to another, to school and to dance class. And now, it's time to get up, and now, it's time to go to bed. I'm a train full of people who complain when they have to go to bed and fight you when they have to get out of one. That's my job. Because I'm not only the train, I'm the porter and the conductor and the cook and the engineer and the maintenance man. And I print the tickets and stack the luggage and clean the dishes. And if they still had caboose, I'd be in the caboose so I could pick up everything after the train went by. Now, Dave, Dave didn't want to ask where the train was heading. He had the sinking feeling it was one of those civil war trains and that somewhere up ahead, someone had pulled up a section of the track. And you know where the train is heading, said Morley. Yep, thought Dave. We’re going off the tracks any moment now. What? Said Morley. I said no, Dave said. I said I don't know where the train's going. Morley leant forward over the table. It starts at a town called First Day at School, Dave, and it goes to a village called Halloween and then through the township of class project and down the spur line called Your Sister is Visiting. And you know what's at the end of the track? You know where my train's heading? Dave looked at her kind of nervously. He didn't want to get the answer wrong. He would have been happy to say where the train was going if he knew he could get it right. Was his wife going to leave him? Maybe the train was going to DIV or CE. Not at Christmas, he moaned. Exactly, said Morley. To the last stop on the line, Christmas dinner. And this is supposed to be something I look forward to, Dave. This is supposed to be a vacation. Christmas dinner, said Dave, kind of tentatively. It seemed a reasonably safe thing to say at the moment. And Morley nodded, and feeling encouraged, Dave added, with a turkey and everything. But Morley wasn't listening to him. She said, and when we finally get through that week between Christmas and New Year, you know what they do with the train? They back it up during the night when I'm asleep so they can run it through all the stations one more time. And you know who you are, Dave? You're the guy in the bar car pushing the button asking for another drink.

STUART MCLEAN: And by the way, Morley said that Dave could tell that she still loved him. She didn't, for instance, say that he had to get off the train, or for that matter, even out of the bar car. But he did realize if he was going to stay aboard, he was going to have to join the crew. So the next weekend, he said, why don't I do some of the Christmas shopping? Why don't you give me a list and I'll go and get some of the things for the Cape Breton cousins? Now, Dave had never gone Christmas shopping in September before. But when he came back, he said, that was okay. And Morley said, I'm sorry. It's just that I liked Christmas so much. I used to like Christmas so much. And I was thinking if I got everything done beforehand, maybe I could enjoy it again. I'm trying to make it fun again. I'm trying to get control of it. That's what all this is about. And Dave said, well, what else can I do? And Morley looked at him and she said, on Christmas Day, Dave, after we've opened the presents, I want to take the kids to work at the food bank and I want you to look after the turkey. I can do that, said Dave. Dave didn't understand until Christmas Eve when the presents were finally wrapped and under the tree and he and Morley were snuggled in bed and he was feeling warm and safe there beside his wife. And he nudged her feet with his feet and she said, did you take the turkey out of the freezer? And he went downstairs and couldn't find the turkey in the freezer, in either freezer, and was about to call out, where's the turkey anyway? But stopped abruptly when the truth landed on him like an anvil and he understood that looking after the turkey, something he had promised to do, meant buying it as well as putting it in the oven.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He decided he'd wait downstairs for a while. And when he went back up, Morley was asleep. And he thought, I could wake her. Instead, he lay in bed and imagined in perfect detail the chronology of the Christmas Day waiting for him, imagined everything from the first morning squeal to the moment his family left to work at the food bank and then that moment when they came home with his mother-in-law, who they would have picked up, all of them expecting Turkey, saw the look on his wife's face as she sat at her table with the homemade crackers and the gilded oak leaves as he carried a bowl of spaghetti across the kitchen. At 2 a.m., he was still awake, but at least he had a plan. He would wait until they left for the food bank, then he'd take off and go to some deserted Newfoundland outport and live under an assumed name. And at Sam’s graduation, his friends would say, why isn't your father here? And Sam would say, one Christmas, he forgot to buy the turkey, so he had to leave. Then at 3, after rolling around for an hour, Dave got out of bed, dressed and went looking for a 24-hour grocery store. It was either that or wait for the food bank to open. And though he couldn't think of anyone in the city who more in need of a turkey than he was, the idea that his family might spot him in line made that unthinkable. At 4 a.m. in the morning on Christmas morning, Dave found an open store and bought the last turkey there. 12 pounds. Frozen as tight as a cannonball. Grade B, whatever that meant.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He was home by 5 a.m., and by 6:30, had the turkey more or less thawed. He used an electric blanket and the hairdryer on the turkey and a bottle of scotch on himself. As the turkey defrosted, it became clear that the grade B part was the cosmetic part. The skin on the right drumstick was ripped. To Dave, it looked as if the turkey had made a break from the slaughterhouse and dragged itself a block or two before it was recaptured and beaten to death.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: This bird looked like it had died in a knife fight. Dave poured another scotch and began to refer to the turkey as butch. If that had been the worst thing about the bird, that it was cosmetically challenged, Dave would have been happy, would have considered himself blessed, would have been able to look forward to this Christmas with equanimity, might eventually have been able to laugh it off. The worst thing came later after lunch, after Morley and the kids left for the food bank. Before they left, Morley dropped pine oil on some of the living room lamps. When the lamps heat the oil up, she said, the house will smell like a forest. Then she said, mother is coming. I'm trusting you with this, Dave. You have to have the turkey in the oven, Dave finished her sentence for her. He said, by 1:30. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. The worst thing began when Dave tried to turn on the oven. Morley had never had cause to explain to him about the automatic timer, and Dave had never had cause to ask about it. The oven had been set the day before to go on at 5:30. Morley had been baking a squash casserole for Christmas dinner because she always does the vegetables the day before. And now, until the oven timer was unset, nothing anybody, least of all Dave, did was going to turn it on. At 3:30 in the afternoon, Dave retrieved the bottle of scotch from the basement and poured himself a drink. He knew he was in trouble. He had to find an oven that could cook the bird and cook it fast. But every oven he could think of had a turkey inside it already. Now, for ten years, Dave was a technical director to some of the craziest acts on the rock and roll circuit, and he wasn't going to fall to pieces over a raw turkey. Inventors are often unable to explain where they get their best ideas from, and Dave is not too sure where he got his. Maybe he spent too many years in too many hotel rooms at 4:00 in the afternoon. He topped up the scotch and he phoned the Park Plaza Hotel and he was given the front desk and he said, do you cook special menus for people with special dietary needs? We're a first-class hotel in a world-class city, so we can look after any dietary needs. And Dave said, if somebody brings their own food because it's on a special diet, would you cook it for them? Of course, sir. Dave looked at the turkey lying on the counter like a naked baby. Come on, Butch, he said, we're going out.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: Morley had the car. Dave called a taxi. He stuffed the bottle of scotch in his pocket on the way out the door. The Park Plaza, he said. It's an emergency. He took a slug from the bottle in the back of the cab. The man at the front desk of the hotel asked if Dave needed help with the suitcases. No suitcases, said Dave, then turned breezily to the man behind him in line and patted the turkey which he had dropped on the counter and was spilling out of its plastic bag and said only slightly slurred, just checking in for the afternoon with my chick. The clerk winced and Dave turned, wobbled and peered at the man in line behind him. He was looking for approval. Instead of approval, he found his neighbour, Jim Schofield, standing, standing beside an elderly woman who Dave assumed must be Jim's visiting mother. And Jim didn't say anything, tried, in fact, to look away, but he was too late and their eyes met. And Dave straightened himself out and said, turkey and the kids are at the food bank. I just brought Morley here so they could cook her up for me. Oh, said Jim, that explains everything. I mean the turkey, said Dave. I bring it here every year. I'm alone. Dave held his arms out as if he wanted Jim to frisk him, and the man at the desk said, excuse me, sir, and handed Dave his key. And Dave smiled at the man behind the counter, at Jim, at Jim's mother, and walked toward the elevator, one careful foot in front of the other. And when he got there, he heard Jim calling him and Dave turned and Jim said, you forgot your chick, pointing to the turkey on the counter. The man on the phone from room service said, but we have turkey on the menu, sir. And Dave said, this is a special turkey. I was hoping you could cook my turkey. The man from room service told Dave the manager would call. Dave looked at his watch. And when the manager called, Dave knew this was his last and only chance. This man was going to either agree to cook his turkey or he might just as well book the ticket to Newfoundland. Excuse me, sir, said the manager. I said I need to eat this particular turkey, said Dave. That particular turkey, sir, said the manager. Do you know, said Dave, what they put in birds today? No, sir, said the manager. He said it like it was a question. They feed them now. Dave had no idea what they fed them. He wasn't sure what he was going to go with this, just that he had to keep talking. They feed them chemicals, he said, and antibiotics and steroids and lard to make them juicier. I'm allergic to that stuff. If I eat any of that stuff, I'll have a heart attack or at least a seizure in the lobby of your hotel. Do you want that to happen? The man on the phone didn't say anything, so Dave kept going. I have my own turkey here. I raised this turkey myself. I butchered it myself. I butchered it this morning. The only thing this thing has eaten, Dave looked frantically around the room. What did he feed the turkey? Tofu, he said triumphantly. Tofu, sir, said the manager. And yogurt, said Dave. It was all or nothing.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: The bellboy took the turkey, and Dave gave him $20 and said, you have those big convection ovens? He said, I got to have it back before 5:30. All he said was, you must be very hungry, sir. Dave collapsed onto the bed, didn't move for an hour and a half, which was when the phone rang. It was the manager. He said the turkey was in the oven. Then he said, you raised that bird yourself? It was a question. Dave said yes. There was a pause. The manager said, the chef says the turkey looks like it was abused. Dave said, ask the chef if he's ever killed a turkey. Tell him it was a fighter. Tell him to stitch it up. The bellboy wheeled the turkey into Dave's room at quarter to 6. They had it on a dolly covered with a silver dome. Dave removed the dome and gasped. It didn't look like any bird he could have cooked. There were white paper armbands on both drumsticks and a glazed partridge made of red peppers on the breast. He looked at his watch and ripped the paper arm bands off, and he scooped the red pepper Partridge into his mouth. And then he realized the bellboy was watching him and saw the security guard standing in the corridor. The security guard was holding a carving knife. They obviously weren't about to trust Dave with a weapon. Would you like us to carve it, sir? Just get me a taxi, said Dave. What? Said the guard. I can't eat this here, said Dave. I have to eat it. Dave couldn't imagine where he had to eat it. Outside, He said. I have to eat it outside.

[laughter]

STUART MCLEAN: He took out another $20 bill and he gave it to the bellboy and he said, I'm going downstairs to check out. You bring the bird and get the taxi. And he walked by the security guard without looking at him and said, careful with that knife. And he got home at 6:00 and he put butch on the table. The family was due back any minute and he poured himself a drink and he sat down in the living room and the house looked beautiful and smelled beautiful. It's like a pine forest. My forest, said Dave. And then he said, o o, and jumped up and got a ladle of turkey gravy and ran around the house smearing it on the light bulbs. You do what you've got to do. There, he thought. And he went outside and he stood on the stoop and he counted to 50 and he went back in and breathed in and the house smelled just like Christmas. And he poured himself another scotch. And he looked out the window and he saw Morelli coming up the walk with Jim Schofield and his mother. We met them outside and invited them in for a drink. I hope that's okay. Of course, said Dave. I'll go get the drinks. And he said, Morley, could you come here a moment, please? There's something I have to tell you.

[laughter]

MK: Ah, love to hear that laughter. That's the late Stuart McLain with his story, Dave Cooks the Turkey, from the Vinyl Cafe. I'm Mark Kelley, and you are listening to The Current. Staying in the holiday spirit, this month, CBC's campaign, Make the Season Kind, has raised millions of dollars in support of those in need and local food banks. It's all thanks to you, our listeners, our viewers right across this country who have donated. Our producer in Vancouver, Anne Penman, launched the CBC Food Bank fundraiser in British Columbia 38 years ago. Way to go, Anne. It's raised more than $22 million for BC food banks over the years. Now, Anne is still a leader of the initiative. And she spent some time visiting food banks in the Lower Mainland this season, and she asked clients what kindness means to them.

SOUNDCLIP

FIRST SPEAKER: So I always even teach my son about kindness. It's always so important to think about empathy and how others are feeling and, you know, giving a helping hand whenever you see it. A few years ago, we saw a lady's license plate fall off in the middle of an intersection, and my son Paul and I pulled over and we ran the lady down and we made sure to get her license plate to her. But if you ever see an opportunity to open the door for somebody or even just a smile for somebody, letting somebody in in front of you when you're driving, anything like that could really make somebody's day.

SECOND SPEAKER: I always believe that you have to treat people the way you would like to be treated, which means be kind to others. Don't expect anything in return from that person. Do your best and do step out of your comfort zone to help others knowing that that person is feeling better today.

THIRD SPEAKER: You have to share. Even if you don't have anything, you always have something to give, even if it's just a hug or, well, kind words, just, I don't know, I have always lived by be nice. It works. Like it's better than not being nice.

FOURTH SPEAKER: Well, it's kind of one of those things that you give what you get and you get what you give, right? And so. But being kind doesn't always get kindness in return. But it does for you. It's very important. The fastest way to get out of your headspace is to be of service to someone else, right? And it's the healthiest, quickest way. Everybody wins. It's a blessing both ways, right? So kindness is just a win win.

MK: A little bit of kindness goes a long way. And more people than ever are using foodbanks in Canada this year. So if you'd like to contribute to CBC's campaign, Make the Season Kind, you can do so right through to December 31st. Search CBC Make the Season Kind and pick your location. You can help neighbours in need. Coming up after your regional update, my colleague from CBC Music, Paolo Pietropaolo will be here. He's picked some unplugged gems from his holiday playlist to share. That's coming up in 90 seconds. Stay close. I'm Mark Kelley and you are listening to The Current.

[Music: Theme]

CHRISTMAS MUSIC

Guest: Paolo Pietropaolo

MK: I'm Mark Kelley and you're listening to The Current. Well, this is becoming a bit of a holiday tradition on the program. We invite Paolo Pietropaolo to come by and share some music with us on Christmas Eve. We've done this before, and I loved it before. Paolo is, of course, the host of CBC Music’s In Concert. He's in Vancouver. Paolo, are you getting fired up for the holidays now?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: I certainly am, Mark. It's great to be here to share some of that, my enthusiasm.

MK: Your enthusiasm. Yes. I liken this to throwing another log on the fire. It fires me up for the holidays. It warms me up because I love Christmas music, and you really broaden my horizons when it comes to that. So what are you listening to these days?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Oh well, I mean, all the favorites for sure. Probably some of the same songs you're listening to. I will be the first to say that I do love the usual soundtrack at this time of year. I have my personal favourites. Of course, the Vince Guaraldi album is always on at my house.

MK: Love it.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Isn't it great? We have a family playlist that we add to each year. You know, we kind of put it on shuffle and we'll add songs every year. And there's nothing like those familiar melodies to really stoke those big feelings, all the big feelings, all the big feelings that December brings, from joy to nostalgia. I think nothing's more effective than music to get those feelings going, which is why I think all those familiar songs are so enduringly popular. But at the same time, you know, there's a lot of it everywhere at this time of year. So I'm always trying to find alternatives too, new things to add to the playlist. And that's what I've brought today, something, a few things that I hope are a little bit unexpected, a little bit new.

MK: All right, I'm ready for it. What's first?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Well, I thought I would start with something that is actually very familiar, but at the same time, hopefully new. It's one of those very, very popular Christmas songs, maybe one of the most popular Christmas songs. I'm talking about Feliz Navidad.

MK: Of course.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: But this is a version from West Africa that came out a few years ago. It's from Ghana. And this, like the song, is intended to get you dancing. Most versions of this song kind of get you dancing, but this one's got a twist. It puts a smile on my face every time because of what they've done with the title. They've changed the words a little bit. From Ghana, here is a band called Kwan Pa, with the song that they call Felix Cannot Dance.

[Song: “Felix Cannot Dance” by Kwan Pa]

MK: That was Kwan Pa and the song, Felix Cannot Dance. And it's kind of like ear candy. Where did you ever find that?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: You know, for the past few years, I've done a show on CBC Music called Global Christmas. Regrettably, it's not happening this year, but my producer, Mark and I, we scoured the Globe for Christmas songs from all over the place. And this band, Kwan Pa, they just put this out in 2019 and we came across it a couple of years ago. And just it's there's something about that sound. It's so infectious. Even though it's a song everybody knows and has heard a million times, there's something about that version that I just love. It's a style called palm wine music that first gained popularity around 100 years ago in Ghana. It's a blend of Ghanaian melodies and rhythms with calypso styles from Trinidad and elements from the Portuguese classical guitar. And this band, Kwan Pa, they're hoping to lead a palm wine revival in Ghana. And their other stuff is fantastic too. You totally got to check them out. Kwan Pa. I think they're off to a pretty good start with their palm wine revival.

MK: Agreed. I love it. Okay, what's next?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Well, how about a song called Feliz Navidad?

MK: Ah, okay. Didn't we just hear Felice Navidad?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: So this is, don't worry, this is not another version of that Feliz Navidad, but it's a song with the same title. That world famous song, the one we just heard, came out in 1970, and it was written by the Puerto Rican singer songwriter José Feliciano. But 12 years earlier, an entirely different song came out with the same title at the other end of the Caribbean in Cuba. And it's a song by the woman they call the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, one of the most successful Latin artists of all time, one of the all-time stars of Afro-Cuban music. So we just heard music from Africa that had Caribbean influences. And now, this next song is Music from the Caribbean that has African influences. And what I love about this song is that it seems to hit the two most important qualities of a good Christmas song, nostalgia and twinkliness.

[Mark and Paolo laughing]

MK: Is twinkliness a word?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: I Googled it. It's not really a word, but, you know, I think if I say twinkliness, I think you probably know exactly what I mean.

MK: I do.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: And I think you can hear both of those holiday emotions in this song. So it's in Spanish and the lyrics mean Christmas Eve is coming. The sky is already gray, announcing that the month of December brings happiness with its white snow.

[Song: “Feliz Navidad” by La Sonora Matancera & Celia Cruz]

MK: That was Celia Cruz and Feliz Navidad. And Paolo, you’re right. There's sort of a universal feeling that you get from Christmas music no matter where it comes from, which country it comes from.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Right. I'm so glad you agree.

MK: Yeah.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: There's something nostalgic about that sound, isn't there?

MK: And it takes us to a place that we always long for this time of season. So both quite festive. What do you got next?

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Well, there is an element of heartache to Christmas, isn't there? You know, nostalgia is part of Christmas music too. And there are a lot of songs that touch on the melancholy aspect of nostalgia. Even if, you know, you are surrounded by the ones you love and you have been feasting all day or all week or all month and there's, I don't know, wrapping paper lying all over the place, there's still a touch of melancholy to the holiday season, isn't there? And sometimes even more than a touch, there's usually always at least one person that's missing. And it's unavoidable to think of that at this time of year. And I believe music can help us process those feelings. And I think that's why some of those sad songs are so popular at this time of year. Like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, for example.

MK: Absolutely.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: So the song that I want to share next is a song that touches on that, and it's a huge hit in Australia. It's one of the most important Christmas songs in Australia every year. It's called How to Make Gravy, and it's by Paul Kelly. No relation, I presume.

MK: No. I wish. I wish because I know how huge this song is in Australia, but I really don't know the story behind it. But no, I wish I were related to Paul Kelly. I'd like to brag about that, but go ahead.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Talented songwriter.

MK: Yes indeed.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: So this song is so big in Australia. They actually made a movie based on the story in the song, and it's a movie that just came out a couple of months ago for this Christmas season. Now, I haven't seen the movie, but it's not a song that needs a movie. There's more in these, whatever, 4.5 minutes than in most movies in terms of emotional impact. So Kelly wrote this song in 1996. He was asked to contribute a song to a charity Christmas album, as musicians often are. But the Christmas song that he wanted to cover had already been taken by another artist, so he decided to write an original song. And he said he thought he'd try writing it from the point of view of someone who is missing Christmas, missing Christmas with their family. And he hit on the idea of the main character being a man who is recently been incarcerated. He's in jail, and so he can't be home for Christmas. So he writes a letter to his brother. And in the letter, he goes over all the family festivities that he's going to miss. And if you listen to the words, it's hard not to get a little teary-eyed listening to the lyrics of this one. And also, if you listen carefully, there is a gravy recipe in the song and the gravy recipe is real.

[Song: “How to Make Gravy” by Paul Kelly]

MK: That's How to Make Gravy by Paul Kelly. And Paolo, you know, what I love about that song is the fact that there's so many Christmas carols that are out there, songs that are out there, but there's still room for another one.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Yeah.

MK: You know, we don't have to rely on all the old ones. There's still a place in our hearts for new Christmas music.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Totally. And imagine, you know, the challenge of writing a new Christmas song and coming up with that.

MK: Absolutely. And having a recipe for gravy contained right in it. I love that.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Totally.

MK: It's form and function.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Absolutely. And then that line, even just the line, you know, like who's going to make the gravy? It's like five words. And there's so much emotional impact in that line and in the whole song, isn't there?

MK: And that song is so popular in Australia that December 21st has come to be known as Gravy Day because of that song. This is just a little piece of information I have picked up from my friend, Paolo.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: It’s true.

MK: Very different from the way we experienced December 21st.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Absolutely. I mean, it's also the longest day of the year in Australia, right?

MK: Of course. Yeah.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: But very, very different here. It's the darkest day of the year, December 21st. And the next song I want to share is actually all about our December 21st, the Winter Solstice. It's a song by a folk trio from Winnipeg called The Weird Sisters. I don't know if you've heard of these musicians. Have you, Mark?

MK: I have. Yeah.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Okay. I'm so glad to know that, because I think this song deserves to be better known. And maybe this song, one of the reasons that it's not better known is because it's a bit hard to find. It comes from a discontinued cassette that came out in the 1990s, and there are versions out there on the Internet, but they're a little hard to come across. So I think this song is just waiting to be rediscovered. And it touches on all the same themes as all the best Christmas songs, and it shows how the two days, I believe, are fundamentally related, as are all the other holidays that are observed at this time of year, from Hanukkah to winter solstice festivals in Iran and in China and all over the world that have been celebrated since time immemorial. And one of the reasons that we come together at this time of year, Mark, is because it is so dark, because it is so bleak. And if it weren't so dark and bleak, we might not have a reason to hunker down, to huddle in, to make those big meals, to make the gravy, to sit by the fire. And we come together because we know that the light is coming back. We know that although the days are at their shortest now, those mornings can be so dark and so tough, well, the light’s coming back and those days, they are going to get longer.

[Song: “Solstice Carol” by The Weird Sisters]

MK: And those are The Weird Sisters. And Paolo, you mentioned you found this on a discontinued cassette.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Well, I found it on the Internet, but it came from a discontinued casette.

MK: I love that though. I mean, you're earning your paycheck about how far and wide you are going to bring us music that we should know better. I love it.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: I'm so glad you like that song.

MK: And that's The Weird Sisters from Winnipeg with Solstice Carol. Now, I understand you've also brought in a poem today.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Yeah, I came across this poem a couple of weeks ago while preparing my winter Solstice special for In Concert, which is the show that I host on CBC Music. I do this every year, and I often include poems about winter on that special. Anyway, it's a poem by the American poet Sara Teasdale, and it's called Winter Stars. And when I first read it, I thought, this is a, you know, a nice poem. It has wintry themes. It's about the passage of time and how the stars are constant, no matter what. And there was a line at the beginning of the poem that I wasn't getting at first, about young blood flowing overseas. And then it dawned on me, well, she wrote this poem during World War One. And that, I think, makes it all the more poignant right now. It's a bit of a heavy time, isn't it? Even though we are gearing up to celebrate and it is that festive time of year, there are things happening in the world that are difficult to process. They're difficult to accept. And I found this poem offered a little bit of comfort, some solace. And I think it's still powerful over 100 years later. And maybe it's just the right poem for this moment right now.

MK: Yeah, there are a lot of people who feel alone and it's great to remind them you are not alone. We're going to have a listen. Paolo, thanks so much.

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: Thank you so much for having me, Mark.

MK: Here's Paolo Pietropaolo Reading of Winter Stars by Sara Teasdale.

SOUNDCLIP

Reading:

PAOLO PIETROPAOLO: I went out at night alone, the young blood flowing beyond the sea seemed to have drenched my spirit's wings. I bore my sorrow heavily. But when I lifted up my head, from shadows shaken on the snow, I saw Orion in the east burn steadily as long ago. From windows in my father's house, dreaming my dreams on winter nights, I watched Orion as a girl above another city's lights. Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too. The world's heart breaks beneath its walls. All things are changed, save in the east the fateful beauty of the stars.

MK: Well, that's our program for today. Beautiful thing, isn't it? Stay tuned to Radio One for Q. And just a programming note. Tomorrow, The Current team is handing things over for special holiday programming. You'll hear more Winter Solstice music with Reclaimed host, Jarrett Martineau, and a special presentation of Handel's Messiah. It's a Christmas favorite for classical music lovers performed by the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Choir. Enjoy that. And whether you're celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or just the pure pleasure of the days getting longer, I hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday. And remember, you're not alone. We are here for you. I'm Mark Kelley. On behalf of the terrific team at The Current, take a bow, folks, thank you for listening to the Current.

Tuesday, December 24, 2024 Episode Transcript

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