CBC News: The National | Population surge, Ukrainian children, Regina’s racy campaign
tonight new numbers show Canada's population has made a record-breaking jump the reasons behind the unprecedented Surge and the challenges it brings Ukrainian children taken by Russia returned home what they went through and the demands that Russia faced consequences it is a war crime plus a long-running joke about Regina's name even the spirits of genital college right an ad campaign embrace it and then embarrassment we just went too far so was it a terrible idea I think it certainly has has put Regina on the map this is the national with Chief correspondent Adrian Arsenal some breaking news tonight out of Ottawa MP Han dong has quit the liberal caucus and will sit as an independent this comes after allegations that his campaign benefited from election interference from China Rafi bujakanian joins us now so Rafi can you walk us through how we got here and what he's saying tonight Adrian this is the latest development after a series of stories by global news surrounding Han dong the latest being that he allegedly in February 2021 told a Chinese Diplomat that Beijing should hold off on freeing Michael spaver and Michael kovrick the two Canadians it was holding imprisoned because that would favor a conservative government returning to power now these are not allegations CBC News has verified for itself Global News is citing two unnamed National Security sources here's what dog had to say for himself what has been reported is false and I will Define myself against this absolutely untrue claims but let me assure you as a parliamentarian and as a person I have never and I will never and that would never Advocate or support the violation of the basic human rights of any Canadian of anyone anywhere period now pressure's been mounting on the governing liberals to have an independent public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference by the Chinese government into the 2019 and 2021 elections of course Justin Trudeau the Prime Minister has refused to do that so far instead naming a special rapporture to look into the issue we're still waiting for reaction to this latest news so far one of the opposition Party leaders if Francois From the Block quebecois says this just underscores the need for a public inquiry and adds in a statement that he wouldn't be surprised if handong eventually steps down as an MP completely he also says the Liberals have lost the credibility to have any say in how a public inquiry should be conducted Adrian all right critical to keep watching this Rafi boujee County in Ottawa thank you for decades Canada has seen its economy and Global standing grow well tonight new stats Canada figures also reveal explosive growth in the number of people who call this country home the new report shows Canada added over 1 million people in 2022 that's a one-year growth rate of 2.7 percent the highest since John dieffenbaker was prime minister way back in 1957. the numbers then largely driven by the post-war baby Booth this new search driven almost entirely by newcomers a growing population brings fresh Energy new ideas but also challenges as Canada struggles to provide services and housing here's Lindsey dunco immigrant to Canada wag Modi has first-hand knowledge of what the country needs to deal with a population that's growing fast definitely Health Care Child Care affordability in like in general having more housing options as of January 1st the number of people living in Canada exceeded 39 and a half million that's an increase of more than a million people in a single year the highest ever well it tells you how much Canada is recovering from the pandemic in terms of catching up to applications that were made before the pandemic the rate of population growth hasn't been this High since 1957 when Canada welcomed refugees from Hungary and people were having lots of children behind this boom international migration most of it temporary as many seek Canadian stability in an increasingly volatile World we're seeing larger and larger numbers all the time the challenge for resettlement agencies finding places for people to live we need to make sure that the infrastructure is in place to support people so that um when when newcomers arrive then there is the housing there is the health care there are the schools and all the other social components with that in place he says new Canadians will boost the economy take wag Modi she's opening a pastry business it was always a dream life come to Canada maybe work a few years but then at the end start a food business Canada's population growth is expected to continue although perhaps not as dramatically as this last year the federal government is planning for 500 000 immigrants to the country each year by 2025. and so Lindsay I suppose quite obviously some provinces are seeing more newcomers than others absolutely Adrian mostly that immigration is happening in the big cities of Ontario Quebec and British Columbia and that presents a challenge as Canada's smaller rural areas could really benefit from newcomers skills and labor all right Lindsey duncombe in Vancouver thank you a major Catalyst for all that immigration is Russia's war in Ukraine nearly two hundred thousand people have fled there for here most of them arriving through a special immigration program it was due to expire at the end of the month but as Karen Paul shows us a new extension is easing anxiety Canada will continue to support you it's news Casino has been waiting to hear we are announcing an extension to the Canada Ukraine authorization for emergency travel the day Russia invaded Ukraine she and her family fled they applied for the emergency travel visa when Canada launched the program last March kischakova her husband and their son were approved and arrived in Winnipeg in September her mother was approved later but stayed in Germany with her dad until last week we like had a lot of concerns because we we didn't know what will happen next after the city yeah like the end of March and we decided to bring my mom here and then we will think how to to to bring my dad under the extension ukrainians have until July 15th to apply at no cost anyone who already has a Visa has until March 2024 to come to Canada those already here have until then to change their temporary status settlement and language services financial support and short-term accommodations have also been extended but still hurdles remain a quarter of those who have actually been granted the Visa have actually arrived thus far people have to pay for their own airplane tickets and so that's a huge cost statistics show nearly ten thousand ukrainians have arrived in Canada every month since the program was launched and those newcomers are filling crucial job vacancies Canada's at a sort of peak level of labor market need in every Province across the country a whole in a whole variety of occupations across the labor market back in winnipegova shares the good news with her dad happy and hopeful he will soon be able to join his family here in Canada Karen Paul's CBC News Winnipeg in Ukraine tonight at least eight people have been killed by Russian airstrikes so have a look at this this is the view from security cameras catching that moment a missile hit a residential Block in zapparesia one person was killed there more than a dozen are injured including children and near Keith two College dormitories were hit by drones at least seven people were killed there and Ukrainian President Vladimir zielinski condemned the attacks while in the Eastern donbass region today he met with troops near the front line thanking them for their efforts and handing out medals now some Ukrainian families are breathing a bit of a sigh of relief tonight 17 children stolen by Russia have come home Russian authorities had promised the parents safety and a quick return of their kids but as Briar Stewart shows us that did not happen has seen his three children since October that's when he says his family was pressured to send them to Crimea most of the 17 children who were returned to Kiev were living in russian-occupied her son last fall we were told they will see the sea and have clean air he says when we realized we didn't have to send them it was too late he and other parents were expecting their children would be returned in a few weeks then they were told two months this reunion came after nearly half a year every day at 8 15 a.m they forced us to stand up for the Russian national anthem says Nikita these children describe different experiences some said they were well cared for and even had fun but Vitali vertash said it was so bad that he and a girl ran away and were picked up by police two days later the Talia zronics 15 year old son wasn't sent to a camp but was taken by soldiers from their Village in the harkiv region to a boarding school in Russian occupied luhansk they threatened that they would send him to an asylum or put him up for adoption she says she and all of these other families were able to get their children back with the help of a foundation called save Ukraine it organized and paid for the trip which took the mothers through Poland Belarus and eventually Russia mikula culiba says the Kremlin is trying to convince the world it's saving the children but they have not any rights as aggressor to touch any family any child because it is a war crime and they must be punished in Ukrainian court or in Hague last week the international criminal court issued warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Russia's children's commissioner for war crimes arrest is not enough she says I want him sentenced to a penal colony all of these families are now receiving social and psychological help and organizers say they'll keep working to bring more children back home Briar Stewart CBC News London back in this country lots of political fireworks just ahead of Joe Biden's first visit to Canada as U.S president we don't like any prime minister including a liberal prime minister to be pushed around like this by an American president will he end it tomorrow we will continue to work constructively with our partners to the South we will continue to defend Canadian interests for sure the U.S is
Canada's closest Ally in most ways but each leader comes to the table with different priorities and his own goals that divide is especially Stark when it comes to Haiti this is a country that's struggling with gang violence and a shocking number of murders the United States wants Canada's forces to take the lead and restore order well tonight Evan Dyer shows us why some doubt the job is even possible and a warning some images are disturbing Haiti this month has seen more civilians killed than Ukraine the way to describe Haiti the abyss aznobaram Marco laroccilier describes an attack on a minibus two days ago we've obscured the victims the gangs put fire on that uh Little Bus and people were burned alive it's a new law in the chaos that we are experiencing President Biden wants the Canadian Forces to come to the rescue so far Canada has sent two Patrol ships people are just making jokes of it and we need what's on the ground anybody thinks they can go in and do this easily they need their heads wrapped Canada's top General Wayne Air says the forces don't have the Manpower General errors absolutely 100 correct we could use the entire Canadian Army regular and reserve and still not have enough to deal with the city of that size the forces would face the same problem they faced in Afghanistan trying to tell a friend from foe what do you do take everybody from the age of 18 to 24 or 18 to 30 every male 18 to 30 out of the out of the region even the terrain would be against them says this Urban Warfare expert in highly dense areas where they're pretty much sort of higgledy-piggledy uh you know buildings and so on and so forth I just have to increase the number of troops I've got even to hold a very small area I can lose a platoon of 30 or 35 guys in you know the space of less than a city block you're not just going to roll into the capital and take it over he says the gangs will hide when they can but if they have to fight they won't care who gets hurt if the force that you are engaging um has no respect for civilian life um then the prospect of civilians being caught in the crossfire is very high on top of that is the lack of legitimacy of Haiti's government the unreliability of Haiti's National Police some of whose members are in gangs themselves a whole raft of reasons why Canada will likely continue to resist U.S pressure to come to Haiti's rescue Evan Dyer CBC News Ottawa Haiti is just one issue that could generate some friction when Joe Biden meets Justin Trudeau in Canada for the first time there are real problems challenges globally closer to home causing tension let's break down four of them our handy guide to four crucial topics is just a few minutes away the U.S federal reserve is Raising interest rates even as it tries to bolster Americans trust in their banking system this after two Banks recently collapsed our banking system is sound and resilient with strong capital and liquidity we will continue to closely monitor conditions in the banking system and are prepared to use all of our tools as needed to keep it safe and sound still it says inflation is just too high and so today it hiked its key interest rate by quarter point this marks the ninth hike in the last year but it did signal that this aggressive campaign to lower inflation may be nearing its end and the grand jury that's been hearing evidence about former president Donald Trump reportedly did not meet today the case centers on alleged hush money payments to an adult film star anticipation of Trump's arrest started after Trump himself posted on social media about it over the weekend a possible indictment could come as early as tomorrow when the jury is expected to meet again turning to the UK now where a fiery Boris Johnson clashed with MPS today who've been grilling the former prime minister over boozy parties during Britain's painful covid-19 lockdowns that Scandal helped Drive Johnson from 10 Downing last year now it threatens his hopes of ever returning Chris Brown explains opposed as prime minister but not gone far this was Judgment Day for Boris Johnson I don't trust him I don't think many people do I think he's proven himself to be a liar I swear by almighty God under oath Johnson was interrogated for more than three hours about whether he lied to fellow MPS about holding office parties that were against coveted rules if what ministers tell us is not the truth we can't do our job I'm here to say to you hand on heart that I did not lie to the house Britain's coveted lockdown was especially tough people couldn't even visit dying relatives in hospital and yet there were multiple unsocially distanced Gatherings at the prime minister's office with lots of booze by the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times after being made to watch his denials in Parliament Johnson explained that staff farewells were part of his job in open windows and plenty of hand sanitizer mitigated the tight spaces of 10 Downing Street there's nothing I can see in that uh photograph that strikes me as being either against the rules or the guidance and a a proper use of my time the question is why did you not take proper advice this is complete nonsense I mean complete nonsense I asked the relevant people they were Senior People they've been working very hard this pollster says Johnson might still fantasize about returning to his old job so clearing his name is crucial clearly partygate and attitudes towards his trustworthiness that was a big part of his legacy in terms of public opinion Boris Johnson doesn't deny that he misled Parliament only that it wasn't intentional and he'll hope that his defiant answers convince MPS if not Parliament could suspend him and in a worse case he could be forced to run for a seat in a by-election an outcome that could threaten his political career Chris Brown CBC News London back in this country a Nova Scotia mother is calling for more accountability after a new report on the tragedy at Sea that claimed her son's life that report points to Federal inaction around certain safety standards for fishing vessels Gail hounsel shows us how that's being received a roadside Memorial now a daily reminder of a tragedy at Sea Lori cogswell's son Aaron was among the six fishermen who died when their boat the Chief William Solace piled high with scallops capsized in the Bay of Fundy I want people to be accountable say hey we messed up but we'll fix it but I don't see any of that happening now the Transportation safety board says Transport Canada should have required the boat to undergo a stability test the boat's owner Yarmouth sea products had made a number of structural changes to it including adding a large metal A-frame furthermore the TSB says five years earlier another tragedy off the coast of BC prompted it to recommend all small fishing vessels undergo stability tests the government has not mandated that recommendation and another six fish Harvesters didn't make it home from what could have been a preventable accident how many more people have to be lost at sea before those changes are made the Transportation safety board also says the crew didn't have access to written guidelines on things like the safe loading and stowing of catch federal law says Boat Owners must provide those guidelines but they're not required to confirm to Transport Canada that they've done so the ongoing lack of regulatory oversight means that fishing crews are routinely operating on vessels without even knowing how to stay safe or how to respond when things go wrong Transport Canada declined an interview request but in a statement says it is reviewing the TSB report and will respond within the required 90 days Yarmouth sea products also declined an interview I can't have my son's death goal unnoticed Lori cogswell's husband and stepdaughter are also fish Harvesters she wants the government to better protect all Crews and give her peace of mind when her own loved ones had back out on the water Kayla hounsel CBC News Annapolis Valley First Nation there are fears some illegal drugs are becoming even more dangerous it puts people in kind of blackout States the toxic tranquilizer that could lead to more deaths Gwyneth Paltrow in court to defend herself she knew what she was doing was dangerous she knew it was Reckless peace grabbing International headlines and Regina's name has been the center of jokes for years someone told me you know Regina just it rhymes with fun tourism group just ran with it and then had to apologize but did it work I think it certainly has has put Regina on the map we're back into testimony has resumed in Gwyneth Paltrow's ski Collision trial in Utah the actress and lifestyle Guru is accused of plowing into retired eye doctor Terry Sanderson back in 2016 without stopping or taking responsibility he is seeking three hundred thousand dollars claiming brain damage and other lasting injuries she knew what she was doing was dangerous she knew it was Reckless Paltrow denies the accusations claiming Sanderson crashed into her she's filed the countersuit seeking just one dollar in Damages plus lawyers fees Public Health officials here are raising the alarm about another toxic drug being found on Canadian streets it's called xylazine Allison northcott explains why it's making the illegal drug Supply even more dangerous and deadly as a harm reduction worker and Drug user Matt Johnson knows what zylazine can do to those who use it it puts people in kind of blackout States and so people are at really high risk for accidents like just walking into traffic because they don't know really what's going around on around them xylazine an animal tranquilizer known as tranq is not approved for human consumption but Health Canada is finding more of it is showing up in the illegal drug Supply often in fentanyl in 2019 xylazine was detected in about 200 drug samples submitted by law enforcement agencies in 2022 that number jumped to more than thirteen hundred the assumption is that it's being used as an adulterant you know a relatively cheap kind of way to bulk up drugs Nicole Luongo says xylazine is one of many substances added to illegal drugs making the supply unpredictable and dangerous and says policies need to change to ensure drug users can access a safe Supply the biggest risk probably is the fact that it is not receptive to naloxone or Narcan because that of course reverses opioid overdoses so that's really scary this Montreal doctor works with opioid users and says it's getting harder for them to know what they're taking is it xylazane is it contaminated with carfentanyl is it contaminated with benzodiazepine or all of the above Public Health officials say the impact can be deadly when you have xylazine present with opioids such as fentanyl this actually greatly increases the risk for fatal overdoses the U.S drug enforcement agency says xylazine can cause wounds so severe skin can rot and it can lead to amputation longer term people get these really serious infected wounds that can go necrotic Johnson says drug users should get their drugs tested and never use alone they want governments to decriminalize drugs stop tiptoeing around this and just make some really bold moves so Allison I think we all know that the overdose crisis in Canada continues what's the status of it now well we know that between January of 2016 and June of last year more than 32 000 people died of apparent opioid overdoses Health Canada says xylazine has been detected in some opioid related deaths but the real concern now amongst Advocates is that with so many things contaminating the illegal drug Supply those numbers could just keep going up all right Allison North Dakota Montreal thank you tomorrow the U.S president visits Ottawa
and on the agenda some thorny issues now again I get criticize this if I make no excuses for it we're going to buy American we break down the sticking points between this country and our neighbors a critical river runs dry putting pressure on American farmers I get the sense from you that this place makes you feel sad it does it's kind of it's kind of dismal to be here we head to Arizona grappling with drought and an uncertain future the national takes you deeper into the story shaping our world next in Ottawa less than 24 hours from now a friendship of global importance May begin to be tested Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden have often met on the world stage but now they will meet on Canadian soil set to hash out issues with as much potential to divide as to unite from our Washington Bureau Alex Panetta lays out their challenging agenda when Joe Biden Jets off to Ottawa on Thursday it won't just be backslapping in jovial banter there are real problems challenges globally closer to home causing tension let's break down four of them here at roxham Road in Quebec thousands of migrants are flowing in and prime minister Justin Trudeau is under pressure to cut it off political pressure from the premier of Quebec from the federal opposition it is his job to close the border Trudeau wants the U.S to take these migrants back and to renegotiate a 20 year old migration pact Trudeau wants it extended to include irregular checkpoints here's a small problem this isn't a major U.S priority Americans have their own challenges they could see three million migrants this year that's exponentially more than anything happening at roxham Road the U.S ambassador to Canada says the main issue is not this one Rural Road in Quebec here's what is the main issue in his view a historic worldwide surge in human movement driven by conflict crime climate disaster economic desperation the critical issue here was to deal with the root causes of irregular migration when Canada talks about roxham Road the U.S talks about Haiti yeah this is what the Americans mean by root causes of migration the U.S is pleading
with Canada to take a leadership role in stabilizing Haiti a country beset by political and gang violence all of it driving migration Trudeau is skeptical of sending Canadian Personnel police or military into a complicated potentially Deadly Mission outside intervention as we've done in the past hasn't worked to create long-term stability for Haiti he says Canada can do other things things the U.S should emulate like sanctioning more of the wealthy Haitians funding those street gangs fact is Canada did sign an agreement Canada promised to be a leader in resettling francophone migrants especially Haitians watch this space there could be an announcement this week on more Haitian migration the U.S has other concerns about military spending remember that Chinese spyballoon incident and the false alarms that followed Canada and the U.S have both
promised to install Better radar new sensing equipment up in the Arctic all part of modernizing NORAD the US wants to get this going with a faster clearer timetable for spending this money we're facing 21st century threats and 21st century responses cost money watch for some NORAD announcements this week then there's trade in a trillion dollar a year relationship some arguments are inevitable Canada is annoyed that Biden keeps pushing by American policies and again I get criticize this but I make no excuses for it we're going to buy American in reality based on the fine print of what he's proposing the Canadian officials I talk to aren't so certain these latest moves actually affect Canada very much but Canadian business says never mind the fine print our companies should have access to U.S Public Works contracts what we need from leadership is a signal that says yes Canada you are special on trade the US has gripes of its own Dairy for example Americans say Canada's wiggling out of promises under the new NAFTA to import more U.S cheese then there's Bill c18 a Canadian proposal to make social media Giants American social media Giants pay Canadian media companies for online news of course it won't all be irritants the leaders will have dinner together Biden is staying in Ottawa overnight it's the first time in over 20 years the U.S
president slept in Canada during a bilateral visit they'll also be making announcements on a mutually shared priority getting more critical minerals out of the earth and that's in order to be less reliant on a mutual adversary China we need to make sure that we're keeping Canadians safe and secure into the future we're the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world sometimes history repeats itself people remember the famous lines from John F Kennedy's speech to Parliament geography has made us Neighbors history has made us friends but people forget their retentions back then too in that same famous speech JFK urged Canada to do more in the world the more things change eh so Alex Panetta will join me in Ottawa tomorrow to cover Biden's visit and the policies that could emerge from the visit the White House announced today that Biden wants to talk about tackling Global challenges with Canada could that mean progress on a new border agreement Biden's people say we'll talk about it in Ottawa next a major source of water is drying up and so are the Farms relying on it remember as a kid here in the old joke that whiskey was for drinking and water was for fighting and now the last few years it really hits home and it's not quite as funny as it once was a Relentless drought and the Fallout for American farmers activists in Spain staged a protest to Mark World water day laying on a reservoir that's dropped to 10 percent capacity because of severe drought the U.N opened its first conference on water Security in nearly half a century and today a big pledge from the United States I am proud to announce that the United States is committing 49 billion dollars toward Equitable climate resilient water and sanitation Investments at home and around the globe and so the U.S says that money will be spent on responding to climate change and natural disasters so the consequences of water insecurity are felt deeply in Southern Arizona Farmers fear their land is just drying up as drought threatens the Colorado River squeezing the water supply multiple U.S states are facing more cuts to water consumption Susan ormiston introduces us to a fifth generation farmer who's trying to navigate it all you know a farmer is a agronomist a meteorologist Jace Miller grew up riding a tractor working the land in a desert plenty of Sun in Southern Arizona but what he craves most is water this water bill is it's getting pretty Troublesome because every day we lose Farmland to urbanization or we lose Farmland due to lack of water drought is gripping the American southwest and his family's Farm business spanning five generations is suffering so all this land is not going to be planted or correct correct this year his share of irrigated Colorado River water was cut off as of January 1st forcing some painful decisions to the left and right of us here are some fallowed Fields these fields were in production up until about two years ago the ditches fogged with Tumbleweed the land is parched and weedy nothing will grow here in this field this year without the river water I get the sense from you that this place makes you feel sad it does it's kind of it's kind of dismal to be here remember as a kid hearing the old joke that whiskey was for drinking and water was for fighting and now the last few years it really hits home and it's not quite as funny as it once was so the Colorado River which brings water to seven states and 40 million people is shrinking America's largest Reservoir Lake Mead fed by the Colorado has dropped to Historic lows those whitish lines Mark where it used to be just 20 years ago climate change say scientists is deepening the drought and forcing urgent negotiations on who will get how much water there's no denying the crisis says Catherine Sorensen a water expert in Phoenix we can't continue to live on the razor's Edge where there's a threat of getting to drastically low levels in Lakes Powell and Mead and still maintain the kind of economy and quality of life that we have come to enjoy here a wet winter this year has sparked desert green and hope that this summer won't be so dry it's great that we've had good snowpack this year you know we'll take it but fundamentally if we don't solve the problem of an over-allocated river system then it's just a math game and we'll lose it's the Hoover Dam an engineering Marvel which meters out water stored in Lake Mead and sends it down the Colorado River in Arizona a huge Canal system buries the water into drier land the central Arizona project is a series of canals over 400 kilometers long that was built to bring water from the Colorado River here to this Valley and pump it in to irrigate the desert but cut off from River water Jace Miller will have to depend more on groundwater to irrigate and that's also restricted we're harvesting anywhere from seven to nine times per year um that's incredible isn't it it's it really is the and that's due to 340 days of sunshine um superb soil conditions and when things are right with the Stars when we have water prices for Alfalfa are running high this year but it's a water hungry crop if our climate is changing right as people suggest and if this is getting hotter and drier in an already desert condition they say maybe it's time for you to reconsider what you're doing the climate's ever-changing we deal with that every day and farming we need to to look at the Water Resources we currently have and we need to be better with them and Arizona as a farming and ranching state has been at the Forefront of water conservation for the last 30 to 40 years but the Southwest now has to divvy up even less water with access governed by a complicated system of Rights negotiated decades ago Arizona for example is a junior rights holder with fewer rights than across the river in California causing some tensions now I think that they understood their junior priority status they're just not happy with it now we called up Tina Shields with the Water Authority in Imperial County California I think that we have to look at what the reality is and not pen our hopes that things will improve or that there's going to be some you know magic solution by kicking the can there is no magic in the vanishing water and it's a hot button topic around here and I'll tell you between work and the baby and fighting this weather it's been a hell of a it's been a wreck hasn't it yeah Lou Childs needs hay for his horses and the reservoir he relied on went dry last year so what'd you do without I had to come over and buy hay from Jace couldn't raise my own what do you think is causing the drought I don't know I somebody's messing with weather somebody's messing with the weather yeah so who's messing with the weather yeah you tell me what do you think about people who say it's it's climate change that we've we've just used too much water yeah that's I that isn't my feelings we've had droughts in the past and then we get a wet session you know it it comes and goes it's cyclical but few predict the water will come roaring back so the Southwest is already adapting two kilometers from Jace's Place Farmers have sold or leased land to solar companies choosing Sun guarantees over water worries come here Jace isn't ready to give up yet he hopes the next generation of Millers like sun Carson would join the family farm business people tell me that this is a dying lifestyle and there's no way to make a living but at the same time it's what I'm going to do till I die Susan ormiston CBC News Pinal County Arizona the UN estimates that around two-thirds of the world's population will face water shortages by 2050. it is also projecting more droughts and extreme flooding but here's a good news story from one Ontario Farm surprised to see their blanket on hit show blanket is like the third character in the room it is prominently focused how a small Cameo is making a big difference in Our Moment well the city of Regina is getting a whole lot of attention right now for its latest tourism campaign and to be fair that's kind of the point but as Sam Sampson explains some say it just takes an old joke way too far Regina let's get one thing out of the way this City's name Regina sounds like vagina someone told me you know Regina just it rhymes with fun it's been a global punch line for years you didn't experience of giant until college right you didn't go up to Canada until college so Regina's official tourism group decided to go with it uh embrace it we're not changing the name of the city Regina anytime soon it launched a new ad campaign for the city including slogans like show us your Regina and the city that rhymes with fun I'd like to see you explain that to a seven-year-old did that make you uncomfortable residents Unleashed criticism within hours saying the slogans sexualized to the city we have to be thoughtful and mindful especially in a city with incredibly High domestic violence rates that we are not putting women and people in a position where the marketing is built around a campaign of you know what the city that rhymes with fun with our vaginas they're so fun after just days the tourism group cut the slogans and apologized our community didn't appreciate it and and we just were wrong love it or hate it this whole thing made international news I think it certainly has has put Regina on the map probably to a lot of people that have never heard that Regina exists so you know overall I just think we should maybe applaud the creativity of the campaign it's the brand of the destination so um whether you find it funny or humorous or otherwise did it make you want to go there like did you go to Google and check out the flights to Regina um probably not the tourism group is funded by Regina City Hall but operates independently City councilors here say they never approved those slogans and they want to hold those who did accountable Sam Sampson CBC News Regina thirsty so there's a good chance I don't really need to tell you about this show The Last of Us was a smash hit this year and that green blanket draped over Pedro Pascal incidentally it also became a Smash Hit the Ontario wool farmers who make the blankets were shocked to see one featured but since it's television debut their blankets have been flying off the shelves so tonight the surprise Cameo is our moment I'm gonna be right back okay we see Pedro Pascal wrapped up in a checkerboard blanket and Jay and I looked at each other and we're just like we know that blanket Broadway West last week we got a recommendation to check out this show called The Last of Us so Rachel and I we decided to take a nice quiet Farm evening and snuggle up under a blanket and watch the show and within a few minutes uh this blanket came on we're watching or watching and then no way it was unexpected yeah and it has translated into a bump and sales with so many orders are coming in this is a family farm in the 21st century it's a difficult thing to do and we have bet the farm on the wool part of our business and this is one of the most popular shows in the world and there's our little farm like it right there and they say they have the best ad campaign now apparently their blanket can survive a zombie apocalypse that is the national for March 22nd thank you for being with us have a good night thank you
2023-03-24 12:33
