Front Burner

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30 years later a Mohawk filmmaker reflects on the Oka crisis Jul 20, 2020

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It’s been 30 years since an explosion of violence and the death of a Quebec provincial police officer on an early July morning marked the beginning of the Oka Crisis. That summer, thousands of Canadian soldiers surrounded two Mohawk communities, just outside Montreal, who were trying to protect a forest and burial ground from the expansion of a golf course. Today on Front Burner, we speak to Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer who grew up in Kahnawake, Quebec. She shares what it was like living through a standoff that came to be a defining conflict in Canadian history.

The enduring magic of iconic astrologer Walter Mercado Jul 17, 2020

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Puerto Rican TV personality Walter Mercado wasn’t just one of the world’s most famous astrologers — for his millions of viewers, he was a spiritual guide, motivational speaker, and a bedazzled fashion icon. And for generations of queer Latino kids, his refusal to conform to gender norms was a sign that they, too, could be adored and accepted. Today, Kareem Tabsch, co-director of the new Netflix documentary Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, gives us an intimate look at the larger-than-life performer in the last years of his life — and explores why, even after his death, Mercado is resonating with a whole new generation.

Why B.C.'s former health officer wants to produce legal heroin Jul 16, 2020

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British Columbia's former provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, has been a harm-reduction advocate for decades. Now, he's planning to launch a company to produce a domestic supply of affordable, legal and pharmaceutical-grade heroin to be used "as a medication for therapy and treatment, but also … to try and cut down the number of unfortunate and preventable deaths that we're currently seeing." Today on Front Burner, a conversation with Kendall about a safer supply of drugs and the overdose crisis.

‘Above the Law’ chronicles police violence in Calgary Jul 15, 2020

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In the last few weeks on this show, we've talked about a number of police forces under scrutiny across the country. But there’s a city we haven’t talked about, one that frequently has the highest number of police-involved shootings in the country -- Calgary. A new documentary streaming on CBC Gem examines the issue of police violence in Calgary. It's called “Above the Law” and co-director Marc Serpa Francoeur joins us today.

As Bolsonaro downplays COVID-19, Brazil nears 2 million cases Jul 14, 2020

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Brazil is nearing two million confirmed cases of COVID-19. The country is second to only the United States in its number of cases and deaths and, recently, Brazil's leader himself tested positive. Despite this, President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the threat of the virus. Today on Front Burner, we're joined by Gustavo Ribiero, a journalist with the Brazilian Report and host of the Explaining Brazil podcast. He'll tell us how COVID-19 overtook Brazil, and why he thinks its president is unlikely to acknowledge the danger.

Trudeau’s WE Charity controversy deepens, and deficit 101 Jul 13, 2020

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This is not your average quiet July in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is embroiled in a new ethics investigation, and now there are revelations about members of his family receiving payment for their appearances at WE Charity events. On top of that, the Liberal government released an “economic and fiscal snapshot” showing the federal government’s deficit hitting an unprecedented $343 billion this year. Today on Front Burner, CBC Parliamentary reporter J.P. Tasker updates us on the latest in the Trudeau WE Charity controversy, and gives a back-to-basics explainer of the deficit.

The push for Canada’s green recovery Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

Canada’s Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, has just released a dramatic projection of the country’s deficit this year: $343 billion, largely due to pandemic-related support programs. The unprecedented amount of spending is a signal to many climate advocates that there is now an opportunity to fundamentally reshape the economy through something called a green recovery. Today, climate reporter Geoff Dembicki on what that might look like in Canada, and the challenges it may face.

Pro-democracy leader Nathan Law flees Hong Kong over ‘politics of fear’ Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

The broad and ambiguous offences under China's new national security law have Hong Kongers censoring themselves, fearing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Pro-democracy protesters are holding up blank sheets. Cafes are stripping their messages of support. One of Hong Kong's most prominent and outspoken activists, too, has left the territory altogether. Today on Front Burner, pro-democracy activist Nathan Law joins us from an undisclosed location. He'll take us through the years of unrest leading up to China's crackdown, and how these measures threaten the unique freedoms that came with living in Hong Kong.

Families demand answers, six months after Flight PS752 downing Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

Today marks exactly six months since Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down by two Iranian missiles near Tehran. The devastating tragedy killed 176 people, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents. It also left loved ones of the victims desperate for answers about what happened. Back in March, former longtime Liberal MP Ralph Goodale was appointed as special advisor for the federal government’s response to the tragedy. Today he explains why families are still waiting for the plane’s black boxes to be analysed, and what’s stopping the Canadian government from getting more answers.

Justin Trudeau, WE Charity and a third ethics investigation Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

Federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion is investigating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the Liberal government's decision to task WE Charity with administering a $900-million student grant program. On Friday, WE Charity stepped back from the contract, which had faced criticism because of the Trudeau family's close association with the charity. Today, CBC parliamentary reporter Catherine Cullen on the now-cancelled partnership, the surrounding controversy and why the ethics commissioner got involved.

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