Thursday Aug 7th

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is VOCM Open Line calls seven oh nine, two seven,
three fifty two eleven or one triple eight five ninety
eight six two six of viewsing opinions of this programmer
not necessarily those of this station. The biggest conversation in
Newfoundland and Labrador starts now Here's VOCM Open Line host

(00:22):
Paddy Daily.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, all right and good morning to you. Thank you
so much for tuning into the program. It's Thursday, August
the seventh. This is open Line. I'm your host Patty Daily,
David Williams. He's in the queue as the producer taking
your calls. If you're in the same John's Metro region.
The number of dollar get in the Q and on
the air of seven zero nine two seven three, five
two one one else for our total free long distance

(00:44):
one eight eight eight five ninety VOCM, which is eighty
six twenty six. So she did it. Eighteen year old
sensation Vicki Mboco into the finals at the National Bank Open.
This is a big tournament, make no mistake. Was watching
the last night. She got appsly smoked in the first
set six to one, too A Wimbledon champion were Bickenhun
came back to win the next two sets, including a

(01:06):
tie break in the third seven to four. Amazing stuff.
She's got her hands full tonight. Taken on Naomi Osaka
from Japan, a four time Grand Slam champion. But the
Toronto teen Sensation is in the final Amazing stuff, all right,
And it's hard to get too carried away if your
Blue Jays found with the three game sweep over the
Colorado Rockies, because I mean, they're the worst team in baseball,

(01:27):
but the pitching was good and they set a couple
of pretty interesting records for themselves over the course of
this one. Sixty three hits, forty five runs in the
three game series. Anyway, they'll get a better competition when
they travel to Los Angles to take on the Dodgers
for the rest of the road trip. All right, So
what have I got here scribbled down? Oh, this is

(01:47):
a great baseball story. So I don't remember it necessarily
as a child, but I know the story. It was
on this date in nineteen eighty two, a screaming live
drive goes into the stands at Fenway Park and hits
a four year old in the head. At that moment,
Jim Rice, who was an absolute beast of a baseball player,
Rice hops into the stands, takes the bleeding four year

(02:08):
old boy into his arms, rushes him into the clubhouse
to get medical treatment, sent off to the hospital to
get surgery to deal with swelling in his brain recovered
of course, and the doctors themselves at the hospital credited
Jim Rice would saving that boy's life, which is an
amazing story. Rice, with the blood soaked uniform, returned to
the game on the heels of it. He actually made

(02:28):
way to take care of the medical bills for the
kid as well. So Jim Rice, baseball player saved a
four year old boy on this day in nineteen eighty two.
So say the doctors all right, Canada Summer Games. The
athletes for week one are here opening ceremonies tomorrow, and
of course there's some concern with what smoke might mean
for some of the outdoor events, including sailing, with which
they don't have an alternate plan B setting for the

(02:52):
sailing competition, so we'll see. Interesting point made by a
listener yesterday. We are of course thinking about and talking about,
and justifiably so, the wildfires and the impact that they're
having on communities and individuals and firefighters alike. I wonder
what the messaging sounds like to the visitors, because they're

(03:12):
not following along with New finlandal Laborador news necessarily. So
whether it be Canada Games athletes and their supporters and coaches,
whether it be people arriving via Marine Atlantic who may
not be following the news, people arriving at the airports
across the province, what does the messaging sound like? Because
we are being told and in some terms pretty vocally
and forcefully about our own personal responsibility regarding the wildfires,

(03:34):
I wonder what the messaging looks like. All right, look,
we're all following along because it's impossible not to the
amount of fires on the go in the province today
is extremely unsettling. Hundreds of people have been displaced from
their homes, evacuated, structures have been lost, lives have been changed.
And once again, big thank you to everyone who's fighting
the fires, all the communities and community organizations that were

(03:57):
opening up the rams to welcome those who have been
evacuated from their home. All right, so yesterday the premium
was talking about maybe increasing the fine for people who
willfully don't abide by the province wide fireban. Then talking
about things like what's going on in Nova Scotia, bannings,
people's ability to get into the woods for maybe a hike,

(04:19):
or specifically ATV used. Look, look, a fireban is important.
It just is. And you know it's dry. We can
all feel it and see it and smell it. So
let's just talk about avoiding government having to do more here.
If you were, for instance, using an ATV. And now

(04:39):
the province's fire inspector has said the vast majority of
the fires are caused by human activity, I'd like to
get a little better breakdown. Number one, if people are
purposefully lighting these fires, you can only hope that the
RCMP are conducting comprehensive investigations to find out if that's true,
and if it is, to find our rest and prosecute

(05:01):
people who are purposely setting these wildfires in these conditions.
That is absolutely nuts to use the word I heard
in the press conference. Secondly, let's just think about it
out loud. Look, going for a hiking the woods with
the dog, going into just spend some time in the
great outdoors. Let's continue to be able to do that, right,

(05:22):
same thing with an ATVO. I don't have one, and
I know people really enjoy them. They're fun. If you
are an ATV operator, you know what the conditions are like.
I'm not suggesting anybody who has an ATV is purposely
at just being oblivious to the fact that it can,
indeed be a contributing factor inadvertently to a wildfire. So

(05:43):
you don't want your favorite parts of the province where
you use your ATV or you go for a hike,
or you go for a boil up to be burnt
down right, So let's avoid the government because I don't
want to come and getting the business of some of
these bands. It's just been a very difficult stretch of
years here, especially when you talk about the rear view
mirror and what it included during the pandemic. If you're

(06:04):
an ATV operator, let's just resist or want to get
out there. If you're someone who wants to have a fire,
can we just resist while the conditions are so dry.
Just think about the firefighters, Just think about the volunteers.
Just think about the people who are displaced from their home.
I don't want this to be a government band issue.
I don't want it. You don't want it. But the

(06:25):
only way to avoid it by the sounds of it,
and I don't care if they hug up the fines
fair enough, but bands about being in the woods is
just it's going to be difficult to navigate, and people
will call it government overreach, and I get that. But
there's also the distinct thought that if people are wilfully
oblivious to just how dangerous it is out there, I mean,

(06:45):
same thing with smokers. I've never understood people just wilfully
thrown a sick. Let's see grette butt on the ground anyway,
regardless about dry or how wet it might be outside.
But let's avoid the bands. Let's avoid this conversation. We
can all do it. I don't want government to be
more involved than they need to be. But if people
are just going to continually ignore the fireban or just

(07:08):
take risks, that may indeed inadvertently lead to yet another
wildfire when the resources are stretched so thin. And we
do know at the exact same time, the provincial government
has not really done a great job in so far
as fire suppression techniques, whether it be with fire breaks,
whether it be the fire load and the windfall in

(07:28):
the woods, whether it be not replacing or repairing the
fifth water bomber. There's lots of reasons and lots of
issues we can point to, but let's avoid hearing from
government about banning this or banning that. We all know
what the right thing to do. You do, even in
your quiet moments, even if you're someone who wrote me
an email this morning, say the government can kiss my
you know what. Fair enough if that's what you think.

(07:49):
But let's just acknowledge that things are dangerous out there.
It is a tinderbox, it really truly is. I don't
care where you live in this province. If you are outside,
the amount of brown grass is all you need to see.
So I don't feel like preaching, because God knows I
don't deserve to be preaching to anybody. I got my
own problems to navigating my own life. But it's terrible

(08:10):
out there. So let's just avoid getting involved in these bands.
No one wants it and we needn't have it. If
people are willing to do what I would call the
right thing, all right, And so yes the RISMP. If
someone has lit a fire on purpose, I hope that
we throw the book at them. The end. Moving on
to the R and C. So the Royal New Flank

(08:32):
Consabatary Association is talking about the need to recruit and
retain more police officers, and we're losing a lot of
mid career officers, which is a trained officer with six
years experience or more. All Right, the RNCA, the association
represents three hundred and eighty non commission ranks in the
provincial police force. We're reacting through the crime stats that

(08:53):
came from Statistics Canada. Crime has increased by five percent
and twenty twenty four compared to twenty twenty three, so
we need more. The representative Mike Summers from the RONCA
says the province has fallen below the national average of
one hundred and seventy eight police officers per one hundred
thousand residents. The RNC say they would need to have
about four hundred officers to meet it to twenty new

(09:15):
recruits this year. Twenty new recruits apparently set to join
the force next year, but that has got not going
to get us anywhere near the required numbers. Spoke to
Helen Conway Ottenheimer, the PC member for Harvard Maine, on
the program last week or the week before, talk about
public safety, talk about the public sentiment about not feeling
as safe as people once did. I don't know what's

(09:36):
going to be required to actually and actively help the
iron C recruit and retain more. We actually talked about
a fifteen thousand dollars bursary that the rn C was
putting forward to intrigue or to entice more people to
enroll to become an iron Cy officer. Being a police
officer these days it is certainly not what it was
decades ago. The view some people take towards law enforce

(10:00):
and of course has made it less than appetizing for
some people to want to be a cop. But at
the exact same time, people are talking about the serious
issues the guns and the drugs, and the breakings and
the assaults and the harassments. I mean, you see the
crime numbers. I'm in no position once again to try
to be hyperbolic on this front, but the rn C

(10:20):
say we need more cops, and I think everyone, to
a man to woman would agree. Nothing will slow you
down like a cop car, Nothing will help deter crime
more than an active police presence where you are. So
the rn C, maybe Mike Summers is available this morning,
we'll get him on the program to talk about some
of the specifics about what can be done to recruit
and to retain police officers, especially those mid career officers

(10:42):
with their experience that is out the door now. I
don't know the numbers in so far as how many
members of the R and C are currently not an
active duty on long term leave or long term disability,
or whatever the case may be. But it'd be nice
to know more from people like Mike Sommers at the
RONCA about exactly what recruiting and retaining means. Because we
talk about it with teachers, we talk about it with

(11:03):
healthcare professionals, but not with enough detail so that we
can actually encourage or put political pressure on our governments
to help create the policies that can do exactly that.
You can talk about financial incentives and all the rest
of it, and yes, that's part of it, but a
bit more detailed insofar as police officers, which are a
pretty distinct profession these days. See if we can figure

(11:25):
it out. Just one second sip of coffee, we're back
right And speaking of crime, I've talked about this on
the show in the past. I suppose it's worthwhile to
put it back out there. And that's gift cards gift
cards are extremely popular gift for someone to buy for another.

(11:45):
You know, it's the simple concept, I get a gift card,
I buy whatever I want, as opposed to you knowing
or thinking that you know exactly what I do want. Okay,
gift card industry in Canada off the charts. It's expected
to bloom from about eleven billion dollars in twenty twenty
three to nearly fourteen billion dollars by twenty twenty eight.
That's a research piece came out from an organization called
Research and Markets.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
Right.

Speaker 2 (12:07):
The problem is the gift card scams are growing along
with the boom in the industry itself. So for retailers, look,
I get that you'd like to display your wares on
little shelves or whatever the case, we be outside of
the till to entice people to pick up a gift
card and load it up for a gift for whoever.
The problem is the criminals are taking the gift card,

(12:30):
scanning the barer code, putting a faky on the back.
So you go ahead and load up your card with money,
it's activated in their system and then they steal the money.
So a few things just check the gift card to
make sure it hasn't been tampered with. Number one, it's
just a shame that we have to be so diligent
in doing something as innocuous as buying a gift card.

(12:50):
And number two, importantly for the retailer, Look, we know
you sell gift cards. Is there such a thing as
retail out through that does not sell a gift card?
If so, be fuel far between. So for the retailer,
why don't you just put the gift card somewhere where
this I almost cursed, where the criminals can't get at them.
You know, we know you have them. We'll ask you

(13:10):
for one at the till you break it out, You
load it up, and then the advice is to spend
it quickly, as opposed to let it sit. So just
be careful out there, folks, with your hard earn money.
All the scams that are just for lens. If you
think that a gift card feels like a pretty secure
gift but maybe someone's already scanned the bar code, you
load it up, they rob your money. There's reports into

(13:31):
the millions just last year, But of course that's only
scratch on the surface. A lot of people won't complain
or register a complaint because they feel like they did
something wrong or they're embarrassed or whatever the right word is.
But retailers, why don't you do something to help us.
We know you have a gift card, so put it
in the lock drawer behind the counter. We'll ask you
for one and then we'll buy it off you. Let's

(13:52):
keep it going, hopeless speak with talk paused In this morning,
a new report coming from end Homess to Saint John's.
It's their pit counter report. That's a point in time,
all right, So it's a snapshot, and it's hard to
have real firm numbers on homelessness because it's not easily
seen necessarily. So it says that at least three hundred

(14:13):
and thirteen people experience homelessness in Saint John's on any
chosen night in November twenty twenty four. You combine that
with other local data that's been compiled by other organizations,
that number is absolutely closer to four hundred on average.
Respondence to the survey, say they've been without housing for
five hundred and ninety days, a year and a half
without a roof over your head. Then of course it's

(14:34):
hard to capsulate or encapsulate the numbers of people who
are precariously close to being homeless, those who are CouchSurfing,
they don't really have a home call their own, but
they're homeless. So here's a couple of breakdowns for you.
These are staggering numbers. Ninety two percent of survey responders
were poorly living with at least one disability for mental health, physical,
or cognitive abilities disabilities. Thirty percent said they spend time

(14:58):
in foster care, inship agreements group homes as youth. Three
quarters that they felt unprepared to live on their own
after leaving care. Nearly one in ten people became homeless
for the first time as a senior. There used to
be a lot of talk about building housing, the affordable
housing and all the moving parts and tiny homes and
modular homes, But just think about how many people And

(15:20):
this is on me Saint John's so doesn't incorporate the
rest of the province, of which, of course there's obviously
homelessness in other communities, but just in town. And that
four hundred number, that even seems low to me. But
maybe mister Poster can help break down how exactly they
arrive at some of these numbers, and of course into
the future, we talk about what they actually mean. All

(15:41):
right on that front, So home building homes and buying
a home. Yet another story from a person via email
who please or ask me to please protect their privacy.
They bought a new home, they were in a multiple
bid situation. They can they remove some of the conditions,
including waving the need for home inspection. Six months later,

(16:05):
huge problems with the home. I get it. It is
wicked out there to try to buy home with multiple bids,
and people will remove some conditions, including waving the home inspection.
A couple of things. It's probably a good idea. It's
your money, you do wi you want, but it's probably
a good idea to get one. And secondly, it's about
Tommy regulate that industry. You could just tell someone your

(16:25):
home inspect You don't have to have any verifiable qualifications. Now,
referrals are always helpful in reputation and how long you've
been at it. People will ask those questions. But let's
regulate that stuff. What do you think? Oh and I've
also been asked to put this one back on the
front burner and I'm happy to do it. We speak
with the Nisse hand Rahan and Auditor generals of the
past every single time they bring out a new report,

(16:46):
and maybe it's time to have Miss Hanrahan to talk
about the performance audit at the r and C, which
is interesting. But people ask me, what's become of the
Travelers Agency report? Excellent question. We have talked about the
fact that we had Miss san Rahan on to talk
about this one. Overspending on travel nurses has been extraordinary.
We're told there's new safeguards and guardrails that have been

(17:06):
implemented to ensure that invoices are accurately reviewed and then
accurately paid out. But the big part of the report
that drew the ire of all of US taxpayers was
the possibility of fraud. So yes, there can be absolutely
questions asked about the reliance on travel nurses and the
pathway to reducing reliance on travel nurses, but anything that

(17:27):
included fraudulent behavior by someone in the public sector, because
it's not your money, it's our money. If there was
any fraud, we do need an update. So these reports
cannot just go into the media one news cycle and
then people forget about it. Yes, the travel nurse expenditure.
When you talk about an annualized average or some four

(17:48):
hundred thousand dollars per year per nurse travel nurse compared
to the public sector, but overtime being paid out that
can be proved. It was work, paying for accommodations for
people who aren't here, paying for rental vehicles or folks
who are here. There's a lot to it. And if
there is anybody in the public sector that is wilfully
responsible for fraudulent activity a crime, let's see if we

(18:10):
can get an update as to where we stand on
that particular front. Happy to put it back out there.
Oh all right, we can get back into the trade wars.
People ask me why we've just stopped talking about it. Look,
a couple of things, but the newly imposed thirty five
percent tariff and a lot of the confusion about what
is actually compliant under the COSTMA Trade Agreement. We can
talk about it, absolutely, happy to do so. No talk

(18:33):
of reciprocal tariff since there's been an additional tariff hyped
a partner me on Canadian goods and anyway, there's still
a lot of confusion out there in some people's minds
about how tariff actually works. But we can actually talk
about it if you're so inclined, you travel wherever he wants.
It's not my money's your money. But some interesting stuff

(18:53):
regarding trade are trade and travel. Travel numbers from Europe
and Canada to the United States is way down. And
I'm not going to say that everyone across the border
may indeed end up in an El Salvador in prison.
I'm not in the mood to talk like that, but
the travel numbers are down. Interestingly, FIFA, the governing body
of soccer in the world, I actually talked about taking
some of the World Cup games scheduled for the United

(19:14):
States out of that country next year. Remarkable. The America
has just denied entry visas to the Venezuelan Little League
baseball team. Little kids couldn't go play in the Little
League World Series because they're around the list. And then
I've been asked why I'm afraid, apparently to talk about
the Epstein files. Number one. There's nothing but bad faith
included in that conversation. But if you wanted to talk

(19:36):
about it, we can, and we can talk about whatever
you want to talk about. All right, we're on Twitter,
We're VOSM. Open line follows there email addresses open LINEA
FOSM dot com. When we come back, Let's have a
great show that can only happen if you're in the queue.
Don't go away, Welcome back to the show. Let's go
to light number one. Keith around the air.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
Hey, good morning, Hetty.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
How are you today?

Speaker 2 (19:54):
Couldn't be better? How about you?

Speaker 5 (19:56):
Good?

Speaker 6 (19:56):
Thank you?

Speaker 3 (19:57):
So I appreciate I appreciate your shows.

Speaker 7 (20:00):
Yeah, can I throw out two bouquets? First won the
mag at Senior's Advocate over there at Tops the Road.
Thanks Meg, and mister Babcock at the Hub. Thanks, got
the paperwork, said the.

Speaker 5 (20:14):
Dot Jung.

Speaker 7 (20:17):
Needed some paperwork TA taxations for me?

Speaker 2 (20:21):
Okay, good and but Mike college.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Scorn Patty is I like to know when the rock
Quarry and in.

Speaker 7 (20:27):
Saty Donal Lucas driving.

Speaker 4 (20:28):
Paradise is going to be ending.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
I have no idea.

Speaker 8 (20:33):
I'm getting after shots for the last maybe maybe five
six weeks from dynamite pictures are falling off the walls
and it's quarter to seventh morning.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
The father here was the rock cruption on the Gold.

Speaker 2 (20:45):
Mag So I don't know about the course of operations
or when it's going to come to an end. But
did I not hear a commercial here on this station
about exactly that.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
I don't know, sir. I find that for you, because
this is no my house is up for sale.

Speaker 8 (21:03):
I'm getting out hurt, like I'm moved here.

Speaker 5 (21:06):
Like ten years ago when it.

Speaker 8 (21:08):
Just started and started that look was beautiful. And then
five years ago they started the second wave of building
houses and demolishing rocks and rock fords whatever.

Speaker 7 (21:19):
And now they got the dynamite.

Speaker 8 (21:20):
Going for the last six to seven weeks. Got every
day your house is trembling joke, every day your house
is traveling, Pictures are falling off the walls, and I
pitched the foundations are cracked.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
I'll get some information for you. Have a son that
lives in Paradise and he reported to me that there
was an awful lot of banging going on. So I'm
familiar with.

Speaker 9 (21:43):
It, sir.

Speaker 8 (21:45):
And according to the government they were was have perplec
one day, Frisman Golden out for abas two months.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
I will follow up. I'll get you some information, Keith.

Speaker 7 (21:58):
Thank you so much, Patty, because I'm at with somebody.

Speaker 2 (22:01):
I understand. I appreciate it. I'll get it for you.

Speaker 8 (22:04):
You all have a beautiful day.

Speaker 7 (22:06):
Taks David.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
Thankskeith, all the best right there you go. So before
I go looking for information, if someone can fill me in,
that would be helpful. Let's keep rol. Let's go to
line number four Ray around the air.

Speaker 10 (22:17):
Yes, good morning, Patty. First of all, I just mentioned
people who have to move because of the fire. I
think every community in the Avalan Peninsula should open up
any buildings they have available and let people know that
each community, whoever wants to go to each any community,

(22:38):
it'll be open for them. I'm sure that there's people
that got releves in different communities here that would like
to be in the same community as the relatives now
that they're going to leave their home. But that's not
the real reason that color. This morning I caught about
the old marine at landing service.

Speaker 11 (23:01):
Here.

Speaker 10 (23:02):
We have insufficient travel service transportation to New Fland. We
got multitudes of cars waiting in lineups like you wouldn't believe,
truckers who have to wait to get under the service
where they are do. We have Prime Minister there now,

(23:23):
mister Kearney, and I think that he wants to get
a few big projects on the go. I think it's
time to start for them to start looking at getting
a fixed link across to our province and give us
a chance to travel to and fro like normal people.

(23:44):
I think that in the interim we should have more
vessels put on and we should separate the cars from
the truck and transfer. Any commercial vehicles should be on
their own transportation system with their own lanes. There's too
much of this, truckers having to wait so long to

(24:06):
get across here to provide goods for us people. And
it's not good enough, certainly not good enough for the
way that we're being treated here a half million people
on this island who are provided a service that is
not redoservice. It's just misery, and an expensive one at that.

(24:30):
And thank you, mister Karny. If anybody hears me to
say for cutting the price of that furry root, and
I'd say, come on, now, it's time for people to
get their heads together and let's make this thing work.
It can be done, so why not get a start.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Yeah, fair enough. The Marine Atlantic thing, I think is
curious and interesting. So when the campaign promise was to
cut the feed and half, you know, people are like, okay, great,
but if I can't get on or I can't get
a schedule that works for me, then the cost really
doesn't matter a whole whole lot. So whether it be
the expansion of the service or another boat or our

(25:12):
priority list to be great, I don't know what the
right answer is, but what the commercial fee is just
being remaining as they are. Look, capacity is already there,
Bookings are way up around Marine Atlantic. Yes, people are
going to save some money. But the real hope was
that if there was the possibility for goods to be
transported to the province cheaper, then maybe, just maybe we'd see,
you know, whether it be flat line on prices, no

(25:34):
increase on some of these goods and services because the
companies it's cost them less to get the stuff here. Now,
I think that's kind of pieing the sky stuff anyway.
I mean, I don't think they're going to do anything
but absorb additional profit. But Marine Atlantic doesn't work for
this problems necessarily. If I can get out of here,
but I need to get back in a week because
I have whatever on life commitments, but I can't get

(25:55):
back for three weeks, then there's a problem. And so
is it the capacity issue? Kind of feel like it.

Speaker 10 (26:01):
I came down one time like I crossed here many times,
but to someone particular occasion, there was a woman and
her family from the South Coast and they missed the
boat because of a storm, and they had to wait
ten days for the next boat to go to the
South coast. Like things like that are unreal. And here

(26:26):
you got a passenger service where people are trying to
get some sleep, sitting up in chairs, laying on the
floor with pillows, and heaven knows what underneath them.

Speaker 12 (26:38):
You know.

Speaker 10 (26:38):
Come on, it's time we got into the swing of
things and leave this nonsense behind fair ball. I thank
you kindly, and I'd be looking forward to talk to
you on another subject again tomorrow maybe.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, or maybe one day next week. I appreciate the time. Right,
thanks for the call.

Speaker 10 (26:56):
I thank you kindly.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
All right, let's break and took away. Welcome back to
the program. Let's go to line number one line all
around the air.

Speaker 9 (27:11):
Yes, sir, good morning, good morning.

Speaker 11 (27:13):
I just find add a little bit to the for
the Marine Atlantic. We had the same problem. We left
the island and then when we were ready to come back,
and he was signed the fourth of July and there
was no booking until the fourth of August. So what
are we supposed to do. You know, for four weeks
you can't afford the hotel, or you can't afford you
got nowhere to go. So obviously we got an issue there.

(27:37):
But I guess the main thing I wanted to put across,
if you could put this also to the government, the
theory I run from Blanton Brown to Saint barbe as
a twenty five percent of non reservation and seventy reservation.
Which if I went up there and I didn't have
a reservation, or have I missed my boat or whatever,

(28:01):
well then first come, first serve. So if I'm there
for the first mount up to twenty five percent, you
know what, it still gives us a chance to get
back home. Either it might take you day or two
or whatever, but it will not take you a month.
Can can that be put across?

Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah? Absolutely, I'm happy to talk about that. You know,
there's also Look, I'm not going to suggest that people
just take their chances and go to the ferry terminal
to hope to get on. But we do know, and
I hear stories, including those people who told those stories
live on the air of they did not have a reservation.
They showed up and they were able to get on.
Why because sometimes the fairies sail without being absolutely full.

(28:38):
So again, you do what you want in your own
free time. You can try to check this out with
Marine Atlantic if you're so inclinient. But people have told
those stories here they were told they couldn't get a reservation,
but they were close by, and this was in North Sydney,
they were close by, they went and they got on.
So again I know it's a reservation system at Marine Atlantic,
and whether we have to move to something as you
suggest regarding the Elaborador ferry system, reservation twenty five percent

(29:02):
for first come, first serve, it's reasonable.

Speaker 11 (29:07):
Well, it gives us a chance to be able to
get on, you know, we wouldn't have the way a
full month and and normally, like the Theaory's always fall anyway, readers,
twenty five percent non reservation or not. But the thing
is if you get there and the first thirty five
people or whatever, you know, you would get on. So
if they're thirty five agin tomorrow, well that's a possibility.

(29:29):
If I couldn't get on today, I'll get on tomorrow,
you know.

Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah, I hear you. So there's lots of stuff on
my Marine Atlantic plate. We think we're going to be
able to speak with someone at Marine Atlantic in the
very near future. We haven't even invited them on. So
I will add this to the list exactly how the
booking system works today. Have potential solutions to make it easier,
Like I hear the same suggestions. Number one, it should

(29:52):
cost less or nothing for people from this province to
use our constitutional highway. I don't know about zero, but
I do think, you know, a different fee would be
an interesting change. Then there's also about a priority list,
you know, whether it be people from this province, commercial traffic,
hazardous goods. But then of course anyone in the hospitality
sector will say, hey, you can't be leaving tow us
on the other side. So we'll try to get down

(30:14):
through all of that stuff and try to hash it
out there as best we can.

Speaker 11 (30:18):
Very good, and I appreciate very much for you. Let
me be out.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
I appreciate your timelinel, thanks a lot. Thank you, take
your care, byebye. Look, I don't know. Look, it's easy
enough to say, well we need at least one more vessel.
I don't know how quickly that can be achieved. I'm
sure there's ferries out there that would be conducive to
the docking setup and the type of traffic that Marie
the Atlantic serves. It's not going to be done in

(30:41):
short ordered I don't imagine. But the way it's supposed
to work isn't necessarily working the way people need it to,
you know. And I look, there's nothing quite like out
of province dollars or an economic shot in the air.
There's no doubt about it. You know. Recirculating or circulating
our own money is of course, well how the economy
chugs along. But that Outvin's morning, that's a big deal.

(31:02):
So how we don't deny opportunities and easy opportunities for
people who are tourists to travel here and at the
same time trying to make it easier and more manageable
for the locals. I mean, that sounds like I'm mouthful,
and that sounds like an awful complicated thing to try
to unravel. But we'll keep talking about see if we
can't figure it out, let's keep going the line number two,

(31:27):
Dave are on the air.

Speaker 4 (31:32):
Nope, good morning, Patty, I'll tragula there we go. Interesting,
interesting morning, and really enjoyed your preamboa. And one of
the things that I noted, what you brought up in
your preambo was due to these brutal wildfires that we're

(31:56):
seeing here now, and they basically think that that's something
we definitely gotta pay attention to. We're finding that not
all of them are lightning strikes and whatever here in
this area, right here in s Bay, Saint George, Stephenville,
and then again last night in my hometown of Saint George's,

(32:19):
we saw fires being set definitely arson firesides. There were
four or five yesterday along the stretch of the by
White's Road near the truck center in Stephenville, on opposite
sides of the highway, small fires that had been started

(32:42):
and were coming up. People actually managed to get them
put out, but they were like along probably a clomber
and a half portion of of of that particular road.
They determined that they had been arson fires. Then there
was another one here last night in Saint George's, right

(33:03):
in the middle of our community that actually started on
just above a piece of my property where brush was
lit on fire. And luckily we've got a really good
fire department here. They got out in the middle of
the night. And they managed to knock the fire down
before it turned into anything bigger. So the things that

(33:27):
we can control as far as these wildfires are concerned
are basic things that we do just about every day.
And one of the things that was suggested was a
ban on the use of ATVs. Well, that's kind of

(33:48):
an easy thing to just automatically say, yeah, we should
do that, that's not something we should be doing. But
at the same time, we've got an awful lot of ATVs.
I would argue hundreds, if not thousands, that are here
now bringing those other province dollars touring our province with

(34:10):
definite reservations when they can get on and when they
can get off the island and whatnot. We discussed that,
and I can circle both those things that you've already
discussed this morning that affect this type of tourism. And
I do see the mindset behind say we just automatically

(34:31):
banned this. Although I'm not exactly a fan of something
that happens and all of a sudden you hear tell
somebody in government's decide and we're going to ban this
or a band, none of one of our rights. I
don't automatically just sign up for that. But there's a
lot more to be considered right now than just saying, Okay,

(34:51):
we'll make everybody park yourugh ATVs. How would that help
in our case? Well, we've seen here, we haven't had
any lightning, stright or wildfires caused for any other reasons
so far other than arson. And we know that these
things are true, that these are actual arsen sites. Last

(35:12):
night was another typical one in the middle of the pit,
a pile of brush that was dumped there, like from
scrounging off of a piece of property or whatever, and
that was set a blaze. Now, had that spread and
embers got over somewhere, we could have had a serious
fire here too, No doubt my thought on all of that.

(35:34):
I think the likelihood of an ATV causing a fire
from a spark arrest or failure, or a spark comes
off the end of a bike, although it can't happen.
I think the higher likelihood of an event involving ATV's
usage in the wild areas around our towns, and are
you know our areas, You'll see that fire quicker should

(35:58):
this be another arson fire. ATV activity basically circumnavigates all
the different areas, different trails in whatever the case may be,
and these these bikes being out there, in all likelihood
they could catch the arsonists very much in the act,
or at least come along and note the fire before

(36:21):
it becomes this raging, huge fire.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
The problem there is how many people are around to
actually have those eyeballs in every nook and cranny of
all the woods in this province. I get where you're
coming from, but this is going to boil back down
to look if someone is actively and purposely letting these fires,
which it kind of sounds like it is when you
hear from people in certain areas, say for instance, Kingston
Adams Cove and whatnot. If that's true, somebody knows who's

(36:46):
at it. Right, What about if that fire that they
lit and you thought was pretty funny and to watch
everyone scramble and try to put it out and the
next thing, you know, burns down your house, which is possible.
So someone knows who's doing these things. And if you
do do the right thing by all of us, you know,
put forward an anonymous tip or whatever the case may be.
And now with ATDs, I don't know if any of

(37:07):
the fire's period have been caused by US Park from ATV.
I have no idea my thoughts on it. I was
trying to be pretty clear, is let's avoid any further
government restrictions or bands. People know that there's the possibility
for something like that to happen. We all know how
dry it is. You know, people are celebrating the warm
summer with very little rain and lots of outdoor activity,

(37:30):
but it comes with a potential problem for these types
of height and risk for wildfire. If you know it's
a possibility, just try to do the right thing, avoid
certain things that might inadvertently be the cause of a fire.
That's all. I don't want government to do anything else there.
We can get the messages and increase fines for people,
you know, ignoring firebands. But let's just try to not
do things like drive down the road and fire your

(37:51):
lit cigarette butt out the current window. I mean, let's
not do that. Let's not have someone report to me
they found a bottle stuff full with which is obviously
an opportunity, an intent to hopefully that glass will magnify
and burn the grass inside the bottom consquent it might stratify.
Let's not do stupid things. Well, we are stretched in
trying to fight the fires. So we are, hundreds of

(38:13):
peoples are out of their homes. That's all. Let's just
everyone knows what we should be doing. Let's just try
and do it.

Speaker 4 (38:18):
Yeah, use your freaking out. I mean, you know, maybe
there's times in the year flicking a cigarette, but it's
not a big deal. I think it could be a
very big deal this time of year, of course it is.
And you know, like I've heard people talk about different
ways that we could, you know, probably start to fight this.
I spoke with a friend of mine this morning about
cloud seating. He brought up the fact that it has

(38:41):
been done as a weather modifications type process, but I
know for agriculture in certain areas they've done it. Alberta
actually did it to suppress the hail storms that they
had like a couple of years ago. I don't know
how fast it is or how long it takes, but

(39:02):
might be something worth looking at, because simply put, we're
looking at dry and hot weather apparently coming up for
next week or more. I don't think we can do
it so much for this year. Hopefully we'll get some
rain before this proves to be itself. But maybe because
a preventative measure, And I'm no expert. I'm just raising

(39:25):
something on a topic that I've discussed. But I'm sure
the experts that we do have in forestry and whatever
agriculture might be able to see some benefit to looking
into it. Yeah, a couple provides any merit, A.

Speaker 2 (39:39):
Couple of things on that cloud seating business. It's a thing,
it is. There are some environmental concerns. We'll talk about
the potential overuse of silver iodide, which is part of
the cloud seating methods. Apparently it's completely unpredictable. There's no
real hard evidence that it's effective, whether it be for
hail suppression or to create rain. There's also you need

(39:59):
the perfect suitable clouds for it to be even remotely possible,
and unfortunately, you know, with these great brilliant days, cloud
covers not even there, so we're not seeing anything. So like,
for instance, I can't see cloud in the sky where
I live here this morning. And so as a water
resource management tool, it's largely proven number one to be
completely unpredictable, and there's no real evidence that can actually

(40:22):
work to create rain, you know, like a so called
rain dance through cloud seating. If it did work, we'd
be at it all the time. You know, there'll be
no droughts, for instance, right in California.

Speaker 4 (40:32):
Out there that are aware of. You know that the
fact that cloud seating is the thing. I guess who's
advantageous that to be somebody looking into it or whatever.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
By now, if it was effective, people would be at it.
We wouldn't be talking about droughts in California or droughts
in Mexico what that means for food prices in the rest.
So it is highly unpredictable. It's no relevdance that it
actually works. There's certainly environmental concerns, and there's no clouds
to seed in the sky today, So.

Speaker 4 (40:59):
Today we're lucky Bay Saint George. I don't know what's
going on, but I think some of it might be
a little bit of smoke over but looks like some
pretty healthy clouds up here. So with any luck at all,
they'll make it your way too, because you fellows kneed
your rain.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
We do, as simple as that, Dave. I appreciate the time.
I gotta get going. You take care of you two
all the best, Bye bye, all right, just take a break, well,
go back. Jeff wants to talk about the very don't
go away. Welcome back to the program. Just to correct
something that I said earlier which was factually incorrect, misspoke
because I know better. The opening ceremonies for the Canada
of the Summer Games are not tomorrow, their Saturday. I
was kind of wishing my time away, thinking and hoping
today was Friday. It's not a Thursday. So Saturday night,

(41:34):
seven pm at Murray Brown Center are the open ceremonies
not tomorrow. Let's keep going Line number one, Jeff, you're
on the air. Hey, great, how about you?

Speaker 4 (41:45):
Not too bad?

Speaker 13 (41:46):
Thanks? I just kind of wanted to get your opinion
and also wanted to maybe inform people that might not
be aware that they're like I live. I live in
Labadon and currently in Goose Day, that there is a
ferry that runs from the south coast to Saint barb On.

Speaker 1 (42:07):
It.

Speaker 13 (42:08):
I've got of been on it, so I'm guessing it's
not of an ordern peninsula somewhere from blacelah blah. And
I think it goes like when it's in when it's
in operations, I believe it's three times a day.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Okay, So.

Speaker 13 (42:27):
I mean all this talk of of of like a
fixed link and a tunnel or a bridge or I mean,
it's my opinion. I'd be interested to hear yours or
anyone else's. It would be subject to I would assume
if if the study has already been done, and so

(42:50):
it will be I think, quote unquote like a nation
building project. It will be subject to like a what
their return on investment or like a cost benefit for analysis, like.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
You would have to apply those straight up economic measures.
And it's not me who has deemed it to be
a nation building exer are part of me a nation
building project. The federal Liberal government have said it. So
that makes it an interesting conversation when they're talking about
nation building projects and fast tracking approvals and financial potentially
federal financial support. So they've said it. It has been

(43:29):
in successive mandate letters to various cabinet ministers. They've put
it in the hands of the Candida Infrastructure Bank, this
province and the federal government. Well, I guess at the
Infrastructure Bank spent five hundred thousand dollars trying to push
the potential for a fixed link forward. So the balls
in their court. The problem is, no one's really said
anything about it, you know, is there an actual appetite.

(43:49):
I guess the province could take the bull by the
horns and simply go to market and see some of
these tunnel building companies with experience around the globe as
to what they think, we know could be built, but
we need to know for how much and some real
economic foresight or forecast about how busy it would be.

Speaker 13 (44:06):
I guess what I'm also wondering is sort of the
way I'm looking at it would be that if I
were the federal government, like like what am I.

Speaker 14 (44:18):
Going to get out of it? Like what what if?

Speaker 13 (44:22):
Okay, what does what does the l and portion of
this problems have that that that will make it worthwhile
for me? And is like my opinion that that that
seems to be although it hasn't borne out really here
in labor where we don't have a road to Wood's
Bay or anything not, not that it hasn't been talked about.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
It's curious that you say that, because when I hear
from people in Labrador, of course it's mixed bag. Some
people think and are vehemently in support of a fixed link,
but others like, listen, we got bigger fish to fry.
Pair about you know, expanded road network, whether it be
to the North Coast or otherwise. So I guess where
it stand depends where you sit. And I'm happy to
hear from folks from Labrador and the Great Northern Peninsula

(45:08):
and or the South Coast about what they think a
fixed link might mean for them.

Speaker 13 (45:13):
Well, like, that's another a whole other thing about it.
I mean, you can, you can there will be like
you know, the initial investment of paying for the the
the building of such a thing, and and but but
then also like I think a whole bunch of different

(45:40):
uh what will you say, like my tourism or what
other things would have to be invested in and developed too.
I mean to also like that that we'll be able
to benefit like more from it, or to take a
sort of advantage that.

Speaker 14 (46:03):
Of that being.

Speaker 13 (46:06):
If it were to come to fruition and like become
a reality.

Speaker 2 (46:12):
Yeah, I mean, I mean.

Speaker 13 (46:14):
I mean, like the like the roads like it, and
I mean just for any like eternal things that.

Speaker 9 (46:24):
I think it will.

Speaker 13 (46:26):
I mean I'm not saying I'm not saying it wouldn't
be beneficial to any like anyone. I mean, sure it
will be great to be able to write from mainland
to the island and back and forth. But I don't know,
it just was like them, the liberal government of the day,

(46:48):
and said said, you know, identified it as being something
that they that they thought was was you know, a
great thing so to speak.

Speaker 2 (47:01):
Yeah, provincially speaking, successive governments have talked about the fixed
link all the way back to Joey Smallwood, and I
think probably every premier since Smallwood has made some reference
to the possibility to join Newfoundland, the Island of and
Labrador with said fixed link. It's come various iterations. You know,
a tunnel that you can simply drive through, a tunnel
les simply a train service, a tunnel that would have

(47:23):
trail apparently train like beds to put cars and trucks
and stuff on. So that's where we are now. That's
the most recent thought about the possibility for I'll give
you the final thoughts Jeff before they make me go
to the news.

Speaker 13 (47:37):
Well again, like I said, in my opinion, it would
whether it happens or not depends on and well, such
is anything, I suppose, it depends on what someone thinks
about it, and someone being whoever is in power at
that Yeah, at the current time, and I mean hearing

(48:00):
bust we get we get truction here from Quebec. I
mean there is a road. And I haven't noticed any
prices go down in our in our stores as a
result of it, So I'm not sure how this will
benefit anyone ultimately.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
Fair enough, that's the question that we have to answer, Jeff,
I got to get to the news. But I appreciate
your time this morning. All right, thanks, Radie, You're welcome.
Take good care.

Speaker 13 (48:30):
Thanks you.

Speaker 2 (48:31):
Bye. All right, let's get a break in when we
come back, we're speaking with you. Don't go away, welcome
back to the show. Let's go. Let number two. Connie,
you're on the air.

Speaker 15 (48:44):
Oh, good morning.

Speaker 16 (48:45):
How are you doing?

Speaker 2 (48:46):
Okay? How about you?

Speaker 15 (48:48):
Not to be I'll try not to take too much
of your time. I just want to talk about our
immigration issues, some of the stuff that's going on. I
want to start out by saying that I really believe
and I know that there are some.

Speaker 9 (49:03):
Really good.

Speaker 15 (49:06):
Muslim people in our society with good values and good morals.
I just want to lead nice, peaceful lives. That's the
first thing I want to say. I also want to
say that this is not Islamophobia or anti Semitism or
any of those things people would accuse you of.

Speaker 9 (49:23):
For speaking out islam extremism. That's the extremists is what
I'm focused on, not the Muslim All of the Muslim.

Speaker 15 (49:33):
Population is based on an ideology, not a religion.

Speaker 9 (49:38):
It's a culture.

Speaker 15 (49:40):
So we have people coming into our culture that do
not want to assimilate. They want to dominate. The whole
idea is world domination under Islam Sharia lah s h
a ar i ah, I know what it is. Yeah,
well for the viewers, I'm not sure the viewers know

(50:01):
what it is.

Speaker 9 (50:02):
But anyway, they.

Speaker 16 (50:03):
Do have a website.

Speaker 15 (50:04):
They have two masks here and another Islamic office center.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
Where is there.

Speaker 15 (50:11):
In Saint John's?

Speaker 2 (50:12):
Oh you're in St. John's Okay, Yeah.

Speaker 15 (50:15):
There's two in Saint John's one on Loggi Bay Road.
They're just about one on Monday Pound Road. The website
is m A N A L dot ca A. You
can look all of this stuff up. And also when
you go to this website and you click on it,
it's not secure. It says up in your address far
and normally when you go to you on anything, if

(50:35):
it's not safe, you'll get a warning.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
Correct, Yeah, most websites aren't.

Speaker 15 (50:41):
Yeah, but this website in particular, when you go onto it,
it comes up as not secure. Now me, that tells
me that there is an outside source tracking the visitors
to that page. I just wonder why that would need
that would need to be tracked. I don't understand that.

Speaker 2 (51:01):
Well. I mean kind of just about every single website
you visit knows your IP address and they count how
many unique visitors that I click on their site all
the time. I mean that's pretty commonplace. So like, for instance,
if you go to VOSM dot com, we know that
you clicked things like that.

Speaker 15 (51:17):
Yeah, you do know I clicked, and what comes up
on the address bar with VOCM dot CA.

Speaker 2 (51:23):
Yeah or dot com.

Speaker 15 (51:24):
Right, yeah, but if you go onto their website, it
comes up as unsecured page with the name of the page.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (51:32):
I don't know what is your concern there though, I'm sorry,
I'm just I'm just okay, So I'm just going to
keep going.

Speaker 9 (51:39):
My concern is we have so much of.

Speaker 17 (51:43):
The extremist Islamic extreme it's under Sharia Lah, and Sharia
Lah concerns me and it should concern everybody because it's
an oppressive ideology.

Speaker 9 (51:56):
It's very oppressive to women.

Speaker 15 (52:00):
If right now there's ten thousand Muslims in Saint John's
and that's ten percent of our population. In Saint John's
we have about one hundred and twenty thousand. So in
about ten years, when the numbers grow, because this is
what happens, then they can get into our parliament or

(52:22):
our governments and change our laws.

Speaker 9 (52:24):
So I don't want, and I.

Speaker 15 (52:26):
Don't think anybody wants, Sharia law because it goes against
everything we believe in, like LGBTQ people dead, against the
law if you become a Muslim and you leave the faith,
punishable by death, like very extreme things. Now, not like
I'm saying, not all Muslims, I certainly don't believe that.

(52:48):
But you have this group within that group who gets
some control, and then we start to lose our laws,
our culture. A woman cannot leave her home without a man,
she has to have an es course, women's laws, our laws,
courts will be gone. It would it would all come
under Islam Sharia.

Speaker 2 (53:09):
Is that an actual worry though? You know, legitimately for
only people who are practicing Sharia law are the only
people that Sharia law is imposed upon we're told that
it's only a slim minority of Muslims in the modernized
world outside of place like Iran or what have you,
that actually abide by it in any form. So I

(53:31):
think I can understand your concern, but changing laws is
an extremely complicated thing. Like I personally have no worry
about ever living in a country that's under Sharia law.
I really don't. And you know, people talk about the
number of people.

Speaker 15 (53:46):
I really understand what you're saying. But that's what people
have been saying in countries all over the world, and
it's happening right now. I mean in the UK, Britain,
of Australia, all over run Muslims in the streets, extreme extremists,
not everybody.

Speaker 9 (54:06):
This is not what I'm saying.

Speaker 15 (54:08):
But the mistake is you think it can never happen
here until it does.

Speaker 9 (54:12):
Yeah, but I don't.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
The countries that you just mentioned, though, are not operated
and governed by a story law. They're not. I mean,
there's been a Muslim the mayor of London for a
long time. They haven't changed any laws.

Speaker 9 (54:25):
Not yet, but they're trying to.

Speaker 2 (54:28):
But they're not though, right. But members of these governing
bodies in the two countries that you just mentioned.

Speaker 15 (54:33):
I'm looking at my foot. It's not broken today, but
it could be broken tomorrow. You see what I'm saying,
Like I don't. I don't think. I don't think you.

Speaker 9 (54:43):
Grasp what I'm saying. It's also we when we go
into our stores.

Speaker 15 (54:48):
Especially while Mark and Keim and Rose. If you notice
the workers in there. I was in there the other
day and then haven't been there in a couple of years,
and it's all male, military aged men of other origins

(55:09):
in that store.

Speaker 9 (55:10):
There's not very.

Speaker 15 (55:11):
Many women because women are not allowed to lead the
home without male If we I know what you're saying,
it can never happen.

Speaker 2 (55:20):
But Knieppen, realistically, are you saying that you've never seen
a Muslim woman in Saint John's outside without a man.

Speaker 15 (55:30):
Women who are married have to be accompanied, they have
to be it's they're well, I mean, you know what
I'm just saying. You look at this website and you
can read it for yourself. You can believe what you want.
I'm just telling you it's a concern.

Speaker 9 (55:45):
And if numbers go up.

Speaker 15 (55:47):
They have come right in and said we have eight children,
you have two, we will have Islaman sarial law. It's numbers,
and now there's enough numbers to start building. And if
they bring in this new thing of letting people vo
at sixteen, then we have all those extra voters and
we're not having the children anymore. We don't have the population,
so we become a minority. Well we're we're a minority

(56:10):
in our own city.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
We're the the distinct majority. I mean, even at the
pace of immigration today, for anybody, whether it be Muslims
or Hindus or otherwise, to become the majority, my goodness,
I'll be Lahan Khan before anything like that ever comes
to past. The concern I hear for most people regarding
immigration is there a number of people emigrating from India,

(56:32):
and India is eighty percent Hindu. The next biggest group
I think is maybe thirteen or fourteen percent or Muslim.
Muslim population in this country stands at about five point
two five percent is the last number I saw from
Statistics Canada based on the most recent census. So we
are still fared away as white Anglos still overwhelmingly the

(56:53):
majority of the population of the country and this province
right now.

Speaker 15 (56:58):
But in ten years we have ten thousand right now,
which I said to you earlier ten stop.

Speaker 2 (57:05):
Do you think some of the.

Speaker 9 (57:08):
Sorry go ahead.

Speaker 2 (57:09):
Do you think some of the people, most of them
can do or otherwise have immigrated to Canada to get
away from oppressive regimes, to get to a better for
your life.

Speaker 15 (57:20):
I truly do believe that some people have. But I
think some of the wrong people have gotten in through that.
And once those heretics get in, they have their own
Chorea law if they have enough people and they get
into our government or our premiere or up in the

(57:44):
Prime minist you know, up in the Congress, the Senate.

Speaker 12 (57:48):
We didn't.

Speaker 15 (57:49):
We're in trouble and there's nothing we can do to
stop it because our laws will be used against us.
Like they want to have terms now brought in Islamophobia, Well,
Islamophobia is an irrational figure.

Speaker 9 (57:59):
This is not an irrational fear.

Speaker 15 (58:00):
Why can't we have a term, say tecolicophobia or product
in the phobia.

Speaker 2 (58:05):
Because it isn't really a thing, right.

Speaker 15 (58:07):
Because well neither is momophobia. You're a citizen in our country.
There can be no separation of religion and state. They
want to segregate. They come like they don't mix with
our people. They don't assimilate.

Speaker 9 (58:22):
Now tell me if I'm wrong.

Speaker 2 (58:23):
Well, I think you are. I mean, just look at
what happens in the problems of schools. I live in
a school neighborhood and I see the exact opposite when
we talk about the school age children and who their
friends are.

Speaker 15 (58:33):
When you have okay, that's different. You have school aged children, right,
they're in school. But when you have adults who are married,
this is where it comes in and it needs to be.

Speaker 9 (58:43):
It's the law.

Speaker 2 (58:46):
Tounny. Do you think that it's law in their own
house that the minority are buid by? Do you think
what you've had to say this?

Speaker 15 (58:53):
You don't think that could spread out?

Speaker 2 (58:55):
You don't.

Speaker 15 (58:55):
You don't think that could spread out like it has
all over the world. That's where the numbers are increasing
and increasing and increasing. I'm just saying that I don't
want to see anything happen to our women and girls.
I don't want to see us lose.

Speaker 9 (59:08):
Our culture, music, whatever.

Speaker 15 (59:11):
I think to say, yeah right now, and you're not
going to live to see it. Well, that's great for you,
but what about the people that.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
Come after us, normal my children or grandchildren. So, Connie,
do you think that what you've had to say this
morning is not really kind of the textbook definition of Islamophobia.

Speaker 9 (59:28):
What do you mean don't you.

Speaker 15 (59:30):
Think your glamophobia is an irrational fear?

Speaker 9 (59:33):
Is that phobia?

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Is anti Semitism an irrational fear.

Speaker 9 (59:41):
No phobia.

Speaker 15 (59:42):
The word phobia itself is an Islamophobia. It's an irrational fear.
Anti Semitism is something totally different.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
Do you think that when people hear a lot of
Islamophobia they just think about it as in getting on
an airplane, see a Muslim afraid they're going to vomba,
getting into a source. See, Well, it is what That's
exactly how people use that particular term.

Speaker 15 (01:00:07):
You can apply the related to you, So we also
apply it to someone if you're out on the street
and you say something to Summer that's totally innocent, and
they go to the police and say islamophobia and you're
under a risk but you're not.

Speaker 2 (01:00:23):
Though you're not. Though, Connie, you can't get arrested.

Speaker 16 (01:00:25):
For that, Oh you can, you can't.

Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
It's not a thing, and.

Speaker 15 (01:00:31):
It's a thing. Look look in Britain, in the UK,
in the thing.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
I live in Canada and in Saint John's so you
cannot get arrested in this country for saying something like that.
However inoctuous if there's a certain amount of speech that
goes across. When we talk about freedom of expression, there's
also there's some consequences that go with it. Hate speech
is already on the books, regardless of who you hate
and for what reason.

Speaker 9 (01:00:55):
Whatever you believe or not.

Speaker 15 (01:00:57):
When you get into adult laws, it's segregate. When you
go to their mosque, men and women do not mix.
They're on different sides of the mosque. They do their prayers,
they go back to their houses. Women are in one room,
men are in the other.

Speaker 9 (01:01:14):
They do not mix.

Speaker 15 (01:01:15):
They don't mix with society in terms of beliefs.

Speaker 9 (01:01:18):
Like if I wanted to go to a.

Speaker 15 (01:01:20):
Productant church tomorrow or a Catholic church, I could go
in and sit down and no one would say it
and tell me it wouldn't matter. But they would not
have that. Why do they want us in and they
will not mix it up. I'm just telling you, and
I hope all the people are listening to this, but
they do can become an issue. This is something that

(01:01:42):
is a concern that we need to be aware of
and that we just need to observe and just pay
attention to our society. Crime is up, best is up,
domestic violence is up.

Speaker 9 (01:01:55):
Everything's up. Taxes are up.

Speaker 15 (01:01:57):
We're paying I don't know how many thousands got dollars
a day, two to three thousand. Probably, I'm going to say,
I'm going to guess a month per immigrant. And right
now there's one hundred thousand, one hundred thousand people in
migrant hotels in Ontario for the last two years that
taxpayers have been paying for. And when we can't have

(01:02:21):
fees for our seniors.

Speaker 2 (01:02:22):
It's a gross exaggeration.

Speaker 15 (01:02:26):
It's your opinion.

Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
No, it's not an opinion.

Speaker 5 (01:02:30):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:02:30):
I make my opinions based on the facts that I
can get in my hands, in my head, and that
is a gross exaggeration. I mean, I've got people around
me that tell me that you can't go to Niagara
Falls get hotel room because every hotel room is occupied
by immigrants. It's simply not true. It's one hundred percent
not true.

Speaker 15 (01:02:45):
But I'm not talking about hotels. I'm talking about him
that you can fact check right now. If you don't
believe me, don't you can look it up. You don't
have to believe. But see this is open line, and
I'm not criticizing you for your opinion, So I don't know.
Are you're criticizing me for mine? But I didn't did
my research. I called in No, you said you don't

(01:03:07):
believe me, So you can fact check this yourself.

Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
Now, But kind of I didn't. I didn't criticize you
for anything. I didn't.

Speaker 15 (01:03:14):
You didn't believe me.

Speaker 9 (01:03:15):
You don't the immigration, but you don't believe me.

Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
I don't consider that as a criticism of me. I mean,
if we can disagree on things, doesn't mean I think
you're a bad person necessarily or anything like that. So
you're doing for things that you're putting forward, things that
I simply don't think are true, and that I think
is an important part of the conversation. An immigration conversation
is out of control in this country.

Speaker 15 (01:03:38):
Well it's about time that somebody is talking about it.
And I'm not saying you're a bad person. I'm not
saying I don't believe you. But when you tell me
you don't believe me, you're basically calling me a liar.
So you fact check that migration yourself. In Ontario, it
doug Ford was on the.

Speaker 9 (01:03:58):
News last night. Everybody can check it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:01):
Oh, I know what the immigration numbers are. I have
the immigration arm you do.

Speaker 15 (01:04:04):
But but you just told me. You just told me
Alic Lion and you based on facts and data. Well
I have facts and data too.

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
I told you the implication search. I told you that
the implication of how you're using the numbers and what
you think that actually means to life on the ground
concerning you, me, everyone in the city or any province
across the country. I just think that the numbers are
easily misinterpretated to think that there's some devious, nefarious something linked.

Speaker 15 (01:04:30):
They just had They just had a protest in Montreal
where they got out in front of the Christian church,
hundreds of them and went down did prayers. They had Antifa,
they had Hamas protesters, and nobody did these are terrorist organization?

Speaker 2 (01:04:46):
Are you talking about protests that are talking about free Palestine.

Speaker 15 (01:04:51):
There was one with free Palestine. There was another where
they went up in front of the church steps and
they just sat down and started on a Sunday. On
a Sunday, when Christians are praying in front of their church,
that's intimidation. Like all I am doing is calling in
which I thought that was what this was for, and

(01:05:13):
you did providing him. I'm providing factual information. You can.

Speaker 2 (01:05:19):
Connie, Connie, I haven't touched anything. Connie. Is she still there? Day?
She's still lit up on my screen? Connie, are you
still there? Nobody's touched anything here the time. I'm still
clicking over too. She still seems to be active online.
Number two, Connie, are you there? Because I am not

(01:05:42):
going to be accused of hanging up on her because
I didn't touch anything. Okay, Connie, are you still there?
She's gone. Okay, I didn't hang up on her because
I have no interest of one hung up on one person.
Let's take a break, welcome back, and just to display

(01:06:03):
that we did not do anything to cut anybody off
or revisit Connie to say goodbye and to Connie. You're
back on the air.

Speaker 15 (01:06:10):
Yeah, I thought you hung up on me. I just
I could hear you speaking, but you couldn't hear me.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
Yeah, I didn't touch anything. No, I didn't though, I
didn't touch anything. All of a sudden, I just couldn't
hear you any longer.

Speaker 15 (01:06:21):
Oh, I believe you, I believe you. But anyway, I
just wanted to thank you for your time, and I
just wanted to bring awareness just some issues. And again,
you know, if you don't believe me, you can do
your own fact checking. But people can say a lot
of things about but they can't say I'm a liar.
So I would encourage everyone to do their own fact checking,
especially about Sharia lah and check out this website that

(01:06:44):
they have and just be aware of what's going on
in our community because I would hate to lose it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:50):
I appreciate your time, Connie, thank you, You're welcome. Take care.
Let's keep proner. Let's go to line number three. Good morning,
Terry are on the air.

Speaker 16 (01:06:58):
Hey, good morning, Patty.

Speaker 5 (01:07:00):
Thanks very much for the call. Appreciate it's where you
do your work.

Speaker 16 (01:07:03):
I really appreciate the way you.

Speaker 5 (01:07:04):
Do your work.

Speaker 16 (01:07:04):
That conversation with Connie was very interesting, and I really
appreciate the pushback you gave her and the idea that
we know that's your role. Dude, I want to con't
talk to you for a few minutes about indigenous rights,
if you got a second. I happened to go down
to con River this past weekend for the first time

(01:07:26):
in my life for the annual It was their thirtieth
Annual Mauiomi pow Wow, and I had a chance to
chat with both the Premier of Newfoundland and also the
leader of the official Opposition, who are there on different days.
But I advocate for justice and recognition of what happened

(01:07:48):
and rectification of it. So here's what I said to
both the Premier and to mister wakem. I said, what
happened in nineteen forty nine was wrong. Writing a whole
people out of history in the first draft, the second
draft to the final version no Indigenous people was wrong.

(01:08:09):
Can we stay it was wrong? And we're sorry for
what amounted to and still is an effort to suppress
a whole indigenous identity culture people. Okay, So I start there,
and I had a good exchange with both of them
on it, and night of them one then made, you know,

(01:08:29):
commitment to do that. But what may I ask you,
what do you think about the idea of the Province
of Newfoundland or the Province of Newfomland Labrador, or the
provincial crown and the federal crown. And one will say,
if not us, it's the other. But just both of
them they signed the Damn Agreement in forty nine just say
what happened in forty nine was wrong, We're sorry. What
do you think about that? Can do you think that's

(01:08:50):
the possibility to get into the man? You know, I
know elections coming up. You think you can get a
commitment out of them, both of all the physical actors,
to at least acknowledge that. What do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:09:04):
First off? I want to understand exactly what the question is.
So are we talking about what's taught in the curriculum
in school?

Speaker 16 (01:09:11):
And no, we're starting. We're starting. We're starting with just
an apology. We'll talk about education afterwards. But I think
you got to start with the government saying what happened
in forty nine was wrong. Okay, so say you're sorry
and then move on. Land Con River works extremely well
as a community. Well, it's two hundred kilometers down to
Betaspeare Highway, so it's been you know, it hasn't had

(01:09:33):
the well, it's been. It's remote. The people were wonderful.
That gathering was amazing for me and for everybody else.
I had well, I had conversations like with the premiere
and with with other political and indigenous leaders. It was
an amazing time and very well organized. Weather it was perfect,
But start with an apology. Then move on to land.

(01:09:53):
Con River works well as a community because it has
a little speck of land. It's not very big, but
you know, it's a small little bit of territory. Okay,
so they have a bit of land. Don't you think
that the second largest First nation in the whole of
Canada with sixty seven separate communities identified by the Government

(01:10:14):
of Canada, should have a little bit of land spread
out in other places so that this sense of identity
and community can also develop. I think so. So that's
I move on to that. But if you want to
talk about education, I did raise education with both of
them because I think also like you do. I know,
you're the passion you bring to well the role of

(01:10:35):
education plays. But they're not getting They're not getting nothing
in the school system here, Paddy, Honest to God, is
it's and it's deliberate. I am convinced that the provincial
government of Newfoundland and Labrador does not want people to
know the reality of the Indigenous presence history on the rock.

Speaker 14 (01:10:57):
They don't want them to know.

Speaker 16 (01:10:59):
Do people know about the maritime archaic Indians that were,
you know, in Porter Squaw, where their bodies are now
in the museum in Gatina, Quebec. They were living here
five thousand years ago. You know, when the Vikings showed up,
they they met the Scrawlings, they met Indigenous people. When
I'm looking at Deer Lake right now, okay, I'm standing
right here. I'm looking at Deer Lake. In nineteen and

(01:11:20):
seventeen sixty three, Captain James Cook, when we spent five
summers in Newfoundland, sailed up Deer Lake, came up to
Humber River, gun on Deer Lake, sailed up to the
end of Deer Lake, and recorded mapped all that, including
the wigwams that he recorded. Okay, that's seventeen sixty three. Okay,
So the occupation of the island by Indigenous people has

(01:11:42):
been going on forever. I think the land and people
don't know it. People don't know the history. I think
it's deliberate.

Speaker 3 (01:11:50):
So I can off stop there.

Speaker 16 (01:11:51):
But if you got to, I'm challenge me on any
of this. I could be a delight because I really
appreciated your previous conversation.

Speaker 2 (01:11:58):
I don't even know where a why the challenge share
because you're speaking about something that you live versus the
limited understanding that I have about a period. So if
you could break it down into a couple of bite
sized morsels for the listeners, So just give us the
summary round up, so that maybe I can respond to something.

Speaker 5 (01:12:18):
Well.

Speaker 16 (01:12:18):
I mean, you are aware that in nineteen forty nine,
when Canada and Newfoundland confederated, the initial drafts discussed indians.
Are you aware that in pre colonial time, I mean,
in the last the turn of the eighteen nineties eighty eighties,
there were four Indigenous reserves on Newfoundland. Okay, there were
four pieces of land that were Indian reserves and halls.

(01:12:44):
And I don't want to listen to all because I
forget one. But there was one in the Cadroid, there
was one in Hall's Bay. There was there was, there
was there was four, okay, that were Indigenous territory. They
weren't They weren't returned. That wasn't even acknowledged in the
terms of Union. But the documents are there, and it's
it's a deliberate effort to suppress it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:05):
Okay.

Speaker 16 (01:13:06):
All I'm asking you to do is you think it's
okay to say, well, I think it's necessary to say
we're sorry for what happened in nineteen forty nine, that
was wrong to deny that a whole people, because people
have suffered real consequences from this discrimination. You know, the
discrimination continues to be very real, but you can imagine
what it was like in the forties and fifties and sixties,

(01:13:28):
when you know, if you were Indian, you lost your job.
You literally could not work in the papermil in the
corner book. If you were Indian, Okay, you couldn't or
if your family was so times have changed since nineteen
forty nine, yes, but can we recognize that and say,
as a people, as a government, as the people of
Newfoundland Labrador, what happened when we've failed to recognize that

(01:13:52):
was wrong and we're sorry for it. That's that's what
I'm asking, That's what I'm kind of asking to start with,
if you can accept that proposition or not sure?

Speaker 2 (01:14:04):
I mean, if you are representative of a group that
thinks they're all in an apology, who am I to say
that you shouldn't ask that question?

Speaker 16 (01:14:13):
Well, yeah, I'm sure, sure, But do you think that
there would be value to the two well, truth and
reconciliation and understanding history for that apology to be actually made?
You know, they only took the word savages out of
the official description of the coat of arms of the

(01:14:33):
New Labrador a couple of years ago for you know,
until like you can look it up to date. I
want it's not going to say it, but it was
the last five or six years that the word savages
was actually the term used to describe the two Indigenous
people who stand in the cooms of Newfoundland Labrador. Okay,
so yeah, I would appreciate. I think Indigenous people would

(01:14:54):
appreciate the acknowledgement of the injustice.

Speaker 5 (01:14:58):
That was done.

Speaker 16 (01:15:00):
And that's what I'm asking political leaders to do. If
you're chatting with candidates, ask them if you want to.

Speaker 5 (01:15:07):
Stray into that territory and ask them.

Speaker 16 (01:15:09):
But I'm asking them to do that. I'm also asking
the province on education again to do something to actually
put indigenous curriculum in the school system from kindergarten straight
through the end of high school, like is done in
other jurisdictions with large Indigenous populations. And there's a large

(01:15:32):
Indigenous population here. I was at Granfield was it yesterday
the day before? Twenty two percent of the students at
the Grandsfield College out here are Indigenous. It's a significant
percentage of the population in western and central Newfoundland. So yeah, education,
A kid in Saint Albans was told last week you

(01:15:52):
cannot talk migmah in the school. Okay, Saint Albans, I'm
sure you know. It was the community longly community on
that road. Imagine being told in twenty twenty five. Not
that they're not offering language training, they're not, you know,
promoting people to be proud of their identity and their
language and the culture, which from an I mean, I
believe is really important in this day and age. From

(01:16:15):
all kinds of perspectives, people really don't their sense of
identity is dissolving into their telephone and affirming your indigenity,
affirming that you come from the rock and the land
and water is very helpful to me personally, but it's
helpful to a lot of people in terms of, you know,
trying to deal with the pace of life as we

(01:16:36):
as we as we as we relive it, you know.
So yeah, education, it's terrible what the problems is doing,
and I think they're doing it deliberately. I think that
it's been decades that people have been saying put some
content into the school system and there is nothing it's
really it's it's just lamentables.

Speaker 4 (01:16:56):
What it is.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
Fair enough quick comment for me. The fact of the
matter is we do not teach in school an actual,
accurate reflection of the problems's history and or the country's history.
There's been a lot about what I'll call whitewashing. That's
part of the wrong term, but there has been and
we know it to be true. And is that helpful
when we talk about things like truth, reconciling truth and

(01:17:18):
reconciliation commissioners, what have you. If people don't understand what
the origin is of the need or the want for
these types of commissions, then we're probably not going to
convince anybody any different than what they already think. So
am understanding of evacuate history goes a long way to
understanding how we arrived at where we are in this problems,
in this city, in this country period. Regardless of what
we're talking about. I do have to get going, Cherry,

(01:17:40):
but I appreciate your time.

Speaker 14 (01:17:41):
Okay, thank you very much, Patty, I really appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:17:43):
Thank you.

Speaker 14 (01:17:43):
You have a good day.

Speaker 2 (01:17:44):
Pleasure, take care, byebye. All right, let's get a break
and o'k away. Welcome back to the show. Let's go
to line number four. Morning, Dave, you're on.

Speaker 18 (01:17:52):
The air, Hi, Patty, thanks for having me on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:17:55):
Happy to do it, Dave.

Speaker 18 (01:17:58):
I just want to share in a highlight a little
bit of my family, specifically my father's horrific medical journey
that he's he's enduring over the last couple of months,
and to advocate for him, certainly in the condition that
he's in right now. Sadly started out with a what
should have been a straightforward surgery and Grandfalls. He's from

(01:18:20):
the West Coast from Pasadena, living there, and went to
Grand Falls to have a kidney removed with had some
CANCERSNS humors, and should have been a pretty straightforward surgery. Sadly,
I guess not so uncommon horrific and very traumatizing story
evolved from that when we didn't realize and of course

(01:18:41):
it takes some time to realize that the surgery didn't
go well. They ended up perforating his bowel and as
the story goes that we've all heard before, severe septic
shock set in thereafter. Unfortunately, it was three days following
that before anybody diagnosed them, so he ended up in

(01:19:04):
a condition where he knew and shared with us that
he was dying, and he came very close to that
before anybody acted, and he went in for emergency surgery
just before that occurred, and of course we see the
colonostomy and repaired the damage, but he was very severe

(01:19:25):
at that point and was airlifted to Saint John's prefer
the care. Long story shortly, yes, another medical mishap, accident
or malpractice whatever the correct title should be, we haven't
determined yet, but also ended up with another medical accident
I'll call it, whereby they inserted a tube into his

(01:19:46):
abdomen to release some of the pressure and blood and
toxicity and struck an artery, major artery, and once again
had to fight for his life while he was in
a coma, a non induced coma, clinging to life on
life support. So it's been horrendous for him just in

(01:20:06):
trying to survive what should have been straightforward to a
point now where thankfully, miraculously, I'm still kind of bewildered
as to how, and so is the staff at Saint
Clair's as to how he's surviving at all. But he's
come through relatively well. He'll never be the same, and
the journey is long ahead, but he's getting there. But

(01:20:29):
I also want to highlight not just his part of this,
but my mother also in her mid seventies, trying to
endure this escapade, living in the extended stay next door
with my brother who's from Labrador City, who's taken time
away from work to be there as well, and they're
covering shifts to help care for him and advocate for him,

(01:20:51):
trying to get basic care, and sometimes that's a fight
in itself right now in the hospital system and the
medicare system. So we're having challenges, And of course I
don't follow the show well, but I think the story
with respect to the conditions that Saint Clair's are well
known with even getting in and getting out and facing

(01:21:13):
everything from criminal activity, drug activity, harassment, physical violence. We've
seen it all in just six and seven weeks, people
defecating and urinating in front of us, and it's quite
an ordeal just to get to and from the hospital.
So my mother, who's also not well, who's had open
heart surgery, a list of medical conditions, is fighting to

(01:21:37):
stay afloat, and the cost to our family mentally, physically,
financially is overwhelming. So I guess I'm advocating today as well.
We're trying to get dad back to Labrador City, to
move him there where he can be surrounded by family, friends, community.
The hospital accept him, has accepted him there. The medical

(01:21:58):
team he has a bed waiting for us, but we
can't get them sent there by air ambulance. He's in
the queue, but seems we can't get any street forward
answers as we usually can't in the system. So I'm
kind of advocating today that we something needs to happen
to try to show him some dignity, respect and to

(01:22:18):
get him to care, holistic care that he needs.

Speaker 2 (01:22:22):
A couple of things. Right off the bat, I'm really
sorry to hear of your father and your family's struggles.
Sinclair's as a pretty old hospital that certainly needs some
TLC and certainly needs to be replaced into the future
when you couple that with all of the health care
related matters and trying to navigate the system. Add into
it the face of the neighborhood look. And this is

(01:22:44):
not to be disparaging one part of the city or another,
but folks who live there will tell you, to a
man to a woman, very similar stories about what they
see and the amount of drug use and the amount
of crime, the amount of violence. And when you couple
that in with a family who's already worried, understandably about
the health of their loved one, in this case, your dad,
it just further exacerbates an already tough time of life.

Speaker 18 (01:23:06):
Exactly. We want to remove him from that. We want,
you know, and I understand there's there's criteria that that
there's there's metrics and and uh standards that need to
be followed with respect to medical transport. And I recognize
that he's no longer in an in an urgent state
when it comes to his condition, but the overall health

(01:23:26):
of family of my parents to move forward to heal
to rehabilitate, is being severely hindered by them just sitting
there at this point. They're not receiving any special care
in the special care unit right now. It's very minimal
intervention despite the fact of what he's been through. And
again I'm you know, I don't want to say that

(01:23:48):
seniors don't receive all of the attention maybe that others do,
but certainly it appears that way over the last few
months from what I'm seeing. So we just want to
re move them to the next chapter, and we can't
get any straight answers from anybody with respect to that.
I'm very thankful. I reached out to Philip Burrow, the MP,

(01:24:08):
who's been communicating with me quite well with his intentions
to spur on the MHAs the Minister of Health crys
Lyne Howell, least the Dempsters helping him out, but again
it all seems to be dead ended. There's nothing evolving.
We're not getting any communication back and I just don't

(01:24:29):
understand the stall. All we need is honesty. Where are
we in this cue? Is he going tomorrow? Collaps cities?
He going in a month? Well, you know, we can't plan,
we can't move forward in life. Everything is stalled and
it's certainly unfair for us and most importantly very unfair
for him, who still continues to struggle just to get

(01:24:52):
back to any degree of normal life.

Speaker 2 (01:24:54):
Dave, I don't know if this is a legitimate option,
but is help air in the conversation?

Speaker 18 (01:25:01):
Yeah, and it's interesting you bring that up as well.
I mean I put a post on Facebook just to
highlight the issue as well, which has shocked me in
the sense of how many similar stories are out there.
I think when I looked recently, the reach was over
one hundred thousand people. This has been shared hundreds of
times on social media, and so much love, compassion, respect

(01:25:24):
going out to our family, to my dad, and it's
phenomenal how many people have lost lives because of the delays,
because of the inability to access air ambulance and basic care.
And one of the points I was brought up from
one person was to reach out to to Hope. Maybe

(01:25:47):
I forget the individual's name, and I don't want to
be incorrect with that, so perhaps yeah, we can look
at that, But again I kind of just wonder before
we get to that point, I just want a straight answer,
you know, yeah, are we getting close or is this
something that's going to happen in the near future, or
do we have to look at alternate resources that are
out there.

Speaker 2 (01:26:08):
You might have to, And Dave, if you do pursue
the Hope air angle, I really appreciate the update if
you want to share one, because I know you sent
me a private message on Facebook, which is an easy
place to do it. If that works for.

Speaker 18 (01:26:18):
You, perfect, I'll definitely do that. And again I'm not
aware of what they can provide patty. I don't know
the logistics of this. It's a new chapter for us
in life, so yeah, maybe if that's an option, I
appreciate the input on that, but I still think, you know,
it's it's a failed system. We all know that, we

(01:26:38):
all know there's severe gaps, systematic gaps in all of this.
I mean, nobody needs to hear that story again. But
the overall condition, I think is what surprised me in
the sense of medical mishaps. I hate saying malpractice, but
you know how much how many accidents need to occur

(01:27:00):
through trying to get my father back back to health
before we say, you know, what in the world is
happening within the medical profession itself. I mean, why are
these these doctors resigning from from Saint Clair's, Why are
we fighting to get basic transport? It seems like this
is I'm left with this avenue of highlighting it through
news media and reaching out to politicians to try to

(01:27:24):
get basic care, and I just it's shocking to me
that that we've arrived at that place. I'm thankful that
we've never had to deal with it before, but I'm
beyond shocked that I'm having to go with this avenue
just to try to find the basic support and.

Speaker 2 (01:27:38):
Care completely understand Dave, keep me in the loop, and
I wish you and your family well.

Speaker 18 (01:27:43):
I appreciate it, Patty, take.

Speaker 2 (01:27:44):
Care of Bodbye. All right, let's get a break in,
don't go away, welcome back to the program. Will I
take Chris sera? Will I just talk to the news
neck and both wait? Okay, So obviously when an extended
call and I get shagged up with the break and
consequently here we are, so still another full hour left
in the program. Today might be a good day to
get down. We have a couple of callers in the
queue mentioned off top of the show that some of
the wildfire concerns also are applicable to the kind of games,

(01:28:07):
some of the outdoor venues if the air quality is
so poor. There have been examples in the past where
certain sports did not even did not even take place
at the kind of games because of things like event
disruptions with things like wildfires, what have you. So we
mentioned sailing. The location for the sailing. I don't know
if there's a plan B in place, but we're going
to get an update on that right after this. After

(01:28:29):
the news. There's also calling in the quy wants to
talk about Sinclair's emergency room. And then we have a
caller with the Shadow Minister for Employment federally, that's kind
of changes sees the member of Parliament represent the Conservative
Party of Canada, Surewood Park for Saskatchewan. I think is
the end of that riding's name. So let's take a
break for the news. When we get back those three
and then you don't go away.

Speaker 1 (01:28:48):
You were listening to a rebroadcast VOCM open line. Have
your say by calling seven oh nine two seven three
fifty two eleven or one triple eight five ninety eight
sixties and listen live weekday mornings at nine am.

Speaker 2 (01:29:05):
Welcome back to the program. Let's go line number two.
Say morning to the venue lead for the kindad of
Summer Games at the yacht Club. That's Chris Strodge. Morning Chris,
you're on the air.

Speaker 3 (01:29:14):
Good morning, Patty.

Speaker 2 (01:29:15):
How are you doing excellent? How about you?

Speaker 3 (01:29:17):
I'm doing fine? Yeah, So I just wanted to call.
We're up here and now is setting up the initial
setup and fit out for the Candon Games sailing competition
at the Royal Newland Yacht Club in Long Pond Conception
Base Out. It's it's a really beautiful day up here
and we're really looking forward to, you know, the over
fifty athletes and one hundred volunteers and the support vessels

(01:29:41):
and all the support folks from the Roll New frank
and Stabulary, RCMP, Coast Guard Marine Institute. It's gonna be
a very exciting competition here in Conception Base Out and
we're just getting ready for it here now. And there's
just a couple of things to pass along if you
don't mind, Patty go ahead.

Speaker 4 (01:30:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:30:00):
So you know, for recreational voters in the area, you'll
notice that there is that increased presence from from support
vessils like the r c MP and the r n
c UH. They're they'll be maintaining the perimeter around the
race courses. Recreational voters are also advised that the public
launch on Green Slade Road that's next to the uplub

(01:30:21):
will be will be will be closed for the remainder
of the week, so from starting starting tomorrow, barriers will
be up and that's too for the safety of the athletes,
but also for traffic congestion on Green Slaves Road. Not
only just for the games, itself, but for emergency response
should we need it.

Speaker 2 (01:30:42):
Yeah, there's going to be a bunch of things people
are going to need to be aware of as they
try to navigate the region during the Canada Summer Games,
and we're happy to offer those big two bits of
info here on the show. We hope that there's no
impact on this particular competition because of air quality. I
know we hear from Karen Sheriffs saying that there's not
really a play and be in place, and there are
examples of some competitions not getting off the ground at

(01:31:04):
the Games because of event location disruptions. Has there been
any further conversation about what if air quality doesn't cooperate.

Speaker 3 (01:31:15):
From my perspective, No, I'm not at that well of
decision making and the Games committee to advise on that.
But I do know that, like up here over the
past couple of days, with the fires that have been
happening in the olderd area and conception by North that
the air quality is not that bad, you do have
that white smoke as it was you know, mentioned in

(01:31:35):
your in your forecast their previous but right now it
doesn't seem like it will have an effect on the competition,
but like everyone else in this region, we are monitoring
it and the can of Games you know bodies will
certainly make any decisions and make any advisements on for
the athletes regards to public health, what have you. That

(01:31:58):
being said, every venue has medical teams that are standing
by should they need, you know, anyone has any issues.
But we are anticipating, you know, a very watchful eye
on the situation.

Speaker 2 (01:32:11):
Yeah, I mean, because I know the semifinals in the
Challenge Cup we'll move from the topsle Field King George
last night, So it's not out of the out of
the question that things may indeed interrupt the competition. Fingers crossed,
they don't because I know full well, given my wife
as one of the volunteer leads, monumental effort has gone
in preparation. So let's hope that comes off without a hitch,

(01:32:32):
so to speak. Anything else, Chris Fall, we have you.

Speaker 3 (01:32:35):
No, I think that's it, Patty. I just want to
thank everyone up to this point for all their support.
It's been a incredible community effort, not only from the
Canada Games, but from the town of Exception by South,
the city of Saint John's. You know, it's just been
incredible that you know, we'll be able to put this
competition off here to host the games, and we do

(01:32:56):
have a provincial saving team this year. A lot of
effort went into doing that because at the last games
in Niagara, we did not have a sailing team. So
we have a We have a great athletes, great youth
now participating this week and we're looking forward to watching
them as well as the other athletes that come from
across the country.

Speaker 2 (01:33:16):
Here here. Good to have you on the show. Good
luck throughout the course of the competition.

Speaker 3 (01:33:19):
Chris, all right, thanks Betty, Thanks everyone's.

Speaker 2 (01:33:21):
Sake care welcome, bye, bye, Let's keep problem here. Let's
go line number one. Say good morning to the Conservative
member of Apartments in Sherwood Park for Saskatchewan and Alberta.
That's the and he's also the shadow Minister for Employment.
That's guard of Genius Garant. You're on the air.

Speaker 5 (01:33:34):
Thank you so much, Patty, it's great to be with you.

Speaker 2 (01:33:36):
Happy to have you on the program. Dave, Do I
have a compromise phone line here with mister genius. Yeah,
I'll tell you about Garner. We've got a gremlin in
the system. Is it possible for you to call Dave
right back so we can get a clear phone line.

Speaker 5 (01:33:49):
Yeah, I'll call right back number.

Speaker 2 (01:33:50):
Please do. Thank you. All right, that's unfortunate. Let's keep
her owe here line number three. Collar you're on the air.

Speaker 12 (01:33:58):
Hello, Hi, there, I'm calling about the condition that's at
Saint Clair's.

Speaker 2 (01:34:03):
Okay.

Speaker 12 (01:34:06):
I'm an eighty year old lady with Parkinson's disease and
I went there on Wednesday at seven o'clock and I
didn't get seen until eight o'clock or eight thirty yesterday morning.
During that time, no one came out to see if
I had my medication, if I were taking it. How

(01:34:29):
I was. Most of the people there were those poor
souls who I guess are homeless, the young and the old,
and I think what they do is go in and
have a complaint. They get the white identification band on,
and that gives them the ability then to stay there,
and they come and they go For me. It was fine,

(01:34:51):
it didn't bother me, but I could see how some
people would find that very distressing and even frightening. They
lie on the floor, weren't taken that. I felt sorry
for them, I really really did. There should be a
place for them to go. Not all that's Saint Clear's
in and out of the bathroom. They got seven or

(01:35:12):
eight security men there, and it seems like their prime
job is to unlock the bathroom door and let them in,
and unlocked the bathroom door and let them out. There
was one woman twenty four times she went in that bathroom,
the only woman, and came out.

Speaker 2 (01:35:30):
I understand the concern, and I've seen it. And you know,
you make the comment that there should be somewhere else
for them to be to get whatever help or assistance
or whatever it is that they're looking for. I guess
the problem is where would that other place be, because
I've asked the exact same question of the health authority.

Speaker 12 (01:35:49):
Well, that's what the health authority should be doing. That
is one of their jobs to find a place for
those people. I mean, they didn't fight me in any way,
but I could certainly see how some people could be
intimidated and would probably leave rather than have their medical
conditions addressed.

Speaker 2 (01:36:07):
That's awesome.

Speaker 12 (01:36:07):
Like I said, I was there. I was there all
that length of time, but no one came out to
see if my mother was saying day or alive. Were indifferent?
No one came up, but now, once I got in,
the treatment is cadillac. I couldn't ask for anyone to
be nicer, and so I was well looked after. But
that's not the point. And I'm a pretty resilient person

(01:36:29):
and I was a nurse myself, so there's a lot
of things I can overlook, but I can see some
people would not. And I was a pause and said
to see my hospital where I trained being used to
where it is today.

Speaker 2 (01:36:47):
I understand where you're coming from. The points you make
about people may indeed choose to leave and not get
the care they need, the care that they arrived for
because of the setting and the atmosphere or the environment itself.
It's absolutely happened, there's no question.

Speaker 12 (01:37:03):
But somebody should be done about it. I don't you know.
It's not in my power to do anything, but it
is in somebody's power.

Speaker 4 (01:37:11):
Nobody.

Speaker 2 (01:37:12):
Yeah, and nor do I have the power. But I'm
happy to ask the questions of the people who do
have the authority.

Speaker 12 (01:37:18):
Yes, well, I think a lot of questions should be asked.
And I understand the Minister of Health as a nurse,
so I expected when she was appointed that there would
be a lot more insight into how things work and
the way things should be. I mean, we're old respect
for SOA and those poor souls.

Speaker 2 (01:37:39):
Yeah, no Argumentaire, and we're happy to pose those questions,
you know, some of the operational things like that. I
suppose we're better served going to someone like doctor Poffrey
who's basically in charge of operations and the minister may
possibly in charge of policy more so, but I'll ask
the questions of both. No problem at all, call her.
I understand completely where you come from. I hear these

(01:38:00):
things all the time.

Speaker 12 (01:38:03):
Yes, And the staff it's a problem to staff know
what's happening, with their powerless to do anything about it.
Thank God, blesseds. They're very respectful to those people, so
forth to so on. But it should never be people
coming in with nothing on their feet, lying on the
floor having a net. Really, it's terrible this day and

(01:38:23):
age and sick people having to look at that.

Speaker 2 (01:38:26):
It's not only terrible, but I'm going to use the
word that you also use. It's sad. It really true.

Speaker 12 (01:38:31):
It is, Yes, it is said, really sad.

Speaker 2 (01:38:35):
I appreciate your time, that's that's all.

Speaker 12 (01:38:37):
I've never called him before, but I felt I had
to call it him.

Speaker 6 (01:38:40):
Today.

Speaker 2 (01:38:40):
Well, I'm glad you did, and it's an important topic
and I will follow up on exactly that. Good for you, Patty,
thank you for your time much You're welcome.

Speaker 12 (01:38:48):
Thank you, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:38:49):
By bye. All right, let's think right, let's see if
we get a clear fall out to speak with kind
of genius right after this, don't go away. Welcome back
to the show. Let's try it again. Line number one.
Say good morning to the Conservative Party member of parliament
for sure. We're park Force, so Scotchean out in Alberta.
That's Garanna Jenie's always also the shadow and of su
for Employment. Good morning, Granta, you're on the air.

Speaker 5 (01:39:07):
Good morning, great to be with you. Hopefully the line
works this time much better.

Speaker 2 (01:39:10):
I appreciate your patience. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 5 (01:39:13):
Yeah, my pleasure. Good to be with you.

Speaker 2 (01:39:15):
Where would you like to start, because I obviously have
a few questions.

Speaker 5 (01:39:18):
Well, yeah, so I'm I'm in Saint John's here in
Newfoundland today and having some great meetings talking about the
job situation. We're facing an unemployment crisis across the country,
particularly affecting young people. The national unemployment rate for youth
is over fourteen percent. It's over seventeen percent. Here in Newfoundland,
you've got over all the highest unemployment rate in the country.

(01:39:41):
So I'm talking to people here understanding what the challenges
and the needs are, what we can do at the
national level to address this. We put forward emotion at
a parliamentary committee right before the summer break to have
a summer study of youth unemployment. We wanted that committee
to be able to work through the summer, and unfortunately

(01:40:03):
Liberals said no. Liberals shut down, shut down the meeting
and blocked to having a summer study on youth unemployment.
But we're still doing the work on our own outside
of the committee, so concerned about the impact of high
high unemployment on young people and trying to understand from
businesses others here in Newfoundland what they're looking for from

(01:40:25):
the national government to address this.

Speaker 2 (01:40:28):
Are you pointing or are is the party pointing their
finger at specific issues as to why the youth un
employment numbers are what they are and there were even
worse for men than they are for women. I will
acknowledge that. So are we looking at the road causes
that you like to discuss?

Speaker 5 (01:40:42):
Well, absolutely, I think I would identify two areas of
policy one is economic policies of the federal government that
have deterred investment and made it harder for businesses to
start and grow and create opportunities for young people. So
that's one issue. Another issue is immigration policy. It's not
the whole picture, but it's certainly part of the picture.

(01:41:04):
Immigrants have contributed so much to this country, but the levels,
especially of temporary immigration, have been too high in this
country in recent years under the Liberals. So we need
to recalibrate that and have better alignment between where there
actually are are our needs and skill gap. So we're
pushing for policy changes to unleash economic opportunity across this country,

(01:41:29):
and we're pushing for the government to get a handle
on an immigration system that they have frankly broken the
last few years.

Speaker 2 (01:41:36):
Yeah, the system hasn't changed. The numbers have now. Of course,
the Liberals have indeed dramatically cut immigration numbers or targets
or the international students or permanent residents and the like.
And some of that problem also lies in the public
and the private sector outs as mister genius, I'll get
your perspective on this. When we talk about temporary foreign workers.
Number one, there's a huge misunderstanding in the country that
there's some sort of wage subsity from the federal government.

(01:41:57):
There is not. And number two, some of the companies,
and we know this to be true, is that they've
used fake labor market impact assessments to get approvals for
immigrants coming on a temporary basis. So as much as
government policy has created a problem, it's been exacerbated by
some companies operating a bad faith.

Speaker 5 (01:42:13):
Your thoughts, Yeah, let me re find of that. So, so,
first of all, temporary immigration numbers have been too high.
They've continued to be too high, and I do want
to highlight that it's across different programs. So temporary immigration numbers,
it is not is not just the TFW program. There
are there's there's a there's a labor market assessment process.
In the context of the t f W program. You're

(01:42:34):
right to point out that there's been abuse, and I'll
come back to that, But there are other kinds of
temporary immigration streams where there's where there's no uh, labor
market assessment at all, and that's and that's been a huge,
huge problem. So we said the numbers need to come down.
So when it comes to the TSW, program. You're right,
there has been a real increase in h l l
m I a fraud and other other kinds of abuse

(01:42:57):
of that. But look, the government's responsible for policing and
administering their program. So uh, you know, we've got a
we've got a whole people accountable who are responsible for
this fraud. But it's the government's responsibility to do integrity
checks and uh and and actually combat abuses of the system.

(01:43:17):
Right now, the way the way the process works is, UH,
businesses have to advertise to see if they can hire
someone locally first. But there's there's been a lot of
cases of abuse of that. Uh, and certainly some of
the conservatives have been pursuing increase in crime in general
in the country and and lm I a fraud. So
look at the government has allowed an increase in temporary

(01:43:39):
immigration across different categories and lm I a abuse to
occur an increase.

Speaker 2 (01:43:45):
My I think the point I was attempting to make
is because of whether it be the government policy itself
immigration targets. We know there's like four or five different
stilos of immigration numbers here in this country, and then
you add in the private sector abuse or fraudulent use
of the labor market impact assessment. What that has resulted
in is people not being mad at the companies, people

(01:44:07):
not being mad at the government, people being mad at
the immigrant. And I think that sentiment is pretty well
held right across the country. And I'm not suggesting me
or you were Dave Williams, who you spoke to earlier,
is part of that. But we can sense it, we
can smell it, we can hear it, we can feel it.
And so that's where I would hope into the future,
including at election cycles, is that we focus in on

(01:44:27):
what contributes to these issues versus the person who, all
of a sudden we think they came here to seal
my job, when that's not really why anybody came here.
If you came here as a targeted skilled person for
one specific job or another, that's a different conversation. But
the way we talk about immigration here has been sidetracked
or hijacked or whatever the right phrase is because we're
not talking about the policies necessarily, we're not talking about

(01:44:50):
the private sector. We're talking about the immigrant themselves. And
I think that makes it very problematic politically and societally.

Speaker 5 (01:44:57):
Yeah, here will be my take on it. So I
don't blame it anyone for wanting to come to Canada.
This is a this is a beautiful country. It's a
great place to live, and especially for people that are
living in poverty and other parts of the world, absolutely
under understand their desire to come here.

Speaker 16 (01:45:14):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:45:14):
And there's there's there's more people who want to come
here and and want to come and work then than
our country can realistically accommodate. And we have to be
prudent around that. So while while affirming the contribution that
that newcomers have made, we also have to hold the
government accountable for how they've managed the system. And I

(01:45:35):
would say, you know, the problem is when the government
isn't doing enforcement properly around the lm I a fraud specifically, Uh,
then you get you get bad actors, and then people
start to see, well, there's there's just not enforcement. There's
not policing of these rules. The rules might be on
paper around what you're supposed to do, but there's not
proper enforcement. So uh, liberals have really broken our immigration system.

(01:45:57):
And I think you're right to point out how that
has affected public sentiment. When I was first elected in
twenty fifteen. There was just a lot of consensus around
immigration because the system had been well managed in the
previous the previous period, really it had been there had
been a consensus for decades around a lot of aspects

(01:46:19):
of immigration policy. But now there's a lot of frustration,
and I think I think the liberal government that broke
the immigration system needs to be held accountable. And look,
the jobs issue. It's not just immigration. There's also economic
policies that we need to talk about that have in
the past under this current government really discouraged investment. So

(01:46:39):
we also need to We need policy changes that allows
business and economic growth. But immigration certainly is part of
the picture. In the government is responsible for that.

Speaker 2 (01:46:49):
The numbers grew too quick, too fast. We weren't prepared.
Even ask an immigrant. They didn't come here to not
be able to get a home, they didn't come here
to not be able to see the doctor. So you know,
surveys of immigrants point out the same thing. Immigrants in
the broad scope is healthy and required in this province,
agent demographic demands it. The death rate is outpaced the
birth rate for years and years and years here. So

(01:47:10):
that's why I last thought on it. Actually, what more
It's interesting when you look at it a big picture,
because I mean here from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business,
consumer spending is up in this country, but per individual
it's down. So they're quick concern that any cartail of
immigration numbers necessarily is actually good for the economy. And
that's not for me. That's from Dad Kelly at the CFIB.

(01:47:32):
So interesting points the factor into an already hugely complicated issue,
whether it be the political divisiveness that comes from it,
and or economic impact health care, housing and all the
rest of it. It's a fascinating conversation that I'm happy
that we're having this morning. Anything else on that front
so I do have Sorry.

Speaker 5 (01:47:50):
Well, I appreciate the opportunity. I'll just say my focus
as the employment person for our party is to think
about those young people who can't find jobs. And there
are a lot of different factors, skills training, getting to
where the jobs are, the availability of jobs in general,

(01:48:11):
and opportunity growth. And yeah, you've got an aging population here,
but you also have high youth unemployment and so figuring
out how to connect youth with those job opportunities. Part
of it is encouraging investment and economic growth. Here in general,
as well as just getting those policies calibrated right around

(01:48:32):
immigration to make sure they align with what is our
national interest.

Speaker 2 (01:48:35):
I'm hoping for jobs for youth because I'm the father
of two of those people of that demographic. Very quickly,
before I let you go, give me an example of
one policy that would reinvigorate investment which flees and ebbs
and flows for a variety of reasons. Whether it be
the inflationial reduction acting in the United States, whether it
be with some policies in this country, whether it be

(01:48:55):
with tax rates more favorable elsewhere, those types of things.
So give me an example of one policy that would
trigger or spur on further economic growth of which we
absolutely dire dire strates in need of them.

Speaker 5 (01:49:07):
Yeah, So let me focus on one issue that I
know we in Alberta and you here in Newfoundland have
in common, and that is recognizing the importance of the
energy economy. Liberal policies, production cap Bill C. Sixty nine,
various other anti energy policies that the Liberal government has
put in place have really deterred investment and held back

(01:49:31):
opportunities that would have and if change could still create
economic opportunities in my provinces and here in Newfoundland, we've
got so much in common between the West and the
East in terms of that appreciation of the value of energy.
And one of the things we're highlighting in parliament is
that the best way to get major projects done. Critical

(01:49:56):
step is repealing Bill C sixty nine. That makes it
very difficult for major, major projects to move forward. So
that's that would be one one area I would Zeer
went on as as important to both of our provinces.

Speaker 2 (01:50:08):
Interestingly, the probably the largest oil field in this province's history,
and the possibility of is Beta Nord green lit. They
can't make a final business investment decision and just help
me square this circle. You know, in your province, investment
in the oil science is up, record record production, record revenue,
record profit. You know, brand new twinning of the Trans
Mountain Pipeline hid MAT up and running. Llen g Canada

(01:50:31):
Phase two approved but not be an acted upon. So
there's a lot of action in our energy sector, and
even at Bill C sixty nine with you know, the
industry likes regulatory certainty number one. So but with the
things that are advancing at pretty impressive numbers in your province,
outside of sixty nine, what's actually anti energy policy?

Speaker 5 (01:50:51):
Well, so outside of the Bill C. Sixty nine is
a big caveat. And look we've got we've got a
provincial government, other leaders that are that are that are
trying in my province. But Bill C. Sixty nine is
is critical. Uh, it's critical to repeal it.

Speaker 19 (01:51:06):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:51:07):
It impedes transportation around around energy as well. So I
think I think that's just so central and it's it's
important out here as well. But production caps. The the
other thing is just this this uh question around the
around the hidden the hidden carbon tax. Right, So, so

(01:51:29):
the Liberals, with great great fanfare, said they were getting
rid of the consumer carbon tax that they had initially imposed,
but they continue to support an industrial carbon tax. And
and and uh, Mark Carney deeply believes in the carbon tax.
And I think pretty clearly is going to try to
find ways of imposing more costs on consumers indirectly in

(01:51:51):
ways that are not as as sort of publicly visible
as the as the as the consumer carbon tax, the
direct consumer carbon tax was. But we're going to continue
to see these these costs and posts and that's going
to hit our energy sector particularly, and that will have
big implications for employment. Conservatives are calling for the repeal

(01:52:12):
of the industrial carbon tax as well. We've been clear
and consistent always opposing carbon tax policies, whether they're whether
they're visible and direct, or whether they're indirect carbon taxes
that you still have to pay but can't see.

Speaker 2 (01:52:25):
Yeah, that's the recent history. But carbon tax, price on carbon,
those types of things was a conservative piece, was a
conservative policy. The market and I having the market adjust
to reflect the economy and business needs and wants was
pretty much conservative thing for a long long time. And
I know that you know that we need be labored
that point. I'm late for the news, okay, and you're

(01:52:49):
welcome to come back.

Speaker 5 (01:52:49):
I agree, I agree to disagree on that, but I
appreciate the Conservative Party of Canada has always been very
consistent on the issue in carbon tax.

Speaker 2 (01:52:56):
I welcome you back when we uncover things like that
might add to the cost for consumers, whether it be
energy industry related or not. And I appreciate your time
this morning.

Speaker 5 (01:53:04):
Thanks for having me out.

Speaker 2 (01:53:05):
You welcome. Bye bye. As gart a genius, he's the
CPC member out in Alberta for for Saskatchewan. Yeah, let's
take a break look away the Tim Power Show.

Speaker 1 (01:53:14):
Join the conversation weekday afternoons at four pm on your VOCM.

Speaker 2 (01:53:19):
Welcome back. Let's go to LINEUB two sigmore to the
executive director at end Homelessess Saint John's. That's Doug Powsum. Doug.
You around the air, Hi, Patty, how are you doing well?
How about you? Good?

Speaker 14 (01:53:30):
Thanks?

Speaker 2 (01:53:30):
Good? Yeah, Let's dig into the Point in Time count report.
What did we find?

Speaker 19 (01:53:36):
Yeah, so, this is a community wide initiative that happens
in most communities around the country every two to three years,
and we held our pit COUMP back in the fall
in November of twenty twenty four, and what we found
was three hundred and thirteen people experiencing homelessness on that night.
And what we could m from our other data sources

(01:53:59):
is about, you know, four hundred folks experiencing homelessness throughout
Saint John's on that given night. I know you were
talking a bit about it in the preamble, but I
think it's worth really mentioning. A couple of the stats
that stood out for us in particular was that on
the average respondent had been without housing for five hundred

(01:54:21):
and fifty days, like that's a year and a half
without any housing for folks, and you know the impact
that that has on people's you know, well being, physical health.

Speaker 13 (01:54:31):
Mental health.

Speaker 19 (01:54:32):
You know, you see really drastic deterioration when folks are
living in those stressful conditions.

Speaker 2 (01:54:41):
Almost thiss costs enormous money. It's really difficult to understand,
you know. I mean this is not an easy issue, obviously,
but if we talied up all of the money is
associated with social programs, impact on mental health, impact on
physical health, and what that means for whether it be
interaction with the criminal justice system or interaction with the
healthcare system, we could cover off housing and support, wrap

(01:55:03):
around supports and save money. Like I just don't know
how we haven't been able to wrap our minds around
that political oh.

Speaker 19 (01:55:10):
Patty, I mean we say that every day here and
homeless the Saint John's in our community. I mean, when
we're seeing folks slip through the cracks, you know, going
years a year plus without housing.

Speaker 14 (01:55:22):
And I mean, just to give some context, that was in.

Speaker 5 (01:55:24):
The fall of twenty twenty four.

Speaker 19 (01:55:26):
Our latest data from May shows the number at a
minimum five hundred people. So we've seen in you know,
a six seven month period, you know, twenty five percent
increase and folks known that minimum known to be experiencing
homelessess in our community, and the numbers are just increasing,
and the challenges that folks are presenting with that, you know,
the pit count would show would be things like ninety

(01:55:48):
two percent of the respondents we're living with one disability,
whether it was a mental health, physical, or cognitive disabilities.
And we know the role that homeless displace on people's
health and well being, and we're seeing that directly now
play out in people's identifying as having a disability. Seventy
five percent had identified us having at least two disabilities.

(01:56:09):
So the issues become more complex, Like you point out
the longer people go without housing, and you're absolutely right.
If we recognize the importance of prevention and early prevention
and investing in people, communities, families, investing in those social
safety net components that just have been eroded for decades,

(01:56:29):
this is where we lead and this is what we're
seeing the result of. And we could be saving a
lot of money, but we could be saving a lot
of people's lives and communities well being as well.

Speaker 2 (01:56:41):
Yeah, I'm going to put this out there one more
time is you know, we just really have to look
at how it works elsewhere, and I mean things that
work in a positive fashion. There are examples. They clearly
are out there for us to not mimic or to
try to, you know, bring in pretend it's going to
work exactly like it's worked in Fitsland here. But there
are things that we can look over the course of

(01:57:03):
time why it has meant and whether it be cost savings,
whether it be issues regarding drug use and abuse and
overdose deaths and criminal justice. The Housing first model after
this program, if anyone's interested in it at all, just
google up Housing First Helsinki, Finland and just get an
idea about how they handled it versus how we handled

(01:57:23):
We have the old staggered, a laddered approach your homeless.
We get your emergency shelter, then we put you in
some temporary housing possibly then we maybe put you into
some housing that's more permanent with the additional supports versus
House first. And what that's meant, I mean, don't take
it from me, take it from the Finns, and take
it from the European Union, who every single country is
looking at Finland and Helsink in particular saying if it

(01:57:45):
can work there, why can't it work here?

Speaker 19 (01:57:48):
And you know, you're absolutely right, Patty, And I'd add
to that that that was a you know, a decade
long commitment to getting to that point too.

Speaker 3 (01:57:55):
Right.

Speaker 19 (01:57:56):
So a lot of it is, well, you know, I've
said to you many times that you know, homelessness is
a public policy choice, and it's a failure of public
policy like you've described. And so what does that mean.
It means it's political will. It's the political will to
work together. It's a multi jurisdictional layer. We can't be
playing this game of tag between who's responsible and who's not,

(01:58:17):
between the municipalities or the province of the feds. We
have to work together if we're going to do this,
and we have to be committed. So that's the political
will component that needs to be there. And you know,
one of the things you're pointing out is housing first
is something that we adopted with the Horizons model at
one O six was taking in folks who have, you know,
severe histories of chronic homelessness, providing the wrap around supports

(01:58:38):
and we're starting to see the success of that with
folks moving on into into housing elsewhere, so we know
it works even on a microcosm here in Saint John's.
We know that it can work.

Speaker 14 (01:58:49):
The challenge is the need is so.

Speaker 19 (01:58:51):
Great that you know, you could fill horizons, you know,
four or five times over with the amount just how
folks we know to be experiencing home. It's not even
those who are precariously housed couch surfing, and the folks
that we know who are sleeping rough now has never
been higher, either like we in July or outreach team.
I've visited twenty seven locations where people were sleeping rough

(01:59:13):
in Saint John's. So the issue is is it's a
chronic emergency issue and we have to start treating it
like that. You know, we have to start recognizing that
this is not going to get better if we don't,
if we don't create wholesale change, tinkering around the edges
isn't going to work any longer.

Speaker 2 (01:59:29):
Never has, probably never will. Doug. Always appreciate your time.

Speaker 5 (01:59:32):
Thank you, Yeah, thanks, Patty, appreciate your time as well.

Speaker 2 (01:59:35):
Take care well. Bye, Doug Poston At end Homess Saint
John's Course Executive Corrector Final break in the morning, don't
go away, Welcome back, let's go to line number six.
Good morning, how are you are out of the air?

Speaker 14 (01:59:47):
Hi, Patty? Can you hear me?

Speaker 2 (01:59:48):
I can hear you?

Speaker 14 (01:59:50):
Okay, Oh awesome. I want to talk about the filming,
copics and a great show. By the way, I want
to talk about the well, I'll call it the Mighty
Churchill River. There's so much power to be developed and available.
But it's just to start off. If Quebec tells us

(02:00:12):
that we are the beneficiary, you kind of wonder if
I was to tell you that you're going to benefit
from something, maybe I should question that anyway, just to
move on. We I'm just wondering. I listen to your

(02:00:34):
show every day. I'm just wondering, Patty, if we lock
our resources, say out of our province in contracts to
solve power because I believe, I truly believe New Plan
Labrador is going to flourish, and then well, what's that

(02:00:55):
contract fifty something years or something? And if we don't
have the power, how can we grow. We've got we
got the land and resources, we got the deep water poorts,
we got we got everything going on here there potentially,

(02:01:16):
But if we can't have the power because we contracted
it elsewhere, how we're gonna survive. We'll always survive. But
you know how how we're handcuffing ourselves. I think with
this m O U and OU yet. But I'm just curious.

(02:01:39):
Why couldn't we lease or sell the land? We got
tons of it to industry, get everybody working. But if
we don't have the power, we're, like I said, handcuffed.

Speaker 2 (02:01:55):
Yeah, there's a lot to that. So, you know, insofar
as additional power, especially for Labrador, what are the facets
of the MU which I think people in Labrador will
appreciate is the quadrupling of the Labrador Recall Block for
hopeful expansion of commercial opportunities or industrial opportunities. Number one,
until something changes with how you can get power out

(02:02:16):
of this province, then whether or not people like it,
our first customer is going to be Quebec. Why because
it's the only way out. I mean, just geographically, there
is no option unless we're going to build more maritime
links and more transition cables to come all the way
down the long range mountains and try to go through
Nova Scotia, which is of course the biggest bill of

(02:02:37):
muskrat falls is exactly that. So until there's some change
which I've tried to put include in the conversation. If
the Prime Minister is successful in creating some sort of
East west energy corridor that can make it easier for
provinces to get power out. And I talk about every province,
especially those with hydro like PC and this province. Unless
that changes, I don't know who the customer is because

(02:03:01):
we've got to address how you get the power out
of here.

Speaker 14 (02:03:04):
I believe we should be the customer, and we are.

Speaker 2 (02:03:07):
Like for instance, even when hydro has gone around looking
at anticipated power needs, it's hard to develop anything at
that small scale, beyond things like maybe small nuclear reactors,
maybe the whatever kind of turbine they're going to put
out at Holy World, which is one hundred and fifty megawatts.
Because if you try to develop more of the Churchill River,

(02:03:27):
the next best option is gull which is two and
twenty five megawatts of which we don't need as a province,
and we'd be happy enough to sell it if we
could get it out of here.

Speaker 14 (02:03:37):
Yeah, well maybe we could need it as a problem
in the future, like we're talking fifty something years, that's right.
A lot of things we got, the fresh air We've
got the people, We've got the land, we got the
deep water ports, we've got the whole thing, Like we
should be the gem of the whole planet US.

Speaker 2 (02:03:56):
Well, certainly if we're talking about renewables, have you absolutely
I mean, you know, if goll was a bigger part
of us, and even if it gets developed a hydrocobec,
which they certainly sound like they are going to into
the future, we still only get like two hundred and
twenty five megawatts guaranteed of gold. They get the rest,
which is a lot. It's two thousand.

Speaker 14 (02:04:16):
Yeah. See, we're losing again.

Speaker 2 (02:04:19):
I'm just saying, yeah, No, I guess the only caveat
that those negotiating that contract, we'll say are the path
to these definitive agreements is the fact there is something
to be said for risk. Now we're going to assume
some and some debt when we talk about transmission, but
at goal we assume none, which I think is you know,
given the fact that we're all liver with the new

(02:04:41):
surrounder net regarding muscraft falls, no risk and or debted
card Act goal is some cold comfort. The fact that
we only have such limited access to that power at
goal is a problem.

Speaker 14 (02:04:53):
I feel your pain there. I'm seeing it right. No,
you're absolutely right, because it's we got to remember that, yeah,
but ours and we got to get the best out
of it. And I don't feel I really got a
bad feeling in my I'm like about all that, just saying.

Speaker 2 (02:05:15):
I get it, Harry. There's still a lot to be
understood here. And you know, for a week or so,
we was all the bulls, all the rage, all the
conversations that I was having outside of the show and
many times on the show. Then I kind of went
by the wayside, when in fact it's probably still the
biggest thing in the province where we talk about long term.
Of course, today we're talking about wildfires and the like,
which of course we should, we have to, but this

(02:05:36):
MoU is a huge, big deal.

Speaker 14 (02:05:40):
It's massive.

Speaker 4 (02:05:41):
Ye.

Speaker 14 (02:05:42):
If we don't do it right, like the forty ninety
or whatever it was, sixty sixty, whatever, we can mess
up daytime. And I don't want that for my children,
my grandchildren, and we're also going to come later.

Speaker 12 (02:05:58):
You know.

Speaker 14 (02:05:59):
It's just we got a resource. We have to maximize
its potential.

Speaker 2 (02:06:05):
Appreciate the time and the sentiment, Harry, thanks for the
call this morning.

Speaker 14 (02:06:08):
Good talking Patty, you too.

Speaker 2 (02:06:11):
Bye bye. All right. Final thoughts goes to line number
one Ron. You're on the air.

Speaker 6 (02:06:15):
Oh, good morning, Patty. How are you doing.

Speaker 2 (02:06:16):
That's kind how about you?

Speaker 6 (02:06:17):
First time caller?

Speaker 2 (02:06:18):
Welcome.

Speaker 6 (02:06:19):
I just wanted to just touch base and touch in
on a comment about what's going on here in Holy
Road in regard to the wildfire that we have here.
And I want to commend their first responders, of course
for all the efforts and everything, and already appreciate them
keeping our town safe. But I just have a concern
here as a small business owner in the community. I

(02:06:44):
own the funeral home here in Holywood and I'm right
on the border of the evacuation zone, so I'm shut down.

Speaker 2 (02:06:52):
You know, right, So what would be your concern? Before
we run out of time, I want to make sure
we get to it all right.

Speaker 6 (02:06:57):
My concern is the government is the one that says
about where the boundary is. And basically, right now, like
I'm right on the boundary, I have a club across
the street that's allowed to open, but I have a
family that cannot have a visitation at the present time
or service for the last three days because of where
the evacuation zone is right now, Dumfy's I'm here and

(02:07:21):
there's an irving across the street, so we're shut down,
and they're using the irving as a base camp for
all their equipment and their generators and trailers and everything.
Where if they went the kilometer up the road, there's
a provincial government building that they could be set up
on that big parking lot, and right now basically where
because when I called the check on it, I was

(02:07:42):
told that the first responders had to be back this
fair because they're on the boarder, they're outside of the
evacuation zone. But then they're telling me I can't be
open because I'm in the evacuation zone. So anyway, I
have a family now that their mom is here resting
for the last you know, a few days, and wanting

(02:08:04):
to lay her to rest and have a visitation at
a funeral, and we cannot do so because I'm right
on the edge of the border. But across the street
from me, people can go in.

Speaker 4 (02:08:13):
And have a beer.

Speaker 2 (02:08:16):
Yeah, it's a very specific question, and I don't know
if anyone's going to be willing to broach it in
this press conference coming up right now, but I will
certainly send off an email and see if I can't
get a response from the government this morning for you.

Speaker 6 (02:08:27):
Yeah, because when I checked with the town, they said,
you know, they understand and they're sensitive my issues. They're
very accommodating with the town. But like she said, their
concerns is the safety to town and not my business.
You know, well, I'm not looking at it from a
business point of view. I'm looking at it from a
you know, a long term member of the community has
passed away and the family had made travel arrangements and everything,

(02:08:50):
and they want to lay her to rest, and it's
just we don't even have any smoke here now, Patty.

Speaker 2 (02:08:56):
Yeah, that's what I'm here a reporter, which is good news.
We've run out of tom this morning. Ron. I understand
the concern.

Speaker 6 (02:09:01):
Thank you for taking my call, and I just wanted
to put that out there.

Speaker 2 (02:09:05):
Appreciate this, all right, thank you? There we go, all right,
the party. We're going right to the press conference, but
we will pick up this conversation again one morning. Goodbye.

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