Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Tim Power Show on your VOCM.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
The views and opinions of this programer not necessarily those
of this station.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Here's Tim.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hello everybody. The Eve of Halloween, Thursday, October thirtieth, Tomorrow's Halloween.
Pretty exciting night on so many fronts, not only for
the trick or treaters, but for all those people. And
I think that's just about everybody who has jumped on
the Toronto Blue Jays bandwagon. Tomorrow could be the night, Yeah,
could be the night that they do it. At a minimum,
(00:35):
they will take the Dodgers to Game seven, but we
like to win when we're this close, we as a country.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I mean, what a night it was.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Last week, last week, last night when we saw young
Treyya Savage just throw a masterful game, twelve strikeouts, setting
a rookie record in the World Series, those first three pitches,
two of which were home runs by day Davish Schnyder
and Vladimir Guerro. We're in this moment. It's such a
(01:05):
rich moment it's been We don't have them often, but
this moment of huge, profound positive with everybody uniting behind
the Blue Jays again, as I keep saying, a team
with only one Canadian born athlete who identifies more as
a Dominican Republic citizen, and that's of course Vladimir Guerrero,
(01:28):
and that's no criticism of them, that's just that's his
right to do. So we're in the Canadian maple leaf
on their chest and just giving it.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
They're all.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
They're buying into this too for Canada. They're not immune
to what's going on around the world at the moment
and it's fantastic to see. In a few minutes, we're
going to talk to Ryan Garland, the executive director of
Baseball A New Frolinta Labrador. Ryan's joined us before just
to talk about where we are and with the Blue
Jays need to do next to get over the hump,
(01:59):
because I don't think these Los Angeles Dodgers are going
to give up easily. They are the defendant champions, after all,
and they are still a very talented team, not to
be underestimated, and certainly not the time to let respect be.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Diminished for them.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
So we'll talk a little bit about that in a
moment with Ryan Garland from Baseball and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Earlier today, as I mentioned, had the chance to sit
in for Vashi on her national radio show, and I've
got some content for you from that. I had the
chance to talk to Premier wakem and we took a
(02:38):
bit of a different tact in that conversation when he
has joined me before as a leader of the opposition.
We have focused a lot, obviously as we should, on
the issues that are happening at home and the importance
of those issues. We had a conversation about where he
sees Newfoundland and a Labrador on the national stage, the
role we play, the respect that we're due. You'll hear
(03:00):
that conversation in its entirety. Many of you also are interested,
particularly those of you who work for the Public Service
Alliance of Canada, about the future of your jobs. Yesterday,
the Federal Finance Minister made some comments that suggests that
there may be some cuts coming, and certainly we have
(03:21):
seen and heard in other places that that may be
the case. I spoke to Sharon Desuza, the president of
the Public Service Alliance of Canada, as well, to get
her take on where she thinks things stand and what
she argues should be the approach taken as it relates
(03:42):
to federal public servants do you know, and again I'm
not auditioning public servants. I was one once myself, My
sister and brother in law are public servants. But we
have three almost three hundred and sixty thousand federal public
servants in the country. Is that too much? Is that
too little? Seventy thousand person growth after and through the
(04:03):
pandemic h So we'll talk about all of that with
Sharon Desusa. We also have David Schumaker, the CEO of
the Canadian Olympic Committee. The Canadian Olympic Committee all launched
their campaign yesterday with one hundred days to go until
Milano Cortino. Brave is Bold, It's brave is unbeatable.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I should say.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
It's an important campaign, and we talked about that, the
power of the Blue Jays uniting people, and the federal
budget and what it could mean for sport sports system
as it relates to federal funding and it has been
much less than sports organizations would like and perhaps the
(04:50):
country would like. We have a quick chat about that,
and then we have the executive director of Parks and
Rec NL joining us, Steve Martin, to talk about some
things they are doing. All of that on our show today,
but let me go to Ryan Garland. Ryan, I got
(05:11):
I'm almost speechless, and I'll just tell you what happened
to me this morning, which captures the power of this moment.
I was driving my son to hockey practice, also coach
the team, and we were talking about tred Ya Savage's performance.
He's seen him pitch once live during the playoffs. My
son is a you know, a ten year old just
getting turned onto baseball, and he couldn't just he couldn't
(05:34):
stop sharing the joy of you, Savage's success and the
team's success last night. It's baseball has just captured him
more than any other sport at the moment. And I
think he's not alone.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I've said this to you before when we've talked. Every
step the Blue Jays take. I think they create thousands
of new fans and new supporters of your sport because
of the way they play and the team they are.
Do you get this same vibe, Brian.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, Tim again, appreciate you having me on again. I
feel like we've talked to every other day now for
the last couple of weeks, but appreciate the toime as always.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
To answer your question, it's.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Hard not to be captivated by what the Jays are doing,
especially last night. What you Savage did as a twenty
two year old looking to have the biggest start of
his career happened in the World Series in a pivotal
game that the team needed, especially after the Game three
that went eighteen innings and the bullpen's still probably not
(06:34):
quite being at one hundred percent after that. So for
him to go out and do that and set a
couple of not only playoff records, but league records in
the process was fun to watch, I must say.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And how amazing is it?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I mean, for the for those who don't know who
Sandy Kofax is arguably one of the greatest baseball players
of all time, great Los Angeles Dodger pitcher. He's even
before my time, Ryan, So I mean, he hasn't been
around for a while, but he lives in baseball lore
and he is sitting behind home plate there with Mary Hart,
who we talked about yesterday. How cool must that be
(07:11):
for Treya Savage to look and there he sees as
he's throwing the pitch in Sandy Kofax watching him, and
Sandy Kofax had a frown most of the night because
of course he's a Dodger, but that's got to be
pretty special for you, Savage, and for the whole Blue
Jays team.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I mean when you when you look at some of
the great iconic pictures the Dodgers have had in the
last fifty sixty years, Obviously Sandy Kolfax top of that list,
but there's another rookie, Fernando Alezuela. Pack Yah, I've got Clayton.
You've got Clayton Kershaw. Now, who's in Treya Savage's world,
probably his equivalent to Sandy Kofax, both being limp handed
(07:49):
pitchers and what Kershaw's done for his career and this
being his final season and last night his last game
at Dodger Stadium. So to have you know those names,
some of them in the buildings, some of them in
the opposing dugout, and just the lore of the team
that you're playing against, the Dodgers. It's Dodger Stadium, it's
everything that the La Dodgers mean. They're almost sure, in
(08:09):
some people's minds, more superior than the Yankees. And I
don't even know if that's fair in a lot of ways,
but when you talk about the Dodgers, there's not a
lot of names that people don't recognize, so to go
and as a pitcher especially, do something like that last night,
with those names in the building or in the dog
out and things like that, It's definitely memorable for him.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
And memorable for the team as well.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, and I love Dan Shulman the Sportsnet played by
play man saying that, you know, for Game six he
was talking to Paul Molliktor and Jack Morris, who were
part of the ninety three team I believe, and they
were saying, yeah, you know, we got to get there.
We've got to bring our sons and see all of this.
So getting to Toronto tomorrow, Halloween, all of that. What
(08:51):
do the Jays need to do now, Ryan, in your
review as somebody who knows baseball very well, to close
this out? Because these Dodgers aren't going to roll over.
I mean, they're a great team with great players. They
probably have been surprised at the way the Jays have
come at them. They only think played them once or
twice during the year. But what do the Jays need
(09:13):
to do to close out against the defending champions.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
The biggest thing they need to do, at least in
my opinion is keep doing what they've done all year
and what they've done all playoffs. You don't get this
far by doing stuff differently. It's about consistency, it's about
the same approach every day as a have attitude, and
I think lad had a couple of other players said
it best yesterday and last night in their postgame interviews
that the job's not finished and the hardest win to
(09:38):
get is the last one. So they've got to go
to tomorrow nite and play with that same intensity, to
the same mentality, the same one game winner, take all
type mindset that they've played with basically now for the
last month, and realize that, like you said, on the
other side of the field, as a team that's got
a lot.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
Of talent, they're not going to roll over.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yes, their offense is scuffling the last two days, but
they can easily flip the switch tomorrow night and be
right back into series tigh three to three and Game
seven on Saturday night. They've got a very very tough
pitcher up against them in Yamamoto, who throwing back to
back complete games, the second of which the second of
which was against the Jays on Saturday night. So I
would expect much the same again from him, But the
(10:20):
Jays also have a pretty decent arm going to more
and Kevin Gozla, who's been there, their leader, their workhorse
all year. So do what they've done, do what's got
them there, and let's the chips fall with him there.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, I just sort of a very specific question.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I think, Look, we have an audience that knows hockey
pretty well and they understand you want to get something
going in hockey. They can look back at the four
nations in the three fights, you know, Canada and the US.
In baseball, there are different things to get things going.
This team, as you say, has been consistent. But is
there sort of one big gesture the Jays need to
do to reinforce they're on.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
The right path.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Is there a brushback pitch, which is there a mound brawl?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Is there something like that?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Or is it just be as scrappy as you are,
get the bat on the ball, do those sorts of things.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Yeah, again, I think it's for me, it's about the
approach that Jason's had all year.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Yes, baseball is a.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Game that big moments and opportunities to do things like
that kind of play themselves out as the game progresses.
But if you go into the game sworn as a
JA team with the mindset they've had all year, they
have great at bats, they play elite defense, they don't
make errors.
Speaker 7 (11:31):
They've got multiple goal.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Globe winners all around the infield and outfield, depending on
where what position you're looking at. They have tough at bats,
they put the ball in play, they don't strike out,
They put pressure on the defense every time they're at bats.
If they do all those things and do them well,
the pressure that that puts on the opposing team is
hard to ignore in a lot of ways. And yes,
(11:53):
the Dodgers, like we've said, have a men's talent over
there that helps kind of mitigate that a little bit.
But at the end of the day, baseball is a game.
It's not like hockey. It's not like you know, football
or basketball that has that have whistled and you can
kind of kill the pond and things like that. If
you don't get the guy out in baseball, you have
to face the neck, keep going, and it's it kind
(12:13):
of snowballs itself. And if the Dodgers run into that
again tomorrow night, it could be it could be curtains
for them after not only small hopefully.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, let's hope the Halloween night massacre goes on the
j side. Ryan, great to talk to you. Thanks for
being such a good sport and telling the story of
baseball the Newfoundland and Labrador love having you on.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Appreciate the time.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Thanks again to appreciate as always.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
All right, that is Ryan Garland, Executive Director of Baseball
Newfoundland and Labrador. When we come back, we're gonna hear
from Premier Tony Wakem on how he thinks Newfoundland ought
to play a role on the national stage. Back with
that in a moment. Here's an interview I did a
little earlier with the Premier Wakem for a national audience.
So if you say why is he asking him that,
(12:56):
you'll know it was I was speaking to a national audience.
Here the conversation. Tony Wakem was sworn into office Wednesday
and Saint John's after his PC party Progressive Conservative Party,
when a slim majority in this month's provincial election. The
victory ended ten years of liberal governments in the province.
The PCs will now get down to the business of governing.
(13:18):
And before we get into that, what you also have
to know about Tony Wakem, because this sets up my
first question is he is a former president of the
Canadian of Canada Basketball, new Foundland and Labrador Basketball Association,
accomplished basketball player and coach and premier. Congratulations And the
first question, as is off the case when we talk
on VOCM, is about sports, and it is this, how
(13:42):
wonderful is it to see the Blue Jays doing what
they're doing now and the importance of that for the
country at the moment.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
And I think it's amazing what they're doing, and I
think it also is reflective of our own thing. I've
always said, Jim, in basketball, nothing matters less than the
scored halftime. And so many people had written off the
Blue Jays prior to the start of this World Series,
underestimated them, thought that they couldn't compete, and here they
(14:13):
are leading three to two and going into the final
two games in Toronto.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Well a lot better script than that.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
And as the Premier is alluding to, it was assumed
and he rightly pointed it out on his victory speech
last two weeks ago, that he wouldn't win, and he did.
He came from behind it many ways to do that.
And his political journey is an interesting one. We don't
want to get so much into that. I want to
talk Premier about your new premier, where you hope to
(14:45):
take Newfoundland and a Labrador on the national stage.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think you.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Would agree that we kind of have two models. Sometimes
it's a very combative model, other times it's a cooperative model.
What do you hope to do on the national stage?
H for Newfoundland and Labrador and for Canada.
Speaker 6 (15:02):
Well, when you think about it, tims as a country
and as a province of this great confederation of ours,
that's exactly what it is a federation. We all have
our own individual challenges within our own provinces, and we
all have our own provinces that we really want to
see do well and succeed. And that's something that we
(15:25):
all take pride in that it doesn't matter what province
you live, and we all want to see our own
individual provinces succeed. But at the same time, I think
there is a united front when it comes to a
country and things we can or can't agree on and stuff.
It's as a province. Newfland and Labrador has given Canada
many great resources over the years. And one of my priorities,
(15:49):
of course as you well know, is to make sure
that we have a greater say in how some of
those resources are managed and being part of that as
opposed to just simply being on the outside. That's one
of the challenges that we have faced for a long
long time, and we want to make sure that as
we develop our resources in our provinces that we have
(16:12):
a federal government that is supportive of that development will
help us with that development. Recognizing that at times or
may be differences of opinion, but I think it ultimately
has to come down to let's not get focused in
on individuals. Let's focus in on the situations that we
have and what's in front of us. Focus on the
(16:35):
issues instead of individuals.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
You have been thrown into the hot house of this
international trade drama. It's not just with the United States,
of course, it is with China. What China is doing
in terms of tariffs on our seafood products in Newfoundland
and labradors having a pronounced impact. Prime Minister is meeting
with the Chinese president tomorrow. Have you had a chance,
(16:59):
I know you spoke to the Prime Minister initially. Have
you had the chance to talk to him further and
talk about the challenge China's tariffs are putting on our
seafood industry.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
No, I have not, but it is something that is
on our radar to do. Clearly, we've seen different provinces
being impacted significantly by taroffs. I mean Ontario if you want,
you know, you need to think about that for a minute.
When you have so many people, thousands of people that
are going to be impacted by the tariffs or are
(17:30):
being impacted by the tariffs in Ontario, and so when
the premiere of Ontario stands up and defends his province,
you know, good on him for doing that. And we've
seen BC in a similar situation Saskatchewan. We're all being
impacted in different ways by some by the tariffs from
the United States, but in our particular case right now,
the biggest issue is the tariffs from China. So we
(17:52):
have to make sure that we stand up and we
have a federal government that's there to support every province
in the way that they have to try and deal
with these issues. But that's the key for me, is
like we have an industry and nobody wants to see
in any province an industry destroyed because of tariffs. So
we have to collectively understand that some of this is
obviously being imposed on us, But how do we make
(18:16):
sure that the people that are in our problems is
the people our own people in our own problems is
at work that have their jobs threatened, their livelihoods threatened.
What can we do to try and make sure who
minimize that and to make it better. But to go
back to your point on China and the impact in
(18:38):
our seafood industry, it has had an impact. We've had
a contingency fund here and our problems that was set
aside by the previous government to deal with the impacts
of tariffs. And so one of the things I will
be looking at as our problems obviously is too is
to bet with harvesters and processors and talk about that.
But the overall goal has to be that while we
(19:01):
have restrictions being put on by other countries the new markets,
how do we establish the new markets? How do we
continue that discussion? And when the Prime Minister talks about
nation building projects, then we have to make sure that
we're talking nation building projects for the entire country.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
And one of those nation building projects, as you know,
and was focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador all election,
though perhaps not the focus the previous government would have
liked was the Churchill Falls MoU. You have been clear
that you want to review it. Today you released a
letter from a panel member who was looking at the MoU.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
That letter had.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Previously been been held for privacy reasons. When we look
at Churchill Falls, you also talked about a referendum. What
should Canada expect Newfoundland and Labrador to do on that
Churchill Falls MoU over the next number months.
Speaker 6 (20:00):
Well, I would suggest to you that Newfoulant and Labrador
has pulled above its weight when it comes to helping
make Canada greener. When we think about the whole environmental
peace we talk about the fact that, you know, we've
always talked about muskrat falls and the significant costs that
Newfolin and larbra Door incurred as a province with that project.
And yet at the same time we sit here and
(20:22):
talk about being ninety eight percent green energy in our
own province. And we've also helped make Nova Scotia greener
by helping them reduce their use of coal. So you know,
we've we've turned around and had a significant impact on that.
But this MU and the whole idea of renegotiation. We're
pared to renegotiate, but it's very important to me that
(20:45):
we go into this understanding fully what the what it
means for the Province of Newfiland because we're talking about
signing up a contract for another fifty plus years and
so we had it's very important to get it right.
And when this project was first announced, so this MLU
was first announced back in January, I asked the Premier
of the province at that time to allow for an
(21:07):
independent review to be done, to have that analysis done
independently to make sure that we understood exactly what it is.
And while we're agreeing to not just simply to have
the people that negotiated the MoU to be talking about THEMU.
So let's have an independenceet adviased look at that. We
never got. That request was never granted. So now I'm
about to enter and have that done. I hope to
(21:28):
do it and have that announce within the next few
weeks so we can get that going and get approject.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Got about thirty seconds here, Premier, just a quick question
as supportive of the federal government's current approach to the US,
the Team Canada approach working with the government working with
the provinces. Can we expect Newfoundland and the Labrador to
stay in sync with that right now?
Speaker 6 (21:51):
Absolutely, I think that, you know, a team Canada approach
is what's needed. But at the same time, I mean,
every individual province is being impacted in different ways in
different industries. So the challenge for the Prime Minister is
to make sure that he's listening to all of the
provinces and their individual challenges and finding way collectively to
(22:11):
bring that together, because that is some of the challenges
that it's out there. But it's ultimately coming down to, Look,
we're our own country. We have a great country, we
have great resources, and we have products that the world wants.
So let's make sure that as a country we can
manage to sell ourselves with all of these great industries
(22:32):
and products that we have as a country and do
best for everyone.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Got to leave it there, Tony wakem Premium, Newfland, Labrador,
thank you, thank you all. Right, time for a break
here on the Tim Power Show. So just how many
federal government jobs could be on the shopping block in
this year's federal budget. We don't know exactly, but some
(22:59):
new comments from the Federal Finance minister are raising eyebrows
in Ottawa and causing concern for public sector union leaders. Yesterday,
Finance Minister of Francois Philip Champagne said this.
Speaker 8 (23:12):
The last few years, the civil service as an increased
at the level which I think is not sustainable. When
you're looking at the use of better processes, when you're
looking at efficiency in government, when you're using a technology
to deliver better service for Canadians, you need to come
and make sure that you would have the size of
(23:34):
the civil service which would be aligned with the need
we have, but at the same time offer the best
possible service for Canadians. So yes, we need to bring
back the civil service to a sustainable level. And I
think people that have seen and they will see in
the budget if you look at how many.
Speaker 9 (23:49):
People we have to date and what we ad.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Before COVID nineteen, we need to get back to something
more sustainable. And I think you will be very transparent
with people, but we're going to be very compassionate in
how we do it as well.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
The federal civil service has grown by about seventy thousand
since before the pandemic. As of right now, the federal
government workforce stands at three hundred and fifty seven, nine
hundred and sixty five thousand employees. In twenty nineteen, that
number was two hundred and eighty seven thousand and nine
seventy eight. Sources tell CTV News that the budget has
(24:24):
not been finalized. It will be tabled, of course, next Tuesday.
The Karni government is looking to reduce the number of
civil servants through both attrition and workforce adjustment. Our next
guest is the President's National President of the Public Service
Alliance of Canada. That's Sharon Desuza. Sharon, welcome to the program.
(24:44):
When you heard the Finance Minister's comments yesterday, what were
you thinking, Well, I.
Speaker 10 (24:52):
Think that the minister is definitely delusional because there is
no way they're going to to meet their vision of
Canada and what is required if they don't have the
public service to support their needs.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
So the minister uses this phrase and I've heard others
use it. He says we need to bring back the
civil service to a sustainable level. Do you have any
idea what he means by what a sustainable level is
and do you have a version of what a sustainable
level is.
Speaker 10 (25:27):
Well, it's kind of funny that that's the terminology that
would be viewed because frankly, there is no benchmark, There
is no optimal idea of what sustainable looks like. What
we have to recognize is that there has been so
many changes since COVID occurred, and if you're looking at
(25:48):
pre COVID levels, well, we've got problems here. We're talking
about US tariffs that we're putting tens of thousand people
in Canada out of work and they're pushing families to
a on employment insurance. We're talking about Trump slashing funding
to CDC and federal health Services, which is putting more
(26:09):
pressure on Canadian scientists and researchers to keep us safe.
And rent across Canada has tripled, Grocery concepts skyrocketed, meaning
Canadians rely on old age security or even childcare benefits
more than they've ever needed it before. And so why
(26:31):
would you be cutting the people that deliver those services,
and makes no sense. We're not a corporation, we are
a government. We here to provide Canadian service, So why
are we not looking at it from a perspective? What
is it that we need to protect Canada? Because we
(26:51):
do have threats that are coming our way, and why
aren't we planning accordingly?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
You will have I've heard this argument many times, but
let me advance it and hear your response. I think
if Canadians look at the figure of three hundred and
fifty seven, nine hundred and sixty five thousand employees, they
think that's a lot of people, and as you rightly
point out, they're doing a lot of different jobs. Is
that the new benchmark of where we should be with
(27:19):
the federal government that we can't go below you know,
nearly three hundred and sixty thousand employees because all of
these jobs are essential and important as you describe them.
Or is there room to move here? Or candiatrician be
a solution with the would you, as a leader of
the Public Service Alliance of Canada, support the notion that
jobs can't be filled as opposed to people being laid off?
(27:41):
Just I think this is the one Canadians struggle with. Sharon.
I may be wrong, but can you take a stab
at explaining that number, why it's right and what the
path forward ought to be?
Speaker 11 (27:52):
Well, it's quite simple.
Speaker 10 (27:53):
It's not about a blanket cut and that is the
most easiest, laziest way to do it, and saying, you know,
across the board, we're going to do fifteen percent.
Speaker 11 (28:04):
That's not how the government works.
Speaker 10 (28:06):
We're talking about departments and agencies that are interconnected and
the services they deliver, instead of actually looking.
Speaker 11 (28:15):
At what is it that you're trying to do.
Speaker 10 (28:18):
How are you going to protect Canada and make sure
people are safe. You need to plan for that, and
so that means looking department by department.
Speaker 11 (28:29):
Individually to see what is required. And I'll give you
an example.
Speaker 10 (28:33):
We're talking about the Canadian economy and making sure that
we have innovative people coming in companies corporations. But I
have to tell you who's going to make sure that
that environmental assessment is done, when that factory needs to
(28:54):
be built.
Speaker 11 (28:55):
Who's going to make sure that people who are new products.
Speaker 10 (29:01):
You can't do this without the services of the Patent
Office for Supply Chain Support or Industry Canada. And so,
as far as I'm concerned, I think that this is
a very simplistic view on how to run the government.
In fact, I think that they're going to end up
shooting themselves in the foot because they're not going to
(29:23):
have the infrastructure in place to meet their goals.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Have you had any conversations with the Treasury Board Minister
as your responsible minister, but with Treasury Board or Finance.
Have there been any pre budget conversations between you and
the government leadership.
Speaker 10 (29:42):
We have made our own submission in regards to the
expenditure review, in which yes, there are cost savings to
be had, but that would mean for them to stop
contracting out. We've already seen what happened when you know,
we used technology for a new pay system and in
fact it cost you know, taxpayers over five billion dollars
(30:08):
and that's the Phoenix pay system in which we had
to now use band aid solutions to.
Speaker 11 (30:13):
Make it work and it ended up being our.
Speaker 10 (30:16):
Members who actually were working towards resolving the issue. So
are there cost savings with that adopt? It's a question
about how do we do this?
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Do you see any of the parties as you know
you're in Outawa. I was parked in front of your
office today. My son goes to school across the street
and there's lots of talk in Ottawa out whether the
budget will succeed or be passed or whether we're heading
to the we'll be heading to the polls again. Do
you do you have a sense of the NDP or
(30:52):
any other party in the discussion that's about to happen
after the budget's introduced, are going to speak to the
concern you have and may use those concerns in influencing
the decision they make as to whether to support the.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Budget or not.
Speaker 10 (31:09):
Right now, all I can tell you every party pre
election have their own policies as to where they stood
on public services. Right now we're seeing a complete different
implementation tactic as well as party lines change. Right now,
my focus is making sure that people who reside in
(31:29):
Canada understand the value of public services from you know,
making sure the food on their plate is safe, the
fact that they have the benefits they need during these
trying times such as employment insurance, access to their old dad,
security passports, making sure they understand the value and ensuring
(31:50):
that the MPs those in Parliament are acting on their behalf.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
All right, Sharon, we will leave it there. Thank you
for your time.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Today's Aaron Desusan, National President, Public Service Alliance of Canada.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Thank you, Sharon, thank you so much.
Speaker 11 (32:06):
I'm a great day too.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
All Right.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
We're gonna move now to an interview with David Schumacher,
the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, only one hundred
days away, actually ninety nine. Here's the chat with David.
Yesterday was the one hundred day announcement, one hundred days
from the Milano Cortino twenty twenty twenty six Winter Olympics,
(32:28):
and yesterday the Brave is Unbeatable Team Canada Official Olympic
team website was launched. To talk about that, we're joined
by David Schumacher, who is the CEO of the Canadian
Olympic Committee. Let me disclose I'm a volunteer member of
that committee and poor David had to put up with
me all weekend. Now he's kindly back for some more
on their radio. You're a trooper, my friend. Listen before
(32:51):
we get into Brave is Unbeatable, which is super important.
We watched the baseball game the other night. I know
you're a huge baseball fan. Want to talk less about
the game per se, but what the impact of these
professional athletes, the pursuit they're making is having for showcasing
the power and value of sport as a tool of
(33:14):
unification for a country.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
I could go on for some time tim about that
the sport is magical and we're seeing it. I think
as Canadians we like to think that we do it better,
and I think we do and we're seeing it on
display here with the Jays. I was in Vancouver a
week ago after Game seven of the Alcs. They were
celebrating the same way we are here in Toronto.
Speaker 7 (33:38):
From coast to coast to coast.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
You know, you get on an elevator, you walk through
the mall, down the streets. We're all swept up in
it and we're anxious. We're excited when they win. It's great.
When they lose, it sucks. But that's what's so magical
about sport and this team. There's something special. They found
that unique connection with all of us that it's a
(34:02):
group of really special people and we've all bought into
this commitment that even if they have a bad game,
they're going to come back and give it their best
the next game. And that's a special arrangement. It's almost
a contract that we have with them, with the whole country.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
And I think that takes us nicely to the Olympics,
because anybody who has ever watched the Olympics, and Canadians
do and drove see that in our own athletes in
their performance in their pursuits. And it's even more admirable,
I think because so many of these athletes aren't getting
the salaries of the Toronto Blue Jays, aren't as fortunate
at least when it comes to the professional wealth that
(34:42):
they have achieved. So tell us about Brave is Unbeatable
because I think it captures so well what Canada represents
and our athletes represent at the Olympic Games.
Speaker 7 (34:52):
It is such a special time for sport in this country.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
So yes, we go from the Blue Jays to yesterday,
one hundred days out from Mulatto Quartie Winter Games.
Speaker 7 (35:01):
Well love the World.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Cup in Canada next summer, and our athletes are special people.
Speaker 7 (35:08):
I think Canadian athletes are the best in the world.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
And great is Unbeatable is now that this is the
second edition of this campaign that we launched for the
Paris Olympic Games Summer Games of twenty twenty four, and
I think it resonated so much with Canadians that beneath
every victory is a challenge and it was important for
us to tell the stories of these hidden stories, the
(35:33):
obstacles that everybody faces on.
Speaker 7 (35:35):
Their path to glory.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
And it's not just athletes, but it resonates with all
Canadians and I think that's what worked so well. And
so this edition tells the stories of athletes like William
Danjenouh will probably be the breakout athlete for Canada the
Winter Games in.
Speaker 7 (35:51):
Short track speed skating.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Or Nick Kyle Kingsbury, the winningest freestyle skier in the
history of the sport, who's one ninety nine World Cups,
who's vying for two gold medals in Milano Cortina in
his fourth Olympic Games. Or Piper Gillis and Paul Plotier.
Piper quite a public battle with ovarian cancer and you know,
(36:14):
battling that to be on the world stage in Milano Cortina.
It's really important that Caadians understand that we're all in
this together, that we all have our own adversity, and
not just Olympians. And I think it helps rally us
all around Team Canada in a way that other countries don't.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
And I know there's a palpable excitement too about Milano Cortina.
We might all draw our breath after the Blue Jays,
but we will all be looking forward. Look, David, I'd
be negligent if I didn't ask you about something we've
covered on this program before, and that is funding in
the sports system. Federal budget coming next week. For a
long time, the CEC, most national sports organizations and others
(36:54):
have advocated for more investment. Athletes can be brave, but
to be unbeatable they need to do They need investments.
What are your expectations going forward for how Canada the
government may invest in our sports system.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Well, before I get to our expectations, I think I
should describe what we ourselves do. The Canadian Olympic Committee
is almost entirely privately funded through thirty seven marketing partners,
So the likes of lou lemon Bell, RBC, Canadian Tire,
those are our four premier national partners.
Speaker 7 (37:27):
We raise tens of millions of.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Dollars through private sources on an annual basis and invest
it back in the sports system and in our athletes.
And we do as much as we can double digit increases,
as much as we possibly can over the course of
year to year. But the government, the federal government hasn't
increased its investment in sport since two thousand and five
(37:49):
in what's called core funding, and the national sports organizations,
our member organization, So you know Canada basketball, or freestyle, Canada, bobsleigh,
Canada skeleton. In this Canada, we have sixty two of
those and they haven't seen any increase in over twenty years.
Speaker 7 (38:05):
And that's troubling. And it's especially troubling because the burden.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Of this lack of funding is increasingly shifting to athletes,
both at the high end of the sports system, so
we're seeing athletes who earn the right to compete for
Team Canada have to pay tens of thousands of dollars
in what are called team fees, but also at the
low end of the sports system, at the grassroots level,
it's increasingly difficult if.
Speaker 7 (38:27):
You want to get your son or daughter into the sports,
into sport and.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
The grassroots, you have to pay thousands of dollars just
for a soccer club or a basketball club. And that
doesn't fit our vision for sport in this country and
we want that to change.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Yeah, the unifying power of sport is arguably more important
than it has been before. I let you go just
back to the Olympics for a moment. How well are
things going in Italy to be ready for all of
these athletes come February.
Speaker 7 (39:00):
They're going very well.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
I'm actually going there next week to see for myself.
We have a few, you know, publicized venues that are
I think a little delayed. One of them is the
ice hockey venue and we'll get a look at that.
The other one as a sliding center. But this stuff
is not new to the Olympic Games, right, We've seen
(39:21):
it all throughout the world, the concern about venues being ready.
Speaker 7 (39:25):
The IOC knows how to handle that.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
They know how to put pressure on host organizing committees
and in this case, the governments that are involved in Italy.
Speaker 7 (39:34):
For our part, we focus on our team.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
We have two hundred and nine athletes, some of the
best athletes in the world, that are going to be
going to Milano Quarantina. We focus on how do we
prepare them on an assumption that everything's ready as of
the sixth of February, so that they are given the
absolute best chance to perform at their best and achieve
their Olympic dreams.
Speaker 7 (39:54):
And I'm confident we'll be able to do so.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Look, if we have to pay the America and either
women's or men's hockey and Shinny, we'll still do that.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
And still get the gold. Oh, how bold of me.
All right, David, I have to leave it there.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Thank you for the time.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
I appreciate it, you bet, Tim, Thanks very much.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
All right.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
That is David Schumaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Speaker 7 (40:15):
The Tim Power Show.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Join the conversation weekday afternoons at four pm on your VOCM.
Welcome back, last segment of the show. We're trying to
get our guests here. What we're going to talk about
is something called a framework for recreation in Canada. There
are consultations and have been consultations underway nationwide looking at
(40:37):
how recreation and parks are essential, have essential infrastructure, and
keeping communities alive, resilient and safe. Dozens of people across
the country, including people in Newfoundland and the Laborador, have
participated in these conversations. We're also going to look at,
when we get our guest, Steve Martin, Executive Director of
(40:59):
Recreation New Finland and the Labrador, the role some of
these facilities and the people who oversee them played in
the wildfires this summer and the other climatic challenges that
we have had in the province. It's one of these
things you need not reflect on too long to recognized,
particularly on the healthy community, how important it is to
(41:22):
have parks in infrastructure. I was at a meeting yesterday
where I was meeting with a group of different sports
and they were talking about the infrastructure shortage. But what
is happening while there's an infrastructure shortage in some sports,
there's an increase in participation. And that increase in participation
is coming from people who perhaps didn't have the opportunity
(41:45):
to participate in sport before New Canadians, Indigenous Canadians who
didn't have the same opportunity. So we need to look
at how we can help build the facilities to do
all that. It was only last week you will remember
that we had a guest on our program who was
a cricket player, and you'll remember that the one of
(42:06):
the parks in the city had been put out of
bounds by the City of Saint John's because of concerns
they had around safety and cricket.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
And you think about cricket. One of the amazing things.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
About cricket is that it attracts so many New Canadians
who come to us and our part and parcel of
community building and competition.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
That all of that.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
Look, I flap my gums and we can't find our guests. Well,
that's unfortunate. We will try, and we're going to keep
trying to see if we can get them. But we
don't have much time left on the program. Unfortunately, there
is some breaking news. I think I saw somewhere that
the US President and the Canadian Prime minister, who weren't
(42:57):
going to talk, may have may have chatted earlier. What's this? Oh,
here we go, look at this. President Donald Trump said
he had a very nice conversation with from our Prime
Minister Mark Karney during an Asia Pacific economic dinner in
South Korea. Oh this is an old Oh no, no, okay.
(43:21):
The interaction occurred yesterday during the dinner in South Korea.
Trump later told reporters about the nice conversation on Air
Force one as he departed the country. The conversation, of course,
has followed a period of intense rhetoric that had preceded
(43:42):
the oh, we might have our guests. It'll be very
short interview. But anyway, if this is true, perhaps the
big flare up over f bombs and ads is done
away with and it fits the all right, Steve Martin
got you man for about three minutes, we've been having trouble.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
Tell us, first of all, who Recreation.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Newfoundland and the Labrador is, and why it's important that
we give a lot of thought to the role parks
and recreation play in crisis preparedness.
Speaker 7 (44:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (44:13):
Sure, so Recreation we find the Labrador. We're not for
profit and we're remember membership based organization. Who you know,
majority of our members are from various municipalities or you know,
volunteer commissions and we assist them to deliver recreation opportunities
across the across the province. And just to your second
(44:35):
point there, you know, we are seeing we're seeing recreation change.
We're seeing it kind of an evolution happening where people
tend to focus recreation on various securunity events, facilities programs.
Now we're starting to see our facilities use for environmental
crisis such as the wildfires that we would have had
(44:58):
here at newsom Lands story here this year, right, So.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
And you had and there were people who worked in
the parks and rec sector who were helping in the
address some of the challenges in these wildfires.
Speaker 3 (45:12):
Right.
Speaker 9 (45:14):
Yeah, So we are starting to like debrief and discuss
because we're trying to collect all the information as much
as we can now as well. You know what exactly
are our recreation staff across the province doing to assist
with wildfires across the province. You know, obviously the Mini
Montis facilities, so for example Joe Burn Arena in Grand Falls,
(45:35):
the Steel Community Center in Gander as CBS arena with
the recent wildfires for the Holy Rood CBS area. You know,
not only our staff being put to you know, obviously
these types of scenarios, we're not This is not what
we've done in terms of professional development. So it's it's
(45:58):
kind of new for US. Communities lose their recreation through
because their commit their community centers are dedicated to emergency response.
So it's becoming a bit of a hot topic around
their table that we sort of looked at back the
government more about.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
All right, Well, unfortunately we have to go for break. Steve.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
We'll have you on at a time when we can
have a longer conversation. Thanks for making some time today.
Appreciate it, I appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (46:24):
Appreciate you to me.
Speaker 2 (46:25):
Thanks all right, Steve Martin, Executive Director of Recreation New
fin Landon Labrador that's our show today. Thank you to
call it up back tomorrow with more
This is the Tim Power Show on your VOCM.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
The views and opinions of this programer not necessarily those
of this station.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Here's Tim.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hello everybody. The Eve of Halloween, Thursday, October thirtieth, Tomorrow's Halloween.
Pretty exciting night on so many fronts, not only for
the trick or treaters, but for all those people. And
I think that's just about everybody who has jumped on
the Toronto Blue Jays bandwagon. Tomorrow could be the night, Yeah,
could be the night that they do it. At a minimum,
(00:35):
they will take the Dodgers to Game seven, but we
like to win when we're this close, we as a country.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I mean, what a night it was.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Last week, last week, last night when we saw young
Treyya Savage just throw a masterful game, twelve strikeouts, setting
a rookie record in the World Series, those first three pitches,
two of which were home runs by day Davish Schnyder
and Vladimir Guerro. We're in this moment. It's such a
(01:05):
rich moment it's been We don't have them often, but
this moment of huge, profound positive with everybody uniting behind
the Blue Jays again, as I keep saying, a team
with only one Canadian born athlete who identifies more as
a Dominican Republic citizen, and that's of course Vladimir Guerrero,
(01:28):
and that's no criticism of them, that's just that's his
right to do. So we're in the Canadian maple leaf
on their chest and just giving it.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
They're all.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
They're buying into this too for Canada. They're not immune
to what's going on around the world at the moment
and it's fantastic to see. In a few minutes, we're
going to talk to Ryan Garland, the executive director of
Baseball A New Frolinta Labrador. Ryan's joined us before just
to talk about where we are and with the Blue
Jays need to do next to get over the hump,
(01:59):
because I don't think these Los Angeles Dodgers are going
to give up easily. They are the defendant champions, after all,
and they are still a very talented team, not to
be underestimated, and certainly not the time to let respect be.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Diminished for them.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
So we'll talk a little bit about that in a
moment with Ryan Garland from Baseball and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Earlier today, as I mentioned, had the chance to sit
in for Vashi on her national radio show, and I've
got some content for you from that. I had the
chance to talk to Premier wakem and we took a
(02:38):
bit of a different tact in that conversation when he
has joined me before as a leader of the opposition.
We have focused a lot, obviously as we should, on
the issues that are happening at home and the importance
of those issues. We had a conversation about where he
sees Newfoundland and a Labrador on the national stage, the
role we play, the respect that we're due. You'll hear
(03:00):
that conversation in its entirety. Many of you also are interested,
particularly those of you who work for the Public Service
Alliance of Canada, about the future of your jobs. Yesterday,
the Federal Finance Minister made some comments that suggests that
there may be some cuts coming, and certainly we have
(03:21):
seen and heard in other places that that may be
the case. I spoke to Sharon Desuza, the president of
the Public Service Alliance of Canada, as well, to get
her take on where she thinks things stand and what
she argues should be the approach taken as it relates
(03:42):
to federal public servants do you know, and again I'm
not auditioning public servants. I was one once myself, My
sister and brother in law are public servants. But we
have three almost three hundred and sixty thousand federal public
servants in the country. Is that too much? Is that
too little? Seventy thousand person growth after and through the
(04:03):
pandemic h So we'll talk about all of that with
Sharon Desusa. We also have David Schumaker, the CEO of
the Canadian Olympic Committee. The Canadian Olympic Committee all launched
their campaign yesterday with one hundred days to go until
Milano Cortino. Brave is Bold, It's brave is unbeatable.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I should say.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
It's an important campaign, and we talked about that, the
power of the Blue Jays uniting people, and the federal
budget and what it could mean for sport sports system
as it relates to federal funding and it has been
much less than sports organizations would like and perhaps the
(04:50):
country would like. We have a quick chat about that,
and then we have the executive director of Parks and
Rec NL joining us, Steve Martin, to talk about some
things they are doing. All of that on our show today,
but let me go to Ryan Garland. Ryan, I got
(05:11):
I'm almost speechless, and I'll just tell you what happened
to me this morning, which captures the power of this moment.
I was driving my son to hockey practice, also coach
the team, and we were talking about tred Ya Savage's performance.
He's seen him pitch once live during the playoffs. My
son is a you know, a ten year old just
getting turned onto baseball, and he couldn't just he couldn't
(05:34):
stop sharing the joy of you, Savage's success and the
team's success last night. It's baseball has just captured him
more than any other sport at the moment. And I
think he's not alone.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I've said this to you before when we've talked. Every
step the Blue Jays take. I think they create thousands
of new fans and new supporters of your sport because
of the way they play and the team they are.
Do you get this same vibe, Brian.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, Tim again, appreciate you having me on again. I
feel like we've talked to every other day now for
the last couple of weeks, but appreciate the toime as always.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
To answer your question, it's.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Hard not to be captivated by what the Jays are doing,
especially last night. What you Savage did as a twenty
two year old looking to have the biggest start of
his career happened in the World Series in a pivotal
game that the team needed, especially after the Game three
that went eighteen innings and the bullpen's still probably not
(06:34):
quite being at one hundred percent after that. So for
him to go out and do that and set a
couple of not only playoff records, but league records in
the process was fun to watch, I must say.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And how amazing is it?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I mean, for the for those who don't know who
Sandy Kofax is arguably one of the greatest baseball players
of all time, great Los Angeles Dodger pitcher. He's even
before my time, Ryan, So I mean, he hasn't been
around for a while, but he lives in baseball lore
and he is sitting behind home plate there with Mary Hart,
who we talked about yesterday. How cool must that be
(07:11):
for Treya Savage to look and there he sees as
he's throwing the pitch in Sandy Kofax watching him, and
Sandy Kofax had a frown most of the night because
of course he's a Dodger, but that's got to be
pretty special for you, Savage, and for the whole Blue
Jays team.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I mean when you when you look at some of
the great iconic pictures the Dodgers have had in the
last fifty sixty years, Obviously Sandy Kolfax top of that list,
but there's another rookie, Fernando Alezuela. Pack Yah, I've got Clayton.
You've got Clayton Kershaw. Now, who's in Treya Savage's world,
probably his equivalent to Sandy Kofax, both being limp handed
(07:49):
pitchers and what Kershaw's done for his career and this
being his final season and last night his last game
at Dodger Stadium. So to have you know those names,
some of them in the buildings, some of them in
the opposing dugout, and just the lore of the team
that you're playing against, the Dodgers. It's Dodger Stadium, it's
everything that the La Dodgers mean. They're almost sure, in
(08:09):
some people's minds, more superior than the Yankees. And I
don't even know if that's fair in a lot of ways,
but when you talk about the Dodgers, there's not a
lot of names that people don't recognize, so to go
and as a pitcher especially, do something like that last night,
with those names in the building or in the dog
out and things like that, It's definitely memorable for him.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
And memorable for the team as well.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, and I love Dan Shulman the Sportsnet played by
play man saying that, you know, for Game six he
was talking to Paul Molliktor and Jack Morris, who were
part of the ninety three team I believe, and they
were saying, yeah, you know, we got to get there.
We've got to bring our sons and see all of this.
So getting to Toronto tomorrow, Halloween, all of that. What
(08:51):
do the Jays need to do now, Ryan, in your
review as somebody who knows baseball very well, to close
this out? Because these Dodgers aren't going to roll over.
I mean, they're a great team with great players. They
probably have been surprised at the way the Jays have
come at them. They only think played them once or
twice during the year. But what do the Jays need
(09:13):
to do to close out against the defending champions.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
The biggest thing they need to do, at least in
my opinion is keep doing what they've done all year
and what they've done all playoffs. You don't get this
far by doing stuff differently. It's about consistency, it's about
the same approach every day as a have attitude, and
I think lad had a couple of other players said
it best yesterday and last night in their postgame interviews
that the job's not finished and the hardest win to
(09:38):
get is the last one. So they've got to go
to tomorrow nite and play with that same intensity, to
the same mentality, the same one game winner, take all
type mindset that they've played with basically now for the
last month, and realize that, like you said, on the
other side of the field, as a team that's got
a lot.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
Of talent, they're not going to roll over.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yes, their offense is scuffling the last two days, but
they can easily flip the switch tomorrow night and be
right back into series tigh three to three and Game
seven on Saturday night. They've got a very very tough
pitcher up against them in Yamamoto, who throwing back to
back complete games, the second of which the second of
which was against the Jays on Saturday night. So I
would expect much the same again from him, But the
(10:20):
Jays also have a pretty decent arm going to more
and Kevin Gozla, who's been there, their leader, their workhorse
all year. So do what they've done, do what's got
them there, and let's the chips fall with him there.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, I just sort of a very specific question.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I think, Look, we have an audience that knows hockey
pretty well and they understand you want to get something
going in hockey. They can look back at the four
nations in the three fights, you know, Canada and the US.
In baseball, there are different things to get things going.
This team, as you say, has been consistent. But is
there sort of one big gesture the Jays need to
do to reinforce they're on.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
The right path.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Is there a brushback pitch, which is there a mound brawl?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Is there something like that?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Or is it just be as scrappy as you are,
get the bat on the ball, do those sorts of things.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Yeah, again, I think it's for me, it's about the
approach that Jason's had all year.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Yes, baseball is a.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Game that big moments and opportunities to do things like
that kind of play themselves out as the game progresses.
But if you go into the game sworn as a
JA team with the mindset they've had all year, they
have great at bats, they play elite defense, they don't
make errors.
Speaker 7 (11:31):
They've got multiple goal.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Globe winners all around the infield and outfield, depending on
where what position you're looking at. They have tough at bats,
they put the ball in play, they don't strike out,
They put pressure on the defense every time they're at bats.
If they do all those things and do them well,
the pressure that that puts on the opposing team is
hard to ignore in a lot of ways. And yes,
(11:53):
the Dodgers, like we've said, have a men's talent over
there that helps kind of mitigate that a little bit.
But at the end of the day, baseball is a game.
It's not like hockey. It's not like you know, football
or basketball that has that have whistled and you can
kind of kill the pond and things like that. If
you don't get the guy out in baseball, you have
to face the neck, keep going, and it's it kind
(12:13):
of snowballs itself. And if the Dodgers run into that
again tomorrow night, it could be it could be curtains
for them after not only small hopefully.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, let's hope the Halloween night massacre goes on the
j side. Ryan, great to talk to you. Thanks for
being such a good sport and telling the story of
baseball the Newfoundland and Labrador love having you on.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Appreciate the time.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Thanks again to appreciate as always.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
All right, that is Ryan Garland, Executive Director of Baseball
Newfoundland and Labrador. When we come back, we're gonna hear
from Premier Tony Wakem on how he thinks Newfoundland ought
to play a role on the national stage. Back with
that in a moment. Here's an interview I did a
little earlier with the Premier Wakem for a national audience.
So if you say why is he asking him that,
(12:56):
you'll know it was I was speaking to a national audience.
Here the conversation. Tony Wakem was sworn into office Wednesday
and Saint John's after his PC party Progressive Conservative Party,
when a slim majority in this month's provincial election. The
victory ended ten years of liberal governments in the province.
The PCs will now get down to the business of governing.
(13:18):
And before we get into that, what you also have
to know about Tony Wakem, because this sets up my
first question is he is a former president of the
Canadian of Canada Basketball, new Foundland and Labrador Basketball Association,
accomplished basketball player and coach and premier. Congratulations And the
first question, as is off the case when we talk
on VOCM, is about sports, and it is this, how
(13:42):
wonderful is it to see the Blue Jays doing what
they're doing now and the importance of that for the
country at the moment.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
And I think it's amazing what they're doing, and I
think it also is reflective of our own thing. I've
always said, Jim, in basketball, nothing matters less than the
scored halftime. And so many people had written off the
Blue Jays prior to the start of this World Series,
underestimated them, thought that they couldn't compete, and here they
(14:13):
are leading three to two and going into the final
two games in Toronto.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Well a lot better script than that.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
And as the Premier is alluding to, it was assumed
and he rightly pointed it out on his victory speech
last two weeks ago, that he wouldn't win, and he did.
He came from behind it many ways to do that.
And his political journey is an interesting one. We don't
want to get so much into that. I want to
talk Premier about your new premier, where you hope to
(14:45):
take Newfoundland and a Labrador on the national stage.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think you.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Would agree that we kind of have two models. Sometimes
it's a very combative model, other times it's a cooperative model.
What do you hope to do on the national stage?
H for Newfoundland and Labrador and for Canada.
Speaker 6 (15:02):
Well, when you think about it, tims as a country
and as a province of this great confederation of ours,
that's exactly what it is a federation. We all have
our own individual challenges within our own provinces, and we
all have our own provinces that we really want to
see do well and succeed. And that's something that we
(15:25):
all take pride in that it doesn't matter what province
you live, and we all want to see our own
individual provinces succeed. But at the same time, I think
there is a united front when it comes to a
country and things we can or can't agree on and stuff.
It's as a province. Newfland and Labrador has given Canada
many great resources over the years. And one of my priorities,
(15:49):
of course as you well know, is to make sure
that we have a greater say in how some of
those resources are managed and being part of that as
opposed to just simply being on the outside. That's one
of the challenges that we have faced for a long
long time, and we want to make sure that as
we develop our resources in our provinces that we have
(16:12):
a federal government that is supportive of that development will
help us with that development. Recognizing that at times or
may be differences of opinion, but I think it ultimately
has to come down to let's not get focused in
on individuals. Let's focus in on the situations that we
have and what's in front of us. Focus on the
(16:35):
issues instead of individuals.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
You have been thrown into the hot house of this
international trade drama. It's not just with the United States,
of course, it is with China. What China is doing
in terms of tariffs on our seafood products in Newfoundland
and labradors having a pronounced impact. Prime Minister is meeting
with the Chinese president tomorrow. Have you had a chance,
(16:59):
I know you spoke to the Prime Minister initially. Have
you had the chance to talk to him further and
talk about the challenge China's tariffs are putting on our
seafood industry.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
No, I have not, but it is something that is
on our radar to do. Clearly, we've seen different provinces
being impacted significantly by taroffs. I mean Ontario if you want,
you know, you need to think about that for a minute.
When you have so many people, thousands of people that
are going to be impacted by the tariffs or are
(17:30):
being impacted by the tariffs in Ontario, and so when
the premiere of Ontario stands up and defends his province,
you know, good on him for doing that. And we've
seen BC in a similar situation Saskatchewan. We're all being
impacted in different ways by some by the tariffs from
the United States, but in our particular case right now,
the biggest issue is the tariffs from China. So we
(17:52):
have to make sure that we stand up and we
have a federal government that's there to support every province
in the way that they have to try and deal
with these issues. But that's the key for me, is
like we have an industry and nobody wants to see
in any province an industry destroyed because of tariffs. So
we have to collectively understand that some of this is
obviously being imposed on us, But how do we make
(18:16):
sure that the people that are in our problems is
the people our own people in our own problems is
at work that have their jobs threatened, their livelihoods threatened.
What can we do to try and make sure who
minimize that and to make it better. But to go
back to your point on China and the impact in
(18:38):
our seafood industry, it has had an impact. We've had
a contingency fund here and our problems that was set
aside by the previous government to deal with the impacts
of tariffs. And so one of the things I will
be looking at as our problems obviously is too is
to bet with harvesters and processors and talk about that.
But the overall goal has to be that while we
(19:01):
have restrictions being put on by other countries the new markets,
how do we establish the new markets? How do we
continue that discussion? And when the Prime Minister talks about
nation building projects, then we have to make sure that
we're talking nation building projects for the entire country.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
And one of those nation building projects, as you know,
and was focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador all election,
though perhaps not the focus the previous government would have
liked was the Churchill Falls MoU. You have been clear
that you want to review it. Today you released a
letter from a panel member who was looking at the MoU.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
That letter had.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Previously been been held for privacy reasons. When we look
at Churchill Falls, you also talked about a referendum. What
should Canada expect Newfoundland and Labrador to do on that
Churchill Falls MoU over the next number months.
Speaker 6 (20:00):
Well, I would suggest to you that Newfoulant and Labrador
has pulled above its weight when it comes to helping
make Canada greener. When we think about the whole environmental
peace we talk about the fact that, you know, we've
always talked about muskrat falls and the significant costs that
Newfolin and larbra Door incurred as a province with that project.
And yet at the same time we sit here and
(20:22):
talk about being ninety eight percent green energy in our
own province. And we've also helped make Nova Scotia greener
by helping them reduce their use of coal. So you know,
we've we've turned around and had a significant impact on that.
But this MU and the whole idea of renegotiation. We're
pared to renegotiate, but it's very important to me that
(20:45):
we go into this understanding fully what the what it
means for the Province of Newfiland because we're talking about
signing up a contract for another fifty plus years and
so we had it's very important to get it right.
And when this project was first announced, so this MLU
was first announced back in January, I asked the Premier
of the province at that time to allow for an
(21:07):
independent review to be done, to have that analysis done
independently to make sure that we understood exactly what it is.
And while we're agreeing to not just simply to have
the people that negotiated the MoU to be talking about THEMU.
So let's have an independenceet adviased look at that. We
never got. That request was never granted. So now I'm
about to enter and have that done. I hope to
(21:28):
do it and have that announce within the next few
weeks so we can get that going and get approject.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Got about thirty seconds here, Premier, just a quick question
as supportive of the federal government's current approach to the US,
the Team Canada approach working with the government working with
the provinces. Can we expect Newfoundland and the Labrador to
stay in sync with that right now?
Speaker 6 (21:51):
Absolutely, I think that, you know, a team Canada approach
is what's needed. But at the same time, I mean,
every individual province is being impacted in different ways in
different industries. So the challenge for the Prime Minister is
to make sure that he's listening to all of the
provinces and their individual challenges and finding way collectively to
(22:11):
bring that together, because that is some of the challenges
that it's out there. But it's ultimately coming down to, Look,
we're our own country. We have a great country, we
have great resources, and we have products that the world wants.
So let's make sure that as a country we can
manage to sell ourselves with all of these great industries
(22:32):
and products that we have as a country and do
best for everyone.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Got to leave it there, Tony wakem Premium, Newfland, Labrador,
thank you, thank you all. Right, time for a break
here on the Tim Power Show. So just how many
federal government jobs could be on the shopping block in
this year's federal budget. We don't know exactly, but some
(22:59):
new comments from the Federal Finance minister are raising eyebrows
in Ottawa and causing concern for public sector union leaders. Yesterday,
Finance Minister of Francois Philip Champagne said this.
Speaker 8 (23:12):
The last few years, the civil service as an increased
at the level which I think is not sustainable. When
you're looking at the use of better processes, when you're
looking at efficiency in government, when you're using a technology
to deliver better service for Canadians, you need to come
and make sure that you would have the size of
(23:34):
the civil service which would be aligned with the need
we have, but at the same time offer the best
possible service for Canadians. So yes, we need to bring
back the civil service to a sustainable level. And I
think people that have seen and they will see in
the budget if you look at how many.
Speaker 9 (23:49):
People we have to date and what we ad.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Before COVID nineteen, we need to get back to something
more sustainable. And I think you will be very transparent
with people, but we're going to be very compassionate in
how we do it as well.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
The federal civil service has grown by about seventy thousand
since before the pandemic. As of right now, the federal
government workforce stands at three hundred and fifty seven, nine
hundred and sixty five thousand employees. In twenty nineteen, that
number was two hundred and eighty seven thousand and nine
seventy eight. Sources tell CTV News that the budget has
(24:24):
not been finalized. It will be tabled, of course, next Tuesday.
The Karni government is looking to reduce the number of
civil servants through both attrition and workforce adjustment. Our next
guest is the President's National President of the Public Service
Alliance of Canada. That's Sharon Desuza. Sharon, welcome to the program.
(24:44):
When you heard the Finance Minister's comments yesterday, what were
you thinking, Well, I.
Speaker 10 (24:52):
Think that the minister is definitely delusional because there is
no way they're going to to meet their vision of
Canada and what is required if they don't have the
public service to support their needs.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
So the minister uses this phrase and I've heard others
use it. He says we need to bring back the
civil service to a sustainable level. Do you have any
idea what he means by what a sustainable level is
and do you have a version of what a sustainable
level is.
Speaker 10 (25:27):
Well, it's kind of funny that that's the terminology that
would be viewed because frankly, there is no benchmark, There
is no optimal idea of what sustainable looks like. What
we have to recognize is that there has been so
many changes since COVID occurred, and if you're looking at
(25:48):
pre COVID levels, well, we've got problems here. We're talking
about US tariffs that we're putting tens of thousand people
in Canada out of work and they're pushing families to
a on employment insurance. We're talking about Trump slashing funding
to CDC and federal health Services, which is putting more
(26:09):
pressure on Canadian scientists and researchers to keep us safe.
And rent across Canada has tripled, Grocery concepts skyrocketed, meaning
Canadians rely on old age security or even childcare benefits
more than they've ever needed it before. And so why
(26:31):
would you be cutting the people that deliver those services,
and makes no sense. We're not a corporation, we are
a government. We here to provide Canadian service, So why
are we not looking at it from a perspective? What
is it that we need to protect Canada? Because we
(26:51):
do have threats that are coming our way, and why
aren't we planning accordingly?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
You will have I've heard this argument many times, but
let me advance it and hear your response. I think
if Canadians look at the figure of three hundred and
fifty seven, nine hundred and sixty five thousand employees, they
think that's a lot of people, and as you rightly
point out, they're doing a lot of different jobs. Is
that the new benchmark of where we should be with
(27:19):
the federal government that we can't go below you know,
nearly three hundred and sixty thousand employees because all of
these jobs are essential and important as you describe them.
Or is there room to move here? Or candiatrician be
a solution with the would you, as a leader of
the Public Service Alliance of Canada, support the notion that
jobs can't be filled as opposed to people being laid off?
(27:41):
Just I think this is the one Canadians struggle with. Sharon.
I may be wrong, but can you take a stab
at explaining that number, why it's right and what the
path forward ought to be?
Speaker 11 (27:52):
Well, it's quite simple.
Speaker 10 (27:53):
It's not about a blanket cut and that is the
most easiest, laziest way to do it, and saying, you know,
across the board, we're going to do fifteen percent.
Speaker 11 (28:04):
That's not how the government works.
Speaker 10 (28:06):
We're talking about departments and agencies that are interconnected and
the services they deliver, instead of actually looking.
Speaker 11 (28:15):
At what is it that you're trying to do.
Speaker 10 (28:18):
How are you going to protect Canada and make sure
people are safe. You need to plan for that, and
so that means looking department by department.
Speaker 11 (28:29):
Individually to see what is required. And I'll give you
an example.
Speaker 10 (28:33):
We're talking about the Canadian economy and making sure that
we have innovative people coming in companies corporations. But I
have to tell you who's going to make sure that
that environmental assessment is done, when that factory needs to
(28:54):
be built.
Speaker 11 (28:55):
Who's going to make sure that people who are new products.
Speaker 10 (29:01):
You can't do this without the services of the Patent
Office for Supply Chain Support or Industry Canada. And so,
as far as I'm concerned, I think that this is
a very simplistic view on how to run the government.
In fact, I think that they're going to end up
shooting themselves in the foot because they're not going to
(29:23):
have the infrastructure in place to meet their goals.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Have you had any conversations with the Treasury Board Minister
as your responsible minister, but with Treasury Board or Finance.
Have there been any pre budget conversations between you and
the government leadership.
Speaker 10 (29:42):
We have made our own submission in regards to the
expenditure review, in which yes, there are cost savings to
be had, but that would mean for them to stop
contracting out. We've already seen what happened when you know,
we used technology for a new pay system and in
fact it cost you know, taxpayers over five billion dollars
(30:08):
and that's the Phoenix pay system in which we had
to now use band aid solutions to.
Speaker 11 (30:13):
Make it work and it ended up being our.
Speaker 10 (30:16):
Members who actually were working towards resolving the issue. So
are there cost savings with that adopt? It's a question
about how do we do this?
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Do you see any of the parties as you know
you're in Outawa. I was parked in front of your
office today. My son goes to school across the street
and there's lots of talk in Ottawa out whether the
budget will succeed or be passed or whether we're heading
to the we'll be heading to the polls again. Do
you do you have a sense of the NDP or
(30:52):
any other party in the discussion that's about to happen
after the budget's introduced, are going to speak to the
concern you have and may use those concerns in influencing
the decision they make as to whether to support the.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Budget or not.
Speaker 10 (31:09):
Right now, all I can tell you every party pre
election have their own policies as to where they stood
on public services. Right now we're seeing a complete different
implementation tactic as well as party lines change. Right now,
my focus is making sure that people who reside in
(31:29):
Canada understand the value of public services from you know,
making sure the food on their plate is safe, the
fact that they have the benefits they need during these
trying times such as employment insurance, access to their old dad,
security passports, making sure they understand the value and ensuring
(31:50):
that the MPs those in Parliament are acting on their behalf.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
All right, Sharon, we will leave it there. Thank you
for your time.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Today's Aaron Desusan, National President, Public Service Alliance of Canada.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Thank you, Sharon, thank you so much.
Speaker 11 (32:06):
I'm a great day too.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
All Right.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
We're gonna move now to an interview with David Schumacher,
the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, only one hundred
days away, actually ninety nine. Here's the chat with David.
Yesterday was the one hundred day announcement, one hundred days
from the Milano Cortino twenty twenty twenty six Winter Olympics,
(32:28):
and yesterday the Brave is Unbeatable Team Canada Official Olympic
team website was launched. To talk about that, we're joined
by David Schumacher, who is the CEO of the Canadian
Olympic Committee. Let me disclose I'm a volunteer member of
that committee and poor David had to put up with
me all weekend. Now he's kindly back for some more
on their radio. You're a trooper, my friend. Listen before
(32:51):
we get into Brave is Unbeatable, which is super important.
We watched the baseball game the other night. I know
you're a huge baseball fan. Want to talk less about
the game per se, but what the impact of these
professional athletes, the pursuit they're making is having for showcasing
the power and value of sport as a tool of
(33:14):
unification for a country.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
I could go on for some time tim about that
the sport is magical and we're seeing it. I think
as Canadians we like to think that we do it better,
and I think we do and we're seeing it on
display here with the Jays. I was in Vancouver a
week ago after Game seven of the Alcs. They were
celebrating the same way we are here in Toronto.
Speaker 7 (33:38):
From coast to coast to coast.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
You know, you get on an elevator, you walk through
the mall, down the streets. We're all swept up in
it and we're anxious. We're excited when they win. It's great.
When they lose, it sucks. But that's what's so magical
about sport and this team. There's something special. They found
that unique connection with all of us that it's a
(34:02):
group of really special people and we've all bought into
this commitment that even if they have a bad game,
they're going to come back and give it their best
the next game. And that's a special arrangement. It's almost
a contract that we have with them, with the whole country.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
And I think that takes us nicely to the Olympics,
because anybody who has ever watched the Olympics, and Canadians
do and drove see that in our own athletes in
their performance in their pursuits. And it's even more admirable,
I think because so many of these athletes aren't getting
the salaries of the Toronto Blue Jays, aren't as fortunate
at least when it comes to the professional wealth that
(34:42):
they have achieved. So tell us about Brave is Unbeatable
because I think it captures so well what Canada represents
and our athletes represent at the Olympic Games.
Speaker 7 (34:52):
It is such a special time for sport in this country.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
So yes, we go from the Blue Jays to yesterday,
one hundred days out from Mulatto Quartie Winter Games.
Speaker 7 (35:01):
Well love the World.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Cup in Canada next summer, and our athletes are special people.
Speaker 7 (35:08):
I think Canadian athletes are the best in the world.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
And great is Unbeatable is now that this is the
second edition of this campaign that we launched for the
Paris Olympic Games Summer Games of twenty twenty four, and
I think it resonated so much with Canadians that beneath
every victory is a challenge and it was important for
us to tell the stories of these hidden stories, the
(35:33):
obstacles that everybody faces on.
Speaker 7 (35:35):
Their path to glory.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
And it's not just athletes, but it resonates with all
Canadians and I think that's what worked so well. And
so this edition tells the stories of athletes like William
Danjenouh will probably be the breakout athlete for Canada the
Winter Games in.
Speaker 7 (35:51):
Short track speed skating.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Or Nick Kyle Kingsbury, the winningest freestyle skier in the
history of the sport, who's one ninety nine World Cups,
who's vying for two gold medals in Milano Cortina in
his fourth Olympic Games. Or Piper Gillis and Paul Plotier.
Piper quite a public battle with ovarian cancer and you know,
(36:14):
battling that to be on the world stage in Milano Cortina.
It's really important that Caadians understand that we're all in
this together, that we all have our own adversity, and
not just Olympians. And I think it helps rally us
all around Team Canada in a way that other countries don't.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
And I know there's a palpable excitement too about Milano Cortina.
We might all draw our breath after the Blue Jays,
but we will all be looking forward. Look, David, I'd
be negligent if I didn't ask you about something we've
covered on this program before, and that is funding in
the sports system. Federal budget coming next week. For a
long time, the CEC, most national sports organizations and others
(36:54):
have advocated for more investment. Athletes can be brave, but
to be unbeatable they need to do They need investments.
What are your expectations going forward for how Canada the
government may invest in our sports system.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Well, before I get to our expectations, I think I
should describe what we ourselves do. The Canadian Olympic Committee
is almost entirely privately funded through thirty seven marketing partners,
So the likes of lou lemon Bell, RBC, Canadian Tire,
those are our four premier national partners.
Speaker 7 (37:27):
We raise tens of millions of.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Dollars through private sources on an annual basis and invest
it back in the sports system and in our athletes.
And we do as much as we can double digit increases,
as much as we possibly can over the course of
year to year. But the government, the federal government hasn't
increased its investment in sport since two thousand and five
(37:49):
in what's called core funding, and the national sports organizations,
our member organization, So you know Canada basketball, or freestyle, Canada, bobsleigh,
Canada skeleton. In this Canada, we have sixty two of
those and they haven't seen any increase in over twenty years.
Speaker 7 (38:05):
And that's troubling. And it's especially troubling because the burden.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Of this lack of funding is increasingly shifting to athletes,
both at the high end of the sports system, so
we're seeing athletes who earn the right to compete for
Team Canada have to pay tens of thousands of dollars
in what are called team fees, but also at the
low end of the sports system, at the grassroots level,
it's increasingly difficult if.
Speaker 7 (38:27):
You want to get your son or daughter into the sports,
into sport and.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
The grassroots, you have to pay thousands of dollars just
for a soccer club or a basketball club. And that
doesn't fit our vision for sport in this country and
we want that to change.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Yeah, the unifying power of sport is arguably more important
than it has been before. I let you go just
back to the Olympics for a moment. How well are
things going in Italy to be ready for all of
these athletes come February.
Speaker 7 (39:00):
They're going very well.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
I'm actually going there next week to see for myself.
We have a few, you know, publicized venues that are
I think a little delayed. One of them is the
ice hockey venue and we'll get a look at that.
The other one as a sliding center. But this stuff
is not new to the Olympic Games, right, We've seen
(39:21):
it all throughout the world, the concern about venues being ready.
Speaker 7 (39:25):
The IOC knows how to handle that.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
They know how to put pressure on host organizing committees
and in this case, the governments that are involved in Italy.
Speaker 7 (39:34):
For our part, we focus on our team.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
We have two hundred and nine athletes, some of the
best athletes in the world, that are going to be
going to Milano Quarantina. We focus on how do we
prepare them on an assumption that everything's ready as of
the sixth of February, so that they are given the
absolute best chance to perform at their best and achieve
their Olympic dreams.
Speaker 7 (39:54):
And I'm confident we'll be able to do so.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Look, if we have to pay the America and either
women's or men's hockey and Shinny, we'll still do that.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
And still get the gold. Oh, how bold of me.
All right, David, I have to leave it there.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Thank you for the time.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
I appreciate it, you bet, Tim, Thanks very much.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
All right.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
That is David Schumaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Speaker 7 (40:15):
The Tim Power Show.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Join the conversation weekday afternoons at four pm on your VOCM.
Welcome back, last segment of the show. We're trying to
get our guests here. What we're going to talk about
is something called a framework for recreation in Canada. There
are consultations and have been consultations underway nationwide looking at
(40:37):
how recreation and parks are essential, have essential infrastructure, and
keeping communities alive, resilient and safe. Dozens of people across
the country, including people in Newfoundland and the Laborador, have
participated in these conversations. We're also going to look at,
when we get our guest, Steve Martin, Executive Director of
(40:59):
Recreation New Finland and the Labrador, the role some of
these facilities and the people who oversee them played in
the wildfires this summer and the other climatic challenges that
we have had in the province. It's one of these
things you need not reflect on too long to recognized,
particularly on the healthy community, how important it is to
(41:22):
have parks in infrastructure. I was at a meeting yesterday
where I was meeting with a group of different sports
and they were talking about the infrastructure shortage. But what
is happening while there's an infrastructure shortage in some sports,
there's an increase in participation. And that increase in participation
is coming from people who perhaps didn't have the opportunity
(41:45):
to participate in sport before New Canadians, Indigenous Canadians who
didn't have the same opportunity. So we need to look
at how we can help build the facilities to do
all that. It was only last week you will remember
that we had a guest on our program who was
a cricket player, and you'll remember that the one of
(42:06):
the parks in the city had been put out of
bounds by the City of Saint John's because of concerns
they had around safety and cricket.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
And you think about cricket. One of the amazing things.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
About cricket is that it attracts so many New Canadians
who come to us and our part and parcel of
community building and competition.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
That all of that.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
Look, I flap my gums and we can't find our guests. Well,
that's unfortunate. We will try, and we're going to keep
trying to see if we can get them. But we
don't have much time left on the program. Unfortunately, there
is some breaking news. I think I saw somewhere that
the US President and the Canadian Prime minister, who weren't
(42:57):
going to talk, may have may have chatted earlier. What's this? Oh,
here we go, look at this. President Donald Trump said
he had a very nice conversation with from our Prime
Minister Mark Karney during an Asia Pacific economic dinner in
South Korea. Oh this is an old Oh no, no, okay.
(43:21):
The interaction occurred yesterday during the dinner in South Korea.
Trump later told reporters about the nice conversation on Air
Force one as he departed the country. The conversation, of course,
has followed a period of intense rhetoric that had preceded
(43:42):
the oh, we might have our guests. It'll be very
short interview. But anyway, if this is true, perhaps the
big flare up over f bombs and ads is done
away with and it fits the all right, Steve Martin
got you man for about three minutes, we've been having trouble.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
Tell us, first of all, who Recreation.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Newfoundland and the Labrador is, and why it's important that
we give a lot of thought to the role parks
and recreation play in crisis preparedness.
Speaker 7 (44:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (44:13):
Sure, so Recreation we find the Labrador. We're not for
profit and we're remember membership based organization. Who you know,
majority of our members are from various municipalities or you know,
volunteer commissions and we assist them to deliver recreation opportunities
across the across the province. And just to your second
(44:35):
point there, you know, we are seeing we're seeing recreation change.
We're seeing it kind of an evolution happening where people
tend to focus recreation on various securunity events, facilities programs.
Now we're starting to see our facilities use for environmental
crisis such as the wildfires that we would have had
(44:58):
here at newsom Lands story here this year, right, So.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
And you had and there were people who worked in
the parks and rec sector who were helping in the
address some of the challenges in these wildfires.
Speaker 3 (45:12):
Right.
Speaker 9 (45:14):
Yeah, So we are starting to like debrief and discuss
because we're trying to collect all the information as much
as we can now as well. You know what exactly
are our recreation staff across the province doing to assist
with wildfires across the province. You know, obviously the Mini
Montis facilities, so for example Joe Burn Arena in Grand Falls,
(45:35):
the Steel Community Center in Gander as CBS arena with
the recent wildfires for the Holy Rood CBS area. You know,
not only our staff being put to you know, obviously
these types of scenarios, we're not This is not what
we've done in terms of professional development. So it's it's
(45:58):
kind of new for US. Communities lose their recreation through
because their commit their community centers are dedicated to emergency response.
So it's becoming a bit of a hot topic around
their table that we sort of looked at back the
government more about.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
All right, Well, unfortunately we have to go for break. Steve.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
We'll have you on at a time when we can
have a longer conversation. Thanks for making some time today.
Appreciate it, I appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (46:24):
Appreciate you to me.
Speaker 2 (46:25):
Thanks all right, Steve Martin, Executive Director of Recreation New
fin Landon Labrador that's our show today. Thank you to
call it up back tomorrow with more
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