Australia attack ISIS inspired, EU rolls back EV car mandates, Ontarians use Quebec bottle deposit program, and more

Summary

Your World Tonight – CBC – December 16, 2025

Hosts: Susan Bonner, Stephanie Skenderis
Episode Theme: An in-depth recap and analysis of the day’s major global stories, with a Canadian perspective. Topics range from global terrorism and weather crises to climate regulation, pragmatic border solutions, and community resilience.

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Episode Overview

This episode covers a range of significant news stories shaping the world on December 16, 2025. The main theme is the interplay between global security threats, environmental policy pivots, regulatory challenges, and grassroots impacts both in Canada and abroad. It features first-hand accounts, expert analysis, and reflection on how policy and events affect real people's lives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Australia’s Hanukkah Shooting: ISIS Inspiration and National Security

• Synopsis: Authorities confirm the deadly Hanukkah attack in Bondi, Australia, was inspired by ISIS ideology. A father and son are identified as the perpetrators, having possible ties and training with extremist groups in the Philippines.
• Details:
  • Attack resulted in at least 15 deaths; multiple wounded.
  • Huge community mourning – scenes of grief and remembrance at the attack site.
  • Police discovered improvised explosives and ISIS flags in the suspects’ car.
  • Their possible recent travel to the southern Philippines for training is highlighted.
  • Experts point to the Gaza war as an accelerant for extremist violence, reigniting dormant networks (04:15).
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “The monster was standing on that bridge. ... It wasn’t an accident, it was a bullet just fired on her.” – Grieving parent (02:33–02:40)
  • “It’s motivating. It draws people to join groups to express their response to it, which is often a local expression of violence.” – Tom Sanderson, geopolitical risk consultant (04:25)

2. Canadian Delegation Barred from Entering West Bank

• Synopsis: Six Canadian MPs, on a trip to engage with Palestinians in the West Bank, are denied entry at the border by Israeli authorities, leading to disputes over the rationale and treatment at the crossing.
• Details:
  • MPs waited for five hours before being turned away.
  • Israeli officials cite links to a nonprofit on Israel’s terror entity list.
  • Accounts include reports of mistreatment at the border which Israel’s ambassador says is “lamentable.”
  • Canadian Muslim Vote and delegation members reject Israel’s assertion and call it a “baseless smear.”
  • Canada’s Foreign Affairs Ministry responds with formal objections.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “I had a very terrible experience.” – MP Iqra Khalid (05:53)
  • “Civil society who’s doing humanitarian work on the ground is a security threat? I, for one, reject that notion.” – Canadian MP (07:23)

3. Canadian Military Intelligence Leak: Ukraine Confirmed as Recipient

• Synopsis: CBC confirms Ukraine as the foreign entity involved in an alleged intelligence leak by a Canadian military officer, raising questions about Canada’s security oversight and intra-agency trust.
• Details:
  • Master Warrant Officer Matthew Robar faces charges of leaking secrets.
  • His contact with Ukraine reportedly began with a Canadian introduction in May 2024, another meeting in Lithuania.
  • Investigation originated from within Canadian military intelligence.
  • Contention exists over whether actions were authorized pre-cooperation agreement with Ukraine.
  • Robar released with strict conditions pending prosecution decision.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “Robar’s alleged actions may have been out of step or even across purposes with other activities.” – Murray Brewster, CBC Senior Defense Reporter (09:00)

4. Deadly Weather in British Columbia and Pacific Northwest

• Synopsis: Severe storms claim lives and cause major flooding in British Columbia, echoed by similar destruction in Washington state.
• Details:
  • A young mother is killed by a falling tree; properties evacuated, flood warnings persist.
  • Experts highlight climate change, deforestation, and floodplain development as risk factors.
  • Local communities face repeated devastation, prompting calls for better land management.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “Most of our landscape is younger, regenerated second growth, but that actually does not have ... hydrologic functionality to mitigate flood and drought risk.” – Prof. Eunice Alila, UBC Hydrology (13:28)

5. Ottawa's New Methane Regulations for Oil & Gas

• Synopsis: Ottawa introduces new regulations giving companies flexibility on how to reduce methane emissions, targeting a 75% reduction by 2030.
• Details:
  • Companies can follow a government plan or design their own mitigation strategies.
  • Landfill methane is targeted as well, accounting for 17% of Canada’s methane emissions.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “It is one of the most important things that we can do and one of the most cost-effective.” – Env. Minister Julie Debussyn (14:46)

6. EU Eases Off Electric Vehicle Mandate

• Synopsis: Facing economic and competitive pressures, the EU adjusts its 2035 electric vehicle mandate, now allowing 10% of new vehicles sold to be non-electric under strict emissions rules.
• Details:
  • The shift results from car industry lobbying and slow infrastructure development.
  • Environmental advocates warn of investing in outdated tech and losing ground to China.
  • Canadian experts reflect on implications for Canada’s paused EV policies.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “China currently is racing ahead, and Europe will not be able to catch up ... by investing in the technologies of yesterday.” – Advocacy group rep (16:32)
  • “Canada has a choice: Do we want to join the US in going back to the 1950s and living in this fossil fuel island?” – Joanna Kyriazas, Clean Energy Canada (17:35)

7. Ontario Residents Exploit Quebec’s Bottle Return System

• Synopsis: Ontario residents are crossing into Quebec to cash in bottles and cans due to Quebec’s superior deposit return system, costing Quebec financially as their technology cannot distinguish Ontario bottles.
• Details:
  • Each deposit return can be $0.10 to $0.25; one Ontarian earns over $100/week.
  • Quebec’s system is expanding, but technology only screens out US imports, not interprovincial.
  • No legislation currently stops Ontarians from participating; Quebec reviewing the loophole.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “If you have the luck to do it, you do it.” – Ontario bottle returner (20:48)

8. Skate Canada Refuses to Host Events in Alberta Over Transgender Athlete Restrictions

• Synopsis: Skate Canada withdraws national/international events from Alberta in protest of a law restricting transgender athletes in female-only divisions.
• Details:
  • Cited as contrary to inclusion and fairness.
  • Alberta’s Minister for Sport argues the law creates a level playing field.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “Skate Canada is denying female athletes a safe and level playing field.” – Alberta’s Minister for Sport (21:53)

9. Jamaica’s Ongoing Recovery from Hurricane Melissa

• Synopsis: Montego Bay continues rebuilding efforts after the largest storm in Jamaica’s history, with destroyed infrastructure, hospitals at capacity, and a pivotal Canadian relief effort.
• Details:
  • Local doctors and Canadian medical teams address rising post-disaster medical needs.
  • Tourism remains hobbled, but local officials urge its revival for economic recovery.
  • Community resilience is apparent as churches, homes, and services rebuild with determination to be better prepared.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “If your nurses had not got people out, what would have happened? — Casualty would have been high.” – Dr. Delroy Frey (22:38)
  • “We have no tourist season. Most of the hotels are down, so it’s really bad.” – Carmita Johnston, housekeeper (24:14)
  • “We’re going to be decking it concrete, that way it’s going to be hurricane-proof.” – Pastor Duane Madden, Pillview Baptist Church (25:02)

10. Community Generosity: Regina’s Ribbon Skirt Barbies

• Synopsis: An anonymous donor’s handmade Indigenous ribbon skirt Barbie dolls delight children in Regina, continuing a tradition of giving in memory of a lost niece.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “She makes them in honor of her niece who they lost when she was 5. And so she made these in the hopes of making other girls happy.” – Tamara Warschuk, North Central Family Center director (26:27)
  • “They’re absolutely beautiful. I wish there was more like [them].” – Alina Kirknes, recipient (25:52)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “The monster was standing on that bridge. ... It wasn’t an accident, it was a bullet just fired on her.” — A grieving parent (02:33–02:40)
• “If these two ... traveled to the Philippines, they could have met with veterans of the war in Syria who could offer them bomb-making skills, networks, sniper skills.” — Tom Sanderson (04:01)
• “Civil society who’s doing humanitarian work ... is a security threat? I, for one, reject that notion.” — Canadian MP (07:23)
• “Robar’s alleged actions may have been out of step or even across purposes with other activities.” — Murray Brewster (09:00)
• “We have no tourist season. Most of the hotels are down. So it’s really bad.” — Local Jamaican hotel worker (24:14)
• “If you have the luck to do it, you do it.” — Ontario bottle returner (20:48)
• “We’re going to be decking it concrete — that way it’s going to be hurricane-proof.” — Pastor Duane Madden (25:02)
• “They’re absolutely beautiful. I wish there was more like [them].”— Alina Kirknes (25:52)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:53 – Australian Hanukkah shooting, extremist links, local grief
• 05:05 – Canadian MPs denied entry to West Bank, border dispute
• 08:01 – Canadian intelligence leak case involving Ukraine
• 11:30 – Severe weather deaths and flooding in British Columbia
• 14:09 – Canada’s methane regulations for oil and gas
• 15:27 – EU EV policy rollback and debate
• 18:08 – Ontario residents use Quebec’s bottle return for profit
• 21:06 – Skate Canada drops Alberta events over transgender athlete law
• 22:18 – Post-hurricane recovery in Jamaica, Canadian intervention
• 25:29 – Regina ribbon skirt Barbie donation story

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Tone and Language

The hosts and reporters employ a measured, empathetic, and fact-driven tone, weaving in first-person reflections and expert perspectives. The episode moves briskly but respectfully from hard-hitting world events to more personal, community-focused stories.

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Summary

This multifaceted newscast balances in-depth reporting of tragedy and policy debate with uplifting community narratives. The episode draws tight connections between global events and local Canadian concerns, providing analysis that is both accessible and impactful for listeners who want more than just headlines.

Transcript

[Narrator/Host]

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[CBC Announcer]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

ISIS is created by an evil ideology that has been called out not just by the Australian government, but globally as well.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

The Islamic State inspiration behind the deadly Hanukkah attack in Australia. As more details emerge about the horror and the heroic efforts to stop it, investigators say the two gunmen had extremist ties and possibly training before opening fire on innocent people. Welcome to youo World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Tuesday, December 16, just before 6pm Eastern. Also on the podcast, China currently is.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Racing ahead and Europe will not be able to catch up with China by investing in the technologies of yesterday.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Slowing down the EU's effort to get gas powered vehicles off the road, Europe's Car Producers Force a rollback on EV targets. They were inspired by isis. Authorities in Australia say the father and son behind the mass shooting at a Hanukkah party on Sunday had ISIS material and believed the group's ideology. The attack on the Jewish community killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more. Sasha Petrocek has the latest.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

Two days ago they ran from this beach in panic. Now Australians are coming back by the thousands back to Bondi in remembrance and.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Grief.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

In tears, Valentina brings a pair of sneakers from her 10 year old daughter Matilda, killed in the attack.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

The monster was standing on that bridge.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

What a monster who shot my little girl, she says.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

It wasn't an accident, it was a bullet just fired on her.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

Another couple is remembered as the first to die after trying to disarm one of the gunmen. And then there was Reuven Morrison, who threw rocks trying to stop bullets.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved the most.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

His daughter Sheena Gutnick blames the Australian government.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

They have betrayed us and they have.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

So much innocent blood on their hands.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Just like to give an update, our.

[Narrator/Host]

Two parallel investigations are ongoing.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

Meanwhile, Australian police have been investigating the two accused gunmen, 50 year old Sajid Akram and his 24 year old son Navid, says Police Commissioner Chrissy Barrett.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State allegedly committed by.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

A father and son.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

Police say they found an improvised explosive and two flags of Islamic State militants in their car. They also traced their movements to the southern Philippines in November, where experts say they may have spent weeks training with local Islamic militants who have Mideast experience. Tom Sanderson is a geopolitical risk consultant in Washington who's followed groups in the Philippines.

[Narrator/Host]

So if these two, the father and son, traveled to the Philippines, they could have met with veterans of the war in Syria who could offer them bomb making skills, networks, sniper skills.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

He says the global Islamic State and local Muslim insurgents in the Philippines have been in decline, but the Gaza war has reignited their followers anger.

[Narrator/Host]

It's motivating. It draws people to join groups to express their response to it, which is often a local expression of violence.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

That doesn't mean Australia has become a formal target, but it has proven vulnerable. Sasha Petrosik, CBC News, Toronto.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

A Canadian delegation to the Middle east was barred from entering the occupied West Bank. Six MPs were on the trip attempting to meet with Palestinians, but they were turned back at a border crossing in Jordan and there are conflicting stories about why. Rafi Bujakanian has more we were really.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Looking forward to entering the west bank and Jerusalem.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

Liberal MP Samir Zubairi, one of five Liberal MPs who were planning to be in Israel this evening with visits to the occupied west bank in the next two days.

[Narrator/Host]

Unfortunately, we returned away at the border.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

After a five hour long wait.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

The delegation, some 30 Canadians, landed in Jordan on the weekend and were going to enter the west bank by land through the Israeli controlled Allenby border crossing before continuing on to Jerusalem. The MPs say they were all turned away despite their special passports and despite informing the Canadian government well in advance of the trip. The unelected members of the delegation were all given forms to sign that listed public security or public safety reasons. They were denied entry. Iqra Khalid, also a Liberal mp, says that was not all.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

I had very terrible experience.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

She says she was yelled at by an Israeli officer and pushed by two of them. CBC has not been able to verify this. Israel's ambassador to Canada, IRO Mowed, says if that physical confrontation happened, it should not have.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

I think that's lamentable. It shouldn't happen.

[Field Reporter/Sasha Petrocek]

But in such extreme tense situations, sometimes.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

You know, people make decisions and, you know, do things that are not supposed to do.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

However, he's defending Israel's decision to reject the delegation. The group is on a private trip, sponsored travel by the Canadian Muslim Vote, a registered nonprofit in Canada. Israel insists it gets funding from Islamic Relief Canada itself, an affiliate of Islamic Relief Worldwide, which is listed as a terror entity in Israel. This despite Canadian Muslim Vote getting another delegation of MPs in last January with no trouble. Mowat says the financial links were unclear at the time.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Enlisted terrorist organization is working its way into our society.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

In a statement, the Canadian Muslim Vote calls Israel's accusation a baseless smear and says the government is just trying to stop eyewitnesses from speaking to Palestinians displaced by settler violence in the West Bank. The UN now says more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed on the swath of land in the last two years.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

I, for one, reject that notion that civil society who's doing humanitarian work on the ground is a security threat.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

The NDP's Jenny Kwon is the only opposition MP on the delegation. She says she is in disbelief the.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Group got rejected prior to embarking on this mission. We, of course, informed the Canadian government, who in turn told the Israeli government.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

Canada's Foreign Affairs Ministry Minister Anita Anand says she is in contact with the delegation and has expressed Canada's objections regarding the mistreatment of Canadians while attempting to cross Rafi Bujkani on CBC News, Jerusalem.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

There'S new information tonight on the case of a Canadian military intelligence operative who's accused of leaking secrets to a foreign entity. CBC News has confirmed the country involved is Ukraine, and the allegations are apparently dividing the Canadian military intelligence community. The CBC's Murray Brewster is following the case. Murray, what is at the heart of this case?

[Narrator/Host]

Well, Master Warrant Officer Matthew Robar faces eight charges under the National Defense act and the Security of Information act, including communicating special operational information to a foreign entity. Now, it was reported earlier today by our colleagues at the Globe and Mail that Ukraine was the country involved. We've confirmed that now. But what we can tell you in addition is that these conversations Robar was allegedly involved in started when he was introduced to a representative of Ukraine by a Canadian official in May 2024. A second meeting took place in September of last year in Lithuania. Now, whether these conversations were sanctioned or not by his superiors is up for debate. We have to make it clear Ukraine doesn't appear to have been spying on Canada as a country at war, uses both official and unofficial channels as it tries to get support and equipment.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

So how did the entire investigation into this man start?

[Narrator/Host]

Well, what we can tell you from confidential sources is that the complaint started the combined RCMP and military police investigation. It came from within the military intelligence community. Now, that's significant because Robar's alleged actions may have been out of step or even across purposes with other activities. And they came before Canada signed an official security cooperation deal with Ukraine, which formalizes intelligence and counterintelligence cooperation. Now, earlier today, I spoke with the Canadian forces provost marshal who's in charge of military police, Brigadier General Vanessa Hanrahan. And she would only say that the complaint that sparked the year long investigation originated within the military. She wouldn't be specific about where, where.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Does this case go from here?

[Narrator/Host]

Well, a military prosecutor is now reviewing whether to proceed with all or some of the charges. Now, Robar was released from military custody yesterday with conditions including not being able to talk to members of the intelligence community.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Okay, Murray, complicated case. Thank you so much for telling us about it.

[Narrator/Host]

You're welcome.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Murray Brewster is the senior defense reporter for CBC News. He's in Ottawa. Severe weather turns deadly in the Fraser Valley. Strong winds and rain keep hammering British Columbia. Plus pumping the brakes on a plan to ban gas powered vehicles as Europe tries to balance climate goals and Chinese competition. Later, we'll have this story.

[Narrator/Host]

David.

[David Common]

I'm David Common in Montego Bay where the rebuilding continues following the worst hurricane to ever hit Jamaica.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We have no tourist season. Most of the hotels are down, so it's really bad.

[David Common]

Why? Jamaican officials are urging tourists to return even as mud caked streets and downed power lines are being cleared. Coming up on youn World Tonight.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Intense weather in British Columbia is being blamed for the death of a young mother. RCMP say she was struck and killed by a falling tree branch yesterday. Wind and rain warnings are in place tonight for parts of BC's already battered lower mainland. Liam Britton reports.

[CBC Announcer]

Strewn along a path in a Chilliwack BC Park, a shattered tree trunk, bare branches and scraps of police tape.

[Narrator/Host]

We saw about 12 officers there and a tree down and we were asked to leave the park.

[CBC Announcer]

Darren Clark was walking nearby yesterday with his dog.

[Narrator/Host]

It looked like a young family was there, maybe related to the situation. We don't know.

[CBC Announcer]

RCMP confirm a falling tree killed a 27 year old woman on a walk with her two young kids.

[Narrator/Host]

It's a pretty depressing kind of feel.

[CBC Announcer]

Police say severe and unpredictable weather is to blame. High winds and heavy rain have struck BC's Fraser Valley for days.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We saw a really sort of vigorous.

[Narrator/Host]

Frontal system passing yesterday afternoon.

[CBC Announcer]

Winds gusted up to 70km an hour in the area around the time the tree came down, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor. He says rain and even stronger winds may be in store tonight, but again.

[Narrator/Host]

Fairly vigorous and fairly widespread.

[CBC Announcer]

A rain warning for the area now has been downgraded, but flood warnings remain in Abbotsford. Over 30 properties are still under evacuation orders and over 400 on alert. Despite signs of receding waters in the Fraser Valley just over the border to the south in Washington state, a similar scene is unfolding north of Seattle. Officials say a man was found dead inside his submerged car early Tuesday.

[Interviewee/MP or Official]

I don't know.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

I don't know what's gonna happen. We're gonna find out.

[CBC Announcer]

Closer to Seattle, Fonzie Cole was ordered from his home after a second levy failed.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We kind of just evacuated everybody and now we're kind of just seeing what's going to happen from here.

[CBC Announcer]

This is the second time in four years when devastating floods have gushed across the Pacific Northwest. University of British Columbia hydrology professor Eunice Alila points to climate change, building and floodplains, and especially clear cut forestry.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Most of our landscape is younger, regenerated, second growth, but that actually does not have good enough function hydrologic functionality to mitigate hydrology and flood risk and drought risk.

[CBC Announcer]

Across the Fraser Valley, cleanup is ongoing and buildings are being checked for damage. And a memorial is growing in the Chilliwack Park. Bright flowers stand out against the gray sky and muddy river waters next to the splintered wood that claimed the life of a young mother. Liam Britton, CBC News, Vancouver.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

New methane regulations from Ottawa are giving oil and gas companies a choice. Follow a mitigation strategy set by the government or design your own, as long as it meets certain targets. Methane has an enormous climate warming effect on the atmosphere, and the oil and gas industry produces most of it. Environment Minister Julie Debussyn says Canada's goal is to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Today is actually where we put into action regulations that are going to reduce methane emissions in our country.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

It is one of the most important.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Things that we can do and one of the most cost effective things that we can do.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

The plan also includes requirements to monitor and capture the methane produced within landfills. Organic waste in garbage dumps accounts for about 17% of the methane produced in Canada. Europe has been driving the global environmental push for electric cars with plans to sell only EVs by 2035. Now, under pressure from car companies and countries, the European Union is shifting gears. As Anand Ram reports, it's causing concern there and here that climate policies are reversing.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We do recognize the sheer complexity of the challenge.

[Narrator/Host]

Making all new cars sold electric by 2035 was an ambitious goal Today, European Climate Commissioner Woepke Hoekstra announcing a policy shift.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

So in practice that would mean 90% of vehicles will be electric. For the remaining 10%, we allow flexibility.

[Narrator/Host]

In other words, you'll still hear gasoline burning cars driving off European lots in a decade. But those emissions will have to be made up through the use of lower carbon steel or sustainable fuels. While not a big change, Lucien Mathieu with European advocacy group Transport and Environment sees a distraction.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

What Europe is doing is by clinging to the combustion engine and to hybrid is investing in these technologies that will be outdated.

[Narrator/Host]

The move follows months of pressure from both member countries, with car industries and automakers struggling with profits and a lack of charging locations for EVs. Not to mention the elephant in the room that's only getting bigger.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

China currently is racing ahead, and Europe will not be able to catch up with China by investing in the technologies of yesterday.

[Narrator/Host]

But others see this as a necessary tweak to a very lofty target. 100% is always a problematic goal. Gil Tal is director of the Electric Vehicle Research center at the University of California, Davis. He applauds this adjustment, but still says electrifying the roads is important to bring down climate warming emissions.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Decarbonizing the light duty vehicle sector is the closest thing to a silver bullet we have. It's the one policy, the one technology that actually works, that can make a huge difference, that we know how to do it. The insane electric vehicle mandate.

[Narrator/Host]

It's a quest to end the gasoline powered car. Europe's proposed lane change isn't the U turn that the Trump administration is taking on EVs, but it still signals a shift. And Joanna Kyriazas with Clean Energy Canada says the federal government needs to consider what path it will take. With its own currently paused EV regulations.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Canada has a choice. Do we want to join the US in going back to the 1950s and living in this fossil fuel island? Or do we want to align with the rest of the world, where EVs are breaking records and are expected to.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Make up one in four new car sales this year?

[Narrator/Host]

This proposal will still take a while to work through the EU Parliament, but for now it's a sign that the climate ambitions of even a few years ago are crashing against the reality of what it truly takes to get there. Anand Ram, CBC News, Toronto.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

In Ontario, most empty bottles and cans are not worth anything. But in the province next door, they can be exchanged for money. So people are making the trip to cash in on changes to Quebec's deposit system. Sarah Levitt explains what's going on and why, for now, the province can't stop it.

[Sarah Levitt]

Every day, the bottle and can return. Machines at convenience and grocery stores in Grenville, Quebec, are hard at work. Consumers popping in containers like aluminum cans and plastic bottles net $0.10, $0.25 for larger ones. A provincial deposit system envied by many. But in this town, turns out nearby Ontarians are taking advantage. Employees at the Marche Express have been witnessing it happen. They don't pay a deposit in Ontario, she says, so it's advantageous for them to bring their stuff here. In that province, consumers can get back their deposits on alcoholic beverages only. So buying a Pepsi in Ontario and returning it in Quebec means money gained. Lugging three garbage bags into the IGA, Serge Mehran estimates he'll get about $20 in all. He just walked across the bridge from Hawkesbury, Ontario into Grenville, something he says he does about three times a week.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Pick up some can and I bring it here to make money.

[Sarah Levitt]

In March, Quebec expanded its deposit system. Cans and soft drinks in plastic bottles were already included, but now so too are other plastic containers. In the coming years, it will also incorporate car and all glass bottles. The non profit Consign Action, which manages the system, says, of course there are growing pains. Jean Francois Manafort is a VP there.

[Narrator/Host]

The way that we identify the containers is through the barcode. Barcode is per country, so I can tell. Our system can tell. If the container comes from the US it will be rejected. But if it comes from somewhere across Canada, I can't tell the difference.

[Sarah Levitt]

There's no legislation right now that forbids somebody from another province from getting the deposit. Quebec, but the government says it's looking into it. Kong Singh Action doesn't have a clear idea how many come from Ontario, but says there definitely has been an increase of returns in areas near the border.

[Narrator/Host]

I know that Ontario is exploring a deposit return system. Once they get a more solid footing, I expect that we will need to sort of understand, you know, how we can coexist across that border.

[Sarah Levitt]

In Grenville, though, Quebecers don't seem to worry about.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Good for her.

[Sarah Levitt]

Not a problem.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

No problem. That's what you get. If you have the luck to do it, you do it. 100 and something.

[Sarah Levitt]

That's how much Serge Miron makes a week from his trips. Something he says he'll keep doing as long as he can. Sarah Levitz, CBC News, Granville, Quebec.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Canada's major figure skating organization says it will not host national or international level events in Alberta. Skate Canada is pointing to a law that restricts transgender athletes in female only sport divisions. The organization says the restrictions affect its ability to provide safe and inclusive sport. Alberta's minister for sport says it's the opposite. Skate Canada is denying female athletes a safe and level playing field. This is yous World Tonight from CBC News. If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts, just find the follow button and lock us in. It's been just over a month since Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, the largest storm to ever hit the island, causing more than $10 billion in damage. Now a massive recovery and rebuild effort is underway and a Canadian contingent is involved. David Common traveled to Montego Bay, Jamaica.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

A long hair and upstairs were a patient.

[David Common]

Dr. Delroy Frey walks through the Cornwall Regional Hospital's damaged surgical ward. Beds pushed aside, floors mopped clear of the water. The Category 5 hurricane brought in. If your nurses had not got people out, what would have happened?

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Casualty would have been high.

[David Common]

The emergency room now crammed full of people on oxygen, some with recent amputations and worsening chronic conditions. Because many Jamaicans have been marooned in villages by floodwaters and roads that have only just been cleared of fallen trees and thick mud.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

They had injuries, especially diabetic foot injuries, and they were not able to present early enough.

[Sarah Levitt]

This is Dr. Juliana in a tent.

[David Common]

Outside the hospital's ER. Dr. Juliana Deutscher of Calgary is treating a man with a burn on his arm. She's with the registered charity Canadian Medical Assistance Teams.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Just gonna take the tape off here.

[David Common]

The volunteers take on patients who can be treated faster so Jamaican doctors can focus on the more complex cases.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Yeah, and you can feel me touching here and here.

[David Common]

Nearby the hospital, across hundreds of homes, blue tarps cover missing roofs. Down by the shoreline, 6 meter storm surge flooded out entire neighborhoods. The damage will take years to repair. Jamaicans are approaching that task with resilience. Do you mind if I ask you what he's doing?

[Reporter/Correspondent]

He is shifting the wire.

[David Common]

We met Carmita Johnston as a neighbor, climbed a ladder to reconnect her electric power. You've had no power since the storm?

[Reporter/Correspondent]

No, no, no. No light, no power, nothing.

[David Common]

Like many Jamaicans, Carmita works in tourism as a housekeeper in a hotel. But it is too damaged to yet reopen.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We have no tourist season. Most of the hotels are down. So it's really bad.

[David Common]

It's why Jamaican officials are encouraging tourists to return to resorts that are open. And it may seem odd to see cruise ships and beachgoers relax when there's such destruction nearby. But for many here, those tourists are imperative.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Let us pray. Our God and our Father in the.

[David Common]

Pillview Baptist Church, worshipers gather in the basement.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We want to thank you again that we are worshipping under a roof, even though it's not the original sanctuary roof.

[David Common]

That original metal roof was sheared off by the hurricane. It'll take at least $100,000 to repair. Pastor Duane Madden says the roof will be different.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

We're going to be decking it concrete that way. It's going to be hurricane proof.

[David Common]

They come to celebrate together, to overcome out of ruin. Reb.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Jesus Christ is born.

[David Common]

David Common, CBC News, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

We close tonight in Regina, where the holiday toy drive is in full swing at the North Central Family Center. The organization provides after school programs, meals, training and housing support. Right now, the focus is on making sure children in the community have gifts to open. And last week, something special came in courtesy of an anonymous donor.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

I love them. They're absolutely beautiful. I wish there was more like beautiful. I was like, wow, that's my first thought. I was like, wow, those are beautiful.

[Anchor/Susan Bonner]

Alina Kirknes says her daughters will love them, too. Last Friday, the center received a donation of 10 Barbie dolls with some special accessories, indigenous ribbon skirts and other ceremonial attire intricately designed with flower patterns and colored ribbons. There's also winter leggings and sweaters. The tiny items of clothing were all handcrafted, then carefully packaged and sealed with the new dolls. Tamara Warschuk is the center's director. We don't see a lot of handmade gifts where people take the time and, you know, handcraft them themselves. And this was very special. Warschuck had a feeling there was a backstory behind the dolls. She reached out to the woman who dropped them off. She has made these skirts for several years and she makes them in honor of her niece who they lost when she was 5. And so she made these in the hopes of making other girls happy. The items can't be mass produced, but the center's limited supply of ribbon skirt Barbies did get a boost after Warschuck posted about them on Facebook. The story inspired someone else to make her own and donate two more dolls. Thank you for joining us. This has been youn World Tonight for Tuesday, December 16th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

[CBC Announcer]

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