Your World Tonight – CBC

Episode Summary for December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

On this edition of Your World Tonight, hosts Susan Bonner and the CBC team provide a comprehensive look at urgent Canadian and international news. Key topics include the B.C. floods and ongoing evacuations, new Canadian terror group designations, a decades-old serial killer case finally solved, the resignation of a national museum CEO amid a damning report, a stranded VIA Rail train saga, U.S.-Venezuela tensions over seized oil, evolving health care deals in Quebec, innovation in marine biology with orca-dolphin collaboration, and a touching story about a unique Christmas gift.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. B.C. Flooding: Devastation Returns to the Fraser Valley

Tanya Fletcher, reporting
[01:06-07:40]

• Atmospheric river brings catastrophic rain, leading to mass evacuations, echoing 2021's catastrophic floods (the costliest natural disaster in B.C. history).
• Hundreds evacuated; thousands on alert—the community relives trauma as rivers rise and highways close.
• Dramatic stories: Search crews used helicopters at midnight to rescue five people and four dogs from the Chilliwack River.
• Livestock at risk: Farmers reluctant to leave, unable to move cows and chickens (Rob Acheson: “The last time we were evacuated for five days, which is definitely a bit of a problem, you know, when you’ve got livestock.” [05:24])
• Not enough progress since 2021: Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popov criticizes officials for lacking action:

  “There were talks and that’s all there were, were talks. We’re in catch up mode still. We have to be preventative, not reactionary.” [07:00]

• Infrastructure crippled: Major highways closed; Amtrak train service between Seattle and Vancouver suspended.

2. Online Threats: Canada Designates New Terror Groups

Katherine Tunney, reporting
[07:41-12:24]

• Canada adds three groups to its terrorist list: 764 (an online sadistic network targeting youth), the Maniac Murder Cult, and the Terror Graham Collective (linked to violent white supremacy).
• 764’s modus operandi: Using games and social media to lure and extort young people, inciting violence and self-harm.
  • Matthew Kreiner, Countering Digital Extremism:

    "Their goals are to cause chaos and to cause harm to others so they can gain clout and power for themselves within their ecosystem online. So it's a very nihilistic outlook." [09:02]

• First nation to do so: Canada leads in criminalizing involvement with 764.
• Real-world impact: A Red Deer mother recounts how her daughter was ensnared by 764 ("If then they were convincing kids to do mass shooting, my kid would have done that and that is terrifying to think." [10:18])
• Legal implications: New powers for police to freeze assets and criminalize assisting these groups.
• Ongoing cases: A Halifax teen’s legal situation may change based on the new designation.

3. Serial Killer Identified in Decades-Old Ontario Murders

Lisa Shing, reporting
[12:25-16:10]

• Major cold case breakthrough: Kenneth Smith, deceased in 2019, is linked by DNA to the murders of Christine Prince, Gracelyn Greenridge, and Claire Sampson dating back to 1982.
• Emotional closure for families: Only some survivors learn the truth; others, like Sampson’s parents, have already passed.
• Police detail investigative hurdles: DNA mixtures complicated the process, but familial DNA finally led to Smith.
  • Det. Sgt. Steve Smith:

    "That’s one of the biggest problems with DNA right now is having a mixture of the offender DNA with the victim’s DNA. So that’s why it took us so long." [15:30]

• Potential for more victims: Investigation continues into Smith’s crimes.

4. Canadian Museum of Immigration CEO Resigns Amid Damning Report

Ashley Burke, reporting
[18:31-22:40]

• Marie Chapman out as CEO: Following an integrity commissioner’s report citing a decade of staff mistreatment at Pier 21 in Halifax.
• Toxic workplace allegations: Witnesses described a “climate of fear.” Some staff contemplated self-harm; Chapman accused of derogatory language and public humiliation.
• Chapman's response: Admits to calling her leadership "sluts," claims it was "inclusive" and denies fostering a climate of fear.
• Government reactions:
  • Integrity Commissioner Harriet Soloway:

    “This sort of breach poses a serious threat to confidence in the integrity of the public sector and specifically the museum.” [19:59]

  • Minister Mark Miller:

    "If anything in that report is indeed accurate, certainly grounds for the board to take action." [21:18]

• Immediate impact: Chapman retires; external expert to assess staff wellness.

5. VIA Rail Passengers Stranded Overnight

Philip Lee-Shanock, reporting
[22:41-26:48]

• Mechanical failure: Turned a Toronto-Ottawa trip into a 14-hour ordeal; 300 passengers affected, some stuck overnight.
• Passenger experiences:
  • Isabelle Leduc:

    "My journey really was planes, trains, and automobiles, like literally." [23:01]

  • Tyler Gannon:

    "Everyone was just talking about the lack of communication and how frustrating it was." [25:00]

• VIA Rail’s response: Full refunds, promises review, cites logistical limitations (no buses available).
• Systemic issues: Railway expert Willem Klumpenhauer notes broader vulnerabilities:

  "We're operating kind of on a sort of shoestring type network." [26:00]

6. US-Venezuela Tensions Escalate Over Seized Oil Tanker

Katie Nicholson, reporting
[27:12-31:45]

• US seizes oil vessel, vows to keep oil: Video depicts Coast Guard commandeering vessel linked to sanctioned smuggling.
• Diplomatic fallout: Venezuela calls seizure "piracy;" Maduro turns to Putin for support.
• Broader context: String of US actions against Venezuela; opposition leader Maria Corinna Machado smuggled out with US help.
  • Senator Dick Durbin voices concern:

    "We are edging toward war with Venezuela. The American people have a right to know what's going on." [31:37]

7. Gaza: Winter Storm Adds to Humanitarian Crisis

[Short headline, limited segment]
[31:46-32:30]

• Flooded tents, one infant death from exposure.
• Ceasefire in effect, but basic needs unmet due to infrastructure damage and shortages.

8. Orcas and Dolphins Cooperate Off BC Coast

Yasmeen Ranea, reporting
[32:50-36:23]

• Groundbreaking research: UBC and Dalhousie researchers document orca whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins hunting together for Chinook salmon.
• Unique interspecies cooperation: Orcas benefit from dolphins’ deep-diving, echolocation skills; dolphins receive fish scraps, a mutual benefit.
  • Keith Holmes (researcher):

    "It’s really unique in the animal world to see dolphins and killer whales foraging together.” [33:22]

  • Andrew Trite (UBC):

    "We were hearing the dolphins echolocating and as we started to compare things, we were noticing that the killer whale was going quiet." [34:10]

• Adaptation to ecosystem changes: Expert Janie Ray notes:

  "It's not surprising that they would learn that in order to survive, ... they really do need to work together." [35:40]

• Potential survival model: Insightful for the endangered southern resident killer whales.

9. A Touching Holiday Gift: A Love Song Written For a Husband

Personal Feature – Final Segment
[36:24-39:41]

• Story of Alison and Steve: Met in Cuba by chance; their love story inspired a tailor-made song as a Christmas gift by former student/musician Tessa Balles.
• Surprise and emotion: Steve recounts his tears and joy hearing “my song.”

  "We played it over and over that night, and we danced to it in our hotel room, and we cried together... it was just beautiful." [39:05]

• Memorable moment: Special song becomes a touching centerpiece to the episode.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “We’re in catch up mode still. We have to be preventative, not reactionary.”
  — Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popov [07:00]
• “Their goals are to cause chaos and to cause harm to others so they can gain clout and power for themselves within their ecosystem online.”
  — Matthew Kreiner [09:02]
• “That’s one of the biggest problems with DNA right now... So that’s why it took us so long.”
  — Det. Sgt. Steve Smith [15:30]
• “This sort of breach poses a serious threat to confidence in the integrity of the public sector and specifically the museum.”
  — Harriet Soloway [19:59]
• “We’re operating kind of on a sort of shoestring type network.”
  — Willem Klumpenhauer [26:00]
• “We are edging toward war with Venezuela. The American people have a right to know what's going on.”
  — Senator Dick Durbin [31:37]
• "It’s really unique in the animal world to see dolphins and killer whales foraging together."
  — Keith Holmes [33:22]
• "We played it over and over that night, and we danced to it in our hotel room, and we cried together... it was just beautiful."
  — Steve, gift recipient [39:05]

Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |-------------------------------------------|----------------| | B.C. Flooding | 01:06–07:40 | | New Terror Group Designations | 07:41–12:24 | | Serial Killer Identified | 12:25–16:10 | | Museum CEO Resigns | 18:31–22:40 | | VIA Rail Stranded Passengers | 22:41–26:48 | | US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker | 27:12–31:45 | | Gaza Storm Worsens Crisis | 31:46–32:30 | | Orca-Dolphin Collaboration Discovery | 32:50–36:23 | | Touching Holiday Song Feature | 36:24–39:41 |

This episode of Your World Tonight blends urgent headlines with rich local stories, direct voices, and moments of unexpected wonder—delivering a comprehensive snapshot of the day’s most important developments from a Canadian perspective.