Podcast Summary

Podcast: Your World Tonight (CBC)
Episode: Cross Border Travel, Cost of Living, Ebooks Costing Libraries, and More
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Tanya Fletcher

Episode Overview

This episode covers major news stories impacting Canadians during the 2025 holiday season. The hosts explore changes in cross-border travel between Canada and the US, the rising cost of living and government responses, challenges public libraries face with ebooks, severe winter weather across the country, and an inspiring profile of Paralympic skier Kurt Oatway. The episode closes with a heartwarming story about an autistic child’s dream of flight.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Cross-Border Travel Trends

[03:43 – 08:24]

• Decline in Canadian Travel to US:

  • New Stats Canada data shows a significant decrease (down ~25% from last year) in Canadians traveling to the US. Factors include border tensions, tariffs, confusing policies, and a weak Canadian dollar.
  • Reginald Raju (Peace Arch Duty-Free):

    "We're down about 50% in sales currently this month."
    (05:11)

  • Staff cutbacks at border shops reflect diminished travel.

• Canadians Express Reluctance to Visit US:

  • Tracy Lemourie, frequent traveler:

    “I don’t imagine that America is ever going to be something that I’m going to feel is an aspirational travel destination ever again.”
    (06:54)

• Conversely, US Tourism to Canada Rises:

  • American visitors to Canada increased by 3% in October.
  • Frederic Dimanche (Tourism Researcher):

    "Traffic is likely to increase. We should definitely expect better continuous results in 2026." (07:18)

• US Destinations Feel the Heat:

  • Las Vegas and other US regions are experiencing notable declines in international visits and hotel bookings.

2. Air Passenger Protection Backlog

[08:24 – 13:40]

• Massive Complaint Delays:

  • Canadian air passenger protection, intended to support delayed or inconvenienced flyers, is overwhelmed with an 88,000-case backlog.
  • Gerald Van Devan (Waiting for compensation 2.5 years):

    “There's no way to get answers. I've sent emails and you just get a one line response: You're still in the queue.”
    (09:06)

• Regulatory Stalemate:

  • Ian Jack (CAA):

    “The original sin...was the government writing an enormously complicated set of regulations, all kinds of gray areas, all kinds of loopholes and exemptions to the point where the average consumer files a complaint with the carrier. The carrier just says, nah.”
    (10:48)

• Political Frustration:

  • Dan Albas (Conservative transport critic):

    “Canadians, when they travel, when they think that these so-called air passenger bill of rights are actual rights, right now it's a right to wait in line.”
    (12:46)

3. Rising Cost of Living in Canada

[13:40 – 17:56]

• Everyday Canadians Feeling the Squeeze:

  • Food prices and overall cost of living are increasing rapidly.
  • Scott Eng (shopper):

    “Feels like it gets worse, honestly, every time you go to the grocery store.”
    (14:19)

• Government Response:

  • Prime Minister Mark Carney outlines recent tax cuts and preservation of key support programs (childcare, pharmacare, dental) despite plans to cut public service by 10%.
  • Carney:

    “Those tough decisions, we're preserving all the transfers, we're cutting taxes...”
    (15:37)

• Expert Pushback:

  • Valerie Tarasuk (U of T Nutritional Sciences):

    “That's not a good enough response to this problem... We've got...25.5% who are food insecure. Those are people who already have made the compromises and now are literally struggling to afford to buy the things that they need.”
    (16:22)

• Making Tough Choices:

  • Sarah Brown (shopper):

    "...like we were debating getting green beans or asparagus and green beans were half the price of asparagus. So green beans it is for sure." (17:38)

4. Weather and Emergencies Across Canada

[19:15 – 23:59]

• Yukon & Prairie Extreme Weather:

  • Yukon faces temperatures of -40°C to -55°C, record-high electricity use, and threats to the power grid.

  • Stephanie Cunha (Yukon Energy):

    “Certainly rolling blackouts is one possibility, but it is a last resort.” (19:21)

  • Jay Massey (ATCO Electric Yukon):

    “The grid needs people to use less power...defer non-essential activities till later in the night.” (20:05)

  • Derek Lee (Environment Canada):

    “In the last few days we have seen temperatures in the Yukon drop down to minus 20 degrees or 30 degrees below the seasonal norms...” (20:44)

• Heavy Snow in Alberta:

  • Edmonton and northern/central Alberta face significant holiday snowfall.
  • James Colangelo (Environment Canada):

    “It is a system that will be affecting multiple areas. However, the worst of it looks to be in and around the Edmonton area.” (22:14)

5. Ebooks and Canadian Libraries

[24:00 – 27:43]

• Ebook Popularity Soars, but at a Price:

  • Public library ebook loans now surpass physical loans, straining budgets.
  • Kay Cahill (Vancouver Public Library):

    “We’re now at a point where digital circulation has for the first time exceeded physical circulation.” (24:36)
    “Ebooks...cost up to five times as much as physical copies...we just can’t afford to buy as many copies to meet the demand when the prices are that high.” (25:09)

• Advocacy for Legislative Change:

  • Andrea Checchetto (Canadian Federation of Library Associations) mentions exploring legal solutions similar to US states aiming to curb costs.

• Concerns from Small Publishers:

  • Kevin Williams (Talon Books):

    “Canadian presses have always struggled to have as many of their books represented in the libraries because we obviously have to compete against the hundreds and hundreds...of books in the English language.” (26:37)

6. Paralympic Skier Kurt Oatway’s Comeback

[27:44 – 32:30]

• Triumph Over Adversity:

  • Kurt Oatway, Canadian para-skier, is preparing for another Paralympics at age 41 after injury setbacks.
  • Oatway:

    “It's only over when you say it's over.” (27:54)
    “Before I got into an ambulance...before surgeries and everything, I knew I wasn’t going to [quit].” (28:52)

• Support Network:

  • Family, coaches, and local community provided crucial encouragement.
  • Lionel Oatway (father):

    “From a state of despair to a state of triumph. It's been very motivating for him and also for the family as well.” (30:41)

• Looking Ahead:

  • Coming off a top season, Oatway is motivated to close his career with another podium finish.

7. Heartwarming Story: Spencer and His Dream of Flight

[32:31 – End (~34:41)]

• Aviation-Obsessed Child’s Adventure:

  • Leanna Metcalfe, Nova Scotia, raises her autistic grandson Spencer, who is obsessed with airplanes.
  • He becomes a regular at Sydney airport, learning airplane schedules and befriending staff.
  • Given his own "Chief Aircraft Spotter" ID badge.

• Once-in-a-Lifetime Flight:

  • Pilot Dimitri Neonakis, who runs "Dreamwings" for children with disabilities, takes Spencer on his first flight.
  • Neonakis:

    “So this flight wasn’t just a flight with Spencer and his grandmother. I had my own grandmother on board in spirit. So it was beautiful. It was wonderful.” (34:18)

• Spencer’s Thanks:

  • After the flight, Spencer thanks Dimitri over the radio:

    “I hope you have a merry Christmas to you.” (34:40)

Notable Quotes

• On persistent inflation:

  “Feels like it gets worse, honestly, every time you go to the grocery store.”
  (Scott Eng, 14:19)

• On ebook accessibility:

  “What we want is to be able to have more people be able to read, saying it shouldn't be this hard to borrow a book.”
  (Lydia White, 27:26)

• On never giving up:

  “It's only over when you say it's over.”
  (Kurt Oatway, 27:54)

• On systems failing travelers:

  “Right now it’s a right to wait in line.”
  (Dan Albas, 12:46)

Episode Timeline / Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–03:43 | Introduction, context for the episode | | 03:43–08:24 | Cross-border travel declines & US-Canada dynamics | | 08:24–13:40 | Air passenger regulation & backlog | | 13:40–17:56 | Discussions on cost of living and food insecurity | | 17:56–19:15 | Upcoming segments preview | | 19:15–23:59 | Weather crisis in Yukon & Prairie provinces | | 24:00–27:43 | Ebook costs and library challenges | | 27:44–32:30 | Paralympian Kurt Oatway’s comeback story | | 32:31–34:41 | Story of Spencer and his dream flight |

Conclusion

This compact newscast episode painted a picture of Canadians facing mounting challenges—from economic pressures and disruptions in familiar travel traditions to the rising costs of new technologies like ebooks. Yet it balanced hardship with stories of resilience and community support, offering a powerful reminder of perseverance and hope during the holiday season.