Food insecurity grows in Canada, Kirk suspect charged, Freeland steps down, and more

Summary

Your World Tonight (CBC) — September 16, 2025

Episode: Food insecurity grows in Canada, Kirk suspect charged, Freeland steps down, and more

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Your World Tonight," hosted by Susan Bonner, delivers a comprehensive evening briefing on the day’s most significant stories from Canada and around the globe. Main themes include Canada’s escalating food insecurity crisis, Chrystia Freeland’s surprise cabinet resignation, updates on the high-profile killing of American commentator Charlie Kirk, a UN inquiry into Gaza, and a tribute to the late actor Robert Redford. The episode closes with a dramatic story of an emergency airplane landing in downtown Toronto.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rising Food Insecurity in Canada

[00:37–04:56]

• Staggering Statistics & Lived Experience
  • Susan Bonner sets the scene, tying Canada's affordability crisis directly to rising grocery costs:
    • “It’s a dilemma facing people across the country. An empty stomach or an empty wallet.” (00:48)
  • Colin Butler reports from London, Ontario where the cost of living is causing distress for people like Greg Cowie, who depends on disability benefits:
    • "Cost of living is uncomfortable, difficult." (02:37)
    • After rent, only $300/month is left for food. Meals are scaled back to essentials.
• Food Bank Surge & Municipal Emergencies
  • One in four Canadian households struggles to pay for groceries—seven Ontario cities, including Orillia, have declared hunger emergencies:
    • Chris Peacock (The Sharing Place Food Center, Orillia): “We need action and we need it now.” (03:51)
• Systemic Causes & Political Inaction
  • Professor Valerie Tarasuk (University of Toronto) highlights the longstanding nature of the problem:
    • “Political parties have been talking kitchen table politics for years, but none have actually addressed what’s on Canadian families' plates.” (04:10)
  • Food bank visits nationwide have doubled in five years.

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2. Chrystia Freeland Steps Down from Cabinet

[04:56–07:48]

• Freeland's Departure
  • Reporting from Ottawa, Tom Perry details Freeland’s resignation as Minister and her decision not to seek re-election, surprising the political establishment.
  • MP James Maloney (Liberal): “She’s been a role model and a leader in caucus.” (05:32)
  • Freeland's decision follows her December 2024 resignation from the Finance portfolio, which accelerated Justin Trudeau’s own resignation.
• Legacy & New Role
  • Jenny Kwan (NDP) notes her instrumental role in Trudeau’s departure.
  • Noted for negotiating the new NAFTA despite antagonism from then-President Trump, who said:
    • “She was terrible, actually. She was a terrible person.” (06:37, Trump quote)
  • Developed unexpected alliances—Doug Ford (Ontario Premier):
    • “She’s always a friend… she’ll do a great job over in Ukraine and I support her all the way.” (06:49)
  • Freeland takes a new position as Canada's Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
  • On Russia's invasion:
    • Freeland: “This is not the behavior of a superpower. This is the last gasp of a failing kleptocracy.” (07:14)

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3. Economic Policy and Political Divide

[07:48–08:19]

• The 2025 federal budget will be unveiled on November 4.
• Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne promises tough but necessary generational investments:
  • “I’m not sugarcoating anything… this is a transformational moment. This is nothing like business as usual.” (08:01)
• Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre criticizes the Liberals for deficit spending.

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4. The Charlie Kirk Case: Charges and Political Fallout

[09:27–12:17]

• Murder Charges Announced
  • In Utah, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is charged with killing American activist Charlie Kirk; prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
  • Texts reveal the act was politically motivated, targeting Kirk at a public event.
    • Robinson: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” (10:47)
• Political & Social Reaction
  • Trump's statement after Kirk’s murder:
    • “We’ll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It's hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart.” (11:47)
  • Governor Josh Shapiro (PA), victim of political violence, denounces selective outrage:
    • “Some from the dark corners of the internet all the way to the Oval Office want to cherry pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn.” (12:04)
  • The case sharpens the US political divide.

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5. UN Panel Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza

[12:27–15:45]

• UN Commission Findings
  • Navi Pillay (Panel Chair):
    • “The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a moral outrage and a legal emergency.” (13:19)
  • Reports 18,000 children killed, obstruction of aid, mass displacement, and targeted infrastructure destruction.
  • Chris Sidoti (Commissioner):
    • “These deaths are not accidents… they are the direct consequence of a military strategy of saturation bombing and scorched earth.” (13:44)
• Israeli & Public Responses
  • Israel rejects the findings—Israeli Ambassador Danielle Mehran calls the report “Hamas falsehoods laundered and repeated by others.” (13:59)
  • Some Israelis, e.g., Mehtav Levi:
    • “What’s happening in Gaza isn’t a genocide. Nobody’s trying to get rid of the Palestinians.” (14:23)
  • Palestinians interviewed are skeptical the report will change realities.

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6. CBC Reporter Suspended Over Antisemitic Remarks

[15:45–18:26]

• Elisa Serre (Radio Canada) is suspended for anti-Semitic comments on US policy and Jewish communities.
• ITA Yudin (Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs):
  • “It was clear it was not appropriate…certainly not on our national broadcaster.” (16:30)
• The comments come amidst a documented rise in antisemitism in Canada.
• Minister Stephen Guilbeault calls for higher journalistic standards, while Opposition calls for outright firing.

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7. Canadian Immigration System & AI Concerns

[18:26–21:53]

• Applicants notice confusing or erroneous rejections, raising concerns that AI or automation is overriding human judgment.
• Mario Bellissimo (Immigration Lawyer):
  • “It does not instill the confidence we need in an immigration system to foster a belief that we are processing applicants in a fair and transparent manner.” (19:49)
• Both Bellissimo and Vancouver lawyer Will Tao stress the need for better oversight.
• IRCC denies that AI tools make final decisions, but insiders acknowledge pressure to process nearly one million backlogged cases rapidly.

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8. Remembering Robert Redford

[21:53–25:19]

• Tribute to a Hollywood Icon
  • Makta Gebra Celeste and Susan Bonner reflect on Redford’s career—from failed athlete to acclaimed actor, director, and founder of Sundance.
  • Redford on his start:
    • “He wanted to be a painter…by osmosis, celebrity happened to him.” (23:06, paraphrased by Bonner)
  • Sean Means (film critic):
    • "Robert Redford was the golden boy. So many of his movies he played somebody who was sort of an outsider but with the stunning good looks that he could fit in or stand out." (24:03)
  • Meryl Streep memorializes him:
    • “One of the lions has passed.” (25:01)

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9. Emergency Plane Landing in Toronto

[25:19–27:50]

• Live air traffic recordings capture a small plane’s engine failure and an astonishing emergency landing in a city soccer field.
  • Calm pilot: “I think I might have an engine failure…I'm landing at a soccer field…there are people though.” (25:49–26:30)
• No injuries; the pilot’s composure is widely praised.
• An aviation club CEO underscores the importance of pilot competency.

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Notable Quotes

• Greg Cowie, on food insecurity:
  • “Small scale meals, being content with hot dogs and stuff like that. But I had to cut back a number of years ago when I was put on disability.” (02:50)
• Valerie Tarasuk, University of Toronto:
  • “This is a problem that isn’t going to fix itself. Families, seniors and children across Canada are struggling to pay for what they eat.” (04:31)
• Prime Minister Mark Carney (per reporter):
  • “She’s been a role model and a leader in caucus.” (05:32, about Freeland)
• Chrystia Freeland, on Russia:
  • "This is not the behavior of a superpower. This is the last gasp of a failing kleptocracy." (07:14)
• Chris Sidoti (UN Commission):
  • “These deaths are not accidents. They are not collateral damage. They are the direct consequence of a military strategy of saturation bombing and scorched earth.” (13:44)
• Sean Means (film critic) on Redford:
  • “He was depicted either as the person of privilege or he was depicted as the rebel. So many of his movies he played somebody who was sort of an outsider looking in, but with the stunning good looks that he could fit in or stand out.” (24:03)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Food Insecurity in Canada: 00:37–04:56
• Chrystia Freeland's Resignation & Legacy: 04:56–07:48
• Federal Budget Preview & Political Divide: 07:48–08:19
• Charlie Kirk Murder & Political Fallout: 09:27–12:17
• UN Genocide Report on Gaza: 12:27–15:45
• CBC Antisemitism Controversy: 15:45–18:26
• Immigration & AI Concerns: 18:26–21:53
• Robert Redford Tribute: 21:53–25:19
• Toronto Emergency Plane Landing: 25:19–27:50

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Memorable Moments

• The heartbreaking personal account of Greg Cowie’s meal strategies highlights the human cost of inflation in Canada.
• On-the-ground reporting from a tense and divided US, both regarding the Kirk case and President Trump's contentious rhetoric.
• The dramatic, calm air traffic exchange as a small plane glided to safety between Toronto bleachers—a rare aviation story with a happy ending.
• The poetic finality of Meryl Streep’s tribute to Redford: “One of the lions has passed.”

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This episode provides a balanced, in-depth look at urgent domestic challenges and global controversies, blending hard investigative journalism with moments of human resilience and cultural reflection.

Transcript

[Greg Cowie]

Hugh is a rock climber, a white.

[Colin Butler]

Supremacist, a Jewish neo Nazi, a spam.

[Greg Cowie]

King, a crypto billionaire, and then someone killed him.

[Susan Bonner]

It is truly a mystery.

[Colin Butler]

It is truly a case of whodunit.

[Greg Cowie]

Dirtbag Climber.

[Colin Butler]

The story of the murder and the many lives of Jesse James.

[Greg Cowie]

Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Perry]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Greg Cowie]

I had to cut back a number of years ago when I was put on disability. Small scale meals, being content with hot dogs and stuff like that. Cost of living is uncomfortable.

[Susan Bonner]

Canada's affordability crisis getting harder and harder to stomach. With rising inflation pushing up prices at the grocery store, millions of Canadians aren't getting enough to eat and more communities are declaring emergencies. Fed up with food insecurity and looking for help. Welcome to youo World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Tuesday, September 16, just before 6pm Eastern. Also on the podcast, Christia is a.

[Colin Butler]

Valuable member of this team, but more importantly, she's a dear friend. I've had the good fortune of serving with Christia for 10 years and she's been a role model and a leader in caucus.

[Susan Bonner]

Her actions helped trigger the last federal election. But Christia Freeland won't run in the next one. In a surprise move, the high profile liberal is stepping down as minister, leaving cabinet for a role in the effort to rebuild Ukraine. And later.

[Colin Butler]

I think I might have an engine failure. I'm landing at a soccer field. I don't. There are people though.

[Susan Bonner]

The stunning emergency landing in the middle of Canada's largest city. It's a dilemma facing people across the country. An empty stomach or an empty wallet. New economic data show year over year, inflation is up nearly 2%. It's a smaller jump than predicted, helped by lower gas prices. But the cost of groceries continues to rise, especially meat. And it comes with new warnings about food insecurity in Canada as more households worry about running low or even running out. Colin Butler reports.

[Colin Butler]

At this grocery store in London, Ontario, shoppers budgets are tighter than ever.

[Greg Cowie]

Cost of living is uncomfortable, difficult.

[Colin Butler]

Greg Cowie depends on disability benefits to put food on the table. After rent, he's left with $300 a month for food, making every trip a careful balancing act.

[Greg Cowie]

Small scale meals, being content with hot dogs and stuff like that. But I had to cut back a number of years ago when I was put on disability.

[Colin Butler]

Tight budgets like his are now a reality for millions of Canadians. Food insecurity is surging. Nationwide. One in four households struggles to pay for groceries. We're seeing the horrific stats play out on the ground. Neil Hetherington is CEO of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. He says the issue of feeding families and is being overshadowed in the political chaos. Unemployment had been historically rather good for the past number of years, yet food bank usage was rising dramatically in the past year. Seven Ontario cities from Toronto to Cochrane have declared hunger emergencies. Orillia is the latest. Nearly one in three households there struggles to afford groceries. Our neighbors, our fellow employees are not able to afford the food they need to live a happy, successful life. Chris Peacock is the executive director of the Sharing Place Food center in Orillia. We need action and we need it now. And so this declaration is a great example of what we need to do to truly create awareness, develop true strategies that will solve these problems. But the issue of food poverty didn't happen overnight. Experts say it's the result of years of growing economic pressure and systemic neglect.

[Susan Bonner]

Food insecurity is a problem that's been.

[Colin Butler]

Festering in Canada for years. Professor Valerie Tarasuk studies food insecurity at the University of Toronto. She says political parties have been talking kitchen table politics for years, but none have actually addressed what's on Canadian families plates. Both the Kearney government and the opposition.

[Susan Bonner]

Have been silent on this topic.

[Colin Butler]

So you know this is a problem that isn't going to fix itself. Families, seniors and children across Canada are struggling to pay for what they eat. Food bank visits have doubled in five years, and every trip to the grocery store now is a reminder. Paying for groceries is still a daily struggle for too many Canadians. Colin Butler, CBC News, London, Ontario.

[Susan Bonner]

While the prime minister is being asked to find a fix for rising food prices, he's also looking to fill a big hole left in his government. Christia Freeland says she is resigning from cabinet and eventually as a member of Parliament. Tom Perry has more on her departure and next steps.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

You have some news, why don't you share?

[Tom Perry]

Prime Minister Mark Carney walking past reporters alongside Kristia Freeland at the end of what would be her last cabinet meeting. Freeland announcing today she's stepping down as a minister and won't run in the next election.

[Colin Butler]

I've had the good fortune of serving with Christia for 10 years, and she's been a role model and a leader in caucus.

[Tom Perry]

Liberal colleagues like Ontario MP James Maloney were quick to sing Freeland's praises. Freeland was known as justice Minister of everything, taking on tough files as foreign affairs minister, deputy prime minister and minister of finance. It was in that role that Freeland first resigned from cabinet last December. A move that hastened Trudeau's decision to step down. New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan says taking down Trudeau will always be part of Freeland's legacy.

[Colin Butler]

I think Canadians will remember that.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

I think Liberals will remember that, to be sure.

[Tom Perry]

As Foreign Affairs Minister, Freeland helped negotiate a new North American Free Trade Agreement during Donald Trump's first term. That despite Trump taking a deep dislike to her, something the US President trotted out once again in May during a meeting with Carney at the Oval Office. I won't say this about Mark, but I didn't like his predecessor.

[Colin Butler]

I didn't like a person that worked.

[Tom Perry]

She was terrible, actually. She was a terrible person. Freeland, on the other hand, got on famously with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. The two forging an unlikely friendship over trade talks.

[Colin Butler]

Yeah, she's always a friend. I talk to her almost daily, bi daily. And she's a good person and she'll do a great job over in Ukraine and I support her all the way.

[Tom Perry]

The Prime Minister has asked Freeland to take on a new role as Canada's Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. Freeland, who comes from Ukrainian roots, has been a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war against the Ukrainian people.

[Susan Bonner]

This is not the behavior of a superpower. This is the last gasp of a failing kleptocracy.

[Tom Perry]

Freeland's duties as Transport Minister and Minister of Internal Trade are being taken on by other members of Cabinet. Freeland today thanked the Prime Minister and underlined, she's not leaving to spend more time with her family or because the burden of office has become too great to bear. Saying now is simply the right time to make way for others and. And seek new challenges. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Susan Bonner]

The government will table the federal budget November 4th. It's the first under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne says Canada needs to lower its spending but also invest more.

[Greg Cowie]

I'm not sugarcoating anything I've said. This is going to be a generational investment. We're going to have to make tough choices. We're going to be asking from Canadians to work together with us because they understand this is a transformational moment. This is nothing like business as usual.

[Susan Bonner]

Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre accuses the Liberals of doubling the deficit with no plan to rein in spending. Coming right up. The man accused in the killing of American activist Charlie Kirk is formally charged with murder and and could face the death penalty. And as Israeli troops push into Gaza City, a UN backed investigation concludes genocide is being committed against Palestinians. Later, we'll have this story.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

A Hollywood star who lit up the screen in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

[Susan Bonner]

What's the matter with you?

[Colin Butler]

I can't swim. Robert Redford was the golden boy. So many of his movies. He played somebody who was sort of an outsider but with the stunning good looks that he could fit in.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Today, the 89 year old actor, producer, director and activist passed away at his home in Utah. I'm Makta Gebra Celeste. I'll have more on the tributes that are rolling in.

[Susan Bonner]

Authorities in Utah are seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing the right wing American commentator Charlie Kirk. They revealed a list of charges along with new details in the investigation and Katie Simpson has the latest from Washington.

[Colin Butler]

The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy.

[Katie Simpson]

The Utah county attorney, Jeff Gray stood in front of reporters outlining the case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, confirming that 22 year old Tyler Robinson is facing seven charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, alleging the suspect had been planning the attack for about a week, alleging that he tried to destroy incriminating evidence and alleging he targeted Kirk at a public event knowing children would be there to witness the violence.

[Colin Butler]

Following the press conference, I am filing a notice of intent to seek the.

[Katie Simpson]

Death penalty, gray read from a series of text messages he says were between Robinson and his roommate, who had become his romantic partner and is undergoing a male to female gender transition. According to Gray, Robinson directed the roommate to look under a computer keyboard where he'd left a note saying he'd seized the opportunity to take out Kirk roommate.

[Colin Butler]

You weren't the one who did it, right? Robinson? I am, I am. I'm sorry. Roommate. Why? Robinson? I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out.

[Katie Simpson]

Kirk was a leader within Donald Trump's MAGA movement, advocating for conservative viewpoints opposed to transgender rights. Robinson's mother told police her son had become more political over the past year, adopting more Pro2SLGBTQ positions as he started dating his partner. Authorities also say Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the murder weapon, a rifle they say was given to him by his grandfather.

[Colin Butler]

Most of the violence is on the left.

[Katie Simpson]

In the wake of Kirk's murder, Donald Trump is vowing to crack down on left wing organizations he claims fund political violence, even though there's nothing to suggest that's a factor in this specific investigation. He's also backing a push to limit hate speech after some on social media celebrated Kirk's death. When asked by a reporter about it, the president lashed out.

[Colin Butler]

We'll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It's hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart.

[Katie Simpson]

The president's response to Kirk's murder continues to draw criticism, including from Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, who was targeted in an arson attack earlier this year.

[Colin Butler]

Unfortunately, some from the dark corners of the Internet all the way to the Oval Office want to cherry pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn.

[Katie Simpson]

Political divisions in the US Remain raw as this investigation now makes its way through the court system. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington.

[Susan Bonner]

An independent UN Commissioned panel says Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It came to the conclusion after studying nearly two years of deaths, displacement and famine that have followed the Hamas October 7th attack on Israel. Chris Brown has more on the report's findings and Israel's emphatic rejection as its military pushes deeper into Gaza's largest city.

[Greg Cowie]

On the same day Israel announced its ground invasion of Gaza City is underway. A UN commissioned inquiry says Israel is committing genocide. Navi Pillay is the inquiry chair. The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a moral outrage and a legal emergency. Member states must act now. The panel of experts say the scale of civilian deaths, including more than 18,000 children killed, the deliberate blocking of aid, repeated forced displacements and the destruction of a fertility clinic for Palestinians, all adds up to genocide. The panel says it looked at open source information, interviewed witnesses, victims and doctors, and concluded Israel's most senior leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are directly responsible. Chris Sidoti is a commissioner.

[Colin Butler]

These deaths are not accidents. They are not collateral damage. They are the direct consequence of a military strategy of saturation bombing and scorched earth Israel categorically rejects.

[Greg Cowie]

Israeli officials dispute Gaza's death toll and the figures from Hamas today. They condemn the inquiry's findings as lies. Danielle Mehran is Israel's ambassador to the un the report relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods laundered and repeated by others in Tel Aviv. Other Israelis also rejected the conclusions. Mehtav Levi is 19 years old because.

[Susan Bonner]

What'S happening in Gaza currently isn't a genocide. Nobody's trying to get rid of the Palestinians.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

We're actively trying to get rid of Hamas, which are only doing worse to the Palestinians.

[Greg Cowie]

Outside Gaza City, Palestinians watched a long procession of displaced families fleeing the incoming Israeli offensive, some with all of their possessions piled on carts or on top of vehicles. Several said the UN report is coming too late to change anything for them. Where is the decision to arrest Netanyahu said Muhammad Ali. Why haven't they arrested him yet? What are they waiting for? The IDF says their goal is to kill Hamas's remaining fighters and to free Israeli hostages, although within the IDF there are reportedly grave doubts about the ground operation. The panel does not officially speak for the United nations, which has not officially used the term genocide but is under pressure to do so. The widespread horror at Israel's conduct in Gaza has pushed some European nations to impose arms embargoes and threaten cultural boycotts. Netanyahu has said Israelis need to prepare themselves for for more isolation as he's not changing course. Chris Brown, CBC News, London the CBC's.

[Susan Bonner]

French language network Razzio Canada has suspended one of its correspondents indefinitely for what the public broadcaster calls anti Semitic, erroneous and harmful allegations. Rafi Bujkanian reports.

[Rafi Bujkanian]

On a flagship Radio Canada TV newscast. An anchor asks correspondent Elisa Serre how it the US Administration has such a hard time distancing itself from Israel. Sere cites unnamed analysts says Israelis in fact Jews finance American politics and run Hollywood.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

It was clear that it was not something that was appropriate in any space, but certainly on our national broadcaster.

[Rafi Bujkanian]

ITA Yudin is with the center for Israel and Jewish Affairs. She says the advocacy organization received immediate complaints as the segment aired on Monday.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Look, it's 2025. I think we expect more from the world around us than what we're seeing. Anti Semitism is at an all time.

[Rafi Bujkanian]

High Yudin says the comments are particularly egregious in light of hate crimes targeting Jews rising in this country.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

And then we see an interview where something so clearly over the line, something that really feeds into the oldest anti Semitic tropes is stated and normalized on air.

[Rafi Bujkanian]

In a statement, Radio Canada said Sere's allegations against Jewish communities regarding U.S. policy in the Middle east were stereotypical anti Semitic, erroneous and harmful. It also said the comments violated CBC Radio Canada's journalistic standards and practices, relieved Sere of her duties until further notice and apologized to viewers and the Jewish community.

[Susan Bonner]

We have seen in the numbers a profound rise of antisemitism in this country.

[Rafi Bujkanian]

Patty Haidu is the Minister of Jobs and Families.

[Susan Bonner]

I mean, you know, people need to feel safe in their communities and anti Semitism has no place in our public.

[Rafi Bujkanian]

Narrative, her counterpart in charge of the Heritage Department, Canadian Identity Minister Stephen Guibot, says in a statement. The words used in last night's broadcast were pernicious anti Semitic tropes and have absolutely no place on Canadian airwaves while adding the government does not and should never interfere in the decisions of the public broadcaster. Conservative Deputy leader Melissa Lantzman says in a social media post that Canadians deserve better than excuses and carefully worded apologies calling on Sere to be fired. Rafi Bujukan Yeon, CBC News, Arwa.

[Susan Bonner]

Torrential rains led to floods and landslides in several parts of northern India today, including in the northeastern Manipur state. Two main rivers swelled, submerging houses in several villages. Meanwhile, a landslide hit Shimla City in the Himalayan foothills, which caused extensive damage to properties. Several other states, such as Punjab, have faced severe floods this year. Floods and landslides are common during monsoon season, but experts say climate change coupled with poorly planned development is increasing their frequency, severity and impact. People applying to immigrate to Canada say they are seeing some unusual responses from officials and they're wonder if their files are being fully reviewed by actual human beings. As Shayna Luck tells us, the odd replies are raising suspicion about using technology to handle important documents.

[Tom Perry]

What is actually being looked at?

[Mario Bellissimo]

Mario Bellissimo has decades of experience putting together complicated immigration applications. But lately he's become concerned. He says for example, one of his clients applications was rejected because it didn't have a birth certificate attached. The problem? He says it did. Bellissimo says this type of thing is happening often enough that he thinks technology designed for faster processing means things are getting missed.

[Colin Butler]

It does not instill the confidence we.

[Greg Cowie]

Need in an immigration system to foster.

[Colin Butler]

A belief that we are processing applicants in a fair and transparent manner.

[Mario Bellissimo]

Bellissimo isn't alone. In an open letter last month, the Canadian Immigration Lawyers association wrote it's seeing an increase in decisions that aren't meaningful or well reasoned. They're calling for better oversight of the department's use of tech. Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or ircc, says it has introduced a machine learning based tool that sorts files according to complexity. Another tool was developed to simplify how cases are displayed and to allow officers to examine, review or approve multiple cases at a time. That's particularly concerning to Vancouver immigration lawyer Will Tao.

[Colin Butler]

I think that this bulk and blanket.

[Greg Cowie]

Treatment of individuals definitely has had a.

[Colin Butler]

Negative impact on the system.

[Mario Bellissimo]

In a statement, the IRCC says its tools do not issue refusals or recommend refusals. Those decisions are made by humans based on their own review. Annie Baudouin began her career at IRCC in 2004. She says by the time she retired in 2018, there was much more pressure to process files faster. There are currently more than 900,000 cases.

[Susan Bonner]

Backlogged officer have a lot of pressure to do a lot of decision extremely fast.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

And that's when these problems occur.

[Mario Bellissimo]

After retiring, Baudouin began a business as an immigration consultant. She acts for Channi Ajwani and Jay Dave, a Canadian citizen and an Indian citizen who married in 2023. Their spousal sponsorship application is expected to take some time, so he applied for a visitor visa. Ajwani was upset when their visa application was rejected for lack of funds and there was no mention of their relationship. Like Bellissimo, Baudoin questioned whether there was a full review of their file. The couple say they both submitted proof of good incomes.

[Colin Butler]

There was anger, I'm not gonna lie.

[Mario Bellissimo]

After they asked for their case to be re examined, IRCC changed its decision. Shayna Luck, CBC News, Halifax.

[Susan Bonner]

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. He was a legendary leading man and one of Hollywood's biggest stars, a climate activist and a champion of independent films. Tonight, the show business world is mourning Robert Redford. He died today at his Utah home at age 89. Magda Gabor Selassie has more on Redford's life and career.

[Colin Butler]

You can trust me, you know that.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

He was a classic Hollywood heartthrob, a seasoned actor, producer, director and activist. But for Robert Redford, fame wasn't always written in the stars.

[Susan Bonner]

The idea of being an actor had never been in his game plan.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Born in Santa Monica in 1937, his skills on the baseball field landed him a college scholarship. But after flunking out, he pursued the life of an artist. Michael Feeney Callan, who wrote an authorized biography on Redford, heard all about it from the source.

[Susan Bonner]

He wanted to be a painter and came to France and Italy and, you know, literally sat in the streets trying to sell paintings.

[Colin Butler]

And by, as he would say, by.

[Susan Bonner]

Osmosis, celebrity happened to him.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

He enrolled in drama school and took to the stage, making it all the way to Broadway by 1959. A few years later, the film world came calling.

[Colin Butler]

You finally noticed.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

This is him in Barefoot in the park with Jane Fonda. Then in 1969 came his big breakthrough role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring alongside Paul Newman.

[Susan Bonner]

What's the matter with you?

[Colin Butler]

I can't swim.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Diving into many romantic lead roles, he broke hearts in the Way We Were with Barbra Streisand and charmed his way in Indecent proposal.

[Colin Butler]

Would you mind lending me your wife?

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Sean Means is a longtime film critic in Utah. He interviewed Redford many times about his many roles.

[Colin Butler]

Robert Redford was the golden boy. He was depicted either as the person of privilege or he was depicted as the rebel. So many of his movies he played somebody who was sort of an outsider looking in, but with the stunning good looks that he could fit in or stand out.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Getting political in films like all the President's Men, about the Watergate scandal that led to US President Richard Nixon's resignation. He wasn't afraid to speak up in real life too, as a climate activist. But first and foremost, he was an artist, winning an Oscar for directing Ordinary People. Shogun Odolowu, an American entertainment journalist, also speaks to Redford's legacy as the founder of the Sundance Institute and Film Festival supporting independent films.

[Greg Cowie]

He felt that art could not only change, but could actually be the catalyst for change. And that's what he saw doing with Sundance.

[Makta Gebra Celeste]

Bradford's publicist says he passed away in his home in the mountains of Utah, surrounded by those he loved. Today, Meryl Streep, his co star from out of Africa, released a statement saying, one of the lions has passed. Macta Gebra Solassis, CBC News, Toronto.

[Susan Bonner]

We closed tonight in the skies above Toronto. It was 8 o' clock last night. Clear conditions, good visibility and a light breeze out of the south.

[Colin Butler]

X Ray Golf Charlie Traffic Butcher, 11 o', clock, 3 miles northbound DiamondStar 2000. X Ray Golf Charlie I got the traffic in sight.

[Susan Bonner]

It was smooth flying. Air traffic control at Toronto's island airport was guiding in a small passenger plane cleared for what appeared to be a routine landing until city center.

[Colin Butler]

I think I might have an engine failure. X Ray Golf Charlie, can you make it to the airport? Negative.

[Susan Bonner]

There were only three people on board the four seater Piper Cherokee aircraft. But down below, a city of millions. Engine failure high above the heart of Toronto. With the pilot staying calm while searching for somewhere to land in a dense urban area.

[Colin Butler]

Okay, tower, I'm not exactly seeing anywhere to land here. Extra Golf Charlie, can you make it? Maybe find a highway or a street that doesn't seem very busy or a park or something? I am looking. Mikey back, Mike. Roger, I'm landing at a soccer field. I don't.

[Katie Simpson]

There are people though.

[Colin Butler]

Okay, can you maybe find a gap if I know people?

[Susan Bonner]

That was the last radio contact with the pilot heading for an emergency landing in a soccer field with a match underway. And somehow the plane came down between the bleachers in a storage shed. Without hurting a single person, including the people on board.

[Colin Butler]

So we ran over from there in this other guy, and they were just getting out of the plane, just coming out of the plane. They were fine. She was so worried about her friends. I said, did you run out of fuel or anything like that? She goes, I don't know that the engine just stopped. She was amazing. Like, she really was.

[Susan Bonner]

Witnesses were stunned. They're calling it a miracle. The aircraft belongs to a Toronto flight club. In a statement, the company's CEO says when engine failures happen, the most important factor is pilot competency. And in this case, the emergency landing was executed with, with great proficiency and focus. Thank you for joining us on youn World Tonight for Tuesday, September 16th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

[Greg Cowie]

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