Indigenous Veterans Day, More U.S. flight cancellations, Small town hockey, and more

Summary

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Your World Tonight – CBC

Episode Date: November 8, 2025
Hosts: Kate McGilvery
Episode Theme:
A comprehensive wrap-up of key events and cultural moments: Honouring Indigenous Veterans, fallout from the U.S. government shutdown, the resilience of small-town hockey, the pervasive nature of microplastics, the ongoing anti-corruption protests in Serbia, challenges facing the CFL, new approaches to autism representation in Canadian TV, and a nostalgic nod to Guitar Hero.

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Indigenous Veterans Day: Honouring Service and Unveiling Injustices

[00:40 – 04:50]

Key Points:

• Commemorations Nationwide: Ceremonies held across Canada, especially highlighted in Toronto and Winnipeg, recognize First Nations, Inuit, and Métis veterans who served from before Confederation through all major conflicts.
• Personal Story: Liz, a grandmother, recounts how her father volunteered for the Korean War at 17 to escape abuse at a Nova Scotia residential school.

  "He found it safer to fight in the Korean War than to go to school, where they dealt with horrific, horrific conditions in the school." — CBC Narrator, [02:51]

• Discrimination After Service: Despite serving, many Indigenous veterans returned home to continued exclusion and lack of recognition.

  "Because he wasn't recognized… he had no voting rights. He had nothing when he came back." — CBC Narrator, [03:09]

• Official Recognition: Manitoba officially marks Indigenous Veterans Day for the first time, following decades of advocacy.

  "When they finally said yes, I cried, and I'm not a crier." — Randy Gage, [03:46]

• Cultural Expression: Ray Dear, veteran and Legion president, reflects on sharing Indigenous culture with comrades in the military.

  "By joining the military, it gives us a voice that can be heard amongst the Canadians and the Americans… Without serving alongside them, you're more than invisible." — Ray Dear, [04:06 & 04:35]

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U.S. Government Shutdown and Flight Cancellations

[04:50 – 08:10]

Key Points:

• Shutdown Impact: The U.S. shutdown enters its 39th day, leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays due to FAA staff shortages.

  "We've been here since 4 this morning... there's no flight to Syracuse. So we're going to Raleigh... then Buffalo..." — CBC Narrator, [05:41]

• Canadian Flights Largely Spared: Cuts largely target U.S. domestic flights; travel between Canada and the U.S. faces minimal disruption for now.

  "Canadians, I think, should feel comfortable with their travel plans in the future and certainly over the next couple of weeks." — Mike Arnott, [07:19]

• Holiday Travel Worries: Thanksgiving and Christmas are set to see increased passenger numbers despite ongoing disruptions.

  "Thanksgiving Sunday will be the busiest US domestic travel day of the year. So that is a major challenge that's looming..." — CBC Narrator, [07:24]

• Political Stalemate: Senate efforts remain deadlocked, with both parties blaming each other.

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Environmental Update: Microplastics in Lobster

[08:10 – 12:14]

Key Points:

• Lobster Contamination: Dalhousie University study found microplastics in every lobster tail sampled from Nova Scotia.

  "Of the 16 lobster tails... every single one had microplastics, about six to seven particles in every gram of meat." — Denis Grignon, [09:57]

• Health Risk Uncertain: While microplastics are everywhere, health impacts from consuming contaminated seafood are still not fully understood.

  "It's important to study the matter, but I'm not sure I'd be ready to conclude that consuming lobster would represent a significant source of exposure." — Professor Carl Jobst, [11:03]

• Industry Not Panicked: Microplastics found in many foods; lobster seen as a special occasion meal, but more research needed.

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News Briefs

[12:14 – 13:38]

• Actor Charged: Mike Smith (Bubbles, 'Trailer Park Boys') faces sexual assault charges for a 2017 incident in Halifax.
• Global Affairs: U.S. President Trump exempts Hungary from sanctions on Russian oil in exchange for natural gas contracts.
• Serbia's Anti-Corruption Protests:
  • Background: A railway station canopy collapse killed 16 in November 2024, sparking year-long youth-led protests against corruption.
  • Calls for Change: Students demand elections; President apologizes, but unrest continues, with a victim's mother on a hunger strike for justice.

  "Something needs to change and every single person has to do something to try to change these things because if we just keep ignoring problems, the problems will not disrupt." — Alexandra, student organizer, [14:20]

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Canadian Football League: Between Survival and Revival

[17:25 – 21:10]

Key Points:

• Grey Cup Finalists: Montreal Alouettes reach their second Grey Cup in three years; they'll face the Western winner next Sunday.
• League Health: The CFL's financial status varies by region—strong in Winnipeg and Regina, weak in Toronto. Seven out of nine teams are not profitable yet.

  "I'd say things aren't great for the CFL, but they're not horrible. And I think this league still does have a future." — Ed Kleiman, [19:32]

• Path Forward: Expansion is paused in favor of stability; controversial rule changes ahead to align more with American football and potentially draw younger fans.

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Grassroots Glory: Northern Premier Hockey League

[21:10 – 24:52]

Key Points:

• Small Town Excitement: Local teams in places like Lindsay, Ontario, fill arenas with competitive, skillful hockey often involving former pros.
• Players' Motivation: No salaries, but high passion—described as "full on and it's exciting. It's true hockey."

  "They're bringing it every game. So yeah, I do a lot of work on them before the game. Could be emergency stuff in between the periods." — Sherry Trumbull, team physio, [23:37]

• Local Legend: Former pro John Bukaboom prefers these games to junior hockey—“They all can skate, they all can pass. I'd rather watch them than junior games.” [24:13]

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Media Spotlight: The Assembly – Neurodiversity at the Forefront

[24:52 – 27:22]

Key Points:

• Show Premise: Celebrities face a panel of 30 autistic Canadians as interviewers, shifting representation and control to neurodiverse voices.
• Authenticity in Representation: Interviewer Margot Wask values meaningful inclusion:

  "I want to ensure that when autism is spoken about or represented in media that we're consulted with and I think this show really sets the precedent of what that can look like..." — Margot Wask, [25:32]

• Mix of Reception: Some praise the show; others criticize the tendency to tokenize or oversimplify autistic experience in media.

  "...there is more to our experience than that." — Sarah Kirchick, writer & critic, [26:33]

• Goal: Director Shaun Devries hopes the show goes beyond novelty to “just simply a great interview.” [27:14]

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Pop Culture: Guitar Hero Turns 20

[27:22 – End]

Key Points:

• The influential rhythm video game celebrates its 20th anniversary—players across Canada reminisced for hours rocking out with their plastic guitars.
• The franchise may be dormant, but its impact on music appreciation and playful competition endures.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Indigenous veterans:

  "By joining the military, it gives us a voice that can be heard amongst the Canadians and the Americans… Without doing that, you're more than invisible." — Ray Dear, [04:12–04:35]

• On travel chaos:

  "The number of passengers that are going to fly on the Wednesday to Sunday of Thanksgiving are going to exceed last year by 2%... major challenge that's looming..." — Mike Arnott, [07:24]

• On microplastics:

  "We should be careful to draw too many conclusions." — Stuart Lamont, Tangier Lobster Company, [11:13]

• On small-town hockey:

  "When we're out there, nothing else exists. And we want to win the game. And give it everything we got." — Evgeny Petrenko, player, [22:39–22:42]

• On The Assembly's approach:

  "You're never going to be able to please 100% of people with your approach, but…you can do your best." — Margot Wask, [27:22]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Indigenous Veterans Day Coverage: 00:40–04:50
• Flight Cancellations/U.S. Shutdown: 04:50–08:10
• Microplastics in Lobster: 08:10–12:14
• Serbia Railway Protest Anniversary: 13:38–17:25
• CFL Health & Grey Cup Preview: 17:25–21:10
• Northern Premier Hockey League: 21:10–24:52
• ‘The Assembly’ and Autism Media: 24:52–27:22
• Guitar Hero Anniversary: 27:22–End

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This episode from Your World Tonight captures both the urgency of current headlines and the nuances beneath them, with stories that celebrate resilience, confront injustice, and explore how small communities and marginalized groups assert their presence and shape Canadian life.

Transcript

[Kate McGilvery]

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[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Kate McGilvery]

My father served in the Korean War.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

When he was just 17 years old, he found it safer to fight in the Korean War than to go to school.

[Kate McGilvery]

Canada's Indigenous veterans face tough battles both abroad and at home. The country's marking Indigenous Veterans Day today, shining a light on wartime experiences and the discrimination that awaited those who were returned. Welcome to youo World. Tonight, I'm Kate McGilfrey. Also on the podcast. Canadians are so far dodging the worst of American flight cancellations brought on by a US Government shutdown that shows no signs of ending. And I want to ensure that when autism is represented in media that we're consulted with and I think this show really sets the precedent of what that can look like. A new show puts the interviewer's MIC in the hands of autistic Canadians and celebrities in the hot seat. This latest attempt to represent neurodiversity on tv, aiming to succeed where other shows fail. First Nations, Inuit and Metis people have a long history of military service to this country through every major conflict and in times of peace, from before Canada was a country up to the present. Their contributions are being honoured across the country. Today as part of Indigenous Veterans Day, Michelle Song has our story. We want to honor them and give.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Them something and let them know we appreciate them.

[Michelle Song]

Dozens of veterans, active service members and their families gathered in front of Toronto's City Hall. They lined up, each with a handful of tobacco to throw into a sacred fire to honor soldiers who died in battle. And with a traditional song, they commemorated Indigenous Veterans Day. Thousands of First Nations, Metis and Inuit men and women served in the military from the war of 1812 to the two world wars and in Afghanistan.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

This is his country, our country to begin with.

[Michelle Song]

Grandmother Liz's father volunteered to serve in the Korean war At just 17 years old, all in hopes to escape the Nova Scotia residential school he attended.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

So he found it safer to fight in the Korean War than to go to school, where they dealt with horrific, horrific conditions in the school.

[Michelle Song]

Even though her father fought for Canada, she says when he returned, he continued to face discrimination.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

When he came back, it was worse.

[Kate McGilvery]

Because he wasn't recognized.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

He had no voting rights. He had nothing when he came back.

[Michelle Song]

Starting as a grassroots movement in Winnipeg in the 90s, Indigenous Veterans Day soon became a national event. But this year is the first time the day was officially recognized by the province of Manitoba. And in that city where it all began, a POW wow to commemorate those veterans. Randy Gage served in the Vietnam war for the U.S. military and has lived in Canada for about 35 years. She says she's been fighting for Manitoba to recognize this day for decades.

[Kate McGilvery]

When they finally said yes, I cried, and I'm not a crier.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

The Manitoba government recently passed Bill 210.

[Michelle Song]

The Indigenous Veterans Day act, in Laktubani, Manitoba. The Manitoba Metis Federation acknowledged the veterans with a song, a moment of silence and a prayer.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Amen.

[Ed Kleiman]

MARCI migwech, I think by joining the military, it gives us a voice.

[Michelle Song]

Ray Dear is a veteran and the president of the Royal Canadian Legion's Mohawk Branch 219 in Quebec. He says serving in the military gave him the chance to share his culture with his comrades.

[Ed Kleiman]

It gives us a.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

A voice that can be heard amongst the Canadians and the Americans because they know we served alongside them. Without doing that, without serving alongside them.

[Ed Kleiman]

You'Re more than invisible.

[Michelle Song]

And for those First Nations, Inuit and Metis veterans across Canada's history, their community hopes they will be remembered by all Canadians and not just today. Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto.

[Kate McGilvery]

U.S. senators are spending the weekend working on a deal to end the federal government shutdown, now well into its second month. So far, there's no agreement, and even if there was, it's coming too late for travelers who continue to navigate hundreds of canceled or delayed flights, all as the busiest travel holiday of the year is looming. Chris Reyes has that story tonight. Spent all day in the airport yesterday, and by the time I got to Dallas, there were no flights to Orlando. So the airline did give me a voucher for a hotel and an Uber and a meal.

[Chris Reyes]

Crystal Whitaker is just one of many US Travelers who are still in limbo. As the Federal Aviation Administration cuts to flight capacity extend to this weekend, other passengers are having to go above and beyond just to get to their destination.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

We've been here since 4 this morning.

[Kate McGilvery]

But the thing is, there's no flight to Syracuse. So we're going to Raleigh, North Carolina.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Then we're going to Buffalo, then someone has to pick us up.

[Chris Reyes]

Well, I'm, I'm here about an hour.

[Kate McGilvery]

Or two earlier than I would normally get to the airport, so yeah, I'm a little concerned.

[Chris Reyes]

The FAA started with a 4% reduction of flights on Friday at 40 of the busiest airports in the US including Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. The FAA cited safety concerns in making the cuts. TSA agents and air traffic controllers are on the federal payroll. And with the US Government shutdown, many of them have been working without paying. Some just don't show up and others are stretched to the limit. Dan McCabe is with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

They feel desperate, hopeless, mad, and there's just appears to be no end in sight. And it's a problem.

[Chris Reyes]

By next week, cuts could increase to 10% of flight capacity across the U.S. so far, international flights are exempt. About 400 flights travel between the U.S. and Canada daily. Mike Arnott is with Cirium, an airline analytics company. He says the FAA is more likely to concentrate on cutting domestic routes with Delta, United and American Airlines working with.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Those three major carriers in the United States, they can ease the burden on US ATC air traffic control much easier than the relatively small number of Canadian flights. So Canadians, I think, should feel comfortable with their travel plans in the future and certainly over the next couple of weeks.

[Chris Reyes]

Arnott adds that the real concern might come in a few weeks when Thanksgiving and Christmas hit.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

The number of passengers that are going to fly on the Wednesday to Sunday of Thanksgiving are going to exceed last year by 2%. In fact, Thanksgiving Sunday will be the busiest US domestic travel day of the year. So that is a major challenge that's looming for all of the parties involved, airlines, customers and the FAA.

[Kate McGilvery]

Mr. Crapo. Mr. Crapo.

[Chris Reyes]

The Senate opened debate for an emergency Saturday session, but the wrangling between Republicans and Democrats continues, both sides blaming the other for refusing to pass a funding bill needed to reopen the government. The shutdown is now in its 39th day, the longest in U.S. history. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York.

[Kate McGilvery]

A grounded container ship on Newfoundland's west coast is being damaged by extreme wind and rough seas. The Canadian Coast Guard says the MSC Baltic III has been hit hard over the last few days. The storms caused the bow and stern to move, and salvage crews report damage to the ship's equipment and debris floating to shore. The ship ran aground in Lark harbor back in February, and the Coast Guard says they probably won't be able to get it out until next summer. Crews continue to work to remove the fuel oil on board before it can leak into the ocean. Still ahead, it is far from the bright lights of the NHL, but for fans of the Northern Premier Hockey League it might be even better putting up high quality games and fierce local rivalries in some of Ontario and Quebec's smallest hockey towns. That's coming up on youn World tonight. From Nova Scotia comes a new study confirming an unsettling reality. Microplastics are everywhere. In this case, it was lobsters under the microscope. A team at Dalhousie University looked at the edible portions of Nova Scotia lobsters and found tiny pieces of plastic in every bite. But as Francis Willick tells us from Halifax, it's still not clear whether that's enough to affect human health. I wasn't too surprised to learn that there were microplastics present.

[Denis Grignon]

Lead researcher Amber LeBlanc says she wasn't shocked when microplastics were found in lobster meat because the particles are so widespread. Of the 16 lobster tails her team studied from four commercial fishing areas, every single one had microplastics, about six to seven particles in every gram of meat.

[Kate McGilvery]

The size of them, though, was very surprising. Just they're so, so small and then just the fact that they seem to potentially be coming from so many different sources.

[Denis Grignon]

The sources include polyester fibers from clothing and marine grade plastics. Each particle is invisible to the naked eye, about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. So to find them, the researchers used a special dye that makes the microplastics glow under a microscope.

[Ed Kleiman]

There are a growing number of studies.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

The occurrence of microplastics in humans and wildlife.

[Denis Grignon]

Memorial University chemistry professor Carl Jobst studies the impacts of microplastics on health. His work has found microplastics are present in human blood and placentas, though there is still uncertainty if the exposure is high enough to cause adverse health effects. Jobs says the lobster study's results are important, but it's too early to draw conclusions about potential health effects.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

I think it's important to study the matter, but I'm not sure I'd be ready to conclude that consuming lobster would represent a significant source of exposure.

[Ed Kleiman]

We should be careful to draw too many conclusions.

[Denis Grignon]

Stuart Lamont is with the Tangier Lobster Company, which exports Nova Scotia lobsters to 13 countries. He says he's not overly concerned about the study's effects on lobster consumption. Lamont notes microplastics have been found in a wide variety of foods, and unlike some other proteins, lobster is a celebration food, eaten just a few times a year rather than several times a week. But he says he'd like to see more research.

[Ed Kleiman]

What is the circumstance in beef? What is the circumstance in poultry, fruit and vegetables? Pork you name it. I think it's a widespread issue.

[Denis Grignon]

Both the researchers and seafood industry representatives say given the small sample size, more research is needed to determine the potential health effects of microplastics on the lobsters and on consumers. Frances Willick, CBC News, Halifax Actor Mike.

[Kate McGilvery]

Smith, who plays Bubbles on the show Trailer Park Boys, has been charged with sexual assault. Police in Halifax laid the charges early last month for an alleged assault in 2017. These allegations have not yet been tested in court. In a statement, the show's production company says Smith has stepped away from his role as managing director. He's expected to appear in court on Monday. Smith was previously arrested and charged in 2016 for domestic battery in Los Angeles. Those charges were later dropped. US President Donald Trump has exempted Hungary from sanctions over its purchasing of Russian oil. The White House says the exemption will last for one year. It's a major victory for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has previously said that the sanctions would ruin Hungary's economy. But it came at a hefty cost. As part of the deal, Hungary has agreed to buy US Natural gas for hundreds of millions of dollars. The US Imposed sanctions on two of Russia's largest oil companies last month and threatened sanctions on any country that buys from them. It's a tragedy that sparked a protest movement. The collapse of a concrete canopy at a Serbian rail station last November killed 16 people. It also created an anti corruption movement in the country that is still going strong a year later. Freelance reporter Guy Delany went to commemorations in the city of Novi Sad last weekend and brings us this report.

[Guy Delany]

It's the day before the commemoration of the Novi Sad railway station disaster and it seems like half of Serbia's second city has turned out to welcome people who've travelled in by foot and bicycle to pay their respects. This crossroads in the centre is absolutely packed and it's a party atmosphere.

[Kate McGilvery]

What I expect from this commemoration gathering is for even more people to wake up, even more people to realize that we cannot keep living in a system that is corrupt.

[Denis Grignon]

This much.

[Guy Delany]

Alexandra studies automotive electronics at Novi Sad University. She helped to coordinate the commemoration.

[Kate McGilvery]

Something needs to change and every single person has to do something to try to change these things because if we just keep ignoring problems, the problems will not disrupt.

[Guy Delany]

Students across Serbia have maintained the protests for a full 12 months. Initially they demanded accountability and transparency for the railway station disaster. Now they're simply calling for elections to root out the endemic corruption. They blame for the canopy collapse which killed 16 people. But what makes the student led protests really stand out is their resilience.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

The young people see these ruling classes as obstacles to their future and well being.

[Guy Delany]

Sardjan Svi is a political scientist at the Belgrade center for Security Policy.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

This entire youth was described in the polls as apolitical, apathetic, and all sorts of things that really I think sociologists should be asking and pollsters themselves the question what did they get wrong in all of this?

[Guy Delany]

Serbia's president, Aleksandr Vucic, has struggled to quell the protests. He's tried everything from removing his prime minister to accusing the students of taking orders from unnamed foreign powers. But ahead of the commemoration, he took a different tack. He apologized for his behavior and called for reconciliation. I invite those who are protesting to come to express their wishes and to participate in the conversation, the debate, says the president, not through ultimatums, but through dialogue. That didn't convince the students. They want elections, not talks. And it seems like tensions are rising again in Serbia's capital, Belgrade. This week. There have been disturbances in front of the national assembly, where the mother of one of the victims of the railway station disaster is staging a hunger strike demanding justice. Some supporters of the governing Progressive Party mocked Diana Harka, whose son Stefan died in Novi Sad. She insists that Serbia has to change what she calls its rotten system. I'm only interested in justice. I want to know who killed my child, she says. As long as I stand on my feet, I won't give them peace. They'll be held accountable for this because this is a crime. One year on from the Novi Sad disaster, a meaningful resolution seems as far away as ever. Winter in Serbia may once again see temperatures rising. Guy Delaunay for CBC News, Novi Sad, Serbia.

[Kate McGilvery]

It's a big day in the Canadian Football League. This afternoon. The Montreal Alouettes won the Eastern final against the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The Alouettes advance to their second Grey cup match in three years. They'll face the team that wins the Western final tonight with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders playing the visiting BC Lions. Today's winning teams will face each other next Sunday in Winnipeg for the 112th grade cup. But for all of that drama and excitement, it comes against the backdrop of a league that has been struggling for years both to draw crowds and to stay afloat financially. Here with more is sports journalist Ed Kleiman in Hamilton. Ed, we've heard that the health of the CFL has been an issue for many years. Where do things stand now?

[Ed Kleiman]

Well, Kate, I have to admit that I'm old enough to remember the heyday of the CFL back in the late 1970s. Early 1980s. And I also remember when the CFL was facing an existential threat back in the mid-1990s. I would say we're kind of somewhere in between there. You know, back in the 90s when they had those big problems, they expanded into the United States, into Shreveport and Baltimore and Sacramento, and it didn't work out too well. They left all those places, but they managed to survive as a league. And here we are now, today. And I would say right now, it depends where you are. If you're in Winnipeg or you're in Saskatchewan, the CFL is in amazingly good shape. Winnipeg, they sold out every one of their games. Over 32,000 fans per game. First time in franchise history, they've sold out every game. And in Regina, the smallest market in the CFL, they're not too far behind at over 28,000 a game. But how about in Canada's largest market in Toronto, only 15,000 per game. So if I look across the league, according to Stuart Johnson, the new head of the cfl, seven of the nine teams are not into profitability right now, but they have very stable owners who are patient and hoping to get there. The other two I mentioned, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, they've got no issues there whatsoever. So I'd say things aren't great for the cfl, but they're not horrible. And I think this league still does have a future.

[Kate McGilvery]

All right, well, there are more and more sports leagues coming, coming to Canada these days. There's more competition for eyeballs. What does the CFL need to do?

[Ed Kleiman]

This is the big question for Stuart Johnson, and if I look at his predecessor, Randy Ambrose, his priority was to get a team in eastern Canada, whether that was in Halifax or Quebec City. It's long been felt that the league needs to get to 10 teams. That didn't happen. And when Stuart Johnson came in, he said, I'm going to put expansion on the back burner. What I want to do is get things stabilized financially and try to grow what we already have. In his mind, how do they do that? And he feels that it's changing the rules of the game. And this is actually very controversial. So next year there'll be some minor modifications. The following year there'll be some major modifications where the actual dimensions of the field will change, where they put the uprights will change. It will actually be more in sync with football plating United States, which has a lot of people upset up here, including Nathan Rourke, the star Canadian quarterback for the BC Lions. A lot of other people think this is bang on. This is exactly where they need to go because the National Football League is so popular here. So no matter what new leagues come in the NFL, it's going to do really well in Canada. It's proven it's on an upward trajectory and the CFL has kind of in some respects ridden the coattails of the NFL. In other respects, they're kind of competing.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

With them a little bit.

[Ed Kleiman]

If they can be a little bit more in sync with the NFL, the thinking goes, young people who are really into the NFL will also get into the cfl. We'll see if that all pans out.

[Kate McGilvery]

Okay. Journalist Ed Kleiman in Hamilton. Thanks, Ed.

[Ed Kleiman]

Thanks, Kate.

[Kate McGilvery]

Halton Hills, Tilbury Lindsay these small Ontario towns aren't known nationally as hockey hotspots, but that doesn't mean you can't find high quality hockey there. Might not be the NHL, but as freelance journalist Denis Grignon tells us, it's the next best thing.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let's make some noise for your Mensi home.

[Kate McGilvery]

Arthur Armor.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

I've been coming to this arena since its been built. It's the best hockey that's ever been in this arena. Kevin west is pumped. It's the home opener for his beloved Barn Cats at his local arena in Lindsay, Ontario, the first in a 20 game season with the Northern Premier Hockey League. In the small towns that host these teams, this level of hockey is a big deal, just something to rally around. There's tough times out there. It's just something to feel good about. The NPHL features a kind of hodgepodge of players ranging in age from early 20s to mid-40s, some who played major junior A or high level university. To many who were once pros in Europe, the American Hockey League and even the NHL.

[Ed Kleiman]

Yeah, we get the chance to play the way it's meant to be played, you know.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

At 36, Evgeny Petrenko is the oldest member of the West Port Lumberjacks. Tonight's Barn Cats opponents.

[Ed Kleiman]

When we're out there, nothing else exists.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

And we want to win the game.

[Kate McGilvery]

And give it everything we got.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Here we go, giving it their all for no compensation though travel is covered. So why not just stick to a more casual game of shinny with buddies. Barncats forward Sam Dunn played pro in France last year before that with the Quebec Ramparts, coached by NHL hall of Famer Patrick Walker.

[Ed Kleiman]

Pick up hockey situation kind of just out there to have fun, float around.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Do a couple too many moves on.

[Ed Kleiman]

Defenseman and coming out and playing a game like this where it is really competitive, that's a little more Interesting for me.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

And the hockey is interesting. Fast, exciting, with plenty of hits and yes, even the occasional fight. Two of them on this night in fact. Sherry Trumbull, sister to brother Steve, who co, owns, manages and sometimes coaches his Barn Cats, is the team's physiotherapist. So she can vouch firsthand for the toll this game takes on players bodies.

[Kate McGilvery]

They're bringing it every game. So yeah, I do a lot of work on them before the game. Could be emergency stuff in between the periods. This is full on and it's exciting. It's true hockey.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Barncats centerman Darren Dougherty is on the Sunnier side of 40, though his chiseled body would suggest otherwise. By day he sells barbecues. He speaks to the intensity that can lead to that emergency stuff between periods. There's lots of guys who don't like each other. Most of the times you can have a beer after and say, hey, let bygones be bygones.

[Ed Kleiman]

But there definitely is some, some hatred out there.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Not quite the NHL, but arguably not amateur either. So says devoted Barn Cats fan and a kind of local legend in these parts, 60 something John Bukaboom, who won a Memorial cup and played pro in the Detroit Red Wings system. They all can skate, they all can pass. I'd rather watch them the junior games.

[Kate McGilvery]

They have to go to work the next day.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

If this had been available to you, would you have taken it? If they came to you and said.

[Kate McGilvery]

Hey John, I think so.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

If it was here I had an.

[Kate McGilvery]

Opportunity, I was still in shape.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Yeah, because it's in your blood. You're not playing for money. Denis Grignel for CBC News, Lindsay, Ontario.

[Kate McGilvery]

In the new CBC show the Assembly, Canadian celebrities face a group of 30 interviewers. Those interviewers have one thing in common, they're all autistic. The assembly has had many versions around the world and has been both celebrated and criticized. Magda Gabriel Selassie reports. Welcome to the Assembly. It's the show that promises no question is off limits. In the hot seat, Canadian celebrities like musician Jan Arden, comedian Howie Mandel and actor Maitrey Ramakrishnan. On the mic, interviewers who are on the autism spectrum.

[Denis Grignon]

Do you love yourself?

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

What led you to have an affair?

[Kate McGilvery]

What is your biggest insecurity? That's Margot Wask asking Howie Mandel that last question. Being on the show for Wask was groundbreaking. I want to ensure that when autism is spoken about or represented in media that were consulted with and I think this show really sets the precedent of what that can look like but at first Wask was hesitant about taking part. It had to do with how autism is represented on other shows like the dating series Love on the Spectrum. Cheers to us autistic people. It can be very infantilizing a lot of times, times where, you know, specific music is played over and the way that it is edited is just kind of diminishing what an autistic person is potentially capable of. That show has been a success for Netflix, but culture writers like Sarah Kirchick have given it mixed reviews as well as the assembly's many versions around the world. I do feel in its presentation it can be a little tokenized in terms of like, we have no filter. What questions will come of it? Kirchick is autistic. She's written about how autism is depicted on fictional shows like the Good Doctor and programs featuring real people too. While she's happy autistic and neurodivergent people are being centered in the assembly. She's critical of how some audience members have reacted to shows like this. You see the viral clips that are passed around are always like, oh, it's so similar, it's so heartwarming. And you know what? Autistic people can be sweet and heartwarming like any people can, but there is more to our experience than that. Executive director Shaun Devries says expanding the audience's understanding is a goal for the.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

Show because it's a great show and a great interview. Not a great interview by autistic and neurodivergent folks, but just simply a great interview.

[Kate McGilvery]

What I say about it. Wask is pleased with her experience, but is aware of some of the negative reactions to other shows. You're never going to be able to please 100% of people with your approach, but she says you can do your best. Makta Gebra Solesa, CBC News, Toronto we'll end tonight with a nod to Canada's unheralded rock and roll heroes who, thanks to a 2005 video game, could reach for guitar greatness from their own living rooms. Guitar hero was released 20 years ago today. Arming players with a plastic guitar shaped controller, it introduced a generation to the classic rock hits of decades gone by. To score points, players hit fret buttons on their controllers in time to the music on screen. All that strumming and banging, making its own plasticky rhythm along with the songs sounding something like this. Since Guitar Hero first came out, there have been nearly 20 versions on multiple platforms, often promoted by real rock stars like Slash and Lenny Kravitz. The last one came out 10 years ago. And though game critics liked the more realistic plastic guitar that came with it, sales were underwhelming and the franchise put down its. But for all of you, with a plastic axe still sitting somewhere, tucked away in a closet, why not take it out? Maybe you're finally ready to nail the Freebird solo. This has been youn World Tonight for Saturday, November 8th. I'm Kate McGilvery. Thanks for being with us and rock on. Good night.

[CBC Narrator/Reporter]

For more CBC Podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.