Liberals prepare for budget, Quebec municipal elections, Fighting fungal disease in bats, and more

Summary

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Your World Tonight (CBC) – November 2, 2025

Episode Theme:
A sweeping evening roundup of the major news stories shaping Canada and the world, from government budget negotiations and political contests to scientific breakthroughs and international humanitarian crises. Hosted by Kimberly Gale, with reports from CBC correspondents and field experts.

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1. Liberal Government Prepares for High-Stakes Budget

[01:11 – 08:02]

Key Points:

• Prime Minister Mark Carney returns from Asia and faces his biggest political test: Finalizing the Liberal government’s first budget in 18 months, setting up a potential confidence vote.
• Crucial stakes:
  • Opposition support is needed to pass the budget; possible snap election looms if it fails.
  • Budget expected to feature military investments, housing, support for workers hit by US tariffs, and significant fiscal restraint.
• Opposition demands:
  • Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre insists on scrapping the carbon tax and reducing the deficit, threatening to vote against the budget.
  • Bloc Québécois wants increased pensions and healthcare funding.
  • NDP’s pivotal seven-member caucus remains undecided, opposed to austerity, and could tip the scales.

Notable Quotes:

• Prime Minister Mark Carney:
  "I am 100% confident that this budget is the right budget for this country at this moment. This is not a game. I'm always prepared to stand up for the right thing." [06:10]
• Pierre Poilievre (Conservative Leader):
  "We want an affordable budget that will give Canadians an affordable life before Christmas. But we will not vote to raise grocery prices and increase housing costs as the Liberals have done over the last decade. Canadians cannot afford any more Liberal sacrifices." [06:54]
• NDP Interim Leader Don Davies:
  "We want to see policies in this budget that respond to the very real struggles that working people are facing right now." [07:44]

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2. Trump’s Tariffs & Legal Showdown

[01:46 – 04:55]

Key Points:

• Trump’s administration threatens a 10% tariff on Canadian goods without specifying details.
• US Treasury Secretary clarifies: no new tariff yet, ongoing legal and diplomatic maneuvering.
• The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Trump’s tariffs, including those on Canada, are legal under a national security statute.
• Stakes for both U.S.-Canada trade and for judicial oversight over executive power in the US.

Notable Quotes:

• Elizabeth Wydra, Constitutional Accountability Center:
  "They have so far in this second Trump administration been very much acquiescent in Trump's power grabs. This will be a test of whether they actually will be the check that the Constitution envisions on the executive..." [04:15]

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3. Quebec & Yukon: Elections and Political Upheaval

[11:05 – 16:18]

Quebec Municipal Elections:

• Montreal’s Mayoral Race:
  • Incumbent Valerie Plante steps down after 8 years.
  • Main contenders: Luc Rabouin (Project Montréal) seeks to expand Plante’s legacy; Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Ensemble Montréal) emphasizes incentives for private developers and re-examination of city bike paths.
• Top Issue: Housing affordability is fiercely debated, with contrasting strategies.
• Election Day hurdles: Mail delays and transit strikes impede voting access.

Notable Quotes:

• Luc Rabouin:
  "Affordable housing is mandatory. It's not an option. It's mandatory." [12:05]
• Martinez Ferrada approach:
  "If you partner with a nonprofit and you offer social housing in the construction of your project, you can have free permits, you can have fiscal incentives." [12:24]

Yukon Territorial Election:

• Sudden Liberal retreat:
  • Nearly an entire cabinet not seeking reelection.
  • Possible historical first: Local-born premier if NDP or Yukon Party win.
• Top concerns: Housing, affordability, healthcare, and lingering frustration over a recent environmental disaster.

Notable Quotes:

• Ken Coates, U Saskatchewan:
  "So you never have never seen this before in Canadian politics, where basically the entire government decides not to run a second time." [14:03]

• Sheila Haggar, Yukon Citizen:
  "It destroyed our survival, it destroyed our moose, you name it, everything." [15:45]

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4. Fighting Fungal Disease in Bats: A Canadian Probiotic Solution

[23:54 – 27:29]

Key Points:

• White nose syndrome, a devastating fungal disease, threatens to decimate bat populations in western Canada, as it already has in the east.
• Canadian scientist Corey Lawson leads efforts with a “probiotic cocktail” derived from naturally occurring bat bacteria. The treatment is sprayed in bat habitats, where bats spread it through grooming.
• Promising early findings: The application shows suppressed fungus growth and increased probiotic presence on bats.

Notable Quotes:

• Corey Lawson:
  "It's a race against time because the fungal disease is not yet in BC, but it's present in Alberta and Washington." [24:44]
  "I call it Robin Hood approach because we're literally taking from the bats that have the good bacteria and making sure that all the bats get good bacteria as well." [25:34]

• U.S. collaborator Abigail Tobin:
  "There are higher levels of probiotic and lower levels of the fungus on bats that are being treated." [26:29]

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5. Humanitarian Crises: Sudan’s War & Caribbean Hurricane

[16:18 – 23:54]

Sudan Civil War (Edmonton Protest) [16:18 – 20:36]:

• Sudanese Canadians grieve and protest: Edmonton’s Sudanese community rallies, mourning the siege of Al Fasher and calling for more international attention and Canadian government action.
• "We are just pushing through to not break down because if we break down, our own family, our siblings, our cousins, our young ones are all going to break down." – Niam Bashir [17:17]
• "Soon enough Sudan's gonna be wiped away and we're not gonna have a country no more." – Wadl Sad Al Din, 15 [19:10]

Caribbean Hurricane Melissa [20:38 – 23:54]:

• Catastrophic storm leaves massive destruction in Jamaica (at least 28 dead), and affects Cuba and Haiti.
• Diaspora communities in Canada mobilize for aid; Canadian government pledges $7 million in relief.
• "In Jamaica, there's a saying every liquor make a mucker. What the meaning is that every bit adds up." – Harold Maddox, Jamaican Canadian Association [22:06]
• "She'll have clean drinking water for her kids stored in the bottom bucket." – Rahul Singh, Global Medic, on water kits [23:14]

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6. Global and Cultural Moments

Notable News Briefs:

• London train stabbing updates: Suspect remains in custody; investigation ongoing, not considered terrorism [08:02].
• Israel/Gaza: Handing over of hostage remains by Hamas; identification process underway [08:35].
• Toronto Blue Jays: Narrow loss in World Series Game 7, fans express pride despite heartbreak [10:10–10:43].
  • "It was a phenomenal, phenomenal run. And I'm so proud of those boys." [10:16]
  • "Last year we finished last. This year we're just one win away. We couldn't do it. But still so proud of these guys." [10:33]

Day of the Dead – Mexico

[27:29 – 30:25]

• Deeply personal and evolving public celebration, blending ancient indigenous tradition with modern pop culture (e.g., Mexico City parade inspired by James Bond).
• Families honor loved ones with decorated graves and homemade altars.
  • "It's hard, but also beautiful, she says, because I know he's here with me." – Araceli Cruz, on her late husband [29:42]

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7. Community Solidarity in Jamaica After Hurricane

[30:25 – 31:29]

• Caribbean musicians and diaspora (e.g., Shaggy, Sean Paul) fundraise and send supplies post-hurricane.
  • "Everyone who has ever, you know, has ever had a great time in Jamaica. Give $10, give $1 anything that you can." – Sean Paul [31:21]
• Resilience message: Bob Marley Museum: "The winds may have shaken us, but they could never break our spirit." [31:29]

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Episode Takeaways

• Canadian politics is in a tense moment: Carney’s budget could reshape government or trigger elections; provincial and municipal contests are driven by affordability and public frustration.
• Science is fighting to protect endangered species, with global cooperation showcased in the bat rescue effort.
• Communities facing disaster—whether from war or weather—are uniting in resilience and demanding international attention, support, and action.
• The episode ends with affirmations of hope, cultural continuity, and a rallying call to help those in need.

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For more detailed stories, see individual timestamped sections above.

Transcript

[Darina]

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[CBC Host]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Canada is entering a new era. This is our moment to define our next century.

[Kimberly Gale]

Mark Carney is preparing for his biggest test so far as prime minister, as his government puts the final touches on Tuesday's budget. This is yous World Tonight. I'm Kimberly Gale, also on the podcast. Trump's tariff agenda is set to face a major legal hurdle in the US Supreme Court this week. Arguments from businesses and states say Trump's use of a national security statute is illegal. And so far, it does look like.

[Darina]

The probiotic bacteria that we're using is keeping the fungus that causes the disease. It's keeping it at bay.

[Kimberly Gale]

A Canadian scientist using a blend of bacteria to save our dying bat population. Donald Trump's treasury secretary is hinting the US President may back down from his latest threat to boost tariffs on Canadian exports. This comes as those same Trump tariffs face their biggest legal challenge yet and a case before the U.S. supreme Court. Mike Crawley reports from Washington.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The U.S. president boards Air Force One after spending the weekend at his Mar a Lago resort. It's now been more than a week since Donald Trump said he was increasing what he called the tariff on Canada by 10%. Yet the Trump administration hasn't specified which tariff he was talking about, hasn't given Canada formal notice of any change, and when a reporter asked Trump when the tariff would take effect.

[CBC Host]

I don't know when it's going to kick in.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We'll see, but I don't really want to discuss it. Trump's Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant, was pushed to discuss it on Sunday in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. Let's talk about Canada for one second. When can we expect that 10% tariff to be taken down. Well, he hasn't put on a 10% tariff. He threatened to put on a 10% tariff. So he didn't actually do it. It hasn't been put on yet. Bessant pivoted to criticizing the Ontario government ad that provoked Trump to call off trade talks with Canada and to announce that new hike. Nobody likes foreign governments trying to sway public opinion. So the 10% tariff has not been enacted and it might not be enacted. We'll see. Ontario's anti tariff ad used excerpts from a Ronald Reagan speech. Trump has claimed it was an attempt to influence a looming case in the top court of the US Ronald Reagan.

[CBC Host]

Loved tariffs and they totally changed that to say that he didn't because they're.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Catering to the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, the court will hear arguments on the legality of what Trump calls his Liberation Day tariffs on dozens of countries over long standing US Trade deficits and the tariffs he imposed on Canada, Mexico and China over fentanyl trafficking.

[Kimberly Gale]

The stakes of this case are extremely high.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Elizabeth Wydra leads the Constitutional Accountability Center, a non profit legal group in Washington.

[Kimberly Gale]

For the Trump administration, tariffs have been.

[Political Analyst]

A big leveraging chip that they've used in bargaining.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Wydra says the stakes are also high for the Supreme Court.

[Kimberly Gale]

They have so far in this second Trump administration been very much acquiescent in Trump's power grabs. This will be a test of whether they actually will be the check that the Constitution envisions on the executive and whether they will put a halt to.

[Political Analyst]

This part of the Trump agenda.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Just days after Trump said he was hitting Canada with another increase, he announced he was reducing the 20% tariff he'd imposed on goods from China over fentanyl. His stated reason? China's promise to crack down on exports of the chemicals used to manufacture the drug. Mike Crowley, CBC News, Washington.

[Kimberly Gale]

Mark Carney is back from Asia and facing a delicate political test at home. His first budget lands Tuesday, setting the stage for a crucial confidence vote. He'll need opposition support to pass it, and right now it's not clear where that will come from. Failure to get it through could send Canadians back to the polls. JP Tasker reports from Ottawa.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Our budget will respond head on, head on to the challenges of our time.

[CBC Host]

After a nine day swing through Asia, Prime Minister Mark Carney is promising what he calls generational investments back at home. Tuesday's federal budget, the first in 18 months, is expected to include more money for the military, housing and workers affected by US Tariffs, but also cuts to rein in spending that Ballooned under Carney's.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Predecessor, Canada is entering a new era. This is our moment to define our next century. We have the resources to transform our economy from one of reliance to resilience.

[CBC Host]

This budget presents a politically perilous moment for the minority Liberal government. If the opposition votes it down, Canadians could be headed back to the polls before Christmas. Carney says he's ready if it comes to that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I am 100% confident that this budget is the right budget for this country at this moment. This is not a game. I'm always prepared to stand up for the right thing.

[CBC Host]

Conservative leader Pierre Poliev has made a series of demands. In exchange for his party's support, he wants Carney to scrap the industrial carbon tax and present a much smaller deficit. The Liberals have dismissed those requests as.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Outlandish, driving inflation and the cost of living even higher. That is the cost of Carney. No compromise for Mr. Carney whatsoever to make for an affordable budget and an affordable life.

[CBC Host]

Leaving Poliev with a decision to make. Do you want an election before Christmas?

[Narrator/Reporter]

We want an affordable budget that will give Canadians affordable life before Christmas. But we will not vote to raise grocery prices and increase housing costs as the Liberals have done over the last decade. Canadians cannot afford any more Liberal sacrifices.

[CBC Host]

Meanwhile, the BLA Quebecois has demands of its own, including higher pension payouts for seniors and more healthcare spending. Jean Denis Guerrand, the party's finance critic, says the separatist MPs are voting no if they don't get what they want.

[Narrator/Reporter]

At the moment, the government didn't seem.

[Field Reporter]

To be very interested in negotiating.

[CBC Host]

That leaves the NDP to solve this political puzzle. The small seven member caucus hasn't decided what it will do. Dead said against voting for an austerity budget. They could tip the scales in favor of an election. Interim leader Don Davies.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We want to see policies in this budget that respond to the very real struggles that working people are facing right now.

[CBC Host]

With 169 seats in the House of Commons, the Liberals need just three opposition votes to get the budget through and hold off a second election in less than a year. J.P. tasker, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Kimberly Gale]

British police say one of two men arrested over a stabbing attack on a train has been released without charge. They the remaining Suspect is a 32 year old British man who is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder. Superintendent John Lovelace speaks for Britain's Transport Police.

[Field Reporter]

Counterterrorism Policing were initially supporting our investigation. However at this stage there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident and we continue to work to establish at pace the full circumstances and.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The motivations that have led to this incident.

[Kimberly Gale]

The mass stabbing on a London bound train around 80 km north of the capital spread fear and panic on Saturday evening. One victim remains in a life threatening condition. A member of train staff who police say saved lives with his heroic actions. Israel says it has received the remains of three more hostages. They were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross which delivered them to the Israeli military. Hamas says the remains were found in a tunnel in southern Gaza. Israel is now working on the identification process. After today's handover. There are eight more bodies of hostages still to be recovered. Still ahead, we'll take you to Mexico City where families are honoring lost loved ones for the Day of the Dead, a festival rooted in indigenous heritage now influenced by Hollywood and infused with pop culture. That's coming up on youn World Tonight. Shocked gasps before utter deflation. Toronto Blue Jays fans at the Rogers center react to the fun of game seven of the World Series. Canada's team was beaten by the Los Angeles Dodgers in a nail biter Saturday night, losing in extra innings by a score of 5 to 4. Jays fans say they're disappointed but proud of what the team accomplished.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

And I think it was maybe one of the best World Series anybody has ever seen.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It was a phenomenal, phenomenal run. And I'm so proud of those boys. I can't, I'm sorry, but I am. I'm so proud of them. It's hard to explain. Like it hurts, obviously it stings, but it's like, you know, I'm still proud of this team.

[Field Reporter]

Last year we finished last.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This year we're just one win away. We couldn't do it.

[Field Reporter]

But still so proud of these guys.

[Narrator/Reporter]

They gave it their all and what can you really do? We're that close. But there's always next year.

[Kimberly Gale]

Yes, there is always next year. Voters cast their ballots across Quebec today in municipal elections in Montreal. There are more than 420 candidates running for dozens of positions, including for the mayor. Sarah Levitt looks at the issues that dominated the main campaigns.

[Political Analyst]

It's been a fiery campaign in the fight to become the new mayor of Montreal. Valerie Plante had been at the helm for the past eight years as the first woman to be elected to the job, but decided she wasn't coming back. Her successor as head of the party project was one of the main candidates. Luc Rabouin has been a mayor of a Montreal borough since 2019 and said he wanted to build on Plante's legacy. Facing him though a formidable opponent. Ensemble Morel's Soraya Martinez Ferrata, a former Montreal city councillor, she was until February this year a Liberal member of Parliament in Ottawa and a member of Justin Trudeau's cabinet. This campaign has shown Rabouin and Martinez Ferrada see the future of Montreal differently. On the number one campaign issue, affordability of housing, Rabouin we need a bylaw.

[Narrator/Reporter]

To make sure that affordable housing not for profit. Affordable housing is mandatory. It's not an option. It's mandatory. Affordability is mandatory.

[Political Analyst]

Martinez Ferrata, on the other hand, says private developers will just decide not to build if such a BYL existed. Instead, she wants to send them the.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

Message, if you partner with a nonprofit and you offer social housing in the construction of your project, you can have.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

Free permits, you can have fiscal incentives.

[Political Analyst]

A more contentious issue has been bike paths. Under plant, the city saw its cycling network grow by 35%. Raboin wants to build even more. While Martina Ferrata says the consequences of some of the paths have meant less parking and more traffic, she promises an audit will be done and if need be, some paths will be removed. But it's not just voting day in Montreal, but in municipalities across the province, including in Langueuil, on Montreal's South Shore, where mayoral candidate Catherine Fournier cast her vote to have a second mandate. But things haven't gone entirely smoothly leading up to this election Day. In Quebec, the Canada Post contract dispute means there were delays in receiving voter information cards, which ensure citizens are on the electoral list. And in Montreal, the A transit strike means public transport is only running during rush hour, making it hard for some to get to polling stations. Sarah Levitz, CBC News, Montreal About 4,000.

[Kimberly Gale]

Km away, Yukoners will head to the polls on Monday to elect a new territorial government. And as Virginie on reports from Whitehorse, it will likely be a significant shakeup for the governing Liberals.

[Narrator/Reporter]

All signs are that this will be a major transformation of government.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

University of Saskatchewan professor Ken Coates describes the feeling going into this election, and that's in part because after almost a decade of being in power, not a single Liberal cabinet minister is running again.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So you never have never seen this before in Canadian politics, where basically the entire government decides not to run a second time.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

Liberal leader and Premier Mike Pemberton, who's been in the job for just a few months after Ranch Pillai stepped down, is facing off two experienced party leaders that's NDP leader Kate White and UConn party leader Cory Dixon. While the Liberals haven't been able to assemble a full team of candidates. The other parties have have, coates says. The Liberals went into this knowing they have a slim chance of winning, which explains why only one MLA is seeking re election and why the party had a hard time finding candidates.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Well, it tells you you're seeing a government in severe decline.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

But that's not all. Coats adds that Yukon politics are not like national politics. It's intensely personal.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's extremely hard job in a place like the Yukon. Everybody went to school with everybody, they're down the street and you see them in store all the time.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

Local politicians face more and more daily criticism. The Yukon's population has been growing fast and over the last few weeks voters have been loud about what matters most affordability, housing and healthcare.

[Darina]

I spent six months in Mexico and I get better health care there than I get here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

One time I just went there at the grocery and I buy a gallon 2% mil. I'd pay $10. Don't make promises to us that is broken.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

That last voter is Sheila Haggar. She's a citizen of the first nation of Nacho Naik Dan in Mayo. A recent environmental disaster in her traditional territory is fueling her frustration with the government. Some 300 million liters of cyanide, a solution initially spilled from the Igol gold mine in 2024 into the environment.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It destroyed our survival, it destroyed our.

[Darina]

Moose, you name it, everything.

[Kimberly Gale]

It destroyed everything.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

Surprisingly, the boom looming mining sector barely came up on the campaign even as the next government will face decisions on Casino Mine, the largest copper gold project ever proposed in the Yukon. No matter who wins, this Yukon election could make history after almost 130 years after being a territory. If the NDP or the Yukon Party takes power, Yukoners would have their first premier born right here in the territory. Virginia and CBC News, Whitehorse.

[Kimberly Gale]

In Edmonton, dozens of protesters stand on the steps of Alberta's legislature, some waving the flag of Sudan. Others hold up signs with slogans like Sudan is bleeding and Save Al Fasher. That city was overrun by the paramilitary Rapid Support forces last week. The protesters are calling for an end to the bloody civil war which began two and a half years ago. Sam Sampson was at that rally. Sam, what did people have to say about the war and what they're going through?

[Sam Sampson]

They told me of the absolute heartbreak, worry and anger. So many people brought up videos of violence that they say they've seen both online and had sent from family members that are still in Al Fasher. That includes Niam Bashir, who's part of the Sudanese Cultural League of Edmonton. She's from the Darfur region and she moved to Canada when she was 14 and, and she says she still has family in El Fasher.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

I'm not doing okay. My family's not doing okay. My community is not doing okay as well. We are just pushing through to not break down because if we break down, our, our own family, our siblings, our cousins, our young ones are all going to break down. So we're fighting to go through this is just super inhumane. We don't know what to say. We don't know what to do.

[Sam Sampson]

Her aunt, Aga Sabil, lost her sister during the conflict a few years ago. She told us just days ago she lost more family members and friends after the RSF seized Alasher. She says she saw videos of their deaths.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

So many, many, many my friends, my.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Cousins, uncles.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

Say in the videos, you know, they shooting, shooting down.

[Kimberly Gale]

Yeah.

[Sam Sampson]

Others who I spoke with say it's just so frustrating to be here in Canada and not be able to help their friends and family still in Sudan. That includes Ahmed Abul Gasim, who's been in touch with his cousin who is in El Fasher.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's very limited which way you can help them. Just got you just try to like, try to send money, but also like the.

[Kimberly Gale]

It's very hard to get money in.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There because there's no, barely any infrastructure is working over there. So you just give them tips how to like find, just encourage them, just be careful, find a way to get out, you know.

[Sam Sampson]

I also heard from some very young people who I could just tell are really carrying the weight of this. And that included 15 year old wad Sad Al Din, who says it feels like the world is not paying as much attention to the war in Sudan as it is to other conflicts.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's just us Sudanese community.

[Kimberly Gale]

We're here today trying to find a.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

Way to support us, but this isn't like enough. Like we need something to help our people. Soon enough Sudan's gonna be wiped away and we're not gonna have a country no more.

[Kimberly Gale]

We're not gonna have a place to stay that we're from anymore.

[Sam Sampson]

And I spoke with 14 year old Aham Issa, who was born in Canada but has visited relatives in Darfur multiple times.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

It's so emotional because back then it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Used to be a beautiful, rich country.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

And now I just see videos of everything demolished, everything I know.

[Sam Sampson]

Do you hope to go back to El Fashure one day?

[Narrator/Reporter]

I hope to after the war is finished.

[Kimberly Gale]

What do you hope to see when.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

You go there, my home, all the places I went to, all my friends.

[Kimberly Gale]

So, Sam, what's the latest on how the Canadian government is addressing the conflict?

[Sam Sampson]

Late last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced it would continue special measures for Sudanese people already here. So extending things like open work or study permits or allowing people to change their temporary status without paying application fees. But the program meant to bring refugees from Sudan to Canada stopped taking applications earlier this year. And beyond that, many people I spoke with say they want the Canadian government to call out other countries like the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which have been accused of funding either side of the conflict in Sudan.

[Kimberly Gale]

Alright, thanks for this, Sam.

[Sam Sampson]

Thank you.

[Kimberly Gale]

Sam Sampson reporting from Edmonton. Help from Canada is on the way to Jamaica and other Caribbean islands following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. The Category 5 storm, the strongest to ever hit the island, is blamed for at least 28 deaths in Jamaica alone. Dozens more were killed in Haiti and Cuba. As Philip Lee Shanock reports, members of the Caribbean community in Canada are coming together to help.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

In the town of Black river in hard hit southwest Jamaica, Pamela Foster looks at what's left of her home. The roof is gone and only the wooden studs remain of the walls. Furniture and debris are strewn everywhere.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

I have some place to come to my other sister.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Them don't have anything to go to.

[Community Member/Interviewee]

And then last everything.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

Teams from the US have joined the search for survivors after devastating Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. Government Minister Dana Morris Dixon says the death toll may rise as the Jamaican constabulary force arrive in more remote areas.

[Political Analyst]

We do not count the numbers until.

[Darina]

The JCF has been able to go to the site and retrieve the body and confirm it.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

There are more than a quarter million Canadians with connections to the island nation. At the Toronto headquarters of the Jamaican Canadian association, volunteers gather donations. Harold Maddox says everyone in the community knows someone impacted and want to help.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In Jamaica, there's a saying every liquor make a mucker. What the meaning is that every bit adds up.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

He says as in any disaster, some fraudulent fundraisers have already popped up.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's a lot of scamming going on and people stop at not even this disaster. You will find people trying to scam and make a quick buck.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

He says to look for credible organizations or government entities. There are some listed on the Jamaican Consul General to Toronto and Jamaican High Commission websites. The Canadian government has donated $7 million for humanitarian relief to be distributed by the Canadian Red Cross. Churan Lavera says thousands of blankets, tarpaulins and shelters are already on the way.

[Narrator/Reporter]

People need food, medical assistance, water and shelter assistance. So this is exactly what we're sending.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

Rahul Singh of the non profit disaster assistance organization Global Medic says it's sending thousands of water purification kits to Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. The kits are simple and low tax, just two buckets and a heavy duty ceramic filter.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So mom is basically able to collect the dirty water she has, pour it in the top bucket and gravity, no electricity. Gravity pulls it through. She'll have clean drinking water for her kids stored in the bottom bucket.

[Philip Lee Shanock]

But the storm also damaged many of the island's farms and killed thousands of livestock. Jamaican authorities say the country's 2.8 million people could face food shortages. The Bill Pechanok, CBC News, Toronto.

[Kimberly Gale]

White nose syndrome has devastated bat populations in caves across eastern Canada. Now, as the fungal disease threatens to spread west to British Columbia, one scientist is fighting back with a unique tool, a probiotic cocktail. The remedy, which is already gaining traction across the border, could be the key to giving BC's bats a chance at survival. Camille Vernet explains, Now we're going to hear the bat.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

In a shed near Mission, bc, scientist Corey Lawson lightly shakes a bag with a bat. Inside that sound is the bat detector, which allows humans to hear the sound of echolocation. And it helps identify the bat that.

[Kimberly Gale]

Is definitely a Yuma Myotis.

[Darina]

This particular species is only found in.

[Kimberly Gale]

The west, so we don't know yet.

[Darina]

How badly they're going to be hit by white nose syndrome, but we do.

[Kimberly Gale]

Suspect they're going to be devastated.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

White nose syndrome is a fungal disease that has devastated eastern bat populations. It affects their skin, wings and nose while they hibernate and ultimately kills them.

[Darina]

We've seen die off rates in the eastern part of the range in North America of well over 90%.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

Lawson is part of a team from the Wildlife Conservation Society looking for a remedy.

[Darina]

We just call it a cocktail.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

This cocktail is a mixture of probiotic bacteria that comes naturally from bats. The scientists spray it into their habitat and the bats spread it around as they groom themselves.

[Darina]

I call it Robin Hood approach because we're literally taking from the bats that have the good bacteria and making sure that all the bats get good bacteria as well.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

It's a race against time because the fungal disease is not yet in bc, but it's present in Alberta and Washington.

[Darina]

So it's not a matter of whether it will get here, it is a matter of when. And it might already be here.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

Since 2022, the US has been testing the Canadian cocktail. Abigail Tobin is a scientist for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. She and her team of volunteers are near Darrington to capture bats and it's a tricky task.

[Darina]

They're onto us, so we'll see. Hopefully we put the net in a spot where they normally like to fly.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Out to go forage.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

Finally, a few bats are caught. Tubbin looks at a bat with white spots at the end of its wings.

[Darina]

But over here looks more suspicious of white nose damage. Right there through the swabs we collect from bats wings. The lab that's processing those is finding that there are higher levels of probiotic and lower levels of the fungus on bats that are being treated. It's showing that the probiotic is staying and hopefully suppressing the growth of that fungus.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

Once all the data is collected, they release the bat.

[Kimberly Gale]

There she goes.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

Preliminary results are promising, according to Corey Lawson.

[Kimberly Gale]

So far it does look like the.

[Darina]

Probiotic bacteria that we're using is keeping the fungus that causes the disease. It's keeping it at bay.

[Scientist Corey Lawson]

In the fall, some bat species are heading into the forest. Despite tagging, it's still not clear where they hibernate in B.C. but Lawson hopes that if the disease is here, her cocktail will give the bats the protection they need to return in spring. Camille Verney, CBC News, Mission, B.C.

[Kimberly Gale]

In eastern Mexico, a family sings in of front front of the grave of a loved one as part of Day of the Dead celebrations. Festivities culminated this weekend with a parade that drew tens of thousands of tourists and locals alongside deeply personal ceremonies focused on honoring the dead. Jorge Barrera reports from Mexico City.

[Field Reporter]

Araceli Cruz, with broom in hand, sweeps clean the joint gravesite of her paint parents at the San Isidro Cemetery in a northern borough of Mexico City on the final long weekend of the month long Day of the Dead festivities. There were many dried leaves and flowers, she says after planting and watering fresh Mexican marigolds in flower pots, the ceremonial flowers for the Day of the Dead that help guide souls back to their families. Ru says other families bring food to share a meal with the souls of the departed. All part of this tradition. The cemetery bustled with families and their own rituals. One couple simply sat playing music on a cell phone. Day of the Dead celebrations rooted in Mexico's indigenous heritage, but practiced in different ways based on region, family, personal choice. Pop culture like Mexico City's 8,000 strong Grand Parade, giant skeletons, magical beasts, dancers dressed in Aztec regalia held Saturday. It was inspired by the opening scene of a James Bond movie.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's not the same what we think now 50 years ago. So if you don't evolve, you die. So we don't want this tradition to die.

[Field Reporter]

Enrique Centen Vajerer comes from the state of Colima, along Mexico's Pacific coast.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The main tradition, the main things, el altar de muertos and things like that remain the same. So the heart of this is the same.

[Field Reporter]

Cruz built El Altar de muertos, or shrine to the dead, in her living room with photographs of relatives and pet dogs that have passed. She says she leaves the water and food among the candles because souls arrive thirsty and hungry for their once a year visit among the living. She says she placed a bottle of beer on the altar, a favorite of her husband's who recently died. This is the first time she's left him offerings. Cruz says her mother told her you have to give souls at least a year to journey to the other side. It's hard, but also beautiful, she says, because I know he's here with me. Jorge Barrera, CBC News, Mexico City.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gee wheeze, baby, please let me take you to one island up the sweet cold breeze on our way to Jamaica. Going out with some supplies.

[Kimberly Gale]

Jamaican American reggae musician Shaggy, aka Mr. Boombastic on TikTok showing a plane laden with bottled water and other relief supplies.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Jamaica needs you more now than ever.

[Kimberly Gale]

A community so integral to Jamaican culture mobilizing after Hurricane Melissa. Musicians from the Caribbean island raising money, donating relief supplies and sending messages of support in the wake of the disaster.

[Narrator/Reporter]

When you talk about destruction and devastation, you know it looks like a bomb hit over here.

[Kimberly Gale]

Jamaican dancehall singer and rapper Sean Paul speaking to CNN from his hometown of Kingston, urging anyone who's ever visited to help with the recovery.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Everyone who has ever, you know, has ever had a great time in Jamaica. Give $10, give $1 anything that you can.

[Kimberly Gale]

As officials caution the slow process of getting life back to normal. The Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, posting on Instagram, the winds may have shaken us, but they could never break our spirit. To one of the late reggae pioneers most famous songs about resilience. We'll leave you with that tonight on youn World Tonight. I'm Kimberly Gale. Thanks for listening.

[Narrator/Reporter]

My little sister.

[Political Analyst]

Don't shed no tears.

[Narrator/Reporter]

No one. For more CBC Podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.