Poilievre backlash, PM Carney touts “generational budget,” Jays ticket prices, and more

Summary

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Your World Tonight (CBC) – Episode Summary

Episode: Poilievre Backlash, PM Carney touts “generational budget,” Jays ticket prices, and more

Date: October 22, 2025

Hosts: Susan Bonner & Stephanie Skenderis

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Episode Overview

This evening’s episode unpacks several pressing Canadian and global news stories:

• Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faces backlash over RCMP-related comments
• Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares Canadians for a bold federal budget
• Ongoing turbulence in Ukraine and US-Russia relations
• US escalates military action against drug trafficking
• Record penalty for Canadian crypto exchange
• Outcry over Blue Jays' World Series ticket scalping
• Heartwarming story of lifelong pen pals who meet for the first time

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pierre Poilievre Faces Backlash Over RCMP Allegations

(00:57 – 04:48)

• Context: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has come under fire, including dissent within his own party, after suggesting RCMP leadership covered up for Liberal scandals during Justin Trudeau’s tenure.
• Controversial Remarks:
  • On the podcast Northern Perspective, Poilievre claimed the “leadership of the RCMP is just, frankly, just despicable when it comes to enforcing laws against the Liberal government” (03:00).
  • “The most of the many of the scandals of the Trudeau era should have involved jail time. If the RCMP had been doing its job and not covering up for him, then he would have been criminally charged.” — Pierre Poilievre (03:26)
• Caucus Backlash:
  • Five Conservative caucus members expressed frustration to Radio-Canada, saying Poilievre hasn’t updated his messaging since the last election loss, doesn’t appear “prime ministerial,” and calling for Trudeau's imprisonment is “irresponsible.”
• Reaction and Clarification:
  • Poilievre later clarified he was referring to former RCMP Commissioner Brenda Luckey, maintaining that “conservatives all agree on one thing: people should be held accountable for corruption” (04:42).
  • Leadership review set for January; most caucus members still supportive but unrest lingers.

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2. Mark Carney Promotes “Generational” Federal Budget

(05:03 – 07:43)

• Budget Preview:
  • Carney vows to balance operational spending across three years but also promises “the biggest investment in this country in generations” (05:39).
• Political Stakes:
  • With a minority government, the budget is a matter of confidence; support from opposition is vital to avoid an election.
  • The Bloc Quebecois outlines demands including more health transfers and boosted old age security.
  • Carney is engaged in negotiations with Polievre and Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchette.

Notable Quote:
— “We are going to have the biggest investment in this country in generations. The largest.” – Mark Carney (05:39)

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3. Blue Jays Ticket Price Controversy

(09:00 – 09:34, 22:36 – 25:08)

• Fan Frustration:
  • Blue Jays fans struggle to get World Series tickets, which fetch thousands on the resale market due to scalpers and high demand.
  • "It feels like we're being excluded from something that we've been so dedicated for." — Fan Briar Stewart (09:12)
  • Premier Doug Ford criticizes Ticketmaster for “gouging the people” and vows legislative action (23:54).
• Systemic Issues:
  • Canada lacks federal ticket resale legislation; Ontario scrapped its price cap law in 2019.
  • Legal experts stress that the open market dominates, disadvantaging ordinary fans.
  • “What kind of society do we want to have? ... I think people are starting to push back.” — Vas Bedner, Canadian Shield Institute (23:34)

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4. Ukraine Update: War, Sanctions, and Stalled Diplomacy

(09:34 – 13:06)

• Diplomatic Deadlock:
  • Washington cancels summit between Trump and Putin after Russia rejects a temporary ceasefire proposal for Ukraine.
  • NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meets with US officials, aiming to revive peace talks.
  • Ukrainian President Zelensky sees the US ceasefire proposal as a "very good compromise," but doubts Russian willingness (10:09).
• Escalating Attacks:
  • Russia intensifies strikes on Ukrainian cities; Ukraine targets Russian oil infrastructure, aiming to impact the war machine.
• Expert Insight:
  • "If Ukrainians will keep hitting in the coming weeks and months, that might exacerbate already very serious crisis ... it will have an impact on consumer prices, on public perception, and ... the way economy is running" — Vladimir Milov, former Russian energy deputy minister (12:20)

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5. US Targeting Drug Boats – Policy or Power Play?

(13:08 – 16:15)

• Widened Military Strikes:
  • The US expands its military campaign against suspected drug boats from the Caribbean to the eastern Pacific, raising questions about underlying motives and possible regime change in Venezuela.
  • Trump admits to authorizing covert CIA actions in Venezuela and hints at possible ground intervention:
    • “We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control.” — Donald Trump (14:30)
• Global Implications:
  • International observers cite potential for instability if the US pursues military intervention to oust Maduro.

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6. ICJ Opinion on Israel and Humanitarian Relief in Gaza

(16:15 – 17:06)

• Court Ruling:
  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) finds Israel has a legal obligation to facilitate and allow humanitarian aid via UNRWA into Gaza.
  • “The court considers that Israel is under an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United Nations…” — Yuji Iwasawa, ICJ President (16:36)
• Response:
  • Israel has rejected the non-binding opinion; recent ceasefires have enabled new aid shipments.

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7. Canada Fines Crypto Exchange $177 Million for Financial Crime

(17:06 – 21:06)

• Regulatory Action:
  • Cryptomus, a Vancouver-based crypto platform, receives Canada’s largest-ever fine—$177 million—for facilitating 2,500+ illegal transactions tied to child pornography, fraud, ransom, and sanctions evasion.
  • “Whenever I see something like this and it’s this big, I rejoice a little bit.” — Brent Arnold, cybersecurity lawyer (19:02)
• Enforcement Challenges:
  • Despite the massive fine, the platform has no staff in Canada, raising doubts about actual penalty enforcement.
  • Ongoing calls for stronger anti-money laundering measures in Canadian financial regulation.

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8. Canada’s First Whale Sanctuary Project Moves Forward

(21:06 – 22:08)

• Project Update:
  • Nova Scotia grants approval for North America’s first coastal whale sanctuary, a proposed haven for up to 10 belugas from the now-closed Marineland.
  • The project awaits private funding and federal permits before moving whales.

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9. Blue Jays Ticket Scalping Revisited & Policy Debate

(22:36 – 25:08)

• Personal Stories:
  • Fans like Greg Overmans recount being locked out of ticket sales despite long-standing loyalty.
  • Tickets quickly appear on resale markets at exorbitant prices, impeding family experiences at historic games.
• Policy and Legal Response:
  • Ontario and federal authorities face mounting calls to regulate resale markets, but any changes will not affect this World Series.

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10. Heartwarming ‘Pen Pal’ Saga

(25:17 – 27:52)

• Story:
  • Two women, Sonia Clark Casey (Newfoundland) and Michelle Ann Ng (Singapore), meet for the first time after 43 years of pen pal friendship.
  • Memorable moment:
    • “I made a sign with her name on it ... I didn’t need a sign. I knew ... That's her. We just gave each other a big hug and said, I can't believe it. It’s pretty special.” — Sonia Clark Casey (26:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conservative Party Tensions:

  • “The most of the many of the scandals of the Trudeau era should have involved jail time. If the RCMP had been doing its job … then he would have been criminally charged.” — Pierre Poilievre (03:26)

• On Canada’s Fiscal Vision:

  • “We are going to have the biggest investment in this country in generations. The largest.” — Mark Carney (05:39)

• On Ticket Scalping:

  • "It feels like we're being excluded from something that we've been so dedicated for." — Briar Stewart, Jays fan (09:12)
  • "What kind of society do we want to have? ... I think people are starting to push back." — Vas Bedner (23:34)
  • “When you have one player in the market that controls the tickets, that’s not right for the people.” — Doug Ford (23:58)

• On Ukraine Conflict:

  • “…if Ukrainians will keep hitting in the coming weeks and months, that might exacerbate already very serious crisis ... it will have an impact on consumer prices …” — Vladimir Milov (12:20)

• On US Strikes on Drug Boats:

  • “We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea very well under control.” — Donald Trump (14:30)

• On Meeting a Pen Pal:

  • “We just gave each other a big hug and said, I can’t believe it. It’s pretty special.” — Sonia Clark Casey (26:58)

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Important Timestamps

• Pierre Poilievre RCMP controversy — 00:57 – 04:48
• Federal budget preview and politics — 05:03 – 07:43
• Blue Jays ticket pricing first mention — 09:00 – 09:34
• Ukraine, Russia, and diplomacy — 09:34 – 13:06
• US strikes drug boat, Venezuela speculation — 13:08 – 16:15
• ICJ ruling on Gaza aid — 16:15 – 17:06
• Cryptomus penalty for financial crime — 17:06 – 21:06
• Whale sanctuary approval — 21:06 – 22:08
• Return to Blue Jays ticket issues — 22:36 – 25:08
• Pen pals meet at last — 25:17 – 27:52

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This summary captures the main stories, debates, and memorable quotes from “Your World Tonight” for October 22, 2025, giving listeners a comprehensive, timestamped reference for the episode’s news coverage and heartwarming finale.

Transcript

[Paige Desorbo]

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[Hannah Berner]

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[Kate McKenna]

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[Paige Desorbo]

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[Hannah Berner]

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[Paige Desorbo]

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[Andrew Lawton]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Pierre Poilievre]

That's not what I said. I'll tell you what I said. I was asked about the the scandals of the last 10 years of the Liberal government and if you look at my remarks, that's what I said. We will hold people accountable for corruption.

[Susan Bonner]

Pierre Poliev on the defensive over comments about the RCMP that some found offensive. Alleging a cover up and raising questions about political interference. Now some Conservative MPs have questions of their own. Welcome to your world tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, October 22, just before 6pm Eastern. Also on the podcast, Mr. Speaker.

[Tom Perry]

This budget will get operational spending under.

[Susan Bonner]

Control, managing Canada's finances and Canadians expectations. With less than two weeks to go until the federal budget, Prime Minister Mark Carney is laying the groundwork for his fiscal plan. With Canada's economy under pressure and a minority government facing its first major test, the comments came on a podcast. The backlash is happening on Parliament Hill. For days Pierre Poliev had been under fire from other parties for suggesting the RCMP covered up liberal scandals. Now there's criticism of the Conservative leader coming from within his own party. Kate McKenna has our top story from Ottawa.

[Andrew Lawton]

Of course I support. Of course I support.

[Kate McKenna]

On the way into their weekly meeting, Conservative caucus members like Ontario MP Andrew Lawton and British Columbia MP Tom were quick to stand behind their leader.

[Andrew Lawton]

Of course I support leader and he's.

[Tom Perry]

Going to be an incredible prime minister.

[Briar Stewart]

I think what we are going to hear from Pierre Poliev is what he's.

[Andrew Lawton]

Been telling all Canadians which is that.

[Briar Stewart]

He'S ready to lead.

[Kate McKenna]

But inside caucus a storm appears to be brewing. Five Conservative caucus members told Radio Canada that they're getting frustrated. Pierre Poilievre hasn't changed his message enough since losing the last election campaign. They say he isn't appearing prime ministerial and his implication that former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be imprisoned is irresponsible.

[Pierre Poilievre]

The leadership of the RCMP is just, frankly, just despicable when it comes to enforcing laws against the Liberal government.

[Kate McKenna]

The anger stems from these comments made by Poliev on the podcast Northern Perspective, published last week. The Conservative leader said Trudeau broke the law when he took a free vacation in 2016 during a family trip to the Aga Khan's private island. He also said the former prime minister probably broke the law during the SNC Lavalin affair.

[Pierre Poilievre]

The most of the many of the scandals of the Trudeau era should have involved jail time. If the RCMP had been doing its job and not covering up for him, then he would have been criminally charged.

[Kate McKenna]

The Mounties did look at potentially charging Trudeau with fraud when he accepted a free vacation to the late Aga Khan's private island, but ultimately decided not to. The RCMP commissioner has said the investigation into SNC Lavalin was complicated because of the lack of access to cabinet confidences, but says he's very comfortable with the decision not to press charges, though in both cases Trudeau was found to have violated the Conflict of Interest Act. Some Harper era conservatives have chafed at Poiliev's implication of political interference, writing in editorials he is hurting his party's own credibility. Sources say Wednesday's caucus meeting was tense, with the leader offering MPs an explanation but not an apology. Later, he addressed journalists to say that he was actually talking about former RCMP Commissioner Brenda Luckey.

[Pierre Poilievre]

My criticisms of Ms. Lucky have been long standing and that's why we called for her to resign. We called for her to resign for a number of numerous scandals that she and the RCMP failed to investigate.

[Kate McKenna]

He wouldn't acknowledge that some in his own caucus are upset.

[Pierre Poilievre]

Well, listen, my view is that conservatives all agree on one thing people should be held accountable for corruption.

[Kate McKenna]

Poliev faces a leadership review in January. All signs so far indicate he's got the support of the majority of his party, but whether this response is enough to quell any unrest in in his caucus before then is still uncertain. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa the prime.

[Susan Bonner]

Minister will deliver a speech tonight that is expected to be a preview of the upcoming federal budget. Mark Carney is trying to convince the public he can sort out a trade war and a struggling economy while convincing opposition parties to support that budget in a confidence vote. Tom Perry has the details.

[Andrew Lawton]

Oral questions.

[Tom Perry]

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Palmer laying out two competing visions.

[Pierre Poilievre]

Our priority as Conservatives is an affordable budget for an affordable cost of living for the Canadian people.

[Tom Perry]

Poliev urging the government to cut taxes and rein in the deficit with deep cuts to spending. Carney vowing a different approach. Mr. Speaker, this budget will get operational spending under control. It will balance our spending, balance our spending over the next three years. But we're not going to stop there. We are going to invest in this country. We are going to have the biggest investment in this country in generations. The largest. Carney has been drawing a line between operational spending, the day to day costs of running the federal government, and what he calls investments in areas like housing, infrastructure and the military. It's a calculation that's expected to produce a sizable deficit. The parliamentary budget officer has estimated the government will post a shortfall of more than 68 billion doll this year, up from nearly 52 billion last year. A budget is a matter of confidence. And in a minority Parliament, the Liberals will need some opposition MPs to support their plan, or at least not vote against it to avoid an election. Government House Leader Steve McKinnon isn't sure yet where those votes will come from.

[Andrew Lawton]

Look, we do not think an election is necessary. We have a minority Parliament. But we do believe we have a mandate. If there has to be an election, we will confidently take our plan to the people.

[Tom Perry]

To try to avoid an election. The Prime Minister has been meeting with party leaders today, sitting down with Poliev and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves Francois Blanchette. The Bloc has laid out half a dozen demands for what they want to see in the budget, including more health transfers to the provinces and a boost to old age security for seniors between the ages of 65 and 75.

[Andrew Lawton]

Those demands from the Bloc, which are absolute conditions, have been known and repeated since before the election. They always knew what we stand for. We say this is what we want.

[Tom Perry]

The government still has until November 4th to win over its opponents, if any are willing to be won over. In the meantime, Carney and his ministers are continuing their work of preparing Canadians for a budget they say will be historic. Carney will deliver a speech tonight laying out his government's vision, though Canadians will only see the full price tag on budget day. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Susan Bonner]

Another auto plant in this country is losing production and jobs to the U.S. an American truck manufacturer based in St. Therese, Quebec, says trucks made for the U.S. market will now be made there. The union says that means 300 workers at the Paccar plant will lose their job. Last week, US President Donald Trump said all imported medium and heavy duty trucks will face a 25% tariff starting November 1st. Coming right up, what's next in the effort to end the Russia Ukraine war now that a second Trump Putin meeting is off and widening its attacks to new waters? The US Military launches a deadly strike on a suspected drug boat, but it wasn't in the Caribbean. Later, we'll have this story.

[Paige Desorbo]

I'm Shein Desjardins in Toronto where Blue Jays fans trying to get into the World Series are getting frustrated with Ticketmaster. They say tickets got scooped up quickly and are now on sale for a lot more.

[Briar Stewart]

It feels like we're being excluded from something that we've been so dedicated for. And so to think that people from who knows where bought them these tickets and just jack them up beadily, it's.

[Paige Desorbo]

Just so disheartening priced out of the hottest tickets in the country. I'll have that story later on youn World tonight.

[Susan Bonner]

In Ukraine, Russian strikes killed at least seven people in Kyiv overnight while cutting off electricity across the country. There's been a wave of intensifying attacks since a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was canceled. And now the US Says more sanctions are coming. For the latest on this story, Briar Stewart is in London. Bryer, the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte is in Washington today following word that Ukraine and Russia would not meet as planned. What do we know about his meetings?

[Hannah Berner]

Well, Mark Rutte was meeting with US Senators and he was also going to be meeting with US President Donald Trump to really help any way he can when it comes to brokering some kind of peace between Ukraine and Russia. Neruta was very complimentary of Trump's role that he played in helping to cement a ceasefire in Gaza. And I think likely Trump was hoping that some of that peacemaker momentum could carry on to the war in Ukraine, which she once vowed to end in 24 hours. But these Washington led negotiations appear to be at a standstill. The White House has decided to shelve plans for a summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest, Hungary, and it was shelved after it appears that Russia was unwilling to compromise at all, unwilling to agree agreed to that ceasefire which the US has proposed, which would freeze the current lines in the war for for at least 30 days while negotiations continue. Now, Russian officials suggest that plans for the Putin Trump meeting are still in the works, saying that nothing has been canceled. And I should mention too, Susan, that ceasefire proposal, well, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky said he thinks it's a very good compromise, but he doubts that the Russian president will go for it.

[Susan Bonner]

Meantime, Russia continues to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure. And Ukraine is doing the same thing to Russia with the president saying that these are the sanctions that work the fastest because it is the oil industry in Russia that funds the war effort. Is this strategy effective?

[Hannah Berner]

Well, it is having an impact, Susan, but it's hard to tell how much. And that's because energy experts say last year data around refining capacity was designated as classified in Russia. In recent months, Ukraine has, though, really stepped up attacks. According to data compiled by a UK Based nonprofit group called Open Source center, there were more than 90 strikes on Russia's energy sector between August 2 and October 14 of this year. I spoke with Vladimir Milov, an exiled Russian politician who at one time was briefly Russia's deputy minister of energy. And here's what he had to say about the potential impact of these strikes.

[Tom Perry]

What matters here is consistency. If Ukrainians will keep hitting in the.

[Andrew Lawton]

Coming weeks and months, that might exacerbate already very serious crisis and Russia will not run out of fuel. But this will have an impact. This will have an impact on consumer prices, on public perception and, you know, the way economy is running and so on.

[Hannah Berner]

Now, last night Ukraine said it struck a petrochemical plant in Russia's Bryansk region with a UK Produced long range storm shadow missile. And the threat of these Ukrainian strikes is significant enough that today Russian officials announced that they will start deploying reservists to protect critical infrastructure and some residential areas.

[Susan Bonner]

Thank you, Briar.

[Hannah Berner]

You're welcome.

[Susan Bonner]

The CBC's Breyer Stewart in London. The U.S. military is expanding its attacks on boats it suspects of carrying drugs in international waters. It has struck another vessel, killing two people, this time in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The earlier attacks have mostly focused on Venezuela. With speculation growing, the US Is pushing for regime change. Paul Hunter explains.

[Andrew Lawton]

One shot, everyone dead center. U.S. president Donald Trump today describing the latest U.S. strike on what the U.S. says are illegal drug trafficking in a boat headed toward the US From South America, this one on the Pacific side, we're allowed to do it. It's in international waters that it is. The eastern Pacific, not the Caribbean sets it apart from seven previous such strikes on boats by US Forces in recent weeks. But it re raises the question for so many, what is going on here? US President Trump has long said he's targeting boats carrying illegal drugs to the US From Venezuela lately going further, suggesting the US Is now considering going into that country militarily on land as well. Here's Trump a week ago we are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control. Trump also confirming he's authorized covert actions by the CIA in Venezuela. Add to that a broader buildup of US Forces in the region, and speculation mounts that Trump's real goal is ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose government was deemed illegitimate by the Joe Biden administration long before Trump's recent actions. Maduro himself in September calling Trump's steps in the region not tension, it is aggression. When asked if Maduro has offered mediation as a way out of US Pressures, said Trump on Friday, he has offered everything. He's offered everything. You know why? Because he doesn't want to f around with the United States. So where does it all lead? What is the end game? Is war looming? I wouldn't rule out a negotiation with Maduro. Paul Hare is a former British deputy head of mission in Venezuela, telling CBC News, it's far from straightforward. If the US Is intent on forcing things, it's very difficult to oust somebody like Maduro who controls the military, the judiciary, the media and the oil at the moment. And if everybody remains loyal to him, it's, you know, it's an interesting, maybe a pivotal moment. Trump today focused on his view. The attacks on these boats are strictly to combat drug trafficking, saying if traffickers now stop using boats and bring more drugs by land, the US Will strike them there as well. We're totally prepared to do that, added his defense secretary today. Drug cartels are waging war on our border and our people. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington.

[Susan Bonner]

The International Court of Justice says Israel has a legal obligation to ensure the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza, and that means allowing the United nations aid agency in Gaza, known as unrwa, to provide humanitarian assistance. President Yuji Iwasawa read the justice's opinion in the Hague.

[Andrew Lawton]

The court considers that Israel is under an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United nations and its entities, including unrwa. In its final section on international humanitarian law, the court explains that custom international law prohibits the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare.

[Susan Bonner]

The United nations asked the ICJ to weigh in after Israel effectively banned UNRWA from the territory. Israel has said the agency has been infiltrated by Hamas. Nine workers were fired in 2024 for potential connections to the Oct. 7 attacks. The judges say Israel has not substantiated that claim. Israel has rejected the court's non bind opinion. More aid has started to arrive in Gaza this week after a ceasefire was established earlier this month. This is your 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. Canadian regulators have fined a cryptocurrency exchange nearly $177 million. That's about 1200 Bitcoin, in case you're wondering. The largest ever penalty by Canada's financial intelligence agency alleging illegal transactions and links to criminal activity. As Cameron McIntosh explains, it comes as Ottawa promises to get tougher on financial crime.

[Andrew Lawton]

Cryptomos now 7 million of transactions on.

[Briar Stewart]

YouTube Cryptomos bills itself as a safe, secure platform for cryptocurrencies with hundreds of thousands of satisfied users. Fintrac, Canada's national financial intelligence agency, says some of those customers use the platform for more than 2,500 illegal transactions that could be connected to child pornography fraud, ransom demands and evasion of sanctions against Iran. Fintrac says Cryptomus and its parent Zeltrox Enterprises, failed to comply with reporting obligations in a statement called its $177 million fine an unprecedented enforcement action.

[Andrew Lawton]

Whenever I see something like this and it's this big, I rejoice a little bit.

[Briar Stewart]

Brent Arnold is a lawyer specializing in cybersecurity. He says the fine sends a big message.

[Andrew Lawton]

I'm also frankly impressed because Canada's reputation for pursuing financial crime in the last.

[Tom Perry]

Few years hasn't been impressive.

[Briar Stewart]

Last year, Fintrac was given greater enforcement powers to combat financial crime exchange Cryptomus.

[Tom Perry]

Which will help you start putting in trading and earning.

[Briar Stewart]

Earlier this year, Cryptomus was temporarily banned from trading securities by the B.C. securities Commission. While it's incorporated and registered in Vancouver, it has no employees in Canada. Fintrac says it reached representatives in Spain and Uzbekistan. Why is it when you have no employees, when when you have no demonstrated sort of institutional capacity in Canada, you can run a multi billion dollar crypto exchange that clearly is linked to adversarial actors. Queen's University professor Christian Lupricht is an expert in cyber and financial crime. He says Canada has long had a reputation for being low risk for money laundering and other financial crimes. And that's exactly what drives our allies insane when we are systematically being exploited by bad actors and the best we can do is levy a large fine that is unlikely to be paid. The federal government insists it's clamping down. This is going to be Canada's lead enforcement agency. This week, the federal finance minister said there will be funding for a new financial crimes agency in next month's federal budget, first proposed in 2021. Long overdue, says Lupprecht. I see this the beginning of a very long and steep road that requires significant reform. As Kryptomus continues to grow and evolve online, Cryptomus continues to promise a full suite of financial services. It did not respond to requests for comment. While it faces no criminal charges, it does have the right to appeal the fine. Cameron McIntosh, CBC News, Winnipeg North America's.

[Susan Bonner]

First coastal refuge for captive whales could open as early as next year. The Nova Scotia government has given the U S. Based whale sanctuary project approval to build the proposed 40 hectare enclosure on the province's eastern shore. Earlier this month, the owners of Marineland, the shuttered Ontario theme park, said without help it would have to euthanize its 30 belugas. The project's executive director, Charles Vinick, says the sanctuary could care for up to 10 of them.

[Andrew Lawton]

Those whales, we don't know their health. Are they at death's door? No, that's not certainly what anyone sees. From what we've read and the like, this is a threat to kill them. And so everything we can do with our colleagues throughout Canada, with the people in Canada to create a plan to provide homes, find homes for all 30 of these belugas is what we have to be doing.

[Susan Bonner]

No whales will be moved to the site until the group secures private financing and gets permits from the federal Fisheries Department and Transport Canada. There are renewed calls for stronger regulations when it comes to platforms like Ticketmaster. With the Toronto Blue Jays heading to the World Series, baseball fans hoping to attend are getting priced out and fed up. Xian Desjardins reports.

[Briar Stewart]

On Tuesday morning, when we logged in at 9:45, right on the dot clicked into the queue.

[Paige Desorbo]

Longtime Blue Jays fan Greg Overmans wanted to see this World Series in person. Experience a moment like this, maybe. But when it was hit his turn to pick a ticket at 1040, all of them were gone.

[Briar Stewart]

My question is, who got tickets? It feels like we're being excluded from something that we've been so dedicated for.

[Paige Desorbo]

And Overman's is not alone.

[Sonia Clark Casey]

I got in at 1033 and the.

[Tom Perry]

Cheapest single ticket was $3,000. So that was a hard no.

[Briar Stewart]

That was like 800 in the queue and I just took too long.

[Andrew Lawton]

Those things were Flying the tickets did.

[Paige Desorbo]

Reappear on Ticketmaster for resale. Tons are available.

[Kate McKenna]

The frustrating catch tickets are thousands and thousands of dollars.

[Paige Desorbo]

Vas Bedner with the Canadian Shield Institute has seen this before. Take the Taylor Swift eras tour in November. The nosebleed sold out on the resale market for thousands.

[Kate McKenna]

There's someone who's willing to pay that, you know, in a certain universe, it will always get out of control. What kind of society do we want to have? Is it one where pricing is constantly calibrated to capitalize on the maximum that somebody will spend? I don't think so, but we've come to accept it as a norm right now and I think people are starting to push back.

[Paige Desorbo]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province is looking at legislation.

[Andrew Lawton]

My personal opinion, they're gouging the people. When you have one player in the market that controls the tickets, that's, that's not right for the people.

[Paige Desorbo]

That's despite Ontario scrapping part of a law that would have capped ticket resale prices in 2019, saying it was uninformed, enforceable. And that's been the case in Quebec, which does have laws to restrict merchants from increasing the prices themselves. But inflated resales still happen. And in the us, the Department of Justice recently sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, alleging illegal tactics.

[Andrew Lawton]

It's in circumstances like this where the finite number of tickets and the demand is much greater that we see the issue come to bear.

[Paige Desorbo]

Steven Selznick is a partner with Castle, Brock and Blackwell, a law firm in Toronto.

[Andrew Lawton]

The big problem in Canada is we do not have federal legislation regulating the resale of tickets to any event. The open market rules most of the.

[Paige Desorbo]

Time, but any policy changes will come too late for fans like Overman's.

[Briar Stewart]

We have a six year old son. He's so crazy about the Jays right now and the thought of being like, is it possible to actually take him to see this moment, it's not. It's just not feasible.

[Paige Desorbo]

He says they'll be cheering them on with friends. Still special, just not quite the same. Shein Deschane, CBC News, Toronto.

[Susan Bonner]

We end tonight with two friends who've known each other for decades and only just met in person after 43 years. On the page.

[Sonia Clark Casey]

1992, this is. How are you? Sorry it's been so long since I've written, but university takes up a lot of my time. What's new with you? The weather here is starting to warm up. Today it's 4 degrees. Do you have a boyfriend now? This one is 1987. How is life getting on. Are you having your holidays or are you struggling for your exams?

[Susan Bonner]

Sonia Clark Casey from Newfoundland and Michelle Ann Ing from Singapore. Pen pals since 1985 when they connected for a school project. A distant friendship nurtured by dedicated communication. To be able to connect with someone and to relate it.

[Sonia Clark Casey]

It's a good question. Why did we keep it up? You know, like, I, I genuinely enjoyed getting letters from you. Chinese, we say you're more tea. Yeah. So it's like there's really that connection. Like there's nothing else I have written anywhere that would say, you know, kind of show me a glass of my life. I told you I was on a diet. What was I doing on a diet when I was 13?

[Susan Bonner]

Through teenaged years, university, marriage and children. They eventually got email and found each other on Facebook, but never stopped writing. The charm of sitting down with a pen and paper and the joy of opening an envelope helped the relationship endure and was a big reason why this week, Ng finally made the trip to Canada.

[Sonia Clark Casey]

I couldn't sleep the night before. I was so excited. And I made, gosh, I'm getting emotional. I made a sign with her name on it. I didn't need a sign. I knew I would have had hidden. That's her. We just gave each other a big hug and said, I can't believe it. It's pretty special.

[Susan Bonner]

They spent their first day together going through the stacks of old letters. After Ng's visit, it will be Clark Casey's turn to travel to Singapore. But in the meantime, they plan on getting right back to letter writing. Thank you for joining us. This has been youn World Tonight for Wednesday, October 22nd. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

[Andrew Lawton]

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