Protests over Minnesota ICE shooting, Venezuela guerilla groups, Indonesia deals with cyclone aftermath, and more

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Your World Tonight

Host: Stephanie Scanderis (CBC)

Date: January 10, 2026

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Overview

This episode of Your World Tonight delivers a global roundup of major news stories, exploring unfolding protests in Minnesota over an ICE shooting, the shifting dynamics of guerrilla groups on the Venezuela-Colombia border, humanitarian fallout after Indonesia's devastating cyclone, and more. The show emphasizes context and lived experiences, touching on the consequences of politics and policy for ordinary people.

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Key Stories & Insights

1. Minnesota Protests after ICE Shooting

Segment Start: [00:45]

• Thousands have taken to Minneapolis streets after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman, Renee Goode, an event caught on widely circulated cell phone video.
• Protesters demand justice and the withdrawal of ICE from their community, blaming their presence for ongoing "mayhem" and "bad policing."
• The protests remain mostly peaceful, with leaders and police praising restraint, though some clashes and arrests occurred outside hotels housing ICE agents.

Notable Quotes

• “This was murder. All Minnesota people know this and we will not accept this.” — Protester, [00:45]
• “They're bringing mayhem to our streets. This is not a professional policing operation. This is bad policing that we're seeing, and they need to leave.” — Mary Whitehead, protester, [07:30]
• “There are agitators trying to rile up large crowds... Not only have they not taken the bait, they have pushed others back from the brink.” — Mayor Jacob Fry, as paraphrased by Stephanie Scanderis, [06:35-06:49]

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2. Iranian Protests and Diaspora Response

Segment Start: [01:17]

• Protests in Iran have intensified amidst a harsh regime crackdown. Internet and communication blackouts make information scarce, with at least 72 killed and over 2,000 detained.
• Iranian Canadians demonstrate in solidarity and anxiously search for news of loved ones.
• There’s debate in Iran's diaspora over leadership, with some calling for exiled royal Reza Pahlavi to spearhead opposition.

Notable Quotes

• “This is not about economy. They dying to say that. This is about freedom.” — Sahela Zarabi, protester, [03:33]
• “The only thing we as Iranian diaspora can do is to try to reach their voice to the world.” — Jalal Afzal, [03:04]
• “Many observers hope if a political transition does come in Iran, that it’s reflective of what the people of Iran want and not outside influences.” — Reporter Volta Shahrock, [04:39]

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3. Venezuela-Colombia Border: Guerrilla Groups Respond to U.S. Action

Segment Start: [08:19]

• Following the U.S. attack on Venezuela and capture of President Maduro, regional guerrilla groups (FARC splinters, ELN) are considering alliances against a perceived common U.S. foe.
• Guerrilla leaders see U.S. intervention as a threat to their territories and operations (resource control, drug routes).
• The turmoil has made these groups feel exposed and prompted operational shifts, including moving camps from Venezuela to Colombia.

Notable Quotes

• “Today we face the same enemy,” (referring to the U.S.) — Ivan Mordisco, FARC splinter leader, [08:42]
• “The US government has long funded the Colombian military’s fight against armed groups in the region and it has never led to peace.” — Eliana Zafra, human rights advocate, [10:00]

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4. Indonesian Cyclone — Humanitarian Crisis and Government Response

Segment Start: [14:08]

• Six weeks after Cyclone Senior devastated Sumatra, more than 1,100 are dead and hundreds of thousands left homeless; the government's slow response has angered many.
• Environmental damage—mainly deforestation—greatly worsened the scale of flooding and landslides.
• Citizens protest government inaction with white flags and accuse leaders of refusing much-needed foreign help.

Notable Quotes

• “Our teams deliver food by any means possible.” — Farweeza Farhan, local environmental and humanitarian leader, [15:06]
• "Soil has become more vulnerable to landslides because soil cannot hold the water as much as previously, when there is a vegetation, there is a trees in the forest.” — Dion Fiantis, soil scientist, [17:03]
• “The white flag also symbolizes the lack of trust or eroding trust from the people in Aceh toward the central government.” — Madhe Supryatma, Indonesia scholar, [16:32]

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5. Canadian Rental Market — Affordability Crisis

Segment Start: [17:34]

• Despite a rise in vacant units due to new builds and lower demand, affordability remains out of reach for many Canadians; high rents mean vacant units sit empty, even as people are homeless.
• Experts state reducing immigration won't solve affordability—what’s needed is a massive boost in lower-cost units.
• Government policies, like density near transit and legalizing multi-unit buildings, are being considered to address the crisis.

Notable Quotes

• “Just adding supply won’t make rents more affordable... the number of rental units in those lower rent ranges are much fewer than the number of households there.” — Steve Pomeroy, housing expert, [19:33]
• “There shouldn’t be so many vacant units when people are couch surfing and there are people on the streets.” — Charlene Henry, tenant advocate, [18:32]

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6. Sports & Innovation: Canada’s Wheelchair Curling Team and VR Training

Segment Start: [20:37]

• Canada’s Paralympic wheelchair curling team is using a new, custom VR training simulation to prepare for the 2026 Games in Italy.
• The program, developed in Red Deer, allows athletes to “train together” remotely and visualize the competition venue.
• Virtual recreation for seated users is pioneering, helping not only skill development but mental preparation.

Notable Quotes

• “We have to use technology to be able to make the shots that we want. And that’s the really cool part about the VR. It’s going to be able to take our game to the next level.” — Coach Dana Ferguson, [21:43]
• “...what makes the culture of wheelchair curling unique. It's a completely different environment and it's really great.” — Kalinda Joseph, team member, [23:23]

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7. Other Headlines & Human Interest

Greenland & Indigenous Concerns ([10:58])

• U.S. President Trump’s remarks on taking Greenland prompt Inuit leaders to worry about sovereignty and resource exploitation.

Australian Wildfires ([12:42])

• Massive Victoria bushfires force evacuations and destroy property, with no deaths so far.

Philippines Landslide ([13:21])

• A search continues for missing workers after a landslide at a Cebu landfill.

Italy: Rehabilitation Through Gastronomy ([23:51])

• Milan’s “In Galera” — a Michelin Guide-listed restaurant run by inmates — offers high-quality food and a path to reintegration, dramatically cutting reoffending rates.
  • Notable: “Programs like this are rare in Italy’s prison system, but they work. The reoffending rate of those who pass through In Galera, just 17%, is dramatically lower than the national average of 70.” — Megan Williams, [25:14]

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8. Local Tribute: Prince George Community Leader Remembered

Segment Start: [27:48]

• Hundreds gather to honor Wesley Mitchell, a Wetsuweten community leader and drum group founder, noting his role in promoting unity, culture, and compassion during the pandemic and beyond.

• "We brought people together in a safe manner." — Wesley Mitchell, [28:42]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Minnesota ICE Protests: [00:45] – [08:19]
• Iranian Protests & Diaspora: [01:17] – [04:39]
• Venezuela-Colombia Guerrilla Shift: [08:19] – [10:58]
• Indonesia Cyclone Aftermath: [14:08] – [17:34]
• Canada Rental Market Crisis: [17:34] – [20:37]
• Wheelchair Curling & VR: [20:37] – [23:51]
• Italian Prison Restaurant: [23:51] – [27:48]
• Wesley Mitchell Tribute: [27:48] – End

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Notable Quotes: Quick Reference

| Quote | Speaker/Source | Timestamp | |----------------------------|------------------------------|------------| | “This was murder. All Minnesota people know this and we will not accept this.” | Protester | [00:45] | | “This is not about economy. They dying to say that. This is about freedom.” | Sahela Zarabi (Iran/Canada) | [03:33] | | “Today we face the same enemy.” | Ivan Mordisco (FARC faction) | [08:42] | | “Our teams deliver food by any means possible.” | Farweeza Farhan (Indonesia) | [15:06] | | "Soil has become more vulnerable to landslides..." | Dion Fiantis (Scientist) | [17:03] | | “Just adding supply won’t make rents more affordable.” | Steve Pomeroy (Housing) | [19:33] | | “We have to use technology to be able to make the shots that we want.” | Coach Dana Ferguson | [21:43] | | “Programs like this are rare in Italy’s prison system, but they work.” | Megan Williams | [25:14] |

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Episode Tone & Delivery

The episode maintains a balanced news magazine tone, combining empathetic interviews with field reporting. The hosts aim for clarity and depth, giving voice to people directly affected by global events, from protesters and aid workers to athletes and community advocates.

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Transcript

[Stephanie Scanderis]

You know how everything's a subscription now. Music, movies, even socks. I swear if I to continue this ad, please upgrade to premium plus platinum. Uh, what? No. Anyway, Blue Apron. This is a pay per listen ad.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Please confirm your billing.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Oh, that's annoying. At least with the new Blue Apron, there's no subscription needed. Get delicious meals delivered without the weekly plan.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Wait, no subscription?

[Megan Williams]

Keep the flavor.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Ditch the subscription. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more. This is a CBC podcast. This was murder. All Minnesota people know this and we.

[Megan Williams]

Will not accept this.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Demands for justice and for ICE to leave their city. After video captures an agent shooting and killing a woman, thousands are back protesting on Minneapolis streets. This is your WORLD Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Also on the podcast. Guerrilla groups operating along the Venezuela Colombia border consider working together their common enemy, the US after its strike on Venezuela and capture of its president. And this is not about economy.

[Megan Williams]

They they risking their life. They dying to say that this is about freedom.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Defiant scenes in Iran trickle out despite despite a communications block, Iranian Canadians grabbing hold of whatever glimpses they get and raising their voices in solidarity. Across Iran, two weeks of protests are only intensifying despite a crackdown by the regime, including cutting off Internet and phone services. Humanitarian organizations say at least 72 people have been killed and and more than 2,000 others have been detained. For Iranians in Canada, the blackout has made it difficult to know if loved ones are safe. Philip Lee Shanock has more.

[Volta Shahrock]

Despite the sweeping Internet blackout, scenes of defiance are leaking out. A statue of one of the heroes of the Islamic Republic is pulled down. What began as anger over soaring prices has become a call for regime change. US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene if protesters are killed. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blamed foreign agents. The Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of martyrs. It will not back down against saboteurs. Iran's military has been deployed to protect strategic assets and public facilities across the country. Across Canada, Iranian Canadians protested in solidarity. And outside city hall in St. John's Newfoundland, hundreds stood on the steps calling for an end to the regime. In Tehran. Jalal Afzal says many here worry about friends and family in Iran.

[Natan Obed]

The only thing we as Iranian diaspora.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Can do is to try to reach their voice to the world.

[Volta Shahrock]

He remembers in 2019, when the regime cut off Internet access, 1500 people were killed.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

And now we are worried because we experience that horror once Anything can.

[Volta Shahrock]

North of Toronto, home to a large Iranian Canadian community, Sahela Zarabi stood with thousands calling for regime change.

[Megan Williams]

This is not about economy. They dying to say that. This is about freedom.

[Volta Shahrock]

And echoing chants from the streets of Iran, Zarabi calls for the return of a controversial figure.

[Megan Williams]

His name is Reza Pahlavi.

[Volta Shahrock]

Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah of iran ousted in 1979, is Islamic Revolution. He's been living in exile in the US and has resurfaced, calling for a general uprising. Come into the streets with flags, images and national symbols and to claim public spaces as your own. The goal is readiness to seize city centres and to hold them. Dr. Sanam Vakil is director of the Middle east and North African Program at Chatham House. She says Pahlavi didn't back the 2022 protest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amin, who was detained for not wearing her hijab properly.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

And the women life freedom protesters were also very powerful. That fell apart at that time because he himself and his supporters were unwilling to be part of a group he wanted to lead.

[Volta Shahrock]

And many observers hope if a political transition does come in Iran, that it's reflective of what the people of Iran want and not outside influences. Volta Shahrock, CBC News, Toronto.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Protests and vigils are taking place across the United States as outrage grows after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a woman this week. That shooting was captured on cell phone cameras and the footage quickly spread around the world. And in Minneapolis, where it happened, protesters are demanding ICE leave their city. Katie Nicholson is there. Say it once, say it twice. We will not put up with ice.

[Katie Nicholson]

Clutching anti ICE signs and mittened hands, a sea of protesters joined the chorus in a Minneapolis park not far from where Renee Goode was killed. Together, they vented their rage against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in the Twin Cities because they know they're losing.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

This fight on the ground and they know that their days of terrorizing the community are coming to an end.

[Katie Nicholson]

The massive protest drew thousands into the streets in a long, angry procession.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

We do not put ourselves.

[Katie Nicholson]

This protest caught on the heels of a loud night in the downtown when nearly a thousand showed up outside hotels where ICE agents are known to stay, banging pots and pans. Later in the evening, some tried to force their way inside one of those hotels and police had to shut down the protest. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O' Hara said 29 were arrested and praised both his officers and the bulk of protesters for their restraint.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

And we are fully prepared if Things cross the line and become unlawful to.

[Volta Shahrock]

Make additional arrests if necessary.

[Katie Nicholson]

While Mayor Jacob Fry lauded demonstrators for.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Remaining peaceful, recognizing that there are others out there, agitators, that are trying to.

[Natan Obed]

Rile up large crowds.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

And not only have they not taken.

[Natan Obed]

The bait, they have pushed others back.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

From the brink to say, hey, you know what? This is what Donald Trump wants.

[Natan Obed]

He wants us to take the bait.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Stand up, my back. Immigrants are 100 times, what are we doing? Stand up my back.

[Katie Nicholson]

Even before today's march began, an alleged agitator was escorted away by safety marshals. There is already enough agitation within the crowd. Anger at federal officials for shutting local law enforcement out of the investigation into goods, shooting fury that ISIS presence continues to grow in the Twin Cities. It's why Mary Whitehead decided to come today. Yeah, I mean, they're bringing mayhem to our streets.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

This is not a professional policing operation. This is bad policing that we're seeing, and they need to leave.

[Katie Nicholson]

Her brother John Whitehead sees this mass demonstration as a form of catharsis and perhaps change.

[Natan Obed]

Well, I think there's an enormous amount of feeling vented, being vented here, and there's been a momentum all along with the national events.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

So, no, I think this is the beginning of something. It'll get bigger. Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ice.

[Katie Nicholson]

But in a city gripped by grief and rage, it's an open question whether that something remains peaceful or veers into violence. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Minneapolis.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

The US attack on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro is having ramifications across the region, and it's emboldening the guerrilla groups that operate along the border with Colombia and changing their dynamics. Jorge Barrera is on the Colombia side of that border tonight and has this report.

[Natan Obed]

Today we face the same enemy, says Ivan Mordisco, head of a splinter guerrilla group from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, in a video statement posted online calling for unity between armed groups in the region to resist the US following its attack on Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro. The interventionist eagle's shadow looms over all of us equally, he says Mordisco's splinter faction has long been warring with the National Liberation army, the eln, the largest guerrilla group in Colombia, says Jorge Mantilla, a national security expert. But the US Intervention has changed the equation for these groups operating between Colombia and Venezuela. He says. US President Donald Trump's claims he wants the oil and owns Venezuela may create the incentive for these armed groups to unite, which has happened in the past. Mantilla says the ELN has a lot at stake in Venezuela. It controls areas rich in in natural resources like rare earth minerals and also drug smuggling routes. He says Venezuela has been a secure zone for the ELN's operations for over 20 years. It's where their leadership has been based, said Gerson Arias, with Colombia's Ideas for Peace Foundation. But the US Attack has left the ELN feeling exposed, he says. Arias says there's been reports of the ELN closing camps in Venezuela Venezuela and moving people back into Colombia amid fears that some officials in the Venezuelan regime may betray them to the US. Eliana Zafra, a human rights advocate in the Colombian border town of Cucuta, says President Gustavo Petro recently asked Trump for help with the eln. In a recent phone call, she says the US Government has long funded the Colombian military's fight against armed groups in the region and it has never led to peace. Jorge Barrera, CBC News, Cucuta, Colombia.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

US President Donald Trump's renewed threat against Greenland has Inuit leaders in Canada worried their territory may be next.

[Dave Grunebaum]

We have been colonized by many countries.

[Natan Obed]

And over many centuries for many different.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Reasons, whether it be for whale oil.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Or for furs or for our souls, and then more recently for militarization. Natan Obed is president of the Inuit Tapirit kanatami, which represents 60,000 Inuit. He says his people know the dangers of colonization. Yesterday, Trump said the US Needs to take Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying it in the future. The leaders of Greenland's five political parties have rejected the president's idea. Still ahead, the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are coming. And Canada's wheelchair curling team is getting ready to add another gold to their collection this year. They've got a new secret weapon to help them train a virtual reality simulation developed in Red Deer. Find out how it works. Coming up on YOUR WORLD tonight, Thousands of firefighters in Australia are battling out of control bushfires that have torn through the state of Victoria. Officials say there are numerous major fires statewide, burning over 300,000 hectares of land. More than 130 buildings have been destroyed, including homes, and at least 38,000 residences and businesses are without power. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allen says the fires are putting communities under enormous pressure.

[Megan Williams]

We are seeing these fires continue to be widespread and fast moving. They also have the potential to be devastating. So we'll continue to act without delay to protect lives and also support the work of those firefighters and volunteers who.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Are out there right now protecting communities. The fires started Wednesday, fueled by an intense ongoing heat wave. So far, there have been no reported deaths related to the fires. Three people who were declared missing have been found safe. In the Philippines, search and rescue efforts are intensifying to find more than 30 people missing after a landslide. It happened at a landfill in Cebu City on Thursday, where over 100 workers were on site. The city's mayor says they have detected signs of life and crews are waiting on better equipment to continue clearing debris. At least four people have been confirmed dead. Twelve others have been recovered and taken to hospital. The cause of the landslide is still unknown. In Indonesia, six weeks after a devastating cyclone struck Sumatra, many Indonesians are furious over the government's response. The storm led to the deaths of more than 1100 people, wiped out whole villages and left hundreds of thousands with no home. But as reporter Dave Grunebaum tells us, the cyclone is not the only cause of all that destruction.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Across three provinces on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the terrain is covered with thick mud, floodwaters, submerged communities. When Cyclone Senior struck in late November.

[Katie Nicholson]

I was very scared.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Saving my family, children and husband was the most important thing.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Marlena fled her home in Kabun Tenga village in Aceh Province for higher ground along with her husband and their two year old daughter. Their house is now uninhabitable and they are now living with Marlena's sister's family. But many others are living in tents. They line the roads with baskets, collecting handouts of food from donors driving by. But in more remote areas, survival is much more complicated. Farweeza Farhan is the executive director of Aceh Forest Nature and Environment foundation, an environmental organization that quickly pivoted to humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the cyclone.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Our teams deliver food by any means possible.

[Dave Grunebaum]

The organization raised funds to purchase tents, blankets and 41 tons of food, which are delivered to more than 150 villages. Many of the villages were cut off after landslides made roads impassable. In videos, Farhan's colleagues can be seen navigating steep terrain in the forest.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

They have to use dirt bike, dirt bike trail to get through some of the area. The bridge collapsed and they used some kind of makeshift raft to get across through the water.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Some of her colleagues were part of a team that hiked for eight days through the forest to deliver food and supplies to a remote village.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

We would not sit idly while all this, while they're facing all these disasters. So we are doing our best to support them.

[Dave Grunebaum]

In many communities in Aceh Province, people have flown white flags as a form of protest over the central government's response, pointing towards long delays in getting deliveries of food and medicine, as well as President Prabowo Subianto's refusal to ask for help from foreign governments, insisting Indonesia can handle this crisis on its own. Prabowo's communications team did not respond to requests for comment. Madhe Supryatma is a visiting fellow in the Indonesia Studies Program at the Youssef Ishak Institute, a think tank based in Singapore.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

The white flag also symbolizes that the lack of trust or eroding trust from the people in Aceh toward the central government.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Scientists say the cyclone is not the only reason behind this disaster. Dion Fiantis is a professor of soil science at Universitas Andalas in Indonesia. She says massive deforestation led to at least twice as much destruction from floodwaters and landslides connected to the cyclone because forests provide a protective barrier.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Yeah, soil has become more vulnerable to landslides because soil cannot hold the water as much as previously. When there is a vegetation, there is a trees in the forest.

[Dave Grunebaum]

Rebuilding is underway across the three provinces, but it's not clear how long it will take for life to return to normal. Dave Grunebaum, CBC News, Aceh Province, Indonesia.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

You're listening to youo World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you 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. Experts say 2026 is going to be another tough year for Canada's rental market. Affordability is still a challenge for many renters, even though vacancy rates are up in many Canadian cities because supply is rising and demand has lowered. Michelle Allen reports people are struggling to get by, maybe paying their rent late, paying it in portions each month. Just survive.

[Michelle Allen]

Charlene Henry is hearing the same story a lot. The tenants rights organizer in Toronto says people can't afford the cost of rent. But even though rents are high, she sees vacant units in her building sit empty. She thinks this is because no one can afford to rent them.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

There shouldn't be so many vacant units when people are couch surfing and there are people on the streets. There shouldn't be that many. But there are.

[Michelle Allen]

The 2025 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation rental report says supply is up and demand is down thanks to new builds and reduced population growth. Kevin Hughes is the CMHC's deputy chief economist.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

And we are seeing some marginal increases in starts, but this is not at all the levels that we would be thinking when you were talking about, you know, alleviating the affordability crisis.

[Michelle Allen]

But Hughes says reducing immigration alone isn't enough. He says Canada would need to double its current rate of construction in order to fix the housing crisis and that's not happening in 2026.

[Volta Shahrock]

The reason we've seen a big increase in the volume of rental construction is because the viability has improved because rents have gone up.

[Michelle Allen]

Steve Pomeroy is a professor with the Canadian Housing evidence collaborative at McMaster. He says just adding supply won't make rents more affordable. Pomeroy says most of the new units coming on the rental market are too expensive.

[Volta Shahrock]

For many, the number of rental units in those lower rent ranges are much fewer than the number of households there. So we have tremendous pressure in the lower half of the rental market with low to meet moderate income households and they are continually trying to find somewhere that they can afford.

[Michelle Allen]

Pomeroy says Canada is shifting from a society that prioritizes homeownership to seeing renting as a more viable option.

[Natan Obed]

I believe that the dream of homeownership for people is real and it should be, but it's going to require some tough decisions about allowing housing to be built.

[Michelle Allen]

Ravinder Kalan is BC's Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. He says governments need to work to.

[Natan Obed]

Create affordable housing, legalizing four units across the province on all single family lots. You know, mandatory density of housing near transit are so important because it moves away from the site by site politics in neighborhoods and goes to bigger community planning.

[Michelle Allen]

He says so long as many low income families can't afford market rents, governments need to step in and provide more affordable options. Michelle Allen, CBC News, Toronto.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

There are just nine weeks to go until the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy. Canada's wheelchair curling team is hard at work getting ready to compete. And this year a virtual reality program developed here in Canada is aiming to help the athletes bring home gold. Leena El Saadi has more.

[Leena El Saadi]

At Edmonton's Seville Curling Centre, members of Canada's wheelchair curling team are shooting rocks down the ice. They're preparing for the upcoming Paralympics in Italy. But when they're not on the ice, they have another form of training at their fingertips. A specially made virtual reality simulation developed down the road at Red Deer Polytechnic. We are all across the country right now. We need ways that we can train and be together even in different areas and this will allow for that. Coach Dana Ferguson explains. The sport nicknamed Chess on Ice is different from its sister discipline in that there's no sweeping, so there's an extra focus, making sure the rock goes where it needs we have to use technology to be able to make the shots that we want. And that's the really cool part about the VR.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

It's going to be able to take.

[Leena El Saadi]

Our game to the next level. How might you ask? Lead engineer Jennifer Dornstadter explains, this takes away training environment constraints, training travel constraints, the physical constraints where if you're tapering training before a competition, you're removing a.

[Michelle Allen]

Lot of the physical elements when you.

[Leena El Saadi]

Might only be interested in tactics and strategy training. But for the athletes, another constraint taken away is a mental one. The VR arena is modeled to look like the real one they'll be competing in. Four time Paralympian Ina Forrest says, I.

[Megan Williams]

Think it's always good to see the.

[Natan Obed]

Lay of the land.

[Megan Williams]

It's just one of those things to sort of take out of your mind.

[Leena El Saadi]

But making the simulation look and feel realistic wasn't easy. In fact, Dornstadder believes it's never been done before to our knowledge. We don't know of any other programs that are developed for seated users in the sense that they actually can see their body in the virtual simulation. And that was absolutely a challenge for the animators and the programmers, like lead animator Kenzie Wiley.

[Megan Williams]

I remember in our very first version.

[Michelle Allen]

I had modeled a wheelchair. They immediately were like, no, like, this is a hospital style wheelchair.

[Leena El Saadi]

And then there was the eyes.

[Megan Williams]

Normally in a lot of VR games, you'll find they don't really have a lot of reflectivity. There isn't a lot of detail.

[Leena El Saadi]

It's an important, important part of immersion. But the team sorted issues like that out, Finishing development in only four months and embracing the idea of new might be part of the reason why Canada's wheelchair curling team has earned a spot on the podium at every Paralympics, by the way, the only country to achieve that feat compared to other sports. That's what makes the culture of wheelchair curling unique. According to team member Kalinda Joseph.

[Megan Williams]

I didn't feel the same sort of commitment to supporting change and supporting technology that have significant impacts as much as I experience in wheelchair curling. It's a completely different environment and it's really great.

[Leena El Saadi]

Which is why after Milano Cortina, there's hopes the VR can be used to develop newer athletes and introduce the sport to others. Lina Alsadi, CBC News, Red Deer, Alberta.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

In Milan, one restaurant is serving up high quality food with conviction. It's in the Michelin Guide. Its walls are lined with red wine bottles and posters for movies like Escape from Alcatraz. It's Italy's only gourmet Restaurant inside a prison. As Megan Williams reports, it offers good food and second chances.

[Megan Williams]

Cynthia Poleri pokes her head into the kitchen of the restaurant she's been running for the past decade. It's called In Galera Behind Bars because it really is behind bars. Inside the gates of the sprawling Bolate Correctional Facility on the outskirts of Milan, a restaurant run almost entirely by inmates, many serving time for serious crimes. And now, thanks to Poleri, also serving carefully crafted dishes to customers who reserve weeks in advance. In the kitchen. Maria, the first female inmate to work in the restaurant, slices sponge cake for a zuppa inglese dessert on tonight's menu.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Completo.

[Megan Williams]

Before prison, she worked as a sous chef. Here she's become the pastry chef, because to be a real chef, she says, you need to know how to do it all. She admits prison has been tough, but says in the kitchen she feels mentally freer and can conceive of a future beyond these walls. Her dream is to open her own restaurant, Sicilian. Like all inmates who work here, Maria is expected to perform under high pressure and is paid a full salary. When Poleri agreed to open the restaurant here, she insisted it not provide token work, but demanding professional jobs that translate into employment on the outside. The biggest hurdle in maids face when they get out is the hole in their cv, she says. They apply for jobs and are asked, what have you done for the past 10 years? Now they put down our restaurant listed in the Michelin guide. Programs like this are rare in Italy's prison system, but they work. The reoffending rate of those who pass through in Galera, just 17%, is dramatically lower than the national average of 70. Food, especially in Italy, is such a powerful way to bring people together, Poleri says, and here it connects inmates with the outside world and helps reawaken the senses in those deprived of freedom. 16 year old Tomazo is has just finished lunch here with his high school class.

[Leena El Saadi]

The main course was a pasta carbonara, and then we ate steak.

[Megan Williams]

As he digests his meal, he's also thinking about what prison should be for.

[Leena El Saadi]

But most of all are just punishing the prisoners instead.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

This one, the bolate one, it makes.

[Leena El Saadi]

The prisoner work and reintegrate with the society, you know?

[Megan Williams]

Back. Back in the kitchen, Maria wraps up the desserts. Working here gives you a real shot at a more stable life, she says. If you take it, it can change everything. Megan Williams, CBC News, Mil.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

The sound of a tribute outside the University hospital of northern B.C. on Thursday. Around 500 people were there to honor Wesley Mitchell, a beloved community supporter in Prince George who died suddenly this past week. Mitchell was wetsuweten and the co founder of the WHNBC drum group, which gathered in the hospital parking lot during the pandemic to drum in support of healthcare workers and patients. They did 47 days straight in 2020 and weekly after that. Back in 2020, Mitchell told CBC News about the group's impact.

[Natan Obed]

Community difference makers We've become, you know, an anchor for the community that brought culture, brought drumming and brought love. You know, when people were told to.

[Megan Williams]

Isolate and stay home, we brought people.

[Natan Obed]

Together in a safe manner.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

People in the group spoke of how healing it was in a bleak time. Like Roxanne Sinclair, the heartbeats of the.

[Natan Obed]

Drum are what keeps you going and.

[Stephanie Scanderis]

Keeps the strength going. And these people that love you, they've seen me through the worst times in my life. This year, Wesley Mitchell supported countless community events and was an advocate for people struggling with homelessness and addiction, both of which he'd himself experienced. A tribute online says his humor, laughter and playful spirit brought warmth wherever he went. This week, city councillors, first responders, community elders and kids came out to remember him. Here's more of the drumming for Wesley Mitchell on youn World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Scandaris. Thank you for listening. For more cbc podcasts, go to cbc ca podcasts.