Intro to Proof. Focus on Family Complexity.

Booking a Verbo Vacation rental means you get Verbo care in 24/7 life support, verified reviews from real guests and top-rated homes with the love by guest filter. I just booked my Verbo because there was a sweet line for it. We all have our reasons. If you know, give Verbo. Terms apply. See Verbo.com/trust for details. This is a CBC podcast. Hello, I'm Neil Cuxall. Good evening. I'm Chris Houdon. This is as it happens. Tonight, a head by a century, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrives in Alberta to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Sheikhans on a 100-year partnership that will see new investment in energy, security, and defense. Some enlightenment in the darkness. The mother of a Mississippi woman who was found dead outside an abandoned house tells us she is desperate for answers from the police about what really happened to her daughter. Their land, their rules, and Alberta First Nation defies provincial limits on gender-affirming care by offering banned medical treatments under provisions of a treaty signed in the 1800s. All that jazz, Oscar Peterson's life performances are documented in a new five-album box set compiled by his wife, Kelly Peterson, who tells us about the experience of revisiting the art of the late Canadian jazz great. Lionized in life, the urban exploration of a beloved mountain lion known as P-22 captivated the people of Los Angeles, and now it's about to be immortalized in bronze. And scientific fields forever. A new study shows that over the past 50 plus years of research papers references to Beatles songs show up here there and everywhere. As it happens, the Thursday edition, radio that always has the wringo of truth. Canada and Ukraine have a long-standing relationship, and today they agreed it will stand a lot longer, committing to a partnership for at least another century. This morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Calgary, where the two leaders announced a 100-year political partnership. It covers a number of areas, including defense, trade, and energy. Here's what the Prime Minister said earlier today. Our two nations have been connected since 1893. This is a relationship that has flourished over 100 years, and it will flourish in the century ahead long after this war ends. Canada will always stand in solidarity with Ukraine. Mark Carney speaking today at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Alexandra Hitchie is the president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. We reached her in Toronto. Alexandra, at this moment in time, knowing what you know about what's still happening in Ukraine and to Ukrainians, how do those words hit you today? It's reassuring to Ukrainian Canadians that Canada continues to stand with Ukraine and support Ukraine robustly and wholeheartedly. We are observing the 135th anniversary of Ukrainian settlement in Canada, and we believe that it's that long-standing relationship that compels Canadians to support Ukraine because all Canadians have either some root with family or neighbors or friends or co-workers, and so the bonds are very, very strong. I spoke with you on our show just over a year ago now, and at that point we were talking about the new aid pledge at that time, just over $4 billion if I remember correctly, coming from Canada, and we talked about all the aid coming from from the UK, the EU, and Canada, and you felt it was incremental and that there was more capacity to do more. This 100-year deal is packed, is quite wide-ranging. Is it the kind of support you had in mind when we last spoke? I think that certainly Ukraine couldn't have sustained itself as long as it has without support from Canada and all of our allies, but I think it's also important to remember that Ukraine is now able to reciprocate by providing intelligence from the front lines, tech support, technology, know-how, and certainly the joint ventures in drone production are an indication of that. I think the battle in Ukraine has transformed warfare, and certainly every allied nation has something to learn from Ukrainians. So I'm glad to see that Canada is entering into more joint ventures with the Ukrainians so that it's a two-way relationship. We now say that what's good for Canada is good for Ukraine. Speaking of drones and drone warfare, before arriving in Canada, President Zelensky was in Oslo, Norway's prime minister said that Zelensky was on route from Moldova, and at that time his plane, Zelensky's plane was nearly hit by a drone. What did you make of that development? I think incidents like that are just inevitable. I know that when we started to speak in terms of the war spreading to European territories and to Ukraine's neighbors, that was met with some skepticism, and I think what we're seeing now is that that is not as fantastical as it seemed at the time. We have constant drone incursions into neighbors' air space, so Russia's aggression is spreading throughout Europe, and hopefully that's even more of a wake-up call for European nations to not only step up to Ukraine's defense, but to look after their own. We heard from Prime Minister Mark Carney. I also want to play for you and our listeners a little bit of what President Zelensky had to say. We'll listen to that now. We are already strong, but we have to be stronger, and I'm stronger to have a real dialogue with Putin. Not only compromises what he wants, we need what is good for people of Ukraine, for people of Europe, for people of the world, for our children. Just yesterday, the U.S. President was saying that he had a great conversation with Vladimir Putin and that Putin wants to make a deal to end this war. Of course, we have heard that claim and versions of it many, many times before. In this moment, do you believe that there is a chance of real dialogue with Putin? I don't think Putin understands dialogue. I think he understands only strength, and that means continued and increased support for Ukraine's defense, and particularly closing Ukraine's skies. Because I was in KUV not too long ago. I was fortunate to leave before the 24/7 bombing started about a week ago. But it is now persistent and last, not only throughout the night, but throughout the day, making it virtually impossible to either sleeper work. And that's a strategy that Putin has adopted now. And it's more important than ever to help Ukraine protect its skies so that we don't have a wasteland in effect, which is what Putin is trying to do. And just today, there were attacks, drone attacks strikes on a gas station and a shopping center in Ukraine. You mentioned your visit. How have you seen the people that you meet with every time you go back, family members, friends, perhaps, as well as counterparts and colleagues? How have you seen them change over these years? I think that there is a fatigue setting in, especially in the last few weeks. Ukrainians are accustomed to being bombed at night and to fit full bouts of sleep. But now the inability to work, to earn a livelihood, even shopping is a challenge because of course when the air raid sirens go off, the stores shut down, everybody goes underground for cover. So my friends tell me that they have to shop in 15 minute bouts, grab what they can and come back an hour or two later to complete their shopping. So basic fundamentals of survival are now more challenging than in the past. There are other Canadian stops on President Zelensky's trip to Canada this time. Will you be meeting him? Will you be having an audience with him on this visit? Yes, our community will welcome President Zelensky in Toronto tomorrow. And we will wish him continued strength and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges. Alexandra, I appreciate you coming back on our show. Thank you. Thank you very much. For weeks, Christie Spivey and her family have been living in a waking nightmare. On August 3rd, Ms. Bivy's daughter, Tasia Fortune, was found dead in Jackson, Mississippi. Her body was discovered hanging from a tree outside an abandoned house. This week, the Jackson Police Department finally confirmed that it's investigating Ms. Fortune's death as a homicide, while clarifying that her official cause of death has yet to be determined. Here's Jackson Police Chief Rachelle Brackney speaking at a council meeting on Tuesday. - The Metcooks Amherst Office performed a autopsy about four weeks ago on Ms. Danger Fortune. Today, we have not received the outcomes of that autopsy. However, Jackson Police Department has been investigating this case from day one as a homicide, until we hear otherwise from the Metcooks Amherst Office. - That's Rachelle Brackney, the Chief of Police in Jackson, Mississippi, giving an update on the investigation into Tasia Fortune's death. The case has left the city on edge, and drawn national attentionists, supporters of the family call for greater transparency. Christie Spivey is Tasia Fortune's mother. We reached her in Kentucky, and a warning this conversation includes descriptions of death. - Christie, I know you've been waiting for an update for weeks now. So, just hearing that, does that feel like a breakthrough to you? - Not really, it's already, basically, knew that, but I mean, I'm glad that it was said publicly. - Why is that being made public? So important to you at this moment. - So, one, the people in the community, you know, that's one thing. If that happened in my front yard or back yard, or in my neighborhood, you know, I would be very, very concerned. And then, just, people was trying to say that she took her own life, and I know she didn't. For one, it took what a Ireland truck or ladder to get her down, like, I mean. - Oh, Christie. - And then, I got to see internal photos, 'cause they were circulating on social media. I could tell it was her, and people are cruel, you know, even people are cruel, but I know my daughter, and I know that she would never, ever take her life. So, and I could probably share a little bit of new information with you right now that I got on a phone call on the way home. - Who called you? - The corner. - And what did they tell you? - A preliminary is a homicide, but that's all, that's all it could tell us. So, it is not being treated as a homicide, it is a homicide, and they're probably about to do a press conference on it. - Losing someone you love, let alone your child, is, the grief is unimaginable, but then to deal with all of this, and having to fight to get clarity. How are you handling all of that, Christie? - I feel like I really haven't really had a time to agree because we weren't getting any answers, and I was trying to stay strong. We had to write councilman's spokes to get anything done, to get the answer we already knew, but to get it public, you know. - Why do you think it's been so difficult to get answers from police? - I have no idea, the first time I talked with the lead detective on the case is on a weekend, he said, "Oh, come Monday, we're gonna have some happy news, you're gonna be happy with the news, and you'll be so satisfied, and then come Monday, they call and have nothing, nothing, you know, like she had been out there for two to three days in Mississippi humidity, you know, or maybe four days, we don't even know, you know, in the condition of her body, I know whenever I didn't want to see her, but I tried to be there for her dad, and he wanted to see her, and at the funeral home, you know, he went in, he looked at her, and I kind of walked in sideways, and wasn't gonna look, but I looked at her, and she was, we didn't have a body, we had remains. You said, you said that you don't believe she would ever hurt herself, I know you don't believe also what many, you know, throughout, certainly the black community in Jackson in particular, think that this might be an act of racial violence, certainly Mississippi has a history of racial violence, and lynching in particular, so you don't believe that a hate crime is at the heart of this. What have you been hearing from people there? I don't live in Jackson, so I went down there one time, and I definitely understand the concern, because I've had to deal with racial issues, having mixed children, and back in the '90s and Western Kentucky wasn't very popular, you know, we couldn't get jobs, and stuff, just because of that reason, but people are free to have their opinions, and I definitely get the uncomfortable and fear of that, but I feel like it was more of a personal crime, rather than a hate crime. - When was the last time you saw or spoke to Tasia? - We had had a family reunion, a big family reunion plan, I'm on the side and it was getting canceled, so I had called her, it was gonna be canceled, but they had never let me know for sure that they were coming, and they told me they felt we got to run a car and all that, and I'm like, okay, I guess it. Well, just come on up, I said, I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna get all my kids and grandkids together, no matter if it's just a little bit of nothing, we'll all be together, you know? So that was on July 26th, and then Sunday, I believe it's 27th, I called her, and talked her for a few seconds and she told me to send her all the pictures that we took, and so I sent them to her, and then she said, "Mom, send me all of them, I wanted to applaud, "you know, I'm like, I did send them all to you." And then I never heard anything else and then on the 29th, trying to call her, and her phone kept going like a half a ring to voicemail, and so I texted her, which I don't guess it really would do any good, but I said to Jesus, you can be a blocker or something, 'cause it's doing like a half a ring of voicemail, and that was it, our immediate family hadn't been together like that in a very, very long time, and when she was here, I can't explain the emotional, and I will say now spiritual pull that I had toward her, and I wanted all my time with her, it was just overwhelming, like, I'm so glad you had that time and those memories and those pictures. - Yes, I've struggled with spirituality in the past, but I've been trying to bring you my face and stuff, and that could have been nothing, but a hour of power that I'm choosing to call God, you know. - When you look at those photographs from that gathering on July 26th, what do you want people to know about your daughter? - She was just one of a kind. There have been not another one to replace her. She had to be in spotlight, the center of the room, the center of attention, and she was very, very, very blunt. She told you what you meant, you know, and if she said something, she stuck her word, and she's beautiful inside and out. - Christy, I'm very sorry for your loss. Thank you for this. I hope you get answers soon. - Yes, thank you so much. - Christy Spivey is the mother of Tasia Fortune, who was found dead on August 3rd, hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi. We reached her in Kentucky. (gentle music) (gentle music) - For years Griffith Park in the heart of Hollywood was his home, although it really should not have been. And now he's about to return permanently. The mountain lion, they called P22, was propelled to fame when National Geographic published his photo back in 2013. A wildcat who had made an urban area his habitat. People loved him, and he became a fixture of Griffith Park until his death four years ago. Now a permanent bronze statue of P22 will be installed in the Park's Visitor Center. And Adam Matano is the artist who will create it. We reached him in Los Angeles. - Adam, how much longer do people have to wait to actually see what you've created? - The clay is done, so that's the good news. The bad news is we still have a little bit of time, because I don't know if you guys know a lot about the bronze process, but a lot of labor involved in that. So you know, it's probably a good at least for maybe five months. - Okay, so not too far off. How are you feeling now as that big reveal approaches though? - It's surreal, 'cause I've been, you know, the last like six months, seven months, just slaving away in the studio, having a blast, but pretty isolated, so yeah, it's interesting to see it go out there. - Just tell us what it looks like as much as you can share before the big reveal. - Oh, absolutely, yeah, it's hard to explain, but essentially you have P22, and he is straddling two pillars if you want to. And the backside is like a man-made construction with four panels and each panel kind of tells a different story about Griffith Park and the animals that live there. And you'll see like there's some human landmarks like the observatories, one downtown, but the animals are actually bigger than all the human parts. And even though it's a human kind of made enclosure, all the nature is spilling out. And it's all local, fauna, and animals all native to Griffith Park. And then he's straddling that onto the front pedestal, which is a more kind of wild, you know, just nature exploding. It looks like it kind of was a cross cut of Griffith Park. It sounds beautiful. How big is it? The top part, the top of his tail, is going to be eight feet. It's probably about five, six feet wide. So it's slightly over-life size for him. And what was it like for you to be chosen or asked to do this? Well, it was a huge honor. I'm very fond of P22 and his story. And he was like super iconic for me. So I was super honored to get the project and I put so much into it. When did you first see P22? Do you remember? Oh, yeah, definitely. So I grew up in Rhode Island and growing up, I had a lot of land around me. And by the time I was like 14, 15, it was pretty much all developed. That's when I kind of started like, what's happening to this world? And when I moved to LA, maybe like two years later, that famous Steve Winter photo came out with P22 and the Hollywood sign behind him. And I was just like, oh, this is perfect. I've always been interested in that kind of that thing. I was just looking at that photograph before coming to speak with you guys. Oh, cool. It's dark, it's nighttime. P22 is in the perfect prowl position. The Hollywood sign is in the background just so that listeners who haven't seen it yet get a sense of it. Accompanying that photo, the Mountain Lion Foundation, back in 2023 after P22's death, wrote, you know, a statement. And I just have to read some of it because it's quite lovely. It says like many Angelino's P22 may do with a tiny home compared to his kin farther afield. The food scene was excellent, providing all the deer he needed. But like many Angelino's, he found the dating pool limited without another risky freeway trip. No mates were within reach. That just gives a little bit of the backstory in a quite a lovely way. I mean, he had to cross 10 lanes of freeway traffic, right, to come from the mountains in Santa Monica. Oh, yeah, being on the four or five or one or one, I mean, it's intimidating, just driving. Nevermind crossing it. Like another thing with the sculpture is I have his radio collar because I think it's really important and kind of misunderstood. A lot of people don't understand why we have to do that. But, you know, there's a lot of fighting and inbreeding that Mountain Lion's do. So it's important to track them and see where they're going and making sure they have a place to go. Did people try to stake him out and find him or did they just, he just appeared? He was very, you know, did his own thing and people would see him here and there. But he didn't really bother anybody, not until the very end when he was, you know, kind of not doing well. But every once in a while he'd show up and, you know, somebody's camera. And I got a lot of good footage, people sending me stuff and, you know, having all those videos was so helpful to kind of get a sense of his personality. I was also reading that, you know, the part of P22's legacy, there was a fundraising and this wildlife bridge built. Other people have done murals and things like that. What do you think this animal's legacy is? For me, and I think a lot of people, it's like he showed this idea of like coexistence and we actually can make it work. And he's obviously the star. But I, you'll see in my panels in the back, like in the front, I have all these other animals and, you know, trying to kind of show that, you know, they're all special if we give them the attention. Sometimes you just have to take time to get to know them, but he was lucky because he was such an icon. And I hope that it really gets people to, you know, kind of see wildlife like us, you know, they're just trying to live their life and, you know, and we should kind of keep that in mind. Adam, it's such a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you for this. Thank you so much. Adam Matano is making a sculpture of P22, the late beloved mountain lion who lived in Los Angeles. And that's where we reached Mr. Matano. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Sorry, I've just been informed that that song is actually by the scorpions. The scorpions are also bugs, like beetles. They're arachnids, not insects, but still, it's an easy mistake to make. Also, the beetles apparently weren't known as the mop heads. They were called the mop tops. I'm not that familiar with these beetles, guys, but scientists seem to love them as proven by a new study of academic papers. Researchers used AI to scan all studies published since 1970 for references to beetles songs. All told, they found 3000 references in papers like, pardon me, bacterial virulence with a little help from my enemies. And all together now, a magical mystery tour of the maze shoot, the most cited song was Paul McCartney's Much Love to Diddy, The Long Windy Road, which was cited a pardon? Sorry, Paul McCartney? Paul McCartney's Much Love to Diddy, The Long and Winding Road, which was cited or used in upon 798 times, including once in a study of Long COVID, which was entitled The Long and Winding Road. Probably not that funny if you have Long COVID, or if you don't know that much about the beetles. Wait a second. Is there name like the insect, the beetle, but with beet, like a drum beet in it? Seriously? Wow, that is a terrible name. Anyway, congratulations to all the beetles. Chris, Joey, Lance, J.C., and Justin, you true, what? Oh, right. Those are the guys for men's sake. Well, congrats to whoever was in the beetles. Maybe this whole thing with the scientific papers will boost your profile. We're going to take a quick break now when we return, and Alberta First Nation has invoked a treaty clause to offer gender affirming medical care, which goes against controversial new provincial laws. And songs on the keys of life, Oscar Peterson's widow joins us to revel in the discoveries she made while compiling a new box set of the jazz legend's life performances. Stay tuned, I'm Neil Cox, and I'm Chris Houten. Whether it's been a good day, or a bad day, your first date, or your latest breakup. When you remember the perfect joke, but forget the punch line. And when he learns a new word, you definitely didn't teach him. For over 40 years, our custard has been made fresh hourly to sweeten everyone at these moments. So whether it's your birthday, or a Monday, or any day in between, Andy's is always the answer. Stop wasting your nights on a mattress that doesn't get you. Experience the most comfortable mattress in the world. The sleep number smart bed. At the touch of a button, you can personalize your comfort. Choose firmer or softer. Adjust cooler to warmer. And right now, save up to $2,500 during our massive Labor Day event. Hurry into your local sleep number store today, because we have your number. One first nation says that if Alberta's government won't provide gender affirming care to the province's youth, it will. Yesterday, Saddle Lake Cree Nation announced that it plans to defy a provincial law that bans doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse children under the age of 16. Saddle Lake officials cite the medicine chest clause of Treaty 6, saying it allows them to create a safe haven for all Albertans. Dr. James McCoccus is a two-spirit Plains Cree physician who's part of this decision. We reached him in Saddle Lake Alberta. Dr. what are you risking personally by going ahead with this plan? Yeah, so I think the obvious answer would be having my license, my medical license revoked or suspended by providing gender affirming care under these UCP laws that now restrict access to medications and services. That as physicians, we previously prescribed as a normal part of care for looking after gender diverse people. Was that a difficult decision? you to make given what you could lose? You know I went to school for 13 years and wanted to be a doctor since I was four years old and was encouraged and supported by my elders and community members to do this work to come and serve our people and part of our citizens are too spirit and trans people and so being raised in a family and in a nation that has always had to exert resistance to colonial violence is something that if you do not resist that your rights will be taken away and so even at the expense of my livelihood of being a doctor if I don't stand up if we don't stand up for those who are being affected then what will we stand up for? And so it was a no-brainer in the way that we were raised as creepy people to protect others who need that protection and that's what we're doing. For those who don't know the details of this clause and Treaty 6 what does it say? Yeah well there's definitely a difference between the oral understanding of Treaty and the written text written by people who spoke a completely different language than our elders at the time so that's an important distinction to know and the oral understanding is just as valid as the written but in understanding that and understanding that we did not speak English at the time and things were through interpreters it's really the symbol of Western medicine which our people saw in the house of the Indian agent which is an agent of the crown of this medicine chest and so that simply evolves much it's much different today than it was then and obviously that includes things like gender reforming care gender reforming services gender reforming medications and because we entered into these treaties as nations and the province of Alberta did not exist at the time and the province of Alberta is not a nation and cannot make treaties the treaty responsibility that the government has to uphold supersedes this provincial legislation because we're nations and so that's an important distinction for Canadians to understand is that it protects all people and how will it work in practice what kinds of treatments will you be providing? Yeah so we're going to be providing the same care that existed before these laws came into effect that come between a patient and a physician and their individual health that has not changed those guidelines have not changed the science and evidence around that has not changed and because we don't want to overwhelm the limited health system that we do have on satellite greenation well our chief and council have done brilliantly is taking the same model that exists in the army in navy which is a federal health system much like on reserve as a federal health system where any clinician can practice in any jurisdiction under a national licensure agreement and so our chief and council have eliminated those jurisdictional barriers by putting that back onto the colleges the regulatory colleges to work that out amongst themselves and in effect that's opened up pan-Canadian licensure for not only physicians but all health professionals to be able to practice on our reserve lands and territories and incentivizes those health professionals to come and work with our people because we are severely under-resourced in all areas of health. We reached out of course to Alberta's Justice Ministry they sent us a statement saying these laws are meant to preserve the choices of children and to strengthen the role of parents as a child's primary caregiver and they also said quote Alberta's United Conservative government will be unapologetic in our commitment to these principles unquote how do you respond to to to what they're saying and how they are they are framing their response to to you. So this is the same language dressed up in a different pig in terms of what John A. McDonald and Duncan Campbell Scott said about indigenous parents being unfit to parent their own children and that the government and the churches can do a better job for them and that was we know the result of that in terms of now the socioeconomic dysfunction that indigenous peoples are having to overcome ourselves we can recognize that we can stop it or we can actually become complicit in allowing that to happen and if the regulatory bodies enforce this law that is exactly what they're doing. How do you expect things to proceed next how many are you expecting pushback or legal action as as this care as you start to to give this care to anyone who might come to you. Yeah so obviously we're expecting that there's going to be legal recourse for this and so our nation has prepared for that and you know it is unfortunate that we have to do this but we have launched a go fund me of a satellite creation health legal defense fund that people can contribute to this obviously this is a quite significant expense and the citizens of satellite creation should not have to be bearing this as is often the case with any single event of resistance and history that often falls on the backs of the people that are experiencing that violence. Doctor thank you for this I appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. Doctor James McCoccus is a two-spirit planes crew physician from Saddle Lake Alberta. That's where we reached him. Jazz takes on a new dimension when you're in the room as it's created. You can hear it right there. This is Oscar Peterson playing city lights for a fans in Detroit in 1980 when musicians push themselves to break free and lift the audience along with them something special happens when no two performances are ever quite the same every note comes alive. Now the feeling of being in the front row hearing Oscar Peterson play is being celebrated with a new box set. Oscar Peterson World Tour is a five album collection drawn from performances from the 60s to the 80s recorded as the title suggests in venues around the world. The release celebrates the Montreal pianist's centennial with a hardcover book of his photographs and writings. They were all compiled by his wife Kelly Peterson who produced the album we reached her just outside Toronto. Kelly it's one thing for a fan to be able to hold this finished product in their hands for the first time but for you what was that like when they handed it to you? Oh my goodness. It took my breath away. It gave me goose bumps to hold something that I had been working on with my colleagues for such a long time and to have it be just what I had hoped it would be. It was all I could do to keep from crying. Where do you begin with a project like this because there is so much love there's so much pressure personal pressure you might feel was there a guiding principle that you were relying on to help you make the decisions you needed to make? Oh absolutely there was a guiding principle and that principle is Oscar's eternal desire for excellence and always expecting more of himself each time he played so with knowing that this was to honor Oscar the principle was it had to be the absolute best we could make it. I want to play a little bit just a little bit for our listeners okay this is just to touch a taste of Plasson Rhee recorded live in Detroit it's a good choice for those of us who were not fortunate enough to see Oscar Peterson play live what was it about that experience that was so special for you as a jazz fan not just as his partner in life. Yeah well I actually saw Oscar in concert twice before I met him so I was a fan of his and seeing him live and hearing him perform in person was exhilarating different than listening to records because in the concert hall first of all there's all the electricity of what he's playing his exuberance his joy his humor all comes through but also being surrounded by people in the audience who were feeding love back to him there's so much love in every member of the audience. So you can feel it. As soon as Oscar walks out on stage, people are excited and clapping and standing up and cheering because it's Oscar Peterson. And then he says sound to play and we're all kind of like, whoa. And the enthusiasm and the engagement from the audience helped inspire him more. And in turn, he and the musicians in his group all inspired each other. They were always challenging each other to just play better all the time. In addition to the music, there are Oscar Peterson's photographs that he took poems that he wrote glimpses into his private life as well. Is there a photograph or something from that booklet that you're really excited for his fans to see? Well apart from all of it, there are a couple of things. I particularly love the photo that we selected to be the cover of the book. It's a selfie that Oscar took in the early '60s, like way before selfies were a thing. And it's the Seattle Space Needle behind him. And it's probably very early after the Seattle Space Needle was built that he took that photo. And I just think it's fantastic. I love that. What do you think might surprise even his most loyal, longtime fans about what is in that booklet? What do you think they don't know? That's a good question, except that I really think they don't know a lot of it. His fans know his music, certainly. But I'm really certain they will be surprised to know that along with composing music, he also wrote poems and to read the poems that he wrote for his peers from the jazz world and from jazz to the Philharmonic. And then to see the photographs, the portraits that he made of those artists. I mean, another one that I just adore is his photo of Ella. Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar was in the wings looking out onto the stage and Ella's in a spotlight. And he just had such a good eye for photographs. So I think people will be surprised by that. That joy that you talk about. I wonder, though, I mean, when we lose someone, we love so much, was it ever difficult to go through all of that material to prepare it to be released? Oh, of course. Yes. I won't lie and say, oh, a piece of cake. It's kind of a double edged experience. It's difficult and challenging to go through and conjure up all the memories because then that makes me miss him more and that's hard. But on the other hand, the joy of remembering being with him and also the joy of discovering some of the older recordings that are from before I knew Oscar. So I had to kind of feel the emotions and then take them away so that I could look at it all and put it together and make sure that as we were working on it, and it was intense for a year of weekly meetings to make sure that we did everything we could to get every detail right to make it look the way we wanted it to look so that the end product would be what Oscar deserved. What do you think he might say if he could see it now, what you've done? Well, I think and I kind of hope that he would sit there and look at it and kind of think for a minute. And then look up at me and smile and say, well, Kelsoap, you did it. You did a great job. Thank you. We should also mention there's another part of this in honoring Oscar Peterson this year. The Smithsonian is involved. You donated one of his tuxedos. That's correct. What was that experience like? Well, it's really hard to describe. The pride to have Oscar represented there in that museum which is significant globally and to have him represented alongside his peers in the jazz world with Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Gellington and many others who are represented there. But the fact that he's a Canadian, the tuxedo has Oscar's Order of Canada LePelpin on it because he always wore that and that was so important to him that was such an honor for him. So it needed to be included. It would be moving at any time, but it seems especially meaningful now at this moment in time on so many levels. Just listening to you talk about it. Yes, this particular museum, the National Museum of American History, is coming under a great deal of fire from people who are trying to rewrite history and the director of the museum and the a heartic and Theo Gonzales, who's the curator, are both standing up for the principles and hanging on and they are just remarkable people and made this such a special occasion for us. Earlier in the summer, we were speaking on our program about the passing of Oliver Jones, who was certainly meaningful to your family. Oscar Peterson, in particular, and Diana Cral was a guest on our show speaking to our guest host, Catherine Cullen. I wanted to play for you and our listeners a little bit about what she said. Okay. Oscar Peterson, Oliver Jones. I think those two most important pianists can be Oscar and Oliver, they were 12 houses away from each other and that is just astonishing to me. And when I heard Oscar Peterson when I was 16 at the orphanage, it was still feel myself sitting there and going, "I want to do that." But I don't really want to do that, but I want to know what that feels like. What does that feel like for you to hear, Kelly? I've got the biggest smile on my face. And it makes me, of course it makes me very happy to hear who say that. And I know how sincere Diana is about her reverence for Oscar and Oliver and how important they were to her. And I feel that it's the legacy passing from generation to generation. What did Oscar tell you about what his friendship with Oliver Jones meant to him? - It meant a great deal to him. He was so proud of Oliver and just how beautiful he was and also Oliver as a person. I don't think there is a kinder, more loving, more generous person in the world. So, and Oscar just revered him for that. They had a great friendship and Oliver was part of our family, really. - Before we let you go, is there a piece we could play for our listeners from this collection, from the world tour that you'd like them to hear? - Oh, that is such a hard choice to make. This is such a hard choice to make because I, everyone. But there are two. - And what if I could? - There are two. And I'll tell you one first, and then I'll tell you the one I think you should play. So one first that I think people should listen to because it will surprise them is from Toronto in 1980, Oscar and Joe Paz performing a lovely way to spend an evening. But for this purpose today, there's a performance of Oscars from Basel in 1969 that I really, really love. He's playing by the time I get to Phoenix. And I got to tell you, I don't think Glenn Campbell could ever have imagined his song sounding so beautiful. - It's been a real pleasure, Kelly, thank you. - Thank you, it's really been wonderful. - Kelly Peterson is the widow of Oscar Peterson, and we reached her just outside Toronto. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) The conflict in Yemen is showing worrying signs of once again becoming a full-blown civil war. Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, are rapidly advancing toward the strait of Bob El Mandeb, one of the world's most important trade routes. And today, after days of airstrikes being exchanged by the rebels in Saudi Arabia, the Houthis seized the vital port city of Mocha. Looming over these developments, of course, is the war between the United States and Iran. The Houthi attacks are meant to put pressure on the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to agree to a deal that would open up the strait of Hormuz. But caught in the middle of this conflict, there are thousands of people fleeing south along Yemen's western coast. Abdu Sator, as I have, is the head of the international organization of migrations, mission in Yemen. We reached him in Aidan. Abdu Sator, what are the people who are trying to get out telling you? The people that have been displaced are those who have already been living in the space communities. What they are kind of telling us is that they don't feel safe and they are trying to find a safer place to come at least to settle and to wait and see what the situation will unfold. And that is because people got used to that. And so they hope that after some time they could go back to the community. But for the time being they want to be in a safer space. And what is the safest place? Currently, it is down from Taiz governorate that would say to Lakhja and to Tod's Aidan. And also some areas in Taiz city itself seems to be safe because there's no fighting going on. But the situation may change in coming days. What is the journey like for them to get to somewhere safer if it is Aidan or elsewhere? I mean these are, as you've said, people have been displaced already. The journey looks like as they would try to move in groups in order to move Tod's safer space. They usually take the main roads where they feel that they will not be stopped. They will not be blocked. So therefore what we see there are now a lot of movement happening within the coastal areas of the road between Almoha city and Dubaab and Tod's Aidan. This is the main coastal road which is still open as we talk now. So what were we for support? Can you offer? The situation is not evolving and they are on the move. Of course most of the needs are the food assistance. Emergency shelter assistance because we also can see that people are actually in the open spaces. And they really need some emergency shelter support and some food and non-food items. And also the first kind of health services predominantly. It is trauma management, trauma cases because the people are on the stress. So these are the main basic services, the urgent humanitarian support that this population needs including protection of course. As you hear all of these stories and people are being uprooted yet again, what are the ones, the stories that stay with you most? Well the people, well I would say that I've been here almost two years and to be frank I'm quite amazed of the resilience of these people. Unfortunately they have been seeing those conflicts that are happening, hitting them over and over. What stays with me is that you can still see in the eyes of these people the hope that this can be over one day and they can go back and leave peacefully. So these are the people that are moving within their own boundaries and within their own areas so they don't tend to go far away from their places. Also they want to go back of course there's a hope in their eyes but of course also devastating of this you know getting tired. And also some of them we know that they do that they do lose their loved ones in those journeys in those clashes. But most try to move with whatever they have and whatever they can grab with to move it. So you can see people coming with their whatever belongings they make grabbed in to move with. Just the basics what kinds of things are they able to grab under the circumstances? Yeah it's a basic like their closest or they come some some belongings that they feel that they need or while they will be they will be moving. And of course these are not the heavy things but at least some some livelihood type of thing that they could they could carry like blankets their closest things that they they they feel that they can you they can be used while they will be on the journey. You mentioned the hope and the resilience people have to as we've seen in other conflicts zones try to keep both of those those qualities as difficult as it is. There are also those who are very concerned about what might come next. Muhammad al-Basha a political analyst who focuses on Yemen told the New York Times that the recent airstrikes are some of the largest attacks since you know in the last four years. And and and that these clashes in his view are pushing the country towards a full scale war. Is that something that worries you and your colleagues? Well I would I would say that the it is quite full of the situation is evolving by hour and indeed I would agree that we have not seen that that escalation of the hostilities particularly in the west coast for for the last few years. Things are different at the different level and it can go any any direction. Unfortunately there is there is no no clear picture that we could portrayed now. So how do you prepare to help people under those circumstances? What we are trying to do is to to replenish our stocks and we I will as well as other partners on the ground have we have our stocks in the west coast we have quite a big warehouse where we store a lot of known food items as a we actually also manage the wash pipeline on behalf of the humanitarian agencies. So these are the items and including the shelter items that we would like to replenish in order to be to be ready to distribute to the people when the time will permit when the time allows. So it is it is it is the time that you have to manage where you can focus and where you can just keep hold on in order to understand all the situation is so currently we are focusing on replenishing our stocks in different locality that bear. Abdu sator, I appreciate this. Please take care. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Abdu sator, Asoya is the head of the International Organization of Migrations Mission in Yemen. We reached him in Aden. For athletes, it doesn't get much bigger than the Olympics. You're competing against the best in the world in front of millions of people around the world who are watching your every move. And the last thing female athletes want to be thinking about is whether a camera is capturing something they don't want it to capture. That's why the European Broadcasting Union and European Athletics have introduced new guidelines aimed at preventing the sexualization of women during sports broadcasts. Those guidelines have been established after a push by a number of Olympic athletes, including Kate Van Busskirk, a Canadian who competed in the Tokyo Olympics in the women's 5,000 meters. We reached Ms. Van Busskirk in Brampton, Ontario. Kate, what would these kind of guidelines have meant to you changed for you when you were competing? I think that a lot of what I had sort of experienced as an athlete myself while competing on some of the biggest stages was that when I step on a start line I'm there to do my job. I'm dialed in. I'm really focused. In fact, we spent a lot of time with mental support professionals getting us into a big mindset about the competition that's about to be at hand. And for there to be any what I would call external noise or concern or distraction about how my body might look in that moment. It was certainly something that I became more aware of throughout my career and also then just the way that I look back at myself through images and video that was captured in a way that I didn't have any control over the storytelling at the time. I meant that I had to sort of reframe and rethink and question sometimes what I was wearing which really is my equipment rather than just an outfit. When did it first start happening to you? When did you start realizing what was going on that you didn't have control over? What was the event and then the playback that really put things off kilter? Yeah, I think that what's so sad about this for many athletes, especially female athletes is that this is deep seated. I started competing at a pretty high level when I was in high school. I made my first national team at 17. I never thought about or recognized the fact that all the photographers in a stadium were men. It just always was the case. And when I looked back at photos of myself as a teenager, I was so proud of my body in those moments of competition, but it wasn't until I saw them after that I had sort of a visceral reaction. And so that started at a really young age where there was sort of this internalized sexualization of my body as competitor or as entertainment rather than competitor, I should say. I would say that the peak moment for me was competing at the Tokyo Olympics. And I raced in the 5,000 meter. It was 41 degrees in Tokyo, Celsius. So it was very hot. And I remember crossing the line. I was so proud and I sort of blacked out for a moment on the track. But then looking back, it's. the photos of myself after the competition, because I had passed out and sort of my legs were sprawled a little bit. And you're wearing basically bathing suit bottoms. There was a track level photo that I know we're not necessarily supposed to say this word, but it was crotch forward. And I remember thinking I felt, again, something very visceral about that because I was torn. I was simultaneously incredibly proud of the body that I had created that had become an Olympian. And I also felt a level of discomfort and almost shame. I want to be careful that I know many sport photographers and I'm friends with many of them. And so I want and hope to believe that this is very often benign. It's usually not intentionally malicious. It's not intentionally sexualizing. But I think that part of the passive issue there is that we're not being thoughtful or the sport itself is not being thoughtful enough about the vulnerability of particularly its female athletes. You know, I was 34 at the Olympics and I know that just in the age of digital and social media, there are lots of younger athletes, you know, adults, but 19 or 20 years old. Their story is being told in a way that they don't have control over through these images. And I don't know that I would have had the same level of confidence to put some of that aside when I was 20 that I had at 34. These new European broadcasting union guidelines, they specifically call out those lingering close-up shots, low camera angles, slow-mo replays as well. So that's on the broadcasting end of it, not just the image gathering. But multiple cameras help bring people into the sense of the action and how things are happening. But what they're suggesting are very clear, you know, repositioning of the photographers. When you look at the plans, are those realistic from what you've seen so far? I believe they are. And I think this goes back to sort of that, even if it's benign or unintentional, it's a lack of thoughtfulness that has led to where we're at. Now, the good news about that is that this proposal, it lays out very clearly not only why we should be doing this type of rethinking, but also provides really clear ideas of sort of the do's and don'ts, right? It's not meant to be a finger wagging or a vowshell-not, etc. I really do think it's meant to increase the conversation and also provide positive alternatives in a way that you can still tell a story brilliantly and show off the athletic feet of these athletes. I think that this is an opening of the door for the conversation. And it also empowers female athletes to be able to say, "Hey, look, these guidelines are out there now. We're having a conversation about this." And I think I hope that I will help athletes hold to account the system that continues unfortunately to perpetuate this and hopefully break some of that pattern. And I mean, I would imagine that those setups would stay in place whether it's men or women competing. Is that your understanding of these guidelines as well? It is no gender in sport is impervious to potential sexualization or angles that make them feel uncomfortable. This is not just a female athlete issue. But I do think that having that as the global standard, certainly it's being proposed as a European standard. And I hope that that will be expanded. You can still show the grace of an athlete going over a pole vault bar or crossing the finish line or coming out of the blocks in a sprint race. You can still show that athleticism, that grace, that power, that prowess without exposing the potential vulnerability of those athletes with those potentially hypersexualized shots. They are guidelines, though, as we've said, not binding or mandatory policies. So do you think it's enough? I don't think it's enough. I also am aware, however, unfortunately, of how slow policy is sometimes to catch up. I'm really glad and proud that this is the conversation we're having at the moment. And we don't want to necessarily rush policy and get it wrong. That being said, there is urgency around this. So my hope is that, again, this would be empowering for all athletes to start holding media companies and all members of the media to account for these kinds of decisions that are made. Guidelines are not enough, but they're a great starting point now. And I hope and trust that we'll see a lot more very soon in the future. Kate, I appreciate this. Thank you. Thank you so much. Kate Van Busskirk is a Canadian Olympian and a middle-distance track runner. She's in Brampton, Ontario. You've been listening to the As It Happens podcast. Our show can be heard Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1 after your world tonight. And you can, of course, also listen to our show online at cbc.ca/aih or on the CBC Listen app, or, of course, wherever you get your podcasts, I'm Neil Coaxal. And I'm Chris Houdon. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca/podcasts.