It won't surprise you know that owning an exotic cat like a lion or tiger is illegal in B.C.-- it is in most places, and for good reason. Exotic large cat ownership has led to many preventable tragedies. But there is a middle ground of cat, of breeds much bigger than domestic cats but smaller than cheetah and other big cats, that has remained largely unregulated. Until now.

Host Caryn Ceolin is speaking with Michelle Cyca, the conservation and fellowships bureau chief for The Narwal, who's been covering the issue, to discuss why the BC government is doing this, who it will affect, and what it means for those cats already raised in captivity.

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Plus: The premiers agree to remove interprovincial trade barriers on alcohol sales, Canadians are feeling the pressure to keep up with artificial intelligence, the Bloc Quebecois leader’s X account is hacked, Canadian jazz legend Oliver Jones dies at 91, and a Quebec town grants rights to trees.

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A Quebec town of 2000 people just west of Montreal has become the first place in Canada to recognize the rights of trees.

Inspired by Quebec filmmaker, André Desrochers, the Terrasse-Vaudreuil city council adopted a resolution that protects a tree's right to growth, life, integrity and regeneration, while also signing on to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Tree.

Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Sylvie Trepanier, a member of the Terrasse-Vaudreuil Environmental Committee to discuss their case for legally protecting the trees, and why other parts of the country may want to consider doing the same.

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Another round of 50% tariffs are coming for a number of Canadian goods, ranging from dairy, hockey sticks to hair wigs.

Prime Minister Carney has since agreed to intensify negotiations in the coming weeks. US President Trump's reason for the tariffs was to address what he calls Canada's "discrimination against and unreasonable and unequal treatment of U.S. commerce".

Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Joseph Steinberg, economics professor from the University of Toronto, to discuss whether or not the new duties should be interpreted symbolically, and how Canadian businesses should brace for impact.

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Almost three years ago, some 200 inmates at Maplehurst Correctional Facility in Milton, Ont. were subjected to strip searches, zip ties and pepper spray during an violent incident that lasted more than a day. Since then, multiple sentences have either been shortened or thrown out, including a first-degree murder case from 2022.

The provincial ombudsman has since launched an investigation to find out what exactly happened during the incident, and why prison officials reportedly lied about it.

Host Maria Kestane speaks to Brendan Kennedy, an investigative reporter with the Toronto Star to discuss the conditions in Maplehurst that might've led to the incident, and why the Ford government has been so quiet on it.

You can find some of Brendan's work here: https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/torturing-us-as-payback-inside-the-disturbing-allegations-of-how-ontario-jail-guards-exacted-their/article_0286cc24-5671-11ef-b32d-9394cf9702a4.html

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