CBCN - Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. (ET) - Segment #42

>>> The university of california, los angeles, had reassigned its police chief over his handling of pro-palestinian protests on campus. A school official said chief john thom as was temporarily reassigned yesterday while the administration looks at its security processes. The university did not identify his new role. On may 5th ucla created a new chief safety officer position to oversee campus security. Police dismantled a pro-palestinian encampment at ucla earlier this month, arresting about 200 people. >>> A major film festival is facing a serious financial situation. Our entertainment reporter eli glasner joins us to explain why hot docs is laying off staff and how it could be a sign of an alarming trend across the country. That's next on "canada >> Announcer: Breaking news that shapes your world. With localCBC Radio Onelive to connect us closer to home. It's news you can trust, delivered when you want, where you want, on theCBC Newsapp. Download for free. Financial goals. Fidelity knows we've all got them. Maybe you want to own a home, or never own a home. Maybe you want to travel. Or have a kid. Or travel with your kid. Yours could be retiring early. Or never retiring at all. At Fidelity, we know everyone has different goals. But the one thing we share? We all want to get to them sooner. ( ) When you live with diabetes,confidence comes from knowing your glucose levels and where they're headed. Manage your diabeteswith confidence with Dexcom g7. ( ) [Thunder] It's live! Feel the fun of a live casino experience at Play Ojo, with gameshow hits like Mega Wheel. Download the app. Feel the fun! Play Ojo. Ram Power Days are here.The power to choose fromthe most awarded truck brand over the last five years. Like Ram Classic.As versatile as it is capable. Ram 1500, voted bestlarge pickup in Canada. Or Ram Heavy Dutywith a no-charge Cummins. And you don't pay for 90 days. The power is yours.The time is now. Get 20% off msrp on Ram Classic for up to $14,200 in discounts. Plus get 4.99% financing. I I was standing ( ) You were there Two worlds collided And they could never tear us apart ( ) I I was standing You were there Two worlds collided Woman: My grandson can choose to be anything he wants to be. Which reminds me: I've got a few choices to make of my own. Welcome to Seniors Choice. How can I help? Hi, I'd like a quick quote, please. If you're a Canadian Resident aged 50-80, you can choose the right amount of coverage for you and your family up to $250,000. That kind of money would help a lot. You can choose to apply over the phone now in just minutes, with no medicals or blood tests, just a few health and lifestyle questions. Wow. That easy? Depending on the coverage you choose, it would be as little as $14.88 a month. That's just 49 cents a day. That's less than I thought. And that money could help my family cover my funeral costs, support my husband's retirement planning or even pay off the loans. I'll do it. Seniors Choice are the #1 Direct Choice for Canadians over 50. To get a free, no-obligation quote, call one of our trusted insurance advisors today at 1-844-834-2722. Or visit seniorschoice.ca. Welcome to Canmore, Alberta. This will be your toughest day yet. -Get back up! Boom! -Don't eavesdrop. -i can't shut my ears off. Well then shut your mouth off. Announcer: Canada's Ultimate Challenge. Watch free onCBC Gem. [ ] >> Travis: U.S. presidential candidate donald trump is vowing to sue the creators of a movie debuting at the cannes film festival. >> I don't necessarily think that this is a movie that, you know, he would dislike. I don't necessarily think he would like it. I think that -- I think he would be surprised, you know. And i, you know, like I said before, like, I would be happy -- I would offer him to go

and meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie, have a screening and have a chat afterwards. >> Travis: the movie titled "the apprentice" traces donald trump's origins story as a real estate developer in new york city but features a team that shows trump raping his first wife ivana. She had accused of former president of sexually assaulting her during their real life divorce proceedings but later retracted the allegation. A spokesperson for the trump campaign described the scene as, quote, garbage, purification, and election interference by hollywood elites. >>> One of canada's largest film festivals is temporarily laying off staff. It's also closing its flagship theatre amid post-pandemic profitability concerns. Organizers of the hot docs film festival said that they will close the ted rogers cinema for three months starting june 12th but they did not provide an exact figure for the total layoff. This year's festival did see higher revenues than expected and near pre-pandemic attendance but the financial situation for hot docs remains serious. >>> Senior entertainment reporter eli glasner joins us now. The hot docs festival wrapped up in early may. Tell me a little bit about the success of this festival so far and also their current financial crisis. >> It's a little counterintuitive t you look at the festival, they just wrapped up, 274 screenings. You have people coming from across canada, crossing provinces, coming from the states 'cause they're just such fans of the genre and as you mentioned I mean you look at the ticket sales and they actually exceeded their box office targets by about 12%. But the problem is behind the scenes they are still dealing with a very large deficit and what they describe as a cash flow crisis and that brings us to today's announcement. Let me read you the statement from hot docs saying we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close hot docs ted rogers cinema for three months. During that time leadership team will undertake an extensive review of the cinema, its mission programming, and operations to determine a path back to profitability. So that is where these temporary layoffs, they're trying to kind of stem the bleeding and find a way back where they can be back in the black again. I had a chance to actually interview their president, marie nelson. She is from baltimore. That is where she lives. She commutes into toronto. She'll fly up here and to try and put the organization on the right path to being in the black, being profitable. But even back in march when they launched the new festival, already nelson was saying there are very serious challenges that a lot of festivals are facing. Here's some of what she had to say... >> We're in a post-pandemic period. We're still experiencing the hangover of the impacts on all of our operations. For two years we shuttered our cinema. For three years we weren't able to have a full in-person documentary festival. And all of those impacts are now showing up, especially now that they're no longer any sort of pandemic support. >> She was talking to me saying they're looking at the numbers and ticket sales and she thought things were heading in the right direction. She described it to me as the plane is taking off but we're running out of runway because they knew they needed to raise that money and they were afraid they were running out of time. At that time this is even back in march I said to her then is there a future. This is an organization, this is a film festival, the largest of its kind celebrating documentaries in north america. Do you see a future for hot docs. This is what she said... >> For me if I'm a betting woman I'm going to say that the forces are going to come together whether that's, you know, support from government, private sector support. Certainly our donors. I believe they're going to show up for this organization. >> The government didn't show up. Toronto international film festival received $23 million, an injection in the recent federal budget. Hot docs did not get an injection. They didn't get any of the money they were asking for. So now there's that issue. Plus behind the scenes some people in the documentary community may have heard there's been a lot of turmoil, an exodus of staff, people talking about a toxic workplace they had their artistic director leave just before the new season, new festival, launched so lot of real struggles behind the scenes but I think ultimately the deficit and the cash crisis and just those pandemic behaviours that haven't changed enough, the audience hasn't come back in the way that they wanted so now they're suggest those doors, hitting pause, and trying to find a plan to get back to profitability. >> Travis: tiff's got money from the feds, hot docs did not. Are the struggles experienced

here by hot docs an alarming trend for other festivals in this country? >> Very much so. I reported on this before much you look at right across the country, you look at many music festivals, other arts festivals. There is this perfect storm that's happening right now. And part of it is what nelson was talking about and many other organizers in that the pandemic changed audience behaviour. So people stayed home and they haven't come back in those pre-pandemic numbers just yetment you look at the box office, you look at so many different kind of metrics of ticket sales on top of that then you have inflation. Your audience isn't quite back yet and then everything costs more. A lot of these festivals are trying to keep costs down because they want people to come in to enjoy that culture and on top of that for documentaries in particular if you look at just full feature documentaries, the number of documentaries produced in canada from 2016 to 2021, they've fallen quite dramatically. So even there in this age when we're addicted to true crime, we see a lot of nonfiction programming on streamers like netflix, the documentary art form seems to be in crisis. Lot of those things all coming together. But lot of people hoping that hot docs can find a way back and hopefully reopen those doors three months from now. >> Travis: absolutely. I'm one of them. I love the festival. I love documentaries. And hopefully they are able to find a way back. Senior entertainment reporter eli glasner with us in studio. Our thanks to you. >> My pleasure. >> Travis: to alpacas who suffered years of neglect have formed a special bond at a llama sanctuary in bc. >> They brought tears to our eyes and joy to our hearts because they've both been lonely. They've both been without companions. >> Travis: 7-year-old jemmi was rejected by her mother because of her abnormal head movement. Meanwhile ed did I the alpaca is crippled because of a coat that is too heavy. The sanctuary owners say the pair formed an unlikely bond. >> And I think he was noticing that when the others were mean to her that she didn't retaliate. She didn't react in the normal llama or alpaca way, and I think that interested him because he, up until then, couldn't think of mixing with anyone. But he got up, he went over, he said hello, and that was it. He started humming. She followed his hums. Because at last she had a sound to follow. And they were inseparable. >> Travis: a little llama love for you there.

>>> WE STILL GOT PLENTY MORE AHEAD ON "CANADA TONIGHT". CALGARY MAYOR GONDEK WILL JOIN US TO TALK ABOUT A POPULATION BOOM HAPPENING IN HER CITY AND ACROSS THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA PLUS YOUR TOP STORIES NEXT HERE Rosemary:Every week the issues that matter to Canadians. -These are acts of desperation. Rosemary:Connecting politics to people. -We will always protect and defend all NATO allies. -Some people have lost everything. Rosemary:Sundays, join me for Rosemary Barton live. If you're lost You can look And you will find me Time after time For everything you care about. Intact Insurance. ( ) That's a DQ Chicken Strip Basket! Oh look at those tasty DQ chicken strips. And fries! Plus all the dips! Oh let's order one, right now! DQ. Happy Tastes Good. The Jeep No Limits Eventis here.Which means more trailsto blaze. More challenges to meet. And right now enjoyno payments for 90 days. Get into a Jeep Compass. With best-in-class horsepower. Or Jeep Grand Cherokee,the most awarded SUV ever. ( ) Jeep No Limits is here. Time to test your limits. Get up to 10% off MSRP for up to eighty sevenhundred dollars in discounts. And no payments for 90 days. Hey! Wake-up. The words in your head, you're the only one that can hear them. Say it! Yes. I. Can. Move! Feel it. Hold onto this feeling. Yes I can, Yes I must. Watch me! Payment plans available at OnePeloton.ca. Terms apply. I I was standing ( ) You were there Two worlds collided And they could never tear us apart ( ) I I was standing You were there Two worlds collided Let's go for a skate, and a little chat. Because retirement today is not what it used to be. The good news is we're living longer and more active lives, but planning for that longevitycan come with some challenges. Thankfully as a Canadian homeowner aged 55 and better, you have options. The CHIP Program allows you to access the value of your home without selling it. So you can live retirement on your terms. If you're 55 or older call now for your free no obligation CHIP Reverse Mortgage Guide. With CHIP you get up to 55% of your home's value in tax free cash take only what you need in a lump sum or over time with no monthly mortgage payments required. Call (number on screen) Maybe it's time for you to consider CHIP too! Call now for your free no obligation guide. Call (number on screen) or visit CHIP dot ca. Call CHIP today and live retirement your way. Hi, I'm Mae Martinand I cannot tell youhow stoked I am to get a bunch of selfies with celebs at theCanadian Screen Awards. [beep] I mean, I can't tell you how excited I am to host the awards. That is the main and most important thing. [ ] >> Travis: IT IS 5 O'CLOCK IN PENTICTON AND 9 O'CLOCK IN AMHERST. THIS IS CANADA TONIGHT. CANADA HAS BECOME A MAJOR SOURCE OF STOLEN MOTOR VEHICLES TIED TO DRUG TRAFFICKING AND TERRORISM AROUND THE WORLD. PLUS NEW DATA SHEDS LIGHT ON THE RECENT POPULATION BOOM IN ALBERTA'S TWO LARGEST CITIES. THE MAYOR OF CALGARY WILL JOIN US. AND AIR CANADA COMES UNDER FIRE AGAIN FOR LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY AFTER THIS WOMAN HAD TO BE CARRIED OFF A PLANE IN A BADLY-DAMAGED AISLE CHAIR.

>>> But first, our top story. The international police agency says more than 1,500 stolen canadian vehicles have been identified around the world since february. Sarah galashan joins me now with more details on this. Sarah, where are these vehicles being found? >> Mostly in parts of the middle east and in west africa. Most vehicles are luxury suvs and crossovers, cars that are like suv's. They say that they are used like currency. The question is how did canada become such a hot spot for this kind of theft. Back in february, info sharing between canadian agencies and interpol was enhanced. So fair to say that these numbers are not new to the rcmp. In fact, the head commissioner was at the press conference yesterday talking about the enhanced sharing and what they are doing to try to track these vehicles down. Take a listen. >> From february 13th to may 16th, we've had 1,553 alerts. That means that there's another law enforcement agency in the world that's quarried some of the data that's actually in there. That brings up the second portion where there's 250 follow-ups made for request of that information. So it's global. >> Reporter: important to say that this is not reflective of how many cars in that three-month period of time have actually been stolen in canada. The 1,500 number is just the numbers that have been positively identified in other countries as cars that have come from canada. >> Travis: possibly the tip of the iceberg. What is being done in this country, in canada, to stop this from happening in the first place? >> It's not likely a surprise to canadian officials that this 1,500 plus number was coming here because of the coordination that they had had with interpol. Until fact, just yesterday there was a big press conference involving government officials. They announced the national action plan to target this kind of crime, specifically looking at organized crime groups that are suspected of being the main culprit when it comes to this kind of theft. The deputy prime minister spoke at that, but she also spoke today at an unrelated dental press conference. She was asked specifically what is being done to reiterate the government's position, and this is what she said: >> It makes life scary. It makes life more expensive. It raises the insurance rates for everyone. We have toughened anti-money laundering laws and created more tools to enforce those rules. We're also seeking to actually ban some of the equipment which is used to steal cars. We need the legal tools to do this. >> Reporter: and so that legislation is before parliament. Also back in february, there was some real efforts being made to address this as an issue, and there was $28 million put aside for the canadian border services agency specifically to enhance the kind of screening that is done on those large containers that you see loaded onto ships and then taken out of canadian ports. Screen them for any vehicles that may be inside that shouldn't be there. And as well as part of all of that effort, there was coordination between the insurers and the auto makers to try to see what can be done to thwart these thieves at the starting point, prevent the vehicles from being stolen in canada in the first place. >> Travis: thanks, sarah.

>>> For a look at how we got here, we're going to be joined by the vice president of equitay association. What do you make of this? >> Thefts, in particular vehicles being stolen for the purpose of export, have really increased dramatically since covid. Organized crime have entered another space. High reward, low risk. And a lot of the vehicles from ontario are being stolen for that purpose, for the sole purpose of being exported exported. >> Travis: why are ontario and quebec the hotspots when it comes to this? >> Population, high volume of targeted vehicles. Suv's, pickup trucks, luxury suv's. Close to the port of montreal. Those two things put canada and quebec in a bad position. >> Travis: the federal government estimates that 90,000 vehicles are reported stolen every year in canada. What more needs to be done to get that number significantly down? >> There's been some really great action. Last year the province of ontario solicitor general's office provided funding for the creation of a provincial auto theft unit led by the opp. What's significant about that is this is not just a victimless crime. It's not just a property crime. This is organized crime. They are funding their criminal organizations, so going after the organized crime groups that are behind it is significant. And then you have february 13th, the federal summit. So now you have the provinces and the federal government working together, law enforcement across all levels. Everybody is working very hard, working with our investigators across the country. And 2024 will be very interesting to see. Last year alone, $1.5 billion vehicle thefts in canada. Ontario represented over 1 billion of that. >> Travis: and you mentioned organized crime. We do continue to hear that. Do we have anymore details in terms of the groups that we're talking about here? >> They might not be your traditional organized crimes that everybody thinks of, but it's basically people working together to commit a criminal offence. They are highly organized. They are highly connected. There are networks, and there is a target list. Vehicles that they want, vehicles that are desired overseas. And individuals who have the ability to steal the vehicle and get the vehicle containerized, sent out OF9gg<"7XeYMj7P: rñ? Country. And then at the receiving end, going overseas. But very connected, very organized. Law enforcement is doing a wonderful job combatting that. >> Travis: certainly this is going to be a long-term plan here, to mix this problem. To really get to the root of it. In the interim, though, in the short-term, what do you recommend that vehicle owners do in this country? >> Ultimately it would be great to have the vehicle itself harder to steal in the first place, and that's a longer-term goal. But really there are things that everyday owners of vehicles can do. If you have the luxury of parking in a garage, park in a garage. Park in a well-lit area using a steering wheel lock. Using a tracking service. All those things add time. A criminal does not want to be in your vehicle for an extended period of time. Anything you can do to slow down the process to make it harder, your vehicle less of a target, is what we recommend. >> Travis: appreciate you being here tonight, bryan.

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