As It Happens

00:00 All your favorite CBC Podcasts are now available on YouTube. The best in award-winning true crime investigations, hilarious comedies, vibrant pop culture conversations, and even more audio series are all available on CBC Podcasts' YouTube channel. You'll also find exclusive video first episodes, YouTube shorts, and behind-the-scenes content from our hosts and producers that you can't find anywhere else. So if YouTube is your go-to source for podcasts, just search CBC Podcasts and hit subscribe, and you'll never miss the latest updates. 00:30 This is a CBC Podcast. 00:32 Hello, I'm Loren McGinnis, sitting in for Neil Cooksall. 00:36 Good evening. I'm Chris Howden. This is As It Happens. 00:47 Tonight, shock and aftershock to the system a lot of people are still unaccounted for after a major earthquake rocks Japan. Our guest is there and he says that for many of his neighbors, this is terrifying deja vu. 01:01 Smoke gets in their eyes. Musician Barney Bentall tells us about the emotional moment when he pulled out his guitar to play for the firefighters trying to save his B.C. ranch from an approaching wildfire. 01:12 The sweet, diminishing stench of success. For decades, St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador has been plagued by the terrible odor of fermenting fish sauce in a defunct factory. Now, cleanup has begun at last. 01:27 One good tourney deserves another. The FIFA World Cup is over, but the Women's Africa Cup of Nations is in full swing. A Kenyan sports reporter tells us now is a great time for the world to pay attention to African women's soccer. 01:40 The juicy details. A large collection of KFC memorabilia is now up for auction, including Colonel Sanders' own day planner, where he kept a conspicuous list of 11 herbs and spices, one of which our guest will reveal. 01:57 And they made it in their spore time. The good news is Chinese scientists created a living dress that can repair itself. The bad news is it's made from a fungal parasite that could one day bring about the end of the world. As it happens, the Tuesday edition, radio that reflects, will always have parasitic fungus. 02:32 There's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of anxiety in Japan tonight after a deadly earthquake violently shook a southern prefecture. Thousands of people in Kumamoto Prefecture are without power. The Japanese government says the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but we know buildings have been damaged and some have collapsed. We also know that dozens of people are trapped in a shopping mall in Kumamoto City. Police have said they presume quite a few are dead. Prime Minister Senai Takeichi has deployed hundreds of soldiers to help with rescue operations. Seyo Utsunomiya works in the International Affairs section of the Kumamoto Municipal Government. 03:07 He's currently working at an evacuation center designated for foreign visitors in Kumamoto. 03:13 Mr. Utsunomiya, are you and your family safe? 03:16 Yes, my family is safe. 03:18 And myself. 03:21 Where were you when the earthquake hit? 03:23 When the earthquake happened, I was in my office, which is in the Kumamoto City Hall. 03:29 I was in the fourth floor of the city hall and working at the international affairs section in Kumamoto City. 03:37 Describe that moment for us. What was it like when the earthquake hit? 03:41 Suddenly, a strong shake occurred and everything on my desk and on top of the cupboard and everything has collapsed. And it continued more than 10 seconds, I think. 03:58 The people immediately, we have evacuation drills, so people try to hide under the desk. 04:06 How long did that last before people started coming out from under their desks and assessing what had happened? 04:14 Maybe 30 seconds to a minute. 04:18 How long did you wait to go outside and see what the streets looked like? 04:22 I was in the office about five minutes and we were forced to evacuate to go outside of the building. So everyone used the stairs. We couldn't use the elevator at that time anymore. So we walked down and went out Most of the city office employees are outside. Aftershakes were happening, but cars were running normally and it looked quite normal. 04:52 Outside of the building itself was fine, but aftershakes were continuing, so everyone was a bit worried. 04:59 Tell us about the aftershocks. What did they feel like? What was the experience of that? 05:05 As you might have heard, but we had just a decade ago, we had a huge earthquake, same as this time, twice. That was 2016. The first one was quite big, but after that, the main quake happened two days after that. So everyone was still worried about that might happen. So everyone was very cautious right now. 05:32 So what are people doing to stay safe given the fear of another earthquake? 05:39 Our city office announced to the citizens that we opened our city-owned facilities to the public and used as an evacuation shelter. 05:53 Anyone who has any problems, like some people, the water is not running or buildings are damaged, everyone can evacuate. 06:02 Here in the international center, a couple of people, mainly foreign people, spend their night. 06:12 What are you telling them about how to stay safe in Kumamoto? 06:17 Basically, if they feel unsafe at home, you can stay here. But in this place, we don't have any bed or places to comfortably stay. So... 06:31 If you go to the other places like elementary school or junior high school or a city-owned building, they might have better surroundings to rest. So they can freely move to those places. And already a couple of people moved to those places. 06:53 You were at work when this happened and now you're at the International Center helping other people. Do you know if your home is okay? 07:02 Actually, I'm still not sure because my home is next to Kumamoto City which is called Uki City and that is actually the epicenter was very close. It was like magnitude 7. So I heard there are lots of What will your neighbor do? 07:43 Because a huge earthquake happened 10 years ago. After that, Kumamoto City and the neighboring cities, we set up the evacuation center in the region. So when this kind of earthquake or natural disaster happens, people can evacuate those places. But I heard that the nearest evacuation center where I live, They can't accommodate the people. 08:13 I'm still not sure what exactly happened, but maybe the building was damaged or something. So in my area, people are staying either in their own house or in the car. 08:25 I recognize there are lots of things we don't know yet. And the Japanese government and the prime minister has said they're still assessing the damage. 08:36 Yeah. 08:38 Tell us about how the memory of what happened in 2016, one earthquake and then another two days later is affecting how people see what's happening right now. 08:51 I think most people who experienced 10 years ago, 10 years, a huge earthquake have the feeling that Yesterday's huge earthquake might not be the only one. So it might come again, the huge one might come again. So we are still on alert and we are very, very cautious. 09:12 We never know how long it will last. And even the small one, we never know how long it will last. 09:20 Sayo, I hope for your safety and for good news to come in the hours and days ahead. Thank you for speaking with us. 09:29 Thank you. Thank you very much. 09:31 I appreciate your concern. 09:34 We reached Sayo Utsunomiya in Kumamoto, Japan. 09:47 For decades, the people of St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador have had a sour taste in their mouths because of an even sourer taste in their noses. But now there's finally hope they'll be able to breathe freely again. 10:00 25 years ago, the Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company shut its doors after about a decade in business. It left behind more than 100 vats of fish sauce, the popular condiment that it was fermenting and bottling at the plant, which began to rot and continued to rot. The citizens of St. Mary's have lived with the smell of that rotting fish sauce ever since. But today, work began to remove the malodorous condiment from the community once and for all. And it's possible that no one is as relieved as Mayor Steve Ryan. 10:30 We reached him in St. Mary's. 10:33 Mayor Ryan, how does it feel to see finally this long-awaited cleanup begin? 10:38 It's definitely, it's rewarding. Never ever thought we'd get to a reward today for the actual cleanup to start. 10:46 And so often over the past few months even, uh we had hiccups in this process and you kind of doubt that what's going to happen but uh to see it today firsthand what you're doing in the process very very rewarding what have crews actually been doing today how do you go about getting all this fish sauce cleaned up in the community Well, the past couple of weeks went around just in cleaning up the floor to get into the building with equipment and to be able to move around because on the floor there was probably six or eight inches of like sludge on the floor. 11:22 So there were two weeks cleaning that up to get to the day when they actually went and they showed us the process of they actually cut a hole into the tank and let the liquid go. come out and then that liquid is mixed with peat mass and then it's sucked out into a vacuum truck and it's shipped off to another town here that's about two hours away in Sunnyside. 11:44 Deliver it to the neighboring community. Revenge. 11:50 I told him today jokingly, I said, we have a gun and you're taking it. But we have it in the wrong state. They're going to have it in the right state and they'll never have no issues with what's going on their site. 12:04 Yeah, of course. Dispose of it properly. I was just teasing. 12:06 Yeah. 12:07 The people doing the work, it's rare that I would ask what personal protective gear they're wearing, but I'm so curious. How do you deal with this smell when you're up to your knees in it? 12:18 Yeah, well, their biggest thing, like they have rubber boots and they have the hazmat suits on and they just have the regular face mask. When they're cutting a tank, they put on a respirator because the smell kind of hits you when they actually do cut the tank. There was about 30 or 40 of us in the building today. Some had masks on, some never. Some could stand it, some couldn't. Some had to leave. A couple of reporters had to leave. Their stomach couldn't handle it. Even when we left, I was talking to my local MHA after... up to the town hall. 12:49 And she said, don't leave you. The smell stays with you. 12:52 And that's about the best way to describe the smell. It's just lingering. 12:57 You know, this might be the last chance here on As It Happens to ask you to describe the smell. Can you take your best crack at it? 13:06 Uh, I remember years ago, it was a whale washed up on the beach here and was really smelling right through the whole town. And I remember it was, I was only, only small at the time, but I remember that smell and it's, it's like that. It's like a rotting whale is right there, right in front of you. 13:23 And it's just really, really strong. And it all depends on what way the prevailing winds are. 13:29 50 feet can make a difference in you smelling it or not smelling it. One I might pass right on up by is like we describe as like it goes up a tunnel and you can be on either side and you won't smell it, be in that tunnel of smell and it'll take your bread away. Mm-hmm. 13:45 Part of why it's taken this long to get to the actual cleanup is contentious negotiations and disputes over who would pay for this. Who is doing the work? 13:58 Yeah. A big part first was ownership. That building was just left here in limbo. Nobody owned it to make this process happen to our town herself. That was a big decision that we had to take. We took ownership off the property. So then we're reliable for that property. That was a big decision. The province was going to come on side, which they did in their last budget for the Liberal government. And they put money in that budget for the actual cleanup. The federal government, they were never really there for us on this project and the cleanup. 14:31 And without the province coming on board with this. And then we got a new government that took over there about a year ago. And I was kind of worried I was going to get derailed. They put their nose to the ground or actually, and they made this happen for us. 14:44 How long is this cleanup going to take, do you expect? 14:47 They're figuring about two to three months. 14:49 This has been an issue since before you became mayor. 14:53 Oh yeah, definitely. It's going on. 14:54 Pushing for this to be fixed has given you this incredible professional purpose and focus. I wonder if there's any small part of you that will miss this? 15:08 I'm after thinking more over since last night when this is all starting today. Before this happened, people are hard to find and hard to believe I was never a speaker. And when I took this on and I knew that I had to, the media was our savior. And I started talking. 15:25 Now my wife even jokes, she said, now we can shut you up. But I had to get out and tell the story over and over and over and over again to actually get to where we were now. and the time that I'm after consuming, I'm a volunteer, a total volunteer, and the time that I'm after giving up, I says, if I think back now, I probably wouldn't do it. There's times that my business, I have my own business in town, and I'm after neglect my own business, even family time, to get this done. But... 15:57 I don't want no credit. I just want this done, cleaned up. I'd like to give credit to the consultant that was one time, the cleanup company that's after interested, our MHA. I'm doing it for the love of my town. Sometimes I get upset when I talk about it. I wear my heart on my sleeve. But our town, some of our residents are after... 16:22 really suffering with this. A couple of houses that are really in proximity to it. That's my payment to see that truck go up the road today with the first load out of that building. 16:36 Mayor Ryan, I am very happy for you and very happy for the people of St. Mary's who's been living with this, that this is on the way to being resolved. And we'll miss speaking with you. We'll have to find another reason. 16:50 We'll find a better reason than the sauce. We'd rather be known for our beautiful parks here and everything, but not known for it. We're the town of the sauce plant. 17:00 Thank you very much, Mayor. 17:02 You're welcome. Have a good night. 17:04 Steve Ryan is the Mayor of St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and that's where we reached him. 17:21 In 1968, a businessman was so fed up with the poor quality of fast food fried chicken that he decided to open his own restaurant in Shelbyville, Kentucky. That businessman was Harlan David Sanders. And that restaurant was, dramatic pause, the Claudia Sanders Dinner House. 17:39 I know, I was also expecting to say something else there. Because Harlan Sanders is Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, but the restaurant he opened in 1968 was not KFC. By that point, Colonel Sanders had already sold his steak in Kentucky Fried Chicken for about $2 million. But he'd become so frustrated with the quality of the chicken that bore his likeness that he opened another fried chicken restaurant named after his wife, Claudia, just to show everyone how to do it right. A few years later, he sold that restaurant to a woman named Cherry Settle and her husband, Tom, including the nearby Blackwood Hall where the Sanders family lived. 18:15 And now Ms. Settle is auctioning off the whole estate. Jonathan Clunk is a realtor and auctioneer representing Cherry Settle in the auction of Blackwood Hall in the Claudia Sanders dinner house today. He's in Shelbyville, Kentucky. 18:28 Jonathan, the auction goes live in a matter of hours. What do you do in the hours leading up to an auction going live to be ready? 18:35 We're working through all of our last minute details. A lot of those are technical, especially since we will be syndicated around the globe with people watching and bidding from locations other than inside the dinner house here. So we want to make sure that that's a seamless experience. And then we focus on the guest experience. So they'll be cooking up some delicious fried chicken from the Colonel's recipe that has been used since my clients took over the property 55 years ago. That'll be served tonight. And just making sure that every detail is as perfect as it can be. 19:04 Chicken on the menu. That makes sense. Tell us a little bit about this family and the relationship between Cherry Settle, who owns these items now, and Colonel Sanders, the fried chicken magnate. 19:15 Cherry met the colonel after he had sold KFC. She was actually an employee of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and he met her because she had the job of touring around the country, going to all of the franchise owners and their employees and teaching them about hospitality, food quality, and even etiquette. And so she was presenting at the Fountain Blue Hotel in Miami, where they were having their national conference, giving several presentations a day. And she looked down and she saw the colonel sitting in the front row for every single one of them. He was really smitten with her and approached her afterwards. 19:48 And they struck up a friendship. And a couple of months later, she and her fiance, Tommy, at the time, they, like many early KFC employees, had an interest in acquiring a franchise. So they had all the ambition in the world, but very little capital. So they decided to go to the colonel and see if he would loan them money for that purchase. And instead of loaning him money for that, he said, you don't want that restaurant. You want my restaurant. 20:13 It must be with some mixed emotions, given that relationship, that she's ready to part with this piece of history now. Why is that happening? 20:22 The original owners, Mr. Settle Sr., he passed away last year, and Mrs. Settle is now... in her 80s and her daughter has worked here since you know right out of high school and her son lives in orlando florida and has several businesses down there so it's just not in the cards for it to be passed on to the next generation of the family so now like many businesses you know we're looking for the next caretakers of this property and this legacy and all the goodwill that it's created tell us about some of the items that you think will fetch the most interest because the there's the property itself 20:58 But then there's these little little pieces of history and detail from from the lives as they've been handed on. 21:04 Right now, the most popular item is the string tie that the colonel wore. He did wear a clip on tie. That's over four thousand dollars in pre bidding. So expected to go higher than that once the live bidding begins. 21:17 Also, his colonel certificate. I know that there are a number of people who are going for that because that's what made him the colonel. That's probably the most historical of every item that we have here because it is still part of his name and trademark, I should add, today. 21:33 Tell us about this leather day planner that has details like when the colonel's dentist appointments might be that that will attract some attention. 21:41 You know, unfortunately, it's on a day by day basis. So unlike a journal that it's just lined paper where you open it up and you pick up where you left off, you know, he had to write in the days what was going on that day. And it looked like he picked it up maybe about halfway through the year because there are a number of blank pages in there. But the ones that are filled out are filled with a lot of history. But of course, I think one of the most popular things about this is it was subject of a 2001 lawsuit that KFC brought against the settles when they called to inquire, hey, we have a list of 11 herbs and spices in the back of this and their measurements. 22:16 We're just curious if this is the original recipe. Well, they were sued so that KFC could take possession of the book and examine it. They ultimately said that it wasn't, that it was likely a stuffing recipe. But I tell you what, as stuffing, it's not very good. But as chicken, it's delicious. 22:32 The 11 herbs and spices, especially for people of a certain vintage, will ring that bell. I mean, that was one of the most famous taglines in fast food history. Do you mind to tell us what the 11 herbs and spices are while we've got you on the line? 22:47 Yeah. You know, we're just being very respectful of that. 22:52 I feel like it's going to carry a lot more value and interest to keep it secret for the next buyer so that they can decide what they want to do with it. But according to this recipe, I can tell you that a large percentage, the main ingredient that's in it is ginger. 23:09 I was going to start to guess one at a time, but you've given us one. Thank you for that. I appreciate that there has been, as you pointed out, some legal acrimony between various families and the KFC company as it is now. 23:25 Even the colonel I know was... As he was their brand ambassador, was extremely critical of food quality at times. Is there a chance that KFC's current ownership shows up and is a potential buyer? 23:37 They will be at today's auction. I know that they are interested in many of the pieces and artifacts that we have available to add to their collection. I would love for them to purchase the restaurant, even if it isn't in their business model to operate a single restaurant. But The trademark and the intellectual property that comes with this, I have expressed to them it would be beautiful to bring the Claudia and the Colonel back together and to own both of those names and be able to deploy them. But this particular restaurant, should they decide to take it over and maybe franchise it, it would certainly be significant competition to, let's say, a Cracker Barrel. 24:14 Ginger, that is my takeaway from this conversation. Jonathan, good of you to take the time on a busy day. Thank you. 24:20 You're very welcome. Thank you. 24:22 Ginger. 24:23 Jonathan Clunk is a realtor and auctioneer. We reached him in Shelbyville, Kentucky. 24:38 At the start of the HBO show The Last of Us, a scientist explains how parasitic fungi could mutate and cause the end of humanity. 24:46 One gene mutates, and an ascomycetia, candida, ergot, cordyceps, aspergillus, any one of them could become capable of burrowing into our brains and taking control, not of millions of us, but billions of us. Billions of puppets with poisoned minds permanently fixed on one unifying goal, to spread the infection to every last human alive by any means necessary. 25:13 So if that happens, 25:16 We lose. 25:19 Oh, oh dear me. 25:21 The Last of Us is about a fungal infection that causes the collapse of civilization. Also a lot of screaming and biting. The fungus that causes all that is a mutated version of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. It's a real life fungus that essentially turns ants into zombies. 25:38 We've all enjoyed this discussion, but you're probably wondering why we're having it. Well, Chinese scientists have just made something very exciting, a dress woven from a living textile, which will actually repair itself if it's damaged. Plus, it can be made to clean itself just through the addition of other living elements. In an interview with new scientist Kay Lee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said, quote, after washing and processing, the material does not have a strong mushroom-like smell, unquote. And that's good to know, but why would it have a strong mushroom-like smell? 26:11 Oh, just because it's made from a fungus? What fungus? Oh, cordyceps militaris. Cordyceps, cordyceps. Now, where did we just hear that word? 26:24 Cordyceps. Borrowing into our brain. Cordyceps. And taking control. Cordyceps. More of millions of us. Cordyceps. Billions of us. Cordyceps. Billions of puppets. Cordyceps. Those poisoned minds. Cordyceps. We lose. Cordyceps. We lose. Cordyceps. We lose. 26:43 Right, that's where. And Cordyceps militaris also parasitizes insects. And, you know, on the off chance that it mutates, it could parasitize humankind. Plus, another scientist reviewing this work did say there's a chance that because it's biodegradable, the dress might biodegrade when you least want it to, such as, you know, during a board meeting. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing science. It's just that at this early stage, I don't want to wear a dress made of a fungus that might want to wear me. 27:24 We are going to take a short break now. When we return, the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations has kicked off in Morocco. A Kenyan sports reporter tells us she's rooting for the underdog Zambia to advance to next year's FIFA World Cup. 27:41 And County Mayo has broken its curse at last, snapping a 75-year losing streak to win the All-Ireland Championships. Stay tuned. I'm Chris Howden. And I'm Lauren McGinnis. 28:05 All your favorite CBC Podcasts are now available on YouTube. The best in award-winning true crime investigations, hilarious comedies, vibrant pop culture conversations, and even more audio series are all available on CBC Podcasts' YouTube channel. You'll also find exclusive video first episodes, YouTube shorts, and behind-the-scenes content from our hosts and producers that you can't find anywhere else. So if YouTube is your go-to source for podcasts, just search CBC Podcasts and hit subscribe, and you'll never miss the latest updates. 28:35 It was a pitched battle to save a BC village from burning to the ground, and it seems that the handful of residents who stayed behind in Clinton to fight the wildfire have won. According to the latest reports, the village itself was mostly spared, although some people on the outskirts did lose their homes, and the fire reduced the surrounding area to not much more than scorched earth. It may have spared Clinton, but the fire is still burning out of control, prompting new evacuation orders in the region. Musician Barney Bentall owns a ranch near Clinton. He fled the area last week. 29:06 We reached him on Bowen Island, BC. 29:09 Barney, how are you feeling as you start to hear more news trickle out about the situation in and around Clinton? 29:16 I should, as a songwriter, perhaps know how to... Describe what I'm feeling, but it's challenging. I mean, it's conflicting. You hear some good news, and then you hear heartbreaking stories about people you know that have lost a lot, how the landscape is changing. will be so drastically changed. So feeling lots of emotions. 29:43 I am now on the coast right now, and it's rainy and overcast, and I was just trying to send this up to that area in any way that I could get some moisture up there. 29:55 Your ranch has survived, and so I hear you saying, you know, you start thinking about people who haven't had that bit of luck. Can you describe some of the pictures and video you've seen that show, I mean, the power, but also the devastation that this fire has caused? 30:13 When I saw the photos, it's just astounding, and the power of it takes your breath away. 30:20 What was it like leaving? I know, you know, there's an evacuation order, but you also have a big part of your life that's on the road. What was it like when you left your ranch? 30:29 I was actually sleeping outside. I do that quite often. And there was a lightning storm in the night, about 2.30 and then 7.30 in the morning, helicopters came over and then bombers. So they went in really hard and fast. And then by that night, I think it had moved. 10 kilometers to Big Bar Lake. It was just astounding. And we were, my son Dustin and I were haying, and the sky was clear, but off to the north was... 31:01 just an apocalyptic scene but you know you're farming ranch and you do what you do and we we kept going and and the night before i left um uh just about 30 structural protection people showed up and they they were going around to all the homes or the ranches and and they just get right to work these people are remarkable and they were so kind and and And you just got out of their way. And as they were leaving, my daughter-in-law said, why don't we sing them a song? 31:34 And we did. It was a very touching and moving moment. At that point, that's about all we've got. And you're just very grateful to all these people. I just have to mention them and their fortitude and They do a job that most people don't think about it till you need it desperately. So that, and then the people that have lost things, I, you know, you have these, this moment of like, whoa, this building of ours or this house that has so much history and so many memories survived. 32:04 And then somebody that, somebody's that didn't and, and your heart just goes out to them. 32:09 Are you connecting with, with friends and neighbors and people, you know, who, who have had those losses? 32:15 Yes, some. And the people that are still looking for livestock, just tireless out there trying to save some of the animals. 32:21 Can you help us, give us front row seats or something like that to that scene where you decide and you and others decide to play music for the people that are trying to save structures and push back against these fires? 32:37 You realize... 32:39 Songs are, that's what we have, and sometimes these things just can provide a bit of inspiration or relief, and it was pretty sweet when we did it, and it definitely got you choked up, and then everybody comes over and shakes your hand, and I think it's whatever way you can acknowledge what these people are doing and how they're risking their lives, etc. 33:07 But... 33:08 Yeah, that was a small part. I mean, it's just, there's been, I've played hockey with the North Shore firefighters for a long time. And there was one, all of a sudden, one night, this crew of them show up on loan from the North Shore in Vancouver. 33:28 And they're going, what are you doing here? What are you doing here? And then they just get right to work and As it turned out, that crew were the last people there before the fire went through. So these stories are very touching and moving. And yeah, you're just processing the whole thing. 33:47 What song did you play them? 33:51 We played them the fireman, George Strait. 33:54 It seemed like the thing to do. I guess a little bit of levity. And yeah. 34:04 What's it like standing in front of an audience in some or other city gigging when you know this is in the backdrop? 34:14 What do you get from that? What do you offer? Or do you have to put that in a compartment and play your guitar? 34:19 I'm not going to go on at length about it when I'm playing, but we played with Blue Rodeo and Invermere, and it was an outdoor show. But my son Dustin said to me, just, you know, be in the music. I have that, I'm very grateful for that. We were playing, and there was smoke everywhere. The mountains were very hazy, and This band that has been, you know, Blue Rodeo, that's been such an important part of the fabric of Canadian music and really culture itself. 34:51 I don't know, everything took on a greater resonance and just sort of emotional depth. I don't know, Lauren, like we got this place 30 years ago or more when the kids were young. You put a lot of work and effort and love into something like that. And there's no, it's not rational in a way. There's no reward. It's just not a money-making thing, you know, quite the opposite, really. Yeah. 35:20 you're there. And, you know, for the last 10 years, we've been living under kind of this, it's a bit of a ticking time bomb, you know, that you feel like it's, this is going to happen, but you, you know, you live with hope and, and, and positive thoughts and, maybe have a bit of a wet summer or wetter summer and, and, and it, you know, that, that worry goes away or the winter comes and then, and then all of a sudden you're deal face to face with, you're leaving a place that is kind of has become our family sort of homeland. 35:53 And you, you don't know whether you're going to see it again. That's what, you know, that's what a fire does. 36:00 you know, our fingers are crossed. Our hearts go out to people who've lost things and our fingers are crossed for you and your family that, you know, in short order, you get to go back to that family homeland. Yeah. 36:11 Really appreciate you speaking with us, Barney. Thank you. 36:14 Thank you, Lauren. 36:15 We reached Barney Bentall on Bowen Island, British Columbia. 36:39 Your FIFA World Cup fever has probably subsided completely by now. But if you miss the symptoms, which included hallucinating fouls, intermittent yelling and anxious trembling, let me recommend that you infect yourself with another soccer-related ailment, Women's Africa Cup of Nations fever. That tournament kicked off this past weekend in Morocco, and it's in full swing until mid-August. And this year's biennial event is especially important because the four finalists will qualify for next year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Gladys Midecha is a sports reporter with NTV Kenya. 37:12 We reached her earlier today in Nairobi while Zambia was playing Egypt. 37:17 Gladys, I know there is an imperative for you to be a professional journalist and to be objective. But since it's football, please tell us, who are you rooting for in this Cup of Nations? 37:29 Well, I know I want to try and be patriotic and say my country, Kenya, but I'm going to be very honest. I think women's football, especially in Africa, has really taken a turn. 37:42 I think I am rooting for an underdog in Zambia. probably take it why is that um now i think it's time for something different when you look at zambia they've really been working on their systems especially with women's football and right now they're just trying to get back to where they should be do i think they can win the african women's african cup of nations of course i do They are currently playing Egypt right now. 38:16 And they have the likes of Barbara Banda, Rachel Kundanji. And that is really raw African talent that I enjoy watching. So, yeah, that's the team I'm going for. 38:28 I thank you for your honesty. And I know Nigeria has won 10 of the last 13. So they're always a favorite. You mentioned women's football in Africa has taken a turn. What do you mean? 38:40 Well, right now, I think we are seeing more women nations taking up more competitions. I mean, when you look at friendlies, even the number of friendlies that African women teams are now playing, they're actually a bit more. And that's because we've been given the opportunity a better window. So I like the fact that it's been expanded. I like the fact that now we get to have variety. Not just the same Nigerian team every time, but I give credit to Nigeria. They've done well. This is a team that started going to the World Cup in 1998 when most nations did not even have structure. 39:16 We can replicate that to other countries. It would be great. 39:20 This is the first time the tournament has expanded to 16 teams from 12 teams. What does that say about this growth that you're pointing at? 39:30 One of the things that a lot of people are talking about is you know, the prize money. Yeah, it's just been increased by about 100%. It's not very exciting. But however, this expansion, it means more visibility for African women. You know, you get the chance to get contracts outside, you get to see African talent more. And when it is this big, We have diversity, even when it comes to competing in bigger competitions like the World Cup. 40:04 So it's massive. It will now give a chance to the federations to work on their women's teams because that will bring in more business. So I love this expansion. I love what it means for Africa. Now we can get an opportunity to see probably more coaches coming into play, especially female coaches. So I'm excited. 40:25 The whole world has football fever right now coming off the men's FIFA World Cup. 40:32 However, there are less eyeballs on something like this Cup of Nations. There's less coverage, for example, than the men's African Cup of Nations. Why is that? And what is the path to bringing this women's game in Africa to more and more people? 40:50 Well, you know, the Women's African Cup of Nations has not attracted as many viewers and fans as men's football tournaments, despite the growing interest. As you said, it's less media coverage compared with men's competitions, lower marketing and promotion of women's tournaments. And, you know, women's football has... A historical lack of investment. So I get worried. Even if you go back to looking at how Euro was last year, and now you look at the Women's African Cup of Nations, we still have so much to do. 41:21 We're still getting less in everything. 41:24 How will people watch matches in this tournament? What's the access? 41:28 For us here in Kenya, we're lucky that our national broadcaster actually bought the rights. And I'm telling you, the sound is terrible. We can barely hear the commentator. You know, on DSTV, it is available. But again, how many people can afford that? And remember right now, the Commonwealth Games are going on. So you go try and watch the Women's Africa Cup of Nations and then you quickly change because you cannot find proper sound. 41:56 What is so special or the most exciting for you about watching this event and this moment in African women's football gaining momentum? 42:07 The one thing that I think is exciting me most is that I feel women football is a low hanging fruit that a lot of people are not taking advantage of. We've seen countries that have solely invested in women football in Europe, like the US and Sweden. We can take those lessons and learn that. And for example, here in Kenya, our under 17 team has gone to the World Cup. This is the second time they've qualified for the under 17 World Cup. So if we can invest proper infrastructure, proper coaching systems, put more money in having proper friendlies. 42:39 It means that this next batch of players, when they graduate, they'll probably go to the next WAFCON and it'll be tougher and tougher. Look at our neighbors, Tanzania. Their systems have been working for them. And yesterday they beat the defending champion, South Africa. If other African nations can keep doing that, if we can get the support that Nigeria got from the 1990s up to now, Trust you me, I think African football is going to be great. And I think the women will make it great. 43:10 I love women football. I enjoy women football. I actually find it very entertaining. But most people will say it's not as fun. It's not as nice as men's football because we've put so much concentration there that we forget that the women are also raising the bar. I'm seeing how Egypt is playing. I'm happy they're back. It's good to see Egypt. It's good to see Cote d'Ivoire. I'm excited to see Cape Verde's first game. I want to see how Malawi will take on this challenge. And then probably, just probably, maybe when we have another phone call another time, we'll be looking at a new champion, not Nigeria. 43:47 Gladys, thank you very much for speaking with us. 43:50 Thank you. 43:52 Gladys Midecha is a sports reporter with NTV Kenya. She's in Nairobi. 43:58 ¶¶ 44:28 The curse is broken. The words of a Twitter post by none other than Prime Minister Mark Carney this weekend. He could have been referring to the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, but he wasn't. He was referring to a legendary losing streak in the sport of Gaelic football, a fast-paced cousin of soccer and rugby. It had been 75 years since the All-Ireland Championship was won by County Mayo, where Mr. Carney's grandparents were born. The team made it to the finals 11 times since its last win in 1951 and lost every time. an unlucky streak that some blamed on a curse. 45:00 So when County Mayo's luck finally changed this weekend, it was a huge deal. This is how the local radio announcers reacted to the dramatic final moments of the match. 45:09 We're 45 yards in the 30 goal! It's Kobe! Kobe! He's got Tommy Conroy! Tommy Conroy's in for a goal! He's got Kobe! Yeah! Tommy Conroy! Oh my god! He sent it all the time! Oh my god! Delirium! Delirium! They have to get a goal! It's over! There's 30 seconds! There's 5 seconds to go! He absolutely failed! He's trying to play! Thank you referee! Yeah! 45:43 John Gunnigan is the co-host of the Mayo Football Talk podcast. We reached him in Dublin. 45:49 John, what goes through your head when you hear that frantic, ecstatic expression by those radio hosts celebrating County Mayo's win? 45:59 yeah yeah yeah i mean you could you could say like lads you had only one job to do you know was was was called the game uh but i think in fairness and they were they were just expressing what what all of us were were feeling because you know i i have been going to croke park for over 50 years at this stage and uh i have never ever experienced anything like that it was absolutely pure joy pure unadulterated joy it was incredible 46:31 I thought as I heard those guys just losing it, essentially, you know, their voices will be cooked. And now I connect with you and you are, we'd say, a little horse. 46:44 Indeed, indeed. Yeah, yeah. I've never seen so many people crying, including myself. I was great. Like everyone, every male person in Crow Park in the 15 minutes after the final whistle cried at some point. 46:57 Part of what makes this so significant is it's a curse broken. 47:02 For those who don't know that story. Well, okay, let's get into it. As legend has it, what did County Mayo's Gaelic football team do back in 1951 that allegedly led them to being cursed? 47:15 Yeah, allegedly. The story is that what they're doing this week is that they're doing a homecoming and they're going to go around to various towns, you know. So they were doing that in 51 as well. And they came into a town called Foxford. 47:30 which is up near the North Mayo. 47:33 And the story goes that as they were coming through or as they were having their festivities or whatever, they got in the way of a funeral that was taking place in the town and delayed the funeral. And the local priests and priests obviously had a very, very prominent position in the Ireland of 1951 and that the priest was not best chuffed and you didn't cross a priest in those days. 47:58 So the priest allegedly was so annoyed with the team that he said that for however long any member of that team lived, Mayo would never win the All-Ireland again. So that was supposedly the curse. Now, the problem is, you know, we didn't know anything about that curse when we were growing up. And I was born in 1962. And it was only after we'd lost five finals, I believe, in the early noughties that talk of the curse passed. 48:28 gained any kind of currency at all. Now, there have been academic studies done on it in terms of was there any talk about this? Was there anything in the local papers, anything in any oral histories or anything? There was no mention at all about it. Furthermore, there's no evidence that there even was a funeral in Foxford on the day in question. So I think male people would always have been They are very skeptical about that. 48:59 Well, and I wouldn't let the facts get in the way of a good story. And maybe a curse perceived is as powerful as a curse issued. There is an important detail. This is the first finals match since the last 1951 player did die. So as the story goes of the curse, how do you make sense of it? 49:19 No, absolutely. No, absolutely. And that's why, you know, you have to say ambiguous. And that's why you have to use a word like allegedly. Now, I will say... that after the 2021 final, because we fought a number of brilliant finals against the great Dublin team in the teens, and they were... Widely regarded as the best Gaelic football team of all time. And we went toe-to-toe with them over several years. And there were two absolutely totemic finals in 2016 and 2017, where we just lost by the minimum margin both times. 49:52 But in 2021, we finally beat that great Dublin team in the semi-final. And we were playing Tyrone. 49:59 They were a decent team, but they weren't world beaters. And we blew that one as well. That was the day I said, I said, Jesus, we have to be cursed. Like how on earth did we lose that game? But there is actually a simpler explanation. We played rubbish that day. We didn't deserve to win. 50:15 Well, I like the narrative that you grew into a sense of the curse over time, over so many losses. Is this a curse broken now? Whether, again, it's a matter of perception or is this a year of grace or clemency? 50:30 No, no, no. I mean, it's not an exaggeration to say that the lives of all Mayo supporters changed forever on Sunday. We will look at ourselves in different ways, in a different way than we have up to now. And our manager, Andy Moran, encapsulated that so well in the first words he said at the homecoming yesterday evening. 50:53 He said, he looked at the 50,000 people out there and he said, for years, he said, we've had to put up with the sneers and we've had to put up with the jives. There ain't nobody sneering at us now. That's over now. We're now a different tribe and we're marching to a very, very different beat from now on. 51:11 John, time to rest your voice. 51:14 Or maybe that's in December. Thank you for speaking with us. 51:17 Great to talk to you. 51:19 John Gunnigan is the co-host of the Mayo Football Talk podcast. We reached him in Dublin, Ireland. 51:57 One second she was having fun in the water and the next it had knocked her over and swallowed her. Tristan Vincent of Newfoundland and Labrador is endlessly grateful to the stranger who helped pull her five-year-old daughter Stella from Manuel's River in Conception Bay South. Ms. Vincent jumped in to save Stella when the water pushed her backwards, but the current swept her away. Fortunately, Ian McDonald was there. He dove in to rescue Stella. Today, Mr. McDonald and Ms. Vincent spoke to the St. John's Morning Show. 52:24 My memory is so vivid, but also a blur at the same time. I just remember thinking for a split second, I feel like it looks like she's being pushed backwards. And then all of a sudden she just, I saw her head go under and I just, I jumped. And as soon as I hit the current, I got swept back. And then I was underwater for a brief time. And then I just, I felt her like floating down to me and she was, she was right beside me. And, and then I saw Ian and realized what had happened. So. 52:53 And what was going through your mind in that moment? Pure panic. It was horrifying. I had almost caught her life jacket, almost had a grasp of it. And then I just felt myself floating backwards and underneath the water. And just the worst experience ever seeing her face go under the water. I'll never forget how terrified she looked. And I just I couldn't help her. I was completely helpless. So. 53:18 So Ian, I want to bring you in now. You were there to help. What were you doing when all of this happened? 53:24 I was there with my stepdaughter and her friend and I was just watching the two of them swim when I heard Tristan yell out. 53:32 I looked up and I saw her in the water and her head went under and I just started moving. I was only a few feet away but I started swimming up the current and Tristan got swept by me and I jumped up on a rock then and leaned over. and just grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into the corner. I couldn't lift her out the way I was laying down on the rock, but I just let her drift down, and then she went right into her mom's arms. 54:05 It was an instinct. I just saw someone in trouble and moved. 54:10 That was Tristan Vincent, whose five-year-old daughter Stella was rescued from Manuel's River by Ian MacDonald, who you just heard. They were talking to Jen White, host of the St. John's Morning Show. 54:26 You've been listening to the As It Happens podcast. Our show can be heard Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1, following your world tonight. 54:34 You can also find our show on demand at our website, cbc.ca slash AIH. Thanks for listening. I'm Loren McGuinness. 54:42 And I'm Chris Howden. 55:04 for more cbc podcasts go to cbc.ca slash podcasts