March 16, 2025 | Mark Carney takes his first trip abroad as prime minister, aiming to strengthen ties with Europe as Donald Trump's team signals tariffs aren't going anywhere. Plus, a CBC Radio-Canada investigation into a hair loss prevention drug uncovers potentially debilitating side effects.
00:00 The National for March 16, 2025
00:57 Carney heads to Europe seeking support
03:52 Meetings with Macron, Starmer, King Charles
06:38 Trump’s team signals more tariffs are coming
09:23 U.S. deports hundreds despite court order
10:06 Violent storms hit several U.S. states
12:21 Hudson’s Bay to liquidate business, close all stores
14:40 Houthi rebels vow to respond to U.S. airstrikes
16:13 Canada aids fight against Russian cyberattacks
18:25 Vatican releases new photo of Pope Francis
19:39 Seafood sector faces double tariff threat
23:05 Peruvian fisherman rescued after 95 days
23:33 Stranded astronauts prepare to return to Earth
25:32 The Breakdown
26:25 Investigating side effects of hair-loss drug finasteride
32:40 Filming North of North brings Anna Lambe home
43:53 The Moment | Captain Canuck
#news #latestnews #canada
Subscribe to The National:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CBCTheNational?sub_confirmation=1
More from CBC News | https://www.cbc.ca/news
The National is the flagship of CBC News, showcasing award-winning journalism from across Canada and around the world. Led by Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and Ian Hanomansing, our team of trusted reporters helps you make sense of the world, wherever you are.
00:00 The National for March 16, 2025
00:57 Carney heads to Europe seeking support
03:52 Meetings with Macron, Starmer, King Charles
06:38 Trump’s team signals more tariffs are coming
09:23 U.S. deports hundreds despite court order
10:06 Violent storms hit several U.S. states
12:21 Hudson’s Bay to liquidate business, close all stores
14:40 Houthi rebels vow to respond to U.S. airstrikes
16:13 Canada aids fight against Russian cyberattacks
18:25 Vatican releases new photo of Pope Francis
19:39 Seafood sector faces double tariff threat
23:05 Peruvian fisherman rescued after 95 days
23:33 Stranded astronauts prepare to return to Earth
25:32 The Breakdown
26:25 Investigating side effects of hair-loss drug finasteride
32:40 Filming North of North brings Anna Lambe home
43:53 The Moment | Captain Canuck
#news #latestnews #canada
Subscribe to The National:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CBCTheNational?sub_confirmation=1
More from CBC News | https://www.cbc.ca/news
The National is the flagship of CBC News, showcasing award-winning journalism from across Canada and around the world. Led by Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and Ian Hanomansing, our team of trusted reporters helps you make sense of the world, wherever you are.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Tonight, Mark Carney takes his first trip abroad as Prime Minister
00:04as his cabinet works to cut Canada's reliance on the U.S.
00:10We have to strengthen the Canadian economy like never before.
00:13The attempts to shore up support in Europe as opposition leaders in Ottawa
00:17dial in ahead of an imminent election.
00:20He will make lots of profits for billionaires.
00:24Plus, Donald Trump's team signals his terrorists aren't going anywhere.
00:28We don't like the status quo. We are going to set a new status quo.
00:31How this trade war could soon expand.
00:36Investigating the risks of a hair loss prevention drug.
00:39What do you mean you don't feel loved?
00:43The potential side effects even after stopping treatment.
00:48From CBC News, this is The National with Ian Henemansing.
00:54Just two days after being sworn in, Prime Minister Mark Carney
00:57is embarking on a European trip tonight, aiming to strengthen ties
01:01with France and the United Kingdom.
01:03The three-day tour comes amid a trade war with the U.S.
01:06and one of the goals is to build new trade relationships.
01:09It also comes as Canada's sovereignty is being threatened
01:12and with a federal election call looming.
01:15The new Prime Minister has an ambitious agenda,
01:18trying to diversify Canada's trade partners and shore up the economy.
01:22And as J.P. Tasker shows us, a Carney chat with Donald Trump
01:25doesn't appear to be a priority.
01:29Canada's new Prime Minister taking part in a centuries-old tradition,
01:33the St. Patrick's Day parade in Montreal, as he grapples with a national crisis.
01:38Telling Radio-Canada, it's an important moment for the country.
01:43To be honest with you, Canada only works as a state.
01:45Donald Trump is threatening to torpedo Canada's economy with more tariffs.
01:50We can't control President Trump's behavior.
01:52We can control our behavior.
01:54Canada's ambassador to the U.S. says Carney has a plan
01:57to save the country from economic ruin and annexation.
02:01But she says a Carney-Trump call to discuss those tensions won't happen right away.
02:05Of course he should talk to the President, and I hope that they do talk.
02:10Does it have to be, you know, in the next 12 or 24 hours?
02:13No, it doesn't have to be.
02:15Instead, Carney is headed to the U.K. and France this week
02:18to meet with what he calls reliable trade partners.
02:22We're in a wartime footing right now.
02:25At home, the new industry minister is promising to reduce Canada's dependence on the Americans.
02:30We have to strengthen the Canadian economy like never before.
02:34This is all happening as federal parties get ready for an expected election campaign.
02:39Some polls show Liberal support is surging.
02:42The Conservatives are pushing for the resumption of Parliament.
02:45These doors have been padlocked by the Carney-Trudeau Liberals,
02:50trying to avoid the accountability and the scrutiny that comes with a sitting Parliament.
02:56According to CBC poll tracker projections, the NDP is losing ground.
03:01The party would win just 13 seats if an election were held now.
03:05Party leader Jagmeet Singh taking aim at Carney.
03:08The choice is you have Mark Carney, who has shown you through his track record
03:12that he will make lots of profits for billionaires but will throw workers to the side.
03:17The opposition parties are trying to stop Carney's momentum.
03:20While he has already put his assets in a blind trust to comply with the ethics code,
03:24the Conservatives are demanding the Prime Minister release more details about his finances.
03:29The NDP, meanwhile, are trying to hold on to progressive voters.
03:33They say Carney's calls for more fiscal prudence could lead to government cuts.
03:37And what's the latest you're hearing on the timing of an election call?
03:40Yeah, the Prime Minister is expected to call an election sometime in the next week,
03:44so Canadians could head to the polls in late April or early May.
03:47Ian?
03:48J.P. Tasker in Ottawa.
03:51As we mentioned, Mark Carney is heading to Europe for his first overseas trip as Prime Minister.
03:56Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton is travelling as part of the press pool
04:00and we spoke to her just before takeoff about the significance of Carney taking this trip at this time.
04:06Hi, Ian.
04:07As you said, yeah, this is the Prime Minister's first official trip overseas
04:11and he's chosen two countries for very symbolic reasons, both the United Kingdom and France.
04:17The first visit will be with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris,
04:20where the two will discuss, indeed, how to deepen trade between the European Union and Canada
04:27and some of those security issues.
04:29Then it's on to London, where the Prime Minister's party will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer
04:34to discuss whether they can do more between the United Kingdom and Canada.
04:38Carney will also have an audience with King Charles.
04:41This comes just weeks after Justin Trudeau had one of his own.
04:44The trip will end with the Prime Minister visiting Kaluut Nunavut
04:48as a final sort of symbolic move to show that Canada must defend its north
04:53in order to keep its territorial integrity.
04:56And that will be sort of his first trip.
04:59All this, of course, in the wake of these threats from Donald Trump.
05:03The Prime Minister was asked on Friday whether this is to seek people's support.
05:08He said that's not what the trip is about.
05:10But if people have nice things to say about Canada, he'll take it.
05:13But Canada can defend itself.
05:15Yep.
05:16And, Rosie, as we said, an election call is expected soon.
05:19How does this trip factor into that?
05:21Yeah, listen, the timing of this is extraordinary.
05:25Just days after being sworn in as Prime Minister and forming a cabinet and now taking this trip.
05:30But the timing is important for political reasons here.
05:33First, it sends a message to Donald Trump about what Canada or who Canada considers to be
05:39its closest allies at this challenging time.
05:42And second, it sends a message to Canadians about who is the best position to take on Donald Trump.
05:48That, of course, is supposed to be likely to be the ballot box question
05:52heading into an election in a matter of just days.
05:55And if that is the question, Mark Carney is starting off his week by positioning himself
06:00and presenting himself as the person who can defend Canada
06:04and take on Donald Trump in these critical times.
06:07It's a playbook that worked for Doug Ford in Ontario.
06:11And so it's one that the federal Liberals are trying by doing this first trip here with the Prime Minister.
06:17Ianis.
06:18Thanks, Rosie.
06:20A clarification on the story we brought you on Friday.
06:23We reported Carney had signed an order in council to end the consumer fuel charge
06:27commonly known as the carbon tax.
06:29In fact, orders in council are signed by the Governor General.
06:32What Carney signed was a prime ministerial directive which advises the Governor General.
06:38The April 2nd deadline for another round of U.S. tariffs is fast approaching.
06:42Canada again among the many targets.
06:45And as Katie Simpson shows us, U.S. officials are making it crystal clear to both Ottawa and to Americans
06:51nothing will stop it.
06:55The U.S. president spending the weekend at his golf club
06:58as the world learns more about his trade agenda.
07:01We don't like the status quo.
07:02We are going to set a new status quo.
07:04Expect more industry-specific tariffs
07:07and those already in place are likely to stick around
07:10according to the U.S. Secretary of State.
07:13There are critical industries like aluminum, like steel, like semiconductors, like automobile manufacturing
07:18that he rightfully believes, President Trump rightfully believes
07:21the U.S. needs to have a domestic capability.
07:23Fresh off his trip to Canada for G7 meetings
07:26Marco Rubio says the Trump administration wants to redo trade deals with all of its partners.
07:32We're going to reset the baseline and then we can enter into these bilateral agreements
07:37potentially with countries so that our trade is fair.
07:40That baseline is expected to be reset April 2nd
07:44when Donald Trump says he will impose new tariffs based on what he calls fairness.
07:49Reciprocal tariffs for countries that tax U.S. goods
07:52and or have economic policies the Trump administration does not like.
07:56The plan shared with Canadian officials during a high-level meeting in Washington Thursday.
08:02On April 2nd there will be announcements that will affect the whole world including Canada.
08:07The uncertainty around trade making stock markets volatile
08:11including fear that everyday life in America is about to get more expensive.
08:15All of it dismissed by the U.S. Treasury Secretary.
08:18What I'm saying is the American dream is not let them eat flat screens.
08:22The American dream is not contingent on cheap baubles they have from China.
08:27That it is more than that and we are focused on affordability.
08:30For now many Republicans publicly support Trump's effort including attacks on Canada.
08:36You know our friends up north and they are our friends in Canada.
08:39They are as the president says they are nasty negotiators.
08:43He thinks they did a heck of a job in terms of taking advantage of the United States
08:47and the trade agreements that have been established so far.
08:50He wants to redo them and this is the first shot over the bow.
08:53It is again important to point out that the current trade agreement
08:57between the U.S., Canada and Mexico was negotiated by Donald Trump himself during his first term.
09:04And that agreement Kuzma as it's called in Canada is set for review next year.
09:09Yeah and the Trump administration is aggressively signaling it wants to review it sooner rather than later
09:15in order to make the terms more favorable to American companies and workers.
09:19Katie Simpson in Washington.
09:22The Trump administration has continued the deportation of alleged gang members
09:27despite a federal court ordering it to stop.
09:31We're on very dangerous ground here.
09:33This is as lawless an action as the administration has taken.
09:37Officials say the order came as hundreds of detainees were already in the air
09:41bound for prisons in El Salvador and Honduras.
09:45The Trump administration began these deportations after invoking the 18th century wartime alien enemies act
09:52citing what it calls an invasion of Venezuelan gang members.
09:56Lawyers say under the act anyone could be declared a gang member.
09:59The court ordered the pause while it considers a lawsuit challenging invoking the act.
10:05A massive storm system is making its way across the northeastern U.S. tonight
10:09and with it warnings of potential tornadoes.
10:12As Sam Samson shows this threat comes after an already devastating weekend of deadly twisters.
10:18Look at all that debris.
10:20Without warning.
10:22Oh my god.
10:26We are in a tornado.
10:28A tornado forces its way through Missouri.
10:31Several states were hit by dozens of reported tornadoes this weekend.
10:35The storms killed at least 35 people across some midwestern and southern states.
10:40Multiple tornadoes, fatalities, looting, auto accidents, just you name it.
10:46Kind of an Armageddon situation.
10:48In Missouri alone at least 12 people were killed.
10:51The tornado that touched down here left thousands either without power or completely displaced.
10:57There's a lot of people today that are looking for a place to land after something like this.
11:02Dust storms proved deadly too.
11:05Killing at least 12 in Kansas and Texas.
11:08Powerful winds kicked up enough debris to blind drivers.
11:12There it goes.
11:14Gusts strong enough to topple semis like toy cars
11:17cause major crashes and fuel wildfires across several states.
11:22We in it. Look at it.
11:24Oh man.
11:26In Mississippi as some families watched tornadoes roll by
11:29others were caught in the storm.
11:32This camper rolled until it hit a tree.
11:34The family still inside.
11:36All I could hear is my six-year-old screaming that she didn't want to die.
11:39You know you don't want to hear that coming out of your baby's mouth.
11:42And you know my husband saying please God let my family be okay.
11:44Please God, please God, please God.
11:46Three people died in this county alone.
11:48One a seven-year-old boy.
11:50The feeling of loss and reality reverberating through these states.
11:54It's like it's not real.
11:56You hear about these storms and then you
11:59don't really put the feelings behind it until it hits home.
12:05Hundreds of thousands of people lost power.
12:07The outages spanning from Florida all the way north.
12:10As governors declare states of emergencies seeking help to rebuild
12:14nothing can take away the crushing reality of these natural disasters.
12:18Sam Sampson, CBC News, Edmonton.
12:21The future of Canada's oldest company is growing more uncertain
12:24with Hudson's Bay preparing to immediately liquidate all of its assets.
12:29Lisa Shing now with what could come next and the reaction from shoppers.
12:35It's an institution Canadians across the country say they'll miss.
12:39That's too bad because I grew up with Hudson's Bay so it's pretty sad.
12:42Family's been shopping here for generations.
12:44I've come for them and that I'm sad to see it go.
12:48Just one week after Hudson's Bay Company applied for creditor protection
12:52hoping to keep the business afloat in some capacity
12:55a dramatic development.
12:57It will start liquidating its entire business as soon as next week
13:01beginning the process of closing all of its 80 stores.
13:05This was one of the last of the department stores that reflected a Canadian identity.
13:11We're coast to coast, shore to shore.
13:14The Bay, founded in 1670, has its roots in the fur trade
13:18and saw success as a department store chain in the 1900s.
13:22But filings show the company had just $3 million in the bank at the start of this year
13:28and it owes nearly a billion dollars to creditors
13:31including landlords, suppliers and brands like Ralph Lauren and Estee Lauder.
13:37Its potential closure puts more than 9,000 jobs at risk across its stores
13:43as well as all Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off Fifth locations
13:47with no guarantee of severance or pension.
13:50For the company to announce a potential liquidation so fast after filing before the court
13:56is unusually quick and very troubling.
13:59It does suggest that there's a serious financial problem.
14:03In its court application, Hudson's Bay said it was struggling
14:06because of the drop in store traffic post-pandemic
14:09people spending less and the trade tensions between Canada and the U.S.
14:14In a statement, the company said it exhausted efforts to secure financing
14:19to pursue a restructuring though it remained hopeful that could change.
14:23It has become a nostalgia brand and nostalgia unfortunately is a luxury
14:28that really most people won't afford in these kinds of times.
14:33Pending court approval Monday, the retailer plans to close up shop by June 15th.
14:37Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Toronto.
14:40Tonight the Pentagon says it shot down nearly a dozen Houthi drones approaching its warships
14:45after the Yemeni militant group said it would retaliate for a large-scale U.S. attack over the weekend.
14:52The White House publicized the airstrikes.
14:57Trump himself shown overseeing them after threatening that hell will rain down on militants.
15:03Local health officials raised the death toll to more than 50
15:09with more than a hundred injured including children.
15:12This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.
15:22The stated goal is to stop Houthi attacks on global shipping
15:25which began after the October 7th attacks by Hamas.
15:32In what they call retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza
15:35the Houthis have launched more than 130 attacks on commercial and military ships.
15:41The vast majority in the Red Sea.
15:43Prior to the Houthi onslaught targeting cargo vessels
15:47the Red Sea comprised of about 15% of global seaborne trade
15:52which has been very much impacted.
15:56The Trump administration points the finger squarely at Iran.
16:00They provided them guidance, they provided them weaponry.
16:03But that support has created a powerful regional ally for Tehran
16:08that shows no sign of backing down.
16:11Now to another conflict fought on a different kind of battlefield.
16:15It involves Canadian forces working in Latvia to protect the digital front line.
16:20Murray Brewster gives us this inside look at the fight against Russian cyber attacks.
16:29War games in Latvia.
16:31Canadians and other NATO nations rehearsing to defend this Baltic country
16:35from a hypothetical Russian invasion.
16:38We were about six kilometers that way.
16:42My whole squadron was up all night scanning our thermals
16:45waiting for the enemy to come.
16:47In this exercise the Swedes, NATO's newest members
16:50are playing the role of the Russians.
16:52There is however no role playing at this headquarters.
16:56Behind these walls the conflict between Russia and NATO
16:59is already playing out in real time online.
17:03Latvia has been the target of Russian cyber operations since their very beginning.
17:08CBC News was given exclusive access to the joint centre
17:11where Latvian and Canadian cyber warriors conduct operations
17:15repelling Russian attacks on critical infrastructure
17:18such as the power grid, the banking system and border controls
17:22and sometimes turning the tables, rooting out intruders before they strike.
17:26We've had some experience engaging in what you might call a cyber dogfight
17:31if you will, where they know that we are after them
17:34and we know that they are on the system
17:37and each counterpart tries to kind of kick the cyber operators from the environment.
17:44Every operation we conduct here in Latvia is defensive in nature.
17:48We are securing their networks and assuring their systems.
17:52Canada has had a small team embedded since last summer,
17:55the cyber cavalry for the Latvians.
17:57They are capable of performing this work
18:00but there are not enough cyber security professionals in Latvia
18:04and then we both learn from each other.
18:07The other benefit to being at the front lines of this particular cyber war.
18:11Canadians are gaining firsthand threat intelligence.
18:14A glimpse at Russian tactics that will protect critical infrastructure
18:18not only in Latvia but back home.
18:21Murray Brewster, CBC News, Riga, Latvia.
18:25The Vatican has released the first photo of Pope Francis
18:28since he was admitted to hospital more than a month ago.
18:31It shows the 88-year-old sitting in a wheelchair in the hospital chapel
18:35where the Vatican says he celebrated mass today.
18:38Francis was admitted on February the 14th with double pneumonia.
18:41People have been gathering outside ever since
18:44and today a group of children offered their drawings, well wishes and prayers.
18:48Canadian seafood companies are preparing for terrorists from the U.S. and China.
18:54This is the rush to the market this week.
18:59Can the fishing industry stay afloat amid trade disputes with its two biggest markets?
19:06Plus a new crew arrives at the International Space Station.
19:09That was one of the coolest things I've ever done
19:12and I can't wait to get to work up here.
19:14Why their presence is a great relief to a pair of stranded astronauts.
19:20And a Canadian superhero takes a stand during a surge of patriotism.
19:26It may come to blows eventually but only if we're pushed way too far.
19:31We're back in two.
19:38The supply chain cannot eat a 25% tariff.
19:42North America's biggest seafood expo kicked off today in Boston
19:46under the looming prospect of a 25% U.S. tariff.
19:50Some Atlantic premiers were on hand to support a Canadian industry under siege.
19:55And China is also set to hit Canadian seafood with a 25% tariff.
19:59That beginning on Thursday.
20:01Kayla Hounsell checks the mood of an industry that's facing down a double barrel threat
20:06and scrambling for solutions.
20:10This crew is racing time to get lobster from sea to sky on a flight to China
20:16before the industry is facing tariffs on top of tariffs.
20:21This is the rush to the market this week.
20:24This shipment may be the last to make it out
20:27before China slaps an additional 25% tariff on Canadian seafood.
20:32It comes in the midst of the on-again-off-again trade war with the U.S.
20:36and it means Canada's top two markets are posing a problem at the same time.
20:42It's a bit perplexing. It's troubling.
20:46The Chinese tariffs on seafood set to take effect March 20th
20:50are retaliation for Ottawa's levies last fall on Chinese electric vehicles and metals.
20:55Will they accept a price increase?
20:57It's a very price-sensitive market at the best of times.
21:00We work hard to diversify but it's difficult when demand is so strong in two countries.
21:06The new Chinese tariffs are not just on lobster
21:09but on a long list of Canadian seafood including crab, shrimp and halibut.
21:1483% of all seafood exported from this country goes to the U.S. and China.
21:19That means by April 2nd, 83% could be tariffed.
21:23It's just upended the entire marketplace.
21:26Former Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeill
21:28has been advising the Prime Minister on U.S. tariffs
21:31and when he was Premier, he made trade with China a focus.
21:35Our customer was dictating the price which was the United States.
21:38So I broadened our reach.
21:40McNeill says the industry needs to further diversify.
21:43Lamont says he thinks the Chinese tariff will stick.
21:46I think this tariff is coming and we will be obliged to cope with it.
21:51And how will you do that?
21:53There will be undoubtedly new price points for Canadian lobster in the weeks to come.
22:00He's hopeful China will remain hungry for Canadian lobster
22:04but also notes anything that hurts fishermen
22:06could also hurt those packing the planes and the wider regional economy.
22:11Kayla Hounsell, CBC News, Halifax.
22:14It's a long-awaited sight for a pair of astronauts stuck in space for nine months.
22:20It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive.
22:25The massive step towards their return home from the International Space Station.
22:30Plus fresh warnings about the dark side of a popular hair loss drug.
22:35He said to me, I'm having some funny feelings in my head like brain fog or something.
22:41And an actor from Nunavut uses her platform to educate audiences about Canada's north.
22:48We have such vibrant communities that are so full of love and joy and laughter.
22:54The National breaks down the stories shaping our world, next.
23:06This Peruvian fisherman reunited with family after 95 days lost in the Pacific Ocean.
23:14The 65-year-old left the country's south coast December 7th with two weeks of supplies.
23:20But 10 days into his trip he says storms threw him off course.
23:24He says he survived by eating cockroaches, birds and turtles.
23:28A ship from Ecuador rescued him more than 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Peru.
23:33After nine months stuck in the International Space Station, two astronauts are finally preparing to return home.
23:39Joaquin Oduro now on the crew swap that paves the way for their journey back to Earth.
23:46Onishi, the first Crew 10 astronaut through the hatch.
23:49A journey more than 28 hours for this moment, months in the making on the International Space Station.
23:56You can hardly even put it into words.
23:58The ride up on the Falcon 9 orbiting the Earth for the last couple of days.
24:02It's been absolutely incredible.
24:04The arrival of SpaceX's Falcon 9 marks the start of a new mission for four astronauts on the ISS.
24:10While providing a path home for two NASA astronauts who have been on a very extended stay.
24:15It was a wonderful day, great to see our friends arrive.
24:19Let's get going.
24:21Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore left Earth in June of 2024.
24:25Their mission on the space station only meant to last eight days.
24:29But their spacecraft was deemed unsafe, leading to a difficult decision.
24:33We found some things that we just could not get comfortable with,
24:38putting us back in the Starliner when we had other options.
24:43Nine months later, that other option now clear, setting the stage for their return.
24:48But their time was well spent.
24:50Conducting scientific research and routine maintenance, now they are passing on that knowledge to the new crew.
24:56Four astronauts from three countries who are expected to spend six months on the ISS.
25:02We are so excited to now be officially part of the Expedition 72.
25:07As a rookie, that was one of the coolest things I've ever done, and I can't wait to get to work up here.
25:13So I'm going to lead you down through the PMA.
25:15Providing there are no setbacks, Williams and Wilmore are expected to start their journey back to Earth on Wednesday,
25:21touching down in Florida and setting up reunions that have been months in the making.
25:26Koubina Oduro, CBC News, Montreal.
25:29Touchdown.
25:31Now let's dig deeper into the stories shaping our world.
25:35My life without any sort of plan.
25:37She's a rising TV star from Canada's north.
25:40How Anna Lam conquered her shyness.
25:42Working with someone like Jody Foster is one of those things where you never think it'll happen.
25:49But first, a young man's fear of hair loss led him to try a prescription drug.
25:54He said, you know, I'm going to work. I feel like a 90-year-old man.
25:58He was hardly the only patient who thought it made him sick.
26:02We don't have good data about persistent sexual side effects.
26:06Now she's telling her son's story as a dire warning to others.
26:11For years, regulators have warned that finasteride, better known by the brand name Propecia, can cause sexual dysfunction and depression.
26:18Radio Canada's Brigitte Noel investigates the drug's potentially devastating side effects.
26:25Denise Turner remembers the day, in the fall of 2020, when her son Mark came home with a prescription.
26:31He was really excited to take it. I literally remember him, you know, running in the house one day and saying,
26:41I know it's a lifelong drug, but it's going to work.
26:47A pill called finasteride, or Propecia, that promises to slow down hair loss.
26:53This pharmaceutical fountain of youth is not without side effects.
26:56Finasteride is known to cause sexual dysfunction in some men who take it.
27:01But Mark, 35, was told he was young and healthy and that the odds were in his favour.
27:07I'd say three weeks in, he said to me, I'm having some funny feelings in my head, like brain fog or something.
27:16Mark Turner stopped the medication after a few months.
27:19But then his symptoms got worse.
27:21He suffered from erectile dysfunction, lost his libido and experienced a host of other issues.
27:28He was very tired. He was fatigued.
27:30He said, you know, I'm going to work. I feel like a 90-year-old man.
27:34Insomnia, tinnitus, very bad tinnitus that would not go away.
27:41The worst of his symptoms was anhedonia, the inability to feel emotions.
27:46I used to fight with him. I'd say, what do you mean you don't feel love, Mark?
27:52He'd say, I can't feel it, Mum, anymore. I just can't feel it.
27:56He said, there's no comfort anywhere.
28:00But his doctor was very much saying, there's no way, Mark, this drug would not do that.
28:08You're off the drug. There should be no problems.
28:12Doctor after doctor gave the Turners the same answer. There is nothing we can do.
28:18Online, however, Mark found thousands of men who shared his symptoms.
28:22These men say finasteride has caused them sexual, cognitive and physical problems
28:27that have lasted for years, sometimes decades.
28:30A rare condition that is sometimes called post-finasteride syndrome.
28:36Over the course of a six-month investigation,
28:39our reporters spoke to dozens of men who say they suffer from this condition
28:43and who claim doctors and the pharmaceutical company downplayed finasteride's risks.
28:47Some say the drug left them infertile. Others are unable to work or be in normal relationships.
28:53What finasteride does is it blocks the conversion of several hormones and neurosteroids in the brain.
29:00That has implications for how nerves communicate to each other.
29:05And specifically, I hypothesize that it can impair libido, for example, and erectile function.
29:11Harvard professor Michael Ehrwig has published several studies
29:14on finasteride's potentially long-lasting side effects.
29:18Risks, he says, are not adequately communicated to the public.
29:22So the truth is that we really don't have good data about the incidence of the persistent sexual side effects.
29:28So the studies that were done for younger men with male pattern hair loss were very small studies.
29:34They didn't have a lot of people in them and they were not long-term.
29:38Around the world, several hundred men have launched lawsuits against Merck,
29:41the original maker of the drug.
29:44In 2019, evidence from one of these trials became public
29:48in a Reuters investigation that exposed some of the company's internal emails.
29:53In these exchanges, Merck employees called the medication's safety data misleading.
29:58They also seemed to reveal that initial clinical trials did find that
30:02Propecia's side effects could last after patients quit the drug.
30:06But Merck is alleged to have hidden this information from the public.
30:09Nothing has been reported about these men who develop these persistent side effects.
30:15So we don't know if they ever recovered or not.
30:18Merck did not agree to an interview with the CBC,
30:21but has claimed these internal emails were taken out of context.
30:24The Propecia brand is now the property of a company called Organon,
30:28who told us they maintain the medication is safe.
30:31I miss my friends. I miss my job.
30:36I can't go on like this.
30:40The torture is unrelenting.
30:43I can't fall back asleep. My mind is racing. Nobody understands.
30:49I am alone.
30:51Merck Turner never recovered.
30:54In April 2022, a year and a half after his first dose of finasteride, he took his own life.
31:00Online, he left a diary of his struggles and a message of warning to other men.
31:05Merck really, really wanted to get this out there, make people aware.
31:12There needs to be more information.
31:15Delve into the patient's history a little more.
31:22And tell them exactly what the warnings are.
31:27The European Union's drug regulator is currently reviewing finasteride over its link to suicidal thoughts.
31:34The agency will decide if permission to market the drug should be maintained, suspended for further investigation, or completely withdrawn.
31:43A young Indigenous actor from Canada's north is in the spotlight with Hollywood's Elite.
31:49Oh my God, I'm meeting Jodie Foster. How do I approach her? What do I say? What do I do?
31:53My interview with the CBC's North of North star, Anna Lam. Next.
32:05Actor Anna Lam is on a roll.
32:09I have no clue what to do next.
32:12Hardly. She's worked with Jodie Foster and now stars in CBC's North of North, a series shot in her Arctic hometown.
32:20If I'm blushing in the show, it's because I actually am blushing in real life and I am embarrassed.
32:26When I sat down with Anna, we spoke about more than just her acting career.
32:30She's also a student of international development and that too is deeply connected to her roots in Canada's far north.
32:40Anna, a real pleasure to sit down to talk with you.
32:43I'm so excited to chat with you today.
32:45I'm always fascinated when Canadians come from small communities, in Iqaluit, a relatively small community, and end up on the world stage.
32:52When you were a kid, did you have any idea that you'd have the life you have now?
32:57No, I mean, even five years ago, I didn't think I'd have the life I have now.
33:02And every new job kind of comes as a surprise.
33:07As a kid, it doesn't feel like an option to act, especially growing up in the north.
33:14It wasn't something that anybody was doing, really, or not on this stage that I feel like I have now.
33:23So it's been really exciting and everything feels like a new accomplishment.
33:28Not surprisingly, you stood out at a young age.
33:31I'm sure you're too modest to point that out yourself.
33:33We got in touch with one of your teachers, Grace May, who said that in high school, she realized that you were special in so many ways.
33:41And so in the interview with her, one of the things she said is, after she looked at something you had written, the voice that you had written in really stood out to her.
33:52So then she said, I wanted her to hear the voice that she wrote with.
33:56And experience having a microphone in front of her, a spotlight, just her, 300 people listening.
34:05And she pulled that off beautifully.
34:07That was at a Remembrance Day ceremony.
34:10Do you remember that moment?
34:12I do.
34:14I don't remember what I wrote.
34:16But I do remember that stage, yeah.
34:20It's just, to me, so cool when teachers recognize kind of future greatness in a student.
34:28And I don't know if she played a pivotal role at all in where you've ended up.
34:34I mean, absolutely.
34:35She didn't mention that I missed so many English classes in the year following.
34:40But in grade 10, she was my drama teacher.
34:44And there was this call out for young actors for a workshop for a film called The Grizzlies.
34:51Stop, stop right where you are.
34:54Who's got the ball?
34:57Come on, guys, you played with them.
34:59You know which hand he favors.
35:00She had approached me and said, Anna, I think this is something that you would really enjoy doing.
35:05And I was like, me? Not me.
35:10I was very shy.
35:12I was very quiet and just very kept to myself.
35:17But I thought, why not throw my hat in the ring?
35:20I put my name down and I told my dad about it that I was going to go and audition for this thing and see what happens.
35:26And then I tried to back out.
35:27And I got really scared.
35:29And I remember sitting on the edge of my bed being like, I can't do this.
35:31I can't go audition for something.
35:33That's wild.
35:35And then my dad had sent me a Facebook message that he was on his way.
35:38And I was like, there's no going back now.
35:41I'll go do it and see what happens.
35:43And with Grace's support, I ended up leaving school for a couple of months while we shot The Grizzlies.
35:51And Grizzlies kind of was in the back of my mind.
35:54And Grizzlies kind of was in the back of my mind for a long time.
35:58Spring, these are fantastic.
36:00Thanks.
36:02I love The Warrior.
36:05Roger would have been totally into it too.
36:09Is there any chance you're ready to come back to school?
36:13So Grizzlies is the beginning of what is a really impressive resume that you have, especially for a relatively young actor.
36:20And so Three Pines, based on the Louise Penny books, and True Detective, the latest season of True Detective with Jodie Foster.
36:30Is it intimidating at all to work with somebody like Jodie Foster?
36:35I mean, working with someone like Jodie Foster is one of those things where you never think it'll happen.
36:42And when my agent and my manager had told me, you got the role, Jodie Foster is a part of the project, this is going to be really exciting.
36:53And I don't think my mind fully wrapped around how big of a production True Detective was going to be.
37:01And when you hear a name like Jodie Foster with the filmography that she has and just her name can create silence in a room because she's got that star power.
37:14So you build up this idea of, oh my God, I'm meeting Jodie Foster, how do I approach her, what do I say, what do I do?
37:21But she's very kind and very generous and a wonderful woman and made everybody around her very comfortable and at ease.
37:26And it's been really nice for me so far in my career, especially jumping into another project where I was the lead and it was CBC and APTN and Netflix and that can feel like a lot of pressure.
37:40Just taking it one step at a time and not making anything too big and not attaching too much meaning to anything.
37:47It's just to get through the day.
37:49When people ask where I'm from, I say, think of the furthest place north you've ever been.
37:53Now keep going.
37:56Keep going.
38:00Yep, that's us.
38:02Ice Cove, Nunavut, the heart of the Arctic.
38:05So now you are the lead of a show, North to North, which is shot in your hometown at Callaway.
38:11What's the appeal?
38:13What's the upside of being able to do that or maybe the downside of shooting in your hometown?
38:17I was so excited to go back to Athens to film something.
38:21I moved back in with my parents, which was really exciting and fun and I was really happy to do that.
38:28And being able to shoot something that's so community oriented and grounded in culture and something that I grew up with and understood so well was so important.
38:42And it was a massive help and grounding point for me in developing Siaya and understanding her story and understanding the story of North of North as a whole.
38:54And it also was just great to actually have my community around me and supporting me and at times watching me do the embarrassing things.
39:04Well, yeah, so there's that, right?
39:06So there are people that you know who know you who are now seeing you act, which is not a very natural kind of thing.
39:12And so potentially embarrassing moments?
39:14Yeah, you know, most days when background would come in, it was people I went to school with.
39:21It was my cousins.
39:24My brother's girlfriend has a role on the show.
39:27She plays Judy.
39:29So, you know, Siaya goes through so many moments in this show where she's doing really public outbursts, doing really embarrassing things, driving around like a maniac, setting the dump on fire.
39:43And having to do that in front of people that I know and, you know, I know that I'm doing a character, but they kind of just see me doing a character.
39:51And that was deeply embarrassing and awkward at times.
39:56And if I'm blushing in the show, it's because I actually am blushing in real life and I am embarrassed.
40:01But I think it helped me just feel more present, which was was really nice and really helpful.
40:09But it also meant that I felt the support of people, you know, in between takes, like, oh, good job.
40:15Oh, I really like that one.
40:17And it was just really validating.
40:20Hey, am I a loser?
40:23No. Why do you ask?
40:25I just blew up my life without any sort of plan. You know, no job, no ride, no home.
40:31No clue.
40:33No, she's right. I have no clue what to do next.
40:38You've been studying at the University of Ottawa, international development.
40:42And so I think a lot of people in courses like that think about applying those lessons elsewhere in the world.
40:47But you see how they can apply to Canada, to the north.
40:51Yeah, when I was picking what I wanted to study for university, international development stood out to me
40:59because I grew up in Accra and was so acutely aware of the social issues that were impacting my community,
41:07that impact my family, that impact me.
41:10And I wanted to understand how development is done in other places and what could be pulled from that to be applied to the north
41:21because there is a similar remoteness, a similar lack of infrastructure and a similar lack of support.
41:28So I wanted to go and learn about how to deal with things, most specifically, like housing.
41:37The housing crisis in Nunavut, I think, is one of the biggest issues that we're facing in the territory today
41:43because how can you solve everything else when you don't have a safe home to live in, you don't have a place to go back to?
41:49How do we end these vicious cycles that cause trauma if we don't have safe homes?
41:54Doing international development has also really informed, I think, how I carry myself through creative industries
42:01and how I use my platform now to empower community and other communities.
42:08So it all kind of weaves together in the end.
42:11You love the north and now you get to do a show that's north of north.
42:16What do you want Canadians, or actually people outside of Canada as well, to know about this place that you love so much?
42:22I think when people imagine Nunavut, the Arctic, the north, they imagine something quite desolate and dark and empty.
42:34But we have such vibrant communities that are so full of love and joy and laughter.
42:41And even though there is a long history of colonialism and trauma, and that does impact our communities deeply,
42:49that we manage and we get through it.
42:54So I really hope people can see the north as I understand it, as someone from the north,
43:00and get a more authentic idea of how we live.
43:04It's been a real pleasure talking to you. Thank you very much.
43:07Thank you so much. It's been a great conversation.
43:09It's clear the importance of having a show like that on location, reflecting that part of the country to the rest of Canada.
43:16But you wonder how many people who got involved in that production or were inspired by it,
43:24will be doing interviews with 15 or 20 years from now.
43:28Coming up, a Canadian superhero takes on a brand new arch villain.
43:33And this is Captain Canuck expressing what all Canadians are saying in their hearts right now.
43:40The story and the symbolism behind Captain Canuck's latest comic book cover is next.
43:45In our moment.
43:53This is the latest cover of Captain Canuck.
43:56The Canadian superhero reprimanding Donald Trump, making it a hit at Comic-Con in Toronto this weekend.
44:03With Canada facing its biggest challenge in recent history,
44:06it seemed only right that the symbolic superhero step up for the country.
44:11So Captain Canuck makes our moment.
44:14He's waving the finger, he's not punching him.
44:17He's chastising, but he's not taking violent action against him.
44:21That's a Canadian approach.
44:23It may come to blows eventually, but only if we're pushed way too far.
44:28I think Trump is uniting us.
44:30He's uniting Canadians.
44:32Everybody's on pins and needles.
44:34I wonder what's going to happen next.
44:36What crazy thing is he going to do next?
44:38So I banged it up.
44:40I was at Toronto Comic-Con all day Friday and all day Saturday.
44:42On the cover, that word balloon is empty.
44:45And they decide what, it's like, nope, no way, never 51.
44:51Putin, no Putin, was another one that had us all laughing.
44:56This is also the 50th anniversary of Captain Canuck.
44:58I started it in Winnipeg in 1975.
45:01Canadians were ready at that time for their own superhero.
45:04He's a symbol. Captain Canuck kind of symbolizes Canada, doesn't he?
45:07And this is Captain Canuck expressing what all Canadians are saying in their hearts right now.
45:15Do you recognize the music?
45:17If so, that's because you're part of a group of people who watched the web series back in 2013, 2014.
45:23Our producer, Andrew, assures me that he has permission to use that, the proper music rights.
45:29And so a web series that was crowdfunded that kind of shows the popularity of the character.
45:34You can watch our program anywhere, anytime on the free CBC News app.
45:39And subscribe to the National's YouTube channel.
45:41I'm Ian Hanna-Mansingh in Vancouver.
45:43I hope you can join me tomorrow night on CBC News Network at 7 Eastern.