As It Happens

00:00 If you're listening to this, I already know you have great taste in podcasts. But maybe, if you're like me, you still wonder if you're missing out on the best stuff. That's where the Sounds Good newsletter can help you out. Every other Thursday, the audiophiles at CBC Podcasts highlight one must-hear show and lots of other new and noteworthy titles. They do conversation starters, they do hidden gems, and they also tell you about the stuff they love that they didn't make. Go to cbc.ca slash soundsgood to subscribe. 00:31 This is a CBC Podcast. 00:34 Hello, I'm Neil Kirksal. 00:35 Good evening. I'm Chris Howden. This is As It Happens. 00:43 Tonight, troubled bridge over water. The deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge at last may not be as good for Canada as the Prime Minister has suggested, and tensions are rising on either side. 00:58 A bitter pill. A new study finds construction and trade workers make up a disproportionate number of opioid deaths in Ontario. A former labourer tells us what led him and his colleagues to use drugs on and off the job. 01:10 Makeup test. Donald Trump's new tariffs target a puzzling range of products from hockey sticks to honey. The founder of an indigenous-owned cosmetics brand says she was shocked to find lipstick on the list. 01:22 Bow strings attached. An archaeologist tells us about rediscovering the remains of five Egyptian princesses and says she now believes they were talented fighters who wielded the weapons they were buried with. 01:33 Horn of plenty, we will remember the legendary and famously busy saxophone player Plas Johnson, whose name you may not recognize right away, but whose melodies you most certainly will. 01:43 And she assembled a crack team. When her town needed a tourism boost, a Minnesota woman came up with a surefire way to get it by building what she believes is the world's largest nutcracker. As it happens, the Wednesday edition, radio that takes you back to wear it all pecan. 02:13 Just days ago, it looked as if maybe, just maybe, we'd finally be able to stop talking about the Gordie Howe Bridge all the time. But alas, it was not to be. Last week, Prime Minister Carney announced a deal that seemed to end a standoff over American demands on how to split the tolls on the new bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. The US wanted an immediate cut, even though Canada was supposed to be paid back the $6.4 billion it spent on the construction of the bridge first. And the solution appeared to come when Canada agreed to funnel a portion of tolls into a stateside regional development fund. 02:49 But beyond that, Mr. Carney told reporters the essentials of the deal remained unchanged. 02:54 It's not splitting the tolls of the bridge. 02:57 It is an agreement for 15 years to split net revenues. Splitting of tolls, any sharing of the toll revenue won't happen until all of the debt, all of the debt is repaid. 03:11 Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking to reporters last week about an agreement to open the Gordie Howe Bridge to the United States. But once the actual text of that agreement was made public, it became clear that the deal amounts to Canada paying half the net revenue into the development fund, with nothing specifying that Canada gets repaid first and no clarity on what constitutes operating costs. Brian Massey is a former Windsor City Councillor and ex-MP representing the region who was involved in the project from the very beginning. We reached him in Windsor. 03:43 Brian, a spokesperson for infrastructure, Minister Gregor Robertson, yesterday you may have seen, announced Canada is not going to be taking part in the joint ribbon cutting at the Gordie Howe Bridge that had been planned. And they're saying the 50 percent tariff threat from Trump is the reason for that. What do you make of that decision? 04:01 Well, I'm not a big fan of that because we have many people in the Detroit region, Michigan, and other areas across even the United States who are big supporters of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and want to see it prosper and do well. And so we kind of aim ourselves at the wrong targets here because I get the response from Canada here, but there are many allies that we have that want this project to succeed, have fought for this project to succeed, and have come to Canada's defense. And Especially in this region here, we see it as a uniting element of the past and we're worried that in the future this won't be that same type of signature uniting element. 04:38 So from what you've seen and as you understand things, do you think Prime Minister Carney, what do you think he was trying to do? Was this a case of trying to project or spin this deal to appear to be better than it really was? What's going on here? 04:52 Yeah, that's the only thing I can see because either that or he can't read because the text will be clear. And that's what I've said from day one, even when this was under the Harper administration, is that we need to see the full detail of the P3 itself. And having the text available would be much better than speculation right now. We all get what we're dealing with here with Donald Trump and his administration and surrogates and We just need to be real about them and deal with the repercussions. So if Detroit's getting an economic development fund, we should be looking at a strategy for jobs anyways outside of this because we haven't seen that happen. 05:26 One of the pieces of work that was unfinished when I left Parliament and Unfortunately, we are going into this with nothing set for the table and the U.S. is actually developing a process for that. And that's really where things deviate at the moment is that they have a structure to take advantage of the economic development. We don't. 05:41 Do you think it could be the right move, even if it's not what was initially agreed to, to get a deal done and at least start collecting some tolls to repay the debt? 05:53 Oh, for sure. Getting it opened and getting something happening, of course. And again, we all understand that what is happening here in terms of how to deal and negotiate with the US and so forth. 06:04 But the thing is this, is hiding what that is and the repercussions not dealing with it being they get economic development and they also have control over the toll decision at the end of the day for raising or lowering within 10% is we have to deal with that reality. And that's what I'm saying is that You know, let's just own up to what the new situation is and be prepared to deal with the consequences of it. And, you know, we needed it open. And so it's good that it's open, but let's just not pretend that it's something different than what it is. And so public sunshine is always good for infrastructure projects in general, especially ones that we pay for. 06:38 You mentioned, you know, the sentiment you're getting or sensing from folks in Detroit. What about people in Windsor who also, you know, were keen to see this bridge finally open? What are they telling you about that particular part of this, what appears to be a compromise here? 06:55 It seems to be universal is that, you know, we know that the bridge has to open and there are consequences of the new change deal and let's deal with that. And then as far as not making available for the opening with Americans. Again, it's, you know, targeting the wrong situation. Like I know for myself, I've said on many panel shows in the past, including, you know, with Governor Rick Schneider, who has been a big proponent of this. And I was, you know, just hoping to see face to face and meet again. 07:21 to talk about the benefits of the project and also to show the American public the benefits of the project. I'm just not sure that the tactics of the strategy are very solid from the Canadian side at this moment in time. Getting it done is good. Dealing with the reality now, though, is the real thing that we have in front of us. 07:38 I wanted to ask you as well about the Maroon family and what you see as a role that they may be playing in all of this. To let our listeners who may not know, know that they are big donors to Donald Trump. They control the existing bridge to Detroit, the Ambassador Bridge. 07:55 What's your sense of what role they're playing? 07:58 Well, they always have that role. In fact, their tentacles go back in Canadian Parliament where they hired a former cabinet minister from the Liberals, Susan Whalen, as their solicitor at one point, and others that they've had employed over the duration of time. You know, Canadian laws are much more stringent now on financial donations and accountability that was brought in, actually, ironically, by John Chrétien, which is a really good thing. And so their tentacles are, you know, a little bit less in the Canadian side, but they certainly have them in the U.S. on the side for Democrats and Republicans at times. 08:29 And that's why, you know, having our allies over here, I look at the people like Rashida Tlaib and others that have been, you know, staunch supporters of a new border crossing publicly owned and operated as being the people that we want to empower not distance ourselves from because those have been the voices that have pushed back against the political kind of elements that are happening right now. 08:49 The new agreement stipulates Canada must seek consent from the government of the United States for, quote, any proposed toll rate reduction that would result in toll rates falling below the average of comparable regional crossings, unquote. 09:05 Is that just another way of saying you can't undercut the Maroons? 09:09 Yes, that's a good way of actually saying it. In fact, the consequence, though, for the listeners that aren't aware is that for us down here in this region, it was about getting international trucks off city streets. So we literally had over 15 traffic lights in the highway, basically in the 401 ended in a farm field. And then it connected through churches, you know, different types of educational institutions, residential, retail, and so forth, causing havoc of thousands upon thousands of trucks every day motoring past with their toxins, the community. 09:39 And so we have a new border crossing that it kind of goes around that element and a new crossing road that goes to it. And so this actually can dissuade us from moving some of those trucks outside the city. So it's a local consequence that's fairly significant in, It is a nod to the Maroon family because they still have empowerment on this side. And lastly, I'd just say this is why I want a border authority. We don't have one down here, which is odd and strange. We have the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Board Authority, but not one for the entire region, which is really necessary. 10:10 Good to speak with you, Brian. Thank you. 10:12 Thanks for having me. 10:14 Brian Massey is a former MP and City Councillor representing Windsor, Ontario. 10:49 For years, construction workers have expressed concern that a disproportionate number of people in their industry are dying from opioid overdoses. And now new numbers from Ontario are bearing that out. According to a study released today by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, when it comes to opioid deaths where the person's occupation was known, more than a third worked in construction or the trades. That's based on data provided by Ontario's chief coroner from between 2018 and 2024. 11:17 And those numbers affirm what tradespeople and advocates have long maintained. Construction has a drug problem, and it goes far beyond overdoses. Jace Watford is a former construction worker and a former opioid user. He's also an advocate who worked on this study. We reached him in Thunder Bay, Ontario. 11:33 Jace, when we look at the number 1,300, 1,300 construction and trade workers dying from opioids just over the six-year period, as the study was reporting, these are more than numbers. They're people, obviously. What does that number mean to you? 11:51 I mean, it's a lot. But if I'm going to be honest, in any case, in any sort of collected statistic, it's definitely underrepresented. There's a higher number and I would wager a much higher number to be fair. 12:05 Why is this industry in particular such an epicenter for this crisis? 12:13 There's two reasons, I think. 12:15 One, it's a very kind of work hard, play hard environment. So, you know, if you're working hard, you know, at the end of the day, you know, you've earned your drink, you've earned your, I mean, then things escalate, right? So like if you go out with your buddies, you get drunk, you can You can end up getting high, and then, of course, the high keeps on going and so on. But there's also, it's very hard work. And because it's very hard work, it's really hard on the body. And it's an industry where, you know, you're concerned about paying your rent. If you're hurting, you're still reporting. So how are you going to manage that pain? 12:46 It's difficult to go to doctors to get anything for what would be considered like an invisible illness, if it's like your back or your muscles. So using drugs to manage your, especially using painkilling drugs, to manage your issues, that can escalate and, of course, turn into an addiction, which both of those things happen, and they happen quickly. I mean, I know people within the first year of working in a hard field getting addicted, or they already had an addicted personality to start with. In my case, that would be that. 13:17 Yeah, did it happen quickly for you? 13:19 Oh, yeah. I want to say I was probably addicted before I even got into the field. I've worked a lot of different jobs, a lot of different areas, working in a labor intensive field for me was just a way of paying the bills. So wherever I go, I take my problems with me. 13:35 It's no secret that the business owners, managers, bosses, they want results. They want to make money. But is there any sort of discussion or checking in? Because they also want their workers to be able to keep working, right? They have to know that people might be in pain. They've worked these jobs too. What's your sense of the understanding, if any, from the higher ups? 13:59 The bigger the company is, the bigger the liability and the bigger the responsibility. And so I've noticed from the times, because I've been out of the field for a while, so I've been working with people who are, so I'm a social worker now, so I work with people who are dealing with addictions that work in that field. So what I've noticed in the changes is there's a lot more safeguards in place, a lot of stringent checks, but it's more so to protect the company's And it's not necessarily going to support the worker. Like if a worker gets caught under the influence and they get sent home or whatever else, they will meet with like say HR and there are steps that'll put them in place to go seek treatment, but it's the company first and the person second. 14:41 And the person isn't the person, it's not the human involved there. It's the body that's doing the work. There's not as much support or empathy regarding who the person is and if there's issues going on. So it's, Again, it's the results are the capitalism, the almighty dollar. And that's what's the foremost anywhere. 15:02 And the supply has changed also. 15:05 Oh, yes, it has. The supply now is incredibly toxic. You're finding things like fentanyl, carfentanil. It's everywhere. Opioid pills are being repressed with these agents used as cutters. You're finding fentanyl in cocaine, which makes no sense because it's a downer. mixed with an upper like you shouldn't have to need naloxone when you're doing cocaine from the drug addicts mind there's such a toxic supply and it's so mixed and that's why we're having so many so many deaths across the board all in different areas you lost friends as well i've lost friends i've lost colleagues i've lost clients i am now very accustomed to going to funerals i'm sorry That's the way it is. 15:51 How many co-workers, when you were in the industry, do you think you lost from overdoses? 15:56 I've lost at least 30 that I'm aware of. But the thing is, if someone passes away, I don't know how they've passed away. It's just like, Joe's not coming back to work. Where'd he go? I don't know he died. 16:08 Well, the majority of these deaths happen at home. They don't happen at the workplace. Because at the workplace, there's people around you. But as somebody who was a drug addict, I would always use alone. So if I overdose, there's nobody going to be able to help me. I'm dead. Is it all happening, Jace, out in the open at these sites? Say 15 years ago, it wasn't such a black mark. You'd go out with the buddies. Sometimes your boss would even be there. And you'd all drink, maybe do some cocaine, and there you go. But now it's more hidden. 16:40 The drug use is hidden. 16:42 I don't know how many friends I've had come up to me and say, hey, I've been struggling with this for a couple of years. And I'm like, I didn't know. When I was using, nobody knew. I would keep it out of their eyesight. I didn't want to be judged. I didn't want to be looked at as less than or inferior, especially if I'm pain managing, which is what I do all the time, right? I'm in a lot of physical pain. 17:04 What kind of advice would you give to someone who's listening? Maybe they're in this field, maybe they're not, but they're struggling with this kind of addiction. 17:12 Knowing what you know, what would you want them to know? 17:16 That there is support. The hardest thing, especially in a male driven testosterone fueled field, it's very difficult to ask for help. It's very difficult to accept help. And it's very difficult to come to terms with the fact that you might need that. We're at a point now with the way that the toxic drug supply has infected everywhere that people who are addicted are sacrificing the future to make the present more manageable. So if I'm using today, to manage some pain, there's no guarantee that I'm going to make it to tomorrow. 17:51 And that's the scariest thing. So if you've got a family, you've got people that you love or people that love you, reach out. The bravest thing that you could do is ask for help. 17:59 Good to speak with you, Jace. I appreciate this. Thank you. 18:02 You're welcome. 18:04 Jace Watford is a former construction worker and former opioid user. We reached him in Thunder Bay, Ontario. 18:19 If you were describing the small town of Laverne, Minnesota to someone, you'd tell them it has a population of around 5,000 people. It's surrounded by farmland and great hiking spots. There's a beautiful old cinema called the Palace Theater downtown. Some excellent restaurants. Oh, and there is one key thing that really distinguishes Laverne from other nearby communities. The 20 meter tall Nutcracker, complete with giant mustache and giant top hat, which was officially unveiled in a ribbon cutting ceremony this week. And that handsome giant would not exist if Laverne resident Betty Mann hadn't decided to start collecting nutcrackers some 25 years ago. 18:54 We reached Ms. Mann in Laverne. 18:57 Betty, what was it like to stand in the presence of a nutcracker this size? 19:04 Awesome. 19:06 When I bought the first one, In 2001, it was just a little one. And when I stood there and saw this great big one, it just mushroomed into something that I never dreamt would ever happen. 19:22 I mean, I wonder what the mix of emotions is for you when you're at the ribbon cutting ceremony. When it's not just you, what were those emotions? 19:31 I was crying. I cry when I'm mad. I cry when I'm sad. I cry when I'm glad. And so I was very emotional. And so I shed several tears. 19:42 There were hundreds of people there, right? 19:45 Yes. And the reason this was happening, did they come up to you? Were you a celebrity as much as the Nutcracker? 19:53 Well, I don't know what a celebrity is supposed to feel like, but yes, I have Lots of people who thank me for starting the whole thing. And most of all, we have very favorable comments. You know, there's a few people who don't like the Nutcracker, but that's okay. 20:11 All right. The majority, most people do. Okay. Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion, right? That's right. Absolutely. I believe it is called Vern. Definitely Uncle Sam vibes. Describe it a little bit for our listeners who haven't seen the photographs. Yeah. 20:27 It is an Uncle Sam with his hand over his heart. He does have a working jaw and he is 65 feet tall. 20:35 on top of an eight-foot base, so he is 73 feet into the air. 20:39 So more than 20 meters for those checking metric. I know that this all started back in 2001 for you. 20:47 You were having a very difficult time, understandably. You'd lost your daughter and your husband. Why did collecting nutcrackers, how did it help you grieve? 20:58 Well, you know, I'm 96 years old, so I am old enough that I went through the era when people collected things. 21:08 But when I lost my husband, my oldest daughter, I was in Cracker Barrel and everything Christmas was half price. And I am Scotch and I thought, oh, I've always wanted a wooden nutcracker and it'd be fun to have a wooden nutcracker. So I bought that first one and it just mushroomed. 21:26 To how many? 21:27 Well, in 2016, when I donated my collection to the museum, I donated $2,500. 21:35 Oh, my goodness. Where were you keeping them before that? 21:39 Oh, in my home. I had them all out displayed. From the one-inch nutcrackers that were made by Hallmark, and then I had Some six foot. 21:51 Oh, wow. 21:52 As of today, we're over 7,600 now. And there's only 5,000 people in Laverne, right? Right. Uh-huh. 5,033, I think, is our population. 22:04 You're outnumbered by nutcrackers and loving it, it sounds like. 22:08 And how did it then become this project for the town to build a giant nutcracker, to make it the centerpiece of Laverne? 22:18 Well, I was president of the Historical Society for 27 years. 22:22 And I heard people say, let's go see the museum. And the next person would say, oh, you've seen one museum. You've seen them all. And that bothered me. So in 2016, I went to my board and I said, I have this crazy collection of nutcrackers. And maybe it would just draw people in to see our museum. And once they get in there to see the nutcrackers, they'll see all the other great exhibits we have. 22:46 My board took my collection of 2,500. In 2017, Roger Brooks came here and he gave a talk and told us some things that we could improve to get people to come to Laverne. And he said, you have a perfect hook in Betty's Nutcrackers. And I about fell off my chair because I had no clue he was going to say that. 23:08 Was that gentleman correct? That if you make that the hook? 23:12 All over. We have people sign in our guest book here and we have people have signed from Europe and from Africa and from South America, almost any state in the union. Okay. 23:26 Guinness World Records, their team has not yet certified your nutcracker as the world's tallest. At the moment, that title belongs to Neuhausen, Germany. They have a nutcracker that is 10 meters tall and fully functional. You said that the jaw moves. Will you try to crack a nut in that? 23:48 It's got a big, big mouth and it does open and shut. Yes. Okay. It should be a record, but I'm not the one to say so. 23:57 For people who maybe don't share your love of nutcrackers, I have to tell you, when I was little, I was really afraid of nutcrackers after watching a film. Now I love them and I have one. I have one actually in my office, a little mini one that I received as a gift. But not everyone feels the same way. What would you say to them about why you love them so much? 24:19 Everybody said kids are going to be afraid of them. Personally, have never had anybody come in to see the Nutcrackers. Most of the time, they run up to the glass cases, put both of their hands on their faces, and put their face right up to the glass and want to look at them. But we do have a doll collection here, and I've had at least five little girls that that have come in and they're afraid of the dolls. They're not afraid of the nutcrackers. So it's all in your perspective. 24:51 Betty, such a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you. I hope you can come and see us sometime. 24:57 Maybe I will. Thank you. 24:59 Thanks for calling. 25:00 Betty Mann is a nutcracker collector who inspired the construction of a giant nutcracker in Laverne, Minnesota. That's where we reached her. 25:32 This is the saxophone solo from the theme from the 1963 film The Pink Panther. Playing that solo is the legendary Hollywood studio musician and saxophonist Plaz Johnson. He improvised it in the studio after recording what would become one of the most recognizable saxophone riffs of all time. Plas Johnson died today. He was 94 years old. In 1996, he gave an interview at the Hamilton College Jazz Archive in Florida in which he revealed how composer Henry Mancini knew he was the musician for the job. 26:02 Henry had the talent of matching the player with the tune, you know. He would call just the right saxophone player for what he was writing or just the right harmonica player or, you know, he knew players quite well and he knew his music. He had a knack for putting stuff together that matched and I guess that's how I came to work on his Pink Panther. 26:25 We did have an idea at the time that it was a great piece of music because it was like 8 o'clock on a cold winter morning and there was a full orchestra with strings and everything. And after the tune was recorded, after the performance of the tune, the orchestra applauded. 26:52 He later said that the orchestra never applauded for anything. The Pink Panther theme was probably his most recognizable work, but that's hard to say for sure because he did a lot of work. Plas Johnson played with Les Baxter, Sam Cooke, Neil Diamond, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Etta James, and Frank Sinatra, to name just a few. In his autobiography, composer Harold Batiste said, quote, if producers couldn't get Plas, they got someone who sounded like him, unquote. Today, his children said their father had performed at his retirement community just a month ago. 27:23 We're going to take a short break now when we return at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. United States Trade Representative Jameson Greer defends the Trump administration's tariff policy. 27:46 And bullheaded. Speaking of taking things to new heights, we will revisit our coverage of a feud over the world's tallest moose statue, one that left both sides hoofing and poofing. Stay tuned. I'm Chris Howden. 28:00 And I'm Neil Kirksell. 28:11 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. 28:41 Grapefruit essential oils, down feathers, hockey sticks, and lipstick. A small sampling of the items on the dizzying list U.S. President Donald Trump says will be hit with 50% tariffs as of August 19th. A list he says was compiled in retaliation for Canada curbing imports from the American auto, alcohol, and dairy industries. And while the federal and provincial governments try to figure out how to respond, small business owners have a lot of questions. Jen Harper is the founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, an Indigenous-owned cosmetics brand. 29:13 We reached her in Oakville. 29:15 Jen, when you saw these items, items that you make, for example, lipstick, eye makeup, on this list, what did you think? 29:23 It is extremely concerning, and we've been in this situation before. It happened last year. The terms, of course, sounded a lot different, and there is obviously fear and unknown because we have no idea exactly what's going to happen. We just know as a team last year how frustrating it was for us as a small business. 29:47 We only have four full-time employees. Obviously, we work with tons of contractors and part-time support to make our business happen. But four people trying to figure out the tariff situation last year was an extreme challenge. We're talking about constant communication with orders being shipped in U.S. Customs. denying orders and then sending things back, and then our customers in the United States were becoming extremely frustrated. We did eventually figure it out, and I think that's the beauty of having an incredibly resourceful small team. 30:18 However, it was a big challenge for sure, and so when we did see this news, it is extremely concerning, and we're really not aware of exactly what's going to happen, but the details from the headlines that we have read are definitely cause some fear at that rate of a percentage on tariffs. It would mean really tough decisions to be made about how we're going to do business in the United States. 30:44 And, you know, these were specifically listed as retaliation for what the U.S. president describes as a, quote, auto grievance, unquote. How do you square that? Does that make any sense to you? 30:58 I mean, to be honest, I don't have enough information, so none of it really makes any sense to me. 31:04 But I feel like the whole situation since the inception hasn't made much sense. 31:10 We just do what we do as resilient Canadian small businesses. We figure it out. 31:15 The category, you know, cosmetics, those kinds of products, last I checked, I think it makes up for $1.5 billion in exports to the U.S. from Canada. How much does your company sell to the United States? Because you've been expanding as well. 31:30 Yeah, so we do about 20% of our business in the United States. We also work with a major retailer in the U.S., JCPenney. And so, of course, this is causing great concern for us at this time. 31:43 What lessons did you learn from navigating things last year, you know, and righting the ship that you can try to apply this time if you get more clarity? I mean, can you even put anything into place at this point? 32:03 Even, you know, Clarity, of course, is going to help us, provide us with some answers for what the future looks like for Cheap Bone Beauty doing business in the United States. But at the numbers we've seen, it's really concerning. It wouldn't honestly make sense for a business... 32:20 to ship products if that's the kind of tariff that we would be charged. 32:24 What would you like to hear from Prime Minister Carney, other Canadian government officials that would reassure you at this time? 32:34 Oh, that is a great question. What would I love to hear? 32:38 I mean, I guess having the support of Canadians, having the support of the systems to help Canadian small businesses run efficiently and just operate and be able to do business, it's It feels almost next to impossible with these kinds of challenges that we face, that business just gets tougher and tougher for small Canadian businesses. I know last year when this situation occurred, many businesses chose not to even do business in the United States. Many businesses have shut down. And so I think this is the fear for so many of us as small operators, for small independent businesses. 33:11 Look, the beauty industry is really run by the conglomerates, and I'm imagining this is great news for them this morning when they recognize that for small indie businesses who have been taking up, you know, bit by bit, each and every one of us, what, a million, two million, five million, 10 million of their market share over the last, what, 15 years since e-commerce has become an incredible base for small businesses to grow. Yeah. 33:38 we know this won't be a challenge for them because they have operations operating out of the United States. We don't have that benefit. 33:45 So it's going to be a tough situation. And I truly, truly hope that the Canadians that supported our business last year will continue to support our business this year. 33:54 Canadians or customers, wherever they live, are responding to those kinds of companies like yours, independent, they agree with, you know, the raison d'etre of the company and they like the products. So have you seen, have you seen, it's not a benefit of what's been happening, it's a rocky road certainly, but have you seen that kind of love, people, you know, trying to push back because they know you're suffering? 34:19 Yeah, to be 100% transparent. Of course, during the mass media influx that happened between February and March into April last year, 2025, we saw our business grow by 50%. This year, unfortunately, we're still chasing those numbers because it grew so much. And a lot of times when these I want to use the correct word here, when these movements are happening and the media is talking about it and it's all over social media. 34:52 But when that disappears, it's really important for those people that chose to support that business that they continue to support that business. Of course, we have data on the actual Cheekbone Beauty customer, how they shop, why they shop, what they're interested in. We know that the true Cheekbone Beauty customer has at least eight of our items in their makeup bags and their makeup drawers. And so for us, we're just trying to figure out how to take that group of Canadians that supported us last February, March 2025, and continue to add more items into their makeup bags. 35:27 And so we really truly need them to come back and continue to support the brand. 35:33 Jen, I'm really glad we could speak. Thank you for this. No problem. 35:37 Jen Harper is the founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty. She's in Oakville, Ontario. There were also a lot of tariff questions in a U.S. Senate Finance Committee meeting today where President Trump's trade representative, Jameson Greer, was subjected to a grilling. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon pressed Mr. Greer on how the threatened 50% tariffs on Canadian goods stack up against those levied against a global superpower. 36:01 Mr. Ambassador, let me start with the proposition that it just seems to me that on tariffs the administration has lost the plot. And in particular, let's look at what happened in the last couple of days. Just a few days ago, Canada, our closest neighbor, basically learned they were going to get 50% tariffs. At the same time, when it comes to China, one of the biggest trade cheats there is, it seems that the administration rolls out the red carpet. You're standing up a so-called Board of Trade to lower tariffs on goods from China. 36:33 It looks like he's thrown in the towel. So a couple of questions, yes or no. When the new tariff on Canada takes effect, will Canada have higher tariffs than China on some products? 36:49 on a small handful, China's by far much higher than Canada overall, by far, no question. 36:55 Well, let me work through that, you know, math. I mean, the 50% tariff is higher than a number of tariffs on China. 37:05 So we have 100% tariffs on EVs coming in from China. We have about 45% to 50% on most things coming in from China. We have a small handful of goods, about $20 billion worth of goods coming in from Canada. All the steel and aluminum from China, well over 50%, some in triple digits. 37:21 The question is, are there some areas where the Canadian tariffs are higher than China's? And it seems to me that 50% is the accurate one. 37:30 We can do an analysis because we have stacking tariffs on China that don't apply to other countries, so we're happy to get back to you. But overall, China is by far subject to very high tariffs. 37:40 We'll look forward to having that information on the record because our staff believes that there are instances where the Canadians are going to pay higher tariffs than the Chinese are, and that's not right. 37:52 Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon questioning U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer in a Senate Finance Committee meeting earlier today. 38:09 And now, as it happens, brings you yet another tale of what can happen when scientists leave stuff in drawers and basements. Way back in the 1890s, archaeologists discovered the remains of Egyptian royalty in the Dashur pyramid complex in Egypt. They analyzed two of the six bodies they'd found, and then they just left them in the basement of the Egyptian museum in Cairo, where they sat forgotten for over a century, until Egyptian archaeologist Zainab Hashish thought to look. Now she and her team have published a new analysis of the six royal skeletons, among them five princesses buried alongside daggers, bows, maces, and more. 38:46 And their study suggests the women knew their way around those weapons. We've reached Zainab Hashish on a research trip in Prague. 38:54 Zainab, I'm imagining you taking a look at this box and then these remains. Could you believe what you were seeing? 39:01 No, actually, it was a huge surprise for me and for my team. because we already know these names very much from their jewellery and from their weapon and from their findings. 39:14 And there they were. 39:15 So it was a big moment. 39:16 And there they were just in the basement waiting, waiting for you, I guess. Tell us about who these princesses and this king were. 39:25 Actually, actually, they are the daughters of King Ahmed II. And he was one of the most stronger king in Middle Kingdom. 39:37 And the names of the princesses? 39:40 The names of the princesses, we have Ita, Ita Werit, we have Khinomet, and also we have Sadhat Hur Merit, and we defined her based on the context because no one knows that we have it already. And also we have Nubhotep, and Nubhotep was the wife of the king of... 40:03 One of the kings of 13 dynasty, he called King Hur and he has a fantastic masterpiece in ancient Egyptian museum in Cairo. And he has fantastic wooden statues. This statue is one of the masterpieces in the museum. 40:23 In addition to finding them, you found these weapons buried with the princesses. 40:29 What have you learned about what those weapons were doing there? 40:33 It was a lot of weapons with them, like bows, maces, daggers. 40:41 And it was a good collection, but it left a key research question. Why they have these weapons inside their coffins? Because they are females. 40:54 What did their bones tell you, Zainab, to make you believe that they were using these weapons? 41:00 Actually, because I surprised when I looked at their muscle attachment, the princesses I meant, and I found a strong muscle attachment, and this strong muscle attachment reshaped the shape of bone itself. For example, princess Nubhotep, her right second hand bone shows a unique curve And we can say that bone shapes itself around repeated pressure, especially during youth when bones are still growing and flexible. 41:42 And also, in her case, this curve is a permanent physical trace left by the heavy and repeated force needed to hold and steady a heavy thing like bow. Also, we found a strong muscle attachment in the forearms and shoulders for other princesses like Khenomet and Itawert. 42:07 These specific physical markers aligned perfectly with the heavy force required to bolt bowstring or 42:19 You know, there are other experts who disagree with what you found here. They say that those kinds of skeletal changes could have been caused by other activities, you know, and separate from the ones you're listing. What do you say to, as you talk about this work and you hear the criticism, what do you say to those who say they don't believe this? 42:42 Actually, I agree with them because we can't be very precise and very specific about the activity, which exact activity. But in this case, it is a unique because we have both. We have the historical context. We have the weapon. Also, we have the body itself. 43:05 And I agree with them about that. It is limited evidence I introduced in this study But this is because the completeness of the skeletons themselves. It was not complete enough to apply all my rules and the guidelines on the whole body. The skulls are missing, right? The skulls are missing and also I restricted some strong muscle attachment in some individuals because I don't have the other side. 43:39 So I can't do the comparison between left and right side. So I am happy that this study makes this discussion between the researchers around the world. And I am so proud of that. And also this study, it's just the first step. I'm trying to announce that I found the princesses after 130 years. 44:05 But I will continue and extend the work so I have time to do this kind of studies to be sure more about the function of these weapons and the relation between it and the bodies. 44:16 What was happening during the time period they were alive, these princesses, that would necessitate this knowledge, this proficiency with these kinds of weapons of war? 44:29 this is this king was so strong and there is no big wars have occurred in this time but he was extending his rules to south and also to the west but it was ordinary in on ordinary fights yet not a big fights so there is not a real a real war or a real challenges to let him learn them how to use Arshi. But I think it was a habit because he can't, in his historical memory about the first intermediate period, he can't neglect this. 45:09 He should learn them how to defend themselves and protect themselves. 45:16 So what does it mean to you to be the one who opened that box and connected these dots? What does it mean to you to be part of this work? 45:24 To be honest, I am so honoured and I feel so proud of my team that we did this. 45:34 Because one of our aims in our project in the basement is to give a voice for the voiceless. And I think our princesses were... 45:47 voiceless. So I feel so proud that my study will use in the future for other studies and inspire another researcher to continue in the same field. Zainab, I'm glad we could speak. Thank you. Thank you so much. 46:05 Zainab Hashish is an associate professor of archaeology at Benisuev University in Egypt and the co-author of a new study published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. We reached her in Prague. 46:26 Earlier in the program, we heard about one of the most impressive artistic achievements we've ever covered on this show, the tallest nutcracker, probably, which looms proudly over the town of Laverne, Minnesota. Now, of course, it's not news to anyone that this country is also home to some of the largest novelty statues out there, including notably Mac the Moose, the pride of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. But back in 2019, things weren't going so well for Mac. At the time, his title of tallest moose statue in the world had been usurped. when the town of Storovdal, Norway, erected its own moose statue. 46:59 It was just 33 centimeters taller than Mack, but that was tall enough to rattle his supporters. Moose Jaw vowed revenge. So we called up Linda Utnes-Henriksson, at the time the deputy mayor of Storovdal. 47:12 They certainly do have the coolest name for their town. I really love the name Moose Jaw. Of course, you know, they should have the title, the biggest moose, but you know, once We built a moose and it's taller, so I'm really sorry about that. But, well, now it's sitting there. So now they have to do something with their moose. 47:31 All right. I'm going to let you hear how the mayor of Moose Jaw, what he had to say to us on Friday and get you to respond. Here's Mayor Fraser told me. 47:41 There are things that you just don't do to Canadians. 47:44 You don't tell a Canadian that they can't pour maple syrup on their pancakes. You don't water down a Canadian's beer. And you don't mess with Mack the Moose. And someone's got to take a stand and that's what we're going to do here. 47:58 So, okay, that's Mayor told me. 48:01 Having the tallest moose is something they take very seriously. What do you say to him? 48:06 Of course he's proud of Mack the Moose. It's been their main attraction or biggest moose for 31 years. So, of course, I And he's going to be supportive of that. But, you know, I heard him on the press conference today, and he talked about how they've lost a hockey match and that the hockey ref must be Norwegian. And I really thought that was really funny. 48:29 Since you seem to have the winning moose here, yours is larger, can you describe it for us? 48:35 Well, the moose is very shiny. It's made out of silver or... It's a very reflective surface, and it's 10.5 or 10.3 meters high and about 11.5 meters long. And it's huge, and it's placed in the middle of the forest, so it's kind of like walking out of the forest. So that's what the main idea was behind it, is for road safety, for people to stop and take a break. So it's supposed to reflect the surroundings around him. 49:02 I heard the artist who said that she could build a bigger moose out of gold. This one's made out of silver or steel. And she admits that she deliberately set out to make a bigger moose than Mac. I mean, she wanted to beat up the Canadians, right? 49:18 Yeah. When they decided, you know, it was going to be a moose and that was the plan behind it, you know, she probably did some research and found out there's a moose in Canada that was an employee. 49:29 And the height of that went, and then she deliberately probably put on an extra half a meter just to make sure the world record was here in Norway. 49:39 So we've heard it here, this is an admission that you did set out to actually beat Outmack. 49:45 I didn't, but the artist said that in an interview, I read that. 49:50 All right. Well, you know that Canada is not going to, and Moose Jaw is not going to go down without a fight. So we have to see where this goes. And meanwhile, it's good to talk to you, Mayor Hendrickson. Thank you. 50:00 Well, you too. Thank you. 50:02 From our archives, that was Linda Utnes-Henriksen, the former deputy mayor and now mayor of Sturelfdal, Norway, speaking to Karolhoff in 2019. And for the record, Mack regained the title of the world's tallest moose statue just a few months later when a new set of antlers was installed. 50:24 You've been listening to the As It Happens podcast. Our show can be heard Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1 after Your World Tonight. 50:31 And you can, of course, also listen to our show online at cbc.ca slash AIH or on the CBC Listen app or, of course, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Neel Kirkshal. 50:41 And I'm Chris Howden. 51:02 for more cbc podcasts go to cbc.ca slash podcasts