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CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Summer memories of grandparents, art and a very large turtle inspire Kitchener author's new picture book
Kitchener author Kate Jenks Landry new children's book, A Summer Without Anna, tells the story of young Junie who spends the summer with her grandparents because her older sister is sick. While Junie does miss her family, she also has little adventures, including looking for an elusive giant turtle. Landry joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris to talk about how she drew inspiration from her own summer experiences. Audio of this interview can be found at the bottom of this story. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Craig Norris: Congratulations on the book! Tell us about Junie? Kate Jenks Landry: Junie is fictional, but the story draws on experiences from my own childhood, so she's sort of an alternate version of me, as I had a similar experience when I was a child. My brother was ill and in the hospital quite a lot and I spent a lot of time with family and friends. My brother was younger than me, not older. So there are differences that drew the character in a slightly different direction. But I think similarly to me, she uses a newfound interest in art. In her case it's photography to kind of make sense of the world around her and the challenges that maybe other kids her age aren't facing. And even though she's being so well cared for and is so loved, she's figuring out all of this stuff that's happening and she's using a camera. For me, it was writing, but I wanted to give her something to help her sort of capture the world around her and tell a story. Norris: And was there a cottage in your past? Jenks Landry: There sure was! Norris: What do you remember when you think of that? What were the sights and smells that you think about? Jenks Landry: My cottage was on Crane Lake, which is near Parry Sound and it belonged to my Nan and Pop, just like Junies Nan and Pop. And it was such a core place in my childhood. It was like a typical kind of Muskoka cottage with the evergreen trees and that black-green water. And there was a turtle, a large ancient turtle. And no one could remember how old, no one remembered it not being there. And once a summer or every few years, you'd see it, there'd be a sighting. In the book, the turtles' name is Edmund. In real life, the turtle didn't have a name, but Edmund was the name of my grandfather who owned the cottage. A really interesting thing I think people don't realize about picture books unless you're the author or illustrator, the illustrator is the one who's comes up with the vision for character design and setting. The illustrator of this book, Risa Hugo, who grew up in Japan and Vancouver. So she has a very different set of references. It wasn't really a Muskoka setting but was her take on a lake cottage. She said she was really inspired by the movie My Neighbor Totoro which was something that when she was Junie's age, she was obsessed with watching over and over again. So she had this kind of idyllic, almost English-looking countryside. So even though it's rooted in those really classic Muskoka cottage memories for me, the kind of alchemy of the illustrator working with my words created something completely different. Kitchener author's new book tells nostalgic story of summers spent in cottage country 4 days ago Duration 1:32 Kitchener author Kate Jenks Landry has a new children's book out. A Summer Without Anna tells the story of a young Junie who spends the summer with her grandparents because her older sister is sick. While Junie misses her family, she also has little adventures — including looking for an elusive giant turtle. Kate Jenks Landry told CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty more about the new book, which was inspired by the author's own life. Norris: Risa Hugo's art is beautiful! Jenks Landry: It really is! Risa has done a lot of really amazing Canadian books. She has another book Metis Like Me that has just been honoured and I'm just so honoured to have worked with her. Norris: What does it do for you to get something out there that's this personal? Jenks Landry: It's really complex. I think I wanted to do something that tapped into an experience that I had that was really challenging, but also very formative for me. I think going through something really challenging when you're young forced me to kind of constantly be in a mode of observing and making sense of the world. That sort of was the origin of my being a writer, and I wanted to tell that story. And I think a lot of kids have similar experiences of having to be away from parents or their bedroom or their home at a time when something difficult is happening in their families. So I wanted it to be personal and drawn those sort of core personal memories. But I also wanted to keep it open enough that kids with maybe similar in some ways, but different versions of that experience could, find something in it. And I, I felt like there wasn't really a ton of stories out there that spoke to what it was to be a sibling or just be a kid who's just kind of off on the side while your parents are off dealing with something else. Norris: That's true. I mean, you think about Junie's trip to the cottage, and in a parent's mind, you're thinking, 'Oh, well, this is beautiful, she's just gonna escape for this summer.' But that doesn't really actually happen. Jenks Landry: No, and I think it's a combination. I really love children's books that are complex and are not just one thing because this experience wasn't just one thing for me. For children, I think that's always the case. So beautiful memories are happening at the same time that really profound challenges are. So for Junie, I think she's having these really poignant memories with her grandfather in their fishing boat. She's being comforted by her grandmother and by the water itself. Swimming in the lake and being submerged in in bodies of water has always been very calming for me. I wanted to kind of think about how immersion in nature and in family is bringing comfort even in the midst of all of these challenges. And for me, I have those memories of the cottage. But also, I had an aunt and uncle that I stayed with that had a backyard pool. And I would just spend eight hours a day in this pool and my aunt would bring me peanut butter sandwiches at the side of the pool because I wouldn't get out.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sticky situation: U.S. tariffs could make maple syrup a 'prime target' for fraud, Guelph researcher warns
Maple syrup has become "an ideal and prime target" for fraud and is at risk due to U.S. tariffs, a researcher in the University of Guelph's department of food science has warned. Maple syrup fraud refers to the deliberate misrepresentation of the product for economic gains — consumers paying more for a lower value product. Maleeka Singh said the increased possibility of maple syrup fraud is a direct result of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and the imposition of a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all imports that aren't compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. Singh, maple syrup is often adulterated by the diluting or mixing or completely replacing it with a lower value syrup, like corn syrup. "On the labels for example, it might say pure maple syrup, but might actually be a blend of syrups or not even maple syrup at all. Other ways can also include dilution with water, addition of other sugars, or even mislabeling the point of origin," Singh said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris. "Maple syrup is often referred to as Canada's liquid gold due to its high demand and its price. Unfortunately, this makes it an ideal and prime target for adulteration or maple syrup fraud. This ultimately means, for example, that you as a consumer may be paying a premium price for maple syrup, but instead receive a lower value or a lower quality product." Singh pointed out that historically, instances of food fraud have increased during harsh economic times and supply chain disruptions. Using the last four years as an example, she said the global pandemic, regional wars and significant climate events all caused significant constraints in supply and demand in the supply chain. It's estimated that since 2020, instances of food fraud have increased by more than 10-fold, she said. "Regardless of what the actual tariffs are, increased threats of tariffs is enough to cause uncertainty in the supply chain, and this can incentivize food fraudsters to substitute pure maple syrup with a lower value product, ultimately leading to an increase in maple syrup fraud," Singh said. Canada and the U.S. are the only countries that produce maple syrup at commercial scale. In 2023 the Canadian maple syrup industry accounted for approximately 71 per cent of the total world maple syrup production, with 89.9 per cent of Canadian production originating from Quebec, 5.1 per cent from New Brunswick, 4.8 per cent from Ontario, and less than one per cent from Nova Scotia. Maple products accounted for 3.7 per cent of all Canadian horticulture farm cash receipts in 2023. Singh said it's difficult for consumers to detect maple syrup fraud. She said maple syrup is often tested by measuring the diluted sugar, something that's usually done in a lab. "Unfortunately, these food fraudsters are quite smart and they actively try to avoid detection, so there's really a need for quick and cost effective and more complex testing of maple syrup along the supply chain," she said. Marie-Pier P-Séguin, director general of the Maple Industry Council, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates maple syrup to ensure that it is safe, wholesome and graded according to established standards. The CFIA also verifies that maple syrup and maple products are labelled and packaged in accordance with Canadian regulations and standards, so as not to mislead consumers and to facilitate their orderly marketing, the director general shared in an emailed statement. "Addition of sugar or other sweetening substances or flavours constitute food fraud and must be reported to the CFIA," the statement reads. "Any addition to maple syrup contravenes the regulation. To our knowledge, this practice has not been the subject of complaints from our members' customers, either on foreign or domestic markets." Kevin Snyder, a maple syrup producer in Waterloo region in southern Ontario and president of the Waterloo Wellington chapter of the Ontario Maple Producers. He says "fake maple syrup" is a growing concern as demand for real maple syrup increases. "Just like honey, when there's a market for a premium product, someone will find a way to cut it. The reason is they can cut it with some source for cheap sugar and sell it at 100 per cent-pure prices," Snyder wrote in an email to CBC News. "It may happen here in Ontario, but I believe it's mostly the export market. People in other countries believe it's 100 per cent pure and it's not."
CBC
05-05-2025
- General
- CBC
The history of western separation in Canada
James Baird is the host of the podcast Canadian History Ehx. He joined CBC Saskatchewan's The Morning Edition to discuss the history of western separation in Canada.
CBC
05-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sticky situation: U.S. tariffs could make maple syrup a 'prime target' for fraud, Guelph researcher warns
Maple syrup has become "an ideal and prime target" for fraud and is at risk due to U.S. tariffs, a researcher in the University of Guelph's department of food science has warned. Maple syrup fraud refers to the deliberate misrepresentation of the product for economic gains — consumers paying more for a lower value product. Maleeka Singh said the increased possibility of maple syrup fraud is a direct result of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and the imposition of a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all imports that aren't compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. Singh, maple syrup is often adulterated by the diluting or mixing or completely replacing it with a lower value syrup, like corn syrup. "On the labels for example, it might say pure maple syrup, but might actually be a blend of syrups or not even maple syrup at all. Other ways can also include dilution with water, addition of other sugars, or even mislabeling the point of origin," Singh said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris. "Maple syrup is often referred to as Canada's liquid gold due to its high demand and its price. Unfortunately, this makes it an ideal and prime target for adulteration or maple syrup fraud. This ultimately means, for example, that you as a consumer may be paying a premium price for maple syrup, but instead receive a lower value or a lower quality product." Singh pointed out that historically, instances of food fraud have increased during harsh economic times and supply chain disruptions. Using the last four years as an example, she said the global pandemic, regional wars and significant climate events all caused significant constraints in supply and demand in the supply chain. It's estimated that since 2020, instances of food fraud have increased by more than 10-fold, she said. "Regardless of what the actual tariffs are, increased threats of tariffs is enough to cause uncertainty in the supply chain, and this can incentivize food fraudsters to substitute pure maple syrup with a lower value product, ultimately leading to an increase in maple syrup fraud," Singh said. Canada and the U.S. are the only countries that produce maple syrup at commercial scale. In 2023 the Canadian maple syrup industry accounted for approximately 71 per cent of the total world maple syrup production, with 89.9 per cent of Canadian production originating from Quebec, 5.1 per cent from New Brunswick, 4.8 per cent from Ontario, and less than one per cent from Nova Scotia. Maple products accounted for 3.7 per cent of all Canadian horticulture farm cash receipts in 2023. Singh said it's difficult for consumers to detect maple syrup fraud. She said maple syrup is often tested by measuring the diluted sugar, something that's usually done in a lab. "Unfortunately, these food fraudsters are quite smart and they actively try to avoid detection, so there's really a need for quick and cost effective and more complex testing of maple syrup along the supply chain," she said. Marie-Pier P-Séguin, director general of the Maple Industry Council, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates maple syrup to ensure that it is safe, wholesome and graded according to established standards. The CFIA also verifies that maple syrup and maple products are labelled and packaged in accordance with Canadian regulations and standards, so as not to mislead consumers and to facilitate their orderly marketing, the director general shared in an emailed statement. "Addition of sugar or other sweetening substances or flavours constitute food fraud and must be reported to the CFIA," the statement reads. "Any addition to maple syrup contravenes the regulation. To our knowledge, this practice has not been the subject of complaints from our members' customers, either on foreign or domestic markets." 'Fake maple syrup' a concern Kevin Snyder, a maple syrup producer in Waterloo region in southern Ontario and president of the Waterloo Wellington chapter of the Ontario Maple Producers. He says "fake maple syrup" is a growing concern as demand for real maple syrup increases. "Just like honey, when there's a market for a premium product, someone will find a way to cut it. The reason is they can cut it with some source for cheap sugar and sell it at 100 per cent-pure prices," Snyder wrote in an email to CBC News. "It may happen here in Ontario, but I believe it's mostly the export market. People in other countries believe it's 100 per cent pure and it's not."
CBC
04-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Meet the 4 new MPs in Waterloo region and Guelph
Social Sharing Four new Members of Parliament were elected in Monday's federal election to represent ridings in Waterloo region and Guelph. In Guelph, Liberal Dominique O'Rourke won the seat left vacant by outgoing MP Lloyd Longfield. Conservatives Connie Cody in Cambridge, Matt Strauss in Kitchener South-Hespeler and Kelly DeRidder in Kitchener Centre all ousted sitting MPs to win their seats. CBC News spoke to each of them about their wins and what their goals are as they head to Ottawa to represent the people in their ridings. Connie Cody, Cambridge Cody ran for the Conservatives in the 2021 election and has also run for city council. She has held roles on the city's environmental and accessibility committees and has volunteered in the community, including in schools and at the Legion. She beat Liberal incumbent Bryan May by 1,457 votes. May had held the seat in Cambridge since 2015, Cody says a big reason she believes she won was because "people here in our community were looking for hope and looking for change." Top issues Cody said she heard from voters included housing, safety and cost of living. "Affordability is one of the things that I've heard the most. I've been going door-to-door," she said. "Housing, of course, all falls under affordability and we've got to make sure that we have safer streets, safer communities and people are deserving of being able to own their own homes." She says her focus was on getting out to hear from people during the campaign. "I was born and raised here. It's a part of my heart and soul and it's home to me. And whether I won or lost, I want to make sure that I serve the community the best that I can," she said. Kelly DeRidder, Kitchener Centre DeRidder, the Conservative candidate, won a very close race in Kitchener Centre, beating Green incumbent Mike Morrice and Liberal candidate Brian Adeba. The votes were: DeRidder — 20,234. Morrice — 19,859. Adeba — 17,292. The race was so close that the candidates didn't know the final numbers of who won until late Tuesday afternoon. In an interview with CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, DeRidder said the win felt "surreal" but also that "it feels great. I'm honoured." DeRidder said affordability was a top issue she heard from people in Kitchener Centre along with people concerned about drugs in the city. "I want to represent every single person in this riding, no matter how anyone voted. And so I think that resonated with a lot of people," she said. "I had some great and sometimes hard conversations with non-supporters at the door as well and my goal, my focus is Kitchener Centre as a riding and serving the community especially." On Monday night, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not win his seat in Parliament, although it was announced Friday he plans to run in a yet-to-be-called byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, where the elected candidate, Damien Kurek, has said he would step down. DeRidder said he was concerned about what it would mean for the party if Poilievre wasn't in the House of Commons. "it's definitely a different landscape that I was expecting to walk into as a Member of Parliament here in Kitchener Centre. So different leadership I was expecting. It's a different environment," DeRidder said in the interview Wednesday morning. "I'm just going to do the best I can with the situation that we have and still push forward what will best serve our community and hopefully work with all parties in Parliament to best serve in the way we can under this landscape." Matt Strauss, Kitchener-South Hespeler Strauss, the Conservative candidate, said he was "overwhelmed with gratitude" for the people who helped get him elected. He beat Liberal incumbent Valerie Bradford, who had served as MP for the riding since 2021, by 1,028 votes. "The job was to go around and talk to as many people as possible and hear as many stories as I could and then sort of collate those stories into a consistent narrative about our community and what needs to be done," Strauss told CBC News. "I'm so happy to have had that opportunity and I'm still thinking about how we're going to push those concerns and those priorities forward." Strauss has been a physician in the area for the last 13 years and was the chief of the ICU at the Guelph General Hospital for many years. He also the former acting medical officer of health for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. Strauss' tenure in that role was controversial as he spoke out against COVID-19 mandates. The Ontario Liberals called for Strauss' appointment to the role to be vetoed because, health critic John Fraser said at the time, Strauss opposed "life-saving public health measures." The Ontario government did not veto Strauss' appointment. Days later, some members of Haldimand-Norfolk's board of health said they were looking for ways to overturn Strauss being hired as the acting medical officer over comments he made online on Twitter (now X), including on Aug. 3, 2020 when he wrote that he'd rather give his children COVID-19 than a Happy Meal. That never happened and Strauss resigned from that role in 2023. In 2022, he sued Queen's University in Kingston after he resigned from a position there. Strauss alleged "malicious, aggressive, condescending and defamatory statements" made about him. In May 2024 on X, Elon Musk tweeted he would financially support the lawsuit, however Strauss says he never accepted any money from Musk. The lawsuit remains before the court. Strauss said he heard from many people who were very upset with the current government. "Things have not been going well for the last 10 years. The major things that people talk to me about, I'm a physician, they talked to me a lot about health care," he said. "Many people cried at the door explaining particular episodes of frustration they had with our health-care system. People cried at the door discussing their concerns about the housing crisis." He said he felt like "there was a lot of hurt out there and people want change. So I think that's not good news for incumbents in general." Dominique O'Rourke, Guelph O'Rourke won the open seat in Guelph, which was left vacant because Liberal MP Lloyd Longfield opted not to seek re-election. O'Rourke is a city councillor in Guelph and also runs her own public relations firm. "It's a very humbling experience. It's an honour and I feel a lot of gratitude to the team that worked with me not just since the election, but for the last 18 months," she said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition on Tuesday morning. "Really what was driving us was to be sure to put Guelph in the best position possible, to push back against the tariffs, to push back against Trump, and really work toward, how do we protect our sovereignty and our economy while still moving forward and also working on affordability." Along with housing, O'Rourke said helping municipalities address climate action is "very critical." O'Rourke says her work as a city councillor will help her jump into the role of MP because she understands what the city needs from the federal government, having chaired the infrastructure development and environment committees. She said the message she heard from people at the doors was that they expect MPs in Ottawa to work together. "It sounds trite, but we are much stronger together. And we need to be thinking about how we move forward in a stronger position. So not thinking necessarily about the politics within the country, but how we position Canada so that it's the strongest it can be," she said. "I want people to know that I heard them at the door and some of the conversations that I valued the most were people who had a different perspective from mine."
