1
00:00:21,455 --> 00:00:26,392
[tranquil music playing]
2
00:01:03,497 --> 00:01:06,465
[phil demers]
when I was initially called
a whistleblower,
3
00:01:06,567 --> 00:01:10,836
It was by an investigative
journalist who said,
"you'll be a whistleblower."
4
00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:17,376
[soft music playing]
5
00:01:17,478 --> 00:01:22,815
Whistleblower, I blew whistles
for years at marineland,
6
00:01:22,917 --> 00:01:27,386
But it was, uh... It was to tel
the dolphins to come back
to the stage and get their fis.
7
00:01:37,298 --> 00:01:40,499
[soft music playing]
8
00:01:50,411 --> 00:01:54,179
[cheering]
9
00:02:00,521 --> 00:02:05,824
I don't do speeches, so I was...
I was born a rambling man.
10
00:02:05,926 --> 00:02:07,960
There's a walrus back there.
11
00:02:08,062 --> 00:02:12,531
Her name is smooshi and
I gotta get her out of there.
12
00:02:24,478 --> 00:02:27,312
[tranquil music playing]
13
00:02:34,788 --> 00:02:36,522
[bell dings]
14
00:02:36,991 --> 00:02:38,991
[woman 1]
♪ story goes ♪
15
00:02:40,728 --> 00:02:42,027
♪ friendship cove ♪
16
00:02:42,129 --> 00:02:44,963
♪ everyone loves marineland ♪
17
00:02:45,065 --> 00:02:48,000
♪ you'll be spinning, diving
and soaring high ♪
18
00:02:48,102 --> 00:02:52,271
♪ our roller coaster ride
will fly you to the sky ♪
19
00:02:52,373 --> 00:02:55,407
♪ now you know what you'll say
when you leave here today ♪
20
00:02:55,509 --> 00:03:00,112
♪ everyone loves marineland ♪
21
00:03:00,214 --> 00:03:03,515
Yeah, the words have changed
except for the tagline
at the end.
22
00:03:03,617 --> 00:03:08,086
♪ and the sea lions do this
and the whales do that ♪
23
00:03:08,189 --> 00:03:11,857
♪ everyone loves marineland ♪
24
00:03:11,959 --> 00:03:15,627
Even when we were kids that song
came on and you were so excited,
you know,
25
00:03:15,729 --> 00:03:17,429
"oh, I get to go to marineland."
26
00:03:17,531 --> 00:03:20,032
♪ watching the whales
and dolphins play ♪
27
00:03:20,467 --> 00:03:23,835
It's there all the time
and I'm still singing the song.
28
00:03:23,938 --> 00:03:26,939
♪ everyone loves marineland ♪
29
00:03:27,041 --> 00:03:32,611
One of the things that made
niagara falls more popular
30
00:03:32,713 --> 00:03:36,615
And brought in more families
with young children, especially,
31
00:03:36,717 --> 00:03:40,786
Was the opening of marineland
in 1961.
32
00:03:40,888 --> 00:03:45,390
[man 1] pick up your free
children's passes to marineland
and game farm.
33
00:03:49,296 --> 00:03:54,099
The marineland and game farm
is open all day, every day
34
00:03:54,201 --> 00:03:59,771
And features a thrilling
underwater show starring
jeff the seal, trained dolphin,
35
00:03:59,873 --> 00:04:01,773
And an underwater valley.
36
00:04:02,910 --> 00:04:04,076
[water splashes]
37
00:04:04,178 --> 00:04:07,613
[soft music playing]
38
00:04:08,849 --> 00:04:14,219
[phil] I started my job
at marineland on, uh,
March 11th of the year 2000.
39
00:04:14,321 --> 00:04:16,388
So I was 22-year-old kid.
40
00:04:16,991 --> 00:04:19,191
They had decided that, "hey,
let's put phil in the show.
41
00:04:19,293 --> 00:04:21,393
Let's... Let's have him
swim with an orca."
42
00:04:21,495 --> 00:04:24,396
And so they called me,
they said, "okay,
you want to come up front?"
43
00:04:24,498 --> 00:04:26,598
I'm like, "for what?"
44
00:04:26,667 --> 00:04:28,233
They're like, "we'll let...
We'll let you know
when you get here."
45
00:04:28,335 --> 00:04:29,835
Okay, so I show up,
they're like,
"put a wetsuit on."
46
00:04:31,171 --> 00:04:33,238
You know, I had no training.
47
00:04:33,340 --> 00:04:35,374
I'd... I'd... I'd all but
touched an orca and fed him
at this point,
48
00:04:35,476 --> 00:04:39,144
But, yeah,
they put me in the water,
no experience whatsoever,
49
00:04:39,246 --> 00:04:41,680
I was making 6 dollars
and 85 cents an hour
50
00:04:41,782 --> 00:04:47,619
And I was swimming with
killer whales, you know, mere
months after starting my job.
51
00:04:47,721 --> 00:04:50,689
[tranquil music playing]
52
00:04:50,791 --> 00:04:56,595
[doug draper] I sat down with
john in his park one sunny
afternoon for an interview.
53
00:04:57,965 --> 00:05:00,332
He looked like a guy
that was going around
54
00:05:00,434 --> 00:05:05,003
Just checking to make sure
the washroom facilities
were working properly.
55
00:05:05,105 --> 00:05:10,475
This is the owner
of this tourist empire?
56
00:05:10,577 --> 00:05:13,945
See, he loved walt disney
and he would say, "well,
disney does it like this."
57
00:05:14,048 --> 00:05:18,617
And john wanted that degree
of sophistication
and I think he was envious.
58
00:05:18,719 --> 00:05:21,753
[phil] he's an older man,
wise, successful,
59
00:05:21,855 --> 00:05:27,492
He felt a bit fatherly
and so we had some
really powerful interactions.
60
00:05:27,594 --> 00:05:29,661
[doug] he was from slovenia.
61
00:05:29,763 --> 00:05:33,332
He told me that in his younger
years while he was still there,
62
00:05:33,434 --> 00:05:37,302
He cut his teeth, uh,
training circus animals.
63
00:05:38,405 --> 00:05:40,672
This was his culture.
64
00:05:40,774 --> 00:05:45,510
[upbeat music playing]
65
00:05:50,718 --> 00:05:53,652
[dan long] it was the biggest
game in town back then.
66
00:05:53,754 --> 00:05:59,791
On a busy weekend, we would
do five-six shows maybe,
several thousand people a show.
67
00:06:00,594 --> 00:06:02,227
It's 23.66.
68
00:06:02,329 --> 00:06:04,629
24, 25, 30 and 40 dollars.
69
00:06:04,732 --> 00:06:07,399
[ted salci] marineland was
the first of its kind
70
00:06:07,501 --> 00:06:10,068
To hire as many people
as it does every year.
71
00:06:10,170 --> 00:06:12,637
I believe about 800 people
a year.
72
00:06:12,740 --> 00:06:16,641
Very, very strong commitment
to the public in niagara
for... For jobs.
73
00:06:16,744 --> 00:06:22,414
And more than half of the hotel
rooms are filled in this area
because of this attraction.
74
00:06:22,883 --> 00:06:25,951
[man 2] it's been a very special
week for us here in marineland,
75
00:06:26,053 --> 00:06:29,921
A week of special thrills
and a week of special happiness.
76
00:06:30,491 --> 00:06:36,495
[phil] I got to work with orcas
and dolphins and seals
and sea lions,
77
00:06:36,597 --> 00:06:42,067
But then there was this
low rumbling rumor that we might
be getting a walrus
78
00:06:42,169 --> 00:06:45,804
And I'll never forget it because
I remember saying,
"well, where would we put it?
79
00:06:45,906 --> 00:06:47,572
Like, we don't have
a walrus thing."
80
00:06:48,542 --> 00:06:53,178
A couple of days later,
we show up to work
and there's a baby walrus.
81
00:06:53,914 --> 00:06:58,083
[soft music playing]
82
00:06:58,719 --> 00:07:00,485
"look, she keeps smooshing
against me. Look at this.
83
00:07:00,587 --> 00:07:01,920
What do you call this,
smooshing?
84
00:07:02,022 --> 00:07:03,822
But she keeps...
Look, smooshing."
85
00:07:03,924 --> 00:07:05,957
Uh, her name just
became smooshi.
86
00:07:09,663 --> 00:07:14,299
We were undergoing a procedure
where we were trying to get
blood work done.
87
00:07:14,768 --> 00:07:18,603
So the procedure is that you put
the net on the walruses
88
00:07:18,705 --> 00:07:22,674
And then you wrestle them down
and then a vet draws the blood.
89
00:07:22,776 --> 00:07:26,144
Smooshi was barking
and she's climbing the trainers,
90
00:07:26,246 --> 00:07:30,048
So I sought to move her away
from the scene.
91
00:07:30,150 --> 00:07:32,350
All I did was, I'm tapping
her... I'm tapping her
to get her attention
92
00:07:32,453 --> 00:07:35,454
While she's trying to
smash everybody
and she looked up at me
93
00:07:35,556 --> 00:07:39,891
And I put my hands
in front of her face
and she took this big breath
94
00:07:39,993 --> 00:07:45,363
And her nostrils went big
and wide and her eyes got big
and at that exact moment,
95
00:07:45,466 --> 00:07:48,366
Unbeknownst to me,
I don't know this, yet,
but I've imprinted on her.
96
00:07:48,469 --> 00:07:52,103
It was this and that was the
exact moment, no question,
97
00:07:52,206 --> 00:07:54,439
The window was this big,
it happened.
98
00:07:57,778 --> 00:07:59,444
And, in that moment,
I became her mom.
99
00:08:02,249 --> 00:08:03,582
Hey, smoosh.
100
00:08:11,191 --> 00:08:14,459
Pretty snow hats.
Look at your snow hat, huh?
101
00:08:14,561 --> 00:08:16,828
Look at your snow hat.
Look at your snow hat.
102
00:08:18,198 --> 00:08:19,397
That's good.
103
00:08:21,201 --> 00:08:25,837
Hey, walrus, what are you doing?
What are you doing, huh?
104
00:08:26,473 --> 00:08:30,642
What are you doing?
Okay, that's a good girl.
105
00:08:33,714 --> 00:08:40,452
She was like, uh,
just the sweetest
and most perfect little...
106
00:08:40,554 --> 00:08:43,188
I guess best described
as ball of innocence.
107
00:08:43,290 --> 00:08:45,557
She was... She could just...
108
00:08:45,659 --> 00:08:48,226
And it's not because she's
the apple of my eye
that she could do no wrong,
109
00:08:48,295 --> 00:08:53,331
It wasn't like that,
it was like... She was...
She was a brat.
110
00:08:53,433 --> 00:08:56,034
I have more questions
and answers about this.
111
00:08:56,136 --> 00:08:59,271
This is really a phenomenon
and there is something called
imprinting in animals
112
00:08:59,373 --> 00:09:01,706
When baby animals
bond to their mothers
113
00:09:01,808 --> 00:09:04,676
And it's conceivable
she thinks of phil
as her mother.
114
00:09:04,778 --> 00:09:07,245
[inaudible].
115
00:09:07,347 --> 00:09:09,614
[phil] I mean,
our hands are full suddenly.
We're walrusland.
116
00:09:09,716 --> 00:09:12,884
Look. Look at buttercup.
117
00:09:12,986 --> 00:09:17,656
Sonja, zeus and apollo,
smooshi and buttercup.
118
00:09:19,726 --> 00:09:22,294
When it was established
that I was the walrus whisperer,
119
00:09:22,396 --> 00:09:26,064
It was because I could
physically have four or five
walruses in front of me
120
00:09:26,166 --> 00:09:28,433
And I could say, "let's go!"
121
00:09:29,770 --> 00:09:33,204
[cheering]
122
00:09:37,311 --> 00:09:40,478
A woman by the name
of elizabeth shearer,
123
00:09:40,581 --> 00:09:43,682
She was looking for any type
of cute story she could run
on a valentine's day article
124
00:09:43,784 --> 00:09:45,050
In the toronto star.
125
00:09:45,986 --> 00:09:49,287
And so in 2007
that first article ran
and thereafter
126
00:09:49,389 --> 00:09:54,225
It just became this ever-growing
momentum-building thing.
127
00:09:54,328 --> 00:10:00,065
It progressed to a different
live morning radio interviews
128
00:10:00,167 --> 00:10:05,003
And then, eventually, uh,
it would be a story
in cbc's the national
129
00:10:05,105 --> 00:10:08,607
And then, eventually, it would
even get to jimmy kimmel,
like late night talk show.
130
00:10:08,709 --> 00:10:10,942
This is a heartwarming tale
of...
131
00:10:11,044 --> 00:10:12,911
And it's a kind of bond that cn
develop between animals
and people.
132
00:10:13,013 --> 00:10:15,714
For three years, this trainer
at marineland in ontario
133
00:10:15,816 --> 00:10:17,816
Has been working
with a walrus named--
134
00:10:17,918 --> 00:10:21,620
Smooshi is a walrus who lives
at niagara falls, marineland.
135
00:10:21,722 --> 00:10:26,191
He is at the center of
a love triangle between
his girlfriend, and a walrus.
136
00:10:26,293 --> 00:10:32,397
[man 3] a 900-pound female
walrus chases a woman away
from her handsome, male handle.
137
00:10:32,499 --> 00:10:34,566
You love me, moosh?
Do you, yeah? Give me a kiss.
138
00:10:35,602 --> 00:10:37,969
[soft music playing]
139
00:10:38,605 --> 00:10:41,373
Christine was a trainer
at marineland
for as long as I was.
140
00:10:41,475 --> 00:10:43,174
She started a few months
before me.
141
00:10:44,711 --> 00:10:47,212
She was kiska's primary trainer.
142
00:10:51,351 --> 00:10:55,086
One of the first persons
that I crossed paths with
was christine.
143
00:10:55,188 --> 00:11:01,893
Uh, we were at a doorway
in, uh, in the trainer's room
and, uh, she had purple hair.
144
00:11:01,995 --> 00:11:05,096
And, you know, she's one of the
first people that said hi to me
145
00:11:05,198 --> 00:11:07,632
And if I'm not mistaken,
one of the first things
she said was like,
146
00:11:07,701 --> 00:11:10,001
"oh, what kind of music
do you listen to?"
147
00:11:10,103 --> 00:11:12,404
-I always liked christine.
-Yes, it's true.
148
00:11:12,506 --> 00:11:14,305
[phil] I always joked around
every time she came around--
149
00:11:14,408 --> 00:11:16,741
You have to tell the stories.
150
00:11:16,843 --> 00:11:18,610
[phil] I would tell people...
Like, if anyone come around,
like she... She...
151
00:11:18,712 --> 00:11:20,945
I worked at the front in the
stadium where you do the show.
152
00:11:21,048 --> 00:11:23,648
She was... Her focus was with
the killer whales at the back.
153
00:11:24,317 --> 00:11:26,551
And you always flirted with me.
154
00:11:26,653 --> 00:11:28,720
[phil] I would flirt with
christine. So what I would do is
anyone would show up--
155
00:11:28,822 --> 00:11:30,789
-Only me.
-[phil] in the front,
they were coming
156
00:11:30,891 --> 00:11:33,091
To pick up our garbage
or something, I'd say,
"oh, where's christine?"
157
00:11:33,193 --> 00:11:35,226
They'd be like, "oh,
she's at the back." I'd be like,
"tell her I said hi."
158
00:11:35,328 --> 00:11:37,495
Yeah, and that's what everyone
says to me
when they come see me,
159
00:11:37,597 --> 00:11:39,297
"oh, by the way,
phil said hi."
160
00:11:39,399 --> 00:11:41,766
-[phil] yeah, I'd do that a lot.
-Always.
161
00:11:41,868 --> 00:11:43,268
Do you remember
what you used to say?
162
00:11:43,370 --> 00:11:45,270
"oh, hey. Oh, hi crids."
163
00:11:45,372 --> 00:11:47,105
Oh, wait, no you didn't
call me crids yet.
164
00:11:47,207 --> 00:11:49,274
"oh, hi christine." and then
you would flip your whistle.
165
00:11:49,376 --> 00:11:51,142
[phil] yeah, well,
that's my [inaudible].
166
00:11:55,082 --> 00:11:57,849
I'm getting tears in my eyes.
It's so funny.
167
00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,020
-[phil]
we ran the show at marineland.
-It's true.
168
00:12:02,122 --> 00:12:03,321
[phil] oh, yeah.
169
00:12:04,424 --> 00:12:06,558
-Are you recording me?
-[man 4] yeah, because it says
recording at the top.
170
00:12:06,660 --> 00:12:08,193
That's right. Now push it
again and see if it stops.
171
00:12:09,062 --> 00:12:11,629
You know, over time you become
good at what you do.
172
00:12:11,732 --> 00:12:15,300
You enjoy the company of others
and the place becomes
like a family-like environment.
173
00:12:15,902 --> 00:12:19,037
You know, I loved them all.
We really were
a tight-knit group.
174
00:12:19,139 --> 00:12:22,006
It was a... Quite a perfect fit
for me, the job.
175
00:12:22,576 --> 00:12:24,175
[whistling]
176
00:12:24,277 --> 00:12:26,244
[orca calls]
177
00:12:26,847 --> 00:12:33,585
Johnny, john holer's son who was
a good friend of mine,
he had a good heart, good sense.
178
00:12:34,821 --> 00:12:40,325
Johnny liked me because, uh, I
was someone he could smoke
cigarettes and swear around.
179
00:12:40,427 --> 00:12:43,962
If I needed something
it was a waste to go to john.
I would just go to johnny.
180
00:12:44,064 --> 00:12:48,533
Johnny would get into trouble
a lot of times for me,
specifically for me.
181
00:12:50,704 --> 00:12:52,370
[suspenseful music playing]
182
00:12:52,939 --> 00:12:55,640
[doug] the only thing that we're
reading in the local media
183
00:12:56,209 --> 00:12:59,711
Were stories about the birth
of another baby whale.
184
00:12:59,813 --> 00:13:02,413
They were getting that
kind of coverage.
185
00:13:02,516 --> 00:13:06,017
I took a look in our own files
of the st. Catharines standard,
186
00:13:06,119 --> 00:13:08,787
There was one story
that struck me,
187
00:13:10,056 --> 00:13:14,492
About one particular whale, uh,
at marineland.
188
00:13:16,029 --> 00:13:18,496
The headline was
189
00:13:18,598 --> 00:13:24,736
"baby jane upset
injures herself."
190
00:13:27,474 --> 00:13:31,743
I mean a picture tells a huge
story and that one did for me.
191
00:13:32,813 --> 00:13:38,449
When I... I look back on who was
protesting out there and who
was doing it first, nafa.
192
00:13:38,552 --> 00:13:43,154
That's niagara action
for animals, and it was always
catherine ens
193
00:13:43,290 --> 00:13:47,926
Who was the leader
of that organization
in the late 1980s.
194
00:13:48,595 --> 00:13:51,930
I'm an anti-speciesist.
I guess that's the best way
to describe it.
195
00:13:52,032 --> 00:13:54,432
I would like to see animals
stop being exploited,
196
00:13:54,501 --> 00:13:57,936
Stop being used,
um, for anything.
197
00:13:58,038 --> 00:14:01,806
I would like to see no
more marine mammals
in captivity, period.
198
00:14:01,908 --> 00:14:03,775
That's... That's the
bottom line.
199
00:14:04,811 --> 00:14:08,947
[phil] I didn't like the idea
that these guys are telling me
what I'm doing wrong
200
00:14:09,049 --> 00:14:10,849
And they didn't even know
the half of it.
201
00:14:10,951 --> 00:14:13,852
I'm just like,
"you guys got nothing."
that's the best part.
202
00:14:13,954 --> 00:14:17,488
Like, they were saying,
"these animals just shouldn't be
in captivity."
203
00:14:18,091 --> 00:14:20,191
It's like okay, well,
that's an easy one.
204
00:14:20,627 --> 00:14:24,796
You've got, uh, 20,000 people
on this side of the fence
paying 50 dollars a head
205
00:14:24,898 --> 00:14:28,967
Saying that they should be
in captivity and you got
12 people saying no.
206
00:14:29,069 --> 00:14:31,803
[indistinct chatter]
207
00:14:35,242 --> 00:14:37,475
[man 5] activists fought
with police today at marineland
208
00:14:37,577 --> 00:14:41,412
During a demonstration
to protest
whale and dolphin captivity.
209
00:14:41,514 --> 00:14:44,816
American activist ben white
was defiant till the end.
210
00:14:44,918 --> 00:14:48,219
You don't go to marineland,
please.
Think about what you're doing.
211
00:14:48,321 --> 00:14:55,093
We have the best record
of all the parks, marine parks,
212
00:14:55,195 --> 00:14:57,896
In north america
as far as keeping
these animals alive.
213
00:14:58,365 --> 00:15:02,500
[dan] I was quite a number of
years distant from marineland
at that time
214
00:15:02,602 --> 00:15:06,271
And, in my mind,
I had become anti-captivity.
215
00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:11,042
I spoke to captivity in general.
I didn't slam marineland.
216
00:15:11,144 --> 00:15:13,211
I knew guys that
worked there still
217
00:15:13,313 --> 00:15:15,280
And... And they were doing
the best they could
with what they had
218
00:15:15,382 --> 00:15:17,782
And that's when the problem
started with john holer.
219
00:15:18,618 --> 00:15:22,620
I had to work at marineland
in my capacity with the hydro
220
00:15:22,722 --> 00:15:25,290
Which is what I was doing
at that time.
221
00:15:25,392 --> 00:15:28,393
So we had to go on the property
and do a job
222
00:15:28,495 --> 00:15:31,496
And I was talking to a couple
of guys I used to work with.
223
00:15:31,598 --> 00:15:34,232
And one of the guys said,
"oh, well, if john sees you,
he's going to go crazy."
224
00:15:34,334 --> 00:15:40,805
And sure enough, john showed up
and veins bulging out of his...
Of his forehead,
225
00:15:40,907 --> 00:15:43,741
He... He threatened to put
a bullet in my brain.
226
00:15:43,843 --> 00:15:46,144
"if I see you
on this property again."
227
00:15:46,246 --> 00:15:51,082
One of the very first times
we were, uh, leafleting
at the, um, entrance gate,
228
00:15:51,184 --> 00:15:55,620
He came out and there were three
of us there and he said words
to the effect that
229
00:15:55,722 --> 00:15:58,256
He had a gun
in the back of his truck
and that he would use it.
230
00:15:58,358 --> 00:16:00,892
And he was very angry.
231
00:16:00,994 --> 00:16:05,296
In fact, I thought he might be
on the verge of like suffering
some kind of heart attack.
232
00:16:05,398 --> 00:16:08,266
Like, his face just went
completely beet red.
233
00:16:10,170 --> 00:16:14,072
This is the closest I've ever
been to evil in my life,
like, literally.
234
00:16:14,174 --> 00:16:16,274
[man 6] come on, he's just
doing his job, man.
235
00:16:16,376 --> 00:16:18,209
You're lucky you don't have
a knife. I'm lucky
you don't have a knife.
236
00:16:18,311 --> 00:16:20,445
-So you would stab me
if you had a knife?
-That's right.
237
00:16:20,547 --> 00:16:22,613
-Wow.
-Yeah, right here.
238
00:16:22,716 --> 00:16:24,282
-Oh, you'd kill me right here?
-Oh, I would bury you
right here.
239
00:16:24,384 --> 00:16:26,317
You would bury me right here?
240
00:16:26,419 --> 00:16:27,819
-You wouldn't even bother to
put me in the mass graves.
-No.
241
00:16:32,792 --> 00:16:35,126
[doug] he was so proud
of what he had done
242
00:16:35,228 --> 00:16:38,830
And he had received so much
positive reinforcement for it
in the community--
243
00:16:38,932 --> 00:16:42,567
Sir, you want a leaflet?
All right, have a nice day.
244
00:16:42,669 --> 00:16:46,237
See, john, all we're doing
is asking.
People don't have to take it.
245
00:16:46,339 --> 00:16:50,908
We don't need to take it.
You're nothing, but uh, uh, uh--
246
00:16:51,011 --> 00:16:52,777
-A whale. A whale.
-An idiot. An idiot.
247
00:16:52,879 --> 00:16:55,446
[doug] he just didn't get why
there were now people coming out
248
00:16:55,548 --> 00:16:56,981
And saying,
"no, this isn't right."
249
00:16:57,083 --> 00:16:58,349
He's starting to get
a little furious here.
250
00:17:00,387 --> 00:17:02,220
[tranquil music playing]
251
00:17:02,789 --> 00:17:07,925
Once upon a time
marineland had...
Had a lot of power and control.
252
00:17:09,429 --> 00:17:12,263
The city worked in hand with
what marineland wanted.
253
00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:17,535
[man 7] john holer has a...
A large portion of the land
254
00:17:17,637 --> 00:17:20,138
Between niagara falls
and the village of chippawa,
255
00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:21,906
Probably about a thousand acres.
256
00:17:24,277 --> 00:17:26,978
[man 8] you know when you're
called the king of niagara,
257
00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,448
You start to think you're a king
of sorts, of a place.
258
00:17:33,486 --> 00:17:38,523
[naomi rose] there is a breed
of person, man...
There's a breed of man,
259
00:17:38,625 --> 00:17:41,759
Egomaniacal, narcissistic.
260
00:17:42,262 --> 00:17:48,633
They have a tendency to run
safari wildlife parks
and dolphinariums.
261
00:17:48,735 --> 00:17:51,202
There's a guy in the
canary islands who's like that.
262
00:17:51,304 --> 00:17:53,671
There's a guy
in the dominican republic
who's like that.
263
00:17:54,107 --> 00:17:58,109
And there was john holer
who was the king of all of them
264
00:17:58,211 --> 00:18:02,080
In terms of that
hoarding tendency.
265
00:18:03,216 --> 00:18:06,184
[waves crashing]
266
00:18:06,820 --> 00:18:10,421
[phil] normally, you don't know
the backstory of how an animal
comes into possession.
267
00:18:10,523 --> 00:18:12,190
You don't know that
much about them.
268
00:18:13,827 --> 00:18:16,094
Smooshi spent some time
at a russian facility.
269
00:18:22,502 --> 00:18:28,906
It's widely accepted that
what happens, uh, is
these captors will storm a beach
270
00:18:29,008 --> 00:18:30,808
Which will cause a panic.
271
00:18:36,783 --> 00:18:40,451
And in all that,
there's a corralling
of the calves
272
00:18:41,654 --> 00:18:47,792
And there are several scenarios
where the mother is slaughtered
and the baby abducted.
273
00:18:52,265 --> 00:18:53,798
[blows]
274
00:18:58,905 --> 00:19:02,340
[soft music playing]
275
00:19:05,245 --> 00:19:07,545
[indistinct chatter]
276
00:19:07,647 --> 00:19:10,481
They're put in these quite small
wooden boxes
277
00:19:10,583 --> 00:19:14,652
And they're... They're merely
taken off a cargo plane in, uh,
at the airport
278
00:19:14,754 --> 00:19:17,488
And then driven to marineland
where they're unloaded.
279
00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:21,926
Uh, all of which happens
overnight when nobody except
for the select few people know.
280
00:19:24,998 --> 00:19:27,665
Every couple of hours,
you show up with a warm bottle
and hope she eats
281
00:19:27,767 --> 00:19:29,467
And, eventually,
you have fish in this hand.
282
00:19:29,569 --> 00:19:31,769
So you're going, bottle,
bottle, bottle, fish.
283
00:19:31,871 --> 00:19:33,804
Try it... You want to try it?
No. Okay, bottle, bottle,
bottle, fish.
284
00:19:33,907 --> 00:19:35,673
You want to try it?
Oh, fish. Oh, good.
Bottle, bottle.
285
00:19:35,775 --> 00:19:38,442
The next job for the next few
months is get them on fish.
286
00:19:38,545 --> 00:19:40,378
Get them off the bottle
and on fish.
287
00:19:41,881 --> 00:19:45,550
All training is based on
food deprivation, all of it.
288
00:19:46,786 --> 00:19:50,121
If a trainer or anybody
in this... In the industry has
said to you, "we don't do that.
289
00:19:50,223 --> 00:19:53,224
We reinforce positive behavior.
We, blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah..."
290
00:19:53,326 --> 00:19:55,526
Whatever which way that
they try to define
what it is that they do,
291
00:19:55,628 --> 00:19:57,895
They've convinced
themselves of
they're not lying.
292
00:19:58,565 --> 00:19:59,830
[seal calls]
293
00:20:00,633 --> 00:20:06,003
The animals live behind
these bars on this very short,
294
00:20:06,105 --> 00:20:08,839
Maybe six, seven-foot platform
295
00:20:08,942 --> 00:20:11,842
Into these very shallow
and small pools.
296
00:20:13,012 --> 00:20:17,215
That's their existence 24/7
unless they're performing.
297
00:20:17,317 --> 00:20:19,350
The only reason an animal would
be taken out
298
00:20:19,452 --> 00:20:23,654
Would be either for training,
uh, medical purposes,
or to perform.
299
00:20:23,756 --> 00:20:26,624
And whether
it's born in captivity or not,
300
00:20:26,726 --> 00:20:30,328
It carries the weight and stress
of... Of that trauma
301
00:20:30,430 --> 00:20:33,231
Of being out of its element,
every single day.
302
00:20:33,333 --> 00:20:36,000
That's abuse.
That's an abused animal.
303
00:20:39,105 --> 00:20:43,140
[soft music playing]
304
00:21:05,198 --> 00:21:10,468
There comes a point where
suddenly you used to make sense
of things you can't no more,
305
00:21:10,570 --> 00:21:12,103
The excuses are gone.
306
00:21:13,606 --> 00:21:15,840
I know that the animals
at marineland are medicated
307
00:21:15,942 --> 00:21:18,109
Because I was the one
giving them the drugs.
308
00:21:18,544 --> 00:21:23,047
Take a fish, you break the
membrane, take your pills
and you stuff them in.
309
00:21:23,916 --> 00:21:25,950
Obviously, you get into valium
310
00:21:26,052 --> 00:21:30,254
And we tried various forms
of actual
like human antidepressants.
311
00:21:31,357 --> 00:21:33,758
[soft music playing]
312
00:21:36,496 --> 00:21:41,332
In September of 2011,
there was a, uh, breakdown
in the water disinfection unit,
313
00:21:41,434 --> 00:21:44,068
The ozone generator broke, uh,
which meant
314
00:21:44,170 --> 00:21:47,605
We now had to rely on
the increased use of chlorine.
315
00:21:48,708 --> 00:21:53,377
[soft music playing]
316
00:21:55,148 --> 00:22:01,252
Sea lions had to get taken out
of the water, isolated in dry
environments for months on end.
317
00:22:01,354 --> 00:22:03,688
Well, their skin was just
falling off,
their skin was bleeding,
318
00:22:03,790 --> 00:22:06,290
It was dry, it was crusty,
they were in their own filth.
319
00:22:06,392 --> 00:22:09,493
We couldn't clean, uh, their
little stations adequately
enough.
320
00:22:09,595 --> 00:22:12,663
They were writhing in pain.
We couldn't get enough meds
to them.
321
00:22:16,402 --> 00:22:18,903
Well, smooshi was not immune
to the effects of the water.
322
00:22:19,005 --> 00:22:23,474
She had chemical burns.
So much of her fur
was coming off.
323
00:22:23,543 --> 00:22:26,577
Her rear flippers were really
red and inflamed.
324
00:22:26,679 --> 00:22:28,479
You bring the vet down,
you're like, "just look at her."
325
00:22:28,581 --> 00:22:30,815
"oh, oh, yeah, ee-uh.
That's chemical burn.
326
00:22:30,917 --> 00:22:34,752
Ah, ooh. Okay,
better get some antibiotics."
you're like, "oh, wait a second.
327
00:22:35,922 --> 00:22:38,255
Shouldn't we be getting the
chlorine out of the water?"
328
00:22:38,358 --> 00:22:40,791
What do you mean antibiotics?
Shouldn't we be
dumping this water?
329
00:22:45,565 --> 00:22:48,899
We lose our mind about it.
We call the owner,
"get in here and address this."
330
00:22:49,001 --> 00:22:51,635
"okay, I'm going to."
the next day you show up
it's even worse.
331
00:22:51,738 --> 00:22:55,973
I sat down next to my supervisor
at the time and said, "how the
hell can we continue like this?"
332
00:22:56,075 --> 00:22:57,942
And he said, "you know what
I like about you, phil?
333
00:22:58,044 --> 00:23:00,578
The more shit we throw at you,
the more you keep coming back."
334
00:23:01,247 --> 00:23:04,281
I fucking pulled out my phone,
I texted the vet.
"I just fucking quit."
335
00:23:04,350 --> 00:23:06,050
"no, you did not."
"yes, I did."
336
00:23:06,152 --> 00:23:08,452
She e-mails the cfo, says,
"no. You cannot let phil quit."
337
00:23:08,588 --> 00:23:11,322
She says smooshi needs him,
echo needs him."
she lists animals.
338
00:23:11,424 --> 00:23:14,125
"phil is the best.
Do not let him go."
339
00:23:17,630 --> 00:23:20,531
On my very last day as I am
literally packing everything up,
340
00:23:20,633 --> 00:23:23,367
John decided finally
it's time to dump that water.
341
00:23:24,137 --> 00:23:26,103
I don't know that he was
doing it otherwise.
342
00:23:27,073 --> 00:23:32,510
Prior to my leaving, I insisted
that I have a meeting
with cfo, tracy and john
343
00:23:32,612 --> 00:23:37,681
And, uh, I stressed to them, um,
that given my relationship
with smooshi,
344
00:23:37,784 --> 00:23:39,884
It's in their best interest,
of course,
and they acknowledged,
345
00:23:39,986 --> 00:23:42,853
Uh, that I remain,
uh, available to them.
346
00:23:43,689 --> 00:23:46,056
My understanding was firm,
"come back any time."
347
00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:52,830
So in accordance
to our agreement,
348
00:23:52,932 --> 00:23:58,402
I showed up to marineland,
but they weren't letting me in.
349
00:23:59,472 --> 00:24:05,009
Well, it just so happened as...
As a one of those odd,
350
00:24:05,111 --> 00:24:08,412
Perfect scenarios to unfold,
351
00:24:08,514 --> 00:24:11,715
Uh, johnny suddenly appears
and he puts his arm around me
and says, "so, what's going on?"
352
00:24:11,818 --> 00:24:14,151
I said, "they're not... They're
not letting me in the park."
353
00:24:14,253 --> 00:24:15,753
He says, "you're like family
here, phil. Of course,
you're getting in the park."
354
00:24:17,023 --> 00:24:19,957
[soft music playing]
355
00:24:22,061 --> 00:24:27,198
And I walk right back to smooshi
and, ah, she's in rough shape.
356
00:24:33,339 --> 00:24:36,040
[calls]
357
00:24:40,513 --> 00:24:42,112
And so I decided to speak.
358
00:24:44,116 --> 00:24:45,950
That was the choice.
359
00:24:46,052 --> 00:24:48,919
Walk away, move on,
get a job doing whatever
360
00:24:49,021 --> 00:24:53,090
And look the other way,
or save smooshi.
361
00:24:55,161 --> 00:25:00,164
[gloomy music playing]
362
00:25:22,121 --> 00:25:24,989
That is the incident that
changed everything.
363
00:25:27,326 --> 00:25:29,493
[soft music playing]
364
00:25:29,595 --> 00:25:32,296
[woman 2] former staff members
are leveling some
shocking allegations
365
00:25:32,398 --> 00:25:37,268
Of animal neglect against the
popular niagara falls
theme park, marineland.
366
00:25:37,370 --> 00:25:40,871
[phil] over the course of my
tenure at marineland,
I was witness to things
367
00:25:40,973 --> 00:25:47,444
That people would never imagine
a place like marineland
to be capable of.
368
00:25:47,547 --> 00:25:53,317
I heard what phil was saying
and I could back up everything
phil was saying was the truth.
369
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:58,122
I was seeing animals suffering
on a daily basis there
when I left.
370
00:26:00,092 --> 00:26:04,862
The basic example I always give
is the, quote, unquote,
"beluga rodeo."
371
00:26:04,964 --> 00:26:08,933
There's like 10-12 belugas
in a pool, they drop the water
down to knee level
372
00:26:09,035 --> 00:26:13,537
And then all the trainers run in
and jump on top of a beluga
to restrain it.
373
00:26:13,639 --> 00:26:17,508
[glen owen] one of the beluga
whales, peanut, was not taking
well to the scenario
374
00:26:17,610 --> 00:26:19,910
And, uh,
she started freaking out.
375
00:26:20,012 --> 00:26:23,280
And, um, started thrashing
her tail against the ground.
376
00:26:23,382 --> 00:26:25,516
And then the vet will come in
and give it an injection.
377
00:26:26,152 --> 00:26:30,387
While it's happening,
peanut is, uh,
gushing out blood.
378
00:26:30,489 --> 00:26:32,056
The water will turn red.
379
00:26:32,158 --> 00:26:35,392
At which point,
chunks are coming off her tail
380
00:26:35,494 --> 00:26:38,929
And through it all
we are getting covered in blood.
381
00:26:39,765 --> 00:26:43,734
While all this is happening,
the head vet who was
looking over the procedure,
382
00:26:43,836 --> 00:26:48,372
Shouted up to john,
who was up above to call it off.
383
00:26:48,474 --> 00:26:51,742
We're not doing this anymore.
And john said, "no, keep going."
384
00:26:53,512 --> 00:26:55,245
So we did, right?
385
00:26:55,348 --> 00:26:57,815
You find out other things like
seaworld has them trained
386
00:26:57,917 --> 00:27:04,021
To just come in and present
their tail without any need
for restraint or anything
387
00:27:04,123 --> 00:27:06,590
And the vet can just inject them
and they swim away,
388
00:27:06,692 --> 00:27:12,129
But at marineland being the
wild, wild west that it was that
was how we had to do it.
389
00:27:13,466 --> 00:27:17,201
[man 9] now we have asked
marineland and its owner
to come on today's show
390
00:27:17,303 --> 00:27:19,436
And tell their side
of the story.
391
00:27:19,538 --> 00:27:25,609
They replied that there is,
"no other side to this story.
392
00:27:25,711 --> 00:27:28,245
There is no story."
393
00:27:29,982 --> 00:27:32,149
[upbeat music playing]
394
00:27:33,085 --> 00:27:35,986
Four or five dolphins
passed away when I was there.
395
00:27:36,822 --> 00:27:41,925
A walrus passed away when
I was there, lots of belugas
passed away when I worked there.
396
00:27:42,028 --> 00:27:45,095
[man 10] where do marineland's
animals go when they die?
397
00:27:45,197 --> 00:27:48,866
A published report says,
thousands of bodies from
deer to whales are buried
398
00:27:48,968 --> 00:27:51,769
In mass graves here,
on the park property.
399
00:27:51,871 --> 00:27:58,609
[angel] kandu, nootka, athena
and hudson are all killer whales
that passed away.
400
00:28:07,853 --> 00:28:13,157
It was shocking, like, you just
don't think that they'd die,
especially the young ones.
401
00:28:13,259 --> 00:28:17,061
[man 10] in response,
marineland's head veterinarian
gave global news a tour
402
00:28:17,163 --> 00:28:20,564
Of their facilities
insisting the animals there
are well taken care of.
403
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,301
That was really the first
inside look that the public got
404
00:28:24,403 --> 00:28:27,071
On what someone's perception
of the inside was.
405
00:28:27,573 --> 00:28:34,411
[doug] they turned a local story
into a national, if not
international, news story.
406
00:28:34,847 --> 00:28:39,483
You go from the niagara action
for animals people
doing their protest,
407
00:28:39,585 --> 00:28:44,688
Where there'd be maybe
50 of them to the whole front
of the park being full.
408
00:28:44,790 --> 00:28:46,890
[applauding]
409
00:28:46,992 --> 00:28:51,261
Uh, there's a walrus back there.
Her name is smooshi.
410
00:28:55,434 --> 00:28:57,101
She's the one
that I think about...
411
00:29:02,208 --> 00:29:03,373
And I gotta get her
out of there.
412
00:29:05,544 --> 00:29:09,780
[catherine] at that time
there was no fence around the
perimeter of the parking lot.
413
00:29:10,382 --> 00:29:12,149
There was a lot of energy
that day.
414
00:29:12,251 --> 00:29:15,619
People just got carried away
in the moment.
415
00:29:15,721 --> 00:29:19,456
Shut it down!
Shut it down!
Shut it down!
416
00:29:19,558 --> 00:29:22,559
[woman 3] hundreds of protesters
plowed their way
through the gates
417
00:29:22,661 --> 00:29:27,097
Chasing down marineland owner
john holer who was behind
the wheel of that gray truck.
418
00:29:27,199 --> 00:29:30,868
[all] arrest, arrest,
arrest john holer!
419
00:29:30,970 --> 00:29:34,371
Arrest, arrest,
arrest john holer!
420
00:29:34,473 --> 00:29:38,408
-Arrest, arrest--
-leave the property now please.
421
00:29:38,511 --> 00:29:42,813
[all] shut it down!
Shut it down!
Shut it down!
422
00:29:42,915 --> 00:29:46,250
-Shut it down!
-It's a bit of a shock,
but in a way that you think,
423
00:29:46,352 --> 00:29:49,119
"yes, animal liberation
is around the corner."
424
00:29:49,221 --> 00:29:50,721
[soft music playing]
425
00:29:51,423 --> 00:29:54,925
If by virtue of perfect timing
johnny doesn't see me
rejected at the gate
426
00:29:55,027 --> 00:29:57,494
And personally escort me
into the park that day,
427
00:29:57,596 --> 00:29:59,596
I don't see smooshi
in the condition she's in.
428
00:29:59,698 --> 00:30:02,599
[all] shut it down!
Shut it down!
429
00:30:02,701 --> 00:30:03,767
None of this happens.
430
00:30:03,869 --> 00:30:05,602
[soft music playing]
431
00:30:05,704 --> 00:30:09,873
And, uh, I think johnny was
made to feel the guilt for that.
432
00:30:09,975 --> 00:30:12,543
[indistinct chatter]
433
00:30:12,645 --> 00:30:17,414
I had the greatest hope
for a change with john jr.
434
00:30:17,516 --> 00:30:19,817
Uh, I know he had his issues,
435
00:30:19,919 --> 00:30:23,287
But he was always getting
a... A stonewall from his father
436
00:30:23,389 --> 00:30:29,126
And one of the saddest things
I ever heard was the day that
I heard he had passed away.
437
00:30:29,228 --> 00:30:32,863
It was a... It was a loss
for the... For marineland.
438
00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:36,433
[phil] I remember the last
message johnny sent me.
439
00:30:36,535 --> 00:30:39,803
He said, "I got in a lot of
trouble for letting you
into the park.
440
00:30:39,905 --> 00:30:42,272
Come visit me."
441
00:30:42,374 --> 00:30:46,043
And I didn't reply to the
message, and so it would prove
to be our last words.
442
00:30:47,346 --> 00:30:49,446
[soft music playing]
443
00:30:49,548 --> 00:30:53,851
Eventually, there would be
an excess of 15
whistleblowers speaking out
444
00:30:54,854 --> 00:30:57,588
[tranquil music playing]
445
00:30:59,825 --> 00:31:02,326
And that's when marineland
had decided they'd had enough
446
00:31:02,428 --> 00:31:07,130
And they were going to start
suing people in an effort
to try to stop the bleeding.
447
00:31:07,233 --> 00:31:10,200
They had to make people
scared to speak.
448
00:31:11,103 --> 00:31:15,873
[tranquil music playing]
449
00:31:19,612 --> 00:31:25,883
Yeah, heh, it's still insane,
every time I see that.
450
00:31:26,585 --> 00:31:32,656
In February of 2013,
phil was sued for 1.5 million
dollars by marineland.
451
00:31:32,758 --> 00:31:35,926
[tense music playing]
452
00:31:41,233 --> 00:31:46,169
Mr. Demers and others agreed on
or about October 7, 2012,
453
00:31:46,272 --> 00:31:51,208
To unlawfully gain entry
into marineland in order to
steal smooshi the walrus.
454
00:31:51,677 --> 00:31:54,511
[upbeat music playing]
455
00:31:55,614 --> 00:31:58,882
Phil's case is one where he's
been sued and accused of,
456
00:31:58,984 --> 00:32:01,585
Essentially trespassing
on marineland's property
457
00:32:01,687 --> 00:32:04,154
And interfering with
the economic relations
458
00:32:04,256 --> 00:32:06,523
Between marineland
and its customers.
459
00:32:06,625 --> 00:32:11,628
And this all seems to be drawn
from a particular protest
in October of 2012
460
00:32:11,730 --> 00:32:16,800
That they took issue with
and they say that... That phil
was trespassing on that day.
461
00:32:16,902 --> 00:32:19,169
Phil disagrees with that
and denies it,
462
00:32:19,271 --> 00:32:23,106
But, um, it's not a
particularly complicated set of
facts to get to the bottom of.
463
00:32:26,478 --> 00:32:29,346
[phil] I come from a place
called welland, ontario,
and I'm frenchman.
464
00:32:29,448 --> 00:32:31,815
I mean, it's probably
another thing to stress,
465
00:32:31,917 --> 00:32:35,285
But I don't know any other way
to deal with things
other than sort of fight it out.
466
00:32:35,721 --> 00:32:38,422
I'm weaponizing marineland's
intent to ruin my life.
467
00:32:38,524 --> 00:32:43,393
I took the sword, I put my hands
on it as they tried to do this,
too... I cut myself, right?
468
00:32:43,495 --> 00:32:46,430
I pulled it from them,
turned it around. [zaps]
469
00:32:47,166 --> 00:32:49,232
[joe rogan] what's the correct
pronunciation
of your last name demers?
470
00:32:49,335 --> 00:32:50,233
-[phil] demers.
-[joe] demers.
471
00:32:50,336 --> 00:32:51,702
[phil] demers works.
472
00:32:51,804 --> 00:32:53,337
You're known as the
walrus whisperer.
473
00:32:53,439 --> 00:32:55,973
That's you... Your handle
on twitter.
474
00:32:56,775 --> 00:33:00,143
[phil]
a person like me can launch
a crowd-sourcing campaign
475
00:33:00,245 --> 00:33:02,612
And raise monies
to fight this lawsuit.
476
00:33:02,715 --> 00:33:04,348
I have a lot of supporters,
an army almost.
477
00:33:05,050 --> 00:33:08,986
[upbeat music playing]
478
00:33:09,888 --> 00:33:12,456
[joe rogan] I think you opened
up a lot of people's eyes to it.
479
00:33:12,558 --> 00:33:16,827
I got a lot of tweets
from people, um,
and facebook messages
480
00:33:16,929 --> 00:33:19,296
That said they would never go
to marineland again.
481
00:33:19,765 --> 00:33:22,666
[upbeat music playing]
482
00:33:28,007 --> 00:33:31,742
[phil] basically, they want to
take away my right
to, uh, free expression
483
00:33:31,844 --> 00:33:34,344
-And they have my walrus.
-[joe rogan] and they have
your walrus.
484
00:33:35,214 --> 00:33:38,015
[phil] that's their bargaining
chip. That's what they got.
485
00:33:39,184 --> 00:33:44,221
Marineland will threaten
to sue you if you talk to me
or if you publish my words.
486
00:33:44,323 --> 00:33:46,590
It's libel chill.
It's a strategy.
487
00:33:48,260 --> 00:33:50,260
[dan] what have you gotten me
into, phil?
488
00:33:50,362 --> 00:33:53,096
Phil lives just across
the river behind me.
489
00:33:53,198 --> 00:33:54,331
[phil] get a lawyer.
490
00:33:54,433 --> 00:33:56,099
[laughs]
491
00:33:56,201 --> 00:33:59,569
He said, "get a lawyer."
it's not what I want to hear.
492
00:34:00,739 --> 00:34:03,173
[upbeat music playing]
493
00:34:08,947 --> 00:34:11,681
[carolynn] I think
it's very hard to go up
against the goliath.
494
00:34:15,454 --> 00:34:18,021
I hate to see somebody ruined
over their beliefs.
495
00:34:18,123 --> 00:34:19,389
[water gushing]
496
00:34:19,491 --> 00:34:24,728
[soft music playing]
497
00:34:32,805 --> 00:34:36,473
[phil] I couldn't be convinced
that marineland would be
without consequence.
498
00:34:36,942 --> 00:34:40,444
[crickets chirping]
499
00:34:46,952 --> 00:34:48,952
[soft music playing]
500
00:34:54,593 --> 00:34:59,429
[tranquil music playing]
501
00:35:07,506 --> 00:35:11,274
It's funny because marineland
alleges that I
plotted to steal a walrus
502
00:35:11,376 --> 00:35:13,143
Which cannot be further
from the truth, of course,
503
00:35:13,245 --> 00:35:19,182
But we did steal this cat, mama,
from marineland because she...
504
00:35:19,284 --> 00:35:21,751
Because she was really,
really, really old.
505
00:35:21,854 --> 00:35:27,657
Lived exclusively outdoors and
we just knew that she would not
live another winter out there.
506
00:35:28,527 --> 00:35:32,796
I guess you call it stealing,
but I would prefer to say
we rescued her.
507
00:35:32,898 --> 00:35:36,166
But now she's a loving kitty
who loves the snugglies.
508
00:35:36,902 --> 00:35:41,805
And she... I mean it sounds
nuts, but she sort of filled
this void that I have now
509
00:35:41,907 --> 00:35:44,474
In being separated from smooshi.
510
00:35:44,910 --> 00:35:49,479
It's okay, mama.
There you go, my mama, okay.
511
00:35:57,189 --> 00:35:59,456
[scraping]
512
00:36:01,193 --> 00:36:04,995
The niagara region is a really
economically depressed place.
513
00:36:05,097 --> 00:36:07,864
I mean, aside from tourism, um,
you know,
514
00:36:07,966 --> 00:36:10,367
It's still trying to figure out
its place in the world.
515
00:36:10,903 --> 00:36:13,003
[tapping]
516
00:36:16,408 --> 00:36:19,910
Since leaving marineland,
it's been bounce job to job,
do whatever you got to do
517
00:36:20,012 --> 00:36:22,512
Just to make sure that you don't
go bankrupt because really,
518
00:36:22,614 --> 00:36:25,415
Bankruptcy to me doesn't
just mean like financial ruin,
519
00:36:25,517 --> 00:36:28,118
It... It means taking away
my voice.
520
00:36:28,220 --> 00:36:31,021
[whirring]
521
00:36:33,292 --> 00:36:35,692
[powers down]
522
00:36:36,228 --> 00:36:39,763
I hate to admit that in a lot
of ways but I do like to fight.
523
00:36:39,865 --> 00:36:43,133
I don't go looking for fights
but fights have always
found a way to find me.
524
00:36:43,635 --> 00:36:47,003
Even as a child, especially,
being a very small child.
525
00:36:47,105 --> 00:36:49,839
Forget the fact that I was
always bullied
or constantly bullied,
526
00:36:49,942 --> 00:36:53,443
But I was also the idiot
that would stick up to bullies
for others
527
00:36:53,545 --> 00:36:55,312
And I lost teeth because of it.
528
00:37:01,119 --> 00:37:07,224
Part of what I do now is I share
videos that people send to me
that they take inside the park.
529
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,093
[woman 4] jesus christ!
530
00:37:10,195 --> 00:37:13,163
[phil] in the case of zeus,
pictures and videos,
531
00:37:13,265 --> 00:37:17,601
On occasion they go viral
and we bring a lot of attention
to, uh, the animals.
532
00:37:21,139 --> 00:37:24,808
He's very skinny.
He's... He's obviously
lethargic.
533
00:37:24,910 --> 00:37:29,379
You see his air sac
is protruding from his chest
and he's got these wrinkles,
534
00:37:29,481 --> 00:37:32,215
You could see his ribs
and behind his shoulder blades.
535
00:37:34,353 --> 00:37:37,787
And, you know, we've been
crying foul since 2012
about zeus. This is not new.
536
00:37:39,791 --> 00:37:42,626
This animal needs rescuing
or it's going to die.
537
00:37:47,599 --> 00:37:52,202
[soft music playing]
538
00:38:04,249 --> 00:38:09,352
Bibeau, I've known since
probably four years old,
like maybe four.
539
00:38:09,454 --> 00:38:11,121
-I guess.
-Did you go to--
540
00:38:11,223 --> 00:38:13,356
[foreign language]
541
00:38:13,458 --> 00:38:15,925
When you guys came to my school,
I was already at vanier
and then you guys came.
542
00:38:16,028 --> 00:38:17,594
-Transferred over.
-Yeah, I was...
I was at vanier, too.
543
00:38:17,696 --> 00:38:20,263
-Yeah. That's right.
-I was with you the whole time.
544
00:38:20,365 --> 00:38:24,067
I worked at marineland for one
summer as a surveyor and I did
that for about three months.
545
00:38:24,169 --> 00:38:28,204
I don't know it was very
depressing seeing the... The
whales in the tanks and stuff.
546
00:38:28,307 --> 00:38:30,407
That's why I quit.
547
00:38:30,509 --> 00:38:32,909
[phil] shit the fuck out of
here. Get this guy out of here,
right now.
548
00:38:33,011 --> 00:38:35,178
[laughing]
549
00:38:37,582 --> 00:38:38,982
[grill sizzling]
550
00:38:49,127 --> 00:38:50,493
Three more minutos.
551
00:38:51,930 --> 00:38:54,030
[foreign language]
552
00:38:56,868 --> 00:39:00,537
On account of the fact that I am
a voice for animals,
553
00:39:00,639 --> 00:39:05,408
I get, uh, grief on account that
I don't... That I'm not a vegan
554
00:39:05,510 --> 00:39:08,845
And that I don't live
the vegan lifestyle.
555
00:39:11,616 --> 00:39:13,883
And I hate it. It's the topic
that I hate the most
556
00:39:13,985 --> 00:39:18,888
Because, uh, I am guilty of
eating and enjoying meat.
557
00:39:21,326 --> 00:39:25,662
Would you become a vegan
for like 10,000 more followers
or something?
558
00:39:26,765 --> 00:39:31,735
You know, I... I'm the...
I'll be the first guy in line
to try the synthetic steak
559
00:39:31,837 --> 00:39:34,137
And if it hits the nail...
560
00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,506
There's something about
eating steak
561
00:39:36,608 --> 00:39:39,142
That makes me feel
really, really good.
562
00:39:39,244 --> 00:39:41,311
[man 11] and they say you're a
hypocrite, I guess?
563
00:39:41,413 --> 00:39:43,012
[phil] yes. And I am.
564
00:39:43,115 --> 00:39:45,515
There's hypocrisy in it.
I'm comfortable in that.
565
00:39:49,087 --> 00:39:51,254
[man 11] see, the truth will
set you free.
566
00:39:52,290 --> 00:39:54,023
[men laughing]
567
00:40:01,099 --> 00:40:06,436
[traffic noises]
568
00:40:14,980 --> 00:40:18,081
[woman 5]
leaning against that with signs,
obviously, they've taped it off.
569
00:40:18,183 --> 00:40:20,183
Yeah, we had it taped
last year as well.
570
00:40:20,285 --> 00:40:22,552
-It was a little closer
to the fence last year but--
-[woman 6] okay.
571
00:40:22,654 --> 00:40:24,754
[woman 5]
it was too close, people were
still touching the fence.
572
00:40:29,995 --> 00:40:32,295
Now this is my natural habitat.
[laughs]
573
00:40:32,397 --> 00:40:35,765
[woman 7] hey, marineland,
what do you say?
574
00:40:35,834 --> 00:40:39,202
How many animals die today?
575
00:40:39,304 --> 00:40:42,672
Walrus, supporting a good cause.
576
00:40:44,242 --> 00:40:46,042
[car horn honks]
577
00:40:46,144 --> 00:40:48,478
[women screaming]
578
00:40:48,580 --> 00:40:51,514
[woman 8] so we're like fourth
generations at this protest,
which is very sad.
579
00:40:52,150 --> 00:40:55,418
Um, our grandmother used to
do it, then my mom,
now myself and my son.
580
00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:57,387
[car horn honking]
581
00:40:57,489 --> 00:40:59,422
-That's so cute. He just went
and kissed the whale.
-Yeah.
582
00:40:59,524 --> 00:41:01,458
[man 12] they're gonna laugh.
I'm telling you.
583
00:41:07,232 --> 00:41:12,469
Initially, when he first came on
the scene we were all excited
about it, but then I went vegan.
584
00:41:13,705 --> 00:41:15,805
Phil still consumes animals.
585
00:41:15,907 --> 00:41:17,607
-Where am I looking?
-[woman 9] over there.
586
00:41:17,709 --> 00:41:20,109
And I would really like to
see him evolve beyond that.
587
00:41:20,212 --> 00:41:22,145
-Oh, beautiful.
-Awesome. Thank you.
588
00:41:22,247 --> 00:41:24,414
-Thank you, my pleasure, guys.
-[woman 10] do you want one
with them in the back?
589
00:41:24,516 --> 00:41:27,217
[all] there's no excuse
for animal abuse!
590
00:41:27,319 --> 00:41:29,786
[girl] animals die here.
591
00:41:33,191 --> 00:41:36,493
You see the old man here?
He's around.
592
00:41:38,597 --> 00:41:40,163
Good to see you, man.
593
00:41:40,265 --> 00:41:41,831
Thank you for everything.
594
00:41:41,933 --> 00:41:43,933
-Thanks for exposing everything.
-Thanks for coming.
595
00:41:44,035 --> 00:41:44,601
-It's so important.
It's amazing.
-Thanks so much for being here.
596
00:41:45,237 --> 00:41:46,603
[woman 11]
free the [inaudible]!
597
00:41:46,738 --> 00:41:48,338
[woman 12]
free! Free the whales!
598
00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:50,773
-[woman 13] [inaudible].
-Hey!
599
00:41:50,876 --> 00:41:56,145
[carolynn] I think the
relationship between phil demers
and john holer is beyond toxic.
600
00:41:57,282 --> 00:42:00,950
It must be hard to have your
whole life in one business
601
00:42:01,052 --> 00:42:04,621
To see people shift their
attitude on something they loved
602
00:42:04,723 --> 00:42:07,824
To something now that makes them
so angry they protest.
603
00:42:08,527 --> 00:42:11,461
[car horn honking]
604
00:42:13,098 --> 00:42:15,331
[soft music playing]
605
00:42:15,934 --> 00:42:19,202
[naomi] any public display
facility like marineland,
606
00:42:19,304 --> 00:42:21,671
They didn't try to adapt
to the new reality.
607
00:42:21,773 --> 00:42:23,940
They didn't even know
there was a new reality.
608
00:42:24,042 --> 00:42:26,843
They lost control
of the narrative.
609
00:42:26,945 --> 00:42:28,845
[all]
your ticket, you're a cause!
610
00:42:28,947 --> 00:42:31,447
Your money, you're a cause!
611
00:42:31,550 --> 00:42:33,816
Your ticket, you're a cause!
612
00:42:33,919 --> 00:42:37,153
[tranquil music playing]
613
00:42:44,896 --> 00:42:46,596
[wilfred moore] we have to move
with the times.
614
00:42:47,198 --> 00:42:50,867
Public opinion has shifted
and with this bill,
615
00:42:50,969 --> 00:42:54,170
We have the opportunity
to get on the right side
of the issue
616
00:42:54,272 --> 00:42:56,272
At the earliest stage.
617
00:42:56,374 --> 00:43:00,043
It is not a local issue,
honorable senators,
it is a moral issue.
618
00:43:00,879 --> 00:43:05,949
In canada, two facilities
keep whales and dolphins
in captivity,
619
00:43:06,051 --> 00:43:09,419
Marineland, an amusement park
in niagara falls, ontario,
620
00:43:09,521 --> 00:43:11,588
And the vancouver aquarium.
621
00:43:12,023 --> 00:43:16,926
[holly lake] bill s-203 aims to
ban the captivity of whales and
dolphins and porpoises in canada
622
00:43:17,028 --> 00:43:20,997
And also to ban the import
and export and breeding.
623
00:43:21,433 --> 00:43:24,334
[man 13] we have with us this
evening here at the table
mr. Andrew burns,
624
00:43:24,436 --> 00:43:26,135
Legal counsel to marineland.
625
00:43:26,237 --> 00:43:29,238
[andrew burns] there is no
apparent need for this bill.
626
00:43:29,341 --> 00:43:33,042
This bill is about
advancing an agenda.
627
00:43:33,144 --> 00:43:37,947
In the early years
of this debate, the arguments
were largely ethical,
628
00:43:38,049 --> 00:43:40,850
But now we know so much more
about them
629
00:43:40,952 --> 00:43:44,020
That we can formulate
science-based arguments.
630
00:43:44,122 --> 00:43:47,190
The science is not unanimous.
There are differing opinions.
631
00:43:47,759 --> 00:43:50,693
[naomi] they have certain
biological and ecological
characteristics
632
00:43:50,795 --> 00:43:55,498
That make it very difficult
for them to thrive in captivity.
633
00:43:56,267 --> 00:44:00,670
[john nightingale] laws like
this one can impact our ability
to engage the public
634
00:44:00,772 --> 00:44:03,873
To learn through science
and to help nature.
635
00:44:03,975 --> 00:44:09,412
There is no compelling evidence
to support the educational value
636
00:44:09,514 --> 00:44:14,250
Of marine mammal displays
claimed by aquariums
and marine parks.
637
00:44:14,352 --> 00:44:19,822
These are extremely acoustic
animals. That is how they sense
their world and communicate.
638
00:44:19,924 --> 00:44:23,593
Concrete tanks are debilitating
echo chambers.
639
00:44:23,695 --> 00:44:28,898
Here in canada I've observed
cetaceans with self-mutilation
behavior, wounds, scars
640
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:30,266
And damage to their teeth.
641
00:44:31,269 --> 00:44:35,738
Kiska has birthed five calves
at marineland
and all five are now dead.
642
00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:37,940
It's perceived harm.
643
00:44:38,043 --> 00:44:41,244
There is no inherent harm
to this animal,
no matter what you've heard,
644
00:44:41,346 --> 00:44:45,281
An animal is not suffering
and I can tell you
our animals are happy.
645
00:44:47,552 --> 00:44:53,823
Uh, mr. Burns, marineland has
been the subject of a
toronto star exposé
646
00:44:53,925 --> 00:44:56,325
And multiple investigations.
647
00:44:56,428 --> 00:45:00,329
Can you tell us what happened
and what the outcome were
of those investigations?
648
00:45:00,432 --> 00:45:05,968
When those allegations were
made, uh, marineland was
subject immediately
649
00:45:06,071 --> 00:45:10,006
To a thorough investigation
that no agency
650
00:45:10,108 --> 00:45:13,743
Under the criminal code
or the ospca act
651
00:45:13,845 --> 00:45:19,849
Believed it had reasonable
or probable grounds that a
marine mammal at marineland
652
00:45:19,951 --> 00:45:22,752
Was or is being abused.
653
00:45:23,321 --> 00:45:26,556
-Mr. Demers.
-[phil] [foreign language]
654
00:45:26,991 --> 00:45:29,025
Since speaking of my experiences
at marineland,
655
00:45:29,127 --> 00:45:32,095
I myself have become the target
of relentless attacks.
656
00:45:32,197 --> 00:45:36,933
In an effort to stifle public
debate, marineland launched
nearly a dozen slapp lawsuits
657
00:45:37,035 --> 00:45:39,736
Of which I am the recipient
of a most peculiar one,
658
00:45:39,838 --> 00:45:43,172
As they allege I plotted to
steal smooshi the walrus.
659
00:45:43,641 --> 00:45:46,809
This guy was doing it
day to day.
660
00:45:46,911 --> 00:45:52,381
He lived it, so he was like
our leading main witness
661
00:45:52,484 --> 00:45:58,955
In terms of having been there
and validated
what we were putting into words
662
00:45:59,057 --> 00:46:01,224
In terms of legislation
and the need for it.
663
00:46:01,326 --> 00:46:08,097
You, sir, admitted under oath,
to personally consuming
controlled drugs
664
00:46:08,199 --> 00:46:10,833
Meant for marine mammals
at marineland.
665
00:46:11,302 --> 00:46:18,407
You, sir, wished marineland well
when you, uh, in your letter
of resignation,
666
00:46:18,510 --> 00:46:24,814
After pitching to them
the walrus...
Walrus whisperer reality show
667
00:46:24,916 --> 00:46:27,416
That they didn't want to be
part of.
668
00:46:27,519 --> 00:46:31,954
Uh, senator plett, again...
Once again you're great at...
At... At... Uh, at quoting
669
00:46:32,056 --> 00:46:34,457
Marineland's baseless
lawsuits verbatim.
670
00:46:34,559 --> 00:46:36,492
-Uh, again--
-[donald] answer the questions
please, sir.
671
00:46:36,594 --> 00:46:38,094
-This is not about--
-oh, I'd like to.
You gave me a comment...
672
00:46:38,196 --> 00:46:40,263
You're the one that's
muddying the waters--
673
00:46:40,365 --> 00:46:42,565
[fabian manning] answer.
If the questions are opposed,
674
00:46:42,667 --> 00:46:44,534
We'll just ask and answer them
and send--
675
00:46:44,636 --> 00:46:46,335
Well, you made a comment...
You made comment to me,
676
00:46:46,437 --> 00:46:49,138
So the idea that marineland is,
uh, is and... And, again,
677
00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:52,542
They're utilizing you to
attack me personally,
as a means to muddy the water
678
00:46:52,644 --> 00:46:54,677
-Just as their playbook
with the illegal lawsuits.
-[man 14] chair... Order please.
679
00:46:54,779 --> 00:46:57,713
Nobody is utilizing me.
Nobody is utilizing me.
680
00:46:57,816 --> 00:47:00,683
We are independent. Senator,
we are independent senators.
681
00:47:00,785 --> 00:47:02,418
He's saying... He's saying
somebody is utilizing me.
682
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:04,120
[fabian manning]
order! Okay. Order, order!
683
00:47:04,222 --> 00:47:06,289
I understand this is an
emotional issue on our sides,
684
00:47:06,391 --> 00:47:09,659
Uh, but we need to get
to the point.
685
00:47:09,761 --> 00:47:12,195
Uh, my name is john holer.
686
00:47:12,730 --> 00:47:18,534
I've been starting my business
way back in 1961
687
00:47:19,037 --> 00:47:26,142
With 2,000 dollars in my pocket
with the big idea
688
00:47:26,611 --> 00:47:32,215
And I am hoping that I would be
able to
689
00:47:32,317 --> 00:47:34,483
Complete the part
690
00:47:34,586 --> 00:47:39,856
And that was going to make it,
uh, a definitely an
outstanding...
691
00:47:39,958 --> 00:47:44,060
Outstanding facility
in anywhere in the world.
692
00:47:44,529 --> 00:47:47,196
[donald] mr. Holer,
uh, pleasure to see you again,
693
00:47:47,265 --> 00:47:50,066
You're looking well and the last
time we talked,
694
00:47:50,168 --> 00:47:53,336
You said you wanted to be
in this business
till you were 90 years old,
695
00:47:53,438 --> 00:47:59,308
And, uh, so, certainly looking
forward to visiting you on your
90th birthday at marineland.
696
00:47:59,410 --> 00:48:02,044
I mean, for me one of the really
big issues here
697
00:48:02,146 --> 00:48:06,682
Is how did marineland get the
conservative senators
in captivity?
698
00:48:06,784 --> 00:48:09,151
[woman 14] senator don plett,
to name one,
699
00:48:09,254 --> 00:48:12,889
Who has been consistently, in
his twitter and facebook feeds,
700
00:48:12,991 --> 00:48:16,926
Talking about how great
marineland is and how much
he loves marineland.
701
00:48:17,028 --> 00:48:19,962
Uh, I also filed a complaint
with the lobbying commissioner,
702
00:48:20,064 --> 00:48:24,567
Because it's pretty clear that
marineland that hasn't
registered itself as a lobbyist
703
00:48:24,669 --> 00:48:27,403
Has been lobbying
pretty effectively.
704
00:48:29,941 --> 00:48:32,642
[tranquil music playing]
705
00:48:39,350 --> 00:48:40,917
[man 15] here comes john holer.
706
00:48:46,791 --> 00:48:51,227
[phil] I mean, he even sought to
intimidate us by driving by
our house and stalking us on.
707
00:48:56,968 --> 00:49:01,938
John holer's most effective at
silencing those without a voice.
708
00:49:10,782 --> 00:49:15,484
Let's see. Oh, there's a siren
on here, too.
709
00:49:15,586 --> 00:49:16,819
[phil] don't push it.
710
00:49:21,192 --> 00:49:23,559
[man 16] did you find out you
got sued in the newspapers
711
00:49:23,661 --> 00:49:25,428
Or did you actually physically
get served?
712
00:49:25,563 --> 00:49:27,663
[phil] oh, no. We found out
in the newspapers
713
00:49:27,765 --> 00:49:29,665
-Because I had to call you
and tell you--
-you told me... At work...
714
00:49:29,734 --> 00:49:31,934
-I was at work.
-[phil] yeah, so the intention
of marineland
715
00:49:32,036 --> 00:49:36,105
In... In suing all of us,
really, was to try to
hijack the headlines.
716
00:49:36,741 --> 00:49:40,343
Ultimately, christine's lawsuit
had to be settled.
717
00:49:42,180 --> 00:49:43,813
She had to be silenced.
718
00:49:55,793 --> 00:49:59,462
Oh, they've just, uh...
They just...
Marineland just issued a blog.
719
00:49:59,564 --> 00:50:02,031
"what's really happening
at marineland?" it's entitled.
720
00:50:02,133 --> 00:50:03,866
They just released it.
721
00:50:03,968 --> 00:50:07,069
"radical animal rights activists
have relentlessly and viciously
722
00:50:07,171 --> 00:50:11,107
Attacked marineland on social
media year after year,
bullying and lying about us,
723
00:50:11,209 --> 00:50:14,076
Falsely accusing us of abusing
our marine and land animals,
724
00:50:14,178 --> 00:50:18,280
While pocketing donations
for their own personal use."
really?
725
00:50:18,750 --> 00:50:22,151
"a self-proclaimed activist who
relentlessly trolls marineland
on the internet
726
00:50:22,253 --> 00:50:25,488
With false allegations of abuse
says he will stop...
727
00:50:25,590 --> 00:50:27,990
Says he will stop and go away
if he is paid.
728
00:50:28,092 --> 00:50:30,793
We think the public should know
what is happening. This is what
phil demers has to say."
729
00:50:30,895 --> 00:50:33,095
"I should mention,
I do have a price.
Marineland should know this.
730
00:50:33,197 --> 00:50:35,498
If they'd like, I'm all ears.
Maybe something can be done."
731
00:50:36,234 --> 00:50:38,868
Do they want to know
what I mean by that?
I don't want money.
732
00:50:38,970 --> 00:50:40,770
I want the fucking walrus.
733
00:50:44,675 --> 00:50:47,910
"a former animal care worker
made false allegations of animal
abuse related to kiska,
734
00:50:48,012 --> 00:50:50,479
The killer whale,
in the toronto star.
This is what she admits now.
735
00:50:50,581 --> 00:50:52,815
I'm not a veterinarian
and, therefore,
736
00:50:52,917 --> 00:50:55,484
I do not have any personal
or expert knowledge of the
conditions at marineland
737
00:50:55,586 --> 00:50:57,153
Or in relation to any animals.
738
00:50:57,255 --> 00:50:59,555
-Yours truly, christine santos."
-oh, they said my name.
739
00:51:00,158 --> 00:51:02,858
This is the type of thing that
really aggravates,
gets my blood boiling
740
00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:07,329
Is that they... That they're
continuously using an abusive
system to further abuse people.
741
00:51:07,432 --> 00:51:10,966
Christine's silence because she
couldn't afford to...
To continue
742
00:51:11,069 --> 00:51:13,669
To be in this litigation,
not because
she retracts anything.
743
00:51:13,771 --> 00:51:15,004
She was forced to retract.
744
00:51:20,945 --> 00:51:23,612
I sound like an asshole.
I look like an asshole.
745
00:51:23,714 --> 00:51:25,714
I know the vein in my forehead
is bulging.
746
00:51:29,153 --> 00:51:31,153
There are people
on the right side of history.
747
00:51:31,255 --> 00:51:33,155
There are people
in marineland's parking lot.
It's as simple as that.
748
00:51:33,257 --> 00:51:35,791
These people have names.
I've got a pen.
749
00:51:39,530 --> 00:51:44,533
Marineland's veterinarians,
former employees, uh,
marineland's owner,
750
00:51:44,635 --> 00:51:46,702
Albeit, this is not a personal
vendetta,
751
00:51:46,804 --> 00:51:50,673
I'm not going after him in any
capacity that is illegal,
752
00:51:50,775 --> 00:51:54,376
I'm just merely reminding him
that he gets away with nothing,
nobody does.
753
00:51:55,246 --> 00:51:59,381
You don't endure what I've done
for as long as I've done for as
many years as I have
754
00:51:59,484 --> 00:52:03,085
With people hiding behind money
to try to crush me.
755
00:52:04,055 --> 00:52:09,458
Why is it that only john holer
has the opportunity to impose
hardships on people?
756
00:52:09,861 --> 00:52:10,993
I'm free to do that as well.
757
00:52:13,464 --> 00:52:17,066
And if definition of imposing
hardships on others means
defending the vulnerable,
758
00:52:17,168 --> 00:52:18,434
I'll never stop.
759
00:52:19,670 --> 00:52:22,638
Remember I was thinking of
putting a picture
of the bullhorn?
760
00:52:27,812 --> 00:52:29,812
That's gonna piss them off.
761
00:52:34,986 --> 00:52:41,891
[ren] one of the first things
that people will compromise in
some lawsuits is, uh, you know,
762
00:52:41,993 --> 00:52:46,028
Their ability to speak freely
and it's sort of, you know,
763
00:52:46,130 --> 00:52:48,097
Easy to imagine why
because it's cheap.
764
00:52:48,699 --> 00:52:52,134
It doesn't cost you anything to,
essentially, to agree
to a gag order
765
00:52:52,236 --> 00:52:56,839
But that's something not
as attractive to phil.
766
00:53:00,645 --> 00:53:05,481
[phil] I know that marineland's
lawyer made promises
to insulate john holer.
767
00:53:06,717 --> 00:53:11,687
He wants to launch lawsuits.
He wants to impose his will
on people.
768
00:53:11,789 --> 00:53:16,825
We've been in litigation now
for years and we haven't even
gotten to discoveries yet.
769
00:53:19,597 --> 00:53:24,099
I'm countersuing them for
defamation and abusive process.
770
00:53:29,941 --> 00:53:34,176
[dramatic music playing]
771
00:53:40,084 --> 00:53:42,618
You... You get a sense of
feeling powerless in it really.
772
00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:47,456
From the... The... The piece of
this that I'm involved in which
is the legal piece,
773
00:53:47,558 --> 00:53:50,893
Like I say, we've got a path
forward and I think that
the important thing is
774
00:53:50,995 --> 00:53:56,131
To not get distracted by too
much of the other elements
of the history.
775
00:53:56,234 --> 00:54:00,836
And I know it's hard to do that
because it's what you've lived
over the last, uh, six years.
776
00:54:00,938 --> 00:54:06,275
We sort of war game out how
we think things are going to go
and we do a lot of reading,
777
00:54:06,377 --> 00:54:09,745
We do a lot of writing,
things we forget about is that
the practical difficulty
778
00:54:09,847 --> 00:54:11,847
Of getting through
15 volumes of material.
779
00:54:11,949 --> 00:54:15,985
That's just substantial
and so... But it's exciting.
780
00:54:19,023 --> 00:54:24,059
The reality in our system
is that 97% of cases settle
781
00:54:24,161 --> 00:54:27,763
Before you ever get to an
adjudication of the merits
782
00:54:27,865 --> 00:54:34,536
And, usually, parties can come
to some sort of resolution
783
00:54:34,639 --> 00:54:36,805
That may not make
everybody happy,
784
00:54:36,907 --> 00:54:40,142
In fact, it probably shouldn't
if it's going to be
a fair resolution,
785
00:54:40,244 --> 00:54:45,914
But somebody has to give, uh,
a little bit in order to have
the thing, uh, go away.
786
00:54:46,450 --> 00:54:49,218
My lawyer, in fact, and this is
where it gets kind of weird
because,
787
00:54:49,320 --> 00:54:52,288
Listen, I don't understand.
He's supposed to be
representing me.
788
00:54:52,390 --> 00:54:55,524
The answer is no to everything.
Fight, fight, fight.
I want a trial.
789
00:54:55,626 --> 00:54:58,761
He instead is coming with,
"listen, this is not how
litigation ends, phil.
790
00:54:58,863 --> 00:55:01,163
Like you don't seem to
understand how this ends.
791
00:55:01,265 --> 00:55:03,632
You don't have a grip
of how litigation works."
792
00:55:03,734 --> 00:55:05,868
And I'm just, like, I'm glad
that I don't because my guess is
793
00:55:05,970 --> 00:55:08,437
I'm representative of about
90% of the population
that don't know.
794
00:55:08,539 --> 00:55:10,973
And it's important
that we find out.
795
00:55:11,075 --> 00:55:13,108
I was promised a trial because
they said I was this,
this, this, this, this, this.
796
00:55:13,210 --> 00:55:15,577
Well, let's get to that
fucking trial.
This is what I've been doing.
797
00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:18,147
This doesn't end
with negotiations.
I want the trial.
798
00:55:18,249 --> 00:55:20,616
-[man 17] yeah.
-I don't understand. Like,
what... Why would you sue me
799
00:55:20,718 --> 00:55:22,017
Unless you want the trial?
800
00:55:22,119 --> 00:55:23,886
Oh, because it's a
bullshit lawsuit.
801
00:55:23,988 --> 00:55:25,587
Well, then I want the trial
because I need to show that.
802
00:55:25,690 --> 00:55:28,557
It's a dirty secret about the
legal business, right?
803
00:55:28,659 --> 00:55:30,326
-[phil] that's a--
-that this is a loophole,
804
00:55:30,428 --> 00:55:32,428
This is something people can do
to people to silence them
805
00:55:32,530 --> 00:55:35,130
Just to drag them through hell
for six years.
806
00:55:38,235 --> 00:55:42,471
[tranquil music playing]
807
00:55:55,920 --> 00:55:57,152
[phone dings]
808
00:56:14,739 --> 00:56:19,508
[tranquil music playing]
809
00:56:24,382 --> 00:56:27,082
[phil] smooshi.
810
00:56:27,184 --> 00:56:29,651
Smooshi.
811
00:56:30,788 --> 00:56:32,054
Smooshi.
812
00:56:32,757 --> 00:56:36,525
I'm in here, my moosh.
Good girl, moosh. Right here.
813
00:56:36,627 --> 00:56:37,860
What do you want?
814
00:56:41,599 --> 00:56:44,166
[soft music playing]
815
00:56:45,469 --> 00:56:47,870
I would love to get her.
It would be insane.
816
00:56:47,938 --> 00:56:51,840
Not get her. I mean, you know,
and I'm not going to strap her
to my back
817
00:56:51,942 --> 00:56:54,676
And, you know, go over the falls
and... And... And, you know,
818
00:56:54,779 --> 00:57:00,382
Hope to land in some arctic,
uh, estuary somewhere
or whatever.
819
00:57:05,055 --> 00:57:08,257
Okay, mama, here's your shower.
820
00:57:08,392 --> 00:57:12,528
Oh, my goodness! Look at this.
821
00:57:15,933 --> 00:57:22,438
Oh, raindrops,
raindrops for mama.
Oh, that's a happy mama.
822
00:57:23,774 --> 00:57:26,942
[soft music playing]
823
00:57:32,216 --> 00:57:35,551
-[woman 15] didn't one
or two walruses pass?
-[phil] sonja passed away.
824
00:57:35,653 --> 00:57:38,954
[woman 16] yeah. Was there
a buttercup ever?
825
00:57:39,056 --> 00:57:41,523
-[phil] buttercup's dead?
-[woman 16]
there's no buttercup.
826
00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:44,760
-[phil] serious?
-[woman 16] yeah,
was buttercup a walrus?
827
00:57:44,862 --> 00:57:46,428
-[phil] yes.
-[woman 16] no, she's not there.
828
00:57:46,530 --> 00:57:47,629
-[phil] she's dead?
-[woman 16] yeah, there's three.
829
00:57:47,731 --> 00:57:49,465
There's smooshi,
apollo and zeus.
830
00:57:49,567 --> 00:57:51,099
-Oh, my god!
-[woman 16] that's it.
831
00:57:51,202 --> 00:57:54,102
There's five sea lions,
five dolphins, the two belugas.
832
00:57:54,205 --> 00:57:55,604
[phil]
that was smooshi's best friend.
833
00:57:57,508 --> 00:57:59,775
[phil] fuck them!
834
00:57:59,877 --> 00:58:03,378
[woman 16] yeah, she's...
Yeah, just the three.
Apollo, smooshi, and zeus.
835
00:58:07,618 --> 00:58:14,056
[phil] every single time
I leave my home,
I have one of two choices...
836
00:58:15,192 --> 00:58:17,659
To pass by marineland or not.
837
00:58:17,761 --> 00:58:19,928
That's how close
I live to marineland.
838
00:58:22,933 --> 00:58:25,601
I guess, if I'm going back
in time
or back to where I grew up,
839
00:58:25,703 --> 00:58:30,172
It's this way or any other way
I have to physically
face marineland.
840
00:58:33,244 --> 00:58:36,945
It's hardest when I drive by
the facility and I can point to
exactly where she is staying,
841
00:58:37,047 --> 00:58:39,848
You know, she's 30 meters
inside that wall.
842
00:58:40,651 --> 00:58:42,985
[soft music playing]
843
00:58:44,889 --> 00:58:46,388
It's a very small town.
844
00:58:48,559 --> 00:58:52,995
On occasion, I will drive by
john holer's home to see,
845
00:58:53,097 --> 00:58:56,398
You know, whether or not
he's, uh, out and about.
846
00:58:59,270 --> 00:59:02,404
Someone had to keep him
accountable.
847
00:59:03,908 --> 00:59:06,174
You know, he was...
He was avoiding my lawsuit.
848
00:59:06,944 --> 00:59:12,414
There's a reason he hid,
so I would go look for him.
849
00:59:27,998 --> 00:59:31,733
I don't believe it and I'm stil
waiting to find out
that it's not true.
850
00:59:31,802 --> 00:59:36,271
And if it is true,
not processing.
851
00:59:42,813 --> 00:59:49,017
The light is on but I've been
in that bedroom, top right of
the house, that's his bedroom.
852
00:59:49,119 --> 00:59:53,655
He's in there. He's dead.
He's in a bed dead right now.
853
00:59:55,192 --> 00:59:58,894
[tranquil music playing]
854
01:00:12,710 --> 01:00:16,111
Like I saw his park today,
he won't... I saw...
855
01:00:24,521 --> 01:00:26,555
Like the flags are at
half-mast.
856
01:00:29,493 --> 01:00:33,895
Like, I saw it, but he won't.
It's strange.
857
01:00:39,269 --> 01:00:40,936
[sniffles] that's fucked up.
858
01:00:43,007 --> 01:00:48,276
I don't know a lot of people
that mourn their abuser,
but I do feel loss.
859
01:00:54,652 --> 01:00:59,121
Like I pursued a...
Like I pursued a dying man.
860
01:01:05,129 --> 01:01:10,065
Okay, I'm imagining his par...
Uh, his family. [sniffles]
861
01:01:12,703 --> 01:01:14,703
I don't think anyone believed
he could die.
862
01:01:21,245 --> 01:01:22,344
[sniffles]
863
01:01:27,184 --> 01:01:29,951
[soft music playing]
864
01:01:35,459 --> 01:01:39,361
[church bells ringing]
865
01:01:41,598 --> 01:01:43,665
I don't remember myself
without him.
866
01:01:47,104 --> 01:01:52,307
His stubbornness is only matched
by the stubbornness
of one individual, me.
867
01:01:52,409 --> 01:01:53,508
[chuckles]
868
01:01:57,848 --> 01:02:03,051
Neither my or john being the two
assholes in the story,
869
01:02:03,754 --> 01:02:06,254
I guess neither one of us
will get...
870
01:02:08,592 --> 01:02:12,594
Will get our just, uh...
Our just due.
871
01:02:12,896 --> 01:02:16,531
[woman 17] john holer founded
marineland in 1961.
872
01:02:16,633 --> 01:02:20,368
Then called marine wonderland,
it was an amusement park and zo
873
01:02:20,471 --> 01:02:22,604
Featuring both land
and marine animals.
874
01:02:22,706 --> 01:02:24,306
It's a hobby.
875
01:02:24,408 --> 01:02:26,842
[laughs]
876
01:02:26,944 --> 01:02:28,844
I enjoy it.
877
01:02:28,946 --> 01:02:31,413
[phil]
the last time I saw him was
at the... Was at the demo.
878
01:02:31,515 --> 01:02:34,549
He was, uh, driving by
licking ice cream or something.
879
01:02:35,385 --> 01:02:41,990
He leaves behind his wife, um,
his adopted son,
880
01:02:42,092 --> 01:02:44,259
Uh, two grandkids,
881
01:02:44,762 --> 01:02:49,598
And as well
a... Already, uh, deceased son.
882
01:02:53,504 --> 01:03:00,041
I don't doubt for a second that
john blames me for johnny's
death, not for a second.
883
01:03:01,145 --> 01:03:04,246
I guess, if I was challenged
as to whether or not
884
01:03:04,348 --> 01:03:09,684
I would take back that moment
to... To spare johnny's life,
885
01:03:09,787 --> 01:03:12,154
Like, I don't know that
it would have.
886
01:03:12,256 --> 01:03:16,525
I can't say that it would have,
but I can with a surety say
that it saved smooshi's,
887
01:03:19,563 --> 01:03:21,329
So, no, I don't feel no guilt.
888
01:03:32,976 --> 01:03:35,710
When john holer passed,
we all joked about...
889
01:03:35,813 --> 01:03:38,680
John was trying to figure out
how he was going to
take marineland with him.
890
01:03:38,782 --> 01:03:42,450
And uh, of course, his wife now
is left as a survivor
891
01:03:42,553 --> 01:03:45,253
And as the ceo,
she's continuing on the legacy.
892
01:03:46,423 --> 01:03:49,558
[phil] I've known john now
for the better part of 20 years.
893
01:03:49,660 --> 01:03:54,262
For the last six years,
I've been looking
over my shoulder
894
01:03:54,364 --> 01:03:56,498
With a great deal of anxiety
895
01:03:56,600 --> 01:04:02,404
And now I'm finding an entirely
new sort of perspective
to, uh... To absorb.
896
01:04:02,506 --> 01:04:05,407
And, yet, here I am feeling
a strange sense of loss
897
01:04:05,509 --> 01:04:08,510
And really more than anything,
sympathy for the family
898
01:04:08,612 --> 01:04:12,047
Who, uh, obviously, have some
difficult decisions
to make moving forward.
899
01:04:12,683 --> 01:04:16,218
[woman 18] for sure.
Well, thank you, phillip,
for your time. I appreciate it.
900
01:04:16,320 --> 01:04:17,552
Thank you, my pleasure.
901
01:04:18,522 --> 01:04:22,991
[soft music playing]
902
01:04:36,373 --> 01:04:40,308
I wish that marie holer and I
could have a meeting of sorts
903
01:04:40,410 --> 01:04:44,012
Because I think all these
hostilities are unnecessary
904
01:04:44,114 --> 01:04:50,051
And she's getting a
misrepresented version of what
I want and what I've been doing.
905
01:04:51,755 --> 01:04:54,122
[splashing]
906
01:04:56,260 --> 01:04:58,627
[indistinct chatter]
907
01:04:58,729 --> 01:05:02,764
What this bill would do...
If this bill passed what it
would do to marineland--
908
01:05:02,866 --> 01:05:09,738
In our view, it would, uh,
essentially destroy
marineland's future.
909
01:05:17,281 --> 01:05:20,415
[phil] we've been chasing this
bill now for three years.
910
01:05:20,517 --> 01:05:24,886
It's been hurdle after hurdle
after hurdle after hurdle
after hurdle.
911
01:05:27,824 --> 01:05:29,391
This may be the finish line.
912
01:05:29,826 --> 01:05:32,060
[woman 19] other business.
[foreign language].
913
01:05:32,195 --> 01:05:36,731
Senate public bill's
third reading.
[foreign language].
914
01:05:36,833 --> 01:05:38,934
Number one, s-203.
915
01:05:39,036 --> 01:05:40,402
[claps]
916
01:05:40,504 --> 01:05:42,137
[man 18] s-203.
917
01:05:42,239 --> 01:05:44,572
[woman 20] senators,
it is time for a vote
918
01:05:44,675 --> 01:05:47,609
For this bill's many thousands
and thousands of supporters
919
01:05:47,711 --> 01:05:53,548
In canada and around the world
and, most importantly,
for the whales and dolphins.
920
01:05:53,650 --> 01:05:57,752
I now call for a vote on s-203.
Thank you.
921
01:05:57,854 --> 01:06:01,256
[clapping]
922
01:06:02,092 --> 01:06:04,259
[man 18] on debate.
923
01:06:04,361 --> 01:06:06,628
Our senators ready
for the question on debate?
Senator plett.
924
01:06:06,730 --> 01:06:09,331
[senator plett] I met
with people on both sides
of this issue
925
01:06:09,433 --> 01:06:14,936
And it became very clear to me
that this was a battle between
activists and scientists.
926
01:06:15,038 --> 01:06:17,739
Colleagues,
these are radical activists,
927
01:06:17,841 --> 01:06:22,811
An activist who testified
at committee calling himself
the marineland whistleblower
928
01:06:22,913 --> 01:06:27,782
Has admitted in court
to taking drugs
intended for marine mammals
929
01:06:27,884 --> 01:06:30,385
For his own
personal consumption.
930
01:06:30,854 --> 01:06:35,457
The credibility of these
star witnesses certainly needs
to be considered
931
01:06:35,559 --> 01:06:38,093
When we weigh the evidence.
932
01:06:38,195 --> 01:06:41,696
If this flawed legislation is o
move forward, I believe
it would be irresponsible
933
01:06:41,798 --> 01:06:46,067
And simply wrong to proceed
without an exemption
for marineland.
934
01:06:46,169 --> 01:06:49,537
[man 18] senators ready
for the question.
Senator martin.
935
01:06:49,639 --> 01:06:51,473
[woman 21]
chairman to the debate.
936
01:06:51,575 --> 01:06:53,475
[man 18] senator smith that
further debate be adjourned
937
01:06:53,577 --> 01:06:55,343
Till the next sitting of the
senate.
938
01:06:55,445 --> 01:06:58,646
The vote will take place
at 8:25. Call in the senators.
939
01:07:00,984 --> 01:07:02,717
What the fuck just happened?
940
01:07:03,286 --> 01:07:06,221
Is this a process where you
can still amend the bill?
941
01:07:06,289 --> 01:07:08,757
I thought that we went
through this process.
942
01:07:08,859 --> 01:07:12,193
The senate is a bit of...
I kind of call it the wild west
943
01:07:12,295 --> 01:07:15,997
Because you can never really
tell when things are
going to happen,
944
01:07:16,099 --> 01:07:19,701
Um, if they're going to happen,
or how they're going to happen.
945
01:07:19,803 --> 01:07:23,405
Uh, I'm still kind of
getting my head around
how things operate there.
946
01:07:23,507 --> 01:07:25,740
There are rules that have been
put in place in the senate
947
01:07:25,842 --> 01:07:31,613
That allow the combined forces
of members of the opposition
948
01:07:31,715 --> 01:07:37,318
To be able to delay and use
delay tactics to keep a bill
from coming to a vote
949
01:07:37,954 --> 01:07:40,655
And to that I... I say
that makes no sense.
950
01:07:40,757 --> 01:07:42,490
We could debate this endlessly.
951
01:07:42,592 --> 01:07:45,427
And we end up debating until
there's nothing to vote on.
952
01:07:47,731 --> 01:07:49,831
I can't hear shit.
953
01:07:49,933 --> 01:07:51,633
[man 18] all those in favor
of the motion,
will please say, yay.
954
01:07:51,735 --> 01:07:54,302
-[all] yay!
-[man 18] all those oppose, nay.
955
01:07:54,404 --> 01:07:57,038
-[man 19] on division.
-[man 20] on division.
956
01:07:58,475 --> 01:08:00,608
[man 18] accordingly,
the motion is adopted.
957
01:08:00,710 --> 01:08:02,610
The senate now...
Is now adjourned.
958
01:08:02,712 --> 01:08:04,946
Return to the order of the
honorable house.
959
01:08:05,048 --> 01:08:06,581
It's utter chaos.
960
01:08:07,150 --> 01:08:09,484
It's absolutely... It's an
absolute shit show in there.
961
01:08:10,087 --> 01:08:15,323
It's so surreal and so now
just another delay.
962
01:08:17,828 --> 01:08:22,831
They're taking longer to study
the bill and fight the bill, uh,
963
01:08:22,933 --> 01:08:25,934
To... To prohibit
keeping whales in captivity
964
01:08:26,036 --> 01:08:28,736
Than they did to look
at medical assistance in dying.
965
01:08:28,839 --> 01:08:31,139
[birds chirping]
966
01:08:31,241 --> 01:08:35,343
[holly lake] there's been a lot
of moving parts as this bill
has progressed.
967
01:08:35,445 --> 01:08:39,547
The vancouver aquarium has been
involved in its own battles
with the park board.
968
01:08:39,649 --> 01:08:45,854
We have a 50-year history of
rescuing animals and we don't
want it to stop tonight.
969
01:08:46,456 --> 01:08:49,124
[crowd cheering]
970
01:08:49,226 --> 01:08:52,060
[man 21] it's not every day that
people turn out to support
keeping whales in captivity,
971
01:08:52,162 --> 01:08:54,729
But that's exactly what's
happening here.
972
01:08:54,831 --> 01:08:57,365
Science first. Science--
973
01:08:57,467 --> 01:08:59,767
The park board has said, "no,
you're not going to be allowed
to keep cetaceans there."
974
01:08:59,870 --> 01:09:02,670
The vancouver aquarium was
going to challenge that,
975
01:09:02,772 --> 01:09:04,806
But has since,
just a short while ago,
976
01:09:04,908 --> 01:09:08,510
Announced that they're no longer
going to keep cetaceans
in captivity.
977
01:09:08,612 --> 01:09:13,481
So, all of this time and money
has now been spent
dealing with an issue
978
01:09:13,583 --> 01:09:17,418
That pertains to one facility
in canada and that's marineland.
979
01:09:17,521 --> 01:09:21,856
[tranquil music playing]
980
01:09:22,259 --> 01:09:28,329
♪ twelve steps
in to your backyard ♪
981
01:09:31,701 --> 01:09:37,906
♪ through tall green grass
and into the world ♪
982
01:09:40,644 --> 01:09:43,378
♪ ain't it feel right ♪
983
01:09:50,554 --> 01:09:54,322
♪ ain't it feel nice ♪
984
01:10:00,063 --> 01:10:02,597
♪ in your own backyard ♪
985
01:10:39,836 --> 01:10:41,169
[phil] come on, smooshi.
986
01:10:44,708 --> 01:10:46,040
Come on, my moosh.
987
01:10:47,177 --> 01:10:49,043
[wind gusting]
988
01:10:55,285 --> 01:10:57,285
It's too slick. Yeah.
989
01:10:57,387 --> 01:11:01,789
[tranquil music playing]
990
01:11:12,769 --> 01:11:16,237
What are you doing?
What are you doing,
my mooshky?
991
01:11:17,140 --> 01:11:21,109
[tranquil music playing]
992
01:11:34,824 --> 01:11:36,190
[christine]
okay, I'll try that now.
993
01:11:37,193 --> 01:11:38,293
[grunts]
994
01:11:40,130 --> 01:11:41,529
[phil] she wants to pee.
995
01:11:42,165 --> 01:11:43,298
Come on, ma.
996
01:11:44,634 --> 01:11:47,001
-Is she squatting?
-[christine] no, she's--
997
01:11:47,103 --> 01:11:49,103
-[phil] she's complaining.
-[christine] she knows
something's rushed like, uh...
998
01:11:51,474 --> 01:11:52,974
[phil] poor mama.
999
01:11:54,077 --> 01:11:58,746
-You saw blood in mama's pee?
-In the litter box,
1000
01:11:58,848 --> 01:12:01,349
Then I saw it in the litter box
in the urine.
1001
01:12:01,451 --> 01:12:04,452
-Yeah, it was bad.
-So we should bring her--
1002
01:12:04,554 --> 01:12:05,820
[phil] to the vet, yeah.
1003
01:12:07,457 --> 01:12:09,691
I'm waiting for my lawyer
to call this morning.
1004
01:12:12,595 --> 01:12:14,529
-Hello.
-[ren] hello, phil.
1005
01:12:14,631 --> 01:12:16,864
Hey, ren. How you doing?
1006
01:12:16,966 --> 01:12:21,769
It's such an absurd thing that
this corporation was able to
buy their way
1007
01:12:21,871 --> 01:12:25,340
To be able to put me
in this situation. It's insane.
1008
01:12:25,775 --> 01:12:27,675
[ren] all right, look, phil,
it's the legal system.
1009
01:12:29,079 --> 01:12:33,481
So, then our best course of
action would be, I guess,
to continue.
1010
01:12:33,583 --> 01:12:36,117
[ren]
you know that's... That's sort
of door number one
1011
01:12:36,219 --> 01:12:38,653
Because that's sort of what's..
What was the path that we're o.
1012
01:12:38,755 --> 01:12:42,156
-[phil] yeah.
-[ren] door number two
is to continue to
1013
01:12:42,258 --> 01:12:44,792
See if there's anything
reasonable here to say,
1014
01:12:44,894 --> 01:12:48,563
"look, you're not moving out
of this for less than
a hundred thousand dollars."
1015
01:12:48,665 --> 01:12:51,466
And I realize that that's a
premium on the costs.
1016
01:12:51,568 --> 01:12:55,236
[phil] I'm less inclined
to accept, really,
any monetary resolution.
1017
01:12:55,338 --> 01:12:56,938
Sounds crazy, they know
what the fuck I want.
1018
01:12:57,040 --> 01:12:58,773
Just move the fucking walrus
to another facility
1019
01:12:58,875 --> 01:13:01,476
And this thing ends
all together.
1020
01:13:01,578 --> 01:13:04,612
[ren] would you accept a
resolution where there was no
money changing hands at all?
1021
01:13:04,714 --> 01:13:06,147
-[phil] yes.
-[ren] but they move the walrus?
1022
01:13:06,249 --> 01:13:07,315
[phil] yes.
1023
01:13:08,284 --> 01:13:09,417
[ren] um...
1024
01:13:10,520 --> 01:13:13,654
From a financial basis
this is going to be
very difficult to resolve,
1025
01:13:13,757 --> 01:13:16,491
But if they just want to send
the walrus over, I'm done.
I'm done.
1026
01:13:16,593 --> 01:13:19,861
[ren] yeah, okay.
Let me... Let me raise that.
1027
01:13:19,963 --> 01:13:25,166
Um, all right, phil, I'll...
I'll let you know if I have
any updates later today
1028
01:13:25,268 --> 01:13:26,968
-And we'll talk to you soon,
okay?
-Okay, thanks, ren.
1029
01:13:27,070 --> 01:13:29,303
-[ren]
all right, take care. Bye-bye.
-Bye. Bye, ren.
1030
01:13:33,977 --> 01:13:37,378
When I say I want a walrus,
they say,
"well, that's crazy talk."
1031
01:13:37,480 --> 01:13:40,047
I don't know.
I'm excited for the first time
in a long time.
1032
01:13:40,150 --> 01:13:44,685
The time is now to focus on
trying to get smooshi.
1033
01:13:44,788 --> 01:13:46,988
This is the window,
this is the time. That's it.
1034
01:13:47,090 --> 01:13:49,157
[phone rings]
1035
01:13:49,259 --> 01:13:51,526
[christine] hello. Hi.
1036
01:13:52,762 --> 01:13:57,398
Hundred and eighty dollars
for the culture? That's fine.
1037
01:13:57,467 --> 01:13:59,500
-It was already 200 bucks?
-[christine] basically.
1038
01:13:59,602 --> 01:14:02,370
So we're at 400 bucks.
We'll be at 400 bucks?
1039
01:14:02,972 --> 01:14:04,472
They've already got it
on their mind. They're like--
1040
01:14:04,574 --> 01:14:06,574
-It's for mama.
-[phil] I know, I get it, like--
1041
01:14:10,013 --> 01:14:11,612
[wind blowing]
1042
01:14:16,052 --> 01:14:21,923
[soft music playing]
1043
01:14:47,817 --> 01:14:52,854
[soft, dramatic music playing]
1044
01:15:03,233 --> 01:15:05,399
[phil] you go and you give
this animal a name like zeus
1045
01:15:05,502 --> 01:15:08,302
Because he is meant to be
this big majestic powerhouse.
1046
01:15:29,859 --> 01:15:31,459
There's two walruses left.
1047
01:15:34,330 --> 01:15:41,135
Before this became this big,
massive, crazy, like story
with lots of eyes on it,
1048
01:15:41,237 --> 01:15:45,306
This was me curled up
in that room on a bedroom floor
1049
01:15:45,408 --> 01:15:49,810
Trying to figure out how it is
that I can get the walrus back.
1050
01:15:49,913 --> 01:15:53,214
So, suddenly when the
proposition of that
comes around,
1051
01:15:53,316 --> 01:15:57,852
You know, you can't not
give it a lot of consideration.
1052
01:15:59,656 --> 01:16:01,756
Marineland wants to silence me
at any cost
1053
01:16:01,858 --> 01:16:04,325
And at this point they're
considering silencing me
with the walrus
1054
01:16:04,894 --> 01:16:06,961
And it's, obviously,
very conflicting.
1055
01:16:07,063 --> 01:16:08,863
They want to take
my twitter account.
1056
01:16:08,965 --> 01:16:13,034
I mean, my twitter account is
the most valuable asset I have.
1057
01:16:13,770 --> 01:16:18,072
One of the concessions
marineland would like to impose
upon me is that I, uh,
1058
01:16:18,174 --> 01:16:21,909
No longer participate in the
filming of this documentary.
1059
01:16:23,346 --> 01:16:27,048
You know I have to really
carefully think about this,
but I have to...
1060
01:16:27,150 --> 01:16:30,217
I have to look at what life
would look like for me
1061
01:16:30,320 --> 01:16:33,921
If I couldn't speak of the
injustices, and this isn't just
about animals anymore.
1062
01:16:34,023 --> 01:16:37,291
There's a great deal of
injustice going on
all around this whole thing.
1063
01:16:40,063 --> 01:16:41,562
John holer's in the ground.
1064
01:16:43,199 --> 01:16:44,932
We could change this narrative.
1065
01:16:46,235 --> 01:16:47,535
[gavel bangs]
1066
01:16:54,677 --> 01:16:59,180
[indistinct chatter]
1067
01:17:01,651 --> 01:17:06,954
Mr., uh,chair, we offer that
s-203 and clause 2 be amended
1068
01:17:07,056 --> 01:17:12,226
By replacing line 18 on page 2
with the following:
1069
01:17:12,328 --> 01:17:18,432
"everyone commits an offense
who knowingly promotes,
1070
01:17:18,534 --> 01:17:20,234
Arranges, conducts, assists in."
1071
01:17:20,336 --> 01:17:23,537
So we are inserting one word,
"knowingly."
1072
01:17:23,640 --> 01:17:28,309
[mr. Chair] all those in favor
of the proposed amendment.
Countermanded.
1073
01:17:29,679 --> 01:17:31,345
Amendment is defeated.
1074
01:17:32,115 --> 01:17:34,115
Shall the bill carry?
1075
01:17:34,617 --> 01:17:35,683
[man 22] on division.
1076
01:17:37,053 --> 01:17:41,989
[mr. Chair] okay. And shall
the chair report
the bill to the house?
1077
01:17:42,091 --> 01:17:43,357
[man 23] yes. Yes.
1078
01:17:43,459 --> 01:17:45,793
[mr. Chair]
all right, thank you.
1079
01:17:49,065 --> 01:17:50,431
[phil] holy shit! We won.
1080
01:17:50,533 --> 01:17:53,067
[applause]
1081
01:17:53,169 --> 01:17:54,902
The bill passed.
1082
01:17:55,605 --> 01:17:58,205
[camille] good afternoon,
it's camille labchuk
here with animal justice.
1083
01:17:58,307 --> 01:18:00,975
I'm coming to you live
to give you
the really good news
1084
01:18:01,077 --> 01:18:06,147
That the committee just passed
bill s-203 through committee
with making zero amendments.
1085
01:18:06,249 --> 01:18:08,549
-May I now introduce you--
-oh, what's happening? Is there
something going on here?
1086
01:18:08,651 --> 01:18:10,084
-Oh, hello.
-This is phil demers.
1087
01:18:10,620 --> 01:18:13,454
[phil] what does it feel like to
win something against all odds?
1088
01:18:15,591 --> 01:18:18,659
[woman 22] okay, right here.
One, two, three.
1089
01:18:18,761 --> 01:18:21,862
-Yay!
-Cetaceans, cetaceans.
1090
01:18:21,964 --> 01:18:23,531
[all laughing]
1091
01:18:23,633 --> 01:18:28,502
[indistinct chatter]
1092
01:18:28,604 --> 01:18:33,140
I am very grateful.
It's kind of a combination
of relief and joy here
1093
01:18:33,242 --> 01:18:37,745
Because it's been four
and a half years since I
started in on this project.
1094
01:18:38,481 --> 01:18:43,217
Hats off to everybody.
I am still in disbelief, almost
speechless, but, uh, thank you.
1095
01:18:46,689 --> 01:18:48,989
[serene music playing]
1096
01:18:49,592 --> 01:18:54,295
I guess, you know,
you're supposed to pack up
and go home and be, like, done.
1097
01:18:54,397 --> 01:18:57,665
It's just strange.
It's strange to have like been
involved so heavily in something
1098
01:18:57,767 --> 01:19:02,336
And have invested so much in it,
to have it be finished
like that.
1099
01:19:02,438 --> 01:19:04,405
I... So I watched the vote.
It happened like this.
[snaps fingers]
1100
01:19:05,408 --> 01:19:08,409
And I looked around like,
"that's it, we're done?"
"yeah. We win."
1101
01:19:12,715 --> 01:19:13,781
[phone whistles]
1102
01:19:19,856 --> 01:19:24,258
No, no, the bill does nothing
for smooshi.
1103
01:19:24,360 --> 01:19:27,661
It's funny because as soon as
the bill passed people are just
like, "oh, what, no walruses?"
1104
01:19:27,797 --> 01:19:29,130
[chuckles]
1105
01:19:30,900 --> 01:19:35,436
When marineland opened
this season, unbeknownst to us,
1106
01:19:35,538 --> 01:19:37,905
They opened with only one walrus
1107
01:19:38,007 --> 01:19:42,676
Because apollo, uh,
had passed away.
1108
01:19:42,779 --> 01:19:49,483
That makes the fourth walrus
to die in... In 24 months,
leaving only smooshi now.
1109
01:19:49,585 --> 01:19:50,818
She's alone.
1110
01:19:55,792 --> 01:19:58,025
[crowd clapping]
1111
01:19:58,127 --> 01:20:00,327
[woman 23] ladies
and gentlemen, phil demers.
1112
01:20:00,797 --> 01:20:03,697
[applause]
1113
01:20:03,800 --> 01:20:06,700
I don't have a phd.
I'm not a scientist.
1114
01:20:07,503 --> 01:20:13,040
I'm not a public speaker,
but I'm a fighter.
1115
01:20:14,110 --> 01:20:19,647
We're gonna free whales,
we gotta free walruses, and
seals, and sea lions as well.
1116
01:20:19,882 --> 01:20:22,983
[crowd cheering]
1117
01:20:28,391 --> 01:20:31,692
[ren over phone]
the pressure, the "pressure"
that they're trying to apply.
1118
01:20:31,794 --> 01:20:35,296
So, it's not like... It's like
they're treating it like they
have leverage when they don't.
1119
01:20:35,398 --> 01:20:38,132
I almost want to tell them
just fucking tell these guys,
"save the fucking headache.
1120
01:20:38,234 --> 01:20:39,800
Give me the fucking walrus
and that's it."
1121
01:20:40,870 --> 01:20:44,905
No one else is gonna save
smooshi, not without me.
1122
01:20:46,876 --> 01:20:50,411
This relationship is necessary
for the world to see.
1123
01:20:50,780 --> 01:20:56,383
It will provide for people
greater perspective
on the emotional capacity
1124
01:20:56,485 --> 01:20:58,786
Of these animals
and the... And the hell
that they go through.
1125
01:21:00,890 --> 01:21:02,323
I'm smooshi's mom.
1126
01:21:04,060 --> 01:21:06,760
Everyone talks about
reuniting animals to nature
1127
01:21:06,863 --> 01:21:09,797
And bringing them back
to their natural environment.
1128
01:21:09,899 --> 01:21:13,300
What's more natural than
reuniting a baby
with its mother?
1129
01:21:14,303 --> 01:21:17,805
[ominous music playing]
1130
01:21:22,411 --> 01:21:29,450
I feel like everything's around
the corner from disaster,
1131
01:21:30,086 --> 01:21:31,051
Like everything.
1132
01:21:31,654 --> 01:21:34,355
I can't smoke enough weed;
it's not helping me.
1133
01:21:35,658 --> 01:21:37,524
I don't even want to tweet.
1134
01:21:40,396 --> 01:21:44,665
Everything feels weirdly done
1135
01:21:46,636 --> 01:21:49,837
And then I'll be left
to face myself with that.
1136
01:21:53,876 --> 01:21:57,878
[gloomy music playing]
1137
01:22:22,471 --> 01:22:28,742
I don't... I don't, uh... Given
how... How long it's taken
to change
1138
01:22:28,844 --> 01:22:31,278
What we have changed,
1139
01:22:31,380 --> 01:22:36,717
When you start to win on an
issue, uh, if it's an important
issue to the "government,"
1140
01:22:36,819 --> 01:22:41,021
Or to people that make money
from it,
they'll change the goal posts.
1141
01:22:41,123 --> 01:22:44,224
And so you have to fight harder
and differently.
1142
01:22:44,327 --> 01:22:47,361
[woman 24] one, two, three.
1143
01:22:47,463 --> 01:22:50,064
[all]
no walls for walruses!
1144
01:22:50,166 --> 01:22:52,666
No walls for walruses!
1145
01:22:52,768 --> 01:22:57,237
For years, nobody thought about
the compassion and empathy
of the animals
1146
01:22:57,340 --> 01:23:00,107
Until it became an issue
of compassion and empathy,
1147
01:23:00,643 --> 01:23:03,711
And now that's what kids are
being taught.
1148
01:23:04,146 --> 01:23:07,147
It doesn't make you a radical,
1149
01:23:07,750 --> 01:23:10,117
It just makes you someone
who loves animals
1150
01:23:10,219 --> 01:23:13,654
And think that they should be
able to live their lives
under their rules,
1151
01:23:13,756 --> 01:23:15,656
Not forced
under somebody else's.
1152
01:23:16,325 --> 01:23:20,127
[soft music playing]
1153
01:23:32,375 --> 01:23:36,677
We just mauled her.
We just squished
the hell out of her.
1154
01:23:37,179 --> 01:23:38,746
[phil] the vet was checking her
and stuff.
1155
01:23:38,848 --> 01:23:40,314
She was up and then she wanted
to lay down
1156
01:23:40,416 --> 01:23:42,483
And then they gave her
the needle, you know,
1157
01:23:42,585 --> 01:23:45,285
There had to be kidney failure
into congenital heart failure
into...
1158
01:23:45,388 --> 01:23:48,088
-I mean, that's what happens
when you live forever, right?
-[christine] yeah.
1159
01:23:48,190 --> 01:23:51,458
The only thing I have left
connected to marineland is kiska
1160
01:23:51,560 --> 01:23:55,562
Because now that mama's gone,
she was a connection.
1161
01:23:55,664 --> 01:23:57,931
Mama. Well, we were very lucky
to have her.
1162
01:24:03,439 --> 01:24:10,044
[serene music playing]
1163
01:24:26,529 --> 01:24:28,562
-[christine] sexy!
-[phil] yeah.
1164
01:24:28,664 --> 01:24:32,166
[laughing]
1165
01:24:36,405 --> 01:24:40,641
[serene music playing]
1166
01:25:05,167 --> 01:25:10,604
[announcer] smooshi is a female
weighing typically between
1,300 and 1,900 pounds
1167
01:25:10,706 --> 01:25:12,806
And grew up to 8 feet long.
1168
01:25:15,778 --> 01:25:18,979
[phil] I would put my hands
on her face.
I would let her know it's me.
1169
01:25:22,918 --> 01:25:25,552
Like I want to make it subtle
that she finds me.
1170
01:25:25,654 --> 01:25:27,454
I don't want to find her.
I want her to find me.
1171
01:25:27,556 --> 01:25:30,057
I want to just be there and I
want her to do what she does.
1172
01:25:30,159 --> 01:25:33,794
So, she'll check the environment
out and I want her to sort of
stumble upon me
1173
01:25:33,896 --> 01:25:36,096
And I want to just see naturally
what that reaction is.
1174
01:25:36,198 --> 01:25:39,399
I don't want to solicit
a reaction.
I want to see what happens.
1175
01:25:41,670 --> 01:25:46,106
I just want to blow into her
nose because that's how
we would communicate.
1176
01:25:46,775 --> 01:25:52,212
And if I can do that, if I can
just have that face right here
and then blow into that nose
1177
01:25:52,314 --> 01:25:54,114
And, you know, just to see
those eyes glow again.
1178
01:25:54,216 --> 01:25:56,216
Oh, my god!
Oh, it's impossible.
1179
01:25:56,318 --> 01:25:58,585
It's like, uh...
It's the impossible.
1180
01:26:04,226 --> 01:26:09,997
[serene music playing]
1181
01:26:17,706 --> 01:26:22,776
♪ would you rather be more
than he things that you say ♪
1182
01:26:22,878 --> 01:26:24,511
♪ or just be the words ♪
1183
01:26:24,613 --> 01:26:27,981
♪ that you sing to yourself
in your head ♪
1184
01:26:30,586 --> 01:26:32,986
♪ when nobody's around ♪
1185
01:26:36,091 --> 01:26:39,626
♪ or would you rather be
a part of the crowd ♪
1186
01:26:39,728 --> 01:26:42,362
♪ or just a single sound ♪
1187
01:26:43,999 --> 01:26:47,100
♪ waiting to be heard ♪
1188
01:26:49,205 --> 01:26:51,672
♪ do you know what I mean? ♪
1189
01:26:55,077 --> 01:27:00,147
♪ well, you could be one
of the lovers or liars ♪
1190
01:27:00,249 --> 01:27:06,086
♪ hiding all the things they do
on the back of their hands ♪
1191
01:27:07,690 --> 01:27:10,224
♪ well, it's just you and me ♪
1192
01:27:14,797 --> 01:27:20,133
[policeman] okay, so the reason
I'm here is because, uh, police
got a call from marineland,
1193
01:27:20,236 --> 01:27:22,236
Uh, expressing some concern.
1194
01:27:22,338 --> 01:27:26,607
So there was a twitter message
saying, "life is short.
Steal a walrus."
1195
01:27:26,709 --> 01:27:28,375
[phil] [chuckles] I'm sorry.
1196
01:27:29,678 --> 01:27:34,414
["quiet crowd" playing]
1197
01:27:39,622 --> 01:27:40,954
[bicycle bell rings]
1198
01:27:47,863 --> 01:27:52,566
♪ dear, mr. Quiet
who's got so much to say ♪
1199
01:27:52,668 --> 01:27:57,204
♪ so much more than
all of the sleeping parade ♪
1200
01:27:57,306 --> 01:27:59,573
♪ if I could tie up a string ♪
1201
01:27:59,675 --> 01:28:02,909
♪ to your mouths
and make you scream ♪
1202
01:28:03,012 --> 01:28:07,447
♪ all of the things
that you keep to your self ♪
1203
01:28:09,218 --> 01:28:12,953
♪ I'd love to get to
know you better ♪
1204
01:28:14,523 --> 01:28:17,691
♪ dear, mr. Quiet ♪
1205
01:28:18,560 --> 01:28:22,529
♪ I'd love to get to
know you better ♪
1206
01:28:28,637 --> 01:28:31,004
♪ when nobody's around ♪
1207
01:28:34,710 --> 01:28:38,879
♪ while we're all staring
at the end of the world ♪
1208
01:28:38,981 --> 01:28:43,317
♪ will everybody
have their hands on their head♪
1209
01:28:43,419 --> 01:28:45,052
♪ while they say ♪
1210
01:28:47,456 --> 01:28:53,627
♪ well, I told you so
oh, oh, oh ♪
1211
01:28:53,729 --> 01:28:56,897
♪ while everybody's walking
their own way ♪
1212
01:28:56,999 --> 01:28:59,599
♪ through the quiet crowd ♪
1213
01:29:00,502 --> 01:29:04,538
♪ all thinking
the same old things ♪
1214
01:29:06,475 --> 01:29:07,474
♪ if they only knew ♪