Rick Hansen

But what could be more Canadian than Terry Fox? The documentary Run Terry Run features never before seen footage of the Canadian icon.

Rick Hansen, another big name Canadian athlete featured in this year's lineup with Man in Motion.

We're ready to tell the story in, in a, the most open and, uh, authentic way.

And speaking of Canadian athletes, Villeneuve highlights the life of the Formula One legend with a full Quebec connection.

That is my next red carpet.

Earlier today, I was talking to Rick Hansen.

But right now, let's double back to the Julia set.

Chase Infinity, she was in... one battle after another, was robbed of an Academy Award nomination, and then she was in The Testaments, filmed here in Toronto.

One of the things that makes TIFF so special is it's really celebrated by people who love film and who love movies.

And I think that getting to showcase this film with a crowd that really just loves the art and loves the work, I think that that is the most special thing for me.

OK, so from four wheels behind me to two wheels, Rick Hansen was here in town today.

And who doesn't know Rick Hansen? Rick Hansen, man in motion, did his wheelchair, rode his wheelchair around the world to raise awareness for mobility issues.

He's an inc- incredible human being.

And I remember saying to him, "You're always such a positive person, really inspirational, a delight to talk to." Like, you feel better about yourself and about life after you talk to Rick Hansen.

And I said, like, "Is there anything that upsets you? Like, that you look around and kinda gives you like a ugh, 'cause you seem like such a positive person." And he said something along the lines, and I'm paraphrasing here, but you're gonna get the spirit of it.

He said something along the lines of, "You know, when I see people like you taking the escalator, I get a little upset, 'cause I'd give anything to walk up those stairs right now."

Oh, really?

Just from that one, yeah, I do not.

Just ba- just based on what, what Rick Hansen said.

Like, "I'd give anything to get out of this chair right now and walk up those stairs."

He was known for running, and I can't run.

And the other one is Rick Hansen, who went around the world in a wheelchair, and I don't use any mobility aids.

So there was nothing that I really related to.

There was nothing, no term that I was able to Google to find out more about my body or to find other people who have the same thing.

This comes out October 9th, and it's about Terry Fox.

And so I have to tell you, Joe, I confused him with Rick Hansen, the Canadian man who toured the world in a wheelchair, and he inspired the song Man in Motion by John Parr.

So when this song came across my desk in Apple Music and I listened to it, I was like, oh, this will be a fun tidbit because we'll talk about it.

And then we'll talk about how now this man has inspired two different songs.

But when you struggle and when you struggle and you know that you're not alone, your family, your friends, the medical community, role models, mentors, others that challenge and encourage and support you with love and inspiration, it actually turns a dark canvas of despair into borders and texture and pinpricks of light and the colour of what's possible.

Today I'm speaking with Rick Hansen.

I grew up in the 1980s, so Man in Motion was very much a part of my imagination as a kid in Kelowna.

It was Trevor Linden, Expo 86, Bill Van Der Zandt, the Coca-Cola, and the Man in Motion.

So I want to start with a question that that may be not sort of core to what the rest of the conversation, which will be, which is what is the biggest threat to the Fraser River white sturgeon?

Yeah, you know, that is a great question.

And of course, for me, people say, what does fish got to do with what Rick Hansen's all about? But it was a fishing trip that actually, when I was hitchhiking back from that caused my accident.

And, you know, being out in the outdoors has been my passion.

I guess it was probably, and we'll find out because the documentary filmmaker is going to be in studio soon of this movie.

It was probably commissioned because when I think about Rick Hansen and how Man in Motion came out while he was still doing his wheelchair race around the world.

But here we are, I think this year's Terry Fox run is is number 41.

Why has it taken so long for somebody to write a song about Terry Fox? Still ahead, we'll return to more serious and grave affairs, and we'll hear from Marco Mendicino, who's had his share of aggression shown to him as an elected official.