A closer look at Travis Dhanraj’s public breakup with the CBC. In a fiery open letter, former host of Canada Tonight, Travis Dhanraj, excoriated the CBC for its “performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others.” He also called out “a small circle of senior Ottawa-based journalists.” He says he’s ready to “pull the curtain back” on CBC’s toxic culture. What’s he waiting for? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (A...
Jul 18, 2025•44 min•Ep. 1195
Carney’s sprawling ethics screen covers over 100 companies and reveals the details of what went into his blind trust. Did he lie to Canadians about his conflicts of interest? Jen Gerson joins to make sense of the documents. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate Producer) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Jen Gerson Photo: REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Further reading: Carney...
Jul 16, 2025•28 min•Ep. 1194
A 230km all-season road and deep water port could be one of Carney’s first major “nation-building projects.” Is everyone on board? The Grays Bay Port and Road would connect the Northwest Territories to Nunavut to the hotly contested Northwest Passage. It would provide shipping routes, better access and Arctic security, but some hunters are worried about the environmental impact. Will this get built? Who’s going to pay? What are the impacts? Host: Sam Konnert Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Produc...
Jul 15, 2025•30 min•Ep. 1193
Today we unmask the mastermind behind one of the most unlikely mysteries in hip hop history. Digging through old FBI files to reveal the name of the arch villain who orchestrated a transnational scam that duped some of rap's biggest players. And here's a spoiler, the culprit was a teenager in Ottawa who juggled his international hip hop swindle with his high school math homework. Further Reading: Ben Westhoff Substack Article FBI Files More FBI Files Credits Host: Jesse Brown Julian Abraham (Rep...
Jul 14, 2025•41 min•Ep. 1192
Too often, climate issues like wildfires, droughts, and extreme weather are reported in a way that ignores the root cause of these issues. How can climate and environmental coverage engage and inform an audience, while holding the powerful accountable? Geoff Dembicki of DeSmog co-hosts. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown...
Jul 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 1191
Today we’re bringing you all the trash that’s not fit for the feed. But one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Look, we record a lot of stuff… and we cut a lot of stuff. That’s just part of the biz. We often have to cut stuff we love, a process usually called “killing your babies”—because you love them so much, and they’re just so perfect… but nope, they gotta go. So we went dumpster diving through producer James Nicholson’s 20+ hours of tape to bring you all the good stuff we didn’t a...
Jul 10, 2025•8 min•Ep. 5
Carney’s clean energy disappearing act. Trump’s all out war on clean energy could be a huge economic opportunity for Canada’s energy future, but Carney’s focus on pipelines and carbon capture has us heading backwards. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Geoff Dembicki Additional music by Audio Network Furt...
Jul 09, 2025•32 min•Ep. 1190
It’s been over 100 days since Mark Carney became Prime Minister. It’s time for a performance review! Last week, we held a call-in show where host Noor heard all your praises and complaints of the new(ish) government. Today, you can listen to what your fellow Canadians from across Canada think of the man in charge So, how will YOU know if Carney’s agenda is working? Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Aud...
Jul 08, 2025•26 min•Ep. 1189
Emily Grey’s been living with a condition known as PSSD for six years now. PSSD can lead to the effective erasure of a person's sexual sensation and functioning. The SSRIs that seem to be at the heart of this condition are selective serotonin uptake inhibitors, a group of antidepressant drugs that have been around for decades. The latest numbers indicate that nearly 20% of Canadian women and 10% of Canadian men are now taking these drugs. It is generally known that potential side effects include...
Jul 07, 2025•35 min•Ep. 1188
Poilievre has never been further from the spotlight. After years of headlines and media attention, even Poilievre’s staunchest supporters have stopped talking about him. Is this the beginning of the end for Poilievre or is he gearing up for a comeback? Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Arno Kopecky Addi...
Jul 04, 2025•31 min•Ep. 1187
Does Canadaland use A.I. in the newsroom? Why do some of our old episode tile art images look so glossy? Are all of our shows written by ChatGPT? The answers to these questions are revealed in this episode of Off The Record, where host Sam grills Canadaland management on our new AI Guidelines, set to be released to the public soon. Host: Sam Konnert Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publisher) Additional music b...
Jul 03, 2025•8 min•Ep. 4
Canada Day’s redemption arc. With patriotism surging in Canada, how do we balance reconciliation with a renewed sense of national pride? Arno Kopecky joins to discuss Canada Day’s conflicted legacy. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Arno Kopecky Additional music by Audio Network Further reading Sponsors...
Jul 02, 2025•31 min•Ep. 1186
Today we are bringing you a great episode from our friends at Canada’s National Observer. Canada’s National Observer teamed up with DeSmog, an online investigative that describes itself as an antidote to science denial and misinformation, on The Takeover project. This project was produced in collaboration with I-SEA and the Trace Foundation. We went to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London, a right-wing networking event organized by former U of T professor Jordan Peterson...
Jul 01, 2025•52 min•Ep. 1185
Do you know your hammer from your hanger? From the Netherlands to Japan competitors from around the world share one dream. To make it to the world championship of Canada’s greatest game. So for one day each year they travel thousands of miles to Tavistock, a small town in southern Ontario, to play the game the author of Anne of Green Gables loathed, the game so many of the rest of us love. They come to battle over the board, to play Crokinole. Our reporter, James Nicholson, calls it the Coachell...
Jun 30, 2025•43 min•Ep. 1184
Why not all opinion pieces are created equally. A decade ago the National Post had an all-star roster of opinion columnists, but now they publish more advocates than ever. Stephen Marche joins to dig into the current state of opinion writing. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Stephen Marche Further read...
Jun 27, 2025•30 min•Ep. 1183
“ When talking about immigration, you shouldn't use the word sweep because it implies that immigrants are something undesirable to be swept away. Notably, they don't say the same thing about homeless people.” -Alex Skopic Protestor or Protester? Anti-Vaxxer or vaccine hesitant? Riot or Uprising? Every word in the news carries weight, and every choice behind those words shapes how we see the world. Style guides dictate not just grammar and spelling, but power, perspective, and politics. The Assoc...
Jun 26, 2025•7 min•Ep. 3
Carney gets a pass in the “No Kings” moment. A flurry of omnibus bills include significant government overreach, but the Canadian coverage is reluctant to call out Carney. Should we be outraged or is this really in the best interest of Canadians? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Stephen Marche Further ...
Jun 25, 2025•27 min•Ep. 1182
Mark Carney promised one Canadian economy . Now, his signature bill is one step closer to law as Bill C-5 rocketed through parliament with some amendments. The changes haven't quelled concerns from Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who broke ranks in the final vote. Host Noor sits down with MP Erskine-Smith to talk about why he voted no, and what he really thinks of Carney’s CEO-style politics. And, you’ll hear concerns from the Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak about...
Jun 24, 2025•31 min•Ep. 1181
There’s a secret club in Canada. And trust me, you don’t want to be a member. If you’re in this club, your first response when you hear news about bombs and death and carnage in the Middle East is not to hop onto Twitter or Facebook to post your political opinion about it. Your first response is to make a long-distance phone call to try to find out if your family and friends over there are still alive. Lebanese Canadians are in this club, Palestinian Canadians are in this club, Jewish Canadians ...
Jun 23, 2025•40 min•Ep. 1180
Rescinding an almost 50-year-old coal mining moratorium to get out of lawsuits, Greenbelt FOI code words, mayoral power-fuelled bike lane challenges…the latest transparency breaches from provincial and municipal governments across Canada are almost too numerous to count. Does democracy mean nothing in this country? Host: San Grewal Credits: Jess Schmidt (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Direc...
Jun 20, 2025•27 min•Ep. 1179
From chatting about pancake toppings, to kissing boys, to fixing America’s public schools, kids are turning to podcasts to say what’s on their minds. But is that a good thing? Child podcasting is exploding, but children in entertainment is fraught with complexities. Are they being controlled by exploitative parents, production companies or shadowy forces? This week, the team dives deep into the world of tweens cosplaying adults on mic. Host: Sam Konnert Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), T...
Jun 19, 2025•5 min•Ep. 2
Remember when you were a little kid and the first 100 days of school was a huge landmark? Well, yesterday Carney celebrated that milestone in his Liberal party leadership — but instead of learning the alphabet and how to get along with his classmates, he cancelled the carbon tax, tried to rush two problematic bills through parliament, and reinvited the already uninvited Modi to G7. Where are this guy’s Value(s) headed? Host: San Grewal Credits: Jess Schmidt (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate...
Jun 18, 2025•30 min•Ep. 1178
Canada is hosting the G-7 in Alberta, one of the most consequential meetings yet. Is this Carney’s moment to become a world leader, reorient our economy, and possibly the world order? With the predictably unpredictable Trump, growing regional wars, rampaging wildfires, and some controversial invitations, there’s a lot of room for error. Could Carney play the role of global power broker? And the latest on Pierre Poilievre’s one-on-one phone calls, our rekindling relationship with India, and anoth...
Jun 17, 2025•35 min•Ep. 1177
A couple silver foxes from the Mink Mile took Jesse Brown for a ride. They said their names were Walter and Beverly. The Mink Mile, for those of you who aren’t from Toronto or don’t regularly drop three figures for socks, is a strip of upscale boutiques in the city’s downtown. Anyway, the characters claiming to be Walter and Beverly offered to sell Mr. Brown an elegant cardigan. But that’s not what he got. Credits: Host Jesse Brown Caleb Thompson (Post Production), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer...
Jun 16, 2025•40 min•Ep. 1176
A flock of BC ostriches becomes a far-right circus. Why do RFK, Dr Oz, and an American billionaire want to save our ostriches? A BC Ostrich farm garners international attention after resisting a call to cull over 400 birds following an Avian flu outbreak. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Jan Wong Photo...
Jun 13, 2025•30 min•Ep. 1175
Not all interviews go according to plan. Even on a show that has over 500 episodes and the host has recorded over a thousand interviews. So what do you do? Air it anyway? What if the content of that episode is questionable, objectionable, or problematic in some other way? Well, sometimes the simplest answer is to just can it. And that’s what happened a few weeks ago on the media criticism edition of CANADALAND. For the first time in its history, the show ran without its classic segment “Duly Not...
Jun 12, 2025•6 min
On the day of Trump’s spectacular public breakup with Elon Musk, news broke of phone calls and texts between Carney and Trump. Is a bromance blossoming? Jan Wong joins to unpack the ongoing conversations between Trump and Carney, and how to navigate a relationship with a narcissist. Plus, what else is Carney sneaking by us during his political honeymoon? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor...
Jun 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 1174
The Liberals’ first piece of legislation, Bill C-2 is a sweeping 139-page omnibus bill. It would allow police to open and inspect mail from Canada Post, restrict cash transfers over $10,000, bolster surveillance, and expand what law enforcement can do…without a warrant. But it will also overhaul our asylum-seeking process. And with the riots below the border, we can’t but ask: are we going down the same path? Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noo...
Jun 10, 2025•38 min•Ep. 1173
You probably know Brian Reed from his award-winning podcast S-Town . Or from his other excellent podcast series, The Trojan Horse Affair . Finally, there’s his new show about journalism under Trump’s administration, Question Everything. Brian Reed and Jesse got together last week to interview each other. Jesse interviewed Brian about what happens to the free press when your government tries to crush it. Brian interviewed Jesse about what happens to the free press when your government tries to sa...
Jun 09, 2025•32 min•Ep. 1172
Canada’s ongoing grocery redemption arc. The “Buy Canadian” moment has supplanted the grocery “Greedflation” narrative for now, but the $500 million bread price-fixing settlement is a reminder that Canada still has a lot to fix around food. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate Producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Vass Bednar Additional music ...
Jun 06, 2025•35 min•Ep. 1171
