Original reporting, sharp political analysis, and media criticism you won’t get anywhere else. Keeping you informed about what’s happening now in your country.
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As journalists, we are pretty online. Terminally online. Our screen time apps? Let’s not go there… Now our social media feeds are likely different from many of yours. So we wanted to ask all of you, who probably lead less online lives, what you love, hate, and how you balance your online from your IRL. And you all had so much interesting stuff to share. Host: Sam Konnert Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publish...
CBC is expanding its regional news coverage and not everyone is happy about it. Some local news outlets say that the CBC is poaching their staff and stories. Plus, Carney’s government is planning a massive extension of journalism tax credits to include radio and broadcast, propping up legacy platforms owned by the big telcos. Are subsidies stifling competition and innovation? Host: Sam Konnert Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompso...
PM Mark Carney has managed to stitch together a majority in the House of Commons and has approval numbers we haven't seen in forever. Host Noor Azrieh thinks this is the kind of political moment that demands opposition. But, how exactly is the Opposition supposed to oppose Carney… when they can’t even get their own house in order? We put this to Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Produ...
Objection.ai is the new AI-powered tool from Aron D’Souza and Peter Thiel. The duo who helped bankrupt Gawker ten years ago. They're also teaming up to bring the world the steroid-embracing Enhanced Games later this month. D’Souza says Objection.ai is about restoring public trust in journalism and making it more transparent. Critics worry about its ideological bent and what it means to subject journalists, and their sources, to an AI "judge". Aron D’Souza joins Jesse to talk about the tech, what...
Buyers. Sellers. Real estate porn. With so many Canadians locked out of the market, should the coverage shift to reflect the realities of the housing crisis? Sabrina Nanji joins San Grewal to talk about the generational disconnect between homeowners and those who will never own a home. Does Canada have the political will to actually address the housing crisis? Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mas...
All month, we’ve been asking you to share Canadaland with as many people as possible. Our goal was to double our audience. Did we pull it off? Let’s put it this way: Our investigations budget will be increasing substantially and our freelance and fellowship rates are going up by a whopping 50%. More money is going to go into the pockets of working journalists outside of Canadaland and across the country. Thank you. Also, we’ve got tons of live events and other exciting projects lined up througho...
Doug Ford is facing public scrutiny for his changes to Freedom of Information and his “gravy plane” fiasco. But throughout his career, Ford has leveraged his folksy persona to deflect and distract from his scandals. Behind the shtick is a calculated and effective political communications strategy, but has the “Uncle Doug” routine finally run out of steam? Off The Record Call-in Details: What social media do you love or hate? Call in and let us know on Thursday April 30,from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM ED...
Host Sam Konnert investigates "slopaganda" targeting Alberta, revealing how Dutch-operated YouTube channels with AI-generated content garner millions of views by exploiting separatist grievances. While some fear foreign interference, experts suggest it's largely a profit-driven click-farming scheme. The episode also delves into Alberta's intricate political situation with Jen Gerson, examining the potential secession referendum, legal challenges, and competing political strategies, highlighting the risks of this complex, often confusing, environment.
A random Facebook post. A strip club that burnt down long ago. A mother missing for 30 years. It wasn’t much. But it was enough for reporter Kallan Lyons to start digging into The Fantasia Cold Case. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Kallan Lyons (Reporter), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editing & Post Production), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher) Fact checking by Julian Abraham Additional music by Audio Network More information: Wendy Ren...
Grocery prices are back in the news… again. How are they ripping us off this time? It turns out the whole system looks a lot like three kids in a trench coat, except each kid is a different layer of the supply chain, and they’re all insisting their margins are razor-thin while your grocery bill gets higher and higher. So are tax rebates or public grocery stores the solution, or just bandages on a much deeper problem? None of this is new, but you know what is new? Surveillance pricing! This dysto...
Mark Carney is a YouTuber now. Over the weekend the Prime Minister released the first episode of his new YouTube series Forward Guidance. It’s a tightly scripted, “intimate” video designed to project calm authority while walking Canadians through an increasingly shaky relationship with the United States. It’s part history lesson, part recycled campaign slogans, and highly reminiscent of FDR’s fire side chats. What’s the goal here? Carney frames Canada’s economic relationship with the U.S. as a g...
A few years ago, British Columbia made history by becoming the first province to turn the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into law through the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). It passed unanimously, with just 14 minutes of debate. Seven years later, DRIPA is at the center of one of the most divisive political fights in the country. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azri...
Today we're talking about the breakdown of discourse — the culture wars. It's not just in universities, it affects our interactions with everything from the government to schools, workplaces, and more. After over ten years of it, it seems more pointless and degrading than ever. Ric Bienstock is a director of the new two-part CBC documentary series, Speechless . It explores a variety of student protest movements from Evergreen College in 2017 to today's protests against what's happening in Gaza. ...
With his new majority, the timer really starts on Carney’s ability to provide meaningful results for Canadians. San Grewal and Kaveh Shahrooz consider if Carney has made headway on key issues like affordability, housing, immigration, and crime. He said he’d move fast, but what’s the hold up? It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes. Ho...
With peace talks stalled, Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the ceasefire set to expire next week, the situation in Iran is precarious. Meanwhile, in Canada, the mood in the large Iranian-Canadian diaspora is changing, as the Iranian regime remains in place while the impacts of the war on civilians and infrastructure accumulate. With the geopolitics of the Middle East in flux, could Canada play a larger role in the region going forward? Carney has already signalled renewed economic t...
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals took over Montreal for their convention. But it felt less like a meeting of the minds and more like a lame Coachella. With a Liberal majority already assumed after socially conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crossed the floor last week, host Noor Azrieh was there trying to figure out what it means to be a Liberal right now, and if Mark Carney can manage a fragile mix of MPs with contradictory values. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer...
Did Jesse break the law? Why did an anti-Canadaland subreddit explode in popularity? And why did today's episode infuriate so many people before it was even published? Finally, who is Spoonkymonkey, and what does he have to do with it all? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher) Fact checking by Caleb Thompson Additional music by Audio Network More information: Exclusive: Reddit in A...
Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crosses the floor to the Liberal government. Known for her socially conservative views, Carney’s newest MP has some questioning just how big the Liberal tent has become. Meanwhile, reports of Poilievre’s disgruntled caucus intensify. Is there more blood in the water? Host: Sam Konnert Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) G...
Jeremy Hansen makes history as the first Canadian to travel to the moon, but why is Canada on board with this latest iteration of the space race? China plans to reach the moon by 2030, and future US efforts will involve Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin. Meanwhile, Canadian companies are bidding to put nuclear reactors on the moon. Are we sure we should be colonizing the moon? Host: Sam Konnert Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Tho...
The notwithstanding clause has been controversial since it was written into Canada’s Constitution, and now it’s facing its biggest test yet. The Supreme Court of Canada just wrapped up its longest-ever hearing on Bill 21 — Quebec’s law on religious symbols. What started as a debate over laïcité has become a major constitutional showdown. Host Noor speaks with Pearl Eliadis to break down what’s really at stake, and what this case could mean for the future of the notwithstanding clause in Canada. ...
Nardwuar the Human Serviette is one of the biggest media personalities to come out of Canada. He’s a prolific interviewer with a knack for shocking his guests by bringing up little-known personal details about their lives during interviews. He’s an absurd figure beloved by hip hop stars. He’s a punk from Vancouver who has 100s of millions of views on YouTube but still does his weekly community radio show. This is his story as told by the people who know him best. This episode originally aired on...
Two major legal rulings against social media giants in the US are being heralded as the “Big Tobacco” moment for Big Tech. But will the courts actually be able to protect users from harm on these platforms? Here in Canada, attempts to regulate big tech companies have largely failed, but Carney’s government has signalled a renewed focus on addressing online harms. Will the government commit to meaningful legislation? Should we follow Australia’s example and ban social media for youth? Host: Jesse...
Here’s the thing — spotting fake news is harder than we like to admit. At Canadaland, we spend all day in the media. We’re supposed to know what’s real and what’s not. But when you want something to be true? You let it slide. You give it the benefit of the doubt. So we put it to our staff and you, the audience: tell us your fake news stories. The harmless ones, the ones that fooled you for a second, and the ones that didn’t stay harmless. The ones that actually caused panic — which, apparently, ...
Air Canada’s CEO retires early following backlash around his inability to speak French. An English-only statement from Michael Rousseau following the tragic accident at LaGuardia airport sparked a heated debate around bilingualism. Politicians expressed their disappointment, columnists and commenters online debated Air Canada’s language requirements. Even Elon Musk weighed in. Should we get serious about bilingualism or is this debate a sign that we’re not a serious country? Host: Jesse Brown Cr...
Mark Carney has proposed a 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to Quebec City, with trains reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. It would be Canada’s first true high-speed rail system. On paper, the idea is appealing. But building it is far from straightforward. Host Noor Azrieh, tries to answer the question: how do you build ambitious, nation-shaping infrastructure in a country where the human realities on the ground are so complex? Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Sen...
Why are media companies like CNN and Substack joining forces with prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi? Both Polymarket and Kalshi have been all over the news and editorial pages: will these markets be a blight of insider trading and foreign interference? The next step on the slippery slope to online gambling addiction? Should we really be able to bet on kidnapping, war, the timing of someone else's death? But thanks to recent partnerships between big media and the prediction market com...
The NDP is picking a new leader, but can any of the candidates lead them back to relevance? In Manitoba this weekend, the NDP is gathering to name a new leader, but a recent poll suggests that almost half of previous NDP voters don’t recognize the names of the candidates. Avi Lewis is the frontrunner, with impressive fundraising and big ideas, but will his playbook translate into national interest in the party? Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate produc...
How does Rogan fit into Poilievre’s larger strategic shift? Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience has already been viewed by millions, and, surprisingly, many political commentators in Canada are applauding his performance. Zain Velji joins Noor Azrieh to consider what Poilievre’s longform bro-fest can tell us about his political strategy going forward. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (...
The scramble for CUSMA has begun. Lobbyists are lobbying. Negotiators are negotiating. And, while that’s all kicking off, there’s another less visible channel of diplomacy. The Canada-US Interparliamentary Group. A network of Canadian MPs, senators, and members of Congress who meet every year to keep our relationship going and talk through issues that could otherwise spiral into major disputes. This episode, host Sam Konnert takes a look inside the network of politicians trying to keep the Canad...
Over a decade ago journalist Laura Robinson broke this story of alleged abuse against Indigenous children at a school in Burns Lake, B.C.. The man at the centre of the allegations is someone who had risen to international prominence in the sports world. It's been a tale of twists and turns with the RCMP investigating the abuse allegations and declining to press charges. Robinson and the accused took turns to sue each other for defamation. Finally, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal took up the c...
