The scandals of Doug Ford and Danielle Smith continue to make headlines, but it appears to have little impact on them politically. Now, Ford is changing the rules around Freedom of Information to make it harder to hold him accountable. Smith has also been criticized for her government’s approach to information requests. This clawback on the access of information is a trend in other governments across the country. How does the public and the media demand accountability when politicians dominate t...
Mar 20, 2026•36 min•Ep. 1333
Gas prices are back in the news as the Iran War disrupts global oil supply. Columnists are weighing in on what it all means for Canada’s energy future. With Carney’s commitment to making Canada an energy superpower, do we barrel forward with increased oil production or renew our commitment to renewables? Max Fawcett of Canada’s National Observer joins San Grewal to drill beneath the headlines. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checkin...
Mar 18, 2026•32 min•Ep. 1332
Investigative reporters have uncovered a network of these crypto-to-cash desks operating across Canada. And some of the transactions moving through them appear linked to crypto wallets allegedly associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. So how could money tied to a sanctioned regime end up moving through Toronto? Host Noor Azrieh speaks with reporters behind the global investigation, The Coin Laundry , and with financial-crime experts about how Iran and other sanctioned actors use c...
Mar 17, 2026•43 min•Ep. 1331
Anthony Duncan turned his chatbot into his therapist. That was the start of a journey that ended in the psych ward. How did Anthony’s bot go from helping him write emails to egging on the wildest, and darkest, of his delusions? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Julian Abraham (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher) Fact checking by Caleb Thompson Additional music by Audio ...
Mar 16, 2026•36 min•Ep. 1330
Former CBC host Travis Dhanraj promised to “pull the curtain back” and reveal what is really happening inside the CBC. On Tuesday, he testified in parliament that he experienced bias, tokenism, and bullying at the public broadcaster. Conservative voices are calling his testimony “explosive” and “shocking,” while others consider his concerns “pedestrian” and “absurd.” What does Dhanraj’s whistleblowing tell us about the situation inside the CBC? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Produce...
Mar 13, 2026•41 min•Ep. 1329
In February, controversial Sikh YouTuber Nancy Grewal told CBC News that she feared for her life. Days later, she was stabbed to death outside of Windsor, Ontario. Was her murder related to her criticism of the Khalistan movement? San Grewal of The Pointer joins to unpack the political pressures and misinformation shaping the reporting of the case. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technica...
Mar 11, 2026•37 min•Ep. 1328
AI chatbots are encouraging violence, social media is hurting kids, and Ottawa is still trying to figure out how to regulate the harms of the internet after two very public failed attempts. Host Noor Azrieh and Taylor Owen, professor and member of the federal task force on AI and online safety, dig into the federal government’s latest Online Harms push. Why does regulating the internet, especially its nastier corners, keep proving so hard to actually do? PLUS, we hear from Thomas Juneau, former ...
Mar 10, 2026•39 min•Ep. 1327
Canada is home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside of Iran in the world. There are over 280,000 Iranian Canadians living here. The rallies they've held in recent months have been some of the largest that Canada has ever seen. According to the CBC last month, 350,000 people took to the streets in Toronto. And that was before the war had even begun. Today we’re checking in with three Iranian-Canadians as they watch history unfold. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio...
Mar 09, 2026•25 min•Ep. 1326
Carney travels to India and strikes a landmark deal with Modi, but what about all those allegations of foreign interference by Indian agents in Canada? A senior official in Carney’s government says India is no longer targeting Canadians, but CSIS and other Liberal MPs insist it’s still ongoing. Plus, a new Globe and Mail investigation offers a detailed portrait of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Correction: In a previous version of this episode, the driver of the Humboldt Broncos bus, Jaski...
Mar 06, 2026•35 min•Ep. 1325
As journalists, our job is to dig deep into stories. And sometimes, we dig far deeper than we ever thought possible. And those deep dives will often become our most interesting stories. And finding those stories usually follows a pattern. Something catches your eye, it draws you in. You start doing a little research on it. Then you find something that makes us go, “Huh…” You start pulling the thread, follow the bread crumbs, and slowly you find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes. And so we w...
Mar 05, 2026•1 min•Ep. 16
Carney’s support of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran raises questions around Canada’s “principled pragmatism” approach to foreign policy. Is it consistent with what he said at Davos? Plus, the Iranian-Canadian response to the killing of Ali Khamenei isn’t as mixed as the headlines suggest. Correction: in a previous version of this episode, a statement was erroneously attributed to Quebec’s Minister of Education, Sonia Lebel. It was made by Parti Quebecois MNA Pascal Paradis. Host: Jesse Brown ...
Mar 04, 2026•35 min•Ep. 1324
More than 24,000 federal public servants have received notices that their jobs could be at risk. That is on top of the 9800 public service employees who were already let go last year. Host Sam Konnert takes us inside the government, specifically, inside a single lab within Environment and Climate Change Canada. A lab tasked with making sure our water is clean and our food is plastic-free. A lab that could go from nine PhD-level scientists, down to one. What happens to the country when these work...
Mar 03, 2026•32 min•Ep. 1323
By some estimates Canada will soon be short thousands of trained aircraft mechanics. The people who keep our flights safe. The government came up with $25 million dollars to help. A whistleblower came to Canadaland to allege that the money bought training materials that were plagiarized, then run through ChatGPT. Those materials resulted in AI slop that included AI hallucinations. Our reporter Gemma Boothroyd brings us her investigation. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Tri...
Mar 02, 2026•36 min•Ep. 1322
Sparks were markedly absent from the final NDP leadership debate, replaced instead by “violent agreement” amongst candidates. Meanwhile, the federal Liberals’ rightward shift leaves a wide gap on the left side of the political spectrum. What does the NDP need to do to shake off the sleepies, and meet the current political moment? Freelance journalist Luke Savage joins host James Nicholson to give Canada’s traditionally left-leaning party pointers. Host: James Nicholson Credits: James Nicholson (...
Feb 27, 2026•34 min•Ep. 1321
" What in the Silicon Valley ethos of move fast and break stuff would make us expect that they are going to have any real safety concerns at all?" A new report from the Wall Street Journal reveals the U.S. tech company OpenAI knew of troublesome ChatGPT usage by Jesse van Rootselaar, months before the Tumbler Ridge shooting, and did nothing. The news stoked ongoing calls for better guardrails on A.I. chatbots and beyond. Will Canada’s A.I. Minister Evan Solomon decide to “ignore all previous ins...
Feb 25, 2026•37 min•Ep. 1320
Mark Carney is busy trying to Trump-proof Canada with a flurry of trade deals and whispers of a mega anti-Trump alliance linking Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Trade researcher Stuart Trew joins host Noor Azrieh to argue that more free trade isn’t a master plan; it’s diminishing returns with nicer branding. Plus, Ottawa reporter Sam Konnert breaks down Canada’s newly released Defence Industrial Strategy: 70% Canadian content, massive growth targets, and a promise to rebuild both the military and t...
Feb 24, 2026•45 min•Ep. 1319
When shots rang out in Tumbler Ridge there was one reporter in town. He was used to covering local events like town council meetings, local hockey, or even, once, a mother duck leading her chicks through town. Then on February 10 came one of the worst shootings in Canadian history. For the first five hours after the attack local reporter Trent Ernst was the sole journalist in the town. Then the international media descended and for a few days everyone from CBC to the BBC to CNN wanted to talk to...
Feb 23, 2026•37 min•Ep. 1318
Another floor crossing MP spoils Pierre Poilievre’s entry into the men’s fitness ecosystem. Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux’s decision to unresign and join Carney’s Liberals has resurfaced questions around Poilievre fitness for leadership. Pierre can swing a kettlebell, but can hold onto his own caucus? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kattie Laur (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse B...
Feb 20, 2026•33 min•Ep. 1317
Project South uncovers one of the worst cases of police corruption in Canadian history. The investigation into Toronto Police offers a staggering portrait of corruption, with allegations connecting officers to attempted assassinations, illegal firearms, drug trafficking, extortion, bribery, and leaking confidential information. Plus, the death of “the last man in Africville” and the targeting of Jewish summer camps. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kattie Laur (Associate Pr...
Feb 18, 2026•38 min•Ep. 1316
Surrey, BC has already recorded 51 extortions this year. 11 of them ended with shots fired. That might sound surprising until you realise last year there were 133 cases, and 49 related shootings. So what’s actually driving this? And how is it possible that after more than a year of this, no level of government (municipal, provincial, federal) and no police force has managed to get it under control? Host Noor speaks with former MP Jinny Sims, who was targeted in these campaigns, and Wade Deisman,...
Feb 17, 2026•35 min•Ep. 1315
Jay Baruchel, if you don’t know that name, you likely know his face from the string of hit movies he’s been in: Knocked Up , This Is The End , Blackberry , Million Dollar Baby , Almost Famous , and Tropic Thunder , among many others. He’s been in the belly of Hollywood’s beast for over two decades. But he’s also a self-proclaimed Canadian patriot with the maple leaf literally tattooed over his heart. So who better to join us to try and figure out where Elbows Up goes from here, and tease out som...
Feb 16, 2026•32 min•Ep. 1314
While the Canadian mainstream media was reluctant to reveal unverified information, far right outlets and bad actors swarmed to score political points for their anti-trans agenda. Why is Jesse Van Rootselaar’s gender the focus of the online discussion? And how should it fit into the coverage? Mel Woods of Xtra Magazine joins Noor Azrieh. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kattie Laur (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer),...
Feb 13, 2026•37 min•Ep. 1313
Playing rules-based games at the end of the rules-based order. With the heated rivalry between the US and Canada, athletes speaking out against ICE, and the rupture of old world order in the background, the Olympics are especially political this time around. Where do politics fit into the winter games and how did hockey become a symbol of geopolitical conflict? Rahim Mohamed of the National Post gets “Canada Down” with Noor Azrieh. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kattie La...
Feb 11, 2026•34 min•Ep. 1312
NATO is building something new: a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank. Basically a World Bank for war, and Canada wants it. From Toronto to Montreal to Ottawa to Halifax, mayors are campaigning hard, pitching their cities as the future headquarters of a global military finance hub. Thousands of high-paying jobs, direct access to defence capital and a front-row seat to the new security order are all at stake. At the same time, Mark Carney is preparing to unveil his long-awaited Defence Industri...
Feb 10, 2026•28 min•Ep. 1311
The government of New Brunswick has released its much-anticipated report on the mysterious neurological illnesses afflicting many in the province. The report doesn’t just aim to identify what’s behind the “cluster” of disease. It’s far more fundamental than that. Its findings raise questions as to whether the disease itself exists. Is it a single disease or a mass misdiagnosis of unrelated illnesses? The physician at the heart of the controversy for much of the last decade, Dr. Alier Marrero, ha...
Feb 09, 2026•34 min•Ep. 1310
Poilievre’s landslide victory at his leadership review raises questions about the flurry of coverage about his political demise only months ago. Why was there such a disconnect? With Carney riding high, and Poilievre’s likeability still a concern, Conservatives are betting on the long game (and hoping to avoid a spring election.) Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kattie Laur (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director ...
Feb 06, 2026•24 min•Ep. 1309
A lot of the time, local news sucks. It’s important, but it sucks. City council meetings, school board meetings, police board meetings… just plain boring. But every once in a while, there’s a gold mine. But at Canadaland we just don’t have the resources to find these little golden nuggets, these hyper local stories. We’re not on the ground, our audience is national, and we don’t usually get the scoops. So we asked you to call in and let us know all about them. And boy did you deliver, we’ve got ...
Feb 05, 2026•1 min•Ep. 15
Canadian media is calling out companies with ties to ICE, but can it make a difference? Thomson Reuters, Hootsuite, Roschel, and the Jim Pattison Group are among a group of Canadian companies facing criticism for their connection with ICE. Media coverage, petitions, and protests have compelled some of these companies to cut ties with ICE. Canadian politicians are joining in to voice their outrage over what’s happening in Minnesota, but what sort of meaningful impact can we actually have? Host: J...
Feb 04, 2026•31 min•Ep. 1308
Pierre Poilievre just cruised through his leadership review, but is the party really buying what he’s selling? Noor Azrieh goes inside the Conservative convention in Calgary, from the polished speeches on stage to the simmering anger offstage. Along the way: separatists working the floor, influencers commanding the crowd, and a party trying to sell hope to a base still fuelled by grievance. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host...
Feb 03, 2026•33 min•Ep. 1307
This is not your traditional true crime story. This is not a whodunnit. It’s more of a howdunnit. That is, it’s a self-defence guide on how to fight back after you’ve been ripped off. Raymond Biesinger is an iconic Canadian illustrator and author of the book, 9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off . And he invited Producer Tristan Capacchione to his studio to talk all about his true crime story. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Produc...
Feb 02, 2026•38 min•Ep. 1306
