Welcome to the first feedback episode of The Big Story. Today lead producer Joe Fish and host Jordan Heath-Rawlings go through your comments, questions and concerns to shed a little light on TBS listeners, how we make the show and what you think of some of our topics and guests. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter...
Feb 19, 2024•28 min•Ep 1029•Transcript available on Metacast Jennie has been searching for a one-bedroom condo in Vancouver for over two years. Despite having money for a downpayment, her search has been largely unsuccessful. Now, she's wondering if home ownership is really the best option. Jordan calls Dr. Tom Davidoff, housing economist and real estate development expert, to find out if buying a condo is a good investment in today's market. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at h...
Feb 17, 2024•35 min•Ep 1031•Transcript available on Metacast It can -- but the better question might be: Is it something that could be used against you? The technology does exist to use a sample to create a sketch of a person's face, but there are doubts about its accuracy, and how much value it provides. But that hasn't stopped police from taking these sketches and running them through facial recognition software. Searching for ... someone who looks like the a drawing a computer made when it was given your DNA? Welcome to the next level of investigative ...
Feb 16, 2024•19 min•Ep 1028•Transcript available on Metacast When Toronto's mayor presented her budget on Wednesday, the city's police services got everything they had asked for, with Olivia Chow retreating from her original plans to fund a smaller increase. Across Canada, police budgets continue to increase by millions of dollars per year, as the associations representing the police effectively lobby politicians and the public—often with vague warnings about rising crime and public safety. So let's look at the numbers. What is the correlation between pol...
Feb 15, 2024•26 min•Ep 1027•Transcript available on Metacast There's simply never been a Canadian sex survey that's comprehensive, scientific and intimate all at once. For decades we've relied on data from the United States, unscientific surveys thrown together by brands around Valentine's Day or specific looks at one narrow aspect of sexuality—such as contraception or monogamy. In her new book released today, Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North , McMaster University sociology professor Tina Fetner examines every aspect of ...
Feb 14, 2024•22 min•Ep 1026•Transcript available on Metacast Cory Doctorow is one of the world's leading technology journalists and activists. Some of his specialties include information security, fraud and technology. He's written books about these things. And a little while ago...he got scammed. Totally ripped off. The lesson is an old one: If it can happen to him, it can happen to you. But it's also bigger than that. How quickly are fraudsters evolving their approaches? What is "swiss-cheese security"? How did one of the internet's leading experts get ...
Feb 13, 2024•25 min•Ep 1025•Transcript available on Metacast Last year, small business insolvencies hit a level not seen in more than a decade. And that was before this January's deadline to repay pandemic relief loans in order to have some portion of them forgiven. Most businesses haven't seen pre-pandemic levels of business return—and inflation coupled with high interest rates mean consumers have less and less money to spend. How precarious are the independent businesses in your neighbourhood right now? If they close up shop, will anything replace them?...
Feb 12, 2024•25 min•Ep 1023•Transcript available on Metacast Kacey and her partner just welcomed a new baby girl into their lives. And with this bundle of joy has also come a ton of new expenses. Jordan talks to money expert and mom of two, Melissa Leong, to find out how new parents are making it work. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter...
Feb 10, 2024•36 min•Ep 1024•Transcript available on Metacast It would have to be quite the drug, right? Actually, no. While these are real health problems, with many of the impacts of a chronic physical illness, the fix isn't a new pharmaceutical. It's a new approach to a cure as old as society itself—social interaction with one's community. The problem is, lots of people who struggle with isolation might not have the means or ability to simply get out and do it. That's where the prescriptions come in... GUEST: Sonia Hsiung, director, Canadian Institute f...
Feb 09, 2024•20 min•Ep 1022•Transcript available on Metacast There was once a memorable slogan, used by everyone from booksellers to presidents, that proclaimed "the world needs more Canada". Now, in an era defined by chaos and conflicts, climate change and a return of authoritarian politics, what role should Canada play? Traditionally, our country has had an outsized presence on the global stage—at least when compared to our population and our tiny military—but is that still true? As the world changes, and new players rise to power, does Canada still hav...
Feb 08, 2024•23 min•Ep 1021•Transcript available on Metacast Men are this way, and women are that way. Entire careers in industries ranging from self-help to advertising to standup comedy have been based on this premise. Superficially, it can sometimes be sort of true. But generally, when it comes to political ideology, it hasn't been. Until now. It's a very recent phenomenon, but it's pronounced. And it's accelerating—the percentage of young men and women who describe themselves as liberal and conservative is breaking wide apart in many countries, includ...
Feb 07, 2024•28 min•Ep 1020•Transcript available on Metacast In much of the world, fertility rates are falling—but very few countries have seen theirs fall as far and as fast as Canada. With just 1.33 children per woman, we're not close to a stable level, meaning that without immigration Canada's population will decline. Why aren't Canadians having more kids? Do we need to? How did fertility rate become such a polarizing statistic? And if we did want Canadians to have more children, what could we do? GUEST: Don Kerr, Demographer, Kings University College ...
Feb 06, 2024•22 min•Ep 1019•Transcript available on Metacast Since October 7, there has been no shortage of reporting about Israel's invasion of Gaza. And the death toll keeps climbing. But what has been rare are firsthand accounts of daily life in the region. Today, our guests describes being in Gaza on October 7, the days that followed, as well as what's missing from the mainstream reporting and why. GUEST: Louis Baudoin-Laarman, Doctors Without Borders Communications Manager for Palestine We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for fu...
Feb 05, 2024•24 min•Ep 1018•Transcript available on Metacast Lynda has a dental emergency and is struggling to cover the cost of treatment. Jordan speaks with Dr. Carlos Quiñonez to figure out how Canadians can get the dental care they need right now. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter...
Feb 03, 2024•39 min•Ep 1017•Transcript available on Metacast A study published in December offered science's most complete look at what domestic cats around the globe hunt and consume. The short answer? Absolutely everything, with no regard for any prey's place on endangered species lists. Some of the species found in cats' diets over the past few decades are now extinct, as outdoor domestic cats have spread to every place on earth save for Antartica. We've long been told to keep cats indoors to save the lives of thousands of birds. But what if they need ...
Feb 02, 2024•23 min•Ep 1016•Transcript available on Metacast Recently, in an effort to keep children from hurting themselves, the City of Toronto banned tobogganing at 45 parks it deemed too risky for kids. This is the latest example, but it's not a one-off. For decades now, parents, schools and governments have taken action on all sorts of things, to make things safer for kids. But is it really helping them? New research shows that "risky play" is part of the building blocks of childhood, and teaches children how to process and redirect feelings like fea...
Feb 01, 2024•28 min•Ep 1015•Transcript available on Metacast It hasn't been an easy few years for global shipping—to say the least. From the pandemic to multiple conflicts, to accidents and disasters, getting products from point A to point B has never been less reliable or more expensive. And now a prolonged drought has the Panama Canal operating at a fraction of its usual capacity. What kind of price hikes or product shortages are at stake here? Is this temporary, or a new normal in the climate era? And if it is a new normal, what other shipping lanes mi...
Jan 31, 2024•19 min•Ep 1014•Transcript available on Metacast The names aren't official yet, but a look at a roster and a little research will tell you that the four remaining players who have yet to surrender to police to face charges in a 2018 sex assault case play in hockey's biggest league. There has long been talk of a 'reckoning' for hockey culture—which has usually referenced perception, culture and lessons that are imparted behind locker room doors. This case, which will result in household names in major professional markets facing courts and cons...
Jan 30, 2024•22 min•Ep 1013•Transcript available on Metacast The state recently asked the US FDA for approval to purchase Canadian pharmaceuticals wholesale, and the US regulator said, "sure." And why not? As many Americans who live near the border know, it can be significantly cheaper to fill prescriptions in Canada. But while we may not mind doing it for a few folks making the trip, supplying a state of 21 million people, when we already have our own drug shortages, is pretty much impossible. Canada has passed regulations against foreigners buying in bu...
Jan 29, 2024•21 min•Ep 1012•Transcript available on Metacast Rachael feels trapped in her Toronto rental because she can't afford to move. She has no plans of ever owning a home and wants to know what, if any, rental protections exist to curb rising rates. Jordan talks to political economist and author Ricardo Tranjan about how policy can help protect renters in Canada. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter...
Jan 27, 2024•36 min•Ep 1011•Transcript available on Metacast Most of the large record chains of the heyday of physical music are gone now. If the chains haven't vanished entirely, most of their stores have, and the last few are disappearing one by one. But somehow...not Sunrise Records. In recent years the chain has been expanding across Canada, buying up Canadian HMV outlets and now boasts more than 80 stores and hundreds of employees. But ... why? And how? What made Sunrise the last Canadian music chain standing, even as music industry revenues crashed,...
Jan 26, 2024•26 min•Ep 1010•Transcript available on Metacast Experts predict the Bank of Canada will begin to lower interest rates later this year—just not Wednesday when it held the rate flat. But as inflation has slowed in many areas, it's created an interesting problem for the bank and a troubling one for many Canadians. One of the main factors driving inflation right now is the cost of shelter—otherwise known as rising rents and mortgage costs. Those increases are driven by ... the high interest rates the bank is waiting to lower. The BoC wants to fol...
Jan 25, 2024•21 min•Ep 1009•Transcript available on Metacast You would expect that advances in forensics and genetic technology would lead to fewer and fewer wrongful convictions. The truth is that we have no idea how many people are in prison for crimes they didn't commit—we only know that we keep finding them. How do wrongful convictions happen in the age of DNA evidence? How hard are they to overturn? And what about all the wrongful convictions that aren't murders? Do we ever try to grapple with those? GUEST: Kelly Lauzon, PhD student in the department...
Jan 24, 2024•23 min•Ep 1008•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past several years, the number of international students Canada admits has exploded—to more than one million in 2023. While these students have struggled to find housing and work, they've also often been deceived by marketers in their home country, promising a top-tier education that they don't actually get. Will the federal government's cap, announced Monday, help ease the burden, both on students themselves and the Canadian rental market? What does it mean for schools that rely on the...
Jan 23, 2024•19 min•Ep 1007•Transcript available on Metacast The New York Times is suing the creator of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence bot the Times alleges was trained on millions of its copyrighted articles. It's not the only such lawsuit, but it is the biggest. What this all boils down to are questions that will determine the future of a technology that has the potential to change the world, for good or ill. How different are a human and a computer, when each is learning from example? As machines become able to mimic the creative endeavours humans...
Jan 22, 2024•23 min•Ep 1006•Transcript available on Metacast This year, Erica is getting married! Together, with her fiancé, they set a budget of $50,000, however, she's a few months away from the big day and the actual cost is closer to $75,000. Erica blames the inflated budget on hidden fees from vendors and wants to know if she's being charged fairly. Jordan talks to wedding planner, Shalini Misri, to figure out what's behind these hidden fees and how how to avoid them. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You ...
Jan 20, 2024•22 min•Ep 999•Transcript available on Metacast There have been previous attempts to launch a professional league for the best women skaters in the world—the stars we've all watched at the Olympics, who have had to work second and third jobs to keep their careers going. Those attempts have all failed. In the hopes of finally, at long last, securing a stable league, with real funding and actual, professional treatment (long lacking in other women's leagues) some of the game's best players formed an association first, and only then went looking...
Jan 19, 2024•22 min•Ep 1005•Transcript available on Metacast In 2021, then-Infrastructure minister Catherine McKenna announced a process to assess all of Canada's existing infrastructure in order to better use $180 billion to fix, modernize and improve it over the next dozen years. After that announcement the government began a consultation process on how to do the assessment. At some point in the process there were roundtable discussions, written submissions, a report summarizing those submissions and discussions and ... everything but an infrastructure ...
Jan 18, 2024•25 min•Ep 1004•Transcript available on Metacast It's shaping up to be a very strange year for electric vehicles. The market leader by a mile has just launched a much-ridiculed truck. Despite growing market penetration, analysts worry the share of EVs is no longer rising fast enough. And in Canada, governments face a tough choice between offering incentives to get drivers in the cars, or to the factories to make them. We have incredibly ambitious goals for electric vehicles in this country. We're off to a good start. Can we keep the momentum g...
Jan 17, 2024•29 min•Ep 1003•Transcript available on Metacast Starting this month, Saskatchewan has stopped collecting a carbon levy on home heating. This is, of course, against the carbon tax legislation passed by the federal Liberal government. Premier Scott Moe acknowledges the Liberals will "say it's illegal". The Liberals say they expect the province to follow the law. Once the bill comes due in February, Saskatchewan will have a choice to make: Back down and pay, or risk fines and even charges against its energy minister for ignoring federal policy. ...
Jan 16, 2024•21 min•Ep 1002•Transcript available on Metacast 
