The Copernic Affair is available now, wherever you get your podcasts. The life of an unassuming sociology professor in Canada gets turned upside down when he is accused of carrying out a 1980 bomb attack on a synagogue in Paris. Hassan Diab says heʼs innocent, but French investigators are determined to prove otherwise. Journalists Dana Ballout and Alex Atack take listeners through the twists and turns of this extraordinary story, all the while asking… Is Hassan Diab guilty, or is he a scapegoat?...
Jan 22, 2025•4 min
After six years of Doug-wagging, Allison and Jonathan have learned a few things. Like how “Ontario,” as a concept, is even more inscrutable than “Toronto” or “Canada.” And how most disasters are not just foreseeable but have in fact been foreseen. But perhaps most disconcerting of all: that Doug Ford actually knows what he’s doing — or conversely, that he doesn’t have to know what he’s doing, because he understands this province better than any of us. Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith Cred...
Aug 21, 2024•38 min•Ep. 69
Live (on tape) from the intersection of Richmond and Spadina, it’s the fifth annual(ish) Douggie Awards, celebrating the most surreal and mendacious moments of the past year in Ford. What was the Most Blatant Conflict of Interest? Who offered the Best Spin? Like the Emmys, we take things that actually aren’t that funny at all and stuff them into comedy categories for your convenience. And with yet another Ford offspring expressing interest in politics, will we once again see a clean sweep for su...
Jul 17, 2024•37 min•Ep. 68
Who doesn’t love an ice-cold beer from a bar, a pub, a liquor store… a gas station? There could soon be up to 8,500 new places to buy low-alcohol drinks in Ontario, thanks to a new plan to speed up an agreement between the province and Beer Store. The cost? At least $225 million of taxpayer money. Is this accelerated effort to “modernize” the alcohol market simply a play for political points ahead of a possible early election call? This month, Allison and Jonathan crack a couple of cold ones and...
Jun 19, 2024•40 min•Ep. 67
When the Speaker decreed that keffiyehs were verboten at Queen’s Park, even Doug Ford agreed that that was a bad call. But that came in the midst of a hotly-contested by-election in the 905 — and now that it’s finished, so is his party’s long nightmare of uncharacteristic open-mindedness. In the eighth month of Israel’s war in/on Gaza, Allison and Jonathan examine how Ontario’s government is cracking down on expressions of Palestinian solidarity, in more ways than you probably realize. Hosts: Jo...
May 15, 2024•38 min•Ep. 66
Today we’re sharing with you a preview of the first episode of Canadaland’s newest show Pretendians . What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous. From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money, and status. There are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do...
May 14, 2024•2 min
The next provincial election is two years away, but to turn on your TVs, you’d think we were in the midst of one. Flush with cash, Doug Ford’s party is taking out ads attempting to cast the premier as cuddly and contrite. Meanwhile, the Ontario NDP is going all in on the weird side of TikTok, churning out videos so assertively surreal as to approach the level of art. This month, Allison and Jonathan don their leotards and consider Ontario politics’ new experimental era. Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie,...
Apr 17, 2024•38 min•Ep. 65
Judicial independence is a foundational principle of Canadian democracy. Doug Ford sees it as an obstacle to be overcome. Because if he can’t appoint “like-minded” judges to mercilessly punish criminals, then is it really justice? Why should judges have discretion to… judge? This month, Allison and Jonathan look at the itty-bitty constitutional crisis that Doug Ford has sparked, through his doubling, tripling, quadrupling, and even quintupling down. Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith Credit...
Mar 20, 2024•45 min•Ep. 64
At this time of year, we’d normally pine for spring. But nowadays, that means wildfire season. And it’s only a matter of time before British Columbia’s new normal becomes Ontario’s as well — yet we’re not nearly as well-prepared. Doug Ford’s not too big on acknowledging a connection with climate change. But even more surprising is that his government has barely spoken about wildfires at all, let alone adequately invested in fighting them. As Allison and Jonathan look out toward our orange, hazy ...
Feb 14, 2024•52 min•Ep. 63
Doug Ford plans to uproot the Ontario Science Centre from the iconic Don Mills home it’s occupied since 1969. But what is the Science Centre other than its iconic Don Mills home? On a blustery afternoon, Allison and Jonathan traipse up the DVP to learn whether the dreams of their 90s childhoods are still alive in North York. They say you can’t go home again, but they will sell Science Centre tickets to childless adults. Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Ann...
Jan 17, 2024•35 min•Ep. 62
We surmised that Doug Ford would punish Toronto for picking Olivia Chow as its mayor. But if anything, he seems more sympathetic to the city and its issues than before. So what gives? This month, Allison and Jonathan look at the premier’s peculiar relationships with the leaders of Toronto, Brampton, and Mississauga — and how random grudges can animate policies that ultimately affect millions of people. Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Mana...
Dec 20, 2023•48 min•Ep. 61
Until just a few years ago, staking a mining claim in Ontario demanded banging physical posts in the ground. Now, you can simply head online and click a square on a map. But while that may be an abstract exercise for office-dwellers in Toronto, the stakes are quite real (if no longer literal) for many First Nations in Northern Ontario — including those that sought, and failed to obtain, a face-to-face meeting with Doug Ford this fall. On the new Wag the Doug, Allison and Jonathan behold the mini...
Nov 22, 2023•55 min•Ep. 60
Some say Queen’s Park is haunted. Others say it’s merely possessed by the Progressive Conservatives. Either way, there’s some spooky stuff going down. This month, Allison and Jonathan guide you through Doug Ford’s ministry of terrors, as they probe into the perils that are — or ought to be — keeping the premier up at night, from the Therme deal to the Greenbelt investigation. Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley...
Oct 25, 2023•43 min•Ep. 59
Support us now! Click here : canadaland.com/join The first episode of Canadaland was published ten years ago today. If we were to announce this is the last episode of Canadaland, no one would be surprised. Journalism in Canada is in a fight for its life. You can have an impact. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 05, 2023•17 min
With his polls diving, housing minister resigning, and ill-begotten Greenbelt scheme unravelling, what’s a Doug Ford to do? Why, talk about anything else, of course! In the face of yet another report laying bare the haphazard chumminess with which power is exerted in the PCs’ Ontario, the premier would like to assure you that everything is fine. And also that he knows where you live. This month, Allison and Jonathan look at the (figurative) spot marked by lobbyist “Mr. X” and then play a game of...
Sep 20, 2023•52 min•Ep. 58
Ontario’s Auditor General has confirmed what we suspected: that Doug Ford’s government effectively redrew the map of the province, opening up thousands of acres of land for development, based largely on solicitations made at a party. It just wasn’t the party we thought. Either way, it could make for an entertaining movie. Allison and Jonathan look at the ways the Greenbelt story could be told on screen and who’d be best suited to star in it. Hosts: Allison Smith and Jonathan Goldsbie Credits: Ka...
Aug 16, 2023•33 min•Ep. 57
How did a Doug Ford policy move from 2019 lead to 10,000s of international students schlepping their backpacks to strip malls across the GTA? Allison and Jonathan investigate how Ontario colleges have cashed in on an international student free for all — and whether the party could be coming to an end. Further reading, watching and listening: Sold a Lie, Fifth Estate ( https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2132310595766 ) Cash Cows, W5 ( https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/priest-neighbours-issue-plea-for-help-fo...
Jul 19, 2023•40 min•Ep. 56
Toronto is in the midst of its most exciting election in a decade, tickling us with the possibility of hope. But does it still make sense to get invested in the outcome, when Doug Ford could easily run roughshod over Council, squashing the new mayor like the Monty Python foot? With Allison away this month, Toronto Star columnist and City Hall Watcher Matt Elliott joins Jonathan to look at the candidates, explain why this matters, and consider what Toronto’s next mayor might do to wag Doug Ford b...
Jun 21, 2023•47 min•Ep. 55
Ten years after becoming famous as the mean older brother of Toronto’s crack-smoking mayor, Doug Ford spends his days peddling fast-food promotions and posing for pictures with cops. Which is pretty much the future we might’ve guessed for him — just not the part about his being premier of Ontario all the while. This month, Allison and Jonathan peer into Ford’s parallel fixations on law enforcement and cookies. To him, there isn’t a problem that one or the other (or both) can’t solve. Hosts: Alli...
May 17, 2023•40 min•Ep. 54
Doug Ford claims he’s all about building, but he sure has a thing for enthusiastically bulldozing the utopian public projects of yesteryear.First it was Ontario Place. Now it’s the Science Centre. At what point does he train his sights on TVO?Allison and Jonathan reflect on the legacy of Ontario’s public broadcaster and why its survival now rests on the shoulders of Steve Paikin. Hosts: Allison Smith, Jonathan Goldsbie Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Bu...
Apr 19, 2023•42 min•Ep. 53
It’s every-Ford everywhere all at once, as we celebrate the year’s most absurd and distressing developments in Ontario politics. What was the premier’s Falsest Promise? The Most Harmful Policy? The Best Fordism? You’ll never guess what insects Allison and Jonathan will swallow at the fourth annual(-ish) Douggie Awards. Hosts: Allison Smith, Jonathan Goldsbie Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music) This episode is supported by Douglas. You can lis...
Mar 15, 2023•36 min•Ep. 52
It turns out Doug Ford and his "developer buddies" are more than just a metaphor. A recent report by Global News found a fleet of lobbyists and developers were invited to a Stag & Doe last August for the daughters of Ford, where they were "browbeaten" into making $1000 donations. While they have not been individually identified, the Ontario integrity commissioner confirmed the developers were "personal friends" of Ford. At this point are weddings and backyard barbecues in Etobicoke the only ...
Feb 15, 2023•39 min•Ep. 51
Conservatives don’t like Canada’s public healthcare system. They think it makes us like Cuba and North Korea. Now, after years of working to gradually undermine it, Doug Ford has declared that the “status quo” isn’t working, throwing open Ontario’s doors to new for-profit clinics. But when it comes to performing surgeries, just how steady is the market’s invisible hand? Hosts: Allison Smith, Jonathan Goldsbie Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), André Proulx (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music) ...
Jan 18, 2023•38 min•Ep. 50
This episode is from our friends on the CANADALAND network, COMMONS! This season they are digging into monopolies and asking, is there something special about Canada that makes it especially hospitable to monopolies? To listen to the rest of the COMMONS: Monopoly season, use this link or search COMMONS in your podcast app of choice. Canadians are being squeezed at every end. When it comes to cell phone bills, grocery bills, housing, entertainment, we’re all paying more than ever before. But a sm...
Dec 21, 2022•28 min
A monthly podcast grappling with the reality of four more infuriating years with the Fords and what that means for Ontario. Hosted by Allison Smith and Jonathan Goldsbie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 14, 2022•1 min
Doug Ford loves calling things “corrupt.” But just how often must his party’s friends and donors reap rewards from their policies before the word can be liberally flung back? On this month’s show, Allison and Jonathan look at who benefits from dismantling the Greenbelt and then trade fave findings from the latest Auditor General’s report. Hosts: Allison Smith, Jonathan Goldsbie Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), André Proulx (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music) You can listen ad-free on Amazon...
Dec 07, 2022•42 min•Ep. 49
This week, Doug Ford learned that while it’s stunningly easy to toss out constitutional rights, it’s a heck of a lot harder to get away with that. By passing the Keeping Students in Class Act complete with notwithstanding clause, the government mounted an unprecedented attack on CUPE, and essentially all organized labour, picking a fight for which they were thoroughly unprepared. Hosts: Allison Smith, Jonathan Goldsbie Credits: Kattie Laur (Producer), André Proulx (Managing Editor), Nathan Burle...
Nov 09, 2022•43 min•Ep. 48
Meet David Wallace, political fixer. After decades in the game he says he’s getting out, telling all, and dumping his files in public. The result is the viral "Klondike Papers" theory of conspiracies, conservatives, and cults. But are the allegations true? And why is he really implicating himself, and so many others? A wild, true story. Series launches October 31st. Subscribe now ( link ). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 27, 2022•42 sec
With electricity demand set to rise and Pickering’s nuclear plant set to close, Doug Ford’s government is now scrambling to keep the province’s lights on. Perhaps spending hundreds of millions to cancel green-energy projects and dismantle new wind turbines might not have been the most forward-thinking of ideas. With an eye on the thermostat, Allison and Jonathan plug in to Ontario’s frayed energy system, its Ticketmaster-like approach to billing, and how, in fleeing from the problem, Doug Ford h...
Oct 19, 2022•37 min•Ep. 47
The province has got a housing crisis, and the only prescription is… more mayoral powers?? Allison and Jonathan probe the comically flimsy pretense under which Doug Ford has fundamentally, if casually, reshaped how Ontario’s two largest cities are governed. Because what doesn’t quite kill Toronto and Ottawa, apparently just makes their mayors stronger. Clarification (September 22, 2022, at 8:46 p.m. EDT): Ottawa mayoral candidate and councillor Catherine McKenney uses "they/them" pronouns — not ...
Sep 21, 2022•35 min
