You've probably noticed there are a lot of streaming platforms available these days. There are the traditional big players like Netflix, Amazon and Apple. There's Disney, with decades of family content, as well as superheroes and Star Wars. But there are also streaming platforms that cater to...everything: Horror films, British TV, Major League Soccer, Professional Tennis, theatrical performances, documentaries, influential classic films and the list goes on. All of those cost money. Add 'em up ...
Sep 15, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast More than 250 cases, more than 20 victims in hospital. Almost all of them children, some of them in serious condition. The kids are linked to several daycares across the city. Those daycares have been linked to a kitchen, which an inspection revealed Tuesday was filled with violations. How much danger are the kids in? How on earth could this happen? Who will face consequences and where was the government during the first full week of the outbreak, as numbers climbed and parents panicked? GUEST: ...
Sep 14, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast CPC leader Pierre Poilievre spent the weekend hammering a message of affordability and economic focus at his party's convention in Quebec. Most of the delegates were right there with him—but not all of them. After a great summer that saw them surge past the federal Liberals in the polls, the Conservatives are aiming to stay on track, stay unified and form government the next time Canada goes to the polls. To do that they'll have to avoid the kind of divisive, "culture-war" policies championed by...
Sep 13, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast This summer, a whole bunch of companies—including, ironically, Zoom—announced return-to-office mandates, with few exceptions. Some of those companies have since backtracked, while others have held firm. This is, however, the third September to feature these attempts to lure employees back to downtown office buildings, and it hasn't really worked so far. Will tougher measures get it done where snacks and perks have failed? Will anything convince employees who have options to give up their work-li...
Sep 12, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast On June 6, 2021, the beloved Afzaal family of London, Ontario were out for a walk, when they were hit by a speeding truck that killed four of them. Police allege that the perpetrator acted intentionally, motivated by a hatred of Muslims, and have charged him not just with first-degree murders, but also acts of terrorism. This week, Nathaniel Veltman's trial begins, and it will be closely watched to see if prosecutors can prove to a jury that far-right, white supremacist ideology motivated the at...
Sep 11, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast A sign telling dogs not to park at a dog park. A regulation prohibiting baseball players from hitting home runs. A billboard the size of a small car to list extensive rules around enjoying a beer in a pilot project that has been criticized for 'encouraging' the act it explicitly permits. There are times when the rest of Canada's criticism of Toronto for being uptight and backwards is unfair. This is not one of those times... GUEST: Ben Spurr, reporter at the Toronto Star's City Hall bureau We lo...
Sep 08, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you've watched a sporting event—or even tuned into network TV in general—in the past year, you're probably familiar with advertisements for sports betting. There are millions of dollars being spent in the race to sign up users and encourage them to wager on everything from games themselves to tiny outcomes in real time. And some companies are using superstar athletes like Connor McDavid to do it. But at least in Ontario, that won't last much longer. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission announced...
Sep 07, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast You may have noticed a lack of plastic bags at some of your favourite stores, as many places in Canada phase out single-use plastics. In their place you may have been offered 'reusable' shopping bags, which are ... also often made of plastic. You may have used sustainable containers or cups—but unless you were also told how to properly dispose of them, it probably didn't make a difference. Moving towards less and more sustainable packaging is necessary. The question is all in how we do it, and h...
Sep 06, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The brand synonymous with facial tissue is being pulled from the Canadian market, as its manufacturer cites challenges in the space. And Kleenex isn't the first big-name brand to exit Canada while succeeding in other markets. What gives? When you look deeper at how Canada encourages competition and innovation, you can see threads that go beyond facial tissue, salty snacks or name-brand frozen pizza. Kleenex's exit is a good time to examine how Canada regulates and protects foreign and domestic c...
Sep 05, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast With back to school mere days away, we thought it would be an opportune time to revisit this episode, which serves as a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of underfunding and neglecting education. We hope you're having a restful long weekend, and that you enjoy revisiting this old favourite. Happy labour day! --------------- ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: After a fire forced their high school to close, the Toronto District School Board decided to relocate the roughly 900 students and teachers from...
Sep 03, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Quebec isn't the only province facing a teacher shortage, but it may be the most severe, with more than 8,000 educators missing from classrooms. Where did they go, and where are their replacements? In the meantime, the government has tried to get creative by lowering standards required to preside over a classroom. Sometimes to as low as "an adult." As shortages in general become more pronounced every year, what's happening to classrooms left without a teacher, or children learning from an under-...
Sep 01, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast The places that most rely on tourism to support their economy are some of the world's most vulnerable areas when it comes to climate disasters. As we saw after the tragically devastating fire that ripped through Maui, in the wake of extreme weather all a city's resources are needed to support those who have lost loved ones and homes. And tourism isn't an option. But as these events become more common, the way we travel, and the places we travel to, will change. Tourism is one of the most valuabl...
Aug 31, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast For a year now, various economic predictions have marked Canada down for a looming recession. With more economic data due on Friday, that's expected to show some positive signs, it doesn't look like we're getting what we were promised. And that's a good thing, right? Why have some experts said that Canada needs a recession? How have we managed to avoid this one, at least so far? If inflation keeps falling, will the Bank of Canada stop raising interest rates? What can you expect from Canada's rol...
Aug 30, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Barely two weeks ago, a scathing auditor general's report sent shockwaves through Ontario's political class—detailing how acres of greenbelt land were to be handed over the developers who stand to make more than $8 billion from the move. Since then...things have only gotten stranger. We've seen the RCMP get involved, a chief of staff resign, both the Integrity Commissioner and Information and Privacy Commissioner the join the list of departments examining the scandal and a week-ending confrontat...
Aug 29, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2015, three women were murdered in rural Ontario, by a former partner who had been stalking them. Last summer an inquest into the murders was held and came back with more than 80 recommendations. This month, the federal government joined Toronto and other municipalities in Canada in following one of them: Declaring intimate partner violence "an epidemic" in this country. Is this declaration meaningful? Just ask the advocates and activists who have been fighting for it, including today's guest...
Aug 28, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's an issue that sits at the intersection of Canada's identity and reality. Our country is extremely diverse and pro-immigration, but a massive housing crisis means we simply don't have enough homes for everyone who needs one. This week, Canada's housing minister said the government would consider a cap on the number of international students who can enter the country, in hopes this might ease the housing crunch. Would it? What are the trade-offs to such a move? And is there a risk that the ho...
Aug 25, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast There's always a question after tragedies like the December, 2022 shooting at a condo in Vaughan that left six people dead, including the shooter: "How did nobody see this coming?!" In this case, the killer had long held a grudge against the members of the condo board he fired upon. He was known around the property as an angry man, and had a history of domestic abuse and violence. In hindsight, all the signs were there—but that's what makes mass shooters so easy to see in the rearview mirror, bu...
Aug 24, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Would it shock you to know that a significant number of homes in Canada are already uninsurable for flood damage? And as the impact of the climate crisis creates more extreme and unpredictable weather, that number is likely to climb sharply? The insurance companies are in the risk-reward business, and if there's too much risk, they'll simply say, "Nope." So what makes a home uninsurable? How rapidly is the risk-reward equation changing? How can we adapt our homes and buildings to mitigate the wo...
Aug 23, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Canada's housing crisis is bad and getting worse, and a huge part of it is a lack of rental units in major cities. Every government has its own proposed solutions, but none of them work without the others. A detailed report last week outlines ways that every level, from federal to municipal, can work together to speed up the process, eliminate lengthy delays and actually get shovels in the ground. The only catch is it requires everybody in power to get on the same page. How likely is that? And w...
Aug 22, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alberta's renewable energy sector is one of the province's great success stories. It's been growing rapidly, attracting top industry talent and becoming the envy of Canada for its size and innovation. SO naturally, the Alberta government has paused all new approvals for renewable projects for six months. So ... why? And especially, why now, with the impact of the climate crisis truly hitting home at the same time the province is actively recruiting workers from other provinces? What does this mo...
Aug 21, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast A recent report found that 6.6 million cars are being driven in Canada that have been recalled by a manufacturer for one reason or another. Some issues are minor, some could be deadly, and in many cases, the owners simply don't know the issue exists. How does this happen? Well, the world of automotive recalls is changing fast, technology is taking leaps that make some vehicles less reliable and the recall system itself is ... a little convoluted. Today, a look inside the world of getting your ca...
Aug 18, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast (UPDATE: Late Wednesday night, the government of the Northwest Territories announced a phased evacuation order for Yellowknife as the fires closed in.) There are hundreds of fires burning in the Northwest Territories right now. Some are threatening Yellowknife, leaving parts of the city under evacuation watch. Others have already forced evacuations by plane in remote communities without road access. The challenge is immense. The area is vast, much of it is on fire, and communication can be unsta...
Aug 17, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast By now you are likely familiar with the long, sad story of the Ottawa LRT—which just returned from being totally shut down for a month. But that project is far from the only large Canadian transit project to run into delays, mistakes, errors, sky-high budgets and everything else that can turn an ambitious idea into a headache. Why are so many of these projects stalled or broken? How hard is it to get new transit built in Canada, and why? Are there examples in this country other cities could foll...
Aug 16, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Right now, thousands of grocery store workers are striking because, they say, they can't afford to buy food at the chain they work for. Food bank use has skyrocketed. Shopifting has increased so rapidly that stores are using it as a reason to try to check customers' bags and receipts. Food inflation still hovers near double digits, even as general inflation has cooled. And the heads of Canada's huge grocery chains have testified that billions in profits don't come from hikes to food prices. Amid...
Aug 15, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast By now everyone is aware of the strains that short-term rentals like Air BnB can place on a city's housing market. But recently Montreal has seen that problem compounded to devastating effect. A deadly fire earlier this year brought national attention to the way traditional rental units are being carved up and turned into multiple short-term rentals, and a real estate manoeuvre known as 'the Montreal shuffle' makes these moves possible at scale. So what's happening exactly and how does it work? ...
Aug 14, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Greenbelt is one of Ontario's biggest environmental success stories—millions acres of protected land that capture carbon, protect at-risk species and play a huge role in feeding the province. Unless of course the land is carved up and sold to developers to create housing. Ontario's auditor general released a report this week that found the Doug Ford's government, in choosing portions of land to be developed, was influenced by developers who now stand to make billions, their "information gath...
Aug 11, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The polls are not looking good for Justin Trudeau and company. The Liberals' recent cabinet shuffle failed to halt their downward slide. And even their territorial advantage in Ontario seems to be waning. But there's still likely another year-plus to go before the next election, so plenty of time...right? Well, maybe. Canadian history tells us that governments winning a fourth straight election is rare, and that voters definitely tire of prime ministers after multiple campaigns—so what might the...
Aug 10, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new report looks at the circumstances that led to the convoy's arrival in Ottawa (and other places across Canada) in early 2022, and finds that it stems from a series of events that began in 2015. It took years before efforts at forming a convoy and rolling to Ottawa actually came together—and there were several failed tries along the way. So what changed during the pandemic? How were far right Canadians able to band together long enough to organize the event, and why were so many more relativ...
Aug 09, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's almost time for what will likely become your annual covid shot—assuming you're one of the people who will actually get it. Canada's vaccine advisory committee updated its guidelines to urge everyone in the authorized age groups (which are still to be determined) to get the new booster when it arrives this fall. What is the booster and who needs it? What will the fall bring in terms of covid and other respiratory viruses? Why are so many people still refusing to get an annual shot, when so m...
Aug 08, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We realized recently that we've done an awful lot of climate coverage this summer, and that it's been overwhelmingly depressing. So, as we take a brief hiatus for this long weekend Monday, we thought we'd dig this old episode out of the vault, where climate scientist, Katharine Hayhoe, outlines a better way to do climate discourse. We hope you enjoy! -------------------- ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: Reports on the impact of a rapidly warming globe make some people depressed. They make some people angry....
Aug 07, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
