Summer is around the corner, and a lot of us are dreaming of a holiday. But post pandemic it feels like everything has skyrocketed. So how can you still have a fun and meaningful family vacation in this economy? Natalie Preddie is a writer and a TV personality who specializes in travel. As a seasoned traveler herself, whether that's solo or with a family, on a plane or in a train, she is full of tips for how to make that dream of vacation a reality. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave...
May 25, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you met Shrimp Jesus yet? He's Jesus, only a shrimp. Or maybe a half-man, half-shrimp. Anyway...he's the most recognizable example of thousands upon thousands of bizarre AI-created images that are flooding Facebook's algorithm and its users feeds. These images go viral because the algorithm boosts them, because other Facebook accounts are engaging with them. But who, exactly, is engaging with these random fake images? And why? The answer tells a story that will give you a whole new perspect...
May 24, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to use the notwithstanding clause to enact criminal justice reform if elected. Liberals have pointed to this as an indication that Conservatives would use it for other things, including restricting abortion. How much of this is political posturing from either side? How huge a precedent would using the notwithstanding clause this way represent? If a Conservative government went down this path, would access to abortion really be at risk? And what cou...
May 23, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's known as the third rail of Canadian politics, and maybe that's why we've never properly addressed it—but as long as Canada has had universal health care, people have been paying out of pocket for faster service. It's only in the past few years, though, as the public system has crumbled, that the trickle has turned into a flood. What exactly qualifies as private health care in Canada, and who gets it? Where are the loopholes in the system that allow it to proliferate? And why does nobody in ...
May 22, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast For a number of years, some of the world's biggest brands painted themselves as shining lights of progressive values. There was more to it than altruism, of course—at the time it was seen as good for business. But now retail experts are wondering if the winds are shifting. While "go woke, go broke" has always been a farcical maxim, it's worth asking why some companies have begun pulling back on showing off their dedication to social issues like diversity or sustainability, and what message that ...
May 21, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast A long weekend means it's time to go through the mailbag. And this time there is actual mail in it. When you report on Canada Post, it turns out, you get physical letters. So we'll read those, discuss meeting and trying to pin down Justin Trudeau and the making of our latest narrative series, and what might be coming next... As always, get in touch with us, and you might find yourself in these episodes. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find u...
May 20, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the last few years. If you're new here, welcome! And if you've been with us for a while, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. ---------------------------------------------------------- The promise was pretty clear: During his first successful campaign as Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau told LGBT voters that we would end Can...
May 19, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Patrick's family member is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and addicted to cocaine stimulants. Patrick and his wife have been trying to fund treatment through private means but are running out of money. They are worried long wait times and delays in the public system will be a barrier to care for their beloved family member. Jordan speaks to Nadeem Esmail, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute who has studied the current state of mental health care in Canada and how we compare to other nations. ...
May 18, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast More than a year ago, BC decriminalized possession of small amounts of certain drugs. Earlier this month, they asked the federal government to recriminalize public use of those drugs. It was supposed to be a three-year pilot, but the key part of it lasted less than half that time. What made the government throw in the towel? Why didn't this project work as intended? And what does this mean for other places, specifically Toronto, that are considering similar measures? GUEST: Jen St. Denis, report...
May 17, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Recent movements, and brave survivors, have helped to shine light on some of the abuses that happen behind closed doors. But there's one that is still rarely spoken of: Incest. For years the numbers cited on how common incest was in families were simply assumptions, but the age of voluntary genealogy tracing has led to a reckoning. It's far more common than we ever imagined, and those voluntary tests are leading to some people finding out, in an awful way, that they were the children of incest. ...
May 16, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're in the middle of a month in which thousands of Canadians have sworn to boycott any store or product produced by Loblaw Companies Ltd. That includes an awful lot of stores and products, and would require some severe changing of habits. Which is why it probably won't work. It seems that every week we're encouraged to boycott something, but how many of these protests actually result in change from the targeted company, any why? What should Canadians who want to encourage companies like Loblaw...
May 15, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the surface, it was just another writer's festival, with perhaps some local food vendors. But as soon as the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo got underway, it became clear something about this one was a little bit ... off. First, a local group warned of far-right speakers on the panels. Then the MCs pulled out. The food vendors weren't quite sure what was going on. Some sponsors either removed themselves or claimed they'd never been associated with the festival in the first place ... a...
May 14, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ask anyone how they want to spend their final years, and nobody will say "in a long-term care facility." And that was true ever before the pandemic showed us just how awful they can be. Most people want to grow old in their own home, but many of them simply can't access the care they need as they age. What if there was a way to meet in the middle of those two problems? A solution that would ease the burden on LTC facilities, while also keeping more seniors in their own homes, receiving proper ca...
May 13, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the last few years. If you're new here, welcome! And if you've been with us for a while, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. ---------------------------------------------------------- You probably heard about it when it happened. It was called Project Endgame and it was a massive police bust on what they alleged was an il...
May 12, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2017, the Ontario Liberal government instituted a basic income pilot where participants across the province would receive $1,400 a month for three years. That project has since been cancelled, but basic income, as an idea, continues to be brought up as a potential solution to our money problems. So, could it be? And how would it work in practice? Jordan invites health economist Evelyn Forget from the School of Medicine at the University of Manitoba on to find out. Forget has been studying the...
May 11, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tim Hortons. Coffee, donuts and Canadian identity. What more could you possibly want? Well, maybe quenchers? Chilli? Beef lasagna casserole? Pulled pork sandwiches? Pizza?! Please, just tell them so they can sell it. In all seriousness, Tim Hortons offering new menu items isn't a bad thing, but it does let us ask an important question about what the chain has become: Is it a Canadian staple, that both aspiring politicians and savvy marketers use as a stand-in for what makes Canada great? Or is i...
May 10, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast India was the first country to ban TikTok—and they did it years ago. The United States just passed a law that would see the popular app banned if it isn't sold in the coming months. Canada is conducting a security review of the app and is believed to be considering similar actions. All of this because the app's owner, ByteDance is a Chinese company based in Beijing. What exactly are the security concerns here? How much do they matter to ordinary Canadians? What measures might Canada take, and wh...
May 09, 2024•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast The crown corporation is losing a ton of money, and the volume of mail it's delivering is dropping rapidly. Its annual report, released last week, hinted that major changes could be in store. That could include paring back mail delivery to every second or third day, which the corporation confirmed yesterday it was looking into. What would ending daily mail delivery mean for Canadians? How many would notice, or care? But what about those among us—people and small businesses alike—who rely on time...
May 08, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The latest strain of H5N1 avian flu has been doing some ... unusual things. It's infecting a wide swath of mammals. It's spreading rapidly among cattle in the United States, many of them along Canada's border. And it's now been found in the milk supply of those cows, though FDA officials say that pasteurization means the milk is still safe to consume. It's clear this strain is different from previous versions of the virus. And scientists are watching it very closely. But to a world that has rece...
May 07, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two watchdog reports into Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal in summer 2023 triggered sudden resignations and sent the Ford government spiraling into disarray. Public anger started to boil over. Questions swirled about massages in Las Vegas. Right when the crisis reached a fever pitch, Premier Doug Ford faces the people to make an enormous mea culpa. But is that enough to satisfy the RCMP — or to settle questions about whether the government is really working for the people? Presented in partnership wi...
May 06, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the last few years. If you're new here, welcome! And if you've been with us for a while, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. ---------------------------------------------------------- A study published in December offered science's most complete look at what domestic cats around the globe hunt and consume. The short answe...
May 05, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast A 44-year-old listener named Brian is wondering if retirement is a reality for him. And if it is, what that retirement will look like. Is it the image of cocktails on the beach and days spent playing golf that many of us associate with this stage of life? Or is it something a little different? Jordan speaks with Alyssa Brierley, Executive Director of the National Institute on Aging at Toronto Metropolitan University to help define what retirement looks like in this era. Do you have a money probl...
May 04, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast It remains to be seen if policing in Toronto will really change as a result of the past few weeks, but a tipping point certainly seems to be at hand. First, a total exoneration for a man charged with first-degree murder, in a trial that many said should have never happened at all. Then, just days later, four people, including grandparents and an infant were killed during a high-speed chase that, again, many experts said should have never happened at all. In the aftermath of the first case, polic...
May 03, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the 15th floor, a former US president, flanked by secret service members and the whole nine yards, faces criminal charges, an historical first. On the floors below, the business of a city courthouse tries to continue as usual, with court appearances for things like shoplifting and public urination. It's been two weeks since the trial began, and the former president has been complaining about the temperature. When he isn't appearing to fall asleep. What's it like in the courthouse? What's the ...
May 02, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast It started at Columbia University. And the NYPD came in hard, right away. Which, naturally, sparked more protests on campuses everywhere from Texas to Quebec. News reports can sometimes make these encampments—which are mostly composed of students risking their academic careers to speak up for Palestinians—seem huge, chaotic and full of antisemitism. But how much of what's actually happening on campus makes it into 30-second clips and 60-point headlines? How does the current wave of protests comp...
May 01, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Norval Morrisseau is among the most iconic Indigenous artists in Canadian history. His instantly-recognizable paintings adorn the walls of institutions across the country, from art galleries to universities and provincial legislatures. Art dealers and auction houses have made millions selling his works. The only problem? A whole lot of them have turned out to be fake. Even in the world of Indigenous art, where artists have been complaining about forgery for years, the scale of the Morrisseau fra...
Apr 30, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the months after the Ford government cut into Ontario’s protected Greenbelt to allow housing development, the premier’s ties with developers were suddenly under a microscope. Rumours were flying. Journalists and independent watchdogs were digging. And the day Doug Ford swallowed a bee turned out to be very consequential for another reason. Presented in partnership with The Narwhal, Paydirt is a three-part miniseries taking you to the heart of Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal. Hosted by Emma McInto...
Apr 29, 2024•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast After an announcement at a Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario that will bring billions in new electric vehicle investment, the Prime Minister sat down with The Big Story to chat in-depth about the climate crisis, the future of electric vehicles and his government’s efforts to find opportunity amid a world on fire. 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...
Apr 26, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Recently the department of defence announced a plan to pour billions of dollars into Northern security. And there's no doubt that in a changing world the Arctic region has become more important, for Canada and our allies, as well as for our adversaries. But what does 'security' or sovereignty even mean when we're discussing a huge swath of land, sparsely populated and lacking the infrastructure to change that? What does the DoD plan to use that money for, exactly? And how will it work with the I...
Apr 25, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us had a virtual health care appointment sometime during the pandemic. Those of us that didn't have almost certainly encountered virtual care of some form or another—whether that's a follow-up phone call from your doctor, or post-surgery instructions emailed to you. As we enter the post-pandemic era, there is a push in some quarters for more virtual care—it can improve access, speed things up and give people more control over their own care and medical records. But will it also simply cr...
Apr 24, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
