In one word: Cameras. If you live in a city, you should probably assume there's at least one camera watching you at all times, never mind the phones that are whipped out the second anything interesting happens. Reporters who cover the courts now report that basically every case features video compilations that track every moment of the suspect's day, as well as that of the victim. Through security cameras, store cameras, traffic cameras, even doorbell cameras—it's impossible not to be seen. On o...
Jan 26, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a process that can take up to a decade. And individual aspects of it can take up to a year or more. Or... it can take, like, a month. The drug development process is time-consuming, intense and very, very expensive. So much so that only huge pharmaceutical companies can afford to keep swinging and missing. But a Canadian team using AI programs is aiming to change that—everything from the length of time to who can afford to do the work, and it just might revolutionize the entire process. GUE...
Jan 25, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2021, Statistics Canada reported 5.8 million Canadians suffered some level of food insecurity. As inflation has spiked, so have stories of hungry families needing food banks to fill their tables. But the root causes of food insecurity aren't captured by expensive groceries, nor are they solved with monthly boxes of food. If you want to know why millions of citizens of one of the world's richest countries are hungry, you have to look deeper than that. And if we're going to solve the problem, t...
Jan 24, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Canadians are passionate about their healthcare. Even when the system is in crisis, we're proud of having universal care, and we want it to work. So when Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced his government would move some surgeries into private clinics ... all hell broke loose. So what exactly is happening in Ontario? How is it different from what's already happening in British Columbia and Quebec? What are critics concerned about and just how can we tell if this is a necessary move, or a step on...
Jan 23, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's probably the single brand most associated with Canada. It's also the single brand most associated with colonization, stolen land and genocide of Indigenous peoples. Yes, the Hudson's Bay company has a long legacy. But for how much longer? The company's retail footprint is shrinking and it hasn't become much of an online shopping destination. One thing it does have though, is billions of dollars in prime downtown real estate. It's given one building away already—and the motives behind that a...
Jan 20, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many think of Canada as a promised land for immigrants from all over the world. That's because Canada literally needs newcomers to survive. As much as we love that image, it's not altruistic. Right now, we have the political and popular will to sustain big immigration targets and Canada ranks among the top destinations in the world for immigrants. That's a great place to start from. The question, though, is what are we doing to make sure immigrants will continue to want to come here? To attract ...
Jan 19, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's known as Chronic Wasting Disease, and it's been around for more than a decade. In recent years, however, it has spread across Canadian prairies and animals at an alarming rate. In some places, up to 80 percent of deer populations tested may be infected. The illness makes animals like deer and elk waste away from the inside, looking like something from a horror movie (hence 'Zombie Deer'). So far the disease has not moved to humans, or other unrelated animals. But it is certainly possible. M...
Jan 18, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast If that headline stunned you, you're not alone. Even veteran police officials and crime reporters can't recall a case like this one, in which eight teen girls ranging in age from 13 to 16 allegedly swarmed and attacked a homeless man, leading to his death from stab wounds. Police say there is an indication the group connected online and were involved in other altercations on the same night the attack took place. The accused are all under 18, and cannot be identified. Hard information in this cas...
Jan 17, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lobbying is a tricky part of politics. It can be tricky to define, tricky to identify and really, really tough to analyze at scale. That's because of how it's tracked—across several different databases, with no standards, no searchability and often completely different spellings of the businesses, organizations and politicians involved. But a new data journalism project has tried to overcome that, and put everything we know about lobbying the highest levels of government in one place, so the pub...
Jan 16, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maybe it's the top you bought on Instagram or the flashy new appliance with a touchscreen. Maybe it's an Apple product that you can't repair yourself or a replacement for a product you've been buying forever that simply ... doesn't last as long as it once did. You've probably experienced at least one of these and likely more. You're not imagining things or just getting old and grumpy. There are a number of reasons—some purposeful, others a result of circumstances—that are lowering the lifespans ...
Jan 13, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Stop us if you've heard this one before: It's more contagious, we're seeing it make up a higher percentage of cases, hospitalizations are beginning to climb, and we don't yet know if it's more severe or not. Playing the role of Omicron in this winter's version of a January spike is sub-variant XBB 1.5, otherwise known as The Kraken. So should you be worried? Will vaccines still protect us? How will we know if it's time to be concerned? What should we be doing now to make sure we can have a safe ...
Jan 12, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Since Doug Ford reneged on his promise to protect the Greenbelt in November, resistance to his proposal has been fierce. In the past week that has culminated in a court challenge as well as a potential investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police. There are other investigations ongoing as well, and public protests at Queen's Park and elsewhere—but can any of it really stop development of the land for new homes? What basis do the investigations and challenges have? What does the Ford government...
Jan 11, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast In early December, scientists announced a major breakthrough on the way to a fusion-powered world of unlimited clean energy. It received reams of media coverage and lots of hope for a miracle future that would solve the climate crisis. The problem is that it won't. It can't possibly scale up in time to solve our current problems, never mind the ones we'll develop while waiting for it. But for the people who pay attention to clean energy and the climate emergency, the coverage was frustrating. Wh...
Jan 10, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Canadians were stranded in Mexico. They were on VIA trains for 20 hours, stopped on the tracks. They were stuck in airports waiting for flights that never took off or luggage that never arrived. The 2022 holiday season exposed just how fragile this country's transportation network has become. So who's to blame? What are they going to do about it? And will this ever get better? GUEST: Stephanie Taylor, Parliament Hill reporter, The Canadian Press We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as sugg...
Jan 09, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast This year marks the beginning of a delayed phase-out of single-use plastics, mandated by Canada's federal government. As the rules change over the coming months, restaurants are trying to figure out what to do—with plastic cutlery, plastic bags and most importantly with the takeout containers themselves. Over decades, plastic takeout containers have been adapted to hundreds of different meals, from soups, to burgers, curry dishes and products that must stay really hot or really cold. So now, the...
Jan 06, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unlike the most recent Conservative Party of Canada leaders to attempt to win a federal election, Pierre Poilievre has a new strategy. Since he won the job last fall, he has avoided the typical shift to the centre that his predecessor's have attempted. How does he plan to win by holding firm to the right? Can he win without centrist suburban support? What would it take to get an election this year, anyway? And what would the campaign look like if one were called? GUEST: Stephen Maher, writing in...
Jan 05, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is the time of year when many people try to organize their finances for the coming year—how much things will cost, how much to spend, how much to save, all of that. But after one of the most turbulent economic years in recent memory, 2023 is shaping up to be even more unpredictable. What should Canadians expect from their economy this year? How can you make financial plans in an age of inflation and interest rates, when everything from everyday groceries to the stocks in your portfolio are ...
Jan 04, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of the biggest problems facing humans attempting to travel anywhere in space that's farther than the moon is the years it will take to get there. A small ship simply can't support normal human life for that long. We need too much food, water, exercise and stimulation. But ... what if we didn't? What if we could shut ourselves down, the way animals do in the middle of winter, needing limited supplies and passing months as though they were days? This used to be the realm of science fiction. It...
Jan 03, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast We asked different Frequency staff members which TBS episodes resonated most with them in 2022. As we take a break from releasing new episodes over the holidays, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit these old favourites, and give you a bit of a glimpse into all the work that goes into making your favourite shows. In the sixth and final instalment of our Staff Picks series, TBS host Jordan Heath-Rawlings explains why he selected an episode from July about our ever-decreasing attention spa...
Dec 30, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast We asked different Frequency staff members which TBS episodes resonated most with them in 2022. As we take a break from releasing new episodes over the holidays, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit these old favourites, and give you a bit of a glimpse into all the work that goes into making your favourite shows. In the fifth instalment of our Staff Picks series, TBS producer Joe Fish explains why he selected an episode from September about counterfeit toonies. —ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES— They...
Dec 29, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast We asked different Frequency staff members which TBS episodes resonated most with them in 2022. As we take a break from releasing new episodes over the holidays, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit these old favourites, and give you a bit of a glimpse into all the work that goes into making your favourite shows. In the fourth instalment of our Staff Picks series, TBS producer Ebyan Abdigir explains why she selected an episode that originally aired in the wake of the Pope's apology tour ...
Dec 28, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What mattered most? What changed us? What didn't we pay enough attention to? And what will we remember about 2022 in 2025 or 2030? As the year wraps up we called some of our favourite guests from a variety of fields to ask them what stood out, and what really mattered. And we made you a blooper reel. Have a safe and happy new year from all of us at TBS, and we'll return with brand new episodes on January 3, 2023. GUESTS: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill reporter, CityNews Vass Bednar, author ...
Dec 27, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Grab a hot chocolate and settle in by the fire for two tales of supernatural wonder from Canada’s frozen north: one from the Yukon Territory, one from the coast of Labrador. The first is a long-forgotten, supposedly “true” tale about how a mining engineer from Alaska was saved by a stranger who appeared to him in a dream. The second is well-known story of a phantom trapper said to roam the wilds of Labrador. Both are deeply set in the snowy wilds of the north, and deal with themes of the superna...
Dec 23, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast We asked different Frequency staff members which TBS episodes resonated most with them in 2022. As we take a break from releasing new episodes over the holidays, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit these old favourites, and give you a bit of a glimpse into all the work that goes into making your favourite shows. In the third instalment of our Staff Picks series, Frequency's Digital Editor, Mary Jubran, explains why she selected an episode from April about a lack of available sex assault...
Dec 22, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast We asked different Frequency staff members which TBS episodes resonated most with them in 2022. As we take a break from releasing new episodes over the holidays, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit these old favourites, and give you a bit of a glimpse into all the work that goes into making your favourite shows. In the second instalment of our Staff Picks series, Frequency's manager of business development, Diana Keay, explains what she found so fascinating — and heartbreaking — about j...
Dec 21, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christmas trees won't vanish in this country, but the people who farm them are facing some tough decisions in the coming years. As the climate changes, trees grown apart, in neat little rows, simply can't take it as well as trees that make up a natural forest. As this worsens, the cost of farmed trees will continue to rise, and farmers may have to look at non-native species. How does the tree farm industry work? Where does your perfect little triangle tree come from and why is it so difficult to...
Dec 20, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast We asked different Frequency staff members which TBS episodes resonated most with them in 2022. As we take a break from releasing new episodes over the holidays, we felt this was the perfect time to revisit these staff picks, and give you a bit of a glimpse into all the work that goes into making your favourite shows. Up first we have Stefanie Phillips, the show runner at Frequency Pods, telling us why she chose an episode from back in May, about rising food prices. —ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES— New num...
Dec 19, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a cliche to say the holidays can be a tough time for some people, but the truth is that almost everyone will spend some time this month exhausted, worried, lonely or just generally trying to make it through. If you're not one of those people, congratulations! For everyone else, or even for those with friends or family who may need some extra care, this is the prep session for you. GUEST: Erica Djossa, registered psychotherapist, host of Happy As A Mother We love feedback at The Big Story, a...
Dec 16, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most Ontario rifle hunters get less than two weeks a year to bag their deer. On Griffith Island they got 11 weeks—until the provincial government recently raised it to 13. Why such a long season? Nobody wants to talk about it. Not the government, and definitely not the exclusive hunting club on the island with its secretive membership list. On the surface, Griffith Island is an interesting curiosity that can spark discussion of privilege. More than that, however, it raises questions about who se...
Dec 15, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the time of year when we should be trying to help others, those struggling with homelessness might not be feeling the love. In some Canadian cities, encampment communities have been taken down, sometimes violently. Temporary hotel shelters created during the pandemic are being shut down. And all just in time for winter. Why has homelessness spiked in Canada? What's the root cause, and why aren't governments addressing it? We know we're not creating enough affordable housing, but what good doe...
Dec 14, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
