The Big Story

This episode first aired on November 14, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! The colder weather has finally arrived, and with it a big question: Is it time to put winter tires on the car? Climate change may have you questioning the necessity of winter tires, and the price tag is certainly not making that decision any easier. So we want to know, are winter tires worth the upfront cost? And what do they really do anyway? GUEST: Lorraine Sommerfeld, columnist with Driving.ca. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Many of us have a favourite garment — a sweater we've been wearing for the last ten years, or a pair of sweatpants we throw on every night before cozying up in front of some Netflix. Then there's all those other clothes, the shirts you buy on sale that are lucky to survive ten wash cycles, or the sweaters that pill up almost instantly. Increasingly, it feels like more and more clothes belong to that second category. And it's not just so-called 'fast fashion' anymore, as the push to produce more for less drags down the quality of even the most reputable brands.So why has it become so difficult to find a decent pair of pants that'll last more than a few months? And how do we fight back against a culture that increasingly sees clothing as disposable? GUEST: Monika Warzecha, Digital Editor at The Walrus, where she wrote about fast fashion We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The crime is horrific. The details are as bad as you can imagine. The woman at the centre of it, though? Exhibiting incredible bravery, under the worst possible circumstances. The rape trial of Gisele Pelicot's husband, and 50 other men, has transfixed the world. Not simply because of the crime itself, but because of the way Gisele has wrestled the narrative away from the ones the world all too often hears in the coverage and discussion of sex assault.Today we'll take you inside that courtroom, with a reporter who has been covering the trial, to explain exactly what's happening within its walls, and within the justice system of France — but the impact of this case well beyond that, because Gisele Pelicot's bravery may change more than just narratives.GUEST: Catherine Porter, international correspondent, The New York Times We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

We tend to see the challenge we face in terms of raw numbers and targets that need to be hit. The number of dead from extreme weather. The all-time highs in temperature set in whatever city we're living in. The emission reduction figures we're definitely not on track to hit. And it can be depressing, and demoralizing, to say the least.But there's good news: Focusing on the numbers doesn't change the fact that a shift to a net-zero world is inevitable now, and we're just arguing over the timeline and how much damage we'll do on the way. What if there was a way to make that transition that would also solve so many of the other problems we face? What if there was a way to do it that even the billionaires who tend to oppose typical environmental regulations would sign up for?GUEST: Dr Elizabeth Sawin, Director of the Multisolving Institute; author of Multisolving: Creating Systems Change in a Fractured World We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

If the entire online ecosystem feels like it's trying to scam you these days, well, you're not alone. And you're not wrong either. The past few years have seen a truly seismic growth in the amount of money Canadians have reported as lost to fraud, and most experts will tell you that's just the tip of the iceberg.So what do you need to know about the most popular ones to protect yourself before you get drawn in? Where did this fraud boom come from? And why do police seem powerless to stop it? GUEST: Zak Vescera, Vancouver-based journalist focusing on white-collar crime, reporting for the Investigative Journalism Foundation We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's been three years now since single-game sports betting was legalized in Canada. And since that time, it's become available...everywhere. Especially on your phone, in any number of apps, 24 hours a day. At the time there were concerns about what that easy access would do to problem gamblers. And we're finally getting a pretty clear picture of just what that has wrought.So what can we tell about the increase in problem gambling? What did the initial legislation get right and wrong, and what's changed as we've progressed? What could we still do to protect those who struggle with betting? And with the billions in tax revenue taken in, what have governments been doing to make more resources available?GUEST: Anthony Milton, writing in Maclean's We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

With some already starting their holiday shopping, we bring you an episode from our vault on dynamic pricing. Enjoy!---------------------------------You and a friend might be given two different prices by the same website for the same item. Heck, you might be given two different prices yourself depending on where you are when you're browsing the site. It's a phenomenon that began as dynamic pricing—a computer balancing supply and demand to ensure everything was sold at a price the market was prepared to pay—but it's now gone well beyond that.As algorithms become smarter and more advanced, and as we voluntarily offer our devices and the companies we do business with more of our information, the prices you see may take into account things like where you are, what device you're on, your shopping history and... well, everything the machine knows about you. Is this the kind of shopping experience we want? If not, what do we do about it?GUEST: Colin Horgan, writing in The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This episode first aired on November 7, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! This holiday season, about one third of Canadians are planning to either buy fewer gifts, or spend less on the gifts they do buy because they're struggling with their finances. Today, we're looking at ways to limit holiday spending without disappointing anyone.GUEST: Shannon Lee Simmons, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) and founder of the award winning New School of Finance. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's been a tough news week, let's end it on a butter note. Thieves in Guelph, Ontario—but not just in Guelph, Ontario—have been stealing hundreds of pounds of butter from grocery stores, making off with about $1,000 worth of the yellow gold with each successive heist. It's been happening for months, and the only people police managed to charge so far ... have vanished.So why butter? Why so MUCH butter? What do you even do with a hundred pounds of butter at a time? Who's buying it and what are they using it for? And why, with so much evidence and such brazen thefts, have police not been able to stop it?GUEST: Mark Colley, Toronto-based general assignment reporter for the Toronto Star We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

In the end, it wasn't even particularly close. And now Canada and the world can only prepare for what a second term of President Donald Trump might look like. As the United States' closest neighbour, Trump's plans have the potential to impact many aspects of Canadian life—from trade to immigration to defence spending, our next federal election and much more than that.So what should Canada do now to prepare? Is there really anything we can do? Where might Trump's biggest impact on Canada be felt? And what should Canadians expect the next four years to bring?GUEST: David Moscrop, political writer and commentator; author of Too Dumb For Democracy We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Over the past several years, measures of economic productivity have seen Canada tumbling. First slowly, then rapidly. Once nearly at par with the United States, we've fallen far behind them—and by some measures we're one of the developed world's least productive countries right now.How did this happen? Which industries are lagging behind and dragging us down? How much of this fall was within Canada's control, and how much was due to external factors? And when we speak of a country's or a province's "productivity", what exactly are we measuring, and how?GUEST: Trevor Tombe, Professor at the University of Calgary’s Department of Economics; Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy; Contributor at thehub.ca We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

With the invasion of Ukraine nearing the 1000-day mark, there are questions about where Ukraine's defenders find themselves. Russia has been making a strong push to stake out more ground, and in Russian-occupied territory there a reports of its soldiers hunting civilians. Despite an offensive into Russia earlier this year, the situation seems to be dire.And when America votes today on its next president, few countries will have as much at stake as Ukraine, which faces the possibility of being all but abandoned by America with a Trump victory. Meanwhile, would a Harris victory do anything more for Ukraine than the status quo? And is the presence of North Korean troops in Russia an indication this war is about to become more than a "regional" conflict?GUEST: Dr. Balkan Devlen, Director of the Transatlantic Program and Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Adjunct professor at Carleton University, expert forecaster for Good Judgment Inc. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's been almost 30 years since a narrow vote in the 1995 referendum ended the last threat to Canadian unity. And while it's not as though there hasn't been idle talk since then from angry provinces and their citizens, there's never again been a serious question of a province seceding from Canada...But history repeats, and as the 30th anniversary of the 1995 vote looms, a look at the underlying political conditions reveals some striking similarities—particularly if as expected the Conservatives decimate the Liberals in the next federal election. So is this idle speculation? Or is this a likely scenario that, amid all the political turmoil in Ottawa and around the world, nobody is paying enough attention to?GUEST: Gerald Butts, vice chair of the Eurasia group and Director of the World Wildlife Fund; former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, writing about Quebec secession for The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This week, with all of the wrappers and candy scattered around after Halloween, we're revisiting a episode from 2023 about Toronto's so-called trash bandits. Enjoy! --------------------------------------------------------One hundred years ago, raccoons were so rare in Toronto, that a mysterious creature rummaging in a garbage bin warranted a newspaper report. Today, raccoons are basically the city's mascot—literally, the creatures are on all sorts of Toronto memorabilia. The war Toronto waged on raccoons spanned decades, with no end of amusing skirmishes. But it's abundantly clear that it's over. The raccoons won, the people lost, and now we just try to protect our garbage and hope the mess isn't too bad. This is how Toronto became the raccoon capital of the world—gradually, then suddenly.GUEST: Amy Dempsey, senior writer, The Toronto Star We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This episode first aired on October 31, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! Many of us, at one point or another, have thought about changing banks. But with those thoughts comes a little uncertainty. How much time will it take? How much money will it cost? Will it impact my borrowing power? Today we tackle everything you need to know about switching banks, so you can understand your options and make a sound decision. GUEST: Rubina Ahmed-Haq, personal finance expert and multimedia journalist. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Two weeks from today, Taylor Swift will land in Toronto for the first of six shows in the city on the Eras Tour's Canadian leg. In December she'll play three more shows in Vancouver. And when the Eras Tour comes to a city, it makes its presence felt in the form of hundreds of millions of dollars, tens of thousands of fans, security challenges, snarled traffic, price gouging and more.So what happens when Swift lands in Canada? What should we expect? And exactly how did a teenage country singer out of Nashville become, quite literally, bigger than the Beatles? How did Taylor Swift take over the entire music industry? And will she ever give it back?GUEST: Rob Sheffield, American music journalist, author of Heartbreak is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

In 2002, Ryan James Wedding was a member of Team Canada at the Salt Lake City Olympics. Today, if you know where he is, the police will pay you $50,000. In the 22 years in between, he's alleged to have been a part of everything from trafficking and distribution thousands of kilos of cocaine to a series of contract killings in Ontario. How did an Olympic athlete come to this? It's a story police and reporters and still trying to untangle...GUEST: Calvi Leon, reporter, The Toronto Star We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

If anyone ever tries to tell you that your vote doesn't matter, you can tell them about this election. The final results of BC's vote took a week to calculate—and even then two ridings need judicial recounts. It was as close as an election can possibly be, and that means that the government it produces will be ... precarious, to say the least.So why was it so close? Where was the election ultimately decided? Will David Eby's NDP actually be able to form a government? If they do ... how long can it possibly last, and what could it actually get done?GUEST: Jen St. Denis, reporter, The Tyee We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

One of the tools scientists have used in autism research has been lab mice, genetically engineered to display similar behavioural characteristics as some humans with autism. But the value of those experiments, has become the subject of fierce debate amongst neuroscientists.It's also that debate that gets at the heart of what we do and don't understand about autism: Should we be trying to "cure" it by identifying its genetic causes? How? What exactly would that look like in practice? Where should we be focusing our research efforts, and why? As you might imagine, none of those answers are easy, or without contention...GUEST: Celia Ford, PhD, neuroscience; Future Perfect fellow at Vox We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

For our guest, it was a sandwich. For you it might be a box of cereal or a favourite candy bar. It doesn't matter what it is. What matters is that it makes you mad. There are plenty of signs that things are looking up in terms of affordability: Inflation is down and interest rates are declining fast—but somehow none of that is impacting how the economy makes Canadians feel.How has consumer rage becoming the defining issue of today's political landscape? If it brings down one federal government, what happens to the next one if things don't magically get cheaper? Why do we feel the price of a candy bar more than all the numbers that tell us things are getting better? And how are smart politicians channeling that rage?GUEST: Ira Wells, Toronto-based journalist writing in The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This week, in honour of Halloween, we're revisiting an episode from 2023 about a quintessentially spooky topic: UFOs. Enjoy! --------------------------------------------------------Right now, Canada is working on a process to improve our tracking and reporting of sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects. In late May, NASA and the US Department of Defence help a joint public meeting, where it was revealed that the Five Eyes—an alliance of intelligence agencies including the US and Canada—held a private forum about the sightings, which have included, specifically, metallic orbs seen all over the world.All of this could sounds like the opening of a blockbuster, or just a conspiracy theory. But it's neither. It's a serious attempt by some of the world's biggest military and intelligence agencies to figure out exactly what's going on in our skies, be it natural phenomena, secretive new aerospace technology or, yes, something out of this world...GUEST: Daniel Otis, freelance journalist reporting on UFOs We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This episode first aired on October 23, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! You may have seen recent headlines about Canada's economy adding 47,000 new jobs in September and full-time employment seeing the largest gain in two years. These numbers sound positive, but do they tell the full story? What does this mean for people currently looking for work? And how does it help, or hinder, those who are currently employed but hoping for a raise or promotion? We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

You've walked past them or through them. They're in every Canadian city and town. The result of the housing crisis colliding with the opioid crisis and slamming into a pandemic. And for all the reporting has been done on them, for all the politicization of the camps themselves and what they do to a neighbourhood, perhaps not much is understood about the people inside them. Who they are, how they got there, what they need to get back on their feet and where they might get it.Today's episode, whatever you think of that encampment in your neighbourhood, is a chance to understand the phemomenon a little bit better.GUEST: Brennan Doherty, reporting for The Local We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

For years, advocates have been citing the damage open-net salmon farming does to the environment off the BC coast. And in recent years the government has agreed with them. But salmon farming is a key part of BC's identity, and economy. Now a deadline has manufacturers looking for ways to sustainably farm the lucrative fish, but many are skeptical there's a way to make the switch in time without going bankrupt.What does the future hold for BC's salmon farming industry? What's so wrong with the industry's current practices? And is there a way to thread the needle and find a sustainable future that satisfies everyone?GUEST: Shannon Waters, B.C. politics and environment reporter at The Narwhal We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Stop us if you've heard this one before: Liberal MPs are voicing concerns about Justin Trudeau's ability to lead the party in the next election, saying that he should step down for the good of the party. No, this isn't June. Or August. The difference this time is in the sheer numbers of them, and that they've apparently drafted a formal letter ahead of Wednesday's caucus meeting.Will this be the shove that finally begins the exit process for the Liberal's longtime leader? If not, just how bad would the polls have to get? Does the party even have a mechanism to remove Trudeau without his consent? And if not, what would the next few months look like in Ottawa, as a leader attempts to govern without the support of some of his own party?GUEST: Glen McGregor, Parliament Hill reporter We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

With two weeks to go before America votes, it may seem that nothing at all can possibly move the polls. But what about a story about the size of a dead golfer's genitals? No? How about appearances on popular podcasts from Barstool to Call Her Daddy? Still nothing? Can I offer you some McDonald's served up by a candidate who refuses to promise to raise the minimum wage?As the US election enters its final stages, all signs point to a nail-biter. But how accurate are polls at this stage anyway? Is there anything left out there that could actually swing this race? What should America, and the world, expect from these final weeks and the ones to follow?GUEST: Aaron Rupar, political commentator, creator of Public Notice We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The stories of crimes committed by people out on bail are horrific. And they hit close to home. So of course they get outsized attention. But they're also perfect fuel for a political fire that has been burning hotter and hotter in Canada for years.Bail reform is complicated. It's not as simple as locking up the "thugs" that commit these crimes. Nor is it as simple as ensuring nobody is held in custody before a guilty verdict. So...what is it, then? Let us explain.GUEST: Nicole Myers, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Queens University, researcher focused on the Canadian bail system We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Two years ago, the host and creator of Island Crime, Laura Palmer, appeared on The Big Story to detail the case of a missing young woman named Amber Manthorne, from Port Alberni, BC. This week, the police held a press conference that explained the end of the mystery. Mostly.Laura was there, and has all the details. Here's the end of the story.You can listen to Island Crime right here, or wherever you get your podcasts. Amber's case is season four. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This episode first aired on October 17, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! Credit card debt has been skyrocketing among many Canadians, basically since the pandemic began. And while it would be nice to be able to go without it, that's not a reality for many of us. So how do you sort through the hundreds of cards out there—and their various rewards, annual fees and interest rates—and choose one that actually works for you? We speak to Shannon Terrell, who's sifted through every card out there for NerdWallet, to find out how you can end up in a better financial place. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

At this point, so many facets of old science fiction have become reality, from AI to robots and gene editing technologies. But one classic sci-fi signifier of technological advancement has remained stubbornly elusive — where are all the flying cars? As it turns out, they are out there. In fact, if you have the money, you can buy one right now. What you can do with that flying car, however, is another story. And what happens if you crash your flying car? That's where it gets really complicated. GUEST: Jeff Wise, Science Journalist, writing in New York Magazine, host of Finding MH370 We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

We all watched in horror as America was pummelled by two massive storms in the span of ten days, the second of which gained intensity incredibly quickly before making landfall. Many experts have said this is the future of storms in the climate era—regardless of whether you believe climate change influences individual storms.In Atlantic Canada, it's hurricane season now, and our meteorologists watched Helene and Milton closely, trying to determine if the factors that created two storms so close together and so destructive might apply to our own Eastern coast. So what did they learn from what Americans suffered through? How do you separate hyperbole and conspiracy from calm, rational science? And is Canada ready for the storms of the future, whatever they might look like?GUEST: Chris Fogarty, Meteorologist, program manager at the Canadian Hurricane Center We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Millions of Canadians don't have a family doctor. Walk-ins and ERs are packed. Access to primary care can be almost impossible for many of us. In an attempt to ease some of that burden on the system, a handful of provinces have allowed pharmacists to diagnose and prescribe medications for so-called "minor ailments". And in some provinces the list of those ailments is growing.For those without access to care, it can be a huge help. But it also raises questions about everything from training and privacy to conflicts of interest and misdiagnoses. So, is the potential cost worth the benefit of easing some of the strain on the system? And if not, what else are we supposed to do?GUEST: Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

At the time it was implemented, there was nothing at all remarkable about Policy 713. It was an update to previous guidance, based on research, and very similar to policies in place at school boards across the country. But then the angry phone calls started coming, the premier got on board with repealing it ... and all hell broke loose.The fight over "parental rights" that started in New Brunswick last year has now spread to much of the rest of the country. And in the province where it began, it's currently an election issue. How did a simple policy become such a Canada-wide chasm?GUEST: Simon Lewsen, writing in Maclean's We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's a long weekend, and that means it's time to go back into the bag of listener feedback and pull out some of the most thought provoking responses we've received to recent episodes. We hope you enjoy! Depending on what holiday you're celebrating this weekend, happy thanksgiving or chag sameach! We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Saint Leonards, Newfoundland, is a community with more than its fair share of ghost stories. Headless dogs are said to wander the abandoned churchyard at night. A phantom ship was seen gliding through the eastern reach. And some believe long ago, an unearthed skull taught the town a powerful lesson about honouring the past, and respecting the dead. Tonight, we unpack the myths, legends and lore of this once-thriving coastal town. This is Part One in a four-part series called Ghost Town Ghosts which explores the phantoms and spirits once said to haunt Canadian communities that no longer exist.Fireside Canada is a podcast about Canadian legends, lies and lore. Focused on both the storytelling and the historical aspects of folklore, each episode includes a creative retelling or story inspired by the folklore as well as an exploration and analysis of its history and cultural significance: the story behind the story. You can learn more at FiresideCanada.ca. David Williams is the host, writer and researcher behind the show. You can find him on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This episode first aired on October 10, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! New data shows that consumer insolvency rates in Canada are approaching highs not seen since the financial crisis of 2008-09. Why are so many Canadians going broke? Will falling interest rates help change that? How can you tell if you're dangerously close to the edge, and what should you do about it if you are? We speak to licensed insolvency trustee, Doug Hoyes, to help understand the rising numbers and current options. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

On Sunday and Monday, many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving with family and a full table. But so, so many of us—a staggering number that keeps climbing—will be making do with much less than that. Food insecurity in Canada keeps rising, and food banks in this country are strained to the limit, with no relief on the horizon.But why are food banks our only plan for the growing number of hungry Canadians? If we're so keen to help people eat, especially around the holidays, why aren't we doing anything before they end up lining up down the block for charity? What policies could meaningfully change how we feed people in this country? And what will it take for us to get them enacted?GUEST: Dr. Valerie Tarasuk, principal investigator for PROOF, Professor Emerita at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The rural area around Toronto's major highways is some of the most fertile land you'll find in Canada, and its zoned that way. It's agricultural land, with plenty of space for peaceful rural homesteads—or, as the city grows, townhouses and small communities.Oh, and trucks. Thousands of them, rolling up and down those rural roads all day and night, and parking at one of literally hundreds of illegal truck depots that are operating throughout the region. It's been happening for years. And there's nothing, at least so far, anyone has been able to do to stop them....GUEST: David Rider, Senior Political Reporter, The Toronto Star We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Did Canada's competition tribunal just get serious about extra online fees? In a recent decision the tribunal levied its harshest punishment in history against the country's leading theatre chain, Cineplex, over what it says is a failure to disclose an extra fee during online ticket purchases.While Cineplex plans to appeal, the ruling is seen as a warning shot to other online retailers regarding add-ons and fees on their websites. Will it make a difference? What qualifies as "drip pricing", anyway? And what happens now to the $38.9 million?GUEST: Tara Deschamps, business reporter, The Canadian Press We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Last month, the US Department of Justice charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to US. As the story evolved it became clear that the content was distributed by far-right influencers, including a Canadian.But Russia's been playing this game since it was the USSR. Its attempts to fracture politics in the west is nothing new. SO why has it worked so well? And what have we actually done in Canada to confront it?GUEST: Stephanie Carvin, former national security analyst, Associate Professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, author of Stand on Guard: Reassessing threats to Canada's National Security We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Being a part of a clinical drug trial can pay very well—up to several thousand dollars. And a lot of people need that cash and are desperate to take part. But when someone's desperate for that money, they'll cut a lot of corners: lie to be accepted, fail to report adverse reactions or other complicating factors and skip the mandatory recovery time between trials. When that happens, it can throw everything off, including the data that Health Canada may be relying on in order to approve these drugs for all of us to use...GUEST: Rob Cribb, director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau, investigative reporter at the Toronto Star We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

For this weekend's look back, we're revisiting an episode from June 2023 about the level of noise we've become accustomed to in our daily lives, and the effect it's having on us. We hope you enjoy! -----------------------------------------------------------------You know how sometimes you notice that it's eerily quiet? That's because we're so accustomed to the background noise of life in a city of any size, that sudden silence catches our attention. From cars and trucks to neighbours and kids, modern appliances to incessant TV, music or videos, we rarely have a silent waking moment.New research is beginning to discover exactly what that's doing to us, and the results are fascinating. It's not just us, either. When the world's water traffic mostly stopped during the first month of Covid lockdowns, the absence of the usual noise actually changed the way some sea creatures communicate... so what does a noisy world do to us all?GUEST: Bojan Furst, writing in The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The Big Story is happy to present the second season of Africville Forever. Season 1 told the story of the destruction of a community, season 2 is telling the story of its rebirth. If you enjoy, please check out the rest of the episodes here.-------------------------------------For too long, the Africvillian survivors and descendents have been divided, hampering our efforts to take back the land and rebuild our unique community. Solutions exist, so we are looking around the world for stories, experts and activists who have helped displaced communities rebuild, in an effort to learn. We'll be speaking to people like Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, Human Rights Lawyer and a Forced Displacement Expert, UN Special Rapporteur and Kavon Ward, Founder of Where Is My Land. We will also be looking inward, speaking to the next generation of Africvillians who are making waves and fighting their own battles in the name of advancement.So join us as we explore practical, inclusive solutions to unite our people. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Almost everywhere in Canada, the car is king. Even in walkable downtowns of our largest cities, traffic is generally given priority over pedestrians, and any proposal to change that is met with complaints from drivers, businesses and delivery services. But it doesn't have to be that way. There's one Canadian city that has, slowly but surely, taking back some of its most beloved streets and neighbourhoods from daily commuter traffic. This is how Montreal just ... went ahead and did it, and what we can learn from that.GUEST: Toula Drimonis, writing in The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Liberals, whether that's the capital-L liberal party in Canada, or the Biden administration or the Labour party in the UK, are almost always the party of immigration. They celebrate it, they value it and — at least in Canada —they have recently raised targets to record levels.And with this comes an assumption. That because the Liberals are the party of immigration, most immigrants are voting for the Liberals. But, simply put, what if that's just not true in Canada today? Like, not at all?GUEST: Rhea Santos, video journalist and anchor for OMNI News Filipino Edition We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

In the past 48 hours, Israel has invaded Lebanon and Iran has fired missiles directly at Israel. Nobody knows what comes next, but it will be difficult for anyone in the region to back down now. Has the larger conflict the world has feared for the past year finally begun? What happens if Israel retaliates? How did the past month lead to this? And what do you need to know to understand what comes next?GUEST: Dr. Randa Slim, Director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The US Department of Justice is investigating a piece of software that it alleges helps landlords share private information and suggests rent increases accordingly. The DoJ says this amounts to digital price fixing, with rents routinely rising by more than expected where the software is used.And it's happening in Canada, too. A recent affidavit revealed one corporate landlord admitting to the practice, and the app's use is likely far more widespread, leading to increases that blow away previous highs. Is this legal? Should it be? How does algorithmic pricing work on your rent? And what else will it work on next?GUEST: Martin Lukacs, managing editor at The Breach We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Today marks the fourth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is a good chance to assess where we stand on the 94 Calls to Action. After significant early progress, the past two years have seen ... not much. So why has Canada fallen behind?Has the government changed its focus? Have we simply done all the "easy" work and not yet dug into the toughest, most systemic problems? Are we in danger of turning this national day of reflection into a symbol that sacrifices the urgency out of which it was created?GUEST: Dr. Eva Jewell, research director at Yellowhead Institute, assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

For this Sunday's look-back episode, we're revisiting an interview from January 2022 about a psychedelic renaissance taking place in an unlikely locale. Have a lovely long weekend!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In the 1950s, before they fuelled the acid-trips of the '60s, psychedelics were being passed around the Weyburn Mental Hospital in Saskatchewan. And not just among the patients—as well as being given to those struggling with mental illness, doctors and their spouses were using them on themselves—for "research purposes".How did Saskatchewan become the world's psychedelic hub? What did we learn there that would inform the rise in use and then strict enforcement of these drugs in the decades to come? And how can it help us understand why these drugs are now making a return to therapy?GUEST: Erika Dyck, historian of health, medicine, and Canadian society at the University of Saskatchewan and Canada Research Chair in the History of Medicine; author of Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD on the Canadian Prairies We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

This episode first aired on September 26, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! The federal government has announced changes to mortgage amortizations and insurance rules, calling them “the most significant mortgage reforms in decades.” But what do these changes really mean for new home buyers? And existing ones? Will they help with the affordability crisis, or focus more on accessibility? GUEST: Angela Calla, accredited mortgage professional and author of 'The Mortgage Code' We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky