The Big Story

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

It's one of the most iconic photographic portraits in world history—and it hangs in one of the most famous buildings in the Canadian capital. At least it did, until it was stolen...The story of The Roaring Lion theft involves international intrigue, world history, careful detective work and one of this country's most renowned artists. But most of all, it's a riveting heist tale that spans from Canada to Europe, and who doesn't love one of those?GUEST: Brett Popplewell, author, reporter, associate professor; 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 federal government—as well as the government-owned crown corporation Trans Mountain—has paid tens of millions of dollars in two separate contracts to McKinsey and Company, one of the world's premier consulting firms. One of the contracts was given to offer advice on clean technology, despite McKinsey also working with some of the world's largest fossil fuel companies.The other, worth far more, was to find efficiencies in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project—a project already billions of dollars over budget and well behind schedule. What did the government get for its money? Did it know about the conflicts of interest before signing the deal? Why throw millions at a project already well behind? Just how much do we know about how the government spends money on these contracts, anyway?GUEST: Mike De Souza, Director of Enterprise and Investigations, 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

Today, the federal Conservatives will table a non-confidence motion, and if the Liberal government cannot defeat it, Canada will be headed to the polls. CPC leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to take every opportunity he can to force an election, and this is his first chance to do that.The Bloc Quebecois and the NDP have said they will not bring down Trudeau's Liberals...this time. But without the promise of the NDP's support, this is likely to be the first of several such votes. Are we headed for a fall full of confidence votes and partisan bickering? How long might this go on before an inevitable election?GUEST: Glen McGregor, Parliament Hill journalist, CityNews 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 began during the pandemic with good intentions--give more to service workers, support local businesses and 'we're all in this together'. But somehow, four-plus years later we're seeing 25% suggested tips on services you would have never expected you'd be tipping on—at a gas station, for instance, or maybe a yarn store.A new proposal from Quebec's provincial government won't stop that, but it is the first sign that perhaps governments are recognizing what polling is telling them: That tips are everywhere, the ways businesses use them are opaque and confusing and that people wish something could be done...GUEST: Corey Mintz, food reporter, consultant, author of The Next Supper 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 decades we've known that one day a masssive earthquake would hit the fault off of Canada's west coast—and after new research last year was published this summer, we now know so much more.What we can now determine is what that quake will look like. How much shaking, and for how long? How high will the tsunami be? How far inland will it go? Where will the quake strike first and how much force will it contain? All of this information will help us prepare both our infrastructure and our citizens for when the day comes—but we still don't know when that day will be...GUEST: John Cassidy, Senior Research Scientist with Natural Resources Canada; Professor at the University of Victoria 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 weekend, we're revisiting an episode from earlier in the year.We hope you enjoy!-------------------------------------------There's simply never been a Canadian sex survey that's comprehensive, scientific and intimate all at once. For decades we've relied on data from the United States, unscientific surveys thrown together by brands around Valentine's Day or specific looks at one narrow aspect of sexuality—such as contraception or monogamy.In her new book released today, Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North, McMaster University sociology professor Tina Fetner examines every aspect of how we do it, who we do it with, how often and ... if it's good. As well as everything else you always wondered about your neighbours in the bedroom...GUEST: Tina Fetner, professor, McMaster 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

This episode first aired on September 19, 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! It's been quite a long (and expensive!) journey, but the latest numbers show that the inflation rate in Canada has finally fallen to the Bank of Canada's "target rate" for the first time in more than three years. So does that mean all our troubles are over? Why is two percent the ideal target for the BoC? And what does this data tell us about the economy we'll be living in for the next several months? GUEST: Mike Eppel, 680 News Sr. Business Editor 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 is a province with a long and strange history of alcohol regulation. But when Ontario premier Doug Ford announced plans to allow convenience stores to sell beer, wine and coolers beginning in September, it seemed like a modest step—one in keeping with similar provinces and states which have long allowed this.However, this being Ontario and alcoholic beverages, it is not that simple. The move has cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars, sparked a discussion about the availability of intoxicants, incited outrage from various advocacy groups and has lived up to Ontario's reputation as a province who cannot simply be normal about its booze.GUEST: Matt Gurney, journalist, commentator and co-founder of The Line 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

An Ohio town is thrown into chaos from bomb threats that stem from racist lies. Immigrants across the United States are demonized for political gain. Women are dying from a lack of access to reproductive care. Donald Trump promises to jail his enemies. And on the internet, the cat memes proliferate...For some reason, in the current presidential campaign, cats have played an outsized role in the political conversation. From Trump's morals, to "childless cat ladies" to unfounded rumours of their consumption by Haitian immigrants in Springfield, there's something strange going on right meow in America...GUEST: Igor Bobic, senior HuffPost reporter covering Congress, the White House, and political campaigns 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 11 days recently, six Indigenous people were killed in separate encounters with police departments across the country. The outcome of any one incident isn't surprising, but so many, so quickly, is shocking. And there are hopes amidst the loss that this might, perhaps, be the thing that shocks the country's leaders to action.On Monday, MPs in Ottawa held an emergency meeting. Indigenous leaders across the country are desperate to see some action. There are community groups on the ground ready and able to help deescalate these situations. It just isn't happening. Why not? And what would it take to create impactful change?GUEST: Joanne Roberts, filmmaker, reporter at CityNews Winnipeg 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

A few days before Sept. 11, police arrested a Pakistani man living in Canada with allegedly planning to travel to New York to commit a large-scale terror attack on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. Since laying charges, police have been tight-lipped about the case, and haven't revealed how they found the suspect, or who he may have been talking to.But reporters have been digging and a picture is emerging—and it's one we're going to have to wrestle with further in the months to come. So what do we know about this suspect? What can we surmise about how the alleged plan was to come together? And how does a young man allegedly end up in a car, headed to the border, to attempt a massacre?GUEST: Peter Edwards, crime, courts and justice 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

It's got a conservative pundit that wants a council seat and has his eyes on another shot at the mayor's chair. It has three liberal candidates lining up to stop him, which might be two candidates too many. It's got high stakes, citywide implications and an ex-premier and a former mayor politicking behind the scenes.Normally city council byelections are boring, low-turnout affairs. This one ... won't be.GUEST: Ben Spurr, City Hall Bureau Chief, 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

With the American election fast approaching, we thought it would be an appropriate time to revisit this episode from February about how political beliefs seem to be increasingly divided along gender lines. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------Men are this way, and women are that way. Entire careers in industries ranging from self-help to advertising to standup comedy have been based on this premise. Superficially, it can sometimes be sort of true. But generally, when it comes to political ideology, it hasn't been. Until now.It's a very recent phenomenon, but it's pronounced. And it's accelerating—the percentage of young men and women who describe themselves as liberal and conservative is breaking wide apart in many countries, including here in Canada. We don't know why this is happening, but we do have some good ideas. And we don't know what the implications are, but most of them seem pretty bad...GUEST: John Burn-Murdoch, columnist and chief data journalist for the Financial 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

After years of shortages, dealership lots are finally full of new vehicles again. The question is if this will bring down prices that spiked during the pandemic? In this episode of Today, In This Economy, we chat with Driving.ca columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld about what to expect in the marketplace and everything you need to know about buying a new or used car this fall.(We're hard at work a new season of In This Economy?!—but this fall we're also introducing shorter episodes that let our experts explain what the latest piece of economic news means for you, right now, Today, In This Economy.) 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

Some stories are better if you don't know much going in. So, no spoilers.All you need to know is this: An American university is suing a woman who lives in Kitchener, Ontario. It's trying to recover millions of dollars from her, that it claims she received as a result of fraud. The woman in question denies this. She worked for the money, she says, and earned it.All the stuff that comes before that though—the sex, the real estate, the pseudonyms and investigations... you'll have to listen to find out.GUEST: Jeff Outhit, reporter, Waterloo Region Record 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 list is long, and varies from school to school. Some of it is structural—leaky roofs and mice infestations, repairs that never get made, poor ventilation. Some of it is impacting learning more directly—staffing shortages, a lack of equipment like textbooks and markers, and not even 1x1 care for students with special needs. Add it all up, and most schools are fighting just to stay afloat.How did this happen? It's a story that spans the past few decades, and has also happened elsewhere in Ontario. It's a problem that could happen anywhere, really. The question is if we'll solve it before it takes its toll on students...GUEST: Wency Leung, reporter, 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

The deadline for the airline to reach agreement with its pilots is still a week away. But already flyers are scrambling for alternatives and Air Canada is planning to start cancelling flights as soon as this weekend. Tens of thousands of passengers a day may find their flights cancelled, and some may end up stranded far from home. It's happened once already this year. What happens if Air Canada's planes don't fly?In the bigger picture, this labour dispute is the latest in a series of them that have plagued North American transport all year, from airlines to rail to ports. Why so any, and why now? And what needs to change if we want people and goods to keep moving on time?GUEST: John Gradek, aviation industry expert, Faculty Lecturer and Program Co-ordinator, Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management, McGill UniversityLISTENER NOTE: A previous version of this episode contained erroneous information about an airline's duty to rebook passengers on new flights after cancellations. You can find a complete rundown of Canadian air passenger protection regulations here 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

New data shows that opioid overdose deaths in the province from January-May fell from 788 in 2023 to 431 this year, a 55 percent decline. There are a number of factors that could explain the reason why, but the most political one is the United Conservative Party's focus on treatment and recovery, as opposed to harm reduction or safe supply.Except... the UCP does fund harm reduction programs, and has even increased the availability of them. It just doesn't like to talk about it. The decline in overdoses is a hopeful sign that a nuanced approach can work, even if it's not being advertised. So what can we learn from it?GUEST: Dr. Monty Ghosh, Internist and Addiction Specialist; Assistant Professor Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta 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

BC's Conservative party is on the verge of what would be a stunning win in this fall's provincial election. And one party's stunning gains, it turns out, is another party's utter destruction. When the BC Liberal party rebranded as BC United last year, it was wirth the hope of injecting new life into the party. Instead, the party is ... gone. It's been effectively disbanded by leader Kevin Falcon, who threw his support to the Conservatives.How did a major party with decades of history blow up in a little over a year? What does it mean for an already close election? And what does the rapid shift in BC polling tell us about the mood across the country, particularly in two other provinces who will also be voting this fall?GUEST: Philippe J. Fournier, Editor In Chief and creator of 338Canada.com 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

Welcome to a preview of the fall season of In This Economy?! We're giving you a sneak peak of a test episode today, to get your feedback. As part of our new season, in addition to traditional episodes of the show, we're producing short conversations between Jordan and business experts, that aim to show you how changing economic news will trickle down to your wallet.This week, the Bank of Canada cut interest rates...again. What does a third straight cut tell us about where the economy is headed? What does it mean for payments you're making now? And what should you prepare for when you're planning your finances for 2025?GUEST: Mike Eppel, Sr. Business Editor, CityNews680 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 was supposed to be an eight-day mission. It will be at least eight months. When two astronauts took Boeing's Starliner to the International Space Station in June, they were prepared for a quick turnaround. Today, the Starliner comes back to Earth ... without them. Instead, they'll have to be rescued by Boeing's biggest rival in the Space Race, Elon Musk's SpaceX. But that won't happen until next year. In the meantime, they're up there. For a lot longer than they'd planned. Oh, and it's probably nothing, but the Starliner is making some weird noises...GUEST: Joey Roulette, Space Reporter, Reuters 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 supply and confidence agreement between the Liberals and NDP lasted nearly two and a half years—but now it's over. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announced Wednesday his party would no longer prop up the Liberal's minority government in exchange for policy priorities. Without that support, any confidence vote this fall could lead to an immediate federal election.But will it? Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called for a vote, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's focused on policy and not politics. So ... what happens now? In a fall session that's been flipped on its head, what should Canadians expect? Pharmacare and other bills? Or a quick trip to the polls?GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill Bureau Chief, CityNews 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 news broke last week, sort of. It turned out that last month Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had told a United Conservative Party town hall in August that the government had transferred control of a northern Alberta hospital away from Alberta Health Services and turned it over to Convenant Health, a private, Catholic healthcare provider, and that further hospitals would follow.The story raised many questions—everything from why this was announced in this way, to which services Convenant Health might refuse to perform on faith-based grounds—and so far many of them have yet to be answered. So where do things stand now? Why is the government making this move? And in the bigger picture, what form is the decentralization of Alberta's health care system likely to take?GUEST: Lauryn Heintz, reporter, CityNews Calgary 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 a solid couple of years, as the economy recovered from the pandemic, the narrative when discussing labour in this country was that the market was "tight" or there was a "labour shortage". Unemployment approached record lows, and companies were scrambling to hire and keep talent.Some of that was true. But not everywhere, and it wasn't the whole story. And also, however tight the labour market was ... it isn't anymore. Beyond the top-line unemployment number, there were always signs that workers weren't actually benefitting all that much from how in-demand they were. So why could most of us see them?GUEST: Adam D.K. King, Assistant Professor in the Labour Studies Program at the University of Manitoba; writing on unemployment in The Maple 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 its time to reach back into the bag and pull out some of our favourite listener feedback from the last few weeks. A sincere thanks to all of you who have written in. Every piece of feedback is immensely helpful, so please keep it coming! Happy labour day from everyone at The Big Story! 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 weekend, we're revisiting an episode from two years ago that we felt framed the discussion around climate change, and human adaptation to it, in a really unique and fascinating way. We hope you enjoy! Happy labour day! ----------------------------------------------------------------------It's no longer a question of if our comfortable lives will change as the climate does over the next few decades. The questions are how much will they change, and where will they change the least?People with lots of money are already buying property in places they believe will be safe from disaster. You can Google "Best places to live in climate crisis" and find a lot of listicles. But very few of us have the money to buy everything we'll need, or move across the world. So how can you prepare for whatever comes next in the safest and most sensible way possible?GUEST: Alex Steffen, climate futurist, author of The Snap Forward 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 depends what your definition of work is... but in announcing a 100% tariff on all electric vehicle's produced in China, Canada is following in America's footsteps. But we're a much smaller economy than the US, which means these tariffs may not have the intended impact.Of course, the intended impact also varies depending on whom you ask. Is it to score the government a few polling points? To protect Canadian EV production? Take a human rights stand? Get more Canadians into electric vehicles? There's no way even a 100% tariff can accomplish all of that... so what will this policy really do?GUEST: Moshe Lander, senior lecturer in economics at Concordia University in Montreal 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 expensive to follow complex disposal protocols for construction waste that can often contain toxins. It's a lot less expensive to find someone willing or desperate enough to simply allow waste to be dumped directly onto their land, with no regard for the health and environmental impacts.An Indigenous community in Kanasatake has dealt with this problem for years. Until some community members banded together, at personal risk, to get the story out there and force the government to take action. This week, the government finally did.GUEST: Chris Curtis, investigative journalist, co-founder of The Rover(NOTE: Nexus, a company named by reporters covering this story, has denied their role in a comment to La Presse: The company says it is only responsible for the soil transportation component and assures that it "has not at any time dumped soil into the Ottawa River." It assures that it "maintains a buffer strip between the natural environments and the deposit site" and reiterates that its "commitment to environmental protection remains unwavering”) 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

When public health finally figured out in June what was causing a listeria outbreak that has killed three and sickened more than a dozen others, it did so by finally cracking what every one of those cases had in common, and tracing the infections back to an unlikely source...GUEST: Hannah Alberga, health 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

Safe supply programs across the country that aim to provide alternatives to street drugs are under scrutiny right now. But today's story isn't an official safe supply program... it's an activist-led attempt to purchase untainted heroin, cocaine and meth and deliver it straight to users.The creators of the program argue that it has saved lives. The federal government says that what they've been doing is simply drug trafficking. And it's charged them accordingly. But is it possible both sides are correct? And what does this truly renegade approach to the overdose crisis tell us about the state of Canadian drug policy?GUEST: Omar Mouallem, filmmaker; contributing editor and reporter at 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

We've learned an awful lot about Covid-19 since the virus first hit us—but there are some things that we're still trying to solve. One of them, perhaps the most mysterious, is the phenomenon known as 'long covid'. We know much more about it now than we did in 2020, when some of those infected with the virus reported lingering symptoms, often debilitating ones.But there is still so much to learn—everything from who's most vulnerable to it, how to protect yourself, how to effectively treat it and if we'll ever find a cure. As the pandemic has eased, fewer resources have been allocated to this disease—but there are researchers still trying to crack this case, and we'll talk to one of them.GUEST: Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis; chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care 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

Today, we're revisiting a fun one from 2 years ago about one of the most unique ghost towns in North America. -----------------------------------------------------Kitsault was a mining town of 1,200 or so people in one of the most remote areas of British Columbia. It opened in 1981. It was empty by 1982. That was its first lifetime.Since then, however, something has happened to Kitsault. Unlike other abandoned towns, Kitsault has been maintained. First by the mining company, later by a private owner. So today it sits, almost perfectly preserved, ready for a small town's worth of people to show up and move in. Will they?GUEST: Justin McElroy, CBC reporter, personal Kitsault investigator 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

Are you tired? In pain? Gaining weight? Experiencing any unusual symptoms? Welcome to what seems to be this summer's newest TikTok diagnosis from the wellness industry.On the surface, the trend is a grift. But people really are suffering from these ailments, and are dealing with a health care system that is either unavailable or dismissive towards them.So, is it just a money grab? Or are there real health concerns at play here?GUEST: Alex Sujong Laughlin, co-owner of Defector Media, co-creator of the podcast Normal Gossip 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 WHO has declared an outbreak of the virus in Africa a "global health emergency"—but what does that designation actually mean? That doesn't mean we shouldn't take the disease seriously, or prepare vaccinations and public health strategy. But in a world where outbreaks of diseases are continually met with scary headlines, and many people grapple with trauma and anxiety in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, what do we really need to know about the next virus spreading across the world?So today, the facts: What is mpox? How dangerous is it? How ready are we? And should you be worried about it?GUEST: Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, associate professor in Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba; Canada Research Chair in the molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses 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, the biggest names in US Democratic politics are united in Chicago for one purpose: To give Kamala Harris the momentum she needs to defeat Donald Trump. Thus far, her campaign has been a stunning success, but can that really last until November? When the good vibes start to fade, what will it take for Harris to keep rolling? How will she define herself—and her opponent—this week? And in the middle of a campaign that pits anger against hope, does anybody wants to talk about actual policy?GUEST: Jonathan Weisman, political reporter, 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