The Jill Bennett Show

Guest: Bronwyn Lewis, food and travel writer and content creator. Follow her on Instagram and YouTube @FeastWriteGrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is Good Friday widely observed even among the non-religious? More and more Canadians identify as non-religious, what does the religious landscape look like and how has it changed? Guest: Joel Thiessen, Professor of Sociology at Ambrose University and Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BC Ferries has another disastrous long weekend, how are the coastal communities dealing with it? A tax expert joins us to talk about how changes to the property tax deferral program may unexpected impacts. Another major Aboriginal land claim decision out of the B.C. Court of Appeal, what does this mean for future land claims decisions across the country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

B.C. scales back EV mandates, but is it enough? Independent grocers are warning they might have no choice but to pass on the cost of the global energy shortage on to consumers. Are the already sky-high grocery prices set to increase even more? New Westminster council approves bylaw to protect tenants from dangerously hot indoor conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to launch, carrying four astronauts on a journey that will test the systems and technology needed to return to the lunar surface and, eventually, push further into deep space. Guest: Gordon Osinski - Professor at Western University - in Florida to watch the launch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Vancouver mayor and senator Larry Campbell says his work in the Downtown Eastside began as a “depressing and traumatic experience,” but that his perspective has shifted as he’s seen signs of new housing and what he describes as a “vibrancy” returning to the neighbourhood. Canada’s craft brewing industry is raising a glass to new federal tax measures that aim to give small and independent breweries some financial breathing room. BC Ferries says sailing disruptions due to a generator problem in one ship earlier this week will reverberate through the Easter long weekend on one busy route. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire Newell of Travel Best Bets comes on to discuss all the major stories coming out of the travel sector! Guest: Claire Newell - President and Founder, Travel Best Bets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new report is raising fresh concerns about the future of affordable child care in British Columbia. Despite promises to deliver $10-a-day spaces, progress appears to be slowing, with fewer new spots than expected and growing pressure on a system already struggling with long waitlists and staffing shortages. Guest: Eric Swanson - Principal of Third Space Planning and consultant to the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New polling suggests overwhelming public support for banning social media use for kids under 16, with concerns ranging from mental health and addiction to cyberbullying and exposure to misinformation. A new report is raising concerns about student achievement in British Columbia, suggesting test scores have declined more sharply than in any other province following curriculum changes over the past decade. The B.C. government is extending Larry Campbell’s mandate to help coordinate efforts aimed at addressing long-standing challenges in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Docket with Michael Beckett - March 31, 2026 Guest: Michael Beckett - Criminal Lawyer with Stern Shapray Criminal Lawyers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Spirit of Vancouver Island has broken down after only 2 days of being back in service from a pervious breakdown. Guest: Jordan Armstrong - Global BC Reporter and Anchor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With fuel prices continuing to climb, one of British Columbia’s largest unions is calling on the provincial government to let more public sector workers work from home. Work crews rolled into North Saanich’s Wain Park this week with heavy machinery to begin removing outdoor pickleball courts. The move comes after months of debate over noise complaints, community divisions, and efforts to resolve the future of the courts. With Vancouver set to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the city is preparing for an influx of international visitors. However, there are growing concerns about the toxic drugs visitors may encounter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been about two months since the major Broadway and Main Street intersection closed as part of Vancouver’s Broadway Subway Project and some local businesses are being hit hard. More questions are being raised about how Canada treats internationally trained health-care workers. Delta Mayor George Harvie comes on to share his thoughts on the Westham Island Bridge reopening and the cuts to ALC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After more than two months of disruption, a key link between Westham Island and the Delta mainland is finally reopening. The Westham Island Bridge was seriously damaged in a barge strike in January, cutting off vehicle access and forcing residents and farmers to rely on water taxis and other interim services. Guest: Dylan Kruger - Delta City Councillor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal NDP is about to elect a new leader. Is it Avi Lewis’s race to lose? Guest: Tom Parkin - Co-Host, Left East to West Podcast and a delegate at the NDP convention in Winnipeg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The annual Keep the Hope Alive 5K Walk and Run returns on Sunday, honouring the memory of four-year-old Michael Dunahee, who vanished from a school playground in 1991 and has never been found. Guest: Fiona Wilson - Chief Constable, Victoria Police Department Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major changes are coming to how health-care professionals are regulated in British Columbia, with new legislation set to take effect April 1st. A remarkable piece of the West Coast Trail has washed ashore in Washington. The Camper Creek Log, once a trail marker perched along Vancouver Island, drifted 70 nautical miles through the Strait of Juan de Fuca before coming to rest on a beach near Sequim. Spring gardening tips with Wim Vander Zalm of ArtKnapp Plantland! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fire has caused extensive damage to a landmark heritage building Mount Pleasant. Guest: Christine Hagemoen - Mount Pleasant resident, author of "Mount Pleasant Stories", a historical walking tour guide, and I lead walking tours in the neighbourhood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FIFA world cup is fast approaching, and some are wondering how the city is going to handle the homeless population. Guest: Amanda Burrows - Executive Director, First United Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mortgage affordability is becoming an even bigger challenge for Canadians. A new report from Ratehub.ca shows that in February, the ability to buy a home worsened in 11 of 13 major cities across the country. Guest: Angela Calla - Host of The Mortgage Show on CKNW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices