Canadaland

The new GM for the Toronto Maple Leafs faced the press and it did not go well. With scathing questions and confounded columnists, Toronto reaffirmed its reputation as a tough media market. What is it about sports that creates unique regional media markets with their own tone and style of coverage? Dan Robson of The Athletic joins Sam Konnert to talk sh*t about sports reporting. It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/joinHost: Sam KonnertCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Dan RobsonFurther reading: John Chayka’s tenure with the Maple Leafs begins under intense scrutiny - The Globe and Mail Internet reacts to Steve Simmons'

As journalists, we are pretty online. Terminally online. Our screen time apps? Let’s not go there…Now our social media feeds are likely different from many of yours. So we wanted to ask all of you, who probably lead less online lives, what you love, hate, and how you balance your online from your IRL. And you all had so much interesting stuff to share.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publisher)Photo: Tony WangAdditional music by Audio NetworkFurther Reading:Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe — Penguin Random HouseCareless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism — Flatiron BooksPinterest Users Are Tired of All the AI Slop — WiredLinkedIn Lunatics Subreddit — RedditThe #BLM Protests Are Not Your Aesthetic — Story Factorymastodon explained in only a few sentences - for a newbie — RedditPeople don’t want to run their own servers, and never will. (Actual title is “My firs

CBC is expanding its regional news coverage and not everyone is happy about it. Some local news outlets say that the CBC is poaching their staff and stories. Plus, Carney’s government is planning a massive extension of journalism tax credits to include radio and broadcast, propping up legacy platforms owned by the big telcos. Are subsidies stifling competition and innovation?Host: Sam KonnertCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Harrison LowmanAdditional music by Audio NetworkFurther reading: Lisa Sygutek: The CBC is a predator of local news | National PostCBC president denies broadcaster is biased or poaches journalists from smaller markets - CBC News  The Government Doubles Down on News Sector Support: Fiscal Update Opens the Door to Tens of Millions in Tax Credits for Bell, Rogers and Corus - Michael GeistThe end of the journalism wo

PM Mark Carney has managed to stitch together a majority in the House of Commons and has approval numbers we haven't seen in forever. Host Noor Azrieh thinks this is the kind of political moment that demands opposition. But, how exactly is the Opposition supposed to oppose Carney… when they can’t even get their own house in order? We put this to Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: MP Michelle Rempel GarnerBackground reading:Terry Newman: Conservative MP speaks out about how the Liberals tried to poach her – National PostImmigration minister says she’s accountable after former IRGC official granted a visa – CTV NewsConservatives press Liberal government to limit health care for some refugee claimants – CBC NewsCarney to Launch Sovereign Wealth Fund to Di

Objection.ai is the new AI-powered tool from Aron D’Souza and Peter Thiel. The duo who helped bankrupt Gawker ten years ago. They're also teaming up to bring the world the steroid-embracing Enhanced Games later this month. D’Souza says Objection.ai is about restoring public trust in journalism and making it more transparent. Critics worry about its ideological bent and what it means to subject journalists, and their sources, to an AI "judge".Aron D’Souza joins Jesse to talk about the tech, what it means to "object" to a reporter’s work, and if there’s any reason to believe Objection.ai could work at all.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Additional music by Audio NetworkFact checking by Julian AbrahamPhoto: Objection.ai website (NOTE: This artwork for this episode was likely generated by A.I., by the website’s designers.)More information:Can AI judge journalism? A Thiel-backed startup say

Buyers. Sellers. Real estate porn. With so many Canadians locked out of the market, should the coverage shift to reflect the realities of the housing crisis? Sabrina Nanji joins San Grewal to talk about the generational disconnect between homeowners and those who will never own a home. Does Canada have the political will to actually address the housing crisis? Host: San GrewalCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Sabrina NanjiFurther reading: Will HST cut on new homes save buyers money? Early look finds 78% of prices are the same or higher - Toronto StarPCs tabling bill ‘pulling out all the stops’ to expedite home, road and transit construction - The Trillium  Blue Jays star George Springer puts Toronto mansion on the market for $6.4 million - Toronto Sun Canada housing crisis: Who will build 4 million new homes? | CBC.ca [VIDEO]B.

All month, we’ve been asking you to share Canadaland with as many people as possible. Our goal was to double our audience.Did we pull it off?Let’s put it this way: Our investigations budget will be increasing substantially and our freelance and fellowship rates are going up by a whopping 50%.More money is going to go into the pockets of working journalists outside of Canadaland and across the country.Thank you.Also, we’ve got tons of live events and other exciting projects lined up throughout the year. Stay tuned.Become a supporter at canadaland.com/joinShare the show and send new listeners over to canadaland.com/share Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Ford is facing public scrutiny for his changes to Freedom of Information and his “gravy plane” fiasco. But throughout his career, Ford has leveraged his folksy persona to deflect and distract from his scandals. Behind the shtick is a calculated and effective political communications strategy, but has the “Uncle Doug” routine finally run out of steam?   Off The Record Call-in Details: What social media do you love or hate?Call in and let us know on Thursday April 30,from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM EDT.Head to callinstudio.com/show/canadaland or dial in at 888-401-7056 Host: San GrewalCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Sabrina NanjiIt’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes. Further readi

Is Alberta separatism being boosted by foreign “slop”? Today host Sam digs into a network of faceless YouTube channels pushing 51st state fantasies, grievance-fueled separatist content, and AI-generated political sludge that’s racked up tens of millions of views. But is this covert foreign interference, or just click-farming wrapped in geopolitics?Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Chris Ross, Jen GersonBackground reading:Alberta government launches information campaign in support of fall referendum questions | CBC NewsJason Kenney warns Alberta independence movement could become ‘a real factor’ in politics | The Globe and MailOn The Line: Jason Kenney on Alberta separatism | The LineAlberta is on a collision course with a dangerous political storm | DavebertaDutch YouTube creators behind Alberta separatist videos getti

A random Facebook post. A strip club that burnt down long ago. A mother missing for 30 years.It wasn’t much. But it was enough for reporter Kallan Lyons to start digging into The Fantasia Cold Case.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Kallan Lyons (Reporter), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editing & Post Production), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio Network More information:Wendy Renee Smith Cold Case Profile - York Regional PoliceCOLD CASE: Fantasia Hotel haunts Wendy Smith’s family years after closure - York RegionSponsors: Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.caDouglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using

Grocery prices are back in the news… again. How are they ripping us off this time?It turns out the whole system looks a lot like three kids in a trench coat, except each kid is a different layer of the supply chain, and they’re all insisting their margins are razor-thin while your grocery bill gets higher and higher.So are tax rebates or public grocery stores the solution, or just bandages on a much deeper problem?None of this is new, but you know what is new? Surveillance pricing! This dystopian algorithm could adjust what you pay based on the sensitive personal data on your phone. Polls suggest nobody wants this. So why is regulation still lagging behind?It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes. Host: James NicholsonCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thomp

Mark Carney is a YouTuber now.Over the weekend the Prime Minister released the first episode of his new YouTube series Forward Guidance. It’s a tightly scripted, “intimate” video designed to project calm authority while walking Canadians through an increasingly shaky relationship with the United States. It’s part history lesson, part recycled campaign slogans, and highly reminiscent of FDR’s fire side chats. What’s the goal here? Carney frames Canada’s economic relationship with the U.S. as a growing liability and seems to be preparing Canadians for tough times ahead. But is he just shifting the blame?It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes. Host: James NicholsonCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director o

A few years ago, British Columbia made history by becoming the first province to turn the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into law through the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). It passed unanimously, with just 14 minutes of debate.Seven years later, DRIPA is at the center of one of the most divisive political fights in the country. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Arno Kopecky, Adam Olsen (SȾHENEP), Geoffrey Moyse, Huy’wu’qw Shana Thomas (Laxele’wuts’aat)Background reading:'A reversal of a reverse-course': Political scientist eager to hear Eby address DRIPA questions – CityNewsB.C. premier backs away from suspending DRIPA after concerns from MLAs and anger from First Nations – Vancouver SunB.C. government pulls back on

Today we're talking about the breakdown of discourse — the culture wars.It's not just in universities, it affects our interactions with everything from the government to schools, workplaces, and more. After over ten years of it, it seems more pointless and degrading than ever.  Ric Bienstock is a director of the new two-part CBC documentary series, Speechless. It explores a variety of student protest movements from Evergreen College in 2017 to today's protests against what's happening in Gaza.Her film poses some key questions. How did we get here? What is bringing the worst out of all of us? And can we learn how to speak to each other again? Host: Stephen MarcheCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Additional music by Audio NetworkFact checking by Kallan LyonsMore information:Speechless Part 1 — CBCSpeechless Part 2 — CBCSummary of Evergreen College Protest — Duke Law, WikipediaThe p

With his new majority, the timer really starts on Carney’s ability to provide meaningful results for Canadians. San Grewal and Kaveh Shahrooz consider if Carney has made headway on key issues like affordability, housing, immigration, and crime. He said he’d move fast, but what’s the hold up? It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes. Host: San GrewalCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Kaveh ShahroozAdditional music by Audio Network Further reading: Opinion | Calling out Carney's 'fancy' education is loser talk. No wonder the Conservatives doubled down on it - Toronto Star Jen Gerson: Everything is going well in Liberal-land. Just ask them. - The Line John Ivison: Reflections on Mark Carney’s ambitions on

With peace talks stalled, Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the ceasefire set to expire next week, the situation in Iran is precarious.Meanwhile, in Canada, the mood in the large Iranian-Canadian diaspora is changing, as the Iranian regime remains in place while the impacts of the war on civilians and infrastructure accumulate. With the geopolitics of the Middle East in flux, could Canada play a larger role in the region going forward? Carney has already signalled renewed economic ties with Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, but should Canada pursue more diplomatic efforts in the Gulf? Correction: In a previous version of this episode, San Grewal refers to Iran potentially weaponizing plutonium. This has been corrected to uranium.Host: San GrewalCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Kaveh ShahroozAdditional music by Audio Network

Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals took over Montreal for their convention. But it felt less like a meeting of the minds and more like a lame Coachella. With a Liberal majority already assumed after socially conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crossed the floor last week, host Noor Azrieh was there trying to figure out what it means to be a Liberal right now, and if Mark Carney can manage a fragile mix of MPs with contradictory values.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Background reading:Mark Carney calls for unity at Liberal convention with majority government nearly clinched – Toronto StarCarney’s government shifts into new gear with hopes of reaching majority - The Globe and Mail – The Globe and MailCarney tells Liberals that 'unity does not mean uniformity' in closing convention speech – Nati

Did Jesse break the law? Why did an anti-Canadaland subreddit explode in popularity? And why did today's episode infuriate so many people before it was even published? Finally, who is Spoonkymonkey, and what does he have to do with it all?Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Caleb ThompsonAdditional music by Audio Network More information:Exclusive: Reddit in AI content licensing deal with Google — ReutersWikipedia and Me: Socks and Thugs and Rockin' Trolls — Mark BourrieThe Spoonkymonkey story — WikipidiocracyMark Bourrie’s apology to Warren KinsellaIan Runkle’s appearance on CanadalandIan Runkle’s Youtube channelSponsors: oxio: Head over to https://canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free!Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FRE

Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crosses the floor to the Liberal government. Known for her socially conservative views, Carney’s newest MP has some questioning just how big the Liberal tent has become.Meanwhile, reports of Poilievre’s disgruntled caucus intensify. Is there more blood in the water? Host: Sam KonnertCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Erika BarootesAdditional music by Audio NetworkIt’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or simply send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes. Further reading: Former Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crosses floor to Liberals | CBC NewsBesides winning, what does a Liberal Party that will accept Marilyn Gladu actually stand for? - The Globe and Mail Conservative MPs bristle as Pierre Po

Jeremy Hansen makes history as the first Canadian to travel to the moon, but why is Canada on board with this latest iteration of the space race? China plans to reach the moon by 2030, and future US efforts will involve Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin. Meanwhile, Canadian companies are bidding to put nuclear reactors on the moon. Are we sure we should be colonizing the moon?Host: Sam KonnertCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rahim MohamedAdditional music by Audio Network It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or simply send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes.Further reading: The new space race: Why the U.S. and China are racing to the moon | CBC NewsHere are 5 reasons Artemis II matters to Canada -&