COMMONS

Introducing: What Is Happening Here (Official Trailer)

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Some say Canada is currently in the throes of a horrible surge of anti-Jew hatred. Others say that anti-zionism is being conflated with antisemitism.

So which is it? And who is to blame for it — activists, or Israel?

What is Happening Here is a co-production of Canadaland and The Canadian Jewish News. Listen to the first two episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

Become a Canadaland supporter now and listen to the whole series plus bonus episodes, ad-free. https://canadaland.com/join/

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We're in the Fight of Our Lives

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:45:00 GMT

Canadaland covers Canada, period.

If there was ever a time to support Canadian news, it’s now. Go to canadaland.com/join and become a supporter today.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor & Technical Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

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Introducing: The Copernic Affair

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The Copernic Affair is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.

The life of an unassuming sociology professor in Canada gets turned upside down when he is accused of carrying out a 1980 bomb attack on a synagogue in Paris. Hassan Diab says heʼs innocent, but French investigators are determined to prove otherwise.

Journalists Dana Ballout and Alex Atack take listeners through the twists and turns of this extraordinary story, all the while asking…

Is Hassan Diab guilty, or is he a scapegoat? And what if one person’s justice means committing an injustice to another?

You can become a Canadaland supporter to listen to the whole series early and ad-free.

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The Last COMMONS Ever / Introducing: The Hatchet

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 11:00:56 GMT

COMMONS is coming to an end after six years, with a final investigation available on the CANADALAND feed. Publisher Jesse Brown sits down with COMMONS host Arshy Mann to discuss the new episode, and to help introduce Arshy’s new venture, The Hatchet.

Host: Arshy Mann

Credits: Jordan Cornish (Producer, Mixing & Mastering), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (production support), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publisher)

Introducing The Worst Podcast

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:00:36 GMT

Canadaland has launched its first ever celebrity interview podcast and it’s not great. It’s The Worst Podcast.

Celebrities are always talking about their bests. Now hear them at their worst.

Join award-winning filmmaker and noted curmudgeon Alan Zweig for refreshingly honest conversations with “notable people” about the worst things in life.

Alan has no interest in best-selling books or Hollywood triumphs, and doesn’t know (or care) much about his guests.

He’s looking for real conversations that dig deep and get to the worst things: nagging fears, embarrassing secrets and haunting regrets. And he’ll no doubt share a few of his own along the way.

Listen to The Worst Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Inside Kabul Ep. 9 - June: Meeting with Marwa

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 03:55:00 GMT

After months of trading voice memos and messages, Caroline meets Marwa in person in Germany. They talk about the choices they have made, the lessons they have learned, and long for a reunion with Raha.

By Caroline Gillet with Marwa and Raha. The original podcast broadcast on France INTER / RADIO FRANCE © RADIO FRANCE. Canadaland is proud to premiere the English-language adaptation of this urgent and intimate podcast, building on Commons' crucial season that told the story of Canada’s role in the War in Afghanistan.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

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Douglas: 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 at Douglas.ca/Canadaland.

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Inside Kabul Ep. 8 - May: “Wish me luck”

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

It has been ten months since the arrival of the Taliban. Marwa takes the steps to settle in Germany and takes a step back from her country, its traditions and its history. It is the first time she has been in Europe, and everything in Germany surprises her.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban impose full veils on women. Raha is more and more desperate, and plots her escape.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

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Inside Kabul Ep. 7 - April/May: New Spaces

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Marwa arrives in Germany and everything surprises her. Raha sends the terrifying sounds of the end of Ramadan. She is increasingly cooped up and angry in Kabul, but she manages to send gifts from there.

It always gets harder to talk to Raha. Caroline Gillet doesn't know if it's because of the power cuts, or if Raha can no longer find how to say what she's going through.

The end of Ramadan is determined by the stars and in Afghanistan, we observe the decision of the Emirates to announce the start of Eid - El - Fitr. The three-day festival marks the end of the fast. Raha tells Caroline that she slowly starts cleaning the house as tradition dictates at the end of Ramadan and then, one evening, she sends chilling voice messages.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

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Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/COMMONS.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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Inside Kabul Ep. 6 - April: First Ramadan in Kabul

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

We arrive in April, and it has been eight months since Marwa and Raha began talking about their daily lives with reporter Caroline Gillet. Raha is in Kabul, Marwa in a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi. They say that documenting what they are experiencing and sharing helps to compensate for the immobility.

The economic situation in Afghanistan is dramatic following the freezing of international aid which financed nearly 80% of the Afghan budget. Half of the country is threatened by hunger. Aid is conditional on measures promised by the Taliban in favor of human rights and women's rights in particular, such as the return of adolescent girls to school.

Marwa and Raha celebrate Ramadan in very new conditions. These religious events are perhaps the last things that connect them. In this episode, their two trajectories will separate radically. While Marwa is far from her family, Raha is surrounded, but explosions make her fear for her mother's life, and push her employers to fire her. Marwa finally has her tickets to go to Germany.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Shows like this cannot get made without you. Become a supporter and binge the entire season now, ad-free.

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Sponsors:

Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/COMMONS.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside Kabul Ep. 5 - February: Revolt Before Zombieland

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Revolt in all its forms – hidden or revealed – is unfolding in Kabul and in the Abu Dhabi camp.

From the start, Caroline Gillet asks Marwa and Raha questions, and they answer. Or they send her sounds, or photos, when they want to share something. The reporter never knows what she will discover when she opens a voice note.

Sometimes there are long minutes of ambience, or short messages for practical things, or 20 minutes of monologues to tell a story. The reporter learns to recognize false cheerful tones when things are not going well.

An episode with a guitar, slogans, French high school students, and feelings of when you are 20 years old.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Shows like this cannot get made without you. Become a supporter and binge the entire season now, ad-free.

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Betterhelp: For 10% off your first month, visit BetterHelp.com/InsideKabul.

Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/COMMONS.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside Kabul Ep. 4 - December/January: "Vampire Diaries"

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

With the media’s attention turned away from Afghanistan and snow beginning to fall, Raha and Marwa continue to endure the daily realities of their new lives – finding simple pleasures that help them get through the day.

While Raha finally finds a new job opportunity and a glimmer of hope, Marwa begins to go out at night in the camp and creates a new family to help her quench her desire for home.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Shows like this cannot get made without you. Become a supporter and binge the entire season now, ad-free.

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Sponsors:

Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/COMMONS.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside Kabul Ep. 3 - October: Take Back Control

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

It has been three months since the Taliban returned to power. Raha and Marwa regularly receive reminders from Instagram of what their lives used to be – at a birthday, at a party, surrounded by friends. They send screenshots with their voice notes to Caroline Gillet.

For Caroline, she sees evidence of daily lives that had been so much closer to her own than she would have imagined. The images make Caroline more aware of the scale and speed of the upheavals over recent weeks.

While Raha endures the economic crisis and the multiplication of power cuts in Kabul, Marwa becomes familiar with the refugee camp, but the uncertainty and waiting weigh down. Marwa dreams of the future.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Shows like this cannot get made without you. Become a supporter and binge the entire season now, ad-free.

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Betterhelp: For 10% off your first month, visit BetterHelp.com/InsideKabul.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside Kabul Ep. 2 - September: Relearning Everyday Life

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:01:00 GMT

Marwa and Raha are relearning daily life.

Raha seeks comfort in anything that has not changed since the arrival of the Taliban, in the few dwindling spaces of freedom that remain.

While Marwa discovers new things in the Abu Dhabi refugee camp.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief)

Shows like this cannot get made without you. Become a supporter and binge the entire season now, ad-free.

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BetterHelp: Canadaland listeners head to https://betterhelp.com/canadaland to get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month. Discount code “canadaland” will be automatically applied.

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Inside Kabul Ep. 1 - August: stay or go?

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:00:19 GMT

INSIDE KABUL is a multi-award winning series by journalist Caroline Gillet that follows the daily life of two young Afghan women, Marwa and Raha. Both have been recording their daily lives since the arrival of the Taliban in August 2021. Should they stay? Leave? And when they leave, what does exile look like?

Raha and Marwa record voice notes on their phones each day which they send to Caroline in Paris. They record to feel less isolated, to share the horror, to share the sounds of their new reality. They refuse to give up.

Raha and Marwa record for themselves to remember, and also for us – so that we know and don't forget them.

COMMONS is brought to you by: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief)

Shows like this cannot get made without you. Become a supporter and binge the entire season now, ad-free.

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Sponsors:

Betterhelp: For 10% off your first month, visit BetterHelp.com/InsideKabul.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 16 - Boss Fight

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 09:29:13 GMT

The video game industry, like much of the tech, has been resistant to unionization for a very long time. But like so many other white-collar businesses, video game studios are built on the backs of thousands of exploited, low-paid workers.

This is the story of Canada’s first-ever video game union. And the lengths that the industry went to try to stop it in its tracks.

Featured in this episode: James Russwurm, Johanna Weststar, Pablo Godoy

To learn more

Not All Fun and Games: Videogame Labour, Project-based Workplaces, and the New Citizenship at Work by Marie-Josée Legault and Johanna Weststar

“Members of Canada’s first video game industry union vote in favour of strike action” by Curtis Ng in Global News.

“The video game industry is booming. Why are there so many layoffs?” by Kenzie Gordon, Jennifer R. Whitson, Johanna Weststar, and Sean Gouglas in The Conversation.

“2024 has already had more video game industry layoffs than all of 2023 — and it's only June” by Nicole Carpenter in Polygon.

FairPlay4GameWorkers Twitch Channel

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Sponsors:

Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/COMMONS.

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WORK 15 - Canada’s New Underclass

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:06:04 GMT

The huge rise in international students in Canada — most of them from Punjab, India — has become one of the biggest stories in the country. But most media outlets and political parties have framed it entirely as a housing issue.

They’re missing the point.

This is a story about the creation of a new, racialized underclass to do all of the work we don’t want to do. And it’s about the human wreckage that’s left in the wake after we’re done squeezing those people of every penny and every drop of sweat that we can.

Featured in this episode: Jaspreet Singh, Rupa Banerjee

To learn more:

“The International Student Boom Might Be Over” by Kuwarjeet Singh Arora in Baaz News

“How recruiters in India use false promises to lure students to Canada” by CBC’s Fifth Estate

“Canada’s open secret: International students are here to be exploited” by Kunal Chaudry in The Breach

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Sponsors: Douglas, Article

Additional music from Audio Network

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

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WORK 14 - The Colossus of Roads

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 09:36:00 GMT

Earla Phillips has almost 16,000 Uber rides under her belt. But over the last few years, she’s been trying to hold Uber, one of the most powerful tech companies in the world, to account.

Earla is a leader in a growing movement of gig workers who are trying to reclaim the basic labour rights that have been stripped from them.

She expected to face opposition from tech companies and governments that are hostile to workers. But what she didn’t anticipate was that one of the biggest obstacles in her path would be a labour union.

Featured in this episode: Earla Phillips, Anthony Milton (Ricochet)

To learn more:

“Rideshare drivers are fighting to unionize. One of Canada’s biggest unions is standing in their way” by Anthony Milton in Ricochet

“How Uber got almost everything it wanted in Ontario’s Working For Workers Act” by Vanmala Subramaniam in The Globe and Mail

“Union worked with Uber to ensure Ontario government would not classify gig workers as employees, documents show” by Vanmala Subramaniam in The Globe and Mail

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Sponsors: Douglas, Article

Additional music from Audio Network

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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Introducing A Field Guide to Gay Animals

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 16:00:04 GMT

Today we’re sharing an episode of the newest show on the network, A Field Guide to Gay Animals.

A Field Guide to Gay Animals explores sexuality, gender, and joy in the animal world. Animal enthusiasts Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson take us on a quest to see beyond the natural world as we know it and into the natural world as it is: queer as f*ck.

Cheeky and contemplative, curious and raunchy, Field Guide shows us that the natural world is more exuberant, more joyful, and more gay than we could possibly imagine.

Follow A Field Guide to Gay Animals wherever you listen to podcasts.

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WORK 13 - Flying Under the Radar

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:36:00 GMT

Mandalena Lewis is one of far too many flight attendants who have been harassed or assaulted on the job. And her story is just one example of a culture of sexism and abuse that she alleges pervades the airline industry.

But it’s not just airlines. So many workers, especially in female-dominated professions like nursing, education or food service, have to endure similar demeaning and violent treatment.

And when they go to their employers, not only are they often ignored. They’re actively silenced.

Featured in this episode: Mandalena Lewis, Julie Macfarlane

To learn more:

“Former WestJet flight attendant hails ‘history making’ decision to allow class action lawsuit” by Jenny Peng in The Toronto Star

“B.C. Court of Appeal certifies former flight attendant's class-action lawsuit against WestJet” by Joel Ballard in CBC News

Notice of Civil Claim in Mandalena Lewis vs WestJet Airlines Ltd. (2016)

“How NDAs silence victims and let perpetrators off the hook” by Julie Macfarlane in Broadview

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Article

If you value this podcast, please support us. We rely on listeners like you paying for journalism. As a supporter, you’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on Canadaland merch, invites and tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis and you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Come join us now, click the link in your show notes or go to canadaland.com/join

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WORK 12 - The Crucible of Confinement

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:36:00 GMT

In 2006, Zakaria Amara was arrested and imprisoned for planning what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in Canadian history. A ringleader of the so-called “Toronto 18,” he’s one of the most infamous Canadian convicts of the last few decades.

But this won’t be an episode about the Toronto 18 terror plot. This is about what happened to one of the ringleaders after that plot was foiled. About his many years of incarceration. About the possibility of rehabilitation. And what role, if any, imprisonment and prison labour played in that.

Featured in this episode: Zakaria Amara

CORRECTION: We stated in this episode that this was Zakaria Amara’s first interview with a member of the press. But it was in fact his first broadcast interview since his release. We regret the error.

To learn more:

The Boy and His Sandcastle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara

“The Toronto 18 case still skews our views on ‘radicalization’ and terrorism” by Adnan Khan in The Globe and Mail

“Bomb plot ringleader: ‘I will change…’” by Michael Friscolanti in Maclean’s

“Books behind bars” by Leslie Sinclair in This Magazine

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Article

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WORK 11 - The Way the Music Died

Wed, 29 May 2024 09:31:00 GMT

♩♪ A long, long time ago, I can still remember

How the music used to pay my bills

I knew that if I got my break

That I could be as big as Drake

And then I could stop shopping at No Frills ♩♪

♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed us

Ticketmaster’s ground us to dust

The companies got too large

Now monopolies are in charge ♩♪

♩♪ And the record labels I fear the most

Have all just merged and so now we’re toast

Don’t you think it’s just so gross?

The way, the music, died ♩♪

Featured in this episode: Simon Outhit, Cory Doctorow

To learn more

Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin & Cory Doctorow

“'A public relations nightmare': Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program” in CBC News by Dave Seglins, Rachel Houlihan & Laura Clementson

“We went undercover as ticket scalpers — and Ticketmaster offered to help us do business” in Toronto Star by Robert Cribb & Marco Chown Oved

“Is Live Music Broken? It’s Not Just Ticketmaster, It’s Everything” in The Ringer by Nate Rogers

A Statement From Live Nation Entertainment

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas,

For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.

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WORK 10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex

Wed, 22 May 2024 09:36:55 GMT

Prison labour is largely invisible in Canada. Most prisoners who work do institutional upkeep, the kind of cleaning, cooking and maintenance that’s required to keep a prison running.

But then there are prison industries. Not only do Canadian prisoners work for for-profit businesses, but they’re sometimes doing dangerous and nauseating work around.

Featured in this episode: Calvin Neufeld

To learn more:

Bloody Bad Business: Report on the Joyceville Institution Abattoir

“Prison farm supporter worries new Kingston farms may exploit prison labour” by Jonna Semple in Global News

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Pod Save The World

For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.

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WORK 9 - Working Behind Bars

Wed, 15 May 2024 09:38:00 GMT

All labour exists on a spectrum, ranging from enslavement at one pole, to fully, freely given on the other.

And, in Canada, at the most extreme end of that spectrum are prison labourers. Incarcerated people have few rights and fewer options when it comes to their working lives.

If we want to truly understand our criminal justice system and Canadian labour, we need to examine how prisoners work.

Featured in this episode: Jordan House, Asaf Rashid

To learn more:

Solidarity Beyond Bars: Unionizing Prison Labour by Jordan House & Asaf Rashid

“Prison breaking-point: Canada’s jail system is in crisis, and that affects all of us” by Justin Ling in The Globe and Mail

“The case for a prisoners’ union” in Briarpatch by Jordan House & Asaf Rashid

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas

For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.

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Introducing Pretendians

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:30:56 GMT

Today we’re sharing with you a preview of the first episode of Canadaland’s newest show Pretendians.

What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.

From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money, and status. There are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not.

So why do these so-called “Pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?

To hear more follow Pretendians in your podcast app or click here.

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WORK 8 - Make and Break Harbour

Wed, 08 May 2024 09:54:00 GMT

In Newfoundland and Labrador, fishing is more than just an industry or a job. It truly is a way of life. It’s at the core of what has made this place what it is.

Today, as fishers leave the industry in droves, all of that is at risk of dying.

But is it even worth it to try to keep all of that alive? After all, there’s plenty of ways to make a living. And what kind of future is in store for the people who refuse to let go?

Featured in this episode: Kimberly Orren, Leo Hearn, Jenn Thornhill Verma, Ryan Cleary

To learn more:

“Could smaller, more sustainable cod fishing make a comeback? Newfoundlanders look cautiously for ways to rebuild” by Jenn Thornhill Verma in The Globe and Mail

“Fishing school takes students out of the classroom and out on the water” by Amanda Gear in CBC News

“The Fishing Revolution and the Origins of Capitalism” by Ian Angus in Monthly Review

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman, AG1

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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WORK 7 - Merchants of the Rock

Wed, 01 May 2024 10:11:11 GMT

The cod collapse is a harbinger of the many environmental disasters we’re about to face. But what happens to workers in the aftermath of that kind of catastrophe? In Newfoundland and Labrador, monopolistic corporations took advantage.

The history of the Atlantic fishery can be understood as a power struggle between fishermen and merchants.

And the merchants are winning.

Featured in this episode: Glen Winslow, Ryan Cleary, Jenn Thornhill-Verma

To learn more:

“Who Controls Fish Processing in Newfoundland & Labrador?” by Jenn Thornhill-Verma & Jack Daly in The Independent

“Why are fish harvesters protesting in Newfoundland?” in CTV News

“Danish company Royal Greenland buying 4 more N.L. fish plants” in CBC News

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, AGI

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 6 - Emptying an Ocean

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:47:18 GMT

The closure of the cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador was the most devastating mass layoff in Canadian history. And its impacts are still being felt to this day.

The collapse of Newfoundland cod is a story of man-made environmental calamity that turned into economic devastation. It’s a story of a government ignoring the knowledge of working people, in favour of the so-called expertise of industry, to disastrous effect.

But this isn’t just history. It’s prophecy. It’s a vision of what may come if we continue to ignore the ecological limits of this planet in the pursuit of profit.

Featured in this episode: Bernard Martin, Jenn Thornhill-Verma, Ryan Cleary, Glen Winslow

To learn more:

Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys by Jenn Thornhill-Verma

Lament for an Ocean: The Collapse of the Atlantic Cod Fishery by Michael Harris

Managed Annihilation: An Unnatural History of the Newfoundland Cod Collapse by Dean Bavington

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman, Douglas

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 5 - The Westray Disaster

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:52:28 GMT

This episode was originally published on November 24, 2021.

Twenty-six men were working underground when an explosion tore through the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia. Their friends and colleagues went into the wreckage to try to save them.

The story of Westray is one of managerial malice and the heroism of everyday people. But why is it that governments let this happen over and over again, at the expense of so many lives?

Featured in this episode: Vernon Theriault, Tom Sandborn

To learn more:

Westray: My Journey From Darkness to Light by Vernon Theriault and Marjorie Coady

“Hell’s History” by Tom Sandborn in The Tyee

The Last Shift by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Damilola Onime (Producer), Kieran Oudshoorn (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, AG1

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 4 - Reaping the Whirlwind

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:07:00 GMT

Migrant farm workers are the backbone of Canada’s agricultural economy. But because they can be fired and deported at will, their voices are rarely ever heard in this country.

But Gabriel Allahdua is one of the few who can now speak up. And the story he has to tell is startling.

It’s a story of racism and labour exploitation that goes back decades, even centuries. And it’s a prophecy of what is to come — that the hardships inflicted on migrant farm workers are only a trial run for the rest of us.

This is the second episode in a two-part series on farm labour.

Featured in this episode: Gabriel Allahdua, Chris Ramsaroop

To learn more:

Harvesting Freedom: The Life of a Migrant Worker in Canada by Gabriel Allahdua with Edward Dunsworth

“‘Overtly racist’: Lawsuit challenges Canada’s migrant farmworker system” by Jillian Kestler-D'Amours in Al-Jazeera

“Former Ontario seasonal farmworker speaks out about exploitation, files class action lawsuit” by Jon Woodward in CTV News

“The Canadian state and the racialization of Caribbean migrant farm labour 1947–1966” by Vic Satzewich in Ethnic and Racial Studies

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman, AG1

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 3 - Bitter Harvest

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:51:52 GMT

The creation of the Canadian Farmworkers Union, as it would come to be called, was the first step in a struggle that continues to this day.

Because even now, farmworkers have far fewer rights than almost any other class of worker. And even today, the men and women who grow our food are subject to horrific working conditions and racial discrimination.

But to understand why the situation remains so bad, we need to go back in time to a moment when there was progress and hope. A moment when it looked like things might truly change for the better.

This is the first episode in a two-part series on farm labour.

Featured in this episode: Raj Chouhan

To learn more:

A Time To Rise by Anand Patwardhan & Jim Munro

Union Zindabad!: South Asian Canadian Labour History in British Columbia by Donna Sacuta, Bailey Garden & Anushay Malik

“Charan Gill: An ‘Epic’ Life of Advocacy” by David P. Ball in The Tyee

“1983: The Year BC Citizens and Workers Fought Back” by Rod Mickleburgh in The Tyee

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 2 - State of Emergency Rooms

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:19:00 GMT

Across Canada, emergency rooms have been shutting down, leaving desperate people in the lurch. And at the heart of this health care crisis, is a labour crisis.

Nurses are leaving their jobs in droves, leaving hospitals understaffed and sometimes unable to carry out their most basic obligations.

In this episode, we'll tell you how nursing went from a profession hailed as heroic to one in an utter state of crisis, all through the eyes of a woman who lived through it all.

Featured in this episode: Nadira Ross

To learn more:

“How Canadian hospitals became dependent on expensive, out-of-town nurses” by Tu Thanh Ha, Kelly Grant and Stephanie Chambers in The Globe and Mail

“How nursing staffing agencies are costing Ontario hospitals untold millions” by Mike Crawley in CBC News

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, AG1

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WORK 1 - The War on Workers

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:15:00 GMT

Labour has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade.

The rise of gig work and temp agencies have made employment more precarious than ever. In the interest of profits, companies are turning more and more towards temporary foreign workers and international students for minimum wage jobs. And even for those with seemingly secure employment, wages and benefits continue to be squeezed.

One thing seems clear: workers are getting screwed.

This season of COMMONS will dig into the fascinating history and ever-changing present of what it means to be a worker in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Jim Stanford

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman , Douglas, AG1

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing our new season… Work

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:45:05 GMT

Labour has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade.

One thing seems clear: workers are getting screwed.

This season of COMMONS will dig into the fascinating history and ever-changing present of what it means to be a worker in Canada.

COMMONS: Work launches on March 20th.

Canadaland Supporters can listen to all episodes one week early! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus - Everybody Loves Romana

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:35:57 GMT

In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Noor Azrieh sits down with Peter Smith to discuss his reporting on right-wing conspiracy groups like Qanon and Romana Didulo.

Featured in this episode: Peter Smith

To learn more:

“Lead in the head”: Self-Declared Canadian Prime Minister and QAnon Adherent Calls for Executions of Officials Who Refuse Her Cease and Desists” by Peter Smith in The Canadian Anti-Hate Network

“Self Declared Queen Of Canada Calling For US Supporters To Invade Canada And Prepare To Execute “Traitors” by Peter Smith in The Canadian Anti-Hate Network

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Cheif)

Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CANADALAND #914 Stock Buybacks: How Grocers Eat Themselves

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:48:01 GMT

This episode was originally published on August 28th, 2023.

Listen to Monopoly 1 - Lost in the Supermarket and Monopoly 17 - Food Fight

In the past several years, Loblaws, Metro and Empire have spent billions on their own stock – And at a time of food price inflation and grocery workers on strike.

Why are they doing it? And why do some economists say stock buybacks should be abolished?

Featured in this episode:

William Lazonick, professor emeritus of economics at University of Massachusetts

Jim Stanford, director of the Centre for Future Work

CULTS 10 - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fandom

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:32:18 GMT

We live in a world of obsessive fandoms. The Stans, Swifties, Potterheads, Beliebers, Trekkies, Bronies, Barbs and their ilk are everywhere to be found.

But at what point does it go from being harmless entertainment and turn into something more sinister?

Featured in this episode: Zoe Alderton, Robert Lawson

To learn more:

“‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom” by Zoe Alderton in Religions

“Andrew Tate: how the ‘manosphere’ influencer is selling extreme masculinity to young men” by Robert Lawson in The Conversation

Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It by Kaitlyn Tiffany

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: oxio, Douglas

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 9 - Romana’s Reign

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 09:58:05 GMT

Romana Didulo, the self-proclaimed Queen of Canada, is unlike almost any other cult leader Canada has ever seen. In an incredibly short amount of time, she’s been able to gain a mass following, despite her absurd claims and alarming rhetoric.

At various points, she’s claimed to be a political leader, a monarch, an interdimensional being communing with aliens, and so much more. She’s urged her followers to take up arms and execute migrants on sight.

And now, she’s taken up residence in a small Saskatchewan town that doesn’t know what to do.

Featured in this episode: Mack Lamoureux (VICE News), Peter Smith (Canadian Anti-Hate Network), Hugh Everding

To learn more:

“A QAnon Cult Set Up a Compound in a Small Town. The Locals Are Fighting Back” by Mack Lamoureux in VICE News

“Self Declared Queen Of Canada Calling For US Supporters To Invade Canada And Prepare To Execute “Traitors”” by Peter Smith in Canadian Anti-Hate Network

The Storm is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything by Mike Rothschild

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: oxio, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 8 - The Eye of the Pyramid

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:04:10 GMT

Multi-level marketing isn’t based on rational business logic. It’s not even built on irrational business logic. It’s ideology. It’s faith.

MLMs have become such a ubiquitous part of North American life that their tenets are rarely ever questioned. The sector holds enormous political sway. Millions of people join, leave and rejoin every year, almost all of them ending up poorer for the experience.

And to call it a cult is not just a cute turn of phrase. The cultishness of MLMs is essential to their success.

Featured in this episode: Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Julie Anderson

To learn more:

Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing by Robert L. Fitzpatrick

“How lobbying dollars prop up pyramid schemes” by Matt Stroud in The Verge

YouTube: @JulieAndersonvideos

Amway: The Cult of Free Enterprise by Stephen Butterfield

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Aviva Lessard (Additional Production) Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 7 - Hey #Bossbabe!

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:58:37 GMT

Nearly 1.4 million Canadians and almost 50 million Americans are involved in multi-level marketing. And that sheer volume of people makes it a near certainty that you’ve encountered MLMs in your life somehow.

The promise of financial freedom can be an intoxicating lure. But MLMs, like so many other cultish enterprises, are about more than just money. They’re about transcendence.

And in their wake, they often leave behind ruined livelihoods and broken lives.

Featured in this episode: Julie Anderson, Amanda Montell, Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Marco Moukhaiber

To learn more:

Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing by Robert L. Fitzpatrick

“'They have you in a cultish grip': the women losing thousands to online beauty schemes” by Amelia Tate in The Guardian

YouTube: @JulieAndersonvideos

YouTube: @AlwaysMarco

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Aviva Lessard (Additional Production) Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Oxio, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 6 - Being a Blackmore

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 08:31:04 GMT

Mary-Jayne Blackmore is one of the oldest children of Winston Blackmore, the most famous polygamist in Canada.

For decades, her family has been the subject of intense media and legal scrutiny because of her father’s 27 wives and 150 children. Their lives have been dissected in documentaries and in court testimony.

The name Blackmore has become synonymous with either faith-based persecution by the state or with cult-like religious fundamentalism that victimizes girls and women.

But for Mary-Jayne, these kinds of black-and-white portrayals miss so much about what it’s been like being a Blackmore.

To learn more:

Balancing Bountiful: What I Learned About Feminism From My Polygamist Grandmothers by Mary Jayne Blackmore

The Bishop of Bountiful B.C. by the CBC’s Fifth Estate

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Canva, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 5 - Alien Superstar

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:35:00 GMT

In 1973, a French motorsports journalist claimed to have been visited by a UFO that revealed to him the secret origins of humanity. For the next half-century, the man known as Raël would go on to create a new faith with tens of thousands of adherents all around the world.

The media have portrayed the Raelians as not just a cult, but a strange phantasmagoria of extraterrestrials, orgies and clones. But its followers insist it is the only true path forward for humanity.

Featured in this episode: Nicole Bertrand, Susan J. Palmer, Harold Henning

To learn more:

Aliens Adored: Raël’s UFO Religion by Susan J. Palmer

The Prophet and the Space Aliens by Yoav Shamir

The UFO sect campaigning against female genital mutilation by Monica Mark in The Guardian

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 4 - The Cult Wars

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 08:37:12 GMT

An explosion of new spiritual movements in the 1970s led to the creation of an entirely novel academic field. But right from the beginning, the discipline was riven asunder.

The Cult Wars have been raging for decades. They’re fought not only in academic journals and conference seminars, but in the press, the courts and in legislative assemblies. And their battles continue to have enormous consequences.

Featured in this episode: Michael Kropveld, Stephen A. Kent, Susan J. Palmer

To learn more:

“Caught Up in the Cult Wars: Confessions of a New Religious Movement Researcher” by Susan J. Palmer in University of Toronto Press

“Life after Doomsday: Tracking cult activity from a Montreal storage locker” by Simon Lewson in The Walrus

Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field edited by Benjamin Zablocki & Thomas Robbins

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Oxio

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 3 - MKUltra

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:25:00 GMT

In the 1960s and 70s, there was a fear that cult leaders were brainwashing young people into joining their new, strange movements. But is it even possible to “brainwash” anyone?

At a psychiatric hospital in Montreal, one mad scientist, with the help of the CIA, tried to find out.

Featured in this episode: Alison Steel, Lisa Ellenwood

To learn more:

Brainwashed by Michelle Shephard, Lisa Ellenwood & Chris Oke on CBC Podcasts

The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control by John Marks

Father, Son and CIA by Harvey Weinstein

MK Ultra: CIA mind control program in Canada by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

“Federal government quietly compensates daughter of brainwashing experiments victim” by Elizabeth Thompson in CBC News

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 2 - Brother XII

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:34:24 GMT

The story of Brother XII still fascinates and even frightens some people in and around Nanaimo.

He’s often called the Devil of De Courcy Island for good reason.

Brother XII prophesied about the coming apocalypse. But instead, his story would presage something different. He was a forerunner of the strange, new religions that would sweep over the western world.

Featured in this episode: Bill Miner, Justine Brown

To learn more:

Brother XII: The Strange Odyssey of a 20th Century Prophet by John Oliphant

All Possible Worlds: Utopian Experiments in British Columbia by Justine Brown

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Canva, Douglas

risis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CULTS 1 - Speak in Tongues

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:42:18 GMT

As organized religion declines in countries like Canada, we’ve experienced an explosion of what some call religious movements and what others call cults.

The idea of cults has become an omnipresent part of our discourse. But what even is a cult? And why have we become so intrigued by these groups?

And the language of cults has moved beyond just religion into so many different spheres — everything from fitness, to politics, to work.

Featured in this episode: Harold Henning, Amanda Montell

To learn more:

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Sounds Like A Cult

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Cheif)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman , Douglas

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing our new season… Cults

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:34:49 GMT

The word cult gets tossed around a lot. The label gets applied to everything from doomsday religions, to wellness fads, to online conspiracies.

Uncovering the stories of both devotees and dissenters, this season of COMMONS will go beyond the true crime cliches and will make you question everything you thought you knew about cults.

Our new season launches on October 18th.

Canadaland Supporters can listen to the first episode a week early! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus - Game Misconduct

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 07:03:39 GMT

In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with Jashvina Shah to talk about her book, Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It.

Featured in this episode: Jashvina Shah

To learn more:

Game Misconduct Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It by Evan F. Moore and Jashvina Shah

“No, this is not a watershed moment for hockey” by Jashvina Shah in The Globe and Mail

Sex offences against minors: Investigation reveals more than 200 Canadian coaches convicted in last 20 years by Lori Ward and Jamie Strashin in the CBC

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus - Overtime

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:02:45 GMT

In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with host Arshy Mann to discuss our recent season on hockey.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 7 - Blood on the Ice

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:03:00 GMT

Derek Boogaard made his living pummeling people on the ice. But outside the arena, he was soft-spoken and kind.

Fighting was just his job. But it would end up taking everything from him.

Hockey fights, and the numerous blows to the head that players have to endure, have become a moral crisis at the very heart of the sport. And the NHL is doing everything they can to deny the science and allow this gladiatorial combat to continue.

And it’s enforcers like Derek Boogaard who end up paying the price.

Featured in this episode: John Branch (The New York Times), Jeremy Allingham

To learn more:

Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard by John Branch

Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey by Jeremy Allingham

“Years after his son's death, Len Boogaard on quest to end fighting in hockey” by Roy MacGregor in The Globe and Mail

“Brain Trust: Big questions surround the most influential concussion research on the planet” by Jeremy Allingham in CBC News

“NHL commissioner disputes link between hockey and CTE brain disease” by H.J. Mai in NPR Morning Edition

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Oxio, Douglas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 6 - The Problem Hockey Won’t Name

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:03:00 GMT

The Hockey Canada scandal has become one of the biggest stories in the country. And now, hockey appears to be in the middle of a reckoning. But this isn’t the first time. There was another moment, just like this one.

Back then, people tried to warn the hockey world — they were ignored. And even today, the sport won’t name the very specific issue they face.

Hockey has a gang rape problem.

Featured in this episode: Alexis Peters, Laura Robinson

To learn more:

Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport by Laura Robinson

“Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal” in The Globe and Mail

“Hockey Canada, CHL settle lawsuit over alleged sexual assault involving World Junior players” by Rick Westhead in TSN

“Toxic masculinity is part of elite hockey. We need a culture shift” by Alexis Peters in CBC Calgary

“‘We haven’t learned a damn thing’: Sexual violence is embedded in junior hockey culture” by Ian Mendes, Dan Robson, and Katie Strang in The Athletic

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Airbnb, Oxio, Better Help,

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 5 - The Boys from Brampton

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mike Danton was playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the St. Louis Blues. And at the same time, he was trying to hire a hitman to kill his agent, David Frost.

Danton’s arrest and conviction would become one of the biggest hockey scandals of all time. But this is not just some salacious true crime story.

It’s an extreme example of everything that’s wrong with hockey culture; hazing and abuse, sexual misconduct and the adult men who control the lives of teenage boys for their own monetary gain.

Featured in this episode: Steve Simmons (The Toronto Sun)

To learn more:

The Lost Dream: The Story of Mike Danton, David Frost, and a Broken Canadian Family by Steve Simmons

“A teenage girl's vulnerability laid bare at David Frost trial” by Christie Blatchford in The Globe and Mail

“The sometimes sad and remarkable journey of Sheldon Keefe” by Steve Simmons in The Toronto Sun

“How police cracked 'the cult'” by Greg McArthur in The Globe and Mail

“I’m glad I went to prison” by L. Jon Wertheim in Sports Illustrated

“Frost case a study in tragedy and farce” by Gare Joyce in ESPN

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Airbnb, Canva for Teams, Better Help,

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 4 - The Lonely End of the Rink

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:02:40 GMT

Justin Davis was never a superstar. He was a journeyman player, one of tens of thousands, chasing the dream. And at almost every step, when hockey gave him something, it would also take something away.

Hockey exacts a heavy toll on many boys and young men — on their minds and their bodies. And then they’re told not to talk about any of it outside the locker room.

It’s enough to make you ask the question. Is this a sport? Or a cult?

Featured in this episode: Justin Davis

To learn more:

Conflicted Scars: An Average Player’s Journey to the NHL by Justin Davis

“Hockey Is Not for Everyone” by Akim Aliu in The Players’ Tribune

“Flying” by Stan Rogers

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

“I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Better Help, Ecojustice

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 3 - Iced Out

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

The NHL likes to call Willie O’Ree the Jackie Robinson of hockey. And no one can deny how significant it was when he became the first Black player on the ice in an NHL game in 1958.

But what the league doesn’t like to talk about is what happened next.

Because after O’Ree, the NHL didn’t admit another black player for sixteen years. So did the NHL resegregate? And why don’t we talk about the experiences of the players who broke hockey’s second colour line?

Featured in this episode: Bob Dawson, Bill Riley

To learn more:

“Mike Marson on challenges he faced as NHL’s second black player” by Wayne Scanlan in SportsNet

“Life of Riley; Career of N.S. hockey trailblazer Bill Riley remembered during Black History Month” by Paul Hollingsworth and Allan April in CTV News

Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Willie O’Ree with Michael McKinley

“How Conn Smythe's racism kept Herb Carnegie from achieving his NHL dream” by Ian Kennedy in Yahoo Sports

“The dark history of the NFL’s original sins” by Chelsea Stark-Jones and Lex Pryor in The Ringer

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Oxio, Better Help, Ecojustice

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 2 - The Birth of Black Hockey

Wed, 31 May 2023 11:02:28 GMT

Of the estimated 7000 people who have played in the NHL only around 100 of them have been Black. That’s an absurdly low number compared to any other major North American sports league.

But what makes that statistic especially shocking is the fact that the modern game has its roots with Black players on Black teams.

The Coloured Hockey League wasn’t just a sideshow to the main event of white hockey. And the way that league was targeted by the white establishment is reflective of the racism that Black players faced over the next century.

Featured in this episode: Bob Dawson, Darril Fosty, George Fosty

To learn more:

Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925 Darril Fosty & George Fosty (Author)

“1960s college hockey player recalls racism on the ice” by Bruce Deachman in The Ottawa Citizen

“The all-Black league that invented hockey as we know it” by Jasper Hutson in Defector

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Canva, Douglas, Better Help, Slow Burn

Canadaland is turning 10! From May 24 - June 2, sign up for our highest level of ongoing support for only $10 a month. PLUS you'll receive a FREE limited edition 10th Anniversary tote bag. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HOCKEY 1 - The Best Game You Can Name

Wed, 24 May 2023 11:04:32 GMT

Hockey is a hell of a lot of fun. But right now, the sport is going through a reckoning. Allegations of racism, corruption, sexual misconduct and so much more are rocking the game to its core.

But the truth is that in Canada, hockey is more than just a sport. It’s a civic religion, with a billion dollar business attached to it.

Over the next seven episodes, COMMONS will be digging into the cult of hockey, scrutinizing its doctrines and exposing its secrets.

Canadaland is turning 10! From May 24 - June 2, sign up for our highest level of ongoing support for only $10 a month. PLUS the first 100 signups will receive a FREE limited edition 10th Anniversary tote bag. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.

Editor's Note: a different version of this episode was published on the subscriber-only feed of Commons. No inaccuracies were found in the original version, changes were made by the Editor in Chief for storytelling purposes.

Featured in this episode: Ian Kennedy (The Hockey News)

To learn more:

“How a Toronto hockey league turns kids’ joy into an $8.8m cash cow” by Ian Kennedy and Nathan Kalman-Lamb in The Guardian

“Aliu says GTHL rejected organization that would have assured spots for BIPOC players” by Rick Westhead in TSN

“Prospective buyer says he was coached to skirt GTHL’s rules on organization sales” by Rick Westhead in TSN

“Rinks of dreams: The Little One had style” by Bruce Lowitt in The Tampa Bay Times

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Additional music from Audio Network

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing our new season… Hockey

Wed, 10 May 2023 11:00:43 GMT

Love it or hate it, hockey is inescapable in Canada. But the sport has a dark side.

From violence and racism on the ice, to corruption, cover-ups and abuse off of it. In the latest season of COMMONS, host Arshy Mann and producers Jordan Cornish and Noor Azrieh will be bringing you stories from inside the cult of hockey.

Our new season launches on May 24th.

If you’re a Canadaland supporter, you can get access to episodes a week early! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS: Cory Doctorow knows why monopolies are killing art

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 10:00:20 GMT

In the last season we sat down with Cory Doctorow, co-author of Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back, to find out how the music industry has become dominated by monopoly power. In this bonus episode, we’re bringing you Arshy’s full interview with Cory, complete with all the nitty gritty details around how and why musicians continue to get screwed by Spotify, music labels, ticketmaster and more.

To learn more: Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow

Sponsors: Canva, Douglas, Truth Telling

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus - Do Not Pass Go

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:05:29 GMT

In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with host Arshy Mann to talk about the grocery CEOs testifying at Parliament, their thoughts about the Monopoly season coming to an end, and what listeners can do to make change.

Sponsors: USW, Free Lunch, Gardisil

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 17 - Food Fight

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:03:40 GMT

A Loblaws, or any other, modern-day supermarket, is many things.

It’s a temple of abundance. A place where a consumer has more choice than the greatest kings, emperors and pharaohs had in their lifetimes.

It’s a tech platform, tracking our every taste, transaction and even ailment.

And it’s an ideological arena. Where everyday Canadians and grocery CEOs are battling over what’s to blame for our declining standard of living.

Featured in this episode: Benjamin Lorr, Vass Bednar

To learn more:

The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr

“From bakery to ‘tech behemoth’: How Loblaw became a titan of the private health-care industry” in The Toronto Star by Jacob Lorinc

“Canada hasn’t had a ‘tech lash’ yet, but consumers should still be wary” in The Globe and Mail by Vass Bednar

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Rotman

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 16 - Amazon’s Empire

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:59:29 GMT

The Big Tech companies have ushered in a new era of global monopoly. And the most influential, the most powerful of all of them, is Amazon.

In this episode, we focus in on two of the fundamental pillars of Amazon’s dominance: its online marketplace and its cloud computing arm.

And a former Amazon VP speaks out.

Featured in this episode: Matt Stoller, Brad Stone (Bloomberg), Dana Mattioli (Wall Street Journal), Tim Bray

To learn more:

Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone

“Amazon Prime Is an Economy-Distorting Lie” in BIG by Matt Stoller

“Amazon Scooped Up Data From Its Own Sellers to Launch Competing Products” in The Wall Street Journal by Dana Mattioli

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Athletic Greens, Free Lunch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 15 - Movie Monster

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 08:05:08 GMT

“I love the smell of monopoly in the morning”

“Forget it, Jake, it’s Cineplex”

“The competition commissioner once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”

“Life is like a box of anti-competitive cinema chains that allegedly use their 75% market share to bully their competition, limit consumer choice and charge obscene junk fees. You never know what you’re going to get.”

Featured in this episode: Barry Hertz (Globe and Mail), Corinne Lea, Andy Willick, Sonya William

To learn more:

“Cineplex’s distribution deal with Lionsgate sends ripples through Canadian film industry” by Barry Hertz in The Globe and Mail

“Independent cinemas accuse Cineplex of shutting them out of market for top films” by Maryse Zeidler in CBC News

“Indie theatres say they're last in line for movies because of Cineplex” by Joseph Pugh in CBC News

“Cineplex's monopolization” by Vass Bednar in Regs to Riches

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Free Lunch

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 14 - Where the Sidewalk Ends

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 08:05:53 GMT

Google, one of the world’s great tech monopolies, wanted to make a “smart city,” full of sensors and robots and self-driving cars.

Toronto, one of the world’s most insecure cities, wanted a big tech firm to put it on the innovation map.

What resulted was not exactly a match made in heaven.

Featured in this episode: Josh O’Kane (Globe and Mail), Kurtis McBride

To learn more:

Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy by Josh O’Kane

“Sidewalk Labs document reveals company’s early vision for data collection, tax powers, criminal justice” by Tom Cardoso & Josh O’Kane in The Globe and Mail

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Athletic Greens

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 13 - The Irvings

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:05:51 GMT

For almost a century, the Irving family has run New Brunswick like a personal fiefdom. They own the newspapers, the industry, and, according to some, even the government. So how does a single family come to so thoroughly dominate an entire province? And what happens when that family starts to fracture and split apart at the seams?

Featured in this episode: Bruce Livesey (Thieves of Bay Street).

To learn more:

“Are the Irvings Canada's biggest corporate welfare bums?” by Bruce Livesey in National Observer

Irving vs. Irving: Canada's Feuding Billionaires and the Stories They Won't Tell by Jacques Poitras

“Irving family's fortunate son explains how he fell into a dark depression, and rose again” by Erin Anderssen” in The Globe and Mail

Additional music:

“A List of Ways to Die” by Lee Rosevere, “Easy Life” by Lee Rosevere, and “Androids Always Escape” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 12 - Overdrawn

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 08:05:16 GMT

Not only do the Big Five banks get away with charging exorbitant fees for basic services. Not only do they block any competitors by controlling Canada’s payment infrastructure. Not only are they totally entwined with the federal government.

But the Big Five banks are about to get even bigger.

Featured in this episode: Colin Deacon, Keldon Bester, Alex Vronces

To learn more

“How blocked mergers foiled banks' ambitions — and forced the Big Six to innovate” by James Bradshaw in The Globe and Mail

“How the push to modernize Canada’s payment systems went off the rails” by Jon Victor in The Logic

“How the Big Five banks control how money moves in Canada” by Alex Vronces in Policy Options

“RBC-HSBC banking merger is a slide to monopoly – Canada should just say no” by Keldon Bester in The Globe and Mail

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Sponsors: Rights Back At You, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 11 - Flight Risk

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 08:05:00 GMT

It’s been a hard few years for Canadian air passengers. And while no one blames the airline oligopoly for COVID or winter storms, air travellers have had to put up with a lot.

But Canada has consumer protections to make sure that when something goes wrong, there’s a fair process in place to make sure everyday Canadians don’t get screwed over, right? Right??!

Featured in this episode: Gábor Lukács, John Gradek

To learn more

“Canadian airline regulator’s stance on refunds aligned with execs’ requests from days earlier, emails show” by Christopher Reynolds in Canadian Press

“This Nova Scotia man’s fight with an airline pulled back the curtain on a flawed passenger-protection act, an adjudicator says” by Steve McKinley in Toronto Star

“Ottawa ‘not hiding’ from holiday travel chaos fallout, transport minister says” by Sean Boynton & Aaron D'Andrea in Global News

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Sponsors: Douglas,

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 10 - The Way the Music Died

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 08:05:51 GMT

♩♪ A long, long time ago, I can still remember

How the music used to pay my bills

I knew that if I got my break

That I could be as big as Drake

And then I could stop shopping at No Frills ♩♪

♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed us

Ticketmaster’s ground us to dust

The companies got too large

Now monopolies are in charge ♩♪

♩♪ And the record labels I fear the most

Have all just merged and so now we’re toast

Don’t you think it’s just so gross?

The way, the music, died ♩♪

Featured in this episode: Simon Outhit, Cory Doctorow

To learn more

Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin & Cory Doctorow

“'A public relations nightmare': Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program” in CBC News by Dave Seglins, Rachel Houlihan & Laura Clementson

“We went undercover as ticket scalpers — and Ticketmaster offered to help us do business” in Toronto Star by Robert Cribb & Marco Chown Oved

“Is Live Music Broken? It’s Not Just Ticketmaster, It’s Everything” in The Ringer by Nate Rogers

A Statement From Live Nation Entertainment

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MONOPOLY 9 - Diamonds of Attawapiskat

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 08:05:38 GMT

This episode was originally published on December 21, 2021.

Attawapiskat has become famous across Canada and around the world. Not for the natural beauty that surrounds it, or for the Cree culture of the people who live there. Instead, it’s become a byword for the toxic legacy of Canadian colonialism.

But while Attawapiskat faced crisis after crisis, the community was sitting on a literal diamond mine run by the world’s most famous mining company.

So why is it that a community rich in diamonds is so poor? And why did the government and De Beers do so little to help them through?

Featured in this episode: Mike Koostachin, Vicki Lean, Anna Baggio

To learn more:

After the Last River by Victoria Lean

The People of the Kattawapiskak River by Alanis Obamsawin

“De Beers decision to dump sewage into Attawapiskat played role in current housing crisis” by Ossie Michelin in APTN News

“Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?” By Edward Jay Epstein in The Atlantic

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman, Athletic Greens

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Kieran Oudshoorn (Managing Editor), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 8 - Raining Cats and Dollars

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 08:05:00 GMT

When you look at your pet, you probably see an adorable furball that you’d do anything for. A private equity firm sees dollar signs.

Ever so quietly, faceless, big money firms have been consolidating Canada’s veterinary clinics. And vets are just the beginning.

Featured in this episode: Michael Mossop, Denise Hearn

To learn more

“Inside the corporate dash to buy up dentists’ offices, veterinary clinics and pharmacies” in The Globe and Mail by Chris Hannay

“Private equity groups spot profit in UK's nurseries” in Financial Times by Bethan Staton

The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition by Jonathan Tepper and Denise Hearn

“An Inconvenient Fact: Private Equity Returns & The Billionaire Factory” by Ludovic Phalippou

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Reporter and Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Sponsors: Douglas,

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trailer: COMMONS

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 08:30:21 GMT

COMMONS is a documentary podcast that proves Canada is anything but boring. Each season, host Arshy Mann guides you through the country’s dark underbelly, bringing you stories about crime, corruption and all manner of misdeeds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CANADALAND #725 The Rogers Family Compact

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 08:05:26 GMT

This episode was originally published on November 1st, 2021.

Who are the Rogers family? How did they get so powerful? Why have they turned against one another? And what does it matter? We've spent a week immersed in Rogers history to bring you this unofficial narrative of Canada's telecom overlords.

Monopoly 7 - Canada’s Competition Cop

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 08:05:06 GMT

Support us at www.commonspodcast.com

Matthew Boswell is the Competition Commissioner. And he's the last man trying to stand in the way of the mega-merger between Rogers and Shaw.

But even he acknowledges that Canada's antitrust laws aren't just inadequate — they're weighted in favour of the monopolists.

A frank discussion with Canada's top competition cop.

Featured in this episode: Matthew Boswell

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Sponsors: Douglas,

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 6 - The Urge to Merge

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 08:05:04 GMT

Rogers and Shaw are getting ready to tie the knot. But before they can consummate their less-than-holy union, they have to get the approval of Canada’s competition tribunal and the federal government. And even though most Canadians would find this union highly objectionable, it’s likely to be approved.

Because for 150 years, Canadian politicians have been talking out of both sides of their mouths. They claim they want to promote competition. And then they pass laws that do the opposite.

Featured in this episode: Vass Bednar, Keldon Bester

To learn more

“Antitrust watchdog should just say no to Rogers and Shaw merger” in The Globe and Mail by Keldon Bester and Ben Klass

“Is the Competition Bureau's efficiency defence still defensible?” in The Financial Post by Vass Bednar

“The Development of Competition Policy, 1890-1940: A Re-Evaluation of a Canadian and American Tradition” in Osgoode Law Journal by Brian Cheffins

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

“Canon in D Major” by Kevin Macleod, adapted.

Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 5 - Against the WIND

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 08:05:48 GMT

WIND Mobile, now known as Freedom, was a small company that tried to break through Canada’s telecom oligopoly. It did not have an easy ride.

WIND faced numerous hurdles from regulators, it was subjected to dirty tricks from the telecom oligopoly, and was eventually sold to Shaw. But it also helped lower cell phone rates and brought in unlimited data and U.S. roaming, changing the wireless market permanently.

This is the inside story of WIND Mobile, from the people who were there.

Featured in this episode: Simon Lockie, Brice Scheschuk, Tony Clement

To learn more

“Why can’t TTC riders use their cellphones on the subway? Ask Bell, Rogers or Telus” in The Toronto Star by Lex Harvey

“Wind Mobile backer regrets Canadian launch” in CBC News

“Globalive offers $3.75-billion to buy Freedom Mobile” in The Globe and Mail by Alexandra Posadzki

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Rotman, Oxio

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 4 - Teleconned

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 08:05:00 GMT

They’re the most hated companies in the country. And yet, they’re unavoidable.

The telecom oligopoly seems to rule Canada’s economy with an iron fist. Canadians are paying more and more for our cell phones, cable and internet.

So how was it that we ended up in this situation? And was it inevitable that things would get so bad?

Featured in this episode: Ben Klass, Dwayne Winseck, Keldon Bester, Dale Eisler

To learn more

“A Social History of Canadian Telecommunications” in Canadian Journal of Communication by Dwayne Winseck

“Bell takeover of MTS gets federal approval” in CBC News

From Left To Right: Saskatchewan's Political And Economic Transformation by Dale Eisler

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Oxio

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 3 - The Hudson’s Bay Company

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 08:05:12 GMT

Today, it’s a department store where you might go to buy perfume or cookware. But the Hudson’s Bay Company was Canada’s first, and its most powerful, monopoly.

It grew from a largely insignificant enterprise into one of the most dominant forces in North America.

The story of the HBC reveals just how deeply embedded monopoly is in Canada’s very fabric.

Featured in this episode: Stephen R. Bown, Jean Teillet

To learn more

The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire by Stephen R. Bown

The North-West Is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, The Metis Nation by Jean Teillet

The Other Side of the Ledger: An Indian View of the Hudson's Bay Company by Martin Defalco & Willie Dunn

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 2 - Big Milk

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 08:03:05 GMT

Some say that they’re a shadowy group that are the true power behind our elected officials, wielding enormous influence that they use to either benefit their friends or crush their enemies.

Others claim that they’re a bulwark against oligopolies, ensuring that rural Canada doesn’t turn into an empty, corporatized hellscape.

But what’s not up for debate is that Big Milk is a big deal.

Featured in this episode: Marlene Haley, Justin Ling, Bruce Muirhead

To learn more

“Cheddargate” by Justin Ling in Maisonneuve

“Milk mystery: As prices soar, dairy farmers plead poverty” by Ashleigh Stewart in Global News

“Critics of supply management are milking the argument” by Bruce Muirhead in Maclean’s

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer and Reporter), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Douglas, Rotman, Canadian History Ehx

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monopoly 1 - Lost in the Supermarket

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 08:37:30 GMT

Canadians are being squeezed at every end. When it comes to cell phone bills, grocery bills, housing, entertainment, we’re all paying more than ever before.

But a small number of companies that dominate their industries are reaping in enormous profits.

This season of COMMONS we’ll be digging into all of the monopolies, oligopolies and cartels that dominate our lives. And for our first stop, we head to the supermarket.

Featured in this episode: Vass Bednar, Marco Chown Oved (Toronto Star)

To learn more

“Supermarkets are hiking prices faster than necessary — and profiting from inflation, Star investigation suggests” by Marco Chown Oved in the Toronto Star

Regs to Riches by Vass Bednar

“Canada’s competition watchdog to investigate grocery industry in wake of soaring food prices” by Ghada Alsharif in the Toronto Star

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)

Additional music from Audio Network

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing our new season… Monopoly

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 07:25:07 GMT

From broadband to banking to blueberries (yes, even blueberries), life in Canada is ruled by monopolies. In the latest season of COMMONS, host Arshy Mann and producers Jordan Cornish and Noor Azrieh will bring you the stories of how these monopolists bullied their way to the top, strangled their rivals, and cornered their markets with help from the government.

Our new season launches on November 9th.

If you’re a Canadaland supporter, you can listen to the first episode now! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing our new series: Ratfucker

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:40:08 GMT

Meet David Wallace, political fixer. After decades in the game he says he’s getting out, telling all, and dumping his files in public. The result is the viral "Klondike Papers" theory of conspiracies, conservatives, and cults. But are the allegations true? And why is he really implicating himself, and so many others? A wild, true story.

Series launches October 31st.

Subscribe now (link).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WAR 8 - Who Pays the Price?

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 09:37:18 GMT

Afghanistan has endured more than four decades of almost ceaseless war. But since the Taliban takeover, Afghans have been abandoned by the global community and are now facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

What was all of this for? And is Afghanistan destined for yet another cycle of violence?

Featured in this episode: Rangina Hamidi, Mohsin Amin, Stephen M. Saideman

To learn more:

“Americans nurtured Afghanistan’s economy. Now they’re gutting it” by Mohsin Amin in The Washington Post

Adapting in the Dust: Lessons Learned from Canada's War in Afghanistan by Stephen M. Saideman

‘No Father Wants to Sell His Son’s Kidney.’ Afghans Pushed to Desperate Measures to Survive” by Sune Engel Rasmussen in The Wall Street Journal

“Hope and despair: Kathy Gannon on 35 years in Afghanistan” by Kathy Gannon in The Associated Press

“Taliban Splits Emerge Over Religion, Power and Girls’ Schools” by Sune Engel Rasmussen & Margherita Stancati in The Wall Street Journal

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Douglas, Oxio, Calm

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

https:/apple.co/3wjxaRW

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WAR 7 - The Long, Slow Death

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:23:01 GMT

Stuart Langridge was a model soldier. But when he returned from a tour in Afghanistan, his family noticed that something was off.

He was suffering from PTSD. But instead of providing him the treatment he needed, Stuart was punished and humiliated by the Canadian Forces.

Like too many Afghan veterans, Stuart ended up taking his own life. And when his parents began to ask questions about what had happened to their son, the Canadian military went to war against them.

Featured in this episode: Sheila Fynes, Shaun Fynes, David Pugliese (The Ottawa Citizen), Steven Staples, Bruce Moncur, Sean Teal

To learn more:

“The Canadian military’s war against a soldier’s family” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa Citizen

“Former soldier who lost part of his brain for Canada says sacrifice being demeaned” by Ryan Maloney in HuffPost Canada

“Veterans with PTSD should have MedicAlert IDs, says Afghanistan vet” by Stephen J. Thorne in Legion Magazine

“The Unremembered” by Renata D’Aliesio, Les Perreaux and Allan Maki in The Globe and Mail

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Douglas, Oxio, Calm

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

https:/apple.co/3wjxaRW

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WAR 6 - Tortured Pasts

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 07:19:47 GMT

The Afghan Detainee scandal became the defining story of Canada's war in Kandahar. It exposed Canada's complicity and direct involvement in war crimes. And it helped fuel the insurgency that eventually brought down the Afghan government.

Despite repeated denials by senior government and military officials, there's evidence that many Canadians knew they were sending Afghans to be tortured.

So why did so few people do anything to stop it? And what role did Harjit Sajjan, Trudeau's first Minister of Defence, play in ensuring that the full story will never come out?

Featured in this episode: Ahmad Malgarai, Amir Attaran, Sharif Sharaf, Craig Scott, Harjit Sajjan

To learn more:

“From Canadian custody into cruel hands” by Graeme Smith in The Globe and Mail

“Canada defended Afghan 'human-rights abuser,' memos allege” by Murray Brewster in The Canadian Press

“Ethics commissioner acknowledges Sajjan downplayed his role and knowledge of Afghan detainee issue” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa CItizen

The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan by Graeme Smith

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Oxio, Images Festival, HelloFresh, Calm

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

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Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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WAR 5 - The Narcokings of Kandahar

Wed, 25 May 2022 09:04:44 GMT

During the Afghan War, it was clear who the enemy was. The Taliban were a group of religious zealots who harboured terrorists, killed with fervour and enslaved women.

But then why did so many Afghans join with the Taliban during the years that Canada was fighting in Kandahar?

And if the Taliban were our enemies, who exactly were our friends and allies? In many cases, they were torturers, rapists and murderers themselves.

Featured in this episode: Rangina Hamidi, Matthieu Aikins, Ahmad Malgarai, Bruce Moncur, David Pugliese (Ottawa Citizen)

To learn more:

“Our Man in Kandahar” by Matthieu Aikins in The Atlantic

“House of Pain: Canada's connection with Kandahar's ruthless palace guard” by Graeme Smith in The Globe and Mail

The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan by Graeme Smith

“Today We Shall All Die” Afghanistan's Strongmen and the Legacy of Impunity by Human Rights Watch

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Oxio, Ground News, 22 Murders, HelloFresh

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

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Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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WAR 4 - Medusa

Wed, 11 May 2022 09:42:44 GMT

Operation Medusa has become the most celebrated battle in recent Canadian history. It was hailed as a stroke of military genius that may have vanquished the Taliban once and for all.

But the soldiers and commanders on the ground have a different story to tell. A rushed battle. Flawed intelligence. And generals putting political considerations ahead of Canadian lives.

And even though Canada had defeated the Taliban on the battlefield, that didn't mean they were winning the war.

Featured in this episode: Sean Teal, Bruce Moncur, Omer Lavoie, Adnan R. Khan, Eugene Lang

To learn more:

“Operation Medusa: The Battle For Panjwai” by Adam Day in Legion Magazine

“Afghanistan veteran recounts brutal battle” by Stephen J. Thorne in Legion Magazine

“It's time for a hard look at Operation Medusa” by Adnan R. Khan in Maclean's

The Unexpected War: Canada In Kandahar by Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Oxio, Ground News, 22 Murders, HelloFresh, Skipper Otto

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

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WAR 3 - Tarnak Farms

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 07:37:02 GMT

Bill Wilson and Chris Kopp were two of the first Canadian soldiers deployed to Afghanistan.

One night in April 2002, they were at a training exercise at Tarnak Farms, Osama Bin Laden's old hideout outside of Kandahar.

All of a sudden, they see a blast, and chaos surrounds them. What happens next would change their lives — and the Canadian military — forever.

Featured in this episode: Chris Kopp, Bill Wilson, Michael Friscolanti, Eugene Lang

To learn more:

Friendly Fire by Michael Friscolanti

“Lest we forget: Each year, three Canadian medics who served in Afghanistan take stock of their war” by Ted Barris in Zoomer

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Risk Management Program, Oxio, Ground News, 22 Murders

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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WAR 2 - Lords of War

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 09:53:52 GMT

In the days after 9/11, Canada joined in the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Right away, it became painfully obvious that we didn't understand the country, its people, or its history.

That would have profound consequences.

Within months, Canadian special forces were participating in secret operations at the behest of some of the most sinister men in the country.

Our actions in the early days of the war would go on to endanger the lives of Afghans and Canadian soldiers alike in the years to come.

Featured in this episode: Murwarid Ziayee, Mohsin Amin, Arthur Kent, David Pugliese (Ottawa Citizen)

To learn more:

No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal

Return To Afghanistan by Arthur Kent

“Eyes Wide Shut: The Government's Guilty Secrets in Afghanistan” by Jon Stephenson in Metro Magazine

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Risk Management Program, Oxio, Ground News, 22 Murders

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

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WAR 1 - Last Plane Out of Kabul

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 10:35:00 GMT

The War in Afghanistan was Canada's longest war. More than 40,000 Canadian troops served. And countless Canadian civilians went to work in the country. But after twenty years, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives lost, Afghanistan is worse off than before.

When the Taliban marched into Kabul last August, the world watched as Afghans clung to planes in an attempt to escape. We bring you the true story of the end of one of the forever wars through the eyes of the people who were there.

Featured in this episode: Wasai Rahimi, Ghousuddin Frotan, Brian Castner, Mohammed Sharif Sharaf, Matthieu Aikins

To learn more:

“Inside the Fall of Kabul” by Matthieu Aikins in New York Times Magazine

“Escape from Afghanistan” by Mark MacKinnon in The Globe and Mail

“Horror at Kabul's gate to freedom” by Nick Paton Walsh, Sandi Sidhu, Julia Hollingsworth, Masoud Popalzai, Sitara Zamani, Abdul Basir Bina, Katie Polglase & Gianluca Mezzofiore in CNN

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Risk Management Program, Oxio, Escaping Denver, and Ground News

If you listen on Apple, subscribe to Canadaland Politics for $2.99/month for ad-free episodes of COMMONS, Wag the Doug and The BackBench.

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Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Introducing our new season… War

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 10:00:00 GMT

Narcolords in league with the government. Hundreds of millions of dollars that vanish into thin air. Arrogant decision-making that leads to the deaths of Canadians and Afghans alike. This season of COMMONS will bring you the war stories that Canada wants you to forget.

First episode drops March 30, 2022.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 8 - The Crying of Lot 8

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:00:00 GMT

In 2007, the small Guatemalan village of Lote Ocho, Spanish for Lot 8, was burned to the ground by military, police and security for a Canadian-owned mine. Eleven women claim they were raped during the evictions.

A few years later, a prominent community activist is murdered in broad daylight by the head of security for the mining company.

These are just some of the many crimes that Canadian mining companies have been accused of committing in this region over the last 60 years.

Many Canadian mining companies are pariahs around the world. So why does Canada allow this to happen? And is this industry violent by its very nature?

Featured in this episode: Angélica Choc, Grahame Russel, Catherin Nolin, Heather Gies, Richard Poplak

To learn more:

“How a Canadian mining company infiltrated the Guatemalan state” by Max Binks-Collier in The Intercept

“Guatemala mine's ex-security chief convicted of Indigenous leader's murder” by Sandra Cuffe in The Guardian

Paradise Lost by CTV's W5

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Behaviourally Informed Strategy Program & Dispatch Coffee

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 7 - Barrick and the Cruelty of Gold

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Papua New Guinea is a part of the world that few Canadians ever think about. But for the people of Porgera, their lives have been shaped by the decisions of Canadian companies.

It's hard to wrap your head around the atrocities that people in Porgera have suffered over the last thirty year. Environmental devastation. Murder as a matter of course. Hundreds of women and girls who have been raped.

So why is Barrick Gold, the company that has operated the mine for the last decade and a half, still celebrated across the country? And why is Barrick's founder, Peter Munk, still viewed as a philanthropic and corporate icon?

Featured in this episode: Everlyn Gaupe, McDiyan Robert Yapari, Stanley Peter, Cressida Kuala, Catherine Coumans, Richard Poplak

To learn more:

“Canadian Mining's Dark Heart” by Richard Poplak in The Walrus

“The Shooting Fields of Porgera” by the Akali Tange Association

“Raped by Canadian Gold Mine Guards, These Women Are Looking for Justice” by Hilary Beaumont in VICE News

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Executive Leadership Online & Dispatch Coffee

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MINING 6 - Diamonds of Attawapiskat

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 11:00:00 GMT

Support us at www.commonspodcast.com

Attawapiskat has become famous across Canada and around the world. Not for the natural beauty that surrounds it, or for the Cree culture of the people who live there. Instead, it's become a byword for the toxic legacy of Canadian colonialism.

But while Attawapiskat faced crisis after crisis, the community was sitting on a literal diamond mine run by the world's most famous mining company.

So why is it that a community rich in diamonds is so poor? And why did the government and De Beers do so little to help them through?

Featured in this episode: Mike Koostachin, Vicki Lean, Anna Baggio

To learn more:

After the Last River by Victoria Lean

The People of the Kattawapiskak River by Alanis Obamsawin

“De Beers decision to dump sewage into Attawapiskat played role in current housing crisis” by Ossie Michelin in APTN News

“Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?” By Edward Jay Epstein in The Atlantic

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by PolicyMe.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 5 - The North’s Giant Monster

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 11:00:00 GMT

Support us at www.commonspodcast.com

A monster has been haunting the North.

Giant Mine may be a big reason why Yellowknife exists. But for seven decades, it's been a unique source of suffering for the people in the region.

Three stories from this uniquely haunted place: the damage it did when it opened, the bloodiest labour dispute in Canadian history, and the toxic legacy that may remain for thousands of years.

Featured in this episode: Morgan Tsetta, Arn Keeling, John Sandlos, Lee Selleck

To learn more:

Giant Monster Mine from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation

Dying for Gold: The True Story of the Giant Mine Murders by Lee Selleck and Francis Thompson

Toxic Legacies Project

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by PolicyMe, and Manscaped.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 4 - The Westray Disaster

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 11:00:00 GMT

Support us at www.commonspodcast.com

Twenty-six men were working underground when an explosion tore through the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia. Their friends and colleagues went into the wreckage to try to save them.

The story of Westray is one of managerial malice and the heroism of everyday people. But why is it that governments let this happen over and over again, at the expense of so many lives?

Featured in this episode: Vernon Theriault, Tom Sandborn

To learn more:

Westray: My Journey From Darkness to Light by Vernon Theriault and Marjorie Coady

“Hell's History” by Tom Sandborn in The Tyee

The Last Shift by CBC's The Fifth Estate

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Executive Leadership Online, PolicyMe, and Manscaped.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 3 - Before Bitcoin, Bre-X

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 13:28:00 GMT

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A tiny Canadian mining company discovers the largest gold deposit in human history. But when the company's chief geologist falls out of a helicopter over the Indonesian jungle, it was all revealed to be a mirage.

Bre-X was a national obsession that made many overnight millionaires. It also happened to be the biggest fraud in the history of mining.

But questions still remain. Why did no one go to jail? And did that geologist actually die falling from a helicopter? Or is he off somewhere enjoying his ill-gotten gains?

Featured in this episode: Warren Irwin, Andrew Willis (The Globe and Mail), Stephen Ewart (Calgary Herald)

To learn more:

Fever: The Dark Mystery of the Bre-X Gold Rush by Jennifer Wells

The Bre-X Fraud by Andrew Willis and Douglas Goold

“Bre-X – Of Course I Know Where Michael de Guzman Is” in CEO.com by Warren Irwin

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 2 - Life and Death in Asbestos, QC

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 10:00:00 GMT

Support us here: http://commonspodcast.com/

For a century, Canada was one of the world's leading exporters of asbestos, most of it mined from the small town of Asbestos, Quebec. But during that time, governments and corporations in Canada did everything they could to hide the fact that asbestos is deadly.

They went to extraordinary lengths — secret organ smuggling, corporate-supervised police torture — to keep the ugly truth from the world.

Today, there's no longer a town called Asbestos, QC. But more people than ever are dying from what was mined out of the ground there.

Featured in this episode: Heidi von Palleske, Jessica van Horssen, Tavia Grant (The Globe and Mail)

To learn more:

A Town Called Asbestos: Environmental Contamination, Health, and Resilience in a Resource Community by Jessica van Horssen

“No Safe Use: The Canadian Asbestos Epidemic” by Tavia Grant in The Globe and Mail

“Asbestos: Canada's Dirty Secret” by CBC's Fifth Estate

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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MINING 1 - The Myth of the Klondike

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 10:00:00 GMT

When gold was discovered in the Yukon, 100,000 people desperately tried to make it to a small patch of land in one of the most remote environments on the continent. Few made it all the way.

The Klondike Gold Rush was many things: a media conspiracy, a ponzi scheme, a land grab. But above all, it was a humanitarian disaster that stretched over much of the Pacific Northwest.

Featured in this episode: Brian Castner, Deb Vanasse

To learn more:

Stampede: Gold Fever and Disaster in the Klondike by Brian Castner

Wealth Woman: Kate Carmack and the Klondike Race for Gold by Deb Vanassse

Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush by Pierre Berton

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Rotman's Executive Leadership Online, Douglas and Dispatch Coffee.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Introducing our new season… Mining

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 10:21:00 GMT

Stories about the dirty business of Canadian mining.

First episode drops October 13, 2021.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 8 - The Last White Rajah

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 10:00:00 GMT

The destruction of Borneo's rainforests has been called the greatest environmental crime of our time. But journalists and NGOs have long alleged that one man, Abdul Taib Mahmud, has benefitted from that destruction to the tune of billions of dollars. If that's true, it's one of the worst acts of corruption in the modern era.

And for over a decade, those same campaigners have argued that Taib's empire isn't limited to Malaysia. They claim that its tendrils extend deep into Canada.

Featured in this episode: Mutang Urud, Clare Rewcastle Brown (The Sarawak Report)

To learn more:

Money Logging: On the Trail of the Malaysian Timber Mafia by Lukas Straumann

A Time to Swim by Ashley Duong

“Political interference may have helped scuttle investigation of Canadian corporation” by Timothy Wilson in Ricochet

“How Canada's Wealthy Couple Splash Sarawak's Cash” by The Sarawak Report

The Facts Matter

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee, Sandy and Nora

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 7 - The Ballad of Eddy Haymour

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 10:59:00 GMT

Eddy Haymour has been called a lot of things in his life. Immigrant success story. Kidnapper. Terrorist. Folk Hero.

But the long saga of Eddy Haymour is at its heart a story of obsession. About a man who became consumed by his dreams for a piece of land. And about a government equally determined to stop him at any cost.

Featured in this episode: Omar Mouallem, Greg Crompton

To learn more:

Eddy's Kingdom by Greg Crompton

“The Kingdom of Haymour” by Omar Mouallem in EDify Magazine

“Eddy Haymour and Rattlesnake Island” by CBC's Fifth Estate

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee, Sandy and Nora

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 6 - Canada’s Biggest Slumlord

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 10:32:00 GMT

The Toronto Community Housing Corporation is the biggest landlord in Canada, and the second biggest in all of North America.

But government after government has allowed social housing in Toronto to fall apart. It's not just the buildings that they've let rot. It's also our moral obligation to the most vulnerable in our society.

Featured in this episode: Joe Fiorito, John Sewell, Susan Gapka

To learn more:

“Al Gosling is now homeless at 82” by Joe Fiorito in The Toronto Star

“Ousting Sewell” by Jamie Bradburn in The Torontoist

“Tragic tale of local artist has happy coda” by Joe Fiorito in The Toronto Star

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee, Blue Jays Happy Hour

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 5 - Oka

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:59:00 GMT

The Oka Crisis was the biggest military confrontation on Canadian soil in more than a century. On its face, it was about a golf course expansion. But for the Mohawks who took up arms, it was the culmination of a centuries-long fight for recognition of their sovereignty and their land.

Featured in this episode: Thaioronióhte Dan David, Loreen Pindera, Geoffrey York (Globe and Mail)

To learn more:

People of the Pines: The Warriors and Legacy of Oka by Loreen Pindera and Geoffrey York

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance by Alanis Obomsawin

Rocks at Whiskey Trench by Alanis Obomsawin

“The Oka Crisis — looking forward after 30 years” by Thaioronióhte Dan David in CBC News

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee, Value(s) by Mark Carney and BankSwitch.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 4 - City of Glass

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 10:35:00 GMT

Real estate mania is at an all time high in this country. And in no place is this more true than in Vancouver. But nobody can even agree on what went wrong.

Have snooty property owners, overreaching bureaucrats, and gutless politicians allowed the housing supply to dwindle to nothing?

Or has a network of transnational criminals turned Vancouver into a narco-capital built on dirty money?

Featured in this episode: Frances Bula, Sam Cooper, Lindsey Murphy, Jesse Donaldson

To learn more:

“Vancouver's affordable housing announcements remain unfulfilled years later” by Frances Bula in The Globe and Mail

Wilful Blindness: How a Network of Narcos, Tycoons and CCP Agents Infiltrated the West by Sam Cooper

“Inside Vancouver City Hall's Housing Wars” by Doug Ward in The Tyee

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee and Value(s) by Mark Carney

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 3 - Terminal City

Wed, 26 May 2021 09:04:00 GMT

Vancouver is obsessed with real estate. But what most people don't realize, is that it's been this way from the beginning.

Three stories of the swindlers, segregationists and profiteers that made Terminal City what it is.

Featured in this episode: Jesse Donaldson, Jordan Stanger-Ross, Michael Abe, Stephen Learey

To learn more:

Land of Destiny: A History of Vancouver Real Estate by Jesse Donaldson

Landscapes of Injustice: A New Perspective on the Internment and Dispossession of Japanese Canadians edited by Jordan Stanger-Ross

“Expo 86 evictions: remembering the fair's dark side” by Rafferty Baker in CBC News

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee and Value(s) by Mark Carney

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 2 - The Last Man in Africville

Wed, 12 May 2021 10:00:00 GMT

Africville was one of Canada's oldest Black settlements, a proud community of more than 400 people. And then the City of Halifax decided to utterly obliterate it.

There was one man who simply refused to leave. Eddie Carvery may not have been the best man for the job. But for half a century, he has never stopped fighting for his home.

Featured in this episode: Eddie Carvery, Jon Tattrie

To learn more:

The Hermit of Africville: The Life of Eddie Carvery by Jon Tattrie

Remember Africville by Shelagh Mackenzie

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Images Festival and Dispatch Coffee

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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REAL ESTATE 1 - The Bridle Path

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:00:00 GMT

The Bridle Path is one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in Canada, home to the ultra-wealthy and the famous. But behind their locked gates, some of Canada's elite try to scheme their way into even greater wealth on the property market — not always legally. And their ambitions have a way of becoming problems for the rest of us.

Featured in this episode: Kozeta Izeti, Norma Walton

NOTE: The original version of this episode contained an additional story, which we will publish separately.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Introducing our new season… Real Estate!

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:01:00 GMT

Stories about Canada's real estate obsession.

The first episode drops on April 28, 2021.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 10 - Portapique

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 10:44:00 GMT

Almost a year after the worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history, Nova Scotians are still in the dark about what exactly happened. A gunman, dressed in an RCMP uniform, driving an RCMP cruiser killed 22 people.

In the months since, the Mounties have been short on answers. And it's left people wondering whether they have something to hide.

Featured in this episode: Stephen Maher, Paul Palango, Sandra McCulloch

To learn more:

“13 deadly hours” from The Fifth Estate by CBC News

“How the Nova Scotia shooting victims' families won a public inquiry into the tragedy,” by Stephen Maher in Maclean's

“The Nova Scotia shooter case has hallmarks of an undercover operation” by Paul Palango, Stephen Maher, Shannon Gormley in Maclean's

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Rotman, Cullen's Foods, and Hello Fresh.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 9 - Northern Patrol

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:37:00 GMT

For three decades, much of Northern Ontario has been engaged in an unprecedented experiment in policing. It's called the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service. And the idea is simple: the old, colonial cops shouldn't be policing Indigenous territory. Instead, Indigenous people should police themselves.

Featured in this episode: Kyle Edwards, Christian Leuprecht

To learn more:

“Inside the impossible work of Canada's biggest Indigenous police force” by Kyle Edwards in Maclean's

“Force 2.0: Fixing the Governance, Leadership, and Structure of the RCMP” by Christian Leuprecht

“Memories of a fire” by Mark Blackburn in APTN News

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee, Rotman, Cullen's Foods, and Manscaped.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 8 - The G20: Fortress Toronto

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 11:14:00 GMT

When John and Susan Pruyn came to Toronto, they were hoping to protest against the G20 and then spend some time with their daughter. Instead, they would be caught up in a whirlwind of police misconduct with few precedents in Canadian history.

Featured in this episode: Jesse Rosenfeld, John Pruyn, Susan Pruyn, Sarah Pruyn.

Jesse Rosenfeld is a Toronto born journalist who has covered the Middle East since 2007. Based in Ramallah, Tel Aviv, Gaza City, Cairo, Beirut, Istanbul, and Athens over the years, he has also reported from Iraq and the Balkans, contributing to The Nation Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Intercept, and Al Jazeera, among others. His work in the region is the basis of the National Film Board of Canada documentary Freelancer on the Front Lines.

To learn more:

“‘'I will not forget what they have done to me'” in The Toronto Star

You Should Have Stayed At Home by CBC's The Fifth Estate

“Rejecting G20's consensus of the few” by Jesse Rosenfeld in The Guardian

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 7 - The G20: Conspiracy

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 12:25:00 GMT

In the first of a two-part series on the G20, two mysterious strangers start volunteering with activist networks in southern Ontario. It's all part of one of the biggest undercover police operations in Canadian history.

To learn more:

“Unmasked: Searching for lessons in Toronto's 2010 G20 debacle” by Andrea Bennett in Maisonneuve

“How police infiltrated groups planning G20 protests” by Adrian Morrow and Kim Mackrael in The Globe and Mail

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 6 - Who Killed Myles Gray?

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 09:41:00 GMT

Myles Gray was an unarmed man who died after seven Vancouver police officers beat him mercilessly. Half a decade after he died, not only does his family not have justice, they don't even know the names of the people who killed him.

Featured in this episode: Bethany Lindsay (CBC Vancouver), Harsha Walia (B.C. Civil Liberties Association), Ronald MacDonald (Independent Investigations Office of B.C.)

To learn more:

“The day Myles Gray died” by Cassidy Olivier in The Vancouver Sun

“Vancouver police officers won't be charged over unarmed man's 2015 death” by Bethany Lindsay in CBC Vancouver

“No charges against officers in case of Myles Gray who died during encounter with Vancouver police” by Amy Judd and Sarah MacDonald in Global News

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 5 - Toronto’s Finest

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 08:04:00 GMT

A Toronto police officer shoots and kills two Black men and is accused of beating another, all within a five-year span. He's never found guilty of committing a crime. And he continues to rise through the ranks.

Featured in this episode: Bruce Livesey, Howard Morton, André Marin, Leora Shemesh

To learn more:

“Above The Law” by Bruce Livesey in BuzzFeed News

“Defence lawyer alleges Toronto officers diverted 7 kilos of meth into her client's car” by Betsy Powell in The Toronto Star

“Shank not guilty of manslaughter” in CBC News

Additional music from Audio Network

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THE POLICE 4 - Starlight Tours

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 10:55:00 GMT

Even as a teenager, Neil Stonechild was an inspiration to his friends. And then one day, he was found frozen to death outside of Saskatoon. He was last seen alive in the back of a police cruiser. Thirty years later, we know some of what happened to him. But we still don't have justice.

Featured in this episode: Jeffrey Crowe, Donald Worme, Susanne Reber

To learn more:

Report of the Commission of Inquiry Into Matters Relating to the Death of Neil Stonechild

Starlight Tour: The Last, Lonely Night of Neil Stonechild by Susanne Reber and Robert Renaud

Two Worlds Colliding by Tasha Hubbard

Officer 332 by Kaitlyn Van De Woestyne

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is sponsored by Dispatch Coffee, Audible, Missing From the Village and Canadian True Crime.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 3 - Dirty Tricks

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 14:16:00 GMT

A teenage boy and his friends start robbing banks in Toronto. A future Prime Minister is deported from Montreal. A Black Panther in Baltimore goes to prison for four decades. And the RCMP is split apart by the biggest scandal in the force's history.

At the heart of it all is one man. He calls himself the General.

Featured in this episode: Ricky Atkinson, David Austin, Robin Philpot, Lennox Farrell, Gary Cristall

To learn more:

The Life, Crimes and Hard Times of Ricky Atkinson, Leader of the Dirty Tricks Gang by Richard Atkinson with Joe Fiorito

Fear of a Black Nation: Race, Sex & Security in Sixties Montreal by David Austin

Ninth Floor by Mina Shum

Marshall Law: The Life & Times of a Baltimore Black Panther by Marshall “Eddie” Conway

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 2 - The Secret History of the RCMP

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 09:54:00 GMT

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The RCMP is one of the most famous police forces in the world — the red serge and stetson hat are practically synonymous with Canada. But that image obscures the profound power the Mounties have held throughout Canadian history. And the dark legacy of ethnic cleansing and genocide at their core.

Featured in this episode: Jean Teillet, Sean Carleton, Steve Hewitt

To learn more:

The North-West Is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel's People, the Métis Nation by Jean Teillet

Clearing the Plains by James Daschuk

Riding to the Rescue: The Transformation of the RCMP in Alberta and Saskatchewan by Steve Hewitt

Additional music from Audio Network

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We Need Your Support

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Canada is a big, interesting, and complicated place and COMMONS is committed to bringing you thoughtfully crafted and illuminating stories that will challenge everything you think you know about this country.

This past year, we have brought you stories from all across the country. We told your stories about some of Canada's most powerful families. We launched an emergency season to cover the COVID-19 crisis in long-term care. And right now, we're taking a hard look at how the police operate in this country.

We want to keep doing this work. So this week we're reflecting on the year behind us and talking about our goals for the future. Please consider supporting the work that we do.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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THE POLICE 1 - Julian Fantino

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 08:58:00 GMT

Julian Fantino may be the most famous cop in Canadian history. He was the chief of four different police forces. And for decades, he was one of the most influential voices in law enforcement. But during his rise, people critical of the police had a way of finding themselves in the crosshairs. They were smeared, surveilled, intimidated and arrested.

The police are a singularly powerful institution in this country. How far are the cops willing to go to keep it that way?

Featured in this episode: Lennox Farrell, Jerry Amernic, Susan Eng, Derek Finkle

To learn more:

“Toronto Police Farce” by Derek Finkle in Eye Weekly

Dudley Speaks for Me by Ngardy Conteh George

Hogtown: The Politics of Policing by Min Sook Lee

The Trials of London by Max Allen in CBC Ideas

Duty: The Life of a Cop by Julian Fantino and Jerry Amernic

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Introducing our new season...

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 11:00:00 GMT

Stories about the power that police wield in Canada, and about the lengths they're willing to go to hold on to it. First episode drops Wednesday, October 14.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 12 - The Most Dangerous Story

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:03:00 GMT

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In the final episode in our series about the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis in long-term care, we’re going to tell you a different kind of story. A story of hope. About how the people we treat as disposable, can have lives of joy and dignity. And about one place where they were given exactly that.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Moira Welsh (Toronto Star), Mary Connell

To learn more:

“The Fix” by Moira Welsh in The Toronto Star

“To Fix Long-Term Care, Homes Must See Residents As People, Not Patients” by Sherina Harris in HuffPost

“We Must Do More To Protect People With Dementia” by André Picard in The Globe and Mail

Additional music from Audio Network

“I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 11 - It Didn’t Have To Be Like This

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 08:13:00 GMT

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Four months after the first outbreak in a Canadian nursing home, over 7000 long-term residents have died of COVID-19. But if you look at the news or social media or our political debates, it seems like we’ve already moved on. Maybe that’s because it feels like this kind of tragedy was inevitable during a pandemic. It wasn’t. And we know that because in some places in Canada, politicians and public health officials made decisions that saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Samir Sinha, Isobel Mackenzie, Michael Schwandt, Kieran Moore

To learn more:

“If you can get your relatives out of seniors’ homes, try to do so as fast as you can” by André Picard in The Globe and Mail

“With an early focus on seniors’ residences, Kingston has so far avoided the brunt of COVID-19” by Karen Howlett in The Globe and Mail

Luck and timing: How B.C. has managed to avoid the worst-case COVID-19 scenario by Briar Stewart in CBC News

This episode is sponsored by Rotman’s MBA Essentials Online

“Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod, adapted.

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 10 - Burn It Down

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 09:09:00 GMT

Support us at commonspodcast.com

Jonathan Marchand is one of the thousands of young disabled people living in long-term care. But Marchand doesn’t want to fix the system. He doesn’t think it can be reformed. Marchand is an abolitionist. For a century and a half, Canada has hidden away disabled people in institutions where they were neglected and abused. Is long-term care just the latest incarnation of this dark history?

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Jonathan Marchand, Sharon J. Riley (The Walrus), Kenneth Jackson (APTN News), Madeline Burghardt, Dustin Galer

To learn more:

“When Is a Senior No Longer Capable of Making Their Own Decisions?” by Sharon J. Riley in The Walrus

“‘Sitting duck’: Disabled woman, 27, lives in Toronto seniors home with COVID-19 outbreak” by Kenneth Jackson in APTN News

Working Towards Equity: Disability Rights Activism and Employment in Late Twentieth-Century by Dustin Galer

Broken: Institutions, Families, and the Construction of Intellectual Disability by Madeline Burghardt

Hope Is Not a Plan

This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 9 - Mend the World

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:52:00 GMT

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After a stroke left him locked in his own body, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana has found ways to lead an incredibly full life. Then the pandemic came. It swept through Quebec, leaving a trail of devastation. Today, Rabbi Cahana is one of the thousands of Quebeckers left stranded in the middle of one of the worst disasters in modern Canadian history.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Aaron Derfel (Montreal Gazette), Tamara Sussman, Kitra Cahana, Ronnie Cahana

To learn more:

“Once a retirement plum for Quebec elders, nursing homes are now symbols of neglect” by Les Perreaux in The Globe and Mail

“The incredible stupidity of not putting Dr. Joanne Liu in charge of Quebec’s response to the coronavirus” by André Noël in Ricochet

“How Montreal's CHSLDs mirrored the Diamond Princess outbreak” by Aaron Derfel in the Montreal Gazette

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar

Additional music from Audio Network

“I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 8 - Hunger Strike

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 06:34:00 GMT

Support us at commonspodcast.com

Innis Ingram’s mother is his hero. But today, she’s living in one of the worst hit long-term care homes in Ontario. She has a terminal illness. Dozens and dozens of people around her have died, including her friend and roommate. And she’s had minimal human contact for three months. But even though he can’t be there with her, Innis is determined to get her the care she needs.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Innis Ingram, Nathan Stall

To learn more:

“Ontario LTC whistle-blower saw many incidents of verbal abuse and forced feeding” by Jill Mahoney and Karen Howlett” in The Globe and Mail

“It’s time to let families visit long-term care homes” by André Picard in The Globe and Mail

“Some Ontario doctors, families worry rules for care home visits causing harm to residents” in CBC News

This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks

Additional music from Audio Network

“Western Shores” by Philipp Weigl, adapted

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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BONUS: The Honest Fakery of Wrestling

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Support us at commonspodcast.com

We take a break from our PANDEMIC season with an extended interview with Damian Abraham, a guest from our episode about Canada's wrestling dynasty, The Harts. Damian explains the art of juggling the real and the fake, wrestling's dying language and how Canadians helped build World Wrestling Entertainment.

Damian Abraham is the host of Turned Out A Punk Podcast, the creator and host of The Wrestlers, and a member of Toronto hardcore band, Fucked Up.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 7 - The Frontline

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 07:15:00 GMT

Support us at commonspodcast.com

Long-term care workers are in the vanguard in the war against COVID-19. They’re not the kinds of workers who get movies or TV shows made about them. In fact, their stories are rarely told. But not only are they battling heroically against this pandemic. They’re fighting for recognition and respect within a system built to marginalize them.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Joadel Concepcion, Joanna Bulatao, Lisa Burke, Naomi Lightman, Zaid Noorsumar

To learn more:

“‘We are dropping like flies,’ says Ontario home care nurse” by Zaid Noorsumar in Rank and File

“Fear and exhaustion: Working as a PSW in long-term care during the coronavirus” by Alanna Mitchell in Maclean’s

“Comparing Care Regimes: Worker Characteristics and Wage Penalties in the Global Care Chain” by Naomi Lightman in Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society

This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 6 - Northwood

Wed, 27 May 2020 07:59:00 GMT

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Over the last two months, Nova Scotians have endured tragedy upon tragedy. The worst mass murder in modern Canadian history. A helicopter crash and the death of a Snowbirds’ pilot. And all the while, COVID-19 ravaged the biggest long-term care home in Atlantic Canada.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Jennifer Henderson (Halifax Examiner), Janice Keefe

To learn more:

“Nova Scotia's lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic” by Taryn Grant, Cassidy Chisholm, Elizabeth Chiu and Alex Cooke in CBC Nova Scotia

“The Northwood board has been expressing “grave concern” about double occupancy rooms for years” by Jennifer Henderson in the Halifax Examiner

“Strang, union clash over COVID-19 concerns at Northwood” by John McPhee in The Chronicle Herald

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar

Additional music from Audio Network

“I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 5 - Shirley and Tracy

Wed, 20 May 2020 09:59:00 GMT

Here's where you can support us: commonspodcast.com

Tracy Rowley lost her surrogate mother to COVID-19 in a long-term care facility. But she’s determined that Shirley Egerdeen doesn’t become just another statistic. Tracy’s suing the company that runs the home. But one of the strangest things in this story is exactly who owns them.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Tracy Rowley, Sherina Harris (HuffPost Canada), Emma Paling (HuffPost Canada), Zaid Noorsumar To learn more:

“COVID-19 Has Killed 164 At Revera's Care Homes. Their Families Want Answers” by Emma Paling and Sherina Harris in HuffPost Canada “Is it Time to Care Yet?” by Zaid Noorsumar in Rank and File

“It is time to forget the profits and fix long-term care” by Geoffrey Stevens in The Waterloo Region Record

This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks and The Jerry Cans

Additional music from Audio Network

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 4 - Ontario Reaps its Dividends

Wed, 13 May 2020 07:30:00 GMT

Over 1700 Ontarians have already been killed by COVID-19. And the vast majority of them died in long-term care. But if you live in a private, for-profit home, you’re much more likely to die from this virus. The for-profit long-term care industry is politically powerful and deeply entrenched. Is this their moment of reckoning?

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Sharleen Stewart (SEIU Healthcare), Natalie Mehra (Ontario Health Coalition)

To learn more:

“Party of Profits: Ontario Tories and the profit motive in long-term care” by Zaid Noorsumar in Rank and File

“For-profit nursing homes have four times as many COVID-19 deaths as city-run homes, Star analysis finds” by Marco Chown Oved, Brendan Kennedy, Kenyon Wallace, Ed Tubb and Andrew Bailey in The Toronto Star

“40 Ontario nursing homes with the highest rates of reported abuse” by Valérie Ouellet, Dexter Brown in CBC Marketplace

This episode is sponsored by WealthBar

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

Additional music:

“Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 3 - McKenzie Towne

Wed, 06 May 2020 06:37:00 GMT

The McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre has experienced the deadliest COVID-19 outbreak in Alberta. But some people say that their loved ones were killed by neglect at McKenzie Towne long before the pandemic even began.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Breanne Sinclair, Shauna Parks

To learn more:

“'I'm numb': families beg for help as care home outbreak spreads” by Timm Bruch in CTV News Calgary

“Grieving granddaughter exposes history of McKenzie Towne continuing care home by Jill Croteau in Global News

“Nurses allege lack of cleaning and isolation contributed to deadly COVID-19 outbreak at Calgary care home” by Jennifer Lee in CBC News

This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

Additional music:

“Unanswered Questions” and “Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod and “I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 2 - When the Plague Came

Sat, 02 May 2020 06:28:00 GMT

Why did Commons drop everything and focus in on long-term care? Because the vast majority of deaths are happening in those homes. Because we should have known that was going to be the case, but we let it happen anyways. And because the level of suffering, isolation and trauma happening in long-term care today is almost too much for us to face up to.

Featured in this episode: Nathan Stall, Jane Meadus

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

Additional music:

“November”, “modum”, “Sunset”, and “Seeker” by Kai Engel, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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PANDEMIC 1 - 33 Dead in Dorval

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 06:09:00 GMT

They were found abandoned in the facility. The conditions were described as “akin to a concentration camp.” Within two weeks, over thirty of them would be dead. The story of the Résidence Herron in Dorval, Quebec is a national shame — and a preview of the carnage still to come.

COMMONS: Pandemic is currently focusing on how COVID-19 is affecting long-term care in Canada.

Featured in this episode: Aaron Derfel (Montreal Gazette)

To learn more:

Public health, police find bodies, feces at Dorval seniors’ residence: sources in the Montreal Gazette by Aaron Derfel

Records reveal chaos in the days before staff abandoned the Herron in the Montreal Gazette by Aaron Derfel

Alleged neglect of seniors at residence in Dorval in CityNews Montreal by Alyssia Rubertucci

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar

Additional music:

“Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod and “Seeker” by Kai Engel, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An emergency season: PANDEMIC

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 04:51:00 GMT

COVID-19 has upended everything, and forced us to change plans. From here on out, COMMONS will be bringing you stories about the people and institutions most impacted by the pandemic. And first up is long-term care. If you or someone you know have any stories about Canada’s long-term care system, get in touch with us at arshy@canadalandshow.com.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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RADICALS 3 - The Last Pandemic

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:10:00 GMT

It began as a mysterious disease from a far off place. It turned into the deadliest plague humanity has faced since the Black Death. AIDS has ravaged and reshaped us in so many ways. But in Canada, the battle against AIDS wasn’t just a fight against a virus. It was a fight against a system that didn’t care if some people lived or died.

Featured in this episode: Gary Kinsman, Darien Taylor, John Kozachenko

To learn more:

Queer Progress: From Homophobia to Homonationalism by Tim McCaskell

AIDS Activist: Michael Lynch and the Politics of Community by Ann Silversides

Never Going Back: A History of Queer Activism in Canada by Tom Warner

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar, Freshbooks & Images Festival

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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RADICALS 2 - They Buried Her Heart at Wounded Knee

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:42:00 GMT

There have been books and songs and plays written about Anna Mae Aquash. But she was no folk hero — she was flesh and blood. A young Mi'kmaq woman who took up arms against the United States government, Anna Mae was a revolutionary. But when she was found murdered in the South Dakotan countryside, it tore her movement apart. It took thirty years to find out who pulled the trigger. But that’s not the same thing as knowing who’s responsible for her murder.

Featured in this episode: Kevin McKiernan, Steve Hendricks

To learn more:

From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock: A Reporter's Journey by Kevin McKiernan

The Unquiet Grave: The FBI and the Struggle for the Soul of Indian Country by Steve Hendricks

The Spirit of Annie Mae by Catherine Anne Martin

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar, Freshbooks & Images Festival

Additional music:

“Unanswered Questions” and “Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod, “I Am A Man Who Will Fight For Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, and “The Wrong Way” by Jahzzar adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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RADICALS 1 - Nazi Island in the Sun

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 11:23:00 GMT

It’s one of the most audacious plots in North American history. Turn a Caribbean island nation into a criminal state — then use the money to fund Neo-Nazis and Klansmen across Canada, the US and Europe. The scariest part? They almost pulled it off.

Featured in this episode: Stewart Bell (Global News)

To learn more:

Bayou of Pigs: The True Story of an Audacious Plot to Turn a Tropical Island into a Criminal Paradise by Stewart Bell

Cups Up: How I Organized a Klavern, Plotted a Coup, Survived Prison, Graduated College, Fought Polluters, and Started a Business by George Malvaney

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar and Audible.

Additional music:

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Our new season: RADICALS

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Our new season is about the people on the extremes. The activists, the terrorists, and the revolutionaries who took things right to the edge for what they believe in... for good or for ill.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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Introducing: Cool Mules

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 04:50:00 GMT

A new investigative series about the cocaine smuggling ring inside Vice Media.

To hear episode 2 right now, subscribe to Cool Mules. Or get all six episodes ad-free for $5/month by clicking here.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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DYNASTIES 9 - The Harts

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 12:22:00 GMT

The Harts are Canada’s first family of professional wrestling and one of the most famous dynasties the country has ever produced. And sure, wrestling is scripted. But what happens when reality begins to invade that fiction? The story of the Harts is one of triumph and tragedy that transcends the world of pro wrestling.

Featured in this episode: Damian Abraham, Omar Mouallem

To learn more:

Wrestling With Shadows by Paul Jay

The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling by David Shoemaker

“The Rise and Fall of Wrestling’s Weed-Dealing, Cat-Breeding Phenom” in Rolling Stone by Omar Mouallem

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar and Audible.

Additional music:

“Unanswered Questions” by Kevin Macleod and “Cylinder Five” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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DYNASTIES 8 - The Regans

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 11:50:00 GMT

Gerald Regan was the premier of Nova Scotia, the founder of a powerful political dynasty, and one of the most prolific sexual predators in Canadian political history. Even after his death last November, few in the establishment are willing to recognize, let alone reckon with, his crimes.

This episode contains graphic depictions of sexual violence and won’t be suitable for all listeners.

Featured in this episode: Stephen Kimber, Maggie Rahr

To learn more:

Aphrodisiac: Sex, Politics, Power and Gerald Regan by Stephen Kimber

“Uncomfortable silence at Province House” in The Coast by Maggie Rahr

“The complicated narrative of Gerald Regan” in The Chronicle Herald by Andrea Gunn

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar and Audible.

Additional music:

“Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod, “Cylinder Five” by Chris Zabriskie, and “Easy Life” by Lee Rosevere, adapted.

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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DYNASTIES 7 - The Olands

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 11:38:00 GMT

For 150 years, the Olands have been one of Canada’s most prominent brewing dynasties, the makers of Moosehead Beer. But in the last decade, they’ve made the news for much darker reasons. Richard Oland was murdered in 2011. And police and prosecutors believe that he was killed by his only son.

Featured in this episode: Greg Marquis

To learn more:

Truth & Honour: The Oland Family Murder Case that Shocked Canada by Greg Marquis

Shadow of Doubt: The Trials of Dennis Oland by Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon

“Murder and a Maritime dynasty: The Dick Oland case” in Maclean’s by Nicholas Köhler and Tamsin McMahon.

This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

This episode is sponsored by Wealthbar and Audible.

Additional music:

“Clean Soul” by Kevin Macleod, “Cylinder Five” by Chris Zabriskie, and “Running Water” by Jason Shaw, adapted.

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DYNASTIES 6 - The Desmarais

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 11:38:00 GMT

The Desmarais family is by far the most influential Canadian dynasty of the last half-century. But if you don’t live in Quebec, chances are you haven’t even heard of them. Paul Desmarais had Prime Ministers and Premiers in his pocket and billions of dollars at his disposal. He wasn’t just a Laurentian elite; he was the Laurentian emperor.

Featured in this episode:

Robin Philpot (Derrière l'État Desmarais: Power)

To learn more:

Derrière l'État Desmarais: Power by Robin Philpot

Rising to Power: Paul Desmarais and Power Corporation by Dave Greber

“Chrétien and Bouchard, sitting in a (very expensive) tree” by Martin Patriquin in Macleans’

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks, Leesa and Wealthbar.

Additional music:

“Lee Rosevere” by A List of Ways to Die, adapted.

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DYNASTIES 5 - The Sahotas

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 08:53:00 GMT

The Sahotas are Vancouver’s most notorious slumlords. For decades they’ve let their buildings rot, leaving their tenants to live in filth and desolation. But the Sahotas are not like any other dynasty you’ve ever heard of. Their story is far stranger, and far darker, than anything you can imagine.

Featured in this episode: Jen St. Denis, Christopher Cheung (The Tyee), Sam Dharmapala

To learn more:

“For low-income residents in Vancouver, a different kind of real estate crisis” by Wendy Stueck and Mike Hager in The Globe and Mail

“'Out-of-control' SROs: Everyone wants to help, but no one seems to have the tools” by Denise Ryan in The Vancouver Sun

“Room 821” by Crackdown

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks, Audible and Wealthbar.

Additional music:

“I Am A Man Who Will Fight For You Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

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DYNASTIES 4 - The Rizzutos

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:43:00 GMT

The Rizzutos are Canada’s first family of crime. For decades, they dominated Montreal’s underworld with an iron fist. With the help of corrupt politicians and police officers, the Rizzutos built one of the most fearsome and lucrative criminal enterprises this country has ever seen. Their reign was long and bloody. But their fall, was even more gruesome.

Featured in this episode: Peter Edwards (Toronto Star), Pietro Poletti

To learn more:

Business or Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto's Last War by Peter Edwards and Antonio Nicaso

The Sixth Family: The Collapse of the New York Mafia and the Rise of Vito Rizzuto by Lee Lamothe and Adrian Humphreys

“Death of the Don” by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks, Leesa and HelloFresh.

Additional music:

“Cylinder Five” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

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COMMONS Needs Your Help

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 05:10:00 GMT

We make a complex scripted podcast that’s unlike anything else available in this country and cover stories from all across the nation. We want to keep doing this work, but we need your support.

This week we’re going to tell you a little bit about the work that goes into making this show and about what’s next for Canadaland. Click here to see we’re hoping to do with your support.

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DYNASTIES 3 - The Fords

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 23:57:00 GMT

They call themselves the Canadian Kennedys. And they’re one of the most famous political dynasties to ever exist in this country. But the rise of the Ford family has been marred by violence and self-destruction at almost every turn. The story of the Fords is tragic — for them, for everyone who falls into their orbit, and for the people of Toronto.

Featured in this episode: Jonathan Goldsbie (Canadaland).

CORRECTION [Nov. 18, 2019]: We state in this episode that Rob Ford died in 2014. He died in March of 2016. We regret the error.

To learn more:

Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story by Robyn Doolittle

The Only Average Guy: Inside the Uncommon World of Rob Ford by John Filion

“The Rob Ford Story” by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks and Audible.

Additional music:

“Unanswered Questions” by Kevin Macleod, adapted.

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DYNASTIES 2 - The Irvings

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 08:12:00 GMT

Featured in this episode: Bruce Livesey (Thieves of Bay Street).

To learn more:

“Are the Irvings Canada's biggest corporate welfare bums?” by Bruce Livesey in National Observer

Irving vs. Irving: Canada's Feuding Billionaires and the Stories They Won't Tell by Jacques Poitras

“Irving family's fortunate son explains how he fell into a dark depression, and rose again” by Erin Anderssen” in The Globe and Mail

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks and Leesa.

Additional music:

“A List of Ways to Die” by Lee Rosevere, “Easy Life” by Lee Rosevere, and “Androids Always Escape” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.

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DYNASTIES 1 - The Stronachs

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:21:00 GMT

Canada is a country ruled by dynasties — political, commercial and criminal. In the first episode of our new series, we bring you the story of an eccentric, billionaire patriarch; his famous, charismatic daughter; a fire-breathing monument the size of the Statue of Liberty; and the battle over one of Canada’s great business empires.

Featured in this episode: Robert Fife (Globe and Mail).

To learn more:

“The $500 Million Family Feud” by Leah McLaren in Toronto Life

“A Stronach Family Feud: How things fell apart between the patriarch and his heir apparent” by Barbara Shecter and Geoff Zochodne in the Financial Post

“‘They stole the company’: Frank Stronach accuses daughter Belinda of betrayal” by Robert Fife in The Globe and Mail

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This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks and Audible.

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Our new season: DYNASTIES

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Stories about the rich and powerful families who run Canada.

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CRUDE 10 - The Apocalypse is Now

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 07:57:00 GMT

Canoe-borne bandits strike an underwater town. A new generation of wealthy lobstermen is minted. An island disappears. And hellfire engulfs a highway jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive. Just another normal day amidst Canada’s climate catastrophe.

Featured in this episode: Catherine Griwkowsky (Alberta Today), Brendan Kennedy (Toronto Star), Keith Stewart (Greenpeace), Markus Harvey.

To learn more:

“There will be floods” by Brendan Kennedy in the Toronto Star

“Big Oil braced for global warming while it fought regulations” by Amy Lieberman and Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times

“When climate change hits home” by Nick Purdon in CBC News

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CRUDE 9 - Tar Teck: The Final Frontier

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 06:04:00 GMT

Teck Resources just got approval to build the largest tar sands operation ever. The Frontier mine would have serious and permanent consequences for the local environment, Indigenous peoples and the global climate. So why haven’t you ever heard about it?

Featured in this episode: Nikki Way (Pembina Institute), Kecia Kerr (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society), Cleo Reece (Keepers of the Athabasca), Violet Cheecham Clark.

To learn more:

“10 things you need to know about the massive new oilsands mine that just got a green light” by Sharon J. Riley in The Narwhal

“Teck's Frontier oilsands project heads to McKenna for review” by Alastair Sharp in National Observer

“UN says Canada isn’t doing enough to save Wood Buffalo National Park” by Judith Lavoie in The Narwhal

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CRUDE 8 - Spies, Lies and Private Eyes

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 06:54:00 GMT

Ever get the feeling someone is watching you? If you’ve been to an environmental protest recently, you might be right. Private intelligence firms, the RCMP and even Canada’s spies have all been caught collecting information on everyday Canadians speaking out against the oil industry.

Featured in this episode: Ron Tremblay (Wolostoq Grand Council), Mike De Souza (National Observer), Meghan McDermott (BC Civil Liberties Association)

To learn more:

“Spies in our midst: RCMP and CSIS snoop on green activists” by Bruce Livesey in National Observer

“The Private Intelligence Firm Keeping Tabs on Environmentalists” by Adam Federman in Mother Jones

“Kinder Morgan privately eyes Trans Mountain opponents” by Alastair Sharp & Dylan Waisman in National Observer

“The feds paid private eye to hunt for a journalist's sources” by Mike De Souza in National Observer

Additional music:

“A List of Ways to Die” by Lee Rosevere, adapted.

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Introducing Wag The Doug

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 03:01:00 GMT

In the past few weeks, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was loudly booed at the Raptors' victory parade, demoted a bunch of star members of his Cabinet amid sagging poll numbers and lost his Chief of Staff, who got caught up in a nepotism scandal.

Are we witnessing the downfall of a government, or is this just another month in Ontario?

If you like Wag the Doug, subscribe to hear more!

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CRUDE 7 - The Billionaire Plot to Destroy Alberta’s Economy is Totally Real!

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 07:13:00 GMT

Has Canada been a casualty of a nefarious campaign by foreign-funded radicals to landlock our country’s energy resources? Is Big Oil the victim of a vast international conspiracy? Naaaah. But there is, as always, another conspiracy afoot.

Featured in this episode: Markham Hislop (Energi Media)

Here's what Vivian Krause has said in response to Markham Hislop's piece.

To learn more:

“Debunked: Vivian Krause’s Tar Sands Campaign conspiracy narrative” by Markham Hislop in Energi Media.

“Alberta Premier Singled Out Environmentalist. Death Threats Followed” by Samantha Beattie in HuffPost

“Conservative politicians, oil executives map out strategy for ousting federal Liberals in growing collaboration” by Jeff Lewis & Shawn McCarthy in The Globe and Mail

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CRUDE 6 - The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 06:30:00 GMT

An unspeakable tragedy occurs off the coast of Newfoundland. But this isn’t just a story about a nautical disaster. It’s about what happens when a poor province finds immense riches just within reach. And how the promise of oil wealth can twist history around itself.

Featured in this episode: Susan Dodd, Danny O’Brien, Sean Cadigan

ADDITIONAL MUSIC CREDITS: "Seeker" and "Scenery" by Kai Engel, adapted

To learn more:

The Ocean Ranger: Remaking the Promise of Oil by Susan Dodd

Rig: An Oral History of the Ocean Ranger Disaster by Mike Heffernan

“The Ranger Disaster” by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

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CRUDE 5 - A Town, Annihilated

Tue, 28 May 2019 07:03:00 GMT

The Lac-Mégantic rail disaster was a calamity like we’ve never seen before. The families of the victims never got justice. But the conditions that made it possible have barely changed. And the next time could be far worse.

Featured in this episode: Bruce Campbell, Dylan Robertson (Winnipeg Free Press)

To learn more:

The Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster: Public Betrayal, Justice Denied by Bruce Campbell.

“Alberta Crisis, Winnipeg Danger” by Dylan Robertson in the Winnipeg Free Press

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CRUDE 4 - Orphan Wells: Citizen Con

Tue, 14 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

What happens when the oil wells run dry? Environmental damage, government bailouts and a scheme that some are comparing to the subprime mortgage crisis. And all of this is just the beginning.

Featured in this episode: Sharon J. Riley (The Narwhal), Jeff Lewis (Globe and Mail), Alana Bartol (Orphan Well Adoption Agency), Herman, Shirley and Mark Dorin.

To learn more:

Hustle in the oil patch: Inside a looming financial and environmental crisis by Jeff Lewis, Jeffrey Jones, Chen Wang, Renata D’Aliesio in the Globe and Mail.

The story of Alberta’s $100-billion well liability problem. How did we get here? By Sharon J. Riley in The Narwhal

‘Forgotten and ignored’ An Alberta couple fights a leaky oil well by Alannah Page in National Observer.

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CRUDE 3 - Let the Bastards Freeze in the Dark

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 06:28:00 GMT

The Alberta oil sands. It’s a cold patch of land (which we once almost nuked into oblivion) that’s become Canada’s economic engine. Governments have fought over it for decades. And now it’s one of the most controversial places on the planet. Will it finally tear our politics apart?

Featured in this episode: Mary Janigan, Chris Turner

To learn more:

Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark by Mary Janigan

The Patch: The People, Pipelines, and Politics of the Oil Sands by Chris Turner

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CRUDE 2 - Bombs, Blood & the Battle of Trickle Creek

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 06:41:00 GMT

A family poisoned in their homes. Bombs going off in the night. Shots fired and inside jobs. The story of Wiebo Ludwig is There Will Be Blood come to life. So was he a man of faith facing down the full might of Big Oil? Or a terrorist with blood on his hands?

Featured in this episode: David York (Wiebo’s War), Levi Ludwig

To learn more:

Saboteurs: Wiebo Ludwig’s War Against Big Oil by Andrew Nikiforuk

Wiebo’s War by David York

“Adventures in Wieboland” by Brian Bergman in Maclean’s.

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CRUDE 1 - Smell This Town

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:49:00 GMT

If you don’t understand oil, you can’t understand Canada. We take you to a place unlike anywhere else in the world, where the booms and busts all began. And find out why just a short distance away, children grow up afraid of the very air they breathe.

Featured in this episode: Pat McGee and Charlie Fairbank (Fairbank Oil Properties), Vanessa Gray.

To learn more:

“Time stands still in oil industry's birthplace” in the Toronto Star by Murray White.

“Canada’s Toxic Secret: A troubling trend of leaks and spills in the Sarnia area” in Global News

“The Chemical Valley” In VICE by Patrick McGuire

CLARIFICATION: In the episode, we credit the Price of Oil series to the the Toronto Star, National Observer and Global News. The collaborative investigation also involved Concordia University, Ryerson University School of Journalism, the University of Regina, UBC, The Corporate Mapping Project and the Michener Awards Foundation.

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Introducing Our New Season: CRUDE

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:11:00 GMT

Last season Commons covered corruption in Canada. This time around we're talking about Canada's relationship with the oil industry. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the weird.

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CORRUPTION 10 - The Canadian Company Accused of Using Slaves Today

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 05:15:00 GMT

Canadian companies have committed all kinds of wrongdoing abroad. But this is on a different level. One Vancouver-based company has been accused by the United Nations and Human Rights Watch of using slaves to build a mine with one of the world’s most oppressive governments.

Featured in this episode: Geoffrey York (The Globe and Mail) & Aaron Berhane (Mefti)

To learn more:

“Canadian miner Nevsun Resources has a tangled relationship with one of the world’s most repressive regimes” in The Globe and Mail by Geoffrey York

“We were forced to work at Western-run mine, say migrants who fled Eritrea” in Reuters by Allison Martell and Edmund Blair

“What did Canadian mining executives know about possible human rights violations in Eritrea?” in The Fifth Estate (CBC) by Scott Anderson “The Slaves of Eritrea” in Canadian Business by Matthew McClearn

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CORRUPTION 9 - Victoria's Secrets

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 06:14:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of dollars in suits, luggage, magazines and mustard. An epic booze heist from the legislature. An undercover legislator exposing corruption. And a wood-splitter that’s transfixed a province.

Just another day in the wild world of B.C. politics.

Featured in this episode: Andrew MacLeod (The Tyee)

To learn more:

“Speaker Report Alleges ‘Flagrant’ Misspending by Two Senior Legislative Officials,” in The Tyee by Andrew MacLeod

“Whistleblower alleges legislature expense issues beyond clerk and sergeant-at-arms,” in Global News by Richard Zussman.

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CORRUPTION 8 - Hockey's Hall of Shame

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 10:19:00 GMT

Canada is hockey crazy. But at the heart of the sport is a system of unpaid labour that scars some boys for life. And the teams and leagues are doing whatever it takes to make sure things stay exactly the way they are.

Featured in this episode: Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)

To learn more:

“Hockey’s Puppy Mill” in The Walrus by Nicholas Hune-Brown

“How a Dad with NHL Dreams Bankrolled a Hockey Empire” in The Toronto Star by Robert Cribb

“Why Junior Hockey’s Financial Statement Should be Taken with a Mountain’s Worth of Salt” in The Hockey News by Ken Campbell

“Hockey Parent Confidential: An Oral History of Sex, Bribes and Goalie Moms” in The National Post by Joe O’Connor

“Lawyers Follow the Money as Court Releases CHL Team Financials” in TSN by Rick Westhead

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CORRUPTION 7 - The Only Canadian Imprisoned for Insider Trading

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 14:41:00 GMT

One of Canada's most notorious white-collar criminals speaks about his crimes.

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CORRUPTION 6 - Charlottetown's Web

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 09:25:00 GMT

It might be small, but it when it comes to graft, Prince Edward Island plays in the big leagues: a secret off-the-books committee, conflicts of interest run amok, public records mysteriously destroyed, a provincial government doing an end-run on the Criminal Code.

An inside look at PEI’s long, strange attempt to become Canada’s online gambling hub.

Featured in this episode: Robyn Doolittle (The Globe and Mail), Stu Neatby (The Guardian), Paul Maines.

To learn more:

“Small island, big bet: How PEI lost its online gambling gamble” in The Globe and Mail by Robyn Doolittle and Jane Taber

“How Prince Edward Island almost made millions from Internet gambling” in The Guardian by Teresa Wright

“Island businessman denies knowing he was sole director of e-gaming shell company” in The Guardian by Stuart Neatby.

CORRECTION: PEI has two Green Party MLAs, not one, as stated in this episode.

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CORRUPTION 5 - The King of Cabbagetown

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 08:37:00 GMT

For twenty years, he's controlled public institutions from behind the scenes. He brags about his connections to organized crime. And he's connected to some of the most powerful people in Canada. So who is the King of Cabbagetown? This follows up on the last episode, "Papa Pump and the Small Town Shakedown."

To learn more: "Connected" in The Globe and Mail by Greg McArthur, Karen Howlett and Adrian Morrow. "A ‘Big Fish’ Seeks a Seat at the Toronto District School Board" in The Globe and Mail by Karen Howlett, Caroline Alphonso and Greg McArthur. "Inside the Nasty, Bizarro, Contemptible, Gobsmackingly Screwed-up Soap Opera that is the TDSB" in Toronto Life by Philip Preville "The Green Mobster: Rizzuto Family Secretly Owned Firm that Won Municipal Contracts" in The National Post by Adrian Humphreys

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CORRUPTION 4 - Papa Pump and the Small Town Shakedown

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 04:53:00 GMT

In the eleven years that Marolyn Morrison was the mayor of Caledon, Ontario, she faced down deep-pocketed developers, mafia enforcers and corrupt federal officials. When millions of dollars are at stake, things get heated.

To learn more:

"Battleground Caledon" in Toronto Life by Kelly Pullen

"Connected" in The Globe and Mail by Greg McArthur, Karen Howlett and Adrian Morrow

"Corrupt tax auditor gets three years" in The Toronto Star by Marco Chown Oved

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CORRUPTION 3 - The Trouble with Paradise: How Canadians Built the Offshore World

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 04:44:00 GMT

The Panama Papers revealed to the world just how deeply enmeshed tax havens are in the global economy. And for 100 years, Canadian banks, businessmen and politicians have worked to build that offshore system, alongside crooks, fraudsters and corrupt officials.

To learn more:

Treasure Islands: Uncovering the Damage of Offshore Banking and Tax Havens by Nicholas Shaxson

Canada: A New Tax Haven: How the Country That Shaped Caribbean Tax Havens is Becoming One Itself by Alain Deneault

The Billionaire and the Bank (Global News 16x9)

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CORRUPTION 2 - How Vancouver Became A Money Laundering Paradise

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 04:30:00 GMT

For years, people could walk into Vancouver-area casinos with tens of thousands of dollars of suspicious cash and walk out with clean money, no questions asked. That money may be fuelling two of the biggest problems the city is facing: the housing crisis and the opiate epidemic.

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CORRUPTION 1 - The Most Crime-Ridden Neighbourhood In Canada

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 03:30:00 GMT

This season, Commons will be focusing on stories at the intersection of money, influence and politics in Canada. In this episode, we take you to what may be Canada’s most criminal neighbourhood — Toronto’s financial district. Along for the ride is investigative journalist Bruce Livesey, author of “The Thieves of Bay Street.”

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Ep. 97 - What The Hell Is A Fairness Letter?

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 06:05:00 GMT

Mohamed Waleed Taleb is stuck in Turkey. He applied to come to Canada in 2015 and was flagged under section 34 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for his pro-democracy work against the Assad regime. He's responded to the governement's concerns and is now waiting to hear back on a final decision: will he be let into Canada, or will he be deemed "inadmissible". We spoke to Waleed about his experience. We also spoke to his lawyer Pierre Andre Theriault to better understand Waleed's case. This episode was inspired by Canada's Missing Syrians, by Canadian journalist Gareth Chantler.

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Ep. 96 - Canada Is Not Racist... According To The Stats

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 04:52:00 GMT

If you look at the stats, Canada has a low incidence of hate crimes, but the numbers that we rely on to tell us if we're racist or not are wrong. In this episode, we speak to journalist and Executive Director, of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network Evan Balgord who explains why that is. Evan represented the research of Barbara Perry Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, of Criminology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Sabreena Ghaffar-Siddiqui PhD Candidate and Researcher at McMaster University.

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Ep. 95 - What Do Peacekeepers Actually Do?

Tue, 22 May 2018 07:11:00 GMT

The Liberal government announced earlier this year that it would send around 200 troops to assist in a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. But what does "peacekeeping" look like in today's world and what do peacekeepers actually do? In this episode, we speak to Major-General Denis Thompson (Retired) and Aisha Ahmad, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, to answer these questions.

stions.

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Ep.94 - Life In Canada Without Clean Water

Tue, 08 May 2018 03:07:00 GMT

Canada has 20 per cent of the world's freshwater and yet some Indigenous communities have not had access to clean drinking water for decades. In this episode, we speak to Rachel Arsenault a master’s student at Laurentian University's Indigenous Relations program who works with Decolonizing Water an Indigenous-led community-based water monitoring initiative. We also speak with Samantha Redsky of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation .

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Ep. 93 - The All-White Jury In Canada

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 12:44:00 GMT

The acquittal of Gerald Stanley in the shooting of Colten Boushie sparked outrage across Canada. The anger was further fuelled by the fact that the jury was all white, in a community that had a significant Indigenous population. After the Gerald Stanley verdict, the government proposed sweeping changes to the legal system in Bill C-75. The legal community has been divided on these proposed changes - some say they are an important first step to make juries more diverse, while other say they will actually make things worse.

Kent Roach, chair of law and public policy at the University of Toronto, talks about the legal mechanism that lets this happen.

Roseanne Sylvester tells the story of her brother, Donald Marshall Jr., a Mi'kmaq man who was wrongfully convicted by and all-white jury decades ago.

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Ep. 92 - Canadian History X

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 03:17:00 GMT

As a teen, Elisa Hategan joined Canada's most notorious and well-organized white supremacist group, the Heritage Front. She later turned on the group and helped to take them down. What can we learn from the past about how white supremacists operate today? And what do we do about all these Nazis?

Elisa's book about her time in the Heritage Front is called Race Traitor.

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Ep. 91 - Stories From Solitude

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 05:17:00 GMT

The final episode of our two-parter on solitary confinement in Canada. In this episode, we hear two personal stories about the impacts that solitary confinement can have. Featuring Yusuf Faqiri and Dan Parlow.

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Ep. 90 - Unconstitutional Solitude

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 03:45:00 GMT

A two part series in which we explore the conditions and consequences of solitary confinement use in Canada. Featuring Chris Jackel, a correctional officer who works in a maximum security Ontario prison, and lawyer/professor Lisa Kerr.

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Ep. 89 - Finding A Fix: Our Opioid Overdose Crisis

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 05:42:00 GMT

There's a well known narrative about the opioid epidemic: pharmaceutical companies and doctors over-prescribed addictive drugs on patients. But there's an important policy story here too, and we need to talk about it. Featuring longtime opiate user and activist, Garth Mullins, and lawyer, Caitlin Shane.

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Ep. 88 - Our Mis(education): the Erasure of Blackness in Canadian Schools

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 03:59:00 GMT

Robyn Maynard is the author of Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present. We chat with Robyn about what she calls our (mis)education: Canada's amnesia to its history of slavery and segregation, and about the ways in which Canadian classrooms are still rife with anti-black racism.

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A Brief Announcement

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 04:05:00 GMT

Back next week with a new episode! In the meantime, check out a new CANADALAND show, Oppo.

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Ep. 87 - Unknown Road: Inside Immigration Detention

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 04:46:00 GMT

Canada's immigration system has a human rights problem. Each year, thousands of people are indefinitely jailed in prisons without any criminal charges. Babou was one of them.

This episode features Babou Jobe and Subodh Bharati.

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Ep. 86 - Throwing Shade at 2017: A Political Awards Show

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 04:08:00 GMT

We look back on some notably weird political moments of 2017 and collectively cringe. Featuring guests Tim Fontaine (of Walking Eagle News) and Scott Vrooman (of Centrism Dot Biz).

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Ep 85. - Invisible Victims: The Quest for Police Accountability

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 07:24:00 GMT

Stronger police accountability is an acute need across Canada. In Ontario, recommendations for stronger police oversight are being drafted into legislation. In this episode, we explore the suspicious death of Cheyenne Fox and the ensuing (lack of) investigation. We then speak to a former director of Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, Ian Scott, who takes us inside the organizations responsible for holding police accountable. The final part of our policing miniseries.

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Ep. 84 - Invisible Victims: How Police Botched the Robert Pickton Case

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 05:58:00 GMT

"If the police don't want you to see a file, you're never gonna know it exists."

We speak with Lorimer Shenher, a former police officer who was in charge of investigating the growing number of disappearing women from Vancouver's downtown Eastside, about how law enforcement overlooked a serial killer.

Part one of a two part series on Canada's policing system and police accountability.

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Ep. 83 - No Protest is Genteel: On Antifa

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 06:27:00 GMT

Live from Vancouver: We speak with organizers Garth Mullins and Annie Ohana to unpack what it means to resist fascism in BC. Featuring Hadiya Roderique and guest host Sandy Garossino.

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As If They Were Pets: The Sixties Scoop

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 04:44:00 GMT

Betty Ann Adam is a reporter with the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. She is also a survivor of the "Sixties Scoop". When she was a toddler, the Canadian government pried her from her mother's arms. She was raised by foster parents. A modern version of this is still happening to Indigenous children across Canada.

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On NAFTA And Niqabs

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 05:28:00 GMT

Quebec's racist bill, unveiled. Plus NAFTA explained by one of its founders, former Mulroney Chief of Staff Hugh Segal.

And Vancouver? Commons is headed to your burg!

Support us at patreon.com/CANADALAND and see this year's goals and rewards.

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Why We Need Higher Taxes, A Canadian Mt. Rushmore And A Population Of 100 Million

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 06:08:00 GMT

The Liberals put forth a proposal to tax the hell out of small businesses. At least that's how it's being painted by the Opposition.

In reality, the proposed changes would have virtually zero impact on the majority of small business owners, but would focus on self-incorporated doctors. And it wouldn't raise their taxes, per se, but alter how they can claim their family members as employees, and change how the money they park in investments rather than being poured back into their businesses is assessed.

Fortunately, we have Laval economics professor Stephen Gordon to make sense of this.

And you know what would ease the burden on the beleaguered doctors? Another 65 million Canadians who could share the pain. That's what author and Globe & Mail columnist Doug Saunders would like to see.

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BONUS EPISODE -- Jagmeet Singh - The Full Interview

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 17:38:00 GMT

On Episode 79 of Commons we spoke with three of the four NDP leadership candidates: Niki Ashton, Charlie Angus and Jagmeet Singh. These interviews were recorded before Singh's first-ballot victory on Sunday, October 1.

As a bonus to Commons listeners, we present the full interview with now NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

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Ashton, Angus & Singh - Oh My!

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:54:00 GMT

Three Commons hosts, three NDP leadership hopefuls, one sweltering studio.

On this episode, just days before the first vote closes in the race, we speak with Niki Ashton, Jagmeet Singh and Charlie Angus about Canada-Indigenous relations, the environment, the economy and the future of the party.

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Guy Caron, Guaranteed Income And Climate Refugees

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 09:36:00 GMT

Welcome back to a brand-new season of Commons!

To kick things off, the Commons team is profiling each of the four candidates vying to replace Thomas Mulcair as leader of the federal NDP. This week, we speak with Guy Caron.

Also, we look at the summer political stories that evolved while we were on hiatus: the Charlottesville tragedy and subsequent events in Canada, the influx of asylum seekers crossing the border and Trudeau's cabinet shuffle which may have just doubled the bureaucracy for Indigenous peoples.

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The Rise Of The Right

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 12:50:00 GMT

On the final episode of the season, the Commons team digs into the rise of the fringe right in Canada.

Journalist Evan Balgord has been covering organizations like the Proud Boys, Soldiers of Odin, and the Three Percenters for the better part of the past year. He joins us to discuss the ongoing street protests and what's driving these groups' discontent.

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Ep.76 - Amy Goodman/The Constitutional Clusterf**k

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 09:58:00 GMT

This week we're thrilled to welcome legendary broadcast journalist Amy Goodman. Her program, Democracy Now!, was one of the few non-Indigenous media outlets to provide sustained coverage of the Standing Rock camps protesting the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

With a pro-pipeline president in the White House and a government in Ottawa that's shown a willingness to green-light our own projects, Goodman weighs in on what we can expect going forward.

Also, British Columbians and, well, the British, are both coming to grips with minority governments. And nobody seems entirely sure how they're supposed to work. Philippe Lagassé, Associate Professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University provides some much-needed clarity.

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Ep.75 - Drink Like A Conservative

Tue, 30 May 2017 08:39:00 GMT

The dust has settled, and the Conservative Party of Canada has elected Andrew Scheer -- an anti-choice, anti-gay-marriage, anti-refugee, anti-M103 candidate -- as their new leader.

As the election results trickled in, the Commons team were joined by Conservative consultant Ginny Movat and about 50 loyal listeners at Toronto's venerable Monarch Tavern to dissect the various campaigns.

Proceeds from this event were donated to Newcomer Women's Services -- a Toronto-based not-for-profit that supports new immigrants.

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Ep.74 - Cultural Appropriation Is An Inherently Political Act

Tue, 16 May 2017 09:34:00 GMT

Appropriation is the buzzword in the news this week, as a misguided editorial was followed by a white elite up in arms on social media. In the end, two prominent magazine editors were gone from their posts, and the debate about the under-representation of non-white voices in Canadian media got significant traction.

But Commons is a show about politics, so we asked CBC columnist and head of TIFF Cinematheque Jesse Wente how appropriation is represented in the Canadian political sphere.

On the left coast, the Green Party is playing spoiler for the first time in Canadian history in the wake of the BC election, the Conservative Party is getting ready to choose their new leader, and Commons is throwing a Party to watch and analyze those results live. When somebody says 'traditional values,' everybody drink!

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Ep.73 - That's Why We Live In A Democracy

Tue, 02 May 2017 11:47:00 GMT

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the rollout of a basic income trial. The program is to be introduced in three Ontario communities this summer, including Thunder Bay. This is widely seen as compensation for living in Thunder Bay.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark gives a voter a succinct primer on democracy, while Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil trips on his shoelaces and accidentally drops his writ.

In our feature interview, Ashley speaks with Bloodwatch.org founder and Executive Director Kat Lanteigne about her long fight for justice for victims of Canada's tainted blood scandal, and why she believes the federal government and some provinces are inclined to roll back some of the regulations put in place following the Krever Report.

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Ep.72 - Commons Gets High

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 07:53:00 GMT

The Commons team unpacks the just-released specifics of the Trudeau government's plan to legalize cannabis. And after twenty minutes or so, all they can think about is snacks. Seriously.

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Ep.71 - Being Icky Is The Job

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 07:11:00 GMT

The Liberals, according to Conservative MP Scott Reid, are trying to "ram through whatever the fuck they want."

In other, vaguely sexually-themed Conservative news, Brad Trost isn't down with the "the whole gay thing," while k.d. lang asks if Jason Kenney might be secretly fond of it. Kellie Leitch and Senator Lynn Beyak? Just crapping on Muslims and Indigenous peoples again, respectively. Nothing sexy there.

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Ep.70 - You Have No Rights At The Border

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 05:50:00 GMT

Having passed a second reading, the controversial bill C-23 stands to give U.S. border guards greater authority to reject, detain, or search Canadians and permanent residents trying to cross the border.

Speaking of the border, a significant chunk of our shared border with the United States comes in the form of four of the five Great Lakes (bonus points if you can name the one entirely contained within one of the two countries). President Donald Trump's newly-unveiled budget threatens to decimate the funding of the Environmental Protection Agency and, by extension, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

And the ugly battle for the federal Conservative leadership reached blobfish levels of unattractiveness as accusations of widespread voter fraud reached a fever pitch over the weekend.

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Ep.69 - "I'm Ashamed Of Myself For Being Afraid"

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 22:19:00 GMT

This week, the city of Thunder Bay, ON, agreed to implement the recommendations of an inquest that looked into the deaths of seven Indigenous students. This, despite the fact that no one from city council appeared to have attended said inquest.

The case of a Halifax-area cab driver accused of sexually assaulting a heavily intoxicated female passenger was dismissed by a provincial court judge after he claimed that, "clearly, a drunk can consent."

Finally, the Globe & Mail dug deep into a brewing cash-for-access scandal in British Columbia that could have significant ramifications in that province's upcoming election.

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Ep.68 - Strong Hearts To The Front

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 09:29:00 GMT

Welcome back to CANADALAND Commons! New hosts Hadiya Roderique, Ryan McMahon, and Ashley Csanady spend their first episode looking into the mostly manufactured controversy behind M103 - a motion to denounce Islamophobia and racism and a push for the Canadian government to set up a committee to look into the rise of discrimination in the country.

Also, refugees from countries on U.S. President Donald Trump's list of banned countries are taking the extraordinary step of trying to cross the border into Manitoba. On foot. In February. What happens to them when they get here and are they just going to shipped back to the States?

Finally, the Sixties Scoop was likely something you didn't learn about in your high school history class. But the courts last week awarded the now-grown Indigenous children taken from their families a $1.3-billion settlement.

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COMMONS returns!

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 05:38:00 GMT

Meet the new hosts of CANADALAND COMMONS: Hadiya Roderique, Ashley Csanady, and Ryan McMahon. New episode available Tuesday February 21 and every two weeks thereafter.

Follow the show on Twitter.

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COMMONS host search

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 02:32:00 GMT

We're looking for new hosts. Please send demos (less than 4 minutes long) to: info@canadalandshow.com

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A Message About the Future of COMMONS

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 01:57:00 GMT

Supriya, Vicky and publisher Jesse Brown deliver a message about the future of COMMONS.

Follow @cndlndcmns for developments.

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Ep.67 - A Hodge Podge of Political Hacks: Inside the War Room

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 02:43:00 GMT

Today, we go behind the scenes in Canadian politics. How do the backroom dealings in Ottawa stack up to the kind of power games we see on shows like House of Cards or the West Wing?

Warren Kinsella brought the American war room model to Jean Chrétien's campaign, making it his mission to drive rival politicians crazy and throw them off their game. Lisa Kinsella has also worked in Liberal war rooms, and is now a "dirty rotten lobbyist." They both currently work for Daisy Group.

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Ep.66 - A Hat Trick of Deceit: First Nations and the LNG Project

Tue, 04 Oct 2016 02:47:00 GMT

The Trudeau government made a lot of commitments in the last election, including improving relations with Indigenous people, fighting climate change and investing in infrastructure. Those commitments are starting to come to a head.

This past week, they approved a massive liquified natural gas (LNG) project on Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert, BC. We check in with Indigenous communities, where support is split on the project.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, says the project will be destructive to the environment and local economies.

Karen Ogen-Toews of the First Nations LNG Alliance points to the benefits the project can bring to surrounding communities and pleas for better understanding from all sides.

George Hoberg, a professor at UBC's Liu Institute of Global Affairs, gives context to the scope of the project.

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Ep.65 - Drunk on Liberal Power / Kellie Leitch on Anti-Canadian Values

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 03:09:00 GMT

Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch really wants to talk about her proposal to screen out immigrants over anti-Canadian values, but takes issue with "specific questions" on the matter.

But first, Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove drops in for a lookahead to the upcoming year in Parliament. What's gonna happen, who will start the first brawl and what would it take to end Trudeau's popularity?

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Ep.64 - Conservative Leadership Showdown Part 2: Tony Clement & Maxime Bernier

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 01:53:37 GMT

It's week two of our Conservative leader-a-thon. Today we bring you our conversations with leadership contenders Tony Clement and Maxime Bernier.

Both men were longtime members of Stephen Harper's cabinet.

Tony Clement says the Conservatives need to communicate better with young people and is now pushing tough-on-terror policies.

Maxime Bernier is often called the Libertarian candidate. In addition to his support for personal freedoms, he wants to de-regulate or privatize a handful of industries.

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Ep.63 - Conservative Leadership Showdown Part 1: Michael Chong & Brad Trost

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 02:03:00 GMT

A bunch of people want to succeed Harper as leader of the Conservative Party. Whoever gets the vote won't just be gunning to be the next Prime Minister; they'll be leading the Opposition, with an aim towards keeping the government in check.

Over the summer, we took some time to figure out who all these people are. We'll share those interviews over the next two weeks.

Today, we hear from Michael Chong and Brad Trost.

Michael Chong once resigned as a cabinet Minister over a disagreement with the Harper government. He believes the party needs to take a stronger stance on climate change and to do a better job appealing to immigrants and urban Canadians.

Brad Trost is a social Conservative, so on top of being a champion of the free market, he's vocally pro-life and opposed to gay marriage.

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Ep.62 - When Your Councillor Spams You on Facebook

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 02:03:00 GMT

What do you do if you think a city councillor is exploiting his public platform to make money on the side?

Listener Matt Alexander emailed us with this quandary. He points out that Greater Sudbury Councillor Robert Kirwan takes money from local businesses to write promotional posts for a Facebook group he runs. This raises a lot of questions for Matt, but he doesn't know what to do about it.

We look into Matt's complaint and how potential conflicts like this one are dealt with.

Go to our website for our full correspondence with Robert Kirwan.

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Ep.61 - When CSIS Comes Knocking pt. 2

Tue, 23 Aug 2016 02:47:00 GMT

Earlier this summer, we spoke to Monia Mazigh about CSIS agents making unannounced visits to Muslims. Now, one of those men joins us.

After studying and teaching English in Egypt, Juned Moid* was visited by CSIS agents, denied entry into the US and had his passport renewal delayed. He doesn't know why.

We also speak to Ken Stone, an activist and political commentator, who launched a complaint against CSIS after two agents showed up at his door, asking him about an op-ed he wrote in the Hamilton Spectator. He tells her about the three-year process of trying to resolve the complaint through the Security Intelligence Review Committee.

*A pseudonym to avoid career problems

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Ep.60 - MMIW: What Justice Means for a Family Member

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 01:40:00 GMT

We check in with Maggie Cywink about the upcoming inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women. Maggie’s sister Sonya Cywink was murdered over 20 years ago and the case remains unsolved.

Maggie says the announcement felt like a photo op for the Liberals.

She first spoke to us back in December when the inquiry was announced:

http://www.canadalandshow.com/podcast/families-mmiw-what-can-we-do-tomorrow/

Plus, a TweetBeat in which a Liberal MP tells a vegan to eat a steak.

To see screenshots of the full exchange between MP Wayne Easter and animal/environmental advocate Richelle Benoit, go to our website:

canadalandshow.com/commons

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Ep.59 - Canadian Police Are Racist Too

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 03:06:00 GMT

Abdirahman Abdi, a Somali man in Ottawa, is dead after witnesses say he was beaten by cops.

There’s been a lot of attention on police violence against Black people in the U.S. lately. But Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, says Canada’s policing style has a lot of the same problems as the American system when it comes to dealing with racialized and Indigenous populations. Read Akwasi's piece in the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/a-hard-truth-canadas-policing-style-is-very-similar-to-the-us/article30942053/

Karmen James Omeasoo, a rapper who performs under the name Hellnback, talks about some of the troubles Indigenous men face with the Winnipeg police and the RCMP.

Christien Levien, a criminal lawyer at Wiley and Levien, talks about how his own bad experience with police as a teenager led him to creating the app LegalSwipe to help other racialized kids stand up to cops.

The song sampled in the show is Hellnback’s “Caught Up,” produced by Stomp.

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Ep.58 - When CSIS Comes Knocking

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 04:45:00 GMT

Muslim men have been telling Monia Mazigh about getting unannounced visits from CSIS agents at home or the workplace. The intelligence agency says the conversations are voluntary, but some people are accusing them of intimidation.

Monia is the national coordinator for the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group. She tells Supriya and Vicky about these visits and discusses Bill C-22, the legislation that the government tabled to create parliamentary oversight of national security agencies, including CSIS.

Read Monia's Huffington Post piece about this tactic here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/monia-mazigh/canadian-security-intelligence-service_b_10812800.html

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Ep.57 - Buy Gold and Raisin Bran: The Brexit and Canada

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 02:20:00 GMT

Supriya and Vicky want to know what the Brexit means for us. Does a vote for the United Kingdom to leave the EU change our lives across the ocean?

Armine Yalnizyan, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, talks about why shifting global markets matter for everyone.

Freelance journalist Steven Zhou gives some social context to the vote.

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Ep.56 - Naming a Genocide

Tue, 21 Jun 2016 01:36:00 GMT

The government’s declared that ISIS is committing a genocide against the Yazidi people. So what are we doing about it?

Yazidi-Canadian Dalal Abdi talks about her journey to Canada and her family's life back in Iraq and Turkey.

Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith talks about voting against the majority of his party to declare a genocide earlier in the week.

Stephanie Carvin, assistant professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, tells us how using the word "genocide" affects Canada’s obligations abroad.

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Ep.55 - Cheri DiNovo on How to Fix the NDP

Tue, 14 Jun 2016 02:47:00 GMT

Toronto MPP Cheri DiNovo thinks the NDP needs to return to its roots: unabashedly socialist and anti-capitalist, with an eye towards social justice and the environment. So now she's launched an unofficial leadership campaign, choosing not to pay the $30,000 fee required to enter the race.

DiNovo was the first person within the NDP to speak out against the Party after their collapse during the 2015 election. She talks to Vicky and Supriya about money in politics, the missteps of the NDP and why Veuve Clicquot and high fashion aren't at odds with socialism.

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Ep.54 - This Is Not Canada: Living as a Migrant Farm Worker

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 01:25:00 GMT

“Are these… 18th century working conditions?” Gabriel Allahdua asks. Gabriel came from St. Lucia to work on a farm as part of the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

He describes the long hours, difficult working conditions and his disappointment over speaking to a Parliamentary committee that’s reviewing the TFW program.

Justicia for Migrant Workers put us in touch with Gabriel.

Are Canadian politicians bending gender norms? Jerald Sabin, a research associate at the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation, talks about a study on masculinity in the last election, co-authored by Kyle Kirkup.

And a new segment where Supriya gets mad at Twitter.

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Ep.53 - Celebrating Defeat: Dispatches from the Conservative Convention

Tue, 31 May 2016 02:05:00 GMT

We sent the Syrup Trap's Winnie Code to the Conservative Convention in Vancouver. She explains how the convention was a bit like an informercial and gets the official party line on whether or not Justin Trudeau is handsome.

Plus, a discussion about whether the Conservative Party can build credibility when it comes to environmental policy. Featuring Mark Cameron of Canadians for Clean Prosperity and Jason Thistlethwaite, assistant professor at University of Waterloo's environment faculty.

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Ep.52 - Are Libertarians Conservatives?

Tue, 17 May 2016 02:05:00 GMT

Matt Bufton is a proud Libertarian who does not want to be lumped in with Conservatives.

With the Conservative leadership race picking up steam, Matt, executive director of the Institute for Liberal Studies, tells us why the Conservatives don’t represent his values… and why he has to look to the past for political role models.

Tannara Yelland tells the story of 21-year old Breanna Kannick, who died in remand in Saskatchewan last September.

A bill proposes parties face penalties unless they put (nearly) an equal number of men and women on the ballot.

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Ep.51 - How to Make Poor People Disappear (Census Edition)

Tue, 10 May 2016 01:27:00 GMT

People lost their minds when the long form census came back, after being replaced by the voluntary National Household Survey. But why does it matter?

David Hulchanski, a professor at University of Toronto, tells us how the NHS made Canada look more equal than it was.

Dillon Black from the group Queering613 talks about issues for trans and gender non-binary people in the census.

Plus, why is the government considering giving a billion dollars to a company owned mostly by a single family? We hear from Mike Moffatt, assistant professor at the Ivey Business School at Western University and Aaron Wudrick, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

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Ep.50 - Debating Same-Sex Marriage and Other Ways to Stay Irrelevant

Tue, 03 May 2016 01:50:00 GMT

Conservatives may finally decide toembrace gay marriage at a policy convention later this month. Ormaybe not. More than a decade after same-sex marriage was legalisedin Canada, the party still defines it as a union between one manand one woman.

BC’s Premier is under attack forconflict-of-interest, relating to over $300,000 in salary top-upsand a bunch of expensive fundraisers. The Tyee’s legislative bureauchief Andrew MacLeod fills us in on the time she told him the moneywas for a car allowance.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s budgetsituation has gotten so bad that the province is shutting down morethan half of their libraries. Memorial University economist AlisonCoffin (who ran for the provincial NDP in the last election) talksabout what got the province to where it is today.

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Ep.49 - Can a Conservative Be a Feminist?

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 02:41:00 GMT

A Conservative MP’s op-ed aboutthe sexism in Parliament got a lot of praise. But Sarah Beuhler sawit as hypocritical and an attempt to gain favour for a possibleleadership bid. She debates with Supriya and guest co-host JaneLytvenenko whether a Conservative MP can be a feminist.

Mike Duffy’s cleared of all chargesin the Senate expense scandal.

We hear from protestors who wereliving inside the offices of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canadafor over a week. The Winnipeg office is still occupied.

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Ep.48 - Parliament Needs More Women's Bathrooms

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 04:15:00 GMT

Guest co-host Vicky Mochama went out to the Hill to interview women about what it’s like to work in a space built for 19th century gentlemen.

In the wake of the NDP convention, the big question is whether Canada can stomach a party that’s a centimetre off centre.

A powerful listener calls in with opinions on the Senate.

Subscribe to Vicky’s newsletter, NOT SORRY.

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Ep.47 - Should This Old Indian Guy Lead the Conservatives?

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 01:18:00 GMT

The fractures in the Conservative Party are showing as people jump into the leadership race.

Desmond wants to know why the Liberals flip flopped on an issue of torture. Supriya wants to get in on that sweet tax free status we've been hearing about in the Panama Papers.

University of Victoria economics professor Lindsay Tedds tells us why, despite the projected $30 billion deficit, "the budget might in fact balance itself."

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Ep.46 - Tom Mulcair: Hot Prosecutor or Wet Napkin?

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 01:29:00 GMT

Jane Lytvynenko, CANADALAND’s news editor, guest co-hosts with Supriya Dwivedi.

As the NDP approaches a leadership review, Jane and Supriya try to figure out who Tom Mulcair even is.

Maclean’s Quebec Bureau Chief Martin Patriquin laughs off the idea that the Quebec government will clean itself up after recent arrests in the provincial corruption scandal.

Jane and Supriya offer free advice on how the Trudeau government can make itself more transparent without having to do the whole public consultation thing.

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Ep.45 - Police in Canada Get Away With Killing Black People

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 05:02:00 GMT

Andrew Loku was shot and killed by police last July. But the public doesn’t know who did it.

When the Special Investigations Unit announced that the officer who killed him would not face charges, it led to a protest organised by Black Lives Matter Toronto that has lasted over a week, day and night, through rain and an ice storm. Protestors have gathered from around the country, demanding for the name of the officer who killed Andrew Loku to be released and for more accountability when police kill or beat black citizens.

Desmond speaks to organisers and supporters at the demonstration.

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Ep.44 - Canada's Arms Deals: Beyond Saudi Arabia

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 01:21:00 GMT

Canada’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia has raised a lot of controversy, but they’re not the only ones getting our weapons or weapons parts.

Supriya wants to know who else Canada is selling arms to, what oversight exists to make sure our weapons aren’t being used unethically and what happens if we do see a reason to break an arms contract.

She talks to NDP defence critic Hélène Laverdière, who wants to create a Parliamentary sub-committee to oversee arms sales.

She also talks to Anthony Fenton, a PhD candidate at York University who studies political economy of Canada and the Middle-East.

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Ep.43 - Rogue Senators

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 02:41:00 GMT

A group of Senators says partisan activity has "seriously eroded the credibility and reputation” of their workplace. So they’ve formed a non-partisan working group to try to fix it.

Senator Diane Bellemare talks to Desmond and Supra after quitting the Conservative caucus and joining this new group.

Senate scholar Heather Hughson says this is exactly what’s needed to restore faith in the Chamber.

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No Episode This Week

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 10:00:00 GMT

No new episode today. We'll be back next week.

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Ep.42 - Live From U of Ottawa: Refugees Welcome, But Bad News About the Job Market...

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 02:19:00 GMT

Andray and Desmond host a live panel asking how cities are preparing refugees to fend for themselves in a year’s time and how they can get on their feet in our terrible job market.

Featuring:

Michael Qaqish, an Ottawa city councillor and the city’s refugee liaison; Ula Abu Rashed, a student at the University of Ottawa whose family fled Syria for Germany last fall; Rouba Al-Fattal, a part time professor of Middle East and Arab politics at the University of Ottawa. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Ottawa, leading the #Canadians4Refugees campaign.

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Ep.41 - Legal Weed is Bad for Poor People

Tue, 23 Feb 2016 02:23:00 GMT

Canada has had a marijuana industry for a long time. It just hasn’t always been legal. People in the business have ended up in prison, barred from crossing the border or denied future job prospects.

Now that the Liberals are planning to legalize weed, what will happen to those people?

Andray talks to Liberal MP for Beaches-East York Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and criminal defence lawyer John Struthers.

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Ep.40 - George Elliott Clarke: A Polyphony of Canadian Blacknesses

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 04:06:00 GMT

George Elliott Clarke has been appointed as Canada’s seventh poet laureate.

His wide-ranging conversation with Desmond touches on how working for a trailblazing black MP led him to meeting the Dalai Lama, why politicians should care about poetry and how he thinks Canadians are being ripped off by phone companies.

Plus, he nearly sets the studio on fire with a rendition of his poem “Look Homeward, Exile."

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Ep.39 - Don't Let Harper Happen Here: Wab Kinew on Entering Politics

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 03:20:00 GMT

“I think it would be a real shame if we got rid of Harper at the federal level and then we brought in somebody who wants to take our province in a similar direction,” Wab Kinew tells Andray and Desmond.

Kinew is stepping into politics after years in the public eye as a journalist, author, rapper and First Nations community leader.

He talks about what he wants to accomplish in politics that he couldn’t do in his previous roles. He also discusses ways to address the systemic racism in Winnipeg and Canada at large.

Wab is seeking the nomination for the provincial NDP for the Fort Rouge riding in Winnipeg.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Andray and Wab are both board members of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.

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Ep.38 - The Government Finally Admitted They Illegally Spy On Us and Nobody Cares

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 01:11:00 GMT

Canada's electronic spy agency broke privacy laws by collecting metadata about Canadians, then sharing it with other countries. The issue was exposed in a watchdog report that was released to the public last week.

Andray and Supriya speak to Amanda Connolly, national security reporter for iPolitics, about what exactly the Communications Security Establishment did wrong and whether there's any reason to expect it won't happen again.

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Ep.37 - Michelle Rempel on Heckling

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 03:08:00 GMT

Most workplaces discourage yelling and jeering among co-workers. But the government has their own way of doing things.

Desmond and Supriya talk to Calgary - Nose Hill Conservative MP Michelle Rempel about her experiences being heckled. They also get into how social media is changing the political discourse in ways that Rempel herself still hasn't figured out.

This follows a recent survey by Samara Canada finding that most MPs think heckling is a problem in the House of Commons, but most of them also do it.

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Ep.36 - What Is a Post-Harper Conservative?

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 05:47:00 GMT

After the end of Harper's decade-long rule, Conservatives have to figure out what they stand for.

The next leadership race is still a long way away, but people are starting to campaign. Jim Burnett knows conservative leadership races from the inside. He returns to the show to talk about where Conservatives go after Harper. Plus, he answers the burning question: Did you actually like the guy?

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Ep.35 - White Men Gotta Speak On This

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:59:00 GMT

Former BC Premier Ujjal Dosanjh recently wrote an editorial called “The Silencing of the White Men of the West." In it, he argues that political correctness stifles powerful white men.

Editor-in-chief of The Walrus Jonathan Kay and cultural critic Septembre Anderson give their thoughts on the issue.

Ujjal Dosanjh did not respond to a request to appear on COMMONS.

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Ep.34 - A senator on mischief, mutiny and men's rights

Tue, 05 Jan 2016 03:39:00 GMT

As a child, Andray was taught to look up to Anne C. Cools, the first black person to join Canada’s Senate. Born in Barbados, she spent her early life as a social worker and pioneer in the field of domestic violence before spending over three decades in the upper house.

Andray’s views change when he hears Desmond’s interview with the senator. Desmond sets out to talk to her about the recent expense probes, the role of the Senate and her activist past. They get to all that, but the conversation takes a far more contentious tone than planned.

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Ep.33 - Canada's Climate Game (of Thrones)

Tue, 22 Dec 2015 03:20:00 GMT

Following the Paris agreement, Andray and Desmond speak to climate change expert Jason Thistlethwaite in a conversation touching on the “give a shit factor”, the inevitable death of the suburbs and Game of Thrones.

Plus, they speak to someone who was at the talks and was not happy with what took place. Erica Violet Lee, an Indigenous activist and part of the Canadian Youth Delegation to Paris, felt tokenized and ignored by politicians and the press.

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Ep.32 - Families of MMIW: "What Can We Do Tomorrow?"

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 03:16:00 GMT

"What can we do tomorrow?” Maggie Cywink wants to know. "I don’t have another six months to wait for the government to meet everybody and figure it out.”

Mag’s sister Sonya Cywink was found murdered in southern Ontario in 1994. Bernadette Smith’s sister Claudette Osborne-Tyo went missing in Winnipeg. And Lauren Crazybull’s great-aunt Jacqueline Crazybull was killed in a random attack in Calgary.

None of these cases have been solved.

Following the Liberal government’s announcement of a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, these three women join Desmond and guest host Supriya to talk about what they want the government to do, whether an inquiry is even the right move and how they've felt let down by First Nations leaders on this issue.

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Ep.31 - Bringing Refugees To The Rockies

Tue, 08 Dec 2015 06:38:00 GMT

It’s easy to get lost in the numbers. So we look into what it takes to get a family of three refugees from Syria to the small mountain town of Jasper, Alberta.

And Farah Malik, a refugee from Pakistan, talks about what it was like abandoning her home country.

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Ep.30 - Electoral Reform, or How New Zealand Got a Rastafari MP

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 02:29:00 GMT

The Liberal government has promised to get rid of our current voting system, but they haven’t committed to what those changes will look like. By listener request, Andray and Desmond take a look at what could happen.

They speak to a former political candidate from New Zealand about the reforms his country made. They also speak to conservative strategist Jim Burnett, who thinks Canada doesn't have the will to change the electoral system.

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Ep.29 - The Beaverton

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 04:14:00 GMT

The Beaverton's satire isn't about funny accents or wacky characters. It cuts deep, skewering politicians and other media on issues like the refugee crisis and ISIS. Andray and Desmond speak to The Beaverton's editor-in-chief Luke Gordon Field about using humour as a weapon and what's missing in Canadian political comedy.

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Ep.28 - Paris: Backlash Against Canadian Muslims?

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 05:36:00 GMT

Following the tragedy in Paris, Desmond talks to Imam Syed Soharwardy, founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, and Amira Elghawaby, communications director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, about the backlash Muslims face in Canada when attacks are carried out in the name of Islam.

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Ep.27 - How the Cabinet is like Wu-Tang Clan

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 02:02:00 GMT

University of New Brunswick's JP Lewis explains how the Cabinet is like Wu-Tang Clan and Buzzfeed Canada's Scaachi Koul proposes a Minister of No Bullsh*t.

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Ep.26 - Losin' Ain't Easy

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 03:31:00 GMT

The Conservative Party of Canada has fallen to Opposition status... but what does that mean? Can they actually affect politics or are they just getting ready for their next shot at government? Andray talks about that with Ray Martin, who led Alberta's Official Opposition in the 80s.

He also talks to Mark Warner - who was dumped from a Conservative campaign in 2007 - and Tasha Kheiriddin - a conservative Harper skeptic - about what the CPC would have to do to get their full support.

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Ep.25 - Canada's 1st MP of Somali descent

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 03:52:00 GMT

Andray and Desmond talk to Liberal MP-elect Ahmed Hussen, soon to be Canada's first MP of Somali descent. They discuss the refugee crisis, diversity in Parliament, Bill C-51 and more.

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Ep. 24 - Live on Election Night

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 06:26:00 GMT

Andray Domise, Desmond Cole and Supriya Dwivedi broadcast LIVE to a packed room at the Monarch Tavern in Toronto.

Feat. Jesse Brown in Toronto, Jen Gerson at Harper HQ in Calgary, Drew Brown in Edmonton and Morgan Baskin in Squamish.

#CL42

Warning: there's some profanity in this one.

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Ep. 23 - The Choice for Progressives

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 21:49:00 GMT

Tiffany Gooch explains why she's voting Liberal, and Luke Savage tells us why he's voting NDP. Plus, Desmond and Andray debate the value of voting.

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Ep.22 - A Conservative Makes Their Case

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 02:17:00 GMT

Cartoonist and conservative commentator J.J. McCullough tells Andray and Desmond why he's voting Conservative in this election. It gets uncomfortable.

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Ep.21 - What are women's issues, anyway?

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 03:38:00 GMT

Septembre Anderson and Naomi Sayers tell Desmond Cole what they think women's issues are, and what they make of how they're treated in our politics.

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Ep.20 - Knock Knock

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 02:46:00 GMT

Desmond Cole follows a Green Party candidate and his volunteers as they door-knock in the riding of Toronto-Danforth.

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Ep.19 - Campaign Ads (are for grandmas)

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 04:06:00 GMT

Andray Domise and Desmond Cole talk campaign ads with Jen Gerson and Scott Matthews. Featuring a special guest appearance from Andray’s grandma.

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Ep.18 - A Historic Election

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 03:03:00 GMT

We've never seen one like this before. Desmond Cole is back to talk three-way races, minority governments and party cooperation with Paul Fairie (@paulisci) and Mychaylo Prystupa (@Mychaylo). Plus, Andray Domise is reticent to embrace coalitions.

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Ep.17 - Kids These Days

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 02:29:00 GMT

Andray Domise speaks with former 18-year-old mayoral candidate Morgan Baskin (@MorganBaskinTO) and Generation Squeeze founder Paul Kershaw (@GenSqueeze) about youth in politics.

Don't worry. No one asks you to rock the vote.

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No New Episode This Week

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:40:00 GMT

Back next week with a new episode!

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Ep.16 - Survey Says!

Tue, 18 Aug 2015 04:33:00 GMT

Andray Domise and Desmond Cole talk to Kyla Ronellenfitsch from the Gandalf Group and David Coletto, the CEO of Abacus Data to help figure out political polling. When should you pay attention to a poll and why and when should you take the results with a grain of salt.

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Ep.15 - CANADALAND: COMMONS Guide To Debates

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 02:31:00 GMT

Desmond Cole and guest host Supriya Dwivedi present The CANADALAND: COMMONS Guide To Debates.

From the zinger to the dodge, Desmond and Supriya break down what you can expect to see in the federal leader's debates this election season.

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Ep.14: Cash Rules Everything Around Me

Tue, 04 Aug 2015 02:07:00 GMT

To kick off the official federal election campaign, Desmond Cole and Andray Domise talk to Harold Jansen and Gerry Nicholls about campaign financing, party fundraising, and why this campaign is set to be the longest in modern Canadian history.

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Ep.13 - Migrant Detention

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 03:11:00 GMT

Desmond Cole and Andray Domise talk about the Canadian government's detention of migrants, many of whom have committed no crime, with Renu Mandhane and Syed Hussan.

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Ep.12 - Debts and Deficits

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 02:01:00 GMT

Andray Domise and guest host Supriya Dwivedi talk government debt, recessions and the Balanced Budget Act with Mike Moffatt of the Mowat Centre, and Aaron Wudrick of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

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Ep.11 - Can I Kick It?

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:05:00 GMT

Desmond Cole and Andray Domise talk election fraud, Justin Trudeau, and the TRC.

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Ep.10 - Diversity or tokenism?

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 00:35:00 GMT

Rachel Décoste joims to talk diversity quotas, tokenism and equity in Canadian politics.

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Ep.9 - The Senate, what it do?

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 01:27:00 GMT

Paul Wells and Heather Hughson talk about what the Senate does, and whether or not it's worth hanging on to.

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Ep.8 - Barbaric cultural practices

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 02:47:00 GMT

Andray Domise, guest-host Supriya Dwivedi and Ishmael Daro talk about the Zero Tolerance For Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, the new Quebec secular legislation, and the massacre in Charleston.

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Ep.7 - Crossing the floor

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 03:03:00 GMT

Andray and Desmond speak with former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith about crossing the floor from the official opposition to the governing party.

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Ep.6 - Residential Schools

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 03:45:00 GMT

We haven't even begun to talk about what happened.

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Ep.5 - Sex work in Canada

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 02:53:00 GMT

Kerry Porth, Akio Maroon, Elene Lam join for a panel discussion on Bill C-36 and more.

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Ep.4 - The PMO, what it is?

Tue, 26 May 2015 02:29:00 GMT

What is the Prime Minister's Office? How many people work there, who are they, and what do they all do? Just how powerful is the PMO, and is the Prime Minister responsible for what it does?

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Ep.3 - Elizabeth May

Tue, 19 May 2015 04:25:00 GMT

Desmond Cole taks to Green Party leader Elizabeth May about her plans to get arrested, and more.

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Ep.2 - What happened in Alberta?

Tue, 12 May 2015 04:15:00 GMT

Desmond and Andray try to understand the NDP's shocking victory. Guests: professor Melanee Thomas and writer Drew Brown.

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Ep.1 - Who's in charge?

Tue, 05 May 2015 10:40:00 GMT

Is it the Prime Minister? The Governor General? The Queen? Canada's Head of State may be symbolic, but symbolic of what? Desmond Cole and Andray Domise start with the basics.

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Preview #1. Series launch on May 5th

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 16:52:00 GMT

Desmond Cole & Andray Domise talk about their ambitions for their new weekly political podcast

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