The Jill Bennett Show

Canada’s federal government has conditionally approved a plan to export the remaining beluga whales at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to the United States. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has announced its 2026 Paperweight Awards, highlighting policies and programs that create unnecessary headaches for small businesses and residents alike. Darrell Jones makes his official bi...

Right now, a key section of East Broadway in Vancouver is closed to vehicle traffic for four months as part of major construction on the Broadway Subway Project. The province says the work is necessary, but local business owners say this is just the latest blow in a six-year saga that’s already forced dozens of storefronts to close and has left others struggling to survive. Guest: Neil Wyles - Exe...

A major update in the Ryan Wedding case: the former Olympian’s now been in U.S. court, entered a not-guilty plea, and the next key dates are already set. And the Myles Gray public hearing hits an unexpected snag after a crude comment is caught on audio. Guest: Michael Shapray - Criminal Lawyer with Stern Shapray Criminal Lawyers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A diplomatic tug-of-war has erupted between Ottawa and Washington after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney found himself at the centre of an international dispute over comments he made at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Guest: Warren Kinsella - Former special Advisor to Jean Chretien and founder of the Daisy Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The BC College of Family Physicians is urging the provincial government to act now to cut what it calls ‘digital red tape.' A busy stretch of East Broadway is shutting down completely starting today, and it’s expected to stay closed for the next four months. Surrey residents are rallying against the ongoing wave of violent extortion-related crimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

Earlier this weekend, community members and business owners in Surrey took to the streets to raise the alarm about a wave of violent, extortion-related crimes that have shaken parts of the Lower Mainland. Guest: Garry Purewal - One of the organizers of Sunday’s rally Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse is celebrating an incredible milestone this year... 57 years in Vancouver, making it one of the city’s longest-running and most iconic restaurants. Guest: Dylan Bruser - Owner of the iconic Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A heartbreaking story from British Columbia is sparking a fresh conversation about wait times and access to timely care in our health-care system. The BC Wildlife Federation is sounding the alarm over a federal review that it says could fundamentally change who gets access to wild salmon in Canada. Surrey police say extortion cases are now averaging more than one a day, with shootings, threats, an...

Westham Island residents are dealing with a major disruption after a vessel strike damaged the Westham Island Bridge, forcing it closed to vehicle traffic. Guest: Ian Paton - BC Conservative MLA for Delta South Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FBI Director Kash Patel says the largest drug trafficker in modern times has been arrested. Guest: Douglas Century - Organized Crime Investigative Journalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many years smoking rates have been declining , and some new data suggests vaping is playing a significant role in helping Canadians quit smoking. The Canadian Bar Association’s BC branch is raising serious concerns about the provincial government’s plan to amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. A BC woman with terminal cancer says the health-care system needs help. Lear...

Westham Island Bridge in Delta is still closed after a barge strike. How long before it's repaired? Guest: Dylan Kruger - Delta City Councillor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a high-profile speech warning that the post-war international “rules-based order” is facing a serious rupture, not just a transition. More than half of the commercial vehicles inspected in Burnaby and across the Lower Mainland last year were taken off the road for safety violations. Surrey mayor Brenda Locke is cal...

A growing number of landowners in British Columbia are finding themselves in a legal and financial bind when Indigenous ancestral remains are uncovered during development or construction. Guest: Christine Elliott - Lawyer hired by the property owner to handle the details Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We bring on Claire Newell from Travel Best Bets to talk about the biggest stories coming out of the travel sector! After harsh feedback from travellers and employees, WestJet has cancelled their new seat configuration. It will be a pricey reinstallation process, and will likely result in higher fares. Guest: Claire Newell - Travel Best Bets President and Founder Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Business owners in Surrey and across the Lower Mainland have been living under the shadow of an unsettling trend... extortion attempts targeting commercial operations, ranging from threats of violence to demands for cash. In response, the province and RCMP formed the BC Extortion Task Force, which has now been active for four months. Guest: Jay Minhas - Community Activist and Businessman in Surrey...

A Kamloops landowner says a routine landscaping project on private property turned into a financial and legal nightmare after remains were discovered on the site. In just a few months, the owner has faced more than $100,000 in archaeological, legal and security costs... with no compensation, no appeal process, and no clear timeline for resolution. Guest: Ravi Parmar - B.C. Forests Minister Learn m...

President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland have strained relations with America's key NATO allies. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, criticized Trump's approach on Tuesday, warning of potential retaliation. A worsening lack of accessible public washrooms in Vancouver is fueling growing frustration among residents and businesses, and in some cases, driving pe...

Topics discussed today: 1. Surrey Extortion Shooting – Shots Fired Back 2. The Use of Public Cameras By the Police to Address Crime Issues Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A worsening lack of accessible public washrooms in Vancouver is fuelling growing frustration among residents and businesses, and in some cases, driving people to leave the city altogether. Guest: Landon Hoyt - Executive director of the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government has launched a national compensation program giving gun owners until March 31, 2026 to declare whether they’ll turn in or permanently deactivate their firearms. Small business owners across British Columbia are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a shoplifting crisis that’s hurting their bottom lines and their peace of mind. Earlier this month, a woman wrote a lett...

A person (or persons) inside a Surrey home where an extortion-related shooting took place on Saturday is now under investigation for allegedly returning fire. Guest: Elenore Sturko - MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Court of Appeal on Friday ruled that the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to quell the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” protests was unreasonable. With Vancouver set to host seven FIFA World Cup games in 2026, the hospitality industry says the province is putting unnecessary red tape in the way of businesses trying to make the most of the moment. Finally, we make some predictions f...

Reactions continue to pour in over the landmark Canada/China trade deal. How will this affect our immediate and log-term future? Guest: Flavio Volpe - President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberal government says it has reached a “preliminary but landmark” trade deal with Beijing, easing tariffs on a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for China dropping steep duties on Canadian agricultural products like canola seed, peas, lobster and crab. Guest: Margaret McCuaig Johnston - Senior Fellow, School of Public & International Affairs, at University of Ottawa, a...