10/3: Canada Covered

What happens when you get over an infection, but it never really goes away?  For thousands, perhaps 10s of thousands, of people across Canada, recovering from COVID hasn’t actually meant recovering, but instead a long journey of potentially debilitating symptoms, with no end in sight for them.  Vancouver Sun reporter Lori Culbert joins Dave to discuss how widespread long-COVID is, how debilitating...

When Canada’s Olymians arrive in Tokyo later this month it won’t be the games that they, or anyone was expecting. While events are going forward, Japan is limiting who can come into the country, and of course there’s the whole concern lingering due to a global pandemic. Postmedia national sports writer Dan Barnes joins Dave to discuss how the pandemic changed training and qualifying for athletes,...

An Alberta woman who admitted to fatally shooting her husband is now fighting to have her 18-year sentence for manslaughter reduced. In 2017, Helen Naslund admitted to shooting her abusive husband Miles in the head in 2011, and hiding his body with the help of one of their sons. Edmonton Journal reporter Jonny Wakefield joins me to discuss the events that led to the killing, why the sentence was a...

The discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school in Saskatchewan has once again renewed focus on Canada’s track record on reconciliation and its treatment of First Nations peoples. The find is the latest in a series of discoveries since 215 unmarked graves were found at a Kamloops site, drawing international attention on Canada. National Post reporter Chris N...

Just when we think we have a handle on the pandemic, we get thrown another curveball. COVID-19 cases in Canada are on the decline, vaccinations are up, and provinces are starting to re-open, but a new variant has taken hold here, potentially leaving us vulnerable to a new spike in infections. National Post health reporter Sharon Kirkey joins Dave to talk about where the variant has taken hold in C...

As the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on, some businesses have raised concerns over their ability to keep workers on staff due to shutdowns, but also due to government benefits and COVID anxiety keeping people at home.  And as the government looks to roll back some of these benefits, there are concerns that it’s too soon, as it’s unclear whether we’re approaching a true return to normal.  National...

In the plan to reduce Canada’s carbon emissions, Alberta’s oil industry has stuck out as a question mark.  It’s a major driver of the economy, but does produce a lot of emissions. But 5 of the biggest players in the oilsands have announced they plan to get to net-zero by 2050.  Calgary Herald columnist Chris Varcoe joins Dave to discuss what’s behind the announcement, how the companies plan to get...

Four members of a Muslim family in London Ontario were killed and their young son injured when a driver plowed into them.  That driver has been charged with murder and police say it’s a hate-motivated crime based on the victims' religion.  London Free Press reporters Jennifer Bieman and Jonathan Juha join Dave to talk about the victims, the police investigation and how this horrific crime has rock...

As Canada appears to be nearing the end of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Manitoba is still facing a crisis point at its hospitals.  The peak for hospitalizations is expected to hit this week in Manitoba, even as cases are declining, forcing the transfer of patients to other provinces, such as Alberta and Ontario.  Winnipeg Sun columnist Josh Aldrich joins Dave to discuss the current str...

Canada’s dark legacy of residential schools has forced back into the spotlight with the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at a site in Kamloops. It has renewed calls for reconciliation, while reminding Canadians that thousands of Indigenous children who were taken from their homes never returned.   And it has once again sparked pressure on governments to do their part to find where children may be...

The light is at the end of the long COVID-19 tunnel.  That is at least the message Canadians are getting from many provincial premiers, who have released re-opening plans as we sit on the cusp of summer.  But it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.  National Post reporter Tyler Dawson joins Dave to discuss what’s behind the differing approaches, why we’re getting these plans now, and when we could...

Quebec is in the midst of another debate over language.  The CAQ government has tabled Bill 96, which seeks to update the longstanding Bill 101, in an effort to protect the French language in Quebec.   But as these things usually go, the government has courted controversy.  Montreal Gazette political reporter Philip Authier joins Dave to discuss what the bill covers, concerns being raised over Ang...

Could all the talk about COVID-19 in the last 14 month have made us more fearful of the virus than we should be?  There’s no doubt COVID-19 is a serious virus and that public health measures have been needed to try to stem the spread, but along with those have come stress and anxiety — especially among younger people — tied to inflated perceptions of the virus’s risk.  National Post reporter Trist...

COVID-19 has effectively cancelled many activities we enjoyed and even took for granted. Sporting events, dining out, but also, concerts, movies and plays.  The arts sector in Canada is a big contributor to the economy but has taken a beating over the last 14 months.  Calgary Herald arts reporter Eric Volmers joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss what facets of the arts sector have been hardest hit,...

Conservative infighting in Alberta came to a head last week, when Jason Kenney’s UCP caucus kicked out two of its members. The vote came after one MLA stepped down as chair of the caucus and told the premier it was time to resign. But it’s just the latest in attempts by some MLAs to undermine the premier.   Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell joins Dave to discuss why the MLAs were voted out, whether...

Could a federal bill really seek to regulate your cat videos on YouTube, or dance challenges on Tik Tok?  Will it control what you see when you log onto popular streaming sites?   That’s been the concern as MPs have debated Bill C-10, which updates Canada’s Broadcast Act. But what will the bill actually do?  National Post political reporter Anja Karadeglija joins Dave to discuss the overall intent...

Notorious NHL tough guy Tom Wilson found himself at the centre of more controversy when he was fined, but not suspended, for violations on the ice in a game against the New York Rangers.  The $5,000 penalty for the Washington Capitals forward sparked a brawl-filled rematch, but also plenty of criticism of how the league dealt with the whole incident  Postmedia National Sports columnist Scott Stins...

Alberta has been battered by the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a case rate higher than any U.S. state or Canadian province.  And after weeks of pressure, and various smaller measures, Premier Jason Kenney announced a host of new restrictions this week to try to flatten the curve.  Lisa Johnson, who covers provincial politics for the Edmonton Journal, walks us through the new measures,...

Amid growing pressure to address allegations of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Forces, the federal government announced an external review of how the military handles these cases.  The announcement follows high-profile allegations against current and former high-ranking soldiers in the Canadian Forces, including the former Chief of Defence Staff  National Post Political reporter Christopher Nar...

As a horrible second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic ravages India, there has been pressure on the Trudeau government to enact travel measures to prevent further spread of variants in Canada.  In response to that pressure the government announced a ban on direct flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days. But did it come too late to make a difference? Toronto Sun reporter Bryan Passifiume joins Dav...

The Canadian Football league has unveiled a bold plan for a return to play this year after missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  While the start of the season has been pushed back later into the summer, the league is eyeing games with fans in the stands, and the latest Grey Cup Ever.  Postmedia national sports writer Dan Barnes joins Dave to discuss the plan, why having in-person...

The Trudeau Liberals delivered their first budget since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an eye to post-pandemic economic recovery.  But it also shows the government eyeing an election.  Parliamentary Bureau Chief and National Post Columnist John Ivison joins Dave to discuss the spending priorities of the budget, what it means for Canada’s bottom line long term, and how it potential...

In the debate over provincial restrictions to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been holdouts. Restaurants who ignore bans on indoor dining, hair salons cutting instead of closing. And there have been churches keeping their pews filled instead of abiding by capacity restrictions or moving services to the web.    In Alberta, one Edmonton-area church has become a flashpoint in the C...

Canada’s economy may have slowed through the pandemic, but the housing market has remained hot.  And, unlike past years where price increases have been focused on major centres, we’re seeing growth right across the country, due in part to an exodus to the suburbs.  Tristin Hopper from the National Post explains why people are flocking to smaller centres, how that’s affecting the market across the...

While the country has been consumed with COVID-19, a deadly epidemic continued unabated.  Drug overdose deaths linked to the opioid crisis hit record levels in 2020, in part due to the pandemic, and 2021 is shaping up to be another tragic year.  Alanna Smith, who covers the opioid crisis for the Calgary Herald, joins the show to discuss the role the pandemic played in a spike in overdoses, what is...