10/3: Canada Covered

The reduced sentence for an Edmonton man convicted of five sexual assaults has once again raised concerns about how Canada’s justice system handles cases of sexual violence. Matthew McKnight’s crimes warranted 16 years, the judge said, but ultimately he was handed a sentence of half that amount. Dave is joined by advocate Kristin Raworth, herself a survivor of sexual violence, to discuss why the s...

What started as a controversy about ties between the prime minister’s family and a prominent Canadian charity, and a 900 million dollar government contract has turned into an ethics investigation involving Justin Trudeau and one of his senior ministers, as well as more scrutiny on the operations of WE charity. The brewing scandal came to a head last week in key testimony before a parliamentary com...

Canada’s oil and gas sector took a major hit as COVID-19 shut down travel and a price war cratered the cost of a barrel. But as our economy starts to grow again, things are a little more sluggish in the oilpatch. Dave talks with Calgary Herald business columnist Chris Varcoe about how the industry has rebounded, what the pandemic has done to the bottom lines of some big players, and what the outlo...

This is the time of summer when parents are thinking about back to school. New clothes for the kids. New school supplies. Watching their children grow. But COVID-19 has added a new dimension to the back to school discussion: how to do so safely, while we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. While some provinces are still working out plans or waiting on school boards to submit theirs, Alberta laid...

This episode is part of Postmedia’s Reopening Canada series, a look at how the country’s economy is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite diving into a deep recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s economy is reopening, and showing signs of growth. Experts say while the recession was as deep as anyone can remember, it is relatively short-lived. But how long Canada will take...

What seemed like a noble program in the middle of a pandemic — a grant that would pay students for volunteer hours — has turned into a political nightmare for the prime minister. The Justin Trudeau government’s $900-million Canada Student Service Grant  program was awarded to WE Charity, an organization with ties to the PM and his family members. Amid controversy, WE has pulled out of the project,...

Among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic was the air travel industry, as restrictions on movement and social distancing rules meant no one was flying. Now the economy is starting to re-open, airlines and airports are facing a struggle to coax passengers to return to the skies. Dave is joined by Financial Post reporter and Down to Business podcast host Gabe Friedman.  This episode is part o...

Who or what is a Cronk? That’s the question a university of Calgary researcher asked himself when he spotted that word in an 1880s version of a Calgary newspaper. What happened next is the best of all social media stories. Dave is joined by Paul Fairie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When COVID-19 hit, many workers across the country who were able to started working from home. More than three month’s in, and for many, it be a permanent change. But the end of the office isn’t without problems. Dave is joined by Financial Post reporter Vanmala Subramaniam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid calls for sweeping police reform in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, some have been wondering what any changes will mean for community safety? How would a reformed police respond to gang violence? Why is it important that they do? And what needs to be done to steer people from the gang lifestyle? Dave is joined by Jamil Jivani, author Why Young Men: The Dangerous Allure of Violent Mov...

Calls for police reform are growing louder in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and in Canada, the debate is starting to hit city halls and provincial legislatures across the country. In Edmonton, city council is in the middle of a heated public hearing, where councillors are being told story after story of incidents of racism, and demands for action on defunding or reforming the the police...

Back in April, a Liberal MP from southern Ontario was charged with a series of crimes: criminal harassment, assault and break-and-enter. But despite the serious nature of the crimes, and the stature of the man accused, the allegations weren’t uncovered until two months later.  Dave BreakenridgeI is joined by National Post crime writer Adrian Humphreys who explains the allegations against the MP, w...

Mobile ordering apps offer consumers a great deal of convenience. No lines, no fuss. But those apps are capable of tracking you and your movements with an almost creepy degree of accuracy. Dave is joined National Post Technology Reporter James McLeod about how he discovered Tim Hortons was keeping tabs on him, even when his app wasn’t on, how much detail they collected and why consumers should be...

As the world stands up in protest of police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis cops, talk grows louder of the need for drastic reforms. Among the solutions being discussed are changes to drug policy, an end to street checks or carding, and pulling money from police budgets to put into better mental health and social supports. Many are calling for "defu...

The death of George Floyd after a Minnesota police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes has led to protests all over the U.S. Protests here in Canada have also led to a discussion about systemic racism in this country. Dave is joined by the Financial Post’s Vanmala Subramaniam who discusses what that systemic racism is, why there is debate about it in Canada, and how protests sparked by...

The conditions at Ontario long-term care and seniors homes were laid bare in a troubling report from Canadian Forces staff who were working in the facilities to help amid the COVID-19 crisis. But those who follow the issue will tell you that these are ongoing issues in part of the health care system that doesn’t always get the attention it needs. Dave is joined by Ottawa Citizen health reporter El...

A damning report from Canadian Forces staff who were called in to help at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak has revealed horrible conditions at some Ontario long-term care facilities. The report, which focused on conditions at five Toronto-area centres, detailed cockroach infestations, inadequate nutrition, rotten food, and one instance of a resident choking to death after being fed while lying...

The teenager who went on a stabbing rampage at a Toronto massage parlour earlier this year has been hit with terrorism-related charges. The teen’s case marks the first time terrorism charges have been laid in connection with the ideology known as incel, or involuntary celibate, a woman hating online subculture. Dave is joined by the National Post's Joseph Brean. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Masks. Are you wearing one when you go out? As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, masks are likely to become a big part of day-to-day life.   They can help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But how do they affect they way others see us? Or how we see ourselves? What kind of communication challenges will we have?   The Montreal Gazette's Monique Beaudin and the National Post's Sharon Kirkey discus...

COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted across the country, and provinces are trying to find a path back to normalcy while trying to limit the severity of a probable next wave. While cases have fallen off in some areas, Ontario is letting people out of lockdown while still seeing increases in cases. The National Post’s Richard Warnica joins Dave to talk about why Ontario is lifting restrictions now...

Montreal has been the hardest hit by COVID-19 in Canada. While the rest of Quebec begins to open up, Montreal's date has been pushed back. So why has it been so bad there? The Montreal Gazette's Monique Beaudin and Philip Authier discuss all you need to know about Canada's pandemic epicentre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta has the dubious distinction of being the source of the largest single COVID-19 outbreak in North America. Roughly 1,500 cases have been linked to the Cargill beef processing plant south of Calgary. There are also several hundred cases linked to a JBS beef plant near brooks Alberta. Dave is joined by Calgary herald columnist Licia Corbella about how the virus spread, who has been affected b...

Governments in Canada are beginning to plan reopening schools. The evidence is mixed on how much children spread the virus that causes COVID-19.  What would reopened schools look like and is it even possible to get children, especially small children, to stay two metres apart? The Montreal Gazette's Monique Beaudin hosts and is joined by National Post health reporter Sharon Kirkey. Learn more abou...

In the wake of the deadly shooting spree in Nova Scotia, and amid a nation-wide shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban on a number of assault-style weapons. The move, he says, fulfills an election promise, but there is controversy over who it targets and what is left out. National Post columnist Chris Selley joins Dave to talk about the timing of...

We’re getting a clearer picture of what happened the night Gabriel Wortman started his killing spree in Nova Scotia. At the end of nearly 12 hours Wortman had killed 22 people before being gunned down by RCMP at a gas station north of Halifax. Dave speaks with the National Post's Christopher Nardi about what sparked the murders, how Wortman evaded detection for as long as he did and what questions...