10/3: Canada Covered

This may sound a lot like the detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor late last year after Canada arrested an executive with Huawei. The two were formally arrested on May 16 and face charges related to state security. But this is the harrowing story of Canadian couple Kevin and Julia Garratt who had lived in China for 30 years before they were taken into custody. Dave is joined by...

Dark new details about Canadian serial killer Bruce McArthur have been unsealed by the courts. The details come from passages within some 6,000 pages of police documents on the investigation into the deaths of eight men who went missing from Toronto’s gay village. Dave is joined by National Post investigative reporter Adrian Humphreys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian Vice Admiral Mark Norman can declare victory on the legal battlefield and return to his post. The high-ranking Royal Canadian Navy officer will not be heading to trial on a charge of breach of trust tied to allegations he leaked sensitive information about a contract to buy a navy supply ship. The case against him was dismissed in Ottawa on Wednesday. Dave is joined by National Post colum...

Canola is big business in Canada, but for nearly two months, that business has taken a hit because of a ban on Canadian canola by China. That ban is especially hard-felt in Saskatchewan, which grows more than half of what Canada produces. The Chinese regime says it’s because of concerns over pests, but is likely part of a growing trade war that was sparked with the arrest of Huawei exec Meng Wengz...

A reputed mob boss was left clinging to life after he was gunned down last week in Mississauga. Pat Musitano was shot four times outside his lawyers office, the latest in a number of brazen shootings tied to southern Ontario’s criminal underworld. Dave is joined Toronto Sun crime writer Brad Hunter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allegations of sexual abuse have been levelled against a high-profile Canadian track and field coach. Several former athletes have claimed they were sexually abused when they were 15 and 16 years old, while being trained by Ken Porter, who coached in Edmonton in the 1970s and early ‘80s. He was recently suspended from his role as president of the Ottawa Lions track and field club pending an invest...

Chinese wireless giant Huawei has been under much scrutiny over security concerns and its ties to the Chinese government. It has launched a major charm offensive as it seeks to have its infrastructure as part of the 5G network in Canada. We look at whose minds Huawei is trying to change, how much urgency there is, and what the concerns are about the company. Dave is joined by Emily Jackson, host o...

Coming April 24: There hasn’t yet been a podcast dedicated to a wide range of Canadian business stories. We want to change that.  Down to Business is a new podcast devoted to what you need to know about Canadian business this week in under 30 minutes. Hosted by the Financial Post's Emily Jackson. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason's Kenney United Conservative Party won a majority government in Alberta's election Tuesday, defeating the NDP. Throughout the campaign, Kenney presented a vision of Alberta under siege on all sides. The former Stephen Harper cabinet minister vowed a much more combative approach to dealing with Justin Trudeau's Liberals and anyone else he thinks is preventing Alberta oil from getting to marke...

Could foreign actors be trying to meddle in our federal election this fall? Could it already be happening? Why would an other country want to mess with politics in polite, apologetic Canada? We look at a recent report into threats posed to our electoral process, The countries we should be worried about, and what the risk to Canada is. Dave is joined by Vancouver Sun columnist Daphne Bramham. Learn...

Being able to watch what you want when you want it, has helped drive the success of streaming services like Netflix and Crave. But with more services set to come online, Canadian consumers can expect a splintered market of services and more subscriptions to get all the content they want. We look at what sparked all this change, who the new players are and the looming notion of subscription fatigue...

April 7 marked the anniversary of the death of Logan Boulet, who died a day after many of his Humboldt Bronco’s teammates were killed in a crash involving the team bus. Boulet survived long enough so that he could fulfill a wish to be an organ donor, something he was inspired to do by a former trainer. We look at the motivation behind Green Shirt Day and how his parents are hoping to create a last...

Living up to one of his key election promises, Quebec Premier Francois Legault’s government introduced its secularism bill recently. One of Bill 21’s most controversial sections deals with religious symbols, and would ban public workers in positions of authority from wearing them. We look at who the ban affects, what symbols are being banned and how some are saying they won’t follow the new rules....

Just when you think the SNC Lavalin affair might go away for the Justin Trudeau Liberals, it blows up again. Most recently, a recorded conversation was released by former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who previously testified to the justice committee that she felt she was being in appropriately pressured to intervene in a prosecution against the Quebec based company. Dave is joined by Nat...

The Humboldt Broncos bus crash last April killed 16 people and injured 13 others. While several of the survivors have returned to hockey, other members of the team have faced a long recovery. One of those players is Ryan Straschnitzki, who was paralyzed from the chest down. Over the past year, Straz has proven to be the picture of determination in the wake of devastation. Dave is Joined by Calgary...

Just who are the people refusing to vaccinate their children? Why do they believe what they do? And why is it so hard to convince them that vaccines really do work? We look at these questions and how Ontario is trying tackle the frustrating problem of the online anti-vax campaign. Dave is joined by National Post reporters Tyler Dawson and Sharon Kirkey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Alberta's election campaign is underway.  United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney appeared poised to coast to victory. But details of a scandal revolving around his 2017 leadership campaign means his character has become a major election issue. Dave is joined by Edmonton Journal legislative reporter Clare Clancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last Friday, a lone gunman burst in on two mosques in Christchurch new Zealand, killing 50 people and injuring 50 more. The gunman is a self-described eco-fascist who says he was inspired by other white nationalist extremists, as well as a hatred of muslims. We look at how intelligence agencies view these threats, how the shooting may change that view, and how the online community is connecting th...

Ontario has a new top cop, but the process to replace the outgoing OPP commissioner was anything but smooth. Premier Doug Ford found himself in political hot water after a senior officer with ties to the Ford family was initially named the new OPP boss. We look at why the decision was so controversial, what the fallout has been, and how the Ford government can move past it. Learn more about your a...

With an election looming in Alberta and a federal ballot on the horizon on for the fall, you're going to hear a lot about carbon taxes in the next few months. Whether it's the fight between Ontario, Saskatchewan and Ottawa or the NDP and Conservatives, the idea of the of a carbon tax is a political hot potato.  Edmonton Journal reporters Janet French and Emma Graney join dave to dig into the data...

Jody Wilson Raybould spoke her truth to the parliamentary justice committee, and in the process made some pretty damning allegations about the prime minister, and other high ranking officials. But what ripple effects will the former justice minister’s testimony have? We look at why the SNC Lavalin affair could be so damaging to the Liberal government, where the issue could go next, and how this co...

Bombshell allegations of political interference by top-level political staffers, and even the prime minister himself hit Parliament hill this week. Former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she felt there were veiled threats and inappropriate political pressure from people high up in government over the prosecution of Quebec firm SNC Lavalin. Host Dave Breakenridge is joined by National Po...

Quebec’s rookie premier, Francois Legault, promised some major immigration reforms as part of his election plan last fall. But a judge this week struck down part of a bill that would have seen 18,000 applications to a skilled workers program shredded. We look at why the judge ruled against the province, why the move was so contentious, and where Quebec is at with further reforms. Dave is joined by...

People who want to see a new pipeline carrying Alberta oil to the west coast got a bit of good news last week. The National Energy Board released another ruling on the Trans Mountain project that says it’s in the national interest to get the pipe built. But how far does that get us in the process? We look at what the ruling said, what hurdles the project still faces, and what the delays say about...

Western Canadians, many of them upset with Justin Trudeau, his carbon tax and inaction on pipelines, took to the highway over the last week. The United We Roll convoy did just that, they rolled from Red Deer Alberta to Ottawa, where they stayed for a couple of days. But the movement did come with a bit of a muddled message. Dave is joined by National Post reporter Tyler Dawson. Learn more about yo...