10/3: Canada Covered

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...

We have known for nearly half a century that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can harm an unborn child. But the rate of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is higher than expected, and could outpace more widely understood disorders such as autism. We talk with Vanessa Hrvatin, recipient of the 2018 Lang Fellowship in Journalism. We look at how great the risk of FASD is, who is most affe...

Months before a federal election, the Liberal government is embroiled in a potentially damaging scandal.  This one surrounds a major Canadian company, SNC Lavalin, that is facing charges related to business dealings in Libya, and whether the Prime Minister’s office applied political pressure on then Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to order federal prosecutors to expedite the case in a manner...

When it comes to disrupting major organized crime activities, getting drugs off the streets is the easy part. For officers who are tasked with following the money, getting charges laid and getting convictions to stick is a big problem. Dave and Vancouver Sun investigative reporter Gordon Hoekstra look at how big a problem money laundering is, how criminals are trying to move that cash, and challen...

Admitted Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur was addicted to killing, says Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington. McArthur is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison for the brutal murder of eight men from Toronto's gay community. Warmington joins Dave to discuss the fallout from the case for police. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You practically can’t go a day without stumbling along a mocking story about an industry or trend being killed by Millennials. But despite taking a lot of flack from Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers, things aren’t so peachy for those born from the early ‘80s to the late ‘90s. Dave is joined by Ottawa Citizen reporter Vito Pilieci. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our police and firefighters and paramedics. They’re the ones who rush to our aid when we’re hurt, or victims of crime, or our homes are burning. And that work — at crime scenes and traumatic injuries and raging infernos — places a heavy burden on those on the job. We take a look how the emotional toll cost a veteran police officer his career. Dave is joined by Windsor Star reporter Trevor Wilhelm....

We’re 100 days into Canada's grand legal pot experiment. And despite a lot of predictions ranging from government blunders to total chaos, is it really all that noticeable? We’ll look at how Canada has fared with legalized cannabis, how the market has grown, what challenges there are to overcome and what the future holds for marijuana in Canada. Dave is joined by Megan Henderson, executive produce...

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the man alleged to be the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, is on trial in Brooklyn New York He is accused of running an operation that smuggled tons of drugs into the U.S., as well as into Canada. We look at what was being smuggled into Canada, how far into our country the drug operation reached, and at the men authorities allege were his connections in this country. Learn...

Obviously the sales job offered by former B.C. realtor Howard Chong was solid, as he’s accused of 10 counts of fraud. He presented himself as everything from a Chinese pop singer to a rep for a high-end investment firm, a private investigator claims. He’s also now on the lam. Dave is joined by Vancouver Sun reporter Dan Fumano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A major pipeline project saw opposition swell last week, and no, it had nothing to do with Alberta oil. A blockade against a natural gas pipeline from the Peace Country to Kitimat on the West Coast sparked arrests and rallies of support across the country. We look at who is behind the blockade, what issues they have with the project and what the dispute raises about consultations with First Nation...

The trial of Gerald Stanley, and the arrest of Eddie Maurice brought the issue of rural crime to the forefront in 2018. Amid the discussion last year, many residents in rural communities said they were worried about an increase in property crime, and an overtaxed RCMP that may not be able to respond to calls in far-flung areas. We sat down to talk about at what drove these concerns, how police wer...