Brian Crombie Radio Hour

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews David Tsubouchi and Marc Kealey.  "How did you get where you are today?". At public speaking events, this is the most frequent question young professionals ask former Ontario politician David Tsubouchi and governance and communications consultant Marc Kealey. The answer: it is impossible to succeed alone. David  has served as the Honorary Consul...

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Don Wright. Don is a senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute and senior counsel at Global Public Affairs. He previously served as deputy minister to B.C.’s premier, cabinet secretary and head of the public service. Don talks about his article: "The Canadian Promise is Broken.” He writes: “Canada’s performance in terms of generating steady, year-...

Today on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews David Perry. David is the President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, an independent, non-partisan international policy think tank, where his research focuses on Canadian defense spending and Procurement. David touches on Canadian National Defense, the 2% of GDP target which might be doubled, what we should spend on, Golden Dome, je...

Today on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Christopher Coates. Lt.-Gen. (Ret’d) Christopher Coates is director of national defence and foreign policy at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. His contributions to the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security are informed by a 34-year military career in which he served in senior leadership roles alongside Canada’s allies and defence partners, includi...

Today Brian Crombie interviews Peter Dickinson. Peter is the editor of the UkraineAlert blog at the Eurasia Center and the publisher of Business Ukraine and Lviv Today magazines. Born in the United Kingdom and a permanent resident of Ukraine for nearly twenty years, Peter has worked to develop awareness of Ukrainian current affairs and issues in English-speaking countries. He established himself a...

Today on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Sandra Venere. Sandra is the author of "7 Keys to Unlock Your Dream Life", and the book which we are highlighting today called “Pain To Power". She is a wellness and business coach who runs her own online coaching business, where she helps individuals discover their vision and make decisions that guide them toward their goals and dreams. Sandra als...

Today on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Dora Konomi. Dora is a dynamic lawyer, radio host, and community advocate known for her strategic mindset and passion for litigation. With a focus on civil and commercial litigation—including construction disputes, fraud, debt enforcement, and condominium law—Dora has earned a strong reputation as a trusted advocate in complex legal matters. She is...

In today's episode of The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews John Pasalis. John is the President of Realosophy Realty, a Toronto real estate brokerage which uses data analysis to advise residential real estate buyers, sellers and investors. As a specialist in real estate data analysis, John's research focuses on unlocking micro trends in the Greater Toronto Area real estate market. His research...

On today's episode of The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Bryce Tingle. Bryce is the N. Murray Edwards Chair in Business at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law and a member of the Alberta Securities Commission. He is the author of several books, most recently, "Hard Lessons in Corporate Governance". Bryce highlights his article: "Everything is on fire: why corporate governance in Canad...

On today's episode of The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Laurent Carbonneau. Laurent Carbonneau is the Director of Policy and Research at the Council of Canadian Innovators. He previously worked in federal politics in legislative, policy and issues management roles for a senior MP and in the NDP leader’s office as well as on a national central campaign. Laurent Carbonneau talks about Prime M...

Brian interviews Donna Besel. Donna is the author of “The Unravelling” a brave, riveting telling of the destruction caused by sexual assault within a family, and the physical, psychological, emotional, financial, and legal tolls survivors often shoulder. It’s the antithesis of why a wedding should be memorable. In 1992, at a sister’s nuptials, Donna Besel’s family members discovered that their fat...

Brian interviews Journalist Kathleen Lippa. Kathleen has written "Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horne Against Children in Canada's North". After years of research, Kathleen has written about the shocking crimes of trusted teacher Ed Horne who wrought lasting damage on Inuit communities in Canada’s Arctic. In the 1970s, a young schoolteacher from British Columbia was becoming the darling of...

Brian interviews John Ruffolo. John is Founder & Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity. He says: now that 6 months of elections (US, Ontario, Canada) are now over, I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted. I would hope that the post-election ranting and cheer-leading end so we could get down to business with what really matters to Canada. Like I have repeatedly said many times, the shen...

Brian welcomes on two guests. Tim Welsh is author of "Ley Lines". This book is a fascinating exploration around the mythos of the gold rush and southern Canada’s— and the world’s—fascination with the North. Set in the waning days of the Klondike Gold Rush, Ley Lines begins in the mythical boom town of Sawdust City, Yukon Territory. Luckless prospector Steve Ladle has accepted an unusual job offer:...

Brian interviews two different guests. Catherine Bush, a master of Canadian eco-fiction, poses trenchant questions about humanity’s reaction to the ongoing influence of climate-based disaster, investigates relationships between the human and more-than-human, and explores a world where touch and intimacy are both desirable and fraught. Her blistering new book of short fiction "Skin" presents an ext...

Brian interviews George Minakakis. George is the Founder and CEO of Inception Retail Group Inc., an advisory firm serving consumer-facing businesses across industries, from traditional retail to healthcare. George Minakakis helps senior executives craft next-generation strategies, foster innovation, and develop their organizations into Human - AI First Companies. In addition to leading the firm, G...

Brian interviews Jeff Mahon. Jeff is Director of StrategyCorp’s Geopolitical and International Business Advisory. He is also an Executive in Residence at the Canada West Foundation. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director at Global Affairs Canada’s China Division, was Nunavut’s Chief Negotiator for the Canadian Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and ran his own import and export brokerage comp...

Brian interviews James Cairns. James is a professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, Law and Social Justice at Wilfrid Laurier University, where his courses and research focus on political theory and social movements. Drawing on social research, pop culture and literature, as well as on his experience as an activist, father and teacher, James Cairns explores the ecological crisis, Trump's...

Brian interviews Paula Manuel. A Registered Nurse for 40 years, Paula Manuel has cared for children from 23 weeks (premature infants) to 104 years old. She is a resource on how to optimize the well-being of nurses. Paula has been a direct care clinician, award winning leader and recognized by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario for an Award of Merit, lifetime achievement, and a few days a...

Brian interviews Jacqueline Murray. Jacqueline is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Guelph, Adjunct Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto and a Fellow of St Michael’s College (UofT). Her career has been devoted to teaching students about the Middle Ages, researching the impact of ecclesiastical teachings on values, ideas and everyday medieval people. She is al...

Brian replays a show with his mom, Flora Crombie, about Mother’s Day art. 📌 My mom was a docent at the National Art Gallery of Art in Ottawa and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and was wonderful at explaining art and describing appreciation for the colours, textures and perspective that would really bring art alive for me, and many others. I miss my calls, dinners, tours and great advice fr...

Brian interviews Kelly Harris. Kelly is Principal of Toronto-based Kensington Strategies, specializing in communications and government relations. A reporter by trade he has worked across Canada, In British Columbia in the former Gordon Campbell BC Liberal Government he served in several roles. In Ontario he was part of the Ontario PC Opposition under Tim Hudak. We discuss: - The single most impor...

Brian interviews Josh Matlow. Josh is a lifelong resident of Midtown Toronto and has represented Toronto St Paul’s since 2010. Prior to his role as Councillor, he served as co-director of Earthroots, a leading environmental organization, where he championed the protection of the Oak Ridges Moraine. As a former school trustee and a dedicated community advocate, Josh has a strong track record of fig...

Brian starts the show with his agenda for the Trump meeting as Canada's new PM Mark Carney meets with President Trump. Then he interviews Benjamin Hoy. Benjamin is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Saskatchewan and author of “A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands”, which showcases how regional conflicts, po...

Brian interviews Phillip Millar. As a former Combat Officer, Phillip brings a refreshing approach to legal services. Phillip does not shy away from conflict as he has a Masters in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation and is skilled at fixing problems and winning in high-stakes scenarios. Phillip Millar talks about his provocative article “How to Lose by Playing Not to Lose - Playing It Safe Cost Pi...