CANADALAND

Mark Carney is a YouTuber now. Over the weekend the Prime Minister released the first episode of his new YouTube series Forward Guidance. It’s a tightly scripted, “intimate” video designed to project calm authority while walking Canadians through an increasingly shaky relationship with the United States. It’s part history lesson, part recycled campaign slogans, and highly reminiscent of FDR’s fire...

A few years ago, British Columbia made history by becoming the first province to turn the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into law through the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).  It passed unanimously, with just 14 minutes of debate. Seven years later, DRIPA is at the center of one of the most divisive political fights in the c...

Today we're talking about the breakdown of discourse — the culture wars. It's not just in universities, it affects our interactions with everything from the government to schools, workplaces, and more. After over ten years of it, it seems more pointless and degrading than ever.   Ric Bienstock is a director of the new two-part CBC documentary series, Speechless . It explores a variety of...

With his new majority, the timer really starts on Carney’s ability to provide meaningful results for Canadians.  San Grewal and Kaveh Shahrooz consider if Carney has made headway on key issues like affordability, housing, immigration, and crime. He said he’d move fast, but what’s the hold up?  It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or send them over t...

With peace talks stalled, Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the ceasefire set to expire next week, the situation in Iran is precarious. Meanwhile, in Canada, the mood in the large Iranian-Canadian diaspora is changing, as the Iranian regime remains in place while the impacts of the war on civilians and infrastructure accumulate.  With the geopolitics of the Middle East in flux, co...

Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals took over Montreal for their convention. But it felt less like a meeting of the minds and more like a lame Coachella.  With a Liberal majority already assumed after socially conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crossed the floor last week, host Noor Azrieh was there trying to figure out what it means to be a Liberal right now, and if Mark Carney can manage...

Did Jesse break the law? Why did an anti-Canadaland subreddit explode in popularity? And why did today's episode infuriate so many people before it was even published?  Finally, who is Spoonkymonkey, and what does he have to do with it all? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)...

Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crosses the floor to the Liberal government. Known for her socially conservative views, Carney’s newest MP has some questioning just how big the Liberal tent has become. Meanwhile, reports of Poilievre’s disgruntled caucus intensify. Is there more blood in the water?  Host: Sam Konnert Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact...

Jeremy Hansen makes history as the first Canadian to travel to the moon, but why is Canada on board with this latest iteration of the space race?  China plans to reach the moon by 2030, and future US efforts will involve Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin. Meanwhile, Canadian companies are bidding to put nuclear reactors on the moon.  Are we sure we should be colonizing the moon? Host:...

The notwithstanding clause has been controversial since it was written into Canada’s Constitution, and now it’s facing its biggest test yet. The Supreme Court of Canada just wrapped up its longest-ever hearing on Bill 21 — Quebec’s law on religious symbols. What started as a debate over laïcité has become a major constitutional showdown. Host Noor speaks with Pearl Eliadis to break down what’s rea...

Nardwuar the Human Serviette is one of the biggest media personalities to come out of Canada. He’s a prolific interviewer with a knack for shocking his guests by bringing up little-known personal details about their lives during interviews. He’s an absurd figure beloved by hip hop stars. He’s a punk from Vancouver who has 100s of millions of views on YouTube but still does his weekly community rad...

Two major legal rulings against social media giants in the US are being heralded as the “Big Tobacco” moment for Big Tech.  But will the courts actually be able to protect users from harm on these platforms?  Here in Canada, attempts to regulate big tech companies have largely failed, but Carney’s government has signalled a renewed focus on addressing online harms. Will the government co...

Here’s the thing — spotting fake news is harder than we like to admit. At Canadaland, we spend all day in the media. We’re supposed to know what’s real and what’s not. But when you want something to be true? You let it slide. You give it the benefit of the doubt. So we put it to our staff and you, the audience: tell us your fake news stories. The harmless ones, the ones that fooled you for a secon...

Air Canada’s CEO retires early following backlash around his inability to speak French.  An English-only statement from Michael Rousseau following the tragic accident at LaGuardia airport sparked a heated debate around bilingualism. Politicians expressed their disappointment, columnists and commenters online debated Air Canada’s language requirements. Even Elon Musk weighed in.   Sh...

Mark Carney has proposed a 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to Quebec City, with trains reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. It would be Canada’s first true high-speed rail system. On paper, the idea is appealing. But building it is far from straightforward.  Host Noor Azrieh, tries to answer the question: how do you build ambitious, nation-shaping infrastructure in a cou...

Why are media companies like CNN and Substack joining forces with prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi? Both Polymarket and Kalshi have been all over the news and editorial pages: will these markets be a blight of insider trading and foreign interference? The next step on the slippery slope to online gambling addiction? Should we really be able to bet on kidnapping, war, the timing of som...

The NDP is picking a new leader, but can any of the candidates lead them back to relevance?  In Manitoba this weekend, the NDP is gathering to name a new leader, but a recent poll suggests that almost half of previous NDP voters don’t recognize the names of the candidates.  Avi Lewis is the frontrunner, with impressive fundraising and big ideas, but will his playbook translate into natio...

How does Rogan fit into Poilievre’s larger strategic shift? Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience has already been viewed by millions, and, surprisingly, many political commentators in Canada are applauding his performance.  Zain Velji joins Noor Azrieh to consider what Poilievre’s longform bro-fest can tell us about his political strategy going forward. Host: Noor Azrieh...

The scramble for CUSMA has begun. Lobbyists are lobbying. Negotiators are negotiating. And, while that’s all kicking off, there’s another less visible channel of diplomacy. The Canada-US Interparliamentary Group. A network of Canadian MPs, senators, and members of Congress who meet every year to keep our relationship going and talk through issues that could otherwise spiral into major dispute...

Over a decade ago journalist Laura Robinson broke this story of alleged abuse against Indigenous children at a school in Burns Lake, B.C.. The man at the centre of the allegations is someone who had risen to international prominence in the sports world.  It's been a tale of twists and turns with the RCMP investigating the abuse allegations and declining to press charges. Robinson and the accu...

The scandals of Doug Ford and Danielle Smith continue to make headlines, but it appears to have little impact on them politically.  Now, Ford is changing the rules around Freedom of Information to make it harder to hold him accountable. Smith has also been criticized for her government’s approach to information requests. This clawback on the access of information is a trend in other governmen...

Gas prices are back in the news as the Iran War disrupts global oil supply. Columnists are weighing in on what it all means for Canada’s energy future. With Carney’s commitment to making Canada an energy superpower, do we barrel forward with increased oil production or renew our commitment to renewables? Max Fawcett of Canada’s National Observer joins San Grewal to drill beneath the headlines.&nbs...

Investigative reporters have uncovered a network of these crypto-to-cash desks operating across Canada. And some of the transactions moving through them appear linked to crypto wallets allegedly associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. So how could money tied to a sanctioned regime end up moving through Toronto? Host Noor Azrieh speaks with reporters behind the global investigation,...

Anthony Duncan turned his chatbot into his therapist. That was the start of a journey that ended in the psych ward. How did Anthony’s bot go from helping him write emails to egging on the wildest, and darkest, of his delusions? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Julian Abraham (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of A...

Former CBC host Travis Dhanraj promised to “pull the curtain back” and reveal what is really happening inside the CBC. On Tuesday, he testified in parliament that he experienced bias, tokenism, and bullying at the public broadcaster.  Conservative voices are calling his testimony “explosive” and “shocking,” while others consider his concerns “pedestrian” and “absurd.”    ...