Canadian Salad

Act Canadian? Does that mean we say 'eh' a lot? Does that mean we have a high-intake, poutine diet? Does that mean we should drape Canadian flags over our big Ford F150s? What does it mean to act "Canadian"? Before you answer (or think you have an answer), our question to you is to really think about what is "Canadian". Most Canadians can't agree on what is a Can...

The Al-Assad regime has fallen. Syrians around the world celebrated in the streets while Syrians inside Syria reunited with family members once thought to have passed away. Before the regime fell, however, many Syrians fled from the cruelty and violence. How does a person live through unimaginable circumstances and still rise above with advocacy and efforts to liberate not just themselves but othe...

Popular! The new 'Wicked' film is out in theatres and we are giving our full blown amazing analysis of the realities of the gravity we all face in our Western world. Join us as we explore themes of outcasts and resilience, reflecting on how Elphaba's journey mirrors real experiences of marginalized groups. The systems that tiny men have created are but illusions and at some point we...

We are back spilling the tea and roasting online trolls who think that immigrants shouldn't send money back to their families far away. (We know . . . so many levels of eye roll). We hit a viral TikTok milestone and with that came a milestone of ridiculous sentiments about what immigrants should be doing with their money. We call out the hypocrisy of people criticizing immigrants sending mone...

In May of this year, KFC announced the release of Halal chicken at majority of their restaurants across Ontario. As the year went on, what seemed like inclusion only led to exclusion - and the eventual downfall of any inclusive efforts originally made. What went wrong?   Well inclusion can create exclusion when it's done without diversity, equity and without profit-seeking goals in mind. In t...

We recently had a post receive the largest engagement on TikTok - over 19k views and over 300 comments. While some people were nice, most were angry and racist and hateful. The statement that yielded so much anger in our post?  "Immigrants give more to Canada than they take. That's a fact." One comment in particular is a common trope that is often used to argument against immigratio...

In a world where the clangor of discord and strife frequently rises above the whispers of hope, navigating the currents of human connection and inherent goodness can often feel like walking a tightrope. Our latest episode, we take an introspective dive into these themes, examining how to balance the abundant and justified frustrations of the world with the unyielding efforts to recognize and ampli...

We are serving up some serious smackdown on recent ridiculous stereotypes about immigrants. Join us as we roast a cringe-worthy commentator on our TikTok page about immigrants 'living off the tit of government.' From inflatable shark songs to epic takedowns of bad grammar, we'll debunk myths about what immigrants take and spotlight the surplus that immigrants give. With side-splitti...

Meet Bray. A 34-year-old gay black man who was adopted and raised by white parents. Questions of identity and navigating micro aggressions when others around you don’t is but a fraction of Bray’s experience navigating his identity in a white world. Social constructs of what is ‘Black’ or what is ‘White’ all come into question. How do you navigate social expectations and take pride in who you are w...

Workplace anxiety is the number one stressor for immigrants integrating into Canada. And make no mistake, we know why - unspoken expectations, subtle nuances and navigating work place culture. How do you bring your authentic self to the workplace? Is professionalism cultural? What's the difference between cultural values and cultural identities? We will unpack the intricacies of cultural dial...

Why is a simple image of a woman in a hijab deemed controversial in a multicultural city like Montreal? That's easy - power and control. Join us as we confront this pressing question head-on, exploring the biases and discrimination that lurk beneath the surface of triviality of assimilation and the dehumanization of people with government decisions. We dissect the decision by Montreal's...

On November 5th, Donald J. Trump was re-elected to the presidential seat for the United States. His platform built on the dehumanization of immigrants and promises to deport masses of people, is no joke. We know he lies, but when he spouts out racism and hate, we know he is serious and will do what he can to make inhumane things happen In this episode, a close friend and fellow immigrant to Canada...

We get downright fiery as we confront a BC Conservative candidate and immigrant to Canada, Marina  Sapozhnikov, and her racial slur used on BC's election night towards Indigenous people. As immigrants ourselves, we cannot stress enough the necessity and importance of learning Indigenous history as a priority for our integration in Canada. Ignorance and bigotry is not what it means to immigrat...

Like sticking a band-aid on a broken bone, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slapped a large band-aid on a broken issue. On October 24th, Trudeau cut Canada immigration levels by 20%. Does this have anything to do with the increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from the megaphone of the United States conservatives and the false tropes of immigrants that have long gone unchecked? Yes. And, Trudeau,...

In this lively, eyebrow-raising episode of 'Dishes Out', we dive into a recent incident at a Nova Scotia Halloween dance hosted by the North Sydney Fire Department, where four attendees dressed up as Ku Klux Klan members. While some 'apologies' have been made, other comments and reactions water down the fire that this incident created. We will dissect the fire chief's and...

Join us for a spine-chilling journey through Halloween's thrilling lore and global ghostly festivities! Kick off with dive into chilling tales like China's 'Ghost Month,' and Mexico's vibrant Dia de los Muertos. We'll unravel how fear shapes superstitions from graveyards to boogeymen. Discover the origins of zombies from Haitian Voodoo to Nepalese curses, and see how...

Welcome back to our hilarious 'dishes' session, where we sassily tackle negative comments from our socials. This time, we address a YouTube troll who dramatically declared they 'never want to see us again' and signed off with a simplistic 'delete.' We delve into the absurdity of expecting YouTube to obey such commands and humorously speculate why our 'charisma ov...

We all have accents, whether we realize it or not. And in Canada, those who come from outside the borders often are penalized and judged for the sound of their voice. Who we are can often get lost. But what if who we are saves us and keeps us pressing forward, empowering us to be proud and loud of a voice that is our own? That’s what happened with our first guest of season two, Gurasis Singh - imm...

Join us for a witty and eye-opening dive into Canadian history as we tackle the claim and comment left on our socials, "Canadians that happened to be white built Canada." This podcast episode shreds this myth, reminding the history-forgetters of the vital contributions of Chinese laborers, those enslaved from Africa and the Caribbean, and Indigenous communities. We explore pivotal moment...

Feasting! The food, the family and the . . . hierarchy!? Say what? In this post-Thanksgiving episode, we will unpack the culture of feasting and how historically to present day, feasting has always been a universal means of identity, social belonging and cultural expression. Feasts transcend beyond eating a meal inviting us to realize that they reinforce community bonds, hierarchy, tradition, and...

Dive into our brief episode about headphone anatomy and the deeper truths of allyship as we bravely dish it out on ourselves for an unintended slip-up involving the use of the word 'our' in relation to Indigenous people. Hostion and I received feedback about something we said on our podcast. And rather than ignore it, we embrace it. We examine the power of words, drawing parallels with h...

October 7, 2023. It’s a date everyone will remember. A story no one will forget. And with a year of harrowing genocide in the aftermath, we are left feeling angry, traumatized and filled with grief. While the Western narratives of a single sided story prevail, we recognize that there are global voices championing peace and justice for Palestine.  We will unpack and challenge the lack of equity and...

We are back and dishing it out on a person in Ontario who thought it important to put up a highway sign claiming 'White lives matter'. The individual also whines to media saying that Trudeau is paying immigrants to take over the country.  While this is very laughable and quite absurd, the spirit behind these sentiments is extremely harmful. We'll remind those listening that present...

It's October and it's time to vote!! Starting in the Province of BC this October 19, the Canadian Provincial elections are among us. And it is not without surprise that we are pro-voting! What is the engagement at the polls for New Canadian voters? And what even are the political parties? Is the Green Party only about climate change? Which party reflects the majority of Canadians? What d...

We dive into the harmful lies recently and continuously being platformed at rallies and in debates by Donald Trump. His lie: Haitian immigrants are eating pets. These lies are not just infuriating but also dangerous - especially when they are platformed and held unaccountable. We discuss how these narratives have weight in Canada, perpetuating the blame and resentment towards immigrants for issues...