CanCon

This summer, given ... everything going on down there, Canadians are more interested in exploring their own backyard than traveling to the United States. And since we've spent four months exploring everything about this country we need to fix, we wanted to spend Canada Day looking around at everything we don't. No matter where you live, this episode will give you some incredible ideas for your nex...

One of the biggest problems Canadians face—that anyone faces—is the onslaught of misinformation online. Plenty of studies, including a new Reuters News survey, have shown that social media has passed traditional media as the go-to source of news for most Americans and plenty of Canadians. So we can talk about it all day, but what are we doing about it? Canadian journalist Kevin Newman—who has also...

Millions of Canadians are voting with their feet, and their wallets, refusing to travel to the United States this summer—or even cancelling plans they've already made. But not everyone has that luxury. Some travel may not come with cancellation options. Some Canadians need to travel south, for work or to grow their business. And others may have family across the border they need to see. Some of th...

It's been a few months now since the United States placed the first in an ever-changing series of tariffs on Canadian products. And our economy, so far is doing ... alright? Not great, of course, but Canada has not yet been plunged into a recession. Does that showcase our resilience? Might we not suffer as much as originally thought? That's still to be determined. The next couple of months will te...

Canada's new defence minister has promised an effort unseen since World War II to replenish and revitalize our military. How serious is he? Canada has a history of talking about improving its defence but doing very little to make it happen. Is this time different? After Jordan and Laura wonder why we're even pretending to entertain President Trump's latest and greatest attempt to add 'gold' to som...

For a whole lot of Canadians outside the prairie province—and a good number of Albertans, too—the province's recent flirtation with an independence referendum seems ... unhelpful, to put it mildly. At a moment Canadian unity has never been more important, Alberta's premier seems to be undermining that effort. Is this a cheap political ploy? A well reasoned approach to real provincial greivances? O...

Canada has a doctor shortage. Many of you are living it right now. For most of the past few decades, the brain drain for physicians has gone one way: Canada to the United States. It's not the only reason so many of us can't find a family doctor, but it's been a big part of the problem. The past couple of years, however, have shifted that. From restrictive abortion legislation to a near-total disre...

Last week's meeting between Canada's new prime minister and his counterpart in Washington was, by recent standards, civil and non-confrontational. Mark Carney was firm in his dismissal of the 51st state rhetoric, and Trump was mostly accepting of that reality. Broadly speaking, nothing much happened, though it was good to hear a simple, "No. Never," from Canada's leader. But if you happened upon s...

More than 120,000 Canadians work in Canada's auto industry...for now. As tariffs imposed by the US President kick into gear, only to change and then change again, plants and shifts are adjusting by the day, and some have already shut down some production lines, at least temporarily. Right now, we're at the mercy of these tariffs, as our production is so entwined with the US and Mexico's that cars...

These might feel like unprecedented times, with the US President dropping his latest annexation proposal on Canada's election day—but in truth, we have been here before. Sort of.  While the chaotic, bullying approach of the current administration may be unique, Canada's faced threats of tariffs leading to financial ruin and eventual annexation before. And we survived. We've faced down America on a...

The past five years have featured one global upheaval after another, so it's no surprise every Canadian's nerves were a little frayed even before Donald Trump began to talk about annexing Canada. But now that the Prime Minister has said the relationship is "over", and since the White House has refused when given the opportunity to back off the 51st state rhetoric, we think it's a good time to try...

If you've seen American television discussing Canada's response to the Trump administration's trade war and annexation rhetoric, you've probably seen Charlie Angus. The longtime NDP MP (who chose to step down this year rather than seek reelection) has been the face of Canada's defiance to many Americans—and especially to his fellow Canadians. Angus has been meeting thousands of his fellow citizens...

Have you seen a lot of Maple Leaf stickers and signs in your grocery store lately? Maybe even next to products you know are sold by American companies that are "prepared in Canada"? Wondering what that actually means?  There are any number of designations that can be placed on food products, but only a couple of them are specific and actually mean a food item was what we would think of as truly "m...

From intelligence services to border control to the military and everything in between, Canada has designed its national security infrastructure to work in concert with the United States, not in opposition to it. It's now clear this could be a really big problem. This episode is about how Canada can stand on its own two feet and plan to protect ourselves. First, Jordan and Laura examine just how m...

Whenever the prospect of "51st state" is mentioned, many Canadians wonder what would happen if it really came to that. Others wonder what they'd do in that situation? How could they help? Could they really fight for their country?  The easiest way to be ready should anything—emergencies, natural disasters and, yes, a hostile neighbour—threaten Canadians is to join the country's reserve forces. But...

A stated objective of President Trump's trade war is to cause Canada economic pain, in an apparent effort to bully Canada into becoming the 51st state. That strategy assumes there is a level of financial hardship at which Canadian resolve will weaken. The tactic is designed to cost the country—and more importantly, every person in it—money, in lost jobs, lost sales, higher prices and in many other...

Basically everything Canadians send digitally, even just to one another, runs through huge American tech companies—Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and dozens more. We've never had to worry about that. Now we do. So what are we going to do about it? On an individual and national level, we need to get serious about protecting our digital infrastructure. The good news is that it's a lot easier for...

Countries like Sweden and Finland, that live near a hostile power, have made huge investments in civil defence, preparing their citizens to respond to any emergency, from an environmental catastrophe to foreign interference and even invasion. Canada has done this in the past as well, just not for decades. What would a modern Canadian Civil Defence Corps look like?  Host Jordan Heath-Rawlings and p...

The world is shifting under our feet. This is a podcast about how Canada can stay strong and free, forever. And what exactly we need to do that. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us : hello.cancon@gmail.com.