Cross Country Checkup

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is giving people a choice this fall -- stay in Canada or begin the legal path toward a binding referendum on separation. Checkup has every angle covered including: reactions from Alberta, the rest of Canada, as well get expert analysis on the potential legal, and political ramifications to the premier's announcement this week.

A new report out of Quebec shows that boys are more likely to drop out of high school, and generally perform more poorly than female students. And this has apparently been going on for some time. So why is it happening? And why isn't something being done? We hear your stories, and the answers to those questions.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in about the boxes, bins and forgotten belongings adult kids have left behind. This episode looks at how families negotiate inter-generational storage wars and how to decide what stays, what goes and who's responsible for it all.

Flight cancellations, tight budgets and the US travel boycott are shaking up summer travel plans for many Canadians. This episode breaks down what's driving the turbulence - and provides smart summer travel hacks travellers should consider before booking.

We rewind to May 1994, when Ontario was on the brink of a major shift in LGBTQ+ rights. Days before the legislature debated a bill to grant same‑sex couples full legal recognition, Canadians called Cross Country Checkup to weigh in. This archive episode reveals how the country was thinking, arguing and evolving — and what it tells us about how far we’ve come.

Spring cleaning is stirring up a familiar family tension: the boxes, bins and forgotten belongings adult kids have left behind. This episode looks at how families negotiate these cross-generational storage wars and how to decide what stays, what goes and who's responsible for it all.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in where we ask whether private menopause clinics are providing necessary treatments or promoting a two tier system? Private options are popping up across the country while many women face long wait-lists to find the right care.

As we mark Mother's Day this weekend, ICYMI digs back into the archives from a show that aired on Mother's Day back 1988. Many young women at the time were pushing back against the idea that they -- like their mothers -- would be at home with the kids and managing the household. Callers weighed in on the question: do all women eventually become their mothers?

A new Ipsos survey found that 1 in 3 women will have to wait for more than 2 years to find effective treatment for menopause. To fill that need, private menopause clinics are popping up across the country. We hear from patients and practitioners about the rise of these private options in a country known for public healthcare.

Manitoba could become the first place in the world to ban AI chatbots for kids. While Australia has banned social media for youth under 16, Manitoba says regulation would include AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. We hear from experts, parents and young people about what they think of the idea.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in where we ask whether a career in the trades, or a university degree is the way to go in 2026. The federal government wants to hire 100-thousand trades workers. Want some advice for the young person in your life? Our experts weigh-in on where the job market of tomorrow is headed.

The federal government says it will hire 100-thousand tradespeople to help build it's promised infrastructure projects. Canadians are twice as likely to advise young people to go into the trades -- but is the right call? We'll hear the arguments for both, as well as the advice of a career councillor.

The deadline to collect signatures has passed for the Stay Free Alberta petition. The leaders of the separatist movement say they have the support to force a referendum, but a court injunction may stop the process. Should Alberta hold a vote on separating from Canada? From separatists to federalists -- we hear the answer to that question from every possible perspective.

It was ten years ago this week that a wildfire started raging southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. It would lead the largest wildfire evacuation in Canadian history. On ICYMI, from Checkup's show on May 8th, 2016, we hear from two evacuees shortly after they left the their homes behind.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in on sports betting ads. Former Canadian Olympian Bruce Kidd wants sports betting ads banned…but the Canadian Gaming Association says this will make things worse. Should they be completely banned? We'll hear from both sides of the debate.

The Trump administration rekindled the cross-border crosstalk with Canada this week, as this summer's trade deadline looms. An economist and US trade expert decipher what's at stake for both countries as Canadians share the impact all this is having on their daily life.

Just as trade talks resume between Canada and the US, ICYMI features highlights from Checkup's 2018 show from Madison, Wisconsin. Canadians and Americans weigh-in on the trade war in the lead up to the final negotiations which lead to CUSMA/USMCA.

Hockey and basketball playoff season is in full swing...and so are the sports betting ads. One-third of Canadians aged 18 to 29 gamble online. Former Canadian Olympian Bruce Kidd wants sports betting ads banned…but the Canadian Gaming Association says this will make things worse. Should they be completely banned? We'll hear from both sides of the debate.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford tabled legislation requiring high school teachers to factor attendance into final grades. Should students lose marks for missing class? This week academics, teachers and students weigh in from all sides of this debate.

As Canadians debate how to deal with students missing school today, back in 2005 Checkup was taking the country's temperature on whether secondary education is truly serving students. 

Global EV sales are also rebounding with rising oil prices. Our AMA expert answers caller questions about EVs, hybrids and everything in between. 

This isn't the first time that future of Canada's passenger rail system has been the centre of public debate. On August 17, 1980, Cross Country Checkup asked callers: "Should we abandon our passenger trains?" Here are some highlights from that show.

Canada elected a minority parliament - but five floor crossers have brought Prime Minister Mark Carney just 1 seat away from a majority government. Our question: Is floor crossing a fair path to a majority government? 

A high speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City is on the table, promising jobs and billions in economic impact — but also raising concerns from communities and politicians. In this episode, we dig into what Canadians want to know about high‑speed rail and whether the country is ready for it. Our question: What questions do you have about high speed rail in Canada? Is it a good or b...

We're approaching a big moment for the Artemis II mission, as the crew prepares for their flyby around the moon. It’s not a landing, but it’s the first time in more than 50 years that humans will swing around the moon and head back home. It’s thrilling. It’s historic. And it’s expensive. Artemis has blown past budgets and timelines. And here in Canada, taxpayers will contribute more than $800 mill...