Just Asking

Scorching heat, a sudden storm, bugs, bears and ticks. Our panel of experts tackles everything that could go wrong when you’re out in the wilderness so you can make the most of your time outdoors. PJ Richards is an outdoor educator with Outward Bound Canada. Patricia Wilson is founder of Diverse Nature Collective. Dr. Aaron Orkin is an emergency and public health physician who works as a medical d...

Can we be good friends with AI? Can grief bots help us cope? What are the gaps in our lives that AI companions are filling? We’re taking all of your questions about intimate relationships between humans and artificial intelligence.  Dr. Ashleigh Golden is a clinical psychologist researching AI and mental health. Anabel Quan-Hasse is a professor of sociology in the faculty of information...

A group of scientists is raising alarm bells over recent changes to pesticide regulation in Canada. Our guest experts explain those changes, and field your questions on pesticide use, impact and safety standards.   Risa Sargent is a professor in the faculty of land and food systems at the University of British Columbia. Christy Morrissey is a professor of biology at the University of Sas...

North America's free trade deal is up for review on July 1. We’re breaking down the stakes for Canada. Carlo Dade is a director of the New North America Initiative and International Policy at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. Zi-Ann Lum is federal politics and trade reporter for Politico.

As betting sites report record-breaking activity in the first week of the World Cup, gambling addiction experts are warning that first-time sports bettors are being primed to keep wagering long after the tournament ends. Two guests join us to field your questions about sports betting. Danny Funt is a journalist and the author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Betting. Spen...

This episode is a stacked playlist of unmissable First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists from across Turtle Island.  Here to curate your playlist are three artists: Aysanabee, a Juno Award-winning Oji-Cree singer-songwriter; Wolf Castle, a Mi’kmaq rapper and producer; and Sara Kae, an Ojibwe and Cree singer-songwriter and journalist.

As the number of AI data centres grows across the country, so does the pushback against them. We delve into your questions about these centres and their impact on you and your community.  Anne Pasek is an associate professor at Trent University, where she is the Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture, and the Environment.  Darius Snieckus is a business correspondent with Canada’s Nation...

We're diving into your questions about the World Cup, Canada’s team, FIFA and what hosting the games means for Canada.  Joshua Kloke is staff writer at The Athletic. Carrie Serwetnyc is a former Canada national team player and first woman in the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame. Alan McDougall is professor of history at the University of Guelph and co-author of the new book, Cold War Football: A...

The first shipments of Chinese-made EVs arrived in Canada over the past month. As more EVs enter the market, our guests break down everything you need to know about buying and driving electric vehicles. Charlotte Yates is founder and president of the Automotive Research Policy Centre, a non-profit aimed at researching Canadian automotive policy. Max Fawcett is lead columnist for Canada’s National...

Are people happier in the summer months? Does being on- or offline impact how happy we are? And is it really true that money can’t buy happiness? Two researchers field your questions about what it takes to attain and retain happiness.  Ulrich Schimmack is professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Gillian Mandich is an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry...

We’re tackling your questions about Ebola, hantavirus, and Canada’s readiness for a public health emergency.  Jason Kindrachuk is an associate professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba and the Canada Research Chair on Emerging Viruses.  Dr. Andrew Pinto is a family physician, public health specialist, and the founder and director of the Upstr...

Three experts in environmental policy join Just Asking to take your questions about PM Mark Carney’s record on climate action.  James Meadowcroft is a professor in the School of Public Policy at Carleton University. Jessica Green is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto. And Kathryn Harrison is professor of political Science at the University of British Columbia. 

Premier Danielle Smith says Albertans will vote in the fall on whether they want their provincial government to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada. You’ve got plenty of questions about the referendum, and our guest experts tackled each one.  Lori Williams is a political scientist and an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University. And Matt Solberg is a par...

Why are pollen levels growing over time? And what does climate change and “botanical sexism” have to do with it? We took all your questions about seasonal allergies. Dr. Mariam Hanna is a pediatric allergist and immunologist. She hosts The Allergist podcast. Daniel Coates is a director at Aerobiology Research Laboratories.

Dive in for a conversation about finding good care, using new tools and building support while navigating chronic pain.  Norman Buckley is an anesthesiologist and chronic pain clinician based at McMaster University. And Desmond Williams has lived with chronic pain for 30 years. He is a member of Pain Canada's National Advisory Committee. Resources: Living Proof: Experience as Evidence Podcast...

New data released this week shows too much debt is pushing more and more Canadians to file for insolvency. What do you want to know about managing your debt, and how to get good support when it becomes too difficult to deal with alone?  Personal finance expert Bruce Sellery is CEO of Credit Canada and the money columnist for CBC Radio. And Wesley Cowan a licensed insolvency trustee at MNP Lim...

If you’re looking for work, how do you try and beat the odds of a tough job market? Should you consider switching careers? How do you start to think about your skills differently?  Jermaine L. Murray is a career coach and founder of JupiterHR. Brendon Bernard is Indeed Canada's senior economist. 

We’re fielding your questions about foreign influence on Canadian political discourse in the age of AI, paid actors and ‘slopaganda’.  Brian McQuinn is an associate professor in the department of politics and international studies at the University of Regina. Mika Desblancs-Patel is a research engineer at the Media Ecosystem Observatory. 

This week, Health Canada approved two generic versions of Ozempic. This will mean reduced cost, and therefore broader access, to a medication that’s been prohibitively expensive for many.  What questions do you have about accessing and using GLP1 drugs? What do you want to know about both the risks and benefits of broader access to these drugs? Here to field your questions are Jennifer Lake,...

The Canadian government wants to invest $6 billion over five years to boost Canada’s skilled trades sectors. As more young people struggle to find entry-level work in 9-to-5 professions, are the skilled trades a viable option? What do you want to know about the demands and the opportunities of life in the trades?  Abigail Fulton is the executive director of the Construction Foundation of B.C....

From higher ticket prices to thousands of cancellations, airlines around the world are reacting to fuel supply issues and it’s having a major impact on how and where we travel. What should you know before you book your next flight? Our expert panel is John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in supply chain networks and aviation management, and Max Johnson, a travel and tourism consultant based in Winnipeg...

“Ascend your looks to be a better version of yourself” is Looksmaxxing in a nutshell, but young men in the movement are using increasingly radical measures to improve their appearances, including extreme dieting and “bone-smashing” to achieve a very specific look. What is this trend that is attracting young men and making its way into mainstream conversation? And why should we watch for its influe...

Canada's food supply chains could use a shot of resilience -- the rise in oil prices is only the latest in a long list of factors that keep driving up food costs. We take questions on what makes our food supply chains so vulnerable to climate and poltical crises and what can be done to curb the costs. Our guests are Tyler McCann, managing director at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institu...

"Unity does not require uniformity" sounds good as a slogan, but what does it say about a party's politics and point of view? Mark Carney's Liberals now form a majority government, but it took opening its doors to MPs that hold disparate views and competing political records. What does that do to a party's core values? Our guests are Justin Ling, staff columnist at the Toronto Star, and Vandana Ka...

Whether you know all your obscure sparrows and warblers or your bird ID skills are limited to the Blue Jay, dive in for a fascinating conversation on birding and its benefits. Our guests are David Bird, Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology at McGill University, and writer and bird watcher Julia Zarankin. They are briefly joined by Erik Wing, a cognitive neuroscience research associate at York Un...